is written in the liues of the fathers that a young man seruing an Hermet being sent of his maister vnto a village harde by where a certen great Usurer and a vicious man being dead was caryed honorably and buried with solempnitie with the Bishop of that Diocesse which when the boy saw hée wept out that so euyll a man so wicked an Usurer should haue such solemne buriall and returning whom hée founde his maister deuoured of a Lion which so mooued him almost to bée beside him selfe saying The wicked Usurer dieth with greate honour and is buried with great pompe that liued all the dayes of his life in sinne and wickednesse My maister being fifty yeres in the wildernesse an Hermet is eaten vp and deuoured of a Lion whiche studied and traueyled to fight with sinne and with the deuyll An angel appeared vnto the boy saying The deuyll can no more hurt thy maister for hée hath done his worst and now thy maister hath conquered the deuyll The deuyll spared the Usurer in his life time that hée might possesse him after his death SOcrates therefore dying héeing constrayned for that hée refused their gods and sayd that hée would rather worship a Dogge than the gods of Athens and to drinke his last draught perceyuing that his wife wept demaunded the cause of her wéeping his wife aunswered and sayd the innocencie of Socrates death is the cause of my wéeping Nay rather sayde Socrates laugh and reioyce at that and wéepe at him that deserued death The like examples haue wée of King Antigonus and Anaxagoras the Philosopher hearing both that their sonnes dyed in the warres the one sayd I knowe I hadde my sonne borne to die the other without vexation or chaunge of countenaunce made him be buried out of hand saying It is no straunge thing to heare of death aswell vnto Princes as vnto poore men happened A Great King being admonished by his Phisitions of death began to lament much his state saying Alasse Myser that I am howe many princelye Pallaces regall Courtes howe manye Kingdomes and countries must I depart from and go vnto those quarters I know not where Howe manye Princes coulde I commaunde to come with mée anye where Howe many Noble men might I cause to go before to prouide my places and seates and nowe not one poore man in all the worlde will beare mée company to my graue saying thou worlde enimie of my soule ¶ THE DEATHES OF CERTEN Noble Princes in english verse ¶ Alexander the great his death WHat sounde assurance is of man what certaine lotte of life When Atrop cuts which Lachese spinnes with cruell cursed knife Hée yesterday renowmed Prince and King of Kinges so braue To daye in mouldred mossie mire layde in his fatall graue Yesterdaye the sonne of Ioue might all commaunde at will To day starcke naked in the earth with wormes his belly full ¶ Iulius Caesars death I Long that ruled Rome at will in middest of Rome am spilde And in the Senate house amongst the Senators I am kilde Who Countries Kingdomes Castles strong who Europe all did quell To Brutus hande and Cassius snares vnwares I Caesar fell With Bodkins Daggers Swordes and Staues I Caesar there was slaine Of fostered foes which friendeshippe fainde as Abel was of Cain ¶ Cirus King of Persea his death WHat Kesar King or Prince thou art that passes here this way Suffer Cirus seauen foote to rest his Corpes in clay Whose gréedie minde and raging race whose fortune frowning wild That Cirus shoulde be in Scithia slaine by Tomyris Quéene in fielde Whose heade was off and bathed in bloode to whome the Quéene spake first Drinke cruell Cirus bloode ynough that long for bloode did thirst ¶ Agamemnon his death WHome tenne yeares warres in Phrigian fieldes nor Troyans force subdue Who me winde nor Seas nor tempest hurt this Clitemnestra slue This famous Prince and Capitaine graunde of all the Géekes in fielde Whome fame in Phrigia so aduaunced his onely spouse him kilde Thus fortune friendly flowed fast and fauored fame to sounde Till frowning fortune foylde the state which fawning fortune founde ¶ King Pirrhus his death HEre Pirrhus Prince of Epire lyes whose force Tarentum knew At Argos was by a woman slaine with a Tilestoone that shée threw ▪ Whom thousande Princes coulde not hurt nor Romanes all annoy Whom shot of Gunnes ne dreadfull dart might Pirrhus Prince destroy This seconde souldier counted was to Alexander King A sielie Argiue woman lo to graue did Pirrhus bring ¶ Hanibal his death THe fostered fame the glory great that was in Carthage coast The honour long that Lybia had againe in time was lost He that was the scurge of Rome and Romanes oft offend He that saued his natiue zoile and Carthage did defende The same at last to Siria fled to craue Antiochus ayde Unto Bithinia thence he went to Prusias King dismayde And there to voyde Flaminius force he poyson dranke did die Thus hauty Hanibal ended life and there his bones do lye ¶ Pompeius death POmpeius fléeing Pharsalia fieldes from Caesar life to saue Whome then Photinus fayned friende to Egypt soyle did laue And there by slaightes of faythlesse frindes for golde and siluer loe Pompeius heade was sent to Rome to Caesar for to shoe His bodie left vnburied lieth in Egypt slimy sandes Who sometime King of Pontus prest and all Armenia landes ¶ Cicero his death WHome Cicero saued off from death the same did Cicero kill Pompilius prowde to please the rage of Mar. Antonius will Whos 's heade was sette in sight to sée Antonius minde to please Whose tongue did Fuluia pricke with pinnes Hir stony heart to ease Who when hée was for Clodius sake exiled Rome to raunge Twentie thousande Romanes mournde in mourning wéedes the chaunge Hée thrée times Consul was in Rome now in Caieta slaine Whose noble name and lasting fame shall styll on earth remaine ¶ Demosthenes death THe sugred sappe the solace long the guyde of Athens then That stoute withstoode king Philips force in spite of Philips men Of whome king Philip in his warres was forcde to say at length Hée feared more Demosthenes tongue then all the Athinians strength Such is the ende of mortall wightes such is the miserie of men That howe to die the time the place he knoweth not where nor when ¶ Achilles his death THe hope of Gréece and countries care Achilles strong of force Like stoute Alcides fought on foote like Mars himselfe on horse But last that ruled Goddes sometimes did then Achilles mooue To walke to Troye to féede desire for Priamus daughters loue Who by a Dart that Paris driude Achilles had his ende Whose worthy actes and marshall feates in Homer well is pende ¶ Hectors death HEctor stoute whose strokes full sterne the Gréekes did girde so grim And foyled foes in Phrigian fieldes death happened thus to him In spoyling of Patroclus king Achilles faythfull friende Came strong Achilles to the place to sée Patroclus ende Then
Hectors harnesse quite was of supposing none so nie When great Achilles watcht in place in Hectors face to flie And with his speare hée thrust him through from Hectors side to side Thus famous man and Phrigian Prince thus Troyan Hector died ¶ Thimistocles death THat noble Gréeke Themistocles by Artaxerxes forcde To fight agaynst his natiue soyle in harnesse braue was horsde But marke a valiaunt minde beholde a famous déede To hurt his soyle this noble Gréeke did féele his heart to bléede To voyde this wrath of Perseans Prince hée bloode with poyson dranke And so to die that so did liue hée gladly God did thanke ¶ Marcellus death MArcellus in his glorie great triumphant Uictor oft The Spurre of Rome and Romane guyde in state aduaunced loft Who by the Senate sage was sent to Massinissa King And charged that from Africk fieldes an aunswere he shoulde bring On surging Seas of wambling waues vnto his busines bent Dame Fortune doth with flattering feates such loftie mates preuent ¶ Nero his death IN lust who leadeth life with Tyraunt Nero here Must with Nero ende his life as did in Rome appere Who slue his Mayster Seneca who did his mother kill Who spoyled all who spared none who last him selfe did spill Whose death as ioyfull was to Rome as Rome his life detest That into Tiber he being deade the Romans threwe this beast ¶ Hercules death WHich Dragons Lions Tigers wilde which beastes so fierce did tame Which Castles Countries Townes and Towres loe death subdued the same What Hercules hadde at Nessus hande the same with flames did frie Wherein that ofspring great of Goddes and impe of Ioue did die ¶ Herods death WHen Herode raigned in Iuda King his lothsome life to ledde On sucking babes and infantes bloode this cruell tyraunt fedde To séeke our Sauiour Christ he kilde the babes of Iuda lande And thought our God coulde not escape his fomie blodie hande Of Wormes this Herode was deuourde of vermin loe and mise His bones his fleshe was all consumde and eaten vp of Life Seleucus king of Siria his death SEleucus King of Siria lo Antiochus sonne the great To whome in middest of ioyfull state did fortune vse this feate That mounted high on stately stéede with princely port to ride From pompe from pride from horse he fell and there Seleucus died That earst in Siria had such fame and liued long in mirth With crawling créeping wormes hée lieth starcke naked in the earth Traians death WHen twentie yeares had Traian rainde in Romane Empire lo In Citie called Seleucia died from Persea comming fro Whose noble dayes and happy yeres while yet in Rome hée dwelt Both Rome and Romanes then reioycde no griefe in Rome was felt He rightly ruled Rome by lawe he Romane safegarde sought To punish vice and hate eche sinne Plutarchus him hath taught King Anceus death WHo thinkes to ioye shall hap to wo who thinkes to liue shall die Who thinkes to spéede shall often misse thus fortune friendes doth trie As Anceus King of Samos sought to slea a sauage Bore Was by the Bore he thought to kill constraynde to die before ¶ Heliogabalus Emperour of Rome his death BEholde another Gorgon grim a monster Cyclop lo Whose lothsome life and wicked wayes all Rome did feare I know The sincke of sinne the shape of shame the beast of Rome was calde The cruelst scourge the sorest plague that euer Rome haue stalde This monster murthered in a iakes and halde through Rome in stéetes And after throwne to Tibers streames shut in his shrowding shéetes FINIS ¶ Of Memorie and Obliuion SOme hold that opinion that in the auncient tyme whiles yet the worlde florished not in learnyng that memorie then was moste sette by and esteamed for what so euer was seen or heard was then committed vnto Memorie and not recorded in bookes whiche Socrates saied after the vse of letters were had the vertue of Memorie decaied for the care whiche then was in harte and memorie with feare and diligence to obserue is of all now put in bookes that now our memorie is put in writyng and then was it fixed in minde in so muche that noble Athenian Themistocles passyng by Simonides schoole who as some suppose taught firste the arte of Memorie beyng demaunded whether he would learne the arte and facultie of Memorie answered that he had rather learne how to forgette thynges then to keepe thynges in Memorie for I can not saied he forgette what I would and I haue thynges in Memorie whiche faine I would thei were out of Memorie Seneca doeth so report of hymself that he was of suche perfect Memorie that he could reherse after one by hearing twoo huÌ„dred verses yea a greater maruaile of Memorie he could recite twoo thousande names of men beyng repeated once before hym with as good a Memorie as he that firste named them The like we read of Aelius Adrianus a capitain that hauing a greate armie vnder hym of soldiours if any were absent in any place about any businesse he had in Memorie the name of the persone the name of the place and the cause of his businesse Of this excellent Memorie to their perpetuall fame was kyng Cirus and Scipio the one a Persian the other a Romain whiche had this fame by Memorie that either of theim could seuerally call their soldiours by name euery one after an other whiche is moste rare yea moste maruailous hauyng so many alwaies vnder them as both Rome and Persia were chiefly in their daies by them defended to be able to name so many soldiours as either of them both had in armie Their Memorie was suche thâ—n that thei maie not be forgotten now Iulius Caesar was as muche renowmed for that Plinie reported that he could dooe suche thynges by Memorie as in readyng in talkyng in hearyng and in aunsweryng at one tyme that no fault could be founde in either of these fower qualities at one tyme practised whereby he deserueth no lesse praise by his Memorie then fame by his actes Diuers excelled in tyme paste in Memorie as Horâ—ensius a noble Oratour of Rome was able to speake in any place any thing which he premidated priuatly without studie openly he had more truste in his Memorie then in bookes Carmides of Grece was so famous for this facultie that he neuer heard any readyng but he could repeate it worde by worde without writyng were the writyng or readyng neuer so long he would not misse a sillable Cyneas a noble and a famous Oratour one of the counsailours of kyng Pirrhus beyng sente from Epire vnto the Senatours of Rome as an Ambassadour he but once hearyng the names of the Senates before he came vnto the Senate house where when he came he named them orderly by name euery one after an other that all the Senatours were in a greate admiration of his Memorie in repeatyng so many names in openyng so many matters in coÌ„cludyng so
Marcus Antonius was conuicted by Augustus Caesar the Emperour she had rather to bee ouercomed with Serpentes then subdued by Caesar. With this death was Opheltes Lycurgus sonne kyng of Menea vanquished Again some of wilde Bores and ragyng Lions perished as Anceus kyng of Sâ—mos and Paphages kyng of Ambracia perished in the like miserie the one by a Boore the other by a Lion Some by Dogges as Linus Apollos sonne Plini in his seuenth booke maketh mention of a Quéene in Bythinia named Cosinges kyng Nicomedes wife whom her owne dogges slue and tare in péeces Euripides that learned Greeke commyng in the nighte tyme from Archelaus kyng of Macedonia with whom he had béen at supper was by an ill willer of his mette named Promerus whiche set his dogges to mangle hym vnto death EueÌ„ so were Heraclitus and Diogines bothe Philosophers by dogges likewise deade I maie not forget so greate a Prince as Basilius the Emperour of Macedon which in huntyng emongest his lordes and nobles yea emoÌ„gest thousandes of his Commons he onely meetyng a Harte in the chase was prickt in the legge and so died As for Seleucus kyng of Siriae soone vnto Antiocus surnamed the GOD and Bela kyng of Pannonia thei were bothe throwen by their horses and so died If these mischaunces happen vnto princes in the middest of their glorie and state what is it then but miserie of mortalitie and pilgrimages of Princes sithe nothyng expelleth fate nor can auoide death Some so wearie of life some so fearfull of death that thei threwe them self vnto waters to be drouned others for all diligente feare watchyng for death were moste shamfully notwithstandyng by death preuented Fredericke the Emperour marchyng towardes Ierusalem after that he had taken Cities and Tounes in Armenia in passyng through a little riuer he was drouned Decius that noble and stoute Kyng enforced to take his flighte from the Gothes with whom he then was in warres was drouned in the Marishe grounde Marcus Marcellus after that he had been a Consull in Rome three tymes before the thirde warres betwixte the Romains and the Carthagians was likewise by a shipwracke cast awaie Howe many noble Princes were drouned with Pharo kyng of Aegypte in the redde sea we rede in the sacred scriptures How many again that seas and waters spoiled from life wee reade of whiche altered the names of the seas and waters when thei were drouned with their owne names As by Aegeus kyng of Athens death the sea Aegeum was called By Tirrhenus death king of Lidia the sea was called Tirrhen And so kyng Tyberinus altered the riuer named Aelbula by his death to be the Riuer of Tiber. Againe the Sea HellespoÌ„t by a woman named Helle. The sea Hesperides by the maides called Hesperides So by Icarus and Myrtilus the sea of Icarus and the Sea Myrton were spoken To many wer by waters spoiled as we se daily by experience As for honger diuers Princes againe died yea compelled to eate their owne fleshe as Erisicthon and Neocles a Tyraunt of Scycioma whiche for his cruell tyrannie vnto Athens he tasted of the same feaste hym self It is written in Curtius that Queene SysigaÌ„bis kyng Darius mother died of honger Who so readeth Chronicles shall finde diuers mischauÌ„ces happen vnto princes from tyme to tyme for that thei bee enuied at for Vlixes the Greke leste any ofspryng of Hector should rise in Phrigia to reuenge the falle of Troye and his countrey caste Hectors sonne Astianax ouer the walles a liue EueÌ„ as somtime Lycurgus king of Thracia was of his owne Subiectes throwen headlong vnto the sea for that he first mingled water with wine How many famous and noble princes were stoned and by stones deade as valiaunte Pyrrhus kyng of the Epirotes beyng in warres with Antigonus was slaine by an olde woman with a Tile stone at Argos PyraÌ„der at what tyme the Athenians warred against Eumolpus for that he feared famine hidden the wheat from his souldiours was therefore of theim stoned to death Euen so was Cinna the Romain at the warres betwixte the FreÌ„chemen and Rome for the like thing stoned vnto death stoute Cebrion king Priamus sonne was slaine by a stone of Patroclus at the siege of Troy so was Cignus of Achilles at the same time O vnstedfaste Fortune that little stones should ende so many famous liues of Princes O vnprudente Princes that knowe not how nigh alwaies ye are vnto death How many did God punishe and plague with sodaine death for their offences and misliuyng as Mythridates kyng of Pontus Nicanor the soonne of Parmenio kyng of Macedonia as Curtius in his v. booke dooe write died sodainly Sertorius was slaine sodainly at a banquette by Vpenna The Emperour Heliogabalus was killed vpon his stoole at his easemente and throwen vnto Tiber Carbo a noble Romaine after that sorte while he was easyng hym self vpon his stall was commaunded to bee murthered by Pompeius That renowmed and famous Conquerour Iulius Caesar was in the middest of the Citie of Rome where he was Emperour yea in the Senate house murthered and maÌ„gled of Brutus and Cassius Diuers Consuls in Rome died this death as Fabius Maximus Gurges the Senatour and Manlius Torquatus eueÌ„ at his supper died presently Thus some with Thunderboltes did God likewise punishe as Prince Capaneus slaine at the warres of Thebes Tullius Hostilus kyng of Rome was with a Thunderbolt for his insolencie and pride â—laine Zoroastes king of the Bactrians the firste inuentour of Magique was likewise by that kinde of death ouer taken Pride in princes was the onely cause of their falles in so muche the Poetes faine that the greate monstrous and huge Giaunt named Euceladus for his proude enterprise againste Iuppiter was throwen with a Thunderbolte vnto the bottome of Aetna a fierie and flamyng Mountaine The vncertaine state of Princes the flattrie before and the enuie behinde is seen and tried by their death Who liueth so shorte a tyme as a Prince Who dieth so straunge a death as a prince Who liueth in care Who dieth liuyng but a prince was not Sergius Galba and Commodus the sonne of Marcus surnamed Anbilius twoo Emperours of Rome the one by Otho strangled in the Markette place of Rome the other by Marcia his owne Concubine after he ruled Rome xiij yeres Was not I saie Lentulus beeyng taken in conspiracie with that wicked Cateline slaine and mangled at the commaundement of Cicero who then was CoÌ„sull at Rome Likewise Cethegus Gabinius Ceparius and Stabilius for that thei rebelled with Catelin were appoincted by the Senatours to bée strangled in prison Nothyng so vncertaine as the state of princes nothing more deceiptfull then princes again as well proued by histories For Minoes kyng of Crete trauailyng after Daedalus vnto Sicilia was there of his great freÌ„de kyng Cocalus as
