but one year a ruler in the Empire was poysoned by his mother in Law named Martina The very cause of the Emperor Conradus death who was Fredericks son was onely the Empire and rule of Rome for Manfredus his successour hired the Physitians to poyson him that he might have the onely sway O unhappy state of Princes whose lives are desired both of friends and foes No lesse danger it is to be in favour with Princes sometime then perillous to be Princes We read of a Quéen named Rosimunda the daughter of King Cunimund of Gepida who after she had poysoned Albonius King of the Longobards her first husband did marry a Prince of Ravenna named Helinges whom likwise she thought to poison but being warned in the middest of his draught he caused his wife to drink the rest which drink was the cause of both their deaths How many noble Princes in the middest of their pilgrimages have died that death as Dioclesian the Emperour of Rome Lotarius King of France Charls the eight of that name with divers others as Hannibal prince of Carthage Aristobulus King of Iudea and Lucullus Generall of Rome Princes and noble men do sometime poison themselves lest they should be inforced to serve their foes as Themistocles being banished from his country of Athens being in service under Artaxerxes King of Persia poisoned himself with the bloud of a Bull in presence of all the Persians lest he should be compelled to fight in wars against Gréece his country Even so Aratus prince of Sicionia perceiving Philip the younger would banish and exile him out of his country was inforced with poison to drink his own death out of his own hand Even after this sort after long administration of the Commonwealth did noble Socrates learned Anaxagoras worthy Seneca and famous Demosthenes poison themselves Thus their pilgrimages were ended and their lives finished their honour and dignity their fame and renown did purchase them death Happy then are those whom the world knows not who desire not to be acquainted with the world but quiet and contented do finish the course of their pilgrimages Had not Jugurthus thirsted for the Kingdom of Numidia he had not slain his two brethren Adherbal and Hempsal which were partakers of the Crown for the which vengeance fell upon him being subdued by Marius and dying afterwards in prison Had not King Siphax thirsted after the Empire of Rome he had never béen taken captive and prisoner by Tiberius where he at length out of his Kingdome died in prison Henry the third was of his own son named Henry put again in prison where he died Aristonicus for all his businesse and great doings was vanquished by the Consull Aquilius and put in prison where likewise he died In prison divers princes have ended their lives in forrein countries Strange kinds of deaths happen upon Princes more then on any other men as orderly I shall prove by their pilgrimages and lives Some by fire as the Tyrant Phalaris of Agrigentum who was burned with all his children and his wife in the Brasen Bull which Perillus made for others was first of all put into it himself By fire was the Emperour Valentine burned by the Goths by fire was that famous Greek Alcibiades destroied in Phrygia and burned in bed with his mistresse Timandra after he had ruled Athens and all Greece a long while Sardanapalus that great King and last prince of Assyria fearing to fall into the hands of Arbactus and detesting to die by his enemies made a solemn fire when after his lewd life wantoning in lust and following his desires he burned himself it was the end of the renowned Hercules who conquered Monsters subdued Serpents Lions Dragons and wild beasts at the last he put on the shirt of Nestus the Centaur which burned him alive What shall I speak of Boges the dear friend sometime of King Xerxes who when he knew that he could not escape the hand of Cimon and the power of Atâ—ens he made a great fire where he caused his wife and concubines his children and family to be burned and then his gold silver and treasure and last of all he burned himself Empedocles Catullus Luctatius Asdrubal and Poâ—tia died this death So desirous were men alwaies to become princes so ambitious of honour so greedy of wealth that having the name of a King they thought to avoid and escape that which alwaies waits on the heels of Princes I mean death Were not princes hanged by their own subjects which is the vilest and most ignominious death that can be Achaeas King of Lidia for that he troubled his subjects with new taxes and subsedies was hanged by his own subjects at the river of Pactolus Bomilchar a Prince of Libia being suspected by the Carthaginians that he had conspired with Agathocles unto the annoiance of the subjects was hanged in the City of Carthage in the middest of the Market Policrates who was supposed to be the happiest Prince that ever reigned in Samos and never sustained any losse by fortune was at last by Orontes the Persian King Darius General hanged in sight of Samos Herodotus doth affirm that Leonides that famous King of Sparta who long ruled the Lacedemonians with great fame and renown was by Xerxes King of Persia after his head was smitten off commanded notwithstanding to be hanged Trogus doth write of Hanno a prince of Carthage which flourished in the time of King Philip father to Alexander the great who for his prosperous successe that he had in all his attempts waxed to be such a tyrant that his own people first bound him with cords whipt him with rods pluckt out his eys brake his legs cut off his hands and at last to recompence his tyranny they hanged him up in Carthage These were no mean men that thus were hanged in their own country and by their own people Thus Princes in the middest of their lives have béen arrested by death and by divers kinds of death Some as you have heard by poison some by fire some by hanging have ended their pilgrimages some again have been devoured by their own horses as Diomedes King of Thracia became food himself to those beasts which before he fed with mens bodies The King of Eubea for his tyranny in Boetia was given by Hercules to be eaten by his own horses Licinius the Emperour at what time he had appointed that his daughter Hâ—rina should be given to his horses to be eaten he himself giving her as food unto them was torn in pieces It hâ—ppened that Neocles the son of that noble Greek Themistocks was by a horse likewise devoured And this was not strange unto princes for they were alwaies subject unto all kind of deaths After that the famous prince Mâ—â—us Captain of the Lybians had broken truce with the Romans he was afterward as Livi doth witnesse taken and drawn by four great horses alive at the cemmandement of Tullus Hostilius being then King of Rome Hâ—ppâ—litus son
THE MARROW OF HISTORY OR THE Pilgrimage of KINGS and PRINCES TRULY Representing the variety of Dangers inhaerent to their Crowns and the lamentable Deaths which many of them and some of the best of them have undergone Collected Not onely out of the best Modern Histories but from all those which have been most famous in the Latine Greek or in the Hebrew Tongue Shewing Not onely the Tragedies of Princes at their Deaths but their Exploits and sayings in their lives and by what virtues some of them have flourished in the height of Honour and overcome by what affections others of them have sunk into the depth of all Calamities A Work most delightfull for Knowledge and as profitable for Example Collected by Lodowick Lloyd one of the Gentlemen in ordinary to Queen Elizabeth And Corrected and Revived by R.C. Master of Arts. London Printed by E. Alsop dwelling near the Upper-Pump in Grubstreet 1653. To the true Lover of all good Learning the Truly Honourable CHARLS DIMMOCK Esquire c. SIR I Have here preferred to your observance and protection a work of great Art and of greater Industry you shall find in it a Summary of almost all the Kingdomes and Common-wealths upon the earth and what were the men of Power which commanded in them and also what were as well their Excellencies of Understanding as of Soveraignty it being a Gift unto great men who are called unto extraordinary places to be indued for the most part with extraordinary abilities Here as from a Turret of Speculation you may look down upon the Vulgar and every where behold how near of kin is Misery to Mortality and raising afterwards your Contemplation higher you may looke up on those who have been the Potentates and Princes of the Earth and observe how empty is the Title of Greatnesse and how vain in the Grave is the Prerogative of Kings insomuch that if the Dusts of Alexander the Great and of Bucephalus his Horse were committed both unto one Urn I do believe that Aristotle himself could not distinguish betwixt them either by his Philosophy or his Flattery Sir It it is then easie to be seen that it is onely Virtue that crowneth the lives of Princes and after their deaths doth raise them higher then their Pyramids yet in many Examples you may distinctly here observe that even the best of Kings and those of them who have been nearest unto Heaven have often stooped under the greatest Visitations as the highest Hills are most often checked by the lowdest Thunders But others there have been whose lives by their Lust and Cruelty have been covered with infamy or by their Sloth with silence as Tertullian speaks of Sardanapalus that if he had not been famous for his Riot no man had known him to be a King therefore those depraved Affections are here described and by many Examples abundantly illustrated in the pursuit of which so many great men and Conquerours upon Earth have both delighted and perished They are produced as a Caution unto all and the Book may serve as a Mirrour unto the Best in which they may observe the uncertainty of humane condition in the Pilgrimage of this life It precisely Sir devoteth it self to your protection in whose Example as in a purer Mirror may be read all the Influences of Honour and of Chivalry which that you may long live to dispence amongst us is the dayly prayer of him who is Sir Your most humble and most devoted Servant ROB. CODRINGTON THE PILGRIMAGE OF KINGS and PRINCES CHAP. I. That all Princes are but Pilgrims and some Pilgrims are higher then Kings THis at first may seem a paradox but upon a deliberate consideration it will easily unriddle it self For if you look upon a King in the first place as he is but a man he is a Pilgrim and no more He begins his journey in his cradle and travels every year from sorrow unto sorrow The pleasures and pomp that courts him are but momentary like a flash of lightning that is rather the subject of his memory then his eye But the troubles and the dangers are perpetual and lie as heavy upon his heart as the Crown upon his head This was not unaptly resembled by the Tyrant who his friend affecting the crown did invite him to a Banquet where there was nothing wanting either for abundance or magnificence the Sea and Earth were examined for their rarest provisione to satisfie his palate and on the Cupboard India did appear in all her treasures This indéed did promise a welcome above the invitation but behold over his head a sword hung upon one hair and by its ponderous burthen carrying a certain Death in its point did threaten a sudden destruction to him so that the edge of his appetite being taken off and the Banquet ended there needed no man to say so much as Much good d'it you to him And yet for all this I know not by what secret temptation of Ambition it comes about that the Crown is the onely object of all great Spirits not considering what cares hang round about the ring ols of it This was that which made the great Turkish Emperour seeing a shepheard sitting on a hill and making melody to himself as he marched with his puissant Army against Tamberlane O happy shepheard said he who hath neither any remarkable Town nor any Army to lose Agreable to this is what at least the Poets enform us of Henry the fourth of England who lying on his Death-bed and sending for the Crown his Son came to visit him and beholding the Crown on the pillow and his Father so fast asléep that not the least motion of breath could be discovered to come from him to vex the lightest feather on the pillow he took the Crown away conceiving his Father to be dead Not long after his Father did awake and missing the Crown demanded where it was and who was so bold as to take it away It being answered That his Son had it to whom it was due by the right of succession his Son came in to whom his Father said That if he knew with what travel both of mind and body and with what danger of both it was purchased he would never be so hastie to take it away but kéep far from it as from the center of all sorrow and affliction And if the whole life of man is but a Pilgrimage the life of Kings is the greatest pilgrimage of al A pilgrimage it is both of the mind and of the body to which they are most subject who have the most and the greatest Kingdoms Their life is a perpetual vexation whether you look upon them as greedy to possesse the Kingdomes of others or solicitous to defend their own No sooner one trouble is ended but another begins occasioned either by covetousnesse or ambition or by jealousies extrinsick or Domestick sometimes they fear the over-growing power of their neighbouring Princes somtimes they do lie in wait to intrap them sometimes they
fear the conspiracies of their own servants sometimes of their own children for you are to understand that in this nature the condition of Princes is of all most miserable How many Kings may I number up who have been all deprived of their lives by the unnatural conspiracy of their own children Justin makes mention of an Emperour of Persia who by divers Concubines had fifty sons who all held in a conspiracy with the eldest to take away the fathers life for no other cause but that they conceived he lived a little too long and they were resolved to depend no longer upon expectation And it appears to me a great wonder that the spirits of men should be so much blinded and that Princes should be so misguided by the Prince of the ayr that although they are assured within themselves and may be convinced by a thousand examples that a revenge not to be avoided doth attend such desperate contrivers yet no age almost hath béen without a President of such horrible Parricides Irenus King of the Molossi having conspired with some of the Nobility who were most near unto his father did not long after by poison take away his fathers life and being himself invested with the Crown although he injoyed a long time a happy and quiet life yet he was tormented in his conscience within him and having lost the love of his subjects he at last lost his own life his people having made war against him and being taken by them he was beheaded in the same place in which he conspired his fathers death The Histories can afford us a thousand examples of the same nature but Herodotus makes mention of Enanthus a Prince as unblemished in his conversation as innocence it self who passing through a world of afflictions which like waves came rowling upon him one on the neck of the other was first banished and afterwards put to death by his subjects and dying confessed that it was the first hour of his happinesse being to passe from a Labyrinth of sorrows and perplexity into an everlasting Elizium of Peace and Rest But to give you an instance what miserable Pilgrims Princes are you may behold Nebuchadnezzar who from the height of glory was by divine vengeance metamorphosed into a beast and wandring from field to field in a worse condition then a Pilgrim he fed on the grasse of the field for seven years together and was wet with the dew of heaven and at the last returning to himself he acknowledged the divine power and the divine Iustice which taught him to understand in what a frail condition he stood and how uncertain is life and the glory of mortality like the Lilly in the field which appears in the morning in all its beauty and more richly apparelled then Solomon in all his glory and before the evening it is gathered and fades away is seen no more Just so are Kings the flourishing array Of the proud Summers meadow which to day Weares his green plush and is to morrow Hay Therefore Philip the father of Alexander the great revolving with himself what a pilgrimage this life is and especially the life of a King which as it is more full of state then the life of others so it is also more full of danger commanded his Page every morning to come unto him and to pronounce a loud O Philip remember that thou art mortal which though his son seemed to forget and therefore would be estéemed immortal and have divine honours done unto him yet whosoever shall take the pains to behold him aright in the height of all his victories he shall find that his life was the greatest pilgrimage nay I may say the arrantest slavery that was in the world for what did he do but became onely a slave to his own ambition to inslave the world and to make it stoop to his yoak A plundring Pilgrim he was and under the pretence of glory and of conquest he enjoyed no rest either by day or by night but travelled from place to place uncertain in the morning in what field to take up his lodgings the night following or where he should dine the next day but as if he would try providence as well as victory he did put all things to the adventure and indeed it was providence that did protect him for into how many dangers did he rashly run from which he was miraculously preserved and by a rare happinesse made his rashnesse alwaies to be the increase of his glory I shall on this subject speak something of him which Curtius never thought on which is that when he took a poor Pyrat prisoner he asked him how he durst be so insolent as to commit such robberies on the seas The Pyrat nothing dismaied made answer he did it with the same confidence as Alexander himself who went up and down plundering and destroying the world And when Fate had put a period to his life and Empire it is observable how this invincible spirit became heavy and timerous which on purpose in this place I do insert because many who have delivered his atchievements to memory have left it out and it may more plainly appear what momentary things great Princes are when that power doth forsake them which doth lead them to their high undertakings Alexander being come to Babylon he put off his cloaths one evening to anoint himself to make his body more nimble in some exercises in the field with his companions in which hee much delighted The sport beeing ended as hee returned to put on his cloaths the young Nobles who were with him beheld a man who sate in the Kings seat and had put on his royall habiliments and the Diadem on his head They amazed at it demanded who he was the man would make no answer at all at last being threatned that he should indure the greatest torments if he would not confesse what he was he at last spake in Greek that he was a poor fellow who being unjustly condemned to death was delivered from it by the God Seraphis who seated him in that place and commanded him to put on the royal habiliments The wonder increasing that there being so many of the guard and of the Kings associates in the field and in and about the Pavillion and not any of them should either discover the man either coming into the Pavillion or putting on the cloaths Alexander was so possessed with horrour at the strangenesse of the spectacle that he became as a dead man and for the thrée days following was so mute and stpid that he appeared as another creature he would neither speak to any nor return any answer being spoken unto till he went unto the house of Thessalus Medius where he drank the fatal poison and being carried afterwards to his own chamber he lamented with himself the condition of man and more precisely of Princes who in the height of all their lustre like the sun at noon were suddenly eclipsed by ungrateful clouds howsoever
it is worth your observance that even in his death desiring to traduce the world with a false belief of his immortality he desired Roxane who was present with him and at that time great with child by him that she would give way that some who were most faithfull to her and to himself might take his body he finding an impossibility of recovery and death apparently to grew upon him and throw it into the River of Euphrates that the army and the world might conceive that invisibly he was advanced from mortality and translated into the number of the Gods which when Roxane by no means would give way unto affirming that the power which protected him from so many dangers would preserve him still he was passionate against her that in pretence of love she should deny him immortality and dying in the flower of his youth he acknowledged how momentary and uncertain at the best is the condition of Princes And thus Alexander you see who contended to be above the reach of mortality and to be no Pilgrim became the greatest Pilgrim in the world for he not onely living was in a perpetual travel both of body and of mind but he did not rest being dead for his body was carryed from place to place until it was brought at last to Alexandria and afterwards conveyed unto Memphis And to speak the truth the condition of Kings is more lamentable then the meanest of their subjects who may enjoy their lives with safety which is permitted but to a few Kings so true is that of Juvenal Ad generum Cereris sine caede sanguini pauci Descendunt reges sicca morte tyranni By a dry Death without a bloudy end Few Kings to Ceres son in Law descend For this reason the Honourable Sir Francis Bacon who said That God did most for Kings and that Kings did least for God did affirm That there was so many cares and dangers depending on a Crown that no wise man would take it up to have it especially considering how many excellent Princes who have been as admirable for their justice as for their fortitude and for their continence as for either have violently lost their lives by their ungratefull subjects Of this I shall give you examples pregnant enough in its due place and conclude this chapter That Princes are the greatest Pilgrims by the example of the best of Princes which was David himself And this is as easie to prove by his confession as by his sufferings He is hunted he saith like a Partridge upon the mountains he is like a Pelican in the wilderness he is as a Sparrow upon the house top You may behold him persecuted from place to place yet giving life to the King who would take his life from him You may behold him flying out of the Kingdom and disguising himself in a safe madness to protect him from the violence of his adversaries You may behold him exposed to all the dangers that malice could imagine reviled by his own wife cursed by his own servants and conspired against by his own son and driven out of his City by him so that he might well say I am a stranger in the land and my life is waxen old with heaviness and my years with mourning CHAP II. The attractive Liberality of Princes BVt before I proceed to give you examples of it I shall exhibit to you that the pleasures and the splendours which commonly attends the Court and do cast such a false shew of Glory on it are but as so many flatterers who would perswade to things which are not onely leave a dazle on the eye the easier to delude and betray the underastnding It is vertue only that maketh Princes glorious I will first give you a general survey of the vertues and vices of Princes by which in the pilgrimage of this life some have attained to the heighth of honour and others have sunk into the lowest infamy And first to deface the vice of Avarice I will in this place shew you the vertue of Liberality to put the churlish covetous out of countenance I will extol the liberal which in taking is shamefaced in giving joyfull For a measure in taking and in giving is the true nature of liberality Neither can he that taketh all things though he give much be named liberal in nothing Agesilaus King of the Lacedemonians so observed the laws and rules of Lycurgus that he was wont to say unto the Citizens of Sparta that gifts are more dangerous sometime to be received then hurtfull to be refused Which Phocion the whole glory of Athens at what time Alexander the Great had sent him great gifts wealthy presents jewels and treasures from Persia did shew a true example thereof of in refusing the same saying I will not learn to take lest I forget to give The like answered Zenocrates the Philosopher to the self same Alexander when that he did send great sums of gold and silver for love and affection unto Zenocrares he said he wanted neither gold nor silver Which when it was told unto Alexander he said Hath Zenocrates no friends then that want money Alexander hath more friends then either the substance of Darius or the wealth of Persia can suffice A Question is here to be demanded Whether of them both was more liberal the Prince in giving or the Philosopher in refusing When certain Embassadours of the Samnites came to Rome and being at Fabritius house they perceiving the liberality of Fabritius to be such as it were pity wealth should want to so noble a Gentleman at their return from Rome unto their Countrey not forgetting the free dealing of Fabritius at Rome these Embassadours minding to gratifie Fabritius with the gold of the Samnites sent gifts and presents to him unto Rome for their noble entertainment which were refused with an answer that Fabritius had rather rule and govern them that were ruled by gold then to be subject unto gold alledging the answer of M. Curius to the Embassadors of Macedonia offering large gifts and treasure after the like sort That to possess much is no wealth but covetousness to desire nothing and to give is perfect wealth and liberality A sound proof of two liberal Gentlemen When such ruled Rome then the Romans excelled all the world bountifull and free and most beneficial unto all and covetous unto none When L. Lucullus house was a common hospital to all the poor Gréeks that travelled from Athens Sparta and Thebes yea from al Greeâ—e unto Rome then Rome was liberal When Pomponius Atucus did send unto Cicero being banished two hundred thousand Sesterces unto Volumnius and Brutus as much then Rome was beneficial When the Senators restored Faucula and Oppia two poor women of Campania not onely unto their ancient liberty but doubled their wealth and riches for their true meaning and service to the Romanes the one praying and sacrificing for their good success the other toyling and travelling about the souldiers
