no painted shewes no grauen worke of his person ne yet of his life saying If I haue done well in life the vertue thereof is a sufficient monument when I am dead Cato Senior was of that opinion that he had rather that men shoulde aske why hath not Cato his picture set vp then to aske why hath Cato his picture vp A number of sage Philosophers of wise Princes Rome the one dyed in Assiria the other in Egypt Paulus Aemilius dyed in Cinna T. Gracchus in Lucania Augustus Caesar in Nola. Trayane the Emperour in the East part of the worlde with diuers other famous men borne within the Citie of Rome as these gentlemen Cornelij Scipiones Catones Dicij noble families who dyed like pilgrimes of the worlde scattered one from another So in Athence where Themistocles Theseus Solon with others yet in Syrus Cyprus and Persea were they buryed King Iugurtha borne in Numidia buried in Rome Againe King Aegeus borne in Athence Pharao in Egypt Aiax in Gréece Leander in Abidon yet their graues and buryall was in the bottome of the Sea Marke howe puissaunt princes of the worlde and mighty Kesars were subiectes vnto fortune And sée agayne the learned sage Philosophers which as I sayde before had their names aduaunced their persons estéemed their pictures erected yet not able to auoyde the furious frets of fortune as Pythagoras borne in Samos dead in Metapontus Virgil borne in Mantua buried in Brandusium Terence borne in Carthage brouhht vp in Rome and ended his life in Arcadia These Princes and noble men had notwithstanding in diuers places their fame spread their name aduaunced and their pictures euery where erected Gorgias Leontinus was the first amongst the Gréekes for his wisedome and eloquence that had his picture set vp in Delphos in the Temple of Apollo His scholler Isocrates had for his wit and passyng eloquence in Olimpia his picture erected Demetrius Theophastrus scholler after he had tenne yeres with all diligence and industry gouerned the state of Athence hauyng thrée hundred and thréescore pictures in Gréece erected and set vp for his fame and renowme in administration of the common wealth yet were they all broken and taken downe of enuie afterwarde which when Demetrius hearde of the inconstancie and enuie of the people in shewyng their malice therein he sayde Though they exile my pictures yet can they not banish the vertuous cause of the pictures Mithridates king of Pontus made a worthy monument at Sylo vnto Plato about the which as Plutarch saieth was written this sentence Mithridates made this picture of Plato and dedicated the same vnto the Muses Mutius Scaeuola had his picture in Rome for that he deliuered the Citie of Rome from Porsenna King of Ethruscan for the like Cocles was not forgotten of the Romanes It were vnto small purpose to speake of Lucullus of M. Attillius and Octauius whose fame and renowme made their pictures to be monumentes thereof What shoulde I embusie my selfe with infinite names of men sith womē well deserued the same as Tanaquil Torquinius wife Cloaelia a Uirgin of Rome yea as Quintilian saith Phryne for her beauty wanted not to be commended by pictures so common were they for all men that I referre those that wyll reade further of this vnto Plini where he may at large satisfie him selfe in that poynt I shoulde be ouer much charged to recite the places persons and time that pictures were only erected to aduaunce their fame and to stirre them further in such procéedinges as were the cause of these their pictures Therefore as before is spoken they shall finde in Plini store of them ¶ Of those that defended diuers from deathes from Serpentes Dragons Lions and of cunning Archers EUen as by these valiant and noble conquerours not only Townes Cities and countries were defended Serpentes Dragons Lions and other monstrous and wilde beastes were slayne but also diuers and sundrie captiues and Prisoners were deliuered from deathes vnto life Howe manye did famous Hercules that ofspring of the Gods saue from the gulfe of Auentin where that Cacus both daye and night murthered the passers by Howe many deliuered he from the huge monster Chimaera which continually with flashing flames of fire feared slue diuers valiaūt men for he had thrée heades one of a Lyon the seconde of a Dragon the thirde of his owne monstrous proportion He againe slue Sphinx a terrible beast in Ethiopia which with his sight destroied men How he ouercame Gereon Cerberus and Diomedes and diuers other enterprises it is before rehersed Perseus after that Neptune had defloured Medusa in the temple of Pallas the Goddes being displeased therewith turned euery héere of her head vnto snakes whose sight was so venemous that whatsoeuer he was that behelde hir died presently Perseus I saye slue the same whereby he deliuered diuers that shoulde else perishe Cappadox being then tribune