that it was giuen vnto him by king Edvvard the Confessour he required diuerse great Princes of Fraunce and elsewhere to aide him in that enterprize both with meÌ„ and mony Amongst others he prayed the Earle of Flaunders whose sister he had marryed to aide him in that exploit The Earle demaunded of him what part he should haue in the kingdome of England if the duke should conquer itâ— The duke answered him That he would send him worâ— thereof in writing After which the Duke being now readie to depart out of Normandie vpon his intended voyage he caused a faire peece of white parchment without any writing within it to be folded and closed vp in forme of a letter vpon the which for an inscription he caused to be written these two verses sending them in way of a scoffe to the Earle of Flaunders Beaufrere d'Angleterre aurez Ce que cy dedans trouuerez Faire brother of England your portioÌ„ shall bee That which here within written you shall see Another conceipt of VVilliam the Conquerour at his landing in England VVHen the same Duke had passed the seas to the conquest of England the first fortune that befell him in his landing was that in leaping out of his shippe he fell flat vpon the sands and the first part of his bodie that touched the ground were his hands The which accident some of his people interpreting to be a signe of ill fortune â—ush quoth he out aloud assure your selues my maisters that this is the seizin anâ—d possession of this kingdome which God hath giuen me and it is his wil that I shal take it with both my hands because by the aide both of him and you I make no doubt but to conquer it And his successe was answerable to his hope for he came to be king and left the Crowne of England to his posterity Of king Lâ—vvis the grosse and Baldvvin Earle of Mons. KIng Lewis the grosse hâ—auing appointed the duke VVilliam of Normandie to be Earle of Flaunders Baldvvin Earle of Mons in Heynault pretending right thereunto said vnto the King That he had wrong done him for that the Earledome did appertaine vnto him He demaunded with great instance to haue the combat graunted him against those that should dare to auerre the contrarie The king said vnto him It is against me theÌ„ that you must haue the combat for the Seignorie which you claime and striue for is mine owne proper right and inheritance He that contendeth against his Lord and maister must needes haue the worst of the quarrell A braue speech of king Levvis the grosse THe same king of Fraunce taking part with Hely Earle of Maine against Henry king of England in a certaine battell fought between theÌ„ found himselfe farre seuered froÌ„ his people A certain English knight seeing him and being in hope to make himselfe rich by taking the king prisoner he laid hold vpon the reines of the kings horse with inteÌ„t to stay him and began to cry with a loud voice The King is taken The king being valiant and of a noble courage at one blow with his sword ouerthrew the knight dead to the ground seeing him fall he said It is not one man alone that in Chesse play can giue the king the mate Of an inuention found by king Levvis to punish the Earle of Vermandois LEvvis king of Fraunce the sonne of king Charles the simple desiring to be reuenged for the death of his said father who dyed in the castle of Peronne being there imprisoned by Hâ—bert the Earle of Vermandois his subiect And being at Laudun with a great assembly of the Lords and Nobles of Fraunce whom he had reconciled vnto him he vsed a fine deuice to bring about his purpose for he had caused one to be attired like an Englishman who being well instructed in that which he had to do came iâ—post to the Court and required to be instantly admitted to the presence of the kings Councell for the deliuerie of certaine letters to the king froÌ„ the king of England The partie being entred into the Councell chamber presented the letters to the king which himselfe had before caused to be written And as the Secretarie read them to the King with a soft and low voyce the King began to smile wherof the Princes and Lords there present demaunded the occasion Now I see well quoth the King that the English are not a people of any great wisedome for our cousin Harmant king of England hath written me here that there is in his countrey a labouring man who hauing inuited his maister to his house to dine with him caused him to be slaine he hath sent to demaund your counsell my maisters what punishment this fellow hath deserued Thibaut Earle of Bloys was the first that gaue his sentence saying That albeit the man was worthie of many grieuous torments yet the most ignominious and shameful death that he could adiudge him was that he ought to be hanged and strangled