aduerse fortune taketh not so mutch sorowe at the familiaritie of calamities 5 Calamities haue dominion ouer men and not men ouer calamities Herodotus ¶ To comforte or giue consolation And first for olde age 1I Knowe no cause why mē should meruell that olde age is subiect to so many maladies seeing it is euen infirmitie it selfe 2 That old man is more foolish who hauing passed ouer the daungers of this life and is arriued at the ende of them would wish to begin his course newe again then a trauailour who hauing ended a longe and yerkesome iourney should desire to go it ouer againe immediatly forasmuch as nothing is more acceptable to such as bee weary then rest and lodging 3 It is not expedient for your wisedome to wish for that that ye haue lost seeing it cannot be recouered againe that is youth for it is the propertie of a mad man to loue that which is lost 4 Men ought to reioyce whē they come vnto age wherefore they were borne seeing age is the very rypenes of men and is as profitable to be in men as in fruites ¶ Of Death 1 DEath happeneth to al men alike wherfore thou oughtest not to challenge vnto thy selfe a priuilege of life aboue others 2 I dare not take in hande to comforte thee or to offer thee any succour for I knowe the thou art wise ynough of a most noble minde wherfore it should seeme great presumption if I would go about to administer thee consolation in this matter Cic. 5. Epist 17. 2 All things that be according to nature be good and what is more agreeyng to nature then for an old man to dye 3 Thou oughtest to conforme thy selfe according to the good pleasure of God and to beleeue that hee knoweth better what we need then our selues and the time when to drawe again to him self his members 4 In the raging Sea of this oure tempestuous life we haue none other hauen saue death 5 Thou mayst thus comfort thy selfe for the losse of thy Father that sithens in his life tyme hee liued well he hath now with death obtained rewarde of his vertues 6 This world is a very Uallaye of waylinges deepe obscure and full of mire happy is he that wel getteth out of it 7 Seeing it is so ordained by nature that he which first cometh must first go the sonne hath no cause to lament for the death of his Father for hee dooth not therby forsake him but goeth before him 8 We may truely call the Earth a better Mother vnto vs thē she that hath borne vs for shee nourisheth vs but for a fewe monethes and the other for a great many yeares 9 To lament for things that can not be gotten againe groweth rather of too mutch foolishnes then of much godlynes and loue 10 Uertue may make honest any sorte of death whatsoeuer 11 Albeit that my minde is not sufficient to comfort you for that the sorrow that I abide doth suffer me to haue no place of consolation yet c. 12 He was not borne in vaine that dyeth well neither liued he vnprofitably that finished well his life 13 Death is no death but the end of trauailes and a beginning of life 14 There is no armour more strong against any cruell dart of fortune then a prudent minde and I being of opinion that you are most wise do beleeue also that you vnderstande howe that no humaine thing can bee perpetuall or quiet 15 If thou wouldest consider howe that hee was borne a mortall man thou wouldest not sorrowe of his death 16 Socrates beeying demaunded what was the greatest beatitude of man Hee aunsweared to dye well Eschines 17 If sicke men could be healed with teares and that forrowe could cease their griefe I would commende this wayling Philomenes 18 Inasmuch as we be mortal what thing should we els looke for of this our life but mortalitie ¶ For Health lost 1 I Trust with the grace of God shortly to see thee not only free from this disease but also from all ill humours by meanes of this sicknes wherby thei shal be consumed veryfiyng the olde Prouerbe that is that one euill dryueth away another 2 Nothing new or vnwonted is happened vnto you neither hath fortune any iot changed custome nor nature beeing alwayes vnstedfast vnconstant and blinde but we may rather say that in this your maladie it hath vsed the owne proper and naturall constancie which is to be alwayes vnconstant and neuer to abyde in one estate 3 Sicknes is a great dehorter from vices and affections and an exhorter to modestie and goodnesse 4 It is mutch more easie to abyde the infirmitie of the body then the griefe of the minde wherefore I thinke it good that in this your sicknes yee shake of all such thoughts as might trouble you 5 Although that man by nature is accompanied with many euills yet the worst of them all is the displeasure of the minde take heede therfore least ye set any thing rashly to heart ¶ Of reputation lost 1 I Am glad that your fortune is vnlike mine for ther is great difference betwixt beeing iniuried beeyng vtterly vndone Cic. 1. Epist fa. 7. 