Constantinople by land being vnexperienc't in the dangers and the many miseries of his ioumey for his better instructions seekes comfort in the councel of another who hath bought knowledge of the way with the price of many weary and distressed paces and being come learnes this for an appâ—…ued certainty that first the iourney it selfe is long and tedious the way troublesome and vneuen the change of ayres infectious and vnhealthy the desarts wast and vncomfortable directions chargeable and vncertaine here theeues prepared to spoyle there beasts set all on rauine surety no where danger on all hands and what is the worst of these aduentures if hee obtaine the scope of his desires and arriue euen to the furthest of his iourney yet shall he there finde a Turke that is Emperour cruell in nature boundlesse in command faithlesse of truth treacherous and full of the bloud of Christians what comfort resteth to bee hoped for from this afflicted trauailler or what should he doe To goe is the hazard of life to stay the certainty of death now the Noblenes of Wisedome must direct the Vertue of Noblenesse incourage his resolution to resolue a steaddines of minde to countermaund the heauinesse of both fortunes And it behoues such a man so trauailing to be prepared aswell to beare danger when he meeâ—…es with it as to be instructed before that there is danger to be met with In like manner is euery man borne to greatnesse so likewise borne to iourney to death To which ere he come death being the furthest home of all our trauailes wee must know that wee are to passe through the miseries of mortallity and particularly informe our selues that life it selfe how short soeuer in respect of it's frailty is long and tedious the manner of liuing troublesome and vneuen the change of estates infectious to the minde vnhealthy to the soule the wildernesse of opinion and iudgement wasted by the cause and comfortlesse in the effects of folly directions to reformation chargeable if wee respect our ignorance vncertaine if wee remember our wilfulnesse Here on the one side are theeues euen our affections to spoile vs of vertue there on the other side Beasts which are defects of reason set on to deuoure vs euen our manner of liuing is a baite to allure vs from the surety of life and when wee are come to the deadly sickenesse that must finish our course the worst of euill is that hauing past all the quicksands and perils of life wee haue within vs death it selfe in our owne consciences to bring vs to death Nothing is left therefore to a man borne to liue but a stayed and a sure resolution to be armed to die In which hee is to care not where hee shall die or in what manner or in what estate but that hee must die and in what minde and in what memorable vertues Heere the foundation to the erecting the Master-piece of the Golden Meane being layd now vpon these or some other considerations not much differing from these a Noble wise man is then to know his owne worth wherby calamity may not cast him so downe as that hee cannot call to minde that hee hath beene once happy as greatnes might not so lift him vp as that hee should be secure that he could neuer be vnhappie It is much needfull that worthy personages hauing merit to commend their bloud and birth to make goodly their merit should in such sort be both knowers and directors of their own vertues as neither honorable estimation should so purchase the opinion of vanitie to be blowne vp with the simplicitie of pride neither a too low discent to the weakenesse of seruilitie that they are become the miracles of pittie He that knowes himselfe not that he is so much a great man as a good man knowes likewise it is a labour of as rare desert to preserue Goodnesse as to finde it as on the other part the meerely ambitious rather studie to finde greatnesse then being found and enioyed to preserue it Such principles ingenerall being by a discerning iudgement contâ—…iued the contriuer cannot be far from the parts that leade to this Golden Meane It is many times seene that those who leade their liues according to the measure of their will and power doe not measure their will and power according to the frailtie of their liues yet certainely they lead an euill life who are still beginning to liue for that life is euer vnperfect which hath learned but the first onely rule to goodnesse certaine other then chiefly begin to liue when they are certaine to end the race of so liuing by death and some also there are who end their liues before they can well be said to haue begunne to liue Most men subiect to those vnhappinesses like things floating on the water doe not goe but are carried not the counsell of prouidence directs their steps to goe by the staffe of discretion but they are wholly rather