on a Gibbet To this sentence all the rest of the Lords there present did consent and the County Hebert of Vermandois also who had no sooner ended his speech but he was apprehended by the kings Officers there prouided in a readinesse And the King said vnto him Hebert thou art this wicked labourer which hast caused thy Lord and maister the king Charles my father to be put to death now therefore receiue the punishment which thou hast iustly deserued and which thou hast denounced against thy self This said Hebert was hanged on a Gibbet vpon the toppe of a mountaine nere Lodun which at this day is commonly called mount Hebert Of the wine which Philip Augustus king of Fraunce presented to the Barons and Captaines of his army PHilip Augustus king of France coÌ„ducting his armie against the Emperour Otho in the yeare 1214. being by necessitie constrained to ioyne battell with him he tooke a great cup or bowle of gold which he caused to be filled with wine sops of bread After turning himself to the Princes and great Lords of Fraunce which were with him he said vnto them My friends and companions in Armes you which are resolued to liue and dye with me this day take ech of you one of these lops of bread dipt in wine and eate the same as I haue done before you He had no sooner spoken the word but the cup was emptie in an instant And immediatly the battell being ioyned he gained the victorie at Bouines where the Emperour was put to flight and the Earle of Flanders with diuerse other great Lords remained prisoners The titles vvhich the king Saint Levvis of Fraunce gaue himselfe THe king S. Levvis being demanded by certain of his Lords with what title he would chuse to be honoured in imitation of the old Romane Emperors and of other forrain kings the kings of France his predecessors who for some notable acts or victories had purchased vnto theÌ„selues diuerse titles of honours he answered the
world are their vertuous deeds The reuenge which a king of Arragon tooke of some of his Nobles that derided him RAymire the second of that name king of Arragon a very simple man being determined to make warres vpon the Moores his Barons caused him to be armed and mounted on horsebacke and put a shield in his left hand and a launce in his right hand and offering to put the reines of his bridle in his hand likewise Let be quoth the king and giue me theÌ„ to hold in my mouth for my hands are full enough alreadie At which speech his Barons fel a laughing with open mouth and making a iest of it demeaned themselues very vnseemely without any kind of reuerence But the king Raymire perceiuing their mocquerie got eleuen of the most noble and chiefest of his Barons to come into the towne of Osey where he caused them to loose their heades without saying any other words then these La renardaille Nesçait de qui elle se raille The humilitie of Godfrey of Buillon VVHen the duke Godfrey of Buillon was chosen king of Ierusalem by the Christian Princes and the Diademe being presented vnto him he refused it saying It is not fit nor conuenient for any Prince Christian to weare a Crowne of gold sithence Iesus Christ the King of kings did weare one made but of thornes The ansvver of the great Turke to the Ambassadours of Hungarie BAiazet the sonne of Amurath Emperour of the Turkes being with a great armie in Bulgaria which is a part of Hungarie the king Sigismond sent his Ambassadours vnto him to pray him that he would not molest his countrie and Dominions wherein he had no right nor interest Baiazet for answer to this Ambassade caused all the armed forces of that Prouince to be assembled together into a great hall where hauing made the Ambassadours of the king of Hungarie to be called he said vnto them pointing to those forces with his finger Behold said he the reason and the right by which I haue do hold the possession of Bulgarie Right and equitie haue no place in the Court of a Tyrant The ansvver of the Count de Lazaran to the Ambassadours of the Turke NO lesse notable was that answer which the County de Lazaran made vnto the Ambassadours of Lamorabaquin or Baiazet the Amira or king of the Turkes who purposing to inuade the realme of Hungary with a mightie armie sent his messengers to the Count de Lazaran with a mule laden with Rice and demaunded to haue passage through his countrey into Hungarie The Ambassadours proceeding on their Commission found the County in his castell called the Archforme and according to their charge did demand passage for their Lord and his armie and that he should become his vassall and subiect otherwise that their Lord Baiazet would bring into the countrey of the Count more men of warre then there were graines of Rice in the sackes wherewith