of the souldiours in Affrica vnder the Emperour Dioclesian vanquished a huge serpent and deliuered a younge Phrigian made euen for mouth a praye Euen so Alcon a noble Archer of Créete shotte at a Dragon which had his owne sonne in his clawes readye to be deuoured and slue him whereby his fame shall neuer die and saued his Sonne vnhurted But I pause here from the skilfull Archers and speake a little more of these famous and renowmed conquerours of wilde beasts of monsters and of Serpentes as Bellorophon King Glaucus sonne of Corinth being accused of fornication with Quéene Stenobia King Praetus wife of Argyue he was iudged to die and to be deuoured of the monster Chimaera which he valiauntlye subdued in prison The fame of Lysimachus is spreade ouer all the worlde for that he kilde a Lion being but a souldiour vnder King Alaxander The name of Coraebus shall not be forgotten amongst the Peloponesians for the ouerthrowing of that terrible monster in Gréece The renowne of Atti Regulus shall alwayes be reuiued when any man doth think of the great serpent that hée slue by the floode Bragada which as Plini sayth was a hundred and twentie foote long Did not these noble fellowes profite their countries muche in sauing thousandes liues which shoulde haue béene destroyed by these monsters The Poets faine that Cadmus Agenors sonne did kill a Serpent whose téeth engendred brought foorth out of the earth harnessed men which fought and destroyed one an other Againe such were the happe of young maydes as Balsaria when Carphurrinus Crassus was taken Captiue of the Messalines and shoulde be offred for a sacrifice vnto Saturne shée deliuered Crassus from death and made him conquerour where before he was conquered vnto hir euerlasting fame Calluce a young woman after Troy was by the Gréekes destroyed when hir father King Lycus sayling vnto Libia had appoynted to kill Diomedes for a sacrifice to appease the Goddes for winde and weather she deliuered him from the King
haue béene such that they refused the company of their owne wiues and went to wildernesse solitarily to liue to auoyde the occasion of lust and to embrace the cause of temperauncie as Amoebeas and Dionysius surnamed Histrio beyng marryed both to faire women Clitomachus was of such modesty that hée might not abide in place whether hée were at supper or else where filthy talke was ministred but he woulde auoyde the place and the person as Plini saith where any inciuility was and true it is yll language corrupt good maners I reade in Valerius a worthy Romane historye of one Spurina a young gentleman of the Citie of Rome whose amorous countenaunce woonderfull beautie and passing state of person surmounted all the Ladies of Rome but not so beautifull outwarde as hée was modest and temperate inwarde and lest hée shoulde séeme with his outwarde beautie to enflame the Romane Ladyes and Uirgines of the Cittie to lust hée so deformed his body and mangled his face with his owne hande that from the fearest creature that was in Rome hée became the most deformed man in all the worlde in so much all Rome knewe him not Spurina is more famous by his modestie therein then hée is nowe renowmed for his beautie the one passeth like a flowre in short time the other without prescription of time hath immortall fame Men haue béene in the worlde that subdued lust ouercame them selues yea and though attempted with great allurementes yet temperaunce saued and preserued them that Valerius saith that Phrine a passing fayre woman came vnto Zenocrates the Philosophers bedde and being all night in bedde with him coulde not winne the Philosopher with all hyr trickes to venery that the next daye being demaunded where she laye all night with an ymage of a man shée said or with a mans picture The like of Socrates though he were maried to two wiues doth Zenophon report that on a certaine time Socrates being in taulke with a renowmed and famous Courtezaune named Theodora a woman of great bragges and boasting much what shée coulde do vnto princes before Socrates saying that shée coulde make any to come from Socrates vnto hir and that Socrates coulde not make anye of hir men to come vnto him It is no meruaile sayde Socrates to drawe men to vice is most easie and to drawe them vnto vertue is most hearde I might here bring foorth diuers histories for the proofe of modest and temperate Princes to auoyde prolixity of reading and to embrace compendeous histories I omitte to speake further of men I will turne my stile vnto women where such infinite numbers appéere in histories that I will touch but two or thrée for that I should be ouercharged otherwise The chast life of Lucrecia and noble temperancy of Sophronia two noble Matrones of Rome the onâ— rauished to requite the tyrannie of the Emperour Torquinius by whome she was deflowred after that