to be so famous in Gréece his liberality amongst nigardes hée onely counted liberall and all Athens besides couetous whereby he deserued renowne and glorie amongst so many nippers of money hée onely to shewe him selfe franke and liberall What caused Flaminius to bée so much spoken of amongst the Romanes his liberall giftes amongst so many gréedie takers his open benifites amongst theyr priuate wealth and hidden hatred What mooued the Agragentines to honour soo much that man Gillias to aduance his fame to extoll his name His liberalitie Such couetousnesse then was in Athens Rome and Agrigente that then worthie were these of admiration and prayse to auoyd the cankered state of auarice Thus from the golden worlde it came vnto the siluer worlde and then to that harde mettall Iron worlde for the couetous people can neuer be sufficed The gréedinesse of this age the restlesse estate of this time can neuer be satisfied The young Partriche by nature is readie to flee as soone as shée commeth out of the shell the wilde Duck to swim the Lion to go and man onely borne ready to séeke and trauell for money Where might a man finde out such a man as Aristides was in all Greece nowe who was so liberall that hauing all the state of Athens vnder hys gouernement gaue all to the poore Citizens saue that scant that brought him vnto the ground Where should one méete with such a one as Pelopidas in all Sparta being blamed of his friendes and councellers for hys large giftes and liberality exhorting him to make much of money considering howe necâ—ssarie money is to Princes yea sayde Pelopidas to such Princes as Nicomedes a lame man both dumbe and deafe Where shoulde a man séeke in Thebes for suche a man as Epaminondas who when he hearde that hée which caried his Target after him had taken money for the dimission of certaine prisoners taken in the warres giue me sayde hée my Target and go you to kéepe an Inne for if you loue monie you are not fit to cary Epaminondas Target Euery man is liberall in talke but fewe franke in giuing all men speake against enuie and malice and yet one hate another wée exclayme against tyranny and yet we are mercilesse wée despise pryde and yet we loue not humanitie wée abhorre gluttony and dronkennesse and yet we are alwaies feasting and bibbing wée disprayse Idlenesse and yet wée are slothfull wee thunder against slaunderous tongues and yet we can not speake well of no body in briefe we speake against all vices and yet we can not be acquainted with any vertue Euen as Diogines a Philosopher nipt a certaine Lacedemonian which vsed often to repeate in a place a Gréeke verse of Hesiodus the Poet that an Oxe or no beast else shoulde perish vnlesse euill neyghbours be the cause of it Diogines demaunded of him howe happened it that both the people of Messena and all their goodes and cattelles did miscarye and you béeyng their nigh neyghbours in Sparta So maye it be spoken to these glorious talkers how is it that men loue auarice so well and yet commende liberalitie so often ¶ Of age and the praise thereof BYon that wise man woulde say often that age was the Hauen of rest for that it was the ende of miserie the gate of life the perfourmaunce of all pilgrimages And sith age is wished of all men what folly is it to hit any man in the téeth with that which hée chéefly desireth Wherefore when King Archelaus had appoynted a great feast for his fréendes amongst other talkes then at the Table Euripides declared what great loue he bare vnto Agathon an olde tragicall Poet. Agesilaus demaundyng why shoulde an olde man bée so well estéemed of Euripides hée sayde Though the Spring time be pleasaunt yet the Haruest is fertile though flowres and hearbes grow gréene in the Spring yet waxe they ripe in Haruest The ages of man is compared vnto the foure seasons of the yere his growing time vnto the Spring his lusty time vnto the Sommer his witty time vnto the Haruest and his olde time vnto the Winter which doth make an ende of all thinges Frederike Emperour of Rome after he had appointed an olde man to rule the Cittie of Scadmenna was often mooued that hée for his age was not méete to gouerne such a Citie consyderyng the multitude and number of people that were within that Citie they thought that a young man shoulde better discharge the office But the wise Emperour perceauyng howe bent and prone were the youth of that Towne to haue a young man to rule ouer them aunswered them after this sort I had rather sayde hée commit the gouernaunce of the Citie vnto one olde man then the gouernaunce of so many young men vnto the Citie Better it is an olde man to rule the Citie than the Citie to rule the young menne meaning no otherwise then the aged men shoulde only be admitted rulers in Cities for that it belongeth vnto them experience of thinges and care of youth Suche was the homage and reuerence which was amongst the young Romanes towarde the Senators or olde men of the Citie as both heade and legge did acknowledge the same in doing duetie vnto age They hadde this confidence in age that no man might be chosen vnto the number of the Senatoures before he shoulde be thréescore yeares of age The like custome had the people of Chalcides that no man before he were fiftie yeres shoulde eyther beare office within their Cities or be sent Embassadour out of their countrie Amongst the Perseans no man coulde be admitted to be one of the sage rulers which they called Magi vnlesse perfite age had brought him thereto perforce Amongst the Indians their wise men which ruled their countrey which were named Gymnosofistae were aged and auncient for time giueth experience of gouernance Amongst the Egyptians the like credite was giuen vnto olde men that youth méeting them in the waye would go out of the way to giue place vnto age so that their Counsellours which were called prophetes were men of much time experience Euen so the Babylonians elected their sage Chaldeans the auncient French men there wise men called Druydes In fine noble Géekes did obserue the like order in choosing their Rulers and Councellers of aged men as before spoken The Lacedemonians youth were by the lawe of Licurgus no lesse charged to reuerence age than theyr owne parentes The Arabians in all places without respect of person honour dignitie or fortune preferred their olde men before The people called Tartesij had this lawe to honour age that the younger might beare no witnesse against the elder The reuerence sayde Chylon that shoulde be shewed vnto age by young men ought to be suche that they then being young doing obedience vnto age might clayme the like when they waxed olde of youth Agesilaus King of Sparta being
an olde man woulde often go in the colde weather very thinne in a torne cloake without a coate or doublet onely to shew the way vnto young men to be hardie in age by contemning of pleasure and gay apparell in youth Massinissa king of Numidia being more than thréescore yeares of age woulde liuely and valiauntly as Cicero sayth without cappe on heade or shooe on foote in the colde or frostye weather in the winter time trauayle and toyle with the souldiours onelye vnto thys purpose that young souldiours shoulde be hardened thereby in their youth and practise the same for the vse of others when they came to age them selues Ihero King of Sicilia the like example in his olde age being .lxxx. yeares shewed to trayne youth and to bring them vp so in young yeares that they might doe the lyke in their olde ages For this iudged these wise princes that all men couet to imitate Princes and Kinges in their doinges Gorgias the Philosopher and mayster vnto Isocrates the Oratour and to diuers more nobles of Gréece thought him selfe most happie that he being a hundred yeres and seauen was as well in his sences as at anyetime before made so much of age that being asked why hée so delighted in age made aunswere bycause he founde nothing in age that he might accuse age So sayde King Cirus a little before his death being a very olde man that hée neuer felt him selfe weaker than when he was young The like saying is reported of that learned Sophocles who being so olde that he was accused of his owne children of follie turned vnto the Iudges and sayde If I be Sophocles I am not a foole if I be a foole I am not Sophocles meaning that in wisemen the sences waxed better by vse and exercising the same vnto the vse of yong men for we prayse sayth Cicero the olde man that is somewhat young and we commend againe the young man that is somewhat aged The olde is commended that hath his young fresh witte at commaundement the young is praised that is sober sage in his doings When M Crassus a noble Capitaine of Rome béeing a verye olde man tooke in hande to warre against the Parthians strong and stout people being by Embassadours warned of his age and admonished to forsake warres hée aunswered stoutly the Embassadour of the Partheans and sayde when I come vnto Seleutia your Citie I will aunswere you One of the Embassadours named Agesis an aged man stretched forth his hande and shewed the palme of hys hand vnto Crassus saying Before thou shalt come within the Citie of Seleutia bristles shall growe out of thys hande The stoutnesse of Marcus Crassus was not so much but the magnanimitie of Agesis was as much and yet eyther were olde men What courage was in Scaeuola to withstande that firebrande of Rome Silla which after he had vrged the Senatours to pronounce Marius enimie vnto Italy hée béeing an olde aged man aunswered Silla in this sort Though diuers be at the commaundementes of the Senatours and that thou art so compassed with souldiours at thy becke yet thou nor all thy souldiours shall euer make Scaeuola being an olde man for feare of loosing some olde blood pronounce Marius by whom Rome was preserued and Italy saued to be enimie vnto these The like historie wée reade that when Iulius Caesar had by force of armes aspired vnto the offâ—ce of a Dictator and came vnto the Senate house where fewe Senatours were togither the Emperour Caesar desirous to know the cause of their absence Considius an aged father of Rome sayde that they feared Caesar and his souldiours Whereat the Emperour musing a while sayde Why did not you in likewise tarye at home fearing the same bicause sayde hée age and time taught me neyther to feare Caesar nor yet his souldiers For as Brusonius saith there are young mindes in olde men for though Milo the great wrestler in the games of Olimpia waxed olde and wept in spite of his deade limmes bruised bones yet he sayde his minde florished was as young as euer it was before Solon hath immortall praise in Gréece for his stoutnesse in his age for when Pisistratus had taken in hande to rule the people of Athens and that it was euident ynough that tyranny should procéede therby Solon in his latter daies hauing great care vnto his countrey when that no man durst refuse Pysistratus came before his doore in harnâ—sse and calde the citizens to withstand Pysistratus for age sayd he mooueth mée to be so valiaunt and stout that I had rather lose my life than my countrey should lose their libertie What vertue then wée sée to be in age what wisedome in time what corage in olde men The examples of these olde men stirre and prouoke many to imitate their steps insomuch diuers wished to be olde when they were yet young to haue the honour as age then had wherefore King Alexander the great spying a young man couloring his heares gray sayde It behooueth thée to put wittes in coulour and to alter thy minde The Lacedemonians people that past all nations in honouring age made lawes in their Cities that the aged men shoulde be so honored and estéemed of the young men euen as the parents were of the children that when a straunger came vnto Lacedemonia and sawe the obedience of youth towarde age he sayde In this countrie I wishe onely to be olde for happie is that man that waxeth olde in Lacedemonia for in the great games of Olimpia an olde man wanting a place went vp and downe to sit some where but no man receyued but the Lacedemonians which not onely there young men also their aged gaue place vnto his graye heares but then also the Embassaders of Lacedemonia being there present did reuerence him and toke him vnto their seate which when he came in hée spake a loude O you Athenians you knowe what is good and what is badde for that which you people of Athens sayde hée doe professe in knowledge the same doth the Lacedemonians put in practice Alexander being in his warres with a great army in Persea and méeting an old man by the way in the colde weather in ragged rent clothes lighted from his horse and sayde vnto him Mount vp into a princes saddle which in Persea is treason for a Persean to do but in Macedonia commendable letting to vnderstande how age is honored and olde men estéemed in Macedonia and howe of the contrarie wealth and pride is fostred in Persea for where men of experiences and aged yeares are sette naught by there cannot be that wisdome beareth rule Howe many in the Empire of Rome ruled the Citie gouerned the people of those that were very aged men as Fabius Maximus who was thréescore yeres and two in his last Consulship Valerius Corunnus which was sixe times a Consull in Rome a very olde man which
