prison in Chalciaeco where he was miserably starued to death But before he died wrastling with hunger and fighting for life death with famishment further séeing before his face a most miserable lamentable and wofull end remembred vpon a sodaine the saying of Simonides crying out with a loud and pitifull voice thrée seuerall times in this sort saying O Simonides magnum quiddam in tuo sermone inerat ego vero inani persuasione sum adductus vt eum nullius momenti putarem O friend Simonides in thy watchword was a great and weighty matter included but as for me I was caried away with vaine persuasions and made small account of thy wise warning Also Craesus the rich king of Lydia because Solon would not account of him aboue all mortall men then liuing but rather preferred other honest men in beautitude and happy estate farre aboue Crasus nothing regarding the huge heapes of money and mighty masses of treasure which he then possessed Wherewith he was so eleuated with pride that he farre excelled and excéeded all earthly and mortall creatures in his owne conceit Most sharply reprehending Solon for that he so little regarded his mighty power as to preferre any man in blessed estate aboue him whom he ought not so much as once to compare with any mortall man but rather to haue lifted and extolled him to the heauens and recounted him amongst the Gods immortall For which his stately pride and vaine folly he was accordingly punished as is before rehearsed Where he most hartely repented himself of his foolish vanitie Nay there were diuers kings which not onely contented themselues with the stately stile of immortall Gods or satisfied themselues when their subiects both seperated made a difference betwixt them as farre as the heauens from the earth but also commaunded themselues to be adored and worshipped as the very liuing God and that all knees should bowe and be obedient at the hearing of their names as Nabuchodonozer the great and mighty King of Babylon when he perceiued that his power made the worlde to shrinke grewe so proud that he would be a God on the earth setting vp his picture or image commaunding those to be slaine which would not fall downe worship it but see how the high God plagued him most iustly for his proud folly taking his kingdome from him for a time to the intent he might know perceiue a difference betwixt the liuing God and his mortall carkasse being also transformed to an vgly shape of a beast whose head was like the head of an Oxe his feete like to the feete of a Beare his taile like the tayle of a Lyon and euerie haire on his bodie as big as an Eagles feather and he that would be a God before thinking the earth too vile and base for him to tread on was now faine to lay his flapping lips to the ground to gather his food and did eate hay the space of 7. yeres together being at the last againe restored both to his former shape and dignitie Alexander Magnus when hee had conquered most part of the world returned to Babylon holding ther his Parliament summoning the Kings of the earth to come and worship the sonne of Iupiter making such account of himselfe putting diuers to most cruel death who would not consent to his vile folly nor adore him as a God yea and those that were his very friends who had before time preserued him from death and also from diuers dangers which otherwise had greatly annoyed and molested him hee plagued with most vile torments because they would not vphold and maintaine his monstrous errour Notwithstanding for all these gréeuous punishments there were that could not brooke his stately pride but sharply reprehended laughed him openly to scorne for the wise Anaxarchus hearing that this God fell sicke on some sodaine sicknesse and that the Phisitions were sent for to him who ministred purgations vnto him and prescribed certaine receipts and potions for the recouerie of his health whereat he floutingly said thus At deo nostro spes omnis in sorbilatione patellae pofita est What is all the hope of our goodly God come now to the sipping of a platter for in such vessells were the confections and sirops giuen by the Phisitions Further saying after a scoffing manner It had been necessarie first that he should haue been Gods fellowe before he presumed to be a God in deed for so perhaps hee might haue purchased and obtained the good will of the Gods in attaining to his desired seate But he scaped not vnpunished to show the difference betwixt God and man whose miserable death is néedlesse to repeate being before spoken of Also Agrippa the sonne of Aristobolus after his good successes by the lewd entisement of his flattering counsailors and thorough the foolish perswasions of seruants was cōtent to haue such honour done to him as was due to a God yea also to suffer himselfe to be called by the name of a God notwithstanding he had before béen taken prisoner by Tiberius and vsed most cruelly in prison not like a man for he was gyued chayned with mighty chaines to yron But beeing afterward deliuered by Caligula who made him King of the Iewes setting a crowne of golde on his head giuing him a chaine of golde of the same weight that he had before worne in prison of yron so that by such sodaine changes his minde was so eleuated and lifted vp with pride that he no longer would be man but suffered himself to be wondred at by the people as a God causing himselfe so to bee tearmed and called by his subiects but in the ende hee was striken with an Angell in the sight of an infinite number of people wherewith his bodie smelled and wormes issued out with intollerable paines and horrible stench In the which torments grieuous paines he looked on his euill counsailors and flattring seruants saying Loe I whom you called a God am nowe in the paines of death And so most miserably hee died In like sort Menecrates being but a Phisition because he had cured diuers and sundrie diseases to his great fame and commendation did so swell in pride that hee called himselfe Iupiter or Iuuans Pater this arrogant asse sent vpon a time to Philip king of Macedony a letter wherein was written this sawcie salutation Menecrates Iupiter Philipo salutem c. Menecrates Iupiter to Philip sendeth greeting c. Whose vaunting vaine the King perceiuing wrote back againe in this manner and forme folowing Philippus Menecrati sanitatem c. Philip Macedo to Menecrates wisheth well fare c. Consulo vt ad Anticyram te conferas I counsaile thee to take thy iorney to Anticyra meaning by this drye frump that the man was moonesick and besides his wittes the aforesaide Philip on a time made a sumptuous and costly banquet whereunto he inuited and bad Menecrates commanding his seruants that there
saith hee but lay you by me a little staffe that I may feare and keepe them away therein deriding their foolish curiosity that séemed to be so carefull to burie the dead carkasse as though there had béen great difference whether it had been deuoured of birdes and beastes in the field or eaten and consumed of wormes in the ground so rebuking their folly he died The wise Philosophers so little regarded their dead carcasses knowing by their natural wisdome what the substance thereof was making also no account or reckoning of life whose state was so fraile and fickle the learned Horace going about to quip and reprehend the fearefull minds of those that so much feared death said Pallida mors aequo pulsat pede pauperum tabernas regúmque turries that pale death did as wel visit the rich as the poore therfore saith he it is a foolish thing so much to feare that which no man knoweth when it shall happen neither can it be auoyded or shunned by any praiers or gifts nor by the force or strength of man repelled or driuen back Whereunto also Homer replieth saying Nec vis Herculea fatum enitauit acerbum neither could Hercules strength resist or withstand death The wise Socrates when hée was to suffer punishment namely losse of life Apollodorus his familiar friend comming to the prison where hee was laide vp brought vnto him a verie fine coate of costlie wooll well wouen and wrought and therewithall a cloake of no courser stuffe desiring him to put them on and to weare them when he drunke the poyson that should procure his death For saith he Socrates cannot want a rich and honorable buriall if hee being attired with those gorgeous garments yeeld vp the sweete pledge of his life nor that he should lye dead altogether vndecently being decked with such beautifull and comely furniture These words vttered Apollodorus to Socrates but he not allowing thereof said to Crito Simmias and Phoedon O what a notable opinion dooth Apollodorus conceiue of vs if he hope to see Socrates in such brauerie after he hath drunke vp the poysoned potion ministred to him by the hands of the Athenians but if he did consider and beleeue that shortly after I should droupe downe grouel on the ground and at last lye like a lumpe of lead vnder feete he would not vouchsafe to knowe me Not long before the time of his death also he being at libertie was verie sick and féeble in bodie so that his friends asked him how it fared with him verie well said he how so euer the world shall wag for if I haue my life prolonged I shall increase mine enimies to baite me with rebukes againe if death shorten my dayes I shall winne more friendes to crowne me with commendation In like manner Plato at what time the Academy was reported to be infected with the pestilence the Phisicians gaue him counsaile to remoue his schoole from the Academy into Lyceus but hee neuer a whit agréed to their counsaile but saide Sed ego producendae vitae causa ne in Atho quidem summitatem transmigare velim I would not remoue to the high tops of the maine mountaine Athos for the prolonging of my daies and the preseruing of my mortall life so little also feared or regarded that wise Philosopher the fatall end Sch. Truly y e philosophers in this point do shew thēselues the folowers of wisedome indeede for by birth they perceiue themselues to be mortall therefore make they no great account of their vncertaine life but truely I coulde wish that there were many Philosophers now liuing amongest vs to instruct vs thorowly by their great wisedome whereby wee might as well learne to die as to liue Fa. Surely in mine opinion it were in vaine for the nature of man is rather to credite and followe the precepts and doctrine of those that are dead than to giue audience or be instructed at the mouth of the wise who liueth for Diogenes himselfe in his life was forsaken of al his friends because he vsed to reprehend them most sharpely therefore they termed him a Cinike or doggish Philosopher but after his death his deedes were recorded and had in great reuerence Socrates also was hated amongst his countrimen because he would tell them thorowly of their faults Wherefore in the ende he was accused and put to death but after had in great reuerence and admiration folowing his rules and precepts in gouerning their common wealth In like sort Aristotle Demosthenes Plato Callisthenes and diuers other were had in greater estimation after their death than they were in their life time If Christ himselfe did liue at this day amongest you as he did amongst the Iewes and his miracles shewed to you as they were in Iewry it is hardly to be thought whether you would haue beleeued so soundly on him being bodily liuing amongst you as you do nowe by the certaine reports of his passion and miracles But if the Philosophers would haue giuen themselues to please men to flatter their follie and to maintaine their vice they should haue beene in great estimation in their life but they should neuer haue purchased the name of Philosophers Xenophon saith that Socrates vpon a time had conference with the harlot Caliste who vttered these wordes in course of talke to Socrates Ego tibi Socrates multùm presto nam cùm tu neminem à me possis abalienare ego cum libitum est tuos omnes à te auoco I excell thee Socrates many degrees for when thou canst not allure men from me I can entise any of thine from thee when soeuer I list To whom Socrates shaped this answere Quid mirum est siquidem tu ad decline c. What wonder is that for thou dooest traile men downe in the dale of vice and destruction but I hale them vp the hill of vertue and eternitie wherevnto is no easie passage or common climing meaning that the nature of man were more easier to be entised by flattery to lewdnesse than by sharpe reprehension drawne to vertue The wise Philosophers also were of this minde and opinion that the most blessed and happiest thing which might fall and happen to man was death the end and conclusion of all miseries In like manner the ancient Poets in diuers of their workes haue confirmed the same opinion as a generall and vniuersall iudgement insomuch that it hath beene reported that Biton and Cleobis the sonnes of Araia when their mother being ministresse in a Temple of a goddesse should haue gone to the Temple in a chariot with great speede as the manner was and her horses coulde not be founde her two sonnes of childly pitie vouchsafed themselues to bend their bodies and draw their mother with speed to the Temple for which gentle affection the mother desired of the goddesse whom she serued to giue her children the greatest benefite which GOD might giue to man After the feast in the night when
being wonderfully beloued of the Romanes and honoured excéedingly for his happie successes in his warres grew in the ende so proud that he disdained anie superiour which ambitious minde caused his shamefull destruction First being but a youth he entered into Africke committing there most horrible slaughters of the Africans subduing their Countrey to the Romane Empire returning to Rome from thence he spéedely marched into Spaine where he ouercame in Battaile the most valiaunt Captaine Sertorius beeing then an Exile in Spaine and before inuincible He also vanquished the great king of Pontus called Mithridates with a mightie number of people For which great victories he triumphed in Rome twise not being filled with these great conquests and murders of distressed people nor satisfied with his stately triumphs but forthwith inuaded and conquered these realmes and nations as Armenia Cappadocia Paphlagonia Media Cilicia Mesopotamia Iudea Arabia Colchis Iberia Albania and Syria for the which also he triumphed in Rome In these warres he gathered a mightie masse of treasure whereby he both inriched the common treasure-house of Rome and also himselfe the gold which he brought to Rome from the spoiles of these wars was 2000. talents which amounteth of our mony to 28026600. pounds beside that which he gaue to euery priuat souldior which was sixe pounds to euery man therefore it is to be thought that in so great an hoast as pertained to the cōquests of so many countries must needs extend to a wonderfull summe of money If then the summe which was preserued did amount to such a mightie masse It is also to be supposed the priuat spoiles and booties of the common souldiors did arise to a great quantitie which was not openly declared Wherefore it is to be considered how that Pompey thorough his vnsatiable appetite did spoile and sacke on infinite number of statelie Cities and rich towns with the sheding of huge streams of bloud in the gathering together of this mucke for which cause also manie thousands of his people lost their liues Returning to Rome with the rich spoiles his haughtie pride much more increased in somuch that no Romane in what office soeuer might be his péere no nor scant his equall and to establish his estate the better he married Iulia the daughter of Iulius Caesar a mightie Roman but this friendship not long continued for Iulia died then coulde not Caesar and Pompey agrée for the stately pride of the one could not brooke or digest the haughty mind of the other whereby there grew amongst the Romans great controuersie and debate insomuch that in the ende it came to bloudie blows and mightie slaughters as wel of Romans themselues as of infinite thousands of strange nations and forren people but at the last Pompey