answered nippingly the party saying so many things have so long béen hid in my heart that being putrified there they stink I would all men had such a breath that by long kéeping of silence it might taste therof Cato the wise Roman perceived the vertue of silence to be such that one of the thrée things as he himself would say that he most repented him off was to tel his counsell unto another Plini doth commend of all men one man named Anaxarchus of all women he praysed one woman named Laeena whom the tyrannt Nycocreon with all the torments and punishments that he could possibly devise could not enforce to speak that out which they thought should be kept in but Anaxarchus chose rather to dye by torments then to break concealed words spitting in the tyrant Nicocreons face and saying spare not Anaxarchus carkasse thou troublest no part of my minde Epicharis amongst other conspiratours against that cruel Nero being diversly tormented to open the treason against Nero's person would by no means break counsel no more Laeena for all that tyrany used towards her would betray the secrets of Harmodius and Aristogiton which only was the cause that she had her picture erected in Greece In like manner Pompey the great being sent as an Embassador from the Senators and being charged by the King named Gentius who prevented Pompey in his Message to declare the secrets of the Senators and councel of Rome he stretching forth his arm held his finger in the flame of the candle saying When I draw my finger from the candle I will break the counsel of the Senators and so stedfastly he held his hand and so long that King Gentius wondred no less at his patience then he honoured him for his silence O rare silence O passing patience and that in so great a Commander Isocrates an excellent Orator sometime of Athens lest he should be ashamed of his schollers by their spéech and talk for tongues bewray the heart would never receive unto his school but those onely who would pay double hire first to learn silence and then to learn to speak to speak nothing but that which they knew to be most certain and that which of necessity must be spoken This was the order of Isocrates school Yea silence was of such dignity of such estimation that it possest place in Princes hearts that Tiberius Caesar Emperor of Rome would often say Princes ought not to impart their secrets nor to make any privy to their counsel considering how hard is silence to be observed Silence was of such credit and of such force that Metellus who used to be close in the wars of Macedonia would say that if he knew his own coat to be privy to his secrets he would straight cast off his coat and burn it For in him to whom secrets of life are revealed in the same also is danger of death for in the committing of secrets is life and death also committed Had not that famous Hercules the imp of great Jupiter and off-spring of the gods revealed his counsell and opened his heart unto his wife Deianira Had not that mighty Sampson so great in Gods favour that he was a Iudge in Israel shewed his secrets unto his wife Dalila they had not been conquered by two women whom Serpents Dragons Lyons yea all the whole world could not annoy The just punishment of Princes for frivolous talking Conquerours of the world of Kingdomes of countries and yet conquered by a woman yea by a lesser thing then a woman a little member never séen but alas too often heard the tongue onely Tantalus is punished in hel for that he opened the counsel of the Gods after this sort Dainty meats and pleasant wines before his face and yet may he not touch them he hath sight of all things and yet tasteth nothing the hunarier he is the better and braver his banquet shines before him the more desirous he ie to eat the further he is from his victuals Ixion for his telling tales of Juno is no lesse tormented in turnling of his whéel in Hell than is Sisiphus in rowling of his stone or Danaes daughters in filling of their empty tubs The pain of Prometheris in Caucasus the punishment of Titius is duely appointed and of the Gods say the Poets provided truly to those that be braggers and boasters of secrets I must not in this place forget a worthy history of King Demetrius Antigonus son who being sent by his father to Pontus where Mithridates was King being sworn by his father to keep counsel of a vision that he sowed gold in Pontus and that Mithridates should reap it was therefore commanded with his army to passe unto the Kingdom of Pontus and without any word to kill Mithridates His son Demetrius very sorry for the great friendship which was of late sprung betwixt Mithridates and him obeying his father went unto Pontus and commanded his people to stay untill he went to know where Mithridates was who when he came in place he wrote with the end of his spear upon the earth in the dust Flee Mithridates and streight turning to his souldiers he spake nothing to him according to his oath for kéeping silence but wrote a warning to flee wherby he kept his fathers counsel one way and maintained faithfull friendship with King Mithridates another way A young man of Helespont prating much in presence of Guathena a strumpet in Gréece she demanded of him whether he knew the chief city of Helespont to the which the young man said Yea forsooth What said she me thinketh you know not the name of it for it is Sigaeum the City of silence a just reproach for such vain praters Aelianus doth write when the Cranes from Sicilia take their flight to flee over mount Caucasus they stop their mouths with stones to passe with silence the dangers of the Eagles CHAP. XVIII Of Age and the praise thereof BY on that wise man would say often that age was the Haven of rest for that it was the end of misery the gate of life and the performance of all pilgrimages And since age is wished of all men what folly is it to hit any man in the téeth with that which he chiefly desireth Wherefore when king Archelaus had appointed a great feast for his friends amongst other discoveries then at the table Euripides declared the great love which he bare unto Agathon an old tragicall Poet. Agesilaus demanding why should an old man be so well esteemed of Euripides he said Though the spring time be pleasant yet the harvest is fertile though flowers and hearbs grow green in the spring yet wax they ripe in harvest The age of man are compared unto the four seasons of the year his growing time unto the spring his lusty time unto the Summer his wit time unto the Harvest and his old time unto the Winter which doth make an end of all things Frederick Emperour of Rome after he had appointed an old
man to rule the City of Scadmenna was often moved that he for his age was not méet to govern such a City considering the multitude and number of people that were within that City they thought that a young man should better discharge the office but the wise Emperour perceiving how bent and prone were the youth of that town to have a young man to rule over them answered them after this sort I had rather said he commit the governance of the City to one old man then the governance of so many young men unto the City Better it is that an old man should rule the City then the City should rule the young men meaning no otherwise then that aged men should onely be admitted to be rulers in Cities for that there belongeth unto them experience of things and care of youth Such was the homage and reverence which was amongst the young Romans toward the Senatours or old men of the City as both head and leg did acknowledge the same in doing duty unto age They had this confidence in age that no man might be chosen unto the number of the Senatours before he should be thréescore years of age The like custome had the people of Chalcides that no man before he were fifty years should either â—ear office within their Cities or be sent Embassadour out of their country Amongst the Persians no man could be admitted to be one of the sage rulers which they called Magi unlesse perfect age had brought him thereto perforce Amongst the Indians their wise men which ruled their country which were named Gimnosophistae were ancient for time giveth experience of governance Amongst the Egyptians the like credit was given unto old men that youth meeting them in the way would go out of the way to give place unto age so that their counsellours which were called prophets were counted men of much time and experience even so the Babylonians elected their sage Chaldeans the French men their ancient wise men called Druydes In fine noble Greeks did observe the like order in chusing their rulers and counsellours of aged men as before spoken The Lacedemonian youth were by the law of Licurgus no lesse charged to reverence age then their own parents The Arabians in all places without respect of person preferred their old men before honour dignity or fortune The people called Tartesi had this law so to honour age that the younger might bear no witnesse against the elder The reverence said Chylon that should be shewed unto age by young men ought to be such that they then being young doing obedience unto age they might claim the like when they waxed old of youth Agesilaus King of Sparta being an old man would often go in the cold weather very thin in a torn cloak without a coat or doublet only to shew the way unto young men to be hardy in age by contemning of gay apparell in youth Masinista King of Numidia being more then threescore years of age would lively and valiantly as Cicero saith without cap on head or shoe on foot in the cold or frosty weather in the winter travell and toyl with the souldiers only unto this purpose that young souldiers should be hardned thereby in their youth and practise the same for the use of others when they came to age themselvs Ihero King of Sicilia shewed the like example in his old age being lxxx years to train youth and to bring them up so in young years that they might do the like in their old age For thus judged these wise Princes that all men covet to imitate Princes and Kings in their doings Gorgias the phylosopher and master unto Isocrates the Orator and to divers more nobles of Gréece thought himselfe most happy that he being a hundred years and seven was aswell in his memory as at any time before and made so much of age that being asked why he so delighted in age he made answer because he found nothing in age for which he might accuse it So sayd King Cyrus a little before his death being a very old man that he never felt himselfe weaker than when hee was young The like saying is reported of that learned Sophocles who being so old that he was accused of his own children of folly turned unto the Iudges and said If I be Sophocles I am not a foole if I be a foole I am not Sophocles meaning that in wisemen the senses waxed better by use and exercising the same for we prayse saith Cicero the old man that is somewhat young and we commend again the young man that is somewhat aged The old is commended that hath his wit young and fresh at comandement and the young is praised that is sober sage in his doings When M. Crassus a noble Captain of Rome being a very old man took in hand to war against the Parthians a strong and stout people being by Embassadors warned of his age and admonished to forsake the wars he answered stoutly the Embassadour of the Parthians and said when I come to Seleucia your City I will then answer you Whereupon one of the Embassadors named Agesâ—â—s an aged man stretched forth his hand and shewed the palm of his hand unto Crassus saying Before thou shalt come within the City of Seleucia bristles shall grow out of this hand The stoutness of Marcus Crassus was not so much as the magnanimity of Agesis and yet they both were old men What courage was in Scaevola to withstand that firebrand of Rome Sylla who after he had urged the Senators to pronâ—unce Marius enemy unto Italy he being an old agâ—d man answered Sylla in this sort Though divers be at the commandements of the Senators and that thou art so encompassed with souldiers at thy beck yet neither thou nor all thy souldiers shall ever make Scaevola being an old man for fear of losing some old bloud pronounce Marius by whom Rome was preserved and Italy saved to be enemy unto the City The like history we read that when Julius Caesar had by force of arms aspired unto the office of a Dictator and came to the Senate house where few Senators were together the Emperor Caesar desirous to know the cause of their absence Confidius an aged father of Rome said that they feared Caesar and his souldiers Whereat the Emperor musing a while said Why did not you likewise tarry at home fearing the same Because said he age and time taught me neither to fear Caesar nor yet his souldiers For as Brusonius saith there are young minds in old men for though Milo the great wrestler in the games of Olympias waxed old wept in spight of his decayed limbs bruised bones yet he said his mind flourished and was as young as ever it was before Solon hath immortal praise in Gréece for his stoutness in his age for when Pisistraâ—us had taken in hand to rule the people of Athens and that it was evident enough that tyranny should procéed thereby Solon in his
