without murmuring with a cheerefull countenance yeilding thankes to god for the time that hee hath lent it you saying O Lord I render my soule vnto thee with a free hart yea and with a better will then I receiued it For when you gaue mee life you bestowed it one a silly creature who was altogether ignorant of the good hee receiued and nowe you take it from one who knoweth what hee putteth into your handes which hee yeildeth vp with a free will And surely euerie one ought to thinke that it is no hard matter to returne from the place from whence we come And hee hath not learned to liue well whoe knoweth not how to die Wee ought to beare the like affection to our selues as wee do to those that fight a set combatt For wee hate him that playes the cowarde and do fauour him whoe with a stoute courage hadd rather dye then bee conquered Oftentimes the feare of death is cause of his end that flieth away Moreouer you know that you receiued your life vpō this cōditiō that ye must die Bee not then so vniust to seeke to enioye that for euer which was geuen you but for a certaine time Clayming title to that which only you were put in trust withall Besides wee say that the feare and apprehension of death is a wonderfull thing and the extremitie of all terror Assure you this fault doth not proceede of death but of our imbecillitie who are taken and stayed in the pleasures and desier of this life and do loue this miserable body of ours aboue measure And if you doe thoroughlie consider the matter it is not death that is terrible vnto vs but the conceite wee haue therof For euerie one feareth it according to the opinion hee hath thereof and according to his conscience Now if this onely bee the cause that you feare it charge your selfe with the fault and not death like vnto bad husbandes who are loath to come to a reckoning for the distrust of their owne doings To saie that you feare it imagyning that it is the last end of man you haue no reason For our soule remaineth alwaies which liueth and cannot dye The Grecians called death End geuing vs to vnderstand thereby that it is the last remainder of a miserable life The holy Scripture tearmeth it steepe to assure vs of our certain resurrection that we may not lament as the Gentiles who haue noe hope Consider howe manie holie persons haue desiered it as a remedie against miserie SALOMON IOB the holye scriptures the histories of Saincts are full of the praises and desire of death what vanitie is it for to long after this wretched life this gaile this prison seeing that the longer wee liue the more we sinne and purchase to our selues new paine That we may not feare death as the world doth wee ought to doo two thinges liue well because of a good and christian life maketh euen the remembraunce of death comfortable And to beleeue that that which it pleased God to giue vs as a remedie and ease of our labour is not so badd nor so much to bee feared as we imagyn and we ought to remember that holy men haue abhorred life and loued Death THus haue I effected what you entreated with soe much contentment to my selfe that I knowe not whether of the two weare sharper spurres to set me forwarde in this Course Reason mouing the dutie of friendship and desire the pleasure I tooke therin As I was not long in bringing them foorth soe do I with some haste send them to you so leaue them that I would not hereafter haue them acknowledg me for their father But wish that you might nurse them apparell them bring them vp for from me they haue scarce taken their essence and first being to saye the troth I want milke to nourish them And surely bearing that showe and Councenance they doe those signes of a good minde though they be but little in my opinion they cannot be better then with you who may in shorte tyme with your good indeuours and ercelent spirit bring them vp to more greatenes and perfection adde to their greater Nobillitie Dignitie Fortune Fauour FINIS
the meanes somtimes to be at his owne leisure The grounde how fertile soe euer it be if it stil remaine vntilled be commeth barren in a smale tyme. Continuall labour maketh the mynde weake and wearie euen as to doe nothinge and to liue altogether at ease maketh it dull and heauy Recreation oughte to bee vnto vs as our sleepe which strengthneth vs giueth vs breath to retorne afterwardes more freelie to our labour But if wee did alwaies sleepe it shoulde bee a kinde of death and not sleepe They who in times past established lawes ordeyned certeine festiuall daies in the yeare that men night be as it were constrained to rest from their busines to sporte themselues after their laboures Yea in former age many worthy persons did appoint certaine howers for their recreation Asinius Pollio a greate Orator neuer tooke so great busines vppon him that he