sayeth in his Gospel That there is no Prophet without honour but in his owne Countrey For his owne kindred and companions for the great disdaine they haue of his estimation doe seeke by all the meanes they can to discredite and deface him which is not for a vertuous minde nor doeth a noble hart beseeme For it is for a noble and gentlemanly hart to behaue himselfe as the good Moyses did who when certaine enuious persons to moue him to displeasure came vnto him and tolde him that two of the common people did prophesie in his tent Moyses verie graciously answered them that he wished to GOD that euerie one of the people were able to prophesie which milde speech proceeded from a noble and a valiant minde 82. Nought else doth enuie bring to passe nor other seede doth sowe Then murders mischiefes cruelties and suttle ouerthrowe As by the Scripture doth appeare where cursed Caine did kill Poore Abel that offended not vpon malicious will. The Paraphrase ABel and Caine were brothers as Moses in the first of his fiue bookes writeth The cruell murther of Caine done vppon Abel and the cause thereof is in the same Booke at large described And therefore to make anie long Paraphrase vpon it were but a thing superfluous And it is well knowne that enuie the roote of mischiefs was the first deuiser of that so shamefull and horrible a fact The tenth Chapter of Thankefulnesse 83. Good turnes that haue been done to thee haue still before thine eie And when to recompence the same it in thy power doth lie Require them with a cheerefull hart And waying well in minde What friendship hath been shewde to thee be neuer thou vnkinde The Paraphrase SEneca in his Epistle to Lucilius writeth that the vnthankefull man is he that returneth a good turne without interest in whose opiniō we are bound not barely to returne the benefite which we haue receiued but to do it with recompence For as Valerius in his fifth booke writeth Hee that doeth not thankefully recompence a good turne doeth clearly bereaue men of the doing and receiuing of pleasures without the which the life of men is rather a death then a life And this is it that the Prouerbe saith Good turnes that haue been done to thee haue stil before thine eie c. 84. O what a shamefull staine it was to Ptolomei the king The noble Pompey traiterously vnto his death to bring And Ezekias for his great vnthankfulnesse did pay When by the wrath of God he should haue died before his day The Paraphrase PTolomey was king of Egypt who as Lucan writeth was seruant to Pompey the Emperour of Rome at whose handes he receiued his kingdome And as the Ciuill warres beganne to waxe hot betwixt the two mightie Princes Cesar and Pompey after the battaile of Pharsalie Pompey retired from the fieldes of Philippos to a place in Lesbos where hee had appointed his wife Cornelia to lie but perceiuing the people of the Countrey not to bee such as hee might trust hee went by Sea from thence to Egypt where he committed himselfe to the handes of Ptolomey who conspiring with Photinus and Achillas two mischieuous persons betraied him and after they had slaine him presented his head vnto Caesar at the sight whereof Caesar as the storie telleth could not refraine from shedding of teares Whervpon maister Frances Petrarch in one of his Sonets thus writeth Caesare poiche'l traditor d'Egitto Lifece il don de l' honorata testa Celando l'allegrezza manifesta Pianse pe gliocchi fuor si come è scritto Which in our vulgare speech is thus Caesar when as the false Egyptian had Presented him with worthie Pōpeys hed Hiding his ioy with coloured coūtnance sad His fained teares foorthwith they say he shed Of the reproches of this Ptolomey all hystories are full And because as I haue said Lucan setteth out this matter more at large it is needlesse to make any long discourse thereof since this Booke requireth no such exquisitenesse nor intreateth of anie forraine storie Ezechias being of the tribe of Iudas was king of Ierusalem the seruāt and greatly beloued of God who when Senacharib king of the Assirians had besieged the Citie fent Rabsacah his messenger vnto him and to the rest of the people willing them to yeeld themselues and promising them their liues threatning them that if they otherwise did he would assuredly put them all to the sworde and that neither their God nor any other God beside should be able to deliuer thē as they might see by the experience of a number of other mightie countreys that he had conquered brought in subiection Ezechias being afrayed of the hugenesse of the armie and of the great power of Senacharib shewed vnto Rabsacah the temple of Ierusalem with all the vessels and ornamentes thereof and all the Iewels of his owne house which had been gottē together and laid vp by his predecessors but the Lord knowing the weaknesse and faintnes of Ezechias and foreseeing that he was determined to yeeld himself into the handes of Senacharib or at his appointment to Rabsaces being greatly offended with him sent vnto him the Prophet Esay to let him vnderstande that he should presently die but such and so great was his sorowfull lamentation and mourning as it pleased the almightie to reuerse the sentēce The eleuenth Chapter of Friendship 85. The man that councell good can giue and will thee reprehend And warne from euery euill act choose thou