I woulde to god I myghte haue puâ— in execution For there is nothynge that I dyd desyre more For I wanted nothyng I had plenty of worship so that euer after I did looke for warre and battaile wyth fortune Wherfore if reason will not moue vs to despyse death yet let our lyfe forepassed do it when we thinke we haue deserued sufficient prayse and glory For although oure sense be paste when we are once deade yet neuerthelesse we do not waÌ„t the due reward of glorye and fame for those thinges whych we haue done in oure lyues For although glorye of it selfe hath no cause why it should be desyred yet neuerthelesse it alwayes foloweth vertue as the shade of the same But as for the wronge iudgemente of the commen people as I count it a coÌ„meÌ„dable thing to haue theyr good wil so I thinke no man can be the happyer for attayninge the same Yet can I not thinke that Licurgus or Solon shall at any time want the gloryous report that they deserued for makyng ciâ—ile lawes or that the memorye of the warlike prowes of Themistocles and Epaminundas shal at any time be forgotten For the sea shal soner ouerwhelme y â— Ile it selfe of Salamine theÌ„ it shall drenche the remembraunce of the Salamine triumphe And y e towne of Leuctra in Boeotia shal soner be rased then the remembrauÌ„ce of the fielde there foughte forgotten So neyther time can duske the prayse of Curius Fabritius Calatinus the two Scipions the two Affricanes Maximus Marcellus Paulus Cato Lelius and diuerse other whose due prayse who so euer measureth not by y â— vaine iudgement of the commen sorte but by the sure meaterodde of wysedome he vndoubtedlye would if necessity so dryue him with a stoute stomake go vnto the death in the whiche there is eyther the chiefest ioye that may be or at the least wyse no euell Yea and such a man wil gladly dye in his chiefe prosperity For vnto a wyse maÌ„ a huge heape of goods can not be so pleasaunte as the departure from the same shalbe ioyfull To this entent may we apply the sayenge of a certayne wyse man of Lacedemon who when one Diagoras a noble man of the citye of Rhodes had bothe bene him selfe conquerour at the game pus and also the selfe same daye hadde seene both his sonnes conquerours at the same came to the old man sayde Dye nowe O Diagoras for thou shalt not be taken vp quycke into heauen It was counted a great thyng in those dayes among the Grecians to see thre men of one house winne the games in the mount Olimpus for y t cause he willed him hauing gotteÌ„ such prosperity to abide no loÌ„ger in his life subiect to y e casualtie of fortune But now I thinke I haue sufficieÌ„tly aunswered you with these fewe wordes since y â— it is playne y â— suche as are dead are in no miserye But I haue taried somewhat the more in talkinge of it because that that is one of the greatest coÌ„fortes in al our lameÌ„tacioÌ„s mourninges For we oughte not to muche to require other mens sorow as concerning our selues least we may seme to fauour our selues more then it becometh vs. And y t suspicion vexeth vs most when we thinke y â— our frendes whoÌ„ we haue loste are in such misery as the coÌ„mon people think that not without payne This folishe opinion I minde vtterly to roote out therfore perhaps was somewhat longer theÌ„ otherwise I wold Hea. what do you coÌ„playne of being to long I assure you it semed not so to me For the first part of your talke made me not vn willinge to die But the last made me eueÌ„ to câ—â—et death So y â— by al your reasoning I am fully perswaded to count death no euel Mar. Do you theÌ„ loke for a conclusion after the maner of y e RhetoriciaÌ„s or els shal we here breake of Hea. No not so For I long to hear you in y â— art which you alwayes set forth or rather if we will say y â— truth it sets forth you And therfore I praye you let vs heare y e conclusioÌ„ Mar. Diuers men are wont to alledge in the scooles the iudgementes of the gods theÌ„ selues as coÌ„cerning death And those not of their owne heades but coÌ„firmed w t the aucthority of Herodotus and other more First they tell of Cleobs Biton the sonnes of Argia the prieste The historie is coÌ„men wheÌ„ she should haue bene caried in a wagon to a certaine soleÌ„pne sacrifice a good space from the towne the horses were tired the .ii. yong meÌ„â—hich I named euen nowe putting of theyr garmentes annoynted theyr bodies with oyle came to the waggoÌ„ and drewe it The pryest when by this sort she beinge drawen of her sonnes was come to the place of sacrafyce prayed the goddesse that in reward of theyr godly reuerence she would gyue to her two sonnes the greatest reward y â— god myght gyue to man Her prayer beinge finished the yonge men after they had dined laye downe to sleepe and in the morninge were found dead The lyke is reported of Trophonius and Agamedes Who after they had buylte to Apollo a temple at Delphos desyred of him as great a rewarde as any man might haue To whoÌ„ Apollo answered y â— they should haue theyr request thre dayes thence nowe as soone as the thyrd daye came they saye that they were both found deade So they say that god yea and that god to whoÌ„ all the rest of the gods yelde in prophecye shewed hereby that death was the best thing that any man might wyshe There is also an historye of Silenus who beinge taken prisoner of kynge Midas payed this rauÌ„some He taught the kynge that the best thing y â— myght chauÌ„ce to a maÌ„ was neuer to be borne the nexte to dye as soone as might be The which sentence Euripides hathe eâ—pressed in verses in his tragedye entituled Cresphon It wel behoues vs to lameÌ„t the birth of euery man Yf we the daungers of this life and present perilles skanne But when triumphante death hath ryd him once from those Then ought his frendes no more to waile but mery to reioyce There is the like in the booke of consolation of Crantor For he saieth that one Psichomantius meting with one Elisius who much lameÌ„ted the death of his childe gaue him three such verses writen in a table O mortall men with ignoraunce howe much be you deceyued For this mans sonne reioyces nowe this mortall lyfe bereaued Thou eke were wel if so thy lyfe the fatall wightes had weaued With these and such like authorities they coÌ„firme this cause to be adiudged by the immortall gods Alcidamus an auncient oratour a man of great fame wrote in commendacion of death who lacked the weighty reasons of philosophie but had plenty of wordes inough But the notable deathes whiche men suffer for their countreye seeme to the rhetoricians not only glorious but also
not onlye Epycures whom neuerthelesse I do not despyse but I knowe not howe eche learned man sets at nought But also mine owne dearlig Dicearchus hath sharplye writen agaynst this immortality of our soules For he wrote three bookes which are called the bookes of Lesâ—os because the same disputacion was kept at Mitylena in the which he assayes to proue that our soules are mortall And the Stoâ—kes do but lende vs the vsing of the lyfe of our soules for a space to make vs as longe liued as dawes For they saye that our soules shall abyde a great space but not 〈◊〉 Wil you therfore heare me proue that if it be so yet death is not to be counted an euell Hea. That do as you thinke good but no man shall remoue me from my opinion as concerning the immortalitye of our soules Mar. I coÌ„mend you therfore howebeit I woulde not haue you to be to rashe in allowyng opinions For we are lightly moued with a wittie reason and stagger chaunge oure opinion yea thoughe the matters be somewhat playâ—e Yet neuertheles in these there is some darkenes But if any such thing should happen we ought to be armed with witty conclusyons Hea. Wel spoken but I doubt not but I wyll foresee that no such thing shall chaunce Mar. Is there any cause then why we should not ouerpasse our frendes the Stoikes them I meane which saie that oure soules abide for a while after that they are departed out of our bodyes but not euer Who inasmuch as they do graunt that whiche semeth to be hardest in all this matter namelye that the soule may abyde beyng froÌ„ the body â—â—â—ruayle muche that they will deny that which is not onely easy to be beliâ—ued but also that being â—rauÌ„ted which they do graâ—nt doâ—◠〈◊〉 in maner of necessity namely that wheÌ„ they haue abiden a great whyle they can not dye Heaâ— You reprehend them worthelye for it is euen so as you say Mar. Should we then beleue Panetius who in this poynte dysseuâ—eth from his mayster Plato For him whom in al other pointes he calleth diuine most wyse moste holye to conclude the Homere of all philosophers his this onlye opinion of the immortalitye of the soules he doth not allowe For he sayeth that which no man denyeth that whatsoeuer hath hadde beginning shall aâ—â—â— haue endynge And that our soules had beginninge which he declares by theyâ—â— that are daylye borne 〈◊〉 whom there doth appeare as well grenenes oâ—â—â—yt as of yeares He bryngeth also this other reason that whatsoeuer maye feele gryefe may be sicke and â—â—at soeuer may be sick shal dyâ—iour souâ—â—s quod â—e do feele griefe wherfore they shal also die These thinges may lightly be refuâ—ed For hereby it semeth that he was ignoraunt that when we talke of the eternitye of the soule we do therin compryse the minde whiche is alwayes voyde of anye troublous motion or affection and do not talke of those partes in the whych sorow anger and lustes are Which he against whom I nowe reason thinkes to be sundred and seuered froÌ„ the mind For the likelynes of nature doth more appeare in beastes which haue no reason but the outwarde gesse of the soule of man doth much consyst in the shape of his bodye For it is much materiall in what sortes of bodyes the soules be placed For there be manye thinges in the bodye that quycken the minde and manye thinges whiche dulle the same Aristotle sayes that all wittye men be of melancholie complexion by the whiche reason it greueth me not at al to acknoweledge my selfe to be blunt witted He reckens vp manie thinges to proue y e same as if it were certaine shewes the reason of it Then yf there be a great force of those thynges that are in the bodye as concerning the disposition of the mynde there is no necessitye why the workes of the soule should be alyke in euerye bodye But I let this passe I woulde to god Panetius might be here present He lyued in the time of Africanus I woulde fayne knowe of him to whome of his kinsemen Africanus brothers cosen was like who beinge fauoured muche like his father yet in his lyfe did so muche refemble euery vnthryfte that he was commonlye counted the worste that myghte be Also to whom was the nephewe of Publius Crasius a righte wyse and eloquente man like and so likewyse of dyuers other notable mens children and other theyr kynsefolkes whych I nede