was vanquished and forced to flie priuily by sea into Aegypt where by the conduct of king Ptolomeus he was slaine in a bote his head being stricken off and his body cast on the stround where it was but poorely buried Thus died Pompey when he had liued thrée score yeares spending his time in sheding bloud whose proude minde in his aged time would not suffer his body to rest but in striuing and contending for superioritie he most shamefully lost his life Thus good friend it is manifest what aspiring mindes gaine in the end For further proofe whereof it might more sufficiently be prooued by the fall of diuers other kings and princes which at this time I omit hoping that these few examples shall as well suffice as if I had more amply related or apparantly expressed them by further examples Scho. Sir for your great courtesie herein I yéelde you most hartie thankes not being willing to trouble you any further in these examples for you haue most plainely manifested the reward of discontentment the incident ende of aspiring mindes the imminent perill which doeth dayly hang ouer the climers for superioritie so that first from the beginning being certified of the state of man wherein is shewed that he holdeth nothing proper of himselfe but borroweth what he hath of others by reason of his nakednesse then also what an vncertaine thing life it selfe is in this naked bodie of man so that man being of this bare and base mettell ought not to thinke himselfe immortall then also what was more necessary to gouerne the fraile life and naked bodie of man than temperance showing the quietnesse and happie state to the possessors thereof And now in like sort in these your last examples what troubles vexations perilles and vtter confusion dooth happen and fall consequently to the wanters of the afore saide gift therefore as you haue orderlie begun so my request is that you will accordinglie procéede forward Fa. Truly friend there are many enimies to the life of man which for their pleasantnesse at the first are taken as deere friends for the nature of man is to account that a friendlie pleasure which fullie satisfieth his lewde vaine and gréedie appetite although after it shortly turneth him to destruction The wise Marcus Cato finding out and perceiuing that worldlie muck as heapes of gould and siluer which is but mettle of the earth was one of the chiefest enimies and aduersaries to the quiet state and peaceable rest of man when hee came from the conquest of Spaine hauing gathered a great masse of treasure together First considered to himselfe what inconuenience this money and coyne might purchase either to himselfe or to any of his friends which might possesse too great a quantitie thereof also fearing that if he should bring it into the tresurie of Rome it would trouble and disquiet the whole bodie of the Senat who hauing sufficient before as Cato thought might therewith purchase the death and destruction of many thousands of Romans and other people for as he thought if they had such a huge masse of treasure they would haue prouided to conquer the world if it had bin possible for them Which thing he might well conceiue for that he at that time was commanded and sent by the Senat to make a cōquest of Spaine but wise Cato foreséeing all these euills and expected harmes at his retourne out of Spaine towards Rome gaue to euerie one of his Souldiers which were a mightie number a pound waight of siluer because hee would dissolue and seperate the suspected mischiefe knowing also that the monie was vnreuocable againe out of so many holders hands saying better it were that many should returne to Rome with siluer then a few with golde which as Cato supposeth is one of the most speciallest enimies to the quiet state and gouernement of man bréeding trouble and vexation to the minde which otherwise would be in quiet rest In like manner Crates a Philosopher perceiuing what vnquietnesse the goods of this world bred to the mind of man threw his riches and treasure into the sea because they should neither molest or trouble himselfe nor otherwise infect his friends with auarice saying Packe hence you vngratious appetites
comming she marched couragiously toward thē willing them to execute their office With which boldnes the souldiers were all astonished sauing certaine of the friends of those whom she had slain before which stabbed her thorow the body whereof she presently died Yet this manly courage is to be noted in her that after she felt the wound to be mortall and that she fainted ready to yeeld vp her life she nesled her garmentes about her body plucking downe her neather skirts to her féete hauing a womāly care in all respects least that by striuing with life and death she might showe or vncouer the vndecent parts of her bodie Thus dyed the mightiest Princesse vnder the heauens for a iust reuenge of her former cruelties and merciles murders she was daughter to Neoptolome King of Epyre sister to Alexander then King of Epyre wife to Philip King of Macedon mother to Alexander the great and yet for all these high and mightie alliances the liuing God would not suffer her to scape vnpunished but caused such measure to be giuē to her which she before had meated to other In like sort Agrippina daughter to the noble Germanicus first being maried to Domitius had by him Nero and afterward was married to Claudius whom she poysoned with his sonne Britannicus to y e end she might make her first sonne Nero Emperor which indéede came accordingly to passe but now her sonne Nero being Emperour possessing the crowne by meanes of his mothers bloudie act whether it were that the liuing God would not suffer her to scape vnpunished or the wicked inclination of Nero but howsoeuer the case stood she receiued like reward for her son caused her to be most cruelly tormented commanding her wombe to be opened cut vp that he might sée the place wherein he lay and in the meane time while she was suffering such miserable torture he gaue so little regard to the wofull mournings pitifull cries of his naturall mother that he played on a cistern y e destruction of Troy and sung most pleasantly to his instrument Notwithstanding although he was ordeyned to scourge and plague his mother for the aforesaid horrible fact yet scaped not hee vnreuenged for so vile a déede For when he had a time raigned in Rome persecuting the guilties and innocent the Romanes at last detesting his bloudie disposition séeing y t his whole delight was in tormenting his natiue Country men began so deadly to hate him for his crueltie that by the whole consent of the Romanes the Senate decréed this sharpe sentence against him Vt more maiorum collo in furcā coniecto virgis adnecem caederetur his neck being fastned in a yoke or forke after the vilest order which was a most monstrous reproach and seruile slauerie amongst the Romanes should be beaten to death with rods But Nero hauing intelligence of their decrée fled in the midle of the night out of the citie taking with him not past one or two of his lewd cōpanions who also perished with him for feare of the Romans Thus being scaped from the punishment which was appointed for him he now determined to die a desperate death requiring one of his friēds which was with him to stab him through with his sword that he might ende his miserie Who when he had denied his sute as a thing vniust Nero cried out saying Itanè nec amicum habeo nec inimicum dedecorosé vixi turpius periam Surely neither haue I friend nor enemie meaning no friend in the Citie to defend his cause nor enemie nowe with him to ende his life I haue liued vilely I will perish as filthely and therewithall thrust himselfe through and so died Thus miserably ended Domitius Nero after hee had reuenged the cruell murther which his Mother committted and in the ende himselfe was driuen to the same shoare and forced to arriue at the same Port of miserable Destinie to be cut off with vntimely death for his most vile slaughters and cruelties Also Aristobulus sonne to Hircanus vnnaturally committed to prison his mother and his brother Antigonus and after most cruelly slew his said brother in prison for which grieuous offence God so strake him that all his bowells rent in his belly and hee vomited vp all the bloud in his bodie and so most pitifully he dyed in recompence of his former crueltie In like manner Antiochus Illustris sonne of the great Antiochus did also imbrew his hands in the bloud of his friends For giuing his sister in marriage to Ptolomaeus King of Aegypt and vnder pretence of familiaritie came to visite his brother in lawe vnder the coulour of alliance and that he might by treacherous meanes take from him the Kingdome of Aegipt and finding him sitting at supper saluted him with his sword which presently he thrust through his sides thus traiterously he slewe his brother Ptolome and ceazed on all Aegipt to his owne vse And after hée had done manie other cruelties at last hee was striken with a most horrible sicknesse that his bodie stanke and his flesh was so corrupt and putrified that no bodie could abide the sauour therof liuing wormes créeping and scrauling out of his bodie insomuch that in his great extremitie hee was forsaken of all his friends and seruants and so died as a iust recompence for his villanie It is farther well knowen that Archelaus King of Macedonia was murthered by the hands of Cratenas his Paramour who sore thirsted after his said kingdome which shamefull act beeing committed and Cratenas placed in the regall Throne according to his long desire raigned King not past thrée or foure dayes but was himselfe slaine in semblable manner by other mens meanes whereunto this saying may be well applyed Qui struit insidias alijs sibi damna dat ipse Who seeketh other men to insnare Nets for himselfe he doth prepare So that this man possessed his princely seate but a short space which he had purchased by wilfull murder I trust it is very well knowen also to the English Nation what cruell murders and miserable slaughters were committed by King Richard the third brother to Edward the fourth and sonne to the Duke of Yorke for that the Chronicles doo make mention thereof at large First bringing his owne brother the Duke of Clarence to vntimely death then shewing his tyrannie on the Barons and Nobles of the Land and after that his brother Edward the fourth died he miserably smoothered the two sonnes of his said brother Edward which were committed to his tuition and gouernment not sparing the néerest of his kinne but imbrewing himselfe in their bloud to the ende he himselfe might possesse the Crowne and Diadem of the Realme which in deede consequently came to passe But were it possible that such pitifull murders and execrable slaughters as he committed both in slaying of the Nobles of the Land and also in the deprauing of his swéete Nephewes of life and Kingdome should scape vnreuenged No truly it
and valiant captaines whom they craue to haue againe by way of exchange and so may you haue me againe here at libertie in Rome notwithstanding first for my auncient authoritie in this our commonwealth then for my approued good wil towards my coūtrey and last in respect of my graue and aged yeares and here by the vertue and dignitie of my place in the Senate house I am to determine causes confer about the good of our weale publique and to haue as great a care for the preseruation both of our Citie and Countrey in as ample manner as the rest of you my fellowe Senators therefore most honourable Fathers being thus strongly warred vpon by so mighty a people who seeke daily to subuert our state throwe down our citie and spoyle our commonwealth the cause is therefore wisely to be considered on First for mine owne part as you all do know I am old decrepite and of little force of body not like long to continue Againe the Captaines whom you holde of the Carthaginians are both lustie valiant and couragious gentlemen likely to perfourme and doe great seruice against you to the great hurt of the Commonwealth Therefore Fathers conscript by the vertue of may aforsaid authorities I wil neuer consent to the redeliuering or redeeming of such perilous enemies but will with a willing heart returne to the Carthaginians from whence I came to saue both the honor of my countrey and the credite of my name from perpetuall infamie lest that we should be hereafter by the Carthaginians our enemies accounted and reprochfully tearmed the confringers of martiall rights Thus the graue Senators by no meanes could perswade the good old man to make such exchange as the Carthaginians offered but would néedes return for his countreis sake although he knew he went to present death and cruel torment Thus went Attilus Regulus to the enemie who after they had bound him cut of his eye lids and set him in a hollow tree vpright filled full of sharp and pricking nailes there continuing in most horrible paine vntill he died Thus did he carry a faithfull heart and noble courage in his countreis cause willing to lose his life for the profite and welfare of his weale publique In like sort Gobrias a Persian holding in his armes by force in a dark chamber him who was a traytor to his countrey insomuch that when one of his fellowes came to his ayde to help to slaye the traytor he cryed out to his friend saying Stay not thy blowe but thrust him thorow although thereby thou doest kill me also so that he escape not from vs to the further hurte of our Countrey therefore presently run thy sword thorow him and so shall our Common-wealth be freed from a wicked traytor Thus Gobrias esteemed not his life in deliuering his countrey from an enemie Codrus king of Athens for the sauegard of his publick weale went to present death willingly and with a valiant courage For at such time as there was warres betwixt him and the Dorians the Dorians went to the oracle of Apollo at Delphos to know who should be victors in that war begun to whom this answere was made That they should be coquerors if they killed not the king of Athens Then was proclamation made in all the Dorian campe to spare and preserue aliue the Athenian king But Codrus hearing of the answere of Apollo and being aduertised of their proclamation did foorthwith change his garmēts in most deformed maner with a wallet full of bread on his shoulders and went priuely to the campe of the Dorians and wounded a certaine od fellow among their Tentes with a sharpe hooke or sickle which hee had prepared for the nonce In reuenge whereof the wounded fellowe slewe Codrus the king but after when the body was knowen the order of his death the Dorians departed without battaile remembring the diuine answere of the Oracle wherby the Athenian king freed his countrey frō peril which otherwise had béen in great danger It is also reported that Lycurgus after he had made diuers good lawes to be obserued kept of his coūtreimē fained that they were made by the cōsent of the Oracle at Delphos And when he perceiued that these lawes statutes were to the great benefit of his countrey fayned that he would go to Delphos for further counsel And to the intent they should kéep those lawes vntill he returned from thence firme and sure he made the whole body of the commonwealth to sweare binde themselues by oath to keepe vnuiolated and vnbroken those lawes which then he had set downe vntill such time that he returned againe from Delphos but because he would haue those statutes remaine and be of force for euer in his Countrey hee went the next way to Créete and not to Delphos where he liued in exile banishing himselfe from his Countrey so long as he liued and at his death because his bones should not be caried into his Countrey whereby his Countreymen might think themselues discharged of their oathes and full fréed from their vowe he caused his bones to be burned and the ashes thereof to be throwen into the sea to the intent that neither he himselfe nor any part of him being left should be brought backe into his Countrey by which meanes he caused his Countreymen perpetually to kéepe those good and holesome lawes to the vnspekable profit of the Commonwealth Zopirus a nobleman of Persia also tendering his Prince Countrey insomuch that when the great Citie of Babylon rebelled against Darius his Lord and king to the great trouble vexation of the whole commonwealth and could by no meanes be subdued he then in fauor of his prince and countrey priuily and vnawares went and cut off his owne nose lips eares and in other deformed maner pitifully mangling his body fled into the City of Babylon saying that Darius his master and certain other of his cruell Countreymen had so shamefully disfigured and martyred him because saith he I perswaded him to haue peace with your citie Which when they heard greatly pitying his distressed case and in recompence thereof made him chiefe captain and gouernor of their towne by which meanes he yéelded vp the rebellious Babylonians to his soueraigne Lord the king to the great good quieting of his countrey Did not Sceuola that noble Roman whē the citie of Rome was besieged by the mighty Porsena king of Tuscane willingly run to desperat death to purchase liberty to his countrey for he apparreled him selfe in beggars cloathes came foorth of the citie by night and ranged in the enemies campe till he had found out the Tent of Persena the king minding to slay that mighty Tuscane who then so strongly compassed and enuironed their citie But he mistaking the king slewe his Secretary and missed his marke who being thereupon presently taken and his pretended purpose further knowen Porsena the king caused a great fire to be made to burne