poore and therefore I feare no manne who séeth not the daunger of the one and the surenesse of the other for Arison was wont to saie that pouertie was as it were a Lantarne to beholde the wickednes of the worlde for pouertie is the true Nourse of all good vertues Licurgus beyng demaunded of certaine Citizins of Sparta howe might men auoide their enemies hee answered by pouertie wherefore Licurgus made lawes and decrees amongest the Lacedemonians that no Soldiers should spoile the enemies though they were dead in the filde for he feared lest wealthe should bee the distruction of Sparta For wealthy men are enuied at and hated and euery where sought by snares to be destroied whiche pouertie escapeth That wise Greke Solon was wont to saie that wealthe was the mother of excesse excesse the mother of luste luste the mother of violence and violence the mother of tyrannie Therefore saieth Pithagoras that wealth muste bee ruled with wisedome as the wild horse is tamed by the bridle Simonides when he was demaunded which was better wealth or wisedome he saide after this sorte I doubte muche said he for I sée so manie wise men frequentyng the riche mannes companie that I knowe not whiche ¶ Of Death DEATH is the laste line of all thyng the discharge of all couenauntes the ende of all liuyng Creatures the onelie wishe of the good and the verie terrour of the wicked And for that the life of man is diuers so is Death variable of sonderie sortes and fashions as by experience seen and knowen in all Countries Nothyng is surer then death nothyng more variable then Death For Pindarus that wise and sage kyng of the Liricans beeyng demaunded of certaine Beotians what might beste happen vnto manne in this worlde euen that saied he whiche chaunced vnto Trophoniuâ— and Agamedes meanyng Death For these men after thei had builded a newe temple vnto Apollo demaunded of God Apollo the beste reward that he could giue vnto them thei thinkyng to speede of some dignitie or some worldly substaunce were rewarded within seueÌ„ daies after with death The like we reade in the firste booke of Herodote where the mother of Biton and Cleobes twâ—o yong menne of Argos kneelyng before the Image of Iuno besoughte the Goddesse to bestowe some excellent good thyng vpon her twoo soonnes for their paine and trauaill that thei shewed toward their naturall mother in drawyng the Chariot tenne miles in steade of horses but the Goddesse willyng to shewe the beste thyng that could bee giuen vnto manne the nexte night followyng quietly in bedde as thei slepte died Wherefore very well did Aristippus aunswere a certaine manne whiche asked how Socrates died Euen in that order that I wishe my self to die â–ª Giuing to vnderstande that any death is better then life That noble Philosopher Plato a little before he died as Sabellicus doeth write did thanke nature for thre causes the firste that he was borne a manne and not a beast the seconde that he was borne in Greece and not in Barbarie The thirde that he was borne in Socrates tyme who taught hym to die well Hermes that great Philosopher of Egipte euen diyng so embraced death that he called vpon that diuine spirite whiche ruled all the heauens to take mercie vpoÌ„ hym beyng right glad that he passed this toilyng life Suche is the snare of death that some in halfe their daies in middest of their fame and glorie die As Alexander the greate in Babilon Pompeius in Egipte and Marcellus whiche beyng a yonge man of greate towardnesse and soonne by adoptioÌ„ to the Empire of Rome died Euen Albius a Romaine knight in flourishyng yeres ended his race And M. Caelius one of Ciceros scholers a very eloqueÌ„t Oratour and of greate fame beyng in a maner a boie died It is straunge to see the shiftes of death in how diuers and sondrie fassions it happened vnto Princes alwaies that some merie in their bankettes and drinkyng wer slaine As Clitus of Alexander the greate beyng his sisters brother and his chief frende Ammon of Absalon being bidden vnto a banquette was slaine of his owne brother yea all the Embassadours of Persia were coÌ„maunded to bee slaine euen drinkyng at the Table by kyng Amintas soonne of Macedonia Some ende their liues wantonnyng with women and plaiyng in chambers as that renoumed Greke Alcibiades beeyng taken in Uenerie with Timandra was slaine of Lisander EueÌ„ so Phaon Speusippus the Philosopher died likewise Some bathyng theim self were choked by their owne wiues As Agamemnon that famous Greke by his wife Clitemnestra And Argirus Emperoure of Rome by his wife Zoe Diuers in prison as Captiues died as Aristobulus Emnenes Aristonicus Marius Cleomenes Iugurth Siphax famous and renowmed Princes Diuers in Iacques slain as that beast Heliogabolus whom Rome so hated that he fledde vnto a Iaques and there was killed and after drawen thorowe the streates and throwen vnto the Riuer Tiber Gneus Carbo a manne of great dignitie and power of Rome was commaunded that he should bee slaine as he was sitting on his stoole of ease by Pompeius in the thirde tyme of his Consulshippe in Rome Thus shamfull diuers died and thus famously others died The snares of death the hookes of tyme the ende of manne was alwaies vnknowen Patroclus knewe not that he should bee slaine of Hector Hector neuer thoughte he should bee killed of Achilles Achilles neuer doubted his death by Paris Paris neuer iudged that he should be vanquished by Pirrhus Neither Pirrhus was certaine that he should bee ouercomed by Orestes so that no manne knoweth his ende where howe and when he dieth and yet all menne are certaine and sure that thei haue an ende that thei muste needes die The feare of death hath muche ouercome the stoutest and worthiest souldiour â–ª Wee reade that Asdrubal of Carthage a noble and a famous Capitaine a longe tyme and yet at length beyng conuicted by Scipio he for feare of death kneled before Scipio embracyng his feete and so fearefull that his owne wife was ashamed of his doynges Yet had this noble Capitaine rather bee a laughyng stocke vnto the Romains a bonde manne vnto Scipio runnyng a foote like a lackie before his triumph then to die manfully in the behalfe of his Countrie whiche valiauntly for a tyme he defended Perpenna likewise a famous Romaine beyng taken in Spaine after Sertorius was deade by the Souldiours of Pompeius in a wooddie place full of Groues fearyng leste at that instante he should be slaine by Pompeius souldiors made them beleue that he had diuers thinges to speake vnto Pompeius that the enemies had in hande to bryng to passe against Pompeius rather had Perpenna betraied his frendes and his fellowes yea and all his Countrie vnto his enemie PoÌ„peius then that he should bée in the feare of death A greater feare of death we read in that booke of
Euboians euen so let their heares growe behinde vpon their backes very long and yet enforced of necessitie to cut it before for feare of the enimies It séemed that eyther Barbers were skant or not known in those dayes or else heares much set by and estéemed of all men for Suetonius that writ the liues of Emperours doth report that the Emperour Caligula was woont for enuie to those he met to shaue their heares of behinde knowing wel that nothing might molest them so much as to haue their heares of for he was so enuious that if he sawe anye that had fayre golden heares hée woulde haue it of streight with his owne handes Beards were so set by and so estéemed were heares in those dayes that women kinde were so forbidden by the lawe of the twelue tables to shaue anye part of the face to prooue whether heares might growe or no. Occasions were ministed vnto them sayde they by their long heares and beardes to knowe them selues and the state of their body for of an olde man in the citie of Sparta being asked why he ware his bearde so long hée aunswered that in behoulding the graye heares in my bearde I maye doe nothing vnséemely nor vnworthy of such graye heares for a good man is alwayes prickt with stinges to lyue verteously Demonax was known by his beard to be some graue Philosopher of him that demaunded him what kind of Philosophie he professed not knowing him otherwise than by his bearde The tyraunt Dionisius to spite the Citizens of Epidaurus tooke the goulden beard of Aesculapius away out of the temple to mooue them to greater displeasure At what tyme Aristippus was brought vnto Sinius house the Phrigian which was so dressed with cloth of Arras and precious hangings that the very flowers so gorgiously shined that he coulde not finde in the house a place to spitte without some offence he spit in his handenapkin and thrue it into Simus face who was all bearded hée being angrie therewith demaunded the cause why hée so little estéemed him for that sayde Aristippus that I sawe not in all the house so foule a place as that which shoulde haue béene most cleane meaning hys bearde and though it was merilye done of Aristippus yet it was not so merily thought of Simus which more estéemed his bearde than Aristippus estéemed all his precious clothes and goulden hangings The like dyd Ieronimus surnamed Rhetus make of his bearde for when I sée sayd hée my beard than I know right well that I am a man and not a woman and then knowing my selfe to bée a man I am ashamed to doe any thing lyke a woman eyther in word or déede Much more might bée héere alleaged for the actorities of beardes and for estéeming of long heares for there is no country be it euer so ciuyll but it is addicted vnto some peculiar qualities neither is there any man be hée euer so wise but doth glory in one thing more then in another as the wise man in his wisedome the learned man in his knowledge the ignoraunt man in his folly the proude man in his person the selfe louer in some place more than in other either in his face body legge middle foote yea in hande and héere and specially many do make much account of their beards kembing decking handlyng and settyng it in order alwayes But bicause people are mutable full of chaunge and that time altereth all things we wyll no further procéede in this though menne maye misiudge of others concerning their long héere 's and beardes yet I say iudgement is not safe in this poynt for it may bée that they preferre the rustye rude countrey Poet Hesiodus before the warlike and eloquent Homer as Panis king of Calcides or as Midas did iudge Pan the Piper before Apollo the god of Musicke Harde it is to iudge of men whether the bearded man or the beardlesse man is to be preferred the long heare or the short heare to bée estéemed for vnder straunge habite lurcke hidden qualities for vnder a ragged cloake as the Gréeke prouerbe is lyeth wisedome secretely as vnder a Ueluet Gowne ¶ Of diuers kindes and sundry fashions of buriall amongst the Gentiles THE aunciente Egyptians waying the shortnes of mans life litle estéeming the time doth prouide such sepulchrées against they die that they account their graues an euerlasting habitation Wherfore in life time they studied howe to make them such gorgeous graues as shoulde bée perpetuall monumentes after death In so much that thrée hundred and thréescore thousande workmen were twentie yeres in building a huge and a monstruous worke to bury their bodies which for the bignesse thereof was counted one of the seuen woonders named at this day the Pyramides of Egypt Plini saith that thrée Piramides were made in Egypt betwixt the Citie of Memphis and Delta which king Ceopes as Herodotus affirmeth began to make the first and as Diodorus saith his brother Cephus began the seconde and the thirde by king Mycerinus as both Herodotus and Diodorus agrée Some say that Rhodope a harlot and a strumpet but being married vnto king Psamnetichus and left a widowe shée made as Strabo saith the thirde Pyramides but to this effect they were made as common sepulchrées to receaue dead men as gestes to dwell alwayes therein with such ceremonies first that being dead they fyll the scull of his head with swéete odours and then they rip his body with a sharpe stone of Aethiop which the Egyptians haue for the purpose and pourge his bodie and then being stopt with fragrant odours and sweete spices they sewe vp the body which being done they put him in fine sindon cloth hauyng his likenesse made vpon a holow worke wherein they put the body with many other such ceremonies onely to saue the bodye from any putrifaction for they thinke as the Stoicks do So long say they shall the soule florish and liue as the body is vnputrified for as the bodyes perish so doth the Egyptians beléeue that the soules decay The Aethiopians haue such care of the dead that being dressed with all kinde of odours they put them in such sumptuous tombes and gorgeous graues that the sepulchrées are compassed and made ouer with fine glasse The Scythians when their kings noble men die they must haue to beare them company vnto the graue one of their concubines one of their chiéefe seruauntes and one of their frends that loued them best aliue they I say must accompany and folow them vnto the graue being dead The Romanes had this custome that if any man of countenaunce and credite shoulde die his sonnes and daughters his nigh kinsmen and best beloued fréendes as Cicero doth write of Metellus shoulde put him in the fire made for that effect and purpose vnlesse hée were one of the Emperours whose funerall pompe was much more sumptuous for then his body shoulde bée caryed by
be enforced of their foes to doe what thei would as Themistocles beyng banished froÌ„ his countrie Athens when he did deserue wel life and honor beyng in seruice with Artaxerxes kyng of Persia poisoned hym self with the bloud of a Bulle in presence of all the Persians lest he should be compelled to fight in warres againste Grece his countrey Euen so Aratus Prince of Sicionia perceiuyng Philip the yonger should banishe and exile hym out of his countrey was enforced to drinke his owne death out of his one hande Euen after this sort after long administration of common wealth after greate honour had and after Princely dignities possessed with worthie renowme and same receiued did noble Socrates learned Anaxagoras worthie Seneca famous Demosthenes poison them selues Thus their pilgrimages were ended and their liues finished their honor and dignitie their fame and renoume did purchase them death Happie theÌ„ are those whom the worlde knowe not ne yet desire to be acquainted with the worlde but quiete and contented doe trauaile their Pilgrimage Had not Iugurtha thrusted for the kyngdome of Numidia he had not slain his two brethren Adherbales and Hiemphales which wer partakers of the croune for the whiche vengeance sell vpon hym he had not comen vnto cruell Marius hande to bee subdued neither had he died in prison Had not king Syphax thursted the Empire of Rome he had neuer been taken captiue and prisoner with Tyburus where he at lengthe out of his kyngdome died in prisone Henry the thirde was of his owne soonne named Henry again putte in prison where he died Aristonicus for all his businesse and greate doynges was vanquished by the Consull Aquilus and put in prison where likewise he died In prison diuers princes ended life in foreine countries diuers kindes of deathes sondrie plagues happen vpon princes more then vpon man els as orderly I meane to proue by their Pilgrimages and liues Some by fire as the Emperour Phalaris of Agrigentin who was burned with all his children and his wife in the brasen Bulle whiche Perillus made for others and when Perillus firste assaied this newe inuented worke before all others and after him the Emperour hym self was put therein By fire was the Emperour Valentine burned of the Gothes by fire was that famous Gréeke Alcibiades destroied in Phrigia burned in bedde with his woman Tymandra after he had ruled Athens and all Grece a longe while thus was his ende Sardanapalus that greate kyng and laste prince of Assiria fearyng to fal vnto the handes of Arbactus and detestyng to die by his enemies made a solempne fire where he after long leude life wantoning in luste and followyng his desire burned hym self it was the ende of that renoumed man Hercules whiche conquered Monsters subdued Serpentes Lions Dragons and wilde beastes to dye by wearyng of Nessus therte the Centaur whiche burned hym a liue To speake of Prince Boges the deare frende sometyme of kyng Xerxes which when he knewe that he could not escape the hande of Cimon and the power of Athens he made greate fire where he caused his wife and concubins his children and familie to be burned and then his gold siluer and treasure and last of all burned him self Empedocles Catulus Luctatius Asdrubal and Portia died this death I maie not be tedious in recityng to many names but some to shewe and to write that did take a part of sondrie plagues diuers deathes So desirous wer men alwaies to become princes so ambitious of honour so gready of wealthe that hauyng the name of a king thei thought to auoide and escape that whiche alwaies waâ—teth harde at the heeles of Princes I meane death were not Princes hanged of their owne subiectes whiche is the vilest and moste ignomious death that can bee Achaeus kyng of Lidia for that he troubled his subiectes with newe taskes and Subsidies he was hanged of his owne Subiectes ouer the riuer Pactolus Bomilchar a Prince of Libia beyng suspected of his owne countrey men the Carthaginians that he had conspired with Agathocles vnto the annoyaunce of the subiectes was hanged in the citie of Carthage in the middest of the Markette Policrates who was supposed to bée the happiest Prince that euer reigned in Samos who neuer sustained any losse by Fortune at length was by Oroetes the Persian kyng Darius generall hanged in open sight of Samos Herodotus dooeth affirme that Leonides that famous kyng of Sparta that long ruled the Lacedemonians with great fame and renowme was by Xerxes kyng of Persia after his heade was smitten of commaunded notwithstandyng to be hanged Trogus dooth write of Hanno a Prince of Carthage whiche flourished in the tyme of kyng Philippe father to Alexander the greate whiche for his prosperous successe Fortune and lucke that he had in all his attemptes he waxed to be suche a tyrauÌ„t that his owne people firste bounde hym with coardes whipt hym with roddes pluckt out his eyes brake his legges cutte of his handes and at laste to recompence his Tyrannie thei hanged hym vp in Carthage These were no meane men that thus were hanged in their owne Countrey of their owne people But honoure which is alwaies ambitious doeth bryng this to passe euery where These Princes were in the middeste of life arrested by death and by diuers kindes of death Some as you haue heard with poison some with fire some with hangyng haue ended their Pilgrimages some againe were deuoured of their owne horses as Diomedes kyng of Thracia was foode hym self vnto those beastes whiche before he fedde with mennes bodies The kyng of Eubaea for his tyrannie in Boaetia was giuen by Hercules to be eaten of his owne horses Lucinius the Emperour at what tyme he had appointed his doughter Herina should bée giuen vnto his horses to be eaten he hym self ministryng her as fode vnto theim was torne in péeces It happened that Neocles the sonne of that noble Greeke Themistocles was by a horse likewise deuoured This plague was not straunge vnto Princes for thei were alwaies subiecte vnto all kinde of deathes After that famous Prince Metius Capitaine of the Libians had broken with the Romains promise of truce and amitie he was afterward as Liui doeth witnesse taken and drawen of fower greate horses a liue at the commaundemente of Tullus Hostilus beyng then kyng of Rome Kyng Theseus soonne Hippolitus beeyng then falsely of his Mother in lawe Quéene Phaedra accused fliyng to auoide the furie and rage of his Father at the requeste of the Quéene was torne in peeces of wilde horses But let vs passe further and then we shall reade that some againe euen as thei afore saied Princes were deuoured of horses were of Serpentes stonged vnto death as Laocon that worthie Troian was in open sighte of twoo Serpentes destroied yea that famous and warlike woman Cleopatra Queene of Aegypt after her louer and frende
