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
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
Apollo in Delphos and Iupiter in Boetia with their wise answeres and Oracles we will not speake of Socrates Solon and thousandes suche as were coumpted and knoweÌ„ wise â–ª and discrete emongest Grekes and Gentiles we will onely entreate of those worldly and naturall wisedome whiche by their prudent policie and warie practises haue aduauÌ„ced their fame thereby aswell in discoursyng and vanquishyng their enemies as also by inuentyng suche sleightes and snares for the obtainyng of the same as their wittes thereby were worthily commended as Hanibal perceiuyng the courage and strengthe of the Romaines vsed this wittie feate gathered a greate nomber of Serpentes and put them in huge vesselles and made them to be brought vnto the fielde emongest his souldiors commaundyng the Capitaines and chief officers to throwe the same vnto the force of the enemies who beyng thereby astonied forsooke and fledde the fielde as menne bereste of wittes â–ª spoiled of sence and almoste in dispaire of theim selues thinkyng Deuels and not menne to be the souldiors of Hanibal Of the like wisedome was kyng Cirus who beyng in his tentes and ready to pitche fielde the nexte daie with the Messagetes commaundyng his souldiours to bee in a readinesse that night to flee their tentes leauing behinde their victuales and substaunce that the enemies beyng busie of the spoile and giuyng open to banquettyng and Carousyng of wine he with all his armie might vnwares retourne and findyng the Messagets more greedie of the spoile then ready for their enemies destroie and kille theim as it came to passe So that in warres saieth Salust witte doeth as muche good as strengthe policie better accepted then power and as Virgill saieth so that victorie bée gotten waie not whether it be through courage or through policie For Sertorius that worthy Emperour and capitaine of Rome was wonte by lies and letters by dreames and outward religion by all meanes possible fainyng and inuentyng thousande waies to stirre his souldiours to courage The inuentions of witte is muche and so diuers that to muche it were to repeate How Sicionius deceiued Xerxes with all his soldiours through policie How Pisistratus moued the Athenians to reuenge his false wronges vpon the chief officers of Athens How Darius after Cambises death became kyng of Perse by meanes of a horse and suche like But lettyng passe infinite nombers of suche and to declare what Nature wroughte in selie and simple beastes in â—iyng foules and in the verie fishe swimmyng in the water The lioÌ„ by nature is taughte beyng verie sicke to finde out an Ape whiche by outwarde sportes and pastyme doeth heale his greate seuer and grief The huge Elephante is so subtile when he is like to die will seke by all meanes the cameleon bow whiche he so estemeth that his sicknes forsaketh hym straight The PaÌ„ther knoweth by nature his ready salue for this sore for feelyng hym self not well he straight seketh out the dounge of man whiche by the sente thereof he healeth hym self The stircken Harte féedyng on highe Mountaines hath that consideration at what tyme he is shotte through with any darte or arrowe by feedyng of an hearbe called Dictamum their bloud stanche and their woundes heale And the Beare is so craftie that by the same he is taught beyng sicke to licke and eate vp little Antes for her appoincted Phisicke Euen so fliyng foules doe knowe their appoincted salue for their sores by nature taught The Rauen the Ducke the Swallowe swift yea the sely Mice doe before hande presage their ruinous state by Nature and knowe well the decaie of any house barne or place where thei be will chaunge hospitalitie before the tyme if necessitie happen vpon them The little Antes full of toile and trauaile to gather in the Sommer to serue theim in the Winter These with diuers others Plini in his .8 booke Chapiter .27 and Aristotle in his booke De natura animaliuÌ„ doe make mention W readée in Aelianus diuers worthy histories of the like but specially of the Cranes of Sicilia whiche when thei be aboute to take their slightes from Sicilia to flie ouer mounte Caucasus thei are so craftie and subtile by nature that thei beare in their mouthes certain stones to stoppe their crie and noise whiche Craines moste commonly vse in flight lest by hearyng of their voice and crie the Egles of Caucasus should destroie them The Goates of Crete when thei be shotte through with dartes and arrowes are of theÌ„ self moued to fede on a certain hearbe whiche streight stencheth the bloud healeth the wounde and expelleth out the venime of the wounde There is suche crafte and subtiltie in a little Frogge of Nilus that when the huge and monstrous Troute commeth towarde hym to destroie hym the Frogge by and by out of hande â–ª beareth a longe réede ouerth warte his mouthe and so marcheth forward toward this greate champion that by no meane he can destroie hym for that the reede is longer then his mouthe can swalowe the same and so the little Frogge escapeth the terrour of this greate beast What a sleight hath a fishe called Polipos whiche beyng desirous to feede on any fishe he goeth and hideth hym self vnder some shrubbe or rocke or any other meanes whereby he semeth to bee as though he wer a tile or a stone vntill the fishe come to that place then he leapeth vpon hym and killeth hym So that there is no beaste no fowle no fishe but hath as it wer a certaine priuilege by nature to defende hym self and to foile his foe and that craftely by nature taughte There is again a kinde of knowledge in beast to know their frendes and to loue them and to feare their enemies and to auoide theim As the Serpentes in Terinthia the ScorpioÌ„s in Arcadia and the Snakes of Siria which Plini affirmeth that thei will not hurt their couÌ„trey men and knowen frendes though thei founde theÌ„ hym a slepe as diuers sondrie tymes histories make mention thereof Straunge therefore is the woorke of nature whiche mightely displaieth her self in al liuing creatures for the proofe thereof I will note one historie written of QuintiliaÌ„ in his 14. boke of histories that in Achaia there was a citie named Patra in the whiche a certain yong man bought a little dragon which with great care diligence he nourished vntill it waxed big liyng in one chamber in the night time and plaiyng all the daie tyme. At length the Magistrates of the Citie fearyng that some hurte should bee doen by this Dragon consideryng the fierce and cruell nature of theim did let hym to goe vnto the wildernesse where diuers other dragons were And there beyng a long tyme this yong man that brought vp this Dragon with diuers of his felowes passing by where this dragon was certain thieues assailed them and he by his voice was knowen by this Dragon whiche as he was heard came out of the woddes
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
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
benifite my countrie to pleasure my friendes and to shewe my selfe more willing than able in performing the same and though I in my rashenesse presume to write of the liues of Princes yet I trust in gathering the fragments broken sentences as a beginning vnto others that are better stored it vvill be of the vvise and learned considered though of others defamed and taunted For there is no booke sayth Plini so simple but it profiteth some body for in bookes sayde Chilo the Philosopher are the fame of vvorthie men eternized and the veritie of thinges etere vnknovvne wvritten vvhich tvvo thinges neyther time can consume nor fortune destroy and for this cause were the bones of Homer sought and contended for of seuen Cities in Greece to be buried and kept as a monument of so great a vvriter and for this vvas Euripides dying in Macedonia sent for by embassadors of Athens to bee hadde in memorie as a prayse vnto Athens by his buriall For the Greekes supposed the greatest honour of all to haue educated such men as vvere studious and carefull for their countrie For greater is the attempt of any simple booke writer to hazarde himselfe to present perill to encounter with diuers men with a pen in his hande then that that valiaunt Perithus with Cerberus or Theseus vvith Minotaurus yea or Hercules with Antheús iollie champions vvith swordes drawne for that they fought vvith one a peece and that before their faces the simple writer with thousandes and they behinde his backe slaunder him Architas the Philosopher whome the Tarentines made a general in their warres sixe seueral times he I saye vvas in no such daungers in his vvarres as hee was resisted for his rules and lawes in Tarentum Plato vvas not in such perill at the besieging of Tanagra and Corinth amongst all his enimies as he vvas enuied in Greece by Zenophon and Aristotle his ovvne schollers by his Philosophie Neyther vvas Socrates in such hazarde of life being in armes in Delphos as he vvas in Athens by vvriting of bookes put to death by the Greekes Zeno the poore Philosopher coulde resist the violence of the great king Antigonus Demosthenes could vvithstand the force of Philip and yet neyther of them coulde auoyde the snares of those that defamed their labour enuied their diligence in vvriting and making of bookes Simple men must not therefore be discomfited to vvrite bicause the vvise and learned vvere herein euill spoken For the Gimnosophistes in India the Prophetes in Egypt the Sages in Persea the Ephori in Lacedemonia the Chaldeans in Babilon and the Philosophers in Greece are novv more famous and renovvmed being deade then they being a liue vvere enuied and slaundered their vvritinges and bookes more read novve than alovved or knovvne then they rtrauell novve is commended though their liues then vvere despised And therefore I vvish all learned Claâ—kes vvere as vvilling to vvrite as the most part of ignoraunt are studious and carefull to finde faultes VVherfore crauing the good vvill of the learned reader as a bovvlster and defence to my simple trauell I ende vvishing that both the Printers faultes and mine might lesse mooue occasions of offence ¶ CHRISTOFORVS CARLILVS IN FLODVM GEstiunt Musae Charites triumphant Gestit insignis lituis Apollo Pallas ac Orpheus monumenta Flode Cernere tanta Ipse ne ditem videar beare Aureis nummis Calabrosue pomis Vel redundantem Bromeum racemis Dicere cesso Est opus dignum solido Cupresso Et Cedro suaui simul atque laude Maxima Flodi celebrate famam Anglica pubes Si legis librum furiosa philtra Non tâ—bi possunt nâ—camara Circes Vasa non atrox rabies Megerae Vlla nocere ED. GRANT IN LOD. FLO. QVae a tûere difuruis immersa tenebris aeduntur patrijs condecorata sonis Quae prius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fuerint bene cognita paucis nunc venient cunctis percipienda viris Postera Floyde tuam nascentia secula laudem cantabunt praesens nomen in astra feret Quicquid est in mellis quicquid liberiste lepôris continet omne tuum laus tribuenda tibi Liuide mendaces compescito Zoile voces tela licet vibres non violabis opus Inclita mordaci non laedes facta libello florescit Floydus docta perora virum ¶ IN LIBRVMDE PRINCIPVM periginatione Iohannis Coci scholae Paulinae magistri hendecastichon cum versu quodum Homerico ad lectorem STato domi nullis terre iactatus in oris quem patrium subijt noscendi sola libido Sin mores hominum varios tibi nosse voluptas ingenijque vagas ediscere nobilis artes Non perigrinanti deerunt monimenta laboris que memtemque manumque parent ad talia promptas Quod liber hic regum referens quae facta priorum tuta domi cupido praestabit vota manendi Hinc licet ingenij praesignes discere cultus quos aditu regum prouisa pericula monstrent Nam liber hic peragrans tibi quae viscenda fuissent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ¶ IN LAVDEM LODOVICI FLODI Thomas Dranta Archdiachonis Leuuicensis PRincipibus placuisse viris non vltima laus est sic ais summis placuisti leuis horati Principibus placuisse viris si tam bona laus sit Principibus fuisse viris precepta quid hoc est Atque ipsos mutos ipsos formare loquentes consilium totis sanumque adscribere vitis Hoc tu Flode facis quedam tua dogmata vidi caetera cum visis si quadrant congrua membra â–ª Quod facile credo quid tmultis te tibi tollam es bonus ingenioque bis bonus argumento ¶ THOMAS CHVRCHYARD Gent. of Lodo. Fl. IF learning had no laude mans lyking vvoulde decaye avvay And fevv vvould vvrite or knovvledge seke if praise vvere pluckt The laborer hath his hier to quite his carefull paines The noble minde for vvorthie vvorkes a crovvne of glorie gaines The horse toyles all the daye at night some rest to finde The havvke in hope of vvished praye full hie doth beare the vvinde Than hee vvho made this booke of right must reape renoume Sith through the trumpet he hath blovvne a famous fact doth soune He shevves by learned lines our painefull pilgrimes state And hovve the Prince and people both driues out their dreery date A pilgrimage vve goe in pathes of perilles great And through the shades of suerties shoe vve passe to burning heate That all consumes by flame of deepe desire in brest VVhose kindled cooales like Aethna smokes in sulphur voyde of rest VVhose sparkes doe flee so farre they cannot quenched bee Except that vvisdome vvater cast vvhen fier most hote vve see VVhat humour leades me thus I meant to prayse this man As farre as penne and skill may stretch that first this vvorke began And though the svvelling svvannes that svvimes in povvting pride By skovvling brovves tels vvorld that they this vvorke cannot abide I carelesse stande of that and vvishe those birdes so vvell In greatest glorie
that Archilogus had for that he wrote in his booke that it was sometime better to caste the buckler away than to die he was banished the confines of Lacedemonia At what time the Citie of Sagunto was destroyed against promise of the people of Carthage The renowmed Romanes though league was broken and peace defied yet the Senators did sende Ambassadours Eabius Maximus with two Tables written the one contaynnig peace the other warres which was sent to Carthage eyther to choose peace or warres the election was theirs though the Romans were iniuried and though they could best defende their owne yet woulde the noble Romans suffer often offences Hardie then were the Romans when Scaeuola went alone armed vnto the tentes of Porsenna King of Hetruria either to kill Porsenna or to be kilde by Porsenna greater fortitude of minde coulde be in no man more valiaunt in heart no man séene than in Cocles who onely resisted the whole armie of of King Porsenna vntill the Citizens of Rome came to take vp the draw bridge and then leapt in all his harnesse from his enimies vnto the middest of the riuer Tiber though hee was sore in diuers places wounded yet neyther his fall hurted him neyther his harnesse preste him neyther water drowned him neyther thousands of his enimies coulde kill hym but swimmed through the riuer Tiber vnto Rome to the great admiration of king Porsenna and excéeding ioye of Rome so that one poore Romane gaue the repulse to the whole armie of a king Ualiaunt was Rome and Romans feared when Popilius was sent Ambassadour to Antiochus the great King of Syria when Antiochus eyther for pryde or pompe of his person or contempt of Popilius refused to aunswere the Romane Embassadour was then presently enforced to aunswere the state of Rome and demaunded of the Embassadour before he might goe out of a litle rounde circle which Popilius made wih his ryding Rodde Then faithfull was Rome when Pomponius a Romane Knight and souldier vnder Lucullus general in the fielde against Mithridates King of Pontus by whome Pomponius being taken as a prisoner sore wounded and mangled The King demaunded if hée woulde helpe him to life woulde he be true to Mithridates to whome the poore wounded Romane aunswered Pomponius wyll be vnto Mithridates as Mithridates wyll be vnto Lucullus so true and faithfull were Romanes as they were stout and valiaunt in so much that Scypio being thréescore yeres almost and being sought of a young souldier to bye a braue Buckler and a fine Target sayd that a true Romane must not trust vnto the lefte hande where the Buckler is or to hyde him selfe vnder a Target but muste truste vnto his ryght hande and shewe him selfe in fielde in open sight This magnanimitie hadde the people of Sithia at what time Darius King of Persia was marching with his armie towarde Scithia they hauing vnderstanding therof like people of great magnanimitie sent certaine Ambassadors to méete Darius to signifie his welcome vnto Scithia by presents sent by the Ambassadors when therefore the Ambassadours mette with King Darius they began to tell their message and opening a priuie place a wallet where theyr presentes were they tooke out a mouse saying Unlesse you créepe like this mouse to some countrey or swymme like this frogge or flie lyke this birde these arrowes shall pierce your hartes the presents were a Mouse a Frogge a Sparrow and fiue arrowes gyuing to vnderstande by the Mouse earth by the Frogge water by the Sparrow flight by the arrowes death rare presentes sent vnto a King simple giftes small charges but it contayned valiauntnesse fortitude and contempt of Darius rather to moue him to warres than to entreate of peace Though Scythia was bare yet was shée stoute though rude and barbarous yet valiant and manful â–ª It is not in the nature of the place or in the number of the persons that magnanimitie conâ—isteth but in the valiant hart and noble minde wherefore Leonides King of Sparta was wont to say vnto his souldiours that he had rather haue one Lion to leade a whole bande of Déers than to haue a whole bande of Lyons ruled and led by one Déere applying his meaning vnto King Zerxes who hauing ten hundred thousand shippes on seas sayling towarde Gréece so many as all Gréece coulde scant receyue so many that diuers riuers and flowdes were dryed vp by his huge armie a proofe sayth Iustine more of his welth then of his magnanimitie Leonides knowing well the maner of Zerxes that he was séene first fled and laste in fielde whose glorious pompe and shew of men was not so famous and terrible at his comming to Gréece as his departure from Gréece was shamefull and ignominious began to perswade the Lacedemonians béeing but foure thousande in number willinglye to liue and to die for the renowne of Sparta in Thermopyla exhorting them to dine as merilye with Leonides their Capitayne as though they shoulde suppe with Pluto but perswasions vnto these that were perswaded were superfluous spurres vnto those that might not be stopt with bridles were néedelesse as in Thermopila well séene and prooued to the noble fame of Leonides and great shame of Zerxes It is not in multitude of men that magnanimitie of menne consisteth but in wise and valiaunt heartes for witte and will ioyned togither sayth Salust make manne valiaunt wherefore Agamemnon that most renowmed Emperour of all Gréece appointed at the siege of Troye woulde often saye that he had rather haue sometime ten wise Naestors then tenne strong Achilles tenne Vlisles then tenne Aiax wisdome in warre auaylâ—th much Plutarch reciteth foure famous and renowmed princes and eyther of these foure had but one eye to the aduansing more of theyr passing port the first was Philippe King of Macedonia and Father vnto Alexander the great whose wisdome in warres whose pollicie in feates whose liberalitie vnto his souldiours whose clemencie and humanitie to his enimies in fine whose successe in his affayres were such that his sonne Alexander after doubted whether the valiauntnesse of hys father woulde leaue anye place to Alexander vnconquered The second was Antigonus King in the same selfe place succéeding after Phillippe whose warres with Mithridates King of Pontus and Pirrhus King of Epire fully set foorth in Plutarch doe yéelde due honour and renowne for his force and magnanimitie The thirde Hanniball Prince of Carthage the whole staye of all Libia for sixtéene yeares the whippe and scurge of Rome and Italye whose name was so terrible for his â—ourage and hardenesse that both Antiochus king of Siria and Prusia king of Bithinia rather for feare than for loue being then but a banished man receyued vnto honour The fourth Sertorius a Roman Prince borne in Sabina whose thundering clang of fame was nothing inferior to y e proudest These were not so famous by their prowesse and chiualry one way as they were