latter days having great care to his countrey when that no man durst refuse Pisistratus came before his door in Arms and called the citizens to withstand Pisistratus For age said he moveth me to be so valiant and stout that I had rather lose my life then my country should lose their liberty What vertue then see we to be in age what wisedome in time what courage in old men The examples of these old men stir and provoke many to imitate their steps insomuch that divers wished to be old when they were yet young to have that honor as age then had Wherefore king Alexander the great espying a young man coloring his hairs gray said It behoves thée to put thy wits in color and to alter thy mind The Lacedemonians a people that past all nations in honouring age made laws in their Cities that the aged men should be so honoured and estéemed of the young men even as the parents were of the children so that when a stranger came unto Lacedemonia and saw the obedience of youth towards age he said In this country I wish onely to be old for happy is that man that waxeth old in Lacedemonia and in the great games of Olympia an old man wanting a place went up and down to sit some where but no man received him but amongst the Lacedemonians not onely the young men but also the aged gave place unto his gray hairs and also the Embassadours of Lacedemonia being there present did reverence him and took him unto their seat which when he came in he spake aloud O you Athenians you know what is good and what is bad for that which you people of Athens said he do professe in knowledge the same doth the Lacedemonians put in practice Alexander being in his wars with a great army in Persia and meeting an old man in the way in the cold weather in ragged and rent cloaths lighted from his horse and said unto him mount up into a princes saddle which in Persia is treason for a Persian to do but in Macedonia comendable giving to understand how age is honoured and old men estéemed in Macedonia and how of the contrary wealth and pride is fostred in Persia for where men of experience and aged men are set nought by there it cannot be that wisedome beareth rule How many in the Empire of Rome ruled the City and governed the people of those that were very aged men as Fabius Maximus who was thréescore years and two in his last Consulship Valerius Corvinus who was six times a Consul in Rome a very old man who lived an hundred and odd years Metellus of like age called to the like function and administration in the Common-wealth being an old man What should I speak of Appius Claudius of Marcus Perpenna of divers other noble Romans whose age and time was the onely occasion of their advancement unto honour and dignity What should I recite Arganthonius who was threescore years before he came unto his Kingdome and after ruled his Countrey fourscore years unto his great fame and great commendations of age To what end shall I repeat Pollio who lived in great credit with the people unto his last years a man of worthy praise of renowned fame who lived a hundred and thirty years in great authority and dignity What shall I speak of Epimenides whom Theompus affirmeth that he lived a hundred and almost thréescore years in great rule and estimation Small were it to the purpose to make mention again of Dandon amongst the Illyrians which Valerius writeth that he was five hundred years before he died and yet of great memory and noble fame Or of Nestor who lived thrée hundred years of whom Homer doth make much mention that from his mouth proceeded sentences swéeter then honey yea in his latter days almost his strength was correspondent to the same That renowned Prince Agamemnon General of all Gréece wished no more in Phrygia but five such as Nestor was with whose wisedome and courage he doubted not but in short time he should be able to subdue Troy Swéet are the sayings of old men perfect are their counsels sound and sure their governance How frail and weak is youth How many Cities are perished by young counsel How much hurt from time to time have young men devised practised and brought to pass And again of age how full of experience knowledg and provision painful and studious is it unto the grave As we read of Plato that noble Philosopher who was busie and carefull for his countrey writing and making books the very year that he died being fourscore and two What shall I say of Isocrates who likewise being fourscore and fourtéen compiled a book called Panathenaicus of Gorgias who being studious and carefull to profit his countrey being a hundred and seven years was altogether addicted to his books and to his study So of Zeno Pythagoras and Democritus it might be spoken men of no lesse wit travell and exercise than of time and age For as Cicero saith the government and rule of Comon-wealths consisteth not in strength of body but in the vertue of mind weighty and grave matters are not governed with the lightnesse of the body with swiftnesse of the foot with external qualities but with authority counsel and knowledge for in the one saith he there is rashnesse and wilfulnesse in the other gravity and prudence As Themistocles and Aristides who though not friends at Athens being both rulers yet age taught them when they were sent Embassadours for the state of Athens to become friends to profit their country which youth could never have done That sage Solon was wont often to brag how that he dayly by reading learning and experience waxed old Apelles that approved painter and renowned Greek in his age and last time would have no man to passe the day idle without drawing of one line Socrates being an old man became a scholler to learn musick and to play upon instruments Cicero being old himself became a perfect Greek with study Cato being aged in his last years went to school to Ennius to learn the Greek Terentius Varro was almost forty years old before he took a Greek book in hand and yet proved excellent in the Greek tongue Clitomachus went from Carthage to Athens after forty years of age to hear Carneades the Philosophers lecture Lucius as Philostratus doth write meeting Marcus the old Emperor with a book under his arm going to school demanded of the Emperour whither he went like a hâ—y with his book in his hand the aged Emperour answered I go to Sextus the Philosopher to learn those things I know not O God said Lucius thou being an old man goest to school now like a boy and Alexander the great died at thirty years of age Alphonsus King of Sicilia was not ashamed at fifty years old to learn and to travel for his knowledge and lest he should lose the use of the Latin tongue he occupied himself in
translating Titus Livius though he was a King I do not hold with age in divers men who for want of discretion and wit was childish again but of perfect men in whom age seemed rather a warrant of their doings For even as he that playeth much upon instruments is not to be commended so well as he that playeth cunningly and artificially so all men that live long are not to be praised so much as he that liveth well For as apples being green are yet sower untill by time they wax sweet so young men without warrant of time and experience of things are oftentimes to be misliked If faults be in old men saith Cicero as many there be it is not in age but in the life and manners of men Some think age miserable because either the body is deprived from pleasure or that it bringeth imbecility or weaknesse or that it is not far from death or calleth from due administration of Common-wealths these four causes saith Cicero make age seem miserable and loathsome What shall we say then of those that in their old age have defended their countries saved their Cities guided the people and valiantly triumphed over their enemies as L. Paulus Scipio and Fabius Maximus men of wonderfull credit in their old years What may be spoken of Fabritius Curius and Cornucanus aged men of great agility of famous memory in their latter days How can Appius Claudius be forgotten who being both old and blind resisted the Senatours to compound with King Pyrrhus for peace though they all and the Consuls of Rome hereunto were much inclined If I should passe from Rome a place where age was much estéemed unto Athens amongst the sage Philosophers if from Athens to Lacedemonia where age altogether bare sway and rule if from thence unto the Ethiopians and Indians where all their lives are ruled and governed by old men If from thence to any part of the world I might be long occupied in reciting the honour and estéemation of age Herodotus doth write that the Aethiopians and Indians do live most commonly a hundred and thirty years The people called Epeii in the Countrey of Aetolia do live two hundred years naturally and as it is by Damiates reported Lictorius a man of that Countrey lived thrée hundred years The Kings of Arcadia were wont to live thrée hundred years the people of Hyperborii lived a thousand years We read in the old Testament that Adam our first father lived nine hundred and thirty years and Eve his wife as many Seth nine hundred and twelve years Seth his son called Enos nine hundred and five Cainan the son of Enos nine hundred and ten Mahalalehel the son of Cainan eight hundred fourscore and fifteen so Enoch the son of Iared lived nine hundred thréescore and five years Enoch his son named Mechuselah lived nine hundred threescore and nine years with divers of the first Age I mean till Noah's time who began the second world after the floud who lived as we read nine hundred and five his son Sem six hundred years and so lineally from father to son as from Sem to Arphaxad from Arphaxad to Sala from Sala to Heber the least lived above thrée hundred years This I thought for better credit and greater proof of old ago to draw out of the Old Testament that other prophane authorities might be beleeved as Tithoniâ—s whom the Poets fain that he was so old that he desired to become a Grashâ—pper But because age hath no pleasure in the world frequenteth no banquets abhorreth lust loveth no wantonness which saith Plato is the only bait that deceives young men so much the happier age is that age doth loath that in time which young men neither with knowledg with wisdome nor yet with counsel can avoid What harm hath happened from time to time by young men over whom lust so ruled that there followed eversion of CoÌ„monwealths treason to Princes Friends betrayed countreys overthrown and Kingdoms vanquished throughout the world Therefore Cicero saith in his book entituled De Senectate at what time he was in the City of Tarentum being a young man with Fabius Maximus that he carried one lesson from Tarentum unto the youth of Rome where Architas the Tarentine said that Nature