did not allot vnto himselfe the two last howers of the day to refresh himselfe during the which he would not so much as read the letters hee receiued from hys friends least they might bring him some new thought and care We read of others who laboured till noone bestowed the rest of the day in matters of no great moment The candles that are giuen out to those that serue in court do seeme to limit the tyme of rest and laboure There was a decree in the Senate of Roome which forbad that no newe matter shoulde be propounded the two last howers of the daye Moreouer when a man is ouer wearied with important affaires it is a greate strengthning and refreshing vnto hym to sorace himself in some open large place which seemeth to put as it were new life into him To conclude wee ought to delight in change according to the time and to take heed that we nourish not our minde ouer soft and daintily For in as much as of it selfe it hath great forces so that it bee kept awake and exercised It is not meete that wee let it languish and become weake For if once wee come to be impatient and tender all things are displeasing vnto vs meate goeth against our stomacke hunger gnaweth the belly sleepe displeaseth vs watching tormenteth vs and like vnto a sicke person wee still seeke after newe fangles Such daintinesse hath been the occasion that many haue not been able to endure not so much as those thinges which of necessitie they must vse in this life as sitting sleeping rising waking dyning supping apparelling thēselues putting of their garmentes and such like thinges which wee must dayly doe but haue rather let themselues pyne away and dye so greeuous a thing it was vnto them to begyn the same thinges agayne euerye day Such persons growe to such extreamities that they knowe not how to gouerne and nourishe their mind and keepe it still in strength and courage that it may bee acquainted with all things tast all thinges and disgest all thinges For in this matter there is the like and the same reason and proportion betweene the minde and the body And here hence it commeth that you shall see some men so tender that the least noise in the world disquieteth them And the ringing euen of a little bell doth anger them For like as vnto a fainte and diseazed body so it happeneth vnto a weake languishing spirite that whatsoeuer toucheth it payneth it 7. Discourse Of the choice of frendes FOrasmuch as necessarilie the life of man hath neede of friendes the aide of company for it shold be too ouerhard a matter too seuere to haue the minde alwaies bent vnto busines and it shoulde bee a thinge more greeuous to beare to enioye no person with whome we might take some recreation I find that wee are ouer negligent in the choise of them In my opinion we ought to take great heede to make choise of such as are of a milde conuersatiō who of themselues deserue to beloued and accompanyed There is nothing that bringeth so much contentmēt and recreation to mans mind as faithfull friendshippe For it is a singuler pleasure to finde one framed with such a milde minde to whome thou may so bouldlye disclose thy secret thoughtes whose councell maye giue you aduise whose mirth may exempt you from sadnesse and whose presence maye lessen your paine Wherefore it behooueth to make election of such friends as are exempt of Couetousnes and vice For Vice like vnto fier taketh hould of that which approcheth neere vnto it So that wee ought to doe as they are wont in time of plague or pestilelnce seperate those that are sound from such as are sicke leaste diseaze infection do grow by putting them together Yet herein I would not haue you to be ouer-scrupulous for seing that it is impossible to finde such as are absolutelie perfect wee ought to hould those in accompt as good who haue least imperfections in them You ought aboue all things to shunne such as are of a sad disposition who are still complayning and still dispayring yea albeit they did loue you well and were faithfull vnto you For it is a thing that woulde greatly trouble vs to haue such a friend who is alwaies pensiue and readie to sigh vppon euery occasion Seing that Friendship and companie is to ease vs of our care It were not fit to vse the familiaritie of such a one who in stead of reioycing and lessening your griefes should put you into vaine feares and apprehensions 8. Discourse Of Dissembling IT is a greate trouble and disquiet of minde to many men to seeme others in shew then they are in deed and a great torment still to haue an eye vnto them selues for feare least they should be discouered As often as men looke vpon thē so often do they imagine to be espied and in the end it hapneth that they lay open themselues against their will The care they haue to hide their naturall disposition is a hell vnto thē