2 To be without doubt is tokē of a good hart which thing without all peraduenture would both staye his foolish rage and bringe you againe to your due place of honour Cic 1. Fa 5. 3 The course of your fortune although the case be vnlike yet it rūneth to the same end that mine doth Epist 7. 4 To the grieuousnes of the sorrow that I feele about your matters I haue yet this consolation that I trust the counsels of Frendes and the time it selfe which breaketh the appointments of wicked men shall giue recompence to the wicked willes of your enemies Epist 6. 5 Concerning this losse if you shal make such account as I haue alwaies denied that you ought for to make you shall doe wisely and shall with victory triumphe ouer your Enemies Cic 3. Epist 20. 6 The refuge of our studies is such that although wee cannot haue the great losse wee had restored againe wee may yet at the least bee somewhat eased by not thinking theron Lib 4. Epist 3. 7 Doest thou not remember how that with continuall lamenting thy troubles bee rather doubled then raced out of memorie 8 Canst not thou see things that are open and manifest who with thy quicknesse of wit wast wont to pearce to the knowledge of thinges most secret Canst not thou know how that continuall lamentyng doth relieue thee neuer a whit Lib. 6. Epi. 16. 9 A man that is rightly vertuous ought to loose nothing by the multitude of the wicked Lib. 9 Epi. 3. 10 Thy valiancie is so great and worthy of it self that for the sustentatiō therof thou needest no cōfort of others neither can I well comfort another which am depriued of all consolation my selfe 11 Like as in the aboundaunce
of good fortune we are not straight lost so wee ought not to dispaire in the anguish wherinto this fearfull waue hath trāsported vs. Lib. 7. Epi 2. 12 Albeit the distaining that is vsed to thy honor is not to the losse of my health yet there is such likenes betwixt them that me thinketh we could not be sure Frendes except we tasted both of like greefes Lib 1. Epi. ◠13 Mans estate was wont thus oftentymes to chaūge neither is there any thing stable vnder heauen he which yesterday was a Seruauant to day is become as a King and another who of late went clad in fine Purple and commaunded the people is now clad in vile ragges and become a bōdseruant 14 Pittacus sayde that it was the duety of a wyse man to know how to skirmish with aduersitie and the part of a valiāt mā to beare the same modestly Democri ¶ Of Goodes lost 1 LIke a wyse and valiant man thou needest not care if the vnhonestie of men shall robbe thee of those things wherewith fortune hath indewed thee most bountifully Cic. 1. Epist fa. 5. 2 I confesse that thy griefe is such as thou canst hardly receiue any consolation so great is the losse of all thy substaunce and so litle hope of recouering the same againe but yet thou oughtest to moderat thy sorrowe and not vtterly to dispaire Lib. 4. Epist 3. 3 Nobodye is more vnhappy in my iudgement thē he whome fortune hath not earst suffered to tast of her venim for like as the shadow accompanieth the sonne so aduersitie followeth glorie renowne 4 The long experience that I haue knowē in you concerning wordly thinges easeth mee of taking in hand to administer you any consolation inasmuch as I knowe that you were wont to arme your minde against the darted of fortune I doo therefore veryly beleeue that yee will patiently abyde this burthen of pouertie that without any fault of yours is fallē vppon you 5 Truely your losse of richesse is great but I esteeme that you shall make it mutch greater if you shall also loose your selfe 6 Wee must not beleeue that fortune loueth those men more vppon whome it fawneth and such as it neuer displeaseth thē those whom it exerciseth with continuall trauailes for like as prosperitie maketh men fortunat so doth aduersitie make them famous and tryed 7 Whilest that you torment your self for the losse of richesse that you haue sustained you do without doubt make the same greater for sorrowing for the losse of richesse you debase the worthinesse of your mind which teacheth mē to despise worldly things 8 The losse that ye haue sustained is not so great but that your wisedome is greater wherfore with Iudgement correct fortune 9 It is better a godly poore man than a wicked ritch man for the one is worthie of mercie the other of reproofe Antiph ¶ Of the losse of Friendes 1 IT is now time to put in practise the precepts that haue beene written by most wise men and to apply thy selfe to the vse of such things as with long studie thou hast learned which thing if thou wilt thou mayst though not willingly yet at least patiently abide the want of those Frends whom thou hast lost Cic. Lib. 7. Epist fa. 3. 