Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	body_n	earth_n	soul_n	6,637	5	5.0980	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A69098	A most excellent hystorie, of the institution and firste beginning of Christian princes, and the originall of kingdomes wherunto is annexed a treatise of peace and warre, and another of the dignitie of mariage. Very necessarie to be red, not only of all nobilitie and gentlemen, but also of euery publike persone. First written in Latin by Chelidonius Tigurinus, after translated into French by Peter Bouaisteau of Naunts in Brittaine, and now englished by Iames Chillester, Londoner. Séen and allowed according to the order appointed.; Histoire de Chelidonius Tigurinus sur l'institution des princes chrestiens, & origine des royaumes. English	Chelidonius, Tigurinus.; Boaistuau, Pierre, d. 1566.; Chillester, James.	1571 (1571)	STC 5113; ESTC S104623	160,950	212

people and persuade them so well that they receiued his false Doctrine for truth the meanes wherto was this In the beginning he did not communicate his false doctrine but to those of his owne houshold next to his neighbors afterwards to to the common people specially to such as were the moste grosse witted and to carnal men for he doth permit in his law all the vices of the fleshe with all libertie of the which kinde there was at that time a greate numbre thorowoute the worlde and perceiuing him selfe riche and greatly fauoured of Fortune he gathered togithers a great companie of his owne secte and religion And when he sawe him selfe well appoynted and strong he assailed his neighboures and so made him selfe Lorde of many Nations and Prouinces These things were a doing about the yeare of our Lord sixe hundreth Eracleus being then Emperoure of Rome and holding his seate at Constantinople and Bonifatius the fifthe then also Pope Mahomet seeing his affaires prosper so well yet somewhat dispairing his successe did forbidde that any man shoulde dispute vppon the manner of his Lawe and so by this meanes he made it to be obserued by force Afterwardes he went to assaile the Countreys of Romaine Empire he entred into Syria conquered the Noble Citie of Damasco and all Egypte and Iuda persuading the Sarazens people of Arabic that the lande of permission appertained to them of good righte as the lawfull heyres and successoures of Abraham After he had Conquered diuers Prouinces and Regions he was poysoned and dyed about the age of foure and thirtie yeares and in the yeare of oure Lorde sixe hundred thirtie and two after the accompte of Sabellicus And bicause he alwayes vaunted him selfe that after his Deathe he shoulde ascende into Heauen his Disciples kepte his bodie stinking vppon the earthe certaine dayes after he dyed vntill it was corrupted as his soule was Afterwardes he was entombed with a Tombe of yron and caryed to Meque aforesaid a towne in Persia where he is at this day honoured of all the people of the Easte yea euen of the greatest parte of the worlde and this is for oure sinnes and wickednesse and we may therfore easily be persuaded and beleeue that he was sente as a scourge euen by the permission of God to chasten the Christians as he did send long sithens an Antiochus a Cyrus and a Nabuchodonozor to oppresse his peculiar people the Jewes This is therfore no new thing that the Lorde dothe execute his iustice against his owne by such tirants and wicked men as Mahomet was the Lord hath geuen vs to vnderstād the same by the Prophet Esay where he sayth I haue called my mightie and strong men in my wrathe I haue called them my holy ones to the ende they shall glory in my name the Prophet pronouncing these woords spake of King Darius and Cirus Marke loe how he calleth the Medes and Persians his holy ones who were neither good nor holy but onely the executers of his will and pleasure to chastise Babylon he speaketh the like in Ezechiel where he saith I wil guide and lead my seruaunt Nabuchodonosar bicause he did serue me faithfully at Tire and I will giue him also Egipt yet he was not for all that the seruaunt of god Totilla King of the Goathes being demaunded wherefore he was so cruell and extréeme against the people answered with a maruellous faithe therein what thinkest thou that I am other than the very wrath and scourge of God sent vpon the earthe as an instrument to chasten the offences and wickednesse of the people We may euidently therefore knowe by these things that God doth for the most part correct and chasten vs by the wicked who neuerthelesse doe not cease to be wicked still and deserue them selues plagues for according to the word of the Lord and sauioure it is necessary there come slaunder but curssed be he by whome slaunder shall come Behold lo the attempts and furious assaults that Sathan and his complices haue framed against the Church of Iesus Christe his Doctrine for there is no religion that he hath persecuted so cruelly frō the beginning of the world as he hath done ours and although he hath vttered all his suttleties craftes malices and inuentions to ouerrun it and suppresse it yet it remaineth stil perfect by the