discribeth Pompeius deathe in this wise In hast he stayde his vvofull voyce and vvould no vvord complayn Least vveping teares might so vnvvares his heauenly fame disdain And vvhâ—â—â—is noble side vvas pearst vvith fearce Achilles blade No sigâ— no sob no careful cheare no sorovving sound he made but in disdaine of crueltye Cato VticeÌ„sis determined to dye ordered his goods wiselye forseinge the good of others though he neglected his owne which done reading Plato of the immortality of soules layd himselfe down slepte so souÌ„dly as he snored after being awaked sticked himselfe And when throughe weakenes of his hand the wounde was not mortal suche as were by saued him tyl at length violently he brake lose dyed Such was his gredy desyre of death Otho themperoure a yong man of thirtye seuen yeares of al men accompted soft and effeminate after hee had won thre battels of the Vitelli for the sorow of one lost gaue his mony and substance to his frendes and willed his familiar companion to shewe himselfe to the souldiers lest that after he should be suspected and in the night with two daggers murdered himselfe And yet neither dispayred hee of the holding of the Empire nor wanted the loue of the Senate or his souldiers but onlye for that nether in victory or victored he would hinder the commoÌ„ wealth Caius Iulius by Caius themperour condempned to dye â–ª obteyned ten dayes pardon all whiche time careles he consumed in sleape and table play and when the hangeman came in to warne him y his tyme was euen at hande hee tolde what aduauntage he had in the game and willed his play felow that after his death he should not boast of winning and called the hangman to record who led him towardes death accompanied with a philosopher Vpon the way being asked whaâ— he mused of He aunswered I determined to obserue what at the last instant my soule shal feele when it parteth away to the ende that after I may aduertise my frends Aratus knowing he had taken a lingering poyson at the handes of Philippus the Macedonian kinge speaking one secrete worde to his familier frend passed the rest of his life so pleasantly as semed not to haue any such griefe or assurance to dye The seuen brothers called Machabei al yoÌ„g men and sonnes of one mother by the commaundement of king Antigouns one after an other and in sondry sorte together with their Mother killed themselues Tectamenes condempned to dye went his way laughinge and being asked whether hee disdayned the lawes answered no but by dyinge I must pay that I neither asked nor borrowed of any Which example although vnder the person of one vnknowen was much praysed of Cicero yet in wise iudgements such behauiour argueth In Tectamenes rather vanity theÌ„ fortitude for a man condempned specially for wicked doing naturally can not loue death neither was it our entente to proue that death should be desired or sought for But as it is the condicion of a faithlesse man not to restore y he boroweth so is it also an vnfreÌ„dly and vnthankefull parte not to kepe that hee boroweth As therfore death is not to be fled or lameÌ„ted â—o ought it not to be sought for But as y Poete sayth Do neyther seke nor shonne the ende of thine ovvne lyfe Yet happely Craton may holde such opinion and though it be not mainteined by reason yet for the meruaile gaineth reputation among the common sort The example therfore of Theramon is more honest and more couragious For he beinge vniustly by thirty Tyrantes condempned tooke the poyson saying according to the auncient maner of Athens Critus I drinke to the for so was the greatest Tyrant and worse then Theramines called that done whatsoeuer remayned in the cuppe he threw vpon the ground The death of Phocion was more noble he seing his frend desyrous to drinke poison didde stay him after findinge that which was not left to suffise did buy more saying that in Athens a man was forced to buy his own death But why do I labor to enduce more ensamples of men when whoole Nacions may be called to recorde As the Galathians did so little regarde Deathe as they feared not to fighte Naked So did also manye noble Romaines and Germaines that nedelesse it wer to resyte their names I do therfore thinke best in fewe words to declare that men were made mortall for three causes First because there shoulde be some ende of their offences This life is displeasant and the nerer age the moore troublesome and therefore the Gimniophista as men say answered Alexander well askinge whether death or life wer stronger Liâ—e quod hee because it beareth so many calamities The second cause is that goodmen without enuy might be honoured and euil Men without feare coÌ„dempned and that riches and aucthority for whiche menne commit greate wickednesse might not be regarded Yf those thinges whiche mortall men haue were iustly wayed they shoulde as Cares and Euilles be reputed Yet if death were not Menne would muse onlye vppon Thefte and Violence while in this short space that now they lyue they thinke so much thereof The third reason is for that men might receiue rewarde of good and euil according to the quality of their deserts For after death such as haue passed a godly life shall liue not only with their brethren kinsfolke but also accoÌ„panied withal honest and learned men and aboue y starres receiue ioy and euerlasting felicitye So contrary wise the wicked in darkenesse and solitarye places shal be tormented Therfore for wicked folke only death can bee thought euill and yet is not but Good men not vnlike the Swanne who only at his death do synge may boldly reioyse and be gladde Some there are so ambicious that the care of their funeralles doth trouble them muche who are not to bee comforted but for their follye to be reprehended what is the body of man when the Spirite is passed awaye It is no moore accompted as parte or member of him but rather a Carckcasse vnprofytable stinckinge and horryble Seneca therfore didde well deuise that the same should be buried not in respect of the Dead but the liuinge least they by sauour and sight therof might be offended Where vppon in sundrye nacions hath growne sundrie customes of buryinge the Deade The Grecians were wonte to wrye them in the earthe The Romaines dyd burne them in fyre The Nathabeians did burye them in their dungehilles Yea their Kinges had none other Sepulchre The Ethiopians do cast them into the ryuers to be deuoured of Fishes The Magi did geeue them to wilde Beastes Hercani to Doggs But the Massageti most meruailouslye do eate them The Egiptians with their owne Nayles doe burie them The Persians doe wrappe theym in Waxe So incertayne is the reason where is no reason at all Alas good Foole doest thou not heare the Poete sayinge To vvant a tombe the lacke is neuer great What doth it preuayle the to lye in marble aboue the ground
payns as for emulacion in vertue What is by thensample of Abraham vppon Isaaâ— shewed other then that men shoulde so loue their children as in them to put no truste at all but euer to honour God so as we may forget oure chyldren and such are worthy great reward For whiche his carefull obedience he is made father of many nacions neither shall his seede at any time decay This was a greater argumente of courage then that of Brutus for hee murdered the gyltlesse lefte the children of others his heires the other in sleinge became childles Hee by the handes of an other commaunded his enemies to be slayne thys man murdered those that obeyed But let vs returne to ensamples of sufferaunce and a shame it were that Women shoulde for fortitude exceede men Among whom what may be sayd of Tomyris queene of Mesageta who hauing her sonne slayne in battayle where in her enemye Cirus also dyed without teares made great feastes the hole army lykewise slayn â–ª Also Cornelia mother to the Gracchi of a great number of sonnes hauing onlye C. and T. lefte yet when they were in a time of sedicion most cruelly slayn besides calling only to memory their father their own worthy actes did not otherwise make any shew of sorow Argilion y mother of Brasidas the Lacedemonian kyng hearinge her son was slayn dyd neither mourn nor lament but asked if nobly worthely he dyed Gyrtias likewise a womaÌ„ of Lacedemon when her son was broughte home almost dead and his frendes lamented she sayd Non Silebitis inquaÌ„ declaring of what bloud he was desceÌ„ded she said one body hath ouerthroweÌ„ other in fight yet after being recouered growen to mans state was slayne in battayl which being told vnto his mother she answered saying was it not expedient y goinge to the wars he should â—â—ea others or be slaine himselfe but more wyllinglye I receyue knowledge of a death worthy of mee his predecessours then if in slouth and idlenes hee had liued One other womaÌ„ more valiantly bare the death of her sonne promissing in the fyeld sayinge let cowardes complayne for I wyll wythoute teares and meerelye burye my sonne And a nother a woman also of Lacedemon hauing lost in warres her fyue sonnes standing vppon the walles of Sparta and listinge for the euente of the battayle when she sawe a man comming asked what was done he thinking she had asked of her sonnes aunsweared they are all deade whereat the woman offended sayde it is not that ill lucke I aske but how speedes our couÌ„try then he telling y the victorye was gotten by the Lacedemonians the woman sayd wyth al good wyl I receyue knowledge of my sonnes slaughter In olde time such was the nobilitye of minde both in men and women aswell for courage as counsell But now enoughe or rather as I thinke to much haue bene sayd aswel of them as also appertayneth to deth It is not therefore needefull to speake of frendes kinsefolke or wyues seinge of them the plentye is greate the conditions vncerteyne and the necessitye little yea the cares and disquiet of wyues doe almost counteruayle the sorrow of theyr deathes And though wyues were not shrewed nor combersome yet can no man at anye time long want a wyfe syth one may be taken after an other And albeit that wyues were all good all frends faythfull and all kinsefolke kynde yet seinge the death of a brother a sonne and a father is pacientlye to bee borne a follye it were to lament them or call suche doubtles matters in question But rather resolue wyth thy selfe that death is the end of euill to fooles and to wyse men the beginning of all good And as sayth Menander VVhom God doth loue in youth he dyes FINIS Of Comforte the thirde Booke MVche longer then was determined more at large haue I discoursed that kynde of comforte which to sorrowe death doth appertayne not onlye because I thincke y occasion of griefe whiche groweth eyther of pryuaâ—e death or losse of frendes is little or lightlye borne but also that in these dayes men do so much desyre riches auctoritye as till death doth euen at hand drawe on they take no care at all Eche man in imagination alloweth himselfe longe tyme of life disdayning death as a thing not knowen in this but an other worlde But ryches and present authoritye are on euerye syde soughte for as ioyes which hee euerlastynge â–ª Yet not contented with â–ª this they also reproue condemne and despyse the quyet lyfe of such as are not with like madnes delighted For the chiefest care suche men do take is that of al other most wyse and happye neyther of which in iudgement of those that disdayne them can be allowed Then when these wealthy men perceiue that the others are not greatly greeued forthwith they fal to hate and persecution So as although men could willinglye suffer theyr bace estate yet beinge driuen into any kinde of necessity or calamity straight wayes they lament and complaine so as by confession of them for great desyre of riches the rich men are allowed of and praysed for the wysest sort of men But seinge the estate of tyme and worldly procedinges are not euer alike wee meane not to speake muche of that calamitye which these ambicious men do thincke y greatest but of that miserye whych may so trulye be called for suche kinde of men do labour to continue after death and glorye in theyr owne happines As the Poet wryting vpon the tombe of a certayne happye man sayde Vpon my corps poure forth thy vvyne O frend that comes this vvay And on my tombe vvith pleasant hand thy precious spices laye No gulfe of griefe my graue shal be but springe of lasting blis I am not dead but changd my life lo such my fortune is My former ioyes are not decayd but as they vvere before If ought or nought I beare in minde yet blest for euermore O merye man howe aptlye hath hee nothinge sayde for this presumption to continue felicitye after death is a thinge altogether vaine and forsaken of the very authors thereof For well we see that after death the glorye of ryches doth in short space decay Not onely because great nombers do daylye aspyre to this prayse but also riches it selfe deserueth no glorye at all And amonge so manye thousaÌ„d thousands as in theyr time was famouslye rich yet few of them haue come to our knowledge Gilias Cressus Mydas Pythius Meander Erictonius Sysiphus Tantalus Of the Romaynes that had beene bonde men Amphion Menecrates Heron Demetrius Pallas Calistus Narcisus Of Frenchmen Drusus Caecilius Sylla Lucullus Liuius M Crassus Of Kinges Salamon and Ptolomeus were all reported for notable ryche But Gylias became famous for liberalitye Cresus and Crassus for theyr misfortune Sylla Lucullus for theyr victoryes Mydas through Silenus The Romaynes that had bene bonde men by the abuse and riot of Rome Salamon for wysedome Tantalus for wicked lyfe Meander
hee mighte safelye lyue But wee moore wyttelesse then these bruyte Beastes doe not abyde the beating of the hurtefull baite And yet what bitternes doth this sorow bring withall being bred with such delightinge pleasure yet happely thou say I would haue pleasure without paine If this difficultie doth offend thee then good fole thou seekest a thing impossibly to be atteyned because euery ioy is accompanied with his discomodity Glory is folowed with enuy wisedome not gotten without labour wealth is won with care children are kept with trouble banketting is backed with sicknes ease bredeth pouertye ambition begetteth hate auctority hath folowing feare quietnes engēdreth disdain So I pray you wherunto tendeth the end of al mortal thinges And this in allayinge of mens discontentations is most cōfortable that euery mā is afflicted with one misfortune or other or as men say ech man feleth his own priuate offence Some are afflycted with pouerty some with want of children some with sycknes some with feare some with wrong some with children some with wiues some with craft som wyth foes and that whych is greatest most to be meruayled at such is the condicion of man to be moste happy subiect to no gryef is also a calamity It is therefore sayd that Polycrates beinge lothed wyth abundance of fortunes grace did greatly desyre to feele some offence therfore cast into the sea a ringe of merueylous prise of purpose to haue some cause to complain But fortune as it semed hauing sworn his happynes in a fyshe restored it again But lest I seeme altogether to perswade with fables I praye you what pleasure do princes take at their diners when continual eating of delycate dishes haue taken away the taste of theyr mouthes The physytions affirme that delicacye is when a man from euyl releste recouereth his perfyte nature Then I pray you what iudgement haue they in delicacy that neuer tasted any grosse or dyspleasant meate Or how can he be happy that neuer felt of gryef doest thou not se how happy pore men accompt theymselues when they are inuited to rich mens tables what is the cause seing pore men haue no better fare then the rich surely nothing but the noueltye of the dyet Wherfore yt is most assured that with out aduersitye a man may not be happy ▪ nor take delyght in myrth wythout 〈◊〉 sorowe The◠is it not a comforte in these calamityes to haue not only one man for a companiō but also al mankind and as it is commonly saide Consors est miseris 〈…〉 But of how much more force shal thy comforthe knowyng that myseries do not happen at al aduētures but rather in respect of felicitie and that y greatnes of euell is accompanied wyth the greatnes of good And to begyn in generall there ys nothynge more noble then a common weale well gouerned yet what can be more hard thē to liue there at the beginninge suche a one was the Romaine gouerment and by that meane conquered the whole worlde But what can be more hardlie born then a lyfe vnder such lawes when subiects are exercysed only in laboure constreined to maryage education of children and chyeflye to followe warres And amonge these thinges that laboure whych husbandmen do vse seemeth to our eares most intollerable The bringing vp of chyldren specially manye to a pore man semeth to surpasse all sorowes for as a few children are great delightes so many to a pore man is cause of the greatest care that can happen What can for trauaile and peryll bee compared to the warres where men do labour dygginge deluinge sleaping in the wynters snow and marchinge in the sommers sonne watching and warding day and night clyming the mountaines and sayling the seas somtimes afflicted with hunger somtymes with thyrst yea and in the end eyther to kyl or to be kylled So as no meruayle it is to see how willingly souldiers do behold the dysplaied ensygnes and receyue knowledge of battayle when either by happy victory they shal be discharged of trauaile or by death receiue ende of painful lyfe The Lacedemonians therfore led so harde a lyfe at home as it neuer greued them to serue abroade in the wars Then is it manifest that in a cōmon weale wel gouerned men be moste vnhappy and happyeste bee those Citizens that lyue in mooste disorderly countries And kinges whom men beguiled with false ymaginacion do thinke equall to gods are also folowed withe their afflictions As fynely the tragicall poetes haue fayned the tragedies and furies to be only in kinges courtes the comodies pleasant playes in priuat houses The pallaces of princes are euer open to great euils neither are these monsters at any time from thēce as enuy hate grudge poyson persecution Yea the princes mynde is the seat of al these wherby it is neither suffered to sleepe quietly by night nor reste by day Nowe assayleth him the memorye of wickednes now the suspition of familiers now y mystrust of people now feare of other princes withe care day and night to preuent their practises But be it the prince be neuer so iust neuer so holy yet feare and suspicion doth neuer wante and as the poet fayneth of Ixion and Lapithis VVhome ouer hanges a stone that euermore doth seme to fall The bride beds fayre are spred and golden carpets shine full bright And precious princely fare before their face is set in sight Then coms the foulest feend and al their dainties ouerbroodes Forbidding them to touch and frō their hands do snatch the foods and beates vvith burning brondes Such is the estate and condicion of courtes as Virgilius liuing in the happy house of Augustus was wel acquainted withal But let vs a whyle omyt to speake of princes and turne our talke to priuate persons I can not with care or diligence fynd any that in euery respect can accompt himselfe free from misfortune suche a one I thinke as hardlye founde as are those beastes called Rinocerotes of whyche kynde Plynius confessed hee coulde neuer fynde any though long tyme he hunted throughe the whole worlde Therfore seynge all mortall men bee subiecte to some kynd of misfortune who art thou y sekest to liue fre frō y law which al others are subiect vnto why doest thou not complayne that thou art not made mortall winged and king of the hole world free from al misfortunes But yf thou can beare that lacke whiche nature could not help why shouldst thou not also be content with the other whych is no lesse vniuersal according to the fable thinke thy calamities the lesse that thou seest the aduersities of other to be greater Men saye that in olde tyme the hares beinge caste into desperation for that of all other beastes they were most persecuted consulted together and determined to drowne themselues in the next ryuer being assembled on they went to execute their determination the frogs that hapned to be vppon the banke hearinge the hares comminge for feare cast
