most sant oblations that is for so saith Epaminondas the Thebane fighting valiantly and exposing your selves to the most honorable and bravest services that be in defence of countrey of your auncestors tombes and sepulchers and of your temples and religion mee thinks also I see their victories comming toward mee in solemne pompe and procession not drawing or leading after them for their prize and reward an ox or a goat neither be the said victories crowned with ivie or smelling strong of new wine in the lees as the Bacchanales doe but they have in their traine whole cities islands continents and firme lands as well mediterranean as maritime sea-coasts together with new colonies of ten thousand men a piece to be planted heere and there and withall crowned they be and adorned on every side with trophaes with triumphes pillage and booty of all sorts the ensignes badges and armes that these victorious captaines give the images also that they represent in shew be their stately beautiful temples as the Parthenon the Hecatompedos their city walles on the south side the arcenals to receive lodge their ships their beautifull porches and galleries the province of the demy isle Chersonesus the city Amphipolis as for the plaine of Marathon it goeth before the laureat garland and victorie of Miltiades Solanius accompanieth that of Themistocles trampling under his feet and going over the broken timber and shipwracke of a thousand vessels as for the victory of Cimon it bringeth with it an hundred Phaenician great gallies from the rivers Eurymedon that of Demosthenes and Cleon comes from Sphacteria with the targuet of captaine Brasidas wonne in the field and a number of his souldiers captive and bound in chaines the victory of Conon walled the city and that of Thrasibulus reduced the people with victorie and liberty from Phyle the sundry victories of Alcibiades set upright the State of the city which by the infortunate overthrow in Sicilie reeled and was ready to fall to the ground and by the battel 's fought by Neleus and Androclus in Lydia and Carta Greece saw all Jonta raised up againe and supported And if a man demaund of each one of the other victories what benefit hath accrued unto the city by them one will name the isle Lesbos and another Samos one will speake of the Euxine sea and another of sive hundred gallies and he shall have another talke of ten thousand talents over and above the honour and glory of trophaees These be the causes why this city doeth solemnize and celebrate to many festivall daies and heereupon it is that it offreth sacrifices as it doeth to the gods not iwis for the victory of Aeschylus or Sophocles nor for the prizes of poetry no nor when Carcinus lay with Aerope or Astidamus with Hector But upon the sixth of May even to this present day the city holdeth festivall the memory of that victory in the plaines of Marathon and the sixth day of * another * moneth maketh a solemne offring of wine unto the gods in remembrance of that victorie which Chabrias obteined neere unto the isle Naxos and upon the 12. day of the same moneth there is another sacrifice likewise performed in the name of a thankes-giving to the gods for their liberty recovered because upon the same day those citizens which were prisoners and in bondage within Phyle came downe and returned into the city upon the third day of March they wonne the famous field of Platea and the sixteenth day of the said March they consecrated to Diana for on that day this goddesse shone bright and it was full moone to the victorious Greeks before the isle of ãâã The noble victory which they archieved before the citie of Mantinea made the twelfth day of September more holy and with greater solemnity observed for upon that day when all other their allies and associates were discomfited and put to flight they onely by their valour wonne the field and erected a trophae over their enemies who were upon the point of victory See what hath raised this city to such grandence Lo what hath exalted it to so high a pitch of honor and this was the cause that Pindarus called the city of Athens the pillar that supported Greece not for that by the tragedies of Phrynichus or Thespis if set the fortune of the Greeks upright but in regard of this that as himselfe writeth in another place along the coast of Artemisium Where Athens youth as poet Pindar said Of freedome first the glorious ground worke laid And afterwards at Salamis at Mycale and Plataees having setled it firme and strong as upon a rocke of diamonds they delivered it from hand to hand unto others But haply some man will say True it is indeed all that ever poets doe are no better than sports and pastimes But what say you to oratours they seeme to have some prerogative gative and ought to be compared with martiall captaines whereupon it may seeme as Aeschynes scoffing merily and quipping at Demosthenes said That there is some reason why the barre or pulpit for publicke orations may commence action and processe against the tribunall seat of generals and their chaire of estate Is it then meet and reasonable that the oration of Hyperides intituled Plataicus should be preferred before the victory which Aristides wonne before the city Platea or the oration of Lysies against the thirty tyrants goe before the massacre and execution of them performed by Thrasybelus and Archias or that of Aeschines against Timarchus being accused for keeping harlots and a brothell house before the aide that Phocion brought into the city of Byzantium besieged by which succour he impeached the Macedonians and repressed their insolent vilanies and outrages committed in abusing the children of the Athenian consederates or shall we compare the oration of Demosthenes as touching the crowne with those publicke and honorable coronets which Themistocles received for setting Greece free considering that the most excellent place of all the said oration and fullest of eloquence is that wherein the said oratour conjureth the soules of those their auncestors and citeth them for witnesses who in the battell of Marathon exposed their lives with such resolution for the saftie of Greece or shall we put in balance to weigh against woorthy warriours these that in schooles teach yoong men rhetoricke namely such as Isocrates Antiphon and Isaeus But certeine it is that this city honored those valiant captaines with publicke funerals and with great devotion gathered up the reliques of their bodies yea and the same oratour canonized them for gods in heaven when he sware by them although he followed not their steps and Isocrates who extolled and highly praised those who manfully sought willing were to spend their hartbloud in the battell of Marathon saying that they made so little account of their lives as if their owne soules had bene else-where other mens in their bodies magnifying this their resolution and the small
all just and honest actions when it hath chased and removed out of the way ire and wrath and therefore men are mollified appeased and become gentle by examples of men when they heare it reported how Plato when hee lifted up his staffe against his page stood so a good while and forbare to strike which hee did as he said for to represse his choler And Architas when he found some great negligence and disorder at his ferme-house in the countrey in his houshold servants perceiving himselfe moved and disquieted therewith insomuch as he was exceeding angrie and readie to flie upon them proceeded to no act but onely turning away and going from them said thus It is happie for you that I am thus angrie with you If then it be so that such memorable speeches of ancient men and woorthy acts reported by them are effectuall to represse the bitternesse and violence of choler much more probable it is that we seeing how God himselfe although he standeth not in feare of any person nor repenteth of any thing that he doth yet putteth off his chastisements and laieth them up a long time should be more wary and considerate in such things and esteeme that clemencie long sufferance and patience is a divine part of vertue that God doth shew and teach us which by punishment doth chastise and correct a few but by proceeding thereto slowly doth instruct admonish and profit many In the second place let us consider that judiciall and exemplarie processe of justice practised by men intendeth and aimeth onely at a counter change of paine and griefe resting in this point That he who hath done evill might suffer likewise proceeding no farther at all and therefore baying and barking as it were like dogges at mens faults and trespasses they follow upon them and pursue after all action by tract and footing but God as it should seeme by all likelihood when hee setteth in hand in justice to correct a sinfull diseased soule regardeth principally the vicious passions thereof if haply they may be bent wrought so as they will incline turne to repentance in which respect he staieth long before that he inflict any punishment upon delinquents who are not altogether past grace incorrigible for considering withall and knowing as he doth what portion of vertue soules have drawen from him in their creation at what time as they were produced first and came into the world as also how powerfull and forcible is the generositie thereof and nothing weake and feeble in it selfe but that it is cleane contrary to their proper nature to bring forth vices which are engendered either by ill education or els by the contagious haunt of leaud company and how afterward when they be well cured and medicined as it falleth out in some persons they soone returne unto their owne naturall habitude and become good againe by reason heereof God doth not make haste to punish all men alike but looke what he knoweth to be incurable that he quickly riddeth away out of this life and cutteth it off as a very hurtfull member to others but yet most harmefull to it selfe if it should evermore converse with wickednesse but to such persons in whom by all likelihood vice is bred and ingendred rather through ignorance of goodnesse than upon any purpose and will to chuse naughtinesse hee giveth time and respit for to change and amend how beit if they persist still and continue in their leaud waies hee paieth them home likewise in the end and never feareth that they shall escape his hands one time or other but suffer condigne punishment for their deserts That this is true consider what great alterations there happen in the life and behaviour of men and how many have beene reclaimed and turned from their leaudnesse which is the reason that in Greeke our behaviour and conversation is called partly ãâã that is to say A conversion and in part ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the one because mens maners be subject to change and mutation the other for that they be ingendered by use or custome and the impression thereof being once taken they remaine firme and sure which is the cause also as I suppose that our ancients in olde time attributed unto king Cecrops a double nature and forme calling him Double not for that as some said of a good element and gracious prince he became a rigourous fell and cruell tyrant like a dragon but contrariwise because having bene at the first perverse crooked and terrible he proved afterward a milde and gentle lord and if we make any doubt hereof in him yet we may be sure at leastwise that Gelon and Hiero in Sicilie yea and Pisistratus the sonne of Hipocrates all usurpers who atteined to their tyrannicall dominion by violent and indirect meanes used the same vertuously and howsoever they came unto their sovereigne rule by unlawfull and unjust meanes yet they grew in time to be good governours loving and profitable to the common weale and likewise beloved and deare unto their subjects for some of them having brought in and established most excellent lawes in the countrey and caused their citizens and subjects to be industruous and painfull in tilling the ground made them to be civill sober and discreet whereas before they were given to be ridiculous as noted for their laughter and lavish tongues to be true labourers also and painfull who had bene idle and playfull And as for Gelon after he had most valiantly warred against the Carthaginians and defaited them in a great battell when they craved peace would never grant it unto them unlesse this might be comprised among the articles and capitulations That they should no more sacrifice their children unto Saturne In the citie also of Megalopolis there was a tyrant named Lydiades who in the mids of his usurped dominion repented of his tyrannie and made a conscience thereof detesting that wrongfull oppression wherein he held his subjects in such sort ' as he restored his citizens to their ancient lawes and liberties yea and afterwards died manfully in the field fighting against his enemies in the defence of his countrey Now if any one had killed Miltiades at the first whiles he exercised tyrannie in Chersonesus or if another had called judicially into question Cimon enditing him for keeping his owne sister and so being condemned of incest had caused him to be put to death or disfranchised and banished Themistocles out of the citie for his loose wantonnesse and licentious insolencie shewed publickly in the Common place as Alcibiades afterwards was served and proscribed for the like excesse and riot committed in his youth Where had bene then that famous victorie At chieved on the plaines of Marathon Where had bene that renowmed chivalrie Performed neere the streame Eurymedon Or at the mount faire Artemision Where Athens youth as poet Pindare said Freedome first the glorious ground-worke laid For so it is great natures and high minds can bring foorth no meane matters nor the
Philosophie But I pray you my very good friend quoth I unto him forbeare this vehement and accusatorie humour of yours and be not angry if haply you see that some because they be borne of leud and wicked parents are punished or else doe not rejoice so much nor be ready to praise in case you see nobilitie also of birth to be so highly honored for if we stand upon this point and dare avow that recompence of vertue ought by right and reason to continue in the line and posteritie we are by good consequence to make this account that punishment likewise should not stay and cease together with misdeeds committed but reciprocally fall upon those that are descended of misdoers and malefactors for he who willingly seeth the progenie of Cimon honoured at Athens and contrariwise is offended and displeased in his heart to see the race of Lachares or Ariston banished driven out of the citie he I say seemeth to be too soft tender and passing effeminate or rather to speake more properly over-contentious and quarrelsome even against the gods complaining and murmuring of the one side if the children childrens children of an impious wicked person do prosper in the world and contrariwise is no lesse given to blame and find fault if he doe see the posterity of wicked and ungracious men to be held under plagued or altogether destroied from the face of the earth accusing the gods if the children of a naughtie man be afflicted even as much as if they had honest persons to their parents But as for these reasons alledged make you this reckoning that they be bulwarks and rampars for you opposed against such bitter sharpe accusers as these be But now taking in hand again the end as it were of a clew of thread or a bottom of yearne to direct us as in a darke place and where there be many cranks turnings and windings to and fro I meane the matter of gods secret judgements let us conduct and guide our selves gently and warily according to that which is most likely probable considering that even of those things which we daily manage and doe our selves we are not able to set downe an undoubted certaintie as for example who can yeeld a sound reason wherefore we cause and bid the children of those parents who died either of the phthisick and consumption of the lungs or of the dropsie to sit with their feet drenched in water until the dead corps be fully burned in the funeral fire For an opinioÌ there is that by this meanes the said maladies shall not passe unto them as hereditarie nor take hold of their bodies as also what the cause should be that if a goat hold in her mouth the herbe called Eryngites that is to say Sea-holly the whole flocke will stand still untill such time as the goat-herd come and take the said herbe out of her mouth Other hidden properties there be which by secret influences and passages from one to another worke strange effects and incredible as well speedily as in longer tract of time and in very truth we woonder more at the intermission and stay of time betweene than we doe of the distance of place and yet there is greater occasion to marvell thereat as namely that a pestilent maladie which began in Aethiopia should raigne in the citie of Athens and fill every street and corner thereof in such sort as Pericles died and Thucydides was sicke thereof than that when the Phocaeans and Sybarits had committed some hainous sins the punishment therefore should fall upon their children go through their posteritie For surely these powers and hidden properties have certaine relations and correspondences from the last to the first the cause whereof although it be unknowen to us yet it ceaseth not secretly to bring foorth her proper effects But there seemeth to be verie apparent reason of justice that publicke vengeance from above should fall upon cities many a yeere after for that a citie is one entire thing and a continued body as it were like unto a living creature which goeth not beside or out of it selfe for any mutations of ages nor in tract and continuance of time changing first into one and then into another by succession but is alwaies uniforme and like it selfe receiving evermore and taking upon it all the thanke for well doing or the blame for misdeeds of whatsoever it doth or hath done in common so long as the societie that linketh holdeth it together maintaineth her unitie for to make many yea innumerable cities of one by dividing it according to space of time were as much as to go about to make of one man many because he is now become old who before was a yong youth in times past also a very stripling or springall or else to speake more properly this resembleth the devises of Epicharmus wherupon was invented that maner of Sophisters arguing which they cal the Croissant argument for thus they reason He that long since borrowed or tooke up mony now oweth it not because he is no more himselfe but become another he that yesterday was invited to a feast coÌmeth this day as an unbidden guest coÌsidering that he is now another man And verily divers ages make greater difference in ech one of us than they do commonly in cities and States for he that had seene the citie of Athens thirtie yeeres agoe and came to visit it at this day would know it to be altogether the very same that then it was insomuch as the maners customes motions games pastimes serious affaires favours of the people their pleasures displeasures and anger at this present resemble wholly those in ancient time whereas if a man be any long time out of sight hardly his very familiar friend shall be able to know him his countenance will be so much changed and as touching his maners and behaviour which alter and change so soone upon every occasion by reason of all sorts of labour travell accidents and lawes there is such varietie and so great alteration that even he who is ordinarily acquainted and conversant with him would marvell to see the strangenesse and noveltie thereof and yet the man is held and reputed still the same from his nativitie unto his dying day and in like case a citie remaineth alwaies one and the selfe same in which respect we deeme it great reason that it should participate aswell the blame and reproch of ancestours as enjoy their glorie and puissance unlesse we make no care to cast all things in the river of Heraclitus into which by report no one thing entreth twise for that it hath a propertie to alter all things and change their nature Now if it be so that a citie is an united and continued thing in it selfe we are to thinke no lesse of a race and progenie which dependeth upon one and the same stocke producing and bringing foorth a certeine power and communication of qualities and the same doth
factour that thus bought and solde in their name was called Poletes 30 What is that which in Thracia they call Araeni Acta that is to say the Shore of Araenus THe Andrians and Chalcidians having made a voiage into Thrace for to chuse out a place to inhabit surprised jointly together the citie Sana which was betraied and delivered into their hands And being advertised that the Barbarians had abandoned the towne Achantus they sent forth two spies to know the truth thereof these spies approched the towne so neere that they knew for certaine that the enemies had quit the place and were gone The partie who was for the Chalcidians ran before to take the first possession of it in the name of the Chalcidians but the other who was for the Andrians seeing that he could not with good footmanship overtake his fellow flang his dart or javelin from him which he had in his hand and when the head thereof stucke in the citie gate he cried out aloud that he had taken possession thereof in the behalfe of the Andrians with his javelin head Hereupon arose some variance and controversie betweene these two nations but it brake not out to open warre for they agreed friendly together that the Erythraeans Samians and Parians should be the indifferent judges to arbitrate and determine all their debates and sutes depending betweene them But for that the Erythraeans and Samians awarded on the Andrians side and the Parians for the Chalcidians the Andrians in that verie place tooke a solemne oth and bound the same with inprecations curses and maledictions that they would never either take the daughters of the Parians in mariage or affiance their owne unto them and for this cause they gave this name unto the place and called it the Shore or banke of Araenus where as before it was called the Port of of the Dragon 31 Why do the wives of the Eretrians at the solemne feast of Ceres rost their flesh meat not at the fire but against the Sunne and never call upon her by the name of Calligenia IT is for that the dames of Troy whom the king led away captive were celebrating this feast in this place but because the time served to make saile they were enforced to haste away and leave their sacrifice unperfect and unfinished 32 Who be they whom the Milessians call Ainautae AFter that the tyrants Thoas and Damasenor had beene defaited there arose within the city two factions that mainteined their several sides the one named Plontis the other Cheiromacha In the end that of Plontis who were indeed the richest mightiest persons in the city prevailed and having gotten the upper hand seised the soveregne authority government and because when they minded to sit in consultation of their waightiest affaires they went a ship-boord and launched into the deepe a good way off from the land and after they had resolved and decreed what to doe returned backe againe into the haven therefore they were surnamed Ainautae which is as much to say as alway sailing 33 What is the cause that the Chalcidians name one place about Pyrsophion The assembly of lusty gallants NAuplius as the report goeth being chased and pursued by the Achaeans fledde for refuge like an humble suppliant to the Chalcidians where partly hee answered to such imputations which were laide against him and in part by way of recrimination recharged them with other misdemeanors and outrages whereupon the Chalcidians being not purposed to deliver him into their hands and yet fearing lest by treachery and privy practise hee should be made away and murdred allowed him for the guard of his person the very flower of the lustiest yoong gallants in all their citie whom they lodged in that quarter where they might alwaies converse and meet together and so keepe Nauplius out of danger 34 What was he who sacrificed an ox unto his benefactour THere hovered sometime a shippe of certeine men of warre or rovers and ankered about the coast of Ithacestia within which there was an old man who had the charge of a number of earthen pots conteining Amphors a piece with pitch in them now it fortuned that a poore mariner or barge-man named Pyrrhias who got his living by ferrying and transporting passengers approched the said shippe and delivered the old man out of the rovers hands and saved his life not for any gaine that hee looked for but onely at his earnest request and for very pure pitie and compassion now in recompence heereof albeit hee expected none the old man pressed instantly upon him to receive some of those pots or pitchers aforesaid the rovers were not so soone retired and departed out of the way but the old man seeing him at libertie and secure of danger brought Pyrrhias to these earthen vessels and shewed unto him a great quantitie of gold and silver mingled with the pitch Pyrrhtas heerby growing of a sudden to be rich and full of money entreated the old man very kindly in all respects otherwise and besides sacrificed unto him a beese and heereupon as they say arose this common proverb No man ever sacrificed an ox unto his benefactour but Pyrrhias 35 What is the cause that it was a custome among the maidens of the Bottiaeans in their dauncing to sing as it were the faburden of a song Go we to Athens THe Candiots by report upon a vow that they had made sent the first borne of their men unto Delphos but they that were thus sent seeing they could not finde sufficient meanes there to live in plentie departed from thence to seeke out some convenient place for a colonie to inhabite and first they setled themselves in Japigia but afterwards arrived to this verie place of Thracia where now they are having certeine Athenians mingled among them for it is not like that Minos had caused those yoong men to be put to death whom the Athenians had sent unto him by way of tribute but kept them for to doe him service some therefore of their issue descended from them being reputed naturall Candiots were with them sent unto the citie of Delphos which is the reason that the yoong daughters of the Bottiaeans in remembrance of this their originall descent went singing in their festivall daunces Go we to Athens 36 What should be the reason that the Eliens wives when they chaum himnes to the honour of Bacchus pray him to come unto them ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that is to say with his bull foote for the hymne runneth in this forme pleaseth it thee right woorthy lord Bacchus to come unto this holy maritime temple of thine accompanied with the Graces ãâã I say to this temple with an ox or beefe foot then for the faburden of the song they redouble O woorthy bull ô woorthy bull IS it for that some name this god The sonne or begotten of a cow and others tearme him Bul or is the meaning of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã with thy great foot
seene at all with him the master beleeved this lay with her but one time above the rest desirous to know who she was with whom he companied called for a light and so soone as he knew it was his owne daughter he drew his sword and followed after this most vilanous and and incestuous filth intending to kill her but by the providence of Venus transformed she was into a tree bearing her name to wit Myrtle as Theodorus reporteth in his Metamorphoses or transmutations Valeria Tusculanaria having incurred the displeasure of Venus became amorous of her owne father and communicated this love of hers unto her nourse who likewise went cunningly about her master and made him beleeve that there was a young maiden a neighbous child who was in fancie with him but would not in regard of modestie be knowen unto him of it nor be seene when she should frequent his companie Howbeit her father one night being drunk called for a candle but the nourse prevented him and in great hast wakened her who fled therupon into the countrey great with child where she cast her selfe downe from the pitch of a steep place yet the fruit of her wombe lived for notwithstanding that fall she did not miscarie but continued still with her great belly and when her time was come delivered she was of a sonne such an one as in the Roman language is named Sylvanus and in Greeke Aegipanes Valerius the father tooke such a thought thereupon that for verie anguish of mind he threw himselfe downe headlong from a steepe rocke as recordeth Aristides the Milesian in the third booke of Italian histories 23 After the destruction of Troy Diomedes by a tempest was cast upoÌ the coast of Libya where raigned a king named Lycus whose maner and custome was to sacrifice unto his owne father god Mars all those strangers that arrived and were set a land in his countrey But CallirohoÌe his daughter casting an affection unto Diomedes betraied her father and saved Diomedes by delivering him out of prison And he againe not regarding her accordingly who had done him so good a turne departed from her and sailed away which indignitie she tooke so neere to the heart that she hanged her selfe and so ended her daies this writeth Juba in the third booke of the Libyan historie Calpurnius Crassus a noble man of Rome being abroad at the warres together with Regulus was by him sent against the Massilians for to seize a stronge castle and hard to be won named Garaetion but in this service being taken prisoner and destined to be killed in sacrifice unto Saturne it fortuned that Bysatia the kings daughter fansied him so as she betraied her father and put the victory into her lovers hand but when this yoong knight was retired and gone the damsell for sorrow of heart cut her owne throat as writeth Hesianax in the third booke of the Libian historie 24 Priamus king of Troy fearing that the city would be lost sent his yoong sonne Polydorus into Thrace to his sonne in law Polymester who married his daughter with a great quantity of golde Polymester for very covetousnesse after the destruction of the city murdered the childe because he might gaine the gold but Hecuba being come into those parts under a colour and pretence that she should bestow that golde upon him together with the helpe of other dames prisoners with her plucked with her owne hands both eies out of his head witnesse Euripides the tragaedian poet In the time that Hanniball overran and wasted the countrey of Campania in Italy Lucius Jmber bestowed his sonne Rustius for safetie in the hands of a sonne in law whom he had named Valerius Gestius and left with him a good summe of money But when this Campanian heard that Anniball had wonne a great victorie for very avarice he brake all lawes of nature and murdered the childe The father Thymbris as he travelled in the countrey lighting upon the dead corps of his owne sonne sent for his sonne in law aforesaid as if he meant to shew him some great treasure who was no sooner come but he plucked out both his eies and afterwards crucified him as Aristides testifieth in the third booke of his Italian histories 25 Aeacus begat of Psamatha one sonne named Phocus whom he loved very tenderly but Telamon his brother not well content therewith trained him foorth one day into the forest a hunting where having rouzed a wilde bore he launced his javelin or bore-speare against the childe whom he hated and so killed him for which fact his father banished him as Dorotheus telleth the tale in the first booke of his Metamorphoses Cajus Maximus had two sonnes Similius and Rhesus of which two Rhesus he begat upon Ameria who upon a time as he hunted in the chase killed his brother and being come home againe he would have perswaded his father that it was by chaunce and not upon a propensed malice that he slew him but his father when he knew the truth exiled him as Aristocles hath recorded in the third booke of Italian Chronicles 26 Mars had the company of Althaea by whom she was conceived and delivered of Meleager as witnesseth Euripides in his tragoedie Meleager Septimtus Marcellus having maried Sylvta was much given to hunting and ordinarily went to the chase then Mars taking his advantage disguising himselfe in habit of a shepherd forced this new wedded wife and gat her with childe which done he bewraied unto her who he was and gave her a launce or speare saying unto her That the generositie and descent of that issue which she should have by him consisted in that launce now it hapned that Septimius slew Tusquinus and Mamercus when he sacrificed unto the gods for the good encrease of the fruits upon the earth neglected Ceres onely whereupon she taking displeasure for this contempt sent a great wilde bore into his countrey then he assembled a number of hunters to chase the said beast and killed him which done the head and the skinne he sent unto his espoused wife Scimbrates and Muthias her unckles by the mother-side offended heereat would have taken all away from the damosell but hee tooke such displeasure thereat that hee slew his kinsmen and his mother for to be revenged of her brethrens death buried that cursed speare as Menylus reporteth in the third booke of the Italian histories 27 Telamon the sonne of Aeacus and Endeis fledde by night from his father and arrived in the isle of Euboea ** The father perceiving it and supposing him to be one of his subjects gave his daughter to one of his guard for to be cast into the sea but he for very commiseration and pitty sould her to certaine merchants and when the shippe was arrived at Salamis Telamon chaunced to buy her at their hands and she bare unto him Ajax witnesse Aretados the Gnidian in the second booke of his Insular affaires Lucius Trocius had by his wife Patris a daughter
caused him to be condemned for his contumacy in that he failed to answer at the day assigned for his triall that verie yeere when Theopompus was Provost of the citie under whom the foure hundred conspiratours and usurpers of the common-weale were put downe and overthrowen Now the decree of the Senate by vertue whereof ordained it was That Antiphon should be judicially tried and condemned Cecilius hath put downe in these tearmes The one and twentith day of Prytaneia when Demonicus of Alopece was secretarie or publike notarie Philostratus of Pellene chiefe commander upon the proposition or bill-preferred of Andron the Senate hath ordained as touching these persons namely Archiptolemus Onomacles and Antiphon whom the captaines have declared against that they went in embassage unto Lacedaemon to the losse and detriment of the citie of Athens and departed from the camp first in an enemies ship and so passed by land by Decelia that their bodies should be attached and cast into prison for to abide justice and punishment according to law Item that the captaines themselves with certaine of the Senate to the number of ten such as it pleased them to chuse and nominate should make presentment and give in evidence that upon the points alledged and prooved judgement might passe according Item that the Thesmothetes should call for the said persons judicially the verie next morow after they were committed and convent them before the judges after that they be chosen by lot when and where they should accuse the captaines with the orators abovesaid of treason yea whosoever els would come in he should be heard Item when sentence is concluded and pronounced against them then the judgement of condemnation shall be executed according to the forme and tenure of the law established in case of traitors Vnder the instrument of this decree was subscribed the condemnation of treason in this manner Condemned there were of treason Archiptolemus the sonne of Hippodamus of Agryle present Antiphon the sonne of Sophilus of Rhamus likewise present and awarded it was by the court that these two should be delivered over into the hands of the eleven executors of justice their goods to be confiscate the disme whereof to be consecrate unto the goddesse Minerva their houses to be demolished and pulled downe to the very ground and upon the borders of the plots wherein they stood this superscription to be written Here stood the houses of Archiptolemus and of Antiphon two traitours of the State *** Also that it might not bee lawfull to enter or burie the bodie of Archiptolemus and of Antiphon within the citie of Athens nor in any part belonging to their domain or territorie That their memorie should be infamous and all their posteritie after them as well hastards as legitimate and that whosoever adopted any one of Archiptolemus or Antiphons children for his sonne himselfe should be held infamous Finally that all this should be engrossed and engraven in a columne of brasse wherein also should be set downe the sentence and decree which passed as concerning Phrynichus ANDOCIDES II. ANdocides was the sonne of that Leagoras who somtime made a peace betweene the Athenians and the Lacedaemonians borne in the tribe of Cydathene or Thurie descended from a noble house and as Hellanicus saith even from Mercurie for the race of the Ceryces that is Heraults pertaineth unto him and therefore chosen he was upon a time with Glaucon for to go with a fleet of twentie saile to aide the Corcyreans who warred upon the Corinthians But after all this accused he was of impietie and irreligion for that hee with others had mangled and defaced the images of Mercurie that stood within the citie also for that he had trespassed against the holy mysteries and sacred ceremonies of Ceres in as much as being before time a wild youth and loosely given he went in a maske one night and brake certaine images of the god Mercurie whereupon I say he was judicially convented And because he would not deliver and bring foorth to be examined upon torture that servant of his whom his accusers called for he was held attaint convict of that crime which was laid to his charge yea for the second imputation charged upon him verie deeply suspected for which also he was called into question not long after the setting foorth of the great Armada at sea which went into Sicily when the Corinthians had sent certaine Aegesians and Leontines into the citie of Athens unto whom the Athenians privately were to yeeld aid succour in the night season they brake all the images of Mercury which stood about the market place as Cratippus saith Well being suspected for offending against the sacred mysteries of Ceres thereupon judicially called to his answer he escaped judgement of condemnation and was acquit so that he would discover and declare the delinquents and offenders indeed Now having emploied his whole studie endever there about he wrought so that he found out those who were faultie as touching the sacred mysteries aforesaid among whom was his owne father As for all the rest when they were convicted he caused them to be put to death only his fathers life he saved although he was already in prison promising with all that he would doe much good service unto the common-weale wherein he failed not of his word For Leagoras accused many who had robbed and embezilled the cities treasure and committed other wicked parts by the meanes whereof he was absolved Now albeit Andocides was in great name and reputation for mannaging the affaires of common-weale yet neverthelesse he set his mind to trafficke and merchandize at sea whereby hee got amitie and entred into league of hospitalitie which many princes and great potentates but principally with the king of Cyprus and it was than that he stole and carried away a citizens child the daughter of Aristides and his owne niece without the privitie and consent of her friends and sent her closely for a present to the said king of Cyprus but when he was upon the point to be called in question judicially for this fact he stole her privily away againe out of Cyprus and brought her home to Athens Hereupon the king of Cyprus caused hands to be laid upon him where he was kept in prison but he brake loose and escaped to Athens at the verie time when the foure hundred conspiratours and usurpers governed the State and being by them cast into prison he got away againe when the said Olygarchie was dissolved Howbeit he was drawen out of the citie when the thirtie tyrants ruled all and usurped their government During which time of his exile he abode in the citie of Elis but when Thrasibulus and his adhaerents returned into the city he also repaired thither and was sent in an embassage to Lacedaemon where being taken againe in a trip he was for his ill demeanour banished All these premises appeare evidently by his orations which he hath written for in some of them
his body to be hanged up when he was dead and the other to be pricked whiles he was alive And this our Historiographer hath used this cruelty which they shewed unto Leonidas dead for a manifest proofe that the Barbarous king hated Leonidas in his life time above all men in the world And in avouching that the Thebans who sided with the Medes at Thermopylae were thus branded marked as slaves and afterwards being thus marked fought egerly in the behalfe of the same Barbarians before Plateae me thinks he may well say as Hippoclides the feat moriske dancers unto whom when at a feast he bestirred his legges and hopped artificially about the tables one said unto him Thou dancest truly Hippoclides answered againe Hippoclides careth not greatly for the trueth In his eighth booke he writeth that the Greeks being affrighted like cowards entred into a resolution for to flie from Artemisium into Greece and that when those of Euboea besought them to tarry still a while untill such time as they might take order how to bestow their wives children and familie they were nothing moved at their praiers nor gave any eare unto them untill such time as Themistocles tooke a peece of mony of them and parted the same betweene Eurybiades and Adimantus the Pretour or captaine of the Corinthians And then they staied longer and fought a navall battell with the Barbarians And verily Pindarus the Poet albeit he was not of any confederate city but of that which was suspected and accused to hold of the Medians side yet when he had occasion to make mention of the battell at Artemisium brake forth into this exclamation This is the place where Athens youth sometime as writers say Did with their bood of liberty the glorious groundworke lay But Herodotus contrariwise by whom some give out that Greece hath bene graced and adorned writeth that the said victory was an act of corruption bribery and mere theft and that the Greeks fought against their wils as being bought and sold by their captaines who tooke mony therefore Neither is here an end of his malice For all men in maner doe acknowledge and confesse that the Greeks having gotten the upper hand in sea fight upon this coast yet abandoned the cape Artemisium and yeelded it to the Barbarians upon the newes that they heard of the overthrow received at Thermopylae For it had bene no boot nor to any purpose for to have sitten still there and kept the sea for the behoofe of Greece considering that now the warre was hard at their dores within those straights and Xerxes master of all the Avenies But Herodotus feigneth that the Greeks before they were advertised of Leontidas death held a counsell and were in deliberation to flie For these be his words Being in great distresse quoth he and the Athenians especially who had many of their ships even the one halfe of their fleet shrewdly brused and shaken they were in consultation to take their flight into Greece But let us permit him thus to name or to reproch rather this retrait of theirs before the battell but he termed it before a flight and now at this present he calleth it a flight and hereafter he will give it the name of flight so bitterly is he bent to use this vile word flight But quoth he there came to the Barbarians presently after this in a barke or light pinnace a man of Estiaea who advertised them how the Greeks had quit the cape Artemisium and were fledde which because they could not beleeve they kept the messenger in ward and safe custody and thereupon put forth certaine swift foists in espiall to discover the trueth What say you Herodotus What is it you write That they fled as vanquished whom their very enimies themselves after the battell could not beleeve that they fled as supposing them to have had the better hand a great deale And deserveth this man to have credit given him when he writeth of one perticular person or of one city apart by it selfe who in one bare word spoileth all Greece of the victory He overthroweth and demolisheth the very Trophaee and monument that all Greece erected He abolisheth those titles and inscriptions which they set up in the honor of Diana on the East side of Artimisium calling all this but pride and vaineglory And as for the Epigram it ran to this effect From Asia land all sorts of nations stout When Athens youth sometime in navall fight Had vanquished and all these coasts about Disperst their fleet and therewith put to flight And staine the hast of Medes Loe heere in sight What monuments to thee with due respect Diana virgin pure they did erect He described not the order of the battels and how the Greeks were ranged neither hath he shewed what place every city of theirs held during this terrible fight at sea but in that retrait of their fleet which he termeth a flight he saith that the Corinthians sailed formost and the Athenians hinmost he should not then have thus troden under foot and insulted too much over those Greeks who tooke part with the Medes he I say who by others is thought to be a Thurian borne and reckoneth himselfe in the number of the Halicarnasseans and they verily being descended from the Dorians come with their wives and children to make warre against the Greeks But this man is so farre off from naming and alledging before the streights and necessities whereto those states were driven who sided with the Medians that he reporteth thus much of the Medians how notwithstanding the Phocaeans were their captiall enemies yet they sent unto them aforehand that they would spare their countrey without doing any harme or damage unto it if they might receive from them as a reward fifite talents of silver And this wrote he as touching the Phocaeans in these very termes The Phocaeans quoth he were the onely men who in these quarters sided not with the Medians for no other cause as I finde upon mature consideration but in regard of the hatred which they bare against the Thessalians for if the Thessalians had bene affected to the Greeks I suppose the Phocaeans would have turned to the Medes And yet a little after himselfe wil say that thirteene cities of the Phocaeans were set on fire and burnt to ashes by the Barbarian king their countrey laid waste the temple within the citie Abes consumed with fire their men and women both put to the sword as many as could not gaine the top of the mount Pernassus Neverthelesse he rangeth them in the number of those that most affectionatly tooke part with the Barbarians who indeed chose rather to endure all extremities and miseries that warre may bring than to abandon the defence and maintenance of the honour of Greece And being not able to reproove the men for any deeds committed he busied his braines to devise false imputations forging and framing with his pen divers surmises and suspicions against them not
lay hand as it were upoÌ your person in the presence of so many men Whereupon Ptolomaeus being mooved at these suggestions sent unto the man a cup of poison with coÌmandement that he should drinke it off Aristophanes also casteth this in Cleon his teeth For that when strangers were in place The towne with termes he did disgrace and thereby provoke the Athenians bring their high displeasure upon him And therfore this regard would be had especially above all others that when we would use our libertie of speech we do it not by way of ostentation in a vaine glorie to be popular and to get applause but onely with an intention to profit and do good yea and to cure some infirmitie thereby Over and besides that which Thucydides reporteth of the Corinthians how they gave out of themselves and not unfitly that it belonged unto them and meet men they were to reproove others the same ought they to have in them that will take upon them to be correctours of other persons For like as Lysander answered to a certeine Megarian who put himselfe forward in an assemblie of associates and allies to speake frankely for the libertie of Greece These words of yours my friend would beseeme to have beene spoken by some puissant State or citie even so it may be said to every one that will seeme freely to reprehend another that he had need himselfe to be in maners wel reformed And this most truly ought to be inferred upon all those that wil seeme to chastice and correct others namely to be wiser and of better government than the rest for thus Plato protested that he reformed Speusippus by example of his owne life and Xenocrates likewise casting but his eie upon Polemon who was come into his schoole like a Ruffian by his very looke onely reclaimed him from his loose life whereas on the contrary side if a light and lewd person one that is full of bad conditions himselfe would seeme to finde fault with others and be busie with his tongue he must be sure alwaies to heare this on both sides of his eares Himselfe all full of sores impure Will others seeme to heale and cure Howbeit forasmuch as oftentimes the case standeth so that by occasion of some affaires we be driven to chastice those with whom we converse when we our selves are culpable and no better than they the most cleanly least offensive way to do it is this To acknowledge in some sort that we be likewise faulty and to include and comprehend our owne persons together with them after which maner is that reproose in Homer Sir Diomede what aileth us how is it come about That we should thus forget to fight who earst were thought so stout Also in another place And now we all unwoorthy are With Hector onely to compare Thus Socrates mildly and gently would seeme to reproove yoong men making semblance as if himselfe were not void of ignorance but had need also to be instructed in vertue and professing that he had need with them to search for the knowledge of trueth for such commonly do win love and credit yea and sooner shall be beleeved who are thought subject to the same faults and seeme willing to correct their friends like as they do their owne selves whereas he who spreadeth and displaieth his owne wings in clapping other mens justifying himselfe as if he were pure sincere faultlesse and without all affections and infirmities unlesse he be much elder than we or in regard of some notable and aprooved vertue in farre higher place of authoritie and in greater reputation than our selves he shall gaine no profit nor do any good but be reputed a busie body and troublesome person And therefore it was not without just cause that good Phoenix in speaking to Achilles alledged his owne misfortunes and namely how in a fit of choler he had like one day to have killed his owne father but that sodeinly he bethought himselfe and changed his minde Least that among the Greekes I should be nam'd A parricide and ever after sham'd which he did no doubt to this end because he would not seeme in childing him to arrogate this praise unto himselfe that he was not subject to anger nor had ever done amisse by occasion of that infirmitie and passion Certes such admonitions as these enter and pierce more effectually into the heart for that they are thought to proceed from a tender compassion and more willing are we to yeeld unto such as seeme to have suffred the like than to those that despise and contemne us But forasmuch as neither the eie when it is inflamed can abide any cleere and shining light nor a passionate minde endure franke speech or a plaine and bare reprehension one of the best and most profitable helps in this case is to intermingle there with a little praise as wereade thus in Homer Now sure me thinks you do not well thus for to leave the field Who all are knowen for doughty knights and best with speare and shield A coward if I saw to slee him would I not reproove But such as you thus for to shrinke my heart doth greatly moove Likewise O Pandar where is now thy bowe where are thine arrowes flight Where is that honour in which none with thee dare strive in fight And verily such oblique reprehensions also as these are most effectuall and woonderfull in reclaming those that be ready to run on end and fall to some grosse enormities as for example What is become of wise Oedipus In riddles areeding who was so famous Also And Hercules who hath endur'd such paine Speakes he these words so foolish and so vaine For this kinde of dealing doth not onely asswage and mitigate the roughnesse and commanding power that is in a reprehension and rebuke but also breedeth in the partie in such sort reprooved a certeine emulation of himselfe causing him to be abashed and ashamed for any follies and dishonest pranks when he remembreth and calleth to minde his other good parts and commendable acts which by this meanes he setteth before his eies as examples and so taketh himselfe for a paterne and president of better things But when we make comparison betweene him and others to wit his equals in age his fellow-citizens or kinsefolks then his vice which in the owne nature is stubburne and opinionative enough becommeth by that meanes more froward and exasperate and often times he will not sticke in a sume and chase to fling away and grumble in this wise Why goe you not then to those that are so much better than I why can you not let me alone but thus trouble me as you do And therefore we must take heed especially that whiles we purpose to tel one plainly of his faults we do not praise others unlesse haply they be his parents as Agamemnon did unto Diomedes A sonne iwis sir Tideus left behinde Unlike himselfe and much growen out of kinde And ulysses in the Tragedie entituled
follow that famous Physician Hippocrates who both openly confessed and also put downe in writing that he was ignorant in the Anatomie of a mans head and namely as touching the seames or situres thereof and this account will he make that it were an unworthy indignitie if when such a man as Hippocrates thought not much to publish his owne errour and ignorance for feare that others might fall into the like hee who is willing to save himselfe from perdition can not endure to be reproved nor acknowledge his owne ignorance and follie As for those rules and precepts which are delivered by Pyrrho and Bion in this case are not in my conceit the signes of amendment and progresse so much as of some other more perfect and absolute habit rather of the minde for Bion willed and required his scholars and familiars that conversed with him to thinke then and never before that they had procecded and profited in Philosophie when they could with as good a will abide to heare men revile and raile at them as if they spake unto them in this maner Good sir you seeme no person leawd nor foolish sot iwis All haile Faire chieve you and adieu God send you alwaies blis And Pyrrho as it is reported being upon a time at sea and in danger to be cast away in a tempest shewed unto the rest of his fellow passengers a porket feeding hard upon barley cast before him on ship boord Loe my masters quoth he we ought by reason and exercise in Philosophie to frame our selves to this passe and to attaine unto such an impassibilitie as to be moved and troubled with the accidents of fortune no more than this pig But consider furthermore what was the conceit and opinion of Zeno in this point for hee was of mind that every man might and ought to know whether he profited or no in the schoole of vertue even by his very dreames namely if hee tooke no pleasure to see in his sleepe any filthy or dishonest thing nor delighted to imagine that he either intended did or approved any leawd unjust or outragious action but rather did beholde as in a setled calme without winde weather and wave in the cleere bottome of the water both the imaginative and also the passive facultie of the soule wholly overspread and lightened with the bright beames of reason which Plato before him is it should seeme knowing well enough hath prefigured and represented unto us what fantasticall motions they be that proceed in sleepe from the imaginative sensual part of the soule given by nature to tyrannize overrule the guidance of reason namely if a man dreame that he seeketh to have carnall company with his owne mother or that he hath a great minde and appetite to eate all strange unlawfull and forbidden meats as if then the said tyrant gave himselfe wholy to all those sensualities concupiscences as being let loose at such a time which by day the law either by feare or shame doth represse keepe downe Like as therefore beasts which serve for draught or saddle if they be well taught and trained albeit their governors and rulers let the reines loose and give them the head fling not out nor goe aside from the right way but either draw or make pace forward stil as they were wont ordinarily keepe the same traine and hold on in one course and order even so they whose sensuall part of the soule is made trainable and obedient tame and well schooled by the discipline of reason will neither in dreames nor sicknesses easily suffer the lusts and concupiscences of the flesh to rage or breake out unto any enormities punishable by law but will observe and keepe still in memorie that good discipline and custome which doth ingenerate a certeine power and efficacie unto diligence whereby they shall and will take heed unto themselves for if the mind hath bene used by exercise to resist passions and temptations to hold the bodie and all the members thereof as it were with bit bridle under subjection in such sort that it hath at coÌmand the eies not to shed teares for pitty the heart like wise not to leape pant in seare the naturall parts not to rise not stirre but to be still quiet without any trouble at all upon the sight of any faire and beautifull person man or woman how can it otherwise be but that there should be more likelihood that exercise having seized upon the sensuall part of the soule and tamed it should polish lay even reforme and bring unto good order all the imaginations and motions thereof even as farre as to the very dreames and fantasies in sleepe as it is reported of Stilpo the philosopher who dreamed that he saw Neptune expostulating with him in anger because he had not killed a beefe to sacrifice unto him as the manner was of other priests to doe and that himselfe nothing astonied or dismaid at the said vision should answer thus againe What is that thou saist ô Neptune commest thou to complaine indeed like a child who pules and cries for not having a peece big enough that I take not up some money at interest and put my selfe in debt to fill the whole citie with the sent and savor of rost and burnt but have sacrificed unto thee such as I had at home according to my abilitie and in a meane whereupon Neptune as hee thought should merrily smile and reach foorth unto him his right hand promising that for his sake and for the love of him he would that yeere send the Megarians great store of raine and good foison of sea-loaches or fishes called Aphyrae by that meanes comming unto them by whole sculles Such then as while they lie asleepe have no illusions arising in their braines to trouble them but those dreames or visions onely as be joious pleasant plaine and evident not painfull not terrible nothing rough maligne tortuous and crooked may boldly say that these fantasies and apparitions be no other than the reflexions and raies of that light which rebound from the good proceedings in philosophie whereas contrariwise the furious pricks of lust timorous frights unmanly and base flights childish and excessive joies dolorous sorrowes and dolefull mones by reason of some piteous illusions strange and absurd visions appeering in dreames may be well compared unto the broken waves and billowes of the sea beating upon the rocks and craggie banks of the shore for that the soule having not as yet that setled perfection in it selfe which should keepe it in good order but holdeth on a course still according to good lawes onely and sage opinions from which when it is farthest sequestred and most remote to wit in sleepe it suffereth it selfe to returne againe to the old wont and to be let loose and abandoned to her passions But whether these things may be ascribed unto that profit and amendement whereof we treat or rather to some other habitude having now gathered more