not here to remember But wherof do I nowe intreate haue I forgotten that this is my purpose after I had spoken sufficiently of the eternity of our soules to shew also that yf they did dye there could be no euel in death Hearer I remembred it well ynoughe but whyles you talked of the eternitye of the soule I suffered you wyth a good wyll to staye in the same Marcus I perceyue that your minde is on hygh thinges and that you wyll euen clyme into heauen Hear I hope so But admit as these men will haue it that oure soules remayne not after deathe then I perceyue that we haue loste the hope of immortall life in heauen Mar. What harme I praye you doth that opynion brynge admyt that our soule shall dye as our body is there then anye gryefe or anye sence at all in our bodye no man sayeth so albeit Epicurus layeth it to Democritus charge But his scolers denye it Then if there be no feelynge in the bodye after deathe neyther doth there remaine anye sense in the soule For it is in no place Where then is the euell But perchaunce they will saye that the departynge of the bodye from the soule is not wythoute griefe Admyt that there be some howe litle is it howebeit I thynke there is none at all For it happens commonlye wythoute anye sence yea and some times wyth pleasure yea and it is but lyghte what so euer it be For it is done in a mynute of tyme. But this it is that gryeueth vs or rather vexeth vs the departynge from all those thinges whyche we counte commodityes in oure lyfe But I feare me that they may be more trulye called euels What shoulde I here bewaile the lyfe of man although I well maye and that vppon iusts and good occasyon But what neede I inasmuche as I do intreate whether after deathe we shall be wretches to make our lyfe in bewaylynge to seeme more miserable we haue done that sufficientlye in that booke in the whiche as muche as we might we haue comforted oure selues Deathe therfore deliuereth vs from euels and not froÌ„ goodes if we speake the truthe And that truly is so largely reasoned of Egesyas the Cyreman that he was forbidden of the king Ptolomeus to teache the same in scooles for that many after his doctrine dydde wyllingly kyll theÌ„ selues There is an Epigramme of Callimachus vppon Cleombrotus the Ambrocian whome he sayes after that he had perused Platos booke of the immortalitye of the soules foorth
blessed They rehearse Erictheus whose doughters suffered voluntarye death to saue the life of theyr citesins And Codrus who willingly entred in the mids of his ennemies in the armor of a commen souldiour to thinteÌ„t that he mighte not be knowen to be kynge Because there was an oracle geuen that if the king were flayne theÌ„ should the Athenienses haue the victory Neither do thei ouerpasse Menecheus who hauing the like oracle giuen bestowed his bloud for his countrey Iphigenia also was willinge to be slayne at Aulide that by her bloud her countreymeÌ„ might more easely sheade the the bloud of theyr ennemies Then they come nigher They remember Harmodius and Aristogiton Leonidas also the Lacedemonian EpaminuÌ„das the Theban They knowe not our countreymen whom it would aske great tyme to recken there be so manye to whom we knowe that glorious death was alwaye welcome Which inasmuche as it is so I must nedes wishe that either men would hereafter desyre deathe or at the least wise ceasse to feare it For if at the last daye of our lyfe our soules dye not but onely chaunge their place what ought we more to wyshe But if death do vtterlye destroye vs what can be better then in the rage of great stormes swetely to slumber and after that a man hath nodded oute of this lyfe to sleepe euerlastingly Which if it be so then oughte we rather to allowe the wordes of Ennius theÌ„ Solan for Ennius sayde Let no man me bemoane ne moystâ— my graue with teares But the other Let not my death want teares al ye my frendes do wepe And ye that erst aliue me loued with teares my funeral kepe But we if so be it happen that by the commaundemente of god we must depart out of this life let vs do it merely thanking him for it And let vs thinke that thereby we are loosed from prison and eased of the irons with the whych we were clogged either to depart into perpetuall mansion house appoynted for vs or els to be voyde of the sense of all griefe And afore such time that we shall be called of god let vs thinke that day which is so terrible to other to be a blessed and a happye daye to vs. Because it is appointed either of the gods immortall or els of nature the firste framer and maker of all thynges For we were not firste made by happe or chaunce but by a certayne heauenlye power whych will prouide for vs and not create anye of vs to the ende that when we had passed the miserye of this lyfe we should fall into the euerlasting darkenes of death But let vs rather thinke that deathe is a safe hauen and baye for vs to the whyche I praye god we maye come wyth spedye wynde and sayâ—e But althoughe for a while we may be kept of by a contrary tempeste yet neuerthelesse we must needes come to it at length And can that whyche must needes come to all men be misery to any one Thus you haue nowe my conclusion so that you can not iustly complayne of any thing Hea. You say well and truly this conclusion hath strengthned me more theÌ„ I was before Mar. I am glad of it But nowe let vs see somewhat to our owne ease And this nexte daye and so long as we shall abide in thys my manor we will talke of those thinges chiefely whiche pertayne to the ease of griefe of the minde feare and desire which is the most profite of al philosophy ☞ Thus endeth the firste booke THE SECOND BOOKE treating of the second question whyche Marke Tullye Cicero disputed in his manor of Tusculanum concerninge payne and forment howe farre it is the dutye of a wyse man to suffer the same NEoptolemus in Ennius sayeth y â— he must of necessitye practise philosophy But yet neuerthelesse but in fewe thinges for vniuersally it likes him not And I truly O Brutus must nedes vse philosophy for wherein may I better employe my time of leasure But I can not limite it to a fewe thinges onlye as he doth For it is very harde that a man should be any thing skilfull in philosophy wythout the knoweledge of moste thinges or all For a man caÌ„ not chose a fewe thinges but out of a great nuÌ„ber and it is not possible that he which hath gotten a litle knoweledge should not with earnest desire study to knowe the rest But neuerthelesse in a busye lyfe and as Neoptolemus then was much troubled with warre both a litle is profitable and turnes to muche vse But yet not suche as may be gathered of all Philosophye and yet suche neuerthelesse as we maye thereby be eased of desire care and feare As bi that disputacion which we kept last in oure manor of Tusculanum we seeme to haue wrought a great despyte of death whiche is of no litle force to ease oure mind of feare For who soeuer feareth that whyche by no meanes maye be auoyded he surely can not by any possibilitye enioye the fruyctes of a quyete life But who soeuer not onely because he must needes dye but also because there is nothing in death to be feared doth not passe on death he assuredlye hath gotten him selfe a strong staye for a quyet lyfe Although I am not ignoraunt that many will speake agaynste it whose vayne reproche I could by no meanes anoyde vnlesse I should write nothing at al. For if in myne oracions in the whiche I somewhat esteeme the fauour of the people for that rethoryke is an arte appliable to the coÌ„men voyce of the people the verye ende and perfection of eloquence is the prayse and commendacion of the hearers If then I saye there were some whiche would like nothinge in my oracions in the wittes they them selues were not likely to passet and would extend their commendacion in other mens workes no further then they thought their owne whyche mighte well attayne the same and for that cause when any other maÌ„ passed them in weyght of sentence and eloquence of wordes woulde saye that they lyked rather a thinne and base then so plentifull a stile of the whyche sorte also they were that were called Attici who boasted the profession of that whyche no man els knewe who nowe are almost laughed out of al courtes If then in the allowynge of mine orations the people were of seuerall mindes what maner of hearer thinke you shall I in this grauer matter haue of the same For philosophy sekes not the iudgement or prayse of manye but of purpose flyes the preace of the commeÌ„ people of whom it is alwayes eyther feared or hated So that if eyther any man lyst to disprayse it wholye he may do it wyth the good will of the people or els if he will chiefely dyscommend that whych we nowe treate of he maye haue sufficiente ayde out of the bookes of other philosophers But we haue aunswered all the foes of philosophye in oure booke entituled Hortensius and whatsoeuer was to be spoken
in the defence of Plato his secte called Academia we haue expressed in our .iiii. bookes entitled Academikes But yet neuertheles so much it lackes y â— I would be angry or displeased if any man should write against the same y â— I wishe it euen with all my hert For philosophy in Greece it selfe had neuer come to suche perfection vnlesse there had bene suche contention and diuersytye amonges the best learned men as concerninge the same Wherfore I desyre all suche as are able to do it that they woulde helpe to take this prayse also from Greece that is already faynted and bring it into this our citye as our auncesters haue already done by al the rest that were worth any payne or trauayle And truly the prayse of Oratoures encreased from a lowe to suche perfectioÌ„ that nowe as natures course doth worke in all thinges it beginneth to waxe aged and within this shorte space is lykely to come to nought Wherfore nowe let philosophy begin to be spred in the latine tongue and let vs helpe the encrease thereof althoâ—gh that for the same we be reproued and refuted Which trulye they can not abyde which bynde them selues to aâ—ye certayne opinion as men wholye gyuen to the same so that sumtimes they are constrayned to get theym opinion of constancie to maynteyne such thynges as otherwyse they woulde not allowe But I who in al thinges folowe probabilitie and can go no farther theÌ„ likelyhode am readye both to wryte agaynst others without any stubbernes and also to be writen agaynst without anye anger If so we maye brynge this kinde of exercise from the Grecians to our countreymen we shall not wante the helpe of the Greke libraries which are stuffed with an iufinite company of bookes wryten of the same matter For manye haue wrytten the same in effect that some others haue done afore them So that the noumber of bookes is infinite The which shal in likewise happen to vs