bestowed nothing upon man so hurtfull to himself nor so dangerous to his Countrey as lust or pleasure For when C. Fabricius was sent as an Embassadour from Rome to Pyrrhus King of Epyre being then the Governour of the City of Tarentum a certain man named Cineas a Thessalian by birth being in disputation with Fabritius about pleasure affirmed that hee heard a Philosopher of Athens affirm that all which we do is to be referred to pleasure which when M. Curius and Titus Coruncanus heard they desired Cineas to perswade King Pyrrhus to yéeld to pleasure and make the Samnites believe that pleasure ought to be esteemed Whereby they knew that if King Pyrrhus or the Samnites being then great enemies to the Romans were addicted to lust or pleasure that then soon they might be subdued and destroyed There is nothing that more hindreth magnanimity or resisteth vertuous enterprises then pleasure as in the Treatise of pleasure it shall more at large appear Why then how happy is old age to despise and contemn that which youth by no means can avoid yea to loath and abhor that which is most hurtfull to it self For Cecellius contemned Caesar with all his force saying to the Emperor that two things made him nothing to estéem the power of the Emperor Age and Wisdome By reason of Age and Wisdome Castritius feared not at al the threatnings of C. Carbo being then Consul at Rome who though he said he had many friends at commandement yet Castriâ—iâ—â— answered and said That he had likewise many years that could not fear his friends Therefore a wise man sometime wept for that man dieth within few years and having but little experience in his old age he is then deprived thereof For the Crow liveth thrise so long as the man doth the Hart liveth four times so long as the Crow the Raven thrice so long as the Hart and the Phoenix nine times longer then the Raven And thus Birds do live longer time then man doth in whom there is no understanding of their years But man unto whom reason is joyned before he commeth to any ground of experience when he beginneth to have knowledge in things he dieth and thus endeth he his toyling Pilgrimage and travel in fewer years then divers beasts or birds do CHAP. XIX Of the manners of sundry People under sundry Princes and of their strange life THe sundry fashions and variety of manners the strange life of people every where thorow the world dispersed are so charactered and set forth amongst the writers that in shewing the same by naming the Countrey and the people thereof orderly their customes their manners their kind of living being worthy of observation I thought briefly to touch and to note
healeth himself The striken Hart féeding on high mountains hath that consideration that at what time he is shot through with any dart or arrow by féeding of an hearb called Dictamum his bloud stencheth and his wounds are healed And the Bear is so crafty that by the same nature he is taught being sick to lick and eat up little ants for his appointed physick Even so flying fowls do know their appointed salve for their sores being taught by nature The Raven the Duck the Swallow yea the silly Mice do before hand presage their ruinous state by nature and know well the decay of any house barn or place where they be and will change hospitality before the time if necessity happen upon them The little Ants are full of toil and travell to gather in the Summer to serve them in the Winter Of this with divers others Pliny maketh mention in his 8. book chapter 27. and Aristotle in his book De natura animalium We read in Aelianus divers worthy histories of the like but especially of the Cranes of Sicilia which when they be about to take their flight from Sicilia over mount Caucasus they are so crafty and subtil by nature that they bear in their mouths certain stones to stop that cry and noise which Cranes most commonly use in flight lest by hearing of their voice and the noise they make the Eagles of Caucasus should destroy them The Goats of Creet when they be shot through with darts and arrows are of themselves moved to feed on a certain hearb which streight stencheth the bloud healeth the wound and expelleth the venome out of the wound There is such craft and subtilty in a little Frog of Nilus that when the Trout commeth toward him to destroy him the Frog by and by out of hand beareth a long reed overthwart this mouth and so marcheth forward toward this great champion that by no means he can destroy him for that the reed is longer then his mouth can swallow the same and so the little Frog escapeth the terrour of his enemy What a sleight hath a fish called Polipos which being desirous to feed on any fish he goeth and hideth himself under some shrub or rock or any other place whereby he seemeth to be as though he were a tile or a stone till the fish come to that place then he leaps on them and kils them So that there is no beast no fowl no fish but hath as it were a certain priviledge by nature to defend himself and to foil his foe and by nature taught to practise it craftily There is again a kind of knowledge in beasts to know their friends and to love them and to fear their enemies and to avoid them The Serpents in Terinthia the Scorpions in Arcadia and the Snakes in Syria as Plini affirms will not hurt their country men and known friends though they find them asléep as divers and sundry times histories make mention thereof Strange therefore is the work of nature which mightily displaieth her self in all living creatures and for the proof thereof I will note one history written by Quintilian in his 14. book of histories that in Achaia there was a city named Patra in the which a certain young man bought a little dragon which with great care and diligence he nourished till it waxed big lying in his chāber in the night time and playing all the day time At length the Magistrates of the City fearing lest some hurt should be done by him considering the fierce and cruel nature of them did let him to go to the wildernesse where divers other Dragons were And there being a long time this young man that brought up this dragon with divers of his fellows passing by where this dragon was certain théeves assailed them and he by his voice was known by this dragon which as soon as he heard he came out of the den and séeing him with divers of his fellows like to be murthered he flew to the very faces of the théeves and so strongly fought with them that some of them the dragon slue some were sore hurt and some constrained to flie thus he saved this young man and his fellows in recompence of his former courtesie Surely I think better of this dragon then of some ingrateful persons that live now in the world CHAP. XXXV Of Revenge THe best way to revenge any injury offered is to suffer quietly the same and to shew vertue toward vice goodnesse toward evill honesty toward scurillity which is the onely poison unto the enemy as for an example Laertius doth manifest the same by comparisons of things who is he that séeth his enemies fields gréen his pastures well grassed his house well furnished and all things in comely order but is grieved therewith How much more saith he when the envious séeth his foe adorned with all vertues compassed with all patience and prospering in all goodnesse is he therewith molested And in that place of his sixth book he reciteth a worthy and a noble example of due revenge by Diogenes the Cinick Philosopher who by chance came where certain young men were at banquet making merry his head being bald by reason of his age he was so flouted and scoft by most part of the company that with stripes and strokes they threw him out of the house the poor old Philosopher revenged his wrong in this wise he took a piece of white chalk and writ the names of all those that so used him upon his cloak and so opened his cloak that all men might read their names and know how wickedly they had used him and what flouts and scoffs he had suffered of those persons whose names were to be read upon his cloak and so brought them in such blame with all men that they wished in heart that they never had séen Diogenes who made all the world to sée their folly and were ever after noted for ridiculous persons not worthy of honest company and so were they excluded from good and civill men Agesilaus King of the Lacedemonians when hee had heard of certain foes of his that alwaies spake il of his person and of his state he after this sort revenged himself he chose and elected them to be chief Captains over his men of arms and committed all the charge of his host to his enemies whereby he made his foes to become his friends yea to be his servants and slaves to do what he would command them So Demosthenes did when he was provoked and injuriously handled by one who in a banquet was disposed to fall out and fight with him No said Demosthenes I will never take that in-hand wherein he that getteth the victory must bear the shame O worthy sentence and most aptly applied to a wise man We read in Brusonius of Dion of Alexandria who with silence revenged more his foes then with words for being provoked to anger by a villain and abject which followed him through the stréets chiding and threatning
men There is nothing neither can there be any thing more ugly to behold then mans face when he is angry nor to be feared because he hath no rule over himself All the painters of Persia had much to do to draw in colours the terrible countenance and fiery face of Queen Semiramis when she heard that her City of Babylon was besieged by the enemies being then dressing of her head she came with her hairs hand flying in the wind half amazed at the news Her picture in this discontent and fury stood as long as Babylon continued as a monument and a terrible mirrour to posterity We read of the like history of Olimpias whose anger was such when she thought of her son Alexander that she straight ways like a raging Lion or a cruel Tiger digged up the body of Iolas Alexanders murtherer and tare his body in small pieces and gave it to the birds of the air Such anger was in Marcus Antonius towards Cicero that he was not contented at Ciceroes death but comanded his head to be set before him on the Table to féed therewith his wrathfull heart and gréedy eys and his wife Fulvia to shew her anger pulled out his tongue and pinned it to her hood and ware it on her head in token of her cruel and Tigrish heart The noble Roman Metellus was so inflamed against Pompey for at what time he was appointed by the Senatours of Rome to succéed Metellus in his pro-consulship in Spaine Metellus perceiving that hee was discharged he brake for very anger all the furniture of wars and dedestroied all the provision he famished the Elephants and permitted his souldiers to do what injury they could against Pompey so great was his anger that to hinder Pompey he injured his native City of Rome The property of anger is to hurt divers in séeking to offend one As he is not wise that cannot be angry so he is most wise that can moderate anger The fame and renown that both Themistocles and Aristides got in vanquishing their anger one towards the other was great for being sent both as Embassadours for the stâ—te of Athens travelling over a high hill Themistocles said unto Aristides shall we both bury our anger on this hill and go as friends and not as enemies and there though the cause was great they became friends one to the other forgetting and forgiving one anothers fault Anger and wrath are the onely poison of the world whence hidden hatred doth procéed for to nourish the one is to féed the other Therefore it is written that hidden hatred private wrath and young mens counsel hath béen the very cause of divers destructions Manlius Torquatus after he had conquered Campania and triumphed over the Latins returning into the City with noble fame though the Senatours of the City met him in triumph yet the young men of Rome more disdainfull then courteous were more willing to