into a newe And what other thing is the sepulchre but a castelle wherin we be closed agaynst the assautes of the lyfe Of trouth you ought more to couete to take that you find at your deth than the hurte of that you shal leue in your lyfe I demand of you what is it that dothe you most peyne in lesyng of the lyfe If you peyn your self for Helie Fabrice your wyfe bicause you leaue her yonge wery not yourself for she is wel thought on in Rome for any peryll of your lyfe And as soone as she knoweth it I am in certayne she wyll not wepe moche though you go your way Thā you ought not to wepe for leuyng of her These yonge damoysels maried to old men haue euer their eyes fixed in the deth of their husbandes And holly fasten their hartes on him that they think to mary with ageyn They wepe with their eies laughe in their hartis And thinke not contrary though she be an empresse and can not fynde an other emperour to be her husbande yet she wyll fynde some other man For if they be soo determyned they wyll change their robes of sylke for a gowne of clothe I dare well saye they more desyre a yonge sheparde than an olde emperour If you care for your chyldren whom ye muste leaue behind you I can not tell why you shuld do so For if your deth be displeasant to them moch more displeaseth them y t you liue so longe It is great pein to the child not to desire the deth of his father For if he be poore it is for feare how they shuld be mainteined if he be ryche thā bicause he shalbe his heire They synge you wepe you fere the deth wepe bicause you leaue your life Doo you not know y t after the night cometh the dewy mornyng after y t cometh the bright son after y e son comith a derk cloude and after ageyn cometh faire wether after that cometh lightnyng thonder than again clere aire Also I say that after infancy cometh childhode thā cometh youth age after that and so at laste cometh deth and after dethe fearefull hope of a sure lyfe Sir beleue me in one thyng The beginning the meane and the ende euery man hath Certainly if you had ben takē as the floure fro the herbe if you had ben cut grene fro the tree if you had ben graffed in primetyme if you had ben eaten in the sowernes of the vyne I meane if in the fyrste youthe whan lyfe was at the swetest if dethe had come and knocked at the gate ye shulde haue had cause to be sory but as nowe the walles are weake and redye to falle and the flowre wythered and the very putrified the speare full of mosse and canne not drawe the knyfe out of the shethe Herein you haue desired the worlde as if you had neuer knowen the worlde Lxii. yere you haue ben prisoner in the dongeon of the body now whan the shakles or gyues shuld be taken from you you complayne you lorde wold make newe of other newes He that thinketh it nat sufficient to lyue .lxii. yeres in this dethe or to dye in this lyfe he wyll not be contente with thre score thousande ¶ Auguste the Emperour sayde that after that men had lyued .l. yeres they ought to dye orels cause them selfe to be slayne bycause that vnto that tyme is the felycitie of man He that lyueth beyonde that tyme passeth his tyme in heuynesse in greuous aches deathe of his chylderne and losse of his goodes in importunities of his chyldren in lawe buryenge of his frendes susteynynge processe payinge of dettis and other infinyte trauayles So that it were better with his eies cloosed to abyde theym in his graue thanne with his eyes open to abyde theym in his lyfe dayes Certaynly it is a fortune of all fortunes and he is ryght priuie with the goddis that at .l. yere leaueth his lyfe For al the time that he liueth after is in decaying and neuer vpryght but rollyng relynge and redy to fall O Marc my dere lorde do you not know that by the same way that lyfe gothe cometh dethe It is .lxii. yere that ye haue soughte the one from the other And whan ye wente fro Rome where as you lefte your howse ye wente to Illirike where you lefte a great pestylence and nowe you are retourned into Hungarie Do you not knowe that as soone as you were borne to gouerne the erthe incontinent dethe issued out of his sepulchre to fynde your lyfe And if you haue honored ambassadours of the straunge kynges moche more ye oughte to honour deathe that cometh fro the goddis What lordshyp can be loste in this lyfe but you shal fynde greatter in the death Are you not remembred whan Vulcan my sonne in lawe poisoned me bicause he desyred my goodes more than my lyfe howe you my lorde for loue that you had to me gaue me comforte and counsell for the deth of my sorowfull youth and you sayd to me the goddis were cruell in kyllynge of them that be yonge and pitiefull whan they burie theym that be olde And also you sayde to me Comforte thy selfe Panutius For if thou dydst lyue to dye now than thou dyest to liue Therfore right high and myghty prince I saye to you as you sayde to me and I counsayle you as you counsayled me and that you gaue me I gyue you ageyne Fynally of this repynge take the best in worthe let the rest abide ¶ How themperour demanded to haue in writing al that the Secretarie had sayde Cap. xli ANd as of the contentynge of the wylle oftentymes procedeth helthe and ease of the body the emperour was wel satisfied with the wordes of Panutius whiche he eloquently vttered and with profounde counsell hardily and familyarly and in due tyme as a good frende Great cōpassion it is to them that wold die whā it is shewed them what they ought to do For of them that be about the bed somme robbe hym of his money somme serue hym welle some holde the place to be his heire some gape for gyftes some wepe for losynge of hym somme laugh for the gaynes they haue by his death and so in this maner the poore pacient hauyng many lokynge for their profyte hath no body to counsel hym We se dayly that seruātes whā they se the going out of the cādell of lyfe care not for the clēsing of their lordes vyces And therof cometh that as sone as he is deed streight way begynneth to stynke And so I say that the ende of his lyfe is the begynnynge of his infamy All they that were there as well the olde seruantes as the newe belongynge to themperour capitaynes of warre other were not a lyttell abashed of the sayenge of Panutius and they all allowed his sayinge and sayde he was worthy to haue the gouernaunce of thempire The good emperour all the season
