thynges But as for them that goe downe into hel casting of al charitie it is to be entended that they hate both God and men and also al the workes of God and man. Of one that at his death is carefull of his fame and good report The Cxxx. Dialogue SOROWE WHAT wyll men speake of me when I am dead Reason An vnseasonable care thou shouldest haue prouided for this in thy youth for looke what a mans life is suche is his fame Sorowe What wyll they say of me Reason What shall I answeare thee other then that which the most learned and eloquent Marcus Cicero sayeth What other men shall speake of thee let them see to that them selues but they wyl speake notwithstanding howbeit all their talke is comprehended within the narrowe boundes of these regions which thou seest neyther was it euer continual of any but is extinguished by the death of men and forgetfulnesse of posteritie Sorow What wil they speake of me that shal be borne herafter Reason I would tel thee otherwyse then Cicero doeth yf I thought that any thing could be better vttered then is by him And what skilleth it sayth he if thou be spoken of by them that shal be borne hereafter seeing there nowe remayneth no fame of them that were borne before thee One thing he addeth moreouer which perhaps at that time was doubtful peraduenture false but now very sure most true without doubt Who sayth he were as many in number as you are now and truely better men to For who is he that doubteth but that there wyl neuer come so good men as there haue ben Thus al thinges waxe woorse woorse and tend euery day toward their final ruine A merueilous care then it is which thou hast to stande in feare of the speeches of those whom thou knowest not are thy youngers as not liuing in the same age with thee seeing thou now contemnest the iudgement and woordes of excellent men of thine owne time and acquaintance Sorow What fame shal there be of me when I am dead Reason Far better then while thou liuest when enuie once holdeth her peace For enuie and malice seldome last longer then a mans life and as vertue is the roote of glorie so is enuie the cutter downe of it and as the enuious hand being present hindreth the growth of it so when it is taken away it restoreth the encrease of true commendation And therfore vnto many as the entrance into their graues hath been a bar vnto enuie so hath it ben the beginning of great glorie Sorow Howe long wyl my fame continue Reason A long time perhaps as you call long But that all thinges may not only be long but also euerlasting vertue alone is able to bring that to passe and specially Iustice of which it is written The iust man shal be had in euerlasting memorie Which meaning also your countrey Poet expressed as wel as he could where he sayth But by mens deedes their fame to stretch that priuiledge vertue geues Sorow What fame shal I haue after my deceasse Reason What skilleth it what it be which shortly shal be forgotten or contemned What shall the breath of men apperteyne vnto thee when thou thy selfe shalt be without breath For one that breatheth to be nourished and delyghted with the winde and ayre it is no meruaill but for a dead man to be so it is a woonder Sorowe What shal be sayde of me when I am dead Reason No goodnesse be sure vnlesse thou haue deserued it but muche euyl peraduenture not merited and perhappes lytle or nothyng at all For in many thynges fame is a lyer but in the most a true reporter otherwyse it could not long continue For trueth is the foundation of continuance and as for a lye it is weake and transitorie Sorowe What fame shall I haue after my death Reason Suche as thy lyfe was before and at thy death Concernyng this matter therefore let the tyme to come but specially the tyme present looke to that And thus perswade thy selfe assuredly that what report and fame a man is woorthy to haue after his death it is no way better discerned then at his death when as in deede which is a strainge thyng to be spoken many that haue lyued all theyr tyme obscurely and without glorie death onely hath made famous Of one that dyeth without Children The Cxxxj. Dialogue SOROWE I Die without children Reason For that cause thou oughtest to die the more willingly and with the more expedition to goe foorth on thy iourney for that thou hast nothyng behinde thee to stay thee or cal thee backe The greatest greefe which they that lie a dying haue surceaseth in thee whiche riseth vpon the sorowe and compassion of leauing their children specially when they be young neede the asistance and counsel of their parentes being at those yeeres destitute of aduice subiect vnto iniuries many other casualties Sorow My children whom I wished hoped should haue liued after me are gone before me Reason Then hast thou some to whom thou art desirous to goe from whom thou art not willing to depart which is no smal comfort vnto thee Sorowe Bitter death constraineth me to dye without chyldren Reason If thou thinke this to be so miserable a matter what cause hast thou either to die now or heretofore to haue liued without children seeing there is such choise of young Gentlemen towardly youthes among whom thou maiest choose and adopt thee sonnes who perhaps wyl be more louing and obedient vnto thee then thine owne natural children descended of thy flesh blood for they come vnto thee by chaunce but these are elected out of many by exquisite iudgment The other were thy children before thou knewest them but these thou knewest chosest and louedst before thou madest them thy children And therefore the one sort of them wil wholy impute it to nature that they are thy children but the other to thy special good liking Whereby it hath hapned many times that the succession by adoption hath ben very fortunate vnto the heyres in which kind not only meane inheritances but also whole Empires haue ben committed in trust Thou knowest howe Iulius Caesar wanting issue adopted Augustus to be his sonne Augustus againe adopted Tyberius almost against his wyl And likewise afterward how Nerua adopted Vlpâ—us Traianus and he Elius Hadrianus be againe Antonius pius he likewise toke vnto him Marcus Aurelius to be his sonne which Marcus I would to God he had more happily adopted any other then vnluckely begotten his sonne Commodus commodious to none but discommodiouss to the whole world the only disgracing of so good a father one among a few of them that were no small shame reproch to the Romane Empire also a most apparent argument how much adoption is more fortunate then procreatioÌ„ For whereas the first princes had in order one after another raigned long time in happie
not what it is to leese a father vnlesse thou haddest had a sonne Of the losse of a mother The xlvii Dialogue SOROWE I Haue lost my mother Reason Thou hast yet another mother whom thou canst not leese if thou wouldest from the first thou camest and vnto this thou shalt returne The first gaue thee houséromth the space of a few monethes the other shal giue thee lodging the space of many yeeres The one of these gaue thee thy body the other shal take it away Sorowe My most milde mother is dead Reason But a most hard mother remayneth who wyl keepe thee and thy mother whom thou bewailest in one besome in whose wombe she shal rest with thee and as we beleeue bryng you both foorth agayne at the last day Sorowe My good mother hath forsaken me Reason She made hast fearyng to be forsaken and likely it is that her death was acceptable vnto her because she would not see thine prouiding for her securitie in that whiche alwayes she most feared Sorowe My good mother is dead Reason She is happily dead thou being a lyue whiche beyng otherwyse such are the affections of women she would haue died in sorowful lamentation Sorowe My mother is dead Reason Shee must haue died and thou also neyther canst thou complaine of death nor of the order therof Of the losse of a sonne The xlviii Dialogue SOROW. BUt I haue lost my sonne Reason Say rather and better I haue sent hym before me for thou shalt folowe hym quickely and perhappes to day and howe know we whether this same houre There is no trust in lyfe since there is so great certentie in death shalt folowe hym sayde I Nay rather thou doest folowe hym I woulde haue sayde for thou folowest hym continually it is not permitted vnto a man at any tyme to stay his course in this lyfe but euermore he steppeth foorth one step vnto death a strange matter to be spoken whether he be bound or at libertie sicke or whole walkyng or sitting awake or sleepyng he is caryed foorth toward his ende much after the manner of them that sayle in a shyp or sitte and ride in a wagon and are carried foorth a pace Sorowe I am greeued with the lacke of my sonne whom I haue lost Reason Qiuet thy minde for thou shalt finde hym whom thou desirest ere it be long not to be able to suffer the want of a short tyme is the part of a childe or a woman for vnto a man there is no short thing difficult Thou knowest I thinke by what woordes Socrates in Plato and Cato and Lelius in Cicero do comfort suche desires and wantes Although men surpasse in vertue and glory yet in this hope do some farre surpasse other Thou knowest moreouer of what minde Paulus Emilius Cato hym selfe Pericles and Zenophon that was scholer vnto Socrates and scholefelowe with Plato and his equal and other innumerable were for the death of their chyldren neyther art thou ignorant howe he that was both a prophet and a king wept for his chylde whyle it was sicke but not when it was dead thinkyng that to lament and weepe for thinges vnrecouerable is rather a poynt of vayne madnesse then of true affection Among the number of whiche manly examples the Spartane woman shuffeleth her selfe whose name is not set downe by wryters nor her saying semblably commended who hearyng that her sonne was slayne in battayle therfore sayd she did I beare hym that he shoulde not be afrayd to dye for his countrey The vertue of Linia and the elder Cornelia is nothyng inferiour vnto this but their names muche more famous of whom the first layde downe her mournyng so soone as her sonne of most honourable byrth and that was lyke to haue aspired vnto the hyghest degree of Empire was once layd into the ground but neuer left of the remembrance of hym The other hauing lost many chyldren yea al that she had whereof some she behelde slayne by the people and lying abrode vnburyed when as other women accordyng to the manner of that sexe rued her state and pitifully weepyng bewaled her woful case she answeared that she was not infortunate but happie for that she had borne such sonnes A woorthy woman that was not surprised with the present miserie but counted her selfe happie for that whiche was past who contrary to the common opinion and custome of them that are in miserie comforted herselfe with her forepassed felicitie and the remembrance of her prosperitie wherin shee had somtime liued and tooke it indifferently although she had then lost it for that cause only was woorthie to haue bad good children Now she being a woman remained wholy not once touched with the greeuous and sharp woundes of fortune and thou beeyng a man art ouerthrowne by one only doest thou lament so childishly Sorow I haue lost my sonne Reason If he were a duetiful sonne there is no cause to feare his estate for he is well But yf he were wicked thou art rydde of one that counted vpon thy death and encreased the infirmities of thine olde age Sorowe I haue lost my sonne Reason If he were vertuous reioyce that thou haddest hym but yf he were vnthryfty be glad that thou hast lost hym and in eyther case acknowledge the benefite of nature eyther for geuing thee suche a one or for takyng hym a way Sorowe Death hath taken away my sonne before his tyme. Reason That is not done before due tyme whiche may be done at al tymes Death hath directe entrances into al ages but into youth innumerable Sorowe I haue remayned without a sonne Reason And without trouble and feare Now hast thou none for whose cause thou shalt spend the nyghtes without sleepe and the dayes in care for whose sake thou shalt enter into long and inextricable hope that shall thinke vpon thy hory heares and wryncles examine thy lyuing fynde fault with thine expences and blame the staying of thy death thou art in securitie and quietnesse on euery side both which are a great commoditie although it be made more bitter by the name of death Sorowe I am cast downe by the geeuous death of my sonne Reason Hast thou not hearde what Anaragoras sayth Hast thou forgotten that thou begattest a mortal creature Or doest thou perhappes lament that he is gone before that should haue folowed And although the lyfe of man in many other thinges be disordinate and out of course yet death keepeth his ordinarie custome crooked olde men stagger and young men make hast and chyldren runne headlong infantes at their first entrance into lyfe are drawen to their ende one man more slowly another more speedily one more ripely another more vntimely but euery man must die this is the conclusion of al. And in whatsoeuer age of this lyfe a man die be it gently or sharpely he hasteth vnto death Sorowe I weepe for the death of my sonne Reason If thou wouldest haue wept at his death thou shouldest also
haue wept at his birth for then he began to die but nowe he hath done But do not thou lament for thine owne and his most excellent estate he left behind him a perilous way to passe but thou hauing him alwayes before thine eyes who now is in securitie hast no farther regarde of thy sweete burden as Virgil speaketh or of any other Sorowe Al my delite to lyue is extinguished Reason A good sonne I confesse is a great comforte vnto his father but notwithstanding careful greeuous And many times the sweetest things do offend vs and the dearest do hinder vs and the most precious do oppresse vs And perhappes this thy sonne was some let vnto thy minde that would haue aspired vnto greater matters And now although thou art become more heauie yet since thou art at more libertie be of good cheare to gather good out of euyl is the part of a wise man. Sorowe The death of my lonne hath made me heauie Reason But spende the residue of thy lyfe that remayneth in iolitie thou diddest lyue for hym now lyue for thy selfe Of the miserable fal of a young child The .xlix. Dialogue SOROWE I Lament the miserable fal of my young child Reason A man ought to lament for nothing that may happen vnto mankinde al thinges should be premeditated before if they haue not hapned alredie lament not thy childes fal but thine owne vnskylfulnesse the forgetfulnesse of thine owne condition Sorow I complaine of the miserable death of my young childe Reason There is no death miserable which the death of the soule doth not folow from which daunger thy young child is free Sorowe My childe is dead by breaking his necke Reason What skylleth it after what sort a man dye so that he die not dishonourably he can not die dishonourably that dieth without offences Sorowe My chylde is peryshed by breakyng his necke Reason But Archemorus by the biting of a serpent other some by suckyng milke of a nurse being with child other by sickenesse the which for the more part happen more commonly then than in old age Sorowe My young child is perished by breaking his necke Reason Sodeyne death is to be wished of the innocent and to be feared of the guiltie Sorowe My chylde is dead of a fal from an hygh Reason Unto them that dye languishingly death often times seemeth the sharper the panges the longer for al paine the shorter it is the more tollerable it is Sorow My chylde is dead by breakyng his necke Reason To stumble and fal is proper to that age Thy chylde hath done that which al doo although al peryshe not by casualtie but do thou suffer hym to peryshe for he must needes peryshe one day and he is the more happily dealt withal for that he hath peryshed before he was intangled in the euylles of this lyfe whiche howe manyfold they be those that haue prooued and diligently obserued can tell There is none that prooueth not in part and they that obserue them not leade foorth their liues as it were in a dreame whiche so soone as they awake they haue forgotten Thyne infant died an innocent who perhappes if he had lyued had dyed a very hurtful person Lament not that he is safe he hath escaped al the threates of fortune and hath preuented death whiche being deferred would haue preuented hym Sorowe A woolfe hath deuoured my chylde Reason This nowe is the woormes complaynt Sorowe A woolfe hath carried away the body of my poore chylde into his denne Reason But the angels haue caryed vp his blessed soule into heauen Of a sonne that is found to be another mans The .l. Dialogue SOROWE ANd moreouer that whiche is more greeuous then death he whom I thought had been my sonne is another mans Reason If you had a respect to the common father then would you by the counsel of the Comical Poet thinke that there is no humane thing but may happen vnto you Sorowe I haue fostred another mans chylde a great while for mine owne Reason Nature wylleth a man to foster his owne and charitie to foster another mans so that thou repent thee not after the deede but delite in it Sorowe He that was counted my chylde appeareth to be another mans Reason There is opened vnto thee a way vnto a great and singuler merite if as thou hast hytherto done so thou continue hereafter to keepe hym as thyne owne Truely that were a very gracious and acceptable deede before god For chyldren are woont for the more parte to contemne the mayntenance of theyr parentes as a thyng due vnto them by ryght and moreouer it were a poynt of wickednesse to loue thy chylde that is borne of thee and not to loue man that is created of god Thus euery way both before God and men thou shalt purchase vnto thy selfe singuler commendation and vertue through another mans wickednesse Sorow I haue nooryshed one for my chylde that was not so Reason Thou nooryshedst hym as thy chylde and so nooryshe hym styll yf not as thy chylde yet as thy brother For of al the people that are or euer shal be or haue been heretofore there is one father and one gouernour Doo not dissemble through insolencie or through enuie and hatred breake of the sacred bond of nature for you be brethren one to another Sorowe He whom I thought to haue been as I heare is not my sonne Reason Take heede of whom thou hearest it and whom thou trustest For many beyng pricked foorth by wicked prouocations doo of set purpose deuise false rumors and other some by a certayne slypprynesse and vnbridled affection of the tongue doo aswell babble foorth the thynges that they knowe as that they knowe not and with lyke impudencie vtter whatsoeuer commeth in theyr mynde Howbeit to determine precisely of a mans chylde whether it be his owne or not is an harde case Sorowe I heare say that he that was called my sonne is another mans Reason Why dooest thou herein beleeue other rather then thyne owne wyfe since none knoweth it more certaynely then she Truely she hath geuen thee a chylde whom other goe about to take from thee Thou hast heard I thinke howe that within the remembrance of our fathers there was a certaine noble man who had to wyfe a gentlewoman of equall beautie and parentage but of whose honestie the report seemed some what to doubt By her he hadde one moste beautifull sonne whom when his mother vppon a tyme helde in her lappe and perceyuyng that her husbande syghed and was carefull she demaunded of hym what was the cause of his heauinesse Then he syghyng agayne I had rather sayde he then the one halfe of my landes that I were as sure that this boy were myne as thou art that he is thyne Whereunto she aunsweared neyther in countenance nor mynde any whit moued Truely sayde shee the matter shall not cost so great a price but geue me an hundred acres of pasture whereon I
ought to haue lyued longer for that perhappes thou seest some that haue lyued longer in deede as though of duetie thou myghtest claime longer continuance also I can not yeelde vnto thee For some dye late and many moe soone but none at all that dye neuer betweene these there is no meane appoynted but all men are generally subiect vnto one lawe and all owe obeysaunce to the soueraingtie of death albeit some are taken away by one meanes and some by another and that at diuerse tymes and ages thus of one thyng there are manyfolde meanes and sundrie tymes And therefore let euery one with indifferencie attende his owne kinde of death and dying day and not through the greedinesse or lothsomnesse of lyfe doo as the vnskylfull and ingratefull sort are woont complayne and be disquieted about the lawes of Nature Sorowe I haue lyued but a smal time Reason There was neuer any lyued so long that thought not that he lyued but a small tyme and truely it is but a short tyme in deede that men lyue heere And therefore yf ye be desirous to lyue long seeke after that lyfe wherein ye may lyue for euer which although it be not heere yet is it purchased heere Sorowe I haue lyued but a short tyme. Reason Admit thou haddest lyued longer haddest thou then lyued any more then a short tyme The tearmes of this lyfe are vnequall and vncertaine but this one thyng is common to them all that they be al short Put case a man haue lyued eyghtie yeeres what hath he more I pray thee then he that hath liued but eyght yeeres Examme thy selfe diligently and looke into thine owne estate and let not the madnesse of the common multitude deceiue thee what more I say hath he that hath lyued longer vnlesse perhappes ye account cares and troubles paynes and sorowes weerisomnesse for a vantage Or what more should he haue yf he lyued eyght hundred yeeres There is somewhat more in deede I confesse in hope and expectation but when both tymes are expited beleeue mee thou shalt fynde nothyng whereby thou mightest make account that thou hast lyued more happily Sorowe I dye when as I thought to haue done good Reason What dydst thou thinke to haue done somethyng which thou hast not done So perhappes thou wouldest alwayes haue thought haddest thou liued neuer so long There be some that alwayes thinke to doo well but they neuer begin But yf thou haue begun once to doo well doubt not to goe forward although death preuent thy woorke before it be brought to a wished ende which although peraduenture in the blinde iudgement of men it may seeme to be some preiudice vnto thee neuerthelesse it is to be despised for that in the syght of the vnfallible surueyer of all thynges thou loosest nothyng but thy reward shal be full and whole as well of thy deedes as of thy thoughtes Sorowe In the middes of all my preparation I dye Reason This fault is not in death but in them that dye who then begyn to weaue the most short web of their lyfe when it is a cutting of which vnlesse it were so men should not so often be preuented by death not hauing fyrst accomplished the dueties of lyfe but rather when they had fulfylled and accomplished them woulde then begin to liue than which truely there were no lyfe more sweete Which sweetenesse notwithstanding not so much the shortnesse of lyfe as the slouthfulnesse of them that lyue taketh away from men who therefore count no lyfe long because how long soeuer the tyme be they neuer lyue but are euermore about to lyue And when they be once come to be olde men wauering among newe deuices how to lyue with a swift ende they preuent their slow beginning Sorowe I dye euen whyle I am preparing great matters Reason This hapned vnto many greatmen and almost to all Men are deceyued in many thinges specially in death which there is none but knoweth that it wyll come but they hope of the deferring of it and imagine that to be farre of which God knoweth is hard by them which both the shortnesse of lyfe and swyftnesse of tyme and the power of fortune and the varietie of humane chaunces wherewith they are beset round about needily constrayneth to be so And O most woonderfull blindnesse for that what ye ought to hope of your selues at leastwyse ye learne at length by others But thus the case standeth your mindes hardly can enter into bitter cogitations and therefore while euery one promiseth him selfe very long lyfe and either the age of Nestor or as Cicero sayth the fortune of Metellus and finally whyle euery one supposeth him selfe to be dame Natures whyte sonne whyle they be busie about the beginning the end commeth vpon them and while they are in consultation of many thinges death setteth vpon them at vnwares and cutteth them of in the middes of their endeuours Sorowe I dye in my greene age Reason If there be none other commoditie herein at leastwise there is prouision made hereby that thou shalt not languish in thine old yeeres For although that old age be not greeuous as Lelius sayth in Cicero and we also haue disputed before neuerthelesse it taketh away that greenesse wherein he sayth that Scipio flourished at that time and thou likewise reportest now the like of thy selfe Hereafter perhaps many shal wish for thee but none shal be weery of thee which thing in a long life although it be gouerned by vertue is an hard matter to be found Sorowe I die a young man. Reason Thou knowest what thou hast suffred alredy in thy life time but what thou were like to suffer hereafter thou knowest not and beleeue me whoso in this so variable and rough kingdome of Fortune dyeth first deceiueth his companion Sorow I am hyndered by death so that I can not ende the thynges that I beganne Reason And tustly in deede For ye be euermore a dooyng the thynges that ye ought to haue doone and yet there is nothyng finished this is the cheefest thyng that maketh your death greeuous and miserable vnto you but yf the thynges that thou begannest were suche that without any negligence in thee thou couldest not finishe them it suffiseth thee that thou hadest a good wylt hervnto But if through slouthfulnes thou hast put them of from time to time let it displease thee that thou hast neglected them If this peraduenture be the pretended cause of thy lamentation yet in trueth there is nothyng but a vayne lengthening of lyfe and a deferryng of death wyshed for thereby although it wyll not be long but at length though late thou wylt be ashamed of this vulgare wyshe But O ye mortall men how greedie soeuer ye be of lyfe hearken vnto mee I demaunde of you the exercise of Vertue beyng layde asyde what is this lyfe other then a slack and vnprofitable tariance which how long so euer it is can not be other then very short Wherefore I
yeeres and there you appoynt the ende vnto whiche who so doth attayne theyr lyfe is but payne and trauayle vnlesse he aduaunce your hope a litle further who sayth The dayes of a mans lyfe are many tymes an hundred yeeres vnto which age how few do attayne we see but admit that it happened vnto al which happeneth but to fewe notwithstandyng I pray you howe muche is it Ioy. Very much truely For the lyfe of young men is more assured and farther of from olde age and so from death Reason Thou art deceiued for although there be nothing safe to a man notwithstandyng that is the most daungerous part of his lyfe whiche to muche carelesnesse maketh vnaduised There is nothyng neerer to other then death is to lyfe when they seeme to be farthest a sunder then are they neerest togeather alwayes the one passeth away and the other draweth nygh whyther soeuer ye flee away death is at hande and hangeth ouer your heades Ioy and Hope Wel at the leastwyse youth is now present and olde age is absent Reason Nothyng is more flytting then youth nothyng more deceyuable then olde age Youth stayeth not but in delightyng she slyppeth away olde age immediatly folowyng after softly in darkenesse and silence striketh men at vnwares and when she is thought to be farre of then standeth she at the doore Ioy. My age is in rysing Reason Thou trustest to a most deceitfull thing This rysing is a goyng downe this short lyfe this vnstable tyme stealeth away yea without makyng any noyse with the feete euen whyle we sleepe and make merie And O that this swiftnesse of tyme and shortnesse of lyfe were as well knowen in the beginning as it is in the ende whiche to those that enter seemeth infinite and nothyng when they goe out and are scarce so many minutes as they appeared to be hundredes of yeeres So then at length deceypt is knowen when it can not be auoyded whereby it commeth that many tymes counsell is geuen in vayne vnto those yeeres they are both vnbeleeuyng and vnskylfull disdainefull of anothers counsell and wantyng of their owne And therefore there is nothyng that discouereth the errours of youth although they be innumerable and greeuous and yet notwithstandyng hyd and vnknowen to those that committed them better then olde age doth and layeth them foorth before their eyes who sometyme dissembled them and winked at them Neither doo ye sooner perceyue what ye ought to be then ye be made that whiche ye woulde be and then ye can possibly be none other then ye be But yf there were any that coulde vnderstande these thynges in tyme or by hym selfe or beleeue when he is taught surely hym woulde I accompt a woorthy and happie youth among many thousandes he shoulde not passe his lyfe through so many difficulties whose onely course lyeth safe and straight through vertue Ioy. Myne age is nothyng spent Reason Howe is that vnspent whiche since the tyme it first beganne is euery day wasted and whyle it is geuen is also taken away by very small portions For Heauen turneth about with perpetuall motion minutes consume houres and houres the day That day thrusteth foorth another and that the next day folowyng and there is neuer any ceassyng So doo monethes passe away so yeeres and so dooth an whole age make hast and runne and as Cicero sayeth fleeth away And as Virgil sayth It neuer waggeth the swifte winges So lykewyse they that fare by Sea they are caried away in the shyppe and feele not howe and many tymes are at their viage ende before they be ware Ioy and Hope An age that beginneth is far from the ende Reason Within the space of a short lyfe nothyng is farre of Ioy and Hope But there is no part farther from the ende then is the beginnyng Reason None in deede but this shoulde be truely sayde yf all men lyued lyke space of time Howbeit euen the very fyrst age falleth sundrie wayes into death whereby it chaunceth many tymes that he that seemed farthest of is nearest his ende Ioy and Hope Truely I am of a most floorishing age Reason Although fewe do marke it yet there is some change wrought since we beganne to speake and in the drawyng foorth of euery sillable there is some part of lyfe passed away and some peece of transitorie flowre of youth decayed And I pray you what hath this deyntie and gallaunt young man more then that rough and riueled olde man besides this short and transitorie flowre whiche fadeth euery day wherein what shoulde be so pleasaunt and delectable I doo not finde since he knoweth that almost sooner then a man can speake it he shall hym selfe be suche an one as this olde man nowe is or els is mad yf he knowe it not vnlesse of twayne whiche are led togeto be put to death he is to be accompted the happier whiche is commaunded last to lay downe his necke vppon the blocke to be cut of who truely seemeth vnto me in a maner in the more miserable state for the deferryng of the death Howbeit the condition of these men and of the other of whom I spake before is not all one insomuche as this man may haue some entreatie or meanes made for hym in the meane whyle to escape his fellowes execution and to lyue Onely death can preuent a young man that he shall not lyue vnto olde age To be short there consisteth no great felicitie in a small processe of tyme and vnto loftie mindes there is nothyng that is short accompted acceptable Awake ye that sleepe it is now tyme open your dimme and slumbring eyes Accustome your selues at length to thynke vpon eternal thinges to loue them and to desire them and therewithal also to contemne transitorie thinges Learne to depart from them willingly which can not continue with you long and to forsake them in hart before by them ye be forsaken Ioy and Hope My yeers are stable and greene Reason They lye whiche say that there is some age I knowe not which stable There is nothyng more swift then tyme and tyme is the charret of al ages to carrie them away in And doest thou then imagine that it is permanent O vanitie there is nothyng durable for euen at this present thou art violently drawen away c. Of the goodly beautie of the body The seconde Dialogue Ioy. THE beautie of my body is goodly Reason It is no more permanent then the tyme that commeth with it with whiche also it flitteth away Stay the tyme if thou canst and so perhaps thou mayest stay beautie Ioy. The beautie of my body is singuler Reason Thou restest vpon a brittle foundation The body it selfe passeth away like a shadow and doest thou thinke that a transitorie accident of the body wyll continue Accidentes may perishe the subiect remaynyng but when the body perisheth they must needes decay And among all the qualities whiche passe away with this mortall body there is none swyfter then beautie whiche
but the more knowen The begynnyng of all menne is all one There is but one Father of mankynde all flowe from one fountayne whiche passeth some tyme troubled and some tyme cleere vnto you all on this condition that that whiche a litle before was cleere anon be made obscure and that whiche was obscure be made cleere So that there is no doubt concernyng the fountayne but by meanes of what small channell the water of this your noble blood as â—â—â—crme it flowed vnto you Hereof it commeth that he that went to plough yesterday goeth a warfare to day and he that was woont proudly to ryde through the myddes of cities managing his fierce courser with a golden Brydle nowe dryueth his flowe Oxen vp and downe the flabbie fieldes with a simple Goade And I thinke that saying of Plato to be true That there is no king but he came of a lowe degree and none of lowe degree but he came of kinges This change and condition of mans state is so chaungable and inconstant that it is sundrye tymes altered from the one to the other so that thou canst not marueyl yf a Ploughman goe to warre or a Souldiour returne to the Plough Great is the wheele of mortall thynges And because the course thereof is long this short lyfe perceyueth it not Which vnlesse it were so both the spades of kinges and scepters of clownes myght be discerned But nowe tyme deceyueth mens memories whyle they be busyed about other matters And this is all your nobilitie wherefore ye swell and proudly aduaunce your selues lyke a vayne generation as ye be Ioy. The discent of myne auncestours is noble Reason Howe farre wylt thou wander We speake of thy selfe Thou goest about to substitute others I can not tell whom in thy steede who perhappes maye aunsweare somwhat for them selues but nothyng for thee vnlesse thou furnyshe out the cause with thyne owne witnesses But admitte that these thy Graundfathers and great Graundfathers were noble to wit when as they beganne by the wynges of vertue to lyfte them selues vp aboue the common multitude that is the farthest roote of nobilitie But goe then farther seeke out more narrowly thou shalt fynde theyr Grandfathers and great Grandfathers obscure and vnknowen men To be short this nobilitie of names and images is both short and howe muche soeuer it is truelly it is not thyne owne Leaue of therefore to colour thy name with other mens vertues lest if euery one require his owne thou be laughed at for thine owne nakednesse Ioy. I am noble Reason How muche a valiant clowne is more noble then a cowardly noble man thou shalt then knowe when thou hast considered how muche better it is to founde then to ouerthrowe nobilitie If thou want examples there be plentie at home and in the warres and are commonly founde in reading so that thou maiest by thy selfe be vmpire and iudge of the residue And among all it shal be sufficient to consider of two couple of men Into one skale of the Ballance put Marius and Tullie into the other set the aduersaries of these twayne Aulus and Clodius whiche way the beame wyll cast and howe muche Rome must geue place to Arpine who is so blynde that he seeth not Ioy. I am noble by byrth Reason I sayde euen nowe a true noble man is not so borne but made Ioy. A woonderfull nobilitie at leastwyse of this common sort is left vnto me by my parentes Reason This nobilitie commeth not by byrth but by lyuyng And heare also I see one good thyng Ye haue store of familiar examples and ye want not household leaders whose steppes it were a shame for you to forsake This if thou suffer to slyppe thy nobilitie is but a famous and difficult euyll It happeneth I knowe not how that it is a harder matter for a man to imitate his owne auncestours then strangers perhappes because vertue shoulde then seeme discende by inheritaunce I speake it not willingly but experience it selfe she weth it Seldome is it seene the sonne of an excellent man to be excellent Of a fortune beginning The .xvii. Dialogue IOY I Was borne in great fortune Reason Thou begannest thy lyfe with great vnquietnesse For Saylers not improperly cal a tempest fortune And a great fortune is a great tempest and a great tempest requireth both great counsayle and great strength Thou hast therefore rather cause of care then of myrth Ioy. I was borne in very great fortune Reason Doest thou thinke it better fortune to be borne in the wyde Sea then in a small Riuer Although no wyse man wyll graunt the same how muche then is it more fortunate to be borne in a Palace then in a Cotage Our mother the earth receyueth al men wheresoeuer they were borne Ioy. I was borne in great fortune Reason Thou hast wayed anker contrary to good lucke and if thou haue wasted the day in foule weather prouyde that when nyght commeth thou mayest be in the hauen Ioy. I was borne aloft Reason Thou art subiect to tempestes and whyrlewyndes and hope of lying hyd is taken from thee Pythie is the saying of the Lyrike Poet The mightie Pine tree is often shaken with windes and high towres fall with the greater force and the lyghtnyng striketh the hyghest Mountaines As I must confesse that it is noble to be borne aloft so is it neyther quiet nor safe All humane loftinesse of it selfe is vnquiet and continually troublesome So that I maruayle why that saying of Mecaenas in Seneca shoulde so muche be dislyked For the height it selfe thundreth at the loftie thinges Seeyng other haue vsed this woorde why is he only reprehended Moreouer there is nothyng so hygh that is not subiect both to trouble and care and sorow and enuie and griefe and in the ende obnoxius to death And truely it is death only that beateth downe al mortall pryde and eminencie Ioy. I was borne in hygh and great estate Reason They that fall from hygh are sore hurt and seldome is it calme vpon the wyde Sea so in the bottome thou needest not to feare fallyng neyther dread shypwracke vpon the drye lande Ioy. My begynnyng was fortunate Reason Marke the ende As other in theyr kyngdomes so can fortune also do much in hers The more fortunate the begynnyng is the more vncertayne is the ende Doest thou not perceyue howe all worldly thynges are tossed as it were with a whyrlewynde so that lyke as a troublesome tempest disquieth the calme Sea and after a fayre mornyng followeth a cloudie euenyng and as many tymes a playne way leadeth into a rough straight so sodayne calamitie foloweth the pryde of prosperitie and sorowfull death stoppeth the course of a most pleasaunt lyfe and most tymes the ende is vnlyke the begynnyng Ioy. I began an hygh Reason Take heede where thou leauest The lyfe is alwayes reported by the ende and thou shalt playnely feele the ende although thou perceyuedst not the beginnyng Ioy. I was borne in great felicitie
