so pitiful coÌ„plaintes that in fine the moued him to mercy Insomuch that he sent one vnto hir who willed hir in the kings name to chose the deliuerie of one captiue whom she would wherfore she amoÌ„gst the rest desired that hir brother might be deliuered The king wondering that she did thus prefer hir brother before hir husband and children she answered him an other husband other children if it please God I may haue but an other brother now my parents be dead I shall neuer haue Of Children SEruilius Geminus supping with Lucius Manlius who was counted the best paynter in Rome séeing his children harde fauoured he saide vnto him I sée Manlius thou canst not make a childe so wel as thou canst paint him No quoth Manlius manerly answering for I paint them in the lighte but I make them in the darke Cyriades the first of the. 30. Roman tiraÌ„ts for that Cyriades his father was iustly displeased w him toke a great pece of money and fled vnto Persia where ioyning with Sapores he made war against Rome and killed his owne father but after wardes was by his owne crafte slaine him selfe Absalon king Dauids sonne desiring his fathers kingdome and therfore making war agaynst him was as he fled hanged by the haire on a bushe and so flayne whose death his moste godly father bewayled with many teares Ariaster Triganis sonne hearing that Pompeâ— was inuading his fathers kingdom fled to aid hym agaynst his father wherof Triganis hearing came huÌ„bly submitted himself at Pompeis féete who curteously receyued him and placed him on the right hand and his sonne Ariaster on his left hand deuiding the kingdome betwéene them But Ariaster béeing offended herewith when as PoÌ„pei sent for him to to supper he wold not come sending him this manacing answer the he had no néed of him but wold ioine with some other Roman who shold better estéeme him With which words he so offended Pompei that he caste him in prison and kept him for a spectacle at the triumph Herodes father to Parcorus hearing of of the death of Parcorus his sonne the discoÌ„fiture of his host was so greued that he fel mad for sorrowe but after he had bene a great while in this care at laste comming to himselfe he was so greatly trobled whoÌ„ of his 30. sons which he had begotteÌ„ of his coÌ„cubines he might make king for euery of these coÌ„cubines desired the regimeÌ„t of the kingdome for their sonne but in fine he determined to prefer Phrahates therto who immediatly killed his father destroied his brethren wheÌ„ his owne son came to age put him to death It was by an oracle declared vnto Altamenes the he should be the death of his father Cartareus king of Crete nowe called Candie which destinie he desirous to eschue departed and dwelt at Camiros in Rhodes But after a season his father desirous to sée him departed from Candie and by night ariued at Camiros But his men and the inhabitantes falling at debate Altamenes comming amongste them vnawares siue his father Which thing when he vnderstoode being ashamed to looke any man in the face he departed into the wildernesse and there died for sorowe Spartianus wryting of the life of Seuerus saythe that there was almoste no good or noble man which left any sonne good or profitable for the coÌ„mon wealth but either they died withoute issue or lefte suche as it had bene good if they neuer had bene borne And to begin with Romulus he lefte no childe Numa Pompilius none to doe the common wealthe good What did Camillus lefte he any childe like himselfe What did Scipio or the Catoes who were noble men And what should I speake of Homer Demosthenes Virgill Crispus Terence Plautus or the rest Or what of Caesar or Cicero Who aboue all others had bene happie if he had died without issue And finally who had bene more happie than Marcus Aurelius if he hadde not lefte his sonne Comodus to succéede him in the Empire or who more fortunate than Seuerus Septimius if Bassianus had neuer bene begotten Reade more in the title of education Of Concord and vnitie VVHen Pisistratus king of the Atheniens giuing his children good couÌ„sell coulde not be heard of them he was iustly displeased with them for it Which thing his enimies perceiuing were very glad hoping that by this discorde in his house some alteration woulde followe Wherof when the king had intelligeÌ„ce he assembled the Citie before him telling them that bicause his sonnes would not obey his fatherly pleasure he was offended with them but yet now it séemed good to his fatherly pitie that remitting their disobedience to forgiue them and consent vnto them Wherefore willed it to be published in the Citie that the king and his sonnes were nowe at one Demetrius a very louing and obedient sonne to Antigonus his father chauncing to come from hunting whilest certaine Embassadoures were