quoth she wyth a goodly Boye And is it like me quoth he as like as maye be quoth she For as soone as he was borne he called for a sword and a buckler Phryne desired a Caruer that was in loue wyth hir to gyue hir one of the best Images he had the whiche thing the louer promised to do but the craftie Harlot thinking that he woulde not lette hir knowe whiche was the beste suborned her man to set his shop on fire wherfore when moste parte of his Images were brent and yet some of the beste escaped the caruer cryed out Alas if Cupide and my Satyres had bene brent I had bene vtterly vndone And so by this diuel she pollicie she vnderstanding that the Image of Cupide was more worth than the reste required to haue it for hir rewarde Ex Eras li. 6. Apoth Theodora a passing strumpet talking with Socrates of hir great haunt made hir beste that she could call away more of his schollers than he coulde of hirs No maruell quoth Socrates for thy wayes séeme pleasaunt and easie but the way to vertue séemeth full of brambles and briers Recitatur apud Xenophon Telia li. 13. de varia histo Gnathena a queane séeing two yong men fighting for hir comforted him that had the worse in this wise Be merie good felowe for this game was not for glorie but for spending of money Meaning that in other games he that had the beste had some rewarde for his paynes But héere he that had the best must pay some money or else should go without hir And so it was better for him to go without the cōquest than haue it Ex Er. l. 6. Ap. Of Humanitie and Gentlenesse DEmonax sayde that we ought not he offended with men when they offende vs but to correct and amend their faults imitatin herein good phisitians which are not offended with mē bicause they are infirmed but indeuour to cure their disease And as it is proper to man to offende so is it the maner of God and of suche men as desire to be like vnto God to forgiue their offences Ex Eras li. 8. Apoth Certen tospottes chaunced to fall in company with Pisistratus wise who hauing dronken more than they had bled began to shewe their lasciuious maners abundantly towards hir But on the morow whē they came to them selues and remēbred what they had don they went to Pisistratus and besoughte him wyth teares to forgiue their follie To whome Pisistratus sayde take héede hereafter that you behaue your selues more soberly But as for my wyfe I can beare hir record that she was not out of my gates yesterday of all the day Shewing great humanitie in forgiuing the sily soules and no lesse wisedome in defending his wiues honestie Ex Plut in Grae Apoth When one told Agisipolis that Philip king of Macedonie had in a shorte tyme destroyed the citie Olirthius he answered but it would be a good while ere he woulde builde suche an other Meaning that it were far better with gentlenesse to preserue suche a citie than with suche austeritie to destroy it Ex Plut. in La. Theodocius the younger was of suche and so wonderfull humanitie that when his friends demaunded him why he dyd not behead suche as had conspired hys death he aunswered I had rather restore suche as are dead to lyfe than to put to death suche as are alyue Aboundauntly herein declaring the ductie of a good Prince who oughte to be gentle and ready to forgiue suche as offende priuately agaynst him selfe but yet to be austere and sharpe to punishe such as offende generally agaynst the common wealth When Ouileus Camillus a Romans Senatour meaned to rebell and purchase vnto him selfe the Romane Empire Alexander Seuerus hearing therof sent for him and thanked him that he was so willing to take so great a charge in hande And in the Senate house called him sellowe Emperoure curteously intertayned him into his palace caused him to be apparelled with his imperiall robes and when he went in progresse tooke him as his companion to ryde with him And when he him selfe wente on foote he woulde cause him to ryde on horsebacke And finally when by the lawe he was condemned to dye he gaue him his life and forgaue him his fault Traianus the Emperour which succeded Nerua did so surmount his predecessours in humanitie and gentlenesse that when his friends blamed him and saids he was too gentle vnto his subiectes he answered that he behaued him selfe towardes them as he woulde wishe that they should do towards him Sigismunde the Emperour sayde that those Princes of all others were moste happie and fortunate which expel from out of their courte the malicious and proude and retayne suche as be mercyfull and gentle Aeneas Siluius de dictis Sigismun Impe. Alexander hauing taken Porus king of Indio captiue offered to giue him his request in any thing that he shoulde reasonably demaunde Wherefore king Porus desired him that he might be vsed lyke a king At which words Alexander smiled and sayde I meaned so to doo albeit thou haddest not desired it though not for thy sake yet for my owne honor and honestie Ex Bruso li 3. cap. 13. When one had solde gems of glasse vnto Galenes Aurelius