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
I haue done in my lyfe For otherwise their conuersation shulde be fekyll to the people and importunate to the. Also I cōmit to the Lipula thy sister that is amōge the virgins Vestales Thinke that she is doughter of thy mother Faustin whiche I haue greatly loued in my lyfe vnto the houre of my death I haue lamented hers Euery yere I gaue to thy sister .ii. M. sexters for her necessities she had ben as well maried as the other yf she had not be brent in the vysage whiche was estemed of euery man an yl aduenture and specially of her moder that wept alway for her But I esteme that yll aduenture a good fortune For if she had not ben brent in the face with fire she had in the worlde as touchyng her renome be brent with diuers tonges Son I swere to the that for the seruice of the goddes the fame of men she is more surer with the virgins in the temple than though she were in the senate with the senatours I deme that at the ende of the iourney she shal finde her self better at ease closed and locked in than thou with all thy libertie In the prouynce of Lucany I haue lefte for her the .ii. M. sexters I wyll not that thou take them fro her Also I cōmytte Drusia the wyddowe to the which hath layd a great proces against the senate bycause y t by motions afore passed her husbande was banished I haue great compassion of her for it is thre monthes sythe she put in her demande and bycause of my great warres I coude not declare her iustyce Sonne thou shalte fynde it trewe that in .xxxv. yere that I haue gouerned Rome there was neuer wydow that helde her processe before me passynge .viii. dayes Take compassion of suche For womennes necessities are right peryllous and at the laste yf their besynes be longe in hande they recouer not so moche of theyr goodes as they lese in their renowme Also haue compassyon of poore men and the goddis shall rewarde the with great ryches Also I commytte to the my auncient seruantes to whom my longe yeres and cruel warres my often necessities the displeasure of my bodye and my longe syckenesses hath ben right paynefull For they as true seruantes to gyue me lyfe haue taken peyn vnto the deth It is reason that syth I haue taken their deth that they inherite parte of my lyfe One thing I holde for certayne In case that my bodye abyde in the sepulchre with wormes yet I shall alwayes before the goddis haue remembraunce of them In this doinge thou shalt do as a good chylde to satisfie them that haue serued thy father Take hede my son euery prince doinge Iustice acquireth ennemies in the execution therof And this is done by thē that are mooste nere to hym For the more priuie they are with the prince the more hatefull they are to the people And though euery mā loueth Iustice in generall yet they all hate the execution therof in particular Whan a iuste prince is deade the people take vengeance of the vniuste seruantes Whan thou were a chylde my seruantis noryshed the to the entent that thou shuldest susteyne them in their age Surely it were great shame to the empire an offence to the goddis an iniurie to me and an vngentylnes of the ▪ that thou hast foūde them .xviii. yeres with their armes abrode to halse the that they shulde finde one day thy gates shet ageinst them These thinges I cōmit to the particularly kepe them alway in memory And sith I remembre them at my deth cōsider how I loued them in my life ¶ Of the last wordes that themperour spake to his sonne and of a table that he gaue hym Cap. xlviii WHan the emperour had ended his said recommendations the daye began to sprynge and his eye stringes began to breke and his tonge faultred and his handes shoke Than the said happy emperour felynge that weakenes began sore to drawe aboute his harte he commaunded Panutius to go into his study and to brynge to hym a coffre that was there And whan it was brought to his presence he opened it and toke out a table of thre fote broode and two fote longe it was of wood Lybanus rounde about garnished with vnycorne It was closed with two leaues subtylly wroughte of a red wood that some sayde was of the tree that the Phenyx bredeth in and is called Rasyn And as there is but one byrde Phenix bredyng in Arabie so lykewise there is no mo trees in the worlde of the same kynde On one of the outwarde