goodnesse and aid of our sauior Iesus Christe who dothe represse and bridle the malicious and poysoned rage of his enimie and although he hath procured the death of some members of the Church that of the most auncients and greatest clarks as Abel Esay Zacharie Ieremie Iesus Christ the Apostles many holy Bishops as Polycarpus Ignatius and many .1000 of Martyrs and others yet he could not ouerthrow the same For it is wrytten that the gates of Hel shal not preuail nor stand against it and althoughe by continuance and reuolution of time it hath bene shal be put in great danger and peril and that it hath bene and is turmoiled and tossed as a ship by the rage and violence of the tempests yet Iesus Christ wil neuer abandon or leaue his espouse but he wil alwayes assiste hir as the heade dothe the body he watcheth for hir he kéepeth preserueth and maintaineth hir as the promisse by him made dothe witnesse where it is said I wil not leaue you as Orphanes I will be with you euen vnto the consumption of the world And in Esay it is saide I wil put my woords into thy mouthe and I will defend thee with the shadowe of my hand and in the .59 chapter he saith this is my alliance that I haue made with thée sayth the Lord my sprite which is in thée and my woords which I haue put in thy mouth they shall not departe nor goe out of thy mouth nor oute of the mouthe of thy séede from hence forthe for euer Seeing then oure religion onely to be true and pure and that it hathe bene sealed with the bloud of so many Prophets Apostles and Martyrs and specially sealed with the seale of the blud of Iesus Christ our sauior wherof he hath left vnto vs the very marke Carrecte and witnesse in his death and that al the other be vnlawful and bastardes inuented deuised by the deuil or men his instrumēts to the confusion of oures I wold wish that Princes who are Gods lieuetenants vpon the earth for as much as they be called the children and nursses of the Church by the Prophet Esay and that they be the pillers and strength that it oughte to be stayed by I would wishe I say they shuld imploy themselues to maintaine it defende it conserue it confirme it and amplifie it that they might at the latter day whē they shall appéere before the maiestie of God say that which that good King Dauid saide Lord I haue hated those that thou haste hated and haue bene angry with them that

drinke without al measure before they were ledde to the place of execution and after they had well drunke he would cause all the conduites of their bodies to be bounde and tied that they should not make their water and so would leaue them languishing vntil they shuld die with extréeme rage and paine And all Virgines that were condemned before they came to the place of execution to suffer he woulde alwayes cause them to be defloured with his varlets that with their liues they mighte also loose their virginitie I coulde likewise reherse the crueltie of Phalaris king of Cicilia and of many others that did murther an infinite numbre of innocentes causing them to be put into a Bull made of brasse with fire round about it to the intent that the pacients within being in their tormentes might make a noise like the roring of a Bull least that vsing their accustomed voices they shoulde moue the assistantes to pitie But it shall suffise amongst so great a numbre of suche kinde of tirannies that mighte be gathered out of the Histories to haue rehearsed only these fewe to the ende that Princes and all others that shall vnderstand these abhominations shuld take heede that they do not headlongs cast themselues into the ditch where others are falne before them The twelfthe Chapter A Treatise of Peace and VVarre and the difference of the one from the other things necessarie to be red by Princes and Magistrates that haue the gouernment of Realmes and Common vvealthes PEace is moste chiefly to be desired of all Princes for the good gouernemente of their realmes and dominions and there is no one thing that doth more continue the same and conserue the dignitie royall of the Prince than to keepe the subiectes in vnion amitie and concord and the prince to shew himselfe louing towardes them as he desireth to be béeloued and honoured of them againe For there is no defence force or pollicie that maketh the Prince more strong and more redoubted than the loue quietnesse and good will of his people and subiectes with the which being fortified and armed he shall be without all such suspition and feare as commonly Princes are subiecte vnto And nowe for as muche as many Historians bothe Greekes and Latines haue very aptly taughte the manner howe to make warres I wil not intreat thereof at this present but rather exhorte all Princes to flie from it as a thing moste daungerous and pernitious to all common welthes But to the end they may the better learne to abhorre the one to embrace the other I will manifest to them by sundrie Examples as well the damages and inconueniences of the warres as also the contrary howe requisite and necessary a thing peace is and the commodities thereof Being as it were the spring and fountaine of all humaine