the only gift that the gods have given us freely even so may a man very wel say and with great reason unto those that are superstitious Seeing that the gods have bestowed upon us sleepe for the oblivion and repose of our miseries why makest thou it a very bel place of continuall and dolorous torment to thy poore soule which can not flie nor have recourse unto any other sleep but that which is troublesome unto thee Haraclitus was wont to say That men all the whiles they were awake enjoied the benefit of no other world but that which was common unto all but when they slept every one had a world by himselfe but surely the superstitious person hath not so much as any part of the common world for neither whiles hee is awake hath hee the true use of reason and wisdome nor when he sleepeth is he delivered from feare secured but one thing or other troubleth him still his reason is asleepe his feare is alwaies awake so that neither can he avoid his owne harme quite nor finde any meanes to put it by and turne it off Polycrates the tyrant was dread and terrible in Samos Periander in Corinth but no man feared either the one or the other who withdrew himselfe into any free city or popular State as for him who standeth in dread and feare of the imperiall power of the gods as of some rigorous and inexorable tyranny whither shall he retire withdraw himselfe whither shall he flie where shall he find a land where shal he meet with sea without a god into what secret part of the world poore man wilt thou betake thy selfe wherein thou maiest lie close and hidden and be assured that thou art without the puissance and reach of the gods There is a law that provideth for miserable slaves who being so hardly intreated by their masters are out of all hope that they shall be ensranchised and made free namely that they may demand to be solde againe and to change their master if haply they may by that meanes come by a better and more easie servitude under another but this superstition alloweth us not that libertie to change our gods for the better nay there is not a god to be found in the world whom a superstitious person doth not dread considering that he feareth the tutelar gods of his native countrey and the very gods protectors of his nativitie he quaketh even before those gods which are knowen to be saviours propitious and gracious he trembleth for feare when he thinketh of them at whose hands we crave riches abundance of goods concord peace and the happie successe of the best words and deeds that we have Now if these thinke that bondage is a great calamitie saying thus O heavie crosse and wofull miserie Man and woman to be in thrall-estate And namely if their slaverie Be under lords unfortunate how much more grievous thinke you is their servitude which they endure who can not flie who can not runne away and escape who can not change and turne to another Altars there be unto which bad servants may flie for succour many sanctuaries there be and priviledged churches for theeves and robbers from whence no man is so hardy as to plucke and pull them out Enemies after they are defeated and put to flight if in the very rout and chase they can take holde of some image of the gods or recover some temple and get it over their heads once are secured and assured of their lives whereas the superstitious person is most affrighted scared and put in feare by that wherein all others who be affraid of extreamest evils that can happen to man repose their hope and trust Never goe about to pull perforce a superstitious man out of sacred temples for in them he is most afflicted and tormented What needs many words In all men death is the end of life but it is not so in superstition for it extendeth and reacheth farther than the limits and utmost bounds thereof making feare longer than this life and adjoining unto death an imagination of immortall miseries and even then when there seemeth to be an end and cessation of all sorrowes travels be superstitious men perswaded that they must enter into others which be endlesse everlasting they dream of I wot not what deepe gates of a certein Pluto or infernall God of hell which open for to receive them of fierie rivers alwaies burning of hollow gulfs and flouds of Styx to gape for them of ugly and hideous darkenesse to overspread them full of sundry apparitions of gastly ghosts and sorrowfull spirits representing unto them grizlie and horrible shapes to see and as fearefull and lamentable voices to heare what should I speake of judges of tormentors of bottomlesse pits and gaping caves full of all sorts of torture and infinite miseries Thus unhappy and wretched superstition by fearing overmuch and without reason that which it imagineth to be nought never taketh heed how it submitteth it selfe to all miseries and for want of knowledge how to avoid this passionate trouble occasioned by the feare of the gods forgeth and deviseth to it selfe an expectation of inevitable evils even after death The impietie of an Atheist hath none of all this geere most true it is that his ignorance is unhappie and that a great calamitie and miserie it is unto the soule either to see amisse or wholly to be blinded in so great woorthy things as having of many eies the principall and cleerest of all to wit the knowledge of God extinct and put out but surely as I said before this passionate feare this ulcer and sore of conscience this trouble of spirit this servile abjection is not in his conceit these goe alwaies with the other who have such a superstitious opinion of the gods Plato saith that musicke was given unto men by the gods as a singular meanes to make them more modest and gracious yea and to bring them as it were into tune and cause them to be better conditioned and not for delight and pleasure nor to tickle the eares for falling out as it doth many times that for default and want of the Muses and Graces there is great confusion disorder in the periods and harmonies the accords and consonances of the minde which breaketh out other whiles outragiously by meanes of intemperance and negligence musicke is of that power that it setteth every thing againe in good order and their due place for according as the poet Pindarus saith To whatsoever from above God Iupiter doth cast no love To that the voice melodious Of Muses seemeth odious Insomuch as they fall into fits of rage therewith and be very fell angrie like as it is reported of tygers who if they heare the sound of drums or tabours round about them will grow furious and starke mad untill in the end they teare themselves in peeces so that there commeth lesse harme unto them who by reson of deafenesse or
shift with those things that they have about them before they approch unto the denne of this hungrie and greedie beast and that men ought to make an hand quicke dispatch of that which is not very necessary before they come thither where he taxeth those who had lever lay to gage and pawne their goods and remaine under the burden of usurie than to sell up all and disgage themselves at once After this he presenteth the true remedie of this mischiefe namely to spare and spend in measure and to cause us to be more warie and better advised he proposeth the livelie image of this horrible monster whom we call an Usurer describing him in his colours with all his practises and passions Which done he sheweth the source of borrowing money upon interest and the way to stop the same he directeth his pen particularly first unto the poore giving them a goodly lesson and then unto the richer sort teaching the one aswell as the other how they are to demeane and carie themselves that they be not exposed in the clutches of usurers And for a conclusion he exhorteth them to behold the example of certeine Philosophers by name who chose rather to abandon forsake all their goods than to undoe themselves in the possession holding thereof THAT WE OUGHT NOT TO take up money upon usurie PLato in his books of Lawes permitteth not one neighbour to make bolde with anothers water before he have digged and sunke a pit so deepe in his owne ground that he is come to a veine of clay or potters earth untill I say he have sounded thorowly and found that the plot of ground is not apt to ingender water or yeeld a spring for the said potters clay being by nature fattie solide and strong reteineth that moisture which it hath once received and will not let it soke or passe thorow but allowed they are and ought to furnish themselves with water from others when they have no meanes to find any of their own forasmuch as the law intendeth to provide for mens necessitie and not to favour their idlenesse even so there ought to be an ordinance and act as touching money That it might not be lawfull for those to borrow upon usurie nor to goe into other mens purses as it were to draw water at their welles or pits before they have cast about all meanes at home searched every way and gathered as it were from everie gutter and spring trying and assaying how to draw and come by that which may serve their owne turnes and supplie their present necessities But now it falleth out contrariwise that manie there be who to furnish their foolish and riotous expenses or els to accomplish their superfluous and chargeable delights never serve their owne turnes nor make use of those things which they have but are readie to seeke unto others even to their great cost though they stand in no need at all for an undoubted cerreine proofe hereof marke how usurers do not ordinarily put forth their money unto those who are in necessity distresse but to such as be desirous to purchase and get that which is superfluous and whereof they stand not in need insomuch as that which is credited out and delivered unto him that borroweth is a good proofe and sufficient testimonie that he hath somewhat to take to of his owne whereas indeed he ought since he hath wherewith to looke unto it that he take not upon interest and conrrariwise not to be credited nor to be in the usurers booke is an argument that such an one is needie Why doest thou repaire and make court as it were obsequiously to a banker or merchant goe thy waies and borrow of thine owne banke make a friend of thine owne stocke flaggons thou hast and pots chargers basons and dishes all of silver plate imploy the same about thy necessities for to supply thy wants and when thou hast disfurnished thy table and cup-boord the gentle towne Antis or els the isle Tenedos will make up all again with faire vessel of earth and pottery which is much more neat pure than those of silver for these cary not the strong smel nor unpleasant sent of usury which like rust or canker every day more more sullieth fretteth eateth into thy costly magnificence these will not put thee in minde daily of the calends and new moones which being in it selfe the most sacred holy day of the moneth is by meanes of the usurers become odious and accursed For as touching those who choose rather to lay their goods to gage to pawn them for to borrow money thereupon pay for use than to sel them right out I am verily perswaded that god Jupiter himselfe surnamed Ctesius that is Possessor can not save them from beggery Abashed they are to receive the price and value of their goods to the woorth but they be not ashamed to pay interest for the lone of money And yet that wise and politike Pericles caused the costly robe and attire of the statue of Minerva weighing forty talents in fine gold to be made in such sort that he might take it off and put it on as he would at his pleasure To the ende quoth he that when we stand in need of money for maintenance of warre we may serve our turnes therewith for the time and afterwards put in the place againe another of no lesse weight and woorth even so we likewise in our accusations and affaires like as in the besieging of a citie ought never to admit the garrison of an usurer or enemie nor to endure to see before our eies our owne goods delivered out for to continue in perpetuall servitude but rather to cut-off from our labour all that is neither profitable nor necessarie likewise from our beds form our couches and our ordinarie expenses in diet whatsoever is heedlesse thereby to maintaine and keepe our selves free in hope and with full intent to supply and make amends againe for it if fortune afterwards smile upon us Certes the Romane dames in times past were willing to part with their jewels and ornaments of gold yea and give them away as an offering of first fruits to Apollo Pythius whereof was made a golden cup and the same sent to the citie of Delphi And the Matrons of Carthage shore the haire of their heads to make thereof twised cords for to winde up and bend their engines and instruments of artillerie in the defence of their countrey when the citie was besieged But we as if we were ashamed of our owne sufficiencie and to stand upon our owne bottomes seeke to enthrall our selves by gages and obligations whereas it behooved us much more by restraining our selves and reducing all to such things onely as be profitable and good for us of those needlesse unprofitable and superfluous vessels which we have after they be either melted broken in pieces or sold to build a privileged chappell of libertie for our selves our
wives and children For the goddesse Diana in Ephesus yeelded sanctuarie franchise and savegard unto all debters against their creditours who fled for succour into her temple But the sanctuarie indeed of parsimonie frugalitie and moderate expense into which no usurers can make entrie for to hale and pull out of it any debter prisoner standeth alwaies open for those that are wise and affoordeth unto them a large space of joious and honorable repose For like as that Prophetesse which gave oracles in the temple of Pythius Apollo about the time of the Medians warre made answere unto the Athenian Embassadors That God gave vnto them for their safetie a wall of wood whereupon they leaving their lands and possessions abandoning their citie and forsaking their houses and all the goods therein had recourse unto their ships for to save their libertie even so God giveth unto us woodden tables earthen vessels and garments of course cloth if we would live in freedome Set not thy minde upon steeds of great price And chariots brave in silver harnesse dight With claspes with hookes and studs by fine device Ywrought in race to shew a goodly sight for how swift soever they be these usurers will soone overtake them and run beyong But rather get upon the next asse thou meetest with or the first pack-horse that commeth in thy way to flie from the usurer a cruell enemie and meere tyrant who demaundeth not at thy hands fire and water as sometimes did that barbarous King of Media but that which woorse is toucheth thy libertie woundeth thine honor and credit by proscriptions writs and open proclamations If thou pay him not to his conteut he is ready to trouble thee if thou have wherewith to satisfie him he wil not receive thy payment unlosse he list if thou prize and sell thy goods he will have them under their worth art thou not disposed to make a sale of them hee will force thee to it doest thou sue him for his extreame dealing he will seeme to offer parley of agreement if thou sweare unto him that thou wilt make paiment he will impose upon thee hard conditions and have thee at command if thou goe to his house for to speake and conferre with him hee will locke the gates against thee and if thou stay at home and keepe house thou shalt have him rapping at thy doore he will not away but take up his lodging there with thee For in what stead served the law of Solon in Athens wherein it was ordained that among the Athenians mens bodies should not be obliged for any civill debt considering that they be in bondage and slaverie to all banquers and usurers who force men to keepe in their heads and that which more is not to them alone for that were not such a great matter but even to their verie slaves being proud insolent barbarous and outrageous such as Plato describeth the divels and fiery executioners in hel to be who torment the soules of wicked and godlesse persons For surely these cursed usurers make thy hall and judiciall place of justice no better than a very hell and place of torment to their poore debters where after the manner of greedie geirs and hungrie griffons they flay mangle and eate them to the verie bones And of their beaks and talons keene The markes within their flesh be seene And some of them they stand continually over not suffring them to touch and taste their owne proper goods when they have done their vintage and gathered in their corne other fruits of the earth making them fast pine away like unto Tantalus And like as king Darius sent against the citie of Athens his lieutenants generall Datis and Artaphernes with chaines cordes and halters in their hands therewith to binde the prisoners which they should take semblablie these usurers bring into Greece with them their boxes and caskets full of schedules bils hand-writings and contracts obligatorie which be as good as so many irons and fetters to hang upon their poore debters and thus they go up and downe leaping from citie to citie where they sow not as they passe along good and profitable seede as Triptolemus did in old time but plant their rootes of debts which bring foorth infinite troubles and intolerable usuries whereof there is no end which eating as they goe and spreading their spaunes round about in the end cause whole cities to stoupe and stinke yea and be ready to suffocate and strangle them It is reported of hares that at one time they suckle young leverets and be ready to kinnule others that be in their bellies and withall to conceive a fresh but the debts of these barbarous wicked and cruell usurers do bring foorth before they conceive For in putting out their money they redemand it presently in laying it downe they take it up they deliver that againe for interest which they received and tooke in consideration of lone and use It is said of the Messenians citie Gate after gate a man shall here find And yet one gate ther 's alwaies behind But it may better be said of usurers Usurte here upon usurie doth grow And end thereof you never shall know and here withall in some sort they laugh at natural philosophers who holde this Axiome That of nothing can be engendred nothing for with them usurie is bred of that which neither is not ever was of that I say which never had subsistence nor being Howbeit these men thinke it a shame reproch to be a publicane and take to farme for a rent the publike revenewes notwithstanding the lawes do permit and allow that calling whereas themselves against all the lawes of the world exact a rent and custome for that which they put foorth to usurie or rather to speake a truth in lending their money they defraude their debtors as bankrupts do their creditors For the poore debter who receiveth lesse than he hath set downe in his obligation is most falsely coufened deceived and cut short of that which he ought to have And verily the Persians repute lying to be a sinne but in a second degree for in the first place they reckon to owe money and be indebted in as much as leasing followeth commonly those that be in debt But yet usurers ly more than they neither are there any that practise more falshood and deceit in their day debt bookes wherein they write that to such a one they have delivered so much whereas indeed it is farre lesse and so the motive of their lying is faire avarice neither indigence nor poverty but even a miserable covetousnes and desire ever to have more and more the end whereof turneth neither to pleasure nor profit unto themselves but to the losse and ruine of those whom they wring and wrong for neither till they those grounds which they take away from their debters nor dwell in the houses out of which they turne them nor their meat upon those tables which they have from them ne
and custome deserveth to be opposed partly against the solitarie life and beggerly niggardise of base misers covetous penni-fathers and such like enemies of humaine societie and in part against the excessive pompe unmeasurable sumptuo sitie dissoluter riots and fookish vanitie and gourmandise of those that love nothing but their paunch and know no other god to worship but their bellie as also against the fond laughters bragging vanteries impudent facings seurrile mockertes and dogged backbitings that senslesse lots and ãâã persons are gven unto and finally against the enormities violences and outrages of such as are wholy abandoned and given over to sinne and wickednes Moreover to come more particularly to this booke folowing Plutarch bringeth in one named Diocles who recouÌteth unto Nicarchus all that was said and done at Corinth in a certeine banquet at which were these persons namely Periander the sovereigne lord of that citie and the host who bad all the guests to wit Solon Bias Thales Cleobulus Pittacus and Chilon named in those daies The seven Sages or wise men of Greece Item Anacharsis Aesope Niloxenus Cleodemus and certeine others But before that he entreth into any speech of that which passed during the banquet and afterwards he rehearseth the communication held betweene Thales and those of his company upon the way of Corinth where they talke of matters handled more at large afterwards then consequently hee treateth of that which a guest ought to do who is invited to a banquet and describeth what hapned among some of the guests proceeding a little forward he declareth what was the maner of the entrance the slint and end of the banquet to wit modest and seasoned with pleasant speeches and those most honest and civill of the host and his familie which done he entreth into the recitall of the talke that was held after the supper or banquet of which the beginning grew from the musicke of flutes and by a certeine comparison devised with a good grace he causeth audience to be given unto Niloxenus a stranger by occasion whereof Bias doth expound the riddle or darke question sent by a king of Aethiopia unto the king of Aegypt which in the same traine inferreth an excellent occasion to speake of the duetie and office of kings of which argument all the foresaid ãâã ãâã their minds summarily together with the proper riddles and aenigmaticall questions from the king of Aegypt to the king of Aethiopia Now after the desciphering and assoiling of the said riddles the former Sages fall into a discourse as touching the gouernment popular and oeconomicall upon which point they doe opine and speake their mindes in order comming afterwards to conference together of certeine particularities of house-keeping to wit of drinking and other pleasures of the quantitie of goods that may suffice a man of the frugalitie thrift and sobrietie of men in olde time of the necessitie and delight of drinking and eating and finally of the discommodities inconveniences and miseries incident to mans life in this behalfe And for a conclusion bringeth in one Gorgias who being arrived unlooked for and comming suddenly in place relateth the strange accident of Arion saved by the meanes of a dolphin which report draweth on the companie to other like narrations and tales at the end whereof after grace said and thanks giving according to the accustomed maner of that people the guests retire themselves and depart THE BANQUET OF THE seven Sages DIOCLES CErtes the long processe and continuance of time my good friend Nicarchus can not chuse but breed and bring much darknesse obscuritie and incertitude of mens actions and affaires when as now in matters so fresh so new and so lately passed you have met with certeine false reports which notwithstanding are beleeved and received for true for there were not onely those seven guests at the table in this feast as you have heard and are borne in hand but more than twise so many of whom my selfe made one being familiar and inward with Periander by reason of mine art and profession and the host besides to Thales for by the commandement of Periander he lodged in mine house neither hath he whosoever he was that related the thing unto you borne well in minde and remembred what the speeches and discourses were which they held which maketh me verily to thinke that he was not himselfe one of them who were at the banquet But seeing we are now at good leasure and for that olde age is no suretie sufficient to give good warrantise for to defer and put off this report unto a farther time and because you are so desirous to know the trueth I will rehearse unto you all in order even from the very beginning First and formost the feast was prepared by Periander not within the citie but about the port or haven Lechaeon in a faire great hall or dining chamber neere to the Temple of Venus unto whom there was also a sacrifice offered for since the infortunate love of his mother who voluntarily made herselfe away having not sacrificed unto Venus this was the first time that he was moved thereto as being incited by certaine dreames of Melissa to worship and adore the said goddesse Now to every one of the guests invited to this banquet there was a coatch brought richly appointed and set out accordingly for to convey and conduct them to the place appointed for that it was the Summer season and all the port-way from the citie as farre as to the sea-side was full of dust and resounded with great noise by reason of a number of chariots and a world of people going to and fro betweene As for Thales seeing at my gates a coatch standing and ready to carie him he fel a smiling and laughing and so sent it backe againe he and I then put our selves in our way and went faire and softly together on foot over the fields and a third there was who bare us companie to wit Niloxenus of Naucratia a man of good woorth and one who had beene familiarly acquainted with Solon and Thales before-time in Aegypt and as then was he sent the second time unto Bias but wherefore himselfe knew not unlesse as hee suspected it were to bring unto him a second question inclosed and sealed within a packet for this charge and commandement he had That if Bias refused and would not take upon him to assoile and expound the same he should shew it to the wisest Sages of the Greeks Then began Niloxenus An happy feast quoth he is this to me my masters and unexpected wherein I shall finde you all together for I carie with me thither a packet as you see and with that he shewed it unto us Then quoth Thales smiling if you have therein any hard and untoward question to bee dissolved cary it againe to Pyrene for Bias will declare the meaning thereof like as hee assoiled the former What former question was that quoth I Mary quoth he againe hee sent unto him a sheepe
publike exercises The Lacedaemonians likewise would never have put up the insolent behaviour and mockerie of Stratocles who having perswaded the Athenians to sacrifice unto the gods in token of thankesgiving for a victorie as if they had beene conquerours and afterwards upon the certaine newes of a defeature and overthrow received when he saw the people highly offended and displeased with him demaunded of them what injurie he had done them if by his meanes they had beene merrie and feasted three daies together As for the flatterers that belong to Princes courts they play by their-lords and masters as those fowlers do who catch their birds by a pipe counterfeiting their voices for even so they to winde and insinuate themselves into the favour of kings and princes doe resemble them for all the world and by this devise entrap and deceive them But for a good governour of a State it is not meet and convenient that he should imitate the nature and the manners of the people under his government but to know them and to make use of those meanes to every particular person by which he knoweth that he may best win and gaine them to him for the ignorance and want of skill in this behalfe namely how to handle men according to their humours bringeth with it all disorders and is the cause of irregular enormities as well in popular governments as among minnions and favorites of princes Now after that a ruler hath gotten authoritie and credit once among the people then ought he to strive and labour for to reforme their nature and conditions if they be faultie then is he by little and little to lead them gently as it were by hand unto that which is better for a most painefull and difficult thing it is to change and alter a multitude all at once and to bring this about the better he ought first to begin with himselfe and to amend the misdemeanours and disorders in his owne life and manners knowing that he is to live from thence foorth as it were in open Theater where he may be seene and viewed on everie side Now if haply it be an hard matter for a man to free his owne mind from all sorts of vices at once yet at least wise he is to cut-off and put away those that bee most apparent and notorious to the eies of the world For you have heard I am sure how Themistocles when hee minded to enter upon the mannaging of State-matters weaned himselfe from such companie wherein hee did nothing but drinke daunce revell and make good cheere and when he fell to sitting up late and watching at his booke to fasting and studying hard hee was woont to say to his familiars that the Tropheae of Miltiades would not suffer him to sleepe and take his rest Pericles in like case altered his fashions in the whole course and maner of his life in his person in his sober and grave going in his affable and courteous speech shewing alwaies a staied and setled countenance holding his hand ever-more under his robe and never putting it foorth and not going abroad to any place in the citie but onely to the tribunall and pulpit for publike orations or els to the counsell house For it is not an easie matter to weld and manage a multitude of people neither are they to be caught of every one and taken with their safetie in the catching but a gracious and gainfull piece of worke it were if a man may bring it thus much about that like unto suspicious craftie wilde beasts they be not affrighted nor set a madding at that which they heare and see but gently suffer themselves to be handled and be apt to receive instruction and therefore this would not in any wise be neglected neither are such to have a small regard to their owne life and maners but they ought to studie and labor as much as possibly they can that the same be without all touch and reproch for that they who take in hand the government of publike affaires are not to give account nor to answere for that onely which they either say or doe in publike but they are searched narrowly into and manie a curious eie there is upon them at their boord much listening after that which passeth in their beds great sifting and scanning of their marriages and their behaviour in wedlocke and in one word all that ever they doe privately whether it be in jest or in good earnest For what need we write of Alcibiades who being a man of action and execution as famous and renowmed a captaine as any one in his time and having borne himselfe alwaies invincible and inferiour to none in the managing of the publike State yet notwithstanding ended his daies wretchedly by meanes of his dissolute loosenes and outragious demeanour in his private life and conversation at home insomuch as he bereft his owne countrey of the benefit they might have had by his other good parts and commendable qualities even by his intemperance and sumptuous superfluitie in expence Those of Athens found fault with Cimon because he had a care to have good wine and the Romaines finding no other thing in Scipio to reproove blamed him for that hee loved his bed too well the ill-willers of Pompey the Great having observed in him that otherwhiles he scratched his head with one finger reprochedhim for it For like as a little freckle mole or pendant-wert in the face of man or woman is more offensive than blacke and blew marks than scars or maimes in all the rest of the bodie even so small and light faults otherwise of themselves shew great in the lives of Princes and those who have the government of the weale-publike in their hands and that in regard of an opinion imprinted in the minds of men touching the estate of governours and magistrates esteeming it a great thing and that it ought to be pure and cleere from all faults and imperfections And therefore deserved Julius Drusus a noble Senatour and great ruler in Rome to be highly praised in that when one of his workemen promised him if he so would to devise and contrive his house so that whereas his neighbours overlooked him and saw into many parts thereof they should have no place therein exposed to their view and discoverie and that this translating and alteration thereof should cost him but five talents Nay quoth he thou shalt have ten talents and make mine house so that it may bee seene into on everie side to the end that all the citie may both see and know how I live for in trueth he was a grave wise honest and comely personage But peradventure it is not so necessarie that a house lie so open as to be looked into on all sides for the people have eies to pierce and enter into the verie bottom of governours manners of their counsels actions and lives which a man would thinke to be most covert secret no lesse quick-sighted are
our paramours and concubines and not unto such great captaines as your selfe But Cato after a more surly and boislerous sort in the like case answered unto Catulus one of his inward and most familiar friends This Catulus being Censour mooved Cato who then was but Questour or Treasurer that for his sake he would dismisse and set free one of his clerks of the Finances under him against whom he had commensed sute and entred processe in law That were a great shame in deed quoth he for you who are the Censour that is to say the corrector and reformer of our maners and who ought to schoole and instruct us that be of the yonger sort thus to be put out of your course by our under officers and ministers for he might well enough have denied to condescend unto his request in deed and effect without such sharpe and biting words and namely by giving him to understand that this displeasure that he did him in refusing to doe the thing was against his will and that he could neither will nor chuse being forced thereto by justice and the law Over and besides a man in government hath good meanes with honesty and honor to helpe his poore friends that they may advantage themselves and reape benefit by him from the common-wealth Thus did Themistocles after the battell at Marathon for seeing one of them that lay dead in the field to have hanging at his necke chaines and collars with other bracelets of gold about his armes passed by and would not seeme for his owne part to meddle with them but turning backe to a familiar friend of his one of his folowers Here quoth he off with these ornaments and take them to your selfe for you are not yet come to be such an one as Themistocles Moreover the affaires and occurrences daily incident in the world doe present vnto a magistrate and great ruler such like occasions whereby he may be able to benefit and entich his friends for all men cannot be wealthy nor like to you ô Menemachus Give then unto one friend a good and just cause to plead unto and defend which he may gaine well by and fill his purse unto another recommend the affaires and businesse of some great and rich personage who hath neede of a man that knoweth how to manage and order the same better than himselfe for another harken out where there is a good bargaine to be made as namely in the undertaking of some publicke worke or helpe him to the taking of a good farme at a reasonable rent whereby he may be a gainer Epaminondas would do more than thus for upon a time he sent one of his friends who was but poore unto a rich burgesse of Thebes to demaund a whole talent of money freely to be given unto him and to say that Epammondas commanded him to deliver so much The burgesse woondring at such a message came unto Epaminondas to know the cause why hee should part with a talent of silver unto him mary quoth he this is the reason The man whom I sent is honest but poore and you by robbing the common-wealth are become rich And by report of Xenophon Agesilaus tooke no smal joy glory in this that he had enriched his friends whiles himselfe made no account at all of money But forasmuch according to the saying of Simonides as all larks ought to have a cap or crest upon the head so every government of State bringeth with it enmities envies and litigious jealousies this is a point wherein a man of estate and affaires ought to be well enformed and instructed To begin therefore to treat of this argument many there be who highly praise Themistocles and Aristides for that whensoever they were to goe out of the territorie of Attica either in embassage or to manage warres together they had no sooner their charge and commission but they presently laid downe all the quarrels and enmitie betweene even in the very confines and frontiers of their countrey and afterwards when they were returned tooke up and enterteined them againe Some also there are who be wonderfull well pleased with the practise and fashion of Cretinas the Magnesian This Cretinas had for his concurrent an adversary in the government of State a noble man of the same citie named Hermias who although he were not very rich yet ambitious he was and caried a brave and hautie minde Cretinas in the time of the warre that Mithridates made for the conquest of Asia seeing the citie in danger went unto the said Hermias and made an offer unto him to take the charge of captaine generall for the defence of the citie and in the meane while himselfe would go foorth to retire to some other place or otherwise if he thought better that himselfe should take upon him the charge of the warre then he would depart out of the citie into the countrey for the time for feare lest if they taried both behinde and hindered one another as they were woont to doe by their ambitious minds they should vndoo the state of the citie This motion liked Hermias very well who confessing that Cretinas was a more expert warrior than himselfe departed with his wife and children out of the citie Now Cretinas made meanes to send him out before with a convoy putting into his hands his owne money as being more profitable to them who were without their houses and fled abroad than to such as lay besieged within the citie which being at the point to be lost was by this meanes preserved beyond al hope and expectation for if this be a noble and generous speech proceeding from a magnanimous hart to say thus with a loud voice My children well I loue but of my hart My native soile by farre hath greater part Why should not they have this speech readier in their mouthes to say unto every one I hate this or that man and willing I would be to doe him a displeasure but my native countrey I love so much the more For not to desire to be at variance and debate still with an enimie in such causes as for which we ought to abandon and cast off our friend were the part of a most fell savage and barbarous nature yet did Phocion and Cato better in mine opinion who enterteined not any enmitie with their citizens in regard of difference and variance betweene them about bearing rule and government but became implacable and irreconcilable onely in publike causes when question was of abandoning or hurting the weale publike for otherwise in private matters they caried themselves kindly enough without any ranckor or malice even toward them against whom they had contested in open place as touching the State for we ought not to esteeme or repute any citizen an enimie unlesse such an one be bred amongst them as Aristion or Nabis or Catiline who are to be reckoned botches rather and pestilent maladies of a citie than citizens for all others if haply they be at a jarre
them any true enmitie in deed or discord as did sometimes a popular man and a governour of Chios named Onomademus who after he had in a certeine seditious tumult gotten the upper hand of his adversaries would not banish out of the citie all those who had taken part against him For feare lest that quoth he we fall out with our friends when we have no more enemies for surely this were meere follie But whensoever the people shall supect any ordinance or act proposed which is of great consequence and tending to their good it behooveth not at such a time that all as it were of one complot should deliver one and the same sentence but that two or three opposing themselves without violence should contradict their friend and afterwards being convinced and overweighed by sound reasons change their minde and raunge themselves to his opinion for by this meanes they draw the people with them namely when they seeme themselves to be brought thereto in regard of a publike benefit and coÌmoditie And verily in trifling matters of no great importance it were not amisse to suffer our very friends in good earnest to differ and disagree from us and to let every one take his way and follow his owne minde to the end that when some maine points and principall matters of greatest moment shall come in question and be debated it might not be thought that they have complotted together and so growen to a point and accord about the best Moreover we are thus to thinke That a wise man and a politician is by nature alwaies the governour and chiefe magistrate of a citie like as the king among the Bees and upon this perswasion he ought to have evermore the reines in his hand and to sway the affaires of State howbeit he is not very often nor too hotly for to seeke after and pursue the offices and dignities which the people doe nominate and chuse by their free voices for this office-managing and desire to be alwaies in place of authoritie is neither venerable for his person nor yet plausible to the people and yet must not he reject the same in case the people call him lawfully to it and conferre the same upon him but to accept thereof although peradventure they be offices somewhat inferiour to the reputation that he hath already yea and to employ himselfe therein willingly and with good affection for reason it is and equitie that as we our selves have bene honoured already by places of great dignitie so reciprocally we should grace and countenance those which be of meaner qualitie and whensoever we shall be chofen to supreame magistracies to wit unto the estate of L. Governour and generall captaine in the citie of Athens or the Prytanship in Rhodes or Boeotarchie which is here in Boeotia it may beseeme us very wel in modestie to yeeld and rebate a little of the sovereigne power in our port and with moderation to exercise the same but contrariwise unto meaner roomes to adde more dignity and shew greater countenance to the end that we be not envied in the one or despised in the other Now for a man that entreth newly into any office whatsoever it be he ought not onely to call to remembrance and use the speeches that Pericles made the first time that he tooke upon him the rule of State and was to shew himselfe in open place namely Looke to thy selfe Pericles thou rulest free men and not bond-slaves thou governest Greeks and not Barbarians nay thou art the head magistrate of the citizens of Athens but also he is to reason and say thus to himselfe Thou art a commander and yet a subject withall thou art the ruler of a citie under Romane Proconsuls or els the Procuratours Lieutenants and Deputies of Caesar. Here are not the plaines as he said of Lydia for to runne with the launce nor the ancient city Sardeis ne yet the puissance of the Lydians which was in times past The robe must not be made so large it must be worne more straite your eie must be alwaies from the Emperours pavilion unto the tribunall seat of justice and you are not to take so great pride nor trust so much unto a crowne standing upon the head seeing how horned shoes of the Romane Senators are above the same but herein you ought to imitate the actours and plaiers in Tragedies who adde somewhat of their owne to the roll or written part that they do play to wit their passionate affection gesture accent and countenance which is fit and agreeable to the person that they do represent and yet withall they forget not to have an eie and eare both to the prompters This I say we must do for feare lest we passe those bounds and exceed the measures of that libertie which is given us by those who have the power to command us for I assure you to goe beyond those precincts and limits bringeth with it danger I say not to be hissed from off the stage and to be laughed out of our coats but many there have bene Upon whose necks for punishment The edge of trenchant axe and gleave Hath fallen to end all their torment And head from bodie soone did reave as it befell to Pardalus your countrey-man with those about him for stepping a little at one side without their limits And such another also there was who being confined into a certaine desert isle became as Solon saith A Sicinit an or Pholegandrian Who borne sometime was an Athenian We laugh hartily at little children to see how otherwhiles they goe about to put their fathers shooes upon their owne feete or to set crownes upon their heads in sport and governors of cities relating foolishly oftentimes unto the people the woorthie acts of their predecessors their noble courage and brave minds their notable enterprises atchieved farre different and disproportioned to the present times proceedings in their daies and exhorting them to follow the same set the multitude aloft but as they doe ridiculously so afterwards beleeve me they suffer not that which deserveth to be laughed at unlesse haply they be so base minded that for their basenesse there is no account made of them For many other histories there bee of ancient Greece which affoord examples to bee recounted unto men living in this age for to instruct and reforme their manners as namely those at Athens which put the people in remembrance not of the prowesse of their ancestors in martial affaires but for example to decree of that generall abolition and oblivion of all quarrels and matters past which sometimes was concluded there after that the citie was delivered and freed from their captivitie under the thirtie Tyrants as also another act by vertue whereof they condemned in a grievous fine the Poet Phrymchus for that he represented in a Tragedie the winning and racing of the citie Miletus Likewise how by a publike ordinance every man woare chaplets of flowers upon their heads when they heard say
that Cassander reedified Thebes and how when intelligence came of the cruell execution and bloody massacre committed in Argos wherein the Argives caused to be put to death 1500. of their owne citizens they caused in a solemne procession and generall assembly of the whole citie an expiatorie sacrifice to be carried about that it might please the gods to avert and turne away such cruell thoughts from the harts of the Athenians semblaby how at what time as there was a generall search made throughout the citie in everie house for those who banded with Harpalus they passed by one house onely of a man newly married and would not suffer it to be searched For in these precedents such like they might well enough in these daies imitate and resemble their ancient forefathers But as for the battell of Marathon the field fought neere the river Eurynedon and the noble fight at Plateae with other such examples which doe nothing else but blow and puffe up a multitude with vanitie they should leave such stories for the schooles of Sophisters and masters of Rhetorike Well we ought not in our severall governments to have a due regard onely to mainteine our selves and our cities so wisely that our sovereignes have no occasion to complaine but we must take order also to have one great Seigniour or other who hath most authoritie at Rome and in the court of the emperour to be our fast and speciall frend who may serve us in steed of a rampier to backe us and to defend all our actions and proceedings in the government of our countries for such lords and great men of Rome stand ordinarily passing well affected to those affaires which their dependants and favorits doe follow and the fruit which may be reaped by the amitie and favour of such grand-Seigniours it were not good and honest to convert into the advancement and enriching of our selves and our particular private frends but to imploy the same as Polybius did sometime and Panaetius who by the meanes of the good grace of Scipio wherein they stood did benefit and advantage their countrey exceeding much in which number may be ranged Arius for when Caesar Augustus had forced the citie Alexandria he entred into it holding Arius by the hand and devising with him alone of all his other friends what was to be done more afterwards when the Alexandrians looked for no other but sackage and all extremities and yet besought him to pardon them I pardon you quoth he and receive you into my grace and favour first in regard of the nobilitie and beautie of your city secondly for Alexander the great his sake the founder thereof and thirdly for the love of this my friend Arius your citizen May a man with any reason compare with this gracious favour the most large and gainfull commissions of ruling and governing provinces which many make so great suit for at the court and that with such abject servitude and base subjection that some of them have even waxen old in giving attendance thereabout at other mens gates leaving in the meane while their owne home affaires at sixe and seven were it not well to correct and amend a little the sentence in Euripides singing and saying it thus If it bee honest and lawfull to watch and make court at the gates of another and to be subject to the sute of some great Seigniour surely most commendable and behoovefull it were so to doe for the love and benefit of a mans country in all other cases to seeke and embrace amities under just and equall conditions Moreover a governour in yeelding and reducing his country unto the obedience of mightie sovereignes abroad ought to take good heed that he bring it not into servile subjection lest when it is once tied by the legge he suffer it to be bound also by the necke for some there be who reporting all things both little and great unto these potentates make this their servitude reprochable or to speake more truely they deprive their country of all policie and forme of government making it so fearefull timorous and fit for no authoritie and command at all and like as they who use themselves to live so physically that they can neither dine nor suppe nor yet bath without their physitian have not so much benefit of health as nature it selfe doth affoord them even so those cities and States which for every decree and resolution of their counsell for all grace and favour yea and for the smallest administration of publike affaires must needs adjoigne the consent judgement and good liking of those Seigniours and good masters of theirs they even compell the said great lords to be more powerfull and absolute over them than they would themselves The causes hereof commonly be these to wit the avarice jealousie and emulation of the chiefe and principall citizens in a State for that being desirous otherwhiles to oppresse and keepe under those who be their inferiors they constraine them to abandon their owne cities or else being at some debate and difference with other citizens their equals and unwilling to take the foile one at anothers hand in their owne citie they have recourse unto other superior lords and so bring in forreiners who are their betters Heereupon it commeth to passe that Senate people judiciall courts and all that little authoritie and power which they had is utterly lost A good governour therefore ought to remedy this mischiefe by appeasing such burgesses as be private and meane citizens by equalitie and those who are great and mightie by reciprocall yeelding one to another and so by this course to keepe all affaires within the compasse of the citie to compose all quarrels and determine all controversies at home curing and healing such inconveniences as secret maladies of a common-wealth with a civill and politicke medicine that is to say to chuse rather for his owne part for to be vanquished and overthrowen among fellow-citizens than to vanquish win the victorie by forren power not to offer wrong unto his natural country and be a cause to overthrow the rights and priviledges thereof as for all others he is to beseech them yea and to perswade with them particularly one by another by good reasons and demonslrances of how manie calamities peevish obstinacie is the cause and now because they would not ech one in his turne course frame and accommodate themselves at home to their fellow-citizens who manie times be of one minde and linage to their neighbours and companions in charges and offices and that with honour and good favour they are come to this passe as to detect and lay open the secret dissentions and debates of their owne citie at the gates of their advocates and to put their causes into the hands of pragmaticall lawyers at Rome with no lesse shame and ignominie than losse and damage Physicians are wont when they cannot expell and fully exclude out of the bodie inwardlie some kinde of maladies to turne and
win themselves honour and that by the benefit of the common-weale But if such persons they be as either for feare false heart or upon a froward peevishnesse disposition give no eare to such motions and are not willing to put that in execution which is presented unto them then it is his part himselfe in person to go and declare the same in publike place to the body of the people and in no wise to neglect disanull or passe with connivence any thing that concerneth the weale-publike and never to pretend any colourable excuse by saying it appertained unto none other but the head magistrate thus to deale curiously and be busisie occupied in medling with the affaires of State for a general law there is which giveth alwaies the first and principall place of rule in a common-wealth unto him who dealeth justly practiseth righteousnesse and knoweth what is expedient and profitable as we may see by the example of Xenophon who in one place writeth thus of himselfe There was in the armie quoth he one named Xenophon who was neither Lord Generall nor Lieutenant but for skill and knowledge of that which was to be done and for resolution to enterprize and execute the same put himselfe forward and gave charge unto others wherein he so behaved himselfe that he saved the Greeks And the most glorious feate of armes that ever Philopaemen atchived was this that when hee heard newes how king Agis had surprized the citie of Messene and that the generall of the Achaeans would not go with aide and rescue but drew backe for feare he with a troupe of the most forward and resolute gallants without warrant or commission from the State delivered the said citie from out of the hands of Agis which I write not as if I allowed innovations or such newe enterprizes and extraordinary attempts upon every small and light occasion but onely either in time of need and extremitie as Philopaemen did then or for honest occasions as Epaminondas who continued in his Beotarchie fower moneths longer than was ordinary by the lawes of the countrey during which time he put on armes and entred into Laconia reedified Messene and peopled it to the end that if afterwards there should ensue any complaint or imputation we may answer with credit and either alledge for excuse necessitie or set against it the perill to which we exposed our selves the bravenesse of the exploit and the service so well performed to make amends and recompence There is reported a sentence of Jason who long since was the Tyrant or Monarch of Sictlie which he had often in his mouth and alwaies repeated so often as he did violence or outrages to any of his subjects that they cannot choose but commit unjustice in smal matters who would do justice in great causes as if a man would say that necessarie it is for him to offer wrong in detaile who mindeth to do right in the grosse But as touching this sentence a man may soone perceive at the first sight that it is a speech meet for him that intendeth to make himselfe an absolute lord and to usurpe tyrannie Yet is this rule more civill and politike that a governour to gratifie the peole is to passe by small matters and to winke at them that hee may in greater things stand against them and stay them from breaking out to farre For he that in everie thing will be peering and looking too narrowly without any yeelding or relaxation but is alwaies severe rigorous and inexorable doth by his example traine and accustome the people likewise to be quarrelsome and contentious with him yea and to be readie upon all occasions to take offence and discontentment But softly for to strike the saile Or slacke the helme doth much availe With violence when billowes great Arise and on the ship do beat and even so a governour ought in some things to yeeld and not to bee so precise and straight laced himselfe but to sport as it were and take his pastimes graciously with his people as namely to celebrate festivall sacrifices beholde solemne plaies games and combats and to sit in the theaters with them partly in making semblant as though he neither saw nor heard many things like as we are wont to doe by the faults at home of our little children to the end that the authoritie of reproving them roundly and admonishing them frankely like unto the vertue of a medicine not dull and enervate with much use but remaining still in full vigor and strength may be more effectuall carie the greater credite touch the quicke indeed and sting in matters of greater consequence Alexander the great when he heard that his sister had beene too familiarly acquainted with a lustie yoong gentleman and a beautifull was nothing displeased therewith but said We must give her also a little leave to enjoy-somewhat the pleasure and prerogative of a prince which was neither well done of him to allow such things in her nor yet with good respect of his owne honour and dignitie for we ought not to thinke this the fruition but the ruine and dishonour rather of a princely State And therefore a wise governour will not permit as much as possibly lieth in him that the bodie of the people shall doe injurie to any particular inhabitants as namely in confiscation of other mens goods or in distribution and parting among themselves the money of the common stocke but to resist such courses with all his power and with remonstrances perswasions thereats and menaces withstand the inordinat desires of a multitude contrarie to the practise of Cleon and his followers at Athens who feeding and fostering such foolish appetites and corrupt humors of the people caused many drone bees as Plato saith to breed in the city who did no other good but sting and pricke one or other But if the people at any time take occasion by solemnising some festivall day according to the custome of the countrey or by the honour of some god or goddesse to set out any goodly shew play or stately spectacle or to distribute some small dole or to exhibit a pleasant gratuitie honest courtesie or publicke magnificence lawfull it is and reasonable that they should in such cases enjoy in some sort the fruit both of their libertie and also of their wealth and prosperitie For in the governments of Pericles and Demetrius Phalereus there bee many examples extant of the like nature as for Cimon he beautified the market place of Athens with rowes of palme trees planted directly and raunged by him with pleasant walkes and faire allies And Cato seeing about the time of Catilines conspiracie that the commons of Rome were in a commotion and hurliburly by the faction of Julius Caesar and growen in manner to these tearmes for to bring in a change and alteration of the whole State perswaded the Senate to ordeine that there should be some pety dole of money given among the poore commoners which comming in so