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
oute of the towne came and offred his schollers vnto Camillus saying by this meanes you maye doe what you will vnto Philiscus for here be theyr children whome I know to redéeme they wyll yéelde vp the towne Camillus hauing regarde to the fame of Rome and loathing much to shewe villanye rewarded the Schoolemayster after this sort hée did set him naked before his schollers fast bounde with his handes on his backe and euery one of the schollers with a rodde in his hand saying vnto the boyes bring him home to your parentes and tell your friendes of his falshoode and the poore boyes hauing a good time to requite olde beatings were as gladde as he was sorrowfull laying on loade girckt him with so manye stripes as loytering Treuauntes maye best be boulde to number vntill they came vnto the Citie where they toulde their parents the cause thereof which wayde the clemeccie and humanitie of Camillus to be such that they gladlye and â–ª willingly yéelded themselues and theyr Citie vnto the handes of Camillus knowing well that he that woulde vse them so being hys enimies and foes coulde not vse them yll by yéelding all vnto his courtesie who might haue had all by tiranny Nowe sith this vertue was often séene in diuers Quéenes Ladies Gentlewomen and others I may not omitte the pilgrimage of their liues We reade of two Quéenes of the Amahones a countrye of Scythia Penthesilaea the first and Hippolite the second the one so valiaunt against the Gréekes at the destruction of the noble Citie of Troy that in open fielde she feared not to encounter face to face with that valiaunt Gréeke Achilles the other so hardye that shée shrinkt not at the force and stoutnesse of that renowmed Champion Theseus which being conuicted by Theseus for hir singuler stoutnesse and courage maried hir whiche certainelye had happened vnto Penthesilia had shée not béene conuicted by Achilles Camilla likewise Quéene of the Volskans beside hir princely profession of sacred virginitie which she vowed vnto Diana was so famous for hir magnanimitie that when Turnus and Aeneas were in wars for the mariage of Lauinia King Latinus daughter she came bellona lyke vnto the fielde resisting the violence and puissaunce of Troyans with the Rutiles as an ayde vnto Turnus That noble Zenobia the famous Quéene of the Palmireians a Princes of rare learning of excelent vertues of most valiaunt enterprises after that hir husbande named Odenatus had died tooke the empire of Syria and attempted the magnanimitie of Romanes that a long time shée withstoode in warres that noble and renowmed Emperour Aurelian by whome the Emperour was woont to saye when it was obiected vnto him that it was no commendacions for a prince to subdue a woman that it is more valiaunt to conquer a woman being so stout as Zenobia than to vanquishe a King being so fearefull as Zerxes The auncient Gréekes as Herodotus doth witnesse were much amazed at the magnanimitie of Artimesia Quéene of Caria after that the king hir husbande died did shewe such fortitude against the inhabitauntes of Rhodes that being but a woman she subdued their stoutenesse shée burned their Nauies wasted theyr wealth vanquished and destroyed the whole I le entered into the Citie of Rhodes caused hyr ymage to be made and set vp for a monument of hir chiualrie and pertuall memorie of hir victorie O renowmed Ladies O worthye women that with feaminine feates merited manlye fame Howe famous Teuca Quéene of the Illiryans gouerned hir subiectes after the death of hir husbande king Argon which being warred on diuers times by the Romanes infringed theyr force broke theyr bonds discomfited their armies to hir perpetuall fame commendacion shée gouerned the people of Illeria no lesse wisely then she defended the puissaunt force of the Romanes stoutly shée liued as histories report as soberly and chastly without the company of man as shée gouerned hir countrie wisly and stoutelye without the councell of man it were sufficient to repeate the auncient histories of two women to prooue fullye an euerlasting prayse and commendacion vnto all women the one written by Herotus in his first booke of Queene Tomyris of Scythia the other mencioned by Valerius and Iustine of Cleopatra quéene sometime of Aegipt The first after that Cirus had trespassed muche in hir kingdome of Scithia killing destroying and burning without regarde to princely clemencie or respect vnto a womans gouernement yet vnsufficed though hée slue the Quéenes owne sonne named Margapites thirsted more and more for bloude that then the valiaunt Quéene being muche moued to reuenge Margapites death waying the gréedie rage of Cirus came Lion lyke to fielde eyther to loose hyr owne life or else to reuenge hir sonnes death prest vnto Cirus more lyke at that time to a grimme Gorgon than to a sillie Scythian slue him in the fielde haled him vp and downe the field cutte of his heade and bathed it in a great Tunne full of bloudde appoynted for that purpose saying Nowe Cirus drinke thy belly full of that which thou couldest neuer haue ynough this valiaunt Tomyris reuenged tyranny requited the death of one Scythian Margapites with the death of two hundred thousand Persians The other Quéene Cleopatra after that Iulius Caesar was murthered by Brutus and Cassius and that Marcus Antonius being by Augustus warred on for his periurie fasâ—oode shewed vnto his Uncle Caesar shée I saie Cleopatra hauing the most part of Arabia and Siria confederated with hir friende and louer Antonius against Augustus being then the seconde Emperour of Rome that shee ayded him a long time vntill that she perceyued that Augustus preuayled and that Antonius was vanquished then least shée shoulde be conquered by Augustus shée conquered hir selfe yéelding rather hyr bodye a praye vnto Serpentes than a subiect vnto Augustus Hanniball could no more but to poyson himselfe rather then to yéelde to Scipio Well let Semiramis with hir valiaunt force and stoutnesse be commended at Babilon where shée raigned fortie yeares a wydowe after King Ninus hir husbandes death Let noble and famous Atalanta with hir Bowes and Speares and feates of armes be praysed in Archadia â–ª Let Hipsicratea that followed hir husbande Kinge Mithridates vnto warres as a Lackie vnknowne be extolled in Pontus Let Helerna Ianus daughter with all hir fortitude be spoken of in Latine And let Delbora be famous amongst the Isralites These women were no lesse famous for theyr pilgrimage then the worthye Conquerours and Champions of the world they were in no point inferiour vnto men in diuers poyntes farre excelling Princes and Kinges eyther the worlde then was very weake or slender or else women then were valiant and stoute And to omitte perticulerly to touch women I will open and declare the nature of Countries the women of Lacena woulde togither with their husbandes go vnto the fielde yea they went souldiour lyke vnto Missenios to fight in
force The Romanes were not in those dayes contented that any of their Captaynes shoulde vse vicious dealyng or shewe any fraude or guile in warres vnto their enimies but at last as warres grewe common in all countreyes so deceit and craft was thereby augmented and triumph exiled then the Assyrians warred on the Perseans the Perseans on the Argineans the Argineans on y e Athenians the Athenians on the Lacedemonians the Lacedemonians on the Sydonians the Sydonians on the Rhodians and the Rhodians on the Scithians with all kinde of pollicie right or wrong forced they not so that victorie might be gotten so that triumph then is turned vnto captiuitie nowe magnanimitie then vnto craft and deceit nowe In fine victorie then vnto tyranny nowe And so with Caesar I ende Ex bonis principijs mala orivnter Such is the state of life the pilgrimage of man that dayly worse and worse it waxeth to the ende for in the beginning renowme and honour was the cause that all men attempted daungers and great peryls and nowe in the ende gaine and profite mooueth warres Then was their desire to ouercome Lions Beares Elephantes Tygers Panthers Rinocherons with such wylde and sauage beasts that might honour their victorie ¶ Of the first finding out of Lawes and orders and of all inuention of thinges generall and of time AFter in sundrye places diuers men haue found means to sette thinges which at the beginning were rude and barbarous in Ciuill orders as amongst the Athenians Draco amongst the Aegiptians Mercurie amongst the Argiues Phoroneus In Arcadia Apollo In Tire Charandes in Italie Pithagoras other things no lesse necessarie for the maners ciuilitie of men then for the life and foode of men were founde And for that time is the beginning and the ende of all thinges terestriall I thinke it well for the purpose to declare howe then at all places time was counted for with Aegiptians at the first they counted their yeres by the Moone attributing vnto euery yere thirtie dayes as both Herodotus and Macrobius doe agrée The Arcadians as Plutarch in the life of Numa doth write had thrée monethes in euery yere appoynted The people of Caria finished and ended their yere euery sixt moneth The Gréekes did number thrée hundred fiftie and foure daies in their yeares which want of our yeres a eleuen dayes and sixe houres The Romanes at the beginning in the time of Romulus whiche was their firste king hadde their yere in ten monethes compted counting theyr first moneth March and giuing that name vnto it after his fathers name Mars April was named of Aphros in gréeke which is Fome whence Venus was borne May was called a Maioribus of the elders Iune of the youth called Iuniores these foure was of Romulus named The fift moneth was then called of Romulus Quintill which Iulius Caesar in his time named Iulij and August Augustus Caesar did name and so orderly by number Sextill September October Nouember and December vntill Numa Pompilius who succéeded Romulus who added Ianuarij and Februarij and so named them according to the name of Ianus which was the first king of the Latenes and Februus which was supposed to be the inuentor of Lustrum For as the Gréekes did count all thinges by their Olimpiades so did the Romanes number their time by that LustruÌ„ Then was the vse of the Clockes vnsought and vnknowne insomuch Authors herein doe much varye and seeme to be ignoraunt of the inuentors herof First some thinke that Hermes in Aegipt founde out by a beast sacrificed vnto Serapis some againe vnto Anaximines in Lacedemon founde out by a shade some vnto Scipio surnamed Nasica in Rome by water the clockes were founde but howe vncertayne it is by whome and by what meanes Clockes first were founde writers do witnesse the same Some againe do count their dayes which is foure and twentie houres from Sunne rising vnto Sunne rising as the Babilonians vse some from Sunne setting vnto Sunne setting as the Athenians some from midnight vnto midnight as the Egyptians some againe from middaye vnto noone againe as the Vmbrians doe Thus diuersely they count their houres and dayes Nowe after lawes were inuented and orders made and time deuided men as yet rude and rawe leading their liues beastly and brutishly for want of ciuilitie hauing neither houses townes or Cities to enhabite but some in caues of the grounde had their chiefe mantions some of gréene bowes and braunches of trées had their best garmentes made some couering themselues with shadowes of woddes some againe in dennes lyke wilde beastes vntill nature first by reason inuented awaye and a meane vnto further ciuilitie Then howses were made and Cities builded hie towers raysed strong walles inuented as Kâ—ng Cicrops made Athens Phoroneus builded Argos Diospolin in Egypt which Thrason made Likewise by Nemroth the first Towre after the deluge of Noah was made Then Temples were builded as Pythias in Prerenna made a temple vnto Minerua Romulus in Rome builded a temple vnto Iupiter and thus diuers men in sundrie countries haue bene the doers and trauellers of things â–ª By this meanes came Pallas vnto great fame for that she was supposed to be the first that inuented science amongst the Grecians in Athens for this purpose was Ceres in Sicilia renowmed for y t shée was thought to be the first that sowed corne and taught husbandrye for this onely were Typhis and Iason so worthyly commended that they amongst the Gréekes were the first that sayled the seas Then was money founde in mount Pangaeum quoyned of Aegineta which as Plini sayth had béene better vnknowne then founde Then money being founde warres ensued by Ninus which was the first that euer warred after the deluge Then Idolatrie sprung vp by Melissus King of Creete Images and pictures were first made by Epimitheus Tribute was appoynted first by Darius Fighting on horsebacke by the Centaures was first practized Immediatly thinges were founde apt and necessarie vnto warres after that Mars first inueÌ„ted the way therevnto Then the Lacedemonians people of great antiquitie founde first the Helmet a sworde and a speare The Scithians founde first the vse of bowes and arrowes The Thrasians most auncient in this for that Mars as they supposed was borne with them being honored as the God of warres founde and sought diuers thinges necessarie for the warres Happy was that man that might then inuent some thing or other to profite his countrey insomuch the wit of man sought so deepe studied so painefully that from a rude lumpish Chaos the worlde waxed beautifull men waxed Ciuile and all things became ripe and perfect by the industry of man After that the worlde grewe vnto such ripenesse that liberall sciences were founde and vsed in all places as things necessary vnto man and that there was nothing vnsought as might induce profite both hearbes stones trées and all thinges within the compasse of the earth were searched to what ende
