commeth to a feast or a rude traveller who seeketh for lodging when it is darke night for even so thou wouldest remoove not to a place nor to a region but to a life whereof thou hast no proofe and triall As for this sentence and verse of Simonides The city can instruct a man true it is if it be meant of them who have sufficient time to be taught and to learne any science which is not gotten but hardly and with much ado after great studie long travell continuall exercise and practise provided also that it meet with a nature painfull and laborious patient and able to undergo all adversities of fortune These reasons a man may seeme very well and to the purpose to alledge against those who begin when they be well stricken in yeeres to deale in publike affaires of the State And yet we see the contrary how men of great wisedome and judgement divert children and yoong men from the government of common-weale who also have the testimonie of the lawes on their side by ordinance whereof at Athens the publicke Crier or Bedle calleth and summoneth to the pulpit or place of audience not such as yoong Alcibiades or Pytheas for to stand up first and speake before the assemblie of the people but those that be above fiftie yeeres of age and such they exhort both to make orations and also to deliver their minds and counsell what is most expedient to be done And Cato being accused when he was fourescore yeeres olde and upward in pleading of his own cause thus answered for himselfe It is an harder matter my masters quoth he for a man to render an account of his life and to justifie the same before other men than those with whom he hath lived And no man there is but he will confesse that the acts which Caesar Augustus atchieved a little before his death in defaiting Antonius were much more roiall and profitable to the weale-publicke than any others that ever hee performed all his life-time before and himselfe in restraining and reforming secretly by good customes and ordinances the dissolute riots of yoong men and namely when they mutined said no more but thus unto them Listen yoong men and heare an olde man speake whom olde men gave eare unto when he was but yoong The government also of Pericles was at the height and of greatest power and authoritie in his olde age at what time as he perswaded the Athenians to enter upon the Peloponesiacke warre but when they would needs in all haste and out of season set forward with their power to encounter with threescore thousand men all armed and well appointed who forraied and wasted their territorie he withstood them and hindered their dessigned enterprise and that in maner by holding sure the armour of the people out of their hands and as one would say by keeping the gates of the citie fast locked and sealed up But as touching that which Xenophon hath written of Agesilaus it is worthy to be delivered word for word as he setteth it downe in these tearmes What youth quoth he was ever so gallant but his age surpassed it what man was there ever in the flower and very best of all his time more dread and terrible to his enemies than Agesilaus was in the very latter end of his daies whose death at any time was more joyfull to enemies than that of Agesilaus although he was very olde when he died what was he that emboldened allies and confederates making them assured and confident if Agesilaus did not notwithstanding he was now at the very pits brincke and had in maner one foot already in his grave what yoong man was ever more missed among his friends and lamented more bitterly when he was dead than Agesilaus how olde so ever he was when he departed this life The long time that these noble personages lived was no impediment unto them in atchieving such noble and honourable services but we in these daies play the delicate wantons in government of cities where there is neither tyrannie to suppresse nor warre to conduct nor siege to be raised and being secured from troubles of warre we sit still with one hand in another being roubled onely with civill debates among citizens and some emulations which for the most part are voided and brought to an end by vertue of the lawes and justice onely with words Wee forbeare I say and draw backe from dealing in these publicke affaires for feare confessing our selves herein to be more cowardly and false-hearted I will not say than the ancient captaines and governours of the people in olde time but even worse than Poets Sophisters and Plaiers in Tragedies and Comedies of those daies If it be true as it is that Simonides in his olde age wan the prize for enditing ditties and setting songs in quires and dances according to the epigram made of him which testifieth no lesse in the last verses thereof running in this maner Fourescore yeeres olde was Simonides The Poet and sonne of Treoprepes Whom for his carrols and musicall vaine The prize he won and honour did gaine It is reported also of Sophocles that when he was accused judicially for dotage by his owne children who laied to his charge that he was become a childe againe unfitting for governing his house and had need therefore of a guardian being convented before the judges he rehearsed in open court the entrance of the chorus belonging to the Tragedie of his entituled Oedipus in Colono which beginneth in this wise Wel-come stranger at thy entrie To villages best of this countrie Renowmed for good steeds in fight The tribe of faire Colonus hight Where nightingale doth oft resort Her dolefull moanes for to report Amid greene bowers which she doth haunt Her sundrie notes and laies to chaunt With voice so shrill as in no ground Elswhere her songs so much resound c. And for that this canticle or sonet wonderfully pleased the judges and the rest of the company they all arose from the bench went out of the Court and accompanied him home to his house with great acclamations for joy and clapping of hands in his honour as they would have done in their departure from the Theater where the Tragedie had bene lively acted indeed Also it is confessed for certeine that an epigram also was made of Sophocles to this effect When Sophocles this sonnet wrote To grace and honour Herodote His daies of life by just account To fiftie five yeeres did amount Philemon and Alexis both comicall Poets chanced to be arrested and surprised with death even as they plaied their Comedie upon the stage for the prize and were about to be crowned with garlands for the victorie As for Paulus or Polus the actour of Tragedies Eratosthenes and Philochorus do report That when he was threescore yeeres olde and ten he acted eight Tragedies within the space of foure daies a little before his death Is it not then a right great shame that olde men
yeeres of age should arme and follow him now when they were offended and wroth hereat Why my masters quoth he what cause have you to complaine I will go with you my selfe and be your captaine who carie already above fourscore yeeres on my backe And of Masanissa Polybius writeth in his storie that he died when he was fourscore and ten yeeres old and left behind him at his death a sonne of his owne bodie begotten but fower yeeres old also that a little before his dying day he overthrew the Carthaginians in a raunged battell and the morrow after was seene eating favourly at his verie tent doore a piece of browne bread and when some marvelled at him why he so did he answered thus out of the Poet Sophocles For iron and brasse be bright and cleare All while mans hand the same doth weare But the house wherein none dwels at all In time must needs decay and fall and even as much may be said of the the lustre glosse and resplendent light of the minde by which we discourse we remember conceive and understand And therefore it is generally held and said that kings become much better in wars and militarie expeditions than they be all the whiles they sit still quietly at home In such sort that it is reported of King Attalus the brother of Eumenes how being enervate by long peace and rest Philopaemen one of his favourites led him up and downe as he list by the nose and indeed being fed as fat as a beast he might do with him what he would so as the Romans were wont to aske by way of mockerie ever and anon as any sailed out of Asia whether the king were in grace and favour with Philopaemen and might do any thing with him There could not easily be found many Romane captaines more sufficient warriours in all kinde of service than was Lucullus so long as he was in action and mainteined his wit and understanding entier but after that he gave himselfe over once to an idle life and sat mued up as it were like an house-bird at home and medled no more in the affaires of the common-weale he became very dull blockish and benummed much like to sea-spunges after a long calme when the salt water doth not dash and drench them so that afterwards hee committed his olde age to be dieted cured and ordered unto one of his affranchised bondslaves named Callisthenes by whom it was thought he was medicined with amatorious drinks and bewitched with other charmes and sorceries untill such time as his brother Marcus displaced this servitour from about him and would needs have the government and disposition of his person the rest of his life which was not very long But Dartus the father of Xerxes was wont to say That in perillous times and dangerous troubles he became the better and much wiser than himselfe Aeleas a King of Scythia said that he thought himselfe no better than his horse-keeper when he was ilde Dionysius the elder being demaunded upon a time whether he were at leisure and had nought to do God defend quoth he that ever it should be so with me for a bow as they say if it be over-bent will breake but the mind if it be over-slacke For the verie musicians themselves if they discontinue overlong the hearing of their accords the Geometricians likewise to proove resolve their conclusions the Arithmeticians also to exercise continually their accounts and reckonings together with the verie actions do impaire by long time and age the habitudes that they had gotten before in their severall arts albeit they be not so much practike as speculative sciences but the politike habitude which is Prudence Discretion Sage advise and Justice and besides all these Experience which can skill in all occurrences how to make choise of opportunities and the verie point of occasions as also a sufficiencie to be able with good words to perswade that which is meet this habitude I say and knowledge can not be preserved maintained but by speaking often in publike place by doing affaires by discoursing and by judgement and a hard case it were if by discontinuing and leaving off these goodly exercises it should neglect and suffer to voide out of the mind so many faire and laudable vertues for verie like it is that in so doing all humanitie sociable courtesie and gratitude in time for want of use and practise would decay and fade away which in deed should never cease nor have an end Now if you had Tithonus for your father who indeed was immortall howbeit by reason of extreme age standing in need continually of great helpe and carefull attendance would you avoide all good meanes would you denie or be weary of doing him dutifull service namely to wait upon him to speake unto him to find talke with him and to succour him everie way under a colour and pretense that you had ministred unto him long enough I trow you would not Our countrey then resembling our father or our mother rather according to the tearme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Candiots give it which is more aged and hath many more rights over us and straighter obligations of us than hath either father or mother how durable and long lived so ever it be yet notwithstanding subject it is to age and is not sufficent of it selfe but hath alwaies need of some carefull eie and good regard over it and requireth much succour and vigilance she I say plucketh unto her a man of honour and policie she takes sure hold and will not let him go She 〈◊〉 him by skirt of roabe behind And holds him fast least that he from her wind you know well that there be many Pythiades that is to say five yeeres terames gone over my head since I began first to minister as Priest unto Apollo Pythius but yet I suppose you would not say thus unto me Plutarch you have sacrificed enough now you have gone in procession often enough already or you have lead a sufficient number of dances in the honour and worship of your god now you are growen in yeeres and become aged it were time now that you laid off the coronet which you weare on your head in token of your priesthood and give over the oracle by reason of your old age Neither would I have you thinke that it is lawfull for you notwithstanding you be farre stept in yeeres to relinquish and resigne up your holy service of Jupiter the tutor and patron of cities the president of civill assemblies and counsels you I say who are the sovereigne high priest and the great prophet of the sacred ceremonies of religion politike wherein you thus long time have bene entred and professed But laying aside if you thinke good these arguments that may distract and pull an old man from the administration of the State let us discourse philosophically and consider a little upon this point namely that we doe not impose upon old age any
most pleasant for the thing it selfe is plaine and evident to all the world To saie nothing of Homers testimonie who speaking of sleepe writeth thus Most sweetly doth a man sleepe in his bed When least he wakes and 〈◊〉 most to be dead The same he iterateth in many places and namely once in this wise With pleasant sleepe she there did meet Deaths brother germain you may weet And againe Death and sleepe are sister and brother Both twinnes resembling one another Where by the way he lively declareth their similitude and calling them twins for that brothers and sisters twinnes for the most part be very like and in another place besides he calleth death a brasen sleepe giving us thereby to understand how sencelesse death is neither seemeth he unelegantly and besides the purpose whosoever he was to have expressed as much in this verse when he said That sleepes who doth them well advise Of death are pettie mysteries And in very deed sleepe doth represent as it were a preamble inducement or first profession toward death in like manner also the cynick philosopher Diogenes said very wisely to this point for being surpressed and overtaken with a dead sleepe a little before he yeelded up the ghost when the physician wakened him and demaunded what extraordinary symptome or grievous accident was befallen unto him None quoth he onely one brother is come before another to wit sleepe before death and thus much of the first resemblance Now if death be like unto a farre journey or long pilgrimage yet even so there is no evill at all therein but rather good which is cleane contrary for to be in servitude no longer unto the flesh nor enthralled to the passions thereof which seizing upon the soule doe empeach the same and fill it with all follies and mortall vanities is no doubt a great blessednesse and felicitie for as Plato saith The body bringeth upon us an infinit number of troubles and hinderances about the necessarie maintenance of it selfe and in case there be any maladies besides they divert and turne us cleane away from the inquisition and contemplation of the truth and in stead thereof pester and stuffe us full of wanton loves of lusts feares foolish fansies imaginations and vanities of all sorts insomuch as it is most true which is commonly saide That from the bodie there commeth no goodnesse nor wisedome at all For what else bringeth upon us warres seditions battels and fights but the bodie and the greedie appetites and lusts proceeding from it for to say a truth from whence arise all warres but from the covetous desire of money and having more goods neither are we driven to purchase and gather still but onely for to enterteine the bodie and serve the turne thereof and whiles we are amused emploied thereabout we have no time to studie Philosophie finally which is the woorst and very extremitie of all in case we find some leasure to follow our booke and enter into the studie and contemplation of things this body of ours at al times in every place is ready to interrupt and put us out it troubleth it empeacheth and so disquieteth us that impossible it is to attaine unto the perfect sight and knowledge of the truth whereby it is apparent and manifest that if ever we would cleerely and purely know any thing we ought to be sequestred and delivered from this bodie and by the eies onely of the mind contemplate view things as they be then shall we have that which we desire and wish then shall we attaine to that which we say we love to wit wisedome even when we are dead as reason teacheth us and not so long as we remaine alive for if it cannot be that together with the bodie we should know any thing purely one of these two things must of necessitie ensue that either never at all or else after death we should attaine unto that knowledge for then and not before the soule shall be apart and separate from the bodie and during our life time so much neerer shall we be unto this knowledge by how much lesse we participate with the body and have little or nothing to doe therewith no more than very necessitie doth require nor be filed with the corrupt nature thereof but pure and neat from all such contagion untill such time as God himselfe free us quite from it and then being fully cleered and delivered from all fleshly and bodily follies we shall converse with them and such like pure intelligences seeing evidently of our selves all that which is pure and sincere to wit truth it selfe for unlawfull it is and not allowable that a pure thing should be infected or once touched by that which is impure and therefore say that death seeme to translate men into some other place yet is it nothing ill in that respect but good rather as Plato hath very well prooved by demōstration in which regard Socrates in my conceit spake most heavenly divinely unto the judges when he said My lords to be affraid of death is nothing else but to seeme wise when a man is nothing lesse it is as much as to make semblance of knowing that which he is most ignorant of for who wotteth certainly what is death or whetherit be the greatest felicitie that may happen to a man yet men doe feare and dread it as if they knew for certaintie that it is the greatest evill in the world To these sage sentences he accordeth well who said thus Let no man stand in doubt and feare of death Since from all travels it him delivereth and not from travels only but also from the greatest miseries in the world whereto it seemeth that the verie gods themselves give testimonie for we reade that many men in recompense of their religion and devotion have received death as a singular gift and favour of the gods But to avoid tedious prolixitie I will forbeare to write of others and content my selfe with making mention of those onely who are most renowmed and voiced by every mans mouth and in the first place rehearse I will the historie of those two yoong gentlemen of 〈◊〉 namely Cleobis and Biton of whom there goeth this report That their mother being priestresse to Juno when the time was come that shee should present herselfe in the temple and the mules that were to draw her coatch thither not in readinesse but making stay behinde they seeing her driven to that exigent and fearing lest the houre should passe under-went themselves the yoke and drew their mother in the coatch to the said temple she being much pleased and taking exceeding joy to see so great pietie and kindnesse in her children praied unto the goddesse that she would vouchsafe to give them the best gift that could befall to man and they the same night following being gone to bedde for to sleepe never rose againe for that the goddesse sent unto them death as the onely recompense and reward of their godlinesse
which begin three tragoedies of Euripides 1 King Danaus who fiftie daughters had 2 Pelops the sonne of Tantalus when he to Pisa came 3 Cadmus whilom the citie Sidon left He lived 98 yeeres or as some say a full hundred could not endure for to see Greece fower times brought into servitude the yeere before he died or as some write fower yeeres before he wrote his Panathenaick oration as for his Panegyrik oration he was in penning it tenne yeeres and by the report of some fifteene which he is thought to have translated and borrowed out of Gorgias the Leontine and Lysias and the oration concerning the counterchange of goods he wrote when he was fourescore yeeres old twaine but his Philippike oration he set downe a little before his death when he was farre stepped in yeeres he adopted for his sonne Aphareus the yoongest of the three children of Plathane his wife the daughter of Hippias the oratour and professed Rhetorician He was of good wealth as well for that he called duely for money of his scholars as also because he received of Nicocles king of Cypres who was the sonne of Euagoras the summe of twenty talents of silver for one oration which hee dedicated unto him by occasion of this riches he became envied and was thrice chosen and enjoined to be the captaine of a galley and to defray the charges thereof for the two first times he feigning himselfe to be sicke was excused by the meanes of his sonne but at the third time he rose up and tooke the charge wherein he spent no small summe of money There was a father who talking with him about his sonne whom he kept at schoole said That he sent with him no other to be his guide and governour but a slave of his owne unto whom Isocrates answered Goe your waies then for one slave you shall have twaine Hee entred into contention for the prize at the solemne games which queene Artemisia exhibited at the funerals and tombe of her husband Mausolus but this enchomiasticall oration of his which he made in the praise of him is not extant another oration he penned in the praise of Helena as also a third in the commendation of the counsell Areopagus Some write that he died by absteining nine daies together from all meat others report but fower even at the time that the publike obsequies were solemnized for them who lost their lives in the battell at Chaeronea His adopted sonne Aphareus composed likewise certeine orations enterred hee was together with all his linage and those of his bloud neere unto a place called Cynosarges upon a banke or knap of a little hill on the left hand where were bestowed the sonne and father Theodorus their mother also and her sister Anaco aunt unto the oratour his adopted sonne likewise Aphareus together with his cousen germain Socrates sonne to the a foresaid aunt Anaco Isocrates mothers sister his brother Theodorus who bare the name of his father his nephewes or children of his adopted sonne Aphareus and his naturall Theodorus moreover his wife Plathane mother to his adopted sonne Aphareus upon all these bodies there were six tables or tombs erected of stone which are not to be seene as this day but there stood upon the tombe of Isocrates himselfe a mightie great ramme engraven to the height of thirtie cubits upon which there was a syren or mere-maid seven cubits high to signifie under a figure his milde nature and eloquent stile there was besides neere unto him a table conteining certaine poets and his owne schole-masters among whom was Gorgias looking upon an astrologicall sphaere and Isocrates himselfe standing close unto him furthermore there is erected a brasen image of his in Eleusin before the entrie of the gallery Stoa which Timotheus the sonne of Caron caused to be made bearing this epi gram or inscription Timotheus upon a loving minde And for to honour mutuall kindnesses This image of Isocrates his friende Erected hath unto the goddesses This statue was the handi-worke of Leochares There goe under his name threescore orations of which five and twentie are his indeed according to the judgement of Dionysius but as Cecilius saith eight and twentie all the rest are falsly attributed unto him So farre was he off from ostentation and so little regard had hee to put foorth himselfe and shew his sufficiencie that when upon a time there came three unto him of purpose to heare him declame and discourse he kept two of them with him and the third he sent away willing him to returne the next morrow For now quoth he I have a full theater in mine auditorie He was wont to say also unto his scholars and familiars That himselfe taught his art for ten pounds of silver but hee would give unto him that could put into him audacity and teach him good utterance ten thousand When one demanded of him it was possible that he should make other men sufficient orators seeing himselfe was nothing eloquent Why not quoth he seeing that whet-stones which can not cut at all make iron and steele sharpe enough and able to cut Some say that he composed certeine books as touching the art of rhetorick but others are of opinion that it was not by any method but exercise onely that he made his scholars good oratours this is certeine that he never demanded any mony of naturall citizens borne for their teaching His maner was to bid his scholars to be present at the great assemblies of the citie and to relate unto him what they heard there spoken and delivered He was wonderfull heavy and sorrowfull out of measure for the death of Socrates so as the morrow after he mourned put on blacke for him Againe unto one who asked him what was Rhetorick he answered It is the art of making great matters of small small things of great Being invited one day to Nicocreon the tyrant of Cypres as he sat at the table those that were present requested him to discourse of some theame but he answered thus For such matters wherein I have skill the time will not now serve and in those things that sit the time I am nothing skilfull Seeing upon a time Sophocles the tragicall poet following wantonly and hunting with his eie a yoong faire boy he said O Sophocles an honest man ought to conteine not his hands onely but his eies also When Ephorus of Cunes went from his schoole non proficiens and able to doe nothing by reason whereof his father Demophilus sent him againe with a second salary or minervall Isocrates smiled thereat and merily called him Diphoros that is to say bringing his money twice so hee tooke great paines with the man and would himselfe prompt him and give him matter and invention for his declamatorie exercise Inclined he was and naturally given unto the pleasures of wanton love in regard whereof he used to lie upon a thinne and hard short mattresse and to have the pillow and bolster under his
