Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	great_a	life_n	love_n	7,775	5	5.2746	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A15039	A mirour for magestrates of cyties Representing the ordinaunces, policies, and diligence, of the noble emperour, Alexander (surnamed) Seuerus, to suppresse and chastise the notorious vices noorished in Rome, by the superfluous nomber of dicing-houses, tauarns, and common stewes: suffred and cheerished, by his beastlye predecessour, Helyogabalus, vvith sundrie graue orations: by the said noble emperor, co[n]cerning reformation. And hereunto, is added, A touchstone for the time: containyng: many perillous mischiefes, bred in the bowels of the citie of London: by the infection of some of thease sanctuaries of iniquitie. By George Whetstones. Gent.	Whetstone, George, 1544?-1587?; Severus Alexander, Emperor of Rome, 208-235.	1584 (1584)	STC 25341; ESTC S119730	41,603	88

hym at his Pallace where he cōmaūded that by secrete inquirie they should learne how many Cittyzyns by Vsurie or other corrupte bargaynyng had absolute possession or Morguage of the Gentlemens Landes and to certifye bothe the names of the Vserers and the Gentlemen so distressed Vppon whose certificate he dealed with the Creditors of the Gentlemē bestowyng a great portion of money out of his owne Treasurie towardes a generall agreement as in the ende he concluded that the Creditors shuld receiue the residue of their Debtes by a yearely pention oute of the Gentlemens Landes By whiche Newes their Posterytie might recouer what their vnthriftinesse had wasted The Noble Emperour hauynge brought to passe this hye benefite for the Gentlemen of Rome with the possession therof in this louyng Oration he instructed them in the Dueties of Gentlemen and mildely reprehended the Dishonours of their Reputation The Emperour Alexander his Oration to the Gentle men of Rome GEntlemen of Rome by the name of Gentlemen I salute you as Hereditorie Title of your Auncestours vertues which I hope will alwayes remayne in your hearts How-be-it too excessiue prodigalitie hath much wasted your liuings and impayred your credit But with the blame of your lauiciousnes I am bound by the woorking of pittie to shew the cause thereof Which although it bee no excuse in Iustice yet it iustly moueth commiseration The examples of our predecessors wickednesse is more liuelye expressed in your workes then may be showen by my wordes and I hope his worthie confusion will be cause of your speedy amendment Yet I hold it not amisse to laie before your eyes the monstrous euilles which you haue learned of your late Emperour Heliogabalus that comparing his wretched ende with his wicked raigne feare may reforme what our louing affection wisheth to be amended in you This vessel of abhominatiō so exceeded in pride that frō top to toe he was attired in cloth of golde pearle pretious-stones Vyces of Helyogabalus neuer wore any garment more thē once from his bed chamber vnto the place where hee mounted vnto his Coch the walles were decked wyth tapestrie full of greate pearles and pretious stones The waie as he went was strewed with golde and siluer as one disdayning to treade vppon earth lyke other men His Charyot was sometyme drawen with tame Lions sometimes with Elephantes and sometimes with marueilous faire Women The Kinges which he drewe off his fingers hee neuer put on againe The vessels of golde and siluer wherein he was serued was euermore the sees of his seruitors Suche huge prodigalitie was ioined with his incomparable pride His gluttonie voluptuousnes was so great as neere the Sea his whole houshold was fed with most daintie fowles and beeing farre within lande they were all serued with all maner of fishes by Poste brought alyue from the Sea Sometime he had for a generall seruice pasties of Peacockes toonges other whyle Partridges egges the heades of Popiniayes Fesauntes and the most daintiest Byrdes Neither was this superfluitie alone vpon the Tables in his owne Pallace but in selfe same manner his Lyons Gray-hounds and other Dogs of pleasure were fed He so much esteemed of thinges that were deare and rare that hearing there was but one Phaenix in the worlde hee offered twoo thowsand Markes to haue it to hys Dinner His lecherie was so vnsatiable and withalso vnclean as common ciuilitie forbiddeth the report His Pusalanimitie was such as he studied how to become a woman and of moste notorious Strumpets and Bawdes