is ordeyned for the wicked he would set all his care in seeking howe to please and obeye him which hath honoured him with so manifolde blessinges And this is the verye trewe cause that we so much lament their follye and miserie which doe euer deferre the amendment of their disordered life proceeding onely from their infidelitie and want of beleeuing of the threatninges of the iudgementes of God who will render to euery man according to his workes to whose selfe we must render account of all our ydle woordes thoughtes and affections Moreouer euery one knoweth that the houre of death is vncertaine and we indifferently see the young dye as well as the olde and that nothing is more common than suddaine death the which caused the great Philosopher Demonax to warne the Emperour Adrian and such as liued at their ease in no wise to forget howe in verye short time they should be no more And an other did often times put Kinge Philip in minde that he should remember he was a man And the Emperour Maximilian the firste did alwaies cause to be caried about with him among his robes whatsoeuer was necessarie for his buriall as one that was alwayes booted and readie to depart We must not excuse our selues with the patience bountie and mercie of God except we be determined to amende and thereby be drawen to repentance so much commaunded in the holy scriptures but still be afrayde of his iudgementes and call to minde that which is so often written that neither the vnrighteous neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor wantons nor buggerers nor theeues nor couetous nor dronkardes nor raylers nor extortioners nor murtherers nor gluttons nor such as are full of wrath Enuie contentions seditions or heresies shall inherite the kingdome of God And euery one shal reape what himself hath sowen And Saint Paule addeth that they which are of Christe haue crucified the fleshe togeather with the affections and concupiscence thereof Therefore Ecclesiasticus exhorteth vs to make no tarrying to turne vnto the Lorde and not to put off from day to day for suddenly shall the wrath of the Lorde breake foorth and in our securitie we shall be destroyed and perish in time of vengeance And the wisedome of God in the beginning of the preuerbes of Salomon doth amplye exhort vs to receaue in dewe time his correction not to reiect his councell and that the foolish are slayne thorough their ease but he which will obey shall dwel surely and rest without feare of euill Let vs consider that the most iust GOD doth recompence the good and punish the wicked and payeth not euerie night nor euerye Saterdaye but as Valerius sayeth counterpeaseth the slackenesse of his deferred punishment by the greeuousnes thereof when it commeth And the afflictions of this present time sent vnto the good to containe them in their dewtie are not worthie of the glorie which shalbe shewed vnto vs as S. Paul sayth And all the delights and pleasures of this life are turned into sowernesse and it is the act of a Christian to looke that at the houre of his death he runne to none but to God and himselfe nor take care of ought else For we shall haue enough to doe without taking such carke and care for the affayres of this world and to premeditate thereof giueth great aduantage Our sauiour in Saint Luke sayde vnto him which still delighteth himselfe in heaping vppe of riches O foole this night will they fetch away thy soule from thee then whose shall those thinges bee which thou hast prouided The prophetes and Apostles very often admonyshed vs to amende while there is time to the ende we should not tarrie vntill the gates of repentance were fast locked vp and barred The which our Sauiour would also teach vs by the parable of the foolishe virgins who were suddenly surprised and shutte out of the hall where the bridegrome made his feaste to the ende that after the confession of our sinnes we might runne to the promises and mercie of God and dispose our selues to a newe and holy life Isaiah warneth vs to seeke the Lorde while he may be founde and to call vpon him while he is neere and it is to be feared if we ouer slippe the oportunitie least hee will leaue vs. And if suche as search the riches and vanities of the worlde forget nothinge which may further them I praye you with what feruentnesse ought we to search God and our saluation Let vs take heede least that reprooche in Isayah be not cast in our teeth I haue spredde out my handes all the day vnto a rebellious people And Ieremiah writeth Thou hast striken them but they haue not sorrowed thou hast consumed them but they haue refused to receiue correction they haue made their faces harder than a stone and haue refused to returne For this cause Saint Paule to the Hebrewes putteth them in minde of that in the 95. Psalme To day if you will heare my voyce harden not your heartes The accustoming of our selues to sinne and the examples of other greatly harme vs. For when men see the elder sort to fayle then doth youth take example thereby and being ill brought vs followeth the same trayne all the rest of their life But by little and little this custome must be changed nothing is so hard as Seneca saith but the vnderstāding of man surmounteth it and is able to attayne what euer it seeketh Let vs call to minde what God sayth in Isayah Your refuge in falshoode shall be made voyde your couenaunt with death shall be disanulled and your agreement with hell shall not stande when a scourge shall runne ouer and passe thorough then shall yee be trodde downe by it Nowe therefore be no mockers Hearken ye and heare my voyce Hearken ye and heare my speeche And he sayeth in Ieremie Giue glorie to the Lorde your God before he bringe darkenesse and or euer your feete stumble in the darke mountaynes and whyles you looke for light hee turne it into the shadowe of death and make it as darkenesse Can the Blacke More change his skinne or the Leoparde his spottes Then may ye also doe good that are accustomed to doe euill We must then vndertake the good way guyded thereunto thorough the assistaunce of God and what diffycultie soeuer we finde yet to striue to come to our pretended ende and wee shall finde the pathes of iustice pleasant and easie We reade in hystories that sundrie Pagans haue ouercome their euill and naturall inclination and what ought a Christian to doe If riches honours and pleasures slacke vs let vs call to minde the sundrie threatninges in the holy scriptures agaynst the riche the proude and ambitious and haue all our owne greatnesse in suspition and enioy all thinges as not possessing them and let it be the least parte of our care the affayres of