it placeth in lieu thereof modest bashfulnesse silence and taciturnity it adorneth it with decent gesture and seemly countenance making it for ever after obedient to one lover onely Ye have heard I am sure of that most famous and renowmed courtisan Lais who was courted and sought unto by so many lovers and ye know well how she inflamed and set on fire all Greece with the love and longing desire after her or to say more truly how two seas strave about her how after that the love of Hippolochus the Thessalian had seased upon her she quit and abandoned the mount Acrocorinthus Seated upon the river side Which with greene waves by it did glide as one writeth of it and flying secretly from a great army as it were of other lovers she retired herselfe right decently within Megalopolis unto him where other women upon very spight envie and jelousie in regard of her surpassing beautie drew her into the temple of Venus and stoned her to death whereupon it came as it should seeme that even at this day they call the said temple The temple of Venus the murderesse We our selves have knowen divers yoong maidens by condition no better than slaves who never would yeeld to lie with their master as also sundry private persons of meane degree who refused yea and disdained the companie of queenes when their hearts were once possessed with other love which as a mistresse had the absolute command thereof For like as at Rome when there was a Lord Dictatour once chosen all other officers of State and magistrates valed bonet were presently deposed and laied downe their ensignes of authority even so those over whom Love hath gotten the mastery and rule incontinently are quit freed and delivered from all other lords and rulers no otherwise than such as are devoted to the service of some religious place And in trueth an honest and vertuous dame linked once unto her lawfull spouse by unfained love will sooner abide to be clipped clasped and embraced by any wolves and dragons than the contrectation and bed fellowship of any other man whatsoever but her owne husband And albeit there be an infinit number of examples among you here who are all of the same countrey and professed associats in one dance with this god Love yet it were not well done to passe over in silence the accidents which befell unto Camma the Galatian lady This yong dame being of incomparable beauty was maried unto a tetrarch or great lord of that countrey named Sinnatus howbeit one Synorix the mightiest man of all the Galatians was enamoured upon her but seeing that he could not prevaile with the woman neither by force and perswasion so long as her husband lived he made no more ado but murdred him Camma then having no other refuge for her pudicity nor comfort and easement of her hearts griefe made choise of the temple of Diana where she became a religious votary according to the custome of that countrey And verily the most part of her time she bestowed in the worship of that goddesse and would not admit speech with any 〈◊〉 many though they were and those great personages who sought her mariage but when Synorix had made meanes very boldly to aske her the question and to sollicite her about that point she seemed not to reject his motion nor to expostulate and be offended for any thing past as if for pure love of her and ardent affection and upon no wicked and malicious minde unto Sinnatus he had beene induced to do that which he did and therefore Synorix came confidently to treat with her and demand mariage of her she also for her part came toward the man kindly gave him her hand and brought him to the altar of the said goddesse where after she had made an offring unto Diana by powring forth some little of a certeine drinke made of wine hony as it should seeme empoisoned which she had put into a cup she began unto Synorix dranke up the one 〈◊〉 of it giving the rest unto the said Galatian for to pledge her Now when she saw that he had drunke it all off she fetched a grievous grone and brake forth aloud into this speech naming withall her husband that dead was My most loving and deere spouse quoth she I have lived thus long without thee in great sorow and heavinesse expecting this day but now receive me joifully seeing it is my good hap to be revenged for thy death upon this most wicked and ungratious wretch as one most glad to have lived once with thee and to die now with him As for Synorix he was caried away from thence in a litter and died soone after but Camma having survived him a day and a night died by report most resolutely and with exceeding joy of spirit Considering then that there be many such like examples aswel among us here in Greece as the Barbarians who is able to endure those that reproch and revile Love as if being associate and assistant to love she should hinder amitie whereas contrariwise the company of male with male a man may rather terme intemperance and disordinate lasciviousnesse crying out upon it in this maner Grosse wantonnesse or filthie lust it is Not Venus faire that worketh this And therefore such filths baggages as take delight to suffer themselves voluntarily thus to be abused against nature we reckon to be the woorst and most flagitious persons in the world no man reposeth in them any trust no man doth them any jote of honor and reverence nor vouchsafeth them woorthy of the least part of friendship but in very trueth according to Sophocles Such friends as these men are full glad and joy when they be gone But whiles they have them wish and pray that they were rid anone As for those who being by nature leaud and naught have beene circumvented in their youth aad forced to yeeld themselves and to abide this villany and abuse al their life after abhorre the sight of such wicked wantons and deadly hate them who have bene thus disposed to draw them to this wickednesse yea and ready they are to be revenged and to pay them home at one time or other whensoever meanes and opportunity is offered for upon this occasion Cratenas killed Archelaus whom in his flower of youth he had thus spoiled as also Pytholaus slew Alexander the tyrant of Pherae And Pertander the tyrant of Ambracia demanded upon a time of the boy whom he kept whether he were not yet with childe which indignity the youth tooke so to the heart that he slew him outright in the place whereas with women and those especially that be espoused and wedded wives these be the earnest penies as it were and beginnings of amity yea the very obligation and society of the most sacred holiest ceremonies As for fleshly pleasure it selfe the least thing it is of all other but the mutuall honour grace dilection and fidelity that springeth and ariseth
feareth Neptune and standeth in dread least he shake cleaue and open the earth and so discover hell he will rebuke also himselfe when he is offended and angrie with for Apollo the principal man of all the Greekes of whom Thetu complaineth thus in the Poet Aesohylus as touching Achilles her sonne Himselfe did sing and say al good of me himselfe also at wedding present was Yet for all this himselfe and none but be hath slaine and done to death my sonne alas He will like wise represse the treares of Achilles now departed and of Agamemnon being in hell who in their desire to revive and for the love of this life stretch foorth their impotent and seeble hands And if it chaunce at any time that he be troubled with passions and surprised with their enchantments and sorcerie he will not sticke nor feare to say thus unto himselfe Make hast and speed without delay Recover soone the light of day Beare well in minde what thou seest heere And all report to thy bed feere Homer spake this in mirth and pleasantly fitting indeed the discourse wherein he describeth hell as being in regard of the fiction a tale fit for the eares of women and none els These be the fables that Poets do feigne voluntarily But more in number there are which they neither devisenor counterfeit but as they are perswaded and do beleeve themselves so they would beare us in hand and infect us with the same untruthes as namely when Homer writeth thus of Iupiter Two lots then of long sleeping death he did in balance put One for Achilles hardy knight and one for Hector stout But when he pis'd it just mids behold str Hectors death Weigh'd downward unto bell beneath Then Phoebus slopt his breath To this fiction Aeschylus the Poët hath aptly fitted one entire Tragedie which he intituled Psychostasia that is to say the weighing of Soules or ghosts in balance Wherein he deviseth to stand at these skales of Iupiter Thetu of the one side and Aurora of the other praying each of them for their sonnes as they fight But there is not a man who seeth not cleerely that this it but a made tale and meere fable devised by Homer either to content and delight the Reader or to bring him into some great admiration and astonishment Likewise in this place T' is Iupiter that mooveth warre He is the cause that men do jarre As also this of another Poët When God above some house will overthrow He makes debate twixt mort all men below These and such like speeches are delivered by Poëts according to the very conceit and beliese which they have whereby the errour and ignorance which themselves are in as touching the nature of the gods they derive and communicate unto us Semblably the strange wonders and marvels of Hell The descriptions by them made which they depaint unto us by fearefull and terrible termes representing unto us the fantasticall apprehensions and imaginations of burning and flaming rivers of hideous places and horrible torments there are not many men but wot well ynough that therein be tales and lies good store no otherwise than in meates and viands you shall finde mixed otherwhiles hurtfull poyson or medicinable drugs For neither Homer nor Pindarus nor Sophocles have written thus of Hell beleeving certainely that there were any such things there From whence the dormant rivers dead of blacke and shady night Cast up huge mists and clouds full darke that overwhelme the light Likewise The Ocean coast they sailed still along Fast by the clifs of Leucas rocke among As also Here boyling waves of gulfe so deepe do swell Where lies the way and downfall into hell And as many of them as bewailed and lamented for death as a most piteous and woful thing or feared want of sepulture as a miserable and wretched case uttered their plaints and griefes in these and such like words Forsake me not unburied so Nor unbewailed when you go Semblably And then the soule from body flew and as to hell she went She did her death her losseof strength and youthfull yeeres lament Likewise Doe not me kill before my time for why to see this light Is sweet sorce me not under earth where nothing is but night These are the voices I say of passionate persons captivate before to error and false opinions And therefore they touch us more neerely and trouble us so much the rather when they finde us likewise possessed of such passions and feeblenes of spirit from whence they proceed In which regard we ought to be prepared betimes and provided alwaies before hand to encounter and withstand such illusions having this sentence readily evermore resounding in our cares as it were from a trunke or pipe That Poetrie is fabulous and maketh smal reckoning of Truth As for the truth indeed of these things it is exceeding hard to be conceived comprehended even by those who travell in no other businesse but to search out the knowledge and understanding of the thing as they themselves do confesse And for this purpose these verses of Empedocles would be alwaies readie at hand who saith that the depth of such things as these No eie of man is able to perceive No care to heare nor spirit to conceive Like as these also of Xenophanes Never was man nor ever will be Able to sound the veritie Of those things which of God I write Or of the world I do endite And I assure you The very words of Socrates in Plato imply no lesse who protesteth and bindeth it with an oath that he cannot attaine to the knowledge of these matters And this will be a good motive to induce yoong men to give lesse credit unto Poëts as touching their certaine knowledge in these points wherein they perceive the Philosophers themselves so doubtfull and perplexed yea and therewith so much troubled Also the better shall we stay the mind of a yoong man cause him to be more warie if at his first entrance into the reading of Poëts we describe Poetrie unto him giving him to understand that it is an art of Imitation a science correspondent every way to the seat of painting and not onely must he be acquainted with the hearing of that vulgar speech so common in every mans mouth that Poësie is a speaking picture and picture a dumbe Poësie but also we ought to teach him that when we behold a Lizard or an Ape wel painted or the face of Thersites lively drawen we take pleasure therein praise the same wonderfully not for any beautie in the one or in the other but because they are so naturally counterfeited For that which is soule of it selfe ilfavored in the owne nature cannot be made faire seemly but the skil of resembling a thing wel be the same faire or be it foule is alwaies commended wheras contrariwise he that takes in hand to purtray an ilfavoured bodie and makes thereof a faire beautifull image shall exhibite a
so it repugneth with others and is obstinate and disobedient whereupon it is that themselves enforced thereto by the truth of the thing do affirme and pronounce that every judgement is not a passion but that onely which stirreth up and mooveth a strong and vehement appetite to a thing confessing thereby no doubt that one thing it is in us which judgeth and another thing that suffereth that is to say which receiveth passions like as that which moveth and that which is mooved be divers Certes even Chrysippus himselfe defininig in many places what is Patience and what is Continency doth avouch That they be habitudes apt and fit to obey and follow the choise of reason whereby he sheweth evidently that by the force of truth he was driven to confesse and avow That there is one thing in us which doth obey and yeeld and another which being obeied is yeelded unto and not obeied is resisted Furthermore as touching the Stoicks who hold That all sinnes and faults be equall neither wil this place nor the time now serve to argue against them whether in other points they swerve from the trueth howbeit thus much by the way I dare be bolde to say That in most things they will be found to repugne reason even against apparent and manifest evidence For according to their opinion euery passion or perturbation is a fault and whosoever grieve feare or lust do sinne but in those passions great difference there is seene according to more or lesse for who would ever be so grosse as to say that Dolons feare was equall to the feare of Ajax who as Homer writeth As he went out of field did turne and looke behinde full oft With knee before knee decently and so retired soft or compare the sorrow of King Alexander who would needs have killed himselfe for the death of Clytus to that of Plato for the death of Socrates For dolours and griefs encrease exceedingly when they grow upon occasion of that which hapneth besides all reason like as any accident which falleth out beyond our expectation is more grievous and breedeth greater anguish than that whereof areason may be rendered and which a man might suspect to follow As for example if he who ever expected to fee his sonne advanced to honour and living in great repuration among men should heare say that he were in prison and put to all maner of torture as Parmeno was advertised of his sonne Philotas And who will ever say that the anger of Nicocreon against Anaxarchus was to be compared with that of Magas against Philemon which arose upon the same occasion for that they both were spightfully reviled by them in reprochful termes for Nicocreon caused Anaxarchus to be braid in a morter with yron pestles whereas Magas commanded the Executioner to lay a sharpe naked sword upon the necke of Philémon and so to let him go without doing him any more harme And therefore it is that Plato named anger the sinewes of the soule giving us thereby to understand that they might be stretched by bitternesse and let slake by mildnesse But the Stoicks for to avoid and put backe these objections and such like denie that these stretchings and vehement fits of passions be according to judgement for that it may faile and erre many waies saying they be certaine pricks or stings contractions diffusions or dilatations which in proportion and according to reason may be greater or lesse Certes what variety there is in judgement it is plaine and evident For some there be that deeme povertie not to be ill others holde that it is very ill and there are againe who account it the worst thing in the world insomuch as to avoid it they could be content to throw themselves headlong from high rocks into the sea Also you shall have those who reckon death to be evill in that onely it depriveth us of the fruition of many good things others there be who thinke and say as much but it is in regard of the eternall torments horrible punishments that be under the ground in hell As for bodily health some love it no otherwise than a thing agreeable to nature and profitable withall others take it to be the soveraigne good in the world as without which they make no reckoning of riches of children Ne yet of crowne and regall dignitie Which men do match even with divinitie Nay they let not in the end to thinke and say That vertue it serveth in no stead and availeth nought unlesse it be accompanied with good health whereby it appeareth that as touching judgement some erre more some lesse But my meaning is not now to dispute against this evasion of theirs Thus much onely I purpose to take for mine advantage out of their owne confession in that themselves do grant That the brutish and sensuall part according to which they say that passions be greater and more violent is different from iudgement and howsoever they may seeme to contest and cavill about words and names they grant the substance and the thing it selfe in question joining with those who mainteine that the reasonlesse part of the soule which enterteineth passions is altogether different from that whcih is able to discourse reason and judge And verily Chrysppus in those books which he entituled Of Anomologie after he hed written and taught that angenis blinde and many times will not permit a man to see those things which be plaine and apparent and as often casteth a darke mist over that which he hath already perfectly learned and knowen proceedeth forward a little further For quoth he the passions which arise drive out and chase forth all discourse of reason and such things as were judged and determined otherwise against them urging it still by force unto contrary actions Then he useth the testimonie of Menander the Poet who in one place writeth thus by way of exclamation We worth the time wretch that I am How was my minde destraught In body mine where were my wits some folly sure me caught What time I fell to this For why thereof I made no choise Farre better things they were 〈◊〉 which had my former voice The same Chrysippus also going on still It being so quoth he that a reasonable creature is by nature borne and given to use reason in all things and to be governed thereby yet notwithstanding we reject and cast it behinde us being over-ruled by another more violent motion that carieth us away In which words what doth he else but confesse even that which hapneth upon the dissention betweene affection and reason For it were a meere ridiculous mockerie in deed as Plato saith to affirme that a man were better worse than himselfe or that he were able now to master himselfe anon ready to be mastered by himselfe and how were it possible that the same man should be better worse than himselfe and at once both master and servant unlesse every one were naturally in some sort double and had