Testament that Adam our first father liued nine hundred and thirtie yeres and Eua his wife as many Seth nine hundred and twelue yeres Seth his sonne called Enos nine hundred and fiue Cainan the sonne of Enos nine hundred and tenne Malalehell the sonne of Cainan right hundred fourscore and fiftéene So Enoch the son of Iared liued nine hundred théescore and fiue yeres Enoch his sonne named Mathusalem liued nine hundred thréescore and nine with diuers of the first age I meane vntill Noahs time which began the seconde world after the floode and liued as we reade nine hundred and fiue yeres His sonne Sem sixe hundred yeres and so lineally from father vnto son as from Sem vnto Arphaxad froÌ„ Arphaxad vnto Sala from Sala vnto Heber the least liued aboue thrée hundred yeres This I thought for better credite and greater proofe of olde age to drawe out of the olde testameÌ„t that other prophane autorities might be beléeued as Tithonius whom the Poetes faine that he was so oulde that he desired to become a Grashopper But bicause age hath no pleasure in the worlde frequenteth no banquets abhorreth lust loueth no wantonnes which sayth Plato is the only bayte that deceyue young men so much the happier age is that age doth loath that in tyme which young men neyther with knowledge with wit nor yet with councell can auoyde What harme hath happened from time to time by young men ouer whom lust so ruled that euersion of common wealthes treason of Princes friends betrayed countries ouerthrowne kingdomes vanquished all y e world almost through pleasure perished Therfore Cicero sayth in his booke entituled of olde age at what time he was in the citie of Tarâ—ntuÌ„ being a young man with F. Maximê° that hée bare one lesson from TarentuÌ„ vnto the youth of Rome where Architas the Tarentine saide that nature bestowed nothing vpon man so hurtfull vnto him selfe so dangerous vnto his countrie as luste or pleasure For when C. Fabritius was sent as an Embassador from Rome vnto Pirrhê° king of Epire being then the Gouerner of the citie Tarentum a certaine man named Cineas a ThessaliaÌ„ borne being in disputation with Fabritius about pleasure saying that he heard a Philosopher of Athens affirming that all which we doe is to be referred vnto pleasure which when M. Curius and Titus Coruncanus hearde they desired Cineas to perswade the King Pirrhus in that to yéelde vnto pleasure and make the Samnits beléeue that pleasure ought to be estéemed whereby they knew if that King Pirrhus or the Samnites being then great enimies vnto the Romanes were adicted vnto lust or pleasure that then soone they myght be subdued and destroyed For that nothing hindereth magnanimitie or resisteth vertuous enterprises so much as pleasure as in the treatise of pleasure it shall at large more appeare Why then how happie is olde age to dispise and contemne that which youth by no meanes can auoyde yea to loath and abhor that which is most hurtfull vnto it selfe For Cecellius contemned Caesar with all his force saying vnto the Emperour that two thinges made him nothing to estéeme the power of the Emperour Age and witte Castritius wayed nothing at al the threatning of C. Carbo being then Consull at Rome which though hée sayd hée had many friendes at commaundement yet Castritius aunswered and sayde that he had likewise many yeres which his friendes might not feare Therfore a wiseman sometime wept for that man dieth within fewe yeres and hauing but little experience in his olde age he is then depriued thereof For the Crowe liueth thrise as long as the man doth The Harte liueth foure times longer than the Crow The Rauen thrise againe liueth longer than the Hart. The Phaenix nine times longer than the Rauen And therefore bicause birdes doe liue longer time than man doth in whome there is no vnderstanding of their yeres But man vnto whom reason is ioyned before he commeth vnto any grounde of experience when hée beginneth to haue knowledge in thinges hée dieth and thus endeth hée his toyling pilgrimages and trauayle in fewer yeres than diuers beastes or birdes doe ¶ Of the maners of sundrie people and of their strange life THe sundrie fashion and varitie of maners the straunge lyfe of people euerye where through the worlde dispersed are so depainted and set foorth amongst the writers that in shewing the same by naming eche countrey and the people therof orderly their custome their maners their kinde of liuing something to signifie howe diuers the maners of men bée Therefore I thought briefely to touch and to note euery countrey in their due order of liuing and to beginne with the Egyptians people most auncient and most expert in all sciences that Macrobius the writer calleth the countrey of Egypt the nourse and mother of all Artes for all the learned Gréekes haue had their beginning from Egypt euen as Rome had from Gréece This people obserue their dayes by accouÌ„t of houres from midnight vnto midnight They honour the Sunne and the moone for theyr Goddes for they name the Sunne Osiris and the Moone Isis Their féeding was of fishe broyled in the heate of the Sunne with hearbes and with certaine foules of the ayre They lyue a thousande yeares but it is to be vnderstanded that they number their yeares by the Moone The men beare burthens vppon theyr heades and the women vpon their breastes and shoulders The men make water sitting the women standing The Crocodill is that beast which they moste estéeme that being deade they burie him A Sowe is that beast which they most detest that if anye part of their clothes touche a Sowe they straight will pull of their clothes and washe them ouer They are blacke people most commonly slender and very hastie Curtius call them sedicious vaine very subtill in inuention of thinges and much giuen to wine The Aethiopians people that liue without lawes and reason seruauntes and slaues vnto al men selling their children vnto merchauntes for corne their héere long with knottes and curled The Indians people of two muche libertie as Herodot sayth accompanying their women in open sight neyther sowe they nor builde neyther kill they any liuing beast but féede of barly breade and hearbes They hange at their eares small pearles and they decke their armes wrestes and neckes with golde Kinges of India are much honoured when they come abroade their wayes set and deckt with fresh flowers swéete odours and men in armes folowing their Chariots made of Margarits stones and men méeting with frankinsence And when their king goeth to bed their harlottes bring them with songues and mirth making their prayers vnto their Goddes of darckenesse for the good rising of their King Againe the children kill theyr parentes when they waxe olde Their maydes and young damoselles of India are brought abroade amongst the young men to choose them their husbandes When any man dieth his wife wil dresse hir selfe most brauest for
eyes was deceiued Iuno therby was so furious and so angrie with Argos that she translated his hundred eyes vnto a Pecockes taile and transformed Iola vnto a white Cowe There is no suche rage nor anger in Ielowsie as there is wilines and craft in loue so that the streight pinning and kepyng of Danaes kyng Acrisius doughter in Towres and Castels cold neuer kepe hir from valiant Perseus neither the hundred eies of Argos might spie the craft of Iupiter vnto Iola We reade of a womanne named Procris who was in suche Ielowsie of her housbande whiche was called Cephalus and hauyng hym in suspition for his often goyng a huntyng on a certaine tyme she folowed hym priuely vnto the woddes thinkyng there to finde hir housbande at his praie and hiding hir self in a thicke bush to see the ende of thinges hir housband passyng by the bush perceiuyng somthyng there to stéer thinkyng it had been some wilde beast thrust his wife vnto the hart with his darte and thus Procris was slain of hir owne housbande for hir importunate Ielowsie The like happened vnto Aemilius wife whiche for hir suspicious minde and ragyng ielowsie neuer quiet but busie alwaies to finde some faulte in hir housband folowyng hym euery where and watchyng still in euerie secrette seate and spiyng in priuie places thinking to finde him with the maner vntil she spead of the like chaunce as Procris did she could neuer rest Cyampus wife named Leuconoa was deuoured of dogges in stead of a wilde beast hidyng them self in the woddes to folowe marke hir housbandes viage Ielowsie this moued hir that she could no otherwise A straunge kind of sicknes that so infecteth the mind that vexeth the spirites and molesteth the hearte that the head is ful of inuention the minde full of thought and the hearte full of reuengement So Ielows was Phanius that inuented this in his head and thought this in his minde that the doores beyng shut the windowes cloase all priuie and secret places preuented euery where as he thought stopte his wife could not deceiue hym neuer thought that loue could pearce Tile stones to come vnto his wife but he was deceiued for the lurkyng dennes of loue the Lion caues of fancies the secrete searche of affection haue more priuie pathes wherby that Cupide maie come to his mother Venus then Labiranthus had chambers for Minotaurus kyng Acrisius thoughte he was so sure of his doughter Danaes when that she was close bulwarkt with a greate castell Iuno thought to preuent Iupiter by the hundred eies of Argos Phanius thought that his wife was sure when the doores were shut and the windowes cloase But sith the ielowsie of Iuno might not preuent it nether the eies of Argos spie it neither the streight pinning of Danaes auoid it neither the narow stopping of Phanius defende it I must nedes commende one called Cippius that woulde oftentymes take vppon hym to sleape when he did wake and he would bee ignoraunt though he knewe it I wishe wise men to sleape with Cippus and to saie with Cicero Non omnibus dormio I sleape not vnto all menne and to be ignoraunt though they know thinges And likewise I wish wise women to imitat Aemilia y e wife of noble Scipio who although she knewe thinges euident by hir housbande Scipio made asmuche of his Paramour as she made of hir housband and al for Scipios sake For thei saie ielowsie proceadeth from loue and loue from God but I saie it commeth from hatered and hatered commeth from the Deuill And because we reade in the sacred scripture that Abraham was in ielowsie of his wife Sara saiyng thus vnto his wife I know that thou art faire and that they will kill mée to haue thy loue the maners of the Parthiās were to kepe their wiues in pruie places of their houses ouer whom thei were so ielouse that their wiues might not go abroad but with couered faces The Perseans were so suspicious of their wiues that thei had no libertie to go in sight thei durst not go a foote but in Wagons couered ouer lest thei should see or be seen The Thracians with suche care and studie keepe their wiues that as Herodotus affirmeth thei trust no manne with them in companie but their parentes The olde and auncient Romaines in tymes past kept their wiues so streight that their wiues as Valerius Maximus saieth did after kill poison or with some snare or other destroie their housbandes diuers tymes and by a yong manne of the Citie of Rome all thinges beyng discloased there was a hundred three score and tenne that so killed and destroied their housbandes for that their housbandes were so ielous ouer theim but bicause it is a common disesse in all places I néede not further to write wishyng my frende neuer to be encombred therwith but rather with silence to passe it with Cippius and so he shal finde ease thereby ¶ Of Idlenesse AS nothyng can be more difficult vnto a willing minde so is any thyng a burthē vnto the Idle member For as labour and exercise of bodie in one manne industrie and diligence of minde in an other man are sure fortes and stronge Bulwarckes of Countreis so Idlenesse and negligence the cause of all euill Wee reade that Alexander the Greate least he should be acquainted with Idlenes at any tyme euen in the night tyme vsed this feate to holde a siluer balle when he went vnto bedde in his hande hauyng a siluer basen vpon the grounde straight vnder his stretched arme that when the batle should fall he beyng fast a slepe the shrill sounde therof should wake hym and make hym mindfull of his enemies so fearfull was this noble prince of Idlenesse that to shake of sleepe and slothfulnesse he studied and trauailed how he might auoide it For in twoo thinges Alexander the Greate beyng called the sonne of Iupiter and fully perswaded with hym self that he was of linage of the Gods yet in slepe and venerie where to he was muche subiecte he knewe hym self to be a man wherefore he oftentymes wrasteled with Nature in that behalfe In the self same place of Marcellinus it is reade that Iulius Caesar the greate and moste renowmed Emperoure that euer raigned in Rome to haue followed this order and to haue practized this policie least he should bee idle at any tyme Firste when this Emperour went to bedde he to suffice nature slepte a certaine tyme appoincted Secondarely hee woulde bee occupied in the affaires of his countrey Thirdly to trauaile in his priuate studie Thus leste he shoulde be idle naie rather leste he should lose any tyme he deuided euery nighte in thrée partes euen as you heard firste vnto nature secondly to his countrey thirdly about his owne busines That mightie prince Philip of Macedon as wée reade in Brusonius was of suche care and diligēce when his souldiors slept he alwaies watched Againe he neuer slept before his frende