shée made hir husbande priuie that his bedde was defiled by Torquin slue hir selfe with hir owne knife the other in lyke sort bycause she coulde not resist the violence of Decius to make Decius more odious his déede more shamefull ended hir life as Lucrecia did Euen so Medullina being oppressed by hir father in the darcke got his ring from his finger to knowe him in the morning who had so villaine lyke deâ—â—owred hir virginitie in the night which when she knewe by the ring that it was hir owne father she spared not to reuenge hir temperauncie with the death of hir father and for that shée little estéemed hir owne life hir honestye being stained with that knife that shée slue hir father shée also kylled her selfe as a witnesse of her owne trueth and proofe of hir honest lyfe This hath made Rome famous how well was temperauncie regarded in Rome when Virginius slue his daughter Virginia for that she was deflowred of Appius Claudius so greatly was it estéemed so highly honoured and so straitly lookt vnto that Sempronius slue Gallius that Ceruius gelded Pontus the Romane both being taken in adulterie Howe happie and renowmed was Rome when Sulpicia Paterculê° daughter and wife to Fuluius flaccus the lampe of Rome and lanterne of the worlde preferred for his temperauncie by the verdite of Sibilla to excell all Asia and Europe The like temperauncie prooued by Cibeles the mother of all the Gods to be in Claudia that heauen and earth extolled the name of Rome was not then temperance honoured when Uirgines and young women bought temperauncie with death some killing themselues some burning some drowning and thus by death their liues were knowne Hippo a woman of Gréece sayth Valerius that trauailing vnto Rhodes on the seas perceyuing the Mariners to be gréedie and readie to spoyle hir honestie vnderstanding that they went about to defile hir temperate and chast minde to auoyde their purpose and filthie lust leapt from boorde vnto the surging seas whose terror she lesse feared to die then shée was willing to liue as a woman stayned and corrupted â–ª what way findeth not modesty of life to requite shame Howe escapeth dishonestye and lust of ill life from the snares and baites of temperaunce Timoclea a woman of Thebes being violated by a certaine Prince of Thracia against hir will requited this prince and eased hir molested minde after this sort sayth Sabellicus she went in an euening vnto this Thracian Prince and tolde him priuily if hée woulde followe Timoclea shée shoulde bring him where such store of substaunce such wealth is hiddeÌ„ as would make him the richest Prince in all Asia to whome he gréedily consented went willing and gladly thinking to spéede of one thing he found an other thing and being brought vnto a déepe well she sayde In this well sayde Timocla is infinite treasure which when he stoupt to looke vnto the bottome of the Well shée threw him in headlong and a mightie huge stoane she roulde after him Atalanta the mirrour of all Ladies a seconde Diana refusing the companie of men liuing in wildernesse abstayning from wordlye pleasure and ending hir life in pure virginnitie in the desartes of Arcadia Sith I may better beginne and soner ende with aledging kingdomes and countries for a proofe of temperaunce folly it were in so large a scope in so ample a matter to deale with perticuler histories â–ª therefore to beginne with women of Teutonica where temperauncie so much estéemed was so well thought on that hearing theyr husbandes to be slaine and taken Captiues by a valyaunt Romane then Capitane for Rome named Marius they came knéeling before him be sought him courteously and humblye sith theyr husbandes were slaine as women willing to leade a chasâ—e lyfe that they might go and serue the Vestall Uirgins in Rome to auoyde the gréedinesse of Marius souldiers and there to ende the rest of their liues in seruice of Vesta but being denied of Marius cleane contrarie
that Archilogus had for that he wrote in his booke that it was sometime better to caste the buckler away than to die he was banished the confines of Lacedemonia At what time the Citie of Sagunto was destroyed against promise of the people of Carthage The renowmed Romanes though league was broken and peace defied yet the Senators did sende Ambassadours Eabius Maximus with two Tables written the one contaynnig peace the other warres which was sent to Carthage eyther to choose peace or warres the election was theirs though the Romans were iniuried and though they could best defende their owne yet woulde the noble Romans suffer often offences Hardie then were the Romans when Scaeuola went alone armed vnto the tentes of Porsenna King of Hetruria either to kill Porsenna or to be kilde by Porsenna greater fortitude of minde coulde be in no man more valiaunt in heart no man séene than in Cocles who