Ceasars wyfe making hir be léeue that they were right gemmes she afterwardes perceyuing that she was so deluded desired hir husbande to haue him punished for his disceite Whervppon the Emperour commanded that be should be taken made him beléeue that he should be deuoured of a lyon Then béeing put into a caue and all men looking when a ramping lion should come to deuoure him on a sodayne he caste in a sily capon And when all men maruelled at so ridiculous a thing he caused the crier to cry he offended in deceit and with deceite lo he is punished Ex Trebellio pollio This Aurelianus the Emperour comming to besiege Tira and finding the gates shut agaynst him said in his chafe that he would not leaue a dog aliue in al that citie Which voyce of his greately encouraged his souldiers hoping therby to get some great pray and when they had nowe subdued the citie they desired the Emperor according to promise to suffer them to ransacke the same Go to quoth he I remember in déede that I sayde that I woulde leaue neuer a dogge in all the citie Wherfore go your ways and kil them al. And so he accomplished his promise and yet gētly intreted his einmies Ex Flauio Vopisc At the siege of Caieta when the inhabitants had for want of vittaile expelled out of their citie all the yong frie olde people and all other that were not mete for warre Alphonsus king of Arragon who came to subdue them gently receyued them into his campe Whereof of when certayne of his souldiers blamed him and sayde that if he had not receyued them the Caietanes woulde haue yéelded vnto
and hys master Seneca Lucane and diuers others aswell learned men as also his tutors and friends he rewarded wyth like curtesie Finallie when he had attempted diuers diuelishe deuises to destroy his mother and yet she was by Gods prouidence preserued in fine pretending great amitie he sent for hir to a banquet where with great ioy he receyued and interteined hir at parting kissed the brests which he more vnnatural than any Tigre had sucked secretly cōmaunding the shipmaster that béeing on the sea he shuld make as though perforce he were driuen against hir ship so bursting the ship to drowne hir which being as wickedly accomplished she neuerthelesse swam out escaped Wherof as ioyfull tidings when one Ligarinus brought him word he cōmanded him to be put to death and with him his owne mother This Nero cōmanded Rome to be set on fire in twelue places so continued it sixe dayes and seuen nightes in burning while that he to sée the example howe Troy burned sitting in his towre Mecaenas song Homers verses But in the ende he was fayne to kil him self for fear cōplayning the he had neither friend nor foe left the would do it for him Also C. Caesar Caligula was so cruell that in dedicating a bridge which he had made conteyning in lengthe thrée myles and sixe hundred passes he calling a number of people vnto him caused them all to be throwen downe and drowned in the sea he wyshed that all the people of Rome had but one necke to the intent he mighte destroy suche a multitude But God sent so shrewde a cowe short hornes For he was cut of by Cheraea Sabinus others which conspired against him After whose death there was soūd in his closet two libels wherin was cōteined the names of those senators and noble men that he meant to put to death ther was also foūd a coffer wherin diuers kinds of poyson were kepte to destroy a multitude of people which poysons afterwards being throwen into the sea destroied a great number of fish When Herode had put to death al his sons at length falling into a gret greuous disease insomuch the worms did eat him aliue dispayring the he should neuer recouer he caused all the noble men of Iewry to be imprisoned thē calling his sister Salome Alexander hir husbande vnto him he said vnto them I know the Iewes wil be right ioyful make great feasts at my death wherfore take these whom I haue in holde and put them to death that once in my life I may cause all Iewry to lament and mourne Whē king Darius made war agaynst the Scithians had taken the sonnes of Orobertus a noble man he desired the king to leaue him one of his thrée sonnes to comfort him in his age Which thing Darius promised to do and more than that to And so cruelly killing them he bad him take them all thrée Cneius Piso made an Edict that if any of his souldiours returned out of the field without his cōpanie he should dye for it aswel as if he had slaine him him self It hapned that one so returning desired his leaue to goe séeke his mate whiche thing Piso would not graunt but commaunded a Captain to sée him executed which when he prepared to accomplish he sawe the man whiche was missing comming towards them wherefore he commaunded the hanchman to stay the sworde and so brought them both vnto Piso but he in a furie commaunded thē all thrée to be put to deathe the one bycause he was alreadie condemned the other bycause he was the cause of his condemnation and the Captain for not executing his