have his death then desirous of his life the cause is known in Valerius I will omit to speak of Caligula whose anger and hatred was such that he wished Rome had but one neck that with one stroke he might strike it off Neither will I recite Hâ—logabalus who amongst writers is named the beast and not the Emperour of Rome The histories of Catelin Silla and Appius for their anger and hatred towards their country and native City are extant in Plutarch and Salust by this anger and wrath proceeded invectives and declarations and then envy and malice began to build their bowers by their chief Carpenter anger and mischief and vengeance doth alwaies depend upon them And because anger is the onely counsel of all mischief I will speak of those two monstrous furies incident alwaies to anger I mean Envy and Malice and shall referre that to Envy and Malice which might have been spoken on this subject CHAP. XLI Of Perjury and Faith and how Princes have been honoured and punished accordingly FAith is the foundation of Iustice and Iustice is the chief means as Aristotle saith to preserve a Publick Weal We will therefore note how faithfull just some Princes have béen how wicked and false others have shewed themselves there are so many vertues in the one and vices in the other For some from foes become friends as Clodius and Cicero two great enemies a long time and yet before two faithfull friends Tiberius likewise and Affricanus from mortal foes grew to be such perpetual friends that Affricanus gave his onely daughter Cornelia in marriage to Tiberius Even so some again from friends became foes yea from tried friendship to mortal enmity as Dion of Siracusa was killed by Calicrates his most assured friend as he thought with whom alwaies before he found friendship and faith Polimnestor likewise though King Priamus reposed such great trust and confidence in him that he committed his own son Polidorus to his custody yet he falsly slew him and murthered him though beside friendship he was his near kinsman How well saith Socrates do faithfull friends far excell all Gold for in danger faith is tried and in necessity friends are known Such is the secret force of truth and love and such is the hidden subtilty of falshood as may be proved in a history of Sextus Pompeius son and heir unto Pompey the great The faith and justice of Pompey at what time he had appointed a banquet for Augustus Caesar and Marcus Antonius upon the seas was well tried for being moved by divers at that time to revenge his fathers death Pompeius the great and especially at that time being prompted to it by his friend and master of the ship whose name was Menedorus Sextus in no wise would suffer it saying that faith and justice ought not to be turned into perjury and falshood for said he as it is perjury to omit faith and promise made to these Emperours so this is tyranny and not justice to revenge my fathers death upon innocence And true it was that Augustus Caesar was then but a boy and brought up in school in Apulia when his uncle Julius Caesar vanquished Pompey And Marcus Antonius was rather a friend to Sextus father then a foe and therefore no lesse faithfull was Sextus in preserving then just in weighing innocency Far unlike was false Hannibal who under pretence of peace with the Romans sent Embassadours unto Rome to treat thereof where they were honourably received but well requited he the courtesie of Rome to his Embassadours For when that noble Roman Cornelius came from Rome as an Embassadour unto Hannibal his welcome was such that he never went alive unto Rome again for most cruelly and falsly was he slain by Hannibal In this falshood and perjury was Hannibal much defamed whose vertues were not so much corrupted by the vilenesse of his own nature as by the falshood and corruption of the Countrey which alwaies in this was not to be trusted of which it is proverbially spoked Poeni perfidi the Carthaginians are false for
the people of Carthage delighted in falshood practised perjury and used all kind of crafts as the people of Sarmatha were most false in words most deceitfull in déeds and most cruell one towards the other The Scythians being much molested with wars and driven to leave their wives at home in the custody of the slaves and servants having occasion to be absent four years their wives married their servants and brake their former faith with their husbands until with force and power their servants were slain and so they recovered their countreys and wives again Apollonius the chief Governâ—ur of Samos whom the Commons of the countrey from low estate had exalted to dignity to whom they committed the Government and state of Samos was so false of his faith towards his subjects that having their goods lands livings and lives in his own hanâ— he betrayed them to Philip King of Macedonia their most mortal enemy That proud perjurer Cocalus King of Sicily slue King Minos of Créet though under colour of friendship and pretence of communication he had sent for him Cleomines brake promise with the Argives with whom he took truce for certain days and having craftily betrayed them in the night he slue them being sleeping and imprisoned them against his former faith and promise made before Even so did the false Thracians with the Boetians they brake promise violated their faith destroyed their countreys depopulated their cities and having professed friendship and vowed faith became wicked foes and false traytors and all of these received condign punishment But of all false perjurers and unnatural foes Zopyrus amongst the Persians and Lasthenâ— â— amongst the Olinthians to their perpetual Fame shall be ever mentioned the one in the famous City of Babylon deformed himself in such sort with such dissimulation of forged faith that having the rule and government thereof in his hand he brought King Darius to enjoy it through his deceit and was more faithfull to his King then to his Countrey Lasthenes being the onely trust of the Citizens delivered Olinthus their City into the hands of their long and great enemy Philip King of Macedonia What fraud hath béen found always in friendship what falshood in faith the murthering of Princes the betraying of Kingdoms the oppressing of innocents from time to time in all places can well witnesse the same When Romulus had appointed Spu. Tarpeius to be chief Captain of the Capitol the chamber of Rome where the substance and wealth of Rome did remain Tarpeia Spurius daughter in the night time as she went for water out of the city méeting Tatius King of the Sabines though he was then a mortal enemy to Rome and in continual wars with Romulus yet by her falshood and policy he was brought to be Lord of the Capitol Thus Tarpeia was as false to Rome as King Tatius was to Tarpeia for she looking to have promise kept by Tatius did find him as Rome found her she was buried alive by Tatius close to the Capitol which was then called Saturnus Mount and after her death and burial it was named Tarpeiaes Rock untill Tarquinius Superbus did name it the Capitol by finding a mans head in that place There was never in Rome such falshood shewed by any man as was by Sergius Galba who caused the Magistrates of three famous cities in Lusitania to appear before him promising them great commodities concerning the states and Government of their Cities yéelding his faith and truth for the accomplishment of the same whose professed faith allured to the number of Nine thousand young msn picked and elected for some enterprise for the profit of their countrey But when false Galba had spoiled these thrée cities of the Flower of all their Youth against all promise and faith he slue the most part of them sold and imprisoned the rest whereby he most easily might conquer their Cities Men are never certain nor trusty in doing when they are faulty in Faith For as the Sun lighteneth the Moon so Faith maketh Man in all things perfect For Prudence without Faith is Vain-glory and Pride Temperance without Faith and Truth is Shamefacednesse or sadnesse Iustice without Faith is turned into Injury Fortitude into Slothfulnesse The orders in divers countreys for the observation of Friendship and for maintainance of certain and sure love one towards another were Oaths of Fidelity The noble Romans at what time they sware had this order He or she to take a slint stone in their right hand saying these words If I be guilty or offend any man if I betray my countrey or deceive my friend willingly I wish to be cast away out of Rome by great Jupiter as I cast this stone out of my hand And therewith threw the stone away The ancient Scythians to obserbe amity and love had this Law They poured a great quantity of wine into a great Boul and with their knives opened some vein in their bodies letting their bloud to run out one after another into the boul and then mingling the wine and bloud together they dipped the end of their spears and their arrows in the wine and taking the boul into their hands they drank one to another professing by that draught faith and love The Arabians when they would become faithfull to any to maintain love thereby had this custome One did stand with a sharp stone betwéen two and with it made bloud to issue from the palms of both their hands and taking from either of them a piece of their garment to receive their bloud he dipped seven stones in the bloud and calling Urania and Dionisius their Gods to witnesse their covenant they kept the stones in memory of their friendship and departed one from another The like law was among the Barcians who repairing to a Ditch and standing thereby would say as Herodotus affirmeth As long as that hollow place or ditch were not of it self filled up so long they desired amity and love In reading of Histories we find more certainty to have béen in the Heathen by prophane Oaths then truth often in us by Evangelist and Gospel Oaths lesse perjury in those Gentiles swearing by Jupiter or Apollo then in Christians swearing by the true and iiving God more amity and friendship amongst them with drinking either of others bloud then in us by professing and acknowledging Christs bloud When Marcus Antonius had the government of Rome after Caesar was murthered by Brutus and Cassius and having put to death Lucullus for his consent therein Volummus hearing of his friend Lucullus death came wéeping and sobbing before Antonius requiring one his knées one grant at Antonius hand which was to send his souldiers to kill him upon the grave of his friend Lucullus and being dead to open Lucullus grave and lay him by his friend Which being denied he went and wrote upon a little piece of paper and carried it in his hand untill he came to the place where Lucullus was buried and there holding fast the