that he neuer went a liue vnto Rome againe for moste cruelly and falsely was he slaine by Haniball In this falshed and periurie was Haniball muche defamed not as muche corrupted by vilenesse of his owne nature which alwaies in this was not to bee trusted but by the falshode and corruption of the Countrey of whiche it is prouerbially spoken Poeni perfidi false Carthaginians for the people of Carthage delited in falshode â–ª practized periurie and vsed all kind of craftes as the people of Sarmatha were moste false in wordes moste deceiptfull in deedes and moste cruell one towardes an other The Scithians beyng muche molested with warres and driuen to leaue their wiues at home in the custodie of the slaues seruauntes thei hauyng occasion to bee absent iiij yeres whose wiues married the seruauntes brake their former Faithe with their owne housbandes vntill with force and power their seruauntes were slain and so recouered their countreis wiues again Apollonius the chief gouernour of Samâ—os whom the commons of the Countrey from lowe estate had exalted vnto dignitie vnto whom thei committed the gouernment and state of Samios was so false of his faithe towardes his subiectes that hauyng their goodes landes liuynges and liues in his owne hand he betraied theim vnto Philip king of Macedonia their moste mortall enemie That proude periurer Cocalus king of Sicilia slue kyng Minoes of Crete though vnder colour of frendshippe and pretence of talke he had sente for hym Cleomenes brake promise with the Argiues with whom he tooke truce for certaine daies craftely betraied them in the night slue them being sleping and emprisoned against his former faith and promise made before Euen so did the false Thracians with the Boetians brake promise violated faithe destroied their countries depopulated their cities and of professed frendes and vowed faithe became wicked foes and false traitors But of all false periurers and vnnaturall foes shal Zopirus emongest the Persians and Lasthenes emongest the Olinthians to their perpetuall slaunder and reproche bee mentioned of the one borne in the famous citie of Babilon deformed hym self in suche sort with suche dissimulation of forged faithe that hauyng the rule and gouernment in his hande he brought kyng Darius to enioye that through his periurie and falshode that with long warres in many yeres he might not vaÌ„quishe nor subdue The other as falsly I beyng y e onely trust of the citizeÌ„s deliuered Olinthus their citie vnto the handes of their long and greate enemie Philippe kyng of Macedonia What fraude hath been founde alwaies in frendship What falshode in faithe What deceipte in truste the murtheryng of Princes the betraiyng of kyngdomes the oppressyng of innocentes from tyme to tyme in al places can well witnesse the same When Romulus had appoincted Spu Tarpeius to be chief capitaine of the Capitoll the chamber of Rome where the substaunce wealth of Rome did remain Tarpeia Spurius doughter whiche in the night tyme as she wente for water out of the citie metyng Tatius kyng of y e Sabins though he was then mortall enemie vnto Rome in coÌ„tinual warres with Romulus yet by false Tarpeia brought to be lord of the Capitoll thus Tarpeia beyng as false vnto Rome as king Tatius was likewise false vnto Tarpeia for she loking to haue promise kept of Tatius fouÌ„d him as Rome founde her She was buried a liue of Tatius by the Capitoll whiche was called Saturnus mouÌ„t and by her death buriall there named Tarpeius rocke vntill Torquinus Superbus tyme whiche first named it the Capitoll by findyng a mans heade in that place There was neuer in Rome suche falshode shewed by any man as was of Sergius Galba whiche caused there famous cities of Lusitania to appere before him promising them great coÌ„modities and diuers pleasures concernyng the states and gouernment of their citie yeldyng his faith and truth for the accomplishment of the same whose professed faithe allured to y e noÌ„ber of ix M. yong menne piked and elected for some enterprises for the profite of their countrey whiche when false Galba had spoiled these thrée cities of al flowers of their youthes against all promise and faithe slue the moste parte of theim sould and enprisoned the rest whereby he most easely might conquire their Cities men are neuer certen nor trustie in doing when thei are fautie in faithâ— For as the Sunne lighteneth the Moone so faithe maketh man in all thinges perfect for prudence without faith is vaine glorie and pride Temperaunce without faithe and trueth is shamefastnes or sadnes Iustice without faith is turned vnto iniurie and fortitude vnto slouthfulnes The orders in diuers countreis for the obseruation of frendship and for maintenaunce of certen and sure loue one towarde an other were diuers othes The noble Romains at what tyme thei sweare had this order he or she to take a flint ston in his right hand saiyng these wordes If I be gilty or offende any man betraie my countrey or deceiue my frende willingly I wishe to be cast awaie out of Rome by great Iupiter as I cast this stoan out of my hand and withall threwe the stoan awaie The auncient Scithians to obserue amitie and loue had this law They powred a greate quantity of wine in a greate Boule or a Cup and with their kniues launced some parte of their bodies letting their bloud to runne likewise one after an other vnto that cup and then minglyng the wine and blood together tipt the ende of their Speares â–ª and ther Arrowes in the wine takyng the boule in hand drank one vnto another professing by that draught faith and loue The Arabians when they would become faithful to anie to maintaine loue thereby had this custome one should stande with a sharpe stoan in his hande betwixt two and let blood in the palme of their handes and takyng of either of theim a péece of their garment to receiue their blood anointyng and diyng seauen stones in the blood callyng Vrania and Dyonisius their Gods to witnesse and kéepyng the stoanes in memory of frendship would depart one from an other The like lawe amongest the Barctians goyng vnto a diche and standyng thereby saiyng as Herodotus affirmeth as long as that holowe place or diche were not of it selfe filde vp so long desired the Barcians amitie and loue In readyng of histories we finde more certentie to haue been in theim by prophane othes then trueth often in vs by Euangelist and Gospell othes lesse periurie in those Gentiles swearyng by Iupiter or Apollo then in Christians swearyng by the true and liuynge God more amitie and frendship amongest them with drinkyng either of others blood then in vs by acknowledgyng and professyng Chistes blood When Marcus Antonius had the gouernemeÌ„t of Rome after Caesar was murthered by Brutus and Cassius and hauyng put to death Lucullus for his consente therein Volumnius hearyng of his frende Lucullus death came
their answeares vnto diuers questions vnto them propounded Bias dwellyng in the Citie of Prienna after the citie by Nutinenses was destroied Bias escaped and went to Athens whose Poesie was Maximus improborum numerus he willed all yong men in their youth to trauaill for knowledge and commaundeth oulde men to embrase wisedome This Bias beeyng demaunded what was the difficulst thing in the worlde he saide to suffer stoutly the mutabilitie of fortune beyng demaunded what was the infamoust death that might happen vnto man to bee condempned saide he by lawe beyng asked what was the sweetest thyng vnto manne hope saide he what beast was most hurtfull amongest wild beastes a Tyraunt saide Bias and amongeste tame beastes a flatterer and beyng demaunded what thyng it was that feared nothyng in all the world good conscience saide he And againe in the second Olimpiad the Philosophers demaunded other Questions as who was most infortunate in the world the impacient man saide Bias What is moste harde to iudge debates betwéene frendes what is most harde to measure he answered tyme that hauyng fully answered to diuers other questions Bias was allowed one of the seauen wise men of Gréece Chilo the second of the Sages beyng borne in Myâ—tilena beyng asked what was the best thyng in all the world answered euery man to coÌ„sider his owne state And againe beyng demaunded what beast is most dangerous he saide of wilde beastes a Tyraunt of tame beastes a flatterer beyng asked what is most acceptable vnto manne he saide tyme and beyng asked of the Gréeke Myrsilas what was the greatest wonder that he sawe he saide an olde man to be a Tyraunte these with diuers other questions was he asked of the Greeke his Poesie was Nâ— quid nimis The thirde was Chilo the Lacedemonian beyng demaunded what was a difficult thing to man to dooe he answered either to keepe silence or so suffer iniuries what was most difficulst being asked of hym he saide for a man to knowe hym self and therfore he vsed this Poesie Nosce teipsum This Chilo beyng of Aesopus demaunded what did Iupiter in Heauen he saide he doth throwe doune loftie and proude thinges and hee doeth exalte humble and méeke thinges Solon the Athenian had this shorte Sentence in his mouthe Nosce teipsum knowe thy selfe for in knowyng and consideryng what we are how vile we are wee shall haue lesse occasion ministred vnto vs to thinke well of our selues for there is nothyng good nor bewtifull in man as Solon beyng asked of kyng Cressus sittyng on his Stoole of state with princely Robes bedect with Pearles and Precious stones whether euer he sawe a more bewtifull sight then Kynge Cirus sittyng in his maiestie at that tyme to whom Solon answered and saide that he sawe diuers birddes more gaie to beholde then Cirus and beyng demaunded of Cirus what birds were they Solon saide the little Cocke the Peacocke and the Feasaunt whiche are dect with naturall garmentes and bewtified with naturall colours This Solon was wonte to saie I waxe dailie olde learnyng muche hee noted nothyng so happie in manne as to liue well that the same might die well appliyng the cause vnto the affect as to liue well then to die well If I shoulde molest the reader with the sage saiynges of Cleobulus Thales Periander and others tending onely for the amendmente of life and readines of death I should seme tedious here were a place to induce diuers and sundrie examples of death HAd Greke Calisthenes silence kept had Neuius spared speache Had Theocritus busie braine offended not his leache Calesthenes had not loste his life nor Theocritus died Ne in Maetellus wrathe so long had Neuius poet abide The soundst reward the surest gifte should Memmius haue in th ende Had he to Caesar nothyng saied that Caesar might offende But as I feare Chirilus stripes and dreade Aristos draught So with Antilochus to write I am to some Lisander taught Some carpyng Crete some peuishe Pan and some of Colax kinde Some of Gnatho schoole will scanne some flaâ—trie here to finde I will not haulte with Clisophus I loue not Curiâ— stile I hate Philoxenus forged faithe Aristippus phraise to file But with Sinaetes persean poore with Cirus water craue Her princely pardone on my knee with Cirill Poete haue Who to auoide Charibdis gulfe I fall in Scillas bande To seeke to shunne Semphlagades I sinke in Sirtes sande With wearied winges of Icarus with Phaoetons charge in hande Moste like Actaeon bounde before her noble grace I stande No Momus maie Minerua saile no Phaaeton Phebus charge No wilfull winges of Icarus maie Dedalus flight discharge Therefore yea Goddes that guide the globes the glisteryng glaryng skie The whirlyng spheares the firmamente and poales of heauens hie You starrie states and imps of Ioue your graces thre attende Approche in place Pierides my vaine in verse to bende Eche pilgrime Prince in prose is paste eche Quene must now in vearse Haue honour due and fame deserude the heauens hie to pearce Whose praise shall pearce the clusteryng cloudes and skale the empire skie Whose thunderyng clanges of bruted fame on yearth shall neuer die Eche passyng pearles Prince in place from stooles of states redounde Whom birdes abrode on brakes doe bragge their praise in skies to sounde WhoÌ„ whirlyng windes and whispering woods whoÌ„ brauling brokâ— aduauÌ„ce Whose ecchos shrill of fliyng fame through surging seas doe launce Who ruled people proude and fierce and nations stoute subdued That widdowes were and virginâ— Quenes with wisedome greate endued Who readeth not Zinobias fame who doeth not Mesa knowe Who heareth not of Sabas name that any where doeth goe What worthie actes what famous feactes what vertues rare were sene When noble Kyng Mausolus died in Artemesia Queen The noble Quene Semiramis Kyng Ninus famous wife Did rule Assiria saffe and sounde when Ninus loste his life When Constant Emperour died â–ª his wife no lesse ther loue did lâ—ue Then pearle Penelope had in Grece or Romaine Lucrece haue Emongest the Illireans to Teuca then suche worthie name did chaunce â–ª As in Arcadia Atlanta did her noble fame aduaunce Quene Dido ruled Carthage coste Helerna Tibur braue As sometyme did Cloelia the Romaine scepter saue Why seeke I thus to shunne the snares and shifte with verses ofte Sithe praise of force must presse the place where wisedome rules a lofte A Prince of porte in silence kepte that doeth expecte the ende Whose rule and roiall race by course nedes not in bookes be pende In whom the Muses builde their bowres the graces make their forte With whom Sibilles sages sitte and sacred Nimphes resorte Who Iudith like with threatnyng swearde Holofernus mates to spoile A seconde Susan sure she is all Iudges false to foile An other faithfull Sara sadde with Aesters mace in hande In prinsely place Rebecca like to rule her natiue lande She in triumphant seate doeth sitte with Laurell leaues bee decte With Oliue braunches braue on heade that doo his fame detect This
notorious and spoken of for that either of them hadde but one eye These renowmed Princes and singuler souldiers excelled all men in wisedome and prowisse as prooued is in Plutrarch by their liues Phillip for temperaunce of lyfe Antigonus for fayth and constancie vnto his friende Hanniball for truth and pacience for his countrie Sertorius for his clemencie and gentlenesse towardes his enimies which for theyr passing courage inuinsible stoutnesse and worthy enterprises happened to be depriued of their eyes as Philip lost his eye at the siege of the Citie of Methon Antigonus at Perinthia Hanibal in Hetruria Sertorius in Pontus Whē the people of Thasius had erected alters appointed sacrifices for to honour Agesilaus in their Temples for his fame of fortitude they send Embassadors to certifie the king therof which say y t as Apollo was in Delphos honored as a god so Agesilaus was in Thasius but the King as he was valiaunt so he was wise much detesting assentations and flatterie of people demaunded of the Embassadours and required them if that their countrey coulde make gods to make some firste of their owne countrey saying Agesilaus had rather be king in Sparta then to be a god in Thasius O renowned Sparta O famous Greece While hidden hatred was exempted while ciuill warres were not knowen while Athence sought no supremacie ouer Sparta while Sparta sought no maisterie ouer Thebes then all the power of Persea the force of Macedonia might not staine one lyttle towne in Greece but the insolencie of princes the desire of fame the felicitie of renowme the honour of glorie was such as Alexander the great aunswered King Darius Embassadours who comming from Persea vnto Macedonia to entreate of peace tendering vnto Alexander the daughter of Darius in maryage with all the countrey of Mesopotamia and twelue thousande talentes yerely beside with such princely promising of the kingdome of Persea after Darius dayes as there wanted no princely liberalitie in Darius offeryng nor princely stoutnes in Alexanders answere saying vnto y e Embassadors Tell your master Darius king of Persea that as two Sunnes may not be in y e firmament so two Alexanders maye not rule the earth Such valiant mindes coulde be subiect in no wise neither Darius vnto Alexander nor Alexander vnto Darius Such stoutnesse raigned in Princes to mainteyne states that as Archestratus the Athenian was woont to say that in the Citie of Athence two Alcibiades myghte not rule so Ethocles the Lacedemonian dyd lykewise speake that two Lisanders might not agrée in Sparta So contrarye and diuers were Princes so high and loftie of courage so valiaunt of heart so noble