hee erected a Senate and in a Capitoll for the no●ce hee made vnto them manie Orations and called them his Companions and fellowe Souldiers That vice might haue no staye nor vertue anie passage he gaue free Charters to all men to vse all manner of villanie And Sabinus Vlpianus and other learned and reuerent Iudges hee banished from the administration of Iustice He cruelly put to death many worthie personages amongst the people many times let loose Lions Beares and other cruell Beastes In fine when his monstrous pryde prodigallitie and lecherie had consumed all his own treasure necessitie a naughtie disposition made him to sell the offices of Iustice But his owne familiar Seruantes and Souldiers wearie of his abhominations slew him drawing his horrible Carren with hooks through the Cittie they tyed him to a stone of greate waight and threw him into Tyber to the end so vile a bodie should neuer be buried Yet your owne eies are Iudges that I say the truth His death and funerals was as vile and filthie as what I haue saide of his life was sumptuous and rich I haue laide the miserie of his death before your eyes that you should expell the vices of his life forth of your harts It was the due of his beastlines and will be the reward of your insolent liuing without amendment You are yet yong by prowesse may recouer more then you haue by prodigalitie wasted A vertuous end repaireth the dishonors of a vicious life But shame lyueth when lewd men are dead A prodigall and voluptuous humor I know is hardly purged bicause the norishments are many and sweete But when I consider that you are Gentlemen I straightwaies hope that you will easilye subdue these affections There is nothyng more pretious to man then life nor nothing more fearfull then death Yet the noble Romaine Gentlemen your auncestors in actions of honour preferred the last before the first If you be heires of their vertues Vsurers cannot purchase that patrimonie And therefore great is our hope that you will bridle meane affections when they contemned the greatest ROMVLVS with a weake strength and inuincible courage first buylded this famous Citie and of his name shee is called to this daye Roome Numa Pompilius that succeeded him both inlarged the boundes and strengthened her with manie good lawes and orders And in processe of time the wisdome of the Maiestrates and valiancie of her Gentlemen made Rome The Soueraigne of Citties the Beautie of the earth and Empresse of rhe whole world And so to this daye had remained had not the horrible vices of her Emperors Nero Caligula Domitian Comodus and Heliogabalus eclipsed her glorie and polluted her people with abhominations But vertue is able to perfect more then vice hath deformed We beseech the Gods that on our part there may bee no defaulte as wee earnestly desite reformation in you And then no doubt Rome shall shortlye haue her auncient honour and you the reputation of Romulus heires This badge of pryde 〈◊〉 apparell 〈◊〉 yee for sage players Brauerie in apparell is necessarie for base persons that publiquely in open Theaters presente the personages of Emperoures Kinges Dukes and such Heroycall Estates For that they haue no other meane to perfourme their action But the magnanimous Gentleman carrieth honor in his coūtinance and not countenance in his Garments CICERO discouered the Haughtinesse of Caesar in his fore-heade ASTIAGES saw a Kyngly minde in

the imperiall Maiestie be for euer established and neuer by anye other Lawe Custome or Ordinance be abolyshed And who that with violence resisteth against them let him be taken for a Rebell and Ennemie vnto the Weale-publique Of the great VVisdome of ALEXANDER in electyng of Graue Counsellers Officers and Admynistrators of Iustice THE Noble and vertuous Emperour prudently forsawe that the seuerest lawes were without execution but like vnto painted Fire which giueth no heat or as the Phylosopher Cleanthes sayth Lyke vnto Cobwebs through which the Hornets breake when the small Flies are intangled And truely without due Administration law is like to a Backswoorde the edge wherof smiteth the poore and the blunt backe the higher powers But to auoyd this parcialytie the good Alexander made choyce of such worthy Maiestrates as playnly refuted this Maxime of Aristotle Amor et odium et proprium commodum Semper facient Iudices non cognoscere verum ¶ In Englysh thus ¶ Loue Hate and priuate gayne From vpright trueth the Iudge doth alwayes