themselues into the water whych noyse whē the hares hard they studyed to know the cause fynding that for feare of them the frogs were fled chaunged their entent because the frogs more vnhappy than they sought notwithstandinge to preserue theyr lyues and by y meanes the hares haue tyl thys day bene preserued Surely the aduersity of others did neuer make my miseries seme the lesse but the necessyty of euyl whyche is knowen by other mens misaduentures hath geeuen me greate allay of my pryuate greues For when a man shal truly consyder hys myshaps to procede of natures necessytye and not iniuriouslye then wyl he yelde himselfe to suffer al vnlesse that altogether he bee voyde of iudgement symple and foolyshe A wyse man therfore foreseinge the necessyty of many my seryes and wel remembring the frailtye and instabilitye of euery condition of mankynde doth paciently loke for al sortes of mysaduentures when they come it is therfore mete he shew himselfe armed with fortitude least changed by reasō of their comming he may seme to forsake his honest determinacion or els be vnprouided It is also to be cōsydered that time is a medicine to all sorowes yt taketh away mourning it bredeth forgetfulnes of iniuries yt remoueth the memory of misaduentures and fynally bringeth forgetfulnes and disdaine of al sortes of calamities What man hath beene so impacient in fatherlye affection as doth take care for the death of his son thirty yeares synce departed or his goodes lost so long agoe Such is the condicion of tyme as fyrst it deminisheth som part of extreame sorow or ioye next it weareth awaye al feruency of affection and lastly doth clerely rote it out of memorye Therfore sith y couetise of time doth in the moste symple worke this effecte whye shouldst not thou do the same to thy self and loke what benefyte time in short space should geue the the same may thou throughe fortitude learninge modesty and good example geue vnto thy selfe Perswade thy selfe that thy displeasant dayes bee neare passed and hope that better hap is at hande Call to memory how many worthy men haue vndeseruingly cruelly by fortune bene cast downe and patiently suffered her most extreme disgrace There is nothing more requisite in a wyse man then modesty to suffer both fortunes For who so knoweth not how to do in prosperitye forgetteth hee is mortall there is no greater argumente of wisedome then when a man doth that presentlye which others by benefyte of time haue learned Be not therfore burdenouse to thy selfe though thou art chaunced into this shadow of calamitye yet cast not thy selfe downe into very misfortune Thinke assuredlye that some bee free frome euerye euyl and that tyme bringethe wyth all the moste certayne and sure consolacion Not that we haue all ready spoken of but that which Auerroes other philosophers haue written When soberlye thou consyder that the lyfe of manne compared to the eternall worlde is not a moment and in that short tyme al to be vayne incertaine and by assured lawe of nature shorte so as it makethe no matter at all what a one thou haste beene or shalte bee And when wythe my selfe I ymagine of this matter I remember that whiche in bookes of common fables wee reade where some are fayned riche men some mightye kinges and some so stronge as for strengthe surpassed Hercules what difference there should be betwixte these fayned men and Caesar or Pompey tyll this daye I coulde neuer learne vnlesse that eyther for oure learninge an historye is made differente from a fable or that we haue consideration of soules that lyue for euer For otherwise when thou shalte no more bee it skillethe not at all what thou haste beene Onlye Follie of man hathe founde oute this inuention that we should perswade oure selues to be happy or vnhappye not onelye in this worlde but also after in the opinion of others Some I see mooste carefull that after deathe they maye leaue behynde theim riches or fame And entysed withe suche desire Herostratus burned the Temple of Diana ▪ that thereby thoughe for wicked doinge hee might gaine eternal fame But who was this Herostratus by what father begotten or of what mother was hee borne In what countrye dyd hee dwell what was hys parson or whiche waies did hee lyue what doe we knowe hereby other then either to knowe nothinge or a fayned man And admitte thou gayne this desired glorie what shall it auaile thee after three hundrethe yeares whether thou were happie or vnhappie And if no glorie bee within fiftie yeares after deathe what difference shal bee betwixte a kinge and a Carle Betwixte Lucullus and Irus betwixte Xenophon and Cleon betwixte flaues and fremen betwixte happie and vnhappie But least perhappes thou lyue in doubte that time doth styll abyde and the course of heauens be staide or that the lyfe of man dothe not of necessitie and speedelye decaie beholde that one stone where in was graued three Faces a Childes a Mans and an Olde mans So sodeine are the chaunges and so nere as the Poet doth not vnfytlie call our age Fleinge Consider what nomber of yeares since the beginninge of the worlde and thyne age haue passed so shalte thou learne that no shaddowe more swiftelye fadethe awaie Imagine assuredlye that all tyme were passed and so shall perceiue that all wyll retourne to nothynge Not vnlike to theym that wythe certayne Hope of deliuerye remayne in Prison whoe thoughe in misfortune yet doe but lyttle lament chieflye if they be of valiant mynde So men that in this troublesome lyfe syth they looke for and abyde one equality in respect of death I cā not conceiue why happy folke should not bee more sorowful then those that be vnhappye For if euen now it were proclaymed as it was in the time of Licurgus that al lands goods should equalye amonge al sortes of men be deuided whether doest thou thinke that beggers or riche men would be moste sory Surelye I thinke no man thinketh the rich men would reioyce and the porer sort be sorye If therfore law of lyfe is so equalye made as there is none that can auoyde I see no cause but that euery man here lyuing in misery ought willyngly to embrace the benefite of so iust a decree What care I praye thee shalt thou haue two hundred yeares hence whether thou dyed hauinge children or childelesse olde or younge rich or pore bounde man or free in thy bed or on the gallowes or whether in aucthority or without honor thou lyued or dyed But follye hath broughte in these opinions by which we onely become happye or vnhappy Because follye enduseth forgetfulnes of reason it maketh Pigmeans to seeme Gyantes somtimes oure euyls somtimes oure good it cloketh it multiplyeth it maketh them obscure it cloketh it encreaseth darkneth hideth euen as it pleaseth of vs determineth But if in this lyfe ther be any thing good or euill or any differēte of pleasure or sadnesse the same
soundly slepte hee tasted the pleasantest part of life meaning as I thinke that euery pleasure that we take by our sences hathe in it more displeasure then sweetenes And therefore there could be nothing better then to lack y knowledge of theym But common opinion hath compared death to slepe rather theÌ„ trauayle or destruction therfore Homer doth call it brasen slepe Virgil yron slepe either of which importeth forgetfulnes of al thinges the allay of cares dulnes of sences careles mynde of hap to come Betwixt slepe and death this only difference there is that in death y time of quiet is longer Diogenes beinge sicke sleaping was asked of his phisicion how hee fared to whom he answered wel for quod he one brother enuieth an other Such was the securitye of hys mynde as euen at point of death he feared not to iest In like maner did Cosmas Medices a wise man in our age who being nerse death closed hys eyes whiche his wife seinge asked whye hee so dyd hee answered that hee did it to bringe his eyes in custome For in dede the eyes of dead men are neither broade open nor close shutte And so I thinke the Poet did wel knowe sayinge Is not our sleape O foole of death an Image playne For fatall course shal bring a rest that euer vvill remayne But if thou compare death to long trauayl and that the soule beinge let lose from prison of the bodye seeth al thinges and walketh euerye where Than what can be consydered more happye For the soule being burdened with the body is neither free nor rightly knoweth any thinge but beyng ouerladen with cares doth beholde only the fygure of thinges and as it were throughe a webbe or clothe gesseth a syghte and certainlye knoweth nothing but beinge free doth not only cast of all hyndraunce but also beholdeth all thinges without interruption whiche beinge true who is hee that willingly woulde eschewe deathe yea who is hee that woulde not rather doe as Theombrotus Ambrociota did who hauinge red Platoes booke of the immortalitye of soules cast himselfe headlong downe from a wall not feelinge any offence or other naturall sickenes but onely for desyre of such heauenlye happynesse as spirites were partakers of Therfore men saye that Socrates being by Crito perswaded to flye frome prison aswel for sauinge hymselfe as his frendes and kinsfolkes refused to doe it answerynge wiselye O Crito my chyldren shal be left in charge to God which gaue them As for friendes I am going into those partes where I am assured to fynd as good or haply better then they be And at length I doubt not but you wil also offer me your company meaninge thereby that the lyfe of man was of small continuance Such were the wordes of Socrates thynking that death necessarilye myght be compared to one of these three and most lyke of al to trauayle whych may also be coniectured by dreames For there is nothing that doth better or moore truely prophecy the ende of lyfe then when a man dreameth that he doth trauayle and wander into farre countries and chiefly if he imagineth hym selfe to ryde vppon a whyte horse that is swyfte and that he trauayleth in countries vnknowen wythout hope of retourne in such sort naturallye deâ—yninge of that shortlye wyll come to passe in dede But if death be resembled to destruction which as is all ready proued is moost impossible yet can it no wayes bee accompted euyll Because what so euer is not can not be euyll els we should lament for them that neuer were born nor neuer were at all and they that are not can nothinge suffer But if thou bewaylest thy chaunge sure it is that Death dooth take away more euylles then it bringeth and those more certayn And although Death were euyll and brought wyth it but one onely commodity whyche Epicharinus spake of because the partinge from Lyfe was painfull yet by death art therof delyuered for in all euilles to haue escaped is a greate comforte If then death be euyll to be dead is to escape but if it bee good thou haste no cause to lament And that the one or the other is who doubteth I remember nowe that longe synce happened to my selfe neither do I thinke to digresse from the purpose that albeit the twentye and seuenth yeare of myne age I became sore sicke of a syngle Tercian after Seuen fyttes I â—ounded and lay for dead In whych tyme althoughe euery member was almoste depriued of his vertue yet felt I neither griefe nor payn other then a certayn ticklinge throughout my whole bodye euen such as we feele in vsing venery Therfore as I sayde beynge in suche estate I feeled nothinge worse then that this tickelinge where in was not so greate pleasure as in Venus Sporte And there with all a certayne Feare leaste in deede I shoulde dye and truely as touchinge Sence or Strength I founde small dyfference thoughe the peryll were greate Afterwardes askinge of manye that hadde beene neare Death whether therein they felte any greate euill or not who aunsweared that in the Headeache and in euerye other sicknesse of the Bodye was greater Griefe I founde that in myne opinion of Death conceyued I dyd not erre at all That proofe maye also bee had that althoughe Children and women be moste fearfull to receiue all sortes of Medecines and yelde to Cuttinge of vaynes yet being ready to dye do neither complayn nor lamente but rather are offended if wee seeke to preserue their liues Who cannot therfore coniecture that in death there is either none euyll at al or very litle seynge those paynes whiche we feare most are in dyinge not regarded Thys is also worthy to bee noted that they that hope of no lyfe to come do no lesse valiantly dye theÌ„ they that beleue the soule immortal As Cassius who hauing killed Caesar with the same dagger that Caesar was slayne aspecting no messenger of death slewe himselfe so dyd Marcus Antonius and Sardanapalus king of the Assyrians did cast into the fyre not only hym selfe but also his bed and his concubines but that he belieued no lyfe after death is knowen by these verses Novve eate novve drinke novve make good sport For sith thy felfe on earthe a mortall man do see Take here thy fill of earthly ioyes no ioyes hereafter be Therfore albeit it were that with the body y soule did perishe yet death could not be eyther euyl greuous or any wayes to be feared yea such as so beleue are in greatest security for not beinge subiect to iudgement and free from all suspicion of mynde either of punishment or reward which thing doth most torment men that are ready to take leaue of lyfe But thou shalt beleue al rather then this that the soule perysheth with the body For as it is not altogether certaine what dothe presentlye folowe death so is it moste assured that the soule of man doth neuer dye wherof althoughe none other profe were then the consideracion of
at the handes of a gentlewoman in Padoa wyth poyson procured his owne death One other in oure Cittye hauinge sustayned losse by the pryce of corne willinglye hanged himselfe One other and hee also of our Nation finding he could not with commoditye paye his dettes threw himselfe into a water and so drowned I my selfe did see a womaÌ„ who for verye sorrow that she had committed adultrye askinge God forgiuenes for her offence sodenlye dranke poyson Cleopatra although she might haue liued in honor yet because she would not be caried about in tryumphe caused a Serpent to bite her bodye thereof willingly dyed Porcia the daughter of Cato and wyfe to Brutus in honest life farre eâ—celling Cleopatra hearing that her husband was slayne didde eate burninge Coales and thereof died For cause more iust dyed Democles a Boy of notable beauty in Athens He being by the king watched when he should enter naked into a bath and knowing the king ment to abuse him caste himselfe into the bottome of the whot water and so presently dyed The death of Lucretia is wel knowen who violently bereft of hir honor sticked hir selfe The wante of successe and not will was cause that Alexander the greate escaped voluntarie death for hauing in dronken mode stain his frend Clitus he would presently in the house haue murdered himselfe from whiche doinge in space of three daies both by force sute he could scaÌ„tly be entreated to refrayn and afterwards being at y siege of Sudracarus a citie in India he leaped from the wall into the towne of purpose to dye For by meane therof he did both fal farre and alone among his enemies but fortune woulde not permit that successe he desired This booke would not receiue the nuÌ„ber of ensamples of such as for feare loue griefe anger other occasions of no waight haue sought theyr owne deathes Besides whom we reade of hole legions that haue offered themselues to apparant destruction As they did that were with Leonida against the PersiaÌ„s and fought nere vnto Thermopile What woulde these people haue aduentured for great cause or if death were a great euyl that vpon so light occasion did not refuse to dye From whiche determinacion no respect of age sexe or honor could feare them But I se what thou wilt say death I doe not feare for as it is not euill so is it necessarye and to feare that is of necessitye were vaine cowerdlye and hurtefull Yet woulde I dye easelye and olde suche a death as Augustus desired and did obtaine For by lyuinge olde I shall not onelye gaine a longer life but also a more easyer death Aristoteles in his Booke De Respiratione thincketh that verye olde men dyed not onelye withoute payne but also withoute anye feelinge of deathe because the heate of their bodyes was quenched whiche maye appeare by this example If thou goe aboute to drawe a tothe that is not loose thou feelest great paine but if of it selfe it were loose before withoute anye griefe at all it commeth awaye Euen so greene youthe wyth extreeme paine do yelde to death but olde folke in dying feele no griefe almost at al As the tragicall Poet sayth In slomber svveete the aged sprite departeth How can it be other theÌ„ that death is greuous to yonge men when as sleepe against nature is offensiue Oft times it happeneth that such as vppon custome seeke sleepe at vntimelye houres become thereby drye pyned and slouthfull so as in steede of delight they get disease Theophrastus beinge readye to dye thoughe he were an olde maÌ„ complayned of Nature because she had ordayned so longe life in Staggs Rauens al most vnprofitable beastes and to maÌ„ being the most noble wysest creature allowed so shorte a terme to 〈◊〉 in What may they say then that dye in y flower of theyr youth haue they not iust cause to lament Surely no. But here the reason why nature hath not among other creatures made man of longest lyfe and then that he that dyeth in youth doth suffer nothing more greuous then they that lyue old For fyrst it is doubted of manye and chiefelye of Aristotle whether anye creature the Elephant excepte doth liue more longe then man Because he maketh no mentioÌ„ either of the Phenixe the Crow the Rauen or the Stagge nor affirmeth them to be of longest life But let vs confesse that whiche is imputed in Virgill though it doth little importe to the matter where he speaking of men sayth A life more longe nyne times the cacklinge Crovve doth lyue But confessing with Aristotle that y Elephante doth liue more longe then man why neede we coÌ„tende whether man be of one or more creatures in longe lyuinge excelled Omittinge also that the holye Scripture affyrmeth lyfe more long to man then other lyuinge creatures let vs now dispute that that alreadye is taken in hande that is to say for what cause some beasts be of longer life then maÌ„ The reason is this seinge all creatures are made eyther for the vse or honour of man â–ª they were framed accordinge to the descretion of Nature at which time she made theyr minds as wel for their bodyes as theyr bodyes for their mindes were therefore made simple with fewe instruments as plaine thinges to enduer longe But the bodye of man being made onely for his minde neded many more instrumentes to th ende that the vnderstanding might the more fitlye do his office Therfore although Nature hath made for man the best proportion of bodye yet could she not geue therevnto the longest lyfe by reason of exceeding concauities and subtilnes of the members which if they were great besides that we should be al Giants they woulde bee troublesome eche one to other Which is wel proued in y no creature hath so infinite members or part of meÌ„bers which were of necessity made smal slender to y end they might the rather be fit to yeld so the breath an instrumeÌ„t of the soule became y more subtil Wherfore nature hath not in this behalfe omitted any parte of her duty â–ª but rather with such dilligence helped our life as for the length thereof wee haue no cause to complaine which is nowe wel proued in y people of India latest founde where men liue commonlye a hundreth and thirty yeres because there the ayre is good and the people without cares But wee coÌ„tinuing incares riot vntimely labour chosing ayre for profit not health yea altogether forgetting the length of life wee cast oure selues into extreame sickenes discoÌ„modities of body and preseÌ„t death without cause accusing nature for the shortnes of oure liues Howe muche better were it to know which way to vse the benefit of nature if so deare pleasaÌ„t a thing thou doest accompt this life what is y cause that Philosophers and Hermits haue liued so verye long yet theyr to great stinens and earnest contemplacion hindered their health vnlesse it were because they liued voide of care and
temperatly How much were this rule of lyuinge to attaine long life more delicate then to feede vppon fleshe and honye But in this age mē continue carefully in labours and care watching the halfe night baskinge in Venus bathe abyding in cloudye Regions and not in good ayre drinkinge boyled wynes do notwithstandinge complaine of short life And howsoeuer in deede oure liues be short it is opinion that doth make it so to appeare The people called Garamantes do not liue aboue fortye yeares I omit to speake of the Pigmeians as people rather fayned then in deede but wee if we dye before fyftye or threscore do thincke that iustlye we lament and yet who so dwelleth in those countryes do highly thanke God if he attayneth fortye yeares and thou lyuinge muche elder do neuerthelesse complayne Surelye euerye lyfe is long that is continued till death sith at the beginning the terme is destined and as sayth the Poet. In birth vvee breede our death our ende on first beginning hangeth Reade we not in holye Scripture that y nomber of dayes and monthes is appointed by God he hath set the terme which cannot be passed The lyfe of man therefore is ended wyth olde age for old age is the last part of life Olde age is also the necessitye of death wheresoeuer therefore death is necessary old age draweth neare Whoso dyeth in youth in this onelye is the more happye that he escapeth the discommoditye of old age will thou make life to seme long or short by comparison A kinde of beastes ther be called Ephemera which are made in the morning and before sonne settinge do dye If happelye they dye at noone theyr lyfe is called shorte but if they continue till nighte they accompte it longe and yet it exceedeth not twelue houres Wee maruaile at flees for theyr long life if they liue two Sommers and at flees that continue three monethes Yet whiche of these is thoughte any thinge towardes mans life we call dogges olde that passe a leuen yeares of age but a man passeth all these in longe lyuinge thoughe hee dyeth in youth But the life of mā must not be accompted longe or shorte in respecte of his yeares The life of all mortall men is but shorte because wyth death it shal be most certainlye ended It is vertue worthy actes that maketh the life longe and idlenes that shortneth thy dayes Alexander thoughe hee liued not aboue thirtye three yeares dyed an old man through the greatnes and nomber of his noble exploytes Argantonius hauinge lyued a hundreth and twentye yeares maye bee sayde to haue dyed in youth because besydes the rarenes of his age in all his life he neuer did anye thing that deserued memorye It ought also worthelye to be noted that for the most parte all notable men haue dyed in theyr youth Amonge the kinges none almoste continued to olde age Hercules Athilles Castor Pollux Aiax Iason Amonge the Poetes Lucanus Catullus Tibullus neyther was Vigill long liued neyther Demostenes nor Cicero howe true yea to true is the sayinge of the Poet. Their liues are short and age is rare vvhere life doth lacke good rule IVLIVS CAESAR Seuerus Alexander Probus Aurelianus Claudius the seconde of that name dyed in youth which men a I thincke liued the lesse the more honest they were because being deare to the Gods were the souer called vnto them Whervppon grew that saying from the Poetes whom Iupiter and Apollo do loue do neuer attaine to old age This is also to be noted that choise is to be loked for wher wil may anye wayes auayle but in thy power it is not to make thy life eyther more long or more shorte Yet if thou cā do it there is none offence at al but if thou cānot thou lamentest thy shortnes of life for no greater reason then thou may thy mortality And that care of thinges impossible is vayne onelye proper to fooles But admit thou maye continue thy life and become olde arte thou not therby the more vnhappye because thou losest that singuler commodity which by God almightye is gauen to men for the allaye of sorrow which is ignorance of time While wee continue yonge wee liue meerelye because wee imagine death is not at hande But how can olde menne thincke that death is farre awaye when alreadye they are entred the laste ende of life Howe true and worthye memorye is that sayinge of S. Austen A yonge manne maye soone dye but an olde manne cannot liue longe And yet no couse there is why thou should not be sorrye seing a yong mā maye also dye sone Syth th ende of life is vnknowē a yong man neuer ought to dispayre whether he laboureth of deadly diseases or be cast into cruell tormentes and prison The chaunces of mortal creatures do shew that men are subiect to law of nature and fortune so as withoute cause they loue certainties for most incertēties of al. But admit thou doest attaine to old age it selfe how manye euils commeth therby labour griefe ▪ sadnes losse of sences disdaine y which is almost worst of all as Caecilius doth well discribe therby thou shalte see they companye of all men eschewed vnwelcome are olde menne to their children vnwelcome to frendes disdayned of yonge men and odious to their owne familiars Theyr sences serue not theyr bodyes theyr bodyes obeye not theyr mindes they passe the nighte withoute sleepe and eate without all tast They lothe themselues how shoulde they be pleasant to others We reade that when Zeno Citieus could not dye with age he strāgled himselfe What dilligence and trauayle did Cicero take to perswade olde age to be pacientlye borne but if of it selfe it had beene good or as riches frends children and learning had apparance of good there shoulde haue beene not cause for him to haue taken such trauayle A mockerye it were to perswade that health or honour were pacientlye to be suffered and wee agree that olde age is sufferable but not to be wished for Howe manye olde men haue beene for whom it had beene better to haue died in youth Priamus for example not for myracle in historye is resited Not longe since Baccus Valor being olde and readye to take leaue of life before his eyes behelde his owne sonne beheaded a yonge man of singuler hope The next yeare before two other olde men I sawe that behelde the like fortune in theyr owne children Wherefore I wonder muche at the greate wysedome of Theramenes woo onelye escapinge when his house fell downe sayde before his frendes that reioysed for his life O fortune to what ende hast thou me preserued neyther did he aske in vaine for within fewe dayes after by the malyce of tyrantes he was taken and put to death Therfore such is the condition of men as althoughe beinge olde thou mighte returne to youth againe as the fable telleth of Aeson sayinge And as tvvise tvventye yeares bypast so novve my force I finde Myne aged yeares are vvorne
