translating Titus Livius though he was a King I do not hold with age in divers men who for want of discretion and wit was childish again but of perfect men in whom age seemed rather a warrant of their doings For even as he that playeth much upon instruments is not to be commended so well as he that playeth cunningly and artificially so all men that live long are not to be praised so much as he that liveth well For as apples being green are yet sower untill by time they wax sweet so young men without warrant of time and experience of things are oftentimes to be misliked If faults be in old men saith Cicero as many there be it is not in age but in the life and manners of men Some think age miserable because either the body is deprived from pleasure or that it bringeth imbecility or weaknesse or that it is not far from death or calleth from due administration of Common-wealths these four causes saith Cicero make age seem miserable and loathsome What shall we say then of those that in their old age have defended their countries saved their Cities guided the people and valiantly triumphed over their enemies as L. Paulus Scipio and Fabius Maximus men of wonderfull credit in their old years What may be spoken of Fabritius Curius and Cornucanus aged men of great agility of famous memory in their latter days How can Appius Claudius be forgotten who being both old and blind resisted the Senatours to compound with King Pyrrhus for peace though they all and the Consuls of Rome hereunto were much inclined If I should passe from Rome a place where age was much estéemed unto Athens amongst the sage Philosophers if from Athens to Lacedemonia where age altogether bare sway and rule if from thence unto the Ethiopians and Indians where all their lives are ruled and governed by old men If from thence to any part of the world I might be long occupied in reciting the honour and estéemation of age Herodotus doth write that the Aethiopians and Indians do live most commonly a hundred and thirty years The people called Epeii in the Countrey of Aetolia do live two hundred years naturally and as it is by Damiates reported Lictorius a man of that Countrey lived thrée hundred years The Kings of Arcadia were wont to live thrée hundred years the people of Hyperborii lived a thousand years We read in the old Testament that Adam our first father lived nine hundred and thirty years and Eve his wife as many Seth nine hundred and twelve years Seth his son called Enos nine hundred and five Cainan the son of Enos nine hundred and ten Mahalalehel the son of Cainan eight hundred fourscore and fifteen so Enoch the son of Iared lived nine hundred thréescore and five years Enoch his son named Mechuselah lived nine hundred threescore and nine years with divers of the first Age I mean till Noah's time who began the second world after the floud who lived as we read nine hundred and five his son Sem six hundred years and so lineally from father to son as from Sem to Arphaxad from Arphaxad to Sala from Sala to Heber the least lived above thrée hundred years This I thought for better credit and greater proof of old ago to draw out of the Old Testament that other prophane authorities might be beleeved as Tithoniâ—s whom the Poets fain that he was so old that he desired to become a Grashâ—pper But because age hath no pleasure in the world frequenteth no banquets abhorreth lust loveth no wantonness which saith Plato is the only bait that deceives young men so much the happier age is that age doth loath that in time which young men neither with knowledg with wisdome nor yet with counsel can avoid What harm hath happened from time to time by young men over whom lust so ruled that there followed eversion of CoÌ„monwealths treason to Princes Friends betrayed countreys overthrown and Kingdoms vanquished throughout the world Therefore Cicero saith in his book entituled De Senectate at what time he was in the City of Tarentum being a young man with Fabius Maximus that he carried one lesson from Tarentum unto the youth of Rome where Architas the Tarentine said that Nature bestowed nothing upon man so hurtfull to himself nor so dangerous to his Countrey as lust or pleasure For when C. Fabricius was sent as an Embassadour from Rome to Pyrrhus King of Epyre being then the Governour of the City of Tarentum a certain man named Cineas a Thessalian by birth being in disputation with Fabritius about pleasure affirmed that hee heard a Philosopher of Athens affirm that all which we do is to be referred to pleasure which when M. Curius and Titus Coruncanus heard they desired Cineas to perswade King Pyrrhus to yéeld to pleasure and make the Samnites believe that pleasure ought to be esteemed Whereby they knew that if King Pyrrhus or the Samnites being then great enemies to the Romans were addicted to lust or pleasure that then soon they might be subdued and destroyed There is nothing that more hindreth magnanimity or resisteth vertuous enterprises then pleasure as in the Treatise of pleasure it shall more at large appear Why then how happy is old age to despise and contemn that which youth by no means can avoid yea to loath and abhor that which is most hurtfull to it self For Cecellius contemned Caesar with all his force saying to the Emperor that two things made him nothing to estéem the power of the Emperor Age and Wisdome By reason of Age and Wisdome Castritius feared not at al the threatnings of C. Carbo being then Consul at Rome who though he said he had many friends at commandement yet Castriâ—iâ—â— answered and said That he had likewise many years that could not fear his friends Therefore a wise man sometime wept for that man dieth within few years and having but little experience in his old age he is then deprived thereof For the Crow liveth thrise so long as the man doth the Hart liveth four times so long as the Crow the Raven thrice so long as the Hart and the Phoenix nine times longer then the Raven And thus Birds do live longer time then man doth in whom there is no understanding of their years But man unto whom reason is joyned before he commeth to any ground of experience when he beginneth to have knowledge in things he dieth and thus endeth he his toyling Pilgrimage and travel in fewer years then divers beasts or birds do CHAP. XIX Of the manners of sundry People under sundry Princes and of their strange life THe sundry fashions and variety of manners the strange life of people every where thorow the world dispersed are so charactered and set forth amongst the writers that in shewing the same by naming the Countrey and the people thereof orderly their customes their manners their kind of living being worthy of observation I thought briefly to touch and to note
man to rule the City of Scadmenna was often moved that he for his age was not méet to govern such a City considering the multitude and number of people that were within that City they thought that a young man should better discharge the office but the wise Emperour perceiving how bent and prone were the youth of that town to have a young man to rule over them answered them after this sort I had rather said he commit the governance of the City to one old man then the governance of so many young men unto the City Better it is that an old man should rule the City then the City should rule the young men meaning no otherwise then that aged men should onely be admitted to be rulers in Cities for that there belongeth unto them experience of things and care of youth Such was the homage and reverence which was amongst the young Romans toward the Senatours or old men of the City as both head and leg did acknowledge the same in doing duty unto age They had this confidence in age that no man might be chosen unto the number of the Senatours before he should be thréescore years of age The like custome had the people of Chalcides that no man before he were fifty years should either â—ear office within their Cities or be sent Embassadour out of their country Amongst the Persians no man could be admitted to be one of the sage rulers which they called Magi unlesse perfect age had brought him thereto perforce Amongst the Indians their wise men which ruled their country which were named Gimnosophistae were ancient for time giveth experience of governance Amongst the Egyptians the like credit was given unto old men that youth meeting them in the way would go out of the way to give place unto age so that their counsellours which were called prophets were counted men of much time and experience even so the Babylonians elected their sage Chaldeans the French men their ancient wise men called Druydes In fine noble Greeks did observe the like order in chusing their rulers and counsellours of aged men as before spoken The Lacedemonian youth were by the law of Licurgus no lesse charged to reverence age then their own parents The Arabians in all places without respect of person preferred their old men before honour dignity or fortune The people called Tartesi had this law so to honour age that the younger might bear no witnesse against the elder The reverence said Chylon that should be shewed unto age by young men ought to be such that they then being young doing obedience unto age they might claim the like when they waxed old of youth Agesilaus King of Sparta being an old man would often go in the cold weather very thin in a torn cloak without a coat or doublet only to shew the way unto young men to be hardy in age by contemning of gay apparell in youth Masinista King of Numidia being more then threescore years of age would lively and valiantly as Cicero saith without cap on head or shoe on foot in the cold or frosty weather in the winter travell and toyl with the souldiers only unto this purpose that young souldiers should be hardned thereby in their youth and practise the same for the use of others when they came to age themselvs Ihero King of Sicilia shewed the like example in his old age being lxxx years to train youth and to bring them up so in young years that they might do the like in their old age For thus judged these wise Princes that all men covet to imitate Princes and Kings in their doings Gorgias the phylosopher and master unto Isocrates the Orator and to divers more nobles of Gréece thought himselfe most happy that he being a hundred years and seven was aswell in his memory as at any time before and made so much of age that being asked why he so delighted in age he made answer because he found nothing in age for which he might accuse it So sayd King Cyrus a little before his death being a very old man that he never felt himselfe weaker than when hee was young The like saying is reported of that learned Sophocles who being so old that he was accused of his own children of folly turned unto the Iudges and said If I be Sophocles I am not a foole if I be a foole I am not Sophocles meaning that in wisemen the senses waxed better by use and exercising the same for we prayse saith Cicero the old man that is somewhat young and we commend again the young man that is somewhat aged The old is commended that hath his wit young and fresh at comandement and the young is praised that is sober sage in his doings When M. Crassus a noble Captain of Rome being a very old man took in hand to war against the Parthians a strong and stout people being by Embassadors warned of his age and admonished to forsake the wars he answered stoutly the Embassadour of the Parthians and said when I come to Seleucia your City I will then answer you Whereupon one of the Embassadors named Agesâ—â—s an aged man stretched forth his hand and shewed the palm of his hand unto Crassus saying Before thou shalt come within the City of Seleucia bristles shall grow out of this hand The stoutness of Marcus Crassus was not so much as the magnanimity of Agesis and yet they both were old men What courage was in Scaevola to withstand that firebrand of Rome Sylla who after he had urged the Senators to pronâ—unce Marius enemy unto Italy he being an old agâ—d man answered Sylla in this sort Though divers be at the commandements of the Senators and that thou art so encompassed with souldiers at thy beck yet neither thou nor all thy souldiers shall ever make Scaevola being an old man for fear of losing some old bloud pronounce Marius by whom Rome was preserved and Italy saved to be enemy unto the City The like history we read that when Julius Caesar had by force of arms aspired unto the office of a Dictator and came to the Senate house where few Senators were together the Emperor Caesar desirous to know the cause of their absence Confidius an aged father of Rome said that they feared Caesar and his souldiers Whereat the Emperor musing a while said Why did not you likewise tarry at home fearing the same Because said he age and time taught me neither to fear Caesar nor yet his souldiers For as Brusonius saith there are young minds in old men for though Milo the great wrestler in the games of Olympias waxed old wept in spight of his decayed limbs bruised bones yet he said his mind flourished and was as young as ever it was before Solon hath immortal praise in Gréece for his stoutness in his age for when Pisistraâ—us had taken in hand to rule the people of Athens and that it was evident enough that tyranny should procéed thereby Solon in his
latter days having great care to his countrey when that no man durst refuse Pisistratus came before his door in Arms and called the citizens to withstand Pisistratus For age said he moveth me to be so valiant and stout that I had rather lose my life then my country should lose their liberty What vertue then see we to be in age what wisedome in time what courage in old men The examples of these old men stir and provoke many to imitate their steps insomuch that divers wished to be old when they were yet young to have that honor as age then had Wherefore king Alexander the great espying a young man coloring his hairs gray said It behoves thée to put thy wits in color and to alter thy mind The Lacedemonians a people that past all nations in honouring age made laws in their Cities that the aged men should be so honoured and estéemed of the young men even as the parents were of the children so that when a stranger came unto Lacedemonia and saw the obedience of youth towards age he said In this country I wish onely to be old for happy is that man that waxeth old in Lacedemonia and in the great games of Olympia an old man wanting a place went up and down to sit some where but no man received him but amongst the Lacedemonians not onely the young men but also the aged gave place unto his gray hairs and also the Embassadours of Lacedemonia being there present did reverence him and took him unto their seat which when he came in he spake aloud O you Athenians you know what is good and what is bad for that which you people of Athens said he do professe in knowledge the same doth the Lacedemonians put in practice Alexander being in his wars with a great army in Persia and meeting an old man in the way in the cold weather in ragged and rent cloaths lighted from his horse and said unto him mount up into a princes saddle which in Persia is treason for a Persian to do but in Macedonia comendable giving to understand how age is honoured and old men estéemed in Macedonia and how of the contrary wealth and pride is fostred in Persia for where men of experience and aged men are set nought by there it cannot be that wisedome beareth rule How many in the Empire of Rome ruled the City and governed the people of those that were very aged men as Fabius Maximus who was thréescore years and two in his last Consulship Valerius Corvinus who was six times a Consul in Rome a very old man who lived an hundred and odd years Metellus of like age called to the like function and administration in the Common-wealth being an old man What should I speak of Appius Claudius of Marcus Perpenna of divers other noble Romans whose age and time was the onely occasion of their advancement unto honour and dignity What should I recite Arganthonius who was threescore years before he came unto his Kingdome and after ruled his Countrey fourscore years unto his great fame and great commendations of age To what end shall I repeat Pollio who lived in great credit with the people unto his last years a man of worthy praise of renowned fame who lived a hundred and thirty years in great authority and dignity What shall I speak of Epimenides whom Theompus affirmeth that he lived a hundred and almost thréescore years in great rule and estimation Small were it to the purpose to make mention again of Dandon amongst the Illyrians which Valerius writeth that he was five hundred years before he died and yet of great memory and noble fame Or of Nestor who lived thrée hundred years of whom Homer doth make much mention that from his mouth proceeded sentences swéeter then honey yea in his latter days almost his strength was correspondent to the same That renowned Prince Agamemnon General of all Gréece wished no more in Phrygia but five such as Nestor was with whose wisedome and courage he doubted not but in short time he should be able to subdue Troy Swéet are the sayings of old men perfect are their counsels sound and sure their governance How frail and weak is youth How many Cities are perished by young counsel How much hurt from time to time have young men devised practised and brought to pass And again of age how full of experience knowledg and provision painful and studious is it unto the grave As we read of Plato that noble Philosopher who was busie and carefull for his countrey writing and making books the very year that he died being fourscore and two What shall I say of Isocrates who likewise being fourscore and fourtéen compiled a book called Panathenaicus of Gorgias who being studious and carefull to profit his countrey being a hundred and seven years was altogether addicted to his books and to his study So of Zeno Pythagoras and Democritus it might be spoken men of no lesse wit travell and exercise than of time and age For as Cicero saith the government and rule of Comon-wealths consisteth not in strength of body but in the vertue of mind weighty and grave matters are not governed with the lightnesse of the body with swiftnesse of the foot with external qualities but with authority counsel and knowledge for in the one saith he there is rashnesse and wilfulnesse in the other gravity and prudence As Themistocles and Aristides who though not friends at Athens being both rulers yet age taught them when they were sent Embassadours for the state of Athens to become friends to profit their country which youth could never have done That sage Solon was wont often to brag how that he dayly by reading learning and experience waxed old Apelles that approved painter and renowned Greek in his age and last time would have no man to passe the day idle without drawing of one line Socrates being an old man became a scholler to learn musick and to play upon instruments Cicero being old himself became a perfect Greek with study Cato being aged in his last years went to school to Ennius to learn the Greek Terentius Varro was almost forty years old before he took a Greek book in hand and yet proved excellent in the Greek tongue Clitomachus went from Carthage to Athens after forty years of age to hear Carneades the Philosophers lecture Lucius as Philostratus doth write meeting Marcus the old Emperor with a book under his arm going to school demanded of the Emperour whither he went like a hâ—y with his book in his hand the aged Emperour answered I go to Sextus the Philosopher to learn those things I know not O God said Lucius thou being an old man goest to school now like a boy and Alexander the great died at thirty years of age Alphonsus King of Sicilia was not ashamed at fifty years old to learn and to travel for his knowledge and lest he should lose the use of the Latin tongue he occupied himself in