their mule waâ— laden and in so saying they powred out the graine in the middest of the castell yard The Count receiued heard their message very courteously and the third day after being disposed to giue them their answer coÌ„maunded to be brought into his Castle court a great number of powltry which for three daies together had bene shut vp without any meat giueÌ„ vnto them the which in lesse then a quarter of an houre did eate vp all the Rice which had bene there powred out Whereupon he said vnto the Ambassadours Now go tell your Lord that true it is he hath a great number of armed souldiers howbeit he cannot bring so many into the field but they shall be either slaine or vanquished as you haue seene these grains of Rice deuoured by my pullen And according to his hope the Count had the victorie A vvorthy Sentence of the Ambassadors of Sicilia CErtaine Ambassadours of Sicilia deliuering that which they had in charge to Iames the eleuenth king of Arragon he shewed them that they ought to yeeld their obedience to the Church and to Charles king of Naples his father in law whereupon one of the Ambassadours said vnto him Sir we reade in many histories that peoples haue bene defeated by their Princes and we haue seene the proof thereof in our time but that subiects haue bin destroied by their kings we haue neuer yet seen or hard it spokeÌ„ Of the death of Vladislaus king of Hungarie VLadislaus king of Hungary and of Poland whome the French named Launcelot leauying a puissant armie against Amurath great Seigneur of the Turkes was disswaded from it by many Barons of his realm and other his allies Amongst whom one Dracocles a Valachian did disswade him from that enterprise But in the end seeing that his aduice took no effect he yeelded that his sonne should go in his company with two thousand horse and at their departure he gaue vnto the king Vladislaus and to his sonne two very swift and light horses saying Because I foresee that the losse is like to fall on your side in this warre which you enterprise I haue giuen you these two horses by whose swiftnesse of foote you may saue your selues and serue you of them in your necessitie for I feare me that you shall haue great need of them And accordingly it fell out for in a set battell foughten betweene Vladislaus the Turks in the yeare 1444. as Dracocles had foretold the king there lost his life Of the tvvo verses vvhich Conrad king of Naples caused to be vvritten vpon a horse of brasse COnrad the sonne of Fredericke hauing taken the towne of Naples by composition in the yeare 1253. caused the wals fortresses and principall houses of the citie to be ruinated and going into the great church within the middle whereof was a horse of brasse without a bridle which had bene kept there of a long time for the antiquitie of it he caused a bridle to be put vpon him and on the reines thereof were written these two verses Hactenus â—ffrenis Domini nunâ— paret habenis Rex domat hunc aequus parthenopensis equum That is to say This horse till now vnbridled now is made To beare the reines which on his necke are laid His lord the rightfull king of Naples towne Did tame this horse and bring his courage downe The saying of Rene king of Sicilia REne king of Sicilie said oftentimes vnto the Princes and Ambassadors of diuerse places that came to visit him I loue the countrey life aboue all others because it is the best manner and the surest course of liuing and the most free from earthly ambition This King loued husbandry exceedingly and vvas the first that caused to be brought into Fraunce out of straunge countries vvhite Peacockes red Partriges vvhite blacke and red Conies Betony and roses of Prouence He was a good Prince a perfect Musitian and composed sundry bookes in verse and in proes amongst the vvhich are that of the conquest of Gentle mercie and that of
that to get to wealth and preferment in Court it is a more happie thing for a man to receiue of his Prince benefits exceeding farre beyond his desert then that his desert and seruice should be greater then the recompence wherby his Prince should remaine indebted as it were bound vnto him For I quoth he do more naturally loue those that are beholding vnto me theÌ„ those to whoÌ„ I am beholding AFter the enterview between him and Edward the fourth king of England at Piquâ—nie where a peace was accorded between them for nine yeares as he returned he said to som of his familiars I like not very well of the company of the king of EnglaÌ„d on this side the seas but being beyoÌ„d the sea at home in his owne country I can well loue him as my brother and my good friend Hauing caused a goodly Tombe or Sepulture to be made in the castle of Locâ—es for the faire