leaue to lament The pitye of Parentes Brethren and Children both beginne and is as it were borne with theym â–ª Yet how many haue bene thereby hindered hereafter shal be declared But now to the matter what I praye you canne be moore vnprofitable among mortall Men or lesse certaine of ende then Sorrow whiche proffiteth not others and hurteth him that doeth lament I maruaile not therfore at the Thrasians and Casions though at the deathe of their Neighboure they reioyse and make good Cheare because they knowe theym deliuered of all worldlye woe and hope they are gâ—one to Felicitie So coÌ„trary wise they waile and wepe when any childe is born for that from most pleasaunt Quiet it is come into this troublesome Life whiche Custome a Cittizen of oures as I haue harde didde folowe who dying desyred that with musicke 〈◊〉 he might be 〈…〉 burial Yet know I not whether his desyre was performed But as touching sorow it can not be reproued syth men do lamente that that can not be eschewed and that which doth saue them from al other inconuenients yea while they bewayle the good of others they forget their owne miseries What is so vayne as either to lament nothinge if after Death be no Sence or if any bee to make them sorye that loue theym or be laughed to scorn if they contempne theym Truelye if we fynde faulte withe theym that doe weepe befoore theyr Louers not being beloued agayn wherby growethe no good but the declaration of their Follye how muche moore art thou to be blamed if thou thincke no Sence remayneth or doest thou accordinge to the fashion of Fablers and yet they beleeued there were Spirites by weping hope to call backe any to Lyfe as Orpheus did Euridice Alas doest thou thinke that if sorrow had bene eyther of necessitye or proffite that Nature whyche hathe geeuen to liuinge creatures Knowledge of so manie artes so manifolde circumspection and so sundrye customes as to fyghte for their younge to cherishe the olde in venerye to obserue affinitie wedlocke and reuenge that amonge the rest she would haue forgotten Sorrow Besides man there is no Creature after it bee broughte foorth that dothe lament the Deathe of an other thoughe we see one Pysmyre doth burye another yet Nature lefte nothinge vndone that for the necessitye of anye Creature was to be required but in education Sorrowe was necessarye leaste the youge should forget their Parentes and distroye their kinde The wise and discrete makers of Lawes haue lykewise wythe a certayne Godlye meane respectinge popular Follye and proffite appoynted shorte termes for men to mourne in Lycurgus commaunded that aboue eleuen days no man shoulde lament or seeme to mourne Solon did clearly take away all Solempnities of Sorrowe as wepinge Cryinge and Tearinge Who doubteth but if Lawes had bene made only for common people and not wisemen But that mourninge should haue bene clearly taken awaye yea rather thereof no mencion made at al because they woulde haue imagined Wyse men to haue needed none admonition as diuers of themselues we haue seene to doe But now perticularlye let vs proceede whensoeuer one Kinseman bewaylethe the Deathe of an other let hym tell me truely whether he had rather haue dyed himselfe or not For thus it must needes come to passe that the Children doe dye before the Parentes or the Parentes before the Chyldren or els altogethers as though they were all destroyed by subuersyon of one House But to perrishe all together is holden for mooste Calamitye and greateste Mysfortune If thou desyre to haue dyed fyrste thereby thou doest not onlye peruert the course of Nature but also incurre one of these two that eyther Death is euyll and therefore offendeth lesse in thy Parentes then thy selfe or els good And therefore for Pittyes sake to bee wished fyrste to fall vppon theym For euery man studieth to eschew Euyll chiefly to him selfe And Good is most commonly wished to those we accompte dearest or to those that for Pitties sake we honoure and reuerence What is that thou mournest for in theym because they are deliuered of Old age Or doeste thou lament that in others which in thy selfe thou thinckest ought paciently to be suffered Or wilt thou weepe not vnlyke the Old woman that complayued her barren Lyfe Vpon a time there happened a certayne Olde Woman to come beggine to the Gate askinge almose and therewithall alledged she was without Father or mother with which tale at the first somewhat amased one good felow standinge by asked what age she was of Wherunto she answered an olde woman of moore then seuenty yeares foorthwith we changed our cheare to laughter although we toke great pity of the olde woman beinge of so greate age yet no meruail was her losse of parents Therfore haue good regard lest while thou wepe thou moue not others to laugh what wouldst thou do if according to an old custome vsed by the citizens of India in the ysland of Coius that old men being past Threescoore yeares of age shoulde of the Citty bee caried in Triumphe and so in sight be slayne Because after that age they beynge vnprofitable their Deathes in respecte of the wante of Corne maye greatly proffyte the common wealth This Lawe all be it it be in deede cruell yet euerye Lawe dooth promyse some commoditie to the common weale Which I see the Claspians haue doone For that Region beinge plentifull of Menne and of Corne scarse Their custome is after their Parentes be passed Threescore and ten yeares to shutte theym vppe and so wythe Honger to kyll theym whiche vse as it is to cruell Barbarouse and of no brutishe Beaste vsed So Deathe naturall beinge come to oure Parentes oughte pacientlye to bee borne and thincke them to haue passed the whoole course of Miserye and vs to remayne and abyde the Troublesome assaulte of Earthely cares Yea and the rather for that they dyed when Olde age made theym combersome to the Common weale and to theymselues by Lyfe displeasaunte Doest thou thincke the olde menne of Babilon were wonte willinglye to yelde theymselues to Deathe but because they acknowledged that Death of olde folkes was moore proffitable to the Common weale then Lyfe And admytte thyne Auncestoure be not olde because to lameÌ„t Death in Olde age were woorse then the Follye of Melitides but Younge Strong Proffitable for his Familye necessary for counsayle and so in his beste luste taken away Thou wilt not lewdlye saye within thy selfe Why taryed he so longe as one dydde who boasted himselfe to be of our house of Cardani This young Man his Father then dyinge in the presence of all Men Daunced and beinge tolde by his familyer Frendes that he was dead sayd al to late but the wicked wretch or one yeare passed was iustly plagued for after a longe consumption he dyed and fulfilled that sayinge of Moyses Honour thy father and thy mother that thou mayest liue long vppon the earth which I see the Gentiles also do For Homer in his
and wysedome all which when age groweth on like vnto stares in the tree are encreased and detected So olde age beinge come sometimes in respecte of power but more often in regarde of follye and vtilitye olde men do for necessitye vse the helpe counsel of theÌ„ they loue not and onlye because of theyr owne debilitye which saueth the giltles children from many misaduentures at theyr hands for whom they liue continuallye a most miserable lyfe Others do disherit theyr children others consume theyr patrimonye and some seeke newe wyues breeding the sorrowe that stepmothers most coÌ„monlye make The iniurye of euerye of whiche ioyned wyth the combersomnes and seueritye of age is encreased And to conclude with one example of a wise man amonge all those fooles let that of Cato Câ—nsorinus a man of excellent witre suffice thee he hauing a sonne of good yeares fell first to aduoutry and after marying a moste defamed woman thereby clearlye discredited the reputation of wisedome and former life yea besydes all this ordayned the Nephewe of Clieus to be Coheyre wyth his sonne at that tyme Preator in Rome Why should I then neede to resyte Lysander Tiberius and the reste of those olde Monsters that in age were not onelye wicked but also withoute Mercye when the integritie and Romaine wisedome through defaulte of age was worne away Therfore seinge the number of manye brethren breedeth pouertye where great abundaunce wâ—teth impossible it is that any of theym canne doe great things It must then be confesses that y â— â—â—athe of the father ought much to be lament 〈…〉 sorrowed not at all Much lesse ought the death of Brothers to make a man sorrowfull it menne woulde rightly waye thinges as they are And fyrst it must be considered which is also to be thoughte of in the losse of children when alone without brethren thou be born whether thou wilt lamente because they were not borne Truly syth I see no man so to do I hardly thinke that any will saye it is worthye weepinge to bee borne with brethren â–ª or if being a childe 〈…〉 dyuers brethren wilt thou now renew the sorow of their death which I know also thou wiâ—t not because we loue not y we know not but we lameÌ„t for them we loue If then thou think neither those that are not borne nor those that are worthy to be mourned for how much lesse the other that were borne and lyued a good tyme For if to haue brethren it be euyll then to loose them is a pleasure But if it bee good seinge in all good thinges it is better to haue hadde some thinge then nothinge who doubteth But these that liued some reasonable yeares if they dye are lesse to bee sorowed for then those that neuer were borne nor knowen Such is the condicion of euilles that what soeuer is euerlasting is most displeasaunt and in al such some rest is thought pleasaunt In a tyme of famine is it not better to haue two Loaues then no bread at all After long labour is not rest he it neuer so little better then none Dothe not one dayes libertie refreshe a man well that lyeth continually in prison Are not suche as liue in miserie somewhat comforted when they remember that some parte of their lyfe was pleasauntly passed Seinge then it is better to haue had bretheren to haue lyued in their company to haue sorrowed reioysed with theym and therfore art more happy then they that vttterlye haue had none at all who for all that do neither weepe nor lament But false imaginacion and opinion is the faulte hereof whereby thou thinckest that not onelye he but also thy selfe should for euer liue togethers of which hope worthylye deceiued vnworthilye thou mournest for thy brother what if in thy choyse yf were to liue brotherlesse or without one only brother who after fortie yeares should suruiue the Whether would thou haue a brother with such condicion or liue without Surely thou would haue him vnlesse to haue brethren thou thinke it euill But if to chose the brotherlesse lyfe then wouldst thou not complaine Yet hauing the better choyse thou doest What is the cause other then that now thou art vnprepared to disgeste thy brothers death but when the choyse was made thou were prepared Thus deathe therfore is not to bee blamed but in opinioÌ„ only it semeth intollerable and therein thou lamentest the commodities receiued as there is no necessety thou neuer thinkest But be it for the purpose that this thy Brother was good and loued the much which as men saye is not common In Brethren hard it is to fynde vnfayned loue Truely if thou haue regarde to dayly experience the most brothers be coÌ„bersome quarrelous â—â—â—â—ous discencious captious and disdaynefull The Poet was wonte therfore verye well to resemble brethren to the windes because they euer disagreed among them selues and lyued not lyke frends or fellowes but as those whom discorde did beste become Chain did fyrst shewe to Abel what brotherly loue would after be Then Iacob deceiued Esau committing his eleuen children into the seruitude of Ioseph his brother yea some of theim they ment to haue slayne forgetting not only pitty but also their common parentes and the innocency of their age After their daies Absolon killed Amnon his brother Abimelech the sonne of Gedeon murdered his threscore and ten brethren one only except No godlye lawe no holye Religion no feare of GOD from so wicked a deede could withholde hym Neyther are the examples of the Gentiles more mercifull Atreus hauinge murdered the three sonnes of Thiestes hys brother gaue hym theyr fleshe to eate spoyled hym of hys Kyngdome and rauished his wyfe Etheocles and Polynues Oedipi Simulus and Rhesus did likewyse one murther the other so did also Romulus and Remus Iugurtha was not contented onelye to kill his brethren Adherbales and Hiempsales but also before they dyed cutte all theyr fleshe from theyr bones Cambises hauinge one onelye brother called Smerdis a simple man and lyuinge in priuate lyfe by reason of a dreame was by him slaine So lighte a cause can cause a brother to seeke the life of a brother What did Antonius to Gâ—ta or Antipater the Macedonian Kynge Phrahates who wythoute cause slewe hys thyrtye bretherne and wyth theym Herodes hys father by whom in the place of Pacorus latelye deade hee was Crowned kinge The Queene of Tilaea toke for husband her brother Hiperio by whom she conceyued two children the one called Sol the other Luna throughe enuye killed Hiperio then caste Sol into the ryuer Eridanus and wyth sorrowe thereof dyed Luna Cleopatra also for women are not free from such wickednes to th ende she mighte more safely aspyre to the kingdome of Egipte flewe hee sister Arsinoes and her yonge brother of the age of fiftene yeares If I resighted euery mischiefe that brothers haue committed to brothers this booke coulde not contayne theym My selfe haue knowen one man twise giltye of his bretherns death another the
yeare before was beheaded for hauinge murdered thre of his brethren but the death of two was apparauntlye knowen There is no thruste for Falernus more greate then the desyre of wicked folke to committe crueltye in their owne kinsefolke Yea sometimes this wicked violence is put in proofe amonge kinsefolke of one name But amonge this sinnefull sorte thy brother is none Admitte hee be good of honest conditions modest and vertuous yet what canst thou loke for more at him then others for if thou seeke good will a frende can doe it if necessitye thy sonne must be preferred if pittye thy parentes are better if dutye thy fellowes are morefitte if flatterye thy seruauntes do it best Of all which nomber seinge thou paciently sufferest death the losse of thy brethren oughte not more impaciently to be borne And hereof a most euidente token maye be the greate constancye of the parentes at the death of theyr children the like loue of whom is neuer seene neyther amonge brethren nor amonge children towardes theyr parentes But thus thou doest saye I loued my brother dearelye honoured him trulye but did he likewyse loue thee Alexius was brother to Isaac king of Germanye and by him receyued as a companion in gouernment taken of the Turkes he redeemed him wyth great summes of money notwythstanding al which at his returne hee deposed Isaac from his kingdome put out his eyes and kepte him in continuall pryson Thou mayst boldlye sweare by GOD that thou loued and not be deceyued but how thou art beloued is harde to knowe Titus honoured Domitianus yet howe manye iniuryes did Domitianus do vnto Titus and as it is thought in the ende wyth poyson hee killed him What can be more perillous chiefelye where is greate inheritaunce thenne to commit the children to thy brothers tuition a thing almost impossible it is to loue trulye both the brother and his children or woulde thou haue thy brothers shoulde loue soe as they should forgette theyr children Who knoweth whether euill fortune shall rather take thy children or thy good brother from thee For hee lyuinge eyther wythoute perill thy children mighte not bee lefte voyde of angouerour or not without iniurye committed to others Call to memorye the example of Childebertus the Frenche kinge who by practise gotte from theyr mother Clothilda the two sonnes of hys brother and slewe them because the lawfull heyres of his brother lyuinge hee thoughte that quietlye hee could not possesse the whole kingdome Many there haue beene seene to commit more crueltye vppon theyr nephewes then this and common it is to take theyr patrimonyes from them but the occasions both of perill and iniurye are all at once remoued Lastlye this is to be noted that nature as it deuideth inheritance so doth it departe conditions amonge brethren If one be honest an other dishonest If one be noble of mind an other of base courage if one be industrious another is slouthfull If thou hate thy brother why lokest thou to be loued if thou loue him loue bindeth thy iudgemente And verye like it is that as in thee there is singuler honestye so in thy brother is no lesse dishonestye but thou seest it not occasion wanteth Thy brothers inheritaunce was well gotten howe well gotten naye rather wonne by deceit But admitte it be as be it cannot that thou knowe thy brother doth trulye loue thee thou arte childlesse hee hath children lefte behinde him accompte of them and let them bee in place of a brother in educatioÌ„ of them shal be greater charity and in keeping greater reuerence But if neyther thou nor he haue children and hee that dyed is thy onelye brother if thou adopt children they shall better serue then thy brothers Siluer is lost and gould is found But if this thou cannot do sooner then thou woulde yea against thy wyll thou thy selfe shal or long followe him and had he suruiued woulde percase skantlye haue wept one teare for thee and if so hee had done was hee not by so muche wyser then thy selfe If before him thou would not haue dyed why doest thou lameÌ„t that he is fyrst deade Other frendes do liue other kinsfolke and other companions Howe manye brothers and kinsfolke in Christ do liue as mortal men and do dailye pray for thee And thyne owne brother is alreadye gone to GOD arte thou sorrye that he hath gayned libertye and euerlastinge lyfe Thoâ—cation of euerye sorrowe is pacientlye to be borne notwithstaÌ„dinge the necessitye of na-nature the custome of others and the variable condition of worldlye thinges do woorke the contrarye Neyther can there come any greater griefe to men by death then to be berefte of children yet although the same doth happen to the whole nomber of any mans ofspringe and therewith all hope of other be remoued yet is his condition not such as deserueth eyther weeping sadnes or sorrowe And nowe let vs more deplye consider whether the life of him that is barren or of him that hath children is more happye The childles man hath onelye to lament that he hath no child to leaue behind him which if in respect of perpetuitie thou foolishlye hopest amonge so manye thousandes of men doest thou thincke thy posteritye should remayne though the world were neuer to ende But that the worlde doth ende besydes that the lawes haue so determined also al famous Philosophers Aristotle except haue so agreed And if thy life be not coÌ„tinued for euer what is that to thee or if thy posteritye do alwayes remayne art thou for that respecte the happyer when the Paripatetians conclude that the seede of the father is no porcion of the childreÌ„ but y they are whollye ingendred of the mothers bloud Galenus thincketh y the vaynes the synowes and artires are onely made of the fathers seede al the rest of the mothers bloude howsoeuer it be no graund child is porcion of his graundfather So subtill is this pleasure of posteritye as in deede it maye be called nothing after a few yeares all memorye of great graundfathers is worne out who is he almost that euer knewe his great graundfather But on the contrary part to so smal a pleasure how great a care is ioyned hereof commeth perill of life charge in education feare of honger care in learning wantonnes in childhoode rashenes in youth contumacy disobedience disdaine All which in riche men and happye times are soe common as are accompted for necessarye euils Now what hope can be in posteritye when onely charge and feare commeth thereby People are opprest kinges make warres the Prince of Turkes with fyre and swoorde wasteth all vile seruitude of all euill the worst draweth on some yelde some are hidden in hookes on euery syde disorder euill men are not allowed good subiectes persecuted Dost thou then thinke that in times of such calamitye it is not care enoughe for thee to prouide for thy selfe but wil also be charged wyth an encreased burden of necessarye cares what caÌ„ bee more wicked then this oure