the people of Carthage delighted in falshood practised perjury and used all kind of crafts as the people of Sarmatha were most false in words most deceitfull in déeds and most cruell one towards the other The Scythians being much molested with wars and driven to leave their wives at home in the custody of the slaves and servants having occasion to be absent four years their wives married their servants and brake their former faith with their husbands until with force and power their servants were slain and so they recovered their countreys and wives again Apollonius the chief Governâ—ur of Samos whom the Commons of the countrey from low estate had exalted to dignity to whom they committed the Government and state of Samos was so false of his faith towards his subjects that having their goods lands livings and lives in his own hanâ— he betrayed them to Philip King of Macedonia their most mortal enemy That proud perjurer Cocalus King of Sicily slue King Minos of Créet though under colour of friendship and pretence of communication he had sent for him Cleomines brake promise with the Argives with whom he took truce for certain days and having craftily betrayed them in the night he slue them being sleeping and imprisoned them against his former faith and promise made before Even so did the false Thracians with the Boetians they brake promise violated their faith destroyed their countreys depopulated their cities and having professed friendship and vowed faith became wicked foes and false traytors and all of these received condign punishment But of all false perjurers and unnatural foes Zopyrus amongst the Persians and Lasthenâ— â— amongst the Olinthians to their perpetual Fame shall be ever mentioned the one in the famous City of Babylon deformed himself in such sort with such dissimulation of forged faith that having the rule and government thereof in his hand he brought King Darius to enjoy it through his deceit and was more faithfull to his King then to his Countrey Lasthenes being the onely trust of the Citizens delivered Olinthus their City into the hands of their long and great enemy Philip King of Macedonia What fraud hath béen found always in friendship what falshood in faith the murthering of Princes the betraying of Kingdoms the oppressing of innocents from time to time in all places can well witnesse the same When Romulus had appointed Spu. Tarpeius to be chief Captain of the Capitol the chamber of Rome where the substance and wealth of Rome did remain Tarpeia Spurius daughter in the night time as she went for water out of the city méeting Tatius King of the Sabines though he was then a mortal enemy to Rome and in continual wars with Romulus yet by her falshood and policy he was brought to be Lord of the Capitol Thus Tarpeia was as false to Rome as King Tatius was to Tarpeia for she looking to have promise kept by Tatius did find him as Rome found her she was buried alive by Tatius close to the Capitol which was then called Saturnus Mount and after her death and burial it was named Tarpeiaes Rock untill Tarquinius Superbus did name it the Capitol by finding a mans head in that place There was never in Rome such falshood shewed by any man as was by Sergius Galba who caused the Magistrates of three famous cities in Lusitania to appear before him promising them great commodities concerning the states and Government of their Cities yéelding his faith and truth for the accomplishment of the same whose professed faith allured to the number of Nine thousand young msn picked and elected for some enterprise for the profit of their countrey But when false Galba had spoiled these thrée cities of the Flower of all their Youth against all promise and faith he slue the most part of them sold and imprisoned the rest whereby he most easily might conquer their Cities Men are never certain nor trusty in doing when they are faulty in Faith For as the Sun lighteneth the Moon so Faith maketh Man in all things perfect For Prudence without Faith is Vain-glory and Pride Temperance without Faith and Truth is Shamefacednesse or sadnesse Iustice without Faith is turned into Injury Fortitude into Slothfulnesse The orders in divers countreys for the observation of Friendship and for maintainance of certain and sure love one towards another were Oaths of Fidelity The noble Romans at what time they sware had this order He or she to take a slint stone in their right hand saying these words If I be guilty or offend any man if I betray my countrey or deceive my friend willingly I wish to be cast away out of Rome by great Jupiter as I cast this stone out of my hand And therewith threw the stone away The ancient Scythians to obserbe amity and love had this Law They poured a great quantity of wine into a great Boul and with their knives opened some vein in their bodies letting their bloud to run out one after another into the boul and then mingling the wine and bloud together they dipped the end of their spears and their arrows in the wine and taking the boul into their hands they drank one to another professing by that draught faith and love The Arabians when they would become faithfull to any to maintain love thereby had this custome One did stand with a sharp stone betwéen two and with it made bloud to issue from the palms of both their hands and taking from either of them a piece of their garment to receive their bloud he dipped seven stones in the bloud and calling Urania and Dionisius their Gods to witnesse their covenant they kept the stones in memory of their friendship and departed one from another The like law was among the Barcians who repairing to a Ditch and standing thereby would say as Herodotus affirmeth As long as that hollow place or ditch were not of it self filled up so long they desired amity and love In reading of Histories we find more certainty to have béen in the Heathen by prophane Oaths then truth often in us by Evangelist and Gospel Oaths lesse perjury in those Gentiles swearing by Jupiter or Apollo then in Christians swearing by the true and iiving God more amity and friendship amongst them with drinking either of others bloud then in us by professing and acknowledging Christs bloud When Marcus Antonius had the government of Rome after Caesar was murthered by Brutus and Cassius and having put to death Lucullus for his consent therein Volummus hearing of his friend Lucullus death came wéeping and sobbing before Antonius requiring one his knées one grant at Antonius hand which was to send his souldiers to kill him upon the grave of his friend Lucullus and being dead to open Lucullus grave and lay him by his friend Which being denied he went and wrote upon a little piece of paper and carried it in his hand untill he came to the place where Lucullus was buried and there holding fast the
Lightning or Thunder but had his head covered with all such things as might resist the violence of Lightning Misa King of the Moabites and Joram King of Iewry being besieged by the enemies and in danger of death they practised devises and invensions to save their lives and sacrificed their children to mitigate the rage of the Gods The love that divers had unto life and the fear they had of death were to be noted worthily considering how much men are vexed with the fear of death Antemon was so desirous to live and so fearfull to die that he hardly would travel out of his house any where and if he were compelled to go abroad he would have two of his servants to bear over his head a great brasen Target to defend him from any thing which might happen to do him hurt Theagenes in like sort would not go out of his house without he had consulted with the Image of Hecate to know what should happen to him that day and to understand whether he might escape death or no. Commodus the Emperour would never trust any Barber to shave his beard lest his throat should be cut Masinissa King of Numidia would rather commit his state and life unto dogs then unto men who was as his guard to kéep and defend him from death I might here speak of Bion of Domitianus of Dionisius of Pisander and of a thousand more who so feared death that their chief care and study was how they might avoid the same The fear of death causeth the son to forsake the father the mother to renounce the daughter one brother to deny another and one friend to forsake another Insomuch that Christ himself was forsaken of his disciples for fear of death Peter denied him and all the rest fled from him and all for fear of death Behold therefore how fearfull some are and how joyfull others are Some desperately have died being weary of life As Sabinus â—uba Cleomenes some have hanged some have burned and some drowned themselves and thus with one desperate end or other perished But since every man must die it were reason that every man should prepare to die for to die well is nothing else but to live again Wherefore certain philosophers of India called the Gymnosophislae being by Alexander the great commanded to answer to cercertain hard questions which if they could absolve they should live otherwise they should die The first question propounded to know whether there were more living or dead to the which the first philosopher said that the living are more in number because the dead have no being no place nor number The second question was whether the land produced more creatures or the sea to this answered the second philosopher and said the land doth ingender more for that the sea is but a portion of the land The third question was to know what beast was most subtil that beast answered the third philosopher whose subtilty man cannot discern Fourthly it was demanded why they being philosophers were so induced to perswade the Sabians to rebellion because said the philosophers it is better to die manfully then to live miserably The fifth question was whether the day was made before the night or the night before the day to the which it was answered the day The sixt was to understand how Alexander the Great himself might get the good wil of the people in shewing said that sixth philosopher thy self not terrible to the people The seveÌ„th question was whether life or death were stroÌ„ger to which it was aÌ„swered life The eight was to know how long a man should live till said the eight philosopher a maÌ„ thinks death better theÌ„ life The last question proposed by Alexander was how might a mortal man be accounted in the number of the Gods In doing greater things said all the Philosophers then man is able to do For they knew this proud Prince would be a God and that he would learn of the sage Philosophers how he might eschew mortality he was answered roundly because he should know himself to be a man and being a man he should make himself ready to die for death is the reward of sin and death is the beginning again of life unto the good As Aulus Posthumius in an Oration which he made unto his souldiers said it is given to both good and bad to die but to die gâ—dly and gloriously is onely given unto good men So Hector speaking in Homer said unto his wife Andromache that she should not be sorry for his death for all men must die Some with the Galatians do so contemn death that they fight naked and are perswaded with the Pythagoreans that they shall never die but passe from one body to another Some again die joyfully as the brethren of Policratâ— who being taken captive by Diognitus the King of Milesia she was so ill intreated by him that she did send Letters to Naxus to her brethren at what time the people of Milesia were feasting drinking and banquetting at a solemn feast Her brethren embracing the opportunity came and found the Emperor drinking and all his people overcharged with wine and slew the greatest part of them and having taken many of them prisoners they brought their sister home to Naxus where as soon as they came home they died for joy of the victory Even so Phisarchus sometime in his great triumph crying out O happy hours and joyful days was taken with such an extasie of joy that he brake his veins at that very instant with the excesse of gladnesse He is counted most wise that knoweth himself To joy too much in prosperity to be advanced and extolled when fortune favours without all fear of ill haps to come is folly To be vanquished and subdued in adversity without hope of solace to ensue is meer madnesse Therefore the Wisemen knowing that death was the last line of life did endeavour in their lives how they might die well And briefly for the examples of our lives I will here note a few sentences of these wise men which they used as their Posies and think good to shew their answers to divers questions propounded to them Bias dwelling in the City of Prienna after the City was destroyed by the Mutinensians escaped and went to Athens whose Poesie was Maximus improborum numerus He willed all young men in their youth to travel for knowledge and commanded old men to embrace wisedome This Bias being demaunded what was the difficultest thing in the world he said to suffer stoutly the mutability of fortune Being demanded what was the most infamous death that might happen to man to be condemned said he by law Being asked what was the swéetest thing to man he made answer Hope Being again demanded what beast was most hurtfull Amongst wild beasts a Tyrant said Bias and amongst tame beasts a Flatterer And being demanded what thing it was that feared nothing in all the world he answered A good Conscience And again in the second Olympiade he was demanded many other questions as who was most unfortunate in the world the impatient man said Bias. What is most hard to judge Debates betwéen friends What is most hard to measure he answered Time Thus having answered to these and divers other questions Bias was allowed one of the seven Wise men of Gréece Chilo the second of the Sages being asked what was the best thing in the world he answered Every man to consider his own state And again being demanded what beast is most hurtfull he said Of wild beasts a Tyrant of tame beasts a Flatterer Being asked what is most acceptable to man he said Time And being asked of the Gréek Myrsilas what was the greatest wonder that ever he saw he said An old man to be a Tyrant The third was Chilo the Lacedemonian who being demanded what was a difficult thing for a man to do he answered Either to kéep silence or to suffer injuries Being demanded what was most difficult for a man to know he said For a man to know himself And therefore he used this Poesie Nosce teipsum This Chilo being of Aesop demanded what Jupiter did in heaven he said He doth throw down lofty and proud things and he doth exalt humble and méek things S. Ion said that in knowing and considering what we are and how vile we are we shall have lesse occasion ministred to us to think wel of our selvs for there is nothing good nor beautifull in man This Solon being asked by King Cyrus sitting in his chair of state having on his most royal habiliments and Princely robes covered with Pearls and Precious stones Whether ever he saw a more beautifull sight then himself sitting in heighth of his Majesty Solon answered that he saw divers Birds more glorious to behold then Cyrus And being demanded by Cyrus what Birds were they Solon said the little Cock the Peacock and the Pheasant which are decked with natural garments and beautified with natural colours This Solon was wont to say I wax dayly old learning much He noted nothing so happy in man as to Live well that he might Die well applying the Cause to the Effect as first to Live well and then to Die well FINIS LONDON Printed by Elizabeth Alsop dwelling in Grubstreet near the Upper Pump 1653.