this saying of Seneca is well knowen Eloquence sayth he is a great and manifolde matter and was neuer so fauourable to any that it hapned wholly vnto hym he is happie enough that hath atteined to some one part therof This by what men and what maner witnesses he prooueth it to be true thou hast hearde whiche beyng so let these numbers of professours whiche are almost matche to the common multitude both in rudenesse and multitude consyder with them selues what they doo and whereabout they goe whiche are not contented with one part nor with one Art but without discretion inuade them all O woonderfull confidence and presumption but it is now common Ioy. What wyll you nowe say concernyng the professions of Phisicke and Lawe Reason Let thy patientes and clientes make aunsweare to this What dyd euer these titles auayle them to the health of their body or gaining of their causes Perhappes they haue procured thy profite for this cause ye hunt after artes and the titles of artes to the intent that what is wanting in learnyng may be supplied in degrees and apparell and that the saying of the Satyrical Poet may beverified The Scarlet and the Iewelles beset with Amethistes doo sell the Lawyer Which thyng woulde appeare to be true yea yf the auncient Rethoricians returned agayne into the worlde for no man woulde geue vnto Cicero two hundred crownes vnlesse he woare on his fynger a great ryng of golde To be short let this he vnto thee the summe of all that hath been spoken of to wyt that there be some men of rare disposition whose studies are sound and honest the endes whereof are trueth and vertue This is the knowledge of thynges and the amendment of manners and either the ornament of this mortall lyfe or the entrance to the eternall As for the rablement of the residue whereof the number is great some of them hunt after glorie some a glittering but a vaine rewarde but to the greater sort the onely respect of money is their ende which is not onely a smal reward but also a filthy and not woorthie the trauaile nor match to the toyle of a gentle minde in al these respectes as I haue sayde the title and apparel is not to be contemned for it is effectuall vnto that whereunto it is appoynted for why the mindes and iudgementes almost of al mortal men specially of the common multitude whiche are destitute of this meane are deluded with shadowes Most matters are gouerned by opinion But for them that are geuen to vertue to glory in titles is not only strange and dissonant but also as Iiudge impossible Ioy. I professe many thynges Reason It were better to doo one good deede then to promyse many And men were in good case yf so be they were suche as they professe them selues to be Of the Tytles of businesse and affayres The .xlvii. Dialogue IOY I AM the Kynges Procurer Reason Then art thou the peoples enimie Ioy. I am the Procurer of the Exchequer Reason Then art thou the common wealthes enimie Ioy. I folow the Kyngs busynesse Reason It is painful for a man to folowe his owne busynesse What is it then thynkest thou for hym to folow another mans specially theyrs that are of myght whom to please is perpetual seruitude to displease danger heauy lookes and punyshment redy for a small offence Ioy. I folow the kyngs busynesse Reason Thou hast an accompt to yeelde to an hard iudge which thou shalt scarce be able to make euen with the spoyle of al thy goodes with hate of thy selfe and greeuous offence Ioy. I solicite the kynges busines Reason Take heede least while thy solliciting is difficult thyne accompt be yet harder and so inextricable that as we haue seene it chaunce in many it entrap thy patrimonie fame and lyfe Ioy. I am the kynges Procurer Reason Thou must needes displease many and last of all thine owne Lord and Maister and whiche is most dangerous GOD hym selfe and for the kynges small commoditie the great discommodities of the Realme and exceedyng damages of the people must be dissembled or procured Ioy. I am made the Kynges Procurer Reason So soone as euer this odious office began to touche the thresholde of thyne house euen that day thou beganst to leaue to lyue for thy selfe from thencefoorth thy libertie thy quietnesse and pleasure are departed In steede of these are seruitude payne businesse feare sorowe trouble and bytyng cares come in place nowe art thou not a lyue although thou breath for the lyfe of such as are busie is death who beyng al of them in misery yet are they in most miserable case whiche are busied in other mens matters specially in the affayres of Kynges Tyrantes and great personages Ioy. I am a Iudge Reason Iudge so as though thou shouldest foorthwith be iudged by another There is one iudge of all men and one incorrupt iudgement seate Before this shal all ye mortall men appeare what neede ye then to haue the skyn of the false iudge nayled vppon the iudgement seate or to haue any barbarous admonition to doo iustice Euery Iudge sytteth in that seate where if false iudgement shal be geuen neyther money nor fauour nor false wytnesses nor sinister entreatynges nor vayne threates nor eloquent Patrones shall auayle hym Ioy. I am one of the Consuls of my countrey Reason A very difficult glory It is a rare matter so to geue counsayle that thou mayest at once both profite and please that there may be trueth in woorde fayth in counsel scilence in that whiche is committed sweetnesse in speache fortune shall gouerne the euent and the euent shall purchase credite to the counsayle Ioy. I am gouernour of a Citie Reason Thou leadest an vnbridled beast and as Horace tearmeth it that hath many heades with a small twyne and gouernest a great shyppe alone that is tossed with hugie waues A litle house is hardly guyded how difficult therefore it is to gouerne a whole Citie see thou Hadst thou so great neede of trouble or so litle at home that thou hast vndertaken the publique Yea moreouer it is not only an office of difficultie but also a vyle function insomuche as the Satyrycal Poet tearmeth the gouernour of a Citie a Stewarde or Baylyffe notyng therby the state of these tymes If then he were a Baylife or Husbandman what is he now other then a Woodryfe or Woodman At that tyme Rome began to be a vyllage and nowe it is a Wood. Ioy. I am a President of a Prouince Reason Beyng condempned vnto an honorable exile thou hast exchaunged priuate quietnesse for forraigne carefulnesse looke for no rest or pleasure The state of Presidentes is bytter and troublesome they are forbydden playes and feastes vppon holy dayes theyr doores are shut agaynst gyftes and open to contentions theyr houses are voyde of pastymes and ful of complayntes and chydynges what so euer is a mysse whatsoeuer out of order or out of square throughout the whole Prouince there
it be the Phenix agayne for he among byrdes weareth a chayne and is moreouer the only byrde of his kynde But the Parrat beyng a great saluter and specially of prynces nature hath playnly made hym as it were a flatterer whereby this Disticon or two verses are knowen I Parrat wyll learne other mens names of you But I haue learned this of my selfe to say hayle Caesar Ioy. I haue a most eloquent Pye. Reason When as eloquent men are very seldome found hast thou a most eloquent Pye I confesse it is a pratlyng byrde and a diligent saluter whereof commeth this saying I pratling Pye doo call thee my maister with a perfect voyce If thou sawest me not thou wouldest deny that I were a byrde Veryly there be strange thynges I know not whether as true reported concernyng the diligence and desire to learne of this byrde But this aboue the residue is scarce credible that yf she forget the woorde whiche she is taught she is very much vexed and greeued which griefe of mynde she bewrayeth by her secrete meditation and yf she chaunce to call the woorde to her remembrance then waxeth she woonderful meery But yf through hardnesse of the worde or weaknesse of her memorie she be throughly ouercome many times she dieth for sorow so that now the Poet Homers death is to be counted lesse strange yf so it be true Howbeit all Pyes are not of lyke aptnes to learne but those only which receiue theyr meate and name with mast and are commonly called mast Pies Ioy. I haue gotten a pleasant singyng Nightyngale Reason Plinie the second reporteth that there are Nightingales also and Starles founde that are apt to be taught the Greeke and Latine tongues and moreouer that in his tyme there was a Chrushe in Rome that dyd imitate the speache of a man the lyke whereof was knowne commonly of late of a Starle whom it hath been thy chaunce to heare and woonder at many tymes euen in Plinies Countrey speakyng orderly many woordes togeather poyntyng and pronouncyng them lyke a man For as touchyng the Parrat it is nowe so common a thyng that it is no more to be marueyled 〈◊〉 Howe often hast thou hearde hym playnly call for meate How often calling his Feeder by his name and the better to perswade hym flatteryng hym with sweetenesse of gestures and woordes How often laughyng in suche sorte that he hath caused the standers by to laugh that it was thought not to be the laughter of a byrde but of a very man Whiche although it be so yet al these beleeue me but specially the Nightingale woulde syng more pleasantly vppon theyr owne boughes then in your Cages sauyng that your lust lyketh of nothyng but that whiche you haue made your owne although nature haue made al thynges common Thus couetousnesse stretcheth beyonde her owne bondes and her owne name Ioy. I haue gotten togeather innumerable store of birdes Reason Although thou haue many yea though thou haue al yet I thynke thou wylt lacke the Phenix whether there be such a byrde or whether there be no such byrde or whether we beleeue that to be true which some haue written to wyt how that vpon the foure hundred yeere after the building of the citie this bird flue out of Arabia into Egypt and being taken there was brought to Rome and there at an assemblie was shewed vnto the people and at length as it is like yenough died which last thing those graue writers doubt not but it is false which notwithstanding are in some distrust of the first And therfore when thou hast al kinds of birdes yet shalt thou lacke the most woonderful and beautiful birde of al. Sorowfully and angerly I iest with thee why do ye alwaies reioyce like children in vaine pleasures And as Solomon sayth Yee litle babes how long wil ye loue infancie Turne at the length vnto my correction as he also sayth For these are his woordes whiche I speake vnto you and O ye blynde wretches suffer the byrdes to lyue in the wooddes to breede to feede to syng and wander abrode and stretche you foorth the wynges of your slouhtful myndes vnto heauen and lyft vp your selues from the grounde endeuour not to catche byrdes but to become byrdes And omittyng these matters whereof I am ashamed to speake yf thou haue any thyng wherein it is meete for a man to reioyce vtter it Of the woorthinesse of Marriage The Lxv. Dialogue IOY I Haue married a noble Wife Reason I had rather thou hadst at home not onely Pies and Parrattes but Owles and Shritches They woulde sing she wyll chyde they would tell thee somwhat she wyll doo thee nothing thou myghst cast them of but her thou canst not Ioy. I am adorned with a noble marriage Reason Thou art tyed with a fayre chayne from whence death only can delyuer thee Ioy. I am happie by meanes of a noble marriage Reason Thou were more happie if it were by a chast marriage and most happie by a single lyfe Ioy. I am beautified with a goodly marriage Reason The choyce of a wyfe is hard a foule one is loathed a fayre one is hardly kept by reason that there is perpetual warre betweene the beautie of the body and chastitie of the minde But if that do happen whiche is most rare and honestie be ioyned with beautie I wyl then reason more largely with thee Admit she haue all other ornamentes of a woman nobilitie wysedome ryches fruitefulnesse eloquence good name and fame good and commendable behauiour yet know thou this that with these pride is entred intermingled into thy house So that it is not without good cause that the Satyrical Poet sayeth That he had rather haue Venusin◠then Cornelia that was mother to the Gracchi and daughter to Scipio Africane that was proude of her fathers triumphes and glory Ioy. I haue chaunced vppon a noble and honest marriage Reason What sayest thou of the pride and disdayne Art thou ignoraunt of the maners of women Learne to serue learne to suffer learne to loose thy deerest friendes thou must attende thy wedlocke only A wyfe is a dangerous rocke and destruction to friendshyp imperious and gouernour of the husbandes affections Ioy. I haue married a Gentlewoman to my wyfe Reason An heauie burden and hard fetters to weerie thy shoulders and feete which sometyme were free Greeuous to be spoken more greeuous to be thought on but most greeuous to be suffered a ghest not for one day but for thy whole lyfe and perhaps an enimie hath entred vpon thy house voyde of defence So that as I haue sayde the hope of the auncient remedie of diuorce beyng taken away death onely must set the free Ioy. I haue married a welbeloued wife Reason Thou art deceyued she hath married thee thou liuedst to long at thine owne libertie thou hast taken a wyfe to be thy Mistresse a tormentour to her Chyldren in law an enuier of her Mother in lawe a yoake to thy Houshold a burden
be fulfylled or wholy reiected and reputed among the most vylest thyngs Moreouer shame hath cured many which remedy happeneth to the most noble myndes whylest they seeke to auoyde infamie and irrision are loath to be poynted at as they goe in the streetes laying before theyr eyes the filthynesse of the thyng voyde of effect ful of shame ful of danger ful of iust causes of sorow and repentance last of al settyng false excuses and vayne perswasions aside to put on the true to wyt that neyther nature nor destiny nor starres beare any sway in this matter and finally nothyng but only a lightnesse and free iudgement of the mynde For it is in the choyce of hym that is sicke to be made whole so soone as he begynneth to haue a wyll to be whole and can finde in his harte to breake of the pleasant linkes of their sweete companie which is an hard matter to doo I confesse but possible to hym that is willing For as Cicero sayeth most grauely This is to be declared which is found to be in euery perturbation that it is nothing but in opinion in the iudgment and in the wyl For yf loue were naturall then all should loue should alwayes loue al loue one thyng and then shame should not deterre one and musing another and sasietie another For this last which is sacietie or fulnesse is by some numbred among the remedies and so is also a newe loue wherby the old is dryuen foorth as it were one nayle by another which although vnto Artaxerxes kyng of Persia whom the holy scripture calleth Assuerus it was put in mynd by friendes and found profitable by effect as Iosephus declareth the matter more at large I contend not of the euent but I speake of the choyce And therefore truely I haue ben of opinion that these two remedies haue sometyme been profitable but alwayes dangerous and yf with none of these nor with them al thou canst recouer then must thou in thy mynde run to the causes of the disease These as I suppose are the cheifest and greatest of al health beautie and good fauour ryches leasure youth And as contraryes doo best cure the diseases of the body so wyl they excellently remedy the minde also as sicknesse deformitie pouertie great businesse and olde age which is a worthy refourmer of the errours of youth These be my last remedies which are hard in deede but in respect of the greatnesse of the plague to be wyshed Of the byrth of chyldren The .lxx. Dialogue IOY I Haue chyldren borne vnto me Reason A double mischief and a domestical burden Ioy. There are chyldren borne vnto me Reason Thy wyfe is troublesome her Aunt more troublesome and her children most troublesome of al. Ioy. I haue chyldren borne Reason A most bytter sweetnesse gall annoynted with Hony. Ioy. I haue sweete issue borne vnto me Reason Thynke that there is sprong vnto thee at home a fountayne of grieuous cares thou shalt neuer lyue without feare and anguysh Ioy. I haue begotten children Reason Thou couldst before neither feare nor hope nor pray but now thou shalt learne to thy cost thou shalt learne also to take compassion vpon parentes bereaued of their chyldren and thou shalt learne to experiment long cares in thy short lyfe that now thou takest longer businesse in hande thou shalt learne to be greeued for the thynges that belong nothyng vnto thee and to dispose that which thou shalt neuer see To be short thou shalt learne to loue another more then thy selfe thou shalt learne to loue most ardently and to be loued most coldly whiche are hard matters Ioy. I haue chyldren Reason Now thou begynnest to vnderstande what duetie thou owest to thy parentes Ioy. I haue begotten chyldren Reason Thou hast planted a tree which must be husbanded with intollerable paynes whiche wyl keepe thee occupied as long as thou lyuest and whereof perhaps thou shalt reape either no fruite at al or late fruite and that peraduenture when thou art dead Ioy. I haue chyldren Reason If they be good a continual feare yf they be wycked a perpetual sorow in the meane whyle a doubtful comfort and an vndoubted care Ioy. I haue chyldren Reason Then hast thou whereof to be sory whyle thou art liuyng and to be knowne when thou art dead and wherefore thou mayest be willing to die often Ioy. I am the father of good chyldren Reason The better thy chyldren are the more daungerous is thine estate Thou knowest not what cause of sorowe thou hast purchased by begetting chyldren what entrance thou hast made into thy house for teares what power thou hast geuen vnto death and miserie ouer thy selfe O wretched mothers sayth Horace but O wretched fathers say I. Ioy. I am father of very good children Reason Thou shouldest wishe for death while thou art in this prosperitie lest that whilest thou lyuest thou surcease to be that whiche deliteth thee and at length with Nestor thou demaunde of thy felowes why thou hast lyued so long Ioy. I reioyce and am happie for that I haue wished issue Reason A troublesome felicitie a carefull ioy and many tymes sorowfull a miserable happinesse I coulde aleage many excellent men whose felicitie was by nothyng so much hyndred as for that they had chyldren Of a pleasant young childe The .lxxi. Dialogue IOY I Haue a pleasant young chylde Reason If so be that this myrth turn not to sorowe and the pleasanter thine infant is whyle he is present the more sorowful thou be when he is from thee Ioy. I haue a chyld of good towardnes Reason What if in nothing That age is of al other most frayle and is many tymes cut of in the middes of their flowre And as there is nothing more sweete so is there nothing almost more bitter Ioy. I haue a most flattering and pratling Infant Reason O take heede that these flatteries turne not into teares The sight and pratlyng of a young chylde is very pleasant I confesse and as it is written in Sta. Papinius â–ª their heauenly lookes and interrupted woordes after the maner of verses or mytre whiche whyle they are heard doo delight when they can be heard no more doo grieue and can not be remembred without sorowe Thus in all worldly thinges but in nothing more then in this bitternesse is euermore set against sweetenesse Ioy. I am delighted in my most pleasant Infant Reason I forbid thee not to be delighted that I may not withstand nature but I seeke for a meane in al thinges without which there is nothing wel doone I would haue thee to reioyce more sparingly that if thou haue occasion to be sorie thou mayst also more sparingly be sorie and I would wish thee to thinke that it may easily come to passe that thou mayest trust to a broken staffe or leane to a rotten wall which Adriane the Emperour is reported to haue sayde often when he had adopted Aelius who was a fayre chylde in deede and
Father The Lxxxii Dialogue IOY I Haue a good Father Reason Acknowledge then thy good for it is but short Ioy. I haue a very good Father Reason He wyll procure griefe vnto thee or thou vnto hym Ioy. I haue a most tender Father Reason If the order of nature be obserued great heauinesse remayneth vnto thee for inheritaunce but yf the order be peruerted the lyke abydeth hym Ioy. I haue a Father yet Reason Vse him with diligence this is a frayle pleasantnesse and thy Father is an old man. Ioy. I haue an olde man to my Father Reason There is now no place for lingring make haste to gather the last fruite as it were from a ruinous tree Keepe him companie as much as thou canst see him diligently as yf he were immediatly departyng but heare him more willingly and lay vp his last aduertisementes in thy careful minde and when thou goest from him leaue him furnished with necessaries as yf thou were goyng a farre iourney The tyme wyll come thou shalt lacke his counsell and shalt seeke him and not fynde hym at home Ioy. I haue an extreame olde man to my Father Reason Make haste to shewe the last duetifulnesse of vertue towardes hym whyle there is tyme yf thou omit any thyng now thou wylt alwayes be sorie Ioy. I haue a vertuous Father Reason Then hast thou suche an one as desireth to dye before thee and feareth to lyue after thee Ioy. I haue a very good Father Reason Thou shalt not knowe what he was before thou want hym and for whom thou wylt lament when thou hast lost hym Of a most louing Mother The Lxxxiii Dialogue IOY I Haue a most louing Mother Reason But thou art vnto her a continual feare and carefulnesse Ioy. I haue a most louing Mother Reason The Fathers loue is greatest but the Mothers loue is most vehement and both their loues are such and so great that the affection of the childe vnlesse it be very rare can scarce counteruayle it Notwithstanding the contention betweene the Parentes and the Children in shewing loue and duetie one towardes another is commendable and vertuous let them haue the victorie vpon whom the fountaine of heauenly charitie is most abundantly powred But hytherto the Parentes haue the vpper hand neyther is yet the duetifulnesse of the Chyldren or their reuerence towardes their elders and progenitours suche that it may minister iust cause that we shoulde thinke it woulde be otherwyse but if it shoulde chaunce so to happen besides expectation there were no sight in the earth that coulde be deuised more acceptable vnto the heauens Ioy. I haue a verie good Mother Reason Be thou at leastwise a good childe vnto her remember that thou was first a burden and coyle vnto her and afterwarde a most bitter payne and lastly a continuall trouble and ielous carefulnesse Thinke on her wombe that bare thee and her breastes that gaue thee sucke how many sleepes and how many meales or pleasures thou hast broken her of by thy crying What feare and sorowe thou hast procured her by thy chaunces and sometymes also perhaps perilous pleasures Many tymes as the feare of chyldrens death hath enforced the wretched Mothers to ende their lyues so also hath the ioy of their lyfe This last poynt appeared playnely that day wherein they that remayned after the slaughter at Thrasimenus beyng dispersed returned safe to their friendes and when two Mothers who thought no lesse but that their sonnes were slayne in the battayle sawe them notwithstanding come agayne in safetie not being able to susteine the force of so sodayne a ioy they dyed presently So that by this and suche lyke examples it is truely verified that amongst men there is no greater ingratitude then that which is shewed agaynst the Mother Ioy. My Mother is yet lyuing an olde woman Reason As often as thou lookest vpon her and beholdest the earth also thinke from whence thou commest and whyther thou shalt out of how narrowe a place thou camest and into how narrowe an one thou shalt depart to witteout of the wombe of thyne owne Mother into the bowelles of the Earth that is mother of al thinges Among all the thinges therefore which between these twaine do delight and busie the minde drawe backe the raynes of pryde and couetousnesse Of good Brethren and louing and fayre Sisters The Lxxxiiii Dialogue IOY I Haue louyng Brethren Reason A rare matter for parentes for the most part doo alwayes loue but brethren most commonly doo hate and despise one another And therefore the trueth cryeth out by the mouth of the Poet Ouid That seldome is loue sounde among brethren whereas there is noted the wickednesse and vndutifulnesse of brethren children and almost al sortes of men exceptyng parentes Ioy. I haue very good Brethren Reason Truely I woonder at it it is enough that they be good for most tymes they be euyll and the worst of all other and so much worse then open enimies by how much there is lesse heede to be taken of domestical treacherie How great the loue of brethren is that I may not bryng to lyght them that are vnknowen nor offende them that are present the most famous couples the Micenian the Thebane and the Romane brethren doo declare which infamie why it shoulde more redounde vnto one citie then to the whole worlde I see no cause Beholde the first brethren that were in the worlde one was slayne by the hand of the other and yet hast thou not heard a most horrible mischiefe to tell for Phraates king of the Parthians of whom I spake before beside his most detestable parricide in murdering at one time his owne father and natural sonne we reade how he slue moreouer his thirtie brethren not fearyng by so foule a massacre and bloodshed to establish his yl gottten kingdome and vtterly to extinguishe al feare of competitours Ioy. My Brethren are good Reason I suppose you haue not yet deuided your inheritaunce for then your malice wylbreake foorth Golde is tryed by fyre and so is the minde by golde That agreement whiche seemeth to be great is oftentymes ouerthrowen by a litle golde Ioy. I haue louyng Brethren Reason Perhaps thy single lyfe or lacke of children causeth them to loue thee Thy marrying wyl discouer them but hauing of chyldren more better when they shal perceyue them selues depriued of the hope of succession whiche hope hath caused the most impatient to suffer muche Ioy. I haue brethren that loue me most deerely Reason It ought to be so vnlesse malice or feare or couetousnesse or immoderate desire to haue which whyle it coueteth to be satisfied quite forgetting the lawe both of God and man doo hinder it How great so euer the loue be betweene the parentes and the chyldren yet are the maners and conuersation diuers which although the parentes doo perceiue quickly yet do they acknoledge it too late Although fathers loue their chyldren at the fyrst yet it is long are they receyue them
for thy daughter a wyfe for thy sonne thou hast woon the peoples fauour with thy ambitious flatterie thou hast gotten theyr voyces thou hast prepared vnto thy selfe a redy way vnto ryches and honour there nowe remayneth nothyng but that thou reioyce in thyne owne felicitie This yf I be not deceyued is thy conclusion but myne is farre other wyse to wyt that thou dye It seldome happeneth vnto men to enioy long that which they haue gotten togeather with great diligence the toyle is long the vse is short Ioy. Nowe that my affayres goe forwarde prosperously I am in an assured state Reason Howe thou canst stande whyle thyne affayres goe forwarde see thou for I cannot perceyue Ioy. I reioyce nowe that my businesse proceedeth accordyng to my desire Reason Now therefore it is tyme to dye thynkest thou that there can any man lyue long meery heare Dye therefore while thou art meery before thou begyn to be sorowful I wyl nowe repeate agayne that whiche I haue sayde For the repeatyng of profitable thinges is not tedious but pleasant Dooest thou remember in Tullie what Lacon sayde to the auncient Diagoras Rhodius who at that tyme muche reioyced though vpon very lyght occasion whiche thou heardest before when we entreated of Palestrical exercises Die nowe Diagoras quoth he for thou canst not clymbe into heauen And truely it was grauely spoken For in this so great an alteration of thinges what can the mynde looke for more then to leaue to be mery and to begyn to be sorowful And therefore Diagoras very seasonably folowed his friendes counsel for in the sight and a middest the shoutyng and gratulation of the people in the middest of the embrasinges and kysses of his sonnes he gaue vp the ghost This Historie is written in the booke of the Attike nightes and in summe moe haue peryshed through ioy then sorowe Of all therefore that are wyse but specially that are in great ioy death is to be wyshed of whiche we ought alwayes to thynke but most of all in tyme of prosperitie and this cogitation wyll brydle al other Ioy. I haue taken payne and nowe I rest Reason Ye hope al for that but therein ye be all deceyued The course of your lyfe fareth otherwyse and the ende thereof answereth not your expectation This thy rest is eyther short or false or to speake more truely both and howe then carrye dreame any rest heare So dooth he that is in pryson dreame of libertie the sicke man of health and he that is hungrie of dayntie cheere but behold the last day is at hand whiche wyll shortly dryue away these dreames But be ye not deceyued by dreames and false opinions wherof the lyfe of man is full promyse not vnto your selues rest heare Beleeue me death is all the rest that men haue after theyr trauailes Ioy. I haue al thynges most plentifully that I thynke to be necessarie forâ—ine Reason All thinges more then needeful are wast superfluous but this is the maner of mans minde that professyng and ascendyng vpward to heauen burdeneth it selfe with so great care and studie as it is scarce neuer able to disburden it self againe so that being wayed downe with a forraigne burden whyle it endeuoureth to ryse vpward it falleth downe the earth is vnto it in steede of heauen Ioy. I haue abundaunce of al thinges and they be nowe in the Hauen Reason Then are they in the end of their course For this present lyfe is lyke to the troublesome Sea. The end of the one is at the shore and of the other in death so that they may be both well termed Hauens And truely the most part of men while they be careful in heaping togeather necessaries to lyue by in the chiefest of their preparation they are cut of by death and there is nothyng nowe more common then for death to preuent the carefulnesse of this lyfe it happeneth but vnto fewe to obteyne their desire and from these the vse of theyr dayly gaine is so soone taken away that the shortnesse of theyr ioy is an encrease of their sorowe wherof it is knowne that many haue complained at theyr death Ioy. Now that I haue ended my trauayles I lyue in securitie Reason So doth the foule flie safe betweene the line and the grin the fishe playeth among the hookes and the wylde beastes among the toyles Oftentimes whereas is most danger and least feare it is fortunes cunning to take away distrust that she may strike the more freely Ioy. I haue toyled al my lyfe tyme to the end I might take my rest at last Reason Thou hast placed thy rest securitie vpon a daungerous downefal hast liued in sorow to die in mirth wherein thou hast folowed no absurd gouernment concernyng thy lyfe and death so that we agree about the qualitie of the securitie and rest sorow and ioy Ioy. I haue prouided al things to furnysh my selfe whyle I lyue Reason Nay rather to make thy death more greiuous Thou hast wel prouided for the Phisitions they will shortly come thicke vnto thee pratling about thy bed There wil come also some to make thy Testament some to loke for Legacies some that wil dissemble their ioy counterfeite teares secretly curse that thy life continueth so long thy death approcheth no faster some wil marke the crisis or determination day of the sicknesse some the signes and tokens some wyl watch the golden carkasse All these goodes whiche in al thy lyfe tyme thou hast scraped togeather wyl be the meanes onely not for thee to lyue the better but to dye the more accompanied Thou hast not altogeather lost thy labour for thou shalt not lacke companie when thou art sicke neyther money for thy lust and superfluities neyther pompe for thy buriall Ioy. Now that I haue gotten al things I may take my rest Reason I sayd erwhyle thou soughtest rest and comfort of lyfe but thou hast founde payne and tediousnesse of death Ioy. I haue disposed all thynges and attained prosperitie Reason Thou hast heaped togeather a nest of most deceitfull and transitorie hope which so soone as it groweth to any ripenesse wyl flee away leauing thy hart voyde and sorowfull and many tymes it perisheth before it be fledge Ioy. After my long traueyle commeth quietnesse Reason Perhaps it wyll be as short as may be possible For often the trauel of many yeeres perisheth in a moment when as for the most part al procedinges are by degrees the endes of thynges are not seldome sudden Ioy. By long cares at length I am come to the beginning of securitie Reason Humane curiositie is very careful of the beginninges but is so blynde that it cannot foresee the ende A thycke miste of the tyme to come hath bleared the sight of mortal mens eyes Let our deliberation be the accomplishment of our fortune But to speake more truely it is the wyl of God in whose hands are al mens chaunces not such as in your
generally most briefly S. Hierome thinketh of this matter where he sayth that there is neither Fortune nor destinie so that the common sort shall acknowledge and perceiue here their manner of speaking as for the learned which are but scarce they will vnderstand what I meane and shall not bee troubled with the vsuall woord Of the one part of this twoofold woorke concerning passions and fortune wee haue saide alredie what wee thought good of the other we will now speake what wee shall see conuenient Of deformitie of the bodie The first Dialogue Sorowe and Reason Sorowe I Complaine that Nature hath dealt verie hardlie with mee in making me euill fauoured Reason O howe manie fire brandes hath she quenched howe manie flames hath she repressed Sorowe Nature hath made mee deformed Reason She hath not giuen thee that which might delite thee if shee haue giuen thee that which may profit thee it is sufficient and therefore leaue thy complaintes Sorowe Nature hath not giueÌ„ me the grace of good fauour Reason Shee hath giuen thee nothing that sicknes might deface old age take away perhaps she hath giuen thee that which death it selfe dareth not touche Sorowe Nature hath denied me the fauour of the bodie Reason If she haue giueÌ„ thee the good fauour of the minde thou art much beholden to her contemne that repulse with a valiant minde and comfort the offence of the looking glasse with the vprightnesse of thy conscience Sorowe Nature hath enuied me the fauour of the bodie Reason She hath not enuied it thee but she is ashamed to giue thee that which is dailie diminished and wasted True liberalitie is perceiued by a coÌ„tinuing gift Rotten and transitorie giftes couetous persons do giue good fauour which is a fraile and transitorie gift of Nature is giuen vnto fewe for their profit vnto manie to their destruction but vnto none to their safetie and true glorie Sorowe Bodily fauour is denied vnto me Reason Excellent fauour of the bodie and honestie do verie seldome dwell together vnder one roofe It is wel with thee if the worse being excluded thou retein the better geast with thee Sorowe I haue no part of the comelinesse of good fauour Reason Why art thou sorie for that or what holie or godly matter doest thou reuolue in thy minde For what cause doest thou thinke the good fauour of the bodie to be necessarie for thee or not rather altogether burdensome and hindering Good fauour hath made manie adulterers but none chast Manie hath it ledde through the slipperinesse of pleasures vnto an infamous death who if they had been euill fauoured might haue liued without shame and danger What say I manie Yea it hath brought innumerable into trouble but all welnigh into blame Sorowe Why hath nature made me deformed Reason To the ende thou shouldest adorne and make thy selfe well fauoured with that fauour which may remaine with thee in thine old age in thy bedde â–ª in thy beere in thy graue and that which may be thine own commendation not the prayse of nature nor of thy parentes It is more beautifull to be made beautifull than so to be borne For the one commeth by chaunce the other by studie Sorowe Much deformitie of bodie oppresseth me Reason This deformitie of some is counted a part of vnhappinesse and miserie Beleeue thou me the minde is not defiled by deformitie of the bodie but the bodie adorned by the beautie and fauour of the mind Then it is not this that oppresseth or dishonesteth thee but it openeth the way and layeth foorth the matter and meane to honest the minde and to rise aloft through vertue Sorowe Nature hath brought mee foorth deformed into the world Reason If she had brought forth Helen euill fauoured or to speake of Men if Paris had been borne without good fauour perhappes Troy had stoode to this day Sorowe I complaine that I was borne euill fauoured Reason But fewe good men haue loued the comelinesse of the bodie none haue desired it manie haue reiected it for doing of which that Tuscane youth is commended who of his owne accorde mangled and defourmed the excellent beautie of his well fauoured face which he perceiued to be suspected of manie and enimie to his owne good name and hurtfull to the honestie of other farre vnlike vnto thee who wishest for that whereof he dispoiled him selfe and which fewe did euer enioye without hurt Sorowe I want good fauour Reason It is more safe to want that by meanes whereof thou mayest often fall into a doubtfull and painfull experiment of thy selfe Comelinesse beautie hath hurt manie it â—â—th troubled all manie aâ—â—â—r sundrie conflictes it hath made effeminate and made them easie to be ouercome and thrust them ouerthwartlie into blame and reproofe Sorowe My stature is deformed and to lowe Reason This discommoditie is not as thou supposest to bee complained of the lowe stature is more comelie light and nimble Sorowe My stature is verie short Reason Who can gainesay that as a bigge man dwelleth in a litle house so may a valiant courage in a small bodie Sorowe My bodie is small Reason Thou lamentest for that thou art not a burden vnto thy selfe but light and dapper and actiue vnto all things Sorowe My bodie is verie small Reason Who euer complained of a small burden Thou hast a iust cause truelie to be sorie for that thou art not oppressed with the greatnes of the bodie but onelie hast a bodie neither art a burden to thy selfe but an vsuall necessarie Sorowe I am of a contemptible stature Reason As nothing is glorious but vertue so nothing is contemptible but vice Vertue respecteth no stature Sorow The stature of my bodie is smal Reason Vertue requireth not the stature of the bodie but of the minde If this be long right large magnifical or comelie whatsoeuer the other be it skilleth not not only not at home but not so much as in the field at warfare vnlesse it seeme to be more hurtful Thou knowest how the most noble captaine Marius chose tough stroÌ„g not tall souldiers Which thing how wiselie and with howe fortunate successe he attempted his often and great conquestes do testifie As for the heigth tallenesse of the bodie it carieth more maiestie with it but lesse force Sorowe My stature is short Reason The same hindreth thee not but that thou mayest notwithstanding be a good and valiant man yea if neede were and fortune so serued a King or an Emperour For although that Scipio Africane were tall of bodie and Iulius Caesar of a loftie stature notwithstanding Alexander King of Macedonia and Augustus Caesar â—ere but lowe neither did their shortnessed 〈◊〉 bodie hinder their greatnesse of minde nor deâ—â—act anie thing from their fame â—â—â—owe I woul◠〈◊〉 â—â—â—r and greater Reason Arise 〈…〉 â—â—â—e and thou shalt bee greater and â—aâ—â—er 〈…〉 more profitable and easie encrease Sorowe I deâ—â—e to bee well fauoured Reason Learne to loue and wishe for that