the night long toile and moile like a drudge and hireling thy selfe hire other labourers for day-wages lie in the winde for inheritances speake men faire in hope to be their heire and debase thy selfe to all the world and care not to whom thou cap and knee for gaine having I say so sufficient meanes otherwise to live at ease to wit thy niggardise and pinching parsimonie whereby thou maist be dispensed for doing just nothing It is reported of a certaine Bizantine who finding an adulterer in bed with his wife who though she were but foule yet was ilfavoured enough said unto him O miserable caitise what necessitie hath driven thee thus to doe what needes Sapragoras dowrie well goe to thou takest great paines poore wretch thou fillest and stirrest the lead thou kindlest the fire also underneath it Necessarie it is in some sort that Kings and Princes should seeke for wealth and riches that these Governours also and Deputies muder them should bee great gatheres yea and those also who reach at the highest places and aspire to rule and soveraigne dignities in great States and cities all these I say have need perforce to heape up grosse summes of money to the end that for their ambition their proud port pompe and vaine-glorious humour they might make sumptuous feasts give largesses reteine a guard about their persons send presents abroad to other States mainteine and wage whole armies buie slaves to combat and fight at sharpe to the outtrance but thou makest thy selfe so much adoo thou troublest and tormentest both body and minde living like an oister or a shell-snaile and for to pinch and spare art content to undergo and indure all paine and travell taking no pleasure nor delight in the world afterwards no more than the Baine-keepers poore asse which carying billots and fagots of drie brush and sticks to kindle fire and to heat the stouphes is evermore full of smoake soot ashes and sinders but hath no benefit at all of the bane and is never bathed washed warmed rubbed scoured and made cleane Thus much I speake in reproch and disdaine of this miserable asse-like avarice this base raping and scraping together in maner of ants or pismires Now there is another kind of covetousnesse more savage and beast-like which they prosesse who backbite and slander raise malicious imputations forge false wils and testaments lie in wait for heritages cogge and cousen and intermeddle in all matters will bee seene in everie thing know all mens states busie themselves with many cares and troubles count upon their fingers how many friends they have yet living and when they have all done receive no fruition or benefit by all the goods which they have gotten together from all parts with their cunning casts subtil shifts And therefore like as we have in greater hatred and detestation vipers the venemous flies Cantharides and the stinging spiders called Philangia Tarantale than either beares or lions for that they kill folke and stinge them to death but receive no good or benefit at all by them when they are dead even so be these wretches more odious and woorthy to be hated of us who by their miserable parsimonie and pinching doe mischiefe than those who by their riot and wastfulnesse be hurtfull to a common-weale because they take and catch from others that which they themselves neither will nor know how to use Whereupon it is that such as these when they have gotten abundance and are in maner full rest them for a while and doe no more violence as it were in time of truce and surcease of hostilitie much after the maner as Demosthenes said unto them who thought that Demades had giuen over all his lewdnesse and knavery O quoth he you see him now full as lions are who when they have filled their bellies prey no more for the lice untill they be hungrie againe but such covetous wretches as be imploied in government of civill affaires and that for no profit nor pleasure at all which they intend those I say never rest nor make holiday they allow themselves no truce nor cessation from gathering heaping more together still as being evermore emptie have alwaies need of al things though they have all But some man perhaps will say These men I assure you do save lay up goods in store for their children and heires after their death unto whom whiles they live they will part with nothing If that be so I can compare them very well to those mice and cats in gold mines which feed upon the gold-ore and licke up all the golden sand that the mines yeeld so that men can not come by the golde there before they be dead and cut up in maner of anatomies But tell me I pray you wherefore are these so willing to treasure up so much money and so great substance and leave the same to their children inheritours and successors after them I verily beleeve to this end that those children and heires also of theirs should keepe the same still for others likewise and so to passe from hand to hand by descent of many degrees like as earthen conduct-pipes by which water is conveied into some cesterne withhold and reteine none of all the water that passeth through them but doe transmit and send all away from them ech one to that which is next and reserve none to themselves thus doe they untill some arise from without a meere stranger to the house one that is a sycophant or very tyrant who shall cut off this keeper of that great stocke and treasure and when he hath dispatched and made a hand of him drive and turne the course of all this wealth and riches out of the usuall chanell another way or at leastwise untill it fall into the hands as commonly men say it doth of the most wicked and ungracious imp of that race who wil disperse and scatter that which others have gathered who will consume and devour all unthristily which his predecessors have gotten and spared wickedly for not onely as Euripides saith Those children wastfull prove and bad Who servile slaves for parents had but also covetous carles pinching peni-fathers leave children behind thē that be loose riotous spend-thrifts like as Diogenes by way of mockery said upon a time That it were better to be a Megarians ram than his sonne for wherein they would seeme to instruct and informe their children they spoile and mar them cleane ingrafting into their hearts a desire and love of money teaching them to be covetous and base minded pinch-penies laying the foundation as it were in their heires of some strong place or fort wherein they may surely guard and keepe their inheritance And what good lessons and precepts be these which they teach them Gaine and spare my sonne get and save thinke with thy selfe and make thine account that thou shalt be esteemed in the world according to thy wealth and not otherwise But surely this not to instruct a
we better warriours be In these daies than our fathers were by many a degree If we call to minde and remember the precedent words a little before Thou sonne of noble Tydëus a wise and hardy knight How is it that thy heart doth pant for feare when thou shouldst fight Why do'st thou cast thine eie about and looke on everie side How thou maist out of battell scape and dar'st not field abide for it was not Sthenelus himselfe unto whom this sharpe and bitter speech was addressed but he replied thus in the behalfe of his friend whom he had thus reproched and therefore so just a cause and so fit an occasion gave him libertie to speake thus bravely and boldly of himselfe As for the citizens of Rome they were offended displeased much with Cicero praising himselfe so much as he did and namely relating so often the woorthie deeds by him done against Catiline but contrariwise when Scipio said before them all in a publike assembly That it was not meet and seemely for them to sit as judges upon Scipio considering that by his meanes they were growen to that grandence as to judge all the world they put chaplets of flowers upon their heads and in this wise adorned mounted up together with him into the temple of the Capitoll for to sacrifice and render thankes unto Jupiter and good reason both of the one and the other for Cicero rehearsed his owne praise-worthy deeds so many times without any need enforcing him thereto onely to glorifie himselfe but the present perill wherein the other stood freed him from all hatred and envie notwithstanding he spake in his owne praise Moreover this vanterie and glorious boasting of a mans selfe is not befitting those onely who are accused or in trouble and danger of the law but to as many also as be in adversitie rather than in prosperitie for that it seemeth that these reach and catch as it were at glorie and take pleasure and joy therein onely to gratifie and content therein their owne ambitious humor whereas the other by reason of the qualitie of the time being farre from all suspition of vaine glorie and ambition doe plucke up and erect themselves upright against fortune sustaining and upholding what they can the generositie of their minds avoiding as much as lieth in them that base conceit to be thought for to beg commiseration and crave pittie as if they would be moaned for their misadventures and thereby bewray their abject hearts For like as we take them for fooles and vaine-glorious fellowes who as they walke ordinarily lift up themselves and beare their heads and neckes aloft but contrariwise we praise and commend those who erect their bodies and do all they can to put foorth themselves either in fight at sharpe or in buffeting with fists even so a man who being overthrowen by adverse fortune raiseth himselfe up againe upon his feet and addresseth his whole might to make head Like as the champion doth arise Upon his hands to winne a prise and in stead of shewing himselfe humble suppliant and pittifull by glorious words maketh a shew of braverie and haughtie courage seemeth not thereby proude and presumptuous but contrariwise great magnanimous and invincible Thus in one place the poet Homer depainteth Patroclus modest and nothing at all subject to envie when he had done any exploit fortunately and with valour but at his death when he was ready to yeeld the ghost he described him to speake bravely in this wise If twentie such with all their might Had met with me in open fight c. And Phocion who otherwise was alwaies meeke and modest after that he saw himselfe condemned gave all the world to understand his magnanimitie as in many other things so especially in this point that he said unto one of those that were to suffer death with him who made a pitious moane and great lamentation How now man what is that thou saiest doth it not thee good at the heart to thinke that thou shalt die with Phocion And verily no lesse but rather much more it is permitted to a man of State who is injuriously dealt withall for to speake somewhat frankly of himselfe namely unto those who seeme to be oblivious and unthankfull Thus Achilles at other times rendred the glorie of fortunate successe in his affaires to the heavenly power of God and spake modestly in this maner That Jupiter would give us power and strength Troy citie strongly wall'd to winne at length But otherwise when indignities were offred unto him and he unjustly wronged and abused he sang another note and displaied his tongue at large in anger breaking out into these haughtie and brave words With ships of mine well man'd with souldiours brave By force of armes twelve cities wonne I have Also For why approch they dare not neere to me The brightnes of my morion for to see For libertie of franke speech being a part of justification and defence in law is allowed to use great words for plea. And verily Themistocles according to this rule who all the while that hee performed the exploits of noble service in his owne countrey never did or said ought that savoured of odious pride yet when he once saw that the Athenians were full of him and that they made account of him no more forbare not to say unto them thus What meane you my masters of Athens thus to disdaine be wearie of those at whose hands you receive so oftentimes benefits In time of storme and tempest you flie to them for refuge and shroud your selves in their protection as under the harbor and covert of a spreading tree no sooner is the storme overblowne and the weather faire againe but you are ready to give a twitch at them and every one to pull and breake a branch thereof as you passe by Thus you see how these men perceiving themselves otherwise injuried in their discontentment sticke not to rehearse their service and good deeds past and cast them in their teeth who are forgetfull thereof But he that is blamed and suffreth a reproch for things well done is altogether for to be excused and unblameable in case he set in hand to praise his owne deeds forasmuch as he seemeth nor to reproch and upbraid any but to answere onely in his own defence to justifie himselfe Certes this it was that gave unto Demosthenes an honest and laudable libertie to speake for his owne behoofe and he avoided thereby all tedious satietie of his owne praises which he used throughout that whole oration entituled Of the crowne wherein he gloried and vaunted of that which was imputed unto him as reprochable to wit the embassages in which he went and the decrees which he had enacted as touching the warre Moreover not farre from these points above rehearsed the reversing of an objection by way of Antithesis may be placed and carieth with it a good grace to wit when the defendant doth proove and shew that the contrary
quoth he be throwen for all as if he would say This cast for it there is but one chance to lose all When Pompey was fled from Rome to the sea side and Metellus the superintendent of the publike treasurie would have hindred him for taking foorth any money from thence keeping the treasure house fast shut he threatned to kill him whereat Metellus seeming to be amazed at his adacious words Tush tush quoth he good yoong man I would thou shouldest know that it is harder for me to speake the word than to doe the deed And for that his soldiors staid long ere they were transported over unto him from Brundusuim to Dyrrhachium he embarked himselfe alone into a small vessell without the knowledge of any man who he was purposing to passe the seas alone without his companie but it hapned so that he was like to have beene cast away in a gust and drowned with the waves of the sea whereupon he made himselfe knowne unto the pilot and spake unto him aloud Assure thy selfe and rest confident in fortune for wot well thou hast Caesar a ship boord howbeit for that time he was empeached that he could not crosse the seas as well in regard of the tempest which grew more violent as also of his souldiers who ran unto him from all sides and complained unto him for griefe of heart saying That he offred them great wrong to attend upon other forces as if he distrusted them Not long after this he fought a great battell wherein Pompeius hand the upper had for a time but for that he followed not the train of his good fortune he retired into his campe which when Caesar saw he said The victorie was once this day our enemies but their head and captaine knew not so much upon the plaines of 〈◊〉 the very day of the battell Pompey having arranged his army in array commanded his soldiers to stand their ground and not to advaunce forward but to expect their enimies and receive the charge wherin Caesar afterwards said He did amisse and grossely failed for that therby he let slack as it were the vigor vehemencie of his soldiors which is ministred unto thē by the violence of the first onset abated that heat also of courage which the said charge would have brought with it When he had defaited at his very first encounter Pharnaces king of Pontus he wrote thus unto his friends I came I saw I vanquished After that Scipio and those under his conduct were discomfited and put to flight in Africke when he heard that Cato had killed himselfe he said I envie thy death ô Cato for that thou hast envied me the honour of saving thy life Some there were who had Antonie and Dolabella in jealousie and suspicion and when they came unto him and said That he was to looke unto himselfe and stand upon his good guard he made them this answer That he had no distrust nor feare of them who ledde an idle life be well coloured and in so good liking as they But I feare quoth he these pale and leane fellowes pointing unto Brutus and Cassius One day as he sat at the table when speech was mooved and the question asked what kind of death was best Even that quoth he which is sudden and least looked for CAESAR him I meane who first was surnamed Augustus being as yet in his youth required and claimed of Antonie as much money as amounted to two thousand and five hundred Myriades which he had transported out of Julius Caesars house after he was murdred and gotten into his owne hands for that he entended to pay the Romans that which the said Caesar had bequeathed unto them by his last will and testament for he had left by legacie unto every citizen of Rome 75. drams of silver but Antonie deteined the said summe of money to himselfe and answered yoong Caesar that if he were wife he should desist from demanding any such monies of him which when the other heard he proclaimed open port sale of all the goods that came to him by his patrimonie in deed sold the same and with the money raised thereof he satisfied the foresaid legacies unto the Romanes in which doing he wan all the hearts of the citizens of Rome to himselfe brought their evill wil and hatred upon Antonie Afterwards Rymetalces king of Thracia left the part of Antonius and turned to his side but he overshot himselfe so much at the table being in his cups and namely in that he could talke of nothing else but of this great good service and casting in his teeth this worthy alliance and confederacie of his so as he became odious therefore insomuch as one time at supper Caesar taking the cup dranke to one of the other kings who sat at the boord saying with a loud voice Treason I love well but traitors I hate The Alexandrians after their citie was woonne looked for no better than to suffer all the extremities and calamities that might follow upon the forcing of a city by assault but this Caesar mounting up into the publike place to make a speech unto the citizens having neere by unto him a familiar friend of his to wit Arius an Alexandrian borne pronounced openly a generall pardon saying that he forgave the citie first in regard of the greatnesse and beautie thereof secondly in respect of king Alexander the great their first founder and thirdly for Arius his sake who was his loving friend Understanding that one of his Procuratours named Eros who did negotiate for him in Aegypt had bought a quaile of the game which in fight would beat all other quailes and was never conquered himselfe but continued still invincible which quaile notwithstanding the said slave had caused to be rosted and so eaten it he sent for him and examined him thereupon whether it was true or no and when he confessed Yea he commanded him presently to be crucified and nailed to the mast of his ship He placed Arius in Sicilie for his agent and procuratour in stead of one Theodorus and when one presented unto him a little booke or bill wherein were written these words Theodorus of Tharsis the bauld is a theefe how thinke you is he not when he had read this bill he did nothing else but subscribe underneath I thinke no lesse He received yeerely upon his birth day from Mecaenas one of his familiar friends who conversed daily with him a cup for a present Athenodorus the Philosopher being of great yeeres craved licence with his good favour to retire unto his owne house from the court by reason of his old age and leave he gave him but at his farewell Athenodorus said unto him Sir when you perceive your selfe to be mooved with choler neither say do nor ought before you have repeated to your selfe all the 24. letters in the Alphabet Caesar hearing this advertisement tooke him by the hand I have need still quoth he of your company and
and lying Another for to animate him to this warre alleaged the prowesses and worthy exploits atchieved by them at other times against the Persians Me thinkes quoth he you know not what you say namely that because we have overcome a thousand sheepe we should therefore set upon fiftie woolves He was upon a time in place to heare a musician sing who did his part very well and one asked him how he liked the man and what he thought of him May quoth he I take him to be a great amuser of men in a small matter When another highly extolled the citie of Athens in his presence And who can justly and dulie quoth he praise that citie which no man ever loved for being made better in it When Alexander the great had caused open proclamation to be made in the great assemblie at the Olympick games That all banished persons might returne unto their owne countries except the Thebanes Behold quoth Eudamidas heere is a wofull proclamation for you that be Thebans howbeit honorable withall for it is a signe that Alexander feareth none but you onely in all Greece A certaine citizen of Argos said one day in his hearing That the Lacsedaemonians after they be gone once out of their owne countrey and from the obeisance of their lawes proove woorse for their travelling abroad in the world But it is contrary with you that be Argives and other Greekes quoth he for being come once into our cities Sparta you are not the woorse but proove the better by that meanes It was demaunded of him what the reason might be wherefore they used to sacrifice unto the Muses before they did hazard a battell To the end quoth he that our valiant acts might be well and woorthilie written EURYCRATIDAS the sonne of Anaxandrides when one asked him why the Ephori sat every day to decide and judge of contracts betweene men For that quoth he we should learne to keepe our faith and truth even among our enemies ZEUXIDAMUS likewise answered unto one who demaunded of him why the statutes and ordinances of prowesse and martiall fortitude were not reduced into a booke and given in writing unto yoong men for to reade Because quoth he we would have them to be acquainted with deeds and not with writings A certaine Aetolian said That warre was better than peace unto those who were desirous to shew themselves valorous men And not warre onely quoth he for by the gods in that respect better is death than life HERONDAS chaunced to be at Athens what time as one of the citizens was apprehended arraigned and condemned for his idlenesse judicially and by forme of law which when he understood and heard a brute and noise about him he requested one to shew him the partie that was condemned for a gentlemans life THEARIDAS whetted his sword upon a time and when one asked him if it were sharpe he answered Yea sharper than a slanderous calumniation THEMISTEAS being a prophet or soothsaier foretold unto king Leonidas the discomsiture that should happen within the passe or streights of Thermopylae with the losse both of himselfe and also of his whole armie whereupon being sent away by Leonidas unto Lacedaemon under a colour and pretense to enforme them of these future accidents but in truth to the end that he should not miscarie and die there with the rest he would not so doe neither could he forbeare but say unto Leonidas I was sent hither for a warrior to fight and not as an ordinary courrier and messenger to carrie newes betweene THEOPOMPUS when one demaunded of him how a king might preserve his kingdome and roiall estate in safetie said thus By giving his friends libertie to speake the truth and with all his power by keeping his subjects from oppression Unto a stranger who told him that in his owne countrey among his citizens he was commonly surnamed Philolacon that is to say a lover of the Laconians It were better quoth he that you were called Philopolites than Philolacon Another embassadour there came from Elis who said That he was sent from his fellow-citizens because he onely of all that citie loved and followed the Laconike maner of life of him Theopompus demaunded And whether is thine or the other citizens life the better he answered Mine Why then quoth he how is it possible that a citie should safe in which there being so great a number of inhabitants there is but one good man There was one said before him that the citie of Sparta maintained the state thereof entier for that the kings there knew how to governe well Nay quoth he not so much therefore as because the citizens there can skill how to obey well The inhabitants of the citie Pyle decreed for him in their generall counsell exceeding great honors unto whom he wrote backe againe That moderate honors time is woont to augment but immoderate to diminish and weare away THERYCION returning from the citie Delphos found king Philip encamped within the streight of Peloponnesus where he had gained the narrow passage called Isthmos upon which the city of Corinth is seated whereupon he said Peloponnesus hath but bad porters and warders of you Corinthians THECTAMENES being by the Ephori condemned to death went from the judgement place smiling away and when one that was present asked him if he despised the lawes and judiciall proceedings of Sparta No iwis quoth he but I rejoice heereat that they have condemned me in that fine which I am able to pay and discharge fully without borrowing of any friend or taking up money at interest HIPPODAMUS as Agis was with Archidamus in the campe being sent with Agis by the king unto Sparta for to provide for the affaires of weale publicke and looke unto the State refused to goe saying I cannot die a more honorable death than in fighting valiantly for the defence of Sparta now was he fourescore yeeres old and upward and tooke armes where hee raunged himselfe on the right hand of the king and there fighting by his side right manfully was slaine HIPPOCRATIDAS when a certaine prince or great lord of Caria had written unto him that he had in his hands a Lacedaemonian who having beene privie unto a conspiracie and treason intended against his person revealed not the same demaunding withall his counsell what he should doe with him wrote back againe in this wise If you have heeretofore done him any great pleasure and good turne put him to death hardly and make him away if not expell him out of your countrey considering he is a base fellow uncapable altogether of vertue He chaunced to encounter upon the way a yoong boy after whom followed one who loved him and the boy blushed for shame whereupon he said unto him Thou oughtest to goe in their company my boy with whom thou being seene needest not to change colour for the matter CALLICRATIDAS being admirall of a fleet when the friends of Lysander requested him to pleasure them in killing some of