2 He that in the losse of terrene goods as of frēds c. knoweth how prudētly and with modestie to beare fortune he may be truely called happie 3 Verely the losse of so deare a Frend which you haue sustained myght shake the stoutest heart that is but forasmuch as mē ought to be cōtented with any chaūce that happeneth in this world it is your part to be greatly comforted in consideration of the honeste and faithfull freendshyppe maintayned betwixt you 4 You shew your self not to be thoroughly taught in the law of frēdship sithens you sorrow at the death of sutch a freende who liued so well that there is no doubt but the Angels haue caried him into the sight of GOD to enioye the fruites of his vertuous laboures 5 It is the parte of a wise man not to bee sory for things lost nor glad for such as be present Democri 6 Wee ought not to bee sorye for the death of our deare Friendes seeing they must of necessitie dye but rather for such as dye beastly Pollien ¶ Of Imprisonment 1 LIke as a man that is sound and in good health hath no neede of a Phisitian so a wise man hath no neede of consolation 2 Doo ye not vnderstande that he alone may bee called a worthie and valiant man who neuer bowed his shoulders at the burthē of misfortunes who neuer blamed nor panted at his chaunce and inasmuch as it is so you ought also in this imprisonment shewe the libertie of your minde altogether couered with armour of your innocencie 3 It is lesse hurt to be imprisoned vnworthely thē to haue vndeserued libertie and to suffer wrong in defence of iustice then through lewdnes to abound in wealth 4 What thing els is the earth but a litle Ilande compassed rounde about with the Ocean-sea in the which we are put as in a prison 5 You haue great cause to comforte your selfe in this trouble and to giue God thākes that he hath so endued you with his benefites that like as in libertie yee dyd not want wisedome so your courage and valiantnesse of minde hath not fainted in this imprisonment 6 If it bee true that the estate of vertuous worthie men doth consist in the force of the minde not in this corporall matter I repute any parte of consolation at my handes towardes you to bee but superfluous whose noble heart I know is at libertie in this your vndeserued imprisonment 7 The prison doth not minister so mutch punishment to the wicked as it dooth glorie vnto the godly whose vertue doth afterwarde shine more vehemently then afore like a fire that hath beene kepte secret and after bruseth forth in great flames 8 If you had by any meanes deserued thys imprisonment there were thē cause why I should seek to comfort but sithens that the malice of your Enemies is the only cause therof I leaue giuing of consolation to your sincere cōscience of a most verteous life trusting to see you here after much more exalted then you are nowe disgraded 9 Socrates being demaunded howe a man might liue without troubles hee denying that to be possible sayde A cittie or an howse cannot bee without those that dwell therin and frequent the same Antiph 10 Those that with waylings and lighings doo take in yll parte their misfortunes are vnwise and do not remember how that many be and haue ben in a like and in a worser estate Hipparcus 11 Appollodorus sorrowing and lamenting for Socrates because he was vniustly cōdemned to die Socrates laughing sayd to him thou therfore which art my dearest Frend wouldest haue me iustly condempned Xenophon ¶ Of Exile 1 THat death
ynough that thou knewest it to bee thine owne 6 Diogenes being demaūded wherof it came that men bestowed almes rather vppon sutch as were halte and lame then to Philosophers because sayd he they feare that they shall sooner become halt and lame then Philosophers Pithagoras ¶ Graue Sentences 1 ME thinkes that a Captaine cannot guide well an Armie except he first gouerne wel himself 2 The commō people except they be kept in some awe and good order do nothing well 3 One hurt neuer commeth without another 4 Iesting and merry talke must bee vsed like as men do vse salt in their meat that is sparingly Socrates 5 Whilest that mē do flye death they ouertake it 6 Diogenes was wont to say that mē do prouide many things necessary for their liuing and but few thinges that appertaine to liue well Democri 7 Aristides being demaūded what thing it was to be iust answered not to desire any thing that is another mans 8 Demades sayd that the shamefastnes in the countenaunce of a woman is the rocke of her beautie 9 A mā ought not to seeke meanes for to hyde his wickednes with wordes but to amende them with reproofes Pithagoras 10 Those thinges that are dishonest to bee done are much more dishonest to be spoken 11 Arrogant Persons are like to armour that is gilded without for their inward parts do not agree with the outwarde 12 Age and mariage are much alike for we wish for them both and when they are come we be soone weary of them Theod. 