notable meÌ„ whose wits had bene well proued as well in time of warre as peace of Marcus Antonius also the moost eloquente Oratour that euer I heard and of Caius Cesar in whom in my opinion was the perfection of all gentlenes pleasauntnes and mirth to be stryken of Is he then happye which put these men to death Truly in my opinion he is not onely wretched for that he caused that to be done but also because he behaued him selfe so that he myght do it Although no man maye lawefully sinne But I erre vsing y â— wonted maner of speach For we saye commonlye that a man may do that whyche he hath power to do Yet whether was Caius Marius more happye then when he communicated the glory of his victory which he obtayned agaynst the Cymbrians wyth his felowe in office Catulus in wysedome an other Lelius for in my opinion they maye well be compared or els when he being conqueroure in the ciuile battayle angrye with the frendes of the same Catulus whyche entreated for him would geue theym no other word but let him dye let him dye Nowe truly more happy was he that obeyed that blouddy commaundement then he that commaunded it For bothe it is farre better to suffer then to do iniury and also willynglye to meete death when it approcheth as Catulus did it was farre better done then as Marius did by the death of so worthy a man to stayne the glorye of his sixe firste consulshippes and with bloudshed to defile the last time of his age Eyght and thirtye yeares Dionisius was tyrant of Siracusa comynge to the kingdome at .xxv. yeares of age That beautifull citie of so notable wealth howe did he kepe in bondage And of this man we reade thus much written in historyes That he vsed a merueylous temperate dyet and that in all his deedes he proued him selfe a maruaylous wittye a paineful man And yet neuerthelesse he was of a mischieuous cruell nature Wherefore to all such as do well weygh his case he must nedes seeme to be wretched For that which he so much desired he could not then attaine wheÌ„ he thought he might haue done what he lysted Who hauinge good and honeste parentes and beinge come of an honest stocke howebeit thereof diuers men diuersly do write hauing also great acquayntaunce and familiaritie wyth princes and also certayne yong boyes according to the maner of Greece appoynted for his loue playe yet durst to trust none of them all But committed the custody of his bodye to certaine slaues whom he him selfe had made free to hyred seruauntes and to cruell Barbarians So onely for the desyre he had to beare rule he had in maner shut vp him selfe into a pryson Also because he would not trust any barber to shaue him he caused his owne doughters to learne to shaue So the maydens of honoure when they had learned that filthy and slauishe science as barbers shaued the beard heares of theyr father And yet neuerthelesse theym also when they came to yeares of discrescretion he would not truste wyth a raser but commaunded that with the shales of walnuttes heated they should burne of his beard and his heares And although he had two wiues Aristomache borne in the same citye and Doris borne in the citye of Locris yet he would neuer come to any of them in the night afore that all places were searched for feare of treason And then would he haue an artificiall trench aboue his bed whych had but one way to passe ouer which was by a draw bridge Which he him selfe when the chamber dore was locked would draw to him And furthermore daringe not to come to any place of resorte he would talke to his subiectes downe from a hye tower On a certayne time when he woulde playe at tenesse for that game he vsed verye much it is sayde that he deliuered to a yonge man whom he loued very well his sworde to kepe which when one of his familiar frendes espyenge sayd in â—este to him nowe you truste your life and the yong man smyled at it he commaunded them both to be slayne The one because he had shewed the waye howe he might be slaine the other for that he seemed in smilinge to allowe the same But that deede afterwardes so much repented him that nothing in all his life greued him more For he had caused him to be put to death whoÌ„ he loued entierly But this tirant seemeth him selfe to haue shewed howe happye he was in deede For when on a time Damocles one of his flatterers did recken vp his power myght maiestie and rule his greate aboundaunce of all thinges and his magnificence in building sayenge that there was no man at any time more happye then he wylt thou then O Damocles quod he because this life doth so much delight the thy selfe taste thereof and try the pleasure of my happy chaunce Whereunto when he aunswered that he would very gladly Dionisius commaunded him to be layde in a bedde of gold hauing a couerlet of cloth of gold and hanginges of beateÌ„ gold wrought with verye fayre workes Also he set coupbordes and chestes afore him full of plate bothe of golde and also of silâ—er gylt Then he commaunded cerâ—ayne boyes of notable beautye to attend on his person and to be readye at his becke There were brought in precious oyntmentes imperiall crownes the perfumes burnt in euery place and the tables were spredde wyth the most â—ayntye dishes that mighte be gotten Then seemed Damocles to be happy But in the middes of all this iolitye Dionisius commaunded a glisterynge sword to be hanged ouer his head by a horse heare So that it mighte well nye touche his necke Wherewyth Damocles being feared could neyther fynde in his hearte to looke vpon hys fayre boyes neyther yet vpon the grauen gold neyther would he reache his hand to the table to taste of any thyng that was thereon The crownes fell downe from his head To be shorte he desyred the tyrant to lycence him to depart Sayeng that he would no longer be happye Dyd not he thynke you declare sufficientlye that he can haue no happynesse ouer whom there hangeth any feare Yet neuerthelesse he trulye was not able to retourne to iustice Neyther to restore to his citesens theyâ— libertye and lawes For he was euen from his youth vpwarde bred in tirannye So that though he would haue repented yet he could not haue lyued in safety Yet how much he desyred frendshippe the vnfaithfulnes of the which he did much mistrust he did wel shewe in those two Pithagoreans The one of the whyche when he was taken for suretye that the other should retourne at a certayne daye to suffer death and the other came in deede at the day appoynted I would to god quod he that I were worthy to be your thyrd frend What a miserye was it for him to want the companye of his frendes all societye of life and all familiar talke being especiallye a
whereas that iourney o god howe pleasaunt ought it to be vnto vs whyche beinge once paste there shall be no care nor trouble lefte O howe muche Theramenes doth delyghte me what a stoute courage seemeth he to haue For albeit I weepe as ofte as I reade the storye of him yet neuerthelesse it reioyceth me to see howe stoutelye he dyed lyke a noble man Who lyenge in the pryson after he hadde there dronke vp the poyson whych the thyrtye tyrannes had sente hym wyth suche an earnest desyre as if he had thyrsted after it he caste that was lefte wyth suche a force out of the cuppe that it sounded on the flooreâ— whyche sounde he hearynge smyled and sayde I begynne thys to Critias who was one of hys deadlyest enemyes For the Grecians in their bankets were wont to drinke to some maÌ„ namelye to him that should pledge theÌ„ So it pleased that noble man to ieste at the time of his death when he had that within him whych should be his bane And he trulye prophecied death to hym y t sent him the poison which shortly after ensued Who would commeÌ„d suche securitye in death if he thoughte death to be an euell thing Into the same pryson and the same kynd of death came a fewe yeares after Socrates condemned so vniustlye of his iudges as Theramenes of the tyrauntes Let vs heare the what maner of wordes Plato sayes he spake to the iudges when he was condemned to death I am in good hope my lordes quod he that I am happye for that I am thus put to deathe For one of these two muste needes folowe that eyther thys death wyll take awaye all sence from me or els if my soule do continue it shall depart into an other place of rest Wherefore yf my