men are to die Too much merriment in life breedeth woe in death A custome of the Grecians and Romains Wise men do outwardly dissemble inward griefes The custoÌ„e of many widowes There are two things that grieue men at their death The same order that Time keepeth man ought to follow This transitory life not worth the desiring Man neuer happy till death The trauell of death is harder then all the trauell of life The cause why men feare death He giues best counsel to the sorrowfull that is himselfe likewise tormented The occasion why Aurelius tooke his death heauily Children brought vp in liberty wantonnes easily fals into vices It is perillous to be adorned with naturall giftes to want requisite vertues What parents should glory of in their children Many yong vicious princes in Rome The cruell inscription in Coligulaes brooch The cruelty of Nero to his Mother They seldome mend that are vicious in youth The difference betweene the poore and the rich in death Vicious children by an ancient law disinherited Fiue things that oppressed Marcus Aurelius heart The counsell of the Emperour to his sonne Comodus What words cannot doe treason will The sinnes of a populous Cittie not to be numbred As vice intangleth the vicious so vertue cleaneth to the vertuous Disobedience of children is their vndoing Ripe counsell proceedeth from the aged The pastime that Princes should seeke Princes are to accompanie Ancient men All young men are not light nor all olde men sage Princes that rule many must take counsell of many Weighty affayres are to be dispatched by counsell Whose couÌ„sell is to be refused The marks of an vndiscreet prince or ruler It is more perillous to iniure the dead then the liuing The duty of a thankefull child Ministers are to bee honoured of all men A good admonition for children how to vse their stepmothers Women are of a tender condition Princes that doe iustice doe get enemies in the execution thereof The Emperour here concludeth his speech and endeth his life Death altereth all things Deferring of the punishment is not the pardoning of the fault The wisedome of God in disposing his gifts A Table of good counsell The painefull iourney the Philosophers booke to viâ—â—t good â—en The properties of a true friende What Loue is A remarkeable saying of Zenocrates Great eate is to bee had in choosing a friend The saying of Seneca touching frindship Good workes doe maruellously cheare the heart The times past better then the times present A question demaunded by the Emperour Augustus of Virgil and his answere Sinne is not so pleasaot in the committing as it is likesome in the remembraÌ„ce Good counsell for all men especially for Courtiets Christians are in all things to be prefered before all others What the Author or wryter of books should ayme at A wise man reserueth some time for his profite and recreation Leâ—rned men greatly honored in times past The letter of K. Phili to Aristol at the birth of his sonne Alexander The benefite that accreweth by companying with wise men They are oft times most known that least seeke acquaintaÌ„ce No misery comparable to that of the Courtier Why this name Court was adhibited to the Pallace of Princes It is more difficult to bee a Courtier then a religious person Many a Courtier spends his time all The life of aâ— Courtier an open penance The Courtier is abridged of his liberty An honest hart is more greeued to shew his misery then to suffer it The Courtyer subiect to much trouble What epences the Courtier is at The misery that Courtiers are subiect vnto How Courtyers ought to order their expences The trouble courtyers haue with Friends The griefe of thâ— courtyer that caÌ„not pleasure his friend The mishaps of the Court are more then the fauors The Courtier wanteth many things hee would haue Few purchase fauor in the court A speech of Lucullus and may well bee applyed to euery Courtier Courtiers are rather grieued then relieued with the princely pompes of the Court. The particular troubles of theÌ„ which follow the Court. The Ambition of the Courtyers Many rather glory to be right Courtiers tken good Christians The Courtyer of least calling proues most troublesom All Courtiers subiectto the authority of the Harbingers How a courtyer may make the Harbinget his friend How the Harbinger is to appoint his lodgings The Courtier must entrear his host well where hee lyeth â—ow the Courtier may make his host beholden to him It is necessary for Courtiers to keepe quiet seruants The Courtier is to commaund his seruants courteously to aske of his Host all needfull things Too many women about the Court. The care the Courtier ought to haue of his Apparell How the Courtier is to demeane himselfe at his departure from his lodging The troble of him that is in fauour in the court is great Want of audacity hinders good fortunes The reason why fortune rayseth some and throweth down others The course he must take that would bee in his Princes fauour The saying of Dionisius to Plato other Philosophers that came to visite him Backbyting is a kinde of treason especialâ—y against princes The law of A drian the Emperour againest sedicious persons Good seruice demaÌ„ds recompence though the tongue bee silent Things to be eschewed of him that would speake with the King In what sort the Courtier is to demand recompeuce of the prince The Courtier shoulde not be obstinate How princes are to be spoken to if they be in an error How the Courtier must demean himselfe when his Prince sporteth before him Where wise men are best known What disposition should be in a Princes Iester He that will come to fauour in the Court must be acquainted with all the Courtiers in the Court. A Prince hath alwais some fauourite The inconueniences that follow the needles reasoning of that the King allowes Betweene words spokeÌ„ the inteÌ„t with which they were spoken is great difference It is best for the Courtier to bee 〈◊〉 friendshippe with all if can possible There is no man but giues more credit to one then another Wherein true visitation of our betters or friends consisteth The indiscretion of some that are visited The discretion the Courtyer is to vse in his curtesie One gyft in necessitie is better then a thousand words Two things which a maÌ„ should not trust any with A custome wherein the Courtier may lauish hia reputation When a wise man may put himselfe in perill How hee that is biddeÌ„ to a feast may purchase thaÌ„kâ— of the bidder To what ende wee should desire riches Many not 〈◊〉 to serue God as their own bellies How he is welcome that is a common runner to other mens Tables How he is to demeane himself that will visite noble means Table Many loue to haue their cheere and attendance commended Wine tempered with water bringth 2. commodities No man ought to complaine of want at anothers table What talke should bee vsed at the
his diuine power And of the superstition of the false and faigned goddes chap 9. fol. 20. How there is but one true God and how happy those Realmes are which haue a good Christian to be their King How the Gentiles affirmed that good Princes after their death were changed into gods and the wicked into Deuils which the Authour proueth by sundry examples chap. 10. fol. 23. Of sundry gods which the Ancients worshipped Of the offices of those gods How they were reuenged of such as displeased them And of the twentie elected gods chap. 11. fol. 26. How Tiberius was chosen Gouernour of the Empire and afterward created Emperour onely for being a good Christian And how God depriued Iustinian the younger both of his Empire and senses because he was a perfidious heretique chap. 12. fol. 29 Of other more naturall and peculier gods which the ancient people had and adored chap. 13. fol. 32 What words the Empresse Sophia spake to Tiberius Constantinus then being Gouernour of the Empire reprouing him for lauishly consuming the Treasure of the Empire gotten by her chap. 14. fol. 36 The answere of Tiberius to the Empresse Sophia Augusta declaring that Noble Princes neede not hoord vp treasures And of the hidden treasure which this good Emperour foundeby reuelation in the Palace where he remayned chap. 15. fol. 38 How the Captayne Narsetes ouercame many Battailes onely by reposing his whole confidence in God And what hapned to him by the Empresse Sophia Augusta relating the vnthankfulnesse of Princes towards their seruants chap. 16. fol 41 Of a letter which the Emperour Marcus Aurelius sent to the King of Scicille remembring the trauels they had endured together in their youth and reprooning him for his small reuerence to the Temples ch 17 fo 46 The Emperours prosecution in his Letter admonishing Princes to bee fearefull of their Gods And of the sentence which the Senate gaue vpon the King for pulling down the church ch 18 f. 49 How the Gentiles honoured those that were deuout in the seruice of their gods chap. 19 fol 52 Of fiue causes why Princes ought to be better christians then their subiects ch 20 fol. 55 What the Philosopher Bias was Of his constancy when hee had lost all his goods And of the ten lawes he gaue deseruing to be had in perpetuall memory chap 21 59 Questions demanded of the Philosopher Bias. fol. 61 The lawes which Bias gaue to the Prienenses 62 How God from the beginning punished men by his iustice and especially those Princes that despised his church how all wicked Christians are Parishioners of hel ch 22 63 Of twelue examples why Princes are sharply punished when they vsurpe boldly vpon churches and violate their temples ch 23 65 Why the children of Aaron were punished eodem The cause why the Azotes were punished eodem The cause why Prince Oza was punished 66. Why King Balthazar was punished 67 Why King Ahab was punished 69 Why King Manasses was punished cod Why Iulius Pompey Xerxes Cateline Germanicus Brennus were punished 70 How Valentine the Emp. because he was an euil Christian in one day lost both the Empire and his life ch 24 72 Of the Emp. Valentinian Gratian his son which raigned in the time of S. Ambrose and because they were good Christians were alwayes fortunate and how God giueth victory to Princes more by the teares of them that pray then thorow the weapons of thē that fight ch 25 76 Of the goodly Oration which the Em Gratian made to his Souldiers before hee gaue the battell ch 26 78 Of the Captaine Theodosius who was father to the great Emp. Theodosius died a good Christian Of the K. Hismarus and the Bishop Siluanus and the lawes which they made and established ch 27 60 What a happy thing it is to haue but one Prince to rule the publike weale for there is no greater enemy to the Common-weale then he which procureth many to commaund therein ch 28 84 That in a publike weale there is no greater destruction then where Princes dayly consent to new orders and make an alteration of ancient customs ch 29 f. 88 When Tirants began to raigne and vpon what occasion commaunding and obeying first began and how the authority which a Prince hath is by the ordināce of God chap. 30 91 Of the golden age in times past and worldly misery at this present ch 31 94 How K. Alexander the Great after hee had ouercome K. Darius in Asia went to conquer the great India and of that which hapned to him with the Garamantes and that purity of life hath more power then force of warre ch 32 96 Of an Oration which one of the Sages of Garamantia made vnto K. Alexander a good lesson for ambitious mē ch 33. 98 A continuation of the sage Garamants Oration and among other notable matters he maketh mention of seuen lawes which they obserued chap. 34 101 That Princes ought to consider for what cause they were made Princes What Thales the Philosopher was of 12 questions demāded of him his answer c. 35. 104 What Plutarch the Philosopher was Of the wise words he spake to the Emperour Traiane how a good Prince is the head of the publique-weale chap. 36. fo 108 As there are two Sences in the Head Smelling and Hearing So likewise a Prince who is the head of the Common-weale ought to heare the complaints of all his subiects and should know them all to recompence their seruices ch 37. fol. 111 Of the great Feast which the Romaines celebrated to the God Ianus the first day of Ianuary And of the bounty and liberality of the Emperour Marcus Aurelius the same day chap. 38 114 Of the answer which the Emperour Marcus Aurelius made to the Senatour Fuluius before all the Senate beeing reproued by him for the familiarity hee vsed to all men contrary to the maiesty and authority of the Romane Emperour wherein hee painteth enuious men ch 39 fol. 118 Of a Letter which the Emperour Marcus Aurelius sent to his friend Pulio declaring the opinion of certaine Philosophers concerning the felicity of man chap. 40. 124 Of the Philosopher Epicurus fol. 129 Of the Philosopher Eschilus 131 Of the Philosopher Pindarus 132 Of the Philosopher Zeno 133 Of the Philosopher Anacharsis 134 Of the Sarmates 135 Of the Philosopher Chilo 137 Of the Philosophers Crates Stylphas Simonides Gorgias Architas Chrysippus Antistenes Sophocles Euripides Palemon Themistocles Aristides and Heraclius 138. 139 That Princes and great Lords ought not to esteeme themselues for being fayre and well proportioned chap. 41 140 Of a letter written by the Emperour Marcus Aurelius to his Nephew worthy to be noted of all young Gentlemen chap. 42 146 How Princes and great Lords in olde time were louers of men that were wise and learned chap. 43 153 How the Emperor Theodosius prouided wise men at the houre of his death for the education of his two noble sonnes Archadius and Honorius chap. 44 158
Emperour at the houre of his death ch 50 531 A continuation of the Secretaries speeches admonishing all men to embrace death willingly vtterly to forsake the world and his alluring vanities c. 51. 534 The answer of the Emperour Marcus to his Secretary Panutiu declaring that he tooke no thought to forsake the world But all his sorrow was to leaue behinde him an vnhappy sonne to enherite the Empire chap. 52 588 The Emperours conclusion of the matter in question shewing that sundry yong Princes by being vicious haue vndone themselues and impouerished their Realmes chap. 53 541 Of the wordes which the Emperour Marcus Aurelius spake to his sonne Commodus at the houre of his death very necessary for all young Gentlemen to vnderstand chap. 54 545 Other wholesome counsels giuen by the Emperour to his sonne and aboue all to keepe wise and learned men about him to assist him with aduise in all his affaires chap. 55 550 The Emperours prosecution still in the same Argument with particular exhortations to his sonne well deseruing to bee engrauen in the hart of men ch 56 554 The good Emperour Marcus Aurelius concludeth both his purpose life And of the last words he spake to his son Commodus and the Table of Counsell he gaue him chap. 57 557 The fourth Booke The Prologue of the worke declaring what one true friend ought to do for another 563 A few precepts and counsels meet to be remembred by all such as are Princes familiars and affected Courtiers 572 The Argument of the Booke entituled The Fauoured Courtier declaring the entent of the whole worke 575 How it is more necessary for the Courtier abiding in Court to be of liuely spirit and audacitie then it is for the Souldier that goeth to serue in the warres c. 1. 592 Of Courtiers brawles quarrels with Harbingers for their ill lodgings c. 2. 592 How the Courtier should entreat his Host or master of the house where hee lodgeth chap. 3 589 What Courtier◠must do to win their Princes fauour chap. 4. 601 What manners and gestures do best become a Courtier when hee speaketh to his Prince ch 5. 607 How a Courtier should behaue himselfe both to know and to visite Noblemen and Gentlemen that are great with the Prince and continuing still in Court Chap. 6 612 What countenance and modesty becommeth a Courtier for his behauiour at the Princes or Noble mans table during the time of his meale ch 7 617 What company the Courtier should keepe and how he ought to apparrel him selfe chap. 8 624 In what manner the Courtier should serue and honour Ladies and Gentlewomen also how to satisfie and please the Vshers and Porters of the Kings house chap. 9 631 Of the great paines and trauels which the Courtier hath being toiled in suites of law And how he is to suffer and carrie himselfe with Iudges chap. 10 637 Of them that are affected in Court admonishing them to bee pacient in their troubles and that they bee not partiall in the affayres of the common wealth chap. 11 644 That Officers and such as are affected in Court should be very diligent carefull in dispatching the Princes affayres Common-wealth Also that in correcting and reforming of Seruants they ought to bee as circumspect and aduised Chap. 12 fol 649 That affected and esteemed Courtyers ought to be warie of beeing prowde and high-minded for lightly they neuer fall but onely by meanes of that detestable vice Chap 13 fol. 659 That it is not fit for Courtyers to be ouer-couetous if they mean to keepe themselues out of many troubles and dangers chap 14 fol. 670 That fauoured Courtyers should not trust ouer-much to their fauour and credit in Court nor to the prosperitie of their liues chap 15 fo 677 An admonition to such as are highly in fauour with Princes to take heede of the worlds deceyts learning both to liue and dye honourably and to leaue the Court before Age ouer take them chapter 16. fol. 684 What continencie ought to be in fauoured courtyers alwayes shunning the company of vnhonest women also to be carefull in the speedie dispatch of suters suing vnto them chap 17 fol. 691 That Nobles and affected of Princes should not exceede in superfluous fare nor bee ouer-sumptuous in their Dyet chapt 18. fol. 698 That courtiers fauored of Princes ought not to be dishonest of their Tongues nor enuious in their wordes chap. 19 fo 709 A comendation of Truth which professed courtyers ought to embrace And in no respect to be found defectiue in the contrarie reporting one thing for an other chap. 20. fo 718 Certaine other Letters written by M. Aurelius Of the huge Monster seene in Scicile in the time of M. Aurelius of the letters he wrote with bloud vpō a gate ch 1. 727 Of that which chaunced vnto Antigonus a cittizen of Rome in the time of Marcus Aurelius chap 2 fol 729 How M. Aurelius sought the wealth of his people how they loued him c. 3. 730 How at the intercession of manie sent by the Empresse the Emperour graunted his daughter Lucilla licence to sport herselfe at the Feasts chap 4 fo 732 Of the sharpe words which M. Aurelius spake to his wife his daughter c 5. 734 A letter sent by the Emperor M. Aurelius to Catullus Censorius concerning the newes then in Rome cha 6 740 M. Aurelius his letter written to the amourous Ladyes of Rome ch 7 747 A letter sent by M. Aurelius to his loue Boemia because shee desired to goe with him to the warres chap. 8 752 The answer of Boemia to the Emperor M. Aurelius expressing the great malice little patience in an euil womā c. 9 755 A letter of M. Aurelius to the Romaine Lady Macrine of whom beholding her at a window he became enamoured declaring what force the beautie of a faire Woman hath in a weake man ch 10 760 An other letter sent by him to the same Macrina expressing the firie flames which soonest consume gentle harts ch 11. 761 A letter sent by him to the lady Lauinia reprouing Loue to be naturall And affirming that the most part of Philosophers and wise-men haue beene ouercome by Loue chap 12 fol 763. The ende of the Table THE FIRST BOOKE OF THE DIALL OF PRINCES WITH the famous Booke of Marcus Aurelius wherein hee entreateth what excellency is in a Prince that is a good Christian and contrariwise what euils doe follow him that is a cruell Tyrant CHAP. I. Here the Author speaketh of the birth and lynage of the wise Philosopher and Emperour Marcus Aurelius And he putteth also at the beginning of this Booke three Chapterss wherein hee entreateth of the discourse of his life for by his Epistles and Doctrine the whole course of this present worke is approued AFter the death of the Emperour Antoninus Pius in the 695. years frō the foundatiō of Rome and in the 173. Olimpiade Fuluius Cato and Cneus Patroclus then being Consuls the fourth
weight and measure plentifull and chiefly if there be good doctrine for the young and little couetousnesse in the old Affro the Historiographer declareth this in the tenth booke De rebus Atheniensium Truly in my opinion the words of this philosopher were few but the sentences were many And for none other cause I did bring in this history but to profite mee of the last word wherein for aunswere hee sayeth that all the profite of the Common wealth consisteth in that there be princes that restraine the auarice of the aged and that there bee Masters to teach the youthfull We see by experience that if the brute beasts were not tyed and the corne and seedes compassed with hedges or ditches a man shold neuer gather the fruit when they are ripe I meane the strife and debate will rise continually among the people if the yong men haue not good fathers to correct them and wise masters to teach them Wee cannot deny but though the knife be made of fine steele yet sometimes it hath neede to bee whet and so in like manner the young man during the time of his youth though he doe not deserue it yet from time to time hee ought to bee corrected O Princes and great Lords I know not of whom you take counsell when your sonne is borne to prouide him of a Master and gouernour whom you chuse not as the most vertuous but as the most richest not as the most sagest but as the most vile and euill taught Finally you doe not trust him with your children that best deserueth it but that most procureth it Againe I say O princes and great Lords why doe you not withdraw your children from their hands which haue their eyes more to their owne profite then their hearts vnto your seruice For such to enrich themselus doe bring vp princes viciously Let not Princes thinke that it is a trifle to know how to finde and chuse a good Master and the Lord which herein doth not employ his diligence is worthy of great rebuke And because they shall not pretend ignorance let them beware of that man whose life is suspitious and extreame couetous In my opinion in the pallace of princes the office of Tutorshippe ought not to be giuen as other common offices that is to say by requests or money by priuities or importunities eyther else for recompence of seruices for it followeth not though a man hath beene Ambassadour in strange Realms or captaine of great Armies in warre or that hee hath possessed in the royall pallace Offices of honour or of estimation that therefore he should bee able to teach or bring vp their children For to bee a good Captaine sufficeth onely to be hardy and fortunate but for to bee a Tutour and gouernour of Princes hee ought to be both sage and vertuous CHAP. XXXV Of the two children of Marcus Aurelius the Emperour of the which the best beloued dyed And of the Masters he prouided for the other named Comodus MArcus Aurelius the 17. Emperour of Rome in the time that hee was married with Faustine onely daughter of the Emperour Antonius Pius had onely two sonnes whereof the eldest was named Comodus and the second Verissimus Of these two children the heyre was Comodus who was so wicked in the 13. yeares he gouerned the Empire that hee seemed rather the Disciple of Nero the cruell then to discend by the mothers side from Antonius the mercifull or sonne of Marcus Aurelius This wicked child Comodus was so light in speech so dishonest in person and so cruell with his people that oft-times hee being aliue they layed wagers that there was no vertue in him to bee found nor any one vice in him that wanted On the contrary part the second sonne named Verissimus was comely of gesture proper of person and in witte very temperate and the most of all was that by his good conuersation of all hee was beloued For the fayre and vertuous Princes by their beauty draweth vnto them mens eyes and by their good conuersation they winne their hearts The child Verissimus was the hope of the common people and the glory of his aged Father so that the Emperor determined that this child Verissimus should bee heyre of the Empire and that the Prince Commodus should bee dishenherited Wherat no man ought to maruell for it is but iust since the childe dooth not amend his life that the father doe dishenherite him When good will doth want and vicious pleasures abound the children oft times by peruerse fortune come to nought So this Marcus Aurelius being 52. yeares old by chance this childe Verissimus which was the glory of Rome and the hope of the Father at the gate of Hostia of a sodaine sicknesse dyed The death of whom was as vniuersally lamented as his life of all men was desired It was a pittifull thing to see how wofully the Father tooke the death of his entirely beloued son and no lesse lamentable to beholde how the Senate tooke the death of their Prince being the heyre for the aged Father for sorrow did not go to the Senate and the Senate for a few dayes enclosed themselues in the hie Capitoll And let no man maruell though the death of this young Prince was so taken through Rome for if men knew what they lose when they lose a vertuous Prince they would neuer cease to bewayle and lament his death When a Knight a Gentleman a Squire an Officer or when any of the people dyeth there dyeth but one but when a Prince dyeth which was good for all and that he liued to the profite of all then they ought to make account that all do dye they ought all greatly to lament it for oft times it chanceth that after 2. or 3. good Princes a foule flocke of Tyrants succeede Therfore Marcus Aurelius the Emperor as a man of great vnderstanding and of a princely person though the inward sorrow from the rootes of the heart could not bee plucked yet hee determined to dissemble outwardly to bury his grieues inwardly For to say the truth none ought for any thing to shewe extreame sorrow vnlesse it be that hee hath lost his honour or that his conscience is burdened The good Prince as one that hath his vineyarde frozen wherein was all his hope contented with himselfe with that which remaineth his so deerly beloued sonne being dead and commaunded the Prince Comodus to be brought into his pallace being his onely heire Iulius Capitolinus which was one of those that wrote of the time of Marcus Aurelius saide vpon this matter that when the Father saw the disordinate frailenesse and lightnes and also the little shame which the prince Comodus his Sonne brought with him the aged man beganne to weepe and shed teares from his eyes And it was because the simplenesse and vertues of his deere beloued Sonne Verissimus came into his minde Although this Noble Emperour Marcus Aurelius for the death of
a perpetuall memorie What contempt of world what forgetfulnesse of himselfe what stroke of fortune what whippe for the flesh what little regard of life O what bridle for the vertuous O what confusion for those that loue life O how great example haue they left vs not to feare death Sithens those here haue willingly despised their owne liues it is not to be thought that they dyed to take the goods of others neither yet to thinke that our life should neuer haue end nor our couetousnesse in like manner O glorious people and ten thousand fold happy that the proper sensuality being forsaken haue ouercom the naturall appetite to desire to liue not beleeuing in that they saw and that hauing faith in that they neuer saw they striued with the fatall Destenies By the way they assaulted fortune they changed life for death they offered the body to death and aboue all haue wonne honour with the Gods not for that they shoulde hasten death but because they should take away that which is superfluous of life Archagent a Surgeon of Rome and Anthonius Musus a Physition of the Emperour Augustus and Esculapius father of the Phisicke should get little money in that Countrie Hee that then should haue sent to the barbarous to haue done as the Romanes at that time did that is to say to take sirrops in the mornings pils at night to drinke milke in the morning to annoint themselues with gromeâ—seed to bee let bloud to day and purged to morrow to eate of one thing and to abstaine from many a man ought to thinke that hee which willingly seeketh death will not giue money to lengthen life CHAP. XXII The Emperour concludeth his letter and shewed what perils those olde men liue in which dissolutely like young children passe their dayes and giueth vnto them wholesome counsell for the remedy thereof BVt returning to thee Claude and to thee Claudine me thinketh that these barbarous men beeing fifty yeares of age and you others hauing aboue threescore and tenne it should be iust that sithence you were elder in yeares you were equall in vertue and though as they you wil not accept death patiently yet at the least you ought to amend your euill liues willingly I doe remember that it is many yeares sithens that Fabritius the young sonne of Fabritius the olde had ordayned to haue deceiued mee of the which if you had not told me great inconueniences had happned and sithens that you did me so great a benefite I would now requite you the same with another the like For amongst friends there is no equal benefite then to deceiue the deceyuer I let you know if you do not know it that you are poore aged folks your eyes are sunke into your heads the nostrels are shut the haires are white the hearing is lost the tongue faultereth the teeth fall the face is wrinkled the feete swolne and the stomacke cold Finally I say that if the graue could speake as vnto his Subiects by iustice he might commaund you to inhabite his house It is great pitty of the yong men and of their youthfull ignorance for then vnto such their eies are not opened to know the mishaps of this miserable life when cruell death doth end their dayes and adiorneth them to the graue Plato in his booke of the Common wealth sayde that in vaine wee giue good counsels to fond and light young men for youth is without experience of that it knoweth suspitious of that it heareth incredible of that is tolde him despising the counsell of an other and very poore of his own For so much as this is true that I tell you Claude and Claudine that without comparison the ignorance which the young haue of the good is not so much but the obstination which the olde hath in the euill is more For the mortall Gods many times doe dissemble with a thousand offences commited by ignorance but they neuer forgiue the offence perpetrated by malice O Claude and Claudine I doe not maruell that you doe forget the gods as you doe which created you and your Fathers which begot you and your parents which haue loued you and your friends which haue honoured you but that which I most maruell at is that you forget your selues For you neuer consider what you ought to bee vntill such time as you bee there where you would not bee and that without power to returne backe againe Awake awake since you are drowned in your dreames open your eyes since you sleepe so much accustome your selues to trauels sithence you are vagabonds learne that which behoueth you since now you are olde I meane that in time conuenient you agree with death before he make execution of life Fifty two yeeres haue I knowne the things of the world and yet I neuer saw a Woman so aged thorough yeares nor old man with members so feeble that for want of strength could not if they list doe good nor yet for the same occasion should leaue to bee euill if they list to be euill It is a maruellous thing to see and worthy to note that all the corporall members of Man waxeth old but the inward hart and the outward tongue For the heart is alwayes giuen to inuent euills and the tongue is alwayes able to tell Lyes Mine opinion is that the pleasaunt Summer beeing past you should prepare your selues for the vntemperate winter which is at hand And if you haue but fewe dayes to continue you should make hast to take vp your lodging I meane that sith you haue passed the dayes of your life with trauell you should prepare your selues against the night of death to be in the hauen of rest Let mockeryes passe as mockeries and accept trueth as truth that is to say that it were a very iust thing and also for your honour necessarie that all shose which in times past haue seen you young and foolish should now in your age see you graue and sage For there is nothing that so much forgetteth the lightnesse and follyes of youth as doth grauity and constancie in Age. When the Knight runneth his carriere they blame him not for that the Horses mane is not finely combed but at the end of his race he shold see his horse amended and looked vnto What greater confusion can be to any person or greater slaunder to our mother Rome then to see that which now a dayes therein we see That is to say that the old which can scarcely creepe through the streetes to beholde the playes and games as young men which search for nought else but onely pompe and vanitie It grieueth mee to speake it but I am much more ashamed to see that the olde Romaines do daylie cause the white haires to be plucked out of their heads because they would not seeme old to make their beard small to seem yong wearing their hosen very close their shyrts open before the gowne of the Senatour embrodered the Romane signe richly enamelled the
valiant but all these giftes are but meanes to make them vicious And in such case if the Fathers would bee gouerned by my counsell I would rather desire that members should want in them then that vices should abound Of the most fairest children which are borne in the Empire my sonne Commodus the Prince is one But I would to the immortall Gods that in face hee resemble the blackest of Ethiope and in manners the greatest Philosopher of Greece For the glory of the Father is not nor ought not to bee in that his child is fayre of complexion and handsome of person but that in his life hee bee very vpright Wee will not call him a pittifull Father but a great enemy who exalteth forth his child for that he is faire and doth not correct him though hee be vicious I durst say that the father which hath a child endued with many goodly gifts and that hee doth employ them all to vices such a child ought not to bee borne in the world and if perchance he were borne hee ought immediately to be buried CHAP. LIII The Emperour Marcus Aurelius concludeth his matter and sheweth that sondry young Princes for being vicious haue vndone themselues and empouerished their Realms O What great pitty is it to see how the father buyeth his child of the gods with sighes how the mother deliuers thē with pain how they both nourish them with trauels how they watch to sustain them how they labour to remedy them afterwards they haue so rebelled and be so vicious that the miserable Fathers oftentimes do die not for age but for the griefes wherewith their children torment them I doe remember that the Prince Commodus my sonne beeing young and I aged as I am with great paines we kept him from vices but I feare that after my death hee will hate vertues I remember many yong Princes which of his age haue inherited th' Empire of Rome who haue bin of so wicked a life that they haue deserued to loose both honour and life I remember Dennys the famous tyraunt of Scycile of whom is saide that as great reward hee gaue to those that inuented vices as our Mother Rome did to those which cōquered realms Such worke could not be but of a tyraunt to take them for most familiar which are most vicious I remember foure young Princes which gouerned the Empyre but not with such valiauntnes as the great Alexander that is to say Alexander Antiochus Syluius and Ptholomeus vnto whom for their vanity and lightnes as they called Alexander the Great Emperour in Greece so likewise do they call these young men tyrants in Asia Very happie was Alexander in life and they vnhappy after his death For all that which with glorious triumphs hee wanne with vile vices they lost So that Alexander deuided betweene them foure the worlde and afterwards it came into the handes of moe then foure hundreth I doe remember that king Antigonus little esteemed that which cost his Lorde Alexander much Hee was so light in the behauiour of his person and so defamed in the affayres of the Common-wealth that for mockerie and contempt in the steed of a crown of golde hee bare a garland in the steed of a scepter hee carryed nettles in his hand and of this sort and manner he sate to iudge among his counsellors vsed to talke with strangers This yong Prince doth offend me much for the lightnes he committed but much more I maruell at the grauitie of the Sages of Greece which suffered him It is but meete hee be partaker of the paine which condescended to the faulte I do remember Caligula the fourth Emperor of Rome who was so young and foolish that I doubt of these two things which was greatest in his time That is to say The disobedience that the people bare to their Lorde or the hate which the Lord bare to his people For that vnhappie creature was so disordered in his manners that if all the Romaines had not watched to take life from him hee would haue watched to take life from them This Caligula wore a brooche of gold in his cap wherein were written these wordes Vtinam omnis populus vnam precise ceruicem haberet vt vno ictu omnes necarem Which is to say would to God all the people had but one necke to the ende I might kill them all at a stroke I remember the Emperour Tiberius th'adoptiue sonne of the good Caesar Augustus which was called Augustus because hee greatly augmented the Empyre But the good Emperor did not so much augment the state of his Common-wealth during his life as Tyberius did diminish it after his death The hate and malice which the Romain people bare to Tiberius in his life was manifestly discouered after the time of his death For the day that Tyberius dyed or better to say when they killed him the Romaine people made great processions and the Senators offered great presents in the temples and the priests gaue great Sacrifices to their Gods and all to the end their gods shold not receiue the soule of this Tyraunt amongst them but that they would sende it to be kept among the Furyes of hell I remember Patrocles 2. K. of Corinth inherited the realm at xxii yeres of his age who was so disordred of his flesh so indiscret in his doings so couetous of goods such a coward of his person that wher his father had possessed the Realm 40. yeres the sonne did not possesse it thirtie moneths I remember Tarquine the prowde who though among eight Knights of Rome was the last and comlyest of gesture valiaunt in Armes Noblest of bloud and in giuing most liberall yet he employed all his gifts and grace◠which the Gods had giuen him euill For hee employed his beautie to ryot and his forces to tyrannie For through the treason villanie which hee committed with the Romaine Lucretia he did not only lose the realme and flying saued his life but also for euer was banished and all his Linage likewise I remember the cruell Emperour Nero who liued inherited and dyed young and not without a cause I say that hee liued and dyed young For in him was graffed the stocke of the noble worthie Caesars and in him was renued the memory of those tyrants To whom thinkest thou Panutius this Tyrant would haue giuen life since he with his owne hand gaue his Mother her death Tell mee I pray thee who thinkest thou hath made that cursed heart who slewe his Mother out of whose wombe he came opened the breasts which gaue him sucke Shedde the bloud wher of he was born Tore the armes in which hee was carryed saw the entrails wherin he was formed The day that the Emperour Nero slewe his mother an Orator said in the Senate Iure interficienda erat Agrippina qua tale portentum peperit in populo Romano Which is to say iustly deserued Agrippina to bee put to death which brought forth
beginner ender of all things God the giuer of all things Laert. de antiq Graec. The wisdome of Bias the Philosopher Bias the occasion of peace Laert de antiq Graec. Certaine questions resolued by Byas Laws made by Byas God the Creator of all things Rewards 〈…〉 to the 〈…〉 the wicked The mercifull goodnes of God How God punisheth ingratitude Leuit. 10. God the onely ruler of all estates The iust iudgement of God The permission of God The plague of God vpon Idolaters 2. Reg. 6. A good admonition for all Estates Babylon besieged The stout resolution of Pirius The reward due to those that contemne God A good caneat for Magistrates The wickednes of Ahab The punishment of Ahab What mischiefe followes the contemners of God The cruelty of Pompeius The punishment of sacriledge The pride of Xerxes euerthrown The misrable end of Brennus The valour of Gracian What maketh a man to be respected in this world Gracian chosen Emperour The heresie of Arian The description of a religious man The cruelty of Valente The duety of euery good Prince The folly and ouersight of the Emperour The miserable end of the Emperour Valentinian A custome among the Romanes The duty of euery good Christian The description of the Emperour Valentinian The saying of Seneca The death of the Emperour The wisedome and discretion of young Gracian The olde Prouerbe not alwayes true The Oration of the Emperour The duety of euery good Souldier The tyranny of Thyrmus The death of Thyrmus The wickednes of Valent. The death of Theodosius The iudgement of God The lawes ordained by the Counsel of Hyponense What is required of euery true Christian No respect of persons with God Man may purpose but God disposeth The speech of Appolonius A wort saving 〈◊〉 worthie obseruation What we lost by the fall of Adam The difference of opinions The soule mistresse of the body What is required in the gouernemēt of the common wealth God suffereth euill Gouernors for the offences of the people 1 Reg. 8. The folly of youth The power and 〈…〉 of a King The folly of men How much we are boūd to pray vnto God for good Gouernors The gouernment of Rome The care of Princes The reason why warres first began How seruitude began The first tyrant that euer was Belus the first inuentor of wars The mutability of the World God made al things for the vse of man What man loft by Adams fall A warning for all sorts of people Nothing so sure as death The reason wee haue to obey our Prince The pride of Alexander A compendious reprehension How wee ought to iudge of men The propertie of a tyrant In what true Honor consisteth How a Prince must winne honour How true honour is wonne The propertie of a wise man What mean a wise man should vse The greedy desires of man neuer satisfied The man is happie that hath content How a man ought to conceyue of himselfe The lawes of the Garamantes What gifts God bestoweth vp on Princes aboue other men What is required in a Prince What time Thales the Philosopher flourished Thales the first that found out the North starre Questions resolued by Thaks Princes and Magistrates supporters of the common wealth The description of Plutarch The authoritie of Princes What is most requisite in the Common wealth God the only letter vp of Princes Man differeth from all other creatures What benfite cōmeth by a good Prince Good lawes ordayned What the Prince ought to do The King compared to the Common wealth The King the onely head of all The death of Iulius Caesar A Prince ought not to be sparing in words What is required in a Prince for the gouernment of the Common-wealth The commendations of the Emperour Alexander Scue us The feasts of the Romanes The duty of euery good Christian An ancient custome in Rome An other custome in Rome Nothing so hurtfull as an enuious tongne Enuse an enemie to vertue The prayse of Marcus Aurelius Patience ouercommeth many matters True patience described The property of a wise man The replye of the Emperour How a Prince ought to behaue himselfe The Court neuer without flatterers The loue of the prince to his people The fondnes of our time Pride the ouerthrow of great personages Pride the fall of many great men Tarquine noted of vnthankfullnes The punishment of Tarqui The miserable end of euill Gouernours The true patterne of a vertuous Prince A true saying of Homer A description of a perfect friend What pleasure it is to remember dāgers past Two good properties of Marcus Aurelius The Epitaph of Periander An vsuall custome among all Nations Diuers laws made by to Periander the tyrant The punishment of ingratitude The commendation of Phylosophy The battell betweene the Athenians and Lysander The pouerty of the Philosophers of Athens The small hope of the wicked The Philosopher Aeschilus described Aeschilus the first inuenter of Tragedies Aeschilus his opinion wherein the felicity of this life consisted Wherein true felicity consisteth Of the Philosopher Zeno. The strength of Zeno. Wherein felicity consisteth No respect of persons with God The opinion of Anacharsis The felicity of the Sarmatians The Epitaph of Lucius Pius An ancient custome in Rome Warres in Greece euer since the destruction of Troy Idlenes and pastimes hated by the philosopher Crates the Philosopher Estilpho Simonides Archita Gorgias Chrysippus Antistenes Sophocles Euripides Palemon Themistocles Aristides Heraclitus No perfect felicity in this world A description of the City of Thebes Strabo de situ orbis A Law among the Aegyptians By the example of the Thebanes is shewed the duty of euery Christian An in humane custome among the Thebans Beauty the mother of vices Time the consumer of al things The smalest creatures profitable in the commonwealth What folly it is for man not to regard his own soule The vertue of the mind beautifieth the whole body The deformity of Iulius Caesar The valiant deeds of Hanniball The description of Alexander The letter of Marcus Aurelius What offence comes by much talke Learning well regarin ancient times An euill man a wicked member in a common-wealth How children should be brought The description of a yong man The of the wicked The office of death What death is The miserable estate of man The counsell of wise men euer respected among the Ancients What is required of euery Magistrate What hurt commeth by euill Counsellors What benefite proceedeth frō good Councellors Time best spent in the seruice of God How little wisedome now a dayes is regarded Youth subiect to many vices How circumspect Princes ought to be 〈…〉 Theodosius The duety of euery good Christian The loue of a master to his seruants The fault of many Princes The inconstancy of the world The younger sort must accompany with the vertuous Proud and ambitious men ought not to gouerne Plin lib. de nat hist The description of Cresus The godly minde of Cresus The letter of king Cresus The description