vnhappy excremeÌ„t which being lost in dreames as often it hapneth thou carest not at all but what matter is it howe it be lost I meruayle the lesse of Aristippus that disdayned his sonne so much as he cast him away Other likewise I heare distroyed them as Lauis did Oedipus Priamus Paris Neither do thou thinke this custome only of kinges obserued but also of priuat men which lawe by Romulus of infamous memorye and happy successe in Italy fyrst was ad nulled Hereupon were erected almose houses y children shoulde no more bee brought vp by wilde beastes But this perhappes thou wilt saye My sonne was now become lyke vnto me I had speÌ„t much mony care and payn vpon him and so was likely to haue ben noble but these coÌ„plaints were more meete for mothers because if thou lamentest thy losse of mony theÌ„ hadst thou more nede to be cured of thy couetise then comforted for losse of thy sonne And hereof be most assured that children do not take three maners and condicions of their Parentes and they will follow the condicions of none lesse then of theym which is the reason why the children of pore men are more lyke to their parents then the children of the rich because pore men are both fathers maisters of their childrens lyfe but rich men not so Whye shouldeste not thou then make an other mans childe thine For hee is moste lyke the in condicions that is of thine owne bringinge vp Quintilianus telleth how Alexander had certain imperfections of Lionida his Tutor which he kept styll beinge come to mans estate For though we eschewe the immitation of vices yet in vertues we seeke to folow them Therfore if he that is dead was loued for vertue we commend thy meaninge but yet O Lorde how pleasant how happy is that life where vnto from this obscure darckenesse thy sonne is gone yea how swete was that trauayle Neither do I thinke it nedeful to declare those ioyes pleasures which our soules hauing forsakeÌ„ these earthly pleasures do possesse for while the soule is loden with that heauy burden it coÌ„prehendeth immortall thinges with the mortall Scantly it can be expressed how much force dignitie and glorye the soule beinge at libertie hath For the conceiuyng and not the teachinge wherof all be it a man in this lyfe be neuer so excellent he is notwithstanding imperfect because he is onely a man complete that vnderstandeth which the soule beinge closed within the bodye cannot doe Therefore what meruaile is it that the soule so slowly and painfullye departeth froÌ„ the bodye Lykewise with greate labour and much difficulty a man is from his mother brought forth to thys vale of misery In consyderacion of all these the bitternes of sorowe for thy sonnes deathe should be the lesse wayinge the glory whych he now hath and the reputacion of his youth together with the weary abode hee made in hys mothers wombe Nature hath ordained that al greate encrease of felicitye is attayned through harde labour With the same reason shalt thou be coÌ„forted yf thy sonne be an infant and thyne only sonn I omytte to tel what hee maye hereafter be but now he hath hit the marke for which he was borne For is there any other end whereto we were born then death as the body for the soule and as sleaping for watching so was lyfe geuen vnto vs for death wherefore as sleape is necesary for all men some more and some lesse so is life for the Soules wherfore if thou want meane to get an other son then choose thou some other one of thine affinitie and bringe him vp in learning honest disciplyne hardly shalt thou fynd such a sonne made by hys parents If such a one by education thou makest thou gainest thanks of God whose children we al be of thy couÌ„try which is mother to al men Neither in dutye shalt thou fynde him inferior to other children It is not my meaning to wish the death of children but that paciently men should beare it neyther will I that the childe of an other shoulde be preferred before our owne but rather that thy sonne be so brought vp as he may deserue to be preferred before others yet if we consider succession we shall fynde that excellent Maisters haue hadd notable scholers noble fathers vyle children And to omit all others Socrates was not estemed of his sonnes but by Plato his scholer was praysed to the skies Did not Theophrastus commende Aristotle more then Nichomachus The auncient examples do showe that the scholars haue proued not only more worthy then sonnes but also more thankful what sonne was euer so fauourably to his father as would yelde him the glorye due to himselfe as Plato woulde haue done to Socrates Besydes that men of notable vertue haue not only wanted children but also neuer sought for any As Thales Zeno Plato Apeâ—les Diogenes Galenus Virgilius and Homer and to some they haue come as it were againste their willes as to Alexander and Iulius Caesar And no meruaile y noble men haue seldome vertuous children Surely I think for some great respects it commeth to passe that of some noble parents vile children should discend which was very well and pleasantlye witnessed of Spartianus whose wordes are these Remembring vvith my selfe O Dioclesian Augustus that almost none of these great men haue lefte any sonne very good or proffytable It appeareth then suffyciently that worthye men haue either died without children or haue bene without And fyrst let vs begin at Romulus he left no children Neither hadd Numa Pompilius any that could proffit the common weale What had Camillus were his children lyke him What had Scipio What had the two Catoes that were called the great Then what should I speake of Homer Demosthenes Virgilius Crispo Tâ—rentius Plautus with diuers others What of Caesar or Tullius to whome alone it had bene better to haue bene childelesse What of Augustus who though he had the choise of all could not adopt one good Traianus was also deceiued in the election of hys heyre But omitting adopted childreÌ„ let vs speake of babes begotten by Antonius pius and Marcus the goddes of the common wealth What man hadd bene more blessed then Marcus had hee not lefte behynde hym his heire Commodus Or who had ben more happy then Seuerus Septimius had he not gotten Bassianus What doe we learne other by these ensamples then that Children do not take theyr myndes of their Parentes but of God otherwise they should be like to theim Nor in dede we cannot call theym oures but children of God the common father and they ought to be imbraced for their vertue not vertue for theym which if men in worldly procedinges did marke they should be like to Gods and leade a blessed lyfe But nature hath labored somewhat to deceiue vs in the Loue of children that is to say y euery man do so much care of that as for that we fail not to forget y loue of
our selues our couÌ„try of god and that which is most our childreÌ„ al. So dotingly we do loue our children as we seme rather to hate theÌ„ â–ª We bring theÌ„ vp not in vertue but in iniury not in learning but in lusting not in feare of god but in desire of ryches not to liue long but to the performance of foule delites yet was it not nature y made this default of folish care of imoderate loue to whoÌ„ she gaue a certain modest desire of honger thirst to euery creature so far as was nedeful Yet though imperfection of mynd only man without honger eateth drinketh without thirst without necessity doth vse euery sorte of delighte And in like sort doth he loue his children so much as not only he suffereth them but for them the fathers wil also do euil and attempt al wickednes and thincketh them of his owne makinge But assuredly they are not but â—ee the woorkes of God who gaue them minde lyfe forme force maners wit and encrease And of these the Father made nothinge Then leaue I saye to lament for that is none of thyne hee that made yt hath called it agayne vnto hym to whose Commaundemente yt is boothe iuste and Godlye it shoulde obaye And if thou desyre to knowe whether this Loue bee Naturall or like vnto other desires an imperfection of mind Beholde other lyuing thinges who after education do neuer knowe their owne no nor loue them But if this were a gift of Nature it shold by reason of pitye and necessity rather be in children towardes their parents then in parentes towardes their children which example Nature as it semeth did not forget in brute beastes for among birdes the Stork Among four foted beasts the Dormouse doth feede his aged parents But after the first educatioÌ„ of loue borne to their parents no sinne is extant but men by study as it were doth passe other liuing things through the imperfectioÌ„ of mind esteming himselfe to much The pitie of brute beastes cometh altogether when both of education loue th end is one duringe which time the old beastes be weaker labersome leane careful and miseserable as to all men it doth appeare Surelye it seemeth a great madnes to torment thy mind coÌ„tinually with this nedeles care of posteritie for besydes that this desyre is neither reasonable nor necessary some man may iustlye meruaile why it is so common but the answere there vnto is not douted of If fyrst thou doest show me the cause why so many men became couetous ireful and subiecte to desyres of lust And all these besides they be vices not naturall nor reasonable are also dishonest Yet thonly loue of children after educatioÌ„ though it procedeth neither of nature nor reason yet is yt honest But I haue perhaps in so apparaÌ„t firme matter for wise men spoken more then was requisite And haue vsed reasons true though subtil and shorte Therfore let vs come to longer speache arguments more playne lest I seme not so muche to proue as to deceiue thy son therfore being dead consider fyrste whether hee was well reported or accompted wicked For manye times the son of a good father is seene to proue an euil man by reasoÌ„ the homely vices are hardlier discouered then y externall besydes that loue byndeth iudgemente Wherof a fable is come forth how the Cuckovv in old tyme for her young birdes contended in singinge with the Nightingale and hers appointing the asse to be their Iudge whose sentence was y he knew not which of them did synge most swetly but wel he was assured the Cuckovves did most playnlye and distinctly pronounce their notes So the children of euery one are not only best loued but also the euyll by the euyll are most allowed of In which cases as we haue also sene meÌ„ of right good iudgement mete it is that we should not only lameÌ„t but also reioyse And in auÌ„cieÌ„t time they did much more then this for both Manlius Torquatus agaynst his son Deciê° Silanê° pronouÌ„ced so cruel a seÌ„tence as with a cord he hanged himself And M. Scaurus finding his sonne among others fleinge being only giltye of feare did force him to returne to his enemies be slaine Lykewise a woman of Lacedemon killed her son for his slouth and returning from the wars of whom this noble verse was written Thou dastard knight Damatrion thy mother here haue slayne That doest both her and Spartayn bloud vvith covverdice distayne Such and more wicked sonnes being bereft of lyfe do thereby sease to offend their parents kinsfolke yea are also themselues saued froÌ„ greater infamy Some sonnes haue not forborne to coÌ„spyre the death of their fathers As Blandenius Zesides who slewe his mother and Euander that at the perswasion of his mother Nicostrata murdered his owne father and for that cause was banished Italye Such moÌ„sters as they are being left aliue are causes of many euils so Paris was the subuersioÌ„ of both Priamus house country notwithstaÌ„ding wheÌ„ he dyed Priamus weped So folish are mens cares that they wishe they wot not what excellinge as they think the Gods in wisdome reproue those that in their ignorance shall procure their good For if thy son were wise honest godly noblye mynded hauing hope of children that may support thyne vnweldiage What is wanting in the graund children if none be a fond thyng it was to hope that he would not nor could not do But how soeuer it be greater is y dauÌ„ger of them that are worse then death then hope of those he hath to proue better And misery vilety shame continuall griefe and disdain are al more euyl then death deathe is common to all men but these to fewe who also are all subiect to death Were it not better by dyinge to preuent all these iniuries then to haue thy desyre so dearlye bought For necessarye it is that who so wyll lyue old must suffer many euils Ther is almost no mortal creature liuing long but at somtimes before he dieth doth hate his life wherto put the saying of y Poet. Although vnvveldyage vvhen lyfe doth vveare avvay None other ill did bring vvithall but that as men do say By liuinge long ful oft vve see vvich vvee vvould not behold Truly if such desyre thou haue of children if thy sonne died thou beinge olde thy time to follow is next if in thy youth then hast thou hope enoughe to haue more Finally Sorowe is a womanishe thinge and not fytte for men Therfore the Licians were wont to constrayne mourners to weare womens garmentes to th ende their garment might agree with the mynd And surely not without occasion because among all people the more vile they be the more beastly they lament As women fyrste next children then barrennous men the greatest nomber of whom be effeminate Contrariwise meÌ„ the more valiaunt they bee the more they oppresse their griefe and soâ—er driue their Sorow away This sort of Sorrowe goeth
from his birth did neuer see then hath he 〈◊〉 to complayne according to the common saying That the eye seeth not the hart rueth not For in that we knowe not we neyther delight nor fynd offence Al be it we see many things we take pleasure in yet of theym that doe discontent vs the nomber is greate One only perfyte eye we haue whiche is the spyryte and that more liuely is in the blynde then in them that can see by reason the outwarde eyes is there vnto a hynderaunce For which reason wee fynde that the blinde men both in wit and memorye excell all others And as they say of Tyresia For God â—ris face did hyde and 〈◊〉 vvithin the breast he set Meaninge that the blynde man did in mynde see the moste And therfore in olde tyme suche menne were honoured for prophecyinge thinges to come When Antonius the holye comforted Didimus the Philosopher he sayde vnto him let it suffise that styll thou enioyeste thy celestiall eyes thoughe the other be lost Diodorus the Stoike a companion to Cicero was blynde yet in Philosophye Musicke and Geomatrys excellent Caius Drusus was so cunninge in the Lawes Ciuil althoughe he were hymselfe blynde yet helped hee many that could see Some say Democrites for the enuy his Cittizens did bear him put our his own eyes Ascâ—epiades the Philosopher in his blindenes was wont to playe sayinge the wante of syghte was nothinge els but as thoughe a chylde should doe some thynge to an other whereby hee mighte fynde a wante But amonge other commodities blyndenes doth make death the moore tollerable Because deathe is feared for nothinge so muche as that wee loose the comforte of lighte and come into darckenes when if thou be blinde before thou shalte feele the lesse alteracion that whiche tormenteth others moste in dyinge thou shalt as it were dye vnwares Some perhappes there are so grosse as will discommonde olde age forgettinge that who so is now olde hath beene in tymes paste younge But for tryall here of let Sephalus or Spurinna be called in question of whome we may enquire whether old age not abused be better then lustye youth The vertue and strength of Iacobus Philippê° Sacchi whoÌ„ Franciscus Sforza did those to be prince of the Senate doth sufficiently shewe Wherfore syth in all these Calamities aforesaid nothinge is euyll let vs consyder whether in common miseries we ought to lament as in plagues famine and destruction of countries which because they are common doe seeme the moore pacientlye to bee suffered But if they were euyll woulde be of all other moste intollerable because they are most hardlye amended Wee see therfore that the discontentacion of men growethe rather vppon opinion then cause And seeinge it is vniuersall let vs followe the golden age in whyche tyme was more fidelitye more frendly conuersacion more easy lyfe y men better mynded and their maners the lesse corrupte that their fortune was so euyll In that age they lyued only vpon frute if they had gotten bread â–ª they accompted themselues happy but thou that wantest neither bread wyne bedde nor other prouision doeste notwithstandinge complayne It is enuy therefore no pleasure superfluity no necessity that doth torment vs For if our desires were reasonable wee should at all tymes haue lyke wishes And knowinge with howe fewe bace thinges nature is contented we shoulde not fynde so infortunate ende of our doinges But seinge in that miserable tyme men lyued so contented this can not be sayde any myserye at all For he is onely in misery y is enforced to hate his own lyfe yet in coÌ„mon calamities no man hateth his owne lyfe but moste paciently beareth all aduersityes For nothinge seemeth dishonourable that is common Euerye euylle of mannes lyfe dothe consyste in reproche death except And euery thing that is good in glorye The reason thereof is that as at the beginninge I sayd verye good or euyl was not to be found among mortall men But to return to the purpose our countrye perisheth and there in our frendes kinred reputacion and substance I graunt but dost thou accompt those only thy neighboures that inhabite thy couÌ„try Surely we are al disceÌ„ded of one line and if we loke backe to our grandfathers great great grandfathers oure affinitye is muche It is good maners y getteth frends vertue y wiÌ„neth reputacion which if thou want it is not reputation but rather ambicion and crafte In pouertye thou haste manye Companions so as for thyne error thou nede not be ashamed for want of company thou cannot bee weary And in pouertye as erst I sayde there are many wayes to reliefe as hospitalles kinsfolke charitable persons all good men Also the vniuersalitye of the misery taketh away al reproch And though many through slouth and lothenes to labour do fall into beggery yet a mynde industrious and armed with vertue is seldome subiecte thereunto Albe it the hole cittye of Siracusa was taken spoyled and sacked yet Marcellus preserued Archimedes Also when Megara was taken by Ptolomeus after by Demetrius son of Antiochus yet Stilpho the Philosopher was saued and at the kinges handes receiued both honour and rewarde for the one desyred his company the other became his scholer When Rhodus was besieged by Demetrius Protogenes the painter being found in the suburbes was by him honored though the other cittezens remained scant in surety Vertue is alwayes accompanied with Nemesis who sufferethe none to beg sauing men from coÌ„mon calamities Socrates remayned in Athens healthy when y plage was there at the greatest Crates escaped harme at the saccage of Thebes A man of greate vertue ought not to hazarde himself in common calamyties Now remayneth it onely somwhat to say of manye miseries assembled togethers And as Diogenes said I am hee vpon whom all misfortune is cast no house I haue no towne in exile a vagabond and begger Yet to counteruayle all these miseries he thought the vertue of minde of force enough If therfore being olde thou art sicke pore and banished whether doth the encrease or deuide thy miseries Calamities are not according to this number but the greatnes to be measured It commeth to passe in these as it doth in greifes of y bodie one Calamity driue than other awaye Exile taketh awaye the dishonor of misery when thou liuest amoÌ„g people vnknowen And as erst I sayd ther is nothing saue death that a man desyreth more to eschewe Whether had thou rather be Philota when he was persecuted of Alexander hauinge youth beauty strength grete byrth ryches then in seruitude sicke and in thine old estate Truelyâ— the condicion of man is lyke vnto a garment whiche the more rich beautifull it be the more a sport doth disgrace it and the lesse beauty it hath y lesse hurt the garment ther by receiueth It is also to be considered that no man is al his lyfe in miserye for sleape causeth forgetfulnes of sorow and is as pleasant to men in sorow as to those that be most happie Also the delights of our sences be to al meÌ„ almost alyke comon as tast venery sight heariÌ„g and smellinge So all things that be delectable to man do not togethers decay If therfore at one instant all mortall men did sleape then for that time none should be more happye then other But wee are most assured not onely to sleape but also dye and as long to lyue we cannot so how far we are from death is to vs vnknowen Wherfore to bear euery thinge resolutely is not onely the parte of a wise man but also of a man wel aduised seinge y there is nothing in this life that may iustly be said to be against vs Therefore Homerus fayned Aten the Goddes of Calamitye to barefooted as one that could not touch any thing sharpe or hard but walked lightly vpon the heades of mortall men Meaninge that Calamity durst not come nere anye but such as were of base minde simple subiecte to effeminacy But among such as were valiant and armed with vertue shee durst not come Wherfore lift vp thy mynde to heauen where an euerlastinge and most pleasaunt life is prepared for thee Men in this worlde are lyke trees some slender some great some florishing some bearing frute some witheringe some growinge some blowen downe and some frutefull which in one harueste time are brought togeathers and laide vppon one stacke Neither is there afterwardes sene any difference among them what they be or haue bene al at one time be cut downe neuer more to growe agayne Euen so al pryde ambicion ryches aucthoritye children frendes and glory doe in shorte space grow olde and perishe neither dothe it make matter whether thou were Irus or vile Galba Antaxerles or noble Hercules Onelye honestye and vertue of mynde doth make a man happy and onely a cowerdlie and corrupt conscience do cause thine vnhappines Because the worste that the good man can feare is the best that the euyll can wishe for whyche is the destruction of the Soule in death But as he ought not to hope thereof so should not the other feare it For God the eternal father hath sent vs into this worlde as children and heyres of hys kingdome and secretly beholdeth how wee fighte and defend our selues against our sences y world and the Deuyll And who so in this battell valyantly fighteth shal bee called and placed amonge the Princes of heauenlye kingedome And who so slothfully or cowerdly behaueth himself as a slaue in featnes shall for euermore be bounde This worldly stage was purposely prepared that God the father might secretly beholde vs Such foolishe children then as in his sighte wantonlye slouthfully and sediciouslye lyue shoulde they not thinke he doth beholde them Whenso euer therefore thou haste taken that laste leaue of Life thy soule like vnto a louer embracinge his death shall enioye that swetenes and security whiche we can neither wryte of nor conceiue For sith these worldlye louers amongest whom be many mislykings without assuraÌ„ce or eternity can scarcely expresse their ioyes in loue Happy yea thrise happy is this heauenly louer who forgettinge all others wythe his one loue is vnited For within this kingdome he loueth and liueth in the sight of him that can do all thinges and therefore lyke a good sonne to his father is euer readye to do his pleasure FINIS