reuenged her old loue and requited his seruice then after this sorte She threwe a greate stone after hym and there killed hym and straight for sorowe callyng to minde the old amitie and hidden loue betwene them hāged her self The reuengement y t Cleonimus that noble famous Lacedemonian who hauing his owne wife in suche admiration of impacient loue that he was as muche hated of her as she of hym was honoured and estemed for she loued onely kyng Acrotatus sonne so deare that her housebande Cleonimus vnderstandyng the same went to Epire to kyng Pirrhus perswadyng hym earnestly to come to Peloponesus and to moue warres against kyng Acrotatus wherby he might reuenge the spite doen of his wife in killyng hym whom she loued beste a greate reuengemente as he thought vnto her then to reuenge vpon her owne persone to spoile hym whom she loue better then her self Valerius Torquatus for that he might haue Tuscus doughter in mariage moued warres out of hande and reuenged the same with bloud For what cause did Progne king Pandions doughter of Athens kill her owne sonne Itis and gaue hym to bee eaten vnto his father and her housebande kyng Tereus of Thrace nothyng but to reuenge her sister Philomela whom her housebande defloured her Why did Nero that cruell Emperour kille Seneca his maister and teacher in all his youth for nothyng but to reuenge olde stripes whiche he receiued at his maister beyng a boie For what purpose did Cateline Silla Damasippus Marius and other take quarelles to plage Rome to punishe all Italie to destroie the coūtrey for nothyng but for that thei could not abide one aboue an other Darius after that he had taken the Citie of Babilon he reuenged his old malice after this sort as Herodot in his third booke affirmeth He made thre thousande of the beste within the Citie bee hanged Attila Kyng of Pannonia slue a leuen thousande virgines at the besiegyng of Colonia So diuers wer reuengemēt emongest menne so cruell yea so foolishe that Xerxes and Cirus twoo greate kynges of Persia that when the water of Hellespont molested Xerxes and troubled his soldiours he forth with commaunded that the sea Helespont should haue three hundred stripes and willed three hundred paire of Featters to bee throwen vnto Hellespont to binde the sea Euen so did Cirus for that the riuer Gindes did droune one of Cirus beste geldynges he made his souldiours to deuide the riuer vnto a hundred and fower score small partes to reuenge Gindes rage towarde Cirus thinkyng that by breaking of the greate rage of so greate a streame that he well and worthely requited the iniuries of Gindes These are cruell reuengers too many are of these in so muche that women reuenge their malice after this sorte As Tomiris Queene of Scithia who to reuenge her soonne Mergabites death slue kyng Cirus and twoo thousandes of his soldiours Too great a slaughter for one mannes death and not yet satisfied vntill she bathed Cirus heade in a greate vessell full of bloudde This Beronice Pollia and diuers cruell women beside could dooe the one is dooen with anger and synne the other is dooen with vertue and aduisemente For princes muste vse aduisement in reuenging must vse wisedome in sufferaunce For as Frederick the Emperour was often wonte to saie that Princes that reuenge hastely and specially wrongfully are like faire markes for good archers to shoote at High towers and loftie buildynges are soner fiered with lightenynges then lowe houses and small cottages For Tiberius Caesar Emperoure of Rome beyng in the Senate house to punishe those euills and to reuenge those harmes that were by some of the citie threatened toward his estate God forbidde saied he that Tiberius should haue so muche idle tyme to heare euill spoken muche lesse to reuēge euill doen. Antigonus kyng of Macedonia besiegyng a Castle in Grece wherein a nomber of bolde Greekes vsed for their pastyme and sporte to scoffe this kyng knowyng the situation of the Castle to bee in suche a place that might not bee subdued Thei therefore laughyng hym to scorne as well for his enterprice therein ▪ as also for his slender persone and croked nose whiche kyng Antigonus had saied he would reuenge all their doynges with sufferaunce and hoped thereby to moleste the enemies double Diuers Heathen princes wer acquainted with this reuengement as Lisander Agesilaus and others for vnto God onely belongeth vengeaunce I will not speake here of suche reuengyng of Princes of Countreis of frendes that al men knowe But of rare reuengement whiche Philosophie taught vnto Socrates towarde Xantippe who beyng at supper hauyng a straunge geste named Enthidemum his wife Xantippe beganne to take her housbande vp with tauntyng and opprobrious wordes whiche because he would not auswere and be moued by her chidinges she ouerthrewe the table with all the meate and the Cuppes whiche whē Enthidemum sawe he was amazed at the ragyng of Xantippe beholdyng Socrates in the face to see how he thought of the matter but Socrates vnderstandyng that his geste did maruaile at his wife saied haue not you sometyme at home a Henne that will after longe clockyng with a sodaine flight throwe doune your cuppes with her wyng wherewith Enthidemum was fully satisfied with the wise aunswere of Socrates in reuengyng so greate a faulte Phocion a learned man of Athens was wont to saie that he had rather suffer iniurie wrongfully then to reuenge iniurie sometyme rightfully This man Phocion by whom Athens long flourished at what tyme he was putte to death moste wrongfully of the Athenians euen a little before he should die beyng demaunded whether he would commaunde any thyng vnto his soonne standyng thereby to see his father ende Spake vnto his sonne after this sorte My sonne saied he this I charge and require thée and moreouer beseche that thou will neuer reuenge the wrongfull death of thy father Phocion vpon the Athenians Solon a noble learned Athenian was wont to reuenge his wronges with these wordes If the fissherman suffer the salte water of the Sea to sprinkle vpon his face and vpon his clothes to weate hym for to take Fishe how muche more ought Solon suffer to speake to winne thē to be frendes Surely these three Philosophers deserue more praise and commendation I meane Socrates Phocion and Solon for the reuengyng of the euill with goodnes and vertue Then euer Alexander the Greate or Iulius Caesar or Theseus whiche reuenged euill with euill Wherefore Chilon the Lacedemonian beyng one of the officers called Ephori in the Citie of Sparta his brother demaundyng why he might not bee likewise one of the fiue Ephori as well as his brother saied vnto his brother because I can suffer wronge and thou canste not Therefore princes ought not to doe wrong nor yet reuenge wrōg with wrong but with paciente sufferaunce and goodnesse and doyng good for euill thei shall
betwene the Aegiptians and the Assirians betwene Ptholomeo and Alexander the one kyng of Aegipte the other kyng of Assiria and all for one woman Cleopatra ▪ Augustus the Emperour kepte longe warres for Octauia his sister whiche Anthonius through luste defiled to the spoyle and murther of manie Romaines had Ixiona Kynge Priamus sister not lusted to go with Thelamonius frō Troie vnto Gréece had likewise Helē Menelaus wife not lusted to come with Paris from Gréece vnto Troy the bloody warres and ten yeares siedge betwene the Greekes and the Troians had neuer been written of Homer Had not lust ruled the fiue cities called Pentapolis where Sodome and Gomer were the earth had not swallowed theym vp to the destruction of all the people sauyng Lot and his children If lust had not ruled all the worlde the deluge of Noach had not drouned the whole yearth and all liuyng creatures sauyng Noach his wife and his children Thus lust from tyme to tyme was the onely Monster and Scourge of the worlde And in this oure age luste is nothyng diminished but muche encreased and though not to bee plagued with water accordyng vnto promise yet to bee punished with fire most sure we be vnlesse we detest and abhorre this vice There is a historie worthy to be noted of Princes in Iustine that will not punishe these offences Pausanias a noble gentleman of Macedonia beyng a verie faire yong man whiche Attalus for lust muche abused and not contented wickedly and vngodly to handle the yong man so brought hym vnto a banquet where in his winkyng Attalus would haue vsed hym as before makyng all men priuie how Pausanias was kynge Attalus paramour as a woman thus the young manne beyng ashamed often complained vnto Philip kyng of Macedonia whiche Philip had maried then of late the suster of Attalus and had diuorsed and put awaie Olimpias the mother of Alexander the greate for some suspicion Pausanias I saie after many and diuers complaintes made vnto kyng Philippe hauyng no redresse thereof but rather was flouted and scoft at Philippes hand Pausanias tooke it so greuously that Attalus was so estemed with the kyng beyng the cause of his complaintes and he so neglected that was so mynded he after this sorte requited his shame and iniuries At the mariage of Cleopatra kyng Philippes doughter and Alexander Kyng of Epire in greate triumphes and pompes Kyng Philippe in the middeste of ioyes walkyng betwene his owne sonne Alexander the Greate who then was but younge and Alexander kyng of Epire his soonne in lawe beyng married then vnto his daughter Cleopatra Pausanias thruste hym vnto the harte saiyng minister Iustice and punishe luste Thus died that mightie Prince as well for the bearyng of Attalus faulte as also for his owne wickednesse vsyng the same somtyme with a brother in lawe of his naturall brother vnto his firste wife Olimpias Luste and intemperancie are neuer escaped without iuste punishemente and due vengeaunce Ammon the soonne of kyng Dauid for that he misused his owne sister Thamar was afterwarde slaine Absalon for that he did lye with his fathers Concubine died for it Dauid was plagued for Urias wife The twoo Elders that would rauishe Susanna were put to death This synne is the onely enemie of man For all synnes saith sainct Paule is without the bodie but vncleanesse and luste synneth againste the bodie Therefore to auoide sight oftentimes is to auoide lust Had not Holofernus seen the beautie of Iudith yea marked the comlines of her slepeares he had not loste his heade by it Had not Herode seen Herodias daughter dauncyng he had not so rashely graunted her Ihon Baptiste heade Had not Eua seen the beautie of the Aple she had not eaten thereof We reade in the Genesis that when the sonnes of men viewed the beautie of women many euils happened thereby By sight was Pharaos wife moued in lust toward Ioseph her seruaunt By sight and beautie was Salomon allured to committe Idolatrie with false Gods By sight was Dina the doughter of Iacob rauished of Sichem These euills procede from sodaine sightes Therefore doeth the Prophete saie tourne awaie thine eyes lest thei se vanities The Philosopher likewise saieth that the firste offer or motion is in the eye from sight proceadeth motions from motion election from election consent from consente synne from synne death Wherefore with the Poet I saie resiste the violence of the first assaulte I meane the eyes the euill that happened thereby too long it were to write Luste againe hath an entraunce by hearyng as Iustine in his .xij. booke dooeth testifie of Thalestris Queene sometyme of the Amazones whiche hauyng heard the greate commendations the fame and renowme of Alexander the Greate ventered her life to hazarde to come from Scithia vnto Hircania whiche was as Iustine saieth xxv daies iourneis in greate daunger and perill of life as well by wilde beastes waters as also by forein foes She had thrée hundred thousandes women of Scithia in companie with her I saie for the fame she heard of this great Prince she came from her countrey where she was a Quene to lie with a stranger by luste And whē she had accomplished her minde and satisfied her luste after thirtie nightes liyng with hym she thought she was spead of some ofspryng of Alexander she returned vnto her owne countrie again For as Cicero doeth write we are more moued by reporte oftentymes to loue then by sighte For as by reporte Quéene Thalestris came to lye with Alexander for children sake from Scitha vnto Hercania for his magnanimitie victories and courage So by report came Quéene Saba from Ethiope vnto Salomon to heare and to learne wisedome O golden worlde Oh happie age when either for simplicitie men could not speake or for temperauncie menne would not speake the innocencie of thē then and the subtiltie of vs now the temperancie of their age and the luste of our age beyng well waighed and throughly examined it is easily to be seen how vertuously thei liued in ignorauncie and how viciously wee liue in knowledge For before Aruntius proude Torquinius soonne was by luste moued toward Collatinus wife There was no alteration of states nor chaunge of Common wealthes no banishement of princes in Rome and beyng chaunged for that purpose onely from a Monarchie vnto an other state called Aristocratia it continued so longe in that forme whiche was the firste chaunge vntill Appius rauished Virginius doughter which banished the order called Decemuiri whiche was the second change And thus the popular state whiche had chief rule alwaies of Rome chaunged states of the Citie diuers times for that luste so raigned Thus might I speake of diuers other countries whiche luste was the iust cause of the subuersion therof For of one Venus a strūpet in Cipres al Cipria was full of hores Of one Semiramis in Babilon all Persia lengthe grewe
Cicero in his first booke of Tusculan commendeth much the clemency of Cleobulus and Biton in shewing such loue and obedience to their mother which being in her Chariot redy to go to the solempne feast of the goddesse Iuno the horses sodainly dyed hauing no other remedy lest their mother should go a foote yoked themselues to drawe the Chariot tenne miles to their immortall praise and commendations I remember of a history in Patritius of one Simonides which for that hée was mooued with pittie to bury a dead corps left in the way where no man woulde put him vnto the earth as hée was passing with his felowes ouer Seas that night before they should saile in the morning appeared vnto Simonides the selfe same man which he had buried vpon the way warning him that day not to go to Sea which when hée shoulde take shipping he remembring his dreame tolde it vnto his felowes desiring them to stay that day but his company laughing him to scorne leauing Simonides on the shoores sayled vnto the Seas where in sight of Simonides the Shippe and all his felowes were lost The lyke pitie séene in Simon the son of that valiaunt Greeke Miltiades who being elected Generall ouer the Athenians against the great mighâ— and force of puissaunt Zerxes in the warres of Marathon which was nothing inferiour vnto his renowmed father in prowesse but farre passed him in clemencye and curtesie A young man for his lenitie pitie ioyned with valiauntnesse appoynted by the people of Athens to encouÌ„ter with Zerxes whom his father Miltiades often plaged he then at the first time of his magnanimity tried enforced Zerxes after spoyle of souldiours and victorie of fielde to flye vnto Persea So pitifull that hée payde a great some of money to haue his father buried Milciades which after many conquestes and fawning fortune in victories died in prison whose death and buriall prooued no lesse loue and faythfulnesse towardes his father in Simon then it shewed euidentlye the pittie and mercy he had in redéeming his fathers corpes to be buried Wherefore that pittifull Emperour Alexander Seuerus being demaunded what is that which is chiefe felicitie in this worlde sayde to foster friendes with benifites and gentlenesse and to reconcile foes with pitty and rewardes Alphonsus at what time certen dogges barked at him tooke a toaste out of his cuppe and cast it to the Dogge then saying gentlenesse and clemencye shall make foes friendes I knowe not what greater humanitie coulde be in Vaspasianus the emperour after that Vitellus had kilde his brother Sabinus and had long persecuted Vaspasians sonne yet he being subdued spared not to shew gentlenes to Vitellius his daughter with a great some of money towarde hir mariage Aegesilaus King of the Lacedemonians after he had the victorie of Corinth was not so glad of his conquest as he lamented the deathes of so many Athenians and Corinthians sayde as Plutarch doth witnesse wéeping O Gréece thou spillest more men with ciuil warâ—es by discorde than woulde defende thy state against all the worlde with courage To vse victorie gently is more famous than to conquer cruellye As that Emperour Adrian was woont to saye that Princes ought rather with Pittie to saye this I can doe then with tirannye to saye this I will doe Augustus that most pittifull Prince after he had conquered that famous Cittie Alexandria which the great conquerour Alexander had made and named it according to his owne name béeing mooued with pittie stirred with mercy in sight of the Citizens which hoped to haue nothing but death sayde for the beautie of your Citie and memorie of Alexander for the loue I haue vnto Prius your Philosopher and for the pittie I beare vnto you all I spare vnto you your Cittie and graunt you life O swéete sounding wordes from a pittifull Prince not muche vnlike his predicessor Iulius Caesar his owne mothers brother who after vanquishing of Pompeius at Pharsalia sent letters vnto Rome of loue professed of suche friendshippe promised that though Pompeius was the onely ioye of Rome the long delight of Romanes the defender and meintainer of theyr name and fame yet being conuicted they receyued Caesar as an other Pompeius for that he vsed humanitie and shewed gentlenesse euen vnto his enimies for noble heartes ought to coÌ„temne cruelty princes mindes ought to abhor tirannye A simple sparow which to auoyd y e griping pawes of a hungry Sparhaucke that woulde haue prayed vppon him fledde vnto Artaxerxes bosome being in campe where after long panting aswell for feare as for wearinesse in Artaxerxes bosome he sayd It is as litle masterie vnto a Prince or commendation to a valiant Capitaine to destroye that which of it selfe doth yéelde as it is a fame vnto Artaxerxes to kyll this poore Sparow that fled for succour saying againe beholding the Sparrowe As I will not betraye thée thou little Sparrowe for that thou hast fledde for helpe vnto Artaxerxes so will I neuer deceyue anye man that will haue confidence in me If this pittie of Artaxerxes was shewed vnto a Sparrowe how much ought Princes to shewe the same vnto men Antigonus though he was a great enimie vnto Pirrhus as Princes bée during the time of warre being slayne of a silye woman in Argos and hys heade brought by Alcyoneus vnto his father King Antigonus thinking to please his father much to bring King Pirrhus head which long had molested Antigonus aliue but the king perceauing the cruell tiranny of his sonne to delite in dead mens heades tooke the staffe whereon his sonne Alcioneus caried the head in stéede of thankes which hée looked for at his fathers handes hée was well and worthily rewarded with stripes tooke Pirrhus head very honourably deckt and couered it and after long looking theron hée coÌ„maunded his son Helenus to cary it vnto the kingdome of Epire where Pirrhus in life time was King there to bée buried according vnto the custome of y e Epirotes by king AlexaÌ„der his own brother The like history is writteÌ„ in Herodotê° of King Darius which yéelded thankes vnto those that brought Histeus head as Antigonus did vnto his sonne Alcioneus saying I do as litle ioy to sée Histeus head being dead as I do lament much such tiranny and cruelnesse to bée in you who neuer sawe King Darius so cruell to any man aliue as you are cruell vnto Histeus being dead As Darius was gentle of him selfe so hée greatly estéemed those that were gentle insomuch hée being at the point of death euen at that time when hée was so weake that hée knew not Polistratus that gaue a litle water to refreshe his heart sayde Whosoeuer thou bée I knowe thée not and for that I am not able to thanke thée Alexander shall and wyll requite thy gentlenesse and the gods shall thanke Alexander for his clemency and humanity towarde my mother my wife and children and with that hée stretched