sense shall be ertyncte and my death resemble sleepe whyche often wythout anye trouble of dreames doth brynge a man most quiete reste O Lorde what pleasure shal deathe be to me or what daye should I preferre afore such a nyght the whych wythout varyaunce or chaunge shall kepe a continuall estate and staye for euer And so who shuld be more happy then I But if those thynges be true whiche are wryten namely that death is a departure into those regioÌ„s which all they inhabite that are departed out of this life then do I accoumpte my chauÌ„ce farre better for that after that I haue escaped the handes of you whiche syt here in place and name of iudges I shall then come to them whiche are the true iudges Minos RhadamaÌ„ thus Aecus and Triptolemus shall there haue the companye and communication of them whych haue liued vpryghtly in the faythe and feare of god This oughte to seeme a sweete pilgrymage But to talke wyth those worthy men Orpheus Museus Homere Hesiodus or suche other learned sages lord howe much I do esteeme Assuredlye if it mighte be I would often dye inespecially if I thought I should find those thinges which I nowe speake of What pleasure shall it be to me when I shall commen wyth Palamedes or Aiar which were of vnrightuous iudges wrongfully put to death I should there see the wyt of the chyefe prynce which led the power of Grece to Troy walles and in lykewyse the wysedome of Ulisses and Sisyphâ—s neyther yet should I for the searche of such thinges as I here am so there also wrongfully be put to death And ye O iust iudges whyche haue heretofore quitted me feare ye not deathe For no harme can happen to a good man neyther in thys lyfe nor after For the gods aboue wil not ceasse alwaies to haue him and his in theyr protection For this selfe same death comes not to me by chaunce but by the iust iudgement and appoyntmeÌ„t of god And for that cause I am not angrye wyth my accusers but onelye for that they thoughte that thereby they dyd hurte me whereas I do esteme nothinge more then it But nowe it is tyme quod he that I departe hence to dye and you to liue Of the whych two which is the better the immortal gods knowe no mortall man as I thinke Now truly I had farre rather to haue so stoute a stomake and well disposed minde then all theyr worship welth that gaue sentence of his life death Albeit that whyche he sayeth that no man but onely the gods knowe yet he him selfe doth knowe that is to wit which is better of lyfe or death For he had vttered it in his former wordes But he kepeth his olde wonte euen to the death whyche was to affyrme no certayntye of any thinge But let vs stand stiffely herein that nothinge can be euell whyche nature hath prouided for all men and therwithall consider that if death be an euell it is a contynuall and euerlasting euell For it seemeth that deathe is the ende of euerye wretched and carefull lyfe Nowe if death it selfe be myserable what ende can there be of miserye But what do I here rehearce Socrates and Theramenes men of notable constantye and wysedome synce a certayne Lacedemonian a man of no reporte or fame dyd so muche despyse death that when he beynge condemned and ledde to his death dyd smyle and laughe And one of his accusers seeinge it sayde vnto him doest then mocke and despyse the lawes of Lycurgus No quod he but I geue him ryght hartye thankes that he appoincted me such a fine as I may paye wythout anye chaunge or lone of money A man assuredlye worthye of the name of the ryghte famous countreye of Sparta whose stoute courage doth well declare as me seemeth that he was vnryghtfullye put to death Suche men had our ciâ—ye more then anye man maye noumber But what should I here recken vp our captaynes or nobles of our citie that haue so done since Cato wrytes that whole armies of men haue merelye gone into those places from whence they thought they should neuer retourne So were the Lacedemonians slayne at Thermopilas amonges the whyche on Symonydes tombe these Uerses were wrytten Thou stranger that hereby dost passe saye here thou sawest vs lye Whiles we defende oure countrey lawes or els desyre to dye ¶ What sayeth the stoute Capitayne Leonidas go to be you of â—â—oute courage oâ—ye lacedemonians quod he for thys nyghte perhaps we shall sup with God This was a stout nation as long as they had Licurgus lawes in reputacioÌ„ For on a time wheÌ„ a Persyan one of theyr enemies boastyng of his empâ—rours power sayd to one of them that the company of theyr dartes arowes shoulde darcken the sonne so that they should not see it why then quod the other we shall fyghte in the shade I haue hytherto talked of men But what thinke you of a woman of Lacedemon Who when she vnderstoode that her sonne was slayne in the field I bore him quod she to that ende that he should be suche a one as shoulde not styeke to die in the defence of his countrey God continue you
desire of knoweledge when they shall see so worthye matters contayned in one litle boke of that which we terme philosophy or learning Besides these there are yet other faultes as the misprinting of manye wordes and the yll printing of some greeke wordes in latin letters of the verses also otherwyse then they shoulde be red But the blame thereof I vtterlye refuse Inasmuch as euerye man knoweth that it doth nothinge pertayne vnto me Neuertheles as for the firste whych contayneth the misprintinge of wordes thou shalt finde them all corrected in the ende of the booke So that if thou list to reade it without desire of faulte findinge thou mayst firste amende all those faultes with thy pen in the margeant of thy booke whiche in the ende of the booke be corrected And so haue the sense perfecte And as for the two last they were caused by necessitie The one for lacke of a Greeke letter and thother for want of a smaller letter to print the verses in a lesse roame And for other faultes that maye be found in my verses I truste they wyll pardon me who may meruaile howe so sodaynely I am become a versifier But I beseche thee gentle reader to place eche mannes faulte by him selfe that I may be forced to father no other mans faultes then mine owne Which as I knowe to be more then I would they were so I shall desire the to weygh them with gentlenes Knowynge that if such as haue greater knoweledge to set forthe thinges more exactlye should heare my plainenesse not ouermuche discommended they then should be much more prouoked wyth hope of the meruaylous fame that their doings should deserue if they listed to employe some paynes in attempting the like Of the whych as I know there is a great number in both the vniuersities inespetially so I woulde wyshe that eyther they ceassyng any longer to enuie knoweledge to our Englyshe tounge would staine the same with better or els that they woulde not disdaine to forde their fauourable wordes to suche as expresse their good will in the same althoughe not so well as it might be yet as theyr eloquence will permit them And thus muche to the learned reader whom I make the iudge of my worke thoughe I permit the reading of it to all other But nowe thou vnlearned reader forasmuch as whatsoeuer I dyd I dyd it for the desyre I had to profyte thee it shall be thy part of the worst to thinke the best For had it not bene for thy commoditye I could wel enough haue suppressed mine ignoraunce wyth sylence and so by concealinge that lytle whyche I knowe although not blased my simple skil yet wel haue auoyded the necessitie of excuse in such thynges as I deserue reprehension But so muche I tendered thy profyte that I had rather to saie somewhat although not so perfectly as some other mighte then for lacke of my litle labour to let so worâ—hy as booke lye vnknowen vnto the. Thus whiles I studye to profyte thee I am fayne to submitte my doynges to the iudgemente of euerye curious carper Wherefore inasmuch as I haue brought the who towardes these thinges wast no otherwise then blind by my trauaile to the sight hereof and caused the to be rid froÌ„ blindenes which is so lothsome a thing that it is almoste growen into a prouerbe that a blinde man would be glad to se his nighest felowe hanged because the he shoulde see then trulye thoughe I craue no prayse at thy handes because it is a token of ignoraunce to be praysed