the Booke YOu troubled mindes with tormentes toste that sighes and sobs consumes Who breathes and puffes from burning breast both smothring smoke and fumes Come reade this booke that freelye bringes a boxe of balme full swete An oyle to noynt the brused partes of euerye heauye spriete A souplinge salue for euerye sore a medcine for the sicke A seede that eates vp cankred fleshe and searcheth neare the quicke Eche griefe y growes by error blinde that makes maÌ„s iudgemeÌ„t iarre May here a precious plaster finde eare corsye creepe to farre The blinde that mournes for want of sight coulde he but heare this red Would take his blindnes in good part and beare a quiet hed The lame whose lacke of legges is death vnto a loftye mynde Wyll kisse his crotche and creepe on knees Cardanus woorkes to fynde The begger bare bedeckt in brats and patched rotten rags In budget if he bare this booke would scorne the roysters brags The shepehearde that in skortchinge sunne sits skowling on the skyes Would leaue the wolfe his flocke of sheepe to see this booke wyth eyes The surlye snodge that sweepes vp golde and makes his God thereon Would sure coÌ„fesse this pearle shold shyne wheÌ„ glistring gold were gon The wyldest man or monster strange whose natures naughtye are Would stand a maâ—de as bucke at baye vppon this booke to stare This is no fable finelye fylde as cutlare workes the blade This is a substance of it selfe this is no sillye shade This speakes out of the brasen heade full many a golden word This strykes the stordye stomackes dead and yet it drawes no sworde This threatens thonderboltes for fooles yet weather fayre it showes So such as can beare of a storme and calmye weather knowes This teacheth meÌ„ to tune theyr strings who would sweete musicke make This showes who faynes or sweetely sings where the tune we take The poore that playnes on pinching plagues by this doth stand content And yeldinge thankes for foode and cloth takes well y God hath sent The rich whose raging reach would reape the sweete of euery soyle Shall learne to singe a mixrye meane and leaue the poore the spoyle The hye or hautye hart shal here a liuelye lesson learne How wysedome holdes himselfe vpright and halting heades deserne The lowe that lours at lothsome locke and lingers out his tyme Shal see how safe the simple siâ—s and how they fall that clyme The strong that striues to winne the goale by strength stoutnes vaine Shall shunne the shouldring croked play and walke the path full plaine The weake whose wits wyth woes are worne which breedes in brest debare Shal laughe y giants strength to scorne prayse the feeble state The sicke that seekes a syrope sweete for soure disease wythin Shal helpe the heapes of harmes in hart eare blister rise on skin The proude y poultes and pickes his plumes prunes his fethers gay Shal meekenes showe and forthwyth fling his painted sheath away The prisner that in fetters lyes shal thincke his fredome more In closed walles than al his scoope that he hath had before The banisht wight that beates his braynes wyth many busy broyles Shal see what gaine exile doth bringe by sight of sondrye soyles The seruaunt that in seruage lyues shall fee hee hath more ease Than hath his maister who of force must many people please The fearefull man that hateth death shall see that death is best And death is most to be desyrde where life can breede no rest The dronken dolt that doth delite in sosse in swashe and swill Shall see some snib or soure rebuke to breake him of his will. The foole that all sound counsell hates perhaps in reading this Maye waxe more wyse and fondnes leaue and so amende the mis. The flatterer here may finde his faults and fall to better frame The currishe earle may ciuill be in noting of the same The cowarde shall win courage great as he this booke shall vewe And he that is not shaped right may here be made a newe The plowman that wyth sweat of browes doth dearely win his bred Shall see what daunger dwell they in that are wyth daintyes fed There is no state that beareth lyfe of hye or lowe degree But for the sickenes of his minde a medsine here may see This booke bewrayes what wretched wracke belongs to life of man What burthens bore he on hys backe since first this world began This is a glasse to gaze vpon where man himselfe may finde A shyning sunne that plainlye shewes A man is but his minde And who that reads and marks a right the reasons couched here Shal win such treasures by the same as he shall hold ful dere Passe on plaine booke of pearelesse price and preace in worthye place Dread no disdaine of froward heads nor feare the frowning face A worthye worke doth iustly craue a worthye patrone still Whose noble bucklar shall defende this worthye worke from in And he that made thee Englishe speake his tongue and penne be blest Wyth happye hope of vertues hye from heauen here possest FINIS Of Comforte the fyrst Booke AMonge suche and so manye auncient monuments as perished in the Barbarian warres would God that at least Marcus Tullius bokes of comforte written at the deathe of his daughter had beene tyll this day preserued For as in all other matters hee declared him selfe more then a man so may it be thought that herein he had written most excellently the matter being neyther coÌ„mon fayned or touchinge others but procedinge from his own naturall affection and extreme perturbation of mynde And suche is the condicion and qualitie of comfortinge as al be it no persuation or eloquence were there in vsed yet wanteth it not reason and sufficiente proofe to trye it selfe wherein so excellente wise and eloquente a man as Marcus Tullius hauing trauailed it muste be presumed he framed a worke not only worthy prayse but also aboue all expectacion And albeit these auncient warres haue among many other noble workes depriued vs of so learned a boke yet haue we thought mete to entreate thereof not because it is so praiseable as amisse it cannot be praysed but also so necessary as in all thinges whiche of necessitie must be had better it is to haue the worst then none at all For examemple we see that houses are nedefull such as can not possesse that stately pallaces of stone do persuade themselues to dwell in houses of timber and clay and wanting theim are contented to inhabite the simple cotage yea rather then not to be housed at all refuse not the pore cabbon and most beggerly caue So necessarie is this gifte of consolacion as there liueth no man but that hathe cause to embrace it For in these things better it is to haue any then none at al. And wel we see ther is none aliue that in euery respect may be accompted happie yea though mortall men were free from all calamities yet the torments
resteth only in conscience and vertue of the mynde For the memorye of wicked and sinful doinges excedeth al other tormentes The harte of the wicked as sayth the prophet fometh lyke the swellynge seas and their myndes are euer vexed with feareful visions because ther is no greater affliction then when their gyltye thoughtes do continually accuse their consciences As the poet sayth VVhose mynde most giltye is and harboreth cruell thought A secret scourge vvithin himselfe such sinful dedes haue vvrought And paynes more great he tastes vvhom vvhyp of conscience beates Then did Seditius euer fele or Radamantus freates VVithin thy breaste to beare thy griefe both night and day Thou hast at hand that vvytt to obtayn thy hidden vvoes bevvray Of Comforte the second Booke BEcause in the former booke wee haue discoursed copiouslye as coulde bee generallie of the comfortinge of all miseries the consideracion of euerye seuerall euyll seemed scantlye needefull seinge right reason wise counsel then our talke might suffice to remoue al sadnes out of the mynde of eeuerye wise man but for that it was oure purpose at the beginninge to consyder withoute affection and with righte iudgemente to speake diligentlye of euerye aduersitie that maye happen to men it seemed also more necessary for vs to doe the same because some woulde thinke those thinges which should be let passe to be left vntouched of purpose rather because they coulde not bee proued then because they were superfluous Moreouer this historye of euils hath both for varietie and for example no smal pleasure wherwith it may washe awaye from the readers that spotte of sadnes whiche is wont to be lefte of the sensible minde and also of nature it selfe in greate mishappes For oftentimes though reason comforte vs and teache vs that neitter mourninge is meete neither that ther is anye cause of mourninge yet the sad mynde of it selfe can not be merie whiche thinge where yf hapneth not seldome with out any aduersitie at al how muche moore lyke is it to be lefte behinde in them that pine with long wearynes not withstāding the verye wounde to bee cured Therfore that now we maye returne to oure purposed talke of al thinges that happen in mannes lyfe sorrowe and deathe bee moste bytter For to be bereft of the companye of oure moste dearlie beloued for euer and withoute hope is wonte to seeme a mooste cruell thinge vnto all men And deathe it selfe as saith the Philosopher of al terrible thinges is mooste extreame wherefore if anie thinge be able to shake a valiaunte and wise man doubtles that oughte to be the deathe of hym selfe and his moste neare frendes For whiche cause I perceiue excellente Poetes to haue mourned bothe for theirs and theimselues and also to haue fayned others mourninge for their freendes Amonge whome Papinius bewayleth his father sayinge Gyue vvyt and vvoful voyce O Syre let me my vvoes complayne For this the moone hath hyd her face and thrise come backe agayn Syth first I set me dovvne in slouth and sobbinge cheare No muse to comfort care An other in the same cause VVhat man can make a spring of teares to feede my gulfe of griefe Or vvho hath store of teares so great and far from al reliefe Pitye hath bereft my sight and hart hath cleft in tvvayne VVhich suffereth not my vvoes to sound my tong cannot complayn Such is my griefe But would to God this complaint were not that which is commonlye spoken of The weping of y heire is the weepinge is of one that laugheth vnder a vizer for so rarely is the tender loue toward the parentes wont to be found that none is lesse Yet admit it were such as these verses expresse Surely this booke shal be thought lesse nedeful in no parte then in comfortinge the sorrowe whiche chaunceth by the death of parentes For some examples ther be of brothers which haue slaine them selues for their brothers of parents for their children and of husbandes for their wiues but that loue of chyldren toward their parentes hath bene confyrmed almoste by no experience Where by it hapneth that the complaint of Catullus maye seeme rather as they say to come frome the hart For thus he bewayles his brother Loe novv my study stayde is for cruell death haue slaine My brother deare shal I pore vvretch in vvretched life remayne The only hope of all our house O death thou hast bereft me Myne earthly ioy this brother vvas none other ioy is left me Virgil counterfayteth a more bitter lamentatiō not without wrath and indignacion of the mynd in Mezentius lamenting his slayne sonne saying My countrye vvrought my vvoe my frendes dyd hate me all If death had tane my giltles soule no griefe had made me thrall Lo yet among you men I liue and styll enioy this lyght But long I may not so Yet how much more cruell sorow is fayned of the same poet in the mother bewayling her onlye sonne Eurialus for that shee both a widowe and an olde woman sawe him slaine cruellye in his ennemyes handes There truly he contayneth the womanly tendernes of harte in these wordes Your deadly darts O foes for pittye cast in mee VVith cruell svvorde before the rest let me destroyed bee Els thou Almightye God on me such mercye haue As that my vvretched head may rest vvithin myne earthly graue The slaughter of the sonne bewayled of y mother in my iudgemente coulde not be better described of the Poet. And Homer bringes in Achilles sorrowinge sore at the buriall of his frende Patroclus when he saide But him a carefull cloud did compasse rounde about And on his head vvith heauy hand the dust he poured out And after horriblye he cryed oute Yea so farre forth is the vehemencye of his sorrowe declared that his familiar frendes feared lest he should kill himselfe But another more moderately mourneth for his death and complayneth of destines when no fayned feare in others but his owne enforced him sayinge And in my greenest yeares vvhen youth hath hyest povver Shal this my spirite depart avvaye and death my corps deuoure The Gods I cannot guide their vvill vvee must obay VVhere destny dryues I yeld my selfe vvith vvilling mind alvvay But while I set forth the follies of others me thincke I haue framed a mourninge dittye and haue not only described but rather encreased heauye mourning Notwithstanding the very matter could not be vnfolded vnles I had also put to the iudgement of Poetes for that is the common peoples opinion not onelye because the Poets be carefull to speake those thinges which be populer and liked of the common sorte but also for that if otherwyse they would speake they could not whē they be so farre wyde from all studye of Philosophye For which cause also they be shut out of Plato his common weale And herein we must either condempne Plato if he banish them vniustly or the Poets if he do it iustlye Therefore surely the better opinion is that they be banished worthilye
life muste nedelye be the cause yet hereof whye is thy care so greate or what happines haste thou that mightest make thy lyfe so desyred doest thou alone possesse anye delight that we haue not tasted of whyche mighte make thee wyshe for longer life For euery of vs haue seene that starres the Heauen mountaynes seas ryuers lakes fieldes gardeines Cittyes and townes we haue also had sport dalliauÌ„ce musicke songes banquets venerye loue maskerye finally euery sort of earthlye folly neyther haue we wanted commendable exercise and indifferent skill of science and besydes that we know the manner of contentions disputacions publicke Orations Yea for our condition we haue borne dignitye and office we haue satisfyed the honest desyres of our children frends kinsefolkes and together wyth them liued in glorye moneye apparell and other necessaryes of life we haue enioyed and in euery of them find greater offence then pleasure so as we maye say with the Prophete Vanitas vanitatem omnia vanitas Yet if any man hath founde a more noble felicitye or can teache a waye more straight to happines or newe delight I know not but for my part in euerye thinge haue felte more griefe then pleasure But I thincke it happeneth to these men y luste so muche after life as it doth to those that laboureth alteration of mettals who fynde euerye thinge soner then that they seeke for besydes that they make neyther goulde nor siluer y little which they haue is also consumed Euenso such as with greatest care do seeke for felicitye not findinge it do wyth losse of theyr laboure also departe wyth quietnes of minde and become most vnhappye Wherefore sith this exceding desire of lyfe helpeth nothinge yea though life were good yet were it better without trouble to laye by his masse of cares and lyke a faithfull man restore that thou haddest borowed But if perhapps thou in vayne torment thy selfe what doest thou win thereby other then to consume in dyinge that lytle lyfe which is remayning seinge what soeuer time is spente in thinking of death may iustlye be so called Howe much were it better to follow the counsel of Agathius who right wel commeÌ„ded death saying that it did not onlye remoue sicknes al other grieues but also when al other discommodities of lyfe did happen to man often it neuer woulde come more then once Neither can death bee accompted anye extreme euil considering it commeth of most light occasions and is on euery side at hand Such thinges as we take for hurtful be also rare not lightlye founde but ther is nothing more commonnor more quickly had then death For death is takeÌ„ by ayre wynd thonder water fire earthquakes wild beastes fishes foules dust smoke serpents meate drinke bed trees sleape sorowe ioy laughter company anger discorde and fynallye of innumerable other occasions death doth procede Philomenes seing his Asse eating raysons said vnto his boy seeing thou hast lefte the Asse raysons to eate geeue him also wine to drinke fell into a great laughter and not being able to stay him selfe coughing hee dyed Coma the brother of Diogines y notable thief beinge by Rutilius the Consul taken and examined touching outlawes fled he required time to think of his answere putting down his head betwixt his knees he stopped his owne breathe and in the handes of his keeper dyed so quietlye as none of them perceiued when he toke the last leaue of lyfe Seing therfore with such ease men dye what should we accompt of death to be resembled to any thyng better than sleape for as in sleape and wakyng be we neuer so hedeful yet fele we not when yt cometh euen so when froÌ„ lyfe we passe towardes death our sences declyning without all sence at last we dye When Socrates had drunk poyson delyuered hys garment to hys seruant ready to dye dyd notwithstanding iest with Crito saying I pray the remeÌ„ber to sacrifyce a cocke to Asculapius for that was the auncient custome when anye man hadde drunke a holsome potion Doest thou then think he felte any extreame gryefe surelye no for in extreame pangues ieastynge is neuer seene nor the mynd knoweth not it selfe Thys is also greatly to be meruayled at that though euery man semeth to feare and flye death yet seke they to eschewe nothing lesse but rather follow euery thyng that bryngeth death withall Neither seme they lesse carefull to seke death then to shun yt The lecherouse man wythout regarde of lyfe preferreth hys pleasure the irefull reuenge the eater hys glotony the ambycious honour the couetous ryches the souldier spoyle the mother chyldren the marchaÌ„t traffycke the studient learninge and in somme there is nothyng that doth not occasion forgetfulnes of death So we plainly see that we both shoÌ„ and seeke for death but not wythout good cause for that there is nothynge that hathe in yt lesse euyll and they are therfore worthy prayse that do disdayne to dye yf those thynges for whych they neglect lyfe be eyther honest or necessarye and yet for lyght causes to seeke death is no token of courage but rather a sure sygne of an abiecte mynd Therefore the contempte of lyfe ys not so commendable as intemperancye is reprochfull and yet as the feare of death is not to be praysed so not to dye chyeflye at necessarye occasyons and tymes is moost reprochefull cowerdly and exceadeth all other vylety of mynde But some percase do allow the sayinge of Epicarinus Dye I would not but to be dead I care not As though that which followeth death is neither pleasaunt or not greatlye euyll Alas what euyll can it be to want honger thyrst gryefe labor â–ª sadnesse feare and fynallye the whoole heape of euylles whych the soule beynge parted from the bodye we must of necessitye want and seinge it dyeth not but in stede of these troubles enioâ—eth heauenly ioyes why should we not acoumpte thys chaunge good and most delectable Therefore Socrates was wont to say that death might be resembled eyther to sound sleape a longe iorney or destruccion as is the death of bruit beastes If the soule doth lyue and after death feeleth nothinge then is it lyke vnto a sound sleape because therein we rest without eyther felinge or vnderstanding and after a whyle return to the same exercyses Mooste assured it is that such sleapes are moste sweete as be most sound For those are the best where in lyke vnto dead men we dreame nothinge The broken sleapes the slomber and dreames ful of visions are commonly in them that haue weake and sickly bodies Whereupon Horacius sayth Vayne are the dreames of sickly folkes But quiet and sound slepes and such as weary men commonly haue are accompted sweetest So Homer â—doth cal those sleepes the beste that be moste lyke to deathe And Virgil. The svvete and soundly slepe vvhich death resembleth most I remember my father Faucius Cardanus while he lyued was wont to say that he euer desired death because whyle he
avvay I feele my youthful minde Yet who art thou so madde or greedye of lyfe as would take vpon thee such a condition wherin there is nothinge but sicknes cares contempte peril lothsomnes and sorrow So as I see not for what reason thou seekest to liue And if in lustye youth when strengthe sences beautye wit auctoritye were all in thee thou were notwithstanding oftentimes wearye of life what shalt thou doe at this age when thou hearest thy selfe called olde wretche and dootinge olde foole death doth neuer come so muche to sone to a yonge man as to late to them that be olde But if feare of deadlye paines do offende thee sicknes resembleth death and in sicknes by little and little the life is taken awaye Or art thou loth to dye alone Be of good cheare thou shalt finde more deade then are left aliue and those also shall or longe followe As the Poet sayth For eyther soone or late in order as men saye The vvretched flocke of vvordly folke to death do take their vvay Neyther doth GOD suffer any to deferre his destined tune The destines do driue all men and remayne as lawe for euer they are y happyer sort that are sonest dispatched of paynes And as amonge condempned folke the Lawe executeth those first that haue least offended to th ende that the greate offenders shoulde beholde the terror of death Euen so God doth first take those away whom hee loueth because they shall not be lokers on but messengers sente before vnlesse in consideration of profitte eyther to theyr frendes or the worlde hee suffereth such menne to tarrye more longe To conclude then seing in thinges that be euil there is nothinge more greuous then dailye and certaine expectatiō old age when it commeth hauinge in it both the one and the other doth force a manne to wyshe that in his youth hee had dyed I my selfe beinge a childe doe remember mine owne mother Clara Michera then a yonge woman was notwithstanding wonte to wishe that in her infancye she dyed beinge growen to greater age for euer more she continued y speach I asked the cause whye shee soe sayde where vnto this she aunsweared Loe now I know I shall dye and that with greater perill besydes that in the meane time who so doth marke it well shall see there is nothing that doth not bring with it greater griefe then pleasure because pleasure beinge passed doe chaunge to sorrowe And that deseruingly What is it in this life that can delighte dailye trouble to apparell and vnapparell thy selfe hunger thyrste sleepe not so plentiful nor quiet as dead mē haue heate in Sommer colde in Winter disorder of time terrour of warres controlemente of parentes cares of wedlocke studye for children slouthe of seruaunts contention of sutes and that whiche is moste of all the condition of time wherein honestye is disdayned as follye and crafte is honoured as Wysedome Artisans for theyr cunning not accompted of but for apparaūce and opinion of people preferred So as it is necessarye eyther to displease God or els to liue amonge men in miserye oppressed and disdayned I omitte all euils onely that which is cōmon to dead men is not euil all other thinges which wee do not accompte euil are worse then those which deade men suffer It is nowe requisite that somewhat be sayde of the diuersityes of death hytherto it hath beene deferred because they are many of diuers men thoughte worthy consideration For death doth seeme greuous to yong men both for that it is painful for that minde to leaue the body dishonourable and certen al which in common iudgement are ioyned to gethers And some cowardlye yonge men haue beene compelled to dye a knowen death but syth I see diuers of the common people pacientlye enough do take their deaths I know no cause why other should be greatly comforted considering that not the maner of death but the qualitye of the offence maketh death dishonorable For if thou respect only the maner of death thou shalt find that the greatest nomber of men put to vile death were those that antiquity prayseth and our age doe honour notwithstanding they fel into the handes of Tirantes in whose power it was to appointe the time and maner of death though innocencye be in them that suffer Neither can a publike death bee dishonorable if his life so dyinge be voide of foule vice because publike death without offence is not onely a signe but also a triall of vertue We fynde in the new law how Christ did first gayne the glorye of innocent death and after him followed innumerable martirs and prophets and the moore good and holy they were the more cruelly forced to dye Esayas cut with yron by commaundement of king Manasses Hieremias by the people stoned to death Iohn Baptist beheaded and fynally manie other cruelly murdered neither was the fortune of other Good menne muche better at the handes of heathen Kinges and in their Citties for Zeno Eleates when quietly he might haue liued in his house he conspired against the Tirant Nearcluis but his entent was discouered and he hanged yet at his deathe he perswaded the people to stone the Tyraunt to death When Lysymachus the kinge threatned Theodorus Cyreneus to hang him he answered thus what matter is it whether on the earth or hanging high my carkcas do stinke When Socrates myghte with sylence haue escaped death being condēpned only in a pecuniall paine did prouoke them y dyd condempne him to procure his death And when his wife Zantippe complained that vniustly he suffered he aunswered An mallet iuste senciens non esse malum preter culpam The dishonour therfore is not in dyinge but in the cause of death which procedeth of thine own euill doinge But as for paines youth and certaine knowledge of dying they add none encrease of grief to death nor make it moore greuous because the knowledge of that is not euill cannot be euil after and onely death after torments is most pleasant And torments either they can not be great or not long Christe for ensample to al men died that for ensample it might remaine Besides this seldome shalt thou finde any innocēt to dye of great torment no scantly once vnlesse it be at chaunge of lawes when innocentes are forced to suffer the insolency of nocentes as in hystories it appeareth most rarely is also founde example of violency in giltlesse men yf wilfulnes be not the cause for such as so murder good men do seme to do it of very will. But how easy a thinge death is eyther publike or by sword examples do beare witnes When Iulius Caesar was in the murdering and felte the daggers of diuers men stubbed into his body he sought neither to saue himselfe nor cryed for helpe but falling kept hidden his secrete partes Such memory hee had of comlines notwithstanding his woundes and readynes to yeld vppe his ghost And as Lucanus saith his sonne in lawe in such sort dyed He