and to be discouered a confusion There is no such pleasure as to liue according to a mans own nature And a beit there be some danger to be lesse esteamed if it happē we be knowne Notwithstanding it were better to bee somewhat lesse set by and to liue openly then to take such care to disguise our selues cunningly albeit that there ought to bee me diocritie vsed in both For there is a great difference betweene liuing freely and negligently Which that you may the better vnderstand nature hath endued vs with two qualities The one generall which is that it made vs reasonable creatures and capable of discourse to vtter our conceipte wherein wee surpasse brute beasts the other particuler to euery one as to be inclined to grauitie to mirth to melancholynes or to any other humor Herein wee ought to follow our naturall inclination so that it bee not deformed or vitious as if a man were subiect to laugh ouer much it were conueniēt and necessarie to straine himselfe to correct this imperfection But in those
qualities which deserue no reprehension it were good not to double or play the counterfeit For it is a very difficult matter to vse grauitie alwaies if nature inclineth not thereto To change ones countenance to speake highelie looke bigge which thinges if by chance you forget īmediately you are laide open It were farre better to followe a pleasaunt conuersation and milde manner of life Notwithstanding if it happened that you were placed in some highe estate which did require greater seueritie herein it were not amisse some-what to force nature Yet this ought to be done with great wisedome and moderation yea by little little so that this alteration might breed offence to no man This manner of dissembling cannot be blamed for it greeueth none but those who doe vse it and chaunge their naturall disposition But there are some who being in deed men of a light behauiour and ridiculous desire yet to be helde for graue wise and worthy persons Others there are who without any occasion do seeke to plaie the Counterfets who being borne to all meekenes and humanitie delight to shew themselues rude and crueil Others being very Cowards make a shew to be wonderfull valiant not regarding in deed what they are These kinde of men cannot long hide themselues that being alwaies true which is commonly saide No violent thinge is durable 9. Discourse Of vanitie IT is a very harde matter yea I may saye impossible for a man that is vainelye giuen and ouer curious of honour that he should euer tast the comfort of the tranquilitie of the minde which is so much desired and the which wise men do seeke to attaine vnto by all possible meanes The reason hereof is because he cānot purchase all that which he longeth after neither the place nor the honour nor the credit which he seeketh for He alwaies promiseth himselfe more then he is able to performe being not able to set himselfe forth in apparrell nor in othings according to his mind because he desireth to passe the common sort in all things So that he is troubled no lesse then they who swim against the streame hope against the hill in stead of aduauncing himselfe steppeth backward Contrarilie the meanes to liue most at ease is to make lesse shew countenance thē our power wil suffer or stretch vnto leaue of al pompe vanity aswel in apparell as in the traine of seruants and other things to hold alwaies as a meane that which is necessarie and not that which is grounded in the vaine opinion of men Yea euen in our diet we ought to take heede that we be not ouer sumptuous It were not amisse likewise to bridle our hopes and not to enterprise vndertake those matters that did passe our power to bring to effect As concerning ritches it were good that we tooke order that we rather made prouision of them our selues then expected them of Fortune In all matters it were best to hould a meane aswell in our actions as in our thoughtes For when any storme of fortune commeth it shall haue lesse meanes to ouerthrow vs finding vs to haue stroken sayles then when they are full hoisted Finallie you ought to dispose of your selfe in such sort that albeit you wanted wealth yet should it not bee any crosse vnto you If you delight in bookes see that they serue you to other purpose then to set forth your studie as some doe vse them onely for a vaine shew like vnto brute beasts who carrie victuals on their backe but eate not thereof themselues Too great a number of seruants are but a trouble who marre one another with ouer much ease To conclude yf in any thing you make accompt to liue after the common opinion you shall neuer liue contented yf according to reason nature you shall neuer haue want O how quietly and peaceably doth the humble man liue who taketh no great care for his prouision Surelye euen in those brute beastes