their enemies and in consideration thereof he should receive of them fifty talents notwithstanding he stood then in very great need of mony for to buy victuals for the mariners yet would not he grant their request and when Cleander one of his counsell said unto him I would I trow if I were in your place take the offer So would I also quoth he if I were in yours Being come to Sardis unto Cyrus the yoonger who at that time was an allie and confederate of the Lacedaemonians to see if hee could speed himselfe of him with money for to enterteine mariners and mainteine the armada the first day he gave him to understand that he was thither come to speake with him but answere was made That the king was at the table drinking Well quoth he I will give attendance untill he have made an end of his beaver after he had waited a long time and saw that it was impossible for to have audience that day he departed out of the court for that time being thought very rude and uncivill in so doing the morow after when likewise he was given to understand that he was drinking againe and that he would not come abroad that day he made no more adoe but returned to Ephesus from whence he came saying withall That he ought not so farre foorth to take paines for to be provided of money as to doe any thing unseeming Sparta and besides he fell a cursing those who were the first that endured such indignitie as to subject themselves unto the insolencie of Barbarians and who taught them to abuse their riches and thereby to shew themselves so proud and disdainfull as to insult over others yea and he sware a great oath in the presence of those who were in his company that so soone as he was returned to Sparta he would labor with all his might and maine to reconcile the Greeke nations one unto another to the end that they might be more dread and terrible to the Barbarians when as they stood in no need of their forren forces to wage warre one upon another It was demanded of him what kinde of men the Ionians were Good slaves they are quoth he but bad free-men When Cyrus in the end had sent money for to pay his souldiers wages and besides some gifts and presents particularly to himselfe he received onely the foresaid pay but as for the gifts he sent them backe againe saying That he had no need of any private or particular amitie with Cyrus so long as the common friendship which he had with all the Lacedaemonians perteined also unto him A little before he gave the battell at sea neere unto Arginusie his pilot said unto him That it was best for him to saile away for that the gallies of the Athenians were fasrre more in number than theirs And what of all that quoth he is it not a shamefull infamie hurtfull besides to Sparta for to flie simply best it is to tary by it and either to win or die for it Being at the point to encounter and joine medley and having sacrificed unto the gods the soothsaier shewed unto him that the entrails of the beast signified and promised assured victory unto the armie but death unto the captaine whereat he was nothing daunted nor affrighted but said The state of Sparta lieth not in one man for when I am dead my countrey will be never the lesse but if I should recule now and yeeld unto the enemies she will be much impaired and lose her reputation Thus having substituted Cleander in his place if ought should happen otherwise than well he gave the charge and strooke a navall battell wherein fighting valiantly he ended his life CLEOMBROTUS the sonne of Pausanias when a certeine friend a stranger debated and reasoned with his father about vertue he said unto him In this point at least-wise is my father before you for that he hath already begotten a sonne and you none CLEOMENES the sonne of Anaxandrides was wont to say That Homer was the Poet of the Lacedaemonians because he taught how to make warre but Hesiodus the Poet of the Ilots for that he wrote of agriculture and husbandry He had made truce for seven daies with the Argives and the third night after it beganne perceiving that the Argives upon the assurance and confidence of the said truce were soundly asleepe he charged upon them flew some and tooke others prisoners and when he was reproched therefore and namely that he had broken his oth he answered That he never sware to observe truce in the night season but in day-time onely and besides what annoiance soever a man did unto his enemies in what sort it made no matter he was to thinke that both before God and man it was a point above justice and in no wise subject and liable unto it howbeit for this perjurie of his and breaking of covenant he was disappointed and 〈◊〉 of his hope and desseigne which was to surprise the citie of Argos for that indeed the very women tooke those armes which in memoriall of ancient victories were hung and set up fast in their temples with which they repelled them from the walles after this he fell into a furious rage and his wits were bestraught insomuch as he tooke a knife and slit his bodie from the very ancles up to the principall and noble vitall parts and so laughing and scoffing he left his life His very soothsaire would have disswaded and diverted him from leading his forces against Argos saying That his returne from thence would be dishonourable and infamous and when he presented his power before the citie he found the gates fast shut against them and the women in armes upon the walles How thinke you quoth he now doe you suppose this a dishonourable returne when as the women after all the men be dead are faine to keepe the gates fast locked When the Argives abused him with reprochfull tearmes calling him a perjured and godlesse person Well quoth he it is in you to miscall me and raile upon me as you do in word but it is in me to plague and mischiefe you indeed Unto the ambassadours of Same 's who came to moove and sollicit him for to warre upon the tyrant Polycrates and to that effect used long speeches and perswasions he answered thus As touching that point which you speake of in the beginning of your oration it is out of my head now and I remember it not in which regard also I doe not well conceive the middle part of your speech but as for that which you delivered in the latter end I mislike it altogether There was in his time a notable rover or pirate who made roads into the land and spoiled the coasts of Laconia but at the last he was intercepted and taken now being examined and demanded why he robbed in this sort I had not wherewith quoth he to mainteine and keepe my souldiers about me and therefore I came to those who
serve for foure obols by the day After that the Thebans had defaited the Lacedaemonians at the battell of Leuctres they invaded the countrey of Laconia so farre as to the verie river Eurotas and one of them in boasting glorious maner began to say And where be now these brave Laconians what is become of them a Laconian who was a captive among them straight waies made this answer They are no where now indeed for if they were you would never have come thus farre as you doe At what time as the Athenians delivered up their owne citie into the hands of the Lacedaemonians for to be at their discretion they requested that at leastwise they would leave them the isle Samos unto whom the Laconians made this answer When you are not masters of your owne doe you demand that which is other mens hereupon arose the common proverbe throughout all Greece Who cannot that which was his owne save The Isle of Samos would yet faine have The Lacedaemonians forced upon a time a certaine citie and wan it by assault which the Ephori being advertised of said thus Now is the exercise of our yoong men cleane gone now shall they have no more concurrents to keepe them occupied When one of their kings made promise unto them for to rase another citie and destroy it utterly if they so would which oftentimes before had put those of Lacedaemon to much trouble the said Ephori would not permit him saying thus unto him Doe not emolish and take away quite the whetstone that giveth an edge to the harts of our youth The same Ephori would never allow that there should be any professed masters to teach their yong men for to wrestle and exercise other feats of activitie To this end say they that there might bee jealousie and emulation among them not in artificiall slight but in force and vertue And therefore when one demaunded of Lysander how Charon had in wrestling overcome him and laid him along on the plaine ground Even by slight and cunning quoth he and not by pure strength Philip king of Macedonia before he made entrie into their country wrote unto them to this effect Whether they had rather that he entred as a friend or as an enemie unto whom they returned this answer Neither one nor the other When they had sent an embassador to Demetrius the sonne of Antigonus having intelligence that the said embassadour in parle with him eftsoones gave him the name of King they condemned him to pay a fine when he was returned home notwithstanding that hee brought as a present and gratuitie from the said Demetrius in time of extreme famine a certain measure of corne called Medimnus for every poll throughout the whole citie It hapned that a leud and wicked man delivered in a certaine consultation very good counsell this advice of his they approoved right well howbeit receive it they would not comming out of his mouth but caused it to be pronounced by another who was knowen to be a man of good life Two brethren there were at variance and in sute of law together the Ephori set a good fine upon their fathers head for that he neglected his sonnes and suffred them to maintaine quarrell and debate one against another A certaine musician who was a stranger and a traveller they likewise condemned to pay a summe of money for that he strake the strings of his harpe with his fingers Two boies fought together and one gave the other a mortall wound with a sickle or reaping hooke when the boy that was hurt lay at the point of death was ready to yeeld up the ghost other companions of his promised to be revenged for his death and to kill the other who thus deadly had wounded him Doe not so I beseech you quoth he as you love the gods for that were injustice and euen I my selfe had done as much for him if I had beene ought and could have raught him first There was another yong lad unto whom certaine mates and fellows of his in that season wherin yong lads were permitted freely to filtch whatsoever they could handsomely come by but reputed it was a shamefull and infamous thing for them to be surprized and taken in the maner brought a yong cub or little foxe to keepe alive which they had stollen those who had lost the said cub came to make search now had this lad hidden it close under his clothes the unhappie beast being angred gnawed bit him in the flanke as far as to his very bowels which he endured resolutely and never quetched at it for feare he should be discovered but after all others were gone and the search past when his companions saw what a shrewd turne the curst cub had done him they child him for it saying That it had been far better to have brought forth the cub and shewed him rather than to hide him thus with danger of death Nay Iwis quoth he for I had rather die with all the dolorous torments in the world than for to save my life shamefully to be detected so for want of a good heart Some there were who encountred certaine Laconians upon the way in the countrey unto whom they said Happie are you that can come now this way for the theeves are but newly gone from hence Nay forsooth by god Mars we sweare we are never the happier therefore but they rather because they are not fallen into our hands One demaunded of a Laconian upon a time what he knew and was skilfull in Mary in this to be free A yoong lad of Sparta being taken prisoner by King Antigonus and sold among other captives obeied him who had bought him in all things that he thought meet for to be done by a freeman but when he commaunded to bring him an urinall or chamber-pot to pisse in he would not endure that indignitie but said Fetch it your selfe for me I am no servant for you in such ministeries now when his master urged him thereto and pressed hard upon him hee ran up to the ridge or roofe of the house and said You shall see what an one you have bought and with that cast himselfe downe with his head forward and brake his owne necke Another there was to be sold and when the partie who was about him said thus Wilt thou be good and profitable if I doe buy thee Yea that I will quoth he though you never buy me Another there was likewise upon market and when the crier proclaimed aloud Here is a slave who buies him who A shame take thee quoth he couldst not thou say a captive or prisoner but a slave A Laconian had for the badge or ensigne of his buckler a slie painted and the same no bigger than one is naturally whereupon some mocked him and said That he had mad choise of this ensigne because he would not be knowen by it Nay rather quoth he I did it because I would be the better marked for I meane
drunkennesse killed this silly poore girle even as she couched her face in the very lap and bosome of her father howbeit for all this and such like wicked pranks plaied the tyrant was nothing at all moved to pitie and compassion but many citizens he murdered and more he banished and caused to leave their countrey in such sort that as the speech went no fewer than eight hundred fled to the Aetolians craving at their hands to make meanes unto the tyrant that they might have away their wives and little children also Not long after the tyrant of his owne accord caused proclamation to be made by sound of trumpet that as many women as were willing to go unto their husbands should make them ready and depart yea and cary with them as much of their goods as they would now when he understood that they all with great joy of this proclamation thus published and that they were assembled together with much contentment of minde to the number of sixe hundred he commanded that they should depart and put themselves in their journey all together on a certeine day by him prefixed making semblant against that time to provide a good convoy for their better security when the time appointed was come they flocked thicke to the gates of the city having brought with them their trusses and fardles of such goods as they meant to have away with them carying some of their little babes in their armes taking order for others for to be brought in waggons and so they staied there attended one anothers comming but suddenly many of the souldiers and those of the tyrants guard came running toward them and crying aloud afarre off Stay stay now when they approched nere all the women they commanded to go backe againe but the waines and waggons they turned together with the horses full upon them and drave them amaine thorow the mids of the troupe and throng of the women not suffering them either to follow or to stay or succor their poore little infants whom they saw to die before their faces for some of them perished with falling out of the chariots to the ground others were destroied and trampled under the horse feet and all this while these pensioners of the guard with loud out-cries and with whipping drave the women before them like as they had bene so many sheepe and thronged them so hard that one tumbled upon another and thus they chased them untill such time as they had cast them all into prison but all their bag and baggage was seized upon and brought unto Aristotimus Now when the men of Elis were were heerewith mightily offended the religious women consecrated to the service of Bacchus whom they call the Sixteene carrying in their hands boughs of olive trees like suppliants and chaplets of vine branches about their heads which they tooke from the god whom they served went to meet with Aristotimus about the market-place of the citie his squires and pensioners about him for the guard of his bodie made a lane for them and seemed upon some reverence to give them way that they might come nere and the women at first kept silence doing nought els but in most humble and deuout maner tender unto him their branches like suppliants but after that the tyrant understood that it was for the Eliens wives that they came thus to make supplication and namely that hee would take some commiseration of them being wroth displeased with his guard he cried out upon them for suffering the said women to approch so neere unto his person and thereupon commanded them to drive some and to beat others untill they were all chased out of the market-place and more than all this he condemned these religious votaries in a fine of two talents a piece During these occurrences there was within the citie one of the burgesses named Hellanicus a man very farre stept in age who was the authour of a conspiracie and insurrection against the tyrant one that of all others he least distrusted and whom he never thought likely to practise against him both for that he was very aged and also because but a little before he had buried two of his children and it fortuned at the very same time that frō Aetolia the exiles before named passed into the territorie of Elis and seized upon a fort called Amymom situate in a very commodious place for to mainteine warre where they received and enterteined many other inhabitants of the citie who immediatly resorted thither and ran apace upon these tydings the tyrant Aristotimus much fearing the sequel hereof went unto their wives in prison and thinking to compasse his desseignes better by feare than favor and love he commanded them to send unto their husbands to write unto them for to abandon their holde and depart out of the countrey menacing the poore women that if they did not so he would cause their children first to be mangled with whips and so killed before their face and then put themselves also to death all of them were silent a good while notwithstanding he importuned them a long time and urged them to speake at once whether they would doe it or no they looked one upon another without saying a word giving him thereby to understand that they stood in no feare and were not astonied for all his threats at the last one of them named Megisto wife to Timoleon and a woman whom the rest regarded and held as their captainesse aswell in respect of her husbands honour as her owne vertue deigned not to rise up from her seat herselfe nor suffered any of the rest to stand up but sitting still in her place thus said If thou wert a wise man thou wouldest not deale thus as thou doest betweene women and their husbands but rather send unto them as to those who have the power and authoritie over their wives and to deliver unto them better speeches than such whereby thou hast deceived us now if being past hope to perswade them thou thinkest to circumvent and delude them by the meanes of us never looke that thou shalt abuse us any more nor thinke that they will be so ill advised or so base minded as that for to spare their wives and little children they will abandon and lose the libertie of their countrey for surely the losse of us will not be to them so much considering that they now enjoy us not as the gaine and benefit in delivering their countrey and fellow-citizens from such outrageous crueltie Whiles Megisto enterteined Aristotimus with these speeches he could no longer endure but commanded her little sonne to be brought before him for to murder him before her eies and when the pensioners about the tyrant searched for him among other little boies that were playing wrestling together his mother called unto him by name saying Come hither to me my boy that thou maiest be delivered from the crueltie of this tyrant before thou hast any sense or understanding to
Pindarus also writeth as touching Agamedes Trophonius That after they had built the temple of Apollo in Delphos they demanded of that god their hire and reward who promised to pay them fully at the seven-nights end meane while he bade them be merie and make good cheere who did as he enjoined them so upon the seventh night following they tooke their sleepe but the next morning they were found dead in bed Moreover it is reported that when Pindarus himselfe gave order unto the commissioners that were sent from the State of Boeotia unto the oracle of Apollo for to demand what was best for man this answere was returned from the prophetisse That he who enjoined them that errand was not ignorant thereof in case the historie of Agamedes and Trophonius whereof he was author were true but if he were disposed to make further triall he should himselfe see shortly an evident proofe thereof Pindarus when he heard this answer began to thinke of death and to prepare himselfe to die and in trueth within a little while after changed his life The like narration is related of one Euthynous an Italian who was sonne to Elysius of Terinae for vertue wealth and reputation a principall man in that citie namely that he died suddenlie without any apparent cause that could be given thereof his father Elysius incontinently thereupon began to grow into some doubt as any other man besides would have done whether it might not be that he died of poison for that he was the onely childe he had and heire apparant to all his riches and not knowing otherwise how to sound the trueth hee sent out to a certeine oracle which used to give answere by the conjuration and calling forth of spirits or ghosts of men departed where after he had performed sacrifices and other ceremoniall devotions according as the law required he laied him downe to sleepe in the place where he dreamed and saw this vision There appeared unto him as he thought his owne father whom when he saw he discoursed unto him what had fortuned his sonne requesting and beseeching him to be assistant with him to finde out the trueth and the cause indeed of his so sudden death his father then should answere thus And even therefore am I come hither here therefore receive at this mans hands that certificate which I have brought unto thee for thereby shalt thou know all the cause of thy griefe and sorrow now the partie whom his father shewed and presented unto him was a yoong man that followed after him who for all the world in stature and yeeres resembled his sonne Euthynous who being demanded by him what he was made this answere I am the ghost or angell of your sonne and with that offered unto him a little scrowle or letter which when Elysius had unfolded he found written within it these three verses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which may be done into English thus Elysius thou foolish man aske living Sages read Euthynous by fatall course of 〈◊〉 is dead For longer life would neither him nor parents stand in stead And thus much may suffice you both as touching the ancient histories written of this matter and also of the second point of the foresaid question But to come unto the third branch of Socrates his conjecture admit it were true that death is the utter abolition and destruction aswell of soule as body yet even so it cannot be reckoned simply ill for by that reckoning there should follow a privation of all sense and a generall deliverance from paine anxietie and angush and like as there commeth no good thereby even so no harme at all can ensue upon it forasmuch as good and evill have no being but in that thing onely which hath essence and subsislence and the same reason there is of the one as of the other so as in that which is not but utterly becommeth void anulled and taken quite out of the world there can not be imagined either the one or the other Now this is certeine that by this reason the dead returne to the same estate and condition wherein they were before their nativitie like as therefore when we were unborne we had no sense at all of good or evill no more shall we have after our departure out of this life and as those things which preceded our time nothing concerned us so whatsoever hapneth after our death shall touch us as little No paine feele they that out of world be gone To die and not be borne I holde all one For the same state and condition is after death which was before birth And do you thinke that there is any difference betweene Never to have bene and To cease from being surely they differ no more than either an house or a garment in respect of us and our use thereof after the one is ruined or fallen downe and the other all rent and torne from that benefit which we had by them before they were begun to be built or made and if you say there is no difference in them in these regards as little there is be you sure between our estate after death and our condition before our nativitie a very pretie and elegant speech therefore it was of Arcesilaus the philosopher when he said This death quoth he which every man tearmeth evill hath one peculiar propertie by it selfe of all other things that be accounted ill in that when it is present it never harmeth any man onely whiles it is absent and in expectance it hurteth folke And in very truth many men through their folly and weakenesse and upon certaine slanderous calumniations and false surmises conceived against death suffer themselves to die because sorsooth they would not die Very well therefore and aptly wrot the poet Epicharmus in these words That which was knit and joined fast Is loosed and dissolv'd at last Each thing returnes into the same Earth into earth from whence it came The spirit up to heaven anon Wherefore what harme heerein just none And as for that which Cresphontes in one place of Euripides speaking of Hercules said If under globe of earth with those he dwell Who being none have left laid once in grave A man of him might say and that right well That puissance and strength he none can have By altering it a little in the end you may thus inferre If under globe of earth with those he dwell Who being none have left laid once in grave A man of him might say and that right well That sense at all of paine he can none have A generous and noble saying also was that of the Lacedaemonians Now are we in our gallant prime Before as others had their time And after us shall others floure But we shall never see that houre As also this Now dead are they who never thought That life or death were simply ought But all their care was for to dy And live as they should