when many geue theym selues to wrytynge But I will assaye chiefelye to prouoke theÌ„ to write who being wel learned and instructed with perfect eloquence can endyte philosophye with a good trade and order For there is a certayne sort of men whych wyll needes be counted philosophers that are reported to haue wryten manye latine bookes whiche surelye I do not despise because I neuer redde theÌ„ but inasmuche as the aucthours them selues do playnely confesse y â— they can wryte neyther distinctlye orderlye eloquently nor trimlye I assuredlye neglect the readyng of that which shoulde nothynge at all delyght me inasmuche as they care not what they wryte I knowe not why anye man shoulde be bounde to reade theÌ„ but suche as arâ— of the same opinion that they be For as all men reade Plato and the workes of other scolers of Socrates so likewyse of others that were taughte of them although they agree not in opinion wyth them or at the least wise do not greatly alowe them but Epicurus and Metrodorus none almost handles but suche as be of theyr owne secte so these late latine wryters they onelye reade which thinke the same to be wel and wysely wryten But me semeth that whatsoeuer any man would set abrode ought afore to be commended by the iudgement of suche as are learned And for that cause the auncieÌ„t custome peripatecian and academias to reason on eyther parte of euery question doth maruaylously well like me not onelye for that by no other meanes the truthâ— of euerye doubtefull question might be tryed but also because there is in it a greate exercyse and practyse of Rhetorique whych Aristotle chiefly vsed and all they that folowed him But in this our time Philâ— whom we haue herd appoynted one tyme to teache the preceptes of Rhetorique and an other to declare the rules of philosophy To the whyche order I beynge lykewyse moued of my familyar fryendes spente there in suche leasure as I had in my maner of Tusculanum Wherfore when I had spent the morninge in the studye of Rhetoryke after noone we came downe to our scoole in the which such reasoninge as we had I do nowe expresse not as if I tolde it but euen in maner wyth the selfe same wordes as it was done Therfore whyles we walked we fell into this talke Hea. I can not well expresse howe muche I was delyghted or rather strengthened with your yesterdayes reasonynge For although I am assured that I was at no time to muche desyrous of my lyfe yet neuerthelesse there woulde come come sometime both feare and gryefe to my heart when I thoughte that I should one day lose the fruition of this pleasaunt light and eke of all the commodities of this life Of this trouble assuredly I am nowe so eased that I care for nothinge lesse Mar. It is no maruayle truly For such is the effecte of philosophye it helpeth the minde it taketh a way all vayne care riddes the mind of desyre and driues away feare but this her power is not of like force wyth all men But then it worketh most when it chaunceth on a good nature For stoute men not onely fortune doth helpe as the olde prouerbe is but much more reason Whiche in maner wyth certayne preceptes confyrmeth the strengh of fortitude Nature fyrste made you hye minded and meete to despise all earthlye thinges and for that cause in your stoute stomake ' the perswasion of sufferynge death is lyghtly rooted But thinke you that these selfe same perswasions do so much preuaile wyth them except very fewe of whom they were first inuented reasoned and written No truly For howe manye philosophers shall you finde whose life and behauiâ—ur is such as reason requireth Or that doth vse theyr teachynge not as a brag and boastinge of knoweledge but as the law and order of good life Or howe manye of theym shall ye fynde that are ruled by theym selues or obeye theyr owne decrees you shall see some of such lyghtnes and arrogaÌ„cie that it had bene better for them neuer to haue learned Some other couetous men many verye desyrous of glorye and moste of them sâ—aues of pleasure So that theyr talke and their life seemes meruaylously to differ whiche assuredlye seemes to me a thyng worthye great reproche For like as if one that did professe graÌ„mer should speake false latine or one that would be counted a musician should sing out of tune his fault were so muche the worse because it is in that kynde of knowledge which he professeth so lykewyse a philosopher shewing yll example of liuing is so muche the more to be blamed as he offeÌ„deth in that thing of the which he professeth him selfe a teacher and professinge the arte of lyfe offendeth in his liuinge Hea. Is it not then to be feared least you commend philosophyâ— wythout a cause For what can be a greater proofe that it is not auaylable then that diuers notable philosophers do lyue abhominably Mar. Truly it is no proofe at all For as all fieldes that
desire of knoweledge when they shall see so worthye matters contayned in one litle boke of that which we terme philosophy or learning Besides these there are yet other faultes as the misprinting of manye wordes and the yll printing of some greeke wordes in latin letters of the verses also otherwyse then they shoulde be red But the blame thereof I vtterlye refuse Inasmuch as euerye man knoweth that it doth nothinge pertayne vnto me Neuertheles as for the firste whych contayneth the misprintinge of wordes thou shalt finde them all corrected in the ende of the booke So that if thou list to reade it without desire of faulte findinge thou mayst firste amende all those faultes with thy pen in the margeant of thy booke whiche in the ende of the booke be corrected And so haue the sense perfecte And as for the two last they were caused by necessitie The one for lacke of a Greeke letter and thother for want of a smaller letter to print the verses in a lesse roame And for other faultes that maye be found in my verses I truste they wyll pardon me who may meruaile howe so sodaynely I am become a versifier But I beseche thee gentle reader to place eche mannes faulte by him selfe that I may be forced to father no other mans faultes then mine owne Which as I knowe to be more then I would they were so I shall desire the to weygh them with gentlenes Knowynge that if such as haue greater knoweledge to set forthe thinges more exactlye should heare my plainenesse not ouermuche discommended they then should be much more prouoked wyth hope of the meruaylous fame that their doings should deserue if they listed to employe some paynes in attempting the like Of the whych as I know there is a great number in both the vniuersities inespetially so I woulde wyshe that eyther they ceassyng any longer to enuie knoweledge to our Englyshe tounge would staine the same with better or els that they woulde not disdaine to forde their fauourable wordes to suche as expresse their good will in the same althoughe not so well as it might be yet as theyr eloquence will permit them And thus muche to the learned reader whom I make the iudge of my worke thoughe I permit the reading of it to all other But nowe thou vnlearned reader forasmuch as whatsoeuer I dyd I dyd it for the desyre I had to profyte thee it shall be thy part of the worst to thinke the best For had it not bene for thy commoditye I could wel enough haue suppressed mine ignoraunce wyth sylence and so by concealinge that lytle whyche I knowe although not blased my simple skil yet wel haue auoyded the necessitie of excuse in such thynges as I deserue reprehension But so muche I tendered thy profyte that I had rather to saie somewhat although not so perfectly as some other mighte then for lacke of my litle labour to let so worâ—hy as booke lye vnknowen vnto the. Thus whiles I studye to profyte thee I am fayne to submitte my doynges to the iudgemente of euerye curious carper Wherefore inasmuch as I haue brought the who towardes these thinges wast no otherwise then blind by my trauaile to the sight hereof and caused the to be rid froÌ„ blindenes which is so lothsome a thing that it is almoste growen into a prouerbe that a blinde man would be glad to se his nighest felowe hanged because the he shoulde see then trulye thoughe I craue no prayse at thy handes because it is a token of ignoraunce to be praysed of the ignorant yet I may be bold to desire so much of the as Apelles coÌ„maunded the foolishe shoomaker to performe Who when as he behelde the picture of a man drawen by Apelles so liuelye that the senses of man would haue doubted whether it were a picture or a liuing creature not contented wyth the syghte of it whyche was more meete for a prince to behold then him began to finde faulte with his showe Apelles knowynge that he was a shomaker toke it in good part wyth the pensile amended the fault But the shoemaker by likelihood sum what proud that he was able to finde faulte wyth Apelles workes came agayne the seconde daye And began to disprayse the proportion of his face Wherewithall Apelles being muche moued stept forth and sayde No farther then thy shoe sowter Shewynge thereby that no man oughte to talke farther then his skill will beare him Megabizes esteemed Alexander as a prince whiles he stoode in his scoole and saide nothinge But when he began to talke of thinges whyche he knewe not he said vnto him that euen his litle children would laughe hym to scorne Wherfore shortlye to make an ende and to sende the to Tullye Do thou neyther praise nor disprayse farther then thy conning wil beare the For they are both alike faultes But rightly weyghe and remember the wordes of Tullie to whom I now send the to enioy such pleasure as at the fyrste whiles I my selfe red him I frendelye wished vnto thee THE FIRST BOOKE of the report of those Questions which Marke Tullye Cicero disputed in his manor of TusculanuÌ„ treatinge whether death be euell yea or no. BEING OF LATE wholy or els for the most part ridden of my causes of Plea and Parlyamente matters deare freÌ„d Brute I referred my selfe chiefly by your councell to those studyes whyche concealed in my minde suspended for a seasoÌ„ and for a long space discontinued I haue nowe reuiued And forasmuche as the right trade and order of all those artes whych pertayne to the framinge of a perfect life is conteyned in the studye of wisedome which is named philosophye I thoughte good to endite the same in the Latine tounge not for that I thought it could not be so wel vnderstoode either in the Greeke or by the teachers of the same language but because my iudgemente hathe bene euer such that our countreymen haue either inuented and founde out thinges more wisely then the Greekes or at the least that suche as they had taken of theym they had made farre more perfect especially if the thinges were suche as they estemed worthy theyr trauaile and paynes For in maners orders of liuinge and maynteyning of householde We truly behaue our selues both farre better than they and also more liberall And as for the comen wealth our forefathers haue gouerned it with muche more politike orders and lawes What should I saye of warfare in the which our countreymen passed truly in manhode but much more in pollecy But as for the giftes of Nature and such thinges as they might attaine vnto without learning neyther the Greekes neyther yet any other nation may well be compared with them For what so greate grauitye what so notable constancye stoutenesse of stomake honestye or truste what so passinge vertue in all kynde of poyntes hath bene found in any nation that it maye for the same be compared with oure auncesters In learninge and all kyndes of