foorth his hande and sayde Haue mée recommended vnto Alexander and bryng him this my right hande and tell him that Bessus kylled Darius whom thou didst sée dying Which when it was tolde by Polystratus vnto Alexander hée much lamented his death caused his body to bée brought with great honour and precious clothes and with all solempnitie that might bée made vnto his mother named Sisigambis Thus worketh clemency and humanity that those two famous Princes Alexander and Darius two mortall enemies alwayes and yet not forgetting eche others courtesie at deathes doore either of them in loue with the other For their humanitie one to another Darius at his death repeating Alexanders gentlenesse towardes him and Alexander requiting Darius gentlenesse being dead The greatest fame or commendation that may happen vnto any man is to bée counted gentle and curteous therein are diuers vertues knitted and ioyned in fréendship as pitie mercy wisedome and affability with others so that the property of those men are alwayes though they can hurt yet neuer to hinder It is proper to an euill man to offende so is the nature of the good and gentle to forgiue Pisistratus shewed both wisedome and curtesie vnto certaine dronkardes who hauing in theyr drinke vsed wanton spéech vnto his wife and being sober the next morning came to Pisistratus to aske him forgiuenesse for theyr lewde talke vnto his wife hée gently sayde learne to be more sober another time I knowe my wife was not out of hir house yesterdaye excusing his wife wisely and pardoning them gently Howe gently dyd Alexander Seuerus vse Camillus though he rebelled against him and by sleight thought to be Emperour of Rome and for that being condemned to die by the Senate yet he was pardoned by Alexander Howe courteous was Fabius Maximus to forgiue Marsius one of his chiefe Capitaines his treasons and snares that he vsed against his mayster Fabius with the enimies Such gentlenesse did Zerxes the great shewe vnto certaine Gréekes who were as espialles to vew the hoste and power of King Zerxes sent from Athens and being taken and brought before the king he not only gently dismissed them without any punishment but shewed them courteously all his hoste and force of souldiours The greatest victorie is lightly alwayes gotten by gentlenesse as Alphonsus King of Aragon by gentlenesse wonne Careta Marcellus wonne Siracusa Metellus Seluberia as you haue hearde before mencioned Plutarch resiteth a passing historie of great curtesie and humanity in king Belenus towarde his sonne Antigonus who being maried to a fayre woman fell in loue with his fathers wife for his mother was deade and his father maried the daughter of Demetriê° King of Macedonia named Estrabonica a younge woman of excellent beautie for this therefore the Kings sonne languished in loue that he was lyke to die vnknowne vnto his father which when his fâ—ther knewe of hée caused his owne wife to be maried vnto his sonne Antigonus rare clemencie and great gentlenesse for a manne to giue his wife to please his friends Pittie accompanieth this excellent vertue clemencie that we reade in holy scriptures that diuers good men ceassed not to bewayle and wéepe euer the state of their enimies I néede not here to recite Pericles the Athenian who willed that the deade souldiours shoulde be buried in the warres of Peloponesus nor of Hanibals curtesie in the warres of Carthage for the buriall of Romane enimies But Moyses that man of God brought with him from Egypt the boanes of Ioseph Tobias and Machabeus mercifull men commended likewise solemne buriall for the deade souldiours And Iehu King of Israell caused his enimie Iezabelem to be honorably buried but as white is better discerned by the blacke than by any colour else so shall humanitie and gentlenesse most appéere excellent in reading the title of tyranny where by conferring both togither the excellencie of the one is manifest the terrour of the other is odious The gentlenesse and pittie that our Sauiour Iesus Christ shewed vnto Marie Magdelen the lewde woman vnto the prodigall childe vnto Peter that denied him vnto the Théefe that hanged with him vnto Daniell in the denne to Susanna in the fire to Ionas in the water was nothing else but examples left for our learning â–ª to be gentle one vnto another euen as Iesus Christ was vnto vs all thus ending as Cicero sayde of Caesar that Caesar extolling Pompeius being deade and setting vp his pictures did extoll his owne name so that the clemencie that menne vse to shewe vnto others doth aduance their owne fame ¶ Of sober and temperate Princes and where temperaunce and sobrietie vvere most vsed SO much was this noble vertue of temperaunce estéemed with auntient people that they thought the greatest plesure the happiest life was to abstaine from desired meate and drinke So muche was this sobrietie of life commended of learned Philosophers that Anacharsis that famous Scithian was woont to write about the painted pictures of Princes this little lesson Rule lust Temper tongue And bridle the bellie Whereby the Philosopher diligentlye perswaded Princes to be temperate of life to be sober in talke and to abstaine from filthy féeding For to subdue appetites to vanquishe luste to suppresse pleasure is a worthie conquest He is a worthie Uictour a famous conquerour a puissaunt Prince that can ouercome his owne affections for euen as Fishes are taken with hookes so men sayth Plato are alured with pleasure It is the greatest vertue that can be in man sayth the Poet to abstaine from pleasure To auoyde these baytes these swéete pleasures wise Princes haue lothed banquetting and drinking in so much that Iulius Caesar that famous Emperour of Rome for his singuler sobrietye and passing temperaunce the verye lampe and lantorne of Europe for his abstinence the onely mirrour of Italy who by ouercomming of himselfe ouercame all Europe Of this Emperour woulde Cato of Vtica say though he was a mortall enemie vnto Caesar for that Caesar vsed the companie of Cato sister Seruâ—lia that one sober Caesar should subdue Rome his abstinence was such sayth Plim that most rare or neuer woulde this Emperour drinke wine Agesilaus king of the Lacedemonians passing through the countrey of Thasius being met with the nobles and saluted the people with diuers dainties and rare banquets to welcome the king vnto the countrie notwithstanding he touched not their daineties fedde onely with breade and drinke to satisfie the expectations of the Thasians And being earnestly requested and humblye sought and in maner enforced least he shoulde séeme vngratefull not to eate their meates he commaunded his footemen and slaues Helotes to féede if they woulde on suche â–ª chéere saying that princes might not so pamper theÌ„ selues with damtie chéere and wines but with abstinence and temperancie The one is incident sayde he vnto vice and shame the other a nource vnto vertue and fame for in eating and drinking lyeth hidden that sucking Serpent named
the Senatours vnto the market or common Hall of Rome Then the seconde day hée should bée caried by certen young noble men vnto Martius fielde where a Tabernacle was made much like a Towre all of drie Wood and there after much solemnity and ceremonies done hée that succéeded him as an Emperour shoulde first put fire in that worke and then all men busie to sée the body burned And when they had burned him vnto ashes they woulde let an Eagle flée from the top of some high Towre which as they supposed shoulde cary his soule into heauen The Assyrians did vse to annoynt the dead bodyes with honye and waxe and with studie and care to reserue it from any putrifaction Such straunge order of buriall was in India that the women of that countrey thought no greater fame nor worthier renowme then to bée burned and buried togither with their husbandes The Thracians are much to bee commended herein which at the birth of any of their fréendes children they wéepe and waile the misery of and calamity that hée is borne vnto and at the death of any of their fréendes they so reioyce with such mirth and gladnes that they past these werldly miseries that at the buriall therof euen when the corps doth go out of the house they altogither say with one voyce Farre well fréende go before and we folow after And so the corps goeth before and all his fréendes folow after him with trumpets musicke and great mirth for ioy that hée is gone out of this vale of misery Plato that deuine Gréeke and noble Philosopher made the like lawes in Athens that when any of the chéefe officers shoulde die hée appointed that no mournyng wéedes shoulde bée there but all in white apparell and that fiftéene young maides and fiftéene young boyes shoulde stande rounde about the corps in white garmentes while the Priestes commended his life vnto the people in an open Oration then he shoulde bée brought very orderly to the graue all the young children singing their countrey Hymnes they with the auncient men folowyng and the graue shoulde be couered with faire broade stones where the name of the dead with his vertuous commendations and great praise were set vpon the stone The like graue the Italians vse at this day and diuers other countreys And as these others had the like ceremonies to the praise and commendations of the dead So others litle estéemed and regarded such things in so muche that the Perseans were neuer buried vntyll Fowles of the ayre and Dogges should eate some part therof The Massagetes thought it most infamous that any of their fréends should die by sicknesse but if the parentes waxed olde the children and the next kinsmen they had should kyll them and being kylled to eate them vp supposing that their fleshe was more méete for them to eate than of wormes or any other beastes to bée deuoured The people called Tibareni those that they loued best in youth those woulde they hang in age Euen so the Albans certaine inhabitants about mount Caucasus thought it vnlawfull for any to care for the deade but straight buried them as the Nabathaeans doe burie their kinges and and rulers in dunghilles The buriall of the Parthians was nothing else but to commend them vnto beastes of the fielde and foules of the ayre The Nasomones when they burie their friendes they sette them in the graue sitting But of all cruell dealings the Caspians and the Hircanians wich kil their parents their wiues their brethren their kinsemen friends and put them in the hie waye halfe quicke halfe deade for to be deuoured of birdes and beastes The fashion custome with the Issidones rude people of some part of Scithia as Plini in his fourth booke affirmeth is to call their neyghbours and friendes togither where the dead lie and there merili◠singing and banqueting they eate the fleshe of the deade and make the skull of the deade a drinking cuppe all couered with golde to drink with all Againe the people called Hyperborei thinke no better graue for their friendes when they be olde then to bring them to some hie banke of water or great rocke and thence after much feasting eating and drinking in the middest of their mirth their owne friends throw them downe vnto the water headlong To séeke and to search histories to manye such burials might be founde amongst such rude and beastly nations Notwithstanding in diuers regions so estéemed that the greatest infamie the seuerest punishment was for any offender was not to be buried this the Athenians vsed towarde those that were traytours to theyr countrey And the Egiptians if any lyued a misse he shoulde be caried dead to the wildernesse to be deuoured of wild beastes The Perseās likewise brought y e bodies of men condemned to be eaten of dogges The Lybians thinke them most worthy of solemne buriall that died eyther in warrs or were kyld by wyld beastes The Macedonians had great care in burning the dead souldiers that died in fielde Amongst the Gentiles there were certaine daies appointed for mourning after the death of their frends Licurgus lawe amongst the Lacedemonians was that they shoulde mourne but eleuen daies Numa Pompilius decréed that the children after their parentes death the wiues their husbands c. shoulde mourne tenne monethes though by the Senatours it was enacted at the warres in Canna that the Romans shoulde mourne but thirtie dayes Amongst the Egiptians they had a custome to mourne after theyr kinges thréescore and twelue dayes but generallye the most custome was to bewayle the dead nine daies In some places mourning was forbidden at their buriall as at Athens by the lawe of Solon in Locretia in Thracia in Cous in Libia and in diuers other places The diuersitie of mourning was such that amongst the Gréekes they shaued their heades and beardes and threwe it to the graue with the deade Amongst the Lacedemonians when the kinges of Sparta died certaine horsemen were appoynted to trauayle ouer all the whole kingdome certefiyng the death of the king and the women in euery cittie doe beate their brasen pottes and make great heauye noyse for the same The Egyptians doe mourne after this sort they rent their clothes they shut their temples they eate no meate they sméere theyr faces with dirt and thus abstaining from washing their faces thrée score and twelue dayes they lament and bewayle the death of their kinges and friendes The Carthagineans cut their heares of mangle their faces beate their breastes The Macedonians likewise shaue their heares to mourne the death of their fréendes as wée reade of Archelaus king of Macedonia who shaued his heares at the buriall of his friende Euripides The Argiues the Siracusans accompany the dead to the graue in white clothes be spotted with watter and claie The Matrones of Rome threw of their fine apparell their ringes and cheynes and did weare
vision warned to make himselfe readie to die at Philippos where hée was enforced in the wars betwéene Augustus Caesar and him to kill himselfe Thus â–ª were they alured and entised by shifting dreames to order and rule all their dooings for as the Poet Aeneus sayth what they studied and pondered in the daye time the same dreamed they in night time Dreames mooued them vnto tyranny for L. Silla the firebrande of Italy his owne countrey was warned in sléepe by Bellona the goddesse of warres to murther kill and destroye all that euer hée might finde in his waye giuing him in his hande fire in token he shoulde burne and ouercome Rome and Italy Likewise Eumanes King of the Lacedemonians hauing warres with Antipater King of Macedonia was fully perswaded by a dreame to obtaine victory for hée dreamed that two Alexanders were with great host and armie of men readie in fielde to fight the one hauing the goddesse Minerua as a leader the other hauing the goddesse Ceres as their Capitaine which after long conflictes and much murther of both parties hée thought that the souldiours of Ceres had the victory and that they were crowned with the eares of corne in the honor of Ceres which is the goddesse of corne and bicause the countrie of Lacedemonia was more fertill than Mocedonia the wise sages opened the dreame said that Eumenes should haue the victory ouer Macedonia Besides these dreames they had a kind of credite in Fowles of the ayre in beastes of the fielde in winde and weather and in diuers other things where soothsaying oracles and consultations were had When Zerxes the great king of Persea with so many miriades of men had purposed and decréed with him selfe to destroy all Gréece vntyll a Mare a stout and a proude beast had brought foorth a Hare the fearefullest thing out whereby it presaged the flight of Zerxes from Greece with shame and reproche And afterwarde purposing againe before hée woulde lay siege vnto Athens to destroy Sparta and all the countrey of Lacedemon a straunge warning hapned vnto this Prince at supper for his wine before his face was conuerted vnto blood as it was filled in the Cuppes not once but twise or thrise Whereat hée being amazed consulted with wise men of whom hée was then admonished to forsake his first entent and to geue ouer the enterprise which hée tooke in hande against the Gréekes Midas being yet in his cradle the Antes were séene to carye greynes and victuals to féede him withall whose parentes being desirous to know the effect therof were certified by the soothsayers that hée should bée the wealthiest and richest man in all the worlde hée shoulde bée the most monyed Prince that euer shoulde raigne in India Plato that noble and diuine Philosopher while hée was an infant in lyke sort in his cradle the Bées with hony fed his sugred and swéete lippes signifiyng the eloquence and learning in time to come of Plato They were not Bées of mount Himettum where honye as writers thinke was first founde but rather of Helicon where the Muses and Ladyes of learnyng delighted to dwell This was that Plato of whom his maister Socrates before hée knew him dreamed of that hée helde fast in his hande a young Swanne which fledde from him away and mounted the Skies whose swéete voyce and songes as a woonderfull melody and harmony replenished the whole Skies They thought it a sufficient admonition to sée any thing happen betwéene birdes or beastes as a sure and certaine shewe of their owne fortune to come M. Brutus when he was in campe against Caesar and Antonius and sawe two Eagles fighting togither the one comming from Caesars tent the other from his owne Hée knewe well when his Eagle tooke flight and was vanquished that he should loose the victorie Cicero vnderstanding well ynough his death to be at hand when the Rauen heald him fast by the hem of his gowne and made a noyse and euer pluckt at hym vntill the souldiers of M. Antonius came vnto the very place where he at that time was beheaded by Herennius and Popilius For in the night before Cicero dreamed being banished from Rome that he wandred diuers straunge countries where Caius Marius a noble Romaine as he thought mette him demaunding of Cicero why and what was the cause of his sadde countenaunce and wherfore he trauailed such straunge countries the cause being knowne vnto Marius hée tooke him fast by the right hande and brought him to the next officer where hée thought in his sléepe hée should haue died So that Zerxes by a Hare hadde warning King Mydas was by Antes admonished Plato by Bées Brutus by an Eagle Cicero by a Rauen Themistocles by an Owle of death Pericles by the head of a Ramme was fully perswaded taught by the soothsayers that hée should win the people of Athens from Thucidides with whome then he was in controuersie And was not Agamemnon and his brother Menelaus with all the Princes of Gréece certefied by the Dragon that climmed a trée where hée slue a shée Sparrowe and eyght young ones beside signifiying that they shoulde be nine yeares in wars with the Troyans and that the tenth they should destroye and quite vanquish Ihon. And was not Iulius Caesar admonished of his wife Calphurnia by a dreame that if he woulde vnto the Senate that daye hée should dye And was not that mightie Monarch Alexander warned by a vision to take more regarde vnto hys life then he did to take héede of Antipater who afterward poysoned him And was not Alcibiades that noble Gréeke certified by a dreame of his miserable death howe he and his hoore Timandra might diuers times sée before what after folowed if they had had so great a desire in folowing good things as they were bent and prone to séeke euyll Such prodigious sightes such straunge miracles were séene that might well allure them to more perfect life The Sunne the Moone the starres and all the hostes of heauen wrought great miracles to reduce Princes from euill enterprises and to giue warning vnto others to auoyde the tyranny of wicked Princes For the heauens appeared blouddy at that time when Philip king of Macedonia with tiranny inuaded Gréece At what time Augustus Caesar after his vncle Iulius was murthered â—ame vnto Rome as the second Emperor there were séene starers wandering about the circle of the Sunne great lightnings strange impressioÌ„s like men fighting in the skies yea and birdes fell downe deade in the Citty of Rome and Liuius writeth that an Oxe spake vnder plowgh these woordes vnto the plowman that not only corne should want â–ª but also men should perish and therefore said the Oxe thou â—egest me in vaine to trauell and his horse abstayned from foode When that wicked tyraunt Nero began his Empire in Rome trées pastures medowes and certen grounde about the Citie a straunge miracle altered places