Illiads which Homer Alexander the great so esteemed by the reading of the atchievements of Achilles being brought up in school in his fathers days with that learned Phylosopher Aristotle that he never went to bed but he had Homer under his pillow and there fell in love with the prowesse of Achilles honoured his life and magnified his death insomuch that he went unto Illion in Phrygia where that famous City of Troy sometimes stood to sée the grave of Achilles where when he saw the worthy monuments of his martial chivalry his famous feats and renowned life depainted about the Temple which invironed round his sumptuous Tomb he brake out into tears beholding the tomb and said O happy Achilles who had such a Poet as Homer that so well could advance thy fame And thus Alexander being moved by Homer to imitate Achilles minded nothing else but magnanimity and courage of mind as Curtius and Diodorus Siculus can well testifie whose life though it was but short was a mirrour unto all the world that being but twenty years when he began to imitate the acts and feats of Achilles in twelve years more which was his whole time of life he became King over Kings a Conquerour over Conquerours and was named another Hercules for his prosperous successe in his enterprises insomuch that Julius Caesar the first and most valiant Emperor that ever was in Rome after his great conquests entring into the Temple of Hercules in Gades and reading the life of Alexander painted round about the Temple his worthy fame declared his noble déeds set forth his victories and conquests in every place described such monuments and mirrours in memory of his noble life every where expressed he fell into the like tears for Alexander as Alexander did for Achilles Thus was one in love with another for magnanimities sake each one so desirous of others fame that Caesar thought himself happy if he might be counted Alexander Alexander judged himself renowned if he might be named Achilles Achilles sought no greater fame then Theseus Theseus ever desired the name of Hercules Therefore Agesilaus King of the Lacedemonians wondered much at the singular magnanimity and prowesse of Epaminondas sometime Prince of Thebes who with one little City could subdue all Gréece This Epaminondas having wars with the Lacedemonians people no lesse renowned by war then justly feared by Epaminondas after great victories and triumphs was after this sort prevented by Agesilaus in the wars of Mantinia that all the people of Sparta were counselled either to kill Epaminondas or to be killed by Epaminondas whereby the whole force and power of Lacedemonia was fully bent by commandment given by Agesilaus their King to fall upon Epaminondas where that valiant and noble Prince by too much pollicy was wounded to death to the utter destruction of all the people of Thebes and yet being carried unto his tent alive he demanded of his souldiers the state of the field whether Thebes or Sparta was conquered being certified that the Lacedemonians fled and that he had the victory he forthwith charged the end of the spear to be taken out of his wounded side saying Now your Prince Epaminondas beginneth to live for that he dies a Conqueror We read not of Epaminondas his parralel who being compared unto Agamemnon for his magnanimity was angry therewith saying Agamemnon with al Greece with him was ten years about one town the City of Troy Epaminondas with little Thebes in one year conquered all Gréece An order was observed amongst the Lacedemonians before they did go to the wars they were by their Laws charged to make solemn sacrifice unto the Muses And being demanded why they so did sith Mars hath no society with the Muses Eudamidas then their King answered For that we might obtain as well of the Muses how to use victory gently as Mars to become victors manfully These Lacedemonians were so valiant that having banished their King Cleonimus for his extraordinary pride and violence did make Arcus King in his place Who being in Creet aiding the people of Corcyra in wars with the most part of the Citizens of Sparta Cleonimus their exiled King consulted with Pyrrhus King of Epyre and perswaded him then or never to conquer Sparta considering Areus was in Creet and that Sparta was not populous to defend any strength of invasion they both came and pitched their field in the open face of the City of Sparta assuring themselves to sup that evening at Cleonimus house The Citizens perceiving the great Army of Pyrrhus thought good by night to send their women unto Créet to Areus making themselves ready to â—ie manfully in resisting the hoast of the enemie and being thus in the Senate agréeing that the womankind should passe away that night lest their nation at that time should be quiet destroyed by Pyrrhus a great number of women appeared in armor amongst whom Archidamia made an Oration to the men of Sparta wherein she much blamed their intent and quite confounded their purpose saying Think you O Citizens of Sparta that your Wives and Daughters would live if they might after the death of their Husbands and destruction of Sparta Behold how ready we are how willingly the women of Sparta will die and live with their Husbands Pyrrhus shall well feel it and this day be assured of it No marvel it is that the children of these women should be valiant high in their resolution If Demosthenes who was so much esteemed in Athens had said in Sparta that which he wrote in Athens that they who sometime ran away should fight again he should have the like reward that Archilogus had who wrote in his book that it was sometime better to cast the buckler away then to die for which he was banished the confines of Lacedemonia At what time the noble city of Sagunâ—um was destroyed the Senate of Carthage having promised the contrary the renowned Romans though the league was broken and peace defied yet the Senators did send Fabius Maximus as their Embassador with two tables the one containing peace the other wars which were sent to Carthage either to choose peace or wars the election was theirs though the Romans were injured Hardie then the Romans were when Scaenola went alone armed unto the Tents of Porsenna King of Hetruria either to kill Porsenna or to be killed by Porsenna greater fortitude of mind could be in no man a more valiant heart also was séen in no man then in Cocles who alone resisted the whole army of King Porsenna and when the draw bridge was taken up he leaped in all his harnesse from his enemies into the midst of the river Tybur And though he was in divers places sore wounded yet neither did his fall hurt him nor his Armour press him neither the water drown him neither thousands of his enemies could kill him but he swam through the river Tybur unto Rome to the great admiration of King Porsenna and excéeding joy of Rome so that one
insolency of Princes the desire of Fame the felicity of renown the honour of glory was such as Alexander the great answered King Darius Embassadours who coming from Persia to Macedonia to treat of peace tendering unto Alexander the daughter of Darius in marriage with all the country of Mesopotamia and twelve thousand talents yearly beside and the assurance of the kingdom of Persia after Darius days as there wanted no princely liberallity in Darius offering so there waÌ„ted no princely stoutnesse in Aâ—exanders answer saying unto the Embassadors tel your master Darius King of Persia that as two suns may not be in the firmameÌ„t so two Alexâ—nders may not rule one earth Such high and valiant minds could be subject in no wise neither Dâ—rius unto Alexander nor Alexander unto Darius Such stoutnesse reigned in Princes to maintain states that as Archestratus the Athenian was want to say that in the City of Athens two Alcibiades might not rule so Ethocles the Lacedemonian did likewise speak that two Lisanders could not agree in Sparta So opposite were Princes so high and lofty of courage so valiant of heart so noble of mind that though fortune could not so often fawn and favour their estates yet she could not bereave them of their valiant minds nor spoil them of their magnanimity nor diminish their courage as may appear by that worthy and most ancient souldier Mithridates King of Pontus who after he had plagued the Romans with wars for the space of forty years during which time he shewed himself no lesse hardy and stout in resisting the strong force of Romane then valiant and couragious in attempting the fortitude of Romans and though he were by fortune forsaken in his latter days and spoiled of all health friends children countries kingdomes and all worldly wealth yet to spite fortune his mortal foe he went to Celâ—ae thinking with them to passe over into Italy to let the Romans understand that though friends and countries by fortune were spoiled yet neither fortune with her spite nor all the Romans with their force could subdue King Mithridates valiant heart It was then the onely joy of Princes not to be conquered In this onely they triumphed that they could not be vanquished In this gloried they most in that they were free from subjection Cercilidas being one of the wise men named Ephou in Sparta hearing the thundring threatnings of King Pyrrhus Embassadours the slaughter and murther that King Pyrrhus intended upon men women and children the cruel destruction and last confuâ—ions of the Lacedemonians answered no lesse stoutly then wisely the Embassadours of the King saying If Pyrrhus your master be a God we have not offended him and therefore doubt him not but if Pyrrhus be but a man tell your master that the Lacedemonians be men likewise and therefore we nothing fear him at all The valiant Pyrrhus thought so well of himself and judged all men so inferiour unto him in their atchievements that being at the victory of that noble City Tarentum where he saw such feats attempted such acts done such stoutnesse shewed by the Romans that dismaied at the manhood and boldnesse of them thought that if magnanimity were lost the spirit thereof should be found in a Romans heart insomuch that beholding of them he cried out and said O how soon would Pyrrhus conquer all the world if either he were King of Rome or Roman souldiers subject unto Pyrrhus Of these Romans Hannibal being inforced to forsake Carthage was wont to say unto King Antiochus of Syria that Rome would never suffer equality but be Prince over all Rome was compared unto the Serpent Hidra of Lerna that having so many heads when one was cut off another sprung up insomuch that all the world might not destroy Rome being either injured or overcome by the enemies Licinius having lost divers of his souldiers unto Perseus King of Macedonia who afterwards was subdued by that valiant Roman Pompey the great Perseus did send certain Orators to speak for peace who eloquently perswaded Licinius to consent thereto after a long debate and the learned councel and pithy perswasions of the Orators it was answered as briefly and plainly by Licinius that the best way for King Perseus to obtain peace of the Romans was first to restore the prisoners he had taken and then afterwards to send his Embassadours to the General Licinius otherwise the whole country of Macedonia should féel the force and magnanimity of the Romans To speak of the conquest and victories of Julius Caesar of the resolution of Merellus of the Fortune of Silla of the severity of Marcellus being therefore called the spur of Rome and of Fabius named the Target of Rome of divers more valiant Romans it were infinite but I mean not to molest the Reader to prove the renowned Romans most worthy of this valiaÌ„t vertue magnanimity Claudian makes meÌ„tion of one Camillus a noble RomaÌ„ who having a long time laid siege at Philiscus could not prevail the Schoolmaster of the City taking his schollers with him under preteÌ„ce of walking out of the town came and offered the schollers unto Camillus saying by this means you may do what you will unto Philifeus for here be their children whom to redéem I know they will yeeld up the town Camillus having regard to the Fame of Rome and loathing much to shew such treachery rewarded the School-master after this sort he did set him naked before his schollers fast bound with his hands behind him and every one of his schollers with a rod in his hand saying unto the boys bring him home to your Parents and tell your friends of his falshood and the poor boys having an opportunity to requite old beatings were as glad as he was sorrowfull laying on load and jerkt him with so many stripes as loitering trevants may best be bold to number untill they came unto the City where they told their Parents the cause thereof who weighing the clemency and humanity of Camillus to be such they gladly and willingly yeelded themselves and their City into the hands of Camillus knowing well that he that would use them so being his enemies could not use them ill by yeelding all into his courtesie who might have had all by tyranny Now because this vertue was often séen in divers Quéens Ladies Gentlewomen and others I may not omit the pilgrimage of their lives We read of two Quéens of the Amazons Penthesilaea the first and Hyppolica the second the one so valiant against the Gréeks at the destruction of the noble City of Troy that she feared not in open field to encounter face to face with that valiant Gréek Achilles the other so hardy that she shrunk not at the force and stoutnesse of that renowned Champion Theseus who being commended by Theseus for her singular stoutnesse and courage was married to him which certainly had hapned unto Penthesilaea had she not béen taken by Achilles Camilla likewise Queen of the Volscians beside her Princely