works as moueth vs rather to pitty their follie then to enuie their vertue I aske of those that reade or heare this thing if they will be in loue with Nembroth the first Tyrant with Semiramis which sinned with her owne sonne with Antenor that betrayed Troy his countrey with Medea that slew her children with Tarquine that enforced Lucretia with Brutus that slew Caesar with Sylla that shed so much bloud with Catilina that played the Tyrant in his countrey with Iugurtha that strangled his brethren with Caligula that committed incest with his sisters with Nero that killed his mother with Heliogabalus that robbed the Temples with Domitian that in nothing delighted so much as by straunge handes to put men to death and to driue away flyes with his owne hands Small is the number of those that I haue spoken in respect of those which I could recite of whom I dare say and affirme that if I had beene as they I cannot tell what I would haue done or what I should haue desired but this I know it would haue beene more paines to mee to haue wonne that infamie which they haue wonne then to haue loste the life which they haue lost It profiteth him little to haue his Ponds full of fish and his parkes full of Deere which knoweth neyther how to hunt nor how to fish I meane to shewe by this that it profiteth a man little to be in great auctoritie if hee be not esteemed nor honoured in the same For to attaine to honour wisedome is requisite and to keepe it patience is necessarie With great considerations wise men ought to enterprise daungerous things For I assure them they shall neuer winne honour but where they vse to recouer slander Returning therefore to our matter puissant Prince I sweare and durst vndertake that you rather desire perpetuall renowme through death then any idle rest in this life And hereof I doe not maruell for there are some that shall alwayes declare the prowesses of good Princes and others which will not spare to open the vices of euill tyrants For althogh your Imperial estate is much and your Catholike person deserueth more yet I beleeue with my heart and see with these eyes that your thoughts are so highly bent vnto aduenturous deedes and your heart so couragious to set vpon them that your Maiesty little esteemeth the inheritance of your predecessors in respect of that you hope to gaine to leaue to your successors A Captaine asked Iulius Caesar as he declareth in his Commentaries why he trauelled in the Winter in so hard frost and in the summer in such extreame heate Hee aunswered I will doe what lyeth in mee to doe and afterward let the fatall destinies doe what they can For the valiant knight that giueth in battel the onset ought more to bee esteemed then fickle fortune whereby the victory is obtained since fortune giueth the one and aduentur guideth the other These words are spoken like a stout and valiant Captaine of Rome Of how many Princes doe we reade whom truely I much lament to see what flatteries they haue heard with their eares being aliue and to reade what slaunders they haue sustained after their death Princes and greate Lordes should haue more regard to that which is spoken in their absence then to that which is done in their presence not to that which they heare but to that which they would not heare not to that which they tell them but to that which they would not bee told of not to that which is written vnto them beeing aliue but to that which is written of them after their death not to those that tell them lyes but to those which if they durst would tell them truth For men many times refrayne not their tongues for that Subiects bee not credited but because the Prince in his authority is suspected The Noble and vertuous Prince should not flitte from the truth wherof hee is certified neyther with flatteries and lyes should he suffer himselfe to bee deceyued but to examine himselfe and see whether they serue him with truth or deceyue him with lyes For there is no better witnes and iudge of truth and lyes then is a mans owne conscience I haue spoken all this to the entent your Maiesty might know that I will not serue you with that you should not bee serued That is for to shew my selfe in my Writing a flatterer For it were neyther meete nor honest that flatteries into the eares of such a noble Prince should enter neyther that out of my mouth which teach the truth such vaine tales should issue I say I had rather bee dispraysed for true speaking then to bee honoured for flattery and lying For of truth in your Highnesse it should bee much lightnesse for to heare them and in my basenesse great wickednesse to inuent them Now againe following our purpose I say the Histories greatly doe commend Lycurgus that gaue lawes to the Lacedemonians Numa Pompilius that honoured and addorned the Churches Marcus Marcellus that had pitty and compassion on those which were ouercome Iulius Caesar that forgaue his enemies Octautus that was so welbeloued of the people Alexander that gaue rewardes and gifts to all men Hector the Troian became hee was so valiant in wars Hercules the Thebane because hee employed his strength so well Vlisses the Grecian because hee aduentured himselfe in so many dangers Pyrrhus king of Epirotes because hee inuented so many engines Catullns Regulus because he suffred so many torments Titus the Emperour because he was father to the Orphanes Traianus because he edified sumptuous goodly buildings The good Marcus Aurelius because he knew more then al they I doe not say that it is requisit for one Prince in these dayes to haue in him all those qualities but I dare be bolde for to affirme this that euen as it is vnpossible for one Prince to follow all so likewise it is a great slaunder for him to follow none Wee doe not require Princes to doe all that they can but for to apply themselues to do som thing that they ought And I speake not without a cause that which I haue sayde before For if Princes did occupie themselues as they ought to doe they should haue no time to be vicious Plinie sayeth in an Epistle that the great Cato called Censor did weare a Ring vpon his finger wherein was written these words Esto amicus vnius inimicus nullius which is be friend to one and enemy to none He that would deepely consider these few words shall finde therein many graue sentences And to apply this to my purpose I say the Prince that would well gouerne his common weale shew to all equall iustice desire to possesse a quiet life to get among all a good fame and that coueteth to leaue of himselfe a perpetuall memorie ought to embrace the vertues of one and to reiect the vices of all I allow it very wel that Princes should bee equall
much as I might nor studyed so much as I ought yet notwithstanding all that I haue read hath not caused me to muse so much as the doctrine of Marcus Aurelius hath sith that in the mouth of an heathen God hath put such a great treasure The greatest part of all his works were in Greeke yet hee wrote also many in Latine I haue drawn this out of Greeke through the helpe of my friends and afterwards out of latine into our vulgar toung by the trauell of my hands Let all men iudge what I haue suffered in drawing it out of Greeke into Latine out of the Latine into the vulgar and out of a plaine vulgar into a sweete and pleasant Stile For that banquet is not counted sumptuous vnlesse there be both pleasant meates and sauoury sauces To call sentences to minde to place the wordes to examine languages to correct sillables What swet I haue suffered in the hote summer what bitter colde in the sharpe winter what abstinence from meats when I desired for to eate what watching in the night when I would haue slept What cares I haue suffered in stead of rest that I might haue enioyed Let other proue if mee they will not credit The intention of my painefull trauels I offer vnto the diuine Maiesty vpon my knees and to your Highnesse most Noble Prince I present this my worke and do most humbly beseech the omnipotent and eternall GOD that the Doctrine of this Booke may bee as profitable vnto you and to the common wealth in your Life as it hath beene vnto me tedious and hinderance to my health I haue thought it very good to offer to your Maiestie the effect of my labours though you peraduenture will little regarde my paines for the requiring of my travell and rewarde of my good will I require nought else of your Highnesse but that the rudenesse of my vnderstanding the basenesse of my Stile the smalnesse of my eloquence the euill order of my sentences the vanity of my words bee no occasion why so excellent and goodly worke should bee little regarded For it is not reason that a good Horse should bee the lesse esteemed for that the Rider knoweth not how to make him runne his carrere I haue done what I could doe do you now that you ought to doe in giuing to this present worke grauity and to mee the Interpretor thereof authority I say no more but humbly doe beseech God to maintaine your estimation and power in earth and that you may afterward enioy the fruition of his Diuine presence in Heauen The End of the Authors Prologue THE ARGVMENT OF THE BOOKE CALled THE DIALL OF PRINCES Wherein the Authour declareth his Intention and manner of proceeding ARchimenedes the great and famous Philosopher to whom Marcus Marcellus for his knowledge sake granted life and after vsing Nigromancy deserued death being demanded what time was sayde That Time was the inuentor of all nouelies and a Register certaine of Antiquities which seeth of it selfe the beginning the middest the ending of all things And finally time is he that endeth all No man can deny but the definition of this Philosopher is true for if Time could speake he would certifie vs of sundry things wherin we doubt and declare them as a witnes of sight Admit all things perish and haue an end yet one thing is exempted and neuer hath end which is truth that amongst all things is priuiledged in such wise that shee triumpheth of time and not time of her For according to the diuine saying It shal bee more easie to see heauen and earth fall then once truth to perish There is nothing so entier but may bee diminished nothing so healthfull but may bee diseased nothing so strong but may bee broken neyther any thing so wel kept but may be corrupted And finally I say There is nothing but by time is ruled gouerned saue onely truth which is subiect to none The fruits of the Spring time haue no force to giue sustenance nor perfect sweetnesse to giue any fauour but after that the Summer is past and haruest commeth they ripe and then all that wee e ate nourisheth more giueth a better taste I meane by this when the world began to haue wise men the more Philosophers were esteemed for their good manners the more they deserued to bee reproued for their euill vnderstanding Plato in his second booke of the Common-wealth sayde That the auncient Philosophers as well Greekes as Egyptians and Caldees which first began to behold the starres of heauen and ascended to the toppe of the mount Olimpus to view the influences and motions of the Planets of the earth deserued rather pardon of their ignorance then prayse for theyr knowledge Plato sayde further that the Philosophers which were before vs were the first that gaue themselus to search out the truth of the Elements in the Heauen and the first which sowed errors in thinges naturall of the earth Homer in his Ilyades agreeing with Plato saieth I condemne all that the auncient phylosophers knewe but I greatly commend them for that they desired to know Certes Homer saide well and Plato saide not amisse for if amongst the first Phylosophers this ignorance had not raigned there had not beene such contrary Sects in euery Schoole He that hath read not the books which are lost but the opinions which the auncient Phylosophers had will graunt mee though the knowledge were one yet their sects were diuerse that is to say Cinici Stoyci Academici Platonici and Epicurei which were as variable the one from the other in their opinions as they were repugnant in their conditions I will not neither reason requireth that my Pen should bee so dismeasured as to reprooue those which are dead for to giue the glory all onely to them that are aliue For the one of them knew not all neyther were the other ignorant of all If hee deserue thanks that sheweth mee the way whereby I ought to goe no lesse then meriteth hee which warneth mee of that place wherein wee may erre The ignorance of our fore-Fathers was but a guide to keepe vs from erring for the errour of them shewed vs the Trueth to their much praise and to our great shame Therefore I dare boldly say If wee that are now had been then wee had knowne lesse then they knewe And if those were now which were then they would haue knowne more then we know And that this is true it appeareth well for that the auncient Phylosophers through the great desire they had to knowe the Truth of small and large wayes the which wee now will not see nor yet walke therein Wherefore wee haue not so much cause to be wayle their ignoraunce as they had reason to complaine of our negligence For truth which is as Aulus Gellius saith the daughter of Time hath reuealed vnto vs the errours which wee ought to eschewe and the true doctrines which wee ought to follow
against the Romaines who without cause or reason had conquered his Countrey Approouing mainifestly that through offending the Gods they had thus preuayled And the Oration is diuided into chapt 3. fol. 362. ch 4. fol 366. And ch 5. f 366 That Princes and Noble-men ought to be very circumspect in choyce of their Iudges and Officers because therein consisteth the benefite of the weale publique chapt 6. fol 373 Of a Letter which the Emperour Marcus Aurelius wrote to his friend Antigonus answering an other which hee sent him out of Scicile concerning the crueltie exercised by the Romaine Iudges The letter is diuided in chap 7. fol 379. cha 8. fol. 381. chap 9. fol. 385 chapt 10. fo 387 cha 11. fol. 391 An exhortation of the Authour vnto great Princes and Noble-men to embrace peace and to auoyde all occasions of warre chap 12 fol. 394 Of the commodities which ensue by peace declaring that diuers Princes vppon light occasions haue made cruell warres chap 13 fol. 397 The Emperour Marcus Aurelius wryteth to his friende Cornelius wherein hee describeth the discomodities which come by warres and the vanitie of Triumphes Chap 14 fol. 406 Marcus Aurelius proceedeth on further in his letter declaring the order which the Romains vsed in setting forth their men of warre And of the outragious villainyes which Captaines and Souldiours vse in warre chap 15 fo 408 The Emperours further pursuite in the same letter shewing what great dammages haue ensued by warre begun with strange and forraigne Realmes ch 16 fo 409 Ad admonition of the Author to Princes and great Lordes to the intent that the more they growe in yeares the more they stād bound to refrain frō vices ch 17. 415 That Princes whē they are aged should be temperate in eating sober in drinking modest in apparel aboue al things else true in their cōmunication ch 18. fo 418 Of a letter written by the Emperour M. Aurelius to Claudius Claudinus reprouing them being olde men because they liued ouer youthfully chap 19 fo 423 A prosecution of the Emperours letter perswading Claudius and Claudinus beeing now aged to giue no more credite to the world nor to any of his deceiptfull flatteries chap 20. fol 430 A further continuation of the Emperour in the same Letter approouing by good reasons that in regard aged persons will bee serued and honoured of younger people they ought therefore to be more vertuous and honest then they of younger degree chap 21. fol 433 The Emperours conclusion of his Letter shewing what perills those olde men liue in that dissolutely like young Children spend their dayes And he giueth wholesome councell vnto them for better means and remedy therof ch 22. 438 How Princes ought to take heede that they bee not noted guiltie of Auarice because the Couetous man is hated both of God and man ch 24 441 Great reasons to discommend the vices of couetous men ch 24 444 Of a letter which the Emperour Marcus Aurelius wrote to his friend Cincinnatus who being a Romaine Knight became a Marchaunt of Capua reproouing such Gentlemen as take vppon them the trade of Marchaundise contrarie to their owne vocation declaring what vertuous men ought to vse and the vices which they ought to shunne instructing also how to despise the vanities of the world And although a man bee neuer so wise yet hee shall haue neede of another mans councell ch 25. fol 447. c. 26. fo 449. c. 27. 451. A perswasion to Princes great Lords to shunne couetousnes and to become liberall bountifull which vertue should alwayes appertaine to a Royall personage chap 28 fol. 454 A perswasion to Gentlemen and such as follow Armes not to abase themselues for gaynes-sake in taking vpon them any vile office or function ch 29 458 Of a Letter which the Emperour wrote to his Neighbour Mercurius a Marchant of Samia instructing men in those daungers which ensue by traffique on the Seas and the couetousnes of them that Trauell by Land chap 30 461 The conclusion of the Emperours Letter reprouing Mercurius because he tooke thought for the losse of his goods Shewing him the nature of Fortune and conditions of couetous men ch 31 fol 464 That Princes and Noble-men ought to consider the miserie of mans nature And that brute Beasts are in some pointes reason excepted to bee preferred with men chapt 32. fol. 466 A further comparison of the miseryes of men with the liberty of beasts ch 33. 469 A letter of the Emperour M. Aurelius to Domitius a cittizen of Capua comforting him in his Exile being banished for a quarrell betweene him and an other about the running of a Horse Comfortable for such as haue bin in great fauour afterward falne into disgrace ch 34 fo 474 That princes and Noble men ought to be aduocates for widdowes fathers of Orphans and helpes to the comfortlesse chap. 35 479 That the troubles sorrowes and griefes of widdows are much greater then those of Widdowers wherefore Princes and Noble men ought to haue more compassion vpon such women then men ch 36 fol. 462 Of a letter which the Emperour Marcus Aurelius wrote to a Romane Lady named Lauinia comforting her in her husbands death ch 37 486 A perswasion to widdowes to depend onely vpon Gods will and exhorting them to liue honestly chap. 38 489 That Princes and Noble men ought to despise the world because there is nothing in it but plaine deceit ch 39 493 A vehement inuectiue against the deceites of the world with a further proofe by strong and weightie reasons perswading all men that liue in the world not to trust it or any thing therein verefied by a letter of the Emperour to his friend Torquatus chap. 40. 41. 42. fol. 498. 501. 504 Princes and Nobles ought not to beare with Iuglers Iesters parasites and cōmon players nor with any such kind of rascals and loyterers And of the Lawes which the Romanes made especially on that behalfe chap. 43 507 How some Iesters were punished by our graue Ancients and of the Iesters loyterers in our time chap 44. 510 Of a letter which the Emperour wrote to Lambartus his friend then Gouernour of Hellespont certifying him that hee had banished from Rome all fooles and loy terieg players a notable lesson for them that keepe counterfeit fooles in their houses chap. 45 514 Marcus Aurelius proceedeth on in his letter declaring how he found the Sepulchres in Hellespont of many learned philosophers whereunto he sent all those loiterers chap. 46 517 The Letters conclusion relating the cause and time why and when Iuglers Iesters were admitted into Rome ch 47. 520 How Princes and Noble men ought to remember that they are mortall and must die with notable consolations against the feare of death chap. 48. 522 Of the death of the Emperour Marcus Aurelius and how there are few friendes that dare speake the truth to sicke men chap. 40 527 Of the comfortable wordes which the Secretarie Panutius spake to the
is no other then gold amongst the rust a rose amongst the thorns come amongst the chaffe mary amongst the bones Margarites amongest the peble-stones a holy soule amongst the rotten flesh a Phoenix in the Cage a shippe rocking in the raging Seas which the more shee is beaten the faster shee sayleth And there is no Realme so little nor no man of so little fauour but when other doe persecute him hee is by his friends parents and defendors fauoured and succoured so that many times those which thinke to destroy are destroyed and those which seeme to take their part were their chiefest enemies Doth not that proceede of the great secret of God For though God suffered the wicked to be wicked a while God will not therefore suffer that one euill man procure another to doe euill The Palestines and those of Hierusalem had not for their principall enemies but the Chaldeans and the Chaldeans had for their enemies the Idumeans the Idumeans the Assyrians the Assyrians the Persians the Persians the Ariginians the Ariginians the Athenians the Athenians had for their principall enemies the Lacedemonians and the Lacedemonians the Sydonians the Sidonians the Rhodians and the Rhodians the Scythians the Scythians the Hunnes the Hunnes had the Alaines the Alaines the Sweuians the Sweuians the Vandales the Vandales the Valerians the Valerians the Sardinians the Sardinians the Africanes the Africanes the Romanes the Romans the Dacians the Dacians the Gothes the Gothes the Frenchmen the Frenchmen the Spaniards and the Spaniards the Mores And of all these Realmes the one hath persecuted the other And not all one but our holy mother the Church hath alwayes been oppressed and persecuted with those realms and hath beene succoured of none but of Iesu Christ onely and he hath euer succoured and defended it well For the things that God taketh charge of although all the world were against thē in the end it is impossible for them to perish CHAP. X. How there is but one true God and how happy these Realmes are which haue a good Christian to their King and how the Gentiles affirme that good Princes after their death were changed into Gods and the wicked into Diuels which the Authour proueth by sundry examples ALthough the common opinion of the simple people was that there was many gods yet notwithstanding al the Philosophers affirmed that there was but one God who of some was named Iupiter the which was chiefe aboue all other Gods Others called him the first intelligence for that hee had created all the World Others called him the first cause because hee was the beginner of all things It seemeth that Aristotle vnderstood this thing and was of this opinion forasmuch as he sayth in his 12. booke of his Metaphysickes All superiour and inferiour things would bee well ordered and many things much better by the arbitrement of one then by the aduise of many Marcus Varro in his booke De Theologia mistica and Cicero in his booke De natura Deorum although these were Gentiles and curious enough of the Temples yet they doe mocke the Gentiles which beleeued there were many Gods and that Mars and Mercury and likewise Iupiter and the whole flocke of Gods which the Gentiles set vp were all mortall men as we are But because they knew not that there were good bad Angells nor knew not that there was any Paradise to reward the good nor Hell to torment the euill They held this opinion that good men after their death were Gods and euill men deuils And not contented with these foolish abuses the Deuill brought them into such an errour that they thought it consisted in the Senates power to make some Gods and other Deuils For when there dyed at Rome any Emperour if he had been well affected of the Senate immediately hee was honoured for a God and if hee dyed in displeasure of the Senate hee was condemned for a Deuill And to the end we doe not speake by fauour but by writing Herodian saith that Faustine was the daughter of Antoninus Pius and wife of Marcus Aurelius which were Emperours the one after the other And truely there were few eyther of their Predecessors or of their Successors which were so good as they were and in mine opinion none more better And therefore was shee made a Goddesse and her father a God An Emperour that coueteth perpetuall memory must note 5. things which he should haue in his life That is to say pure in life vpright in iustice aduenturous in feates of Armes excellent in knowledge and welbeloued in his Prouinces which vertues were in these two excellent Emperours This Empresse Faustine was passing fayre and Writers prayse her beauty in such sort that they sayd it was impossible for her to bee so beautiful but that the Gods had placed some diuine matter in her Yet notwithstanding this added thereunto it is doubtfull whether the beauty of her face was more praysed or the dishonesty of her life discommended For her beauty maruelously amased those that saw her and her dishonesty offended them much that knew her Yet after the Emperour Marcus Aurelius had triumphed ouer the Parthians as he went visiting the Prouinces of Asia that goodly Faustine in foure dayes dyed at the mount Taurus by occasion of a burning Feuer and so annealed was caryed to Rome And since shee was the daughter of so good a Father and wife of so dearly beloued an Emperour amongst the Goddesses shee was canonized but considering her vnconstant or rather incontinent life it was neuer thought that the Romaines would haue done her so much honour Wherefore the Emperour reioyced so much that he neuer ceased to render thankes vnto the Senate For truely a benefit ought to be acceptable to him that receyueth it especially when it commeth vnlooked for The contrarie came to the death of Tiberius third Emperour of Rome which was not onely killed drawne through the streetes by the Romaines but also the Priests of all the temples assembled together and openly prayed vnto the gods that they would not receyue him to them and prayed to the Infernall Furies that greeuouslie they would torment him saying It is iustly required that the Tyrant which disprayseth the life of the good in this Life should haue no place amongst the good after his death Leauing the common Opinion of the rude people which in the old time had no knowledge of the true GOD and declaring the opinion of Aristotle who called God the first cause the opinion of the Stoyckes which called him the first Intelligence and the opinion of Cicero who vnder the colour of Iupiter putteth none other God but him I say and confesse according to the religion of Christian Faith there is but one onely GOD which is the Creatour of Heauen and Earth whose excellency and puissant Maiestie is little to that our tongue cā speake For our vnderstanding can not vnderstand nor our iudgement can determine
nor to come to so high an estate For those which by vertues deserue great Dignities are but fewe and sewer are those which attaine vnto them though they deserue them But if this matter be iudged according to sensualitie I tell you truely Dame Augusta that I thought not onely to deserue it but also I thought to come vnto it And hereof maruell not for it is an infallible rule Where least desert is often-times there is most presumption You say you esteemed mee for a wise man and that by wisedome I could ouer-come any difficult or disordinate appetite To this I answere that you knewe my wisedome either in mine owne busines or else in other mens affaires If in other mens affaires where it did cost mee nought I was alwayes a louer of iustice For there is no man in the world so euill that doth not desire if it bee without his owne cost to be counted liberall But if you iudge mee Dame Augusta on mine owne businesse giue not too light credit For I will that you know there is no man so iust nor of so cleare a iudgement that doth not shewe himselfe fraile in matters which touch his owne interest You say that men which haue their thoughts high and their Fortunes base liue alwayes a pensiue life Truely it is as you say But in mine opinion as the members of the bodyes are but instruments of the minde so is it necessary for men to haue quicke and sharpe wittes if they will not be negligent For if Alexander Pyrrhus Iulius Caesar Scipio and Hanniball had not beene high minded they had neuer bene as they were so Famous Noble and stoute Princes I let you vnderstand most Noble Princesse that men are not to be esteemed as lost for hauing theyr thoughtes high nor yet for hauing their hearts couragious neither for being hardie and stout but they are vndone because they beginne things through folly pursue them without wisedome and atchieue them without discretion For Noblemen enterprising great things ought not to employ theyr force as their noble heart willeth but as wisedome and reason teacheth You say you maruell why I waste the Treasures without care which Iustinian and you gathered together with great paine Now to this I answere you ought not to maruell if all the Treasours you heaped together of so long time were spent and consumed in one day For there is an ancient Malediction on riches hidden and Treasours buryed which Epimenides casteth out saying these words All the Treasours hoorded vp by the Couetous shall bee wasted by the Prodigall You say Through that I wast in fewe dayes you shall haue neither to giue to waste nor yet to eate at the yeares ende To this I answere most gracious Princesse that if you had beene as ready to relieue the Poore as you and Iustinian were diligent to robbe the rich then you should iustly haue complained and I worthily might well haue had iust cause to repent Till now wee haue not seene but that of the Rich you haue made Poore and notwithstanding this yet you haue not gotten enough to builde an Hospitall for the Poore You say that Princes to resist theyr enemyes had neede of great Treasures To this I answer if Princes be proud greedy and of strange Realmes ambicious it is most certaine that they had need of great substances and Treasours to accomplish and maintaine theyr disordinate appetties For the enae of a tyran nous Princâ—â—s that he careth not whether by hooke or by crooke hee make himselfe rich in his life But if the Prince be or will be a man reposed quiet vertuou patient peaceable and 〈◊〉 couetous of the goods of an other man what need hath he of great treasurs For to speake truly in Princes houses there is more offence in that which aduaunceth then in that which wanteth I will not waste many wordes in answering sith I am much more liberal of deeds then of wordes But to conclude that there is no Prince which in vertuous deedes wasteth so much but if hee will hee may spend much more For in the ende Princes become not poore for spending their goods and Treasours vpon necessaries but for making waste vpon things superfluous And take this word for all that for this hee shall not be the poorer but rather the richer For most certainely it is a generall rule in Christian Religion that God will giue more to his Seruants in one houre then they will waste in 20. yeares Iustinian beeing Emperour 11 yeares who being a Foole and very obstinate in the heresie of the Pelagians dyed to the great offence of the Romaine people whose death was as much desired as his life abhorred For the Tyrannous Prince that maketh many weeping eyes in his life shall cause many reioycing bearts at his death Iustinian being dead Tiberius was elected Emperour who gouerned the Empire through so great wisedome and Iustice that no man was able to reproue him if the Hystories in his time did not deceyue vs. For it seldome happeneth to a Prince to be as he was vpright in Iustice pure in life and cleane in Conscience For fewe are those Princes which of some vices are not noted Paulus Diaconus in his 18. booke of the Romaine Gests declareth a thing both strange and maruellous which besel vnto this Emperour at that time and very worthie to recite at this present And it was that in the Cittie of Constantinople the Romaine Emperours had a Pallace very sumptuous and beseming the authoritie of the Imperiall maiestie which was begun in the time of Constantine the Great and afterwardes as the succession of good and euil Emperors was so were the Buyldings decayed or repayred For it is the deede of a vertuous Prince to abolish vices of the Common-wealth and to make great and sumptuous buildings in his countrey This Emperour Tiberius had spent much of his substance and Treasour for the redeeming of poore captiues to build Hospitals to erect Monasteries to marry and prouide for the Orphares to sucour poore people and widdowes In this and such like hee was so prodigall that it came almost to passe that hee had nothing to eate in his Pallace And truely this was a blessed necessity For Catholike Princes ought to think that wel imployed which in the Seruice of Christ is bestowed And hereof this Emperour was not ashamed but he thought it a great honour and that which onely grieued him was to see the Empresse reioyce so much at his misery For the High and Noble hearts which feele themselnes wounded do not so much esteeme their owne payne as they do to see their enemyes reioyce at theyr griefe God neuer forsooke them that for his sake became poore as appeareth by this It chanced one day that euen as the Emperor Tiberius walked in the middest of his Pallace he saw at his feete a Marble-stone which was in forme of the Crosse of the Redeemer of the world And because it had
resisted if it be not by wise men and graue counsells The sixt was What thing that is wherein men are praised to be negligent and that is in choosing of Friendes Hee answered In one thing onely men haue licence to be negligent Slowly ought thy Friends to bee chosen and they neuer after for any thing ought to be forsaken The seuenth was What is that which the afflicted man doth most desire Byas answered It is the chaunce of Fortune and the thing which the prosperous man doth most abhorre is to thinke that Fortune is somutable For the vnfortunate man hopeth for euery chaunge of Fortune to be made better and the wealthy man feareth through euery change to be depriued of his bouse These were the Questions which the Philosophers demaunded of Byas in the Playes of the Mount Olympus in the 60. Olympiade The Phylosopher Byas liued about 95. yeares and as he drewe neere his death the Prienenses shewing themselues to be maruellous sorrowfull for the losse of such a famous man desired him earnestly to ordayne some lawes whereby they might know how to choose Captaines or some Prince which after him might guide and gouerne the Realme The Phylosopher Byas vnderstanding their honest and iust requests he with his best counsell and aduisement gaue them certaine wholsome Lawes in fewe wordes which followe And of these Lawes the diuine Plato maketh mention in his Booke De Legibus and likewise Aristotle in the booke of Oecenomices The Lawes which BIAS gvue to the Prienenses WEe ordayne and command that no man bee chosen to bee Prince among the people vnlesse hee bee at least forty yeares of age For gouernours ought to be of such age that neyther youth nor small experience should cause them to erre in their affayres nor weakenesse thorow ouermuch age should hinder them from taking paines Wee ordayne and commaund that none bee chosen amongst the Prienenses Gouernour if hee bee not well learned in the Greeke Letters For there is no greater plague in the publike weale then for him to lacke wisedome which gouerneth the same Wee ordayne and commaund that there bee none amongst the Prienenses chosen Gouernour vnlesse hee hath beene brought vp in the warres ten yeares at the least for hee alone doth know how precious a thing peace is which by experience hath felt the extreame miseries of warre Wee ordayne and commaund that if any haue beene noted to bee cruell that hee bee not chosen for Gouernour of the people for that man which is cruell is likely to be a Tyrant Wee ordaine and commaund that if the Gouernor of the Prienenses bee so hardy or dare presume to breake the auncient lawes of the people that in such case hee be depriued from the office of the Gouernour and likewise exiled from the people For there is nothing that destroyeth sooner a publike-Weale then to ordaine new and fond lawes to breake the good auncient Customes Wee ordaine and commaund that the Gouernour of the Prienenses doe worship and honour the Gods and that hee bee a louer of the sacred Temples For otherwise hee that honoureth not God will neuer minister equall iustice vnto men Wee ordaine and command that the Prince of Prienenses bee contented with the warres which his Auncesters left him and that he doe not forget newe matters to inuade any other strange Countries and if perchance he would that no man in this case bee bound neyther with money nor in person to follow or serue him For the God Apollo told mee that that man which wil take another mans goods from him by force shall loose his owne Iustice Wee ordaine and command that the Gouernour of the Prienenses go to pray and worship the Gods twice in the weeke and likewise to visite them in the Temples and if hee doe the contrary he shall not onely bee depriued of the gouernement but also after his death he shall not bee buried For the Prince that honoreth not God in time of his life deserueth not his bones should bee honoured with sepnlture after his death CHAP XXII How God from the beginning punished men by his iustice and especially those Princes that despise his Church and how all wicked Christians are Parishioners of Hell WHen the Eternall Creatour who measureth all the things by his Omnipotency and weigheth them by his effectuall wisedome created all things aswell celestiall as terrestriall visible as inuisible corporate as incorporate not onely promised to the good which serued him but also threatned the euil with plagues which offended him For the iustice and mercy of GOD goe alwayes together to the intent the one should encourage the good and the other threaten the euill This thing seemeth to bee true for that wee haue but one GOD which hath created but one World wherein hee made but one Garden in the which Garden there was but one Fountaine and neere to that Fountaine he appointed onely one man one woman and one Serpent neere vnto which was also one tree only forbidden which is a thing maruellous to speake and no lesse fearefull to see how God did put into the terrestriall Paradise the same day that the creation of the World was finished both a sword and a gybet The gybet was the tree forbidden whereof they did eate Wherefore our Fathers were condemned And the sword was the penishment wherwith wee all as miserable children at this day are beheaded for truely they did eate the bitternesse of theyr fault and we doe feele the griefe of their paine I meane to shew how our God by his power doth rayse vp that which is beaten downe how with his wisedome he guideth those which are blind how by his will hee dissembleth with the euill doers neyther wil I tell how hee through his clemency pardoneth the offences and through his light lightneth the darkenesse nor how through his righteousnesse hee amendeth that which is broken and through his liberality payeth more then wee deserue But I will here declare at large how our omnipotent God through his iustice chastiseth those which walke not in his pathes O Lord God how sure may thy faithfull seruants be for their small seruices to receyue great rewards and contrary the euill ought alwayes to liue in as great feare lest for their hainous offences thou shouldest giue them cruell punishments for though God of his bounty will not leaue any seruice vnrewarded nor of his iustice will omit any euill vnpunished yet for all that wee ought to know that aboue all and more then all hee will rigorously chastice those which maliciously despise the Catholike faith For Christ thinketh himselfe as much iniured of those which persecute his Church as of those that layd handes on his person to put him to death We reade that in times past God shewed sundry grieuous and cruell punishments to diuers high Lords and Princes besides other famous renowned men But rigour had neuer such power in his hand as it had against those which honored
was not the sobrest in drinking wine commaunded all the cups of gold siluer with the treasure hee had to be brought and set on the table because all the bidden guests should drinke therein King Balthasar did this to the end the Princes and Lords with al his Captains should manfully helpe him to defend the Siege and also to shew that hee had much treasure to pay them for their paines For to say the truth there is nothing that encourageth men of warre more then to see their reward before their eyes As they were drinking merily at the banquet of these cups which Nabuchodonozar had robbed from the Temple of Hierusalem suddenly by the power of God and the desert of his offences there appeared a hand in the wall without a body or arme which with his fingers wrote these words Mane Thetel Phares which signifieth O King Balthasar God hath seene thy life and findeth that thy malice is now accomplished Hee hath commaunded that thou and thy Realme should bee weighed and hath found that there lacketh a great deale of iust weight wherfore he commaundeth that thy life for thine offences bee taken from thee and that thy Realme bee put into the hands of the Persians and Medes which are thine enemies This vision was not frustrare for the same night without any longer delay the execution of the sentence was put in effect by the enemies The King Balthasar dyed the Realme was lost the treasures were robbed the Noble men taken and al the Chaldeans captiues I would now know sith Balthasar was so extreamely punished onely for giuing his Concubines friends drinke in the sacred cups what paine deserueth Princes and Prelates then which robbe the Churches for prophane things how wicked soeuer Balthasar was yet hee neuer chaunged gaue sold nor engaged the treasures of the Synagogue but what shall wee say and speake of Prelates which without any shame waste change sell and spend the Church goods I take it to be lesser offence to giue drinke in a Chalice as King Balthasar did to one of his Concubines then to enter into the Church by Symony as many do now a daies This Tyrant was ouercome more by folly then by couetousnesse but these others are vanquished with folly couetousnes and Symony What meaneth this also that for the offence of Nabuchodonozar in Ierusalem his sonne Balthasar should come and bee punished For this truely mee thinke not consonant to reason nor agreeable to mans Lawe that the Father should commit the Theft and the sonne should requite it with seuen double To this I answer That the good child is bound to restore all the goods that his Father hath left him euill gotten For hee that enioyeth the theft deserueth no lesse punishment then hee that committeth the theft For in the end both are theeues and deserue to bee hanged on the gallows of the diuine iustice Why King Ahab was punished IN the fifth Booke of Malachie that is to say in the third booke of Kings the 8. Chapter It is declared that Asa being King of Iudea and prophesying in Ierusalem at the time Omri was King of Israel and after him succeeded Ahab his sonne being of the age of 22 yeares This Ahab was not onely young of yeares but younger of vnderstanding and was numbred among the wicked Kings not onely euill but too euil for the Scriptures doe vse to call them by names infamed whose liues deserued no memory The vices of this King Ahab were sundry and diuers whereof I will declare some as hereafter followeth First of all hee followed altogether the life and steps of the King Ieroboam who was the first that entised the children of Israel to commit Idolatrie which thing turned to great reproach and infamy For the Prince erreth not imitating the pathes of the good but offendeth in following the wayes of the euill Secondarily this King Ahab married the daughter of the King of the Idumeans whose name was Iezabel which was of the stocke of the Gentiles and he of the Hebrewes And for a truth the marriage was vnaduisedly considered for sage Princes should take wiues conformable to their lawes and conditions vnlesse they wil repent themselus afterwards Thirdly hee built againe the City of Hierico which by the commaundement of God was destroyed and cōmanded that vpon grieuous pains it should not bee reedefied againe because the offences that were therein committed were so great that the Inhabitants did not onely deserue to lose their liues but also that in Hierico there should not one stone remaine vpon another Fourthly King Ahab built a sumptuous Temple to the Idol Baal in the City of Samaria and consecrated a wood vnto him which he had very pleasant and set in the Temple his Image of fine gold so that in the raign of this cursed King Baal the wicked Idol was so highly esteemed that not onely secretly but also openly they blasphemed the true liuing God The case was such that one day Ahab going against the King of Syria to take him and his City called Ramoth Gilead being in battell was shot into the brest with an arrow wherewith he not onely lost his life but also the dogges did lap vp his bloud that fell to the earth O Princes and great Lords if you will giue credite vnto mee you shall haue nothing more in recommendation then to bee good Christians Sith yee see that as this Prince in his life did serue strange Idols so it was reason that after his death his bloud should bee buried in the entrals of rauenous dogs why King Manasses was punished THe King Manasses was the sonne of Ezechias and Father of Amō which were all Kinges And truly they differed so much in manners and conditions that a man could scarcely iudge whether the vertues and prowesses of the Father were more to be desired or the vice and wickednesse of the children to bee abhorred This Manasses was a wicked Prince for as much as he built new Temples to Baal and in the Cities made Hermitages for the Idols and in the mountaines repayred all the Altars that heretofore were consecrated to the Deuill Hee consecrated many Forrests and Woods to the Idolls he honoured the Starres as the Gods did sacrifice to the Planets and Elements for the man that is abandoned by the hand of God there is no wickednesse that his obstinate heart doth not enterprise So that hee had in his Pallace all manner of false Prophets as Southsayers Prophesiers Witches Sorcerers Enchaunters and Coniurers the which dayly hee caused to giue sacrifice to the Idols and gaue such credite to Sorcerers and Inchaunters that his seruants were all for the most part Sorcerers and in them was his chiefe delight and pleasure And likewise he was skilfull in all kind of mischiefe and ignorant in all vertues He was so cruell and spilt so much innocent bloud that if it had beene water put together and the bodies of them that he slew layd
the Realme of Thracia which then was subiect to the Romanes And the Emperour Valente without any couenant receiued them into his land wherein hee committed great folly and vsed little wisedome for it is a generall rule where rebels vagabonds strangers come to inhabite there the Realme and dominions is destroyed The Gothes remained certain yeares among them without any dissention or quarrelling against the Romaines but afterwards through the couetousnes of Maximus chiefe Captain of the Romaines who denyed the Gothes of their prouision which so long time remained Friendes arose betweene them so cruell warres that it was the occasion of the losse and vtter vndoing both of Rome and of all Italie For truly there is no enmity doth somuch hurt as that of Friends when they fall out at discord The Warres now being kindled the Gothes were scattred through the Kingdome of Thrace and they left no Forte but they battered downe they came to no Townes Villages nor Cities but they sacked and spoyled They tooke no Women but they forced and rauished they entred into no house but they robbed Finally the Gothes in short time shewed the poison that they had against the Romans let no man maruell that the Gothes committed so many cruel and hainous facts sith we that are Christians doe commit dayly greater offences For among rebels it is a common errour that that which they rob in the warres they say they are not bound to restore in peace The Emperor Valente was then in the citie of Antioch and sith he had assembled there a great armie and had great aide out of Italy he determined himselfe in person to goe into the campe of the Romans and to giue the onset against the Gothes wherein hee shewed himselfe more bold then wise for a Prince in battael caÌ„ do no more then one man nor fight more then one man and if he die he is the occasion of the death and destruction of them all When both the hosts of the Romaines and the Gothes ioyned there was betweene them a cruell and mortall fight so that in the first brunt the Gothes shewed themselues so valiant that they put to flight the Romans horsemen leauing their footemen alone in great ieopardie the which in short space after were discomfited and slaine not one left aliue For the barbarous sware that that day the Gothes should all die or else vtterly they would destroy the name of the Romanes And in this first charge the Emperour Valente was mortally wounded who perceyuing he had his deathes wound and that the battell was lost hee determined to flye and saue himselfe but when fortune beginneth to persecute any man shee leaueth him not vntill shee see him dead or beaten downe without recouery Therefore as this wicked Emperour thinking to saue himselfe came into a sheepecote the enemies seeing him in the end set fire on the shepecote and burnt him aliue So in one day hee loft his person his life his honour and his Empire For it is meete that Princes and great Lords should lift vp their eyes to consider well the Historie of Valente that they stray not from the Catholike Faith that they dishonour not Gods Ministers and maintaine heresyes For as this accursed Emperour Valente for his wicked doings was condignely punished by the hands of Almighty God So let them be assured the selfe same God will not pardon their offences For it is a rule infallible That that Prince which is not a good Christian shal fall into the hands of his cruell enemies CHAP. XXV Of the Emperor Valentinian and Gracian his Sonne which raigned in the time of Saint Ambrose which because they were good Christians were alwayes fortunate and that God giueth victory vnto Princes more through the teares of them that pray then thorow the weapons of those that fight IAlentinian and Valent were brethren and the eldest of them was Valentinian who succeeded in the Empire after the death of his Father to bee Pretor of the Armies For amongst the Romaines there was a Law in vre that if the Father dyed in the fauour of the people of right the sonne without any other demand was heyre This Valentinian was a lusty yong man of a sanguine complexion and of his body well shaped and aboue all hee was a good Christian and of all the people generally welbeloued For nothing adorneth the noble man more then to bee counted ciuill and courteous of behauiour At that time when the Emperour Iulian persecuted most the Christians Valentinian was Pretour of the Armies and when Iulian was aduertised that Valentinian was a Christian hee sent vnto him and bad him doe sacrifice to the Idols of the Romane Emperor or else to forsake the office of his Pretorship Iulian would gladly haue killed Valentinian but he durst not for it was a Law inuiolable amongst the Romanes that no Citizen should be put to death without the decree of the Senate Valentinian receyuing the message of this Emperour Iulian aduertised of his will which was to renounce his faith or to leaue his office hee did not onely resigne his office but therewithall forgaue the Emperour all the money hee ought him for arrerages of his sernice And because hee would liue with a more quiet conscience he went from Rome into a Cloyster where hee banished himselfe for two yeares and a halfe for this hee was highly esteemed and commended For it is a good signe That man is a good Christian which of his owne free will renounceth worldly goods Shortly after it happened that Iulian the Emperour went to conquere the Realme of Persia where in a battell hee was very sore wounded and fell downe dead in the present place For to the mishaps of Fortune the Emperour with all his estate and pleasures is as much subiect as is the poorest man that lieth in the streetes When the newes came to Rome that Iulian was dead by the consent of all Valentinian was created Emperour so that hee being banished for Christs sake was called againe and crowned Prince of the Romane Empire Let no man care to loose all that hee possesseth let no man weigh to see himselfe despised for Christes sake For in the end men cannot in a thousand yeeres so much abase vs as God in one houre can exalt vs. In the same yeare which was from the foundation of Rome â—119 in a City called Atrobata it rained very fine wooll so that all the City became rich In the same yeare in the City of Constantinople it hayled such great stones that they killed many men left no heards in the fields aliue At that same time there came an Earthquake throughout Italy and so likewise in Sicille that many houses fell and slew sundry persons and aboue all the sea rose in such sort that it drowned many Cities nigh thereunto Paulus Diaconus in the 11. booke De Legibus Romanorum sayeth that the Emperour Valentinian was of a subtill wit of