ladie Agnes the loue of his late fatherâ— within a while after the Chanons of the church did desire him that the Tombe might be remoued out of the heart of the Church and set in a side Isle or chappell he answered Your request is neither iust nor reasonable neither will I suffer her Sepulture whom my father loued so affectionately to be violated for it should be against all law and equitie He being to make his entrie into Hesdin whilst execution was in doing vpon certaine of the principall Gouernours and Burgesses of Arras his enemies which were some two and twentie in number and eighteen of them being executed he caused the execution to cease and demaunding if M. Oudard de Bussi were beheaded or not and answer being made that he was and that al the bodies of the parties beheaded were buried he commaunded the head of the said de Bussi to be againe digged vp caused a high pole of wood to be set vp in the middest of the market place vpon the which he caused the head of the dead partie to be placed couered with a Cap of scarlet furred with Miniuere as of one that had bene a Councellour of the Parliament He held him in very great reputation because he had bene a most prudent wise man and of sound iudgement in graue and waightie affaires And he would once haue giuen the said Nobleman the office of Councellor in the Parliament of Paris but the said Bussi being not willing to accept of it in his life time he did him this honour after his death A certaine person was a suter to him for an Office which was void in the towne where he dwelt which the king refused to graunt vnto him insomuch as the partie was out of all hope to obtaine it howbeit he humbly thanked the king so departed King Lewis iudging the man to be of no meane spirit and surmizing that he had not well vnderstood what he had said vnto him caused him to be called backe againe and asked him if he had conceiued aright of his answer the partie said Yea sir. Why what said I vnto thee quoth the king You denyed me my sute said he Why didst thou thanke me then replyed the king Because Sir quoth he you did me a greater pleasure theÌ„ you thought of in giuing me my dispatch so speedily without causing me to loose my time in comming after you vpon vaine and idle hopes The King holding himselfe highly satisfied and taking great contentment by this answer granted him the Office and caused his Patent to be made immediatly An Apotheg of Monsieur Bresay to king Lewis the eleuenth THe same King being to ride on hunting mounted on a very little horse Monsieur Peter de Bresay Seneshall of Normandie who accompanied him asked him where he had gotten that so goodly and so stout a horse How meane you that quoth the King seeing he is so weakeanâ—d so litle Me thinkes said de Bresay he must needes be very strong because he caryeth you with all your counsell He taxed the king in that he would manie times beleeue no other counsel theÌ„ his ovvne being vvise in his ovvne conceipt vvhich sometimes he repented The counsell of the said Monsieur de Bresaie to the said King THe Embassadours of the king of England hauing on a time deliuered their charge to king Levvis he demaunded of Monsieur de Bresay his opinion what thing he might bestow vpon the Ambassadours which might not cost him much who answered him Sir you were best to present them with your Musitians for they cost you much and are chargeable vnto you they do you litle or no seruice neither do you take any great pleasure in them The death of the said Seigneur de Bresay IN the battell foughten betweene Levvis the eleuenth and the Countie de Charolois neare mount Leherie the said King as his custome was to speake hastily said vnto Seignor de Bresay that he had no great trust nor affiance in him for that iourney Sir answered de Bresay because you shall well see that I am your loyall and faithfull seruant giue me your coat Armour that I may weare it for you know your enemies aime at nothing more then the destruction of your person and it may happen to saue your life Whereupon the king and he exchaunged both Armes and En signes And the Burgonians supposing that de Bresay whom they saw in the middest of the presse had bene the king they charged furiously in vpon him and so slue him Of king Charles the eighth who gaue an answer to the Florentines in tvvo Italian verses KIng Charles the eighth being in Italie on the conquest of Naples the Florentines sent an Embassade vnto his Maiestie the king reposing no trust in them for their answere caused two Italian verses to be read vnto them which he had written vpoÌ„ a wall in great letters and were these Concortesiae fede poca Va a Fiorence vender loca Which is to say To Florence he went of his goose to make sale