that cunning workman Memnon made might bée iustly numbred with these worthy and famous workes But to procéede to other sumptuous buildinges though not counted of the seuē woonders yet allowed amongst the best for the stately work of the same of no inferiour fame as Labirinthus made by Dedalus in Créete of such difficulte worke that he that came in coulde not without guide come out againe Thrée others were made lyke vnto them the one in Egypt which Smilus made the other in Lemnos which Rholus wrought and the thirde in Italy which Theodorus made These .4 Labirinthes were so curiously wrought that Porsenna king of Hetruria toke hence example to make him a monument after death to bury him selfe Againe after these there were other woonderfull workes made by the Kinges of Egypt called Obelisci famous and renowmed buildings that when Cambyses King of Persea at the siege of the citie of Sienna sawe but one of them he was in such an admiration that he thought them inuincible Phyus made one of fortie cubits King Ptholomeo made another of fourescore Cubites in Alexandria and diuers others which for their fame were then counted as marueylous as any of the seuen woonders But let vs speake of sundry buildings aswell of Cities and Townes as also of Temples Houses and Pallaices whose fame thereby long flourished as Romulus by building of Rome Cadmus by building of Thebes a Citie of Beotia in Gréece And Ogdous by the buildyng of the famous Citie of Memphis in Egypt Neither may I escape any sith I tooke vpon me to recite all whose renowmes and names by these their workes do yet liue I must not escape Alexander the great which in his businesse and great warres made a Citie of his name named Alexandria I must not forget King Darius which likewise builded vp Susa a citie in Persea These two Kings though they destroyed thousandes of cities yet they builded some cities Neither may I omit Caesar Augustus which made a famous Citie in memorie of the great victory ouer Antonius and Cleopatra and named it Nicopolis that is in english the city of victory King Ninus an auncient King made the Citie of Niniue within two hundred yeres after the flood of Noah Sichem made Sidon Agenor made Tire Then the worlde waxed populus and Kings began to builde euerye where for the furtheraunce of ciuilitie and encrease of pollicie and wit which the worlde in the beginnyng was very rawe for as the worlde grewe vnto ciuile order and perseueraunce of things so with all Cities and Townes were builded Castles fortified and hye walles raysed for a Bulwarke and a defence vnto the same so by litle and litle the world was full of Cities Then Siracusa was made by Archias The Citie of Argos was made by Phoroneus Laodicea by King Antiochus And so briefely to recite them ouer the noble and famous Citie of Troy in Phrygia was made by Dardanus Arpos a Towne in Apuleia was built by Diomides and so Telegonus builded Tusce in Italy being the sonne of Vlixes a Gréeke Capis likewise made the Citie Capua which Hanniball layde long siege at but lest I might be to long in rehearsing the builders of famous Cities hauing iust occasions to respect the time I wyll ende with Cities and Townes alwayes consydered that women ought not to be forgotten as Semiramis Quéene of Persea whiche builded vp the Citie of Babylon Queene Dido which made the warlyke citie of Carthage King Acrisius daughter Danaes which builded in Italy a great Towne called Arde. Diuers Quéenes and noble women are for the lyke no lesse famous then men were Now pausing a while we will repeate those that encreased the cōmon wealthes and beautified with other kinde of buildinges Amongst other myracles and woonderous workes Mount Atho◠was made of Zerxes Nauigable euen vnto the sea eleuen yeres hée kept thirtie thousande men to bryng his minde to passe Caesar made in one day two famous Bridges the one ouer the riuer called Rheum and the other ouer the riuer called Ara in one day which was almost vncredible Alexander the great made such a Tabernacle at the maryages of the nobles of Macedonia with the women of Persea as Alianus doth witnesse that a thousande Perseans and a thousande Macedonians and fiue hundred with swordes and siluer Targets lodged in that house while the mariages continued Trayan the Emperour made such a Bridge in Danubia that for length breadth and height all the worlde coulde not shewe the like What shoulde I rehearse the Temple which Salamon made in Hierusalem vnto the whiche muste néedes the Ephesians with the Temple of Diana and the Carthagineans with the Temple of Iuno créepe and geue place for princely pallaices and royal dwellyng néedes must Alexander for all his brauery and Clodius house which was the spectacle of of Rome yéelde vnto the golden Hall of Nero but yf finenesse of workes if the rarenesse of skill if I say the worthinesse of woonders might claime place and chalenge iustly fame I shoulde praise Spintharus for the making of y e Temple of Apollo in Delphos or Meleagenes for his worke in Prienna in making y e Temple of Minerua Shoulde I commende Epeus for his cunning about the brasen horse in Troy Shoulde I commende Perillus for his brasē Bull in Agrigentū yea or Vulcanus whom the Poets faine for his skil and knowledge in working he was appointed by Iupiter to work onely for the celestiall gods or the image of Diana in Chios who was so skilfully made that vnto those that came vnto the Temple she séemed glad and ioyful and vnto those that went out of the Temple she séemed sad and angrye Shoulde I prayse the artificiall golden birdes made by y e Sages of Persea or the curious work of Pallas Temple in Ilion No certainly but the worke and inuention of noble nature vnto the which nothing is harde It pierceth the Cloudes it vadeth the Seas it compasseth the whole worlde that is the cunnyng workman the skilfull Carpenter which saith Cicero guideth euery man as a Captayne I might here haue occasion in this place to speake of the worke of nature but that it is néedelesse consyderyng howe familiarly she instructeth any man vnto her workes which is most straunge and marueylous ¶ Of Painting HOrace that learned Poet affirmeth that the like power and dignitie is geuen vnto a Poete as vnto a Painter naming the one a speakyng picture and the other dumbe poesie For painting vnto the ignoraunt was as printyng vnto the learned Where the one vewed with the eye the other read with y e tongue Paintyng and grauing were the auncient monuments of Gréece and so much estéemed that Phydias waxt so famous amongst the Gréekes as Plini doth witnes for that he made the Image of Minerua in Athence so artificially and so subtilly with a great Target in her hande wherein were grauen the warres
with another much more might be spoken I meane not those fonde foolishe and fantasticall fables fostered by women and olde men sitting at the fire where often the ydle braâ—â—e is occupied but those wise and prudent fables of Poets which containe wisedome in sence though they séeme light in wordes which durst not be opened playne in those daies for the tyranny of Princes which then woulde not haue theyr faultes toucht in anye but that learnedly with fables poeticall As the fable of Sphinx of Cirses of Tantalus of Acteon and of others ¶ Of Eloquence PYrrhus King of the Epire and defender long of the Tarentines was woont to say of Cineas his Oratour that hée wanne more victories thorowe the eloquence of Cyneas then he through the force and puissaunce of all his Epirotes besides for through eloquence woulde Cyneas make the stout enemies to yéelde and by eloquence woulde Cyneas mooue the cowardly souldiers to victorie Valerius a noble and an eloquent Romane at what tyme the Kinges of Rome were expelled and their names quite banished and nowe the populer state hauyng such liberty thereby that the whole Citie through sedition and late sprong libertie was like to come to ciuile warres betwéene them selues had not I say Valerius appeased the furie of the people being redie in heartes to become enemies vnto their countrey finding them triumphing much and reioysyng within them selues deuiding one from another to maintaine discorde He reduced them not onely through his eloquence vnto peace and quietnesse but also vnto such state brought them that where Rome was like then to fall to ruine Rome at that time beganne to florish prosper Great was the force of eloquence in Marcus Antonius which with his sugred and swéete perswasions turned the furious rage and tyranny of the souldiers of Marius and Cinnanus beyng sent of these two cruell Captaynes to kyll him vnto such lenitie and mercie that hauing their swordes naked drawen redie to accomplishe promise with Marius hauing hearde Antonius his eloquence as men conuicted with wordes coulde neuer kéepe promise with Marius though they had great rewardes appointed nor coulde of them selues though enimies they were vnto Antonius finde in their heart to kyll hym Pericles wanne such renowme in Athence by his eloquence which sometime was scholler vnto Anaxagoras that he had the gouernment and rule of Athence commited vnto him as vnto one the people reposed more credite or trust in Pericles wordes then they had in the force and strength of Athence beside Insomuch that when he woulde speake any thing vnto the people such mellifluous wordes and sugred sentences procéeded foorth of his mouth that they were amazed or astonied to heare him willyng alwayes neuer wéery of his counsel We reade that the eies did water to sée him the eares allured to heare him y e hart conuicted to yéelde vnto him Cowardes are made couragious stout tyrauntes are made gentle and mercifull Cities preserued victories gotten and all by eloquence What is it but man is able through comely gesture and apt pronunciation bring to passe What coulde escape Cicero in Rome What might haue auoyded Demosthenes in Athence whose knowen eloquence whose learned perswasions whose swéete and sugred wordes coulde aswel mooue enimitie in Athence towarde King Philip as it coulde kindle loue in Rome towarde Pompeius Such is the excellencie of eloquence that it mooueth aswell men to the sight for the gesture countenaunce and pronunciation as it doth enforce men to heare for the maiestie and swéetnesse of wordes For Hortensius was not so eloquent in wordes but he was as comely in gesture and so excâ—llent in either of them that when he spake before the people Senatours and Citizens of Rome they were no lesse enamored with his sight then they were allured and entised with his wordes for he laboured no lesse outwardly to please night became very darcke all the souldiours of Paulus yea Paulus himselfe being their Generall and Captain were dismayde and quite discomfited thinking it had bene some prodigious showe to prognosticate mishappe to come and readie to yéelde in heart and courage vntyll Sulpitius began to perswade the rude Souldiours with reason opening the causes vnto the souldiours and declaring the effectes of the superiour bodies so eloquently that then being readie to yéelde for feare they were readie to fight valiauntly by eloquence of Sulpitius and where through feare of that sodaine sight and chaunge of the Moone they were readye to yéelde as Captiues to King Perseus they were stirred mooued by the eloquence of Sulpitius to become conquerours and victours ouer King Perseus in the same selfe night The lyke Pericles sometime amongst his souldiours of Athens at what time the Sunne so darckened that great terror and feare came vpon the souldiours hée eloquently perswaded his souldiours and toulde them euen as he hearde of his Maister Anaxagoras the cause thereof and quight expelled feare from the souldiours by reason and made them boulde againe through hys eloquencie In Africke there was in the time of Anascarimis a philosopher named Afranio being demaunded what he did learne all the dayes of hys life aunswered to speake well the seconde time being asked what hée taught vnto others aunswered likewise to speake well at the last he was demaunded what he knewe in anye science he sayde I knowe nothing but to speake well so that this olde Philosopher Afranio learned nothing taught nothing nor knew any thing but to speake well and most certaine it is that he that consumeth all the dayes of his life to learne to speake well and knoweth nothing else but to speake well spendeth his time very well ¶ Of those that had their pictures and Images for a shovv of their deserued fame erected THE greatest honour that both Gréekes Gentiles vse towarde those that deserued well in the coÌ„mon wealth was to aduaunce them by pictures painted images gorgeously grauen thinkyng thereby either to enflame them further to do good or else to discourage them againe in doing euyll by banishing and neglecting their pictures which wheÌ„ Fauorinus the Philosopher hearde that the Citie of Athence had reiected his picture because Adrian the Emperour was angry with him sayde I am right glad therof for better sayd he had it béene for Socrates to haue had his brasen picture broken and throwen away for some shewe of displeasure by the Athenians then to be depriued of his lyfe for nothing by the Athenians for the surest state of all is not to be knowen Agesilaus therefore King of the Lacedemonians vnderstanding that the inhabitants of euery countrey in all Gréece had decréed to put vp the picture of Agesilaus for a memorial of his vertuous and noble actes to be as monumentes of his life after death Returnyng then from Egipt vnto Gréece beyng verye sicke a little before hée dyed wrote letters vnto Gréece that they shoulde make no pictures no Images
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
liued a hundred and odde yeares Metellus of lyke age called to the like function and administration of common welth being an olde man What should I speake of Appius Claudius of Marcus Perpenna of diuers other noble Romanes whose age and time was the onlye occasion of their aduauncement vnto honour dignity What shoulde I resite Arganthonius who was thrée score yeres before he came vnto his kingdome and after ruled his countrey fourescore yeares vnto his great fame and great commendations of age To what ende shall I repeate Pollio who liued in great credite with the people vnto his last yeres a man of worthy prayse of renowmed fame which liued a hundred and thirtie yeres in great aucthoritie and dignitie To speake of Epimenides whome Theopompus affirmeth that hée liued a hundred and almost théescore yeres in great rule and estimation small it were to the purpose to make mention againe of Dandon amongst the Illirians which Valerius writeth that he was fiue hundred yeres before he died and yet of great memorie and noble fame Nestor which liued thrée hundred yeres of whom Homer doth make muche mention that of his mouth proceeded foorth sentences swéeter than honey in hys latter dayes yea almost his strength corespondent vnto the same That renowmed Prince Agamemnon Generall of all Gréece wished no more in Phrigia but fiue such as Nestor was which with their wittes and with their courage hée doubted not but in short time he were able to subdue Troye Swéete are the sayinges of olde men perfite are their councelles sounde and sure their gouernaunce Howe frayle and weake is youth How many Cities are perished by young councell Howe much hurt from time to time haue young men deuised practised and brought to passe And againe of age how full of experience knowledge prouision painful studious vnto the graue as we reade of Plato that noble Philosopher which was busie and careful for his countrey writing and making bookes the verye yere that hée died being fourescore and two Of Isocrates which likewise being fourescore and fourtéene compiled a booke called Panathenaicus of Gorgias which made the lyke studious carefull to profite his countrie I saye a hundred and seuen yeres was altogither adicted to his bookes to his studie So of Zeno Pithagoras and Democritus might be spoken men of no lesse wit trauaile and exercise than of time and age For as Cicero sayth the gouernement and rule of common wealthes consisteth not in strength of bodye but in the vertue of the minde wayghtie and graue matters are not gouerned with lightnesse of the bodie with swiftnesse of the foote with externall qualities but with authoritie councell and knowledge for in the one saith he there is rashnesse and wilfulnesse in the other grauitie and prudence As Themistocles Aristides who though not friendes then at Athens both rulers yet age taught them when they were sent Embassadours for the state of Athens to become friends to profite their countrie which youth coulde neuer haue done That sage Solon was woont often to bragge howe that he daylye by reading learning and experience waxed olde Apelles that approued painter and renowmed Gréeke in his age and last time woulde haue no man to passe the daye ydle without learning of one line Socrates being an olde mar became a scholler to learne musicke and to playe vpon instrumentes Cicero being olde himselfe became a perfite Gréeke with studie Cato being aged in his last yeres went to schoole to Enneus to learne the Gréeke Terentins Varro was almost fourtie yere olde before he tooke a Gréeke booke in hande and yet prooued excellent in the Gréeke tongue Clitomachus went from Caâ—thage vnto Athens after fourtie yeres of age to heare Carneades the Philosophers lecture Lucius as Philostratus doth write méeting Marcus the olde Emperour with a booke vnder his arme going to schoole demaunded of the Emperour whether he went lyke a boye with his booke in his hande the aged Emperour aunswered I go to Sextus the Philosopher to learne those thinges I knowe not O God sayde Lucius thou being an olde man goest to schoole now like a boye and Alexander the great died in thirtie yeres of age Alphonsus King of Cicilia was not ashamed at fiftie yeres olde to learne and to trauayle for his knowledge and least hée shoulde lose the vse of the latten tongue hée occupied him selfe in translating Titus Liuius vnto hys vulgar tongue though he was a King I doe not holde with age in diuers men which for want of discretion and witte waxe childishe againe but of perfite men in whome age séemed rather a warraunt of their doinges For euen as he that playeth much vpon instrumentes is not to be commended so well as he that playeth cunningly and artificially So as all men that liue long are not to be praysed as much as he that liued well For as apples béeing gréene are yet sowre vntill by time they waxe swéete so young men without warraunt of time and experience of thinges are to be misliked If faultes be in olde men sayth Cicero as manye there bée it is not in age but in the life and maners of men Some thinke age miserable bicause eyther the bodie is depriued from pleasure or that it bringeth imbecilitie or weakenesse or that it is not farre from death or quite called from due administration of common wealthes these foure causes sayth Cicero make age séeme miserable and lothsome What shall wée saye then of those that in their olde age haue defended their countries saued their Cities guided their people and valiauntly triumphed ouer their enimies as L. Paulus Scipio and Fabius Maximus men of woonderfull credite in their olde yeres What may be spoken of Fabritius Curius and Coruncanus aged men of great agilitie of famous memorie in their last dayes Howe might Appius Claudius be forgotten who being both olde and blinde resisted the Senatours to compounde with king Pirrhus for peace though they and all the Consulles of Rome herevnto were much enclined If I shoulde passe from Rome a place where age was much estéemed vnto Athens amongst the sage Philosophers if from Athens to Lacedemonia where age altogither bare swaye and rule if from thence vnto the Aethiopians and indians where all their lines are ruled and gouerned by olde men if from thence vnto any part of the worlde I shoulde trauile I might be long occupied in reciting the honour and estimation of age Herodotus doth write that the Aethiopians and Indians doe liue most commonly a hundred and thirtie yeres The people called Epeij doe liue in the countrey of Aetolia two hundred yeres naturally and as it is by Damiates reported Lictorius a man of that countrey liued thrée hundred yeares The kinges of Arcadia were woont to liue thrée hundred yeres The people of Hyperborij lyued a thousande yeres We reade in the olde