his mone to God of his griefe and God hearing his complaints said vnto him Samuel Be not sad nor lament not for their demaunding a King as they doe they doe not mislike thy person but they disprayse my prouidence and maruell not though they forsake thy children for they are somewhat too young sith they haue forsaken mee their God and worship false Idols Sith they demaund a King I haue determined to giue them one but first tell to them the conditions of the King which are these The King whom I will giue you shall take your Children with your Charriots and beasts and shall send them loaden with burdens And yet therewith not contented hee shall make your children poastes by the way Tribunes and Centurions in his Battells and shal make them labourers and gardeners in his gardens he shal make them sow his seeds paste his bread and furbish his harnes and Armor You shall haue besides both delicate and tender daughters the which you shall little enioy For the King that I will giue you shall commaund them to keepe and attend those that are wounded in the wars hee shall make them Cookes in his Pallace and Caters of his expences The King that I will giue you if hee handle your Sonnes and Daughters euil much worse hee will handle your goods For on the beasts and fertile Fieldes that you haue his Heard shall feede he shal gather the best grapes of your vines he shall choose of your Oliue trees the best olyues and oyles And if any fruit afterwards remaine in your fieldes hee will they shall bee gathered not by you but of his workemen And afterwards the King that I wil giue you shal oppresse you much more For of euery pecke of corne you shal giue him one of ten sheepe you must needes giue him one so that of all things which you shal gather against your wils you shal giue the tenth Of your Slaues the King shall be serued sooner then you and he shall take all your Oxen that labour and trauaile in your owne Possessions and shall bring them to plough in his owne ground and tenements So that you shall pay tribute the King shall take his owne profit for the wealth and commoditie of his Pallace And all this which I haue rehearsed before the King shall haue whom I will giue you The Historie which here I haue declared is not Ouid nor yet the Eglogges of Virgil nor yet the fayning of Homer but it is the sentence and the very word of God O mortall ignoraunce that wee demaund and know not why nor wherefore to whom nor where neither whē wee demaund which causeth men to runne into sundry errours For fewe men are so wise that they offend not in choosing and that they can aske with reason The Hebrewes asked as they thinke the better and GOD giueth them the worse they aske one to gouern them and God giueth them a Tyrant to destroy them they aske one that should maintaine them in Iustice and hee threatneth them with tyrannie they require one that shuld giue them and hee giueth them one which robbeth them They require one to deliuer them from bondage hee ordaineth one to keepe them as slaues And finally the Hebrewes trusting to be deliured of their Iudges which ruled not according to their appetits God shal giue thē a king that shal take away their goods from them by force Oh how many times ought wee to pray vnto GOD to giue vs Princes in our Common-wealth and Prelates in our Churches which doe knowe how to gouerne vs and minister vnto vs not according to the weight of our soule but according to the measure of his mercie Plato saith in the first booke of lawes that one of the most Excellent lawes which the Siciones had in theyr Prouince was to keepe their Cities that they should not chaunge nor alter any thing therein Truely those Barbarous were sage in theyr doing and Plato was very discreete to commende them therein For nothing destroyeth a Common-wealth sooner then to suffer chaunges ofttimes therein All these things seemed to bee true in the Hebrues the which in their gouernment were very rash and vndiscrete For first they gouerned themselues by Patriarckes as Abraham was After they were gouerned by Prophets as Moses By Captaines as Iosuab by Iudges as Gedeon by Kings as Dauid and after they gouerned themselues by Byshops as Abdias was and in the ende the Hebrewes not contented with all these GOD suffered that they should fal into the hāds of Antichus Ptholomeus Herodes all Tirants This punishment fell according to the iust iudgement of God vpon them for theyr offences for it was euen meete that they that would not enioy the pleasant libertie of Iudea should taste the cruell seruitude of Babylon The condition which chaunced in the gouernment to the vnconstant Hebrewes the same happened vnto the proud Romains The which in the beginning of their Empire were gouerned by Kings afterwards by x. men Then by the Consuls so by the Dictators by the Censors and afterwards by the Tribunes and Senators and in the ende they came to be gouerned by Emperours and tyrannous Princes The Romaines inuented all these alterations in their gouernmēts for none other cause but to see whether they could be deliuered from the commaundement of another For the Romains in this case were so proud harted that they had rather dye in libertie then liue in captiuitie God had so ordained it and their wofull case did so promise it when they were aboue all other Kings and Realmes of the Earth that then the slaue should be obedient to his yrons and the subiect should acknowledge the homage to his Master And though that subiects doe moue warres though Kings also do winne Realms and Emperors conquer Empires yet wil they or nill they both great and small should acknowledge themselues for seruants For during the time of our fleshly life we can neuer withdraw our selue from the yoke of seruitude And say not you Princes for that you are puissant Princes that you are exempted from seruitude of men For without doubt it is a thing more vntollerable to haue theyr hearts burdened with thoughts then their necks loden with yrons If a slaue be good they take from him some yrons but to you that are Princes the greater you are the greater cares you haue For the prince that for his Common-wealth taketh care hath not one momēt of an houre quiet A slaue hopeth to be deliuered in his life but you cannot looke to be deliuered till after your death They lay yrons on the slaue by weight but thoughts burden you without measure For the wofull hart is more burdened with one houre of care then the body is pressed with twēty pound of yron A slaue or prisoner if hee be alone many times fyleth off his yrons but you Princes when you are alone are more grieuously tormented with thoughts For solitary
places are Arbours and Gardeins to wofull and heauie hearts A slaue hath nothing to care for but himselfe alone but you that be princes haue to satisfie and please all men For the Prince should haue a time for himselfe and also for those which are about him The diuine Plato said well that hee that should haue the least parte of a Prince and belonging to a Prince ought to be the Prince himselfe For to that ende the Prince should bee all his owne he ought to haue no part in himselfe Though a slaue work trauel in the day yet he sleepes without care in the night but you Princes passe the time in hearing importunate suites and the nights in fetching innumerable sighs Finally I say that in a slaue be it well or be it euill all his paine is finished in one yeare or is ended at his death but what shall a wofull Prince doe when he dyeth If he were good there is but a short memory of his goodnesse and if hee hath beene euill his infamy shall neuer haue end I haue spoken these things to the end that great and small Lords and seruants should confesse and acknowledge the true Seigniory to be onely vnto him who for to make vs Lords aboue became a seruant heere beneath CHAP. XXX When the Tyrants beganne to ratgne and vpon what occasion commaunding and obeying first begann And how the authority which the Prince hath is by the ordinance of God CEasing to speake any further of the Poeticall Histories and auncient faynings and speaking the truth according to the diuine Histories the first that did liue in this World was our Father Adam who did eate of the fruite forbidden and that not so much for to trespasse the commaundement of one as for not to displease his wife Eue For many now a dayes had rather suffer theyr conscience a long time to bee infected then one onely day to see theyr wiues displeased The first homicide of the worlde was Caine The first that dyed in the World was Abel The first that had two wiues in the World was Lamech The first City of the World was by Enoch built in the fields of Edon The first Musition was Tubalcaim The first which sayled in the World was Noe The first Tyrant of the World was Nembroth The first Priest was Melcrisedech The first King of the World was Anraphel The first Duke was Moyses The first which was called Emperour in the World was Iulius Caesar For vntill this time they which gouerned were called Consuls Censors and Dictators And from Iulius Caesars hitherto haue beene called Emperours The first battell that was giuen in the world as wee reade was in the wilde valleyes which now they call the dead and salt sea For a great part of that that then was the maine land is novv the dead sea The holy Scriptures cannot deceyue vs for it is full of all truth and by them it is declared that eighteene hundred yeares after the World beganne there was no battell assembled nor company that met to fight in the field for at that time when they had no ambition nor couetousnesse they knew not what battell meant It is reason therefore that in this writing we declare the cause why the first battell was fought in the world to the end Princes may thereof bee aduertised and the curious Reader remaine therein satisfied The manner was this that Bassa being King of Sodome Bersa King of Gomorrhe Senaab King of Adamee Semebar King of Seboime and Vale King of Segor were all fiue Tributaries to Chodor Lanmor King of the Elamites which fiue Kings conspired against him because they would pay him no tribute and because that they would acknowledge no homage vnto him For the realmes paying tribute haue alwayes rebelled and sowed sedition This rebellion was in the 13 yeare of the raigne of Chodor Laomor King of the Elamites and immediately the yeare following Anraphel king of Sernaar Arioch king of Ponte and Aradal King of the Allotali ioyned with Chodor Laomor All which together beganne to make warres to destroy Cities and Countries vpon their enemies For the olde malice of the warre is That where they cannot haue their enemies which are in the fault they put to sacke and destroy those which are innocent and guiltlesse So the one assaulting and the other desending in the end all come to the field they gaue battell as two enemies and the greatest part was ouercome of the fewest and the fewest remayned victorious ouer the greatest which thing God would suffer in the first battell of the world to the end Princes might take example that all the mishappes of the Warres come not but because they are begun of an vniust occasion If Chodor Laomor had helde himselfe contented as his Predecessors did and that hee had not conquered Realmes in making them subiect and had not caused them to pay tribute neyther they vnto him would haue denyed reason nor hee with them would haue waged battell For thorow the couetousnesse of the one and the ambition of the other enmities grew betweene the people This considered which wee haue spoken of Sygnorie and of those which came into contentions for signories Let vs now see from whence the first originall of seruitude came and the names of seruantes and Lordes which were in the old time and whether seruitude was by the discorde of vertuous men first brought into the World or else inuented by the ambition of tyrants for when the one commaundeth and the other obeyeth it is one of the nouelties of the world as the holy Scripture declareth vnto vs in this manner The holy Patriarch Noah had three sons which were Sam Ham and Iaphet and the second sonne which was Ham begot Cusn and this Cusn begotte Nimrod Nimrod made himselfe a Hunter of wilde beasts in the woodes and mountaines Hee was the first that beganne to play the Tyrant amongst men enforcing their persons and taking their goods and the Scripture called him Oppressor hominum which is to say an Oppressor of men For men of euill life alwaies commit much euill in a Common-wealth He taught the Chaldeans to honor the fire hee was the first that presumed to be an absolute Lord and the first that euer required of men homage and seruice This cursed tyrant ended his life in the golden World wherein all things were in common with the Common-wealth For the Auncients vsed their goods in common but their wils onely they reserued to themselues They ought not so thinke in a light matter for his persō to haue been a tyrant but they ought to think it a greater matter to haue beene a rebel in a Common-wealth much more they ought to esteeme it as an euill matter in him which hath beene as hee was a disturber of the good customes of his country but the most vniust of all is to leaue behind him any euil custom brought into the common wealth for if hee deserue great
in heauen he had been blessed but now he is in the world enuironed with cares and afterwards he shall bee throwne into his graue and gnawne of the Wormes Let vs now see the disobedience wee had in the commaundement of God and what fruit we haue gathered in the world For hee is very simple that dare commit any vice taking no delight nor pleasure thereof in his body In my opinion through the sinnes which our forefathers committed in Paradise the seruitude remaineth in vs their children which are on the earth For so much as if I enter into the water I drowne if I touch the fire I burne if I come neare a dogge hee biteth mee if I threaten a horse hee easteth mee if I resist the winde it bloweth me downe if I persecute the serpent hee spoyleth me if I smite the beare hee destroyeth me and to be briefe I say that the man that without pitty eateth men in his life the Worms shall eate his entrals in his life after his death O Princes and great Lords lode your selues with cloth of gold heape vp your great Treasures assemble many Armies inuent Iusts and turneis seeke pastimes and pleasures reuenge your selues of your enemies serue your selues with your subiects marry your children to mighty Kings and set them in great estate cause your selues to bee feared of your enemies imploy your bodies to all pleasures leaue great possessions to your heyres rayse sumptuous buildinges to leaue memory of your persons I sweare by him that shall iudge mee that I haue more compassion to see your sinfull soules then I haue enuy to see your vicious liues for in the end all pastimes will vanish away and they shall leaue you for a gage to the hungry wormes of the earth O if Princes did consider though they haue beene borne Princes created and nourished in great estates that the day they are borne death immediately commeth to seeke the end of their life and taketh them here and there when they are sicke now tumbling then rising hee neuer leaueth them one houre vntill their wofull buriall Therefore sith it is true as indeed it is that that which Princes possesse in this life is but small that which they hope in the other is so great Truely I maruell why Princes the which shall lye so straight in the graue dare lye in such and so great largenesse in their life To be rich to be Lords and to haue great estates men should not thereof at all bee proude since they see how frayle mans condition is for in the end life is but lone but death is enheritage Death is a patrimony and heritage which successiuely is inherited but life is a right which dayly is surrendered For death counteth vs so much his own that oft times vnawares hee commeth to assault vs life taketh vs such strangers that oft times we not doubting thereof it vanisheth away If this thing then bee true why will Princes and great Lords presume to commaund a strange house which is this life as in their owne house which is the graue Leauing aside the sayd opinions I say that for sinne onely scruitude came to dwell in vs and entered into the world for if there had beene no sinners wee ought to beleeue there had beene no Lords nor seruants For asmuch as seruitude generally entreth into this World through sinne I say that the Seigniory of Princes is by the diuine commaundement for he sayeth By mee the King doth gouerne and by mee the Prince doth minister Iustice I conclude in this sort with this reason That since it is true Princes are sent by the hands of God for to gouerne vs Wee are bound in all and for all to obey them for there is no greater plague in a publike weale then to be disobedient to the Prince CHAP. XXXII How King Alexander the great after hee had ouercome King Datius in Asia went to conquer the great Indea and of that which happned vnto him with the Garamantes and how the good life hath more power then any force of warre IN the yeare of the Creation of the World 4970. in the first age of the World and in the 4027. yeares of the foundation of Rome Iado being High Priest in Hierusalew Decius and Mamilius at Rome Consuls in the third yeare of the Monarchie of the Greekes Alexander the Great sonne to Philip King of Macedonia gaue the last battell to Darius King of Persia wherein King Alexander escaped very sore wounded and Darius slaine so that the whole Empire of the Persians came vnder the gouernment of the Greeks For the vnfortunate Princes do not onely lose their liues with which they came into the world but also the Realmes which they did inherite After that Darius was dead and Alexander saw himselfe Lord of the field and that the Persians and Medes were become subiect to the Grecians though many Kings and Lords dyed in those cruell batailes yet it seemed to Alexander a trifle to be Gouernor of all Asia wherefore he determined in person to goe conquere the great India For Proude and stoute hearts obtayning that which they desire immediately beginne to esteeme it as little All his Armies repayred and placing gouernours in all the Realme of Asia Alexander departed to conquere the great India for hee had promised sworne to his gods that through all the World there should be but one Empire and that that should be his and moreouer that hee would neuer passe thorow any strange Realme or Country but it should giue obedience vnto him or else forthwith hee would destroy it for tyrannous harts haue neuer any regard to the damage of another vntill they haue obtained their wicked desires Alexander then going to conquer Realmes and destroy Prouinces by chance one sayde vnto him That on the other side of the mountaine Riphei towards the partes of India was a barbarous Nation which were called Garamantes as yet neuer conquered by the Persians and Medes Romaines nor Greekes neyther any of them euer triumphed ouer them for they had no weapons nor esteemed them not sith they had no riches King Alexander who for to conquer and subdue Realmes and strange countreys was very diligent hardy and to see new things very desirous determined not onely to send to see that countrey but also to goe himselfe in person and in that place to leaue of him some Memoriall which thing forthwith he accomplished For hee left them Altares as Hercules left in Gades pillars For mans heart is so stout that it Trauelleth not onely to compare with manie but also to excell all The Embassadours of Alexander were sent to Garamantes to aduertise them of the comming of King Alexander the great of the terrible and cruell battells which he in the warres had ouercome and to declare vnto them how the puissant K Darius was slayne and that all Asia was vnder his subiection and how euery Citie did yeelde themselues against
whom he neyther lifted speare nor sword because all yeelded to his cōmandment With these and such other like things they would haue feared them for that words oft times maketh men more afraide especially when they are spoken of braue stoute men then doe the swords of cowards Lucius Bosco saith in his third booke of the antiquityes of the Grecians of whom the originall of this hystorie is drawne that after the Embassadours of Alexander had spoken to the Garamantes they were nothing at all troubled for the message neither did they fly away from Alexander nor they prepared any warre neyther tooke they in hand any weapon nor yet they did resist him Yea and the chiefest of all was that no man of the Countrey euer departed out of his house Finally they neyther answered the Ambassadors of Alexander to theyr right message nor yet spake one word vnto them concerning their coming And truly the Garamantes had reason therein and did in that right wisely For it is but meere follie for a man to perswade those men with words who enterprise any thing of will It is a maruellous matter to heare reported the hystories of these Garamantes that is to say that all theyr houses were of equall height all men were apparelled alike the one had no more authority then another in feeding they were no glouttons in drinking wine they were temperate concerning pleas and debates they were ignorant they would suffer no idle man to liue among them they had no weapons because they had no enemyes and generally they spake few words but that which they spake was alwayes true King Alexander being somwhat informed of those Garamantes and their life determined to send for them and called them before his presence and instantly desired them if they had any wise men among them to bring them vnto him and by writing or by word of mouth to speake somewhat vnto him For Alexander was such a friend to sage men that all the realms which he ouercame immediately he gaue to his men excepting the Sages which he kept for his owne person Quintus Curtius by king Alexander sayth that a Prince doth wel spende his treasors to conquer many Realms only to haue the conuersation of one wise man And truely he had reason for to princes it is more profit in their life to bee accompanied with Sages then after their deaths to leaue great treasours to their heires Certaine of those Garamantes thē being come before the presence of Alex the great one among them as they thoght the most ancientst himselfe alone the residue keeping silence in the name of them all spake these words CHAP. XXXIII Of an Oration which one of the Sages of Garamantia made vnto King Alexander a goodly lesson for all ambitious men IT is a custome king Alexander amongst vs Garamantes to speake seldome one to another scarsely neuer speake to strangers especially if they be busie and vnquiet men For the tongue of an euil man is no other but a plaine demonstration of his enuious heart When they tolde vs of thy comming into this countrey immediately wee determined not to goe out to receyue thee nor to prepare our selues to resist thee neyther to lifte vp our eyes to beholde thee nor to open our mouthes to salute thee neyther to moue our hands to trouble thee nor yee to make warre to offend thee For greater is the hate that we beare to riches and honours which thou louest then the loue is that thou hast to destroy men and subdue Countreyes which we abhorre It hath pleased thee we shuld see thee not desiring to see thee and wee haue obeied thee not willing to obey thee and that we should salute thee not desirous to salute thee wherewith wee are contented vppon condition that thou be patient to heare vs. For that which we will say vnto thee shall tend more vnto amendmēt of thy life then to disswade thee frō conquering our countrey For it is reason that Princes which shal come hereafter doe know why wee liuing so little esteeme that which is our owne and why thou dying takest such paines to possesse that which is another mans O Alexander I aske thee one thing and I doubt whether thou canst aunswer me thereunto or no For those hearts which are proud are also most commonly blinded Tell me whether thou goest from whence thou commest what thou meanest what thou thinkest what thou desirest what thou seekest what thou demandest what thou searchest and what thou procurest and further to what Realms Prouinces thy disordinate appetite extendeth Without a cause do I not demand thee this question what is that thou demandest and what it is that thou seekest For I think thou thy selfe knowest not what thou wouldest For proud and ambicious hearts know not what will satisfie them Sith thou art ambitious honor deceiueth thee sith thou art prodigall couetousnes beguyleth thee sith thou art yong ignorance abuseth thee and sith thou art proude all the world laugheth thee to scorne in such sort that thou followest men and not reason thou followest thine owne opinion and not the counsell of an other thou embracest flatterers and repulsest vertuous men For Princes and Noble men had rather bee commended with lyes thē to be reproued with truth I cannot tell to what ende you Princes liue so deceyued and abused to haue keepe in your pallaces more flattrers iuglers and fooles then wise and sage men For in a princes pallace if there bee any which extolleth theyr doings there are ten thousand which abhorre their tyrannies I perceiue by these deeds Alexander that the gods will sooner end thy life then then wilt end thy wars The man that is brought vp in debates discentions and strife all his felicitie consisteth in burning destroying and bloud shedding I see thee defended with weapōs I see thee accōpanied with tirants I see thee rob the tēples I se thee without profit wast the treasors I see thee murder the Innocent and trouble the patient I see thee euill willed of all and beloued of none which is the greatest euill of all euils Therefore how were it possible for thee to endure such and so great trauels vnlesse thou art a foole or else because God hath appointed it to chastice thee The Gods suffer oftentimes that men being quiet should haue some weighty affayres and that is not for that they should be honoured at this present but to the end they should be punished for that which is past Tell mee I pray thee peraduenture it is no great folly to empouerish many to make thy selfe alone rich It is not peraduenture folly that one should commaund by tyranny and that all the rest lose the possession of their Seigniory It is not folly perchance to loue to the damnation of our soules many memories in the world of our body It is not folly perchance that the Gods approue thy disordinate appetite alone and condemne the will and opinion of all the
World beside peraduenture it is not folly to winne with the tears of the poore and comfortlesse widdowes so great and bloudy victories peraduenture it is no folly willingly to wet the earth with the bloud of Innocents onely to haue a vaine glorie in this World Thou thinkest it no folly peraduenture God hauing diuided the World into so many people that thou shouldest vsurpe them to thee alone O Alexander Alexander truly such workes proceede not from a creature nourished among men on the earth but rather of one that hath beene brought vp among the infernall Furies of Hell for wee are not bound to iudge men by the good nature they haue but by their good and euill works which they do The man is cursed if hee haue not been cursed hee shal be cursed that liueth to the preiudice of all others in this world present onely to be counted couragious stoute and hardie in time to come For the gods seldome suffered them to enioy that quietly in peace which they haue gotten vniustly in the warres I would aske thee what insolencie moued thee to reuolte against the lord K. Darius after whose death thou hast sought to conquer all the world and thus thou doest not as a King that is an inhertitor but as a tyrant that is an oppressor For him properly we cal a tirant that without iustice reason taketh that which is another mans Eyther thou searchest iustic or thou searchest peace or else thou searchest riches and our honor Thou searchest rest or els thou searchest fauour of thy frends or thou searchest vengeance of thine enemies But I sweare vnto thee Alex that thou shalt not find any of all these things if thou seekest by this meanes as thou hast begun For the sweet Sugar is not of the nature of the bitter gumbe How shall wee belieue thou searchest iustice sith against reason and iustice by Tiranny thou rulest al the earth how shal we belieue thou searchest peace sith thou causest them to pay tribute which receiue thee and those which resist thee thou handlest thē like enemies How can we belieue that thou searchest rest sith thou troublest all the world How can wee belieue thou searchest gentiles sith thou art the scourge and sword of humaine frailnes how can we belieue that thou searchest riches sith thine owne Treasures suffiseth thee not neyther that which by thee vāquished cōmeth into thy hands nor that which the conque rors offer thee How shall we belieue thou searchest profit to thy friēds sith that of thy old friends thou hast made new enemies I let thee vnderstand Alex that the greatest ought to teache the least the least to obey the greatst And Friendship is onely amongst equalls But thou sith thou sufferest none in the World to bee equall and like vnto thee looke not thou to haue any Friend in the world For Princes oftentimes by ingratitude loose faithfull Friends and by ambition winne mortall enemies How shall we belieue thou searchest reuēge of thine enemies sith thou takest more vengeance of thy selfe beeing aliue then thine enemyes would take of thee if they tooke thee prisoner though perchance in times past they vsed thy Father Philip euill and haue now disobeyed thee his Sonne It were farre better counsel for thee to make them thy Friends by gentlenes then to confirme them Enemyes by crueltie For the Noble and pitifull harts when they are reuenged of any make of themselues a butcherie Wee cannot with truth say that thy Trauells are well employde to winne such honor sith thy conuersation and life is so vnconstant For truely honour consisteth not in that Flatterers say but in that which Lords doe For the great Familiaritie of the wicked causeth the life to be suspected Honour is not gotten by liberall giuing of Treasours at his death but by spending it well in his life For it is a sufficient profe that the man which esteemeth renowme doth little regard Money and it is an apparant token that man who little esteemeth Money greatly regardeth his renowme A man winneth not honor by murdering Innocents but by destroying Tyrants for all the harmony of the good gouernment of princes is in the chastising of the euil rewarding the good Honour is not wonne in taking and snatching the goods of an other but in giuing and spending his owne For there is nothing that beautifieth the Maiestie of a Prince more then for to shew his noblenes in extending mercie and fauour vnto his subiects and giuing gifts and rewards to the vertuous And to conclude I will let thee know who hee is that winneth true honour in this life and also a perpetuall memorie after his death and that is not hee which leadeth his life in Warres but hee that taketh his death in peace O Alexander I see thou art young and that thou desirst honour wherefore I let thee vnderstand that there is no man farther from true honor then hee which greedily procureth and desireth the same For the ambitious men not obtaining what they desire remaine alwaies defamed and in winning and getting that which they search true honour notwithstanding will not follow them Belieue mee in one thing Alexander that the most truest honor ought through worthie deedes to bee deserued and by no meanes to bee procured For all the honour which by tyrannie is wonne in the ende by infamy is lost I am sorrie for thee Alexander For I see thou wantest Iustice since thou louest Tyrannie I see thou lackest peace because thou louest warre I see thou art not Rich because thou hast made all the world poore I see thou lackest rest because thou seekest contention and debate I see thou hast no honour because thou winnest it by infamie I see thou wantest friends because thou hast made them thine enemies Finally I see thou doest not reuenge thy selfe of thine enemyes because thou art as they wold be the scourge to thy selfe Then since it is so why art thou aliue in this World sith thou lackest vertues for the which life ought to be desired For truely that man which without his owne profite and to the dammage of an other leadeth his life by Iustice ought forthwith to lose his breath For there is nothing that sooner destroyeth the Weale publike then to permit vnprofitable men therein to liue Therefore speaking the truth you Lords and Princes are but poore I beleeue thou conquerest the World because thou knowest not thy superiour therein and besides that thou wilt take life from so many to the end that by their death thou mayest win renowne If cruell and warlike Princes as thou art should inherite the liues of them whom they slay to augment prolong their liues as they doe inherite goods to maintaine their pride although it were vnmeete then warre were tollerable But what profiteth the seruant to lose his life this day and his Masters death to bee differred but vntill the morrow O Alexander to be desirous to
Common-wealth hee which is most worth shal be no more esteemed then the fingers or paring the nailes or the falling of an haire from the head Let euery man the fore liue in peace in his common-wealth and acknowledge obedience vnto his prince and he that will not do so away with him for euen as the onely offence proceedeth of him so let the onely paine rest vpon him For it is an old saying That hee that taketh vp the sword against his Maister will shortly after lay his head at his feete The second condition is To compare the King to the head because the head is the beginning of Mans life The most part of things that euer God created according to their natures worke their operations as in growing high and towards the heauens We see the vapors ascend high the Trees budde out on high the sourges of the Sea mount high and the nature of Fire is alwayes to ascend mount on high onely the miserable Man groweth downwards and is brought low by reason of the feeble and fraile flesh which is but Earth commeth of earth and liueth on earth and in the ende returneth to earth againe from whence he came Aristotle saith well That Man is as a Tree planted with the rootes vpwardes whose roote is the head and the stocke is the bodie the braunches are the armes the barcke is the Flesh the knoties are the bones the sappe is the heart which with the braine is the seate of the soule first liuing and last dying the rottennes is malice the gumme is loue the flowers are wordes and the Fruites are the good workes To make the man to goe vprightly his head should be where his feet are and the feete where the head is sith the head is the root and the feet are the bowes but in this case I sweare that we are correspondent to our beginning for it our flesh bee planted contrariwise so much more contrary we haue our life ordered Therefore concerning our matter I say that the Realme hath no lesse his beginning of the King then the King of the Realme which thing is plainely seene for that the King giueth lawes and institutions vnto a Realme and not the Realme to the King The gifts and benefits which the King giueth cōmeth to the realm and not from the Realme to the King To inuent wars to take truce to make peace to reward the good and to punish the euill proceedeth from the King to the Realme and not to the contrary For it appertaineth only to the Maiesty of a Prince to commaund and ordaine and to the common wealth to authorize and obeye him As in a great sumptuous building it is more dāgerous where one stone of the foundation doth fall thē when ten thousand tiles fall from the toppe so he ought more to bee blamed for one onely disobedience committed and done to the King and his iustice then for fiue thousand offences against the common wealth For wee haue seene of a little disobedience a great slander arise in a cōmon wealth O it is a goodly matter for a Prince to be beloued of his subiects and a goodly thing also for the Realme to be fearefull of their King for the king that is not loued of his Subiects cannot liue in peace or quiet therealm that is not fearefull of their King cannot be well gouerned The Realme Sicilia had alwayes mighty Princes and Gouernors for in ancient time it was gouerned by vertuous Princes or els by cruell and malicious tyrants In the time of Seuerus the Emperour there raigne◠in Cecil a King called Lelius Pius who had so many good things in him that throughout all the Empire hee was very well esteemed and chiefly for foure Lawes amongst others he ordayned in that Realme which were these following Wee ordaine that if amongst equall persons there bee any iniuries offered that they be punished or else that they be assembled for where enuy is rooted betweene two it profiteth more to recōncile their good willes then to punish their persons Wee ordaine that if the greatest bee offended by the least that such offence bee little reproued and well punished for the audacite and little shame and also the disobedience of the seruant to the master ought not to be reformed but by grieuous punishment We ordaine that if any resist or speake against the commandement of a Prince that presently without delay he suffer death before them all for they may boldly by the way of supplication reuerently declare their griefes and not by slaunder rebelliously disobey their Lords Wee ordaine that if any rayse the common wealth against the Prince hee that can first strike off his head may lawfully without fearing any daunger of punishment for his head is iustly taken from him that would there should be many heades in the common weale Of all this before spoken Herianus is the Authour in his fourth Booke of the Kinges of Sieile where hee putteth many and singular Lawes and Customes whith the Auncients had to the great confusion of those that be present For truely the Auncients did not onely exceede those that bee present in their works doings but also in speaking profound wordes Therefore returning to our matter mans life greatly trauelleth alwayes to defend the head in such sort that a man would rather suffer his hand to bee cut off then to suffer a wound to bee made in his head By this comparison I meane that a fault in a Common-wealth is a cut which cankereth and festereth but the disobedience to a Prince is a wound which forthwith killeth If a man did aske mee what vnion Princes should haue with their Common wealth I would answere them in this sort that the wealth of the King and Realme consisteth herein That the King should accompany with the good and banish the euill For it is vnpossible that the King should bee beloued of the Common-wealth if the company hee hath about him be reputed vicious Hee should also loue his Realme without dissimulation and the Realme should serue him vnfaynedly for the Common-wealth which knoweth it to bee beloued of their Prince shall not finde any thing too hard for his scruice Further that the King vse his Subiects as his children and that the Subiects serue him as a Father for generally the good Father cannot suffer his children to bee in danger neyther the good children will disobey their Father Also the King ought to bee iust in his commaundements and the subiects faithfull For if it bee a good thing in their seruices to liue vnder a iust Law it is much better to liue vnder a iust King Also the King ought to defend his Subiects from enemies and they ought well to pay him his tribute For the Prince who defendeth his people from enemies and tyranny worthily deserueth to be Lord of all their goods Also the King ought to keepe his Common-wealth in quiet and ought not to be presumptuous of his
wrathfull man able to hide his wrath for the heauy sighes are tokens of the sorrowfull heart and the words are those that disclose the malicious man Pulio sayeth in the first booke of Caesars that the Emperor Marcus Aurelius was very vertuous in all his works sage in knowledge iust in iudgment mercifull in punishment but aboue all things he was wise in dissembling and herein he was very discreet for there was neuer patient man but prospered well in all his affayres Wee see that through patience and wisedome many euill things become reasonable frō reasonable are broght to good from good to excellent The contrary hapneth to them that are moued more then they need for the man which is not patient looketh not yet for any good successe in his affayres thogh they are iust The Emperour Marcus oft times was wont to say that Iulius Caesar wan the Empire by the sword Augustus was Emperor by inheritance Caligula came to it because his father conquered Germany Nero gouerned it with tyranny Titus was Emperor for that he subdued Iury the good Traian came to the Empire by his clemency and vertue but I sayeth he obtained the Empire through patience onely for it is a greater patience to suffer the iniuries of the malitious then to dispute with the Sage in the Vniuersity And this Emperour sayde further in the gouernment of the Empire I haue profited more through patience then by science for science only profiteth for the quietnesse of the person but patience profiteth the person and the Commonwealth Iulius Capitolinus saith that the Emperor Antoninus Pius was a prince very pacient and in such sort that often times being in the Senate hee saw both those which loued him and also those that were against him with the people when they did rebell yet his patience was so great that neither his friends for the vnthankefulnesse of themselues remayned sad neyther his enemies for any displeasure by him done did at any time complain Meaning therefore in this Chapter to ioine the end with the beginning I say that as the Emperour Marcus Aurelius put himselfe among the captiues and that this deed in Rome of all men was commended The Senatour Fuluius could not refraine from speaking for that he had not the wit to endure it wherfore as it were scoffing he spake these words to the Emperour Lord I maruell why thou yeeldest thy selfe to all which thing for the reputation of the Empire cannot bee suffered for that it is not decent for thy Maiesty The Emperour Marcus Aurelius seeing hearing that in the presence of them all the Senator Fuluius spake vnto him these words he tooke it patiently with pleasant countenance sayde The Questions which the Senator Fuluius propoundeth let it bee for to morrow because my answere may bee the riper and his choller the quieter Therefore the next day following the Emperour Marcus came into the High Capitoll as Pulio declareth in the life of Marcus Aurelius and spake these words CHAP. XXXIX Of the answer the Emperour Marcus Aurelius made to the Senatour Fuluius before all the Senate being reproued of him for his familiaritie hee vsed to all contrary to the maiestie and authoritie of the Romane Emperour wherein he painteth enuious men FAthers Conscript and sacred Senate I would not yesterday answere to that which the Senator Fuluius spake vnto mee because it was somewhat late and for that wee were long in sacrifices I thought that neyther time nor place was conuenient to answere thereunto For it is a signe of a little wisdome and of great folly for a man to answere sodenly to euery question The liberty that vndiscreet men haue to demaund the selfe same priuiledge hath the Wise for to answere for though the demaund proceed of ignorance yet the answere ought to proceede of Wisedome Truly wise men were well at ease if to euery demaund they should answere the simple and malitious who for the most part demaund more to vexe other men then for to profite themselus more for to proue then to know wherefore Wise men ought to dissemble at such demaundes for the Sages ought to haue their eares open to heare and their tongue tyed because they should not speake I let you know ancient Fathers and sacred Senate that that little which I know I learned in the Isle of Rhodes in Naples in Capua and in Tharente And all Tutors tolde mee that the intention and end of men to study was onely to know to gouern themselues amongst the malicious For science profiteth nothing else but to know how to keepe his life well ordered and his tongue well measured Therfore I protest to God that which I will say before your sacred presence I will not speake it of any malice or ill will but onely to answere vnto that which toucheth the authority of my person for the things which touch the honour ought first by word to be answered and afterwards by sword to be reuenged Therefore now beginning my matter and addressing my words to thee Fuluius and to that which thou spakest vnto me asking why I shew my selfe so to all men I answere thee It is because al men should giue them selues to me Thou knowest well Fuluius that I haue beene a Consul as thou art and thou hast not beene an Emperour as I am Therefore beleeue mee in this case that the Prince being despised cannot bee beloued of his people The gods will not nor the lawes doe permit neyther the Commonwealth willingly should suffer that all Princes should bee Lords of many and that they should not communicate but with a few For Princes which haue beene gentle in their liues the Ancients haue made them gods after their deathes The Fisher to fish for many fishes in the riuer goeth not with one Boate alone nor the Mariner to fish in the deepe sea goeth not with one net onely I meane that the profound wills which are deeply in the hearts ought to bee won some by gifts other by promises other by pleasant words and other by gentle entertainement For Princes should trauell more to winne the hearts of their Subiects then to conquere the realmes of strangers The greedy and couetous harts care not though the prince shutteth vp his heart so that he open his cofers but Noble and valiant men little esteeme that which they locke vp in their cofers so that their hearts bee open to theyr friends For Loue can neuer but with loue againe be requited Sith Princes are Lords ouer many of necessitie they ought to bee serued with manie and beeing serued with manie they are bound to satisfie manie and this is as generally as particularly they cannot dispence with their Seruants For the Prince is no lesse bound to pay the seruice of his Seruant then the maister is to pay the wages of the hyred labourer Therefore if this thing be true as it is how shall poore Princes do which keepe many Realmes and