of minde that though fortune coulde not so often fawne and fauour the states of Princes but that she which is most vncertaine coulde vndoe in a day that which was gotten in a yere yet in no wise could fortune take valiaunt mindes from men nor spoyle magnanimitie of Princes nor diminishe courage of olde men as that worthy and most auncient souldier Mithridates King of Pontus after he had plagued the Romanes with fortie yeres long warres during the which time he shewed him selfe no lesse hardie and stoute in resistyng the strong force of Romanes and valiaunt and couragious in attemptyng the fortitude of Romanes And though by fortune forsaken in his latter dayes and spoyled of all health fréendes children countreys kingdomes and all worldly wealth yet to spite fortune his mortall foe went to Celta thinking with them to passe ouer vnto Italy to let the Romanes vnderstande that though fréendes countreys by fortune were spoyled yet neither fortune with her spite nor all y e Romanes with their force could subdue King Mithridates valiaunt heart In this ioyed Princes only then not to be conquered In this onely triumphed they because they might not bée vanquished In this gloried they most in that they were frée from subiectiō Cercylidas being one of the wise men named Ephori in Sparta hearyng the thundring threatnings of King Pirrhus Embassadours the slaughter and murther tha◠King Pirrhus entended vpon men women children the cruell destruction and last confusions of the Lacedemonians aunswered no lesse stoutly then wisely the Embassadours of the King saying If Pirrhus your Maister be a god we haue not offended him therefore we doubt him not but if Pirrhus be but a man tel your Maister that the Lacedemonians be mē likewise therfore we nothing feare him at all This valiaunt Pirrhus thought so wel of him selfe felt him so ready iudged al men inferiour in enterprices vnto him that being at the victorie of that noble Cittie Tarentum where he sawe such feates attempted such actes done such stoutnesse shewed by the Romanes that he being dismayde at the manhoode and boldenesse of Romanes thought if magnanimitie were lost the moulde thereof shoulde be founde in a Romanes heart insomuch that long looking vewing of Romanes he cryed out and sayd O howe soone woulde Pirrhus conquere all the worlde if eyther he were King in Rome or Romane souldiours subiect vnto Pirrhus Of these Romanes was Haniball wont to saye to King Antiochus of Siria being enforced to forsake Carthage that Rome might not suffer equalitie either Prince ouer all or subiect vnto all Rome was compared vnto Hidra of Lerna that hauing so many heades when one was cut off an other sprang vp insomuch that all the world might not destroye Rome being iniured or ouercommed of the enimies as fortune often permitted they were not to be entreated before the like fortune happened vnto them as happened against them as Licinius Emperour hauing lost diuers of his souldiours vnto Perseus king of Macedonia which aftewarde was subdued by that valiaunt Romane Pompeius the great this Perseus hauing taken diuers of Licinius souldiours did sende certaine Orators to speake for peace which eloquently perswaded with Licinius to consent thereto after long talke learned councell pithy perswasions by the Orators it was aunswered as briefely plainelie and simplye by Licinius that the best waye for king Perseus to craue peace at the Romanes was first to restore the prisoners of King Perseus which were Romaines home againe and then to sende his Ambassadors to the Emperour Licinius otherwise the whole countrie of Macedonia shoulde féele the force and magnanimitie of the Romanes To speake of the conquest and victories of Iulius Caesar of the audacitie of Metellus of the fortune of Silla of the sharpe dealing of Marcellus being thereby the spurre of Rome called of Fabius likewise named the Tergat of Rome of diuers more valiaunt Romanes it were infinite the reading thereof but I meane not to molest the reader and yet one little historie to proue the renowmed Romanes most worthie of this valiaunt vertue magnanimitie writtē in Claudian of one Camillus a noble Romane who hauing a long time layde siege at Philiscus and coulde not preuayle The Shoolemayster of the Cittie hauing his Scholers vnder pretence of walking
fielde The women of Cimbria woulde kill those that first fledde the fielde though they were nigh friends or kinsemen vnto them The women of Saca had this custome eyther at their mariage to be conquered by theyr husbande 's the first daye or else to be conquerours ouer their husbandes all the dayes of theyr life theyr combat sayth Aâ—lianus was for victorie and not for lyfe The women of Persea woulde méete theyr housbandes and sonnes flying the fielde lifting vp theyr clothes shewyng their priuities saying Whither flée you O Cowardes will you againe enter into your mothers wombes will you créepe into your wiues bellies as they did in the warres betwixt Cirus and his Grandfather Astyages The women of Sparta woulde go vnto the fielde to sée in what place theyr Husbandes and friendes were wounded if it were before they woulde with gladnesse and ioye shewe the same vnto euerye man and burie the bodie solemnely if their woundes were behinde they woulde be so ashamed of the same that they left them vnburied in the fielde The women of Scithia called Amazones liued as conquerours ouer men and not conquered by men vntill Alexander the great destroyed them and theyr countrey which before were so valiaunt that they wayed not to encounter with Hercules in the fielde and after with Theseus in open battayle they blusht not to méete the valiant Gréekes at the destruction of Troye Magnanimitie which was then for defence of countries is nowe tyrannye to destroye that at their banquettes and drinkinges they had their Garlandes on their heades for as the worlde grewe in wealth so it grewe in sumptuousnesse for the triumph of Romulus was farre inferiour vnto the gorgeous triumph of Camillus and yet Romulus was a king Camillus was but an officer Time bringeth thinges vnto perfectioÌ„ In time Rome waxed so wealthy y â— Camillus I say was caried in a chariot al gilded wrought ouer with golde hauing all white horses trimly deckt a crowne of pure golde on his head all the Senatours and Consuls of Rome going a foote before him vnto the Capitoll of the Citie and thence vnto the temple of Iupiter where to honour the triumph further they slue a white Bul as sacrifice vnto Iupiter and thence to bring him triumphantly through the Citie of Rome vnto his owne house euen so in Greece and in Carthage in time grewe vnto suche pompe sumptuous triumphes that there was as much studie to inuent braue shewes and solempne sightes in triumph as there was care and diligence to haue moued the enimies When Epaminondas ruled stately Thebes When Hanniball gouerned proude Carthage when Laeonidas bare sway in warrelike Sparta then Greece and Lybia were acquainted with solempne and braue triumphes In Ninus time triumphes were in Assyria In Arbaces time the triumphes flourished amongst the Meedes In Cyrus time the triumphes were in Persea In Alexanders time it was in Macedonia In Caesars time it was in Rome and thus alwayes from the begynnyng of the worlde triumphes folowed victories And here I meane a litle to entreate of the triumphes of the Romanes whiche farre diuers wayes surmounted the rest whose fame was spred ouer all the worlde And yet imitatyng in all things the Gréekes insomuch that Rome alwayes had Athence as a nource or a paterne to frame their lawes for when their Kings were banished aswell in Athence as in Rome yet they ruled triumphed more by Oratours in Athence by Consuls in Rome then by Kings Therefore as Plini saith they exercised suche feates of armes they practised suche pollicies of warres they vsed suche solempnitie in triumphes that Rome then was noted to be the lampe and lanterne of Mars They had I saye diuers garlandes made onelye for the triumph of warres Plini compteth seuen sortes of garlandes which the Romanes hadde the first made of pure golde appoynted onely for the triumphes of Princes the seconde of Laurell which of all was most auncient in Gréece in Italie appoynted for the triumphes of Pallas souldiours the thirde of all kinde of swéete flowers made appoynted to him that restored Cities vnto theyr liberties againe the fourth made of Oaken leaues to him that defended Citizens from death These two garlandes were of great honour in Rome and specially in Gréece the one Cicero ware in Rome for his inuectiues against the conspiracies of wicked Catelin the other Fabius Maximus did weare for that he saued Rome from the seconde warres of Carthage where Haniball was Capitaine The sift Garlande was appoynted for him that assaulted the walles of the enimies first and entered the towne the sixt for him that first attempted the tentes of the enimies the seauenth bestowed vpon him that boorded first the Name of the enimie These thrée last Garlandes mencioned for the skaling of walles the boording of shippes and attempting the tentes were made all of Golde and giuen by the Princes or Senators to the aforesayde souldiours There was likewise in Rome concerning the triumphes that none might triumph vnlesse he had bene before some officer in Rome as Dictator Pretor Consuls or suche like and if any without they were sent by the Senators had wonne any victories though there conquest were neuer so great and their victorie neuer so famous as Pub Scipio for all his victories in Spaine and Marcus Marcellus for all that he tooke captiue Siracuse bycause they were not sent nor appoynted by the Senators they might in no wise by lawe made clayme triumphes thereby Then Rome florished then Rome was defended from diuers offered iniuries saued from enimies At what time M. Curius triumphed ouer the Samnites Mae Agrippa triumphed ouer the Sabines Pauâ—aemilius ouer the Lygurians Marius ouer the Numidians Pompeius ouer Armenia and Pontus Scypio surnamed Affricanus ouer Carthage and al Lybia Iulius Caesar ouer all Europe and Affrike then Rome was feared of all the worlde and nowe Rome is dispised Then Rome might say Roma vincit nowe Rome may say Roma victa Then Roma armata nowe inermis Then Roma nowe Ruina but time consumeth all things That victorie that was not manfullye gotten and â—aliauntlye wonne by force of armes in the fielde was rather counted among the Romanes tyrannie then victorie for when Lucius Pius in a banquet that he made had filled the people of Sarmatia full of Wine and made them so drunken that all the nobles and captaynes of Sarmatia yéelded them selues as subiectes vnto the Empire of Rome for the whiche Lucius Pius at his returne home to Rome required accordyng to the custome to haue a triumphe done vnto hym for the victorie of Sarmatia whiche when the Senatours had fully hearde of the victorie howe and after what sort Lucius Pius subdued the Sarmatians he was openly beheaded by decrée of all the Senate and a slauÌ„derous Epitaph set vpon his graue to manifest the deceit he vsed in stéede of magnanimitie to deceyue them by Wine which he ought to subdue by
such sonnes as Cicero and Homer the one the lampe and lanterne of Rome the other the sugred and sweete Mecenace of al Gréece Thus diligence trauell brought them to fame that being poore men were honoured of riche men being base men were exalted of Princes O happie countries of suche women Oh happie women of such children O wise happie children of suche learning and knowledge The poore smith which was Demosthenes Father and the sillie Potter which was Virgils Father are more renowmed by theyr children this daye being deade then knowne by their owne wealth being aliue Thus muche happened vnto the sillie Smith and vnto the poore potter theyr names shall neuer die while eyther Demosthenes is read or Virgill hearde What might be spoken of that poore Phisition Nichomachus son I meane that famous and learned Philosopher Aristotle which King Phillippe of Macedonia so estéemed that he counted him selfe happie to haue his sonne Alexander the greate borne in Aristotles time whose diligence and studie were such that he had the garde and tuition of that renowmed conquerour Alexander fiue yeres togither which was honored of Alexander and so estéemed of King Phillip that Athens being destroyed by Alexander was restored by Aristotle Suche was the diligence of men their care and industries that their large volumes and infinite bookes are witnesse of their well occupied mindes Howe became Plutarchus maister vnto Traian the Emperour Howe was Seneca appoynted the Tutor and Schoolmaister of the Emperor Nero Howe came Zeno vnto suche fauour with King Antigonus by diligence and not by ydlenesse by trauayle and not by slouthfulnesse by learning and not by ignoraunce Why did that great and famous Romane Scipio surnamed Affricanus estéeme so much the poore Poet Aennaeus aliue that being dead he caused his picture to be set before his eyes as pledge of his great loue and earnest good will Forsooth for paine and trauaile that Aennaeus tooke with Scipio Why did Augustus Caesar that wise and godlye Emperour make so much of Maros bookes but bicause he was in his time y e lampe of Rome he honored no lesse his bookes after he was deade than Octauian embraced him aliue The great King Artaxerxes thought him selfe halfe deade without the company of Hippocrates Pomponius Atti. thought him happy when either Cicero was in his â—ight or some of his bookes in his bosome Alexander neuer went to bedde without Homer vnder his pillowe Who will not prayse the diligence of poore Cleanthes the Philosopher Who will not commende the trauaile of Plautus y e Historiographer the one with a Baker the other with a Bruer brought vp with suche care and paine in the daye time that they might studie in the night time Suche was their pouertie and necessitie that they were vrged to trauayle in the night time such was their desire and affection vnto learning that they were willing to studie in the daye time Who will not extoll Euclides to take such paine and to encur suche daunger to go in the night time in the apparell of a woman because he might not be knowne to heare Socrates reade Philosophie Oh paineful men oh worthye members of their countrie that so sought by diligence that so trauayled by studie and industrye and in fine so founde by witte and reason the redresse of