put vs in good hope if that delight you that our soules may after this life passe into the heuens as a place appoynted for them Hea. Truly it delyghteth me greatlye And assuredly y ◠it so is I wil alwayes perswade my selfe Mar. What nede you in this case to requyre my labour am I able in eloquence to excell Plato reade diligently that booke whyche he wrote of the soule so shal you lacke nothinge concerninge the knoweledge of this questiō Hea. I haue done so truly yea and that very often But I knowe not how whiles I reade him I am fully perswaded But after I haue layd asyde the booke begin to thinke with my selfe of the immortality of our soules all my perswasion sodaynelye slips away Mar. Wel sir graunte you that the soules abyde after death or els saye you that they dye with the reste of the body Hea. I graunt that thei remaine Mar. What if they remayne Hea. I graunt they be blessed Mar. What if they dye Hea. Then they be not wretched because they be not For that being therunto costrayned by you I haue already graunted Mar. How then or for what cause do you saye that deathe is euell which eyther shal make vs happy our soules remayninge or els not wretched our sense beinge paste Hea. Shewe therfore fyrste vnlesse it be to paynefull for you that our soules remayne after this life But yf you can not proue that for it is very harde you shall shewe that there is no harme in death For I feare muche leaste it be a griefe I do not meane to lacke sense but that I must lacke sense Mar. To proue this matter which you desyre we may vse as good authoures as may be which in all causes both ought and also is wont to be of great importaunce and fyrst we may confyrme it by all antiquity which the nigher it was to the beginning of the worlde and progenye of the gods so much the better peraduenture did see those thinges whyche were true For emonges those auncyent fathers whō Ennius calleth Cascos this one thinge was comen that there is in death feling and that a man by departing of his life is not so vtterly extinguished that he should altogether peryshe And this may you gather both by many other thinges but chiefly by the lawe of the byshops and ceremonies of burials whiche they beynge most wittye men would neyther with so great care haue obserued neither yet being irreuerently or vnhonestly vsed would so sharpely haue punished except this had bene faste fixed in theyr mindes that death is no destruction vtterly marring and blemishing al thinges but onelye a certayne departure and chaunge of lyfe the whiche to worthye men women is wont to be a guyde into heauen and vicious and il disposed persons did cause to tary on the groūd and neuerthelesse to remayne stil. By this opinion also and by the iudgemēt of our countreymen Romulus in heauens with gods doth passe his time As Ennius the Poete agreeing to comen fame hath writen And frō thence flyeng to vs and so to the West Occeane Hercules is counted so great and so mightye a god For this cause Bacchus the sonne of Semele is so muche reported And in like maner famous were the .ii. sonnes of Tindareus who not onely in field were helpers of victory to the Romans but also messengers of the same Also Ino the doughter of Cadmus is she not of the Greekes by the name of Leucothea and of our countreymen by the name of Matuta worshipped What the whole heauen to thintent I make no longer discourse is it not replenished with mankinde for if I should assaye to searche auncyente monumentes and put in writing such thinges as be in olde Greeke bookes thē should you wel perceyue that such as we count to be the greatest goddes haue departed out of y e earth into those places of heauen But ignoraunt men that knewe not naturall philosophye whych of late came into vse perswaded them selues so much as they could gather by naturall reason The order and causes of thinges they knewe not They were oftē moued by visions and those chiefelye in the nighte to thinke that such as were dead did liue againe Wherfore like as we se it a very strōg argumēt to beleue that there are gods because there is no nation so cruel neyther yet anye man so beastlye in whose mind there is not fixed some opinion of God Many neuerthelesse haue conceaued diuers foolishe fancies of the gods but yet they graunte all that there is a diuine power and nature Neyther yet doth the communication or agreement of men cause this consent the opinion is cōfirmed by no decrees by no lawes but in euery thing the argement of all nations is taken for the law of nature So likewise in asmuch as all nations haue worshipped their benefactors as gods after theyr death although some more foolyshe then other it is euident that nature hath engraffed in the heartes of all men a natural opinion without perswasiō that our soules are immortall and remayne after this life But who is there that would not bewayle the death of his friend when he thinkes that he is depriued the commodities of this life Take away his fansye and you shall take awaye all mourning For no man mourneth but for his discommodity For we sorowe and are vexed and all our wofull lamentation and sad mourning ryseth hereof that him whom so entirelye we loued we suppose to lacke the commodities of this life and that to feele And these thinges we ymagine onely by the conducting of nature wythout eyther reason or learninge And hereof we wyll talke hereafter But the greatest argument by the whych we may gather that nature it selfe doth priuily thinke of the immortality of our soules is that moste wise men take greatest care for thinges to come after their death Some one sets trees whiche may profyte in an other age as Statius sayeth in his bookes entituled Synephebi to what other ende but for that he knewe that the time to come did also pertayne vnto him for the same cause diuers diligente husbandemen graffe trees whose encrease they shall neuer see And likewyse manye noble men make lawes orders and customes the obseruatiōs of the which they shall neuer beholde What the begettinge of children the spreading of fame the adoptions of children the diligent obseruinge of testamentes the very monumentes Epitaphes of graues what other thing do they signify then that we haue al a respect to y e time to come Besydes this There is no doubte but the tryall of nature oughte to be taken of the best nature But what mens nature is better thē theyrs which thinke theym selues borne to helpe saue and comfort men Hercules is departed frō hence to the gods To them he shoulde neuer haue gone vnlesse whiles he was emonges men he had prepared him selfe a way thither But these are old matters and nowe also sanctifyed by
religion What shall we thinke of so manye and so notable men in thys our comen wealth whiche willinglye toke theyr deathe for theyr countreyes sake Did they think you suppose that their memorye shoulde be extended no lenger then the terme of theyr lyfe Trulye no man at anye time was so madde as without hope of immortalitie to offer him selfe to deathe for his countrey For otherwise it had bene lawefull for Themistocles to haue lyued in ease it had bene lawefull for Epaminundas It had bene also that we enquire no farder of old and forren matters lawfull for me But I knowe not howe there sticketh in mens mindes a certayne gesse of life to come yea and that doth most commōly happen in the most stoute and harty courages and in them appeares most lightlye Whiche hope taken away who is there so mad that would continually liue in laboure and daunger and hitherto we haue spokē of princes But do we not se the like of Poetes will not they be remembred after theyr death Uppon what cause then was this writen Behold ye Citisens here the shape of Ennius image old Who hathe descriued youre fathers factes eke their gestes hath told Lo he requireth the report of fame and renowne at theyr handes whose forefathers he had caused by his writynge to be famous And the same Ennius wryteth in another place thus Let no man me bemoane nor wayle me when I dye For whye aliue my good reporte in mouthes of men shal flye But what doubte we of Poetes yea suche as liue by handcraftes desyre after death to be remembred For what other cause dydde Phydias graue hys shape in the tergat of Minerua where it was not lawefull for him to wryte What the Philosophers thēselues do they not in those bookes whych they write of the despising of glory imprint their owne names Certes if the consent of all men be the voice of nature al men in al places do agree that there is some thing that doth pertaine to thē which are departed out of this life we also must nedes thīke y e same And since we know y e they whose mind passeth either in wit or vertue because their wit is best do se most clearely the power of nature It is most likely forasmuch as euery good man taketh care for his posterity that he supposeth that there is some thing the sense and feeling of the which he shal haue after death But as we knowe by nature that there be gods But what they be we gather by wyt and reason so we thinke because of the consent and agrement of all nations that our soules do remayne after death But in what place they be or what maner thinges they are we must gather by reason The ignoraūce of the whiche hath fayned and inuented hell and such terroures as you seemed somewhat afore not without iuste cause to despyse For our bodyes being layd in the grounde and couered wyth earth whereof also suche as are buryed are sayd to be earthed they thought the reste of our life should be led vnder the ground Which opinion hath bene the cause of great errours Whyche haue bene augmented and encreased by Poetes For the thicke companye of the Theater in the which there are many women and children is muche moued hearing so terrible a verse as this I here am come from hell by wayes full hye and steepe By dennes ybuylte with stoanes by caues ful darke and deepe Where lothly darknes dwels where cralling furies creepe Yea and that errour was of such force which nowe I truste is nye extinguished that whereas they sawe mennes