parties of the table was pyctured grauen the god Iupiter on the other the goddesse Venus In the inwarde partyes of the Table that shette was pictured god Mars and the goddesse Ceres In the principall of the sayd table was pyctured a Bulle subtylly wrought to the quycke and vnder that a kynge was pyctured The whiche payntures were sayde to be of the handy warke of the expert Appelles an ancient worke man in payntynge Than the emperour toke the table in his hande and with great peyne he sayd Thou seest my sonne Comodus how I am al redy scaped from the trappes of fortune and am enterynge into the heuy aduentures of dethe I wote not why the goddis haue created vs syth there is so great annoyance in our lyfe so great perylle at our deathe I vnderstande not why the goddis haue and vse so great crueltie to the creatures Lxii. yere I haue sayled with great trauayle through the great perylles of this lyfe and at this howre I am commaunded to take lande and discharge me of my flesshe and to take erthe in the sepulchre Nowe vntyeth the lyuely thredes nowe vndothe the spyndel nowe ryueth the webbe nowe endeth my lyfe Nowe am I awaked from the slepynge euyll remembrynge howe I haue passed my lyfe I haue no more desyre to lyue And in that I knowe not whyche way to go I refuse dethe What shall I do I am determyned to put me into the handes of the goddis wyllyngly sythe I muste do so of necessitie Whome I require yf they haue created me for any goodnes not to depriue me fro them for my demerytes I am nowe in the laste gate and to this howre I haue kepte the greattest and most excellent iewell that I coude fynde in all my lyfe In the .x. yere of myn empire there arose a warre agaynst the Parthes wherfore I determyned in myne own person to giue theym battayle After that warre I came by the auncient citie of Thebes for to see somme antiquitie Amonge the whiche in a pristes howse I founde this table the whiche as a kynge was reysed in Egypte incontynente it was euer hanged at his beddes heed and this priest shewed me that it was made by a kynge in Egipte named Ptholome Arsacides that was a vertuous prince And in the memorie of him and example of other the priestes kepte it
be the worlde At this houre thou art worldly and shalt be worldly and shalt be entreated as the worlde is accustomed to entreate theym that be worldly If thou knewest thy selfe and thy weakenesse yf thou knewest fortune and her mutation if thou kneweste the men and their malices if thou knewest the worlde and the flatteryng therof thou woldest reyse the fro the hande therof with honour and not be chastysed with infamye O howe we hope to sprede by fortune O how often withoute respecte vnwares we passe this lyfe O howe often we truste the bobaunce of this worlde and we trust therin as moche as though it neuer begyled man I say it not bicause I haue harde it sayde nor bycause I haue redde it in bokes but for we se it dayly with our eies somme decaye and lese their goodes other fall and loose their credence some falle in syght and leese their honour and other arise and lose theyr lyues and some thynke that all are free by pryuilege where as neuer none were pryuyleged O my frende Torcate of one thynge I am certayne and let euery man take it for a warnyng Men by whom we be borne be of so yll disposition and the worlde so fierse and cruel with whom we lyue and the glydynge serpente fortune so full of poyson that they hurte vs with their fete byte vs with their teethe and scratche vs with theyr nayles and swelle vs with their poyson soo that the passynge of the lyfe is no lesse than takynge of deathe And in case thou haste sene somme lyue longe without any falle of fortune thynke not it is well for it is not by good aduenture but the more his yll fortune The worlde is so malicious that if we take not hede to prepare against his wrinches it wyl ouerthrowe vs to our greatter losse and hurt Moche sooner dye they that ben helthful with the infirmities syckenes of few days than they that be weke with their lāgour of many yeres I say this bycause I hold it for most suretie that the myserable manne that maye not lyue without myseries shulde fele the peynes by lyttell and lyttell and not all at ones We eate diuers thinges by morsels which if we shulde eate hole wold choke vs. In lykewyse by dyuers dayes we