his death they will evermore have the same in their mouthes to kindle anew and refresh their sorow went he suddenly and never bad his friends farewell when he departed they lament and say That he was ravished away and forcibly taken from them if he languished and was long in dying then they fal a complaining and give out that he consumed and pined away enduring much paine before hee died to be short every occasion circumstance whatsoever is enough to stirre up their griefe and minister matter to mainteine sorowfull plaints And who be they who have mooved and brought in all these outcries and lamentations but Poets and even Homer himselfe most of all other who is the chiefe and prince of the rest who in this maner writeth Like as a father in the fire of wofull funerals Burning the bones of his yoong sonne sonne after his espousals Sheds many teares for griefe of minde and weepeth bitterly The mother likewise tender heart bewailes him piteously Thus he by his untimely death both parents miserable Afflicts with sorrowes manifold and woes inexplicable But all this while it is not certeine whether it be wel and rightly done to make this sorrow for see what followeth afterwards He was their onely sonne and borne to them in their olde age Sole heire of all and to enjoy a goodly heritage And who knoweth or is able to say whether God in his heavenly providence and fatherly care of mankinde hath taken some out of the world by untimely death foreseeing the calamities and miseries which otherwise would have hapned unto them and therefore we ought to thinke that nothing is befallen them which may be supposed odious or abominable For nothing grievous thought may be Which commeth by necesitie Nothing I say that hapneth to man either by primitive cause immediatly or by consequence aswell in this regard that often times most kinds of death preserve men from more grievous aduersities and excuse them for greater miseries as also for that it is expedient for some never to have bene borne and for others to die in their very birth for some a little after they be entred into this life and for others againe when they are in their flower and growen to the verie hight and vigor of their age all which sorts of death in what maner soever they come men are to take in good part knowing that whatsoever proceedeth from fatall destinie can not possiblie be avoided and besides reason would that being well taught and instructed they should consider and premeditate with themselves how those whom we thinke to have bene deprived of their life before their full maturitie go before us but a little while for even the longest life that is can be esteemed but short and no more than the very minute and point of time in comparison of infinit eternitie also that many of them who mourned and lamented most within a while have gone after those whom they bewailed and gained nothing by their long sorow onely they have in vaine afflicted and tormented themselves whereas seeing the time of our pilgrimage here in this life is so exceeding short we should not consume our selves with heavinesse and sadnesse nor in most unhappie sorrow and miserable paines even to the punishing of our poore bodies with injurious misusage but endevour and strive to take a better and more humane course of life in conversing civilly with those persons who are not ready to be pensive with us and fit to stirre up our sorrow and griefe after a flattering sort but rather with such as are willing meet to take away or diminish our heavinesse with some generous and grave kinde of consolation and we ought to have ever in minde these verses in Homer which Hector by way of comfort delivered unto his wife Andromache in this wise Unhappy wight do not my heart vexe and sollicit still For no man shorten shall my daies before the heavenly will And this I say Andromache that fatall destinie No person good or bad once borne avoid can possibly And of this fatall destinie the same Poet speaketh thus in another place No sooner out of mothers wombe are bades brought forth to light But destinie hath spun the thread for every mortall wight These and such like reasons if we would conceive and imprint before-hand in our mindes we should be free from this foolish heavinesse and delivered from all melancholy and namely considering how short is the terme of our life betweene birth and death which we ought therefore to spare and make much of that we may passe the same in tranquillitie and not interrupt it with carking cares and dolefull dumps but laying aside the marks and habits of heavinesse have a regard both to cheerish our owne bodies and also to procure and promote the welfare and good of those who live with us Moreover it will not be amisse to call to minde and remember those arguments and reasons which by great likelihood wee have sometime used to our kinsefolke and friends when they were afflicted with like calamities when as by way of consolation we exhorted and perswaded them to beare the common accidents of this life with a common course of patience and humane cases humanely Neither must we shew our selves so far short and faultie as to have bene sufficiently furnished for to appease the sorrow of others and not be able by the remembrance of such comforts to do our selves good we ought therefore presently to cure the anguish of our heart with the sovereigne remedies and medicinable drogues as it were of reason and so much the sooner by how much better we may admit dealy in any thing els than in discharging the heart of griefe and melancholie for whereas the common proverbe and by-word in every mans mouth pronounceth thus much Who loves delaies and his time for to slacke Lives by the losse and shall no sorrows lacke Much more dammage I supose he shall receive who deferreth and putteth off from day to day to be discharged of the grievous and adverse passions of the minde A man therefore is to turne his eies toward those worthy personages who have shewed themselves magnanimous and of great generositie in bearing the death of their children as for example Anaxagor as the Clazomenian Pericles and Demosthenes of Athens Dion the Syracusian and king Antigonus besides many others both in these daies and also in times past of whom Anaxagor as as we reade in historie having heard of his sonnes death by one who brought him newes thereof even at what time as he was disputing in naturall philosophie and discoursing among his scholers and disciples paused a while and staied the course of his speech and said no more but thus unto those who were about him Well I wist that I begat my sonne to be a mortall man And Pericles who for his passing eloquence and excellent wisedome was surnamed Olympius that is to say divine and heavenly when tidings came to him that his
with meat before them thereby to drive those in their messe and who were set at the table from eating with them and by that meanes to engorge themselves and fill their bellies alone with the best viands served up Semblably they who are excessively and out of all measure ambitious before others as their concurrents and corrivals blame and dispraise glorie and honour to the end that they alone without any competitours might enjoy the same And heerein they doe like unto mariners sitting at the oare in a bote or gally for howsoever their eie is toward the poupe yet they labour to set the prow forward in that the flowing of the water by reciprocation caused by the stroke of the oares comming forcibly backe upon the poupe might helpe to drive forward the vessell even so they that deliver such rules and precepts whiles they make semblant to flie from glory pursue it as fast as they can for otherwise if it were not so what need had he whosoever he was to give out such a speech what meant he else to write it and when he had written it to publish the same unto posteritie If I say he meant to be unknowne to men living in his time who desired to be knowne unto those that came after him But let us come to the thing it selfe How can it chuse but be simply naught Live so hidden quoth he that no man may perceive that ever you lived as if he had said Take heed you be not knowne for a digger up of sepulchres a defacer of the tombs monuments of the dead But contrariwise a foule dishonest thing it is to live in such sort as that you should be willing that we al know not the maner thereof Yet would I for my part say cleane contrary Hide not thy life how ever thou do and if thou hast lived badly make thy selfe knowne bewiser repent amend if thou be endued with vertue hide it not neither be thou an unprofitable member if vicious continue not obstinate there but yeeld to correction admit the cure of thy vice or rather at leastwise sir make a distinction define who it is to whom you give this precept If he be ignorant unlearned wicked or foolish then it is as much as if you said thus Hide thy feaver cloke cover thy phrēsie let not the physician take notice of thee goe and put thy selfe into some darke corner where no person may have a sight of thee or of thy maladies and passions go thy way aside with all thy naughtinesse sicke as thou art of an incurable and mortall disease cover thy spight and envie hide thy superstition suppresse and conceale as it were the disorderly beatings of thine arteries take heed be afraid how you let your pulse be felt or bewray your selfe to those who have the meanes are able to admonish correct and heale you But long ago in the old world our ancestors were wont to take in hand and cure openly in publike place those that were diseased in body in those daies everie one who had met with any good medicine or knowne a remedie whereof he had the proofe either in himselfe being sicke or in another cured thereby would reveale and communicate the same unto another that stood in need thereof and thus they say The skil of Physick arising first and growing by experience became in time a noble and excellent science And even so requisit it is and necessarie to discover and lay open unto all men lives that be diseased and the infirmities of the soule to touch and handle them and by considering the inclinations of every man to say thus unto one Subject thou art to anger take heed thereof unto another Thou art given to jealousie and emulation beware of it doe thus and thus to a third Art thou amorous and full of love I have beene so my selfe otherwhiles but I repent me thereof But now a daies it is cleane contrarie in denying in cloaking covering and hiding men thrust and drive their vices inwardly and more deepely still into their secret bowels Now if they be men of woorth and vertuous whom thou counsellest to hide themselves that the world may take no knowledge of them it is all one as to say unto Epaminondas Take no charge of the conduct of an army or to Lycurgus Amuse not your head about making lawes and to Thrasibulus Kill no tyrants to Pythagoras Keepe no schoole nor teach in any wise to Socrates See you dispute not nor hold any discourses of philosophie and to your selfe Epicurus first of all Write not to your friends in Asia enroll and gather no soldiors out of Aegypt have no commerce nor negotiate with them do not protect and defend as it were with a guard from villanie and violence the yoong gentlemen of Lampsacum send not your books abroad to all men and women alike thereby to shew your learning finally ordeine nothing about your sepulture To what tended your publicke tables what meant those assemblies that you made of your familiar friends and faire yoong boies to what purpose were there so many thousands of verses written and composed so painfully by you in the honour of Metrodorus Aristobulus Chaeredemus to the end that after death they should not be forgotten Was all this because you would ratifie and establish vertue by oblivion arts by doing nothing philosophy by silence and felicitie by forgetfulnesse Will you needs bereave mans life of knowledge as if you would take away light from a feast to the end that mē might not know that you your followers do all for pleasure upon pleasure then good reason you have to give counsell saie unto your selfe Live unknowne Certes if I had a minde to leade my life with Haedia the harlot or to keepe ordinarily about me the strumpet Leontium to detest all honestie to repose all my delight and joy in the tickling pleasures of the flesh and in wanton lusts these ends verilie would require to be hidden in darknesse and covered with the shadow of the night these be the things that would be forgotten and not once knowne But if a man in the science of naturall philosophie delight in hymnes and canticles to praise God his justice and providence or in morallknowledge to set out and commend the law humane societie and the politike government of common-weale and therein regard honour and honestie not profit and commodity what reason have you to advise him for to live obscurely Is it because he should teach none by good precept is it for that no man should have a zealous love to vertue or affect honestie by his example If Themistocles had never bene knowne to the Athenians Greece had not given Xerxes the foile and repulse likewise if Camillus had beene unknowne to the Romanes peradventure by this time Rome had beene no city at all had not Dion knowne Plato Sicilie should not have beene delivered from tyrannie But this
seemeth unto me that these stomacks differ in nothing from them who holding out their clutched fists play at handy dandy aske whether they hold in their close hand even or odde Then Protogenes arose and calling unto me by name What aile we quoth he and what is come unto us that we suffer these Rhetoricians and oratours thus to brave it out and to mocke others being demaunded nothing in the meane time nor put to it for to contribute their skot and part unto this conference and these discourses unlesse peradventure they will come in with this plea that they have no part of this table talke in drinking wine as being those who admire and folow Demosthenes who in all his life time never dranke wine This is not the cause quoth I but the reason is because we have spurred them no questions but if you have no better thing to aske I will propose unto them a case of repugnancie in contrarie lawes or conditions and the same drawen out of Homer THE THIRTEENTH QUESTION A question as touching repugnant lawes taken out of the third Rhapsodie or booke of Homers Ilias ANd what is that case demaunded he againe I will tell you quoth I and withall propose it unto these here and therefore let them give attentive eare Alexander Paris in the third booke of Homers Ilias giveth defiance to Menelaus and chalengeth him to a single fight with certaine conditions protesting in this maner Let us betweene both armies meet without My selfe I meane and Menelaus stout To try in single fight upon this plaine To which of us by right shall appertaine Dame Helene with her goods For looke who shall Make good his ground and quit himselfe withall So bravely that the victorie he gaine Have he her-selfe and jewels in domaine Hector againe publishing unto all and declaring as well to Greeks as Trojanes the same chalenge and defiance of his brother Paris useth in maner the verie same words saying His meaning is that Greeks and Trojanes all Besides should for the time surcease and quite Lay downe all armes upon the ground withall Whiles he and Menelaus hardy knight For Helen faire and all her jewels fight And he that shall the better hand obteine With him both lady shall and goods remaine Now when Menelaus had accepted of these conditions and both sides were sworne to the articles accorded Agamemnon to ratifie the same by his roiall assent spake in this wise If Alexander in plaine fight shall Menelaus kill Dame Helene he may leade away and her goods at his will But say that Menelaus brave doe Alexander stay The woman then and what she hath let him 〈◊〉 have away Now for that Menelaus vanquished Paris indeed but yet berest him not of his life either side had good plea to defend their cause opposite unto their enemies for the Greeks pretended a right claime unto Helena for that Paris was overcome and the Trojanes impleaded and denied to redeliver her because he was not left dead in the place how shall this case then be decided and judged aright in so great a difference and contrarietie Certes it belongeth not to Philosophers nor Grammarians alone but it is for Rhetoricians also to determine heereof who are both learned in Grammar and good letters and withall well seene in Philosophie as you be Then Sospis gave his opinion and said That the cause and plea of the defendant chalenged was farre better and stronger as having the law directly on his side for the assailant and chalenger himselfe denounced under what conditions the combat should be performed which seeing the defendant accepted of and yeelded unto it lieth not in their power any more to adde ought thereto for the condition comprised in the chalenge caried no words implying slaughter or death of any side but the victory of the one and the discomfiture of the other and that with very great reason for by right the lady belonged to the better man and more valiant and the more valorous man is he who vanquisheth for otherwise it falleth out many times that valiant and hardie men are slaine by very cowards as afterwards Achilles himselfe chaunced to be killed by Paris with the shot of an arrow neither will any man I trow say that Achilles thus slaine was the lesse valiant or call this the victorie but rather the good fortune of Paris unjustly dealt whose happe it was to shoot so right whereas on the other side 〈◊〉 was vanquished by Achilles before he was slaine for that he would not abide his comming but for feare abandoned his ground and fled for he 〈◊〉 refuseth combat and runneth away is in plaine tearmes vanquished hath no excuse to palliate or cloake his defeature but flatly confesseth his enemie to be his better And therefore Irus comming at first to Helena for to give her intelligence of this combat saith unto her They will in combat fight it out with long speares now for thee And looke who winnes the victory his wife thou nam'd shalt be And afterwards Jupiter himselfe adjudged the prize of victorie unto Menelaus in these words Now 〈◊〉 it is the champion bold sir Menelaus hight Hath quit himselfe a man and wonne the prize in single fight For it were a tidiculous mockerie to say That Paris had cōquered Achilles because he stood behind a farre off with the shot of an arrow wounded him in the foote who never was ware of him nor so much as looked for any such thing that now when he refused combat distrusted himselfe ran out of the field like a coward to shroud hide himselfe within the bosome betweene the armes of a woman being as a man would say disarmed and despoiled of his weapons even whiles he was alive his concurrent should not deserve to carie away the victorie shewing himselfe the conquerour in open field even according to the conditions offred by Paris the chalenger Then Glaucus taking the matter in hand impleaded and argued against him thus First quoth he in all edicts decrees lawes covenants and contracts the last are reputed alwaies of greater validitie and doe stand more firme than the former but the second covenants and the last were they which were declared and published by Agamemnon in which was comprised expresly death for the end of the combat and not the discomfiture or yeelding of the partie conquered moreover the former capitulation of covenants passed onely by parole bare words but the other which followed after was sealed confirmed with an oath yea a curse and execration was set therupon for whosoever should transgresse the same neither was it approoved ratified by one man alone but by the whole army together in such sort as this latter paction and covenant ought properly and by right to be so called whereas the former was nothing else but the intimation of a chalenge and defiance given in testimonie whereof Priamus also after the articles of combat were sworne unto departed
and DEMOCRITUS were of opinion that all things were made by Necessitie and that destinie justice providence and the Creatour of the world were all one CHAP. XXVI Of the Essence of Necessitie PLATO referreth some events to providence and others he attributeth to Necessitie EMPEDOCLES saith that the Essence of Necessitie is a cause apt to make use of the principles and elements DEMOCRITUS affirmeth it to be the resistance the lation motion and permission of the matter PLATO holdeth it to be one while matter it selfe and another while the habitude of that which is agent to the matter CHAP. XXVII Of Destinie HERACLITUS affirmeth that all things were done by fatall Destinie and that it and Necessitie be both one PLATO admitteth willingly this Destinie in the soules lives and actions of men but hee inferreth withall a cause proceeding from our selves The STOICKES likewise according with the opinion of Plato do hold that Necessitie is a cause invincible most violent and inforcing all things also that Destinie is a connexion of causes interlaced linked orderly in which concatenation or chaine is therein comprised also that cause which proceedeth from us in such sort as some events are destined and others not CHAP. XXVIII Of the substance of 〈◊〉 HERACLITUS saith that the substance of Destinie is the reason that pierceth throughout the substance of the universall world PLATO affirmeth it to be an eternall reason and a perpetuall law of the nature of the whole world CHRYSIPPUS holdeth it to be a certaine puissance spirituall which by order governeth and administreth all things And againe in his booke of definitions hee writeth thus Destinie is the reason of the world or rather the law of all things in the world administred and governed by providence or else the reason whereby things past have beene things present are and future things shall be The STOICKES are of opinion that it is the chaine of causes that is to say an order and connexion which cannot be surmounted and transgressed POSIDONIUS supposeth it to be the third after Jupiter for that Jupiter is in the first degree Nature in the second and fatall Destinie in the third CHAP. XXIX Of Fortune PLATO defineth Fortune to be in things proceeding from mans counsell and election a cause by accident and a verie casuall consequence ARISTOTLE holdeth it to be an accidentall cause in those things which from some deliberate purpose and impulsion tend to a certaine end which cause is not apparent but hidden and uncertaine And he putteth a difference between Fortune and rash adventure for that all Fortune in the affaires and actions of this world is adventurous but everie adventure is not by and by Fortune for that it consisteth in things without action againe Fortune is properly in actions of reasonable creatures but adventure indifferently in creatures as well unreasonable as reasonable yea and in those bodies which have neither life nor soule EPICURUS saith that Fortune is a cause which will not stand and accord with persons times and manners ANAXAGORAS and the STOICKS affirme it to be a cause unknowne and hidden to humane reason for that some things come by necessitie others by fatall destinie some by deliberate counsell others by Fortune and some againe by casualitie or adventure CHAP. XXX Of Nature 〈◊〉 holdeth that Nature is nothing only that there is a mixture and divulsion or separation of Elements for in this manner writeth he in the first booke of his Phisicks This one thing more I will yet say of things that be humane And Mortall mature none there is and deaths end is but vaine Amixture and divulsion of Elements and of all Onely there is and this is that which men do Nature call Semblably ANAXAGORAS saith that Nature is nothing else but a concretion and dissipation that is to say generation and corruption THE SECOND BOOKE OF Philosophers opinions The Prooeme HAving now finished the Treatise of PRINCIPLES ELEMENTS and such other matters linked and concurring with them I will turne my pen unto the discourse as touching their effects and works composed of them beginning first at that which is most spatious and capable of all things CHAP. I. Of the World PYTHAGORAS was the first who called the Roundle that containeth and comprehendeth all to wit the World 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the orderly digestion observed therein THALES and his disciples held that there is but one World DEMOCRITUS EPICURUS and their scholler METRODORUS affirme that there be innumerable Worlds in an infinite space according to all dimensions and circumstances EMPEDOCLES saith that the course and race of the Sunne is the verie circumscription of the bounds and limits of the World and that it is the verie confinement thereof SELEUCUS held the World to be infinite DIOGENES affirmed the universalitie to be infinite but the world finite and determinate The STOICKS put a difference betweene universall and whole for they say that the universall together with voidnesse is infinite and that the whole without voidnes is the World so as these termes the Whole and the World be not both one CHAP. II. Of the figure and forme of the World THe STOICKS affirme the World to be round some say it is pointed or pyramidal others that it is fashioned in manner of an egge but EPICURUS holdeth that his Worlds may be round and it may be that they are apt besides to receive other formes CHAP. III. Whether the World be animate or endued with a soule ALL other Philosophers agree that the World is animate governed by providence but DEMOCRITUS EPICURUS and as many as maintaine ATOMES and with all bring in VACUITY that it is neither animate nor governed by providence but by a certaine nature void of reason ARISTOTLE holdeth that it is not animate wholy and throughout all parts nor sensitive nor reasonable nor yet intellectuall or directed by providence True it is quoth he that celestiall bodies be capable of all these qualities as being compassed about with sphaeres both animate and vitall whereas bodies terrestriall and approching neere unto the earth are endued with none of them and as for the order and decent composition therein it came by accident and not by prepensed reason and counsell CHAP. IIII. Whether the World be incorruptible and eternall PYTHAGORAS and PLATO affirme that the world was ingendred and made by God and of the owne nature being corruptible shall perish for sensible it is and therefore corporall howbeit in regard of the divine providence which preserveth and mainteineth it perish it shall never EPICURUS saith that it is corruptible for that it is engendred like as a living creature or a plant XENOPHANES holdeth the world to be eternall ingenerable uncreated and incorruptible ARISTOTLE is of opinion that the part of the world under the moone is passible wherein the bodies also adjacent to the earth be subject to corruption CHAP. V. Whereof the World is nourished ARISTOTLE saith that if the World be nourished it is