smoke and mystes of choler truth can not be discerned from falsehood Alexander ouertaken with choler caused Parmenio Chalistenes Philotas and other to be put to death and with his owne hande slew Clytus one of his chiefest fauorites And after that his choler was apeased would haue killed him selfe For this cause Anthenodorus counselled the Emperour Augustus the which Sainct Ambrose did since to Theodosius that when they felt them selues enter into choler they should take heed of speaking or doing anye thinge vntill they had repeated the twenty foure letters of the Alphabet The which gaue the occasion of making that holy law Si vindicari and of the chapter Cum apud to temper and slacke the heady commandementes of Princes And the sayd Augustus for hauing iniured a gentleman whose daughter he had brought to his pleasure and was cast in the teeth with what he had done and sawe that him selfe had broken the law Iulia which condemneth the adulterers he was so mad with him self that for a time he abstayned from eating Sainct Paule counselleth vs That the Sonne go not down vpon our wrath The maner of the Pythagoriens was much commended that when they had once vttered their choler they would take one an other by the hande and embrase one an other before it was euening And Plato beeinge demaunded how he knew a wise man answered when beeing rebuked he would not be angry and being praised he would not be too proude Seneca wryteth that such as taught to play at fence and to exercise the bodye commanded their schollers in no wise to be cholerick because that cleane marred the arte and he which is not able to bear a little iniurie shall in the end haue one mischiefe heaped on an other And against this it is thought an excellent remedy not to be delicate nor too light of beliefe nor to thinke one may contemne iniury one as he listeth nor to haue a will thereto and to vse delayes and protraction of tyme. As Plutarque wryteth that the carryinge of bundels of stickes bound togeather vpon pollaxes was to shew that the wrath of a Magistrate ought not to bee prompt and lose for that while leasurelye those bundels so bounde togeather were losed it brought some delaye space to choler which buyeth her pleasure with perill of lyfe as sundry Poets haue written And there is nothing that men dare not aduenture and cōmit when they are inflamed with anger except they retaine thē selues vnder the obedience of reason For as Socrates sayd it is lesse daunger to drinck intemperately of puddle or troubled water then to glut ones appetite with reuenge when mans discourse and reason is occupied with furye and besides him selfe before that he be setled and purified And Archytas sayde to one that had offended him I woulde punishe you for this geare if I were not in choler And to brydle such choler it is not euerye mans skill except hee haue beene vsed to it of a long time consideringe that nothing can be comelye nor honest if it be spoken sharply and in choler The Pythagoriens in lyke sort by the allegoricall commaundement that they should not leaue the bottome of the pot or caudern imprinted in the ashes would teach according to Plutarques opinion that no marke or apparent shewe of choler shoulde remaine the which as S. Chrisostome saith is a fire a hangman a most difformed drunkennes and a mad dog that knoweth noman Therfore it was that they of old time by the difformed monster of Chymera which spit fire described choler and as they which are possessed with vncleane spirites some at the mouth and swell so the spirit and speach of cholerike persons fometh and often times dangerous discourses scape thē Which was the cause that Alexander Menander Seneca others haue written how choler proceedeth of basenes of minde as also we see it more incident to weomē then to men to the sick more then to the whole And the fault is so measured as he to whom the offence is committed is perswaded But by how much more the fault is greater so much is his humanity the more to be cōmended when he pardoneth without being moued the offender by so much the more bounde in that he seeth his submissiō accepted for reuenge satisfaction The destruction of 15. thousand soules was attributed to the choler of Theodosius which afterward he greatly repented him selfe of It was likewise the death of Aurelian and of the cruelty of the Emperour Valentinian as Macellinus wrot the which so raigned in him that if one had spokē but one word that had misliked him he wold chāge his coulor voyce he committed much vniustice in hinderinge true iudgement in the end it was the cause of his death and his intrals were so terribly burned that there was not found so much as a drop of bloud Others were of opiniō that he broke a vaine in crying Yet Salust thinketh that that which in priuate persons is termed choler in great ones is called fury cruelty Plutarque likewise attributed the ruine of Sertorius to that he was so cholericke which made him so vnaccōpanable vnmeet to liue among the society of mē As also did Valerius the