at the long Speare the long Sworde the staffe and such as then they vsed in fight for to embolden them selues in that play being naked without armes against they came to fight with their armed enemies Thus by this play were the Romanes taught boldly to fight with their enemies and hardned at home litle to estéeme woundes and strokes abrode Thus games and playes were chéefely estéemed of the Romanes though diuers others as Cicero in his office affirmeth the Romones had in Martius féelde harde by Rome to exercize the youngmen to practize feates to become redy and prompt in marshall offayres which they onely most estéemed A comparison betweene the loue of men and beastes IF men bée diuers in affection one towardes another as wée dayly sée and trye by experience howe much ought the siely and simple beast which wanteth vse of speach to bée commended that so careth and prouideth for him his And though as Cicero saith that it is common vnto all liuing creatures to multiplie and to be carefull ouer those that nature procreated to differ in no part from a beast therin yet by reason we are to excell all kinde of beastes all things in subiection vnto man aswell the heauens aboue and all that shineth therin as earth beneath and all that liue thereon And hence I maruayle much though thd secrete working of nature in fearce and raging beastes bée tollerable yet in a reasonable man in whom saith the Philosopher nature onely mooueth vnto the beast suche enimitie variaunce and discorde shoulde procéede It is thought that the Eagle and the Swanne be not fréendes the Dolphin and the Whale can not agrée the Woolfe and the Foxe at variaunce so of the Dogge and the Cat of the Crowe and the Kite may be spoken but it is well knowen that man is most odious vnto man and though it be spoken Homo homini Deus yet is it prooued Homo homini Daemon If nature made the mighty Lion the most valiaunt beast in the worlde to feare the little crowyng Cock If nature do cause the huge and monstrous Elephant to tremble at the sight of a sielie simple Shéepe And if nature mooue the Panther a strong and a straunge beaste to quake at the presence of a Hinde If nature worke so subtilly that the strongest mightiest and valiauntest beast shoulde feare the most innocent and most simple beast howe much more might reason rule in vs to feare our God and his mightie workes which wée altogether either forget his glory or despise his power Though in beasts the heauens haue dominion yet saide Dauid man by reason and feare of God ruleth the heauens But I wyll omit to speake further of that and wyl returne to that which I meane a litle to discusse I wil not speake of the loue and affection of men generall but of the loue mutuall betwixt man and wife betwixt brother and brother And as it is a vertue not to be forgotten so is it a vertue most rare to finde for euerye thing in his owne kinde is most to bée accepted And first to entreate of the excéeding loue of the woonderful affection that men bare towarde their wiues Wée reade of that noble Romane Anthonius Pius who loued so well his wife Faustine that when shée died he caused her picture to be made and to be set vp before his face in his bed chamber to ease some part of his gréefe with the sight therof M. Plaucius sayling with his wife vnto Asia with thréescore Nauayes came very gorgeously vnto the citie of Tarentum where in the middest of his pompe and great glory for that his wife Orestella by sicknesse dyed he slue him selfe with one dagger saying Two bodyes shall possesse one graue The like wée reade of two young men in Plutarch the one named Aemilius the other Cianippus which for méere affection and passing loue towardes their wiues after long tormentes panges and paynes conceyued by inwarde griefes that their wiues were dead to solace their sadnes and to ende their woofull hap offered their pined bodyes a sacrifice vnto death for a pledge of their true and faithfull loue What meanes doth loue séeke to saue it selfe to auoyde gréefe and lastyng paine and to bée acquainted with ease and pleasure to embrace death How rufully the Gréeke Poet Antimachus bewayled the death of his wife Lisidides in such mourning verses woofull plaintes that whosoeuer read them hée should bée as redy to wéepe in reading the dolefull Epitaph of Lisidides as was Antimachus her husband sorowfull of hir death Pericles was so louing vnto his wife being a noble capitaine of Athens and so chaste that when Sophocles spied a marueylous beautifull young man saying Behold a passing fayre young man Pericles aunswered and saide Not onely the heart and the handes of a Magistrate must bée chaste but also his eyes must refuse the sight of any but his wife It is read that Pericles being at Athens hée was founde kissing and making much of his wife and being from Athens he was found more sad to depart from his wife then vnwilling to die for his countrie Orpheus loued so well his wife Euridices that as the Poettes faine he feared not the power of King Pluto to redéeme his wife with hazarde and daunger of his owne bodie Innumerable are they that deserue the like fame so that these fewe maye bée a sufficient proofe of others And now a fewe examples to prooue the like good will and loue from the wiues shewed towarde their husbandes as hithervnto you heard the great loue of husbandes toward their wiues Alcestes a noble Quéene of Tessalie at what time King Admetus hir husbande shoulde die hauing by an Oracle giuen an aunswere that if any woulde die for the King he should liue which when all refused his wyfe Quéene Alcestes offred hir selfe to die to saue hir husbandes life Iulia the wife of Pompeius the great and onely daughter to that famous and renowmed ▪ Iulius Caesar Emperour of Rome shée was no lesse obedient vnto hir father Caesar then shée was louing vnto hir husbande Pompeius who though they both were enimies one vnto an other yet shée shewed hir a louing daughter vnto hir father and a true wife vnto hir husbande and so true that when shée sawe hir owne Pompeius comming blouddy from the fielde as his apparell made a shewe a great way of shée supposing that hir husband was slaine béeing great wyth childe trauayled straight and died before Pompeius hadde yet come in The loue of Artimesia Quéene of Caria towarde hir husbande king Mausolus is as well declared by the sumptuous Tombe and gorgeous glistering graue which she made for him when hée died compted for the excelencie therof one of the seauen woonders as also truelye verified by cerimonies at his death in making the skull of hys heade hir drinking cuppe in drinking all the ashes of his bodie as suger vnto
as by experience we see all things to haue a care of his owne life The Lion when he feeleth hym self sicke he neuer ceaseth vntil he féedeth vpon an Ape whereby he maie recouer former health The Gotes of Creet féedyng on high vpon the mountaines when any of them is shot through with an Arrowe as the people of that countrey are most excellent archers they seeke Dictamum and hearbe assone as they eate any thyng of the same the arrowe faleth downe and the wound waxeth whole incontinent There are certen kyndes of Frogges in Aegypt about the floud of Nilus that haue this perseueraunce that when by chaunce they happen to come where a fishe called Varus is whiche is a greate mourtherer and a spoyler of Frogges they vse to beare in their mouthes ouerthwart a long réede which groweth about the bankes at Nilus whiche when this fishe doth gape thinkyng to feede vpon the Frog the réede is so long that by no meanes can he swallowe vp the Frogge and so saue their liues If the Gotes of Creet If the frogges of Aegypt haue this vnderstanding to auoide their enemies how muche more ought men to be circumspect of his life which hath I saie millions of enemies nether séen nor knowen We reade in the first boke of Aelian that the rude swine if at any tyme by chaunce they eate of that hearbe called Hioscyamus which draweth by by the vaines together that skant thei can stirre yet they striue for remedie sake to goe vnto the water where they feede vppon yong Crabbes to recouer health In the same booke ye maie reede of a Sea Snaill whiche from the water doth come vnto lande to breede and after she hath egged she diggeth the yearth and hideth her egges and retourneth vnto the sea again and there continueth .xl. daies and after .xl. daies she commeth vnto the same self place where she hidde her egges and perceiueth that thei are ready to come out of the shell she openeth the shell and taketh her yong ones with her vnto the sea And thus haue they care charge not onely of their owne states and liues but also of others and by some shewe of sence thei amende that which is most daungerous and hurtfull for the sely and simple mise haue this kynde of fore knowledge that when any howse waxeth olde and ruinous they forsake their olde dwellyng and creepyng holes they flee and seeke refuge in an other place The little Antes haue foresightes that when penury and want of relife draweth nier they waxe so painefull and laborious toilyng and trauailyng in gatheryng together victualles as maie serue them duryng the tyme of famine If these smale crepyng wormes seely and simple beastes prouide for them selues what shall wee saie of man the kyng and ruler ouer all beastes who hath not onely a bodie to prouide for but also a soule to saue More happie are these wormes and beastes in their kinde then a nomber of Princes are For that they by nature onely are taught their foes to auoide neither we by nature neither by God the cause of all goodnes can loue our frendes Therefore verie well it is saide of the wise man that either not to be borne or els beyng borne streight to die is the happiest state that can chaunce vnto man For liuyng in this vale of miserie wee sée the Pilgrimages and trauell of life to be such that better farre it were be a poore quiet man then a busie proude Prince And sith death is the last line of life aswell appointed for princes as for poore men who in reading the liues of Emperours Kinges and Princes the nobles of the worlde seeth not their vnhappie states whiche commyng vnto the worlde naked and departyng from the same naked yet like proude pilgrimes busie one to destroye another not coÌ„tented with countries and kingdomes go from one place vnto another from one couÌ„trie vnto another like Pilgrimes to bee acquainted with miserie and to seeke death Alexander the great conquerour takyng his voiage from his kyngdome of Macedonia vnto India to destroie all the worlde hee was in the citie of Babilon preueÌ„ted by Antipater and Iola his taster and kinsman with poison and there he died Philopomen a greate Emperour sometyme in Greece beyng in prison in Messena taken in the warres and beyng so cruelly handled that he besought Dinocrates whiche then was Prince of that countrie and conquerour ouer hym one draught of poison he coulde not be coÌ„tent to be Emperour and ruler of Greece but moued to seeke death in a straunge countrie amongest his foes Ladislaus kyng of Apulia endeuouryng to subdue the Florentines and séekyng to bee kyng ouer the Florentines he loste the kingdome of Apulia For by them was hee at length poisoned and so berefte from his owne kingdome and life with this vnhappie kinde of death wer many princes preuented no lesse thretened are these princes of their owne houshold frendes then of foren foes no lesse do their childreÌ„ their wiues brethren and kinsmen studie to destroie them sometyme for the kingdomes sake some tyme for hatered hidden and most ofteÌ„ prouoked of these to spoile them as it is written that Claudius Caesar an Emperour of Rome was poisoned of his owne wife Agrippina Antiochus king of Siria was poisoned of his Queene Laodice for that hee was in loue with Berenices Kynge Ptholomeus sister Constantine the Emperour the soonne of Heraclius beeyng but one yere a ruler of his empire was poisoned by his mother in lawe named Martina The verie cause of the Emperour Conradus death whiche was Frederikes soonne was the Empire and rule of Rome whiche Manfredus his successour made the phisicions for money to poison him that then hee beyng the successour of the empire might beare rule O vnhappie state of Princes whose liues are desired of frende and foe How sore was L. Vectius set on of Caesar to betraie Pompeius the greate whiche for the loue and zeale that Pompeius had in Rome Caesar began to malice Lucullus Curio Cato and Cicero for their priuate loue towarde Pompeius no lesse daunger it is to be in fauour with princes sometime then perilous to bee princes wee reade of a Quéene named Rosimunda the doughter of kyng Cunimunda of Gepida after that she poisoned Albonius king of Longobardes hir first housebande she maried a prince of Rauenâ—a named Helinges which likewise she thought to poison but beyng warned in y e middest of his draught he caused his wife to drinke the reste whiche drinke was the cause of both their death howe manie noble Princes in the middest of their Pilgrimages died that death as Diocletian the Emperour of Rome Lotarius kyng of France Carolus the eight of that name with diuers others as Hanibal prince of Carthage Aristobolus king of Iuda and Lucullus Emperour of Rome Princes and noble men doe sometyme poyson theimselues lest they should
he supposed slaine through deceipt euen so was Alebas chief gouernour of Larissa a citie in Thessalie murthered of his owne souldiors The desire that men beare vnto honour and dignitie is suche that accompaneth with death as Spu Cassius and Spu Melus for the gredines vnto the Empire of Rome wer bothe worthely beheaded God hath shewed iuste vengeance vpon princes for their iniquitie with plagues Pestilences whiche spoiled the Emperor Constantine the Empresse his wife Zoae and by this was Marcus Antonius Alphonsius and Domitius iustly and worthely punished God hath wonderfully punished the pride of princes euen with shamefull and horrible death that Lice and Uermine consumed their bodies a liue As Maximilian the Emperoure Arnulphus Honorificus kyng of the Vandoles and Herode kyng of Iewrie wer eaten vp a liue with vermines and wormes Plini and Plutarche saieth that proude Silla whiche sore plagued Rome and Italie was conuerted all his fleshe vnto lice and so died Herodotus dooeth like wise reporte of one Pheretrina a Quéene of Barcaeans that of this filthie and horrible death died GOD gaue theim ouer in the middeste of their pleasure euen eatyng and drinkyng as Septimus and Valentianus twoo famous Emperours died of surfette for wante of disgestion Archesilaus died presently with one draught of wine What is the life of Princes but an vncertaine Pilgrimages whiche scante seeth his daies fully by nature graunted as we see how and after what sort thei die daiely euery where There was greate difference betwene the Pilgrimage of Vlixes and his felowes whiche Cirses the Witche did chaunge theim vnto diuers kindes of beastes for that thei knewe not what Pilgrimage meante and Vlixes hym self kepte his naturatl shape and frame And for that in his pilgrimage he was wise and painfull in his life he did learne of Aeolus Phisick of Cirses Magicke of Calipso Astronomie and that vnder couler of fables That pilgrimage is onely appointed vnto manne to knowe hym self and to serue his God diuers learned Philosophers as Pithagoras Democritus Anaxogaras trauailed from Grece vnto Aegypte vnto Persia vnto Caldea and to diuers other countries for knowledge sake Anachassis from colde Scythia made his voiage to Athens for learnyng Appolonius from Rome went ouer Caucasus vnto India vnto Assiria to knowe more Philosophie Yea womeÌ„ are famous for their pilgrimage therein as Saba came from Aethiope the farthest part of the worlde to heare Salamons witte and to learne wisedome Cornelia froÌ„ Rome beyng a noble woman wente vnto Palaestina to heare saincte Hierome teache Christians The Pilgrimage that Solon made for AtheÌ„s that Lycurgus made for the Lacedemonians that Architas made for Tarentum are commended The trauaile that Pittacus tooke for the people of Myâ—tilaena that that Cleobulus tooke for the Rhodians that Bias and Thales tooke for the people of Ionia are praised Wee are borne not for our selues but for our countrey and frendes for them wee ought to trauaile For this cause became Plato from a famous oratour in Athens to bée a renoumed souldior at the besiegyng of Corinth and Tenagra For this wente Socrates Platoes maister to Amphipolis and Potidaea a twoo greate cities in Delos to fight for their Countrey Philosophers were not alwaies occupied with bookes but when tyme serued thei were seen in armes as Architas was sixe tymes generall emongest the Tarentines Tyrtaeus elected gyaunde Capitaine emongest the Lacedemonians Xenophon whiche Thucidides highly aduaunce one of the chief Souldiours of kyng Cirus What caused the Philosopher Zeno to resist the princely power of king Antigonus What