shall be thought an adversarie because you are not ready to offend either part but indifferent to both in aiding as well the one as the other and envie shall you incur none as bearing part in their miserie in case you seeme to have a fellow-feeling and compassion equally with them all but the best way were to provide and forecast that they never breake out to tearmes of open sedition and this you are to thinke for to be the principall point and the height of all pollicie and civill government for evident it is and you may easily see that of those greatest blessings which cities can desire to wit peace libertie and freedome plentie and fertilitie multitude of people and unitie and concord as touching peace cities have no great need in these daies of wise governors for to procure or mainteine the same for that all wars both against the Greekes and also the Barbarians are chased away and gone out of sight as for libertie the people hath as much as it pleaseth their sovereignes and princes to give them and peradventure if they had more it would be woorse for them for the fertility of the earth and the abundance of all fruits the kind disposition and temperature of all seasons of the yeere That mothers in due time their babes into the world may beare Resembling in all points their sires to wit their fathers deare and that children so borne may live and be live-like every good and wise men wil crave at Gods hands in the behalfe of his owne fellow citizens Now there remaineth for a States-man and politike governour of all those works proposed one onely and that is nothing inferiour to the rest of the blessings above-named to wit the unitie and concord of citizens that alwaies dwell together and the banishing out of a citie of all quarrels all jarres and malice as the maner is in composing the differences and debates of friends namely by dealing first with those parties which seeme to be most offended and to have taken the greatest wrong in seeming to be injuried as well as they and to have no lesse cause of displeasure and discontent than they afterwards by little and little to seeke for to pacifie and appease them by declaring and giving them to understand that they who can be content to strike saile a little do ordinarily go beyond those who thinke to gaine all by force surmount them I say not onely in mildenesse and good nature but also in courage and magnanimitie who in yeelding and giving place a little in small matters are masters in the end and conquerors in the best and greatest which done his part is to make remonstrance both particularly to every one and generally to them all declaring unto them the feeble and weake estate of Greece and that it is very expedient for men of sound and good judgment to enjoy the fruit and benefit which they may have in this weakenesse and imbecilitie of theirs living in peace and concord one with another as they doe considering that fortune hath not left them in the midst any prize to winne or to strive for For what glorie what authoritie what power or preeminence will remaine unto them that haply should have the better hand in the end be masters over their adversaries but a proconfull with one commandement of his will be able to overthrow it and transport it unto the other side as often and whensoever it pleaseth him but say that it should continue stil yet is it not woorth all this labour and travell about it But like as scare-fires many times begin not at stately temples and publike edifices but they may come by some candle in a private and little house which was neglected or not well looked unto and so fell downe and tooke hold thereof or haply straw or rushes and such like stuffe might catch fire and suddenly flame and so thereupon might ensue much losse and a publike wasting of many faire buildings even so it is not alwaies by meanes of contention and variance about affaires of State that seditions in cities be kindled but many times braules and riots arising upon particular causes and so proceeding to a publike tumult and quarrell have beene the overthrow and utter subversion of a whole citie In regard whereof it perteineth unto a politike man as much as any one thing els to foresee and prevent or else to remedy the same to see I say that such dissentions do not arise at al or if they be on foot to keep them down from growing farther and taking head or at leastwise that they touch not the State but rest still among whom it began considering this with himselfe giving others to understand that private debates are in the end causes of publike and small of great when they be neglected at first and no convenient remedies used at the verie beginining Like as by report the greatest civill dissention that ever hapned in the citie of Delphos arose by the meanes of one Crates whose daughter Orgilaus the sonne of Phalis was at the point to wed now it hapned by meere chance that the cup out of which they were to make an essay or effusion of wine in the honour of the gods first and then afterwards to drinke one to another according to the nuptiall ceremonies of that place broke into peeces of it selfe which Orgilaus taking to be an evill presage forsooke his espoused bride and went away with his father without finishing the complements of marriage Some few daies after when they were sacrificing to the gods Crates conveied covertly or underhand a certaine vessell of gold one of those which were sacred and dedicated to the temple unto them and so made no more adoo but caused Orgilaus and his brother as manifell church-robbers to be pitched downe headlong from the top of the rocke at Delphos without any judgement or forme and processe of law yea and more than that killed some of their kinsfolke and friends notwithstanding they entreated hard and pleaded the liberties and immunitie of Minervaes temple surnamed Provident into which they were fled and there tooke sanctuarie And thus after divers such murders committed the Delphians in the end put Crates to death and those his complices who were the authors of this sedition and of the money and goods of these excommunicate persons for so they were called seazed upon by way of confiscation they built those chapples which stand beneath the citie At Syracusae also of two yoong men who were verie familiarly acquainted together the one being to travell abroad out of his countrey left in the custodie of the other a concubine that he had to keepe untill his returne home againe but he in the absence of his friend abused her bodie but when his companion upon his returne home knew thereof he wrought so that for to crie quittance with him he lay with his wife and made him cuckold this matter came to hearing at the counsell table of the
citie and one of the ancient Senatours mooved the rest that both twaine should be banished out of the citie before there arose further mischiefe and lest the citie by occasion of their deadly fewd should be filled with parts taking of both sides and so be in danger of utter destruction which when he could not perswade and bring to passe the people grew into an open sedition and after many miserable calamities ruinated and overthrew a most excellent State government You haue heard I am sure of domesticall examples and namely the enmitie of Pardalus and Tyrrhenus who went within a verie little of overthrowing the citie of Sardis and upon small and private causes had brought the same into civill war and open rebellion by their factioins and particular quarrels And therefore a man of government ought alwaies to be watchfull and vigilant and not to neglect no more than in a bodie naturall the beginnings of maladies all little heart-burnings and offences that quickly passe from one to another but to stay their course and remedie the same with all convenient speed For by a heedfull eie and carefull prevention as Cato saith that which was at first great becommeth small and that which was small commeth to nothing Now to induce and perswade other men so to doe there is not a more artificiall device nor a better meanes than for a man of government to shew himselfe exorable inclined to pardon easie to be reconciled in like cases in principal matters of weight greatest importance resolute and constant without any rankor or malice and in none at all seeme to be selfe-willed peevish contentious cholerike or subject to any other passion which may breed a sharpnesse and bitternesse in necessarie controversies and doubtfull cases which can not be avoided For in those combats at buffets which champions performe for pleasure in manner of foiles the manner is to binde about their fists certaine round muffles like bals to the end that when they come to coping and to let drive one at another they might take no harme considering the knocks and thumps that they give are so soft and can not put them to any paine to speake of even so in the sutes processes and trials of law which passe betweene citizens of the same citie the best way is to argue and plead by laying downe their allegatiions and reasons simply and purely and not to sharpen or envenime their matters like darts and arrowes with poisoned taunts railing tearmes opprobrious speeches and spightfull threats and so to make deepe wounds and the same festured with venim whereby the controversies may grow incurable and augment still in such sort that in the end they touch the State He that can so cary himselfe in his owne affaires as to avoid these foresaid mischiefs and dangers shal be able to compasse others in the like and make them willing to be ruled by reason so that afterwards when once the particular occasions of priuie grudges be taken away the quarrels and discords which touch a common-wealth are sooner pacified and composed neither doe they ever bring any inconveniences hard to be cured or remedilesse WHETHER AN AGED MAN OUGHT TO MANAGE PUBLICKE AFFAIRES The Summarie THe title of this discour se discover eth sufficiently the intention of the Author but for that they who manage affaires of State and namely men in yeeres fall oftentimes into one of these two extremities as touching their duetie namely that they be either too slacke and remisse or else more stiffe and severe than they ought these precepts of Plutarch a man well conversed in high places and offices and who as we may gather by his words was well striken in age when he wrote this Treatise ought to be diligently read considered and practised by men of authoritie And albeit this booke containeth some advertisements in that behalfe which sort not wholy with the order of government put in practise in these our daies yet so it is that the fundamentall reasons are so well laid that any politician or States-man building therupon may assure himselfe that he shall raise edifie some good piece of worke Now he beginneth with the resutation of one common objection of certaine men who enjoine command elder folke to sit still and remaine quiet and he prooveth the contrarie namely that then it is meet that they should put themselves foorth more than ever before but he addeth this correction and caveat withall that they have beene a long time alreadie broken as it were to the world and beaten in publike affaires to the end that they be not taxed and noted for their slender carriage or light vanitie nor proove the cause of some great mischiefe medling as they do in that which they had not wel comprehended before After this he proposeth and laieth abroad the examples of men well qualified who have given good proofe of their sufficiencte in old age whereupon he inferreth that those be the persons indeed unto whom government doth appertaine and that to go about for to make such idle now in their latter daies were as absurde and as much injurie offeredunto them as to confine a prudent Prince and wise King to some house in the countrey and this he inforceth and verifieth by eloquent compcrisons and by the example of Pompeius Which done he setteth downe the causes which ought to put forward and moove a man well stept in yeeres to the government of a common-weale confuting those who are of the contrarie opinion and prooving that elderly persons are more fit therefore than yoonger because of the experience and aut boritte that age doth affoord them as also in regardof many other reasons then he returneth the objection upon them and sheweth that yoong folke are unmeet for publike charges unlesse they have beene the disciples of the aged or be directed and guided by them he resuteth those also who esteeme that such a vocation resembleth some particular trafficke or negotiation and when he hath so done he taketh in hand againe his principall point detecting and laying open the folly of those who would bereave old men of all administration of publike matters and then he exhorteth them to take heart and shunne idlenesse which he doth diffame wonderfully and setteth before their eles their duetie which he also considereth inparticular then he adviseth them not to take so much upon them not to accept any charge unworthie or not beseeming that gravitie which time and age hath given them but tooccupie and busie themselves with that which is honorable and of great consequence to endevour and strive for to serve their countrey and above all in matters of importance to use good discretion as well in the refusall as the acceptation of dignities and offfices carying themselves with such dexterity among yoong men that they may induct set them into the way of vertue And for a conclusion he teacheth all persons who deale in State affaires what resolution they should put
commeth to a feast or a rude traveller who seeketh for lodging when it is darke night for even so thou wouldest remoove not to a place nor to a region but to a life whereof thou hast no proofe and triall As for this sentence and verse of Simonides The city can instruct a man true it is if it be meant of them who have sufficient time to be taught and to learne any science which is not gotten but hardly and with much ado after great studie long travell continuall exercise and practise provided also that it meet with a nature painfull and laborious patient and able to undergo all adversities of fortune These reasons a man may seeme very well and to the purpose to alledge against those who begin when they be well stricken in yeeres to deale in publike affaires of the State And yet we see the contrary how men of great wisedome and judgement divert children and yoong men from the government of common-weale who also have the testimonie of the lawes on their side by ordinance whereof at Athens the publicke Crier or Bedle calleth and summoneth to the pulpit or place of audience not such as yoong Alcibiades or Pytheas for to stand up first and speake before the assemblie of the people but those that be above fiftie yeeres of age and such they exhort both to make orations and also to deliver their minds and counsell what is most expedient to be done And Cato being accused when he was fourescore yeeres olde and upward in pleading of his own cause thus answered for himselfe It is an harder matter my masters quoth he for a man to render an account of his life and to justifie the same before other men than those with whom he hath lived And no man there is but he will confesse that the acts which Caesar Augustus atchieved a little before his death in defaiting Antonius were much more roiall and profitable to the weale-publicke than any others that ever hee performed all his life-time before and himselfe in restraining and reforming secretly by good customes and ordinances the dissolute riots of yoong men and namely when they mutined said no more but thus unto them Listen yoong men and heare an olde man speake whom olde men gave eare unto when he was but yoong The government also of Pericles was at the height and of greatest power and authoritie in his olde age at what time as he perswaded the Athenians to enter upon the Peloponesiacke warre but when they would needs in all haste and out of season set forward with their power to encounter with threescore thousand men all armed and well appointed who forraied and wasted their territorie he withstood them and hindered their dessigned enterprise and that in maner by holding sure the armour of the people out of their hands and as one would say by keeping the gates of the citie fast locked and sealed up But as touching that which Xenophon hath written of Agesilaus it is worthy to be delivered word for word as he setteth it downe in these tearmes What youth quoth he was ever so gallant but his age surpassed it what man was there ever in the flower and very best of all his time more dread and terrible to his enemies than Agesilaus was in the very latter end of his daies whose death at any time was more joyfull to enemies than that of Agesilaus although he was very olde when he died what was he that emboldened allies and confederates making them assured and confident if Agesilaus did not notwithstanding he was now at the very pits brincke and had in maner one foot already in his grave what yoong man was ever more missed among his friends and lamented more bitterly when he was dead than Agesilaus how olde so ever he was when he departed this life The long time that these noble personages lived was no impediment unto them in atchieving such noble and honourable services but we in these daies play the delicate wantons in government of cities where there is neither tyrannie to suppresse nor warre to conduct nor siege to be raised and being secured from troubles of warre we sit still with one hand in another being roubled onely with civill debates among citizens and some emulations which for the most part are voided and brought to an end by vertue of the lawes and justice onely with words Wee forbeare I say and draw backe from dealing in these publicke affaires for feare confessing our selves herein to be more cowardly and false-hearted I will not say than the ancient captaines and governours of the people in olde time but even worse than Poets Sophisters and Plaiers in Tragedies and Comedies of those daies If it be true as it is that Simonides in his olde age wan the prize for enditing ditties and setting songs in quires and dances according to the epigram made of him which testifieth no lesse in the last verses thereof running in this maner Fourescore yeeres olde was Simonides The Poet and sonne of Treoprepes Whom for his carrols and musicall vaine The prize he won and honour did gaine It is reported also of Sophocles that when he was accused judicially for dotage by his owne children who laied to his charge that he was become a childe againe unfitting for governing his house and had need therefore of a guardian being convented before the judges he rehearsed in open court the entrance of the chorus belonging to the Tragedie of his entituled Oedipus in Colono which beginneth in this wise Wel-come stranger at thy entrie To villages best of this countrie Renowmed for good steeds in fight The tribe of faire Colonus hight Where nightingale doth oft resort Her dolefull moanes for to report Amid greene bowers which she doth haunt Her sundrie notes and laies to chaunt With voice so shrill as in no ground Elswhere her songs so much resound c. And for that this canticle or sonet wonderfully pleased the judges and the rest of the company they all arose from the bench went out of the Court and accompanied him home to his house with great acclamations for joy and clapping of hands in his honour as they would have done in their departure from the Theater where the Tragedie had bene lively acted indeed Also it is confessed for certeine that an epigram also was made of Sophocles to this effect When Sophocles this sonnet wrote To grace and honour Herodote His daies of life by just account To fiftie five yeeres did amount Philemon and Alexis both comicall Poets chanced to be arrested and surprised with death even as they plaied their Comedie upon the stage for the prize and were about to be crowned with garlands for the victorie As for Paulus or Polus the actour of Tragedies Eratosthenes and Philochorus do report That when he was threescore yeeres olde and ten he acted eight Tragedies within the space of foure daies a little before his death Is it not then a right great shame that olde men
who perswaded him to erect the popular government called Democraty wherein everie one in his course hath as much authoritie as another unto whom hee answered Begin thou first to set up this government in thine owne house He ordeined that in building of houses there should be used nothing but the sawe the axe For that quoth he it were a shame to bring into houses so simplie builded any plate of silver and gold rich hangings carpets and furniture of beds or costly and sumptuous tables He forbad his citizens to fight at buffets or to enter combat in that generall exercise of hand foot teeth and all together called Pancratium to the end that they should not accustome themselves so much as in sport and game to faint give over or yeeld themselves overcome Likewise he debarred them from encountring often with their very enemies for feare they should make them more warlike and better soldiers Whereupon afterwards when king Agesilaus was brought out of the battell very greevously wounded one Antalcidas said unto him You have met with a faire reward at the Thebans hand and no lesse than you well deserve for schooling and teaching them to fight whether they will or no. CHARILLUS the king being asked the question why Lycurgus made so few lawes answered thus That they who used few words had no need of many lawes One of those slaves whom they call Elotes had behaved himselfe somewhat too insolently and knavishly against him Now I sweare by the two twins quoth he Castor and Pollux were I not angrie I would doe thee to death out of hand unto one who demaunded the reason why the Lacedaemonians ware long haire It is quoth he because of all trimming and ornaments of the bodie it costeth least TELECHUS king of Lacedaemon answered unto a brother of his who complained unto him of the citizens of Sparta saying They use me more uncivilly and uncurteously than they doe you It is for nothing else quoth he but because you know not how to endure and put up any wrongs THEOPOMPUS being in a certeine citie was shewed by one of the inhabitants the wals and demaunded whether he thought them not to be faire and high Faire quoth he no in verie truth kept though they be by none but women ARCHIDAMUS during the time of the Peloponnesian warre when as the allies and confederates of Lacedaemon requested him to set them downe a certeine taxe and rate which they were to contribute to ward the charges thereof answered them in this manner Warre knoweth not how to be gaged and feed within the teddar BRASIDAS chaunced to finde a mouse among certeine dried figs which bit him so as he was glad to let her goe and thereupon said to those about him See how there is nothing so little but it is able to make shift and save the owne life if it have but the heart to defend it selfe against those who assaile it In a certaine skirmish his hap was to be hurt with the head of a partisane or javelin which went through his shield and when he had drawne it out of his wound with the very staffe and steile of it he slew his enemie now when one asked him how it came to passe that he was thus wounded Forsooth because my shield deceived and betraied me His fortune was afterwards to die in the countrey of Thrace whither be had beene sent to deliver and set free the Greeks who inhabited those marches and the embassadours who were sent from the said parts to Lacedaemon went to visit his mother who at the first asked them whether Brasidas her sonne did valiantly and like a man the embassadors highly praised him insomuch as they said That there would never be his like againe Oh you are mightily deceived quoth she true it is that Brasidas was a brave and valiant man but Lacedaemon hath many farie better men than he by farre King AGIS was wont to say that the Lacedaemonians used not to aske how many their enemies were but in what place they were At Mantua he was forbidden to strike a battell because the enemies were many in number to one It must needs be quoth he that whosoever would rule and commaund many should likewise fight with many unto them who greatly commended the Eliens for observing such good order and formality at the Olympick games What great maruell is it quoth he if the Eliens in foure yeeres space use justice one day but when they continued still in their praise and commendations What woonder is it quoth he if the Eliens use a good thing well to wit justice A naughtie fellow there was and a troublesome who importuned him exceeding much by asking him oftentimes who was the best man of all the Spartans Mary even he quoth he that is most unlike to thee To another who questioned with him and would needs know how many the Lacedaemonians were in number Enough quoth he to drive out all leud and wicked persons And when another asked him the same question he answered Thou wouldest say they were a great number if thou sawest them fight LYSANDER would not accept of the rich and sumptuous roabes which Dionysius the Tyrant sent unto his daughters saying I am affraid that these garments will make them looke the fouler Some there were who reprooved and blamed him for that he exploited the most part of his acts by craft and subtiltie as if it were an unwoorthie thing for one who vaunted himselfe to be of the race of Hercules unto whom he answered That where the lions skin would not serve it were good to sow thereto a little piece of a foxes case There was some difference and debate betweene the Argives and Lacedaemonians about their confines and it seemed that the Argives alleaged better reasons and brought foorth more pregnant evidences for the land in question but he drawing out his sword They quoth he who are the better men at handling this are those who plead the better for the bonds of their territorie The Lacedaemonians found much difficultie in assaulting the walles of Corinth and when he sawe them draw backe and go unwillingly about that service he chanced to espie at the very same time an hare to start from within the trench and towne ditch whereupon he tooke occasion thus to say why make you doubt to give the assault unto the walles of those men who are so idle as to suffer hares to sleepe within the verie precinct of their walles There was a certaine Megarian who in the generall assembly of all the Sates of Greece spake unto him his minde freely and boldly unto whom he answered thus Thy words have need of a citie that is to say that Megara whereof he was a citizen was not able to make good and maintaine his words AGESILAUS used to say That the inhabitants of Asia to speake of free men were but bad namely so long as they enjoyed libertie marie they be passing good slaves quoth he These
expert warriours indeed whether of them twaine performed his service and devoir better Being created censour he deprived a yoong gallant of his horse for that being given excessively to feast and make good cheere whiles the citie of Carthage was besieged he had caused a certeine marchpaine to be made by pastry-worke in forme of a citie and called it Carthage and when he had so done set it upon the boord to be spoiled and sacked forsooth by his companions and when this youth would needs know of him why he was thus disgraced and degraded as to lose his horse of service which was allowed him from the State Because quoth he you will needs rifle and pill Carthage before me During the time that he was censour he seeing one day C. Licinius as he passed by Now surely I knew this man quoth he for a perjured person but for that there is none to accuse him I will not be both his judge and a witnesse also to give evidence against him Being sent by the Senate a third commissioner with other Triumvirs according as Clitomachus said Mensmanners to observe and oversee Where they doe well and where they faultie bee to visit also and looke into the States of cities nations and kings When he was arrived at Alexandria and disbarked as he came first to land he went hooded as it were with his robe cast over his head but the Alexandrians running from all parts of the citie to see him requested him to discover his head that his face might be the better seene and he had no sooner uncovered his visage but they all cried out with great acclamations applauding and clapping their hands in signe of joy And when the king himselfe of Alexandria streined and strived with great paine so grosse so idle and delicate he was otherwise to keepe pace with him and the other commissioners as they walked Scipio rounded Panaetius softly in the eare and said The Alexandrians have reaped already the frure and enjoied the benefit of my voyage for that by our meanes they have seene their king to walke and go afoot There accompanied him in this voiage a friend of his and a Philosopher named Panaetius and five servitors besides to wait upon him and when one of these five hapned to die in this journey he would not buy another in a foreine countrey for to supply his place but sent for one to Rome to serve in his turne It seemed to the people of Rome that the Numantines were invincible and inexpugnable for that they had vanquished and defeated so many captaines and leaders of the Romans whereupon they chose this Scipio Consull the second time for to manage this warre now when many a lustie yoong gallant made meanes and prepared to follow him in this service the Senat empeached them alleaging colourably that Italy thereby should be left destitute of men for the defence of the countrey what need soever should be so they would not suffer him to take that money out of the treasurie which was prest and ready for him but assigned and ordeined certaine monies from the Publicanes and fermers of the cities customes and revenues to furnish him whose daies of paiment were not yet come As for money quoth Scipio I stand not in such need thereof that I should stay therefore for out of mine owne and my friends purses I shall have sufficient to defray my charges but I complaine rather that I may not be allowed to levie leade forth my soldiors such as I would and be willing to serve considering that it is a dangerous warre which we are to wage for if it be in regard of our enemies valour that our people have so often beene beaten and foiled by them then we shall finde it a hot peece of service and a hard to encounter such but if it be long of our owne mens cowardize no lesse difficult will it be because we are to fight with the slender helpe of such When he was newly arrived at the campe he found there great disorder much loosenesse superstition and wastfull superfluity in all things so he banished presently all diviners prophets and tellers of fortune he rid out of the way all sacrificing priests all bauds likewise that kept brothel-houses he chased foorth and he gave slreight charge that every man should send away all maner of vessels and utensils save onely a pot or kettle to seeth his meat in a spit to roast and a drinking jugge of earth as for silver plate he allowed no man more in all than weighed two pounds he put downe all baines and stouphes but if any were disposed to be annointed he gave order that every man should take paine to rubbe himselfe for he said that beasts who had no hands of their owne needed another for to rub and currie them he ordeined that his soldiers should take their dinner standing and eate their meat not hot and without fire but at supper they might sit downe who that list and feed upon bread or single grewell and plaine potrage together with one simple dish of flesh either boiled or rost as for himselfe he wore a cassocke or soldiors coat all blacke buttoned close or buckled before saying That he mourned for the shame of his armie He met with certaine garrons and labouring beasts belonging to one Memmius a collonel of a thousand men carying drinking cups and other plate enriched with precious stones and wrought curiously by the hands of Thericles whereupon he said unto him Thou hast made thy selfe unsit to serve me and they countrey for these thirtie daies being such an one as thou art and surely being given to these superfluities thou art disabled for doing thy selfe good all the daies of thy life Another there was who shewed him what a trim shield or target he had finely made and richly adorned Here is a faire goodly shield indeed quoth he my yoong man but I ãâã thee a Romane soldior ought to trust his right hand better than his left There was one who carying upon his shoulder a bunch of pales or burden of stakes for to pitch in the rampar complained that he was over-laden Thou art but well enough served quoth he in that thou reposest more confidence in these stakes than in thy sword Seeing his enemies the Numantines how they grew rash desperate and foolishly bent he would not in that fit charge upon them and give battell but held off still saying That with tract of time he would buy the surety and securitie of his affaires For a good captaine quoth he ought to doe like a wise physician who will never proceed to the cutting or dismembring of a part but upon extremitie namely when all other means of physicke doe faile howbeit when he espied a good occasion and fit opportunitie he assaulted the Numantines and overthrew them which when the old beaten soldiers or elders of the Numantines saw they rebuked and railed upon their owne men thus defaited asking them
infamous practise for ãâã who was his mortall enemie wrought by all meanes possible to effect peace because he saw that warre continually augmented the credit of Agesilaus and made him most mightie and honourable yet neverthelesse he answered unto one that reproched him with the Lacedaemonians saying That they were Medified or turned Medians Nay rather quoth he the Medians are Laconified and become Laconians The question was propounded unto him upon a time whether of these two vertues in his judgement was the better Fortitude or Justice and he answered That where Justice reigned Fortitude bare no sway and was nothing worth for if we were all righteous and honest men there would be no need at all of Fortitude The people of Greece dwelling in Asia had a custome to call the king of Persia The great king And wherefore quoth he is he greater than I unlesse he be more temperat and righteous semblably he said That the inhabitants of Asia were good slaves but naughtie freemen Being asked how a man might win himselfe the greatest name and reputation among men he answered thus If he say well and yet do better This was a speech of his That a good captaine ought to shew unto his enemies valour and hardinesse but unto those that be under his charge love and benevolence Another demanded of him what children should learne in their youth That quoth he which they are to doe and practise when they be men growen He was judge in a cause where the plaintife had pleaded well but the defendant very badly who eftsoones and at every sentence did nothing but repeat these words O Agesilaus a king ought to protect and helpe the lawes unto whom Agesilaus answered in this wise If one had undermined thy house or robbed thee of thy raiment wouldest thou thinke and looke that a carpenter or mason were bound to repaire thy house and the weaver or tailour for to supplie thy want of clothes The king of Persia had writ unto him a letter missive after a generall peace concluded which letter was brought by a gentleman of Persia who came with Callias the Lacedaemonian and the contents thereof was to this effect That the king of Persia desired to enter into some more especiall amitie and fraternitie with him but he would not accept thereof saying unto the messenger Thou shalt deliver this answere from me unto the king thy master that hee needed not to write any such particular letters unto mee concerning private friendship for if hee friend the Lacedaemonians in generall and shew himselfe to love the Greeks and desire their good I also reciprocally will be his friend to the utmost of my power but if I may finde that he practiseth treacherie and attempteth ought prejudiciall to the state of Greece well may he write epistle upon epistle and I receive from him one letter after another but let him trust to this I will never be his friend Hee loved very tenderly his owne children when they were little ones insomuch as he would play with them up and downe the house yea and put a long cane betweene his legs and ride upon it like an hobby horse with them for company and if it chanced that any of his friends spied him so doing he would pray them to say nothing unto any man thereof untill they had babes and children of their owne But during the continuall warres that he had with the Thebans he fortuned in one battell to be grievouslie wounded which when Antalcidas saw he said unto him Certes you have received of the Thebans the due salarie and reward that you deserved for teaching them as you have done even against their willes how to fight which they neither could nor ever would have learned to doe for in trueth it is reported that the Thebans then became more martiall and warlike than ever before-time as being inured and exercised in armes by the continuall roads and invasions that the Lacedaemomans made which was the reason that ancient Lycurgus in those lawes of his which be called Rhetrae expresly forbad his people to make warre often upon one and the same nation for feare lest in so doing their enemies should learne to be good souldiers When he heard that the allies and confederates of Lacedaemon were offended and tooke this continuall warfare ill complaining that they were never in maner out of armes but caried their harnesse continually upon their backs and besides being many more in number they followed yet the Lacedaemonians who were but an handfull to all them he being minded to convince them in this and to shew how many they were commanded all his said confederates to assemble together and to sit them downe pell-mell one with another the Lacedaemonians likewise to take their place over-against them apart by themselves which done he caused an herald to cry aloud in the hearing of all That all the potters should rise first and when those were risen that the brasse-founders and smithes should stand up then the carpenters after them the masons and so all other artisans handi-crafts men one after another by which meanes all the confederats wel-nere were risen up and none in maner left sitting but all this while not a Lacedaemonian stirred off his seat for that forbidden they were all to learne or exercise any mechanicall craft then Agesilaus tooke up a laughter and said Lo my masters and friends how many more souldiers are we able to send into the warres than you can make In that bloodie battell fought at Leuctres many Lacedaemonians there were that ran out of the field fled who by the lawes and ordinances of the countrey were all their life time noted with infamy howbeit the Ephori seeing that the citie by this meanes would be dispeopled of citizens and lie desert in that verie time when as it had more need than ever before of souldiers were desirous to devise a policie how to deliver them of this ignominie and yet notwithstanding preferre the lawes in their entire and full force therefore to bring this about they elected Agesilaus for their law-giver to enact a new lawes who being come before the open audience of the city spake unto them in this manner Yee men of Lacedaemon I am not willing in any wise to be the author and inventor of new lawes and as for those which you have alreadie I minde not to put any thing thereto to take fro or otherwise to alter and chaunge them and therefore mee thinkes it is meere and reasonable that from to morrow forward those which you have should stand in their ful vigor strength and vertue accustomed Moreover as few as there remained in the citie when Epaminondas was about to assaile it with a great fleete and a violent tempest as it were of Thebans and their confederates puffed up with pride for the late victorie atchieved in the plaine of Leuctres with those few I say hee put him and his forces backe and caused them to returne without
effect but in the battell of Mantinea he admonished and advised the Lacedaemonians to take no regard at all of other Thebans but to bend their whole forces against Epaminondas onely saying That wise and prudent men alone and none but they were valiant and the sole cause of victorie and therefore if they could vanquish him they might easily subdue all the rest as being blockish fooles and men in deed of no valour and so in truth it proved for when as the victory now enclined wholy unto Epaminondas and the Lacedaemonians were at the verie point to be disbanded discomfited and put to flight as the said Epaminondas turned for to call his owne together to folow the rout a Lacedaemonian chanced to give him a mortall wound wherewith hee fell to the ground and the Lacedaemonians who were with Agesilaus called themselves made head againe and put the victorie into doubtfull ballance for now the Thebanes abated much their courage and the Lacedaemonians tooke the better hearts Moreover when the citie of Sparta was neere driven and at a low ebbe for money to wage warre as being constrained to entertaine mercenarie souldiers for pay who were meere strangers Agesilaus went into Aegypt being sent for by the King of Aegypt to serve as his pensioner but for that hee was meanely and simply apparelled the inhabitants of the countrey despised him for they looked to have seene the King of Sparta richly arraied and set out gallantly and all gorgeously to be seene in his person like unto the Persian King so foolish a conceit they had of kings but Agesilaus shewed them within a while that the magnificence and majestie of Kings was to be acquired by wit wisedome and valour for perceiving that those who were to fight with him and to make head against the enemie were frighted with the imminent perill by reason of the great number of enemies who were two hundred thousand fighting men and the small companie of their owne side he devised with himselfe before the battell began by some stratageme to encourage his owne men and to embolden their hearts which policie of his he would not communicate unto any person and this it was He caused upon the inside of his left hand to be written this word Victorie backward which done he tooke at the priests or sooth-saiers hand who was at sacrifice the liver of the beast which was killed and put it into the said left hand thus written within and so held it a good while making semblance as if he mused deeply of some doubt and seeming to stand in suspense to be in great perplexity untill the characters of the foresaid letters had a sufficient time to give a print and leave their marke in the superficies of the liver then shewed he it unto those who were to fight on his side and gave them to understand that by those characters the gods promised victory who supposing verily that there was in it a certaine signe presage of good fortune ventured boldly upon the hazard of a battell And when the enemies had invested and beleaguered his campe round about such a mightie number there were of them and besides had begun to cast a trench on everie side thereof King Nectanebas for whose aid he was thither come sollicited and intreated him to make a sally and charge upon them before the said trench was fully finished and both ends brought to gether he answered That he would never impeach the deseigne and purpose of the enemies who went no doubt to give him meanes to be equall unto them and to fight so many to so many so he staied until there wanted but a verie little of both ends meeting and then in that space betweene he raunged his battell by which device they encountred and fought with even fronts and on equall hand for number so he put the enemies to flight and with those few souldiers which he had he made a great carnage of them but of the spoile and booty which he wan he raised a good round masse of money and sent it all to Sparta Being now ready to embarke for to depart out of Aegypt upon the point of returne home he died and at his death expresly charged those who were about him that they should make no image or statue whatsoever representing the similitude of his personage For that quoth he if I have done any vertuous act in my life time that will be a monument sufficient to eternize my memorie if not all the images statues and pictures in the world will not serve the turne since they be the workes onely of mechanicall artificers which are of no woorth and estimation AGESIPOLIS the sonne of Cleombrotus when one related in his presence that Philip K. of Macedon had in few daies demolished and raced the citie Olinthus Par die quoth he Philip will not be able in many more daies to build the like to it Another said unto him by way of reproch that himselfe king as he was and other citizens men growen of middle age were delivered as hostages and neither their children nor wives Good reason quoth he and so it ought to be according to justice that we our selves and no others should beare the blame and paine of our faults And when he was minded to send for certaine dog-whelps from home one said unto him that there might not be suffered any of them to goe out of the countrey No more was it permitted heeretofore quoth hee for men to be lead foorth but now it is allowed well enough AGESIPOLIS the sonne of Pausanias when as the Athenians said to him That they were content to report themselves to the judgement of the Megarians as touching certaine variances and differences between them and complaints which they made one against another spake thus unto them Why my masters of Athens this were a great shame indeed that they who are the chiefe and the verie leaders of all other Greeks should lesse skill what is just than the Megarians AG is the sonne of Archidamus at what time as the Ephori spake thus unto him Take with you the yoong able men of this citie go into the countrey of such an one for he wil conduct you his owne selfe as farre as to the verie castle of his city And what reason is it quoth he my masters you that be Ephori to commit the lives of so many lustie gallants into his hands who is a traitour to his native countrey One demaunded of him what science was principally exercised in the citie of Sparta Marie quoth he the knowledge how to obey and how to rule He was woont to say that the Lacedaemonians never asked how many their enemies were but where they were Being forbidden to fight with his enemies at the battell of Mantinea because they were far more in number He must of necessity quoth he fight with many that would have the coÌmand rule of many Unto another who asked what number there might be
Also when hee permitted his citizens to practise those exercises of the bodie onely wherein they never stretched foorth their hands he was required by one to yeeld a reason thereof Because quoth he none of us should in taking paines be accustomed to be wearie or to saint and give over at any time Likewise being asked the reason why he gave order oftentimes to change the campe and not in one place to lie long encamped To the end quoth he that we might doe the greater damage to our enemies and hurt more of them Another was desirous to know of him why he forbad to give the assault unto any walles unto whom he answered For feare that the best men might not be killed by a woman a child or some such like person Certaine Thebanes craved his advice and opinion touching the sacrifice divine service and dolefull moane which was solemnely made in the honour of Leucothea unto whom he answered thus If you take her for a goddesse weepe not for her as if she were a woman if you suppose her to be a woman sacrifice not unto her as to a goddesse Unto his citizens who demaunded of him how they might put backe and repulse the invasions of their enemies Marie quoth he if you continue poore and none of you do covet to have more than another Againe when they would needs know why he would not have their citie to be walled about Because saith he that citie is never without a wal which is environed and compassed about with valiant men and not with bricke or stone The Spartanes also were verie curious in trimming the haire of their heads alledging for their warrant a certaine speech of Lycurgus as touching that point who was woont to say That sidehaire made them who were faire more beautifull and those that were foule more hideous and terrible Likewise he gave commaundement that in their warres when they had discomfited their enemies and put them to flight to follow the chase so hardly untill they were fully assured of the victorie and then to retire withall speed saying That it was no act of a generous spirit nor beseeming the brave minde of the Greekish nation to massacre and execute those who had quit the place and were gone besides this also would be safe and commodious for themselves forasmuch as the enemies who knew once their custome namely to put those to the sword who obstinately resist and make head and to spare those and let them escape who flie before them find by that meanes that flight is better than to stand to fight A certaine man asked him for what cause he would not suffer the souldiers to rifle and spoile the bodies of their enemies as they fell dead For feare quoth hee lest while they busie themselves and stoupe forward to gather the spoiles they should neglect their fight in the meane time but rather entend onely with their povertie and want to keepe their range The Tyrant of Sicilie Dionysius had sent unto LYSANDER two sutes of womens roabes that he might choose whether of them he liked better to carrie unto his daughter but hee said unto him That she herselfe knew best which to choose and what was fittest for herselfe and so he tooke both away with him This Lysander was a verie craftie and subtile foxe who ordered and managed most part of his affaires by cunning casts and deceitfull devices esteeming justice onely by utilitie and honestie by profit confessing in word that truth was better than falshood but measuring in deed the worth and price as well of the one as the other by commoditie To them who reprooved and blamed him for conducting the most part of his enterprises by fraud and guile and not by plaine direct force a thing unwoorthy the magnanimity of Hercules hee would laugh and answere That where he could not atchieve a thing by the lions skin hee must needes sow thereto a piece of the foxes case And when others charged and accused him mightily for that he had violated and broken his oath which he had made in the citie Miletum he used to say That children were to be deceived with cock-all-bones but men with oaths Having defaited the Athenians in a battell by meanes of an ambush in a certaine place called the Goats-rivers and afterward pressed them so sore with famine that he forced them to yeeld the citie unto his mercie he wrote unto the Ephori thus Athens is woon The Lacedaemonians in his time were at some difference with the Argives about their confines and it seemed that the Argives alledged better reasons and brought forth more direct evidences for themselves than the other whereupon he came among them and drew his sword saying They that are the mightier with this plead best for their confines Seeing the Boeotians as he passed thorow their countrey hanging in equall ballance and as yet not resolved and certaine to which side for to range themselves he sent one unto them for to know whether they would chuse that he marched thorow their lands with speares and pikes upright or bending downeward and trailing In a certaine assembly of the estates of Greece there was a Megarian who spake bravely and audaciously unto him Thy words my friend quoth he have need of a citie meaning thereby that he was of too weake and small a citie as to give such glorious words The Corinthians rebelled upon a time whereupon he advaunced with his forces against their walles which the Lacedaemonians seemed to assaile verie coldly but at the verie instant there was espied an hare running crosse over the towne ditch whereupon he tooke occasion to say Are yee not ashamed in deed ô yee Spartanes to feare such enemies who are so idle and stirre so little abroad that hares can sleepe quietly even under their verie walles When hee was at Samothrace to consult with the oracle there the priest was in hand with him to confesse what was the most wicked and enormious act that ever hee did in all his life time whereupon hee asked the priest againe Whether is it your selfe or the gods that would know thus much and imposeth this confession upon mee The gods quoth the priest would have it so Why then quoth he retire you aside out of my sight and if they demaund the same of mee I will answere them A certaine Persian asked him what kinde of government hee liked best and praised most Even that quoth hee which ordeineth for cowards and hardy men that reward and hire which is meet for them Another said unto him That in every place where he came hee was ready to commend and defend him I have quoth he againe in my grounds two oxen and neither of them speaks a word howbeit I know for al that which is good of deed and which is idle and lazie at his worke There was one who let flie at him divers odious and reprochfull words Speake on good fellow quoth he out with it hardly and spare not
they shew in your behalfe notwithstanding we are the sonnes of one father and mother but they misuse me most injuriously The reason is quoth he because you know not how to put up a wrong as I doe Being demaunded why the custome was in their country that yoong men should rise up from their places where they were set and do reverence unto their elders It is quoth he to this end that in doing this honor unto those who nothing belonged unto them they might learne so much the more to honour their parents unto another that asked him of what wealth he was and how much goods he had he answered I have no more than will suffice CHARILLUS being asked the question why Lycurgus had given them so few lawes Because quoth he they have no need at all of many lawes who speake but little Another demaunded of him the cause why as Sparta they suffered to goe foorth into publick place virgins with their faces open but wives vailed and covered For that quoth he maidens might finde them out husbands to be wedded unto and wives keepe those whom they have maried already One of the slaves called Ilotes behaved himselfe vpon a time over boldly and malapertly with him unto whom he said Were I not angrie I would kill thee at my foot One asked him what kind of government he esteemed best Even that quoth he wherein most men in managing of publicke affaires without quarrels and sedition strive a vie who shall be most vertuous And unto another who would needs know the reason why at Sparta the images and statues of the gods were made in armor he shaped this answer To the end that the reproches which are fastned upon men for cowardise might not take hold of them also that yoong men should never without their armes make their praiers unto the gods The Samiens had sent certaine embassadors unto Sparta who after audience given were very long and somewhat tedious in their orations but when they had found the way to make an end THE LORDS OF SPARTA made them this answer The beginning of your speech we have forgotten and we conceived not the rest because the beginning was out of our remembrance The Thebanes upon a time had contested bravely and contradicted them stoutly in certaine points in question unto whom they answered thus Either lesse hearts or more puissance There was one asked a Lacedaemonian upon a time why he let his beard grow so long Because quoth he whensover I see my hoary and grey haires I might be put in minde to doe nothing unbeseeming them When another highly praised certaine men for most valiant a Lacedaemonian heard him and said Oh such were sometime at Great Troy Another of them hearing it spoken that in certaine cities men were forced to drink after supper And doe they not quoth he compell them also to eate The poet Pindarus in one of his canticles nameth the citie of Athens the prop of al Greece TheÌ wil Greece quickly come tumbling down quoth a Laconian if it beare but upon so sleight a pillar Another beheld a painted table wherin was the pourtrature of the Lacedemonians how they were killed by the Athenians and when one that stood by said Now surely these AtheniaÌs be valiant men Yea mary quoth he in a picture There was one seemed to take pleasure in hearing certaine opprobrious and slanderous words untruely given out against a Laconian to beleeve the same but the partie thus misused said Cease to lend your eare against me Another when he was punished went crying If I have don amisse it was against my wil Why then answered a Laconian let it be against thy wil also that thou art punished Another seeing men going forth of the countrey set at their ease within coches God forbid quoth he that I should sit there where I can not rise up to doe my dutie unto him that is elder than my selfe Certaine Chians there were who being come to see the citie of Sparta chaunced to be well whittled and starke drunke who after supper went to see also the consistorie of the Ephori where they cast up their gorges yea and that which more is both vomited and discharged their guts even upon the very chaires where the Ephori was wont to sit the morrow after the Lacedaemonians made great search and diligent enquirie at the first who they were that thus had plaid the slovens and beasts and namely whether they were any of their owne citie or no but when they understood that they were these strangers and travellers from Chios they made open proclamation with sound of trumpet That they gave the Chians leave thus filthily to abuse themselves Another Laconian seeing hard almonds sold at the double price What quoth he are stones so geason heere Another having plucked all the feathers off from a nightingale and seeing what a little body it had Surely quoth he thou art all voice and nothing else There was likewise a Lacedaemonian who seeing the cynick philosopher Diogenes in the mids of winter when it was extreme cold embrasing and clipping a brasen statue very devoutly asked him if he chilled not for cold and when the other answered No Why then quoth he what great matter doe you A certaine Laconian reproched upon a time one borne in Metapontium saying They were all cowards and false-hearted like women If it be so quoth the Metapontine how is it that wee hold so much of other mens lands as wee doe Why then replied the Laconian I see that you are not cowards onely but unjust also A traveller being come to Sparta for to see the citie stood upright a long while upon one foore onely and said unto a Laconian I doe not thinke thou canst stand so long of one leg as I do Not I indeed quoth the other but there is not a goose but can do as much There was one vaunted greatly what a Rhetorician he was and namely that he was able to perswade what he would Now by Castor and Pollux I sweare quoth a Laconian there never was nor ever will be any arte indeed without verity A certaine Argive boasted much that there were in their citie many graves tombes of the Lacedaemonians And contrariwise quoth a Laconian there is not among us one sepulcher of the Argives giving him thus much to understand that the Lacedaemonians had many times entred with a puissant armie into the countrey of Argos but the Argives never into the territorie of Sparta A Laconian being taken prisoner in warre when hee should bee sold in port sale as the crier began with a loud voice to pronounce Who will buy a Laconian who put his hand to the criers mouth and said Cry for Gods sake who wil buy a prisoner One of those mercenary soldiers whom king Lysimachus waged being demanded of him this question Art thou one of these Lacedaemonian Ilots Why thinke you quoth the other that a Lacedaemonian will deigne to come and
serve for foure obols by the day After that the Thebans had defaited the Lacedaemonians at the battell of Leuctres they invaded the countrey of Laconia so farre as to the verie river Eurotas and one of them in boasting glorious maner began to say And where be now these brave Laconians what is become of them a Laconian who was a captive among them straight waies made this answer They are no where now indeed for if they were you would never have come thus farre as you doe At what time as the Athenians delivered up their owne citie into the hands of the Lacedaemonians for to be at their discretion they requested that at leastwise they would leave them the isle Samos unto whom the Laconians made this answer When you are not masters of your owne doe you demand that which is other mens hereupon arose the common proverbe throughout all Greece Who cannot that which was his owne save The Isle of Samos would yet faine have The Lacedaemonians forced upon a time a certaine citie and wan it by assault which the Ephori being advertised of said thus Now is the exercise of our yoong men cleane gone now shall they have no more concurrents to keepe them occupied When one of their kings made promise unto them for to rase another citie and destroy it utterly if they so would which oftentimes before had put those of Lacedaemon to much trouble the said Ephori would not permit him saying thus unto him Doe not emolish and take away quite the whetstone that giveth an edge to the harts of our youth The same Ephori would never allow that there should be any professed masters to teach their yong men for to wrestle and exercise other feats of activitie To this end say they that there might bee jealousie and emulation among them not in artificiall slight but in force and vertue And therefore when one demaunded of Lysander how Charon had in wrestling overcome him and laid him along on the plaine ground Even by slight and cunning quoth he and not by pure strength Philip king of Macedonia before he made entrie into their country wrote unto them to this effect Whether they had rather that he entred as a friend or as an enemie unto whom they returned this answer Neither one nor the other When they had sent an embassador to Demetrius the sonne of Antigonus having intelligence that the said embassadour in parle with him eftsoones gave him the name of King they condemned him to pay a fine when he was returned home notwithstanding that hee brought as a present and gratuitie from the said Demetrius in time of extreme famine a certain measure of corne called Medimnus for every poll throughout the whole citie It hapned that a leud and wicked man delivered in a certaine consultation very good counsell this advice of his they approoved right well howbeit receive it they would not comming out of his mouth but caused it to be pronounced by another who was knowen to be a man of good life Two brethren there were at variance and in sute of law together the Ephori set a good fine upon their fathers head for that he neglected his sonnes and suffred them to maintaine quarrell and debate one against another A certaine musician who was a stranger and a traveller they likewise condemned to pay a summe of money for that he strake the strings of his harpe with his fingers Two boies fought together and one gave the other a mortall wound with a sickle or reaping hooke when the boy that was hurt lay at the point of death was ready to yeeld up the ghost other companions of his promised to be revenged for his death and to kill the other who thus deadly had wounded him Doe not so I beseech you quoth he as you love the gods for that were injustice and euen I my selfe had done as much for him if I had beene ought and could have raught him first There was another yong lad unto whom certaine mates and fellows of his in that season wherin yong lads were permitted freely to filtch whatsoever they could handsomely come by but reputed it was a shamefull and infamous thing for them to be surprized and taken in the maner brought a yong cub or little foxe to keepe alive which they had stollen those who had lost the said cub came to make search now had this lad hidden it close under his clothes the unhappie beast being angred gnawed bit him in the flanke as far as to his very bowels which he endured resolutely and never quetched at it for feare he should be discovered but after all others were gone and the search past when his companions saw what a shrewd turne the curst cub had done him they child him for it saying That it had been far better to have brought forth the cub and shewed him rather than to hide him thus with danger of death Nay Iwis quoth he for I had rather die with all the dolorous torments in the world than for to save my life shamefully to be detected so for want of a good heart Some there were who encountred certaine Laconians upon the way in the countrey unto whom they said Happie are you that can come now this way for the theeves are but newly gone from hence Nay forsooth by god Mars we sweare we are never the happier therefore but they rather because they are not fallen into our hands One demaunded of a Laconian upon a time what he knew and was skilfull in Mary in this to be free A yoong lad of Sparta being taken prisoner by King Antigonus and sold among other captives obeied him who had bought him in all things that he thought meet for to be done by a freeman but when he commaunded to bring him an urinall or chamber-pot to pisse in he would not endure that indignitie but said Fetch it your selfe for me I am no servant for you in such ministeries now when his master urged him thereto and pressed hard upon him hee ran up to the ridge or roofe of the house and said You shall see what an one you have bought and with that cast himselfe downe with his head forward and brake his owne necke Another there was to be sold and when the partie who was about him said thus Wilt thou be good and profitable if I doe buy thee Yea that I will quoth he though you never buy me Another there was likewise upon market and when the crier proclaimed aloud Here is a slave who buies him who A shame take thee quoth he couldst not thou say a captive or prisoner but a slave A Laconian had for the badge or ensigne of his buckler a slie painted and the same no bigger than one is naturally whereupon some mocked him and said That he had mad choise of this ensigne because he would not be knowen by it Nay rather quoth he I did it because I would be the better marked for I meane