felicitie gouerner and nursse of all that the vniuersall worlde containeth Peace I say giueth being and strengthe to all things shée kéepeth and conserueth them in suche sorte as without hir aide and helpe in one instante they woulde be ouerthrowne destroyed and spoyled for by hir aide the lande is tilled the fieldes made flourishing and gréene the beastes féede quietly Cities be edified things ruinate be repaired antiquities be augmented lawes be in their force the common wealth flourisheth religion is maintained equitie is regarded humanitie is embraced handie craftes men be set a woorke the poore liue at ease the riche men prosper learning and sciences be taught with all libertie youthe learne vertue olde men take their rest virgines be happely married Cities and Townes be peopled the world is multiplied But I pray you O mortal men that haue any sparke of humaine nature enter into your selues iudge if it be not a mōstruous and prodigious thing that nature hath bred and brought forth a liuing creature only capable of reason hauing certaine similitude of the Godhead onely borne to loue and concorde and yet alwayes peace is better receiued amongs other brute beasts than with him and beasts although they be depriued of the vse of reason yet they liue quietly in peace and concord one with an other And that it shall be founde true marke the Elephant séeketh the companie of the other Elephantes The Cranes and Storkes haue a certaine confederacie and aliance togither by the which the one dothe aide and comforte the others The Antes and Bées haue one common wealth and pollicie amongs them yea and the most fierce and cruell beastes of the earthe what brutishnesse so euer they be of doe not so muche degenerate from kinde that they pursue one an other For one wilde Bore doth not by violence take an other One Lyon dothe not dismembre an other One Dragon doothe not exercise his rage against an other One Viper dooth not hurt an other And the concorde of the Wolues is such that it is receiued in a Common prouerbe And further if we will be indifferent iudges and wel consider the vniuersall order of nature we shall not finde in any parte therof but very Harmonie peace and mutual concorde Let vs marke well the sphéeres and celestial bodies that although their motions be sundrie and in like manner their properties and forces contrary yet it is so that they doe regarde mutuall vniformitie amongs them and doe performe and ende their courses and reuolutions by times appoynted and determined for them by nature and what are more contrary amongst them selues than the foure Elements yet alwayes they haue suche a Simpathia and accorde amongs them that they doe keepe themselues in one certaintie compasse and course withoute hurting or anoying the one the other The fire dothe not consume the aire but dothe nourishe and kéepe it in his bosome The aire enuironeth the water and by a mutuall embracing dothe enclose it and keepe it within certaine limites as likewise the water doothe the earthe And can there be founde in all the order of nature any thing more vnlike than the bodie and soule and yet alwayes they be so well conioyned and tied togithers that they cānot be separated by any other meanes than by death And these things in like manner doe not only appeare in sensible and liuely things but also inuegitable things as Plantes and Trees in the which we must acknowledge certaine similitudes of great concord amitie For amongs many plantes and trees if ye take away the males and kéepe them from their females they wil corrupt and wither and so continue in perpetuall sterilitie as we see at the eye the Vine dothe embrace the Elme and dothe reioyce and delight of her presence Likewise the Iuie is so amorous of certaine trees that it keepeth them companie after they are deade and withered And what things are so far●e from feeling as the stones be And yet those that are the greate searchers of Nature haue acknowledged some sparke of secrete amitie in them for the Adamante loueth Iron and draweth

that was prepared for thē in this miserable world We reade the like of the Indiens Cesiens Cautiens Gymnosophists Brokmans and Thracians who did praise that day of the death of those that haue liued vertuously and not the day of their natiuitie as the Greke Poet doth shewe vnto vs in his Boke of Epigrams as foloweth Aboue all lawes and orders of olde dayes Whereof the mynde to this day is not worne The Thracian worlde J most commende and prayse That bad men weepe when children there were borne As token true of woe in lyfe to come But on that childe whom once the graue had wonne They bad men ioy when suche a one was ded As witnesse iuste that all his wo was fled Plato the moste worthyest of all the Ethnike Philosophers vnderstanding the little affinitie that the body hathe with the soule doth call it the Sepulchre wherein the soule is buried and sayth that death is nothing else but the very porte of immortalitie who did so well dispute of the miseries of this transitorie life and of the felicities that are prepared for vs in the other that many reading his Bookes of the