moued Bias to withstande the force of kyng Aliates In fine what made Phocion Aristides Themistocles and others to become souldiours to stand in armes against their enemies the loue of Athens The pilgrimage of this our life is nothing els but a continuall trauaill vntill we come to our last iourney whiche is death then is the ende of all pilgrimage and iuste accoumpt to bee made for the same ¶ Of Dissimulation and Crafte of Subtiltie and Deceipte DIogenes that Cinike Philosopher makyng hym self ignoraunt somtyme in that which he knewe beste was wont in banquettes and feastes to say if any manne had demaunded what kind of meate wer ther I can not name but I caÌ„ eate it and so would passe to aunswer any thing truely with dissimulatioÌ„s in so muche that Sigismonde the Emperour would saie that he that could not dissemble could not rule At what tyme Galba a Citizein of Rome had bidden a gentleman named Mecaenas vnto Supper perceiuyng the gentleman to bee in loue with his wife fained hym a sleepe for that Mecaenas might shewe some part of his will and loue in the meane season while his wife and Mecaena were in talke and he hym self in dissemblyng slept came one of his seruauntes to take some thinges awaie from the table supposyng his maister had been a sleepe vnto whom his maister saied well you varlet though I see not Mercaenas yet I see to you I sleepe vnto hym and not vnto you The like dissimulation was betwene Demosthenes and Archias at what tyme he fledde Athens for feare of Antipaters displeasure and went vnto the Isle Calauria where in the Temple of Neptune he hid hym self vntill Archias came and promised hym what honour and dignitie he should haue if he could come vnto Antipater and with faire wordes he dissembled with Demosthenes that he came for the purpose from the kyng vnto him Demosthenes perceiuyng his dissimulations and craftie meanes answered plainly to moue hym vnto anger where truthe is oftentimes opened and saied Thou of all men couldest neuer play vpoÌ„ the stages plaiyng thy parte then and now at this tyme thou canst not bee an Oratour to perswade me whereat Archias waxed angrie and threatned to hale him out of the Temple vnto whom Demosthenes answered Nowe perforce thy dissimulation is chaunsed vnto truthe I might hereon staie to note the greate dissimulations betwene Metellus and Scipio whiche was so greate that Metellus faigned that Rome was happie that Scipio was borne therin and yet his mortall enemie all the daies of his life and therefore Fredericke an Emperour sometyme of Rome at what tyme the Senatours would goe sitte aboute the state of the citie would saie before you go vnto the Senate house caste awaie from you twoo thynges that you cary with you and beeyng demaunded of the Senatours what twoo thynges were thei he saied Simulations and Dissimulations In this Philippe of Macedon did differ muche from his soonne Alexander in so muche that Alexander would consente to nothyng but to magnimitie and truthe and his father to all kinde of falshood as seen by subduyng of the Sarunsians and the Cities of Thracia who vnder coulour of peace commaunded his Souldiours to bryng vnder their clokes euery one a coarde that at what tyme kyng Philippe
made silence to speake the enemies being attentife to heare he retched for the his right hande for a watche woorde to his Souldiours sodainly to binde with their coardes their enemies and to bryng theim captiues to Macedonia The like craft vsed Alcibiades emongest the Agrigentines fainyng that he hadde to speake for the common profite as well of Athens as of AgrigentuÌ„ callyng theÌ„ in place as though he would open some thyng necessarie vnto them had the Grekes ready in the meane time to take the citie and to possesse their substaunce by this crafte Suche crafte vsed Thrasillus to take the Citie Byzantium suche deceipte vsed Zopirus to ouercome Babilon Suche did Tarquinius the soonne of Sextus Tarquinius practise against the Gabians who when he perceiued that his father might by no meanes subdue them he imitated Zopirus craft makyng the enemies to beleue that he was ill handeled and cruelly vsed of his father and that he knewe well how to deceiue his father and to betraie hym vnto them thei beyng readie to beleue Tarquinius made hym chief of their companie he straight sente to his father messengers to signifie vnto hym that he might doe his pleasure with his enemies The olde Tarquinius vnderstandyng the crafte and subtiltie of his soonne brought the messenger vnto a faire garden mistrustyng like a wise prince the matter gaue this subtile warning vnto his sonnes embassador Walkyng vp and doune the Garden with diuers noble menne he with his staffe beate the chief flowers of the Garden saiyng vnto the messenger fare well tell my soonne what I dooe and bid hym doe accordyngly whiche yong Tarquinius perceiuyng his fathers minde slue the best of the enemies oppressed the chief men and betraied the Citie vnto his father By this meanes the crafte that Conon the Athenian deceiued the Persians in Ciprus The subtiltie that Pysistratus vsed to begile the people of Megaera Haniball in Italy are of like effecte that subdued Tarentum in so muche that Hanibal was woÌ„t to saie wheÌ„ the Romains had again wonne TarentuÌ„ Eadem arte qua prius â—aepimus Tarentum amifimus For by crafte Hanibal vanquished the Tarentines and by crafte did the Romains win the same againe Antigonus deceiued the Citizeins of Corinth vnder the coulour of mariage betwixt his soonne Demetrius and Alexanders wife who then was a widowe and a Queene in Corinth that in the middest of triumphes and preparations to the mariage Antigonus by deceipte tooke the Castle commaunded his soldiours in armes and proclaimed hym self kyng in Corinth In the same booke of Poliaenus the like historie is writteÌ„ of Lysander of Sparta and Nearchus of Crete the one promisyng to the inhabitauntes of Miletum his aide and helpe in defending their liberties the people giuyng credite vnto a kynges promise trusted to haue Lisander their speciall frende thei founde hym their mortall foe for he deceiued theim thereby and tooke the citie of Miletum vnto hym self The other sailyng vnto the Hauen of Telmessus to renue frendship with Antipatridas who then gouerned the citie of Telmessus vnder the colour of frendshippe he had his men of armes ready on the Sea to destroye his frende to take the citie vnto him self This deceipt was not onely seen in warres where muche falshoode and periurie are practized but in all thynges men vse crafte accordyng to the prouerbe There is crafte in daubyng To speake of Theodectes crafte towarde his maister Aristotle to spoile hym priuily of his glory To speake of Sertorius deceipte in winnyng aucthoritie emong the common people To describe the means that Dionisius vsed to gette money emongest the Siracusans or howe Pythius deceiued Cannius in his bargaine of Fishe Or how Darius became king of Persia by nisyng of a Mare and a million more suche deceiptes and craftes I will that the reader reade Poliaenus when he shall haue enough of falshode because crafte is vsed diuersly I wil somewhat touche those that vsed crafte in altering theÌ„ selues in forme and shape of women some for filthie luste some for vertue sake some for vice What kinde of dissimulation was in Sardanapalus Kyng of Siâ—ia to forsake the Empire to forgo his kyngdome to become from a Prince like a woman to spinne and carde with his concubines and so from the shape of a man to dessemble hym to be a woman What kinde of dissimulation did that renowmed euen the ofspryng of Goddes and soonne vnto Iupiter that mightie Hercules after that he tamed monsters slue Giantes ouercame Dragons Lions wilde beastes and yet to translate hym from a champion and a conquerour in a womans apparell formed hym self a woman with suche cautell and craftie dissimulations that he serued Omphale Quene of Lidia like a woman in the apparell of a woman at the whele at the cardes at Omphales coÌ„maundement What kinde of crafte vsed Clodius to bryng his purpose to passe with Pompeia Caesars wife likewise dissemblyng hym self to bee a woman as Cicero tanteth him in an epistle that he writeth vnto Lentulus where he saieth that Clodius dissembled with the Nimph Bona dea as he was wonte to vse the three sisters Thus Clodius would at all tymes goe vnto Pompeia in the apparel of a woman to vse suche feates that made Caesar to deuorse his wife Pompeia Dissimulations cautelles craftes as thei are most euill to practise wicked thynges so are thei of the contrary moste necessary to doe good as Euclides whiche vsed the like crafte as before but to the better purpose where thei practised this feate to feede luste to pleasure affection he vsed it to see Socrates reade Philosophie and to learne wisedome for there was a Lawe betwene Athens and the Megaris for the greate hatered that the one bare vnto the other that who so euer came from Athens vnto Megaris should die And who so euer would goe from Megaris vnto Athens should likewise die This death feared not Euclides so much from his purpose but loue that he bare vnto Socrates vnto Philosophie and vnto wisedome was asmuche that he would in the night trauaile from Megaris vnto Athens In the apparel of a woman lest he should bee knowen and retourne before daie from Athens vnto Megaris again This dissimulation and crafte of Euclides was farre better and more to bee commended then the doynges of the fore renowmed Princes Better is Semiramis Quéene of Babilon thought of that she perceiuing her yong sonne Ninus to bee too tender to gouerne the stoute Babilonians and Assirians knowyng the nature of the people to bée impaciente of a womans gouernemente she became in apparell like a man and rule the kyngdome vntill her sonne came vnto ripe age More praise ought Pelagia haue a woman of Antioch though she fained hym self to bee a man and dissembled with the worlde in that case yet this was to auoide pleasure and luste and to liue chastly and solitarie without the companie of men For this
weepyng and sobbyng before Antonius requiryng on his knees one graunt at Antonius hand to sende his Souldiours to kyll hym vpon the graue of his frende Lucullus and beyng dead to open Lucullus graue and to laie hym by his frend Which beyng denied of the emperour then went and wrote vpon a little peece of paper caried it in his hande vntill he came wher Lucullus was buried and there holdyng fast the paper in one hand and with his dagger in the other hande slue hym self vpon the graue holdyng the paper close beyng dead where this sentence he wrote Thou that kneweste the faithefull freÌ„dship betwixt Volumnius Lucullus ioyne our bodies together being dead as our mindes were alwaies one beyng a liue The like historie is written of Nisus when his faithfull frende Eurialus was slaine in the warres betwixt Turnus and Aeneas he hauyng vnderstandyng therof vnknowen vnto Aeneas and vnto the reste of the Troians wente vp and doune the fielde tomblyng and tossyng dead carkeses vntill he founde out Eurialus bodie whiche after longe lookyng and embrasyng of his deade frende drewe out his swearde and heald it in his hande a little while saiyng as my bodie shall neuer departe from thy bodie so shall I neuer feare to folowe thy ghoost and laiyng the Pommel of his swearde on the grounde fell vpon his swearde hauyng the bodie of his frende Eurialus betwixt his armes This loue was greate betwixt Princes whiche might liue honorably to die willingly A strange thing for men that so loue their frendes to waie their deaths more then their one liues Orestes faithe and frendship towarde Pylades was suche that beeyng come vnto a straunge Region named Taurica to diminishe the dolors to asswage the grief and to mitigate the furious flames of Orestes bicause he slue his mother Clitemnestra and beyng suspected that they came only to take awaie the Image of Pallas their goddesse in that countrey The kyng vnderstandyng the matter made Orestes to be sente for to be brought before hym to haue iudgement of death For Pylades was not mencioned nor spoken of but onely Orestes he it was that should steale their Goddes awaie vnto Gréece Orestes therefore beyng brought and his felowe Pylades with him The king demaunded whiche of theÌ„ both was Orestes Pylades that knewe his frende Orestes should die sodainly steapt forth and said I am he Orestes denied it and said he was Orestes Pylades again denied that and saide that it was euen hee that was accused vnto the kyng thus the one deniyng and the prouyng either of theim moste willyng to die for the other The kynge dismaide at their greate amitie loue pardoned their faultes muche extemed their companie and greatlye honoured their naturall loue and faithe so many like histories vnto this there be that then Princes woulde die for their frendes euen that greate conquerour Alexander would haue died then presently with his frend Haephaestion had not his counsell letted hym he loued aliue so well that he was called of all men an other Axander in so muche so estemed his frende when SisigaÌ„bis king Darius mother had saluted HaephaestioÌ„ in stede of Alex. being therewith angrie with her error he said blushe not to honour Haephaestion as an other Alexander What was it that Anaxogoras waÌ„ted that prince Pericles could get for him Whether went Aeneas that Troian duke at any tyme without Achates with him was ther nothing that Pomponius had but Cicero had part of it Scipios freÌ„dship neuer wanted vnto Cloelius Though Rome could alter state though fortune could change honor yet could neither Rome nor fortune alter faithe or chaunge frendes After the Senators had iudged Tib. Gracchus for diuers seditions in the citie to die his frend Blosius hauyng knowledge thereof came and kneled before the Senators besought Laelius whose counsaill the Senators in all thinges folowed to be his frende saiyng vnto the reste after this sorte O sacred Senate and noble counsailers if yet remaine in the citie of Rome any sparcle of iustice if there be regard vnto equitie let me craue that by lawe which you iniuriously applie vnto an other and sithe I haue committed the offences and factes of Gracchus whose coÌ„maundement I neuer resisted whose will to accomplish I will duryng life obaie lette me die for Gracchus worthely whiche am moste willyng so to do let him liue iustly whiche so ought moste truly Thus with vehement inuectiues against him self crauing death most earnestly vnto Blosius and life worthely vnto Gracchus made the Senatours astonied with his rare desire of death saiyng the Capitoll had béen burned by Blosius if Gracchus had so commaunded but I knowe that Grachus thought nothyng in harte but that whiche he spake by tongue vnto Blosius and that which hée spake by tongue vnto Blosius that Blosius neuer doubted to doe and therefore I deserue rather death than hée The faith and loue betwixt Damon and Pythyas was so woondered at of King Dionisius that though hée was a cruell Tiraunt in appoynting Damon to die yet was he most amazed to sée the desire of Pithias the constant fayth the loue and friendeship professed in Damons behalfe striuing one with an other to die enforced in spite of tiranny to pardon Damon for Pythyas sake Theseus and Perithous became such faythfull friendes that they made seuerall othes one vnto an other neuer during life to be departed neyther in affliction paine punishement plague toyle or trauayle to be disseuered insomuch the Poetes faine that they went vnto the kindome and region of Pluto togither I will not speake of the great loue of that noble Gréeke Achilles toward King Patroâ—lusâ— Neyther will I recite the Historie of that worthy Romane Titus towarde Gisippus In fine I will not report Palemon and Arceit Alexander and Lodowicke whose ende and conclusion in loue were such as are worthy of memorie famous in writing ¶ Of enuie and malice and so of tiranny AS malice drinketh the most part of her owne poyson so enuie saith Aristotle hurteth more the enuious it selfe than the thing that it enuieth Like as the slouthfull in warre or Darnell amongst Wheate so is the enuious in a Cittie not so sad of his owne miseries and calamities as hée lamenteth the hap and felicitie of others Wherfore the wise Philosopher Socrates calleth enuie serram animae the sawce of the soule for that it cutteth the hart of the enuious to see the prosperitie of others For as it is a greefe to the good and vertuous man to see euyll men rule so contrarily to the euil most harme is it to sée the goodman liue Therfore the first disturber of common wealth and last destroyer of good states the beginning of all sorowes the ende of all ioyes the cause of all euyll and the onely let of all goodnesse is enuie How prospered Gréece how florished Rome how quiet was the whole world before enuie began to