of the ignorant yet I may be bold to desire so much of the as Apelles coÌ„maunded the foolishe shoomaker to performe Who when as he behelde the picture of a man drawen by Apelles so liuelye that the senses of man would haue doubted whether it were a picture or a liuing creature not contented wyth the syghte of it whyche was more meete for a prince to behold then him began to finde faulte with his showe Apelles knowynge that he was a shomaker toke it in good part wyth the pensile amended the fault But the shoemaker by likelihood sum what proud that he was able to finde faulte wyth Apelles workes came agayne the seconde daye And began to disprayse the proportion of his face Wherewithall Apelles being muche moued stept forth and sayde No farther then thy shoe sowter Shewynge thereby that no man oughte to talke farther then his skill will beare him Megabizes esteemed Alexander as a prince whiles he stoode in his scoole and saide nothinge But when he began to talke of thinges whyche he knewe not he said vnto him that euen his litle children would laughe hym to scorne Wherfore shortlye to make an ende and to sende the to Tullye Do thou neyther praise nor disprayse farther then thy conning wil beare the For they are both alike faultes But rightly weyghe and remember the wordes of Tullie to whom I now send the to enioy such pleasure as at the fyrste whiles I my selfe red him I frendelye wished vnto thee THE FIRST BOOKE of the report of those Questions which Marke Tullye Cicero disputed in his manor of TusculanuÌ„ treatinge whether death be euell yea or no. BEING OF LATE wholy or els for the most part ridden of my causes of Plea and Parlyamente matters deare freÌ„d Brute I referred my selfe chiefly by your councell to those studyes whyche concealed in my minde suspended for a seasoÌ„ and for a long space discontinued I haue nowe reuiued And forasmuche as the right trade and order of all those artes whych pertayne to the framinge of a perfect life is conteyned in the studye of wisedome which is named philosophye I thoughte good to endite the same in the Latine tounge not for that I thought it could not be so wel vnderstoode either in the Greeke or by the teachers of the same language but because my iudgemente hathe bene euer such that our countreymen haue either inuented and founde out thinges more wisely then the Greekes or at the least that suche as they had taken of theym they had made farre more perfect especially if the thinges were suche as they estemed worthy theyr trauaile and paynes For in maners orders of liuinge and maynteyning of householde We truly behaue our selues both farre better than they and also more liberall And as for the comen wealth our forefathers haue gouerned it with muche more politike orders and lawes What should I saye of warfare in the which our countreymen passed truly in manhode but much more in pollecy But as for the giftes of Nature and such thinges as they might attaine vnto without learning neyther the Greekes neyther yet any other nation may well be compared with them For what so greate grauitye what so notable constancye stoutenesse of stomake honestye or truste what so passinge vertue in all kynde of poyntes hath bene found in any nation that it maye for the same be compared with oure auncesters In learninge and all kyndes of
profound knoweledge Greece passed vs. Howebe it trulye it was a light worke to excell vs in those thinges in the whyche we did not contend wyth them For where as the Greekes haue had amonges theÌ„ the most auncieÌ„t Poetes that euer were counted learned for Homer and Hesiodus lyued afore the buylding of Rome and Archilocus in the time of Romulus we knewe not Poetrye till of late yeares For foure hundred and ten yeares after the buyldinge of Rome Liuius set forth an enterlude Caius Claudius the sonne of Cecus and Marcus Tuditanus beynge Consuls the yeare nexte afore the byrthe of Ennius whyche was more aunciente then Plautus or Neuius Of late yeares therefore Poetes were of oure countreymen both knowen receyued Albeit we find in those histories which were written in the firste foundation of our city that at that time they were wont in bankets to singe certayne songes made of the noble prowes of valiaunt men But that such men were neuer in any estimation we may wel gather by the oration of Cato in the whiche he obiected it as a rebuke to Marcus Nobilior that he had taken wyth him Poetes into his prouince For he had led into Aetolia the poete Ennius as we al wel knowe The lesse therfore that poetes were estemed the lesse men coueted theyr knowledge and yet those fewe that gaue theÌ„ selues thereto were nothinge inferioure to the renowne of the Greekes Lykewyse if it had bene counted a quality prayseworthy in Fabius a mooâ—â— noble Prince to paynte should not we haue had in our citie as excellent in that science thinke you as euer was Policletus or Parrhasius Honour bredeth artes and all men are prouoked to studye by fame alwayes those thinges are neglected whiche no man sets by The Greekes thoughte there was great conninge and knoweledge in singinge as well to the instrumentes as alone for that cause Epaminundas in my iudgement the prince of Grece is reported to haue bene conning in singinge to the instrumentes and Themistocles a fewe yeres before for that in a certayne banket he refused the harpe was counted the worse learned Therfore in Greece MusiciaÌ„s flourished and euerye man learned theyr arte neyther could any be counted wel learned being ignoraunt of the same Geometrye was in greate estimacion emonges theym For the whiche cause there was nothing with them more famous then the Mathematicalles But we haue coÌ„prised the arte of Geometry in the knowledge of measures reasoÌ„s of the same But coÌ„trarywise a perfect orator we haue quickly poolished whoÌ„ at y e first we had not learned but onely meete to pleade but now neuerthelesse wel learned For we vnderstand y t Galba Africanus Lelius were profound men and he who farre passed theym in age namely Cato very studious after him Lepidus Carâ—o and bothe the Gracchi but afterward so many and so notable meÌ„ euen to this our time that herein eyther not much or els nothing at all we yelded to the Greekes Philosophy hath bene neglected vnto this our age and hath bene hitherto voyde of the light of the latine tounge which now must be opened and reuiued of vs to thintent that if in our businesse we haue somwhat profyted our countrey we maye also do the like by some meanes in this our time of leasure wherein also we ought to take the more paynes because there are certayne Latine bookes written nowe a dayes very vnaduisedlye sette forthe by men honest enough but not sufficiently learned Truly it maye well be that some man maye inuente well and neuerthelesse that which he hathe inuented can not prâ—nounce eloquentlye but that anye man should set abrode his owne inuentions which he can neither wel dispose neyther hansomly penne the readynge of the whyche should nothing at all delighte the hearer it is the poynt of such a one as abuseth both leasure and learninge Therfore theyr owne bookes they reade with such as they them selues are neyther doth anye man handle them except suche as would haue the selfe same libertye in writinge graunted them Wherfore if we broughte any helpe by our laboures to the praise of Oratours we will much more dylygently open the fountaynes of Philosophye out of the which neuerthelesse those oure workes of Rethorique dyd flowe But as Arystotle a man of wonderful witte and profound knowledge moued wyth the greate fame and reporte of Isocrates the Rhetorician began bothe to pleade and also to teache yong men and so to ioyne knoweledge with eloquence euen so it likes me neyther to lay apart mine old study of pleading and yet neuerthelesse to be occupied in this more noble plentifull art For I haue euer iudged that to be perfect Philosophy which could reason of weighty matters as well with great knowledge as also w t perfect eloquence In the which kind of exercise I haue so earnestly laboured my selfe that nowe I durst kepe scooles after the maner of the Greekes As of late after your departure in my manor of Tusculanum beinge accompanied with many of my familier freÌ„des I assayed what I