bodyes burne afore yet neuerthelesse they would fayne them doing such thinges in hell as withoute bodyes coulde neyther be done in deede neyther yet ymagined For they could not wel conceyue howe the soule might liue withoute the bodye and for that cause they ymagined that they liued vnder some certayne shape and figure Uppon this occasion Homere wrote his booke whiche he entituled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hereof spronge that Necromancie whiche my friende Appius was wont to use For this cause also was the lake that standeth not farre from mi house called the lake of hell Whence soules are stireed vp in darke and grisely shapes Whyche when hell gates are opened once out at the doores escapes Yet neuerthelesse these shapes and shadowes they fayne to speake Whyche can not be wythout the tounge iawes sydes and lyghtes For they conceyued very litle in theyr mindes but referred all to theyr bodelye eyes But it is a great point of wyt for a man to reuoke his minde from the iudgement of his outward senses and to withdrawe the consent of his thoughtes from thinges that haue bene alowed by custome And I beleue trulye that there haue bene manye other whiche in all ages haue reasoned of the immortalitye of the soules But of those whyche haue left any writinges behinde them Pherecides a Sirian taught firste that the soules of men were euerlasting A man surely of great antiquitye For he liued in the time of my kinsman Tullus Hostilius This opinion his scoler Pythagoras did chiefely confyrme who when he came into Italye in the raygne of Tarquinius the proude amased all great Greece with his estimation learning and authoritye Yea and manye yeares after the name of the Pythagoreans was so highely esteemed that in comparyson of them no other Philosophers seemed to be learned But let vs retourne to those aunciente Philosophers Commenly they would geue no reason of anye thinge that they spake vnlesse it were same such thing as they should declare by numbers or descriptions It is sayde that Plato to thintent that he myghte knowe the Pythagoreans came into Italye and there was acquaynted both with manye other but chyefelye wyth Archytas and Timeus of whome he learned all the opinion of Pithagoras and that at the fyrst he not onelye thought as Pythagoras did as concerninge the eternitye of the soule but also confyrmed the same wyth reason Whych vnlesse you be otherwyse minded let vs ouerpasse and leaue of all this reasonynge of the immortalytye of the soules He. What wil you now leaue me wh◠you haue broughte me into so great expectacion I had rather to erre wyth Plato whom I knowe howe much you esteeme and I wonder at the more because of your prayse then to thinke wel wyth other Mar. Worthelye spoken For I my selfe assuredly would not be aggrieued to erre with him And is there anye doubte but that as he hathe handled al other thinges very learnedlie and profoundly so he hath done this also although this hathe leaste nede of cunning handeling For the Mathematicians do well proue it sayeng that the earthe whiche is placed in the middest of the world in comparison of the whole heauen hath but the proportion of a small poynt whych they call a centre And such is the nature of those four bodyes of the whyche all thinges take theyr beginning that they haue
whereas that iourney o god howe pleasaunt ought it to be vnto vs whyche beinge once paste there shall be no care nor trouble lefte O howe muche Theramenes doth delyghte me what a stoute courage seemeth he to haue For albeit I weepe as ofte as I reade the storye of him yet neuerthelesse it reioyceth me to see howe stoutelye he dyed lyke a noble man Who lyenge in the pryson after he hadde there dronke vp the poyson whych the thyrtye tyrannes had sente hym wyth suche an earnest desyre as if he had thyrsted after it he caste that was lefte wyth suche a force out of the cuppe that it sounded on the flooreâ— whyche sounde he hearynge smyled and sayde I begynne thys to Critias who was one of hys deadlyest enemyes For the Grecians in their bankets were wont to drinke to some maÌ„ namelye to him that should pledge theÌ„ So it pleased that noble man to ieste at the time of his death when he had that within him whych should be his bane And he trulye prophecied death to hym y t sent him the poison which shortly after ensued Who would commeÌ„d suche securitye in death if he thoughte death to be an euell thing Into the same pryson and the same kynd of death came a fewe yeares after Socrates condemned so vniustlye of his iudges as Theramenes of the tyrauntes Let vs heare the what maner of wordes Plato sayes he spake to the iudges when he was condemned to death I am in good hope my lordes quod he that I am happye for that I am thus put to deathe For one of these two muste needes folowe that eyther thys death wyll take awaye all sence from me or els if my soule do continue it shall depart into an other place of rest Wherefore yf my sense shall be ertyncte and my death resemble sleepe whyche often wythout anye trouble of dreames doth brynge a man most quiete reste O Lorde what pleasure shal deathe be to me or what daye should I preferre afore such a nyght the whych wythout varyaunce or chaunge shall kepe a continuall estate and staye for euer And so who shuld be more happy then I But if those thynges be true whiche are wryten namely that death is a departure into those regioÌ„s which all they inhabite that are departed out of this life then do I accoumpte my chauÌ„ce farre better for that after that I haue escaped the handes of you whiche syt here in place and name of iudges I shall then come to them whiche are the true iudges Minos RhadamaÌ„ thus Aecus and Triptolemus shall there haue the companye and communication of them whych haue liued vpryghtly in the faythe and feare of god This oughte to seeme a sweete pilgrymage But to talke wyth those worthy men Orpheus Museus Homere Hesiodus or suche other learned sages lord howe much I do esteeme Assuredlye if it mighte be I would often dye inespecially if I thought I should find those thinges which I nowe speake of What pleasure shall it be to me when I shall commen wyth Palamedes or Aiar which were of vnrightuous iudges wrongfully put to death I should there see the wyt of the chyefe prynce which led the power of Grece to Troy walles and in lykewyse the wysedome of Ulisses and Sisyphâ—s neyther yet should I for the searche of such thinges as I here am so there also wrongfully be put to death And ye O iust iudges whyche haue heretofore quitted me feare ye not deathe For no harme can happen to a good man neyther in thys lyfe nor after For the gods aboue wil not ceasse alwaies to haue him and his in theyr protection For this selfe same death comes not to me by chaunce but by the iust iudgement and appoyntmeÌ„t of god And for that cause I am not angrye wyth my accusers but onelye for that they thoughte that thereby they dyd hurte me whereas I do esteme nothinge more then it But nowe it is tyme quod he that I departe hence to dye and you to liue Of the whych two which is the better the immortal gods knowe no mortall man as I thinke Now truly I had farre rather to haue so stoute a stomake and well disposed minde then all theyr worship welth that gaue sentence of his life death Albeit that whyche he sayeth that no man but onely the gods knowe yet he him selfe doth knowe that is to wit which is better of lyfe or death For he had vttered it in his former wordes But he kepeth his olde wonte euen to the death whyche was to affyrme no certayntye of any thinge But let vs stand stiffely herein that nothinge can be euell whyche nature hath prouided for all men and therwithall consider that if death be an euell it is a contynuall and euerlasting euell For it seemeth that deathe is the ende of euerye wretched and carefull lyfe Nowe if death it selfe be myserable what ende can there be of miserye But what do I here rehearce Socrates and Theramenes men of notable constantye and wysedome synce a certayne Lacedemonian a man of no reporte or fame dyd so muche despyse death that when he beynge condemned and ledde to his death dyd smyle and laughe And one of his accusers seeinge it sayde vnto him doest then mocke and despyse the lawes of Lycurgus No quod he but I geue him ryght hartye thankes that he appoincted me such a fine as I may paye wythout anye chaunge or lone of money A man assuredlye worthye of the name of the ryghte famous countreye of Sparta whose stoute courage doth well declare as me seemeth that he was vnryghtfullye put to death Suche men had our ciâ—ye more then anye man maye noumber But what should I here recken vp our captaynes or nobles of our citie that haue so done since Cato wrytes that whole armies of men haue merelye gone into those places from whence they thought they should neuer retourne So were the Lacedemonians slayne at Thermopilas amonges the whyche on Symonydes tombe these Uerses were wrytten Thou stranger that hereby dost passe saye here thou sawest vs lye Whiles we defende oure countrey lawes or els desyre to dye ¶ What sayeth the stoute Capitayne Leonidas go to be you of â—â—oute courage oâ—ye lacedemonians quod he for thys nyghte perhaps we shall sup with God This was a stout nation as long as they had Licurgus lawes in reputacioÌ„ For on a time wheÌ„ a Persyan one of theyr enemies boastyng of his empâ—rours power sayd to one of them that the company of theyr dartes arowes shoulde darcken the sonne so that they should not see it why then quod the other we shall fyghte in the shade I haue hytherto talked of men But what thinke you of a woman of Lacedemon Who when she vnderstoode that her sonne was slayne in the field I bore him quod she to that ende that he should be suche a one as shoulde not styeke to die in the defence of his countrey God continue you