straine None of these Affections could neyther blinde their eyes nor binde their handes They measured Iustice neither by the mightinesse nor meanenesse of the Person but by the equitie of the cause and it stoode them in hande to deale thus vprightly for if any corruption were founde in their Iudgements the Emperour himselfe did seuere Iustice vppon the vniust Maiestrate that abused his Auctorytie and iniured the people let Vetronius Turinus be example for many This Turinus was a man of much Honour great learning and wisdome and for many vertues was of the Emperour singularly fauoured but abusing the Emperour and his own good fortune vnder colour of often and familiar conference with Alexander he receiued many Brybes to obtaine great sutes aboue his power to compasse whiche beyng prooued agaynst him the Emperours sentence was That in the Market place he should bee bownde vnto a Stake and with a Smoake of greene Stickes and wette Stubble should be smoothred to death And duryng the tyme of his Execution he commaunded a Beadell to crye With Fume let him die that Fumes hath sould Thus no knowen Offender escaped the vengeance of his seuerytie and which won him as much loue as his Iustice did feare he incouraged comforted good vertuous men with many great gifts and fauours ¶ That Rome might prosper by the confusion of vice Conseruators and their chardge First he ordayned accordyng to the counsell of PLATO three-score graue persons which were named CONSERVATORS of the Weale-publique Education of children for euery Tribe had two Roome beynge deuided into thirtie Tribes whose Office was chiefly to see that the children of the Romains were well brought vp and instructed accordyng vnto the capacities of their wits from the Age of .vii. yeres vnto .xvi. yeares that in their Pastimes playes and recreations were nothyng dishonest ¶ Item That the Maidens duryng the said Age Education of maydens were brought vp in shamefastnes humblenes and the exercise of Huswifrye and that they should not be seene foorth of their Fathers-houses but only in the Temples ¶ Item their charge was Riotous house holders to controwle Howse-houlders of euery degree if there were fownde any excesse in their fare or cost vpon their owne or their Wyues Apparayle more then by the Lawes was limitted or if they were Company-keepers with any riotous or dishonest person ¶ Item Twice by the weeke they were bownd to make Presentment of the Disorders whiche they fownd vnto the Prouost of the Cittie Presentation twice by the weeke reseruing vnto them-selues the education of the Children which they-them-selues reformed by giuing of sharpe Admonytion vnto their Parentes ¶ The Prouost punished suche Prouost of al the Citty as offended in other Articles against the Statutes and Ordinaunces in suche cases prouided ¶ Item The Emperour augmented the nomber of Praetors and Questors Pretores and Questors but appoin●ted euerye one a seuerall Charge ¶ Item He made choyce Puruiours of grayne of very honest men to be Purueiours for grayne but changed them euery yeare least continuance corrupted their cōsciences ¶ Item He apoincted Baylyffes Receiuers Surueiours and such like Officers but fauoured them not saying they were necessarie euils And if they hastilie gathered much riches he would take away al that they had Telling them Let it suffice that you haue taken so long pleasure with my goodes and beware that you take not from other men vniustly least I be more angrie with you ¶ Item To be Iudges of these Officers as also of the behauiours of all the people of Rome Censors and their office sauing the common people were they Senatores Gentlemen or Citizens This prudent Emperour appointed two of his priuie Counsel worthy and graue Senators to be Censors in Rome whose names were Fabius Sabinus and Catillius Seuerus The office of the Censors were to note the manners of euerie person aboue the degree of the common people So that if a Knight Iudge or Senator did any thing vnseeming the Honour of their Degree their charge was to degrade hym of his office or Dignitie In whiche they vsed suche rigour as no man might lawfully boast of fauor In so much as the Emperors Pallace was not free from their iurisdiction For they meeting with Aurelius Philippus who was sometime the Emperours shoolmaster and after wrote his life riding in a Chariot looking to be saluted as a Senatour they foorthwith executed an auncient law vpon the said Philippus which was that