true it semeth by diuers excellent barons well lerned in diuers sciences that flourished in his tyme Iulius Capitolin recounteth of them as foloweth Alexander a greke Trasion Polyon Euticius Anius Macrion Caninius Crodiaticus Fornius Cornelius Apolonius Nius Sextus Cheronense Iunius Rasticus Claudius Maximus Cina Catulus Claudius Seuerus and the renowmed Diogenitus paynter and the well lerned lawyer Volusius Mecianus All these were in this emperours palays and residente in his persence And yet for all that he had dyuers other wise presons in Rome and abrode in Italy It was no meruail to se in those dayes the multitude of men that flourisshed in wisedome There was no father but if he had two sonnes he wolde set one of them to study and the other accordyng to the Romayne lawe shuld be sette to the warres And if this emperour wyst of any wyse yong man aboue al other he wolde fauour hym ¶ Of the emperour Marcus sonne named Verissimus Cap. v. THis emperour Marcus Aurelius hadde only two sonnes as Herodian saythe The greattest and eldest was called Comode and the yōgest was named Verissimus He was a fayre childe of person and right vertuous of liuing With his beautie he drewe to hym the eies of many and with his good inclinations he robbed the hartes of all men He was the hope of the people and the glorie of his fathers age And though the eldest was prince yet themperour determyned that the laste borne for his vertues shulde inherite as the eldest And he that was fyrst borne for his demerites shulde be disherited And as good desyres in the best tyme fayle often by vnhappy chance this emperour being of .lii. yeres of age and the sonne of .xvi. the glorie of Rome and hope of the father the lyfe of the sonne toke an ende And as moche was the deathe bewayled as the lyfe desyred It was great pytie for the senate by reason therof sawe not themperour nor the olde emperour for sorowe sawe not the senate of a longe space Rome was ryght heuy and the senate withdrewe them to the heighte of the capitoll dyuers dayes And as the mystes and wyndes cause the leaues to falle that were grene in sommer and the dedes of honour constrayne vs to forget the myshappes of fortune as a man of high lynage and of stronge courage thoughe that sorowe remayne in his harte and abydethe locked therin determynethe to clense the braunches of sorowes that is outward fayning ioy and myrthe outwardely kepynge the sorowe within so this Marcus the emperour as a man whose vine freseth and dyethe wherin he had al his hope contented him with that was lefte behynde Whan his dere sonne Verissimus was deed he sente for the prince Comode his onely inheritour whiche sythe the chylde his brother was deed entred not in to the palays And the emperour seynge the proude and outragious porte of his sonne Comode bedewed his eien with salte teares remembrynge the shame of the one and the dethe of the other The whiche perceyued by Faustyne his mother which loued hym moste entierly commaunded to haue her sonne awaye fro the presence of his father ¶ What wyse and auncient men Marcus chose to instructe his sonne Cap. vi THoughe that the harte of this emperour was occupied with the death of his chylde yet for all that he reysed his vnderstandyng to haue the prince his heyre ryght well brought vppe For certaynely princis bene suche whan they come to mans estate as they be brought vp in their tender youth The father than knowynge the frayle inclinations of his chylde not correspondent to the good gouernaunce of the empire as a good emperour sent ouer all Italye for the moste wysest persones in lernynge the moste famous of renowme and the mooste vertuous in dedes And as in dyuers thynges the infamye is greatter in the yll doinge by malyce than the faute of the trespassour by weakenes so in dyuers other thynges the common voyce is more than the secrete vertue For the whyche occasyon after the assemblynge of these wyse menne the emperour commaunded to examyne them and to be informed of the bloude of their predecessours of the appoyntement in all their thynges and of the treatie of their busynes and of the credence amonge their neyghbours and of the purenes of their lyues and grauitie of theyr persones and finally of their sciences what they coulde do and this to be done in an order The astrologiens in astronomie the musitiens in musyke the oratours in their arte of rhetorike and some in other sciences And this not in one daye but in many and not onely by informacyon of other but he wolde knowe hit by his owne propre experience Thus they were all examyned soo that there was none lefte behynde And as for perfecte knowlege of thynges wherin we haue great affection it behoueth to haue straunge aduyse clere vnderstandynge and propre experience so the emperour commanded to chose out of dyuers a fewe and out of fewe the wysest and of the wysest the moste experte moste worthy and moste auncient And accordyng to the vii artes lyberall there was assigned to euery science two maysters so that the prince was one and the maysters xiiii This renowme that the Emperour sente ouer all to haue maysters for his sonne the prince caused to come to hym moo wyse men from straunge countreys than of the marches and neyghbours of Rome The good emperour considerynge that it was no reason that suche as came to his seruice shulde returne myscontented some with ioyfull wordes some vpon certayne hope and some with giftes and presentes were dispatched soo that they were all pleased And if this doinge was renowmed by the reporte of the wise men it was no lesse vertuous by the wisedome and worthynes of the emperour to sende them home soo well content For he sent them away as well satisfied that were ouercome as they were cōtented that ouercam them And certaynly they had all reason for some bare the swete wordes and satisfienge of the father and somme aboode there charged with the enterprise of the sonne Yet the good emperour not being contented with this commanded that these maysters shoulde be lodged in his palayes and eate in his presence and acconpany his personne to se if theyr lyfe were conformable to their science and whether their plesant and wel couched wordes agreed in effect with theyr warkes It was a meruaylous thinge to se the study and thought that the emperour had to regard them as well in goynge as fedynge ¶ Howe it chaunced to fyue wyse men wherfore they were put out of the emperours house Cap. vii IN the month of Septembre the .xi. day therof in halowyng the feast of the Emperours natiuitie in the same house where as he was borne in the place of moūt Celio As a trewande and foole dothe lyke hym selfe and semblably as he is accustomed to doo And lyke as oone dothe the semblable thynges and customes that he