in suche stoutenes O ye Lacedemonians see of what force good lawes are in the orderynge of a commen wealth Is not Theodorus the Cireman a notable Philosopher worthy to be wondred at think you whom wheÌ„ Lisimachus the king threatened that he would hange hym you myght haue spoken that quod he to haue feared your nyce courtyers But as for Theodorus he lytle passeth whether he rotte aboue ground or vnder By whose sayenge I am put in minde to speake somewhat at this present of buryal Which shal be nothing hard presupposyng those thinges to be true whiche we haue afore spoken of not feelinge And of this what Socrates thought it appeareth in that booke in the whiche his death is described of the whyche we haue made mention afore For after that he had reasoned of the immortality of the soule and now his death drewe on beyng demaunded of Crito howe he would be buryed he lookyng towardes them that stoode about him spake these wordes My freÌ„des quod he I haue spent much labour in vayne For I haue not perswaded my frende Crito that I shall departe hence and leaue nothing behinde me that is mine owne But trulye Crito yf euer thou canst come by me or euer get me burye me as thou lyste But I knowe righte well that when I am hence departed none of you all wil solowe me Wyselye spoken For he dyd both permit his friende to satisfye his minde and yet neuerthelesse shewed that he litle past of any such thing Diogenes more rechelessely yet wittely inoughe but with small ciuilitye as a doggyshe philosopher wylled them to cast his bodye abrode wythout buryal And when his frendes asked him whether he would then haue his bodye deuoured of byrdes and beastes No not so sayeth he For I pray you set a staffe nye to me that I maye dryue theym awaye And when they asked him howe he could do so inasmuche as he shoulde haue no sence after death What hurte shall I haue then quod he of the bytynge of beastes and peckynge of byrdes when I feele it not But Anaxagoras spake wisely who when he was lykelye to dye at Lampsacus and his frendes demaunded of him whether if he should chauÌ„ce to die there he would be caryed to Clazomena to his owne countrey it nedeth not quod he for froÌ„ euery place there is like distaÌ„ce of way to heauen and hell Wherfore as concernyng buryall we must knowe this that it perteyneth to the bodye onlye whether the soule dye or lyue And in the bodye it is playne that after the soule is once departed there remaineth no sense But see howe full the worlde is of errour It is wrytten that Achilles drewe Hectors deade bodye at a cartes tayle I thinke he thoughte that he felte the gratynge of his limmes And therfore he bragges of it as if ther by he were reuenged But Hectors mother lamenteth it as a most cruell facte with these wordes I sawe I sawe that greued me most to see The corps of Hector throughe hye towne drawen lye ¶ What Hector I praye you or who was then Hector it was better sayde of Actius vnder the person of Achylles The Carcas colde to Pryam I dyd giue But Hectors soule aboue in heauens doth liue ¶ Thou drewest not then Hector but the bodye that once was Hectors But nowe here startes vp one oute of the ground whych will not suffer his mother to slepe in rest O mother I the call whyche slepest voyde of feare And takst no pitye on my griefe thy sonne come bury here ¶ Such pitifull verses as these when they are lamentablye rehearced in the Theater and mone all the company to sadnes is it not an easie thyng for theÌ„ that are presente to iudge theym to be wretched whych are so vnburyed they be afrayd to haue theyr limmes torne and yet they feare not to haue theym burnt And therfore one lamentes Priamus in this wyse Alas the ashes of the Kynge with bones to powder bet I sawe in heapes of gored bloud embrued and bewet ¶ I see not what occasion he hath to be sorye for any such thing This therfore we must firmely maintayne that nothinge is to be cared for after death Although some vayne men do rage agaynst theyr enemyes beynge dead And in such sorte Enniâ—s bryngeth in Thyestes cursynge his brother Atreus fyrst desyring that he might perishe by shipwracke That was hard surely For suche death can not be wythoute gret payne But that that foloweth is to to vayne I would that he him selfe were stuck vpon some rocke His bowels out his bloudbulcke all to broke And pyked stones on whych he thus doth lye With goared bloud in redde hue he may dye And such other like Assuredlye the stones them selues could be no more voyd of sense then his dead body hangynge vpon them to whom he wysheth thys torment Which although it were crueli if he coulde feele it yet nowe is tâ— none effecte because he can haue no sence thereof In lyke maner vayne is that whychâ— foloweth Let him haue no graue where he his corse may shroude Ne where his wearyed ghoste maye take his last abode Do you see in what errour this felowe is He thinketh that the graue is the harber and reste of the bodye Trulye there was a greate faulte in Pelops that he taughte his sonne no better howe muche he ought to esteeme buryall But what should I here recken vp the opinions of euerye seuerall man synce we may see the manifest errours of manye nations as concernynge buryall The Egiptians spyce the deade bodyes and keepe theym in theyr houses The Persians sere theyr bodyes in waxe and then spyce theym that they may abyde as longe as may be There is a custome amonges the wyse men of Chaldee not to engraue the dead bodies afore suche time as they be torne of beastes In Hircania they keepe commen dogges such as be noble meÌ„ houndes and the commen people rascall curres euerye man accordinge to his abilitie that eate them when they be deade and that do they counte the best buryall Chrisippus hath wryten manye sundry fashyons as concerning the same matter as he is a man verye diligent in the readynge of historyes But some of theym be so cruell and so muche agaynste nature that my pen abhorres to endite theym Wherfore as concerning buryall we oughte not much to force it neyther yet oure frendes to neglecte it so that alwayes we keepe this opinion that the bodyes of the deade care for nothing But what men oughte to doe for customes and good names sake that our freÌ„des that ouerlyue vs muste see to so that they knowe that it nothinge pertayneth to suche as are deade But then trulye death is most welcome vnto vs when our lyfe beyng well nye at the wane can comforte it selfe wyth his owne prayses For no man hathe lyued to small a whyle which whiles he lyued dyd lyue vertuouslye I my selfe haue manye iuste occasyons of death which
it alwayes aunswereth to the sound of the same Which in asmuch as coÌ„monly it foloweth all good deedes is not to be refused nor despysed of suche as are good men But it which will needes be an imitatour of the same the commen brute of the people I meane is often time rashe vnaduised and most commonly a commender of vice and naughtines and vnder the shape of honestie stayneth the forme and beauty of vnfayned glorye Wyth the ignoraunce of the whyche mens mindes beynge blynded and coueting alwayes to do some fact wherby they myghte be renowmed knoweinge not neuerthelesse howe or whych waye they might perâ—ourme the same haue fallen into great inconuenience For some haue rased theyr owne cities and some haue slayne them selues And so they seekynge thynges that are of theÌ„ selues good are deceyued not so much of a set purpose as because of the ignoraunce of the waye by the whych they should come to the same Nowe those whiche haue theyr mindes vexed wyth the greedye desyre of money or with the filthy lust of pleasure or they whose mindes are so muche disquyeted wyth the same that they are not farre frome madnesse as foolishe men commonlye are Haue all these sortes of men no neede of helpe thinke you eyther because the disseases of the minde haue lesse neede of helpe then the sickenesses of the bodye or els for that there is an arte inuented to cure the bodye and none to heale the soule But trulie the diseases of the minde are both more deadlye and also more in number then those of the bodye For they be so much the more greuous as they pertayne to the mind and the vexing thereof whiche being sicke doth alwayes erre as Ennius sayeth and can for griefe neyther do neyther suffer any thing well And furthermore neuer ceasseth to be vexed with desyre then both the which maladies that is to wite griefe and desire what greater diseases maye there be And who can proue that the soule is not able to cure it selfe inasmuch as it firste inuented medicines for the bodye and also whereas the healinge of the bodyes doth muche consyste in the constitutioÌ„ and nature of the same and al meÌ„ which were conteÌ„ted to be cured haue not bene healed yet euery mans mind which was willing to be healed and was therein ruled bi the preceptes and counsels of wise men hathe bene alwayes vndoubtedlye cured The medecine of y â— minde is philosophy which helpeth vs not as the diseases of oure bodye are holpen by thinges withoute vs but we our selues must wyth al our power endeuour laboure to cure our selues But of philosophy vniuersally how much it should be eyther esteemed or vsed I haue sufficiently spoken as I thinke in my my booke entituled Hortensius And of other wayghtye questions I haue not bene slacke eyther to dispute or wryte But in these bookes I haue endited those questions whiche I reasoned with my familiar frendes in my manour of Tusculanum And in asmuch as in the twoo fyrste bookes you haue hearde oure disputacions of death and of the griefe of the bodye in this third booke you shall receyue oure reasoning kept the third day Therfore when I came downe to my scoole the middes of the day being past I requyred some of theÌ„ that were preseÌ„t to put foorth somewhat whereof we myghte reason Then the matter fell our thus Hea. I thinke y â— griefe of y e mind sometimes hapneth to a wyse man Mar. Thinke you so likewise of y e other perturbatioÌ„s of y e mind fear lust â–ª anger hath any disease vnder the name of diseases the philosophers comprise those troublesome motions of the minde as I sayde afore is no more hole then our bodyes in sickenes So it must needes be that wysedome is the healthe of the soule follye the syckenes of the same Which we may call eyther madnes or folyshenes The whych is better expressed in the latine wordes theÌ„ greke As it chaunceth in many other termes besydes But therof we shall treate an other time Nowe let vs speake of that we haue in hand This therfore wherof we treate what it is the worde it selfe doth sufficiently declare For we must needes thinke theym to be hoale whose mind is troubled with no motioÌ„ in maner of disease and such as contraryewyse are vexed wyth the same to be diseased The latine worde of the which called Insania doth properlye signifye madnesse And therfore we vse to saye in the latine tongue that suche as are out of theyr wyttes as become fransye eyther with luste or anger Although anger it selfe is a parte of luste for thus it is defyned Anger is the lusting affter vengeance They therfore whyche are sayde to be out of theyr wyttes are so termed because they can not vse theyr wittes to the whyche nature hath graunted the rule of the mynde But whye the Grecians cal it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I do not wel know But we distinguishe the same better then they For this vnhealthfulnesse which being all one in effect with foolyshenesse extendeth very farre we separate from madnesse So the Greekes would But they haue no apte worde for it For that whyche we call madnesse they call Melancholian As though men were made frontike onelye wyth melancholye and not rather and more ofteÌ„ with great anger griefe or feare as we reade that Athamans Alcmeon Aiar and Orestes were And in suche case who so euer is hym the the lawe of the twelue Tables forbyddeth to haue the vsyng of his owne goodes And there it is wrytten yf a man be Insanus whyche sygnifieth vnhelthful but if he be Furiosuâ— whiche properly signifyeth madde and furious For by this worde â—nsania they did vnderstand the want of a good and perfecte disposicion Howe be it they thought that a man in such case might well accomplishe al duties pertayning to the commen and accustomed trade of lyfe But madnesse they thoughte was the blyndenesse of the minde towardes all thinges Whiche although it seeme to be a great deale worse then the vnhealthfulnesse of the minde yet trulye it is suche that it maye sooner chaunce to a wyse man then this lacke of healthe of the minde I meane folishenesse But that is an other question Let vs retourne to our purpose You sayde vnlesse I be deceyued that you thoughte that griefe of minde might chaunce to a wyse man Hea. I thinke so in deede Mar. You doe but like a man in that you thinke so For we are not made of flynte But there is naturallye in vs some tender and softe thinge which gryefe of mind shaketh as a storme Neyther was it euell sayde of Crantor who was a man of great reporte in oure vniuersitie I do not agree wyth them quod he who affirme so much insensibilitye of gryefe which no man eyther can or oughte to haue I would not gladly be sicke quod he but if I be let me feele it whether they cut away anye deade fleshe