in keeping them they haue great expences and for to defray such charges they haue but little money For in this case let euery man doe what hee will and let them take what counsel they like best I would counsell all others as my selfe haue experimented that is that the Prince shuld be of so good a conuersation amongst those which are his and so affable and familiar with all that for his good conuersation onely they should thinke themselues well apaide For with rewards Princes recompence the trauells of theyr Seruants but with gentle and faire words they steale and robbe the harts of their subiects Wee see by experience that diuers Marchants had rather buye dearer in one shop because the merchaÌ„t is pleasant then to buy better cheap in an other wheras the merchant is churlish I meane that there are manie which had rather serue a prince to gaine nothing but loue onely then to serue an other prince for money For there is no seruice better imploied theÌ„ to him which is honest good and gracious and to the contrary none worse bestowed then on him which is vnthaÌ„kfull and churlish In Princes Pallaces there shall neuer want euill and wicked men malicious and diuelish flatterers which will seeke meanes to put into theyr Lords heads how they shal raise their rents leuy Subsidies inuent tributes and borrow money but there are none that will tell them how they shal winne the hearts and good willes of their Subiects though they know it more profitable to bee well beloued then necessary to be enriched He that heapeth treasure for his Prince and separateth him from the loue of his people ought not to bee called a faithfull seruant but a mortall enemy Princes and Lords ought greatly to endeauour themselues to bee so conuersant among their Subiects that they had rather serue for good Will then for the payment of money for if mony want their seruice wil quaile and hereof proceedeth a thousand inconueniences vnto Princes which neuer happen vnto those that haue seruants which serue more of good will then for money for hee that loueth with all his heart is not proude in prosperity desperate in aduersity neyther complayneth he of pouertie nor is discontented being fauourles nor yet abashed with persecution finally loue and life are neuer separated vntill they come vnto the graue Wee see by experience that the rablement of the poore Labourers of Sicill is more worth then the money of the Knight of Rome For the Labourer euery time he goeth to the field bringeth some profit froÌ„ thence but euery time the Knight sheweth himselfe in the market place he returneth without money By the comparison I meane that Princes should bee affable easie to talke with all pleasant mercifull benigne and stout and aboue all that they bee gratious and louing to the end that through these qualities and and not by money they may learne to winne the hearts of their subiectes Princes should greatly labour to bee loued specially if they will finde who shall succour them in aduersity and keepe them from euill will and hatred which those Princes caÌ„not haue that are hated but rather euery man reioyceth at their fall and misery for each man enioyeth his owne trauel and truly the furious and sorrowfull hearts take some rest to see that others haue pitty and compassion vpon their griefes Princes also should endeauour themselues to bee loued and well willed because at their death they may of all their seruants and friends bee lamented For Princes ought to bee such that they may be prayed for in their life and lamented and remembred after their death How cursed is that Prince and also how vnhappy is that Common-wealth where the seruants will not serue their Lord but for reward and that the Lorde dooth not loue them but for theyr seruices For there is neuer true loue where there is any particular interest With many stones a house is builded and of many men and one Prince which is the head of all the Common wealth is made For hee that gouerneth the Common wealth may be called a Prince and otherwise not and the Common-wealth cannot bee called or sayde a Common wealth if it hath not a Prince which is the head thereof If Geometrie do not deceyue me the lime which ioyneth one stone with an other suffereth well that it bee mingled with sand but the corner-stone that lyeth on the toppe ought to bee medled with vnslâ—ked lime And it soundeth vnto good reason For if the nether-stones seperate the wall openeth but if the corner stone should slippe the building incontinently falleth I suppse Fathers conscript you vnderstand very well to what end I applie this comparison The loue of one neighbour with an other may suffer to be cold but the loue of a Prince to his people should bee true and pure I meane that the loue amongst frends may passe sometimes although it bee colde but that loue betweene the King and his people at al times ought to be perfect For where there is perfect loue there is no fayned wordes nor vnfaithfull seruice I haue seene in Rome many debates and hurly-burlyes among the people to haue bin pacified in one day and one onely which betweene the Lorde and the Commonwealth ariseth cannot be pacified vntill death For it is a dangerous thing for one to striue with many and for many to contend against one In this case where the one is proud and the other rebelles I will not excuse the Prince nor yet let to condemne the people For in the end he that thinketh himselfe most innocent deserueth greatest blame And from whence thinke you commeth it that Lords now adayes commaund vniust things by furie and the Subiects in iust matters will not obey by reason I will tell you The Lord doing of will and not of right would cast the wills of all in his own braine and deriue from himselfe all counsell For euen as Princes are of greater power then all the rest so they thinke they knowe more then all the rest The contrary hapneth to subiects who beeing prouoked I cannot tell you with what Frensie despising the good vnderstanding of theyr Lorde will not obey that which their prince willeth for the health of them all but that which euery man desireth particularly For men now a dayes are so fonde that euery man thinketh the Prince should looke on him alone Truely it is a strange thing though it be much vsed among men that one man should desire that the garments of all others should be meete for him which is as vnpossible as if one mans Armour should arme a whole multitude But what shall we be Fathers conscript and sacred Senate sith our Fathers left vs this world with such follie and that in these debates and strifes wee theyr children are alwayes in dissention and controuersie and in this wilfalnes wee shall also leaue our children and heyres How many Princes haue I seen and read
to gather with trauell the grape know thou that heere in my palace thou shalt not want of the wine The Gods will not suffer that now in this moment thou shuldst find my heart shut from thee whose gates I found alwaies for the space of twentie yeares open vnto mee Sith that my Fortunes wrought me to the Empire I haue alwayes had two things things before mine eyes that is to say not to reuenge my selfe of mine enemies neither to bee vnthankfull to my friends For I pray to the Gods daylie rather then hereafter through vnthankfulnes my renowm should be defamed that euen now with forgetfulnes my bodie should be buryed Let a man offer to the Gods what sacrifices he will let him doe as much seruice to men as he can yet if he be vnthankfull to his friend hee ought in all and for all to bee vtterly condemned Because thou shouldest see my friend Pulio how greatly the auncient friend ought to bee esteemed I will declare thee an example of a Philosopher the which to heare thou wilt somewhat reioyce The auncient Histories of the Grecians declare that among the seuen Sages of Greece there was one named Periander who was Prince Gouernour a great while and he had in him such liuelinesse of Spirit on the one side and such couetousnesse of worldly goods on the other side that the Historiographers are in doubte whether was the greater the Philosophy that hee taught reading in the Schooles or the tyranny that hee vsed in robbing the Common-wealth for truly the science which is not grounded of truth bringeth great damages to the person In the second yeare of my Empire I was in the City of Corinth where I saw the Graue which contained the bones of Periander where about was engrauen in Greeke verses and old letter this Epitaph Within the compasse of this narrow graue Wretched Periander enclosed lyes Whose cruel facts could Greece alone not haue So small a soyle his hunger could suffice Here lodgeth oke loe Periander dead His filthy flesh the hungry wormes doe eate And liuing he with Orphelines good was fed His greedy guts did craue such dainty meate The Tyrant Periander stayeth here Whose life was built to hinder all the rest And eke whose death such profit large did bear As brought reliefe to him that had the least Here wicked Periander resteth now His life did cause great peopled realmes decay His death that forst his liuing sprite to how Assurde them life that stoode in brittle stay The cursed Periander heere doth lye Whose life did shed the poore and simple blood And eke that clambe to riches rule so hye By others swette they sought for wasting good Of Corinth loe here Periander rest To seeme for iust that equall Lawes did frame Yet flitting from the square that they possest By vertues doome deserude a Tyrants name The Catiue Periander sleepeth here That finisht hath his 80. years with shame And though his life that thousands bought so deer Be faded thus yet bloometh stil his blame There was more letters on the graue but because it was alone in the fielde the great waters had worne it so that scarsely the letters could bee roade and truely it was very olde in his time it seemed to bee a sumptuous thing but the negligence of reparation lost it quite and it is not to bee maruelleed at for in the end time is of such power that it causeth renowmed men to be forgotten and all the sumptuousbuildings to decay and fall to the earth If thou wilt know my friend Pulio in what time the tyrant this Philosopher was I will thou know that when Catania the renowned City was builded in Cicilia neere the Mount Ethna and when Perdica was the 4. King of Macedonia and that Cardiced was the third King of the Medes and when Candare was fift king of the Libeans and that Assaradoche was ninth King of the Assyrians and when Merodache was twelfth King of the Caldeaus and that Numa Pompilius raigned second King of the Romanes and in the time of those so good Kinges Periander raigned amongst the Assirians And it is meete thou know an other thing also which is this That this Periander was a Tyrant not only in deede but also in renowme so that they spake of no other thing thorow Greece but it tended hereunto Though hee had euill works hee had good words and procured that the affayres of the Common-wealth should bee well redressed For generally There is no man so good but a man may finde somewhat in him to bee reproued neyther any man so euill but hee hath some thing in him to bee commended I doe yet remember of my age being neyther too yong nor too old that I saw the Emperour Traian my Lord suppe once in Agrippine and it so chanced that wordes were moued to speake of good and euill Princes in times past as wel of the Greekes as of the Romans that all those which were present there cōmended greatly the Emperour Octauian and they all blamed the cruell Nero for it is an ancient custom to flatter the princes that are present and to murmur at Princes that are past When the good Emperour Traian was at dinner and when he praied in the Temple it was maruell if any man saw him speake any word and that day since hee saw that they excessinely praysed the Emperour Octauian and that the others charged the Emperour Nero with more then needed the good Traian spake vnto them these words I am glad you commend the Emperour Octauian but I am angry you should in my presence speake euill of the Emperour NERO and of none other for it is great infamy to a Prince being aliue to heare in his presence any Prince euill reported after his death Truely the Emperour Octauian was very good but yee will not deny me but hee might haue beene better and the Emperour Nero was very euill but you will graunt mee hee might haue beene worse I speake this because Nero in his first fiue yeares was the best of all and the other nine following he was the worst of all so that there is both cause to disprayse him and also cause to commend him When a vertuous man will speake of Princes that are dead before Princes which are aliue hee is bound to prayse onely one of their vertues that they had and hath no licence to reueale the vices whereof they were noted for the good deserueth reward because he endeauoureth himselfe to follow vertue and the euill likewise deserueth pardon because through frailety he hath consented to vice All these wordes the Emperour Traian spake I being present they were spoken with such fiercenes that all those which were there present both chaunged their colour and also refrayned their tongues For truly the shamelesse man feeleth not so much a great stripe of correction as the gentle heart doth a sharpe worde of admonition I was willing to shew thee these things my
are not angry for any thing wee see nor wee take any care for any thing we heare Finally when wee sleepe wee feele not the anguishes of the body neyther suffer the passion of the mind to come To this end yee must vnderstand that when they were troubled hee gaue them drinks which caused them immediatly to sleepe so that so soone as the man did drinke it so soone hee was a sleepe Finally all the study wherein the Epicurians exercised themselues was in eating and seeking meates and the chiefe study of this Aeschilus was in sleeping and hauing soft beds Of the Philosopher Pindarus IN the yeare of the foundation of the City of Rome 262. Darius the second of that name King of Persia who was the sonne of Histapsie and in the lynage of Kinges the fourth King of Persia Iunius Brutus and Lucius Collatinus being Consuls in Rome which were the first Consuls that were in Rome There was in the great City of Thebes in Egypt a Philosopher named Pindarus who was Prince of that Realme They write of this Philosopher that in Philosophy he excelled all those of his time and also in teaching singing and playing of Musicke hee was more excellent then any of all his Predecessors for the Thebanes affirmed that there was neuer any seen of such aptnes in speaking and so excellent deliuering of his fingers in playing as Pindarus was and moreouer hee was a great Morall Philosopher but not so excellent in naturall Philosophy For hee was a quiet and vertuous man could better worke then reach which thing is contrary now a dayes in our Sages of Rome For they know little and speake much and worst of all in their wordes they are circumspect and in their deedes very negligent The diuine Plato in his booke that he made of Lawes mentioneth this Philosopher and Iunius Rusticus in his Thebaide sheweth one thing of him and that is that an Ambassadour of Lides being in Thebes seeing Pindarus to bee of a vertuous life and very disagreeable in his words hee spake vnto him in such words O Pindarus If thy wordes were so limed before men as thy workes are pure before the Gods I sweare vnto thee by those Gods that are immortall that thou shouldest bee as much esteemed in Life as Promotheus was and shouldest leaue as much memory of thee after thy death in Egypt as the great Homere left of his life in Greece They demaunded of this Pindarus wherein felicity consisted hee aunswered In such sort yee ought to know that the inward scule followeth in many things for the most part the outward body the which thing presupposed I say that hee that feeleth no griefe in his body may well bee called happy For truly if the flesh bee not well the heart can haue no rest Therefore according to the counsell of Pindarus the Thebanes were aboue all other Nations and people most diligent to cure the diseases of their bodies Annius Seuerus sayth that they were let bloud euery month for the great aboundance of bloud in their bodies They vsed euery weeke vnmitations for the full stomackes They continued the bathes for to auoide opilations They carried sweet fauours about them against the euill and infected ayres And finally they studyed nought else in Thebes but to preserue and keepe their bodies as deliciously as they could inuent Of the Philosopher Zeno. IN the Olimpiade 133. Cneus Seruillus and Caius Brisius then Consuls in Rome which were appointed against the Artikes in the moneth of Ianuary immediately after they were chosen and in the 29. yeare of the raigne of Ptolomeus Philadelphus this great Prince Ptolomeus built in the coast of Alexandry a great Tower which hee named Pharo for the loue of a louer of his named Pharo Dolouina This Tower was built vpon foure engines of glasse it was large and high made foure square the stones of the Tower were as bright and shining as glasse so that the Tower being twenty foot of breadth if a candle burned within those without might see the light thereof I let thee know my friend Pulio that the auncient Historiograpers did so much esteeme his building that they compared it to one of the seuen buildings of the World At that time when these thinges flourished there was in Egypt a Philosopher called Zeno by whose counsell and industrie Ptolomeus built that so famous a Tower and gouerned his land For in the olde time the Princes that in their life were not gouerned by Sages were recorded after their death in the Register of fooles As this Tower was strong so hee had great ioy of the same because he kept his dearely beloued Pharo Dolouina therein enclosed to the end shee should bee well kept and also well contented He had his wiues in Alexandria but for the most part hee continued with Pharo Dolouina For in the old time the Perses Siconians and the Chaldeans did not marry but to haue children to enherite theyr goods and the residue of their life for the most part to leade with their Concubines in pleasure and delight The Egyptians had it in great estimation that were great Wrestlers especially if they were wise men and aboue all things they made great defiance against strangers and all the multitude of wrastlers was continually greate so there were notable Masters among them For truly he that dayly vseth one thing shall at the last be excellent therein The matter was thus That one day amongst them there were many Egyptians there was one that would not bee ouerthrowne nor cast by any man vnto the earth This Philosopher Zeno perceyuing the strength and courage of this great Wrastler thought it much for his estimation if he might throw him in wrastling and in prouing he threw him dead to the earth who of none other could euer be cast This victory of Zeno was so greatly to the contentation of his person that hee spake with his tongue and wrote with his penne that there was none other ioy or felicity then to know how to haue the strength of the Armes to cast downe others at his feet The reason of this Philosopher was that hee sayde it was a greater kinde of victory to ouerthrow one to the erth then to ouerthrow many in the wars For in the warres one onely wrongfully taketh the victory since there bee many that doe winne it but in wresiling as the victory is to one alone so let the onely victory and glory remaine to him and therefore in this thing felicity consisteth for what can bee more then the contention of the heart Truly wee call him in this world happy that hath his heart content and his body in health Of the Philosopher Anacharsis WHen the King Heritaches raigned among the Medes and that Tarquin Priscus raigned in Rome there was in the coasts of Scithia a Philosopher called Anacharsis who was borne in the City of Epimenides Cicero greatly commended the doctrine of this Philosopher and that he
not repent mee for calling them vayne since there is no vanity nor fondnes comparable to this for they are not contented to bee vaine in their liues but will also after their drathes enterprise their vanities in sumptuous and stately sepulchres The coale of the Cedar in mine opinion that is high and fayre is nothing more whether when it is burnt then the coale of the oake which is little and crooked I meane oftentimes the Gods doe permit that the bones of a poore Philosopher are more honoured then the bones of Princes With death I wil threaten thee no longer for sith thou art giuen to the vices of this life thou wouldest not as yet that with a word it should destroy thee but I will tell thee on â— word more though it grieue thee to heare it which is that God created thee to die women bare thee to dye and thou camest into the world for to die and to conclude I say some are borne to day on condition they dye tomorrow â—â—d giue their places to others When the great and fearefull Trees beginne to budde by the rootes it signifieth that time draweth on for them to cut the drie withered branches meane that to see hildren borne in Ihe House is no other but to cite the Grand-fathers and Fathers to the graue If a man would aske me what death is I would say a miserable lake wherein all worldly men are taken for those that most safely thinke to passe it ouer remaine therein most subtilly deceyned I haue alwayes read of the Ancients past and haue seene of the young men present and I suppose that the selfe same will bee to come hereafter that when life most sweetest seemeth to any man then suddenly death entereth in at their dores O immortall Gods I cannot tell if I may call you cruell I know not if I may call you mercifull because you gaue vs flesh bones honour goods friends and also you giue vs pleasure finally yee giue to men all that they want saue onely the cuppe of life which to your selues you did reserue Since I may not that I would I will that I may but if it were referred to my will I would rather one onely day of life then all the riches of Rome for what auayleth it to toyle and take paines to encrease honour and worldly good since life dayly diminisheth Returning therefore to my first purpose thou must know that thou esteemest thy selfe and glorifiest in thy personage and beauty I would gladly know of thee and of others which are young and faire if you doe not remeÌ„ber that once yee must come to bee olde and rotten for if you thinke you shall liue but a little then reason would you should not esteem your heaâ—ties much for by reason it as a straunge thing that lise should abate vs and folly traine vs. If you thinke to become aged yee ought to remember and alwayes to thinke that the steele of the knife which doth much seruice at length decayeth and is lost for lacke of looking to Truely the young man is but a new knife the which in processe of time cankereth in the edge For on one day hee breaketh the poynt of vnderstanding another he looseth the edge of cutting and to morrow the rust of diseases taketh him and afterwards by aduersitie he is writhen and by infirmities hee is diseased by riches hee is whetted by pouertie hee is dulled againe and finally oftentimes it chanceth that the more sharpe he is whetted so much the more the life is put in hazard It is a true thing that the feete and hands are necessarie to climbe to the vanities of youth and that afterwards stumbling a little immediately rowling the head downewards wee discend into the misery of age For to our seeming yesterday wee knew one that was young and beautifull and within short time after wee heare that he is dead and rotten When I consider many men as well friends as enemies which were not long agoe flourishing in beauty and youth ' and presently I see them to bee old and drie sicke and foule truely I thinke that as then I dreamed of them or that they be not now as they were then What thing is more fearefull or more credible then to see a man become miserable in short space that the fashion of his visage should change the beauty of the face should bee lost the beard waxe white the head bould the cheekes and forehead full of wrinckles the teeth as white as Iuorie become blacke the light feete by the goute to seeme crepeled and and afterward waxeth heauy the palsey weakenneth the strong arme the fine smoth throat with wrinckles is playted the body that was straight and vpright waxeth weake and crooked Aboue all that I haue spoken I say to thee Epesipus which presumest to bee fayre that hee which through his propernesse in youth was the mirrour of all becommeth to bee such a one that he doubteth whether he be the selfe same now in his age that he was in his youth Doe what thou wilt praise and glorifie thy beautie as much as thou thinkest good yet in the end the beauty of men is none other but as a vayle to couer their eyes a payre of fetters for the feete manacles for the hands a lime rodde for the winges a theefe of time an occasion of daunger a prouoker of trouble a place of lecherie a sinke of all euill and finally it is an inuentor of debates and a scourge of the affectioned man Since thou hast forsaken thy study I am not bound to send thee any thing chiefly wasting thy money in childish and youthfull to yes but not withanding all those things I sende thee by Aulus Vegenus two thousand crownes for thy apparrell and truelle thou shalt be very vnthankfull if thou doest not know the benefite done vnto thee for a man ought to giue more thanks for that which is done of curtesie then for that which is offered of necessitie I cannot tell what to let thee vnderstand in these partes but that thy sister Anania Salaria is married who sayth shee is content I pray God it bee so for with money men may bee holpen to marriages but it lyeth in the gods to content the parties If thou wilt know of Torings thy cofin thou shalt vnderstand shee is embarked in the fleet which went to Spaine indeed I neuer thought otherwise wise on her after shee had been three dayes hidde in the way of Salaria For maydes that will betimes gather their grapes it is a token that they will go on warfare with Souldiers Of Annius Rufus thy friend and companion I certifie thee that hee is gone into the Isle of Helespont and hee goeth by the authority of the Senate to vnderstand the gouernement thereof and albeit he bee young yet he is wise and therefore I suppose he will render a good account of his commission for of these two extremities the aged that doe
at my desire doe it for that thou art bound For many men oft-times condiscend to doe that which they would not more for vertues sake then to satisfie the demand of any other Thou shalt take that which my Embassador shall giue and beleeue that which he shall tell in my behalfe and by this my letter I doe promise thee that when thou shalt ariue here I will make thee treasorer of my coffers only counsailour of mine affaires secretary of my counsell father of my children reformer of my Realme master of my person and Gouernour of my Commonwealth finally Anacharsis shall be Cresus because Cresus may be Anacharsis I say no more but the gods haue thee in their custody to whom I pray that they may hasten thy comming The Embassadour departed to goe to Athens bearing with him this letter and many sewels and bagges of gold and by chance Anacharsis was reading in the Vniuersitie at the arriuall of the Ambassadors of Athens Who onely sayd and did his message to Anacharsis presenting vnto him the gifts and the letter Of which thing all those of the Vniuersitie maruelled for the barbarous Princes were not accustomed to seek Phylosophers to gouern their commonwealth but to put them to death and take from them their liues After the great Phylosopher Anacharsis had heard the Ambassage seene the gifts and receiued the lerter with out altering his countenance or elation of his person impediment in his tong or desire of the riches immediatly before the phisophers sayd these words which hereafter are written The letter of the Phylosopher Anacharsis to the king Cresus ANacharsis the least of the Phylosophers which to thee Cresus most mightie and puissant king of Lides the health which thou wishest him and the increase of vertue which thou sendest him They haue told vs many things here in these parts as well of thy Realme as of thy person and there in those parts they say many things as wel of our Vniuersitie as of my selfe For the heart taketh great pleasure to know the conditions and liues of all those in the world It is well done to desire and procure to know all the liues of the euill to amend our owne It is well done to procure and know the liues of the good for to follow them but what shall we doe since now a daies the euill doe not desire to know the liues of the euill but for to couer them and keepe them secret and doe not desire to know the liues of the good for to follow them I let thee know king Cresus that the Phylosophers of Greece felt not so much paine to be vertuous as they felt in defending them from the vitious For if a man once behold vertue immediatly she suffereth to be taken but the euill for any good that any man can doe vnto them neuer suffers themselues to be vanquished I beleeue well that tyrannie of the Realm is not so great as they talke of here neither oughtest thou likewise to beleeue that I am so vertuous as they report me to be here For in mine opinion those which declare newes of strange countries are as the poore which weare their garments al patched and peeced wherof the peeces that were sowne on a new are in more quantitie of cloth then the old which before they had when they were first made Beware king Cresus and bee not as the barbarous Princes are which vse good words to couer the infamy of their cruel deeds Maruel not though we Phylosophers readers in schooles desire not to liue with princes and gouernors of realms For euil Princes for none other intent seeke the company of wise men but onely because they would through them excuse their faults For doing as thou doest of will and not of right you will that the vulgar people thinke you do it by the counsel of a wise man I let thee vnderstand king Cresus that the prince which desireth to gouerne his people well ought not to be content to haue one onely Sage in his Pallace For it is not meete that the gouernement of many do consist in the aduise of one alone The Ambassadour hath sayde by word and the selfe same thy letter testifieth that thou art certified that I am counted for Sage throughout all Greece that this presupposed I wold come to thee to gouerne thy commonwealth And for the contrary thou doing thus as thou doest condemnest mee to be an Idiot for thou thinking that I would take thy gold is nothing else but for to raile vpon me as a foole The chiefe point wherein true philosophy is knowne is when he despiseth the things of the world for there neuer agreeth together the libertie of the soule and the care of the goods in this life O king Cresus I let thee vnderstand that hee which knoweth most the cause of the Element is not called Sage but it is he which least knoweth the vices of this world For the true phylosopher profiteth more by not knowing the euill then by learning the good I let thee vnderstand I am threescore and seuen yeares old and yet neuer before this time there reigned ire in me but when thy Ambassage was presented to me and that I saw layde at my feete such treasures and riches For vpon this deed I gather that either wisedome lacketh in thee or that great couetousnes aboundeth in me I doe send thee thy gold againe which thou sendest me and rhy Ambassadour shall declare as witnesse of sight how greatly it hath slandered all Greece For it was neuer seene nor heard of that in any wise they should suffer gold to enter into the Vniuersitie of Athens For it should not onely bee a dishonour to the Phylosophers of Greece to haue riches but also it would turne them to great infamie to desire them O King Cresus if thou knowest it not it is but reason thou know it that in the Schooles of Greece wee learne not to command but to obey not to speake but to be silent not to resist but to humble our selues not to get much but to content vs with little not to reuenge offences but to pardon iniuries not to take from others but to giue our owne not to be honored but to trauaile to be vertuous finally we learne to despise that which other men loue and to loue that which other men despise which is pouertie Thou thoughtest that I would accept thy gold or else that I would not If thou thoughtest I would haue taken it then thou haddest had reason not to haue receiued me afterwards into thy Palace for it is a great infamie that the couetous man shuld be acceptable to a Prince If thou thoughtst that I wold none of it thou wert not wise to take the pains to send it for Princes ought neuer to take vpon them things wherein as they thinke that subiects should lose their honestie in receiuing them Seeking Cresus and behold that by diligence it litle auayleth
to search for the physition and afterwards to doe nothing of that which by him is ordained I meane that it shall not profit but rather it shall be harme that I come into thy commonwealth and that afterwards thou wilt not do that which I shall ordaine therein for great dangers ensue to alter the humors with siropes vnlesse they take afterwards a purgation to purge away the same For to redresse thy barbarous realme and to satisfie thy good desire I am determined to condiscend vnto thy request and to accomplish thy commandement vpon condition that thou shalt ensure mee of these things following For the laborer ought not to sow his seede before the ground be plowed and tilled The first thou shalt for sake the euill custome which ye barbarous kings dovse that is to say to heape vp treasures and not to spend them For euery Prince which is couetous of treasures is scarcely of capacitie to receiue good counsell The second thou shalt not onely banish out of thy palace but also out of thy court al flatterers for the Prince that is a friend to flatterers of necessitie must be an enemie of the truth The 3. thou shalt end the wars that thou at this present doest maintaine against the people of Corinth for euery Prince that loueth forraine warres must needs hate the peace of his commonwealth The fourth thou shalt banish from thy house all Iuglers comediants and ministrels For the Prince which occupieth himselfe to heare vaine and trifling things in time of necessitie shall not apply himselfe to those which bee of weight and importance Fiftly thou shalt prouide that all loyterers and vacabonds bee expulsed from thy person and banished thy palace for iidlenesse and negligence are cruell enemies of wisedome Sixtly thou shalt banish from thy court and palace and liers all seditious men for when liers are suffered in the Palace of Princes it is a signe that the king and the realme falleth into vtter destruction The seuenth thou shalt promise that in the dayes of thy life thou shalt not presse me to receiue any thing of thee for the day that thou shalt corrupt me with gifts it is necessary that I corrupt thee with euill counsels For there is no counsell that is good but that which proceedeth from the man that is not couetous If on these conditions the king Cresus desireth the Philosopher Anacharsis the Philosopher Anacharsis desireth the king Cresus and if not I had rather bee a disciple of sage philosophers then a king of the barbarous people Vale felix Rex Sith this letter doeth declare it it is needlesse for my pen to write it that is to say what was the humanitie and goodnesse of king Cresus to write vnto a poore Phylosopher and how great the courage of a philosopher was to despise the gold and to say as he did in this behalfe Therefore let princes note heare that such ought the Sages to bee they should chuse and let Sages note here also vpon what conditions they ought to enter into the palace of princes For this is such a bargaine that it seldome times chanceth but that one of the parties are deceiued CHAP XLVI Of the wisedome and sentences of Phalaris the tyrant and how he put an Artisan to death for inuenting new torments IN the last yeare of the Latines and in the first yeare of the Romaines Ezechias being king of the Iewes and Azaria great Bishop of the holy temple Abacucke Prophet in Iewrie and Merodach being king in Babylon and when the Lacedemonians built Byzance which now is Constantinople Phalaris the famous Tyrant was then liuing Of this Phalaris Ouid saith that he was deformed in his face pore blinde of his eyes and exceeding couetous of riches and neuer obserued any thing that he promised He was thankfull to his friends and cruell to his enemies finally he was such a one that tyrannies which seuerally were scattered in others in him alone were altogether assembled Amongst all the iniquities that he inuented and amongst the tyranies that he committed he had one vertue very great which was that euen as he was head of all tyrannies so was he chief louer and friends of all phylosophers and sage men And in all those sixe and thirtie yeares which he gouerned the Realm by tyrannie they neuer found that any man touched his beard nor that any man sate at his table with him spake vnto him or slept in his bed nor that any man saw in his countenance any mirth vnlesse it were some Phylosopher or Sage man with whom and to whom hee liberally put his body in trust The Prince that absenteth himselfe from Sage men and accompanieth with fooles I say vnto him though hee bee a Prince of his commonwealth he is a cruel person For it is a greater paine to liue among fooles then to die amongst Sages Pulio in his first booke Degestis Romanorum sayth that a worthy and excellent painter presented a table to Octauian the Emperour wherein were drawne all the vertuous Princes and for their Chiefetaine Octauian the Emperour was drawne at the foote of this table were all the tyrannous princes painted of the which Phalaris was chiefe and Captaine This table viewed by Octauian the Emperour he commendeth the worke but hee disallowed the intention thereof saying Me thinks not meete that I being a liue should be set chiefe and principall of all the vertuous men that are dead For during the time of this wicked life we reall subiect to the vices of weake feeble flesh Also it seemeth vnto me an vniust doing that they should put Phalaris for principall and Captaine of all the tyrants since he was a scourge and enemie to fooles and ignorant men and so earnest a louer and friend of Sages and wise Phylosophers The fame of this cruell Phalaris being knowne and his extreme cruelties he vsed spred through all Greece A neighbour and Artificer of Athens called Perillus a man very excellent in mettels and a great worker in works of fountaines came to Phalaris the tyrant saying that he would make such a kinde of torment that his heart should remaine reuenged and the offender well punished The matter was that this workeman made a Bull of Brasse wherein there was a gate by the which they put the offender and in putting the fire vnder the Bull it roared and cryed in manner as it had bene aliue which thing was not onely a horrible and cruell torment to the miserable creature that endured it but also it was terrible to him or those that saw it Let vs not maruell neither at the one nor at the orhet for truely the pitifull heart which is not fleshed in in crueltie hath as much pitie to see another man suffer as of the sorow and torment which hee himselfe feeleth Phalaris therefore seeing the inuenuention of this torment whereof the inuentor hoped for great reward prouided that the inuentor of the same should bee put within the
in my life and for the gifts he sends mee now at my death For one friend can doe more to another then to offer him his person to depart with his proper goods Tell the king thy father that I maruell what hee should meane that I now beeing foure score yeares of age and haue walked all my life time naked in this world should now be laden with vestures and money since I must passe so great a gulfe in the Sea to go out of this world The Egyptians haue a custome to lighten the burden of their Camels when they passe the Desartes of Arabia which is much better then to ouercharge them I meane that he onely passeth without trauell the dangers of the life which banisheth frō him that thought of temporall goods of this world Thirdly thou shalt say to the King thy Father that from hence forth when any man will dye he doe not succour nor helpe him with Money Golde nor Riches but with good and ripe counsell For Golde will make him leaue his life with sorrow and good Counsell will moue him to take his death with patience The fifth king of the Macedonians was called Archelaus who they say to be the grandfather of king Philip father of the great Alexander This king boasteth himselfe to descend from Menelaus King of the Grecians and principall Captaine which was at the destruction of Troy This king Archelaus was a great friend to the Sages and amongst others there was a Poet with him called Euripides who at that time had no lesse glory in his kinde of Poetrie then Archelaus in his king dome being king of Macedonia For now a dayes we esteeme more the Sages for the bookes which they wrote then we do exalt kings for the Realms which they ruled or the battels which they ouercame The familiaritie which Euripides had with the king Archelaus was so great that in the Realme of Macedonie nothing was done but first it was examined by the hands of this Philosopher And as the simple and ignorant would not naturally be subiect to the Sage it chanced that one night Euripides was talking a long time with the King declaring vnto him the ancient Histories and when the poore Poet would depart to goe home to his house his enemies espyed him and let the hungrie dogges flie vpon him the which did not onely teare him in peeces but also eate him euery morsell So that the intrayles of the dogges were the wofull graue of the most miserable Poet. The King Archelaus being certified of this wofull case immediately as soone as they told him was so chafed that almost he was bereft of his senses And hereat maruell not at all For gentle hearts doe alter greatly when they are aduertised of any suddaine mishappe As the loue which the King had to Euripides in his life was much so likewise the sorow which he felt at his death was very great for he shed many teares from his eyes he cut the hairs off his head he rounded his beard hee changed his apparrell which he ware and aboue all he made as solemne a funerall to Euripides as if they had buried Vlisses And not contented with al these things he was neuer merry vntill such time he had done cruell execution of the malefactors for truely the iniury or death which is done vnto him whom wee loue is no other but as a bath and token of our owne good wills After iustice was executed of those homicides and that some of the bones all gnawne of the dogs were buried a Grecian Knight said vnto King Archelaus I let the know excellent king that all Macedonta is offended with thee because that for so small a losse thou hast shewed so great sorrow To whom king Archelaus aunswered Among Sages it is a thing sufficiently often tryed that noble hearts ought not to shew themselues sad for mishaps and sodaine chances for the king being sadde his Realme cannot and though it might it ought not shew it selfe merry I haue heard my father say once that Princes should neuer shed teares vnlesse it were for one of these causes 1 The first the Prince should bewaile the losse danger of his common wealth for the good Prince ought to pardon the iniuries done to his person but to reuenge the least act done to the Common-wealth he ought to hazard himselfe 2 The second the good Prince ought to lament if any man haue touched his honour in any wise for the prince which weepeth not drops of bloud for the things touching his honour deserueth to be buried quicke in his graue 3 The third the good Prince ought to bewayle those which can little and suffer much For the Prince which bewayleth not the calamities of the poore in vaine and without profit liueth on the earth 4 The fourth the good Prince ought to bewayle the glory and prosperity wherein the tyrants are For that Prince which with tyranny of the euill is not displeased with the hearts of the good is vnworthy to bee beloued 5 The fift the good Prince ought to bewayle the death of Wise men For to a Prince there can come no greater losse then when a wise man dyeth in his Common wealth These were the words which the King Archelaus answered the Grecian Knight who reproued him because he had wept for the death of Euirpides the Philosopher The ancient Historiographers can say no more of the estimation which the Philosophers and wise men had as well the Greekes as the Latines but I will tell you one thing worthy of noting It is well knowne through all the world that Scipio the Ethnicke was one of the worthiest that euer was in Rome for by his name and by his occasion Rome got such a memory as shall endure And this was not only for that he conquered Affricke but for the great worthinesse of his person Men ought not to esteeme a little these two giftes in one man that is to say to be happy and aduenturous For many of the Auncients in times past wanne glory by their swords and after lost it by their euill liues The Romane Historiographers say that the first that wrote in Heroicall meeter in the Latine tongue was Ennius the Poet the workes of whom was so esteemed of Scipio the Ethnick that when this aduenturous and so luckie Romane dyed he commaunded in his will and testament that they should hang the image of this Ennius the Poet ouer his graue By that the great Scipio did at his death wee may well coniecture how great a friend he was of Sages in his life since he had rather for his honour see the Statue of Ennius on his graue then the banner wherwith he wonne and conquered Affricke In the time of Pirrus which was King of the Epirotes and great enemy of the Romanes flourished a Philosopher named Cinas borne in Thessaly who as they say was the Disciple of Demosthenes The Historiographers at that time did so much