we go we go a pilgrimage and thus we live and thus we die CHAP. V. Of Martial Triumphs and the solemnity of Kings and Princes AFter that Mars had moved first Ninus King of the Assyrians unto wars who was the first after the floud that invaded the confines of Asia the world at that time for the simplicity of the people and temperance of life and specially for that it was not populous was called the golden world for the space of two hundred years and a half after Noah untill Ninus first framed wars whence in short time after proceeded sundry wars in several countries Insomuch that to animate the souldiers and to stir their Captains with greater courage to defend their countries they invented glorious triumphs whereby the deserved fame of the Conquerours might be renowned And as the victory of it self was either more or lesse so were the triumphs appointed to be correspondent unto the same The Lacedemonians a people most studious of war had appointed several triumphs according unto the state of the victory for if through deceit or craft they had gotten a victory they would kill a Bull to do sacrifice unto their Gods If again through strength and courage they had purchased a victory then in triumph thereof they would kill a Cock The Athenians at any victory would crown the Conqueror with a Garland made of Oken leaves in triumph of his successe properly appointed for him that defended the estate of Cities or the persons of Citizens Thus Pericles and Demosthenes used often to triumph in wearing the crown called Civica Corona the Civick Garland This order also was observed among the Gréeks that the victors might onely make a triumphant shew of their victory not to move any enmity or to maintain discord against the enemy as sometime the Thebans did who were of all Gréece with one consent accused for that they made a perpetual monument of the victory against the Lacedemonians to stand in brasse rather to stir enmity and discord amongst their successours and posterity then justly to triumph in their present fortune The Princes of Carthage used such triumphs as at the yéelding of the Empire of Carthage by Hasdrubal unto his brother Hamilcar who was Hannibals father and oftentimes triumphed against the Romans It is read in Justine that at the beginning the triumphs were not gorgeously nor sumptuously appointed as they were in processe of time for the Romans who far excelled all countries had no such triumph when Romulus had vanquished Acron King of the Senenses He did wear nothing else but Bay-leaves in triumph thereof for first the branches and bows of trées were cut down in triumph Secondly divers fresh flowers were gathered Then they invented Garlands made of Time intermingled with silver and with gold At length divers kinds of Garlands were so used in Gréece that at their banquets and their drinkings they had their Garlands on their heads for as the world grew in wealth so it grew in sumptuousnesse for the triumph of Romulus was far inferiour to the gorgeous triumphs of Camillus and yet Romulus was a King and Camillus was but an Officer Time bringeth things unto perfection In time Rome waxed so wealthy that Camillus I say was carried in a Chariot all gilded and wrought over with gold having all white horses gallantly furnished a Crown of pure Gold on his head all the Senatours and Consuls of Rome going on foot before him unto the Capitol of the City and thence unto the Temple of Jupiter where to honour the triumph further they slue a white Bull as a sacrifice unto Jupiter and thence he was brought triumphantly unto the City of Rome unto his owâ— house Even so in Gréece and Carthage in time they grew into such pomp and sumptuous triumphs that there was as much study to invent brave shews and solemn sights in triumphs as there was care and diligence to have removed the enemies when Epaminondas ruled stately Thebes when Hannibal governed proud Carthage when Leonidas bare sway in war like Sparta then Gréece and Lydia were acquainted with solemn and brave triumphs In Ninus time the triumphs were in Assyria In Arbaces time the triumphs flourished amongst the Medes In Cyrus time the triumphs were in Persia In Alexanders time they were in Macedonia In Caesars time they were in Rome and thus alwaies from the beginning of the world triumphs followed victories And here I mean a little to intreat of the triumphs of the Romans which far divers ways surmounted the rest whose Fame was spread over all the world and yet imitating in all things the Gréeks insomuch that Rome alwaies had Athens as a Nurse or a patern to frame their laws by for although the Kings were banished as well in Athens as in Rome yet they ruled and triumphed more by Orateurs in Athens and by Consuls in Rome then by Kings Therefore as Plini saith they exercised such feats of arms they contrived such policies they used such solemnities in triumphs that Rome then was noted to be the lamp and lanthorn of Mars They had I say divers Garlands made onely for the triumphs of wars Plini counteth seven sorts of Garlands which the Romans had the first made of pure gold appointed onely for the triumphs of Princes The second of Laurell which of all was most ancient in Gréece and in Italy appointed for the triumphs of souldiers The third of all kind of swéet flowers appointed to him that restored Cities to their liberties again The fourth made of Oken leaves to him that defended Citizens from death these two Garlands were of great honour in Rome but especially in Gréece the one Cicero waâ—e in Rome for his invectives against the conspiracies of the wicked Cacelin the other Fabius Maximus did wear for that he saved Rome from the second wars of Carthage where Hannibal was Captain The fift Garland was appointed for him that assaulted the walls of the enemies first and entred the town The sixth for him that attempted the tents of the enemies The seventh bestowed upon him that boarded first the Navie of the enemy These three last Garlands mentioned for the scaling of walls the boarding ships and attempting the tents were made all of gold and given by the Princes or Senatours to the aforesaid Souldiers There was likewise in Rome a decrée concerning the triumphs that none might triumph unless he had béen before some Officer in Rome as Dictator Pretor Consul or such like and if any unless by the Senate had won any victories though their conquest were never so great and their victorie never so famous as Pub. Scipio for all his victories in Spain and Marcus Marcellus for all that he took the great City of Syracuse they might in no wise by Law make any claim of Triumphs because they were not appointed by the Senator Then Rome flourished and was defended from divers injuries and saved from enemies At what time M. Curius triumphed over the Samnites Mae Agrippa over the
suffered in free Cities and Towns free tongues Philip King of Macedonia when certain Embassadours of Athens came to him he required of them if he might stand in any stead to Athens to certifie him of the same to whom Demochares one of the Embassadours answered that the greatest pleasure that he could do to Athens was to hang himself the King most patient in such scoffs and taunts said the reproachfull slander of the Athenians do make King Philip better able to revenge their malice by wars then to move him to answer their back-biting in words A Prince not onely patient in hearing but also wise in answering As sometime the Emperour Alexander Severus in Rome when it was signified unto him after Antonius was dead that the barbarous nations were ready to enter the City of Rome and that he was much rebuked of the people and blamed of the Senators for the slender care he had to the City he as Herodianus affirms answered that it belongeth to Princes to requite the good and not to answer the evill for wisemen will speak evil of no man in the beginning least they should be judged fooles in the end whereunto all things are directed and whereby all things are proved So patient was Anaxagoras when it was told him that his son was dead to answer merrily I know my son was mortal So patient was King Antigoâ—us being certified of his son Alcâ—onus death to answere I looked no other than for his death So patient was Pericles whon he heard that both his sons died in one day to kéep his countenance merry his cheere unchanged and his businesse about the state of his countrie not delayed But Harpalus was of passing patience being bidden of Astiages King of Persia to supper where he had two sons of his ready drest and layd in a silver dish before him on the table to be eaten by their owne father The King nay the tyrant marking the countenance of Harpalus and perceiving him not to be moved much at the matter asked him how he liked his supper he without alteration of colour or change of countenance framed himselfe to answer the king merrily commending much the supper as one that knew that patience was the onely remedy in tyranny A second Iob in patience nay hee passed Iob for Iob knew that his God did suffer Satan to punish him for love he had to Iob but Harpalus perceived that this tyrant did this to him of tyranny and evil will far from christianity for in this vale of misery we count him wise and certain we may cal him most wise that can in prosperity be gentle and in adversity be patient Both these examples were seen in one man in one day at Rome Paulus Aemilius having two sons the hope of Rome and comfort of the father the one dead foure dayes before the triumphs of Macedonia the other three dayes after the triumph returning from Macedonia with that noble victory and such triumphs unto Rome that no man could finde in his heart to tell this noble Romane of the heavinesse in Rome by reeson of the death of his children he perceiving the people of Rome to be sad and he so merry they so heavy with sobs and sighes and he so glad by reason of his triumphs and victories demanded the cause which being at length made known he then comforted them that should comfort him saying I thank the Gods more to give me victory over my enemies to the glory and prayse of Rome then I accuse fortune to spoyl me of my children which by nature were borne to dye and though much it be to my griefe yet wish I the Gods to do the like to the father as they did the sons so that the like conquest and glory may happen to Rome In this was both magnanimity and patience Some men are patient in some things as in a corporal paine some in torments another is patient of injuries done I commend them both but to be patient in all kinde of aflictions and adversity heaven and earth commendeth that man Plyny speaketh of one man Anarchus Augustus most patient in torments Of one Woman Laena to kéep silence So were the Egyptians people of great patience when they had rather dye in torments with patience then to betray any man The Gymnosophistes of India were so patient that from sun rising untill night upon the hot sanâ— they continued without meat and drink saith Plyny going from one seat to an other to behold the heavens the Sun the Moon c. The Lacedemonians were most patient in travel paine winde weather and wars The people of Sparta at what time certaine men of Chios came to pilgrimage understanding the wise men of Sparta called Ephori to be in all things most patient to move them to anger they vomited before them and then went where the Ephori sate in judgement and used it as a common stoole to discharge nature When they came to Chios againe they said that the wise men of Sparta were fooles and blocks because they could not move them to be angry but not more patient then the other were beastly For this kinde of patience was Mithridates king of Pontus renowned so was Agesilaus king of the Lacedemonians so was Masissima king of Numidia So patient was the Emperor Augustus that he suffered a young man of Sycilia to answer him as boldly as he had demaÌ„ded of him merrily whether ever his mother had been in Rome he being like to the Emperour in countenance and proportion meaning thereby that he might be his father if she had been there the young man perceiving the sleight of Augustus answered boldly and said My mother was never in Rome but my father hath béen divers times in Rome meaning that the Emperour might rather be his brother that way then he to be his son the other way by his mother But because patience is better known by reading of divers Princes anger where they shall see what hurt was done what wickednesse was committed by impatience which might have bin redressed and saved by patience therefore to avoyd prolixity it shall be spoken in the one what wanteth in the other but I will first speak of the humanity and sobriety and other vertues famous in Kings and Princes CHAP. XV. Of humanity and clemency of Princes LIke as pride oppresseth love provoketh disdain kindleth malice confoundeth justice and at length subverteth states even so humanity stirreth up affection augmenteth amity maintaineth love supporteth equity and preserveth Cities and countries Nothing saith the godly Emperour Alexander Severus so joyneth the hearts of subjects unto their Prince as humanity Nothing doth purchase honour so much to the noble man as affability Nothing so much kindleth love amongst the Commons as mutual humanity How gently did Cyrus king of Persia handle Croesus king of Lydya who being vanquished and convicted was by the law as Herodotus doth witnesse appointed to dye he being brought to the place of execution began heavily