witnesseth Aeschylus 11 Who be they that are named Aposphendoneti IN times past the Eretrians held the Island Corcyra untill Charicrates arrived there with a fleet from Corinth and vanquished them whereupon the Eretrians tooke sea againe and returned toward their naturall countrey whereof their fellow-citizens being advertised such I say as stirred not but remained quiet repelled them and kept them off from landing upon their ground by charging them with shot from slings Now when they saw they could not win them by any faire language nor yet compel them by force of armes being as they were inexorable and besides many more than they in number they made saile to the coasts of Thracia where they possessed themselves of a place wherein they report Methon one of the predecessors and progenitors of 〈◊〉 sometime dwelt and there having built a citie they named it Methone but themselves were surnamed Aposphendoneti which is as much to say as repelled and driven backe by slings 12 What is that which the Delphians call Charila THe citizens of Delphos do celebrate continually three Enneaterides that is to say feasts celebrated every ninth yeere one after another successively Of which the first they name Septerion the second Herois and the third Charila As touching the first it seemeth to be a memorial representing the fight or combat that Phoebus had against Python and his flight after the conflict and pursuit after him into the valley of Tempe For as some do report he fled by occasion of a certaine manslaughter and murder that he had committed for which he sought to be purged others say that when Python was wounded and fled by the way which we call Holy Phoebus made hot pursuit after him insomuch as he went within a little of overtaking him and finding him at the point of death for at his first comming he found that he was newly dead of the wounds which he had received in the foresaid fight also that he was enterred and buried by his sonne who as they say was named Aix this novenarie feast therefore called Septerion is a representation of this historie or else of some other like unto it The second named Herois containeth I wot not what hidden ceremonies and fabulous secrets which the professed priests in the divine service of Bacchus called Thyades know well enough but by such things as are openly done and practised a man may conjecture that it should be a certaine exaltation or assumption of Semele up into heaven Moreover as concerning Charila there goeth such a tale as this It fortuned upon a time that after much drougth there followed great famine in the citie of Delphos insomuch as all the inhabitants came with their wives and children to the court gates crying out unto their king for the extreame hunger that they endured The king thereupon caused to be distributed among the better sort of them a dole of meale and certaine pulse for that he had not sufficient to give indifferently to them all and when there came a little yong wench a siely orphane fatherlesse and motherlesse who instantly besought him to give her also some reliefe the king smote her with his shoe and flung it at her face The girle poore though she was forlorne and destitute of all worldly succour howbeit carying no base mind with her but of a noble spirit departed from his presence and made no more a doe but undid her girdle from her wast and hanged her selfe therewith Well the famine daily encreased more and more and diseases grew thereupon by occasion whereof the king went in person to the Oracle of Apollo supposing to finde there some meede and remedie unto whom Pythia the prophetesse made this answere That the ghost of Charila should be appeased and pacified who had died a voluntarie death So after long search and diligent enquirie hardly found in the end it was that the young maiden whom he had so beaten with his shoe was named Charila whereupon they offered a certaine sacrifice mixed with expiatorie oblations which they celebrate and performe from nine yeers to nine even to this day For at this solemnity the king sitting in his chaire dealeth certaine meale and pulse among all commers as well strangers as citizens and the image of this Charila is thither brought resembling a young girle now after that everie one hath received part of the dole the king beateth the said image about the eares with his shoe and the chiefe governesse of the religious women called Thyades taketh up the image and carieth it into a certaine place ful of deepe caves where after they have hung an halter about the necke of it they enterre it under the ground in that verie place where they buried the corps of Charila when she had strangled her selfe 21 What is the meaning of that which they call among the Aeneians Begged-flesh THE Aeneians in times past had many transmigrations from place to place for first they inhabited the countrey about the Plaine called Dotion out of which they were driven by the Lapithae and went to the Aethicae and from thence into a quarter of the province Molossis called Arava which they held and thereof called they were Paravae After all this they seized the citie Cirrha wherein after that they had stoned to death their king Onoclus by warrant and commandement from Apollo they went downe into that tract that lieth along by the river Inachus a countrey inhabited then by the Inachiens and Achaeans Now they had the answere of an oracle on both sides to wit the Inachiens and Achaeans that if they yeelded and gave away part of their countrey they should lose all and the Aeneians that if they could get once any thing at their hands with their good wils they should for ever possesse and hold all Things standing in these tearmes there was a notable personage among the Aeneians named Temon who putting on ragged clothes and taking a wallet about his necke disguised himselfe like unto a begger and in this habite went to the Inachiens to crave their almes The king of the Inachiens scorned and laughed at him and by way of disdaine and mockerie tooke up a clod of earth and gave it him the other tooke it right willingly and put it up into his budget but he made no semblance neither was he seene to embrace this gift and to joy therein but went his way immediately without begging any thing else as being verie well content with that which he had gotten already The elders of the people woondring hereat called to mind the said oracle and presenting themselves before the king advertised him not to neglect this occurrent nor to let this man thus to escape out of his hands But Temon having an inckling of their desseigne made haste and fled apace insomuch as he saved himselfe by the meanes of a great sacrifice even of an hundred oxen which he vowed unto Apollo This done both kings to wit of the Inachiens and the Aeneians sent
life with which words Porsena was so affrighted that he made peace with the Romans according as Aristides the Milesian writeth in the third booke of his storie 3 The Argives and the Lacedaemonians being at war one with another about the possession of the countrey Thyreatis the Amphictyones gave sentence that they should put it to a battell and looke whether side wan the field to them should the land in question appertaine The Lacedaemonians therefore chose for their captaine Othryades and the Argives Thersander when the battell was done there remained two onely alive of the Argives to wit Agenor and Chromius who caried tidings to the citie of victorie Meane while when all was quiet Othryades not fully dead but having some little life remaining in him bearing himselfe and leaning upon the trunchions of broken lances caught up the targets and shields of the dead and gathered them together and having erected a trophee he wrote thereupon with his owne blood To Jupiter Victor and guardian of Trophees Now when as both those parties maintained still the controversie about the land the Amphictyones went in person to the place to be eie-judges of the thing and adjudged the victorie on the Lacedaemonians side this writeth Chrysermus in the third booke of the Peloponnesiack historie The Romans levying warre against the Samnites chose for their chiefe commander Posthumius Albinus who being surprised by an ambush within a streight betweene two mountains called Furcae Caudinae a verie narrow passe lost three of his Legions and being himselfe deadly wounded fell and lay for dead howbeit about midnight taking breath was quick againe and somewhat revived he arose tooke the targets from his enemies bodies that lay dead in the place and erected a trophee and drenching his hand in their blood wrote in this manner The Romans to Jupiter Victor guardian of Trophees against the Samnites but Marius surnamed Gurges that is to say the glutton being sent thither as generall captaine and viewing upon the verie place the said trophee so erected I take this gladly quoth he for a signe and presage of good fortune and thereupon gave battell unto his enemies and won the victorie tooke their king prisoner and sent him to Rome according as Aristides writeth in his third booke of the Italian historie 4 The Persians entred Greece with a puissant armie of 500000. men against whom Leonidas was sent by the Lacedaemonians with a band of three hundred to guard the streights of Thermophylae and impeach his passage in which place as they were merie at their meat and taking their refection the whole maine power of the Barbarians came upon them Leonidas seeing his enemies advancing forward spake unto his owne men and said Sit still sirs and make an end of your dinner hardly so as you may take your suppers in another world so he charged upon the Barbarians and notwithstanding he had many a dart sticking in his bodie yet he made a lane through the presse of the enemies untill he came to the verie person of Xerxes from whom he tooke the diademe that was upon his head and so died in the place The Barbarians king caused his bodie to be opened when he was dead and his heart to be taken forth which was found to be all over-growne with haire as writeth Aristides in the first booke of the Persian historie The Romans warring against the Cathaginians sent a companie of three hundred men under the leading of a captaine named Fabius Maximus who bad his enemies battell and lost all his men himselfe being wounded to death charged upon Anniball with such violence that he tooke from him the regali diademe or frontall that he had about his head and so died upon it as writeth Aristides the Milesian 5 In the citie of Celaenae in Phrygia the earth opened and clave a sunder so as there remained a mightie chinke with a huge quantitie of water issuing thereout which caried away and drew into the bottomlesse pit thereof a number of houses with all the persons great and small within them Now Midas the king was advertised by an oracle that if he cast within the said pit the most precious thing that he had both sides would close up againe and the earth meet and be firme ground So he caused to be throwen into it a great quantitie of gold and silver but all would do no good Then Anchurus his son thinking with himselfe that there was nothing so pretious as the life soule of man after he had lovingly embraced his father and bid him farwel and with all taken his leave of his wife Timothea mounted on horseback and cast himselfe horse and all into the said chinke And behold the earth immediatly closed up whereupon Midas made a golden altar of Jupiter Idaeus touching it only with his hand This altar about that time when as the said breach or chink of earth was became a stone but after a certaine prefixed time passed it is seene all gold this writeth Callisthenes in his second booke of Transformations The river Tybris running through the mids of the market place at Rome for the anger of Jupiter Tarsius caused an exceeding great chinke within the ground which swallowed up many dwelling houses Now the oracle rendred this answere unto the Romans that this stould cease in case they flang into the breach some costly and precious thing and when they had cast into it both gold and silver but all in vaine Curtius a right noble young gentleman of the citie pondering well the words of the oracle and considering with himselfe that the life of man was more pretious than gold cast himselfe on horseback into the said chinke and so delivered his citizens and countrimen from their calamitie this hath Aristides recorded in fortieth booke of Italian histories 6 Amphtaraus was one of the princes and leaders that accompanied Pollynices and when one day they were feasting merily together an eagle soaring over his head chanced to catch up his javelin and carrie it up aloft in the aire which afterwards when she had let fall againe stucke fast in the ground and became a lawrell The morrow after as they joined battell in that verie place 〈◊〉 with his chariot was swallowed up within the earth and there standeth now the citie Harma so called of the chariot as Trismachus reporteth in the third booke of his Foundations During the warres which the Romans waged against Pyrrhus king of the Epirotes Paulus Acmylius was promised by the oracle that he should have the victorie if he would set up an altar in that verie place where he should see one gentleman of qualitie and good marke to be swallowed up alive in the earth together with his chariot Three daies after Valerius Conatus when in a dreame he thoght that he saw himselfe adorned with his priestly vestments for skilfull he was in the art of divination led forth the armie and after he had slaine many of his enemies was devouted quick
the one to this effect that there should be exhibited a solemnitie of plaies or comedies at the feast Chytrae wherein the poets should do their best and strive a vie within the theatre for the prise and whosoever obtained victorie should therewith have the right and freedome of burgeosie a thing that before was not lawfull nor graunted unto poets and thus hee brought unto use and practise againe a solemne game which he had discontinued Another that there should be made at the publike charges of the citie statues of brasse for the poets Aeschylus Sophocles and Euripides that their tragoedies should be exemplified and engrossed faire for to be kept in the chamber of the citie and that the publicke notarie of the citie should reade them unto the plaiers for otherwise unlawfull it was to act them A third there was that no citizen nor any other person resiant and inhabitant within the citie of Athens should be permitted to buy any prisoners taken in warre such as were of free condition before to make them slaves without the consent of their first masters Item that within the haven Pyraecum there should be exhibited a solemne play or game unto Neptune consisting of round daunces no fewer than three and that unto those who woon the first prise there should be given for a reward no fewer than ten pound of silver to the second eight at the least and to the third not under six according as they should be adjudged by the Umpiers Item that no dame of Athens might be allowed to ride in a coatch to Eleusin for feare that the poore might be debased by the rich and herein reputed their inferiours but in case any of them were so taken riding in a coatch she should be fined and pay six thousand drachms now when his owne wife obeied not his law but was surprized in the manner by the sycophants and promoters he himselfe gave unto them a whole talent with which afterwards when he was charged and accused before the people You see yet quoth he my masters of Athens that I am overtaken for giving and not for taking silver He mette one day as he went in the street a publicane or farmer of the forrain taxes and tributes for the city who had laid hands upon the philosopher Xenocrates and would have ledde him to prison in all haste because he paid not the duties imposed upon strangers for which he gave the publicane a rappe on the head with the rodde or walking staffe which hee had in his hand and recovered the philosopher out of his clouches which done he cast the said officer himselfe into prison for his labor as having cōmitted a great indignity unto such a personage a few daies after the same philosopher meeting him with the children of Lycurgus I have quoth he unto them my good children rendred thanks unto your father and that right speedily in that he is so praised and commended of all men for succouring and rescuing me He proposed and published certeine publicke decrees using the helpe heerein of one Euclides an Olynthian who was thought to be a very sufficient man in framing and penning such acts and albeit he was a wealthy person yet he never ware but one and the same kinde of garment both winter and summer yea and the same shooes he went in every day what need soever was He exercised himselfe continually in declaming both night and day for that he was not so sit to speak of a sudden and unprovided Upon his bedde or pallet where he lay he had onely for his covering a sheepes skinne fell and all and under his head a boulster to the end that the sooner and with more ease he might awake and goe to his study There was one who reproched him for that he paid his money still unto sophisters and professed rhetoricians for teaching him to make orations But quoth he againe if there were any would promise and undertake to profit my children and make them better I would give him willingly not onely a thousand deniers but the one moitie of all my goods Very bold he was and resolute to speake his minde franckly unto the people and to tell them the truth plainly bearing himselfe upon his nobility insomuch as one day when the Athenians would not suffer him to make a speech in open audience he cried out with a loud voice ô whippe of Corfu how many talents art thou woorth Another time when some there were who called Alexander god And what maner of god may he be quoth Lycurgus out of whose temple whosoever go had need to be sprinckled and drenched all over with water to purifie themselves After he was dead they delivered his children into the hands of the eleven officers for execution of justice for that Thrasicles had framed an accusation Menesaechmus endited them but upon the letters of Demosthenes which in the time of his exile he wrote unto the Athenians advertising them that they were ill spoken of about Lycurgus his children they repented themselves of that which they had done and let them go verily Democles the scholar of Theophrastus justified them and spake in their defence Himselfe and some of his children were buried at the cities charges over and against the temple of Minerva Paeonia within the orchard or grove of Melanthius the philosopher and found there be even in these our daies certeine tombes with the names of Lycurgus and his children written thereupon But that which is the greatest thing that soundeth most to the praise of his government he raised the revenues of the common-weale unto twelve hundred talents whereas before they amounted but unto threescore A little before he died when he perceived death to approch hee caused himselfe to be caried into the temple of Cybele the great mother of the gods and into the Senate house desirous there to render an account of his whole administration of the common-weale but no man was so hardy as to come foorth and charge him with any unjust and wrongfull dealing save onely Menesaechmus now after he had fully answered those imputations which he charged upon him he was caried home againe to his house where he ended his daies reputed all his life time for a good and honest man commended for his eloquence and never condemned in any sute notwithstanding many actions and accusations were framed against him Three children he had by Calisto the daughter of Abron and sister to Calaeus the sonne also of Abron of the burrough Bata who was treasurour of the campe during the warres that yeere wherein Chaerondas was provost of this affinitie and alliance Dinarchus maketh mention in that oration which he made against Pastius He left behinde him these children Abron Lycurgus and Lycophron of whom Abron and Lycurgus died without issue but Abron after he had with good reputation and credit managed state matters changed this life and Lycophron having espoused Calistomacha the daughter of Philippus Aixenes begat a daughter