should salute their kinsfolke and those that be joined in blood to them by kissing their lips for the Trojan men seeing as it should seeme in what necessitie they stood were well enough content and withal finding the inhabitants of the sea-coasts courteous and ready to receive and entertaine them friendly approoved that which the women had done and so remained and dwelt in the same part of Italy among the Latines THE DAMES OF PHOCIS THE woorthy act of the dames of Phocis whereof we now meane to make mention no Historiographer of name hath yet recorded and set downe in writing howbeit there was never a more memorable deed of vertue wrought by women and the same testified by the great sacrifices which the Phocians do celebrate even at this day neere unto the citie Hyampolis and that according to the ancient decrees of the countrey Now is the totall historie of this whole action from point to point particularly recorded in the life of Daiphantus as for that which the said women did thus stood the case There was an irreconcilable and mortall warre betweene the Thessalians and those of Phocis for that the Phocians upon a certaine fore-set day killed all the magistrates and rulers of the Thessalians who exercised tyrannie in the cities of Phocis and they againe of Thessalia had beaten and bruised to death two hundred and fiftie hostages of the Phocaeans whom they had in custodie and after that with all their puissance entred and invaded their countrey by the way of the Locrians having before hand concluded this resolution in their generall counsell not to pardon nor spare any one that was of age sufficient to beare armes and as for their wives and children to leade them away captives as slaves whereupon Daiphantus the sonne of Bathyllus one of the three soveraign governours of Phocis mooved and perswaded the Phocaeans as many as were of yeeres to fight for to go forth and encounter the Thessalians but their wives and children to assemble all together unto a certaine place in Phocis environe the whole pourprise and precinct thereof with a huge quantity of wood and there to set certaine guards to watch and ward whom hee gave in charge that so soone as ever they heard how their countrey-men were defaited they should set the wood on fire and burne all the bodies within the compasse thereof which desseigne when all others had approoved there was one man among them stood up and said It were just and meet that they had the consent also of the women as touching this matter and if they would not approve and allow of this counsell to leave it unexecuted and not to force them thereto this consultation being come to the eares of the said women they held a counsell together apart by themselves as touching this entended action where other resolved to follow the advice of Daiphantus and that with so great alacritie and contentment that they crowned Daiphantus with a chaplet of flowers as having given the best counsell that could be devised for Phocis It is reported also that their verie children sat in counsell hereabout by themselves and concluded the same but it fortuned so that the Phocaeans having given the Thessalians battell neere unto a village called Cleonae in the marches or territorie of Hyampolis defaited them This resolution of the Phocaeans was afterwards by the Greekes named Aponaea that is A desperat desseigne and in memoriall of the said victorie all the people of Phocis to this day do celebrate in Hyampolis the greatest and most solemne feast that they have to the honour of Diana and call it Elaphebolia THE WOMEN OF CHIOS THE men of Chios inhabited sometime the colonie Leuconia upon such an occasion as this A gentleman one of the best houses in Chios chanced to contract a marriage and when the bride was to be brought home to his house in a coach King Hippoclus being a familiar friend unto the bridegroom one who was present with others at the espousales and wedding after he had taken his wine wel being set upon a merrie pin and disposed to make sport leapt up into the coach where the new wedded wife was not with any entent to offer violence or vilanny but only to dallie toy make pastime in a meriment as the maner was at such a feast howbeit the friends of the bridegroome tooke it not so but fell upon him and killed him outright in the place upon which murder there appeered unto those of Chios many evident tokens and signes of Gods anger yea and when they understood by the oracle of Apollo that for to appease their wrath they should put all those to death who had murdered Hippoclus they made answere That they all were guiltie of the fact and when the god Apollo commanded them that if they were all tainted with the said murder they should all depart out of the citie Chios they sent away as manie as either were parties and principals or accessaries and privie to the said blood-shed yea and whosoever approoved and praised the fact and those were neither few in number nor men of meane qualitie and power as far as to Leuconta which citie the Chians first conquered from the Coroneans and possessed by the helpe of the Erythraeans but afterwardes when there was warre betweene the said Chians and the Erythraeans who in those daies were the mightiest people in all Ionia insomuch as the Erythraeans came against Leuconia with a power intending to assault it the Chians being not able to resist grew to make a coÌposition in which capitulated it was agreed that they should quit the city depart every person with one coat cassock only without taking any thing els with them The women understanding of this agreement gave them foule words bitterly reproched them for being so base minded as to lay off their armor thus to go naked thorow the mids of their enimies but when their husbands alleaged that they had sworn taken a corporal oth so to do they gave them counsel in any wise not to leave their armes and weapons behind them but to say that a javelin was a coat and a shield the cassocke of a valiant and hardie man The Chians perswaded hereunto spake boldly to the Erythraeans to that effect and shewed them their armes insomuch as the Erythraeans were affraid to see their resolute boldnesse and there was not one of them so hardie as to come neere for to empeach them but were verie well content that they abandoned the place and were gone in that sort Thus you may see how these men having learned of their wives to be couragious and confident saved their honours and their lives Long after this the wives of the Chians atchieved an other act nothing inferiour to this in vertue and prowesse At what time as Philip the sonne of Demetrius holding their citie besieged caused this barbarous edict and proud proclamation to be published That all the slaves of the
citie should rebell against their masters and come to him for that he would make them all free and give them libertie to espouse and marie their mistresses even the wives of their former masters The dames conceived hereof so great choler and indignation in their harts together with the slaves themselves who were provoked likewise to anger as well as they and readie to assist their mistresses that they tooke heart to mount upon the walles of the citie and to carrie thither stones darts and all manner of shot beseeching their husbands to fight lustily and with good courage eftsoones admonishing and encouraging them to quit themselves like men and do their devoir which they did so effectually both in word and deed that in the end they repulsed the enemie and constrained Philip to raise his siege from before the citie without effecting his purpose and there was not so much as one slave that revolted from his master unto him THE WOMEN OF ARGOS THe exploit of the Argive dames against Cleomenes king of Lacedaemon in defence of the citie Argos which they enterprised under the conduct and by the perswasion of Telesilla the poëtresse is not lesse glorious and renowmed than any action that ever was atchieved by a crew of women This dame Telesilla as the fame goeth was descended of a noble and famous house howbeit in body she was very weake and sickly by occasion wherof she sent out to the oracle for to know how she might recover her health answer was made that she shoulde serve honour and worship the Muses she yeelding obedience to this revelation of the god and giving herselfe to learne poesie and likewise vocall musicke and skill in song in short time was delivered from her maladie and became most renowmed and highly esteemed among women for hir poeticall veine and musicall knowledge in this kind in processe of time it fortuned that Cleomenes the king of the Spartans having in a battell slaine a great number indeed of Argives but not as some fabulous writers have precisely set downe seven thousand seven hundred seventie and seven advaunced directly to the citie of Argos hoping to finde and surprize the same void of inhabitants but the women as many as were of age sufficient as it were by some heavenly and divine instinct put on a resolute minde and an extraordinary courage to doe their best for to beate backe their enemies that they should not enter the citie and in very truth under the leading of Telesilla they put on armes tooke weapon in hand and mounting up the wals stood round about the battlements thereof and environed them on every side defending the citie right manfully to the great wonder admiration of the enemies thus they gave Cleomenes the repulse with the losse and carvage of a great number of his men Yea and they chased Democrates another king of Lacedaemon out of their citie as Socrates saith who had made entrance before and seised that quarter which is called Pamphyliacum when the citie was thus saved by the prowesse of these women ordeined it was that as many of them as chaunced in this service to be slaine should be honorably enterred upon the great causey or high-way called Argeia and unto them who remained alive graunted it was for a perpetuall monument and memoriall of their prowesse to dedicate and consecrate one statue unto Mars This combat and fight as some have written was the seventh day or as other say the first of that moneth which at Argos in old time they called Tetartos but now Hermeus on which day the Argives do celebrate even in this age a solemne sacrifice and feast which they call Hybristica as one would say reprochfull and infamous wherein the custome is that women went clad in soldiers coates and mantels but men were arraied and attired in womens peticoates frocks and veiles Now to replenish and repeople the citie againe for default of men who died in the wars they did not as Herodotus writeth use this pollicie to marrie their slaves to their widdowes but they granted free burgeosie of their citie unto the better sort of men who were their neighbors and borderers and granted unto them for to affiance and espouse the said widowes but it should seeme that these wives disdained despised in some sort these husbands of theirs as not comparable to their former for they made a law that these wives should have counterfeit beards set to their chins whensoever they slept and lay with their husbands THE PERSIAN WOMEN CYrus having caused the Persians to rebel against king Astyages the Medes hapned to be discomfited vanquished together with the Persians now when the Persians fled amaine toward the city and their enemies followed hard at their heeles ready to enter pel-mell with theÌ the women issued out of the gates met them even before the citie and plucking up their clothes before from beneath to their waste cried unto them Whither away and whither doe you flie the most beastly cowards that ever were for run as fast as you wil there is no reentrance here for you into that place out of which you came first into the world the Persians being ashamed as well to see such a sight as to heare those words blamed and rebuked themselves whereupon they turned againe and made head at their enemies sought freshly and put them to flight from which time forward there was a law established That whensoever the king returneth from some farre voiage and entreth into the citie everie woman should receive of him a piece of gold and that by the ordinance of king Cyrus who first enacted it But it is reported that king Ochus one of his successors who being bad enough otherwise was the most covetous prince that ever raigned over them turned alwaies out of the way passed besides the citie and never would come into it after such a journey whereby the women alwaies were disappointed of that gratuitie and gift which they ought to have had but king Alexander contrariwise entred the citie twice and gave to every woman with childe double so much that is to say two such pieces of gold THE WOMEN OF GAULE BEfore that the Gaules passed over the mountaines called Alpes and held that part of Italy which now they doe inhabit there arose a great discord and dangerous sedition among them which grew in the end to a civill warre but when both armies stood embattailed and arranged ready to fight their wives put themselves in the very mids betweene the armed troupes tooke the matter of difference and controversie into their hands brought them to accord and unitie and judged the quarrell with such indifferent equitie and so to the contentment of both parts that there ensued a woonderfull amitie and reciprocall good will not onely from citie to citie but also betweene house and house insomuch that ever after they continued this custome in all their consultations aswell of warre as peace to take the counsell
and wives of the towne fearing lest the enemies would search and rifle their husbands as they went forth of the gates and not once touch and meddle with them tooke unto them short curtelasses or skeines hid them under their clothes and so went forth together with their husbands When they were all out of the towne Annibal having set a guard of Mafaesylians to attend them staied them at the end of the suburbs meane while the rest of his armie without all order put themselves within the citie and fell to the spoile and sackage of it which when the Masaesylians perceived they grew out of all patience could not containe themselves nor looke wel unto their prisoners but were woonderous angrie and in the end meant for to have as good a part and share as the rest of the spoile hereupon the women tooke up a crie and gave unto their husbands the swords which they had brought with them yea some of them fel upon the guard or garrison insomuch as one of them was so bold as to take from Banon the Truchman or interpretor the speare which he had and thrust at him with it but he had on a good corps of a cuirace which saved him but their husbands having wounded some of them and put the rest to flight escaped by this meanes away together in a troupe with their wives which when Annibal understood he set out immediately after them and surprised those who were left behind whiles the rest got away and saved themselves for the present by recovering the mountaines adjoining but after they sent unto Annibal and craved pardon who graciously granted it yea and permitted them to returne in safetie and reinhabit their owne citie THE MILESIAN WOMEN THE Milesian maidens upon a time were surprized with a verie strong passionate fit of a fearfull melancholicke humour without any apparant cause that could be rendred thereof unlesse it were as men most conjectured that the aire was infected and empoisoned which might cause that alienation of the mind and worke a distimperature in their braines to the overthrow of their right wits for all on a sudden every one had a great desire to die and namely in a furious rage would needs hang themselves and in truth many of them secretly knit their neeks in haltars and so were strangled no reasons and remonstrances no teares of father and mother no perswasions and comfortable speeches of their friends would serve the turne but looke what keepers soever they had and how carefully soever they looked unto them they could find meanes of evasion to avoide and goe beyond all their devices and inventions in such sort that it was thought to be some plague and punishment sent from the gods above and such as no humaine provision could remedie untill such time as by the advice of a sage and wise citizen there went foorth a certaine edict and the same enacted by the counsell of the citie That if any one more hapned to hang herselfe she should be carried starke naked as ever she was borne throw the market place in the view of the whole world this proclamation being thus ratified by the common-counsell of the citie did not onely represse for a while but also staied for altother this furious rage of the maidens and their inordinate desire to make themselves away Thus we may see that the fear of dishonor shame infamy is a great signe infallible token of good nature and vertue considering that they feared neither death nor paine which are the most horrible accidents that men can endure howbeit they could not abide the imagination of vilannie shame and dishonor though it hapned not unto them untill they were dead and gone THE WOMEN OF CIO THe maner and custome was for the yoong virgins of Cio to goe altogether unto their publick temples and churches and so to passe the time al the long day there one with another where their lovers who wooed them for marriage might behold them disport and daunce and in the evening they went home to each of their houses in order where they waited upoÌ their fathers and mothers yea and the brethren one of another even to the very washing of their feet Now it hapned sometimes that many yoong men were enamoured of one and the same maide but their love was so modest good and honest that so soone as a maiden was affianced and betrothed unto one all the rest would give over sute so cease to make any more love unto her In summe the good order and cariage of these women of Cio might be knowen in this that in the space of seven hundred yeeres it was never knowen nor appeered upon record that anie wife committed adulterie nor maiden unmaried lost her virgnitie THE WOMEN OF PHOCIS THe tyrants of Phocis surprized upon a time and seized the citie of Delphos by occasion whereof the Thebans made that warre upon them which was called the Holy warre at which time it so befell that the religious women consecrated unto Bacchus named Thyades being bestraught and out of their right wits ranne wandring like vargrants up and downe in the night and knew not whither untill ere they were aware they ranne unto the citie Amphissa where being wearie but yet not come againe to their senses they lay along in the mids of the market place and couched themselves scattering heere and there to take their sleepe the wives of Amphissa being advertised heereof and fearing lest their bodies should be abused by the soldiers of the tyrants whereof there lay a garrison within the citie for that Amphissa was of the league and confederate with the Phocaeans ranne all thither to the place standing round about them with silence and not saying one word and so long as they slept troubled them not but soone as they wakened of themselves and were gotten up they tooke the charge of them gave them meat and each of them looked to one yea and afterwards having gotten leave of their husbands they conveighed and accompanied them in safetie so farre as to the mountains and marches of their owne territorie VALERIA and CLOELIA THe outrage committed upon the person of a Roman ladie named Lucretia and her vertue together were the cause that Tarquinius Superbus the seventh king of the Romanes after Romulus was deprived of his roiall estate and driven out of Rome This dame being married unto a great personage descended of the bloud roiall was abused and forced by one of the sons of the said king Tarquin who was enterteined and friendly lodged in her house by occasion of which villanous fact she called all her kinsfolke and friends together about her unto whom after she had delcared and given them to understand the shamefull dishonour that he had done upon her body she stabbed herselfe in the place before them and Tarquin the father for this cause being deposed from his princely dignitie and chased out of his kingdome levied manie warres against the
drunkennesse killed this silly poore girle even as she couched her face in the very lap and bosome of her father howbeit for all this and such like wicked pranks plaied the tyrant was nothing at all moved to pitie and compassion but many citizens he murdered and more he banished and caused to leave their countrey in such sort that as the speech went no fewer than eight hundred fled to the Aetolians craving at their hands to make meanes unto the tyrant that they might have away their wives and little children also Not long after the tyrant of his owne accord caused proclamation to be made by sound of trumpet that as many women as were willing to go unto their husbands should make them ready and depart yea and cary with them as much of their goods as they would now when he understood that they all with great joy of this proclamation thus published and that they were assembled together with much contentment of minde to the number of sixe hundred he commanded that they should depart and put themselves in their journey all together on a certeine day by him prefixed making semblant against that time to provide a good convoy for their better security when the time appointed was come they flocked thicke to the gates of the city having brought with them their trusses and fardles of such goods as they meant to have away with them carying some of their little babes in their armes taking order for others for to be brought in waggons and so they staied there attended one anothers comming but suddenly many of the souldiers and those of the tyrants guard came running toward them and crying aloud afarre off Stay stay now when they approched nere all the women they commanded to go backe againe but the waines and waggons they turned together with the horses full upon them and drave them amaine thorow the mids of the troupe and throng of the women not suffering them either to follow or to stay or succor their poore little infants whom they saw to die before their faces for some of them perished with falling out of the chariots to the ground others were destroied and trampled under the horse feet and all this while these pensioners of the guard with loud out-cries and with whipping drave the women before them like as they had bene so many sheepe and thronged them so hard that one tumbled upon another and thus they chased them untill such time as they had cast them all into prison but all their bag and baggage was seized upon and brought unto Aristotimus Now when the men of Elis were were heerewith mightily offended the religious women consecrated to the service of Bacchus whom they call the Sixteene carrying in their hands boughs of olive trees like suppliants and chaplets of vine branches about their heads which they tooke from the god whom they served went to meet with Aristotimus about the market-place of the citie his squires and pensioners about him for the guard of his bodie made a lane for them and seemed upon some reverence to give them way that they might come nere and the women at first kept silence doing nought els but in most humble and deuout maner tender unto him their branches like suppliants but after that the tyrant understood that it was for the Eliens wives that they came thus to make supplication and namely that hee would take some commiseration of them being wroth displeased with his guard he cried out upon them for suffering the said women to approch so neere unto his person and thereupon commanded them to drive some and to beat others untill they were all chased out of the market-place and more than all this he condemned these religious votaries in a fine of two talents a piece During these occurrences there was within the citie one of the burgesses named Hellanicus a man very farre stept in age who was the authour of a conspiracie and insurrection against the tyrant one that of all others he least distrusted and whom he never thought likely to practise against him both for that he was very aged and also because but a little before he had buried two of his children and it fortuned at the very same time that froÌ Aetolia the exiles before named passed into the territorie of Elis and seized upon a fort called Amymom situate in a very commodious place for to mainteine warre where they received and enterteined many other inhabitants of the citie who immediatly resorted thither and ran apace upon these tydings the tyrant Aristotimus much fearing the sequel hereof went unto their wives in prison and thinking to compasse his desseignes better by feare than favor and love he commanded them to send unto their husbands to write unto them for to abandon their holde and depart out of the countrey menacing the poore women that if they did not so he would cause their children first to be mangled with whips and so killed before their face and then put themselves also to death all of them were silent a good while notwithstanding he importuned them a long time and urged them to speake at once whether they would doe it or no they looked one upon another without saying a word giving him thereby to understand that they stood in no feare and were not astonied for all his threats at the last one of them named Megisto wife to Timoleon and a woman whom the rest regarded and held as their captainesse aswell in respect of her husbands honour as her owne vertue deigned not to rise up from her seat herselfe nor suffered any of the rest to stand up but sitting still in her place thus said If thou wert a wise man thou wouldest not deale thus as thou doest betweene women and their husbands but rather send unto them as to those who have the power and authoritie over their wives and to deliver unto them better speeches than such whereby thou hast deceived us now if being past hope to perswade them thou thinkest to circumvent and delude them by the meanes of us never looke that thou shalt abuse us any more nor thinke that they will be so ill advised or so base minded as that for to spare their wives and little children they will abandon and lose the libertie of their countrey for surely the losse of us will not be to them so much considering that they now enjoy us not as the gaine and benefit in delivering their countrey and fellow-citizens from such outrageous crueltie Whiles Megisto enterteined Aristotimus with these speeches he could no longer endure but commanded her little sonne to be brought before him for to murder him before her eies and when the pensioners about the tyrant searched for him among other little boies that were playing wrestling together his mother called unto him by name saying Come hither to me my boy that thou maiest be delivered from the crueltie of this tyrant before thou hast any sense or understanding to
know what tyranny is for a greater griefe it would be unto me another day to see thee for to serve like a slave vnworthily than to die here presently hereat Aristotimus through impatience of furious anger drew his sword upon the woman herselfe meaning to run her thorow but one of his familiar friends named Cylon who made semblant to be true faithful unto him but hated him secretly in his hart indeed was of the complices in that conspiracy of Hellanicus stepped before him and by his effectuall praiers turned his hand making remonstrance unto him that it was no generous and manly deed but a womanish act neither savoured it of a prince or such a personage as knew how to manage great affaires of State to deale in that sort which he forced and pressed so instantly that hardly and with much ado though it were Aristotinus was of a better minde bethought himselfe and went his way Now there befell unto him a strange accident which presaged what mischiefe was toward him for about high noone it was when being in his bed-chamber reposing himself with his wife whiles his dinner was now readie to be served up those of his houshold might perceive an eagle soaring round over his house and she let fal a bigge stone directly upon the very place of the roofe of the said chamber where he lay as if upon deliberate purpose she had aimed and leveled as it were so to doe himselfe hearing the noise and rap that the stone gave upon the house top over his head and withall the outcry beneath of those who beheld the foule was mightily affrighted and demanded what the matter might be when he understood what it was hee sent presently for the wizard or soothsaier whom he was wont to use in such cases and all troubled and perplexed in spirit asked him what this signe might presage the soothsaier coÌforted him willed him to be of good cheere saying unto himselfe That it was Jupiter who wakened him shewed how willing he was to assist and succour him but unto other citizens whom he might trust he expounded it otherwise and assured them that it was the vengeance of God which speedily would light upon the tyrants head whereupon Hellanicus and his adherents were resolved to deferre the execution of their desseignes no longer but to set upon the enterprise the next morrow in the night that came betweene Hellanicus as he slept dreamed and in that vision he thought that one of his sons late deceased stood before him said Father what meane you to lie a sleepe considering that once to morrow you must be captaine general and sovereigne governor of this citie Hellanicus wonderfully encouraged by this vision started up and went to sollicit the rest of his complices and companions in the said conspiracie By this time was Aristotimus advertised that Craterus was comming to aide him with a puissant armie and lay encamped neere to Olympia in the assurance and confidence whereof he presently tooke Cylon with him and went foorth without any guard about his person Hellanicus seeing the opportunitie now offred and taking the vantage thereof gave not the signal and watchword which was agreed upon with those who first were to set to the execution of their entended enterprise but stretching foorth both his hands with a loud voice cried out Now now my masters and valiant men what staie you for can you desire a fairer theater to shew your valour in than to fight for the defence of your libertie in the very heart of your native countrey At which words Cylon drew his sword first and smot one of them that followed and accompanied Aristotimus but Thrasibulus and Lampis came afront and ran upon the tyrant himselfe who preventing the venue of their stroake fled for refuge and sanctuarie into the temple of Jupiter where they slew him out-right and drew his dead corps into the market place and then assembled all the citizens thither for to recover their freedome but many of the people could not prevent the women for they ranne out with the first in great alacritie weeping and crying out for very joy and environing their husbands round about crowned them and set chaplets of flowers upon their heads then the multitude of the common people set upon the tyrants house and assaulted it his wife having shut her-selfe within her chamber there hung herselfe and whereas she had two daughters virgins as yet but in the prime and flower of their yeeres ready for marriage those they tooke and by force haled them out of the house with full intent to kill them in the end after they had abused their bodies first and then perpetrated all the villanie shame they could devise unto them which no doubt they would have put in execution but that Megisto with other honest matrons of the citie opposed themselves and came betweene who cried aloud unto them that in so dooing they should commit an indignitie unbeseeming them if considering that now being in the verie traine and high way of recovering their libertie for to live from hencefoorth in a popular government they should perpetrate as violent outrages as the most bloudy and cruell tyrants are used to commit the people in good respect and reverence to the honour and authoritie of this vertuous and honest dame who spake her minde so frankely unto them with teares gushing out of her eies were reclaimed and advised to offer no abuse nor vilanie unto their persons but to put unto their choise what death they would die and when they had brought them both back againe into the house and intimated unto them that there was no other remedie but die they must and that presently the elder of the twaine named Myro untied her girdle from about her waste and with a running noose did it about her owne necke in maner of an halter then kissing and embracing her yoonger sister she praied her to marke what she did and according to her example to doe thereafter To the end quoth she that we may not die basely unwoorthy the place from whence we are come and descended but the yoonger desired againe that she might die first caught hold of the girdle and snatched it from her then the elder Well sister quoth she I never yet refused to do any thing that you desired at my hands even now content I am to doe so much for you as to endure and suffer that which will be more greevous unto me than death it selfe namely to see my most deere and best beloved sister to die before me which said she her selfe taught her how to fit the said girdle to her necke and to knit it for the purpose and when she perceived once that the life was out of her bodie she tooke her downe and covered her breathlesse corps then addressing her speech unto dame Megisto her selfe she besought her that she would not suffer her bodie after she was dead to lie shamefully above
the ground and not interred the sight heereof and the words withall were so patheticall that there was not one present so hard hearted or so spightfully and malicously bent against the tyrant but deplored their wofull estate and pitied the generositie and magnanimitie of these two yoong ladies Now albeit there be infinit presidents of noble deeds that in old time women have done in companies together yet me thinkes these few examples which I have already delivered may suffice from hencefoorth therefore I will rehearse the particular vertuous acts of severall women by themselves as they come scattering into my remembrance for I suppose that such narrations and histories as these doe not require of necessitie the precise order and consequence of the times PIERIA OF those Ionians who were come to dwell in the citie of Miletum some chaunced to be at variance and debate with the children of Neleus by occasion whereof in the end they thought the city too hot for them and constreined they were to remoove and retire themselves into the citie Myus where they made their abode habitation and yet even there also much molested they were and troubled by the Milesians who warred upon them for their revolt and apostasie howbeit this warre was not so bloudie and mortall but that they used to send one unto another yea and to communicate and negotiate reciprocally in divers things for even upon certaine solemne and festivall daies the wives and women of Myus would repaire boldly unto Miletum now among these Myuntines there was a noble man and of great name one Pythes who had to wife a ladie called Japygia by whom he was father of a faire daughter cleped Pieria when as therefore the great feast unto Diana and a solemne sacrifice called Neleus was celebrated by the Milesians Pythes sent thither unto this solemnitie his wife and daughter aforesaid for they had requested leave of him to be partakers of the feast It fortuned whiles they were there that one of the sonnes of Neleus a man of most credit and greatest authoritie in the citie named Phrygius cast a fancie to Pieria and in courting her after the manner of lovers desired to know of her what it might be wherein he might gratifie her most and best content her unto whom she answered If Sir you will so bring about that I my selfe with many more may oftentimes resort hither you shall doe me the greatest pleasure that you can devise Phrygius conceiving presently what her meaning was namely that there might bee continuall peace and amitie betweene those two cities wrought so that he composed the warre on both sides in regard hereof Pieria was highly esteemed and honoured in both cities in such wise that unto this day the Milesian dames do wish ordinarily and pray unto the gods that they may be as well beloved as Pieria was of Phrygius POLYCRITE THere was in times past warre betweene the Naxians and the Milesians about Neaera the wife of Hypsicreon and the same arose upon this occasion This Neaera was enamoured upon Promedon a Naxian insomuch as she would embarke take the sea and saile with him for why an ordinarie guest he was of Hypsicreons and used to lodge in his house whensoever hee came to Miletum yea and secretly she had him to lie with her she loved him so well but in processe of time when shee feared that her husband perceived it he faire tooke her cleane away with him to Naxos where he ordained that she should be a suppliant of Vesta Hypsicreon sent for her againe but when the Naxians in favour of Promedon refused to render her alleaging for a colourable pretense of their excuse the priviledge and franchises of suppliants hereupon the warre began between them in which quarrell the Erythraeans favoured the Milesians verie assectionatly and sided with them insomuch as it grew to a long and lingering warre and many miseries and calamities that follow warres it drew withall as well to the one part as the other until at last the quarrel was finally ended by the vertue of one woman like as it began first by the vice and wickednesse of another For Diognetus the captaine generall of the Erythraeans unto whom was coÌmitted the charge of keeping a fort seated upon a very commodious place to annoy endamage the Naxians made rodes and incursions into their territorie where with many other huge booties that he drave and carried away he took and led as his prisoners many maidens and wives of good houses and parentage among whom there was one named Polycrite whom himselfe fancied and fell in love with her he kept and entertained not like a captive or prisoner but as if she had beene his espoused wife now it fortuned that the day was come when the Milesians lying in campe were to solemnize a great feast by reason where of they fel to drinking freely and making good cheere inviting one another as the maner was thon Polycrite asked captaine Diognetus whether hee would be offended if she should send certaine tarts pies and cakes provided for that feast unto her brethren who answered that he not onely permitted but also willed her so to doe she taking the opportunitie of good occasion put within one of these tarts a little thinne plate of lead which was written upon charging him expressely who had the carriage thereof to say unto her brethren that in any case none but they should taste of the said cakes or tarts this message was done accordingly and when they came to eate the tarts they found within one a writing of their sisters whereby shee advertised and advised them not to faile but that very night to come and assaile their enemies for that they should finde them in great disorder without sentinell and corps-de-guard without any watch and ward at all for that they were all drunke by occasion of the good cheere that they had made at that feast having this intelligence they presently acquainted the captaines generall of the Naxians armie therewith praying them to enterprise this service by their direction and with them thus were the Erythraeans deseized of their strong hold and a great number of them within put to the sword but Polycrite craved Diognetus of her fellow-citizens and by that meanes saved his life now when she approched neere unto the gates of Naxos seeing all the inhabitants comming foorth to meet her with exceeding great joy and mirth putting garlands of flowers upon her head and chanting songs of her praises her heart was not able to endure so great joy for she died at the very gate of the citie where afterwards she was enterred and entombed and her monument was called the Sepulcher of Envie as if there had beene some envious fortune which had grudged unto Polycrite the fruition of so great glorie and honour Thus the Historiographers of Naxos have delivered this narration howbeit Aristotle saith that Polycrite was never taken prisoner but Diognetus having had a sight of her by some
other meanes became enamoured upon her so farre that he was ready to give unto her and to do for the love of her whatsoever she would also that she promised to go with him in case he would agree and graunt one thing and as the said philosopher telleth the tale thereupon she required of him an obligation of his oth and after he had faithfully sworne unto her she demaunded that hee should deliver unto her the castle Delio for that was the name of the fort or piece whereof hee had the charge otherwise she said that she would never come in bed with him whereupon he aswell for the great desire that he had to enjoy her love as in regard of his foresaid oath by which he was bound and obliged quit the place and rendred it into the hands of Polycrite who presently delivered it up unto her countrey-men and fellow-citizens by which meanes they being now able once againe to make their parts good with the Milesians made an accord and concluded peace under what conditions they desired themselves LAMPSACE IN the citie Phocaea there were sometimes two brethren twinnes of the house and family of the Codridae the one named Phobus the other Blepsus of which twaine Phobus was the first that according as Charon the Chronicler of Lampsacum doth record cast himselfe from the high rocks and cliffes of Leucas into the sea This Phobus being of great puissance and royall authoritie in his countrey hapned to have some private affaire and negotiation of his owne in theisle of Paros and thither he went where he contracted amitie alliance and hospitalitie with Mandron king of the Bebrycians surnamed Pityoessenes and by vertue of this new league he aided them and in their behalfe made warre with them against other barbarous people their neighbours who did them wrong and wrought them much damage afterwards when he was upon his departure and returne home Mandron among many other courtesies and tokens of kindnesse which he bestowed upon him now ready to embarke and take the sea offered him the one moitie of his country and city if he would come dwel in the citie Pityoessa with some part of the Phocaeans for to people the place whereupon Phobus after he was come home againe to Phocaea proposed this matter unto the Phocaeans his citizens having perswaded them to accept of the offer he sent his owne brother as leader and captaine to conduct this colonie of new inhabitants who upon their first arrivall and comming thither found themselves as well entreated as courteously entertained as they could wish or looke for at Mandron his hands but in tract of time after that they had gotten many advantages at the Barbarians hands their neighbours borderers wan divers booties from them and gained much pillage spoile they began to be envied first and afterwards to be dread and feared of the Bebrycians who being desirous for to be rid and delivered of such guests durst not addresse themselves unto Mandron whom they knew to be an honest and just man for to perswade him to practise any disloyaltie or treacherie against men of the Greek nation but espying a time when he was absent and out of the countrey they complotted and prepared to surprize the Phocaeans by a wile and so to dispatch them al to once out of the way but Lampsace the daughter of Mandron a maiden yet unmarried having some fore-inkling and intelligence of this forelaied ambush laboured dealt first with her familiar friends to divert them from so wicked an enterprise shewing and prooving unto them that it was a damnable act before God and abominable among men to proceed so treacherously against their allies and confederates who had beene ready at all times to aid and assist them in their need against their enemies and besides were now incorporate with them and their fellow-citizens but when she saw that there would no good be done and that she could not disswade them from it she acquainted the Greeks under-hand with this treason which was a warping against them advised them to look unto themselves stand upon their own guard so the Phocaeans made a solemn sacrifice a publick feast invited the Pityoessenes to come out of the citie into the suburbes to take part therof themselves they divided into two troupes whereof the one seised the wals of the citie whiles the inhabitants were at the feast meane time the other were busie in massacring the guests that were bidden to it and by this meanes they became masters of the whole citie and sent for Mandron whom they desired to participate with them in their counsels and affaires as for Lampsace his daughter who fortuned to die of sicknesse they interred magnificently and in memoriall of that good which she did unto them called the citie after her name Lampsacum howbeit Mandron because he would not be suspected to have beene a traitour unto his owne people would not consent to dwell among them but required to have of them the wives and children of them who were dead whom they sent unto him with all speed and diligence without dooing any harme or displeasure at all unto them as for Lamsaca unto whom before they had ordeined heroick honors they decreed for ever to sacrifice unto her as unto a goddesse and even to this day they doe continue and observe the same divine worship unto her ARETAPHILA ARetaphila of Cyrene was none of them that lived in ancient time but lately in the daies of king Mithridates but she shewed vertue performed an act comparable to the magnanimous counsels and desseignes of the most autike demi-goddesses that ever were daughter she was to Aeglator and wife to Phaedimus both noble men and great personages faire beautifull of visage of deepe conceit and high reach and namely in matters of estate affaires of government well experienced the publike calamities of her countrey did illustrate her name and caused her to be well knowne and voiced in the world for Nicocrates having usurped the tyrannie of Cyrene put to death many of the chiefe and principall men of the citie and among the rest one Melanippus the high priest of Apollo whom he slew with his owne hands for to enjoy his priesthood he did to death also Phaedimus the husband of Aretaphila and not content therewith married her perforce and against her will this tyrant over above an infinit number of other cruelties which he daily committed set certaine warders at every gate of the city who when there was caried foorth any dead corps to buriall out of the citie abused the same with digging into the soles of their feet with the points of their daggers and poinards or else with searing them with red hot irons for feare that any of the inhabitants should be conveied alive out of the citie under colour of being borne to the grave as dead private and particular crosses had Aretaphila no doubt which were greevous unto her
of discontentment nor directly and in open maner seemed to warre against him but privily practised and cunningly disposed all for first and formost she raised warre upon him out of Lybia by the meanes of a prince there named Anabus betweene whom and her there passed secret intelligence him shee sollicited and perswaded to invade his countrey and with a puissant armie to approch the citie Cyrene then she buzzed into Leanders head certeine surmizes and suspitions of disloialtie in his peeres his friends and captaines giving him to understand that their stood not to this warre but that they loved peace and quietnesse rather Which quoth she to say a truth as things now stand were better for you for the establishment of your roial state dominion in case you would rule in deed holde under and keepe in awe your subjects and citizens and for mine owne part I holde it good policie for you to make meanes for a treatie of peace which I will labour to effect and for that purpose bring you and Anabus together to an interview and parle if you thinke so good before that you grow to farther tearmes of hostilitie and open warre which may breed a mischiefe that afterwards will admit no cure nor remedie This motion she handled and followed with such dexteritie that Leander condescended thereto and shee her selfe in person went to conferre with the Lybian prince whom she requested that so soone as ever they were met together to treat of this pretended accord he should arrest the tyrant as his prisoner and to doe this feat she promised him great gifts and presents besides a good reward in money the Lybian soone accorded hereto now Leander made some doubt at first to go into this parle and staied a while but afterwards for the good respect that he had unto Aretaphila who promised in his behalfe that he should come to conference he set forward naked without armes and without his guards when he approched the place appointed for this interview and had a sight once of Anabus his heart misgave him againe and being much troubled and perplexed he would not go on but said he would stay for his guard howbeit Aretaphila who was there present partly encouraged him and in part rebuked and checked hin saying That he would be taken and reputed for a base minded coward and a disloiall person who made no account of his word if he should now flinch and start backe at the last when they were at point to meet she laied holde upon him plucked him forward by the hand and with great boldnesse and resolution haled him untill she had delivered him into the hands of the barbarous prince then immediatly was hee apprehended and his bodie attached by the Lybians who kept him bound as a prisoner and set a straight guard about him untill such time as the friends of Aretaphila with other citizens of Cirene were come to the campe and brought the money and gifts unto her which she had promised unto Anabus For so soone as it was knowen in the city that Leander was taken prisoner in sure hold a number also of the multitude ran forth to the place appointed of conference and so soone as they had set an eie on Aretaphila they went within a little of forgetting all their anger and malice which they bare unto the tyrant thinking that the revenge and exemplarie punishment of him was but accessarie and by-matter as being now wholly amused upon another thing and supposing the principall fruition of their libertie consisted in saluting and greeting her most kindly and with so great joy that the teares ran downe their cheeks insomuch as they were ready to kneele yea and cast themselves downe prostrate at her feet no lesse than before the sacred image and statue of a goddesse thus they flocked unto her by troups out of the citie one after another all day long insomuch as it was wel in the evening before they could advise with themselves to seize upon the person of Leander and hardly before darke night did they bring him with them into the citie Now after they were well satisfied with giving all maner of praises and doing what honour they could devise unto Aretaphila in the end they turned to consultation what was best to be done with the tyrants so they proceeded to burne Calbia quicke and as for Leander they put him in a leather poke and sowed it up close and then cast it into the sea Then ordeined and decreed it was that Aretaphila should have the charge and administration of the weale publicke with some other of the principall personages of the citie joined in commission with her but she as one who had plaied many and sundry parts alreadie upon the stage so well that shee had gotten the garland and crowne of victorie when shee saw that her countrey and citie was now fully free and at libertie immediatly betooke her selfe to her owne private house as it were cloistered up with women onely and would no more intermeddle in the affaires of State abroad but the rest of her life she passed in peace and repose with her kinsfolke and friends without setting her selfe to any businesse save onely to her wheele her web and such womens works CAMMA THere were in times past two most puissant Lords and Tetrarches of Galatia who also were in blood of kinne one to the other Sinatus and Synorix Sinatus had espoused a yoong virgin named Camma and made her his wife a ladie highly esteemed of as many as knew her as well for the beautie of her person as the floure of her age but admired much more in regard of her vertue and honestie for she had not onely a tender respect of her owne good name and honour carried an affectionate love and true heart unto her but also was wise magnanimous and passing well beloved of all her subjects and tenants in regard of her gentle nature and her debonair and bounteous disposition and that which made her better reputed and more renowmed was this that she was both a religious priestresse of Diana a goddesse whom the Galatians most devoutly honour and worship and also in every solemne procession and publicke sacrifice she would alwaies be seene abroad most sumptuously set out and stately adorned It fortuned so that Synorix was enamoured of this brave dame but being not able to bring about his purpose and to enjoy her neither by faire meanes nor foule perswade he or menance what he could so long as her husband lived the divell put in his head to commit a most heinous and detestable fact for he said waite for Sinatus and treacherously murthered him he staied not long after but he fell to wooing of Camma and courting herby way of marriage she made her abode within the temple at that time and tooke the infamous act committed by Synorix not piteously and as one cast downe and dejected therewith but with a slout heart and a stomacke mooved to anger
them fast trustie unto him by whose meanes he became dread and terrible to the Cyrenians these sent in post with all speed unto king Amasis messengers of purpose to charge accuse Eryxo Polyarchus for this murder whereat the king was wroth and in great indignation intended out of hand to make sharpe war upon the Cyrenians but as he prepared to set forward this expedition it fortuned that his mother departed this life whiles therfore he was busie about her funerals newes came to Cyrene how this king was highly displeased and resolved to levie warre against them whereupon Polyarchus thought good to addresse himselfe in person to the said king and to render a reason unto him of this late fact committed upon the bodie of Laarchus neither would his sister Eryxo tary behinde but follow him and expose her owne person to the same perill that he entred into yea and the mother of them both named Critola very aged though she was was right willing to goe and accompanied her sonne and daughter in this journey now was she a great ladie and most highly esteemed in this regard especially that shee was the sister in the whole bloud to Battus the first of that name surnamed the Happie When they were arrived in Aegypt all other lords and noble men of the court approved well of that which they had done in this case and Amasis himselfe infinitely commended the pudicitie and magnanimitie of dame Eryxo and after he had honoured them with rich presents and roially enterteined them he sent them all backe Polyarchus I meane and the two ladies with his good grace and favour to Cyrene XENOCRITE XEnocrite a ladie of the citie Cumes deserveth no lesse to be praised and admired for that which she practised against Aristodemus the tyrant whom some thinke to have bene surnamed Malacos that is to say Soft and effeminate in regard of his loose and dissolute carriage but they are deceived and ignorant in the true originall and occasion of his name for the Barbarians gave him this addition Malacos which in their language signifieth a Yonker because being a very youth with other companions of equall age as yet wearing their haire long whom in olde time they tearmed Coronistae of their blacke locks as it should seeme he above the rest in the warres against the Barbarians bare himselfe so bravely for he was not only hardy couragious in spirit stout also and tall of his hands but withall full of wit discretion and forecast and so farre excelled all others in singularitie that hee became right famous and renowmed whereupon he grew into such credit and admiration among his countreymen and fellow-citizens that incontinently promoted he was and advanced by them to the greatest offices of State and highest dignities in common-weale insomuch as when the Tuskans made warre upon the Romans in the right and quarrell of Tarquinius Superbus and namely to restore him againe to his crowne and kingdome from which he was deposed the Cumans made him captaine generall of those forces which they sent to aide the Romans in which expedition and warfare that continued long he carried himselfe so remisly among his citizens which were in the campe under his charge and gave them so much the head to do what they would winning their hearts by courtesies and flatterie rather than commanding them as their generall that he put into their heads and perswaded them upon their returne home to run upon the Senate and to joine with him in expelling and banishing the mightiest persons and best men of the citie By which practice he set up himselfe as an absolute tyrant and as he seemed wicked and violent otherwise in all kinde of oppression and extortion so most of all he was outragious and went beyond himselfe in villanie toward wives and maidens to yoong boies also of good houses and free borne for among other enormities this is recorded of him That he forced yoong lads to weare their haire long like lasses to have also upon their heads borders cawles and attires with spangles of golde contrariwise hee compelled yoong maidens to be rounded polled and notted and to weare short jackets coats mandilians without sleeves after the fashion of springalds howbeit being exceedingly enamored upon Xenocrita the daughter of one of those principall citizens who by him were exiled her he kept not having espoused her lawfully nor woon her good will by faire perswasions supposing that the maiden might thinke her selfe well appaied and her fortune verie happie to be enterteined in any sort whatsoever by him being by that meanes so highly reputed of and esteemed fortunate among all the citizens but as for her all these favors did not ravish and transport her sound judgement and understanding for besides that she was mightily discontented to converse and keepe companie with him not espoused nor affianced and given in marriage by her friends she had no lesse desire to recover the liberty of her countrey than those who were openly hated of the tyrant Now it fortuned about the same time that Aristodemus caused a trench to be cast a bank to be raised round about his territory a piece of worke neither necessarie nor profitable which he did onely upon a policie because he would thereby vexe out-toile consume waste his poore subjects for he tasked every man to cast up cary forth by the day a certaine number of measures full of earth Xenocrita when she saw him at any time comming toward her would turne aside and cover her face with the lappet of her gown but when Aristodemus was passed by gone yong men her play-feres by way of mirth and pastime would aske her why she muffled and masked her-selfe as ashamed to see him onely and was not abashed to see and be seene of other men as well unto whom she would answer demurely that in right good earnest say Iwis I do it of purpose because there is not one man among all the Cumans but Aristodemus this word touched them all very neere but such as were of any noble spirit and courage it galled and pricked for very shame yea and gave them an edge to set in hand and enterprise some manly act for to recover their freedome which when Xenocrita heard she said by report that she would rather herselfe carie earth in a basket upon her owne shoulders as other did for her father if he were there present than participate in all delights and pleasures yea and enjoy great power and authoritie with Aristodemus These and such like speeches cast out by her confirmed those who were conspired and ready to rise against the tyrant of whom the chiefetaine and principall leader was one Themotecles unto these conspiratours Xenocrita gave free accesse and ready entrie unto Aristodemus who finding him alone unarmed and unguarded fell many at once upon him and so quickly dispatched him out of the way Lo how the citie of Cumes was delivered from tyrannie by