he lyueth in this worlde he holdeth his felicitie but at aduenture and his aduersitie for his naturall patrimony Amonge all them that coulde reioyce in prosperitie and helpe theym selfe in aduersitie this emperour Marcus Aurelius was one whiche for any flatterynges that Fortune coulde shewe hym he neuer trusted in them nor for myshappe that he had in this life he neuer dispayred ¶ What Marcus themperour sayd to a Senatour as touchynge triumphes Cap. xxxv WHanne these feastes were passed as Sertus Cheronense saith a senatour named Aluinus sayde to themperour the same nyght that the triumphe ceassed Syr reioyce you sythe that this day ye haue gyuen so great ryches to the common treasure of Rome and I haue sene your person in the triumph of glorie and to the worlde to come of you and your house you haue lefte perpetuall memorye The emperour hering these wordis said in this maner Frēdes it is good reson we beleue the hūter knoweth the fiersnes of vestis the phisition the propretie of herbes the mariner the perils of rockes the capitaines the chances of warre and the emperour that triumpheth the ioyes that he hath of triumphes As god helpe me and as euer I haue part with my predecessours and as euer I haue good fortune the thoughtes that I haue had for these festes haue bene farre greatter than the feares that I haue had in all the iourneyes and battayles afore And the reason therof is very euydent to theym that haue clere vnderstanding For always in cruel battailes I was euer in hope to haue glorie feared not the ouerthrow of fortune What coude I lose in battayle Nothynge but the lyfe that is the leest thyng that men haue and alwayes in these triumphes I feare to lose renowme whiche is the greatest gyfte that the goddis haue gyuen me O howe happy is that man that loseth his lyfe and leaueth behynde hym perpetuall memorie Lette euery man vnderstande this that wylle and saye what they lyste that amonge noble and valyaunt barons he dyeth not that leeseth his lyfe and leaueth good renowme after hym and moche lesse tyme lyueth he that hath an yll name thoughe he lyued many yeres The ancyent philosophers reckened not the lyfe of a man though he lyued many yeres but they reckened the good werkes that he hadde doone The senate was importune vppon me that I shulde take this triumphe as ye knowe well and I can not tell whiche was greattest theyr desyre or my resistence You knowe not the trouthe why I say thus I dyd it not bycause of ambicion and for couetousnes of glorie but it was bicause I fere y e humain malice At the day of the triumph there was not so greate ioy shewed by the symple persons but the hyd enuy was greatter among the greattest persons This glory passeth in one day but enuy abydeth a hole yere The plentifulle realme of Egipt so happy in the blodshed of their enmies as in the waters of Nyle hadde a lawe immouable They neuer denyed theyr mercy to the captiues ouercome nor they gaue no triumph to theyr capitaynes ouercomers ¶ The Caldees mocke at the Romayne triumphes affirmyng how there is not gyuen so great chastisement to the capitayne of Egipte ouercome as the empire Romayne gyue to the ouercomer whan tryumphe is gyuen to hym And surely the reason is good for the thoughtefull capytayne whanne he hathe chased his ennemyes that Rome hath in straunge londes with his owne propre speare in payement for his trauayle they gyue him ennemyes in his owne propre lande I swere to you that all the Romaine capitaynes haue not lefte so many enmyes deed by swerd as they haue recouered ylle wyllars the daye of theyr tryumphes Let vs leaue the Caldees and speake we of our auncient Romaynes whiche if they myghte retorne nowe agayne in to the worlde they wolde rather be tyed faste to the chariottes as captiues than to syt in them as vyctours And the cause is theyr neighbours seinge them goinge as captiues wolde moue theyr hartes to set theym at liberte so that the glorie of theyr tryumphes is a meane to cause them to be persecuted and pursued I haue redde in writyng and herd of my predecessours and haue seene of my neighbours that the aboundaunce of felicitie hathe caused cruel enuie to be in many O in what peril are they that with particuler honor wold be exalted among other In the moste higheste trees the force of wyndes is mooste aduaunced And in most sumptuous buildynges lyghteninge and thunder doothe mooste hurte and in greatte thycke and drye busshes the fyers kendle mooste easelye I say that in them that fortune hath reysed most hyghly agaynst them spredeth the greattest poyson of enuye All suche as be vertuous say The mo ennemies they subdue to the common welthe the moo enuious they recouer of their renoume One ought to haue great compassion of a vertuous manne bycause where he trauaileth to be good there abydeth one thynge in hym of the whiche all onely at the deth he seeth the ende And that is the more a man recouereth here renoume amonge straungers the more he is persecuted with enuy amonge his owne nations Homer shewethe in his Illiades that Caluitio kynge of the Argiues was expert in clergie valiant in armes and indued with dyuers graces beloued with his people aboue al other he was a great louer of his goddis and worshypper of them This good kynge had a custome that in all thynges that he had to do he wolde fyrste aske counsayle in the temples of the goddes he wolde begynne no warre agaynste other nor ordeyne no newe lawe nor custome in his realme nor gyue aunswere to the ambassadours nor put no trespasours to death nor set no tribute on his people but first he wolde go to the temple and make dyuers sacrifices to knowe the wyll of the goddes And bycause he went so often to the oracles he was demaunded what answere the goddis made to hym in secrete seinge he was so importunate Then he answered and sayde I demand of the goddes that they shulde not gyue me so lyttell that euery man myght abate and ouercome me Nor also that they shulde gyue me so moche that euery manne shoulde hate me but my desyre is to haue a meane estate wherewith euery manne myghte loue me For I hadde leuer be felowe with many in loue than to be kynge of all with hatred and enuy ¶ Of the great reproche that the emperour gaue to his wyfe Faustyne and her doughter Capitu. xxxvi AFter the feastes of the triumphe afore sayde this good emperour wyllynge to satysfye his harte and to aduertise Faustine his wyfe and to teche his innocēt doughter without knowledge of any other he sent for them and sayde I am not contēt Faustine with that your doughter doth and yet lesse with that you do which ar her mother These maidens for to be good maydens oughte well to knowe howe to obey theyr