to be thy friend And thinke thy selfe thrise happy whē thou such a friend canst haue That will thee well instruct and from all ill aduises saue The Paraphrase FRiendship as Aristotle in the eight of his Ethikes sayeth and as hath been sayde afore vpon one of the Prouerbes is of three sortes for delight for profite and for honestie Friendship of delight is the friendshippe of flatterers and iesters which endureth but a small while for when the pleasure ceasseth as testers are not at all times nor of all men liked this friendshippe straight wayes endeth An other friendshippe there is grounded vpon profit and is as Seneca termeth it merchaunt friendshippe for it endureth no longer then there is hope of profite And those that vse this kinde of friendshippe doe it as Seneca sayeth more vpon the profite then in respect of the person The Flye alwayes attendeth vppon the honie and the Woolfe vpon the Carion Which kinde of people are more in loue with the praye and the spoyle then with the man The third kinde of friendship setieth it selfe only vpon honestie and groundeth her selfe vpon vertue and this endureth as wel in aduersitie as in prosperitie This is the allonely true friendship which the Prouerbe counselleth vs to choose and this is that which Aristotle sayeth causeth in friendes but one hart and one minde and this friend whose friendship is grounded vpon honestie is he that wel reprehendeth and is no flatterer nor will consent to any wickednesse
commit themselues to no hasard nor danger wherby they are vncapable of any vertue or honor For Honor as Aristotle in the fourth of his Ethicks saith is a reuerence that is giuen to men in rewarde and recompence of their vertues And therefore the Marques saith That whosoeuer is so valiant as not to regarde his life in any vertuous attempt shal be sure to receiue the crowne of Mars that is the renowme rewarde of a vertuous minde which he shall quickly attaine vnto if he represse feare And where as there are in the vertue of Fortitude two extreames or vices the one in ventering to farre the other in fearing to much the Marques hath not here said If thou restrainest boldnesse as hee sayeth If thou abandonest feare because as Aristotle in the thirde of his Ethicks affirmeth and as dayly experience teacheth the nature of man is more inclined to fearfulnesse then to boldenesse and therefore those that seeke to bee valiaunt and vertuous ought more to trauel in the repressing and abandoning of feare then in the restraint or temperaunce of boldenesse And therefore to good purpose sayeth the Marques in this Prouerbe If thou abandonest or forcest feare and not corrage and because as it is sayde abooue it is in euery mans power and will to bee vertuous it is heere well saide of the Prouerb Thou shalt not want the honour nor the state thou seekest to beare 57. Detest an euill life that 's led with foule reproch and shame And alwayes ready be to dye with honorable name For life cannot be lent for loane nor let from day to day Nor can the appoynted houre bee shund nor skaped any way The Paraphrase THE Emperours did in their lawes carefully prouide for the behoofe and good estate of their Subiectes to sette downe rewardes and encouragements for such as were honest and vertuous and to deuise punishments and corrections for suche as were wicked and euill disposed And it is very wel thought as hath been saide before that such as valiantly lost their liues either in defence of their faith or for the libertie of their countrie are rewarded with euerlasting life or if any man dye in the defence of his owne honesty he shall continually be well thought of and commended But such as cowardly forsake the feelde and run away from the warres the lawes haue appointed to dye and are accounted for wretches and villaines whether they dye or liue and their shameful and reprochfull life is more griefe to them then any death that can bee deuised especially an honest death this is the meaning of the Prouerbe Detest an euill life c. For as Aristotle in the 3. of his Ethicks saith A man is borne to honor libertie which two things we ought alwaies to keepe and maintaine and to couet by all meanes we can to diehonestly to liue vertuously The Prouerb saith further that life can not be borrowed For as Iob sayeth The Lord hath rated the dayes of our life which can not bee lengthened And therefore no man may shunne the appointed houre that God hath determined And herevpon ariseth the tale among the Poets of the three sisters of destinie whereof the one of them called Clotho carieth the distaffe the other named Lachesis spinneth and draweth out the threede which the thirde sister Atropos windeth vppe vpon the reele And as Seneca in his first Tragedie sayth These three sisters are so cruell and hard that it was neuer seene that the threede which they had once wounde vppe could euer bee got backe againe These sisters of the Destinie doe signifie in deede the posting time of our transitorie life whereof the day once past can neuer be called backe againe And therefore sayeth Seneca these three vnliberall Ladies doe rule by assured order and may neither shorten nor lengthē otherwise then is appointed Therefore ought euerie man to applie himselfe to die well since the time of his death can by no maner of meanes be altered 58. King