no bond-man although hee were manumissed should be a Senatour And at that time it was lawful for no person vnder the degree of a Senatour to ride in a Chariot Philippus was sometime a bond-man and therefore for breach of this lawe the Censors sent him first to prison and after forbad him to come to the Emperors pallace but onelie a foot and his copped Cappe vpon his head which fashiō was onelie vsed of them that were enfranchised Some of the Noble-men thought the Censors dealt verie sharplie with Philippus considering that hee was a man of much honestie and great learning and so certefied the Emperour But the Emperour approoued their Iustice and answered If the common wealth may euermore haue such officers in short space there shall be found in Roome more men worthie to be Emperours than I at my first comming found good Senators And vndoubtedlie where the offences of the best are neuer pardoned the worst will amend for feare of extreeme vengeance The proofe appeareth in Alexanders gouernment who by the seuere executiō of the lawes so brideled the dispositions of the wicked that it may be saide they grew to be vertuous rather by custome then good inclination Yea it is written that his seueritie thus much profited As leading a great armie against Artaxerses the Persians said he had brought an armie of Senatours rather than of Soldiours when at his comming to the Empire the Senatours manie of

them were as dissolute as common Soldiers A wise pollicie of Alexander And one especiall cautle hee vsed in the searche of mens behauiours hee woulde manye tymes in disguysed habyte with diuers others by hym especiallye elected take vpō him the Office of the Censors and in euery corner he had secretly suche faythfull Explorers as mens proper Houses were no Couerts for naughtie practises nor the Senat-house for partial Iudgementes And by this Pollycie he discouered many naughtie matters besides cōmon trespasses as the Treason of Oninius the false accusation of Geminus by his Lybertines or Copyholders as also of the mortall mallice of Duillius and Gotta towardes the said Geminus In so much as the people seyng nothyng that was euyl could escape his vengeāce al men indeuored to do well to purchase his fauour King Henry the seuenth Imitator of Alexanders gouernment THE most Noble and prudent Kynge Kynge HENRY the seuenth the Queenes most excellent Maiesties Graundfather and Roote of Englandes happinesse was a true imitator of this most worthy Emperours gouernmēt by whose singular wisdome England which at the beginning of his Raigne was a deformed and decreped Commonwealthe by reason of the longe tyme of the Cyuylwarres which durynge syx Kinges Raignes made barrayne feildes and fatt Churche-yardes before his deathe repossessed her Auncient Vertues renown and prosperytie So that it is a questiō whither this famous Realm is more bownd to eternize his glorious Memorie in regarde of his Prowesse or Pollycie when by the one he planted Peace in her bowelles and by the other banished warre frō the Terrytories He knew that to reforme so disordered an estate it was more needefull to execute then to make Lawes and therfore not trustyng the corruption of common Informers who for lucre or gain attemptyng many vexations against poore men and for feare seeke to please the ritche Inclynation of Common Informers he committed the execution of the Penall Lawes to the charge of these two worthie Coūsellers fir Richard Empson Knight and Richarde Dudley Esquier who so seuerely chastened the rich and great Offenders as they stirred the inconstant cōmunaltie after the death of the vertuous Henrie the seuenth to seeke their lyues who had their willes for feare of Commotion thease two worthie Maiestrates weare beheaded And vndoubtedly their deathes is a testimonie of as great vertue as their liues a Monument of Iustice for the multitude The lewde affections of Common people are the mortall Enemies of their owne welfare and frendes and followers of their owne confusion One said to Antisthenes The people speaketh much good of you Why saide he what hurt haue I done As who should say they seldome praise but suche as do euil No Ethnicke deserued to lyue better then Socrates yet the people would haue hym dead The Athenians had a Lawe euerie yeare by the most voyces of the people for ten yeares to banysh two of their principall Maiestrates On a tyme a poore man came with a white Paper in his hande to Aristides the iust and