makes thee thus to mone O Hecuba and vex thyselfe thus walking all alone Let them that liue in latter time example by vs take Fret thou no more from sobbing brest all wofull wayling shake Thy troubled ghost dooth cry for ease tis time yea time to rest Of Lethe floud now take thy fill all things forepast digest What furious fiend dooth vex thee now to double this thy paine In life thou knewest all kind of woe VVhat will the Gods againe Cause thee to see another world a world I meane of woes When thou hast felt such miserie in elder time God knowes Tis past with vs and remedles wherfore no longer mourn Shall we reuenge the thing againe that long time since was worne No let it passe and greeue no more thy griefe dooth come too late Be now content with this mishap sith Gods assignde such fate And yet quoth he to angry Gods an humble suite I make That they vpon the Troyan race will not reuengement take There lies an Ile enuironde within the Ocean sea Which Troyans woon in time forepast and holds it at this day For Brutus he of Troyan race made conquest of that land The Giants then that there did dwell could not against him stand The people that inhabit there and in the Iland dwell Doe fetch their pedigree from Troy each Nation knowes it well A homely brag for Englishmen to them a foule disgrace To graft themselues on such a stock as was the Troyan race But yet if they descend from vs as they doe witnes still I pray the Gods to keep from them the desperat Troyans will And that they may not follow vs but far from that digresse To purchase them eternall fame and for their quietnesse Let this our death be life to them that they may die with fame Let Troyan wrack example be vnlesse they tast the same As we haue done in elder time therfore let them take heed Lest that if wilfull folly raigne accordingly they speed And now quoth he O Hecuba leaue off and doo not waile Can vexing here in wofull sort for sorrow past preuaile Let sorrow passe and banish griefe the time is past and gone VVhen once a thing is remedles then bootles tis to mone If that I liude on earth againe in time I would preuent But time did passe without regard too late I doo repent And therwithall the graue old man in bitter sort did weep He sighed sore from sobbing soule his teares he could not keep Thus Morpheus my fancie fed that from mine eyes a streame Of teares did flow which causde me soon to wake out of my dreame And lying broad awake at last still musing in my mind Me thought I saw dame Hecuba that had such fate assignde And Priamus that aged sire me thought was still in vew Their fauour and their faces both as if before I knew What they had been and now againe to memorie did call Things done before in drowsie dreame as often doeth befall And therwithall I tooke my pen to note what fancie vewde And orderly did set it downe Loe thus I doe conclude FINIS Seneca Cicero Cato In vita Philosopho Elianus in lib. 6. Laertius in lib. 7. Diogenes Lacitius lib. 2. Horace Homer de morte Elianus liber 5. In vita Platonis Eli. lib. 7. Eli lib. 9. Croesus Solon Dictum Platonis Amasius king of Iudea M. Antonius in gesta Romano Liuius lib. 5. Prouerbium Caesar in comment The English chronicle Cicero in offi Mors Caesaris Distum Catonis Alexander magnus vt Plutarchus scripsit Democrites ita dixit Iustinus in lib. 12. Diodorus Siculus in lib 8. Eli. lib. 10. Diodorus Siculus de morte Alexand Carmina Ennij Iustinus lib. 1. Digressio Plu. de vita Cyri. Actum terribile Ad causam Mors Cyri. Dictum Thomiris Pompeius magnus Vt Liuius scripsit li. 3. Mors Pom. Mar. Cato 〈◊〉 fo 215. Bias Prienaeus Ehanus l. 6. Dictum Agesilai Dictum Anthe Sextus Aurelius so 54 Liuius lib. 2 Ouidius de tristibus Eli. lib. 4. Plutarchus de vita Craesi Plut. de vita Alex. Dictum Anaxarchi Plu de vita Agrippae Dictum Agrippae mors eius Eli. lib 4. Epist. Menecratis responsio Philippi Eli. lib. 7. Herod Actum Herostrati De ebrietaâ—e Sextus Aurelius de vita Bonosij Aur. de Tiberio Dictum Philippi Eli. lib. 3. Ebrietas Alexandri Iustin. li. 12 Alex. se valdè penitet Iustin. l. 15. Actum horribile Aphthoni us de castigatione ebriorum Seneca Diodorus Siculus fol. 253 Iustin. li. 14 Plu. de vita Neronia Aurelius fol. 153. Vt ait Cicero pro Roscio Amerino Pena parricidij Vetus Prouerbium Eli. li. 6. Laer. f. 586. Plu. de vita Mausoli Aristotle Iuuenal Plu. in uita Demetrij Polib li. 10 Aurel. li. 7. Eli. li. 6. Laer. li. 6. Plu devita Hipp. Aureli. li. 7. Plu. de vita Diomed. Plu. de vita Phale Mors Phalaris Aurelius de vita moribus imperatorum Dictum Ciceronis Valer. li Liuius in prelatione belloium punicorum Plu. devita Codri Diogenes Laer. li. 4 Plu. in vita Darij Li. in bello Punico Q Curtius fo 280. Iustin. li. 15 Plu. de Themistocle Valer. li. 9. Liui. li. 3. Polib in bello Roma norum coÌ„tra Carthaginenses Hesiodus Parmenides Euripides Ouid de Amore Quidius de Meta. Homerus Lacon Plu. de vita Semiramis Et Iust. â—lu de vita Candauli Eli. li. 10. Iustin. li. 1. Salustius libro 2. Liu. li. 5. Polib li. 6. Iust. li. 1. Valer. f. 345 Eli. lib. 5. Responsio Dionysij Pol. li. 7. Poli. lib 5. Semâ—ronius Q Fabius Dictys Cretensis lib. 3. Dares Phrigius li. 1. Pol. lib. 2. Diodorus Siculus libro 7 Pol. lib. 2. Responsio Hannibalis Antiocho Iustinus libro 10. Ordines quoque nemo nisi sexagenarius duxit Diodorus resert Sic Quintus Curtius scribit Iustin. lib. 2 Plu. de Antiocho Laertius lib. 7. Plus menti quam mentis Poli. lib. 6. Furti poena in castris Roman Liu li 7. Val. li. 3 Cicero in Offic. Cicero de Senectute Val. li. 5. Poll. li. 7. Vt Diodorus resert Poli. lib. 8 * Falernia Stratagema contra Romanos Stratagema Hannibalis in Fabi. Strategem contra Ap. Poli. Iustin. li. â— Plu. de 〈◊〉 Agesi Valer. sol 257. Dictum Philippi Vt Diodorus relert Determinatio Alexandriâ— Mors Meleag Discordia inter successores Alexandri Mors Perd. Mors Philippi Euridicae vxor eius Craterus ce ciditur ab Eumene Mors quoque Eume. Mors Anti. Interitus Alex. Mors Demetriâ— Mors Lysima vt lustinus scribit Mors quoque Seleuchi Factum terribile Lamentabile actum Discordia inter fratres Interitus O lympij mater Alex. Extinctus vniuersales successores Alex. Dictum Hannibalis vt Pol. refert Submissio Paeni Poli 14. Sic scribit Poli. Vt Dictys Cretâ—nsis affirmat Sic Dares Phrigius recordat l. 1 Hi Graij ca dunt ab Hectore Interitus Agamemnonis occasione bell TroianoruÌ„ Mors Achylli Pirrhus occiditur per eadem causam testis Dyctis li. 6. Mors Vlissi vt scribit Dares in reditu Grecorum Mors Palame Dictis Cretensis Sic Dares Phrigeus autumat Vide Tertellum Vide Gel. lib 7. Vt dictum Cornelio Nepote interprete Fol. 149. Hercules was also called Heracles Dares Phri sic resert Libido Paridis Vxor Menelai rapta Dares Phrigius lib. 1. Et Dictis Crentensis lib. 5. Virgilius lib. 3. lib. 6. lib. 7. Virgilius lib. 1. sed ficta romanorum Dictis Dares ita affirmunt Troia tradita Aenea Dares lib. 1 Inconstantia Aeneae Vt Romani ipsi confirmant Ficta à Romanis Vetus Proâ—erbium Malicorui malum ouum
giue mee that which himselfe wanteth whereof I haue sufficient but I will send him that which hee lacketh and I my selfe haue abundantly and as for threats and menaces I nothing at al regard for if I liue saith he my countrie will bring foorth things sufficiently to furnish my life withall so that I shall not need his rewards as for death I do nothing feare but exceedingly desire it which shall deliuer me from my old withered carkas Thus you may perceiue that this wise philosopher accounted them poore which were not satisfied and those rich which were contented Scho. Sir I doo verie well perceiue my error and doo acknowledge it for it standeth with good reason that the riches of this world is contentment and that a coueting and discontented minde is extreame pouertie therefore if it please you to procéed forward according to your pretence I shall according to my promise be attentiue Fa. Well séeing you are satisfied heerein I will proceede further The Philosopher Diogenes as I said before perceiuing the vnconstancie of vnfriendly fortune the mutability of honour with the vncertaintie of life so much contemned despised the vaine preferments and promotions of this transitorie life that he liued content and satisfied with a small portion of possession which was but his bare tub or tun wherein he was Lord and King without controlment crauing neither territories or confines to inlarge this his quiet kingdom finding this his poore patrimonie so voyd of all incumbraunces vexations and inuasions that he contented himself with this life vntill his end turning his tub in the summer toward the North for the coolenesse and shade from the Sunne in winter to the South for the heate and warmnes thereof making his vaunt merelie that he could rule his Lordship and possession as he listed from the inuasions of his enimies which was the sharpe bitter windes by turning his tumbling pallaice Thus liuing in contentment it chanced that Alexander the great king of Macedony hearing the rare fame of this Philosopher thought good to visit Diognes in his tub to heare his wisedome and the cause of his so solitarie liuing came vnto him being set in his tun saying My friend I haue long desired to see thee and to inrich thee being so a poore a philosopher therefore aske of mee what goods or liuing thou needest and I will inrich thee with it to thy great contentment To whom when Diogenes had giuen thankes for his great courtesie offered he saide If thou wilt doo mee this fauour as thou saist then I pray thee take not that from me which thou canst not giue me but stand from before the mouth of my tun that I may haue the light and warmnes of the Sunne which is to me great riches for now thou detainest that from me and canst not giue me the like therefore do me but this fauour and I will craue of thee no other substāce Then said Alexander My friend how much possession lands and reuenues woulde satisfie and content thee if now I should giue thee thyful contentment to whom Diogenes answered Euen as much Alexander as thou must be thy selfe contented with all in the end But at the first he misconstrued the meaning of Diogenes and thought him wonderfull couetous knowing that he himselfe had nowe most part of the world in possession and dayly striued to get the whole therefore he thought it an vnsatiable appetite of him not to be contented with lesse but after consideration on the cause he perceiued that Diogenes meant his length of ground to be sufficient patrimony for himselfe which in the end the greatest king of the earth must be contented withall then said Alexander to him againe My good friend what thing best contenteth thee in this world to whom Diogenes replied saying That thing sir King which thou art most discontented withall in the worlde which is a satisfied and contented mind to couet for no more than sufficeth which in thee saieth he I finde contrary Alexander was nothing at all offended at the reprehension of the wise Philosopher but rather smelling his owne follie said at that time Truely if I wer not Alexander I would be Diogenes But we see that he was Alexāder therefore he could not be Diogenes he was couetous therefore he could not be contented wherefore it appeareth that Diogenes had the gift of temperance not to couet his owne destruction as Alexander did but being rich in contentment despised fortune for that her force coulde not molest or touch him reiecting honour because of the mutablitie and varietie of the same regarding not life for the vncertaintie of it but liued as a man contented fearing no calamitie nor aduersitie whatsoeuer might happē to him but was readie with patience to digest it Sch. Truly it doth appeare most plaine that this man had the gift of temperance sufficiently and that he was nothing subiect to the wauering wheele of fortune neither passing of her smooth countenance nor louring looke liuing a stranger to her whereby he kept himself free from her force notwithstanding I would faine know if the end and death of him were as worthie as his life for No man is called happie before his end which being answerable I must needs confesse the man deserued merit Fa. Indeed you say true it is good in our conference orderly to proceede for the life of man cannot be so cleare but that it may be much dimmed and dusked by an ill ende making digression from the former life but truely Diogenes continued a sound Philosopher vntill his end at his death it is said that he lying grieuously sicke perceiuing it a thing vnpossible for him to recouer his former health by feeling his aged body so much weakened and hauing in this great extremitie of sicknesse smal friends to comfort or relieue him threw himselfe downe tumbling from the top of a bridge abutting néere to the common place of excercises and commanded the kéeper or ouer-séer of the bridge that when life failed and breath was quite departed hee should cast his carkasse into the riuer Ilissus Adeò pro nihilo duxit mortem sepulturam Diogenes So little regarded Diogenes the inuasion of death or the tranquilitie and quietnesse of his bodie in the graue But I say not that this end was commendable in a Christian for he was long before the incarnation of Christ being an heathen man notwithstanding indued with wonderfull wisdome Againe some report of his death after this sort saying he died when he was 90. yeares olde and being at the poynt of death willed his bodie to bee left vnburied saying That he would not be troublesome to his friends to digge and delue for him who had no pleasure in their paine vnlesse they would doo it to auoide the smell and stincking sauor whereby he were likely to annoy them but when his friends asked him whether he would lie aboue the ground to be deuoured of birds and beastes No friends