deaths should not be buryed CHAP. II. ¶ The Authour following his purpose declareth that by meanes of Marryage many mortall enemies haue beene made good and perfite Friends BY sundrie examples that we haue declared and by all that which remaineth to declare a man may knowe well enough of what excellencie Matrimonie is not onely for the charge of Conscience but also for the things touching honour for to say the truth the men that in the Common-wealth are married giue small occasion to bee slaundered and haue more cause to be honourd VVe cannot deny but that Matrimony is trouble some and chargeable to them that be marryed for two causes The one is in bringing vp their children and the other in suffering the importunities of their Mothers Yet in fine we cannot deny but that the good and vertuous wife is shee that setteth a stay in the house and keepeth her husband in estimation in the Common-wealth for in the publike affayres they giue more faith and credite vnto those that are charged with children then vnto others that are loaden with yeeres The fifth commoditie that ensueth Matrimony is the peace and reconciliations that are made betweene the enemies by meanes of Marriage Men in this age are so couetous so importune and malicious that there are very few but haue enemies wherby groweth contention and debate for by our weaknesse we fall daily into a thousand occasions of enmities and scarcely wee can finde one to bring vs againe into friendship Considering what men desire what things they procure and whereunto they aspire I maruell not that they haue so few friends but I much muse that they haue no more enemies For in things of weight they marke not who haue beene their friends they consider not they are their neighbours neyther they regard that they are Christians but their conscience laid a part and honestie set a side euery man seeketh for himselfe and his own affayres though it bee to the preiudice of all his neighbours What friendshippe can there bee amongst proud men since the one will goe before and the other disdayneth to come behinde What friendshippe can there bee amongst enuious men since the one purchaseth the other possesseth VVhat loue can there be between two couetous men since the one dare not spend the other is neuer satisfied to hourd heap vp For all that we can read see goe and trauell for all that we may do we shall neuer see nor heare tell of men that haue lacked enemies for either they be vicious or vertuous If they be euil and vicious they are alwaies hated of the good and if they be good vertuous they are continually persecuted of the euill Many of the ancient Philosophers spent a great part of their time and lost much of their goods to search for remedies and meanes to reconcile them that were at debate contention and to make them by gentlenes good friends louers Some said that it was good profitable to forget the enmities for a time for many things are pardoned in time which by reasō could neuer take end Others said that for to appease the enemies it was good to offer mony because mony doth not only breake the feminate tender hearts but also the hard and craggy rocks others said that the best remedy was to set good men to bee mediators between them in especially if they were sage wise men for the honest faces and stout hearts are ashamed whē they are proserred mony the good do humble thēselues by intreaty These means wel considered and the remedies wel sought out to make friends there are none so ready and so true as Marriage for the marriage done Sacramentally is of such and so great excellency that betweene some it causeth perfect friendshippe and betweene others it appeaseth great iniuries During the time that Iulius Caesar kept him elfe as father-in-law to the great Pompeius and that Pompeius held himselfe his sonne in law there was neuer euill will nor quarells betweene them but after that Pompeius was diuorced from the house of Caesar hatred enuy and enmities engendred betweene them in such sort that they contended in such and so cruell warres that Pompeius against his will lost his head and also Iulius Caesar shortned his life When those that dwelled in Rome rauished and robbed the daughters of the Sabines i◠after they had not changed their counsell and of theeues to become husbands without doubt the Romans bad beene all destroyed for the Sabines had made an oath to aduenture both their goods and their liues for to reuenge the iniuries done vnto them their daughters and wiues but by the meanes of Marriage they were conferred in great amitie and loue For the Romanes receiued in marriage the daughters of the Sabines whome before they had rauished Greater enmitie there cannot be then that of God towards men through the sin of Adam notwithstanding there neuer was nor neuer shall be greater friendship then that which was made by the godly marriage and for greater authoritie to confirme marriage the Sonne of God would that his Mother should be marryed and afterward hee himselfe was present at a Mariage where hee turned the Water into Wine though now adayes the euill maried men doe turne the wine into water He doth not speake here of Religious persons nor men of the Church neither of those which are closed in deuout places for those fleeing the occasions of the world and choosing the wayes lesse dangerous haue offered their soules to GOD and with their bodies haue done him acceptable Sacrifices for there is difference betweene the Religion of Christ and the sinfull Sinagogue of the Iewes for they offered Kidds and Muttons but heere are not offered but teares and sighs Leauing therefore all those secrets apart which men ought to leaue to God I say and affirme that it is a holy and commendable counsell to vse his profite with the Sacrament of Marriage the which though it bee taken of all voluntarily yet Princes and great Lords ought to take it necessarily For that Prince that hath no wife nor children shall haue in his Realme much grudging and displeasure Plutarch in the Booke hee made of Marriage sayth that amongst the Lidians there was a law well obserued and kept that of necessitie their Kings and Gouernours should be marryed and they had such respect to this thing and were so circumspect in this matter that if a Prince dyed and left his Heyre an infant they would not suffer him to gouerne the Realme vntill he were married And they greatly lamented the day of the departing of their Queene out of this life for with her death the gouernment ceased the Royall authoritie remayned voyde and the Common-wealth without gouernment so long time as the King deferred to take another wife and so they were sometimes without King or gouernment For Princes are or ought to be the mirrour and example of all to
great Carthage who being of the yeares of 81 dyed in the first yeere of the wars of Punica they demaunded this Philosopher what it was that he knew he answered He knew nothing but to speake well They demaunded him againe what hee learned He answered Hee did learne nothing but to speake well Another time they demaunded him what hee taught Hee answered He taught nothing but to speake well Me thinketh that this good Philosopher in fourescore yeares and one said that he learned nothing but to speake well hee knew nothing but to speake well and that he taught nothing but to speake well And truely hee had reason for the thing which most adorneth mans life is the sweet pleasant tongue to speake well what is it to see two men in one counsell the one talking to the other the one of them hath an euill grace in propounding and the other excellent in speaking Of such there are some that in hearing them talke three houres wee would neyther be troubled nor wearied and of the contrary part there are others so tedious and rude in their speech that as soone as men perceiue they beginne to speake they auoyde the place And therefore in mine opinion there is no greater trouble then to hearken one quarter of an houre a rude man to speake and to be contrary there is no greater pleasure then to heare a discreete man though it were a whole weeke The diuine Plato in the Booke of Lawes sayde that there is nothing whereby a man is known more then by the words he speaketh for of the wordes which we heare him speake we iudge his intention eyther to bee good or euil Laertius in the life of the Phylosopher saieth that a young childe borne at Athens was brought vnto Socrates the great phylosopher being in Athens to the ende he should receyue him into his companie and teach him in his Schoole The yong childe was strange and shamefast and durste not speake before his Maister wherefore the Phylosopher Socrates sayd vnto him Speake friend if thou wilt that I know thee This sentence of Socrates was very profound I pray him that shall reade this writing to pause a while thereat For Socrates will not that a man be known by the gesture he hath but by the good or euill wordes which he speaketh Though eloquence and speaking well to euery man is a cause of augmenting their honour and no diminisher of their goods yet without comparison it shineth much more is most necessary in the Pallaces of Princesses and great Lords for men which haue common offices ought of necessity hearken to his naturall Countrimen and also to speake with strangers Speaking therefore most plainely I say that the Prince ought not to trauell onely to haue eloquence for the honour of his person but also it behoueth him for the Common-wealth For as the Prince is but one and is serued of all so it is vnpossible that hee haue so much as will satisfie and content them all And therefore it is necessary that hee requite some with money and that hee content others with good words For the Noble heart loueth better a gentle worde then a reward or gift with the tong of a rude man Plato Liuius Herodotus Vulpicius Eutropius Diorus Plinie and many other innumerable ancient Historiographers doe not cease to prayse the eloquence of Greeke princes and Latines in their workes Oh how blessed were those times when there were sage Princes and discreete Lordes truely they haue reason to exalt them For many haue obtayned and wonne the royall crownes and scepters of the Empire not so much for the great battels they haue conquered nor for the high bloud and generation from whence they are discended as for the wisedome and eloquence which they had Marcus Aurelius was naturall of Rome borne in Mount Celio hee was poore in patrimony and of base lynage little in fauour left and forsakē of his parents and besides all this onely for being vertuous in this life profound in doctrine and of so high eloquence the Emperour Antonius called Pius gaue him his daughter Faustine for wife who being reproued of many because he gaue his daughter to so poore a Philosopher answered I had rather haue a poore Philosopher then a rich foole Pulio in his seuenth booke of the Romaine lawes sayth that in Rome there was a law very well kept and obserued of the Consels by a custom brought in that the Dictators Censor and Emperors of Rome entred into the Senate once in the weeke at the least and in this place they should giue and render account in what state the common wealth remayned O would to God that at this present this Law were so kept and obserued for there is none who doth minister so good iustice as he which thinketh to giue account of his doings They say that Caligula the fourth Emperour of Rome was not onelie deformed infamous and cruell in his life but also was an Idiot in eloquēce and of an euill vtterance in his communication so that hee among all the Romane Princes was constrained to haue others to speake for him in the Senate This wicked man was so vnfortunate that after his cruell and infamous death they drew him throughout Rome and set vpon his graue this Epitaph Caligula lyeth here in endlesse sleepe That stretcht his raigne vpon the Empires head Vnfitte for rule that could such folly heape And fitte for death where vertue so was dead I Cannot tell why Princes do praise themselues to be strong and hardie to bee well disposed to bee runners to iust well and doe not esteeme to be eloquent since it is true that those gifts doe profite them onely for their life but the eloquence profiteth them not onely for to honour their life but also to augment their renowne For wee doe reade that by that many Princes did pacifie great seditions in the common wealth and besides that they deserued immortall memory Suetonius Tranquillus in the first book of Caesars sayth that the aduenturous Iulius Caesar being as yet but 16. yeares of age when there dyed in Rome an aunt of his called Cornelia at her buriall hee made an Oration in the which hee beeing so young shewed maruellous great eloquence which was so accepted that day in al people that in the end euery man iudged him to bee a valiant Romane Captaine And as Appianus declareth they say that Silla spake these words That which I perceyue of this young man Caius Caesar is that in the boldnesse of his tongue he declareth how valiant he ought to bee in his person Let therefore Princes and great Lordes see how much it may profite them to know to speake well and eloquently For wee see no other thing dayly but that a man of base lynage by his eloquence commeth to be exalted and the other which of linage is nobly borne for want of speaking well and being eloquent is the first that discendeth most vilest of all other
your Bookes full of lawes and the common wealth full of vices Wherefore I sweare vnto you that there are more Thebaines which follow the delitiousnesse of Denis the tyrant then there are vertuous men that follow the lawes of Lycurgus If you Thebaines doe desire greatly to know with what lawes the Lacedemonians doe preserue their Common-wealth I will tell you them all by word and if you will reade them I will shew you them in writing but it shall bee vpon condition that you shall sweare al openly that once a day you shall employ your eyes to reade them and your persons to obserue them for the Prince hath greater honour to see one onely law to be obserued in deed then to ordaine a thousand by writing You ought not to esteeme much to be vertuous in heart nor to enquire of the vertue by the mouth nor to seeke it by labour and trauell of the feet but that which you ought greatly to esteeme is to know what a vertuous law meaneth and that knowne immediately to execute it and afterwards to keepe it For the chiefe vertue is not to doe one vertuous worke but in a swet and trauell to continue in it These therfore were the words that this Philosopher Phetonius sayde to the Thebaines the which as Plato sayeth esteemed more his words that hee spake then they did the Lawes which he brought Truly in mine opinion those of Thebes are to bee praysed and commended and the Philosopher for his word is worthy to be honoured For the ende of those was to search lawes to liue well and the end of the Philosopher was to seeke good meanes for to keepe them in vertue And therefore he thoght it good to shew them and put before their eyes the gibbet and the sword with the other Instruments and torments for the euill do refraine from vice more for feare of punishment then for any desire they haue of amendment I was willing to bring in this history to the end that all curious and vertuous men may see and know how little the Ancients did esteeme the beginning the meane and the end of vertuous works in respect of the perseuerance and preseruation of them Comming therefore to my matter which my penne doth tosse and seeke I aske now presently what it profiteth Princesses and great Ladies that God doe giue them great estates that they be fortunate in marriages that they bee all reuerenced and honoured that they haue great treasures for their inheritances and aboue all that they see their wines great with Childe and that afterward in ioy they see them deliuered that they see their mothers giuing their children sucke and finally they see themselues happy in that they haue found them good nurses health full and honest Truly all this auayleth little if to their children when they are young they doe do not giue masters to instruct them in vertues and they also if they doe not recommend them to good guides to exercise them in feates of Chiualry The Fathers which by sighes penetrate the heauen by praiers importune the liuing God onelie for to haue children ought first to thinke why they will haue children for that iustly to a man may be denied which to an euill end is procured In mine opinion the Father ought to desire to haue a child for that in his age he may sustaine his life in honour and that after his death hee may cause his fame to liue And if a Father desireth not a sonne for this cause at the least he ought to desire him to the end in his age hee may honour his hoary head and that after his death hee may enherite his goods but we see few children do these thinges to their fathers in their age if the fathers haue not taught them in their youth For the fruit doth neuer grow in the haruest vnlesse the tree did beare blosoms in the spring I see oftentimes many Fathers complaine of their children saying that they are disobedient and proude vnto them and they do not consider that they themselues are the cause of all those euils For too much abundance and liberty of youth is no other but a prophesie and manifest token of disobedience in age I know not why Princes and great Lords do toyle oppresse so much scratch to leaue their children great estates and on the other side wee see that in teaching them they are and shewe themselues too negligent for Princes and great Lordes ought to make account that all that which they leaue of their substance to a wicked heyre is vtterly lost The wise men and those which in their consciences are vpright and of their honours carefull ought to bee very diligent to bring vppe their children and chiefly that they consider whether they bee meete to inherite their estates And if perchance the fathers see that their children bee more giuen to folly then to noblenes and wisdome then should I bee ashamed to see a father that is wise trauell all the dayes of his life to leaue much substance to an euill brought vp childe after his death It is a griefe to declare and a monstrous thing to see the cates which the Fathers take to gather riches and the diligence that children haue to spend them And in this case I say the sonne is fortunate for that hee doth enherite and the Father a foole for that he doth bequeath In my opinion Fathers are bound to instruct their children well for two causes the one for that they are nearest to them and also because they ought to be their heyres For truly with great griefe and sorrow I suppose hee doth take his death which leaueth to a foole or an vnthrift the toyle of all his life Hyzearchus the Greeke Hystorian in the booke of his Antiquities Sabellicus in his generall hystory sayeth that a father and a sonne came to complain to the famous Philosopher and ancient Solon Solinon the Sonne complained of the father and the father of the sonne First the sonne informed the quarrell to the Philosopher saying these words I complaine of my Father because hee being rich hath disinherited mee and made me poore and in my steade hath adopted another heyre the which thing my father ought not nor cannot doe for since he gaue me so frayle flesh it is reason hee giue me his goods to maintaine my seeblenes To these wordes answered the father I complaine of my sonne because hee hath not beene as a gentle sonne but rather as a cruell enemie for in all things since hee was borne hee hath beene disobedient to my will wherefore I thought it good to disinherite him before my death I would I were quit of all my substance so that the gods had quit him of his life for the earth is very cruell that swalloweth not the child aliue which to his father is disobedient In that he sayeth I haue adopted another child for mine heyre I confesse it is true and for so much
as hee sayeth that I haue disinherited him and abiected him from my heritage hee beeing begotten of my body hereunto I answere That I haue not disinherited my sonne but I haue disinherited his pleasure to the entent hee shall not enioy my trauell for there can bee nothing more vniust then that the young and vicious sonne should take his pleasure of the swet and droppes of the aged father The sonne replyed to his Father and sayde I confesse I haue offended my Father and also I confesse that I haue liued in pleasures yet if I may speake the truth though I were disobedient and euill my Father ought to beare the blame and if for this cause hee doeth dishenherite mee I thinke hee doth me great iniurie for the father that instructeth not his son in vertue in his youth wrongfully disinheriteth him though he be disobedient in his age The Father againe replyeth and sayeth It is true my sonne that I brought thee vp too wantonly in thy youth but thou knowest well that I haue taught thee sundry times and besides that I did correct thee when thou camest to some discretion And if in thy youth I did not instruct thee in learning it was for that thou in thy tender age diddest want vnderstanding but after that thou hadst age to vnderstand discretion to receyue and strength to exercise it I beganne to punish thee to teache thee and to instruct thee For where no vnderstanding is in the child there in vaine they teach doctrine Since thou art old quoth the sonne and I young since thou art my Father and I thy sonne for that thou hast white hayres on thy beard and I none at all it is but reason that thou be belieued and I condemned For in this world wee see oft times that the small authoritie of the person maketh him to loose his great iustice I graunt thee my Father that when I was a childe thou diddest cause mee to learne to reade but thou wilt not denie that if I did commit any faulte thou wouldst neuer agree I should be punished And hereof it came that thou suffering me to do what I would in my Youth haue bin disobedient to thee euer since in my age And I say vnto thee further that if in this case I haue offended truely mee thinketh thou canst not bee excused for the fathers in the youth of their children ought not onely to teach them to dispute of vertues what vertue is but they ought to inforce thē to be vertuous in deed For it is a good token when Youth before they knowe vices haue been accustomed to practise vertues Both partyes then diligently heard the good Phylosopher Solon Solinon speake these words I giue iudgement that the Father of this childe be not buryed after his death and I commaund that the Sonne because in his youth hee hath not obeyed his Father who is olde should be disinherited whilest the Father liueth from all his substance on such condition that after his death his sonnes should inherite the Heritage and so returne to the heyres of the Sonne and liue of the Father For it were vniust that the innocencie of the Sonne should be condemned for the offence of the Father I do commaund also that all the goods be committed vnto some faithfull person to the end they may giue the Father meat and drinke during his life and to make a graue for the Sonne after his death I haue not without a cause giuen such iudgement the which comprehendeth life and death For the Gods will not that for one pleasure the punishment bee double but that wee chastise and punish the one in the life taking from him his honour and goods and that wee punish others after their death taking from them memorie and buryall Truely the sentence which the Philosopher gaue was very graue and would to GOD wee had him for a iudge of this world presently For I sweare that hee should finde manie Children now a dayes for to disinherite and moe Fathers to punish For I cannot tell which is greater The shame of the children to disobey their Fathers or the negligence of the Fathers in bringing vp their children Sextus Cheronens in the second book of the sayings of the Philosophers declareth that a Citizen of Athens saide vnto Dyogenes the Phylosopher these wordes Tell mee Dyogenes What shall I doe to be in the fauour of the Gods and not in the hatred of men For oft times amongst you Phylosophers I haue hearde say that there is a great difference between that that the gods will and that which men loue Dyogenes answered Thou speakest more then thou oughtest to speake that the Gods will one thing and men another for the Gods are but as a center of mercy and men are but as a denne of malice if thou wilt enioy rest in thy dayes and keepe thy life pure and cleane thou must obserue these three things The first honour thy Gods deuoutely for the man which doeth not serue and honour the Gods in all his enterprises hee shall be vnfortunate The second bee very diligent to bring vp thy children well for the man hath no enemie so troublesome as his owne sonne if hee bee not well brought vp The third thing bee thankefull to thy good benefactors and friends for the Oracle of Apollo sayth that the man who is vnthankefull of all the world shall be abhorred And I tell thee further my friend that of these three things the most profitable though it be more troublesome is for a man to teach and bring vp his children well This therefore was the answere that the Philosopher Diogenes made to the demaund of the Citizen It is great pitty and griefe to see a young childe how the bloud doth stirre him to see how the flesh doth prouoke him to accomplish his desire to see sensuality goe before and he himselfe to come behind to see the malitious World to watch him to see how the Diuell doth tempte him to see how vices binde him and in all that which is spoken to see how the Father is negligent as if hee had no children whereas in deede the olde man by the fewe vertues he hath had in his Youth may easily knowe the infirmityes and vices wherewith his Sonne is incompassed If the expert had neuer beene ignorant if the Fathers had neuer beene children if the vertuous had neuer been vicious if the fine wittes had neuer been deceiued it were no maruell if the Fathers were negligent in teaching their children For the little experience excuseth men of great offences but since thou art my Father and that first thou wert a Sonne since thou art old and hast bin young and besides all this since that pride hath inflamed thee lechery hath burned thee wrath hath wounded thee Negligence hath hindred thee Couetousnes hath blinded thee Glotonie surfetted thee Tell mee cruell Father since so many vices haue reigned in thee why hast thou not an
perillous skirmish And that which a man ought most to maruell at is that I neuer perceyued any feare or cowardlinesse to bee in those barbarous people whereby they were constrained to demaund peace of the people of Rome These Lygures pursued with such fiercenesse the wars that often times they tooke away from vs all hope to winne the victory for betweene Armies the great might of the one doth put alwayes the others in feare And I wil tell you Fathers conscript their bringing vp to the ende the Romaine youth should take heereby example When they are young they are put to bee Sheapheardes because they should accustome their flesh in those mountaines to endure trauell by the which custome they are so much masters of themselues the countrey being alwayes full of snow and Ise in the winter and also noysom through the extreame heate in the Summer that I sweare by the God Apollo in all this time of fiue yeares of those wee haue not seene one prease to the Fire in the winter nor couet the shadow in the Summer Doe not yee thinke worthie Senators that I was willing to declare vnto you these things in the Senate for any desire I haue that you should esteeme any thing the more my Triumph but I doe tell it you to this ende that you may haue an eye and take heede to your men of warre to the ende they may alwayes be occupied and that you suffer them not to be idle For it is more perillous for the Romaine Armyes to bee ouercome with vices thē to be discomfited with their enemies And to talke of these matters more at large me thinketh they should prouide and commaund that Rich men should not be so hardie to bring vppe their children too delicately for in the ende it is vnpossible that the delicate person should win with his hands the honour of many victories That which moued me to say somuch as I haue sayd worthie Senatours is to the ende you may knowe that the Lygures were not ouercome by the power of Rome but because Fortune was against them And since in nothing Fortune sheweth her selfe so variable as in the things of the warre mee thinketh that though the Ligures are nowe vanquished and ouercome yet notwithstanding you ought to entertain them in loue and to take them for your confoederates For it is not good counsell to hazzard that into the handes of Fortune which a man may compasse by friendship The Authour of this which is spoken is called Iunius Pratus in the Booke of the concord of Realmes and hee saieth in that place that this captaine Gneus Fabritius was counted no lesse sage for that he spake then esteemed valiant for that hee did In the olde time those of the Isles Balleares which now are called Maiorque and Minorque though they were not counted wise yet at the least in bringing vp their Children they shewed rhemselues not negligent Because they were broght vp in hardnes in their youth and could endure all painefull exercises of the warres Those of Carthage gaue fiue prisoners of Rome for one slaue of Maiorque Dyodorus Siculus saith in those Iles the mother did not giue the children bread with their own hands but they did put it on a high poale so that they might see the Bread with theyr eyes but they could not reach it with their hāds Wherfore when they would eat they should first with hurling of stones or slinges win it or else fast Though the worke were of children yet the inuention came of a high wit And hereof it came that the Baleares were esteemed for valiant mē as well in wrastling as in slinges for to hurle for they did hurle with a sling to hit a white as the Lygures shoot now in a Crosse-bow to hit the pricke Those of Great Brittaine which now we cal England amongst all the barbarous were men most barbarous but you ought to know that within the space of few yeares the Romanes were vanquished of them many times for time in all things bringeth such change and alteration that those which once wee knew great Lords within a while after wee haue seene themslaues Herodian in his history of Seuerus Emperour of Rome sayeth That an Ambassadour of Brittaine being one day in Rome as by chance they gaue him a froward answer in the Senate spake stoutely before them all and saide these words I am sorry you will not accept peace nor graunt Truce the which thing shall bee for the greater iustification of your warre For afterwardes none can take but that which fortune shall giue For in the end the delicate flesh of Rome shall feele if the bloudy swords of Brittaine will cut The English history sayeth and it is true that though the country be very cold that the water freezeth oft yet the women had a custome to carry theyr children where the water was frozen and breaking the Ice with a stone with the same Ise they vsed to rubbe the body of the Infant to the end to harden their flesh and to make them more apter to endure trauels And without doubt they had reason for I wish no greater pennance to delicate men then in the Winter to see them without fire and in the Summer to want fresh shadow Sith this was the custome of the Brittaines it is but reason we credite Iulius Caesar in that hee sayeth in his Comentaries that is to say that he passed many daungers before hee could ouercome them for they with as little feare did hide themselues diued vnder the colde water as verily a man would haue rested himselfe in a pleasant shadow As Lucanus and Appianus Alexandrinus say amongst other Nations which came to succour the greate Pompey in Pharsalia were the Messagetes the which as they say in their youth did suck no other but the milke of Camels and eate bread of akorns These barbarous people did these things to the end to harden their bodies to bee able to endure trauell to haue their legges lighter for to runne In this case wee cannot cal them barbarous but wee ought to call them men of good vnderstanding for it is vnpossible for the man that eateth much to runne fast Viriatus a Spaniard was King of the Lusitaines and a great enemy of the Romaines who was so aduenturous in the war and so valiant in his person that the Romaines by the experience of his deedes found him inuincible for in the space of 13. yeares they coulde neuer haue any victory of him the which when they saw they determined to poyson him did so indeed At whose death they more reioyced then if they had wonne the Sgniorie of all Lusitania For if Viriatus had not dyed they had neuer brought the Lusitanians vnder their subiection Iunius Rusticus in his Epitomie sayeth that this Viriatus in his youth was a Heard-man kept cattell by the riuer of Guadiana and after that he waxed older vsed to robbe and assault men by
age lay in Winter season in an Isle called Chetyn which now is called Cypres wherein is a little mountain as yet full of Wood which is called the mount of Archadia where groweth an hearbe called Ilabia which the Auncients say that if it bee cut it droppeth bloud and the nature of it is that if one doe rubbe any man with the bloud thereof hote although hee would not yet hee shall loue him and if they doe annoint him with the bloude that is colde hee shall hate him Of this hearbe wee neede not doubt any thing at all for I did proue it and anointed one with that bloud who would sooner loose his life then that loue which he bare mee There was a Kingin that Isle of great example of life and greatly renowned of clemency though in deed neyther by writing nor by wordes I could neuer know his name but that hee was buried vnder foure pillars in a Tombe of Marble and about the Tombe were engrauen these Greeke and ancient letters where amongst other things these wordes were engrauen The mighty gods whiles they drew out the length Of my weake yeares to passe the floud of life This rule I had my Common wealth to strength To nourish peace and stint vaine blasts of strife By vertues way if ought I could obtaine By vices path I neuer sought to get By dreadles peace if I could right attaine By clattering armes blind hazard could not let By curteous meanes if I could ouercome By raging threates I heaped vp no dread By secret shiftes if I might guide my dome By open force I nowlde the paine were spread By gentle read if I could chastice eke By sharpe wayes no further proofe I sought In outward sight I neuer thought to stricke Before I had to couerte chekes them brought My free consent could neuer vainely heare My tongue to tell one sweet entising lye Nor yet my hollow eares would euer heare Their crooked tales that flatter oft awry My schooled heart was alwayes taught to stay From eager lust of others heaped good I forst my selfe his proper wealth to way And stand content as fortune iudgement stoode My friends decay I alwayes watcht to ayde And recked not for bent of enuies bow In huge expence I neuer lauish payde My glittring golde nor spared yet to low For grieuous faults I neuer punisht wighi With mind appeased but erst I would forgiue My griefe did grow when iust reuenge did hight And eke I ioyed to pardon men to liue A mortall man amongst blinde heapes of men Nature my mother produced me here And therefore loe inclosed in this denne The eagre wormes my senselesse carcasse teare Amongst the Wights that vertue did enhaunce A vertuous life I freely passed on And since that death his kingdome did aduance My heauenlie sprite to haunt the Gods is gone HOw thinkest thou Antigonus what Epitaph was this and what prince ought he to be of whom I should say his life ought to bee glorious and his memory eternall I sweare vnto thee by the law of a good man and as the Gods may prosper me I tooke not so much pleasure in Pompey with his Hierusalem in Semiremis with her India in king Cyrus with his Babylon in Caius Caesar with his Gawles in Scipio with his Affrike as I haue in the king of Cypres in his graue For more glorie hath that king there in that sharpe mountaine being deade then others haue had in prowde Rome beeing aliue CHAP. IX ¶ Marcus Aurelius continueth his Letter against cruell Iudges Of the words which the Emperor Nero spake concerning Iustice and of the instructions the Emperour Augustus gaue to a Iudge which hee sent into Dacia NEITHER for that which I write in this Letter nor yet for that king Cirus had in his Graue my intention is not to defende the euil to the ende that for their euill deedes and outragiousnesse they should bee punished for by this means it shold bee worse for mee to fauour them then for them to bee euill for they through debility do offend and I by malice doe erre But in this case it seemeth vnto mee and to all others which are of good iudgement that since frailety in men is naturall and the punishment which they giue is voluntary Let Iudges therefore in ministring iustice shew that they do it for the weale of the Common-wealth and not with a mind for to reuenge To the end the faulty may haue occasion to amned the faultes past and not reuenge iniuries present the diuine Plato in the books of his Common-wealth sayde that Iudges ought to haue two things present before their eyes that is to say that in iudging things touching the good of others they shew no couetousnes and in punishing any man they shew no reuenge For Iudges haue licence to chastice the bodie but therefore they haue no licence to hurt theyr hearts Nero the Emperour was greatly defamed in his life and verie cruell in his iustice And withall his cruelties it chanced that as one in a day brought him a iudgement for to subscribe to behead certain murtherers Hee fetching a great sigh sayd these words O how happy were I if I had neuer learned to write onely to bee excused to subscribe this sentence Certainely the Emperour Nero for speaking such a pittifull word at that time deserued immortal memory but afterwardes his so cruell life peruerted so notable a sentence For speaking the truthe one euil word sufficeth to deface manie good wordes O how many realmes and countreyes haue bin lost not so much for the euills which in those the wicked haue committed as for the disordinate Iustices which the ministers of iustice therein haue executed For they thinking by rigour to correct the dammages past haue raysed vppe present slaunders for euer It is knowne to all men who and what the Emperour Augustus hath bin who in all his doings was exceeding good For he was noble valiant stout fierce and a louer of iustice and aboue all very pittifull And for so much in other things hee shewed his pitie and clemencie he ordained that no prince should subscribe iudgements of death with his owne hand neyther that hee should see iustice done of any with his owne eyes Truely the law was pittifully ordained and for the cleannes purenes of Emperors very necessary For it seemeth better for Princes to defend theyr Landes with the sharpe sword then to subscribe a sentence of death with the cruell penne This good Emperour Augustus was very diligent to chuse ministers of iustice and very carefull to teach them how they should behaue themselues in the Common-wealth admonishing them not onely of that they had to doe but also of that they ought to flie For the ministers of iustice oftentimes faile of theyr duetie In Capua there was a gouernour named Escaurus who was a iust iudge though hee were somewhat seuere whom the Emperour Augustus sent to the realme of Dace to take charge
Captaines haue wonne many Realms by shedding bloud yet notwithstanding your Iudges ought to keepe them not with rigorous shedding of bloud but with clemency and winning their heats O Romanes admonish command pray and aduertise your Iudges whom you send to gouerne strange Prouinces that they employ themselues more to the Common-wealth of the Realme then their hands to number their fines and forfeites For otherwise they shal slaunder those which send them and shal hurt those whom they gouern Your Iudges in iust things are not obeyed for any other cause but for as much as first they haue commaunded marrie vniust things The iust commaundements make the humble hearts and the vniust commandements doe turne and conuert the meeke and humble men to seuere and cruell persons Humane malice is so giuen to commaund is troublesome to be commaunded that though they commaund vs to do good wee doe obey euill the more they commaund vs euill the worse they bee obeyed in the good Beleeue me Romanes one thing and doubt nothing therein that of the great lightnesse of the Iudges is sprung the little feare great shame of the people Each Prince which shall giue to any Iudge the charge of Iustice whom he knoweth not to be able doth it not so much for that hee knoweth wel how to minister Iustice but because hee is very craftie to augment his goods Let him be well assured that when he least thinketh on it his honour shal be in most infamy his credit lost his goods diminished and some notable punishment light vpon his house And because I haue other things to speake in secret I will heere conclude that is open and finally I say that if yee will preserue vs and our Realme for the which you haue hazarded your selues in many perills keepe vs in Iustice and wee will haue you in reuerence command vs Romans and we will obey as Hebrewes giue a pittifull president and yee shall haue all the Realme in safegard What will yee I say more but that if you be not cruel to punish our weaknesse we will bee very obedient to your ordinances before yee prouide for to commaund vs thinke it well to entreat vs for by praying with all meekenesse and not commaunding with presumption ye shall finde in vs the loue which the fathers are wont to finde in their children and not the treason which the Lords haue accustomed to finde in their seruants CHAP. XI The Emperour concludeth his letter against the cruell Iudges and declareth what the Grandfather of King Boco spake in the Senate AL that which aboue I haue spoken the Hebrewes sayde and not without greate admiration hee was heard of all the Senate O Rome without Rome which now hast ought but the walles and art made a common Stewes of vices What did dest thou tell mee when a stranger did rebuke and taunt thee in the middest of thy Senate It is a generall rule where there is corruption of custom liberties are alwayes lost which seemeth most true here in Rome For the Romanes which in times past went to reuenge their iniuries into strange Countries now others come out of strange Countries to assault them in their owne houses Therefore since the iustice of Rome is condemned what thinkest thou that I beleeue of that Isle of Cicile Tell mee I pray thee Antigonus from whence commeth thinkest thou so great offence to the people and such corrupton to iustice in the Common wealth If peraduenture thou knowest it not harken and I will tell thee It is an order whereby all goeth without order Thou oughtest for to know that the Counsellors of Princes being importunate and the Prince not resisting them but suffering them they deceyue him some with couetousnesse other with ignorance giue from whome they ought to take and take from whom they ought to giue they honour them who do dishonor them they withhold the iust and deliuer the couetous they despise the wise and trust the light Finally they prouide not for the offences of persons but for the persons of offices Hearke Antigonus and I will tell thee more These miserable Iudges after they are prouided and inuested in the authority of their Offices wher of they were vnworthy seeing themselues of power to commaund and that the dignity of their offices is much more then the desert of their persons immediately they make themselues to be feared ministring extreame iustice They take vpon them the estates of great Lords they liue of the sweat of the poore they supply with malice that which they want in discretion and that which is worst of all they mingle another mans iustice with their owne proper profit Therefore heare more what I will say vnto thee that these cursed Iudges seeing them selues pestered with sundry affayres that they want the eares of knowledge the sayles of vertue and the ancors of experience not knowing how to remedy such small euills they inuent others more greater they distribute the common peace onely for to augment their owne particular profite And finally they bewayle their owne damage and are displeased with the prosperity of another Nothing can bee more iust that since they haue fallen into offices not profitable for them they doe suffer although they would not great damages so that the one for taking gifts remaine slaundered and the other for giuing them remaine vndone Hearken yet and I will tell thee more Thou oughtest to know that the beginning of these Iudges are pride and ambition their meanes enuy malice and their endings are death and destruction for the leaues shal neuer be greene where the roots are drie If my counsell should take place in this case such Iudges should not bee of counsell with Princes neyther yet should they be defended of the priuate but as suspect men they should not only be cast from the cōmon wealth but also they should suffer death It is a great shame to those which demaund offices of the Senate but greater is the rashnesse and boldnes of the Counsellers which doe procure them and wee may say both to the one and to the other that neyther the feare of God doth with draw them nor the power of Princes doth bridle them nor shame doth trouble them neyther the Common wealth doth accuse them and finally neyther reason commaundeth them nor the Law subdueth them But hearke and I will tell thee more Thou oughtest alwayes to know what the forme and manner is that the Senatours haue to diuide the offices for sometimes they giue them to their friends in recompence of their friendship other times they giue them to theyr seruants to acquite their seruices and sometimes also they giue them to soliciters to the end they should not importune them so that few offices remaine for the vertuous the which onely for beeing vertuous are prouided O my friend Antigonus I let you to vnderstand that since Rome did keepe her renowne and the Com-wealth was well gouerned
the diligence which the Iudges vsed towards the Senat to the end they might giue them offices the selfe same ought the Senate to haue to seeke vertuous men to commit such charge into their hands For the office of iustice ought to be giuen not to him which procureth it but to him that best deserueth it In the yeare of the foundation of Rome 642. yeares the Romane people had many warres throughout all the world That is to say Caius Celius against those of Thrace Gneus Gardon his brother against the Sardes Iunius Scilla against the Cimbres Minutius Rufus against the Daces Seruilius Scipio against the Macedonians and Marius Consull against Iugurtha King of the Numedians and amongst all these the warre of the Numidians was the most renowmed and also perillous For if Rome had many Armies against Iugurtha to conquer him Iugurtha had in Rome good friends which did fauour him King Boco at that time was king of the Mauritans who was Iugurthas friend in the end hee was afterwards the occasion that Iugurtha was ouerthrowne and that Marius tooke him These two Kings Marius the Consull brought to Rome and triumphed of them leading them before his triumphant chariot their neckes loaden with yrons their eyes full of teares The which vnlucky fortune al the Romaines which behelde lamented and tooke great pitie of the strangers whō they heard The night after the triumph was ended it was decreede in the Senate that Iugurtha should bee beheaded leauing king Boco aliue depriued of his Country And the occasion thereof was this The Romaines had a custom of long time to put no man to execution before that first with great diligēce they had looked the ancient bookes to see if any of their predecessors had done any notable seruice to Rome whereby the poore prisoner might deserue his pardon It was found written in a booke which was in the high Capitoll that the Grandfather of King Boco was very sage and a speciall friend to the Romane people and that once hee came to Rome and made diuers orations to the Senate and amongst other notable sentences there was found in that book that he had spoken these words Woe be to that realme where all are such that neyther the good amongst the euill nor the euil amongst the good are known Woe vpon that realme which is the entertainer of all fooles and a destroyer of all Sages Woe is that Realme where the good are fearefull and the euill too bold Wo on that realme where the patient are despised and the seditious commended Wo on that Realm which destroyeth those which watch for the good and crowneth those that watch to doe euill Woe to that realme where the poore are suffered to bee proud and the rich tirants Wo to that realme where all know the euil and no man doth follow the good woe to that realme where so many euill vices are openly committed which in another countrie dare not secrrtly bee mentioned Wo to that realm where all procure that they desire where all attaine to that they procure where all thinke that this is euill where al speake that they thinke and finally where all may doe that which they will In such and so vnfortunate a realm where the people are too wicked let euery man beware hee bee not inhabitant For in short time they shall see vpon him eyther the yre of the Gods the fury of the men the depoputation of the good or the desolation of the Tirants Diuers other notable thinges were contained in those Orations the which are not at this present touching my letter But forasmuch as we thought it was a very iust thing that they should pardon the folly of the Nephew for the deserts of the wise grandfather Thou shalt reade this my letter openly to the Pretours and Iudges which are resident there and the case shall bee that when thou shalt reade it thou shalt admonish them that if they will not amend secretly wee will punish them openly I wrote vnto thee the last day that as touching thy banishment I would be thy friend and be thou assured that for to enioy thy old friendshipp and to performe my word I will not let to danger my person I write vnto Panutius my Secretary to succour thee with two thousand Sesterses wherewith thou mayest releeue thy pouerty and from hence I send thee my letter wherewith thou mayest comfort thy sorrowfull hear I say no more to thee in this case but that thorough the Gods thou mayest haue contentation of all that thou enioyest health of thy person and comfort of thy friends the bodily euils the cruell enemies the perillous destenies bee farre from me Marke In the behalfe of thy Wife Rufa I haue saluted my wise Faustine shee and I both haue receyued with ioy thy salutations and with thankes wee sent them you againe I desire to see thy person here in Italy and wish my feuer quartens there with thee in Scicilie CHAP. XII An exhortation of the Author to Princes and Noble men to embrace peace and to eschew the occasions of warre OCtauian Augustus second Emperour of Rome is commended of all for that hee was so good of his person and so wel beloued of all the Romane Empire Suetonius Tranquillus sayth that when any man dyed in Rome in his time they gaue great thanks to the Gods for that they tooke their life from them before their Prince knew what death meant And not contented onelie with this but in their Testaments they commaunded their heires and children that yearely they should offer great sacrifices of their proper goods in all the Temples of Rome to the end the Gods shold prolong the dayes of their Prince That time indeed might bee called the golden age and the blessed land where the Prince loued so well his subiects and the subiects so much obeyed their prince for seldome times it hapneth that one will be content with the seruices of all neyther that all will bee satisfied with the gouernement of one The Romans for none other cause wished for the good Prince more then for themselues life out because he kept the commonwealth in peace The vertue of this Prince deserued much prayse and the good will of the people merited no lesse commendation he for deseruing it to them they for giuing it to him for to say the truth there are few in number that so heartily loue others that for theyr sakes will hate themselues There is no man so humble but in things of honour wil be content to goe before saue only in death where he can be content to come behinde And this seemeth to bee very cleare in that that now dyeth the father now the mother now the husband now the wife now the sonne now his neighbour in the end euery man is content with the death of an other so that he with his owne life may escape himselfe A Prince which is gentle patient stout sober honest and