could do in that maner of reasoninge For as afore I declamed causes so this is my declaming in mine old age I willed any man to propose whatsoeuer he listed to heare debated and thereof I disputed eyther sittinge or walkynge Therfore my disputacions in scooles holden fyue dayes together I haue endyted in as many bookes The order thereof was this That when he who woulde heare anye matter discussed had shewed his owne opinioÌ„ of the same then I should hold the contrarye For this is as you knowe ryght well the auncient waye fyrste vsed by Socrates to dispute agaynst all mens opinions For so he thoughte that whatsoeuer was moste true in anye matter might soonest be boulted out But to the intent you may more playnely perceyue our reasons I wyll wryte them as if the matter were doing not telling therefore nowe take you the beginning in this maner ¶ The hearer ¶ Death semeth to me to be a greate euell Marcus To theÌ„ do you meane whych are dead or els that must dye Hea. To them both Mar. It is miserable then if it be euell Hea. Yea truly Mar. Then all they whych are already deade and all such as must dye are miserable Hea. So I thinke Mar. There is no man then which is not miserable Hea. None truly Mar. And trulye if you wil in all poyntes firmely hold this opinion all men whiche are borne or shalbe borne are not onelye wretched but also for euer wretched For if you did onely call theÌ„ wretches which must dye then should you except none of theÌ„ whyche nowe liue for we must all dye but neuerthelesse the end of our misery should be in deathe but forasmuche as such as are dead also are wretched we are borne to continuall miserye For it must nedes be that they are wretched which an hundred yeares past are dead or rather all they whych at anye tyme heretofore were
wyth wythout any other apparent cause caste him selfe headelonges downe from a wall But the matter of the booke of Egesias of whoÌ„ I spake euen now is such He faineth that a certayne poore man departed out of this life for want of necessarye suâ—tenaunce is reuoked agayne to life by his frendes whom he aunsweryng reciteth all the discommodityes of maÌ„s I coulde do so in likewyse howe beit I would not do it in such sorte as he dyd who counteth it good for no man to liue in this worlde I knowe not what it were for other but I am sure that death had bene beste for me Who beinge nowe depryued of all comfort and worshyp both at home and abroade if I had afore time bene extinct by death I had assuredlye thereby bene delyuered from much care whyche since hath chaunced me and not from any ioye or pleasure Admit therfore that there be some one man who hath no aduersyty who hath in no part felt y e cruell stroke of fortune As the honorable Metellus with his foure sonnes and Priamus wyth fyftye of the whiche .xvii. were borne of his lawefull wyfe in bothe of them fortune had the like stroke But to the one she shewed her selfe more fauourable For Metellus many sonnes and doughters neuewes and neeces accompanyed to his graue But Priamus being afore despoiled of so great a stocke seinge his children bathed in theyr owne bloud and last of al he him selfe flyenge to the aulâ—are for refuge his enemyes hand dyd slaye If deathe had taken hym whyle his kyngedome stoode Whiles that his corps was safe beset with fyerce Barbarian route And whiles his palaice stode ygraued with golde both in and out How thinke you had he departed from the pleasure whych myghte afterwardes beside him or els from the aduersytye whych afterwardes befell hym at that tyme you would haue iudged it had bene from pleasure But assuredlye it had bene farre better for him yf death had theÌ„ taken him For then we should neuer haue hearde this wofull lamentynge The palayce erste of Pryam stoute I sawe the fyer waste And eke beheld when bloudy sworde amids his body past When aulters of the heauenly gods with bloud were all to dashte Neyther those thynges nor any of lyke sorte coulde haue chaunced vnto hym yf he had died before For nowe at this present he is past the feelynge of al miseryes It chaunced somewhat better to my frend Pompeius when he came gryeuously sycâ—e to Naples For the men of Naples had garlandes on their heades and the Citesyns of Puteolos dyd all welcome hym home A â—olyshe toye of the Grecians but yet it â—â—â—â—ye as it happened But if he had dyed at that presente had he departed from prosperitye thinke you or from aduersitye from aduersity vndoubtedlye For then he had not waged warre with his sonne in law he had not bene fayne to flye to armes beynge vnprouided he had not left his house nor fled Italye and finallye his armye beynge lost he had not needed as a naked man to fall into the handes of his seruauntes his poore children al his substance and wealth had neuer bene enioyed of the handes of his ennemyes So he whych if he had dyed before had departed in maruaylous prosperytye by the lytle lengthenynge of hys lyfe into what myserye â—ell he Loe all suche miseryes are preuented by death although they do not caunce yet because they maye chaunce But men thinke that no suche thynge can happen vnto theym euerye man hopes for the good lucke of Metellus as though either ther ought to be more lucky men then vnlucky or there were any certaynty in the lyfe of man or els it were the part of a wyse man rather to hope then feare But let vs graunt that men lose manye commodityes by deathe Then will they saye that suche as be deade do lacke the commodityes of this life and therfore are miserable For so they must nedes reason But I pray you can he which is not lacke anye thing this worde lackynge is a sorowefull terme For there is included in it that he once had it and nowe he hath it not but wants it lackes it and misses it I thinke that is the discommoditye of him that wants any thing As blindenes is the discommoditye of him whiche lacketh his eyes barennes of her whych lacketh chyldren But there is none of theym that is departed that lackes not onely not the câ—modities of this life no not so much as this lyfe it selfe I speake of suche as are dead whiche nowe we suppose not to be at all But we whiche liue here yf we lacke bornes or wynges is there any of vs which would misse them â—rulye no man why so Because although we haue not such thinges the whyche are neyther necessarye for our vse neyther yet meete for vs of nature yet we do not lacke theym although we haue them not This reason ought to be vrged that being first grauâ—â—ed whiche they muste nâ—des confesse if they saye that our soules be morrall that is that there is such destruction in deatheâ—that there can not be so muche as any lyâ—le suspicion of anye sence after death That therfore beynge stablyshed fixed this must be discussed what it is to lacke that there maye be no doubte in the worde To lacke therfore signyfyeth the want of that which you would haue For there is a wyshinge for those thynges whych we lacke vnlesse it be as we take this worde in an other significatioÌ„ For we say we lacke a thing in an other sense also As wheÌ„ we haue not a thing and we perceyue the lacke of it howebeit we may well abide the want therof But none of these wayes can we terme anie lacke in death For we can not be sory for anye thinge that we lack That is sayde to lack a good thinge whych is of it selfe euell But a man beyng aliue doth not lacke a good thinge vnlesse he feele the misse of it But of a liue maÌ„ one may say to lacke a kingdome Howbeit not so properly of such a one as you who neuer was kynge But well of Tarquinius who was banished oute of his realme But in a dead man we can conceyue no such thinge For to lacke is properly sayd of him whych feeles the lacke But there is no feeling in a dead man No more therfore is there any lacke in him But what nede we in this point to play the philosophers since we see y t as touchiÌ„g this we nede it not How ofteÌ„ haue not onelye our captaynes but also hole armies runne to sure vndoubted death Which if it were a thing to be feared Lucius Brutus to thenteÌ„t to kepe out the tyrant whoÌ„ he had afore banished out of his realme would not willingly haue shoâ—ved him selfe vpon his enemies pike Lucius Decius the father fightinge with the Latines his sonne with the Tuscans his nephewe wyth Pirrhus would neuer so williâ—gly haue put theÌ„ selues in