or in the bowelles of the earthe doest thou take care for want of a workeman There is no cause of feare at all The Heauen doth hide hys bones that can no coffyn fynde as sayth the Poet. Who so were wise would not with one hafepeny spence buy this felicitie The fyrste inuentoure of names for these stately building for buriall of stinkynge bodies what did hee other then make tryall of an insolente and vayne ambicious mynde that euen in deathe woulde declare the same But this care caughte beginninge at Silla that Deade Menne should bee buryed Hee was the fyrste that at the Deathe of Cornelia caused burninge and not burying to be vsed because he feared to be digged vppe and suffer shame which he had care of in the buryinge of Marius But howe much better did Diogenes Cenicus lyinge vnder a tree sicke and readye to dye aunsweared them that asked where he woulde be buryed sayinge I praye you let me alone whereto they replyed that then the beastes woulde teare him in peeces whye then quoth hee geeue me a staffe naye sayde his frendes that were to none vse when the life is gone Then Diogenes not vnwiselye reproued them saying what harme can I haue when I shal be senceles and feele nothinge it maketh also to purpose to knowe that it is incertaine what doth become of mens carcases cast awaye sometimes it was thoughte they gayned an opinion of deuinitye as it came to passe of Cleo the Lacedemonian kinge whose body hanging whole vppon the gallouse ther appeared in it a Serpent that broughte forth deuouringe byrdes Whereof grewe a religion as though the Gods were keepers of innocent mens bodyes which foolishly the people honoured It is sayd that Ctesias found the carcasse of Clearchus not vnlike to the other out of which grew a woode and became to be honoured for a god Yea at this daye this superstitious opinion remayneth of them that lye vnburyed that theyr sprites should walke So great force hath y memorye of aunciente error and the feare which men haue in walkinge alone But nowe let vs leaue these vnprofitable matters and as at the beginninge was determined turne out talke to sorrowe And fyrste let vs speake of Parentes because not only Loue but also Pitye was wonte for them to moue teares Neyther can we with moore honesty lament any then theym of whome we came into the Worlde This is the dutye of Loue Charity and Pitie and if any whitte the teares of Children can preuayle to their good sure lye then ought we weepe But seing no weping or Sorrowe doth helpe let vs consider whether honestly or reasonably we ought to do it VVherein first commeth to memory the vniuersall reason of all theym that by Deathe haue bene called awaye For either we muste lament in fauour of theym that be deadde or ells in respect of our selues But if in consideracion of theÌ„ we Lament eyther we beleue that their Soules doe liue or ells together with their Bodies they are perrished And if thou thincke that booth the Soule and Bodye be perrished then so thincking and lamenting the Death of an other thus thou Complaynest Alas alas hencefoorthe thou shalt not be Thirssty Hongry Colde Not Painfull Sicke subiect to iniuries and Calamity yea that is moost of all hencefoorth thou shalt not dye as I shall but I know thou wilt saye I were to bee laughed at iâ— so I should lamente neuerthelesse all this thou doest and though thou confesse it not yet wylte thou know that so it is Surely there is no doubt that dye we muste Death as thou thinckeste is Euill Whie art thou then sorry for him that is paste it and not for thy selfe that by no meanes can auoide it But if it be superfluous to lamâ—t thyne owne Condition because in cases necessarye wepinge helpeth not To what purpose doest thou be wayle his Death whiche is the moore necessarye that he is already deadde But if thou beleeue his Spirite doth lyue then of necessitie thus must thou lament Alas alas froÌ„ a mortall man thou arte become immortall frome Paynefull Quiet from Miserable Happie from Sadde pleasaunt and from obscure noble VVho is hee that heareth the in this sorte complayne though he were of the dead mans bloud but should fal vnto laughinge Neither doe then thinke I tel the an vntrothe and therfore whiche I had almost forgotteÌ„ though thou alledge y for his cause thou mournest Seinge then there is almoost no manne so vnwise as dare saye hee complayneth in respect of him that is deadde whether his Soule dooth remaine or not so euery manne sayth he doth lament the want of his fryend whiche if thou acknowledge the eternitie of his soule cannot so be because for so much as is 〈◊〉 he is not with the and thou shalt shortly 〈◊〉 to him But take thou heede to 〈◊〉 that thou bewaylest thine owne Calamitye thoughe he 〈◊〉 not with thee To vayne and Enuious thou 〈…〉 thy selfe if for thy proffite thou can not 〈…〉 this benefite for as with 〈…〉 to preferre their Children to Seruice of Kinges in hope of Fauour and Reward that will come therof notwithstanding the mindes of Princes 〈◊〉 times inconstante the 〈…〉 faithfull and generallye 〈◊〉 Good 〈…〉 as serue little 〈…〉 will ought we 〈…〉 we 〈…〉 use Hate Ambition not Disdayne The mynde of that Prince is neither 〈…〉 nor ignoraunt of any thinge There is place with out perryll Felowshippe without 〈…〉 without doubte and 〈…〉 And would thou for thine owne commodiâ—te denye him of these Ioyes God forbidde But besydes this thou maye perhappes seeme iustlye to complayne 〈◊〉 thy Commodities by 〈◊〉 of 〈…〉 which 〈…〉 reason yet of thou consider at 〈…〉 to 〈…〉 enduce reason worthye thy consideration And first seinge in respect of thy selfe 〈…〉 thinke that one other may be found euer 〈◊〉 to him for Frendshippe Conuersacion or necessitye But admitte that coulde not bee or that such a man were not redely founde yet withe all remember what paynes thou haddest taken for thy deadde frende howe often for him thou were called in question how often than 〈◊〉 lesse how burdenous he was to thee and fynally how hee hadde bene towardes thee thou cannot certainly knowe and what hereafter he would haue beue 〈…〉 Alas how often haue some men beue 〈◊〉 by their owne Kinsfolke 〈◊〉 Children and Frendes of whome in times paste they were helped Cassius and Brutus didde aide Iulius Caesar in fighte against his countrye but beinge made Emperour they slewe him Full foolishly didde Antoniâ—s committe his counsell to Octauius where in hee discouered his freendes trustinge to him whome oftetimes in doubtful Fortune he hadde receiued help yet then throughe his feare he was enforced to voluntary Deathe Alexander while hee liued was faithfull serued of his Souldiers but being dead his Children Kinsfolkes and Friendes were all by theym distroyed and yet at the deathe of one of theym hee felte so great Sorrowe as searce lye he could euer after
Eliades doth affirme those to liue short liues that do not render their parentes that due rewarde of education Such is the counsell of true dealing and surelye these vnnatural mindes procedes from some deuill otherwyse they coulde not be giltye of so greate a mischiefe The nature of man is diuelishe and so wicked as it woulde destroye all parentes neyther can it gouerne it selfe neyther doth it contayne in it selfe any curtesye by meane whereof necessarilye in shorte space it must be consumed But as it is the part of an vngracious sonne to hate the lyfe of his parentes so it is y part of a wise sonne pacieÌ„tly to take theyr deathes and to turne the same to his coÌ„moditye according to then sample of the good Phisitions who hauinge medecins wil not vse poyson yet hauing venome at hande after longe tryall of other thinges will rather then faile by venome cure diseases So the wyse man by well and discrete vsing of euill doth make the same good As first commeth to memorye the gouernment of household the ensample of wysedome and the desyre of glorye in all which the reuerence and respecte towardes the father doth chiefely hinder thee or altogether let thee The authoritye of fathers contayneth in it somewhat more then seruice and hindereth the execution of great thinges be it in warres learning or administration of the common wealth for all thinges hauinge euil successe are imputed to the sonne and al good to the father whom if hee loueth he cannot dissemble it though he deserued it not or if he loue him not it shal be called his default or want of dutye And the examples of them that willingly haue geuen place to their sonnes in glorye are so fewe as the honour that Antiocus did to his sonne Demetrius maye be taken as a myracle The euente of worldly procedings haue also made proofe of this opynion because al such as haue become excellent eyther in armes learninge or ciuil gouernmente were of those whose fathers in youth were taken awaye as Iulius Caesar Octauius Augustus Alcibiades Cicero Galenus Aristoteles yea what had Alexander beene if Phillippus had liued but one foure yeares longer for had Phillippus ended the warres wyth Darius being victorious he had gayned the whole glorye or if he had been victoryed hee coulde not haue left to Alexander meane and power of happye procedinge As therefore to cowards and men of no vertue the timelye death of the father hath euer brought hinderaunce So to noble minds it is occasion whereby to shewe themselues as they be This muste also be set before oure eyes that both life and death be the giftes of God and do euermore depende vppon his prouidence Therefore whosoeuer reproueth lyfe or death doth in sylence disalowe complayne of the deuine Iudgement because both the one and the other is meete and profitable And chiefelye if thou offende or did not loue them thou ought not to lamente for hauinge lost them thou hated Or if thou lamente otherwise it must be because towardes them thou were vnnatural But nowe thou arte safe so as thou can neyther be appeached of impiety if thou hast not before procured their harmes nor after be thought vnfrendly sith against thy wil or by mishap thou cannot offend How much better had it beene for Priamus that Hector and Politus had dyed before him who founde himselfe so greuouslye perplexed with theyr miserable chauÌ„ces as he disdayned his owne lyfe Was not Hector more happye in death for Astianax theÌ„ Priamus because to auoyde the sight of Priamê° misery he sought his owne death and so by dying left hym miserable All these were the actes of good parentes but of thother howe many haue bene whom though to hate were vngodlye yet to loue them is not necessarye Some haue taken away the common parent as did Clitemnestra who hauing killed Agamemnon was herselfe betrayed by Orestes her coÌ„mon sonne So Almenon murdered his mother Eryphiles for hauinge coÌ„sented to y death of his father Amphiarus These examples are common neither is it necessarye to loue such parents for notwithstanding by them wee haue our being yet against their willes as it seemeth we kepe it because they sought the destructioÌ„ of them of whoÌ„ wee came Therfore Licophron killed Periandrus his father for beinge chiefe auctor of his mothers death would neither take regard of his fame neither speake vnto him nor suffer him selfe to be spoken vnto But how much more wicked be they the seeke the death of theyr owne sonnes of whom the ensamples are not so few as happelye thou thinkest Mithridates murthered some of his owne sonnes and had hee not wanted power hee woulde not haue lefte one of his children on liue Theseus was also causelesse the cause of Hippolitus death and as they saye Medea cut her owne childreÌ„ in peeces Of more certentye the same is tolde of Catelina who to th ende he might be maryed a new with poyson killed his owne sonne almost a maÌ„ Matheus Duke of that Carthaginenses haÌ„ged his owne sonne Carthalus returning froÌ„ victory only because meetinge his father theÌ„ in exile he was appareled in purple wyth the badge of victorye Should any other sonne of hys suruiuing him weepe or lament the death of so cruel a father nay rather a malicious beast Yet how muche more vile was the acte of Laodices wyfe of Axioratus kinge of Capodacia who hauing by that husband sixe sonnes with poyson murthered fiue intendinge also to kill the sixt yongest of all had it not by the pollicy of kinsefolke bene preueÌ„ted What beast doth liue so hard harted as can beare the crueltye of such a mother Cattes and Connyes by reason of theyr excedyng great lust do deuoure theyr yong newly brought forth but other mothers among al the brutish kinde to destroye theyr owne yonge I neuer redde nor thoughe written it were hardlye I durst beleue Wyth like bestialitye of minde did Euergetes Ptolomeus murther the two children he gotte vpon hys sister Cleopatra the one of good yeares thother verye yonge Of these and such lyke parentes to bewayle the death how great a folly were it I my selfe haue seene and so haue manye others a gentlewomen that to enioye vnlawfull loue wythin xv dayes wyth a sword slewe her owne husband poysoned her owne sonne and before theyr buriall was maryed to her newe loue But nowe I see what thou wouldest saye I mourne not for the death of suchan auncetor but for one that was iuste good godlye and that dearelye did loue mee but howe doest thou know whether hereafter he wil be such a one stil for all such as killed theyr wyues or children were at the first also good yet grewe to this madnesse after many yeares which sheweth that theyr wickednes eyther came with time or els thoccasion grewe by time Therefore there is nothinge so vniuersallye incertaine as the loue towardes children brethren wyues kinsefolke frendes maisters Craft couereth many things so doth base fortune occasion
age When Cicero lost his daughter Tulliola being to him most dere did repose the chiefest parte of his consolation in the affayres of Caesar yet he liued vnder a milde prince in a Cittye plentifull Cicero himselfe of Caesar beloued frended of the greatest wāted neither wealth honour nor reputacion Then cōpare time with time that security with this priuate peril the goodnes authoritye of Cicero with thine the lenitye of Caesar with the seuerity of other Princes and then consider whether thou ought to wishe for childrē whē Cicero did not much sorrow the losse of his The life of men wythout childrē is ful of pleasure ful of lybertye ful of security they haue no cause to frare eyther iniuryes seruitude disdaine or daunger of others in peace they are free in warres not carefull And beleue mee that in common calamities ther is no greater care then to thinke vppon thy kinsefolke In time of plague no place thou hast to flee to in time of war thou mayest not remoue in time of famine thou art vnprouided whither to go Cōsider wel these discōmodityes see whether they are comparable to the want of children But now let vs returne to our principall proposition Why complaynest thou thy want of children when for thy child thou ought neither to lamēt who eyther feleth nothīg or is in ioy neither for thy self whose condition is best in respect thou arte childlesse syth thereby thou hast chaunged peril for security toyle for quiet bondage for libertye and yet complaynest This other day I harde certaine poore olde womē complayning wyshing the death of theyr childrē and had it not bene better for them to haue beene childlesse then to become in such myserye as to wishe the death of theyr owne children Marke well the prayers of poore people consider howe carelesse they are of theyr children and so shalt thou finde I tell none vntrothe But thou art riche no sure they are onelye riche that do dwel in common weales And thoughe thou liuest nowe vnder a king his successour maye be a tyrante one onely night may make this chaunge And in a cōmon weale whyle thou fearest not one thou must lye in wayghte and take heede of manye If thou want riches there can be no comforte in children Euerye man most assuredlye is poore and no mā rich wher is no security how canst thou be happy yet this is one most certaine condition of mortal men That as some are subiect to the warres of diuers vnder one all is wholye at his deuotion Remember Heliogabalus themperour that sought togethers the children of al Italy what did Astiages commit vppon Harpagus or what did Cambises to the Persians◠and chiefelye to Prexaspes Suche is the condition of men as better it were to liue in feare of warre by sondrye Princes then of one that maye at his will commaunde all One Octauius Augustus was a good Prince because in ciuil warres mercifullye enough he shedde the Romayne bloud but what beastes did continuallye succede him As Tiberius Caligula Nero Claudius What mischiefe coulde be more hardlye suffered then these monsters But admit thou liue in happye tymes yet of them do I receiue no proofe considering I wrote this booke to serue my selfe in harde chaunces not onelye in respect of the vayne opynion of some mortal men touchinge priuate aduentures but also that vnloked for euentes mighte more paciently be borne which thoughe they be not worse then other that are priuate yet by reason of theyr sodennes do cōmonly trouble men most Yet sith wythout mine assente this Booke maye come to handes of posteritye I maye happelye be reproued for hauinge attributed to muche blame to some one time and dispayred of better wherefore let the blame of tymes be left to theyr place and as meete it is oure talke be turned to comforte Thy sonne is dead what can more easelye be recouered none age but the laste no sicknes excepte the consumption that hindereth child getting which being so we ought not to be so careful of children as of our selues Aristotle concludeth that at threscore yeares of age or threscore ten a mā liueth to get children yet is it manifest that some haue gotten children after fowerscore yeares and though fauoure and force were decayde And among diseases both the gout and consumption do suffer generation These only are thought insufficient to get children y wants their stones or are depriued of their vertue Or els those whose vaynes behinde their eares be cut For such men as saith Hipocrates be all barren How wel therfore dooth Nature prouide y what a man most dispaireth of the same by quicke occasion is supplied There is nothing that can moore easlye or soner come or happen to man then the ryches gotten of thy father because thy winninge of Glorye and Freendes asketh longe time but a childe is gotten in a moment What losse can then the death of thy Sonne be and though it were the greatest yet because so easlie and of euery mā may be supplied it ought not to be accompted of But beinge poore to get riches is very hard For as the sayinge is Novv riches are not geeuen but vvhere as riches do habound But thou shalt see a man now childles and olde yet or thou see him next he is become riche If anye member be cut of it groweth not againe yf the father dye or borther their liues are neuer called back if thy fame be perished harde is thy reputation recouered but the losse of children is so easlye shortly and fully supplied as in this respecte onlye is not worthy any comfort no though thou were assured he were thy sonne in dede And how incertaine that is O Lorde who knoweth not thy beliefe must do it beliefe is therein nedefull Only the fidelitie of thy wife doth make him thine other assurance hast thou none But if a man doe happen to mourne for the death of an other mans childe for by coniecture Bastardes dye sonest by reason they were gotten with feare and most vnquietnes of mynde then looke what Laughter yt prouoketh But now thine owne Chylde a thing vnknowē but only to his mother is taken away what part of him was thine his soule I neuer found any so wicked as would be of that mynde his body howe can that bee when he is made of his fathers seede which is the superfluous noryture of the thirde concocktion as the donge fyrst the vrine second yf whatsoeuer commeth of superfluitie be ours then so shall wormes and Lyce bee ours and worthy our loue Remember how much seede in tymes past thou hast consumed in waste eyther vpon harlots or vpon thy wife being withe childe all that is loste and thou complaynest not what is more in thy sonne then the effusion of thy seede wilt thou then so muche lament a vyle and disdained thinge wherof is no reason If thou respect the beginninge thou shalt fynde that thou lamentest none other then a litle