suffre dyuers trauayles whiche al togyder wolde make an ende of vs in one day And than sythe the goddis wyll permytte that thy mysfortune shall fall and that the ryuer of thy decay ouerflowe her chanell where thou wenest to be most sure thou shalt be in greatest peryl we shall minister to the a syrope to thentent that thou lose not thy good renoume though thou haue loste thy goodis that be nought Telle me I praye the Torcate why complaynest thou as he that is sycke Why criest thou lyke a foole why syghest thou as a desperate man Why wepest thou as a chylde Thou haste gone an yll way and complaynest of thy reste Thou arte clothed to goo throughe bushes and thou sayest that thy gownes do teare Thou walkest amonge the stoones and arte sorye bycause thou fallest Thou hast leaned and thoughtest not to fal and fynally thou arte sette with the worlde and thynkeste to be free with heuen Wylte thou haue saufeconduite of Fortune that is ennemye to many She can not giue the naturalitie whiche is mother to all thynges I wyll axe the one thynge I put case the see hadde promysed the to be alway in suretie of her and the skye clere wether the sommer snowes and the wynter flowres It wyll not be of a suretie Torcate If nature canne not fulfylle this beinge thyn owne mother thinkest thou than that fortune wylle gyue it the whiche is thy vniuste stepmother Kepe this rule for certayne and neuer forget it that al natural courses are subiectes to mutation euery yere And all worldely folke that truste on fortune shall suffre eclyps euery moment And than sith naturall thynges can not be alwayes in one case of necessitie the goodis of Fortune muste peryshe sythe they be superfluitie Ryght vniuste shulde the ryghtwyse goddis be yf they had made perpetuall that whiche is domageable to so many Or that whiche is profitable to haue created it fallyble I wylle speake no more of thy prosperitie in tymes paste but nowe I wyll comme to the banyshement that thou suffrest presentely Suspecious fortune made a fayre at thy gate knowynge what she solde and thou wyste not what thou boughtest She made a dere bargayne and solde it dere to the she hathe gyuen the sowre for swete and the swete is tourned into sowrenesse for the she hath gyuen the yuell for good and hath tourned thy good to yl And finaly she hath begyled the at a iuste price not wenynge to the that she wold haue done the domage and though that she was malycious in sellynge to the thou were no lesse foolysshe in the byenge therof for the more there is in fortunes shoppe the more suspecte is the marchandyse O howe vnhappy be we for in that market is nothyng sold but lyes And she trusteth nothynge but vppon the pledges of our renoume and at laste wyll not be payde but with the shotte of our lyfe and that is the mooste greatteste and myscheuous wounde It is as openly knowē to euery man as to the that where as they thynke not to leese theyr wares false Fortune in that they purpose to theyr myshappe lyeth in awayte and is redy to bye theym Thou makest me very sore abasshed Torcate I haue reputed the ryghte wyse and vertuous and nowe I take the for a loste foole In good sothe whan I sawe the yonge in Gayette I iudged the worthy to gouerne Rome and nowe that thou art olde thou deseruest nothyng but to be cast in a galey as a sclaue O howe many thynges are there to knowe a man by There is not so hyghe a toppe of a hylle but it is troden with feete nor soo depe a see but it is sounded with leade And in a hundred yeres one manne can not attayne to knowe an other mannes harte Telle me I praye the what lokedste thou for of fortune after soo greatte welthe Lyuynge to the worlde thynke to be in the world The chyldren of vanite goo and walke soo longe that at laste theyr disordynate desyre canne not take fro the worlde their antike vilanyes and shamfulnes the whiche fortune dothe not with them that she hathe reysed vnto the skyes thynkeste than that she shal bowe with the to the loweste parties O fole Torcate thoughteste thou to passe the see without peryll to eate flesshe withoute bones To drynke wyne withoute lyes to walke in the wayes without fyndynge stones To bye wheate without chaffe In good soth if thou thoughtest to bye yl goodes without hindrance of thy good fame and to maynteyn thy good renome without losse of yl gotten goodes I wolde wytte of the what thou dydest hope to do sithe soo longe season thou haste