last ende Lykewyse the mournynge of those whyche lament the losse of theyr chyldren is swaged wyth the examples of them that haue abyden the like So the tryall of other men afore hand maketh that those thynges whyche chaunce on a sodayne seeme lesse in deede then we tooke them at the fyrste to be So it commeth to passe that whyles we ponder the thynges well by litle and litle we perceyue howe muche oure opinion was deceyued and that Telamon dothe well proue sayenge When fyrste of all I them begot I knewe that they must dye And Theseus In minde the mischiefes that might come I did alway behold ¶ And Anaxagoras sayde I knewe that he was borne to dye For all these men long weighing the chaunces that happen to men perceiued that they are not to be feared accordinge to the opinion of the commen people And truly me seemeth that they whiche ponder thinges afore hande are holpen after the same sort that they are whom continuance of time dothe helpe sauynge that reason healeth the fyrste and nature the other they hauinge thys alwayes in theyr mindes whyche is the grounde of all such remedyes namely that the euel whych they thought to be so greate is not suche that it maye destroye a happye and a blessed lyfe Thus therfore we will conclude that of a sodayne chaunce there commeth a sorer strype not as they thinke that when twoo equall chaunces do happen to a man it onelye shouâ—de put him to gryefe whyche commeth of a sodaynâ— for it is wryten that some men vnderstandinge the commen miserye of mankind namely that we are al borne vnder that lawe that none may be for euer voyde of misery hane taken it verye heauilye yea and mourned for it For the whyche cause Carneades as Antiochus writeth was wonte to reproue Chrisippus for coÌ„mending these verses of Euripides There is no man whom gryefe of minde sickenes may not payne Some manye children do beget and burye them agayne And death is thend of al the grieues that happen may to man We all must render earth to earth and dust from whence we came And til that time shall mowe vs vp we here on earth must lyue Like as we suffer corne to growe to reape the same with sciue For he sayde that suche kinde of talke was of no efficacye to ease a man of gryefe but rather gaue vs occasion to lament that we were borne vnder so â—ruell necessitye And as for that kindâ— of comfort whych cometh of the rehersall of other whyche hane abyden the lyke gryeues that he thoughte was good to comforte none other but onely those whyche were delyghted to heare other mennes sorowes But I trulye thynke farre otherwyse For both the necessity of bearyng the estate of mankynde forbyds vs to stryue wyth god and also it putteth vs in remembrauÌ„ce that we are men which onely thought doth greatlye ease all gryefe and also the rehersall of exaumples serueth not to delyght the myndes of enuious persons but onelye to proue that he whiche mourneth ought to beare it pacyentlye inasmuche as he seeth that manyâ— afore him haue wyth greate moderation and quyetnes suffred the same For they muste haue all maner of suche stayes whyche are readye to fall and can not wythstand the greatnes of gryefe And wel did Chrisippus saye that gryefe of minde was called 〈◊〉 whyche sygnyfyeth the dissoluing looâ—yng of euerye part of a man Whych may well be rooted oute euen at the fyrste the cause of the gryefe beinge once knowen But the cause of it is nothynge els then the opynyon of some great euell that is prosent and at hande But the gryefe of the bodye whose prickes are ryghte sharpe maye well be borne wyth the hope of ease And the lyfe honestly and worshypfullye spente is so great a comforte that those whyche haue so lyued eyther gryefe toucheth not at al or at the least verye lyghtlye But to this opinion of some great euell when that also is adioyned that we thinke we oughte and that it is our dutye to take such chauÌ„ce greuoslye then trulye becometh that gryefe of minde a heauy perturbation For of that opinion proceede those diuers and detestable kyndes of lamentynge tearynge of the heare like women scratchynge of theyr face beating of the brest legges and heade So is Agamemnon of Homere and also of Aâ—â—ius described And renting oft for griefe his goodly bushe of heare Whereupon there is a merye ieste of Byon Sayenge that the foolyshe king pulled of his heare as though baldnes would helpe his sorowe But all these thinges they doo thinkynge that they ought of ryght so to do And for that cause Aeschines inueygheth agaynste Demosthenes for that he three dayes after the deathe of his daughter had done sacrafyce But howe rhetorically pleadeth he what reasons gathers he Howe wryeth he his wordes So that a man may welll perceyue that a rhâ—torician may saye what he lyst But truly his talke no man would allowe vnlesse we had this foolishe opinion in oure mindes that all good men ought to mourne for the death of theyr frendes Herof it commeth that in greate grieues some men flye to solytarynesâ— as Homere wryteth of Belerophon Who flyenge all resorte of men in fyeldes dyd walke alone And there consumed and pinde away with bitter gryefe and moane And Niobe is fayned to haue bene turned into a stoane as I thinke to note thereby her continuall solytarynes in mournynge But Hecuba for the cruell madnes of her minde the Poetes â—ayne to haue bene turned into a dog And there be some whom in sorowe it delyghteth to talke wyth solytarines â–ª As the nurse in Ennius A furious luste is come on me nowe out abroade to tell The wretched chaunce of Medea to heauen to earth and hell ¶ All these thinges men do in gryefe hauing opinion that they oughte of ryght and dutye to be done And if any perchauÌ„ce at such time as thei thought that they ought to mourne did behaue them selues somewhat gently or spake any thing merily they will reuoke theÌ„ sâ—lâ—es agayne to sadnes blame them â—â—lues as of a faulte for that they ceassâ—â— to mourne But yong childreÌ„ theyr mothers and maysters are wonte to â—hasten not onely with wordes but also wyth strypes if in time of commen â—â—urnynge they chaunce eyther to do or speake anye thynge merelye they compell them to weepe What I pray you when they leaue of theyr mournynge and perceyue that they profytâ— nothingâ— at all wyth sorowe doth not that declare that all whyche they dyd afore was onelye of theyr owne wyll wythoute any other constraynte What the olde man in Terence the tormentour of hym selfe dothe he not saye I thinke O Chremes so muche leâ—â—e wronge I do to my sonne As if I do my selfe appoint a wrethâ— for to become Loe he hath eueÌ„ decreed to be a wretch and doth any man appoynt anye such thinge agaynst his owne will I would my selfe worthy accompt of
any miserye Loe he thinketh him selfe worthye 〈◊〉 â—iserye You see therefore that thâ— euell of his gryefe proceedeth of opinion and not of nature Besydes this sometimes the thyngâ— it selfe dothe make theym cease theyâ— mourninge as in Homere the daylye murther and death of men doth make theym to cease theyr sorowe In whom this is wrytten For nowe we see to manye erste lye dead and breathelesse here So that scarce anye house is voyde of dole or mourning cheare Wherfore it is most mete that them we in theyr graues do laye And finishe all our mourning with the wayne of sonne and daye Wherfore it is in our power to layâ— apart gryefe when we wyll and timâ— bothe serue vs. And is there anye timâ— because the thynge it selfe is in ourâ— power to soone to laye awaye sorowâ— and care It is wel knowen that those that sawe Pompeius slayne fearyngâ— in that sharpe and cruell fyght greatly the losse of theyr owne lyues because they sawe them selues on all sydes enclosed wyth the nauye of theyr enemyes did at that present nothyng els but encourage the shippemen to saylâ— swiftely for the safetye of theyr lyues But afterwardes when they came tâ— Tyrus began to afflyct them selues and lament Could feare therfore stay them from sorowe and shal not reason and wysedome be able to do it But what is there that maye sooner make vs leaue our sorowe then wheÌ„ we perceyue that it profiteth vs nothing and that all our laboure therein was spent in vayne If then we may leaue sorow we may also not take it al. Wherfore we must needes confesse that of oure â—wne will and accord we suffer griefe to enter on vs. And that is well declared also by theyr pacieÌ„ce who hauinge abiden many cruell chaunces do more easelye beare whatsoeuer commeth And are in maner hardened agaynste the blâ—wes of fortune As he in Euripides If this time were the fyrste that I such miserye did trye And that afore I had not felte the same continuallye Then had I iuste cause to lamente like as newe broken coltes Beare yll the bridles bit when fyrst they are brought from the holtes But I haue euer liued in woe and wyth so seeldome chaunge That nowe as one yduld therwith no payne to me is straunge Wherefore inasmuche as the wearinesse of miseryes doth lighten griefe we must nedes confesse that the thing it selfe which is chaunced vnto vs is not the cause of oure sorowe Those that are chiefely studious of wisedome and haue not as yet attained the same do they not sufficieÌ„tly vnderstand that they are in great misery for they haue not gotten the perfection of wisedome And truly there can be no