doing theyr legacie vnto him in theyr presence entred all armed as he was and kissed his Father Wherefore when the Embassadoures shoulde departe Antigonus sayde vnto them Remember sirs to declare the loue and hartie affection which you haue séene betwéene my sonne and me Héereby declaring that agréement betwéene the father and the sonne is the greatest token of a Princes power that may be Licurgus vnto the Citizens whiche wrote to knowe howe they mighte best resist theyr ennimies force Answered if you shal be content to liue poore as you are and abstaine from mutuall dissention and discorde That Concorde is a thing very pleasante before God Homer in his Fâ—â—ades declareth Where hee felleth howe Mars the God of warre came vnto Iupiter to complaine of Diomedes who had wounded him but Iupiter with sterne countenaunce answered I woulde thou knewest that of all the celestiall coÌ„panie thou art one that I worst can away withal whose only delite is in brauling fighting and making of warre In Salust Mycippa at his death warned his sonnes to agrée amongste themselues saying by Concorde and vnitie smal things are increased made great but by discorde the greatest things that euer were will be decayed and brought to naughte Of the Court and Courtyers life CAlisthenes the Philosopher going to dwel with king Alexander was warned of Aristotle either seldome to speake vnto him or else to frame his speache pleasant and merie But he reprouing the king for taking pleasure to be saluted of the Persians and indeuoring to induce him in the Macedonian customes was cast in prison there as some say he died of the gout others say he was crucified which Trogus denyeth saying he had his handes and his eares cut off also his nose and his lippes deformed and so was made a spectacle for men to behold Praexaspes one of Cambyses his secrete counsell being asked what the people saide of him he answered that all men praised him greatly but that they saye he was toomuche giuen to Wine
and hys master Seneca Lucane and diuers others aswell learned men as also his tutors and friends he rewarded wyth like curtesie Finallie when he had attempted diuers diuelishe deuises to destroy his mother and yet she was by Gods prouidence preserued in fine pretending great amitie he sent for hir to a banquet where with great ioy he receyued and interteined hir at parting kissed the brests which he more vnnatural than any Tigre had sucked secretly cōmaunding the shipmaster that béeing on the sea he shuld make as though perforce he were driuen against hir ship so bursting the ship to drowne hir which being as wickedly accomplished she neuerthelesse swam out escaped Wherof as ioyfull tidings when one Ligarinus brought him word he cōmanded him to be put to death and with him his owne mother This Nero cōmanded Rome to be set on fire in twelue places so continued it sixe dayes and seuen nightes in burning while that he to sée the example howe Troy burned sitting in his towre Mecaenas song Homers verses But in the ende he was fayne to kil him self for fear cōplayning the he had neither friend nor foe left the would do it for him Also C. Caesar Caligula was so cruell that in dedicating a bridge which he had made conteyning in lengthe thrée myles and sixe hundred passes he calling a number of people vnto him caused them all to be throwen downe and drowned in the sea he wyshed that all the people of Rome had but one necke to the intent he mighte destroy suche a multitude But God sent so shrewde a cowe short hornes For he was cut of by Cheraea Sabinus others which conspired against him After whose death there was soūd in his closet two libels wherin was cōteined the names of those senators and noble men that he meant to put to death ther was also foūd a coffer wherin diuers kinds of poyson were kepte to destroy a multitude of people which poysons afterwards being throwen into the sea destroied a great number of fish When Herode had put to death al his sons at length falling into a gret greuous disease insomuch the worms did eat him aliue dispayring the he should neuer recouer he caused all the noble men of Iewry to be imprisoned thē calling his sister Salome Alexander hir husbande vnto him he said vnto them I know the Iewes wil be right ioyful make great feasts at my death wherfore take these whom I haue in holde and put them to death that once in my life I may cause all Iewry to lament and mourne Whē king Darius made war agaynst the Scithians had taken the sonnes of Orobertus a noble man he desired the king to leaue him one of his thrée sonnes to comfort him in his age Which thing Darius promised to do and more than that to And so cruelly killing them he bad him take them all thrée Cneius Piso made an Edict that if any of his souldiours returned out