carried by the violent streame of opinion and conceit precisely termed Humour To vnmaske the vizour that hides the deformitie of this customarie vilenesse much guilt is to be laid on the change of the times or indeed on the change of men in the times For whiles the World was yet in her infancie neither was such plenty of temptation to inuite neither was vanity so plentifull to tempt the happinesse of that age to the miseries of this But as dayes grow more numberles in number so men in those dayes waxed more irregular in manners which irregularitie of manners increased by the deprauation of reason in men of all conditions in fooles euer in the wise often for euen the wise do themselues not seldom suffer an eclipse of reason The difference that is is for that such a defect proceeds rather out of the firmitie of Nature then out of any subiection of the minde for where the minde is subiected to the grossenes of errour there doth the man so for the time so subiected forsake the course of Wisedome which like a fixed Starre should how soeuer the heauens moue be vnmoueable and vnmoued in the Center of his place and such as so is is truely said to be true Noblenesse true Vertue true Wisedome Euen as one that is to frame a goodly building on a delightfull plot of ground doth first prouidently forecast aswell of the hazards and hinderances that may come as the charge which daily must come Amongst which must principally be considered the title of the right and what claime may belayd thereto and what meanes may be vsed to remoue that claime Then the necessitie of prouision the casuall change of weather the wearinesse of working for all which if interaccidents of extremity should happen remedies for the same must be thought on So a man in his minde wisely resolued to the building of this excellent frame of the Golden Meane on the plot of a prepared resolution must endeuour to prouide cures against the fates of extremitie A few of which
how hee is esteemed Imprisonment is not of such vertue in it selfe that men should seeke to be prisoners thereby to be happy but being by casualtie enforced vpon any the vse thereof may be so happy that hee who is imprisoned may not think himselfe miserable Euen as hee who being followed by the memory of some euill act though he haue his body at libertie yet is still imprisoned in the guilt of his 〈◊〉 So hee that reformeth the crookednesse of his condition by the imitation of goodness though his body be imprisoned hath by the selfe-same reason the freedome of the minde Imprisonment is a gentle sickenesse not to kill but to chasten the patient and as men naturally proud may be humbled but will neuer be humble so men of a meeke condition may be launced for the recouery of health but not wounded to the hastening of death which a Wise and Noble man well fore-casting may arme himselfe against reputed miseries and amongst them all against this one of imprisonment that whensoeuer it should come to him it should come to him rather to exercise then to ouerthrow him Finally amongst such men whose reason is ouerswayed by nature Death is reckoned for a misery and is to them a misery indeed but to others guided by the refined light of Iudgement it is esteemed as it is the onely remedie and securest ease against misery Death to a wiseman cannot come vnlooked for nor to a good man vnwisht for since the wise knowing that they must die know likewise that resolution is the best comfort to welcome death and the good being confident of their owne innocencies desire the change of a better life He that will ouercome affliction by sufferance beare calamitie with courage weary out feare with hope let him be resolute that the worst of trials is death and for that be armed whensoeuer it shall come and be ready to imbrace it If a Noble or a Wise man after disfauour of his Prince neglect of his Countrey forfeiture of his Estate banishment from his Friends imprisonment of his Person or any other esteemed extreames bee threatned with the losse of his head or execution in any manner certainely hee hath great cause to reioyce for he is not worthy to see any end of his sorrowes who is not prepared to meet it with a merry heart The end of all sorrowes is Death if the party to die be truely reconciled to his God and to his conscience The old Poets did fitly faine Death to be the childe of the Night and Sleepe to be the Sister of Death wisely including that as Night and Sleepe wrap vp all in stilnesse so should Death more perfectly finish the course of euils by burying them in a graue neuer to arise And no doubt but heerein Death and Night haue much affinitie that as the Night is fearefull because darke but sweet because giuing rest So is Death in his shaddowe which is the night of opinion before