avvay I feele my youthful minde Yet who art thou so madde or greedye of lyfe as would take vpon thee such a condition wherin there is nothinge but sicknes cares contempte peril lothsomnes and sorrow So as I see not for what reason thou seekest to liue And if in lustye youth when strengthe sences beautye wit auctoritye were all in thee thou were notwithstanding oftentimes wearye of life what shalt thou doe at this age when thou hearest thy selfe called olde wretche and dootinge olde foole death doth neuer come so muche to sone to a yonge man as to late to them that be olde But if feare of deadlye paines do offende thee sicknes resembleth death and in sicknes by little and little the life is taken awaye Or art thou loth to dye alone Be of good cheare thou shalt finde more deade then are left aliue and those also shall or longe followe As the Poet sayth For eyther soone or late in order as men saye The vvretched flocke of vvordly folke to death do take their vvay Neyther doth GOD suffer any to deferre his destined tune The destines do driue all men and remayne as lawe for euer they are y happyer sort that are sonest dispatched of paynes And as amonge condempned folke the Lawe executeth those first that haue least offended to th ende that the greate offenders shoulde beholde the terror of death Euen so God doth first take those away whom hee loueth because they shall not be lokers on but messengers sente before vnlesse in consideration of profitte eyther to theyr frendes or the worlde hee suffereth such menne to tarrye more longe To conclude then seing in thinges that be euil there is nothinge more greuous then dailye and certaine expectatiō old age when it commeth hauinge in it both the one and the other doth force a manne to wyshe that in his youth hee had dyed I my selfe beinge a childe doe remember mine owne mother Clara Michera then a yonge woman was notwithstanding wonte to wishe that in her infancye she dyed beinge growen to greater age for euer more she continued y speach I asked the cause whye shee soe sayde where vnto this she aunsweared Loe now I know I shall dye and that with greater perill besydes that in the meane time who so doth marke it well shall see there is nothing that doth not bring with it greater griefe then pleasure because pleasure beinge passed doe chaunge to sorrowe And that deseruingly What is it in this life that can delighte dailye trouble to apparell and vnapparell thy selfe hunger thyrste sleepe not so plentiful nor quiet as dead mē haue heate in Sommer colde in Winter disorder of time terrour of warres controlemente of parentes cares of wedlocke studye for children slouthe of seruaunts contention of sutes and that whiche is moste of all the condition of time wherein honestye is disdayned as follye and crafte is honoured as Wysedome Artisans for theyr cunning not accompted of but for apparaūce and opinion of people preferred So as it is necessarye eyther to displease God or els to liue amonge men in miserye oppressed and disdayned I omitte all euils onely that which is cōmon to dead men is not euil all other thinges which wee do not accompte euil are worse then those which deade men suffer It is nowe requisite that somewhat be sayde of the diuersityes of death hytherto it hath beene deferred because they are many of diuers men thoughte worthy consideration For death doth seeme greuous to yong men both for that it is painful for that minde to leaue the body dishonourable and certen al which in common iudgement are ioyned to gethers And some cowardlye yonge men haue beene compelled to dye a knowen death but syth I see diuers of the common people pacientlye enough do take their deaths I know no cause why other should be greatly comforted considering that not the maner of death but the qualitye of the offence maketh death dishonorable For if thou respect only the maner of death thou shalt find that the greatest nomber of men put to vile death were those that antiquity prayseth and our age doe honour notwithstanding they fel into the handes of Tirantes in whose power it was to appointe the time and maner of death though innocencye be in them that suffer Neither can a publike death bee dishonorable if his life so dyinge be voide of foule vice because publike death without offence is not onely a signe but also a triall of vertue We fynde in the new law how Christ did first gayne the glorye of innocent death and after him followed innumerable martirs and prophets and the moore good and holy they were the more cruelly forced to dye Esayas cut with yron by commaundement of king Manasses Hieremias by the people stoned to death Iohn Baptist beheaded and fynally manie other cruelly murdered neither was the fortune of other Good menne muche better at the handes of heathen Kinges and in their Citties for Zeno Eleates when quietly he might haue liued in his house he conspired against the Tirant Nearcluis but his entent was discouered and he hanged yet at his deathe he perswaded the people to stone the Tyraunt to death When Lysymachus the kinge threatned Theodorus Cyreneus to hang him he answered thus what matter is it whether on the earth or hanging high my carkcas do stinke When Socrates myghte with sylence haue escaped death being condēpned only in a pecuniall paine did prouoke them y dyd condempne him to procure his death And when his wife Zantippe complained that vniustly he suffered he aunswered An mallet iuste senciens non esse malum preter culpam The dishonour therfore is not in dyinge but in the cause of death which procedeth of thine own euill doinge But as for paines youth and certaine knowledge of dying they add none encrease of grief to death nor make it moore greuous because the knowledge of that is not euill cannot be euil after and onely death after torments is most pleasant And torments either they can not be great or not long Christe for ensample to al men died that for ensample it might remaine Besides this seldome shalt thou finde any innocēt to dye of great torment no scantly once vnlesse it be at chaunge of lawes when innocentes are forced to suffer the insolency of nocentes as in hystories it appeareth most rarely is also founde example of violency in giltlesse men yf wilfulnes be not the cause for such as so murder good men do seme to do it of very will. But how easy a thinge death is eyther publike or by sword examples do beare witnes When Iulius Caesar was in the murdering and felte the daggers of diuers men stubbed into his body he sought neither to saue himselfe nor cryed for helpe but falling kept hidden his secrete partes Such memory hee had of comlines notwithstanding his woundes and readynes to yeld vppe his ghost And as Lucanus saith his sonne in lawe in such sort dyed He