immortalitie of the soule did maruellous willingly séeke their owne destructions some casting them selues downe headlong from a highe rocke into the sea to the ende they might taste and enioy the celestiall riches which are promised for them in the seconde lyfe as it is confirmed by a Greeke Epigram of Cleombrotus Cleombrotus that from a highe Mountayne Threw him selfe downe to breake his necke thereby What was the cause but that he thought it playne Myserie to liue and happie life to dye Grounding him selfe on Platos minde and skill That sayes the soule abides immortall still Adding hereto that Socrates had taught How that this life is to be set at naught But these matters would not sée no vnto vs any thing straunge nor maruellous if wee would consider how that S. Paule béeing stirred vp with a Spirituall affection desired to bée dissolued from this terrestriall prison to triumph in heauen with Iesus Christe his Captayne and redeemer And that great prophet Ionas who prayed the Lord that he would separate his soule from the body bicause sayth he that death séemeth better to me than lyfe Marcus Aurelius Emperour of the Romanes no lesse to be accounted a Philosopher than he was a worthy Emperour hauing proued al the passions rigours and calamities wherevnto the whole life of man is subiect did confesse frankely of him selfe that in 50. yeres which he had liued he neuer found any thing in this world wherwith he was satisfied or cōtent saith thus I will confesse this one thing although it shal be some infamie vnto me but peraduenture hereafter profitable to some others that in 50. yeres of my life I haue tasted all the wickednesse and vice of this world to see if there had bene any thing that could satisfie the humane malice affection And after that I had proued al I found that the more I did eate the more I did hunger the more I slept the more desirous I was to sleepe the more I drunke the thirstier I was the more I rested the more I brake the more I had the more I desired the more I searched the lesse I found and in conclusion I neuer desired any thing but hauing it once in my possession I found my selfe maruelously anoyed withal and incontinently wished some other thing so that this our lyfe séemed vnto me so piteous and miserable that as I thinke if any old man that doth leaue this transitore life wold make vnto vs a whole discourse and rehersal of his life past from the time that he passed out of his mothers wombe vntil the houre of his death and the body should recount all the sorowes that it hathe suffered and the soule discouer all the assaultes of fortune that it did abide bothe the Gods and men would maruell at the body that had endured so muche and at the harte that did dissemble the same This doctrine vpon the miserie of mans life thus alleaged by vs is not vnprofitable for it may serue as a myrrour or example to beate downe the hautinesse and high minde of Princes and great Lords when they feele them selues stirred or prouoked to vayne glory for if they would consider the common beginning of all the firste matter whereof we are made and how we bee all continued of lyke Elements bought all with one bloud hauing one common enimie I meane Sathan nourished and fed all with like Sacraments al incorporated in one Churche fighting all vnder one Captayne which is Iesus Chryst trusting in one onely rewarde all subiect to vices and passions and all indifferent to death they would then thinke there is no difference betweene the most vilest creatures of the earth and them selues but only in a litle dignitie caducall transitorie which shall vanish away as the smoke And let vs now mark how the prophet Ozeas doth condemne the insolencie and pride of them that do magnifie and exalte themselues of their mightinesse and great birth Their glory sayth he is all vppon their mothers womb of their conception and birth And the prophet Malachie sayth haue we not al one father are we not created of one Lord and God wherfore is it then that eche one contemneth his brother willing to let vs vnderstande by this their doctrine that this name of noblenesse is a vayne title giuen to men the desert wherof is of none account in the sight of god The wise man writeth in the booke of wisdome in this sort Beeing borne into this world sayth he I receiued the lyke ayre that other men did I was cast vpon the earth hauing the same voyce cry that others had and I was nourished and brought vp in the like paynes and sorowes and there was neuer king or prince vpon the earth that had euer any other beginning in his natiuitie we haue then one beginning one ende S. Iohn Chrysostome one of the most renoumed Doctors among the Grekes vpon thexplication of these words Our father which art in heauen trauelling to pull vp by the rootes these smal sparkes of glory which reigne amongs these great lords princes by means of the glory that they haue in their noblenesse and birthe exhorteth them in this maner Hearken sayth he you ambitious men how the Lord doth name him selfe our Father not father in particular of this man or that mā but willing to introduce one common charitie amongs all men and to conioyne vs all in a celestiall noblenesse had no regarde herein either to riche or poore master or seruant iudge or minister king or man at armes Philosopher or vnlearned wise man or foole but called him selfe father of vs all And S. Augustine vppon the Sermon made of the Mountayne confirming this authoritie sayth that we are admonished by this our cōmon prayer that beginneth