with simplicitie and slauerye The Carthaginean false and deceitfull The Babilonian wicked and corrupted The Persean a drunkarde and a glutton The Sycilian warye and trustye so the cruelnesse of the Caspians the filthinesse of the Lesbians the dronkennesse of the Scythians the fornication of the Corinthians the rudenesse of the Boetians the ignoraunce of the Symmerians the beastlinesse of the Sybarites the hardinesse of y e Lacedemonians the delicacie of the AtheniaÌ„s and y e pride glory of the Romanes Thus we reade that the Spaniards be the greatest trauellers the greatest despisers The Italian prowde and desirous to reuenge The Frenchman pollitike and rashe The Germain a warriour The Saxon a dissembler The Sweuian a light talkatiue person The Brytaine a busie bodie The Cimbrian sedicious and horrible The Boemian vngentle and desirous of newes The Vandall a mutable wrangler The Bauarian a flouter and a scoffer Thus much are incident vnto the aforesayd nations by nature But bicause in this place it were somewhat vnto the purpose to delare the glorie and state of Româ— which of al the world we estéemed feared And for that Rome had more enimies than all the whole worlde beside to shewe briefely how they florished how theyr fame spreade and their glorie grew I thinke it expedient not medling with the antiquitie thereof in the time of Ianus and Cameses but touching their fame by doing of wars in the time of Romulus which being begotten of Mars of Rhea a Uestall Uirgin was the first builder of that Citie also King thereof This king Romulus warred on the Sabins after he had elected a hundred Senatours to discerne and iudge causes of the Citie to defende Iustice and practise the same and to punish vice wronges according to the law of Plato who willed euery common welth to be gouerned with reward vnto the vertuous and punishement vnto the vicious Againe he appoynted certaine souldiers vnto the number of one M. to be in a redinesse alwaies to defend the Citie After Romulus succéeded Numa Pompilius the seconde King a man very religious and pitifull hée in his time made lawes to obserue rites sacrifices and ceremonies to worship their gods He made Bishops and Priestes he appointed the Uestal Uirgines and all that belong thervnto Thirdly came Tullius Hostilius to bée king in Rome whose felicitie was onely to teache the youth of Rome the discipline of warfare stirred them woonderfully to exercise and practise the same Then fourthly succéeded An. Martius with the like industry and care for the further and surer state of the City in raising the hie walles of Rome in a Bridge vpon the riuer Tiber in amending and beautifiyng all the stréetes in Rome The fift King was Torquinius Priscus which though hée was a straunger borne of Corinth yet hée encreased the pollicy of the Romanes with the wit of Gréece hée triumphed ouer the people of Tusk and enlarged the fame of Rome much more then it was To this came next Seruius Tullius which was the sixt and Torquinius superbus the seuenth and last King of Rome who for his misgouernment and lust in the Citie against the chaste matrones for the pride and infringement of the libertie hauing withall rauished Lucrecia Collatinus wife was at length after long rule and gouernment banished Rome The first alteration and chaunge of state was then after these seauen Kinges gouerned Rome two hundred yeres and a halfe which was the first infancie of Rome Then Collatinê° and Brutus after these kings were exiled a iust reuengement of their libertie and honest life were the first Consuls in Rome they I say altering the gouernment of the Citie from a Monarchy vnto a kinde of gouernment called Aristocratia which continued in Rome from the time of Brutus and Collatinus vntyll the time of Appius Claudius and Quintus Fuluius which was two hundred yeres In this season during this two hundred yeres was Rome most assailed of all kinde of enimies stirred vnto wars of all nations for the space of two hundred yeres and a halfe Then Appius Claudius forgetting the law that he him selfe made in Rome against fornication forgetting the rauishment of Lucrecia and the banishment of Torquinius for breaking of the same against all right and reason willyngly and wilfully rauished Virginia the daughter of Virginius which after that hir owne father slue hir in the open sight of Rome the cause being knowen vnto all the Citie the power of Virginius and the populer state which alwayes had the gouernment of Rome vnder them with straight in armes to reuenge the wronges and iniuries against lawes committed and to defende likewise the lawes Euen as the Kinges before named were exiled and banished Rome for the rauishment of Lucretia so now the tenne Commissioners called Decemviri were likewise excluded and reiected for the rauishement of Virginia ¶ Of the straunge natures of vvaters earth and fire IN diuers learned Histories wée reade and specially in Plini of the woonders of waters and of the secrete and vnknowen nature of fire which for the rare sight therof and for that it doth degenerate from things knowen therein are noted thinges to bée marueyled at as certen water in the countrey of Campania where if any mankinde wyll enter therein it is written that he shall incontinent bée reft of his sences And if any womankinde happen to go vnto that water she shall alwayes afterwarde bée barren In the same countrey of Campania there is a lake called Auernus where all fléeing Fowles of the ayre that flée ouer that lake fall presentlye therein and die A Well there is in Caria called Salmacis whose water if any man drinke therof he becommeth chaste and neuer desireth the company of a woman The riuer Maeander doth bréede such a kinde of stone that being put cloase vnto a mans heart it doth straight make him mad There are two ryuers in Boetia the one named Melas whose water causeth staight any beast that drinketh therof if it be white to alter colour vnto blacke the other Cephisus whiche doth change the black beast vnto a white beast by drinking of the water Againe there is in India a standing water where nothing may swimme beast birde man or any liuing creature else drowneth this water is called Silia In Affrica on the contrary part there is the water named Apustidamus where nothing bée it neuer so heauy or vnapt to swimme that drowneth but all kinde of thinges doth swimme leade or any heauy mettall doth swimme in that lake as it is in the Well of Phinitia in Sicilia Infinite waters shoulde I recite if I in this woulde be tedious in repeating their names whose strange natures whose secrete and hidden operation whose force and vertue were such as healed diuers diseases as in the Isle of Auaria there was a water that healed the collicke and the stone By Rome there was
of their goddesse Thâ—se bookes with great diligence and care were not only commaunded to be kept but also in all pointes to bée obserued The other were Gréeke bookes entituled Disciplina sapientiae the rule of wisedome which for that they tasted of Philosophye and contempned the vaine superstitious religions of their goddesse â–ª Petilius fearing lest by reading of wisedome and Philosophie their folly and religion shoulde bee destroyed being then praetor in Rome at what time Cornelius and Bebius were Consuls by aucthority of the Senate in open sight of all the citie of Rome burned the Gréeke bookes for the olde and auncient men woulde haue nothing kept within their citie that might hinder their Goddes for before all thinges their goddes and their religions they preferred and so honoured their Priestes their sacrifices and their vestall Uirgines before the Emperours and Senatours as it appeareth by a History in Valerius that when Rome was taken and conquered first by the Frenchmen and the vestal Uirgines enforced euery one burthened with sacred things belonging vnto the goddes Uesta to beare those thinges away shifting more for the sacrifices and rites of their religion in carying their bookes their garmentes their goddes and their thinges belonging therevnto they cared for their countreys friendes children and gooddes Insomuch that L. Aluanius when he sawe the Uestall Uirgins taking paines to maintaine the honour of Vesta vndefiled her sacrifices vnpoluted in sauing the ceremonies and religion of their Goddes froâ— the enimies as one that had more regarde and respect to their vaine religion then carefull of his wife and children whiche then being in a Chariot to be caried and conueyed from Rome commaunded by Aluanius to come downe from the Chariot and go a foote where he placed where his wife was and his children the Uestal Uirgins with all their burthens belonging vnto Uesta their sacrifices and other necessaries and brought honorablye vnto the countrie of Créete where with great honor thei were receaued and for memory hereof vntil this time the people of Créete for that they did succour the vestal Uirgines in aduersity Vesta the goddesse recompensed them no lesse for their humanity in receauing of her maydes vnto their towne then she gratified Aluanius for his consideration waying of her religion In so much that the coches where her Uirgines and her sacrifices were caryed was afterwarde more honoured and estéemed than any triumphant or imperiall chariot In the selfe same time and perturbation of Rome when the Capitoll was besieged with the enemies Caius Fabius perceauing how religion was then estéemed girded himselfe like a sacrificer caryed in hande an host to bée offered vnto Iupiter was suffered to passe through the middest of his enemies to mount Quirinal where solempnities and sacrifices were done vnto Iupiter and being accomplished he likewise went vnto the Capitol through the middest of the armie with all his company and by this meanes got the victory ouer his enimies more by religion then by strength So much was superstition and idolatry honored obserued euerywhere that the Perseans sayled with a thousande Nauyes to â—o sacrifice and solempnity vnto Apollo at Delos â–ª The Athenians slue and destroyed all those that enuied oâ— repugned their religion Diagoras was exiled for that hée wrote that hée doubted whether any gods were or no and if gods were what were they Socrates was condâ—mpned for that hée went about to translate their religion and speake against their Goddes Phidias that noble and cunning workeman was no longer suffred at Athens but all the while he wrought the picture of Minerua in marble for that it was more durable than yuorie which when Phidias thought to drawe hir in yuorie he was threatned to death to vilipende so great a goddesse to make hir in yuorie which was woonte to be honored in marble The Romanes made lawes at the distructioÌ„ of Canna for that great slaughter of Romans which at that warre happened that the matrones of Rome bewayled and lamented the deathes of their husbandes their children their brethren and friendes incessantly that they shoulde not passe thirtie dayes in mourning least the Goddes woulde be angrye ascribing all fortunes good and badde vnto their Goddes Wherefore it was decréede by the Senatours that the Mothers and Wiues the sisters and the daughters of them that were slaine at Canna at the thirty dayes ende shoulde cast awaye theyr mourning apparelles and banishe their teares and come altogither in white garments to doe sacrifice vnto the Goddesse Ceres for it was thought and trulye beléeued among the Gentiles and Heathens that the Goddes woulde iustly reuenge those that woulde at any time neglect their sacrifices and religions Apollo for that stout Brennus went to Delphos and spoiled his temple and neglected his godhead was plagued gréeuously and worthyly reuenged euen as king Zerxes whose Nauyes couered the whole Seas whose armies of men dryed vp riuerrs shadowed almost the whole earth for that he sent foure thousande souldiours vnto Delphos to robbe Apollo hée was therefore discomfited in his warres forsaken of his souldiours prosecuted of his enemies and compelled to flée like a vagabonde from hyll to hyll vntyll hée came vnto his kingdome of Persea vnto his great infamie and shame The like in Carthge when the Cittie was oppressed by the Romanes his Temple neglected and hee him selfe not estéemed Apollo reuenged the same for the first that layde hande vppon him lost his hande and his arme Thus in Delphos and in Carthage did Apollo reuenge his iniuries His sonne Aesculapius a great god in diuers countreys for that Turulius chéefe ruler of the Nauyes of Antonius hewed his wooddes which was consecrated vnto his temple Aesculapius reuenged it after this sort When Antonius and Caesar were at warres after that the hoast and armye of Antonius were vanquished and Caesar a victor hée brought Turulius to bée murthered vnto that place in the wooddes where hée neglected Aesculapius Ceres when the citie Mileton was taken by Alexander the great and her Temple therein spoyled and robbed of the souldiours she threw flames of fire into their faces and made as manye blinde as neglected hir godhead and maiestie Dionisius king of Siracusa for that he spoyled the temple of the goddesse Proserpina and robbed this goddesse of her golden garments flouting and scoffing her rites and ceremonies nothing estéeming her sacrifice And againe for that hée commaunded his souldiers to pluck and take away Aesculapius beard in Epidaurus a Citie in Peloponeso in Gréece because his father Apollo had none Hée was brought by the goddes from a king in Siracusa to bée a poore scholemaister in Corinth and wretchedly to ende his life by the iust indignation of the goddesse Proserpina Iuno shewed her anger vpon Fuluius Flaccus for that when he was Censor of Rome hée caused the Marble Tiles to bée brought from the Temple of Iuno in Lacinia vnto the Temple of fortune in
vision warned to make himselfe readie to die at Philippos where hée was enforced in the wars betwéene Augustus Caesar and him to kill himselfe Thus â–ª were they alured and entised by shifting dreames to order and rule all their dooings for as the Poet Aeneus sayth what they studied and pondered in the daye time the same dreamed they in night time Dreames mooued them vnto tyranny for L. Silla the firebrande of Italy his owne countrey was warned in sléepe by Bellona the goddesse of warres to murther kill and destroye all that euer hée might finde in his waye giuing him in his hande fire in token he shoulde burne and ouercome Rome and Italy Likewise Eumanes King of the Lacedemonians hauing warres with Antipater King of Macedonia was fully perswaded by a dreame to obtaine victory for hée dreamed that two Alexanders were with great host and armie of men readie in fielde to fight the one hauing the goddesse Minerua as a leader the other hauing the goddesse Ceres as their Capitaine which after long conflictes and much murther of both parties hée thought that the souldiours of Ceres had the victory and that they were crowned with the eares of corne in the honor of Ceres which is the goddesse of corne and bicause the countrie of Lacedemonia was more fertill than Mocedonia the wise sages opened the dreame said that Eumenes should haue the victory ouer Macedonia Besides these dreames they had a kind of credite in Fowles of the ayre in beastes of the fielde in winde and weather and in diuers other things where soothsaying oracles and consultations were had When Zerxes the great king of Persea with so many miriades of men had purposed and decréed with him selfe to destroy all Gréece vntyll a Mare a stout and a proude beast had brought foorth a Hare the fearefullest thing out whereby it presaged the flight of Zerxes from Greece with shame and reproche And afterwarde purposing againe before hée woulde lay siege vnto Athens to destroy Sparta and all the countrey of Lacedemon a straunge warning hapned vnto this Prince at supper for his wine before his face was conuerted vnto blood as it was filled in the Cuppes not once but twise or thrise Whereat hée being amazed consulted with wise men of whom hée was then admonished to forsake his first entent and to geue ouer the enterprise which hée tooke in hande against the Gréekes Midas being yet in his cradle the Antes were séene to carye greynes and victuals to féede him withall whose parentes being desirous to know the effect therof were certified by the soothsayers that hée should bée the wealthiest and richest man in all the worlde hée shoulde bée the most monyed Prince that euer shoulde raigne in India Plato that noble and diuine Philosopher while hée was an infant in lyke sort in his cradle the Bées with hony fed his sugred and swéete lippes signifiyng the eloquence and learning in time to come of Plato They were not Bées of mount Himettum where honye as writers thinke was first founde but rather of Helicon where the Muses and Ladyes of learnyng delighted to dwell This was that Plato of whom his maister Socrates before hée knew him dreamed of that hée