death of Caesar Sueton greatly blamed for the same Tiberius Nero. In like sort to those which had armes so insolently of themselues that they would cōmand the very lawes to cease the administratiō of iustice was euer denied And for the maintenaunce of both iustice was reserued to the Iudges and to such as force was committed it was straightly commanded them to obey iustice and that she aide force with good counsell of which if it bee once destitute greater harme ensueth then good And amonge all estates it is required that they assemble a counsell to aduise what may be profitable But as the goodnesse of shippes is best perceiued in a storme so doth a good vnderstanding moste discouer it selfe when hauing iust cause to be angrye the minde is for all that quiet and the iudgement setled And it is the property of a magnanimous hart to despise iniuries which we read was euer don by great personages And Dauid made no account of the words of Semey nor the kings Antigonus Philip and Pericles of those whom they heard reuile them Salomon sayth in his Prouerbes that A man inclyned to wrath shall quickly be destroyed And compareth a cholericke man to a City ouerthrowne and Solon maketh him like to one that neither cared how he loste friendes nor how he procured enemies And in the first of Ecclesiasticus it is written that rashnesse in anger breedeth destruction the which proceedeth not but of the inflammation of the bloud about the heart of too great a heate and sodainnes the which by no meanes yeeldeth the leasure to vnderstande the circumstaunces which reason teacheth which a man that hath
The Aegyptians ordained death it selfe for a punishment to periured persons and to such as declared not the verie trueth in their declaration which of necessitie eche one was to make yearely both touching his name and the meanes he had to nourish his familie The Scithians and Garamanthes followed the same lawe and there was he condemned that had prognosticated any false thinges to come The Persians and Indians depriued him of all honour and farther speache which lyed The Gimnosophistes Chaldeans barred them al companies dignities condemned to remaine in perpetual darknes without speaking And Nicephorus reciteth how the verie wormes did eat the toung of the cosener Nestorius in his life time Monstrelet writeth of Popiel k. of Pologne who had euer this word in his mouth If it be not true I would the Rattes might eat mee that he was so assailed by rattes in a banquet that neither his gards nor fire nor water could preserue him from them Other do assure vs that an Archbishop of Magence died of the like death K. Artexerxes made one of his souldiers toungs to be nailed with iij nailes that had made a lie The lawes of Solon imposed great pains vpon such for that cause did the Gabaonites lose their libertie The emperour Traian surnamed the good Prince took away frō the sonne of Cebalus the kingdom of Dace which we terme at this day Trāsiluania Valachia only because he caught him in a lye told him that Rome the mother of truth could not permit a lyar to possesse a kingdom Cirus in like sort told the k. of Armenia that is was most manifest a lye was not capable of pardō as Xenophon writeth in his 3. booke of his Pedia After that one had red vnto Alexander the great a historie out of Aristobulus wherin he had intermingled certaine counterfait praises he flong the booke into the riuer saying the said writer deserued to haue bin flung in himself because men ought to studie to serch out the truth without which nothing can be wel don that it was a shame great damage when a lye shold put good wordes out of credit And he found fault with another when he compared him to Hercules If he had in this sort remained al the rest of his life that prosperitie flatterie had not rendred himself more insolent he had bin worthy of much greater honor I could here verie wel alledge how in Almanie the lye hath bin alwayes extremely hated shunned as it were a plague bastardes could neuer obtain the prise of any ocupatiō whatsoeuer nor take degree in any art or science as also in the olde testament they were excluded both out of the church sanctuarie For they are euer in doubt which of the sundrie mignions that their mother entertained was their father For this cause Philo Alexandrin compareth those with Idolaters who through ignorance of their creator and his bountie cal vpon many declareth that a multitude as much to say as a pluralitie of gods is very athisme the grounde of lying banishing for euer from thence life euerlasting CHAP. XXIX That the periured and blasphemers are detestable lyers and the paines for them CIcero was of opinion that there was no difference betweene the lyar and the periured person and that God had ordained to eche like punishment and that he which was accustomed to lye did easily periure himselfe The which opinion sundry doctors of the church haue in like sort helde Others notwithstanding haue thought that they haue offended more deepely which abuse the name of God to confirme their lying the which sort of people deserued death by the lawes of Plato Aegypt as committers of sacriledge And the Prophet Ezechiel calleth it the prophaning of the name of God the spoyling him of his trueth He saieth also that he which despiseth his othe shall neuer escape And it is written in Ecclesiasticus that A man that vseth much swearing shalbe filled with wickednes and the plague shall neuer goe from his house Saint Chrisostom made sundrie homilies sermons to the end we should hate leaue all othes that there mought neuer be among men folowing the cōmandement of our sauiour but yea yea nay nay without blaspheming the name of God by swearing And he greatly marueiled to see vs so ready to obey the lawes ordinances of Princes albeit they be very hard vnreasonable that of Gods