true truly hee of right ought to be commended but aboue all more then all the Prince which keepeth his Common wealth in peace hath great wrong if hee not of all beloued What good can the Common wealth haue wherin there is warre and dissention Let euerie man say what he will without peace no man can enioy his owne no man can eate without feare no man sleepeth in good rest no man goeth safe by the way no mā trusteth his neighbour Finally I say that where there is no peace there wee are threatened dayly with death and euery houre in feare of our life It is good the Prince do scoure the realme of theeues for there is nothing more vniust thē that which the poor with toile and labour get should with vagabonds in idlenes be wasted It is good the Prince doe weed the realme of blasphemers for it is an euident token that those that dare blaspheme the king of heauen will not let to speake euill of the princes of the earth It is good the prince do cleare the common wealth of vagabonds players for play is so euill a mothe that it eateth the new gown and consumeth the drie wood It is good that the Prince doe forbidde his subiects of prodigall banquets superfluous apparrell for where men spend much in things superfluous it chanceth afterwards that they want of their necessaries But I aske now What auayleth it a Prince to banish all vices from his Common-wealth if otherwise he keepeth it in warre The only ende why Princes are Princes is to follow the good and to eschew the euill What shall you say therefore since that in the time of warres Princes cannot reforme vices nor correct the vicious Oh if Princes and Noble men knew what damage they doe to their countreyes the day that they take vppon them warre I thinke and also affirme that they would not onely not begin it nor yet anie priuate person durste scarely remember it And hee that doth counsell the Prince the contrary ought by reason to bee iudged to the Common-wealth an enemie Those which counsel Princes to seeke peace and to keepe peace without all doubt they haue wrong if they be not heard if they be loued and if they be not credited For the counsellour which for a light ocasion counselleth his Prince to beginne warre I say vnto him eyther choler surmounteth or else good Conscience wanteth It chaunceth often times that the prince is vexed and troubled because one certifieth him that a prouince is rebelled or some other prince hath inuaded his countrey and as the matter requireth the Councell is assembled There are some too rashe counsellours which immediately iudge peace to bee broken as lightly as others doe desire that Warres should neuer beginne When a Prince in such a case asketh counsell they ought forthwith not to aunswere him suddenly For things concerning the Warres ought with great wisedome first to be considered and then with as much aduisement to be determined King Dauid neuer tooke any warre in hand though he were very wise but first hee counselled with GOD The good Iudas Machabeus neuer entred into Battell but first hee made his prayer vnto Almightie GOD. The Greekes and Romanes durst neuer make warre against their enemies but first they would do sacrifice to the Gods and consulte also with their Oracles The matters of Iustice the recreations of his person the reward of the good the punishment of the euill and the diuiding of rewards a Prince may communicate with any priuate man but all matters of Warre hee ought first to counsell with GOD For the Prince shall neuer haue perfect victorie ouer his Enemyes vnlesse hee first committe the quarrell thereof vnto GOD. Those which counsell Princes whether it be in matters of warre or in the affaires of peace ought alwaies to remember this Sentence That they giue him such counsells alwayes when hee is alone in his Chamber as they would doe if they saw him at the poynt of death very sicke For at that instant no man dare speake with Flattery nor burden his conscience with bryberie When they entreate of warre they which moue it ought first to consider that if it came not well to passe all the blame will be imputed to their counsell And if that his substaunce bee not presently able to recompence the losse let him assure himselfe that here after his soule shall suffer the paine Men ought so much to loue peace and so much to abhorre warre that I belieue that the same preparation that a Priest hath in his Conscience with GOD before hee presume to receiue the holy Communion euen the same ought a counsellour to haue before that vnto his Prince hee giueth counsell concerning warre Since princes are men it is no maruell though they feele iniuties as men and that they desire to reuenge as men Therefore for this cause they ought to haue wise men of their counsell whereby they should mittigate and asswage theyr griefes and troubles For the Counsellours of Princes ought neuer to counsell thing they beeing angrie wherwith after they may iustly be displeased when they be pacified Following our matter in counting the goods which are lost in loosing peace and the euils which increase in winning warres I say that amongst other things the greatest euill is that in time of Warre they locke vp closely all vertues and set at libertie all vices During the time that Princes and great Lords maintaine warre though they bee Lordes of their Realmes and dominions by right yet for a trueth they are not to indeede For at that time the Lordes desire more to content their Souldiours and subiects then the Souldyers and subiects seeke to content the Lords And this they doe because they through power might vanquish their enemies and further through the loue of their money relieue their necessities Eyther Princes are gouerned by that wherevnto by sensualitie they are moued or else by that wherewith reason is contented If they will follow reason they haue too much of that they possesse but if they desire to follow the sensuall appetite there is nothing that will content them For as it is vnpossible to drie vp all the water in the Sea so it is harde to satisfie the heart of man that is giuen to couetousnes If Princes take vpon them warres saying that their right is taken from them and that therefore they haue a conscience Let them beware that such conscience bee not corrupted For in the worlde there is no Warre iustified but for the beginning thereof the Princes at one time or an other haue their Consciences burdened If Princes take vpon them Warre for none other cause but to augment their state and dignitie I say that this is a vaine hope For they consume and lose for the moste part more in one or two yeares warres then euer they get againe during their life If Princes take vpon them Warre to reuenge an iniurie as well
harme that gnaweth the wood the moth to the garments the sparke vnto the towe the Locust vnto the corne neither the wyuell to the garners as the Captaines to the people For they leaue no beast but they lull nor orchard but they robbe nor wine but they drinke nor doue house but they clime nor temple but they spoile nor chace but they hunt no sedition but they rayse no villany but that they commit And they do more then they ought to do for they eate without meaning to pay and they will not serue vnlesse they be wel payed and the worst of all is that if they haue their pay immediately they change or play it If they be not paide they robbe and mutine forthwith so that with pouertie they are not content and with riches they waxe vicious and insolent The matters is now come to such corruption and there is at this day men of warre in Rome so carelesse that here no captaine seems but an example of murderers a sturrer vp of sedicious persons an enuyer of the good a partaker with all euill a thiefe of theeues a Pirate of rouers and finally I do not say that they seeme to bee but I doe affirme that they are the scourge of your vertuous and a refuge of the vitious I would not say this but yet not withstanding I ought to say it because it is a thing so farre out of order and so much to bee laughed at that these wicked men though they are our familiar enemies there is no Prince that ruleth them nor Iustice that correcteth them nor feare that doth oppresse them nor law that subdueth them nor shame that refraineth them nor parents that correct them nor punishment that doth abase them nor yet death that dooth end them but now as men which are without remedy wee let them eate of all CHAP. XVI The Emperour Marcus Aurelius pursueth his Letter shewing the great damages that haue ensued for the wars begunne with strange realmes O Vnfortunate Rome who was not wont to haue such euill lucke but the elder thou art the more vnluckie I see thee For by writings wee reade and also with our eyes we see that the more fortunate a city or person hath beene in the beginning the more froward fortune is vnto him in the ending Truly in those ancient times and in those glorious worlds I say when they were peopled with true Romanes and not as now they which haue no children but bastards the Armies were so well taught that came from Rome as the philosophers which were in the schooles of Greece If the Greeke writings doe not lye vnto me Philip the great King of Macedony for this is so renowmed in histories and his sonne the Great Alexander for this was so fortunate in the Warres that they had their armies so well correct that it rather seemed a Senate which gouerned then a Campe which fought In that wee can gather out of Titus Liuius and other Writers from the time of Quintus Cincinnatus Dictator vntill the noble Marcus Marcellus were the most prosperous times of the Romane Empire For before Kings did trauell and afterwardes it was persecuted with Tirants In these so happy times one of the greatest felicities that Rome had was to haue the warre-like discipline well corrected And then Rome beganne to fall when our Armies beganne to doe damage For if those of the war haue truce with vices the others of the Common wealth cannot haue peace with vertues O cursed bee thou Asia and cursed bee the day that with thee wee had conquest For wee haue not seene the good that haue followed vs of thy conquest vntill this present and the losse damage which from thee come vnto vs shall be lamented in Rome for euer O cursed Asia we spend our treasures in thee and thou hast giuen vnto vs thy vices In chaunge of our valiant men thou hast sent vs thy fine mineons wee haue wonne thy Cities and thou triumphest of our vertues Wee battered thy fortes and thou hast destroyed our manners we triumph of thy Realmes and thou diddest cut the throtes of our friends Wee made to thee cruell warres thou conquerest from vs the good peace With force you were ours and with good will wee are yours Wee are vniust Lords of thy riches and iust tenants of thy vices Finally thou Asia art a wofull graue of Rome and thou Rome art a filthie sinke of Asia Since our auncient Fathers did content themselues with Rome alone why should not we their children content our selues with Rome and Italy but that wee must goe to conquer Asia where we aduentured our honour and spende our treasure If those auncient Romanes beeing as they were so princely Barons of life and so valiant in fighting and so hardy for to commaund did content themselues with this little border why shoulde not wee content our selues not beeing as they are hauing a Realme rich and vitious I know not what toye tooke vs in the head to goe conquer Asia and not to contente our selues with Rome Italy was not so poore of riches nor so destitute of Cities nor so vnpeopled of people nor so solitary of beasts nor so vndecked with buildings nor so barren of good fruits but that of all these thinges wee had more then our fathers wished and also more then wee their children deserued For mee I would say that it is for want of iudgement or aboundance of pride for vs to seeke to exceed our Forefathers in Seigniorie when wee are not coequall vnto them in vertue I was contented with all things of my forefathers saue onely that they were a little proude and seditious and herein wee their children doe resemble them well For so much as we are not onely proude and feditious but also couetous and malitious so that in vertuous things wee goe backeward and in vnlawfull workes wee goe forward What is become of the great victories that our forefathers had in Asia What is become of the infinite Treasure they haue robbed in the Countrey What is become of the great number of captiues that they tooke in the warre What is become of the riches which euery one brought home to his house What is becom of the valiant Kinges which they tooke in that Conquest What is become of the Feastes and Triumphes wherewith they entred triumphing into Rome VVhat wilt thou I say more vnto thee in this case my friende Cornelius but that all they which inuented the warre are dead all those which defended that Countrey are dead all those which entred triumphing into Rome are dead and finallie all the riches and triumphes which our Fathers brought from Asia they and those in short space had an end except the vices and pleasures whereof wee see there is no end O if the valiant Princes knew what a thing it is to inuent wars in strange Realmes what trauels they seeke for their persons what cares in their hearts what trouble to their subiects what
more sure when by white hayres they seemed to bee olde when they retired to the Aultars of the Temples Oh what goodnesse Oh what wisedome what valiantnesse and what innocencie ought the aged men to haue in the auncient time since in Rome they honoured them as Gods and in Greece they priuiledged those whyte haires as the temples Plinie in an Epistle he wrote to Fabarus saith that Pyrrus king of the Epyrotes demaunded of a phylosopher which was the best citie of the world who aunswered him thus The best Citie of the world is Molerda a place of three hundreth Fyres in Achaia because all the walles are of blacke stones and all those which gouerne haue hoary heads And further he saide Woe bee vnto thee Rome Woe be vnto thee Carthage Woe be vnto thee Numantia Wo be vnto thee Egipt and woe bee vnto thee Athens Fyue Cittyes which count themselues for the best of the Worlde whereof I am of a contrary opinion For they auaunte themselues to haue whyte Walles and are not ashamed to haue young Senatours This phylosopher saide very well and I thinke no man will say lesse then I haue saide Of this word Senex is deriued the name of a Senatour For so were the gouernours of Rome named because the first King that was Romulus chose an hundred aged men to gouerne the Common-wealth and commaunded that all the Romane youth should employ themselues to the warres Since wee haue spoken of the honour which in the old time was giuen to the auncient men it is reason wee know now from what yeares they accounted men aged to the end they should reuerently bee honoured as aged men For the makers of lawes when they hadde established the honours which ought to be done to the Aged did as well ordain from what day and yeare they should beginne Diuers auncient phylosophers did put six ages from the time of the birth of man vntill the houre of his death That is to say Childe-hood which lasteth vntill seuen yeares Infancie which lasteth vntill seuenteene yeares Youth which continueth till thirtie yeares Mans estate which remaineth till fiftie and fiue yeares Age which endureth till three-score and eighteene yeares Then last of all Crooked-age which remaineth till death And so after man had passed fiue and fifty yeares they called him aged Aulus Gelius in his tenth booke in the 27 Chapter sayth that Fuluius Hostilius who was King of the Romanes determined to count all the olde and yong which were amongst the people and also to know which should be called Infants which yong and which old And there was no little difference among the Romane Philosophers and in the end it was decreed by the King and the Senate that men till seuenteene years should bee called Infants and till sixe forty should be called young and from sixe and forty vpwards they should be called olde If wee will obserue the Law of the Romanes wee know from what time we are bound to call and honor the aged men But adding hereunto it is reason that the olde men know to what prowesses and vertues they are bound to the end that with reason and not with fainting they bee serued for speaking the truth if wee compare duty to duty the olde men are more bound to vertue then the young to seruice Wee cannot deny but that all states of Nations great small young and old are bound to bee vertuous but in this case the one is more to bee blamed then the other For oftentimes if the young men doe offend it is for that hee wanteth experience but if the old man offend it is for the aboundance of malice Seneca in an Epistle sayde these words I let thee know my friend Lucillus that l am very much offended and I doe complaine not of any friend or foe but of my selfe and none other And the reason why I thinke this is that I see my selfe old in vices so little is that wherein I haue serued the Gods and much lesse is that I haue profited him And Seneca sayeth further Hee which prayseth himselfe most to bee aged and that would bee honoured for being aged ought to bee temperate in eating honest in appartell sober in drinking soft in words wise in counsell and to conclude he ought to be very patient in aduersity and far from vices which attempt him Worthy of prayse is the greate Seneca for those wordes but more worthy shall the olde men if they wil conforme their workes according to these words For if wee see them for to abandon vices and giue themselus to vertues we will both serue them and honour them CHAP. XVIII That Princes when they are aged should be temperate in eating sober in drinking modest in apparrell and aboue all true in communication IT is consonant to the counsell of Seneca that the aged should bee temperate in eating which they ought to doe not onely for the reputation of their persons but also for the preseruation of theyr liues For the olde men which are drunke and amorous are persecuted with their owne diseases and are defamed by the tongues of other That which the ancient men should eate I meane those which are noble and vertuous ought to bee very cleane and well dressed and aboue all that they doe take it in season time for otherwise too much eating of diuers things causeth the young to bee sicke and enforceth the olde to die Young men though they eate dishonestly very hastily and eate speaking we can doe no lesse but dissemble with them but the olde men which eate much and hastily of necessitie we ought to reproue them For men of Honour ought to eate at table with a great grauitie as if they were in any counsell to determine causes It is not mine intention to perswade the feeble olde men not to eate but onely to admonish them to eate no more then is necessarie We doe not prohibite them to eate delicate things but to beware of superfluous things We doe not counsell them to leaue eating hauing need but to withdraw themselues from curiositie For though it bee lawfull for aged men to eate sufficient it is not honest for them to eate to ouercome theyr stomacks It is a shame to write it but more shame ought they to haue which doe it which is that the goods which they haue wonne and inherited by their predecessours they haue eaten and drunken so that they haue neyther bought House not vyne nor yet marryed any Daughter but they are naked and their poore children goe to the Tauernes and Innes and the miserable Fathers to the Hospitalles and Churches When any man commeth to pouertie for that his house is burned or his shippe drowned or that they haue taken all from him by Lawe or that hee hath spent it in pleading against his enemies or any other in conueniēce is come vnto him me thinketh we are all bound to succor him and the hart hath cōpassion to behold him
banishment I did helpe him with money and moreouer he was banished another time for the lightnes hee did commit in the night in the Citie and I maruell not hereof For we see by experience that Olde men which are fleshed in vices are more obstinate to correct then the young Oh what euill fortune haue the old men which haue suffered themselues to waxe olde in vice For more dangerous is the fire in an old house then in a newe and a great cut of a sword is not so perillous as a rotten Fistula Though olde men were not honest and vertuous for the seruice of the Gods and the commonwealth for the saying of the people nor for the example of the young yet he ought to bee honest if it were but for the reuerence of their yeares If the poore old man haue no teeth how shall he eate If he haue no heate in his stomacke how can he disgest If hee haue no taste how can he drinke if he be not strong how can hee be an adulterer if he haue no feet how can he goe if he haue the palsey how can he speake if he haue the gowte in his hands how can he play Finally such like worldly vicious men haue employed their forces being young desirous to proue al these vices and when they are old it grieueth thē extreamly that they cānot acomplish their desire Amongst all these faultes in olde men in myne opinion this is the chiefest that since they haue proued all things that they should still remaine in theyr obstinate follie There is no parte but they haue trauelled no villanie but they haue essayed no Fortune but they haue proued no good but they haue persecuted no euill but hath chanced vnto them nor there is any wickednes but they haue attēpted These vnhappie men which in this sort haue spent all their youth haue in the ende theyr combes cut with infirmities and diseases yet they are not so much grieued with the vices which in them doe abound to hinder them from vertues as they are tormented for want of corporall courage to further them in their lustes Oh if wee were Gods or that they would giue vs licence to knowe the thoughtes of the olde as wee see with our eyes the deedes of the young I sweare to the God Mars and also to the Mother Berecynthia that without comparison wee would punish more the wicked desires which the aged haue to be wicked then the light deedes of the young Tell mee Claude and Claudine doe you thinke though you behaue your selues as young you shall not seme to be olde Knowe you not that our nature is the corruption of our bodie and that our bodie hindereth our vnderstandings and that the vnderstandings are kept of our soule and that our soule is the mother of desires and that our desires are the scourge of our youth and that our youth is the ensigne of our age and age the spye of death and that death in the end is the house where life taketh his harbor from whēce youth flyeth a foot frō whence age cānot escape a horseback I would reioyce that you Claude and Claudine would but tell mee what you finde in this life that so much therwith you should be contented since no we you haue passed foure-score yeares of life during the which time either you haue bin wicked in the worlde or else you haue bin good If you haue bin good you ought to thinke it long vntill you bee with the good Gods if you haue bin euill it is iust you dye to the ende you be no worse For speaking the truth those which in threescore and ten yeares haue bin wicked in workes leaue small hope of their amendment of life Adrian my Lord beeing at Nola in Campania one brought vnto him a nephew of his from the studie whereas the yong childe had not profited a little for hee became a great Grecian and Latinist and moreouer hee was faire gratious and honest And this Emperour Adrian loued his Nephew so much that he saide vnto him these wordes My Nephewe I knowe not whether I ought to say vnto thee that thou art good or euill For if thou be euill life shall be euill employed on thee and if thou be good thou oughtest to dye immediately and because I am worse then all I liue longer then all These words which Adrian my Lord said doe plainly declare and expresse that in short space the pale and cruell death doth assault the good and lengtheneth life a great while to the euill The opinion of a phylosopher was that the gods are so profound in their secrets high in their mysteries and so iust in their works that to men which least profite the commonwealth they lengthen life longest and though he had not saide it we others see it by experience For the man which is good and that beareth great zeale friendship to the Commonwealth eyther the Gods take him from vs or the Enemyes doe slay him or the daungers doe cast him away or the trauells doe finish him When the great Pompeyus and Iulius Caesar became enemyes and from that enmitie came to cruell warres the Gronicles of the time declare that the kings and people of the occidental part became in he fauour of Iulius Caesar and the mightiest and most puissant of al the oriental parts came in the ayde of great Pompeius because these two Princes were loued of a few and serued and feared of all Amongst the diuersity and sundry nations of people which came out of the Orientall part into the hoast of the great Pompeius one nation came maruellous and cruell barbarous which sayde they dwelled on the other side of the mountaine Riphees which goe vnto India And these Barbarians had a Custome not to liue no longer then fifty yeares and therefore when they came to that age they made a greater fire and were burned therin aliue and of their owne wils they sacrificed themselues to the Gods Let no man be astonied at that we haue spoken but rather let them maruell of that wee will speake that is to say that the same day any man had accōplished fifty yeares immediately hee cast himselfe quicke into the fire and his friends made a great feast And the feast was that they did eate the flesh of the dead halfe burned and dranke in wine and water the ashes of his bones so that the stomacke of the childrē being aliue was the graue of the Fathers being dead All this that I haue spoken with my tongue Pompeius hath seene with his eyes for that some being in the camp did accomplish fifty yeares and because the case was strange hee declared it oft in the Senate Let euery man iudge in this case what he will and condemne the barbarians at his pleasure yet I will not cease to say what I thinke O golden world which had such men O blessed people of whom in the World to ome shall be
and not of necessity weareth his gowne all to torne his shooes out his points without agglets an euill fauouted girdle his coate rent his hat olde his hose seame rent his cap greasie and his shirt lousie Finally I say that diuers of these misers faine that they haue a great summe to pay and it is for no other thing but for not wearing a good garment What can the couetous doe more then for keeping a penny in his purse hee will go two moneths and not trimme his beard Sithence it is true that these pinch-penies doe behaue their persons so euill do ye thinke they haue their houses any thing the better furnished I say no but you shal see their chambers full of cobwebs the dores out of the hinges the windowes riuen the glasses broken the planches loose the couertures of the house without gutters the stooles broken the beds worme-eaten and chimnies ready to fall so that to harbour a friend or kinsmen of theirs they are constrayned to Lodge him in theyr neighbours house or else to sende to borrow all that they want And passing ouer the garments they weare the housen wherein they dwell let vs see what Tables they keepe For of their Gardens they eate no fruite but that that falleth off the tree of theyr vines but rotten grapes of their sheep the sickest of their Corne the wettest of wine that which hath taken winde of Lard that is yeallow of milke that is turned And finally I say the felicitie that gluttons haue in eating the selfe same haue they in keeping Oh vnhappie are the gluttons and much more the couetous for the tast of one consisteth only in the throate the felicitie of the other consisteth in that he may locke vp in his chest Wee haue now seene how the couetous weare simple apparell keepe a poore Table and dwell in a filthie house and yet they lesse regard those things that touch their honor For if they had their eares as open to heare as they haue their hearts bent at eache houre to gather and heape vp they should heare how they are called mysers vsurers niggards pinchpennies oppressors cruell vnthankefull and vnfortunate Finally I say that in the comon-wealth they are so hated that all men had rather lay hāds vpon their bodyes to kill them then tongues on their renowme to defame them The couetous man is of all other the most vnlucky For if he fall at strife with any he shal find no one friend that will come to visit him in his house but he shal haue a hundred thieues which wil rob him of his goods For to reuenge a couetous enemy a man neede desire nought else but that he liue long for hee is more tormented in his life with his owne couetousnes then he can be otherwise with any pennance If rich men would say vnto me that they doe not reioice to haue faire houses sithēs they haue thē neither of curious apparell since they may weare it nor of daintie meates sithens they may eate them and that that which they doe is not to be couetous but for that they are good Christians In so iust a thing reason would my pen should cease but I am sorry they so little esteem things touching their honour and much lesse the matters touching their conscience If the auaritious say hee keepeth goods to do almes I doe not beleeue it for dayly we see if a poor man aske him alms hee answereth them immediatly God helpe you for hee hath neither purse nor money The couetous vseth this that he neuer giueth almes in his house but fat meat restie bacon rotten cheese hoary bread so that it seemeth rather that they make cleane their house then giue almes to the poore If the couetous man would tell vs that that which they haue is to discharge some debts of their predecessors wherewith they are burdened I say it is a vaine excuse sithens wee see that the willes of their fathers of their mothers and of their grandfathers be not as yet performed neyther will they thinke to performe them which seemeth very true For since the houre that they layde their fathers in the graue they neuer had any thought of their deade Fathers Hee which of pure couetousnesse and misery suffereth himselfe to dye for hunger and colde I thinke hee hath small deuotion for to giue almes and much lesse to doe any man good If the couetous man say vnto vs that that which hee keepeth is for none other cause but for to build a sumptuous Chappell and to leaue of them some memory To this I answere That if such a one doeth it with his owne proper swette and maketh restitution of all the euill that he hath done it shall be sanctified and of all good men commended but if the couetous wil that many liue in great pouerty onely to make a rich tombe God doth not command that neyther dooth the Church admit it for sacrifice done to God with the cries of others is not acceptable If the couetous tell vs that thogh they heape treasures it is not but at their death to distribute it vnto the poore and to be brought honestly to the ground I say that I commend this purpose so his entent bee accordingly performed but I am sorry the couetous man should thinke hereby to merite and that hee should thus discharge the wickednesse of his life for the distribution of a little money after his death I would thinke it more sure that Princes great Lords should spend their goods to marry poore maydens being Orphans in their life then to commaund money to bee dealt after their death For oft times the heyres or their executors the body interred doe little performe the will of the Testator and much lesse obserue the Legacies bequeathed though it be to the vtter vndoing of the poore Orphanes O what guerdon and commendation deserueth he that iustly and truely dischargeth the Legacies of the dead and of the surplus if any be or with their owne releeue the Orphanes and marry the poore maydens keeping them from the vices of the worlde Suppose that a couetous man chanceth to traffique at Medine in Spaine at Lions in France at Lisbone in Portingall at London in England at Antwarpe in Flaunders at Millaine in Lombardy at Florence in Italy at Palermo in Scicill at Prage in Bohemie and at Buda in Hungarie Finally vith his eyes he hath seene all Europe and by traffique he hath knowledge of all Asia Admit now that in euery place he hath gotten goods and that which he hath gotten was not with whole conscience but acording to the companies so hath the offences beene diuers In this case if at the houre of death when the couetous man diuideth his money betweene the children hee might also deuide his offences so that he dispossessing himselfe of the goods might thereby bee free from the offences then it were well But alas it is not so for the wicked children liue triumphing
be so many couetous men in the common wealth for nothing can bee more vniust then one rich man heape vp that which wold suffice 10000. to liue with all we cannot deny but that cursed auarice to al sorts of men is as preiudicial as the moth which eateth all garments Therefore speaking the truth there is no house that it doth not defile for it is more perillous to haue a clod of earth fall into a mans eye then a beame vpon his foote Agesilaus the renowmed king of the Lacedemonians beeing asked of a man of Thebes what word was most odible to be spoken to a King and what word was that that could honor him most hee aunswered The Prince with nothing so much ought to bee annoyed as to say vnto him that hee is rich and of nothing hee ought so much to reioyce as to be called poore For the glory of the good Prince consisteth not in that hee hath great treasures but in that hee hath giuen great recompences This word without doubt of all the world was one of the most royallest and worthyest to be committed vnto me morie Alexander Pyrrhus Nicanor Ptholomeius Pompeius Iulius Caesar Scipto Hanniball Marcus Porlius Augustus Cato Traian Theodose Marcus Aurelius c. All these Princes haue bin very valiaunt and vertuous but adding hereunto also the Writers which had written the deeds that they did in their liues haue mentioned also the pouertie which they had at their death So that they are no lesse exalted for the riches they haue spent then for the prowesses they haue done Admit that men of meane estate be auaritious and Princes great Lords also couetous the fault of the one is not equall with the vice of the other though in the ende all are culpable For if the poore man keepe it is for that hee would not want but if the knight hoord it is because he hath too much And in this case I would say that cursed bee the Knight which trauelleth to the end that goods abound and doth not care that betweene two bowes his renowm fall to the ground Sithens Princes and great Lordes will that men doe count them Noble vertuous and valiaunt I would fayne know what occasion they haue to be niggards and hard If they say that that which they keepe is to eate herein there is no reason for in the end where the rich eateth least at his table there are many that had rather haue that which remaineth then that which they prouide to eate in their houses If they say that that which they keepe is to apparrell them herein also they haue as little reason for the greatnes of Lordes consisteth not in that they should bee sumptuously apparrelled but that they prouide that their seruants goe not rent not torne If they say it is to haue in their chambers precious iewels in their hals rich Tapestry as little would I admit this answere for all those which enter into Princes Pallaces doe behold more if those that haunt their chambers bee vertuous then that the Tapestries be rich If they say it is to compasse their Cities with walles or to make fortresses on their frontiers so likewise is this answere among the others very cold For good Princes ought not to trauell but to be well willed and if in their realms they be welbeloued in the world they can haue no walles so strong as in the hearts of their Subiects If they tell vs that that they keepe is to marry their children as little reason is that for sithence Princes and great Lords haue great inheritances they need not heape much For if their children bee good they shall encrease that shall be left them and if by mishappe they be euill they shall as well lose that which shall bee giuen them If they say vnto vs that which they heape is for the wartes in like manner that is no iust excuse For if such warre bee not iust the Prince ought not to take it in hand nor the people thereunto to condiscend but if it be iust the common-wealth then and not the Prince shall beare the charges thereof For in iust warres it is not sufficient that they giue vnto the Prince all their goods but also they must themselues in person hazzard theyr liues If they tell vs that they keepe it to giue and dispose for theyr soules at their dying day I say it is not onely for want of wisedome but extreame sollie For at the houre of death princes ought more to reioyce for that they haue giuen then for that at that time they giue Oh how Princes and great Lordes are euill counselled since they suffer themselues to be slaundered for being couetous onely to heape a little cursed treasure For experience teacheth vs no man can be couetous of goods but needs he must be prodigall of honour and abandon libertie Plutarche in the Booke which hee made of the fortunes of Alexander saith That Alexander the great had a priuate seruant called Perdicas the which seeing that Alexander liberally gaue all that which by great trauell hee attained on a day he said vnto him Tell mee most Noble Prince sithens thou giuest all that thou hast vnto others what wilt thou haue for thy selfe Alexander answered The glorie remaineth vnto mee of that I haue wonne and gotten and the hope of that which I will giue and winne And further he said vnto him I will tell thee Perdicas If I knew that men thought that all that which I take were for couetousnes I sweare vnto thee by the God Mars that I would not beate downe one corner in a Towne and to winne all the world I would not go one dayes iourney My intention is to take the glorie vnto my selfe and to diuide the goods amongst others These words so high were worthy of a valiant and vertuous Prince as of Alexander which spake them If that which I haue read in books doe not beguile mee and that which with these eyes I haue seen to become rich it is necessarie that a man giue For that Princes and great lords who naturally are giuen to bee liberall are alwayes fortunate to haue It chaunceth oft times that some man giuing a little is counted liberal and another giuing much is counted a niggard the which proceedeth of this that they know not that liberalitie and niggardnesse consisteth not in giuing much or little but to knowe well how to giue For the rewardes and recompences which out of time are distributed doe neyther profite them which receyue them neyther agree to him which giueth them A couetous man giueth more at one time then a noble and free heart doeth in twentie thus saith the prouerbe It is good comming to a niggardes feast The difference betweene the liberality of the one and the misery of the other is that the noble and vertuous doth giue that he giueth to many but the niggard giueth that hee giueth to one onely Of the which vnaduisement
their Lordes boorde but they must needs haue a cast at my Lord himselfe to cheare him withall which intollerable abuse ought not to be suffred but with most sharpe correction punished But what shall wee say that for the most part the Lords are so vaine and the Iesters so presumptuous and arrogant that the Lords haue more care to content them then they haue to please the Lords In the house of a Lord a foole at the end of the yeare will aske more then any other of those which are most auncient so that the follies of the one are more acceptable then the seruices of all It is shame to speake it and no lesse for to write it that the children of vanity are so vaine that they bribe a foole or a Iester no lesse in these dayes to the entent he may bee a meane for them vnto the Prince then they did in times past desire Cicero to make an Oration for them before the Senate It is for want of vnderstanding and through the vilety of the person oppression of the heart and disprayse of renowne to be desirous by the means of fooles to attaine to any thing For he can haue no great wisdom which putteth his hope in the fauour of a foole What remaineth for me to say when I haue sayde that which I will say And it is that if a Iester or foole say openly to some Lord God saue your life my good Lord. Oh hee is a Noble man indeed he will not sticke to giue him a gowne of silke and entring into a Church hee would not giue a poore man a halfe penny O what negligence is there of Princes O what vanity of Lordes since they forsake the poore and wise to enrich the Iesters and fooles they haue enough for the world and not for Iesus Christ they giue to those that aske for his Louers sake and not to those which aske for the health of the soule Hee ought not to doe so for the Knight which is a Christian and not a worldling ought rather to will that the poore doe pray for him at the houre of death then that the fooles and Iesters should prayse him in his life What doth it profite the soule or the body that the Iesters do praise thee for a cote thou hast giuen them and that the poore accuse thee for the bread thou hast denied them Peraduenture it will profite thee as much that a foole or a flatterer goe before a Prince apparrelled with a new liuerie of thine as the poore man shall do thee damage before God to whom thou hast denyed a poore ragged shirt All Gentlemen and Noble Parsonages in the name of our Sauiour Iesus Christ I admonish exhort and humbly require that they consider well what they spend and to whom they giue for the good Princes ought to haue more respect of the necessities of the poore then of the follyes of counterfeytes Giue as yee will diuide as yee list for at the houre of death as much as yee haue laughed with the fooles for that yee haue giuen them so much shall yee weepe with the poore for that you haue denyed them At the houre of death it shall bee grieuous paines to him that dyeth to see the flesh of the Orphanes all naked and to he holde counterfaite fooles loden with their garments Of one thing I am amazed that indifferently euery man may become a foole and no man let him and the worst of all is if once a foole become couetous all the world afterwards cannot make him to bee in his right sences Truely such one which hath no reason to bee a foole at the least he hath good occasion since hee getteth more to eat playing then the others doe by working O what negligence of the Princes and what smal respect of the Gouernours of the Common wealth is this that a yong man whole stoute strong and valiant should be suffered to goe from house to house from table to table and onely for babling vaine wordes and telling shamefull lyes hee should bee counted a man of an excellent tongue Another folly there is in this case that their words are not so foolish as their deedes are wicked though they haue a good or euill grace yet in the end they be counted in the Common wealth as loyterers and fooles I know not whether in this case is greater eyther their folly or our lightnesse for they vse vs as fooles in telling vs lyes and wee pay them good money The Romanes did not permit in their Common wealthes olde stale Iesters nor wee Christians ought to retaine into our houses idle loiterers Yee ought to know that more offendeth hee which sinneth with a deformed woman then hee which sinneth with a beautifull Lady And he which is drunke with sowre Ale offendeth more then hee which is drunke with sweet wine And so in like manner greater offence commit they which lose their times with fooles that haue no grace then with Iesters which haue good wits for it may be permitted sometime that the Sage man for the recreation of his Spirits doe frequent the company of some pleasant man CHAP. XLIV Of a Letter which the Emperour wrote to Lambertus his friend Gouernour of Hellespont certifying him that he had banished from Rome all fooles and loytering Players and is diuided into three Chapters a notable Letter for those that keepe counterfeyte fooles in their houses MArcus Aurelius onely Emperour of Rome Lord of Asia confederate with Europe friends of Affricke and enemy of the wars wisheth health to thee Lambert Gouernor of the Isle of Helespont With the furres which thou didst send mee I haue caused my gowne to be furred and am girded with the girdle which thou didst present me and am greatly contented with thy hounds For all is so good that the body doth reioyce to possesse it and the eyes to beholde it and also the heart to render thanks for it Where I did aske a few things of thee in iest thou hast sent me many in earnest wherein not as a seruant but as a friend thou hast shewed thy selfe For the office of noble and worthy hearts is to offer to their friends not onely that which they demaund but that also which they doe thinke they will demaund Truly thou hast better measured thy seruices by thy noblenesse then I thee demaund by my couetousnesse For if thou doest remember I did demaund of thee onely 12. skinnes and thou hast sent mee 12. dozen I tolde thee that I desired 6. hounds for to hunt thou hast sent mee 12. of the best that can bee found in the Isle In such sort that I had honour and thou hast wonne renowne For in the little I haue demaunded thou shalt see my little couetousnesse and in the much thou hast sent mee they shall perceiue thy great liberalitie I esteeme highly that which thou hast sent mee and I beseech the Gods send thee good lucke For thou knowest wee may