which wee bring vp we hate such as are disdainfull and do seeme to bee oppugnant and not to rule themselues according to our mind To be short remember that Thunder and Lightning doe commonly fall vppon the highest places 10. Discourse Of Prosperitie WHen fortune smileth vpon vs and that all thinges as wee saie fall out according to our wishe then is the time when we ought most of all to looke vnto our selues to bridell our affections and watch to frame our actions by the rule of reason For aduersitie doth induce euen our enemies to pittie prosperitie doth moue our friendes to enuie Yf we shold in this place recite all those who haue ended their liues miserably by a suddaine and violent death because they could not moderate themselues in their prosperitie the discourse should be ouerr longe Our purpose being to vse breuitie we will forbeare to entreate thereof in regarde it is a matter that euery manne knoweth And therefore when we haue a tyme of fauour we ought to auoide presumption whiche doth ordynarilye accompanie it and diminish and beate downe as much as lieth in vs this loftines which doth follow it True it is that there are some who in respect of the ranke and degree they houlde may not abase themselues without falling It were very necessarie that such persons did in such sorte ymploye their witts to temper their grauitie that men might impute their statelines to their Office and not to their nature excusing themselues to their Frindes and to such as are of lesse calling that they haue not the leisure to entertaine them and make such acompt of them as they would willinglye vsing notwithstanding all the curtesie their estate will suffer them not entring into choller if any one offereth importunatlie or indiscreetelie to speake vnto them For it is all one vice not to be able to gouerne our selues in prosperitie and not to haue the pacience to endure aduersitie We ought then to houlde an equalitie in all the course of our life if it be possible to shew allwaies a cheerefull Countenance full of meekenes curtesie ALEXANDER the greate farre surpassed his Father in worthy deedes of armes but his Father surmounted hym in mildenes and humanitie The Father was alwaies vertuous and welbeloued and the Sonne many times vicious and hated So that their Councell is most good and wholesome who affirme That by how much wee are aduanced to a highe estate by so much ought wee to shewe our selues humble and lowlie Scipio Affricanus did commonlie say that like as we are woont to put vnbroken horses to some skilfull Rider to manage that wee mighte vse them at our neede so is it needfull to tame those persons who are growen moste prowde and insolent through their fortune and to bring them to tread within the ring or compasse of reason shewing vnto them the miserie and weakenes of the affaires of this world and the inconstancie of fortune This is the cause why wee ought in our greatest
not Some man hath greate credite this other much wealth some one an obedient wife an other faithfull freendes ANTIPATER of Tharsis accounted this amongest other his good Fortunes that hee had made a prosperous nauigation from Sicilia to Athens and wee couet all hauing not the witte to thanke God for that we possesse not making any reckoning of the greatest riches because they seeme to be cōmon to wit to liue to enioy our health to haue our sight to liue in peace to eate to drinke to behold the earth bring forth hir encrease the Sea to be nauigable that wee haue power to speake to be silent to sit to stād to sleepe to wake If men did imagin what a discontentment it is to be depriued of such benefits we should liue farre more contented then we doe What would not a sicke man giue for the recouerie of his health A blind man to enioye his sight those who are basely accompted of for credit and renowne So wretched are wee that wee neuer knowe what accompt to make of the benefitts we enioye vntill we be depriued of them For a conclusion let vs learne this lesson not to set our loue vppon the thinges in this world so much that the feare of the losse of them do disquiet vs or the losse it selfe cast vs into dispaire The 13. Discourse Of Sorrow AS aduersitie is eyther small or great so doth it cause vs to greeue wherein likewise there is some Faulte For we see nowe that menne haue gotten an vse to bewayle many thinges for no other cause but that the custome is such Some man mourneth by reason of some accidents happened to his neighbour and chaungeth his countenance to showe that hee is verie sorrowfull therefore whereas indeede there is no such matter This kindnesse is vnprofitable seeing that in your owne miserie you ought to greeue no more then reason requireth and not asmuch as custome willeth How many are there who shed teares when menne behoulde