12 Seleucus the Lawgiuer to the Locrenses sayd that the lawes were like to spyders webbes which catch small flyes but the waspes and bees flye thorough them Plato ¶ Subtill and wittie Sentences 1 SOlon being demaunded why he had appointed no punishment for such as should kill their Fathers because sayde he I thought there would be none so wicked to commit such a part Pro Roscio Amer. 2 Aristotle sayde that those which went about to shewe forth things that were manifest already did like as if they would shew the light of the sun with a candle Diogenes 3 Esope vsed to say that euery bodye caried with him one purse or sachel before and another behind in that behinde he did put hys owne faults in them afore other mens faults Euripides 4 Pitha the Daughther of Aristotle being demaūded what was the best coulour of all others aunswered that which did growe in the shamefastnesse of wittie countenaunces Democri 5 Like as wyne filleth emptie bottels so doth opinion with fooles 6 Theanus beeing asked what was the duetie of a matrone he aunswered to please her Husband Socrates 7 A certaine Romain being reprooued of his frēds because he had forsakē his wife which was honest rich and beautiful he holding out his legge shewed his foote saying here is also a new well fashioned shoe and yet ye wil not beleeue how it greeueth me Plutarch 8 Nobody can gouerne a Horse well without a bridle nor riches without reason Plato 9 Socrates beeyng demaunded what manner of men handy craftmen were such sayd he as despise their equals Socrates 10 Diogenes seeing one who earst had beene very rich and through prodigalitie was come to extreme penurie supping with hard fare said if thou haddest afore time eaten on this fashion thou mightest haue supped better now Pithagoras ¶ To giue thankes and first for goodwill shewed 1I Make greater accounpt of this good disposition of your mind towards me then of any other thing that I cā looke for at your handes Cic. 4. Epist fa ◠2 It is a confort to me for to knowe that you beare me the like affection that euery man beareth vnto himselfe Lib. 16. Epi. 11. 3 I see the great loue which Caesar beareth mee wherof I more esteeme then of all the dignities that I can euer receiue by him Ad Q. frat 4 I feele great delight in the good will that Caesar beareth me more thē I do for all the promisses that he hath made me for I am not so greedy of honours and renowne as I am desirous to haue his goodwil continued towardes me Lib 2. Epist 18 5 I receiued your Letters which were very welcome vnto me aswell for the newes contained therin as for your goodwil therby expressed and I thāke you most hartly both for your certyfying me of the one and of the other 6 I assure my selfe vndoubtedly of the loue that you beare mee the which I measure by the recyprocall loue that I also beare you 7 My man hath made relation to me of your so great goodwill which you beare me and of the tender care that you haue of me that although you had neuer done mee pleasure earst in all my life yet for this cause I would hold my selfe continually bound vnto you 8 I thanke your lordshippe most humbly for the good report that you made of mee for which your great curtesie and noble goodwil though otherwise I cannot by any seruice be able to deserue the same yet I will not cease to render vnto your honor countinuall thankes and dayly to praye for you ¶ For benefites receiued 1 I Remaine your Debteur shall alwayes thinke my selfe bounde vnto you for the benefit you haue bestowed on me who am Inferiour to none of your Frendes Cic. 4 Epist 11 2 As often as I looke vppon my wife my children my house or my Countrey so often doo I see the great benefites and good turnes that you haue done me 3 You may immagine easily with your selfe how laudable a thinge it is to doo good for others in as much as I esteeme my self greatly renowned by the benefites that I receiued at your handes 4 Our Lord God graunted me children and you haue restored them to me againe whē thy were lost 5 I will honor the memorie of your good turne done vnto me with an euerlasting beneuolence not only while I liue but also so as your fame may abyde after my death 6 If I should do nothing but spend all the residue of my life in shewing my selfe gratefull to the benefactors of my welfare it were but my duety sithens I can make them no amends 7 Forasmuch as the basenes of my poore fortune is so simple and the worthines of your merites and benefites towardes me is so great I trust that you will vouchsafe wheras no other recompence can be had to content your selfe only with the gratefulnes of my heart ¶ For fauour receiued YOur lordship who had neuer fayled to stand my Freend haue now euen drawen mee out of calamitie and set me in good estimation whereof I will neuer be vnmindfull nor shew my selfe vngratefull whilest I liue 2 I giue you infinit thankes for the freendshippe which at my instance you shewed to my Friend the which thing was as acceptable vnto me for the desire that I had to