Lightning or Thunder but had his head covered with all such things as might resist the violence of Lightning Misa King of the Moabites and Joram King of Iewry being besieged by the enemies and in danger of death they practised devises and invensions to save their lives and sacrificed their children to mitigate the rage of the Gods The love that divers had unto life and the fear they had of death were to be noted worthily considering how much men are vexed with the fear of death Antemon was so desirous to live and so fearfull to die that he hardly would travel out of his house any where and if he were compelled to go abroad he would have two of his servants to bear over his head a great brasen Target to defend him from any thing which might happen to do him hurt Theagenes in like sort would not go out of his house without he had consulted with the Image of Hecate to know what should happen to him that day and to understand whether he might escape death or no. Commodus the Emperour would never trust any Barber to shave his beard lest his throat should be cut Masinissa King of Numidia would rather commit his state and life unto dogs then unto men who was as his guard to kéep and defend him from death I might here speak of Bion of Domitianus of Dionisius of Pisander and of a thousand more who so feared death that their chief care and study was how they might avoid the same The fear of death causeth the son to forsake the father the mother to renounce the daughter one brother to deny another and one friend to forsake another Insomuch that Christ himself was forsaken of his disciples for fear of death Peter denied him and all the rest fled from him and all for fear of death Behold therefore how fearfull some are and how joyfull others are Some desperately have died being weary of life As Sabinus â—uba Cleomenes some have hanged some have burned and some drowned themselves and thus with one desperate end or other perished But since every man must die it were reason that every man should prepare to die for to die well is nothing else but to live again Wherefore certain philosophers of India called the Gymnosophislae being by Alexander the great commanded to answer to cercertain hard questions which if they could absolve they should live otherwise they should die The first question propounded to know whether there were more living or dead to the which the first philosopher said that the living are more in number because the dead have no being no place nor number The second question was whether the land produced more creatures or the sea to this answered the second philosopher and said the land doth ingender more for that the sea is but a portion of the land The third question was to know what beast was most subtil that beast answered the third philosopher whose subtilty man cannot discern Fourthly it was demanded why they being philosophers were so induced to perswade the Sabians to rebellion because said the philosophers it is better to die manfully then to live miserably The fifth question was whether the day was made before the night or the night before the day to the which it was answered the day The sixt was to understand how Alexander the Great himself might get the good wil of the people in shewing said that sixth philosopher thy self not terrible to the people The seveÌ„th question was whether life or death were stroÌ„ger to which it was aÌ„swered life The eight was to know how long a man should live till said the eight philosopher a maÌ„ thinks death better theÌ„ life The last question proposed by Alexander was how might a mortal man be accounted in the number of the Gods In doing greater things said all the Philosophers then man is able to do For they knew this proud Prince would be a God and that he would learn of the sage Philosophers how he might eschew mortality he was answered roundly because he should know himself to be a man and being a man he should make himself ready to die for death is the reward of sin and death is the beginning again of life unto the good As Aulus Posthumius in an Oration which he made unto his souldiers said it is given to both good and bad to die but to die gâ—dly and gloriously is onely given unto good men So Hector speaking in Homer said unto his wife Andromache that she should not be sorry for his death for all men must die Some with the Galatians do so contemn death that they fight naked and are perswaded with the Pythagoreans that they shall never die but passe from one body to another Some again die joyfully as the brethren of Policratâ— who being taken captive by Diognitus the King of Milesia she was so ill intreated by him that she did send Letters to Naxus to her brethren at what time the people of Milesia were feasting drinking and banquetting at a solemn feast Her brethren embracing the opportunity came and found the Emperor drinking and all his people overcharged with wine and slew the greatest part of them and having taken many of them prisoners they brought their sister home to Naxus where as soon as they came home they died for joy of the victory Even so Phisarchus sometime in his great triumph crying out O happy hours and joyful days was taken with such an extasie of joy that he brake his veins at that very instant with the excesse of gladnesse He is counted most wise that knoweth himself To joy too much in prosperity to be advanced and extolled when fortune favours without all fear of ill haps to come is folly To be vanquished and subdued in adversity without hope of solace to ensue is meer madnesse Therefore the Wisemen knowing that death was the last line of life did endeavour in their lives how they might die well And briefly for the examples of our lives I will here note a few sentences of these wise men which they used as their Posies and think good to shew their answers to divers questions propounded to them Bias dwelling in the City of Prienna after the City was destroyed by the Mutinensians escaped and went to Athens whose Poesie was Maximus improborum numerus He willed all young men in their youth to travel for knowledge and commanded old men to embrace wisedome This Bias being demaunded what was the difficultest thing in the world he said to suffer stoutly the mutability of fortune Being demanded what was the most infamous death that might happen to man to be condemned said he by law Being asked what was the swéetest thing to man he made answer Hope Being again demanded what beast was most hurtfull Amongst wild beasts a Tyrant said Bias and amongst tame beasts a Flatterer And being demanded what thing it was that feared nothing in all the world he answered A good Conscience And again in the second Olympiade he was demanded many other questions as who was most unfortunate in the world the impatient man said Bias. What is most hard to judge Debates betwéen friends What is most hard to measure he answered Time Thus having answered to these and divers other questions Bias was allowed one of the seven Wise men of Gréece Chilo the second of the Sages being asked what was the best thing in the world he answered Every man to consider his own state And again being demanded what beast is most hurtfull he said Of wild beasts a Tyrant of tame beasts a Flatterer Being asked what is most acceptable to man he said Time And being asked of the Gréek Myrsilas what was the greatest wonder that ever he saw he said An old man to be a Tyrant The third was Chilo the Lacedemonian who being demanded what was a difficult thing for a man to do he answered Either to kéep silence or to suffer injuries Being demanded what was most difficult for a man to know he said For a man to know himself And therefore he used this Poesie Nosce teipsum This Chilo being of Aesop demanded what Jupiter did in heaven he said He doth throw down lofty and proud things and he doth exalt humble and méek things S. Ion said that in knowing and considering what we are and how vile we are we shall have lesse occasion ministred to us to think wel of our selvs for there is nothing good nor beautifull in man This Solon being asked by King Cyrus sitting in his chair of state having on his most royal habiliments and Princely robes covered with Pearls and Precious stones Whether ever he saw a more beautifull sight then himself sitting in heighth of his Majesty Solon answered that he saw divers Birds more glorious to behold then Cyrus And being demanded by Cyrus what Birds were they Solon said the little Cock the Peacock and the Pheasant which are decked with natural garments and beautified with natural colours This Solon was wont to say I wax dayly old learning much He noted nothing so happy in man as to Live well that he might Die well applying the Cause to the Effect as first to Live well and then to Die well FINIS LONDON Printed by Elizabeth Alsop dwelling in Grubstreet near the Upper Pump 1653.
Illiads which Homer Alexander the great so esteemed by the reading of the atchievements of Achilles being brought up in school in his fathers days with that learned Phylosopher Aristotle that he never went to bed but he had Homer under his pillow and there fell in love with the prowesse of Achilles honoured his life and magnified his death insomuch that he went unto Illion in Phrygia where that famous City of Troy sometimes stood to sée the grave of Achilles where when he saw the worthy monuments of his martial chivalry his famous feats and renowned life depainted about the Temple which invironed round his sumptuous Tomb he brake out into tears beholding the tomb and said O happy Achilles who had such a Poet as Homer that so well could advance thy fame And thus Alexander being moved by Homer to imitate Achilles minded nothing else but magnanimity and courage of mind as Curtius and Diodorus Siculus can well testifie whose life though it was but short was a mirrour unto all the world that being but twenty years when he began to imitate the acts and feats of Achilles in twelve years more which was his whole time of life he became King over Kings a Conquerour over Conquerours and was named another Hercules for his prosperous successe in his enterprises insomuch that Julius Caesar the first and most valiant Emperor that ever was in Rome after his great conquests entring into the Temple of Hercules in Gades and reading the life of Alexander painted round about the Temple his worthy fame declared his noble déeds set forth his victories and conquests in every place described such monuments and mirrours in memory of his noble life every where expressed he fell into the like tears for Alexander as Alexander did for Achilles Thus was one in love with another for magnanimities sake each one so desirous of others fame that Caesar thought himself happy if he might be counted Alexander Alexander judged himself renowned if he might be named Achilles Achilles sought no greater fame then Theseus Theseus ever desired the name of Hercules Therefore Agesilaus King of the Lacedemonians wondered much at the singular magnanimity and prowesse of Epaminondas sometime Prince of Thebes who with one little City could subdue all Gréece This Epaminondas having wars with the Lacedemonians people no lesse renowned by war then justly feared by Epaminondas after great victories and triumphs was after this sort prevented by Agesilaus in the wars of Mantinia that all the people of Sparta were counselled either to kill Epaminondas or to be killed by Epaminondas whereby the whole force and power of Lacedemonia was fully bent by commandment given by Agesilaus their King to fall upon Epaminondas where that valiant and noble Prince by too much pollicy was wounded to death to the utter destruction of all the people of Thebes and yet being carried unto his tent alive he demanded of his souldiers the state of the field whether Thebes or Sparta was conquered being certified that the Lacedemonians fled and that he had the victory he forthwith charged the end of the spear to be taken out of his wounded side saying Now your Prince Epaminondas beginneth to live for that he dies a Conqueror We read not of Epaminondas his parralel who being compared unto Agamemnon for his magnanimity was angry therewith saying Agamemnon with al Greece with him was ten years about one town the City of Troy Epaminondas with little Thebes in one year conquered all Gréece An order was observed amongst the Lacedemonians before they did go to the wars they were by their Laws charged to make solemn sacrifice unto the Muses And being demanded why they so did sith Mars hath no society with the Muses Eudamidas then their King answered For that we might obtain as well of the Muses how to use victory gently as Mars to become victors manfully These Lacedemonians were so valiant that having banished their King Cleonimus for his extraordinary pride and violence did make Arcus King in his place Who being in Creet aiding the people of Corcyra in wars with the most part of the Citizens of Sparta Cleonimus their exiled King consulted with Pyrrhus King of Epyre and perswaded him then or never to conquer Sparta considering Areus was in Creet and that Sparta was not populous to defend any strength of invasion they both came and pitched their