at the handes of a gentlewoman in Padoa wyth poyson procured his owne death One other in oure Cittye hauinge sustayned losse by the pryce of corne willinglye hanged himselfe One other and hee also of our Nation finding he could not with commoditye paye his dettes threw himselfe into a water and so drowned I my selfe did see a womaÌ„ who for verye sorrow that she had committed adultrye askinge God forgiuenes for her offence sodenlye dranke poyson Cleopatra although she might haue liued in honor yet because she would not be caried about in tryumphe caused a Serpent to bite her bodye thereof willingly dyed Porcia the daughter of Cato and wyfe to Brutus in honest life farre eâ—celling Cleopatra hearing that her husband was slayne didde eate burninge Coales and thereof died For cause more iust dyed Democles a Boy of notable beauty in Athens He being by the king watched when he should enter naked into a bath and knowing the king ment to abuse him caste himselfe into the bottome of the whot water and so presently dyed The death of Lucretia is wel knowen who violently bereft of hir honor sticked hir selfe The wante of successe and not will was cause that Alexander the greate escaped voluntarie death for hauing in dronken mode stain his frend Clitus he would presently in the house haue murdered himselfe from whiche doinge in space of three daies both by force sute he could scaÌ„tly be entreated to refrayn and afterwards being at y siege of Sudracarus a citie in India he leaped from the wall into the towne of purpose to dye For by meane therof he did both fal farre and alone among his enemies but fortune woulde not permit that successe he desired This booke would not receiue the nuÌ„ber of ensamples of such as for feare loue griefe anger other occasions of no waight haue sought theyr owne deathes Besides whom we reade of hole legions that haue offered themselues to apparant destruction As they did that were with Leonida against the PersiaÌ„s and fought nere vnto Thermopile What woulde these people haue aduentured for great cause or if death were a great euyl that vpon so light occasion did not refuse to dye From whiche determinacion no respect of age sexe or honor could feare them But I se what thou wilt say death I doe not feare for as it is not euill so is it necessarye and to feare that is of necessitye were vaine cowerdlye and hurtefull Yet woulde I dye easelye and olde suche a death as Augustus desired and did obtaine For by lyuinge olde I shall not onelye gaine a longer life but also a more easyer death Aristoteles in his Booke De Respiratione thincketh that verye olde men dyed not onelye withoute payne but also withoute anye feelinge of deathe because the heate of their bodyes was quenched whiche maye appeare by this example If thou goe aboute to drawe a tothe that is not loose thou feelest great paine but if of it selfe it were loose before withoute anye griefe at all it commeth awaye Euen so greene youthe wyth extreeme paine do yelde to death but olde folke in dying feele no griefe almost at al As the tragicall Poet sayth In slomber svveete the aged sprite departeth How can it be other theÌ„ that death is greuous to yonge men when as sleepe against nature is offensiue Oft times it happeneth that such as vppon custome seeke sleepe at vntimelye houres become thereby drye pyned and slouthfull so as in steede of delight they get disease Theophrastus beinge readye to dye thoughe he were an olde maÌ„ complayned of Nature because she had ordayned so longe life in Staggs Rauens al most vnprofitable beastes and to maÌ„ being the most noble wysest creature allowed so shorte a terme to 〈◊〉 in What may they say then that dye in y flower of theyr youth haue they not iust cause to lament Surely no. But here the reason why nature hath not among other creatures made man of longest lyfe and then that he that dyeth in youth doth suffer nothing more greuous then they that lyue old For fyrst it is doubted of manye and chiefelye of Aristotle whether anye creature the Elephant excepte doth liue more longe then man Because he maketh no mentioÌ„ either of the Phenixe the Crow the Rauen or the Stagge nor affirmeth them to be of longest life But let vs confesse that whiche is imputed in Virgill though it doth little importe to the matter where he speaking of men sayth A life more longe nyne times the cacklinge Crovve doth lyue But confessing with Aristotle that y Elephante doth liue more longe then man why neede we coÌ„tende whether man be of one or more creatures in longe lyuinge excelled Omittinge also that the holye Scripture affyrmeth lyfe more long to man then other lyuinge creatures let vs now dispute that that alreadye is taken in hande that is to say for what cause some beasts be of longer life then maÌ„ The reason is this seinge all creatures are made eyther for the vse or honour of man â–ª they were framed accordinge to the descretion of Nature at which time she made theyr minds as wel for their bodyes as theyr bodyes for their mindes were therefore made simple with fewe