commandemēt so expressely giuen vnto vs not to sweare at al we make so litle account wherof also Plato greatly complaineth and that men couer themselues with a lewd custom which euery man ought to enforce himselfe vtterly to abolish The saide doctor in like sort writeth that it is vnpossible that he which much sweareth should not forsweare himselfe As wee reade of the othe rashly made by King Saul whereby he was constrained either to put to death his innocent sonne or to remaine periured And God reuenged vpon his race and people the great slaughter that he made of the Gabaonites contrarie to the othe sworne vnto them by his predecessours And the other tribes of Israel hauing sworne that they would not giue their daughters in marriage to that of Beniamin because they woulde not breake their othe chose rather to councell them to rauish their saide daughters And Titus Liuius sheweth that the Petelins in Calabria the Sagontines in Spaine chose rather to dye a most miserable death then to breake the faith they had plighted It is written in Zechariah I sawe a flying booke the length thereof is 20 Cubites and the bredth 10. the curse whereof shall enter into the house of him that falsely sweareth and it shall remaine in the middest of his house and shall consume it with the timber thereof and stones thereof Now that all is full of blasphemies othes and periuries wee greatly ought to feare a most sharpe chastisement of the wrath of God for so ordinarie a contempt of his holy name and followe the counsell of Ecclesiasticus Keepe thy mouth from being accustomed to sweare for that carryeth great at ruyne withall K. Agesilaus hauing vnderstoode that Tisaphernes K. of Persia had broken the promise which he had sworne vnto him aunswered that therein he had done him a verie great pleasure because that by his periurie he had rendred himselfe odious and enimie both to the Gods and men And truely all policies and matches are cleane turned topsie turuie if the promise be not obserued Titus Liuius in the beginning of his historie greatly commendeth the common wealth of Rome because it was gouerned by faith and simple oth not by feare of lawes or chastisements It was also the principall charge of the Censors of Rome as Cicero writeth to punish the periured against whome there is great threates in the holie scripture and in Leuiticus not onely the periured man is
care is to bee taken for the hanging and adorning of the palace of the soule then of the outwarde And the same Philosopher did not muche out of the waye warne vs that wee shoulde take heede that the skirt of our garments shoulde not carrie a stinche of life CHAP. XXXVI Of backebyters mockers and euill speakers and why the Comedians stage players and Iugglers haue beene reiected WE haue heretofore shewed that our mouth ought to serue our neighbour as wel to preserue him in honor as in profit and for that our Lord God commaundeth that wee should neither deale falsly nor lye one to another He forbiddeth vs either to depraue or deceiue any for deprauing backbiting is an enimie vnto the trueth to the weale honour of our neighbor forbidden by God in the commandement of not bearing false witnes hath euer bin accounted as manslaughter stealing away of the renowne which we ought to esteeme according to the saying of the wise man aboue great riches Plato in his common wealth greatly praised the lawes of Lidia which punished backbiters as murtherers neither doe wee want sundrie examples which shew what mischiefe hath ensued through backbyting Wee haue one in Hester c. 3. of the mischiefe which Haman pursued against the Iewes which K. Ahashueroh of Doeg which through his backbiting was the cause of the death of 85. persons that did wear a lynen Ephod sundrie other myseries And Dauid did attribute vnto slanderers al the euil which Saul had wrought against him The backbiter is in degree neare vnto the flatterer hurteth three persons the absent of whom he speaketh the present which giueth eare vnto him himselfe And it is written in Ecclesiast that hatred enmitie reproch attendeth the backbiter And S. Paul writeth that railers shal not inherit the kingdome of God to the Ephesians Let al bitternes anger wrath crying euil speaking be put away from you with al malitiousnes Be ye courteous one to another tender harted forgiuing one another euen as God for Christes sake forgaue you Solon being demanded what was more cutting then a knife answered a slaunderous toung the which Dauid calleth a sharpe razor and hot burning coales The same writeth S. Iames in his Epistle more at large And as it is taken for a signe of health so is it a signe of a sound vnderstanding to be exempt from al words that may do harme And not without cause said Salomon that death life are in the power of the tongue more perish thereby then by the sword And addeth that he which keepeth his tongue keepeth his life S. Augustin sheweth that the truth hath written in our hearts this commandement Do vnto an other as thou wouldst be done vnto thy selfe And S. Ierom vppon Isaiah in like sort saith euen as wee woulde not that men shoulde speake euil of vs no more ought we to depraue our neighbour S. Paul willeth vs not so much as to eat or drink with the railers and so did S. Iames. Al kind of mockerie ought also to be shunned which is a reproch couered with some fault and which accustometh the mocker to raile lie moueth more then an iniurie when it proceedeth from a wil to outrage a malice without necessitie The which moued some to terme it an artificial iniurie Salomon writeth in his prouerbs that God doth abhorre al mockers the which Isaiah comprehendeth C. 38. 