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
rather very nyce persons O wycked Marke I neuer loued the for thy goodes though thou louedst me for my beautie with all my harte I loued the than with all my harte I hate the now Thou sayst the goddis haue shewed me great pitie to gyue me fewe chylderne and to them many fathers The greattest blame in women is to be vnshamefast and the moste vylanie in men is to be yll sayers Diuers thinges ought to be suffred for the fragilitie of women whiche are not permitted in the wisedom of men I say this bicause I neuer sawe temperaunce in the for to couer thyne owne malyces nor wysedome to excuse the debilities of other Thou sayest that my sonnes haue dyuers fathers I sweare vnto the that though thou dye the chylderne of Faustine shall not be fatherlesse And of trouthe if the goddis as thou sayest haue be pitiefull to my chyldern no lesse art thou to strange children For Faustyne kepeth the but to excuse her blame and to be tutour of her children O cursed Marc thou mayst well reioyce take no thoughte for thyn owne chyldren haue noo nede to be maried For oone thynge we are bounde that is for the example the whiche thou doste gyue of thy pacyence For sithe thou suffrest Faustine in so many infamies it is no great nede that we suffre any secretes in the. I saye no more at this tyme makynge an ende of my letter desyring the ende of thy person ¶ A letter sent by Marcus the emperour to Matrine a yonge mayden of Rome of whom he was enamoured seinge her at a wyndowe ¶ The .xvii. letter MArke themperour the very desyrous to the Matrine greatly desyred I wote not if by good aduenture of myn yll aduenture or by yll aduenture of my good aduenture I dyd see the of late at a wyndow where as thou heldest thyn armes as close as myn eien were spred abrode that cursed be they for euer For in beholdyng thy face my harte forthewith abode with the as prysoner The begynnynge of thy knowlege is the ende of my reason and felynge of flyght Of one trauayle cometh infinite trauayles to mē I say it for this if I had not ben ydel I had not gone out of my howse and yf I hadde not gone out of my howse I had not gone oute into the stretes and yf I had not passyd through the strete I hadde not sene the at thy wyndowe and if I hadde not sene the at thy wyndowe I had not desyred thy persone and not desyring thy person I had not put thy name in so great perylle nor my lyfe in trauaile nor had gyuen none occasion in al Rome to speke of vs. Of a trouth lady Matrine in this case I condemne my selfe syth I wold beholde the. And thou woldest be saluted syth thou desyredst to be sene And syth thou were set as a whyte marke it was no greate meruaylle that I that with the arowes of myne eyes at the buttes of thy beauty with rollynge eies with browes bent well coloured face incarnate tethe ruddy lyppes cryspe heares handes sette with rynges clothed with a. M. maner of clothynges bearyng purses full of swete smelles and bracelettes full of knackes with perles and stones at the eares Tell me what becometh of a woman with these thynges that wyl shewe her selfe at a wyndowe The mooste cause is that I can esteme or thynke therin that sith you do shew your bodies openly to vs at the eie that your wylle is that we shulde knowe your desires secretely And if it be soo as I afferme that it is so it semeth me madame Matrine thou shuldest desire hym that desyreth the to enforme hym that sercheth the to answere hym that calleth the fele that he feleth intende to hym that intendeth to the and sythe I vnderstande the vnderstande me and vnderstande sythe thou doest not vnderstande I am aduysed as I went by the strete Falaria to se theues putte to Iustice myne eyen sawe the at a wyndowe on whome dependeth all my desires Thou doest more Iustyce to me then I to the theues for I beinge at Iustice thou haste iusticied the Iustice none dare peyne the. The gybet is not so cruell to them that neuer knew but il doing as thou art to me that neuer thought but howe I myghte doo the seruyce The theues suffre but one death and thou makest me to suffre a. M. in a day In one houre the theues liues are ended and I dye euery mynute I drawe towarde deth wrongfully and they suffre for theyr