of the field without his cōpanie he should dye for it aswel as if he had slaine him him self It hapned that one so returning desired his leaue to goe séeke his mate whiche thing Piso would not graunt but commaunded a Captain to sée him executed which when he prepared to accomplish he sawe the man whiche was missing comming towards them wherefore he commaunded the hanchman to stay the sworde and so brought them both vnto Piso but he in a furie commaunded thē all thrée to be put to deathe the one bycause he was alreadie condemned the other bycause he was the cause of his condemnation and the Captain for not executing his precept Of deceyte and guile ROsimund the wife of Alboinis king of Longobardia through the persuasiō of one Helmelchides who promised hir mariage made awaye Albonis hir husbande After whose death the adulterer and she béeing chased from Longobardia fled to Rauenna where she was honourably interteyned of Longinus the king who also béeing taken with hir beautie desired that she would make away Helmelchides and marry him promising hir by this meanes to restore hir to the kingdome of Longobardia Wherevpon as Helmechides on a tyme came out of the bathe she making him beléeue that she had made him a drinke to recouer his strengthe caused hym to drinke poyson whiche thing when he perceyued he compelled hir to drinke the rest and so in one day and wyth one kinde of death the worlde was deliuered of two adulterers Datames was a man of singular craft and very subtyll and circumspecte in all his dealinges so that when it was tolde him that there were some which lay in wayse to kyll him he caused one to doo on hys attire and to goe to the place where the ambushement was who béeyng supposed to haue béene Datames him selfe was beset but Datames with greater power rescued him and subdued his foes After this one Mithridates pretending friendship desired to speake with him in a secrete place where he before had hidde his weapon When the tyme was come that they should méete Datemes caused him and he Datemes to be searched and when no weapon coulde be founde aboute them they came togither to talke and after long debating they departed eche man his way but Mithridates comming to the place where his weapon lay making as thoughe he paused tooke vp his weapon and hid it vnder his clothes thē calling againe after Datemes as though he had somewhat more to say vnto him came to him and flue him Whē Xerxes for his feblenesse began to be contēned of his subiects Artabanus his chief ruler hoping to aspire vnto the kingdome came with his vij sturdy sons vnto the palace where first he secretly made away his lord Xerxes then the soner to attaine his hoped pray he set discorde betwéene the two yong princes persuading Artaxerses that Darius his brother had killed his father Xerxes Wherevppon Artaxerses caused Darius to be kylled in his bedde But as GOD woulde haue it Artabanus not kéeping his owne counsayle opened hys trayterous stomacke to Bacabassus hys companion who disclosing it to Artaxerses the Prince he faygning as though he woulde sée a viewe of his men commaunded them all agaynst the next day to be before him in complete armoure Wherein they accomplished his commaundement he according to promise came to take a view of them and espying Artabanus amongst the rest making as thogh his cote of maile were to short he willed Artabanus to chaunge wyth him And so Artabanus vnarming him Artaxerses thrust him through verefying the Psalm Foueam féecit ac incidit in eam he pretended the destruction of an other and was him selfe destroyed After that Ptolome king of Ceraunia had subdued Antigonus made war with Antiochus Pirrhus and had now gotten the regimēt of al Macedonia into his own hands he assaied also to deceiue his own sister to bereue frō hir hir two sonnes and hir citie
for that he had Pius Metellus to his fréende the other bicause he had not destroyed Athens Ex Plutarch in Rom. Apoth When one demaunded of Socrates whether he thought not Archilaus moste happie I can not tell quoth he for I neuer spake with him Bruso lib. 2 cap. 36. Antigonus seeing one of his souldiers who otherwise was a valiant man to haue some secreate disease asked him what the matter was that he looked so pale To whome the souldier confessing the truthe of his anguishe Antigonus bad his Phisitians if it were possible to cure him But being now cured of his disease he began to be more slacke to fighte and not so hardie in his affaires as he was woont to be Whereat the king wondering asked him how it came to passe that his minde was so fodenly altered Why thou thy selfe quoth he arte the cause thereof For as long as I liued in paine and miserie I was nothing afeard to lose so miserable a life But nowe when by your goodnesse I liue in better