business at the siege of Capua where Fulinus was Captain then Rome was mercifull Liberality in noble persons is most commended for in liberal giving and beneficial doings are Princes compared unto Gods Fabius Maximus having certain of his souldiers taken by Hannibal in the wars of Carthage did send unto the Senators of Rome for money to redeem the Roman souldiers from Hannibal according unto Martial law but being denied of his suit he commanded his son straight to go to Rome to sell all the lands and livings that he then possest about the City of Rome and to bring him money The money being brought he paid Hannibal redéemed his souldiers brought them frée to Rome upon his own charge and being blamed of the Senators that he sould his land he answered that he had rather want patrimony in his Country then love towards his Countreymen he had rather be without living in Rome then to want the good will of tho poor souldiers Alphonsus the great King of Arragon was wont to rejoyce more in one little sentence that Titus Vespatianus would often say then of all that he had read all the days of his life This Emperours golden sentence was That day to be unhappy in the which he neither gave or granted any thing to some man saying That no man ought to depart from a Prince sad Ho judged time lost when no body fared the better by him and thought no man should depart without some benefits done or gifts given to some or others Liberality doth purchase to the Prince faith and love to the Nobleman service and homage unto all men benefits and good turns Wherefore Alexander the Great not so desirous to take as willing to give was wont to say to any that demanded where his treasures wealth and substance that he got in the wars were kept by poynting with his singer to his friends it is hidden saith he in the hearts of my subjects What can be more commended in a subject towards his Prince then faith and truth What may be more praised in a Prince towards his subjects then liberality and lenity The liberality of the poor is good will A poor Scholler sometime of Gréece being in Rome thought good to salute Caesar the Emperour comming from the Capitol toward his pallace in a few Gréek verses thinking thereby his penury should be somewhat looked upon by Caesar But Caesar surnamed Augustus answered the Scholler in writing again the like Gréek verses which when it was delivered to the poor Gréek he delighted much in the reading commended highly the verses and approached unto Caesar where he was in his Chariot opened his purse and gave unto the Emperour four single halfpence saying Hold not according to thy dignity calling but according to my ability and poverty I give this reward Certainly the poor Scholler was more commended for his small gift to the Emperour then the Emperour himself was praised for his liberality unto all the people in Rome The poor Poet Antilochus was as liberal to his power for his verses made unto King Lisauder as Lisander was in his calling to give him his hat full of silver Simple Sinaeâ—es was as liberal in offering a handfull of water of the river Cydnus unto the great King Artaxerxes of Persia for want of better ability as Artaxerxes was princely in gifts and beneficial unto Sinaetus in rewarding liberally the liberality of Sinaetes with Phiala aurea cum mille Daricis Chaerilus had no better present for a proof of his liberality toward Alexander the Great then to shew his good will unto him in writing whereby he shewed himself more willing then able which being accepted he was liberally rewarded for every several verse a piece of gold What greater gift can any man give then that which proceedeth from the heart Of all treasure saith Aristotle the mind of a man ought most to be esteemed the Mite of the poor woman offered to Christ was no less made of and estéemed then the Gold Myrrhe and Frankincense of the great Sages of the world For the gift maketh not the giver liberal but the giver maketh the gift liberal Wherefore a poor Student of Paris going home to his country Scillia and being urged through penury wanting money to go to a great learned mans house as though he might go to some of the Bishops of England tarrying there a long while without either meat or drink perceiving the house to be gorgeous fair and brave withâ—ut and full of hunger thirst and cold within he wrote with a coal on the wall a sentence of Cicero Non domo Dominus sed domus Domino honest and â—est As though he might say fair buildings want more liberal dwellings then liberal Lords fair houses for the house is praised by the man and not the man by the house Fair houses and wealth do hardly make men liberal it is said that fair things are coupled with pride and wealth joined with covetousnesse In the beginning all men were liberal untill private wealth began to practise with money covetousnesse was not known for as money did increase fo covetousnesse grew In Rome saith Pliny money was not seen four hundred years and more after the building of Rome Then was Rome true and beneficial bp reason of liberality which after waxed wealthy and false by means of covetousnesse That City was most famous chiefly for her liberality wherein Rome excelled all the world if the death of Princes of Noble men yea of all men can sufficiently bear witnesse of their lives considering vertue and fame shall prove that by death which life hardly may utter for no man is well known during life The death of Epaminondas that most renowned Prince of Thebes and Conquerour of all Gréece was a sure and a certain shew of his liberal life The last day of P. Aemilius who triumphed in life time over the proud Macedonians and Liguriant was a true token of his frank and frée dealing in life In life manner we may say of Maenemus Agrippa and Scipio Affricanus the one victor oveâ— the Samnites the other triumpher over Carthage and Numantia whose renowned lives made their deaths famous whose worthy deaths do revive their noble lives Their beneficial dealing and liberality was well known by their deaths so liberally they lived that their friends found no money hidden no gold kept no treasure preserved no wealth at all though divers time by victory and triumphs by conquest and fortune they psssessed Kingdomes and countries in the time of life The greatest Prince in his time Cyrus the first King that brought the Monarchy unto Persia slain by Tomyris had on his grave being buried in Scithia in no gorgeous Temple nor sumptuous Tomb but in an open field this Epitaph Here heth Cyrus the great King of Persia contented now with seven foot who could not be satisfied sometime with seven Kingdomes what Caesar King or Prince soever thou art spare this place unto Cyrus And when Alexander the great
and praise who avoided the cankered state of avarice Thus from the golden world it came unto the silver world and then to that hard mettal the iron world for the covetous people can never be satisfied The young Partridge by nature is ready to flee as soon as she commeth out of the shell the wild duck to swim the Lion to go and man onely born ready to seeke and travel for money Where might a man find out such a man as Ariâ—â—ides was in all Greece now who was so liberal that having all the state of Athens under his government gave all to the poor Citizens a little excepted which brought him unto the ground Where should one méet with such a one as Pelopidas in all Sparta being blamed of his friends and counsellours for his large gifts and liberallity exhorting him to make much of money considering how necessary money is to Princes yea said Pelopidas to such Princes as Nicomedes a lame man both dumb deaf Where should a man séek in Thebes for such a man as Epaminondas who when he heard that he who carried his Target after him had taken money for the dismission of certain prisoners taken in the wars Give me said he my Target and go you to kéep an Inne for if you love money you are not fit to carry Epaminondas Target with so much honour is liberallity attended that those Princes who have béen famous for the most fortitude haue béen famous also for the most liberallity yet neither liberallity nor fame nor fortitude can reprieve a Prince from the ingratitude of death CHAP. III. What Princes were advanced one way and were oppressed by an other HOw some men are exalted and others oppressed Histories do record All the Kings that ever reigned in Rome almost from base birth and slender progeny were advanced by fortune to sit in the royal throne and injoy Princely Scepters Romulus the first King and builder of Rome born of Rhea a Vestal Virgin and daughter unto Amulius was left as a prey unto beasts forsaken of all in Rome so hated of his own grandfather that he found more friendship in a she Wolf then he had at his grandfather Amulius more kindnesse of the Wolf for his nourishment then love of his mother though he was born of her Notwithstanding contrary to the expectation of Amulius being not thought of in Rome he was by a Woolf preserved and by a poor Shepheard brought up to be a King of Rome The like hapned unto Cyrus at thrée days old when he was commanded by his grandfather King Astiages to be drowned and delivered unto Harpagus chief officer about Astiages by King Astiages own hand to be killed and destroyed yet by fortune a Bitch he being left as Romulus was fed him and gave him milk and life when his Parents appointed death for him and being thus brought up by a Bitch he was the first and most renowned King that ever reigned in Persia Even so may I alledge of Paris King Priamus son called likewise Alexander who being commanded to be killed as soon as he was born he was brought up by a Bear to be a famous Phrigian Prince Thus Cyrus by fortune found more friendship in a bitch then in his own mother Romulus more love in a Woolf then in all Rome Alexander more kindnesse in a Bear then in his father Priamus What shall I say of Pelephus the son of Hercules who was fostred by a Hart or of Camilla and Semiramis the one brought up by a Mare the other by birds of the air to be such famous Quéens as the one ruled the Volscians the other the Babylonians How fortune appointed little Ants to féed King Midas and Bees to féed Plato the wealth of the one and eloquence of the other did certifie the same but I will declare first the extolling and advancement of simple and base men unto Princely seats Tarquinius Priscus a stranger born in Corinth the son of Demaiatâ—s a banished Merchant from his country became a famous King in Rome yea so famous I say that he inlarged the confines of Italy amplified the wealth and state of Rome augmented the number of the Senatours encreased the order of Knighthood and left Rome so happy at his death that the Citizens thereof would have travelled twice as far as Corinth so that they might enjoy again so noble a Prince Tullius Servius a poor stranger was likewise advanced unto the same place by fortune and Tullus Hostillius a shepheard was from féeding of beasts extolled to be the King of Rome Thus fortune to shew her might exalteth the poor and oppresseth the proud Thus from banished strangers from simple shepheards most famous Princes and noble Kings have proceeded Fortune as Seneca saith from low birth and base conditions hath made Princes many have béen advanced from the Plough to sit in seat of Kings as Gordius who from the plough became a King in Phrygia Fortune took Agathocles from his fathers shop being a Potter and made him King in Sycilia she brought Darius from the Stable of Cyrus to be a King in Persia she brought Giges from a Shepheard to be the wealthiest King that ever reigned in Lydia Justinus a swine-heard from féeding his Swine became the mighty Emperour of Constantinople And Carpenters likewise may brag of Telephanes whom fortune advaÌ„ced to the Kingdome of Lydia Shall not Husbandmen extol fortune which made Valentianus Emperour in Rome How much did fortune favour learning how brought she the greatest Princes in the world to honour simple men and caused the cruellest tyrant to esteem and reverence the same King Dyonisius that wicked tyrant of Sicilia when he heard that divine and noble Phylosopher Plato was coming unto Sycilia he made certain of his Nobles to go méet him on the sea and in a ship bravely appointed and gorgeously apdressed with Sails of purple silk to bring him to land where Dionisius himself did attend his coming in his golden Chariot with four white horses trapped over with gold and having taken him into his own Princely Chariot he talked unto him reverently used him honourably and so entertained him that if Jupiter had descended from the skie greater honour could he not get in Creet then Plato a poor Philosopher Aristons son of Athens obtained in Sicil. Aristotle born in Stagira a poor Phisitians son named Nichomachus merited such fame that not onely Philip King of Macedonia thanked God that his son Alexander was born in his time under whose tuition Alexander five years learned Philosophy but also Alexander the great Conquerour of the world honoured and saluted him as his Master unto whom he said that he was no lesse bound for his learning and vertuous education then he was unto King Philip his father for his birth he declared the same being in India a country far from Greece in the midst of his great wars he did write unto him of the state of India of the successe of his journies and the
and pain after long felicity and pleasure even so Dionisius King of Siracusa after many Princely pleasures renowned fame great glory yet in the end was banished his country and driven to keep school in Italy In the like sort that noble and valiant Scipio Affricanus was deceived whose prowesse and magnanimity augmented much the fame of the Romans by conquering of Affrick and Carthage and notwithstanding he was driven to exilement and misery where he died after many triumphs and victories like a poor beggar O uncertain state and slippery wheel of Fortune And because fame followeth fortune and proceedeth from Fortune as the smoke cometh from the fire for as Fortune is variable so is Fame divers if we seek Histories we find the fame of poor men for their poverty is great as well as the fame of the rich for all their riches poor Codrus and ragged Irus are as famous in respect of being Beggars as Midas and Craesus two wealthy Kings of Lydia Doth not Aristophanes make as much mention of Cleonimus the Coward as Homer doth of stout Achilles Poliphemus and Enceladus two huge monstrous Giants not so famous in Virgil for their bignesse as Conopas or Molon two little dwarfs of two foot length are renowned in Plini for their smalnesse Juvenal and Claudian report no lesse of the little Pigmies then Ovid or Maro of the huge Ciclopes If Fame proceed of poor men for poverty of dwarfs for their smalnesse of cowards for their cowardize as much as it doth flow of rich men for their wealth of Giants for their bigness and of stout men for their courage What is it but a pilgrimage in which we live travel here For fortune fame run together as cōstantly as they are thēselves uncertain Plini that famous Historiographer writeth of one named Messala who was so forgetfull and weak of memory that he forgat his own name and yet he was as famous for his obliviousness as Hortensius was renowned for that he could pronounce out of hand with his tongue what he wrote with his pen. Seneca the Philosopher commendeth one called Calvisius that he was likewise so oblivious that he could not often name those dayly friends that he used company withal What greater Fame could Cyneas have for all his memory when he was sent from King Pyrrhus as Embassador to Rome where the second day in the Senate house before all the people of Rome he named all the Senators by name What greater renown could King Cyrus have for his noble memory for naming every souldier of his by name being in the Camp What Fame hath King Mithridates for his divers and sundry languages which he without an Interpretor could speak unto two and twenty Nations being his souldiers but onely that they are recorded in books where likewise Calvisius Messala and such oblivious men that forgot their own names are committed into History Doth not Homer the Trumpetter of Fame write of Militides an Idiot who after the destruction of Troy and the death of King Priamus and all his sons would come to succour the Troyans Homer I say doth not forget Militides no more then he doth Agamemnon What should I speak of silly and wicked Herostratus who for burning the Temple of Diana is everlastingly remembred And millions more of the like nature who are mentioned by ancient writers Thus you sée we travel all one way in the vale of misery and the condition is alike of the greatest Princes and the poorest Beggars and if there be any difference it is in that oftentimes the King is the more unfortunate of the two CHAP. IIII. Of magnanimity of Princes and their fortitude of mind where and when it was esteemed AS Iustice without temperance is often counted injury so magnanimity without respect unto prudence is but tyranny This vertue proceedeth from a valiant and a sober mind joyning both the body and the mind together so that the wisedome and policy of the one the strength and courage of the other are united and alwaies ready to defend the cause of their country and the quarrel of their Prince and society of friendship unto this therefore every good man is born preferring common commodities before private wealth Hercules pondering much what he might best do and to what he should apply his noble mind there appeared unto him two goodly women the one as Xenophon doth describe very gorgeous and brave rings of gold on her finger a chain of gold about her neck her hairs composed and frisled with pearls and Diamonds hanging at her ears the other in sober and comely apparel of modest behaviour of shame faced countenance they stood both before him The first said Hercules if thou wilt serve me thou shalt have gold and silver enough thou shalt féed daintily thou shalt live princely thou shalt injoy pleasures In fine thou shalt have all things at thy will to live with ease and rest The other said with comely countenance If thou wilt serve me Hercules thou shalt be a Conquerour of conquerours thou shalt subdue Kingdomes and overthrow Kings thou shalt be advanced into fame renowned in all the world and shall deserve praise both of men and women Which when Hercules understood taking into consideration the idle service of the first and the exercise of the second he took her as his mistresse and willingly became a servant to her Wherefore according unto promise made he injoyed fully the fame and praise by due deserts he overcame Lions Dragons Bears and such monstrous huge wild beasts he did destroy Kingdomes and countries he had that fortitude of mind that he conquered Giants and subdued Tyrants inlarged liberties set frée Captives and prisoners and briefly that magnanimity was in him that he never effended just men nor hurt innocent men he preserved divers Kings and countries he never spoiled good countrey nor subdued a just King but wholly addicted himself to merit fame He destroyed the Serpent Hydra the Dragon the Lion the wild Bore and terrible Bull conquering Geron Cerberus and Diomedes cruel Tyrants He took the gilded Hart he vanquished the Centaures and the ravening birds named Stimphalides was there any tyranny in these his enterprizes but Hercules they say was more aided of the Gods then helped of man With these his princely acts and renowned feats noble Theseus was much enamored insomuch that he emulated the vertuous life of Hercules he tamed wild beasts slue monsters overcame cruel Creon the Tyrant of Thebes he descended also as the Poet saith unto hell to imitate the feats of Hercules to resemble his magnanimity to augment Hercules fame erecting alters appointing sacrifice in memory of Hercules hoping that others would do unto Theseus as Theseus did unto Hercules Next unto Theseus for antiquity of time that valiant and renowned Gréek Achilles succeeded who was the onely stay and comfort of his country the very hope of Greece his magnanimity valiant courage worthy acts and famous life is at large set forth in Homers