instruments as plaine thinges to enduer longe But the bodye of man being made onely for his minde neded many more instrumentes to th ende that the vnderstanding might the more fitlye do his office Therfore although Nature hath made for man the best proportion of bodye yet could she not geue therevnto the longest lyfe by reason of exceeding concauities and subtilnes of the members which if they were great besides that we should be al Giants they woulde bee troublesome eche one to other Which is wel proued in y no creature hath so infinite members or part of meÌ„bers which were of necessity made smal slender to y end they might the rather be fit to yeld so the breath an instrumeÌ„t of the soule became y more subtil Wherfore nature hath not in this behalfe omitted any parte of her duty â–ª but rather with such dilligence helped our life as for the length thereof wee haue no cause to complaine which is nowe wel proued in y people of India latest founde where men liue commonlye a hundreth and thirty yeres because there the ayre is good and the people without cares But wee coÌ„tinuing incares riot vntimely labour chosing ayre for profit not health yea altogether forgetting the length of life wee cast oure selues into extreame sickenes discoÌ„modities of body and preseÌ„t death without cause accusing nature for the shortnes of oure liues Howe muche better were it to know which way to vse the benefit of nature if so deare pleasaÌ„t a thing thou doest accompt this life what is y cause that Philosophers and Hermits haue liued so verye long yet theyr to great stinens and earnest contemplacion hindered their health vnlesse it were because they liued voide of care and
temperatly How much were this rule of lyuinge to attaine long life more delicate then to feede vppon fleshe and honye But in this age mē continue carefully in labours and care watching the halfe night baskinge in Venus bathe abyding in cloudye Regions and not in good ayre drinkinge boyled wynes do notwithstandinge complaine of short life And howsoeuer in deede oure liues be short it is opinion that doth make it so to appeare The people called Garamantes do not liue aboue fortye yeares I omit to speake of the Pigmeians as people rather fayned then in deede but wee if we dye before fyftye or threscore do thincke that iustlye we lament and yet who so dwelleth in those countryes do highly thanke God if he attayneth fortye yeares and thou lyuinge muche elder do neuerthelesse complayne Surelye euerye lyfe is long that is continued till death sith at the beginning the terme is destined and as sayth the Poet. In birth vvee breede our death our ende on first beginning hangeth Reade we not in holye Scripture that y nomber of dayes and monthes is appointed by God he hath set the terme which cannot be passed The lyfe of man therefore is ended wyth olde age for old age is the last part of life Olde age is also the necessitye of death wheresoeuer therefore death is necessary old age draweth neare Whoso dyeth in youth in this onelye is the more happye that he escapeth the discommoditye of old age will thou make life to seme long or short by comparison A kinde of beastes ther be called Ephemera which are made in the morning and before sonne settinge do dye If happelye they dye at noone theyr lyfe is called shorte but if they continue till nighte they accompte it longe and yet it exceedeth not twelue houres Wee maruaile at flees for theyr long life if they liue two Sommers and at flees that continue three monethes Yet whiche of these is thoughte any thinge towardes mans life we call dogges olde that passe a leuen yeares of age but a man passeth all these in longe lyuinge thoughe hee dyeth in youth But the life of mā must not be accompted longe or shorte in respecte of his yeares The life of all mortall men is but shorte because wyth death it shal be most certainlye ended It is vertue worthy actes that maketh the life longe and idlenes that shortneth thy dayes Alexander thoughe hee liued not aboue thirtye three yeares dyed an old man through the greatnes and nomber of his noble exploytes Argantonius hauinge lyued a hundreth and twentye yeares maye bee sayde to haue dyed in youth because besydes the rarenes of his age in all his life he neuer did anye thing that deserued memorye It ought also worthelye to be noted that for the most parte all notable men haue dyed in theyr youth Amonge the kinges none almoste continued to olde age Hercules Athilles Castor Pollux Aiax Iason Amonge the Poetes Lucanus Catullus Tibullus neyther was Vigill long liued neyther Demostenes nor Cicero howe true yea to true is the sayinge of the Poet. Their liues are short and age is rare vvhere life doth lacke good rule IVLIVS CAESAR Seuerus Alexander Probus Aurelianus Claudius the seconde of that name dyed in youth which men a I thincke liued the lesse the more honest they were because being deare to the Gods were the souer called vnto them Whervppon grew that saying from the Poetes whom Iupiter and Apollo do loue do neuer attaine to old age This is also to be noted that choise is to be loked for wher wil may anye wayes auayle but in thy power it is not to make thy life eyther more long or more shorte Yet if thou cā do it there is none offence at al but if thou cānot thou lamentest thy shortnes of life for no greater reason then thou may thy mortality And that care of thinges impossible is vayne onelye proper to fooles But admit thou maye continue thy life and become olde arte thou not therby the more vnhappye because thou losest that singuler commodity which by God almightye is gauen to men for the allaye of sorrow which is ignorance of time While wee continue yonge wee liue meerelye because wee imagine death is not at hande But how can olde menne thincke that death is farre awaye when alreadye they are entred the laste ende of life Howe true and worthye memorye is that sayinge