that Panutius spake wept with depe sighes fro his harte And bycause he was so sore greued he coude not forthwith giue hym an answere At the laste he commanded Panutius to giue him in writyng al that he had sayd to thentent that he myght studye theron For he said it was no reson to forget thinges so well said So all the rest of that night the Secretarie occupied hym selfe to put in writing the same sayinge and the next day he delyuered it to themperour whiche toke it and looked theron all the day and kept it styll in his handes and oftē times redde theron And the next nyght themperour sente for the Secretarie in open audience he said as foloweth The answere of themperour to Panutius ca. xlii HAppy was the mylke that thou suckedst in Dacie the bread y t thou diddest eate at Rome the lernyng that thou haddest in Athenes and thy bringyng vp in my hous For in my lyfe thou haste wel serued me and at my dethe thou hast well counsayled me I commande Commodus my sonne to rewarde the for thy good seruice And I pray the goddis to recompence the for thy councel The reward for diuers seruices a mā may make but y e rewarde for good coūcel all the goddis had nede to do The gretist reward that one frend may do to an other is in a great weightie matter to succour him with good councel Al the trauailes of the worlde are weightie but the trauaylle of dethe is the weightiest all be perillous but that is moste perillous al ben great but this is the grettest al thingis haue an ende at last by deth saufe only deth whose ende is vnknowē He that is hurte with deth is as he y t is sicke of the sleping euill hauing a quicke vnderstandyng yet he knoweth no man many thinges beinge offered to hym he can determine vpon none Yet againe I say he is a true and faithfull frende that in such time wil giue good coūsel to his frend All they that here this that I say wyl say that it is true But I sweare that noo man can knowe it perfitely but he that is in case that I am in redye to dye Lxii. yere hath ben the cours of my lyfe and nowe deathe commaundeth me to close myn eies to folowe the cours of deth Moreouer as thou knowest not the infirmitie so thou approchest not to the cure and helthe The dolour is not there as thou hast made defensiues it is not the fistula where against thou hast giuen cautere it is not ageinst opilations that thou hast giuen siropes it is not in y e veines y t thou hast giuen me incision Thou hast not wel heled the wounde that thou hast stitched me I say that thou must entre further in me to knowe perfitely myne accesse The sighes that procede fro the botom of my hert can not be vnderstanden with heringe of them the goddis alonly know y e thoughtes of y e hart Also diuers thingis ar in me that I knowe not of my selfe noo more than that is without me O Panutius thou accusest me that I feare death To feare it greatly I deny it but I confesse to feare it as a man Of trouth if I shuld say that I feare not death I muste deny that I am not made of fleshe We se that the Olyphant feareth the lyon and the beare feareth the olyphant and the wolfe fearethe the beare and the shepe fearethe the wolfe and the ratte the catte and the catte the dogge and the dogge the man and all onely theyr feare is that they drede to be slayne Than if these brute bestes refuse deth not fearynge the fyghtynge with furious spirites nor the enioyenge with the goddes Howe moche rather oughte we to feare the deathe For we are in feare to be torne in pieces with the furies in theyr peynes or to be receyued in pleasure with the goddes Therfore I say that the naturall feare of deathe I haue ouer come with the bridell and lyberties of reason Thinkeste thou Panutius that I see not my grasse wasted and my grapes gathered that my house breaketh and that I haue nothyng left but the stocke of the grapes the skynne of the flesshe and but one onely blaste of all my lyfe Thou seeste well that by the tokens the exercise is sene And nettes be caste in the riuers and in the parkes bulles bene chased I saye that the rumour of deathe holdeth in sauetie the lyfe that is in me at this houre redy armed agaynst dethe I make batayle with deathe at this houre barayne and naked of lyfe and so redy to entre into the sepulchre at this houre I shall entre in to the campe where as I shall not be gored with bulles but shall be eaten with wormes and fynally I shal go from whens I can not flee Thus I hope abydyng deth And this I say bycause thou shalt knowe that I knowe it and that thou shalt fele that I fele And to the entent thou lyue vnbegiled I wyll tell the a secrete secrete The nouelties that thou hast sene in me as in abhorrynge of meate bereuynge of slepe liuynge alone werynes of company drownynge in syghes and pastyme in wepynge Thou mayste wel thinke what turment ought to be in the see of my harte whan suche tremblynges and motions of erthe and reynes are set in the erthe of my body Shal I shew y e wherfore my body is in this thought and my herte in suche trouble The cause why I suffre dethe soo greuousely is that I leaue my sonne Commode in this lyfe in a perillous age for him and suspecious for thempire By the floures the fruites are knowen and the viues in burgenyng by the colt the hors is knowen whether he shall be meke or stubborne for labour or cariage in the youthe the yonge man is knowen and by the lytell that I se in my lyfe by my sonne Commode I feare me it wyll be lesse after my deth Thou knowest not why I say thus And I say it not without cause for my sonne Commode is very yonge and yet yonger in wytte He is of an yll inclination but he be forced he gouerneth hym selfe by his owne wytte and vnderstandyng as thoughe he were a man of experince he knoweth but lyttelle and carethe for nothynge Of the tyme passed he hath no knowledge all onely he occupieth hym selfe with the tyme present Fynally by that I se with myn eies and thynke in my harte I feare me the personne of my sonne shall be in peryll and the memorie of his fathers howse perysshe Faustyne his mother hath fostred hym to delycately and by a harde stony grounde he hath a great way to go He entreth as now alone into the pathe of youth without any guyde I feare me he shall goo out of the ryght waye and wander in the bushes and thornes of vices O Panutius harken what I say I