vnto Heauen it selfe A bondman can not serue in warfare vnder man but he may serue GOD the wages of whose seruice in warfare is to reigne The seruaunt of GOD is Kyng ouer all men felowe with Angelles a terrour to Deuylles The seruaunt of GOD may also be seruaunt to man and thus worldly seruice is no hunderaunce to the heauenly felicitie Sorowe I am a Seruaunt Reason If thou hast alwayes been so custome may asswage thy griefe If not hope that thou mayest one day not be that whiche some tyme thou wast not Sorowe I am a seruaunt Reason If thou hope for an ende of thy miserie let thy hope diminishe thy sorowe But yf thou despayre let patience mitigate it and heape not one mischiefe vppon another neyther vexe thy selfe to no purpose willingly and wittingly whiche were the greatest poynt of follie that is incident to the lyfe of man But a man must not despayre for when all thynges be wantyng death wyll come at the length who in despite of thy Maister wyll loose thee and set thee at libertie Of pouertie The .viii. Dialogue SOROWE I Am oppressed with pouertie that I can not ryse Reason Pouertie hath many tymes perswaded modestie to an vnwyllyng mynde and that whiche Philosophie hath attempted in vayne this hath brought to passe Sorowe Pouertie besiegeth myne entrie Reason Shee besiegeth it not but keepeth it neyther is this a strange and vnaccustomable thyng for in tymes past shee preserued the Citie of Rome many hundred yeeres For among the tentes of sober and carefull pouertie flouthfull wantonnesse sluggyshe sleepe and weake and effeminate vices doo entre Sorowe Pouertie hath inuaded my house Reason I aduertise thee to meete her willingly receyuyng and embracyng her with vnfolded armes and a cheareful countenance And though at the fyrst encounter she appeare some deale sharpe and bytter and not without cause to be compared vnto a wayfaryng man and one that is armed at all poyntes for that her commyng is speedie and threatnyng notwithstandyng when she is once receyued into familiaritie she wyll be a gheast nothing sumptuous but quiet and gentle Sorowe Pouertie rappeth at my doore Reason Open then vnto her speedily before that by sudden force she breake the barres and pluckyng the doore from the hookes she enter in lyke a conquerour For as she is very greeuous vnto those that withstand her so is she very pleasant vnto them that geue her place Sorowe Pouertie hath broken vp my house Reason Shee is a passyng diligent watcher agaynst Theeues and Pleasures whiche are woorse then theeues agaynst the girdes and absurd iudgementes of the common people and also agaynst the infamie of couetousnesse or prodigalitie whiche seldome sitteth in any other place then the entries of the ryche From these euylles can thy house by no meanes be better preserued then yf pouertie guard it And euen as yf a man be franke yet yf he reserue any thyng to him selfe he is commonly tearmed couetous so yf he be poore he shal be counted greedie to haue It is the maner of neere neighbours to enuie at wealth to pitie pouertie The one they desyre and disprayse the other they commende and abhorre Sorowe Pouertie hath possessed my house Reason Now shal there be no place with thee for pryde nor for enuie nor for notable losses nor for the feare of losses nor for a thousand kindes of suspitions nor for deceite nor for surfect and loathsomnesse nor for the Gout that is a gheast among the ryche all whiche being shut out of doores reste quietnesse and vertue shall haue larger entertaynement with thee who shall haue the more roomth the lesse that thy wealth is Sorowe Hard pouertie hath entred my house Reason I knowe what thou meanest ryches shoulde haue entred more pleasantly but pouertie more safely There are no riches before whom securitie is not to be preferred For when all thynges whatsoeuer men doo or desyre are directed vnto felicitie surely it may consist without ryches but not without securitie Sorowe I haue been long tyme oppressed with importunate pouertie Reason As no importable thyng can long be borne so is there no short thyng difficult But thou wylt say this is hard examine it with ryches doest thou make more accompt of golde then of vertue Hast thou not learned among the Paradoxes of the Stoâ—kes That onely a wyse man is ryche Or perhappes hast thou read it and not regarded it Whiche thyng most readers doo to the ende to talke more finely not to lyue more vertuously applying nothyng vnto honestie but referryng all to knowledge and eloquence then whiche nothyng is more vayne Of Domage sustayned The .ix. Dialogue SOROWE CRuell Fortune hath bereft me of all my ryches Reason Shee hath done thee no iniurie for she hath taken but her owne but this is an auncient and common vnthankefulnesse to forget what was geuen you and to remember what is taken away And therefore your thankes are fewe and colde and your complaintes many and feruent Sorowe Fierce Fortune hath taken also away the things that are necessary for liuing Reason No man can take away the thyngs that are necessarie forasmuche as nothyng is cruely to be called necessarie without whiche a man may lyue wel I say lyue wel not voluptuously not insolently or gorgiously but wysely but soberly but honestly wherein Fortune be she neuer so proud shal confesse that she hath no right And truely although desire of hauing is not satisfied with al the golde that is in the worlde and all the pompe of precious stones and plentie of all maner of thinges notwithstanding natural necessitie is contented with verie litle that may be gotten by some lyght meanes of the tongue or exercise of the hand thus vertue is pleased with a verie litle vice with nothing Sorowe Couetous Fortune denyeth me necessarie foode and apparrell Reason Thou must get it then some where els Vertue is more liberal then Fortune for she denieth a man nothyng but whiche wyll hurt yf it be graunted and doo good yf it be forbydden shee taketh away nothyng but which wyl hurt to haue it and is profitable to loose it shee deferreth nothyng shee commaundeth nothyng shee plucketh not backe her hande shee frowneth not shee looketh not strangly shee despiseth no man she forsaketh no man shee deceyueth no man shee chafeth not shee rageth not shee changeth not shee is alwayes one and euery where but that the more she is tasted of the sweeter shee seemeth and the neerer shee is beholden the fayrer euery day then other shee appeareth That thou mayest therefore be ryche in deede let nothyng carrie thee away from this affliction or repell thee although it doo exercise and molest thee the fyrst entraunce vnto it is harde as for the residue it is redie pleasant and easie For when thou art once come vnto it thou shalt not feele pouertie Sorowe Fortune hath spoyled mee of all my goodes Reason Thou supposest amisse this mischiefe is commune
all men that there is nothyng whereof they doo more grieuously and more often complayne so that there is nothyng among men better nothyng more hatefull then pouertie Sorow I am poorer in lyfe Reason Thou shalt be gladder in death There was neuer any man liuyng so poore but when he was dying coulde haue been contented to haue liued poorer Of thinne Fare The x. Dialogue SOROWE MY fare is thinne Reason Then is thy pleasure thin and thy sobrietie clenly Wouldest thou vpon desire to glut thy lust and to satisfie thy deynty mouth wyshe the contrary Sorowe I fare hardly Reason Take it in good part that thou wantest the prouocations of appetite seeyng thou hast in a redynesse those that are sweeter and easier both to be gotten and to be kept For vertue hath also her enticementes I vse nowe Tullies woorde When thou shalt once begyn to chaw and taste of these thou wylt not much passe for the other Sorowe My fare is harde Reason Hardnesse is friende vnto vertue and delicie vnto vice Howe many excellent men wyllyngly abandonyng pleasures haue chosen this kynde of fare whiche thou myslykest Whereof some when they myght haue fared deyntyly tooke pleasure rather in feastyng with bread and water Shal we iudge any man to be so wedded to pleasure that woulde not extreamely hate her yf he coulde beholde with his eyes the shâ—me that is wyned with her But sweetnesse is a pernicious thyng a deadly enimie vnto vertue and a beastly ticklyng whiche who so pursueth may be a man in shewe but in deede is a bruite beast Moreouer the familiaritie whiche is contracted with vices and the accustomyng vnto them whiche is very hurtefull casteth a myst before mens eyesight that they are not able to discerne how fayre that is whiche grieueth them and how foule that whiche delighted them Sorowe My fare is to short Reason Nay rather it is to sumptuous and thy throate is to wyde The same to see to is but a narrowe way and in deede but one way notwithstandyng it is a wyde open way for all vyces to runne in by vnto the foule By this way the flame of lustes the dulnesse of the wyt the rage and fury of anger and chydyng doo enter in and so dooeth also imperious desyre to haue whiche commaundeth you to suffer and doo all thynges so that you thynke them necessary when as in deede they be hurtfull and you call that the staye of your lyfe whiche is the ouerthrowe thereof By this way enter in the firebrandes of enuie and the implacable emulation with disdeyning myndes vauntyng that there be other that serue theyr throate and belly aswell as you seekyng for prayse there where as shame were to be feared To be short by this way entreth pryde whylest the swellyng belly that cannot receyue it selfe communicateth his swellyng vnto the mynde and perswadeth hym that he is of some greater callyng then a man for that he hath been fedde with Ambrosia and Nectaâ— the meate and drynke of the Goddes Thus thou seest howe one vyce is the entrie vnto all and yet yf it can be shut by none other meanes thou art not willyng that it be made fast with the barres of pouertie O amiable pouertie that takest vppon thee the office of continencie it is profitable for thee to be compelled vnto that whiche thou oughtest to doo of thyne owne accorde Sorowe My slender dyet maketh me leaue Reason Haddest thou rather then to swell This leauenesse wyl dryue the Goute out of thy boundes it wyll take awaye the head ache and the gyddynesse of the brayne and vomityng and the hycket and the lothsomnesse of the stomacke and sweatyng and weerysomnesse of thy selfe the sudden alteration of colour from palenesse to rednesse it wyll also helpe the strong smel of the breath and of the whole body that is noysome vnto thy selfe and others Moreouer it wyll moderate and represse the vnstablenesse of thy feete the tremblyng of thy handes the shakyng of thy head and whiche is chiefe of all it wyll stay thy mynde it selfe Wherefore then doest thou complayne since that thou hast gotten so many commodities of the body and mynde by wantyng of meate and the smal discommoditie of the sense of tastyng beyng woorthie to loose them and to be bondslaue vnto taste only Sorowe Thynne dyet weeryeth me Reason The contrary woulde make thee weery vnlesse perhaps thou call payne an ease Hast thou not read that the weerysomnesse of the delicate lyfe is great insomuche that it coulde not be abidden the space of fyue dayes togeather by men of temperate dyet and suche as aspire vnto hygher matters then are the throate and the belly Sorowe My fare is thyn aboue measure Reason There was an age when as there was here and yet is a nation among whom was most gallant fare but when the worlde was waxen woorse you endeuoured also to be worst of all beyng alwayes the aucthours of the publique decay and ruine so that you that were the best of all other now turnyng your footesteppes contrarywyse are become woorst of all men and among the vices of tyme and places possesse the hyghest degree Sorowe My thyn dyet pleaseth me not Reason The louers and patrones both of vertue and pleasure doo commend a thyn dyet what false opinion thou hast embrased I doo not knowe Plato condemneth the Syracusian feastes and banquettes and sayth that he lyketh not to haue the belly filled twyce in a day Epicurus setteth his pleasure and delight in his Hearbes and sallettes and this diet whiche thou mislykest he aloweth in woordes and deede Finally as Cicero sayeth there was neuer man sayde more of the thyn dyet If thou regarde not the most famous ryngleaders of two sectes what remayneth but that through the heate of thyne errour thou folow loathsome gurmandize whiche is enimie vnto vertue and not friende to pleasure whiche is a filthie ende rather of a beast then of a man and moreouer whiche I speake with disdayne and griefe beastes truely deuour muche but it is accordyng to the receipt of theyr bellies but you only that are the Lordes ouer al lyuing creatures both know not your owne proportion and also exceede it Neither is it for naught that many doo marueyle why in the remembrance of our fathers and grandfathers there were farre fewer Vineyardes then be nowe but as many men or rather moe and yet notwithstandyng Wines were then solde better cheape the reason is the thyrst of the drunken sort hath euery day since encreased more and more Sorowe From great fare I am fallen to small Reason It is fortuned wel that penury hath fulfilled that whiche modestie neglected It is best for a man to doo that wyllingly whiche he ought to doe and the next to do it though it were constraynedly Of Original Pouertie The .xi. Dialogue SOROWE YEA I was borne in pouertie Reason Who commeth not naked out of his mothers wombe In this matter kinges haue no preheminence Sorowe I
was poore before I was borne Reason Thou hast a good memorie yf thou doo remember it and a most delicate feelyng yf thou diddest perceiue it Sorowe I was begotten in pouertie Reason Dooth this complaint any thyng auayle thee It was not long of thee but of thy parentes Sorowe I was borne in pouertie Reason And shalt likewise dye in pouertie thy end shal be lyke thy beginning vnlesse perhaps thou thinke that the golde which thou hast in the bottome of thy cheast wyl cure thy sicknesses when thou liest a dying Sorow The beginning of my life was in pouertie Reason The middle many times possesseth false riches but the beginning ending are very pouertie to be borne naked to die naked is the necessitie of humane condition For what I pray you auayleth the chamber hung with purple the funeral bed gilden and whatsoeuer other pride the ambition of mankind hath deuised when a man is departyng out of this worlde What haue these thynges to doo or what apperteyne they to the Ague or to death it selfe whereof we speake or the nakednesse of them that dye Is it so that as trappings gallant furniture pleaseth an Horse so doo the costly hangynges delight the walles These thynges may please the eyes of the beholders In thynges that lacke sense there may be some what that may delight others but them selues can take no pleasure in any thyng Sorowe I was borne naked and poore Reason Varietie of fortune dooth alter almost all worldely thynges the same also maketh many of them equall and of lyke degree whereby she may bryng comfort vnto the inequalitie of the residue the greatest and chiefest wherof is this equalitie of byrth and death Many and sundry are the sortes of apparrell whiche the lyuyng doo weare but nakednesse only belongeth vnto them that are borne and dye but that the first sort doo fynde out many thynges vpon ignorance and the other forsake all thynges wittyngly so that the knowledge of transitorie thynges ought to qualyfie the sense of so small a losse Sorowe Naked dyd I enter into this wretched lyfe Reason Whyle thou thynkest on that thou shalt depart naked with a more indifferent minde Of the heauie burden of many chyldren The .xii. Dialogue SOROWE I Am ouerburdened with many chyldren Reason With gold and siluer also weake shoulders may be ouerlayed howebeit no man wyll complayne of it but wyll be glad to be so burdened But as for chyldren they are accounted among the chiefest gyftes of your felicitie Dooest thou say then that thou art ouerburdened and not rather lyghtened by them Sorowe I am a poore man among many chyldren Reason Nay rather thy chyldren are thy ryches then howe thou canst be poore in the myddes of ryches see thou For this happeneth but only vnto couetous men and those that are vnthankefull for theyr goodes Sorowe Among a company of chyldren I liue in beggerlie neede Reason Chyldren are not a toyle but an ease vnto their Parentes an appeasyng to theyr griefes and a comfort in all fortunes yf they be good otherwyse there is no complaynyng of their number but of their manners Sorowe I am hemmed in with an armie of Chyldren Reason And why not rather accompanied defended and beautified Truely not Fathers onely but Mothers also doo terme chyldren theyr Iewelles Hast thou not hearde howe Cornelia that was daughter vnto Africane the great when as a very ryche Gentlewoman of Campania who by chaunce lodged in her house womanlyshly glorying shewed her her most precious and fayre Iewelles prouokyng Cornelia as it were vnto emulation of very purpose prolonged that talke vntyll suche tyme as her chyldren shoulde returne from Schoole who then were but lytle boyes but afterwarde proued excellent men Whom when theyr mother behelde turnyng her selfe towardes her gheast These quoth shee are my Iewelles Notably well sayde truely and as it became the daughter of so woorthie a father but these thy ornamentes thou tearmest impedimentes Sorowe Who is able to feede so manie chyldren Reason He that feedeth thee from thy youth vnto thyne olde age who feedeth not onely Men but also Fyshes and Beastes and Foules Sorowe But who is able to cloath the bodyes of so many chyldren Reason He that apparrelleth not onely lyuyng creatures but also the Fieldes with Grasse and Flowres and the Wooddes with Leaues and Branches And how knowe we yet whether these thy chyldren perhappes shall not onely feede and clothe thee but also defende and honour thee Of humane affayres as some that begynne with pleasure doo ende with sorowe and care euen so contrarywyse some that haue a bytter begynnyng doo ende pleasauntly suche as for the most part is the euent of all vertuous actions whiche are greeuous at the fyrst entraunce but in processe delectable Sorowe I am poore and haue manye chyldren Reason Thou marueylest as though thou haddest not read of the plentifull pouertie of men There are sundrie kyndes of Trades and diuers gyftes of Fortune they happen not all vnto one man vnto some wandryng Merchandize to some the rough Earth to some dead Mettall and vnto thee lyuyng ryches whiche are Chyldren are alotted And shall we recken Oxen and Sheepe and Asses and Camelles and flittyng Bees and Pigeons and Poultry and Peacockes and lykewyse Menseruauntes and Womenseruauntes in the number of ryches and exclude Chyldren onely Sorowe O howe manye Chyldren haue I Reason O howe many moe haue other had Priamus had fyftie Orodes king of the Parthians had thirtie Artaxerxes king of the Persians had an hundred fifteene Erothinius king of the Arabians seuen hundred in trust and confidence of whom inuadyng the confines of his enimies with seuerall inroades he wasted the landes of Egypt and Syria And truely it is a kynde of power and force to haue many Chyldren But I knowe what thou wylt say These whom thou hast named were all of them myghtie Kynges and my state is farre otherwyse Was Appius Claudius a King No he was not so much as a Rych man in that auncient tyme when as it was a reproche to be counted ryche and blyndnesse was ioyned with his pouertie and olde age with his blyndnesse and yet notwithstandyng Tullie wrytyng of hym Foure Sonnes sayeth he and fyue Daughters so great an house and so great resort of Suters dyd Appius gouerne beyng both blynd and olde Neyther is it marueyle that he gouerned well his priuate affayres when as beyng troubled with these discommodities he gouerned also the whole Common wealth The greater part of humane defectes consysteth in the manners not in the thynges Appius estate was not lyke a Kyng neyther dyd he desyre it but beyng contented with his owne callyng decked vp his small house not with costlye furniture but with vertues and maynteyned his familie with a slender dyet And that whiche many Kinges doo vnwyllyngly and camplaynyng that dyd he with an indifferent mynd For he sought not for ryches but conformed his appetite to his abilitie Appius had not
that present thou haddest not wherewithall to helpe hym and wast in hope thou shouldest haue shortly after whereof thou wast deceyued then haddest thou not learned sufficiently that hope is the most deceitfull thyng in the worlde You shal finde nothyng that deceiueth you so often and yet is there nothyng that you beleeue so wyllyngly she is so craftie and flatteryng so sweetly and setretly she insinuateth her selfe and is hardly pulled from you Sorowe I am become a suretie Reason I thinke thou haddest forgotten the notable precept of Thales Milesius It is a losse to enter into Suretiship and also that whiche the wise man saide which I suppose not vnprofitable to be recited which being translated into Latine by the poet Ausonius soundeth after this maner Become suretie saith he and thou art neere a shrewd turne I coulde recite a thousand examples to proue that promisers vndertakers sureties are worthy to tast of repeÌ„tance but I wil touch none by name Let euery man certifie hym selfe of the trueth recount with hym selfe what great losse hath hapned vnto many by meanes of suretishyppe Sorowe I haue doone amisse by voluntary byndyng my selfe Reason This trespasse shall not neede the fire of Purgatorie after thy decesse it shal be purged where it was committed For it is of the kynde of offences that carrye theyr Purgatorie with them Sorowe I haue bounde my selfe by my promyse Reason Release thy selfe then by payment and let the hand discharge hym whom his tongue hath wrapped in bandes and it shall doo thee good to haue been bounde for when thou hast once escaped thou wilt alwayes the more abhorre hamperinges Of losse of tyme The .xv. Dialogue SOROWE I Lament the losse of my tyme. Reason This complaint were more iust then that is whiche goeth before for that the losse of money is of smaller account then is the losse of tyme forasmuche as money is not so necessarie vnto well lyuyng and when it is loste it may be recouered but tyme is necessarie and can neuer be recalled but only that money is taken from men agaynst theyr wylles and they suffer theyr tyme to runne awaye wyllyngly And therefore although I confesse that those losses are the greater which the faulte of hym that susteyneth them dooth encrease and make greater notwithstandyng I denye that there is iuste cause of complaynt where he that suffereth any thyng suffereth it wyllyngly Sorowe I loose my tyme vnwyllyngly Reason Who shall constrayne one that is vnwyllyng but only couetousnesse that is mother vnto businesse This vice only sayth Terence dooeth olde age bryng vnto men we are all the sort of vs more neere and couetous then reason requireth Herein he toucheth olde men And truely in this niggyshnesse all are become olde men For couetousnesse hath inuaded all ages all states all sexes and shortneth the tyme and abrydgeth the miserable dayes of wretched mortall men Whyle you be busie about this one thyng ye consume your whole lyfe beyng vnmindful in a manner both of your selues and your pleasures whiche plague yf it infected men agaynst theyr wylles then myght tyme also be taken from a man agaynst his wyll and the complaynt were reasonable for the losse of so pretious a thyng Sorowe It is not couetousnesse that snatcheth away my tyme but necessitie Reason What necessitie I pray thee is this whiche is able to take that from thee whiche is onely thyne owne I speake this for that ryches honour power aucthoritie souereignetie and suche lyke Fortune geueth and taketh away at her pleasure but time shee can not take from any contrarie to theyr lykyng but it slydeth away by lytle and lytle though a man employ it not and by small and small consumeth quite away Neyther doo you attende it vntyl it be gone then your complayntes doo resounde but too late and to no purpose then lament ye the losse of your tyme but you say nothyng of your owne fault Sorowe Onely necessitie constrayned mee to loose my tyme. Reason I demaunde agayne of thee what vrgent necessitie was it vnlesse that whyle thou wast busied about thy Lordes and Maisters afayres thou neglectedst thyne owne as though couetousnesse and vnsatiable desyre of gayne were not the onely matter that enforced thee therevnto Lay asyde thine owne desyres and thou shalt no longer obey thy Lordes and Maisters desyres But this incurable poyson is so dispersed throughout your Veynes and crept into the principall partes of your bodyes that it dulleth your senses and stealeth from you not your tyme onely but also your libertie and lyfe whyle you perceyue no suche matter But yf haply thou hast not bestowed thy tyme in pursuyng of thyne owne couetousnesse or of others but in the honest affayres of thy Common wealth this is no loosyng of tyme but a commendable employing of the most precious thyng vppon the most deerest thyng that is in all the worlde wherein thou hast discharged the duetie of a good man and of a notable Citizen Although I am not ignoraunt that the common sore of men doo call that tyme lost whiche is not bestowed vppon couetousnesse when as in trueth that is the lost tyme whiche is bestowed vppon it and howe knowe we whether thou meane the losse of thy tyme after the common manner of speakyng Whiche yf I thought to be so leauyng of the saluing of so incurable a sore I woulde confesse that it is not thy tyme but thou thy selfe that art vtterly lost and cast away But yf so be as I coulde rather wyshe thou wouldest I say not geue but render thy tyme vnto thy GOD whiche thou canst not doo without true godlynesse knowe then that this were a great and inestimable lucre For by the expense of a lytle tyme thou shouldest gaine immortalitie And what Merchant is he that euer hapned vppon the lyke fortunate exchange Sorowe The cause of my loosyng of my tyme is farre other Reason I vnderstande not what cause thou meanest for yf thou thynkest that thou wast constrayned therevnto by meanes of anger or sorowe or loue or any other passion of the minde thou art deceyued For there is the lyke reason in them and in couetousnesse whereof I spake erewhyle they be all voluntarie and none of them constrayned For that is euident vnto common sense and by Tulliè disputed in manie places and very often repeated Yf none of these be the cause what is it other then slâ—uth and idlenesse And so we come to that whiche Seneca sayeth Most shamefull is that losse whiche commeth through negligence Sorowe Wofull necessitie constrayned me to loose my tyme. Reason Yet I vnderstande not the matter For yf thyne enimie haue thee in holde yf death be at hande these thynges I confesse may hynder good actions but not vertuous and godly thoughtes whiche in that state are most eminent and apparent In whiche cares and cogitations truely the tyme is not lost I knowe not whether lesse in any other thyng whiche cogitations truely may
woman he that hath her looseth and he that hath wonne her is ouercome and he that is ouercome is a conquerour and a free man at his owne libertie Of the losse of a mans wyfe The .xviii. Dialogue SOROWE ALas I haue lost my wyfe Reason O frowarde disposition and strange nature of a man that weepest at the buriall of thy wyfe and dauncedst when thou wast married vnto her Sorowe I haue lost my wyfe Reason O madde man sing the brydale song It is now tyme to weare Crownes and Garlandes and to be decked with special Flowres and Nosegayes dispatch and make an ende Thou hast gotten the vpper hande in a dangerous conflict and art deliuered from a long beseegyng Sorowe I haue lost my wyfe Reason Thou meanest that thou hast lost her in that signification that men say they haue lost an Ague or a Byle or Scabbes And sometyme it is a kynde of gayne to loose Sorowe I haue lost my wyfe Reason Perhappes thou neuer gaynedst more vpon one day out of what fetters art thou escaped From what shypwracke hast thou swum to shoare Sorowe But I haue lost a good wyfe Reason All men vse to say so yea they that knowe the contrarie and although a good wyfe or rather a good woman be a rare and strange creature vppon the earth notwithstandyng to auoyde altercation I wyll graunt thee that thou hast lost suche a wyfe as thou speakest of neyther wyll I therefore aunsweare thee as once I aunsweared in Seneca whyle this same question was handled to witte That yf thou madest her good thou mayest make another good and yf thou foundest her good thou mayest finde another good But I change myne opinion for I woulde not haue thee often to assay so dangerous a matter whiche although it haue once happilie chaunced yet were it follie to aduenture it many tymes An euyll woman shall sooner fynde an hundred then a good woman fynde one lyke to her selfe And therefore who so hath had an euyll wyfe let hym be afearde of suche another and he that hath had a good one let hym not hope for the lyke but let both of them take heede the one that he encrease not his miserie the other that he impayre not his felicitie Thus euery way it is best to abstayne from seconde marriage And therefore nowe yf thou haue lost a good wyfe as thou sayest reioyce rather for that whiche is past then conceyue hope for that whiche is to come neyther commit thy shyppe often to the winde because thou hast often arriued safe at the shoare Sorowe Death hath loosed the band of wedlocke wherewith I was bounden Reason Bind not thy selfe agayne thynke with thy selfe howe excellent and incomparable a thyng libertie is and embrace the counsell of Cicero who when he had an olde wyfe of hart of oke of whose death there was no hope to be conceyued he sued a diuorse and was dismissed from her But when his friendes exhorted hym to marrie another he aunsweared That he coulde not attende both a wyfe and also the studie of wysedome Sorowe I haue lost a good wyfe Reason How yf this be no losse but a gayne and an auoydyng of great danger For as a man may haply fynde a good wyfe so where shall he seeke for a constant wyfe Well knowen is the sayeing of the woorthie Poet Women be alwayes diuers and changeable Sorowe I haue lost a good wyfe and in her flooryshyng yeeres Reason Art thou not then sufficiently acquainted with the manners of women Howe manie chast young women doo we see to become wanton olde wyues For when the heate of letcherie once taketh holde in the bones of an olde iade it burneth the more violently as it were fyre in drye woodde And nowe thou hast auoyded the alteration of lyfe that was at hande or els to the ende thou wouldest be out of danger thou hast made prouision to eschewe the burden and tediousnesse of olde age approchyng The yoke of marriage is greeuous vnto young men but most greeuous hard and importable vnto olde men Sorowe I haue lost a young wyfe Reason Whether issue be sought for by marriage or els pleasure whereof the one belongeth vnto an husbande the other to a lasciuious person youth is aptest vnto them both but whether thou receyuedst the fyrst of these of thy wyfe or the seconde thou wast desyrous she shoulde come to that age in whiche she shoulde be vnmeete for them both or whether thou hopedst that she that was by nature become vnfitte for these matters coulde be amended by old age which truely was but a vayne expectation and a foolyshe hope Sorowe Hauyng lost my sweete wyfe I am nowe alone Reason It is a good solitarinesse to be without euyll companie There is nothyng softer then an emptie bed nor harder then when it is fylled with twayne specially vnto a busied minde and him that loueth sweete sleepes and resteth in the contemplation of some great and excellent matter in his minde for there is nothing more enimie vnto notable attemptes then the companie of a woman But I am not ignorant what is wont to be sayde agaynst this by suche as take pleasure in their owne miserie They that knowe not marriage say they condemne marriage and as it is sayde in the common Prouerbe Batchelars wyues shall be beaten and well taught but I say contrarie that there are none that vse to complayne of marriage as far as euer I heard but suche as haue borne the burden of marriage Sorowe I haue lost a very good wyfe Reason And euen those that seeme to be best and most louyng to theyr husbandes sometyme wyll burne with ielousie and suspition more feruently then any other by meanes whereof domesticall peace must needes become on fyre To what ende therfore is thy complaint Thou hast lost thy wyfe and founde thy libertie a single lyfe peace sleepe quietnesse Now shalt thou passe foorth the nyght without braulyng Sorowe I am without a wyfe Reason And also without an aduersaris Now shalt thou begynne to be Lorde and Maister both of thy selfe and thyne Thou mayest arise in the morning and goe foorth when thou wylt and come home agayne at nyght as late as thou lust thou mayest be alone al the day or keepe companie with whom thou please and there shal be none to controule thee Sorowe I haue lost my wyfe Reason Thou mayest now reuoke thy libertie and quietnesse into thy chamber which of late thou haddest lost and exiled that shal be vnto thee a companion more profitable then any wyfe Sorowe I haue lost a good and a fayre wyfe Reason It is the part of a foole to loue his fetters yea though they were made of golde Of a shrewyshe wyfe The .xix. Dialogue SOROWE I Haue a shrewyshe wyfe Reason It were better for thee thou hadst lost her and euen nowe thou complaynedst that thou haddest lost her in deede Sorowe I haue an vnquiet wyfe Reason For the first trouble