willed him to write Banish Aristides Why quoth he doest thou know Aristides No quoth the other Hath Aristides done thee or any of thy friendes hurte Neither quoth he but I wyll haue Aristides banished The worthy Scipio was banished by the people whome he oft had saued I omyt Themistocles Photion many mo whome Histories record to shewe the light Iudgementes of Cōmons Danté the Italian Poet saithful truely of them it is seldome seene that the people crye not Viua la mia morte innoia la mia vita Let liue my death let die my lyfe Yea those great estates that seek to please the people for the most parte haue had the endes of enemies to their Countrey When Cicero sawe that Caesar was in hye fauour with the people of Rome he cryed out It is great pitie that the affabilitie of Caesar should be the ouerthrow of the Weale-publique And truely Cicero prophesied rightly for by their fauour Caesar iudged the Iudgementes of the Senate and sent the good and graue Cato to Prison whose vertues obtayned reuerence of the woorst liuers But notwithstandyng the Affections of the multitude coueiteth their owne vndoynges yet their incouragement proceedeth of greater capacyties And therfore the redy way to keepe them in awe is seuerely to punysh their Chief-taynes In all tumultes it is euidently seene that if their Captaynes yelde they ronne away if their Incouragers be dismayde they sing Peccaui do Iustice vpon the great Offenders and the meaner wyll soone amend Alexander in his Gouernment found it true who in the Execution of the Lawes made no difference of persons saue that to the inferiour people he was euermore most mercifull FINIS AN ADDITION OR TOVCHSTONE for the Time exposyng the daingerous Mischiefes that the Dicyng Howses cōmonly called Ordinarie Tables and other like Sanctuaries of Iniquitie do dayly breede Within the Bovvelles of the famous-CITIE of LONDON By George Wherstones Gent. Imprinted at London by Richarde Iones MAIESTRATES OF CITIES The dangerous Mischiefes that the DICING-HOVSES and other lyke Sanctuaries of iniquitie do breede in the Cittie of LONDON IT is sufficiently expressed that by the vertue diligence and wisdom of the right Noble Emperour Alexander Rome the most ouglye and monsterous Common-wealth of the world so was she deformed with horrible beastly vices fostered by Heliogabalus other wicked Emperours was brought vnto such perfection as she might lawfullye bee intituled The Temple of the Goddes The Fowntayne of Vertue and The Nurce of Learnyng so free was the Exercise of Pietie The woundes of a Comon wealth Iustice Temperance and all other Deuine Morall and Heroycall vertues In curyng of which daungerous Infirmyties of the Cōmon-wealth Alexander perfourmed the Offices of a skylfull Phisition and Surgion he did not ignorantly apply Medicine to the outwarde sore vntyll he had searched the inward cause He founde the outwarde woundes of the Weale-publique was Pride Prodigalytie Dicynge Drunkennesse Lecherie Vsurie Coueitousnes c. The suppressing of which Passions consisted not alone in chastisment of Offenders He prudently foresawe that the Boatman lost much labor that with a Dish stoode all day ladyng out of water when a quarter of an howres worke wold mende the breache of his Boate whiche was the cause althoughe the water were the annoyance he knew that euery Ryuer had a Spryng euery Disease a nooryshing Humour and euery vice a special succour Reason instructed him that no Thiefe wold be so bould as to rob by the hye waye if he had no Couert to shrowd hym If there were no Brothell Houses Shame wold delay Lechery But for Tauerns and tiplyng Boothes Drunkardes should be sober against their wils But for Ordinarie tables Dicers should many times be idle or better occupied then in swearyng and consumyng their Patrimonie These causes beynge stopped the vicious perforce must change their course And therfore the good Emperour as the best remedie for the