yet lived that he might the better in that season win favour and find friendship with his subjects for then some came by heritage some by the sword and the most came by election Nothing saith Plutarch doth so establish the estate of a Common-wealth as the clemency of a Prince towards his subjects and the love of the subjects towards their Prince the one is never séen without the other King Darius therefore understanding that his subjects were taxed sore with Subsedies blamed his counsel rebuked their law and made an open oration unto his commons to signifie how loth he was to molest his subjects and that he was as loth to take any from his poor commons as he knew them to be willing in giving all they had to pleasure their Prince his care therein shewed and his speech so affable and his good will opened with such curtesie and lenity inflamed such benevolence kindled such a love caused such a readinesse in his subjects and made them through gentlenesse so beneficial that both goods lands and lives were at Darius commandement Plutarchus in the life of King Antigonus doth recite a famous history concerning the alteration and change of Antigonus who with tyranny a long while fomed in bloud and delighted in murther being given altogether to wickednesse of life spoiling at all times every where sparing no place at any time but at length having obtained the kingdome of Macedonia became so méek so liberal so quiet towards his subjects that he was of all men wondred at for his sudden change from so cruell a tyrant to so gentle a Prince from a spoiler of all places to be a sparer now of his subjects being demanded the cause thereof answered Then I travelled for the Kingdome of Macedonia which was to be won with wars and tyranny and now I labour for the good will of my subjects which is to be gotten with gentleness The onely remedy the sure way to win good will of the subjects is always for Princes to be courteous and gentle Pitie in a Prince causeth love in the subjects Such pity was found in that gentle Emperor Aurelian when he would have entred into that City called Iâ—aena the gates being shut against him he did send his Heralds to signifie unless the gates should be opened he would not leave one dog alive within the City The City more stout then wise refused to open their gates until with force of Engines the walls were battered down and the City in the hand of the Emperor to do what it liked him The souldiers gréedy of the spoil were by the gentle and mercifull Emperor charged not to meddle with any within the City until they had licence The Emperor being charged by the souldiers with his promise to kil and to spoil all and not to leave a dog alive he kept promise like a Prince and destroyed all the dogs of the City and restored the City again to the inhabitants thereof This noble Aurelian had rather his souldiers should want then that they should not shew mercy according to his custome to the comfortless Xerxes the great King of Persia used such lenity and gentleness towards his brother Arimenes with whom before he was a great enemy that he made him of a foe a friend Porus a famous Prince of India being conquered by Alexander the Great fearing that pity might not have place in the heart of such a conqueror sought nothing else of Alexander who willed him to ask any thing and he should have it but clemency This vertue long waited upon Alexander till pride the root of all mischief corrupted his gentle heart and he was by the Medes and Persians perswaded to be the son of Jupiter So gentle he was before the King Darius did wish either to conquer Alexander because he might shew courtesie unto Alexander or else to be conquered by Alexander Aeneas Sylvius was wont to use the saying of Sigismund the Emperor that happy are those Princes that foster up clemency in Court and prudent are those Princes that use humanity in their Cities It was no small proof of humanity in the Senators of Rome at the burial of Siphax King of Numidia who being taken by the Romans and kept in Tiberius house according to martial law before he was ransomed by the Numidians died at Rome where such solemnity honour and pomp was shewed at his funeral such gifts given such liberality used as if Siphax had died amongst his own subjects he might have wanted to have such glorious burial in Numantia being there their King as he had in Rome being a prisoner That is worthy humanity which is shewed to men in adversity and that is méer clemency which is done to those banished strangers as the Romans sometime did to Prusius King of Bithinia who being driven to exile by his son Nicomedes came unto Rome where humanity and clemency were used and nourished in the Senate and was met at Capua a City sometime by Hannibal conquered by Scipio and Cornelius and brought to Rome not like a banishâ—d man but as a noble Prince with such triumphs and honour done to him and such passing courtesie and liberality of Senators that although he was banished Bithinia his Kingdome and by Nicomedes his own son yet was he received into Rome by strangers and that to the honour and the fame of Rome Thereby the Romans grew to that admiration with all people that for their lenity and surmounting courtesie they were of all men beloved and for their valour and magnanimity they likewise were of all the world feared For as to Siphax and Prusius wonderfull clemency and humanity were by the Romans tendered so was the like to Ptolomy King of Egypt being of his own brother banished and by them restored again to his Kingdome Rome then was called the Haven of succour the anchor of trust the Key of courtesie whereto all succourless Princes and noble Captains sled Rome flourished then while pity and mercy continued Rome prospered while humanity and clemency were fostered Rome excelled all nations in gentleness and pity when Marcellus and Metellus lived the one Captain of Syracusa the other in Celtiberia The noble Captain Marcellus was so pittiful that after his souldiers had conquered Syracusa with great slaughter and murther of men women and children he mounted up into a high Tower of the Castle and there with tears he lamented the cufull sight of Syracusa more like to one conquered then a conqueror more like to a Prisoner then a Prince so that any who then saw him might rather judge Marcellus a Syracusan captive then a Roman Captain Happy was Syracusa sith fortune was no better to happen on such a gentle Conqueror who was not so glad of his own victory as he was sorrowfull for the fall of Syracusa That renowned Roman Merellus besieging the great City of Centobrica in the countrey of Celtiberia when he perceived their Bulwarks broken their Walls ready to fall and victory nigh at hand
he began to be moved with pity and mercy possest the chief place in his heart so that when the women of the City brought their children in their arms to crave mercy at Merellus hand he avoided the calamity and misery that was ready to fall on Centobrica and spared the City and removed his Camp being conquered himself with pity and mercy of the ruthfull women and innocent children Thus gentle Metellus where he might have béen a Conqueror over men did suffer himself to be conquered by little Infants O Rome happy were those golden days wherein through clemency and gentleness thou wast as much loved and honoured as thou hast béen by valiant Captains trembled at and feared Pompieius the great when Tigâ—anes King of Armenia being by him conquered had knéeled before Pompeius face yéelding his Crown and Scepter at Pompeius his foot and himself unto his gentleness as a captive took him in his arms embraced him put his Crown on his head and restored him to to the Kingdome of Armenia again The like courtesie he used toward Mithridates King of Pontus being dead in giving him a royal burial though he knew well the great hatred that Mithridates had fourty years against the Romans yet in stead of just revengement Pompey used Princely clemency The gentleness that was then used in Rome yet betwixt foes was such that Julius Caesar that valiant Emperor and Conqueror was as willing to revenge the death of his great enemy Pompey upon Photina and Bassus who slew Pompey and did send his head to Caesar as L. Parâ—lus was courteous and favourable to his most mortal foe Perseus Hannibal though he was counted the most and greatest enemy that ever Rome felt yet moved with Princely clemencie he won more commendations for the burial of P. Aemilius Gracchus and Marcellus three noble Romans then he wan fame by overcomming two thousand Romans in field The chief fame that Hannibal was worthy of was for his humanity and gentlenesse as is proved by these two noble Romans before mentioned whose dead carcasses Hannibal caused diligently to be sought for in the field and solemnly to be buried with honour and renown though they were his enemies And as Hannibal was much commended in Rome and well beloved of the Romans for his humanity so was he feâ—red much in Rome for his prowesse and valiant déeds of arms Polycrates that Tyrant of Samos was chiefly commended for his gentlenesse and courtesie shewed towards women which were the wives and mothers of the dead souldiers in restoring them unto liberty in giving them wealth to live and a great charge that no man should do them any wrong Augustus the Emperor when he beheld in the City of Alexandria the sword wherewith Marcus Antonius slew himself could not refrain from tears to shew his humanity and opening his clemency of nature to his enemy he commanded that he should be honourably buried with his dear friend Cleopatra in one grave Cicero in his first book of Tusculans commendeth much the clemency of Cleobes and Bâ—ton in shewing such love and obedience to their mother who being in her Chariot ready to go to the solemn feast of the Goddesse Juno the horses suddenly died and there being no other remedy least their mother should go on foot they yoked themselves to draw the Chariot ten miles to their immortal praise and commendations I remember a history in Patritius of one Simonides who for that he was moved with pity to bury a dead corps left in the way where no man put it into the earth as he was passing with his fellows over the seas that night before they should sail in the morning appeared unto Simonides the self-same man whom he had buried upon the way warning him that day not to go to sea so when he should take shipping he remembring his dream told if unto his fellows desiring them to stay that day but his company laughing him to scorn leaving Simonides on the shore sailed to the seas where in sight of Simonides the ship and all his fellows were lost The like pity was found in Simon the son of that most valiant Gréek Militiades who being elected Generall over the Athenians against the great might and force of puissant Zerxes in the wars of Marathon was nothing inferiour unto his renowned father in prowesse but far passed him in clemency and curtesie this young man for his lenity and pity being joined with valiantnesse was appointed by the City of Athens to incounter with Xerxes whom his father Militiades often plagued at the first time of trying his magnanimity inforced Xerxes after spoil of his souldiers and victory of field to fly unto Persia he was so pittifull that he paied a great sum of monies to have his father Militiades buried who after many conquests and fawning of fortune in victories died in prison whose death and burial shewed no lesse love and faithfulnesse in Simon towards his father then it shewed evidently the pity and mercy he had in redéeming his fathers corps to be buried Wherefore that pitifull Emperour Alexander Severus being demanded what is that which is chief felicity in this world said to foster friends with benefits and gentlenesse and to reconcile foes with pity and rewards Alphonsus at what time a certain dog barked at him took a toast out of his cup and cast it to the dog then saying gentlenesse and clemency shall make foes friends I know not what greater humanity could be then was in Vespasian the Emperour after that Vitellius had killed his brother Sabinus and had long persecuted Vespasians son being at last subdued he spared not to shew gentlenesse to Vitellius his daughter and gave her a great sum of money towards her marriage Agesilaus King of the Lacedemonians after he had the victory of Corinth did not so joy in his conquest as he lamented the deaths of so many Athenians and Corinthians and as Plutarch doth witnesse he said wéeping O Greece thou spillest more men with civil wars by discord then would defend thy state against all the world with courage To use victory genty is more famous then to conquer cruelly As the Emperour Adrian was wont to say that Princes ought rather with pity to say this I can do then with tyranny to say this I will do Augustus that most pittifull Prince after he had conquered that famous City Alexandria which the great Conquerour Alexander had builded and named it according unto his own name being moved with pity stirred with mercy in sight of the Citizens who hoped to have nothing but death said for the beauty of your city and memory of Alexander as also for the love I have unto Prius your Philosopher and for the pity I bear unto you all I spare unto you your City and grant you your life O swéet sounding words from a pittifull Prince not much unlike his predecessour Julius Caesar his own mothers brother who after vanquishing of Pompey at Pharsalia sent letters unto
perish and therefore said the Ox thou urgest me in vain to travel When that wicked tyrant Nero began his Empire in Rome trées pastures meddows and certain grounds about the City a strange miracle altered places and changed seats one with another the ground moving from one place to another Even â—o it harned at the exilement of King Dionisius after much tyranny and bloudshedding when he was banished from his Kingdome the salt sea the same day that he was driven from Sicilia altered his saltness to sweetness These two tyrants Nero and Dionisius the one comming to his Empire what wonders shewed the earth it self the other departing from his Kingdome what miracles shewed the Sea When Darius besieged the City of Babylon a voice was heard out of the strong walls of Semiramis that Babylon should be conquered at what time a mule should engender at the which the souldiers of Darius were discomfited and Zopyrus his mule accomplished the foreshewed Oracle Likewise when Pompey was vanquished by Caesar a grâ—â—n bough grew in the temple of Victory under the image of Caesar and hives of Bees darkened the ensign of Pompey foreshewing he should be subdued at Pharsalia The City of Rome had these warnings a little before the first Civil wars there were seen fires â—ining suddenly abâ—ut men Spiders Mice and Worms consumed the gold and substance of their temples Ravens devoured and did eat their young ones the noise and sound of trumpets were heard in the ayr with such other terrible warnings as might well move amazement and amendment Again before the second wars of Carthage an Ox spake and said Rome take thou héed to thy self It is noted likewise when Tarquinius the last King of the Romanes was driven away from Rome and banished the Kingdome that a dog then spake and a serpent barked Too many of these examples are to be read if we read histories for signs and tokens were séen and marked in the heavens according to the natures and doings of Princes for when Tiberius came to the Empire of Rome there happened such great earthquakes that twelve famous Cities in Asia fell prostrate to the ground two mountains moved and ran and fought together in a place by Rome called Mutina field It is written that in the City called Sagunthus before it was conquered by Hannibal a child in the time of the delivery of the mother entred again into his mothers womb And in Plini Clepidus beareth witnesse that trées spake And though it séem fabulous to divers that such things by nature should speak yet we sée the tryal of this clean contrary to set forth the wonderfull works of God whereby he might the more be magnified by these his creatures For we read in the sacred scriptures that an Asse spake whereby the more credit may be given to Pâ—utarch Pliny and Livi which mention that dogs trées oxen serpents and other creatures of God did speak for a wonder and a warning as well of things to come as things past For before the famous City of Ierusalem was destroyed by Vespasian the Emperor there appeared a star in manner of a sword in the skie there were likewise seen Chariots running up and down the skies and men in harnesse fighting in the clouds right over the City Divers wonders by nature were wrought which