profession of sacred viginitie which she vowed unto Diana was so famous for her magnanimity that when Turnus Aeneas were in wars for the marriage of Lavinia King Latinus daughter she came Bellona like unto the field resisting the violence and puissance of the Troyans with the Rutils and brought aid unto Turnus That noble Zenobia the famous Quéen of the Palmyrians a Princess of rare learning of excellent vertues of most valiant enterprises after that her Husband named Odenatus had died took the Empire of Syria and attempted the magnanimity of the Romans and a long time she withstood in wars that noble and renowned Emperor Aurelian by whom the Emperor was wont to say when it was objected to him that it was no commendation for a Prince to subdue a woman That it is more valiant to conquer a woman being so stout as Zenobia then to vanquish a King being so fearfull as Xerxes The ancient Gréeks as Herodotus doth witnesse were much amazed at the magnanimity of Artemisia Queen of Caâ—ia who after that the King her husband died did shew such fortitude against the inhabitants of Rhodes that being but a woman she subdued their stoutness she burned their Navies wasted their wealth vanquished and destroyed the whole Isle entred into the City of Rhodes caused her Image to be set up for a monument of her chivalry the perpetual memory of her victory O renowned Ladies O most worthy women that with feminine feats have merited manly fame How did famous Teuca Queen of the Illyrians govern her subjects after the death of her husband King Argon who being warred on by the Romans repelled their force broke their bonds and discomfited their armies to her perpetual fame and commendation she governed the people of Illyria no lesse wisely then she defended the puissant force of the Romans stoutly She lived as Histories report as soberly and chastly without the company of man as she governed her countrey wisely and stoutly without the counsel of man It were sufficient to repeat the ancient Histories of two women to prove fully an everlasting prâ—ise and commendation unto all women The one written in Herodotus in his first book of Quéen Tomyris of Scythia the other mentioned by Valerius and Justine of Cleopatra Queen somtime of Egypt The first after that Cyrus had made havock in her Kingdome of Scythia killing destroying and burning all without any regard of Princely clemency or respect unto a womans government and not satisfied therewith he slew also the Queens own son named Margapices thirsting more and more for bloud Insomuch that the valiant Queen being much moved to revenge Margapices death weighing the gréedy rage of Cyrus came Lion like to field either to lose her own life or else to revenge her sons death and prest upon Cyrus at that time more like a grim Gorgon then a silly Scythian and â—lew him in the field and haling him up and down the field she cut off his head and bathed it in a great Tun full of bloud appointed for that purpose saying Now Cyrus drink thy belly full of that which thou couldest never have enough of Thus valiant Tomyris revenged tyranny requiting the death of her son with the death of two hundred thousand Persians The other was Cleopatra who after that Julius Caesar was murthered by Brutus and Cassius and that Marcus Antonius was by Augustus invaded with a puissant Army for his perjury and falshood shewed unto his Vncle Caesaâ— she I say Cleopatra having the most part of Arabia and Syria confederated with her friend and lover Antonius against Augustus being then the second Emperor of Rome and having with the forces of Egypt aided him a long time until that she perceived that Augustus prevailed and that Antonius was vanquished lest she should be conquered by Augustus she conquered her self yeelding rather her body a prey unto Serpents then to become a subject unto Augustus Hannibal could do no more but to poylon himself rather then to yeeld to Scipio Let Semiramis with her valiant force and stoutness be commended at Babylon where she reigned fourty years a Widdow after King Ninus her Husbands death Let noble and famous Atalanta with her Bows and Spears and feats of Arms be praised in Arcadia Let Hypsieratea that followed her Husband King Mithridates in the wars as a Lackey unknown be extolled in Ponius Lot Helerna Janus daughter with all her fortitude be spoken of in Latine And let Deborah be famous amongst the Israelites These women were no lesse famous for their pilgrimâ—ge thâ—n the worthy Conquerors and Champions of the world They were in no point inferiour to men and in many points far excelled Princes and Kings Surely the world was then very weak or women were very strong and resolute And to omit particularly to touch any more of women I will open and declare their vertues in several Countreys The women of Lacena would together with their husbands go unto the field yea they went souldier like unto Missena to fight in field The women of Cimbria would kill those that first fled the field though they were the next friends or kinsmen unto them The women of Saca had this custome either at their marriage to be conquered by their husbands the first day or else to be conquerors over their husbands all the days of their life their combat saith Aelianus was for victory and not for life The women of Persia would meet their husbands and sons flying the field lifting up their cloaths shewing their nakedness saying Whither flée you O you Cowards will you again enter into your mothers wombs will you créep into your wives bellies This they â—id in the wars betwixt Cyrus and his Grandfather Astyages The women of Sparta would go unto the field to sée in what place their Husbands and friends were wounded if it were before they would with gladness and joy shew the same unto every man and bury the body solemnly if their wounds were behind they would be so ashamed of the same that they would leave them unburied in the field The women of Scythia called Amazons lived as conquerours over men and not conquered by men untill Alexander the Great destroyed them and their Countrey which before were so valiant that they weighed not to encounter with Hercules in the field and after with Theseus in open battel they blushed not to meet the valiant Greeks at the destruction of Troy Magnanimity which was then for the defence of countreys is now turned into Tyranny to destroy countreys so that the toyl and travel the great dangers and high attempts that men took in hand was nothing but a pilgrimage of life some going some comming some born some dying some winning some losing some beginning their race and some ending their life much like a Comedy played on stages where every man acteth his appointed part shifting himself into sundry shapes and fashions To make an end of this subject whatsoever we do we do like pilgrims whersoever
Pcholome mâ—de in the Isle of Pharos to benefit the saylors upon the Seas This Sostratus made so high that in the night time there hanged a Candle for a light and marke unto poore Mariners which could be séene for the height of the Tower almost every where The other two and last of the seven wonders were two Images the one for Iupiter made by Phydias of Ivory in Olimpia The other made for Phaebus in Rhodes by Lindus whose immensity was such that it was threescore and ten Cubits high so great was this Colossus that when it fell downe by an earthquake it séemed a wonder to the beholders every finger that he had was bigger then a man of this age These seven huge and monstrous workes were called the seven wonders of the world which Pliny and Plutarch speaketh of in divers places Some suppose that the royall Pallace of Cyrus which that cunning workman Memnon made might bee iustlie numbred with these worthy and famous works But to procéed to other sumptuous buildings though not counted of the seven wonders yet allowed amongst the best for the stately worke of the same and of no inferiour fame as the Laberinth made by Dedalus in Creete of such difficult worke that he that came in could not without a guide goe out againe Three others were made like unto that the one in Egypt which Smilus made the other in Lemnos which Rhodus wrought and the third in Italy which Theodorus made These foure Labyrinthes were so curiously wrought that Porsenna king of Hetruria took hence example to make him a monument after death to bury and eternize himselfe Againe after these there were other wonderfull workes made by the kings of Egypt called Obelisci such renowned and famous buildings that when Cambyses king of Persia at the siege of the city Sienna saw but one of them hee was in such an admiration that hee thought them invincible Phyus made one of forty cubits King Ptolome made another of fourescore cubits in Alexandria and divers others which for their fame were then counted as mâ—rvaâ—lous as any of the seven wonders But let us speak of sundry buildings aswell of cities and townes as also of temples houses and pallaces whose fame thereby long flourished as Romulus was famous by building of Rome Cadmus by building of Thebes a city of Boetia in Greece And Ogdous by the building of the city of Memphis in Egypt Neither may I escape any sith I have taken upon me to recite all whose renownes and names by these their workes doe yet live I must not escape Alexander the great who in his great warres made a city of his name named Alexandria I must not forget King Darius who likewise built up Susa a city in Persia These two kings though they destroyed thousands of cities yet they builded some cities Neither may I omit Caesar Augustus who made a famous city in memory of the great victory over Antonius and Cleopatra and named it Nicopalis that is in english the city of victory King Ninus an ancient King made the city of Ninive within two hundred yeares after the flood of Noah Sichem builded Sidon Agenor Tyre Then the world waxed populous and kings began to build every where for the furtherance of civility and encrease of pollicy and wit in which the world in the beginning was very raw for as the world grew into civill order and the knowledge of things so cities and townes were builded Castles fortified and high walls raysed for a Bulwark and a Defence unto the same so by little and little the world was full of cities Then Siracusa was builded by Archias The city of Argos was erected by Phoroneus Laodicea by king Antiochus And so briefly to recite them over the noble and famous city of Troy in Phrygia was builded by Dardanus Arpos a town in Apuleia was built by Diomedes and so Telegonus builded Tusce in Italy being the son of Ulisses a Gréek Capis likewise builded the city Capua to which Hannibal layd a long siege but least I might be too long in rehearsing the builders of famous cities having just occasion to respect the time I will end with the Cities and Towns alwayes considering that women ought not to be forgotten as Semiâ—amis Quéen of Persia who builded the city of Babylon Quéene Dido who builded the warlike city of Carthage Danae the daughter of king Acrisius who builded in Italy a great towne called Arcade Divers Quéens and noble Women are for the like no lesse famous then Men were Now pausing a while we will repeat those that encreased the Common-wealthes and beautified them with other kinde of buildings Amongst other miracles and woundrous works Mount Athos was made of Xerxes navigable even unto the sea eleven yéeres hée kept thirty thousand men to bring his minde to passe Caesar made in one day two famous bridges the one over the River Rheum and the other over the river called Ara which was almost incredible Alexander the great made such a dining-roome at the marriages of the nobles of Macedonia with the women of Persia Aelianus doth witnes that a thousand Persians and a thousand Macedonians and five hundred others with swords and silver Targets lodged in that house while the marriages continued Traian the Emperour made such a Bridge on Danuby that for length breadth and height all the world could not shew the like What should I rehearse the Temple which Salomon made in Hierusalem unto the which the Ephesians with their temple of Diana and the Carthaginians with the temple of Juno must give place needs must Alexander for all his bravery and Clodius house which was the spectacle of Rome yéeld unto the golden hall of Nero but of finenesse of works if the rarenesse of skil if I say the worthinesse of wonders might rlaime place and justly challenge fame I should prayse Spintharus for the making of the Temple of Apollo in Delphos or Meleagenes for his work in Prienna in making the Temple of Minerva I should commend Epeus for his cunning about the brazen horse in Troy I should commend Perillus for his brazen bull in Agrigentum yea and Vulcanus who as Poets faine was appointed by Jupiter to work onely for the celestial gods I commend the Image of Diana in Chios which was so skilfully made that unto those that came unto the Temple she seemed glad and joyful and unto those that went out of the Temple she séemed sad and angry I should prayse the artificial golden birds made by the Sages of Persia and the curious work of Pallas Temple in Illyon and the work and invention of noble nature unto which nothing is hard It pierceth the clouds it wadeth the Seas It compasseth the whole world the cunning workmâ—n the skilful Carpenter saith Cicero guideth every man as a Captain I might have occasion in this place to speak of the work of nature but that it is needlesse considering how familiarly she instructeth a man unto those works
which are most strange and marvellous CHAP. VIII Of Painting and Poetry and how much they were countenanced by Princes HOrace that learned Poet affirmeth that the like reputation and dignitie is given unto a Poet as unto a Painter naming the one a speaking picture and the other dumb poeste For painting unto the ignorant was as printing unto the learned Where the one viewed with the eye and the other read with the tongue Painting and graving were the ancient monuments of Gréece and so much estéemed that Phrydias waxt so famous as Plini doth witnesse for that he made the Image of Minerva in Athens so artificially and so subtilly with a great Target in her hand wherein were graven the wars of the Amazons and the combat of the Giants the rebellion of Centaures and the Lapitheans that all Gréece wondred much thereat Nealces in like sort did set forth the wars betwixt the Egyptians and the Persians so lively to behold and so worthily wrought that the beholder thereof might be as well instructed in sight as the learned in reading the history thereof That cunning Philoxenus did also as effectually set forth the wars between Alexander the great King of Macedonia and Darius King of Persia in colours as either Curtius or Diodorus did expresse it with writing The noble Painter Timantes at what time that worthy Gréek Agamemnon at the siege of Troy was inforced by an Oracle to sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia to mitigate the fury of the Gods he beholding the wofull hap of Agamemnon and the sorrowfull state of the Gréeks the solemn sadnesse of the sacrifice the order and state of of Iphigenias death did so set it forth that it was more lamentable to behold it in colours then rufull to read it in letters A science belonging unto noble minds and sometimes so estéemed of the Gréeks that their fame thereby much was augmented What almost was done or written in Gréece but it was streight set forth in colours No war any were but it it was painted out in Greece No strange history of any thing but it was expressed in common colours insomuch that philosophy it self which was so honoured then in Greece was set forth in Tables That learned Zeuxis did paint in a table the picture of Jupiter sitting in his throne with the rest of the Gods about him where likewise was shewed the history of Hercules how he yet in his cradle slew the two great Snakes or rather Dragons where his mother Alemena and his supposed father Amphytrio did fearfully behold the death of the two Dragons and the escaping of young Hercules their son being a child Nichomachus did lively expresse the boldnesse of Theseus and Perythous in attempting their voyage to King Plutoes region blazing in Tables their high enterprize taking away Queen Proserpina from her husband Pluto So skilfull was Licias so cunning was Philiscus that they made a subtile Chariot wherein Apollo and his sister Diana and his mother Latona were perfectly graven and the nine muses orderly set and that upon one stone Praxiteles excelled all men in the like for he graved in marble stone the image of Venus so perfectly and so lively in each point that a certain young man saith Plini fell in love with the image and came often in the night when none know to kisse and clip the image of Venus as sometime was read of Pigmalion the cunning Greek who likewise fell in love with his own handy work in garnishing and decking with fresh flowers his own handy work But to speak of Apelles Pirgoteles and Lisippus their fame was spread over the whole world insomuch that Alexander the great commanded that none should paint him in colors but Apelles none to grave him in stone but Pirgoteles and none to carbo any part of his Princely person but Lisippus It were too much to speak of Calycratis Pâ—yâ—aerides and divers famous men more wherewith Gréece sometime flourished whose fames and worthy reports made Paulus Aemilius that noble Roman from Rome to send unto Athens for two men the one a Philosopher to teach his sons the other a Pointer to set forth in tables the great triumphs and victories which he got over the Ligurians and Persians and one man being an excellent Philosopher and an excellent Painter named Metrodotus was sent from Athens unto Rome for the purpose Poets and Painters were much set by in ancient time for even as these aforesaid Painters were famous and renowned so were Poets honored and estéemed For we read that Alexander the great would never go unto his bed without Homers Iliads and his dagger under his pillow He so much esteemed Pindarus the Poet that he spared a whole street in Thebes from burning for Pindarus house which was in that street That renowned Emperour Augustus so honoured Virgil that being dead his books were worthily honoured and imbraced of Augustus So that noble Emperour Gratianus advanced the poet Auâ—onius unto the office of a Consul for his learning and knowledge in poetry The fable of Chaos the deluge of Deucalion the rebellion of Giants with innumerable more under the shadow of fables have great wisedome and knowledge At what time King Philip of Macedon the long enemy of Athens had demanded upon condition of peace ten Orators of Athens to serve him and to remain with him in Macedonia Demosthenes that sugred Orator made an open Oration before King Philip where he brought the fable of the Woolf and the Sheep that as the Woolf did offer peace unto the Sheep upon condition the dogs should tarry at home so King Philip offered peace unto the Athenians upon conditions that the Orators which as dogs do bark at the Woolf barked at him should be taken away and so soon he would destroy Athens being spoiled from their Orators as the Woolf would the sheep without dogs This fable much edifieth the vulgar people Menenius Agrippa a Romane Counsellour rehearsed oftentimes the fable of the belly and the other members when he went to make any foes friends or to bring rude rebels against their Prince and their countrey unto amity again With the which fable he reduced and brought againe those that offended most against their countrey to be the chief assistance and helpers unto their countrey Thucidides doth witnesse that by a fable that noble Captaine Peticles put such a courage into the Athenians being sore oppressed and vexed and in a manner become a spoyle unto their enemies that they did winne the victory when before they were almost overthrowne The noble Consul Cicero by the fable of Giges ring how he went invisible unto King Candaules wife and made him a cuckold made application of it unto those glorious persons that often delight in their folly and evill behaviours as sometimes the Poets faine of Ixion who bragging and boasting of Juno he got the centaurs engendred of a cloud in stead of Juno Quintilian saith that fables containe under feigned words most excellent wisedome for Erasmus doth often
hundred and twenty foot long Did not these noble men benefit their countries much in saving thousands lives which should have béen destroyed by these monsters The Poets feigne that Cadmus Agenois son did kill a Serpent whose téeth engendred and brought forth out of the earth armed men which fought and destroyed one another Againe such was the fortunes of young maids as Bâ—lsaria when Carphurinus Crastus was taken captive of the Messalins and should be offered for a sacrifice unto Saturne shee delivered Crassus from death and made him conquerour where before he was conquered Calluce a young woman after Troy was by the Gréeks destroyed when her father king Lycus sayling into Lybia had appointed to kill Diomedes for a sacrifice to appease the Gods for winde and weather shee delivered him from the king her father and from present death Plutarch writeth of these two maids that their fames hereby may never be forgotten To speak here of those who delivered men from death from captivity from perpetual prison it were necessary howbeit short Histories are swéet and few words are pleasant therefore I will not speak of Lucuâ—lus who being in warres with Mithridates King of Pontus delivered Cotta from thousands about him I will not write of Lucillius a Roman souldier when he saw that Brutus at Philippi who was compassed round about with enemies he himself ran with a few soldiers with him amoÌ„gst the nemies because Brutus in the mean while might save himself Neither will I much mention Quintus Cincinnatus being then Dictator in Rome who delivered Quintus Minutius from the hands of the Sabines and Volscians But according unto promise I will touch partly on those that deserved fame another way For fame is not bound unto one kind of quality but unto divers and sundry vertues therefore with these renowned Conquerors and defenders of countries I will joyn most excellent and expert Archers who likewise have done noble acts worthy feats and marvellous things As â—â—erdes was such an Archer that he would kill the flying birds in the air Catenes could do the like as Curtius in his sixth Book doth affirm Alexander the son of King Priamus when neither his brother Hector with his courage nor Troylus with his force nor all the strength of Phrygia could resist that noble Greek Achilles he slew him with an arrow Acastus won immortal renown for killing of the huge wild Boar that spoiled Calidoâ—ia Princes in times past were taught to do feats of Archery Great Hercules himself was taught of Euritus the science of shooting that he could kill any flying fowl or the swiftest beast as sometime he killed the birds called Harpies and slew the swift Centaure Nessus we read in the first of Herodotus that Commodus the son of Marcus sirnamed Aurelius Emperour sometime of Rome begotten of Empresse Faustina was so skilful in shooting that whatsoever he saw with his eyes the same would he kill with his bow likewise I finde that the Emperour Domitianus was so expert in his bow that hee could shoot when any hold up his hand betwixt his fingers a great way off The people of Creet passed all men in this faculty The Parthians were so cunning in shooting and throwing of darts that backwards as they fled they would spoyle and destroy their enemies The Arimaspians excelled the Parthians Againe the Schythians and Getes were most famous for this subject And thus having occasion to travell as pilgrimes some slew great wilde Tygers huge Bears terrible Lyons and such monstruous beasts that advanced the fame of such who attempted the danger CHAP. XII Of diligence and labours of Princes AS Horace that ancient Poet affirmeth that the worthyest and greatest vertue is to avoyd vice so is it I judg the greatest commendation unto any man to imbrace diligence and to eschew idlenesse For such is the vertue of mans mind the rare gifts and excellent talents which God and nature have bestowed upon man that to see the excellency and vertue therof with externall sight if it could be séen it would saith that divine and noble Phylosopher Plato enflame great desire uncredible love unto vertue would on the contrary kindle such hatred unto vice that the sight thereof would feare any beholder When saith Cicero the world was new and nothing ripe no laws made no Cities builded no order set no common-wealth framed but all things confusedly on a heap without divisions and limits most like to the Poeticall Chaos before the elements were discovered water from earth and and the fire from the ayre then I say we lived brutishly and beastly without civility and manners without learning and knowledge but when reason began to rule when Lady prudence began to practise with pollicy when we began to search and to seek by diligence and travel the nature of things then divers men in sundry countries sought means by diligence to profit their countries As Moses first found out letters amongst the Hebrews Mâ—nno first found out letters amongst the Egyptians Rhadamanthus amongst the Assyrians Nicostrata amongst the Romanes r Phoenices amongst the Greecians thus by the diligence and study of men from time to time raw things waxed ripe strange things became familiar and hard and difficult things waxed facile and easie Then Solon made laws in Athens Lycurgus in Lacedemonia Zeleucus in Locresia Minos in Créefe so orderly all the whole world was beautified with lawes adorned with wit and learning Then began Philo to give laws unto the Corinthians Then Zalmosis began to reform the rude and barbarous Scythians Then Phaleas amongst the Carthagenians practized pollicy and limited laws Then I say laws began to order the affairs and reason began to rule so that learning and knowledge was sought far and néere wit exercised pollicy practised and vertue so honoured that well might Tully say O Phylosophy the searcher of all good vertues and the expeller of al vices Then was that common-wealth noted happy that enjoyed such a Prince to rule as a Phylosopher that would extoll vertue and suppresse vice reward the good and punish the evill estéeme the wise and learned and neglect the foolish and ignorant I will omit to speak of mighty and famous Princes whose care whose diligence study and industry were such whose numbers were so infinite that I might well seem too tedious to molest the Reader with them I will therefore in this place speak of the diligence and travell of poor men who by their study and labour became lamps of light unto the world And to begin with Plato and Socrates two base men of birth whose diligence in their life made them most famous being dead the one the son of a poor Citizen of Athens named Ariston the other the son of a poor Marbler named Sophroniseus Might not poor Perictione the mother of Plato be proud of her son when the greatest tyrant in the world that proud Prince Dionisius would honour and reverence him for his learning and knowledge and take him into a
