business at the siege of Capua where Fulinus was Captain then Rome was mercifull Liberality in noble persons is most commended for in liberal giving and beneficial doings are Princes compared unto Gods Fabius Maximus having certain of his souldiers taken by Hannibal in the wars of Carthage did send unto the Senators of Rome for money to redeem the Roman souldiers from Hannibal according unto Martial law but being denied of his suit he commanded his son straight to go to Rome to sell all the lands and livings that he then possest about the City of Rome and to bring him money The money being brought he paid Hannibal redéemed his souldiers brought them frée to Rome upon his own charge and being blamed of the Senators that he sould his land he answered that he had rather want patrimony in his Country then love towards his Countreymen he had rather be without living in Rome then to want the good will of tho poor souldiers Alphonsus the great King of Arragon was wont to rejoyce more in one little sentence that Titus Vespatianus would often say then of all that he had read all the days of his life This Emperours golden sentence was That day to be unhappy in the which he neither gave or granted any thing to some man saying That no man ought to depart from a Prince sad Ho judged time lost when no body fared the better by him and thought no man should depart without some benefits done or gifts given to some or others Liberality doth purchase to the Prince faith and love to the Nobleman service and homage unto all men benefits and good turns Wherefore Alexander the Great not so desirous to take as willing to give was wont to say to any that demanded where his treasures wealth and substance that he got in the wars were kept by poynting with his singer to his friends it is hidden saith he in the hearts of my subjects What can be more commended in a subject towards his Prince then faith and truth What may be more praised in a Prince towards his subjects then liberality and lenity The liberality of the poor is good will A poor Scholler sometime of Gréece being in Rome thought good to salute Caesar the Emperour comming from the Capitol toward his pallace in a few Gréek verses thinking thereby his penury should be somewhat looked upon by Caesar But Caesar surnamed Augustus answered the Scholler in writing again the like Gréek verses which when it was delivered to the poor Gréek he delighted much in the reading commended highly the verses and approached unto Caesar where he was in his Chariot opened his purse and gave unto the Emperour four single halfpence saying Hold not according to thy dignity calling but according to my ability and poverty I give this reward Certainly the poor Scholler was more commended for his small gift to the Emperour then the Emperour himself was praised for his liberality unto all the people in Rome The poor Poet Antilochus was as liberal to his power for his verses made unto King Lisauder as Lisander was in his calling to give him his hat full of silver Simple Sinaeâ—es was as liberal in offering a handfull of water of the river Cydnus unto the great King Artaxerxes of Persia for want of better ability as Artaxerxes was princely in gifts and beneficial unto Sinaetus in rewarding liberally the liberality of Sinaetes with Phiala aurea cum mille Daricis Chaerilus had no better present for a proof of his liberality toward Alexander the Great then to shew his good will unto him in writing whereby he shewed himself more willing then able which being accepted he was liberally rewarded for every several verse a piece of gold What greater gift can any man give then that which proceedeth from the heart Of all treasure saith Aristotle the mind of a man ought most to be esteemed the Mite of the poor woman offered to Christ was no less made of and estéemed then the Gold Myrrhe and Frankincense of the great Sages of the world For the gift maketh not the giver liberal but the giver maketh the gift liberal Wherefore a poor Student of Paris going home to his country Scillia and being urged through penury wanting money to go to a great learned mans house as though he might go to some of the Bishops of England tarrying there a long while without either meat or drink perceiving the house to be gorgeous fair and brave withâ—ut and full of hunger thirst and cold within he wrote with a coal on the wall a sentence of Cicero Non domo Dominus sed domus Domino honest and â—est As though he might say fair buildings want more liberal dwellings then liberal Lords fair houses for the house is praised by the man and not the man by the house Fair houses and wealth do hardly make men liberal it is said that fair things are coupled with pride and wealth joined with covetousnesse In the beginning all men were liberal untill private wealth began to practise with money covetousnesse was not known for as money did increase fo covetousnesse grew In Rome saith Pliny money was not seen four hundred years and more after the building of Rome Then was Rome true and beneficial bp reason of liberality which after waxed wealthy and false by means of covetousnesse That City was most famous chiefly for her liberality wherein Rome excelled all the world if the death of Princes of Noble men yea of all men can sufficiently bear witnesse of their lives considering vertue and fame shall prove that by death which life hardly may utter for no man is well known during life The death of Epaminondas that most renowned Prince of Thebes and Conquerour of all Gréece was a sure and a certain shew of his liberal life The last day of P. Aemilius who triumphed in life time over the proud Macedonians and Liguriant was a true token of his frank and frée dealing in life In life manner we may say of Maenemus Agrippa and Scipio Affricanus the one victor oveâ— the Samnites the other triumpher over Carthage and Numantia whose renowned lives made their deaths famous whose worthy deaths do revive their noble lives Their beneficial dealing and liberality was well known by their deaths so liberally they lived that their friends found no money hidden no gold kept no treasure preserved no wealth at all though divers time by victory and triumphs by conquest and fortune they psssessed Kingdomes and countries in the time of life The greatest Prince in his time Cyrus the first King that brought the Monarchy unto Persia slain by Tomyris had on his grave being buried in Scithia in no gorgeous Temple nor sumptuous Tomb but in an open field this Epitaph Here heth Cyrus the great King of Persia contented now with seven foot who could not be satisfied sometime with seven Kingdomes what Caesar King or Prince soever thou art spare this place unto Cyrus And when Alexander the great
called Pyromancy which is a certain divination by fire thus Tanaquil Tarquinius Priscus wife when she saw thâ— flames playing about Servius Tullius head she affirmed thereby that he should be King in Rome The third is Aeromancy which useth to prognosticate things by the air as by flying of Fowls and tempest of weather as when it rained Iron in Lucania it did presage said they the death of Marcus Crassus amongst the Parthians or as Livi writeth when it rained stones in Picen at the second wars of Carthage it was to shew the slaughter and murther that Hannibal should do in Italy The fourth is Hydromancy to judge things to come by fight of water as Varro doth report of a boy that saw the picture or image of Mercury in the water pronouncing and reciting all the wars of Mithridates King of Pontus that should follow in verses There are two other kinds of Magick the one named Geomancy to declare and expound things by the opening gaping and moving of earth the other Chiromancy to judge by the lines of hanâ—s called Palmistry these are they that Cicero maketh mention of in his first book of divinations where he saith Cum semitam ipsi nesciant alijs tamen monstrant viam they will teach others that way that they know not themselves They will teach others how to have money and substance and yet they are themselves poor beggars always in the house of Codrus hanging at the fléeve of Irus There is again a kind of Soothsaying which was first practised in the land of Hetruria where when a certain Husbandman ploughed in the field called l'arquimen a certain man appeared in sight who sprang up from the ground which then was plowed named Tages in face and countenance much like a young child but in wisedome and discretion far surmounting any sage Philosopher This Tages taught all the land of Hetrmia Plini saith that one Delphos first invented Soothsaying and Amphiaraus first invented soothsaying by fire Polydorus describeth another sort of Soothsayers who were wont to conjecture and foreshew by beasts slain to be sacrificed whether the heart the liver or such like did perish as Caesar which when he sacrificed an Oxe unto Jupiter which had no heart thereby the Soothsayers prognosticated the infelicity and mishap of Caesar Likewise King Xerxes in his wars against the Gréeks a Mare being a stout and warlike beast brought forth a Hare a timerous and fearfull thing whereby they declared the overthrow of Xerxes and his huge army and the flight and cowardize thereof Again there is a kind of sooth saying by lightning thunders and tempests The folly of men was such that they thought nothing to be in the world but had hidden knowledge concerning man they would take nothing in hand without some Oracles of Jupiter or Apollo they reposed more trust in flying fowls in their chirping notes concerning any attempts which they took in hand then in their own force and strength they had more confidence in beasts of the field and trusted more in elementary sights In fine there was nothing almost