vehement force of action which is in them remaine idle so lively and subtile it is but they wave to and fro continually as if they were tossed by tempest and winde upon the sea untill such time as they come to be setled in a constant firme and permanent habitude of maners like as therefore he who is altogether unskilfull of husbandrie and tillage maketh no reckoning at all of a ground which he seeth full of rough bushes and thickets beset with savage trees and overspred with ranke weeds wherein also there be many wilde beasts many rivers and by consequence great store of mudde and mire but contrariwise an expert husband and one who hath good judgement and can discerne the difference of things knoweth these and all such signes to betoken a fertile and plentifull soile even so great wits and hautie spirits doe produce and put foorth at the first many strange absurd and leud pranks which we not able to endure thinke that the roughnesse offensive pricks thereof ought immediately to be cropt off and cut away but he who can judge better considering what proceedeth from thence good and generous attendeth and expecteth with patience the age and season which is cooperative with vertue and reason against which time the strong nature in such is for to bring foorth and yeeld her proper and peculiar frute And thus much may suffice of this matter But to proceed forward Thinke you not that some of the Greeks have done well and wisely to make a transcript of a law in Egypt which commaundeth that in case a woman who is attaint and convicted of a capital crime for which in justice she ought to die be with childe she should be kept in prison untill she were delivered Yes verily they all answered Well then quoth I Set case there be some one who hath no children conceived in his wombe to bring foorth but breedeth some good counsell in his head or conceiveth a great enterprise in his minde which he is to bring to light and effect in time either by discovering an hidden mischiefe or setting abroad an expedient and profitable counsell or inventing some matter of necessarie consequence Thinke you not that he did better who deferred the execution of such an ones punishment stay untill the utilitie that might grow by him were seene than he who inconsiderately in all haste proceedeth to take revenge prevent the opportunitie of such a benefit Certes for mine owne part I am fully of that minde and even we no lesse answered Patrocleas Well then quoth I it must needs be so for marke thus much If Dionysius had beene punished for his usurped rule in the beginning of his tyrannie there should not one Grecian have remained inhabitant in ãâã for the Carthaiginans would have held the same and driven them al out like as it must needs have befallen to the citie Apollonia to Anactorium and the Chersonese ordemie island Leucadia if ãâã had suffered punishment at first and not a long time after as he did And I suppose verily that the punishment and revenge of Cassander was put off and prolonged of purpose untill by that meanes the citie of Thebes was fully reedified and peopled againe And many of those mercenary soldiers and strangers who seized and held this temple wherein we are during the time of the sacred warre passed under the conduct of Timoleon into Sicilie who after they had defaited in battell the Carthaginians and withall suppressed abolished sundrie tyrannies they came to a wretched end wicked wretches as they were For God in great wisedome and providence otherwhiles maketh use of some wicked persons as of butchers and common excutioners to torment and punish others as wicked as they or woorse whom afterwards he destroieth and thus in mine opinion he dealeth with most part of tyrants For like as the gall of the wild beast Hyaena and the rendles or rennet of the Sea-calfe as also other parts of venemous beasts and serpents have one medicinable propertie or other good to heale sundry maladies of men even so God seeing some people to have need of bitte and bridle and to be chastised for their enormities sendeth unto them some inhumane tyrant or a rigorous and inexorable lord to whip and scourge them and never giveth over to afflict and vexe them untill he have purged and cleered them of that maladie wherewith they were infected Thus was Phalaris the tyrant a medicine to the Agrigentines thus Marius was sent as a remedie to cure the Romanes as for the Sicyonians even god himselfe Apollo foretold them by oracle That their citie had need of certaine officers to whippe and scourge them at what time as they would perforce take from the Cleoneans a certain yong boy named Teletias who was crowned in the solemnitie of the Pythian games pretending that he was their citizen and borne among them whom they haled and pulled in such sort as they dismembred him But these Sicyonians met afterwards with Orthagoras that tyrannized over them and when he was gone they were plagued also with Myron and Clisthenes and their favorites who held them in so short that they kept them from all outrages and staied their insolent follies whereas the Cleoneans who had not the like purgative medicine to cure them were subverted and through their misdemeanor come to nothing Marke well therefore that which Homer in one place saith His sonne he was and in all kind of valour did surmount His father farre who was to say a truth of base account And yet this sonne of Copreus never performed in all his life any memorable act beseeming a man of woorth and honour whereas the ofspring of Sisyphus the race of Antolycus and the posteritie of Phlegyas flourished in glorie and all maner of vertue among great kings and princes At Athens likewise Pericles descended from an house excommunicate and accursed And so at Rome Pompeius surnamed Magnus that is the Great had for his father one Strabo a man whom the people of Rome so hated that when he was dead they threw his corps out of the biere wherein it was caried foorth to buriall and trampled it under their feet What absurditie then were it if as the husbandman never cutteth up or stocketh the thorne or bush before he hath gathered the render sprouts and buds thereof nor they of Libya burne the boughes of the plant Ledrom untill they have gotten the aromaticall gumme or liquor out of it called Ladanum even so God never plucketh up by the root the race of any noble and roiall familie wicked and wretched though they be before it hath yeelded some good and profitable frute for it had bene farre better and more expedient for the men of Phocis that ten thousand beefs and as many horses of Iphitus had died that the Delphians likewise had lost much more gold and silver by farre than that either Ulysses or Aesculapius should not have bene borne or others in like case whose
Metrodorus how bravely and valiantly he went downe from the citie of Athens to the port Pyreaeum for to aid and succour Mythris the Syrian albeit Metrodorus did no service at all in that sally What manner of pleasures then and how great ought wee to esteeme those which Plato enjoied when Dion a scholar of his one of his bringing up rose up to put downe the tyrant Dionysius to deliver the state of Sicily from servitude what contentment might Aristotle find when he caused the citie of his nativitie which was ruinate and rased to the ground to be reedified and his countrimen fellow-citizens to be called home who were banished what delights and joies were those of Theophrastus and Phidias who deposed and overthrew those tyrants who usurped the lordly dominion of their countrey and for private persons in particular how many they relieved not in sending unto them a strike or a bushell of corne and meale as Epicurus sent unto some but in working and effecting that those who were exiled out of their native countrey driven from their owne houses and turned out of all their goods might returne home againe and reenter upon all that such as had beene prisoners and lien in irons might be delivered and set at large as many also as were put from their wives and children might recover and enjoy them againe What need I make rehearsall unto you who know all this well enough But surely the impudence and absurditie of this man I can not though I would passe over with silence who debasing and casting under foot the acts of Themistocles and Miltiades as he did wrot of himselfe to certeine of his friends in this sort Right nobly valiantly and magnificently have you shewed your endevour and care of us in provision of corne to furnish us withall and againe you have declared by notorious signes which mount up into heaven the singular love and good will which you beare unto me And if a man observe the manner of this stile and writing he shall find that if he take out of the misteries of this great philosopher that which concerneth a little corne all the words besides are so curiously couched and penned as if the epistle had beene written purposedly as a thankes giving for the safety of all Greece or at leastwise for delivering setting free and preserving the whole citie and people of Athens What should I busie my head to shew unto you that for the delights of the bodie nature had need to be at great cost and expences neither doth the chiefe pleasure which they seeke after consist in course bisket-bread in pease pottage or lentile broth but the appetites of these voluptuous persons call for exquisit and daintie viands for sweete and delicate wines such as those be of Thasos for sweet odours pleasant perfumes and precious ointments for curious junkets and banketting dishes for tarts cake-bread marchpanes and other pastrie works well wrought beaten and tempered with the sweet liquor gathered by the yellow winged Bee over and besides all this their mind stands also to faire and beautiful yoong damosels they must have some pretie Leontium some fine Boïchon some sweet Hedia or daintie Nicedion whom they keepe and nourish of purpose within their gardens of pleasure to be ready at hand As for the delights and joies of the mind there is no man but will consesse and say That founded they ought to be upon the greatnesse of some noble actions and the beautie of worthy and memorable works if we would have them to be not vaine base and childish but contrariwise reputed grave generous magnificent and manlike whereas to vaunt and glory of being let loose to a dissolute course of life and the fruition of pleasures and delights after the maner of sailers and mariners when they celebrate the seast of Venus to boast also and please himselfe in this That being desperatly sicke of that kinde of dropsie which the Physicians call Ascites he forbare not to feast his friends still and keepe good companie neither spared to adde and gather more moisture and waterish humours still unto his dropsie and remembring the last words that his brother Neocles spake upon his death-bed melted and consumed with a speciall joy and pleasure of his owne tempered with teares there is no man I trow of sound judgement and in his right wits who would tearme these sottish sollies either sound joies or perfect delights but surely if there be any Sardonian laughter as they call it belonging also to the soule it is seated in my conceit even in such joies and mirths mingled with teares as these which do violence unto nature but if any man shal say that these be solaces let him compare them with others and see how farre these excell and go beyond them which are expressed by these verses By sage advice I have effected this That Spartaes martiall fame eclipsed is Also This man ô friend and stranger both was while he lived heere The great and glorious starre of Rome his native citie decre Likewise I wot not what I should you call An heavenly God and man mortall And when I set before mine eies the noble and worthy acts of Thrasibulus and Pelopidas or behold the victories either of Aristides in that journey of Plateae or of Miltiades at the battell of Marathon I am even ravished and transported besides my selfe and forced to say with Herodotus and deliver this sentence That in this active life there is more sweetnesse and delectation than glorie and honour and that this is so Epaminondas will beare me witnesse who by report gave out this speech that the greatest contentment which ever he had during his life was this That his father and mother were both alive to see that noble Trophee of his for the victorie that he wan at Leuctres being generall of the Thebans against the Lacedaemonians Compare we now with this mother of Epaminondas Epicurus his mother who tooke so great joy to see her sonne keeping close in a daintie garden and orchard of pleasure where he and his familiar friend Polyenus gat children in common upon a trull and courtisan of Cyzicum for that both mother and sister of Metrodorus were exceeding glad of his marriage may appeare by his letters missive written unto his brother which are extant in his books and yet they goe up and downe everie where crying with open mouth That they have lived in joy doing nought els but extoll and magnifie their delicate life faring much like unto slaves when they solemnize the feast of Saturne supping and making good cheere together or celebrate the Bacchanales running about the fields so as a man may hardly abide to heare the utas and yelling noise they make when upon the insolent joy of their hearts they breake out into many fooleries and utter they care not unto whom as vaine and fond speeches in this maner Why sut'st thou still thou wretched lout Come let us drinke and quaffe about The
of themselves without any evident cause prognosticate and fore-signifie diseases for that as it should seeme the spirits that should passe unto the nerves and sinewes are obstructed stopped and excluded by the great repletion of humors and albeit the bodie it selfe tendeth as it were to the contrarie and pulleth us to our bedde and repose yet some there be who for very gluttony and disordinate lust put themselves into baines hot-houses making haste from thence to drinking square with good fellowes as if they would make provision before-hand of victuals against some long siege of a citie or feare that the feaver should surprise them fasting or before they had taken their full dinner others somwhat more honest yea civill than they are not this way ãâã but being ashamed fooles as they are to confesse that they have eaten or drunke overmuch that they feele any heavinesse in head or cruditie in stomacke loth also to be knowen for to keepe their chamber all the day long in their night gownes whiles their companions goe to tennis and other bodily exercises abroad in publicke place and call them foorth to beare them companie rise up and make them ready to goe with them cast off their clothes to their naked skinne with others and put themselves to doe all that men in perfect health are to performe But the most part of these induced and drawen on by hope perswaded are bold to arise and to doe hardly after their wonted maner assisted by a certaine hope grounded upon a proverbe ãâã an advocate to desend gourmandise and wanton life which adviseth them that they should ãâã wine with wine drive or digest one surfeit with another Howbeit against all such hope ãâã are to oppose the warie and considerat caution that Cato speaketh of which as that wise ãâã saith doth diminish and lessen great things and as for small matters it reduceth them to nothing also that it were better to endure want of meat and to keepe the bodie emptie and in ãâã than so to hazard it by entring into a baine or runne to an high ordinarie to dine and ãâã ãâã be some disposition to sicknesse hurtfull it will be that we have not taken heed nor conteined our selves but beene secure if none dangerous it will not be that we have held ãâã restrained our selves and by that restraint made our body so much more pure and cleare But that ãâã foole whosoever he be that is afraid to let his friends and those of his owne house know that he is amisse or ill at ease for that he hath eaten overmuch or surfeited with strong drinke as being ashamed to confesse this day his indigestion shall be forced to morrow even against his will to bewray either an inordinate catarrh and fluxe or an ague or else some wrings and torments of the belly thou takest it for a great shame to be knowen that thou didst want or were hungry but farre greater shame it is to avow crudity and rawnesse to bewray heavinesse proceeding from full diet and upon repletion of the bodie to be drawen neverthelesse into a baine as if some rotten vessell or leaking shippe that would not keepe out water should be shot into the sea Certes such persons as these resemble some sailers or sea-faring men who in the tempestuous time of winter be ashamed to be seene upon the shore doing nothing but when they have once weighed anker spred saile and launched into the deepe and open sea they are very ill appaied crying out piteously and ready to cast up their gorge even so they that doubt some sicknesse or finde a disposition of the bodie ready to fall into it thinke it a great shame and discredit to stand upon their guard one day to keepe their beds and forbeare their ordinarie table and accustomed diet but afterwards with more shame they are faine to lie by it many daies together whiles they be driven to take purgations to applie many cataplasmes to speake the physicians faire and fawne upon them when they would have leave of them to drinke wine or cold water being so base minded as to doe absurdly and to speake many words impertinently feeling their hearts to faile and be ready to faint for the paine they endure alreadie and the feare they are in to abide more Howbeit very good it were to teach and admonish such persons as otherwise cannot rule and conteine themselves but either yeeld or be transported and carried away by their lusts that their pleasures take the most and best part of the bodie for their share And like as the Lacedaemonians after that they had given vinegar and salt to the cooke willed him to seeke for the rest in the beast sacrificed even so in a bodie which one would nourish the best sauces for the meat are these which are presented unto it when it is sound in health and cleane For that a dish of meat is sweet or deere is a thing by it selfe without the bodie of him who taketh it and eateth thereof but for the pleasantnesse or contentment thereof we ought to have regard unto the body that receiveth it also for to delight therein it should be so disposed as nature doth require for otherwise if the body be troubled ill affected or overcharged with wine the best devices and sauces in the world will lose their grace and all their goodnesse whatsoever and therefore it would not be so much looked unto whether the fish be new taken the bread made of pure and fine flowre the bathe hot or the harlot faire and beautifull as considered precisely whether the man himselfe have not a lothing stomacke apt to heave and vomit be not full of crudities error vanity and trouble else it will come to passe that she shall incurre the same fault and absurditie that they doe who after they are drunken will needs goe in a maske to plaie and daunce in an house where they all mourne for the death of the master thereof lately deceased for in stead of making sport and mirth this were enough to set all the house upon weeping and piteous wailing For even so the sports of love or Venus exquisit uiands pleasant baines and good wines in a bodie ill disposed and not according to nature doe no other good but stirre trouble fleame and and choler in them who have no setled and compact constitution and yet be not altogether corrput as also they trouble the body and put it out of tune more than any thing else yeelding no joy that we may make any reckoning of nor that contentment which wee hoped and expected True it is that an exquisit diet observed streightly and precisely according to rule and missing not one jot causeth not onely the bodie to be thinne hollow and in danger to fall into many diseases but also dulleth all the vigor and daunteth the cheerefulnesse of the verie mind in such sort as that she suspecteth all things and feareth continually to stay long as well in
by the multitude of enemies slaine and heapes of spoiles but counted them by realmes subdued by nations conquered and brought to subjection by isles and firme lands of the continent reduced into servitude and bondage and all to augment the greatnesse of their empire In one battell king Philip was chased out of Macedonia one blow and one conflict caused Antiochus to abandon and forgoe Asia by one defaiture the Carthaginians lost Lybia one man alone in one expedition and by the power of one armie conquered unto them Armenia the kingdome of Pontus the sea Euximus Syria Arabia the Albanians the Iberians all the nations even as farre as the mountaine Caucasus and the Hircanians yea and the very ocean sea which environeth the world round about saw the same man thrise victor and conquerour the Nomades in Affricke he repressed and vanquished even to the coasts of the south sea he subdued Spaine which revolted and rebelled with Sertorius as far as to the atlantike sea the kings of the Albanians he pursued never left the chase until he had driven them to the Caspian sea Al these brave exploits and glorious conquests he atchieved so long as he used the publique Fortune of the citie but afterwards he was overthrowen and came to ruine by his owne private desires Now that great Daemon and tutelar god of the Romans did not second them for a day as it were and no more neither in a short time did his best and came to the height and vigor of his gracious favour as that of the Macedonians nor gave them his assistance upon the land onely as he who was the patron of the Lacedemonians or at sea alone as the Athenians god ne yet was long ere he would stirre as he whom the Colophonians trusted upon no nor gave over quickly as the Persians patron did but even from the very nativitie and foundation of the citie it began it grow up waxed and went forward as it did it managed the government of it it continued firme and sure with it by land by sea in warre in peace against Barbarians and against the Greeks He it was that when Anniball the Carthaginian overspred all Italy in manner of a land ãâã or violent brooke wrought it so that partly through envie and in part through the malice of his spightfull fellow-citizens no succours and supplies were sent to feed and mainteine him and so by that meanes wasted spent and consumed him to nothing in the end he it was that dispersed and kept the armies and forces of the Cimbrians Teutonians a great way and a long time asunder so as they could not meet to the end that Marius might be furnished and provided sufficiently to fight with them and to defait them both one after another hee empeached the joining together of three hundred thousand sighting men at one time all invincible soldiers and appointed with armes insuperable that they might not invade and over-runne all Italy For this cause and by the meanes of this protector Antiochus sat still and stirred not to aid Philip all the whiles that the Romans made sharpe warre upon him likewise when Antiochus was in distresse and danger of his whole estate Philip being discomfited before durst not hold up his head and died the while he and none but he procured that whiles the Marsians warre set all Rome and Italy on a light fire the Sarmatian and Bastarnianwarre held king Mithridates occupied Finally through his procurement king Tigranes when Mithridates flourished and was in his ruffe most puissant upon suspition envie and distrust would not joine with him and afterwards when the said Mithridates had an overthrow combined and banded with him that in the end he might also lose his life and perish with him for company What! in the greatest distresses and calamities that lay heavie upon the citie was it not the Romane Fortune that redressed all and set it upright againe As for example When as the Gaules were encamped round about the mount Capitoll and held the castle besieged A plague she sent the souldiers soone fell sicke Throughout their host whereof they died thicke Fortune also it was meere chance that revealed their comming in the night gave advertisement thereof when no man in the world either knew or doubted thereof and peradventure it would not be impertinent and besides the purpose in this place to discourse of it more at large After the great discomfiture and overthrow that the Romans received neere the river Allia as many as could save themselves by good foot-manship when they were come to Rome filled the whole citie with a fright and trouble insomuch as the people woonderfully amazed with this fearefull newes fledde scattering heere and there excepting onely a few who put themselves within the castle of the Capitoll resolved to keepe that piece and abide the extremitie of the siege others who escaped after that unfortunate battell and defeiture assembled themselves immediately in the citie Veii and chose for their dictator Furius Camillus a man whoÌ the people proud insolent upon their long prosperitie had before time rejected and sent away into banishment condemning him for robbing the common treasure but then being humbled by his affliction and brought to a low ebbe called him backe againe after that discomfiture committing and putting into his hands the absolute power and soveraigne authoritie but to the end it might not be thought that it was by the occasion of the iniquitie and infortunity of the time and not according to order of law that the man excepted of this high magistracie and that in a desperate state of the citie without all hope that ever it should rise againe he was elected by the tumultuary suffrages of a broken armie dispersed and wandring heere and there his will was that the senators of Rome who had retired themselves within the Capitoll aforesaid should be made acquainted and advertised thereof and that by their uniforme consent they might approove and confirme that election of him which the souldiors and men of warre had decreed Now among the others there was one named Caius Pontius a valiant and hardy man who undertooke and promised in his owne person to goe and carry the newes of that which had beene determined unto those who abode within the Capitol and verily he enterprized a thing exceeding dangerous for that hee was to passe through the middes of the enemies who then invested the Capitoll with trenches and a strong corps-de-guard when he was come to the river side by night he fastened just under his brest certeine broad pieces of plates of corke and so committing his body to the lightnesse of such a barge hee bare himselfe thereupon and hulled with the course of the water which was so good and favourable unto him that it carried him over and set him gently upon the banke on the other side of the river without any danger at all where he was no sooner landed but hee went directly
that in sea all plunged she had beene Yea and himselfe said unto her women and waiting maidens Retire a side and stand you farre from me Faire damosels untill such time you see That I have washt from off my shoulders twaine The filth of sea that now my skinne doth staine And when he had thus said he went downe into the river And there anon he scowr'd cleane away The salt sea-fome upon his head that lay In which place the poet hath marvelous well observed and expressed that which ordinarilie hapneth in such a case for that when they who come foorth of the sea stand drying them in the sunne his heat doth presently dissipate the most subtile and lightest substance of the humiditie and then that which is most foule and filthy remaining behinde sticketh to is baked and felted to the skinne in manner of a falt crust untill it be washed off with fresh and potable water THE TENTH QUESTION What is the cause that at Athens they never judged nor pronounced the daunce of the tribe Aeantis to be the last AT the solemne feast which Serapion made for the victory of the daunce which the tribe or linage Aeantis obteined by his leading and conduct to which feast we were bidden as being of that tribe for that the people had endued us with the priviledge and right of bourgeosie in the same much talke there was occasioned by the great emulation and strife which had beene for the honour of that present daunce and indeed followed it was with much zeale and heat of affection by reason that king Philopappus himselfe in person was a most honourable and magnificent president thereof having defraied the charges belonging to the daunces of every tribe who being present also with us invited guests to this stately supper as hee was a prince no lesse courteous and full of humanitie than studious and desirous and desirous of knowledge had both the proposing and also the hearing of many antiquities Now there was propounded and put to discourse such a matter as this by Marcus the Grammarian namely that Neanthes the Cyzicene wrote in his fabulous narrations of this citie that the tribe Aeantis had by especiall honour this speciall priviledge above the rest that their daunce was never adjudged to the last place That writer quoth the king is not sufficient to authorize an history but supposing that this were true let us make it the subject-matter of our discourse at this present and search the cause thereof But admit quoth our friend Milo that this were a false tale What then quoth king Philopappus there were no great matter in it if the like befall unto us for love of learning as sometime did to the wise philosopher Democritus who feeding one day as it should seeme upon a coucumber when he perceived the juice and liquor thereof to be verie sweet and to taste of honie demanded of his maid-servant who attended upon him where she bought it who named a certeine garden whereupon he rose from the boord and would needs have her to bring him thither and to shew him the very place where it grew but the wench woondering at her master and asking him the reason what he meant to be gone in such haste Why quoth he I must needs finde out the cause of this extraordinary sweetnesse and finde it I shall when I have well viewed and considered the place hereat the maiden smiling Sit you still good sir quoth she and let this thing trouble your head no farther for the trueth is this I chanced before I was aware to put this coucumber into a vessell that had honie in it Then Democritus seeming to be offended and displeased with her Thou angrest me to the heart with thy prittle-prattle I will I tell thee go forward in this my intended purpose and search into the cause hereof as if this sweetnesse were naturall and came of the coucumber it selfe and even so we will not pretend this readinesse and facilitie of Neanthes in delivering some matters incredible as an evasion or excuse to avoid this present disputation for if none other good wil come of our discourse yet I am sure it will serve well to whet and exercise our wits the while Then all the companie at once with one accord fell to praise the said tribe Aeantis relating and collecting what commendable acts soever and glorious feats of armes had beene performed by that tribe And here they failed not to rehearse the famous battell of Marathon which is a State belonging to the tribe Aeantis They forgat not to alledge likewise how Harmodius and Aristogtton were Aeantides borne in Aphidne a towne of that tribe Also Glaucias the oratour affirmed that the right wing or point of that battell of Marathon was assigned to them of that tribe proving the same by the Elegies or verses which the poet Aeschylus had composed in the praise of their good service having himselfe in person fought valiantly in the said conflict Moreover he shewed that Callimachus the high marshall of the field being one of that linage both bare himselfe right bravely that day and was one of the principall authors after captaine Miltiades of that fought field gave his voice with him and perswaded to strike this battell Unto this allegation of Glaucias I my selfe added moreover and said That the decree or commission by vertue whereof Miltiades led foorth the Athenian armie with banner displaied into the field was concluded at what time as the tribe Aeantis was president of the counsell at Athens as also that the same tribe in the battell of Platea carried away the praise and prise for their brave service above the rest and heereupon it is that this tribe of Aeantis solemnizeth every yeere a stately sacrifice for that victorie as being commanded and appointed so to doe by the oracle of Apollo upon the mount Cithaeron and the same performed by nymphes or maidens Sphagitides for the celebration of which solemnity the city furnisheth them with beasts and other things needfull for the same sacrifice But yet you see quoth I that all the rest of the tribes may as well alledge for themselves many valiant act by them atchieved and namely Leontis from which my selfe am descended which in glorious renowme giveth place to none whatsoever Consider therefore my masters whether it bee not very like and more probable that this was attributed unto it for to appease and comfort that woorthy person who gave the name unto this tribe I meane Ajax the sonne of Telamon who had not the patience to endure the overthrow in judgement and losse of Achilles armour but was so farre inflamed with envie emulation and wrath that he spared nothing nor cared for the ruine of all to the end therefore that he might not fall into another fit of furie and be implacable thought good it was to ease him of the thing which might of all things offend and vexe him most in that disfavour and disgrace
that a stone hath beene ingendred in the paunch or guts and yet good reason it were that moisture there should congeale or gather to a stone as it doth within the bladder if true it were that all our drinke descended into the belly and the guts by passing through the stomacke onely but it seemeth that the stomacke incontinently when we begin to drinke sucketh and draweth out of that liquor which passeth along by it in the wezill pipe as much onely as is needfull and requisit for it to mollifie and to convert into a nutritive pap or juice the solid meat and so it leaveth no liquid excrement at all whereas the lungs so soone as they have distributed both spirit and liquor from thence unto those parts that have need thereof expell and send out the rest into the bladder Well to conclude more likelihood there is of truth by farre in this than in the other and yet peradventure the truth in deed of these matters lieth hidden still and incomprehensible in regard whereof it is not meet to proceed so rashly and insolently to pronounce sentence against a man who as well for his owne sufficiency as the singular opinion of the world is reputed the prince and chiefe of al philosophers especially in so uncerteine a thing as this and in defence whereof there may bee so many reasons collected out of the readings and writings of Plato THE SECOND QUESTION What is meant in Plato by this word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and why those seeds which in sowing light upon oxe hornes become hard and not easie to be concoted THere hath beene alwaies much question and controversie about ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã not who or what is so called for certeine it is that seeds falling upon ox hornes according to the common opinion yeeld frute hard and not easily concocted whereupon by waie of Metaphor a stubborne and stiffe-necked person men use to tearme ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã but as touching the cause why such graine or seeds hitting against the hornes of an ox should come to be so untoward And many times refused I have yea and denied my friends to search into the thing the rather for that Theophrastus hath rendred so darke and obscure a reason raunging it among many other examples which he hath gathered and put downe in writing of strange and wonderfull effects whereof the cause is hard to be found namely That an henne after that she hath laid an egge turneth round about and with a festure or straw seemeth to purifie and halow her-selfe and the egge also that the sea-calfe or seale consumeth the pine and yet swalloweth it not downe semblably that stagges hide their hornes within the ground and burie them likewise that if one goat hold the herbe Eryngium that is to say sea-holly in his mouth all the rest of the flocke will stand still Among these miraculous effects Theophrastus I say hath put downe the seeds falling upon the hornes of an ox a thing knowen for certeine to be so but whereof the cause is most difficult if not impossible to be delivered But at a supper in the citie Delphi as I sat one day certeine of my familiar friends came upon me in this maner that seeing not onely according to the common saying From bellie full best counsell doth arise And surest plots men in that case devise but also we are more ready with our questions and lesse to seeke for answeres when as wine is in our heads causing us to be forward in the one and resolute in the other they would request me therefore to say somewhat unto the foresaid matter in question howbeit I held off still as being well backed with no bad advocates who tooke my part and were ready to defend my cause and by name Euthydemus my colleague or companion with me in the sacerdotall dignitie and Patrocleas my sonne in law who brought foorth and alledged many such things observed aswell in agriculture as by hunters of which sort is that which is practised by those who take upon them skill in the foresight and prevention of haile namely that it may be averted and turned aside by the bloud of a mould-warpe or linnen ragges stained with the monethly purgations of women Item that if a man take the figs of a wilde fig-tree and tie them to a tame fig-tree of the orchard it is a meanes that the fruit of the said fig-tree shall not fall but tarrie on and ripen kindly also that stags weepe salt teares but wilde bores shed sweet drops from their eies when they be taken For if you will set in hand to seeke out the cause hereof quoth Euthydemus then presently you must render a reason also of smallach and cumin of which the former if it be troden under foot and trampled on in the comming up men have an opinion it will grow and prosper the better and as for the other they sow it with curses and all the fowlest words that can be devised and so it will spring and thrive best Tush quoth Florus these be but toies and ridiculous mockeries to make sport with but as touching the cause of the other matters above specified I would not have you to reject the inquisition thereof as if it were incomprehensible Well quoth I now I have found a medicine and remedie which if you do use you shall bring this man with reason to our opinion that you also your selfe may solve some of these questions propounded It seemeth unto me therefore that it is colde that causeth this rebellious hardnesse aswell in wheat and other corne as also in pulse namely by pressing and driving in their solid substance untill it be hard againe for heat maketh things soft and easie to be dissolved and therefore they do not well and truely in alledging against Homer this versicle ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã The yeere not field Doth beare and yeeld For surely those fields and grounds which are by nature hot if the aire withall affoord a kinde and seasonable temperature of the weather bring forth more tender fruits and therefore such corne or seed which presently and directly from the husbandmans hands lighteth upon the ground entring into it and there covered finde the benefit both of the heat and moisture of the soile whereby they soone spurt and come up whereas those which as they be cast do hit upon the hornes of the beasts they meet not with that direct positure or rectitude called ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which Hesiodus commendeth for the best but falling downe I wot not how and missing of their right place seem rather to have bene flung at a venture than orderly sowen therfore the cold comming upon them either marreth and killeth them outright or els lighting upon their naked husks causeth them to bring fruit that proveth hard and churlish as drie as chips and such as will not be made tender sidow without they
the first Consuls that ever bare rule in Rome were enstalled immediatly upon the deposition and expulsion of the kings out of the citie But there seemeth to be more probability likelihood of truth in their speech who say that Romulus being a martiall prince and one that loved warre and feats of armes as being reputed the sonne of Mars set before all other moneths that which caried the name of his father how be it Numa who succeedednext after him being a man of peace and who endevored to withdraw the hearts and minds of his subjects and citizens from warre to agriculture gave the prerogative of the first place unto Januarie and honoured Janus most as one who had beene more given to politick government and to the husbandrie of ground than to the exercise of warre and armes Consider moreover whether Numa chose not this moneth for to begin the yeere withall as best sorting with nature in regard of us for otherwise in generall there is no one thing of all those that by nature turne about circularly that can be said first or last but according to the severall institutions and ordinances of men some begin the time at this point others at that And verely they that make the Winter solstice or hibernall Tropick the beginning of their yeere do the best of all others for that the Sunne ceasing then to passe farther beginneth to returne and take his way againe toward us for it seemeth that both according to the course of nature and also in regard of us this season is most ãâã to begin the yeere for that it increaseth unto us the time of daie light and diminisheth the darknesse of night and causeth that noble starre or planet to approch neerer and come toward us the lord governour and ruler of all substance transitorie and fluxible matter whatsoever 20 Why do women when they dresse up and adorne the chappell or shrine of their feminine goddesse whom they call Bona never bring home for that purpose any branches of Myrtle tree and yet otherwise have a delight to employ all sorts of leaves and flowers MAy it not be for that as some fabulous writers tell the tale there was one Flavius a soothsaier had a wife who used secretly to drinke wine and when she was surprised and taken in the manner by her husband she was well beaten by him which myrtle rods and for that cause they bring thither no boughs of myrtle marry they offer libations unto this goddesse of wine but forsooth they call it Milke Or is it not for this cause that those who are to celebrate the ceremonies of this divine service ought to be pure and cleane from all pollutions but especially from that of Venus or lechery For not onely they put out of the roome where the service is performed unto the said goddesse Bona all men but also whatsoever is besides of masculine sex which is the reason that they so detest the myrtle tree as being consecrated unto Venus insomuch as it should seeme they called in old time that Venus Myrtea which now goeth under the name of Murcia 21 What is the reason that the Latines doe so much honour and reverence the Woodpecker and forbeare altogether to doe that bird any harme IS it for that Picus was reported in old time by the enchantments and forceries of his wife to have changed his owne nature and to be metamorphozed into a Woodpecker under which forme he gave out oracles and delivered answeres unto those who propounded unto him any demaunds Or rather because this seemeth a meere fable and incredible tale there is another storie reported which carieth more probabilitie with it and soundeth neerer unto trueth That when Romulus and Remus were cast foorth and exposed to death not onely a female woolfe gave them her teats to sucke but also a certeine Woodpecker flew unto them and brought them food in her bill and so fedde them and therefore haply it is that ordinarily in these daies wee may see as Nigidius hath well observed what places soever at the foot of an hill covered and shadowed with oakes or other trees a Woodpecker haunteth thither customably you shall have a woolfe to repaire Or peradventure seeing their maner is to consecrate unto every god one kinde of birde or other they reputed this Woodpecker sacred unto Mars because it is a couragious and hardy bird having a bill so strong that he is able to overthrow an oke therewith after he hath jobbed and pecked into it as farre as to the very marrow and heart thereof 22 How is it that they imagine Janus to have had two faces in which maner they use both to paint and also to cast him in mold IS it for that he being a Graecian borne came from ãâã as we finde written in histories and passing forward into Italy dwelt in that countrey among the Barbarous people who there lived whose language and maner of life he changed Or rather because he taught and perswaded them to live together after a civill and honest sort in husbandry and tilling the ground whereas before time their manners were rude and their fashions savage without law or justice altogether 23 What is the cause that they use to sell at Rome all things perteining to the furniture of ãâã within the temple of the goddesse Libitina supposing her to be Venus THis may seeme to be one of the sage and philosophicall inventions of king Numa to the end that men should learne not to abhorre such things not to ãâã from them as if they did pollute and defile them Or else this reason may be rendred that it serveth for a good record and memoriall to put us in minde that whatsoever had a beginning by generation shall likewise come to an end by death as if one and the same goddesse were superintendent and governesse of nativitie and death for even in the city of Delphos there is a pretie image of Venus surnamed Epitymbia that is to say sepulchrall before which they use to raise and call foorth the ghosts of such as are departed for to receive the libaments and sacred liquors powred foorth unto them 24 Why have the Romans in every moneth three beginnings as it were to wit certeine principall and prefixed or preordeined daies and regard not the same intervall or space of daies betweene IS it because as Juba writeth in his chronicles that the chiefe magistrates were wont upon the first day of the moneth to call and summon the people whereupon it tooke the name of Calends and then to denounce unto them that the Nones should be the fift day after and as for the Ides they held it to be an holy and sacred day Or for that they measuring and determining the time according to the differences of the moone they observed in her every moneth three principall changes and diversities the first when she is altogether hidden namely during her conjunction with the sunne the second when she
Macellus who after he had committed many outrages and robberies was with much ado in the end taken and punished and of his goods which were forfeit to the State there was built a publike shambles or market place to sell flesh-meats in which of his name was called Macellum 55 Why upon the Ides of Januarie the minstrels at Rome who plaied upon the haut boies were permitted to goe up and downe the city disguised in womens apparell A Rose this fashion upon that occasion which is reported namely that king Numa had granted unto them many immunities and honorable priviledges in his time for the great devotion that hee had in the service of the gods and for that afterwards the Tribunes militarie who governed the citie in Consular authority tooke the same from them they went their way discontented and departed quite from the citie of Rome but soone after the people had a misse of them and besides the priests made it a matter of conscience for that in all the sacrifices thorowout the citie there was no sound of flute or hautboies Now when they would not returne againe being sent for but made their abode in the citie Tibur there was a certeine afranchised bondslave who secretly undertooke unto the magistrates to finde some meanes for to fetch them home So he caused a sumptuous feast to be made as if he meant to celebrate some solemne sacrifice and invited to it the pipers and plaiers of the hautboies aforesaid and at this feast he tooke order there should be divers women also and all night long there was nothing but piping playing singing and dancing but all of a sudden this master of the feast caused a rumor to be raised that his lord and master was come to take him in the maner whereupon making semblant that he was much troubled and affrighted he perswaded the minstrels to mount with all speed into close coatches covered all over with skinnes and so to be carried to Tibur But this was a deceitfull practise of his for he caused the coatches to be turned about another way and unawares to them who partly for the darkenesse of the night and in part because they were drowsie and the wine in their heads tooke no heed of the way he brought all to Rome betimes in the morning by the breake of day disguised as they were many of them in light coloured gownes like women which for that they had over-watched and over-drunke themselves they had put on and knew not therof Then being by the magistrates overcome with faire words and reconciled againe to the citie they held ever after this custome every yeere upon such a day To go up and downe the citie thus foolishly disguised 56 What is the reason that it is commonly received that certein matrons of the city at the first founded and built the temple of Carmenta and to this day honour it highly with great reverence FOr it is said that upon a time the Senat had forbidden the dames and wives of the city to ride in coatches whereupon they tooke such a stomacke and were so despighteous that to be revenged of their husbands they conspired altogether not to conceive or be with child by them nor to bring them any more babes and in this minde they persisted still untill their husbands began to bethinke them selves better of the matter and let them have their will to ride in their coatches againe as before time and then they began to breed and beare children a fresh and those who soonest conceived and bare most and with greatest ease founded then the temple of Carmenta And as I suppose this Carmenta was the mother of Evander who came with him into Italy whose right name indeed was Themis or as some say Nicostrata now for that she rendred propheticall answeres and oracles in verse the Latins surnamed her Carmenta for verses in their tongue they call Carmina Others are of opinion that Carmenta was one of the Destinies which is the cause that such matrons and mothers sacrifice unto her And the Etymologic of this name Carmenta is as much as Carens mente that is to say beside her right wits or bestraught by reason that her senses were so ravished and transported so that her verses gave her not the name Carmenta but contrariwise her verses were called Carmina of her because when she was thus ravished and caried beside herselfe she chanted certeine oracles and prophesies in verse 57 What is the cause that the women who sacrifice unto the goddesse Rumina doe powre and cast store of milke upon their sacrifice but no wine at all do they bring thither for to be drunke IS it for that the Latins in their tongue call a pap Ruma And well it may so be for that the wilde figge tree neere unto which the she wolfe gave sucke with her teats unto Romulus was in that respect called Ficus Rumtnalis Like as therefore we name in our Greeke language those milch nourses that suckle yoong infants at their brests Thelona being a word derived of ãâã which signifieth a pap even so this goddesse Rumina which is as much to say as Nurse and one that taketh the care and charge of nourishing and rearing up of infants admitteth not in her sacrifices any wine for that it is hurtfull to the nouriture of little babes and sucklings 58 What is the reason that of the Romane Senatours some are called simply Patres others with an addition Patres conscripti IS it for that they first who were instituted and ordeined by Romulus were named Patres ãâã that is to say Gentlemen or Nobly borne such as we in Greece tearme Eupatrides Or rather they were so called because they could avouch and shew their fathers but such as were adjoined afterwards by way of supply and enrolled out of the Commoners houses were Patres conscripti thereupon 59 Wherefore was there one altar common to Hercules and the Muses MAy it not be for that Hercules taught Evander the letters according as Juba writeth Certes in those daies it was accounted an honourable office for men to teach their kinsefolke and friends to spell letters and to reade For a long time after it and but of late daies it was that they began to teach for hire and for money and the first that ever was knowen to keepe a publicke schoole for reading was one named Spurius Carbilius the freed servant of that Carbilius who first put away his wife 60 What is the reason that there being two altars dedicated unto Hercules women are not partakers of the greater nor tast one whit of that which is offered or sacrificed thereupon IS it because as the report goes Carmenta came not soone enough to be assistant unto the sacrifice no more did the family of the Pinarij whereupon they tooke that name for in regard that they came tardie admitted they were not to the feast with others who made good cheere and therefore got the name Pinarij as if one
even so the Romane lawgiver would hide in the obscuritie of darkenesse the deformities and imperfections in the person of the bride if there were any Or haply this was instituted to shew how sinfull and damnable all unlawfull companie of man and woman together is seeing that which is lawfull and allowed is not without some blemish and note of shame 66 Why is one of the races where horses use to runne called the Cirque or Flaminius IS it for that in old time an ancient Romane named Flaminius gave unto the citie a certeine piece of ground they emploied the rent and revenues thereof in runnings of horses and chariots and for that there was a surplussage remaining of the said lands they bestowed the same in paving that high way or causey called Via Flaminia that is to say Flaminia street 67 Why are the Sergeants or officers who carie the knitches of rods before the magistrates of Rome called Lictores IS it because these were they who bound malefactors and who followed after Romulus as his guard with cords and leather thongs about them in their bosomes And verily the common people of Rome when they would say to binde or tie fast use the word Alligare and such as speake more pure and proper Latin Ligare Or is it for that now the letter C is interjected within this word which before time was Litores as one would say ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that is to say officers of publike charge for no man there is in a maner ignorant that even at this day in many cities of Greece the common-wealth or publicke state is written in their lawes by the name of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 68 Wherefore doe the Luperci at Rome sacrifice a Dogge Now these Luperci are certeine persons who upon a festivall day called Lupercalia runne through the citie all naked save that they have aprons onely before their privy parts carying leather whippes in their hands where with they flappe and scourge whom soever they meet in the streets IS all this ceremoniall action of theirs a purification of the citie whereupon they call the moneth wherein this is done Februarius yea and the very day it selfe Febraten like as the maner of squitching with a leather scourge Februare which verbe signifieth as much as to purge or purifie And verily the Greeks in maner all were wont in times past and so they continue even at this day in all their expiations to kill a dogge for sacrifice Unto Hecate also they bring foorth among other expiatorie oblations certeine little dogges or whelpes such also as have neede of clensing and purifying they wipe and scoure all over with whelpes skinnes which maner of purification they tearme Periscylacismos Or rather is it for that Lupus signifieth a woolfe Lupercalia or Lycaea is the feast of wolves now a dogge naturally being an enemie to woolves therefore at such feasts they facrificed a dogge Or peradventure because dogges barke and bay at these Luperci troubling and disquieting them as they runne up and downe the city in maner aforesaid Or else last of all for that this feast and sacrifice is solemnized in the honor of god Pan who as you wot well is pleased well enough with a dogge in regard of his flocks of goates 69 What is the cause that in auncient time at the feast called Septimontium they observed precisely not to use any coaches drawen with steeds no more than those doe at this day who are observant of old institutions and doe not despise them Now this Septimontium is a festivall solemnity celebrated in memoriall of a seventh mountaine that was adjoined and taken into the pourprise of Rome citie which by this meanes came to have seven hilles enelosed within the precinct thereof WHether was it as some Romans doe imagine for that the city was not as yet conjunct and composed of all her parts Or if this may seeme an impertinent conjecture and nothing to the purpose may it not be in this respect that they thought they had atchieved a great piece of worke when they had thus amplified and enlarged the compasse of the citie thinking that now it needed not to proceed any further in greatnesse and capacitie in consideration whereof they reposed themselves and caused likewise their labouring beasts of draught and cariage to rest whose helpe they had used in finishing of the said enclosure willing that they also should enjoy in common with them the benefit of that solemne feast Or else we may suppose by this how desirous they were that their citizens should solemnize and honour with their personall presence all feasts of the citie but especially that which was ordained and instituted for the peopling and augmenting thereof for which cause they were not permitted upon the day of the dedication and festival memorial of it to put any horses in geeres or harnesse for to draw for that they were not at such a time to ride forth of the citie 70 Why call they those who are deprehended or taken in theft pilferie or such like servile trespasses Furciferos as one would say Fork bearers IS not this also an evident argument of the great diligence and carefull regard that was in their ancients For when the maister of the family had surprised one of his servants or slaves committing a lewd and wicked pranck he commaunded him to take up and carrie upon his necke betweene his shoulders a ãâã piece of wood such as they use to put under the spire of a chariot or waine and so to go withall in the open view of the world throughout the street yea and the parish where he dwelt to the end that every man from thence forth should take heed of him This piece of wood we in Greeke call ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and the Romanes in the Latin tongue Furca that is ãâã say a forked prop or supporter and therefore he that is forced to carie such an one is by reproch termed Furcifer 71 Wherefore use the Romans to tie a wisp of ãâã unto the bornes of kine and other beefes that are woont to boak and be curst with their heads that by the meanes thereof folke might take heed of them and looke better to themselves when they come in their way IS it not for that beefes horses asses yea and men become fierce insolent and dangerous if they be highly kept and pampered to the full according as Sophocles said Like as the colt or jade doth winse and kick In case he find his provender to prick Even so do'st thou for lo thy paunch is full Thy cheeks be puft like to some greedie gull And thereupon the Romans gave out that Marcus Crassus caried hey on his horne for howsoever they would seeme to let flie and carpe at others who dealt in the affaires of State and government yet be ware they would how they commersed with him as being a daungerous man and one who caried a revenging mind to as many as medled with him
