thee And those that praise themselues because as Tullie sayth it seemeth to proceede of pride doe thereby bring themselues into hatred and euill will. So as if any man shall set soorth his owne doings to the ende to bee commended honoured and shall thereby be reputed to bee a man of great vanitie and folly his errour as the Prouerb saith shal appeare to be great 61. Such things as wonderfull do seeme but seld or neuer tell For all men haue not heades alike To iudge thy credite well And many wordes to vse doth shew no great perfection T is better for to shew thy deedes and let thy tongue alone The Paraphrase THe chaunces that are wonderfull are those that doe seldome happen which though a man hath seene with his own eies yet will not the common people who neuer beleeue more then is subiect to their grosse senses giue credite to him that shall report them but shall bee counted a liar and vaine prater for telling of them And therefore if a man be not driuen by necessitie to tell it it is much better for him to keepe his tongue For as Isocrates sayeth I haue manie time repented for woordes that I haue spoken but for keeping silence neuer And euerie mans perfection doeth rather stande in the proofe of his workes then in his words according as Saint Luke writeth in the beginning of the Actes of the Apostles touching our Sauiour where he sayeth that our Lorde Iesus Christ beganne to do and to teach where he placeth his workes before his woordes which is the meaning of the Prouerbe And manie woordes to vse doeth shewe no great perfection t is better c. The sixth Chapter of Liberalitie and Franknesse 62. Be franke and free at all assayes with speede bestowe thy gift The goodliest grace in giuing is to be short and swift Well vnderstand the qualitie of that thou doest bestowe Which seene thou shalt be able soone the quantitie to knowe The Paraphrase AS Seneca sayeth in his booke of Benefites wee are not borne to liue onely to our selues but to benefite and profite our kinsmen our friendes our neighbours yea and euerie other person that we can Sith nature as the ciuill law saith hath linked all men in a consanguinitie and duetie eche to other And therefore we are bound being of abilitie to be liberall and bountifull to such as liue in wante and necessitie though as the Doctours say it ought to bee done by order and degrees as first to consider our parents next our children then our kindred and after them our friends and so thorowout as they be in degree And if so bee we haue some of our kindred that be of the householde of fayth and others that be not the Apostle willeth vs if our power be not sufficient to serue them both rather to relieue those that be of the fayth then the others and this great vertue Liberalitie hath as Aristotle writeth in the fourth of his Ethickes certaine circumstances As that hee that giueth ought to consider to whom he giueth and to what end he giueth and to looke that the things which hee giueth be not of the basest of his substance as Caine did who offered vnto God the verie worst and vilest of his flocke whereas Abel offring the best that hee had his Sacrifice was accepted Caines refused Likewise he is to consider to whom he giueth For to giue to such as haue no neede is to cast away that which is giuen It must also be knowne whether the partie to whom we giue be able to woorke and can by his labour sufficiently maintaine himselfe For to giue to such a one were to rob another that is not able to labour nor hath any meane to gette his liuing and yet as the lawiers say if a man be well borne and descended of a good house so as he cannot considering his parentage without great shame disparagement giue himself to anie base trade of life although he be of abilitie for bodie to trauell and labour yet is it a good turne to relieue him because he is in the same case with him that can neither labour nor hath means to get his liuing for with his honesty he cannot abase himselfe to any vile occupation and therfore is to be considered Moreouer we ought to regard the manner and intent of our liberalitie which ought not to bestowed for anie vaunt or vayneglorie as appeareth by the exāple in the Gospel where our Sauiour beeing present in the temple there cōmeth in together to offer a proude wealthy Pharisey and a poore vertuous widdowe The riche Miser offereth of his great substance great and precious presentes the poore widowe turneth out of the bottome her purse and her hart a poore sillie Farthing Our Lord demaundeth which of the twayne had offered most and gaue sētence with the poore widow because the mind of the giuer who onely gaue it in respect of the seruice of God not for anie vaunt or vaineglory as the riche man did Beside al this we ought to geue that which we geue with a willing a cheerful minde as the Apostle saieth For the Lorde doeth loue a cheerfull giuer and such a one as is not slacke nor slowe in the bestowing of his benefites For he giueth double as the cōmon prouerb is that giueth soone as Solomon saith in his prouerbs Say not vnto the pore man go come againe to morrow when it is in thy hand to helpe him presently For as Aristotle in the fourth of his Ethicks saith Liberality standeth not in the giuing of many sumptuous gifts but in the habit of him that giueth whatsoeuer it be that is giuē that is to say in the cheerfull bountiful mind of the giuer which all are here briefly comprehended by the Marques Be franke and free c. 63. By worthy liberalitie great Alexander wan His fame and high renowne when all the worlde he ouerran And likewise Titus for his frankenes great and actes of fame Amongst the worthy conquerours obteind a woorthy name The