precept Of deceyte and guile ROsimund the wife of Alboinis king of Longobardia through the persuasiō of one Helmelchides who promised hir mariage made awaye Albonis hir husbande After whose death the adulterer and she béeing chased from Longobardia fled to Rauenna where she was honourably interteyned of Longinus the king who also béeing taken with hir beautie desired that she would make away Helmelchides and marry him promising hir by this meanes to restore hir to the kingdome of Longobardia Wherevpon as Helmechides on a tyme came out of the bathe she making him beléeue that she had made him a drinke to recouer his strengthe caused hym to drinke poyson whiche thing when he perceyued he compelled hir to drinke the rest and so in one day and wyth one kinde of death the worlde was deliuered of two adulterers Datames was a man of singular craft and very subtyll and circumspecte in all his dealinges so that when it was tolde him that there were some which lay in wayse to kyll him he caused one to doo on hys attire and to goe to the place where the ambushement was who béeyng supposed to haue béene Datames him selfe was beset but Datames with greater power rescued him and subdued his foes After this one Mithridates pretending friendship desired to speake with him in a secrete place where he before had hidde his weapon When the tyme was come that they should méete Datemes caused him and he Datemes to be searched and when no weapon coulde be founde aboute them they came togither to talke and after long debating they departed eche man his way but Mithridates comming to the place where his weapon lay making as thoughe he paused tooke vp his weapon and hid it vnder his clothes thē calling againe after Datemes as though he had somewhat more to say vnto him came to him and flue him Whē Xerxes for his feblenesse began to be contēned of his subiects Artabanus his chief ruler hoping to aspire vnto the kingdome came with his vij sturdy sons vnto the palace where first he secretly made away his lord Xerxes then the soner to attaine his hoped pray he set discorde betwéene the two yong princes persuading Artaxerses that Darius his brother had killed his father Xerxes Wherevppon Artaxerses caused Darius to be kylled in his bedde But as GOD woulde haue it Artabanus not kéeping his owne counsayle opened hys trayterous stomacke to Bacabassus hys companion who disclosing it to Artaxerses the Prince he faygning as though he woulde sée a viewe of his men commaunded them all agaynst the next day to be before him in complete armoure Wherein they accomplished his commaundement he according to promise came to take a view of them and espying Artabanus amongst the rest making as thogh his cote of maile were to short he willed Artabanus to chaunge wyth him And so Artabanus vnarming him Artaxerses thrust him through verefying the Psalm Foueam féecit ac incidit in eam he pretended the destruction of an other and was him selfe destroyed After that Ptolome king of Ceraunia had subdued Antigonus made war with Antiochus Pirrhus and had now gotten the regimēt of al Macedonia into his own hands he assaied also to deceiue his own sister to bereue frō hir hir two sonnes and hir citie
so pitiful coÌ„plaintes that in fine the moued him to mercy Insomuch that he sent one vnto hir who willed hir in the kings name to chose the deliuerie of one captiue whom she would wherfore she amoÌ„gst the rest desired that hir brother might be deliuered The king wondering that she did thus prefer hir brother before hir husband and children she answered him an other husband other children if it please God I may haue but an other brother now my parents be dead I shall neuer haue Of Children SEruilius Geminus supping with Lucius Manlius who was counted the best paynter in Rome séeing his children harde fauoured he saide vnto him I sée Manlius thou canst not make a childe so wel as thou canst paint him No quoth Manlius manerly answering for I paint them in the lighte but I make them in the darke Cyriades the first of the. 30. Roman tiraÌ„ts for that Cyriades his father was iustly displeased w him toke a great pece of money and fled vnto Persia where ioyning with Sapores he made war against Rome and killed his owne father but after wardes was by his owne crafte slaine him selfe Absalon king Dauids sonne desiring his fathers kingdome and therfore making war agaynst him was as he fled hanged by the haire on a bushe and so flayne whose death his moste godly father bewayled with many teares Ariaster Triganis sonne hearing that Pompeâ— was inuading his fathers kingdom fled to aid hym agaynst his father wherof Triganis hearing came huÌ„bly submitted himself at Pompeis féete who curteously receyued him and placed him on the right hand and his sonne Ariaster on his left hand deuiding the kingdome betwéene them But Ariaster béeing offended herewith when as PoÌ„pei sent for him to to supper he wold not come sending him this manacing answer the he had no néed of him but