to the infernall God and as it is his custome in many others so dothe hee vse to call theym nearest to hym that mooste do honour him But if at the beginning thou driue him away and suffer not thy mynde to be infected full farre shall he be from thee But beholde howe comelye and honeste a thinge yt is that a man of good yeares beinge well counsayled by others shoulde in womens weede beastely weepe wayl crye out and lament O gentle wit. But thoughe he doth none of all these yet inwardly to torment himselfe with sadnesse is the parte neyther of a wyse nor valiaunte man but of one that searcheth rather the repreheÌ„cion of others then knoweth what is seemely Howe muche better were it for hym often to remember Vmbresomnum Homo What could haue bene better sayde So subtylle and fugitiue is the lyfe of man as of al other thinges seing shadow is most subtil and sleepe moste deceiueable and incertaine what shal the shadow of sleape be And yet notwithstanding this is the lyfe and glorye of man One other wrote thus As the generacion of leaues is so is also mans for in dede what dissimilitude is there leaues doe fall by force of Sonne showers wynd hayle yea and if all fayle by themselues Euenso the lyfe of man beleeue me thou haste receiued none iniurye at all Death is the gift of God and God doothe wrong to no man If condempned by voices of assente thou bee deposed from Aucthoritye thou wouldest thincke that it were meete to beare it with pacient mynde thoughe that iniurye cannot want suspicion reproche and falshode And now when thou fearest none of these dare thou disalowe the Sentence of God And doest thou not remember that whiche Leontius Neapoles the Bishoppe telleth to haue happened in the lyfe of Iohn Patriarche of Alexandria To whome when a certayn man hadde offered seuen pounds of Golde to praye for his onely Sonne who a moneth paste was with a Shyppe and great riches drowned after a few dayes obteyned of y Patriarke his desyre And while in y meane space he coÌ„tinued in sadnes he dreamed one nighte y the Pattriark appeared vnto him saying Lo according to thy prayer y thy son might be saued so hee now is because he is dead but if he had liued from wicked life daÌ„pnacioÌ„ after deth he could not haue ben preserued god only knoweth what is expedieÌ„t for vs when we are ignoraunt our selues and know not what is to be desyred Wherfore it is conuenient that we do not onely receyue comfort but also reioyse at the death of our neighbours of whome yf thou desyrest to continue any memory though often times also thou wantest their company it shal be both to the and thy posteritie continued by hys noble tombes pictures statues verses orations dedications institutions of eternitye and Sacryfyces Is yt not more honest and pleasant to confyrme thy selfe to these comforts â–ª to commend hys glory to mortall men then with wepinge wailynge to kyl thy selfe Yet as to them that are endewed with vertue and acknowledge the felytitye of soules these are superfluous so to theym of maners more frayle such kinde of comfortes are not vnseemelye For Augustus hanged in his bedde chamber the picture of his graundsonne beinge a childe of him dearlye beloued and so often as hee came vnto that chamber hee neuer fayled to kysse the picture Alexander did set vp certayne ymages to Fabius Quintilianus not withe teares but withe a solempne oracion conteyning the commendation of his sonne dyd burye him What dyd Iohn Mesue who in his fathers name falsely turned the tytle of his booke So did also Zoar Aristotle wryte bookes to their sonnes So did Cicero and Plato in their disputacions call vpon their brothers frendes not in mourning garments and weping but wyth monuments euerlastinge honored the same to their posterity But now with reasons I thinke sufficiently it is proued that the deathe of children is neither to be so lamented nor euyl Let vs now procede to tel how manfully our elders were woÌ„t to beare such mishaps Octauianus Augustus hauing within twenty moneths lost .ij. of his nephewes was not moued so much as he refrayned to sytte dayly in the Senate Demosthenes the .vii. day after the death of his only daughter put on his whyte garment was crowned sacrifyced an oxe More valiantly did Dion he being in counsel of the common weale and enformed that his onlye son had fallen from the house toppe and broken his necke gaue order to his frendes for his buryall notwithstaÌ„dinge proceded in his busynes begonne Like herevnto did Antigonus he seinge his son slayne in battayle gaue none other signe of sorow but sayde O Alcionen later then thou ought thou art now dead for so manfully assayling thy enemies thou doeste not greatly esteeme my warnings nor thine own weldoinge The constancy of Pericles can be inferyor to none of these for when within eight dayes he had lost his two sonnes Paralus Xantippus yonge men of singuler witte did notwithstandinge put vpon him his white garmeÌ„t was crowned made oracions to the Atheâ—encians comming from hys house when his children were dead with merueilous constancy of mynd gaue counsel vttered reasons of the disciplyne of war. So vpon a time Anaxagoras his scholemaister being in disputacion woorde was brought of his sonnes death wherat he paused a little but by and by confessing hee had begotten a mortall creature proceded in disputacion When Paulus Emylius had taken in hand the Percian warre he prayed the Gods that if any calamity were comminge to the Cittye of Rome that they would rather lay the same vpon his house whyche either through his prayer or hap was perfourmed And when of his four sonnes he had adopted two into the family of Scipio within few dayes after he lost thother neither did he with lesse pacience bere this then valiantly he wished the other Tynnichus also a Spartayn left his posterity a monumeÌ„t of worthy ensample When Trasibulus his son in the warres against the Argini was slayn in this epigram is declared the nobility of his mynde It seemeth vvel that covverds vvepe vvhen they be brought to graue But thou my son a Spartayn true no vveping teares shalt haue He hath as me thinketh folowed the saying of Papimus A noble death doth parentes please and God such soules do loue The valiant myndes do gayn encrease vvhen lyfe do so remoue We see that some haue not onlye in the death of their children witnessed their greatnes of mynde but also did procure it and thereof proceded greate proffyte When Brutus openlye punished his two sonnes what terror think you was it to his Cittizens what desperation to his enemies what admiracion to his neighbours So as the example of that valiant dede was not onlye the occasyon of great encrease to the empyre but also for fortye yeares after it continued in libertye not so muche for feare of the
and Pythius for theyr bountye to the Persian kinges C. Caelius for his Testament Ptolomeus for princely maiesty Erictonius and Sysiphus throughe Poets libertye L. Drusus for hys magnificence So as none almost for onely riches gayned glory although they were such meÌ„ as might easylier attaine to fame for vertue then so greate riches To what vse that after death riches should serue no manne knoweth nor can imagine And although that after death they did yelde glorye to thee and vse to others yet the same is to thee nothing at all Rather ought thou remember to passe in to those partyes whether thou can carrye nothinge besydes thy vertue and vyces of mynde When soeuer therefore thou shal dye wyll come to memory not thy ryches but thy sinnefull offences not thine honour or auctoritye but thy hope and fayth of Saluation For at that instant I omit thy former myseryes all thinges shal be subuerted and to thy sighte the hole worlde shal be turned to the first Chaos And as the land doth seeme to moue in y sight of such as sayle in the ship yet in deede doth not but it is the shippe that remoueth and not the land so in the houre of death shal the whole world seeme to be subuerted wheÌ„ thou shalte for euer take leaue of earthlye life neuer againe to see thy worldlye frendes nor thy riches wherein thou so much delighted Therefore if after death thou hopest of anye lyfe why doest thou not coÌ„sume thy tyme in vertue or if none yet why seekest thou not thyne owne quyet syth for other lyfe thou lokest not nor hopest to returne againe to this But happilye it maye be sayde that this sorrow is sweete as it is to rubbe a soore A pleasure it is to be riche to gouerne to be praysed and to oppresse others this is the vttermost marke of mans felicitye O foolishe imagination but let that passe so thou disproue not others of sounder opynion Yet if wythout offence I maye so do let me aske why men lyke vnto children do builde houses that wil by and by fall downe whye doe they vainlye trauayle not onely in bodye but also in minde Yet let vs a whyle conuert our speach to other matter for I am enforced many wayes to degresse from our purpose and let vs fyrst declare why my former booke became so longe and therewythall shewe that for all calamityes if any seeme intollerable there is one remedye It was therefore wyth greate diligence approued y death is not to be nombred amonge the euils for seynge the meane to come therevnto is open to all men none but such as willinglye are can iustlye be called vnhappye Tiberius suruayinge his prysoâ—ers was asked by one of them howe sone hee shoulde dye aunswered â–ª I am not as yet reconsyled vnto thee A true aunswere surely in respect of the matter but tyraÌ„nous if y consyder the meaning And this was one other cause why my last booke was the loÌ„ger For against al sortes of myseryes thre special remedyes we haue Death Wysedome and Fortune They are coÌ„monly constrayned to vse y helpe of death that cannot take commoditye of the other too being fallen into those calamities which seeme the greatest Wherefore Damidas the Lacedemonian seemed discretelye to aunsweare one saying vnto hym that vnlesse the Lacedemonians were reconsyled to Philippus they shoulde be in greate hazarde for at that tyme the Lacedemonians were the kinges ennemyes who had wonne Peloponesus O cowardly man quoth Damidas what can be intollerable to vs if we feare not to die In lyke maner a boye of Lacedemon being taken by Antigonus and solde in seruices meeete for free men did willinglye yelde himselfe to take paines but when he was employed to vile works and amonge y rest to emptye vrinals he refused to do it For which wheÌ„ his master did sore threateÌ„ him he forthw t climed vppon the toppe of the house and sayde now shalte thou knowe whom thou hast boughte and therewithall cast himselfe downe headlonge So Crassus beynge taken prysoner and fearinge dishonour with his ryding rod he strake oute the eye of a barbarous souldiour who moued with ire forthwyth did slea hym A common experience it was in the old time by willing death to eschewe long or shamefull kinds of dyinge And if I should write the names onelye of such as in the raignes of Nero Caligula and Tâ—berius did willingly kill themselues the historye would be to longe or if I rehersed the nomber no manne woulde beleue mee Nowe whilst wee speake of these voluntarye deathes it commeth to memorye that not longe since in the Cittye of Venis there lyued a certayne Apoticarye he for some great offence being coÌ„dempned to dye desyred to speake wyth his brother who in kissing hym deliuered certaine poyson which he broughte in his mouth closed within a nut shel by force whereof after a fewe houres he dyed whereby he saued himselfe from longer sorrow and eschewed the reproche of dishonourable death We reade y some men to auoyde extreame sickenes haue voluntarily ended their liues of which nomber was Pomponius Atticus a famous man extremelye tormeÌ„ted wyth a greuous disease at length fynding some rest pyned himselfe for not falling into his former paynes In lyke maner dyed Corellius Rufus to auoyde the paynes of the goute But oure Lawes do not permit any maÌ„ to procure his owne death and for good reason For that nothing shoulde be intollerable to a Christian man onelye extreame tormente which the Lawe doth not allowe yet by law is permitted Now let vs proue y besydes this intollerable sorrow and y not altogether except there is nothing that can make a maÌ„ discouraged and that all men beinge wyse are equallye happie and vnhappy So as I may thincke with Socrates that if all mens cares and euilles were by one assente layde togethers on one heape and equallye deuided to euerye man alike after wee had seene the greatnes of others greeues we would choose to take vppon vs our owne rather then to abyde the chaunce in deuision because eche man knoweth his owne euils and is ignorant how great the greeues of others be which is the reason why ech maÌ„ thinketh himselfe most vnhappy In discourse whereof two thinges may be obiected the one y this booke can onely profite those that be learned and also withoute this the learned by readinge of Cicero chiefelye his bookes De Finibus bonorum his Tusculane questions his Paradox and De Senectute Plutarchus Petrarchus Boetius with diuers others shal finde no small remedye in all calamities And how shal the simple and vnlearned sorte as is the most part of the people and many gentlemen also take profite of this booke So as in comfortinge the learned I shal seeme presumptuous and for y vnlearned superfluous But I neede not feare to be herein accused because as at the beginninge I 〈…〉 other bookes were made for others â—se but this onelye for my selfe
riches yea and more fyt to attayn to glorye For who but pouertie dyd first finde oute the arts as saythe Theocritus O Diophanteâ— Pouertye is the only mistris and inuenter of labor and arte Surelie vnlesse I be deceiued riche men were neuer partakers of this praise And when these Artes were inuented such as had bene in estimacion were also pore And first to begyn with Philosophy the flower of all knowledge the Princes therof were pore men Socrates Plato Aristoteles and Cleantes who all night drew water and al day studied Philosophy But this is the lesse to be meruayled at y Socrates as Seneca sayth beinge in the market and seing a cloake to be solde taking leaue of his frendes said fayne would I buye that cloake if I had monye wherewith to do it The prayse of his death and also all they that enuyed his glorye do witnes hee was almost a begger Plato became riche by his second voiage into Sicilia Aristoteles longe tyme liued pore and almost an old man was enriched by Alexander I thincke it Needelesse to tell others as Homerus and Virgilius the Lanternes of Poetrye the one a begger the other a poore maÌ„ The whole route of Gramarians and Oratours were suche kinde of men Pompilius Andromicus Orbilaus Valerius Cato Laenius Iulius Higinius The Epistle of Plinius Caecelius reporteth that Quintilianê° was meanelye furnished wyth wealth Iuuenalis mocking Statius the Poet sayth he begged Vnles perhappes some tragedye he hath in store to tell for honger let him pyne But now a dayes that rich men can gayne glorye in scholes I doubt not Let vs therefore talke of armes wherin they are no more happye then in learninge What saye you to Paulus Aemâ—lius who being dead had not left wherof to make his wyfe a dowrye Also Marius and Sextorius were Romaynes of base condition yet on the one depended the safetye of Rome on the other some whiles greate perill What riches had Camillus the terror of the warre Or Scipio Affricanus that for debte had lyen in prison if Gracchus had not helped Arator Cincinatus Calatinus Fabritius that fought wyth Pirus Valerius Publicola Menenius Agrippa Q. Aemilius Aristides Photion Meltiades Cimon Spartacus Viriatus all y Dukes of Lacedemonia and as chiefe of them Lisander were all called from base condition And whom can you alledge against these the desperat Alexander or Caesar the subuerter of his countrey or rather Sylla wyth his proscriptions There is no doubte therefore but that in the iudgement of the discrete poore men are to be preferred But nowe a dayes throughe perswasion of parasites princes doe not traine vp Captaynes but rather bye them Men are not aduaunced for vertue but ryches and parentage Wherof it groweth that gouerners maiestrates and chiefetaynes are not appointed for desert but through fauor of nobility And though therof they gette no good yet this coÌ„moditye they gaine y through custome and the smalnes of y nomber that is aduaunced rich men onelye do possesse all dignities But counsellers cannot erre And would to God that Princes we no more deceyued For trulye they do well in preferringe nobilitie yet therwithal to consyder that those are worthyest honour whom vertue commendeth The one is sufferable but the other intollerable when neyther vertue nor good parentage but false flatterye is the onely waye to aduauncement And suche kinde of men commonlye are voyde both of vertue learninge and honestye But nowe I confesse wee haue a little to farre digressed from oure purpose For more speedye ende of this Booke let vs consider what is the occasion of glorye seinge poore menne in discipline of warre learninge and inuention of artes do gaine reputation whether rich men are admitted to glorye in the artes them selues when in deede they neuer knewe theim But admit that riches are more precious then pouertye Alas what myserye can come from the gods greater then the desyre to haue them which the more we gette the more it increaseth It is labour wythout ende and not vnlike the turning of Sysiphus stone Who as Poets fayne for reueling the secretes of heauen is forced to remayne in hell and there continuallye to carrye a heauye stone to the toppe of a steepe hill which forthwith falleth downe but he without ceasinge doth follow and on his shoulders doth bringe it vp againe Euen so to get riches is nothing els then to toyle they bodye in continuall trauayle and exercise thy minde in innumerable cares But admit thy lucke bee good what happines can it be in thy lyfe if thou cannot vse the wealth thou doest possesse as Horatius wryteth Excedinge care of coyne doth mortall men begile and loue of vvordly pelfe all other ioyes exile And if liberallye and bountifullye thou wil vse them what a madnes were that with so long laboure to become riche and so sodenlye to consume all The womeÌ„ called Danaides being condempned to hell for their detestable murther do suffer there none other tormente then continuallye to drawe water And admit goodes were wyth labour to be gotteÌ„ whether doest thou desyre them for thine owne vse or thy posteritye when in the meane tyme thou neglectest thy quiet pleasure of thine owne lyfe Thou shortnest thy dayes and hinder thy health Some meÌ„ I haue seene liue a nigardlye life onelye to the ende to make theymselues asumptuous tombe and honourable buriall Which folly and superfluous care Socrates laughed to scorne when lying at the pointe of death he refused a riche cloake whiche Apollodorus did offer vnto him For surely there is among mortal men no vayner care then the pompe of funerals which I thincke thou will confesse and flee to the coÌ„modityes of inheritaunce Thou seekest to leaue thy sonne riche what heyre can bee better yet in the meane space thou labourest thou carest thou watchest thou hazardest infamy thou offerest wrong chargest thy conscience to th ende thy sonne may spende consume deuoute keepe hauock Whereby he becommeth proude slouthful madde and in euery respect for his riches the worse But besides these euilles alas how manye ennemyes are gotten by seekinge of riches oftentimes also men do want a sonne or hauing one he proueth such and of such coÌ„ditions as they repent that euer they begot him And sometimes we see that great inheritaunce is cause of their destruction whiche happeneth most often to the children of Princes who committed to the gouernmente of others are by theim berefte both of kingdome and life as was Tryphon appoynted to the tuition of Antiochus by whom it was by practise reported that the childe was greatly diseased wyth the stone and that hee must in any wyse for his onelye remedye be cutte which done Tryphon not passinge the age of tenne yeares through the onely griefe of his wounde not otherwyse greeued dyed Cicero in his Oration for Sextus Roscius doth shew what discoÌ„modityes his great riches did bring withal among the rest thoughe the greatest he was accused of murther But
respect onelye thought meete for honour and auctoritye But farre otherwyse it is in the common weale of Venis and was in Rome while it remayned in glorye farre otherwyse it was in Lacedemon where pouertye was accompted a praise Farre otherwyse in Athens where Photion Aristides Cimon and Miltiades continued longe tyme in glorye and aucthoritye But in Cittyes euill gouerned where mighte is holden for lawe vertue for simplicitye and ryches for decree ryche meÌ„ are preferred before the wyse and vertuous Neyther do I thincke meete y any poore man be he neuer so good shoulde desyre auctoritye For as Socrates sayd hast thou nothing wherof to repeÌ„t thee But if I woulde reherse the discommodityes of auctoritye I mighte easilye proue that the felicitye of pouertye were a singuler vertue Yet meane I not to perswade y ryches well vsed in a good coÌ„mon weale were hurtful for that were to absurd Hitherto by true though subtill reasons we haue taughte the discommodityes whiche riches dothe bringe wythall But remembringe that at the beginning I determined not to proue any thynge by shorte and subtill argumentes I wyll proceede in playner speache And therefore I saye that nature lyke vnto fyer issuinge out of the ground hath aduaunced al thinges some more and some lesse and some most of all and being at the hyest vanisheth and decayeth awaye so the race and dignitye of man being growen to the greatest honoure glorye a whyle stayinge there doth declyne and at length is clearely quenched For where is now anye braunche of Alexander of Darius Antiochus Ptolomeus Dauid Caesar Antigonus Maethridates or anye other of these auncient kinges who so attayneth to that highe estate of glorye let hym not forget himselfe but say Lo now y ende of humaine glory is at hand Then who forcasteth not what cares and sorrow are likely to follow what say you to Charles the fifte though he gouerned mightely happilye from Ethiopia Hispania and Italia to the coÌ„fynes of Dalmatia and other Nations vnknowen wherein he shewed more vertue then mighte be hoped for in any man in consulting dailye how to gouerne so many nations in trauaylinge to holde them in obedience what man would say he was happye when sometimes he remembred how Solimanus did threaten the confynes of the Empyre somtimes he museth how the Islands of Beleares the kingdom of Spayne were perturbed Some times he doubted the inconstancye of the Italian Princes Sometimes he feared the weakenes of Cycillia and Pulia against the Turkes Sometymes he bethought hym of the Princes of Germanye and howe his Nauye sente to see was tossed wyth Neptuns ire Some fledde to Hongaria and some to Illerico And wyll you call this man most happye whom so great cares and so manye feares did dailye tormente Surelye for my parte I wishe my selfe rather a Religious manne of Carthusia thoughe theyr lybertye doth not farre differ from prisonners If then Charles beinge so great and mighty a Prince was alwayes accompanied wyth cares and so farre from felicitye wilt thou saye that Fraunces the Frenche kynge mighte be called happye or rather Solymanus which of theim lyued not in feare whiche of theim tasted not of euill fortune And though perhappes tyll this day they neuer felte anye thinge greatelye euill yet by ensample of others haue they feared the worst Polycrates that in hys whole lyfe neuer feeled anye mysfortune before hee dyed by the Persian Kynge was brought to the gallowse and hanged Darius the Kynge whose Empyre was thoughte equall to Gods before death was depryued and lyued in myserye Loke vppon Syphax Perseus Mithridates Pyrrhus and Cambyses To greate a follye it were to nomber all Kynges whom Fortune hath laughed to scorne In oure age wee haue seene the subuertion of foure kingdomes Pannonia Egipte Gallia Sicalpania and Pulia Suche is the alteration of tymes that Princes are constrayned to become eyther infortunate or myserable in keepynge theyr Kyngdomes they liue in myserye infortunate if they leaue them O Lorde howe liuelye did Lucanus describe the lyfe of Kynges sayinge O safe estate of life The pleasant dayes vvhich poore men passe a blisse aboue the rest to Gods almost vnknovven But thou not beholding what is wyth in Princes lyke vnto men that gaze vppon the outward pictures and monuments of Tombes doest iudge them onely happye who in deede of all other mortall creatures are most vnhappye This must also be coÌ„sydered when thou coÌ„plainest onlye of pouertye howe many there are so vnhappye as in respect to them thou mayest be accompted happye Howe manye be sicke howe many deafe howe manye blinde howe many in prison how many in exile how many condempned how many enforced to aduenture theyr liues then all which no doubte thou art more happye Besydes all this if thou coÌ„playne onelye of pouertye vnlesse thou would become a kyng there is no cause to complayne Behold how many do liue miserablie in Citties how many beg in the Subberbes how many in vyllages do passe theyr liues almost without any thing yet burdened with children and familye And neuerthelesse constrayned to paye â—ribute of y little which wyth extreame laboure they haue earned But alas poore Christian people nowe am I fallen into that speache which neuer earst I thought So as in seeking to acquite others of care I am my selfe caste ther into But doest thou desyre to vnderstande plainlye that in riches is no felicitye then behoulde those people which inhabite the country and glorye in theyr small riches thinckinge themselues happie because they see none of theyr neighbours to possesse more then themselues who are not riche But if the selfe same men do resorte to the Cittye where they see others that for ryches do excell them then they lamente complayne and accompte themselues poore But is this pouerty surelye no naye rather maye be called enuye Who is hee that possesseth a thousande Crownes that maye iustlye be called poore and dwellinge in the countrye wyth that wealthe wyll not accompte himselfe a Prince yet if hee happeneth to come to the Courte where no man almoste hath fyue hundreth Crownes forthwyth hee beleeueth and calleth himselfe poore But if it should come to passe as it did in the time of Noie that all moneye prouision cattel and other commodityes were drowned wyth water I thincke then that no manne woulde perswade himselfe to be iniured by pouertye Howe is it then that now hauing somewhat thou complaynest which declareth plainlye that no pouertye but enuye doth moleste thee â–ª And what can be worse then this why doest thou not desyre the treasures of Kynges and the riches of India vnlesse it bee in respecte they are farre from thee â–ª But howe manye Countryes and people hath pouertye preserued and gouerned as Sythia Asia the Assyrians the Medians and Parthians Also Alexander possessing nothing but bodies and weapon conquered all Asia Likewyse the poore common weale of Rome subdued the proude Frenchmen the valiaunt Italians the pitifull Gretians the riche Asia