suffered in free Cities and Towns free tongues Philip King of Macedonia when certain Embassadours of Athens came to him he required of them if he might stand in any stead to Athens to certifie him of the same to whom Demochares one of the Embassadours answered that the greatest pleasure that he could do to Athens was to hang himself the King most patient in such scoffs and taunts said the reproachfull slander of the Athenians do make King Philip better able to revenge their malice by wars then to move him to answer their back-biting in words A Prince not onely patient in hearing but also wise in answering As sometime the Emperour Alexander Severus in Rome when it was signified unto him after Antonius was dead that the barbarous nations were ready to enter the City of Rome and that he was much rebuked of the people and blamed of the Senators for the slender care he had to the City he as Herodianus affirms answered that it belongeth to Princes to requite the good and not to answer the evill for wisemen will speak evil of no man in the beginning least they should be judged fooles in the end whereunto all things are directed and whereby all things are proved So patient was Anaxagoras when it was told him that his son was dead to answer merrily I know my son was mortal So patient was King Antigoâ—us being certified of his son Alcâ—onus death to answere I looked no other than for his death So patient was Pericles whon he heard that both his sons died in one day to kéep his countenance merry his cheere unchanged and his businesse about the state of his countrie not delayed But Harpalus was of passing patience being bidden of Astiages King of Persia to supper where he had two sons of his ready drest and layd in a silver dish before him on the table to be eaten by their owne father The King nay the tyrant marking the countenance of Harpalus and perceiving him not to be moved much at the matter asked him how he liked his supper he without alteration of colour or change of countenance framed himselfe to answer the king merrily commending much the supper as one that knew that patience was the onely remedy in tyranny A second Iob in patience nay hee passed Iob for Iob knew that his God did suffer Satan to punish him for love he had to Iob but Harpalus perceived that this tyrant did this to him of tyranny and evil will far from christianity for in this vale of misery we count him wise and certain we may cal him most wise that can in prosperity be gentle and in adversity be patient Both these examples were seen in one man in one day at Rome Paulus Aemilius having two sons the hope of Rome and comfort of the father the one dead foure dayes before the triumphs of Macedonia the other three dayes after the triumph returning from Macedonia with that noble victory and such triumphs unto Rome that no man could finde in his heart to tell this noble Romane of the heavinesse in Rome by reeson of the death of his children he perceiving the people of Rome to be sad and he so merry they so heavy with sobs and sighes and he so glad by reason of his triumphs and victories demanded the cause which being at length made known he then comforted them that should comfort him saying I thank the Gods more to give me victory over my enemies to the glory and prayse of Rome then I accuse fortune to spoyl me of my children which by nature were borne to dye and though much it be to my griefe yet wish I the Gods to do the like to the father as they did the sons so that the like conquest and glory may happen to Rome In this was both magnanimity and patience Some men are patient in some things as in a corporal paine some in torments another is patient of injuries done I commend them both but to be patient in all kinde of aflictions and adversity heaven and earth commendeth that man Plyny speaketh of one man Anarchus Augustus most patient in torments Of one Woman Laena to kéep silence So were the Egyptians people of great patience when they had rather dye in torments with patience then to betray any man The Gymnosophistes of India were so patient that from sun rising untill night upon the hot sanâ— they continued without meat and drink saith Plyny going from one seat to an other to behold the heavens the Sun the Moon c. The Lacedemonians were most patient in travel paine winde weather and wars The people of Sparta at what time certaine men of Chios came to pilgrimage understanding the wise men of Sparta called Ephori to be in all things most patient to move them to anger they vomited before them and then went where the Ephori sate in judgement and used it as a common stoole to discharge nature When they came to Chios againe they said that the wise men of Sparta were fooles and blocks because they could not move them to be angry but not more patient then the other were beastly For this kinde of patience was Mithridates king of Pontus renowned so was Agesilaus king of the Lacedemonians so was Masissima king of Numidia So patient was the Emperor Augustus that he suffered a young man of Sycilia to answer him as boldly as he had demaÌ„ded of him merrily whether ever his mother had been in Rome he being like to the Emperour in countenance and proportion meaning thereby that he might be his father if she had been there the young man perceiving the sleight of Augustus answered boldly and said My mother was never in Rome but my father hath béen divers times in Rome meaning that the Emperour might rather be his brother that way then he to be his son the other way by his mother But because patience is better known by reading of divers Princes anger where they shall see what hurt was done what wickednesse was committed by impatience which might have bin redressed and saved by patience therefore to avoyd prolixity it shall be spoken in the one what wanteth in the other but I will first speak of the humanity and sobriety and other vertues famous in Kings and Princes CHAP. XV. Of humanity and clemency of Princes LIke as pride oppresseth love provoketh disdain kindleth malice confoundeth justice and at length subverteth states even so humanity stirreth up affection augmenteth amity maintaineth love supporteth equity and preserveth Cities and countries Nothing saith the godly Emperour Alexander Severus so joyneth the hearts of subjects unto their Prince as humanity Nothing doth purchase honour so much to the noble man as affability Nothing so much kindleth love amongst the Commons as mutual humanity How gently did Cyrus king of Persia handle Croesus king of Lydya who being vanquished and convicted was by the law as Herodotus doth witnesse appointed to dye he being brought to the place of execution began heavily
the cause thereof being demanded by Marius and orderly declared by Trebonius where as it was thought he should be hanged drawn and quartered and suffer most ignominious death he was rewarded with a Crowne of gold upon his head written about with this sentence This crowne and garland won Trebonius by temperance Had Demetrius King of Macedonia embraced sobriety of féeding Democles had not béen so famous by abstinence as Demetrius might have béen renownes through temperance Had that Roman Lucius loved continency as Trebonius honored chastity Trebonius had not had of Marius Lucius his uncle the praise the garlaÌ„d of commendations and he so vile and shameful a death Certainly when the people of Athens fed on figs the Arcadians on Acorns or Walnuts the Argives on Parsly the Terinthians on Pears the Scythians on herbs the inhabitants of Carmenia and Meâ—cica on poor fare yea when the whole world fed on those fruits which our old mother the earth naturally brought forth before corne was sowne then kingdomes and nations were ruled by the law of nature to imbrace temporance to honour abstinence and to observe chastity which since grew to that aboundance and excesse that the law of God which was first the law of nature which was the second the law of Princes which was the last could not kéep men from the excesse of meat which onely was the cause of the sinking of Sodom and Gamorrha of the often plaguing of the Israelites of the just confusion of gluttony and drunkards When the Gymnosophistes of India fed onely with apples when the Priests of Egypt abstained from flesh and wine and fed on bread and oyl when the Sages of Persia fed on fruits and herbs then temperance bare rule then sobriety governed then abstinence was honoured then Egypt flourished through temperance and is now destroyed by gluttony Then India prospered through continencie and sobriety and is now vanquished by drunkennesse and temerity Then Persia was famous and conquered Kingdomes by abstinencie and is now convicted and conquered by abundance and excesse Where is learned Athens famous Sparta stately Thebes These while temperance ruled were feared of all kings and are now by meanes of excesse hated and despised of all Princes All the while that the Lacedemonians observed the laws of Lycurgus in abstaining from brave banquets and excesse of chéer yea when they might not passe unto Asia for fear they should be allured and entiled with the sight of the junkets of Asia then saith Cicero were the people of Sparta so temperate that the men did never sit with women nor the women with the men The Milesians made a straight law as Theophrastus doth witnesse that neither their wives their daughters nor maids might taste wine neither durst any man by the same law praise any wine in presence of women for wine causeth heat heat moveth lust lust causeth murther Wherefore wise men write that it is dangerous to prayse three things in presence of the people As for a man to prayse the beauty of his wife for fear of fornicators for so did King Candaules of Lidia praise his wife unto his friend Giges and he was murthered thereby and the Queene his wife afterward married unto Giges for a man to brag of his riches and substance for so did Sichaeus shew his substance unto Pigmalion king of Tyre who married the kings daughter named Eliza and was slaine by the selfe same Pigmalion king of Tyre and his owne brother in law lastly to commend swéet wine in presence of the people doth bréed a desire unto lust and lust unto death The famous Romans for a long while kept so streight an order to observe temperance so streightly was this law looked unto that Eg. Maecenius having slain his own wife as Pliny recordeth for that she loved wine he was by the law of Romulus made for that purpose saved from death In the same place of Plini it is read that a certain matron of Rome was adjudged to die for that she had a privy key unto a cellar of wine So much did they observe this temperance that Cato the Censor appointed by a law certain men to kisse the women of Rome to know whether they smelled of wine by their breath No man of what degree soever he was Consul Censor Tribune or Senatour might drink wine in Rome before he was thirty and five years of age The people of Messaliâ—tica made and ordained that the women should drink no other drink then water Amongst the Egyptians there was by a law appointed how much wine their Princes might drink and no more The Persians fed onely then on bread salt and water The prophets of Jupiter in Créet abstained from flesh and wine In Rhodes he was taken a grosse brained man that fed on any thing else but on fish The Lacedemonians were most severe against those that waxt fat by féeding insomuch that they would punish their own children with hunger if they waxed fat either by feeding or by idlenesse Thus abstinence was fostred as a nurse unto chastity and temperance then Princes lothed vice and loved vertue then they abhorred gluttony and drunkennesse and honoured abstinence and sobriety The learned and sage Phylosophers and men of passing abstinence and sobriety being no lesse studious then careful of temperance despised banquets refused feasts lothed and defied belly chéere and being allured of Princes enticed of noble men sought of all men they forsook and fled from the same saying we eat to live we live not to eat A golden sentence and worthy to be observed Rather had Diogenes féed and lick dishes at Athens then to féed daintily at Alexanders table Rather had that learned Gréek noble Zeno drink water and féed poorly as an example unto his schollers of temperance then to pamper his belly at Antigonus princely table to shew them the way unto gluttony and drunkennesse Rather had Plato forsake Dionisius table than to abstain from his wonted Philosophicall cheere This vertue of abstinence was of noble Socrates maintained with bread and milk onely and learned Homer honoured it with pottage made of herbs and ancient Pythagoras with beans Anacharsis a Scythian Phylosopher being demanded of his estate how he fed how he did lye and how he was clothed answered I feed on hunger I lye on the ground and am clothed like a Scythian The famous Athenian Aristides at what time king Dionisius made sute for his daughter in marriage though he was a puissant Prince a mighty king yet for his gluttony and prodigal drinking for his tyranny and excesse Aristides who abhorred such vices in Princes soberly and temperately answered that he would rather kill his daughter with his own hands then to give his daughter in marriage unto Dionisius So odious unto good Princes was that excesse of eating and prodigal drinking and so highly esteemed was abstinence and temperance that in Athens a long while in the temple of Ceres of all the laws of Triptolemus three onely commandements as
overcome in Pharsalia and enforced to flie unto Egypt his treasures substance wealth being brought unto Caesar in a great chest Coesar found divers sealed letters and great counsels which he never opened for silence sake but took them altogether and threw theÌ„ into the fire for that all men might learne how much he esteemed silence this done unto Pompeius at Pharsalia he said unto his souldiers that it behoved a Prince to finde out friends rather then search out foes The noble Emperor knew well by reading of Pompeius letters he might be moved to divers injuries and by opening of secrets he might accuse divers wrongfully therefore he had rather purchase by silence friends then by breaking of counsell enmity How sure and safe is the reward of silence histories of Greek and Latine can well report Had Calisthenes followed the counsel of his master Aristotle either merrily or never to speak unto a Prince he had never found fault with Alexander by speaking to anger Alexander and to harm himself Had not learned Seneca so reproved the Emperour Nero the tyrant of Rome with words he had not béen rewarded with death If the Poet Nevius had not written his mind unto Metellus If Chius had not béen familiar in talk with King Antigonus they had saved life by silence where they purchased death by talking Therefore Phocion that Gréek whom sugred Demosthenes called the rasor of Athens was alwaies afraid as Plutarchus saith lest any sudden sillable or foolish word might escape his tongue imprudently So that silence gaineth life and words causeth death as Miles the ancient Muâ—â—tian at what time with Hercules he found fault for that he was Linus scholler and taught by him on instruments for words speaking of Linus unto Hercules he was slain of his own scheller so that silence unto Princes is most necessary O noble silence O rare vertue O most worthy jewell thou hurtest no man thou betrayest no body Philippides a noble man of Athens who for his singular learning and dexterity of wit King Lisimachus made most account of and was most desirous to please him most ready to advance him unto honour willed him to ask what he would and he should have it Philippides most humbly knéeing upon his knees besought Lisimachus the King in any wise not to open his secret and counsel unto him the king demanded the cause thereof because said he I know not whether I am able to kéep counsel or no. How much it repugneth the nature of man to kéep silence Cicero in his book of Offices doth manifest the same for were it possible saith he unto man to ascend the skies to see the order of the bodies superiours and to view the beauty of the heavens unswéet were the admiration thereof unle he might shew it unto others And again he saith there is no such ease unto men as to have a friend unto whom a man may speak unto as himself giving thereby to understand the grief of silence that nature loves nothing which is solitary It may séem that sileÌ„ce one way is not so beneficial as it is another way most grievous as is proved by the history of Secundus the Philosopher who having company with his own mother in the night time either of them most ignorant of the other his mother in processe of time having knowledge thereof for very grief and sorrow slue her self The Philosopher likewise having understood of his mothers death knowing the cause thereof knew not what to do for that he was ashamed of the filthy act one way and most sorrowfull for the sudden death of his mother another way to die to burn to hang to drown himself he thought it too short a torment for so hainous a fact and knowing his mother being a woman stayed not nor feared not to kill her self to ease her sorrowfull heart he conceived that he being a Philosopher it stood him upon to find out the painfullest torment in all the world to plague himself justly for his grievous offence he therefore vowed unto God never to speak one word ouring life such torment he thought was most painfull unto nature and thus by silence he consumed away his life Since therefore silence is suco a burning disease so heavy in the heart of man so hard to kéep in so dangerous to utter how worthy are they of commendations how do they merit fame and praise that can rule their tongues and keep silence Therefore a noble Senatour of Rome sometime brought his eldest son named Papâ—â—ius unto the Senate house to hear the councel pleading charging him whatsoever he should hear in the house amongst the wise Senatours to keep it in silence for the order was in Rome that a young man should say nothing unlesse he were a Consul a Tribune a Censor or such like Officer wherby he had authority to speak This young Papirius on a time being importuned by his mother and charged on her blessing to tell her the cause and businesse that the Senatours had so often to come together the young man being threatned weighing his fathers charge to avoid words one way said since you are so importunate mother to know the secret of the Senate you must keep counsell for I am charged therewith There is a long debate in the Senate house to agree on this conclusion whether it be more expedient for one man to have two wives in the City of Rome or one woman to have two husbands and most like it is that it will go on the mens side Straightways she went into the City and certified the matrons and women of Rome what the Senatours were about to conclude and appointed certain of them to accompany her the next morning unto the Senate where when she came as one dismaied she began to declaim against the purpose and decrées of the Senatours proving what inconvenience might arise for a man to have two wives laying before them the dissention that should be in that house where two women should be married to one man and what comfort and consolation it were for a woman to have two husbands the one to be at home in Rome to see his children brought up and to sée the city defended when the other should be far from home at the wars in other countries The Senatours being amazed at her talk not knowing to what it tended young Papirius demanded licence to speak which being granted he declared the cause of her comming how and after what sort as is before mentioned The Senatours commended much Papiâ—ius wit as well for his obedience to his mother as for silence toward the Senate recompensed his wisedom with the Consulship of Rome Silence was so observed in Rome and honoured of Romans that Demetrius the Phylosopher would often say that the birds can flie where they will and the grashoppers sing where they wil but in the city we may neither do nor speak Euripides a learned Gréek it being objected to him that his breath did stink
decay The Athenians have such care of the dead that being dressed with all kind of swéet odours they put them in such sumptuous tombs and gorgeous graves that the sepulchres are made over with fine glasse The Scythians when their Kings and noble men die they must have to bear them company to the grave one of their concubines and one of their chief servants and one of their friends that loved them best alive they I say must accompany and follow them to the grave being dead The Romans had this custome that if any man of countenance and credit should die his sons and daughters his nigh kinsmen and best beloved friends as Cicero doth write of Metellus did put him in the fire made for that purpose unlesse he were one of the Emperours whose funeral pomp was much more sumptuous for then his body was to be carried to the market or common Hall of Rome on the second day he was to be carried by certain young noble men to Martius field where a great pile of wood was raised much like a Tower and there after much solemnity and ceremonies done he that succéeded him as an Emperour did first put fire to that work and then all men were busie to sée the body burned and when they had burned him to ashes they would let an Eagle flie from the top of some high Tower which as they supposed should carry his soul unto heaven The Assyrians did use to anoint the dead bodies with honey and wax and with study and care did preserve them from putrifaction Such strange order of burial was in India that the women of that country thought there could be no greater fame nor worthier renown then to bee burned and buried together with their husbands The Thracians are much to be commended herein who at the birth of any of their friends children use to wéep and bewail the misery and calamity that man is born to and at the death of any of their friends they rejoice with such mirth and gladnesse that they past these worldly miseries that at the burial of them even when the corps doth go out of the house they altogether say with one voice Farewel friend go before and we will follow after So the corps goeth before and all his friends follow after him with trumpets musick and great mirth for joy that he is gone out of the vale of misery Plato that divine Greek and noble Philosopher made the like laws in Athens that when any of the chief officers should die he appointed that no mourning weeds should be worn there but all in white apparel and that fifteen young maids and fifteen young boys should stand round about the corps in white garments while the Priests commended his life to the people in an open oration then he was brought very orderly to the grave all the young children singing their country hymns and the ancient men following after them and the grave was covered with fair broad stones where the name of the dead with his vertuous commendations and great praise was set upon the stone The like grave the Italians use at this day and divers other countries And as these and others had the like ceremonies to the praise and commendations of the dead so others little esteemed and regarded such things insomuch that the Persians were never buried till Fowls of the ayr and dogs did eat some part thereof The Messagetes thought it most infamous that any of their friends should die by sicknesse but if the Parents waxed old the children and the next kinsmen they had did eat them up supposing that their flesh was more méet for them to eat then by worms or any other beasts to be devoured The people called Tibareni had a custome that those whom they loved best in their youth those would they hang in their age even so the Albans being inhabitants about mount Cancasus thought it unlawfull for any to care for the dead but straight buried them as Nabatheans bury their Kings and rulers in dung-hils The burial of the Parthians was nothing else but to commend them to the birds of the air The Nasomones when they bury their friends they set them in the grave sitting But of all most cruelly deal the Caspians and the Hircanians which kill their parents their wives their brethren their kinsmen and friends and put them in the high way half quick half dead for to be devoured of birds and beasts The fashion and custome with the Issidones a rude people in some part of Scithia as Plini in his fourth book affirmeth is to call their neighbours and friends together were the dead lie and there merrily singing and banquetting they eat the flesh of the dead and make the scull of the dead a drinking cup and cover it with gold to drink withall Again the people called Hyperborei think no better grace for their friends vvhen they be old then to bring them to some high bank of vvater or great rock and thence after much feasting eating and drinking in the middest of their mirth their own friends do throw them down into the water headlong To seek into histories many such burials might be found amongst so many rude and barbarous nations Notwithstanding in divers regions the funerals of the dead are so esteemed that the greatest infamy the severest punishment for any offendour vvas not to be buried this the Athenians used tovvards those that vvere traitors to their country and the Egyptians if any lived amisse he should be carried dead to the vvildernesse to be devoured of vvild beasts The Persians likewise brought the bodies of men condemned to be eaten of dogs The Lybians thought them most worthy of solemn buriall that died either in wars or were killed by wild beasts The Macedonians had great care in burying the dead souldiers in the field Amongst the Gentiles there were certain days appointed for mourning at the death of their friends Licurgus law amongst the Lacedemonians was that they should mourn but eleven days Numa Pompilus decreed that children after their parents death the wives their husbands c. should mourn ten moneths though by the Senatours it was enacted in the wars at Canna that the Romans should mourn but thirty days Amongst the Egyptians they had a custome to mourn after their kings died thréescore and twelve days but generally the most custome was to bewail the dead nine days In some places mourning was forbidden at their burial as at Athens by the law of Solon in Locretia in Thracia in Coos in Lybia and in divers other places The diversity of mourning was such that amongst the Gréeks they shaved their heads and beards and threw them into the grave with the dead Amongst the Lacedemonians when the Kings of Sparta died certain horsemen were appointed to travell over all the whole Kingdome certifying the death of the King and the women in every city did beat their brasen pots and made a great and heavy noise for the soone the Egyptians