but they had more respect either unto the colour the voice the proportion and such like toys then they had in themselves as is before mentioned in the worshipping of their Gods and institution of Religion These foolish toys were first observed amongst the Chaldeans from Chaldea they came to Gréece from Gréece to Hetruria from Hetruria to Rome and from Rome to all Europe they were scattered Wherefore Moses that wise Hebrew and the singular instrument of God for his people commanded that no man should consult with those wicked and abominable faculties saying unto his people You shall not beléeve Sooth-sayers neither shal you trust unto dreams The Iews were so addicted to observe these augurations that they would not go to war at any time without some warnings and conjectures had by some bird or beast insomuch that one Mossolanus a Iew born a wise man noted in his Countrey making his voyage unto wars as Josephus in his first book of Antiquitie doth write was commanded with all his hoste to stay untill a certaine southsayer would go to counsel and know the successe of the wars which then he took in hand with a bird hard by the army Mossolanus perceiving how they were inclined and wholly bent to be instructed by divination he took his bow and an arrow and slew this bird whereat the souldiers were so amazed and the soothsayer so angry that had not Mossolanus perswaded the people wisely he had béen like though he was their Captain to have béen by his own souldiers slain but after long tumult made Mossolanus spake after this sort unto his souldiers Do you think that birds beasts and such like dumb things can foreshew things to you which know nothing of themselves for behold the bird which you trusted most unto and likewise your soothsayer could not sée to avoid my purpose when I slue him Do you trust that creature for your lives which is ignorant of his own death O blindnesse of people which yet remaineth in this age Thus having briefly past the inventers of sciences in sundry countries men were much given to find other necessaries to live by and studious to make things profitable for their countries and carefull to augment the state and life of man to full perfection For the Cyclopians were the first workers of Iron work the Lacedemonians the first inventers of harnesse spears swords and bucklers for wars people thereby most renowned the Athenians taught first to plant trees and Vineyards the Phrygians made first the chariots and waggons the Lydians used first to dresse wools and so the people of Caria practised first bows and arrows and the Phenicians the Crossebow then other particular matters were likewise sought out by divers speciall men in speciall countries for the use of man as oyl and honey by Aristeus Keys by Theodotus the Samian Ships to sail by Jason silver by Ericthomus gold by Cadmus Thus every where each man in his pilgrimage did something worthy of memory Thrason was renowned for his lofty walls and his towers Danaus for his wells and for his digging of water Cinira for finding out Copper Brasse Lead and such other metals Ceres for sowing of Corn and Bacchus for planting the Vine thus the world in time waxed not onely populous but it grew also skilfull in things and plentifull of laws for the redresse and safeguard of man CHAP. XIIII Of Patience of Kings and Princes PAtience is a vertue saith Cato the wise in all adversities the best medicine to a sick man the surest plaister to any sore it comforteth the heavy it rejoiceth the sad it contenteth the poor it healeth the sick it easeth the painful it hurteth no man it helpeth all men therefore said the wise man Byon that that the greatest harm that can happen unto man is not to be able to sustain and abstain For this was Tiberius Caesar much commended of Suetonius that he
with death some killing themselves others burning and some drowning themselves and thus by death their lives were known Hippo a woman of Gréece saith Valerius and travelling to Rhodes on the seas and perceiving the Marriners to be gréedy and ready to spoil her honesty and to defile her temperate and chast mind to avoid their purpose and filthy lust leapt from board into the surging seas whose terrour she contemned lesse fearing to die then willing to live as a woman stained and corrupted what way findeth not modesty of life to requite shame Timociea a woman of Thebes being violated by a certain Prince of Thracia against her will requited the Prince and eased her mind after this sorâ— â—â—ith Sabellicus she went in an evening to this Thracian Prince and told him privily if he would follow Timoclea she would bring him where such store of substance and such wealth was hidden as would make him the richest Prince in all Asia to whom he gréedily consented and went willingly and gladly thinking to obtain it and being brought unto a deep Well she said in this Well there is infinit treasure but when he stoopt to look unto the bottme of the Wel she threw him in headlong and a mighty huge stone she rouled after him Aâ—talaâ—tâ— was the mirrour of all Ladies a second Diana who refused the company of men living in the wildernesse abstaining from worldly pleasure and ended her life in pure virginity in the desarts of Arcadia But because I may better begin and sooner end with alledging kingdoms and countries for a proof of temperance it were impertinent in so large a scope in so ample a matter to deal with particular histories Therefore to begin with the women of Teutonica temperance was there so much estéemed so well thought off that the women hearing their husbands to be slain and taken captives by a valiant Roman namede Marius then Captain for Kome they came kneeling before him and besought him curteously and humbly since their husbands were slain being women willing to lead a chaste life they might go and serve the Vestal Virgins in Rome to avoid the greedinesse of Marius souldiers and there to end the rest of their lives in the service of Vesta but being denyed of Marius clean contrary unto a Roman heart and to a noble Gentleman the next night following the women of Teunica hanged themselvs lest they might be a prey to the Roman souldiers to be defiled by unchastnesse The like did the fifty virgins of Sparta going a pilgrimage to Messena and being courted by the gentlemen of Messena for their virginities and now ready to be made women that night they all prevented it with death choosing rather to lose life honestly then to live shamefully knowing what a reproach and infamy it would be unto Sparta and to all the Countrey of Lacedemonia if they esteemed life more then honesty so they killed themselvs to honour their countrey and to defame Messena Hence proceeded terrible and long wars betwixt the Lacedemonians and Messenians to the confusion and utter destruction of the Countrey of Messena and these wars continued ten long years wherein the Messenians shamefull intent was requited with a sharp revenge We read of a passing good history of Alexander King Amintas son brother to King Philip of Macedonia who when he perceived the Ambassadours of Persia to waxe wanton with his sisters and desirous to do villany unto the King his father he promised the Ambassadours that they should accomplish their lust and pleasure with fairer Virgins then these were which the Persian Ambassadors should enjoy they being glad of the promise expected the time and their comming being then in their beds ready for them Alexander to chastise such villany and to open the same unto others caused certain young men to array themselvs like women and such a night to go unto the Persians as though they should seem to be women and to bring either of them a knife privily and being in bed they were commanded by Alexander to kill the Ambassadours and their company Magapyâ—us when he heard that his Ambassadours were slain in Macedonia waxed mad a long time and was ready to rayse wars untill he had understanding of the cause and order of their deaths And for Alexanders temperance therein he married Amintas daughter the sister of Alexander This is the sacrifice that the priests of Isis did use to abstaine from flesh and wine this is the temperance that Numa Pompilius shewed most often in Rome from women and wine to abstaine This abstinence used Sarah the daughter of Raguel this used Judith to have Holofernes head off and this used Queen Esther to king Ahasuerus Worthy examples we read of Kings sometime that being most thirsty refused to drink as Alexander the great before he fell amongst the Persians to drunkennesse was so temperate that having a cup of water brought unto him in his extream thirst he would not drink the same in sight of his souldiers least the sight thereof should augment the thirst of his souldiers being most thirsty already Cato Junior leading a great host of souldiers over the hot sands of Lybia having no drink nor water nigh them waxed so thirsty that when one of his souldiers brought him in his head-peece a draught of water by chance he would not drink himself and leave his souldiers thirsty but threw the water upon the ground because he might partake of their thirst with abstinence which was much ease to his souldiers to see his temperance one way and his humanity another way and they felt their thirst much therby asswaged King David being besieged by the Philistins was desirous to drink of the water called Bethlem same stout souldiers of his named Eleazarus Jesebes and Semera ventured their lives for the Kings sake through the enemies but when the water came David drank it not as one that could abstain from that he liked best but because it was brought with great peril he offered that water as a sacrifice unto God for the three souldiers that ventured their lives for it A great vertue to abstain from that which a man liketh best and great temperance there is in abstaining Romulus being bid to supper to a Citizen of Rome drank no wine all supper time but two or three drops after supper time unto whom the Host of the house spake merrily Romulus said he if all men would drink no more then you wine would be nothing esteemed to whom Romulus answered soberly and said wine would be more precious and dear if every man would drink as I did for I drink as much as I would and if all should do so wine would be scant Noting his temperance in a little and the gluttony of the most part in drinking Hannibal Scipio Mithridates Fabritius Sempronius and Papirius had no lesse praise for their temperance in abstaining from offered pleasure then fame for their victories and triumphs CHAP. XVII Of Taciturnity and silence in Princes and