it comes full of horrour but in substance which is the quickening to a better life when it comes full of ioyes It may be here obiected that to die for some supposed offence by an enforced death is scandalous and therefore miserable But it may be answered that such an obiection betokens but the feare of frailty For if it be examined we must consesse that the houre of death â—…uen to them that most â—…oke for and desire it is â—…ncertaine and they cannot be so prouided at an â—…stant as others that â—…now the instant when they are to suffer Heerein men destined 〈◊〉 death for some offence â—…re as it may seeme â—…ore happy in their end â—…hen they are vnhappy in their disorder of liuing â—…hat hath brought them 〈◊〉 that end Men appointed to die knowing the time certain haue reason and no doubt doe accordingly fit themselues to forsake and cast off all those parts and thoughts that might make them mortall then others who onely dreame of a dying time but not resoluing that they draw neerer to the time are many times suddenly taken in the fulnesse of their filthinesse and in the high tide of acting vnlawfull pleasures or abuses and here surely betweene the manner of dying the last is most fearefull since the former knowing the minute in which they are to depart from the World doe by the stroake of Iustice enioy that benefit which wise and good men doe in mercy sigh and hope for Death is a happy Hauen and men shipwrackt in the Sea of this earth cannot but couet it It is a safe Inne and men poasting in the iourneyes of wearinesse cannot but seeke it It is a path to blessednesse and such as are good will finde it It is a banquet of all goodnes and such as be blessed haue found it Hee is vnworthy to liue that is not worthy inough to dye and hee is not vnworthy to dye that hath liued worthily The woman that demaunded of Iupiter that hee would giue to her two sonnes the greatest happinesse that could bee bestowed from heauen on men had the same night her sonnes both dead as if the greatest humane felicitie were to bee freed from beeing humane To conclude for something hath beene said of this before he which will wisely and nobly practise the obseruation of the Golden Meane and shew the greatnesse of Vertue in extreames must keepe truce with his passions prepare his courage with this resolution that Misery is no Misery for that is onely a misery which is lasting and thought so and reputed misery is not lasting because death out vveares it is not thought so because death vvill finish it in the resoluing on the one Wisedome will proue a Noble minde in the other Noblenesse will patterne out a wiseman for moderation in extreames make perfect both In the view of vvhat hath beene said vnder the titles of a wise and a Noble man are comprehended all men of all degrees and fortunes whose Vertues doe make them wise as their wisedome doth make them Noble For vvisedome consisteth not onely in gray heads but in a steady prouidence hovv to doe and Noblenesse consisteth not onely in an Honorable race but in a prudent resolution what to doe Wisedome informes the minde and NOBLENESSE commends the actions in somuch as euery one who can act wisely and deliberate Nobly squaring his resolution to resolue steaddinesse in both fortunes may of merrit be inrolled amongst the memorable and bee remembred by the desertfull to bee truely wise because Noble to bee perfectly Noble because wise FINIS Sixe Miseries that may befall a Noble man 1 Disfauor Priuie Malice 1. cause of Disfauour Selfe-vnworthynes 2. cause of Disfauour Enuy the 3. cause of Disfauour The Princes inconstancy the last cause of Disfauour Quinquennium Neronis Of Neglect Forfeiture of Estate Of Banishment Lipsius Of Death
THE GOLDEN Meane Lately written as occasion serued to a great LORD Discoursing The Noblenesse of perfect Virtue in extreames LONDON Printed for Ieffery Chorlton 1613. TO THE BEST VVORthy Reader SYR as for any other Nobler titles they are but separable Accidents if Vertue be not too partially ouerswayed by Fortune I haue heere cast into a small Volumne a large summe of Loue. Such a loue as is rather warranted by a dutifull obseruance then any shadow of Complement I may once open my selfe when either Opinion is without eares or Suggestion without eyes Heere you may view and read Vertue personated in moderation heere you may know and proue Moderation to be the life of Vertue Bee a president to your selfe what you should bee as you are a president to others of what you are It sufficeth me that I maske in the true simplenesse of a loyall honesty and there shall no time steale from my remembrance wherein I will fayle to witnesse the payment of a due debt of thankfulnesse to one principally great in beeing Nobly stiled in his owne worthinesse THE