helde fast in his hande a young Swanne which fledde from him away and mounted the Skies whose swéete voyce and songes as a woonderfull melody and harmony replenished the whole Skies They thought it a sufficient admonition to sée any thing happen betwéene birdes or beastes as a sure and certaine shewe of their owne fortune to come M. Brutus when he was in campe against Caesar and Antonius and sawe two Eagles fighting togither the one comming from Caesars tent the other from his owne Hée knewe well when his Eagle tooke flight and was vanquished that he should loose the victorie Cicero vnderstanding well ynough his death to be at hand when the Rauen heald him fast by the hem of his gowne and made a noyse and euer pluckt at hym vntill the souldiers of M. Antonius came vnto the very place where he at that time was beheaded by Herennius and Popilius For in the night before Cicero dreamed being banished from Rome that he wandred diuers straunge countries where Caius Marius a noble Romaine as he thought mette him demaunding of Cicero why and what was the cause of his sadde countenaunce and wherfore he trauailed such straunge countries the cause being knowne vnto Marius hée tooke him fast by the right hande and brought him to the next officer where hée thought in his sléepe hée should haue died So that Zerxes by a Hare hadde warning King Mydas was by Antes admonished Plato by Bées Brutus by an Eagle Cicero by a Rauen Themistocles by an Owle of death Pericles by the head of a Ramme was fully perswaded taught by the soothsayers that hée should win the people of Athens from Thucidides with whome then he was in controuersie And was not Agamemnon and his brother Menelaus with all the Princes of Gréece certefied by the Dragon that climmed a trée where hée slue a shée Sparrowe and eyght young ones beside signifiying that they shoulde be nine yeares in wars with the Troyans and that the tenth they should destroye and quite vanquish Ihon. And was not Iulius Caesar admonished of his wife Calphurnia by a dreame that if he woulde vnto the Senate that daye hée should dye And was not that mightie Monarch Alexander warned by a vision to take more regarde vnto hys life then he did to take héede of Antipater who afterward poysoned him And was not Alcibiades that noble Gréeke certified by a dreame of his miserable death howe he and his hoore Timandra might diuers times sée before what after folowed if they had had so great a desire in folowing good things as they were bent and prone to séeke euyll Such prodigious sightes such straunge miracles were séene that might well allure them to more perfect life The Sunne the Moone the starres and all the hostes of heauen wrought great miracles to reduce Princes from euill enterprises and to giue warning vnto others to auoyde the tyranny of wicked Princes For the heauens appeared blouddy at that time when Philip king of Macedonia with tiranny inuaded Gréece At what time Augustus Caesar after his vncle Iulius was murthered â—ame vnto Rome as the second Emperor there were séene starers wandering about the circle of the Sunne great lightnings strange impressioÌ„s like men fighting in the skies yea and birdes fell downe deade in the Citty of Rome and Liuius writeth that an Oxe spake vnder plowgh these woordes vnto the plowman that not only corne should want â–ª but also men should perish and therefore said the Oxe thou â—egest me in vaine to trauell and his horse abstayned from foode When that wicked tyraunt Nero began his Empire in Rome trées pastures medowes and certen grounde about the Citie a straunge miracle altered places
and chaunged seates one with an other the grounde moouing from one place vnto an other Euen so it happened at the exilement of King Dionisius after much tirannye and bloodsheding when hée was banished from his kingdome the salt Sea the same day that he was driuen from Corinth altered his saltenesse vnto swéetenesse These two tyrauntes Nero and Dionisius the one comming vnto his Empire what woonders the earth it selfe shewed the other departing from his kingdome what miracles the Sea shewed When Darius besieged the Citie of Babilon a voyce was heard out of the strong walles of Semiramis that Babilon shoulde be conquered at what time a Mâ—le shoulde engender at the which the souldiours of Darius were discomfited vntill Zopyrus Mule accomplished the forshewed Oracle Likewise when Pompeius was vanquished of Caesar a gréene bowe grewe in the temple of victorie vnder the ymage of Caesar and Hiues of Bées darckened the ancient of Pompeius foreshewing hée shoulde be subdued at Pharsalica The cittie of Rome had these warnings a little before the first ciuill warres there were séene fire shining sodainely about men Spiders Mise and Wormes consumed the golde and substaunce of their Temples Rauons deuoured and did eate their young ones the noyse and sounde of trumpettes were hearde in the ayre with such other terible warnings as might well mooue amendement Againe before the seconde warres of Carthage an Oxe spake and sayde Rome take héede of thy selfe It is noted likewise when Torquiniê° the last king of the Romanes was driuen awaye from Rome and banished the kingdome that a dogge then spake and a Serpent barked To many are of these to be reade if wée reade histories for signes and tokens were séene and marked in the heauens according vnto the natures and doings of Princes for when Tiberius came vnto the Empire of Rome there happened such great earthquakes that twelue famous Citties of Asia fell prostrate vnto the grounde two mountaines mooued ranne and fought togither in a place by Rome called Mutinenses fielde in the time of L. Martius and Sextus Iulius Consulshippe It is written that in the Citie called Sagunthus before it was conquered by Hanniball a childe borne entered againe vnto his mothers wombe And in Plini Clepidus beareth witnesse that trées spake and though it séeme fabulus vnto diuers that enuie things by nature shoulde speake yet wée sée the tryall of this cleane contrary to sette foorth the woonderfull workes of GOD whereby he might the more be magnified by these his creatures for we reade in the sacred scriptures that an Asse spake whereby the more credite may be gyuen vnto Plutarch Pini and Liui which mention that dogs trées Oxen Serpentes and other creatures of God dyd speake for a woonder and warning aswell of things to come as thinges past For before the famous Citie of Ierusalem was destroyed by Vespasian the Emperour there appeared a starre in maner of a sworde in the skie there were likewise séene Chariettes running vp and downe the skies and men in harnesse fighting in the clowdes right ouer the Cittie Diuers woonders by nature wrought which for the rarenesse thereof are worthy to be noted as Caecilius Agrippa the first daye that he was borne of his mother hée went a â—oote without helpe Likewise Zoroastres where all children cry at their birth he the selfe same daye laught It was straunge that Telephus the sonne of Hercules was nourished of a Harte Romulus the first king of Rome fostered vp of a Woolfe Cirus the first King of the Perseans brought vp by a Bitch Alexander and king Priamus of a beare Iupiter of a Goate Midas of Antes And Plato of Bées and so diuers other But certayne more straunge it was that little beastes yea small créeping wormes shoulde be able to vanquishe and destroy famous Citties and countries as in Spaine a Cittie was ouerwhelmed by Coneyes In Fraunce a Citie destroyed by Frogs In Thessalia a Cittie ouerthrowne of Mouldewarys In Affrica a Cittie spoyled of Locustes Gyara an I le of twelue miles coÌ„quered of Mise and Abdera a Citie in Thracia of Mice likewise and Amyclas of Serpents Peraduenture these séeme scant credible vnto diuers readers the learned may reade the same in the eight bookes of Plini and twentie and ninth chap. where he may bée satisfied The workes of nature were so woonderfull in all places at all times that learned writers for memory of the same diuers where recite the effect thereof It is written that Ammonius the Philosopher had an Asse frequenting his schoole with Porphirius to heare his lectures In the Isle called Cos in the grounde of a certen tyraunt named Nicippus a Shéepe brought foorth a Lyon in stéede of a Lambe Plini doth witnesse that he saw in a Cittie of Affrica a man chaunged vnto a woman in the same day hée was maryed whose name was Cossicius a citizen of Tisdria Pontanus and diuers aucthours affirme that Tiresias the Theban Ceneus and Iphis were chaunged from men vnto women from males vnto females by alteration of kinde Againe some thinke that as Anaxogoras neuer laught Zenophantes neuer wept thinges woonderfull and straunge vnto nature And as L. Pomponius neuer helcht so Antonia neuer spit There was a Poet sometime dwelling in Cous of such small growing and slender body that leade was put in the sole of his Shoes lest the winde should beare him from the grounde and blowe him vnto the ayre And as hée was small and light of substaunce by nature so by the selfe same nature was founde in a certen hyll of Créete the body of Orion which was fourtie and sixe cubites in length What Albertus Magnus wrote of the woonders and secretes of nature I wyll omit better it is I suppose to bée ignoraunt in some things then to be skilful in all things He saith amongst other things that there was a woman in Germany that had thréescore sonnes fiue euery time at a burthen and there was another woman named Agrippina in Colonia that did neither eate nor drinke for the space of thirty dayes Besides these there was a man named Philinus that neuer ate nor dranke all the dayes of his life but mylke onely Cicero saith that all the Iliades of Homer was written and placed within the shell of a Nut. Plini reporteth that there was an hearbe called Acheminis if it coulde or were throwne amongst the enimies they straight woulde take their flight thervpon Mermecides made a Wagon so artificially and so small that a Flée might couer it with her wing Strabo did sée so well that he coulde sée the ships that departed from Carthage from a promutory in Cicilia which was aboue a hundred thirtie miles Cornelius Agrippa in his first booke of hidden Philosophie writeth a historie of one Cippus King in Italy who being in sléepe dreamed of Bulles fighting all night that in the mornyng he had two hornes
growyng in his head The learned holde opinion that imagination and vapours of dreames may alter thinges into some kinde of other substaunce as Caieta and Aenulia two maried women became men and that Medea by a dreame waxed so whot in loue with Iason and so imagination by operation of naturall vapours dooe effect things woonderfully as some do by sight assure them selues most certaine and some by coniectures afâ—irme things to be true but because imagination is a thing that néedeth at large to be spoken of considering howe diuersly it worketh in diuers men I wyll in another place speake of it ¶ Of the beginning of Mariages and the sundry vse of the same AFter that God had made the worlde in full perfection and so beautiful that the Gréekes did call it Cosmos which is faire framing all things for the vse of man aswell the world as also all that mooue or growe in the worlde hée then made a woman whiche shoulde be likewise a further solace vnto man And where he made the worlde and all liuyng creatures beside in seuerall and sundry proportions yet hée framed man like him selfe to beholde the heauens to measure the elementes and to rule the very Globes and to this ende hée might multiplye the worlde saying vnto Adam after hée blessed all thinges on earth Go and multiplie This multiplication and the vse thereof was so diuers that diuers countreys had sundry orders aswell in single life as in matrimonie And as concerning antiquitie of mariage wée reade in Trogus that noble Historian that Cecrops the first King of Athens before the time of Deucalion to haue first framed appointed Matrimonie in Gréece But such was their orders in diuers places such was their libertie in Matrimonie that the Egyptians the Indians and the Thracians might marry as many as they woulde according vnto the abilitie of the man some tenne some twelue some more some lesse Againe the Scithians the Perseans and all Barbarie there marriages and wiues were common one for another like brute beastes The Massagetes had this law that it was not to be suffered that any of their countrey should marry but one wife but it was lawfull for any man to take another mans wife and to make an exchange for so were their wiues common vnto all but marryed vnto one In Libia the people called Augylas and the people called Nasamones had this order in their Matrimonies that y e Bride the first night after she was marryed shoulde lie with euery ghest before she shoulde go to bed with her owne husbande The Arabians lawe was that one women was marryed vnto all her kinsmen and at all times lawfull for any of her kinne to chalenge and claime her as his wife vsing this policie to leaue a staffe at the chamber doore to geue to vnderstande that one was in bed with her And when the staffe was not there then they knew that no body was within in so much if any were founde of another kinrede it was adulterie and by law hée shoulde dye Polidor reciteth a historye for the purpose to bée noted that there was a Kinges daughter of great beautie which had fiftéene tall men vnto her brethren with whom seuerally often times she did accompay and beyng almost weryed desirous to take some rest for she was so faire and they were so many that alwayes she had company she vsed this policie to make a staffe much like vnto the chamber staffe which was as it were a Porter appointed And vpon a time after that one of her brethren had left her in the chaumber and was gone out she straight layed the staffe at the doore thinkyng thereby somewhat to ease her selfe and to rest from venery but one of her brethâ—n came from the market where hée left the rest of his brethren together and when hée sawe the staffe at the doore went straight vnto his father and accused his sister of adulterie saying that all his brethren were in the market and that there was a fornicator with his sister but the matter being knowne hée was punished of his father for that hée slaundered his â—ister The like libertie in matrimony was sometime amongst the Meedes and with the people called Magi Anthropophagi and with diuers others Some of Ethiopia and some of Arabia that maried their owne mothers and Sisters Thus people diuers where did leade their liues and doe leade their liues so horriblye and filthyly that better it were not to know it than to know it but though it be a play and a sporte vnto the vngodlye and wicked yet it is a horror and ougly monster vnto the godly and wise For to know all thinges profiteth the good Herodot in his fourth booke doth make mention of certen inhabitants called Poeni approching the confines of Egypt whose order and lawe of matrimonie was that the King of that countrie should haue the first taste of the Bride before hir husbande this order was once obserued of the auncient Scottes that the Lorde of the soyle shoulde haue the virginitie of the maried woman The Assyrian and Babilonians did sometime marye those that hyred their bodies vnto all men The people called Centabri gaue money as a dowrie with theyr wiues vnto other men The Lidians and the Ciprians theyr daughters might not marye vntill they had gayned by the hier of their bodyes as much as shoulde paye their dowrie In the meane time did they go from Citie to Cittie from towne to towne gyuing them selues an offer vnto euery man vpon the high waye and when they hadde gayned sufficientlye for their dowrie then might they mary and not before And thus sundrie orders and seuerall lawes in maintayning the same Some againe leading a swinishe life without women as Esseni which Plini affirmeth that they lyue most sober and chaste without women all theyr life tyme. And certen people of Thracia called Ctistae which likewise auoyded the company of women The Romanes after Rome was builded fiue hundreth yeares and and more kept matrimonie inuiolated vntill Spurinus a noble Roman for that his wife was barren had dyuorcement in that time that Pomponiê° Papiriê° were Consulles in Rome that was the first diuorcement in Rome Moyses perceyuing the Iewes muche to bée gyuen vnto extreame seuerall vices some vnto couetousnesse some vnto lechery that for reformation of domesticall quietnesse for that the Iewes were so desirous of other women eyther for beawtie or for wealth their owne they punished and plagued vnto death they had a diuorcement of Moyses to mitigat the furye and hardnesse of their harts rather to auoyde the tyranny of the Iewes which they vsed towards their wyues by sufferaunce then by commaundement For as the world in most places was too wicked concernyng the libertie of Matrimonie so were they in diuers countreys very straite concerning mariages in so much the Ethnikes obserued that sentence of Catullus the Poet that virginitie