bishop destroid with thūder Julianus killed with an halbard The emperor Valerianus burnt in a house Theodore Attillus Totillus Frederik and other emperours euill handled and plaged Greate dignities and authoritie engendreth ambition pride vayne glory and loue of them selues The consideration of our owne natures is a good medi●m against ambition Wisdom ca. 9. An excellent description of the humaine calamities after the testimonie of sundry authors aswell sacred as prophane Weping and crying is mannes inheritance Man only is borne to be furious and proud Man only borne to ambitiō auarice and to maruellous desire to liue The opinion of Heraclitus of the life of man. A Philosopher that did continually bewayle the humaine miseries Democritus d●d laugh cōtinually at the humaine miseries The miseri● of mans life described in the Ecclesiastes S. Ierome Origen Leuitic ca 12. It is not red in any history that euer Christians did reioys● at the day of the birth of any childe The Thracians lamented alwayes at the birth of any child and did reioyce at the houre of their death Herodotus Valerius Maximus Pomponius Mela. Solon The body is the s●pulchre of the soule by Plato his opinion S. Austine de ciuitate dei Lactantius Firmianus S. Paule desired death Man a beast insatiable An excellent description of humaine miserie The miseries and calamities wherunto we are subiect b● the very m●rrors of the proud Aswell kings as their subiects are all subiect to vice and wickedn●sse and all equall to death Os●as Malachie ca. 2. Wisdom ca. 7. Salomon acknowlegeth his infirmities An exhortation of S. John Chrysostome to al● proud and ambitious princes in his homily vpon the 20 ●f Mathew An other e●ho●●●tiō of S Austine Loue of thēselues amōgst ●●bilitie is a greate ●●●e The commō people aucthor and b●●●der of the ●●ste of the greatest Cities vpon the earth Mathew ca 3 Ageinst such a●●o● glorie in the noblene●●e of their aunceters Iohn ca. 9. They that be discended of noble bloud if they do degenerate they do lose the title of noblenes which cannot be without vertue The testimonie of a●●rāt that noblenesse is nothing els but vertue The aunswer of Diogenes whē he was demanded who was ●ost n●ble The op●●ion of Chry●ostome what noblen●sse is A medici●e ageinst ambition Nobilitie in the time of sicknes and other persecutors do tast indifferently therof with the cōmon sort The noble and riche mē first afflicted Alexander not content with the victorie of one world Xerxes Hanniball Paul. Emili. Iulius Cesar Pompeius An excellēt discourse of the vanity and glory of this world The true heyres of the glory of men The death of Hercules The death of Alexāder The death of Caius Cesa● The death of Ascelpius The death of Drusius The death of the x. valiant captens of Scipio An vnhappie end doth often times bringeth in doubte the ●ood life The Lorde d●th e●alt the hu●rble and ouerth●●we the ●●●ud Saule ouerthrowen for pride Kings ca. 5. Ozias becāe a leper for his pride The pride of Olophernes abated by a woman Parah 2. ca. 16 Am●n han●●● 〈◊〉 his p●ide ●●●siastes ca. 〈◊〉 Psalme 36. The discription of the inconstancy of fortune Two examples contrary where one is exalted the other put downe Kings 4 ca. 25. Many of a base bloud exalted to kingdomes and empires Seruus Tullius king of the Romās sonne of a seruant wherby he beareth his name Antipater king of Macedonia the sonne of a Iugler Cābyses king of the Persians was descended of poore parentage Darius the sonne of a Carter Midas of a laborer was made king Softenes king of Macedonia of a base stock Sibaris king of the Perseans was seruant to an Inne kepat Thelophanes king of I●dia was a Carter Tamberlen the great emperour of our time was sōne of a Swyneberde Mahomet king of Araby was a dryuer of Camels Saule and Dauid were shepherds Abdolin king of Sydonic was a great gardner Agathecles the sonne of a potter Maximianus emperour king was the sonne of a locke Smith Martius emperour was a Smyth himselfe An oration of Martius in the commendaciō of yron Galerius Emperoure was a neatheard Elius Pertinax Emperor was a marchaunt of Wode Aureliꝰ Victor doth witnesse the same and Iulius Capitolinus Eutropiꝰ Dioclesianus Emperour was the sonne of a Boke binder Bonosus Emperor sonne of a Scholem●ster Aurelianus emperor of an vnknowē stock Valentianus emperor sonne of a shomaker And many others of an vnknowē bloud Popes issued out of obscure houses Pope Iohn 22. the sonne of a showmaker Sextus the iiij sonne of a mariner Pope Nicholas the iiij son of a Poulter Cress● king of Lidia burnt Darius king of the Persians was vāquished and hurt Perseus king of Macedonia died in prison Denis Syracusan banished out of his realme and driuen by pouerty to teache