that trusteth in youthe is lyght and he that gouerneth by him selfe alone is hardy and bolde and he that gouerneth by him selfe and other is wise These were notable wordes ¶ Than my sonne determin the to take counsel and specially in high thinges and matiers of difficultie and other wise let them not be determyned For whan the counsaylle is taken of dyuers than if any faute be it shal be deuided amonge them al. Thoughe the determination myghte be done by a fewe yet take counsel of many Amonge all thy welthes here the common counsel For one wyl shewe the al the inconuenience an nother the peryl an other the domage an other the profitte an nother the remedye And sette as well thyn eyes vpon the inconueniences that they laye as vpon the remedy that they offre Whan thou begynnest any harde mattier esteme as wel the smal domages that may befall afore and stoppe them as to remedy the gret misfortunes that come after Of trouth the strōg and myghty shyppe ofte tymes for a smalle takynge hede of the pylotte is sounken and drowned in a lyttell water and an other shyppe not so strong with wise diligence is saued in the gulfe of the see Be not annoyed to take coūcel in smal matters euery houre For many thinges forthwith require to be loked to and in abydinge for councel it endomageth And that that thou canst dispatche by thyn owne auctoritie without domage of the common welthe put it not to any other person For sith thy seruice al onely dependeth of thyn the rewarde dependeth of the alone ¶ In the yere .vi. C.xxx of the foundation of Rome after the cruell warres done ageinst the kynge of Numedie the day that Marius triumphed without puttyng of any of the riches that he brought into the common treasury he deuyded it to his men of warre And whan he was therfore accused and asked why he toke not firste the opinyon of the senate He aunswered and sayde Sythe they toke not the opinion of other to do me seruice it were no reson that I shulde take councell of other to rewarde and recōpence them ¶ Son yet I wil aduertise of other thinges Peraduenture some wyll gyue the counsell er thou demaund it In that case kepe this general rule neuer abide the second counsell of a man if he haue giuen the counsell before in the preiudice of an other For he offreth his wordes in thy seruice to bringe the besynes to his owne profyte O my sonne there are many thinges to knowe a man Xv yere I haue ben senatour consule censure capitaine and tribune and .xviii. yeres I haue ben emperour of Rome and diuers haue spoken to me in preiudice of other and many mo for their own profite and none haue spoken clerely to me for the profite of other nor for my seruice Great compassion oughte to be taken of princis for euery man foloweth them for theyr owne profite none for loue and seruice One counsell I toke for my selfe all the whyle that I haue gouerned Rome I neuer kepte man in my house after that I knewe hym hatefull agaynste the common welthe ¶ In the yere of the foundation of Rome .vi. C.lix of the Olympiade C.lxviii Lucullus Patricien greate frende to Sylla goynge to the warre of Methridates It chaunced that in Tygoano a citie of Caldiens he found a plate of coper or brasse vpon the kinges gatis wherin were certayne lytters whiche they sayde were grauen there by the commandement of Alexander the great The letters were in Caldee conteynyng these sentences That prince is not wyse that wyll holde his lyfe in peryll and wil not assure his lyfe and state with the loue of all men That prince is not vertuous that in giuinge moche to one person wylleth all other to haue but lyttell That prince is not iuste that wyll satysfie more the couetise of one person than the voices of all men That prince is a fole that dispyseth the councell of all other and trusteth all onely vpon the opinion of one And finally that prince is to bolde and hardye ▪ that for the loue of one wil be hated of all other ¶ These were wordes of eternall memorye And in dede these princis shulde haue this always in theyr presence Sonne yet I shal say more to the. This Lucullus Patriciens brought into the Senate al the tresure that he had and this plate with the sayd wordes theron to thentente that they shulde chuse the one and leaue the other And the senate refused all the treasure and toke the counselles written theron ¶ Of dyuers and partycular recommendations whiche the emperour commaunded his sonne Cap. xlvii I Haue shewed lyke a father the thynge that toucheth thy welth Nowe I wyll shew the what thou oughtest to do after my death for my seruice Those thynges that I haue loued in my lyfe if thou wilte be sonne to thy father esteme them after my dethe Fyrste my sonne I recommende to the the worshyppynge of the temples and the reuerence of the priestes with the honour to the goddis So longe shall the honour of the Romayns laste as they perseuer in the seruice of the goddis The realme of the Carthaginens perished not bycause they were not soo riche or more cowardes than the Romayns but bycause they loued their tresors to moch and were but yll worshippers and louers of the temples My sonne I recommend to the Helia thy stepmother remembre that though she be not thyn owne mother yet she is my wyfe and on the peyne of my cursyng suffre not that she be yl intreted For the domage that she shuld suffre by thy cōsent shuld gyue euidence of the smal thought that thou takest of my deth which shulde be an iniury to thy life I haue left to her the tributes and reuenues of Nostie for to maynteine her degre and the gardens of Vulcan which I caused to make for her recreatiō And if thou take it fro her thou she weste thyne ylnesse And to suffer her to enioy it I commaunde the by thyne obedience and to shewe her thy bountie and largesse Remembre she is a Romain yong and a widow of the house of my lorde Traian and howe she is thy mother adoptife my naturall wyfe wherfore I leue her vnder thy recōmendation Also I cōmyt to the thy breterne in law thy sisters my doughters I leue them al maried not to straunge kynges but to the natural inhabitauntes and citesens of Rome They dwel all within the walles of Rome where as they may do the seruice and thou mayst do thē good Son intrete them in suche wise that though their good father be deade yet let them haue fauour And though they se their brother emperour of Rome yet let thē not be defouled Womē be of a ryght tender cōdition they wyll complayne for a smalle cause and for lesse they wylle ryse vp in pride thou oughtest to conserue theym after my deth as