the Lacedemonians and the Thracians people though they were much giuen to warres seuere in dealing hardie in all trauayles and in learning most rude yet woulde they acquaint themselues with musicke vntill they were thirtie yeres olde The people of Créete brought vp their youth in all kinde of melodye and harmony The most part of the worlde dyd learne musicke saue in Egypt as Diodorus in his second booke affirmeth that musicke was forbidden least the tender and soft mindes of their youth shoulde bée intised to too much pleasure And though some contemne musicke with Diogines and saye that it were more profitable to mende maners than to learne musicke And some that will with Alcibiades taunt musicke who was woont to say that the Thebans were méete men to learne musicke for that they coulde not speake but that the Athenians should hate such wanton tunes for that thei spake without instrument Likewise King Pirrhus being demaunded which was the best musition Python or Charisius he despising them and their musicke preferred a great warrior according to his owne mind named Polysperches Though these I say with diuers others despised musicke sometime yet wée reade againe as wise as they as stout as they vsed much musick as Achilles Alexander the great Nero Silla M. Cato Socrates Cimon To many might I repeate that were as wise as they were merie as learned Ioppas whose songues in Virgill are expressed as Salij whose pleasaunt pamphletes Rome a long while embraced and much estéemed For as musicke is dolefull pleasaunt full of harmony and melodie so is musick terrible and fearefull full of life and courage For wée reade in the olde age while yet the worlde was rawe that Aliates King of Lidia â–ª in his warres against the Milesios hadde musitions for his Trumpetters Pipers and Fidlers as Herodotê° in his first booke affirmeth to mooue the people with musicke vnto warres The people of Créete as Gellius writeth had Gitternes and Cithrones playing before them as they went vnto the fielde to fight The Parthians vsed as Plutarchus in the life of Crassus reporteth the ringing of belles at theyr going vnto field The Ethiopians vsed songes of diuers tunes and dauncing before they went to warres The Sirians before they mette their enimies woulde sing Balades to honour the same with all kind of dauncing to solace them selues The Cimbrians did make melodye with drie skinnes beating the skinnes with stickes at the very entraunce vnto the enimies Cirus the great King dyd with his souldiours sing vnto Castor and Pollux before he tooke his voyage to the enimies The Athenians woulde sing Hymnes vnto Iupiter before they woulde go to the féelde The first noyse and sounde that the Lacedemonians had as Thucidides saith in stéede of TruÌ„pettes were Flutes vntil by an oracle they were warned of Apollo that if they thought to haue victory euer Messena they should appoynt a man of Athens for their Capitaine the Athenians being right glad of the oracle for that the Lacedemonians Athenians were alwayes enimies one vnto another they sent vnto Athens for a Captaine where they appointed vnto them a lame and a deformed man named Dircaeus in reproche a mock of the Lacedemonians This Dircaeus being appointed and made a Capitaine ouer all the people of Sparta he first then inuented the trumpe and taught all the Lacedemonians to sounde the trumpe which was such a terror vnto the enemies the people of Messaena that at the first sounde of the trumpets they fledde and so the Lacedemonians got the victory Thus was the auncient musicke in the beginning so necessary that euery countrey endeuoured to haue skyll in musicke then Mars claimed musicke in the féelde nowe Venus occupieth musicke in Chaumbers that kinde of gentle and softe musicke the Egyptians forbad the youth to bée taught therein lest from men they woulde become againe women But shall wée ioyne the olde auncient games the mirth the solace and the playes that they vsed in those dayes together with their musicke to prooue the agilitie of that time and the actiuities of that age to bée much estéemed amoÌ„gst the Gréekes and Gentiles The Gréekes at some time had foure great games appointed the first in mount Olimpia in Arcadia harde by the Citie Pisa which Hercules inuented first to honour Iupiter This was so famous amonst the Gréekes that euen as the Romanes vsed to accompt the â—ime by their Consuls so did the Gréekes vse to number by the games of Olimpia which was appointed euerye first yere Unto this game came all the youth of the worlde both on horsebacke and on foote to do maisteries the reward was appointed for the victors a Garland made of Oliue leaues for they came not there for money but for mirth and exercise in so much that when Tigranes King Artabanus sonne harde of the fame therof and of the Garlandes of Oliue hée sayde Well worthy were the Gréekes to be spoken of that so litle estéemed money that Oliue was preferred for the chéefe reward in Olimpia This same mooued first King Zerxes to warre against the Gréekes to his losse and decaye The seconde games were called Pithij and inuented of Apollo in memory that hée killed the great Serpent Python which was of Iuno sent to kyll Latona Apollo his mother Here was appointed for the victories eyther a foote or a horsebacke a Garlande made of Oken leaues Here likewise all the youth of Gréece exercised feates practized policies vsed maisteries and prooued them selues in any thing that they felt them apt to do as in running leaping wrastling riding swimming or such like as then wée vsed The thirde was called Isthmia inuented of Theseus in the honour of Neptune In this play was appointed for y e victors certen garlands made of Pine leaues hauyng the name of Isthmos a place in Achaia where Neptune is worshipped where the Temple of Neptune is compassed The fourth game is called Nemea which the Argiues make in memory of Hercules for that hée killed a great and a fearce Lion in the woods of Nemea according vnto the name of the play Here do likewise the Argiues come to exercise youth practize feates as the rest do These foure playes were long in Gréece obserued as causes and occasions for men to come together to shewe feates and to trye qualities The first in Olimpus for Iupiter the seconde in Delos for Apollo the thirde in Isthmos a place in Achaia for Neptune the fourth amongst the Argiues to Hercules In the first play the Garlande of victory was of Oliue in the seconde play the Garlande of victory was of Oke in the thirde play they had their Garlandes of Pine the fourth play of Poply and thus then they triumphed in their mirth they bragged of their victories they gloried in their garlandes while yet Lawrel as Ouid sayde was not knowen Besides these foure famous playes there were diuers others as Pirrhus play which hée
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
Tiber the Dogge was séene as Fulgotius sayth to doe what hée coulde to lift vp his maysters heade out of the water thinking his mayster had béene aliue At what time Pirrhus subdued the Citie of Argos there was in that warres an Elepâ—ant which after he perceyued that his Mayster was slaine went vp and downe amongst the deade souldiours to séeke his Mayster which being founde deade the Elephant brought his bodie being deade to a safe place where the Elephant after much mourning died for sorow The like Examples we reade in Plini of horses and specially of thrée the one Alexander the great King of Macedonia hadde the seconde Iulius Caesar Emperour of Rome hadde the third Antiochus king of Siria had These thrée noble Horses suffred no man to ride or touch them but their owne maisters and so gentle vnto them that they kneled to let them mount on their backes Thus beastes beare fancie vnto men obey and loue men most true and trustie vnto men and such loue as neyther Seleucus to his sonne Antigonus or Pericles to his sonne Parialus nor in Socrates to his sonne Lamproces did neuer shewe How gentle was a Woolfe vnto king Romulus to nourish him in spite of his Grandefather Amulius How louing was a Beare vnto Alexander to bring him vp against his fathers will King Priamus How kinde was a Bitch vnto King Cirus to foster him vnwares vnto his Grandefather king Astiages The Bées came vnto Plato his Cradle to féede him with honye being an infant The little Antes brought greynes to féede king Mydas being likewise in his Cradle O what is man sayde the Prophet Dauid that thou art so mindefull of him that thou hast brought all thinges in subiection vnto him beastes of the fielde foules of the ayre and fishes of the Seas all thinges made to feare and to loue him and yet hée neyther to feare God nor to loue himselfe Wée reade in Q. Curtius of an Elephant that King Porus of India hadde which Alexander the great tooke captiue afterward when this Elephant sawe the King first hée knéeled downe and shewed such honour and homage as was marueylous to the beholders It is reade in Caelius of a king in Egipt named Merthes that had a Crowe taught to carie his letters any where that y e king would commaunde hir she knew where to flie and to whome she was sent how to deliuer the letters and how to bring aunswere in writing whome againe Plini doth write that a Nighting-gale loued Stesicorus so well that it woulde alwayes sing at the becke of Stesicorus to pleasure him Heraclides the Philosopher had a Dragon taught to followe him euery where Aiax likewise had in Locresia a Serpent taught and brought vp to honour him as his mayster Agrippina the Empresse and wife vnto Claudian had a Thrush that neuer departed from hir during the Empresse life Plini hath in his booke of naturall histories infinite such example to proue the loue that all moouing creatures doe owe and shew vnto man as the wilde Bull in Tarentum the raging Beare in Daunia which Pithagoras so tamed that all places al countries al persons were sure safe from any damage or hurt by these wild beasts This coÌ„meth by no vertue that is in man but only by that which god made for man that all liuing creatures feare man and loue man So that if comparisons be made it shall be euident that there hath béene more loue in beastes towardes man than in man towardes man yea then brother vnto brother than the husbande to the wife or the wife toward hir husbande considering the nature of man and beast togither ¶ Certen ethical Arithmologies drawne out of deuine and prophane auctorities AMongst other examples of mans life I thought it chiefly necessarie to note fewe Arithmologies which Salomon the wise and Ihesus the sonne of Syrach with other learned writers haue amongst theyr chiefe writinges noted And bycause they are deuided innumbers for the ease of memorie and for the delectation of minde the rather worthie they are of the reading very pleasaunt and very necessarie vnto any godly wise and discréete man to be marked and first from the wise sayings of Salomon these examples are to be reade as foloweth There are sixe things which God hateth and the seuenth hée vtterly abhorreth Lusting eyes a deceitfull tongue handes embrewed with blood féete swift to commit euyll a heart that imagineth wickednesse false witnesse and he that sâ—weth debate amongst brethren There are also thrée things neuer satisfied and the fourth neuer saith ho A woman that is vntemperate the earth that is drie hell is neuer satisfied and the fire hath neuer Wood enough There be likewise thrée thinges that maye not bée knowen and the fourth no man is able to vnderstande The steppes of an Eagle fléeyng in the ayre the way of a Serpent ouer a rock the path of a Ship in the Sea and the life of a young man in his youth For thrée things the earth is often plagued and the fourth is vntollerable When a seruaunt is made lord ouer his Maisters substaunce when a foole is pampered with all kinde of meates when a woman is addicted to filthy lust and when a handmayde is made heire vnto her Maistresse Thrée things pleaseth both God and man Concord betwéene brethren amitie betwéene neighbours and a man and his wife that agréeth well together Thrée things againe cleane contrarye displeaseth both God and man A poore man proude a riche man a lyer and an olde man that doteth in his latter yeres Two things saith Syrach troubleth my minde and the thirde maketh me angry When wisemen are despised when expert souldiours are in pouerty when a man declineth from vertue vnto vice And thus farre of Salamon and Sirach Now to passe orderly vnto prophane auctorities where the like sentences are noted Thrée things can neuer want due commendations Good wine when it is dronke a wise sentence when it is spoken and a good man in aduersities Two things can suffer no equality Loue and principalitie It is hurtfull to make haste vnto foure places Unto a fray vnto a drunken company vnto a feast vnbidden and vnto talke with a foole Foure things hurt much the sight of man Teares smoke winde and the worst of all to sée his fréendes vnlucky and his foes happy Take héede that thou mooue nor stirre these that folow A murtherer a hasty tongued man a woman that is willyng to play the drab and a horse that runneth mainly in a daungerous place Trust not to much fiue things lest thou bée deceaued A straunge Dogge an vnknowen horse a talkatiue woman a bragging seruant and a holow banck Be not angry in no wise with thrée thinges With the trueth with good counsell and with crowing of the Cock in the morning to stirre thée from too much sléepe There are amongst men thrée kinde of men very gréeuous He that is arrogant in drinke
he supposed slaine through deceipt euen so was Alebas chief gouernour of Larissa a citie in Thessalie murthered of his owne souldiors The desire that men beare vnto honour and dignitie is suche that accompaneth with death as Spu Cassius and Spu Melus for the gredines vnto the Empire of Rome wer bothe worthely beheaded God hath shewed iuste vengeance vpon princes for their iniquitie with plagues Pestilences whiche spoiled the Emperor Constantine the Empresse his wife Zoae and by this was Marcus Antonius Alphonsius and Domitius iustly and worthely punished God hath wonderfully punished the pride of princes euen with shamefull and horrible death that Lice and Uermine consumed their bodies a liue As Maximilian the Emperoure Arnulphus Honorificus kyng of the Vandoles and Herode kyng of Iewrie wer eaten vp a liue with vermines and wormes Plini and Plutarche saieth that proude Silla whiche sore plagued Rome and Italie was conuerted all his fleshe vnto lice and so died Herodotus dooeth like wise reporte of one Pheretrina a Quéene of Barcaeans that of this filthie and horrible death died GOD gaue theim ouer in the middeste of their pleasure euen eatyng and drinkyng as Septimus and Valentianus twoo famous Emperours died of surfette for wante of disgestion Archesilaus died presently with one draught of wine What is the life of Princes but an vncertaine Pilgrimages whiche scante seeth his daies fully by nature graunted as we see how and after what sort thei die daiely euery where There was greate difference betwene the Pilgrimage of Vlixes and his felowes whiche Cirses the Witche did chaunge theim vnto diuers kindes of beastes for that thei knewe not what Pilgrimage meante and Vlixes hym self kepte his naturatl shape and frame And for that in his pilgrimage he was wise and painfull in his life he did learne of Aeolus Phisick of Cirses Magicke of Calipso Astronomie and that vnder couler of fables That pilgrimage is onely appointed vnto manne to knowe hym self and to serue his God diuers learned Philosophers as Pithagoras Democritus Anaxogaras trauailed from Grece vnto Aegypte vnto Persia vnto Caldea and to diuers other countries for knowledge sake Anachassis from colde Scythia made his voiage to Athens for learnyng Appolonius from Rome went ouer Caucasus vnto India vnto Assiria to knowe more Philosophie Yea womeÌ„ are famous for their pilgrimage therein as Saba came from Aethiope the farthest part of the worlde to heare Salamons witte and to learne wisedome Cornelia froÌ„ Rome beyng a noble woman wente vnto Palaestina to heare saincte Hierome teache Christians The Pilgrimage that Solon made for AtheÌ„s that Lycurgus made for the Lacedemonians that Architas made for Tarentum are commended The trauaile that Pittacus tooke for the people of Myâ—tilaena that that Cleobulus tooke for the Rhodians that Bias and Thales tooke for the people of Ionia are praised Wee are borne not for our selues but for our countrey and frendes for them wee ought to trauaile For this cause became Plato from a famous oratour in Athens to bée a renoumed souldior at the besiegyng of Corinth and Tenagra For this wente Socrates Platoes maister to Amphipolis and Potidaea a twoo greate cities in Delos to fight for their Countrey Philosophers were not alwaies occupied with bookes but when tyme serued thei were seen in armes as Architas was sixe tymes generall emongest the Tarentines Tyrtaeus elected gyaunde Capitaine emongest the Lacedemonians Xenophon whiche Thucidides highly aduaunce one of the chief Souldiours of kyng Cirus What caused the Philosopher Zeno to resist the princely power of king Antigonus What moued Bias to withstande the force of kyng Aliates In fine what made Phocion Aristides Themistocles and others to become souldiours to stand in armes against their enemies the loue of Athens The pilgrimage of this our life is nothing els but a continuall trauaill vntill we come to our last iourney whiche is death then is the ende of all pilgrimage and iuste accoumpt to bee made for the same ¶ Of Dissimulation and Crafte of Subtiltie and Deceipte DIogenes that Cinike Philosopher makyng hym self ignoraunt somtyme in that which he knewe beste was wont in banquettes and feastes to say if any manne had demaunded what kind of meate wer ther I can not name but I caÌ„ eate it and so would passe to aunswer any thing truely with dissimulatioÌ„s in so muche that Sigismonde the Emperour would saie that he that could not dissemble could not rule At what tyme Galba a Citizein of Rome had bidden a gentleman named Mecaenas vnto Supper perceiuyng the gentleman to bee in loue with his wife fained hym a sleepe for that Mecaenas might shewe some part of his will and loue in the meane season while his wife and Mecaena were in talke and he hym self in dissemblyng slept came one of his seruauntes to take some thinges awaie from the table supposyng his maister had been a sleepe vnto whom his maister saied well you varlet though I see not Mercaenas yet I see to you I sleepe vnto hym and not vnto you The like dissimulation was betwene Demosthenes and Archias at what tyme he fledde Athens for feare of Antipaters displeasure and went vnto the Isle Calauria where in the Temple of Neptune he hid hym self vntill Archias came and promised hym what honour and dignitie he should haue if he could come vnto Antipater and with faire wordes he dissembled with Demosthenes that he came for the purpose from the kyng vnto him Demosthenes perceiuyng his dissimulations and craftie meanes answered plainly to moue hym vnto anger where truthe is oftentimes opened and saied Thou of all men couldest neuer play vpoÌ„ the stages plaiyng thy parte then and now at this tyme thou canst not bee an Oratour to perswade me whereat Archias waxed angrie and threatned to hale him out of the Temple vnto whom Demosthenes answered Nowe perforce thy dissimulation is chaunsed vnto truthe I might hereon staie to note the greate dissimulations betwene Metellus and Scipio whiche was so greate that Metellus faigned that Rome was happie that Scipio was borne therin and yet his mortall enemie all the daies of his life and therefore Fredericke an Emperour sometyme of Rome at what tyme the Senatours would goe sitte aboute the state of the citie would saie before you go vnto the Senate house caste awaie from you twoo thynges that you cary with you and beeyng demaunded of the Senatours what twoo thynges were thei he saied Simulations and Dissimulations In this Philippe of Macedon did differ muche from his soonne Alexander in so muche that Alexander would consente to nothyng but to magnimitie and truthe and his father to all kinde of falshood as seen by subduyng of the Sarunsians and the Cities of Thracia who vnder coulour of peace commaunded his Souldiours to bryng vnder their clokes euery one a coarde that at what tyme kyng Philippe