Lightning or Thunder but had his head covered with all such things as might resist the violence of Lightning Misa King of the Moabites and Joram King of Iewry being besieged by the enemies and in danger of death they practised devises and invensions to save their lives and sacrificed their children to mitigate the rage of the Gods The love that divers had unto life and the fear they had of death were to be noted worthily considering how much men are vexed with the fear of death Antemon was so desirous to live and so fearfull to die that he hardly would travel out of his house any where and if he were compelled to go abroad he would have two of his servants to bear over his head a great brasen Target to defend him from any thing which might happen to do him hurt Theagenes in like sort would not go out of his house without he had consulted with the Image of Hecate to know what should happen to him that day and to understand whether he might escape death or no. Commodus the Emperour would never trust any Barber to shave his beard lest his throat should be cut Masinissa King of Numidia would rather commit his state and life unto dogs then unto men who was as his guard to kéep and defend him from death I might here speak of Bion of Domitianus of Dionisius of Pisander and of a thousand more who so feared death that their chief care and study was how they might avoid the same The fear of death causeth the son to forsake the father the mother to renounce the daughter one brother to deny another and one friend to forsake another Insomuch that Christ himself was forsaken of his disciples for fear of death Peter denied him and all the rest fled from him and all for fear of death Behold therefore how fearfull some are and how joyfull others are Some desperately have died being weary of life As Sabinus â—uba Cleomenes some have hanged some have burned and some drowned themselves and thus with one desperate end or other perished But since every man must die it were reason that every man should prepare to die for to die well is nothing else but to live again Wherefore certain philosophers of India called the Gymnosophislae being by Alexander the great commanded to answer to cercertain hard questions which if they could absolve they should live otherwise they should die The first question propounded to know whether there were more living or dead to the which the first philosopher said that the living are more in number because the dead have no being no place nor number The second question was whether the land produced more creatures or the sea to this answered the second philosopher and said the land doth ingender more for that the sea is but a portion of the land The third question was to know what beast was most subtil that beast answered the third philosopher whose subtilty man cannot discern Fourthly it was demanded why they being philosophers were so induced to perswade the Sabians to rebellion because said the philosophers it is better to die manfully then to live miserably The fifth question was whether the day was made before the night or the night before the day to the which it was answered the day The sixt was to understand how Alexander the Great himself might get the good wil of the people in shewing said that sixth philosopher thy self not terrible to the people The seveÌ„th question was whether life or death were stroÌ„ger to which it was aÌ„swered life The eight was to know how long a man should live till said the eight philosopher a maÌ„ thinks death better theÌ„ life The last question proposed by Alexander was how might a mortal man be accounted in the number of the Gods In doing greater things said all the Philosophers then man is able to do For they knew this proud Prince would be a God and that he would learn of the sage Philosophers how he might eschew mortality he was answered roundly because he should know himself to be a man and being a man he should make himself ready to die for death is the reward of sin and death is the beginning again of life unto the good As Aulus Posthumius in an Oration which he made unto his souldiers said it is given to both good and bad to die but to die gâ—dly and gloriously is onely given unto good men So Hector speaking in Homer said unto his wife Andromache that she should not be sorry for his death for all men must die Some with the Galatians do so contemn death that they fight naked and are perswaded with the Pythagoreans that they shall never die but passe from one body to another Some again die joyfully as the brethren of Policratâ— who being taken captive by Diognitus the King of Milesia she was so ill intreated by him that she did send Letters to Naxus to her brethren at what time the people of Milesia were feasting drinking and banquetting at a solemn feast Her brethren embracing the opportunity came and found the Emperor drinking and all his people overcharged with wine and slew the greatest part of them and having taken many of them prisoners they brought their sister home to Naxus where as soon as they came home they died for joy of the victory Even so Phisarchus sometime in his great triumph crying out O happy hours and joyful days was taken with such an extasie of joy that he brake his veins at that very instant with the excesse of gladnesse He is counted most wise that knoweth himself To joy too much in prosperity to be advanced and extolled when fortune favours without all fear of ill haps to come is folly To be vanquished and subdued in adversity without hope of solace to ensue is meer madnesse Therefore the Wisemen knowing that death was the last line of life did endeavour in their lives how they might die well And briefly for the examples of our lives I will here note a few sentences of these wise men which they used as their Posies and think good to shew their answers to divers questions propounded to them Bias dwelling in the City of Prienna after the City was destroyed by the Mutinensians escaped and went to Athens whose Poesie was Maximus improborum numerus He willed all young men in their youth to travel for knowledge and commanded old men to embrace wisedome This Bias being demaunded what was the difficultest thing in the world he said to suffer stoutly the mutability of fortune Being demanded what was the most infamous death that might happen to man to be condemned said he by law Being asked what was the swéetest thing to man he made answer Hope Being again demanded what beast was most hurtfull Amongst wild beasts a Tyrant said Bias and amongst tame beasts a Flatterer And being demanded what thing it was that feared nothing in all the world he answered A good Conscience And again in the second Olympiade he was demanded many other questions as who was most unfortunate in the world the impatient man said Bias. What is most hard to judge Debates betwéen friends What is most hard to measure he answered Time Thus having answered to these and divers other questions Bias was allowed one of the seven Wise men of Gréece Chilo the second of the Sages being asked what was the best thing in the world he answered Every man to consider his own state And again being demanded what beast is most hurtfull he said Of wild beasts a Tyrant of tame beasts a Flatterer Being asked what is most acceptable to man he said Time And being asked of the Gréek Myrsilas what was the greatest wonder that ever he saw he said An old man to be a Tyrant The third was Chilo the Lacedemonian who being demanded what was a difficult thing for a man to do he answered Either to kéep silence or to suffer injuries Being demanded what was most difficult for a man to know he said For a man to know himself And therefore he used this Poesie Nosce teipsum This Chilo being of Aesop demanded what Jupiter did in heaven he said He doth throw down lofty and proud things and he doth exalt humble and méek things S. Ion said that in knowing and considering what we are and how vile we are we shall have lesse occasion ministred to us to think wel of our selvs for there is nothing good nor beautifull in man This Solon being asked by King Cyrus sitting in his chair of state having on his most royal habiliments and Princely robes covered with Pearls and Precious stones Whether ever he saw a more beautifull sight then himself sitting in heighth of his Majesty Solon answered that he saw divers Birds more glorious to behold then Cyrus And being demanded by Cyrus what Birds were they Solon said the little Cock the Peacock and the Pheasant which are decked with natural garments and beautified with natural colours This Solon was wont to say I wax dayly old learning much He noted nothing so happy in man as to Live well that he might Die well applying the Cause to the Effect as first to Live well and then to Die well FINIS LONDON Printed by Elizabeth Alsop dwelling in Grubstreet near the Upper Pump 1653.