children The king Policarpus was crucified by his owne seruants Valerianus emperour ouerthrowne by Saport and made his footstoole Caligula emperour died hauing xxx wounds Dioclesian emperour poisoned Domitianus emperour dyed being banished out of Rome Falarius dyed vpon the Tortures Silia was eaten with lice Tiberius emperour stifled with a pillow Serche their deathes in Plinie Sueton and P●u archus Nero did require the helpe of his frends to kill him A kingdome giuē was refused Quintus Curtius boke 4. Many perils do accompany a Crowne A commendable sentēce of Antiochus A flatterer punished How greatly clemency and gentlenesse is commended in ●●inces Alexander wold haue killed him selfe for committing an offence rashly Princes in the olde time were wont to be famil●ar with the poore The Parthians wold haue their princes familiar aswell to the poore as the riche The custome of the Persians reproued A maruellous gentlenes of the emperour Antonius towards the poore Prouerb ca. 15. Ecclesiast 6. 3 Kings ca ● 1 Kings ca. 25 Ezechiell ca. 3 4. 1. Peter ca 5. A maruellous stoutnes of a Philosopher of the Garamants A maruello●s griefe of co●●cience at the pointe of death to such as hau● set their ●●nds vppon their goods in their life time Numbr ●2 A king and an emperour gaue audiēce to two poore women Gene 25. A greate constancie of a woman in p●ace of perill An incredible pacions of a Tirant Wyne is the aucthor of mischief The modestie of Pyrrhus king of the Epirots being abused by his owne Souldiers Examples of gētlenes and clemencye whiche haue passed in this our time A greate moske of an old man. A secret nippe by a gray Fryar to pope Sextus the iiij Riche● enimy to holinesse Two cardinalles taunted by Raphael the excellent painter The modesty of an erle of Jtaly being taunted by one that was whipped How princes ought to vse the vertue of modestie Nero plesant before the people The externe actiōs of mā do giue sufficient testimony what he is inwardly A prophecie vpon Iulianus the Apostata by Gregory Naziazen The descriptiō of Justice according to the mind of S. Augustin P. 〈…〉 oug● 〈…〉 the

a fewe in numbre amongest them as Augustus Vespasianus Tytus Anthonius Pius Anthonius Verus and Alexander Seuerus whoo haue very well shewed them selues in their gouernementes thou shalte finde a number of others all imbrued with vices and tyrannies and that so many that the euell Princes haue muche surpassed the vertuous and good And if thou bée desirous to reade the gestes of the Assyrians the Persians Gréekes and Egyptians there will appeare more of such as were euil and wicked Princes than of those that were good and vertuous I hope nowe that no man is of the opinion that I doe pretende by these examples any thing to abase or diminishe the Royall dignitie of a Prince vnto whose obedience I doe wholly yéelde my body and life for the woorthinesse and excellencie therof but I desire most chéefely therby to admonishe Kings and Princes in God of their duetes and office and that principally in respecte of so many soules so dearely boughte of whome they bée protectoures and defenders And I truste no man will no more blame mée or thinke my good will straunger héerein than they will doe hys which doth admonishe any man who is to trauaile thorowe straunge Countreyes that he shoulde take héede of the perillous and daungerous places which be in hys way and of théeues that lie by the wayes to robbe and spoyle him or to warne those whiche doe committe them selues to hasarde of the Seas that they should eschue and shunne certaine Rockes vpon the whiche if by chaunce they should fall they might bée in daunger of shippe wracke And so I haue none other meaning héerein but onely to exhorte Kings and Princes and all others that be called to any dignitie and Gouernment to haue their saluation in remembrance and to be vigilant and carefull to order and directe all their actions and doings in the feare of God bicause their dysorders are more notable and more perillous than the common sort of people And that by these examples of the wicked sorte which wée haue rehersed here in this booke they should haue good regard not to followe euen as he that séeth another fall before him ought to take good héede with all diligence to eschue the lyke danger and peril And contrary the examples of the good and vertuous which wée haue also spoken of héere may so induce them to vertue that they may leaue an eternal memorie after them of their good and vertuous liues Which we ought to leaue to our heires rather than to leaue them great numbers of treasure and riches as the wise man sayeth the good renoume is more to be praysed than precious oyntment And likewise he sayth in the booke of wisdome that the memorie of the good is immortall before God and man But when hée maketh mention of the iudgement that the posteritie shall haue of the wicked sorte he sayth they shall be cut of from al good reporte and fame and shall be alwayes in opprobrie amongst the deade where they shall lamente and wayle and the memorie of them and their séede shal be forgotten as though they had neuer bene but the