57. The lieutenant of K. Darius put to death one of his soldiars which had railed vpon Alexander saiing that the part of a soldiar was to fight not to raile Antigonus caused one to dye for the like cause and they of Alexandria were well chastised by Vespasian and diuers children were torne in peeces for mockinge of Elisha with wylde beares At the least wee ought to resemble the Phisitiōs which Hipocrates made to sweare that they shoulde not bewraye the secrete and hidden faultes and euils And Saint Gregorie in his Morals compareth the backebiter vnto him which bloweth the powder that flasheth into his owne eyes and hindereth his seeing For this cause ought wee to followe the councel giuen vnto vs by Saint Peter that laying aside all malitiousnesse and all guile and dissimulation and enuie and all euil speaking as newe borne babes wee desire the milke of the worde that wee may growe thereby And aboue all thinges followinge the councell of Demosthenes wee must take heede of speaking yll of the absent or giuing eare vnto the backebiters as Alexander Seuerus was wont to saye and doe And for as much as comedies are compounded of fixions fables and lyes they haue of diuers beene reiected As touchinge Playes they are full of filthie wordes which woulde not become verie lacqueys and courtisanes and haue sundrie inuentions which infect the spirite and replenish it with vnchaste whorishe cosening deceitfull wanton and mischeeuous passions Atheneus writinge of the inuention of a Comedie and tragedie sayeth that they haue euer been inuented in a time of vintage drunkennesse And for that besides all these inconueniences Comedians and stage players doe often times enuie and gnawe at the honor of another and to please the vulgar people set before them sundrie lies teach much dissolutenes and deceit by this meanes turning vpside downe all discipline and good manners many cities wel gouerned would neuer at any time intertaine thē And the citie of Marseilles hath beene maruelously praised in auncient time for that she alwaies reiected such kind of people And the Emperours Augustus Anthony Frederick the first and Henry the thirde caused them to be driuen out of their Empire And the Tribunes banished one Neuius out of Rome And S. Chrisostome in his 17 homilie vpon S. Matth. saith that there is no peril vppon the sea so dangerous as are the Theaters and places of Commedies playes and declareth at large what dissolutenes disorder factions mischiefes inconueniences haue ensued thereby The like doth Seneca declare in his first Epistle of the first booke Caelius Rodiginus in his 5. booke 7. Chapter And S. Augustine in his Citie of God commendeth Scipio for that he forbad the vse of any such pastimes as an enimie to al vertue honesty And saieth that the diuels vnder the similitude of false gods erected them The Lacedemonians also would neuer permit such playes acts for feare somewhat might be imprinted into the peoples brest cōtrary to the lawes truth For as the Apostle writeth Euil words corrupt good manners And this caused the good king S. Louis to banish them out of his court And S. Ierom towards the end of his first booke against Iouinian writeth that tragedies are ful of contempt of mariage good lawes And Seneca wisely wrote in his Epistles that it is verie daungerous
to be present at al shewes And by some counsels haue they beene flatly forbidden For the subiect therof is filthie vnhonest the action of the players leaueth an impression of wantonnes whoredome vilanie in the soule of the assistants that which they see so dissolute vile when it is ioyned with words deedes whereby the Comedians enrich their filthie vnhonest subiect infecteth more the spirits wrappeth them in passions then drunkennes it selfe would do And in Cassiodorus k. Theodorick writeth a long letter to his Prouost that he should hinder all such spectacles as corrupted maners honestie raised nothing but quarels and contention the which moued Aristotle in his Politiques to exhort all magistrates to forbid such playes and banish al vile wordes out of their Citie And Sainct Paul exhorteth the Ephesians that no corrupt communication proceede out of our mouth and addeth Greeue not the holie spirite of God by whome you are sealed vnto the daye of redemption I woulde wishe that Theaters might bee defaced and no occasion giuen for such plagues to enter within cities and houses accordinge to the opinion of Saluian Bishoppe of Marseilles esteeming all such spectacles to bee a verie apostasie and leauing of the faith of Sacramentes and Christian religion and therefore as the occasion of so great mischiefe they ought to bee shunned Plato his opinion was that gouernors of common weales should in sort not suffer tragedies to bee rehearsed except they had beene first considered of by censors and iudges and founde good and full of mortalitie without any one the least woorde that mought be offensiue to chast eares And Aristotle in the ende of the eyght booke of his Politiques forbiddeth all youth to bee assistaunt thereat CHAP. XXXVII That accusers talebearers false pleaders and curious persons are of the same brotherhood of lying SInce that all the vertues of the soule ought to be applyed vnto charitie then are slanders and false reports to be greatly eschewed proceeding out of the same shoppe of lying The slanderer doth euer vniustly accuse ought to be punished with the same manner of punishment as the partie accused should haue beene if it had beene founde trewe as the Emperours Theodosius and Honorius ordeyned in the latter lawe and Tranquillus in Augusto And in auncient time they marked them in the forehead with a hote yron as Plinie reporteth in Panegyr and Cicero in his oration pro Roscio The Emperours Tiberius Nero Vitellius and sundry other taking pleasure therein haue beene the occasion of much mischeif When Agesilaus king of the Lacedemonians at any time had heard any prayse or discōmende one he was wont to say that he was as well to cōsider the behauiour of him that