manifeste daunger of death Spayne should not theÌ„ haue sene the .ii. ScipioÌ„s sâ—aine both in one battayle wheÌ„ they stoutely stoode in defeÌ„ce of their countrey nor y e towne of Cannas Paulus Aemilius Ueâ—â—sia Marcellus y e Latines Albinus nor the Lucanes Gracchus Is there any of these counted at this day miserable No trulye not after theyr happye lyfe For no man can be a wretche his sence beyng once paste Hearer But it is a hatefull thynge to be wythout sence Mar. A hatefull thing in dede if we did feele y e lacke of it But inasmuche as it is euident that nothynge can be in it which is not what can there be hateful in it which neither doth lacke neither feele anye thynge Howbeit we haue talked of this to ofte But I do it because that herein consisteth all the feare that we conceyue of deathe For when we see that our soules and bodies being spent and all oure partes beynge brought to fynall destruction that whyche was a lyuynge creature is nowe become nothinge we muste nedes perceiue also that betwyxt a thyng that neuer was and kyng Agamemnon there is no difference And in like sorte that Camillus dead long since doth now no more force for the ciuill warre which is kept at this present then I toke thought for the takyng of Rome at suche tyme as he lyued Why should Camillus then be sorye if he had knowen in his lyfe time that .350 yeares after him suche thynges should happeÌ„ or I yf I should imagine that ten thousaÌ„d yeres hence some straunge nation should race oure city Yet such is the loue that we owe to our countrey that we take thought for it for the good wil we beare it and not for any harme that we beynge buryed may haue by the destruction of it Wherefore deathe can not so feare a man which because of thincertainty of our lyfe doth continuallye hange ouer our heades also because of the shortnes of oure age can neuer be farre of but that he ought continuallye to haue more respect to the commen welth theÌ„ to his life And that he oughte also to thinke that those which shall come after him whose commodities or discommodities he shall neuer feele do in like wise pertayne vnto him therfore euen those that iudge our soule to be mortal may attempte thinges whose remembraunce shall long endure not for anye desyre of glory whyche they shal neuer feele but for the good wyll they bare to vertue whom glory of necessitie dothe folowe albeit you looke not for it But the nature of al things is such y â— as our byrth is the originall cause and beginnynge of all those thynges whyche we haue so in likewyse oure deathe is the ende of the same the payne of which as it did nothinge pertayne vnto vs afore our lyfe so neyther shal it after our death Wherfore what euel can there be in death whych pertayneth neyther to such as liue neyther yet to those that are deade For suche as are deade are not at all and suche as are alyue it can not come to Wherefore they which wil speake truly of the nature of death do terme it a sleepe as thoughe a man shoulde passe the course of his lyfe for the space of .90 yeares and then sleepe oute the reste I thynke assuredlye that a swyne woulde not couâ—yte to sleepe so longe But Endimâ—on if we gyue anye credyte to tales a great whyle synce slepte in Latmos whyche is a hyll of Caria He is not as yet awaked as I thynke Thynke you that he careth what paynes the Moone taketh of whome the tale goeth that he was there brought a slepe to the intente that she myghte kysse hym as he slepte What care should he take that feeles not So here you haue sâ—epe the ymage of our deathe whyche you do daylye put vppon you and do you doubte whether there be anye feelynge in death since in the ymage and pycture of the same there is none at al Leaue of then this olde wyues tale that it is a wretched thynge to dye afore thy tyme. What tyme I beseche you the tyme that nature hathe appoyneted But she hathe lente vs oure lyfe to vsurye as it were appoyntynge no certayne daye when we shall repaye the same What cause haste thou then to complayne yf she requyre it of thee when she lyffe For thou hadst it vnder such condicion The same men thinke it a heauye case for one to dye beynge but a boye but yf he dye beynge an enfante in his cradell they thynke that then he hath no cause of complaynte Yet neuerthelesse of hym dyd nature more sooner requyre that whyche she had lent O whyles he was a boye say they he had not smatched the swetenes of lyfe But he was in lykelyhoode to attayne to greate worshippe whyche euen at the time of his deathe he beganne to come to But I meruayle muche synce that in all other thynges it is counted better to attayne to to some what then nothyng at all why then it should be otherwyse in our lyfe Howebeit Callimachus said very wel that Priamus had wept farre oftener then euer did Troylus But now they prayse muche theyr chaunce which dye in theyr age and why so Because as I thinke if they might liue loÌ„ger their life could be no pleasanter then it hath bene But assuredlye there is nothing that a man may take more pleasure of then of wysedome the whych if we graunt that it taketh away other commodityes Yet that assuredlye olde age dothe brynge But what is this longe age or what is the loÌ„g time of a man Do we not see that age hath ouertakeÌ„ them which were euen now but boyes stripelinges when they least thought of it But yet beause we can lyue no loÌ„ger we call it longe And so euery thinges lyfe according to the ende that nature hathe appoynted it maye well be termed eyther longe or shorte For about the riuer Hypanis which ruÌ„neth through a part of Europa into the sea Pontus Arystotle sayeth that there are bredde certaine beastes which liue but one day Of them then she that liueth .viii. houres is counted aged But she that liueth till the sonne set is as one euen spent wyth age and so muche more if it be the longest day in the yere Compare our age wyth immortalyry and we shall be found to liue in maner as shorte a space as those foolishe beastes Let vs then set asyde all this trifelinge for howe maye I better terme it and let vs frame our selues to a perfect lyfe despysyng all vanitie and trading our selues in vertue For nowe we are euen puffed vp wyth wanton thoughtes so that if deathe ouertake vs afore such time as we haue obtayned the promisses of the sothsayers we seeme ther by to haue bene mocked and defrauded of many notable commodityes And if at the time of our death we hang in desires and wishes lord how we are vexed and tormented
I woulde to god I myghte haue puâ— in execution For there is nothynge that I dyd desyre more For I wanted nothyng I had plenty of worship so that euer after I did looke for warre and battaile wyth fortune Wherfore if reason will not moue vs to despyse death yet let our lyfe forepassed do it when we thinke we haue deserued sufficient prayse and glory For although oure sense be paste when we are once deade yet neuerthelesse we do not waÌ„t the due reward of glorye and fame for those thinges whych we haue done in oure lyues For although glorye of it selfe hath no cause why it should be desyred yet neuerthelesse it alwayes foloweth vertue as the shade of the same But as for the wronge iudgemente of the commen people as I count it a coÌ„meÌ„dable thing to haue theyr good wil so I thinke no man can be the happyer for attayninge the same Yet can I not thinke that Licurgus or Solon shall at any time want the gloryous report that they deserued for makyng ciâ—ile lawes or that the memorye of the warlike prowes of Themistocles and Epaminundas shal at any time be forgotten For the sea shal soner ouerwhelme y â— Ile it selfe of Salamine theÌ„ it shall drenche the remembraunce of the Salamine triumphe And y e towne of Leuctra in Boeotia shal soner be rased then the remembrauÌ„ce of the fielde there foughte forgotten So neyther time can duske the prayse of Curius Fabritius Calatinus the two Scipions the two Affricanes Maximus Marcellus Paulus Cato Lelius and diuerse other whose due prayse who so euer measureth not by y â— vaine iudgement of the commen sorte but by the sure meaterodde of wysedome he vndoubtedlye would if necessity so dryue him with a stoute stomake go vnto the death in the whiche there is eyther the