Illiads which Homer Alexander the great so esteemed by the reading of the atchievements of Achilles being brought up in school in his fathers days with that learned Phylosopher Aristotle that he never went to bed but he had Homer under his pillow and there fell in love with the prowesse of Achilles honoured his life and magnified his death insomuch that he went unto Illion in Phrygia where that famous City of Troy sometimes stood to sée the grave of Achilles where when he saw the worthy monuments of his martial chivalry his famous feats and renowned life depainted about the Temple which invironed round his sumptuous Tomb he brake out into tears beholding the tomb and said O happy Achilles who had such a Poet as Homer that so well could advance thy fame And thus Alexander being moved by Homer to imitate Achilles minded nothing else but magnanimity and courage of mind as Curtius and Diodorus Siculus can well testifie whose life though it was but short was a mirrour unto all the world that being but twenty years when he began to imitate the acts and feats of Achilles in twelve years more which was his whole time of life he became King over Kings a Conquerour over Conquerours and was named another Hercules for his prosperous successe in his enterprises insomuch that Julius Caesar the first and most valiant Emperor that ever was in Rome after his great conquests entring into the Temple of Hercules in Gades and reading the life of Alexander painted round about the Temple his worthy fame declared his noble déeds set forth his victories and conquests in every place described such monuments and mirrours in memory of his noble life every where expressed he fell into the like tears for Alexander as Alexander did for Achilles Thus was one in love with another for magnanimities sake each one so desirous of others fame that Caesar thought himself happy if he might be counted Alexander Alexander judged himself renowned if he might be named Achilles Achilles sought no greater fame then Theseus Theseus ever desired the name of Hercules Therefore Agesilaus King of the Lacedemonians wondered much at the singular magnanimity and prowesse of Epaminondas sometime Prince of Thebes who with one little City could subdue all Gréece This Epaminondas having wars with the Lacedemonians people no lesse renowned by war then justly feared by Epaminondas after great victories and triumphs was after this sort prevented by Agesilaus in the wars of Mantinia that all the people of Sparta were counselled either to kill Epaminondas or to be killed by Epaminondas whereby the whole force and power of Lacedemonia was fully bent by commandment given by Agesilaus their King to fall upon Epaminondas where that valiant and noble Prince by too much pollicy was wounded to death to the utter destruction of all the people of Thebes and yet being carried unto his tent alive he demanded of his souldiers the state of the field whether Thebes or Sparta was conquered being certified that the Lacedemonians fled and that he had the victory he forthwith charged the end of the spear to be taken out of his wounded side saying Now your Prince Epaminondas beginneth to live for that he dies a Conqueror We read not of Epaminondas his parralel who being compared unto Agamemnon for his magnanimity was angry therewith saying Agamemnon with al Greece with him was ten years about one town the City of Troy Epaminondas with little Thebes in one year conquered all Gréece An order was observed amongst the Lacedemonians before they did go to the wars they were by their Laws charged to make solemn sacrifice unto the Muses And being demanded why they so did sith Mars hath no society with the Muses Eudamidas then their King answered For that we might obtain as well of the Muses how to use victory gently as Mars to become victors manfully These Lacedemonians were so valiant that having banished their King Cleonimus for his extraordinary pride and violence did make Arcus King in his place Who being in Creet aiding the people of Corcyra in wars with the most part of the Citizens of Sparta Cleonimus their exiled King consulted with Pyrrhus King of Epyre and perswaded him then or never to conquer Sparta considering Areus was in Creet and that Sparta was not populous to defend any strength of invasion they both came and pitched their field in the open face of the City of Sparta assuring themselves to sup that evening at Cleonimus house The Citizens perceiving the great Army of Pyrrhus thought good by night to send their women unto Créet to Areus making themselves ready to â—ie manfully in resisting the hoast of the enemie and being thus in the Senate agréeing that the womankind should passe away that night lest their nation at that time should be quiet destroyed by Pyrrhus a great number of women appeared in armor amongst whom Archidamia made an Oration to the men of Sparta wherein she much blamed their intent and quite confounded their purpose saying Think you O Citizens of Sparta that your Wives and Daughters would live if they might after the death of their Husbands and destruction of Sparta Behold how ready we are how willingly the women of Sparta will die and live with their Husbands Pyrrhus shall well feel it and this day be assured of it No marvel it is that the children of these women should be valiant high in their resolution If Demosthenes who was so much esteemed in Athens had said in Sparta that which he wrote in Athens that they who sometime ran away should fight again he should have the like reward that Archilogus had who wrote in his book that it was sometime better to cast the buckler away then to die for which he was banished the confines of Lacedemonia At what time the noble city of Sagunâ—um was destroyed the Senate of Carthage having promised the contrary the renowned Romans though the league was broken and peace defied yet the Senators did send Fabius Maximus as their Embassador with two tables the one containing peace the other wars which were sent to Carthage either to choose peace or wars the election was theirs though the Romans were injured Hardie then the Romans were when Scaenola went alone armed unto the Tents of Porsenna King of Hetruria either to kill Porsenna or to be killed by Porsenna greater fortitude of mind could be in no man a more valiant heart also was séen in no man then in Cocles who alone resisted the whole army of King Porsenna and when the draw bridge was taken up he leaped in all his harnesse from his enemies into the midst of the river Tybur And though he was in divers places sore wounded yet neither did his fall hurt him nor his Armour press him neither the water drown him neither thousands of his enemies could kill him but he swam through the river Tybur unto Rome to the great admiration of King Porsenna and excéeding joy of Rome so that one
profession of sacred viginitie which she vowed unto Diana was so famous for her magnanimity that when Turnus Aeneas were in wars for the marriage of Lavinia King Latinus daughter she came Bellona like unto the field resisting the violence and puissance of the Troyans with the Rutils and brought aid unto Turnus That noble Zenobia the famous Quéen of the Palmyrians a Princess of rare learning of excellent vertues of most valiant enterprises after that her Husband named Odenatus had died took the Empire of Syria and attempted the magnanimity of the Romans and a long time she withstood in wars that noble and renowned Emperor Aurelian by whom the Emperor was wont to say when it was objected to him that it was no commendation for a Prince to subdue a woman That it is more valiant to conquer a woman being so stout as Zenobia then to vanquish a King being so fearfull as Xerxes The ancient Gréeks as Herodotus doth witnesse were much amazed at the magnanimity of Artemisia Queen of Caâ—ia who after that the King her husband died did shew such fortitude against the inhabitants of Rhodes that being but a woman she subdued their stoutness she burned their Navies wasted their wealth vanquished and destroyed the whole Isle entred into the City of Rhodes caused her Image to be set up for a monument of her chivalry the perpetual memory of her victory O renowned Ladies O most worthy women that with feminine feats have merited manly fame How did famous Teuca Queen of the Illyrians govern her subjects after the death of her husband King Argon who being warred on by the Romans repelled their force broke their bonds and discomfited their armies to her perpetual fame and commendation she governed the people of Illyria no lesse wisely then she defended the puissant force of the Romans stoutly She lived as Histories report as soberly and chastly without the company of man as she governed her countrey wisely and stoutly without the counsel of man It were sufficient to repeat the ancient Histories of two women to prove fully an everlasting prâ—ise and commendation unto all women The one written in Herodotus in his first book of Quéen Tomyris of Scythia the other mentioned by Valerius and Justine of Cleopatra Queen somtime of Egypt The first after that Cyrus had made havock in her Kingdome of Scythia killing destroying and burning all without any regard of Princely clemency or respect unto a womans government and not satisfied therewith he slew also the Queens own son named Margapices thirsting more and more for bloud Insomuch that the valiant Queen being much moved to revenge Margapices death weighing the gréedy rage of Cyrus came Lion like to field either to lose her own life or else to revenge her sons death and prest upon Cyrus at that time more like a grim Gorgon then a silly Scythian and â—lew him in the field and haling him up and down the field she cut off his head and bathed it in a great Tun full of bloud appointed for that purpose saying Now Cyrus drink thy belly full of that which thou couldest never have enough of Thus valiant Tomyris revenged tyranny requiting the death of her son with the death of two hundred thousand Persians The other was Cleopatra who after that Julius Caesar was murthered by Brutus and Cassius and that Marcus Antonius was by Augustus invaded with a puissant Army for his perjury and falshood shewed unto his Vncle Caesaâ— she I say Cleopatra having the most part of Arabia and Syria confederated with her friend and lover Antonius against Augustus being then the second Emperor of Rome and having with the forces of Egypt aided him a long time until that she perceived that Augustus prevailed and that Antonius was vanquished lest she should be conquered by Augustus she conquered her self yeelding rather her body a prey unto Serpents then to become a subject unto Augustus Hannibal could do no more but to poylon himself rather then to yeeld to Scipio Let Semiramis with her valiant force and