good and vertuous sayth he shall liue from generation to generation their glorie shall be for euermore and the same shall bée declared and manifest in their children ¶ The fourth Chapter Hovve that those vvhich shall commaund others ought first to master them selues and so suppresse and moderate their affections passions that by their good liues they may induce those that be subiect to them to vertue and godlinesse WE haue sufficiently proued by the reasons aforesayde that vertue was the chiefe and principall cause why Kings and Princes were in the beginning elected established and therfore seing it is so that they bée called to suche dignitie for the noblenesse and vertue whiche is founde in them more than in others they ought to labor and enforce themselues to excel in that which is the cause of their honour and dignitie for it is writen of Saule in the booke of the Kings that he was in the beginning of his reigne both noble and vertuous and there was not a better man to be founde among the children of Israel although in the ende by his insolencie and ambition hée loste the grace of the Lorde his god And Cyrus King of the Persians vpon a certaine time hauing conference with his wyse and learned Phylosophers touching the vertues meete and requisite for a King sayde vnto thē that hée was vnwoorthy to bée an Emperour or King whose vertues did not excel his subiectes Certain men being enuious of the honor that was giuen to Lyuie King of the Sparthians had him in disdayne and sayd he was made of the matter and substance that they were and was no better than others and that hée deserued not to haue any estimation in this worlde otherwise than in respect of his Royall dignitie To whom he answered with a maruellous discretion and comelie modestie If I had not bene better than any of you sayd hee I should not haue bene chosen vnto this dignitie Royall And Solon one of the most renoumed for wisedome in al Greece being demaūded what maner of person ought to haue the Gouernement of the people such a one sayde hée as knoweth howe to gouerne and subdue himself before he take vpon him to rule ouer others He that shall commaund others ought first to knowe howe to commaund and rule himselfe for as the wise man sayth howe can he be good to others that is euill to himselfe And Philip King of Macedon doth giue vs very well to vnderstande what a Prince ought to bée in the aunswere that hée made to his sonne Alexander when he found himselfe gréeued with his father for hauing the companie of so many women and that he had by euery of them issue fearing leaste by the number of so many children hée might be defrauded of the kingdome seing that thou knowest sayde hée that there bée so many that desire to succéede me in my Empire frame thy selfe to that good order in al thy doings and vse such wisdome and prudence therein that by thy vertue and good desertes and not by my fauoure and grace thou mayest bée founde méetest to bee Lorde and King which Alexander who afterwards not only succéeded his kingdome but also in his wisdome did kéepe well in remembrance this his fatherly doctrine for being demaunded euen at the very time when he felte in his bodie the most furious bitter anguish of death by one of those whome he best loued and fauoured whome he woulde after his lyfe to succéede hym and inherit his kingdome the same sayde hée that shall bée most woorthiest iudging by this answere that hée is vnworthy to rule and gouerne whose vertues are obscure and vnknown Al Princes therfore that desire to rule and commaunde others ought to haue this lesson specially in remembraunce which shall serue them as

to what purposes he imployed the reuenue of his realme for it was one of the most opulent Monarches that euer was and as he passed all others in all kinde of impudencie so did he excéede all men in hys dispenses for you shall not reade in the Historie of any Author what so euer he bée that there hathe benne founde eyther Emperoure King or Prynce so prodigall in foolishe and excéedyng expenses as he was who as they say that haue written of his lyfe made neuer any banquette after he was Emperour that coste hym not aboue thréescore Markes of golde which after our account is two thousande and fiue hundred Duccates and all the delicious and moste delicate meates that he coulde fynde he woulde haue as the Tonges of Pecockes and Nightingales the Combes of the Cokes the genitories of all the moste rarest kynde of Byrds that coulde bée had and woulde cause hys Table to bée furnyshed withall and woulde eate of them saying that there was no sause so good as costlynesse And he thought it not sufficient for to féede hym selfe with suche delicates but he woulde cause hys housholde seruaunts also to bée fed with such rare kinde of meates as the Lyuers of Pecocks egges of Partriches and Phesants and suche other kynde of viands which were good for none other purpose but to prouoke the stomake to ouercharge the same and in the ende he was so blinded in his voluptuousnesse that he caused his Beares and Lyons to bee fed with suche kinde of meate he was also so pompous and costely in