they came downe to the citie as a man may conjecture they were knowen by their dustie feet 2 What was she who in the citie of Cumes they named Onobatis WHen there was any woman taken in adultery they brought her in to the publick market-place where they set her upon an eminent stone to the end that she might be seene of all the people and after she had stood there a good while they mounted her upon an asse and so led her round about the city which done they brought her backe againe into the market-place where she must stand as she did before upon the same stone and so from that time forward she led an infamous and reprochfull life called of every one by the name of Onobatis that is to say she that hath ridden upon the asse backe But when they had so done they reputed that stone polluted and detested it as accursed and abominable There was likewise in the same city a certeine office of a gaoler whom they called Phylactes and looke who bare this office had the charge of keeping the prison at all other times onely at a certeine assembly and session of the counsell in the night season he went into the Senat and brought forth the kings leading them by the hands and three held them still during the time that the Senat had made inquisition and decreed whether they had deserved ill and ruled unjustly or no giving thus their suffrages and voices privily in the darke 3 What is she whom they name in the city of Soli Hypeccaustria SO call they the priestresse of Minerva by reason of certeine sacrifices which she celebrateth and other divine ceremonies and services to put by and divert shrewd turnes which otherwise might happen the word signifieth as much as a chaufeure 4 Who be they in the city Gnidos whom they call Amnemones as also who is Aphester among them THere are three score elect men out of the better sort and principall citizens whom they imploid as overseers of mens lives and behaviour who also were consulted first and gave their sentence as touching affaires of greatest importance and Amnemones they were named for that they were not as a man may very well conjecture called to any account nor urged to make answer for any thing that they did unlesse haply they were so named quasi Polymnemones because they remembred many things and had so good a memorie As for Aphester he it was who in their scrutinies demanded their opinions and gathered their voices 5 Who be they whom the Arcadians and Lacedemonians tearme Chrestos THe Lacedemonians having concluded a peace with the Tegeates did set downe expresly the articles of agreement in writing which they caused to be ingraven upon a square columne common to them both the which was erected upon the river ãâã in which among other covenants this was written That they might ãâã the Messenians out of their countries howbeit lawfull it should not be to make them Chrestos which Aristotle expoundeth thus and saith That they might kill none of the Tegeates who during the warre had taken part with the Lacedaemonians 6 What is he whom the Opuntians call Crithologos THe greatest part of the Greeks in their most auncient sacrifices use certeine barley which the citizens of their first fruits did contribute that officer therefore who had the rule and charge of these sacrifices and the gathering and bringing in of these first fruits of barley they named Crithologos as one would say the collectour of the barley Moreover two priests they had besides one superintendent over the sacrifices and ceremonies for the gods another for the divels 7 Which be the clouds called Ploïades THose especially which are ãâã and disposed to raine and withall wandering too and fro and caried heere and there in the aire as Theophrastus in the fourth booke of Meteors or impressions gathered above in the region of the aire hath put it downe word for word in this manner Considering that the clouds Ploïades quoth hee and those which be gathered thicke and are setled unmooveable and besides very white shew a certeine diversitie of matter which is neither converted into water nor resolved into winde 8 Whom doe the Boeotians meane by this word Platychaetas THose whose houses joine one to another or whose lands doe border and confinetogether in the Aeolique language they called so as if they would say being neere neighbours to which purpose one example among many I will alledge out of our law Thesmophylacium c. **** 9 What is he who among the Delphians is called Hosioter and why name they one of the moneths Bysios THey name Hosioter that sacrificer who offreth a sacrifice when he is declared Hosios that is to say holy and five there be who are all their life time accounted Hosioi and those doe and execute many things together with their prophets and joine with them in divers ceremonies of divine service and gods worship inasmuch as they are thought to be descended from Deucalion And for the moneth called Bysis many have thought it to be as much as Physius that is to say the springing or growing moneth for that then the spring beginneth and many plants at that time do arise out of grownd and budde But the truth is not so for the Delphians never use B. instead of Ph. like as the Macedonians do who for Philippus Phalacros and Pheronice say Bilippus Balacros and Beronice indeed they put B. for P. and it as ordinarie with them to say Batein for Patein Bicron for Picron and so Bysius is all one with Pysius that is to say the moneth in which they consult with their god Apollo and demand of him answeres and resolutions of their doubts for this is the custome of the countrey because in this moneth they propounded their demands unto the Oracle of Apollo and they supposed the seventh day of the same to be his birth-day which they surnamed also Polypthous not as many do imagine because they then do bake many cakes which are called Phthois but for that it is a day wherein divers do resort unto the Oracle for to be resolved and many answeres are delivered for it is but of late daies that folke were permitted to consult with the Oracle when they list in everie moneth but before time the religious priestresse of Apollo named Pythia opened not the Oracle nor gave answere but at one time in the yeere according as Callistenes and Alexandrides have recorded in writing 10 What signifieth Phyximelon LIttle plants there be which when they burgeon and shoot out first the beasts love passing well their first buds and sprouts which they put forth but in brouzing and cropping them great injurie they do unto the plants and hinder their grouth when as therefore they are growen up to that height that beasts grasing thereabout can do them no more harme they be called Phyximela that is as much to say as having escaped the danger of cattell as
like as Homer when he calleth Juno or any other ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã signifieth her to have a bigge and large eie and by the epithit ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã meaneth one that braggeth and boasteth of great matters Or rather because that the foot of a beefe doth no harme howsoever horned beasts otherwise be hurtfull and dangerous therefore they invocate thus upon him and beseech him to come loving and gracious unto them Or lastly for that many are perswaded that this is the god who taught men first to plough the ground and to sowe corne 37 Why have the Tanagraeans a place before their city called Achilleum for it is said that Achilles in his life time bare more hatred than love unto this cicy as who ravished and stole away Stratonicon the mother of Poemander and killed Acestor the sonne of Ephippus POEmander the father of Ephippus at what time as the province of Tanagra was peopled and inhabited by tenures and villages onely being by the Achaeans besiedged in a place called Stephon for that he would not go foorth with them to warre abandoneth the said fort in the night time and went to build the citie Poemandria which he walled about The architect or master builder Polycrithus was there who dispraised all his worke and derided it in so much as in a mockerie he leapt over the trench whereat Poemander tooke such displeasure and was so highly offended that he meant to fling at his head a great stone which lay there hidden of olde upon the nightly sacrifices of Bacchus But Poemander notknowing so much pulled it up by force and threw it at him and missing Polycrithus hit his son Leucippus and killed him outright Hereupon according to the law and custom then observed there was no remedie but needs he must depart out of Boeotia in manner of an exiled man and so as a poore suppliant and stranger to converse wandring abroad in another countrey which was neither safe nor easie for him to doe at that time considering that the Achaeans were up in armes and entred into the countrey of Tanagra He sent therefore his sonne Ephippus unto Achilles for to request his favour who by earnest supplications and praiers prevailed so much that he entreated both him and also Tlepolemus the sonne of Hercules yea and Peneleus the sonne of Hippalcmus who were all of their kindred by whose meanes Poemander had safe conduct and was accompanied as farre as the citie of Chalcis where he was assoiled absolved and purged by Elpenor for the murder which he had committed In remembrance of which good turne by those princes received he ever after honoured them and to them all erected temples of which that of Achilles continueth unto this day and according to his name is called Achilleum 38 Who be they whom the Boeotians call Psoloes and who be Aeolies THE report goeth that Leucippe Arsinoe and Alcathie the daughters of Minyas being enraged and bestraight of their right wits longed exceedingly to eat mans flesh and cast lots among themselves which of them should kill their owne children for that purpose So the lot falling upon Leucippe she yeelded her sonne Hippasus to be dismembred and cut in pieces by occasion whereof their husbands simply arraied and in mourning weeds for sorrow and griefe were called Psoloes as one would say foule and smokie and the women ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that is to say distracted and troubled in their minds or Oconoloae so as even at this day the Orchomenians call those women who are descended from them by those names and everie second yeere during the festivall daies called Agrionia the priest of Bacchus runneth after them with a sword drawen in his hand coursing and chasing them yea and lawfull it is for him to kill any one of them that he can reach and overtake And verily in our daies Zoilus the priest killed one but such never come to any good after for both this Zoilus himselfe upon a certaine little ulcer or sore that he had fell sicke and after he had a long time pined away and consumed therewith in the end died thereof and also the Orchomenians being fallen into publicke calamities and held in generall for condemned persons translated the priesthood from that race and linage and conferred it upon the best and most approoved person they could chuse 39 What is the cause that the Arcadians stone them to death who willingly and of purpose enter within the pourprise and precincts of Lycaeum but if any come into of ignorance and unawares then they send to Eleutherae AS for these may it not be that they are held free and absolved who do it upon ignorance and by reason of this their absolution this maner of speech arose to send them to Eleutherae which signifieth Deliverance much like as when we say thus ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that is to say into the region of the secure or thus ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that is to say thou shalt go to the Mannour of the Pleasant Or haply it alludeth to the tale that goeth in this wise that of Lycaons sonnes there were but two onely to wit Eleuther and Lebadus who were not partakers of the horrible crime that their father committed in the sight of Jupiter but fled into Baeotia in token whereof the Lebadians enjoy still their burgeosie in commune with the Arcadians and therefore to Eleutherae they send those who against their willes or unawares are entred within that pourprise consecrat unto Jupiter into which it is not lawful for any man to go Or rather as Architemus writeth in his Chronicles of Arcadia for that there were some who being ignorantly entred into the said place were delivered and yeelded unto the Phliasians who put them over to the Megarians and from the Megarians they were carried to Thebes but as they were transported and conveyed thither they were staied about Eleutherae by meanes of violent raine terrible thunder and other prodigious tokens by occasion whereof some would have the citie to take the name Eleutherae Moreover whereas it is said that the shadow of him who commeth within this precinct of Lycaeum never falleth upon the ground it is not true howbeit it goeth generally currant and is constantly beleeved for an undoubted truth But is it not thinke you for that the aire turneth presently into darke cloudes and looketh obscure and heavie as it were when any enter into it or because that whosoever commeth into it incontinently suffereth death And you know what the Pythagoreans say namely that the soules of the dead cast no shadow nor winke at all Or rather for that it is the sun that maketh shadowes and the law of the countrey bereaveth him that entreth into it of the sight of the sunne which covertly and aenigmatically they would give us to understand under these words For even he who commeth into this place is called Elaphos that is to say a Stag and therefore Cantharion the Arcadian who fled unto
lustie tall and strong man would needs chalenge Hercules to wrestle with him upon this condition that if Hercules could overthrow him and lay him along on the ground the ram should be his Hercules accepted the offer and when they were close at hand-gripes the Meropians certaine inhabitants of the Isle came in to succour Antagoras and the Greekes likewise to aide Hercules in such sort as there ensued a sharp and cruell fight wherein Hercules finding himselfe to be overlaid and pressed with the multitude of his enemies retired and fled as they say unto a Thracian woman where for to hide and save his life he disguised himselfe in womans apparell But afterwards having gotten the upper hand of those Meropians and being purged he espoused the daughter of Alciopus and put on a faire robe and goodly stoale Thus you may see whereupon his priest sacrificeth in that verie place where the battell was fought and why new married spouses being arraied in the habit of women receive their brides 50 Whereof commeth it that in the citie of Megara there is a linage or family named Hamaxocylysta IN the time that the dissolute and insolent popular State of government called Democratie which ordained that it might be lawfull to recover and arrest all monies paid for interest and in consideration of use out of the usurers hands which permitted sacriledge bare sway in the citie it hapned there were certaine pilgrims named Theori of Peloponesus sent in commissizzon to the oracle of Apollo at Delphos who passed thorow the province of Megaris and about the citie Aegiri neere unto the lake there lay and tumbled themselves upon their chariots here and there together with their wives and children one with another as it fell out where certaine Megarians such as were more audacious than the rest as being thorowly drunke full of insolent wantonnesse and cruel pride were so lustie as to overturne the said chariots and thrust them into the lake so as many of the said Theori or commissioners were drowned therein Now the Megarians such was the confusion and disorder in their government in those daies made no reckoning at all to punish this injurie and outrage but the counsell of the Amphyctiones because the pilgrimage of these Theori was religious and sacred tooke knowledge thereof and sate upon an inquisition about it yea and chastised those who were found culpable in this impietie some with death others with banishment and hereupon the whole race descending from them were called afterwards Hamaxocylysta THE PARALLELS OR A BRIEFE COLLATION OF ROMANE NARRATIONS WITH THE SEMBLABLE REPORTED OF THE GREEKS In the margin of an old manuscript copie these words were found written in Greeke This booke was never of PLUTARCHS making who was an excellent and most learned Author but penned by some odde vulgar writer altogether ignorant both of Poetrie and also of Grammar MAny doe thinke that ancient histories be but fables and tales devivised for pleasure For mine owne part having found many accidents in our daies semblable unto those occurrents which in times past fell out among the Romans in their age I have collected some of them together and to everie one of those ancient Narrations annexed another like unto it of later time and therewith alledged the Authors who have put them downe in writing 1 Datys lieutenant generall under the king of Persia being come downe into the plaine of Marathon within the countrey of Attica with a puissant power of three hundred thousand fighting men there pitched his campe and proclaimed warre upon the inhabitants of those parts The Athenians making small account of this so great a multitude of Barbarians sent out nine thousand men under the conduct of these foure captains namely Cynegyrus Pollizelus Callimachus and Miliiades So they strucke a battell during which conflict Polyzelus chanced to see the vision of one represented unto him surpassing mans nature and thereupon lost his sight and became blind Callimachus wounded through divers parts of his bodie with many pikes and javelins dead though he was stood upon his feet and Cynegyrus as he staied a Persian ship which was about to retire backe had both his hands smitten off Asdruball the king being possessed of Sicily denounced warre againg the Romans and Metellus being chosen lord generall by the Senate obtained a victorie in a certaine battell against him in which battell lord Glauco a noble man of Rome as he held the admirall-ship of Asdruball lost both his hands as Aristides the Milesian writeth in the first booke of the annales of Sicily of whom Diodorus Siculus hath learned the matter and subject argument of his historie 2 Xerxes being come to lie at anchor neere the cape Artemsium with five hundred thousand fighting men proclaimed warre upon the people of that countrey whereat the Athenians being much astonied sent as a spie for to view survey his forces Agesilaus the brother of Themistocles albeit his father Neocles had a dreame in the night and thought that he saw his sonne dismembred of both his hands who entring the campe of the Barbarians in habit of a Persian slew Mardonius one of the captains of the kings corps de guard supposing he had beene Xerxes himselfe and being apprehended by them that were about him was brought tied and bound before the king who was then even readie to offer sacrifice upon the altar of the Sunne into the fire of which altar Agesilaus thrust his right hand and endured the force of the torment without crying or groning at all whereupon the king commaunded him to be unbound and then said Agesilaus unto him We Athenians be all of the like mind and resolution and if you will not beleeve me I will put my left hand also into the fire whereat Xerxes being mightily afraid caused him to be kept safely with a good guard about him This writeth Agatharsides the Samian in his second booke of the Persian Chronicles Porsena king of the Tuscans having encamped on the further side of the river Tyber warred upon the Romans and by cutting off the victuals and all provision that was wont to be brought to Rome distressed the said Romans with famine and when the Senat hereupon was wonderfully troubled Mucius a noble man of the citie taking with him foure hundred other brave gentlemen of his owne age by commission from the Consuls in poore and simple array passed over the river and casting his eie upon the captaine of the kings guard dealing among other captains victuals and other necessaries supposing he had beene Porsena killed him whereupon he was presently taken and brought before the king who put his right hand likewise into the fire and induring the paines thereof whiles it burned most stoutly seemed to smile thereat and said Thou barbarous king lo how I am loose and at libertie even against thy will but note well this besides that we are foure hundred of us within thy campe that have undertaken to take away thy
within the ground Then Paulus Aemylius caused an altar to be reared and wan the battell wherein he tooke alive an hundred and threescore elephants carying turrets upon their backs whom he sent to Rome This altar useth to give answer as an oracle about that time that Pyrrhus was defeated according as Critolaus writeth in the third booke of the Epirotick historie 7 Pyraichnes king of the Euboeans whom Hercules being yet but a young man vanquished and tying him betweene two horses caused his bodie to be plucked and torne in pieces which done he cast it forth for to lie unburied now the place where this execution was performed is called at this day Pyratchmes his horses situate upon the rriver Heraclius and whensoever there be any horses wattered there a man shall sensibly heare a noice as if horses neighed thus we find written inthe third booke entituled Of rivers Tullius Hostilius king of the Romans made warre upon the Albanes who had for their king Metius Sufetius and many times he seemed to retire and lie off as loth to incounter and joine battell insomuch as the enemies supposing him to be discomfited betooke themselves to mirth and good cheere but when they had taken their wine well he set upon them with so hot a charge that he defeated them and having taken their king prisoner he set him fast tied betweene two steeds and dismembred him as Alexarchus writeth in the fourth booke of the Italian histories 8 Philip intending to force and sacke the cities of Methone and Olynthus as he laboured with much a doe to passe over the river Sandanus chanced to be shot into the eie with an arrow by an Olynthian whose name was Aster and in it was this verse written Philip beware have at thine eie After this deadly shaft lets slie Whereupon Philip perceiving himselfe to be overmatched swam back againe unto his owne companie and with the losse of one eie escaped with life according as Callisthenes reporteth in the third booke of the Macedonian Annales Porsena king of the Tuskans lying encamped on the other side of Tybris warred upon the Romans and intercepted their victuals which were wont to be conveighed to Rome whereby he put the citie to great distresse in regard of famine but Horatius Cocles being by the common voice of the deople chosen captaine planted himselfe upon the woodden bridge which the Barbarians were desirous to gaine and for a good while made the place good and put backe the whole multitude of them pressing upon him to passe over it in the end finding himselfe overcharged with the enemies he commaunded those who were ranged in battell-ray behind him to cut downe the bridge meane while he received the violent charge of them all and impeached their entrance untill such time as he was wounded in the eie with a dart whereupon he leapt into the river and swam over unto his fellowes thus Theotinus reporteth this narration in the third booke of Italian histories 9 There is a tale told of Icarius by whom Bacchus was lodged and intertained as Eratosthenes in Erigone hath related in this wise Saturne upon a time was lodged by an husbandman of the countrey who had a faire daughter named Entoria her hee deslowred and begat of her foure sonnes Janus Hymnus Faustus and Foelix whom hee having taught the manner of drinking wine and of planting the vine enjoyned them also to empart that knowledge unto their neighbours which they did accordingly but they on the other side having taken upon a time more of this drinke than their usuall manner was fell a sleepe and slept more than ordinarie when they were awake imagining that they had drunke some poyson stoned Icarius the husbandman to death whereat his nephewes or daughters children tooke such a thought and conceit that for verie griefe of heart they knit their neckes in halters and strangled themselves Now when there was a great pestilence that raigned among the Romanes the oracle of Apollo gave answer that the mortality would stay in case they had once appeased the ire of Saturne and likewise pacified their ghosts who unjustly lost their lives Then Lutatius Catulus a noble man of Rome built a temple unto Saturne which standeth neere unto the mount Tarpeius and erected an altar with foure faces either in remembrance of those foure nephewes above said or respective to the foure seasons and quarters of the yeere and withall instituted the moneth Ianuarie But Saturne turned them all foure into starres which be called the foretunners of the Vintage among which that of Janus ariseth before others and appeareth at the feet of Virgo as Critolaus testifieth in his fourth booke of Phaenomena or Apparitions in the heaven 10 At what time as the Persians overranne Greece and wasted all the countrey before them Pausanias generall captaine of the Lacedaemonians having received of Xerxes five hundred talents of gold promised to betray Sparta but his treason being discovered Agesilaus his father pursued him into the temple of Minerva called Chalcioecos whither he fled for sanctuarie where he caused the doors of the temple to be mured up with brick so famished him to death His mother tooke his corps and cast it foorth to dogs not suffering it to be buried according to Chrysermus in the second booke of his storie The Romanes warring against the Latines chose for their captaine Publius Decius Now there was a certaine gentleman of a noble house howbeit poore named Cessius Brutus who for a certaine summe of money which the enemies should pay unto him intended in the night season to set the gates of the citie wide open for them to enter in This treacherie being detected he fled for sanctuarie into the temple of Minerva surnamed Auxiliaria where Cassius his father named also Signifer shut him up and kept him so long that he died for verie famine and when he was dead threw his bodie foorth and would not allow it any sepulture as writeth Clitonymus in his Italian histories 11 Darius king of Persia having fought a field with Alexander the Great and in that conflict lost seven of his great lieutenants governours of Provinces besides five hundred and two war charriots armed with trenchant sithes would notwithstanding bid him battell againe but Ariobarzanes his sonne upon a pitifull affection that he carried to Alexander promised to betray his father into his hands whereat his father tooke such displeasure and indignation that he caused his head to be smitten off Thus reporteth Aretades the Gnidian in his third booke of Macedonian histories Brutus being chosen Consull of Rome by the generall voice of the whole people chased out of the citie Tarquinius Superbus who raigned tyrannically but he retyring himselfe unto the Tuskanes levied warre upon the Romanes The sonnes of the said Brutus conspiring to betray their father were discovered and so he commanded them to be beheaded as Aristides the Milesian writeth in his Annals of Italie 12 Epaminondas captaine of the Thebanes
honoured and worshipped among the Samnites His wife Fabta had committed adulterie with a faire and well favoured yoong man named Petronius Valentinus and afterwards treacherously killed her husband Now had Fabia his daughter saved her brother Fabricianus being a verie little one out of danger and sent him away secretly to be nourished and brought up This youth when he came to age killed both his mother and the adulterer also for which act ofhis acquit he was by the doome of the Senate as Dositheus delivereth the storie in the third booke of the Italian Chronicles 38 Busiris the sonne of Neptune and Anippe daughter of Nilus under the colour of pretended hospitalitie and courteous receiving of strangers used to sacrifice all passengers but divine justice met with him in the end and revenged their death for Hercules set upon him and killed him with his club as Agathon the Samian hath written Hercules as he drave before him thorow Italy Geryons kine was lodged by king Faunus the sonne of Mercurie who used to sacrifice all strangers and guests to his father but when hee meant to do so unto Hercules was himselfe by him slaine as writeth Dercyllus in the third booke of the Italian histories 39 Phalaris the tyrant of the Agrigentines a mercilesse prince was wont to torment put to exquisite paine such as passed by or came unto him and Perillus who by his profession was a skilfull brasse-founder had framed an heyfer of brasse which he gave unto this king that hee might burne quicke in it the said strangers And verily in this one thing did this tyrant shew himselfe just for that he caused the artificer himself to be put into it and the said heyfer seemed to low whiles he was burning within as it is written in the third booke of Causes In Aegesta a citie of Sicilie there was sometime a cruell tyrant named Aemilius Censorinus whose manner was to reward with rich gifts those who could invent new kinds of engines to put men to torture so there was one named Aruntius Paterculus who had devised and forged a brasen horse and presented it unto the foresaid tyrant that he might put into it whom he would And in truth the first act of justice that ever he did was this that the partie himselfe even the maker of it gave the first hansell thereof that he might make triall of that torment himselfe which he had devised for others Him also hee apprehended afterwards and caused to bee throwen downe headlong from the hill Tarpeius It should seeme also that such princes as reigned with violence were called of him Aemylii for so Aristides reporteth in the fourth booke of Italian Chronicles 40 Euenus the son of Mars Sterope tooke to wife Alcippe daughter of Oenomaus who bare unto him a daughter named Marpissa whom he minded to keepe a virgin still but Aphareus seeing her carried her away from a daunce and fled upon it The father made suce after but not able to recover her for verie anguish of mind he cast himselfe into the river of Lycormas and thereby was immortalized as saith Dositheus in the fourth booke of his Italian historie Anius king of the Tuskans having a faire daughter named Salia looked straightly unto her that she should continue a maiden but Cathetus one of his nobles seeing this damosell upon a time as she disported herselfe was enamoured of her and not able to suppresse the furious passion of his love ravished her and brought her to Rome The father pursued after but seeing that he could not overtake them threw himselfe into the river called in those daies Pareüsuis and afterwards of his name Anio Now the said Cathetus lay with Salia and of her bodie begat Salius and Latinus from whom are discended the noblest families of that countrey as Aristides the Milesian and Alexander Polyhistor write in the third booke of the Italian historie 41 Egestratus an Ephesian borne having murdered one of his kinfmen fled into the citie Delphi and demaunded of Apollo in what place he should dwell who made him this answere that he was to inhabit there whereas he saw the peasants of the countrey dauncing and crowned with chaplets of olive branches Being arrived therefore at a certaine place in Asia where he found the rurall people crowned with garlands of olive leaves and dauncing even there hee founded a citie which he called Elaeus as Pythocles the Samian writeth in the third booke of his Georgicks Telegonus the sonne of Vlysses by Circe being sent for to seeke his father was advised by the oracle to build a citie there where he should find the rusticall people and husbandmen of the countrey crowned with chaplets and dauncing together when he was arrived therefore at a certaine coast of Italie seeing the peasants adorned with boughes branches of the wild olive tree passing the time merily and dauncing together he built a citie which upon that occurrent he named Prinesta and afterwards the Romans altering the letters a little called it Preneste as Aristotle hath written in the third booke of the Italian historie THE LIVES OF THE TEN ORATOVRS The Summarie IN these lives compendiously descibed Plutarch sheweth in part the government of the Athenian common-weale which flourished by the meanes of many learned persons in the number of whom we are to reckon those under written namely Antipho Andocides Lysias Isocrates Isaeus Aeschines Lycurgus Demosthenes Hyperides and Dinarchus but on the other side he discovereth sufficiently the indiscretion of cretaine oratours how it hath engendred much confusion ruined the most part of such personages themselves and finally overthrowen the publick estate which he seemeth expresly to have noted and observed to the end that every one might see how dangerous in the managemeÌt of State affaires he is who hath no good parts in him but onely a fine and nimble tongue His meaning therefore is that lively vertue indeed should be joined unto eloquence meane while we observe also the lightnesse vanitie and ingratitude of the Athenian people in many places and in the divers complexions of these ten men here depainted evident it is how much availeth in any person good in struction from his infancie and how powerfull good teachers be for to frame and fashion tender minds unto high matters and important to the weale publicke In perusing and passing through this treatise a man may take knowledge of many points of the ancient popular government which serve verie well to the better understanding of the Greeke historie and namely of that which concerneth Athens As also by the recompenses both demanded and also decreed in the behalfe of vertuous men we may perceive and see among the imperfections of a people which had the soveraigntie in their hands some moderation from time to time which ought to make us magnifie the wisedome and providence of God who amid so great darkneffe hath maintained so long as his good pleasure was so many States and governours in Greece which
the fine of a thousand drachines in which he was condemned upon his overthrow at the barre Others say that over beside he was noted with infamie because he would not depart out of the citie and that he retired himselfe to Ephesus unto Alexander But upon the decease of Alexander when there was great troubles towards he returned to Rhodes where he kept a schoole and beganne to teach the art of Rhetoricke He read other-whiles unto the Rhodians and that with action and gesture the oration which he had pronounced against Ctesiphon whereat when all the hearers marvelled and namely how possibly he could be cast if he acted such an oration You would never wonder at the matter quoth he my masters of Rhodes if you had beene in place and heard Demosthenes impleading against it He left behinde him a schoole at Rhodes which afterwards was called the Rhodian schoole From thence he sailed to Samos and when he had staied a time in the Isle within a while after he died A pleasant and sweet voice he had as may appeare both by that which Demosthenes hath delivered of him and also by an oration of Demochares There be found foure orations under his name one against Timarchus another as touching false embassage and a third against Ctesiphon which in truth be all three his for the fourth entituled Deliaca was never penned by Aeschines True it is indeed that appointed and commanded he was to plead judicially the causes of the temple of Delos but he pronounced no such oration for that Hyperides was chosen in stead of him as saith Demosthenes And by his owne saying two brethren he had Aphobus and Demochares He brought unto the Athenians the first tidings of the second victorie which they obtained at Tamyne for which he was rewarded with a crowne Some give it out that Aeschines was scholar to none and never learned his Rhetoricke of any master but being brought up to writing and a good pen-man he became a clarke or notarie and so grew up to knowledge of himselfe by his owne industrie for that he ordinarly conversed in judiciall courts and places of judgement The first time that ever he made publike speech before the people was against king Philip and having then audience with with great applause and commendation he was presently chosen embassadour and sent to the Arcadians whither when he was come he raised a power of ten thousand men against Philip. He presented and indited Timarchus for maintaining a brothell house who fearing to appeare judicially and to have the cause heard hung himselfe as after a sort Demosthenes in some place saith Afterwards elected he was to go in embassage unto Philip with Ctesiphon Demosthenes about a treatie of peace wherein he carried himselfe better than Demosthenes A second time was hee chosen the teuth man in an embassage for to goe and conclude a peace upon certaine capitulations and covenants for which service he was judicially called to his answere and acquit as hath beene said before LYCURGUS VII LYcurgus was the sonne of Lycophron the sonne of Lycurgus him I meane whom the thirtie tyrants did to death by the procurement instigation of one Aristodemus that came from Bata who having beene treasurer generall of Greece was banished during the popular government Of the borrough or tribe he was named Buta and of the family or house of the Eteobutades At the beginning the scholar he was of Plato the philosopher and made profession of philosophie but afterwards being entred into familiar acquaintance with Isocrates hee became his scholar and dealt in affaires of State where he wan great credit as well by his deeds as words and so put in trust he was with the mannagement of the cities revenues for treasur our general he was the space of fifteene yeeres during which time there went thorow his hands fortie millions of talents or as some say fourscore millions six hundred and fiftie talents And it was the orator Stratocles who preferred him to this honor by propounding him unto the people Thus I say at the first was he himselfe chosen treasurour in his own name but afterwards he nominated some one of his friends and yet neverthelesse mannaged all and had the whole administration of it in his owne hands for that there was a Statute enacted and published that none might be chosen to have the charge of the publicke treasure above five yeeres He continued alwaies an overseer of the citie workes both winter and summer and having the office and charge committed unto him for provision of all necessaries for the warres he reformed many things that were amisse in common-wealth He caused to be built for the citie foure hundred gallies He made the common hall or place for publicke exercises in Lyceum and planted the same round about with trees He reared also the wrestling hall and finished the theater which is at the temple of Bacchus being himselfe in person to oversee and direct the workmen He was reputed a man of such fidelitie and so good a conscience that there was committed upon trust into his hands to the summe of two hundred and fiftie talents of silver by divers and sundrie private persons to be kept for their use He caused to be made many faire vessels of gold and silver to adorne and beautifie the citie as also sundrie images of Victorie in gold And finding many publicke workes unperfect and halfe done he accomplished and made an end of them all as namely the Arsenals the common hals for armour and other utensiles and implements serving for the cities uses He founded a wall round about the spatious cloisture called Panathenaike which he finished up to the verie cape and batilments yea and laid levell and even the great pit or chinke in the ground for that one Dinius whose plot of ground it was gave away the proprietie which he had in it unto the citie in favour especially of Lycurguss and for his sake He had the charge and custodie of the citie and commission to attache and apprehend malefactours whom he drave all quit out of the citie insomuch that some of the oratours and subtle sophisters would say that Lycurgus dipt not his pen in blacke inke but in deadly blood when he drew his writs against malefactours In regard of which benefit unto the common-weale so well beloved he was of the people that when king Alexander demaunded to had him delivered into his hands the people would not forgo him But when as king Philip made warre upon the Athenians the second time he went in embassage with Polycuctus and Demosthenes as well into Peloponnesus as to other States and cities All his time he lived in good estimation among the Athenians reputed evermore for a just and upright man in such sort that in all courts of justice if Lycurgus said the word it was held for a great prejudice good foredoome in his behalfe for whom he spake He proposed brought in certaine lawes
Having thus begun his tale he came downe and went his way the people then called him backe and praied him to tell the tale out and make an end thereof Why my masters quoth he how is it that you are so desirous that I should tell you a tale of the shadow of asse and will not give me the hearing when I am to speake unto you of your affaires of great importance Polus the famous actour and stage-plaier made his boast upon a time that in two daies wherein he plaied his part he had gotten a whole talent of silver And I quoth he have gained five in one day for holding my peace and keeping silence His voice upon a time when he made a speech unto the people failed him whereupon his audience being not well pleased and himselfe somewhat troubled he said aloud unto them You are to judge plaiers by their pleasant and strong voice but oratours by their good and grave sentences Epicles seemed to upbraid and reproch him for that he was alwaies musing and premeditating I would be ashamed quoth he unto him if being to speake before so great an assembly of people I should come unprovided It is written of him that he never put out his lampe that is to say that he never ceased studying how to file and polish as it were his orations untill he was fiftie yeres old He said of himselfe that he drunke nothing but faire water Lysias the oratour had knowledge of him and Isocrates saw him to manage the affaires of State untill the battell of Chaeronea yea and some also of the Socraticall oratours The most part of his orations he pronounced ex tempore and of a sudden as having a ready and pregnant wit and one who naturally was fitted to speake The first that ever proposed and put up a bill unto the people that he should be crowned with a coronet of gold was Aristonicus the Anagyrasian the sonne of Nicophanes and Diondas did second the motion with an oath HYPERIDES IX HYperides the sonne of Glaucippus who was the sonne of Dionysius of the burrough Colyttea had a sonne who bare the name of his father Glaucippus an orator who composed cerreine orations and he begat another oratour named Alphinus He was at one time the scholar of Plato the Philosopher of Lycurgus and of Isocrates He dealt in the State at what time as Alexander the Great intended the affaires of Greece and he crossed him as touching those captaines which he demanded of the Athenians as also about the gallies which he required to have He advised the people not to casse and discharge those souldiers which were enterteined at Taenara who had for their captaine Chares and whose friend particularly he was He pleaded ordinarily at the first as an advocate for his fee and was suspected to have received part of that money which Ephialtes brought out of Persia. Chosen he was the captaine of one great galley at what time as king Philip went to lay siege unto the citie Bizantium and sent he was to aide the Bizantines The very same yeere he tooke the charge of defraying the expenses of the solenme dances whereas the rest of the captaines were exempt from all publicke offices for that yeere He passed a decree that certeine honours should be done unto Demosthenes and when the said decree was by Diondas repealed as made against the lawes and himselfe thereupon accused yet found he was unguiltie and thereupon acquit Friend he was to Demosthenes Lysicles and Lycurgus howbeit in this amitie he continued not unto the end for after that Lysicles and Lycurgus were dead when Demosthenes was once called in question for taking money of Harpalus he alone for that his hands onely were free of bribery was nominated and picked out from the rest to frame an accusation against him because they were all thought culpable in the same fault and so he judicially accused him but himselfe was charged by Aristogiton for publishing acts contrary to the lawes after the battell at Chaeronea namely That all the inhabitants and dwellers in Athens should be burgesses of the citie that all slaves should manumized and made free that all sacred and holy reliques that women and children should be bestowed within the port or haven Pireaeum howbeit absolved he was and went cleere away And when some there were who found fault with him and marvelled how he should be so negligent and overseene as not to know so many lawes which were directly opposit to the said decrees he made this answere If quoth he the armes of the Macedonians and the battell of Chaeronea had not dazzeled and dimmed my sight I had never written nor proposed such an edict But certeine it is that after this Philip being affrighted gave the Athenians leave to take up the bodies of their dead that lay in the field which before he had denied unto the heralds that came of purpose unto him out of Lebadia Afterwards upon the defaiture at Cranon when he was demanded by Antipater and the people resolved to deliver him into his hands he forsooke the citie and fled into the Isle Aegina with other persons who likewise were condemned where meeting with Demosthenes he desired him to holde him excused for that he had by constraint accused him And when he minded to depart from thence surprised he was by one Archias surnamed Phygadotheres a man borne in the citie of Thurit and who at the first was a professed stage-plaier but then imploied in the service and aid of Antipater so he was apprehended perforce within the temple of Neptune notwithstanding hee held the image of the said god in his armes and from thence brought to Corinth before Antipater where being set upon the racke and put to torture he bit his tongue off with his owne teeth because he would not discover the secrets of the city and so ended his daies the ninth day of the moneth October howbeit Hermippus saith that as he went into Macedonie he had his tongue cut out of his head and his dead corps was cast forth unto the beasts of the field without sepulture yet one Alphinus his cousen germaine or as some say the cousen of Glaucippus his sonne obteined licence by the meanes of Philopithes a certeine physician to take up his bodie who burnt the same in a funerall fire the ashes and bones whereof he caried to Athens afterwards among his kinsfolke and friends contrary to the orders and decrees set downe both by the Macedonians and the Athenians for by vertue thereof they were not onely banished but interdicted so as they might not be interred within their owne countrey Others say that he was carried unto the citie Cleonae with others where he died and that his tongue was cut and afterwards himselfe murdred in maner aforesaid Howbeit his kinsemen and friends gathered up his bones when his corps was burnt and buried them amongs his parents and progenitours before the gates called Hippades according as Heliodorus
this request That he might be allowed his diet in the palace Prytanaeum according to the free gift granted before time to his father Lycurgus by the people in that yeere wherein Anaxicrates was Provost of the citie and the tribe Antiochis President of Prytanaeum which Stratocles the son of Euthydemus of the borrough Diomeia proposed it in this forme Forasmuch as Lycurgus the sonne of Lycophron of Buta hath received of his ancestors as it were from hand to hand a certaine hereditarie love and affection to the people of Athens and his progenitours likewise Diomedes and Lycurgus both during their lives were esteemed and highly honoured by the people and after their death had this honour done unto them in testimonie of their vertue and valour as to be enterred at the publike charges of the citie in that conspicuous street called Ceramicum considering also that Lycurgus himselfe whiles he managed the affaires of the State enacted many good and holsome lawes for his countrey and being treasurer-generall of all the cities revenues by the space of fifteene yeeres during that time had the receit and laying out of the publicke moneys to the summe of eighteene thousand and nine hundred talents and for that many private mens stocks were put into his hands upon trust for the considence they had in him in regard of his fidelitie in regard also that he hath disbursed and laied foorth of his owne moneys at sundry times and upon divers occasions for the benefit of the citie and communaltie as much as amounteth in all to sixe hundred and fiftie talents for that likewise in all his imploiments having beene ever found most trustie just and loyall and to carie himselfe as an honest man and good citizen he hath bene many times crowned by the city moreover in this respect that having beene chosen by the people the receiver of the finances hee gathered together a great masse of money and brought the same into the common chest within the citadell and besides provided ornaments for the goddesse Minerva to wit images of victorie all of beaten gold vessels to carie in procession both of golde and silver besides other jewels of fine gold for the service and worship of the said goddesse and namely to the number of one hundred Canephorae that is to say Virgins carrying paniers or baskets with sacred reliques upon their heads Item for that being elected commissarie for the munitions and provisions necessarie for the warres he brought into the citadell a great number of armours and weapons and among the rest fiftie thousand shot rigged and set a float foure hundred gallies some new built others repaired and trimmed over and besides for that finding certeine of the citie works unperfect to wit the Arcenall the Armorie and the Theater of Bacchus he caused them to be made up and withall finished both the Cirque or running place Panathenaicurn and also the empaled parke for publicke exercises and built the Lycium likewise and adorned the citie with many faire buildings and publicke edifices whereas also king Alexander the Great having already subdued all Asia and intending generally to be commander over all Greece demanded to have Lycurgus delivered up into his hands for that he onely stood in his way and crossed his desseignes the people would not deliver him for any feare they had of Alexander and for that being oft times called judicially to his answere and to render an account of his government and administration in a free citie and governed by a popular State he was alwaies found innocent and unreproveable not tainted with any briberie nor spotted with corruption and taking gifts for to pervert justice all his life time To the end therefore that all men might know that they who are well affected to the maintenance of liberty and popular government be highly acounted of by the people whiles they live and that after their death the citie is willing to render unto them immortall thanks in a good and happie houre let it be ordeined by the people that Lycurgus the sonne of Lycaphron of Buta be honoured for his vertue and righteousnesse and that the people erect his statue all of brasse in the market-steed unlesse it be in some place where the trade expresly forbiddeth it to stand Item that there be allowance of diet in the Prytanaeum to the eldest of his house in every descent for ever Also that the decrees by him proposed shal be ratified and engrossed by the publicke notarie of the citie yea and engraven in pillars of stone and set up in the citadell neere unto the offerings consecrated unto the goddesse Minerva and for the engraving of the said pillars the treasurie of the citie shall defray fiftie drachmes of silver out of those moneys which are allowed for the citie decrees OF THREE SORTS OF GOVERNMENT MONARCHIE DEMOCRATIE AND OLIGARCHIE ASI devised with my selfe and purposed to put to question for to be decided by this judicious companie a matter which yesterday I discoursed of before you me thought that I heard politicke vertue in a true vision in deed and not in the vaine illusion of a dreame thus to say unto me The golden base and ground that now belongs Unto our worke is laied with sacred songs I have already laied the foundation of a discourse perswading and exhorting to the management of State affaires if now we can proceed to build upon it the doctrine fit for such an exhortation which is a due debt unto Articus for meet it is and requisit that after a man hath received an admonition inciting him to deale in politicke matters of common-weale there should consequently be given unto him and sounded in his eares the precepts of policie the which he observing and following may as much as lieth in man to performe be profitable to the common-weale and withall in the meane time manage his owne private businesse both in safetie and also with such honour as is just and meet for him First and formost therefore we are to consider and discourse of one point which as it is a very materiall precedent unto all that shall be said so it dependeth and is necessarily to be inferred of that which hath bene delivered already namely What maner of policie and government is best for as there be many sort of lives in particular men so there are of people in generall and the life of a people or commonaltie is the politicke state and government thereof Necessarie it is therefore that we declare which is simply the best that a man of State may chuse it from among the rest or at leastwise if that be impossible take that which most resembleth the best Now there is one signification of this word Politia that is to say Policie which is as much as Burgeosie that is to say the indument and enjoying of the right and priviledges of a citie as for example when we say that the Megarians by a publicke ordinance of their city gave unto Alexander the great
and spitefull speeches for envious and malicious persons NARRATIONS OF LOVE The Summarie IN this discourse Plutarch relateth five tragicall histories which shew the pitifull accidents that befell certeine persons transported with the inordinate and irregular affection of Love leaving thereby unto the reader a faire and cleere mirrour wherein to beholde the judgements of God upon those that abandon themselves to be carried away by intemperance and loosenesse NARRATIONS OF LOVE IN the citie Aliartos situate within Boeotia there was sometime a yoong maiden of excellent beautie named Aristoclea and the daughter she was of Theophanes and two yoong gentlemen there were that made sute unto her in way of mariage to wit Straton an Orchomenian Callisthenes of Aliartos aforesaid Now was Straton the richer of the twaine and farre more enamoured of the damosell for seene her he had when she washed herselfe in the fountaine of Ercyne which is in Lebadia against the time that she was to carrie in procession to Jupiter surnamed King a sacred panier as the maner was of the Canephorae to do But Callisthenes had the vantage of him and was deeper in her love for that he was besides neere of kin unto the virgin So Theophanes her father being doubtfull what to doe for he stood in feare of Straton as one who for wealth and noble parentage went well-neere beyond all the Boeotians resolved at length to referre the choise unto the oracle of Jupiter Trophonius but Straton who was borne in hand by those of the house about Aristoclea that she inclined more unto him laboured earnestly that the matter might be put unto the election of the damosell herselfe whereupon when Theophanes the father demanded of her in the face of the world Whom she loved better and would chuse to be her husband she preferred Callisthenes whereat Straton shewed himselfe immediatly not a little discontented for this repulse and disgrace but two daies after he came unto Theophanes and Callisthenes pretending and saying that he would not fall out with them but was desirous still of their good favour and friendship how ever his ill fortune had envied him the marriage of the yoong virgin They approving well of this speech and taking his words in very good part invited him as a guest to the wedding feast meane while he provided himselfe of a good number of his friends and besides no small troupe of servants whom he disposed secretly in their houses heere and there against the time that this maiden after the custome and maner of the countrey should go downe to a certeine fountaine named Cissoeisa there to sacrifice unto the Nymphes before her marriage day now as she passed by those who lay in ambush came all running forth from every side and seized upon her bodie but Straton himselfe principally who drew and haled the damosell unto him as hard as he could Callisthenes againe on the other side for his part as became him held her fast so did they about him thus the silly maiden was tugged and pulled to and fro so long betweene them that before they were aware dead she was among them in their hands upon which strange occurrent what became of Callisthenes it is not knowen whether he presently made away himselfe or fled into voluntary exile for he was no more seene as for Straton in the very sight of all men there in the place he killed himselfe upon the very body of his espoused bride 2 There was one named Phidon a Peloponnesian affecting the seignorie of all Peloponnesus and being desirous that the citie of Argos his native seat should be ladie over all others laied an ambush first for the Corinthians to intrap them for he sent an embassage unto Corinth to demand a levie of a thousand yoong men that were the lustiest and most valourous gallants of the whole citie The Corinthians sent them accordingly under the conduct of one of their captaines named Dexander Now the purpose of this Phidon was to set upon this troupe and kill them every one to the end that he might thereby enfeeble the Corinthians and make the citie serve his owne turne as a strong bulwarke most commodiously seated to command and subdue all Peloponnesus This desseigne of his he communicated unto certeine of his friends for to be put in execution accordingly among whom there was one named Abron who being a familiar friend unto Dexander revealed unto him the conspiracie whereupon the said regiment of a thousand yong men before they were charged by the said ambush retired themselves and recovered Corinth in safetie Then Phidon bestirred himselfe to finde out the man who had thus betraied and discovered his plot which Abron fearing withdrew himselfe to Corinth taking with him his wife children and his whole familie where he setled and remained in a village named Melissa belonging to the territorie of that citie there begat he a sonne whom of the very place which he inhabited he named Melissus and this Melissus in processe of time had a sonne of his owne called Actaeon who proved the most beautifull and withall the modestest lad of all other youths and springals of his age in regard whereof many there were enamoured of him but among the rest one especially named Archias descended lineally from the noble race of Hercules and for wealth credit and authoritie the greatest person in all Corinth This Archias seeing that by no faire meanes and perswasions he could prevaile with yoong Actaeon and winne his love resolved with himselfe to use violence and forcibly to ravish and carrie away this faire boy so he came upon a time as it were to make merrie unto the house of Melissus his father accompanied with a great traine of friends and attended upon with a good troupe of his owne householde-servants where he gave the attempt to have away the boy by force but the father with his friends made resistance the neighbours also came foorth to rescue and did all what they could to holde and keepe the youth with them but what with the one side and what with the other poore Actaeon was so pulled and tugged that betweene them hee lost his lfe which done all the rest went their waies and departed but Melissus the father brought the dead corps of his childe into the market place of the Corinthians presented it there unto them and demaunded justice to be done upon those who had committed this foule outrage The Corinthians made no greater a matter of it but onely shewed that they were sory for his mishap and so he returned home as he came without effect attending and waiting for the solemne assembly at the Isthmicke games where being mounted up to the top of Neptunes temple he cried out against the whole race of the Baccharides and withall rehearsed by way of commemoration the beneficence of his father Abron unto them and when he had called for vengeance unto the gods hee threw himselfe downe headlong among the rocks and brake his necke