wold ioine with some other Roman who shold better estéeme him With which words he so offended Pompei that he caste him in prison and kept him for a spectacle at the triumph Herodes father to Parcorus hearing of of the death of Parcorus his sonne the discoÌ„fiture of his host was so greued that he fel mad for sorrowe but after he had bene a great while in this care at laste comming to himselfe he was so greatly trobled whoÌ„ of his 30. sons which he had begotteÌ„ of his coÌ„cubines he might make king for euery of these coÌ„cubines desired the regimeÌ„t of the kingdome for their sonne but in fine he determined to prefer Phrahates therto who immediatly killed his father destroied his brethren wheÌ„ his owne son came to age put him to death It was by an oracle declared vnto Altamenes the he should be the death of his father Cartareus king of Crete nowe called Candie which destinie he desirous to eschue departed and dwelt at Camiros in Rhodes But after a season his father desirous to sée him departed from Candie and by night ariued at Camiros But his men and the inhabitantes falling at debate Altamenes comming amongste them vnawares siue his father Which thing when he vnderstoode being ashamed to looke any man in the face he departed into the wildernesse and there died for sorowe Spartianus wryting of the life of Seuerus saythe that there was almoste no good or noble man which left any sonne good or profitable for the coÌ„mon wealth but either they died withoute issue or lefte suche as it had bene good if they neuer had bene borne And to begin with Romulus he lefte no childe Numa Pompilius none to doe the common wealthe good What did Camillus lefte he any childe like himselfe What did Scipio or the Catoes who were noble men And what should I speake of Homer Demosthenes Virgill Crispus Terence Plautus or the rest Or what of Caesar or Cicero Who aboue all others had bene happie if he had died without issue And finally who had bene more happie than Marcus Aurelius if he hadde not lefte his sonne Comodus to succéede him in the Empire or who more fortunate than Seuerus Septimius if Bassianus had neuer bene begotten Reade more in the title of education Of Concord and vnitie VVHen Pisistratus king of the Atheniens giuing his children good couÌ„sell coulde not be heard of them he was iustly displeased with them for it Which thing his enimies perceiuing were very glad hoping that by this discorde in his house some alteration woulde followe Wherof when the king had intelligeÌ„ce he assembled the Citie before him telling them that bicause his sonnes would not obey his fatherly pleasure he was offended with them but yet now it séemed good to his fatherly pitie that remitting their disobedience to forgiue them and consent vnto them Wherefore willed it to be published in the Citie that the king and his sonnes were nowe at one Demetrius a very louing and obedient sonne to Antigonus his father chauncing to come from hunting whilest certaine Embassadoures were doing theyr legacie vnto him in theyr presence entred all armed as he was and kissed his Father Wherefore when the Embassadoures shoulde departe Antigonus sayde vnto them Remember sirs to declare the loue and hartie affection which you haue séene betwéene my sonne and me Héereby declaring that agréement betwéene the father and the sonne is the greatest token of a Princes power that may be Licurgus vnto the Citizens whiche wrote to knowe howe they mighte best resist theyr ennimies force Answered if you shal be content to liue poore as you are and abstaine from mutuall dissention and discorde That Concorde is a thing very pleasante before God Homer in his Fâ—â—ades declareth Where hee felleth howe Mars the God of warre came vnto Iupiter to complaine of Diomedes who had wounded him but Iupiter with sterne countenaunce answered I woulde thou knewest that of all the celestiall coÌ„panie thou art one that I worst can away withal whose only delite is in brauling fighting and making of warre In Salust Mycippa at his death warned his sonnes to agrée amongste themselues saying by Concorde and vnitie smal things are increased made great but by discorde the greatest things that euer were will be decayed and brought to naughte Of the Court and Courtyers life CAlisthenes the Philosopher going to dwel with king Alexander was warned of Aristotle either seldome to speake vnto him or else to frame his speache pleasant and merie But he reprouing the king for taking pleasure to be saluted of the Persians and indeuoring to induce him in the Macedonian customes was cast in prison there as some say he died of the gout others say he was crucified which Trogus denyeth saying he had his handes and his eares cut off also his nose and his lippes deformed and so was made a spectacle for men to behold Praexaspes one of Cambyses his secrete counsell being asked what the people saide of him he answered that all men praised him greatly but that they saye he was toomuche giuen to Wine