chiefest ioye that may be or at the least wyse no euell Yea and such a man wil gladly dye in his chiefe prosperity For vnto a wyse maÌ„ a huge heape of goods can not be so pleasaunte as the departure from the same shalbe ioyfull To this entent may we apply the sayenge of a certayne wyse man of Lacedemon who when one Diagoras a noble man of the citye of Rhodes had bothe bene him selfe conquerour at the game pus and also the selfe same daye hadde seene both his sonnes conquerours at the same came to the old man sayde Dye nowe O Diagoras for thou shalt not be taken vp quycke into heauen It was counted a great thyng in those dayes among the Grecians to see thre men of one house winne the games in the mount Olimpus for y t cause he willed him hauing gotteÌ„ such prosperity to abide no loÌ„ger in his life subiect to y e casualtie of fortune But now I thinke I haue sufficieÌ„tly aunswered you with these fewe wordes since y â— it is playne y â— suche as are dead are in no miserye But I haue taried somewhat the more in talkinge of it because that that is one of the greatest coÌ„fortes in al our lameÌ„tacioÌ„s mourninges For we oughte not to muche to require other mens sorow as concerning our selues least we may seme to fauour our selues more then it becometh vs. And y t suspicion vexeth vs most when we thinke y â— our frendes whoÌ„ we haue loste are in such misery as the coÌ„mon people think that not without payne This folishe opinion I minde vtterly to roote out therfore perhaps was somewhat longer theÌ„ otherwise I wold Hea. what do you coÌ„playne of being to long I assure you it semed not so to me For the first part of your talke made me not vn willinge to die But the last made me eueÌ„ to câ—â—et death So y â— by al your reasoning I am fully perswaded to count death no euel Mar. Do you theÌ„ loke for a conclusion after the maner of y e RhetoriciaÌ„s or els shal we here breake of Hea. No not so For I long to hear you in y â— art which you alwayes set forth or rather if we will say y â— truth it sets forth you And therfore I praye you let vs heare y e conclusioÌ„ Mar. Diuers men are wont to alledge in the scooles the iudgementes of the gods theÌ„ selues as coÌ„cerning death And those not of their owne heades but coÌ„firmed w t the aucthority of Herodotus and other more First they tell of Cleobs Biton the sonnes of Argia the prieste The historie is coÌ„men wheÌ„ she should haue bene caried in a wagon to a certaine soleÌ„pne sacrifice a good space from the towne the horses were tired the .ii. yong meÌ„â—hich I named euen nowe putting of theyr garmentes annoynted theyr bodies with oyle came to the waggoÌ„ and drewe it The pryest when by this sort she beinge drawen of her sonnes was come to the place of sacrafyce prayed the goddesse that in reward of theyr godly reuerence she would gyue to her two sonnes the greatest reward y â— god myght gyue to man Her prayer beinge finished the yonge men after they had dined laye downe to sleepe and in the morninge were found dead The lyke is reported of Trophonius and Agamedes Who after they had buylte to Apollo a temple at Delphos desyred of him as great a rewarde as any man might haue To whoÌ„ Apollo answered y â— they should haue theyr request thre dayes thence nowe as soone as the thyrd daye came they saye that they were both found deade So they say that god yea and that god to whoÌ„ all the rest of the gods yelde in prophecye shewed hereby that death was the best thing that any man might wyshe There is also an historye of Silenus who beinge taken prisoner of kynge Midas payed this rauÌ„some He taught the kynge that the best thing y â— myght chauÌ„ce to a maÌ„ was neuer to be borne the nexte to dye as soone as might be The which sentence Euripides hathe eâ—pressed in verses in his tragedye entituled Cresphon It wel behoues vs to lameÌ„t the birth of euery man Yf we the daungers of this life and present perilles skanne But when triumphante death hath ryd him once from those Then ought his frendes no more to waile but mery to reioyce There is the like in the booke of consolation of Crantor For he saieth that one Psichomantius meting with one Elisius who much lameÌ„ted the death of his childe gaue him three such verses writen in a table O mortall men with ignoraunce howe much be you deceyued For this mans sonne reioyces nowe this mortall lyfe bereaued Thou eke were wel if so thy lyfe the fatall wightes had weaued With these and such like authorities they coÌ„firme this cause to be adiudged by the immortall gods Alcidamus an auncient oratour a man of great fame wrote in commendacion of death who lacked the weighty reasons of philosophie but had plenty of wordes inough But the notable deathes whiche men suffer for their countreye seeme to the rhetoricians not only glorious but also
blessed They rehearse Erictheus whose doughters suffered voluntarye death to saue the life of theyr citesins And Codrus who willingly entred in the mids of his ennemies in the armor of a commen souldiour to thinteÌ„t that he mighte not be knowen to be kynge Because there was an oracle geuen that if the king were flayne theÌ„ should the Athenienses haue the victory Neither do thei ouerpasse Menecheus who hauing the like oracle giuen bestowed his bloud for his countrey Iphigenia also was willinge to be slayne at Aulide that by her bloud her countreymeÌ„ might more easely sheade the the bloud of theyr ennemies Then they come nigher They remember Harmodius and Aristogiton Leonidas also the Lacedemonian EpaminuÌ„das the Theban They knowe not our countreymen whom it would aske great tyme to recken there be so manye to whom we knowe that glorious death was alwaye welcome Which inasmuche as it is so I must nedes wishe that either men would hereafter desyre deathe or at the least wise ceasse to feare it For if at the last daye of our lyfe our soules dye not but onely chaunge their place what ought we more to wyshe But if death do vtterlye destroye vs what can be better then in the rage of great stormes swetely to slumber and after that a man hath nodded oute of this lyfe to sleepe euerlastingly Which if it be so then oughte we rather to allowe the wordes of Ennius theÌ„ Solan for Ennius sayde Let no man me bemoane ne moystâ— my graue with teares But the other Let not my death want teares al ye my frendes do wepe And ye that erst aliue me loued with teares my funeral kepe But we if so be it happen that by the commaundemente of god we must depart out of this life let vs do it merely thanking him for it And let vs thinke that thereby we are loosed from prison and eased of the irons with the whych we were clogged either to depart into perpetuall mansion house appoynted for vs or els to be voyde of the sense of all griefe And afore such time that we shall be called of god let vs thinke that day which is so terrible to other to be a blessed and a happye daye to vs. Because it is appointed either of the gods immortall or els of nature the firste framer and maker of all thynges For we were not firste made by happe or chaunce but by a certayne heauenlye power whych will prouide for vs and not create anye of vs to the ende that when we had passed the miserye of this lyfe we should fall into the euerlasting darkenes of death But let vs rather thinke that deathe is a safe hauen and baye for vs to the whyche I praye god we maye come wyth spedye wynde and sayâ—e But althoughe for a while we may be kept of by a contrary tempeste yet neuerthelesse we must needes come to it at length And can that whyche must needes come to all men be misery to any one Thus you haue nowe my conclusion so that you can not iustly complayne of any thing Hea. You say well and truly this conclusion hath strengthned me more theÌ„ I was before Mar. I am glad of it But nowe let vs see somewhat to our owne ease And this nexte daye and so long as we shall abide in thys my manor we will talke of those thinges chiefely whiche pertayne to the ease of griefe of the minde feare and desire which is the most profite of al philosophy ☞ Thus endeth the firste booke THE SECOND BOOKE treating of the second question whyche Marke Tullye Cicero disputed in his manor of Tusculanum concerninge payne and forment howe farre it is the dutye of a wyse man to suffer the