made silence to speake the enemies being attentife to heare he retched for the his right hande for a watche woorde to his Souldiours sodainly to binde with their coardes their enemies and to bryng theim captiues to Macedonia The like craft vsed Alcibiades emongest the Agrigentines fainyng that he hadde to speake for the common profite as well of Athens as of AgrigentuÌ„ callyng theÌ„ in place as though he would open some thyng necessarie vnto them had the Grekes ready in the meane time to take the citie and to possesse their substaunce by this crafte Suche crafte vsed Thrasillus to take the Citie Byzantium suche deceipte vsed Zopirus to ouercome Babilon Suche did Tarquinius the soonne of Sextus Tarquinius practise against the Gabians who when he perceiued that his father might by no meanes subdue them he imitated Zopirus craft makyng the enemies to beleue that he was ill handeled and cruelly vsed of his father and that he knewe well how to deceiue his father and to betraie hym vnto them thei beyng readie to beleue Tarquinius made hym chief of their companie he straight sente to his father messengers to signifie vnto hym that he might doe his pleasure with his enemies The olde Tarquinius vnderstandyng the crafte and subtiltie of his soonne brought the messenger vnto a faire garden mistrustyng like a wise prince the matter gaue this subtile warning vnto his sonnes embassador Walkyng vp and doune the Garden with diuers noble menne he with his staffe beate the chief flowers of the Garden saiyng vnto the messenger fare well tell my soonne what I dooe and bid hym doe accordyngly whiche yong Tarquinius perceiuyng his fathers minde slue the best of the enemies oppressed the chief men and betraied the Citie vnto his father By this meanes the crafte that Conon the Athenian deceiued the Persians in Ciprus The subtiltie that Pysistratus vsed to begile the people of Megaera Haniball in Italy are of like effecte that subdued Tarentum in so muche that Hanibal was woÌ„t to saie wheÌ„ the Romains had again wonne TarentuÌ„ Eadem arte qua prius â—aepimus Tarentum amifimus For by crafte Hanibal vanquished the Tarentines and by crafte did the Romains win the same againe Antigonus deceiued the Citizeins of Corinth vnder the coulour of mariage betwixt his soonne Demetrius and Alexanders wife who then was a widowe and a Queene in Corinth that in the middest of triumphes and preparations to the mariage Antigonus by deceipte tooke the Castle commaunded his soldiours in armes and proclaimed hym self kyng in Corinth In the same booke of Poliaenus the like historie is writteÌ„ of Lysander of Sparta and Nearchus of Crete the one promisyng to the inhabitauntes of Miletum his aide and helpe in defending their liberties the people giuyng credite vnto a kynges promise trusted to haue Lisander their speciall frende thei founde hym their mortall foe for he deceiued theim thereby and tooke the citie of Miletum vnto hym self The other sailyng vnto the Hauen of Telmessus to renue frendship with Antipatridas who then gouerned the citie of Telmessus vnder the colour of frendshippe he had his men of armes ready on the Sea to destroye his frende to take the citie vnto him self This deceipt was not onely seen in warres where muche falshoode and periurie are practized but in all thynges men vse crafte accordyng to the prouerbe There is crafte in daubyng To speake of Theodectes crafte towarde his maister Aristotle to spoile hym priuily of his glory To speake of Sertorius deceipte in winnyng aucthoritie emong the common people To describe the means that Dionisius vsed to gette money emongest the Siracusans or howe Pythius deceiued Cannius in his bargaine of Fishe Or how Darius became king of Persia by nisyng of a Mare and a million more suche deceiptes and craftes I will that the reader reade Poliaenus when he shall haue enough of falshode because crafte is vsed diuersly I wil somewhat touche those that vsed crafte in altering theÌ„ selues in forme and shape of women some for filthie luste some for vertue sake some for vice What kinde of dissimulation was in Sardanapalus Kyng of Siâ—ia to forsake the Empire to forgo his kyngdome to become from a Prince like a woman to spinne and carde with his concubines and so from the shape of a man to dessemble hym to be a woman What kinde of dissimulation did that renowmed euen the ofspryng of Goddes and soonne vnto Iupiter that mightie Hercules after that he tamed monsters slue Giantes ouercame Dragons Lions wilde beastes and yet to translate hym from a champion and a conquerour in a womans apparell formed hym self a woman with suche cautell and craftie dissimulations that he serued Omphale Quene of Lidia like a woman in the apparell of a woman at the whele at the cardes at Omphales coÌ„maundement What kinde of crafte vsed Clodius to bryng his purpose to passe with Pompeia Caesars wife likewise dissemblyng hym self to bee a woman as Cicero tanteth him in an epistle that he writeth vnto Lentulus where he saieth that Clodius dissembled with the Nimph Bona dea as he was wonte to vse the three sisters Thus Clodius would at all tymes goe vnto Pompeia in the apparel of a woman to vse suche feates that made Caesar to deuorse his wife Pompeia Dissimulations cautelles craftes as thei are most euill to practise wicked thynges so are thei of the contrary moste necessary to doe good as Euclides whiche vsed the like crafte as before but to the better purpose where thei practised this feate to feede luste to pleasure affection he vsed it to see Socrates reade Philosophie and to learne wisedome for there was a Lawe betwene Athens and the Megaris for the greate hatered that the one bare vnto the other that who so euer came from Athens vnto Megaris should die And who so euer would goe from Megaris vnto Athens should likewise die This death feared not Euclides so much from his purpose but loue that he bare vnto Socrates vnto Philosophie and vnto wisedome was asmuche that he would in the night trauaile from Megaris vnto Athens In the apparel of a woman lest he should bee knowen and retourne before daie from Athens vnto Megaris again This dissimulation and crafte of Euclides was farre better and more to bee commended then the doynges of the fore renowmed Princes Better is Semiramis Quéene of Babilon thought of that she perceiuing her yong sonne Ninus to bee too tender to gouerne the stoute Babilonians and Assirians knowyng the nature of the people to bée impaciente of a womans gouernemente she became in apparell like a man and rule the kyngdome vntill her sonne came vnto ripe age More praise ought Pelagia haue a woman of Antioch though she fained hym self to bee a man and dissembled with the worlde in that case yet this was to auoide pleasure and luste and to liue chastly and solitarie without the companie of men For this
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
the lowest frequeÌ„ting the court more than the countrie approching nier stately princes than poore beggers And no meruell when Christ was assaulted with flattery of the Diuell promising him all the world if hée would knéele and flatter him Would to God that all Princes would speake vnto flatterers as Christ spake vnto the Diuell Auoyde Satan Away flatterer Or else I wish that wise men which are sonest of all by flattery allured to imitate the example of a noble man of Thebes named Ismenias who being sent Embassadour from Thebes vnto Persea vnderstaÌ„ding the maners fashions of the prowde Perseans that nothing can be gotten without flatterie no body can be hearde without knéeling dyd lette downe his ring to the grounde whereby he might stoope before the King not vnto the King but to take vp his ring Or else I woulde wishe all men to aunswere flatterers as Diogines aunswered Aristippus who speaking vnto Diogines that if Diogines could be content to flatter Dionisius the King hée néeded not to licke dishes or to liue poorely in Athens vnto whom hée aunswered if Aristippus coulde be content to licke dishes or to liue poorely in Athens he néeded not to flatter Dionisiê° It is read in Caelius that the women of Cipria were most giueÌ„ to loue flatterie insomuch they knéeled downe to bowe and bende their shoulders as a footestoole vnto their Ladies to mount vnto their Chariots surely the men of Persea and the women of Cipria engendred such broode of flattering Parasites that glorious Maysters neuer want flattering seruauntes The schollers of Gnato frequent alwayes Thrasonical places Haue we not many now a dayes that will speake vnto their friendes as Nicesias was woont to saye to Alexander the great being wounded and his bloode gushing out O what noble bloode is thys this bloode commeth from some God and not of man that I saye flattering Nicesias woulde affirme that that Gnat which happened to taste of the bloode of Alexander must néedes farre surmount other Gnats The wiseman saith that fiue things ought of all men to be mistrusted a straunge Dogge an vnknowen horse a holowe banck a talkatiue woman and a flattering seruaunt Fayre wordes make fooles faine yea flattering speache ouercome wise men Demetrius hauing then obtayned victory in the warres at Salamina being so ioyfull and glad of his hap did sende Aristodemus a very subtill and a cunning flatterer to certifie his father King Antigonus of his prosperous successe geuing in charge vnto him to shew the King his father orderly the triumph and victory in large maner Aristodemus no lesse ioyfull of the message then skilfull in flatterye leauing his Nauay and his company in Cipris went on lande towarde King Antigonus who hauing vnderstanding that Aristodemus was come from his sonne Demetrius being desirous after long looking of newes to heare of the warres and successe of his sonne sent diuers to méete him on the way to know the trueth and effect of his comming he saluting all men as one very sad and so sad that all men iudged that either Demetrius was slaine or else lost the fielde The King being certified that Aristodemê° was very sad and that there was no likenesse of good newes came hastily to méete him which when Aristodemê° saw he cryed out with a loude voyce a farre of saying Most happy art thou King Antigonê° commended of the gods saluted of Demetrius and this day feared of all the world Thy sonne is conquerer ouer conquerers and King ouer Kinges triumphant victor in the warres at Salamina thus artificially Aristodemus vsed suche flattery before King Antigonus that the King had as great a delite to heare Aristodemus flattering phrase as he had ioy and gladnesse of the prosperitie of his sonne Demetrius Thus Aristodemus with flattery won the heart and waded the bowels of King Antigonus that his rewarde was as much by his flatterye as his thankes was for his newes Marcus Antonius delited so much in the flattering speache of the Athinians at what time he was enforced to forsake Rome by meanes of Augustus Caesar who to reuenge the death of his Uncle Iulius threatned Antonius that the Citizens of Athens went to méete him out of the Citie hauing an Oration in commendation of his wisedome saying that he was well worthy to haue Minerua in mariage He ioyed so much of their adulation that they won this Romane by flattery to do more honor vnto Athens then nature could craue at his hand to loue Rome Such force hath flattery that when Alexander the great woulde haue dyed for sorowe yea woulde haue kylled him selfe for that he slue Clitus his foster brother in his anger â–ª yet Anaxarchus with faire wordes and sugred sentences asswaged his sorowes Aristippus when he might not obtaine his purpose at Dionisiê° hande with flattery and faire words he would knéele downe embrasing and kissing his féete and being accused of his friendes for that he was a Philosopher to be a flatterer he aunswered them in this sort Aristippê° is not in fault to speake vnto any man where his eare is Dionisius rather is to be blamed to heare at his féete or to haue his eares at his héeles Diogines therfore being demaunded what beast was most hurtfull vnto man of wilde beastes sayde he a tyraunt of tame beastes a flatterer What greater hurt happened vnto that noble and famous Alcibiades then flattery of fained fréendes to take him awaye from his maister Socrates with whom he was instructed in Philosophie to knowe him selfe to bée acquainted with selfe loue and to glory in flattery that at length with Timandra his harlot who a long time beguiled him with flattery y e house being fired hée was forced to flée naked from his foe vnto the midst of his enimies to be slaine And thus this valiaunt Gréeke was shamfully slaine by flattery whom y e learned Thucidides could neuer sufficiently praise his vertues otherwise what subiect is he that deliteth not in flattery what prince is he y t is not pleased with adulation What God is he saith the Poet that loueth not his commendation and prayse Hercules was gladde to heare the adulation of Cercopes Bacchus was ioyfull to heare the flatterie of Silenê° Euen Iupiter himselfe the king of gods was delighted in Vulcan The remedie therefore to auoyde this Gorgon to expell this monster to exile this murtherer is as Cato the wiseman sayth to vse truth for he that vseth to heare good talke alwayes will neuer speake euill anye time The nature of flatterie was so knowne that it was so hated of Augustus the Emperour that he lothed knéeling of his housholde seruauntes Tiberius the Emperour likewise woulde in no wise suffer anye of his owne men to call him Lorde for that there is but one Lorde Flatterie was so abhorred in Athens that when Timagoras was sent as an Embassadour vnto Darius king of Persea for that hée flattered
the King in talke at his returne hée was beheaded â–ª Euen so Euagoras for that hée called Alexander the sonne of Iupiter was punished vnto death The Lacedemonians feared flattery so much that they banished Archilogus onlye for his eloquence in a Booke that he made Flatterie was so odious in Rome that Cato the Censor gaue coÌ„maundement to expell certen fine Oratours of Athens out of Rome least with fayre speache and flattery they might annoy the state of Rome what is it but flatterie can compasse what may not sugred Oratours mooue what coulde not Demosthenes doe in Athens what might not Cicero perswade in Rome King Pirrhus was woont to saye of Cineas his Philosopher that hée won more Citties Townes and countries through the flattering stile of Cineas than he euer subdued with the strength and force of all the kingdome of Epire. But to auoyd two much iarring of one string which as Plutarch sayth is tedious to the reader for nature is desirous sayth Plantus of nouelties Leauing flatterye as counsaylour vnto Princes hayle fâ—llowe with noble men chamberlaine with Ladies chiefe gouernour of the common people To speake a little of those that fledde flatterie it was the onely cause that Pithagoras that noble Philosopher forsooke his countrie Samos the whole occasion that worthy and learned Solon fledde from Athens the chiefe matter that made Licurgus to renounce Lacedemonia and the onely cause that made Scipio Nasica forsake Rome for where flattery is estéemed there truth is banished where flatterie is aduanced and honored there truth is oppressed and vanquished In fine flatterie findeth frindeshippe when truth getteth hatred as prooued in the histories of Senica and Calisthenes two famous Philosophers the one Maister vnto Nero Emperour of Rome â–ª the other appoynted by Aristotle to attende vppon Alexander the great King of Macedonia which Philosophers bycause they would not féede the corrupt natures insolent mindes of these prowde Princes with adulation and flatterye they were both put to death Seneca by Nero for his paine and trauell taken with the Emperour in reading him philosophie while Nero was young Calisthenes by Alexander for that he inueyed against the Meedes and Perseans who vsed suche flatterie that Alexander commaunded all men to call him the sonne of Iupiter Euen so of Cicero and Demosthenes the one the soueraigne Orator and Phaenix of Rome the onelye bulwarke of all Italie the other the sugred Anker the patron of Athens and protector of all Gréece After they hadde sundrie and diuers times saued these two famous Cities Rome and Athens the one from the pernicious coniurations and priuie conspiracie of that wicked Catelin and his