Codrus rather chose to haue the conquest then to liue And neuer did his noble minde refuse his life to giue To saue a valiant companie of such as him did serue The life is alwayes well bestowed that doth such praise deserue The Paraphrase COdrus beeing as both saint Austine Valerius report the king of Athens when as he was to fight with Pelops duke of the Lacedemonians and had answere of his Idols to whom he sacrificed that the side whose captaine was slaine should haue the victorie preferrin glike a worthie gentleman the liues prosperitie of his poore subiects farre aboue his owne apparailing himselfe in a base and simple habite and rushing into the thickest of the enemies was presently slaine Of whom Virgil writeth that he chose rather to die with the victorie then to liue with the ouerthrow 59. Take no delight to heare thy deedes commended to thy face A thing that wisedome alwayes hath accounted for disgrace And if thou doest reprochfull wordes of anie man sustaine It is no commendation to to report the same againe The Paraphrase VNder the vertue of Fortitude is takē and included all maner of vertuous and godly actions that are done without respect of praise For a man ought not to look for the praise of the people as a recōpence for his good deed and specially if it be done in his owne presence which for two causes is to be disliked The one because that glorie nor praise is no perfect recompence or rewarde for anie vertue For as Boecius sayeth Praise or glory is nought else amongest the multitude but a tickeling and bewitching of the eares The other reason is that praises and commendations before the face doth rather seeme a kinde of flattering and clawing then a praise The Prouerbe saith further That if thou doest reprochfull wordes of any man sustaine It is no cōmendation to report the same againe The meaning of it is that no man that is of great minde or courage ought to speake of the iniurious and euill words that hath been offered him but shall rather bee counted both wiser and valianter if he dissemble them and seeme not to wey them as it is writtē in the third booke Of the liues of the Philosophers where a Philosopher being railed at and reuiled made this answer Thou quoth he hast learned to speake euill and I haue learned to make no accompt of lewd speech And more is he to be commended that beareth euill wordes then he that offreth them 60. Likewise the praising of thy selfe thine actes and speciall grace Doth neuer thee aduaunce but all thy doings doth deface For if the deedes that here thou dost be onely done for praise An errour great thou dost commit and walkst the croked wayes The Paraphrase SOlomon is his Prouerbes sayth Let a stranger cōmend thee and not thine owne mouth And Cato saieth Neither praise nor dispraise thine owne doings for thy praise in thine owne mouth is a great disgrace vnto
grauitie and authoritie of such auncient men then he did of the vnexpert actiuitie and strength of those couragious and lustie gallants For age is onely it that maketh a man wise and woorthie of reuerence Neither ought anie man to mislike it since it is the thing that euerie man desireth And as Tullie in his De Senectute sayth As the fruite is not in season nor to be eaten till it bee perfectly ripe no more is man to bee accompted in his wisedome and perfection till such time as hee bee olde for then is hee onely come to his ripenesse though as the fruite is hee bee nearest his corruption For then as the Prouerbe sayeth he gouerneth c. The fourtienth Chapter of Death Suppose thou not at any time that death is farre from thee But alwayes thinke that he is nie and streight at hande will bee great madnesse were it for a man to thinke this foolish life Should euermore continue with such miserie and strife The Paraphrase SEneca as hath bene said before sayth in his second Tragedie that no man could euer yet haue the Goddes so fauourable that they might be able to assure themselues to liue till the next day For although we bee most assured that we shall die yet is neither the houre nor the time of our death certaine but rather if we consider the great daungers and casualties that our wretched life is subiect vnto wee ought euerie houre yea euery moment to looke for it according to the warning of our Sauiour who willeth vs to watch and pray for we knowe not the day nor the houre of our visitation And therefore as the Prouerbe sayeth it is a great follie to thinke that Death is not alwayes at hande that he shall not as he came into the world goe out of it For as the Apostle sayeth there is a lawe ouer all flesh that they shal once die Valerius telleth vs in his fifth booke that when there was woorde brought to Anaxagoras that his sonne was dead Hee answered the messenger that it was neither newes nor a strange thing that hee tolde him but that it was such as he alwayes loked for For hee knewe that there was nothing could come from him that should liue for euer and that it was a generall matter that whatsoeuer receiued the spirite of life must agayne restore it and that as no man died but that first he liued so no man liued but at last he died And therefore well saieth here the Prouerbe Greate madnesse were it for a man to thinke this foolish life c. 98. If it so were the blessed ioyes that we doe hope to see Should all in