case I am loth to lose my life Lycost Ex Eras lib. 8. Apoth Of Fortune POlycrates king of Samia was a prince so fortunate that he neuer desired any thing but he had it And coulde no sooner wishe but haue Wherefore fearing the mutabilitie of Fortune who when shée striketh striketh home he tooke a ring of inestimable price and cast it into the sea But fortune was so fauorable vnto him that a fish eat his ring which afterwards was taken and giueÌ„ vnto him in whose belly the Cooke finding the ring restored it vnto him againe But in the ende making warre with Darius he was taken captiue of Crontes the chiefe Captayne hanged on the high mount Michasus there lefte a praye for foules to deuour Dionisius the yonger being asked how it chanced that his father was preferred from the state of a priuat maÌ„ to become a king and he from royall scepter to be throwen downe to so base an estate answered bycause my father lefte me his kingdome but not fortune Cressus consulting the oracle whether he should wage warre against Tomiris the Quéene of whome he was in fine killed was aunswered If thou déemest thy self immortal then néedest thou not my counsell héerein but if thou acknowledge thy self to be a man let this be thy firste lesson that the state of humaine affaires is rounde and that fortune neuer leaueth man in one estate When Aucaeus the sonne of Neptune and Astipalcas planting a vineyard was earnest with his seruants to apply their worke one of them sayd to his felowes what paines my Maister taketh aboute this vine and yet he shall neuer taste the fruit of the grape When Ancaeus heard hereof he said nothing vntill the grapes were ripe and euen nowe pressed them sending for his seruant and caused a cup of the wine to be filled he put it towards his mouthe mocking and taunting hys seruant for this vaine prophecie But as he was thus preaching ouer the cup an other of his seruants came in with spéed and sayde that there was a wilde Bore in the vineyarde Wherfore Ancaeus cast downe the cuppe and running to chase away the wild bore was destroied of him and héerof sprang the prouerbial verse Multa caduÌ„t inter caliceÌ„ suprenâ—aque labra Though to thy mouth thou lift the pot Whether thou shalt drink yet wotest thou not When one Damacles a Parasite of Dionisius began to praise the abundance of welth maiestie dominion wherw t Dionisius was indued sayd the he neuer saw any so fortunat as he was Dionisius asked him whether he wold be content to assay his estate and fortune awhile Yea quoth Damacles with all my heart Wherfore the king commaunded that this Parasite should be layd in his bed The next day he caused a gorgious dinner to be prepared and setting him in his chaire of estate he charged theÌ„ that with all possible honoure and pleasure they should serue him But in the middest of this chéere he caused a glistering sweard to be hanged with a horsse haire and let downe ouer his head Which when Damacles sawe neither could he behold the comelinesse of his seruitures nor yet the delicacie of his meat but only fastening his eyes on the sworde he desired Dionisius to giue him leaue to departe and saide that he would no lenger be blessed Bruso Lib. 3. cap. 13. On a time when the papacie of Rome had bene vacante two yeares and more the Cardinals concluded to electe Petrus Moroneus a godly man and consecrated him by the name of Celestine the fifthe Who bicause he began to refourme the clergie Boniface the eighte then called Benedictus so handled the matter that what by his iuggling speaking through his chamber walles nightly admonished him to giue vp his papacie and other his diuellishe illusions he persuaded him in in some solitarie deserte And ere long was by this Boniface apprehended imprisoned and put to death For whiche impietie of his when Iacobus and Petrus Cardinalles of Columna séemed to be offended this Boniface tooke suche displeasure agaynst them that he caused Preneste Zagorolum and Columna to be made leuell with the grounde Yea for their sakes he was so displeased with the Gibilenes and the inhabitauntes of Columna that on ashewednesday when Porchetus an Archebishoppe came and knéeled downe before hym to receyue his ashes he looking on him and perceyuing that he was one of the Gibilines caste his handfull of ashes in his eyes and sayde Memento homo c. That is remember man that thou arte a Gibiline and to ashes thou shalte goe But in the ende partely from the Cardinalles of Columna and partely from Phillip the Frenche king whome he had greatly molested were sente an arnne of men whiche came to Augonum and there in hys owne fathers house and in the very chaumber where he was borne they spoyled his substaunce and led him captiue to Rome And there within 24. dayes after he dyed for sorrowe Whereas the