field in the open face of the City of Sparta assuring themselves to sup that evening at Cleonimus house The Citizens perceiving the great Army of Pyrrhus thought good by night to send their women unto Créet to Areus making themselves ready to â—ie manfully in resisting the hoast of the enemie and being thus in the Senate agréeing that the womankind should passe away that night lest their nation at that time should be quiet destroyed by Pyrrhus a great number of women appeared in armor amongst whom Archidamia made an Oration to the men of Sparta wherein she much blamed their intent and quite confounded their purpose saying Think you O Citizens of Sparta that your Wives and Daughters would live if they might after the death of their Husbands and destruction of Sparta Behold how ready we are how willingly the women of Sparta will die and live with their Husbands Pyrrhus shall well feel it and this day be assured of it No marvel it is that the children of these women should be valiant high in their resolution If Demosthenes who was so much esteemed in Athens had said in Sparta that which he wrote in Athens that they who sometime ran away should fight again he should have the like reward that Archilogus had who wrote in his book that it was sometime better to cast the buckler away then to die for which he was banished the confines of Lacedemonia At what time the noble city of Sagunâ—um was destroyed the Senate of Carthage having promised the contrary the renowned Romans though the league was broken and peace defied yet the Senators did send Fabius Maximus as their Embassador with two tables the one containing peace the other wars which were sent to Carthage either to choose peace or wars the election was theirs though the Romans were injured Hardie then the Romans were when Scaenola went alone armed unto the Tents of Porsenna King of Hetruria either to kill Porsenna or to be killed by Porsenna greater fortitude of mind could be in no man a more valiant heart also was séen in no man then in Cocles who alone resisted the whole army of King Porsenna and when the draw bridge was taken up he leaped in all his harnesse from his enemies into the midst of the river Tybur And though he was in divers places sore wounded yet neither did his fall hurt him nor his Armour press him neither the water drown him neither thousands of his enemies could kill him but he swam through the river Tybur unto Rome to the great admiration of King Porsenna and excéeding joy of Rome so that one
every countrey in their due order of living and to begin with the Egyptians a people most ancient and so expert in all sciences that Macrobius the writer calleth the Countrey of Egypt the Nurse and Mother of all Arts For all the learned Greeks have had their beginning from Egypt even as Rome had from Gréece This people observe their days by account of hours from midnight to midnight They honour the Sun and Moon for their Gods for they name the Sun Osiris and the Moon Isis Their féeding was of fish broyled in the heat of the sun with herbs and with certain fowls of the aire They lived a thousand years but it is to be understood that hey number their years by the Moon the men did bear burthens upon their heads and the women upon their breasts and shoulders the men made water sitting the women standing The Crocodile is that beast which they most do adore that being dead they bury him a Sow is that beast which they most detest so that if any part of their clothes touched a sow they straight did pull off their clothes and wash them over They were black people most commonly slender and very hastie Curâ—ius calleth them seditious vain very subtile in invention of things and much given to wine The Aethiopians are a people that live without Laws and reason servants and slaves to all men selling their children to merchants for corn their hair long with knots and curled The Indians were a people of too much liberty as Herodotus saith the women accompanying them in open sight Neither sowe they nor build neither kill they any living beast but féed on barley bread and herbs they hang at their ears small pearls and they deck their arms wrists and necks with gold The Kings of India are much honoured when they come abroad their ways are set and decked with fresh flowers and men in arms following their Chariots made of Margarite stones and men méeting them with frankincense And when their King goeth to bed their harlots attend him with songs and mirth making their prayers unto their Gods of darknesse for the good rising of their King Again the children kill their parents when they wax old the maids and young damosels of India are brought abroad amongst the young men to choose them their husbands When any man dieth his wife will dress her self most bravest for the funeral and there they are both buried together Hercules is much honoured in that countrey and the River Ganges The Scythians are pale and white for the coldness of the air and full of courage Amongst these people all things are almost in common saving no man will have his sword and his cup common their wives they weigh not but are common one with another For drunkenness they pass all nations for in their solemn banquets there may no man drink of that appointed cup which is carried abroad to banquets unlesse he had slain one or other for it was accounted amongst the Scythians no honesty for a man to live unlesse he had killed one or other They have no cities nor towns as Egypt which was full of them for it is written that when Amazis reigned a King in Egypt there were twenty thousand cities numbred within the countrey of Egypt but Scythia is a most barren and rude countrey the people whereof live and féed beastly a countrey most cold for that no wood groweth in the countrey no religion no temples for their Gods but to Mars onely their chief weapons are bows and arrows When the King dieth in Scythia fifty men and fifty of his best horses must bear him company and be slain for that they judge they shall go one way The Parthians are a people most thirsty saith Pliny for the more they drink the more thirsty they are their chief glory they séek is by drinking and are given so much to surfeits and drunkenness that their breath for their inordinate drinking doth stink and wax so strong that no man can abide them their King likewise is so much honored of them that when he commeth in place they ever knéel and kisse his foot He hath many Quéens with whom the King must lie one after another The King hath about his Chariot ten thousand souldiers with silver spears in their hands and the end of their spears all gold they honour their King with the Sun the Moon the fire the water the wind and the years to these they sacrifice and honour them as their Gods to lie is most horrible with the Parthians insomuch that they instruct their young children onely to avoid lies and to learn to speak truth Of all men they hate ungrateful men they judge it most unhonest to speak any thing filthy and loath chiefly that which is shamefull either in talk or in doing insomuch that they will not spit or make water but in a place where either a floud or a river or some other water is Riding dancing and tennis they exercise most The people of Arabia are long haired with shaven heards save that they spare the upper lips unshaven their women are common for all men at al times to meddle with leaving a staffe at the door in token unto one another that she is with one already and to let understand that he must tarry untill that man go out In Arabia it is not thought amisse for any one to lie with his mother and if any that is not kin take that in hand it is adultery they worship as their Gods Urania and Dionisius They are like unto the Babylonians people of most corrupt life and most given unto filthy pleasure Insomuch that their daughters and their wives are hired unto every man walking in the stréets going unto the temples meeting and offering themselves unto any stranger With the Arabians and Babylonians we may well compare the Lesbians and the Sybarites people passing in that wickednesse given to nothing but to sleep and venery insomuch that they weary themselves with all kind of pleasures and the excesse of their banquets and the bravery of their women was such that made all the beholders to muse and wonder at their excesse as well in cloathing as in féeding wherein they took glory they expelled all sound and noise that might trouble their sleep So filthy were these nations that hand foot head and all parts of the body were naturally given to pollute themselves with venery The Arcadians are people of such antiquity that as they suppose they are before the Moon of this they brag most they worship Pan as their God this people never triumphed over their enemies nor kept wars with any nations but oftentimes served under other princes These Arcadians were like to the people called Averni for their brags of their antiquity for even as the Arcadians brag of the moon so the Averni boasted of their pedigree and stock who were the ancient Troyans wherefore they would be called brethren unto the stout and ancient Romans The Boetians
perish and therefore said the Ox thou urgest me in vain to travel When that wicked tyrant Nero began his Empire in Rome trées pastures meddows and certain grounds about the City a strange miracle altered places and changed seats one with another the ground moving from one place to another Even â—o it harned at the exilement of King Dionisius after much tyranny and bloudshedding when he was banished from his Kingdome the salt sea the same day that he was driven from Sicilia altered his saltness to sweetness These two tyrants Nero and Dionisius the one comming to his Empire what wonders shewed the earth it self the other departing from his Kingdome what miracles shewed the Sea When Darius besieged the City of Babylon a voice was heard out of the strong walls of Semiramis that Babylon should be conquered at what time a mule should engender at the which the souldiers of Darius were discomfited and Zopyrus his mule accomplished the foreshewed Oracle Likewise when Pompey was vanquished by Caesar a grâ—â—n bough grew in the temple of Victory under the image of Caesar and hives of Bees darkened the ensign of Pompey foreshewing he should be subdued at Pharsalia The City of Rome had these warnings a little before the first Civil wars there were seen fires â—ining suddenly abâ—ut men Spiders Mice and Worms consumed the gold and substance of their temples Ravens devoured and did eat their young ones the noise and sound of trumpets were heard in the ayr with such other terrible warnings as might well move amazement and amendment Again before the second wars of Carthage an Ox spake and said Rome take thou héed to thy self It is noted likewise when Tarquinius the last King of the Romanes was driven away from Rome and banished the Kingdome that a dog then spake and a serpent barked Too many of these examples are to be read if we read histories for signs and tokens were séen and marked in the heavens according to the natures and doings of Princes for when Tiberius came to the Empire of Rome there happened such great earthquakes that twelve famous Cities in Asia fell prostrate to the ground two mountains moved and ran and fought together in a place by Rome called Mutina field It is written that in the City called Sagunthus before it was conquered by Hannibal a child in the time of the delivery of the mother entred again into his mothers womb And in Plini Clepidus beareth witnesse that trées spake And though it séem fabulous to divers that such things by nature should speak yet we sée the tryal of this clean contrary to set forth the wonderfull works of God whereby he might the more be magnified by these his creatures For we read in the sacred scriptures that an Asse spake whereby the more credit may be given to Pâ—utarch Pliny and Livi which mention that dogs trées oxen serpents and