spoke as his of whom he spoke And after that a Romaine Knight had shewed vnto Augustus the Emperour that that was most false which had beene reported of him he humbly besought him that for euer after he would haue great regarde of what was laide to the charge of any person of qualitie that it mought be doone by good men and of an approued truth God forbiddeth vs to iudge lightly or to giue credite to a sole witnesse and if our sight our hearing and our tast oft times deceiue vs no doubt so may our iudgment The Emperours Titus Vespasian Nerua and Traian made talebearers to be whipped and banished Domitian Anthonie and Macrinus thrust them out of the Empire saying that who so did not punish them encouraged them And Leontius the Emperour after that he had put Iustinian to flight caused two of his tale bearers to be trayled by the feete and burned And after the death of Apollodorus and Phalaris the Tyrantes they caused such hell houndes to be fleede and burned and put them in the rank of the accursed The which was likewise done in the time of the Emperor Pertinax after the decease of Maximinus and his sonne Salomon wrote that the wordes of a tale-bearer are as flatterings and they goe downe into the bowels of the bellie And Pliny the younger calleth them robbers and theeues And Ecclesiasticus abhorreth them and all such as are of a double tongue and thanketh God as also did Dauid in sundry Psalmes that he had deliuered him from the snare of the false tongue and talebearers And Darius made the accusers of Daniel to bee deuoured by the Lyons the word of Diuell is as much to say as an accuser Doeg by the tale he carried to K. Saul caused the Priestes to be murthered Aristobulus the K. of the Iewes thorough a false report put to death his own brother and afterwards died for sorrowe Herod in like sort caused his wife sonne to be murthered had like for griefe to haue died after that he was better informed of the truth as also it befell to Constantine the Emperour who was the cause of the death of his owne sonne mother in law and to Francis Duke of Bretaigne that caused Gilles his own brother to be slaine We reade of the ende of Seian Tiberius Plautian and Seuerus Many Emperours haue put men to death with hearing of them and there is no person whatsoeuer be he neuer so vpright and innocent but through such helhoundes may very well be brought into trouble As Socrates in Xenophon and our owne experience may teache vs. And to be able to auoyde all slanders reproch we must obserue that instruction which S. Paul giueth to the Ephesians so holily wisely to behaue our selues as no occasion or place be giuen to the accuser He giueth the like aduise in his 2. Epistle to the Cor. and S. Peter in his first epistle willeth vs to haue our conuersation honest that they which speake euill of vs as of euill doers may by our good workes which they shall see glorifie God For good men by their vertue and innocencie do quench reprooch as fire is quenched by water False pleaders are such as betray their clyents and dissemble the truth l. praeuaricatores de verb. sig titulo ad senatusc Turpil which setteth downe a punishment for slanderers false pleaders and wranglers Such plagues did Plato banish his common-wealth A man likewise may name them false pleaders which doe not acquite themselues of the charge committed vnto them and passe it ouer as it were only for a fashion to be dispatched of it The which is also to be vnderstood of souldiors suspected of treason or failing in seruice of importance And for as much as the condition of accusers and talebearers is much supported by curiositie and babling and thereby hath great alliance with enuie and malice and is engendred through idlenes and folly I haue placed those curious men in the same rank which desire so earnestly to knowe the imperfections of an other And such should doe very much for thēselues if they would bestow
whore for she had couered her face And God in Zephaniah threateneth that he will visit the Princes and the Kings children and all such as are clothed with strange apparel And it was forbidden to men to weare weomens garments to weomen to wear mens And an account must be rendred of euery idle word And as S. Paul alleaged of Menander euil wordes corrupt good manners The which moued sundry wel gouerned common wealths to forbid masques vpon great paines in England of death It had bin no ways impertinent to haue shewed how much Princes haue abused themselues rather in taking care giuing themselues to conquer cities countries make great buildings then to preserue wel gouerne what they haue alreadie gotten and to maintaine those houses which haue beene left vnto them verie commodious As Augustus the Emperour greatly wondered to see that Alexander did not esteeme it so great a matter and honour to gouerne wel an Empire alreadie conquered left as to conquer a greate countrye and preferre necessarie and profitable expenses before voluptuous According to the disposition of the law likewise the legacie or gifte that is appointed for to be employed about a newe buylding ought to be conuerted to the repairing and amending of the olde in the latter lawe D. de operibus publ l. decuriones de administr re ad ciu pert I mought also speake howe Idolatrie the gods of the Pagan first began and how they were left according vnto the prophesie of Ieremie that The gods which haue not made the heauens and the earth shall perish I coulde also blame the condition of hucksters sellers by retayl in that as Cicero writeth they gain nothing except they lye which was before confirmed by Ecclesiasticus I mought also amplifie howe deepely they lye which liue wickedly dishonor and periure themselues that they may leaue their heires riche which often times are such as loue them not The dissolutenesse which is too much spread throughout