although in shewe he appeare very gentle but he that by aduice and counsayle draweth his sonne the ryght way prouokyng hym forwarde also some tymes by word and some tymes by deede or els when he seeth him backwarde blameth hym or vnwillyng compelleth him and although in outwarde shew he seemeth somewhat sharpe yet is he not a hard father The seueritie of a father is commonly more profitable for the sonne then his gentlenesse Sorowe My father is hard Reason Zeale sorowe feare and age do excuse a fathers frowning Sorowe I do paynfully abyde an hard father Reason What yf that happen vnto thee which hath worthily hapned vnto many of thy mynde to wit that thou be constrayned to abide the hardnesse of another What yf it shoulde chaunce thee thy selfe to begin to be the father of a stubberne sonne Then shouldest thou knowe how pleasant a thyng the yoke of a father were and howe ryght is his aucthoritie Now vnderstandest thou but only one thyng that delighteth thee and in the same one thyng thy iudgement hath no delight of the mynde but is deceyued with the delyght of the senses Sorowe I haue an harde father Reason Admit he be harde nature hath made hym thy iudge and not thee his whiche order the Ciuyl lawe foloweth and is ashamed to see the sunne to correct and chasten the father Thou oughtest to be ashamed to enterpryse that whiche the lawe is ashamed to lycence any sonne to doo suffer thou and let hym iudge of thee that begate thee and brought thee vp commit thou the iudgement of hym to other and yf thy father haue not deserued true prayse yet at the leastwyse reuerence hym with duetifull silence Sorowe My father vseth harde behauiour Reason The behauiour of thy father is not to be blamed but to be borne with There is no greater reproche to Alexander then that he woulde seeme to attempt I wyll not say to speake euyl of his father but enuie his fathers commendations Thou oughtest eyther to speake worshypfully of thy father or els to holde thy peace altogeather Sorowe I haue an harde father Reason Thou hast a meane to shewe thy loue to shewe thy honestie to shewe thy pacience and to shew thine obedience In al the world there is none more iust then the empyre of a father no seruice more honest then of a sonne There is nothyng so muche a mans owne as the sonne is the fathers there can nothyng be more vniustly taken from hym then his sonne But you with a headlong and intemperate desire beyng borne to be subiect desyre to be Soueraigne and thus you both withdrawe your selues from your father and also vsurpe the gouernment whiche your fathers ought to baue ouer you wherein is a double mischiefe Whereby it commeth to passe that the rashnesse of youth disturbeth the dueties of all thynges Nowe hereof it proceedeth that when perhappes you be restrayned from this then you complayne of the sharpenesse of your father beeyng woorthie your selues in your owne iudgement that it shoulde be lawfull for you to doo all thynges only in this respect for that you be sonnes and ye haue learned also to please your selues at lookyng Glasses whiche you shall then at length perceyue when yee begynne to perceyue howe shamefully you haue wyshed for it before your tyme. Sorowe I haue a rough father Reason What yf his roughnesse be fatherly For the father oweth a rough carefulnesse vnto his sonne and the sonne a reuerent duetifulnesse obedience and humblenesse vnto his father Concernyng Manlius Torquatus thou hast read in Histories and also in Marcus Tullius that as he was very louyng vnto his father so was he bitterly seuere vnto his sonne perhaps woorthyly blamed by iudgement of the common people for the one but hyghly commended by vpryght deemers for them both suche diuersitie is there in mens opinions Sorowe I haue an harde father Reason To late it is or euer you knowe your good O yee mortall men But when you begynne to knowe it then doo you acknowledge it to muche and thus yee loath the thynges that be present and lament for them when they be lost The one of these tasteth of to muche pryde the other of ouer much humilitie both where yee ought to geue thankes and where you shoulde geue example of pacience but in both yee complayne and in neyther beare your selues indifferent is this your thankefulnesse towardes God and men Sorow I haue an harde father Reason The tyme wyll come when thou shalt sygh and wyshe for this thy father and shalt cal hym and he wyl not answere thee And he that nowe seemeth vnto thee more harde then stone shal then seeme vnto thee that he was more soft then downe Sorowe I haue an harde father Reason Thou knowest not what it is to haue a father as long as thou hast hym Of a stubberne sonne The .xliiij. Dialogue SOROWE I Haue a stubberne sonne Reason It is meete that thou that couldest not beare with thy father shouldest suffer thy sonne as beyng the heauier burden For one sharpe woorde of the sonne irreuerently spoken by hym that is proude doth more vexe and greeue the minde then whatsoeuer hardnesse of a seuere father For the sonne offereth the iniurie in so dooyng but the father dooth but that whiche is right Sorow I haue a rebellious sonne Reason Impudently doth he complaine of the rebellion of his youngers that before tyme despised the iust aucthoritie of his elders Sorowe I haue a stubberne sonne Reason At length perhaps thou doest now vnderstand what it was that thou thoughtest of thy father that seemed so harde vnto thee Sorowe I suffer an insolent sonne Reason If the faulte be in his age it wyll we are away with it The vnbridled youth of many in precesse of tyme by strange encrease hath been conuerted vnto thriftinesse Sorowe I haue a rebellious sonne Reason Thou art not alone For Dauid and Mithridates that was Kyng of Pontus Seuerus the Emperour of Rome had all rebellious sonnes and also many hundred yeeres after the seditious minde of a young Prince who stirred a rebellion agaynst the kyng his father disturbed the common quiet of the Realme of Britaine as the common bruite goeth but euery man bewayleth his owne mischaunces and none the discommodities of an other or the common calamitie Sorowe I haue an vngodly and rebellious sonne Reason A great part of the griefe of a father is taken from thee if thou feare thy sonnes death Sorowe I haue a stouthful and a dastardly sonne Reason Knowest thou not how that the worthy Scipio Africanus had a sonne very vnlyke vnto hym which also dyd degenerate notwithstandyng he loued hym tenderly And truely we ought to beare more affection I wyll not say loue vnto hym whom nature doth lesse helpe He hath neede of nothyng that is ryche in vertue the want whereof maketh men very wretches and so in consequent very needy of mercifulnesse and therefore thou for thy part yf
may feede my cattayle and I my selfe wyll resolue thee in this matter Then he answeared that it was impossible But she sendyng for such Noble men and Gentlemen as dwelt neere hande and causyng hym to geue his woorde for the perfourmance of his promyse helde vppe her young sonne in her armes and Is this my chylde in deede myne sayde she And when they all answeared yea she stretched foorth her armes and delyuered hym vnto her husbande and heere sayde she take hym I geue hym thee freely and nowe be assured that he is thyne Then al that stoode by brake foorth in laughter and gaue iudgemente on the womans syde and condemned the husbande by all theyr verdictes Such contentions and lamentations are thereto often among men they be hastie to marriage yea slipperie and headlong you thynke you shall neuer see the day wherein you shal be husbandes that is to say men as though otherwyse you shoulde neuer be men Then beyng resolued in ioyes or to speake more truely in madnesse the fyrst dayes of your marriage you spende in reuel route feastyng and daunsing among your weddyng solemnities with pastimes and songes and minstrelles and the residue of your lyfe you spende in suspition and braulyng In both you are to blame For neyther ought you in suche sorte to loue so doubtful a thyng neyther to abhorre so inseparable a thyng nor to hate so louely a thyng and by deceiptfull coniectures so to confounde the moste sacred lawes of the diuine and humane house and dissolue the moste entyre bondes of this lyfe Sorowe Yea my wyfe her selfe hath confessed that he is none of myne Reason Thou tellest me this as yf it were some syngular matter but it is common some confesse so muche whyle they are lyuing and some when they lye a dying among whom some haue wylled to haue it imparted vnto theyr husbandes after theyr departure Sorowe Myne owne wyfe hath conâ—essed vnto me that he is 〈…〉 my sonne Reason Olimpias that was wyfe vnto the renowmed kyng Phillip of Macedonie confessed as muche vnto her husbande whiche myght haue tended vnto the destruction of her valiant sonne and yet we reade neyther of teares nor sighes nor complayntes among them all Nowe hearken to a meery tale but not vnfyt for our purpose Not far from the Ocean Sea shore whiche lyeth right ouer agaynst Britaine not very many yeeres agoe report goeth that there was a certayne poore woman fayre and well fauoured but a notable Harlot who had twelue small chyldren by as many seuerall men one of them but a yeere elder then other But beyng sicke when she perceyued that the houre of her death was come she caused her husband to be called vnto her and this is no tyme sayde she nowe to dissemble any longer there is none of all these chyldren thyne but the eldest only for the first yeere that we were married I lyued honestly It chaunced that at the same time al the children sate on the ground about the fire eating according to the maner of the countrey At which woordes the good man was amazed and the children also that hearde their mothers communication whose fathers she reckoned al by name as they were in order of yeeres Which thyng the youngest of them all hearyng who was then but three yeeres olde immediatly layde downe his bread which was in his ryght hande and the Rape roote whiche he had in his left vppon the grounde besyde hym and tremblyng with feare and holdyng vp his handes after the maner of them that pray Now good mother quoth he geue me a good father And when in the ende of her speache she had tolde who was father to the youngest to wit a certayne famous ryche man takyng vp his bread and meate agayne in his hand That is well sayde he I haue a good father Of the losse of a brother The Lj. Dialogue SOROWE I Haue loste my brother Reason Yet I heare no cause why thou shouldest be very sory For Ouid sayth to true that there is seldome agreement betweene brethren Sorowe I haue lost my brother Reason It may be that thou hast at once lost both a brother and an housholde enimie Loe see then what thou hast lost an yll thyng couered with a good name Sorowe I haue lost a brother Reason Perhappes thou hast lost hym that hath wyshed thee lost and that alwayes resisted thyne attemptes Brothers hatred hath hyndred many from the entraunce vnto great commendation Sorowe I haue lost a brother Reason Thou hast lost peraduenture an heauie yoke as oftentymes we haue seene it fal out vnto the tender yeeres of thy chyldren thou hast lost also the enuier of thy lyfe the hynderer of thy glory and also which is euident the partner of thy patrimonie Sorow But I haue lost a vertuous and louyng brother Reason But a mortall one Vertue is no defence to the body but an ornament to the mynde and a procurer of immortall glory but as for the body she cannot exempt it from the power of death but rather thrusteth it forwarde many tymes thereunto before due tyme but yf he be left vnto nature good and had doo perysh a lyke and most commonly we see the best men weakest and the woorst long lyued but none immortall Sorowe I haue lost a good and gloryous brother Reason If thy brother be dead the glory vertue soule remaineth in safetie which only excepted death consumeth and destroyeth all other worldly thinges with lyke violence These therfore embrace thou as yf they were so many sonnes of thy brother with these immortal good things requite the mortal euil but if he haue sonnes liuing vnfeigned duetifulnes shal make them thine Sorowe I haue lost a good brother Reason Thou shouldest haue employed hym diligently which if thou diddest necligently his death is not to be blamed but thyne owne slouthfulnes Death hath exercised his power but thou hast slacked thyne oportunitie Sorow Death hath deceiued me for I thought not that he woulde haue died so soone Reason All thinges that happen vnto them that are vnwillyng seeme to come quickly but if they be wished for they come but slowly Sorowe I scarce thought that he could haue died Reason Vehement loue beareth with it selfe in al things and promiseth it selfe euery thyng vnpleasant thoughtes whatsoeuer is noysome vnto cast it escheweth insomuche as whosoeuer is in loue imagineth vnto hym selfe that his pleasures are in a maner euerlastyng thou since thou knewest that thy brother was borne oughtest also to knowe that he was mortall and therefore yf thou bewayle his tymely death as some sodaine matter thou art much deceyued but if as it were vntymely thou wast in a wrong opinion Sorowe I knewe that he was mortall but I thought not vpon his death Reason Vnwysely doone but this is your dissimulation beyng mortall ye thynke neuer to dye when as you may chaunce to dye euery day and needes you muste dye one day Yea rather it is the
vnchaungeable necessitie of the law of your nature that you can neuer be other then suche as muste oye whiche necessitie muste continually remayne with you but you dying euery day turne away your senses from the thynges that are present and your mynde from the ende that wyll ensue This is a common mischiefe whiche what is it other then wyllyngly to shut your eyes that they beholde not the beames of the Sunne as though it were hurtful aswel to the lyght as it is to the eyes not to beholde it and that that were as euident whiche you see not and that as true whiche you knowe not Who is so blynde that seeth not this or so blockyshe that vnderstandeth it not The infyrmitie of the senses or vnderstanding withdraweth nothyng at all from the trueth of thinges As for you yee are neyther weake nor dull but wherein you cannot be excused egregius dissemblers and very wyse to deceyue your selues who with so great diligence learne vnprofitable thynges and endeuour to be ignorant of necessarie matters but all in vayne for they steale vpon you though your eyes be shut and inuade your myndes that are desyrous to be ignorant and disquiet your memories that are wyllyng to forget and many thynges aryse dayly in the lyfe of man whiche constrayne you to thynke vppon them when you woulde not and whiche doo awake your dissimulations eyther by your priuate or forreigne argumentes but I confesse that death only at full confuteth all the follies of mortall creatures Sorowe I knewe that my brother was mortall and shoulde dye neuerthelesse I weepe for his death Reason The greater part of humane actions is superfluous Why weepest thou for his death What doeth this weepyng auayle hym or thy selfe or any other Admit death be euyll whiche the learned denye truely no man wyl denie but that weepyng is in vayne for that whiche cannot be recouered And veryly yf any thyng myght be tearmed wretched besyde the vyce of the mynde yf there be any thyng in all the worlde to be wept for it ought rather be lamented whyle it is commyng at hande then when it is past whiche that Kyng conceyned ryght well of whom I spake not long before Sorowe I am grieued for the death of my good brother Reason There is no affection more tender then a fathers and therefore that whiche is sayde of the death of a sonne applie it thou to the death of thy brother and that whiche may be sayde of them both is proficable in the death of a mans friende whiche losse although it be matcht with the greatest it muste be abydden as of al other thynges for all suche thynges as appeare vnto vs grieuous are to be suffered by one and lyke courage of mynde although a man woulde thynke that they woulde quite oppresse hym Sorowe I haue lost a moste louyng brother Reason It had been woorse yf thou hadst loste a most hatefull brother For the loue of the one and the remembraunce of the other is very pleasant Sorowe I haue loste a companion most pleasaunt vnto me euen from his tender youth I am nowe left aloue Reason He is not a lone with whom vertue and honestie doo remayne betweene whiche twayne death hath not forbydden the Image of thy brother to be fastened harde vnto thy hart-stringes so neyther thy brother is lost nor thou alone Of the death of a freende The Lij Dialogue SOROWE I Haue lost a freende Reason If thou hast loued vertue in thy freende as thou oughtest truely she is not loste nor dead and therefore it is sayde that true freend shyppe is immortal for that it is neuer broken eyther by the fallyng out of freendes or els by death it selfe and thus vertue ouercommeth discorde and all vyce but she her selfe is neuer ouercome by any thyng Sorowe I haue lost a freende Reason All other thinges when thou hast lost them thou hast them not but when thou thynkest thou hast lost thy freendes and thy best beloued then hast thou them most assuredly For thynges whiche are present be delicate I wyll not say weerysome yea and many tymes arrogant and offended with very small trifles but the remembrance of freendes is pleasant and sweete hauyng in it nothyng that is bytter or contrary to delyght Sorow I haue lost a very good freende by death Reason If thou complayne of the losse of commodities thou makest accounte of profite and not of freendshyp If thou complayne of thy dayly conuersation with hym remember howe short tyme freendes remayne togeather and howe muche tyme we spende in cares howe muche in syckenesse howe muche in sleepe and pleasure howe muche is spent in entercourse with straungers how many heapes of cares Finally what businesse what studies what leasure and what troubles sometymes of another mans and sometymes of a mans owne and also the continuall and inuincible necessitie of manyfolde matters from whiche no prosperitie is exempt doo withdrawe some thyng from our desired conuersation how many seldome meetynges howe short and carefull abydynges howe sorowfull departynges howe late returnynges what stayes what impedimentes what deceiptes With this and suche lyke difficulties of lyfe fetters of freendshyp whiche may easily be brought into a mans remembrance thou mayst vnderstande howe great a matter it is whiche death hath taken from thee For if thou may this alone in freendshyp which is the only perpetuall and stable foundation thereof truely death could there take nothing away Thou hast hearde in Marcus Tullie of Lelius comforting him selfe howe his freende Scipio lyueth yet to him how fresh he is in his minde that neyther the fame nor the vertue of his freend any time dieth What forbiddeth but that thy freend Scipio liueth now vnto thee But you because ye cannot be Scipioes or Lelies ye be not men neyther for that ye cannot atteyne to the highest ye dispaire of the meane or contemne it as though as in Poetrie so in vertue neither men nor the gods could aspire vnto a mediocritie Sorowe Death hath taken away my friende from me Reason Death is able to take away thy friendes body but as for friendshyp and friend he is not able For they are of the kynde of thinges that are not subiect to death nor fortune but to vertue the whiche among humane thynges is free only is able to geue freedome vnto whatsoeuer is subiect vnto her and as for a friende he should not be of so great price yf he coulde be so easily lost Sorowe I haue remayned without a friende Reason If thou do ryghtly honour friendshyp thou shalt neuer lacke olde friendes nor be destitute of newe yea suche is the opinion hereof that it wyl purchase thee friendes of thyne enimies There was nothyng that more recōciled Augustus the Emperour vnto Herode then for that he professed that he was moste friendly affected vnto Augustus enimie and that by meanes of hym he hated Augustus most extreamely for whiche cause Augustus iudged hym woorthy of
his friendshyp who with so great trustinesse had honoured the friendshyp of his enimie so great is the beautie of vertue and friendshyp that we are delighted therwith euen in our enimies and enforceth a man to loue hym of whom he knoweth hymselfe to be hated Sorowe My most faythfull friende is dead Reason Thou muste bury hym in thy remembraunce where he may secretely remayne with thee and neuer dye altogeather Whom yf thou hast lost by any other meanes then by death then hast thou not lost a friende but a false opinion of friendshyp Of the absence of friendes The Liij Dialogue SOROWE I Am greeued for the absence of my friendes Reason It hapneth so many tymes but he that hath learned to take indifferently the death of his friende may somewhat more moderately beare his absence neither can the absence of a friende ouerthrow him whom the death of a friende could not ouerthrowe Sorowe My most deare friend is absent my right hand and my right eye Reason Though he were so absent that he woulde neuer returne yet woulde I say that there is nothing but a man ought to take it indifferently but he wyl come a gayne and thyne integritie shal be restored vnto thee Sorowe My frende is absent the one moitie of my selfe Reason Horace the poet tearmeth Virgil the one halfe of his soule whiche phrayse beyng afterward vsed of many is nowe growen into a prouerbe But if a freend be not naturally only but ciuilly also had in possession wherein doth absence hurte frendshyp but that wheresoeuer thou be he may sit walke talke and confer with thee in pleasant and serious matters For if ye sawe nothing else but what lyeth before your eyes and only the thinges that are present delited you then should your sight be very short and narrowe Sorow I am sorie for the absence of my sweete freende Reason But you vse rather to be sorie for the absence of beloued then sweete thinges Hearken now vnto that which wil scarce enter in the common peoples eares It is a strange case howe ticklish and loathsome somtime is the presence yea of mens dearest freendes manie times men are offended at a smal matter and those whom they loue berie wel or whose presence they earnestly desire not only their friendes but also their brethren or children for that perhapes they are some hindrance vnto their studies and businesse they had rather sometime that they were absent In their absence there is nothing bitter nothing that greeueth our desire but that they are away whiche notwithstandyng thou canst not deny to be pleasant Sorowe The absence of my belooued frende greeueth me Reason This is a common thing I confesse among women suche as loue after a womanish maner whose whole delite consisteth in the senses Notwithstandyng of these the poet spake where he saith He that is absent heareth and seeth another that is absent Which if it be so why should not also a freende see and heare his freende that is absent vnlesse peraduenture your eyes be more bright and cleare to beholde the visions of lasciuiousnesse then of vertue or els there is more honoure to be ascribed vnto mad then chast loue which besides honest and quicke thoughtes which no distance of place nor necessitie of force can restrayne to wander and be conuersant where soeuer it pleaseth them there is a prouision made by the benefite of sendyng letters then whiche I knowe not whether there be any presence more acceptable Marcus Cicero was in Rome whyles wryting vnto his brother Quintus Cicero who as deputie gouerned the countrey of Asia when I reade thy letters sayth be me thinkes I heare thee speake and when I wryte vnto thee me thinkes I talke with thee And anon exhortyng hym vnto the excellencie of glory he sayth that he hath founde it very effectuous in al his woorkes and deedes to imagine vnto hymselfe that his brother was present with hym I cannot tel whether he were at Athens or in some other place where Epicurus was present whyles wryting vnto his freende So behaue thy selfe in al matters sayth he as if Epicurus hym selfe beheld thee Truely Anneus Seneca was in Campania whiles by his letters communing with his freend that soiourned in Sicilia he exhorteth him to studie to dyne and walke with him which he coulde not do but in minde only and thervnto wanted neyther the assistance of the eyes nor of the eares nor of the handes nor of the feete Sorowe Myne eyes do greedily requyre myne absent freende Reason I cannot deny but that by absence there is some delite taken from the eies but nothing from the minde neyther from the eyes in a manner as I sayde before yf it be true freendshyp From hence it commeth that in the same Poet we reade commende this saying Pallas Enander they al stande before his eyes And Cicero hym selfe also in a certayne epistle sayth that he beareth not onely in his minde his freend Balbus who serued vnder Caesar in Fraunce but also in his eyes Sorowe My freende is absent Reason Sometyme a freende is not knowen vnlesse he be absent As in al other thinges so lykewyse in freendshyp great plentie dulleth the sense and scarcitie sharpneth it And yf the schoolemaister of loue sayth that intermission of loue is profitable vnto louers whose vniuersal pleasures consist in presence why should not the same also be auaile able vnto freendes whose whole delite is reposed in vertue and feeleth no discommoditie in absence since it is present in euery place Do not therefore geue ouer vnto desire but embrace thy freend in thy remembrance whom neither departure nor death it selfe can take from thee Sorowe I suffer greeuously the absence of my sweete freende Reason Suffer it onely and confirme the softer partes of thy minde with present vertue For this bitter absence whiche thou nowe bewaylest perhappes in time shal make thy freende more deare vnto thee and his presence more acceptable Of greeuous shypwracke The liiii Dialogue SOROW. I Haue been tossed in a greeuous shypwracke Reason Thou tellest me of the shypwracke on the sea but as for the wracke of the minde thou speakest nothing of it as though there were any more greeuous or common There is the tempest of desires and affections as if it were of contrarie blusteryng windes which when the sayles of your concupiscences and hope are hoised and spread bearing away the helme of the minde and leesing the ankers of constancie in the deepe sea driueth you about vnto al coastes and ouer al seas that wracke it was that draue thee into this Take away desire and thou shalt take away this sayling for the most part or at leastwise the danger therof the same driueth men not only into ships but miserably vpon rockes and death it selfe And therfore for the most part al that by their owne seking perish in the sea haue first perished in the minde and were first ouerwhelmed by the waues of
good faculties in bandes but thou learnest to forget pacience Sorowe I am kept fast in pryson Reason Some within caues and dennes and some haue enclosed them selues within the circuit of walles choosing vnto them selues voluntarie imprisonment eyther for the loue of God or for hatred of the worlde or for loathsomnesse of the common multitude as dyd many holy fathers in the primitiue Churche Thou yf thou be not disposed that way desirest an end of thyne imprysonmēt stay a while eyther man wyl discharge thee or els death whiche caryeth a key of the pryson doore There is one manner of entrance but sundry sortes of departyng Some haue been let goe vpon pitie some by the course of lawe some through their owne innocencie some by negligence of the keepers some for money some by craft some by breaking prison or vndermining the walles and some haue escaped out of pryson by the freendly darkenesse of the nyght and also since the memory of your fathers some haue been set at libertie by earthquakes and ouerthrowing of the pryson and last of al they that coulde finde none other meanes haue been released from imprisonment by death And lykewyse no lesse dyuers haue been the euentes of them that haue escaped Marius delyuerie from pryson brought hym to the Consulshyp Iulius Caesars imprisonment among the pyrates transported hym to the Empire of the worlde In this age certayne haue passed from pryson to lordshyps and the cheynes whiche they haue shaken from them selues they haue layde vpon other Finally Regulus and Socrates and many moe were not extinguished in prison as it was thaught but rather by an honorable ende discharged out of pryson To conclude the pryson hath sent some vnto great glory some vnto notable fortune some to a kyngdome and many to heauen but al to the graue for it neuer receyued any whom it hath not agayne restored Of Tormentes The .lxv. Dialogue SOROW. I Am vniustly tormented Reason What wouldest thou nowe say if it were iustly For there is no torment greater then the torment of the conscience If this be vpryght contemne these outwarde thinges for thou hast a comforter within thee Sorowe I am tormented very vnwoorthily Reason Take compassion vpon thy tormentour he is more sharpely tormented then thou for although the world crye out agaynst thee yet know this that it is a lesse euil to suffer then to offer an imurie Sorowe I am tormented Reason A newe lamentation for an olde greefe wast thou neuer tormented before Among tormentes thou wast borne among tormentes thou hast lyued among tormentes thou shalt dye tell me now what newe thing is befallen thee The kindes of tormentes are changed but the tormentes them selues do not surceasse Examine the whole course of thy forepassed life recount what euer day thou passedst ouer without torment Perhaps thou mayst finde somthinges shadowed with false ioyes but al thinges full of true tormentes wherof if thou iudge exactly thou wilt confesse that there is no part of this life voyde Wherby it commeth to passe that some not without iust cause haue supposed this whole life to be a continual punishment But you neuerthelesse so demeane your selues as though these Philosophical speeches concerned you not they sticke in the enterance of your eares they pearce not into the closet of your mindes So that ye lament for euery small griefe of the bodie but as for the euerlastyng and deadly punishment of the minde ye do not feele it in the first ye are impacient but in the other without sense Sorow I am layde vpon the wheele Reason What skilleth it whether thou goe vp to the wheele or to the bed to be tormented The tormentours knot shal wring thee and put thee to payne but heare now one with the ague another with the gout another with a shrewysh wyfe another with his sonne another with his louer another with his ryches another with pouertie another by the Phisitions hand another with the schoolemaisters ferula another with a naughtie seruaunt another with a proude lorde another is vexed with an infinite hope and couetous desire another with feare that is more greeuous then any tormentour Search through the whole state of mankynde and thou shalt scarse finde one man that lyeth not vpon the wheele and beyng a thousand sundry sortes of tortures doo you feare none but those that are made of wood Sorowe I am tormented Reason In the middest of thy tormentes comfort thy selfe eyther with thyne innocencie or with iustice for if thou be vniustly tormented thou hast a cause to reioyce whereby thou hast purchased experience to thy selfe and others and also a certayne bryghtnesse is added vnto thy vertue the fame of handled and aduaunced thynges is more renowmed and spices the longer they be beaten the sweeter they smell and most excellent wares are set a loft to the viewe that they may be seene the better But yf thou be tormented deseruedly thou hast thy remedye in thy handes but clottered fylth is purged by fyre and difficultie and a desperate sicknesse muste haue a sharpe cure who so is weery of his disease wyl not refuse any bytter thyng and he that is sory for his synnes wyll not eschewe any punishment Sorow I am laide on the racke Reason If without desart thou hast a meane to despise the crueltie of another from an hygh But yf deseruedly when thou art plucked from the earth thou mayst the more euidently beholde thyne offence and that which thou art now sorowful for the committyng thou shalt not be grieued for the sufferyng of the punyshment Sorow I am tormented Reason Eyther thy vertue is tryed or thy vyce punyshed the one is often profitable the other alwayes expedient It is a good tryall for the ryghteous to suffer punyshment but there is nothyng woorse then to suffer the gyltie to escape vnpunished Sorowe I am tormented Reason Learne the way vnto patience and death Of vniust iudgement The Lxvj. Dialogue SOROWE I AM condemned by vniust iudgement Reason There haue been some ere nowe condemned by the sentence of one iudge or by the testimonie of a fewe witnesses who haue ben often tymes acquitted eyther by the voice of the common people or by theyr secrete iudgement or whiche is better by theyr owne conscience or whiche is best of al by Gods owne iudgement For the best appealyng is vnto the eternall iudgement seate of the most iust and hygh iudge and he it is that vseth to reuerse the false iudgementes of other by a wrytte of errour Sorowe I am condemned vniustly Reason As the vnryghteous are ouerthrowen by iustice so are the ryghteous by iniurie Then whereas is vniust condempnation there the partie condempned is innocent and there is no man so foolysh vnlesse he were starke mad that would haue this be contrarie and had rather be condemned iustly then vniustly There is none so feareful vnlesse he be too bad but had rather be condemned by an vnrighteous doome then acquitted
albeit that place may otherwyse be applyed Sorowe I am oppressed with cares Reason As though among the swellyng waues the shyppe of thy lyfe beyng voyde of counsayle and destitute of a Master coulde escape shypwracke if thou doo not whyle tyme serueth ride in some quiet and safe Port and there lye at Anker before the tempest of the minde doo ouerwhelme thee Sorow I am caried away knowyng not what to doo Reason And so besides the peryls of the minde whiche are incomprehensible and infinite your lookes are diuers and strange lyke the minde whiche as Cicero wryteth maketh the same and beyng in such a state now merrie now sadde now feareful now secure now swyft now slowe in gate thou art a notable garyng stocke for al men through the varietie of such gesture as was Catiline But once settle thy selfe to wyll and doo well but otherwyse yf thou wyll that yll is styll shalt thou be as thou art For vice is alwayes variable Settle thy selfe I say to wyll that good is and then shalt thou fynde as thy minde quieted so thy lookes stayed and all thy gestures vniforme vnchangable eyther through hope or feare through ioye or griefe whiche is a speciall part of grauitie seene in very fewe men and hyghly commended among the Grecians in Socrates and in Lelius among your Countreymen and last of al in Marcus Antonius and in Aurelius Alexander among your Princes Of a doubtful state The .lxxvi. Dialogue SOROW. I Am in a doubteful state Reason What is it I pray thee that thou doubtest of Is it whether mortall men must dye or whether transitorie thinges are to be contemned or that we must not depende altogether vpon prosperitie or whether destinie cannot be auoyded and therefore must be tollerated neither fortune bowed but may be broken To all these the answeares are certayne Sorowe Beyng in a doubtfull state I knowe not what wyll become of me Reason In deede perhaps thou mayest doubt where when and how thou shalt dye but that thou must dye that he can not dye an euyll death whiche hath ledde a good lyfe or to soone which alwayes hath played the honest man thou canst not doubt Agayne that he can dye out of his owne countrey who maketh the whole worlde his countrey or but in exile whiche desireth to be in his natiue countrey except thou be vnwyse thou canst neuer doubt Whence therefore come these doubtynges Perchaunce of fortune but thinkest thou she wylbe faythful to thee whiche with none keepeth fayth Is it not more lykely that she wyll keepe her olde woont lyke the troublesome sea now deceitful with a fayned calmenesse nowe with surging waues terrible by and by dreadefull with shypwracke And yet hadst thou any experience at al no place should there remayne for doubting For albeit the euentes be doubtful yet vertue which wyl make thee certayne in the greatest vncertaynetie is alwayes certayne vnto whom when thou hast geuen thy selfe nothyng shal be doubtful but al thynges foreseene Sorow I haue a doubtful state Reason But the same is not doubtful to God and therefore content thy selfe and commit thee wholly vnto him saying In thy handes I am do with me as it pleaseth thee whiche thing spoken godly laye feare aside cast of doubting be no more careful He knoweth what to doo with thee which knoweth al thynges With a litle but sure with a trustie barke thou cuttest the mightie sea He is a faythful and most careful gouernour of thy saluation What skylleth it if the passenger know not the way so it be knowen to the maister of the shyp Of woundes receyued The .lxxvii. Dialogue SOROWE I Am vexed with most greeuous woundes Reason O howe lyght shoulde they seeme wouldest thou beholde the woundes of thy soule But suche delicate bodyes haue most commonly insensible soules Of one part nothyng on the other ye are redy to suffer al thynges and whiche is most wretched ye neuer feele them Sorowe My woundes trouble me Reason The enimies swoorde pearseth the shielde not the soule For she can neuer be hurt if so be she do not bereaue her selfe of her owne weapons It was sayde of a certaye man in a litle but sure a learned woorke that no man can be hurt but of hym selfe whiche I thinke to be a true saying albeit many mislyke the same Sorowe I am mangled with most greeuous and manifolde woundes Reason There is no wounde more greeuous then that whiche is to the death but there is but one suche wounde and yf but one that is most greeuous the rest must needes be lyght Caesar being goared with twentie and three woundes had but one deadly wounde and yf we should graunt them al to be deadly yet coulde he dye but once And albeit many and deepe are the woundes yet but one effect is there of them all the often woundyng of a dead body argueth a blooddie minde in the wounder but encreaseth no payne in the wounded Sorowe With woundes I am weakened Reason Woulde to God pryde with al her sisters were brought lowe and humilitie admitted for a companion of the woundes that we myght finde it true whiche was written Thou hast humbled the proude lyke a wounded person It is a good wounde and profitable whiche is a medicine to heale other and greater woundes Sorowe I am ougly in sight through my woundes Reason Hast thou forgot that young man of whom twyse in this our communication we spake Hereafter shouldest thou doo that of thyne owne accorde which now thou doest lament to be done vnto thee by another Sorowe My face is disfigured with woundes Reason The wounde is not to be regarded so muche as the cause thereof Woundes receyued in a lawful war do woonderfully adorne the face Fayre is the wounde whiche a valiant man hath gotten in a good quarel but muche fayrer is the death Sorow I am lame withall Reason Thou remembrest I am sure the answeare of Horatius Cocles who after he had borne the brunt of the whole armie of the Tuscaâ—e king vpon the brydge Sublicius after a more valiant then credible maner and escaped from his enimies the brydge beyng broken by his owne countreymens handes and leaping into the ryuer Tyber though with some hurt vnto one of his legges which thing afterward suing for an office was obiected vnto hym thus stopped the mouth of his aduersarie I halte not at al quoth he but suche is the wyt of the immortal Gods that euery step whiche I make shoulde bryng into my remembrance my glorious victorie as noble an answere as his exploite was notable Sorow I haue lost myne hande in fight Reason If it be thy left hande the losse is the lesse but if it be thy ryght hande thou mayest doo as dyd Marcus Sergius a man of prowesse who hauing in fight lost his ryght hande in the Punike war made hym one of Iron wherewith he went to many and blooddie battayles But yf that be not so conuenient make thy left