should bee a table prouided and set by it selfe in a place seuerall and that a cubbord should be furnished with dew preparation and swéet perfumes tempered burned and scattered against the comming of the said Menecrates all which costes was expended and laide out to pleasure the fine nosed gentleman who sat solitarie and alone at a side boorde by himselfe whilst all the companie that were bidden guests tasted of the toothsome cheere and sumptuous feast which wanted no varietie of delicates but nothing was serued vnto the table where he sat by himselfe notwithstanding hee held him content for a season and greatly delighted in the worship and honour which was exhibited to him being in a manner regall sauing that he was kept fasting which was after a sorte seruile But after that hunger griped his guts and appetite whetted his stomack insomuch that his téeth watered at the cates he saw brought in and none fell to his share then was he taught by experience that hée was not Menecrates Iupiter but Menecrates mortalis and foorthwith he arose from the table and went his way complayning on the iniurie which he suffered being a bidden guest to that banquet whereof hee not once tasted thus did Philip cut Menecrates his combe and detected the mad mans vanitie with a notable flout King Herod because he stood still to shew himselfe to the people when they magnified him as a God was wonderfullie slaine for his proud minde for when on a time hée had made a certaine oration in the hearing of a number of people he so pleased the companie by his eloquence that they made a great showte and crie saying It was the voyce of a God and not of a man by reason whereof hée was so eleuated and lifted vp with stately pride that he stoode vaunting himselfe before the multitude taking himself to be no lesse than they had termed him For which proud follie the liuing God to shew that he was but man did strike him in the presence of them all in so much that hee died with most grieuous paines liuing wormes issuing out of his body to the great terror of all the beholders thus dooth the immortal God reuenge himself on those mortall earthly gods to make them knowe they are but men and soone shall turne to dust Yet notwithstanding although they are taught by experience and daylie do sée most plaine and euidently that man is mortall both from the Prince and Péere to the poorest people yet for al that when they doo perceiue their mortall carkasses must néeds to the ground perforce they couet to leaue behind them at least their name and fame to be immortall for which cause they striue mightely in their life time And truly so in princes it commeth oft to passe for they are long time remembred either for their vertue liberalitie courtesie patience and constancie which no doubt but is both to the pleasing of God and drawing on of their successors to imitate folow their vertue But if their immortall fame bée purchased by their great tyrannie cruelty vnsatiable appetites dronkennes monsterous pride or such like horrible vices no doubt but they haue registred themselues to euerlasting ignomie and perpetuall infamie But diuers so that they may after their death attaine to perpetuall remembrance care not by what meanes they purchase that immortalitie For Herostratus a priuate Citizen liued not contented for that no man talked much of him wherefore he thought that after his death he shoulde be buried in the graue of obliuion and fully be forgotten In so much as whē he heard the dayly fame of worthy men set forth some for vertue some for valure yea and againe some dayly spoken of for their great crueltie auarice dronkennes and such like vices whose fame be also perceiued to liue after their death grew in the end himselfe so desirous of perpetuall remēbrance that his name might come in question to be as much noted in the Citie as the rest were But when he had long time studied and could not bring to passe any notable thing worthy to be talked of at the last he went priuily and set on fire y e stately temple of Diana in the Citie and vtterly consumed it downe to the ground Thus when the most sumptuous gallant temple was so vilely defaced great inquisition was made in the Citie who should doe that notorious fact talking much of the matter but none did know the mā For which cause Herostratus much repining in himselfe that although the matter was spoken of in euery part of the Citie yet notwithstanding his name was in no admiration amongst them Wherfore he went presently to the Citizens detected himselfe For which cause be foorthwith was most cruelly put to death Then in trueth he was therfore wonderfully spoken of and is in remembrance at this day Scho. In mine opinion he hath very well deserued perpetuall remembrance who was of that mad minde to register such meere folly to his euerlasting reproach and ignomie which is worthie to be noted throughout all ages But it séemeth that the vices of men doe much longer continue and are of more ancient antiquitie than their vertues For a few speciall vices do dimme and ouershadow a great number of good qualities and shall longer be remembred to their reprochfull infamie than the other to their praise and merite We also read of diuers notable Princes who by a few inordinate follies haue drowned a number of their especiall vertues as most plainly appeareth in your last examples For what good vertues are to be picked out of the liues of those that for their madde pride would be accounted as Gods on the earth although indéede diuers good qualities and examples of vertue procéede from them before Yet notwithstanding this most monstrous pride obscured and blotted out their meritorious remembrance shadowing as it were with a thick and darke veile their notable vertues from the face of the earth Therefore I beséech you to vnfold and lay open part of those monstrous vices which are such enemies and so repugnant to vertue which suffereth not the worthie fame of man to rise and flourish but croudeth and thrusteth it downe into the darke graue of obliuion wherein is drowned his worthie merites by the ouerflowing of his foolish follie Fa. There is remaining in man my good friend manie notable vices and sundrie misgouernments which are altogether repugnant to vertue as the vnsatiable pride of the minde which is alreadie spoken of as the most monstrous folly and vice in man The filthie vice of drunkennesse is also most odious detestable and a great enemie to the quiet gouernment of man it bringeth also with it manie vexations troubles enormities great incōueniences being a disturber daily breaker of peaceable amitie and friendly tranquilitie purchasing both reproachfull rebukes and sharpe reprehensions in their life time and also perpetuall infamie euerlasting ignominie after their death For as
my patrimonie which my Father left me but be contented therewith and leaue it to my sonne as it was left me Wherewith the king being not content went home sorowing remaining verie pensiue and heauie for that he could not lawfully or without great shame take away the vineyard of Naboth but when Iezabel fully perceiued the cause of the Kings sorowing and heauines she directed letters to y e Rulers of y e place wher Naboth dwelt making them priuie of her bloudie practise wishing and commaunding them to proclaime a fast in their Citie and then to hire and suborne two witnesses that should falsely accuse him before the Iudges and presently therevpon to lead him out of the Citie and stone him to death which cruel doome and execrable murder was forthwith accordingly executed But notwithstāding although for a time reuengement was deferred yet could she not scape vnpunished for so soone as Iehu was annointed King he was straightly cōmanded from the verie mouth of God to persecute the house of King Ahab with great crueltie and not to leaue anie one liuing that should pisse against the wall wherefore he presently warred on the Citie of Iezrael and spoiled the house and frends of Ahab vntill he came where Iezabel lodged who was most cruelly vsed in consideration of her former trespasse for she was throwen and tumbled downe headlong from a lofty window to the hard pauements of the stréete wherewith her bloud sprong about the postes and walles of the stréet so that dogges came and licked vp her bloud and eate her flesh the rest being troden to durt with horseféete and marching souldiers insomuch that there remayned no more vnspoyled and defaced but onely the palmes of her hands Thus was Iezabel most cruelly slaine and miserably vsed by the very commaundement of God for the murdering and sheading of innocent bloud Also Olimpias wife to Philip the Macedonian king and mother to Alexander the great cōmitted diuers most horrible shamefull murthers namely first it was suspected and layd to her charge the consenting to the murther of her husband king Philip who was slaine by the hande of Pausanias For after this Pausanias had trayterously slaine the king her husband had receiued iust punishment for his villanie she openly mourned for the death of the said murtherer And also it was well knowē that she had prouided horses ready against the deede was committed to the end the slayer of her husbande might the better escape Further when his body did hang on the galous she came thether the first night and crowned the dead head of Pausanias with a crowne of gold taking also the carkasse from the trée burying it most nobly and made a famous Tombe in the same place for his remembrance Which causes being thorowly considered can import no otherwise than an accessary and guilty mind This Olimpias after the death both of Philip her husband and Alexander her sonne in the time that the Macedonian Princes and successors to her sonne Alexander did contend and striue for the superioritie and regiment of their dead master came down into Macedon with a great power to warre on Philip king thereof and Euridice his wife who at that time were lawfull inheritors of that kingdome and gaue them battaile In which conflict she tooke the King prisoner and all his whole familie But Euridice his wife fled for her safetie into the Citie Amphipolis where not long after she also was taken Then seised Quéene Olimpias into her hand all the whole Realm of Macedon howbeit she very vngently entreated these her prisoners For first she caused the king and Euridice his wife to be put into a straite prison that they could hardly turne themselues within and had their meat geuen thē in at a little hole but after they had béen there awhile thus miserably dealt withall Olympias perceiuing that the Macedonians for very compassion they had of the said captiues greatly maliced and hated her wherefore she caused King Philip by certaine souldiers of Thrace to be slaine after he had reigned king sixe yeares and foure moneths And for because that Euridice not well digesting her shamefull crueltie in so treacherously betraying her dead husband and also somewhat insolently spake said that she had better right and title to the crowne and realme of Macedonia than Olympias had she therefore either without regard of the late dignitie royall that the sayd Euridice had béen in or yet the common mutability variety of fortune sent her three liberall gifts to make her choyse thereof which was a sword a halter and poyson to end her life withal who of necessitie was forced to take one Thus whē the wofull Queene had receiued this present of Olympias seeing no remedie but that needs she must take and accept of one she said The Gods graunt like choyce to this cruell Olympias and that she may receiue like guerdon for her liberalitie heerein Thus when she had adorned the bodie of her husband Philip slaine in her presence and stopped vp the wounds to couer the deformitie of them then refusing the aforesaid presents of the curteous Queene in the best manner she could with her own girdle strāgled her selfe and so died Yet was not Olympias satisfied with these lamentable and execrable murders but soone after she had thus shamefully put them to death she made Nicanor Cassanders brother to be slaine and spitefully defaced the tombe of Iolas his other brother Ouer and besides this she picked weeded out an hūdred noble men of Macedonie which were frends to Cassander and caused their throates to be cut for which cruell and barbarous deed Cassander being moued gathered an Armie minding to reuenge himself on the Queen for her great crueltie and draue her at the last to the Citie Pidue where hee besieged her long vntil such time that vittaile failed her yet notwithstanding she would not yeeld although both her company and the Citizens dyed wonderfully by famine and greeuous plagues which chanced to them by reason of the dead bodies which lay in the town diches vnburied most horribly stinking insomuch that there dyed daily in the towne through these two causes aforesaid verie many citizens and soldiors Being also forced thorough extreame and miserable hunger to feed on the dead carkasses of the pined men The townesmen seeing theyr lamentable estate yeelded vp the Citie against Olympias will and humbled themselues willingly to the mercie of Cassander Then after this Queen was taken prisoner Cassander caused all the friends of them whom she had murdred to accuse her in the common place of iudgment before the assembly of the Macedonians Which thing they accordingly did where the Macedonians in the absence of Olympias hauing there neither any patrone or aduocate to defend her vniust cause condemned her to death For execution wherof Cassander sent 200. of his trustiest souldiers to kil her which entered her Pallace where she was Streightway so soone as she perceiued them
life by no meanes he coulde saue or preserue Now was Darius ouercome when his power was most strongest with the benefites and friendlinesse of his foe so honouring in his heart his aduersarie that for loue he bare him he could not arange his battaile against him reioysing greatly in himselfe and also saying to his friends If I am ouercome in this warre yet notwithstāding I haue great cause to reioyse that I shall be conquered by so noble a minded prince Wherefore againe he sent his letters to Alexander offering him the greater part of his kingdome to the riuer of Euphrates with his other daughter and for the other captiues he offered three hundred thousand talents But Alexander returned this answere refusing the compositiō saying It was need lessethankes of his enemie for he alwaies had vsed to reuenge himselfe on armed men and on his fighting foe and not vpon hurtlesse women Thus by the hautie courage of Alexander Darius was forced and drawen into the fielde vnwillinglie to fight against his enemie whom he estéemed as a friendly foe notwithstanding there was fought betwixt them a fierce and cruell battaile the Persians in the end being ouerthrowen with great slaughter for that Darius their Captaine could not encourage or stirre them vp to fight against his friend In which conflict certaine of the friends and alliance of Darius séeing the battaile vtterly lost and that Alexander was like presently to be Lord of the field sought to betray their king into the hands of Alexander thereby to pick a thanke or as they say to currie fauour In accōplishing of which thing Darius was sore wounded by his allies notwithstanding he escaped preuented their purpose But Alexander not hearing of Darius sent out seuen thousand horsmen to prosecute after him whō when they could not finde they requested leaue to rest themselues and their ouer wearied horses then one of the souldiers going to water his horse at a certaine riuer thereby by chaunce found out Darius lying in a coach or chariot being mortally wounded with many gréeuous hurtes ready to yéeld vp his life comming néere to the coach he did plainly perceiue that it was Darius and Darius did well knowe that he was one of the crewe or bande of Alexander wherefore he called him to his coache saying My good friend I greatly reioyce that it is my good fortune before I die to haue so fitte a messenger as yourselfe to carrie these my last words not to my enemie but to my good frend Alexander at whose handes I haue founde great fauour say thou my friende that I confesse I die greatly indebted vnto him being altogether vnable to requite the very least of his courtesies shewed to my mother wife and children and that I haue of him a more happier enemie than my kinsmen are frendly For my mother wife and children haue found both fauour and life at the hand of mine enemie and I my selfe am depriued of life by my kinsmen and allies to whom I gaue both life and land Wherefore I wish as great happines to fall on him as he being victor can wish or desire and that I euen now dying doe wholy committe and betake both myself my landes and goods into the hands of so noble a minded prince praying both to the high Gods and