stoutness be commended at Babylon where she reigned fourty years a Widdow after King Ninus her Husbands death Let noble and famous Atalanta with her Bows and Spears and feats of Arms be praised in Arcadia Let Hypsieratea that followed her Husband King Mithridates in the wars as a Lackey unknown be extolled in Ponius Lot Helerna Janus daughter with all her fortitude be spoken of in Latine And let Deborah be famous amongst the Israelites These women were no lesse famous for their pilgrimâ—ge thâ—n the worthy Conquerors and Champions of the world They were in no point inferiour to men and in many points far excelled Princes and Kings Surely the world was then very weak or women were very strong and resolute And to omit particularly to touch any more of women I will open and declare their vertues in several Countreys The women of Lacena would together with their husbands go unto the field yea they went souldier like unto Missena to fight in field The women of Cimbria would kill those that first fled the field though they were the next friends or kinsmen unto them The women of Saca had this custome either at their marriage to be conquered by their husbands the first day or else to be conquerors over their husbands all the days of their life their combat saith Aelianus was for victory and not for life The women of Persia would meet their husbands and sons flying the field lifting up their cloaths shewing their nakedness saying Whither flée you O you Cowards will you again enter into your mothers wombs will you créep into your wives bellies This they â—id in the wars betwixt Cyrus and his Grandfather Astyages The women of Sparta would go unto the field to sée in what place their Husbands and friends were wounded if it were before they would with gladness and joy shew the same unto every man and bury the body solemnly if their wounds were behind they would be so ashamed of the same that they would leave them unburied in the field The women of Scythia called Amazons lived as conquerours over men and not conquered by men untill Alexander the Great destroyed them and their Countrey which before were so valiant that they weighed not to encounter with Hercules in the field and after with Theseus in open battel they blushed not to meet the valiant Greeks at the destruction of Troy Magnanimity which was then for the defence of countreys is now turned into Tyranny to destroy countreys so that the toyl and travel the great dangers and high attempts that men took in hand was nothing but a pilgrimage of life some going some comming some born some dying some winning some losing some beginning their race and some ending their life much like a Comedy played on stages where every man acteth his appointed part shifting himself into sundry shapes and fashions To make an end of this subject whatsoever we do we do like pilgrims whersoever
to sigh and say This even Solon told me before at whose sighes Cyrus being with pity convicted gave him life This may be seen in Cinna a noble gentleman of Rome and Nephew unto Pompeius the great who having conspired the death of that most gentle Emperour Augustus who had been oftentimes Cinnas patron and defender both in restoring him unto his patrimony and in augmenting his honour and in saving his life and now likewise having his accusers ready to prove the intent of Cinna and in place to stand before Cinnas face to declare his conspiracy where how and when he had conspired the Emperours death While this complaint was made the Empresse Livia Augustus wife came in place saying the Physitian said she doth use a contrary plâ—ister to those patients that will not heal with rules of physick No prince said she wins such praise by severity as he meriteth commendation by lenity For Cinna now being reprehended his fault known to grant him life doth more augment Augustus fame by lenity then to make Cinna die for safeguard of the state by Iustice for Iustice without prudence is half tyranny The Emperour joyed much to hear such clemency proceed from his wife Livia and caused Cinna to be sent for and made him sit in a chair and willed every man to depart the chamber then not repeating Cinnas fault nor reciting his conspiracy he said I crave of thée Cinna in recompence of good will and pardoning of thy faults good wil and love again to shew me the like good will as I have wil alwaies shew unto thee in proof thereof he made him a Consul in Rome whose princely clemeÌ„cy therein made his foes to become his friends this his wonderful wisedom and humanity caused all Rome to love him and his wife alive to honour them both being dead He was went to answer any slanderous reproach or tanting words thus gently that Augustus never weighed slanderous words so that he might avoid malicious déeds We read of the like humanity to be in that most worthy Emperour Trayane who when he was blamed by some of his friends for his too much humanity towards his subjects considering that familiarity bréedeth contempt he answered I will be unto my subjects as I would my subjects be unto me for the gentleness and lenity of a Prince never hurteth his estate In the same place doth Brusonius joyn unto these two noble Emperors a worthy example of like clemency Alexander Severus who if all Rome had lost humanity it had béen found again in him He in like sort being spoken unto by one of his Consuls and being often reprehended of Mammea his own mother for his courtesie and facility of spéech I read said hee that severity groweth unto tyranny and tyranny in a Prince worketh his destruction And that lenity is the most secure state in a Prince who seeth not the experience thereof Certainly Nero Caligula and Heliogabulus were never so cruel as these thrée noble Emperors Augustus Traiane and Severus were gentle and méek Alphonsus the great King of Arragon giving ear a long time to his friends who found fault with his often pardoning and forgiving those that offended much his own person said Alphonsus had rather save many by lenity and gentleness then lose any by cruelty and tyranny This King being moved to wars against the Venetians and Florentines people very stout in Italy and ready from Naples to march forward to méet his enemies certain Embassadors comming from the Florentines to entreat of peace with Alphonsus upon humble suits and conditions No conditions said Alphonsus shall be denied to them that séek peace but frankly and fréely to grant it His humanity was such that the Embassadors were not so ready to aske peace but he was as ready to grant peace Herodotus doth write that there was a law among the Persians that no man should be punished for one fault but first they would examine whether his good deeds were to be rewarded or his evil life to be punished Nicanor the Macedonian after he had used evil speech every where against Philip Alexanders Father he was complained of unto the king When the king knew thereof he answered gently That poverty caused Nicanor to speak against king Philip Therefore he did send him money to ease his mind and pardoned withal his offences How worthy of memory is Theodosius Junior after he was perswaded by his friends to revenge these backbiters that spake ill of him he answered in this sort a Prince ought not to bend himself to revenge faults but be ready to pardon offences saying moreover Would God that Theodosius were able to make his enemies alive again And to prove that a Prince ought not to revenge Adrian the Emperour shewed a noble example thereof he having great enmity with a certain worthy Roman and being in great hatred towards this man before he became Emperour the self same day that Adrian was made Emperour of Rome méeting his enemy in the stréet he said aloud to him before the people Evasisti thou hast won the victory meaning that he then being a Prince elected might in no wise revenge the wrongs that he received before O passing humanity and clemency in princes It was Alexander theâ— great his saying as Pontanus in his first book affirmeth that it was more meet for a Prince to do good for evill then to add evill to evill We read that cruel Nero in the beginning of his Empire was so gentle that he wished often he could not read because he should not put his hand according unto the custome of Rome to the libells for the punishment of the offendors And Domitianus in the beginning did so abhor tyranny and cruelnesse that he would forbid to kill any beast for sacrifice though they in the latter years forgot this natural clemency What a noble vertue is humanity in a Prince what excellency in a noble man what an ornament in a Gentleman what commendation in all men insomuch that the Snakes of Syria the Serpents of Terinthia the Scorpions in Arcadia want no due deserved praise of Plini for their gentlenesse and sparing of their natural soil though they were cruel in others What humanity was it in Scipio having taken captive Hasdrubal king Masinisla his nigh kinsman to restore him home again without ransome what clemency used Demetrius to Silla a Captain of K. Ptolome even as before Ptolome shewed to Demetrius himself being taken prisoner the like shewed he to Silla such hath béen the lenity of some Princes that thereby they augmented fame purchased great honour won victories and such hath béen the tyranny of others that they have defamed themselves won hatred lost their estates and in fine destroyed themselves For this purpose was Philip King of Macedonia wont to instruct his son Alexander to deport him courteously towards the Macedonia to use lenity and clemency to his equals and to shew himself gentle unto all men while his father Philip