vayne and to no end of vs desired be Ne shoulde the glorie great of that almighty Lorde on hye Our Sauiour Christ be looked for that lasts continually AFter that our first Father had transgressed the commaundement of God our life became straight to bee subiecte to death and fulfilled with all kindes of calamitie and miserie For as the Apostle sayeth Through the offēce of our first father Adam wee are all borne the children of wrath And neuer shall we be without trouble griefe and miserie during our mortall life untill suche time that our soule bee free and deliuered from the dungeon of the bodie And this maketh the Apostle to saie I desire to be loosed and to be with Iesus Christ For the Apostle being vexed with many sorowes griefes and miseries desired to be dissolued to the ende he might rest from all his trauayles and Saint Iohn in his reuelation saieth Blessed are all those that die in the Lorde for they shall rest from their laboures So as by a good and happie death wee are sure to be made partakers of the euerlasting glorie of our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ 99 Then tel me wherfore should we feare this death why should it grieue Since that it is so good a lot if that we doe beleeue That after our departure here we goe to perfect rest Attending for the glorious day wherein we shall be blest The Paraphrase DEath as Aristotle in the thirde of his Ethicks sayth is the last of al horrible dreadfull things which being as Tully in his Tusculans sayeth a thing that naturally happeneth we ought not to thinke that it can be euill since nature hath appoynted it And Seneca in his Epistle to Lucilius sayeth that life is geuen vnto vs with condition to looke for death The path is playne and assured that leadeth vnto it and to dye well is to die willingly And therfore death is neuer to bee feared of those that bee good and vertuous But of the wicked the Psalm sayeth The death of the vngodly is hurtfull and euill but the death of the godlie is life because they passe from transitory death to euerlasting life According to the saying of our Sauiour vnto the theefe This day shalte thou bee with mee in Paradise which happened into him because hee beleued according to the Prouerbe here That after his departure here he went to perfect rest attending for the glorious day Wherein he shoulde be blest 100 And heare to make an end I say the onely remedie In all extreames is for to keepe the perfect meane with thee Which if thou takest for thy friend a long and happie life Thou shalt be sure to leade and liue without offence or strife ARistotle in the seconde of his Ethickes sayeth that in all sciences the woorke is brought to perfection by hauing respect vnto the meane neither adding nor taking from it more then is reason meaning that the ouerplus and the defect doe marre the whole matter and that the meane doeth only saue and preserue it which suche as are skilfull maisters doe chiefly consider For seeing that vertue is the most certeine and best of all other artes and that hir woorke and actions differ not from the actions of nature it were greatly against reason that she should not as wel as al other arts serch and finde out the meane and further hee sayth that the vertue morall consisteth as well in passion as in action and that in all thinges that be there is an extremitie of too much and an extremitie of too little and a meane betwixt both As for example in feare in boldenesse in coueting in crueltie in pittie and of all thinges that concerne either pleasure or sorrowe the meane as Aristotle sayth is to be commended and the extreames doe alwaies bring shame and dishonour And like as it happeneth that to the perfection of any thing there are a great number of thinges required as likewise to make an imperfection suffiseth that anie one of those thinges be wanting euen so for a man to atteine vnto the very meane of vertue there are a great number of thinges required but to the not attaining therevnto suffiseth the want of anie suche thing as is needefull And hereof Aristotle putteth a verie familiar example of such as be Archers that to hitte the white is a matter of greate cunning and hardnesse and none is able to say that hee can doe it but hee that is a perfect Archer but to misse it is a very easie matter and euerie man that will can doe it So likewise is it of the vertuous meane for euerie man that list may auoyde it And therefore is the number a greate deale more of the wicked then of those that bee good neither doth it followe as Aristotle saieth that of euerie thing the meane is alwayes best For some things there are that assoone as they bee named they are mingled and wrapped in mischiefe As for example for a man to reioyce in an other mans harme not to be ashamed of anie euill that he hath committed to beare a repining spite at an other mans good happe to commit adultery to murder to steale of these things and such like there is no meane that may bee called vertuous For howsoeuer a man doe them they carrie with them mischiefe and offēce but in all other thinges that may bee well done euil done there are both extreames and a meane And of suche meaneth the Prouerbe where it sayth The onely remedie in all extreames is for to keepe the perfect meane with thee which if thou takest for thy friende that is if so