barbarous people shedding their owne proper bloud And in the hindermost parte of Spaine when those of Seuill had warre with the Gaditanes it chanced that euen in the middest of the time those of Seuill wanted money and two Parasites offered themselues for 2 years to sustaine the warres with their own proper goods so that with the riches of two fooles many wise men were ouercome When the Amazones were Ladies of Asia then they built the great temple of the goddesse Diana And as the histories account only with that they tooke away from a player was builte this noble Temple If the histories of the Egyptians do not deceyue me King Caâ—mus who with a 1000. gates built the great City of Thebes for such a building so high and monstrous a City all his subiects together gaue him not so much as two Parasites did alone When the good Emperour Augustus renued the walles of Rome made them of hard stone which before that time were onely of earth and bricke towards such a costly Worke he had more of two Parasites which were drowned then of all the City beside I beeing in the City of Corinthe saw an auncient Tombe wherein the Corinthians say their first King was buried And the Historiographers say that this King was a great wrastler other say hee was a Parasite others say hee was a Iugler but howsoeuer it was he was first a Iester and obtained a Realme in earnest Behold Lambert how they are neglected of the gods and fauoured of fortune and in how little estimation the goods of this life ought to bee esteemed since som by counterfaiting the fooles leaue of them as great memory of their folly as the others doe by their wisedome There is one thing onely of these loyterers that pleaseth me that is to say that in his presence they make euery man laugh with the follyes they speake and after that they are gone all remaine sadde for the money they carrie away Truly it is a iust sentence of the gods that those which haue taken vain pleasures together do weepe afterwards for their losse seuerally At this present I will write no more vnto thee but that I send thee this letter written in Greeke to the end thou maiest reade it to al those of that Isle And thou shalt immediatelie dispatch the ships to the end they carry the prouisions to the men of warre in Illyria Peace bee with thee Lambert health and good fortune to mee Marke The Senate saluteth thee and do send thee the propagation of the gouernement for the next yeare In the Calends of Ianuary thou shalt say Gaude foelix My wife Faustine commendeth her to thee and sendeth thee for thy daughter a rich girdle In payment of thy seruices I do send thee two rich Iewels two light horses and one laden with 4000. Sexterces Marcus of Mount Celio with his owne hand writeth vnto thee CHAP. XLVIII That Princes and Noble men ought to remember that they are mortall and must dye wherein are sundry notable consolations against the feare of death CLeobolus and Biton were the sonnes of a renowmed woman the which was Nunne to the goddesse Iuno when the day of that solemne feast was celebrated her children prepared a Chariot wherein their mother should goe to the Temple For the Greekes had this custome the day that the Priestes went to offer any sacrifice eyther they were carried on mens armes or in Chariots They adorned their temples so well they esteemed their Sacrifices so much and did so much honour their Priests that if any Priest did set his foot on the ground that day they did not permit him to offer any sacrifices to the Gods It chanced as this Nunne went in her Chariot and her children Cleobolus Biton with her the beasts which drew the Chariot suddenly fell down dead ten miles from the Temple of the goddesse Iuno The children seeing the beasts dead and that their mother could not goe a foot and that the Chariot was all ready and that there was no beasts to draw it they as louing children determined to yoake themselues and draw the chariot as if they had been dumb beasts And as the mother carried them nine moneths in her wombe so did they draw her in the chariot x. miles Now for that they passed through infinite numbers of men to the feast of the goddesse Iuno euery man seing Cleobolus and Biton yoked in the Chariot like beasts were greatly amazed saying that these two children deserued with great rewards to be recompenced And truly they sayde iustly and so they deserued it For they deserued as much to be praysed for the example which they shewed to all children to reuerence their parents as for carrying their mother in the Chariot to the Temple So after that the Feast was ended the mother not knowing how to require the benefite of her children with many teares besought the goddesse Iuno that she with the other gods would be contented to giue her two children the best thing that the gods could giue to their friends The Goddesse Iuno answered her that shee was contented to require the other Gods and that they would doe it And the reward was that for this noble fact the gods ordained that Cleobolus and Biton should sleepe one day well and in the morning when they should wake they should dye The mother pittifully bewayling the death of her children and complaining of the gods the Goddesse Iuno sayde vnto her Thou hast no cause why to complaine since wee haue giuen thee that thou hast demaunded hast demaunded that which wee haue giuen thee I am a goddesse and thou art my seruant and therefore the gods haue giuen to thy children the thing which they count most dear which is death For the greatest reuenge which among the gods wee can take of our enemies is to let them liue long and the best thing that we keep for our friends is to make them to die quickely The author of this historie is called Hisearchus in his politikes and Cicero in his first booke of his Tusculanes In the Isle of Delphos where the oracle of the god Apollo was there was a sumptuous Temple the which for want of reparation fell downe to the ground as oftentimes it chanceth to high and sumptuous buildings which from time to time are not repaired For if the walles dungeons Castels and strong houses could speak as well would they complaine for that they doe not renue them as the olde men doe for that wee doe not cherish them Triphon and Agamendo were two noble Personages of Greece and counted for sage and rich men the which went vnto the Temple of Apollo and built it new againe as well with the labour of their persons as with the great expences of their goods When the building was atchieued the god Apollo sayde vnto them that hee remembred well their good seruice wherefore he would they should demaund him any thing in rewarde of
their trauell and with a good will it should be granted for the gods vse for a little seruice to giue a great reward Triphon and Agamendo aunswered vnto the god Apollo that for their good will for their trauell and for their expences they demaunded no other reward but that it would please him to giue them the best thing that might bee giuen vnto man and that vnto them were most profite saying That the miserable men haue not the power to eschew the euill nor wisedome to chuse the good The god Apollo answered that he was contented to pay them their seruice which they had done and for to grant them that which they had demaunded By reason whereof Triphon and Agamendo hauing dined suddenly at the gates of the temple fel down dead so that the reward of their trauel was to plucke them out of their miserie The reason to declare these two examples is to the ende that all mortall men may knowe that there is nothing so good in this worlde as to haue an ende of this life and though to lose it there be no sauour yet at the least there is profite For wee would reproue a traueller of great foolishnes if sweating by the way he would sing and after at his iourneyes ende hee should beginne to weepe Is not hee simple which is sorry for that hee is come into the Hauen is not hee simple that giueth the battell and fighteth for that hee hath got the victorie Is not he stubborne which is in great distresse and is angry to be succoured Therefore more foolish simple and stubborn is hee which trauelleth to dye and is loath to meete with death For death is the true refuge the perfect health the sure Hauen the whole victorie the flesh without bones Fish without scales and corne without slrawe Finally after death wee haue nothing to bewayle and much lesse to desire In the time of Adrian the Emperour a Phylosopher called Secundus being meruellously learned made an oration at the funerall of a Noble Romaine Matrone a Kins-woman of the Emperours who spake exceedingly much euill of life and maruellous much good of death And when the Emp demanded him what death was The phylosopher aunswered thus Death is an eternall sleepe a dissolution of the bodie a terror of the rich a desire of the poore a thing inhetitable a pilgrimage vncertaine a Theefe of men a kinde of sleeping a shadow of life a separation of the liuing a companie of the dead a resolution of all trauels and the end of all ydle desires Finally Death is the scourge of all euill and the chiefe reward of the good Truely this Phylosopher spake very well and hee should not doe euill which profoundly would consider that hee had spoken Seneca in an Epistle declareth of a Phylosopher whose name was Bessus to whom when they demanded what euill a man can haue in Death since men feare it so much Hee aunswered If any damage or feare is in him who dyeth it is not for the feare of death but for the vice of him which dyeth Wee may agree to that the Phylosopher saide that euen as the deafe cannot iudge harmony nor the blind colours so likewise they cannot say euill of death especially he which neuer tasted it For of all those which are dead none returned again to complaine of Death and of these fewe that liue all complaine of life If any of the dead returned hither to speak vvith the liuing and as they haue proued it so they vvould tell vs. If there were any harme in secrete death it were reason to haue some feare of death But though a man that neuer saw heard felt nor tasted death doeth speake euill of Death should wee therefore feare Death Those ought to haue done some euill in their life which doe feare speake euill of death For in the last houre in the streight iudgement the good shal be known the euill discouered There is no Prince nor Knight rich nor poore whole nor sicke lucky nor vnluckie which I see with their vocations to be contented saue onely the dead which in theyr graues are in peace rest and are neither couetous proud negligent vain ambicious nor dissolute So that the state of the dead ought to bee best since wee see none therein to bee euill contented And since therefore those which are poore â—oe seek the meanes wherwith to endch themselues those which are sad rio seeke wherby to reioyce and those which are sicke to seeke to be healed why is it that those which haue such feare of Death doe seeke remedie against that feare In this case I would say that he which will not feare to die let him vse himself well to liue For the guyltles taketh away feare from death The diuine Plato demaunded Socrates how hee behaued himselfe in life and how he would behaue himselfe in death He answered I let thee know that in youth I haue trauelled to liue well and in age I haue studyed to die well and sith my life hath been honest I hope my death shall be ioyfull And although I haue had sorrow to liue I am sure I shall haue no paine to dye Truely these wordes are worthie of such a man Men of stout harts suffer maruellously when the swear of theyr trauell is not rewarded when they are faithful and their rewards aunswereth nothing to their true seruice when for their good seruices their Friends become vnthankefull to them when they are worthy honour and that they preferre them to honorable room and office For the noble and valiant harts doe not esteeme to loose the rewarde of their labour but thinke much vnkindenesse when a man doeth not acknowledge theyr trauells Oh happie are they that dye For without inconuenience and without paine euery man is in his graue For in this Tribunall iustice to all is so equally obserued that in the same place where wee haue deserued life in the same place we merited death There was neuer nor neuer shall be iudge so iust nor in iustice so vpright that giueth reward by weight and paine by measure but that somtimes they chasten the innocent absolue the guiltie they vexe the faultlesse and they dissemble with the culpable For little auaileth it the playntife to haue good iustice if conscience want to the iudge that should minister it Truely it is not so in Death but all ought to account themselues happie For he which shall haue good iustice shall bee sure on his parte to haue the sentence When great Cato was Censor in Rome a famous Romaine dyed who shewed at his death a maruellous courage and when the Romains praised him for that hee had so great vertue and for the words he had spoken Cato the Censor laughed at that they sayd for that they praised him And he being demanded the cause of his laughter annswered Yee maruell at that I laugh and I laugh at that yee maruell For the perills
and trauells considered wherein wee liue and the safetie wherein wee dye I say that it is more needefull to haue vertue and strength to liue then courage to dye The Authour hereof is Plutarch in his Apothegmes Wee cannot say but that Cato the Censor spake as a wise man since daylie we see shamefast and vertuous persons suffer hunger cold thyrst trauell pouerty inconuenience sorrows enmities and mishaps of the which things wee were better to see the ende in one day then to suffer them euery houre For it is lesse euill to suffer an honest death then to endure a miserable life Oh how small consideration haue men to thinke that they ought to dye but once Since the truth is that the day when wee are born and come inthis worlde is the beginning of our death and the last day is when we do cease to liue If death bee no other but an ending of life then reason perswadeth vs to thinke that our infancie dyeth our childhood dyeth our manhoode dyeth and our Age shall dye wherof we may consequently cōclude that we dye euery yeare euery day euery houre and euery moment So that thinking to leade a sure life we taste a new death I know not why men feare so much to dye since that from the time of their birth they seeke none other thing but death For time neuer wanteth for any man to dye neyther I knew any man that euer fayled of this way Seneca in an Epistle declareth that as a Romaine Woman lamented the death of a Childe of hers a Phylosopher saide vnto her Woman why bewaylest thou thy childe She aunswered I weepe because hee hath liued xxv yeares and I would he should haue liued till fiftie For amongst vs mothers wee loue our Children so hartily that we neuer cease to behold them nor yet ende to bewaile them Then the Phylosopher said Tell me I pray thee woman Why doest thou not complame of the Gods because they created not thy Sonne manie yeares before he was borne as well as thou complavnest that they haue not let him liue fiftie yeares Thou weepest that hee is deade so soone and thou dost not lament that he is borne so late I tell thee true Woman that as thou doest not lament for the one no more thou oughrest to bee sorrie for the other For without the determination of the Gods we cannot shorten death and much lesse lengthen our life So Plinie saide in an Epistle that the chiefest law which the Gods haue giuen vnto humane nature was that none shold haue perpactual life For with dis-ordinate desire to liue long wee should reioyce to goe out of this paine Two Phylosophers disputing before the great Emperor Theodose the one saide that it was good to procure death and the other likewise sayde it was a necessary thing to hate life The good Theodose taking him by the hand sayd All wee mortalles are so extreame in hating and louing that vnder the colour to loue and hate life wee leade an euill life For we suffer so many trauells for to preserue it that sometimes it were much better to loose it And further hee sayde Diuers vaine men are come into so great follyes that for feare of Death they procure to hasten death And hauiwg consideration to this me seemeth that wee ought not greatly to loue life nor with desperation to seeke Death For the strong and valiant men ought not to hate Life so long as it lasteth nor to bee displeased with death when hee commeth All commended that which the Emperour Theodose spake as Paulus Dyacon saith in his life Let euery man speake what he will and let the Phylosophers counsell what they lift in my poore iudgment hee alone shall receyue death without paine who long before is prepared to receyue the same For sudden death is not onely bitter vnto him which tasteth it but also it seareth him that hateth it Lactantius saide that in such sorte man ought to liue as if from hence an houre after he should dye For those men which will haue Death before their eyes it is vnpossible that they should giue place to vaine thoughts In my opinion and also by the aduise of Apuleius It is as much follie to flie from that which we cannot auoyd as to desire that wee can not attaine And this is only spoken for those that would flye the voyage of death which is necessarie and desire to come againe which is vnpossible Those that trauell by long wayes if they want any thing they borrow it of their companie If they haue forgotten ought they returne to seeke it at their lodging or else they write vnto their friends a letter But I am sorrie that if wee once dye they will not let vs returne again we cannot speake and they will not agree we shall write but such as they shall finde vs so shall wee bee iudged And that which is most fearfull of all the execution and sentence is giuen in one day Let Noble Princes and great Lords beleeue mee in this Let them not leaue that vndone til after their death which they may doe during their life And let them not trust in that they commaund but in that whiles they liue they doe Let them not trust in the workes of an other but in theyr owne good deedes For in the end one sigh shall be more worth then all the friendes of the world I counsell pray and exhort all wise and vertuous men and also my selfe with them that in such a sort wee liue that at the houre of death wee may say we liue For wee cannot say that wee liue when we liue not well For all that time which without profite wee shall liue shall be counted vnto vs for nothing CHAP. XLIX ¶ Of the death of Marcus Aurelius the Emperour and how there are fewe Friendes which dare say the truth to sicke men THe good Emperor Marcus Aurelius now beeing aged not onely for the yeares he had but also for the great trauells hee had in the warres endured It chaunced that in the xviii yeare of his Empire and lxxij yeares from the day of his birth and of the foundation of Rome fiue hundreth xliii beeing in the warre of Pannonie which at this time is called Hungaria besieging a famous cittie called Vendeliona suddenly a disease of the palsey tooke him which was such that hee lost his life and Rome her Prince the best of life that euer was borne therein Among the Heathen princes some had more force then he others possessed more riches then hee others were as aduenturous as hee and some haue knowne as much as hee but none hath bin of so excellent and vertuous a life nor so modest as hee For his life being examined to the vttermost ther are many princely vertues to follow and fewe vices to reproue The occasion of his death was that that in going one Night about his Campe suddenly the disease of the palsey tooke him in
his arme so that from thence forwards hee could not put on his gowne nor draw his sword and much lesse carrie a staffe The good Empreour being so loaden with yeres and no lesse with cares the sharpe Winter approching more and more great aboundance of water and snow fell about the Tents so that another disease fell vpon him called Litargie the which thing much abated his courage and in his Hoast caused great sorrow For he was so beloued of all as if they had been his owne Children After that he had proued all medicines and remedyes that could bee found and all other things which vnto so great and mightie Princes were accustomed to be done he perceyued in the end that all remedie was past And the reason heereof was because his sicknes was exceeding vehement and hee himselfe very aged the Ayre vnwhol-some and aboue all because sorrowes and cares oppressed his hart Without doubt greater is the disease that proceedeth of sorrowe then that which proceedeth of the Feuer quartaine And thereof fensueth that more easily is hee cured which of corrupt humours is full then hee which with profound thoughts is oppressed The Emperour then beeing sicke in his chamber and in such sort that hee could not exercise the feates of armes as his men ranne out of their Campe to skyrmish and the Hungarians in like manner to defend the fight on both sides was so cruell through the great effusion of bloud that neither the Hungarians had cause to reioyce nor yet the Romaines to be merrie Vnderstanding the euill order of his and especially that v. of his Captaines were slaine in the conflict and that he for his disease could not bee there in person such sorrows pierced his hart that although he desired forthwith to haue dyed yet hee remained 2. dayes and 3. nights without that hee would see light or speak vnto any man of his So that the heat was much the rest was small the sighes were continuall and the thyrst very great the meate little and the sleepe lesse and aboue all his face wrinckled and his lips very blacke Sometimes he cast vp his eyes and at other times he wrong his hands alwayes hee was silent and continually hee sighed His tongue was swollen that hee could not spit and his eyes very hollow with weeping So that it was a great pittie to see his death and no lesse compassion to see the confusion of his pallace and the hinderance of the warre Many valiant captains many noble Romaines many faithfull seruants and many old friends at all these heauines were present But none of them durst speake to the Emperour Marke partly for that they tooke him to be so sage that they knewe not what counsell to giue him and partely for that they were so sorrowful that they could not refraine their heauie teares For the louing and true Friendes in their life ought to bee beloued and at theyr death to be bewailed Great compassion ought men to haue of those which dye not for that we see them dye but because there are none that telleth them what they ought to doe Noble Princes and great Lords are in greater perill when they dye then the Plebeyans For the counseller dare not tell vnto his Lorde at the houre of death that which hee knoweth and much lesse will tell him how he ought to die and what things hee ought to discharge whiles hee is aliue Manie goe to visite the sicke that I would to GOD they went some other where And the cause heereof is that they see the sicke mans eyes hollowe the flesh dryed the armes without flesh the colour enflamed the ague continuall the paine great the tongue swollen nature consumed and besides all this the house destroyed and yet they say vnto the sicke man Be of good cheere I warrant you you shall liue As young men naturallie desire to liue and as death to all olde men is dreadfull so though they see themselues in that distresse yet they refuse no Medecines as though there were great hope of life And therof ensueth oftentimes that the miserable creatures depart the worlde without confessing vnto GOD and making restitutions vnto men Oh if those which doe this knewe what euill they doe For to take away my goods to trouble my person to blernish my good name to slaunder my parentage and to reproue my life these works are of cruell enemies but to bee occasion to lose my soule it is the works of the diuell of hell Certainly hee is a Diuell which deceyueth the sicke with flatteryes and that in steed to helpe him to dye well putteth him in vain-hope of long life Herein hee that sayeth it winneth little and he that beleeueth it aduentureth much To mortall men it is more meete to giue counselles to reform their consciences with the truth then to hazard their houses with lyes With our friends wee are ashamelesse in their life and also bashfull at their death The which ought ought not to be so For if our Fathers were not dead and that wee did not daylie see these that are present die mee thinketh it were a shame and also a feare to say to the sicke that hee alone should die But since thou knowest as well as he and he knoweth as well as thou that all doe trauell in this perillous iourney what shame hast thou to say vnto thy friend that hee is now at the last point If the dead should now reuiue how would they complain of their friends And this for no other cause but for that they would not giue them good counsell at their death For if the sicke man bee my Friend and that I see peraduenture he will dye Why shall not I counsell him to prepare himselfe to dye Certainly oftentimes we see by experience that those which are prepared and are ready for to dye doe escape and those which thinke to liue doe perish What should they doe which goe to visite the sicke perswade them that they make their Testaments that they confesse their sinnes that they discharge their conscience that they receyue the Communion and that they do reconcile themselues to their enemies Certainely all these things charge not the launce of death nor cut not the threed of life I neuer saw blindenesse so blinde nor ignorance so ignorant as to be ashamed to counsell the sicke that they are bound to do when they are whole As we haue sayd here aboue Princes and great Lords are those aboue all others that liue and dye most abusedly And the onely cause in this that as their Seruants haue no hearts to perswade them when they are merrie so haue they no audacity to tell them truth when they are in perill For such seruants care little so that their masters bequeath them any thing in their willes whether they die well or liue euill O what miserie and pitie is it to see a Prince a Lord a gentleman and a rich person die if they haue no
further since both rich and poore doe daylie see the experience hereof And in thigs verie manifest it sufficeth onely for wise men to be put in memorie without wasting any more time to perswade them Now the Emperor Marcus Aurelius had a secretarie verie wise vertuous through whose hands the affaires of the Empire passed And when this secretarie saw his Lord and Master so sicke and almost at the houre of death and that none of his parents or friends durst speake vnto him he plainly determined to doe his dutie wherein hee shewed verie well the profound knowledge hee had in wisedome and the great good wil he bare to his Lord. This Secretary was called Panutius the vertues and life of whom Sextus Cheronensis in the life of Marcus Aurelius declareth CHAP. L. Of the Comfortable words which the Secretary Panutius spake to the Emperour Marcus Aurelius at the houre of his death O My Lord and Master mytongue cannot keepe silence mine eyes cannot refraine from bitter teares nor my heart leaue from fetching sighs nor yet reason can vse his duty For my bloud boyleth my sinews are dried my powers be open my heart doth faint and my spirit is troubled And the occasion of all this is to see that the wholesome counsels which thou giuest to others ether thou canst not or will not take for thy selfe I see thee die my Lord and I die for that I cannot remedy thee For if the gods would haue granted me my request for the lengthning of thy life one day I would giue willingly my whole life Whither the sorrow bee true or fayned it needeth not I declare vnto thee with wordes since thou mayest manifestly discerne it by my countenance For mine eyes with teares are wet and my heart with sighes is very heauie I feele much the want of thy companie I feele much the dammage which of thy death to the whole commonwealth shall ensue I feele much thy sorrowe which in thy pallace shall remaine I feele much for that Rome this day is vndone but that which aboue all things doth most torment my heart is to haue seene thee liue as wise and now to see thee dye as simple Tell me I pray thee my Lord why do men learne the Greeke tongue trauell to vnderstand the Hebrew sweate in the Latine chaunge so many Maisters turne so many bookes and in studie consume so much money and so many yeares if it were not to knowe how to passe life with honor and take death with patience The end why men ought to studie is to learne to liue well For there is no truer science in man then to know how to order his life well What profiteth it me to know much if thereby I take no profite what profiteth me to know straunge Languages if I refrain nor my tongue from other mens matters what profiteth it to studie many bookes if I studie not but to begyule my friendes what profiteth it to know the influence of the starres and the course of the Elements if I cannot keepe my selfe from vices Finally I say that it little auayleth to to bee a master of the Sage if secretly hee bee reported to bee a follower of fooles The chiefe of all Phylosophie consisteth to serue GOD and not to offend men I aske thee most Noble Prince what auaileth it the Pilot to know the Arte of Sayling and after in a Tempest by negligence to perish What auaileth it the valiaunt Captaine to talke much of Warres and afterwards he knoweth not how to giue the Battell What auayleth it the guyde to tell the nearest way and afterwards in the middest to loose himselfe All this which I haue spoken is saide for thee my Lord For what auayleth it that thou beeing in health shouldest sigh for death since now when hee doeth approche thou weepest because thou wouldest not leaue life One of the things wherein the wise man sheweth his wisdome is to know how to loue and how to hate For it is great lightnes I should rather say follie to day to loue him whome yesterday we hated and to morrowe to slaunder him whom this day wee honoured What Prince so high or what Plebeyan so base hath there been or in the world shall euer be the which hath so little as thou regarded life and so highly commended death What things haue I written beeing thy Secretarie with mine owne hand to diuers Prouinces of the world where thou speakest so much good of death that sometimes thou madest mee to hate life What was it to see that letter which thou wrotest vnto the noble Romaine Claudinaes widdowe comforting her of the death of her Husband which dyed in the warres Wherein shee aunswered that she thought her trouble comfort to deserue that thou shouldst write her such a Letter What a pittifull and sundry letter hast thou written to Antigonus on the death of thy childe Verissimus thy sonne so much desired Whose death thou tookest so that thou exceedest the limits of Phylosophie but in the ende with thy princely vertues thou didst qualifie thy woful sorows What Sentences so profound what wordes so well couched didst thou write in that booke intituled The remedy of the sorrowfull the which thou didst send from the warre of Asia to the Senatours of Rome and that was to comfort them after a sore plague And how much profite hath thy doctrine done since with what new kinde of consolation hast thou comforted Helius Fabatus the Sensour when his son was drowned in the riuer where I do remember that when we entred into his house we found him weeping and when wee went from thence wee lest him laughing I doe remember that when thou wentst to visite Gneus Rusticus in his last disease thou didst speake to him so effectuously that with the vehemency of thy words thou madest the teares to runne downe his cheekes And I demanding him the occasions of his lamentations he said The Emperor my Lord hath told me so much euils that I haue won and of so much good that I haue lost that I weepe I weepe not for life which is short but for death which is long The man whom aboue all thou hast loued was Torquatus whom thou didst obey as thy father and seruedst as thy master This thy faithfull friend being readie to die and desiring yet to liue thou sendest to offer sacrifices to the gods not for that they should graunt himselfe but that they should hasten his death Herewith I being astonied thy noblenesse to so satisfie my ignorance sayd vnto mee in secret these wordes Maruell not Panutius to see me offer sacrifices to hasten my friends death and not to prolong his life for there is nothing that the faithfull friend ought so much to desire to true friend as to see him ridde from the trauels of the earth and to enioy the pleasures of heauen Why thinkest thou most noble Prince that I reduce all these things to thy memory but for to
demaund thee how it is possible that I which haue heard thee speake so well of death doe presently see thee so vnwilling to leaue life since the gods commaund it thy age willeth it thy disease doth cause it thy feeble nature doth permit it the sinfull Rome doth deserue it and the sickle fortune agreeth that for our great miserie thou shouldest die Why therefore sighest thou so much for to die The trauels which of necessitie must needes come with stout heart ought to be receiued The cowardly heart falleth before hee is beaten downe but the stout and valiant stomacke in greatest perill recouereth most strength Thou art one man and not two thou owest one death to the gods and not two Why wilt thou therefore being but one pay for two and for one onely life take two deaths I meane that before thou endest life thou diest for pure sorrow After that thou hast sayled and in the sayling thou hast passed such perill when the gods doe render thee in the safe Hauen once againe thou wilt runne into the raging Sea where thou scapest the victorie of life and thou dyest with the ambushments of death Threescore and two yeeres hast thou fought in the Field and neuer turned thy backe and fearest thou now beeing enclosed in the Graue Hast thou not passed the pykes and bryers wherein thou hast beene enclosed and now thou tremblest being in the sure way Thou knowest what dammage it is long to liue and now thou doubtest of the profit of death which ensueth It is now many yeeres since death and thou haue beene at defyance as mortall enemies and now to lay thy hands on thy Weapons thou flyest and turnest thy backe Threescore and two yeeres are past since thou wert bent against fortune and now thou closest thy eyes when thou oughtest ouer her to triumph By that I haue told thee I meane that since wee doe not see thee take death willingly at this present we do suspect that thy life hath not in times past beene very good For the man which hath no desire to appeare before the gods it is a token he is loaden with vices What meanest thou most noble Prince why weepest thou as an infant and complainest as a man in despaire If thou weepest because thou dyest I answer thee that thou laughest as much when thou liuedst For of too much laughing in the life proceedeth much wayling at the death Who hath alwaies for his heritage appropriated the places being in the common wealth The vnconstancy of the minde who shall bee so hardy to make steadie I meane that all are dead all die all shall die among all wilt thou alone liue Wilt thou obtaine of the gods that which maketh them gods That is to say that they make thee immortall as thēselues Wilt thou alone haue by priuiledge that which the gods haue by nature My youth demandeth thy age what thing is best or to say better which is lesse euill to die well or to liue euill I doubt that any man may attaine to the meanes to liue well according to the continuall and variable troubles and vexations which daily we haue accustomed to carrie betweene our hands alwayes suffering hunger cold thirst care displeasures temptations persecutions euill fortunes ouerthrowes and diseases This cannot be called life but a long death and with reason wee will call this life death since a thousand times we hate life If an ancient man did make a shew of his life from time he is come out of the intrailes of his mother vntill the time hee entreth into the bowels of the earth and that body would declare al the sorrowes that he hath passed and the heart discouer all the ouerthrows of fortune which he hath suffered I imagine the gods would maruell and men would wonder at the body which hath endured so much and the heart which hath so greatly dissembled I take the Greeks to be more wise which weepe when their children bee borne and laugh when the aged dye then the Romanes which sing when their children are borne and weepe when the olde men die Wee haue much reason to laugh when the olde men die since they dy to laugh and with great reason wee ought to weepe when the children are borne since they are borne to weepe CHAP. LI. Panutius the Secretarie continueth his exhortation admonishing all men willingly to accept death vtterly to forsake the world and all his vanities SInce life is now condemned for euill there remaineth nought else but to approoue death to be good Oh if it pleased the immortall gods that as I oftentimes haue heard the disputation of this matter so now that thou couldest therewith profite But I am sorry that to the Sage and wise man counsell sometimes or for the most part wanteth None ought to cleaue much to his owne opinion but sometimes he should follow the counsell of the third person For the man which in all things will follow his owne aduise ought well to be assured that in all or the most part hee shall erre O my Lord Marke sith thou art sage liuely of spirit of great experience and ancient didst not thou thinke that as thou hadst buried many so likewise some should burie thee What imaginations were thine to thinke that seeing the ende of their dayes others should not see the end of thy yeares Since thou diest rich honorably accompanied olde and aboue all seeing thou diest in the seruice of the commonwealth why fearest thou to enter into thy graue Thou hast alwaies beene a friend as much to know things past as those which were hid and kept secret Since thou hast prooued what honours and dishonours deserue riches and pouertie prosperitie and aduersitie ioy and sorrow loue and fear vices and pleasures mee seemeth that nothing remaineth to know but that it is necessarie to know what death is And also I sweare vnto thee most noble Lord that thou shalt learne more in one houre what death is then in an hundred yeares what life meaneth Since thou art good and presumest to be good and hast liued as good is it better that thou die and goe with so many good then that thou scape and liue amongst so many euill That thou feelest death I maruell nothing at all for thou art a man but I doe maruell that thou dissemblest it not since thou art discreet Many things doe the sage men feele which inwardly doe oppresse their heart but outwardly they dissemble them for the more honour If all the poyson which in the sorrowfull heart is wrapped were in small peeces in the feeble flesh scattered then the wals would not suffice to rubbbe neither the nayles to scratch vs. What other thing is death but a trap or doore wherewith to shut the shop wherein all the miserie of this wofull life are vendible What wrong or preiudice doe the gods vnto vs when they call vs before them but from an old decayd house to change
I am sorrowfull I would not that he which is merrie should comfort me When I am bannished I would not that hee which is in prosperitie should comfort mee When I am at the houre of death I would not that hee should comfort me which is not in suspition of life But I would that the poore should comfort me in pouertie the sorrowfull in my sorrowes the banished in my banishment and he which is in as great danger of his life as I am now at the point of death For there is no counsell so healthfull nor true as that of the man which is in sorrow when he counselleth another which is likewise tormented himselfe If thou considerest well this sentence thou shalt finde that I haue spoken a thing profound wherein notwithstanding my tongue is appeased For in my opinion euill shall hee be comforted which is weeping with him that continually laugheth I say this to the ende thou know that I know it and that thou perceiue that I perceiue it And because thou shalt not liue deceiued as to my friend I will disclose the secret and thou shalt see that smal is the sorrow which I haue in respect of the great which I haue cause to haue For if reason had not striued with sensualtie the sighes ended my life and in a pond of teares they had made my graue The things which in mee thou hast seene which abhore meate to banish sleepe to loue care to bee annoyed with company to take rest in sighes and to take pleasures in teares may easily declare vnto thee what torment is in the sea of my heart when such tremblings doe appeare in the earth of my body Let vs now come to the purpose and we shal see why my bodie is without consolation and my heart ouercome with sorrowes for my feeling greatly exceeds my complaining because the body is so delicate that in scratching it it complaineth and the heart is so stout and valiant that though it be hurt yet it dissembleth O Panutius I let thee know that the occasion why I take death so grieuously is because I leaue my sonne Commodus in this life who liueth in this age most perillous for him and no lesse dangerous for the Empire By the flowers are the fruits knowne by the grapes the vines are knowne and by the face men are knowne by the colt the horse is iudged and by the infant youth is knowne This I say by the Prince my sonne for that hee hath bene euill in my life I doe imagine that he will bee worse after my death Since thou as well as I knowst the euill conditions of my sonne why doest thou maruell at the thoughts and sorrowes of the father My son Commodus in yeares is yong and in vnderstanding yonger Hee hath an euill inclination and yet hee will not enforce himselfe against the same hee gouerneth himselfe by his owne sence and in matters of wisedome he knoweth little of that hee should be ignorant hee knoweth too much and that which is worst of all he is of no man esteemed Hee knoweth nothing of things past nor occupieth him about any thing present Finally for that which mine eyes haue seene I say and that which within my heart I haue suspected I iudge that shortly the person of my sonne shall be in hazard and the memory of his father perish O how vnkindely haue the gods vsed themselues toward vs to command vs to leaue our honour in the hands of our children for it should suffice that wee should leaue them our goods and that to our friends we should commit our honor But yet I am sorry for that they consume the goods in vices and lose the honour for to bee vitious The gods being pittifull as they are since they giue vs the authoritie to diuide our goods why do they not giue vs leaue to make our wils of the honor My sonnes name being Commodus in the Romain tongue is as much to say as profite but as he is wee will be content to bee without little profite which he may do to some so that we may bee excused of the great damage which he is likely to doe to all For I suppose hee will be the scourge of men and the wrath of God He entreth now into the pathway of youth alone without a guide And for that he hath to passe by the high and dangerous places I feare lest hee bee lost in the wood of vices For the children of Princes and great Lord◠for so much as they are brought vp in libertie and wantonnesse doe easily fal into vices and voluptuousnesse and are most stubborn to be withdrawne from folly O Panutius giue attentiue eare to that I say vnto thee Seest thou not that Commodus my sonne is at libertie is rich is yong and is alone By the faith of a good man I sweare vnto thee that the least of these windes would ouerthrow not onely a young tender Ash but also a mightie strong Oake Riches youth pride and liberty are foure plagues which poyson the Prince replenish the common wealth with filth kill the liuing and defame the dead Let the olde men beleeue me and the young men marke mee well what I say that where the gods haue giuen many gifts it is necessary they haue many vertues to sustaine them The gentle the peaceable the coūterfeit the simple and the fearefull doe not trouble the common wealth but those whom nature hath giuen most gifts For as experience teacheth vs with the fairest women the stewes are furnished the most proper personage are vnshamefast the most stout and valiant are murderers the most subtill are theeues and men of clearest vnderstanding oft times become most fooles I say and say againe I affirme and affirme againe I sweare and sweare againe that if two men which are adorned with naturall gifts doe want requisite vertues such haue a knife in their hands wherewith they do strike and wound themselues a fire on their shoulders wherewith they burne themselues a rope at their neckes to hang themselues a dagger at theyr breast wherewith they kill themselues a thorne in their foote wherwith they pricke themselues and stones whereat they stumble so that stumbling they fall and falling they finde themselues with death whom they hate and without life which so much they loued Note well Panutius note that the man which from his infancy hath alwayes the feare of the gods before his eyes and the shame of men saieth truth to all and liueth in preiudice to none and to such a tree though euill fortune do cleaue the flower of his youth doe wither the leaues of theyr fauours drie they gather the fruites of his trauels they cut the bough of his offices they bow the highest of his branches downewards yet in the end though of the windes hee be beaten hee shall neuer be ouercome O happy are those Fathers vnto whom the Gods haue giuen quicke children wise fayre able light and
but thy good report and courteous acceptance hereof Which doing thou shalt make me double bound to thee First to be thankefull for thy good will Secondly to bee considerate how hereafter I take vpon mee so great a charge Thirdly thou shalt encourage mee to encrease my talent Fourthly and lastly most freely to bestow the encrease thereof on thee and for the benefite of my Country and Common-wealth whereunto duety bindeth mee Obseruing the sage and prudent saying of the renowmed Oratour and famour Cicero with which I end and there to leaue thee Non nobis solum natisumus ortusque nostri partem patria vendicat partem parentes partem amici In defence and preseruation whereof good Reader wee ought not alone to imploy our whole wits and able sences but necessity enforcing vs to sacrifice our selues also for benefite thereof Thine that accepteth me T. N. THE PROLOGVE OF THIS PRESENT WORKE SHEWeth what one true friend ought to doe for an other Addressed to the Right Honourable the Lord Fraunces Cenos great Commaunder of LYON THe famous Philosopher Plato besought of all his Disciples to tell them why he iournyed so oft frō Athens to Scicile being the way hee trauelled indeed very long and the sea he passed very dangerous answered them thus The cause that moues mee to goe from Athens to Scicile is onely to see Phocion a man iust in all that he doth and wise in all that hee speaketh and because he is my very friend and enemy of Denys I go also willingly to him to ayde him in that I may and to counsell him in all that I know and tolde them further I let you vnderstand my Disciples that a good Philosopher to visite and helpe his friend and to accompany with a good man should thinke the iourney short and no whit painefull though he should sulke the whole seas and pace the compasse of the earth Appolonius Thianeus departed from Rome went through all Asia sailed ouer the great floud Nile endured the bitter colde of Mount Caucasus suffered the parching heate of the mountaines Riphei passed the land of Nassagera entred into the great India and this long pilgrimage tooke hee vpon him in no other respect but to see Hyarcus the Philosopher his great old friend Agesilaus also among the Greekes accounted a worthy Captaine vnderstanding that the King Hicarius had another Captaine his very friende Captiue leauing all his owne affayres apart trauelling through diuers Countries went to the place whete hee was and arriued there presented himselfe vnto the King and sayde thus vnto him I humbly beseech thee O puissant King that thou vouchsafe to pardon Minotus my sole and onely friend and thy subiect now for what thou shalt doe to him make thy account thou hast done it to me For in deed thou canst neuer alone punish his body but thou shalt therewith also crucifie my heart King Herod after Augustus had ouercome Marke Antonie came to Rome and laying his Crowne at the Emperiall foote with stout courage spake these words vnto him Know thou mighty Augustus if thou knowest it not that if Marke Antony had beleeued mee and not his accursed loue Cleopatra thou shouldest then haue proued how bitter an enemy I would haue beene to thee and hee haue found how true a friend I was and yet am to him But hee as a man rather giuen ouer to the rule of a womans will then guided by reasons skill tooke of me but money onely and of Cleopatra coonsell And proceeding further sayde Loe here my kingdome my person and royal crowne layde at thy princely feet all which I freely offer to thee to dispose of at thy will and pleasure pleasing thee so to accept it but yet with this condition Inuict Augustus that thou commaund mee not to heare nor speake ill of Marke Antony my Lord and friend yea although he were now dead For know thou sacred Prince that true friendes neyther for death ought to bee had in obliuion nor for absence to be forsaken Iulius Caesar last Dictator and first Emperour of Rome did so entirely loue Cornelins Fabatus the Consull that trauelling together through the Alpes of France and beeing benighted farre from any towne or harbor saue that only of a hollow caue which happily they lighted on And Cornelius the Consull euen then not well at ease Iulius Caesar left him the whole caue to the end he might bee more at rest and he himselfe lay abroad in the cold and snow By these godly examples we haue recited and by diuers others wee could recite may bee considered what faithfull friendshippe ought to be betwixt true and perfect friendes into how many dangers one friend ought to put himselfe for another for it is not enough that one friend be sory for the troubles of another but hee is bound if neede were to goe and dye ioyfully with him He onely deseruedly may bee counted a true friend that vnasked and before hee bee called goeth with his goods and person to helpe and relieue his friend But in this our yron age alas there is no such kinde of amity as that wee haue spoken of More then this that there is no friend will part with any thing of his to releeue his friend much lesse that taketh care to fauour him in his troubles but if there be any such that will helpe his friend it is euen then when time serueth rather to pitty and lament him then to ayde or succour him It is a thing worth the knowledge that to make a true and perpetuall friendshippe we may not offer to many persons but according to Seneca his saying who saith My friend Lucillus I counsell thee that thou be a true friend to one alone and enemy to none for numbers of friends brings great incumbrance which seemeth somewhat to diminish friendship For who that considereth the liberty of the heart it is vnpossible that one should frame and agree with the conditions of many much lesse that many should content them with the desires and affections of one Tully and Salust were two famous Orators amongst the Romanes and great enemies betweene themselues and during this emulation betweene them Tully had purchased all the Senators friendshippe and Salust onely had no other friend in all Rome but Marke Antony alone And so these two great Orators beeing one day at words together Tully in great anger sayde to Salust What force or power art thou of or what euill canst thou doe or attempte against mee sith thou knowest that in all Rome thou hast but one onely friend Marke Antony and I no enemie but one and that is he To whom Salust answered Thou gloriest O Tully that thou hast no moe but one onely enemy and afterwards iests at mee that I haue no more Friends but onely me but I hope in the immortall Gods that this onely Enemie thou hast shall bee able enough vtterly to vndoe thee and this my sole Friend that I haue shall bee