the Son of Q. Fabius Vale. Max. li 3. Cha. 5. the great surnamed Allobrogique for the riotous dispending of his Patrimonie was indited by this law cōmitted vnto the gouernment of a Tutor Were this law executed in England we shuld haue more Wardes of .xxxv. then .xv. yeares of Age. The Gretians had a law that whosoeuer had vnthriftily cōsumed his patrimony shuld not be buried in the sepulchre of his Auncestors for that he was held vnworthie the Honor of his Auncestors that dishonoreth himselfe robbeth his posterytie The ancient graue politique Cōmō-wealth mē thus seuerely chastned Prodigalytie though prodigal men had no care of thē-selues they tendered the posterytie of their posterytie they like vnto careful Phisitions that prouide preseruatiues because the infection of the Plague is daungerous sought the meanes that Prodigalytie might not be nooryshed fore-seeyng that prodigall men neyther reuerenced good Counsayle nor feared Disciplyne And surely it is a worke of greater Iustice mercifullie to find a way to preserue men from offending then seuerely to punish euery offence Suppresse these vnthriftie Houses and you shall keepe many a mans Landes from sellyng many a mans neck from the Halter the Cōmon-wealth perhaps from a more daungerous mischiefe I haue but yet begun to anatomize the Head of this villanous Sanctuarie of Iniquitie a heape of euilles followe The deceipt of Dice the charge of Lecherie Cosonage and Brocage is all that I haue yet layde vpon our vnhappy Gentlman These onely pray vpon Gould Siluer and suche light carraidge These be but suckyng Flies the bityng Scorpions come after A Byrde that hath but one feather limed by striuing fetreth her whole body Euen so the vnfortunate Gentleman thrust behinde the hande by the hazard of Dice through a vaine hope to redeeme himselfe followeth his mischiefe to the spendynge of the last payment of his Lande And to helpe him forwarde some one Spie or Pettifogger of the Lawe the reuerence done vnto the Law and good Lawiers reuerenced A Petifogger a most daungerous brother I may iustly saye the Scum of all villanie is euer-more sneakyng in these Ordinarie Houses This notable Companion keepeth an Alphabet of all the rich Gentlemens names that frequenteth the Ordinaries Exercyse of ordinarie Table pety-foggers his eyes are settled vpon their dispositions and his exercise is dayly to search the Rolles and the Office of the Statutes to learn what Recognizances Morguages and Statutes do charge their Landes This is the most pernitious Broaker the other helped the needie gentleman to money at fiftie in the hundred losse but he helpeth him to sell free land at fiue yeres purchase I must here digresse from the prodigalitie of the gentleman vnto the couetousnesse and vsurie I can not properly say of the Citizen although he dwelleth in the Citie for the true Citizen wherof London hath plentie liueth vpon his trade be he an aduenturer abroade or a mecanicall crafts man at home Couetous Citizens hunt ordinarie tables to vndoe Gentlemen But these shames of good Citizens tradeth but to a dycing house or at the furthest trauaileth to a bowling alley and with ease safetie getteth wealth as fast as the other doe with great hazard and trauell They come not to play the vnthrifts but to pray vpon vnthrifts and yet for companie and to auoide suspition they wil sometime play the good fellowes All the rest are but instruments for these daungerous catchers These neede not too greedily seeke for purchases the necessitie of the gentlemen maketh them faire offers and their spies the petifogger and others giueth them knowledge where there is sound dealing Among them there is such deceit coloured with such cleanly shifts as many gentlemen are for a trifle shifted out of their liuings without hope of remedie The extreme dealing of couetous Citizens haue setled a deadly enuie betweene Gentlemen and merchaunts The extremitie of these mens dealings hath beene and is so cruell as there is a natural malice generally impressed in the hearts of the gentlemen of England towards the citizens of London insomuch as if they odiously name a man they foorthwith call him A trimme merchaunt In like despight the Citizen calleth euery rascall A ioly Gentleman And truely this mortall enuie betweene these two woorthie estates was first engendred of the cruell vsage of couetous merchaunts in hard bargaines gotten of Gentlemen and nourished with malitious words and reuenges taken of both parties Tim. 1. cap. 6. The 〈◊〉 of couetousnesse S. Paul by good warrant saith That couetousnesse is the roote of all mischiefe S. Augustine saith that the couetous man is subiect to all euils for that all euils come of couetousnesse He moreouer saith that wilde beasts haue measure for being hungrie they pursue their praies and being full are satisfied but the couetous man is neuer satisfied He neither feareth God nor reuerenceth man pardoneth not his father nor acknowledgeth his mother maketh merchandize of his