passeth in my thoughte than the shorte clothe doothe in a false weuers handes Ye haue strayned it on the tentours and drawen it on the perche for to to lengthen the lyfe If ye were made faire and clere cordwainers waxe and swete of sauour that ye myghte be drawen out at lengthe hit were welle doone but ye are but as fruyte of almondes semynge drie without and worme eaten within For the loue that I haue to you and for neyghbourheed that ye haue had with me I desire styll frendshyppe of you that lyke as I knewe you yonge and very yonge so to knowe you olde and very olde I say not that ye surmoūt in age but your wytte fayleth you O Claudius and Claudine I wylle ye knowe that to susteyne youthe and to deface age to length the lyfe and driue awaye dethe it is not in mennes handes that desyre hit it is the goddis that doo gyue it whiche accordinge to iustyce and our couetyse giueth vs lyfe by weighte and deathe without measure Ye may know that our nature is corruption of our body and our bodye is putrifaction of our wytte and our wytte is guyde to our soule and our soule is mother of our desyres and our desires are sleers of our youthe our youth token of our age and our age spye of our dethe and dethe the house of our lyfe wherinto youthe gothe on fote and from age we canne not flee on hors backe I wolde wyte a thinge of you what fynde ye in this lyfe wherfore dothe lyfe content you after .lxxx. yeres of age eyther ye haue ben good or yl if ye haue bene good and vertuous ye shal not reioyce you with yll goddis if ye haue benne yll ▪ than as well desire dethe to thentente ye shulde be no more yll orels iustly ye might be slayn by iustice For he y t hath ben yll tyll .lx. yeres of age in him there is no hope of amendmente Whan the couragious great Pompeie and Caius Cesar were ennemies and beinge in cruell ciuil battailes Rome was infamed and them self lost The annales shew that suche as came in fauour of Iulius Cesar cam out of the west and the succours of Pompeie out of the easte among other there came certayne people out of Barbarie dwellyng amonge the mountayns Riffees toward Inde Their custome was whan they came to thage of .l. yeres to make great fyres and brenne them selfe quicke in sacrifyce to theyr goddis and the same daye the parentes and chyldren wolde make great feastes and eate of the flesshe halfe brente and drynke wyne with the ashes of the bones This was sene with the eies of Pompei bicause that som accomplyshed the yeres of fyftye in the campe O golden worlde wherin were suche men O happy people that in all the worldes to come hath left such a memorie of them They dispised the worlde and forgatte them selfe What strokes gaue they to fortune What delytes for the fleshe and howe lyttell sette they by theyr lyues and yet more to set so small store by deathe O what bridel was this for the vicious and what hope for the vertuous what confusion for them that loued this lyfe and what ensaumple not to feare dethe haue they left vs And sith they dispised their owne propre lyfe it is then to be thoughte that they dyed not to thentent to take other mens goodes to thynke that our lyfe neuer shall haue ende therfore our couetyse neuer hath ende O glorious people and .x. M. tymes blessed that lefte theyr sensualitie and vanquyshed theyr natural wyll beleue not that ye se but gyue faythe to that ye neuer sawe as they that se nothyng go agaynst the fatal destenies who goethe agaynste the waye of fortune gyue a wrynche to the lyfe robbe the body at the dethe wynne honour of the goddis not that they shulde length your lyfe but to take the reste of the lyfe Archagatus surgien and Anthonius the phisitien and Esculapius the father of medicines I thynke wanne but lyttell in that lande Who commaunded these Barbariens to take sirope in the mornyng and to take pylles at night and to refreshe them with mylke to take clere barly to annoynt theyr lyuers to daye to be lette blode and to morowe to take a purgation to eate one thing and to absteyn fro many thinges Than me thinke that they beynge of .l. yere of aege and you of lxxx at the leaste shulde be egall with them in wysedome And if ye wyll not take deth in good worth yet at the leest amende the yll lyfe I remembre well of a long tyme that Fabricius our neybour wylled vs to beware of a mockerie the whiche if it be not broken there shall folowe great dysshonour And sith he shewed me soo good a lesson I wyll paye you with the same money I wyll shewe it you if ye poore aged folkes doo not knowe it ye be suche that your eyes are bleared your noses droppynge your heares whyte your herynge dulle your tongue faulterynge your tethe waggynge your face wrincled your fete swollen your shuldres croked and your stomake distempered finally if the graues coude speake they myght ryghtfully calle for you to come and inhabite in them Of trouthe it is great compassion to beholde yonge ignoraunce that open theyr eies to knowe the infortunes of this lyfe whan it is tyme to close them and to entre into the graue And therof cometh that it is in vayne to giue counsaile to vain yong peple For youth is without experiēce of that it doth is suspect of that it hereth wyl not beleue that is said and disprayseth other mens coūsel is ryght pore of their owne And therfore I saye Claudius and Claudyne my frendes I fynde without comparison none so ylle an ignorance of goodnes that holdethe these yonge personnes as is the obstinacy of these aged personnes in yll The diffinition of yll is a manne not to knowe that he oughte to knowe yet it is wors to haue the knowlege of wysedome and to lyue lyke a brute beaste O ye olde goutye people ye forgette your selfe and renne in poste after the lyfe and ye neuer regarde whatte shall falle tyll ye be suche as ye wolde not and without power to retourne backe herof cometh that ye lacke of lyfe ye wyll supplye it with foly Than awake ye that be slombringe haue no force to slepe open your slepy eies and accustome you to do well Take that is nedeful for you and fynally appoynt you betimes with dethe or he make execution of your lyfe Lii yeres I haue knowen them of the worlde yet I could neuer know none so olde nor so putrifyed in their membres but that their hartes were hole to thynke vnhappynesse and their tongues hole to make lyes Take hede ye poore olde persons me thynke syth somer is paste ye haste forward with the tyme and if ye tary a small season yet ye make haaste to take lodgynge