did mourn after this sort they rent their cloathes and did shut their temples they did eat no meat and besmearing their faces with dirt they abstained from washing their faces thréescore and twelve days all which time they lamented and bewailed the death of their Kings and friends the Carthaginians at their funerals did cut their hair of mangle their faces and did beat their breasts The Macedonians likewise did shave their hair bewailing the death of their friends as we read of Archelaus King of Macedonia who shaved his hair at the burial of his friend Euripides the Argives and the Siracusans did accompany the dead to the grave in white cloaths discoloured with water and clay the Matrons of Rome threw off their fine apparel their rings and chains and did wear black garments at the burial of their friends but I burn candle in the day time to write of such infinit ceremonies that the Gentiles had at their burials therefore better to end with a few examples then to weary the reader with too many histories for all men know that all people have their several manners as well in living as in dying which they alter according to the vital circumstances of person place and time CHAP. XXV Of Spirits and Visions SUndry and many things happen by course of nature which timerous and fearfull men for want of perfection in their senses suppose to be spirits Some are so feeble of sight that they judgd shadows beasts and bushes and such like to be spirits Some so fearfull that they think any sound any noise or whistlings of the winds to be some bugs or devils Hereby first were spread so many fables of spirits of goblins of bugs of hags and of so many monstrâ—us visions that old women and aged men told their children who judged it sufficient authority to alledge the old tales told by their parents in their aged years The Gentiles because they were given much to idolatry and superstition did credit vain and foolish visions which oftentimes by suggestion of devils and by fond fantasies being conceived did lead them by perswasion of spirits either in attempting or in avoiding any thing for Suetonius doth write that when Julius Caesar stayed in a maze at the river Rubicon in Italy with a wavering mind musing what were best whether to passe the water or no there appeared a comely tall man piping on a réed to whom the souldiers flocked to hear him and specially the trumpetters when he suddenly snatched one of their trumpets and leaping forthwith into the river Rubicon he straightways sounded an alarm wherewith Caesar was moved and said Good luck my fellow souldiers let us go where the Gods do invite us It is written in Plutarch when Brutus was determined to transport his army out of Asia into Europe being in his tent about midnight he saw a terrible monster standing fast by him without any words wherewith he being sore affraid ventered boldly and demanded of him what he was to whom he answered and said I am thy evil Genius which at Phillippi thou shalt sée again Where when Brutus came being vanquished by Augustus Caesar remembring the words of his foreséen visions to avoid the hands of his enemies he slew himself to verifie the same The like happened to C. Cassius who by the like apparition was enforced to kil himself for he was warned that the murther of Caesar should be revenged by Augustus his Nephew These sights were so séen amongst the Gentiles and so feared and esteemed that all the actions of their lives were thereby ordered Tacitus as Fla. Vapiscus reporteth when it was told him that his fathers grave opened of it self and seeing as he thought his mother appearing to him as though she had been alive did know full well that he should shortly after die and made himself ready thereunto There appeared to one Pertinax as I. Capitolinus reporteth three days before he was slain a certain shadow in one of his fish-ponds with a naked sword in his hand ready to kill him Neither may we so little esteem the authority of grave and learned men in divers of their assertions concerning sights and visions though divers fables be alledged and avouched for truth with simple and ignorant men We read in the sacred scriptures divers sights seen divers visions appearing and sundry voices heard We read that King Balthasar being in his princely banquets saw a hand writing upon the wall over against where he sat at table what his end should be It is read in the third chapter of the second of the Macchabees that a horse appeared unto Heliodorus who was servant to Seleucus King of Syria as he was about to destroy the temple at Ierusalem and upon the horse seemed to be a terrible man which made towards him to overcome him and on each side of him were two young men of excellent beauty who with whips scourged Heliodorus There also appeared to Machabeus a horseman in shining armor all of gold shaking his spear to signifie the famous victory that Machabeus should obtain Many such like visions we read of in Scripture but let us return to the Athenians who presaged that when Miltiades joyned in battel against the Persians hearing a terrible noise and beholding certain spirits before the battel to have victory over the Persians judging those sights and visions to be the shadow of Pan. Likewise the Lacedemonians before they were vanquished in the battel at Leuctris their armor clashed together and made an excéeding great noise in the temple of Hercules so that at that time the doors of the temple of Hercules being fast shut with iron bars opened suddenly of their own accord and the armor which hung before fastened on the wall was found lying upon the ground Pliny writeth in the wars of the Danes and Appianus affirmeth in the wars at Rome what signs and wonders what miserable cryes of men clashing of armor and running of horses were heard insomuch that the same day that Caesar fought his battel with Cn. Pompeius the cry of an army and the sound of trumpets were heard at Antioch in Syria But I will omit to speak of such things and take in hand to intreat of spirits which were both seen and heard of learned men and of visions supposed of the wisest to be the souls of dead men for Plutarch writeth in the life of Theseus that sundry men who were in the battel of Marathonia against the Medians affirmed that they saw the soul of Theseus armed before the host of Greeks as chief General and Captain running and setting on the barbarous Medians whom the Athenians afterward for that cause onely honoured as a God It is reported by Historiographers that Castor and Pollux have been seen often in battels after their deaths riding on white horses and fighting against their enemies in camp insomuch that Plutarch testifieth that they were seen of many in the battel against Tarquinius Hector besought Achilles after he was slain by
him not to throw his carcasse to be devoured of dogs but rather to deliver his body to be buried to his old father Priamus and his mother Hecuba Even so Patroclus appearing in like manner after death to Achilles desired him to bestow upon his body all funeral solemnities Virgil testifieth how Palinurus and Deiphobus appeared to Aeneas the one being his Pylot the other his brother in law Their wandring ghosts never ceased till such exequies were done to them as Aeneas had promised It is thought the Witch Phetonissa of Endor raised the soul of Samuel at the commandment of King Saul to foreshew the end and successe of the battel with the Philistines It is read in Lucan the Poet of a Witch named Erictho dwelling in Thessalia that revived and restored to life a souldier lately dead at the request of Sextus Pompeius to know the end of the wars at Pharsalia One History I must repeat which Plutarch reciteth in the life of Cimon that one Pausanias after he had taken the City of Bizance being in love with a fair damosel named Cleonices a maid of noble parentage he commanded her father who durst not resist him to send his daughter to use her at his pleasure When the maid came he being fast asléep in his bed the Virgin being shamefaced and fearfull did put out the candle and comming in the dark towards Paâ—sanius she stumbled at the stool which with the fall suddenly awaked Pausanias from sléep thinking some enemy or mortal foe of his to be there and having his sword hard by slew the virgin But she being so slain would never after suffer Pausanias to take any quiet rest but appeared to him always saying Recompence the injury and wrong thou didst to me by equity and justice Following him as he fled from Bizance to Thrace from Thrace again to Heraclea from Heraclea to Sparta where he famished for hunger Saint Matthew in his seventéenth chapter beareth record that Moses and Elias after they were dead many hundred years before Christs incarnation yet appeared bodily and ghostly on mount Tabor to Christ where they spake and communed with our Lord and Saviour The soul of Lazarus did not onely appear as John saith in his eleventh chapter but came again both body and soul in a true token of our sure resurrection But as the appearing of those sights at Gods appointment were most true so it is most absurd to give credit that the souls of men after death do either by visions or by bodily apparance shew themselves But the Devil is well beaten in experience of things and knoweth best how he may deceive the wisest for he is subtile and crafty If the Mariner doth know when storms and tempests arise if the Physitian judgeth by the Vrine the state and danger of the patient â—f the skilfull Astronomer can many years before exactly foretel the Eclipse of the Sun and Moon in fine if the practised souldier knoweth where the victory will happen no marvel it is that the Devil an old souldier can foreshew things to come and make things apparent of nothing What made Theodoricus to observe the terrible and threatning countenance of Symmachus whom he slew before in a fishes head as in a mirror being brought before him to the table at supper at the which sight he fell for fear into a grievous sicknesse and so dyed the divel What caused one Bessus of whom Plutarch maketh mention in his book de sera numinis vindicta after that he had killed his own father and a long while hidden himself as a murtherer at last being by the devil moved to throw down a swallows nest with his spear and killing the young swallows he was by the company about him misliked for his cruelty to poor birds and taunted of his companions for his tyranny therein But he answered and excused himself saying Why should I not kill those that accuâ—ed me of my fathers death and cryed out upon me a long time that I should kill my father They which were present being amazed at his talk told the King thereof who caused him to be apprehended and examined by that evidence he confessed the murther These are the suggestions of Devils the shifts of Sathan at all times and in all countreys Paulina the chast wife of Satuâ—â—us a Romane was of such excellent beauty of such noble parentage and of such Godly life that when Decius Mundus a young Knight of Rome who being enamored with her beauty sought sundry means a long time to none effect for neither gold nor treasure could allure this sover and chast Paulina to consent to sin he perceiving how she was bent to temperancy and to renounce all filthy lust gave himself willingly to dye In the mean time the Devil practised a feat with Ida a maid who dwelt in the house with Mundus his father to bring this purpose to passe this maid knowing well the constancy and honest life of Paulina and how religions she was to serve the Goddesse Isis invented this fraud She went and conferred with some of Isis Priests opening the whole matter in secret to them promising a great reward to fain that their God Anubis had sent for Paulina to accomplish love with him This being done by the elder Priests her husband Saturnius was very joyfull that the great God Anubis had vouchsafed to send for his wife she being as glad boasted and bragged of the same amongst her neighbours and went to the temple of Isis where Anubis was worshipped being sent by her husband very brave and gorgeous where the young and lusty Knight Mundus by the advice of the Priests hid himself till Paulina came who embracing her in the dark did accompany with her till he had satisfied his lust all that night Then in the morning the matter being known she rent her hair an cloathes and told her husband Saturnius how she was dealt withal Her husband then declared the whole matter to the Emperor Tiberius who having perfect knowledge by diligent examination did hang the Priests Ida the cause of the mischief commanded the image of Isis to be thrown into the river of Tyber banished Mundus out of Rome So that under the colour and pretence of holinesse divers Matrons and maids have been defloured mens wives daughters abused As Ruffinus testifieth of a certain Priest in Alexandria in Egypt named Tyrannus who used such shifts and practised such ways to have his desire accomplished and his lust satisfied with such women and maidens as he thought good saying that the great God Saturn whose Priest he was sent for them to come to him and there until his wickednesse was known he used under pretence of the great Saturn which was honoured in that City his filthy lust and horrible life We read the like almost of Numa Pompilius that he bare the people of Rome in hand that he had familiar company with the Goddesse Aegeria because he might purchase the more credit and
authority unto his laws and orders These are the works and shifts of wicked men who deceived always the rude people with vain religion and superstitious holinesse whom the Divel the father of lies did bewitch and allure them to beléeve fantasticall visions to be the souls of dead men the Divels appearing themselves like men letting them to understand that they were the souls of such men as they appeared like unto so Romulus the first King and founder of Rome appeared after his death walking up and down by Atticus house to Julius Proculus charging him to erect him a Temple in that place where he walked saying that he was now a God and that his name was Quirinus Remus likewise King Romulus his brother appearing to Faustulus and to his wife Laurentia sometime his nurse complained of his miserable death desiring them to indeavour that the same day wherein he was slain might be accounted among their Holidays for that he was canonized amongst the Gods We read in Lucan how that the souls of Sylla and Marius two famous and renowned Romans were alwaies walking and appearing to men before they were appeased by sacrifice for the Divels made the people believe after the bodies were so buried the souls should have rest by which means Idolatry increased amongst them as you heard a little before What complaint made Hector and Patroclus to Achilles What request made Palinurus and Deiphobus to Aeneas for the burial of their bodies which Homer and Virgil rehearsed Suetonius writing of the lives of the Emperours sheweth how Caligula sometime Emperour in Rome after he was dead being half burned and buried for that he wanted due solemnity of burial appeared in the Gardens of Rome called Lauriani to the kéepers troubling and molesting them very much till his sisters caused him to be taken up and commanded he should be throughly burned and buried There was in Athens by report an excellent fair house set to sale for that no man durst dwell within it for about midnight continually there was heard a great noise and clashing of armour and clattering of chains and there appeared an image or shape like an old man lean and lothsome to behold with a long beard staring hairs and fettered legs This house having a piece of paper upon the door concerning the sale thereof though no man would venter to dwell in it Athenodorus a Philosopher returning from Rome where he abode a long time with the Emperour Augustus Caesar and reading the writing upon the door hired the house and commanded his servant to make his bed in the highest chamber in the house where he setled himself to mark and behold what things would happen being thus in study first he heard the ratling and sound of chains and then he saw an old man beckning toward him to follow the Philosopher went after him with his candle in his hand into an inner court where the image left him alone and vanished Athenodoâ—â—s the next morning caused the rulers of the City to dig up that place where they found divers bones of dead men these were commanded by the Philosopher to be burned solemnly which being burned the house afterward was quiet without either noise or apparition Thus the Divel soweth the séed of superstition and maketh his Angels oftentimes to work miracles what strange works did that conjurer Bileam bring to passe by the means of Divels what wonders wrought that wicked Appolomus by the help of Satan What marvels shews and sights did Simon Magus use by the industry of false spirits what did not Pharaoes sorcerers oftentimes attempt by the perswasion of Devils Mark their end and judge of their life the one breaking his neck and the other drowned in the red sea and so the rest ended their lives miserably too many have béen and I fear are yet that give credit unto such vain illusions and fantastical sights CHAP. XXVI Of Dreams and warnings AMongst the Gentiles dreams were so observed that the vain superstitious noting of the same was the whole trust and hope of their countries and of their own lives when the Kings of India take their rest they were brought to bed with all kind of melody and harmony every day knéeling upon his knées beséeching Morpheus the God of sléep to reveal those things unto their King that should be commodious and profitable to the subjects They thought themselves well instructed when either by Oracles they were perswaded or else by visions suggested King Pyrrhus knew well that his dying day was at hand when he besieged the City of Argos and saw in the market place a brasen Woolf and a Bull which the Argives for memory of things past and ancient monuments had put up for he by an Oracle did understand at what time he should sée a Bull and a Woolf fighting together he should then prepare himself to die Alexander the great after that the Oracle of Jupiter Ammon was pronounced that he should be unconquered he doubted not but to subdue the whole world and so trusting more to the Oracle of Iupiter then the mutability of fortune he took upon him the conquest of all the world attempting nothing at all without some Oracle or dream had warned him thereto For till the great Conqueror Alexander had séen Hercules in his sléep reaching out of the wal his hand promising him his aid and help in his wars he had not so boldly attempted so high an enterprise without fear and dread In the like manner unto Hannibal after long perturbation of mind with great industry study how he might annoy destroy the Roman Empire there appeared a young man of wonderfull beauty who told him that Jupiter sent him as a Captain before him into Italy whereby straight he was encouraged the rather to take the charge in hand hoping therby to enjoy triumphant victory over his enemies Caesar that mighty Prince Monarch the first Emperor that ever possessed Rome thought in his sleep that he committed fornication with his own mother which when it was opened by the Soothsayers and declared that it was the earth that was his mother and that he should suppresse all the Princes of the earth under him he vvas ensiamed thereby to vvars perswading himself that he should be a conqueror over all the world After that the noble renowned Greek Themistocles was exiled from Athens and banished the confines of Greece having done such service and honour to his countrey as Plutarch worthily mentioneth for the subduing of proud Xerxes King of Persia the great enemy of all Gréece being in great peril and danger of life in strange countreys he séemed to see in his sleep a Dragon creeping upward from his belly towards his face and as soon as the Dragon touched his face he was changed as he thought to an Eagle and carried by the Eagle a great way through the Ayr into a strange countrey where the Eagle gave him a golden staff in his hand and so left him