and hinde withall To hunt and follow hard at trace So neere unto the quicke did that discourse touch me alleaging such a number of proper and pithy reasons SOCLARUS True it is that you say ô Autobulus for me thought that therein he stirred up and awakened his singular eloquence and skill in Rhetoricke which some time he had discontinued which lay asleepe to gratifie as I take it those yoong gentlemen who were present in place and withall to solace and disport himselfe among them but that which pleased me most was this When hee represented unto our eies by way of comparison sword-fencers fighting at sharpe one with another to the uttrance alledging this for one of his reasons wherefore he principally commending hunting in that it diverteth and calleth away a certeine affection that we have either naturally engraffed or else acquired by use and custome to take pleasure in seeing men at swords point enter into combat for life death one against another turneth it especially hither yeelding unto us a faire pure and innocent spectacle of artificial cunning conjoined with hardinesse and courage guided with reason against brutish force and witlesse strength and in so doing giveth us to understand that this sentence of Euripides is woorthy to be praised when he saith Small is mans strength and puissance corporall His wit is great and prudence naturall It tames all fish beneath in sea so deepe And wily beasts aloft on earth that keepe AUTOBULUS And yet my good friend Soclarus some there be who hold that this inflexible rigour and savage impassibility of not being mooved at all with pitty came from hence into mens hearts namely from the custome of killing of beasts in chase and of learning not to have in honour the sight of bloudshed and of the grievous wounds of beasts which they received but to take delight in seeing them to die and to be cut in pieces and like as in the citie of Athens when it was reduced under the tyrannie of the thirtie usurpers the first man whom they put to death was a sycophant of whom it was said then that hee had well deserved it and was rightly served and so they said by a second and a third but from thence they went forward by little and little untill they came to lay hold upon honest men and in the end spared not the best and most vertuous citizens even so he that killed at the first a beare or a woolfe was highly commended and thought to have done a very good deed and an oxe or a swine that had eaten some things provided for a sacrifice or oblation to the gods was condemned as fit and worthy to die heereupon stagges and hinds hares also and goates which men began already to eat invited also the flesh of sheepe yea and in some places of dogges and horses to the table But they who taught first to dismember and cut in pieces for meat a tame goose a house dove and familiar pigeon a dung-hill cocke or domesticall henne of the roust and that not for to satisfie and remedie the necessitie of hunger as doe these weezils and cattes and but onely for pleasure and to feed a daintie tooth surely have confirmed and strengthened all that bloudinesse and savage cruelty which was in our nature and made it altogether inflexible and immooveable without any compassion but contrariwise enfeebled and dulled for the most part all naturall mildnesse and humanitie whereas on the other side the Pythagoreans would have men to accustome themselves to use gentlenesse even towards beasts as an exercise of pitty and mercy to men for custome which traineth us familiarly by little and little to any passion and affection hath a wonderous efficacie to set a man forward thereunto But I wot not how being entred into speech we have forgotten our selves and not kept us to that which was begun yesterday and should be continued and held on this day for yesterday as you know very well having agreed upon this That all sorts of living creatures have in them some little discourse and reason we gave good occasion and matter of a learned and pleasant disputation unto our yoong gentlemen who love hunting so well namely as touching the wit and wisedome of beasts whether there be more in them of the land or those of the sea which question we are as I take it this day to decide in case Aristotimus and Phaedimus hold on still and persist in their defiances and chalenges which yesterday they gave one another for the one of them undertooke unto his friends and companions to mainteine that the earth bringeth foorth beasts of more sense capacitie and understanding and the other contrariwise promised as much in the behalfe of the water SOCLARUS That they do Autobulus they are of the same mind still to dispute it out and here they wil be anon for this very purpose for I saw them in the morning betimes addressing making themselves readie but if you thinke it good before this combat begin let us go in hand againe with that which yesterday should have been handled and was not partly for that the time and place served not therto or rather because the matter was proposed unto them at the table and among the cups of wine which went merrily about and not treated of in good earnest and sadnesse in deed for one there was who seemed after a pragmaticall sort to resound on the adverse part not impertinently as if he came out of the Stoicks schoole thus much That like as mortal is opposite unto immortall corruptible unto incorruptible and corporall to incorporall even so confesse we ought that reasonable is contrarie to unreasonable so that if one of them be the other ought likewise of necessitie to be and that this onely couple of contraries among so many other ought not to be left defectuous or unperfect AUTOBULUS And what is he friend Soclarus who will say that if we admit in nature that which is reasonable to subsist and have being wee should not likewise allow that which is unreasonable for no doubt it is and that in great measure namely in all creatures which have no life nor soule neither need we to seeke father for any other opposition unto that which is reasonable for whatsoever is without life and soule is incontinently opposite unto that which together with soule hath the use of understanding and reason and if any one there be who maintaineth that nature for all this is not unperfect in that everie substance having soule is either reasonable or unreasonable another will say unto him likewise that a nature endued with life and soule is not defective namely in that either it hath imagination or else is without it is either sensitive or else hath no sense to the end that it may have on either side these two oppositions or privations making counterpoise one against another about one and the same kind as two contrarie branches arising out of one
used her not according to law of marriage of nature Thus you see what confused variations contradictions and repugnances there be in that imputation and suspicion of the Alcmaeonidae but in sounding out the praises of Callias the sonne of Phenippus with whom he joineth his sonne Hipponicus who by the report of Herodotus himselfe was in his time the richest man in all Athens he confesseth plainly that for to insinuate himselfe into the favor of Hipponicus and to flatter him without any reason or cause in the world arising out of the matter of the story he brought Callias All the world knowes that the Argives refused not to enter into that generall confederacy and association of the Greeks requiring onely that they might not be ever at the Lacedaemonians command nor forced to follow them who were the greatest enemies those who of all men living hated them most when it would not otherwise be he rendereth a most malicious and spightfull cause and reason thereof writing thus When they saw quoth he that the Greeks would needs comprise them in that league knowing full well that the Lacedaemonians would not impart unto them any prerogative to command they seemed to demand the communion thereof to the end that they might have some colourable occasion and excuse to remaine quiet and fit still which he saith that Artaxerxes long after remembred unto the embassadors of the Argives who came unto him at Susa and gave this testimonie unto them That he thought there was not a city in all Greece friended him more than Argos But soone after as his accustomed maner is seeming to retract all and cleanly to cover the matter he comes in with these words Howbeit as touching this point I know nothing of certeinty but this I wot wel all men have their faults and I doe not beleeve that the Argives have caried themselves woorst of all others but howsoever quoth he I am bound to say that which is commonly received yet I beleeve not all and let this stand thorowout the whole course of mine historie For this also is given out abroad That they were the Argives who sollicited and sent for the king of Persia to levie warre upon all Greece because they were not able in armes to make head against the Lacedaemonians and cared not what became of them to avoid the present discontentment and griefe wherein they were And may not a man very well returne that upon himselfe which he reporteth to be spoken by an Aethiopian as touching the sweet odours and rich purple of the Persians Deceitfull are the Persian ointments deceitfull are their habilliments For even so a man may very well say of him Deceitfull are the phrases deceitfull are the figures of Herodotus his speeches So intricate and tortuous so winding quite throughhout As nothing sound is therein found but all turn 's round about And like as painters make their light colours more apparent and eminent by the shadowes that they put about them even so Herodotus by seeming to denie that which he affirmeth doth enforce and amplifie his calumniations so much the more and by ambiguities and doubtfull speeches maketh suspicions the deeper But if the Argives would not enter into the common league with all other Greeks but held off and stood out upon a jelousie of sovereigne command or emulation of vertue and valour against the Lacedaemonians no man will say the contrary but that they greatly dishonoured the memorie of their progenitour Hercules and disgraced the nobilitie of their race For better it had beene and more beseeming for the Siphnians and Cithnians the inhabitants of two little Isles to have defended the libertie of Greece than by striving thus with the Spartans and contesting about the prerogative of command to shift off and avoid so many combats and so honourable pieces of service And if they were the Argives who called the king of Persia into Greece because their sword was not so sharpe as the Lacedaemonians was and for that they could not make their part good with them what is the reason that when the said king was arrived in Greece they shewed not themselves openly to band with the Medes and Persians And if they were unwilling to be seene in the field and campe with the Barbarian king why did they not when they staied behinde at home invade the territory of the Laconians why entred they not againe upon the Thurians countrey or by some other meanes prevented impeached the Lacedaemonians for in so doing they had beene able greatly to have endamaged the Greeks namely by hindring them from comming into the field at Plateae with so puissant a power of armed footmen But the Athenians verily in this service he highly extolleth and setteth out with glorious titles naming them The saviours of Greece which had beene well done of him and justly if he had not intermingled with these praises many blames and reprochfull termes Howbeit now when he saith that the Lacedaemonians were abandoned of the other Greeks and neverthelesse thus forsaken and left alone having undertaken many woorthy exploits died honourably in the field foreseeing that the Greekes favouring the Medes complotted and combined with king Xerxes is it not evident heereby that he gave not out those goodly words directly to praise the Athenians but rather that he commended them to the end that he would condemne and defame all other Greeks For who can now be angrie and offended with him for reviling and reproching in such vile and bitter termes the Thebans and Phoceans continually as he doth considering that he condemneth of treason which never was but as he guesseth himselfe might have so fallen out even those who were exposed to all perils of death for the liberties of Greece And as for the Lacedaemonians themselves he putteth a doubt into our heads Whether they died manfully in fight or rather yeelded making slight arguments God wot and frivolous conjectures to impaire their honour in comparison of others that fought at Thermopylae Moreover in relating the overthrow and shipwracke which hapned to the king of Persias fleet wherein a mighty and infinit masse of money and money worth was cast away Aminocles a Magnesian citizen quoth he and sonne of Cretines was mightily enriched for he met with infinit treasure aswell in coine as in plate both of silver and gold But he could not passe over so much as this and let it go without some biting nip savouring of malice For this man quoth he who otherwise before-time was but poore and needy by these windfalles and unexpected cheats became very wealthy but there befell unto him also an unhappy accident which troubled him and disgraced his other good fortune for that he killed his owne sonne For who seeth not that he inserteth in his historie these golden words of wrecks and of great treasure found floating or cast upon the sands by the tides of the sea of very purpose to make a fit roume and a convenient
1031.30 Ale a counterfeit wine 685.40 Alalcomenae the name of a citie in Ithacesia 901.40 Alalcomenion in Boeotia ib. Alastor 896.1 Alastores 1330.40 Alcamenes his Apophthegmes 453.20 Alcathoe 899.30 Alcestis cured by Apollo 1146.30 Alcibiades of loose behaviour 350.50 Alcibiades a not able flatterer 88.50 his apophthegmes 419.30 he had no good utterance 252.10 Alcioneus the sonne of K. Antigonus a forward knight 530.1 Alcippus and his daughters their pitifull historie 948.10 Alcyons the birds 615.20 Alcyon a bird of the sea of a wonderfull nature 977.30 how she builds her nests 218.10 Alcmaeonidae debased and traduced by Herodotus 1231.20 Alcman the Poet. 270.40 Alcmenaes tombe opened 1206.1 Alenas how declared K. of Thessalie 191.1 K. Alexander the great winketh at his sisters follies 372.50 his respect to Timoclia 504. 1. his apophthegmes 411.10 his magnanimitie ib. his activitie ib. his continencie ib. his magnificence ib. his bountie and liberalitie 411.30 he noteth the Milesians ib. 40. his gratious thankefulnes to Tarrias 1279.50 his frugalitie and sobrietie in diet 412.10 entituled Jupiter Ammons sonne ib. 20. he reprooveth his flatterers ib. he pardoneth an Indian his archer 413.10 his censure of Antipater 412.30 his continence ib. 40. he presumeth not to be compared with Hercules 413.30 his respect of those who were in love 412.40.50 whereby he acknowledged himselfe mortall 105.20.766.30 he honored Craterus most and affected Hephestion best 413.40 his death day observed 766.1 his demeanour to king Porus. 413.40 his ambitious humour 147.40 639.20 he used to sit long at meat 655.10 he dranke wine liberally ib. he wisheth to be Diogenes 296.20 his flesh yeelded a sweet smell 655.10 his moderate cariage to Philotas 1280.20.30 he died with a surfet of drinking 613.20 how he was crossed by Fortune 1283.20 he would not see King Darius his wife a beautifull Lady 142.20 he was favorable to other mens loves 1280. 1. his picture drawen by Apelles 1274.50 his statue cast in brasse by Lysippus ib. his bounty to Persian women 487.1 whether he were given to much drinking 655.10 he intended a voyage into Italie 639.20 his sorrow compared with that of Plato 75.1 he forbeareth the love of Antipatrides 1145.1 he contesteth with Fortune 1264. 30. how hee reprooved his flatterers 1282.1 Alexander nothing beholden to Fortune 1264.40 Alexander his misfortunes and crosses in warre 1264.40.50 The meanes that Alexander had to conquer the world 1265.40 how he enterteined the Persian ambassadours in his fathers absence 1283.10 what small helps he had by Fortune 1265.30 Alexander the great a Philosopher 1266.10 he is compared with Hercules 1282.40 how he joined Persia Greece together 1267.40 his adverse fortune in a towne of the Oxydrates 1284.50 Epigrams and statues of him 1269.10.20 his hopes of conquest whereupon grounded 1283.40 his apophthegmes 1269.30 his kindnes and thankefulnes to Aristotle his master 1270.10 how he honored Anaxarchus the Musician ib. his bounty to Pyrrho and others ib. his saying of Diogenes ib. his many vertues joined together in his actions 1270.10 he espoused Roxane 1278.50 his behavior toward the dead corps of King Darius 1271.10 his continency ib. 20. 1279.1 his liberalitie compared with others 1271.30 his affection to good arts and Artisans 1274.20 his answere 〈◊〉 the famous architect Staficrates 1275.40 he graced Fortune 1276.40 his sobriety and milde cariage of himselfe 1278.1 his temperance in diet 1278.50 his exercises and recreations ib. he espoused Statira the daughter of Darius 1278.50 his hard adventures and dangers 1281.30 compared with other Princes 1284.10 Alexander Tyrant of Pherae his bloudy minde 1273.30 Alexander Tyrant of Pherae 428.10 killed by Pytholaus 1155.20 Alexander the 〈◊〉 6 9.20 Alexandridas his apophthegmes 453.30 Alexidimus bastard son of Thrasibulus 329.20 Alexis on old Poet. 385.50 what pleasures he admitteth for principall 27.40 Alibantes 989.50 Alibas what body 785.20 Alimon a composition 338.40 Alima 339.1 Aliterij who they were 143.50 Aliterios 896.1 Allegories in Poets 25.1 Allia field 859.20.637.20 Alliensis dies 858.30 Almonds bitter prevent drunkennesse 656.1 they kill foxes 16.30 their vertues and properties otherwise 656.10 Aloiadae what Gyants 1175.20 Alosa a fish 953.20 Alphabet letters coupled together how many sillables they will make 782.30 Alpheus the river of what vertue the water is 1345.1 Altar of hornes in Delos a woonder 978.20 Altar of Jupiter Idaeus 908.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of divers significations 29.20 Alysson the herbe what vertues it hath 684.40 Alynomus how he came to be K. of Paphos 1281.20 K. Amasis honoureth Polycritus his sister and mother 505.20 Ambar how it draweth strawes c. 1022.40 Ambition defined 374.50 Ambitious men forced to praise themselves 597.10 Ambrosia 338.10.1177.30 Amenthes what it 〈◊〉 1299.20 Amoebaeus the Musician 67.10 Amestris sacrificed men for the prolonging of her life 268.20 Amethyst stones why so called 684.1 their vertue 18.50 Amiae or Hamiae certeine fishes whereof they take their name 974.30 Amity and Enmity the beginning of all things 888.1 Aminocles enriched by shipwracks 1237.30 Amnemones who they be 889.20 Amoun and Ammon names of Jupiter 1291.1 Amphiaraus 908.20 Amphiaraus commended 419.10 he comforteth the mother of Archemorus 43.1 520.50 Amphictyones 390.40 Amphidamas his funerals 716.20 Amphidamas 334.40 Amphithea killeth her selfe 914.10 Amphion of what Musicke he was author 1249.20 Amphissa women their vertuous act 491.20 Amphitheus delivered out of prison 1226.20 Amphitrite a name of the sea 1317.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what it is 687.20 Anacampserotes what plants 1178.50 Anacharsis the Philosopher had no certaine place of abode 336.1 put his right hand to his mouth c. 195.40 Anacreon his odes 759.1 Anaxagoras his opinion of the first principle of all things 806.10 how he tooke the death of his sonne 529.10.132.1 why he was thought impious 266.20 Anaxander his apophthegmes and epigrams 453.50 Anaxarchus tortured by Nicocreon 75.10 he flattereth Alexander 295.20 reproved by Timon 70.50 a loose and intemperate person 752.1 Anaxilas his apophthegmes 453.50 Anaximander his opinion of men and fish 780.10 his opinion of the first principle 805.50 his opinion of God 812.1 Anaxemenes confuted by Aristotle 995.1 his opinion of the first principle 806.1 Anchucus the sonne of Midas his resolute death 908.1 Ancient men how to accept of dignities 396.50 Ancus Martius king of Rome 631.1 Andorides the oratour his parentage acts and life 920.40 accused for impiety ib. acquit 921.1 he saved his owne father from death ib. a great statist and a merchant besides ib. 10. arrested by the K. of Cyprus ib. 20. banished ib. his orations and writings 921.30 when he flourished ib. Andreia 762.1 Androclidas his apophthegmes 454.1 Androcides how he painted the gulfe of Scylla 705.30 Anger the sinewes of the soule 75. 10. how it differeth from other passions 119. 20. 30. how it may be quenched and appeased 120.10 how set on fire ib. 20. compared with other passions 121.10.20 c. who are not subject unto it 123.50.124.1 mixed with other passions 131.10 to prevent it as great
Chios women their vertuous acts 485.10.40 Chiron an ancient Physician 683.40 a singular bringer up of noble youth 1262.10 Chirurgery men did learne of Elephants 968.20 Chlidon sent by Hipposthenidas to the banished of Thebes 1216.1 a ridiculous fray betweene him and his wife 1216.20 Choaspes the river water drunke only by the Persian kings 273.1 Choenix 15.10.749.50 1328.20 it conteineth 4. Sextatios Cholera the disease 781.50 Choler youth ought to suppresse 12.20 the whetstone of fortitude 566.10 Chonuphis a Prophet in Memphis 1207.1.1291.10 Chresmosyne 1358.30 Chrestos what it signifieth 889.30 Chrithologos who it is 889.40 Chromatique musicke 796.40 Chrysantas commended by Cyrus for sparing to kill his enemie 863.50 Chryseis 35.1 Chrysippus taxed for nice subtiltie 41.40 Chrysippus his contradictory opinions 1060.10 to what purpose borne 1082.40.50 Chrysippus brought in a superfluous plurality of vertues 65.10 his statue and the epigram to it 1058.20 Chthonie what Daemon 157.30 Church robber detected by his tongue 201.40 Cicero his scoffe 664.30 noted for praising himselfe 303.40 Cicero his apophthegmes 439.30 the reason of his name ib. he is not ashamed of it ib. Cich peace forbidden to be eaten 881.50 their derivation in Greeke ib. Cidre what drinke 685.40 Cimon incestuous at first proved a good Ruler 543.40 Cimon why blamed 297.20.351.1 Cimmerians beleeve there is no sunne 266.20 Cinesias how he rebuked the Poet Timotheus 28.10.759.30 Cinesones 1199.30 Cinna stoned to death 915.1 Cio women their 〈◊〉 act and chastity 490.491 Circle 1021.10 The Cirque Flaminius why so called 872.30 Cleanthes did grind at the mill 286.30 Cleanthes thought that the heaven stood still and the earth moved 1163.1 Cleanthes hard to learne 63.1 noted for playing with Homers verses 41.40 his contradictions 1059.20 Cleanthes and Chrysippus contradictory to themselves 1058.40 Cleanthes and Antisthenes practised to correct Poeticall verses by change of some words 44.1 Clearchus his countenance encourageth his souldiers 109.20 given to austerity 651.50 a tyrant 296.1 his insolent pride 1278.20 Clearchus the Philosopher confuteth Aristotle Junior about the Moones face 1161.20 Clemencie what it is 69.10 Cleobis and Biton kinde to their mother 518.20 deemed by Solon happie 96.30 Cleobuline a studious and vertuous damosel named also Eumelis 329.1 Cleobulus usurped the name of a sage and was none indeed 1354.20 Cleodemus a Physician 335.20 Cleomachus the Thessalian his death 1145.20 his sepulcher 1145.30 Cleombrotus the sonne of Pausanias his apophthegm 459.40 Cleombrotus a great traveller 1322.1 Cleomenes the sonne of Anaxandrides his Apophthegmes 459.40.425.10 punished for his perjury and trechery ib. 50 Cleomenes repelled from the wals of Argos by women 486.20 Cleomenes the sonne of Cleombrotus his apophthegmes 461.1 Cleon being entred into governement rejected all his former friends 358.50 Cleopatra 632.1 banished and restored 637 30 A Clepsydre 840.20 Climacides and Colacides what women 86.20 Clio. 795.40 wherein emploied 798.50 Clitomachus the Grammarian could abide no amatorious matters 757.50 Cloelia her vertuous deed highly honored by k. Porsena 492.1 492.20 Clonas an ancient musician 1269.50 Clotho 797.40 1049.10 Clotho her function 1184.40 what she is 1219.30 Cloudes how engendred 828.10 Clusia flang her selfe from an high tower 910.20 Clysters commended 624.10 first 〈◊〉 by the bird Ibis 968.1.1317.1 Clytus his vaine glory 1278.10 Cneph among the Aegyptians 1295.50 Cnidian graine a violent purgative 623.50 Cocks of the dunghil for what use made 1073.20 White Cocke honored by the Pythagoreans 711.1 Cocles moderate in receiving honours 375.40 Cocytus 604.50 what it signifieth 515.50 Codrus the king disguised killed 911.40 Coeranus preserved by Dolphins 980.1 Coeranium ib. 10 Colde primitive what it is 993.10 it is not the privation of heat ib. 20 Colde good to preserve things 774 10 Colde outward increaseth naturall heat 739.10 Coliades who they be 892.30 Colour what it is 814.10 Colours all but white deceitfull 859.40 of divers kindes 814.20 Colotes the Epicure wrot against the 〈◊〉 581.10 he is confuted 1110.50 Combat of three twins bretheren 911.10 Combats of prize in what order set by Homer 673.40.50 Comminius Saper worketh the death of his owne sonne Comminius 916.10 Comoedian condemned by the Athenians 985.1 Comoedia Vetus banished out of feasts 759.20 Comoedia Nova commended at banquets ib. 30 Company of friends at meales commended 742.40 Company bad children must avoid 15.1 Comparatives used for positives 719.40 Conception how it commeth 842.20 how it is hindred ib. Conception of children 220. 20 Concoction what it is 1003 Concordance of 〈◊〉 and philosophy 605.20.48.30 Conflagration of the world 807.30 Conipodes who they be 888.50 Conjunctions a part of speech not much missed 1028.20 Conjunction of man and wife why called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1155.30 Conscience 〈◊〉 a safe harbour 161.10 Conscience a sufficient witnesse 252.40.50 Conscience cleere a singular 〈◊〉 603.20 peace of Conscience a sovereigne joy 80.1 Consualia a festivall day at Rome 867.20 Consular place at the boord honorable 650.10 the reasons why ib. 20 Consuls at Rome when first enstalled 856.20 not admitted to triumphall feasts 877.10 Consultation of serious matters at the table and wine 761.40 Contentment of minde in 〈◊〉 Crates the philosopher 147.50 Continence and temperance how they differ 69.20 Continency in beasts compared with the thastity of men and women 566.40 Contingent how defined 1051 20 Contradictions of stoicke philosophers 〈◊〉 .1058 Contrusius the sonne of 〈◊〉 914.10 Conus 1021.1 Cophene a yong damosell saved the Megarians from being 〈◊〉 487. 40. maried to Nymphaeus ib. Coptos a city in Aegypt why so called 1293.10 Corax aliâs Collocidas 553.20 murdered Archilochus ib. Cordax 759.10 Cordial confections and counterpoisons called The hands of the gods 1703.1 Core the same that Persophone 914.10.1181.50 Coretas gave first light of the oracle at Delphi 1345.10 Corinna reprooved Pindarus in his poetre 984.30 Corinthians chappell 1193.1194 Coronistae who they be 505.30 Corpulent and fat folke barren 676.1 Coros 1358. 〈◊〉 Correction of Poets verses 44.1.10 Corruption what it is 1114.1115 Corybantes 1142.50.1143.10.1183.40 Cothus his subtile practise 895.20 Cotyla a measure 1328.20 it containeth ten ounces that is to say about a pint Cotys a prince given to anger how he restrained it 405.10 Covetousnesse what maner of discase 210 Counsell of state in Lacedaemon how called 391.30 the love of native Country surpasseth all others 362.10 who voluntary left their owne Countries 277 native Country called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 395 1. Cradephoria what 〈◊〉 712.10 Cradias what tune or song 1251.10 Cramp-fish Torpedo how subtile he is 972.40 Cranes what order they keepe in flying 960.1 Crantor his opinion as touching the soule of the world 1031.30 M. Crassus why he was said to cary hey one his horne 874.1 Crassus bitterly taunted and checked Domitius 240.30 acused for incontinency 241.30 Crataiadas 895.1 Crates his trecherous part with Orgilaus 381.1 he is put to death 381.10 Crates the philosopher joieth in his poverty 147. 40. called Thirepanoectes 666. 1. his epigram opposed to Sardanapalus his epitaph 310. 1.