souerayne folye to be borne wepynge to dye syghynge and to lyue laughynge The rule to gouerne all partes ought to be egall O Cincinate who hath begyled the that for a potte full of water thou haste nede of a greatte laake of this world to passe this wretched lyfe Wylt thou flay away the skynne of thy handes with the corde of thoughtes breake thy body in bataylle with great trauayle and aduenture thyne honour for one potte of water What wylte thou more that I shulde say but that to fyl a potte of thy goodes thou wylt suffre a. M. perylles And in the vyle exercysing of thy marchandyse thou doubtest not for lesynge of thy credence And fynally I sweare to the thou shalt abyde deed for thurste as thoughe there were no water in the feldes If thou wylt do by my counsell desyre deathe of the goddis to reste the as an aged wyse man and demaunde not rychesse to lyue yll as a yonge foole I haue soore wepte for many that I haue sene in Rome departed oute of this worlde and for the I haue wepte droppes of blode to se the retourne newly vylely to the worlde My amitie and the credite of the senate the bloude of thy predecessours the auctoritie of thy person and the honour of the countreye oughte to refrayne thy couetousnesse Oh frende thy whyte heares sheweth honour and wysedome the whiche shuld exercise and be occupied in noble dedes Regarde It auayleth more to folowe reason by the ways of them that be good than the cōmon opinyon whiche is the large way of them that be yll For though the one be strayte for the fete it reiseth no duste for to blynde the eies as the other dothe to lyghte younge persons the whyche procure lyghtnesse ignoraunce excuseth them but the disordinate couetyse of the olde persones causeth theym to occupie their lyfe with trauayle and to take deathe with great annoyaunce and in the one as welle as in the other abydeth great infamy O Cyncinate take this counsayle of a frende Charge not thy selfe with takynge of these vayne goodes syth thou haste soo smalle a morselle of thy lyfe For suche as thou arte we see consume and waste and not to quicken Put no trust in frendes in the present prosperitie for it is a pronostication of an euyll fortune And sythe thou arte in a hasarde lyke a foole me thynke thou oughtest to discende a foote lyke a sage person And thus euery man wyll saye howe Cincinate is discended and not fallen I wyll say no more but the goddis be thy sauegarde and defende bothe the and me frome gylefulle fortune My wyfe Faustyne saluteth the and she is withdrawen frome me bycause I wrote this letter to the and hathe coniured me to write this worde to the that is she saythe thou oughtest to haue wytte whan thy necke is full of heare and I thynke thou oughteste in continente to take a barber shaue away the heare that thy wytte maye come forth I wold thy couetyse shuld forsake the and foly Faustin and the gowte me and the soner our soules may departe fro our fleshe than gile shuld remayne in our hartes Marc of mount Celio writeth this with his hande ¶ A letter sente fro Marc the emperour to Catulus censorious that was sorowfull for the deth of his sonne Verissimus The .viii. letter MArc censore newe and yonge salute and reuerence to the Catulus censorius olde and auncient I haue writen two letters to the thou haste made aunswere to none of them If it be bycause thou couldest not I holde my peace If it be bycause thou woldest not than I complayne me If it be for forgetfulnes thā I accuse the If it be bycause thou setteste lyttelle by me than I appeale the If thou haste dreamed that thou haste wrytten I saye beleue not in dreames And if thou wylte not it shulde vayle to glorifie me as a frende yet thou mightest take it write in aduertisinge repreuynge as the father to the son Yong vertuous persons are bounde to honour aunciente wise men no lesse old wyse men ought to endoctrine the yong people and very yonge as I am A iuste thynge it is that the new forces of youth supply serue them that are worne by age For theyr longe experience mocketh our tender age natural ignorance youth is yl applied when it surmōteth the force of the body faylleth the vertues of the soule age is honored wherin the force dyeth outwarde wherby vertues quickneth the more inward we may se the tre whē the fruite is gadered the leues fal and whan flowers dry than more grene and perfyte are the rotes I meane that whan the first season of youth is passed which is the Somer tyme than cometh aege called wynter and putrifieth the fruite of the fleshe and the leaues of fauour falle and the floures of delyte are wyddered and the vynes of hope dried outwarde than it is right that moche better the rotes of good workes within be good They that be old and auncient ought to prayse theyr good werkes rather than theyr white heares For honour ought to be gyuen for the good lyfe and not for the whyte heade Glorious is that common welthe and fortunate is that prince that is lord of yonge men to trauayle and ancient persons to counsel As to regarde the susteynyng of the naturalitie of the life in lykewise ought to be consydered the polycie of gouernaunce the whiche is that al the fruites come nor drie not al at ones but whan one beginneth an other fayleth And in this maner ye that be auncient teachynge vs and we obedient as olde fathers and yonge pullettes beynge in the neste of the senate Of some their fethers fallyng and other yonge fethered and where as the olde fathers can not flye their trauaylles are maynteyned by theyr tender chyldren Frende Catulus I purposed not to write one lyne this yere bycause my penne was troubled with thy slouthe but the smallenesse of my spirite and the greatte peryll of myn offices always called on me to demande thy counsell This priuilege the olde wyse men holde in their houses where they dwelle They are alwayes lordes ouer them that be symple and are sclaues to them that be wyse I thynke thou haste forgotten me thynkynge that sythe the dethe of my dere sonne Verissimus the tyme hath ben so longe that I shulde forgette it Thou hast occasion to thynke so for many thynges renneth in tyme that reason can not helpe But in this case I can not tel whiche is the greattest thy trumperie or my dolour I sweare to the by the goddis immortall that the hungry wormes in the entrayles of the vnhappy chylde are not so puisante as are the cruell dolours in the harte of the father sore wounded And it is no comparison for the son is ded but one tyme ▪ y e heuy father dieth euery moment What wilt thou more