sacrifice unto death for a pledge of their true and faithfull love What means doth love séek to save it self and to be acquainted with ease and pleasure how carefully the Greek Poet Antimachus bewailed the death of his wife Lisidides in such mourning verses and wofull plaints that whosoever did read them he would be as ready to weep in reading the dolefull Epitaph of Lisidâ—des as was Antimachus her husband sorrowfull for her death Pericles was so loving to his wife being a noble Captain of Athens and he was withal so chast that when Sophocles espied a marvellous beautifull young maid saying Behold a passing fair young maid Pericles answered and said Not onely the heart and the hands of a Magistrate must be chast but also his eys must refuse the sight of any but his wife It is read that Pericles being at Athens he was found kissing and making much of his wife and being from Athens he was found as sad to depart from his wife as he was willing to die for his countrey Orpheus loved so well his wife Euridice that as the Poets feign he feared not the power of King Pluto to redéem his wife with hazard and danger of his own body Innumerable are they that deserve the like fame so that these few may be a sufficent proof of others And now I will produce a few examples to prove the like good will and love from the wives shewed toward their husbands as hitherto you heard the great love of husbands towards their wives Alcestes a noble Qu. of Thessaly at what time K. Admetus her husband should die having received an answer by an Oracle that if any would die for the King he should live which when all refused his wife Queen Alcestes offered her self to die to save her husbands life Julia the wife oi Pompey the great and onely daughter to that famous and renowned Julius Caesar Emperour of Rome was no lesse obedient to her father Caesar then she was loving to her husband Pompey who though they both were enemies one to to another yet she shewed her self a loving daughter unto her father and a true wife to her husband and so true that when she saw her own Pompey coming bloudy from the field as his apparel made a shew a great way off she supposing that her husband was hurt being great with child did straight fall into travel and died before Pompey had yet come in The love of Artemisia Quéen of Caria towards her husband King Mausolus is as well declared by the sumptuous Tomb. and gorgeous Grave which she made for him when he died counted for the excellency thereof to be one of the seven wonders of the world it was also truly verified by ceremonies at his death in making the scull of his head her drinking cup in drinking all the ashes of his body as sugar to her wine and in knitting of his heart to her body saying Though our bodies be parted yet our hearts shall never be asunder That noble Greek Laodamia loved her husband so well that when she heard that her husband Protesilaus was slain by Hector at the siege of Troy she desired onely of God that she might see his shadow or likenesse once before she died which when she saw embracing the likenesse of her husband as she thought in her arms she then presently died We read that Quéen Ipsicratea loved her husband King Mithridates so entirely that she shaved off all the hairs of her head and did wear mans apparel and followed him like a Lackey for that he should not know her to be his wife she had rather go to the wars with her husband like a Lackey then tarry from her husband in Pontus like a Quéen Paulina when she heard that her husband Seneca was put to death by that cruel Emperour and Tyrant Nero whom Seneca sometime taught in his youth but was at length requited with death when I say Paulina heard thereof she enquired what kind of death her husband suffered which being known she attempted to die the same kind of death her self as Seneca her husband Likewise that noble Portia daughter to Cato and wife to Brutus hearing that her husband was slain at Phillipi for that she could not procure a knife she choaked her self with coals The like History is read of Triata who when she knew by letters that her husband Vitellius was environed by his enemies and no way able to escape his wife rushed into the Camp and preast near her husband ready to die or to live in the field with him What can be so hard to take in hand but love will hazard it What can be so perilous but love will venter it Neither water can stay it nor fire stop it Sulpitia the wife of Lentulus the daughter of that worthy Roman Paterculus when she perceived that her husband was appointed by the Magistrates of Rome to passe unto Sicilia as an Embassador and there to continue for a season though her mother had great charge over her and very carefull and studious she was to comfort her daughter in the absence of her husband yet she deceived her mother she changed her apparel and caused her two maids likewise to be disguised and went all by night from Rome to Sicily Aemilia the wife of Affricanus and mother to the noble Cornelia who was mother to those famous Romans called Gracchi perceiving her husband to be in love with one of her maids in the house and often to use the maid as his wife though Aemilia knew well of it yet she never hated the maid nor opened it unto her husband But after that her husband was dead she gave unto this Maid a great summe of money and married her wealthily in Rome A rare thing to be found in a woman What shall I speak of the love of Penelope in Gréece towards her husband Ulysses or shew the constancy of Lucreece in Rome towards her husband Collatine the one twenty years was proved by divers noble Greeks yet she remained true unto Ulisses the other through force being ravished by proud Tarquinius son named Sextus would not be false to Collatinus but opened the same and revenged it with her own death Now again how well did Queen Tomiris love her son Margapites the death of great Cyrus King of Persia with two hundred thousand of his souldiers can testifie or how Aegeus loved his son Theseus who when he had perceived the black sail he supposing his son was slain in that Labyrinth he threw himself from a high rock into the sea Why should I molest the Reader herein since an end can hardly be found I will but onely recite one worthy History out of Valerius of a servant to one named Panopion who hearing that certain souldiers came to the City of Reatina in purpose to kill his master he changed apparel with his master and conveyed his master first away safe from the enemies and he went unto his masters bed as though he had béen
much was famine feared amongst the ancient Gréeks that in the time of abundance they used to scourge famine with rods out of their houses saying For as fames intra divitiae Away penury come in plenty We read in Q. Curtius that Alexander was driven by hunger to eat his Camels and Elephants and other huge beasts that carried the trains for the wars Such hunger and famine did happen among the Lacedemonians that the Citizens of Sparta were so hungry that they did eat the very serpents that had béen dead a long while which multitude of serpents did presage this great calamity to come and though they had been dead a long time yet the Spartans most hungerly did feed on them and mitigated the rage of their famine Doda King of Syria besieged a great and famous City in Iewry called Iora where the miserable mothers were by meer hunger enforced to féed on the bowels of their own children Not much unlike was that horrible and cruel famine in the countrey of Apulia where the souldiers being enforced by the French men then their enemies in War were compelled to take the skins from their Bucklers and to warm and boil the hard horns and to eat them To speak of the wonderfull calamity miseries and plagues that happened through hunger the charge thereof were too much too many authorities are manifest in this behalf Antonius whom Augustus Caesar could never vanquish by force of arms was driven to yeeld in a City called Perusia by hunger and famine Wherefore that noble Athenian Nicias always thought the easiest way of conquest was by Famine which he shewed at Melos a City of Thessaly where he made the Citizens to yeeld by hunger O raging force of famine O terrible misery of man which compelleth the parents to eat the children the children to kill their parents what beast was spared ever when this hapned The people named Hymmi through hunger were constrained to eat their own dogs as the Macedonians did sometime feed themselves with Camels Elephants Horses and such like What herb was unsought What root was not found to feed this cruel Monster Sabellicus doth witnesse of a dearth that chanced in his time that in some parts of the countrey of Flaminia and about the fields Piâ—eni the common people did live by grasse and herbs and by such like that proceeded from the earth Thus was the world ever plagued with famine as with that Monster that spoileth and devoureth it self as we read of divers that did eat their own arms and flesh Again in the sacred scripture divers examples we have of the like plagues sent from GOD to plague man But even as hunger one way is most excellent if meat may be had so hunger another way is most terrible if meat doth fail Therefore Stratonicus never went to bed without a cup of drink by him not for that he thirsted when he went to bed but lest he should thirst in the bed and so be compelled to do some injury to one or other for that he wanted drink So did Alphonsus King of Arragon when he saw the poor countrey man greedily feeding on Grapes he said O would the Gods had framed me to be such a one as this is So that hunger is good to those that want food Gnefactus King of Egypt his souldiers in the deserts of Arabia wanting victuals waxed so hungry that he himself not amongst the countrey men and their homely fare was so acceptable unto him that he set up a table for a Monument of the same in the Temple of Jupiter in Thebes Of divers Famines we read in scripture as of that in the time of Abraham who fled from the land of Canaan into Egypt and Isaac was driven by famine unto Abimelech King of the Palestines and all the sons of Jacob were enforced to go to King Pharaoh where their own brother Joseph ruled as chief Officer Famine is appointed for a just scourge to sin as appeareth by David who for causing the people to be numbred had leave to chuse either Plague Famine or Warres which are the instruments to punish offenders CHAP. XXXIIII Of Warinesse WE will here leave Apollo in Delphos and Jupiter in Boetia with their wise answers and Oracles we will not speak of Socrates Solon and thousands such as were counted and known wise and discreet among the Gréeks and Gentiles We will onely entreat of those worldly and natural wise men which by their prudent policie and wary practises have greatly advanced their fame as well in vanquishing their enemies as by inventing such policies for the obtaining of the same as their wits thereby were worthily commended Hannibal perceiving the courage and strength of the Romans used this stratagem He gathered a great number of serpents and put them in huge vessels and caused them to be brought to the field amongst his souldiers commanding the Captains and chief officers to throw the same into the face of the enemies who being thereby astonished fled away as men almost in dispair of themselves thinking the souldiers of Hannibal to be Devils and not Men. Of the like wisdome was King Cyrus who â—eing in his Tents and ready to pitch the field the next day against the Messagetes he commanded his souldiers to be in a readinesse that night to flée from their tents leaving behind their victuals and substance that the enemies being busie about the spoil and given up to banquettting and carowsing of wine he with all his army might unawares return and finding the Messagetes more greedy of the spoil then ready for their enemies he did destroy and kill them So that in wars saith Salust wit doth as much good as strength policy sometimes is better accepted then power and Virgil saith so that victory be gotten men weigh not whether it be through courage or through policy For Sertorius that worthy Captain of Rome was wont by false letters by dreams and outward religion to feign and invent a thousand waies to stir his souldiers to courage The invention of wit is much and so divers that too much it were to repeat it Sicionius deceived Xerxes with all his souldiers through policy Pisistratus moved the Athenians to revenge his false wrongs upon the chief Officers of Athens Darius after Cambises death became King of Persia by means of a horse and such like But letting passe infinite numbers of such I will declare what nature wrought in silly and simple beasts in flying fowls and in the very fishes swimming in the water The Lion by nature is taught being very sick to find out an Ape which by outward sports and pastime doth heal his great grief The huge Elephant is so subtil when he is like to die that he will séek by all means the Cameleon which he so estéemeth that his sicknesse forsaketh him straight The Panther knoweth by nature his ready salve for his sore for féeling himself not well he streight séeketh the dung of man and by the scent thereof he
him he answered not one word but bad him Good night when he come to his own door which when the enemy saw and that he would not be moved to anger to take any advantage on him he went to the next tree and hanged himself Thus did Socrates who being blamed by his friends for his silence in that he was injuriously handled by his foe answered That his enemies could not endamage him sith he was not that man whom his words did import to be and being stricken spurned by the same man Socrates was counselled to call the same to the Law before the Iudges to the which he answered Which of you if an Asse strike him will call that Asse before any Iudges sith he is no better that useth me this for by this am I known to be Socrates and he to be an Ass The greatest revenge to a fool is to let every man know his folly and the greatest hurt to a wise man is to revenge folly for it was al the revenge of Socrates wheÌ„ any man spake il of him to say thus The man never was taught to speak well So courteous was Fabius Maximus that when he had heard that one of his chief souldiers was about to betray him to his enemies he called the party before him not making him privie that he knew of it and demanding of him what he wanted he commanded him to ask any thing he would have and made him chief Captain of his Army By this means he became most true to Fabius being before most false This was far from such revenge as Alexander the Great used who after he had subdued divers Kingdoms and Countreys he went to the Temple of Ammon to know by the Oracle of Jupiter whether yet any were alive that flew his father King Philip whereby he might shew more tyranny and practise greater murther This was far from M. Brutus rage who was not content to conspire against Caesar and to kill him in the Senate-house but also when power failed when souldiers decayed and he was almost vanquished he made his prayers to Jupiter and to the host of Heaven to plague Caesar and his posterity This I say was far from Livius Salinator who being warned of Fabius Maximus not to revenge malice upon Hasdâ—ubal before he knew the state of the matter the power of the field and the end of the victory where it should happen yet being more rash to revenge then wise in forbearing he said that either out of hand he would kill or be killed And in this place I will recite three or four Histories fit for this purpose Phobius wife fell in love with Antheus a noble Gentleman of Halicarnassus being left in pledge with Phobius chief ruler then of Milesia and used al means possible to allure Antheus to requite her love But he partly for fear and partly for love of Phobius her husband in no wise would consent to any filthy desire Cleoboea Phobius wife took the same in so evil part that she began mortally to hate him inventing what way best she might revenge his discourtesie in refusing her love She feigned on a time that she had quite forgotten her old love towards him and thanked Antheus very much for the love and great zeal that he did bear to her husband Phobius in not consenting to her folly then when she was in love with him Thus talking with him Cleoboea brought her old Lover Antheus over a Well where for that purpose onely she threw a tame Partridge desiring him to aid her to have her Partridge out of the Well the young Gentleman misdoubting her in nothing as one willing to pleasure his friend and old lover went down into the Well to have the Partridge out but she revenged her old love and requited his service after this sort she threw a great stone after him and there killed him and straight for sorrow caling to mind the old amity and hidden love betwéen them she hanged her self This revenge that noble and famous Lacedemonian used who had his own wife in such admiration and was so impatient in love that he was as much hated of her as she of him was honoured and estéemed For she loves King Acrotatus son so dear that her husband Cleonimus understanding the same went to Epire to King Pyrrhus perswading him earnestly to go unto Peloponesus and to move wars against King Acrotatus whereby he might revenge the injury done by his wife in killing him whom she loved best thinking it a greater revenge to kill him whom she loved better then her self then to revenge it upon her own person Valerius Torquatus for that he might not have Tuscus daughter in marriage moved wars immediately and revenged the same with bloud For what cause did Progne King Pandions daughter of Athens kill her own son Iâ—is and gave him to be eaten unto his father and her husband King Pereus of Thrace for nothing but to revenge her sister Phylomela whom her husband deflowred Why did Nero that cruell Emperour kill Seneca his master and teacher in all his youth for nothing but to revenge old stripes which he received at his master being a boy For what purpose did Cateline Silla Damasippus Marius and others make quarrels to plague Rome to punish all Italy to destroy the country for nothing but for that they could not abide the one to be above the other Darius after that he had taken the City of Babilon he revenged his old malice after this sort as Herodotus in his third book affirms he caused thrée thousand of the best within the City to be hanged Attilla King of Panonia slue eleven thousand virgins at the siege of Colonia So several were revenges amongst men so cruel yea so foolish that Xerxes and Cyrus two great Kings of Persia when the water of Hellespont troubled Xerxes and molested his souldiers he forthwith commanded that the sea of Hellespont should have thrée hundred stripes and willed thrée hundred pair of Fetters to be thrown into Helespont to bind the sea Even so did Cyrus because the river Gindes did drown one of his best geldings he made his souldiers to divide the river into a hundred and fourscore small parts to revenge the rage of the river toward him thinking that by breaking of the great rage of so great a stream he well and worthily requited the injuries of Ginges These are cruell revenges too many are of these insomuch that women revenge their malice after this sort So Tomyris Quéen of Scithia to revenge her son Margapites death slue King Cyrus and two hundred thousands of his souldiers too great a slaughter for one mans death and not yet satisfied till she bathed Cyrus head in a great vessel of bloud This Bâ—ronice Pollia and divers cruell women have performed Princes ought to use advisement in revenging and wisedome in sufferance For as Frederick the Emperour was wont to say Princes that revenge hastily and especially wrongfully are like fair marks for
should be cut off offered to Jupiter in the Capitol of Rome his family to the temple of Ceres his children should be sold as bondmen to the Tribunes and Censors The Lacedemonians were most studiouâ— to expel idlenesse and brought their children up always in hardnesse to practise them in the Arts of Industry and hated Idlenesse so much that if any in the City of Sparta waxed grosse or fat they straight suspected him of idlenesse and if any young man waxed fat they had appointed laws that he should fast and live poor untill he were again changed into his first estate The Egyptians an ancient people when the country of Egypt began to be populous to avoid idlenesse as Pliny reporteth made the great building called the Pyramides which for the mightinesse and strange working thereof was named one of the seven wonders of the World in which there were kept at work thréescore thousand young men who continued a long time in the making thereof and onely to avoid and banish idlenesse The Athenians so abhorrid and detested idlenesse that when a certain man was condemned to die for that he was found idle in Athens a citizen thereof named Herondas as Plutarch testifieth was as desirous to see him as though he had been a prodigious Monster so strange and so marvellous was it to hear or to see any idle man in Athens The people called the Massilians would suffer no travellers neither Pilgrim nor Sacrificer nor any other stranger to come within their City lest under colour of religion or of pilgrimage they might corrupt the youth of the City with the sight thereof to be idle The Indians had a law made by their Wise-men called Gymnosophists that after meat was set on the table the youth should be examined what they had done for their meat and what pain and labour they had used all the morning before if they could make account of their travel they should goe to dinner but if they had béen idle they should have no meat except they had deserved the same The like did the young men of Argis who made an account to their Magistrates of their occupations and works The Areopagites as Valerius affirmeth did imitate the Athenians in commanding their youth to avoid idlenesse and to exercise travel the one as necessary to any Commonwealth as the other is most dangerous So that some countreys are naturally given to travel as the Lydians Phrygians French men with others Some again are given to idlenesse as the Persians Corinthians and others Some by law were forced to slie idlenesse some by punishment were feared from it some by death were enforced to labour for their living Thus this Monster Idlenesse is beaten every where and yet embraced in most places every man speaks against idlenesse yet a number are in love with it Magistrates and Officers are appointed to punish it and yet they often favour it CHAP. XL. Of Wrath and Anger and the hurts thereof THe famous and noble Philosopher Aristotle did charge his schollers always being in Anger or Wrath to behold themselves in a glasse where they might see such alteration of countenance such a palenesse in color that being before reasonable men they appear now like brutish beasts Wherefore that great Philosopher perceiving the furious and hastie nature of Alexander wrote from Athens unto India where this noble conqueror was at wars with King Porus to take heed of Wrath and Anger saying Anger ought not to be in any Prince toward his inferiour for he was to be mended with correction nor toward his equal for he might be redressed with power so that Anger ought not to be but against superiours but Alexander had no coequals Yet in vain was Aristotles doctrine to Alexander in this point for being in a baÌ„quet when Clitus his dear friend coÌ„mended his father King Philip in the former age to be the worthiest most renowned Prince Alexander wexed upon a sudden so angry that any man should be preferred before him though Philip was his own father which was comended and Cliâ—us his especial friend that did commend him that he thrust Clitus into the heart with a spear So hastie was this Prince that Calisthenes and Lysiâ—achus the one his Historian and counsellour the other his companion and friend for a few words spoken were either of them slain Silence therefore saith Aristotle is the surest reward to a Prince We read that King Tigranes of Armenia whom Pompey the great did conquer waxed so angry by a fall from his horse because his son was present and could not prevent his fathers fall that he thrust him with his dagger into the heart and was so sorry afterward and angry withal that he had likewise killed himself had not Anaxarchus the Phllosopher perswaded him Anger in a Prince saith Solomon is death terrible is the countenance of a King when he is oppressed with Wrath hurtfull to many and dangerous to all is the anger thereof Nero was so furious in anger that he never heard any thing if it were not to his liking but he would requite it one way or other with death insomuch that in his rage and anger he would often throw down tables being at dinner and dash cups of gold wrought with pearls against the walls and fling all away more like to a furious Gorgon of hell then a sober Emperor in Rome Such fury reigneth in anger that Orestes the son of Agamemnon slue his own mother Clytemnestra suddenly in his Wrath. Such madnesse reigneth in Anger that Ajax Telamon that famous and valiant Gréek after that Achilles was slain in the temple of Pallas by Paris at the destruction of Troy waxed so Angry because he might not have Achilles Armor which was given before to Ulisses that he beat stones and blocks fought with dead trées killed beasts thinking to méet with Ulisses amongst them If Anger make men murtherers if Wrath make men mad without wit or reason to know themselves or others let them imitate Plato in his anger who being angry with any of his scholers or servants would give the rod to Zenocrates to correct them Because he was angry the learned Philosopher misdoubted himself that he could not use moderate correction Even so Archicas would always speak unto his servant that had offended him Happy art thou that Architas is not angry Thereby giving his man to understand how dangerous Wrath is Aristotle saith the angry man séeth not the thing which lieth under his féet Augustus Caesar Emperour of Rome destred Athenedorus a Philosopher of Gréece which a long time accompanied Augustus in Rome and now was ready to depart to Athens that he would write som sentence that the Emperour might think of him in his absence The Philosopher took a pen and wrote in a little Table this sentence Caesar when thou art moved to anger speak nothing till thou hast recited the Greekes Alphabet a worthy lesson and a famous sentence well worthy to be learned of all