children regardeth not his brother nor yet keepeth faith with his friend beareth false witnesse offendeth the widow destroyeth the Infant O how great is the follie of our vnderstanding to lose life to seeke death to banish ourselues from heauen Foure wheeles of the chariot of couetousnesse The two horses The waggoner The two whippes S. Bernard saith that the accursed chariot of couetousnesse is drawen with foure disloyall wheeles of vices vz. Pusalanimite Crueltie misprising of God and forgetfulnesse of certaine death The two horses are named Theft Hardnesse The waggoner is Earnest desire to haue who vseth two sharpe whippes the one called Disordered appetite to get the other Feare to loose The opinion of Apuleius in his first booke of Magicke is woorthy to be read who writeth thus The Philosopher Socrates had not so much riches as Lelius nor Lelius somuch as Scipio nor Scipio so much as the rich Crassus nor Crassus so much riches as he desired The Emperour Pertinax was so couetous Pertinax Emperour as he would inuite his friends vnto two small slyces of meate and a dish of apples and when he would seeme most sumptuous and magnificent he added the two genitories of a cocke Iouian Pontanus saith that Pope Martin was so couetous Pope Martin as he would steale euerie night the burning tapers in S. Peters Church The same Pontanus saith that a Cardinal named Angel Cardinall Angell euerie night would steale away from his own horses bottels of hay and sel them to other ostlers vntill his horsekeeper one night taking of him tardy swinged him currantly Couetousnes a dangerous enemie to the common wealth To conclude the euils of couetousnesse with the daungers it bringeth the common wealth vnto Men that haue licentiously spent their substance and finde no liberalitie to supplie their wants wish straight wayes an alteration of the estate and what in them lieth practiseth the sam They fawne vpon ambitious men which are in authority betweene

is the ende whyther you lay violent hands vpon vs or murder vs with your horryble vices The ouerthrowe of a Kinge dome endeth the raigne fo the Kinge The body that is in a Consumption bringeth the head to the graue euen-so the ruine of the kingdom endeth the raign of the king he whose head groweth out of his shyn whose eyes are set in his knees whose feete are ioyned to his shoulders his other members semblably disordred wold you not rather take him for a Mōster then a man yea verely and doubtles such a creature wold perysh by his deformytie ware he not by others fostered for a wōder euen so his preposterous shape in a Common-wealth when euery estate liueth out of order wyl soone come to confusion people of the best fortune but liue as the bōdmen of their enemies The first Erector of the Romayn walles was ROMVLVS yet Roome was nothyng so much bound vnto him for the envyronyng of her fayre buildynges with strong Bulwarkes as in appoinctyng offices otders and lawes among the people to gouerne them in peace and prosperytie This Romulus that Roome might prosper hastened the death of his Brother REMVS an Act simply considered by Nature very impious and the vengeance of detestable crueltie but the seditious disposition of Remus well pōdred necessytie approoued the seuerytie of ROMVLVS to be perfect Iustice The loue we owe to our Parents ought to be very reuerent and great because thei gaue vs lyfe to our brethren naturall because of preuytie in blood to our frends Men ar more bound to the common-wealth then to Parentes affectionat because vertue or benefit is the foundation But the loue we owe vnto our Countrey cōmaundeth vs to breake all these bandes of affection in presentyng the deerest frends offending against the Weale-publique yea in the seruice therof to make it appeare that the prodigall spoylles of our liues giueth contempt vnto Death That Examples of Kynges and Capital Maiestrates in this duetie may be Samplers of Vertue vnto the inferiour Subiectes of Roome I giue you to vnderstād how Kyng LYCVRGVS went into voluntary exile that his good Lawes might haue long continuance among the Lacedemonians Kyng CODRVS wilfully ran vpon his owne Daughter only vpon a Prophesie that the same should deliuer his Countrey from inuasion AVCVRVS Kyng MYDAS Son of PHRIGIA hauing knowledge that the yre of the Goddes would not be pacified vntil a liuing mā leapt into a great gaping gulph of the earth which ouerthrew many houses and dyd much hurt in the Countrey The