whose water if any man taste thereof he forgetteth any thing done or past before In this were the Thracians so dull of memory that they could not count above the number of four Now that memory is praised in some and obliviousnesse is dispraised in others there vvant no testimonies therein vvhat may be spoken of those that vvere counted famous clerks and the renovvnedst Oratours in all the vvorld vvhich did not onely stay in their Orations but also were quite beside their matters as Demosthenes Cicero two noble Oratours upon whom depended the City of Athens and Rome such imperfection was in them that Demosthenes was so dismaied at the presence of Philip King of Macedonia and Cicero so astonied at the presence of some bold Senators that both tongue and countenance failed these noble Orators Likewise Theophrastus that grave Philosopher who succéeded Aristotle many times was put to silence in the middest of his Oration before the people of Athens So was Heraclitus Severus dumb before the Emperour Herodus Atticus was before M. Antonius so that the presence of Princes the dignity of places the majesty of states abate and change the worthinesse of the person Some again challenge to themselves that which altogether they are in no capacity to apprehend as Hyparchion who when he would have contended with Ruffinus had not a word to speak in somuch that a proverb grew thereon applied unto him that is more talkative then wise Hiparchion is dumb Some again with Cassius Severus who though all his books were burned by Senatours said that he carried all his learning in mind and memory which could not be taken away For my learning said he is in my mind and not printed in books The greatest excellency that can be in man is memory and the next thing that approacheth immortality is memory and so nigh that if a man could but remember the end of the things he should never taste death but he should live for ever CHAP. XXXII Of Dissimulation and Craft of Subtiltie and Deceit THat Cynick Philosopher Diogenes making himself ignorant sometime in that which he knew best was wont in banquets and feasts to say if any man had demanded what kind of meat there was I cannot name it but I can eat it and so would passe to answer any thing with dissimulations So likewise Sigismund the Emperour would say that he that could not dissemble could not rule At what time Galba a Citizen of Rome had bidden a Gentleman named Mecaenas unto supper perceiving the Gentleman to be in love with his wife he feigned himself asléep for that Mecaenas might shew some part of his will and love in the mean season In the mean time while his wife and he were in talk came one of his servants to take some things away from the table supposing his master had béen asléep unto whom his master said Sirrah forbear though I sée not Mecaenas yet I sée you I sléep to him and not to you The like dissimulation was betwéen Demosthenes and Archia at what time he fled from Athens for fear of Antipaters displeasure and went to the Isle of Calabria where in the Temple of Neptune he hid himself till Archias came and promised him what honour and dignity he could enjoy if he would come unto Antipater Demosthenes perceiving his dissimulations and crafty ways answered plainly to move him to anger and said Thou of all men couldest never play upon the stage playing thy part then where truth is oftentimes opened and now at this time thou canst not be an Orator to perswade me whereat Archias waxed angry and threatned to hale him out of the Temple to whom Demosthenes answered Now perforce thy dissimulation is broke forth into truth I might hereon stay to note the great dissimulation betwéen Metellus and Scipio which was so great that Metellus feigned that Rome was happy that Scipio was born therein and yet was his mortal enemy all the days of his life In like case Frederick an Emperor sometime of Rome at what time the Senators would sit about the state of the City he would say Before you go into the Senate house cast away from you two things that you carry with you And being demanded of the Senate what two things were they he said Simulations and Dissmulations In this Philip of Macedon differed much from his son Alexander insomuch that Alexander would exercise nothing but magnanimity and truth and his father used all kind of falshood as was séen by subduing of the Sarunsians and the Cities of Thrace for under colour of peace he commanded his souldiers to bring under their Clokes every one a cord that at what time King Philip made silence to speak the enemies being attentive to hear he stretched forth his right hand for a Watch-word to his souldiers suddenly to bind the enemies with their cords and to bring them captive to Macedonia The like craft used Alcibiades amongst the Agrigentines feigning that he had something to speak for the common profit as well of Athens as of Agrigentum calling them into place as though he would open something necessary for them and had the Gréeks ready in the mean time to take the City and to possesse their substance by this craft Such craft used Thrasillus to take the City of Byzantium such deceit used Zopyrus to overcome Babylon such did Sextus the son of Tarquinius practise against the Gabians who when he perceived that his father might by no means subdue them he imitated Zopyrus craft making the enemies to believe that he was ill handled and cruelly used by his father and that he knew well how to deceive his father and to betray him unto them they being ready to beleeve Sextus made him chief of their company He straight sent messengers to his father to signifie unto him that he might do his pleasure with his enemies Tarquinius understanding the craft and subtilty of his son did bring the messenger into a fair garden mistrusting like a wise Prince the matter and gave this subtil warning to his son Walking up and down the Garden with divers noble man he with his staff did strike off the chief flowers in the Garden saying to the messenger Farewel tell my son what I do and bid him do accordingly Young Sextus Tarquinius perceiving his fathers mind flew the most eminent of his enemies and having thus oppressed the chief men he betrayed the City to his Father By this means and like craft Conon the Athenian deceived the Persians in Cyprus The subtilty that Pysistratus used to beguile the people of Megaera what Hannibal used in Italy when he subdued Tarentum are to like effect insomuch that Hannibal was wont to say when the Romans had again won Tarentum Eadem arte qua prius cepimus Tarentum amisimus For by craft Hannibal vanquished the Tarentines and by craft did the Romans win the same again Antigonus deceived the Citizens of Corinth under the colour of a marriage betwixt his son
the God of théeves and for the antiquity of theft it is thought that Prometheus Deucalions father as Poets do feign by the aid of Minerva stole first fire from Phoebus for the which fact he was punished in mount Caucasus after this sort he was bound fast and an Eagle appointed to eat up his heart and to hale his puddings along in furtherance and memory of his theft Hercules and Jason two of the most famous Princes that ever Greece fostred went unto Colchis to steal the golden Fléece Theseus and Perithous went unto the Kingdome of Pluto to steal Proserpina away There was dwelling in a rock near Athens a famous théef named Sciâ—on who was wont to throw headlong strangers that were his guests from a rock into the sea and after that he had continued a long time in spotling and murthering of men that passed by in taking their goods and lives away he was in theÌ„ same sort by Theseus put himself to death Cacus of whom Virgil makes mention the son of Vulcan was so crafty a théef that having a den in mount Aventine he used to draw any thing backward by the tail unto his cave where he spoiled it whether it were man or beast there should he be brought by flight of Cacus to he destroyed till he attempted to spoil Hercules by stealth who after long wrastling in his den with his club slew him The famous theef Sinius used such seats and thefts about Corinth that he would bind any passer by or strangers unto trees and there would hew them into small gobbets for their money and substance These three last renowned theeves are much mentioned of writers So Capiton kept himself fifty years in a den as a common robber to steal and to spoil all that came near his violence The Argives were men most noted and infamous for this fault insomuch that a proverb grew of the Argives Argivi fures that is the Argives are theeves Amongst the Persians there were certain theeves called Cardaces permitted without punishment to steal and to rob The old Germans and ancient Egyptians might somtime by law and the liberty of their country be allowed to steal Lycurgus made laws in Sparta amongst the Lacedemonians that he that did steal without reprehension or being taken with the theft should be free and he which could not artificially steal being taken should be punished insomuch that Brusonius in his second book doth speak of a young man that stole a young Fox the owner thereof following after demanded of the young man whether he saw a little for or no the young man denied it hiding the Fox under his cloak but the Fox a subtil beast willing to shew himself to his master did bite and scratch the young man so sore that his puddings gushed out of his side who thus suffered himself to die rather then he would manifest his theft Wherefore Theophrastus a noble philosopher having the examination of a subtile théef demanded whether he could blush or no to the which the théef answered that he could not for he néeded not to blush in a true matter therefore saith Theophrastus thou art the liklier to be a théef for truth alwaies appeareth in a shamefast countenance Wherefore the wise Cato the Senior was wont to say that young men that waxed red were better to be trusted then those that would wax pale for the one signifieth shamefastnesse and the other deceit For Pithias Aristotles daughter being demanded what colour was best in man or woman she answered that colour that shamefastnesse bringeth which is a blushing countenance But to speak of Pyrates Sextus Pompey the son of Pompey the great kept under him divers and sundry Pyrates about the borders of Italy and Sicily to rob and spoil upon the seas to his great infamy and reproach being the son of so famous a Roman whom Rome a long time so estéemed that Caesar hardly might be superiour to him What shall I say of King Pyrrhus and Caius Verres whom Cicero for his sundry thefts and spoil and for divers sacriledges by Verres committed compared unto the foresaid Tyrant To speak of infinite Pyrates and divers Sacriledgers it were to none effect because it is a common practise in all Countreys Therefore as Diogenes the Philosopher said when he saw a poor man led between the Magistrates to the place of execution Behold saith he a little theef betwéen a number of great theeves God grant that it may not truly be spoken of divers Magistrates in sundry places CHAP. XXXVII Of Lust THe spoil and slaughter of Lust did always far surpasse all other vices it hath suppressed Castles and Countreys it hath vanquished Kings and Cesars overthrown the pomp of Asia Affrica and Europe and almost depopulated the whole world This vice of all vices is to be abhorred and detested for there is no vice but hath its center as pride chiefly hath her seat appointed in puissant Princes and Noble men Covetousnesse resideth with old men that be Magistrates and Officers Envy with men of sciences and faculties Vsury with Citizens Symony with Bishops and Priests Hypocrisie with Religious men Deceit with Merchants but Lust is common to all men as well to the subject as to the Prince to the learned as to the ignorant to the wise as to the foolish For David and son Salomon to whom God gave singularity of wisdome dexterity of wit to govern the Israilites yet the sacred Scriptures do witness of their horrible lust David lusted for Bathsheba and that so wickedly that he appointed a way to put to death her husband Uriah Solomon lusted so much that he did forget his God that did guide his steps all the while he ruled justly and lived godly in Israel Aristotle and Socrates in despight of their Philosophy and great knowledge the one became a slave to Hermia the other a subject to Aspasia Sampson and Hercules for all their strength and conquest of Giants and monsters the one prostrated his Club at Deianiraes foot the other committed his strength to the beauty of Delilah The renowned and sugred Oratours Demosthenes and Hortensitis the one from Athens came to Corinth to compound for a nights lodging with Lais the other in Rome with nicenesse and wantonnesse was judged more subject to lust then Lord over himself If then witty and wise men if learned and discreet men if eloquent and subtil men if strong and mighty Conquerours have been ruled by lust deceived by beauty overcome with women what should I speak of Heliogabulus not well named Emperour but worthily called the beast of Rome What should I recite that Monster and Tyrant Nero What should I recite that filthy and vile Emperour Caligula the onely sink of sin and shame not Emperors but Monsters not Princes but Tyrants not men but beasts which defiled their own sisters kept open stews and brothel houses maintaining Whores and Harlots made Laws at their banquets every man to his woman first and then to his meat and