paper in one hand he with his dagger in the other hand slue himself upon the grave holding the paper fast in it being deâ—d where this sentence he wrote Thou that knewest the faithfull friendship betwixt Volumnius and Lucullus join our bodies together being dead as our minds were alwaies one being alive The like history is written of Nisus who when his faithfull friend Eurialus was slain in the wars betwixt Turnus Aeneas he having understood thereof weÌ„t up down the field tumbling and tossing the dead carcasses til he found out Eurialus body which having long looked on and embraced he drew out his sword held it in his hand a little while saying As my body shal never depart from thy body so shall I never fear to follow thy ghost and laying the pummel of his sword upon the ground he fell upon it having the body of his friend Euâ—ialus betwixt his arms This love was great betwixt Princes who did live honourably and died willingly A strange thing for men so to love their friends as to weigh their deaâ—hs more then their own lives Orestes faith and friendship towards Pylades was such that being come unto a strange Region named Taurica to asswage his grief and to mitigate his furious flames because he slew his mother Clitemnestra and being suspected that he came onely to take away the image of Pallas their Goddesse in that country the King understanding the matter made Orestes to be sent for and to be brought before him to have judgement of death For Pylades was not mentioned nor spoken off but onely Orestes he it was that should steal their Goddesse away and carry it into Gréece Orestes therefore being brought and his fellow Pylades with him the King demanded which of them was Orestes Pylades that knew his friend Orestes should die suddenly stept forth and said I am he Orestes denied it and said he was Orestes Pylades again denied it and said that it was even he that was accused unto the King thus the one denying and the other affirming either of them most willing to die for the other the King dismaied at their great â—mity and love pardoned their faults and greatly honoured their natural love and faith So many like histories to this there be that then Princes would die for their friends even that great Conquerour Alexander would have died presently with his friend Hephestion had not his counsel letted him he loved him alive so well that he was called of all men another Alexander he so much estéemed his friend that when Sisigambis King Darius mother had saluted Hephestion instead of Alexander and being ashamed at her errour he said forbear not to honour Hephestion for he is Alexander also What was it that Anaxagoras wanted that Prince Pericles could get for him whither went Aeneas at any time without Achates with him there was nothing that Pomponiuâ— had but Cicero had part of it the friendship of Scipio never wanted towards Cloeâ—ius Though Rome could alter state though fortune could change honour yet could neither Rome nor fortune alter faith or change friends After the Senatours had judged Tiberius Gracchus for divers seditions in the City to die his friend Blosius having knowledge thereof came and kneeled before the Senators besought Laeâ—us whose counsel the Senators in all things followed to be his friend saying unto the rest after this sort O sacred Senate and noble Counsellours if there remains in the City of Rome any sparkle of Iustice if there be regard unto equity let me crave that sentence by law which you injuriously award unto another and since I have committed the offence of Gracchus whose commandement I never resisted whose will I will during life obey let me die for Gracchus worthily who am most willing so to do and let him live who justly ought so to do Thus with vehement invectives against himself he made the Senatours astonied with his rare desire of death saying the Capitol had béen burned by Blosius if Gracchus had so commanded but I know that Gracchus thought nothing in heart but that which he spake to Blosius and that which he spake to Blosius Blosius never doubted but to do and therefore I rather deserve death then he The faith and love betwixt Damon and Pythias was so wondred at by King Dionisius that though he was a cruel Tyrant in appointing Damon to die yet was he so amazed to sée the desire of Pythias his constant faith and his love and friendship prosessed in Damons behalf striving one with another to die that he was inforced in spight of tyranny to pardon Damon for Pythias sake Thelcus and Perithous became such faithfull friends that they made several oaths one unto another never during life to be parted neither in affliction plague punishment pain toil or travel to be dissevered insomuch that the Poets fain that they went unto the Kingdome and region of Pluto together I will not speak of the great love of that noble Greek Achilles toward King Patroclus Neither will I recite the history of that worthy Roman Titus toward Gisippus nor report the love of Palemon and Arceir nor of Alexander and Lodwick whose end and conclusion in love were such as is worthy of everlasting memory CHAP. XLII Of Envy and Malice and the tyranny of Princes AS Malice drinketh for the most part her own poison so Envy saith Aristotle hurteth more the envious it self then the thing that it envieth Like as the sloathfull in war or Darnel amongst Wheat so is the envious in a City not so sad for his own miseries and calamities as he lamenteth the hap and and felicity of others Wherefore the Philosopher Socrates calleth the enemy serrom anima the sow of the soul for that it cutteth the heart of the envious to sée the prosperity of others For as it is a grief to good and vertuous men to sée evill men rule so contraily to the evill most harm it is to sée good men live Therefore the first disturber of Commonwealths and last destroyer of good states the beginning of all sorrows the end of all joys the cause of all evil and the onely let of all goodnesse is envy How prospered Greece Had flourished Rome How quiet was the whole world before envy began to practise with malice two daughters of tyranny never séen but hidden in the hearts of flatterers Then I say Gréece was glorious Rome was famous their names were honoured their prowesse feared their policy commended their knowledge extolled their fame spread over the whole world but when envy began to sojourn in Gréece and malice to build her Bower in Rome these sisters like two monsters or two grim Gorgons oppressed Castles destroied countries subdued Kingdoms depopulated Cities in fine triumphed over all Gréece and Italy Hannibal chief General of the Carthaginians Jugurth King of Numidia Pyrrhus of Epirus most valiant puissant mighty Princes with long wars and mighty slaughter could not with all their force and
was envyed at by the Iews and Gentiles insomuch that tyranny and murther was the sequel of envy as from time to time hath been tried from age to age séen and from man to man practised nay even to dead men it hath béen shewed as Achilles did to Hector by haling and drawing his body about the fields of Troy in the open sight of King Priam his father So M. Antonius did to Cicero having the head of Cicero set before him to ease his Tygerish mind permitting his wife Fulvin to wear the tongue of Cicero on her Coyf This Cambyses shewed to the Iudge Sâ—samenes who being dead flead him being flead did cut him in pieces and being cut in pieces did give him to be devoured by beasts and birds I might well declare the tyranny of Tullia shewed towards her father King Servius Tullius being dead who caused her Chariot and horses to tread on her fathers body in the open stréets I might speak of Tomyris Queen of Scythia toward King Cyrus being dead who did strike off his head and did bathe it in bloud I might make mention of the tyranny of Alexander in Thessaly and of Busiris in Egypt I might open the wicked life and state of Dionysius in Syracusa of cruel Creon in Thebes of Periander in Corinth and of Pisistratus in Athens But I should be tedious to amplifie that which may be briefly examined And this we read and see daily by experience that the end of Tyrants is to die in tyranny and as they deal with others so are they dealt withal themselves As Diomedes and Busiris were wont to féed their horses with mens flesh and to quench their thirst with mens bloud so were they themselves vanquished by Hercules and made food to be eaten and devoured by their own horses which they before fed with other mens flesh Likewise the great tyrant Phalaris and that cruel Perillus were both destroyed with those new invented torments that they made for others I mean the brazen Bull which Perillus made to satisfie the tyranny of Phalaris Thrasillus and Scyron the one teaching the way of tyranny was first of all in that which he taught unto others tormented and slain the other thrown headlong into the sea by Theleus even so as he was wont to do unto others What should I speak of the great cruelty of Aemilius who as Aristides in Plutarch doth testifie used to recompence any man that would and could invent new torments to punish the innocent and to pleasure his divellish minde He I say dwelling in Agesta a City of Sicilia made a brasen horse to vexe and torment the people wherein through the commandement of Armmius Paterculus chief Magistrate of the City he first suffered the assay of his new invented work We read again of King Danaus fifty daughters called Belides which being maried to the fifty sonnes of Aegistus slew all their husbands the first night except Linceus who was preserved by Hypermenestra his wife The like we reade of the thirty sisters of Albina who after the same manner made an end of thirty husbands in one night The sequel of tyranny was such that what wanted in the father wâ—s fully supplied in the sonne for amendment is seldome séen And that was very well considered of a simple woman named Ihera who when she perceived that the people of Syracusa did wish the death of Dionisius the tyrant she straight knéeled upon her knées and besought the Gods that he might live and being demanded why she prayed for such a tyrant she said I knew three Kings in Siracusa every one a tyrant the second worse then the first the the third worse then the second and now Dionisius being the fourth is worse then the third and I am doubtfull if a fourth should come it would be the Divel himself who is worse then Dionysius and therefore I pray the Gods he may live for of two evils the least is to be chosen Mark how in a simple woman a silly person truth doth often sojourn The like we read of a certain husbandman that digged in the ground when the murtherers that slew King Antigonus passing in hast taking their flight into Phrygia demanded of the husbandman why he digged so déep I dig up said he another King Antigonus to rule in Macedonia letting them to understand the true Proverb That seldome comes the better that he that would come after should be far worse then King Antigonus O happy age O golden world while tyranny was not known The great Monarchies of the world were gotten with tyranny and likewise through tyranny lost The first Monarchy after the great Deluge was that of the Assyrians which began under Ninus the third King of the Assyrians and continued in slaughter and tyranny till Sardanapalus time who was the last King which was a thousand two hundred nine and thirty years From the Assyrians it was won with the sword and brought with violence and tyranny by that cruel and bloudy Arbactus to the Medes and remained there till the time of King Astyages who was the ninth and last King of the Medes two hundred and fifty years From the Medes it was had away by tyranny to Persia by King Cyrus and there stayed until the time of King Darius which was two hundred and thirty years From the Persians it was with bloud and great slaughter taken away by Alexander the great unto Macedonia and there maintained till Perseus time which was a hundred and seven and fifty years From the Macedonians it was posted to Rome where under Julius Caesar the proudest Monarch in all the world it fomed in bloud flourished in tyranny a long time Thus tyranny was fed and fostered from one country to another till almost the whole world was destroied The murther and tyranny that long flourished in Gréece betwéen the Thebans and the Lacedemonians again betwixt the Lacedemonians and the Athenians betwixt the Athenians and all Greece who readeth it not in Thucidides Tamberlan the great murtherer King sometime in Scythia got through tyranny Medea Albania Mesopotamia Persia and Armenia he passed over Euphrates subdued Asia the lesse and took Baiazet King of the Turks called all the Princes of Asia in his voyage toward Gréece where such tyranny was used that not onely Cities and Countries were destroyed but also their Temples and their Gods neglected and spoiled Great was the tyranny betwixt King Darius of Persia and Miltiades Prince of Athens who slew a hundred thousand of Darius men How great was the slaughter of King Cyrus after he had exiled his Grandfather King Astrages from Persia vanquished the Babylonians and overthrew Croesus King of Lydia and after he had subdued the most part of Asia he ceased not his tyrâ—nny untill he came to Scithia where he and two hundred thousand were slain by one woman Tomyris Queen Scithia who after she had slain him she caused his head to be cut off and made it to be bathed in a great tun of
In fine whatsoever Philip took in hand the same Clisophus did imitate Aristippus the Philosopher could better please King Dionysius with adulation the Dion the Syracusan could pleasure him with truth Cleo could better accomplish the desire and lust of Alexander with forged flattery then Calisthenes his counsellour could satisfie him with Philosophy Who might move Caesar to do any thing so much as Curio his Parasite Not Pompey his son in Law nor yet his onely daughter Julia nor all the Senatours of Rome Flatterers are dangerous to the most part hurtfull to all profitable to none and yet of Princes most accepted Vnder the shape of humanity they sway and rule in Court like furious Centaurs deformed Scyllaes huge Cyclops grim Gorgons fretting Furies and monstrous Harpies yea with a thousand more deformities For who is more made of then he that ought least to be esteemed who is trusted more then he that deceiveth soonest who is heard more at all times then he that ought least to come in sight at any time who hath more of all men then he that deserveth least of all men In fine who is more beloved any where then he that ought most to be hated every where The common people of the Medes and Persians for that they knéeled to Alexander and made him the son of Jupiter were more estéemed for their flattery therein then the Nobles of Macedonia for their truth and plain dealing What is it but flattery bringeth it to passe That which that famous and renowned Prince Agamemnon with all the force and power of Gréece could not with ten years siege subdue one subtil Sinon a simple and a silly Greek allured the mind of King Priam unto and deceived with flattery his Nobles and entised the Citizens through adulations to their utter destruction and last confusion That ancient and renowned City of Babilon which King Darius with all the power of Persia was never able to vanquish one Zopyrus a Citizen born in Babilon through forged faith and filed flattery I say betrayed it unto King Darius What shall I speak of the ancient Lacedemonians the most famous and worthiest people in the whole world for their wars whom neither Medes Persians Macedonians nor all Greece could vanquish Phrinicus with his flattery deceived them The people of Sambs were deceived by false Apollonius Menelaus was beguiled with the flattery of Paris Dion of Syracusa was slain by his flattering friend Galicrates O sucking serpent of malice whose fruit is death If King Antigonus had known the flattery of his feigned friend Apollophanes he had not been deceived as he was If King Astyages had throughly known Harpagus his servant he had not been slain by King Cyrus If that noble and famous Roman Crassus had weighed the flattery of Carenus he had not been so shamefully murthered among the Parthians What flattery was between Jason and Medea what deceit followed What adulation was betwixt Theseus and Ariadne what falshood ensued The one helping Jason to the Golden Fleece the other delivering Theseus out of the dreadfull Labyrinth from the monster Minotantus were deceived by flattery But passe we forward in the Pilgrimages and affairs of Princes Who murthered Caesar that worthy Emperour in the Senate house of Rome Brutus and Cassius those flatterers that Caesar loved most Who poysoned that mighty Conqueror Alexander in the midst of his triumphs at Babylon those that flattered him most his own Cup-taster lola and his kinsman Antipater Who betrayed that famous Roman Cicero to his meer enemy Marcus Antonius even he whom Cicero before defended and saved from death Popilius Finally who betrayed Christ both God and Man to the Scribes and Pharisees his purse-bearer that flattering Judas with fair spéech saying Avi Rabbi embracing and kissing him as flatterers use to do Where is there greater tyranny shewed then where flattery is most used Where is there greater deceit practised then where courtesie is most tendered Where is more falshood then where trust is most reposed The first thing that deceived man was flattery which the Devil tho serpent put in ure to deceive Eve flattering her saying If thou eat of this fruit thou shalt know good and evil and you shall be as Gods on earth As the Devil is the onely Authour of all lies so is he the onely Father of flattery attempting always the best and not the worst accompanying the highest and not the lowest frequenting the Court more then the Countrey and approaching near to Princes and not to Beggars When Christ was assaulted with the flattery of the Divel promising him all the world if he would knéel and flatter him I would to God that all Princes would speak to flatterers as Christ spake to the Devil Avoid Satan Away flatterer Or else I wish that wise men who are soonest of all by flattery allured would imitate the example of a noble man of Thebes named Itmenius who being sent Embassadour from Thebes to Persia understanding the manners fashions of the proud Persians and that nothing could be gotten without flattery nor heard without knéeling he did let fall his ring on the ground whereby he might stoop before the King not to the King but to take up his ring Or else I would wish all men to answer flatterers as Diogenes answered Aristippus who speaking to Diogenes that if Diogenes could be content to flatter Dionysius the King he needed not to lick dishes or to live poorly in Athens Diogenes made answer If Aristippus could be content to lick dishes or to live poorly in Athens he needed not to flatter Dionysius It is read in Caelius that the maid-servants of Cyprus were so giuen to flattery that they knéeled down to bow and bend their shoulders as a footstool to their Ladies to mount into their Chariots surely the men of Persia and the women of Cyprus engendred such numbers of flattering Parasites that glorious masters now never want flattering servants The schollers of Gnato frequent always Thrasonical places Have we not many now a days that will speak to their friends as Nicesias was wont to say to Alexander the great being wounded and his bloud spinning out O what noble bloud is this This bloud comes from some God and not from man The wise man saith that five things ought of all men to be mistrusted a strange dog an unknown horse a hollow bank a talkative woman and a flattering servant Fair words makes fools glad yea flattering spéeches overcommeth wise men Demetrius having obtained victory in the wars at Salamina was so joyfull of his fortune that he did send Aristodemus a very sublil and a cunning flatterer to certifie his father King Antigonus of his prosperous successe giving in charge unto him to shew the King his father orderly the triumph and victory in the largest manner Aristodemus no lesse joyfull of the message then skilfull in flattery leaving his Navy and his company in Cyprus went on land toward King Antigonus who having understood that Aristodemus was
Athens Lentulus the defendour of Italy exiled from Rome Dion of Siracusa hunted out of his country by Dionisius even that renowned Hannibal that long protector of Carthage was compelled after long service for his country to range about like a pilgrim every where to séek some safe-guard for his life Too many examples might be brought from Gréek and Latine histories for the proof hereof The chiefest bulwark of a Common-wealth saith Demosthenes is assured faith without flattery and good will tried in the Commons and plainnesse without deceit boldnesse and trust in the Nobility Flattery is the onely snare that wise men are deceived withall and this the pharisées knew well who when they would take our Saviour Christ tardy in his talk they began to flatter him with fair words saying Master we know that thou art just and true and that thou camest from God Even so Herod willing to please the Iews in killing James the brother of John and in imprisoning Peter he so pleased the people with flattery that they cried out this is the voice of God and not the voice of men so sweet was flattery amongst the Iews The flattering friends of Ammon knowing the wickednesse of his mind and his perverse dealing toward Mardocheus did not perswade Ammon from his tyranny but flattered him with fair words and made him prepare a high gallows for Mardocheus where Ammon and his children were hanged But the young man that came to flatter king David saying Saul and his children are dead was by David for his flattery commanded to die CHAP. XLIIII Of the Pilgrimages of Princes and Misery of Mortality THere is neither beast on the earth nor fowl in the ayr nor fish in the sea that séeks his own decay but man onely as by experience we sée all things to have a care of their own lives The Lion when he féeleth himself sick he never ceaseth till he féedeth upon an Ape whereby he may recover his former health The Goats of Créet féeding on high upon the mountains when any of them is shot through with an arrow as the people of that Countrey are most excellent archers they seek out an herb called Dictamum and assoon as they eat any part of it the arrow falleth down and the wound waxeth whole incontinently There are certain kinds of Frogs in Egypt about the floud of Nilus that have this perceiverance that when by chance they happen to come where a fish called Varus is which is great a murtherer and spoiler of Frogs they use to bear in their mouths overthwart a long reed which groweth about the banks of Nile and as this fish doth gape thinking to feed upon the Frog the reed is so long that by no means he can swallow the Frog and so they save their lives If the Goats of Creet if the Frogs of Egypt have this understanding to avoid their enemies how much more ought man to be circumspect of his life who hath millions of enemies neither seen nor known We read in the first book of Aelian that the rude swine if at any time by chance they eat of that herb called Hiosciamus which so contracteth draweth their veins together that they can hardly stir they will strive for remedy to go under the water where they feed upon young Crabs to recover health In the same book you may read of a sea Snail which from the water doth come to land to breed and after she hath egged she diggeth the earth and hideth her egs and returneth to the sea again and there continueth fourty days and after fourty days she commeth to the self same place where she hid her egs and perceiving that they are ready to come out of the shell she openeth the shell and taketh her young ones with her into the sea And thus have they a care not onely of their own states and lives but also of others and by some shew of sence they help that which is most dangerous and hurtfull The little Mice have this kind of fore-knowledge that when any house waxeth old and ruinous they forsake their old dwelling and creeping holes and flee and seek refuge in some other place The little Ants have such fore-sight that when penury and want of relief draweth near they wax painfull and laborious to gather victuals as may serve them during the time of famine If these small creeping worms and simple beasts provide for themselves what shall we say of man the King and ruler over all beasts who hath not onely a body to provide for but also a soul to save More happy are these worms and beasts in their kind then a number of Princes are for that they by nature onely are taught to avoid their foes we neither by nature neither by God the cause of all goodnesse can love our friends Therefore very well it is said of the wise man that either not to be born or else being born straight to die is the happiest state that can chance to man For living in this vale of misery we see the Pilgrimage and travel of life to be such that better far it were to be a poor quiet man then a proud ambitious Prince And since death is the last line of life as well appointed for Princes as for poor men who in reading of the lives of Emperors Kings and Princes and the Nobles of the world seeth not their unhappy states which come into the world naked and depart from the same naked yet like proud Pilgrims are busie one to destroy another not content with countreys and Kingdomes they go from place to place like Pilgrims to be more acquainted with misery and to seek death Alexander the great conquerourâ— taking his voyage from his Kingdome of Macedonia unto India in a desire to destroy all the world he was in the City of Babylon prevented by Antipater and Iola with poyson and there he died Philopomenes a great Emperor sometime in Gréece being taken prisoner in the wars of Messena was so cruelly handled that he besought Dinocrates who then was Prince of that countrey and conquerour over him one drâ—ught of poyson to end his life Thus he that could not be content to be Emperor and ruler of Gréece was moved to seek death in a strange Countrey amongst his foes Ladislaus King of Apulia endeavouring to subdue the Florentines and séeking to be King over the Florentines lost the Kingdome of Apulia and by them was at length poysoned and so bereft both of Kingdome and life With this unhappy kind of death many Princes have been prevented and no lesse threatned are these Princes by their own houshold friends then by forraign foes No lesse do their children their wives brethren and kinsmen study to destroy them Thus Claudius Caesar an Emperor of Rome was poysoned by his own wife Agrippina Antiochus King of Syria was poysoned by his Quéen Laodice so that he was in love with Berenices King Ptolomy's sisterr Constantine the Emperor the son of Heraclius being