Golden Meane MEN as they are all the sons of their Mothers are all the subiects of misery borne to liue few dayes in many dangers whose glory if they were Monarches of their owne desires may be well compared to their shadowes in the Sunne For as the bodies shadow is at Morning before vs at Noone beside vs and at Night behinde vs so is earthly glory at Morning or in the prime before vs in a goodly lustre at Noone or in the full besides vs in a violent heat at Night or in the wane behinde vs in a neglected pitty The difference is amongst some that at Noone or in the Meridian of their greatnes in stead of hauing their glory beside them they are beside their glory But such vndoubtedly are rather strangers to the bloud of Vertue then any way indued with the spirit of perfect Noblenes But so vnsetled are the grounds of frailties courses as here is yet not the totall sum of being miserable If men could as well frame their mindes to their change of fortunes as their change of misfortunes doth corrupt their mindes greatnesse would as truely welcome calamitie as the base doe reioyce in being great Heereunto not the outward actions of the body but the inward remper of the minde must be framed since the first are but hand-maides to the latter Euen as one lying in the bed of visitation death doth not therefore die because hee is sicke but because he liues for the depriuation of life is death not sicknesse so the minde of man diuided by the consumption and disease of humor being touched with affliction is not therefore miserable because it suffers misery but because it hath once tasted and bin lifted vp to happinesse The Golden Meane so aunciently commended is onely there perfectly obserued where true Wisedome and true Nobilitie are the speciall ornaments of a prepared minde In which if those two meet is figuratiuely included an allusion to the Sea which though clouds raine downe into it waters from aboue and waters send flouds here beneath yet doth it retayne all either without Iosse of saltnesse or any shew of ouerflowing The minde of a Wise and Noble man is such that what or how many gusts and tides of aduersity assault him they may at all times rather arme then at any time oppresse him since his resolution cannot ouerflow with the rudenesse of passion for that his excellent and refyned temperature will euer retaine the salt of iudgement and moderation the one prouing a Wise the other a Noble man In sorrowes or aduersities nothing is so fearefull as feare it selfe which pashion of weakenesse is so below the heart of vertue that a minde trained vp in the exercises of honour cannot as much as let fall one looke to behold it If it be inquired what it is or to what vsefull ende either of ease or pollicy it may be imployed in the first will be found little lesse then a desperate basenesse in the latter nothing more then an vngrounded desperatenesse A man in the float of prosperitie to feare that he may fall argues both the distrust of his owne merite or the danger of his disposition A man in the ebbe of his plenty to feare a worse mischiefe then that of being poore or despised argues both his vnworthinesse in procuring his impatiencie in bearing his fortune Feare with hope is the readie witnesse of basenesse Feare without hope the proclaimer of folly And if there can be any miserie superlatiue or if it were possible that there could be an extreame in measure it is in the feare of those twaine yet doubtlesse the heauiest of the two torments is to feare without hope Either of which to a minde Noble vertuous are so much a stranger as there cannot be found an interpretor who to an honourable resolution can inforce either the construction or vnderstanding thereof For it is as meerely impossible for a great and excellent spirit to conceiue thoughts tending to basenesse as for the base to apprehend the singular designes belonging to the Noble minded Soone then it is to be obserued that the distinction betweene a worthy and a seruile person must be rather sound out in the qualitie of their mindes then the command of authority and complement In which it is also further to be obserued that in the composition of their mindes there is as great and exquisite choise to be made aswel how as wherein the excellency of such a composition must bee remarked The seruile weakenes of such whose education nature experience and wisedome cannot claime any prioritie in desert is so great as it onely shewes that it distasteth not calamitie so long as it is full fed with the happinesse of plenty and ease In the worthy and desertful it is nothing sâ—… for they truely considering the custome and necessitie as they are men of feeling change of states doe euer arme their resolution before it come for calamitie as when it comes in