desirous of fame Xenophon a noble and a wise Philosopher perceauing his wife named Aspasia more geuen to auarice more alured with gourgeous sightes then others were hauyng oportunitie demaunded of his wife if hir neighbour had better apparell then she had whiche would she haue if she might change his wife saide hir â—eigbours Againe Xenophon merilie disposed woulde knowe of his wife if hir neighbour had more Golde Siluer Treasure or wealth would she chaunge if she might to whom shee answered most willing shee would what saide Xenophon if your neighbour hath a finer felowe to hir housbands then you haue would you chaunge with hir silence with shame was hir answere Thus Xenephon tauntyng his wife with suche nippes bringeth mee in memorie of one Pythius borne in Lidia and commoraunt in a Citie of Phrigia called Caeleius a notable riche manne and not so riche as coueitous toilyng and tramplyng all the daie tyme in paine and trauaile séekyng and searchyng money tomblyng and tossyng all the night tyme restles without sleape thinkyng alwaies on money his wife vnderstanding his grief and want of rest At what time Pithius hir housbande had appointed certen straungers to come to dinner to proue whether thei might beyng his gestes make him merie or no caused and willed his wife to make suche good cheare for hym as woulde make hym merie and his gestes his wife vnderstanding that nothing might make hir housebande merie but money prepared the Tables readie furnished them ouer all with Gold and Siluer his house hanged with clothe of Arreis euerie place settled with wealthie treasures which when the Gestes came they were amazed of so muche Gold and siluer dismaied quite at the gorgeous sight and wealthy Tables Pithius féedyng hymself a long while with the sight thereof enamored with the portly shewes of Golde and Siluer called for meate his wife before all the straungers beyng bidden Gestes by hir houseband answered hir housbaÌ„d that she prouided for no meate Pithius being angrie with his wife said vnto his wife what haue I willed you this mornyng to do to prouide saide she suche cheare as could make you merie where is it saide Pythius beholde saide his wife on the tables there is kyng Midas dinner these thinges housebande doe make you most mearie and nothyng elles doe you extéeme Certen Xenopon the great Philosopher tanted no better his wife Aspasia then this séelie and simple woman nipped hir housebande Pithius Gold is the delite of the auarous manne spoile and catching still is the desire of the couetous All is fishe that commeth in his Net as by that auarous Adrian surnamed Sophista proued when a gentleman a neighbour of his had sente hym a fewe daintie fishes for a presente couered verie faire on a greate siluer dishe he tooke both the siluer dishe and the fishes saiyng to the messenger thank thy maister and tell hym I take his fishe for nouelties and dainties and that I take his siluer dishe for a gifte and a present Suche impudencie raigned in couetousnesse that like rauening Harpeis thei spoile robbe and catche euerie where suche greedines lurke in auarice that like hongrie dogges they deuour anie thyng The poetes faine that Iupiter though he be king of kinges is yet contented with the Skies Neptune with the Seas Eolus with the Landes Pluto with Hell If the Poetes affirme that immortal Gods liue by measure contented with Lottes agrée with Fortune why are Kynges not sufficed with Kingdomes Lordes with Lordshippes menne mortall neuer satisfied with anie thyng how gréedie of Golde howe desirous of Siluer how couetous of countries the wealth of some the penury of others can wel declare it This priuate wealth applie the place where auarice is honored the blood of the couetous is his money to séeke to borowe or to aske money of the couetous man is nothyng elles but to craue bloud out of his bodie for sooner saieth Plato shall a manne haue talke of a dead man then receiue benefites of the couetous man The Purse of the couetous is shut vp and sealed his hande is readie to take his Cofer to receiue Simonides at what time any man would demaunde him to write to reade or to pleasure the poore any waie for thankes hee woulde aunswere that hee had in his house two Cofers the one shut vp for thankes the other open alwaies for money in the one saide Simonides I finde somethyng alwaies in the other I finde nothyng at all tymes he heald his handes redie to take with Vespasianus sometime in Rome an Emperor when he had hard by his frends that a siluer Image of greate substaunce should bee made for a monument of his worthines in memory of his chiualrie he straight healde out hande saiyng beholde here is a place ready to sette the Image a sure foundation from fallyng The coueteous Prince was more greedie to haue the money vnto his owne purse then to thanke his frendes for their loue and good will in honouryng hym with a perpetuall monument How happie iudge thei them selues to be that are wealthie and how contemteously despise thei others that be poore We read that Craesus a wealthie kyng sometyme in Lidia ioyed so muche of his substaunce and riches that he thought no man so happie as he was This kyng to bragge and to boste of his golde and siluer thought good to sende for Solon the Sage and wise Lawe maker of Athens to shewe vnto Solon his fortunate estate whiche beeyng demaunded of Craesus wheÌ„ he came to Lidia whether any manne in the worlde was in better estate then he was aunswered that a poore Gréeke called Cleobes was farre more fortune then he was Cresus beyng dismaied and halfe angerie with Solon Demaunded againe who was of like Fortune or whether any man was coequall in wealthe vnto hym Solon preferred before hym againe for Fortune and wealthe one Biton The third tyme he asked the like and Solon commended before hym one Tellus Then kyng Caesus commaunded Solon to departe his presence with greate wrathe and anger and where he had thoughte to giue hym plentie of golde and siluer if Solon had preferred his fortune he gaue hym greate checkes shewed hym hidden hatered that he despised his estate and wealth But at laste this worthie and riche kyng beyng conuicted and taken in warres by Cirus when that he should die at the solempnitie of his funerall he thrise called Solon happie for that Solon despised moste whiche he honored chief That name which I had thought to claime to my self happie by my wealthe I surrender it to him moste worthily by dispraisyng of the same commended me vnto Solon saied he a little before he died and tell hym that now I am satisfied with death whiche could neuer be content in life The like historie of braggyng Giges who onely for suche a purpose weÌ„t vnto Apollo to Delphos to knowe by Oracles whether any manne in all the
wide worlde was as riche as he and there after long bragges of his Kyngdomes and vaine ostentations of wealthe an aunswere was made vnto hym by Apollo out of the secrete place of the Temple that Aglaus a poore manne of the Countrey of Arcadia was farre richer and more fortunate then he was Thus are thei mooste misers noted of wise men hauing all thinges and yet hauyng nothyng for that thei are neuer contented with any thynge When Alcibiades had muche bragged of his fortune wealth and substaunce boasted very muche of his landes in Athens a certaine Philosopher shewed a little Table wherein the whole Countrey of Athens was described in a verie little roume desiryng Alcibiades to shewe hym there his liuynges and landes in Athēs whiche when Alcibiades mighte not nor could in any wise shewe the same No more saied the wise Philopher can any coueteous manne shewe any parte of his substance for that thei haue nothyng though thei haue muche Thus Craesus and Giges though thei wer most wealthie kynges in Lidia yet wer thei both by Apollo and Solon adiudged misers So odious was vsurie and coueteousnes that when it was demaūded of Cato the wise what vsurie was he answered what is to murther a man It robbeth and killeth poore men it murthereth innocentes This is that false felowe that wil sell all thinges with Simō This is he that wil betray Christ with Iudas To this it is saied that soner a Camell shal go through the eye of a Nedle then he should goe vnto heauen Wherefore the memorie of death is better to hym that hath pleasure in possessions ¶ Of Prodigalitie and Dronkennes THE greate delight the Epicureal felicitie that Princes haue had in excesse of eatyng and drinkyng from tyme to tyme in all places are not onely in prophane Histories regestred but also in Deuine Scriptures ▪ mencioned The Poetes make songes of prodigall Princes the Histriographers defame theim the Philosophers abhorre their companie howe could the Poet Sidonius omit the prodigal draught of Cleopatra Quéene of Aegypt without a song howe might Plinie forget the sumptuous excesse of the Empresse Poppea without a taunt How should Martiall let passe the impudencie of proude Bassa without worthy scoffes of hir too muche prodigalitie The first preparyng a banquet to hir frende and louer Antonius where one dishe of meate stoode hir in two hundred thousande Crownes The seconde so sumptuous and prodigal to set showes of glisteryng Gold vnder hir Horses feete The thirde most proude and impudent to appoint vessels of Gold wrought with Precious stoanes to receaue hir excrementes in stead of hir stoole of ease Their sumptuous prodigalitie excesse and pride must not be vnspoken to shewe the horror therof as an example to other proud prodigall Princes Therefore to matche these sumptuous Ladies I wil trauel no further then the citie of Rome where thrée Emperours one succéedyng in a maner the other not onely comparable to these dainty dames but farre surmountyng theym in eche respect Caligula the only Dregges and Faex of Emperours and Princes for prodigalitie and excesse spending and spoilyng the whole reuenewes of the Empire of Rome vpon Hoores and Queanes a Sacriledge of churches a spoiler of the Citie a robber of all the Countrey so filthy was this Emperour so odious for his excesse that hee wished that all Rome had but one necke that hee with one stroke might strike of the head to the end he might haue to suffice his prodigalitie his Actes perticulerly to touch it were tedious for he neuer did a good tourne to the Citie of Rome The seconde Nero surnamed the tyraunt Caligula his sisters sonne moste like his owne sonne for that he was knowen to be nought with Agrippina his sister Neros mother this Emperour past Caligula his vnckle in all excesse of glotonie and dronkennes wasting spendyng with strumpets and queanes consuming daie night with riotous and infamous persons vsing the cōpanie of Minstrels frequentyng feastinges and banquets accompanyng the felowship of Theues and Tyrauntes that Nero hymselfe was called the firebrande of Rome The thirde Heliogabalus the verie sincke of shame the onely rotten member of the worlde who past all the slaues of the world in prodigalitie tearyng all to péeces in brauery Precious clothes commaundyng Nauies to sink before his face in the riuer of Tyber his house with all precious odours and sweetnes his Galeries strowed ouer with Saffron his Stoole of Gold his Chamber pottes of Onix stoan his Slippers wrought with precious Margarites I will omitte to speake of his monstrous lecherie of his cruell tyranny of other prodigious and terrible actes but let the learned reade Suetonius of Heliogabalus life let the vnlearned iudge of his life by his death who beyng kilde on a Iakes and throwen to the Riuer Tiber lest any ofspryng might succéede hym the Citizins of Rome through his mother Scemides aliue to beare hym companie for that shee brought vp suche a Gulfe of mischief I am amazed to thynk wherin the wide world I might finde his mate bicause that all writers doe agree that in excesse and dronkennesse only for that fault Alexander the great the conquirour of the whole worlde is much defamed I am vrged amongest so many vertues that Alexander had this onely filthy and abhominable vice to note wherin he had great delight makyng certen garlands and braue Crownes of Gold appointyng greate gifts and rewardes for them that excelled in drinkyng Calanus when he should die at the gorgeous pompe of his funerall and solemne exequies he desired Alexander to make a memoriall of his death by some sacrifice of drinkyng whiche Alexander accomplished made three Garlands of pure golde the best valued lxxx poundes The seconde .xxx. Pounde The thirde .x. Pounde And then prepared a sumptuous feaste with suche Diriges of drinkyng for Calanus that Alexander wan the beste and first Garlande Promachus the seconde ▪ The third a hundred made claime by lawe Thus Alexander hauyng such felicitie in dronkennesse Androcides a gentleman of Greece wrote vnto Alexander being in Babilon perceiuing the prone and propensed mind of this Prince to win a letter wherein was a Table written one with this little Sentence in letters of Golde Remember Alexander when thou doest drink wine that thou doest drinke the blood of the yearth he neuer hurted any but in his wine famous in al things infamous in that exteemed and honoured of all in all thinges lothed and abhorred in that thyng in all the world Such crueltie he shewed in dronkennesse that hee slue his owne sisters brother Clitus killed Calisthenes his philosopher and councelour murthered his deere frende Lisimachus Cambises kyng of Persea and Father vnto Cirus the greate suche tyrannie he woulde commit in dronkennesse as beyng either spoken or counceled hee woulde rewarde with death and tormentes At what tyme Praxaspes one of his councelours willed hym to abstaine from wine
Fulgosius of that noble Vitellius who after he had vanquished and slaine diuers nobles and shewed greate wronges vnto the Emperour Otho and vnto Sabinus brother vnto Vespasian the Emperour beyng in feare of his life by Vespasian and being taken by the souldiors he besought leste he should die presently he might bee kepte saufe in prison vntill he might sée and speake with Vespasian the Emperour Suche was his feare that he did hide hym self in a chest like a wretch leste vpon a sodaine he should die So fearfull was Caligula and Caesar of death euery where that he would neuer goe abroade at any Lightenynges or Thonder but with his heade couered with all kinde of thynges whiche mighte resiste the violence of Thounders and Lightenynges Misa kyng of the Moabites and Ioram kyng of Iewrie beyng besieged by the enemies and in daunger of death thei inuented all giles all policies and inuentions right or wronge to saue life thei sacrificed their children to mitigate the rage of the Goddes leste thei should die The loue that diuers had vnto life and the feare the same self had vnto death were to bee noted worthily consideryng howe sore men are vexed with the fear of death ▪ Antemō was so desirous to liue and so fearfull to die that skante would he trauaill out of his house abrode any where and if he wer compelled to goe abrode he would haue twoo of his seruauntes to beare ouer his heade a greate brasen Targatte to defende hym from any thyng whiche mighte happen to doe hym hurte Theagenes in like sorte would not goe out of his house without he had consulted with the Image of Hecates to knowe what should happen to him that daie and to vnderstande whether he might escape death or no Commodus the Emperoure would neuer truste any Barbour to shaue his bearde lest his throte should bee cutte of Masinissa kyng of Numidia would rather committe his state and life vnto Dogges then vnto men as his garde to keepe and defende hym from death To speake of Bion of Domitianus of Dionisius of Pisander of thousandes more whiche so feared death that their chief care and studie was how thei might auoide the same The feare of death causeth the soonne to forsake the father the mother to renoūce the doughter the one brother to deny an other and one frende to forsake the other In so muche Christ himself was forsaken of his Disciples for feare of death Peter denied him and all the reste fledde from hym and all for feare of death Behold therefore how fearfull some are how ioyfull others are How lothsome some how willyng others haue been to die Some desperately die beyng wearie of life As Sabinus Iuba Cleomenes some hangyng thē self some burnyng them selues some drouning thē selues thus with one desperat ende or other thei died But fith euery man muste die it were reason that euerie man should prepare to die for to die wel is nothing els but to liue again Wherfore certen Philosophers of India called Gymnosophistae beyng of Alexander the great cōmaunded to certain hard questiōs whiche if thei could absolue they should liue otherwise thei should die the eldeste of their cōpanie was made a iudge in that matter by the said Alexander The first question was demaunded to know whether there wer more liuing or dead to the whiche the first philosopher saied that the quicke are more in nomber for that the dead haue no being no place no nōber The second question was whether the lande engendered more or the Sea to this answered the second philosopher and said the Land did engender more for that the Sea was but a portion of the Lande The thirde question was to knowe what beast was most subtill that beast answered the thirde Philosopher that man can not discerne Fourthly it was demaunded why they beeyng Philosophers were so induced to perswade the Sabians to rebellion bicause saide the Philosopher it is better to die manfully then to liue miserablie The fifte question was whether the daie was made before the night or the night before the day to the which it was answered the daie The sixte was to vnderstande howe Alexander the greate hym selfe might get good will of the people in shewyng saied the sixte Philosopher thy self not terrible vnto the people The seuenth to aske was whether life or death wer stronger and it was answered life The eight was to knowe howe longe a manne should liue vntill saied the eight Philosopher a manne thinketh death better then life The last question was proposed of Alexander to knowe how might a mortall man be accompted in the nomber of the Gods In dooyng greater thynges saide all the Philosophers then man is able to dooe For that they knewe this proude Prince would be a GOD and that he would learne of the sage Philosophers how he might voide mortalitie he was answered sharpely for that hee should knowe hym to be a man and beyng a manne he should make himself readie to die for death is the rewarde of sinne and death is the beginnyng of life againe vnto the good as Aulus Posthumius in an Oration whiche he made vnto his Souldiours said It is geuen both to good and bad to die but to die Godly and gloriously is onely geuen vnto good men For so Hector speaking in Homer said vnto his wife Andromacha that she should not be sory for his death sith all men must die Though some with the Galathians dooe contempne death that thei fighte naked and are perswaded with the Pythagoreans that they shall neuer die but passyng from one bodie vnto another yet some die ioyfully as the brethren of Policrita beyng taken captiue by Diognitus ▪ Emperour of Milesia she beyng vsed verie ill at the Emperours hands did sende Letters to Naxus vnto hir brethren at what tyme the people of Milesia were Feastyng Drinkyng and Banquetyng at their greate solemne feast Then the brethren of Policrita came and found the Emperour drinkyng and all his people ouer charged with wine slue the most parte of theim prisoned a nomber and brought their sister home to Naxus where assone as they came home died for Ioye of the victorie Euen as Philarchus somtime in his great triūphe criyng out O happie howres and ioifull daies was taken in suche a Feuer that brake his vaines at that verie instaunt for gladnes He is coumpted moste wise that knoweth hymself To ioye to muche in prosperitie to be aduaunced and extolled when fortune fauours without all feare of ill happes to come is follie To be vanquished and subdued in aduersite without hope of solace and goodnes to come is méere madnesse Therefore the Sages and Wisemen knowyng that death was the last line of life did endeuour in their liues how they might die well briefly for examples of liues I meanes to note fewe sentences of these wisemen whiche they vsed as their Poesies and thought good to shewe