they should be throwne at their tayle and kept filthily for as charily and daintily doth a poore labouring and hus bandman keepe his woollen coverlet and setteth as much by it as doth the iolly Courtier by his quilt or ouerpaine of silke And it chanceth oft times also that though at a neede the poore mans bed costeth him lesse money then the rich mans bed costeth him yet doth it serue him better then the rich and costly bed serueth the Gentleman or Nobleman And this to be true we see it by experience that the poore husbandman or Citizen sleepeth commonly more quietly and at his case in his poore bedde and cabben with sheetes of towe then doth the Lord or rich Courtier lying in his hanged Chamber and bed of sickenesse wrapped in his finest Holland sheetes who still sigheth and complaineth And finally wee conclude that then when the Court remoueth and that the Courtier departeth from his lodging where he lay hee must with all courtesie thanke the good man and good wife of the house for his good lodging and courteous intertainment hee hath had of them and must not sticke also to giue them somewhat for a remembrance of him and besides giue certaine rewards among the maides and men seruants of the house according to their ability that he may recompence them for that is past and winne their fauour for that is to come CHAP. IIII. What the Courtiers must doe to win the Princes fauour DIodorus Siculus saith That the honour reuerence the Egyptians vsed ordinarily to their princes was so great that they seemed rather to worship them then to serue them for they could neuer speake to them but they must first haue licence giuen them When it hapned any Subiect of Egypt to haue a suite to their Prince or to put a supplication to them kneeling to them they sayde these words Soueraigne Lorde and Mightie Prince if it may stand with your Highnesse fauour and pleasure I will boldly speake if not I will presume no further but hold my peace And the selfe reuerence and custom had towards God Moses Aaron Tobias Dauid Salomon and other Fathers of Egypt making like intercessiō when they spake with God saying Domine mi Rex Si inueni gratiam in oculis tuis loquar ad Dominummeum O my Lord and King if I haue found fauour in thy sight I will speake vnto thee if not I will keepe perpetuall silence For there is no seruice ill when it is gratefull and acceptable to him to whom it is done as to the contrary none good when it pleaseth not the party that is serued For if he that serueth be not in his masters fauor he serueth he may wel take paine to his vndoing without further hope of his good wil or recompence Wherfore touching that I haue said I inferre that hee that goeth to dwell and abide in the Court must aboue all endeuour himselfe all hee can to obtaine the princes fauour and obtaining it hee must study to keepe him in his fauour For it should little preuaile the Courtier to bee beloued of all otherr and of the Prince onely to be misliked And therefore Alcamidas the Grecian being once aduertised by a friend of his that the Athenians did greatly thirst for his death and the Thebans desired his life hee answered him thus If those of Athens thirst for my death and them of Thebes likewise desiring my life I can but bee sorry and lament Howbeit yet if K. Philip my soueraigne Lord and Master holde me still in his grace and fauour and repute me for one of his beloued I care not if all Greece hate maligne me yea and lye in waite for me Indeed sir it is a great thing to get into the princes fauour but when he hath gotten it doubtlesse it is a harder matter to know how to keepe it For to make them loue vs and to win their fauour wee must doe a thousand manner of seruices but to cause them to hate and dislike of vs the least displeasure in the world sufficeth And therefore the paine and trouble of him that is in fauour in the Court is great if hee once offend or bee in displeasure For albeit the prince do pardon him his fault yet he neuer after returneth into his fauor againe so that to conclude hee that once onely incurreth his indignation hee may make iust reckoning neuer after or maruellous hardly to be receyued againe into fauour Therefore sayeth the diuine Plato in his bookes De Republica That to be a King and for to raigne to serue and to be in fauour to fight and to ouercome are three impossible thinges which neyther by mans knowledge nor by any diligence can be obtained onely remaining in the hands and disposing of fickle fortune which doth deuide and giue them where it pleaseth her and to whom she fauoureth best And truely Plato had reason in his saying for to serue and to be beloued is rather happe and good fortune then industry or diligence Since wee see oft times that in the Court of princes those that haue serued but three yeares onely shall bee sooner preferred and aduanced then such one as hath serued perhaps 20. or 30. yeares or possible all his life time And further hee shall bee both displaced and put out of seruice by meanes of the other And this proceeds not through his long and faithfull seruice hee hath done but onely by reason of the good happe that followeth him Although Plato telleth that to gette Realmes and Seigniories to ouercome battels and to be fauoured and beloued of princes be things graunted to vs rather by hazard and fortune then by force of good works and laudable actes or by long toyling in painefull seruice yet the Noble and stout heart therefore should not cease at any time to enterprise and manfully to execute in euery occasion presented to him to atchieue to fame and honour neyther for any pain and labour to lose the hope to obtaine his pretended purpose for men sometimes lose many things rather through timerousnes and want of audacity then for that they lacke good happ or fortune To see in the Court of princes some to bee richer more honoured more noble more esteemed better beloued more wayted vpon better serued and better welcome then others and more seared then others we may by these tokēs know that fortune hath not vsed to reward those with such fauours and preferments which liue at home idely and much lesse Courtiers who liue in Court with all pleasure and delicacie wherewith they are neuer wearied Let no man bee so fond to thinke that fortune is so bountifull and liberall that for his authority or onely thought shee will be once moued to lift him out of misery to exalt him to higher place and dignity without som secret and priuate respect had to his vertue For when shee many times vpon a suddaine rayseth any to high and great estate it commeth by the
then all others and otherwise to fall in disgrace and to make the Prince forget all the good seruice he hath don him his whole life time hee need but the least displeasure and fault he can commit Eusenides was maruellously beloued with Ptolomey who after Fortune had exalted and brought him to honour and that he was grown to great wealth sayde one day to Cuspides the Philosopher these words O my friend Cuspides tell mee I pray thee of thy faith is there any cause in mee to be sadde sith Fortune hath placed me in so great authoritie and honour as she can deuise to doe and that the King Ptolomey my Lorde hath now now no more to giue me he hath already beene so bountifull to me To whom the Philosopher aunswered saying O Eusenides if thou wert a Philosopher as thou art a beloued seruant thou wouldest tell mee an other tale then that thou tellest mee now For although King Ptolomey hath no more to giue mee knowest thou not that spightfull fortune hath power to take away from thee many things For the noble heart feeleth more griefe and displeasure to come downe one stayre or steppe then to clime a hundred Not many dayes after these words passed betweene Cuspides and Eusenides it happened that one day King Ptolomey found Eusenides talking with a Lemman or Curtesan of his which hee loued dearely whereat hee was so much offended that hee made her straight drinke a cuppe of poyson and caused him to bee hanged before his owne gates The Emperour Seuerus had one in so great fauour and credit which was called Plautius and he loued him so extreamely and trusted him so much that he neuer read letter but Plautius must reade it and hee neuer graunted commission or licence to any man but it must passe vnder Plautius Seale neither did hee euer graunt anything but at the request of Plautius nor did make warres or peace without the counsell and aduise of Plautius The matter fell out so that Plautius entring one night into the Emperours Chamber with a priuy coate his ill happe was such that a little of his breast before was open whereby was spyed the male which Bahhian seeing being the Emperours eldest Sonne sayde vnto him these sharpe words Tell me Plautius Doe those that are beloued of Princes vse to come into theyr Bed-Chambers at these howers Armed with yron-coates I sweare vnto thee by the immortall Gods and so let them preserue me in the succession of the Empyre That since thou commest with yron thou shalt also dye with yron Which presently tooke place For before hee went out of the Chamber they strake off his head The Emperour Commodus that was sonne of the good Emperour Marcus Aurelius had a Seruant called Cleander a wise and graue man olde and very pollitike but withall a little couetous This Cleander was oft times requested of the Praetorian company that is to say of the whole band of souldiers that he would commaund they might be payd their pay due vnto them and to perswade him the better to pay it they shewed him a bill signed from the Emperour to which he answered That the Emperour had nothing to do in the matter For althogh he were lord of Rome yet had he not to deale in the affayres of the Common-weale These discurteous and vnseemely wordes related to the Emperour Comodus and perceyuing the small obedience and respect of duty that Cleander shewed to him hee commaunded forthwith he should be slaine to his great shame and that all his goods should be confiscate Alcimenides was a great renowned King among the Greekes as Plutarch writeth of him and hee fauoured one Pannonius entirely well to whom only hee did not commit his person his trust but also the whole affaires and doings of the common weale and hee might dispose of the goods of the king at his will and pleasure without leaue or licence So that all the Subiects found they had more benefite in seruing of Pannonius then in pleasing of the King Therefore the King and the beloued Pannonius playing at the ball together they came to contend vpon a Chase and the one sayde it was thus the other sayde it was contrary and as they were in this contention the king commaunded presently those of his guarde that in the very place of the Chace where Pannonius denyed they should strike off his head Constantius the Emperour also had one whome hee liked very well and made much of called Hortentius which might well bee counted a Princes darling for hee did not onely rule the affayres of the common weale of the pallace of warres his goods and person of the Emperour but also hee was euer placed aboue all the Ambassadours at his table And when the Emperour went in progresse or any other iourney he euer had him to his bedfellow Thus things being in this state I tell you it happened that one day a Page giuing the Emperour drinke in a glasse the glass by mishappe fell out of the Pages hand and brake in pieces whereat the Emperour was not a little displeased and offended And euen in this euill and vnhappy howre came Hortensius to the king to present him certaine billes to the signe of hasty dispatch which was a very vnapt time chosen and the Emperour yet contented to signe it could neyther the first nor the second time because the penne was ill fauouredly made the inke so thicke that it woulde not write which made the king so angry that euen presently for anger he commaunded that Hortensius head should be strucken off But to the end wee may come to the knowledge of many things in few words I will shew you how Alexander the Great slew in his choller his deere accounted Cratherus and Pirrhus king of the Epirotes Fabatus his Secretary The Emperour Bitillion his greatest friend Cincinnatus Domitian the Emperour Rufus of his Chamber Adrian the Emperour his onely fauoured Ampromae Dâ—cclesian his friende Patritius whom he loued as himselfe and alwayes called him friend and companion Diadumeus Phamphilion his great Treasurer for whose death hee was so sorrowfull that hee would haue made himselfe a way because he caused him to be so cruelly slaine All these aboue named and infinit others also some were Masters some Lordes some kings and som of great authority and fauour about Princes by whose tragicall histories and examples wee may plainely see that they did not onely loose their goods fauor and credit but also vpon very light occasions were put to death by sword Therefore mortall men should put no trust in worldly things sith that of little occasion they become soone great and of much lesse they suddenly fall and come to worse estate then before And therefore king Demetrius asking one day Euripides the Philosopher what hee thought of humane debility and of the shortnesse of this life answered Mee thinkes O king Demetrius that there is nothing certaine in this vnstable life sith all men liuing
Athens hee being not of the age of eightie fiue yeares asked what that old man was and it was answered him that it was one of the Philosophers of Greece who followed vertue and serched to know wherein true Philosophie consisted Whereupon he answered If Xenocrates the Philosopher tell mee that hee being now eightie fiue yeares old goeth to seek vertue in this age I would thou shouldest also tell me what time hee should haue left him to bee vertuous And hee sayde moreouer in those yeares that this Philosopher is of it were more reason we should see him doe vertuous things then at this age to goe and seeke it Truely we may say the very like of our new Courtier that Eudonius sayde of Xenocrates the Philosopher the which if hee did looke for other threescore yeares or threescore and ten to be good what time should remaine for him to proue and shew that goodnesse It is no maruell at all that the olde Courtiers forget their Natiue Countrey and bringing vp their Fathers that begate them their friendes that shewed them fauour and the seruants that serued them but at that I doe not onely wonder at them but also it giueth mee cause to suspect them is that I see they forget themselues So that they neuer know nor consider that they haue to doe till they come afterwardes to be that they would not be If the Courtiers which in Princes Courts haue beene rich noble and in authority would counsell with me or at least beleeue my writing they shold depart from thence in time to haue a long time to consider before of death least death vnawares and suddenly came to take execution of their liues O happy and thrice happy may we call the esteemed Courtier whom God hath giuen so much witte and knowledge to that of himselfe hee do depart from the Court before fortune hath once touched him with dishonour or laid her cruell handes vpon him For I neuer saw Courtier but in the end did complain of the Court and of their ill life that they ledde in Court And yet did I neuer know any person that would leaue it for any scruple of consciēce he had to remain there but peraduenture if any did depart from the court it was for some of these respects or altogether that is to say Eyther that his fauour and credite diminished or that his money fayled him or that some hath done him wrong in the court or that hee was driuen from the court or that he was denyed fauour or that his side faction he helde with had a fall or for that hee was sicke for to gette his health hee went into the Countrey So that they may say hee rather went angrie and displeased with himselfe then hee did to lament his sins If you aske priuately euery Courtier you shall finde none but will say he is discontented with the Court eyther because he is poore or afflicted enuied or ill willed or out of fauour and hee will sweare and resweare againe that he desireth nothing more in the World then to be dismissed of this Courtiers trauell and painefull Life But if afterwards perchance a little winde of fauour be but stirring in the Entrey of his chamber dore it will sodenly blow away all the good and former thoughts from his mind And yet that which makes mee to wonder more at these vnconstant Courtiers and vnstable braines is that I see many build goodly stately houses in their countrey and yet they neyther dwell in them nor keepe hospitality there They graffe and set trees plant fruites and make good Gardens and Orchards and yet neuer goe to enioye them they purchase great Landes and possessions and neuer goe to see them And they haue offices and dignities giuen them in their Countryes but they neuer goe for to exercise them There they haue their friends and parents and yet they neuer goe for to talke with them So they had rather be slaues and drudges in the court then lords rulers in their own countrey we may iustly say that many courtiers are poore in riches strangers in their owne houses and Pilgrimes in their Countrey and banished from all their kindreds So that if wee see the most part of these Courtiers backbite murmure complaine and abhorre these vices they see daily committed in Court I dare assure you that this discontentation and dislyking proceeds not only of those vices and errors then see committed as of the spight and enuie they haue daylie to see their Enemyes growe in fauour and credite with the Prince For they passe little of the vices of Court so they may be in fauour as others are Plutarch in his book De exilio sheweth that there was a Law amongst the Thebanes that after a man was fiftie yeares of age if he fell sicke he should not bee holpen with Physitians For they say that after a man is once arriued vnto that age he should desire to liue no longer but rather to hasten to his iourneys ende By these examples wee may know that infancie is till vii yeares Childhood to xiiii yeares Youth to xxv yeares manhood till xl and Age to three-score-yeares But once passed three-score me thinks it is rather time to make cleane the nettes and to content thēselues with the Fish they haue till now then to go about to put their nets in order againe to fish any more I grant that in the Courts of princes all may be saued yet no man can deny mee but that in princes Courts there are mo occasions to be damned then saued For as Cato the Censor saith The apt occasions bring men a desire to do yll though they be good of themselues And although some do take vpon them and determine to leade a godly and holie life or that they shew themselus ' great hypocrites yet am I assured notwithstanding that they cannot keepe their tongue frō murmuring nor their hart from enuying And the cause hereof proceedeth for that ther are very few that follow the Court long but onely to enter into credit and afterwards to vaxe rich and growe in great authoritie Which cannot bee without bearing a little secret hate and enuy against those that doe passe them in this fauour and authority and without suspect and feare of others which in 〈◊〉 are their equals and companions It were a good counsell for those that haue 〈◊〉 the Court or Princes till they be 〈◊〉 old and gray headed that they should determine and liue the rest of their yeares as good Christians and not to passe them as Courtiers so that though they haue giuen the world a meale yet they should in the end giue the brain to Iesus Christ I know euery man desireth to liue in Princes Courts and yet they promise they will not dye in Court And since it is so mee thinkes it is a great folly and presumption for such men to desire to liue long in such state where they would not dye for all the
their peace and to be as dumbe men By mine aduise I would haue them banished by general counsell out of all Colledges counsels chapters townes and Common-wealthes For wee see dayly by experience that let an apple haue neuer so little a bruise that bruise is inough to rotte him quickly if hee be not eaten in time Demosthenes the Philosopher was of great authority for his person graue in manners and condition and very sententious profound in his words but with these he was so obstinate wilfull and such a talker in all his matters that all Greece quaked for feare of him Whereupon all the Athenians one day assembled in their hall or common house and there they appointed him a great stipend of the goods of the Common wealth telling him that they gaue him this not that he should reade but because hee should holde his peace Also this great and renowmed Cicero that was so valiant and politicke in martiall affayres so great a friend to the Common weale of Rome and moreouer a Prince of Eloquence for the Latine tongue though he was cruelly put to death by Marke Antony it was not for any fact committed against him neyther for any wrong or iniurie hee had done him saue onely for that hee enuyed against him and spake euill of him Also the Noble and famous Poet Salust and famous Orator of Rome was not hated of strangers and not beloued of his owne neighbours for no other cause but for that hee neuer tooke penne in hand to write but hee euer wrote against the one and neuer opened his mouth to speake but hee alwayes spake euill of the other Plutarch touching this matter reciteth in his bookes De Republica that amongst them of Lidia in their publike weale it was holden an inuiolable Law that they should not put a murderer to death for killing of any but that they should onely execute and put him to tortur that would defame his neighbour or in any one Worde seeme to touch him in honour and estimation So that those barbarous Nations thought it more execrable to defame a man then to kill and murther him And therefore I say hee that burneth my house beates my person and robbeth me of my goods must needes doe me great dammage but he that taketh vpon him to touch my honour and reputation with infamy I will say hee offendeth mee much and that so greatlie as he may well stand in feare of his life For there is not so little an offence done to a man of stoute courage but hee carrieth it euer after imprinted in his heart till hee haue reuenged the villany done him euen so in Princes Courts there rise more quarrels and debates through euill tongues and dishonest reports then there dooth for any play or shrewde turnes that are done I know not what reason they haue to strike off his hand that first draweth sword and fauoureth and leaueth him vnpunished that draweth bloud with his il tongue O what a happy good turne were it for the Common weale if as they haue in all Townes and well gouerned policies penall lawes prohibiting for to weare or carry weapon they had like lawes also to punnish detractiue and wicked tongues Surely there can not be so great a blotte or vice in a Noble man Knight or Gentleman of honest behauiour and countenance as to bee counted and reputed a tatler of his tongue and therewithall a detractor of others But let not such deceiue themselues thinking that for their countenance or estates sake they bee priuiledged aboue others at their wills and pleasure to enlarge their tongues on whom they list in such maner but that their inferiours farre will as liberally speake of them yea as much to their reproach as they before had done of them repenting as much of their honesty and credite for their calling beeing in equiualent in estate or degree to them as they doe of their dignity and reputation At that time when I was a Courtier and liued in Princes Court there dyed out of the Court a worthy knight who at his noble funerals was commended of vs al to be a good and deuout Christian and chiefly aboue all his noble and heroicall vertues hee was onely lauded and renowmed for that they neuer heard him speake ill of any man So one of the company that was present hearing this great prayse of him tooke vpon him to say this of him If hee neuer spake ill of any then did hee neuer know what pleasur those haue that speake ill of their enemies Which words when we heard though wee passed them ouer with silence yet was there none but was greatly offended at them and good cause why For to say truly the first degree of malignity is for a man to take a felicity in speaking ill of his neighbour King Darius being at dinner one day there were put foorth of the Waighters and Standers by certain Arguments of the Acts and doings of Alexander the Great in which lispute one Mignus a Captaine of the King and greatly in fauour with him was very earnest against Alexander and went too farre in speech of him But Darius perceiuing him thus passioned sayde to him O Mignus holde thy tongue for I doe not bring thee into the warres with mee that thou shouldest infame Alexander and touch his honour with thy tongue but that thou shouldst with thy sword ouercome him By these examples wee may gather how much wee ought to hate detraction and ill speaking since we see that the very enemies themselues cannot abide to heare their enemies euill spoken off in their presence and this is alwayes obserued of the honourable graue and wise men that are of noble mindes For sure each noble heart disdaineth to bee reuenged of his enemy with his tongue for his iniuries done him if hee cannot be reuenged on him with his sword It is fitting for all in generall to be modest and honest in their speech but much more it is due for him that embraceth the fauour and credite of his Prince For it is his profession to doe good to helpe euery man and to speake ill of no man They haue such Centinels of spies vpon them continually which are officers in Court and about the Prince to marke what they speake and do that treading once awry how little soeuer it bee it is straight blowne into the Princes eares and they perhaps accused of that which they neuer thoght delighting and taking great pleasure to tell openly what they heard them say Such therefore as are dayly Courtiers attending vppon the Prince and in fauour with him must if they meane to continue that fauour and credite be gentle and courteous in their Wordes and bountifull to those that stand in need of them Also the esteemed Courtyer must beware hee doe not speake yll of no man but also that he be not too great a talker For commonly these great talkers besides that they are not esteemed bee also
of Cresus The liberal mind of Cresus The answer of the Philosopher Anacharsis Wherein consisteth true phylosophy How little the phylosophers desire riches Certaine points required to be performed by the physopher The description of Phalaris The speech 〈…〉 The frailtie of the flesh Couetousnes the ouer throw of Iustice What princes ought to doe Two things requisite in euery man The letter of Phalaris Cruelty wel rewarded The praise of Alexander the great The prayse of Alexander the Great The saying of Diogines The saying of Alexander Two notable things of K. Philip of Macedonie The prayse of Ptolome Alexander vnhappy in his death Pholosophers onely reioyce in pouertie A custome among the Egyptians The miserable death of Euripdes The worthy saying of Archelaus A saying worthy obseruation Sentences of Cinna No loue comparable to that of man and wife Fiue things follow marriage The loue of the Father to the child The saying of Solon A third coÌ„modity of Marriage What inconenience so loueth them that are not maryed in the feare of the Lord. The fourth commodity belonging to mariage The worthie sayings of Lycurgus The prayse of marriage The cares incident to maâ—â—age No man content with his owne estate Marriage the cause of loue and amitie Mariage a meanes of Peace betweene God and man What is required of euery vertuous Prince A law among the Tharentines A law among the Athenians A worthie saying of Socrates The spech of Cimonius A beastly custome in old time in England An ancient custome among the Romains A law among the Cymbrians The law of the Armenians A custome among the Hungarians The custom of the Scythians Good counsell for all sorts of women Women bound to loue their Husbands The tongue cause of debate The loue of women towards theyr Husbands The praise of Women The Law amongst the Lidians The loue of Sinoris Comma How good women ought to behaue themselues The death of Sinoris and Camma Good couÌ„sell for women The great dangers women sustaine The custome of the Achaians The Law of the Parthians The Law of the Lideans Women weake of nature The foolish opinion of some women A propertie of a wise discreete Husband Good counsell for Women The saying of 〈…〉 The office of the Husband and dutie of the wife The law of Lycurgus The propertie of good Houswifes What inconuenience coÌ„meth by gadding abroad The commendations of Lucretia The praises of the wiues of Numidia Where loue wanteth discord resteth A propertie of a good woman The quality of naughty House-wiues The Follie of man How the man childe ought to be brought vp How womeÌ„ ought to carry themselues in the time they goe with childe The desire of Women Tibullus de casibus triumphi The first Dictator in Rome The first rebell in Rome An auncient custome vsed by the Ladyes in Rome The first victorie the Romaines obtained by Sea The death of Sophia Titus Liuius The mutabilitie of Fortune The death of Ypolita The dangsâ— of women with childe A good warning for women with childe Aristotle de Animalibus The propertie of a good Husband Reasonable Creatures may take example by the vnreasonable A custome among the Mauritanians A custome in Hungary The false opinion of the Heathen The Commendation of the Emperour Octauian The saying of Pisto How good counsell ought to be regarded What is required of women with child Pulio de moribus antiq Lucius Seneca his counsell How vertuous Princes ought to be How the Emperour Marcus Aurclius spent his time A custome among the Romanes The speech of Marcus Aurelius at his death Rome destroyed by the Gothes The importunity of the Empresse A law a-among the Romane What euill commeth by the tong What is required in a Woman The Emperours answere What is required of euery Man What hurt commeth by not gouerning the tongue Crosses incident to Marriage What women naturally are inclined vnto Women can not endure to haue superiours Annales of Pompeyus A Law among the Barbarians The frailty of man The cause why men ought to endeauor to be vertuous How wee ought to to spend our time Reason leadeth to vertue Sensualitie to vice What dangers are incident to men by following women Women neuer contented Women coÌ„pared to golden pilles The speech of Drusio What inconuenience follow those that are discontented in marriage How euery man woman ought to behaue themselues What hurte cometh by misgouerning the tongue How marryed folkes ought to carry themselues Rules for euery man to followe that meanes to liue in peace Women extreame in their demands A froward Woman described Rome in ancient times rich in vertues Fiue things granted to the Matrones of Rome The commendation of a vertuous woman The Epitaph of Macrine Foure things which women naturally desire Women bound by Gods Law to giue her children sucke The example of dumb creatures may teach women to bring vp their owne children Arist de Animal The description of children in their infancie What loue women ought to beare their children The reward of the Roman Captain The speech of Scipio the AffricaÌ„ What dutie is required betweene the Parents and the childe The eruelty of Nero towards his Mother The reason that may moue women to giue their children sucke A custome of Asia The saying of Iunius Rustious How men and women ought to be stow theyr time What profit cometh to Women by giuing their childreÌ„ suck How women ought to spend the time about theyr children Pleasures that women may take in their children The lawes of the Auncients What care Women ought to haue of their children A good example for women A good example for all sorts of women What inconuenieÌ„ce cometh by changing Nurses Arist de secret secretorum How children ought to be nourished and brought vp Good counsell for one that would liue long Aristot De Animalib What Dyet Nurses ought to vse An example of the women of Thrace Women giuing sucke ought to abstaine from wine WomeÌ„ prohibited to drink wine in former times 〈…〉 The speech of Sabina The answer of the Consull Fuluius Wherefore the Consull would not haue his children nourished in his house What is required in euery good Nurse The description of Pressilla What is required of a Nurse for bringing vp of children What is required of a good Captaine How Alexander gouerned his armie A custome among the Persians What time it requisite for a man to eate Strabo de situ Orbis What order the Auncients vsed concerning marriage The custome of the Chaldeans How long women ought to giue their children sucke Questions demanded by the Philosopher Arethus When Rome flourished How circumspect a man ought to bee to speake the truth What property belongeth to the goute What inconuenieÌ„ce commeth by eating too much fruit What hurt commeth by Iugglers and players Titus Liuius The pollicy of the auncient Romaines God the onely Physitian The mutabilitie of mans life What difference there is betweene man and beast Ioseph de bello
Iudaic What caused Cicero to bee famous The opinioÌ„ of Plato The commendation of Iulius Caesar The ordinances of Socrates How euerie man ought to guide gouerne himselfe Children compared to Trees How to choose Nurses for children The glory of the Ancients to enioy vertuous women Greece euer famous for learned women Disputation betweene the women of Greece and Rome The wickednes of Heliogabalus The ancient women farre excelled these in our times The difference betweene one man and another The commendation of Aretha The Epitaph of Aretha The proty of women Man without truth is not worthie to be regarded The humilitie of Pythagoras The wife of King Euander a Prophetesse A custome among the Macedonians K. Alexanders answer concerning his mariage The prayse of Cornificia The speech betweene Calphurnius and Cornificius How great Ladies ought to to esteeme of theÌ„selues What difference there is betweene the women of our time the ancients Fiue Families in Rome chiefly were esteemed The Epitaph of Cornelia A letter of a Romane Lady to her two sons The wickednesse of Rome described The vncertainety of mans life 〈…〉 The commendations of warlike men A Law among the Tharentines How euery man women ought to spend their time What a good traueller in this worlde ought to seeke for The vanity and foolish opinion of the commoÌ„ people The Philosopher Phetonius his answere to the Thebaines The Philosophers counsell acceptable to the Thebanes The reason why parents are bound to instruct then children How childreÌ„ ought to bee brought vp What mischiefe commeth by giuing childreÌ„ their owne will in their youth Questions demaunded of Dyogenes the Phylosopher 2. Things to be obserued of all men What comfort parents may looke for of their children Ordinances and customes of the Rhodians What youth ought to obstaine from A Lawe among the Athenians The miserable estate of man What misfortunes are incident to man in this life Men ought to flie the pleasures vanities of this life Wholsome and warie lawes of the Lacedemonians The speech of 〈…〉 concerning the professe of the Lygures The stoute answere of the English Ambassadour to the Romanes The prowesse of Viriatus and his vntimely death An ancient Law obserued by the inhabitants of Capua The answer of the Emperour Augustus Caesar The prouidence of a careful mother The commendations of the labouring man The more teÌ„derly children are brought vp the more diseased they proue ChildreÌ„ the dishonor of their pareÌ„ts wheÌ„ they be not well brought vp Distastfull things vnfit for either young or olde Vide Genes c. Excellent comparison and forewarning c. Aduised caueats for the bringing vp of teÌ„der youth What conditions belong to a good schol master Like master like scholler What is required in a well gouerned CoÌ„mon welth The speech of Camillus Camillus loued of the Romanes and feared of his enemies A good law in Rome fitte to bee vsed all the world ouer A custome of the Carthagenians The carefulnes of Princes in times past to bring vp their chidren A custome among the Athemans Questions demaunded by the phylosophers of Athens Affro de rebus Atheniensium A great thing for parents to chuse good Tutors to their children The descrip of a cruell and wicked Prince The death of the Prince Verissimus greatly bewayled The tendernes of the Emperour toward his sonne How euery man ought to examine their tutors How circuÌ„spect the Emperour was in chusing teachers for his sonne With what vertues Princes ought to be adorned How princes shoulde giue credite to their seruants Three of offences neuer pardoned in Rome The greate loue of the Romanes to the Emperour A question demaunded of the Emperour and his answere The wisedome of the Emperour Marcus Aurelius The speech of the Emperour to the philosophers How a wiseman is discerned from a foole An ancient Law among the Romans worthy obseruation What Rome was in ancient time Rome in auncient times â—â—iled the Mother of good workes One badde worke marres many good speeches What is required in a sage Phylosopher WheÌ„ Rome flourished in vertue What moued the Emperour to put away the Phylosophers The counsell of the Emperour What is required in good Tutors The Phylosophers speeche to K. Seleucus King Seuleucus his answer What profit cometh to children by good counsell Tutors ought not to beare with the vices of theyr schollers Custome in sinning is hardly to be reclaimed Schoolemasters ought not to bee couetous The complaint of Apuleius Rufynus to the Emperour Seuerus The senteÌ„ce of the Emp Seuerus What euil followed covetousnesse The speech of the Emperour to the nine Masters of his sonne Comodus The duty of euery good Father to prouide good instructors for their children Good tutors compared to naturall Fathers What is required in a good instructor of children Difference betweene the Teachers of Princes children others What is required in a Scholler The earefulnes of the Emperour for the Common-wealth Children in their youth apt to entertain all vices What is required in the master towards his Schollers An ancient Law in Rome A cruell sentence vpon a lyer The speech of a Senator to the Emperour The Emperours answere How carefull masters ought to be to refraine their schollers from lying and gaming The speech of the Emperour Octauian The sentence of the Emperour vpon the Prince and his master What is required in great mens Children The reward of shamefastnes Commendation of the Empeperour The odosius A memorable thing of the Emperour Theodosius The ordinances of Plato Young meÌ„ ought to abstaine from the vice of the flesh What inconuenieÌ„ce followeth the fleshly minded man A good lesson for Parents The excellency of vertue How vile man were if Iustice were wanting Nothing mor profitable to the Common-wealth then true lustice No nation so barbarous but it founded of instice The office of euery Magistrate What a great thing it is to doe iustice vprightly Hee that in his life is vn iust cannot doe iustice to another Lawes giueÌ„ to the Egyptians What is required in a vertuous Iudge How circuÌ„spect Princes ought to be in chusing Iudges How Iudge ought to bestowe their time Difference betweene him that is iust and him that administreth iustice Ancient Lawes and customes ought nor to be broken Princes ought not to be partiall in iudgement Princes the ministers of God for Iustice An excelleÌ„t saying of Alexander Seuerus The Lawes of Plato concerning princes The difference betweene a tyrant and a good prince A great pestilence in Rome in the time of M Aurelius The description of the villaine The oration of the villaine to the Senators of Rome Hee that taketh away another mans goods putteth his life also in peril Euery man giuen to one sinne or other The villain continueth his Oration wherein hee layeth open the tyranny and oppression of the Romanes against the Germanes Man may giue the battell but God must giue the victorie Iniury done wher iustice is neglected An Apologie of the
his sonne was very sorrowfull yet notwith standing this hee prouided how his other sonne Comodus shold be gouerned and this before that either of age or bodie he were greater For we cannot denye but when Princes are men they will bee such as in theyr youth they haue been brought vp The good Father therefore knowing that the euill inclinations of his should doe him damage and the Empire in like manner he sent throughout all Italie for the moste sagest and expert men to be gouernours and tutours of Comodus the Prince Hee made them seeke for the moste profoundest in learning the most renowmed of good fame the most vertuous in deedes and the most deepest in vnderstanding For as the dust is not swept with fine cloth but with drye broomes so the lightnes and follyes of young men are not remedyed but by the hard discipline of the aged This commaundement being published and proclaimed in Rome and the bruite scattered through Italie there came and ranne thither diuers kinde of Sages whom he commaunded to be examined Hee being truely informed of the bloud of their predecessours of the age of their persons of the gouernement of their houses of the spending of their goods of their credite among their neighbours of the sciences they knew and aboue all they were no lesse examined of the purenes of their liues then of the grauitie of their persons for there are many men which are graue in open wordes and verie light in secrete workes Speaking therfore more particularly hee commanded they should examine the Astronomers of astronomy the Phylosophers of Phylosophie the Musitians in musicke the Orators in orations and so forth of other Sciences in order wherin euery one said hee was instructed The good Emperour was not so contented to doe this once but sundrie times and not all in one day but in many and not onely by another man but also by himselfe Finally they were all examined as if they had been all one and that the same one should haue remayned and been kept for all to bee the onely Master and Tutour of the young childe and prince Comodus To acquire a perfect knowledge and to be sure not to erre in choyce of things in my opinion is not onely required experience of himselfe and a cleare vnderstanding but also the aduise of another For the knowledge of things wholly together is easie but the choyce of them particularly is harde This thing is onely spoken because the good Emperour sent and commaunded to choose gouernours and Masters of his children Of many he chose few and of few the most wisest of the most wisest the most expert of the most expert the best learned of the best learned the most temperate of the most temperate the most ancient and of the most ancient the most noble Certainely such election is worthy prayse because they be true masters and teachers of Princes which are noble of bloud ancient in yeers honest in life men of little folly and of great experience According to the seuen liberall Sciences two masters of euery one were chosen so that the Prince was but one and the others were 14. but this notwithstanding the workes of this Prince Comodus were contrary to the expectation of his father Marcus Aurelius because the intention of the good father was to teach his son all sciences and the study of the son was to learne all vices At the bruite of so great a thing as this was that the Emperor sought to prouide tutors for the Prince Comodus and that they should not bee those which were best fauoured but those which were found the most wisest In short space there came so many Philosophers to Rome as if the diuine Plato had beene reuiued againe in Greece Let vs not maruell at all if the Sages desired the acquaintance of familiarity of this good Emperour for in the ende there is no man so sage nor so vertuous in his life but somtime will seeke after the fauours of the world Since there were many Sages and that of those he chose but foureteene It was necessary hee should honestly and wisely dispatch and giue the others leaue as did behoue him And herein the good Emperour shewed himselfe so wise that shewing to some a merry countenance to others speaking gently and to others by a certaine hope and to others by gifts and presents and all the good company of the Sages departed and the good Emperor dispatched them not one being sadd which departed but very well pleased For it is not comely for the magnificence of a Prince that the man which commeth to his Pallace onely for his seruice should returne murmuring or without reward This good Emperour shewed him selfe Sage to seeke many Sages hee shewed himselfe wise in the choyce of some and of a good vnderstanding in dispatching others and in contenting them all for as wee see dayly by experience though the election be good cōmonly great affections thereupon engender for those for not beeing chosen are sorry and to see that others chosen are shamefast In such case likewise let it not be esteemed litle to serch a good remedie for the Goldsmith oft times demaundeth more for the workemanshippe then the siluer is worth I meane that sometimes Princes doe deserue more honour for the good meanes they vse in their affaires then for the good sucesse whereunto it commeth for the one aduenture guideth but the other wisedome aduanceth The good Emperour not contented with this prouided that those foureteen Philosophers which should remaine in his Pallace should sit at the table and accompany his person the which thing he did to see if their life were comformable to their doctrine and if their words did agree to their workes for there are many men which are of a goodly tongue and of a wicked life Iulius Capitolinus and Cinna Catullus which were writers of this History say that it was a wonder to see how this good Emperour did marke them to know if they were sober in feeding temperat in drinking modest in going occupyed in studying aboue all if they were very sage in speaking and honest in liuing Would to God that Princes of our time were in this case so diligent and carefull and that in committing in trust their affayres they would not care more for one then for others For speaking with due reuerence there aboundeth no wisedome in that Prince which committeth a thing of importance to that man whom hee knoweth not whether hee is able to bring it to passe or not Many talke euill and maruel that Princes and great Lords in so many things do erre and for the contrary I maruell how they hit any at all For if they committed their weighty affayres to skilfull men though perhappes they erre once yet they hitt it a hundred times but when they commit theyr businesse to ignorant men if they hit once they misse a thousand times againe In this case I say there is nothing destroyeth