fautes I suffre an innocēt they openly and I in secrete What shall I saye more to the of trouthe they wepte watry droppes with their eyes bycause they dye and I wepe teares of bloud in my harte bycause I lyue This is the difference theyr tourmentes spredeth abrode through all theyr bodies and I kepe myn together in my hart O cruell Matrine I canne not telle what iustyce it is to put men to dethe that steale money suffre women to lyue that robbe mennes hartes If theyr eares be cut of that picke mens pourses why are women than pardoned that robbe mens inwarde hartes and entrayles By thy noblenes I pray the and by the goddesse Venus I coniure the eyther answere to my desyre or elles restore my harte agayne whiche thou hast robbed fro me I wolde thou knewest the clere fayth of my harte rather than this letter writen with my hande If myn aduenture were so good as to speke with the and that thy loue were not ashamed therof I wolde hope with the sight speche to wynne that whiche I am in suspect to lese by my letter The reason is bycause thou herest my ylle and rude reasons redynge my letter And if thou sawest me thou shuldest see the cruelle teares that I offre to the by my lyfe I wolde my mouth coulde publysshe myn enraged euylles as my harte feleth than I swere to the lady Matrine that my greuous dolour shulde awake thy small thought And as thy beautie myn affection haue made me thyn owne so the knowlege of my passion shuld make the mine I desyre that thou shuldest regarde the begynnynge and therwith regarde the ende Certaynly the same day that thou enprisonedst my harte at thy wyndowe in the doungeon of my desyres I had no lesse weakenesse to be ouercome thanne thou haddeste force to constrayne me And more greatter is thy power to putte thy selfe from me than my reason is to put me fro the. I aske no mercye of the but that we myghte declare oure wylles togyther But in this case what wylte thou that I shulde say but that thou hast so moch power ouer me and I so lytel of my lybertie that wyll I nyll I my hart can not be but thyne And hit beinge thyne thou mayste and wylte not declare thy selfe to be myn And syth it may not be but that my life must be condemned in thy seruice be thou as sure
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
that I shulde say but that one ought to haue enuy of his deth compassioÌ„ of my life bicause in dienge he lyueth in lyuinge I die In yl fortunes in case of lyfe in y e subtyl aduersities of fortune where as her gyles profiteth but lyttell and her strength lesse I thinke the beste remedy is to fele it as a man and dissimule it as discrete and wise If all thynges as they be felte at harte shulde be shewed outwarde with the tonge I thynke that the wyndes shoulde breake the harte with sighinges and water all the erthe with wepynge O if the corporall eies sawe the hurt of the hart with a true wound I swere to the there they shuld se more of a droppe of bloudde sweatynge within thanne all the wepynge that is made out warde There is no comparyson of the great dolours of the bodye to the leest peyne that the spirite feleth For all trauayle of the body menne may fynde some remedy but if the heuy harte speke it is not harde if it wepe it is not sene if it complayne hit is not beleued What shall the poore harte do Abhorre the lyfe wherwith it dieth and desire deth wherwith it liueth The high vertues amonge noble vertuous people consystethe not al only to suffre the passions of the body but also to dissimule them of the sowle They be suche that alter the humours and shewe hit not outwarde They brynge a feuer without alterynge the of poulce They alter the stomake They make vs to knele to the erthe to suffer the water vp to the mouth to take death with out leauynge of the lyfe And fynally they lengthe our lyfe to thentente that we shulde haue the more trauaylle and denyethe vs our sepulture to thentente that we shulde not reste vs. But consideringe If I be troubled with tribulations as well am I lette with consolations For euer I haue either desyre of the one or werynes of the other I take this remedye to dissimule with the tongue and to wepe with the eyes â–ª and to â—ele it with my harte I passe my lyfe as he that hopethe to lese all that he hathe and neuer to recouer that is lost I say this â–ª though ye se me not