also to the infernall powers that he may be victor against whomsoeuer he wageth warre and that all blessings may happen to him according to his owne hartes desire And for the further acknowledging of my vnfeined loue and well wishing desire towardes Alexander my approued friend take here of me this my right hande which thou seest me cut of willingly being aliue and carrie it to thy Lord and master my good friend as a sure seale and firme pledge of my vnfeyned good will and hartie well wishing towards him Thus died Darius when hee coulde no otherwise gratifie and recompence his friendly foe for the great fauoures and courtesies shewed to his familie than by the acknowledging of his clemencie and and gentlenes This friendly fauour of Alexander was soone spred thorow the world and more often repeated to his high praise and commendation than the great and famous victorie which he had against the Persians which was a most wonderfull conquest and remayneth at this day the very chiefe and most principall praise and merite to Alexander Was there not likewise singular courtesie and wonderful gentlenes in King Darius which Alexander conquered For at such time as certaine of his noble men sought to entangle and take him by treason which were of no small account amongst the Persians Darius the King hauing intelligence of their wicked practise thus considered with himselfe and brake it vnto his secrete friend saying Here are diuers noble men which traiterously haue conspired my death if now I shoulde put them all to the sworde there is no doubt but that I should stirre vp against me many of their friends and allies and so be forced to make great effusion of bloud which truely is contrarie and repugnant to my nature The cause surely to me is vnknowen why they should thus wickedly worke my hurt It may be they would be better cōtent with another king to raign ouer them than with me now their present prince yet truely I rather chuse to haue it registred of their disloyaltie toward their Prince by my death than to purchase to my selfe the name of a cruell tyrant by their bloudy slaughters With these considerations he concealed the matter making a shew as though he nothing mistrusted any such thing on a time riding foorth a hunting these noblemen which had conspired against him flocked together hoping now to get some conuenient time and place for their purpose riding with the king to the forrest making a shewe of great ioy and gladnes to the end the king should suspect no euill but he full well knew their intent though he dissembled the matter Thus following their game they trouped together hoping that the king would come that way which they had laide and stauled for him which indéede he did The King séeing their intent and spying their order singled himself from the rest of his companie going directly to the traytors who stoode in ambush redy to fulfill and accomplish that for which cause they came The king boldly rushed into the middest of them saying Now ye traytors dispatch and committe that which ye are determined to doe I haue long time knowē your intent for because I would not be counted a bloudy prince I haue spared you all rather chusing that your handes should be unbrued in the bloud of your giltlesse Prince to your euerlasting infamie and dishonor than my sworde should be stayned with the slaughter of so many Subiectes wishing rather here to die and free your troubled mindes than to liue and remaine such an eyesore to so many noble estates though traytors to their Prince Therefore said he Quid igitur non exequimini id cuius
gratia venistis Why doe ye not dispatch your purpose in respect of the accomplishment whereof you be resorted hether Then they all looked on ech other in the face being troubled in their mindes greatly repenting their enterprise that euer they went about to worke such villany to so noble a minded Prince who knew their practise before and yet spared to punish them rather choosing himselfe to die than to vse tyrannie on his subiects which indeede had been no cruelty but vpright iustice wherefore they all with one accorde threwe downe their speares and lighted from their saddles confessing their trespasse humbly submitting themselues on their knees crauing mercie at the hands of Darius proffering their voluntarie seruice to doe whatsoeuer hee hencefoorth gaue them in commaundement Thus with the great mercie and clemencie of Darius without bloudshed the vnbrideled stomackes of his nobles were pacified and made quiet which by a bloudy hand he coulde neuer haue brought to passe And from that time foorth they were mindfull of so gratious a benefite remayning euer after most faithfull obedient and full of duetie to Darius their milde and gentle Prince In like maner Titus a Roman Emperor sonne to Vespasianus excelled in humilitie clemencie and courtesie for at such time as two of his chiefest Péeres had consented conspired to the murthering of their master the king Titus hauing knowledge thereof first calling them into a priuie chamber telling them home of their wicked intent wishing them by milde and gentle meanes to become better Subiectes to their hurtles Prince who so farre as he knew had not deserued at their hands the very thought of such a wicked inuention And afterward taking them both with him to a common game or play setting himselfe betweene them both willing them to sit neere his person and so soone as the sword-players came out with their glittering swords Titus called for one of them which was presently deliuered to him then he foorthwith gaue it to the one and after to the other vnder colour of feeling how sharp it was beholding them with a smiling countenance saying Videtisne potestates fato dari frustrà que tentari facinus potiundi spe vel admittendi metu See ye not saith he that authoritie and power is geuen by destinie therefore it is vaine to trie by wicked practise to possesse the place and as vaine it is to feare the losing thereof Meaning thereby that although they had the sword in their handes yet could they not displace him whoÌ„ God had setled Thus courteously did Titus intreate his Nobles saying that he had greater pleasure and more delight to correct offenders with lenitie than to chastice them with cruelty which caused him to raigne more quietly in his life and also at his death to be bewayled thorow the whole earth calling him the darling and delight of mankind He was wont to say y e night that the day before he had not geuen well to the poore or béene liberall amongst his friends Amici perdidimus diem Frends we haue lost a day Gelon king of Syracusa behaued himselfe wonderfull mildly gently and peaceably in his kingdome yet notwithstanding he was of some tearmed a tyrant But this is most certaine that when diuers of his commonwealth sought wayes to shorten his life by cruell murther wayting for fit occasion to execute and accomplish their vile pretended villanie Whereof when Gelon was enformed and certified he called a court and sommoned an assemblie of Syracusians which being done in the presence and countenance of them all hee went vp into an hauty and high place in maner of a pulpit hauing on his bodie harnesse and in his hands weapons bright and glistring In which sort and order he stoode before them making a declaration of his faithfull care which he alwayes had ouer the weale publique tendering the welfare of them all euen as his owne life Hauing thus done he vnarmed himselfe laying down both armour and weapon at his féete and vttered these words to the congregation which was there assembled saying En amictus tunicula nudus armorum asto dedo me vobis vt pro voluntate libitóque mecum agatis Behold I stand before you naked vnarmed in a thinne wastcote I yeald my life into your handes my body is at your commandement deale with me according to your pleasure For saith he I detest the place if you despise my person neither doe I wish any longer to liue in my calling than you shall well like of my gouernment When Gelon had thus yealded himselfe to his subiects the whole assembly of the Syracusians were much amased and thereupon were so affectioned in mind that néeds they would there was no way to the coÌ„trary deliuer those traiterous varlets and rebellious villaines to the kings power to punish them according to the proportion of their offence and gaue him their suffrages vniuersall consents to continue ouer them his dominion gouernmeÌ„t yet not withstanding would not Gelon correct those offenders but fréely forgaue theÌ„ their trespasses counselling them euer after to become better subiects and to wish to him in their harts no otherwise than he would deserue at their hands Which great mercy and fauor of Gelon the king made the Syracusians to honor and duetifully obey him so long as he liued among them and after his death to haue him in perpetuall remembrance for his singular courtesie and notable clemencie They erected and planted a standing image wearing a single peticote representing to the beholder that this king did raigne and rule by gentle and courteous meanes more safer and far stronger than he that should raigne like a tyrant with harnes and armour of proofe Scho. Truely Sir it is now in these our dayes most manifest how mightely the lenitie and gentlenes of Princes is of force and auayleth and with what willing hearts their subiects will venture both life land and limme in the seruice and defence of their so milde and gentle a Prince yea if it were possible that one body should venture the losse of life ten times or presently to runne to ten deaths for the preseruation â—o safetie of such a noble and mercifull Prince no doubt they could make no curiositie in the cause nor scrupulositie on the matter but with willing and fierce mindes boldly venture themselues Contrariwise we both dayly see and reade that cruell tyrants by their tyrannie cannot compell their Subiectes to beare or carry towardes them a duetifull minde and louing heart neither willingly to venture themselues in their causes but drawen as it were by the eares to their defence or els they should fight in their owne quarrels the people also delight reioyce to heare of the ruine and destruction of such tyrannicall Princes yea and that which is worse doe often conspire and practise vnnaturally the death and destruction of such tyrants Wee reade of the cruell tyrant Clearchus King of the Heraclians that when by no perswasions he could be
Tyrant Phalaris who alwayes tooke pleasure in tormenting and persecuting his poore Subiects wishing rather to bee feared than loued coueting to rule and gouerne his Weale publique by cruell and tyrannous meanes for which his vnsatiate and bloudthirstie intemperancie he felt the desert of his owne folly Therefore Sir I right well perceiue that the Prince ruleth with more safetie as you said before in a thinne and single wastcoate than in strong armour much more auayling by gentle and curteous meanes ouer their louing Subiects than with a bloudie and tyrannous hand which oftentimes turneth them to hate not to loue preferrring him to death not to life And whereas you haue shewed examples what great honour and renowme falleth to the share of such Princes which haue shewed both mercifull pitie gentle courtesie and manly clemencie on poore distressed creatures in time of victorie and also what loue they gate euen of their enemies for the chast preseruing of Matrones and Uirgines for their gentle courtesie in entertaining them and for their liberall hearts in voluntarily fréeing and dismissing them beeing such hurtlesse captiues noting contrariwise the deserued ruine of such as haue vniustly tyrannized ouer their innocence for of such Tyrants falls all Histories are full It is certainly reported that Dionysius Iunior in his victories vsed great crueltie by abusing of Matrones rauishing yong Uirgines and deflowring of Maidens for when on a time he came to the Locreans he tooke vp possessed occupied vsed or rather abused the greatest largest fairest houses that were in all the Citie strewing them with damaske roses lauender sauorie and such like odoriferous flowers swéet smelling hearbs sending for the yong Damsels of the Locreans to come to him with whom he had fleshly pleasure and delight past all shame honestie or regard of chastitie Which filthines most loathsome offence abounding in him escaped not vnpunished for when his kingdome was rent and torne from him by Dion the Locreans rewarded like with like dealing carnally with the Wife and Daughters of Dionysius inforcing vpon them for his offence most abhominable fornication without anie intermission or ceasing and such specially as were of the linage consanguinitie and kinred of those young maydes and virgins whom Dionysius defloured were most eager and fierce to be so reuenged After they had satisfied and staunched the lust of their flesh with the bodies of Dionysius his wife and daughters they tooke needles and thrust them into their fingers and toes vnder the naples in such lamentable order murthering them and stamped their bones in morters from the which they had launced and cut collops of flesh offering the gobbets to be eaten whereof who so refused to tast such they abused most villainously and handled worse than helhounds The remnant of slaughtered and dismembered carcases was cast into the sea there to be consumed with whirling waues or to be deuoured by monstrous fishes and as for Dionysius himselfe after he had endured manifold mischances and sustayned sundry distresses of life and estate at Corinth being pinched with extreme néede he became a starke begger and went from place to place playing on a Timbrel and Flute and singing Ballades in the companie of such as hyred him and gaue him for his labour going also into Barbers shops to iest and to make the people mery and pleasant when they came thether to be notted shauen This was the end of Dionysius and after this sort hee finished the course of his life in no lesse beggery than infamie who no doubt was but plagued according to his desert Fame Now doe I right well perceiue that our conference doth much profit you and that you haue wel noted and marked the tenor of my purpose in going about to discipher the difference betwixt vertue and vice which you sufficiently discerne and are able to geue examples to the contrary therefore I nothing repent me of my paine and labour herein but will with willing minde procéede to pleasure you in what I may and whereas now in this my last speech I shewed vnto you what honor and renowme was purchased and obteined thorow mercy and clemencie and also what noble fame and eternall praise remayneth to those who doo shew both manly pitie gentle courtesie and mercifull fauour to the conquered to those who are vnder their power to dispose at their pleasure Contrariwise you haue declared what inconuenience doeth often fall to those who séeke to rule and raigne thorow tyrannie and by bloudie meanes and also what miserie hapneth oft to those who haue had neither regard of their owne honestie the preseruation of chastitie nor any pitifull consideration of them in aduersitie Well now againe I will procéed beginning where last you interrupted me which was where Princes tendered carefullie loued their subiects and welfare of their commonwealth there also what a duetifull care and obedient mind the subiects ought to haue for the preseruation of their so good a Prince happie weale publique for that commonwealth which is gouerned by a wise and prudent Prince cannot chuse but be called and tearmed right happy and fortunate The wise and learned Philosopher Plato was woont to say Tum demùm beatum terrarum orbem futurum cum aut sapientes regnare aut reges sapere caepissent Yet at length a happy blessed time shall fall on the earth when either wisemen begin to raigne orels Kinges begin to waxe wise For there saith he the Common wealth is on all parts blessed Then hauing such a wise Prince and setled Commonwealth the Subiectes ought to haue a speciall and duetifull care in mainteyning defending vpholding and preseruing both Prince and Countrey to the vttermost of their power yea if it were with the losse of their liues in the iust quartell and good cause of their Prince and Countrey Cicero saith Non nobis solùm nati sumus sed etiam pro patria We are not onely borne saith he to pleasure our selues but also to the profite and commoditie of our coūtrey For at such time as Attilius Regulus a noble Consull of Rome hauing oftentimes vanquished the Carthaginians was at the last of them taken prisoner by a certaine subtile sleight yet notwithstanding because the Romanes had also taken certaine prisoners of the Carthaginians and those most noble and valiant Captaines and Souldiers wherefore Regulus was sent home to Rome to make exchange for the other prisoners But when this ancient Father was come to Rome he called a Conuocation of the Senators and there in the Senate before them all he thus began Most learned graue fathers whom I right well know haue alwaies wished well and tendered the welfare cōmon good of our coūtrey knowing also that at this time you are not ignorant of my late chaunce and mishap which now being past remedy is not to be sorowed and also that you haue here in the citie certaine prisoners of the Carthaginians being both expert actiue