of S. Austen A yonge manne maye soone dye but an olde manne cannot liue longe And yet no couse there is why thou should not be sorrye seing a yong mā maye also dye sone Syth th ende of life is vnknowē a yong man neuer ought to dispayre whether he laboureth of deadly diseases or be cast into cruell tormentes and prison The chaunces of mortal creatures do shew that men are subiect to law of nature and fortune so as withoute cause they loue certainties for most incertēties of al. But admit thou doest attaine to old age it selfe how manye euils commeth therby labour griefe ▪ sadnes losse of sences disdaine y which is almost worst of all as Caecilius doth well discribe therby thou shalte see they companye of all men eschewed vnwelcome are olde menne to their children vnwelcome to frendes disdayned of yonge men and odious to their owne familiars Theyr sences serue not theyr bodyes theyr bodyes obeye not theyr mindes they passe the nighte withoute sleepe and eate without all tast They lothe themselues how shoulde they be pleasant to others We reade that when Zeno Citieus could not dye with age he strāgled himselfe What dilligence and trauayle did Cicero take to perswade olde age to be pacientlye borne but if of it selfe it had beene good or as riches frends children and learning had apparance of good there shoulde haue beene not cause for him to haue taken such trauayle A mockerye it were to perswade that health or honour were pacientlye to be suffered and wee agree that olde age is sufferable but not to be wished for Howe manye olde men haue beene for whom it had beene better to haue died in youth Priamus for example not for myracle in historye is resited Not longe since Baccus Valor being olde and readye to take leaue of life before his eyes behelde his owne sonne beheaded a yonge man of singuler hope The next yeare before two other olde men I sawe that behelde the like fortune in theyr owne children Wherefore I wonder muche at the greate wysedome of Theramenes woo onelye escapinge when his house fell downe sayde before his frendes that reioysed for his life O fortune to what ende hast thou me preserued neyther did he aske in vaine for within fewe dayes after by the malyce of tyrantes he was taken and put to death Therfore such is the condition of men as althoughe beinge olde thou mighte returne to youth againe as the fable telleth of Aeson sayinge And as tvvise tvventye yeares bypast so novve my force I finde Myne aged yeares are vvorne
leaue to lament The pitye of Parentes Brethren and Children both beginne and is as it were borne with theym â–ª Yet how many haue bene thereby hindered hereafter shal be declared But now to the matter what I praye you canne be moore vnprofitable among mortall Men or lesse certaine of ende then Sorrow whiche proffiteth not others and hurteth him that doeth lament I maruaile not therfore at the Thrasians and Casions though at the deathe of their Neighboure they reioyse and make good Cheare because they knowe theym deliuered of all worldlye woe and hope they are gâ—one to Felicitie So coÌ„trary wise they waile and wepe when any childe is born for that from most pleasaunt Quiet it is come into this troublesome Life whiche Custome a Cittizen of oures as I haue harde didde folowe who dying desyred that with musicke 〈◊〉 he might be 〈…〉 burial Yet know I not whether his desyre was performed But as touching sorow it can not be reproued syth men do lamente that that can not be eschewed and that which doth saue them from al other inconuenients yea while they bewayle the good of others they forget their owne miseries What is so vayne as either to lament nothinge if after Death be no Sence or if any bee to make them sorye that loue theym or be laughed to scorn if they contempne theym Truelye if we fynde faulte withe theym that doe weepe befoore theyr Louers not being beloued agayn wherby growethe no good but the declaration of their Follye how muche moore art thou to be blamed if thou thincke no Sence remayneth or doest thou accordinge to the fashion of Fablers and yet they beleeued there were Spirites by weping hope to call backe any to Lyfe as Orpheus did Euridice Alas doest thou thinke that if sorrow had bene eyther of necessitye or proffite that Nature whyche hathe geeuen to liuinge creatures Knowledge of so manie artes so manifolde circumspection and so sundrye customes as to fyghte for their younge to cherishe the olde in venerye to obserue affinitie wedlocke and reuenge that amonge the rest she would haue forgotten Sorrow Besides man there is no Creature after it bee broughte foorth that dothe lament the Deathe of an other thoughe we see one Pysmyre doth burye another yet Nature lefte nothinge vndone that for the necessitye of anye Creature was to be required but in education Sorrowe was necessarye leaste the youge should forget their Parentes and distroye their kinde The wise and discrete makers of Lawes haue lykewise wythe a certayne Godlye meane respectinge popular Follye and proffite appoynted shorte termes for men to mourne in Lycurgus commaunded that aboue eleuen days no man shoulde lament or seeme to mourne Solon did clearly take away all Solempnities of Sorrowe as wepinge Cryinge and Tearinge Who doubteth but if Lawes had bene made only for common people and not wisemen But that mourninge should haue bene clearly taken awaye yea rather thereof no mencion made at al because they woulde haue imagined Wyse men to haue needed none admonition as diuers of themselues we haue seene to doe But now perticularlye let vs proceede whensoeuer one Kinseman bewaylethe the Deathe of an other let hym tell me truely whether he had rather haue dyed himselfe or not For thus it must needes come to passe that the Children doe dye before the Parentes or the Parentes before the Chyldren or els altogethers as though they were all destroyed by subuersyon of one House But to perrishe