inhabitants of Paphus were wonte to haue their king chosen of the familie of the Sinarasians and nowe that house was cleane spente Alexander being very desirous to get them a king of that stocke vnderstoode that there was yet a poore maÌ„ called Halimomus which came of that linage wherefore with al spéede he repaired thither to create him king And finding him in hys garden drawing of water with al triuÌ„ph had him thence incontinent made him a king and companion of his owne person Bru. li. 2. cap. 37. It is reported that Marius Septimus the tyrant was made emperor one day reigned the next the third day was slayn of his souldiers Brus li. 2. cap. 37. After the death of Antiochus king of Syria his sonne Seleucus killed Bernice his stepmother with the yong childe his brother Whereof when Ptolome king of Egypt and brother to this Bernice had intelligence he came to Syria with a mayne Hoste to reuenge
the death of his sister and so good successe he hadde herein that all the kings of Syria yéelded them vnto him But whylest he was thus occupied in Syria his owne subiectes rebelled in Aegypt Wherfore he was fayne to rayse his siege and departe home Then Seleucus thinking to be reuenged on the Syrian cities which tooke parte agaynst him prepared an armie to inuade them But so it fell out that the greatest parte of his nauie were drowned on the sea and he with a small power ariued at the citie and there when the citizens submitted them selues vnto hym he receyued them to mercie And gathering a new armie he renued the warre agaynst Ptolome of whome he was subdued and compelled to flée to Antioche as one with whome fortune was disposed to make a playgame Bruso lib. 2. cap. 37. When Timotheus Conous sonne had subdued many cities vnto the Athenian kingdome certayne persons enuying him and ascribing all his prowesse vnto fortune paynted him a sleepe and fortune subduing cities for him But he offended so to loese the glorie of his valyaunt attemptes the nexte tyme that he had obteyned a conqueste he sayde vnto the Athenians that in all the victories that euer he gotte fortune coulde rightely chalenge none of hys glorie Wherevppon fortune was so offended with him that after that tyme he neuer atchéeued any notable acte but had euill successe in all the affayres he wente about and in the ende loste the fauour of the people and was banished his countrey Brus lib. 2. cap. 37. When tidings was brought to king Phillip of sundrie good fortunes which happened vnto him at one instaunte as that Tetrippo his sonne had wonne the pryce at Olimpus Dardenio had got a greate conqueste on the sea and Olimpia hys wife had broughte him foorth a man childe he helde vp his handes to heauen and sayde And O fortune I beséeche thée for so many and so greate benefites of thyne suffer but some small myschiefe to lyghten vppon mée Knowing hir manner to be suche that on whome shée meaneth to worke some greate myschiefe on them shée firste she weth a fauourable and fauning face as playnely appeareth in the storie of Polycrates Simonides the Philosopher was inuited to a banquet of Paulanias the king Who in the banquet desired him to tell them something out of his Philosophie that mighte be a lesson for them whylest they lyued Well then quoth hee remember Pausanias that thou arte a man For séeing Pausanias by reason of hys happie estate to thinke well of him selfe he thought good by those wordes to putte hym in mynde of his duetie But albeit Pausanias contemned thys sage saying of the Philosopher yet afterwardes béeing taken captiue and lyke to bée famyshed he was forced to allowe and commende hys wordes and to appostrophate vnto hymselfe in thys sorte O guest guest I sée nowe there was greate weighte in thy wordes but I reposed suche confidence in myne owne fickle fortune that I thoughte them of no force Wherefore now I muste dye a miserable death Of Fortitude and Manhoode IF Antisthenes sawe any woman goe gayly apparelled he woulde straightwayes goe vnto hir husbandes house and byd him shewe his horse and his harnesse and if he thoughte them sufficient he woulde suffer his wife to goe at hir pleasure bicause she had one at home to defende hir But if he lyked not of it he woulde persuade hir to leaue of hir gay clothes least some bodye woulde come and steale hir away Ex Laer. li. 6. cap. 1. Archilomida Brasidas mother hearing that Brasidas hir sonne was slayne in warre the firste question shée demaunded was whether he dyed manfully of no Yea quoth the Thrasisians For amongest all the Lacedemonians there was none in prowesse and vertuous qualityes comparable vnto hym You knowe not sirs quoth shée what felowes the Lacedemonians are I thinke in déede Brasidas my sonne was a good honest yong manne but yet not so good but that there be many