was envyed at by the Iews and Gentiles insomuch that tyranny and murther was the sequel of envy as from time to time hath been tried from age to age séen and from man to man practised nay even to dead men it hath béen shewed as Achilles did to Hector by haling and drawing his body about the fields of Troy in the open sight of King Priam his father So M. Antonius did to Cicero having the head of Cicero set before him to ease his Tygerish mind permitting his wife Fulvin to wear the tongue of Cicero on her Coyf This Cambyses shewed to the Iudge Sâ—samenes who being dead flead him being flead did cut him in pieces and being cut in pieces did give him to be devoured by beasts and birds I might well declare the tyranny of Tullia shewed towards her father King Servius Tullius being dead who caused her Chariot and horses to tread on her fathers body in the open stréets I might speak of Tomyris Queen of Scythia toward King Cyrus being dead who did strike off his head and did bathe it in bloud I might make mention of the tyranny of Alexander in Thessaly and of Busiris in Egypt I might open the wicked life and state of Dionysius in Syracusa of cruel Creon in Thebes of Periander in Corinth and of Pisistratus in Athens But I should be tedious to amplifie that which may be briefly examined And this we read and see daily by experience that the end of Tyrants is to die in tyranny and as they deal with others so are they dealt withal themselves As Diomedes and Busiris were wont to féed their horses with mens flesh and to quench their thirst with mens bloud so were they themselves vanquished by Hercules and made food to be eaten and devoured by their own horses which they before fed with other mens flesh Likewise the great tyrant Phalaris and that cruel Perillus were both destroyed with those new invented torments that they made for others I mean the brazen Bull which Perillus made to satisfie the tyranny of Phalaris Thrasillus and Scyron the one teaching the way of tyranny was first of all in that which he taught unto others tormented and slain the other thrown headlong into the sea by Theleus even so as he was wont to do unto others What should I speak of the great cruelty of Aemilius who as Aristides in Plutarch doth testifie used to recompence any man that would and could invent new torments to punish the innocent and to pleasure his divellish minde He I say dwelling in Agesta a City of Sicilia made a brasen horse to vexe and torment the people wherein through the commandement of Armmius Paterculus chief Magistrate of the City he first suffered the assay of his new invented work We read again of King Danaus fifty daughters called Belides which being maried to the fifty sonnes of Aegistus slew all their husbands the first night except Linceus who was preserved by Hypermenestra his wife The like we reade of the thirty sisters of Albina who after the same manner made an end of thirty husbands in one night The sequel of tyranny was such that what wanted in the father wâ—s fully supplied in the sonne for amendment is seldome séen And that was very well considered of a simple woman named Ihera who when she perceived that the people of Syracusa did wish the death of Dionisius the tyrant she straight knéeled upon her knées and besought the Gods that he might live and being demanded why she prayed for such a tyrant she said I knew three Kings in Siracusa every one a tyrant the second worse then the first the the third worse then the second and now Dionisius being the fourth is worse then the third and I am doubtfull if a fourth should come it would be the Divel himself who is worse then Dionysius and therefore I pray the Gods he may live for of two evils the least is to be chosen Mark how in a simple woman a silly person truth doth often sojourn The like we read of a certain husbandman that digged in the ground when the murtherers that slew King Antigonus passing in hast taking their flight into Phrygia demanded of the husbandman why he digged so déep I dig up said he another King Antigonus to rule in Macedonia letting them to understand the true Proverb That seldome comes the better that he that would come after should be far worse then King Antigonus O happy age O golden world while tyranny was not known The great Monarchies of the world were gotten with tyranny and likewise through tyranny lost The first Monarchy after the great Deluge was that of the Assyrians which began under Ninus the third King of the Assyrians and continued in slaughter and tyranny till Sardanapalus time who was the last King which was a thousand two hundred nine and thirty years From the Assyrians it was won with the sword and brought with violence and tyranny by that cruel and bloudy Arbactus to the Medes and remained there till the time of King Astyages who was the ninth and last King of the Medes two hundred and fifty years From the Medes it was had away by tyranny to Persia by King Cyrus and there stayed until the time of King Darius which was two hundred and thirty years From the Persians it was with bloud and great slaughter taken away by Alexander the great unto Macedonia and there maintained till Perseus time which was a hundred and seven and fifty years From the Macedonians it was posted to Rome where under Julius Caesar the proudest Monarch in all the world it fomed in bloud flourished in tyranny a long time Thus tyranny was fed and fostered from one country to another till almost the whole world was destroied The murther and tyranny that long flourished in Gréece betwéen the Thebans and the Lacedemonians again betwixt the Lacedemonians and the Athenians betwixt the Athenians and all Greece who readeth it not in Thucidides Tamberlan the great murtherer King sometime in Scythia got through tyranny Medea Albania Mesopotamia Persia and Armenia he passed over Euphrates subdued Asia the lesse and took Baiazet King of the Turks called all the Princes of Asia in his voyage toward Gréece where such tyranny was used that not onely Cities and Countries were destroyed but also their Temples and their Gods neglected and spoiled Great was the tyranny betwixt King Darius of Persia and Miltiades Prince of Athens who slew a hundred thousand of Darius men How great was the slaughter of King Cyrus after he had exiled his Grandfather King Astrages from Persia vanquished the Babylonians and overthrew Croesus King of Lydia and after he had subdued the most part of Asia he ceased not his tyrâ—nny untill he came to Scithia where he and two hundred thousand were slain by one woman Tomyris Queen Scithia who after she had slain him she caused his head to be cut off and made it to be bathed in a great tun of
son to Theseus being falsly accused by his mother in law Quéen Phedra and flying to avoid the fury and rage of his father at the request of the Queen was torn in pieces by wild horses But let us passe further and we shall read that as some were devoured by horses so others were by Serpents stung to death as Laocoon that worthy Troyan was by two Serpents destroyed yea that famous and warlike woman Cleopatra Quéen of Egypt after her lover and friend Marcus Antonius was overcome by Augustus Caesar the Emperour did chuse rather to be overcome with Serpents then subdued by Caesar With this death was Opheltes the son of Licurgus King of Menea vanquished Again some have perished by wild Bores and raging Lions as Anceus King of Samos and Paphages King of Ambracia the one by a Bore the other by a Lion Some have béen devoured by dogs as Linus the son of Apollo Pliny in his seventh book metions a Quéen in Bithinia named Cosinges K. Nâ—comedes wife whom her own dogs flew tare in pieces Euripides that learned Gréek coming in the night time from Archelaus King of Macedonia with whom he had been at supper was incountered by his enemy Promerus who set his dogs on him and did tear him to pieces Even so were Herachtus and Diogenes both Philosophers by dogs likewise killed I may not forget so great a prince as Basilius the Emperour of Macedon who in hunting amongst his Lords and Nobles yea amongst thousands of his Commons he onely meeting a Hart in the chase was hurt by him in the leg whereof he died As for Seleucus King of Syria son to Antiochus surnamed the Great and Bâ—la King of Panonia they were both thrown by their horses and died If these mischance happen unto princes in the midst of their state what is their glory but misery since nothing expelleth fate nor can avoid death Some have been so weary of life some so fearfull of death that they have thrown themselves into the water to be drowned others for all their diligent fear and watching for death have most shamefully notwithstanding been by death prevented Frederick the Emperour marching towards Ierusalem after that he had taken several Cities and Townes in Armenia in passing through a little river was drowned Decius that noble King being enforced to take his flight from the Goths with whom he then was in wars was drowned in the Marish ground Marcus Marcellus after that he had béen a Consul in Rome thrée times before the third wars betwixt the Romans and the Carthaginians was likewise by shipwrack cast away How many noble Princes have béen drowned as Pharaoh King of Egypt in the red sea of whom we read in the sacred scriptures How many