be a man in the order of his life ioyne himselfe with vertue which is the meane A long happy life thou shalt be sure to leade and liue without offence and strife In what sorte we ought to seeke out this meane and how we ought to order our selues for the obteining of it Aristotle at large declareth in the seconde of his Ethickes whyther for auoyding of tediousnesse I referre the Reader FINIS The prince that is feared is neuer beloued Hard for a souldier in these daies to finde a Caesar Proude Princes hateful to God. Princes ought to bee gentle in their speeches Humilitie springeth of Nobilitie An euill prince maketh an euill Court. Gesters to be auoyded No proceeding against him that is absent A notable answere of a woman The skill of the souldier the only aduauncement of Rome The Romanes prefer the common profite before their own What made the Romanes to floorishe Learning to what end it ought to be sought The commoditie of learning The vanitie and miserie of this life The great good that commeth by reading the scriptures The diuersitie betwixt the learned and the ignorant The Prince not to be euill spoken of The duetie of a Iustice A good example A good Emperour The great modestie and magnanimitie of king Phillip Gluttonie prouoketh Lecherie The choise of a wife A right Spanish stomacke ⧠Imprinted at London by Richarde Watkins 1579.
his time To these foure and to the two others Don Iohn and Don Hurtado he left such Lordshippes rents reuenewes as made fiue great houses besides his owne principall house FINIS ⧠The first Chapter of Loue and Feare 1. My sonne whom I doe dearly loue Vnto my wordes geue eare ▪ Seeke not by rigour for to rule Nor gouerne men by feare ▪ Loue and thou shalt beloued be And by the same shalt doe Such worthie things as hated thou shalt neuer attaine vnto The Paraphrase EVery wyse Oratour as Tullie in his booke de Oratore teacheth ought principally ▪ in whatsoeuer matter he dealeth to consider three things That is to make all those that shall eyther heare his speach or reade his workes to be well willing vnderstanding and mindefull The speaker shall make his audience well willing when he laboureth to obteyne their fauour and good wil towardes him For no man wil gladly geue eare to such a man as he is afore euil perswaded of he maketh his hearers to vnderstād when he declareth the matter that hee meaneth to entreate off in shewing that it shal be profitable commodious he causeth them to be attentiue or mindeful when he mooueth or stirreth them vp by good meanes inductions to be readie to heare not hauing their minds caried away with anie other matters All these points hath this learned gentleman folowing this inscription obserued in al his discourse But especially in this first Prouerbe he hath obserued the first in making him that shal reade him wel minded towardes him procuring his fauour goodwil in calling him by the name of his sōne beloued For as the Ciuil law sayth we can name no man by a more sweet or better name thē to call him our sonne He maketh him to vnderstand in shewing him howe to direct or order his life amōgst the people he maketh him attētiue in these wordes where he saith Geue eare And the meaning and matter of this Prouerbe is the most sweet gracious behauiour that men of all degrees ought to vse in their conuersation And if so be that men of gret estate calling ought to vse this gētle behauiour much more ought they that are of meane degree to do it And therfore Seneca in the speach that he hath with the Emperour Nero as he bringeth in in his 9. Tragedie when the Emperour did striue to gouerne rather by feare then by loue and commaunded sundrie things to be done by force and disorder to the ende the people should feare him because Seneca did therefore greately blame him the Emperour tolde him that whatsoeuer he did he ought by reasō for to do for the sword was it that defēded the Prince Seneca answeared that the faith and true allegiance of his subiects would better defend him The Emperour replied That it is good that the Prince bee feared Seneca answeareth it is better that he be beloued The naked sword saith Nero shal make them doe what I wil haue thē Beware saieth Seneca you neuer fall into suche an errour The Emperour answereth I wil force the people to feare mee Surely saith Seneca that which you force and compell the people to doe they will verie hardly suffer And therefore it is not meete that anie person as is sayde especially suche gouernours as are vertuous and iust should vrge or force any thing agaynst the good will of the people much lesse that priuat persons should in their conuersation one with an other doe it For as Seneca in his thirde Epistle sayeth whereas hee sheweth the deliberation that a man ought to haue in the getting and keeping of his friende If thou wilt be beloued loue or as the Prouerbe sayeth By loue thou shalt doe that hated thou shalt neuer attayne vnto For there is nothing in the world that is sought with loue either by the prince of his subiecte the Lorde of his tenant or the friend of his familiar but it is easily obteined For as Virgill saith in his Bucolikes Loue ouercōmeth al thinges insomuch is for the great loue that the Almightie bare vnto mankinde hee sent his only begottē sonne to take our flesh vppon him and to die for vs that he might