Minutius wher the remnant of the discomfited succors were Thus when the wilfull Minutius had séene himselfe so deceiued by the flights of Hannibal tried the frendly succor of his fellow whome by all meanes he had sought to discredite he called the remainder of his hoast about him saying I oftentimes louing souldiers and friends haue heard say that he is most wise that can giue good counsaile and tell what is to be done in weightie causes and that he is next wise that can obay him that giueth good counsaile but he that can neither giue good counsaile himself nor hearken to the graue aduice of the wise is of al other most foolish now therefore seeing that the first of these giftes fortune hath denied vs let vs keepe the second and while we learne to rule let vs also purpose with our selues to obay them that bee wise Wherefore I pray you let vs now though too late ioyn our tents with Fabius when you heare me salute him as my father salute you his soldiours likewise as your noble patrones by whose strength and hardines this day ye are preserued Incontinently they remooued to the Campe of Fabius wherat hee meruailed not a little now when their legions were met together and salutations had after long protestation made by Minutius to Fabius they tooke either other by the hand the soldiers of either dooing the like Minutius submitted himselfe and all the authoritie of the Empire which was committed to him by the Senators into the hands of Fabius as a man far more worthie thereof accounting it rather a burden to himselfe than honor desiring Fabius that he might be in the office of the master of the horsmen as before he was When this was knowen at Rome and affirmed to be true not onely by the letters of the Captaines but also by the reports of the soldiours of both parties the praise of Fabius was extolled to the verie heauens repenting their hard opinion which they had conceiued against him before confessing openly that they had greatly abused him in reiecting and condemning his wise and approoued counsaile so foolishly whose words they had found to be too true wishing that they had been ruled by so graue and wise a counsailor now submitting themselues as it were at his feete requiring him to defend their Countrey by his approoued pollicie and wisedome in so perilous a time and against so dangerous a foe as Hannibal was but first they felt their owne follie before they would giue anie credite or audience to the admonition of the wise Not long after Paulus Aemilius was chosen Consull and was to fight against Hannibal but before he departed the Senate Fabius made an Oration vnto him in the conclusion whereof hee said thus to the new chosen Consull Paulus if thou doo anie thing doo it soberly according to reason not rashly trusting to fortune followe not the occasion that thy enemie will giue thee neither be too hastie for hast is blinde and worketh vnsurely Notwithstanding Aemilius at that time gaue little héed to the wise precepts of the graue Fabius saying for a fashion sake Indeed they were more true than easie to bee followed At the last this Paulus Aemilius was ouerthrown at the great fight of Cannas where he lost all his power and was himselfe sore wounded whereof he soone died But before he ended his life C. Cornelius a noble Romane had found him out in the field being halfe couered with bloud who foorthwith requyred him if he felt anie hope of life to amount himselfe and depart the field and not to make the battaile more dolefull by the death of a Consull To whom Paulus made this answere C. Cornelius be thou increased in vertue but beware least while thou bewaile this chaunce thou haue small time to escape thy selfe goe thou therefore to the Citie and bid the Senate that they make strong their walls before this Conquerour come vnto them and secretly aduertize Quintus Fabius that Paulus Aemilius dooth firmely remember his friendly precepts and wise admonitions yea and liueth in them and finally dieth in them Wherewithall he presently died by reason of his mortall wound Wherefore it was well knowen that if the Romanes at the first had béen directed by the prudent counsaile of wise Fabius they had neuer tasted of so many calamities and miseries as hapned to their distressed State but their wilfulnes would not be warned before experience had sharply corrected their folly In like manner what blame did Cassandra daughter to Priamus king of Troy purchase when first her ouer wilde Brother went to Greece to fetch by stealth faire Helen away the wife of R. Menelaus for she mainly cried out and prophecied saying Whie ye Troyans will ye suffer my brother Paris to goe fetch fire in Greece to burne the stately towne of Troy thinke ye that the Greekes will digest so proud an iniurie O ye foolish Troyans And againe when he returned from Greece to Troy with his desired pray she with might and maine cried Away with Helen away againe with Menelaus wife for she smelleth of the Grecian fire that for her cause shall destroy the citie of my father me thinke I see for her sake my aged sier slaine and the Citie of Troy to flow with Phrygian bloud with heapes of the slain Troyans lying in the streetes for defending her vniust quarell Therefore saith she away with this fire spark least it consume our towne and make desolate our stately buildings Whereat the blinde Troyans laughed saying What is Cassandra madde knoweth she what she saith are not the Troyans able to resist the pride of Greece Let them pick what quarrell they wil we haue the beautifull Helen within our wals and will keepe her in the despite of the proud Greekes betide what may or will Thus was Cassandra openly blamed both of her brother and also of the whole Citizens for her wise counsaile when she most rightly had prophecied For not long after the Greeks loathing to suffer the Troyans so to abuse them in detaining King Menelaus wife came with a mightie and huge armie and besieged their Citie and in time tooke it slaying the people and vtterly defacing Troy with fire so that the stateliest Citie of the world lay flat on the ground Then could the Troyans say O Cassandra rightly hast thou said we finde thy words most true but we despised thy admonitions and reiected thy friendly warnings therefore is now this plague iustly fallen on vs. But then as the olde saying is Serò sapiunt Phryges they bethought thēselues too late being mad themselues with pride when first they thought Cassandra mad with folly Thus somwhat digressing though not altogether from our purpose in making manifest what the vainglorious and wilfull persons gaine in the end by not hearkening to the graue aduice wise counsaile of the prudent but contemning and reiecting the friendly warnings of those who before haue tried the mutabilitie of vnfriendly Fortune
pronounce and declare in his owne behalfe saying Plus ego togatus quà m armati decem I did saith he more by my counsell in the Senat than ten armed men in the field And in maintaining of his argument he further said Dux Agamemnon Greciae nunquam optat vt Aiacis similes decem habeat at vt Nestoris quandoque We neuer reade saith he that Agamemnon the chiefe ringleader and Captaine of the Greekes did euer wish that he had ten strong and forcible men like to Aiax but sometime hee would wish that he had ten prudent and wise Counsellers like to prouident Nestor And according to the opinion of learned Cicero prouident wisdome and circumspect carefulnesse is rather to be expected in graue and aged yeares than in greene and youthfull heads For in his booke de Senectute he doeth alleadge these authorities Apud Lacedemonios quidem ij qui amplissimum magistratum gerunt vt sunt sic etiam nominantur senes Amongst the auncient Lacedemonians saith he those which did beare any high authoritie were called aged Fathers as indeede they were otherwise they coulde not bee admitted to such offices And againe vpon the same occasion he saith thus Quod silegere aut audire voletis externa maximas respublicas ab adolescentibus labefactatas a senibus sustentatas reperietis If saith he either ye will reade or heare outward and forraine examples ye shall finde that great Common-wealthes and mightie Kingdomes haue fallen and decayed thorow young mens gouernment and againe how they haue bene vpholden and maintained by the graue gouernement of olde men When the Romanes were thorowly wearied by the wilfull rawnes of their youthfull Captaines buying experience by their dayly sufferance with extreame losses and lamentable slaughters of their people then in the ende for redres thereof they al with one consent constituted and made a decrée that if any Captaine or Leader in time of warre should vnadvisedly or sodainly set on the enemie without the consent or appointment of the Centurion or Captaine generall yea although he vtterly vanquished and ouerthrewe the aduersarie yet notwithstanding his ouer rash attempt and wilful boldnes should as gréeuously be punished as if he had bene enemie to his countrey for that Fortune might as well haue caught their folly as fauoured their rash enterprise Pap. Curtius being Dictator commanded that F. Rutilius master of his horsmen should be beaten with rods after beheaded for fighting against his commandement though he had the victory Neither would Papirius forgeue the punishment at the intercession of the Souldiers and when as he Hed to Rome he also pursued him neither would he there remit the dreadfull punishment vntill that Fabius and his father fell down on their knees and that also the Senat and people made intercession for him Manlius caused his sonne which against his commandement had fought with his enemy that had chalenged him though he got the victorie to be beaten with rods and haue his head stricken of Thus the Romans preuented many miseries which otherwise might haue hapned to their cōmō sorow heauines I would not it should be thought I altogether disalow yong captains condenming them al with vnaduised iudgement as the Emperor of Greece did the young ambassadors of Athens to be either rash wilful or foolish hardy or voyd of any good gouernment for then should I speak fondly and vnaduisedly in ouer rashly condemning their secrete vnknowen qualities When diuers of the aged Consuls graue leaders with other worthie Captaines of great experience of Rome were slaine in the Carthaginian war and that the whole Romane Empire did shake for feare hauing none left aliue vnto whom they might trust in this perilous warre to fight against so subtile and craftie a foe as Hanniball was who before had slaine such a mightie number of their worthy men Thus being in such perplexitie lamenting sore their distressed state and fearing the present subuersiō of their Citie then in this their great extremitie yong P. Cornelius Scipio the sonne of that Scipio which before was slaine in Spaine in the same warre by the Carthaginians being but three and twenty yeares olde earnestlie craued of the Senate that he might haue the office and authoritie to fight against wily Hanniball who had done them such high displeasure and made their whole state so pensiue and sad not doubting but to be reuenged on their enemies for their forepassed crueltie But the distressed Romanes seeing the tender yeares of the young Gentleman were doubtfull to committe such a waighty cause into his hande some of them speaking against his yeares as a man not alowable in such extremitie and againe some for that his father and uncle were both slaine in the same warre wherefore said they it is greatly to be feared considering his youthfull yeares and also the death of his Father least that he should be ouer rash in seeking speedy reuenge to his owne perill and their losse Notwithstanding the graue Senators wisely considering on the cause seeing the willingnes of the young man and his wittie Oration vttered there before them all at the same time committed their whole state into his hande who gouerned it with such wise policie and carefull foresight that he did not onely match the worthy Hannibal but also draue him out of Italie Spaine who before had viewed the Roman walles minding foorthwith to haue taken their citie forcing him also to flie into his countrey of Affrica and at the last home to the very walles of Carthage where he vtterly vanquished him seising on the whole Empire of Carthage to the vse of the Romanes Thus when the graue and valiant captaines were some slaine some put to flight and other some not daring to incounter with such a victorious Captaine as Hanniball was the yong Scipio by his manly valour wise policie and circumspect leading of his army both fréeed his Countrie from such a perillous enemie and also made the stately Empire of Carthage subiect to the Romanes to the great glorie and renowne of his Countrie and to the euerlasting remembrance of his name In like sorte Alexander the great the most famous Captaine and leader that euer liued was but twentie yeares olde when he ouerthrewe most mightie Kings and strong Princes with a very small number therefore wisedome and pollicie consisteth not in gray haires nor victorie altogether dependeth in olde age notwithstanding youth ought to haue a speciall care to ground all their actions vpon temperance with an open eare to sage aduise and wise counsaile and then no doubt victorie will not altogether consist and depend on fickle fortune But before I proceede any further to shewe the calamities and miseries of ruinous warre it shall not séeme amisse to shew what subtile sleights wise policies and cunning Stratagems haue beene in ancient time vsed to delude and mocke the enemie withall being also things very necessarie diligently to be noted in these our troublesome dayes