by the Athenienses condempned to death his Friendes askinge what he woulde haue sayde to his sonne aunswered tell him that in any wise he forget this iniury here offered vnto me Aristides also vniustly remayning in exile prayd the Gods that the Athenienses might bee so happye as neuer after to thinke vppon him Also calle to thy consyderacion that against all Iniuries three Remedyes there are that is to saye Reuenge Oblyuion and disdayne Of whiche three who doubteth but Dysdayne is bothe the beste and mooste assured Because disdayne through the courage of mynd wherwith it is accompanied is not lyke vnto obliuiō ioyned with reproche neither perilous in respect of new iniuries as is a reuenge which bringeth therwith boothe peryll and repentaunce and in the meane tyme the desyre of offending doth not molest thee but arte there in moste lyke vnto god For suche as contempne iniuryes are mooste happye and lykeste to God and suche men they are or must bee that would become happye For seeinge no man lyueth free from iniuries and the greater in auctoritye he be the more followed with slaunder euyll report iniury it is expedient that euery man doe determyne himselfe to beare them Neyther is it lawfull for anye mortall man to vse reuenge Who hath bene more slaundred thē kinges and emperours whose power is greatest Whoe or what is of greater force then God and Nature and yet they delighte not in Reuenge Shall man then be lyke vnto Beares pursuynge the Bees seeke for reuenge God forbydde For although we might in lyfe reuenge all Iniuryes what good were that after Deathe or what care should wee then haue of iniuryes It is all one whether with sufferance of Iniurye or not after Death wee be remembred Who so therfore liuing seemed to contempne iniuryes by death he is free from the peryll whych Reuenge might cast hym in to Wherfore there is nothynge better then an inuysyble mynde whyche lyke vnto a man placed on the toppe of an highe Tower in dysdayne castynge downe stones vpon the heades of hys Ennemyes doth make lyght of all Iniuryes and as yt were dysdayne them For as women for lacke of magnanimity can not beare offences so men as they are men may take what Reuenge they thinke best Then make thy choyse whych of them thou wilte bee lyke But happely thou wilt saye some worthy men haue bene reuenged For Caesar commaunded Faustus Silla and Affranius to be slaine Lykewise Antonius reuenged him selfe vpon Cicero and Alexander vpō Calistines carying him abrode when his Eyes were putte oute and in the end shutte him vppe into a caue with a Dogge But alas good manne thys was no Reuenge though some saye that Antonius beinge of Mynde moore abiecte then a Woman didde lyke vnto his other doinges committe this acte and therefore had an ende aunswerable to his deseruinge But as for the other they mynded nothinge lesse then Reuenge for the respecte of their doinges was securitye whiche in lyke case by oure Lawes is sufferable For if Afframus had gotten libertye hee woulde neyther haue kepte Promise nor lyued in quiet Also Faustus Silla was by Lawe giltie Pompeius freende and for his fathers Tyrannye odious to the people of Rome So as beinge a necessary Friende for Pompeius he could not haue lyued in quiet But if he had for the Mallice borne to his Father beene slayne the same shoulde rather haue beene doone vppon Cato who as was well knowen after that Caesar conquered the Germaines did perswade y Senate to haue him deliuered into the Enemies Handes because hee had foughte contrarye to the truce taken But Sylla when easly he mighte haue slayne him he woulde not So Alexander beinge setled in his Empyre amonge the barbarous People did not condempne Calistines for Mallyce but Securitye because throughe hys woordes hee coulde hardelye keepe the Persians And the Macedonians beganne to disdayne hym Full well knewe Antonius that if Cicero hadde escaped hee woulde neuer haue lyued in quyet because beinge all readye once Pardoned hee notwithstandinge didde followe hym wyth Hate vnreconsiliable and if the Death of CICERO had beene soughte for Reuenge eyther a lyue he might haue beene tormented and kepte or elles executed wyth more crueltye It commeth also to mynd that Iniuries haue not a little proffyted Some menne and therfore Ouidius saythe A vvronge somvvhiles vve see doth helpe the vvronged vvight It happeneth ofte tymes that wee take Compassion of theym wee loue not eyther for the malice wee beare theym that offered the Iniurye or throughe beliefe that the Iniured is condempned rather by power of hys Enemye then his own offence And by suche meanes it is well knowen that many haue escaped great peryll Amonge whiche nomber Valerius Maximus tellethe howe Gabinius throughe the Sclaunder of Sisenna and Flauius for the Iniurie of Valerius were delyuered and Cotta onelye for suspicion of wronge founde the same fauoure In which cases if none iniurye had beene no hope had remayned It is also to be consydered that the occasions of Sclaunders are so common as nothynge more The People doe backebyte the learned the Learned dysdayne the vnlearned the Iuste doe condempne the wicked the Wycked do laugh to Scorne those that bee good the Mightye doe Enuye the Mightye agaynste whome they prouoke Seruaunts and Subiects by sclaunderous Speache Robberye Practise and vntrewe dealynge Were it not better with noble mynde to disdayne all Iniuries then thus continuallye to liue tormented in minde Lucius Murena was praysed because he tooke Cato vnder his Gowne and saued him from Deathe that not longe before had accused him Publius Pulcher beinge by the three Lentuli accused of inceste did notwithstandinge afterwardes saue one of them from perrill Marcellus being haynously accused by the Siculi did not only forgeue them but also receiued theim into his owne tuition So Menedemus bestowed manye Benefytes vppon Alexinus of whome he had bene great lye iniured How wisely sayd S. Gregorius that who so can not beare iniurye dothe shewe by hys impacience that he is not good The kinge Archelaus when vpon a time one caste water vpon him beinge perswaded by his frendes to reuenge answered saying I know he would not haue cast yt vpon me but some other By which answer he saued y offender frō hurt him self from the importunity of his friendes A notable example remayneth in memorye of the seruaunte of Antius Restio who beinge longe time kepte in prison and by his maisters commaundemente ofte times burned with hot yrons yet afterwards folowing him in the triūphe triumuiral did notwithstanding all their iniuries saue himself frō peryl when comodiously he might haue bene reuēged also rewarded Such wisdome hath not only bene performed by priuate men but also by hole Citties For Dionisius the yonger bothe at the playes of Corinthus and also before hee was sente into exile might haue beene by them of Syracusa slayne whome befoore tyme hee hadde mooste Tyrannouslye vsed But they with disdayne didde lette him
as did Melissus a Gramarian of Spoleta Surelye it is a goodlye pleasure to eate at other mens tables Would God it were as honest And doest thou thincke the fauorites of Princes are other then seruauntes whom ambition hath deceiued besydes which theyr estate is more perillous and more vnhappye Neyther is seruitude anye hinderaunce to glorye for Plato Xenocrates Calcedonius Diogenes Phedrus Epitetus and Esopus the fabler did al liue in seruitude Besides them diuers Gramarians Sibonius Aphroditius Taberius Crotes Antonius Gnipho Phosius the excellent player and Manlius in Astronomye a singuler Poet. What shoulde I saye of riches and shall I agayne resight thoâ—e monsters of the Romayne pleasure Drusilanus and Menecrates yea the seates of Kinges haue beene by bondemen possessed Tullius one of the aunciente kinges was a bondman And so was Oedipus and other The kinges of Syria and Palestina in our age chosen out of this sorte of men But let riches rule and beare the sway yet let vs resight knowen examples of manye such as seruitude and the patronage of a good maister haue aduaunsed for the vertue of the maister dependeth much vppon the wysedome of the seruaunt And some seruauntes haue not onlye gayned libertye but also deserued to become heyres to theyr masters Neyther shalt thou finde vppon the aunciente monumentes more recordes of loue of wyues children and brethrene then ensamples of seruauntes deuotion towards maysters and maisters towardes them The lyke perswatioÌ„ may make for thy comfort if thou liue wythout glorye which kinde of life is the more tollerable if thou remayne in seruitude whereinto Vlysses as Plato sayth being werye of hys former life did willingly cast himselfe Ther is no happines y can happeÌ„ to maÌ„ greater theÌ„ eyther not to desyre glorye or not to haue it Who so doth the one liueth in great quietnes of mynd the other enioyeth gret security For is y glory of this world other theÌ„ a swete poysoÌ„ for meÌ„ wherof if thou taste thou becomest blinde senceles Herevpon groweth vain labour peril care which way to kepe get frends authority riches Enuye also like vnto a shadow inseperable doth follow glory which in a moment fadeth awaye and the rest of thy life the more vnpleasant How many worthy meÌ„ haue geuen the glorye of theyr owne deserts to others Socrates being victorious in battaile gaue al the honour prayse and rewarde to Alchibiades But who can therein excell Plato he commeÌ„ded for his learning did yelde all the prayse to those y had taught him as Socrates Tymeus and Permenides Surelye there is no greater glorye then the contempte of honour Who so is not ambitious getteth no glorye why seekest thou that y to haue thou ought not if thou be ambitious thou accusest thy selfe and yet ambition were no vyce if glorye myghte lawfully be desyred I cannot resight the nomber of all suche as haue honoured vertue and yet contempned the prayse And yet in deede euen at this daye also who so lyuinge vertuouslye doth lurke may be called good happye What doth the ambitious man gayne other then set to sale al â–ª his imperfections And whoso euer doth marke it well shal finde that euery man hath more defects then customes worthy commendation To preuent the peril of this condeÌ„pnation there is no way so sure as to lurke and liue vnknowen The like coÌ„modity bringeth ignoraunce wherof notwythstanding many do complaine Who so seeketh knowledge findeth care and laboure as the Prophete sayth I tell not that Paule hath preached that this worldly wysedom is ennemye to god Let vs consider what is commonly gayned by learning profite is disdayned the soule hazarded the body consumed thy children substaÌ„ce neglected The learned do get great enuy shortneth his lyfe and all for knowledge or rather to be thoughte to knowe For arte thou more wyse then Socrates Plato or Aristoteles Socrates did glorye that hee knewe nothinge Plato doubted of manye thinges Aristotiles speaketh so obscurelye as one woulde thincke he knewe little Alasse how many haue bene hindered with being thought learned Amonge the rest y small knowledge of myne haue bene to my disaduantage for thereby I haue bene oftentimes reiected euill handled oppressed and would God that eyther I had bene such a one as they thought me or that they had thought me such a one as in deede I was Hereof grew against me so many vndeserued euill reportes al which I disdayned perswading my selfe that one maÌ„ excelled an other in that he was better Like vnto al other things doth that opinion of learning brede slauÌ„der diuers other incoÌ„uenients as we see by AlexaÌ„der Achillino Tiberio of Bononia Petrus Leo Marcus Antonius of Verona For Achillinus was poysoned Petrus Leo cast hedlonge into a ponde Tiberius Antonius occasioned to shorteÌ„ theyr owne lyues So we finde that this wysedome is accompanyed with many discommodityes Howe much better had it beene for these learned men to haue liued by some craft or industrye what man haue thou knowen both learned and fortunate yea whom hath not learninge hindered Socrates was slayne Anaxagoras kept in pryson Plato soulde and put in perill of hys heade Aristotiles sente into exile where eyther willingly or not greatlye against his wyl he dyed Demetrius Phalerius banished and condempned Demostenes poisoned himselfe Easimes sent to exile and so was Solon Licurgus depryued of hys eyes and after banished wyth manye perils of lyfe Ioannes Scotus stabbed in wyth daggers by y handes of his companions Cicero betrayed and slayne Varro coÌ„fyned and who was not molested and disdained Budeus a notable man of oure age did also iustlye complaine what and how many persecutions did Erasmus suffer were the Prophetes and wyse meÌ„ in the lawe of Moyses more happye surelye no. The cause is learning which who so hath not let him not desyre it who already hath it must thinke to haue boughte a iewell of great pryse and kepte wyth more care and perill But to much haue we spoken of these matters for fewe or none shalte thou finde that complayne of ignoraunce seinge willingly they deceyue themselues Now as touching sorrowe it selfe which worthely seemeth intollerable Let vs consider it commeth chiefely of three causes that is to say of sicknes folly or enforcemeÌ„t How soeuer it be or whatsoeuer griefe we feele eyther it is not great or not long and seldome it happeneth to honest men but if it doe must of necessitye be endured Whosoeuer falleth into sicknes either willingly or agaynst his will would he not be ashamed that womeÌ„ should excell hym in pacience and sufferaunce of griefe for women in bearing of children do endure most extreeme paynes yet notwithstanding do not refrayne the company of men suche as be barren do not desyre any thinge so muche as to haue children The griefe which women suffer in childing is of all other the greatest and nearest to death yea many of such griefe do dye in deede No gout no ache
no collicke or other tormente is comparable to this paynes Notwithstandinge how great soeuer they be they leaue not to liue in delight and as wonte they were approue the ioyes of Venus short wythout the desyre of well doinge There is no griefe so great that a resolute minde will yelde vnto Possidonius the Philosopher extremely sicke sayde vnto Pompeius beinge come to visite hym y the greatnes of pains should neuer make him coÌ„fesse that sickenes was euill Neyther in deede can that be euyll which is wythoute vs therefore the griefe of the body if it do not ouercomour minde cannot be sayd to be ours How wel did that seruaunt whych â—â—ue Asdruball declare it For hee beinge greuouslye tormented for the murder of hys maister did notwythstandinge in countenaunce shewe the ioye he felt for hauing reuenged the iniurye of his maister I remember that when Antonius Cribellus was condempned by publike assent to be torne in peeces in preparinge himselfe to bee executed sayde that there was no torment so greate as coulde cause him coÌ„fesse the companions of his offence yet affyrminge there were suche but hee would neuer bewray them What marueile was it then though Pompeius so manfully helde hys finger to be burned in the candell before the kynge Genthius seyng that thereby the kyng myghte perceyue there was no hope to wreste out any intelligence at the Embassadours hands With like pacience did Sceuola burne his hande before the kinge Porcenna Neyther haue there wanted women y haue deserued such glorye The mother of Hircanus the Iewe beinge offended by Ptolomeus her sonne in lawe wylled Hircanus not to leaue of his enterpryse but rather reuenge the death of hys father whom Ptolomeus had slayne Epicharis Liberta more noble then many men for no torment could be coÌ„strayned to confesse her offences or her companioÌ„s in offendinge Quintilia a little personage suspected for the conspiracye agaynst Caligula being racked wyth great torment confessed nothinge whereby she was set at libertye as giltlesse and receyued reward as innocent What shoulde I speake of Barbara Agatha a Christian wyth dyuers other vyrgins the nomber of whom is hardly to be beleued and theyr constancye so marueylous as they seemed not onelye paciently to haue suffered tormentes but also to haue wyshed for theim But this vertue procedeth of oure Christianitye Let vs returne to naturall reasons Ther is no rest so welcome as that which followeth great trauayle nor death soe muche desyred as where sickenes hath beene moste extreame The ende therefore of all griefe eyther by recouerye or death is pleasaunte It is also to be consydered that all suche as suffer great tormentes being perswaded of the immortalitye of soules oughte thereby thoughe none other reason were to be comforted And suche as beleeue of none other lyfe are sure that death is y ende of all myseryes Therefore if thy griefe groweth vppon deserte deseruinglye thou oughte to beare it for thereby thou doest decrease thy griefe and saue thy minde from due tormente neyther oughtest thou to punish thy body and minde both at one time seinge thy soule is afterwardes to receyue his chastisemente The same or more profytable reason maye bee made for sickenes then sorrowe for what can be intollerable in sickenes if sorrowe be awaye yea hardlye it can be thought howe manye commodityes it bringeth In sicknes wee learne howe we bee howe frayle the condition of life is howe incertayne and subiecte to the power of others Thereby wee are taughte to be mindefull of an other lyfe and that we oughte not to doe that to an other which we wold not haue don to our selues Therefore wee become more temperate and continente yea to some sicknes haue beene cause of longe lyfe amendemente of fame and encrease of vertue If sickenes were not a man shoulde become more harde harted then the Tiger and more cruell then the Lionesse Macrobius thincketh that sickenes doth more often happen to those whom God loueth then those whom hee hateth Seneca supposed that hee is most vnhappy that neuer feeleth aduersity and that hee is most myserable that is most happye Saint Paule sayth whom God loueth him hee chasteneth The nature of man is vnbridled and were it not like wheate well sifted woulde become as sauage as the wilde beastes When the soule loueth the bodye then is it more noble and perfite because then it commeth to hys owne nature beinge vnbourdened of the bodye which hindered the sight and perfite knowledge It is therfore the lesse maruaile that those that be most weake of body and of shortest lyfe be of best indgemente and moste apte to knowe No man hath all giftes if thou haue stoore of vertues of y mynde thou arte of necessity the more sicke of bodye Then whether wouldest thou rather haue a stronge bodye and a witte lyke vnto beastes or a weake bodye wyth an excellente sprighte Some brutishe beastes there are also as muche or more subiecte to sickenes as menne as the Lyon and Goate for whiche cause those that doe vse to sell Goates do not warrant them for sound as they doe other cattell but as Varro sayth this daye hee is well and drincketh and lyke enoughe hee maye so continue And albeit these beastes be neuer but sicke yet wantinge reason doe playe and take disporte But man to hys owne sorrowe is partaker of reason whereby hee calleth to consyderation his myseryes Yet is it worthely to be noted that seeldome times we see honest men troubled with outward greeues and those that be temperate are not often offended with inward miseries But some men do thincke deafnes and blyndnes more intollerable then Sicknes though the same seemeth lyttle to hinder the felicitye of man. Homerus beinge blynde excelled all the Poetes both Latyne and Greeke Tymolion beinge blynd gouerned the people of Syracusa Appius Claudius brake the dishonorable peace whiche the Romaynes had taken with Pirrus and therin declared he sawe more then all others hauinge eyes Hannibal hauinge one only eye conquered almost all Italy and excelled all captaynes both Carthaginences Romaines Scipio onlye reserued Iohn kinge of Beemia was also blynde yet a valiant and wise captayne He knowinge him selfe ouermatched wyth the power of his enemies manfully didde charge them to the ende that if he could not get the vyctorye yet he would not be accompted cowardlye One blynde man not long before our age was so cunninge in musicke as excelled all other in those dayes and was therfore greatly esteemed and by princes enriched The blinde man hathe also hys delightes as banquettinge venery musicke and learning and if he were not so borne he is blind but some part of his lyfe He may also se dreaming and therfore Aristoteles sayth that the vertue of seinge resteth not in the eyes but in the brayne because if the sight were in the eye then the eyes beinge put out the man in dreame should se nothing as doth he that was blinde borne But if a manne