beare our faults and infirmities as Esai saith and suffer for our offences And therefore if loue coulde cause God to abase himselfe to be conuersant with man and to doe that which might chiefly auayle vs being euerlasting and most perfect and we mortall and imperfecte what shall it not doe in the companie and conuersation of one man with an other Whereuppon Valerius in his thirde booke in the title of Loue and delight writeth that Damon and Pithias two of Pythagoras his schollers bare so great loue and affection one to the other as when Dionisius of Sarragos would haue put one of them to death he seeyng that there was no remedie but needes he must dye required that hee might haue libertie to goe home to dispose set in order suche thinges as hee had promising to put in sureties for his returne at what day soeuer he woulde appoint him Dionisius supposing that none so faithfull a friēd could be found that in such a case woulde become suretie to the hazard of his life and all that he had aunsweared that he was content to giue him leaue time to goe to his house so that he put in such suretie as hee promised whereuppon he left him for suretie his other friende And as the last day was now come wherein the condemned person was bound to returne to suffer his determined death all those that were present did count a great follie in him that woulde in suche a case become suretie hazard his life for an other how great soeuer the friendship was betwixt them But the partie that was suretie did no whitte distrust the fidelitie of his friende nor repent him any whitte of his suretyshippe Nowe as they were all gaping and gasing to see the ende of the matter at the last day and euen in the last houre commeth the condemned man wherat Dionisius was greatly astonished and for the great faithfulnes loue that he saw betweene them pardoned the partie that he had condemned and desired them both that they woulde vouchsafe him for a third into their friendship Wherby it is euident that loue is of so greate a force that it forceth such men as be true friends to venter giue their liues the one for the other So that very well saith the Prouerbe Loue and thou shalte beloued bee For Seneca in his thirde Epistle affirmeth that nothing doeth more trouble a man in his prosperitie and wealth then to thinke that they can neuer bee to him good and faithfull friendes to whom he himselfe hath neuer been good Howe manie kindes of Friendshippes there bee and howe some bee friendes for Commoditie sake others for pleasure and delight others for vertue and honestie howe some bee sworne friendes and what difference there
well doing For if he be ioyfull take delight in the vertuous actes that he doeth it is a token that he wil proue well in his age and be verie vertuous But if he goe about them with an euill will and seeme to take no delight therein it is a signe that his vertues will not long endure And therefore as the wise man sayeth By the pleasauntnesse and heauinesse of a child in his youth we shall easily ghesse what he will be in his age 16. That most renowmed Solomon for wisedome chiefely sought Whereby his Empire and his state to order good he brought He gouernd of himselfe alone and neuer did debate Nor counsaile callde for anie thing that longed to his state The Paraphrase AS it is written in the thirde Booke of the Kinges Solomon the sonne of Dauid after the death of his Father was chosen to be king And the first thing that euer he did because he would lay a good foundation he went to a hie Mountaine that was neare about him called Gabaon to offer sacrifices to the lord And that night the Lorde appeared to him in his sleep and said vnto him Aske what thou wilt that I may giue it thee And Solomon sayd Thou hast shewed vnto thy seruant Dauid my father great mercie in that thou hast giuen him a sonne to sit vpon his seate and to succeede him in his kingdome And now O Lord my God it is thou that hast made thy seruant king in stead of Dauid my father and I am but yong and know not how to goe out and in and thy seruant is in the middest of thy people which thou hast chosen and verely the people are so manie as can not be tolde nor numbred for multitude Giue therefore vnto thy seruant an vnderstanding hart to iugde thy people that I may discerne betwixt good bad And this pleased the Lord well that Solomon had desired this thing And God said vnto him Because thou hast asked this thing and hast not asked long life neither hast asked riches nor the soule of thine enemies but hast asked vnderstanding and discretion in iudgement Beholde I haue done according to thy petition for I haue giuen thee a wise an vnderstanding hart so that there hath been none like thee before thee nor after thee shall anie arise like vnto thee This storie serueth here for this Prouerbe that sheweth how Solomon sought chiefly for wisedome by which without debating of anie matters or calling of any counsaile hee was able sufficiently to gouerne his kingdome and dominions 17. If thou be eloquent great praise thereof to thee will rise But much more commendable it is to be discrete and wise For he that wisedome hath will all his life obedient be Vnto the rules he learned hath in sweete Philosophie The Paraphrase THe Marques here sheweth in this Prouerbe what is the marke that a man ought specially