France woulde haue required a discourse vpon the law which was made to forbid Tauernes and playing at dyce and cardes considering the inconueniences which daily happen thereby and that in Turkie all playe is punished by infamie great penalties as Cuspinien writeth One might also shew how much they deceiue themselues which couet to come to extreme old age because that the long life is not the better but the more vertuous And as it is written in the book of wisdom the honorable age is not that which is of long time neither that which is measured by the number of yeres but wisedome is the gray haire an vndefiled life is the old age And many haue esteemed them most happy which haue changed this miserable life with an immortal before such time as the discōmodities wearisomnes of old age hath crept vpon them And besides the assured testimonie which we haue out of the holye scriptures Aristotle wrote that when Silenus was taken he saide the condition of dead men was better then of the liuing And Pliny after that he had in the beginning of his seuenth booke shewed at large the miseries of mē concluded that nature gaue nothing better then a short life Notwithstanding to the faithful no estate of liuing cōmeth amisse since they wholy refer themselues to the wil of God taketh euery thing in good part as a blessing proceedinge from his hand We mought also shew how pernitiously they lye which clippe washe and delaye coyne as the Poet Dante called Philip the fayre a falsefier of coyne because by reason of his affayres hee was constrayned to delaye his siluer And very wisely did the Emperour Tacitus forbid the mingling of mettalles in his coyne where there ought to be a correspondance and proportion betweene the gold and siluer or other metall in which now a dayes sundry pernitious faults are committed Consequently I could describe the vanitie of alquemie which hath empouerished those which haue vsed it and turned the golde which they haue put therto into smoke whereof we dayly see but too many examples the which gaue occasion to Domitian to cause all the bookes to be burned which he was able to finde out I could also set forth the fault which they commit who put too much trust in dreames according as Ecclesiasticus hath written that Dreames haue deceiued many and they haue fayled which haue put their trust therein And Lucian in the citie of sleepe which he describeth in which dreams do dwell saith that they are all cosenners and lyers It were also a very large matter to write of to shewe howe albeit that blinde men choose some one to leade them yet an infinite number of persons which haue their iudgement and wit blinded and goe groping at all their businesse wandering without knowing the way which they ought to holde doe not for all that seeke ether councell or guide and are meruelously polluted with the same fault which they finde in an other and in their owne ignoraunce become Censors ouer other mens manners It were not likewise vnprofitable to declare howe daungerous a matter superstition is the which is so fruitefull that of one error or lye it engendreth a great number and thorough a kinde of sleight simplicitie or false apparence it cleane chooketh the truth and is for this cause termed in the holy scripture whoredome and adulterie violating the promise which we haue before made vnto God We mought likewise extoll the saintes in all ages which haue taken paines to maintayne the truth agaynst lying and to make a register of all vertues and abuses which are committed I could likewise enlarge sundrye Chapters in shewing howe daungerously they doe lye who after so many examples and experiences ruynes defacinges desolations and mischiefes happened in Fraunce desire for all that that men woulde yet the fifth time cast themselues hedlong into a ciuill warre couering their passion with a cloake of religion which is setled in the vnderstanding the which can not be gayned but thorough a perswasion founded vpon the holy and canonicall scriptures and not by violence or constraynt as Saint Augustine in sundrie places and other auncient fathers haue maintayned And the warre which is not necessarily vndertaken is an enimie to religion iustice order reformation and good manners and as the Emperour Iustinian writeth it carrieth great greefe to euerie good man it is brutish dissolute and without all ho especiall the ciuil which is miserable and moste pernitious as well in regarde of the victorers as of the vanquished as Cicero affirmeth in sundry places and in his Philippiques he adiudgeth him which desireth it to be a most detestable citizen It were not also a matter much different from that which we now discourse of if I should set downe the opinion of Plinie which affirmeth that there are no lyes more dearely solde nor more daungerous then those of the
Iouius Seigneur de Lautrec Pope Alexander 6. Xerxes Decad. 5. Prudence required to discerne opinions Princes ought to take in good part vvhat their counsellers say vnto theÌ„ Eccle. 