thinges to disperse that defused Chaos which time then sayde Cicero had skant opened the doore therevnto Then after priuate paine and speciail studie of sundrie men in seuerall countries it came to that perfection that from one man in one place diuers grewe learned and pollitickâ— by diligence and trauayle that from Romulus the first builder and King of the Romanes Rome in short time had wise and discréete Councelles to gouerne the Citie From Solon the first law setter after Dracog amongst the Athenians by and by learned and eloquent Oraratours flowed in Athens From Licurgus amongst the Lacedemonians straight grewe modest and graue Senators called Ephori And thus from one in the beginning diuers procéeded foorth in the ende as the Prophets amongst the Egyptians the Gimnosophistes amongst the Indians the Chaldeans amongst the Babilonians the Sages called Magi amongst the Perseans And so of others in other countries And thus by diligence first commended were all men by pilgrimage and labour of life and well recorded in memorie for the payne and studie that eche famous man in life did for his countrey his Prince and his friendes that hauing finished his pilgrimage of lyfe meriteth such fame as shall be to his perpetuall memorie after death Of the first inuentours of artes and of the vse of Soothsaying THE worlde beyng raw and not ripe ignoraunt and not learned rude and barbarous without all ciuile pollicie Nature of it selfe mooued first men to mende maners instructed y e ignorauÌ„t to seeke and search things vnknoweÌ„ which nature wrought in diuers men in sundry countreys a desire to knowledge whereby men practized therwith to the aduauncement and commendation of their Countreys imitatyng as Cicero saith nature as a good guide and a Captaine to finde out which was not knowen And because nature was alwayes desirous to be acquainted with arte as a thing to exornate and beautifie her selfe with knowledge she first inuented letters as the foundation and the grounde whence all learnyng do procéede After first letters were inuented amongst the Hebrues by Philo brought vnto Gréece by Cadmus practised first in Egypt by Mennon from Egypt vnto Phrygia brought by one named Hercules an Egyptian borne Againe amongst the Hetruscans letters were first inueÌ„ted and written by Demaratus a Corinthian Amongst the Romaines as both Plutarchus and Solinus do affirme the Pilagians brought letters and first founde the vse thereof And some aucthours of great credite affirme that Nicostrata the mother of Euander the ArcadiaÌ„ inuented letters first in Rome So Radamanthus in Syria and so others in diuers places of the worlde were studious and carefull to search a way by reason to practise the â—ame by wyt to dispearce that lumpish Chaos which yet for want of knowledge had no perfect forme And now letters beyng inuented came Grammer worthyly to claime the seconde seate of fame Whose begynnyng and enteraunce was celebrated by Epicurus vnto Rome brought by one Crates beyng sent as Embassador from king Attalus vnto the Senators at the tyme of the seconde wars of Carthage This beyng the Well whence flow all other sciences for from the facultie of writyng and the arte of speakyng do the rest procéede Marcobius preferreth Dydimus for his excellency herein Cicero commendeth one named Antonius Enipho whose schole and reading Cicero long frequented The force of Grammer chéefely consisteth in histories and poetry for poetry is so commended that both Moyses that mighty ruler of the Hebrues and Dauid that wise prince of Israel the one in reducyng his
want than that they shoulde not shewe mercie according vnto his custome to the comfortlesse Zerxes the great King of Persea with lenitie and gentlenesse towardes his brother Arimenes with whome before he was a great enimie made his foe his friende brought his enimie before to be his naturall brother then Porus a famous Prince of India being conquered by Alexander the great fearing that pittie might not haue place in the heart of such a great conquerour sought nothing else of Alexander which willed him to aske any thing and he shoulde haue it but clemencie this vertue long wayted vpon Alexander vntill pride the roote of al mischiefe corrupted his gentle heart vntill he was by the Medes and Perseans perswaded to be the sonne of Iupiter So gentle before that King Darius did wishe eyther to conquer Alexander bicause he might shewe curtesie vnto Alexander or else to be conquered by Alexander Aeneas Siluius was woont to saye the saying of Sigismonde the Emperour that happie are those Princes that foster vp clemencie in Court and prudent is those Princes that vseth humanitie in their cities It was no small proofe of humanitie in the Senatours of Rome at the buriall of Siphax King of Numidia which being taken by the Romanes and kept in Tiberius house according to marshall lawe and before he was raunsomed by the Numedians dyed at Rome where suche solemnitie honour pompe was shewed at his funerall such giftes giuen such liberalitie vsed as if Siphax had died amongst his owne subiects hée might haue wanted to haue such glorious buriall in Numantia being their king as he had in Rome being their Prisoner That is worthy humanity that is shewed vnto meÌ„ in aduersity and that is méere clemencie that is done vnto those banished straungers as the Romaines sometime did vnto Prusias king of Bithinia who being driuen to exile by hys sonne Nicomedes came vnto Rome where humanitie and clemencie were fostered and nourished in the Senate being mette at Capua a Citie sometime by Hannibal conquered of Scipio and Cornelius and brought vnto Rome not like a banished man but lyke a noble Prince with such triumphes and honour done vnto him with such passing curtesie and liberality of Senators that though he was banished Bithinia his kingdome and by Nicomedes his owne sonne yet was he receyued vnto Rome of straungers and that to the fame of Rome Thereby the Romanes grewe to that admiration with all people that for their lenitie and surmounting curtesie they were of all men beloued and for their valiauntnesse and magnanimity they likewise were of all the worlde feared For as vnto Siphax and Prusias woonderfull clemencie and humanity were by the Romanes tendered so vnto Ptholome King of Egypt being of his owne brother banished and by the Romanes receyued and restored againe vnto his kingdome the like was shewed Rome then was called the hauen of succour the Anker of trust the keye of curtesie where all succourlesse Princes and noble Cappitaines fledde Rome florished then while pittie and mercy continued Rome prospered while humanitie and clemencie were fostered Rome excelled all men in gentlenesse and pittie When Marcellus and Matellus the one Capitaine of Siracusa the other in Celuberia The noble Capitaine Marcellus was so pittifull that after his souldiours had conquered Siracusa with great slaughter and murther of men women and children he mounted vp into a high Tower of the Castle and there with wéeping and lamenting the ruefull sight of Siracusa more like to one conquered than a conquerer to a Prisoner than a Prince that anye that sawe him theÌ„ might rather iudge Marcellus a Siracusan captiue than a Romane Capitaine Happie was Siracusa sith fortune was no better to happen on such a gentle conquerour which was so glad for his owne victorie as he was sorrowfull for the fall of Siracusa That renowmed Romane Maetellus besieging the great City Centobrica in the countrie of Celtiberia wheÌ„ he perceyued theyr bulwarkâ—s broken theyr walles ready to faâ—l and victorie nigh at hande hée began to be mooued with pittie and mercie possest chiefe place in his heart that when the women of the Citie brought their children on theyr armes to craue mercy at Maetellus hand he auoyded the calamitie and misery that was redy to fall on Centobrica spared the Citie remooued his campe being with pittie and mercie of the ruthfull women and innocent children quite conquered Thus gentle Maetellus where he might haue bene a Conquerour ouer men he suffered himselfe to be conquered by little infantes O Rome happie were those golden dayes wherin through clemencie and gentlenesse thou wast as much loued and honored as thou hast béene by valyaunt Capitaines trembled and feared at Pompeius the greate when Tigranes King of Armenia being by him conquered had knéeled before Pompeius face yéelding his crowne and scepter at Pompeius his foote and himselfe vnto his gentlenesse as a captiue Tooke him in his armes embraced him put his Crowne on his heade and restored him to the kingdome of Armenia againe The like courtesie vsed he towarde Mithridates King of Pontus being deade for his royall buriall though the knewe well the great hatred that Mithridates had fortie yeares against the Romanes yet in stéede of iust reuengement Pompeius vsed princely clemencie The gentlenesse that was then vsed in Rome yea betwixt foes was such that Iulius Ceasar that valiaunt Emperour and Conquerour was as willing to reuenge the death of his great enimy Pompeius vpon Photina and Bassus who slue Pompeius and sent his heade vnto Caesar as L. Paulus was courteous and fauorable to his most mortall foe Persen Hanniball though he was counted the most and greatest enemye that euer Rome felt yet mooued with that clemencie that he won more commendations for the buriall of P. Aemilius Gracchus Marcellus these noble Romanes then he wan fame by ouercoming thrée thousande Romanes in fielde The chiefe fame that Hanibal was worthy of was for humanity and gentlenesse as proued by these two noble Romanes before mentioned which Hanibal caused their carkasses diligently to bée sought for in the feelde and solempnely to bée buryed with honour and renowme though they were his enimies and as Hanibal was much commended in Rome and wel-beloued of the Romanes onely for humanity so was he feared much in Rome for his prowisse and valiaunt déedes of armes Polycrates that tiraunt of Samos was chéefely commended for his gentlenesse and curtesie shewed towardes women which were the wiues and mothers of the dead souldiers in restoring them vnto libertie in geuing them wealth to liue great charge that no man shoulde do them any wrong Augustus the Emperour when hée behelde in the Citie Alexandria the sworde wherewith Marcus Antonius slewe him selfe coulde not refraine teares to shewe his humanitye in opening his clemency of nature vnto his enemie commaunded he should be honourably buryed with his deare fréende Cleopatra in one graue
neyther durst any man by the same lawe prayse any wine in presence of women for wine causeth heate heate mooueth lust lust causeth murther Wherefore wise men write that it is daungerous to prayse thrée thinges in presence of people A man to prayse the beautie of his wife for feare of fornicatours for so did king Candales of Lidia prayse his wife vnto his friende Giges that he was murthered therby and the Quéene his wife afterward maried vnto Giges To bragge of his riches and substaunce for so did Sichaeus shewe his substaunce vnto Pigmalion King of Tire maried the kinges sister named Eliza and yet slaine by the selfe same Pilgmalion king of Tire and his owne brother in lawe Euen so to commend swéete wine in presence of people breéedeth a desire vnto lust and lust vnto death The famous Romanes for a long while kept a straite order to obserue temperaunce that the Ladies and matrones of the Citie of Rome might in no wise be suffered to drinke wine for abstinence is the onely keye of temperauncy so straight was this lawe lookt vnto that Eg. Maecenus slue his owne wife as Plini recordeth for that she loued wine and was by the lawe of Romulus made for that purpose saued from death In the same place of Plini it is read that a certaine matrone of Rome was iudged to die for that shée had a priuie keye vnto a Celler of wine So nie did they obserue this temperaunce that Cato the Censor appoynted by lawe certaine men to kisse the women of Rome to knowe whether they smelled of wine by their breath No man of what degrée so euer hée was Consul Censor Tribune or Senator might drinke wine in Rome before he was thirtie and fiue yeares of age The people of Massaliotica made and ordayned that the women shoulde drinke no other drinke than water Amongst the Egyptians there was by a lawe appoynted how much wine their Princes might drinke and no more The Perseans fed only then with breade sault and water The Prophetes of Iupiter in Créete abstaine from flesh and wine In Rhodes he was taken a grose braynd man that fedde on anye thing else but on fishe The Lacedemonians most hatefull vnto those that were fat by feeding insomuch they woulde punish their owne children with hunger if they waxed fatte eyther by féeding or by Idlenesse This abstinence was fostred as a nourse vnto chastitie and temperaunce then Princes lothed vice and loued vertue then they abhorred gluttonie and dronkenesse and honored abstinence and sobrietie The learned and sage Philosophers and men of passing abstinence and sobrietie being no lesse studious than carefull of temperaunce despised banquettes refused feastes lothed and defied belly chéere that being allured of Princes entised of noble men sought of all men forsooke and fledde from the same saying we eate to liue we liue not to eate A worthy and golden sentence to be obserued Rather hadde Diogines féete and licke dishes at Athens than to féede daintilye at Alexanders table Rather had that learned Gréeke noble Zeno drinke water and féede poorely as an example vnto his Schollers vnto temperaunce to come by abstinence than to pamper his belly at Antigonus Princely table to shewe them the waye vnto gluâ—â—â—â— and dronkennesse Rather had Plato forsake Dionisius table than to abstaine from his woonted philosophicall chéere This vertue of abstinence was of noble Socrates maintayned with breade and milke onely and learned Homer honored it with potage made of hearbes Of auncient Pithagoras with beanes Anacharsis a Scithian Philosopher being demaunded of his estate howe hée fedde how he did lie and how he was clothed aunswered I féede on hunger I lye on the grounde and am clothed like a Scithian The famous AtheniaÌ„ Aristides at what time King Dionisius made suite for his daughter to mariage though he was a puissaunt Prince a mightie king yet for his gluttonny and prodigall drinking for his tirranny and excesse Aristides who abhorred such vices in