Without any faith or courtesie at all The argument of which two verses was this A pesant of the country neare Florence sold a goose to a braue dame of Florence onely to haue his pleasure of her which hauing had yet notwithstanding in his agreemeÌ„t he vsed so little fidelitie or courtesie to the gentlewoman as he exacted the price of his goose in the presence of her husbaâ—d so as she durst not deny but to pay him And thence had this Italian Prouerbe his originalâ— which king Charles pronounced to the Embassadours for their answer A speech of king Charles the eighth touching the keeping of his counsell VVHen the said king Charles the eighth meant to discouer any secret to any man he was wont to say vnto him If I thought that my shirt next my backe knew it I would plucke it off and burne it The speech of Queene Anne vvife to Charles the eighth CHarles the eighth being deceased and the tidings of his death being brought to Queene
a man to recite things that are another mans and to vsurpe them for his owne so it is a good thing and a token of humanitie to make their names knowne and manifest by whō a man commeth to learning and knowledge 12 Iulius Caesar was wont to forget nothing more soone and readily then the iniuries which he had receiued 13 No man can be good by the will and pleasure of another but only of his owne will and disposition 14 Titus Vespasian being crowned King of Ierusalem by the people said That he was not worthie of so great honour because it was not he that had gotten that victorie but that God had fauoured him against the Iewes 15 Octauian Augustus would neuer recommend his children to the people but onely in vsing these words vz. If they deserue well 16 There be three sorts of humanitie the first when one saluteth others courteously the second when one aideth those which are in misery and which haue lost their goods by ill fortune the third when men do frankely of their owne freewils make banquets and feast their friends and acquaintance 17 A certaine man came to tell Octauian that Aemilius Elian spake very ill of his vncle Iulius Caesar to whome Augustus answered I would wish that thou make good proofe of that which thou sayest for I will make Aemilius Elian to know that I haue a toung left me 18 Cecilius Metellus a Senatour was a great enemie to Scipio African as long as he liued howbeit when he vnderstood of the death of Scipio he grew very sorrowfull and commaunded his sonnes presently to go and helpe to carrie the corps of so worthie a personage to the sepulture vsing these or the like speeches I yeeld infinite thankes to the immortall Gods for the loue which I haue to Rome that it is thus happened that Scipio the African was not born in another nation 19 It is in our owne power to be either good or euill 20 Courtesie and faire behauiour is a meane to appease wrath 21 Humanitie amongst men is a strong bond he which breaketh it is a most wicked man and a murtherer 22 The office of humanitie is to relieue men in time of necessitie and perill 23 The soueraigne good of a man is life eternall and the soueraigne and chiefest ill of man is death euerlasting Of Good deedes and honour CHAP. 18. 1 IN doing good to good men it seemeth that this is not to giue but to receiue 2 He which receiueth any good turne especially of one that is his seruant the which he maketh any reckening of let him regard not of whō he receiueth it but what it is which he hath receiued 3 It behooueth each man to be forward to do good vnto another to haue a care also that such fauor be not concealed 4 When mortall men become benefactors they imitate the gods 5 Benefites receiued by importunate requests are little or nothing worth 6 It is no benefite to giue a mā that hath no need nor necessitie 7 To giue more honour to a man then he deserueth is to make way to fooles both to perceiue and to thinke ill 8 In my opinion it is an honourable action to accuse the wicked to defend the good 9 Honour ought to be gotten by vertue and not by deceipt for the one is the office of wicked and leude persons and the other of good and honest men 10 Conon the Athenian being sent Ambassadour by Pharnabazus to the king Artaxerxes was counselled by Chiliarchus that when he should come vnto his presence he ought to encline and prostrate himselfe before him to whome Conon answered It will not grieue me to do that honor vnto the king which thou aduisest me but I doubt lest I shall dishonour my countrey in so doing because the citie wherein I was borne is such a place as it hath vsed to rule and commaund ouer all other cities 11 It is the part and dutie of a friend to do good especially to those that stand in neede of it and that before they require and aske it because both to the one and to the other it will then be a thing both more honest and more pleasing and acceptable 12 There is no doubt but that rare vertue cannot haue too much honour and reuerence done vnto it Of Exercise and industrie CHAP. 19. 