better amongest the Lacedemonians Whiche aunswere of hirs is greatly to be commended aswell for hir wisedome and fortitude in so reioycing at the honest deathe of hir sonne as also for hir modestie and naturall affection vnto hir countrey which could not abyde that hir sonne shoulde be so highely praysed that his prayse shoulde any thing derogate from the true commendation of hir natiue soyle Plutar. in Lacon Apoth When a certayne Athenian made a funerall Oration in the prayse of them whome the Lacedemonians hadde slayne in the warre a Lacedemonian standing by sayde If these were suche iollie felowes which were slayne what thinke you of our men which slue them Alexander the sonne of Mammea hearing that Artaxerses king of Persia was comming with an huge armie to inuade the Romane Empire saide vnto his souldiers that strong and valiaunt men oughte to wishe the beste in all thinges but yet to be content and to suffer if any thing happen contrary to their expectation And neither to waxe proude in prosperitie nor to dispayre in aduersitie Herodian lib. 6. When Publius Crassus sonne had a long time manfully fought agaynst his enemies and was in fine slaine of them they fastned his head vpon a speare and therewith approched nye vnto the Romane armie and greatly triumphing that they had him they asked the Romanes of what stocke that yong man came saying that it was impossible that so valiaunt a sonne shoulde come of so cowardly a father But Crassus was nothing troubled with this heauy sight but ranne among the Roman souldiers and sayde this losse is mine ye Romanes this calamitie is mine and I onely haue cause to be sorie for this but in your health and prowesse consisteth the publike welth and glorie of the whole citie Plut. in N. Crass When Xerxes made warre agaynste Greece the Athenians sent a spie to view Agiselaus Themistocles brother Who comming into the host slue one Mardonius Xerxes Courtier thynking to haue slayne the king him selfe Wherefore he was apprehended and sacrificed on the aulter of Sol and there stoutly endured all the torment not once sighing for all the payne And when he was losed he told them that al the Atheniens were such fellowes and if you beléeue me not burne my left hand also Of Friendes and Friendship SOcrates was wont to say that no possession is so good as a true and a faythfull friende and that nothing is so pleasant and profitable as is suche a friende Wherefore they go a contrarie waye to worke which are more sorie for the losse of their money than for their friend and thinke that they haue lost much if they bestowe a benefit on any man without some present profite whereas in déede they gayne thereby a friende whyche maye by the fruitfullest gayne possible Erasm Lib. 3. Apo. When it was tolde Dion whiche afterwardes expelled Dionisius out of his kingdome that Calixtus his friend whō aboue all others he trusted moste wente about to
Aurelio But hereof Palingenius passingly intreateth in this sorte Sed for san multi dubitant an caelibe vita Coniugiū melius namque vxor sepe superb ' est Litigiosa ferox demeus et adultera saepe c. Englished thus But some perchaunce vvill doute The mariage or the single life vvhich best of them for stoute And proude the vviues are often seene and ofte to chide and brall And catche their husbands by the pates and often nought vvithall Besides the cares of children vexe vvhom greeues the sicknesse rage Or else vntimely death doth take the daughter comes to age VVith monied bagges a mate requires or else dame Lais schoole Doth practise there staines the house the sonne proues oft a foole Limefingred oft and harlots kepes a bravvling marchant stoute A svvearing goose a ruffian vvilde a vile vnshamefast lout He seemth not to be free beside vvho so euer hath a vvife Must alter needes conditions all and leaue his youthfull life Forsaking frayes must bide at home nor ride from tovvne to tovvne Nor in the night time vvalk in the stretes in beating dores a dovvne And keping Ione It s nedefull then to liue aduisedly And see thy goodes then not decreace but may augmented be Least in thy age the vvallet come Although these things be so Yet thincke I sure vvith maried bed and nature for to go More better farre as shee to vs of birdes and beastes vntame Example shevves hovv both the kindes them selues togither frame And ioyne in one of duetie must and alwayes so remaine Encrease to get and nourish vp their yong with equall paine VVherby the kinde may still endure and neuer more decay For vve as euery kinde of beast are moude to Venus play By natures will a worser thing shall hap to thee be sure If thou thy selfe wilt neuer seeke this thing for to procure And voide of issue shalt thou die and yeelde thy corpse againe A straunger then shall haue thy goods