onely resisted the whole armie of of King Porsenna vntill the Citizens of Rome came to take vp the draw bridge and then leapt in all his harnesse from his enimies vnto the middest of the riuer Tiber though hee was sore in diuers places wounded yet neyther his fall hurted him neyther his harnesse preste him neyther water drowned him neyther thousands of his enimies coulde kill hym but swimmed through the riuer Tiber vnto Rome to the great admiration of king Porsenna and excéeding ioye of Rome so that one poore Romane gaue the repulse to the whole armie of a king Ualiaunt was Rome and Romans feared when Popilius was sent Ambassadour to Antiochus the great King of Syria when Antiochus eyther for pryde or pompe of his person or contempt of Popilius refused to aunswere the Romane Embassadour was then presently enforced to aunswere the state of Rome and demaunded of the Embassadour before he might goe out of a litle rounde circle which Popilius made wih his ryding Rodde Then faithfull was Rome when Pomponius a Romane Knight and souldier vnder Lucullus general in the fielde against Mithridates King of Pontus by whome Pomponius being taken as a prisoner sore wounded and mangled The King demaunded if hée woulde helpe him to life woulde he be true to Mithridates to whome the poore wounded Romane aunswered Pomponius wyll be vnto Mithridates as Mithridates wyll be vnto Lucullus so true and faithfull were Romanes as they were stout and valiaunt in so much that Scypio being thréescore yeres almost and being sought of a young souldier to bye a braue Buckler and a fine Target sayd that a true Romane must not trust vnto the lefte hande where the Buckler is or to hyde him selfe vnder a Target but muste truste vnto his ryght hande and shewe him selfe in fielde in open sight This magnanimitie hadde the people of Sithia at what time Darius King of Persia was marching with his armie towarde Scithia they hauing vnderstanding therof like people of great magnanimitie sent certaine Ambassadors to méete Darius to signifie his welcome vnto Scithia by presents sent by the Ambassadors when therefore the Ambassadours mette with King Darius they began to tell their message and opening a priuie place a wallet where theyr presentes were they tooke out a mouse saying Unlesse you créepe like this mouse to some countrey or swymme like this frogge or flie lyke this birde these arrowes shall pierce your hartes the presents were a Mouse a Frogge a Sparrow and fiue arrowes gyuing to vnderstande by the Mouse earth by the Frogge water by the Sparrow flight by the arrowes death rare presentes sent vnto a King simple giftes small charges but it contayned valiauntnesse fortitude and contempt of Darius rather to moue him to warres than to entreate of peace Though Scythia was bare yet was shée stoute though rude and barbarous yet valiant and manful â–ª It is not in the nature of the place or in the number of the persons that magnanimitie conâ—isteth but in the valiant hart and noble minde wherefore Leonides King of Sparta was wont to say vnto his souldiours that he had rather haue one Lion to leade a whole bande of Déers than to haue a whole bande of Lyons ruled and led by one Déere applying his meaning vnto King Zerxes who hauing ten hundred thousand shippes on seas sayling towarde Gréece so many as all Gréece coulde scant receyue so many that diuers riuers and flowdes were dryed vp by his huge armie a proofe sayth Iustine more of his welth then of his magnanimitie Leonides knowing well the maner of Zerxes that he was séene first fled and laste in fielde whose glorious pompe and shew of men was not so famous and terrible at his comming to Gréece as his departure from Gréece was shamefull and ignominious began to perswade the Lacedemonians béeing but foure thousande in number willinglye to liue and to die for the renowne of Sparta in Thermopyla exhorting them to dine as merilye with Leonides their Capitayne as though they shoulde suppe with Pluto but perswasions vnto these that were perswaded were superfluous spurres vnto those that might not be stopt with bridles were néedelesse as in Thermopila well séene and prooued to the noble fame of Leonides and great shame of Zerxes It is not in multitude of men that magnanimitie of menne consisteth but in wise and valiaunt heartes for witte and will ioyned togither sayth Salust make manne valiaunt wherefore Agamemnon that most renowmed Emperour of all Gréece appointed at the siege of Troye woulde often saye that he had rather haue sometime ten wise Naestors then tenne strong Achilles tenne Vlisles then tenne Aiax wisdome in warre auaylâ—th much Plutarch reciteth foure famous and renowmed princes and eyther of these foure had but one eye to the aduansing more of theyr passing port the first was Philippe King of Macedonia and Father vnto Alexander the