a familer is a doubtful woorde For there is a familiar freende and a familiar enimie then whom a greater mischiefe is not among men Sorowe They haue betrayed me whom I trusted most Reason Seldome is he deceyued that neuer trusted The greater of power a man is the lesse trust shall he fynde and the more treacherie The myghtie man must trust moste and manie Whereby it falleth out that as it is a common thyng to all men so especially to Kynges to be betrayed and none so soone as they Priamus was betrayed by his owne subiectes so was Minos Nysus Oethes Agamemnon Alexander and before hym Darius all these were betrayed I say by suche as they put most affiance in Among the Romans Romulus Tarquinius Priscus Seruius Tullus African the lesser and Pompey the great and Iulius Caesar and a thousande moe eyther kinges or in dignitie hygher then kynges were betrayed in lyke maner And what doo I speake of suche as haue been betrayed as though nowe there were none suche to be founde Who is there whiche both in great and lyttle matters is not dayly betrayed yf he haue any dealynges with men Last of all Christe was betrayed and the Kyng of Heauen was not without the miserie of earthly kynges Sorowe Those whom I trusted haue betrayed me I am touched neerer with their treacherie then with mine owne discommodities Reason That is wel sayde and godly For so African also whom very latelie I mentiond as Cicero doth report sayth That not so muche the feare of death as the flatterie of his freendes dyd trouble hym And yet with neyther shouldest thou be too extreamely touched For inasmuche as it falleth out that the betrayer getteth gayne with the losse of credite and he that is betrayed damage with a good name choose whether thou wouldest haue of these twayne Sorow The traytor hath deceyued me Reason The greater hurt is not thyne but his He hath betrayed thee but hath cast away hym selfe he hath pricked thee but hath wounded hymselfe in spoylyng thee he hath slayne hym selfe For perchaunce from thee he hath plucked eyther thy kyngdome or thy wealth but from hym selfe hath he plucked his soule his fame the quietnesse of conscience and companie of al good men The Sunne shyneth not vpon a more wicked thyng then is a Traytor whose fylthynesse is suche that they whiche neede his crafte abhorre the craftesman and others whiche woulde be notorious in other sinnes shunne the shame of this impietie Sorowe I am betrayed Reason Happilie it wyl cause thee to beware against another tyme For so it falleth out Many admonished sometimes by lyght matters learne howe to deale more wyselie in greater affayres Of the losse of a Tyrannie The Lxxxj. Dialogue SOROWE I Haue lost my Tyrannie Reason If it be a gayning losse to haue lost a kyngdome how muche more profitable to haue lost a tyrannie For albeit as we sayde before speakyng of a king without a sonne all kyngdomes well nygh were gouerned by Tyrantes yet through continuance of tyme they haue gotten through and forgetfulnesse of men haue put on the bayle of iustice so that the vnryghteousnesse of a tyrannie and Tyrantes are odious nowe a dayes Sorowe I haue layde away my tyrannie Reason A burden to the Common weale greeuous to thy selfe dangerous to no good man profitable hurtfull to many odious vnto all men hast thou layde away Sorowe I haue put of a tyrannie Reason Be not naked put on ryghteousnesse modestie thryftinesse honestie godlynesse mercie and loue whiche are most goodlye ornamentes and may be atrayned without anye money onely with a wyllyng mynde garmentes they are for good men eyther vnknowen or abhorred of vngratious Tyrauntes who beyng bedecked with Pearles and Purple are altogeather naked in respecte of humanitie and vertue Sorowe My Citizens haue dryuen me out of my tyrannie Reason They haue taken vnto them theyr lybertie whiche was due vnto them and haue geuen thee thy lyfe whiche thou oughtest to haue loste for vsurpyng the same Thou owest thy lyfe vnto them who owe nought vnto thee but malice And thus vnkindly thou complaynest when reason woulde thou shouldest geue thankes But this is an olde wonte that he complayneth whiche hath doone the miurie and he whiche sustayned the same doth holde his peace Sorowe I am berefte of the tyrannie which along whyle I haue enioyed Reason They were thy subiectes whiche myght peraduenture better haue been thy gouernours Thou countest it an iniurie to haue thy long tyrannie to be cutte of when in very deede the ende of thy tyrannie is the begynnyng of theyr prosperitie and the entraunce of iustice the expulsion of iniurie And yf it were shamefull that many shoulde peryshe for the pleasure of one it shoulde be ioyfull to consyder but extreame impudencie to complayne that suche miserie is come to an ende Sorowe I am throwen downe from the tyrannie whiche I haue possessed this many yeeres Reason If thou haddest voluntarily come downe it had been better but yf thou haddest neuer assended thereunto it had been best of all Notwithstanding by any meanes to come downe it is good because it is expedient and iust and better is a forced equitie then a voluntarie crueltie Harken I pray thee how an vngodly Tyrant beyng in Hell exclaymeth vnto the tormented soules Learne to doo iustice when ye are warned Harken also vnto me alyue exhortyng the lyuing Learne to doo iustice though with compulsion Let not this my most necessarie and profitable admonition vttered in due tyme be contemned the other was out of tyme and made too late For in vayne is it to learne that whiche cannot be put in practise Asswage now your swellyng mindes and put away your proude and cruel desyres to raigne though not before yet now at the length after that you haue lost your aucthoritie ceasse to be Tyrantes and wyshe not that which ye cannot attaine Shew foorth thus much shame yf you cannot iustice that hauing changed your manners and put on a newe habite of the minde and made rycher through the losse of ryches the worlde may see that as muche as ye haue forgonne of goodes so muche ye haue gotten goodnesse Haue ye neuer hearde howe that not onely the Kyng of Kynges and Lorde of Lordes GOD Almightie from whence is all power both in Heauen and Earth dooth at his good pleasure both extende and restrayne his lyberall hande for causes iust alwayes though secrete sometyme but one earthly Kyng contrariwyse doth put downe another and one Tyrant oppresse another and one nation destroy another And neuer came this saying of the Prophets complaynyng vnto your eares He shall geather the captiuitie togeather lyke Sande and shall triumphe ouer the Kinges and laugh Tyrants out of countenaunce Frame your mindes to Fortune or accordyng to the diuine pleasure of Almightie GOD rather and take heede of that ridiculous and fylthy example of Dionisius of al Tyrants the most detestable of whom it is reported that beyng banyshed
very fewe among many are able to say so for of so many thousand thousandes as are borne howe many are there that atteyne to olde age And of them that do howe many lyue out the lawful tyme that they may be called old Sorowe I am very olde Reason It is a myracle to meete with a verie old man specially if a man thinke with hym selfe with how many dangers on steppes he hath passed to that age The great rarenesse of olde folke is a great argument of the manyfolde chaunces of this mortal lyfe Sorowe I am olde Reason Thou hast runne an hard and daungerous race it were marueyle but that by this tyme beyng weerie and desirous to rest thou were glad to see the ende so nigh Sorowe I am soone waxen olde Reason The course of your lyfe is sometyme short sometyme very short neuer long alwayes hard rough and vncertayne the last part whereof is olde age and the ende death what cause hast thou here to complayne alone Art thou waxen old By this time then thou oughtest to haue fulfilled the dueties of life and now rest thy self seing thou art come to the end thereof That traueiler were worse then mad that being weerie and weakened with his long iourney woulde be content to goe backe agayne There is nothyng more acceptable to them that are weerie then their Inne Sorowe I am aged Reason The toyles of thy lyfe haue been pleasant vnto thee belike if thou be sorie thou hast passed them Sorowe I am an olde man. Reason If thou haddest a delyte to lyue loe thou hast lyued what needes thou must do thou hast fulfilled And who is so mad that wylbe sorie for the doing of that whiche he wyshed vnlesse he perceyue that he wyshed a misse or reioyceth not that that is done alredy that might not be left vndone nor be done without great trauayle And therefore on euery side thou hast cause to reioyce whether thou hast obteyned thy wyshed desire or accomplyshed thy necessarie and payneful duetie Sorow I am in yeeres and olde age hath chased away the delites of the body Reason Enioy the pleasures of the minde which are as many and truely more permanent and do neuer depart but when the soule departeth to her they cleaue her they folowe But bodilye pleasures when they come they bring offence and when they depart they leaue behinde them cause of repentance shame and sorowe Reioyce that thou art discharged and free from them and geue thankes to thy deliuerer for bringing thee out of the handes of thine enimies and causing thee do folowe thy duetie which thou haddest deferred and neglected Sorow I am olde and want mine accustomed pleasures Reason Accustome thy selfe then to new for olde age hath it proper pleasures whiche when thou hast tasted thou wylt loath those whiche thou hast lost if thou mightest euen rufe to returne vnto them Sorow I am olde and gray headed Reason The reuerende hoarie heares of a vertuous olde man carie with them not onely more aucthoritie but also honest delite then al the filthy pleasures of young men neyther be thou greeued at the changyng of their colour For whose senses are so corrupted or iudgment blynded that he woulde not rather beholde baskets ful of white Lilies then hutches full of blacke coales And yf he were to be transfourmed had not rather be made a whyte swanne then a blacke crowe Sorowe I am olde and the filthy wrincles haue furrowed my face Reason The forrowed lande bryngeth foorth the ranker corne and the lyfe that hath been wel instructed yeeldeth the ryper and pleasanter fruite in olde age If the wrincles of thy face offende thee frame the countenance of thy minde vnto more comlinesse whiche wyll neuer be deformed with wrincles nor altered with yeeres but rather encrease by continuance and to be short wyl do thee more honour if thou neglect it not Sorowe I am olde and become so wrincled and euyl fauoured that I scarce knowe my selfe Reason I tolde thee at the begynning of this Nowe thou wylt haue lesse desire to looke in a glasse lesse please thine owne perhaps but much lesse the eyes of wanton women whom to haue a desire to delite I cannot easily determine whether it tast of greater vanitie then lasciuiousnesse But they that séeke for trustinesse for constancie for grauitie for wysedome do hope more assuredly to fynde them among these wrincles then where the forehead and cheekes be playne and smoath and soft Sorow I am aged and the sweetest part of my lyfe haue I left behynd me Reason Nay surely the sowrest for those thynges that are most wyshed for are not alwayes best Many haue desired their owne hurte which they would not do were not the saying of the Satirike Poet true There are but fewe that can discerne the true goodes Sorowe I am olde and my pleasant dayes are past Reason The dayes in al tymes are muche one and lyke but mens mindes do varie yea one minde disagreeth from it selfe Hereof it commeth that the madnesse of youth on the one side and the impaciencie of olde age on the other haue in such sort disturbed the iudgement of this lyfe that that is counted good whiche is euyl and that most excellent whiche is woorst of al. As for the dayes they are of them selues al good for asmuch as the kyng and creatour of al worldes is good And although some dayes be hotte and some cold some drye and some moyst some cloudy and some cleare some troublesome and some calme yet yf thou haue a respect vnto the beautie of the whole worlde and the course of nature they be al good But yf they be referred vnto you and your iudgement they are almost al of them euyl sorowful doubtful heauie troublesome careful bitter plaintile lamentable ful of aduersitie Among these thou tellest me a tale of certayne pleasant ones I knowe not what whiche whiles they were present were heauie and not without their complaintes and nothing maketh them now seem pleasant but that they are past and the desire thou hast that they shoulde returne maketh them deare vnto thee and the rather for that perhaps they haue caried away with them some thynges whereby thou settest no small store A foole commonly loueth nothyng but that he hath lost Sorowe I am waren old but O that my young dayes woulde returne agayne Reason O no lesse foolyshe then vayne wyshe as thou meanest but yf thy vnderstandyng were of hygher matters then were it not voyde for it wyl surely come agayne one day and according as it is written Thyne youth shal be renewed as is were the youth of an Eagle Sorowe I am olde and my good tyme is past Reason As euery age is good to the good so is it euyl to the euyll liuers vnto both sure it is but short and very neare to the ende when as the godly shal be rewarded for their vertue and the wycked punished for their sinnes Which is then
Alas I am now an agâ—d wyght Reason Lament not for it thou hast fulfilled an hard charge thou hast passed through a rough and ragged iourney and finished an vnpleasant Comedie And therefore now after the maner of such actions thou shouldest clap thy handes and crie plaudite Sorowe I am an olde man. Reason Hast thou forgotten how that of late dayes one that was very familiar with thee expressed the effect hereof ex tempore not as a new saying but as comparable vnto any in tymes past For when a certaine freende of his sayde vnto hym I am sory for thee for I perceiue thou waxest olde I woulde thou were in as good estate as when I knewe thee fyrst he answered suddenly Seeme I not vnto thee foolysh enough but that thou must wysh me more foole then I am Take no care for me I pray thee for that I am olde but rather be sorie for me that euer I was young O how much vnderstanding is there conteined in this short answere whiche none can conceiue but he that hath tasteth the commodities of this age and remembreth the miseries of the other Reioyce therefore in thine owne felicitie although it be also true that often tymes good hapneth vnto men against their wylles and euyll vnwished for Doubtlesse vnto a good man that loueth veriue hateth fond affections one whole day of this age which thou mislikest of is more acceptable then an whole yeere of retchlesse youth Sorow Alas I am aged Reason If thou continue in this mind it may be truly sayd of thee which is verified of the common people that thou art not so much wretched now thou art old as that thou liuedst miserable that so fondly thou complaynest thereof now at the very ende of thy life Leaue of your complaints now at length you whining generation and willingly yeelde to the necessitie of nature since there is nothing to be lamented that her immoueable lawe hath determined For what is more natural for a man that is borne then to lyue vntyl he be old and when he is olde to dye But you being forgetfull of your estate doo eschew them both and yet of necessitie you must taste of the one or of the both And yf ye woulde escape them both then must you haue abstained from the third and beleeue me not haue ben borne at all As soone as your bodyes are growen into yeeres let your mindes waxe olde also and let not the old Prouerbe be euermore verified in you to wit That one minde is able to consume many bodyes Suffer without grudging your body and your mind to continue together to the ende as they came in so let them depart out of the worlde together and when the one draweth forwarde let not the other drawe backwarde Your dallying is but in vayne you must needes depart and not tarrie heere and returne no more whiche may seeme vnto you but a small matter in consideration of the immortalitie of your soules and resurrection of your bodyes whiche you looke for aboue suche as eyther looke for but the one or for neyther In vayne I say ye stryue agaynst the streame and goe about to shake of the yoake of mans frayltie whiche ye vndertooke when ye were borne Sorowe I am olde and the strength of my body is decayed Reason If the force of thy minde be encreased it is well and thou hast made a good exchange For there is no man ignorant vnlesse he lacke a minde that greater better exploites may be atchieued by the strength of the minde then of the body But yf the strength of the minde as oftentymes it hapneth be deminished through slouthfulnesse then hast thou I confesse lyued vnprofitably whiche is thine owne fault and not thine ages Sorowe I am olde and I cannot follow my businesse Reason Yf there be any thing to be done by the minde by so muche the better an olde man may doo it by howe muche he hath the more experience and knowledge in thynges and is lesse subiect to passions and his minde more free from all mischiefes and imperfections as for other matters olde men can not deale in them neyther becommeth it them to busie them selues that way who haue alredie layd all bodyly labour asyde But yf they continue in it and wyl not be withdrawen then doo they renue the auncient rid culus example of a Romane olde man who beyng commaunded by the Prince to surceasse from labour for that his impotent olde age at the one syde and his great ryches on the other requyred the same he was as heauie and sorowfull as yf he had mourned for some freende that was dead and caused all his housholde semblably to mourne A strange old man that abhorred rest as a certaine resemblance of death when as in deede there is nothyng more conuenient for an olde man then rest and nothyng more vnseemely then a labouryng and carkyng olde man whose lyfe ought to be a patterne of all quietnesse and tranquilitie Thou mayest learne moreouer of the Philosophers what and howe pleasaunt a thyng it is for vertuous olde men to lyue as they tearme it in the course of theyr forepassed lyfe whiche notwithstandyng the greatest number neuer accomplisheâ—h but dyeth before Sorowe My yeeres are quickly gone and I am become old Reason Your beautie health swiftnesse strength yea all that euer ye haue passeth away but vertue remayneth neuer geuyng place to olde age nor death In this most assured good ye ought at the beginning to haue stayed your selues whiche at the ende to doo I confesse is more difficult but there is no age that refuseth the studie of vertue whiche the harder it is so muche the more it is glorious Many haue scarce learnâ—d of long tyme in their olde age to be wyse and knowe them selues and yet better late then neuer whiche although it be but smally profitable now at the last cast of the lyfe and at the very poynt of death yet doo I iudge it well bestowed vppon that one houre to be passed without horrour and fearefulnesse yf so be it were not exerc sed in all the whole lyfe tyme before For neyther was he borne in vayne that dyeth wel nor liued vnprofitably that ended his lyfe blessedly Sorowe I am olde and at deathes doore Reason Death is at hand alike vnto all men and manie tymes nearest there where he seemeth furthest of There is none so young but he may dye to day none so olde but he may lyue another yeere yf nothing els happen vnto him but old age Sorowe I am throughly olde Reason Thou art rather throughly rype If Apples coulde feele and speake woulde they complayne of theyr ripenesse or rather woulde they not reioyce that they are come to the perfection for whiche they were made As in al other thinges so likewise in age there is a certayne ripenesse whiche is tearmed olde age the same that thou mayest see truely to be so the age and death of
fortune that they myght seeme to be vnmindfull of their Empire and ryches and conquestes and so many and great commodities and yet to remember that they were men for whom in this lyfe to looke or hope for perfect and sounde felicitie is but a meere madnesse To mingle the sweete with the sowre is a peculiar medicine agaynst the gout and a common remedie agaynst all diseases which thou shalt fynde to be very effectuall and wylt confesse to be good and vertuous counsayle if thou followe the aduice of that godly olde man who once attayned vnto great prosperitie and afterwarde tasted extreame aduersitie who by meanes of the benefites which he receyued at Gods handes learned to take all affliction in good part although that same hand can neyther make nor geue any euyl but he had only a respect vnto the common opinion of men Sorow The gout keepeth me downe in my bedde as yf I were bounde with knottes that can neuer be vndoone Reason Whyle thou lyes thy minde may stande vp and suruey the whole heauen earth and sea Of Scabbes The Lxxxv. Dialogue SOROWE I Am greeued with paynefull Scabbes Reason I maruel now no longer if thou take in yl part those that be greefes only seeing thou also bewailest that wherewith there is some sweetenesse mingled Sorow I am vexed with the greeuous scab Reason Some say that it is holsome to be scabbed But for that I wyl not cal so woful a thyng by so good a name I tearme it a token of health or the way leading to health It is but a gentle thing for that it is not long in comming foorth whose issuing is somtime ioyned with no small tickling Sorow The dry scab molesteth me Reason Thou needest now no clock nor watch for the same wyl awake thee in the night and cal thee vp vnto thy necessarie honest affayres For there is none so slouthful whom the payneful scab wyl not styr vp and make wakeful Sorow I am vexed with scabbes Reason A base disease but which hath a noble cure labour paine heate bathes watching diet these are medicines against scabbes If these wyl do no good thou must flee to the remedie of pacience which in al diseases is the most profitable salue Sorowe I am troubled with the paynefull and fylthie scab Reason I denie neither of them And whereas Publius sayd that the sore feete of one that had the Gout were a paynefull rest so on my woorde mayest thou say that a payre of scabbed handes are a greeuous businesse But what wylt thou say to this The loathsommer the disease is the comlier is the patience And how yf out of a small discommoditie thou reape great profite This is one of the thinges that especially engender a contempt of this body then whiche is nothing more necessarie for mankind Sorow I am al ouer infected with scabbes Reason That thou art al scabbed I thinke it be too true and I stande in great feare thereof But perhaps this is more then thou wouldest haue sayd For thou meanest it of thy whole body but there is an other kind of inuisible scabbe in your mindes to wit couetousnesse and sensualitie and a certaine vehement uching to reuenge and complaine which the more it is scratched the more it rageth This itche ye neyther feele or craue to haue cured so muche is your care lesse ouer your soules then ouery our bodyes Of watching The .lxxxvi. Dialogue SOROW. I Cannot sleepe Reason Watch then and reioyce that the ryme of thy lyfe is prolonged For betweene sleepe and death there is small difference but that the one lasteth but for a tyme the other is perpetual And therefore I cannot tel whether it be not sayde properly enough that sleepe is a short death and death a long and euerlasting sleepe Sorowe I haue lost my sleepe Reason It must be prouoked agayne not by force but by fayre meanss If thou thinke to procure it it wyl not be constrained Goe some other way to woorke geue rest to thyne head and trouble not thy minde with cares and it wyll come vnlooked for when the minde is loose and the body weerie sleepe wyl came stealyng on Sorowe My sleepes are often broken of Reason Do as it is sayde Augustus Caesar was woont to do when thou wakest out of sleepe haue some about thee to renue it agayne by readyng or tellyng of tales But if it be long of earnest and vrgent cares lay them aside and sleepe wyl come of whiche sort of cares Virgil speaketh where he sayth that good cares do breake sweete sleepes Sorowe I can take no rest in sleepe Reason Neyther shalt thou then be terrified with dreadfuldreames nor surprised with suddeyne feare in the night And although Aristotle hold opinion that the visions whiche wyse men see in their sleepe be good true in deede it is Neuerthelesse the one of these who was nothing inferiour vnto hym in wit but of greater aucchorine the other in al respectes his equal in holinesse and pacience whom I mentioned erewhyle endured great extremitie and trouble in their dreames What others haue fealt and suffered euery one is priute vnto hymselfe and can cal his owne bed to wytnesse of the illusions and troubles whiche he hath susteynâ—d Truely the one of these was woont in his latter dayes to be terrified in his dreames as it is wrytten of hym The other I made mention of not long since where I entreated of rest and quietnesse who among other troubles of this lyfe complayneth of his suddayne frightyng in sleepe and the terrour of his visions and drcames Sorowe I slepe not so wel as I was woont Reason Then thou lyuest longer then thou wast woont for thus the learned say that as sleepe is death so watchyng is lyfe Sorow Sickenesse hath dryuen away my sleepe Reason Then health wyl bryng it agayne Sorowe Loue hath bannished my sleepe Reason Thou speakest one thing twyse For loue is a sickenesse and the greatest sickenesse that is Sorowe Feare hath bannished away my sleepe Reason Securitie wyl reuoake it Sorow Olde age hath taken away my sleepe Reason Death approchyng wyl restore it Of the vnquietnesse of dreames The .lxxxvii. Dialogue SOROW. I Am disquieted with dreames Reason If that be true whiche a certayne wyse man sayth that dreames doo folow great cares whiche is also confirmed by your wryters then cut of the cause of the mischeefe abandon cares and dreames wyl vanish away To what purpose serue your manyfold cares whiche are to none effect in so short a lyfe whereof in the begynnyng I promised to entreate and to declare that it is bootlesse to forment it and make it troublesome and through your owne follie to disquiet your rest with dreadâ—full dreames Wyl ye ouercome gods prouidence with your owne counsel and do ye not perceyue howe your madnesse and cousultations of that tyme whiche is not onely beyond your iudgement but also your knowledge are laughed at from an high Neyther
warnyng namely that hereby thou mayest make prouision agaynst darkenesse whiche is nowe but transitorie since thou takest it in so yll part least haply thou be constrayned to endure euerlastyng darkenesse Sorowe I am troubled with fyre from heauen with hayle and stormes Reason These and suche lyke make vnto an wholesome feare or yf ye contemne them vnto reuenge Heare this one thyng Fyre Brymstone and the breath of stormes are the portion of their cup. Heare also another saying Fire hayle famine and death al these make to reuenge Sorow I am frighted with tempestes of the sea Reason Doo not herein accuse nature but eyther thyne owne follie or couetousnesse for who constrayneth thee thereunto Sorow I am molested with darke cloudes and contrarie windes Reason Thou wast borne in darkenesse and in darkenesse shalt thou dye and lyuest betweene the wyndes of contrarie tempestes learne to suffer that at length whiche thou alwayes sufferest perforce Sorowe I am shaken with thunder and lyghtnyng Reason Herein there is more then weerisomnesse In the first truely a great feare contemned of none but of some fooles but in the seconde is death And therefore some haue iudged that none complayne of lyghtnyng but suche as want experience And who is so mad I pray thee vnlesse he be to farre gone that standeth not in feare of them both seeing that among the auncient Romanes whiche were a most valiant kynde of people it was prouided by an auncient statute that there should be no assemblies of the people holden to choose officers or otherwyse whyles Iupiter thundred from heauen Howbeit vnlesse this feare tende to the amendment of lyfe it is vnprofitable For what can feare auayle where there is no redresse of the thyng feared Wherefore the matter must be thus applyed that although it thunder and lyghten by natural causes neuerthelesse it must be iudged to be a warnyng from hym who beyng tyed vnto no causes is hym selfe the fountayne and cause of al causes To this ende therefore doth he thunder in heauen that thou shouldest lyue well vpon the earth and driuyng away forgetfulnesse acknowledge the wrath of God and do that at leastwyse for feare which thou oughtest too do for loue Complayne not a lyke of good and euyl thinges it is expedient for you beleeue me that it thunder often and it is left in wrytyng vnto posteritie that it thundreth very often the same yeere wherein the assured aduersarie of God and al godlinesse Domitian the Emperour died not that ye should cry out as he dyd Let him now strike whom he lust but that ye may appease the wrath of God with penitent teares humble prayer Sorow I am greeued with the conuersation mirth of drunkardes Reason That wine maketh glad the hart of man that Bacchus is the geuer of mirth although Dauid Virgil had neuer spoken it very experience maketh it knowen And although that likewise be true whiche not so eloquent but a more holy Poet spake The flowyng of a ryuer cheareth the citie of God yet is there more feruent ioye and ioyful gladnesse as the Philosophers terme it in a fewe caskes of strong wynes then in many streames of running water whiche are conteyned within the ryuers and I confesse that there is nothyng more lamentable then the mirth of drunkardes and nothyng more vayne then typlers and Tauerners whom Cicero very wel calleth the dregges of cyties whiche notwithstandyng a man must suffer or els he must forsake cities or otherwyse flye from the market and place of iudgement or at the leastwyse from the streetes and haunt of Tauernes euen as he woulde doo from so many rockes Sorow I am oppressed with resort and importunate concurse of citizens Reason It is a sauage and vnnaturall wyshe to seeke thy countreyes desolation that thou thy selfe mayest lyue at lybertie For the very same cause as thou knowest in the olde tyme was the sister of Appius Claudius punished shee that was last celebrated among writers for an innocent and truly as this is an vngodly wish and deserueth punishment so to auoyde the weerisomnes of thronges and cities and it occasion so require to depart awhile out of the way is a poynt of modestie and frequented of the wise Sorowe I am greeued with a long suite and slow iudgment Reason To what ende was daying of matters deuised but to ende strife and to remedie the slacknes of iudgment Sorowe I am worne with wofull and troublesome strife Reason Thou hast vsed apte and conuenient tearmes for thy selfe For where strife and contention is there can be nether ioy nor quietnesse Thou if thou wylt liue out of stryfe auoyde the cause of stryfe Couetousnesse engendreth contention and nourisheth it when it is engendred Of an earthquake The .xci. Dialogue SOROWE I Am afrayd of an earthquake Reason This is I confesse a great discommoditie of dame nature and not without cause abandoned of al parentes which although it be more greeuous yet for that it happeneth but seldome the rarenesse thereof may stand in some steede of a remedie Many tymes the sorowful countenance of heauen foretelleth an earthquake at hande but precisely there is no token nor forewarnyng thereof although it be reported that Pherecydes foretolde of one to come by drynkyng a draught of water out of a well Moreouer agaynst the threatnynges of heauen caues vnder the ground perhaps doo yeelde some succour the lyke whereof we reade was Augustus Caesars denne into whiche he fledde for feare of thunder whiche is yet seene at Rome in the way Flaminia and keepeth the aucthours name vnto this day but from an earthquake no flight can serue no lurkyng places can preuayle For poore man that is made of the earth whyther shal he flye out of the earth or what shal become of hym yf the heauen thunder ouer hym and the earth tremble vnder hym vnlesse perhaps some wyl aduise hym to goe to the sea whiche is also partaker of the varietie of heauen earth and also vnquiet by it owne motion Feare Thou tellest me no remedies as thou wast woont to do but amplifiest the daungers Reason I supposed thou wouldest thinke so and doubtlesse so it is in deede There be some thynges that may be dissembled and extenuated in woordes that although by report they haue seemed greeuous yet in effect they may appeere at one tyme tollerable at another contemptible and truely this whereof I now intreate is such a one as by it owne force it refuseth the argumentes of mans eloquence but one comfort as I haue sayde is the seldomenesse thereof Thou hast seene welnygh an whole age without any earthquakes duryng whiche tyme there is no doubt but that there haue dyed innumerable who in al their lyfe tyme though they haue hearde the name of so terrible a matter yet neuer were made afearde with the sight thereof But who is not mooued when he heareth or reedeth eyther those auncient histories or these of latter tyme the memorie
as soone as he is borne he weepeth by and by and laugheth not before fourtie dayes are expired that thing especially this wise creature doth proue which is skylful of thynges to come not the end whiche I accompt happie through the gouernance of vertue but rather difficult for that he is entred into trauel and the garboyle of present paynes To conclude whatsoeuer strength is in all other creatures whatsoeuer swiftnesse whatsoeuer oportunitie whatsoeuer commoditie it wholly serueth to the vse of man He bringeth the wilde headed Oxen to the yoke forceth the fierce Horse to be bridled The Beares that are to be feared for their clawes Boares for their tuskes and Hartes for their hornes he hath made them to garnyshe mans Table The Linx the Foxe and an infinite number moe creatures of that sort because they were not to be eaten he hath reserued for the vse of their skins and hide He searcheth the seas with nettes the wooddes with Dogges and the skies with foules and with whom hath man nothing to doo He hath taught such beastes to vnderstand mans voyce to be obedient vnto hym Thus of euery naturall thyng there is some commodity gotten Thou hast not the strength of an Oxe yet thou makest hym to drawe Thou hast not the swyftnesse of an Horse and yet thou makest hym runne Thou canst not flye so well as a Gosehauke and yet thou makest hym flye for thee Thou art not so bygge as an Elephant or a Camell yet thou makest the one of them to beare a Turret and the other a burden Thou hast not the skynne of a Bucke nor the pelt of a Lambe nor the case of a Foxe yet these haue them for thee Is this answeare then of a certayne Romane Captaine improper vnto them that say you are destitute of these thynges to witte That a man would not haue these thinges but had rather gouerne them that haue them And thus muche haue I spoken breefely partly like a Philosopher and partly like a Catholike Touching the greefe of the minde for so the Philosophers doo tearme it the better to expell it and purchase tranquilitie thereunto it auayleth to knowe what Tullie hath disputed of the fyrst in his disputations vppon the thyrde daye in his Tusculans and of the seconde Seneca in his booke whiche he wrote of the tranquilitie of the minde For whilest I make haste vnto other matters and drawe towardes an ende I shall not haue tyme to comprehende all thynges that I woulde For the present it is sufficient that I haue bounde vp the wounde and shewed thee the Phisitions of the minde whose helpe thou mayest vse yf these thynges be not sufficient Nowe as touchyng those three thynges whereof thou complaynedst laste I haue not thought them woorthie the answearyng for as muche as of the roughnesse of Fortune wherein the greater part of this our seconde booke of talke hath been and shal be spent both the very shortnesse thereof ought to mollifie and diminishe the sharpenesse it selfe and nature also doth appoynt an vncertayne ende of lyfe that it may seeme alwayes to be at hande or not verie farre of Of the Toothache The XCiiij Dialogue SOROWE I Am tormented with the Toothach Reason Thou mayst see what trust there is to thy intrayles when as thy bones doo fayle thee Sorowe My teeth beginne to be loose Reason What hope is there in the softe since that thy harde and strong limmes doo quaile Sorowe I am sicke in my teethe Reason Man is a feeble and frayle creature in whom suche thynges as seemed to be most strong are weake Sorow I am troubled with a great payne in my teeth Reason And those thynges whiche are appoynted for the ornament and cheefe strength of the mouth thou seest them to be turned into a cause of greefe that thou mayest perceyue howe long the conioynyng of this mortall frame wyll remayne Sorowe I haue nowe loste a toothe or twayne Reason Now mayest thou then consyder howe muche thou art bounde vnto GOD for so many great good gyftes since to lacke the fewest or the least thereof thou wouldest thynke it a great greefe and a lamentable losse a right woorthy punishment for thine ingratiude A seruant that hath refused his maisters present lyberalitie when the tyme is once past he is sorowful and that whiche he would not perceyue for his gayne it is meete he vnderstand to his losse Sorowe I am quite vnarmed of my teeth Reason Beyng nowe vnarmed thou shalt wrestle with pleasure thou shalt eate lesse thou shalt laugh lesse thou shalt byte more bluntly at an other mans good name The closure of the teeth beyng broken wyl cause thee to brydle thy tongue being redy to speake And if chastitie cause not thy olde wanton affection to restrayne from vnlawful kisses then let shame restrayne it Sorowe Nowe hath olde age broken my teeth Reason She hath vsed her libertie geue now thankes vnto nature who hath suffered thee to vse that her gift tyl thou were olde for that she taketh it away many tymes from them that are young as from one amongst you of late dayes the myghtiest of al kynges who euen in his lustye youthful yeeres lacked almost al his teeth but though he suffred this great infirmitie of youth yet afterward as he reported hym selfe he was comforted with a notable sharpenesse of sight in his olde age and also whereof he maketh no mencion with a wonderful quickenesse of wyt and courage whiche is a profitable example vnto al men that are affected with any discommoditie eyther of nature or age that they lament not al thynges or terme euery slackenesse of gods lyberalitie an iniury but aswage the greefe of benefites lost with them that art saued sharpe thynges with the gentle sower with the sweete Sorowe Olde age hath taken away my teeth Reason If age should not take them away death would Looke into the graues ful of dead bones where thou shalt see teeth sticking in drye rotten skulles whiche at the first do shewe terrible pale gryn fearefully but yf thou plucke them a litle thou shalt finde them loose and easie to fal out and in this case neyther the number nor the strength nor comlinesse of them auayleth any whit at al. We reade that the daughter of Mithridates king of Pontus had double rowes of teeth aboue beneath Prusias sonne to the king of Bithinia in steede of the rowe of his vpper teeth had only one tooth that is to say one bone that was matche with his neither teeth reachyng from the one side of his iawe vnto the other which strange thing was neither vncomly nor vnprofitable But Zenobia the queene of the East amongst al other commendations of her beautie is commended exceedingly for the surpassing comlinesse of her teeth for that when she eyther spake or laughed it seemed that her mouth was ful rather of bright pearles then of white teeth But yf thou searche nowe the graues of these also thou shalt