the successors of Alexander with the vtter desolation of their state ALexander surnamed the Great lying very sicke on his death bed at Babylon was asked of his friends in the very extreame and last article of death to whome he would leaue his realme and royall dignities whereunto he answered to the most worthie of the gouernment thereof which answere caused great dissension to arise betwixt the successours insomuch that open hostility and warre was presently proclamed among them euery one thinking himselfe as worthie as the rest the one thorow his stately pride would not suffer himselfe to be subiect or inferiour to the other so that the whole Captaines and péeres being commonly called the successours of Alexander fell to cruell warre the one against the other vtterly spoyling and bereuing ech other both of life and goods not ceasing vntill they had rooted out the whole stocke line of Alexander their master and also thorow gréedy auarice murdred and consumed themselues But first it is necessarie that we orderly procéed in the historie for the better vnderstanding of the Reader Alexander now being dead the Princes presently vpon his decease fell to sedition controuersie and disagreement amongest themselues for the regiment of the footemen were whollie determined to aduaunce Aride to the kingdome who although sonne to Philip and brother vnto Alexander yet notwithstanding hee was attained with the vncurable disease of the mind by reason whereof the rest of the Princes and Captains which garded Alexander his body hauing wyth them the horsemen condescended and agreed by one whole common consent to reare warre against the footemen rather than they woulde suffer their insolent boldenesse for they woulde haue Perdicas aduaunced whome Alexander at the houre of his death gaue his ring which deputed him as Gouernour but before they enterpriced the matter they thought best is send certaine of the chiefest and most honourable personages in their company with an Embassade to the footemen among whome one Meleager was appointed chiefe principall Embassador to dissuade them to desist and leaue off their attempt but so soone as Meleager was come amongest them hee neuer made mention of the Embassade committed to him but contrarywise approuing and allowing their attempt and enterprise did all that in him lay to maintaine and support them against the horsemen and the other Princes so that the footemen hauyng good liking of his counsaile and courage ordeined him foorthwyth their Coronell and thereuppon armed themselues to giue battaile vnto the aduersarie howbeit certayne of the wisest and most circumspect deepely weying and considering the case how it did stand he concluded a finall peace wherein in was agréed that Aride brother to Alexander shoulde be established King and Perdicas thiefe of the Macedonian Princes and also gouernour to Aride the King and vnto the rest of the Princes and chiefe of the army were diuided and giuen the administrations and gouernements of the prouinces lately vnder the subiection of Alexander their Master which administrations and presidentships the Greekes called Satrapies and the Gouernours of the same Prouinces Satrapes conditionally that euerie of the saide Princes at all times shoulde be subiect and obedient vnto Aride the King and also to Perdicas his Gouernor Now when Perdicas by reason of his Gouernorship had taken vpon him the rule ouer the rest he forthwith assembled all the Princes and chiefe Captaines and assigned to euery of them certaine Prouinces to gouerne namely first he bestowed the gouernement of Aegypt on Ptolome the son of Lage on Laomedō Syria on Philotes Cilicia on Phiton Media on Eumenes Paphlagonia and Cappadocia on Antigone Pamphilia and Licia on Cassander Caria on Meleager Lydia and on Leonat the lesser Phrygia which bordereth about Hellespont In this sort was diuided the prouinces of Asia In Europe was appointed to Lysimachus the country of Thrace to Antipater Macedonia besides al these he constituted and ordayned Seleucus Captaine general of the horsemen called the soldiors being the chiefe office and most honorable in the army which charge Ephestion first had whom Alexander entirely loued and after him Perdicas Craterus also whome Alexander dearely loued was appointed chiefe Captaine ouer ten thousand in the army royall and as touching the transporting of Alexander his bodie vnto the Temple of Iupiter Hammon the setting vp of his toombe the apparelling thereof wyth the furniture and solemnization of the funeralls the most charge was committed vnto Aride the king brother to Alexander Thus when Perdicas had placed these Princes and diuers other in such Prouinces and places as himselfe thought good He also assembled them together making them priuie of the marueylous enterprises ordinances of their master Alexander deceased which things are worthie remembrance for he shewed vnto them what things Alexāder in his life had appointed to be done purposed to haue done if he had liued and therefore now at his death required him the rest of the Paeres to accomplish these his determinations with all speede and expedition which ordinances were woonderfull of great charges And because that Perdicas himselfe woulde not goe about to derogate the authoritie honor of Alexāder his dead master he committed the matter to the deliberation of them all being present crauing their consents to the frustrating of those escripts and appointments which seemed so difficult almost vnpossible to be brought to passe For first hee ordayned that a thousand tal gallies should be built longer bigger than any where in Phenicia Syria Cilicia or Ciprus to war against the Carthaginians and certaine other regions bordering vpon the Lybian and Spanish seas to the end he would haue been Lord ouer all those seas hard to the pillers of Hercules He also ordeyned that there should be erected fiue royal honorable temples to the value of 500. talents euery of them and further that ther should be cut out large and wide harborowes in places fitte and for y e purpose to ride at harborow the said nauy of gallies that done he commanded diuers great and mighty cities to be built and those to be peopled as foloweth First that the inhabitāts of Asia should be brought into Europe the inhabitāts of Europe into Asia to the end that they being conioyned in mariage and affinitie they should alway continue in amitie together and for the places where the tēples should be erected he appointed that one should be at Delos in the honor of Iupiter Dodone one in Macedon to Iupiter Nidie one in Amphipolis to the Goddesse Diana of Scythia the other two of the honor of the goddess Pallas the one in Syrene the other in Illy which Temple in Illy hee would should be so excellent sumptuous that y e like no where should be found Besides al these he appointed a tōbe to be built in fashiō of a Pyramide or brooch in y e honor of his father Philip far excelling them in Egypt which are thought to be the
help whē he néeded desiring to vse him as one in whō he might repose his trust Now was Alexāder glad that of his own accord he would return and because he would better let him vnderstande some signe of good wil harty loue he accōpanied him into Thessaly but after they were arriued in the Citie of Larissa they a fresh began to practise new treason one against another and first Alexander to put Demetrius quite out of suspition either without armour or weapon or anie guard to attend on his person would oft visite him hoping thereby to make him doo the like but he was in his so thinking greatly deceiued for as Alexander one night came to supper to Demetrius without guard according to his accustomed wont and that they wer in the chiefe of their supper Demetrius sodainly arose from the table wherat Alexander was sore abashed insomuch that hee arose also followed him to the hall doore but so soone as Demetrius was without he gaue signe and token to his souldiors who incontinently fell vppon Alexander and slew him and certaine of his men which would haue defended him among whom a certain fellowe before he was killed said Demetrius hath preuented vs but a day onely Now was Demetrius King of Macedon and the Macedonians right glad of their change but not long after this Demetrius was taken prisoner by Seleuchus in battaile committed to prison where he continued vntill he died Then was the great fight betwixt Seleucus and Lysimachus which was the verie last battaile that was fought betwixt the successors of Alexander in which conflict Lysimachus was slaine Seleucus victor But Seleucus inioyed his victorie not long for he was shortly after slaine by Ptolome whose sister Lysimachus had married Also Olympias mother to Alexander the Great when she had slaine King Philip and his wife Euridice then to despite Cassander she put to death an 100. noble men of Macedon at one time also she made Nicanor brother to Cassander to be slaine and defaced the tombe and monument of Iole his other Brother to reuenge the death of Alexander her sonne as she said because it was suspected that he had poysoned him in giuing him drinke About the same time when Ptolome Lord of the Isle of Cypres vnderstood that Nicocles King of Paphos had secretly allied with Antigone hee sent two of his chiefe friends to wit Argey and Calicrate into Cypres charging them to kill the said Nicocles fearing that if he should leaue him vnpunished the rest would not sticke to doo the like When these messengers were arriued in Cypres hauing with them the souldiors of Ptolome they incompassed the house of Nicocles signifying to him their charge from Ptolome therefore they exhorted him to kill himselfe who from the beginning vsed manie words in the excusing of the fact but when hee did sée there was no account made of his tale hee at the last slewe himselfe and after that Axithia his wife vnderstood of his death she first slew two yong maides her daughters whom she had by him to the end they shuld not come into the hands of her husbands enemies and after exhorted Nicocles brothers wiues willingly to die with her which indéed they did In this sort also was the pallaice royall of Paphos ful of murders and wilfull slaughters and after in manner of a tragedie burnt for immediately after the brothers wiues of Nicocles were dead they shut vp the dores of the houses and set them on fire and foorthwith they that then liued in the pallaice killed themselues and so finished that lamētable murder In the same season while these things were done in Cypres great controuersie arose in the Countrey of Pontus after the death of Parisade sometime King of Bosphorus betwixt Satyre Eumele and Pritame Parisade his sonnes for the succession of the said Realme insomuch that the brothers made sharpe warre one against the other So it fortuned that Satyre and Pritame were both slaine in that warre wherefore the other Brother Eumele to assure himselfe of the Realme caused all the wiues children and friends of Pritame and Satyre his brethren to be slaine not long after was himselfe cruelly slaine by misfortune Now to returne to Alexander the Great and his line it was reported and partly beléeued that he himselfe consented with Olympias his mother to the death and murder of Philip his father for which gréeuous offence he himselfe with his whole line and stocke was punished accordingly For first it is to be considered that olde Antipater who in Alexanders life was his Lieutenant and after his death first had the Satrape of Macedon bestowed on him by Perdicas the Gouernour Which Antipater and Olympias could neuer agrée but still were at contention and strife both in the life time of her sonne Alexander and also after his death insomuch that when Alexander was comming from the conquest of the world making his abode in Babylon for a time and after minding to returne home into Macedon to visit his mother Olympias Antipater being then Lieutenant of Macedon considered with himselfe that if in case Alexander shuld return home that then his mother Olympias would make gréeuous complaints against him which thing he so much feared that he caused poyson to be giuen to Alexander at Babylon whereof hee presently died Thus when Alexander was dead and olde Antipater deceased there grew a new grudge and quarrell betwixt Olympias and Cassander sonne to Antipater insomuch that he tooke Olympias prisoner and in the end caused her to be slaine Aslo hee slewe Alexander sonne of Alexander the Great and Roxana his mother afterward he put to death Hercules the other sonne of Alexander with Arsinne his mother yet notwithstanding Cassander espoused Thessalonica one of the Sisters of Alexander the great who after the death of Cassander was also slaine by her own sonne Antipater Cleopatra also the other Sister of Alexander was also slaine by the commaundement of Antigonus After this sort was the whole line of Alexander for all his mightie conquests gained with lamentable slaughters and wonderfull effusion of bloud vtterly extinguished by Antipater and his Successours Also what gained his Successors by the large Kingdomes and possessions hee left For they were al by enuie depriued both of life and lands in miserable sort Insomuch that their remained not one that could iustly vaunt and brag of his happie successe but had rather good cause to mourne bewaile the cruel murders manifold slaughters and wastfull ruines both of themselues their wiues children and friends hauing also right good cause to wish that Alexander had neuer béen borne or els that he had neuer conquered so great a part of the world to leaue the possession therof to them wherby they were all driuen to vntimely death with the murder of infinite thousands of their people so that the whole whole world did lament and grieue at their
and yong through euery streete in mournefull manner cride His funeralls and other rites in order al well done And Troyans al had wailde their fill for losse of this my sonne Then Helen faire her sorrow slackt by course of weeping tears Her beauty bright to Deiphoebe in secret sort appeeres So that the man halfe mad for her doth earnestly require The Grecian Dame and that he might foorthwith haue his desire He was my sonne wherefore as then I seemed well content He had his choice but then ere long the acte he did repent The Greekes that knew how al things went came fierce againe ere long When they had filld their rankes with men to maintaine battaile strong And gaue sharpe siege to Troyan walls which Troyans did defend From that time foorth the angry Greekes no idle time did spend But day by day did still inuent to worke our great annoy And plots did lay how to betray the stately towne of Troy For now they found no force preuailde against so strong a towne Their hope was past by open force to beate our turrets downe Though diuers of our states were dead and men of great account The Grecian peeres which Troyans slewe our number did surmount Our losse was great and ouer great whereof the Grecians bost We also knew what mighty states the Grecian army lost Yet were we strong and strong enough for all the Grecian states And dayly put their men to foile before the Troyan gates Which well they spide wherefore at length by secret meanes they sought To take our towne and with our states full priuily they wrought They promise that these traytors vile should haue their goods and liues And all their friendes whome they thought good their children and their wiues Should freed be from sacke or spoile if that they would betray Both Prince and towne into their power to be a Grecian pray Aeneas that disloyall man especially I blame And false Antenor who at first consented to the same Both vile disloyall wretches they thus to betray their King And Grecian armies set in rankes within our towne to bring But sure I thinke the gods decreede at first it should be so Wherefore I lesse do blame these men for bringing in our fo Fell destinie so frownd on me wherefore this latest fate Was first decreede for Paris fault against King Pryams state To plague me oft with wofull sights to see my children torne Both planets sure and fortune vile against me wretch had sworne Our towne betrayde not knowing as yet til after when too late For that the Greekes with mightie troups were entred in the gate In silent night by helpe of friends when Troyans were at rest They marched on for well they knew the lowring night was best For this their subtile policie when we to rest were laide The Greekes came in our gates were ope loe thus we were betraide Now was my woe afresh renude my miseries forepast To this mishap a trifle was but sorrow now full fast In spitefull wise did shew her force to vexe me more and more And fortune frownd in worser sort than she had done before For now my friends and deere alies in paued streetes so wide Besmerde with blood do gaping lie as they to succour hide The conquerde towne which then was lost in vaine they sought to saue With rankes of men not armde for haste they lusty larums gaue But al in vaine was this their force for that the Grecians fell With murdring minds so laide about a greeuous thing to tell And so be hact and hewde our men vnarmed as they stoode That like to streames the Troyans streetes did flowe with gory bloode There