Not long after there fell out to be a great drouth and the the citie was sore visued with famine insomuch as the Corinthians sent unto the oracle for to know by what meanes they might be delivered from this calamitie unto whom the god made this answer That the wrath of Neptune was the cause of all their miserie who would by no meanes be appeased untill they had revenged Actaeons death which Archias hearing who was himselfe one deputed to this embassage he was not willing to returne againe to Corinth but crossed over the seas into Sicily where he founded and built the city Syracusa and there hee begat two daughters Ortygia and Syracusa but in the end was himselfe trecherously murdred by one Telephus whom in his youth he had abused as his minion and who having the conduct of a shippe had sailed with him into sicilie 3 A poore man named Scedasus who dwelt in Leuctra a village within the territorie of the Thespians had two daughters the name of the one was Hippo and of the other Miletia or as some write clepid they were Theano and Enippe Now this Scedasus was a bounteous and kind person yea and a good fellow in his house and curteous to all strangers notwithstanding he had but small store of goods about him So there fortuned to visit him two yoong men of Sparta whom hee friendly and lovingly enterteined who being fallen into fancie with his two daughters had thus much power yet of themselves that in regard of their father Scedasus and his kindnesse unto them they attempted nothing prejudiciall unto the honest pudicitie of the virgins for that time but the next morning tooke their leave and went directly toward the city of Delphos unto the oracle of Apollo Pythius for to that purpose expresly tooke they this journey and pilgrimage after that they had consulted with the god about such matters as they came for they returned backe againe into their owne country as they passed thorough Baeotia tooke Scedasus house by the way there for to lodge who at that time was not at Leuctra but gone forth howbe it his daughters according to their courteous bringing up their usual maner of intertainment received these two guests into the house who seeing their opportunitie that they were alone forced defloured the silly maidens and after this deed seeing them exceedingly offended and angry for this villany offered unto them so as by no meanes they would be appeased they proceeded farther murdred them both and when they had so done threw them into a certeine blinde pit and so departed Seedasus being returned home found all things else in his house safe and sound as hee left them onely his two daughters hee could not meet with neither wist he what to say or doe untill such time as a bitch that he had began to whine and complaine running one while to him and another while training him as it were to the pit side whereupon at length he suspected that which was and so drew foorth the dead bodies of his two daughters understanding moreover by his neighbors that the day before they had seene going into his house those two yoong men of Lacedaemon who not long before had beene lodged with him he doubted presently that they were those who had committed this crime and namely when he called to minde that the first time they came they did nothing but praise the maidens saying That they reputed them most happy whose fortune should be to espouse them for their wives Well to Lacedaemon he went for to conferre with the Ephori about this matter and by that time that he entred within the territory of Argos he was benighted so that he took up his lodging in a common inne or hostelry within which he found another poore old man borne in the city Oreos within the province Hestraea whom when Scedasus heard to sigh and groane grievously yea and to fall a cursing of the Lacedaemonians he demaunded what the Lacedaemonians had done unto him that he fared thus against them the old man set tale an end and said That a subject he was of the Spartans and that when one Aristodemus was sent as governour from the State of Sparta into the citie Oreum he had dealt very cruelly and committed many outrages and enormites for being quoth he wantonly fallen in love with a sonne of mine and seeing that he would not frame nor be induced to satisfie his will he assaied to enforce him and by violence to hale him out of the publicke wrestling place where he exercised himselfe with other his feeres and companions the warden of the exercises empeached the said governour with the assistance of many yoong men who ranne into the rescue in such sort as for that present Aristodemus retired without effect but the next morrow having set out and manned a galley of purpose hee came with a second charge and caried away my childe and no sooner was he rowed from Oreum to the otherside of the water but he offred to abuse his body which when the youth would in no wise abide nor yeeld unto he made no more adoo but cut his throat and killed him outright in the place which done he returned backe to Oreum where hee feasted his friends and made great cheere This accident was I soone advertised of quoth the old man whereupon I went and performed the last dutie unto my sonne and solemnized his funerall and so immediately put my selfe upon my journey toward Sparta where I complained unto the Ephori or lords controulers declaring unto them the whole fact but they gave no eare unto me nor made any reckoning of my grievance Seedisus hearing this tale was il appaid troubled in his mind imagining that the Spartans would make as little account of him and therewith to requite his tale related for his part likewise unto the stranger his owne case who thereupon gave him counsel not so much as once to go unto the Ephori but to returne immediately backe into Boeotia and to erect a tombe for his two daughters Howbeit Seedasus would not be ruled by him but held on his journey forward to Sparta opened his griefe unto the lords coÌtroulers before said when he saw that they tooke small heed of his words he addressed himselfe to the kings of Sparta yea and afterwards to some particular burgeosies of the citie unto whom he declared the fact and bewailed his owne infortunitie But seeing that all booted not heran up and downe the streets of the citie stretching forth his hands up to heaven and to the sun and stamping upon the ground with his feet calling upon the furies of hell to be revenged and at the last killed himselfe But in processe of time the Lacedaemonians paid deerely for this their injustice for when they were growen to that greatnes that they commanded all Greece and had planted their garrisons in everie citie first Epaminondas the Theban cut the throtes of
image of glorie which by a kinde of reflexion as in a mirrour doth rebound from those who have atchieved noble acts even unto them that commit the same to writing when as the actions of other men are represented by their reports and records Certes this city of Athens hath beene the fruitfull mother and kinde nourse of many and sundry arts whereof some she first invented and brought to light others she gave growth strength honour and credit unto And among the rest the skill of painters craft hath not beene least advanced and adorned by her For Apollodorus the painter the first man who devised the mixture of colours and the manner of darkning them by the shadow was an Athenian over whose works was set this epigram by his owne selfe Sooner will one this carpe and twit Than doe the like or sample it So were Euphranor and Nicias Asclepiodor us also and Plistaenetus the brother of Phidias whereof some portraied victorious captaines others painted battels and others drew to the life the worthies and demigods like as Euphranor who painted noble Theseus and set this picture as a paragon in comparison with another of Parrhasius making saying that the Theseus of Parrhasius had eaten roses but his Theseus had beene fed with good oxe beefe for to say a trueth that picture of Parrhasius was daintily and delicately made resembling in some sort that which Euphranor talketh of but he that should see this of Euphranors doing might say not unfitly these verses out of Homer The people of Erechtheus slout whom Pallas daughter deare Of Jupiter that mighty god sometime did feed and reare Euphranor also depainted the battell of horsemen before the citie Mantinea against Epaminondas which seemeth not to be without some furious and divine instinct The argument and subject matter whereof was this Epaminondas the Theban after the battell which he won before the towne Leuctra puffed up with glory in this greatnesse of his determined resolutely to insult over Sparta which now was already downe the winde and at once to tread and trample under foot the high spirit and reputation of that city First therefore he invaded Laconia with a mightie power of threescore and ten thousand fighting men spoiling and harrowing the countrey as he went whereby he withdrew all the neighbour-nations from their confederacie and alliance with the Lacedaemonians After this when they put themselves in battell ray and made head against him before Mantinea hee challenged and provoked them to fight which they neither would nor durst accept expecting aid that should come unto them from Athens Whereupon he brake up his campe and dislodging in the night season secretly and contrary to all mens expectation entred againe into Laconia in which journey and expedition he went within a little of surprising the citie of Sparta and winning it naked as it was and without defendants But the ir allies and confederates having intelligence of his comming came with all speed to succour the citie Then Epaminondas made femblance that hee would turne and bend his forces to the wasting and spoiling of their territorie as hee had done before Thus having by this stratageme deluded his enemies and lulled them asleepe in securitie hee departed suddenly by night out of Laconia having over-runne and destroied all before him with great celeritie and presented himselfe with his whole armie before them of Mantinea who looked for nothing lesse than such a guest but were in consultation for to send helpe to Lacedaemon but he interrupting breaking their counsels immediatly commanded the Thebanes to arme who being brave couragious souldiors invested the city of Mantinea round about stroke up the alarme and gave an assault The Mantineans heereat astonied ran up and downe the streets howling and wailing as being not able to sustaine and much lesse put backe so great a puissance which all at once in manner of a violent streame came running upon them neither did they thinke of any aid or meanes to relieve themselves in this distresse But at the very point of this extremity the Athenians were discovered descending from the hilles downe into the plaines of Mantinea who knowing nothing of this sudden surprise and present danger wherein the citie stood marched softly and tooke leisure but when they were advertised heereof by a vaunt courrier who made meanes to get foorth of the city notwithstanding they were but a handfull in comparison of the great multitude of their enemies and withall somewhat wearie with their journey and not seconded with any other of their allies and associates they advaunced forward and put themselves in order of battell against their enemies who were in number many for one the hors-men also for their parts being likewise arranged set spurres to their horses and rode hard to the gates and walles of the city where they charged their enemies so hotly with their horses and gave them so cruell a battell that they gat the uppeer hand and rescued Mantinea out of the danger of Epaminondas Now had Euphranor painted this conflict most lively in a table wherein a man might have seene the furious encounter the couragious charge and bloudie fight wherein both horse and man seemed to puffe and blow againe for winde But I suppose you will not compare the wit or judgement of a painter with the courage and policy of a captaine nor endure those who preferre a painted table before a glorious trophae or the vaine shadow before the reall substance and thing indeed howsoever Simonides said that picture was a dumbe poesie and poesie a speaking picture for looke what things or actions painters doe shew as present and in manner as they were in doing writings doe report and record as done and past and if the one represent them in colours and figures and the other exhibite the same in words and sentences they differ both in matter and also in manner of imitation howbeit both the one and the other shoote at one end and have the same intent and purpose And hee is counted the best historian who hath the skill to set out a narration as in a painted table with divers affections and sundry conditions of persons as with many images and pourtraictures And verily this may appeere in Thucydides who throughout his whole history contendeth to attaine unto this diluciditie of stile striving to make the auditour of his wordes the spectatour as it were of the deeds therein conteined and desirous to imprint in the readers the same passions of astonishment woonder and agony which the very things themselves would worke when they are represented to the eie For Demosthenes who put the Athenians in ordinance of battell even upon the very sands and shore within the creeke of Pylos and Brasidas who hastening the pilot of his galley to runne with the prow a land walking along the hatches himselfe and being there wounded and ready to yeeld up his vitall breath sunke downe among the seats of the rowers also the Lacedaemoninas who
all one and the same to say A man is not and A man is that which hath no being But Plato thinketh that there is a woonderfull great difference betweene these termes Not to be at all and To be that which is not for the former importeth a nullity and abolishment of all substance and the other sheweth the difference of that which is participated and that which doth participate which distinction and diversity they who came after have reduced onely unto a different raunge of kinds formes and of certeine common and proper qualities or accidents but higher than so they mounted not falling downe upon some doubts and difficulties more reasonable for the same reason and proportion there is betweene the thing participated and participating as is betweene the cause and the matter the originall and the image the power and the passion Wherein principally differeth that which is by it selfe and ever the same from that which is by another and never keepeth one state for that the one never shall be nor ever was not existent and for this cause it is truely and altogether subsistent whereas the other hath not so much as that being constant which it hapneth to participate from another but doth degenerate and grow out of kinde through imbecilitie in that the matter doth glide and slide about the forme receiving many passions and mutations bending toward the image of substance in such sort as continually it mooveth and shaketh to and fro Like as therefore he who saith that Plato is not the image of Plato taketh not away the sense and substance of an image but sheweth the difference betweene that which is of it selfe and the other which is in regard of it even so they abolish not the nature the use nor sense of men who say that every one of us by participating the Idea of a certeine common substance is become the image of that which giveth similitude and affinity unto our generation For neither he who saith that iron red hot is not fire or the Moone the Sunne but to use the very words of Parmenides Aflame that beares a borowed light Wandring about the earth by night doth take away the use of a burning gleed or the nature of the moone but if he should affirme that it were no bodie nor illuminate then he went against the senses as one who admitted neither body nor living animall nor generation nor sense But he that by opinion imagineth these things to have no subsistence but by participation and withall how farre they are short and distant from that which hath alwaies being and which gave them the power to be considereth not amisse the sensible but is dim-sighted in the intelligible neither doth he annihilate and overthrow the passions which arise and appeare in us but sheweth unto them that are docible and follow him that there be other more firme and stable things than these as touching essence for that they neither are engendred nor perish nor yet suffer ought but teacheth more cleerely purely noting and touching the difference by the very termes and names calling the one sort existent the other breeding or ingendred The same usually befalleth also to our late ãâã writers who deprive many great and weighty things of this denomination of subsistence as namely Voidnesse Time Place and generally the whole kinde of those speeches wherein are comprised all things true For these things being they say are not and yet they say some are yea and use the same aswel in their life as their doctrine and philosophy as having subsistence being But I would gladly demand of this accuser of ours himselfe whether he and his fellowes in their affaires perceive not this difference whereby some things be permanent and immutable in their substances like as they affirme of their Atomes that they be at all times and continually after one and the same sort by reason of their impassibility and stiffe soliditie whereas all things compounded and compact of them be flexible pliable mutable breeding and perishing for that an infinite number of images doe passe and flow from them evermore yea and an innumerable sort of other things by all likelihood from out of the ambuent aire do reflow and have recourse unto them for to supply and fill up the heape still which masse is become much altered diversified and transvased as it were by this permutation in that the Atomes which are in the bottome of the said masse can never cease nor give over stirring but reciprocally beat one upon another as they themselves affirme So there is in things such a difference of substance as this and yet Epicurus is more wise and learned than Plato in that he tearmeth all things equally subsisting Voidnesse impalpable the Body solid and resisting the Principles things composed and for that hee thinketh that the eternall doeth not so much as participate in the common substance with that which is ingendred the immortall with that which doth perish the natures impassible perdurable immutable which never can fall or be deprived from their being with those which have their essence in suffering and changing and never can continue in one and the same state Now were it so that Plato had most justly of all men in the world deserved to be condemned for his error heerein yet my good friend there should no imputation be charged upon him by these our great masters heere who speake purer and finer Greeke and more exquisitly than he but onely for confounding some words and speaking improperly nor to be blamed for abolishing the matters themselves or taking us out of this life because he termed them ingendred and not existent as these men do But seeing wee have passed over Socrates after Parmenides wee must now take his defence in hand Colotes then began directly at the first as we say in the common proverbe to remoove him from the sacred line or tribe and having related how ãâã had brought an answere from the Oracle at Delphos as touching Socrates which we all know to be so saith thus As for this discourse and narration quoth he of Chaerephon for that it is altogether odious captious sophisticall and full of untrueth we will overpasse Then is Plato likewise to say nothing of others odious and absurd who hath put the said answere downe in writing Then are the Lacedaemonians more odious and intolerable who keepe that Oracle delivered as touching Lycurgus among their most ancient writings and authenticall records Semblably the discourse and narration of Themistocles was a sophisticall and counterfeit device whereby he perswaded the Athenians to abandon their citie and so in a navall battell defaited the barbarous prince Xerxes And even so all the noble lawgivers and founders of Greece are to be counted odious and intolerable who established the most part of their temples their sacrifices and solemne feasts by the answere from the Oracle of Apollo But if it be so that the Oracle brought from Delphi as touching Socrates
patrons and advocates of so detestable a cause such I meane as in this booke are brought in under the persons of Protogenes and Pisias Meane while they may perceive likewise in the combot of matrimoniall love against unnaturall Poederastie not to be named that honestie hath alwaies meanes sufficient to defend it selfe for being vanquished yea and in the end to go away with the victorie Now this Treatise may be comprised in foure principall points of which the first after a briefe Preface wherein Autobulus being requested to rehearse unto his companions certeine reports which before time hee had heard Plutarch his father to deliver as touching Love entreth into the discourse conteineth the historie of Ismenodora enamoured upon a yoong man named Bacchon whereupon arose some difference and dispute of which Plutarch and those of his companie were chosen arbitratours Thereupon Protogenes seconded by Pisias and this is the second point setting himselfe against Ismenodora disgraceth and discrediteth the whole sex of woman kinde and praiseth openly enough the love of males But Daphnaeus answereth them so fully home and pertinently to the purpose that he discovereth and detecteth all their filthinesse and confuteth them as be hoovefull it was shewing the commodities and true pleasure of conjugall love In this defence assisted he is by Plutarch who prooveth that neither the great wealth nor the forward affection of a woman to a man causeth the mariage with her to be culpable or woorthy to be blamed by divers examples declaring that many women even of base condition have beene the occasion of great evils and calamities But as he was minded to continue this discourse newes came how Bacchon was caught up and brought into the house of Ismenodora which made Protogenes and Pisias to dislodge insomuch as their departure gave entrie into the third and principall point concerning Love what it is what be the parts the causes the sundry effects and fruits thereof admirable in all sorts of persons in altering them so as they become quite changed and others than they were before which is confirmed by many notable examples and similitudes In the last point Plutarch discourseth upon this argument and that by the Philosophy of Plato and the Aegyptians conferring the same with the doctrine of other Philosophers and Poets Then having expresly and flatly condemned Paederastie as a most ãâã and abhominable thing and adjoined certaine excellent advertisements for the entertening of love in wedlocke betweene husband and wife of which he relateth one proper example his speech endeth by occasion of a messenger who came in place and drew them all away to the wedding of Ismenodora and Bacchon beforesaid OF LOVE FLAVIANUS IT was at Helicon ô Autobulus was it not that those discourses were held as touching Love which you purpose to relate unto us at this present upon our request and intreaty whether it be that you have put them downe in writing or beare them well in remembrance considering that you have so often required and demanded them of your father AUTOEULUS Yes verily in Helicon it was ô Flavianus among the Muses at what time as the Thespians solemnized the feast of Cupid for they celebrate certeine games of prise every five yeeres in the honour of Love as well as of the Muses and that with great pompe and magnificence FLAVIANUS And wot you what it is that we all here that are come to heare you will request at your hands AUTOBULUS No verily but I shall know it when you have tolde me FLAVIANUS Mary this it is That you would now in this rehersall of yours lay aside all by-matters and needlesse preambles as touching the descriptions of faire medowes pleasant shades of the crawling and winding Ivie of rils issuing from fountaines running round about and such like common places that many love to insert desirous to counterfeit and imitate the description of the river Ilissus of the Chast-tree and the fine greene grasse and prety herbs growing daintily upon the ground rising up alittle with a gentle assent and all after the example of Plato in the beginning of his Dialogue Phaedrus with more curiositie iwis and affectation than grace and elegancie AUTOBULUS What needs this narration of ours my good friend Flavianus any such Prooeme or ãâã for the occasion from whence arose and proceeded these discourses requireth onely an affectionate audience and calleth for a convenient place as it were a stage and scaffold for to relate the action for otherwise of all things els requisit in a Comedie or Enterlude there wanteth nothing onely let us make our praiers unto the Muses Mother Ladie Memorie for to be propice unto us and to vouchsafe her assistance that we may not misse but deliver the whole narration My father long time before I was borne having newly espoused my mother by occasion of a certeine difference and variance that fell out betweene his parents and hers tooke a journey to Thespiae with a full purpose to sacrifice unto Cupid the god of Love and to the feast hee had up with him my mother also for that ãâã principally apperteined unto her to performe both the praier the sacrifice So there accompanied him from his house certeine of his most familiar friends Now when he was come to Thespiae he found Daphnaeus the sonne of Archidamus and Lysander who was in love with Simons daughter a man who of all her woers was best welcome unto her and most accepted Soclarus also the sonne of Aristion who was come from Tithora there was besides Protogenes of Tarsos and Zeuxippus the Lacedaemonian both of them his olde friends and good hosts who had given him kinde enterteinment and my father said moreover that there were many of the best men in ãâã there who were of his acquaintance Thus as it should seeme they abode for two or three daies in the citie enterteining one another gently at their leasure with discourses of learning one while in the common empaled parke of exercises where they youth used to wrestle and otherwhiles in the Theaters and Shew-places keeping companie together But afterwards for to avoid the troublesome contentions of Minstrels and Musicians where it appeared that all would go by favour such labouring there was before hand for voices they dislodged from thence for the most part of them as out of an enemies countrey and retired themselves to Helicon and there sojourned and lodged among the Muses where the morrow morning after they were thither come arrived and repaired unto them Anthemion and Pisias two noble gentlemen allied both and affectionate unto Barchon surnamed The Faire and at some variance one with another by reason of I wot not what jealousie in regard of the affection they bare unto him For there was in the city of Thespiae a certeine Dame named Ismenodora descended of a noble house and rich withall yea and of wise and honest carriage besides in all her life for continued shee had no small time in widowhood without blame
wise Convey unto me that Musicall wench of thine that sings so daintily and receive for her ten talents which I send by this bearer let me have her I say unlesse thou thy selfe be in love with her When Antipatrides another of his minions came in a maske on a time to his house accompanied with a prety girle that plaied upon the psaltery sung passing well Alexander taking great delight contentment in the said damosell demanded of Antipatrides whether he were not himselfe enamoured of her And when he answered Yes verily and that exceeding much A mischiefe on thee quoth he leud varlet as thou art and the divell take thee but the wench he absteined from and would not so much as touch her But marke moreover besides of what power even in martiall feats of armes Love is Love I say which is not as saith Euripides Of nature slow dull fickle inconstant Nor in soft cheeks of maidens resiant For a man that is possessed secretly in his heart with Love needeth not the assistance of Mars when he is to encounter with his enemies in the field but having a god of his owne within him and presuming of his presence Most prest he is and resolute to passe through fire and seas The blasts of most tempestuous windes he cares not to appease And all for his friends sake and according as he commandeth him And verily of those children aswell sonnes as daughters of lady ãâã who in a Tragoedie of Sophocles are represented to be shot with arrowes and so killed one there was who called for no other to helpe and ãâã her at the point of death but onely her paramor in this wise Oh that some god my Love would send My life to save and me defend Ye all know I am sure doe ye not how and wherefore Cleomachus the Thessalian died in combat Not I for my part quoth Pemptides but gladly would I heare and learne of you And it is a storie quoth my father worth the hearing and the knowledge There came to aide the Chalcidians at what time as there was hot warre in Thessalie against the Eretrians this Cleomachus now the Chalcidians seemed to be strong enough in their footmen but much adoe they had and thought it was a difficult piece of service to breake the cavallerie of their enemies and to repell them So they requested Cleomachus their allie and confederate a brave knight and of great courage to give the first charge and to enter upon the said men of armes With that he asked the youth whom he loved most entirely and who was there present whether he would beholde this enterprise and see the conflict and when the yong man answered Yea and withall kindly kissing and embracing him set the helmet upon his head Cleomachus much more hardy and fuller of spirit than before assembled about him a troupe of the most valourous hosemen of all the Thessalians advanced forward right gallantly and with great resolution set upon the enemies in such sort as at the very first encounter he brake the front disarraied the men of armes and in the end put them to flight Which discomfiture when their infanterie saw they also fled and so the Chalcidians woon the field and archieved a noble victorie Howbeit Cleomachus himselfe was there slaine and the Chalcidians shew his sepulchre and monument in their Market place upon which there standeth even at this day a mighty pillar erected And whereas the Chalcidians before-time held this paederastie or love of yoong boies an in famous thing they of all other Greeks ever after affected and honoured it most But Aristotle writeth that Cleomachus indeed lost his life after he had vanquished the Eretrians in battell but as for him who was thus kissed by his lover he saith that he was of Chalcis in Thrace sent for to aide those of Chalcis in ãâã and hereupon it commeth that the Chalcidians use to chant such a caroll as this Sweet boies faire impes extract from noble race Endued besides with youth and beauties grace Envie not men of armes and bolde courage Fruition of your prime and flowring age For here aswell of Love and kinde affection As of prowesse we all do make profession The lover was named Anton and the boy whom he loved Philistus as Dionysius the Poet writeth in his booke of Causes And in our city of Thebes ô Pemptides did not one Ardetas give unto a youth whom he loved a complet armour the day that he was enrolled souldier with the inscription of Ardetas his owne name And as for Pammenes an amorous man and one well experienced in love matters he changed and altered the ordinance in battell of our footmen heavily armed reprooving Homer as one that had no skill nor experience of love for ranging the Achaeans by their tribes and wards and not putting in array the lover close unto him whom he loveth for this indeed had beene the right ordinance which Homer describeth in these words The Morians set so close and shield to shield So iointly touch'd that one the other held And this is the onely battalion and armie invincible For men otherwhiles in danger abandon those of their tribe their kindred also and such as be allied unto them yea and beleeve me they forsake their owne fathers and children but never was there enemie seene that could passe through and make way of evasion betweene the lover and his darling considering that such many times shew their adventerous resolution in a bravery and how little reckoning they make of life unto them being in no distresse nor requiring so much at their hands Thus Thero the Thessalian laying and clapping his left hand to a wall drew forth his sword with the right and cut off his owne thumbe before one whom he loved and challenged his corrivall to doe as much if his heart would serve him Another chanced in fight to fall groveling upon his face and when his enemie lifted up his sword to give him a mortall wound he requested him to stay his hand a while untill he could turne his body that his friend whom he loved might not see him wounded in his backe part And therefore we may see that not onely the most martiall and warlicke nations are most given to Love to wit the Boeotians Lacedaemonians and Candiots but also divers renowmed princes and captaines of olde time as namely Meleager Achilles Aristomenes Cimon Epaminondas And as for the last named he had two yong men whom he deerely loved Asopicus and Zephiodorus who also died with him in the field at Mantinea and was likewise interred neere unto him And when Asopicus became hereupon more terrible unto his enemies and most resolute Euchnanus the Amphyssian who first made head against him resisted his furie and smote him had heroique honors done unto him by the Phocaeans To come now unto Hercules hard it were to reckon and number his loves they were so many But among others men honour and worship to
they be very engenious and witty mary in every plot they cannot avoid the note of bald devices affected curiositie in their inventions Like as therefore he that painted Apollo with a rocke upon his head signified thereby the day-breake the time a little before sunne rising even so a man may say that these frogs doe symbolize and betoken the season of the Spring at what time as the Sunne begins to rule over the aire and to discusse the winter at least waies if we must according to your opinion understand the Sunne and Apollo to be both one god and not twaine Why quoth Serapion are you of another minde and doe you thinke the Sunne to be one Apollo another Yes mary doe I quoth he as well as that the Sunne and Moone do differ Yea and more than so for the Moone doth not often nor from all the world hide the Sunne whereas the Sunne hath made all men together for to be ignorant of Apollo diverting the minde and cogitation by the meanes of the sense and turning it from that which is unto that which appeareth onely Then Seripion demanded of those Historians our guides and conductors what was the reason that the forsaid cell or chappell was not intitled by the name of Cypselus who dedicated it but called the Corinthians chappel And when they held their peace because as I take it they knew not the cause I began to laugh thereat And why should we thinke quoth I that these men knew or remembered any thing more being astonied and amased as they were to heare you fable and talke of the meteors or impressions in the aire For even themselves we heard before relating that after the tyranny of Cypselus was put downe and overthrowen the Corinthians were desirous to have the inscirption as well of the golden statue at Pisa as of this cell or treasure house for to runne in the name of their whole city And verily the Delphians gave and granted them so much according to their due desert But for that the Elians envied them that priviledge therefore the Corinthians passed a publicke decree by vertue whereof they excluded them from the solemnity of the Isthmian games And heereof it came that never after that any champion out of the territorie of Elis was knowen to shew himselfe to doe his devoir at those Isthmicke games And the massacre of the Molionides which Hercules committed about the city of Cleonae was not the cause as some doe thinke why the Elians were debarred from thence for contrariwise it had belonged to them for to exclude and put by others if for this they had incurred the displeasure of the Corinthians And thus much said I for my part Now when we were come as far as to the hall of the Acanthians and of Brasidas our discoursing Historians and expositours shewed us the place where sometimes stood the obelisks of iron which Rhodopis the famous courtisan had dedicated Whereat Diogenianus was in a great chafe and brake out into these words Now surely quoth he the same city to their shame be it spoken hath allowed unto a common strumpet a place whether to bring and where to bestow the tenth part of that salarie which she got by the use of her body and unjustly put to death Aesope her fellow servant True quoth Serapion but are you so much offended hereat cast up your eie and looke aloft behold among the statues of brave captaines and glorious kings the image of Mnesarete all of beaten gold which Crates saith was dedicated and set up for a Trophae of the Greeks lasciviousnesse The yong gentleman seeing it Yea but it was of Phryne that Crates spake so You say true quoth Serapion for her proper name indeed was Mnesarete but surnamed she was Phryne in meriment because she looked pale or yellow like unto a kinde of frogge named in Greeke Phryne And thus many times surnames doe drowne and suppresse other names For thus the mother of king Alexander the great who had for her name at first Pollyxene came afterwards to be as they say surnamed Myrtale Olympias and Stratonice And the Corinthian lady Eumetis men call unto this day after her fathers name Cleobuline and Herophile of the city Erythre she who had the gift of divination and could skill of prophesie was afterwards in processe of time surnamed Sibylla And you have heard Grammarians say that even Leda her selfe was named Mnesinoe and Orestes Achaeus But how thinke you quoth he casting his eie upon Theon to answere this accusation as touching Phryne Then he smiling againe In such sort quoth he as I will charge and accuse you for busying your selfe in blaming thus the light faults of the Greeks For like as Socrates reprooved this in Calltas that gave defiance onely to sweet perfumes or pretious odors for he liked well enough to see the daunces and gesiculations of yong boies and could abide the sight of kissing of pleasants buffons and jesters to make folke laugh so me thinks that you would chase and exclude out of the temple one poore silly woman who used the beauty of her owne body haply not so honestly as she might and in the meane time you can abide to see god Apollo environed round about with the first fruits with the tenth and other oblations arising from murders warres and pillage and all his temple throughout hanged with the spoiles and booties gotten from the Greeks yea and are neither angry nor take pity when you reade over such goodly oblations and ornaments these most shamefull inscriptions and titles Brasidas and the Acanthians of the Athenian spoiles the Athenians of the Corinthians the Phocaeans of the Thesalians the Oraneates of the Sicyonians and the Amphyctions of the Phocaeans But peradventure it was Praxiteles alone who was offensive unto Crates for that he had set up a monument there of his owne sweet heart which he had made for the love of her whereas Crates contrariwise should have commended him in that among these golden images of kings and princes he had placed a courtisan in gold reproching thereby and condemning riches as having in it nothing to be admired and nothing venerable for it well beseemeth kings and great rulers to present Apollo and the gods with such ornaments and oblations as might testifie their owne justice their temperance and magnanimity and not make shew of their golden store and abundance of superfluous delicates whereof they have their part commonly who have lived most shamefully But you alledge not this example of Croesus quoth another of our historians directours who caused a statue in gold to be made set up here of his woman-baker which he did not for any proud and insolent ostentation of his riches in this temple but upon an honest just occasion for the report goeth that Alyattes the father of this Croesus espoused a second wife by whom he had other children whom hereared and brought up This lady then purposing secretly to take
sit yet about the oracle for to receive and catch some words there delivered which presently and extempore they reduce and contrive into verse meeter and rhime as if they were panniers to bestow all the answers in And heere I forbeare to speake what occasion of blame and matter of calumniation in these oracles these Onomacritoi Prodotae and Cinesones have ministred by adding unto them a tragicall pompe and swelling inflation of words when as neither they had need thereof nor yet received any varietie and alteration thereby Moreover certeine it is that these juglers and vagarant circumforanean landleapers these practisers of legier de main these plaiers at passe and repasse with all the packe of those vagabonds ribauds and jesters who haunt the feasts of Cybele and Serapis have greatly discredited and brought into obloquie the profession of Poetrie some by their extemporall facultie and telling fortunes others by way of lotterie forsooth and by certeine letters and writings forging oracles which they would give to poore varlets and sily women who were soonest abused thereby especially when they saw the same reduced into verse and so were caried away with Poeticall termes And from hence it is now come to passe that Poesie for that she hath suffered herselfe thus to be prophaned and made common by such cousiners juglers deceivers enchanters and false prophets is fallen from the trueth and rejected from Apolloes three-footed table And therefore I nothing woonder if otherwhiles in old time there was some need of this double meaning circumlocution and obscuritie for I assure you there was not woont to come hither one for to enquire and be resolved about the buying of a slave in open market nor another to know what profit he should have by his traffike or husbandry but hither came or sent great and puissant cities kings princes and tyrants who had no meane matters in their heads to consult with Apollo as concering their important affaires whom to provoke displease and offend by causing them to heare many things contrary to their will and minde was nothing good and expedient for those who had the charge of the oracle for this god obeieth not Euripides when he setteth downe a law as it were for him saying thus Phoebus himselfe and none but he Ought unto men the prophet to be for he useth mortall men to be his ministers and underprophets of whom he is to have a speciall care for to preserve them that in doing him service they be not spoiled and slaine by wicked persons in which regard he is not willing to conceale the trueth but turning aside the naked declaration thereof which in poetrie receiveth many reflexions and is divided into many parcels he thereby did away the the rigor and odious austerity therein conteined And it skilled much that neither tyrants should know it not enemies be advertised and have intelligence thereof For their sakes therefore he enfolded in all his answeres doubts suspitions and ambiguities which from others did hide the true meaning of that which was answered But such as came themselves to the oracle and gave close and heedfull eare as whom it concerned particularly those he deceived not neither failed they of the right understanding thereof And therefore a very foolish man is he and of no judgement who doth take occasion of slander and calumniation if the world and estate of mens affaires being changed this God thinketh that he is not to aide and helpe men any more after his accustomed maner but by some other Furthermore by the meanes of poetrie and versification there is not in a sentence any greater commoditie than this that being couched and comprised in a certeine number of words and syllables measuted a man may reteine and remember the same better And necessarie it was for those in olde time to cary away in memory many things because there were delivered many signes and marks of places many times and opportunities of affaires many temples of strange gods beyond sea many secret monuments and repositories of demi-gods hard to be found of those who sailed farre from Greece For in the voyages of Chios and Candie *** enterprised by Onesichus and Palanthus beside many other captaines and admirals how many signes and conjectures went they by and were to observe for to finde the resting seat and place of abode which was ordeined to every one of them and some of them quite missed thereof as for example Battus for his prophesie ran thus That unlesse he arrived to the right place he should be banished Failing therefore of the countrey whereto he was sent he returned againe to the oracle in humble maner craving his favour And then Apollo answered him in this wise Thou knowest thy selfe aswell as I can tell That uneth yet in Afrike thou hast beene For thither sent I thee to build and dwell Nor Meliboea that place so fertile seene If thither now accordingly thou wend Thy wisdome then greatly will I commend And so he sent him away the second time Likewise Lysander being altogether ignorant of the little hill Archeledes of the place called Alopecon as also of the river Oplites And of the dragon sonne of earth by kinde Full craftily assailing men behinde all which hee should have avoided was vanquished in battell and slaine about those very places and that by one Inachion and Aliartian who had for his device or armes in the target that he bare a dragon purtraid But I thinke it needlesse to recite many other ancient oracles of this kinde which are not easily to be related and as hardly remembred especially among you who know them well enough But now thanks be to God the state of our affaires and of the world in regard whereof men were woont to seeke unto the oracle is ãâã for which I rejoice and congratulate with you For great peace there is and repose in all parts warres be staied and there is no more need of running and wandring to and fro from one countrey to another civill dissentions and seditions be appeased there are no tyrannies now excercised neither doe there raigne other maladies and miseries of Greece as in times past which had need of soveraigne medicins exquisit drogues and powerfull confections to remedy and redresse the same Whereas therefore there is no variable diversity no matter of secrecie no dangerous affaires but all demands be of petie vulgar matters much like to these schoole questions Whether a man should marry or no Whether a man may undertake a voiage by sea or no or Whether he is to take up or put forth mony for interest where I say the greatest points about which cities seeke unto Apollo are about the fertility of their ground plenty of corne and other fruits of the earth the breed and multiplying of their cattell and the health of their bodies to goe about for to comprise the same in verse to devise and forge long circuits of words to use strange and obscure tearmes to such interrogatories
out of the city and put others in prison or held the men in awe whiles themselves ruled tyrannically and with violence Whereof I had intelligence because I was as you wot well hoast unto Melon and Pelopidas with whom so long as they were in exile I was inwardly acquainted and conversed familiarly Moreover we have heard already how the Lacedaemonians condemned Phaebidas to pay a great sine for that he had seized the fort Cadmia and how they put him by and kept him from the journey and expedition of Olynthus and sent thither in stead of him Lysanoridas with two other captaines and planted a stronger garrison within the castle Furthermore we know very well that Ismenias died not the fairest kinde of death presently upon I wot not what processe framed and an action commensed against him for that Gorgidas advertised the banished who were heere by letters from time to time of all matters that passed in such sort as there remaineth for you to relate nothing els but the returne of the said banished men and the surprising or apprehension of the tyrants CAPHISIAS About that time Archidamus all we that were of the confederacie and complotted together used ordinarily to meet in the house of Simmias by occasion that he was retired and in cure of a wound which he had received in his leg where we conferred secretly of our affaires as need required but in shew and openly discoursed of matters of learning and Philosophy drawing unto us often times into our companic Archias and Leontidas men who misliked not such conferences and communications because we would remoove all suspicion of such conventicles For Simmias having abode long time in forren parts among the Barbarians being returned to Thebes but a little while before was full of all manet of newes and strange reports as touching those barbarous nations insomuch as Archias when he was at leasure willingly gaue eare to his discourses and narrations sitting in the company of us yong gentlemen as being well pleased that we should give our mindes to the study of good letters and learning rather than busie our heads about those matters which they went about and practised in the meane while And the very day on which late in the evening and toward darke night following the exiled persons abovesaid were come closely under the wall there arrived from thenee unto us a messenger whom Pherenicus sent one who was unknowen to us all unlesse it were to Charon who brought us word that to the number of twelve yoong gentlemen and those the bravest gallants of all the banished conspiratours were already with their hounds hunting in the forest Cithaeron intending to be heere in the evening and that therefore they had sent before and dispatched a vauntcourrier of purpose aswell to advertise us thereof as to be certified themselves who it was that should make his house ready for them to lie secret and hidden therein when they were once come to the end that upon this forcknowledge they might set forward and go directly thither Now as we studied and tooke some deliberation about this point Charon of himselfe offered his house whereupon when the messenger intended to returne immediatly with great speed to the exiles Theocritus the soothsaier griping me fast by the hand casting his eie upon Charon that went before This man quoth he ô Caphisias is no Philosopher nor deepe scholar neither is he come to any excellent or exquisit knowledge above others as his brother Epaminondaes and yet you see how being naturally enclined and directed withall by the lawes unto honor and vertue he exposeth himselfe willingly unto danger of death for the deliverie and setting free of his countrey whiles Epaminondas who hath had better meanes of instruction and education to the attaining of vertue than any other Boeotian whatsoever is restiffe dull and backeward when the question is of executing any great enterprise for the deliverance of his native country And to what occasion of service shall he ever be so well disposed prepared and emploied than this Vnto whome I made answere in this wife We for our parts most kinde and gently Theoritus doe that which hath beene thought good resolved and concluded upon among our selves but Epaminondas having not yet perswaded us according as he thinketh it better himselfe not to put these our designements in execution hath good reason to goe against that wherewith his nature repugneth and so he approveth not the designement whereunto he is moved and invited For it were unreasonable to force compell a physician who promiseth undertaketh to cure a disease without lancet fire for to proceed to incission cutting cauterizing Why quoth Theocritus doth not he approve of the conspiracie No quoth I neither alloweth he that any citizens should be put to death unlesse they were condemned first judicially by order of law mary he saith that if without massacre and effusion of citizens blood they would enterprise the deliverance of the city he would assist and aide them right willingly Seeing then that he was not able to enduce us for to beleeve his reasons but that we followed still our owne course he requireth us to let him alone pure innocent and impolluted with the blood of his citizens and to suffer him for to espie and attend some better occasions and opportunities by meanes whereof with justice he might procure the good of the weale publicke For murder quoth he will not containe it selfe within limits as it ought but Pherenicus happly and Pelopedas may bend their force principally upon the authors and heads of the tyranny and wicked persons but you shall have some such as Eumolpidas and Samiadas hot stomacked men set on fire with choler and desire of revenge who taking liberty by the vantage of the night will not lay downe their armes nor put up their swords untill they have filled the whole city with bloodsned and murdered many of the best and principall citizens As I thus devised and communed with Theocritus Anaxidorus ovethearing some of our words for nere he was unto us Stay quoth he and hold your peace for I see Archiaes Lysanoridas the Spartan captaine comming from the castle Cadmia and it seemeth that they make haste directly toward us Heereupon we paused and were still with that Archias calling unto Theocritus and bringing him apart by himselfe unto Lysanoridas talked with him a long while drawing him aside a little out of the way under the temple of Amphton in such sort as we were in an extreame agony perplexity for feare lest they had an inckling or suspition of our enterprise or that somthing were discovered thereupon they examined Theocritus As these matters thus passed Phyllidas whom you Archidamus know who was then the principall secretary or scribe under Archias at that time captaine generall of the armie being desirous of the approch of the conspiratours withal both privy and party with us in the complot came in
and beseeming Themis who also as they say assisteth him in the oracle He saith also that Isagoras yeelded his wife unto Cleomenes for to use her at his pleasure whensoever he came unto her and then as his ordinary maner is intermingling some praises among blames because he would be the better beleeved This Isagoras quoth he the sonne of Tisander was of a noble house but I am not able to say of what antiquitie before-time his pedegree was but onely that his knisfolke and those of his bloud doe sacrifice unto Jupiter surnamed Carius Now I assure you this our Historian is a proper and pleasant conceited fellow to send away Isagoras thus to the Carians as it were to ravens in a mischiefe And as for Aristogiton he packeth him away not by a backe doore or posterne but directly by the broad open gate as far as unto Phoenice saying that his first originall came long since from the Gephyrians but what Gephyrians trow yee not those in Euboea or in Eretria as some doe thinke but he saith plainly they be Phoenicians and that he is so perswaded of them by heare-say And not being able to deprive the Lacedaemonians of their glory for delivering the city of Athens from the servitude of the thirty tyrants he goeth about to obliterate quite or at leastwise in some sort to disgrace and dishonor that most noble act with as foule a passion and as villanous a vice for hee saith that they repented incontinently as if they had not well done by the induction of false and supposed oracles thus to have chaced out of their countrey the tyrants their friends guests and allies who promised to deliver Athens into their hands and to have yeelded the city unto an unthankfull people and that anon they sent for Hipptas as farre as to Sigaeum for to reduce him to Athens but the Corinthians opposed themselves and diverted them whiles Sosicles discoursed and shewed how many miseries and calamities the citie of Corinth had endured whiles Periander Cypselus held them under their tyrannicall rule and yet of all those enormous outrages which Periander committed they could not name any one more wicked and cruell than that of the three hundred children which he sent away for to be gelded Howbeit this man dareth to say that the Corinthians were mooved and provoked against the Samians who had saved the said youthes and kept them from suffering such an indignity and caried the remembrance thereof for revenge as if they had done them some exceeding great injurie so full is his malice and gall of inconstancie of repugnance and contradiction in all his speeches which ever and anon is ready to offer it selfe in all his narrations After all this comming to describe the taking of the citie Sardis he diminished deformeth and discrediteth the exploit all that ever he can being so armed with shamelesse audacitie that he termeth those shippes which the Athenians set out and sent to succor the king and to plague the Ionians who rebelled against him the originall causes of all mischiefe for that they assaied to set at liberty and deliver out of servitude so many goodly and faire cities of the Greeks held forcibly under the violent dominion of the barbarous nations As touching the Eretrians he maketh mention of them onely by the way passeth in silence a most woorthy and glorious piece of service which they performed at that time for when all Ionia was now already in an uprore hurliburly and the kings armada neere at hand they put out their navie and in the maine sea of Pamphylia defeated in a navall battell the Cyprians then returning backe and leaving their navie in the rode before Ephesus they went by land to lay siege unto the capitall citie of Sardis where they beleagured Artaphernes within a castle into which he was fledde intending thereby to raise the siege before the citie Miletus which service they put in execution and performed causing their enemies to remoove their campe and dislodge from thence in a woonderfull great feare and affright but seeing a greater number of enemies to presse hard upon them they returned Many Chroniclers report the historie in this maner and among the rest Lysanias Mallotes in his chronicle of the Eretrians And verily it would have beseemed well if for no other reason yet after the taking and destruction of their citie to have added this their act of valour and prowesse Howbeit this good writer contrariwise saith that being vanquished in the field the Barbarians followed in chase and pursued them as farre as to their shippes and yet Charon the Lampsacenian maketh no mention thereof but writeth thus word for word The AThenians quoth he put to sea with a fleet of twentie gallies for to aid the Ionians and made a voiage as farre as to Sardeis where they were masters of all except the kings fortresse or wall which done they returned to Miletus In the sixth booke our Herodotus after he had related thus much of the Plataeans that they had yeelded and committed themselves to the protection of the Lacedaemonians who made remonstrance unto them that they should doe farre better to raunge and side with the Athenians their neighbours and able to defend them he addeth moreover and saith afterwards not by way of opinion and suspicion but as one who knew it was so indeed that the Lacedaemonians thus advised and counselled them at that time not for any good will and loving affection that they bare unto them but because they were all very well appaied to see the Athenians to have their hands full and to be matched with the Baeotians If then Herodotus be not malicious it cannot chuse but that the Lacedaemonians were very cautelous fraudulent and spightfull and the Athenians as blocking and senselesse not to see how they were thus deluded and circumvented The Plataeans likewise were thus posted from them not for any love or honor entended unto them but because they might be the occasion of war Furthermore he is convinced to have falsly devised and colourably pretended the excuse of the full moone against the Lacedaemonians which whiles they attended and staied for he saith they failed and went not in that journey of Marathon to aid the Athenians for not onely they began a thousand voiages and fought as many battels in the beginning of the moneth and new of the moone but also at this very battell of Marathon which was fought the sixth day of the moneth Boedromion that is to say November they missed very little but they had arrived in due time for they came soone enough to finde the dead bodies of those that were slaine in the field and lying still in the place and yet thus hath he written of the full moone It was impossible for them to doe this out of hand being as they were not willing to breake the law for that as yet it was but the ninth day of the moneth and they made answere that they might