for the rarenesse thereof are worthy to be noted as Caecilius Agrippa the first day that he was born of his mother did go on foot without help Likewise Zoâ—oastres when all children cry at their birth he the self same time laughed It was strange that Telephus the son of Hercules was nourished of a Hart. Romulus the first King of Rome fostered by a Wolf Cyrus the first King of the Persians brought up by a Bitch Alexander and King Priamus by a Bear Jupiter by a Goat Mydas by Ants and Plato by Bees and so divers others But certainly more strange it was that little beasts yea small creeping worms should be able to vanquish and destroy famous Cities and Countreys As in Spain a City was unâ—ermined by Coneys in France a City was destroyed by Frogs in Thessaly a City was overthrown by Mouldwarps In Affrica a City was spoiled by Locusts Gyara an Isle of twelve miles was consumed by Mice and Abdera a City in Thracia by Mice likewise and Amyclas by Serpents Peradventure these séem not credible to divers readers the learned may read the same in the righth book of Plini and twenty and ninth chapter where he may be satisfied The works of nature were so wonderful in all places at all times that learned writers for memory of the same do recite the effect thereof It is written that Ammonius the Phylosopher had an Asse frequenting his school with Porphirius to hear his lecture In the Isle called Coes in the ground of a certain tyrant named Nicippus a shéep brought forth a Lion instead of a Lamb. Plini doth witnesse that he saw in a City of Affrica a man changed to a woman in the same day he was married whose name was Cofficius a Citizen of Tiâ—dria Pontanus and divers authors affirm that Tiresias the Theban Ceneus and Iphis were changed from men to women from males to females by alteration of kind Again some think that as Anaxagoras never laught so Zenophantes never wept things wonderfull and strange to nature and as L. Pomponius never belcht so Antonia never spit There was a Poet sometime dwelling in Coos of such small growing and slender body that lead was put in the sole of his Shoes least the wind should bear him from the ground and blow him into the air And as he by nature was small and light of substance so by the self-same nature was found in a certain hill of Créet the body of Orion which was forty and six cubits in length What Albertus Magâ—us wrote of the secrets of nature I will omit better it is I suppose to be ignorant in some things then to be skilfull in all things He saith among other things that there was a woman in Germany that had thréescore sons side every time at one burthen and there was another woman named Agrippina in Colonia that did neither eat nor drink for the space of thirty days Besides these there was a man named Philinus that never eat nor drank all the days of his life but milk onely Cicero saith that all the Iliads of Homer were written and placed within the shell of a Nut. Plini reports that there was an hearb called Acheminis that if it were cast or thrown amongst the enemies they streight would take their flight thereupon Mermecides made a Wagon so artificially and so small that a Flie might cover it with her wing Strabo did sée so well that he could discry the ships that departed from Carthage from a from a promontoâ—y in Sicilia which was above a hundred and thirty miles Cornelius Agrippa in his first book of hidden Philosophy writeth a history of one Cippus King in Italy
good Archers to shoot at High towers and lofty buildings are sooner fired with lightnings then low houses and small cottages Tiberius Caesar Emperour of Rome being in the Senate house to punish those evills and to revenge those harms that were by same of the City threatned to his estate God forbid said he that Tibâ—rius should have so much idle time to hear EVIL spoken much lesse to revenge EVIL done Antâ—gonus King of Macedonia besieging a Castle in Gréece wherein a number of hold Gréeks used for their pastime and sport to scoff at this King knowing the scituation of the Castle to be in such a place that it might not be subdued they therefore laughed him to scorn as well for his enterprise therein as also for his slender person and crooked nose which King Antigonus perceiving said He would revenge all their doings by sufferance and hoped therby to molest the enemies double Divers heathen Princes were acquainted with this revenge as Lysander Agesilaus and others for to God onely belongeth vengeance I will not speak here of such revenging of Princes of Countreys of friends that all men know But of rare revenge which Philosophy taught unto Socrates toward Xantippe who being at supper having a strange guest named Enthidemus his wife Xantippe began to take her husband up with taunting and opprobrious words which because he would not answer and be moved by her chiding she overthrew the Table with all the Meat and the Cups Which when Enthidemus saw he was amazed at the raging of Xantippe and beheld Socrates in the face to see how he thought of the matter But Socrates understanding that his guest did marvel at his wife said Have not you sometime at home a Hen that will after long clocking with a sudden flight throw down your cups with her wing wherewith Enthidemus was fully satisfied with the wise answer of Socrates in not revenging so great a fault Phocion a learned man of Athens was wont to say That he had rather suffer injury wrongfully then to revenge injury sometime rightfully This man Phocion by whom Athens long flourished at what time he was put to death most wrongfully of the Athenians even a little before he should die being demanded whether he would command any thing to his son standing hard by to sée his fathers end did speak to his son after this sort My son said he this I charge and require thée and moreover beséech thée that thou wilt never revenge the wrongfull death of thy father Phocion on the Athenians Solon that noble and learned Athenian was wont to revenge his wrongs with these words If the Fisherman do suffer the salt water of the Sea to sprinkle upon his face and upon his cloaths and to wet him when he taketh fish how much more ought Solon to forbear to speak to win men to be friends unto him Surely these thrée Philosophers deserve more praise and commendation I mean Socrates Phocion and Solon for the revenging of the evil with goodnesse and vertue then ever Alexander or Julius Caesar or Theseus which revenged evil with evil Wherefore Chilon the Lacedemonian being one of the Officers called Ephoti in the City of Sparta his brother demanding why he might not be likewise one of the five Ephoti as well as his brother said unto his brother Because I can suffer wrong and thou canst not Therefore Princes ought not to do wrong nor yet revenge wrong with wrong but with patience sufferance and goodnesse and by doing good for evill For thus they shall make foes to become friends evill men to become good by preventing evill with lenity and gentlenesse It behoveth not a wise man to revenge injuries neither doth it become a Prince to requite evill with the like but to overcome rather evill with good Therefore was it truly spoken of the wiseman Sapit qui sustinet he that can suffer he is wise CHAP. XXXVI Of Theft and Sacriledge AFter that greedy desire unto wealth had possest a place in mans heart and after that the world was altered from a wealth in common unto a private wealth every man went about with study and industry to augment his own with the spoile of others For this cause Princes began one to suppresse an other to spoil and destroy either others Dominions moving first noble men to imitate them in stealing and taking away perforce others wealth and though it be not an apt Epithete for Princes to be called theeves and spoilers yet truly by Princes it began by Nobles imitated and by all the world at length practised that some became Pyrats upon the seas some sacriledgers of temples and some grand théeves of countries and kingdomes For after the deluge of Noah there was neither theft nor sacriledge known almost 300. years till Ninus the third King of the Assyrians who first began to play the théef in Asia Dionisius King of Sicilia and tyrant of all the werld the greatest robber that reigned upon earth being not satisfied with spoil and theft on lands and seas became also a sacriledger in the Temples of the Gods which he so practised that after he robbed the Temple of Jupiter in Olimpia he passed forth to Locris to spoil the Temple of Proserpina and from thence unto Epidaurus to steal the golden beard of Aesculapius The tyrant King could not satisfie himself till worthily he had merited the name of a théef a Pyrate and a sacriledger Xerxes spared not amongst other wilfull robberies to send four thousand of his souldiers to Delphos to rob the Temple of Apollo Spartacus a great Prince and a maintainer of theeves gathered a whole army of fugitive persons vagabonds theeves and robbers and marched toward Rome with a resolution either to conquer Rome or to be conquered by Rome but there was he and all his rogues vanquished by Pu. Crassus The City of Rome was often in perill by théeves and robbers as by Silla Catelin and Marius famous spoilers of Italy And as Cercion did rob and spoil the country of Athens so Tiâ—â—gias in Arcadia was renowned for theft I might in this place speak of the robbery of the Emperour Nero of the spoil and wast of that beastly Emperour Heliogabalus and of the sacriledge and theft of Caligula These three Emperours did steal spoil and tooke from Rome more then ever they gave to Rome Marcellinus writeth that there was sometimes a King of the Parthians named Arsaces which in the beginning of his reign was then named the master of theeves a teacher and a school-master unto all robbers and spoilers but after that he had subdued Seleucus Alexanders successour he became famous and renowned in martiall feats and civill policy Herodotus likewise doth report of one Amazis a King of Egypt when at any time money wanted he was wont to spoil wast and take away all that ever he might either by stealth or force Thus the names of Princes were first corrupted that the Poets judged well and worthily Mercury to be
should be cut off offered to Jupiter in the Capitol of Rome his family to the temple of Ceres his children should be sold as bondmen to the Tribunes and Censors The Lacedemonians were most studiouâ— to expel idlenesse and brought their children up always in hardnesse to practise them in the Arts of Industry and hated Idlenesse so much that if any in the City of Sparta waxed grosse or fat they straight suspected him of idlenesse and if any young man waxed fat they had appointed laws that he should fast and live poor untill he were again changed into his first estate The Egyptians an ancient people when the country of Egypt began to be populous to avoid idlenesse as Pliny reporteth made the great building called the Pyramides which for the mightinesse and strange working thereof was named one of the seven wonders of the World in which there were kept at work thréescore thousand young men who continued a long time in the making thereof and onely to avoid and banish idlenesse The Athenians so abhorrid and detested idlenesse that when a certain man was condemned to die for that he was found idle in Athens a citizen thereof named Herondas as Plutarch testifieth was as desirous to see him as though he had been a prodigious Monster so strange and so marvellous was it to hear or to see any idle man in Athens The people called the Massilians would suffer no travellers neither Pilgrim nor Sacrificer nor any other stranger to come within their City lest under colour of religion or of pilgrimage they might corrupt the youth of the City with the sight thereof to be idle The Indians had a law made by their Wise-men called Gymnosophists that after meat was set on the table the youth should be examined what they had done for their meat and what pain and labour they had used all the morning before if they could make account of their travel they should goe to dinner but if they had béen idle they should have no meat except they had deserved the same The like did the young men of Argis who made an account to their Magistrates of their occupations and works The Areopagites as Valerius affirmeth did imitate the Athenians in commanding their youth to avoid idlenesse and to exercise travel the one as necessary to any Commonwealth as the other is most dangerous So that some countreys are naturally given to travel as the Lydians Phrygians French men with others Some again are given to idlenesse as the Persians Corinthians and others Some by law were forced to slie idlenesse some by punishment were feared from it some by death were enforced to labour for their living Thus this Monster Idlenesse is beaten every where and yet embraced in most places every man speaks against idlenesse yet a number are in love with it Magistrates and Officers are appointed to punish it and yet they often favour it CHAP. XL. Of Wrath and Anger and the hurts thereof THe famous and noble Philosopher Aristotle did charge his schollers always being in Anger or Wrath to behold themselves in a glasse where they might see such alteration of countenance such a palenesse in color that being before reasonable men they appear now like brutish beasts Wherefore that great Philosopher perceiving the furious and hastie nature of Alexander wrote from Athens unto India where this noble conqueror was at wars with King Porus to take heed of Wrath and Anger saying Anger ought not to be in any Prince toward his inferiour for he was to be mended with correction nor toward his equal for he might be redressed with power so that Anger ought not to be but against superiours but Alexander had no coequals Yet in vain was Aristotles doctrine to Alexander in this point for being in a baÌ„quet when Clitus his dear friend coÌ„mended his father King Philip in the former age to be the worthiest most renowned Prince Alexander wexed upon a sudden so angry that any man should be preferred before him though Philip was his own father which was comended and Cliâ—us his especial friend that did commend him that he thrust Clitus into the heart with a spear So hastie was this Prince that Calisthenes and Lysiâ—achus the one his Historian and counsellour the other his companion and friend for a few words spoken were either of them slain Silence therefore saith Aristotle is the surest reward to a Prince We read that King Tigranes of Armenia whom Pompey the great did conquer waxed so angry by a fall from his horse because his son was present