Cassandra And that he might the better accomplish his malicious intēt he desired to mary hir Herein albeit she suspected his wicked purpose yet fearing his cruel nature to take vengeāce on hir she denied him not but sent one Dion to reasō with him in hir cause To whō he sware made many solemne protestations vowes that he sincerely sought the mariage of Arsinoe his sister Herevpon she hoping that his meaning had bene as simple as his speaking consented to marry him Vnto the solemnization whereof he assembled his nobilitie charging them to call and take hir for Quéene Which fayre wordes making hir fayne she nowe of hir own accord desired him to go sée hir citie Cassandra and agaynst his comming she caused the citie to be adorned garnished and further she commanded that hir two sonnes Lycimachus and Philip with their crounes on their heads shuld come and meete him by the way which thing they accordingly did and Ptolome with fayned countenance imbraced and kissed them But assoone as he came vnto the citie he commaunded the Towre to be taken and the two children to be slayne Wherefore the poore babes were compelled to flée vnto their mother for reskewe who imbracing them in hyr armes assayed wyth hyr owne bodie to kéepe them from wounding but all in vayne For in fine they were slayne and she most cruelly and dispitefully expelled the citie whence she went to Samothracia greatly lamēting that she was not slayne with hir children But Ptolome for his wyckednesse escaped not vnpunished For shortely after léesing his kingdome to the Frenchemen and him selfe taken captiue with the sworde as he deserued finished his life Whose head was fastned on a speare carried about for a terrour to their enimies Caius Cannius a Romane knight lying at Syracuse to refresh him selfe was very desirous to buy a garden there Whiche thing Pithius vnderstanding came vnto him told him that he had a garden which Cannius might vse as his owne but he would not sell it The next day he had Cannius to diner had prouided that at that time all the fishermen should fish before his garden At the time appoynted Cannius came where he saw great store of botes much fish takē and cast vp euen at Pithius féete Whereat Cannius wōdring what meneth it frend Pythius quoth he is here suche store of fish Yea quoth Pythius it is no maruel for al the fish in Syracuse is in this place Herewith Cannius was greatly in loue with it earnestly desired Pythius to sel it Which thing Pythins made straunge to do at the first but in the end yéelded to his request And so Cannius being a very welthy man desirous to haue it gaue him as much money for it as he woulde aske A day or two after Cannius inuited certain of his friends thither to supper he him selfe came thither betimes but could sée neuer a bote there Wherefore he demaunded of the nexte neighbour whether the fishermē kept holyday that day bicause none of them came thither No quoth the neighbour but they vse not to fish here Wherefore I marueled yesterday to sée so many of thē here and thus was Cannius deceiued Of death and buriall DIogines the Cinicke béeing persuaded that after a mās death he shuld haue no sense nor féeling was asked of hys frends what should be done with him after he was dead why take me quoth he cast me in the fields To whō his frends replying that beast birds would then deuour him he bad them lay his staffe by him But what shal that staffe do quoth they when you can not handle it And what tell you me quoth he that beasts will eate me if I féele them not Wherfore Seneca sayth very well that buriall was not inuēted for the deades sake but for vs that liue that we mighte not be offended with the noysome sauor and sight of the dead corpse When Alexander had taken certayne Philosophers of India called Gymnosophistae which prouoked Saba to rebelliō he proposed them hard questions which onlesse they could absolue they were put to death one of them which was eldest was made iudge in the mater The first of them was demaunded whether there were more liuing or dead he answered there were more alyue bycause the dead haue no more béeing The seconde béeing inquired whether the lande or sea ingendred greater creatures answerred the lande bicause the sea is but a portion of it The thirde béeing asked what beast was moste subtill the beast quoth he that man can not discerne The fourth was demaunded what induced him to persuade the Sabians to rebelliō who answered bicause I thought it better to dye manfully than to lyue miserably The fifthe inquired which was first made the day or else the night who sayd that the day was a day before the night The sixte béeing demaunded howe one raygning mighte get the good-will of the people aunswered if he be not terrible Of the other thrée one was asked howe a mortall man might be accounted in the number of the Gods if he do greater thinges quoth he than mans power can attayne to The other was demaunded whether he thoughte life or death to be the stronger answered that