finde no special thyng at al there for death whiche is indifferent vnto al men hath dispersed and consumed al. Ye loue your bodyes and mortal members ouer muche ye despise your immortal soules and vertue more then ye ought being blynd and vnequal discerners of thynges Sorowe Now I am quite without teeth Reason Now then art thou without toothache yea and without any succoure of them thou hast no vse of them at al. Thou must grinde thy meate paynefully without teeth vnlesse thou wylt dissemble with thy selfe thou oughtest to remember that thou hast a iourney shortly at hande to goe thither where as there is nothyng at al eaten but where men liue onely with ioy and the euerlastyng foode of the soule Of payne in the legges The .xcv. Dialogue SOROW. I Am troubled with a payne in my legges Reason In al buildynges that is the most daungerous fault whiche happeneth in the foundations For as touchyng al other defaultes howe euer thou repayre them this bryngeth ruin therefore at this present there is nought els for thee to do but immediatly to depart out of this ragged Inne Sorow I am troubled with the payne of my legges Reason The cause of this sickenesse as also of many other moe for the most part ryseth from no whence els but from your selues and therefore that whiche came from you by good ryght commeth backe vnto you agayne seeing thou hast forgotten the counsel of the wyse man whiche sayth Let thyne eyes goe before thy feet and I suppose that that first argument of an other wyse man may wel agree hereunto and be accordyngly applyed Ye cannot stay your selues nor looke vnto your feete but lyke blynd men ye runne headlong hither and thither groping after your way What marueyle is it then yf thou stumble sometyme at a stone and sometyme at a blocke This sure is very strange that you wil lay your faultes vpon giltlesse nature Yea moreouer ye haue a great delight to be thrusting in amongst a company of madde iades so that oftentymes ye bryng away the print of a horse showe vpon you Doest not thou thinke that that whiche is spoken by Tullie vnto one belongeth welnigh vnto al men These mischeefes saith he thou foolish felowe hast thou brought wholy vpon thy selfe And so it is truely deceyue not your selues the harme which you suffer for the most part is of your owne doing for whiche afterward ye be sorie Thou yf thou hadst remayned at home that is to say with thy selfe thou perchance ne hadst this greefe ne found any cause of these thy complayntes It is nothyng iniurious that a wandryng lyfe an vnstable should be molested with dyuers discommodities Sorowe I am tormented with the payne of my legges Reason If thou hast geuen the occasion to haue payne reioyce to be punished for the fault yf not comfort thy minde that is innocent And if thou be sory that thou hast a greefe yet reioyce that thou art without blame Howsoeuer the matter goeth in al thy greefe set the shielde of pacience against the sharpe dart of payne which is a perpetual document in al matters of perplexitie then the which there was neuer yet any medicine more wholesome Sorowe I am woonderfully greeued with the payne of my legges Reason The phisitions wyll geue thee counsel that thou shalt lye styl and moue thee from thy bed and truely they do wysely therein to geue thee counsell to do that after thou hast taken harme whiche thou shouldest haue done before but I wil speake no more of their counsels thou thy selfe shalt learne to thy owne cost how their counsels are to be estemed of Notwithstanding I wil geue thee that aduice which they vse to geue but in another respect For they suppose that they are able to restore thee easily to thy health when thou art sicke by applying fomentations other remedies whiles they endeuour to defend the part affected from the confluence of spirites humors whyther thou stand or goe For my part I would wish thee while thou lyest in thy bed setting al other cares aside aswaging thy greefes by laying thy selfe easily in thy couche after that thou hast taken order for thy bodily health to thinke some thyng of thy graue and howe and where thou shalt lye hereafter and to examine the condition of thy present estate and to make thy selfe so familiar with death before he come that when he is come thou do not feare hym For it is death only that is able to delyuer this mortall carckase from al infirmities Of Blyndnesse The .xcvi. Dialogue SOROW. I Haue lost myne eyes Reason O howe many loathsome thynges of lyfe also hast thou lost Howe many foolyshe toyes of fonde sight shalt thou not see Sorow I haue lost myne eyes Reason Of the face perhaps not of thine hart If they remayne good enough al is wel Sorowe I am blynde Reason Thou shalt see the sunne no more but thou hast seene it and thou remembrest what manner thyng it is or yf thou hast not seene it as it hath chaunced vnto thee the more hardly in that respect so the desire of a thing vnknowen shal greeue thee the lesse Sorow I lacke eyes Reason Thou shalt not see heauen nor earth but to see the Lord of heauen and of earth abilitie is not taken from thee this sight is much clearer then that other Sorowe I am condemned to perpetual blyndnesse Reason Thou shalt not see from hencefoorth the wooddie valleyes the ayeriall mountaynes the florishyng costes the shadowy dennes the siluer sprynges the crooked ryuers the greene meddowes and that whiche they say is of al thynges most beautiful the portraiture of mans countenance Thou shalt neyther see the heapes of dunge the ouerflowyng Iakes torne carkases nor whatsoeuer els by filthinesse of sight offendeth the stomacke and senses Sorow I am depriued of myne eye sight Reason If there were none other commoditie in this discommoditie in that thou shalt not beholde these games of enormious and deformed iestures blindnesse were to be wyshed whiche although I haue oftentymes confessed before to be a wyshed thyng yet doo I deny that it is to be wyshed for as muche now as in tymes past there is no hope left thee to runne away whyther soeuer thou turnest thy selfe the kyngdome of madnesse is a lyke and a like exile of vertue in whiche state to lose a mans eye sight is a kind of flight comforte Sorow I haue lost my sight Reason And the beholdyng of womens faces Reioyce therefore that those wyndowes be shut vp at the whiche death entred in and that the passage to many vices is closed vp couetousnesse gluttony ryotousnesse and diuers other plagues haue lost thereby their seruantes and retinue for looke howe muche of thy soule was taken away by these enimies so muche perswade thy selfe that thou hast gayned Sorow I haue lost myne eyes Reason Thou hast lost euyl guydes whiche lead thee into destruction
then a labour to speake and a quietnesse to holde a mans peace Sorow I can speake to no purpose Reason Those thynges which I sayde in the lacke of eloquence may more aptly be repeated in the losse of the tongue Then since thou canst not speake hold thy peace and that whiche necessitie byddeth thee to do do it wyllyngly Whiche thyng they that can speake myght do many tymes more profitably and repeate them often that they haue not donne so Holde thy peace I say and thinke not that thou sustaynest any losse thinke with thy lelfe secretly and speake with thy selfe in priuitie whiche to be better then to speake in open assembly they that are eloquent cannot deny Sorowe I am fallen dumbe Reason If Cicero and Demosthenes had been dumbe they had lyued longer and dyed a more gentle death Sorow I haue quite lost the vse of my tongue Reason And the custome of lying and the artes of deceyuing and the instrument of purchasing enmitie and infamie for many are become more infamous for their tongue then for their deedes There is no part of the body reedier to hurt and harder to bridle Therefore not without cause as some great and rare matter vttered he those woordes who sayde I wyl looke vnto my wayes that I offende not with my tongue Whiche when a certayne holy man who came to the studie of diuinitie had hearde is reported to haue departed away and that he would heare no more thereof And when as after a long season his maister marueylyng demaunded of hym why he had been so long absent from his studie whiche he had begun he ausweared that the very first worde had geuen hym enough to do and that he could not fulfyl that one poynt by any his labour or traueyl whatsoeuer See thou despise not this gouernment nor bridle whiche is offered vnto thee eyther by nature or fortune but wyllyngly yelde thy selfe to be ruled and spurne not agaynst thine owne destinie Sorow I haue lost my tongue Reason Nowe kepe thou with al diligence that which the wyse man wylleth thee to wyt thyne hart and beyng called from two careful watchynges vnto one and discharged from the one moitie of thy labour thou mayest the more easily keepe a fewe and more warely guard precious thynges Sorow I haue lost my tongue Reason In a certayne fewe men this is a noble and excellent member but in the greater sort of the people very pestilent and noysome and a great deale better that many had wanted it Whiche is not only seene to be true in a seruant in that the Satirike Poet sayth The tongue is the worst part of an euyl seruant but also in many free persons vnto whom nature hath geuen nothing woorse then their tongue Warres deceites adulteries and al kynde of abuses for the most part should surceasse dyd not the tongue cast abrode and nouryshe their euyl seedes Sorow I haue lost my tongue Reason If an euyll one thou hast gayned much For it is great ryches to be poore in wyckednesse Who so hath not these is borne ryche but who so looseth them is made ryche and his lyuing beyng encreased with a newe reuenewe hath founde that by loosing whiche he had lost by findyng But yf thou haue lost a good tongue I say agayne keepe thy hart Thou hast lost that wherewith thou mightest please men keepe that wherewith thou mayest please God vnto whom yf thou canst not speake with thy tongue yet talke vnto hym with thy hart For yf it be written of the wycked Lying lyppes are in their hart and with their hart they haue spoken why are not godly lyppes in the hart of the ryghteous that they also may speake in their hart whereas are the eares of God And that is true whiche the same man wrytech in an other place My mouth is not hydden from thee whiche thou madest in secret For there is no thought be it neuer so secrete that is hidden from God neyther heareth he lesse them that speake softly then those that crye aloude yea he heareth no clamour be it more or lesse before the clamour and crying out of the hart for he harkeneth vnto none but that and he is delited with silence This clamour dyd he that was first a keeper of sheepe and afterwarde a most famous shepheard of the people of God restrayne within the closure of his lyppes who deserued to heare the voyce of God saying vnto hym Why cryest thou vnto me He spake not but he cryed yea he spake but it was with the hart And lyke as he that heareth God is not deafe so he whom God heareth is not dumbe Of want of vertue The .ciiii. Dialogue SOROW. BVt I am without vertue Reason An hurt in deede a iust sorowe sauing that al other wantes may happen to be eyther natural or casual or violent but this doubtlesse is voluntarie For other are eyther in the body or in the wyt or in the memory or in the speech or in some outwarde thyng one or other al which happen not accordyng as a man woulde wyshe but as euery mans fortune chaunceth but this onely consisteth in will whiche euery one guydeth and disposeth at his owne pleasure For a man can require none other good wyll of another man then he is disposed to shewe whose wyll it is wherby he wylleth this thing or that thyng Otherwyse as defectes happen vnto men of strength or of speeche or of ryches agaynst their willes so shoulde of their wylles also neyther shoulde vertue deserue rewarde nor vice merite punishment But nowe not a wyl vnto you to do this or that but a libertie to chose this or that was geuen you at your byrth whiche beyng applyed vnto that whiche is good maketh you good but conuerted vnto euill maketh you euyll The same may you vse as you lust and yf you lust ye may vse it well whiche doubtlesse is the gyft of God as yf ye abuse it it is a great peruersitie of the wyller but it cannot be otherwyse chosen but that a good wyll is the roote of vertue as an euyl wyll is the roote of vice And thus there is none that suffereth a want of vertue but he that wyl for that the greatest cheefest part of vertue consisteth in the wil. Sorow Yea I would haue vertue but I cannot get it Reason Many there be that thinke they woulde haue that whiche they wyl not and that they woulde that whiche they wyl thus euery one deceiueth hym selfe and endeuoureth to perswade not onely hym selfe but others that he is desirous of good neyther perswadeth any more easily how delectable true vertue is since that the false opinion of vertue so muche deliteth that it is pleasant vnto hym to deceyue the people and his freendes and moreouer by them to be deceyued Sorow I knowe that I would fayne but I cannot be good Reason Admit it be so it sufficeth not to haue a will vnlesse thou haue also a desire and that
there is no minde be it neuer so swyfte that is able to measure it and also the surpassyng beautie of vertue whiche is so louelie that yf it coulde be seene with the bodily eyes as Plato sayth it woulde rauyshe men woonderfully with the loue thereof Therefore let loue on the one syde and feare on the other styrre thee vp for both of them are very effectuall for neyther he that loueth neyther he that hateth can commonly be dull and sluggyshe and yet notwithstandyng ye ryse in the nyght tyme vnto diuine seruice wherein ye pray that hurtfull sleepe and sluggyshnes oppresse you not there is no place for sleepe nor sluggyshuesse when as death frayeth you on the one syde and vertue on the other For who coulde euer be slouthfull and carelesse in great dangers or great aduauncementes Whensoeuer thou haft respect vnto these courage wyll resort to the minde and sleepe wyll flye from the eyes when ye thynke with your selues howe muche imperfection remayneth within you and howe muche tyme ye haue spent in idlenesse whereof when men haue no consyderation we see howe they spende long ages vnprofitably and heare olde men wonderyng and amazed to say What haue we doone heere these many yeeres We haue eaten drunken and slept and nowe at last we are awaked too late The cheefe cause whereof is this sluggyshnesse whereof thou complaynest whiche in tyme ought to be dryuen away by the prickes of industrie and the brydle of foresyght least that by ouerlong staying thou be caried away with the multitude vnto a dishonourable ende Of Letcherie The Cx. Dialogue SOROWE I AM shaken with the vehemencie of Letcherie Reason Letcherie is begotten by slouthfulnesse and brought foorth by gluttonie what maruell is it then yf the daughter followe her parentes As for gluttonie and letcherie they are common vnto you with beastes and that they make your lyfe more beastly then any other thyng wyse men haue so iudged and therefore although there be many mischiefes more greeuous yet is there none more vyle Sorowe I am carryed away with Letcherie Reason Whyther I pray thee but vnto death both of the bodye and soule and infamous ignominie and too late and perhappes vnprofitable repentance Goe thy wayes nowe and followe her that carrieth thee away vnto suche endes Thynke vppon the miserable and notorious chaunces of innumerable not onely priuate men but also Cities and Kyngdomes whiche partly by syght and partly by heare-say but specially by readyng ought to be very well knowen and then I suppose thou wylt not geue thy hande vnto this vice to followe it Heare what the best learned haue iudged and written concernyng this matter Pleasures sayth Cicero beyng most flatteryng Ladyes doo wreast the greater partes of the mynde from vertue To this ende sayth Seneca they embrace vs that they may strangle vs whiche none otherwyse then Theeues that lay wayte for traueylers vppon the way and leade them aside to murther them ought to be auoyded Wherein it shall muche auayle yf whosoeuer shall feele hym selfe infected with this mischeefe doo imagine that most excellent sayeing of Scipio Africane in Liuie whiche he spake vnto king Masinissa to be spoken vnto hym selfe Vanquishe thy minde quoth he and take heede thou doo not deforme many good giftes with one vice and corrupt the beautie of so many desartes with a greater faulte then the cause of the faulte is The whiche shal be doone the more easily yf a man doo thynke earnestly vppon the vilenesse fylthinesse shortnesse and ende of the thyng and also the long reproche and the short time and howe perhappes the pleasure of one breefe moment shal be punished with the repentaunce of many yeeres and peraduenture with euerlastyng damnation Of Pryde The Cxj. Dialogue SOROWE I AM lyfted vp with pryde Reason Earth and ashes why art thou proude Canst thou that art oppressed with the burden of so many mischiefes be lyfted vp with pride Who yf thou were free from them al and were lyfted vp by the wynges of al vertues yet were al thy good gyftes defiled with this vyce only For there is nothing more hateful vnto God then pryde By this fel he that was created in most excellent estate by which thou beyng a sinner thinkest to aryse If it hapned so vnto hym for this one thing what doest thou thinke wyl befall vnto thee in whom this wickednesse is ioyned with other vices Thou hast heaped a naughtie weight vpon thy burden Sorow I am carried with pryde Reason Why shouldest thou be so I pray thee Doest thou not remember that thou art mortal that thou wearest away euery day that thou art a sinner that thou art subiect to a thousand chaunces and in danger euery day to vncertayne death and finally that thou art in wretched case And hast thou not also heard the most famous saying of Homer The earth nourisheth nothyng more wretched then man I woulde fayne knowe whiche of these doth most cheefely pricke thee foorth vnto pryde whether the imbecilitie of the body or the whole armie of sickenesses or the shortnesse of lyfe or the blyndenesse of the minde whiche continually wauereth betweene most vayne hope and perpetual feare or the forgetfulnesse of that whiche is past or the ignorance of that whiche is to come and present or the treacherie of enimies or the death of freendes or continuing aduersitie or flytting prosperitie By these and none other ladders ye ascend vnto pryde by these ye ryse to ruine All other dangers wherein men do walter haue some excuse although it be vniust but pryde and enuie haue no coloure at al. Sorow I am sorie that I am proud Reason To be sorie for sinne is the first degree to saluation And as it is the nature of pryde to lyft vp so is it of humilitie to be sorie and submit it selfe whiche thou shalt do the more easye so soone as thou turnest thyne eyes earnestly vpon thy selfe whiche being so I am not mynded neyther ought I to heape vp vnto theeaucthorities wrytten in bookes agaynst vices This only shal be sufficient that thou knowe that so soone as euer thou be disposed vnfeignedly al these matters wyl surceasse immediatly and whensoeuer as they say thou shalt blowe the retreate retire to thyne ensignes as touchyng this present mischeefe This one thyng I wyl say moreouer that pryde is a sickenesse of wretches and fooles for doubtlesse they be suche that be proud otherwyse I am sure they woulde neuer be proud neyther is it written without cause in the booke of Wisedome That al that are foolysh vnfortunate are proud about the measure of their soule And truely yf they were wyse for their soules health their meane were to abase their estate knowyng their owne imbecilitie For so thou readest it written in the same booke He that is a king to day shal dye to morow And when a man dyeth he shal haue serpentes and beastes and woormes for his inheritance The begynning of pryde is to
fal from God for that he forsaketh hym that made hym and forasmuche as pryde is the beginnyng of al sinne Thou knowest al other thynges which being diligently weighed thou shalt perceyue howe foule a monster a proude man is Of Agues The .cxii. Dialogue SOROWE I Burne with Agues Reason This heat wyl ende in processe of tyme or els with colde whiche euer of the twayne it be it is well Sorow I am greeued with agues Reason All this motion agaynst nature is of more vehemencie then continuance and of these twayne it alwayes doth the one eyther it clenseth the body or setteth the soule at libertie Sorowe I am holden with Agues Reason Stay a whyle thou shalt not long be holden for eyther thou shalt soone be discharged thereof or set at libertie and eyther of them is very good Sorowe I am sicke of an Ague Reason Thou shalt be at quiet anon nature striueth with death attend the ende of the battayle for the houre draweth nygh which shal eyther free thee from thy sickensse or discharge thee from al. Sorow I burne with the Ague Reason It is lesse harme for the bodye to burne then the foule whereof thou madest thy last seuen complayntes and howe yf the scortching of the one be medicinable for the other Finally how much more better is it by a short cast of the euyles of this present lyfe to be put in mynde of the euerlastyng punishment to the ende that men may study to auoyde infinite bitternesse who so greeuously susteyne the sharpenesse of a fewe houres and by these troubles learne to flye them from whiche neyther the Phisition nor herbes nor the critical day nor death can delyuer them Sorowe I trye with the Feuer Reason The woormes meate is rosted suffer thy selfe to be burned for other for whom other meates haue been so often tymes burned and take aduisement of the punishment Many euyles haue stoode in steede of remedies a smal greefe in the present tyme hath often geuen men occasion to prouide for greater to come and that whiche was paineful becommeth profitable Happie is that short burnyng whiche is the cause of eternal ioy Sorowe I am molested with the Ague Reason Nowe shalt thou be an vpryght iudge of prosperous health For you men beyng an vnthankeful generation cannot acknowledg the giftes of God vnlesse they be lost or surceasse Sorow I am sore vexed with a greiuous ague Reason Ye cannot long continue togither No man can burne long For either thou wilt shortly forsake thine ague or else thine ague wil leaue thee Of the payne of the guttes and Traunce The .cxiii Dialogue SOROWE I Suffer the payne of the guttes Reason Begyn to hope for there can happen now nothing more greeuous vnto thee For lyke as it is the begynning of sorowe to come to the vttermost degree of pleasure so lykewyse the extremitie of sorowe must needes be the begynning of pleasure This is the lawe of contraries that the one spryngeth from the ende of the other Sorowe I am tormented with the Iliake passion Reason It is I confesse an hard kynde of comfort that a man can suffer nothing more bitter Sorowe I am vexed with the Iliake passion Reason Who so is sorie and feareth is in wretched case but feare which is the one halfe of miserie is taken from thee on euery side for whereof I pray thee neede he to be afeard who hopeth for death whereof aboue al thynges men stande most in dreade Sorowe I am martyred with the payne in the guâ—tes Reason Whyle thou lyuest learne to dye and that which must be done but once assay thou to do often then at length thou shalt do that more safely once whiche thou hast assayed to do so often for that whiche thou doest then shal be no strange thyng to thee The payne in the guttes is muche lyke vnto death sauing that death is shorter and easier so that he that can beare that payne valiantly vnlesse some other feare come betweene and alter the case shal much more valiantly endure death Sorowe I am torne in peeces by the iliacke passion Reason The vehemencie of the payne promiseth an ende for there is no man long a dying Sorow Yea the very payne driueth me into a sounde Reason The long paynes of feauers thou passest ouer with one breathyng Sorowe I feele howe I am fallen into a traunce Reason A man shall scarce perceyue when it is comming for it commeth sodenly and when it is come it presently depriueth the vnderstandyng of all force Sorowe I begynne to faint Reason O happie art thou that shalt passe ouer so assured and hard a thyng without sense Sorowe I fall oft tymes into a traunce Reason Thou returnest often from death to lyfe Sorowe I fal very often into a deadly traunce Reason Thou canst not fal into that twyce For none dyeth more then once and whiche shoulde be the best kynde of death there was somtyme disputation among certayne learned and notable men at whiche was Iulius Caesar in presence for empire and learnyng a most excellent personage who also in his latter tyme as some wryte of hym vsed many tymes to faynt suddeynly which question he in this manner determined concludyng that a suddeine and vnlooked for death was of al the most commodious Whiche opinion although vnto godlynesse and true religion it seeme very harde notwithstandyng euery one that wyse is but specially godly and studious of true religion ought so to lyue that nothyng may befal vnto hym soddenly and vnlooked for and yf any suche thyng happen to the minde that the soddennesse thereof hurt it not but profite also the body Of sundry paynes and greefes of the whole body The .cxiiii. Dialogue SOROWE I Am greeued in al partes of my body Reason If thy minde whiche is the gheast of the body be not greeued nor troubled it is wel whatsoeuer hapneth vnto the poore cottage thereof shal redownde I hope vnto the safetie of it Sorowe I am vexed in al my body whiche is a greeuous payne Reason The Stoikes say that among al humane thynges only vertue is good And although others be of another opinion yet this is the more true and manly as seemeth vnto me and many moe whereof it foloweth that whatsoeuer is contrarie hereunto is a vice whereby it commeth to passe that although the payne of the body be most greeuous yet it is not euyll Sorow Alas poore wretch how I am tormented and thou disputest and al are but philosophical fables Reason Thou shewest thy selfe to be a wretche if it were but in this poynt only for that thou callest the rules of mans lyfe fables Sorow These thynges are plausible in the schooles and famous in bookes but they are not able to enter into the racke or to clymbe vp into the beddes of the sicke they be spoken and wrytten more easily then practised Reason Yes truely they be profitable agaynst payne and sicknesse and death but not vnto al
drynke and haue the the more aman hath and drynketh and the causes of al dangers it plucketh vp by the rootes Your ryches are ful of deceitfulnesse and feare they feare cuppes aswell as swoordes and dishes no lesse then dartes there is neyther your table nor your house nor your chamber nor your bed voyd of danger Al thynges about you are vncertayne and suspitious and threaten vnto men present death as Virgil speaketh in a tempest and may be verified of you in a calme and al this is long of your sweete ryches whiche ye loue so entirely As for pouertie sauing that it is slaundrously reported of by the common people and for the very name odious vnto them al thynges are safe in it and yf euer the vayne glorious desire to be magnified by the multitude shoulde fayle altogeather pleasant sweete quiet and be wyshed But learne at length you earthly creatures to eate and drynke in glassen and earthen vessels yf ye wyl eate and drynke in safetie for poyson is mingled in cuppes of gold and precious stone O couetousnesse how farre wylt thou proceede Yea poyson is in loue with gold and precious stones agaynst whiche most wretched plague neyther the electuarie of Mithridates kyng of Pontus nor of any other be he neuer so cunnyng is more effectual then is pouertie Sorowe I haue drunken poyson death swymmeth nowe in my entrailes Reason When thou hast once perswaded thy selfe that thou must dye whiche al men must needes determine that remember them selues to be mortal what skylleth it whether thou dye by thirsting or drynkyng or whether imbrued with thine owne blood or with wyne In this kynde of death thou shalt haue great personages that haue been drynkyng fellowes with thee of this confection to wyt Alexander Hannibal Philippomenes Mithridates Claudius hym selfe Theramenes and Socrates Of the feare of death The .cxvii. Dialogue FEARE I Feare to dye Reason Herein thou oughtest not to feare but to muse which musing of thyne yf it began nowe first in thee then hath it not growen vp with thee from thine infancie But if it come vpon thee but by fittes and is not continuall then hast thou lyued vnwysely For this most excellent and profitable aduice of the Poet Horace ought most firmely to be engraffed within the very marrowe of thy bones Betweene hope and care and betweene feare anger thynke euery day to be the last that thou shalt lyue that thou mayst be such an one as he speaketh of in an other place He shal leade his lyfe merily and vnder his owne gouernement who is able to say euery day I haue lyued Let to morowe be fayre or foule whyle I am busie I do not care And this forsooth is that whiche the Philosophers do so muche commend to lyue the forepassed lyfe whereof I haue spoken in an other place Feare I feare to dye Reason Thou shouldest haue feared also to be borne to lyue The entrance into lyfe is the begynning of death and lyfe it selfe is the passedge to death or rather more truely a very death in deede By lyuing eyther thou wentest towardes death or rather accordyng to the iudgement of the wyse thou beganst euery houre to dye Why shouldest thou then be afeard of death yf death haue eyther dayly accompanied thy lyfe or of necessitie do folowe it The first of these the learned only do vnderstand the other the common people do perceyue for what soeuer was borne dyeth and what soeuer dyeth was borne Feare I am afearde to dye Reason Fearest thou to dye that art a reasonable mortal creature as the Philosophers do diffine thee But yf thou were veryly the first I suppose thou wouldest not feare the second for that these two natures beyng ioyned in one do fully accomplysh the substance of man to wyt reason and death The one concerneth the soule the other the body but want of reason hath brought in the feare of death Feare I feare death Reason Nothyng ought to be feared which the necessitie of nature importeth Who so hateth or feareth the thinges that are naturall must needes hate or feare nature it selfe Vnlesse perhaps it be lawful to commend and embrace the one part thereof and to condemne and despise the other then whiche there is nothyng more insolent not only in men towardes GOD but also in one man towardes another And therefore eyther thou wholy receyuest or reiectest thy freende least yf thou reape that only whiche is sweete thou seeme to be a partial iudge and louer of friendshyp Feare I abhorre death Reason If there be any euyl in death the same is encreased by the feare of death But yf there be no euyl in death the feare thereof is a great euyl and it is a great follie for a man to procure or encrease his owne harme Feare I detest the very name of death Reason The infirmitie of mankynde hath made the name of death infamous But yf men had any courage of minde they would no more feare death then they woulde al other thynges that come by course of nature And why shouldest thou more feare to die then to be borne to growe vp to hunger to thirst to wake to sleepe Wherof this last is so lyke death that some haue termed it the cousin and some the image of death And that thou mayest not cal this manner of speeche eyther a poetical colour and a Philosophical quirke Iesus Chryst the truth it selfe called the death of his freend a sleepe and art thou afeard to do that once wherin thou takest pleasure euerie day This inconstancie do the learned woonder at and also reprooue Feare These thinges are common and vsuall among the Philosophers and bring delite while they are heard but when they leaue soundyng feare returneth Reason Nay rather it remayneth for if it were once gonne it would not returne agayne and moreouer there is a certayne feare of death naturally ingraffed within the hartes of the common multitude But it is a shame for a learned man to haue the feelyng but of the vulgare sort whom it becommeth as I sayd erewhyle not to folowe the steppes of the greater part but of a fewe And concernyng that whiche thou speakest of Philosophers I muche merueyle that since you learne the preceptes of saylyng of saylers and of husbandrie of husbandmen and also of warfare of warriours ye refuse to take aduice how to direct your lyfe of the Philosophers And seeing you aske counsel of Phisitious for the cure of your bodyes why do you not resort also to Philosophers for the saluing of your mindes who if they be true Philosophers in deede they are both Phisitions of your mindes and the instructours of this lyfe But yf they be counterfeites and puffed vp onely with the bare name of Philosophie they are not only not to be sought vnto for counsel but to be auayded then whom there is nothing more importunate nothing more absurde of whom this age is muche more ful then I coulde
commaundement to goe foorth on you iourney couragiously which ye must needes take in hand eyther willingly or in spite of your beardes This mee thinketh should very muche abate your feare and payne of death and make you not onely carelesse but also desyrous to depart hence Otherwyse yf ye be vnprouided and take no regarde the same may befall vnto you whiche Cicero once truely in his Epistles prophecied vnto his freende Brutus Ye shal be suddenly oppressed beleeue me freende Brutus quoth he vnlesse ye foresee and make prouision And so truely it hapneth in deede I say vnto all that vse no forecast in that which is lyke to happen vnto them hereafter And seeyng prouidence in all thinges is very necessarie yet is it specially to be regarded in those thynges whiche can be done no more but once wherein one errour sufficeth for wheresoeuer the foote slyppeth there is an ende Sorowe Now doo I verie muche abhorre death Reason Thynges deepely rooted are not easily plucked vp I knowe well as I sayde that the feare of death is engraffed within the mindes and senses of men specially of the vulgar sort As for the Philosophers they account death neyther good nor bad for that they recken it a thyng of it selfe neyther to be wyshed nor feared but number it among thynges indifferent whiche in respect of those that enioy them some tyme they tearme good and some tyme euyll Which thyng I perceyue well to be lyked of one of your religion who sayde that the death of sinners was euyll but of the Saintes and vertuous men most precious Sorowe I feare death I hate death Reason From whence this feare and hatred of death commeth vnto men verily I shoulde muche merueyle were it not that I knewe the daintinesse of your mindes whereby ye nouryshe and encrease this and suche lyke degenerate kindes of feare Dooest thou not perceyue howe that the greater part of men are afearde of the very name of death Whiche what is it other then to abhorre your owne nature and to hate that whiche ye are borne to be then whiche there is nothyng more vayne among men nor more vnthankefull towardes god Howe many are there whiche with greefe doo heare that name whiche ought alwayes to beate vppon the inner eare Without the whiche there is no man that can thinke vppon him selfe for what should he thinke him selfe to be other then a mortal creature As often as a man turneth backe into the consideration of him selfe doth not the name of death presently come into his minde But ye abhor that as though death would force in at the eare and ye turne away your mindes striue to forget that which wyl by and by compel the most vnwilling of you al to haue it in remembrance For loe ye refuse to thinke vpon death which not long after ye must of necessitie both thinke vpon also suffer the insult whereof would a great deale the more easely be borne yf it were thought vpon before but now that both of them are brought to a narrowe poynt together the one of them exasperateth the other For euery thing that is vnthought on sudden shaketh the soule It is as much follie to couet a thing in vaine as to be desirous to auoyde that which thou canst not they are both of them the more foolish by how much it had ben the more hurtful that thou haddest obteyned that which thou desirest But there is nothing more hurtful amongst al the mischiefes of this worlde then to forget GOD a mans owne selfe and death which three thynges are so vnited and knytte together that they may hardly be plucked asunder but ye wyll seeme to be mindfull of your selues and vnmindfull both of your begynnyng and ending Thou mayest marke them that vpon some occasion set all thinges in order in theyr houses howe there is scarce any that dare say when I am dead but yf I dye as though that were in doubt then the which there is nothyng more certayne Neyther is this saying If I dye plainely pronounced but rather yf any thyng happen vnto me otherwyse then well whiche what I pray thee can it other be then the selfe same thyng that hath hapned vnto all men or shall happen both vnto them that are nowe alyue or that shall be borne hereafter Vnto whom as there hath hapned sundrie kindes of lyfe so shall there lykwyse befall diuers kindes of death but one necessitie of dying The same doest thou couet to escape whiche neyther thy Fathers neyther the Kinges of nations coulde euer escape nor euer shal Deceiue your selues as much as ye lyst euen so shall it happen vnto you as it doth vnto them that winke against the stroke of their enimies weapon as though they should not feele the danger which they see not ye shal be stroken ye shal dye ye shall feele it but whether it shal happen vnto you eyther blinde or seeing it lyeth in your handes Therefore desire to dye well which thing also vnlesse ye doo lyue well is in vaine Wysh therefore I say and endeuour your selues and doo what lyeth in you commit that whiche remayneth vnto him who vnto those whom he brought into this lyfe of his owne accorde not being therevnto required wyll not stretch foorth his handes when they depart out of it agayne vnlesse he be called on and desyred Wyshe not not to dye for it is not onely an impudent and an arrogant but also an vnfruitfull and a vayne desyre Accustome your selues O ye mortall men vnto the lawes of nature and yeelde your neckes to that yoke which can not be auoyded And yf ye loue your selues loue that whiche ye are borne not because ye woulde that ye had not been borne for it is not meete that Nature shoulde obey you but you her Feare I haue long assayed in vayne to cast away the feare of death Reason I muse thou shouldest so long assay a matter wherevnto thyne owne voluntarie thinking ought to bring thee To thinke so much vpon so small a danger is a great shame if so be it may be called a danger or not rather an ende of all dangers to dye a great shame I say it is for a man so long to continue in the feare of so small and peeuishe a peryll and so many yeeres to lyue in feare and suspense for the euent of breathing one poore houre But wouldest thou haue the most present remedie agaynst this euyll and be delyuered from the perpetuall feare of death Then lyue well a vertuous lyfe despiseth death and many tymes desireth it and to be short it is the ende of all terrible thynges For labour payne sorowe aduersitie infamie imprisonment exile losse warre bondage lacke of chyldren pouertie oldeage sicknesse death all these vnto men of valure are nothyng els then the schoole of Experience and the feelde of Repentaunce and the exercise place of Glorie Of Voluntarie murthering a mans owne selfe The Cxviij Dialogue FEARE I AM