and could not prevent his fathers fall that he thrust him with his dagger into the heart and was so sorry afterward and angry withal that he had likewise killed himself had not Anaxarchus the Phllosopher perswaded him Anger in a Prince saith Solomon is death terrible is the countenance of a King when he is oppressed with Wrath hurtfull to many and dangerous to all is the anger thereof Nero was so furious in anger that he never heard any thing if it were not to his liking but he would requite it one way or other with death insomuch that in his rage and anger he would often throw down tables being at dinner and dash cups of gold wrought with pearls against the walls and fling all away more like to a furious Gorgon of hell then a sober Emperor in Rome Such fury reigneth in anger that Orestes the son of Agamemnon slue his own mother Clytemnestra suddenly in his Wrath. Such madnesse reigneth in Anger that Ajax Telamon that famous and valiant Gréek after that Achilles was slain in the temple of Pallas by Paris at the destruction of Troy waxed so Angry because he might not have Achilles Armor which was given before to Ulisses that he beat stones and blocks fought with dead trées killed beasts thinking to méet with Ulisses amongst them If Anger make men murtherers if Wrath make men mad without wit or reason to know themselves or others let them imitate Plato in his anger who being angry with any of his scholers or servants would give the rod to Zenocrates to correct them Because he was angry the learned Philosopher misdoubted himself that he could not use moderate correction Even so Archicas would always speak unto his servant that had offended him Happy art thou that Architas is not angry Thereby giving his man to understand how dangerous Wrath is Aristotle saith the angry man séeth not the thing which lieth under his féet Augustus Caesar Emperour of Rome destred Athenedorus a Philosopher of Gréece which a long time accompanied Augustus in Rome and now was ready to depart to Athens that he would write som sentence that the Emperour might think of him in his absence The Philosopher took a pen and wrote in a little Table this sentence Caesar when thou art moved to anger speak nothing till thou hast recited the Greekes Alphabet a worthy lesson and a famous sentence well worthy to be learned of all
paper in one hand he with his dagger in the other hand slue himself upon the grave holding the paper fast in it being deâ—d where this sentence he wrote Thou that knewest the faithfull friendship betwixt Volumnius and Lucullus join our bodies together being dead as our minds were alwaies one being alive The like history is written of Nisus who when his faithfull friend Eurialus was slain in the wars betwixt Turnus Aeneas he having understood thereof weÌ„t up down the field tumbling and tossing the dead carcasses til he found out Eurialus body which having long looked on and embraced he drew out his sword held it in his hand a little while saying As my body shal never depart from thy body so shall I never fear to follow thy ghost and laying the pummel of his sword upon the ground he fell upon it having the body of his friend Euâ—ialus betwixt his arms This love was great betwixt Princes who did live honourably and died willingly A strange thing for men so to love their friends as to weigh their deaâ—hs more then their own lives Orestes faith and friendship towards Pylades was such that being come unto a strange Region named Taurica to asswage his grief and to mitigate his furious flames because he slew his mother Clitemnestra and being suspected that he came onely to take away the image of Pallas their Goddesse in that country the King understanding the matter made Orestes to be sent for and to be brought before him to have judgement of death For Pylades was not mentioned nor spoken off but onely Orestes he it was that should steal their Goddesse away and carry it into Gréece Orestes therefore being brought and his fellow Pylades with him the King demanded which of them was Orestes Pylades that knew his friend Orestes should die suddenly stept forth and said I am he Orestes denied it and said he was Orestes Pylades again denied it and said that it was even he that was accused unto the King thus the one denying and the other affirming either of them most willing to die for the other the King dismaied at their great â—mity and love pardoned their faults and greatly honoured their natural love and faith So many like histories to this there be that then Princes would die for their friends even that great Conquerour Alexander would have died presently with his friend Hephestion had not his counsel letted him he loved him alive so well that he was called of all men another Alexander he so much estéemed his friend that when Sisigambis King Darius mother had saluted Hephestion instead of Alexander and being ashamed at her errour he said forbear not to honour Hephestion for he is Alexander also What was it that Anaxagoras wanted that Prince Pericles could get for him whither went Aeneas at any time without Achates with him there was nothing that Pomponiuâ— had but Cicero had part of it the friendship of Scipio never wanted towards Cloeâ—ius Though Rome could alter state though fortune could change honour yet could neither Rome nor fortune alter faith or change friends After the Senatours had judged Tiberius Gracchus for divers seditions in the City to die his friend Blosius having knowledge thereof came and kneeled before the Senators besought Laeâ—us whose counsel the Senators in all things followed to be his friend saying unto the rest after this sort O sacred Senate and noble Counsellours if there remains in the City of Rome any sparkle of Iustice if there be regard unto equity let me crave that sentence by law which you injuriously award unto another and since I have committed the offence of Gracchus whose commandement I never resisted whose will I will during life obey let me die for Gracchus worthily who am most willing so to do and let him live who justly ought so to do Thus with vehement invectives against himself he made the Senatours astonied with his rare desire of death saying the Capitol had béen burned by Blosius if Gracchus had so commanded but I know that Gracchus thought nothing in heart but that which he spake to Blosius and that which he spake to Blosius Blosius never doubted but to do and therefore I rather deserve death then he The faith and love betwixt Damon and Pythias was so wondred at by King Dionisius that though he was a cruel Tyrant in appointing Damon to die yet was he so amazed to sée the desire of Pythias his constant faith and his love and friendship prosessed in Damons behalf striving one with another to die that he was inforced in spight of tyranny to pardon Damon for Pythias sake Thelcus and Perithous became such faithfull friends that they made several oaths one unto another never during life to be parted neither in affliction plague punishment pain toil or travel to be dissevered insomuch that the Poets fain that they went unto the Kingdome and region of Pluto together I will not speak of the great love of that noble Greek Achilles toward King Patroclus Neither will I recite the history of that worthy Roman Titus toward Gisippus nor report the love of Palemon and Arceir nor of Alexander and Lodwick whose end and conclusion in love were such as is worthy of everlasting memory CHAP. XLII Of Envy and Malice and the tyranny of Princes AS Malice drinketh for the most part her own poison so Envy saith Aristotle hurteth more the envious it self then the thing that it envieth Like as the sloathfull in war or Darnel amongst Wheat so is the envious in a City not so sad for his own miseries and calamities as he lamenteth the hap and and felicity of others Wherefore the Philosopher Socrates calleth the enemy serrom anima the sow of the soul for that it cutteth the heart of the envious to sée the prosperity of others For as it is a grief to good and vertuous men to sée evill men rule so contraily to the evill most harm it is to sée good men live Therefore the first disturber of Commonwealths and last destroyer of good states the beginning of all sorrows the end of all joys the cause of all evil and the onely let of all goodnesse is envy How prospered Greece Had flourished Rome How quiet was the whole world before envy began to practise with malice two daughters of tyranny never séen but hidden in the hearts of flatterers Then I say Gréece was glorious Rome was famous their names were honoured their prowesse feared their policy commended their knowledge extolled their fame spread over the whole world but when envy began to sojourn in Gréece and malice to build her Bower in Rome these sisters like two monsters or two grim Gorgons oppressed Castles destroied countries subdued Kingdoms depopulated Cities in fine triumphed over all Gréece and Italy Hannibal chief General of the Carthaginians Jugurth King of Numidia Pyrrhus of Epirus most valiant puissant mighty Princes with long wars and mighty slaughter could not with all their force and
was envyed at by the Iews and Gentiles insomuch that tyranny and murther was the sequel of envy as from time to time hath been tried from age to age séen and from man to man practised nay even to dead men it hath béen shewed as Achilles did to Hector by haling and drawing his body about the fields of Troy in the open sight of King Priam his father So M. Antonius did to Cicero having the head of Cicero set before him to ease his Tygerish mind permitting his wife Fulvin to wear the tongue of Cicero on her Coyf This Cambyses shewed to the Iudge Sâ—samenes who being dead flead him being flead did cut him in pieces and being cut in pieces did give him to be devoured by beasts and birds I might well declare the tyranny of Tullia shewed towards her father King Servius Tullius being dead who caused her Chariot and horses to tread on her fathers body in the open stréets I might speak of Tomyris Queen of Scythia toward King Cyrus being dead who did strike off his head and did bathe it in bloud I might make mention of the tyranny of Alexander in Thessaly and of Busiris in Egypt I might open the wicked life and state of Dionysius in Syracusa of cruel Creon in Thebes of Periander in Corinth and of Pisistratus in Athens But I should be tedious to amplifie that which may be briefly examined And this we read and see daily by experience that the end of Tyrants is to die in tyranny and as they deal with others so are they dealt withal themselves As Diomedes and Busiris were wont to féed their horses with mens flesh and to quench their thirst with mens bloud so were they themselves vanquished by Hercules and made food to be eaten and devoured by their own horses which they before fed with other mens flesh Likewise the great tyrant Phalaris and that cruel Perillus were both destroyed with those new invented torments that they made for others I mean the brazen Bull which Perillus made to satisfie the tyranny of Phalaris Thrasillus and Scyron the one teaching the way of tyranny was first of all in that which he taught unto others tormented and slain the other thrown headlong into the sea by Theleus even so as he was wont to do unto others What should I speak of the great cruelty of Aemilius who as Aristides in Plutarch doth testifie used to recompence any man that would and could invent new torments to punish the innocent and to pleasure his divellish minde He I say dwelling in Agesta a City of Sicilia made a brasen horse to vexe and torment the people wherein through the commandement of Armmius Paterculus chief Magistrate of the City he first suffered the assay of his new invented work We read again of King Danaus fifty daughters called Belides which being maried to the fifty sonnes of Aegistus slew all their husbands the first night except Linceus who was preserved by Hypermenestra his wife The like we reade of the thirty sisters of Albina who after the same manner made an end of thirty husbands in one night The sequel of tyranny was such that what wanted in the father wâ—s fully supplied in the sonne for amendment is seldome séen And that was very well considered of a simple woman named Ihera who when she perceived that the people of Syracusa did wish the death of Dionisius the tyrant she straight knéeled upon her knées and besought the Gods that he might live and being demanded why she prayed for such a tyrant she said I knew three Kings in Siracusa every one a tyrant the second worse then the first the the third worse then the second and now Dionisius being the fourth is worse then the third and I am doubtfull if a fourth should come it would be the Divel himself who is worse then Dionysius and therefore I pray the Gods he may live for of two evils the least is to be chosen Mark how in a simple woman a silly person truth doth often sojourn The like we read of a certain husbandman that digged in the ground when the murtherers that slew King Antigonus passing in hast taking their flight into Phrygia demanded of the husbandman why he digged so déep I dig up said he another King Antigonus to rule in Macedonia letting them to understand the true Proverb That seldome comes the better that he that would come after should be far worse then King Antigonus O happy age O golden world while tyranny was not known The great Monarchies of the world were gotten with tyranny and likewise through tyranny lost The first Monarchy after the great Deluge was that of the Assyrians which began under Ninus the third King of the Assyrians and continued in slaughter and tyranny till Sardanapalus time who was the last King which was a thousand two hundred nine and thirty years From the Assyrians it was won with the sword and brought with violence and tyranny by that cruel and bloudy Arbactus to the Medes and remained there till the time of King Astyages who was the ninth and last King of the Medes two hundred and fifty years From the Medes it was had away by tyranny to Persia by King Cyrus and there stayed until the time of King Darius which was two hundred and thirty years From the Persians it was with bloud and great slaughter taken away by Alexander the great unto Macedonia and there maintained till Perseus time which was a hundred and seven and fifty years From the Macedonians it was posted to Rome where under Julius Caesar the proudest Monarch in all the world it fomed in bloud flourished in tyranny a long time Thus tyranny was fed and fostered from one country to another till almost the whole world was destroied The murther and tyranny that long flourished in Gréece betwéen the Thebans and the Lacedemonians again betwixt the Lacedemonians and the Athenians betwixt the Athenians and all Greece who readeth it not in Thucidides Tamberlan the great murtherer King sometime in Scythia got through tyranny Medea Albania Mesopotamia Persia and Armenia he passed over Euphrates subdued Asia the lesse and took Baiazet King of the Turks called all the Princes of Asia in his voyage toward Gréece where such tyranny was used that not onely Cities and Countries were destroyed but also their Temples and their Gods neglected and spoiled Great was the tyranny betwixt King Darius of Persia and Miltiades Prince of Athens who slew a hundred thousand of Darius men How great was the slaughter of King Cyrus after he had exiled his Grandfather King Astrages from Persia vanquished the Babylonians and overthrew Croesus King of Lydia and after he had subdued the most part of Asia he ceased not his tyrâ—nny untill he came to Scithia where he and two hundred thousand were slain by one woman Tomyris Queen Scithia who after she had slain him she caused his head to be cut off and made it to be bathed in a great tun of