for which thou tokest paine And when that aged haires shall hap and sicknesse shall thee hent VVho shall thy wearied age relieue vvho shall thy hurtes lament Thy brother or thy kinsman neare or will do this thy freend No sure for to be heire to thee they rather wishe thine end On thee aliue they wait and fawne thy goodes at graue to take And eche man loues and feares thy good on thee no force they make But novve thy vvife hir father leaues and mother deare besides VVith all hir house and houshold frends vvith thee alone shee bides For euermore both night and day and of thy seede shee beares A svveete and goodly golde polde boy of yong and tender yeares And kindred eke to thee shee brings and doth thy house enlarge And helpes thee eke in euery thing and takes vvith thee thy charge Betvveene you all things common are both good and euill things VVhatsoeuer harmeth one hurtes both and that vvhich profit brings Vnto the one that profits both If sicknesse make thee weake Or greater age then doth shee straight exhort thee vvell and speake Shee comforteth thee helps thee then shee neuer leaues thee there Shee vvatcheth thee and watching serues likevvise thy children deare VVith all the meanes they can they kepe for both theyr blouds are one And image like and vvhen the day vvherin thou must be gone Is come thou art not cleane extinct but shalt aliue remaine In them who then shall represent theyr fathers face againe But some there be that rather had in common harlots bed Vncertaine children get therfore they list not vviues to vved Suche kinde of men I can not praise nor wise I haue them thought For vvife with dourie helpes thee well where harlots bring thee nought A vvife doth bring thee store of frendes where harlots bring thee foes A wife thou maist in safetie keepe a whore vvith greefe and woes The one will trustie still remaine the other false alway And fearing to be cast at large shee stealeth all shee may And for hir selfe shee heapes vp all hir state for to repaire VVhen thou hast pluckt hir bels away and cast hir vp to aire More if thou kepest a whore thy goods are but in queasie case Of wiues are children lavvfull got of harlots bastardes base To wed therfore it needefull is On a time when Socrates had inuited Euthidemus to supper in the middest of the banket Xantippa Socrates his wife was so offended with hir husbande that shee railed at him and rising ouerthrew the Table with all that stoode thereon Héereat when Socrates saw Euthidemus sore vexed he sayde vnto him why arte thou so offended with this Cansts not thou suffer my wife as well as I laste day suffered thy hen to flée on thy takle ouerthrow the pottes and other things that stoode theron Ex Laer. lib 2. cap. 5. An other time when Alcibiades asked him how he could suffer his wise so to chide and seeld with him He replied and how chaunceth it then that thou canste suffer thy hennes at home to cackle I abide them quoth Alcibiades bicause they bring me egges and chickens And so quoth Socrates I beare with my wife bicause she bringeth me children Ex Laertio li. ca. supradict Also when one saide that he wondred howe Socrates coulde abide to suffer two suche shrewde wiues in hys house He saide that of them he learned pacience at home to putte in practise when he went abrode Ex A. Gellio lib. primo cap. 17. When Anymus had bad one to supper and sawe him displeased to heare his wife chide and scolde with hir maidens he turned to his gest and sayde Good Lord howe impacient arte thou I haue suffred hir this twentie yéeres and canst not thou abide it two hours And so quieted his gest and caused his wife to leaue chiding and fall a laughing Ex Adriano Barlando But as there are and hath bene many wiues proude malicious deceitfull and shrewde vnto theyr husbandes so hathe there bene and are many of that sexe temperate in woordes faithfull and louing vnto theyr husbandes well ordered in theyr personnes peaceable wyth theyr neighboures honest in theyr familie and shame faced amongste straungers whereby they haue attained great renowne in theyr life and left eternall memory after theyr death Of whiche sorte as I could alleage many examples both Ecclesiasticall forren and ciuill so to delight the good I meane to insert two or thrée as héere immediatly you shall sée folowing On a time when Camillus a Romane captaine hadde made a solempne vowe to offer a present vnto Cybilla if he conquered his ennimies when he had attayned the victorie Rome was so poore that it hadde neyther golde nor siluer to make this promisse good Wherfore the Matrones of Rome séeing their husbands had offred theyr liues in the said warre went altogither into the highe capitoll and there in the presence of euerye manne presented theyr Owches hanging on theyr eares the rings of