greater miserye then the imperfection of wysedome Yet neuerthelesse they do not lament this miserye And why so Because to this sorte of euels there is not affixed that opinion that it is ryghte and iust or any part of our duty to take it heauilye for that we are not wyse With the which opinion that gryefe is alwayes accompanyed oute of the whyche proceedeth mourning For Aristotle blaming the auncient philosophers whiche thought that their wittes had made philosophye perfect sayeth that they were eyther most foolishe or els most vayne glorious of all men For he sawe that within fewe yeares the same was greatly encreased So that it was likely that in shorte time it would be finished But Theophrastus at the time of his deathe is reported to haue blamed nature For that to hertes and dawes whom the same serued to litle vse she had graunted longe life but to meÌ„ to whom it mighte haue bene most commodious she had graunted but a short terme Whose age if it might be lengthened it woulde come to passe that all artes beynge made perfecte the lyfe of man shoulde be adourned wyth all kynd of learning And therefore he did complayne that when he fyrst began to perceyue somewhat therein then it was his chaunce to be taken out of this life Lykewyse of all the rest doth not euerye of them that is counted wisest and grauest witted confesse the ignoraunce of manye poynctes And that there are manye thinges the whiche he would gladlye learne And yet neuerthelesse albeit they knowe that they sticke in ignoraunce then the which there can be no thinge worse they do not sorowe nor mourne For they haue no suche opinion that it is anye parte of theyr dutye to be sorye They whyche thynke that men oughte not to mourne as Quintus Maximus who buryed his onelye sonne that had bene once Consul as Lucius Paulus who loste bothe hys sonnes in one daye as Marcus Cato whose sonne dyed when he was appoyncted to be Pretor As all the rest whom we haue reckened vp in ours booke whyche is entituled of the comforte of Philosophye The mournings of all these men I saye what other thyng dyd staye but that they thought sorowe and sadnes to be thynges not properlye belonging to any man So whereas other men delayed with an opinion of dutye do yelde theÌ„ selues to gryefe they thinkinge it a shame did wythstand sorowe Whereby it is euident that griefe of mind consisteth not in the nature of the chaunce but in the opinion of men Agaynst this it is sayde who is there so madde y â— would of his owne voluntary will be sad and mourne Nature bringeth sorowe To the whyche your Crantor saye they thinketh that we ought to yelde For it doth pricke and burden vs neyther can we resyst it So Oileus in Sophocles which comforted Telamon afore when he mourned for the deathe of Aiax he I saye when he hearde of his owne mischaunce was euen ouercome wyth sorowe Of the sodayne chaunge of whose minde these verses are wytnesse I thinke no man so coÌ„stant is whose wytte can serue him so That though he counsayle other to asswage theyr gryefe and woe Yet when that fortune hath on him once layd her heauy stroke Would not be ouercome and wyth his owne hurt straight way broke So that the wordes which he afore to others wysely spake Should slippe awaye as thinges the which aduersity did slake By suche kinde of proofes they go about to perswade that we maye by no meanes withstand nature Yet neuerthelesse they them selues confesse that men sometimes take greater sorowe then nature constraineth them What madnes is it then that we shoulde desyre euery man so to do But there are manye causes of sorowe Fyrste the opinion which we haue that is an euell whiche is chaunced vnto vs. Whyche when we be once perswaded theÌ„ griefe of minde doth necessarilye ensue The second occasion is for that they thynke theyr mourninge to be acceptable to suche as are departed And hereunto is adioyned a certayne effeminate superstition For they thynke that they shall the sooner contente the anger of the immortall gods if they as men astonyed wyth theyr heauy stroke do afâ—lycte and vexe theym selues But in the meane tyme these men marke not howe contrarye they are
man gaue a house hold loafe in a poore cotage he sayde that he neuer eat sweter bred in al his life They say that Socrates walkyng earnestly towardes the eueninge and beinge demaunded for what cause he did so aunswered that to thintent he might suppe the better he dyd hunt for hunger What see we not the dyet of the Lacedemonians in their bankets whych they call Philitia In the which when the tyran Dionisius â—n a tyme supped he sayed that their blacke porridge whiche was the best parte of the supper liked not him Then the cooke which made them aunswered It is no meruaile since you lacke sauce What sauce quod he Mary quod he the laboure in huntinge sweate runninge from the riuer Eurotas hunger and thirst For these be the sauces of the Lacedemonians meat And this truly may well be perceyued not onelye by the custome of men but also by beastes The which as soone as any thinge is set afore them which is not contrarye to nature contentinge theym selues therewyth seke no further Yea whole cities taught by custome are sometimes delyghted wyth thinne dyet As we haue alreadye shewed of the Lacedemonians Xenophon describeth the liuing of the Persians Who as he sayeth eate nothing with their bread but onely water cresses Although if theyr nature should desyre anye pleasaunter meate there are manye fruytes there both springing out of the ground and also growyng on the trees whych excell both in pleasure and plentye Ioyne hereunto the teÌ„peratenes that commeth of this continencie in liuing and the conseruacion of health Compare herewith those that sweate and belche with eating lyke fatte Oxen. Then shall you perceyue that they whiche moste desire pleasure do moost seeldome obtayne it And that the pleasure of meate consisteth in a hungrye and empty stomake and not in fulnes and sacietie They saye that Timotheus a noble man in Athenes and chiefe of the citie when on a time he supped with Plato and was very well pleased wyth his cheare seeinge hym the next daye after sayde Your supper trulye is not onelye for the time presente but also for manye dayes after pleasauÌ„t Also what a thinge is it that beinge muche stuffed with meate and drynke we can not vse our wit at libertye There is a notable Epistle of Plato written to the kynsemen of Dion In the whyche in maner worde for worde this is wrytten Thither when I came that which the Italians and Siracusaâ—s count a happye life Namelye to be fed with a great number of daynty dishes liked me no whit Neyther yet to be filled twise in a day nor sit vppe all nighte And suche lyke thinges whych do necessarilye solowe that kynde of life litle pleased me By the whych no man may be made wise and much lesse moderate For what nature maye keepe so wonderfull a temperature Wherefore howe mayâ— that lyfe be pleasaunt in the whyche there lacketh prudence or moderation And herein I remember the errour of that most welthy kinge of Siria Sarâ—anapalus Who commannded this to be grauen on his tombe Those thinges onelye I thinke I haue whych while I liue I eate And contrary those I count lost which I behind me lefte What more meete thing quod Aristotle could a man chose out to graue on the tombe of an Oxe not of a kynge He being dead sayeth he hath all those thinges whiche euen whiles he liued he had no longer then whiles he vsed them Wherfore then should we feele any misse of richesse Or where wyll not pouerty suffer vs to be happy perhaps in fayre tables playes painted signes Do not pore meÌ„ enioy the same better than they y e are pleÌ„tifully stored with them For there is great store of all suche thinges in the common buyldinges of our citye Whiche they that haue priuatelye in theyr owne houses see neither so manye neyther yet so often onely wheÌ„ they go downe to their manours in the countrey Whom also many times their consciece prickes when they remember howe or from whence they came by them A whole day would be to litle for me if I should here pleade the cause of pouerty Both it is playne enough of it selfe and also daylye experience sets before our eyes howe fewe thinges howe small and howe base those are whych the nature man requireth Shall pouertye therefore or basenes of birth yea or the anger and grudge of the people let a wise man to be happye Beware that you proue not that this prayse of the people and glory that euery man so much desyreth doth bring more trouble then pleasure And therefore truly Demosthenes was to lyght who sayde that it delyghted him to heare a woman as she wente to fetche water as the maner is in Greece saye vnto her felowe when he passed by This is that same Demosthenes What coulde be more â—ondly said Yet howe famous an oratour was he But it appeareth that he was woÌ„te to talke much afore other men not to commen with his owne conscience We must therefore knowe this that neyther hye place or glorye are for theym selues to be desired neyther pouertie and basenes to be feared For Democritus sayd Come to Athenes there no man knoweth me A constante man and a graue trulye whych gloryeth that he was withoute glorye Shall trumpetters and other musicians playe and blowe accordyng as it shall seeme good to theÌ„ And shall a wyse man whose arte is farre more excellent seeke out and folowe not that that is truest but what the people lyketh Is there any thing more foolysh theÌ„ that those whom takyng one and one you despise as slaues and fooles to thinke I saye that those altogither are any better But a wise man truly will despise al our ambition and lyghtnes Yea he will despise all honoure though it be profered vnto him But we can not despise them afore repentaunce driue vs to it In the bookes Hermodorus a wryter of naturall philosophye there is such a sayenge He would that all the Ephesians should be put to death For that when they banyshed Hermodorus theyr king out of the citie they spake in this wise Let there no man emonges vs be aboue the rest Or if there be any that would be so let him go to some other place and amonges other men Is it not so in the common people euerye where likewise Doth it not spite them to see any man passe all the reste in vertue What Aristides for I had rather to bryng forth the examples of the Grecians then our owne was not he banished from his couÌ„trey because he was iust aboue al measure as they thought What troubles therefore want they whyche haue nothinge to do with the people Or what is more pleasaunt theÌ„ leasure bestowed on learninge Suche learninge I meane as teacheth vs the knoweledge of all nature the heauen the earth the seas and all the rest Despising therefore honoure and riches What is there that a maÌ„ should feare Exile perhaps which is