have the seas despoyled of life and with their own names christened the names of seas and waters in which they were drowned As by the death of Aegeus King of Athens the sea Aegeum was so called by the death of Tyrrhenus King of Lydia the sea was called The Tyrrhen Sea And so King Tyberinus altered the river called Aelbula by his death to be the river of Tyber Again the sea Hellespont was so called by a woman named Helle drowned in it So by Iâ—arus and Myrtilus the sea of Icarus and the sea Myrton were so called Divers Princes have also perished by famine and have been compelled to eat their own flesh as Erisicthon and Neocles a Tyrant of Scicioma It is written in Curtius that Sysigambis King Darius mother died of hunger Ulysles the Gréek lest any off-spring of Hector should rise in Phrygia to revenge the fall of Troy and his countrey did cast Astianax the son of Hector over the walls alive Lycurgus King of Thrace was by his own subjects thrown headlong into the sea for that he first mingled water with wine How many famous and noble Princes have been stoned to death as valiant Pyrrhus King of the Epyrotes being in wars with Antigonus was slain by an old woman with a a tile-stone at Argos Pyrander at what time the Athenians warred against Eumolpus for that he feared famine hiding the wheat from his souldiers was therefore by them stoned to death Even so was Cinna the Roman in the wars betwixt the Gauls and the Romans for the like offence stoned to death Stout Cebrior King Priaâ—'s son was slain by a stone hurled at him by Patroclus at the siege of Troy so died Cygnus the son of Achilles at the same time O unstedfast fortune that stones should end the many lives of famous princes O imprudent princes that know not how nigh ye are always to death How many hath God punished with sudden death for their offences as Mithridates King of Pontus and Nicanor the son of Parmenio of Macedonia died suddenly Sertorius was slain suddenly at a banquet by Upenna The Emperour Heliâ—gabalus was killed upon his stool at his easement and thrown into Tyber That renowned and famous Conquerour Julius Caesar was in the middest of the City of Rome where he was Emperor yea in the Senate-house murthered and mangled by Brutus and Cassius Divers Consuls in Rome died this death as Fabius Maxâ—mus Gurges the Senator And Manlius Torquatus even at his supper died presently Some with Thunder-bolts did God likewise punish thus Capaneus was slain at the wars of Thebes Tullus Hostilius King of Rome was with a Thunderbolt for his insolency and pride slain Zoroastres King of the Bactrians the first inventer of Magick was likewise by that kind of death encountred Pride in princes was the onely cause of their falls insomuch that the poets feign that the great and monstrous Giant Eâ—câ—ladus for his proud enterprise against Jupiter was thrown by a Thunderbolt into the bottome of Aetna a fiery and flaming mountain The uncertain state of princes is séen and tried by their death Who liveth so short a time as a prince who dieth so strange a death as a prince Who liveth in care who dieth living but a prince Was not Sergius Galba and Commodus the son of Marcus sirnamed Anbilius two Emperors of Rome the one by Otho strangled in the Market place of Rome the other imprisoned by Martia his own concubine Minos King of Creet travelling after Dedalus into Sicily was by his great friend King Cocalus slain by deceit So was Alebas chief governour of Larissa murthered by his own souldiers The desire that men bear unto honour and dignity is commonly accompanied with death as Spurius Cassius and Spurius Melius for their greedinesse of the Empire of Rome were both worthily beheaded God hath shewed just vengeance upon Princes for their iniquity with plagues and pestilences which spoiled the Emperor Constantine and the Empresse Zoae his wife And by this were Marcus Antonius Alphonsus and Domitius justly and worthily punished God hath wonderfully punished the pride of Princes even with shamefull and horrible deaths insomuch that Lice and vermine have consumed their bodies alive As Maximilian the Emperour Arnulphus
suffered in free Cities and Towns free tongues Philip King of Macedonia when certain Embassadours of Athens came to him he required of them if he might stand in any stead to Athens to certifie him of the same to whom Demochares one of the Embassadours answered that the greatest pleasure that he could do to Athens was to hang himself the King most patient in such scoffs and taunts said the reproachfull slander of the Athenians do make King Philip better able to revenge their malice by wars then to move him to answer their back-biting in words A Prince not onely patient in hearing but also wise in answering As sometime the Emperour Alexander Severus in Rome when it was signified unto him after Antonius was dead that the barbarous nations were ready to enter the City of Rome and that he was much rebuked of the people and blamed of the Senators for the slender care he had to the City he as Herodianus affirms answered that it belongeth to Princes to requite the good and not to answer the evill for wisemen will speak evil of no man in the beginning least they should be judged fooles in the end whereunto all things are directed and whereby all things are proved So patient was Anaxagoras when it was told him that his son was dead to answer merrily I know my son was mortal So patient was King Antigoâ—us being certified of his son Alcâ—onus death to answere I looked no other than for his death So patient was Pericles whon he heard that both his sons died in one day to kéep his countenance merry his cheere unchanged and his businesse about the state of his countrie not delayed But Harpalus was of passing patience being bidden of Astiages King of Persia to supper where he had two sons of his ready drest and layd in a silver dish before him on the table to be eaten by their owne father The King nay the tyrant marking the countenance of Harpalus and perceiving him not to be moved much at the matter asked him how he liked his supper he without alteration of colour or change of countenance framed himselfe to answer the king merrily commending much the supper as one that knew that patience was the onely remedy in tyranny A second Iob in patience nay hee passed Iob for Iob knew that his God did suffer Satan to punish him for love he had to Iob but Harpalus perceived that this tyrant did this to him of tyranny and evil will far from christianity for in this vale of misery we count him wise and certain we may cal him most wise that can in prosperity be gentle and in adversity be patient Both these examples were seen in one man in one day at Rome Paulus Aemilius having two sons the hope of Rome and comfort of the father the one dead foure dayes before the triumphs of Macedonia the other three dayes after the triumph returning from Macedonia with that noble victory and such triumphs unto Rome that no man could finde in his heart to tell this noble Romane of the heavinesse in Rome by reeson of the death of his children he perceiving the people of Rome to be sad and he so merry they so heavy with sobs and sighes and he so glad by reason of his triumphs and victories demanded the cause which being at length made known he then comforted them that should comfort him saying I thank the Gods more to give me victory over my enemies to the glory and prayse of Rome then I accuse fortune to spoyl me of my children which by nature were borne to dye and though much it be to my griefe yet wish I the Gods to do the like to the father as they did the sons so that the like conquest and glory may happen to Rome In this was both magnanimity and patience Some men are patient in some things as in a corporal paine some in torments another is patient of injuries done I commend them both but to be patient in all kinde of aflictions and adversity heaven and earth commendeth that man Plyny speaketh of one man Anarchus Augustus most patient in torments Of one Woman Laena to kéep silence So were the Egyptians people of great patience when they had rather dye in torments with patience then to betray any man The Gymnosophistes of India were so patient that from sun rising untill night upon the hot sanâ— they continued without meat and drink saith Plyny going from one seat to an other to behold the heavens the Sun the Moon c. The Lacedemonians were most patient in travel paine winde weather and wars The people of Sparta at what time certaine men of Chios came to pilgrimage understanding the wise men of Sparta called Ephori to be in all things most patient to move them to anger they vomited before them and then went where the Ephori sate in judgement and used it as a common stoole to discharge nature When they came to Chios againe they said that the wise men of Sparta were fooles and blocks because they could not move them to be angry but not more patient then the other were beastly For this kinde of patience was Mithridates king of Pontus renowned so was Agesilaus king of the Lacedemonians so was Masissima king of Numidia So patient was the Emperor Augustus that he suffered a young man of Sycilia to answer him as boldly as he had demaÌ„ded of him merrily whether ever his mother had been in Rome he being like to the Emperour in countenance and proportion meaning thereby that he might be his father if she had been there the young man perceiving the sleight of Augustus answered boldly and said My mother was never in Rome but my father hath béen divers times in Rome meaning that the Emperour might rather be his brother that way then he to be his son the other way by his mother But because patience is better known by reading of divers Princes anger where they shall see what hurt was done what wickednesse was committed by impatience which might have bin redressed and saved by patience therefore to avoyd prolixity it shall be spoken in the one what wanteth in the other but I will first speak of the humanity and sobriety and other vertues famous in Kings and Princes CHAP. XV. Of humanity and clemency of Princes LIke as pride oppresseth love provoketh disdain kindleth malice confoundeth justice and at length subverteth states even so humanity stirreth up affection augmenteth amity maintaineth love supporteth equity and preserveth Cities and countries Nothing saith the godly Emperour Alexander Severus so joyneth the hearts of subjects unto their Prince as humanity Nothing doth purchase honour so much to the noble man as affability Nothing so much kindleth love amongst the Commons as mutual humanity How gently did Cyrus king of Persia handle Croesus king of Lydya who being vanquished and convicted was by the law as Herodotus doth witnesse appointed to dye he being brought to the place of execution began heavily