toward that place which he saw was without all light conjecturing by the darknesse and silence withall that he should not light upon any of the watch or ward there thus he began to climbe up the steepe rocke whereas he could find any way to set sure footing upon the stones that stuck out or wheresoever he found a place to yeeld better accesse and ascent than another so fetching a compasse and catching hold with his hand upon the rough cragges and bearing himselfe as well as possibly he could he made such shift that in the end he crawled up to the toppe thereof and there those Romans that kept watch and ward and were foremost of the corps-de-guard having espied him helped to pull him up then declared hee unto those within the place what had beene set downe and agreed upon by them who were without from whom hee had no sooner received their assent and approbation of the foresaid ordinance concluded but the verie same night he made his returne the way that he came unto Camillus the next morning one of the barbarous enemies as hee walked about that place thinking of no such thing perceiving by very chaunce partly the print of a mans tiptoes together with the marks of unsteady footing and partly the grasse and weeds crushed and broken which grew heere and there in such places where they had some little earth to mainteine them as also the tracts and traces where he had leaned and wrestled with his bodie either in clambring up or striving overthwart went straight waies and related unto his fellow-souldiors what he had seene who taking it thus that the enemies themselves shewed them the way and trode it out before them 〈◊〉 presently to doe the like and to gaine the toppe of the rocke In the night time therefore having observed where the place was most solitary and void of watchmen they mounted up without being descried and discovered not onely by the men who were in guard and sentinell but not so much as by the dogges which were set a front before for to assist the watch so sleepie they were all both the one and the other Howbeit the good Fortune of Rome wanted no voice to bewray so imminent a danger and to give warning thereof for there were within the Capitoll certeine geese consecrated unto the goddesse Juno kept at the cities charges in the honour of her close under her temple now is this creature of all others by nature very timorous and at every little noise that is made ready to be affrighted and at that time especially by reason that there was within the place great scarcitie of victuals they were neglected and for that they were kept somewhat hungry slept not so soundly as they were wont to doe by reason whereof at the first being aware of the enemies comming even so soone as they had gotten over the battlements of the wals they came ful but upon them being affrighted besides to see their bright armour set up such a gagling note after their manner that all the court of the castle rung with their violent and disonant noise whereat the Romans were awakened and suspecting deepely what the matter was ranne incontinently to the wall gave the enemies the repulse and turned them downe with their heads forward in memoriall of which accidents and occurrents Fortune goeth as it were in triumph even at this day For at Rome they are woont upon a certeine set day of the yeere in a solemne procession to have a dogge carried in a shew crucisied and a goose borne in a gorgeous litter upon a rich cushion most sumptuously dight and set out which spectacle representeth and sheweth unto us the puissance of Fortune and the great meanes that she hath to effect all those things with ease and facilitie which in mans reason seeme unpossible considering that she giveth a kinde of wittie perceivance and understanding to brute beasts otherwise foolish and voide of reason yea and infuseth bold courage and strength to those which by nature are fearefull weake and cowardly For what man is there unlesse he be altogether deprived of naturall sense and affection who would not be astonied and ravished againe with a woonderfull admiration to consider and discourse after a sort with himselfe comparing the heavie cheere and mournefull condition of this citie in those daies with the felicitie and statelie port thereof at this present to looke up I saie to the Capitoll and behold the riches there the sumptuositie and magnificence of the monuments and oblations there to bee seene the excellent pieces of worke wrought by most cunning artificers striving who might doe best the presents of cities contending who should bee most bounteous and liberall the crownes sent by kings and princes and what precious things soever the earth the sea the islands the firme lands of the continent the rivers trees beasts champain fields mountaines and metall-mines doe affoord and in one word the first fruits and choise parcels of all things in the world which seeme all to strive one with another to embelish grace adorne enrich and beautifie this onely place and withall to looke backe unto those times past and consider how it went within a very little that all this should never have beene or at least-wise not extant at this day seeing that all being within the power of mercilesse fire fearefull darknesse of the mirke night cruell and barbarous swords and most bloudy minds and inhumane hearts of these Gaules the poore contemptible beasts foolish reasonlesse and timorous made the overture to save all and were the principall instruments of preservation also how those brave gallants valourous knights and great captaines and commanders the Manlii the Servii the Posthumii and Papyrii the ancestours and progenitours of so many noble houses afterwards were very neere and at the point to have beene undone for ever and come to nothing had not these silly geese awakened and started up to fight for their countrey and to defend the god patron and protectour of the city And if it be true that Polybius writeth in the second booke of his historie as touching those Gaules who at that time surprised the city and were lords of Rome That when newes came suddenly unto them how certeine of their barbarous neighbous neere at hand were entred in armes within their owne countrey and won all before them as they went they had returned in hast backe and made peace with Camillus certes without all doubt Fortune even then had bene the cause also of the cities safetie in distracting the enemies or rather in withdrawing them another way contrary to all hope and expectation of man But what need we to stand thus upon these old histories wherein there is no certeintie to build upon delivered considering that the state of Rome was then ruinate and all their annales records registers and memorials either perished or confounded according as Livie himselfe hath left in writing seeing that the affaires of the Romans
which happened afterward and cary more light and perspicuitie with them declare and testifie sufficiently the love and indulgence of Fortune For mine owne part I count this for one singular favor of hers to wit the death of Alexander the Great a prince of incomparable courage and spirit invincible who being lifted up by many great prosperities glorious conquests and happy victories lanced himselfe in maner of a starre volant in the aire leaping out of the East into the West and beginning not to shoot the flaming beames and flashing raies of his armour as farre as into Italie having for a pretense and colourable cause of this enterprise and expedition of his the death of his kinsman Alexander the Milossian who together with his army was by the Brutians and Lucanians neere unto the citie Pandaesia put to the sword and cut in pieces although in trueth that which caried him thus against all nations was nothing els but a desire of glory and sovereignty having proposed this unto himselfe upon a spirit of zeale and emulation to surpasse the acts of Bacchus and Hercules and to go with his armie beyond the bounds of their voiages and expeditions Moreover he had heard say that he should find the force and valour of the Romans to be as it were a gad of steele to give edge unto the sword of Italie and he knew well enough by the generall voice and report abroad in the world which was brought unto him that famous warriours they were and of greatest renowme as being exercised and hardened like stout champions in warres and combats innumerable And verily as I do weene A bloudy fight there would have beene if the undanted and unconquered hearts of the Romans had encountred in the field with the invincible armies of the Macedonians for surely the citizens of Rome were no fewer at that time in number by just computation than a hundred and thirty thousand fighting men able all to beare armes and hardy withall Who expert were on horsebacke for to fight And when they saw their time on foot to light The rest of this discourse is lost wherein we misse the reasons and arguments that Vertue alledgeth for herselfe in her plea. THE MORALS OR MISCELLANE WORKS OF PLUTARCH The second Tome THE SYMPOSIAQVES OR TABLE-QUESTIONS The first Booke The Summarie 1 WHether we may discourse of learning or philosophie at the table 2 Whether the master of the feast ought himselfe to place his guests or suffer them to sit and take their places at their owne discretion 3 What is the cause that the place at the boord called Consular is held to be most honourable 4 What maner of person the Symposiarchor master of the feast ought to be 5 What is meant by this usuall speech Love teacheth us poetrie or musicke 6 Whether Alexander the Great were a great drinker 7 How it is that old folke commonly love to drinke meere wine undelaied 8 What is the cause that elder persons reade better afarre-off than hard-by 9 What might the reason be that clothes are washed better in fresh potable water than in sea water 10 Why at Athens the dance of the tribe or linage Aeantis is never adjudged to the last place THE SYMPOSIAQUES OR Table-questions THE FIRST QUESTION Whether we may discourse of learning and philosophie at the table SOme there be sir Sossius Senerio who say that this ancient proverbe in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 At banquet wine or any fest I hate a well remembring guest was meant of hosteliers or rulers at feasts who ordinarily are odious troublesome uncivill saucy and imperious at the table For the Dorians who in old time inhabited Italie as it should seeme were wont to call such an one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Others againe be of opinion that this proverbe admonisheth and teacheth us to forget all that hath beene done and said at the boord and among our cuppes when we have beene mery together Heereupon it is that in our countrey men commonly say That both oblivion and also the palmar or the plant Ferula that is to say Fenel-giant be consecrated unto Bacchus which giveth us to understand that the errours and faults which passe at the table are either not to be remembred at all or els deserve to be chasticed gently as children are But seeing you also are of the same minde that Euripides was namely That howsoever Bad things and filthie to forget Indeed is counted wisdome great yet the oblivion generally of all that is spoken at the boord and when we drinke wine is not only repugnant to this vulgar saying That the table makes many a friend but also hath divers of the most renowmed and excellent philosophers to beare witnesse to the contrary to wit Plato Xenophon Aristotle Speusippus Epicurus Prytanis Hieronymus and Dion the Academique who all have thought and reputed it a thing woorth their travell to put downe in writing the talke that had bene held at meat drinke in their presence And for that you have thought it meet that I also should collect and gather together the principall and most memorable points of learned discourses which have passed sundry times and in divers places both here and there I meane aswell at Rome among you as also with us in Greece when we were eating and drinking together among our friends I setled my selfe unto it willingly and having sent unto you three books heretofore conteining every one of them ten questions I will shortly send you the rest if I may perceive that these which you have already were not altogether thought unlearned impertinent and without good grace The first question then which I have set abroad is this Whether it be a seemly and decent thing to philosophize that is to say To speake and treat of matters of learning at the table for you may remember very well that this question being moved upon a time at Athens after supper Whether it were befitting those who are come to make good cheere for to enter into speech or mainteine discourse as touching philosophicall matters or no and if it were How far-forth it might be allowed and within what bounds it ought to be limited Ariston one of the company there present What quoth he and are there any persons indeed tell me for the love of God who denie philosophers and learned men a roome at the boord Yea mary are there my good friend quoth I againe who not onely doe so but also in good earnest and great gravitie after their ironicall maner give out and say That philosophie which is as it were the mistresse of the house ought not to be heard speaking at the boord where men are met to make merry who commend also the maner of the Persians for good and wise who never would seeme to drinke wine merily and untill they were drunke nor yet to daunce with their wedded wives but in the company of their concubines for semblably they would have us at our feasts
and besides for policie and government is in high authoritie that he will bring him to a non-sute or overthrow him judicially he I say ministreth matter of good spirit and laughter unto the partie whom he seemeth so to chalenge or menace After this manner king Cyrus became very lovely and gracious by his singular courtesie in that he would seeme to provoke his familiars for to performe those feats wherein he knew himselfe inferior to them and when Ismenias the famous musician plaid one day upon his flute during the time of sacrifice but so as for all his musicke there appeered no good prognosticks and signes in the beast sacrificed testifying that the gods were propice and well pleased another mercenary minstrell taking the instruments in his hand kept a foolish and ridiculous tooting full untowardly and when all the company there in place reprooved him for it To sound an instrument quoth he to the contentment of the gods is an heavenly gift whereat Ismenias laughed a good and made this answer You take the matter amisse quoth he and cleane contrary for whiles I plaied the gods tooke so great pleasure in my musicke that they intended it onely had no while to accept of the sacrifice but when thou begannest to meddle with the pipes they received it immediately and made haste to be ridde and delivered of thy absurd piping Moreover they who call such things as bee simply good by odious and opprobrious names and that in mirth if they doe the same with a good grace please more than those who directly praise the same like as they doe nippe and bite more shrewdly who give reproches under faire and lovely tearmes as for example such as call wicked persons Aristides or base cowards Achilles after the manner of Oedipus in Sophocles when he said Creon who had beene alwaies kind And even at first her faithfull friend Another kinde there seemes to be of ironicall praise opposite unto the former namely when semblant is made of blame and reproofe which maner of praise Socrates often used as for ex-example when he called the industrious meanes that Antisthenes practised to reconcile men and make them friends as also to gaine good will and favour broakage bauds-craft entisement and allurement as also for that the philosopher Crates had a good grace with him wheresoever he went and because he was ever welcome honourably received and kindly enterteined into what house soever he came he was commonly named Thyrepanoecles as one would say The doore opener Furthermore that mockerie is pleasing which goeth in maner of a complaint and yet carrieth with it a kinde of gratitude and thankefulnesse Thus Diogenes speaking of his master and teacher Antisthenes Who clad me in a cloake thred-bare And made me ragged clothes to weare Who forced me to beg my food And houselesse for to walke abroad For nothing so good a grace it would have had in case he had used these words He who made me wise contented and happy Also a certeine Laconian who making a shew that he blamed the warden of the publicke stouphes and halles of exercises for giving him wood so drie that it would not so much as smoake said thus of him Heere is one by whose meanes we can not be suffered to shed a teare Semblably if a man should call him who kept a bountifull table and feasted him every day a tyrant and taker of men perforce saying withall that he would not suffer him to eat his meales at home nor to see so much as once his owne table in so many yeeres space like as if one should complaine of the king for making him of a poore man rich and wealthy in these tearmes That he had laied wait for him to doe him a shrewd turne in taking from him his repose and leasure and bereaving him of his sleepe and naturall rest or as if some man having gathered plenty of good wine turning againe upon the gods Cabeiri in Aeschilus should accuse them for that they had caused him to have scant of vineger in his house as they themselves in bourd and mirth had menaced to doe For these kinds of covert secret and dissimuled praises enter farther carrying with them a greater grace and more effectuall by farre in such sort as they who in this wise perceive themselves to be commended are nothing offended thereat nor take it in ill part Over and besides it behooveth him who would give a frumpe or scoffe with a grace and dexteritie to know also the difference of a defect and imperfection from studies and recreations whereto men are given as namely to distinguish betweene avarice or a contentious humour and the love of musicke or of hunting for as men can not abide to be twit by those so they are very well contented to be scoffed at for these as Demosthenes the Mitylenaean plaied in this kinde pleasantly upon a time for when he went to visit a familiar friend of his who loved musicke passing well and was much addicted to play upon the harpe after that he had knocked at the doore and the other hearing that it was he willed him to come in But first quoth he I would have you tie up your harpe But the parasiticall bassau of king Lysunachus contrariwise rejoined in this sort as rudely and uncivilly for when the king had throwen a counterfeit scorpion made of wood upon his coat whereat he first started and was afraied but when he perceived once that the king was merrily disposed and did but make sport came upon him againe And I will fright you sir king aswell quoth he come on and give me a talent from you The like regard ought to be had and the same difference made as touching the defects or imperfections of the bodie at least-wise in many of them for if men be jested at for that they be long-nosed and hawked or otherwise have short snut-noses they will but laugh thereat Thus one of the minions of Cassander was nothing offended with Theophrastus when he said I woonder at your eies that they fall not a singing and make good musicke considering your nose is set and hidden within them meaning that he had a nose so flat and sunke 〈◊〉 his head And Cyrus seeing one with a long nose and hawked withall willed him to marrie a wife with a short and flat nose For then quoth he you would match well and make a good medly betweene you But in case we jest and make game at those whose nostrils stincke or who have a strong and unfavory breath they take it not well at our hands but are displeased On the other side if they be plaied upon for their bald-pates they can abide it well enough and put it up but say a man mocke them for having but one eie or being blinde they will not endure it In deed king Antigonus would jest pleasantle with himselfe for the losse of one eie as namely when there was presented unto him a supplication written
in great capitall letters Why quoth he a man may see this if hee were starke blinde and had never an eie in his head but Theocritus of Chios his prisoner he put to death for that when one to comfort him came and said That if the kings eies once had a sight of him he should be pardoned and save his life Why then quoth he God have mercie upon me for impossible it is for me to escape death which he said because king Antigonus had but one eie Leo the Bizantine when Pasiades objected unto him his bleered eies saying Mine eies before with looking upon yours Goe to quoth he you twit and reproch me for a bodily infirmity that I have and never looke your selfe upon a sonne of your owne who carrieth the vengeance of God upon his shoulders now this Pasiades had a sonne who was crumpt-shouldred and bunch-backed Likewise Archippus who in his time bare a great sway in Athens as being one of the oratours who led the people and ruled the State was very angry with Melanthius who alluding to his bunch backe and scoffing thereat used these tearmes That he did not stand manfully upright in the defence of the citie but stouped and bended forward as if he had suffered it likewise to leane reele and sincke downward And yet some there be who can carrie these broad jests patienly and with good moderation as one of the minions of king Antigonus who having craved of him a talent in free gift and seeing that he was denied it required at the kings hands that he would allow him a good strong guard to accompanie him For feare quoth he that I be forlaied by the way and risled by him who enjoined me to carrie a talent of silver at my backe See how men are diversly affected in these externall things by reason of the inequallitie of their maimes some after one sort and some after another Epaminondas sitting at a feast with his companions and colleagues in government dranke wine as sharpe as vineger and when they asked him why he did so and whether it made for his health I know not that quoth he but well I wot this that good it is to put mee in minde of my home diet And therefore in casting out of jests and pleasant taunts regard would be had of mens natures and dispositions for that some have broader backs to beare scoffes than others and endevour we must so to converse with men both in bourd and in earnest that wee offend no person but be acceptable unto all As for love a passion very divers it is and passing variable as in all other things so in jests and gibes especially for that some will take offence and be soone angry others will be merrie and laugh it out if they be touched in that point and therefore above all things the opportunitie of the time would be well observed for like as when a fire is newly kindled and but weake at the first the winde will put it quite out but when it hath gotten strength and burneth foorth it mainteineth feedeth and augmenteth the flame even so love when it is a breeding and whiles it lieth secret and sheweth not it selfe quickly taketh displeasure and offence against those that discover it but when it is once broken foorth and is made apparent and knowen to all then nourished it is and taketh delight to be blowen as it were and enflamed more with scoffes and merry jestes and that which pleaseth lovers best is this when they be jested with in the presence of those whom they love and namely in love matters otherwise not and if the case stand so that they be woonderfully enamoured upon their owne wedded wives or yoong laddes by the way of honest and vertuous love then they joy exceedingly they glory and take a pride in being scoffed at for the love of them Heereupon Arcesilaus being upon a time in his schoole when one of these professed lovers and amorous persons chaunced in communication to give him these words Me thinks this that you have said toucheth none of this companie replied thus and said No more than you are touched and mooved and withall shewed him a faire and well favoured youth in the prime of his yeeres sitting by him Furthermore good regard and consideration would be had who they be that are present and in place for otherwhiles men are disposed to take up a laughter at merry words which they heare among friends and familiars who would not take it well but be offended thereat if the same were delivered before wife father or schoole-master unlesse it were some thing that agreed very well with their humour as for example if one should mocke a companion of his before a philosopher for going bare-footed or sitting up at his booke all night long studying and writing or in the presence of his father for being thristie and spending little or in the hearing of his owne wife that he cannot skill of courting and loving other dames but is altogether devoted and serviceable unto her alone thus Tigranes in Xenophon was mocked by Cyrus in these tearmes What and if your wife should heare say that you made a page of your selfe and caried your bedding and other stuffe upon your owne necke She shall not quoth he heare it but be an eie witnesse thereof and see it in her presence Furthermore when they who give out such merrie taunts as these be partakers therein and in some sort doe include themselves withall lesse blame-woorthy they are and nothing so much to be reproved as for example when a poore man glaunceth against povertie or a new upstart and gentleman of the first head against meane parentage or an amorous person girdeth at the wantonnesse of another lover for it may seeme thereby that there was no meaning and intent to offend or offer wrong but that all was merrily spoken seeing they participate in the like defects for otherwise it might nippe very much and go too neere to the quicke Thus one of the affranchised or freed men of the emperour growen up on a sudden to be exceeding rich bare himselfe very proud and disdainfull to certeine philosophers who sat at the table and supped together with him insulting very insolently over them and in the end comming out with this foolish question How it came to passe that the broth or pottage made of beanes whether they were blacke or white looked greene alike Aridices one of the philosophers there in place asked him presently againe what the reason was that the wales or marks of stripes and lashes were all red indifferently whether the whippes were made of white or blacke leather thongs at which reply the other was so dashed and disquieted that he rose from the boord in a pelting chafe and would not tarie But Amphias of Tarsis supposed to be no better than a gardiners sonne having by way of scorn scoffed at one of the familiar friends of the lord deputie there for his meane