now make funerall wepynges and waylynges as I dyd at the deth of my sonne yet thynke not but it doth brenne my hart so that with the inwarde greatte heate is consumed the humyditie of the eies outwarde for it brennethe all my spyrites inwarde Thou mayste knowe what an honourable father suffrethe to lese a good chylde In all thynges the goddes be lyberall excepte in gyuynge vs vertuous chyldren Where there is aboundaunce of great estates there is greattest scarsitie of good inheritours It is a great hurte to here and greatter to see howe these fathers clyme to haue ryches and to see their chyldren discende to haue vycyousenes To se the fathers honour theyr chyldren and the chyldren to infame theyr fathers yea and the fathers to gyue rest to theyr chyldren and the children to gyue trouble to their olde fathers yea and sometyme the fathers dye for sorowe that theyr children dye so soone and we se the chyldren wepe bycause theyr fathers dye soo late What shulde I saye more but that the honour and riches that the fathers haue procured with great thought the chyldren lose with lyttell care I am certayne of one thynge that the fathers may gather ryches with strength and crafte to susteyne theyr chyldren but the goddis wyll not haue durable that that is begon with euyll intention and is founded to the preiudice of other and is possessed with an euyll heire And though the heuy destenies of the fader permit that the riches be left to their childreÌ„ to serue them in all their vyces for their pastyme at last according to their merites the goddis wyll that the heire heritage shulde peryshe Marke what I say I hadde two sonnes Comode the prince Verissimus the yonger is dead that was greatest in vertue Alway I imagined that while the good lyued I shuld be pore now that the yl remaineth I thynke to be ryche I shall shewe the why the goddis ar so pitieful that to a pore father they neuer giue yl chyld to a riche father they neuer giue a good child And as in al prosperite alway there falleth some sinister fortune either soone or late so therwith fortune doth arme apparel vs wherin she seeth we shal fal to our greattest hurt And therfore the goddis permit that the couetous faders in gaderyng with great trauayle shuld die with that hurt to leue their riches to their vicious childreÌ„ yll implied I wepe as moch for my child y t the goddis haue left me as for him y t they haue taken fro me For the small estimation of hym y t liueth maketh immortal memory of him y t is deed The yl rest coÌ„uersation of them that liue cause vs to sigh for the company of them that be deed The yll is alwaye desired for his ilnes to be deed the good alway meriteth to haue his deth bewailed I say my frend Catulus I thought to haue lost my wit whaÌ„ I saw my son Verissime dye but I toke comfort ayen for either he of me or I of him must se the ende CoÌ„sidering that the goddis dyd but lend him to me gaue him not how they be inheriters I to haue y e vse of the fruit For al thing is mesured by the iust wyll of the goddes not by our disordinate wyls appetites I thinke whaÌ„ they toke away from me my chylde I restored hym to an other not that they haue taken myn But sith it is the wyll of the goddis to gyue rest to the good childe and hurte the father bycause he is yll I yelde thankes to them for the seasone that they haue suffered me to enioye his lyfe And for the pacyence that I haue taken for his deth I desire them to mytigate therwith the chastisement of their yre And I desyre syth they haue taken away the lyfe from this chylde to cause good customes to be in the prince myne other sonne I knowe what heuynesse thou haste take in Rome for my sorowe I pray to the goddis to sende the ioye of thy chylderne and that I maye rewarde the with some toye for that thou haste wept for my peyne My wife Faustine saluteth the and thou woldest haue coÌ„passyon to se her For she wepeth with her eies and sygheth with her harte and with her handes hurteth her selfe and curseth with her tonge She eateth nothynge on the daye nor slepeth in the nyght She loueth darkenes and abhorreth lyght and therof I haue no meruayle for it is reasone that for that was nourished in her entrayles she shulde fele sorowe in the same And the loue of the mother is soo stronge though her chylde be deed and layde in sepulture yet