same NEoptolemus in Ennius sayeth y â— he must of necessitye practise philosophy But yet neuerthelesse but in fewe thinges for vniuersally it likes him not And I truly O Brutus must nedes vse philosophy for wherein may I better employe my time of leasure But I can not limite it to a fewe thinges onlye as he doth For it is very harde that a man should be any thing skilfull in philosophy wythout the knoweledge of moste thinges or all For a man caÌ„ not chose a fewe thinges but out of a great nuÌ„ber and it is not possible that he which hath gotten a litle knoweledge should not with earnest desire study to knowe the rest But neuerthelesse in a busye lyfe and as Neoptolemus then was much troubled with warre both a litle is profitable and turnes to muche vse But yet not suche as may be gathered of all Philosophye and yet suche neuerthelesse as we maye thereby be eased of desire care and feare As bi that disputacion which we kept last in oure manor of Tusculanum we seeme to haue wrought a great despyte of death whiche is of no litle force to ease oure mind of feare For who soeuer feareth that whyche by no meanes maye be auoyded he surely can not by any possibilitye enioye the fruyctes of a quyete life But who soeuer not onely because he must needes dye but also because there is nothing in death to be feared doth not passe on death he assuredlye hath gotten him selfe a strong staye for a quyet lyfe Although I am not ignoraunt that many will speake agaynste it whose vayne reproche I could by no meanes anoyde vnlesse I should write nothing at al. For if in myne oracions in the whiche I somewhat esteeme the fauour of the people for that rethoryke is an arte appliable to the coÌ„men voyce of the people the verye ende and perfection of eloquence is the prayse and commendacion of the hearers If then I saye there were some whiche would like nothinge in my oracions in the wittes they them selues were not likely to passet and would extend their commendacion in other mens workes no further then they thought their owne whyche mighte well attayne the same and for that cause when any other maÌ„ passed them in weyght of sentence and eloquence of wordes woulde saye that they lyked rather a thinne and base then so plentifull a stile of the whyche sorte also they were that were called Attici who boasted the profession of that whyche no man els knewe who nowe are almost laughed out of al courtes If then in the allowynge of mine orations the people were of seuerall mindes what maner of hearer thinke you shall I in this grauer matter haue of the same For philosophy sekes not the iudgement or prayse of manye but of purpose flyes the preace of the commeÌ„ people of whom it is alwayes eyther feared or hated So that if eyther any man lyst to disprayse it wholye he may do it wyth the good will of the people or els if he will chiefely dyscommend that whych we nowe treate of he maye haue sufficiente ayde out of the bookes of other philosophers But we haue aunswered all the foes of philosophye in oure booke entituled Hortensius and whatsoeuer was to be spoken
certayne kynde of misery chiefely sorowe is the very torment of a troubled mind Lust bryngeth heate ouermuche gladnes causeth lightnes and feare breedeth a basenes of courage But sorowe causeth farre greater thynges then all these as pynynge veration affliction and filthinesse It teares eates and murders the minde It vnlesse we laye aparte that we vtterlye shake it from vs we can neuer wante miserye And this trulye is playne and euidente that the cause of gryefe of the minde is when any thynge whych we account to be some marueylous euell seemeth to be euen at hande and presentelye to pricke vs. But Epicurus thinketh that the opinion and thought of anye euell causeth sorowe so that whosoeuer beholdeth anye great euell yf he thinke that the same hath at anye time chaunced vnto him he by his opinion must needes be troubled wyth sorowe The folowers of Aristippus called Cyrenaikes thinke that gryefe of minde ryseth not of euerye gryefe but onelye of suche as commeth vnlooked for and vnprouided And assuredlye that is of no small force to encrease the gryefe for all sodayne chaunces seeme to be more greeuous then other And for that cause are these verses worthelye commended as the sayenges of a stablyshed minde When firste of all I them begot I knewe that they must dye To bring them vp that well to do I did my whole dutye And eke when I to Troy them sent theyr countrey to defend I knewe I did to deadly warre and not to feastes them send This foreknoweledge of euels whych are to come doth make the fall of those thinges more tolerable whose cummynge a man hathe longe time afore foreseene and for that cause these sayenges of Theseus in Euripides are commended For I may lawefully after my wonted fashion turne the same into latine Recounting oft wyth me the wordes of that wyse father old In minde the mischieues that might come I did alwayes behold Some cruell deathe or exile els and nowe and then among Of euerye other mischiefe straunge I did forethinke a throng So that if any storme should fall by fortunes bitternes Like as a thinge foreseene before it should me grieue the lesse Whereas Theseus sayeth that he learned it of a wyse olde man Euripides meaneth that by him selfe For he was the scoler of Anaxagoras who when newes were brought him of the death of his childe sayde I knewe that I begot him subiect to mortality whiche sayeng declareth that suche chaunces are greuous to theym whiche looke not for them Therefore herein trulye is litle doubte that all such thinges as are counted euell are then moste greeuous when they faâ—l sodaynelye Wherfore although this thinge onely doth not cause sorow yet neuerthelesse because the setlyng and preparynge of the minde is of great force to asswage the gryefe let euerye man forethynke such inasmuch as they may happen to a man And trulye it is a great poynt of wysedome for a man to looke for all such casualties as customably happen to men not to meruayle at any thynge when it doth chaunce and not to doubt but anye mischyefe whyche is not chaunced maye well ynoughe happen Wherefore let euerye man in hys prosperitye Muse with him selfe by what meanes he may beare aduersitye Some peryll losse or cruell exyle when he returneth home His childes offence or his wiues death let him aye thinke vpon And these as commen let him take besydes some straunger payne If some good chaunce befall to him let him take that as gayne ¶ Inasmuche as Terence hath spoken this so wyselye whyche he borowed of philosophye shall not we out of whose store it was taken bothe saye the same better and also thinke it more constantlye For this is the same countenaunce whyche neuer chaungeth Which Xantippe was wonte to prayse in her husband Socrates sayeng that he alwayes shewed the same looke at his commyng home that he dyd at hys goynge oute Neyther was he in this poynte lyke to Marcus Crassus who as Lucilius sayeth neuer laughed but once in all his life But as farre as I coulde learne he was fayre and cleare â—ysaged And trulye there was good cause whye his countenaunce shoulde be alwayes alyke inasmuche as his mynde whyche causeth the diuersitye of al lookes dyd neuer varye Wherefore bothe I will take of the Cyrenaikes these weapons agaynst chaunces that is to breake theyr force with long forethinkynge of the same and also I iudge that that euel which is in griefe consysteth in mens opinion and not in the thinges them selues For if it were in the thinges that chaunce vnto vs wherefore shoulde the foresyghte of them make them y e lighter But there may be more suttle reasoninge of these matters yf fyrste we see the opinion of Epycurus Who thinkes it necessary that euerye man to whom any euell is chaunced shoulde foorthwith lyue in gryefe and sorowe aswell although he did foresee and prouide for those chaunces afore hand as also when they waxe olde For neyther doeth the lengthe of tyme make the euels the lesse sayeth he neither yet the foresyghte of theym make vs to beare them more lightly He sayeth also that suche forethinkynge of euels is very fond Because it maye be that they shall not chaunce at all Euerye gryefe sayeth he is odious ynoughe when it doeth chaunce but he that alwayes