it against calamitie wherein if the great and vertuous accidentally not to speake of diuine prouidence fall they therein chiefly shewe the vertue of their greatnes and the greatnes of their vertue in that they know they then feele no more then at all times they were ordained to beare Such referre all accidents of infelicitie to the incidence of their frailtie measuring that being Men they are but the miseries of men that befall them It was not to be tedious in examples a wonderfull noblenesse and constancy in â—…socacius a chiefe man of Antioch who standing at the Barre of iudgement was spoken too by Posaeus the Soueraigne who said Seest thou not Isocacius in what plight thou art ISOCACIVS answered him I see it qd he and maruell not for since I am my selfe humane I am come into an humane miserie Rare and wonderfullwas the courage and temperance of this vnimited Nobleman and surely where
the minde is conformable to remember it is carryed in a body of Flesh Discretion is the plotter and moderation the actor of a notable worke This worke as it is to be continued with singular fortitude so must there a foundation be layde of an especiall wisedome for he who will climbe to the full height of deserued glory must ascend by the degrees of deseruing fore-cast which fore-cast is euen the ground-worke or basis of perfect Vertue in extremitie It behoueth then a Noble and wiseman so to order the frame of his minde that in what Sun-shine of greatnessoeuer he be he may euer expect a storme to onercloude his eminence And this is to be done by iudicially examining what the greatest temporal blessings a pproued by the vulgar opinion in their owne properties are and how subiect to monthly daily hourely alteration As what riches are they as wealth is vnderstood whom pouertie and famine may not suddenly follow what honour is that as pollitique dignitie is vnderstood whose power whose largenesse whose dependences may not be followed by blemish by enuy or by extreame contempt what Kingdome is that as commaund and worldly gouernement is vnderstood to which may not ruine be ordained depopulation and mischiefe Prosperitie and aduersitie are not by long times often sundred for sometimes is scant an houres difference betweene a Ihrone and a Cottage whereby all men may know that the condition of euery man is changeable and the wise may know that whatsocuer may happen to another may happen to himselfe In auncient Records Pompey for wealth Seianus for honour Ptolomy for Kingdomes are memorable yet was Pompey for all his wealth poore begd Seianus for all his honour disgraced and executed Ptolomy for all his Kingdoms forgotten extinguisht If we would inquire into our owne moderne Chronicles we may read of VVoolsey the Cardinall abounding in riches and abounding in miserie ROBERT Earle of ESSEX propt vp in honours and cast downe by enuie Many of the Henries Kings of much power and small fortune other our Histories mention who might as fitly be heere induced but that those beeing freshest in memorie and all within the compasse of one age will sooner stirre vp our hearts and worke an impressioÌ„ in our beliefes then others who are with vs of lesse credite because of more antiquitie Another effectuall consideration to the building of this excellent worke of a resolued and prepared minde is euen in the foundation to be thought on For if there be no certaintie in VVealth in Honour in Soueraignty in the fruition of whom chiefely if not onely resteth the Paradice of an earthly Heauen much lesse assurance may be dream't of in any inferiour pleasures for which a wiseman who is the true Nobleman ought thus to resolue that he is not lord of his owne mind who is vndaunted as long as his fortunes are ministers to his will but when he is cast downe or rather cast away in his hopes vndone in his expectation set below his owne heart vnfriended and the subiect of vncomforting pittie Hee then who now witnesseth by his moderation in those sadnesses the courage of his Noblenesse by the Noblenesse of his VVisedome is both perfectly wise in being so couragious and as perfectly couragious in beeing so noble It was well said of one that A calme Sea and a faire VVinde proues not a Sailers skill A sure Pilot is proued in a doubtfull storme and a wise noble minde is truely tried in the storme of aduersitie not in the calme of felicitie Fortune enuies nothing more then a setled and well gouerned resolution and such a Marriner deserues remembrance to posteritie who in Shipwracke dies imbracing the Maste rather then hee who faintly for feare of drowning leapes into the Sea Lastly if neither the respect of the instabilitie of humane endowments neither the regard of honor being prone to fall nor the vnstaidnesse of Kingdomes the Scepter beeing