other creatures of God did speak for a wonder and a warning as well of things to come as things past For before the famous City of Ierusalem was destroyed by Vespasian the Emperor there appeared a star in manner of a sword in the skie there were likewise seen Chariots running up and down the skies and men in harnesse fighting in the clouds right over the City Divers wonders by nature were wrought which for the rarenesse thereof are worthy to be noted as Caecilius Agrippa the first day that he was born of his mother did go on foot without help Likewise Zoâ—oastres when all children cry at their birth he the self same time laughed It was strange that Telephus the son of Hercules was nourished of a Hart. Romulus the first King of Rome fostered by a Wolf Cyrus the first King of the Persians brought up by a Bitch Alexander and King Priamus by a Bear Jupiter by a Goat Mydas by Ants and Plato by Bees and so divers others But certainly more strange it was that little beasts yea small creeping worms should be able to vanquish and destroy famous Cities and Countreys As in Spain a City was unâ—ermined by Coneys in France a City was destroyed by Frogs in Thessaly a City was overthrown by Mouldwarps In Affrica a City was spoiled by Locusts Gyara an Isle of twelve miles was consumed by Mice and Abdera a City in Thracia by Mice likewise and Amyclas by Serpents Peradventure these séem not credible to divers readers the learned may read the same in the righth book of Plini and twenty and ninth chapter where he may be satisfied The works of nature were so wonderful in all places at all times that learned writers for memory of the same do recite the effect thereof It is written that Ammonius the Phylosopher had an Asse frequenting his school with Porphirius to hear his lecture In the Isle called Coes in the ground of a certain tyrant named Nicippus a shéep brought forth a Lion instead of a Lamb. Plini doth witnesse that he saw in a City of Affrica a man changed to a woman in the same day he was married whose name was Cofficius a Citizen of Tiâ—dria Pontanus and divers authors affirm that Tiresias the Theban Ceneus and Iphis were changed from men to women from males to females by alteration of kind Again some think that as Anaxagoras never laught so Zenophantes never wept things wonderfull and strange to nature and as L. Pomponius never belcht so Antonia never spit There was a Poet sometime dwelling in Coos of such small growing and slender body that lead was put in the sole of his Shoes least the wind should bear him from the ground and blow him into the air And as he by nature was small and light of substance so by the self-same nature was found in a certain hill of Créet the body of Orion which was forty and six cubits in length What Albertus Magâ—us wrote of the secrets of nature I will omit better it is I suppose to be ignorant in some things then to be skilfull in all things He saith among other things that there was a woman in Germany that had thréescore sons side every time at one burthen and there was another woman named Agrippina in Colonia that did neither eat nor drink for the space of thirty days Besides these there was a man named Philinus that never eat nor drank all the days of his life but milk onely Cicero saith that all the Iliads of Homer were written and placed within the shell of a Nut. Plini reports that there was an hearb called Acheminis that if it were cast or thrown amongst the enemies they streight would take their flight thereupon Mermecides made a Wagon so artificially and so small that a Flie might cover it with her wing Strabo did sée so well that he could discry the ships that departed from Carthage from a from a promontoâ—y in Sicilia which was above a hundred and thirty miles Cornelius Agrippa in his first book of hidden Philosophy writeth a history of one Cippus King in Italy
forget what I would and I have things in memory which feign I would they were out of memory Seneca doth so report of himself that he was of such a perfect memory that he could rehearse after one by hearing two hundred verses yea to a greater marvell of his memory he could recite two thousand names of men being repeated once before him with as good a memory as he that first named them The like we read of Aelius Adrianus a Captain that having a great army of souldiers under him if any were absent in any place about any businesse he had in memory the name of the person the name of the place and the cause of the businesse Of this excellent memory to their perpetuall fame was King Cyrus and Scipio the one a Persian the other a Roman which had this fame by memory that either of them could severally call their souldiers by name every one after another which is most rare yea most marvellous having so many alwaies under them as both Rome and Persia were chiefly in their days by them defended to be able to name so many souldiers as either of them both had in their armies Their memory was such then that they may not be forgotten now Julius Caesar was much renowned for that Pliny reported that he could do such things by memory as in reading in talking in hearing and in answering at one time that no fault could be found in either of these four qualities at one time practised whereby he deserveth no lesse praise by his memory then fame by his acts Divers excelled in time past in memory as Hortensius a noble Oratour of Rome was able to speak in any place any thing which he premeditated privately without study openly he had more trust in his memory then in books Carmides of Greece was so famous for that faculty that he never heard any reading but he could repeat it word by word without writing were the writing or reading never so long he would not misse a syllable Cineas a noble and a famous Oratour one of the counsellours of King Pyrrhus being sent from Epire unto the Senatours of Rome as an Embassadour he but once hearing the names of the Senatours before he came unto the Senate house he named them orderly by name every one after another that all the Senatours were in a great admiration of his memory in repeating so many names in opening so many matters in concluding so many things which when he came unto King Pyrrhus he recited not onely his doings and orations but also their answers and replies every word by word as then was spoken done or written by the Senatours This Cineas was not so excellent of memory but also of passing eloquence of whom King Pyrrhus was wont to say that he got more Cities Towns and Kingdomes by the eloquence of Cineas then with all the force and strength of the Epirots beside It is written in Laertius in his eighth book that Pythagoras had charge of God Mercury to ask what he would saving immortality and he should have have it and he willed to keep in memory all things that he heard and saw and to forget nothing being dead of that which he saw being alive which being granted the soul of Athalides being slain by Menelaus entred in Euphorbus secondly took place in Hermonius thirdly in Pyrrhus fourthly into Pythagoras which had such memorâ— thereby that he could describe the state of the living the dead Divers were famous for memory amongst the Greeks as Archippus Lysiades Metrodorus Carneades Theodectes and others Many amongst the Romans were renowned for their memories as Julius Coesar L. Scipio Portius Claudius Hortensius with infinite number What great fame had Mithridâ—tes King of Pontus that having as Pliny and Gellius both report xxii strange nations that were souldiers alwaies in wars under him against the Romans he could speak xxii languages without interpreter to open his mind unto them A strange thing it is now to find a man in this our ripe years that can speak half a dozen languages If a man can but smatter in six or seven languages he is noted to be a rare fellow and yet King Mithridates had xxii A note of great memory for some there be in learning for one language that they hardly know they forget another that they know That worthy man Lucullus is remembred of Cicero in his fourth book of Academical questions for his passing and noble memory The Egyptians used notes and figures for their memory insomuch that they noted the well memoried man with a For or a Hare for that the Hare heareth best and the For is of greatest memory and if any wanted memory they compared him to the Crocodile We read of Esdras a Priest that he had all the laws of the Hebrews upon his finger end We read of Portius that he never forgot any thing that he once read before He again would never read that which once he wrot but straight out of hand his memory was such he would speak it and pronounce it in order even as he wrote it before Memory therefore is likened to a Net which taketh and stayeth great fish and letteth through the little fish and even as books that be not occupied wax rusty and did cleave together so memory that is not occupied saith Seneca waxeth dull and oblivious as we oftentimes see how forgetfull men wax either with sicknesse age or such like that letteth the memory of man as Orbilius by extremity of age forgot his Alphabets and letters Hermolaus had a friend which in his youth was a perfect Grecian and yet in his latter years waxed so oblivious that he could not read Gréek Plini saith Messala surnamed Corvius waxed so forgetfull by long sicknesse that he forgot his own name And Seneca doth write of one Calvisius that was so weak of memory that he did forget the names of those that he was daily in company with as Achilles Ulisses and Priamus whom he knew very well What is it else for a man to want memory but to want the name of his knowne friend for hee is no man that knoweth not that man as Augustus Caesar sometime Emperour of Rome his beadel having forgot when he should come unto the Senate demanded of the Emperour whether he would command him to do any thing that he could do why said the Emperour take this letter with thee that men may know thée for thou knowest no man for thou wantest memory Cicero doth make mention of Curio that was so oblivious being a judge that he forgot the cause which he should give judgement upon Likewise Articus the son of Sophista was of so frail memory that he could never keep in mind the names of the four Elements Bamba a certain King of the Goths by a draught of drink given by Heringeus his successour lost his memory It may well be that drink cutteth off memory For the Poets fain that there is a river named Lethes