son to Theseus being falsly accused by his mother in law Quéen Phedra and flying to avoid the fury and rage of his father at the request of the Queen was torn in pieces by wild horses But let us passe further and we shall read that as some were devoured by horses so others were by Serpents stung to death as Laocoon that worthy Troyan was by two Serpents destroyed yea that famous and warlike woman Cleopatra Quéen of Egypt after her lover and friend Marcus Antonius was overcome by Augustus Caesar the Emperour did chuse rather to be overcome with Serpents then subdued by Caesar With this death was Opheltes the son of Licurgus King of Menea vanquished Again some have perished by wild Bores and raging Lions as Anceus King of Samos and Paphages King of Ambracia the one by a Bore the other by a Lion Some have béen devoured by dogs as Linus the son of Apollo Pliny in his seventh book metions a Quéen in Bithinia named Cosinges K. Nâ—comedes wife whom her own dogs flew tare in pieces Euripides that learned Gréek coming in the night time from Archelaus King of Macedonia with whom he had been at supper was incountered by his enemy Promerus who set his dogs on him and did tear him to pieces Even so were Herachtus and Diogenes both Philosophers by dogs likewise killed I may not forget so great a prince as Basilius the Emperour of Macedon who in hunting amongst his Lords and Nobles yea amongst thousands of his Commons he onely meeting a Hart in the chase was hurt by him in the leg whereof he died As for Seleucus King of Syria son to Antiochus surnamed the Great and Bâ—la King of Panonia they were both thrown by their horses and died If these mischance happen unto princes in the midst of their state what is their glory but misery since nothing expelleth fate nor can avoid death Some have been so weary of life some so fearfull of death that they have thrown themselves into the water to be drowned others for all their diligent fear and watching for death have most shamefully notwithstanding been by death prevented Frederick the Emperour marching towards Ierusalem after that he had taken several Cities and Townes in Armenia in passing through a little river was drowned Decius that noble King being enforced to take his flight from the Goths with whom he then was in wars was drowned in the Marish ground Marcus Marcellus after that he had béen a Consul in Rome thrée times before the third wars betwixt the Romans and the Carthaginians was likewise by shipwrack cast away How many noble Princes have béen drowned as Pharaoh King of Egypt in the red sea of whom we read in the sacred scriptures How many have the seas despoyled of life and with their own names christened the names of seas and waters in which they were drowned As by the death of Aegeus King of Athens the sea Aegeum was so called by the death of Tyrrhenus King of Lydia the sea was called The Tyrrhen Sea And so King Tyberinus altered the river called Aelbula by his death to be the river of Tyber Again the sea Hellespont was so called by a woman named Helle drowned in it So by Iâ—arus and Myrtilus the sea of Icarus and the sea Myrton were so called Divers Princes have also perished by famine and have been compelled to eat their own flesh as Erisicthon and Neocles a Tyrant of Scicioma It is written in Curtius that Sysigambis King Darius mother died of hunger Ulysles the Gréek lest any off-spring of Hector should rise in Phrygia to revenge the fall of Troy and his countrey did cast Astianax the son of Hector over the walls alive Lycurgus King of Thrace was by his own subjects thrown headlong into the sea for that he first mingled water with wine How many famous and noble Princes have been stoned to death as valiant Pyrrhus King of the Epyrotes being in wars with Antigonus was slain by an old woman with a a tile-stone at Argos Pyrander at what time the Athenians warred against Eumolpus for that he feared famine hiding the wheat from his souldiers was therefore by them stoned to death Even so was Cinna the Roman in the wars betwixt the Gauls and the Romans for the like offence stoned to death Stout Cebrior King Priaâ—'s son was slain by a stone hurled at him by Patroclus at the siege of Troy so died Cygnus the son of Achilles at the same time O unstedfast fortune that stones should end the many lives of famous princes O imprudent princes that know not how nigh ye are always to death How many hath God punished with sudden death for their offences as Mithridates King of Pontus and Nicanor the son of Parmenio of Macedonia died suddenly Sertorius was slain suddenly at a banquet by Upenna The Emperour Heliâ—gabalus was killed upon his stool at his easement and thrown into Tyber That renowned and famous Conquerour Julius Caesar was in the middest of the City of Rome where he was Emperor yea in the Senate-house murthered and mangled by Brutus and Cassius Divers Consuls in Rome died this death as Fabius Maxâ—mus Gurges the Senator And Manlius Torquatus even at his supper died presently Some with Thunder-bolts did God likewise punish thus Capaneus was slain at the wars of Thebes Tullus Hostilius King of Rome was with a Thunderbolt for his insolency and pride slain Zoroastres King of the Bactrians the first inventer of Magick was likewise by that kind of death encountred Pride in princes was the onely cause of their falls insomuch that the poets feign that the great and monstrous Giant Eâ—câ—ladus for his proud enterprise against Jupiter was thrown by a Thunderbolt into the bottome of Aetna a fiery and flaming mountain The uncertain state of princes is séen and tried by their death Who liveth so short a time as a prince who dieth so strange a death as a prince Who liveth in care who dieth living but a prince Was not Sergius Galba and Commodus the son of Marcus sirnamed Anbilius two Emperors of Rome the one by Otho strangled in the Market place of Rome the other imprisoned by Martia his own concubine Minos King of Creet travelling after Dedalus into Sicily was by his great friend King Cocalus slain by deceit So was Alebas chief governour of Larissa murthered by his own souldiers The desire that men bear unto honour and dignity is commonly accompanied with death as Spurius Cassius and Spurius Melius for their greedinesse of the Empire of Rome were both worthily beheaded God hath shewed just vengeance upon Princes for their iniquity with plagues and pestilences which spoiled the Emperor Constantine and the Empresse Zoae his wife And by this were Marcus Antonius Alphonsus and Domitius justly and worthily punished God hath wonderfully punished the pride of Princes even with shamefull and horrible deaths insomuch that Lice and vermine have consumed their bodies alive As Maximilian the Emperour Arnulphus
Honorificus King of the Vandales and Herode King of the Iews were eaten up alive with vermine and Lice Pliny and Plutarch say that proud Sylla which sore plagued Rome and Italy had all his flesh converted into Lice and so died Herodotus doth likewise report of one Pheretrina a Quéen of the Barceans who died of this filthy and horrible death God hath taken them away in the midst of their pleasure even eating and drinking as Septimus and Valentianus two famous Emperours who died both of a surfeit for want of digestion Archesilaus died presently with one draught of wine What is the life of Princes but an uncertain Pilgrimage Nay women are famous for their pilgrimage therein As the Queen of Sheba came from Ethiopia to hear and to learn Solomon's wisdome Cornelia from Rome being a noble woman went to Palestina to hear Saint Hierome teach Christians The pilgrimage of our life is nothing else but a continual travel until we come to our last journey which is Death then is the end of all pilgrimage and just account to be made for the same CHAP. XLV Of Death the End of all Pilgrimage THe last line of all things is death the discharge of all covenants the end of all living creatures the onely wish of the good and the very terrour of the wicked And for that the life of man is divers so is death variable after sundry manners and fashions as by experience is séen and known in all Countreys Nothing is surer then death yet nothing is more uncertain then death For Pindarus that wise King of the Liricans being demanded of certain Beotians what might best happen to man in this world Even that said he which chanced to Trophonius and Agâ—medes meaning Death For these men after they had builded a new Temple to Apollo demanded of Apollo the best reward that he could give them they thinking to enjoy some dignity or worldly substance were seven days after rewarded with death The like we read in the first Book of Herodotus where the mother of Biton and Cleobes two young men of Argos knéeling before the Image of Juno besought the Goddesse to bestow some excellent good thing upon her two sons for their pain and travel that they shewed toward her in drawing her Chariot ten miles in stead of horses The Goddesse willing to grant them the best thing that could be given to man the next night quietly in bed as they slept they both died Wherefore very well did Aristippus answer a certain man who asked how Socrates died Even in that order said he that I wish my self to die Giving to understand that any death is better then life That noble Philosopher Plato a little before he died as Sabellicus doth write did thank nature for three causes the first that he was born a man and not a beast the second that he was born in Gréece and not in Barbary the third that he was born in Socrates time who taught him to die well Hermes that great Philosopher of Egypt even dying so embraced death that he called upon that that divine spirit which ruled all the heavens to have mercy upon him being right glad that he had passed this toyling life Such is the uncertainty of death that some in the half of their days and in the midst of their fame and glory die So Alexander the great died in Babilon Pompey died in Egypt and Marcellus being a young man of great towardnesse and by adoption heir unto the Empire of Rome died It is strange to sée the varieties of death and in how divers and sundry fashions it hath happened unto Great men always Some being merry in their banquets and drinking were slain so Clitus was slain by Alexander the great being his chief friend Amnon being bidden to a banquet by Absalom was slain by him Yea all the Embassadors of Persia were commanded to be slain even drinking at the table by Amintas King of Macedonia Some end their lives wantonning with women and playing in chambers as that renowned Alcibiades being taken in wantonnesse with Timandra was slain by Lisander Even so Phaon and Speusippus the Philosopher died likewise Some bathing and refreshing themselves have perished by their own wives so Agamemnon that famous Gréek was killed by his wife Clitemnestra and Argirus Emperor of Rome by his wife Zoe Divers in prison have died as captives so Aristobulus Eumenes Aristonicus Marius Cleomenes Jugurth Siphax famous and renowned Princes Divers have béen slain in the draught as that beast Heliogabalus whom Rome so hated that he fled to a draught and there was slain and after was drawn through the streets and thrown into the river of Tyber Cneius Carbo a man of great dignity and power in Rome was commanded that he should be slain as he was sitting on his stool of ease by Pompey in the third time of his Consulship in Rome Thus shamefully have some died and thus famously others died Patroclus knew not that he should be slain by Hector Hector never thought he should be killed by Achilles Achilles never doubted his death by Paris Paris never judged that he should be vanquished by Pirrhus Neither did Pirrhus know that he should be overcome by Orestes so that no man knoweth his end where how and when he shall die and yet all men are certain and sure that they have an end that they must néeds die And yet the fear of death hath overcome the stoutest souldiers We read that Asdrubal of Carthage a noble and a famous Captain â—verthrown by Scipio for fear of death knéeled before Scipio embracing his féet and was so fearfull that his own wife was ashamed of his doings Yet had this famous Generall rather be a laughing stock to the Romans a bond man to Scipio running a foot like a lacky after his triumph then to die manfully in the behalf of his countrey which valiantly for a time he defended Perpenna likewise a famous Roman being taken in Spain by the souldiers of Pompey in a place full of Groves fearing lest at that instant he should be slain by Pompey's souldiers he made them believe that he had divers things to speak to Pompey of some designs that the enemies had in hand against him rather had Perpenna betray his friends and his fellows yea and all his country to his enemy then suffer a sudden death A greater fear of death we read in that book of Fulgosius of the Emperour Vitellius who after he had vanquished and slain divers nobles and shewed great wrongs unto the Emperour Otho and to Sabinus brother to Vespasian the Emperour being in fear of his life by Vespasian and being taken by the souldiers hee besought them rather then die presently that hee might be kept safe in prison untill he might sée and speak with Vespasian the Emperour such was his fear that he did hide himself in a chest to prolong his wretched life So fearful was Caligula of death that he would never go abroad at any
Lightning or Thunder but had his head covered with all such things as might resist the violence of Lightning Misa King of the Moabites and Joram King of Iewry being besieged by the enemies and in danger of death they practised devises and invensions to save their lives and sacrificed their children to mitigate the rage of the Gods The love that divers had unto life and the fear they had of death were to be noted worthily considering how much men are vexed with the fear of death Antemon was so desirous to live and so fearfull to die that he hardly would travel out of his house any where and if he were compelled to go abroad he would have two of his servants to bear over his head a great brasen Target to defend him from any thing which might happen to do him hurt Theagenes in like sort would not go out of his house without he had consulted with the Image of Hecate to know what should happen to him that day and to understand whether he might escape death or no. Commodus the Emperour would never trust any Barber to shave his beard lest his throat should be cut Masinissa King of Numidia would rather commit his state and life unto dogs then unto men who was as his guard to kéep and defend him from death I might here speak of Bion of Domitianus of Dionisius of Pisander and of a thousand more who so feared death that their chief care and study was how they might avoid the same The fear of death causeth the son to forsake the father the mother to renounce the daughter one brother to deny another and one friend to forsake another Insomuch that Christ himself was forsaken of his disciples for fear of death Peter denied him and all the rest fled from him and all for fear of death Behold therefore how fearfull some are and how joyfull others are Some desperately have died being weary of life As Sabinus â—uba Cleomenes some have hanged some have burned and some drowned themselves and thus with one desperate end or other perished But since every man must die it were reason that every man should prepare to die for to die well is nothing else but to live again Wherefore certain philosophers of India called the Gymnosophislae being by Alexander the great commanded to answer to cercertain hard questions which if they could absolve they should live otherwise they should die The first question propounded to know whether there were more living or dead to the which the first philosopher said that the living are more in number because the dead have no being no place nor number The second question was whether the land produced more creatures or the sea to this answered the second philosopher and said the land doth ingender more for that the sea is but a portion of the land The third question was to know what beast was most subtil that beast answered the third philosopher whose subtilty man cannot discern Fourthly it was demanded why they being philosophers were so induced to perswade the Sabians to rebellion because said the philosophers it is better to die manfully then to live miserably The fifth question was whether the day was made before the night or the night before the day to the which it was answered the day The sixt was to understand how Alexander the Great himself might get the good wil of the people in shewing said that sixth philosopher thy self not terrible to the people The seveÌ„th question was whether life or death were stroÌ„ger to which it was aÌ„swered life The eight was to know how long a man should live till said the eight philosopher a maÌ„ thinks death better theÌ„ life The last question proposed by Alexander was how might a mortal man be accounted in the number of the Gods In doing greater things said all the Philosophers then man is able to do For they knew this proud Prince would be a God and that he would learn of the sage Philosophers how he might eschew mortality he was answered roundly because he should know himself to be a man and being a man he should make himself ready to die for death is the reward of sin and death is the beginning again of life unto the good As Aulus Posthumius in an Oration which he made unto his souldiers said it is given to both good and bad to die but to die gâ—dly and gloriously is onely given unto good men So Hector speaking in Homer said unto his wife Andromache that she should not be sorry for his death for all men must die Some with the Galatians do so contemn death that they fight naked and are perswaded with the Pythagoreans that they shall never die but passe from one body to another Some again die joyfully as the brethren of Policratâ— who being taken captive by Diognitus the King of Milesia she was so ill intreated by him that she did send Letters to Naxus to her brethren at what time the people of Milesia were feasting drinking and banquetting at a solemn feast Her brethren embracing the opportunity came and found the Emperor drinking and all his people overcharged with wine and slew the greatest part of them and having taken many of them prisoners they brought their sister home to Naxus where as soon as they came home they died for joy of the victory Even so Phisarchus sometime in his great triumph crying out O happy hours and joyful days was taken with such an extasie of joy that he brake his veins at that very instant with the excesse of gladnesse He is counted most wise that knoweth himself To joy too much in prosperity to be advanced and extolled when fortune favours without all fear of ill haps to come is folly To be vanquished and subdued in adversity without hope of solace to ensue is meer madnesse Therefore the Wisemen knowing that death was the last line of life did endeavour in their lives how they might die well And briefly for the examples of our lives I will here note a few sentences of these wise men which they used as their Posies and think good to shew their answers to divers questions propounded to them Bias dwelling in the City of Prienna after the City was destroyed by the Mutinensians escaped and went to Athens whose Poesie was Maximus improborum numerus He willed all young men in their youth to travel for knowledge and commanded old men to embrace wisedome This Bias being demaunded what was the difficultest thing in the world he said to suffer stoutly the mutability of fortune Being demanded what was the most infamous death that might happen to man to be condemned said he by law Being asked what was the swéetest thing to man he made answer Hope Being again demanded what beast was most hurtfull Amongst wild beasts a Tyrant said Bias and amongst tame beasts a Flatterer And being demanded what thing it was that feared nothing in all the world he answered A good Conscience And again in the second Olympiade he was demanded many other questions as who was most unfortunate in the world the impatient man said Bias. What is most hard to judge Debates betwéen friends What is most hard to measure he answered Time Thus having answered to these and divers other questions Bias was allowed one of the seven Wise men of Gréece Chilo the second of the Sages being asked what was the best thing in the world he answered Every man to consider his own state And again being demanded what beast is most hurtfull he said Of wild beasts a Tyrant of tame beasts a Flatterer Being asked what is most acceptable to man he said Time And being asked of the Gréek Myrsilas what was the greatest wonder that ever he saw he said An old man to be a Tyrant The third was Chilo the Lacedemonian who being demanded what was a difficult thing for a man to do he answered Either to kéep silence or to suffer injuries Being demanded what was most difficult for a man to know he said For a man to know himself And therefore he used this Poesie Nosce teipsum This Chilo being of Aesop demanded what Jupiter did in heaven he said He doth throw down lofty and proud things and he doth exalt humble and méek things S. Ion said that in knowing and considering what we are and how vile we are we shall have lesse occasion ministred to us to think wel of our selvs for there is nothing good nor beautifull in man This Solon being asked by King Cyrus sitting in his chair of state having on his most royal habiliments and Princely robes covered with Pearls and Precious stones Whether ever he saw a more beautifull sight then himself sitting in heighth of his Majesty Solon answered that he saw divers Birds more glorious to behold then Cyrus And being demanded by Cyrus what Birds were they Solon said the little Cock the Peacock and the Pheasant which are decked with natural garments and beautified with natural colours This Solon was wont to say I wax dayly old learning much He noted nothing so happy in man as to Live well that he might Die well applying the Cause to the Effect as first to Live well and then to Die well FINIS LONDON Printed by Elizabeth Alsop dwelling in Grubstreet near the Upper Pump 1653.