determined to doo violence vnto my selfe Reason At one tyme to feare a thyng and at another to wyshe for it this is al the constancie that you haue Erwhyle womanishly thou fearedst death and now vnmanly thou seekest the same tel me I pray thee what sudden chaunce hath chainged thy mind Feare I am enforced to do violence vnto my selfe Reason If thou be enforced then is it not voluntarie violence although it be sayd that a constrained wyll is a wyll yet truely it is no free wyl neither that wyl which properly taketh the name à volendo of willing But I would fayne know by whom thou art enforced Whoso is vnwilling may haue violent handes layde vpon hym but thou canst doo thy selfe no violence vnlesse thou were willing thereunto Feare There are great causes that enforce me to be willing to die Reason They be great in deede I coufesse yf they enforce thee but they coulde not enforce thee yf thou were a man But there is nothyng so weake that it can not ouerthrowe the delicacie of your mindes and hearken now whether I can not directly gheasse these causes anger disdaine impatiencie a certayne kynde of furie agaynst a mans owne selfe and the forgetfulnesse of his owne estate For yf thou dyddest remember that thou were a man thou wouldest also knowe that thou oughtest to take all worldly chaunces in good part and not for the hatred of one small euyll or rather no euyll at all to be willyng to fal into the greatest euyll of all Feare By reason of extreame miserie I am constrayned to lay violent handes vpon my selfe Reason It is not extreame miserie neither are they the greatest euylles that oppresse thee but this is the most extreame of al other which now enrageth thee to wit desperation agaynst which onely when as all other euylles haue their peculiar remedies there is no medicine that can preuayle And which be these that thou callest exâ—reame euylles but onely labour perhaps and trouble and pouerâ—ie For these are they whereof the Poet Virgil intreateth saying These without cause procured their owne death and hating this lyght powred out their owne soules Of whose too late repentance he addeth immediatly Howe glad woulde they now be returnyng into this worlde agayne to abyde pouertie and suffer all troubles and aduersitie Are these so great euyls whereof the fyrst all good and vertuous men endured with a valiant and indifferent minde and some more ouer dyd wyllingly choose it and thereby became glorious and riche in the euerlastyng riches That the worlde is meete for men we reade in Salust and that man was made for that intent we finde it written in the holy and afflicted good old man But you beyng of al creatures the most vnquiet yf thinges fal not out according to your couetous desyre or letcherous lust ye thynke that ye haue iust cause to kyll your selues So delicate and hastie headlong is your lasciuiousnesse that vpon the least cause that may be ye are not onely angrie with Fortune but also with your selues farther â—icking against GOD hymselfe ye scoure your blasphemousâ—â—â—ithes agaynst him as though euery thing wherein your Lord and God fulfylleth not your minde were an haynous iniurie agaynst you Feare I am so oppressed with great euylles that to choose A woulde dye Reason For the loathsomnesse of thy lyfe perhaps which is a familiar fault among all fooles For vnto the wyse euery kynde of lyfe is pleasant the happie lyfe they accept willingly the miserable lyfe they indure patiently and although in the thinges themselues they take final comforâ— yet are they delyghted in the exercise of patience for there is nothing more acceptable nor more sâ—â—eâ—e then veritie The same is that which asswageth greefes amendeth what is anusse moâ—â—fieth that whiche is harde mitâ—igateth thâ—ir whiche is sharpe siâ—â—otheth that whiche is rough and lâ—uellech that whiche is vneâ—â—en In consyderation hereof complainte or 〈◊〉 and hastie headlongnesse hath an ende and to be breefe there is nothing more glorious nor quiet then a wyse mans lyfe As for these teares and greefes of the minde these cloudes and troublesome stormes whiche driue the barke of this lyfe vpon the rockes they spryng from follie onely Feare Impaciencie of sicknes maketh me desirous to dye Reason Thy desyre is fond and proude Let the Lorde alone to dispose of thy bodye accordyng to his owne determination and good pleasure Wylt thou looke to haue more aucthoritie ouer thine owne buyldyng whereof thou hast made neyther Timber nor Stone and wherein there is nothing thine but only the buylding and wylt thou not geue lykewyse sembleable libertie vnto the Lorde and maker of all the worlde who in the same hath not onely created the spirite the fleshe the blood and the bones but also heauen the earth the seas and all thynges that are therein of nothyng Say not within thy selfe My bodye is greeuously tormented with payne For thou hast receyued no dominion euer thy bodye but onely a vse thereof for a certayne short tyme Thynkest thou thy selfe to be Lorde and Maister ouer this thyne house of Clay Verily thou art but a stranger he that made all is Lorde of all Sorowe With exceeding payne I am constrayned to be desyrous to die Reason Perhaps this payne is layde vpon thee for thine experience whiche yf it be troublesome and greeuous vnto thee then may it be profitable but yf intollerable then can it not long continue Attende the commaimdement of the Lorde that detayneth thee and answeare when thou art called and not before Thy daye is appoynted whiche possibly thou canst not preuent nor yet prolong Howheit many haue preuented it in deede and goyng about to auoyde a smal short greefe haue cast them selues headlong intoirreuocable euerlasting tormentes This opinion hath had great defenders Fyrst Anneus Seneca who so constantly and often falleth into the mentionyng thereof insomuche that it seemeth vnto me that he feared least it shoulde not appeare to be his â—â—bâ—e and maketh me sometyme to wonder bowe so cruell aâ— opinion coulde enter into the hart of so woorthie a man And to â—et that passe whiche it were too long to recite in a certayne Epistle vnto Lucilius If sayth he the bodye be vnfytte for the ordinarie and conuenient actions â–ª why shoulde not a man set the greened soule at libertie And immedialy after a fewe woordes betweene I wyl leape quoth he out of this rotten and ruinous buyldyng But O Seneca thou sayest not wel and with one euyl saying hast disgraced a great many good sayinges For thou oughtest to abyde and not to depart let thy buyldyng fal downe that thou be driuen out of doores before thou depart Sorowe I cannot suffer the thynges that are lyke to happen vnto me I had rather dye Reason Perhaps for some death whiche shal be inflicted vpon thee by an enimie whiche beyng valiantly vndertaken can not be shameful but voluntarily procured by thine owne hand cannot
but be reprochful and ignominious for that it is contrarie to the commaundement of the most hygh Lorde agaynst whiche nothyng can be wel done Sorowe I had rather dye then to see the thynges that are lyke to happen shortly Reason It is not the part of a man not to be able with open eyes to behold both faces of fortune it is the part of a woman to turne away the eyes in feare What is the thyng that troubleth thee so muche that nothyng can helpe thee but death only Is it thine owne or thy freendes or perhaps the aduersitie of thine afflicted countrye As for the first two they are but gentle for fortune is not so strong but vertue is able to withstand it the thirde is godly but the loue thereof is fainte and slouthful For the bondage and captiuitie of a mans countrey and the gouernement thereof in manner of a Tirannie is rather to be repelled by death then auoyded by steppyng a side For the first is the part of a man but this tastest of womanyshe imbecillitie Whiche thyng notwithstandyng the same Seneca doth woonderfully extol in the death of Cato in that same his peculiar opinion whereof I spake erewhyle But Cicero thinkyng it sufficient to excuse him only abstaineth from commending him For he sayth that vnto Cato that was a man of such wonderful grauitie and perpetual constancie of nature it was better to dye then to looke the Tyrant in the face whom Brutus notwithstandyng behelde and thought it better to make hym away by kyllyng hym then by kyllyng hym selfe Whiche how wel or ill it was done I do not now dispute But so in deede he did As for Cicero whyle he excuseth Cato he forgetteth his owne more commendable opinion whiche long before he had set downe in his sixth booke De republica of a common-wealth whiche is after this manner folowyng whiles that he bringeth in Publius Scipio Affricanus the younger dreaming howe that he talked in heauen with his father and graundfather and hearyng them speake of the immortalitie of the soule and the felicitie of the other lyfe made hym desirous to dye and brought in his father by and by reprouing the same his fonde and vnprofitable desyre in these woordes It may not be so quoth he for vnlesse God whose churche al this is which thou beholdest doo loose thee out of these bondes of thy bodye thou canst haue none entrance hyther For men were created for this cause that they shoulde beholde the globe whiche thou seest in the middest of this temple whiche is called the earth Wherefore good sonne Publius both thou and also al vertuous men ought to keepe your selues within the custodie of this your bodye and not to depart out of the lyfe of man contrarie vnto his commaundement by whom that lyfe was geuen vnto you least happely ye seeme to forsake the vocation whereunto God hath called you Doo not these woordes of Cicero sufficiently reprooue Cato that is excused And truely yf thou were appoynted by some earthly Prynce or Captayne to keepe a place by defence of armes thou wouldest not dare to depart from thy charge without his lycence whiche yf thou shouldest doo doubtlesse he woulde take it in ill part Howe then woulde the heauenly Emperour take it thynkest thou vnto whom so muche the more obedience ought to be geuen by howe muche God is greater then man There was of late dayes one Stephanus Columnensis a gentleman of auncient vertue who yf lie had lyued had not onely been famous in this age but also in remembrance of al posteritie The same Stephanus beyng besieged by a mightie enimie of his vnto whom he was in power far vnequal committed the defence of one turret wherein there seemed to be most danger vnto one of his captaynes of whose trust he was assured This turret being vndermined and secretly shaken by the enimies so that it was in danger of fallyng when as the residue of the garison perceyuing so much forsooke it and perswaded hym also to come downe and prouide for his safety since it was bootelesse to tarrie but vnto him selfe very dangerous or rather present death I wyl not come downe sayde he vnlesse he cal me away who set me here Which being reported vnto Stephanus who also was very careful for the gentleman came running in bast to cal hym away the turret beyng shaken at the very foundation fel downe immediatly with great noyse Thus that trustie defendant was miserably slayne whom his lord and maister beyng scarcely able to finde out among the rubbishe and ruynes of the turret buryed hym with great sorowe and lamentation and whyle he lyued had a dutiful care ouer hym and in his common speeche alwayes aduaunced his fayth with worthy commendation What I meane by these wordes I thinke thou knowest Suche a keeper oughtest thou to be of thy body whiche is committed vnto thy keepyng by God as he was of his turret which was commended to his charge by his lorde and maister Notwithstandyng I am not ignorant howe that the death of Cato was muche commended by many of that age wherein he lyued and very glorious in the common opinion of men And that saying of Iulius Caesar is wel knowen who beyng conquerour and making hast vnto Vtica where Cato had slayne hym selfe and hearyng report of his death Cato quoth he enuyed my glory and I enuie his death Doubtlesse it seemed some excellent thyng whiche so great and glorious a personage enuied at Sorow Then what shoulde let me to folow the death of a wyse man that was enuied at by so great a person and excused and commended of the wyse and to eschewe the innumerable distresses of lyfe by a voluntarie death Truely I had rather dye Reason Beware that thou be not caryed away with the vayne hope of hynges For there be some inferiour in eloquence but superiour in sense whiche neyther commend nor excuse this death of Cato but sharpely reprehende it Among whom Sainct Augustine a most sharpe searcher after the truth disputeth that this was not the cause of the hastenyng of his owne death because he woulde not lyne vnder the empire of Caesar togeather with his sonne forasmuche as he hym selfe was the cause that his sonne fledde to Caesar and in hope of safetie submitted hymselfe to his mercy wherein he was not deceyued Whiche yf he had thought to haue been a shameful thyng would he not haue delyuered his sonne from it as wel as hym selfe eyther by poyson or by sword or by some other kynde of death whatsoeuer Seeing that Manlius Torquatus is commended for killyng his owne sonne for that he had geuen battel to his enimies and vanquished them but contrarie to his fathers commaundement Neyther can it be sayde that it is a more shameful thing to be conquerour ouer a proude enimie then to be subiect to an arrogant conquerour Why then dyd he thinke Caesar woorthy to graunt lyfe to his sonne who thought hym vnworthie
and enuied at hym that he should graunt lyfe vnto hymselfe And to conclude he findeth that only enuie was the cause of his death whiche Caesar hym selfe did not dissemble as we sayde erewhyle For what coulde he other feare or why could he not abyde hym to be his prince by whom not long before he was banyshed the senate and committed to pryson So that he that slue not hym selfe in so great and present an iniurie why shoulde he nowe slaye hym selfe for a vayne feare or false opinion of pryde or crueltie What terror was there expressed in Caesars face that he shoulde seeke to auoyde the same by death who not only of all men but of al Tirantes and Prynces was the most gently and mercifull For although Cato had neuer seene any more myghtie yet truely in that age had he seene many more cruel but truely neuer sawe he any more merciful And therefore ryghtly sayeth another excellent wryter famous both for credite and eloquence It seemeth vnto me sayth he that Cato sought an occasion to dye not so muche to escape Caesars handes as to folowe the decrees of the Stoykes whom he immitated and by some notable deede to leaue his name famous vnto posterytie What harme woulde haue happened vnto him if he had lyued I do not perceyue For suche was the clemencie of Caius Caesar that in the greatest heate of the ciuile warres he would seeme to do nothing els but to deserue wel of the common wealth prouiding alwayes for the safetie of Cicero and Cato Loe behold another cause of his death beside enuie to wit a vayne follie both which were farre vnwoorthy of the person of Cato and yet neyther of them sufficient to preuent a mans owne death Sorowe I had rather dye then lyue thus Reason Howe knowest thou whether this lyfe whiche seemeth greeuous vnto thee be desired of many or enuied of the most But your impatiencye maketh all thynges more greeuous Sorow I desire to dye Reason As from the feareful to force the feare of death so to wreast from the desperate the hatred of lyfe is a hard matter Neuerthelesse this is the effect of our remedie to beare this lyfe with indifferencie and to looke for death valiantly Of Death The .cxix. Dialogue SOROWE I Dye Reason Now thou art come to the last cast nowe canst thou neyther feare death nor wyshe for it of both whiche thou hast alredie wearied me in many discourses next before written Hereafter thou shalt neyther be in sorowe nor in paine neyther be subiect to the defaultes of the body nor minde neyther shalt thou be wearied with the tediousnesse of any thing nor with sickenesse nor with olde age nor with deceites of men nor with the varietie of fortune al whiche yf they be euyl then is the ende of euyl good Not long since thou complaynedst of al these and nowe thou findest fault with the ende of them beware that thou seeme not iniurious for beyng sory for the begynning of a thing and the endyng of the same Sorowe I dye Reason Thou shalt walke the way of thy fathers or rather the broade and worne way of thy predicessors haddest thou rather that there shoulde happen vnto thee some peculiar accident I wote not what Goe forward on thy way thou needest not be a frayde of goyng amisse thou hast so many leaders and companions of thy iourney Sorowe Alas I dye Reason If there be any that hath cause to weepe when he dyeth he ought to be ashamed to haue laughed when he lyued knowyng that he had cause at hand and alwayes hanging ouer his head ful soone to make hym weepe whose laughter doubtlesse was not farre disioyned from weeping Sorowe I dye Reason He is not to be suffred that be waileth the estate of his owne kynde Thou shouldest not dye vnlesse thou were mortal But if thou be sorie because thou art mortal thou hast no cause to complayne when thou surceasest to be that which thou wast agaynst thy wyl Thou shouldest haue lamented at the begynnyng when thou beganst to be that whiche thou wouldest not but now thou oughtest to reioyce for that thou begynnest to be immortal Sorowe I dye Reason Al these that lately stoode about thy bed and moreouer al that euer thou hast seene or heard or read of and as many as euer thou wast able to knowe since thou wast borne as many as euer heretofore haue seene this lyght or shal hereafter be borne in al the worlde and to the worldes ende either haue or shal passe through this iorney Beholde in thy minde as wel as thou canst the long troupes of them that are gone before or of those that shal folowe hereafter and also the number not small of thy companions and coequales in yeeres who dye with thee euen at this presente and then I thinke thou wylt be ashamed to bewayle a common case with thy pryuate complayntes when as among so many thou shalt not finde one whom thou mayest enuie at Sorowe I dye Reason This is to be impassible and to goe about to shake of the yoake both of fortune and death a double great good whiche no prosperitie can geue vnto any lyuing creature Thinke with thy selfe howe many and howe great cares howe many paynefull traueyles there were remayning yet vnto thee yf thou lyuedst I say not an infinite lyfe but the space of a thousand yeeres when as there is alotted vnto thee a lyfe but onely of one dayes space wherein yf thou make an indifferent estimation thou shalt perceyue the toyles and wearisomenesse of this short transitorie and vncertayne lyfe and also thine owne greefes and vexations whiche thou hast susteyned Sorow I dye Reason In suche forte ye bewayle death as though lyfe were some great matter whiche yf it were then were the flyes and emmotes and spyders partakers of the same If lyfe were alwayes a commoditie then were death euermore a discommoditie whiche sometyme is founde to be a great benefite when as it delyuereth the soule from intollerable euyles or dischargeth or els preserueth the soule from sinne that is to come whiche is the greatest euyl of all But as vertue is onely a great thyng among you so yf this lyfe be considered by it selfe as it is it is the stoare house of innumerable miseries for the shuttyng vp whereof whoso is sorowfull the same taketh it not well that euyles doo surcease and hateth quyetnesse and he that coueteth the same it must needes be that he couet the ende of a payneful and troublesome lyfe Then yf there be noneother ende of toyles and euyles why doest thou weepe for it That day is nowe at hande which yf it were prolongued thou wouldest wyshe for it and perhaps suche is the worlde the power of fortune so great and her chaunces so variable that thou hast oftentymes alredie wished for it Sorowe I dye Reason Nay rather thou departest out of an earthly and transitorie house vnto the heauenly and euerlastyng habitation
seconde for that it is more tollerable to excuse an errour then to commende it But I reiecte them both because as for to answere when a man is called to obey with reuerence is prayse woorthie euen so without licence of the General to depart from the watch keeping of the body is to be counted hygh treason woorthie to be punished eyther with cruel banishment or with extreame torment Of purpose I repeate some thynges againe and agayne to the ende they may take the deeper roote for all these matters as I suppose are sufficiently discoursed in our communication going immediatly before Sorowe I dye Reason Rather thou payest tribute of thy fleshe and yeeldest thy duetie vnto Nature and anon thou shalt be a free man and therefore doo that willingly which of force thou art constrayned to doo and as one that is a verie good exhorter vnto death sayth Haue a desire to doo that which thou must needes doo There is no counsayle more profitable yea there is none other counsayle at all in tyme of necessitie Whatsoeuer a man doeth wyllyngly is made the more easie and tollerable and yf a wyll be adioyned it surceasseth longer to be a necessitie Sorowe Loe I dye Reason Loe the Lorde tarrieth for thee Make hast vnto hym doo neyther stumble nor stay lay away all dread suspition thou art not more deere to thy selfe then thou art to him and who wyl distrust when he is called by his freende and louer Perhappes hereafter thou wylt merueyle why thou fearest that whiche rather thou oughtest to haue wyshed for Now when thou art at libertie thou shalt knowe many thynges which when thou wast in prison thou couldest learne by no studie Insomuche that vnto them that are desirous to knowe the secretes and misteries of thynges whereunto your eyesyght can not pearce by meanes of the mortall vayle wherewith you are compassed round about for such verily is the naturall desyre of man but woorking most feruently in the studious and learned sort there is nothing as I iudge better then death nor that bryngeth a man more compendiously vnto his wyshed purpose Sorowe I dye Reason Nay rather thou sleepest and beyng wearie of this lyfe as I suppose thou takest now thy rest Sorow I dye Reason Depart into euerlasting rest for now thou beginnest to lyue A good death is the beginning of lyfe Of Death before a mans tyme The Cxx. Dialogue SOROWE BUT what sayest thou vnto it that I dye before my tyme Reason None dyeth before his tyme but all haue not one tyme limitted them alyke but rather as the noble Poet writeth Eche mans day stands prefixt vnto which when he is come then hath he attayned to the ende And because men can neither returne agayne nor stay where they are they must needes passe away Sorow I dye before my time Reason That myght be true yf thou dyddest owe a death agaynst a certayne day but the good and pure detter oweth it euery day and therefore let hym looke euery day for his creditours callyng vpon hym and alwayes haue that in a redinesse which he oweth For he is continually in det as long as he hath a mortal bodye he neede not to borowe nor to take vpon vsurie he hath that at home whiche he must pay Yea whyther so euer he goeth he carrieth with hym and hath that as it were in his hande wherwith to discharge hym selfe whiche when he hath payde he is then no longer indetted to Nature nor to any of the heauenly bodyes as the Poet Virgil sayeth Therefore leaue of this complaynte that can not be required before the day which is due euery day but rather geue thankes for that for the payment of this det thou needest neyther intreating nor yet to haue great riches of thine owne nor pawne nor vsurie which were the last woordes that euer that valiant vnknowen Spartane is reported to haue spoken most woorthie in deede to haue been knowen euen at that time when he was led to execution wherevnto he went without feare and couragiously by the losse of his lyfe to satisfie Lycurgus lawes Sorowe I dye before my tyme. Reason I vnderstand not what it is to dye before your time vnlesse it be ment as the common speech is before it be lyght or before the day breake which is a time most fit for the exercises of the minde soule which now thou art geuing ouer But in any other signification who is he that dyeth before his time when as in deede that is euery mans day wherein he dyeth and none other Sorowe I dye before my tyme. Reason Neyther before thy tyme nor after thy tyme but euen in thy very tyme shalt thou dye vnlesse thou take that for thy tyme which thou thy selfe not Nature nor Fortune hath prescribed But in trueth as thou canst not dye before thy tyme so canst thou not lyue after it Sorowe I dye before my tyme. Reason Who is he vnlesse he were madde that wyll complayne that he is loosed from his fetters and discharged out of prison before his tyme Truely he had more cause to reioyce in mine opinion yf this hapned sooner then his expectation but certaynely it hapneth not nor it can not happen so for euery thyng hath it owne tyme This was the appoynted tyme of thyne ende there dyd he constitute thy boundes who brought thee into the race of this lyfe If thou complayne of this ende thou mayest lykewyse as well complayne of any other Sorowe I dye soone Reason Thou wast soone borne he dyeth not soone that hath lyued tyll he is olde And yf thou haddest not lyued vntyll thou wast olde then remayned there another part of complaint Howbeit yf olde age be the last portion of a mans lyfe he must needes be fyrst olde whosoeuer dyeth But when I speake of olde age I meane it as the common people vsually take it for an heapyng vp of many yeeres together whiche not as other ages hath no ende but death onely Concernyng the beginnyng whereof there is great varietie of opinions but in consideration of the strength of those that growe olde and in respect of their bodyly health and the abilitie of their mindes easie enough to be reconciled To be short this is the conclusion of all that eyther thou surceasse to fynde fault with the hastinesse of death or to mislyke the troubles of a long lyfe whiche come by the deferryng of death But you beyng at contention within your selues are neyther willing to dye nor to waxe olde when as ye must needes doo both of them or at the leastwyse one of them Sorowe I myght haue lyued longer Reason Nay truely thou couldest not for yf thou myghtest verily thou haddest lyued longer but thou wouldest say I woulde fayne or I hoped to haue lyued longer for the mindes of mortall men are so desirous of lyfe and so readie to hope that in eyther I easily agree with thee But if thou wylt say I shoulde or
lyke wel of the saying of a certaine good fellowe of whom S. Augustine maketh mention whom beyng in extremitie of sichnesse when as his freendes comforted hym saying that he should not dye of that disease he answered Though I shal neuer dye wel yet because I must dye once why shoulde I not dye nowe Sorowe I dye my businesse beyng vnperfected Reason If thou cal to minde those that haue been most famous for wisedome or other notable exploites the most part of them haue dyed leauyng theyr woorkes vnfinished vnto verie fewe it hath hapned in this lyfe to bryng to perfect ende theyr conceyued and vndertaken attemptes But thou since that after the common manner of men thou hast throwen thy selfe into these difficulties and that which is past can not be called agayne take holde of this onely way and meane eftsoones to aduaunce thy selfe not lamentably and vaynely to looke backe vpon many imperfecte thynges but manly to goe through with that onely which remayneth that is to say to dye well Of a Violent death The Cxxj. Dialogue SOROWE BUT I dye a violent death Reason Euery death is violent vnto thee yf thou dye vnwillyngly but yf thou dye wyllyngly there is no death violent Sorowe I dye a violent death Reason If the strength of life be taken away what skylleth it whether it be by an ague or by the swoord And so that thou depart freely what maketh it matter whether the doores of thy bodily dungeon do open alone or be broken open Sorow I dye violently Reason There are many kyndes of deathes and but one death only whiche whether it be violent or not it lyeth in his handes that dyeth the greater force ouercommeth the lesser and consent quite extinguisheth it A wyse man commeth thus instructed that looke what he cannot withstande he consenteth vnto it But perhaps thou wylt say doest thou counsel me then to consent vnto hym that kylleth me Verily some haue not onely consented vnto them but also geuen them thankes yea there was suche an one founde as wyllingly excused the ignorance of his murtherers and at the very giuing vp of the ghost prayed for them But I am not she that commaund thee to agree vnto the fact of the bloudie butcher or cruel executioner but only vnto the inuincible necessitie of destinie whiche who so obeyeth not willyngly shal be brought thereunto by force Sorowe I dye by myne enimies hande Reason What didest thou suppose then that thou couldest dye by thy freendes hande whiche cannot possibly happen but vnwittingly Sorowe I dye by mine enimies hande Reason So shalt thou escape thine enimies handes For whyle he pursueth his wrath he prouideth for thy libertie and abateth his owne power and hath aucthoritie ouer thee no longer Sorowe I perysh by the hande of myne enimie Reason It is better to peryshe vnder an vniust enimie then vnder a iust Prince For in the one the murtherer is culpable and in the other the murthered is not gyltlesse Sorow I am slayne by the hand of myne enimie Reason What doth it touche thee more with what hande then with what swoorde thou art dispatched We speake not of the hande but of the wounde Howbeit Pompeius in Lucane seemeth to wyshe that he might be slayne by Caesars owne hande as a comfort in his death and also in Statius Capaneus comforteth Ipseus and in Virgil Aeneas Lausus and Camilla Ornithus for that they wer slayne by their handes Sorow I dye by the swoord Reason This fortune is common vnto thee with the greatest men forasmuch as most part of the worthiest men that eyther haue lyued in most blessed estate in this world or are nowe most holy fainctes in the euerlastyng kyngdome haue dyed by the sworde whom al yf I would vndertake to rehearse I should play the part rather of a long historician then of a short admonisher Sorowe I peryshe by the swoord Reason Dyuers diuersly haue come to their ende some by the halter some by a fal some by the Lyons clawes some by the wilde boares teeth many haue wanted a swoord beyng desirous to haue ended their lyues with a weapon Sorowe I am slayne with a swoord Reason Howe knowest thou whether thou shouldest escape to fal into greater destruction and that this death whiche thou thinkest to be most miserable be the eschuyng of a greater miserie I tolde thee before howe that Plotinus who next vnto Plato was the seconde glory of Philosophie was strooken with a pestilent leprosie But I recited not vnto thee hoowe that Euripides who immediatly after Homer was the seconde light of Greece for poetrie was torne in peeces by dogges Lucretius who among your countrey Poetes was next to the chiefe of whom Virgil was not ashamed to borowe so muche as he dyd drinking of a slabbersauce confectioned amorous cup fel into a sickenesse and extreame madnesse and in the ende was enforced in dispatche hymselfe with a swoord for remedie Herod kyng of Iudea dyed beyng beset with an armie of foule and loathsome diseases so that the more compendious and short way of diyng might be by hym enuied at as doubtlesse I thinke it was Hadrian that was Emperour of Rome beyng ouercome with the payne and tediousnesse of his sickenesse was wylling if it had been lawful to shorten the extremitie of his greefe by dynt of swoord It is reported howe that in our age there was a great personage consumed by woormes that issued out of al the partes of his body and another in lyke manuer deuoured by myse Among so many mockeries and infirmities of mans body who is so weake that yf he might haue his choyce woulde not rather desire to dye by the swoorde Sorowe I peryshe by fire Reason Some that supposed the soule to be of a firie force and â—aturâ— haue thought that to be the most easiest kinde of death Sorowe I am consumed with fire Reason Thy body by this meanes beyng delyuered from the wormes wil not putrifie Sorowe I am euer whelmed in water Reason A feast for the fishes and for thy selfe a place of burial large cleere and notable And what maketh it matter whether thou render vp thine earthen carcase to the earth or to the sea Sorow I dye in the sea Reason Not where but howe a man dyeth maketh to the purpose euery where a man may dye wel and euerywhere yll It is not in the place but in the minde that maketh the death happie or wretched Sorowe I peryshe in the sea Reason I knowe that many are perswaded that it is miserable to be drowned in water for that the ethereal and burnyng spirite seemeth to be ouercome by his contrarie but as I sayde before the place maketh nothyng but it is the minde that maketh all vnto the miserie And therefore I lyke very wel of the answere of a certayne sayler I wot not what he was of whom when on a tyme one demaunded where his father dyed he answeared vpon the sea Then demaundyng farther the lyke