1 HE which hath begunne to purchase himselfe praise and commendation with glorie ought to take great paine and trauell to continue it for in truth slouth and negligence do vse to bring foorth at the first a kind of pleasure and delight but the end therof is grief sorrow 2 Labour and trauell by vse and custome commeth to be more easie light and lesse burthensome 3 There are many more men that grow and become good by exercise then by nature 4 Cuus king of the Persians did not loue that glorie for which he had not first endured labour and trauell and he neuer dined nor supped except he had first by some vehement labour euen wearied himselfe 5 Pithagoras said that art without exercise is nothing and that exercise without art likewise is nothing 6 Demosthenes being demanded by what means he became more excellent then others in the art of eloquence answered In consuming more oyle then wine 7 Demades the Oratour being demaunded who was his schoolemaister answered The Parliament of Athens shewing that experience is more noble and of more worth then all discipline 8 Denis the tyrant hauing entertained a Cooke out of the countrey of Laconia and supping of a certaine broath which he had prepared for him cast away from him the dish immediatly and demanded of him what should make the Laconians to delight in eating such a kind of pottage the same being so sharpe and without any pleasant tast The Cooke answered him Sir this broath hath not that kind of tast which the broth of the Laconians is accustomed to haue and that is the matter that you thinke it so vnsauorie Denis replyed why what tast then haue their broths Certes sir said the Cooke before they euer vse to sit downe to meate they vse first to exercise the body 9 Continuall exercise surmounteth the ensignements and instructions of all schoolemaisters 10 No man ought to labour to make himself eloquent by the good of another 11 Exercise is the most artificiall and best mistresse of eloquence to learne to speake well 12 Exercise in youth is a great ayde and furtherance to any man Of Wrath and anger CHAP. 20. 1 PLato said vnto a seruant of his Thou maiest thanke God for that if I had not bene angrie thou haddest surely felt the punishment of thy misdeeds 2 The Philosopher Naucrates did resemble angry men vnto a lampe which if the oyle therein be too much and ouer aboundant will yeeld little or no light or rather putteth out the flame 3 It must be of necessitie that all things which angry men do must needes be full of blindnesse
and necessitie because it is no easie matter for a man troubled with anger to haue the true vse of reason and whatsoeuer is without reason is without art It behooueth vs therefore to take reason as our guide in al our actions and to remoue wrath and anger vtterly from vs. 4 Wrath is the enemie of counsell and victorie naturally is proud 5 Wrath is commendable wheÌ„ the occasion is iust 6 Anger is an euill desire of reuenge 7 Darius king of Persia being very angry for that he was vanquished of the Athenians by fraud commaunded one of his seruants that as often as he shoâ—ld see him sit downe at meales he should vse these words vnto him Sir remember the Athenians 8 Anger is no infirmitie nor yet to be offended but for a man to perseuer in his anger that is an infirmitie 9 If a man subiect to wrath and anger haue any power of command or imperiall authoritie he will soone bring al things to destruction he will fall to bloudshedding ouerthrowing of cities murthering of people and making whole Prouinces and countries solitarie and desert 10 That man that can dispute or discourse well ought to speake without choler 11 Certainely they are much to be blamed who are not moued with anger in such things as are requisite and when necessitie and occasion requireth it 12 It is a goodly thing for a man to conquer his anger and wrathfull passions 13 There is nothing that maketh a more enclining to anger then delicate nourishment full of nicenesse and flatterie for it is an vsuall thing with prosperitie to nourish choler and wrathfulnesse 14 It is a more difficult thing said Heraclitus to striue and contend against luxuriousnesse and lasciuiousnesse then against wrath and anger Of Patience CHAP. 21. 