Princes soberly and temperately answered that he had rather kill his daughter with hys owne hande then to giue his daughter in mariage vnto Dionisius So odious vnto good Princes was that excesse of eating and prodigall drinking and so highlye estéemed was abstinence and temperaunce that in Athens a long while in the temple of Ceres that of all the lawes of Triptolemus thrée onely commaundementes as Zenocrates sayth were highly obserued The first their Goddes to be worshipped the seconde their parentes to be honoured and the thirde to abstaine from fleshe and féeding O most temperate life when abstinence was obserued O most goulden worlde when neyther wine nor banquets were knowne then chastitie was honored in the temple of Vaesta then temperaunce frequented the Capitoll of Iupiter then luste knew no way to the pallace of Caesars then abstinence walked in the market place then all Rome was chast Then Rome triumphed when kinges were depriued for lecherie towarde Lucretia Then Rome merited fame when the princely office of Decem viri were banished for the rape of Virginia When Scipio Affricanus had ouercommed the famous citie of Carthage and Numantia he was not so valiant by his great renowmed conquest as he was famous by abstinence for when he triumphed as a valiaunt victor a certaine noble younge Uirgin that for hir passing beauty and great admiration of person was presented vnto Scipio as a rare gift whose beautie and excellencie though Scipio a long time was amazed thereat yet had such respect to abstinence as a thing belonging vnto a prince specially vnto a conquerour that ouercame kingdomes and countries not to be subdued by luste trusted not his souldiours to guide and garde this Uirgin but with his presence brought hir home to hir father vnto Campania saying were it not that I am a conquerour I hadde not béene able to bring thy daughter home A greater conquest surely it was of Scipio to ouercome himselfe thaÌ„ to subdue Numantia or Carthage â–ª That lesson worthy of a prince he learned of Alexander the great who thought it a shame vnto a conquerour of men to bée conquered by women and though in diuers aucthours and places this prince is noted a glutton and drunkard yet of woonderful abstincence towardes women which is rare founde in a drunken Prince For when Alexander came vnto Illyria vnto the Temple of Iupiter where he saw a passing faire woman of comely beauty vewing styll the comely state of her person and féeding him selfe a long season with the sight thereof his counsellour and great fréende Ephaestion perceyuyng that Alexander was taken in the Briers of beautie saide It is not méete that Alexander should want any thing that hée wisheth for to whom Alexander aunswered neither is it an honour vnto Alexander that ouercame al men to be ouercome by one woman The modestie and continencie of Princes
man thou betrayest no bodye thou deceyuest no friende Phillippides a noble man of Athens which for his singularitie of learning and dexteritie of witte King Lisimachus made most account of most desirous to please him most readie to aduaunce hym vnto honour willed him to aske what he would and he should haue it Philippides most humbly knéeling vpon his knées be sought Lisimachus the king in any wise not to open his secretes and councell vnto him The king demaunded the cause thereof of Philippides bycause sayd hée I know not whether I am able to kéepe councell or no. Howe much it repugneth the nature of man to kéepe silence Cicero in his booke of Offices doth manifest the same for were it possible sayth hée vnto man to ascende vp the skies to sée the order of the bodies superiours and to vewe the beawtie of the heauens vnswéete were the admiration thereof vnlesse he myght shewe it vnto others And againe he sayth There is no such case vnto men as to haue a friende to whome a man may speak as vnto himselfe letting to vnderstand the griefe of silence and that nature loueth nothing which is solitarie It may séeme that silence one waye is not so benificiall as it is another way most gréeuous as prooued by the historie of Secundus the Philosopher who hauing companye with his owne mother in the night time eyther of them most ignoraunt of the other his mother in proces of time hauing knowledge therof for very griefe and sorrowe slue hir selfe The Philosopher likewise hauing vnderstanding of his mothers death knowing the cause thereof knewe not what to doe for that he was ashamed of the filthie act one waye and most sorrowfull for the sodaine death of his mother another waye to dye to hange to burne to drowne him selfe he though it to short a torment for so heynous a fact knowing his mother being a woman stayed not nor feared not to kill hir selfe to ease hir sorrowfull heart but he being a Philosopher stoode him vppon to finde out the painefullest torment in all the worlde to plague him iustly for his grieuous offence he vowed vnto God neuer to speake one worde during lyfe such plague or torment hée thought was most odious and painefull vnto nature and thus by silence to consume life Sith silence is such a burning disease so heauy in the heart of man so harde to kéepe in so daungerous to vtter out how worthy of commendacions how merite they the fame prayse that can rule theyr tongues and kéepe silence Therfore a noble Senator in Rome sometime brought his eldest sonne named Papirius vnto the Senate house to heare the councell pleading the sage Senators determining lawes charging him what euer hée shoulde heare in the house amongst the wise Senators to kéepe it in silence for the order was in Rome that the young men should saye nothing vnlesse he were a Consull a Tribune a Censor or such lyke office whereby hée might speake This young Papirius on a time being sore set on of his mother and charged him of her blessing to tell the cause and businesse that the Senators had so often to come togither Thus the younge man being threatened waying his fathers charge to auoyde wordes one way and his mothers displeasure to kéepe silence another waye sayde Sith you are so importunate Mother to knowe the secret of the Senate you must kéepe councell for I am charged therewith There is a harde holde and a great election in the Senate house to agrée on this conclusion whether it be more expedient for one man to haue two wiues in the Cittie of Rome or one woman to haue two husbandes and most lyke it is that the election goeth with the men Straight waies she went into the Citie certefied the Matrones and women of Rome what the Senators were about to consult appoynted certaine of them to accompanye hir the next morning vnto the Senate where when she came as one dismayde began to declayme agaynst the purpose and decrées of the Senators prouing what inconuenience might rise for a man to haue two wiues laying before them the dissention that shoulde be in that house where two women were maried vnto one man and what comfort and consolation were it for one woman to haue two husbandes the one to be at home in Rome to sée his children brought vp and to sée the Cittie defended when the other shoulde bée farre from whom at the warres in other countreys The Senators being amazed at hir talke not knowing what it ment and all the whole Senate astonied at the womens presence young Papirius demaunded licence to speake which being graunted he declared orderly the cause of hir comming howe and after what sort as before mencioned The Senators commendid much Papirius wit aswell for his obedience to his mother as for silence towarde the Senate they recompensed his silence and secret wisedome with a Consulshippe of Rome Silence was so obserued in Rome and honored of Romanes that Demetrius the Philosopher woulde often saye that the birdes can flée where they will and the Grashoppers sing where they will but in the Citie we may neyther doe nor speake Euripides a learned Gréek being obiected that his breath did stincke aunswered nippingly the partie saying so manye thinges haue so long hidden in my hart that being putrified they stinke I would all men had such a breath that by long kéeping of silence it might taste thereof Cato the wise Romane perceyued the commoditie of silence to be suche that it was one of the thrée thinges as hée him selfe woulde say that most repented hym to tell his councell vnto another Plini doth commende of all men one man named Anaxarchus Of all women he praysed one woman named Leaena which the tiranny of Nycocreon with all the tormentes and punishmentes that this tyraunt coulde deuise myght make them both to speake that out which they thought good it shoulde bée kept in which Anaxarchus had rather die by torments than to breake concealde wordes saying and spitting in the tyraunt Nicocreons face spare not Anaxarchus carkas thou troublest no part of my minde Epicharis amongst other Conspiratours against that cruell Nero shée beyng diuerslye tormented to shewe and to open the treason against Neros person woulde by no meanes breake councell as Laaena for all that tyranye vsed towardes hir shée woulde not betraye the secretes of Harmodius and Aristogiton which onely was the cause that she had hir picture erected in Gréece Euen so Pompeius the great being sent as an Embassadour from the Senators being charged by the King named Gentius who preuented Pompeius in his message to declare him y e secret of the Senators councell of Rome he stretching foorth his arme held his finger in the flame of the candle saying when I drawe my finger from the candle I will breake the councell of the Senators that so stedfastly he helde hys hande
inuented in Créete for the souldiours to exercise them selues in armes wherein hée taught diuers iestures and sundry shiftes in moouings whence first procéeded much the vse of warres this was a kinde of dauncyng in armes as Dionisâ— Hali. in his seuenth booke saith which was of the people called Curetes mainteyned in the memory of Pirrhus Licaon likewise inuented other kinde of playes where naked men contrarye vnto Pirrhus games did vse feates Diuers others were had in great estimation in Gréece made and inuented by seuerall men but the first inuentour of mirth was as Diodorus saith Mercurius which onely was inuented to recreate the people and to practize agilitie and feates of bodyes Others there were of lesse name but of as great mirth as diuers kindes of playing at the Ball which is an auncient game as it seemeth in Vergil it was much vsed sometime amongst the Troyans for when Aeneas incontinent after the destruction of the Cittie of Troye came vnto Italy where hée first taught skipping and frisking at the Ball before hée maryed Lauinia King Latinus daughter the youth of Troy had playing at the Ball for their chéefe mirth and recreation and at this day much vsed in diuers countreys Againe for further recreation they vsed sundrye kindes of Dice playes Herodotus doth witnesse that the olde and auncient Lidians did first finde out the Dice and Ball though Plini doth report that one named Pythus first founde the play at the Ball but for the certainetie thereof sith so many kinde of Balles bée and the playing likewise so variable both Plini and Herodotus may well agrée for the people of Lydia at a certaine time being oppressed with great dearth and sore plagued with hunger they inuented then diuers kindes of diceplay as Herodotus sayde to passe the time in playing and to forget hunger for they fed one day they came togither the second daye to playe thus eating a little one daye to satisfie nature they played the seconde daye to auoyde hunger Againe there was amongst the ancient Gréekes a play muche like vnto our Cheasse play which one Zerxes a wiseman first inuented to warne a tyrannous Prince which he then serued to auoyde his tyranny to let him vnderstande by his playe that a Prince ought to watch and to vse his subiectes as his force and strength euen as the playe is in moouing the Pawnes the Knightes the Bishops for the defence and bulwarkes of the king that as the player I meane Zerxes did shew his maister the King the effect of the play howe the king was preserued by playing wisely of the men lest they bée lost so the tiraunt him selfe vnderstoode by the play of Zerxes how daungerous that Prince is that vseth not well his subiects that will not discréetly sée and watche for their commodities whiche is the Princes safetie Another play was vsed then in Gréece either vpon the Dice or els closelye in hande called euen and odde This playe came from Gréece vnto Rome in the time of Augustus Caesar the seconde Emperour of Rome as Suetonius doth write in the life of Augustus where the Emperour Augustus wrote a letter vnto his daughter in Rome after this sort Daughter I sende thée two hundred fiftye pence which I geue amongst thy ghestes to play after Supper the Gréeke play called euen and not euen whether they will at Dice or cloase in hande Lottes likewise were much vsed for recreation and mirth with diuers other sundry games and playes to recreate the minde of man which both the Gréekes and Gentiles did practize then aswell to trye their wittes as also to vse pastime and mirth to drawe company togither to be mery I leaue the Gréekes a while and wyll something speake of the Romane pastimes and sportes which in nothing were inferiour to the Gréekes but rather excelled Gréece all the worlde in all qualities And lest I shoulde séeme tedious I will speake of no more but of foure principall games correspondent vnto the Gréekes and coequall vnto their number The first called Lupercalia brought out of Arcadia by Euander sacrificed vnto Pan vpon mount Palentine And as Siluanus doth write the sacrifices were made in the Moneth of February after this sort by Euander the first inuentor thereof The youngmen of Rome shoulde gather together euery one bearing in his hande a scurge or a whip made of Goates skinnes running one vnto another and hée that was most swift of foote escaped stripes for euery one should runne vnto another in order euery one his length before the other and thus they made them swifter in running by reason of his stripes for hée that was ouertaken by the way was sure to spéede Euery man ranne naked to this ende that they might vse to be swift The women likewise thinkyng thereby to become more fruitfull and fertill offered them selues wyllyngly to receaue stripes These scurges and whippes that they had in their handes made such ratling noyse by reason they were made of drie skinnes that it made him that ran before to straine him selfe hearing the noyse and fearing the stripes The seconde game that the Romanes vsed was called Circenses as some say sprong vp first amongst the Romanes them selues a place appointed by Rome enuironed about with huge strong walles Here all kindes of pastime and sportes were vsed running with Horses and fighting on Horsebacke in the one ende in the middest the champions were placed in armes a foote to fight in the other ende wrastlers leapers runners and such like games were appointed so that the place was framed accordingly long and large that they might haue roome enough in both endes and in the middest This was the chiefe and the auncientest play amongst the Romanes sauyng Saturnalia this sport did Ianus which then did raigne togither with Saturnus as Macrobius saith inuent and frame in memory and monumentes of Saturnus his fellowe This play was celebrated in the moneth of december with such mirth pleasure and pastime that it far surmounted all other In this moneth of December euery man saluted his friende with rewardes tokens presentes or with anye treasure that they had to pleasure one another And because all things were common in Saturnus time and called the golden worlde there was such mirth vsed as woulde make some men of this time iâ—lous to sée it I beléeue none of this age would bée content to sée his seruaunt in bedde with his wife which in Saturnus time was tollerable Some say this play sprong first among the Pelagians some againe affirme that it began amongst the Athenians but how and where it began first in other countreys it is no matter but in Rome it was first framed and inuented by Ianus The fourth play amongst the Romanes was then called Gladiatoria where the youth of Rome came to learne how to behaue them selues among the enemies In this play shoulde they fight one with another