should be cut off offered to Jupiter in the Capitol of Rome his family to the temple of Ceres his children should be sold as bondmen to the Tribunes and Censors The Lacedemonians were most studiouâ— to expel idlenesse and brought their children up always in hardnesse to practise them in the Arts of Industry and hated Idlenesse so much that if any in the City of Sparta waxed grosse or fat they straight suspected him of idlenesse and if any young man waxed fat they had appointed laws that he should fast and live poor untill he were again changed into his first estate The Egyptians an ancient people when the country of Egypt began to be populous to avoid idlenesse as Pliny reporteth made the great building called the Pyramides which for the mightinesse and strange working thereof was named one of the seven wonders of the World in which there were kept at work thréescore thousand young men who continued a long time in the making thereof and onely to avoid and banish idlenesse The Athenians so abhorrid and detested idlenesse that when a certain man was condemned to die for that he was found idle in Athens a citizen thereof named Herondas as Plutarch testifieth was as desirous to see him as though he had been a prodigious Monster so strange and so marvellous was it to hear or to see any idle man in Athens The people called the Massilians would suffer no travellers neither Pilgrim nor Sacrificer nor any other stranger to come within their City lest under colour of religion or of pilgrimage they might corrupt the youth of the City with the sight thereof to be idle The Indians had a law made by their Wise-men called Gymnosophists that after meat was set on the table the youth should be examined what they had done for their meat and what pain and labour they had used all the morning before if they could make account of their travel they should goe to dinner but if they had béen idle they should have no meat except they had deserved the same The like did the young men of Argis who made an account to their Magistrates of their occupations and works The Areopagites as Valerius affirmeth did imitate the Athenians in commanding their youth to avoid idlenesse and to exercise travel the one as necessary to any Commonwealth as the other is most dangerous So that some countreys are naturally given to travel as the Lydians Phrygians French men with others Some again are given to idlenesse as the Persians Corinthians and others Some by law were forced to slie idlenesse some by punishment were feared from it some by death were enforced to labour for their living Thus this Monster Idlenesse is beaten every where and yet embraced in most places every man speaks against idlenesse yet a number are in love with it Magistrates and Officers are appointed to punish it and yet they often favour it CHAP. XL. Of Wrath and Anger and the hurts thereof THe famous and noble Philosopher Aristotle did charge his schollers always being in Anger or Wrath to behold themselves in a glasse where they might see such alteration of countenance such a palenesse in color that being before reasonable men they appear now like brutish beasts Wherefore that great Philosopher perceiving the furious and hastie nature of Alexander wrote from Athens unto India where this noble conqueror was at wars with King Porus to take heed of Wrath and Anger saying Anger ought not to be in any Prince toward his inferiour for he was to be mended with correction nor toward his equal for he might be redressed with power so that Anger ought not to be but against superiours but Alexander had no coequals Yet in vain was Aristotles doctrine to Alexander in this point for being in a baÌ„quet when Clitus his dear friend coÌ„mended his father King Philip in the former age to be the worthiest most renowned Prince Alexander wexed upon a sudden so angry that any man should be preferred before him though Philip was his own father which was comended and Cliâ—us his especial friend that did commend him that he thrust Clitus into the heart with a spear So hastie was this Prince that Calisthenes and Lysiâ—achus the one his Historian and counsellour the other his companion and friend for a few words spoken were either of them slain Silence therefore saith Aristotle is the surest reward to a Prince We read that King Tigranes of Armenia whom Pompey the great did conquer waxed so angry by a fall from his horse because his son was present and could not prevent his fathers fall that he thrust him with his dagger into the heart and was so sorry afterward and angry withal that he had likewise killed himself had not Anaxarchus the Phllosopher perswaded him Anger in a Prince saith Solomon is death terrible is the countenance of a King when he is oppressed with Wrath hurtfull to many and dangerous to all is the anger thereof Nero was so furious in anger that he never heard any thing if it were not to his liking but he would requite it one way or other with death insomuch that in his rage and anger he would often throw down tables being at dinner and dash cups of gold wrought with pearls against the walls and fling all away more like to a furious Gorgon of hell then a sober Emperor in Rome Such fury reigneth in anger that Orestes the son of Agamemnon slue his own mother Clytemnestra suddenly in his Wrath. Such madnesse reigneth in Anger that Ajax Telamon that famous and valiant Gréek after that Achilles was slain in the temple of Pallas by Paris at the destruction of Troy waxed so Angry because he might not have Achilles Armor which was given before to Ulisses that he beat stones and blocks fought with dead trées killed beasts thinking to méet with Ulisses amongst them If Anger make men murtherers if Wrath make men mad without wit or reason to know themselves or others let them imitate Plato in his anger who being angry with any of his scholers or servants would give the rod to Zenocrates to correct them Because he was angry the learned Philosopher misdoubted himself that he could not use moderate correction Even so Archicas would always speak unto his servant that had offended him Happy art thou that Architas is not angry Thereby giving his man to understand how dangerous Wrath is Aristotle saith the angry man séeth not the thing which lieth under his féet Augustus Caesar Emperour of Rome destred Athenedorus a Philosopher of Gréece which a long time accompanied Augustus in Rome and now was ready to depart to Athens that he would write som sentence that the Emperour might think of him in his absence The Philosopher took a pen and wrote in a little Table this sentence Caesar when thou art moved to anger speak nothing till thou hast recited the Greekes Alphabet a worthy lesson and a famous sentence well worthy to be learned of all
bloud saying these words now Cyrus drink enough of that which thou hast alwaies so long thirsted for Bloud doth require bloud and tyranny will have cruelty Antiochus famed in tyranny brought in subjection Egypt and India with other countries Hannibal excelled all men in tyranny as both Rome and Italy can well testifie To speak of King Philip and his son Alexander the great their tyranny their conquest and bloudy wars it were superfluous as Thessalia Thebes Larissa the Olinthians Phoceans Lacedemonians Athenians Persians Indians and all Asia are witnesse thereto Pyrrhus Antigonus Pompey the great with infinite more bloudy Generals did more rejoyce with tyranny to offend others then with justice to defend their own For the triumphs of cruel Captains are to joy in tyranny the wish and desire of the ungodly tyrant is to destroy all he is thirsty alwaies of bloud hungry continually of murther and slaughter What wished Caligula the Emperour to his own City of Rome onely one neck that with one stroke he might strike it off The difference betwéen a gentle and a goodly Prince and a cruell tyrant is and hath béen alwaies séen King Codrus of Athens how far excelled he cruell Caligula when by an Oracle it was told to the Athenians that they should never have victory during the life of Codrus their King the King understanding of it he cloathed himself like a common souldier nay rather as the history saith like a poor beggar and went into the midst of his enemies to be slain to save Athens How much did noble Curtius and famous Decius surmounted that cruell L. Sylla and that wicked imp C. Marius they instructed by the like Oracle were ready in their arms to mount on horseback to offer themselves alive to an open gulf to save Rome the other with sword and fire were no lesse willing to destroy Rome and to spoil their native soil and country of Italy Again Thrasibulus was not so beneficial to Athens but Catelin was as hurtfull unto Rome Divers Princes and Noble men have béen no lesse studious how to kéep and defend their countries then they were loath and unwilling to trespasse against their countries Happy are those places and most happy are they that injoy such Princes How famous was Thebes while Epaminondas lived how renowned was Sparta while yet Agesilaus ruled how happy was Rome when Fabius Maximus bare sway how flourished Athens when Pericles with his magnanimity when Themisiocles with his worthinesse when Demosthenes with his wisedome defended their state The vertuous lives of goodly Emperours time hath advanced to fame and fame hath spread over the whole world as of Traian Constantine Augustus Alexander Severus with others which are to be honoured and had in perpetual memory But the cruell tyranny of other wicked Magistrates neither time can take away nor any good nature forget as that monster of shame sinck of sin that beast Heliâ—gabalus that tyrant Nero that monster Caligula with Domitian Dionisius and others which are to be detested and utterly lothed Laertius in his third book doth write that the people of Agineta had a law written that if any of Athens should come unto their great City Aginia he should lose his head WheÌ„ Plato the philâ—sopher had hapned to come to that City it was told Carmendius who then was chief Iudge for that year that a man of Athens was in Aginia which ought by law to die the calling Plato before him in a great assembly demaÌ„ded what he was he said a Philosopher a certain man envious unto learning hearing the name of a Philososopher said this is no man but a beast then said Plato I ought to be frée by your law being a beast and not a man and so pleaded the matter that by the name of a beast he was dismissed applying thus the sense thereof that with tyrants and envious people beasts are better esteemed then men Such is the furious rage of tyranny that without mercy and respect of person he féedeth his fury King Atreus brother to Thiestes and son to King Pelops slew without pity the thrée sons of his brother Thiestes whose bloud he caused his brother and their father to drink unawares and after he had hidden their bodies in a cave he cut off their members and made their father to eat thereof The like history we read in Justine that King Assiages made Harpagus to eat his own son dressed ready and served up at the Kings table in two silver dishes before Harpagus the father of which as one ignorant of such tyranny the father fed Mithridates the bloudy King of Pontus slew his thrée sons and three daughters he killed his wife Laodice and married another named Hipsicratea Tyranny lurketh in the hidden veins and secret bowels of envy for even as Mithridates flew his wife Laodice so Constantine the great Emperour slew his wife Fausta and Nero murthered his wife Poppea I should weary the Reader to speak of Cleander Aristratus Strates Sabillus with innumerable others The state of Rome was so often changed by tyranny that sometimes they reigned under Monarchy and then streight under Aristrocacy And thus the Commons séeking by change an amendment of Princes kept alwaies the chief rule and government of the City of Rome under Democracy which is the popular government abhorring the corruption of Princes to their immortal fame and glory CHAP. XLIII Of Flattery FLattery is the sweet bait of Envy the cloak of malice the onely pestilence of the world a monster ugly to behold if it could be seen and dangerous to trust if it might be known it hath as many heads as Hidra to invent wickednesse as many hands as Briareus to commit evill as many eys as Argos to behold and delight in vengeance as swift of foot as Thalus entring into every mans house with words as sweet as honey but a heart as bitter as gall of which the old poem is spoken Melin ore verba lactis felin corde fraus in factis Antisthenes the learned Athenian was wont to say that he had rather have Ravens in his house with him then flatterers for Ravens said he devour but the carcasse being dead but the flatterer eateth up the body and soul alive For even as tyranny is hidden in the secret bowels of envy so is envy cloaked under the filed phrase of flattery and very well compared to the Crocodiles of Nilus or to the Syrens of the seas the one weeping and mourning the other singing and laughing the one with lamentation the other with mirth doth study how to annoy the poor Mariner The flattering Parasite as Ovid saith denieth with the negative and affirmeth with the affirmative wéepeth with him that is sad and laugheth with him that is merry As sometime Clisophus who when his master Philip King of Macedonia and further to Alexander the great did halt because he had the gout he would halt likewise when the King would be merry at his drink Clisophus would not be sad