adherentes the other from the prowde attemptes and long warres of that most renowned warriour Phillip King of Macedonia yet were they after many vertuous actes done in their countries and for their countries from their countries quite banished and exiled Cicero for Clodius sake Demosthenes for Harpalus which the Romans tooke so heauily that twentie thousande ware mourning apparell with no lesse heauinesse in Rome than teares for Demostenes in Athens Flatterye then was of some so hated that noble Phoceon and learned Athinian was woont to say to his fréende Antipater that he woulde take no man to be his fréende that hée knew to bée a flatterer And most certen it is that hée at this day that can not flatter can get no fréendship according vnto that saying of Terence obsequium amicos c. For euen as Aristides of Athens for his manifolde benefitâ—s vnto the Athenians was by flattery preuented and for trueth banished so likewise was Thucidides being sent as an Embassadour from Athens vnto Amphipolis a Cittie betwixt Thracia and Macedonia whiche King Philip kept by force by flattery preuented and exiled True seruice is often rewarded with anger and wrath of Princes as Thrasibulus a noble captaine and famous for his truth was banished out of Athens Lentulus the defender of Italy exiled from Rome Dion of Siracusa hunted out of his countrey by Dionisius euen that renowmed Hanibal the long protector of Carthage compelled after long seruice to range abrode like a pilgrime euery where to séeke some safegarde of his life Too many examples might be brought of Gréeke and Latin histories for the proofe hereof The chéefest Ancker and the strongest bulwark of common wealth saith Demosthenes is assured faith without flattery and good wyll tryed in the Commons plainnesse without deceit boldnesse and trust in the nobles Flattery is the only snare that wisemen are deceyued withall and that the Pharisées knew well when that they woulde take our Sauiour Christe tardie in his talke they began to flatter him with faire wordes saying Maister wée know that thou art iust and true and that thou camest from God Euen so Herode willyng to please the Iewes in kyllyng Iames the brother of Iohn in prisoning Peter in pleasing the people with flatterie that when Herode spake any flattering phrase the people straight cryed out saying this is the voyce of God and not the voyce of man so swéete was flatterie amongst the Iewes The flattering frindes of Ammon knowing the wickednesse of his minde and his peruerse dealing toward Mardocheus did not perswade Ammon from his tiranny but flattered with fayre wordes and made him prepare a huge Gallowes for Mardocheus where Ammon and hys children were hanged Likewise the young man that came to flatter king Dauid saying Saul and his children are deade was by Dauid for his flatterie commaunded to die Tertullius wheÌ„ he was brought to dispute with Paul first he flattered Faelix the President of the Iewes because with flatterie he thought to win the heartes of the hearers In fine flatteres will as the false prophetes sometime that did perswade Achab king of Israell of great fame and luck in the warres to come I saye they euen so will flatter their friendes of all good successe to come and passe with silence the truth present ¶ Of Pride PRide is the roote of all euill the sinke of all sinne the cause of all wickednesse the auncient enemy to the seate of GOD before man was made it did attempt the angels The outwarde pompe and vaine ostentations of shiftyng shewes from tyme to tyme from age to age maie be a suffient profe how prone howe bent and howe willyng we bee to honour pride Eusebius doth reporte that Domitianus the Emperour by an order of lawe charged al men to call him Dominum Deum Domitianum That is to name hym Lorde and GOD Domitian certenlie to heigh a stile though he was an Emperour to be called a God Likewise wee reade of a certen king in India named Sapor whiche would be called kyng of kynges brother vnto the Sunne and Moone felowe vnto the starres Aelianus a Gréeke historiographer in his 14. boke entituled of diuers histories doeth write of one Hanno borne in
haue to suffice his mynde vntill at length he was consumed with lice hym self as his money was corrupted with Mothes Thei enioye nothing though thei haue all things thei possesse nothyng though thei be Lordes of Countreis true is that golden sentence of the Stoickes that the wise manne is onely riche for contentation is perfecte wealthe That wiseman Bias at what tyme the Citie of Prienna was besieged and subdued by the enemies the Citizeins thereof commaunded and suffered with bagges of their treasures to departe euery manne loded hym self with siluer and golde but Bias who tooke nothyng but a booke in his hande and beyng demaunded of the enemies why he carried not his goodes with hym he saied that all his wealthe and richesse was in his harte meanyng knowledge and wisedome a place moste fitte to laie and to kepe treasure saiyng I haue all my wealthe aboute me whiche you can not spoile me of Herodotus a noble Historiographer writeth a noble historie of one Alcmaeon whiche because he was wonte to welcome often the Embassadours of Cressus kyng of Lidia as thei went to Delphos to consult with the Oracles of Apollo was thus rewarded of Kyng Cressus for his clemencie therein that AlcmeoÌ„ should haue as muche golde and siluer by the kynges treasurer as he would bee able to carrie or beare awaie whiche delited so muche the coueteous mynde of Alcmaeon that he was as willyng to take al the substance of the Kyng had he been able and beyng so heauie loded that his bodily strength failed to suffice his gredie mynde would in no wise deminishe any part of his desire thoughe he coulde augmente the habilitie of his strength by any meanes and so to satisfie his auarous mynde he could neuer lode hym self with a fitte burthen either to heauie that he could not carrie or els to lighte that he would not carrie and thus as one not so able in strength as he was willyng in minde could not prescribe measure to his desire Had Alcmaeon learned of Plato howe to deminishe rather desire to encrease his strengthe then to studie for riches he had been able to carrie a good burthen of golde from kyng Cressus Hadde Demonica learned that lesson of Socrates that money and desire of wealthe is daungerous At what tyme Brennus the Capitaine and Prince ouer Senona laiyng siege to Ephesus she had not straight consented as one more couetous vnto money theÌ„ faithfull to her countrey betraied the Citie for money who according vnto promise demaunded of Brennus her deserued reward brought her to a greate heape of golde and waiyng her importunate desire vnto money loaded her so heauie with golde that she died vnder her burthen for wante of equall strength to her coueteous mynde The golden Sandes of Tagus all the glisteryng gemmes of Ganges all the treasures of Hydanspes can not suffice coueteous Princes Suche inordinate desire of wealth of glorie of fame raignyng in Princes from tyme to tyme that diuers dreamed in their sleape howe thei mighte satisfie their greedie guttes in the daie tyme toumblyng and tossyng their braine how thei mighte possesse kyngdomes and Countreis For Darius dreamed that al Macedonia should be at his becke and that Alexander the Greate should serue hym in suche homage and clothes as he some tyme did serue kyng CaÌ„bises Alexander dreamed that Hercules appeared to hym euery where and commaunded hym to passe vnto Tyre and to the Isle of Pharo promisyng helpe and assistaunce to haue wealthe and honour aboue al men Hanibali was so coueteous and desirous of Rome that a young manne of wounderfull beautie appeared vnto hym in his sleape commaundyng hym to make his armie rieadie to passe vnto Italie assuryng him to become lorde of Rome and Italie Thus in slepe did thei studie how to feede coueteousnesse Thus by dreames did thei coniecture how thei might bee famous glorious and renoumed Thus through fonde phantasies of visions did at lengthe become murtherers and tyrantes of the worlde What was the onely death of that noble Troian Hector the greedie desire to spoile kyng Patroclus â–ª What was the ende of that renoumed Gréeke Achilles his auarous dealyng with kyng Priamus for his soonne Hectors auarice neuer lodgeth but with princes noble menne and riche menne the poore of necessitie is enforced to seeke his liuyng Kyng Midas was not contented with all the kyngdom of Lidia made his desire and wishe of GOD Bacchus to bee a meane vnto Iupiter that what so euer he touched should be golde whiche beyng graunted euen at diner his breade that he touched became golde his drinke he tooke in hande conuerted vnto golde and beyng priuie to his miserie and wretchednesse that he was in almoste famishâ—e hymself for that he could not digeste golde as well as meate and drinke whiche could not perceiue his estate before and suffice him with al thinges beyng the wealthiest kyng that euer was in Lidia now through his coueteousnes enforced by hunger to die O hongrie panches of golde O cursed desire of money What hath not been doen by thee What place was not soughte by thee Euriphiles was so coueteous that she betraied her owne housebande Amphiraus to Adrastus kyng of the Argiues for a bracelet of golde that the kyng did weare aboute his arme If Ochus kyng somtyme of Persia had obserued the rule of noble Plato whiche said that a kyng whiche deliteth in auarice can not prospere He had not staied from the Citie of Babilon for sparing of some siluer which he should giue to the poore women of the citie for it was a Lawe made by kyng Cirus that what kyng so euer of Persia had comen vnto Babilon he should giue a peece of gold vnto euery poore woman in the toune for the whiche cause kyng Ochus would neuer come vnto Babilon These commodities followe coueteousnesse toile and trauaill in gettyng care and thoughtes in keping Had Euclio thought of that saiyng of Plutarchus that riches for the mooste parte are hurtfull to those chiefly that doe desire moste he had not hidden vnder the grounde suche Treasure and wealth of golde and siluer that he durste not goe out of his house for feare of robbing nor yet as Plautus saieth abide in his house for feare of killyng Uerie well is it described of wisemen the chariotte of coueteousnes the fower wheéles named faint courage contempt of God forgetfulnesse of death and vngentlenesse the twoo horses that drewe the Chariot are named rauine and nigardshippe the driuer of the horses is called desire the twoo cordes that rule the horses are appetite to gette and feare to forgette A whole volume might bee written vpon these names but sithe the moste parte knowe well the maner and motion of auarice superfluous it is to commente or glose to the smalleste noumber The Princes are not ignoraunce for slaughter murther and tyrannie teacheth them the order of this chariotte The noble man desireth alwaies to ascende
king Philip of Macedonia of whom Philocrates and Aeschines after they had retourned vnto Athens from their Legacie saide that king Philip was a beastlie quaffer then saide Demosthenes vertue hath hir proper spung I saie no more but that vice hath some Bulwarkes and defences euerie where ¶ Of Magike and witcherie THE aduenturous searchers and priuie prudent Philosophers haue sought by influences of the heuens to bring thinges fourth like vnto the workes of nature as beastes to speake dead bodies to goe In this facultie some of the best in euerie Countrie trauailed as Buda amongest the Babilonians Hermes amongest the Egiptians Zamolxides amongest the Thracians and Numa Pompilius amongest the Romaines and amongest the Perseans was this Magick exteemed that their Kynges therein were instructed as an arte necessarie to be knowem for Princes For that wise and learned Socrates went vnto Gobrias an excellent Magician to bee taught in this Arte and to learne the punishment of soules and their restyng places after death which was instructed as Crinitus saith in .5 lib. and Cap. 2. in all thinges accordyng vnto his expectation Plinie saieth that Moises vsed a kinde of Magicke whiche was likewise graunted by God vnto Salamon as Iosephus in his eight booke of antiquitie affirmeth Likewise Pithagoras Empedocles Democritus and diuers other Philosophers trauailed vnto the furthest parte of the world to be acquainted with this facultie and after forsakyng of their Countrey at their returne practized the same and opened the hiddē and secrete nature of the same vnto others Straunge thinges maie bee brought to passe by ioinyng inferiour thynges with superiour qualities whiche by curious searche of naturall and celestiall bodies their hidden secret powers are knowen by practisyng of the same marueilous effectes somtyme appeare as by this meanes Architas the Tarentine made a wodden Doue to flee And Albertus the Greate made a brasen heade to speake Lactantius saith that Appolonius was so excellent in this art that when Domitianus the Emperour would haue had him punished he sodainly being before the Emperours face to auoide the threatenynges and appoincted punishmēt vanished out of sight by this art Arnuphus an Aegiptian Philosopher vsed to flie in the aire and made suche a wonder in Rome in the tyme of Marcus Antonius when the Souldiours wanted water to drinke he caused Lightnynges and Thonders to prouide raine to satisfie the thurst of the Romaine soldiers By this likewise doeth Plinie report of a kyng sometime in Armenia which allured more the Emperour Nero being at supper with him to be in loue with the enticement of Magicke then to delite in the Harmonie and melodie of musike and other shewes prouided for the encrease of mirth for natural Magick was so exteemed that it was thought onely to bee the profoundnes and perfection of naturall Philosophie makyng open the actiue parte thereof with the aide and helpe of other naturall vertues The Indians and the Egiptians because there was aboundaunce of herbes Stones and suche necessaries as might serue this purpose excelled in this facultie And because Astrologie hath some affinitie and greate conferēce with Magick it is conueniente in some poincte to touche what thei haue dooen from tyme to tyme. How straunge was it that Anaxogoras saied that a greate stone should fall from the Sunne the seconde yere after 78. Olimpiade in Egos a Riuer in Thracia whiche came to passe as Plini reporte in his seconde booke and sixte Chapiter Pherecides was so skilfull in Astrologie that when he sawe water drawen out of a walle he saied then that in that place should bee greate yearth quake Sulla hearyng muche of the enormitie and luste of Caligula the Emperour sometime in Rome sende hym in writing how and after what sort he should within sewe daies die This by iudiciall Astrologie did Meson foreshewe to the Athenians sailing then vnto Sicilia the tempest that was to come vpon the Seas whereby he feigned hym self madde to auoide the daunger thereof By this Sulpitius Gallus opened the effecte of Eclipse of the Moone vnto the fearfull souldiers of P. Aemilius whiche feared and doubted to méete Kyng Perseus and his armie vntill thei were certified of the cause thereof The iudgemente likewise that thei haue of menne by their faces and contemplations of the proportions of Nature iudgyng some to bee Saturnist others to bee Marcialist some to bee Iouialist others Mercurians appliyng some vnto the Sunne others vnto the Moon It is written that the auncient Philosopher Pithagoras would take no scholer or admitte any to come vnto his schoole without he iudged hym apte and meete by sight to receiue learnyng The Kingly Philosopher Socrates was iudged by Zopirus to bee by Nature a drounkarde a whoremonger and moste vicious in diuers thynges to the whiche Socrates by feelyng of the prouocation of Nature agreed and saied that he was naturally giuen vnto those vices that Zopirus iudged hym Atlas was so excellente in Astrologie that the Poetes do faigne that he vpholdeth the heauens with his shulders Berosus had his Image in Athens erected and put vp of the common people for the skill he had in Astrologie Mirandula doth write of a famous Magiciā in Pathmos named Cinges which was wōt to reise ded bodies and to woorke wonders in the tyme that Ihon the Euangeliste preached the Gospell of Christe The Egiptians beleued that Amphion was so connyng in Magique that the Poetes faigne that he made stones and Trees to followe hym These coniectures whiche bothe Magiciens and Augurers dooe gather from the heauenly bodies vpon all inferiour liuyng thynges by certaine signes and tokens placed in their mouynges standyng gesture and goynges are nothyng els but to searche the hidden force and secrete woorkyng of naturall bodies whiche was so estemed in tymes past that the Lacedemonians did assigne an Augurer to sit in roiall seate in iudgemente with their kynges and to bee euery where presente at the Counsaill of the Citie to decerne thynges and to instructe theim therein The Romaines had a whole companie of these readie to teache them thynges to come The Grekes flowed of these for thei tooke nothyng in hande without consultation either with Amphiraus Tiresias or Mopsus The Phrigians had suche cōfidence in diuinations that Ascanius the sonne of Aeneas asked counsaile of Augurers before he went vnto the fielde against Mezentius In fine the Cicilians the Arabians and the Vmbrians folowed Augurers deuise and coūsailes in all their doynges and attemptes Therefore from age to age Astrologers were the Keyes of the Augurers to practise their secretes by erection of their figures and coniectures of similitudes to shew the very waie vnto diuination There is an other kinde of Magick belōgyng to Witchyng that is doen with charmed drinkes and medecines where hearbes are moste estemed As Virgill of a certaine hearbe called Pontus maketh mention how he sawe a man named Moeris chaunged hereby vnto the