Greate is the force of famine as by histories we read that when kyng Cambises marchyng towardes the Aethiopians had fallen vnto scarcenesse of victualles and vnto suche penurie and wante of foode vnto the souldiors that thei agréed within them selfes to kille the tenthe throughout all the hoste to asswage honger in so muche that it continued so long that Cambises the king was in greate feare lest the lotte should at length happen vpon hym and so to bee eaten of his souldiours Saguntus a Citie in Spaine sometyme as Eutropius dooeth witnesse in greate amitie with the Romaines and being besieged of the Carthagineans so long that all the citie was brought vnto suche famine that the lords the captaines of the citie made a great fire in the Markette place and there brought all their wealth and substaunce and threwe it into the fire and after made their wiues and then their children to bee burned and laste of all the chief lordes and capitaines ended their liues in flamyng fire lest thei should come vnto the enemies hande so greate was that famine that it was before Prognosticated by a womā brought to bedde whose childe as sone as he was borne entred vnto his mothers wombe againe The like calamitie happened in Caligurium a Citie where Quintilian was borne who beyng likewise long besieged of Cn. Pompeius to bryng them in subiectiō and to kepe promise with the Emperour Sertorius that thei lacke victuall and waxed so hongrie after that all kinde of beastes were slain thei were enforced to eate their owne wiues and children It was seen in Ierusalem when that it was destroied by Vespasian the Emperoure of Rome by the Romaine souldiors howe that the mothers were compelled to eate their owne children for verie honger for their small and tender bones were lefte as a shewe of their miserie Plini in his eighte of naturall histories that when Hanibal laied siege vnto the Citie Casilinum the Romaines souldiours were in such honger that one Mouse was sold for two hundred peeces of siluer and he that solde the Mouse died hym self for honger The Athenians likewise wer brought vnto suche honger by Silla whiche afterwarde was Dictatour in Rome that one Bushell of wheate was solde emongst the souldiors for a thousande Drachmis the common souldiors being poore for want of money one waie and sore plagued with honger an other waie were compelled to eate the gréene grasse of the fieldes aboute the Citie of Athens and to gather the Mosse of the walles of the Citie and eate it This Citie of Athens was often tymes brought vnto that miserie as by kyng Demetrius kyng Philippe and his sonne Alexander the greate So muche was famine feared emōgest the aunciente Greekes that thei vsed in the tyme of aboundancie to scourge famine with roddes out of their houses saiyng For as famen intro diuitias awaie penurie come in plētie We reade in Q. Curtius that Alexander was driuen by honger to eate his Cameller Elephantes and other huge beastes that caried the traines for the warres Suche honger and famine did happen emong the Lacedemonians that the Citizeins of Sparta were so hongrie that thei eate the verie Serpentes that were dead a long while whiche mutitude of Serpentes whiche before wer drouned did presage this greate calamitie to come of whom the people of Sparta though thei were deade a long tyme yet moste hongerly fedde them self and mitigated the rage of famine Doda king of Siria besieging a great famous city in Iewrie called Iora where the miserable mothers were of meere honger enforced to feede of the bowels of their owne children Not muche vnlike vnto that horrible and cruell famine in the countrey of Apulea beyng driuen of the Frenchemen then their enemies in warres that the souldiours were compelled to take the skinnes from their Bucklardes and to warme and boile the harde hornes and to eate them To entreate of the woūderfull calamities miserie and plague that happened through honger it were to much the charge thereof too many aucthorities are manifest in this behalfe Antonius whom Augustus Caesar could neuer vanquishe with force of armes he was driuen to yelde in Etruria in a Citie called Perusia by honger and famine Wherfore that noble Athenian Nicias alwaies thought the easieste waie the spidiest cause of yeldyng vnto the enemies was Famine whiche he shewed at Melos a Citie of Thessalie whereby he made the Citizeins to yelde by honger O ragyng force of Famine O terrible miserie of man whiche compell the parentes to eate the children the children to kill their parētes what beast was spared euer when this happened The people named Hymmi through hōger were constrained to eate their owne Dogges as the Macedonians sometime fedde them selues with Camelles Elephantes Horses and suche like What hearbe was vnsought what roote was not founde to féede this cruell monster As Sabellicus dooeth witnesse of dearthe that chaunced in his tyme that in some partes of the coūtrey of Flaminia and about the fieldes called Piceni the common people did liue by grasse and hearbes and by suche like that proceded from the yearth This was the worlde euer plagued with Famine as with that monster that spoileth and deuoureth it self as we read of diuers that did eate their owne armes and fleshe Againe in the sacred scripture diuers examples we haue of the like sent from God to plague man But because honger one waie is moste excellent if meate maie bee had so hounger an other is moste terrible if the same faile Therfore Stratonicus neuer went to bedde without a Cuppe of drinke by hym not for that he thrusted when he went vnto bedde but leste he thursted in the bedde whiche should compell to doe some iniurie with one or other for that he wanted drinke So did Alphōsus kyng of Arragon when he sawe the poore countrey man gréedily féedyng on Grapes said for that he could not be hongrie O would the goddes had framed me to bee suche one as this is So that hounger is good vnto those that wante the same For Gnefactus kyng of Aegypt hauyng his men of armes in the desertes of Arabia wantyng victuales waxed so hongrie that the poore fare and simple cheare that he got emongest the countrey men was so acceptable vnto hym that he caused a table for a monumente of the same in the temple of Iupiter in Thebes Of diuers famine we reade in scripture that Abraham fledde from the land of Chananea vnto Egypte and Isaac driuen by famine vnto Abimelech kyng of the Palestines and all the soonnes of Iacob were enforced to goe to kyng Pharao where their owne brother Ioseph ruled as chilef officer Famine is appoincted for a iuste scourge to synne ▪ as appereth by the filthy synne of kyng Dauid towarde Urias wife he had to chuse either plague famine or warres which are the instrumentes to punishe offendours ¶ Of warinesse WE leaue
so straunge and so maruailous was it to heare or to see any idle man in Athens The people called MassilieÌ„ses would suffer no trauailers neither Pilgrime nor Sacrificer nor any other straunger to come within their Citie lest vnder colour of religion or of pilgrime thei might corrupte the youthe of the citie with the sight thereof to be idle The Indians had a lawe made by their wisemen named Gimnosophist that after their meate was set on the table the youth should be examined what thei had doen for their meat what pain what labour vsed thei that whole mornyng before if thei could make accoumpte of their trauaill thei should goe to dinner but if thei had béen idle thei should haue no meate without thei deserued the same with some kind of exercise either of bodie or of minde The like did the young men of Argis made accoumpte vnto their Magistrates of their occupations and workes of their trauaill and paine Euen the Areopagites as Valerius affirmeth did imitate the Athenias in makyng decrees in settyng of orders in commaundyng their youthe to auoide Idlenesse and exercise trauaile then moste necessarie vnto any common wealth the other moste daungerous So that some Countreis are naturally giuen to trauaill as the Lidians Phrigians Frenche men with others Some againe giuen to Idlenesse as the Persians Corinthians Englishemen with others Some by lawe forced to flie idlenes some by punishemente feared some by death enforced to labour for their liuyng Thus this Monster Idlenesse is beaten euery where and yet embraced in moste places euery man speake against idlenesse and yet a nomber is in loue with it magistrates and officers appoincted to punishe it but yet thei after fauour it ¶ Of wrath and anger and the hurts thereof THe famous and noble Philosopher Plato did charge his Scholers alwaies beyng in anger or wrathe to beholde them selues in a glasse wher they might see suche alteration of countenaunce pale in colour tremblyng handes foltred tongues staring eies In fine voide of witte depriued of reason and beyng before reasonable men now brutishe beastes Wherfore that greate Philosopher perceiuyng the furious and hastie nature of Alexander wrote from Athens vnto India where this noble conquerour was at warres with kyng Poâ—us to take hede of wrath and anger saiyng Anger ought not to be in any Prince towarde his inferiour for that may be mended with correction nor towarde his equall for it maie bee redressed with power so that anger ought not to be but against superiours but Alexander hat no coequales yet in vaine was Aristotles doctrine vnto Alexander in that point for beyng in a banquet when Clitus his deere frende and foster brother commended his father kyng Philip of Macedone to bee the worthiest and most renoumed prince then liuyng Alexander waxed vpon a sudden so angrie to preferre anie man before hym though Philip was his owne brother which was commended and Clitus his especiall frende that did commende hym thinkyng rather to deserue praise at Alexander hand then to spead of death was thrust vnto the harte with a Speare So hastie was this prince that Calisthenes and Lismachus the one his philospher and councelour the other his companion and frende for fewe wordes spoken either of theim slain Silence saith Aristotle is the surest reward vnto a prince And beyng sory afterward angrie withall y t he had likewise kild himself had not Anaxarchus y e philosopher staied perswaded hym We reade that king Tigranes of Armenia whom Pompeius the greate did conquere after waxed so angrie by a fall from his horse bicause his sonne was present and could not preuent his fathers fall thrust hym in his anger with his Dagger vnto the hearte Anger in a prince saieth Salamon is death terrible is the couÌ„tenaunce of a kyng when he is oppressed with wrath hurtfull vnto many odious vnto all is the anger therof Nero was so furious in anger that he neuer hearde any thyng if it were not to his liking but he would requite one waie or other with death in so muche in his rage and anger he would often throwe doune Tables beyng at dinner cuppes of Golde wrought with pearles againste the walles dasht fling meate and drinke awaie more like vnto a furious Gorgone of hell then a sober Emperour in Rome Suche furie raigneth in anger that Orestes Agamemnons soonne slue his mother sodenly in his wrath Clitemnestra Such madnes raigneth in anger that Aiax Thelamonius that famous and valiaunte Gréeke after that Achilles was slaine in the Temple of Pallas by Paris at the destruction of Troie waxed so madde and angrie bicause he might not haue Achilles harnes which was geuen before to Vlixes that he beate Stones blockes fought with dead trées killed beastes thinkyng to méete with Vlixes amongest them If anger make men murtherers if wrath make meÌ„ mad without wit or reason to know themselues or others let theim imitate Plato in his anger which being angrie with any of his scholers or seruantes would geue the rod to Xenocrates to correcte theim for that he was angrie the learned Philosopher misdoupted himself that he coulde not vse modest correction euen so Architas would alwaies speak vnto his seruauntes whiche had offended hym Happie art thou that Architas is angrie lettyng his man vnderstande howe dangerous wrath is for as Aristotle saieth the angrie man seeth not the thyng which lieth vnder his féete â–ª Agustus Caesar Emperour of Rome desired Athenedorus a philosopher of Gréece whiche a long time accompanied Augustus in Rome and nowe readie to departe vnto Athens his natiue zoile of some sentence that the emperour might thinke of him The philosopher tooke a penne and wrote in a little Table this sentence Caesar when thou arte moued to anger speake nothyng vntill thou haste recited the Gréekes Alphabets a worthy lesson and a famous senteÌ„ce well worthie to be learned of all men There is nothyng or what can bee more vgglie to beholde more terrible to looke vnto then mans face when he is angrie and the more to be feared for that he hath no rule ouer him self All the painters of Persea had much to do to drawe in colours the terrible countenaunce and firie face of Queene Semiramis who like Maegera or Medusa grime Gorgons and frettyng furies of hell when she hearde that her Citie of Babilon was besiedged of the enemies beyng then dressyng of her head came with heares hangyng and fléeyng in the winde half amazed of the newes vnto babilon whose vglie and fearefull image most like vnto hir at that time stoode as long as Babilon continued as a monument and a terrible mirrour to maruaile at Wee reade of the like historie of Olimpias whose anger was suche when she thought of hir sonne Alexander she streight waies like a ragyng Lion or a cruell Tiger digged vp the bodie of Iola Alexanders taster who was thought to be