life was strongest bicause in it man suffereth so many calamities The last was inquired how long a mā should liue vntill sayd he that he thincketh life to be better than death The Galathians do so cōtemne death that they fighte naked and are persuaded as Pythagoras thincketh that they shall put on new bodies And therefore many put letters into the fire wherein theyr fréends bodies are burned thinking that their fréendes shall read them after their death Aulus Posthumius in an oratiō which he made vnto his souldiers sayd It is giuen to all men bothe good and bad to die but to die godly and gloriously is only giuen to good men Hector in Homer speaking vnto Andromache his wife said be not gréeued for my death for both the valiante and the miser muste needes take that way When Socrates was condempned of the Athoniens for bringing in of newe Gods with a stedfast countenaunce he tooke the poyson out of the hangmannes handes and putte it too his mouthe And when Xantippe his wife complained that should die giltlesse Why quoth he and haddest thou rather to sée me die giltie than giltlesse The Thratians wéepe at the birthe of man and are merrie at his deathe The Licians at the death of their fréedes put on womans attire that being moued with the deformitie therof they might the sooner cease mourning The Egiptians doe poulder the deade carcase and kéepe it at home with them The people in Carmania called Chelonophart doe throwe them to fishes to be eaten The people in the East called Nabatholi doe bury their kings in dunghils The Persians doe lappe them in waxe and salte them The Magians vse not to bury the corpse before it be rent with
him ere long he answered that he dyd more estéeme their lyues than the conquest of a hundred suche cities A notable acte and worthy perpetuall memorie And afterwardes the citie which with fortie thousand men of armes he coulde not subdue by that kindenesse without any effusion of bloud yéelded vnto him Ex Panor li. 1. de rebus geftis Alphonsi Iohannes Scotus a right godly deuine and learned Philosopher comming to Fraunce out of his owne countrey of Scotland by reason of the gret tumults of war was worthily intertained had in great estimation of Carolus Caluus the Frenche king whom he commonly and familiarly vsed to haue about him both at bed at borde Vpon a time the king sitting at meate and séeing belike in this Iohn Scotus somewhat which séemed not very courtly cast forth a mery word asking him what differeÌ„ce there was betwene a Scot and a Sot Whervnto the Scot sitting ouer against the king somewhat lower replyed agayne sodenly rather than aduisedly yet merily saying Mensa tantum that is the table onely importing himselfe to be the Scot and so by crafte calling the king a Sot. Which thing the king tooke in good parte and laughed it out Xerxes séeing Grecian spyes come to viewe his armie dyd them no harme but ledde them about shewing them all his armie and let them go vnhurt Laurentius Palatine of Hungarie said that Sigismunde the Emperoure dyd foolishly who not onely forgaue his enimies their liues but also intreated them as his friends and bestowed much liberalitie vpon them to whom Sigismunde answered thou thinkest it profitable to kill thy enimies bicause they shal make warre agaynst thée no more But I kill my enimie with sparing him and with my liberalitie I make him my friende Ex Aenea Siluio l. 3. commentarij de rebus geâ—â—is Alphon. Of Innocencie or a good conscience WHen Anaxandridas sawe one heauie bicause he should be banished the citie he said be not afraid good felow to leaue the citie but be afraid to forsake iustice equitie Meaning that they wer not miserable which were vnworthily punished but them to be most miserable which of their owne accorde forsake iustice and depart from honestie albeit no punishment ensue therfore Pirrhus leading an armie agaynst the Lacedemonians heard Cyrcilidas a Lacedemonian Senatour manace the armie But Pirrhus saide vnto them Be of good comforte sirs for if Cyrcilidas be a God we haue done nothing wherewith he may be displeased But if he be but a man he shall well perceiue that we are men to whome he thus threatneth and not women Whose meaning was that the innoceÌ„t are always in hope of Gods fauour and assistaunce Who although he be sometimes displeased yet will he always he iust and righteous in visiting the vniust and letting the innocent and guiltlesse escape When Vespasian had a long time ben sicke of an ague and was remoued in his bedde from the place where he lay vnto some other chamber he looked vp into heauen and complayned that his life should without cause be taken from him And sayde that he was sory for no déede that euer he did but for one what that was he tolde not him selfe neither can any contecture what it should be Ex Suetonio WheÌ„ one blamed Anthonius Pius the Emperor saying that he was ouer gentle vnto his enimies suche as had conspired his death asking him what should become of him if they had