1 DEmosthâ—nes said vnto one that vsed him reprochfully My friend I list not enter into this contention with thee wherein the vanquished is better then the vaâ—quisher 2 Plato being groâ—â—ely iniuried by one with most vile tearmes said vnto him Thou speakest ill because thou hast not yet learned to speake well 3 Aristippus the Philosopher being abused by a fellow with most opprobrious speeches said thus vnto him Thou art a maister of ill speaking and I of ill hearing 4 Euripides seeing two men reuiling each other with iniurious termes said He of you which abstaineth most from villanous leud speeches is to be held the most sage and wisest of the two 5 That man must needes be reputed of the greatest and best courage who can rather endure and beare out an vnhappie and miserable life then shunne and auoid it 6 Archilocus said That patience is the inuention of the Gods 7 Denis the tyrant being exiled for his tyrannie was demaunded wherein Plato his Philosophie had benefited him He answered They haue taught me quietly and with a patient spirit to beare and endure the chaunge and mutabilitie of fortune 8 That body which is accustomed to patience will neuer quit or forsake any place for any paine or trauell whatsoeuer 9 He is to be esteemed patient and valiant who is not easily drawne to be tender and delicate in the time of his prosperitie 10 The Philosopher Chilon seeing one that was very pensiue by reason of some misfortune that had befallen him and that in more vnfit vnseemely sort then was conuenient he said vnto him Assutedly if thou knewest the misfortunes of all other men thou wouldest not beare thine owne aduersitie so impatiently 11 Pittacus the Philosopher said That the office of a wise man was to take to himselfe good aduice and counsell to the end no euill might befall and happen vnto him and if it did afterwards happeÌ„ that any misfortune did betide him then to beare it couragiously and patiently 12 Socrates being in a disputatioÌ„ and hauing in the middest of his discourse heard tidings of the death of his sonne was not any thing at all therewith moued but after that his disputation was ended he then said vnto those which were with him Come on let vs now go and accompanie the corps of my sonne Sophronison to his funerals 13 Democritus said That it was a notable good thing to know how to prouide a remedie for calamitie 14 Xantippe the wife of Socrates was wont to say That albeit many chaunges and variable chaunces did daily trouble and perplexe the whole citie of Athens yet she neuer saw the countenance of her husband Socrates for any matter euer changed or troubled but that he continued still one and the selfe same man in all fortunes And indeede Socrates did so frame his mind that he alwaies bore his visage in one sort as well in aduersitie as prosperitie 15 As Xenophon was sacrificing in the citie of Mantinea there came a missenger to bring him tidings how his sonne Grillus was dead vpon the receipt of which newes he presently tooke the crowne from off his head without further interrupting of the sacrisice But the messenger hauing added this vnto his tale that his sonne died victoriously he tooke vp the crown set it againe vpon his head so went on with the finishing of his sacrifice Of the praise of riches CHAP. 22. 1 THe Poet Simonides being demaunded which of these two things he had rather choose either riches or wisedome answered I cannot tell whether but certaine it is that I see wise men euer attending about the gates of rich men 2 It is a thing most requisite necessarie for a man to haue money without which it is impossible to do or effect any thing with oportunitie or in time conuenient 3 Money amongst mortall men is as the bloud and the soule of a maÌ„ and he which hath it not is as one that walketh dead amongst the liuing 4 Onely gold and riches establisheth customes and manners maketh and giueth beautie nobilitie friendship and all other things whatsoeuer 5 Ha father speake not to me of gentrie or nobilitie for it relyeth altogether vpon wealth and riches giue me my house stored with gold and if I were left a slane I shall then soone become and be reputed noble 6 Mony is it that findeth friends and bringeth men into fauour and dignitie neare about Princes 7 Riches are the sure friends but they which are commonly reputed for friends do soone forsake him which is poore 8 Great riches are to be bestowed vpon friends 9 I see it is an ordinarie humor in women to take pleasure in riches and iewels 10 Apollonius of Thianea said vnto Denis the tyrant Thou shalt be sure to employ thy riches very well and in better sort then all other kings vse to do if thou bestow them vpon the poore and needie 11 Riches do hurt exceedingly except the possessor of them vse them well and rightly Riches dispraised coÌ„deÌ„ned CHAP. 23. 1 THe common Prouerhe is that a man shold not put a knife into a childs hand and I say that thou shouldst neither giue him knife nor yet riches 2