lay the States and Peeres of Troy whome angry Greekes had slaine For that they thought to saue the towne which Grecians meant to gaine Thus passing vp our stately streets such mighty spoile they made So that I thinke it grieude the Greekes in Troyan blood to wade Yet for because we had abusde the Grecians in such sort The slaughters vile of guiltlesse men was to the Greekes a sport At last when all the towne was wonne the states for succour flewe To Pryams pallace hoping that the foe would not pursue Nor there to spoile the aged Prince for reuerence of his yeares Who long had liude in Phrygia land as at this day appeares But they to reuerence aged yeares so little had regarde That Prince and Peere both olde and yong by Grecians was not sparde The pallace faire of Pryamus the greedy Greekes beset With weapons bright and fiercely fought their hoped pray to get There now the battaile great was vp as if no place else where Had felt of warre and die did none in all the towne but there So mightily the Greekes did run to houses tops we see The posts brake down and gates brake ope beset that none might flee The wals with scaling ladders laide and props for scaffolds hie That vp by staires they climbe and backe they driue the darts that flie To battlements full fast they cling on battred walls they holde While Troyans downe vpon their heads the tops of towers rolde Full fierce a while the Troyans fought but al their force was vaine For that the gods had vowde there should no part of Troy remaine Vnconquered and Pryamus the King of Troy should knowe How that he did not wel when first he made the Greekes his foe At last the gates too weake to holde by force were opened wide And fearefull foes with armour bright passde in on euery side The peeres within right wel perceiude the cruel foes intent Vnable to withstand their force to dreadfull death were sent Which I beheld from secret place where I my selfe did shrowde And other moe that time with me to saue themselues did crowde My kinsmen deere and faithfull friends before my face they made To be as wood before the axe and buckler to the blade Dismembring them in wofull sort a lamentable thing And oft enquirde for Pryamus that they might kill the King Which well I wist wherefore from thence my selfe I did conuay And word did send to Pryamus that there he should not stay But seeke someway by priuy doores to scape their bloody hand And not to bide amongst their force nor to their mercy stand And then into the streetes I passde by secret wayes vnknowne Where chanells deepe ah grieuous sight with blood was ouer-flowne And martred men scarce dead did lie there breathing out their last A worser hap then this I spide as I by chaunce did cast Mine eies aside where I perceiude sir Menelaus he In armour bright so lyon-like fast marching towards me And as he came he soone had spide how Deiphoebe my sonne Made haste to shun his cruel hand and swiftly thence did runne For that he feared the desperate foe and knowing iust cause why Made greater haste to saue himselfe and fast away did fly The Greeke despising that my sonne of al the rest should scape
our City great did vtterly destroy Fierce was the flame on euery side downe falls the buildings faire The temples of our sacred gods the fier did not spare Till all things flat vpon the ground did lie like desart plaine For memorie of this our tovvne the vvalls did not remaine Dovvne to the earth it smoking lay defaced so vvith fire To ruine novv all things vvere come vvhich vvas the Greekes desire The bodies of the Troyans slaine in Zanthus floud did svvimme Eche channell deepe vvith crimson blood stoode floting to the brimme The members of our martred men in barren fields they flung In fertile sort to fat the earth in steade of other dung That where the towne of Troy did stand in little space was seene Where houses stoode there grasse did growe in sprouting sort full greene And where the Temples of our gods in stately maner stoode The dockes and weedes were cherished by losse of Troyans bloode No place of Troy vntoucht did stand but all for waste was layde The Greekes cride quit with that vile part that Paris first had playde When that mine eies had seene all this the sorrowes which were past Eche wofull hap once callde to minde starke mad I fell at last And raging in the fieldes I ran where lately Troy did stand From thence when I had raylde my fill I passde to Thracia land Where Polymnestor that vile wretch and traytor bad did raigne Who had betrayde yong Polidore my sonne for filthie gaine Which cruell acte though then starke mad in minde I still did beare That for reuenge on him I fell and out his eies did teare To worke him woe for this his deede my frantike minde was fierce The cheekes of this disloyall wretch my nayles did soundly pierce That he foorthwith had lost his sight for this his former deede O would to God all traitours thus for treacherie might speede This deede once done my troubled minde somewhat I did appease For wel I wist the wretch was blinde which did my sorrow ease And also to my further ioy proude Pyrrhus lost his life When he returned home to Greece by reason of the strife That stout Orestes had with him for Hermion that wench That nothing else but present death could this their quarrell quench Achylles sonne at last was slaine Orestes had his ioy And Pyrrhus might repent the time that first he came to Troy Where he imbrewde himselfe with blood and slewe the aged King Which was the cause of his mishap and sure no other thing The gods that knew his cruell minde and saw his wilfull fact Could not lesse do than make the Greeke repent his bloudy act Orestes slue Achylles sonne thus Pyrrhus being dead Like hearbes to pot his flesh was chopt no otherwise he sped This newes to me some comfort was in this my wofull state To heare what hard mishap befell to him that slue my mate And well I wist his father first for vsing me so ill Was slaine himselfe by my consent for Paris did him kill And also how that Thracian King that Polymnestor hight For so betraying of my sonne and doing me that spite Receiude a guerdon for his fact his lumen lights he lost Wherefore the traytor of his gaines I thinke could scarcely bost Of all the rest it did me good for that my hands had done Such due reuenge on that vile wretch that so betrayde my sonne I ioyde a while at this my deede my sorrow wel did flake For that I knew they dide the death of whom before I spake But when againe I callde to minde my children that were gone And deere alies of whom the Greekes aliue had left not one And how olde Pryamus my mate before my face did die On Pyrrhus blade that Grecian grim while I in vaine did crie For helpe to free him from the hand of this his spitefull fo In vaine I cride for that the gods decreede it should be so And then when that I thought on Troy on Troy our stately towne Which was the eie of all the world but now by Greekes throwne downe And like a desart place did lie no signe of Troy did stand The empire stout of Asia great so wrested from our hand That I the greatest Queene on earth so was my stately stile In time forepast and now to be a helplesse wretch most vile So base and humbly was I vsde farre from my former state That harborlesse I rangde about this was my haplesse fate Despisde of all receiude of none refusde of those that faund On me before when I their Queene did euery thing commaund But now although I vsde them well in elder time before They to requite my courtesie did shut me foorth of dore And let me lie without reliefe this kindnesse they did showe In Princes place to me they sude but now they would not knowe Their haplesse Queene in miserie but let me raging runne In euery corner where I would eche wight me wretch did shunne Not Greekes I meane but subiects mine who sometime did professe In Asia soile me for their Queene and now in this distresse The Greekes had awde their minds so far they durst not on me looke But as a thing that venyme was eche liuing wight forsooke Which when I spide and callde to minde my former stately place And now againe did see my selfe to liue in such disgrace In frantike sort my heart was vext the anguish of my minde Like bedlam beast did make me run the spitefull Greekes to finde That were the causers of my woe that I reuenge might take On all the wrongs that they had done and for my husbands sake Whom they had slaine before my face and for my children deare For whose sweete sakes amongst the Greekes I went without al feare With eger fist I laide on loade with nayles and feete at length But slender hurt a womans hand could do to men of strength Yet notwithstanding my good will was seene by this my force And theirs againe O wretched me by vsing such remorce For when that I had done my worst and shewed my vtter might And breathlesse stoode for want of breath by this my feeble fight The Greekes with stones did compasse me whose force I stil defide Till they with stones did strike me downe where presently I dide Lo thus when that all vile mishaps had chaunced vnto me Whome fortune followed to the death with such extremitie And that mine eies to my great griefe such wofull things had seene But would to God before the warre long time I dead had beene When all such haps of hatefull dome that fortune could assigne Did chaunce to me by haplesse hap such luckelesse lot was mine To ende my dayes in great disgrace I dide among my foes They stoned me to death poore wretch a heauy end God knowes Had euer any such mishap since first the world begunne Or any one did know such woe that liued vnder sunne As I my selfe poore wretched Queene though bootelesse now
chop should staine Because I feard the prophesie therfore I did consent But what of that the Gods themselues did hinder mine intent For if the Gods decree it once I know it will fall out Let no man think the powers diuine by any meane to stout Sir Satire sonne to Pariside of Bosphore sometime king Was wild by Oracle to shun a mouse of any thing For that a mouse should be his death except he took great heed The Oracle did tell him flat his fate was so decreed But he to shun the warned harme did slay the silly mice In field and town that none might liue his death to enterprice And in his land no man might dwell that mouse was cald by name He sought each way to saue himselfe he feared so the same He stopt the holes of creeping mice in euery place full sure For that the vermins by no meanes his death might once procure Yet see the end when least he thought of this forewarned harme He wounded was vpon the brawne or muscle of the arme For Musculus a little mouse in Latine we doo call And Mus a mouse which Satire slew as after did befall A dagger piercd Sir Satirs arme right where the muscle grew And muscle comes of Musculus though then too late he knew And Philip King of Macedon was warned to beware Of wagon or of wheeled coach wherfore he had a care To keep himselfe from any such he neuer could abide To come in coach for feare of that but still on horse did ride For all his care it so fell out he could it not preuent He was deceiud no running coach by this before was ment For being slaine the sword that slew the King was brought to sight And viewed well where on the hilts a coach was grauen right To Pelius it was declarde when that he chauncd to see One barefoot doing rights vnto his fathers ghost that he Should then of death in danger stand the prophesie was so Because he should take heed of him and shun the warned foe When he was doing of his rights vnto his fathers ghost His nephew Iason came by chance whose right foot shoo was lost And there vnto his grandsire dead the youth his dewes did giue The vncle then with ielous mind not long did think to liue For that he feard his neuew now who barefoot there did stand Should be the cause of his dispatch wherfore he out of hand Did counsell Iason being young to Colchos Ile to sayle To fetch the golden fleece from thence wherin he did preuaile His meaning was that Iason should be lost or drownd therin The conquest seemd vnpossible the golden fleece to win And for because he might not feare the prophesie forepast He shipt his neuew speedely and sent him thence in hast But Iason soon returnde again and brought away the fleece And brought Medea home with him to be old Pelias Neece To Thessalie Medea came and hearing what was done Against the aged Pelias she presently begun To practise treason at the last and causd the aged sire By his own daughters to be slaine this was for Pelias hire For he that could not trust the man that was his kinsman near But purposely did seek his death to free himselfe from fear Had such a chance ere that he wist Medea did the deed His ielous mind was chiefest cause that made him so to speed The Oracle long time before did know old Pelias mind Wherfore it told what destenie was to the man assignde Of fiftie daughters Danaus to be the sire was knowne Aegiptus then his brother had so many sonnes his own Aegiptus would haue all these his sonnes his brothers daughters wed But Danaus would not consent wherfore away he fled And tooke his daughters all with him because he did suspect A sonne in law would be his death therfore he did reiect The offer that his brother made but why he did refraine The cause was thus the Oracle did say he should be slaine By him that was his sonne in law wherefore he sought to shunne Such destinie as might befall through such a wicked sonne Aegyptus wroth with this his deede did send his sonnes to stay Their vncle that before was fled and pact from thence away His sonnes according to his will old Danaus did take And causde him there against his will a marrige day to make His daughters all were wedded then against their fathers will Eche man his cousin germaine had Aegyptus did fulfill His mind at last and did reioyce in this so strange a march But Danaus not well content did worke a swift dispatch Because he fearde the prophecie least that on him should light He did commaund his daughters all they should appoint a night Wherein eche one with willing minde her slumbring mate should slay And disappoint the prophecie before the morrow day His iealous minde did vexe him so he still did doubt the worst Til it was done he could not rest the man did so mistrust According to the fathers minde they did commit the act The nuptiall bed was so defilde with such a filthie fact All sauing one was slaine that night a hard and cruel part Whose life was saude for that his wife did wil him thence to start For very loue she bare to him though all her sisters had Destroyde their mates which deede she thought to be right vile and bad Thus being saude by such a meane the sonne in law did wexe Right fierce against his father law and earnestly did vexe He vowde reuenge on Danaus that thus vniustly delt He swore that he should taste the same that they before had felt And in the end he slue the wretch for doing of that deede The Oracle pronouncde before how Danaus should speede Thus seeking how to shunne his fate his death he did procure Himselfe was cause of his dispatch when he thought all things sure The Theban king that Laius hight by Oracle was tolde That Oedipus his onely sonne would proue a man too bolde And in the end should be the death of him that was his sier But Laius thought to frustrate that and proue his god a lier Vnto a shepheard of his owne his sonne he gaue to slay And chargde the man vpon his life there should be no delay But presently his sonne to kill and bring him home his heart He shall not liue so long quoth he to make his father smart The shepheard tooke the lad a field but loath he was to kill His Masters sonne that he loude well and yet he must fulfill His masters minde which grieude him sore wherefore he did inuent How he might satisfie the King and saue the innocent That Oedipus were dead he wisht so that his hands were freed From doing hurt vnto the youth and from so vile a deede Wherefore the hurtlesse lad he tooke his legs with twigs he bound And by the heeles vpon a tree he hung him from the ground That no wilde beasts might reach the