bloud saying these words now Cyrus drink enough of that which thou hast alwaies so long thirsted for Bloud doth require bloud and tyranny will have cruelty Antiochus famed in tyranny brought in subjection Egypt and India with other countries Hannibal excelled all men in tyranny as both Rome and Italy can well testifie To speak of King Philip and his son Alexander the great their tyranny their conquest and bloudy wars it were superfluous as Thessalia Thebes Larissa the Olinthians Phoceans Lacedemonians Athenians Persians Indians and all Asia are witnesse thereto Pyrrhus Antigonus Pompey the great with infinite more bloudy Generals did more rejoyce with tyranny to offend others then with justice to defend their own For the triumphs of cruel Captains are to joy in tyranny the wish and desire of the ungodly tyrant is to destroy all he is thirsty alwaies of bloud hungry continually of murther and slaughter What wished Caligula the Emperour to his own City of Rome onely one neck that with one stroke he might strike it off The difference betwéen a gentle and a goodly Prince and a cruell tyrant is and hath béen alwaies séen King Codrus of Athens how far excelled he cruell Caligula when by an Oracle it was told to the Athenians that they should never have victory during the life of Codrus their King the King understanding of it he cloathed himself like a common souldier nay rather as the history saith like a poor beggar and went into the midst of his enemies to be slain to save Athens How much did noble Curtius and famous Decius surmounted that cruell L. Sylla and that wicked imp C. Marius they instructed by the like Oracle were ready in their arms to mount on horseback to offer themselves alive to an open gulf to save Rome the other with sword and fire were no lesse willing to destroy Rome and to spoil their native soil and country of Italy Again Thrasibulus was not so beneficial to Athens but Catelin was as hurtfull unto Rome Divers Princes and Noble men have béen no lesse studious how to kéep and defend their countries then they were loath and unwilling to trespasse against their countries Happy are those places and most happy are they that injoy such Princes How famous was Thebes while Epaminondas lived how renowned was Sparta while yet Agesilaus ruled how happy was Rome when Fabius Maximus bare sway how flourished Athens when Pericles with his magnanimity when Themisiocles with his worthinesse when Demosthenes with his wisedome defended their state The vertuous lives of goodly Emperours time hath advanced to fame and fame hath spread over the whole world as of Traian Constantine Augustus Alexander Severus with others which are to be honoured and had in perpetual memory But the cruell tyranny of other wicked Magistrates neither time can take away nor any good nature forget as that monster of shame sinck of sin that beast Heliâ—gabalus that tyrant Nero that monster Caligula with Domitian Dionisius and others which are to be detested and utterly lothed Laertius in his third book doth write that the people of Agineta had a law written that if any of Athens should come unto their great City Aginia he should lose his head WheÌ„ Plato the philâ—sopher had hapned to come to that City it was told Carmendius who then was chief Iudge for that year that a man of Athens was in Aginia which ought by law to die the calling Plato before him in a great assembly demaÌ„ded what he was he said a Philosopher a certain man envious unto learning hearing the name of a Philososopher said this is no man but a beast then said Plato I ought to be frée by your law being a beast and not a man and so pleaded the matter that by the name of a beast he was dismissed applying thus the sense thereof that with tyrants and envious people beasts are better esteemed then men Such is the furious rage of tyranny that without mercy and respect of person he féedeth his fury King Atreus brother to Thiestes and son to King Pelops slew without pity the thrée sons of his brother Thiestes whose bloud he caused his brother and their father to drink unawares and after he had hidden their bodies in a cave he cut off their members and made their father to eat thereof The like history we read in Justine that King Assiages made Harpagus to eat his own son dressed ready and served up at the Kings table in two silver dishes before Harpagus the father of which as one ignorant of such tyranny the father fed Mithridates the bloudy King of Pontus slew his thrée sons and three daughters he killed his wife Laodice and married another named Hipsicratea Tyranny lurketh in the hidden veins and secret bowels of envy for even as Mithridates flew his wife Laodice so Constantine the great Emperour slew his wife Fausta and Nero murthered his wife Poppea I should weary the Reader to speak of Cleander Aristratus Strates Sabillus with innumerable others The state of Rome was so often changed by tyranny that sometimes they reigned under Monarchy and then streight under Aristrocacy And thus the Commons séeking by change an amendment of Princes kept alwaies the chief rule and government of the City of Rome under Democracy which is the popular government abhorring the corruption of Princes to their immortal fame and glory CHAP. XLIII Of Flattery FLattery is the sweet bait of Envy the cloak of malice the onely pestilence of the world a monster ugly to behold if it could be seen and dangerous to trust if it might be known it hath as many heads as Hidra to invent wickednesse as many hands as Briareus to commit evill as many eys as Argos to behold and delight in vengeance as swift of foot as Thalus entring into every mans house with words as sweet as honey but a heart as bitter as gall of which the old poem is spoken Melin ore verba lactis felin corde fraus in factis Antisthenes the learned Athenian was wont to say that he had rather have Ravens in his house with him then flatterers for Ravens said he devour but the carcasse being dead but the flatterer eateth up the body and soul alive For even as tyranny is hidden in the secret bowels of envy so is envy cloaked under the filed phrase of flattery and very well compared to the Crocodiles of Nilus or to the Syrens of the seas the one weeping and mourning the other singing and laughing the one with lamentation the other with mirth doth study how to annoy the poor Mariner The flattering Parasite as Ovid saith denieth with the negative and affirmeth with the affirmative wéepeth with him that is sad and laugheth with him that is merry As sometime Clisophus who when his master Philip King of Macedonia and further to Alexander the great did halt because he had the gout he would halt likewise when the King would be merry at his drink Clisophus would not be sad
but one year a ruler in the Empire was poysoned by his mother in Law named Martina The very cause of the Emperor Conradus death who was Fredericks son was onely the Empire and rule of Rome for Manfredus his successour hired the Physitians to poyson him that he might have the onely sway O unhappy state of Princes whose lives are desired both of friends and foes No lesse danger it is to be in favour with Princes sometime then perillous to be Princes We read of a Quéen named Rosimunda the daughter of King Cunimund of Gepida who after she had poysoned Albonius King of the Longobards her first husband did marry a Prince of Ravenna named Helinges whom likwise she thought to poison but being warned in the middest of his draught he caused his wife to drink the rest which drink was the cause of both their deaths How many noble Princes in the middest of their pilgrimages have died that death as Dioclesian the Emperour of Rome Lotarius King of France Charls the eight of that name with divers others as Hannibal prince of Carthage Aristobulus King of Iudea and Lucullus Generall of Rome Princes and noble men do sometime poison themselves lest they should be inforced to serve their foes as Themistocles being banished from his country of Athens being in service under Artaxerxes King of Persia poisoned himself with the bloud of a Bull in presence of all the Persians lest he should be compelled to fight in wars against Gréece his country Even so Aratus prince of Sicionia perceiving Philip the younger would banish and exile him out of his country was inforced with poison to drink his own death out of his own hand Even after this sort after long administration of the Commonwealth did noble Socrates learned Anaxagoras worthy Seneca and famous Demosthenes poison themselves Thus their pilgrimages were ended and their lives finished their honour and dignity their fame and renown did purchase them death Happy then are those whom the world knows not who desire not to be acquainted with the world but quiet and contented do finish the course of their pilgrimages Had not Jugurthus thirsted for the Kingdom of Numidia he had not slain his two brethren Adherbal and Hempsal which were partakers of the Crown for the which vengeance fell upon him being subdued by Marius and dying afterwards in prison Had not King Siphax thirsted after the Empire of Rome he had never béen taken captive and prisoner by Tiberius where he at length out of his Kingdome died in prison Henry the third was of his own son named Henry put again in prison where he died Aristonicus for all his businesse and great doings was vanquished by the Consull Aquilius and put in prison where likewise he died In prison divers princes have ended their lives in forrein countries Strange kinds of deaths happen upon Princes more then on any other men as orderly I shall prove by their pilgrimages and lives Some by fire as the Tyrant Phalaris of Agrigentum who was burned with all his children and his wife in the Brasen Bull which Perillus made for others was first of all put into it himself By fire was the Emperour Valentine burned by the Goths by fire was that famous Greek Alcibiades destroied in Phrygia and burned in bed with his mistresse Timandra after he had ruled Athens and all Greece a long while Sardanapalus that great King and last prince of Assyria fearing to fall into the hands of Arbactus and detesting to die by his enemies made a solemn fire when after his lewd life wantoning in lust and following his desires he burned himself it was the end of the renowned Hercules who conquered Monsters subdued Serpents Lions Dragons and wild beasts at the last he put on the shirt of Nestus the Centaur which burned him alive What shall I speak of Boges the dear friend sometime of King Xerxes who when he knew that he could not escape the hand of Cimon and the power of Atâ—ens he made a great fire where he caused his wife and concubines his children and family to be burned and then his gold silver and treasure and last of all he burned himself Empedocles Catullus Luctatius Asdrubal and Poâ—tia died this death So desirous were men alwaies to become princes so ambitious of honour so greedy of wealth that having the name of a King they thought to avoid and escape that which alwaies waits on the heels of Princes I mean death Were not princes hanged by their own subjects which is the vilest and most ignominious death that can be Achaeas King of Lidia for that he troubled his subjects with new taxes and subsedies was hanged by his own subjects at the river of Pactolus Bomilchar a Prince of Libia being suspected by the Carthaginians that he had conspired with Agathocles unto the annoiance of the subjects was hanged in the City of Carthage in the middest of the Market Policrates who was supposed to be the happiest Prince that ever reigned in Samos and never sustained any losse by fortune was at last by Orontes the Persian King Darius General hanged in sight of Samos Herodotus doth affirm that Leonides that famous King of Sparta who long ruled the Lacedemonians with great fame and renown was by Xerxes King of Persia after his head was smitten off commanded notwithstanding to be hanged Trogus doth write of Hanno a prince of Carthage which flourished in the time of King Philip father to Alexander the great who for his prosperous successe that he had in all his attempts waxed to be such a tyrant that his own people first bound him with cords whipt him with rods pluckt out his eys brake his legs cut off his hands and at last to recompence his tyranny they hanged him up in Carthage These were no mean men that thus were hanged in their own country and by their own people Thus Princes in the middest of their lives have béen arrested by death and by divers kinds of death Some as you have heard by poison some by fire some by hanging have ended their pilgrimages some again have been devoured by their own horses as Diomedes King of Thracia became food himself to those beasts which before he fed with mens bodies The King of Eubea for his tyranny in Boetia was given by Hercules to be eaten by his own horses Licinius the Emperour at what time he had appointed that his daughter Hâ—rina should be given to his horses to be eaten he himself giving her as food unto them was torn in pieces It hâ—ppened that Neocles the son of that noble Greek Themistocks was by a horse likewise devoured And this was not strange unto princes for they were alwaies subject unto all kind of deaths After that the famous prince Mâ—â—us Captain of the Lybians had broken truce with the Romans he was afterward as Livi doth witnesse taken and drawn by four great horses alive at the cemmandement of Tullus Hostilius being then King of Rome Hâ—ppâ—litus son