the highest flight of Ambition cannot imprint in the minde an abandoning of itselfe by reputing earthly delights and acquisitions to be in their owne nature as in their owne nature they are passable and vncertaine yet may the surenesse of paying a debt which cannot be excused to death be a mayne and singular motiue to a noble and wise man for sufferance of all changes of conditions and estates with the sweetely-vnited blessings Iudgement and content He that remembers that hee liues a life cannot but forethinke that hee must dye a death If hee looke into what life it selfe is hee shall finde by experience of the past and proofe of the present age that it is none other but a iourney to death If a man examine the scope of his owne desires they will fall out to be a desiring to hasten to his graue Death and the graue two tortures to the memory of worldly foolish men are the onely principaâ—…l ends to which the vanitie of pleasures runne at For men in wealth in honour in gouernment desire the time to come the one in hope of increase of his gaine the other of his greatnesse the thirdâ—… of Empyre So what else doe they but couet by growing elder in dayes to flye to the full race of their liuing which is death Of this a 〈◊〉 Noble-man should-not and a true wise man cannot feare It was an answer worthy the fpeker of the Philosopher who hearing of his Sonnes death said When I had begotten him I well knew hee should dye and who would be so ignorant as not to confesse that whosoeuer is brought out of the wombe is destined also to the sepulchre of the earth To a man prepared by the light of the minds vertue this is euer seeming necessarie as well willingly to restore that when it is required of him though it were by death as to enioy that which is giuen him if it were his life since one being borne into the one cannot escape the other The Minde should euer keepe measure what of necessitie it must suffer let it not feare what is doubtfull that it may suffer let it alwayes looke for So shall it not be afflicted before afflictions doe come nor vnprouided when they are come All men yea all things must be freed by an end though the end bee not a like to all neither in manner or time some forgoe their liues in the middle of their time some in the dawning of their life some liue till they are euen weary of liuing some dying naturally some violently others enforcedly many in respect of men casually but all at some time dying In this kinde then it is questionable whether it bee more foolish not to know or more shamefull not to imbrace nature Hee that liues well needeth not to feare the vglines of death appearing in any forme or in any disguise if he first resolue that whensoeuer or howsoeuer hee comes yet it is but death and it must come Some one that is to trauaile of necessitie vpon the hazard of his life vnto
of folly is a worke of more praise then the working of folly is a cause of disgrace What misery can it then be to be eased of that care which onely brings care in the possession Of all mischiefes the greatest mischiefe is to be a rich man with a rich mans minde There is no more reason why a meerely couetous man should loue Gold but for that it is yellow or faire Pastures because they are greene and so hath the enuious much more reason to Coâ—…uer abundance of wealth because other men should want it A couetous miser is rightly a malicious consumer for in heaping for himselfe he consumes the maintenance of the needy yet it is to be noted that plenty is not alwayes to be dispraised if the hauing of it doe noâ—… procure a scarcitie But what losse is so great in a worldly estate considering how weake it is more then in opinion which a wise man should not beare with moderation It is a misery to want but a greater misery to haue too much but for a good man to hugge the loue of abundance that he should imagine the losse of it should make him miserable I must conclude this point that he hath neither goodnes nor resolution if goodnesse his content should be his best estate if resolution his want cannot be esteemed the worst pouertie since extremity is a singular teacher to learne vs that we are men and that there is both a diuine power and a prouidence aboue vs the one consisting in being a God the other in hauing a God-head The difference between a wise man reformed by counsell and instruction and an ignorant man informed in will and folly is that the wife will make good vse of all aduersity when the ignorant thinks all aduersitie intollerable This is proued in the greatnes of a Noble courage when it is enforced to forsake either vpon publike disgrace or some priuate causes the comforts of his friends and Countrie which men of low hearts doe account a misery of mischiefes and reckon that banishment is a bad