all together is holden for mooste Calamitye and greateste Mysfortune If thou desyre to haue dyed fyrste thereby thou doest not onlye peruert the course of Nature but also incurre one of these two that eyther Death is euyll and therefore offendeth lesse in thy Parentes then thy selfe or els good And therefore for Pittyes sake to bee wished fyrste to fall vppon theym For euery man studieth to eschew Euyll chiefly to him selfe And Good is most commonly wished to those we accompte dearest or to those that for Pitties sake we honoure and reuerence What is that thou mournest for in theym because they are deliuered of Old age Or doeste thou lament that in others which in thy selfe thou thinckest ought paciently to be suffered Or wilt thou weepe not vnlyke the Old woman that complayued her barren Lyfe Vpon a time there happened a certayne Olde Woman to come beggine to the Gate askinge almose and therewithall alledged she was without Father or mother with which tale at the first somewhat amased one good felow standinge by asked what age she was of Wherunto she answered an olde woman of moore then seuenty yeares foorthwith we changed our cheare to laughter although we toke great pity of the olde woman beinge of so greate age yet no meruail was her losse of parents Therfore haue good regard lest while thou wepe thou moue not others to laugh what wouldst thou do if according to an old custome vsed by the citizens of India in the ysland of Coius that old men being past Threescoore yeares of age shoulde of the Citty bee caried in Triumphe and so in sight be slayne Because after that age they beynge vnprofitable their Deathes in respecte of the wante of Corne maye greatly proffyte the common wealth This Lawe all be it it be in deede cruell yet euerye Lawe dooth promyse some commoditie to the common weale Which I see the Claspians haue doone For that Region beinge plentifull of Menne and of Corne scarse Their custome is after their Parentes be passed Threescore and ten yeares to shutte theym vppe and so wythe Honger to kyll theym whiche vse as it is to cruell Barbarouse and of no brutishe Beaste vsed So Deathe naturall beinge come to oure Parentes oughte pacientlye to bee borne and thincke them to haue passed the whoole course of Miserye and vs to remayne and abyde the Troublesome assaulte of Earthely cares Yea and the rather for that they dyed when Olde age made theym combersome to the Common weale and to theymselues by Lyfe displeasaunte Doest thou thincke the olde menne of Babilon were wonte willinglye to yelde theymselues to Deathe but because they acknowledged that Death of olde folkes was moore proffitable to the Common weale then Lyfe And admytte thyne Auncestoure be not olde because to lameÌ„t Death in Olde age were woorse then the Follye of Melitides but Younge Strong Proffitable for his Familye necessary for counsayle and so in his beste luste taken away Thou wilt not lewdlye saye within thy selfe Why taryed he so longe as one dydde who boasted himselfe to be of our house of Cardani This young Man his Father then dyinge in the presence of all Men Daunced and beinge tolde by his familyer Frendes that he was dead sayd al to late but the wicked wretch or one yeare passed was iustly plagued for after a longe consumption he dyed and fulfilled that sayinge of Moyses Honour thy father and thy mother that thou mayest liue long vppon the earth which I see the Gentiles also do For Homer in his
age When Cicero lost his daughter Tulliola being to him most dere did repose the chiefest parte of his consolation in the affayres of Caesar yet he liued vnder a milde prince in a Cittye plentifull Cicero himselfe of Caesar beloued frended of the greatest wāted neither wealth honour nor reputacion Then cōpare time with time that security with this priuate peril the goodnes authoritye of Cicero with thine the lenitye of Caesar with the seuerity of other Princes and then consider whether thou ought to wishe for childrē whē Cicero did not much sorrow the losse of his The life of men wythout childrē is ful of pleasure ful of lybertye ful of security they haue no cause to frare eyther iniuryes seruitude disdaine or daunger of others in peace they are free in warres not carefull And beleue mee that in common calamities ther is no greater care then to thinke vppon thy kinsefolke In time of plague no place thou hast to flee to in time of war thou mayest not remoue in time of famine thou art vnprouided whither to go Cōsider wel these discōmodityes see whether they are comparable to the want of children But now let vs returne to our principall proposition Why complaynest thou thy want of children when for thy child thou ought neither to lamēt who eyther feleth nothīg or is in ioy neither for thy self whose condition is best in respect thou arte childlesse syth thereby thou hast chaunged peril for security toyle for quiet bondage for libertye and yet complaynest This other day I harde certaine poore olde womē complayning wyshing the death of theyr childrē and had it not bene better for them to haue beene childlesse then to become in such myserye as to wishe the death of theyr owne children Marke well the prayers of poore people consider howe carelesse they are of theyr children and so shalt thou finde I tell none vntrothe But thou art riche no sure they are onelye riche that do dwel in common weales And thoughe thou liuest nowe vnder a king his successour maye be a tyrante one onely night may make this chaunge And in a cōmon weale whyle thou fearest not one thou must lye in wayghte and take heede of manye If thou want riches there can be no comforte in children Euerye man most assuredlye is poore and no mā rich wher is no security how canst thou be happy yet this is one most certaine condition of mortal men That as some are subiect to the warres of diuers vnder one all is wholye at his deuotion Remember Heliogabalus