deuill he could chaunge hym selfe to what forme and frame he would so the proude women likewise vsyng as many names of vertues vnto vices I might well thinke them to be of the broode of Metra the doughter of Erisithon whiche the Poetes faine she would alter hir self sometime vnto an Oxe sometime vnto a Mare somtyme vnto a Harte and sometime vnto a fliyng foule but the true shewe the naturall Metamorphosis of Pride is to chaunge vnto a deuill the father and grand aucthour of pride Pride would faine climbe vnto the skies the nature of the proude manne is to bee exalted though he neuer be so simple for poore Temison a Gardiner would bee called Hercules and Menecrates the proude Phisition would be called Iupiter we ought to reioice in nothyng but the Crosse of Christe But wee reioice of the disguised shewes of this wicked worlde So proude was Cressus kyng of Lidia of his wealthe that he went to Delphos to know of Apollo whether any man were so happie as hee was in all the worlde but for al his pride and wealth pore and simple Aglaus of Arcadia was preferred before kyng Cressus by Apollo and in the middest of his pride destroied he was by Cirus kyng of Persea So proude was king Caudales of the bewtie of his wife that he to whom he shewed his Queene naked and bragged of hir bewtie I meane Giges the same spoiled hym from his wife and from his pride slue hym and maried his wife afterwarde euen so Alexander Phaereus for the pride he had in tyrannie was slaine of his owne wife whom often vnto all he bragged of hir bewtie Fabia a woman sometime of Rome waxed so proud of a yong man that loued hir named Petronis that she slue hir owne housbande Fabritianus Pride in any thyng prouoketh vengeaunce in all men The Pride that Alexander the greate had after his tyrannie in Persea kyng Darius beeyng vanquished was seen and proued in the Mariages of the nobles of Macedonia vnto the women of Persea wher he maried firste Stratonica the doughter of kyng Darius and made .lxxx. and ten mariages in the same daie when he was maried hymself where suche pride was vsed that hundred tables wrought with Golde of Arabia with engins of Barbary and euery table hauing siluer Trestles and Alexanders table had Trestles of golde This the wealth of Darius caused first pride and then tyrannie in Alexander What is it but the proud man thinketh he maie doe Antiochus was so proude that he had that admiration of hymselfe that he iudged hym able to saile on the yearth and to go on the Seas Nicanor likewise saide of his insolente and arrogante pride that as God was mightie in heauen so Nicanor was mightie on yearth pride is neuer seen long vnreuenged for Nabuchodonosor that mightie and proude prince commaunding hym self to be called a God was made a beaste to eate grasse seuen yeres for his pride he would ascende vp vnto heauen and bee made like the height and he was thrust doune vnto Hell moste like a beaste Herod shinyng in his roiall Robes preached with suche pride vnto the people claimyng vnto hym the due honour and glorie belongyng vnto God in the middest of his pride while yet the people saide this is the voice of God and not man beholde the Angell of the Lorde stroke hym that with wormes he was consumed and with lice eaten to death Chore Dathan and Abiron for their proude insurrection against Moises were swalowed vp vnto the bothom of the yearth The proude Philistian Golias bragging out his owne strength trustyng in his owne power was conuicted by little Dauid a boie at that tyme kepyng shepe God doeth detest pride that by the mouthe of his Prophete Esaie he treadeth doune the pride of the doughters of Syon for that they walke in their owne waies for hee hath no pleasure in mans legges nor in anie outward painted shewe but in the roote of the humble mennes harte is his dwellyng Atchidemus the sonne of Agesilaus beyng conuicted by Philip kyng of Macedonia vnderstandyng that he waxed proude thereof and gloried muche of the victorie wrote an Epistle vnto Philippe saiyng If thou measure thy shadowe now being a victour with thy shadowe in tyme paste when thou waste conuicted thou shalte finde no lenger nowe then in those daies this Prince was wonte alwaies to taunte Pride in so muche he estemed a proude manne as a Gorgon or a Ciclop or deformed Monster who perceiuyng an olde man named Ceus commyng vnto Lacedemonia to bee verie proude in his apparell gesture countenaunce aidyng Nature and settyng foorthe hym self vnto the vttermoste his heade beyng white he could not tell how to help it but to satisfie his proude desire he died his heares yellowe vnto whom Archedamus said O Ceus art thou not contented that thy mynde is infected with false colours but thou must haue the heares of thy heade also ¶ Gf Coueteousnesse COuetousnesse the priuie searcher of hidden gaines the gredie gulfe of ill gotten goodes moste painfull in sekyng and mooste carefull in keepyng whose one daie of death is better thā al the daies of his life The onely misers and wretches of the worlde are thei whom neither shame can reproue for that thei are impudent neither reason rule in that thei are vnsatiate neither death maie feare in that thei thinke to liue for euer For euen as the infected member of man is vexed with an itche is alwaies clawyng so saieth Plutarche is the couetous mynde restlesse in seekyng As fire is neuer sufficed with woode nor yearth with water so the auarous is neuer satisfied with money Like as the graue is open to receiue dead Carkases euen as helle is neuer ful so is the coffer of the couetous neuer contented After that Alexander the Greate had conquered all Persia Grece India Scithia all Asia almoste all the worlde broughte vnto subiection And hauyng a cause to come to the Schoole of Anaxarchus the Philosopher who affirmed by the aucthoritie of Democritus that there were diuers worldes whiche when Alexander heard he began to wéepe beyng demaunded the cause thereof of his counsailers answered O Anaxarchus are ther so many worldes to be had I skant haue half one worlde yet O vnsatiate desire that could not suffice him with all the kyngdomes of Macedonia nor satisfied with all the worlde but wepte and cried out because he might not possesse more worldes then one The like historie of Pirrhus kyng of Epire after diuers good successe of fortune could not suffice his gredie desire with a kyngdom This prince had an excellēt orator named Cineas which for his eloquence and wit kyng Pirrhus did often vse to sende as Embassadour to the Romaines to the Macedonians and to other countreis with whom he had then warres By this Orator the kyng was wont to speake that he
gotte more couÌ„treis cities and triumphes by the eloquence of Cineas then euer he wanne by his force of warres This Cineas perceiuyng the king to be verie couetous and moste desirous of wealthe in so muche that he longed sore for the spoile of the citie of Rome consideryng the wealth of the Romaines he saied to kyng Pirrhus after this sort What if Fortune would sende God permit you to be king of Rome What would you theÌ„ doe Pirrhus saied Italie is a fertile countrey and full of wealth I should sone subdue Italie if I were kyng of Rome Then Cineas demaunded againe what after you had Rome and all Italie would you doe Pirrhus aunswered there is a famous Isle called Sicilia adioynyng harde vnto Italie verie populous and riche meete for the kyng of Rome Cineas asked the third tyme what then will you doe Pirrhus saied beyng kyng of Rome of Italie and of Sicilia I would sone subdue Carthage and then mighte I well conquere all Libia Cineas beyng almoste wearie in demaundyng this coueteous Prince the ende of his desire asked the fowerth tyme what would kyng Pirrhus doe then The kyng answered all Grece then should be at my commaundement Cineas vnderstandyng that there was no ende of his vnsatiate and greedie mynde asked of Kyng Pirrhus what if you were lorde ouer all the world Pirrhus said then I and thou would bee merie and would liue at reste So there is no ende prescribed to the desire of the auarous vntill he hath all hym self Proued by Marcus Crassus the wealthiest and the coueteous Romaine that euer dwelte in Rome so wealthy was this man that he adiudged no man riche but he that might with money keepe an armie of souldiors in the fielde so couetous was this Romaine again that he was not sufficed with all his huge wealthe and monstrous riches but thursted for more in so muche that after he was slaine emongest the Parthians people of greate wealth hauyng knowledge of his greedinesse to gooddes thei melted golde in reproche of his auarice vpon his head and willed hym to drinke his bealie full of that which he long thursted for Euen as the heade of Galba a coueteous Emperour sometyme of Rome was smitten of and filled full of golde and offered at the Sepulchre of Nero in obloquie and slaunder of their filthie and greedie liues bothe for that whiche the couetous man doeth honour a liue the same dishonoureth hym being deade The Subiecte that is auarous is perilous to a Prince And the prince that is couetous is odious to his subiectes Acheus a wealthie kyng in Lidia taryng molestyng â–ª and alwaies moste cruelly vexyng his subiectes waxed so hatefull to his owne subiectes that through his auarous dealyng by popular sedition was murthered and hanged ouer the Riuer Pactolus with his heade douneward where golde was so plentie that the waues thereof offered Sandes of gold in token he could not moderate his desire a liue he was sette beyng deade ouer the golden Riuer Pactolus to féede his auarice What greater infamie can happen to a Prince then coueteousnesse Kyng Darius hauyng obtained the Citie of Babilon through the falshode of Zopirus possessyng all the wealthe substaunce and treasures of the kyngdome of Persia hauyng all the spoile of the citie readyng the Epitaph of Quene Semiramis whiche she caused to bee sette on her graue to trie onely coueteous Princes that should succede her she made to bee written this little sentence What Kyng or Prince so euer thou art wantyng golde or siluer open my tombe and thou shalâ—e finde to suffice thee Darius I saie not contented with all the kyngdome of Persia caused the graue to be opened sought and searched euery where within the tuÌ„be vntill he sawe written in the inside of the stone this verse O thou wicked wretched prince if thou haddest not been moste coueteous thou haddest neuer opened Graues to come to deade folkes for money The like repulse had this Xerxes Kyng Darius soonne after he made the graue of kyng Belus to bee opened for money and finding nothyng but the like sentence written on a shorte Table as his father kyng Darius founde before in the tombe of Semiramis which sentence saied that he whiche should open kyng Belus graue and would not fill that glasse with oile whiche was in his graue should haue an euill ende which happened to kyng Xerxes afterwarde for that he was coueteous to spoile quicke and deade for money and not so liberall as beyng a Prince as to fill vp kyng Belus glasse with oile Thus auarous princes sought for money with dead men There is no respecte to place with the coueteous man sithe he hath no regard to any persone for money sake What respect had L. Septumilius to his assured and deare frende C. Gracchus when Opimius then Consull in Rome and greate enemie vnto Gracchus allured hym with money to betray him his manifest faithe before vnto his frend by couetousnes was altered vnto open enemitie for money he sold his frende for money he murthered his frende for money he lugged his frendes bodie rounde about the streates of Rome O howe infamous art thou Septumilius for thy auarice What respecte had Ptolomeus to his singulare and often approued frende Pompeius the great who to auoide the force of Caesar the Emperour fledde for succour vnto Egipte where the kyng his supposed frende caused one named Bustus to strike of his heade and made his officer Photinus to sell Pompeius heade for money vnto Caesar. What regard had Polimnestor kyng of Thracia to his frende and nigh kinsman Polidor At what tyme Polidors Father kyng Priamus sente hym in trust to his cousin Polimnestor for old acquaintaunce and affinitie with greate substaunce and wealthe of Troie to kéepe to the vse of kyng Priamus who perceiuyng the state of Ilion and roiall sceptor of Phrigia readie to yelde the fatall flames Coueteous Polimnester without regard of frendshippe before or respect of kindrede either vnto kyng Priamus or to his sonne Polidor slue his frende and kinsman to possesse the wealthe whiche Polidor had Oh vnhappie metall that thus moue menne to tyrannie O wicked money that make men murther frendes O moste cruell coueteous to perswade men to betraie men to kille father and mother to deceiue Cities and Countries to forsake faithe to subuert kyngdomes L. Silla a moste wicked and coueteous farre to bee hated and lothed before Crassus that wicked and auarous Impe of Rome passyng all menne bothe in wealthe and coueteousnesse that in so muche he became through gréedie desire of his vsuall mynde so cruell that he was called an other fire brande of Italie suche tyrannie proceadeth from his coueteousnesse that not onely in forraine Countries became a cruell enemie in spoilyng and robbing but also in Rome and Italie his natiue zoile a terrible tyraunte burnyng and murtheryng bothe Countries and the people This Silla could neuer