to shoote at and sayth that although it be a goodly thing for a man to be eloquent and to haue a good tongue yet it is a great deale more worthie praise to be wise Eloquence is a fine and sweete kinde of speaking by the pleasantnesse whereof it draweth men to the opinion of the speaker The figures and rules whereof are set foorth by Tullie in his Rethorike And if this eloquence be ioyned with wisedome and knowledge it is a speciall ornament but if a man haue more wordes then wit he shall be counted a vaine iangler and a pratteler And therefore sayeth Tullie That farre better is wisedome voyde of eloquence then foolish pratteling without discretion Wisedome among all the moral vertues that Aristotle in his Ethicks intreateth of is the most principall vertue or rather as he saith the onely vertue meaning that all the vertues are chained and linked together in one And therefore the Philosophers commonly say that whosoeuer hath one hath al. For if he haue one vertue he must needes haue wisedome thorowly he that hath wisdome thorowly hath all vertues therefore hee that hath one vertue hath all vertues Wisedome as the Philosophers say consisteth of three partes the first is memorie to remēber such things as hath passed the second knowledge to know such things as are present the thirde prouidence to foresee such thinges as are to come And he that hath these three partes may be counted wise and a seruant obedient to morall Philosophie For as I sayde before wisedome conteineth in her selfe all morall vertue And as Aristotle sayeth It is a thing vnpossible for a man to bee wise and not to be good And therefore the Prouerbe sayeth The wise man is all his life obedient to morall Philosophie 18 Roboam being one that had no skill but did assay In euerie thing to striue against the streame did soone decay For vexing and molesting of his subiects kept in thrall Whē least he look'd for such a change they quite forsooke him all The Paraphrase of the Marques ROboam was the sonne of Solomon and King of Israel who after his fathers decease did vse such tyrannie ouer his subiectes that verie woorthily hee was depriued of the moste parte of his gouernment The Doctour TO proue the harmes and mischiefes that he that wanteth wisedome runneth into the Marques here bringeth in the Storie of Roboam the sonne of Solomon Of whom it is written in the thirde Booke of the Kinges that after the death of Solomon the people assembled togither to make him King and spake vnto him saying Thy Father made our yoke grieuous nowe therefore make thou the grieuous seruice of thy father and his heauie yoke that he put vpon vs lighter we will serue thee And hee sayde vnto them Depart yet for the space of three dayes and then come againe to mee And the people departed And King Roboam tooke counsaile with the olde men that stoode before his Father while hee yet liued and sayde What counsaile giue you that I may haue matter to aunswere this people And they sayde vnto him If thou be a seruant to this people this day and folow their mindes and answere them speake gently vnto them this day they wil be thy seruants for euer But he forsooke the counsaile that the olde men had giuen him and called vnto his coūsaile yong men that were growne vp with him and waited on him said vnto thē What coūsaile giue you that we may answer this people And the yong men that were growne vp with him answered him saying Thus shalt thou say vnto the people My little finger shall bee weightier then my fathers whole bodie and where as my father did lade you and put a grieuous yoke vpon you I will make it heauier At which words the people greatly disdaining ten tribes of them presently forsooke him and chose Ieroboam for their king Wherby is concluded that Roboam because he was not wise nor aduised nor carefull to preuent such mischiefs as might happen ouershooting himselfe shamefully in his foolish answere was worthily
great griefe and mourning bewailed his offence Hee committed adulterie with the wife of Vrias who was mother to Solomon for the which greeuous offence the Lorde was more offended with him then for all that euer hee did as is to be seene at large in his life The Doctour SExtus Tarquinius was the sonne of Tarquinius the King as Liuie in the first of his Decades writeth The like is affirmed by Saint Augustine in his boke of the Citie of GOD Valerius Maximus and many other auncient writers No lesse was Lucretia famous for her vertue then was this Tarquine to be abhorred for his wickednesse Amongst many that haue written of the woorthinesse of this Ladie none doeth so greatly delite me as M. Iohn Galensis in a booke that hee wrote of the foure principal vertues whō I only determin to folow His words as I haue translated thē out of the Tuscan tongue are these Well woorthie of immortall and euerlasting remembraunce is the noble vertuous Lady Lucretia Who refusing to liue any longer did rip out the stain of the villany and violence done vnto her with the death of her owne person The maner wherof S. Augustine telleth in his boke of the citie of God saying that Sextus Tarquinius came with Collatinus the husbande of Lucretia to a house of his called Collatinū where they found Lucretia vertuously disposed amongst her maidens and women the only Paragon of her time most commended of all others was