themperour that sought togethers the children of al Italy what did Astiages commit vppon Harpagus or what did Cambises to the Persians◠and chiefelye to Prexaspes Suche is the condition of men as better it were to liue in feare of warre by sondrye Princes then of one that maye at his will commaunde all One Octauius Augustus was a good Prince because in ciuil warres mercifullye enough he shedde the Romayne bloud but what beastes did continuallye succede him As Tiberius Caligula Nero Claudius What mischiefe coulde be more hardlye suffered then these monsters But admit thou liue in happye tymes yet of them do I receiue no proofe considering I wrote this booke to serue my selfe in harde chaunces not onelye in respect of the vayne opynion of some mortal men touchinge priuate aduentures but also that vnloked for euentes mighte more paciently be borne which thoughe they be not worse then other that are priuate yet by reason of theyr sodennes do cōmonly trouble men most Yet sith wythout mine assente this Booke maye come to handes of posteritye I maye happelye be reproued for hauinge attributed to muche blame to some one time and dispayred of better wherefore let the blame of tymes be left to theyr place and as meete it is oure talke be turned to comforte Thy sonne is dead what can more easelye be recouered none age but the laste no sicknes excepte the consumption that hindereth child getting which being so we ought not to be so careful of children as of our selues Aristotle concludeth that at threscore yeares of age or threscore ten a mā liueth to get children yet is it manifest that some haue gotten children after fowerscore yeares and though fauoure and force were decayde And among diseases both the gout and consumption do suffer generation These only are thought insufficient to get children y wants their stones or are depriued of their vertue Or els those whose vaynes behinde their eares be cut For such men as saith Hipocrates be all barren How wel therfore dooth Nature prouide y what a man most dispaireth of the same by quicke occasion is supplied There is nothing that can moore easlye or soner come or happen to man then the ryches gotten of thy father because thy winninge of Glorye and Freendes asketh longe time but a childe is gotten in a moment What losse can then the death of thy Sonne be and though it were the greatest yet because so easlie and of euery mā may be supplied it ought not to be accompted of But beinge poore to get riches is very hard For as the sayinge is Novv riches are not geeuen but vvhere as riches do habound But thou shalt see a man now childles and olde yet or thou see him next he is become riche If anye member be cut of it groweth not againe yf the father dye or borther their liues are neuer called back if thy fame be perished harde is thy reputation recouered but the losse of children is so easlye shortly and fully supplied as in this respecte onlye is not worthy any comfort no though thou were assured he were thy sonne in dede And how incertaine that is O Lorde who knoweth not thy beliefe must do it beliefe is therein nedefull Only the fidelitie of thy wife doth make him thine other assurance hast thou none But if a man doe happen to mourne for the death of an other mans childe for by coniecture Bastardes dye sonest by reason they were gotten with feare and most vnquietnes of mynde then looke what Laughter yt prouoketh But now thine owne Chylde a thing vnknowē but only to his mother is taken away what part of him was thine his soule I neuer found any so wicked as would be of that mynde his body howe can that bee when he is made of his fathers seede which is the superfluous noryture of the thirde concocktion as the donge fyrst the vrine second yf whatsoeuer commeth of superfluitie be ours then so shall wormes and Lyce bee ours and worthy our loue Remember how much seede in tymes past thou hast consumed in waste eyther vpon harlots or vpon thy wife being withe childe all that is loste and thou complaynest not what is more in thy sonne then the effusion of thy seede wilt thou then so muche lament a vyle and disdained thinge wherof is no reason If thou respect the beginninge thou shalt fynde that thou lamentest none other then a litle
payns as for emulacion in vertue What is by thensample of Abraham vppon Isaaâ— shewed other then that men shoulde so loue their children as in them to put no truste at all but euer to honour God so as we may forget oure chyldren and such are worthy great reward For whiche his carefull obedience he is made father of many nacions neither shall his seede at any time decay This was a greater argumente of courage then that of Brutus for hee murdered the gyltlesse lefte the children of others his heires the other in sleinge became childles Hee by the handes of an other commaunded his enemies to be slayne thys man murdered those that obeyed But let vs returne to ensamples of sufferaunce and a shame it were that Women shoulde for fortitude exceede men Among whom what may be sayd of Tomyris queene of Mesageta who hauing her sonne slayne in battayle where in her enemye Cirus also dyed without teares made great feastes the hole army lykewise slayn â–ª Also Cornelia mother to the Gracchi of a great number of sonnes hauing onlye C. and T. lefte yet when they were in a time of sedicion most cruelly slayn besides calling only to memory their father their own worthy actes did not otherwise make any shew of sorow Argilion y mother of Brasidas the Lacedemonian kyng hearinge her son was slayn dyd neither mourn nor lament but asked if nobly worthely he dyed Gyrtias likewise a womaÌ„ of Lacedemon when her son was broughte home almost dead and his frendes lamented she sayd Non Silebitis inquaÌ„ declaring of what bloud he was desceÌ„ded she said one body hath ouerthroweÌ„ other in fight yet after being recouered growen to mans state was slayne in battayl which