lookes for some aduersitye makes it to him a continuall and euerlastinge miserye And if it shoulde chaunce not to come in vayne then should a man voluntarilye sorowe So he thinketh that a man is alwaies vexed eyther wyth the chaunce or els wyth the thought of some euell But the ease of sorowe he placeth in thinkinge of gryefe the other in drawyngâ— it to the contemplacion of pleasure For he thinketh that our minde may aselye obeye reason and folowe her guyde Reason sayeth he dothe forbyd vs to thinke on gryefe It drawth our dull wittes from the sharpe thoughtes of sorowe to beholde the miserye of the same from the whiche when she hath once wythdrawen vs she then moues and stirres vs to beholde and handle sundrye sortes of pleasure the whyche both to remember when they are past and also to hope for when they are comming he thinketh to be the perfect lyfe of a wyse man Thus I haue vttered his opinion according to my fashioÌ„ But the Epicureans do it after an other sorte of theyr owne But nowe let vs consider howe lightelye we esteme theyr wordes in this poynct Fyrste of all they do without cause reproue the forethinking of euels to come For there is nothinge that maye so much dul or lighten the force of griefe as a continuall thought and perswasion through out all our lyfe that there is no miserye whych maye not happen vnto vs as the ponderynge of the condition and estate of man as the lawe of our life and study to obeye Whiche causeth vs not to mourne alwaies but neuer For who so pondereth with him selfe the state of euery thing the inconstancie
last ende Lykewyse the mournynge of those whyche lament the losse of theyr chyldren is swaged wyth the examples of them that haue abyden the like So the tryall of other men afore hand maketh that those thynges whyche chaunce on a sodayne seeme lesse in deede then we tooke them at the fyrste to be So it commeth to passe that whyles we ponder the thynges well by litle and litle we perceyue howe muche oure opinion was deceyued and that Telamon dothe well proue sayenge When fyrste of all I them begot I knewe that they must dye And Theseus In minde the mischiefes that might come I did alway behold ¶ And Anaxagoras sayde I knewe that he was borne to dye For all these men long weighing the chaunces that happen to men perceiued that they are not to be feared accordinge to the opinion of the commen people And truly me seemeth that they whiche ponder thinges afore hande are holpen after the same sort that they are whom continuance of time dothe helpe sauynge that reason healeth the fyrste and nature the other they hauinge thys alwayes in theyr mindes whyche is the grounde of all such remedyes namely that the euel whych they thought to be so greate is not suche that it maye destroye a happye and a blessed lyfe Thus therfore we will conclude that of a sodayne chaunce there commeth a sorer strype not as they thinke that when twoo equall chaunces do happen to a man it onelye shouâ—de put him to gryefe whyche commeth of a sodaynâ— for it is wryten that some men vnderstandinge the commen miserye of mankind namely that we are al borne vnder that lawe that none may be for euer voyde of misery hane taken it verye heauilye yea and mourned for it For the whyche cause Carneades as Antiochus writeth was wonte to reproue Chrisippus for coÌ„mending these verses of Euripides There is no man whom gryefe of minde sickenes may not payne Some manye children do beget and burye them agayne And death is thend of al the grieues that happen may to man We all must render earth to earth and dust from whence we came And til that time shall mowe vs vp we here on earth must lyue Like as we suffer corne to growe to reape the same with sciue For he sayde that suche kinde of talke was of no efficacye to ease a man of gryefe but rather gaue vs occasion to lament that we were borne vnder so â—ruell necessitye And as for that kindâ— of comfort whych cometh of the rehersall of other whyche hane abyden the lyke gryeues that he thoughte was good to comforte none other but onely those whyche were delyghted to heare other mennes sorowes But I trulye thynke farre otherwyse For both the necessity of bearyng the estate of mankynde forbyds vs to stryue wyth god and also it putteth vs in remembrauÌ„ce that we are men which onely thought doth greatlye ease all gryefe and also the rehersall of exaumples serueth not to delyght the myndes of enuious persons but onelye to proue that he whiche mourneth ought to beare it pacyentlye inasmuche as he seeth that manyâ— afore him haue wyth greate moderation and quyetnes suffred the same For they muste haue all maner of suche stayes whyche are readye to fall and can not wythstand the greatnes of gryefe And wel did Chrisippus saye that gryefe of minde was called 〈◊〉 whyche sygnyfyeth the dissoluing looâ—yng of euerye part of a man Whych may well be rooted oute euen at the fyrste the cause of the gryefe beinge once knowen But the cause of it is nothynge els then the opynyon of some great euell that is prosent and at hande But the gryefe of the bodye whose prickes are ryghte sharpe maye well be borne wyth the hope of ease And the lyfe honestly and worshypfullye spente is so great a comforte that those whyche haue so lyued eyther gryefe toucheth not at al or at the least verye lyghtlye But to this opinion of some great euell when that also is adioyned that we thinke we oughte and that it is our dutye to take such chauÌ„ce greuoslye then trulye becometh that gryefe of minde a heauy perturbation For of that opinion proceede those diuers and detestable kyndes of lamentynge tearynge of the heare like women scratchynge of theyr face beating of the brest legges and heade So is Agamemnon of Homere and also of Aâ—â—ius described And renting oft for griefe his goodly bushe of heare Whereupon there is a merye ieste of Byon Sayenge that the foolyshe king pulled of his heare as though baldnes would helpe his sorowe But all these thinges they doo thinkynge that they ought of ryght so to do And for that cause Aeschines inueygheth agaynste Demosthenes for that he three dayes after the deathe of his daughter had done sacrafyce But howe rhetorically pleadeth he what reasons gathers he Howe wryeth he his wordes So that a man may welll perceyue that a rhâ—torician may saye what he lyst But truly his talke no man would allowe vnlesse we had this foolishe opinion in oure mindes that all good men ought to mourne for the death of theyr frendes Herof it commeth that in greate grieues some men flye to solytarynesâ— as Homere wryteth of Belerophon Who flyenge all resorte of men in fyeldes dyd walke alone And there consumed and pinde away with bitter gryefe and moane And Niobe is fayned to haue bene turned into a stoane as I thinke to note thereby her continuall solytarynes in mournynge But Hecuba for the cruell madnes of her minde the Poetes â—ayne to haue bene turned into a dog And there be some whom in sorowe it delyghteth to talke wyth solytarines â–ª As the nurse in Ennius A furious luste is come on me nowe out abroade to tell The wretched chaunce of Medea to heauen to earth and hell ¶ All these thinges men do in gryefe hauing opinion that they oughte of ryght and dutye to be done And if any perchauÌ„ce at such time as thei thought that they ought to mourne did behaue them selues somewhat gently or spake any thing merily they will reuoke theÌ„ sâ—lâ—es agayne to sadnes blame them â—â—lues as of a faulte for that they ceassâ—â— to mourne But yong childreÌ„ theyr mothers and maysters are wonte to â—hasten not onely with wordes but also wyth strypes if in time of commen â—â—urnynge they chaunce eyther to do or speake anye thynge merelye they compell them to weepe What I pray you when they leaue of theyr mournynge and perceyue that they profytâ— nothingâ— at all wyth sorowe doth not that declare that all whyche they dyd afore was onelye of theyr owne wyll wythoute any other constraynte What the olde man in Terence the tormentour of hym selfe dothe he not saye I thinke O Chremes so muche leâ—â—e wronge I do to my sonne As if I do my selfe appoint a wrethâ— for to become Loe he hath eueÌ„ decreed to be a wretch and doth any man appoynt anye such thinge agaynst his owne will I would my selfe worthy accompt of