this Lucretia Whom when the sonne of Tarquinius king of the Romans had throughly behelde he was presently inflamed with disordinate and wicked loue towardes her whereuppon within a fewe dayes after accompanied only with one man he returneth vnknowne to Collatinus vnto the aforesaide place where he was honourably entertained and receiued of Lucretia who made him great cheare and lodged him according to his estate supposing that she had had her friende and not her enimie in her house Tarquinius being now a bed al a fire with the flames of beastly desire perceiuing that they were all fast a sleepe in the house taking his swoorde in his hande leapeth out of his bed and goeth directly to the chamber of Lucretia whom he founde fast a sleepe where laying his hande vpon her brest he said vnto her Lie stil Lucretia I am Sextus Tarquinius yf thou makest any noise thou shalt die for it Wherewithall the Lady beeing with great feare awaked and seeing no succour about her nor any waye too escape death Tarquinius beginneth to disclose vnto her his great affection and somtime with faire woordes intreating her and sometime againe terribly threatning her assaieth all the waies that he can deuise to bryng her to graunt to his desire But when he saw that she was by no waies to be remooued from her stedfast and chaste minde and that the terrour of death coulde nothing preuaile he casteth about againe and thinkeeth to boorde her on an other side and saith vnto her I will tel thee what I will doe if thou wilt not consent vnto me I wyll first kill thee and afterwards kill an euil fauoured knaue that I haue heere in the house and laye him in bedde with thee whereby it shal be reported to the worlde that thou wert taken in shameful and filthie adulterie And with this feare he ouercame the chaste minde of the vertuous Ladie and hauing obteined his desire with great disdaine departed Wherewith the poore Lucrecia beeing now ouerwhelmed with sorowe and pensiuenesse for her great and greeuous mishappe sendeth with al speede possible to her father her husbande and all other their friendes at Rome earnestly desiring them to come vnto her with as muche haste as they coulde VVho when they were come Lucrecia all heauie and sorowfull in her bedde at their entring into the house fell into a great weeping and when her friendes began to salute her and to bid her bee of good comfort Alas quoth she What comforte can there be to a woman that hath lost her chastitie and lookeing stedfastly vppon her husbande shee cried out and saide O Collatinus the feete of a straunger hath been in thy bed But I sweare vnto thee of a trueth only the body is defiled for the mind was neuer consenting and that shal my death presently declare And therefore I require you all to shewe your selues men and not to suffer this horrible act to remaine vnpunished Sextus Tarquinius was he whom I receiued not as an enimie but as a supposed friende who hath this laste night depriued me and you also yf you be men of al ioy VVhen shee had vttered these wordes they all beganne to comfort her and to tel her that her offence was nothing beeyng forced and constrained thereunto and that where there was no consent there coulde be no offence VVhereunto Lucrecia replied and saide As for that looke you to those thinges that concerne your selues I though I dooe cleare my selfe of beeing guiltie of any offence yet doe I not discharge my selfe of punishment There shal neuer chaste woman take occasion to be euyll by the example of Lucrecia And with these wordes plucking out a knife that she had secretly hidden and thrusting it to her hart she fell downe dead whereat both her husbande and Brutus her father makyng great lamentation presently drewe out the knife out of the wounde being al stained embrued with blood which knife Brutus takyng in his hande sware to reuenge the iniurie and the death of his daughter and to destroy both Tarquin the king his wife and his children either by fyer by swoord or by al the waies that he might and neuer to suffer any of the kindred to reigne in Rome VVith which he gaue the knife to Collatinus and so from one to another Whereby this mourning chaunged into wrath and desire of reuenge they all made promise to folowe Brutus and taking with them the body of Lucretia they brought it to Rome and laide it in the middest of the market place to the ende that the horrour of so strange a facte might stirre vppe the people to reuenge it At the sight wherof the people were straight in armes and folowing Brutus they thrust out of Rome Sextus Tarquinius who after miserably died in prison 4◠No lesse was worthie Scipio Commended for the deede That from his chaste and worthie mind Did worthily proceede Then for his valiant manly actes Esteemed in his daies By which he to his Countrey got A neuer dieyng praise The Paraphrase of the Marques COrnelius Scipio as Valerius rehearseth in his thirde booke hauing taken the Citie of Carthage was tolde by his souldiours that in the sacke of the Towne there was taken a young maiden of woonderful beauty great parentage who was affianced to a Gentleman of the nobilitie which as soone as he vnderstoode he commaunded that the Damsel her husbande and her parentes should be brought before him and caused the young maide safe and vntouched to be deliuered vnto them