his garments that as you may reade he neuer ware commonly one garment but one day and he was ordinarily clothed with golde or purple enriched and beautified with all kinde of precious stones And as touching the rest as the vtensiles of his house they were all either of golde siluer Iasper Brouze or Porphire yea euen too the pottes which he vsed for the excrets of his body and he was in the ende giuen vp to suche a reprobate minde that when he wente to horsebacke he woulde cause the ground to be couered with the limal of golde or siluer thinking the earth to be vnworthy to serue him as a footestoole or to touch his féete Beholde lo in summe the principall poynts of the lasciuious lyfe of this miserable Emperour who in the end by the diuine iudgement of God was payed with an hyre worthy his tragicall lyfe for he was killed by his owne seruaunts and carried throughoute all the stréetes and market places of Rome afterwards hauing a great stone hanged about his necke was caste into Tiber by the consent and agréement of all the people hauing his body for an honorable funerall buried in the bellies of Fishes Now hauing declared vnto you very exactly the maners and dooings of Heliogabalus Emperour of Rome it shall not bée straunge folowing our purpose to rehearse in this behalfe the crueltie and tyrannie of Astyages king of Medes little or nothing inferiour to the other aforesayde who dreaming one nighte a certayne dreame concerning his daughters childe which dreame he thought he mighte not well disgeste fearing that hereafter it woulde take effecte determined to preuent the childes fortune And to the ende he mighte the better bring the same to to passe he caused Harpagus one that he loued best of any in all the Realme to be called and deliuered to him the same childe in secrete and commaunded that he shoulde kill him by one meanes or other oute of hande for certaine causes which he would not disclose to him at that present and not to make any man priuie therunto Harpagus hauing receiued this charge began to haue a maruellous combate in his minde for as the pitie he had of the yong infante did drawe him on the one side so the crueltie and feare of his maister did threaten him on the other side but reason did take so muche place with him in the ende that he was persuaded not only to saue the life of the childe but also to cause it to be brought vp in some secrete place from the knowledge of his maister yet he coulde not handle the matter so finely nor so secretely but that in the ende Ast●ages had vnderstanding that Harpagus contrarie to his duetie as he thoughte had saued the life of this childe Which thing he did dissemble for a time with so good a countenance towards Harpagus that he thought him selfe without all suspition Afterwards vpon a day he made Harpagus to dine with him hauing before caused one of his children to be slain which he had made one of his Cookes to dresse as thoughe it had bene some other meate and caused it to be serued at the table withoute any knowledge to Harpagus wherof he ate very willingly But Astiages insatiable in his cruelties was not satisfied that he had made him onely eat the bodie flesh of his owne childe but further he caused his féete and head to be put into a dishe and serued likewise to the Table to the entente he mighte knowe what he had eaten and thus sitting at the boorde he demaunded of him in mockerie if he thought his meate were good To whom Harpagus fearing to haue a woorse mischeefe at his handes answered modestly that all things were good at a kings table Hauing ended these cruelties of Astiages we shall not doe Maximilian another Emperor of Rome any wrong to put him in the Theatre amongs the others who bisides an infinite numbre of cruelties wherin he was delighted ordinarily he had one in common that passed all the others for he caused the bodies of men being aliue to be tied with the bodies of dead men face to face and mouthe to mouthe and so left them togithers till the dead body by his putrifaction had killed the liuing body The Emperor Tiberius who shal make an end of our examples of crueltie seemeth to me to haue passed all the others in crueltie that the Historians at any time haue euer made mention of For he commaunded vppon paines of deathe that thing which I read not of any other but of him only that no man should lament wéepe nor sighe or make any semblance of sorowe for those which he put to deathe innocently And he had those that were purposely deputed in all suche cruelties as he did execute that had none other charge but only to marke and beholde all aboutes if there fel any teares from any bodies face or if there passed any sighes from any or whether they gaue any manner of signification of heauinesse or greefe for the same which if they did they shoulde sodenly be caryed to the place of execution and to be punished with the same paine that he was whose innocencie they did lament After when he was well satisfied of suche kinde of Martirdomes he would then deli●e to deuise some others as farre from all humanitie as the others For he would make those that shoulde be executed to