kinde of torture It may not be denied but that such may be the vnworthinesse of the action for which a man is banished that his owne conscience will in all places be a tormentor to his memory and then the wound which he beares with him can neuer by change of place or time be wholy cured Such a one another of this latter times well compared to the wounded Doe in Virgill who as the Poet sayes fled ouer Hils and Mountaines to escape death but all in vaine for still in her sides the Bow-mans killing Arrowe sticks So those men who haue the arrow of some mischieuous art piercing their afflicted hearts although they be banished from the place where they haue committed villanie yet they doe but goe from it they cannot forget it They flie the detraction of their sin but cannot shunne it or if they could shun the deed as they cannot what can that auaile when the doer is the man himselfe In good men who through diuers misfortunes are sequestred from their natiue Countries vpon wrongfull or sleight occasions it is nothing so for to them if they rightly as beeing good they will instruct themselues in the first rules of wisedome all Countreyes are a home A noble and free resolution is a stranger no where in which respect men perfectly wise are said to be perfectly valiant since as true wisedome is perfect vallour so is true vallour perfect moderation Many men haue abandoned their Countries made themselues voluntary exiles vpon a desire and greedy hope of gaine or better prosperitie such haue beene the Romans Romulus and Aeneas of the Patauynes Antenor of the Britaine 's if the history bee of credite euen our owne Brute yet truely the end of those men was noâ—… vvay glorious for they may more rightly be called fugitiues and 〈◊〉 then exiles or trauailers He deserued well of the Common-vvealth of Athens who hauing instituted excellent lawes for thâ—… state publique tooke Oatâ—… of the Magistrates thaâ—… his lawes should be dayâ—… and duely practised 〈◊〉 his returne from a iourneâ—… vvhich hee vvas to vndertake the oath being receiued the good man freely liued banished from his Country neuer returning that for the safety of his Country his lawes might â—…ee kept inuiolable Yet â—…as this wise man so farre in this banishment from reproofe that his action and memory in his action will neuer be forgotten Of all accidents that can happen to a prepared minde this of banishment hath little cause to trouble the quiet calme of a steady resolution It is often seene that sundry persons for rarities sake for morall instruction in complement or in behauiour willingly some times trauaile into forraine lands and there spend their time for three sixe tenne yeeres or more with great delight taking pleasure and content in so growing old Euen so 〈◊〉 like manner let a good man resolue him selfe thaâ—… this hard word of banishment is but a iourney of pleasure into some outlanding country not proposing or limitting to the minde a time of comming backe but alwayes minding some fit imployment why hee should goe as if â—…ee were but Ambassador from his owne to some vnknowne Prince and with what dishonor can an Ambassadour be blemished who in the seruice of his Soueraigne leaues his life as a pledge of his dutie It may be in the bondes of Nature some man will esteeme it an heauy misfortune to forsake or as in the vvorst sence they terme it to be thrust from the fruition of the comfort of his Friends Children Allyes and Kinsfolkes such a thought can no more moue the temper of a resolued minde theâ—… it should doe if hee were to leaue the world since in dying and in being banished heere is the difference that the one necessitie is commanded by an vnchangeable decree from Heauen the other by a seuere imposition of man both being a seueration of old friends What a madnesse were it in any to repute death being thereto naturally called a misery Euen so let him thinke of banishment and withall compare the great fortunes that some haue attained vnto in that estate of 〈◊〉 with the possibilitie of his owne THOMAS MOVâ—…RAY Duke of Norffolke in the Reigne of RICHARD the second being by the said King by reason of the Kings youth and indiscretion and in regard of some other differences between Mowbray and other Princes of the bloud vpon an appeale of Treason banished was so far from being heerewith deiected that adding practise to the noblenesse of his courage hee vndertooke a glorious warre in the land of Palestine against the common enemie of God and Truth the Turke and willingly made his bloud a sacrifice to the redemption of his Fame Happy man that sought out death with victorie before that death could make him vnhappy by finding him out with ouerthrow Happy banishment which hath beene the meanes of such a memory and happy cause of