being told vnto his mother she answered saying was it not expedient y goinge to the wars he should â—â—ea others or be slaine himselfe but more wyllinglye I receyue knowledge of a death worthy of mee his predecessours then if in slouth and idlenes hee had liued One other womaÌ„ more valiantly bare the death of her sonne promissing in the fyeld sayinge let cowardes complayne for I wyll wythoute teares and meerelye burye my sonne And a nother a woman also of Lacedemon hauing lost in warres her fyue sonnes standing vppon the walles of Sparta and listinge for the euente of the battayle when she sawe a man comming asked what was done he thinking she had asked of her sonnes aunsweared they are all deade whereat the woman offended sayde it is not that ill lucke I aske but how speedes our couÌ„try then he telling y the victorye was gotten by the Lacedemonians the woman sayd wyth al good wyl I receyue knowledge of my sonnes slaughter In olde time such was the nobilitye of minde both in men and women aswell for courage as counsell But now enoughe or rather as I thinke to much haue bene sayd aswel of them as also appertayneth to deth It is not therefore needefull to speake of frendes kinsefolke or wyues seinge of them the plentye is greate the conditions vncerteyne and the necessitye little yea the cares and disquiet of wyues doe almost counteruayle the sorrow of theyr deathes And though wyues were not shrewed nor combersome yet can no man at anye time long want a wyfe syth one may be taken after an other And albeit that wyues were all good all frends faythfull and all kinsefolke kynde yet seinge the death of a brother a sonne and a father is pacientlye to bee borne a follye it were to lament them or call suche doubtles matters in question But rather resolue wyth thy selfe that death is the end of euill to fooles and to wyse men the beginning of all good And as sayth Menander VVhom God doth loue in youth he dyes FINIS Of Comforte the thirde Booke MVche longer then was determined more at large haue I discoursed that kynde of comforte which to sorrowe death doth appertayne not onlye because I thincke y occasion of griefe whiche groweth eyther of pryuaâ—e death or losse of frendes is little or lightlye borne but also that in these dayes men do so much desyre riches auctoritye as till death doth euen at hand drawe on they take no care at all Eche man in imagination alloweth himselfe longe tyme of life disdayning death as a thing not knowen in this but an other worlde But ryches and present authoritye are on euerye syde soughte for as ioyes which hee euerlastynge â–ª Yet not contented with â–ª this they also reproue condemne and despyse the quyet lyfe of such as are not with like madnes delighted For the chiefest care suche men do take is that of al other most wyse and happye neyther of which in iudgement of those that disdayne them can be allowed Then when these wealthy men perceiue that the others are not greatly greeued forthwith they fal to hate and persecution So as although men could willinglye suffer theyr bace estate yet beinge driuen into any kinde of necessity or calamity straight wayes they lament and complaine so as by confession of them for great desyre of riches the rich men are allowed of and praysed for the wysest sort of men But seinge the estate of tyme and worldly procedinges are not euer alike wee meane not to speake muche of that calamitye which these ambicious men do thincke y greatest but of that miserye whych may so trulye be called for suche kinde of men do labour to continue after death and glorye in theyr owne happines As the Poet wryting vpon the tombe of a certayne happye man sayde Vpon my corps poure forth thy vvyne O frend that comes this vvay And on my tombe vvith pleasant hand thy precious spices laye No gulfe of griefe my graue shal be but springe of lasting blis I am not dead but changd my life lo such my fortune is My former ioyes are not decayd but as they vvere before If ought or nought I beare in minde yet blest for euermore O merye man howe aptlye hath hee nothinge sayde for this presumption to continue felicitye after death is a thinge altogether vaine and forsaken of the very authors thereof For well we see that after death the glorye of ryches doth in short space decay Not onely because great nombers do daylye aspyre to this prayse but also riches it selfe deserueth no glorye at all And amonge so manye thousaÌ„d thousands as in theyr time was famouslye rich yet few of them haue come to our knowledge Gilias Cressus Mydas Pythius Meander Erictonius Sysiphus Tantalus Of the Romaynes that had beene bonde men Amphion Menecrates Heron Demetrius Pallas Calistus Narcisus Of Frenchmen Drusus Caecilius Sylla Lucullus Liuius M Crassus Of Kinges Salamon and Ptolomeus were all reported for notable ryche But Gylias became famous for liberalitye Cresus and Crassus for theyr misfortune Sylla Lucullus for theyr victoryes Mydas through Silenus The Romaynes that had bene bonde men by the abuse and riot of Rome Salamon for wysedome Tantalus for wicked lyfe Meander