great whose wisdome in warres whose pollicie in feates whose liberalitie vnto his souldiours whose clemencie and humanitie to his enimies in fine whose successe in his affayres were such that his sonne Alexander after doubted whether the valiauntnesse of hys father woulde leaue anye place to Alexander vnconquered The second was Antigonus King in the same selfe place succéeding after Phillippe whose warres with Mithridates King of Pontus and Pirrhus King of Epire fully set foorth in Plutarch doe yéelde due honour and renowne for his force and magnanimitie The thirde Hanniball Prince of Carthage the whole staye of all Libia for sixtéene yeares the whippe and scurge of Rome and Italye whose name was so terrible for his â—ourage and hardenesse that both Antiochus king of Siria and Prusia king of Bithinia rather for feare than for loue being then but a banished man receyued vnto honour The fourth Sertorius a Roman Prince borne in Sabina whose thundering clang of fame was nothing inferior to y e proudest These were not so famous by their prowesse and chiualry one way as they were
hir wine and in eating of his hart vnto hir body saying though bodies be departed yet our hartes shall neuer be a sunder That noble Gréeke Laodamia looued hir husbande so well that when shée hearde that hir husbande Prothesilaus was slaine by Hector at the siege of Troye shée desired onely of God that shée might sée his shadowe or likenesse once before shée died which when shée sawe embrasing the lykenes of Prothesilaus as shée thought in hir husbandes armes shée then presently dyed We reade that Quene Ipsicratea loued hir husbande king Mythridates so entirely that shée shaued all the heares of hir heade and ware mans apparell and followed him like a Lacky for that hée shoulde not know hir to be his wife shée had rather go vnto the wars with hir husbande like a lackie than tary from hir husbande in Pontus lyke a Quéene Paulina when shée hearde that hir husbande Seneca was put to death by that cruell Emperor and Tyraunt Nero whome Seneca sometime taught him in his youth Philosophie and at the length requited him with death which when I say Paulina harde thereof she enquired what kinde of death hir husbande suffred which béeing knowne shée ministred the like playster vnto hir selfe as was appoynted for Seneca hir husbande Likewise that noble Portia daughter vnto Cato and wife vnto Brutus hearing that hir husbande was slaine at Philippos for that she might not spéede of a knife shée choked her selfe with coales The like historie is reade of Triata which when she knewe by letters that hir husbande Vitellius was so enuironed of his enimies and no waye able to escape his wife rushed into the Campe and prest néere hir husbande readie to die or to liue in fielde with him What can be so harde to take in hande but loue will hazarde it what can be so perillous but loue will venture it neyther water can stay it nor fire stop it Sulpitia the wife of Lentulus the daughter of that worthy Romane Paterculus when shée perceyued that hir husband was appointed by the Magistrates of Rome to passe vnto Sicilia as an Embassador and there to continue for a season though hir mother had great charge ouer hir very carefull studious she was to comfort hir daughter in the absence of hir husbande yet she deceyued hir mother shée chaunged hir apparell caused hir two maides likewise to be disguised toke two men in the like apparell and went all by night from Rome vnto Sicilia Aemilia the wife of Affricanus and mother vnto that noble Cornelia which was mother vnto those famous Romances called Gracchi shée perceauyng her husbande to bée in loue with one of her maydes in the house and often to vse the mayde as his wife though Aemilia knew wel of it yet she neuer hated the maide nor opened it to her husbande but after that her husbande died she gaue to this maide a great summe of money and maryed her wealthyly in Rome A rare thing in a woman founde To speake of Penelopes loue in Gréece towardes her husbande Vlisses or to shewe the constancie of Lucrecia in Rome towarde her husbande Collatinus the one twentie yeres was prooued of diuers noble Gréekes and yet remayned she true vnto Vlisses the other through force being rauished by proud Torquinius sonne named Aruntiê° would not be false vnto Collatinus but opened the same reuenged it with hir owne death Now againe to prooue how well did Quéene Tomiris loue hir sonne Mesgapites the death of great Cirus King of Persea with two hundred thousande of his souldiours beside can testifie or howe Ageus loued his sonne Theseus which when he hadde perceyued the black sayle contrary vnto promise made before when Theseus went vnto Créete to the monster Minotaurus that his as he supposed was slaine in Labirinthus he threw him ouer a high rocke into the sea What shoulde I