37.15 Pro. 29.18 Of the comfort of the subiects ensueth amitie Backbiters not to be listened vnto Symonides Homer Syrenes Thucidides Comment li. 7 Aristotle Eccles 11.7 Libertie of speache S. Ambrose Pyndarus Pro. 10.17 12.1 13.1 15.5 31 The custome of Alexandria Trueth engeÌ„dreth hatred 1. King 16. Obseruation in reprehension Reprehensions yl beseeming at the bord Socrates Damaratus K. Philip. The force of trueth 1. Esd 4.38 Augustinus de ciuit dei l. 2. c. 19 Apelles table Plato Pro. 25.12 29.1 Psal Augustine Speusippus Choler darkneth iudgement and peruerteth reasoÌ„ Alexander Augustus concelled by Anthenodorus and Theodosius by S. Ambrose Eph. 4 26. The maner of the Pythagoriens Plato Seneca A remedy against choler The fagots of the licturs Socrates Architas Many mischeifes haue ensued choler The death of Valentinian Sertorius Caesar Hovv a good vnderstanding is discouered Eccl. 1.27 Rashenes in wrath whence it proceedeth To pardon is a testimony of a valiaunt minde Col. 3.12 VVisedome is seene in teÌ„perating of choler To forebeare one another Dion Anger allowed Anger the sinevve of the soule Lactan. de ira Dei cap. 17. Iactant his error Definition of anger Eph. 2.3 Rom. 6.23 Psal 103.10 Psal 86 15. Psal 143.9 Exod. 34 6. Nomb. 14.18 Nehe. 5.17 Ier. 15.13 Ioâ—l 2.13 Ionas 4.2 Nahum 1.3 Deut. 9.14 32.39 Exod. 17.2 Psal 78.41 Numb 12.9 14.9 Exod. 22 22. Valerius Cicero Demosthenes The auncient on some of the french 4. povvers in the soule It doth not become princes to vse deceate Lizander Dyonisius Policrates K. Pirrhus An Alleman prouerbe Caligula Thrasimachus Anaxarchus God and the lawes gouern kingdomes In all actions vvhat is to be considered Povver obtayned by mischeafe of smal durance D. of Valentinois Machiauel a pernitious auctor Ier. 2. Psal 27.15 Ier. 34.5 Isaiah Habacue Haggaeus Pro. 1.32 Chrisostome Dan. 11.45 Pro. 11.4 20.17 21 7. Ierem 17.11 An admonition to the nobility to keepe their promises faithfully To negotiate with princes Crueltie Pro. 20.28 Exod. 34.5 Princes murdered for their cruelty The enemies of the church punished Theodosius Pericles Phocion A braue ansvvere of K. Francis 1. Tales Eccles 10.10 Esther 13.2 Pittacus Philip. Pou. 14.28 Rodolphe Martian Discretion required in reading 1. Thes 5.21 Aug. l. de doct christ c. 3. A fault not to punishe malefactors K S. Louis Exod. 21.34 â— Sam. 15.12 1. King 20 42 21 16. 2. King 22.10 2. Chron. 6.11 Rom 13 4 Definition of a lye Lyars lose al credit Socrates Achilles Eccles 20.24 Leuit. 16.11 Al vvickednes proceadeth of lying 2. King 5.27 Acts 5.5 Esther 7.10 1. King 13.4 Craesus Dionisius Gen. 39.20 Chrysostome Pro. 19.5 Wâ—â— 1.11 Eccles 20.25 Aegiptians Scithians Garamantes Persians Indians Nestorius Popiel K. of Pologne Artexerxes Solon Iosua 9.21 Traian Cebalus Cyrus Alexander Deut. 23.2 Eccles 23.11 Chrisostome Plato 2. de legibus 1. Sam. 14.39 Titus Liuisu zecha 5.2.4 Agesilaus Si duo de iu. l. vlt. de crâ—stel ad leg lul rep Gel. li 7. c 18 Punishment of periured persons Pro. 10.31 Lib. 2. cap. 17 Iohn 12. Iustinian Pericles Hercules Oth of magistrats and officers Iosua 7.19 Man treated for the seruice of god Godlines the scope of other vertues Basil Iudg. 17.6 Error in religion most daungerous 2. Cor. 11.2 Mat. 22.29 Marc. 12.24 Ier. 15.4 Iohn 21.3 Isaiah 45.19 Esaiah 49.11 2. Cor. 4.3 2. Tim. 3.16 The holie ghost the spirit of prudence The scripture called a testament and alliaunce The Scripture called a square and ballaunce 2. Pet. 1.19 Rom. 15.4 L. cunctos pop Cont. cresc L. 2 c 22. de ba cont don l. 5. c. 17. cont max l. 3. c. 13 Markes to discerne true religion Superstition The gospell is the sustenance of our soules Deut. 6.6 1. Tim. 4.13 Epictetus Simplicius VVhat religion requireth The bible translated into frenche by the commandement of S. Louis Some kinde of bookes not fit euery man should reade Heb. 5.12 Gregorie Nazianzene Ierome Ambrose Augustine Zozom lib. 6. cap. 5. L. 1. de consensu euan c. 18. 1. Sam. 11 13. Euseb lib. â—… 33. Iosephus 2. King 22.13 S. Ierome The effects vvhich ensue the contempt of gods vvord Augustine Q. Capitolius The disorderly lyfe of a Christian proceedeth from infidelitye The hovver of death vncertaine Demonax K. Philip. Maximilian VVe must not abuse the pacience of God 1. Cor. 6.9 Gal. 5.20 Eccles 5.7 Rom. 8.16 Luk. 12.20 Amendement of â—â—â—e and repentance Mat. 25.10 Isaiah 55.6 Isaiah 66.2 Ierem. 5.3 Heb. 3.7 Ieremy 13 16 Nothing hard to a good vvill 2. Cor. 5.20 Euill company to be shunned The heathen of singuler vertues Luke 12.35 Luke 9.62 Iohn 12.35 Mat 22.4 Mat. 24.8 Pro. 5.6 Ierem 8..7 Mat. 16.6 Fabius Maximus zepha 1.12 Heb. 12.1 â— Ignorance Eccles 4.25 Ciril Augustine Falshood doubt the daughters of ignorance Eccl. 2.14 K. Philip. Theodosius Vespasian Epaminundas The life of man vvithout learning a very death Zeuzis Hos 4.6 Col. 1. Eph. 4. 1. Cor. 14. 15. Ier. 8.4 Pope Pius 2. Alexander Alphonce Sigismond Petrarque Leonce Paul 2 Celestine 5. Colleges founded by good Kings The scope of Learning From conteÌ„plation must proceede practise Exod. 10.22 Inconueniences ensuing by ignorance Ier 5 21 The Persians Alexander Sophie Solon Nehem. 5.11 Deut. 15 2. Phocion Seneca Aulus Gellius Banquerouts fastened to a coller Tit. de legat The lavve of 12 tables rigorous L. 20. cap. 1. Indians 1. Kings 4.1 Pro. 22.7 Sedition at Rome for debts Abissius Calicut Pro. 6.1 11 15. 22.26 Ecclis 29.29 The vnthankfull man a more daungerous lyar then the debtor Pythagoras Simbole The temple of Graces Hesiodus The vngratefull of vvorse condition then serpents K. Pirrhus Pub. Mimus Thankes rendred vnto god for his benefits Isaiah 14. Hosâ—a 2.8 Deut. 32.25 Michah 6. â— Pro. 17.13 Senec. l. 2. de benes c. 6 The vngratefull by lawes condemned to dye K. Philip. Socrates Liberties francâ—ises vpon vnthaÌ„kfâ—lnes to be reuoked Aduersity a blessing and testimony of the good will of god tovvards vs. Thankfulnes the mother of other vertues 2. Tim. 3.2 Pro. 17.13 Pliuie Liberallitie of princes De bello Ing. Sylla Poets banished Platoes common vveale Archilochus chased out of Sparta Socrates not brought vp to Poetrye Tirteus Hieron Ouid. Archilochus Pithagoras Iuuenall Eusebius Painters Simonides Habac Isaiah 3. Deut. 27.15 Augustine Plato Aristotle Eph. 5.3 Tertullian Epictetus Plutarque Leuit. 19.11 Exod. 20.16 Pro. 6.1 Lib. 3. Ester 3.1 1. Sam 22.18 1. Sam. 24.10 2. Cor. 6.9 Eph. 4.31 Pro. 18.21 Sup. psal 57. Isaiah 14. 1. Cor. 5.11 Mockery Raylers and mockers punished 1. King 2.23 Gregory 1. Pet. 2.1 Comedies Playes Comedians and stage-players Marseilles Chrisostome Theatres Seneca Caelius Rodiginus Augustine Lacedemonians 1. Cor. 15.33