Kyngs Sonne ANCVRVS I say least some should preuent him hastely kyssed the King his father his wife and frends and couragiously leaped into this Gulph What need we further search then the Monumentes of Noble Romaynes CVRTIVS dyd the like valiant deed of Ancurus MVTIVS SCEVOLE in disguised Habyte entred alone the Hetruryan Camp to stay their kyng who daungerously assaulted Rome GAIVS MARIVS to ouercome the fierce Cymbrians sacrificed his deerely beloued Daughter CALPHVRNIA Death was the certaine ende of al these enterpises but these Noble personages weare wondrous vncertaine whither their Deathes should rydde their Countreyes from daungers or no But Louers of their Countreyes prosperitie maketh neither doubts nor delayes where great peryll asketh present succour But you wyll peraduenture saye that you are redy to spende your lyues your landes and Goods to with-stande forreigne Hostilytie or Domesticall ennemies If you so say and doo so Dutie challengeth al this and wisdome wylleth a deeper foresight It is a work of more thank to preserue health then to cure Sicknesse for payn and griefe onely commendeth Medicine euen-so effusion of innocent bloode burnyng of Cytties and rauishment of Virgins are the effectes of most glorious conquestes And truely he that will giue cause of sedition though hee after dooth his vttermost to suppresse the same is lyke vnto hym that doth wilfully surfet that Phisicke may heale hym Your excessiue Coueitousnesse is example of the lyke mischiefe yea this double daunger dependeth thereon By the same you vndoe the Gentlemen whiche are the Beautie of Rome and the strength of the Empyre For al-be-it lawe-lesse Wolues wyll scarre Sheepe yet maymed men incourage Cowardes Your aboundaunce can not defende Forreigne Inuasion when the Gentlemens hartes are nipped with want nay it is to be feared that Enuie and Necessytie will make them to ioyne with the Enemie to be reuenged of your Cruelties or too be relieued of your superfluyties HEREWITH the Multitude cried out alowde Accursed be he and vnworthie the name of a Citizyn of Rome that by vnsatiable Coueitousnes and Vsurie seeketh this publique delolution whatsoeuer is thus vnlawfully gotten shal be restored backe Hereafter such vnprofitable members shal be bridled Liue vertuous Emperour and what lack ye finde in vs refourme it and we wyll obey you and he that doth resist let him be slaine and buried in Tyber Your vertue hath restored vs to lyfe that we are dead vnto Lybertie that were in thraldom vnto Honour that were dishonoured In Gouernaunce you be our Father whome we well reuerence by free election our Emperour whom we wil obay in wisdome our soundest Iudge whose commaūdemēts coūsels we wil execute as generall Lawes ¶ Hereat the Emperour releated and with much paine retayned the teares of his eyes and in the ende comforted thē with this Conclusion The Conclusion of AlexANDERS Oration to the Cittizyns I Am right glad that your Protestation declareth that you yet hold some portion of Vertue which giueth vs hope that the renown of this Noble Realme begunne by Romulus shall not ende in you And if you be constant in this affection we trust right shortly to make the Fame therof equall in estimation with the Raignes of any of our Progenitours And now I haue fownd agayne your old name wherby I wyll call you Ye Children and Successours of the vertuous Romaynes I say you victorious people braunches of Romulus subduers of Realmes patternes of vertue and prowesse to all the world mittigate your couetous appetites abandon excessiue Vsurie exceede not the boundes of your popular state be charitable and merciful vnto your owne Countrey-men where their necessitie may be relieued with your abundance Be you ashamed that labourers and rude people should condemne you of crueltie for destroying of your Gentlemen the chiefe ornament and defence of this noble Cittie Remember that if the state of Senators do decaye the most vertuous of the Gentlemen are elected in their places So you that shall equall them in vertue for your substance onely cannot make you gentle shall be aduaunced vnto the state of Gentlemen according to your demerits Nowe haue we no more to say vnto you but applye your selues to the auncient and most laudable orders as we shal indeuour our selues by example diligence to bring this Citie againe vnto perfection VVHen the good Emperor had thus ended his Oration he caused diuers of the grauest Citizyns to attend