them and thinke it should be out of fashion yf they did not weepe when others doe Into how many incumbrances doth it cause menne to run into to leane vppon Opinion It should be far better in such matters to inuent some new waye and to apprehende such accidents as menne of wysedome vnderstanding What do their lamentacions auaile eyther those that are dead or such as are alyue sith that no other benefite ariseth or proceadeth thereof then wretchedlie without any profite to bringe a man into a consumption Albeit that for certaine sometimes there happeneth such crosses and mischaunces that it is impossible for any man to forbeare from sorow and yet we oughte herein to lament with reason And seeing that time ought in the end to bring a remedie therefore it were meere simplicytie not with wisdome to preuent it and to doe that which by tracte of time we should be constrayned vnto whether we will or noe How many are there who after the death of their children or of their wiues haue eaten and been mery and taken their recreation deeming the tyme lost which they had vainly imployed in sorow and in mourning For albeit it semeth that such persons are worthy to be called to remēbrance or as I may better say that others folly may be reuiued by them yet notwithstanding you ought to applie that remedie thereunto which will come of it selfe though you should resist it 14. Discourse Of the affliction of good men IT is no small cause to such as are of a liuely spirite and to such as are touched with any humanitie to be greeued when they see honest men receaue wrong And surely it seemeth to be euen a very hart-bursting and more then our nature will beare to see wise men that liue quietly to bee afflicted troaden vnder foote and ouerborne and to consider how ill the world doth handell them This may seeme somewhat to touch vs because in our opinion it restraineth our hope seeing that the porcion of honest men is nought els commonly but affliction Wherefore if any such mater doth trouble you as it doth commonlye imagine this that if they are honest men and patient they are so much the more happie For so much as in steed of the paine whiche they endure in this life which is so short they shal be rewarded eternallie For amongest other infinite contentments that they do enioy which remaine in the house of god one especiall comfort is that they are quit discharged of the temptations and torments of this world Besides this set before you the moste holie persons of the which some haue been beheaded others hanged others burned some fleyed others persecuted with hunger subiect to miserie and affliction which the world surelie was not worthy of and therefore hated them as not belonging vnto it But God loued them and by his diuine prouidence which cannot be deceiued intended that they should passe by such tribulations yea and that the paines which they suffer might further pricke them forwards to forsake this miserable world So that in the end they remoue out of this prison they escape this dungeon and with a short apprehension of death they enter into a way which leadeth into a better life The 15. Discourse Of other mens faults AFter you haue setled your selfe appeased your own passions the offences of other men and such faultes as are cōmitted in publique will torment your minde considering the disorder that is amongst vs which is such that nothing remaineth in the place where it ought neither doth any man do his dutie which he is borne to execute He which ought to be a good Iudge is a simple Citizen and he which ought to be a good Citizen is a simple Iudge and we see that he which ought to obey doth commaund It is a strange thinge to see howe all things are corrupted and sould and how all things are tossed topsy turuey how the poore is chastised for a smal fault how the law spareth rich mighty men and now all the practise of mankind is nothing but to get money and how few examples occasions of liuing well those whiche beare charg and hould the chiefest places doe shew A vertuous man is held as a monster hated and abhorred What shoulde a man saie to behould that whiche the people affecteth that which it desireth that which it reiecteth and that which it contemneth what an alteration is this in this world what wretchednesse that wee make no accompt of that which we ought to heare and disdayne that we should not so much as listen vnto The greate griefe that diuers and sundrye persons haue taken at such matters hath caused them for to sequester themselues from the worlde and to liue in deserts and solitary places not beinge in any sort able to behold that which bringeth such sorow vnto them but desiring rather to lyue amongest the rockes with wilde beastes then amongest men fraught with such vices Notwithstanding both in this and in