molest the reader herein sith an ende can scant be founde but onelye recite one worthy hystorie out of Valerius of a seruaunt vnto one named Panopion that hearing that certaine souldiours came vnto the City of Reatina in purpose to kill his Mayster he chaunged apparell with his mayster and conueyed his Mayster first a waye safe and sounde from the enimies and he went vnto his Maysters bedde as though he had béene Panopion and suffred himselfe to be slaine in stéede of his Mayster A man woulde thinke that greater loue coulde be founde in no man then a man to die for his friende and truth it is But to finde such loue in beastes towardes men a meruell great it were Insomuch that in Leucadia a Peacock loued a young Uirgin so well that when shée dyed the Peacock also dyed And Plini sayth that in the Citie of Seston an Eagle being brought vppe by a young mayde loued the mayde so well that it woulde flée a broade and kill foules and bring them whome to the young mayde and when the Uirgine died the Eagle flewe vnto that same fire where the mayde was appoynted to die and also died with hir The Perseans were woont for fauour and affection they had vnto their Horses to burye them and the people named Molossi made braue sepulchres for their dogges Alexander the great made a tombe for his horse Bucephalus So did Antiochus and Caesar likewise Such tryed loue and faythfull trust was found in Dogges that the great King Masinissa of Numidia neuer went to bedde but had a dosen dogges in his great chamber as his garde to kéepe and watch him from his enimies for sure he was that money might not corrupt them friendshippe might not alure them threatnings might not feare them There was a Dogge in Athens named Caparus vnto whome the tuition of the temple Aesculapius was committed with all the wealth and treasure therin which being in a night trayned vnto a snare the temple was robbed the substaunce and the richesse thence was stolne but in the morning the dogge founde out the falshoode thereof and made all Athens priuie of the théeues by reueng and running towardes them Wée reade in Plini that Vlisses Dog which Vlisses left at home when he went with Agamemnon vnto Phrigia to the wars of Troye and being twentie yeares absent he founde Penelope his wife and his dog faithfull and louing at his returne That noble Gréeke Lismacê° had a dog named Durides that loued him so well that euen at Lismachus death the Dogge died also Hiero had another Dogge that died euen so ran willingly vnto that flame of fire where his mayster did burne to die with him I might well speake of Alcibiades Dogge which where so euer hée came no man might or durst speake any euill of Alcibiades in presence of his Dogge Titus Sabinus Dogge neuer forsooke his mayster in prison and when anye man gaue him breade or meate hée brought it vnto his Mayster in prison and when he was throwne into the riuer
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
that comparisons bee odious emongeste equalles and certaine more odious is it emongst vnequalles as betwene the riche and the poore But sithe the state of man is so diuers that some is contented with little and some neuer with muche Some toilyng and tramplyng hauing all thinges as though thei had nothing And some againe quiete and carelesse hauyng nothyng as though thei had all thynges consideryng that contentation of mynde and quietnesse of harte is the chief felicitie and soueraigne good of the worlde waiyng beside that pouertie is sure and saufe euery where and riches vnsure and dangerous at all tymes And that pouertie is carelesse and wealthe carefull I see not but by comparyng of the liues of Emperours Kynges and Princes of the worlde vnto selie poore menne But the state of the poore is better then the state of the riche as by Apollos Oracle proued of one Aglaus a poore manne in Arcadia preferred for his contentation before Kyng Cressus of Lidia whiche tooke hym self the happiest manne in the worlde for his wealth What profited kyng Darius to vanquishe the Persians and to be Kyng of Babilon and to haue out of Asia fiue hundred thre score and fiftene thousande Talentes yerely paied of tribute for he loste not onely all his wealthe but also his life for his wealthes sake by Alexander the great What profited Alexander again after that to haue the wealth of Persia the substaunce of Macedonia yea to haue all India and Asia and almoste the whole worlde in subiection and yet to bée poisoned of Antipater and lefte vnburied without regarde thirtie daies in Babilon for wealth was the chief cause of his death Was not poore Plautus and simple Cleanthes more happie in life then these two famous Kynges thei quietely with bakyng and bruing and appliyng their bokes liued a long tyme saufe and sounde These Princes were neuer at reste vntill one destroied an other in their