Thebans the vision which appeared unto him For he saw as he thought all the greatest and most principall cities of Greece in a sea troubled and disquieted with rough windes and violent tempests wherein they floted and were tossed to and fro But the city of Thebes surpassed all the rest for mounted it was on high up to heaven afterwards suddenly the sight therof was lost that it would no more be seene And verily these things as a type resembled that which long time after befell unto that city But Herodotus in writing of this conflict burieth in silence the bravest act of Leonidas himselfe saying thus much barely They all lost their lives in the straights about the top of a certaine hill But it was far othewise For when they were advertised in the night that the enimies had invested them round about they arose and marched directy to their very campe yea and advanced so far forth as they came within a little of the kings roiall pavilion with a full resolution there to kill him and to leave their lives all about him And verily downe they went withall before them killing slaying and puting to flight as many as they met even as farre as to his tent But when they could not meet with Xerxes seeking as they did for him in so vast and spacious a campe as they wandred up and downe searching for him with much adoe at the last hewed in peeces they were by the Barbarians who on ever side in great number came about them And albeit we will write in the life of Leonidas many other noble acts and worthy sayings of his which Herodotus hath not once touched yet it shall not be amisse to quote heere also by the way some of them Before that he and his noble troupe departed out of Sparta in this journey there were exhibited solemne funerall games for his and their sakes which their fathers and mothers stood to behold Leonidas himselfe when one said unto him That he led forth very few with him to fight a battell Yea but they are many enough quoth he to die there His wife asked him when he tooke his leave ofher what he had else to say No more quoth he turning unto her but this that thou marry againe with some good man and beare him good children When he was within the vale or passe of Thermopylae and there invironed two there were in his company of his owne race and family whom he desired to save So he gave unto one of them al letter to carry whether he directed it because he would send him away but the party would not take it at his hands saying in great cholarand indignation I am come hither to fight like a warrior and not to conveigh letters as a carrier The other he commanded for to goe with credence and a message from him unto the magistrates of Sparta but he made answere not by word of mouth but by his deed for he tooke up his shield in hand and went directly to his place where he was appointed to fight Would not any man have blamed another for leaving out these things But this writer having taken the paines to collect and put in writing the bason and close stoole of Amasis and how he brake winde over it the comming in of certaine asses which a theese did drive the congiary or giving of certaine bottles of wine and many other matters of such good stuffe can never be thought to have omitted through negligence nor by oversight and forgetfullnesse so many worthy exploits and notable sayings but even of peevishnesse malice and injustice to some And thus he saith that the Thebans at first being with the Greeks fought indeed but it was by compulsion because they were held there by force For it should seeme forsooth that not only Xerxes but Leonidas also had about him a company that folowed the campe with whips to scourge those I trow who lagged behinde and these good fellowes held the Thebans to it and made them to fight against their willes And thus he saith that they fought perforce who might have fled and gone their waies and that willingly they tooke part with the Medes whereas there was not one came in to succor them And a little after he writeth that when others made hast to gaine the hill the Thebans being disbanded and divied asunder both stretched forth their hands unto the Barbarians and as they approched neere unto them said that which was most true namely that they were Medians in heart and so in token of homage and fealty gave unto the king water and earth that being kept by force they were compelled to come into this passe of Thermopylae and could doe withall that their king was wounded but were altogether innocent therof By which allegations they went clere away with their matter For they had the Thessalians witnesses of these their words and reasons Lo how this apologie and justificarion of theirs had audience among those barbarous outcries of so many thousand men in those confused shouts and dissonant noises where there was nothing but running and flying away of one side chasing and pursuit of another See how the witnesses were deposed heard and examined The Thessalians also amid the throng and rout of those that were knocked downe and killed and over those heapes of bodies which were troden under foot for all was done in a very gullet and narrow passage pleaded no doubt very formally for the Thebans for that a little before they having conquered by force of armes all Greece chased them as far as to the city Thespiae after they had vanquished them in battell and slaine their leader and captaine Lattamias For thus much passed even at that very time betweene the Thebans and the Thessalians whereas otherwise there was not so much as civill love and humanity that appeared by mutuall offices from one to the other Besides how is it possible that the Thebans were saved by the testimony of the Thessalians For the Barbarous Medes as himselfe saith partly killed outright such as came into their hands and in part whiles their breath was yet in their bodies by the commandement of Xerxes set upon them a number of the kings markes beginning first at the captaine himselfe Leontiades And yet neither was Leontiades the generall of the Thebans at Thermopylae but Anaxander as Aristophanes writeth out of the Annals and records in the arches of Thebes as touching their soveraigne magistrates and so Nicander likewise the Colophonian hath put downe in his cronicle neither was there ever any man before Herodotus who knew that Xerxes marked branded in that maner any Theban for this had bin an excellent plea in their defence against the foresaid calumniation and a very good meanes for this city to vaunt and boast of such markes given them as if king Xerxes meant to punish and plague as his greatest and most mortall enimies Leonidas and Leontiades For he caused the one to be scourged and
grace Them to incite the warres to undertake Dame Venus then for those good womens sake To Median archers expos'd not as a pray The Greeks nor would their Citadel betray Such matters as these he should have written and made mention of rather than inserted into his historie how Aminocles killed his owne sonne Over and besides after he had satisfied himselfe to the ful with most impudentimputations which he charged upon Themistocles accusing him that he ceased not secretly to rob and spoile the Isles without the knowledge of the other captaines joined in commission with him in the end taketh from the Athenians the crowne of principall valiance and setteth it upon the head of the Aeginets writing thus The Greeks having sent the first fruits of their spoiles and pillage unto the temple at Delphos demanded of Apollo in generall whether he had sufficient and stood content with that portion of the bootie unto whom he answered that of all other Greeks he had received enough wherewith he was well pleased but of the Aeginets not so at whose hands he required the chiefe prise and honor of prowesse which they woon at the battell of Salamis Thus you see he fathereth not upon the Scythians the Persians or Aegyptians his lying tale which he coggeth and deviseth as Aesope doth upon crowes ravens and apes but he useth the very person of god Apollo Pythius for to disappoint and deprive the Athenians of the first place in honor at the battell of Salamis as also The mistocles of the second which was adjudged unto him at Isthmus or the streights of Peloponnesus for that ech captaine there attributed the highest degree of prowesse to himselfe and the next unto him and thus the judgement heereof growing to no end and conclusion by reason of the ambition of the said captaines he saith All the Greeks weighed anchor and departed as not being willing to conferre upon Themistocles the sovereigne honour of the victorie And in his ninth and last booke having nothing left to wreake his teene upon and to discharge his malicious and spightfull stomacke but onely the Lacedaemonians and that excellent piece of service which they performed against the Barbarians before the city of Plateae he writeth That the Lacedaemonians who aforetime feared greatly that the Athenians being sollicited and perswaded by Mardonius would forsake all other Greeks now that the Streights of Isthmus were mured up their country safe enough they tooke no further care of others but left them at six and seven feasting making holiday at home deluding the embassadors of the Athenians and holding them off with delaies and not giving them their dispatch And how is it then that there went to Plateae a thousand and five Spartans having every one of them seven Ilotes about him for the guard of his person How is it I say that they taking upon them the adventure of so great a perill vanquished and discomfited so many thousands of Barbarians But hearken what a probable cause hee alledgeth There was quoth he by chance a man at Sparta named Chileus who came from Tegaea thither and sojourned there for that among the Ephori he had some friends as betweene whom and him there was mutuall hospitalitie He it was who perswaded them to bring their forces into the field shewing unto them that the bulwarke and wall for the defence of Peloponnesus would serve in small stead or none if the Athenians joined once with Mardonius and this was it that drew Pausantas forth with his power to Plateae so that if some particular businesse haply had kept Chileus at home still in Tegea Greece had never gotten the victorie Againe not knowing another time what to doe with the Athenians one while he extolleth their city on high and another while he debaseth it as low tossing it to and fro saying that being in question about the second place of honor with the Tegeats they made mention of the Heraclidae alledging their valiant acts which before time they had atchieve aganinst the Amazones the sepultures also of the Peloponnesians who died under the very wals of the castle Cadmea and finally that they went downe to Marathon vaunting gloriously in words and taking great joy that they had the conduct of the left wing or point of the battell Also a little after he putteth downe that Pausanias the Spartans willingly yeelded the superioritie of command to them and desired them to take the charge of the right wing themselves to the end they might confront the Persians and give them the left as if they had excused themselves by their disuse in that they were woont to encounter with the Barbarians And verily albeit this is a meere mockerie to say that they were unwilling to deale with those enemies who were not accustomed to fight with them yet he saith moreover that all the other Greeks when their captaines ledde them into another place for to encampe in so soone as ever their standerds marched advanced forward The horsemen quoth he in generall fled and would willingly have put themselves within the city Plateae but they fledde indeed as farre as to the temple of Juno Wherein he accuseth all the Greeks together of disobedience cowardise and treason Finally he writeth that there were none but the Lacedaemonians and the Tegeates who charged the Barbarians nor any besides the Athenians who fought with the Thebans depriving all other cities equally of their part in the glory of that so noble an exploit for that there was not one of them who laid hand to worke but sitting all still or leaning upon their weapons hard by abandoning and betraying in the meane time without doing ought those who fought for their safetie untill that the Phliasians and the Megarians though long it were first hearing that Pausanias had the upper hand ranne in with more haste than good speed and falling upon the cavallerie of the Thebanes where they were presently defaited and slaine without any great adoe But the Corinthians quoth he were not at this fray but after the victorie keeping above on the high ground among the mountaines by that meanes met not with the Thebanes horsemen For the cavallery of the Thebanes seeing the Barbarians to fly all in a rout put themselves foorth before them to make them way and by this meanes very affectionately assisted them in their flight and all in recompence and by way of thankesgiving forsooth for so you must take it for those marks which were given them in their faces within the streight of Thermopilae But in what ranke and place of this battell the Corinthians were raunged and how they did their devoir and quit themselves against the Barbarians before Plateae you may know by that which Simonides writeth of them in these verses Amid the host arraunged stood and in the battell maine Those who inhabit Ephyra waterd with many a vaine Of lively springs Men who in feats of martiall armes excell And joinct with them they
be blamed if haply they be not well used but impure all the fault unto them that abuse the same And therefore if any one from his childhood shall be well instructed and trained up in Musicke and withall employ his labour and diligence therein he will receive and approove that which is honest and commendable blame also he will and reject the contrary not in musicke onley but in all things else and such a one will decline all unhonest and unwoorthy actions and thus reaping from musicke the greatest and best contentment that can be he may benefit exceeding much as well himselfe as his whole countrey using no word nor deed unseemely but observing at all times and in every place that which is befitting decent temperate and elegant Moreover that cities and states best governed by pollicie and good lawes have alwaies had a speciall regard of generous and good musicke many and sundry testimonies may be alledged and namely a man may very well cite to this purpose Terpander who suppressed in times past the great sedition and civill descord that was in Lacedaemon Thales also the Candiot who went as it is said by the commandement and oracle of Apollo to Lacedaemon and there cured the citizens and delivered them from that great pestilence which reigned in that citie and all by the meanes of musicke as writeth Pratinas Homer also himselfe saith that the plague which afflicted the Greeks was by musicke staied and appeased Then all day long the Grecian youth in songs melodious Besought god Phoebus of his grace to be propitious Phoebus I say who from a farre doth shoot his arrowes nie They chaunt and praise who takes great joy to heare such harmonie with these verses as with Corollarie good master I will conclude this my discourse of Musicke and the rather because you first by the very same verses commended unto us the force and power of Musicke for in very trueth the principall and most commendable worke thereof is thanksgiving unto the gods and the acknowledgement of their grace and favour the second and that which next followeth is a sanctified heart a pure consonant and harmonicall estate of the soule When Soterichus had said Thus you have quoth he my good master heard us discourse of Musicke round about the boord as we sit And verily Soterichus was highly admired for that which he had delivered for he shewed evidently both by his voice and visage how much he was affected unto Musicke what study he had emploied thereto Then my master Over and above other things this also I commend in you both that you have kept your owne course and place the one as well as the other For Lysias hath furnished our feast with those things which are proper and meet for a Musician who knoweth onely to handle the lute or harpe and hath no farther skill than manuall practise Soterichus also hath taught us whatsoever concerneth both the profit and also the speculation thereof yea and withall comprehendeth therein the power and use of Musicke whereby he hath mended our fare and feasted us most sumptuously And I suppose verily that both of them have of purpose and that right willingly left thus much unto me as to draw Musicke unto feasts and banquets neither will I condemne them of timidity as if they were ashamed so to doe For if in any part of mans life certes in such feasts and mery meetings it is right profitable For according as good Homer saith Both song and daunce delight affoord And things that well beseeme the boord Neither would I have any man to inferre heereupon that Homer thought Musicke good for nothing else but to delight and content the company at a feast considering there is in those verses couched and hidden a more deepe and profound meaning For he brought Musicke to those times and places wherein it might profit and helpe men most I meane the feasts and meetings of our ancients and expedient it was to have her company there for that she is able to divert and temper the heat and strength of wine according as our Aristoxenus also else where saith Musicke quoth he is brought in thither because that whereas wine is wont to pervert overturne as well the bodies as the minds of those who take it immoderatly Musicke by that order symmetry and accord which is in it reduceth them againe into a contrary temperature and dulceth all And therefore Homer reporteth that our ancients used Musicke as a remedy and helpe at such a time But that which is principall and maketh Musicke above all things most venerable you have my good friend let passe and omitted For Pythagoras Archias Plato and all the rest of the old Philosophers doe hold that the motion of the whole world together with the revolution of the starres is not performed without Musicke For they teach that God framed all things by harmonie But to prosecute this matter more at large this time will not permit and besides it is a very high point and most Musicall to know in every thing how to keepe a meane and competent measure This said he sung an hymne and after he had offered a libation of wine unto Saturne and to all the gods his children as also to the Muses he gave his guests leave to depart OF THE FORTVNE OR VERTUE OF K. Alexander The Summarie IN this treatise and that which followeth framed both in forme of a declamation Plutarch magnifieth Alexander a praise worthy prince for many good parts that were in him wherein he sheweth also that we ought to attribute unto vertue and not to fortune those brave exploits which he performed By fortune he meaneth that course of the affarres in this world whereby it falleth out many times that the wisest men are not alwaies most happy and best advanced To proove therefore that Alexander was endued with exquisit qualities for execution of those enterprises which by him were atchieved afterwordes and brought to an end he compareth him in the beginning of this treatise with the kings of Persia raised up to their greatnesse by fortune and then sheweth that Alexander being an excellent Philosopher we ought not to wonder or be astonished if by his vertue he saw the end of many things which the most fortunate princes of the world durst never take in hand and begin Now the better to set out the excellencie of this Philosophy of Alexander he compareth his scholars with the disciples of Plato and Socrates proving that those of this prince surpassed the others as much as a good deed or benefit done to an infinit number of men surmounteth a good speech or instruction given to some perticular persons the most part of whom make no account thereof He proceedeth forward and discribeth the wisdome and sufficiencie of Alexander in politicke government which he amplifieth by the consider ation of his amiable behaviour and lovely cariage toward those nations which by him were subdued also by the recitall of some notable
neere kinsfolke and friends and more entirely beloved than Ulysses whose mother died for sorrow and griefe of heart whereas when Alexander died his very enemies mother for kinde affection and good will died with him for company In summe if it was by the indulgence of Fortune that Solon established the common-wealth of Athens so well at home that Miltiades conducted the armies so happily abroad if it was by the benefit and favour of fortune that Aristides was so just then farewell vertue for ever then is there no worke at all effected by her but onely it is a vaine name and speech that goeth of her passing with some shew of glorie and reputation thorow the life of man feined and devised by these prating Sophisters cunning Law-givers and Statists Now if every one of these persons and such like was poore or rich feeble or strong foule or faire of long life or short by the meanes of fortune againe in case ech of them shewed himselfe a great captaine in the field a great politician or wise law-giver a great governour and ruler in the city and common-wealth by their vertue and the direction of reason within them then consider I pray you what Alexander was in comparison of them all Solon instituted at Athens a generall cutting off and cancelling of all debts which he called ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which is as much to say as A discharge of burdens but Alexander out of his owne purse paied all debts in the name of debtors due unto their creditors Pericles having imposed a tax and tribute upon the Greeks with the money raised by that levie beautified the citadell or castle of Athens with temples and chapels whereas Alexander sent of the pillage and treasure which he gat from the Barbarians to the number of tenne thousand talents into Greece with commandement to build there with sacred temples to the honour of the gods Brasidas wan a great name and reputation of valour among the Greeks for that he passed from one end to another thorow his enemies campe pitched along the sea side before the towne Methon but that wonderfull leape that Alexander made into a towne of the Oxydraques which to them that heare it is incredible and to as many as saw it was most fearefull namely at what time as he cast himselfe from the battlements of the walles among his enemies ready to receive him with pikes with javelins with darts and naked swords whereto may a man compare but unto a very flash of lightning breaking volently out of a cloud and being carried with the winde lighteth upon the ground resembling a spirit or apparition resplendent all about with flaming and burning armours insomuch as at the first sight men that saw it were so affrighted as they ran backward and fled but after that they beheld it was but one man setting upon many then they came againe and made head against him Heere Fortune shewed no doubt many plaine and evident proofs of her speciall good will ãâã Alexander namely first when she put him into an ignoble base and barbarous towne and there inclosed him sure enough within the walles thereof then after that those without made haste to rescue him and reared their scaling ladders against the walles for to get over and come unto him she caused them all to breake fall in pieces whereby she overthrew and cast them downe who were climbed halfe way up againe of those three onely whose hap it was to mount up to the top before the ladders brake and who flang themselves desperatly downe and stood about the king to guard his person she fell upon one immediatly and killed him in the place before he could do his master any service a second overwhelmed with a cloud of arrowes and darts was so neere death that he could do no more but onely see and feele All this while the Macedonians without ranne to the walles with a great noise and outcry but all in vaine for artillerie they had none nor any ordinance or engins of battery onely they laied at the walles with their naked swords and bare hands and so earnest they were to get in that they would have made way with their very teeth if it had beene possible Meane while this fortunate prince upon whom Fortune attended at an inch ready now to accompany and defend him you may be sure as at all times els was taken and caught as a wilde beast within toiles abandoned and left alone without aide and succour not iwis to win the city of Susa or of Babylon nor to conquer the province of Bactra nor to seize upon that mighty body of king Porus for of great and renowmed attempts although the end alwaies prove not happy yet there can redound no infamy But to say a trueth Fortune was on his behalfe so spightfull and envious but on the other side so good and gracious to the Barbarians so adverse I say she was to Alexander that she went about as much as lay in her to make him not onely lose his life and body but also to forfeit his honour and glory for if he had beene left lying dead along the river Euphrates or Hydaspes it had beene no great desastre and indignitie neither had it beene so dishonorable unto him when he came to joine with Darius hand to hand if he had beene massacred among a number of great horses with the swords glawes battle-axes of the Persians fighting for the empire no nor when he was mounted upon the wals of Babylon if he had taken the foile and bene put by his great hope of forcing the city for in that sort lost Pelopidas and Epaminondas their lives and their death was rather an act of vertue than an accident of infortunitie whiles they gave the attempt to execute so great exploits and to gaine so worthy a prise But as touching fortune which now we examine and consider what piece of worke effected she In a Barbarous countrey farre removed on the further side of a river within the walles of a base village in comparison to shut up and enclose the king and sovereigne lord of the earth that he might perish there shamefully by the hands rude weapons of a multitude of Barbarous rascals who should knocke him downe with clubs and staves and pelt him with whatsoever came next hand for wounded he was in the head with a bill that clove his helmet quite thorow and with a mighty arrow which one discharged out of a bow his brest-plate was pierced quite thorow whereof the steile that was without his bodie weighed him downe heavily but the yron head which stucke fast in the bones about one of his paps was foure fingers broad and five long And to make up the full measure of all mischiefs whiles he defended himselfe right manfully before and when the fellow who had shot the foresaid arrow adventured to approch him with his sword to dispatch him outright with a dead thrust him he got within
how they should worship and serve God Afterwards he travelled thorowout the world reducing the whole earth to civility by force of armes least of all but winning and gaining the most nations by effectuall remonstrances sweet perswasion couched in songs and with all maner of Musicke whereupon the Greeks were of opinion that he and Bacchus were both one Furthermore the tale goes that in the absence of Osiris Typhon stirred not nor made any commotion for that Isis gave good order to the contrary and was of sufficient power to prevent and withstand all innovations but when he was returned Tyyhon complotted a conspiracy against him having drawen into his confederacy seventy two complices besides a certeine queene of Aethiopia who likewise combined with him and her name was Aso. Now when he had secretly taken the just measure and proportion of Osiris body he caused a coffer or hutch to be made of the same length and that most curiously and artificially wrought and set out to the eie he tooke order that it should be brought into the hall where he made a great feast unto the whole company Every man tooke great pleasure with admiration to beholde such a singular exquisit piece of worke and Typhon in a meriment stood up and promised that he would bestow it upon him whose body was meet fit for it hereupon all the company one after another assaied whose body would fit it but it was not found proportionate nor of a just size to any of all the rest at length Osiris gat up into it and laied him there along with that the conspiratours ran to it and let downe the lidde and cover thereof upon him and partly with nailes and partly with melted lead which they powred aloft they made it sure enough and when they had so done caried it forth to the river side and let it downe into the sea at the verie mouth of Nilus named Taniticus which is the reason that the said mouth is even to this day odious and execrable among the Aegyptians insomuch as they call it Cataphyston that is to say Abominable or to be spit at Over and besides it is said that this fell out to be done upon the seventeenth day of the moneth named Athyr during which moneth the Sunne entreth into the signe Scorpius and in the eight and twentieth yeere of Osiris reigne howbeit others affirme that he lived in deed but reigned not so long Now the first that had an inckling and intelligence of this hainous act were the Panes and Satyres inhabiting about Chennis who began to whisper one unto another to talke thereof which is the reason that all sudden tumults and troubles of the multitude and common people be called Panique affrights Moreover it followeth on in the tale that Isis being advertised hereof immediatly cut off one of the tresses of her haire and put on mourning weeds in that place which now is called the city Coptus in remembrance thereof howsoever others say that this word Coptos betokeneth Privation for that ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in Greeke signifieth as much as to deprive In this dolefull habit she wandred up and downe in great perplexity to heare tidings of Osiris and whomsoever she met withall she failed not to enquire of them and she missed not so much as little children playing together but asked them whether they had seene any such coffer at length she light of those children who had seene it indeed and they directed her to the mouth of the river Nilus where the complices and associats of Typhon had let the said vessell into the sea And ever since that time the Aegyptians are of opinion that yoong children have the gift of revealing secrets and they take all their words which they passe in play and sport as offes and presages but especially within the temples what matter soever it be that they prattle of Moreover when Isis understood that Osiris fell in love with her sister Nephthys thinking she was Isis and so carnally companied with her and withall found a good token thereof to wit a chaplet or garland of Melilot which he had left with Nephthe she went for to seeke her babe for presently upon the birth of the infant for feare of Typhon she hid it and when with much adoe and with great paines taken Isis had found it by the meanes of certeine hounds which brought her to the place where he was she reared and brought it up in such sort as when he came to some bignesse he became her guide and squire named Anubis who also is said to keepe the gods like as dogs guard men After this she heard newes of the foresaid coffer and namely that the waves of the sea had by tides cast it upon the coast of Byblus where by a billow of water it was gently brought close to the foot of a shrubbe or plant called Erice now this Erice or Tamarix in a small time grew so faire and spread forth so large and big branches withall that it compassed enclosed and covered the said coffer all over so as it could not be seene The king of Byblus wondring to see this plant so big caused the branches to be lopped off that covered the foresaid coffin not seene and of the truncke or body thereof made a pillar to sustaine the roofe of his house whereof Isis by report being advertised by a certaine divine spirit or winde of flying fame came to Byblus where she sat her downe by a certeine fountaine all heavie and in distresse pitiously weeping to herselfe neither spake she a word unto any creature onely the Queenes waiting maids and women that came by she faluted and made much of plaiting and broiding the ãâã of their haire most exquisitly and casting from her into them a marvellous sweet and pleasant sent issuing from her body whiles she dressed them The queene perceiving her women thus curiously and trimly set out had an earnest desire to see this stranger aswell for that she yeelded such an odoriferous smell from her body as because she was so skilfull in dressing their heads so she sent for the woman and being growen into some familiar acquaintance with her made her the nourse and governesse of her yoong sonne now the kings name himselfe was ãâã and the queenes Astarte or rather Saofis or as some will have it Nemanous which is as much to say in the Greeke tongue as Athenais And the speech goes that Isis suckled and nourished this infant by putting her finger in stead of the brest-head or nipple into the mouth thereof also that in the night season she burnt all away that was mortall of his body and in the end was herselfe metamorphized and turned into a swallow flying and lamenting after a moaning maner about the pillar aforesaid untill such time as the queene observing this and crying out when she saw the body of her child on a light fire bereaved it of immortality Then Isis being discovered
who hold and affirme such fables as these touching the blessed and immortall nature whereby especially we conceived in our minde the deity to be true and that such things were really done or hapned so indeed We ought to spit upon their face And curse such mouthes with all disgrace as Aeschylus saith I need not say unto you for that you hate and detest those enough alreadie of your selfe who conceive so barbarous and absurd opinions of the gods And yet you see verie well that these be not narrations like unto old wives tales or vaine and foolish fictions which Poets or other idle writers devise out of their owne fingers ends after the maner of spiders which of themselves without any precedent subject matter spin their threeds weave and stretch out their webbes for evident it is that they conteine some difficulties and the memorials of certeine accidents And like as the Mathematicians say that the rainbow is a representation of the Sunne and the same distinguished by sundry colours by the refraction of our eie-sight against a cloud even so this fable is an apparence of some doctrine or learning which doeth reflect and send backe our understanding to the consideration of some other trueth much after the maner of sacrifices wherein there is mingled a kinde of lamentable dole and sorrowfull heavinesse Semblably the making and disposition of temples which in some places have faire open Isles and pleasant allies open over head and in other darke caves vaults and shrouds under the earth resembling properly caves sepulchers or charnell vauts wherein they put the bodies of the dead especially the opinion of the Osirians for albeit the bodie of Osiris be said to be in many places yet they name haply Abydus the towne or Memphis a little citie where they affirme that his true body lieth in such sort as the greatest and welthiest persons in Aegypt usually doe ordeine and take order that their bodies be interred in Abydus to the end they may lie in the same sepulchre with Osiris and at Memphis was kept the beese Apis which is the image and figure of his soule and they will have his body also to be there Some likewise there be who interpret the name of this towne as if it should signifie the haven and harbour of good men others that it betokeneth the tombe of Osiris and there is before the gate of the citie a little Isle which to all others is inaccessible and admitteth no entrance insomuch as neither fowles of the aire will there light nor fishes of the sea approch thither onely at one certeine time the priests may come in and there they offer sacrifices and present oblations to the dead where also they crowne and adorne with flowers the monument of one Mediphthe which is overshadowed and covered with a certeine plant greater and taller than any olive tree Eudoxus writeth that how many sepulchres soever there be in Aegypt wherein the corps of Osiris should lie yet it is in the citie Busiris for that it was the countrey and place of his nativitie so that now there is no need to speake of Taphosiris for that the very name it selfe saith enough signifying as it doeth the sepulture of Osiris Well I approove the cutting of the wood and renting of the linnen the effusions also and funerall libaments there performed because there be many mysteries mingled among And so the priests of Aegypt affirme that the bodies not of these gods onely but also of all others who have beene engendred and are not incorruptible remaine among them where they honoured and reverenced but their soules became starres and shine in heaven and as for that of Isis it is the same which the Greekes call Cyon that is to say the dogge-starre but the Aegyptians Sothis that of Orus is Orion and that of Typhon the Beare But whereas all other cities and states in Aegypt contribute a certeine tribute imposed upon them for to pourtray draw and paint such beasts as are honored among them those onely who inhabite the countrey Thebais of all others give nothing thereto being of opinion that no mortall thing subject to death can be a god as for him alone whom they call Cneph as he was never borne so shall he never die Whereas therefore many such things as these be reported and shewed in Aegypt they who thinke that all is no more but to perpetuate and eternize the memorie of marvelous deeds and strange accidents of some princes kings or tyrants who for their excellent vertue mighty puissance have adjoined to their owne glory the authoritie of deitie unto whom a while after there befell calamities use heerein a very cleanly shift and expedite evasion transferring handsomly from the gods unto men all sinister infamie that is in these fable and helpe themselves by the testimonies which they finde and read in histories for the Aegyptians write that Mercurie was but small of stature and slender limmed that Typhon was of a ruddy colour Orus white Osiris of a blackish hew as who indeed were naturally men Moreover they call Osiris captaine or generall Canobus pilot or governor of a ship after whose name they have named a starre and as for the shippe which the Greeks name Argo they hold that it was the very resemblance of Osiris ship which for the honour of him being numbred among the starres is so situate in heaven as that it mooveth and keepeth his course not farre from that of Orion and the Cyon or dogge-starre of which twaine the one is consecrate unto Horus the other to Isis. But I feare me that this were to stirre and remoove those sacred things which are not to be touched and medled withall and as much as to fight against not continuance of time onely and antiquitie as Simonides saith but also the religion of many sorts of people and nations who are long since possessed with a devotion toward these gods I doubt I say lest in so doing they faile not to transfer so great names as these out of heaven to earth and so goe very neere and misse but a little to overthrow and abolish that honour and beliefe which is ingenerate and imprinted in the hearts of all men even from their very first nativitie which were even to set the gates wide open for a multitude of miscreants and Atheists who would bring all divinity to humanity and deitie to mans nature yea and to give a manifest overture and libertie for all the impostures and jugling casts of Euemerus the Messenian who having himselfe coined and devised the originals of fables grounded upon no probability nor subject matter but even against the course of reason and nature spred and scattered abroad throughout the world all impietie transmuting and changing all those whom we repute as gods into the names of admirals captaines generall and kings who had lived in times past according as they stand upon record by his saying written in golden letters within the citie
as if they thought to hide themselves within the bodies of the blacke storkes called Ibides of dogges and haukes passeth all the monstrous woonders and fixions of tales that can be devised Likewise to hold that the soules of those who are departed so many as remaine still in being are regenerate againe onely in the bodies of these beasts is as absurd and incredible as the other And as for those who will seeme to render a civill and politicke reason heereof some give out that Osiris in a great expedition or voiage of his having divided his armie into many parts such as in Greeke are called ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that is to say bands and companies he gave unto every of them for their severall ensignes the portractures and images of beasts and each band afterwards honored their owne had in reverence as some holy and sacred thing Others affirme that the kings who succeeded after Osiris for to terrify their enimies went forth to battell carying before them the heads of such beasts made in gold and silver vpon their armes Some there be againe who alledge that there was one of these their subtile and fine headed kings who knowing that the Aegyptians of their owne nature were lightly disposed ready to revolt and given to change and innovations also that by reason of their great multitude their power was hardly to be restrained and in maner invincible in case they joined together in counsell and drew jointly in one common line therefore he sowed among them a perpetuall superstition which gave occasion of dissention and enmity among them that never could be appeased For when he had given commandement unto them for to have in reverence those beasts which naturally disagreed and warred together even such as were ready to eat and devour one another whiles every one endevored alwaies to succor and maintaine their owne and were moved to anger if any wrong or displeasure were done to those which they affected they sell together themselves by the eares ere they were aware and killed one another for the enmity and quarell which was betweene those beasts whom they adored and so fostered mutuall and mortall hatred For even at this day of all the Aegyptians the Lycopolitans onely eat ãâã because the wolfe whom they adore as a god is enimy unto sheepe And verily in this our age the Oxyrinchites because the Cynopolites that is to say the inhabitants of the city Cynopolis eat the fish named Oxyrinchos that is to say with the sharpe becke whensoever they can entrap or catch a dogge make no more adoe but kill him for a sacrifice and eat him when they have done Vpon which occasion having levied warre one against the other and done much mischiefe reciprocally after they had beene well chastised and plagued by the Romans they grew to attonement and composition And for as much as many of them doe say that the soule of Typhon departed into these beasts it seemeth that this fiction importeth thus much that every brutish and beastly nature commeth and proceedeth from some evill daemon and therefore to pacific him that he doe no mischiefe they worship and adore these beasts And if paradventure there happen any great drowght or contagious heat which causeth pestilent maladies or other unusuall and extraordinary calamities the priests bring forth some of those beasts which they serve and honor in the darke night without any noise in great silence menasing them at the first and putting them in fright Now if the plague or calamity continue still they kill and sacrifice them thinking this to be a punishment and chastisement of the said evill daemon or else some great expiation for notable sinnes and transgressions For in the city verily of Idithya as Manethos maketh report the maner is to burne men alive whom they called Typhony whose ashes when they had boulted through a tamise they scattered abroad untill they were reduced to nothing But this was done openly at a certaine time in those daies which are called Cynades or Canicular Mary the immolation of these beasts which they accounted sacred was performed secretly and not at a certaine time or upon perfixed daies but according to the occurrences of those accidents which happned And therefore the common people neither knew nor saw ought but when they solemnize their obsequies and funerals for them in the presence of all the people they shew some of the other beasts and throw them together into the sepulcher supposing thereby to vex and gall Typhon and to represse the joy that he hath in doing mischiefe For it seemeth that Apis with some other few beasts was consecrated to Osiris howsoever they attribute many more unto him And if this be true I suppose it importeth that which we seeke and search all this while as touching those which are confessed by all and have common honors as the foresaid stroke Ibis the hauke and the Babian or Cynecephalus yea and Apis himselfe for so they call the goat in the city Mendes Now their remaineth the utility and symbolization heereof considering that some participate of the one but the most part of both For as touching the goat the sheepe and the Ichneumon certaine it is they honor them for the use and profit they receive by them like as the inhabitants of Lemnos honor the birds called Corydali because they finde out the locusts nests and quash their egges The Thessalians also have the storkes in great account because whereas their country is given to breed a number of serpents the said storks when they come kill them up all By reason whereof they made an edict with an intimation that whosoever killed a storke should be banished his country The serpent Aspis also the wezill and the flie called the bettill they reverence because they observe in them I wot not what little slender images like as in drops of water we perceive the resemblance of the Sunne of the divine power For many there be even yet who both thinke and say that the male wezill engendreth with the female by her care and that she bringeth forth her yoong at the mouth which symbolizeth as they say and representeth the making and generation of speech As for the beetils they hold that throughout all their kinde there is no female but all the males doe blow or cast their seed into a certaine globus or round matter in forme of bals which they drive from them and roll to and fro contrary waies like as the Sunne when he moveth himselfe from the west to the east seemeth to turne about the heaven cleane contrary The Aspis also they compare to the planet of the Sunne because he doth never age and wax old but mooveth in all facility readinesse and celerity without the meanes of any instruments of motion Neither is the crocodile set so much by among them without some probable cause For they say that in some respect he is the very
appeare many visions and fansies of all sorts in our sleeps otherwhiles againe we are free from all such illusions and rest in great quietnesse and tranquillitie We our selves know this Cleon here of Daulia who all his life time and many yeeres he lived never as he said himselfe dreamed nor saw any vision in his sleepe and of those in former times we have heard as much reported of Thrasymedes the Hoereian The cause whereof was the temperature of the bodie whereas contrariwise it is seene that the complexion of melancholicke persons is apt to dreame much and subject to many illusions in the night although it seemeth their dreames and visions be more regular and fall out truer than others for that such persons touching their imaginative faculty with one fansie or other it can not chuse but they meet with the truth otherwhiles much like as when a man shoots many shafts it goeth hard if he hit not the marke with one When as therefore the imaginative part and the propheticall faculty is well disposed and sutable with the temperature of the exhalation as it were with some medicinable potion then of necessitie there must be engendred within the bodies of Prophets an Enthusiasme or divine furie contrariwise when there is no such proportionate disposition there can be no propheticall inspiration or if there be it is fanaticall unseasonable violent and troublesome as we know how of late it befel to that Pythias or Prophetesse who is newly departed For there being many pilgrims and strangers come from forren parts to consult with the Oracle it is said that the host or beast to be sacrificed did endure the first libaments and liquors that were powred upon it never stirring there at nor once quetching for the matter but after that the Priests and Sacrificers powred still and never gave over to cast liquor on beyond all measure at length after great laving and drenching of it hardly and with much adoe it yeelded and trembled a little But what hapned hereupon to the Prophetesse or Pythias aforesaid Went she did indeed downe into the cave or hole against her will as they said and with no alacrity at all but incontinently when she was come up againe at the very first words and answers that she pronounced it was well knowen by the horsenesse of her voice that she could not endure the violence of possession being replenished with a maligne and mute spirit much like unto a ship caried away under full sailes with a blustering gale of wind Insomuch as in the end being exceedingly troubled and with a fearefull and hideous crie making haste to get out she flung herselfe downe and fell upon the earth so that not onely the foresaid pilgrims fled for feare but Nicander also the High-priest and other Sacrificers and religious ministers that were present Who notwithstanding afterwards taking heart unto them and entring againe into the place tooke her up lying still in an extasie besides herselfe and in very trueth she lived not many daies after And therefore it is that the said Pythias keepeth her bodie pure and cleane from the company of man and forbidden she is to converse or have commerce al her life time with any stranger Also before they come to the Oracle they observe certeine signes for that they thinke it is knowen unto the God when her bodie is prepared and disposed to receive without danger of her person this Enthusiasme For the force and vertue of this exhalation doth not move and incite all sorts of persons nor the same alwaies after one maner nor yet as much at one time as at another but giveth onely a beginning and setteth to as it were a match to kindle it as we have said before even unto those onely who are prepared and framed aforehand to suffer and receive this alteration Now this exhalation without all question is divine and celestiall howbeit for all that not such as may not faile and cease not incorruptible not subject to age and decay nor able to last and endure for ever and under it all things suffer violence which are betweene the earth and the moone according to our doctrine however others there be who affirme that those things also which are above are not able to resist it but being wearied an eternall and infinite time are quickely changed and renewed as one would say by a second birth regeneration But of these matters quoth I advise you I would and my selfe also estsoones to call to minde and consider often this discourse for that they be points exposed to many reprehensions and sundry objections may be alledged against them All which the time will not suffer us now to prosecute at large and therefore let us put them off unto another opportunity together with the doubts and questions which Philippus moved as touching Apollo and the Sunne WHAT SIGNIFIETH THIS WORD EI ENGRAVEN OVER THE DORE OF APOLLOES TEMPLE IN THE CITIE OF DELPHI The Summarie AMong infinite testimonies of the fury of maligne spirits and evill angels who having beene created at first good kept not their originall but fell from the degree and state of happinesse wherein continue by the grace and favour of God the good angels who minister and attend upon those who shall receive the inheritance of salvation and everlasting life these may bereckoned for the chiefe and principall that such reprobate spirits and accursed fiends endevour practise by all meanes possible to make themselves to be adored by men and fame would they be set in the throne of him who having imprisoned and tied them fast in a deepe dungeon with the chaine of darknesse reserveth them to the judgement of that great day of doome And so farre proceeded they in pride and presumption as to cause themselves to be stiled by the name of God yea and to be adorned with those titles which are due and apperteine unto the Aeternall their soveraigne judge Their devices and artificiall meanes to bring this about be woonderfull and of exceeding variety according as the infinit numbers of idols warming in all parts and so many strange and uncouth superstitions wherewith the world hath beene diffamed unto this present day doe testifie and give evident proofe But if there be any place in the whole earth wherein Satanhath actually hewed his furious rage against God and man it is Greece and above all in that renowmed temple of Delphi which was the common seat upon which this cursed enemy hath received the homages of an infinit number of people of all sorts and qualities under the colour and pretence of resolving their doubtfull questions Heere then especially presumed he and was so bold as to take upon him the name of God and for to reach thereto hath set out and garnished his Oracles with ambiguous speeches short and sententious intermingling some trueths among lies even as it pleased the just judge of the world to let the reines loose unto this notorious seducer and to give him
Barbarisme A rude and corrupt maner of speech full of barbarous and absonant words Basis The flat piedstall or foote of a Columne pillar statue or such like whereupon it standeth Baeotarches or Baeotarchae The soueraigne magistrate or Ruler of the Boeotians Baeotius a kinde of Mesure or Note in Musick used in Baeotia C CAius A common forename to many families in Rome and Caia to the woman kinde as usuall as John and Jone with us as appeereth by this forme of speech ordinary in mariage Where thou art Caius I will be Caia Calends See Kalends Callasitres Hardnesse in maner of brawn as in the skinne of hands or feet occasioned by much labour and trauell Cancerous that is to say Resembling a certeine hard tumor or swelling occasioned by melancholicke bloud named a Cancer for the likenesse it hath to a crab-fish named in Latine Cancer partly for the swelling veines appearing about it like unto the feet or cleis of the said fish and in part for that it is not easily remooved no more than the crab if it once settle to a place lastly because the colour is not much unlike This swelling if it breake out into an ulcer hardly or unneth admitteth any cure and by some is called a Wolfe Candyli A kind of dainty meat made with hony and milke Candys an ornament of the Persians Medians and other East nations much like to a Diademe Catamite A boy abused against kinde a baggage Cataplasme A pultesse or grosse maner of plaster To Cauterize To burne or seare with a red hot iron or other mettall Cenotaph An emptie Tombe or Sepulcher wherein no corps is interred Censours Magistrates of State in Rome whose charge was to valew and estimate mens goods and enroll them accordingly in their seuerall ranges Also to demise unto certaine farmers called Publicanes the publicke profits of the city for a rent and to put foorth the city works unto them to be undertaken at a price Likewise their office it was to oversee mens maners whereby oftentimes they woulde deprive Senatours of their dignitie take from Gentlemen their horses of service and rings displace commanders out of their owne tribe disable them for giving voices and make them AErarij Centre The middle pricke of a circle or globe equally distant from the circumference thereof Centumviri A certeine Court of Judges in Rome chosen three out of every tribe And albeit there were 35. tribes and the whole number by that account amounted to an hundred and five yet in round reckoning and by custome they went under the name of an hundred and therefore were called Centumviri Cercopes Certaine ridiculous people inhabiting the Iland Pitherusa having tailes like monkeys good for nought but to make sport Chalons A small piece of brasse money the eighth part or as some say the sixth of the Atticke Obolus somewhat better than halfe a farthing or a cue Chromaticke Musicke Was soft delicate and effeminate ful of descant fained voices and quavering as some are of opinion Cidaris An ornament of the head which in Persia Media and Armenia the Kings and High priests wore with a blew band or ribband about it beset with white spots Cinaradae A familie descended from Cinaras Some read Cinyradae and Cinyras Circumgyration A turning or winding round Cn. A forename to some houses in Rome Colian earth So called of Colias a promontory or hill in the territorie of Attica Colleague A fellow or companion in office Colonies Were townes wherein the Romanes placed citizens of their owne to inhabit either as Free-holders or tenants undertakers endowed with franchises and liberties diversly Erected first by Romulus Comoedia vetus Licentiously abused all maner of persons not forbearing to name and traduce upon the Stage even the best men such as noble Pericles wise Solon and just Aristides nay it spared not the very State it selfe and bodie of the Common-weale whereupon at length it was condemned and put downe Conctons Orations or speeches made openly before the body of the people such properly as the Tribunes of the Commons used unto them Congiarium a dole or liberall gift of some Prince or Noble person bestowed upon the people It tooke the name of that measure Congius much about our gallon which was given in oile or wine by the poll but afterwards any other such gift or distribution whether it were in other victuals or in money went under that name Consuls two in number Soveraigne Magistrates in Rome succeeding in the place of Kings with the same authoritie and roiall ensignes onely they were chosen yeerely Contignate Close set together so as they touch one another as houses adjoining Contusions Bruises dry-beatings or crushes Convulsions Plucking or shooting paines Cramps Cordax A lascivious and unseemly kinde of daunce used in Comoedies at the first but misliked afterwards and rejected Criticks Grammarians who tooke upon them to censure and judge Poemes and other works of authors such as Aristarchus was Criticall daies In Physicke be observed according to the motion of the humour and the Moone in which the disease sheweth some notable alteration to life or death as if the patient had then his dome In which regard we say that the seventh day is a king but the sixth a tyrant Cube A square figure as in Geometrie the Die having sixe faces foure square and even in Arithmeticke a number multiplied in it selfe as nine arising of thrice three and sixteene of foure times foure Curvature that is to say Bending round as in the felly of a wheele Corollarie An overdeale or overmeasure given more than is due or was promised Curule chaire A seat of estate among the Romans made of Ivorie whereupon certaine Magistrates were called Curules who were allowed to sit thereon as also Triumphes were named Curules when those that triumphed were gloriously beseene in such a chaire drawen with a chariot for distinction of Oration wherein Captaines rode on horsebacke onely Cyath A small measure of liquid things the twelfth part of Sextarius which was much about our wine quart So that a Cyath may go for three good spoonefuls and answereth in weight to an ounce and halfe with the better Cynicke Philosophers Such as Antisthenes Diogenes and their followers were so named of Cynosarges a grove or schoole without Athens where they taught or rather of their dogged and currish maner of biting barking at men in noting their lives over rudely D DEcius A forename For Decius although it were the Gentile name of an house in Rome yet grew afterwards to be a forename as Paulus and likewise forenames at the first in processe of time came to name Families D. Decimus A forename to certeine Romans as namely to Brutus surnamed Albinus one of the conspiratours that killed Iul. Caesar. Decade That which conteineth tenne as the Decades of Livie which consist every one of tenne books Democratie A free State or popular gouernment wherein every citizen is capable of soveraigne Magistracy Desiccative that is