preuayled agaynst him he answered I doo not so serue God neither is my life suche that I should be giuen into my enimies handes Ex Brus li. 5. cap. 26. Alphonsus King of Arragon béeing demaunded why he went somtimes without his gard answered that he went accompanied with innoceÌ„cie Wherby the wise prince meaned that he was well garded from sustayning any iniurie that had a cleare conscience of his owne and that they wer neuer in safetie who bere about them a corrupt conscience but as the Psalmist sayth they are afrayde of daunger where no daunger is Of Iudges and Iudgement PHilip king of Macedonie sitting in iudgemeÌ„t in a certen cause of one Macheta slumbring and not tending the cause vnaduisedly condemned Macheta But he cried out and said I appeale Appeale quod the king vnto whoÌ„ dost thou appeale Vnto thée O king quod he if thou wilt awake heare me WhervpoÌ„ the king began to awake be more atteÌ„tiue in his cause perceiuing that he had done him wrong he did not reuoke hys former iudgement but payed him selfe the summe wherein Macheta was condemned Bruso li. 3. cap. 10. Alexander Seuerus did beare such stomacke agaynst corrupt iudges that wheÌ„ he chaunced to méete with any of theÌ„ by coÌ„motion of his minde he would cast vp choler béeing so moued with them that he could not speake and was ready with his two fingers to putte out their eyes Bruso li. 3. cap. 10. When Cambises king of Persia vnderstoode that one of his iudges had pronounced false iudgement he coÌ„maunded that his skin should be flayne of set on the chaire where he sat in iudgemeÌ„t and where his sonne after him should sit to giue sentence Brus li 3. cap. 10. Marcus Antonius the wyse Philosopher and mightie Emperour was wont to say that priuate persons had many iudges but Princes and Magistrates haue onely God to be their iudge As by this example folowing may appeare Anno domini 1105. two famous Archebishops of Mentz béeing right vertuous and wel disposed prelates were cruelly and tirannously delt withal intreated by the bishoppe of Rome Their names were Henrie and Christian This Henry hauing intelligence that he was complayned of to the Pope sent a learned man an especiall friend of his named Arnolde to excuse him But this honest man Arnolde in steade of an excuser became an accuser brybing the chiefe Cardinalles with good golde by which meanes he obtayned of the Pope those two Cardinalles to be sente as inquisitours and onely doers in that present case The which comming to Germanie summoned the sayde Henry and deposed him of his Archbishopricke for all that he could doo either by iustice or lawe substituting in his place the sayde Arnolde â–ª vppon hope no doubte of the Ecclesiasticall golde Wherevpon that vertuous and honorable Henry spake vnto those peruerse iudges on this wise If I shoulde appeale vnto the Apostolike see for your vniust processe had agaynst me perhappes the Pope would attempte nothing more herein than you haue neither shoulde I winne any thing by it but onely toyle of body losse of good affliction of minde care of heart and missing of his fauor Wherfore I do appeale vnto the Lord Iesu Christ as to the most highest and iust iudge and cite you before his iudgement there to answere before the high iudge For neither iustly nor godly but by corruption as it pleased you ye haue iudged me Wherto they scoffingly answered go you first
we wil folow you Not lōg after as the storie is the said Henry died Whereof the two Cardinals hauing intelligence sayd one to the other iestingly beholde he is gone before and we must folow according to our promise And verily they said truer than they were aware of for within a while they died in one day For the one sitting on a iakes to ease himself voided out al his intrels into the draught miserably died The other gnawing of the fingers of his hands spitting them out of his mouth all deformed in deuouring himself died And likewise not lōg after the ende of these men the foresayd Arnolde moste horribly in a sedition was slayne and certayne dayes lying stinking aboue the grounde vnburied was open to the spoyle of euery rascall and harlot Ex domino Fox As Ptolome was on a time playing at tables one came to him reading the names of such as were cōdemned with the crimes that they had committed to knowe what kinde of execution eche of them according to their deserts should sustayne But Bernice Ptolomes wife tooke the scroule of his hand and would not suffer him make an ende of reading And sayde that he ought not go so vnaduisedly to worke when they intreate of life and death but leauing of their game should go to it in earnest Knowing that the lyfe of man is of greater importaunce than a caste at tables Which wise words of hirs greatly pleased the wise Prince and after that he woulde neuer determine of so weightie a matter before he had rightly duly considered the same Ex Aeliano li. 14. de Va. hi. When Zeuxis an excellēt painter had portrayed the picture of Helena Nicostratus an other