youth and prime tyme. Kyng Xerxeâ— and Cirus gotte suche aboundance of wealthe by warres suche substaunce suche treasures that beeyng thereby disquietted and puffed vnto Pride to take enterprises in hande through perswasion of wealthe that the one after he thoughte to spoile and robbe all Grece was slaine by Artabanus the other thinkyng to subdue all Scithia was vanquished by Tomiris Queene of Scithia a woman and so bothe these proude Princes of wealth loste wealthe life and gooddes Was not Philemon and poore Acaetes which liued vnto the laste course of Nature quiete at reste more wise happie then thei If quietnesse of mynde if longe yeres if sauftie and soundnesse of life if perpetuall healthe maie perswade felicitie of life â–ª If poore Faustulus a Shepherd whiche somtyme founde in Romulus lefte of all men forsaken of his parentes hated of his freindes and nourished hym This Faustulus liued more mery yeres in keping of his Shepe a Shepherd then Iulius Caesar did in rulyng of Rome an Emperor For this Shepherde ended his life in old age this Emperour was murthered in the Senate house within fower yeres after he was elected Emperoure Was not Codrus a poore Poete and his wife Procula more luckie and happie to ende their daies after long life quietly then kyng Ninus and his wealthie Quene Semiramis that killed her housebande for the kyngdome of Assiria and after she likewise was slaine by her owne soonne Ninus for the obtainyng of the wealthe and substaunce thei had lefte was loste Examples are to many for the proofe hereof Solon a wiseman of Grece did preferre before riche and wealthie kyng Cressus Biton and Cleobis brethren twoo poore menne of Argiâ—e The poore familie of one Aelius in Rome where there were seuentene brethren hauyng but one poore fielde for their heritage liued longer proued happier and died more godly and liued more coÌ„tentiuely then the familie of Caesar. What was the cause that the Indians Babilonians Arabians and Lidians were spoiled destroied and murthered their greate substauÌ„ce â–ª treasures and wealthes of the Countreis If we examine well the doubtes and daungers of wealthe and waigh likewise the sauftie and surenesse of pouertie we must nedes preferre the quiete state of poore menne if thei be wise before the state and Fortune of Princes The worste lucke that can happen vnto a poore manne is to become riche for then he commeth from sure life to hasarde him with death And the beste that can happen vnto a riche manne is to become poore thereby is his life saued though his wealthe bee spoiled Howe Fortune dealeth in this poincte it is in diuers places of this booke mencioned The worst thyng that could happen vnto Demosthenes and Cicero was that they were aduaunced from their sounde state vnto honour and dignitie Wherby their liues wer lost the one beyng a consul of Rome the other the patron of Athens The worst thyng that could happen vnto Tullius Hostilius and vnto Torquinius Priscus was that thei wer aduaunced the one from a Sheparde the other from a banished straunger to be kynges of Rome If I should rehearse in this place howe many poore menne by callyng theim vnto wealth and honour haue been banished afterward slaine and imprisoned both in Rome in Gréece and in all the world I might séeme well vnto the reader more tedious then delectable If on the other side I should repeate how many Princes haue escaped death by loosing their Crownes and Scepters I were no lesse werie then fruictlesse Therfore I saie there is care and daunger in wealth and ther is quietnesse and safetie in pouertie The pleasure that Lucanus had in this worlde was nothyng elles but a poore Garden wher alwaies in his life he vsed to solace him selfe and when he died he commaunded his Graue to be made there where beyng dead he was buried Mecoenas had suche a Garden in Rome where all his feli-Citie was the Emperour Octauius might in no wise allure Mecoenas out of his Garden no more then Alexander the greate could moue Diogenes to forsake his Tunne to become wealthy here againe might bee brought those wise men that refused wealth and substaunce fled from honour and dignitie to liue quietly in pouertie but bicause I meane to be brief in all thinges I will omitte prolixitie Plinie doeth reporte that Protogenes a poore Painter was content to liue al the daies of his life in a little cottage that he made hym in his garden Plutarche likewise in the lief of Nicia doth write that Lamachus was so poore that when the people of Athens would make hym their king he wanted I saie Shues on his feete and yet had rather be poore Lamachus in safetie then to be kyng of Athens in danger For when a poore man named Hilarion met with certen Robbers and Theues and being demaunded of the Theues how chaunced that he feared not to walke alone in the night bicause saied hee I am