of his graundfather and great graundfather great great graundfather receiuing the same answere concernyng them al at length he inferred and art not thou afearde then quoth he to goe to sea The sayler answeared dissemblingly I pray thee quoth he tell me also where thy father dyed In his bed answeared the other And where lykewyse thy graundfather Euen he sayde the ocher and my great grandfather and great great grandfather and al my auncetours dyed in their beddes The sayler answeared art not thou then afeard quoth he to goe into thy bed Trimly answeared truely and somewhat more then saylerlyke Concernyng the death therefore let nature looke to that whiche made men mortal and as touchyng the kynde of death the place and tyme let fortune vse her discretion Sorow I dye by poyson Reason I tolde thee whilere what notable companions thou hast herein whereas I entreated of this matter onely The swoord is a princely death but most of al poyson And to conclude it is a very ridiculus matter when thou hast determined of the death to be carefull of the instrumentes Of a shameful death The .cxxii. Dialogue SOROWE BUt my death is shameful Reason It is not the kynde nor qualitie of the death but the cause of the punishment that maketh it shameful Sorow I dye reprochefully Reason No good man dyeth yll no euyl man well It is not the pompe of buryal nor the attendance and waiting of seruantes and officers nor the ryche garmentes nor the spoyles of the enimies nor the shieldes and swoordes turned downe and dragged after nor the whole family mournyng for their maister nor the howlynges and outcryes of the common people nor the wyfe drenched in teares nor the chyldren with duetiful compassion resolued in sorowe nor the cheefe mourner who soeuer he be holdyng downe his head and walkyng before the corpes attired in blacke and wofully be dewing his face with stoare of bitter teares nor lastly the oratour or preacher in commendation of hym that is to be buryed nor the golden images and pictures wherewith to furnyshe the sepulcher nor the titles and stiles of hym that is dead whiche beyng engrauen in marble shal lyue vntyl suche tyme as though it be long first death also consume the stones themselues but it is vertue and the famous report of hym that hath deserued well and needeth not the brute of the common multitude but whiche sheweth it selfe in it owne maiestie and not whiche the headelong and blynde fauour of men but rather a long continuance in doing wel and an innocent lyfe hath procured and also the defence of trueth and iustice vndertaken euen to the death and moreouer a valiant minde and notable bouldnesse euen in the middes and thickest of deathes sharpest threatninges that maketh the death honest and honourable Agaynst which most honourable death what place remayneth there for reproch Or howe can he die shamefully that dyeth in such manner yea though there be prepared agaynst the body in slauish sore whippes roddes tormentes halters axes yea high gallowetrees wheeles set vpon the toppes of postes cartes with wild horses to teare the limmes of the body insunder adde moreouer fire fagot gridirons set vpon glowyng coales and caudrons sweatyng with hot scaldyng oyle the sharpe teeth of cruel wylde beastes whetted with hunger and lastly hookes and other engins to drag withal the mangled carcases about the streetes or whatsoeuer other villanie or reproche may be deuised or the lyuing or deade body be put vnto the death I say may happely seeme cruel but shameful it cannot be but rather many tymes the crueller it is the more glorious it is And therefore neyther the outward preparance for execution nor the thronging of the people nor the trumpets nor the terrible lookes of the hangmen and tormentours nor the wrathful voyce of the Tirant are any thing to the purpose But turne thee into thy selfe there seeke and awake thy selfe and with al the force of thy mynde that remayneth arme thy selfe agaynst the present extremitie withdrawe thyne eares from the odious noyse turne away thine eyes from the pompe and preparation for the execution and secretly gather togeather thy spirites and comfort thy soule within thee and examine the thinges themselues and not their shadowes And yf thou be able with ful sight to beholde death in the face I suppose thou shalt feare neyther swoord nor axe nor halter nor poysoned cuppes nor the hangmen dropping with goare blood for why it is a vayne thyng when thou contemnest thine enimie to be afeard of his furniture or ensignes Sorowe I am condemned to a shameful death Reason It hapneth many-tymes that the accuser is infamous and the wytnesses dishonest and the iudge obscure and the partie accused very noble and often the death is commonly accounted reprochful and he that dyeth honourable and glorious And to speake nothyng of any other for that there haue been to many suche alreadie and to much vnwoorthy of that ende what death was there euer more shameful then the death of the crosse Vpon whiche the most excellent and glorious lyght both of heauen and earth was hanged to the ende that thenceforth no state or condition of men whatsoeuer shoulde iudge it to be reprocheful And forasmuche as there is nothyng higher then the highest in this example onely I make an ende Vertue alone is able to make any kinde of death honest and there is no death that can blemishe vertue Of a suddayne death The .cxxiii. Dialogue SOROWE BVt I dye to suddeynly Reason It is not long since yf I forget not my selfe that thou sayest thou wast olde I meruayle then howe there can be any death suddayne to an olde man who vnlesse he doate or be mad hath death euermore before his eyes For since there is this wholsome counsel geuen to al ages that they perswade themselues that euery day is the last that they shall lyue it is most specially conuenient for olde age to thynke euery houre the last of their lyfe And not only not to hearken vnto that which is wrytten by Cicero There is no man so olde that thinketh not to lyue one yeere longer but not so muche vnto that which Seneca sayeth one day longer Sorow I dye suddaynly Reason In this case what shal I answere thee other then repeate that which that most mightie personage no lesse in wyt then great in fortune answeared scarse one whole day when he disputed thereof before his death as prophecying of the trueth thereof by reason of the neerenesse of the experience Who pronounced that a suddayne and vnprouided death was most to be wyshed Whiche iudgement seemeth to be dissonant from that religion whiche teacheth to pray with bowed knees vnto GOD euery day to be delyuered from this kynde of death Neyther do I lyke of this opinion where there is otherwyse choyse and libertie but thou must in other manner perswade thyselfe for I say not that it is
such a death as thou oughtest to wyshe for but suche an one as thou mayest wel endure For this is a cleare case that vnto a wyse man and one that foreseeth a far of al thynges that are lyke to ensue there can nothyng happen vnlooked for Whereupon it foloweth that death cannot come vnto hym vnprouided for whose lyfe was alwayes prouident for how should he be negligent in the greatest thinges that was wount to demurre in small yea the least thynges And in al worldly thynges what canst thou shewe me that is greater then death or comparable vnto it Sorowe I dye most speedily Reason So that the death be not vnthought vpon the speedier the easier it is and yf there be any payne in it it is very short and the speedinesse thereof preuenteth the feelyng of it and so that is taken away from death whiche is most greeuous in death to wyt the feare of death Of one that is sicke out of his owne countrey The .cxxiiii. Dialogue SOROW. I Am sicke in a strainge countrey Reason What skylleth it whose countrey it be the sickenesse thou art sure is thine owne Sorowe Thou mockest me I am sicke out of mine owne countrey Reason He that is out of his owne countrey is surely in some other for none can be sicke or whole out of al countreyes Sorow Thou seekest delayes in wordes but I am sicke out of my countrey Reason In this miserie thou gainest this one commoditie that thou hast none to trouble thee nor to lye vpon thy bed not thine importunate wyfe nor thy sonne who woulde both be careful for them selues and carelesse of thee Howe often thinkest thou hath the wyfe to her husband and the sonne to the father and one brother to another when they haue lien in extremitie of death throwne a pillowe ouer their mouthes and holpen to set them packyng whiche a stranger would not haue done nor haue suffered to be done by others Many tymes there is most loue where it is lesse looked for and there none that are about thee wylbe glad of thy sickenesse or wyshe for thy death And shall I tel thee the cause why There is none there that looketh for thine inheritance none commit any wickednesse but they are moued thereunto by hope or desire which quietnesse wherein thou art nowe would not haue hapned vnto thee in thine owne countrey For many vnder the colour of goodwyl woulde flocke about thee and gape after thy burial whiche conceit vnlesse I be much deceiued is a seconde sickenesse to him that is sicke alreadie when he shal perceiue himselfe beset rounde about at the one side with woolfes and at the other with rauens whiche in their mindes come to pray on the carcase Sorowe I am sicke out of my countrey Reason Howe knowest thou that Perhaps thou returnest nowe into thy countrey for the readiest and shortest way for a man to returne into his countrey is to dye Sorowe I am sicke out of my countrey Reason O the needelesse alwayes and vayne cares of men and fond complayntes as though out of a mans owne countrey his ague were fiercer or his gout more intollerable Al this whiche seemeth euyl consisteth in your owne wyl and lyeth in your owne power lyke as other plagues and mischeefes do whatsoeuer a false opinion hath engendred in your mindes Of one that dyeth out of his owne cuntrey The .cxxv. Dialogue SOROWE I Dye out of my natiue countrey Reason Doth this happen vnto thee beyng a traueiler or a banished man For whether thou madest thine aboade in this countrey for studie sake or for religion thou hast cause to reioyce that death hath taken thee in an honest deede or in a iust condemnation and thou oughtest to take it not onely valiantly but also willingly For the wyckednesse of an vnryghteous person is by no meanes better purged then by wyllyng and patient suffryng of punishment But yf it be long of the iniurie of some mightie enimie neuerthelesse thou must not be sorie for it and as for banishment I suppose we haue disputed sufficiently of it alreadie Sorowe I dye out of my countrey Reason This I sayd euen nowe is to returne into thy cuntrey there is no streighter path nor readier way Hast thou forgotten hudemus of Cyprus that was familiar with Aristotle of whom Aristotle hymselfe and also Cicero wryteth Who on a tyme beyng very sicke in Thessalia dreamed that he should recouer very shortly and after fiue yeeres expired returne into his countrey that the Tyrant of the same citie where at that tyme he soiourned whose name was Alexander Phaereus shoulde dye shortly But when after a fewe dayes beyng restored vnto his despaired health and the Tyrant slayne by his owne kinsfolke thinking his dreame to be true in al poyntes at the tyme limitted he looked also to returne into his Countrey at the ende of the fyfth yeere he was slayne in fyght at Syracuse and this sayd the Interpretours of dreames was the meanes of the returnyng into his Countrey that there myght be no part of the dreame false What myne opinion is concernyng dreames I haue declared elsewhere alreadie and nowe I haue vttered what came into my mynde of this returnyng into a mans Countrey Sorowe I am compelled to dye out of my Countrey Reason When I entreated of exile then sayd I which nowe I repeate agayne that eyther none or all dye out of theyr Countrey The learned holde opinion that euery part of the worlde is a mans Countrey specially to hym that hath a valiant minde whom any priuate affection hath not tyed to the liking of this place or that and othersome call that a mans Countrey where he is wel and lyueth in good case And contrariwyse some say that a man hath heere no speciall Countrey at all The fyrst is a common doctrine but this last a poynt of hygher Philosophie Sorowe I dye farre from my Countrey in which I was borne Reason But that is more truely thy Countrey where thou dyest The same shall possesse thee longer and not suffer thee to wander abroade but keepe thee within it for a perpetuall inhabitaunt for euer Learne to lyke of this Countrey that wyll enfranchize thee into it selfe wheresoeuer otherwyse thou were borne Sorowe I must dye and be buried farre out of myne owne Countrey Reason Those heauenly and diuine men lykewyse whom one age and the selfe same middle part of the worlde brought foorth are dispersed ouer all partes of the worlde as well in theyr deathes as burialles Ephesus keepeth one and Syria another and Persis another and Armenia another and Aethiopia another and India another and Achaia another and Rome othersome and the farthest part of Spayne another neuerthelesse it is reported that some of them after theyr death were carried away and translated from the places where they dyed vnto certayne Cities of Italy I speake of the earthly part of them but as for theyr spirituall part doubtlesse it is long since that
they possessed the kyngdome of heauen Sorowe I must needes dye out of my Countrey Reason What shall I speake of men of a meaner degree One that was remooued fyrst from Stridon Bethleem and afterwarde Rome receyued Fraunce another from Pannonia and Parris another from Athens and Rome another from Greece and Spayne and Millaine another from Rome lyuing and the same when he was dead Sardinia from Africa and shortly after Ticinum from Sardinia two most bryght shining streames of the East march in merites and ioyned in minde and neere in bodye Who they be that I speake of thou knowest and therefore in makyng hast I ouerpasse many thynges But that thou mayest not want also an example of the thyrde sorte Cyprus receyued one from the land of Palestine and Campania another from Nursia Spaine this one and Italie that other and Bononie one and Padua another Sorowe I vnderstande well all that euer thon meanest notwithstandyng vnwillingly doo I dye farre from my Countrey Reason And truely I vnderstande the very cause hereof to wit for that the most sacred spirites and mindes which alwayes haue their affections fixed in heauen haue no care at all of their earthly Countrey which care thou hast not yet layd aside but truely beleeue mee yf thou hope after heauen thou must needes lay it asyde indeede Neuerthelesse I wyll entreate of others that were louers of vertue and mindfull of heauen and yet not through their loue of heauen altogether forgetful of the earth The boanes of Pythagoras of Samos Metapontus dyd couer Cicero whom Arpine brought foorth and Rome dyd nourysh the bay of Caieta sawe dead Plinie whom the riuer Athesis washed when he was an infant the ashes of the mount Veseuus couered when he was olde Mantua brought Virgil into the worlde Brundusium or as other some write Tarentum plucked hym away and now Naples holdeth hym Sulmo framed the Poet Ouid but his exile in Pontus disolued him Carthage as it is reported brought forth Terence the Comike Poet but Rome taught him and Arcadia buried him Apulia sent foorth Horace the Poet and Calabria Ennius and the Prouince of Narbona Statius and Vasconia Ausonius Corduba the three Annei or as some say foure to wit the two Senecaes and Gallio and the Poet Lucan And al these ouer besides Plautus of Arpine and Lucillus of Arunca and Pacuuius of Brundusium Iuuenal of Aquinum and Propertius of Vmbria Valerius of Antium and Catullus of Verona and Varrus of Cremona and Gallus of Forli and Actius of Pisaurum Cassius of Parma Claudianus of Florence Persius of Volaterrae a thousand moe hath Rome receiued and for the most part buried only Titus Liuius of Padua with muche adoo was restored vnto his Countrey to be enterred and so contrariwise Rome hath bread many that haue dyed and ben buried in other places The whole world is in manner of a narrow house fouresquare wherein men passe from one extremitie to another and in the one is life and in the other death Men of valiant courage esteeme of it for none other cause then for the varietie of the vse thereof as it were to goe out of a cold bath into a stone or to chaing out of a winter chamber into a summer lodging This chaing and varietie namely to be borne in one place and buried in another is common among al men specially the more noble for t Sorowe I knowe it is so yet I dye sorowfully out of myne owne Countrey Reason Thou shouldest dye no more merily in that Countrey which thou callest thyne but ye geue your selues ouer to teares and seeke causes to lament and be sorie as yf ye tooke pleasure in them But yf the examples of holy learned and discrete pouertie can not discharge thy minde hereof which is infected with the errours of the vulgare multitude I wyll alleage them that haue been more fortunate in proouing that this which troubleth thee hath hapned to the most famous Captaynes Dukes Kynges and Emperours so that I wyll see whether thou wylt refuse that fortune which may befal to a man. Sorowe Whom thou wylt speake of and alleage I knowe well enough but what neede many woordes I am sorie to dye out of my Countrey the place encreaseth the greefe of my death Reason I perceiue thou refusest to be cured yet wyll I proceede but with how good effect that looke thou vnto as for me it shall suffice to vtter the trueth and geue thee faythfull warnyng Alexander was borne at Pella slayne at Babylon and his ashes buried at Alexandria a Citie called after the name of the founder The other Alexander was brought vp in the Princes Palace of Epirus and drowned in the Riuer Lucanus Kyng Cyrus was borne in his Kyngdome of Persis and slayine and mangled in Scythia Rome and the whole Romane Empire had in admiracion Marcus Crassus and Pompeius the great which as it was able to beare the greatnesse of them whyle they lyued so yf Fortune had so suffered it had been sufficient to haue receyued theyr ashes but the one was couered with earth in Assyria beyonde Euphrates the other ouerwhelmed in the Channell of the Aegyptian streame Vnto the latter Cato the Citie of Rome gaue both begynnyng and name but Vtica brought both ende and surname The Cornelii Scipioes Rome procreated most noble and profitable members of the Common-wealth by whom it had been often saued and adorned whom notwithstanding their destinies so dispersed that those two which are called the great were entombed both in Spanish moulde and the elder Africane at Linternum and Nasica at Pergamus and Lentulus within Scicil dwelling al in seuerall and disioyned graues Of all this number only Asiaticus and Africanus the younger lye buried at Rome who perhaps had lyen better in any banishment whatsoeuer for the fyrst was punyshed by imprisonment the other by death And thus many tymes it happeneth that a man may lyue better and dye better in any other place then in his owne Countrey and lye nowhere harder then at home The three Deci although the common report make mention but of twayne dyed valiantly out of theyr owne Countrey the Father fyghting with the Latines the Sonne with the Hetrurians and the Nephew as Cicero addeth with Pyrrhus To what purpose shoulde I nowe rehearse in order as they come to my minde woorthie Captaynes and Princes whiche were all borne at Rome and dyed elsewhere Africa behelde Attilius Regulus howe muche the more cruelly so muche the more gloriously dying both for the preseruyng of his Countrey and also of his fayth and credite with his enimie and in the next war followyng Cortona sawe Caius Flaminius and Cumae Paulus Aemilius and Venusia Claudius Marcellus and Lucania Tiberius Gracchus lying dead it was the fortune of none of these to dye at Rome Two noble Gentlemen of great hope and expectation in the Romane Commonwealth were cut of in the very floure of their youth Drusus and Marcellinus
who although they returned both into their Countrey yet dyed they both farre from their Countrey Drusus in Germanie and Marcellinus in Baion And tell me nowe are thou prouder then Tarquinius or myghtier then Sylla Yet the fyrst of these dyed a bannished man at Cumae the other beyng a great Lorde gaue vp the ghost at Puteoli What shall I speake of men of meaner degree Augustus Caesar who was called Father of his Countrey dyed out of his Countrey at Nola in Campania Tyberius that was vnlyke in Manners but equall in Empire deceassed at Misenum in Campania Vespasian and Titus two most excellent Princes as it well became the father and the sonne dyed in one Village yet without of the Citie of Rome â–ª though not farre But â—raian being borne in the West part of the worlde dyed in the East Septimus Seuerus came but of a base parentage in Africa and had a proude Empire at Rome â–ª and was buried at Yorke in Englande Theodosius that was borne in Spayne and dyed at Millain Constantinople receyued whiche Citie also had in it before the founder thereof beyng of the same name but borne in another place What shall I neede to recite others Lycurgus who fledde from Sparta Creta receyued which long before had seene Kyng Saturne bannished out of his Kyngdome and flying from his sonne and hearde howe he hyd hym selfe in the confines of Italie and was there buried A poore graue of Bithynia couereth Hannibal the lyght of all Africa Theseus Themistocles and Solon the three Diamondes of all Athens were so scattered by Fortune that the fyrst was buried in Syria the seconde in Persis and the thyrde in Cyprus in farre vnfitte Graues for so woorthie Carcasses The day woulde sooner fayle mee then matter yf I shoulde stande to reporte euery example But my purpose was not to weerie thee with Histories but onely to instructe thee Sorowe I vnderstande thy meanyng and I confesse that all these and as many moe as thou canst recken dyed out of theyr Countreyes in deede but I denie that it was with their wylles but rather I suppose to theyr great greefe Reason Whereby speakest thou this but onely for that all fooles iudge other lyke them selues and thynke that to be impossible for others to doo which they them selues can not attayne to And perhappes thou hast hearkened to the olde prouerbe It is good to lyue abrode in strange Countries but yll to dye there when as in deede they are both good so that they be orderly doone with patient forbearyng and comlinesse but both euyl yf they be yll handled lamentably and without discretion I wyll tell thee that which thou wylt marueyll at and is quite repugnant to the olde prouerbe If there be any iust occasion to complayne of the cause I had rather impute the same to the lyuyng whom perhaps in some respect it may concerne then hym that lyeth a dying who hath now no regarde of any place seeyng that he is vpon departyng from all places Sorowe Somewhat thou moouest my minde neuerthelesse I am yet desirous to dye in my Countrey Reason The wyll of man vnlesse it be bridled by vertue and wysedome of it selfe is wylde and vnreclaymed And yf thou consider of the matter deepely thou wylt confesse that none of all this appertayneth vnto thee seeyng that thou thy selfe canst remayne heere no longer nor thy boanes retayne any sense after thy deceasse to discerne where thou myghtest haue lyen harder or softer and also vnto that place whyther thou departest which had been the shorter or easier way When Anaxagoras lay a dying in a farre forraine Countrey and his freendes demaunded of hym whether after his death he woulde be carried home into his owne natiue soyle he answeared very finely saying that it shoulde not neede and he added the cause why for that the way to Heauen is of lyke distaunce from all places Whiche answeare serueth as well for them that goe downe to Hell as for those that goe vp to Heauen Sorowe I woulde GOD I myght dye at home Reason If thou were there perhappes thou wouldest wyshe thy selfe in another place perswade thy selfe so Learne to doo that dying whiche thou oughtest to haue doone lyuyng An hard matter it is for you O ye mortall men to beare your selues vpryghtly ye are so dayntie and faultfyndyng euermore makyng none account of that whiche ye haue and alwayes iudging best of that whiche ye want Sorowe O that I myght dye at home Reason Peraduenture thou shouldest see many thynges there that woulde make thy death more greeuous vnto thee for whiche cause thynke that thou art remooued to the intent that all other cares beyng set apart thou myghtest onely thynke vpon GOD and thyne owne soule Of one that dyeth in Sinne. The Cxxvj. Dialogue SOROWE I Oye in sinne Reason This is neyther Natures nor Fortunes but thyne owne fault Sorowe I dye in sinne Reason Fyrst who enforced thee to commit sinne And next who forbydde thee to bewayle it when it was committed And last of all who letteth thee from repentyng though it be late fyrst For vnto the last gaspe the spirite and minde is free Sorowe Whyles I am dying I carrie my sinnes with mee Reason Beware thou doo not so lay downe that venemous and deadly carriage whyle thou hast tyme and there is one that wyll take it away and blotte it out accordyng as it is written and wyll cast it behynde his backe into the bottome of the Sea and wyll abandon it as farre from thee as the East is distant from the West If thou neglect this houre when it is once past it wyll neuer returne agayne Whith qualitie although it be common to all houres that alwayes they passe away and neuer returne yet many tymes that which hath been omitted in one houre may be perhappes recouered in another but yet the neglectyng of the last houre of a mans lyfe is irrecurable And therefore as some report it to be found in the secret disputations of the soule the errours of this lyfe are as it were softe falles vpon the playne grounde after which a man may soone ryse vp agayne but the sinne vnto death is compared vnto a greeuous fall from some hygh and craggie place after which it is not possible to aryse any more the hurt therein taken is so great that it can not be salued Wherefore helpe thy selfe nowe whyle thou mayest and call to remembraunce not onely what your owne writers say but also what Cicero counselleth who in his woorke de Diuinatione of Diuination disputing of those that are dying Doo thou cheefely quod he studie to winne commendation and thynke that they which haue lyued otherwyse then they ought doo most bitterly repent them of their sinnes What I pray thee coulde be vttered by any man more religiously or profitably yf so be that be followed which is commaunded and thou repent thee though it be late fyrst A difficult and dangerous matter it is truely to
deferre the tyme which hath deceyued very many who wittingly and willingly put of the clensing of their soules which can not be doone too speedily from day to day and alwayes adiourne it vnto their latter tyme in which beyng suddenly taken short and amazed with the neerenesse of death they leaue all vndoone whatsoeuer they determined Concernyng which matter forasmuche as your writers haue sayde very muche it shall not be impertinent to heare what the Poet Virgil sayeth who is an externall witnesse with what woordes he reprooueth this slouthfulnesse and negligence in repentance which to come foorth of his mouth is woonderfull whereas among the infernal Spirites he bryngeth in hym to be a Iudge whose vpryghtnesse and equitie is verie famous Who as he sayeth Examineth the Ghostes and punisheth them and constrayneth them to confesse their deceiptes and also if there be any such that whyle they lyued vpon the earth reioyced in vaine thefte differred to repent them thereof vntil they dyed which was too late And albeit this be so dangerous as I haue declared notwithstanding there is nothing more perilous then Despaire neither hath the enimie of your saluation founde out any thing more hurtfull to your good estate For al other mischeefes are asswaged by their peculiar remedies but of al eulles this is the greatest and last of all whiche yf it take holde of the soule when it is departyng then is there no place left for recouerie The same therefore alwayes but specially in the ende ought most earnestly be resisted for that then it vseth to vrge most sharpely And nowe there is no tyme left for thee wherein by staggeryng or trifling thou reiect wholesome counsel concernyng thy saluation From this let no feare dryue thee nor the shame and sorowe of differringe withholde thee it is better to awake late at nyght then not at al and what soeuer is ill differed is woorse omitted Sorowe I dye without al hope Reason Thou sayest yll rather plucke vp hope agayne and lay it to thy hart and embrace it coll it and keepe it with the armes of thy soule Sorowe My sinne is exceedyng great Reason Nâ—mans sinne can be so great but Gods mercie is muche greater Sorow Who is able to forgeue so many sinnes Reason Who thinkest thou but he onely at whom his enimies woonderyng contended among themselues and demaunded Who is this that forgeueth sinnes also Sorow Who is able to merite forgeuenesse of so great sinnes Reason None truely can deserue nor neuer deserued neuerthelesse it hath freely been geuen to many and shal be geuen hereafter so that it be craued by fayth and reuerence There were some that went about to perswade Constantinus the Emperour that there was no forgiuenesse of great sinnes But that this doctrine is false it appeareth not onely by your wryters among whom the remission of sinnes by baptisme and repentance is wel knowen but also the lyke report though false was amonge the Pagans towardes the curyng of whose diseases that medicine was then without effect for that the heauenly Phisition was not yet come And therefore vnlesse the soule coulde haue been clensed from sinne and the iniquitie thereof washed away that same most greeuous sinner at the first and afterward most gooly man had prayed ful oft in vayne Sorow The remembrance of my sinne cutteth of my hope Reason The remembrance of sinne ought to bryng sorowe and repentance into the mynde but not take away hope But ye are to muche in extremities on al sides In sinne burnyng after sinne key colde In sinning ye reioyce and in remembryng sinne ye despayre Many euerywhere offend in hope of pardon and on the otherside not fewe when they haue sinned despayre of forgiuenesse and both fortes are deceiued And I woulde geue them counsel for the first sort at the begynnyng to abandon that hurtful hope and for the second to reteine fruitefull assurednesse Sorowe Death dryueth me foorth headlong that am laden with sinnes what shal I do Reason What other then that whiche thou shouldest haue done ere this That is to say with speede laye downe thine vnhappie burden whereof beyng lyghtened thou shalt goe playnely and not runne headlong Thou shalt goe I say not stouping nor stumblyng but with vpryght and steadie steppes and a good hope Goe to then deferre no longer tyme nor distrust not for there is one yf thou do hartily entreathym that wyl take it from thy shoulders and hath taken away heauier then this vnto whom there is nothyng heauie nor difficult And although that long delay do want excuse yet late amendement deserueth commendation for that it is better to amend late then neuer Be of good cheare and plucke vp thy hart a fewe godly and feruent teares haue called many backe euen from hel gates He standeth freendly at thy beddes heade who not onely answeared the infected that he would clense hym but also commaunded hym that had been buried foure dayes to ryse out of his graue And nowe lykewyse he attendeth to see yf thou wylt be cleered and raysed vp agayne beyng as louing and mercyfull at this present as he was then and also as myghtie as euer he was It lyeth yet in thy power in what state thou wylt dye thou mayest yet depart without sinne not that thou haddest none but that henceforward it shal not be imputed vnto thee And although that Plinius the younger holde opinion that ouer sinnes that are past God hath no power at all but onely to make them be forgotten neuerthelesse he hath also the myght to take them a way whiche that most curious man dyd not perceyue And therefore although that whiche is done cannot be vndone agayne neuerthelesse the sinne that sprang by the doyng may be in suche sort taken away that it remayne no longer so that it come to passe accordyng as it is wrytten Sinne shal be sought for and not be founde Not that the power of man is suche that he can lose hymselfe from the bandes of sinne but in that vnto the godly and wel disposed wyl of man and his coutrite heart the present asistance of God is neuer wanting Of one dying that is careful what shalbecome of his inheritance and children The Cxxvii Dialogue FEARE WHat shal I hope of mine inheritance and chyldren Reason Thyne inheritance shal haue owners and thy chyldren their fortune Feare What shal become of my great ryches Reason Thynke not that thine heire wyl thynke them to great There were neuer any ryches so great but they seemed to lytle in some respect But concernyng these let her looke vnto them who tumbleth and tosseth your goodes whiche ye esteeme so deerly hyther and thyther most vncertaynely Feare What wyl my chyldren doo Reason When their earthly father hath forsaken them the heauenly father wil receyue then into his protection who wyl not leaue them as thou doest nor make them Orphanes and fatherlesse chyldren But he wyl nouryshe and instruct them from their youth so that they
estate this man forsaking the sleppes of so many his auncetours predecessours hauing defiled the Commonwealth with his short and filthy gouernment or rather tyrannie at last came to a miserable but for his desartes a woorthy end the whole contempt mockerie of the common people being turned vpon him But long before al these Scipio that was the sonne of Scipio Africanus the great adopted vnto him selfe to the honour of his familie the second thunderbolt of the Punike war and hammer of the citie of Carthage by special ordinance appointed to that purpose that the same citie which the grandfather had shaken the nephew should ouerthrow as Florus the Historician sayeth being translated from the stock of Aemilia into the familie of Cornelia no small glory confesse and yet the last of them both Hereby thou seest that neither thou nor any Prince can lacke a sonne or rather that which is best of al they that are good can not lacke a good choise which if it please thee to make perhaps it wil geue thee such an one as thy wife wyl not bring thee the like being losed from the bandes of marriage shalt possesse the desired effect and end of matrimonie In such sort doth the law prouide for the defectes of Nature Sorow How shal I now dispose of my house since that I die without children Reason Do not refuse this great occasion of wel deseruing and commendation which is now as it were throwen into thy lap and that which thou determinest to bestowe vpon thy children who peraduenture would be vnthankful for it or wickedly hoorde it vp or els as it is the custome of either sort of these to conuert it to vngodly vses or rather in very short tyme or waste consume al most prodigally employ thou more cōmendably more profitably more durably Attalus that was king of Pergamus by his testament made the people of Rome his heire not being poore nor needefull of it who also were sshortly after corrupted with the wanton wealth of Asia But I wyl tel thee of another people to whom thou mayest leaue thy goodes On the one side of thee standeth a route of thy freendes kinsfolke at the other a rabble of poore people out of both which thou art permitted to adopt chyldren The one sort of these when thou art gone wyll deteyne the sweete remembraunce of thee in theyr mindes the other preuent thee with their godly prayers vnto the place whyther thou art nowe passing insomuch as looke what thou bestowest vpon them here thou shalt receiue an hundred fold there which is a large interest a most assured prouision for them that are vpon the poynt to passe that way Sorow I die without a sonne Reason What if thou haddest many wouldest thou then chose one of them to be the keeper of thy house and money which shal be thine no longer Or wouldest thou appoint one of them to be thy Champion in the conflict pangues of death beyng hym selfe also mortall or els to wayte vpon thee to thy graue for farther none of all thy freendes wyl folowe thee more then Metellus freendes followed hym The way is but short from the death bed to the graue and what skilleth it whether thou lye alone here or there These are but friuolous and vaine causes truely to wysh for sonnes and yf in them moreouer as the vulgare speeche is thou hopedst to haue thy name preserued and continued thou wast also vulgarly deceiued For doubtlesse for the most part suche is the obscurenesse of the children generally to be found that they are not able to beautifie nor to keepe vp their fathers name But the rare nobilite of the sonnes as alwayes it maketh the sonnes them selues honourable so for neerenesse sake sometyme it couereth and obscureth the parentes euen as the Sunne doth the lesser Starres which is in none seene more euidently then in Iulius Caesars father whom his sonnes bryghtnesse made almost vnknowen And to be short whosoeuer reposeth the trust of his name in his sonne he putteth a slender and slipperie substance into a rotten and cracked earthen vessell and which is more foolysh that is none of his owne a thyng truely more accounted of among the common multitude then of the learned and yet contemned of neyther Howbeit this hope were more commendably and assuredly layde vp in their sounde and vncorruptible vessels to wit in their owne vertue notable deedes and learning Sorowe I dye without chyldren Reason Thou hast none to diuide thy care vpon thyne attendaunce is fixed only on thy selfe so that thou maiest depart with more readinesse and libertie respectyng thy selfe and consideryng thine owne estate how miserable or happie thou shalt die And further thou diest not in an vncertayntie whether thy miserie be augmented or felicitie abated by the dishonour or vertue of another Although some others be of another opinion to accord with whom I finde my selfe more wyllyng notwithstandyng it hath seemed true for the most part vnto Philosophers of great skil that the fathers estate concernyng miserie or happinesse is varied by the euent of the chyldren Truely it is a weake good thyng that streatcheth vnto fortune that shal befal hereafter and dependeth vpon anothers estate Whiche opinion if we do admit what may be concluded thereon thou knowest for it is out of al doubt that many had departed in more happie estate if they had dyed without chyldren Of one dying that feareth to be throwne foorth vnburied The Cxxxii. Dialogue FEARE I Shal be throwen foorth vnburyed Reason Enuiest thou the birdes or the beastes or the fishes And yf thou be afearde of them take order that thou mayest haue one appoynted to keepe thee or a staffe layde by thee to dryue them away from thy carcasse Feare Thou doest iest at my miserie for truely I shal feele nothyng Reason Why then doest thou feare that which thou shalt not feele If thou couldest feele it thou wouldest lyke wel of it for to burie one that feeleth is to kyl him Feare I shal lye vnburied Reason If the earth presse not thee thou shalt presse the earth if the earth couer thee not heauen wyll Thou knowest the olde saying Him heauen hides that hath none other graue And very wel knowen is this other most common speech also To lacke a graue is but a slender losse so slender a losse indeede that there is none more slender Feare I shal lye vnburied which is a woful thyng to be spoken Reason I know not what to be spoken but truely in effect a very trifle beleeue me it is muche more tollerable for a man to be throwne out of his graue then to be turned out of his bed or apparrel Feare I I shal lye vnburied whiche is a filthie sight Reason Filthie perhaps vnto others but nothing at al vnto thee It is the general opinion of al learned men and experience also confirmeth no lesse that all manner of buriall was deuised not so