their answeares vnto diuers questions vnto them propounded Bias dwellyng in the Citie of Prienna after the citie by Nutinenses was destroied Bias escaped and went to Athens whose Poesie was Maximus improborum numerus he willed all yong men in their youth to trauaill for knowledge and commaundeth oulde men to embrase wisedome This Bias beeyng demaunded what was the difficulst thing in the worlde he saide to suffer stoutly the mutabilitie of fortune beyng demaunded what was the infamoust death that might happen vnto man to bee condempned saide he by lawe beyng asked what was the sweetest thyng vnto manne hope saide he what beast was most hurtfull amongest wild beastes a Tyraunt saide Bias and amongeste tame beastes a flatterer and beyng demaunded what thyng it was that feared nothyng in all the world good conscience saide he And againe in the second Olimpiad the Philosophers demaunded other Questions as who was most infortunate in the world the impacient man saide Bias What is moste harde to iudge debates betwéene frendes what is most harde to measure he answered tyme that hauyng fully answered to diuers other questions Bias was allowed one of the seauen wise men of Gréece Chilo the second of the Sages beyng borne in Myâ—tilena beyng asked what was the best thyng in all the world answered euery man to coÌ„sider his owne state And againe beyng demaunded what beast is most dangerous he saide of wilde beastes a Tyraunt of tame beastes a flatterer beyng asked what is most acceptable vnto manne he saide tyme and beyng asked of the Gréeke Myrsilas what was the greatest wonder that he sawe he saide an olde man to be a Tyraunte these with diuers other questions was he asked of the Greeke his Poesie was Nâ— quid nimis The thirde was Chilo the Lacedemonian beyng demaunded what was a difficult thing to man to dooe he answered either to keepe silence or so suffer iniuries what was most difficulst being asked of hym he saide for a man to knowe hym self and therfore he vsed this Poesie Nosce teipsum This Chilo beyng of Aesopus demaunded what did Iupiter in Heauen he saide he doth throwe doune loftie and proude thinges and hee doeth exalte humble and méeke thinges Solon the Athenian had this shorte Sentence in his mouthe Nosce teipsum knowe thy selfe for in knowyng and consideryng what we are how vile we are wee shall haue lesse occasion ministred vnto vs to thinke well of our selues for there is nothyng good nor bewtifull in man as Solon beyng asked of kyng Cressus sittyng on his Stoole of state with princely Robes bedect with Pearles and Precious stones whether euer he sawe a more bewtifull sight then Kynge Cirus sittyng in his maiestie at that tyme to whom Solon answered and saide that he sawe diuers birddes more gaie to beholde then Cirus and beyng demaunded of Cirus what birds were they Solon saide the little Cocke the Peacocke and the Feasaunt whiche are dect with naturall garmentes and bewtified with naturall colours This Solon was wonte to saie I waxe dailie olde learnyng muche hee noted nothyng so happie in manne as to liue well that the same might die well appliyng the cause vnto the affect as to liue well then to die well If I shoulde molest the reader with the sage saiynges of Cleobulus Thales Periander and others tending onely for the amendmente of life and readines of death I should seme tedious here were a place to induce diuers and sundrie examples of death HAd Greke Calisthenes silence kept had Neuius spared speache Had Theocritus busie braine offended not his leache Calesthenes had not loste his life nor Theocritus died Ne in Maetellus wrathe so long had Neuius poet abide The soundst reward the surest gifte should Memmius haue in th ende Had he to Caesar nothyng saied that Caesar might offende But as I feare Chirilus stripes and dreade Aristos draught So with Antilochus to write I am to some Lisander taught Some carpyng Crete some peuishe Pan and some of Colax kinde Some of Gnatho schoole will scanne some flaâ—trie here to finde I will not haulte with Clisophus I loue not Curiâ— stile I hate Philoxenus forged faithe Aristippus phraise to file But with Sinaetes persean poore with Cirus water craue Her princely pardone on my knee with Cirill Poete haue Who to auoide Charibdis gulfe I fall in Scillas bande To seeke to shunne Semphlagades I sinke in Sirtes sande With wearied winges of Icarus with Phaoetons charge in hande Moste like Actaeon bounde before her noble grace I stande No Momus maie Minerua saile no Phaaeton Phebus charge No wilfull winges of Icarus maie Dedalus flight discharge Therefore yea Goddes that guide the globes the glisteryng glaryng skie The whirlyng spheares the firmamente and poales of heauens hie You starrie states and imps of Ioue your graces thre attende Approche in place Pierides my vaine in verse to bende Eche pilgrime Prince in prose is paste eche Quene must now in vearse Haue honour due and fame deserude the heauens hie to pearce Whose praise shall pearce the clusteryng cloudes and skale the empire skie Whose thunderyng clanges of bruted fame on yearth shall neuer die Eche passyng pearles Prince in place from stooles of states redounde Whom birdes abrode on brakes doe bragge their praise in skies to sounde WhoÌ„ whirlyng windes and whispering woods whoÌ„ brauling brokâ— aduauÌ„ce Whose ecchos shrill of fliyng fame through surging seas doe launce Who ruled people proude and fierce and nations stoute subdued That widdowes were and virginâ— Quenes with wisedome greate endued Who readeth not Zinobias fame who doeth not Mesa knowe Who heareth not of Sabas name that any where doeth goe What worthie actes what famous feactes what vertues rare were sene When noble Kyng Mausolus died in Artemesia Queen The noble Quene Semiramis Kyng Ninus famous wife Did rule Assiria saffe and sounde when Ninus loste his life When Constant Emperour died â–ª his wife no lesse ther loue did lâ—ue Then pearle Penelope had in Grece or Romaine Lucrece haue Emongest the Illireans to Teuca then suche worthie name did chaunce â–ª As in Arcadia Atlanta did her noble fame aduaunce Quene Dido ruled Carthage coste Helerna Tibur braue As sometyme did Cloelia the Romaine scepter saue Why seeke I thus to shunne the snares and shifte with verses ofte Sithe praise of force must presse the place where wisedome rules a lofte A Prince of porte in silence kepte that doeth expecte the ende Whose rule and roiall race by course nedes not in bookes be pende In whom the Muses builde their bowres the graces make their forte With whom Sibilles sages sitte and sacred Nimphes resorte Who Iudith like with threatnyng swearde Holofernus mates to spoile A seconde Susan sure she is all Iudges false to foile An other faithfull Sara sadde with Aesters mace in hande In prinsely place Rebecca like to rule her natiue lande She in triumphant seate doeth sitte with Laurell leaues bee decte With Oliue braunches braue on heade that doo his fame detect This
to the Muses nine a tenth her grace did Ioue betake And with the Graces three a fourth Apollo hir did make The fame Aurelia had in Rome by Caesar first did spryng The like Olimpias had in Grece by Alexander Kyng Who had knowen Cassandana had Cirus fame not wine Or who had heard of Creusas name had not Aeneas bin The force that Hector vsed in fielde extolde Andromachs name The porte that Traiane Emperour had aduaunced Plotinas fame But she that hath no sire no soonne a seconde Delbora is To sit in roiall roume to rule in ioye and state of blisse Who is by Ioue appointed from diuine Camaena schoole Like sadde Cassandra for to sitte in sage Samberta stoole Who with Euphemâ—s fostered was in heigh Latonias towre Whose cradle long Melissa rockt within dame Venus bowre In sadde Sibillas bowre brought vp of sacred Vaesta taught Corinna learned though she was her seruice Sapho sought Giue Saba place Zonobia yelde beholde in place suche one That learned Ladies linke themselues her grace to waite vpon Whom Prudence teache and Iustice rule whom temperaunce doeth professe All vertues rare and godlie giftes her noble minde possesse Whom Gods by birth with one consent agreed hir name should be Pandora for his galaunt giftes in glorie greate to glie Whom if Cornelia were aliue and hard of this hir fame She with Hortensia would from Rome to England viage frame The haughtie dames in warlike weedes those Spartan Ladies lo And Mars himself with ThraciaÌ„s Quenes to this would yeald I know In Phrigian fields in Troian campe was Penthisilea seen With strong Achilles force in fielde to fight like valiaunte Queen In Rutill lande on Turnus side against Aeneas loe Came Quene Camilla armed to fielde the Troians force to knowe The Scithian stoute Quene Tomiris that bloudie Cirus slue With CC. thousandes souldiors slaine whiche Persea long did rue That noble Quene Antiopes and Hippolite in bande Durst bothe Alcides rage endure and Theseus stoute withstande Thus that women were suche wightes to fight in fielde with hande In Saca Scithia Cimbria zoile and in Lacedena lande Though speares and shield thei shooke though harness thei did beare Yet farre inferiour to this Quene in Marshall feates thei weare Minerua she from turrettes high with regall Iuno state Vnto the sacred Nimphes aboue elected soueraigne mate With princely Perseus Pollax lo she slue Medusas broode She cursed Cacus lincke did cutte with strong Alcides moode With sage Vlixes swearde I saie she Poliphemus slue And she with mightiâ— mace of Ioue the ymps of hell subdue She dasseled Argos hundred eyes and doeth Zopirus seede And shall eche vertue plante in tyme and vice in tyme out weede She Dragon Lion Bore and Bull she Harte and Hidra kild She Gereon Cerberus Angeus haue the birdes and Centaries spild She paste Cocitus frostie face with fixed faithe to zoile And sailed Letheus Lothsome lake forgettyng foes to foile She waded firie Phlegeton flud with princelie pacience out And staied not at Stigias streame to ende hir Pilgrime out She from Lotophagus then retournd she past the Ciclops dean She sailed safe by Scillas rocke she fledde not Auernus fene No Gorgone grimme no Ciclop huge no fretyng furies fell No Cirses sight no Cirens voice nor Plutos force in hell Maie moue hir Mast nor shake hir Ship vpon a rocke so build On Acheronta where she sailes towarde Elizeus filde Enioiyng Sanges glisteryng Gemmes possessing Tagus sands Hidaspes and Hiberus wealth with Pactolus pearles in hands The buildinges braue and loftie wales the princelie Turrets hie Whiche Ninus wife in Persea plast whose fame shall neuer die The sumptuous Tombe the wonderous workes the gorgious glistryng graue Whiche Queene of Caria then did make Monsolus bones to saue The stately seates Piramydes which in Aegipt lande abode And Monstrous Phebus shape I saie whiche Chares made in Rhode Dianas Temple Pharaos Toure and Phidias frame in Greece In spect of this her buildynges braue their fame and glorie lese Cadmus Thebes Dardane Troie and Ogdous Memphus made These with Carthage Didos Tonne maie nothyng here perswade She buildeth neWe Ierusalem and Sion vp doth rear And to the Vineyard on hir back she daielie burthens bear The fletyng fame on yearth haue sought she glorie greate in skie They thrugh pompe and she through paine aduaunceth fame on hiâ— They liude to eate they eate to die they die in death to paine She eates to liue she liues to die she dieth to liue againe Ariadne Minoes doughter taught to Theseus stoute the waie From Labirinthus dreadfull deans where Minotaurus laie That wandryng Prince Aeneas then in Cuma taught was so By sage Amalthea Auernus gulfe from limbo lake to goe The soundrie shifts Medea assaide hir Iason sure to saue In Colcus lande with conquest greate the golden fleace to haue Were now these worthie Greekes aliue and iolie champions lo As vnto Delphos streigt thei would vnto his pallace goe She spoiled Labirinthus caues she Minotaurus slue She princely doth possesse in place the Golden fleace in vewe And though Perillus plaied his part the brasen Bull to make Yet was Perillus forced hym self therein his death to take The Leaden horse Aruntius made for others there to die To assaie the newe inuented woorke Aruntius first did frie. Thus saucie Sinon sleight shall die and Phalaris falshode ende And from Zopirus subtle seede her state shall God defende Triumphant Triton sounde thy trumpe though Neptunes rage did rore In spite of Boreas Boisterous blast she sailed saffe to shore Where she like blasyng Phebus beames with siluer shinyng face Bellona like in seate doeth sitte with fine Aglaias grace On whom the dreadfull Driades waite the Oriades high on hill The sacred Nimphes attende her grace her seruice to fulfill Hebe and Calisto light from starrie states discende A perles prince must pearce the cloudes whose fame the skies shall bende Whose fame shall flowe from Nilus bankes through Euphrates to lande From Tigris stragglyng streame her state to golden Ganges sande From Pirens pathe to Helicon from high Parnassus mounte Vnto Libethres well to washe with ladies nine were wonte From Easte to Weste from Southe to Northe her fliyng fame doeth flowe From Pole antartike fast with winges to articke Pole to goe Panomphes Gemme Caliope thy steppe Melpomen staie Yelde honour due Thalia now her seruice Clio assaie Polihimnia with her Musike must and Errato tende in place Euterpe sounde her troumpe of fame her foes for to deface Discende Terpsichore from the skies parte thence Vrania fro A Phenix fine must mounte the skies and you awaie must goe Surrender Cumea vp thy seaete now Samia Phiton flee No longer fame must Themis haue in Delphos now to be Yelde stately Iuno Samos vp flee Delos Dian fro Voide princely Pallas Athens now from Paphos Venus goe Beholde a branche from Brutus line whose vertuous praise to paint My slender skill my simple muse to thinke thereof doe faint For had I Virgills
daughter Sempronius Ceruius Sulpitia Plini lib. 7. cap. 35. Claudia Hippo. Timoclea Teutonica The fiftie virgins of Sparta Patritius lib. â—â— Aspasia Isis. Numa Pompilius Alexander Cato Dauid Gellius lib. 2. cap. 4. Zeno. Egyptianâ— Romanes Persea Lacedemonians Athenians Themistocles Sparta Pythagoras Messius lib. 28. cap. â— zeno Alexander Plutarch in vita Alex. 〈◊〉 Plutarch in Caesars life Calisthenâ—s Seneca Neuius Chius Phocion 39. Linus Brusonius lib. 1. cap. 5. Secundus Papyrius Demetius the philosopher Euripides Cato Leaena Anaxarchus Pompeius Val. lib. 3. cap. 3. Isocrates Tiberius Metellus Tantalus Agesilaus Phocion Zenocrates Fabritius M. Curio Pompeius Atticus The Senate â–ª Val. lib. 5. Fabius M. Alphonsus Alexander Erasmus lib. 4. Aroth Antilochus Lisander Artaxerxes Sinaetes Cirilus Alexander A Student of Paris Epaminondas P. Aemilius M. Agrippa Affricanus Cirus Curtius in vita Alexander Alexander Iustinus lib. 20. Phryne Rhodope Aâ—talus Antigonus Artaxerxes Plutarch in vita eius Iulius Caesar Alexander Ihero Ninus Cimon Flaminius Aelianus lib. 10. Aristides Zelopidaâ— Aelianus lib. 11. Epaminondas â–ª Diogines Aelianus lib. 9. Archelaus Agesilaus Frederike Romans Perseans Heraclid in Polit. Indians Egypt Herod lib. 2 Agesilaâ—â— Masinissa Ihero Gorgias Cirus Sophocles Crassus Agesis Scaeuola Considius Solon Alexander Valerius Cor. Mettellus Appius Clau. Pollio Epimonides Dandon Naestor Plato Isocrates Gorgias Zeno. Pythagoras Democritus Themistocles Aristides Solon Appelles Socrates Cicero M. Cato Paulus Scipio Fabius Curius Fabritius Coruncanus Appius Epeij Lictorius Hyperboreij Noah Sem. Tithonius C. Fabritius Cineas Egypt Aeâ—hiopia Sythiaâ— Amazis Parthians Arabia BabiloniaÌ„s Lesbians Sibarites Arcadia Boetians Bactrians Agragentins Lacedemostians Minerua Lydia Thracia Psilli Certa Pigmaei Ophiophagi Anthropophagi Monopods Arimaspi Pandorae Selenetidae Sorbotae Trogloditâ— Massagetes Carthaginean BabiloniaÌ„s Caspians Lesbians Corinthians T. Hostilius An. Martius Tor. Priscus Tul. Seruius Appius Cladius Plini lib. 21 Cap. 103. Auernus Salmacis Maeander Melas Cephisus Silia Apustidamus Auaria â–ª Albula Cydnus Euphrates Ganges Nilus Tigris Tagus Hermus Pactolus Idaspes Arimaspus Styx Phlegeton Lethes Acheron Cocytus Gabiensis Charecena Hirpinis Iheropolis Ciborus Sipilis Nea a town of Phâ—gia Thrasimenos Egnatia Pithagoras Thales Democritus Empedocleâ— Crates Anaxagoras Aristotle Herophilus Strato Empedocles Epicurus Pithagoras Essâ—i Aegiptians Stoiks Pagans Nine mansions for soules in hell The Planets placed in mannes bodye Diagoras Thales Clâ—anthes Numa â–ª Vesta Mars Bona Dea. Floâ—â— Ceres Minera Berecynthia Valesius Calabria â–ª Sibilla L. Pâ—â—â—liâ—s Valerius lib. 1. Caius Fabius Val. lib. 1. Perseans Athenians Phidias Apollo Brennus Zerxes Asculapius Turulius Ceres Proserpina Hercules Masinissa Pleminius Numa Licurgus Zaleucus Pisistratus Minoes Sertorius L. Silla Scipio Astric Reg. 4 Reg. â—2 Nabuchodonosor Salamon Antiochus Some honour their bellies as Goddes Darius The Peacock vnto Iuno Sparta Athens Thracia Argiui The Greekâ— Parmenio Plini Lib. 7 Cap. 59 Maxies â–ª Anases Maca. Euboians Caligula Sparta Demonax Aristippus â–ª Rhetus Panis Midas Diodorus â–ª Lib. 2 Pyramides Ceopes Cephus Micerinus The orders of the Aegiptians buriâ—â— Ethiopians Scythians Romans Merodianus Lib. 4 Assirians Indeans Thracians Athinians Massagetes Tibareni Albans Nabathaei Parthians Nasomones Caspians Hircanians Issidones Hiperborei Triton appeared vnto Caesar. Plutarch in the life of Brutus Brutus slue himâ—selfe Cassius slue him selfe Tacitus maketh himselfe redy to die by the sight of his mother Pertinax Balthasar savv a hand vvriting in a vvall Heliodorus savv a horseman thretning him Athenians Lacedemonians Theseus appeared after death Castor and Pollux appeâ—ared after death Hector appeared after death Patroclus Palinurus Deiphobus Phetonissa supposed to rayse the soule of Samuell Pausanias Theodoricus vvas ouer coâ—â—py a 〈◊〉 Bessus vvas betraied by Svvallovvâ—â— â–ª Paulina Mundus Tyrannus Numâ— Pompilius Romulus a God after death Cicero lib. 1 de legibus Remus canonized a God Silla and Marius seene after death Caligula Bruso lib. 6 Cap. 8. Pirrhus Plutarch lib. 27 Alexander Hannibal Caesar. Themistocles Brutus L. Silla Eumenes Zerxes Midas Plato Brutus Agamemnon Caesar. Alexander Alcipiades Philip. Au Caesar. Plutarch lib. 38. Nero. Dionisius Darius Tiberius Hanibal Vaspasianus Agrippa zoroastres Telephus Romulus Cirus Alexander Iupiter Ammonius Nicippus Cossicius Tiresias Ceneus Iphis. Anaxogoras ZenophaÌ„tus L. Pomponius Antonia Mermecides Aegiptians Indians Thracians Scithians Perseans Barbarians Massagets Libians Arabians Meedes Magi. Antropophagi Ethiopians Arabians Poeni Scottes Assirians Babilonians Lidians Ciprians Rome Moises Catullus Athens Rome Boetia Locrecia Lusitania Sparta Galatia Carmenia â—aeotis Socrates Pompeius Romulus Theseus Numa Licurgus Hanibal Scipio Alcibiades Martius Macoriolanus Pericles Fabius Maxcimus Silla Lysander Pompeius Agesilaus Alexander Caesar. Nicias and Crassus Demosthenes and Cicero Augustus Orpheus Amphion Dionisius Apollo Tubal Lirus Themistocles Socrates â—lianus 12. Agesilaus Architas Hercules Lidians Creeâ— Parthians Cimbrians Dircaeus Sparta â—â—st lib. 4 Olimpia Pithij Isthmia Nemaea Pirrhus Plini lib. 7. Licaon The Lidians inuented Diceplayâ— Zerxâ—eâ— game Luparcalia Circenses Saturnalia Gladiatoria The Lion feareth the Cock. Anthonius Pius Marcus Placius Cyanippus â—milius Antimachus Orpheus Alcestes Iulia. Artimesia Laodamia Ipsicratea Paulina Portia Sulpitia Valerig lib 6. Cap. 7 Aemilia Penelope Lucrecia Tomyris Ageus Panopion Caparus Durides Alexanders horse Caesars horse Antiochus horse Romulus Cirus Porus. Merthes Lib. 10. Cap. 29. Stesicorus Themistocles Simonides Seneca â–ª Aeliâ—s â–ª Ciâ—us Scipio Caesar. Horâ—ensius Carmidâ—s Cineas Hermonius Mythridates Lucullus Esdras Portius Orbilius Messala Caluisius Atticus Bamba Thracians Demosthenes Heraclitus Hipparchion Ruffinus Cassius Seuerus Lion The Goates of Creete Frogges of Aegypts Swine â— sea Snaill Mise Auntes Alexander Philopomen Ladislaus Antiochus ConstantinÌ„us Conradus L. Vectius Rosimunda Carolus Aâ—istobulus Hanibal Themistocles Aratus Iugurtha Syphax Henaicus Aristonicus Phalaris Perillus. Alcibiades Achaeus Bomilchar Iusti â–ª lib. 2. Policrates Leonides Hanno â–ª Diomedes Licinius Neocles Metius Hippolitus Laocon Cleopatra Opheltes Linus Cosinges Euripides Basilius Seleucus Bela. Fredericke â–ª Decius Marcellus Aegeus Tirrheus Tyberinuâ— â–ª Icarus Myrtilus Erisicthon Sisigania Pyrrhus Pyrander Cebrion Cygnus Mythridates Nicanor Sertorius Heliogabalus Carbo Caesar. Gurges Manlius Capaneus Tullius Hostilius Galba Commodus Lentulus Minoes Alebas Spu â–ª Constantine Alphonsius Arnulphus Honirificus Silla Pitha Apollo Saba Cornelia Pittacus Plato Socrates Architas Tirtaeus Xenophon Diogenes Galba Mecaenas Demosthenes Archias Metellus disâ—imulation Alexander Philippe Alcibiades Tarquinius Conon Antigonus Lysander Sardanapalis Hercules Clodius Euclides Semiramis Iusti. lib. i. Pelagia Marina Euphrosina Clisthenes Phliasia Chiron Thetis Achilles Vlixes Dissimulation Aristotle Hortenfius Darius Ciceronis lib. â— Tusc. Artaxerxes Brusonius lib. ii Cap. xli Lisimachus Ptholemie Iulius Caesar. Cambyses Saguntus Vespasian Cap. 57. Athens Alexander Doda Perusia Hymmi The fieldes of Piceni Stratonicus Alphonsus Gnefactus Hanibals sleightes Cirus craft Sicyonius Pysistratus Darius The lion The Elephant The Panther The Harte The Beare The Rauen. The Ducke The Doue The Swallow The Cranes of Cicilia Agesilaus Dion Socrates Socrates Alexander Brutus Antheus Cleoboea Cleonimus Valerius Torquatus Progne Nero. Darius Attila Xerxes Herodotusâ— lib. 7. Tomiris Beronice Poll. a. Tiberius Antigonus Socrates Phocioâ— Solon Ninus