painter cōming by gazed a long time on the artificiall workmāship thereof An other of his neighbours cōming that way went to Nicostratus and asked him why he wondred so muche at so common a thing O quoth he if thou hadst mine eyes thou woldest not think it common Alluding to our prouerbe A blinde man can not iudge of colours When Apelles had portrayed his pyctures he vsed to set them foorth in the stréete and sitting him selfe behinde a clothe he woulde hearken what euery one sayde of his workemanship It hapned therefore on a tyme that hauing with all diligence portrayed a passing péece a shoemaker came by and founde faulte with the shoe saying that there wanted a hemme in the héele which reprofe of hys Apelles authorizing hys science tooke in good parte But the next day comming by agayne he sayde that the legge was not well formed Wherfore Apelles séeing his blinde boldnesse stepped foorth and sayde Ne sutor vltro crepidam Nay let not shoemaker meddle further than the shoe Ex Bruson lib. 1. cap. 10. Negabisus an affectionate fellowe sometimes would greatly commend the rude workemanshippe of the Paynter and at an other tyme woulde disprayse very artificiall workemanship Wherfore Xeuxes sonnes holding a paynting sticke in their handes would laugh and mocke him to scorne Wherewith when he séemed to be offended Xeuxes sayde vnto him as long as thou holdest thy peace the children thinke thou arte a fine fellow bycause of thy gay clothes but as sone as thou thinkest to speake of some weightie matter they contemne thée Wherfore rule thy tong and praise nothing wherein thou hast no skill and knowest not whether it be well or euil Ex Aeliano Lib. 2. de vari Brusonius li. 3. cap. 16. Erasmus Lib. 6. Apoth Plin. pro Negaby ponit Alexan. Magnum Of Iustice and Equitie WHen Bias was about to condemne one to deathe he began bitterly to wéepe and to lamente the lamentable case of the man But when one sayd vnto hym why doste thou wéepe since it standeth in thy choyce whether thou wilt condemne him or saue him he answered as nature chargeth me to bewail his death so dothe she bynde me for nothing to depart from iustice and equitie Ex Eras ser 44. Antisthenes the wisest of the Athenian Philosophers sayde that a wise man is not bounde to humane lawes Meaning that a wise man is only bounde to vertue and in all things ordereth his life according to equitie and iustice Laer. li. 6 When Cyrus was a boy his maister gaue him this argumēt to teach him the rule of perfect iustice There wer quoth he two boyes the one great and he had a little coate the other little and he had a great crate nowe this little boye put of his owne great coate and did putte on his fellowes little coate Was this good iustice quoth the master or no Yea quoth Cyrus for by this meanes eche of them had a fitte coate Nay quoth his master thy iudgement is false For iustice commaundeth to giue euery one his owne And so tooke him vp and beate him On a time as Carolus Caluus the French king was sitting at dinner and was serued with a certain dishe of fishe wherin were two great ones and a litle one after he had therof sufficiently takē his repast he set downe the saide fishe to Iohannes Scotus to distribute with the two clarkes that were sitting with him which were two tall mightie persons he himself being but a little man Iohannes taketh the fishe of the which the two great ones he carued to himselfe the little fishe he reached to the other two whose vniuste deuision the king beholding reprehended him therfore But he answered and saide that he would proue this deuision to be bothe iust and equall For heere sayth he be two great and a little poynting to the two great fishes and him selfe and likewise héere againe is a little one and two great pointing to the little fish the two great persons I pray you quoth he what oddes is this or what distribution can be more equall Ex domino Fox Glaucus in all his dealings was a very iust and vprighte manne only in one thing a little departing from iustice he was greatly plagued therefore On a time one Milesius tooke a greate summe of money to kéepe leauing a certen token whereby he mighte knowe howe and to whome to restore it againe But after long continuaunce of tyme when the sonnes of the man that deliuered it came to require it he woulde not deliuer the money before he had therein consulted the oracle Wherefore he died without issue and the name of hys house was cleane extinct and decayed Bruson Lib. 3. cap. 8. Iohannes the Emperoure and Henricus Duke of Corinthe being a long tyme at variance for the kingdome of Boheme there came one vnto this Iohannes who promised that if he shoulde haue any thing for his laboure he wold poyson the Duke his ennimie But this godly Emperoure so embraced iustice that he gaue him this sharpe aunswere If thou haddest killed Duke Henrie I not knowing thereof and haddest come to me for a rewarde I promise thée I woulde haue rewarded thée with a halter for imbruing thy hands with his