may that he wyl not and wylleth that he may not More ouer the coūsell of his frendes profiteth hym not nor the shame of his enmies nor losse of his goodes nor the aduenture of honour nor loosynge of his lyfe nor sekynge of deathe nor comynge nere nor goinge ferre nor seinge with eyes nor herynge with eares nor tastyng with mouthe nor yet feelynge of hande and finally to attayne vyctorie he hathe alway warre agaynst him selfe I wold these louers knew fro whens loue procedeth it is this The entrayles that we are bredde in is of fleshe the brestes that we sucke are of fleshe the armes that we are nourished in be of fleshe the werkes that we doo are of the fleshe by the which occasions commeth the repeale of our fleshe to their flesshe Many free hartes falle into the snares of loue It semeth well my ladies that ye are brought vp in puddels as the Egiptiēs say The puddels kepe no clere water to drinke nor fruite to eate nor fyshe to be taken nor vessell to sayle with I do say ye are fowle in your lyuynge shamefull in your persons in aduersytie feble and lethy in prosperitie subtyll and wyly false in wordes doubtfull in your werkes In hatynge ye kepe a disorder extreme to loue auaricious to gyue vnshamfaste to take and I saye ye are a receite of feare where as wyse men finde perille and simple men suffre In you wise men holde their renomes disalowed and the symple men their lyfe in penury ¶ Let vs leaue the opinyon of the Egyptiens and come to the Grekes whiche say that in the desertes of Arabye the sonne shyneth moste hote and they say that at the begynnynge there appered a woman alone with a byrde called Phenyx the whyche byrde they say was created of the water and the woman of the great heate of the sonne and of the corruption of the powdre that falleth fro the trees whiche the wormes do eate In this wyse there was a tree soore eaten with wormes and it chaunced by heate of the sonne and dryth of the powder that a fyre kendled and soo brente it and than of the fyre and powder of the sayd brent tree the fyrste woman was made And though I be a philosopher Romayne I wyll not say that the opinyon of the philosopher greke was yll For of truthe ye ladyes that be amorous haue your tonges of the nature of fyre your condicions of the rottennes of the pouder of wood After the diuersite of beestis nature hath put some strēgth in dyuers partis of their bodyes as the egle in the beake the vnicorne in the horne the serpent in the tayle the bull in the heed the beare in the armes the hors in the brest the dogge in his tethe the hogge in the groyne the wod doue in her wynges and women in their tonges Of trouth the flyghte of the wood doue is not so highe as the fantasie of your folyes nor the catte scratcheth not so soore with her nayles as ye scratche foles with your importunities nor the dogge hurteth not them that he renneth at as ye doo the sorowfull louer that seruethe you nor he is not in soo greatte perill of his lyfe that catcheth the bulle by the hornes as the good fame of the louer is that falleth into your handes And finally the serpent hath not so moche poyson in his tayle as ye haue in your tongues Set all the good Romayne ladyes apart for there be many of whom there is no complaynt of their persones nor suspection of their good names Of all suche my letter speketh not nor my penne writeth not of them but of other I speake of women that be suche that all venemous beastes haue not so moch poyson in their bodies as they haue in their tonges And sith that the goddis haue commaunded and our destenies do permyt that the lyfe of men can not passe without women therfore I aduertyse these yonge people and pray them that be olde and awake wyse men and tech the symple to flee away from women of yl name rather than from a comon pestilence ¶ Redynge the auncient lawes of Plato I fynde writen thus we cōmand y t al women opēly infamed be opēly put out of the citie to thentēt that other seing their sinnes not vnpunished may abhorre the sinne for feare to fal into the same peyne Also the same lawe sayth We command that pardon be giuen to a woman of all the fautes commytted by her owne body if any amendement be sene in her but neuer to pardon theym that haue commytted synne with their tonges For commyttynge synne with an yl persone is of fragilitie but with the tongue it is of pure malyce ¶ O diuine Plato master measure of al vnderstāding and prince of all philosophers whanne thou madeste that lawe in the golden world that there was neuer such scarcitie of yll women and so great aboundance of good women in Grece What shall we doo nowe in Rome where there be so many ylle openly amd so fewe good in secrete Naturally they were wonte to be shamefaste in theyr vysages temperate in wordes wyse of wyt sobre in goinge meke in conuersation pitiefull in correction well regardynge their lyuynge not kepynge companies stedfaste in promesse and constant in loue Fynally let not the woman that wyll be good truste in the wisedome of wise men nor in the flatterie of lyghte folkes But lette her vertuously regarde her renoume and beware alwayes of any manne that maketh her any promys For after that the flames of Venus be set on fire and Cupide hath shot his arrowes the ryche man offereth all that he hath the poore man all that he may the wyse man sayth he wyll be her great frēd and the symple alway her seruaunt the wyse man wyl lose his lyfe for her and the foole wyll take his deathe for her The olde man wyl say he wyl be frend to her frendes and the yong man wyl say he wyl be ennemie to her enemies Some wil promys to pay her debtes and other to reuēge her iniuries Fynally to hyde their pouertie and to shewe their beautie they leaue these fooles losing their persones and good fames I wille leaue to speake of good women for it is not myn intent to laye any thynge to theyr charge but to aduertyse them well I demaunde of you amorous ladies if Platon was there whan ye made a playe of my lyfe and drewe my fygure about in Rome No surely in dede by that I se in you at this tyme it is suspecious that is sayde of other For there is but a fewe in Rome whom Plato and his lawe dothe excuse One thynge ye can not deny if I were the worste of all menne at the laste ye haue founde the ende of my vilanies And ye can not denye me but she that is leaste yll of you in all my lyfe I coude not shewe the malyce of her lyfe It is greatte peryll to