and Pythius for theyr bountye to the Persian kinges C. Caelius for his Testament Ptolomeus for princely maiesty Erictonius and Sysiphus throughe Poets libertye L. Drusus for hys magnificence So as none almost for onely riches gayned glory although they were such meÌ„ as might easylier attaine to fame for vertue then so greate riches To what vse that after death riches should serue no manne knoweth nor can imagine And although that after death they did yelde glorye to thee and vse to others yet the same is to thee nothing at all Rather ought thou remember to passe in to those partyes whether thou can carrye nothinge besydes thy vertue and vyces of mynde When soeuer therefore thou shal dye wyll come to memory not thy ryches but thy sinnefull offences not thine honour or auctoritye but thy hope and fayth of Saluation For at that instant I omit thy former myseryes all thinges shal be subuerted and to thy sighte the hole worlde shal be turned to the first Chaos And as the land doth seeme to moue in y sight of such as sayle in the ship yet in deede doth not but it is the shippe that remoueth and not the land so in the houre of death shal the whole world seeme to be subuerted wheÌ„ thou shalte for euer take leaue of earthlye life neuer againe to see thy worldlye frendes nor thy riches wherein thou so much delighted Therefore if after death thou hopest of anye lyfe why doest thou not coÌ„sume thy tyme in vertue or if none yet why seekest thou not thyne owne quyet syth for other lyfe thou lokest not nor hopest to returne againe to this But happilye it maye be sayde that this sorrow is sweete as it is to rubbe a soore A pleasure it is to be riche to gouerne to be praysed and to oppresse others this is the vttermost marke of mans felicitye O foolishe imagination but let that passe so thou disproue not others of sounder opynion Yet if wythout offence I maye so do let me aske why men lyke vnto children do builde houses that wil by and by fall downe whye doe they vainlye trauayle not onely in bodye but also in minde Yet let vs a whyle conuert our speach to other matter for I am enforced many wayes to degresse from our purpose and let vs fyrst declare why my former booke became so longe and therewythall shewe that for all calamityes if any seeme intollerable there is one remedye It was therefore wyth greate diligence approued y death is not to be nombred amonge the euils for seynge the meane to come therevnto is open to all men none but such as willinglye are can iustlye be called vnhappye Tiberius suruayinge his prysoâ—ers was asked by one of them howe sone hee shoulde dye aunswered â–ª I am not as yet reconsyled vnto thee A true aunswere surely in respect of the matter but tyraÌ„nous if y consyder the meaning And this was one other cause why my last booke was the loÌ„ger For against al sortes of myseryes thre special remedyes we haue Death Wysedome and Fortune They are coÌ„monly constrayned to vse y helpe of death that cannot take commoditye of the other too being fallen into those calamities which seeme the greatest Wherefore Damidas the Lacedemonian seemed discretelye to aunsweare one saying vnto hym that vnlesse the Lacedemonians were reconsyled to Philippus they shoulde be in greate hazarde for at that tyme the Lacedemonians were the kinges ennemyes who had wonne Peloponesus O cowardly man quoth Damidas what can be intollerable to vs if we feare not to die In lyke maner a boye of Lacedemon being taken by Antigonus and solde in seruices meeete for free men did willinglye yelde himselfe to take paines but when he was employed to vile works and amonge y rest to emptye vrinals he refused to do it For which wheÌ„ his master did sore threateÌ„ him he forthw t climed vppon the toppe of the house and sayde now shalte thou knowe whom thou hast boughte and therewithall cast himselfe downe headlonge So Crassus beynge taken prysoner and fearinge dishonour with his ryding rod he strake oute the eye of a barbarous souldiour who moued with ire forthwyth did slea hym A common experience it was in the old time by willing death to eschewe long or shamefull kinds of dyinge And if I should write the names onelye of such as in the raignes of Nero Caligula and Tâ—berius did willingly kill themselues the historye would be to longe or if I rehersed the nomber no manne woulde beleue mee Nowe whilst wee speake of these voluntarye deathes it commeth to memorye that not longe since in the Cittye of Venis there lyued a certayne Apoticarye he for some great offence being coÌ„dempned to dye desyred to speake wyth his brother who in kissing hym deliuered certaine poyson which he broughte in his mouth closed within a nut shel by force whereof after a fewe houres he dyed whereby he saued himselfe from longer sorrow and eschewed the reproche of dishonourable death We reade y some men to auoyde extreame sickenes haue voluntarily ended their liues of which nomber was Pomponius Atticus a famous man extremelye tormeÌ„ted wyth a greuous disease at length fynding some rest pyned himselfe for not falling into his former paynes In lyke maner dyed Corellius Rufus to auoyde the paynes of the goute But oure Lawes do not permit any maÌ„ to procure his owne death and for good reason For that nothing shoulde be intollerable to a Christian man onelye extreame tormente which the Lawe doth not allowe yet by law is permitted Now let vs proue y besydes this intollerable sorrow and y not altogether except there is nothing that can make a maÌ„ discouraged and that all men beinge wyse are equallye happie and vnhappy So as I may thincke with Socrates that if all mens cares and euilles were by one assente layde togethers on one heape and equallye deuided to euerye man alike after wee had seene the greatnes of others greeues we would choose to take vppon vs our owne rather then to abyde the chaunce in deuision because eche man knoweth his owne euils and is ignorant how great the greeues of others be which is the reason why ech maÌ„ thinketh himselfe most vnhappy In discourse whereof two thinges may be obiected the one y this booke can onely profite those that be learned and also withoute this the learned by readinge of Cicero chiefelye his bookes De Finibus bonorum his Tusculane questions his Paradox and De Senectute Plutarchus Petrarchus Boetius with diuers others shal finde no small remedye in all calamities And how shal the simple and vnlearned sorte as is the most part of the people and many gentlemen also take profite of this booke So as in comfortinge the learned I shal seeme presumptuous and for y vnlearned superfluous But I neede not feare to be herein accused because as at the beginninge I 〈…〉 other bookes were made for others â—se but this onelye for my selfe