Paraphrase ALexander king of the Macedons and one of the 3. monarchies of the world was a Prince of great liberality and franknes of whom Seneca writeth in his Booke of Benefites That when as a poore minstrell came vnto him beseeched him to bestowe a pennie vpon him the king presently gaue him a whole towne and when the poore felow halfe astonied tolde that so greate a gifte was not fitte for him Alexander answered him hee did not regarde what was meete for suche a fellowe to receiue but what was seemely for so greate a Prince to geue Titus was Emperour of Rome a Prince of a noble minde and of greate liberalitie who as it is reported by Eutropius in his life and other auncient Authours had proclaimed that whosoeuer had anie sute vnto him what soeuer it were it should be graunted when some of his counsell misliking it had tolde him that it woulde
bee a meanes to discredite him when hee shoulde not be able to performe that which he promised He aunsweared them that it was not conuenient that any person shoulde departe from the face of a Prince with a discomforted and heauie hearte It is also reported of him that beyng set at Supper and calling to remembrance that he had not bestowed any thing vpon any man that day looking with a discontented countenaunce hee saide vnto those that were with him Alas my friends I haue vtterly lost this day meaning that the time is neuer well spente of Princes wherin they are not geuing to some bodie 64. But Midas with his masse of golde was had in great disdayne And he and al his treasures thought to be but fond and vayne The fowle vnprincely answeare of Antigonus the king With stayne vnto his state his name to infamie did bring The Paraphrase MIdas as Ouid in his Metamorphosis declareth was king of Phrigia who receiued with great interteinement the Gods Iupiter and Mercury as they happened to come by him who willing to make him some recompence for his good will towardes them bade him to aske of them whatsoeuer hee most desired Midas being a most miserable wretch and couetous as the Diuell desired of them that whatsoeuer he touched and whatsoeuer touched him might presently turne into golde which was by and by graunted him whereby he became in a short time to bee wonderfull riche but when the foole was in the middest of his Paradise the very drinke and meate that should sustayne him turning into gold he died as it is reported of famishment The moral of this tale I here meane not to meddle with because it hath been touched by many greate and learned Philosophers and Poets It suffiseth to knowe that it noteth and reprooueth the shamefull and most wicked vice of couetousnesse and filthie auarice Antigonus the king is greatly blamed of Seneca in his booke of Benefites of whom he writeth that when a poore man desired of him a great quantitie of golde he made answer that it was a great deale too much and not meete for him to require and when the poore soule desired him to giue him but a pennie he answered againe how that was too small a thing for a king to giue And thus not regarding how foully this dishonorable niggardlines pinchpining doth blemish the name of a Prince the couetous Antigonus made these answers to the poore miserable felow which deserue for euer to be recorded as a foyle counter shewe to the noble Emperours Alexander and Titus 65. I lyke not him that 's prodigal nor such I list to prayse And yet the man that well deserues I hurt not any wayes The troth is that I much mislike to liue in neede and want But ten times more a miser that is couetous and scant The Paraphrase THE Prodigall man as Aristotle in the fourth booke of his Ethikes sayth is he that spendeth more then is needefull where it is needelesse Who perceyuing the vertues of the liberall man that spendeth that which is meete and where it behoueth and that the couetuous miser is condemned for not spending that which hee ought taketh himselfe straightwayes for a liberall and a vertuous Gentleman and sayeth that hee vseth monie as it ought to bee vsed And this is a vice greatly to bee auoyded for the meane betwixte these two extremes of Prodigalitie and Couetuousnesse is the vertue Liberalitie Howebeit true it is as Aristotle sayeth the lesser vice of the twayne and more to bee borne withall is Prodigalitie For the prodigall man profiteth those to whom hee geueth although hee hurteth himselfe But the Churle and the miser neither profiteth himselfe nor anie man els Besides hee that is prodigall will sooner come to be vertuous and liberal thē the couetous for two reasons The one is that by reason of his greate expenses falling in to neede and want he will quickely see what hurt he receiueth by too much spending and will from that time forwarde learne to bee wiser and to keepe his money the better The seconde is that with the time of his spending hee waxeth aged and people in their olde yeeres be more sparing and thriftie then in their youth because the hope of gaming is nowe taken from them whiche in youth doeth alwayes encourage them But the couetous person cānot be brought to the vertue by neither of these reasons For the older he waxeth the more miser he waxeth and therefore if wee mislike a man that by reason of his prodigalitie commeth to be poore we ought a great deale more to detest a Misar that by couetousnes groweth to be rich For as Salust saith in his booke of Catiline Couetuousnesse hath vtterly banished both faith and honestie and cleane destroyed all artes and knowledges Whereby it hath brought in pride crueltie contempt of God and a generall Merchandise of suche thinges as shoulde freely bee geuen Couetousnesse is alwayes infinite and neuer satisfied with abundaunce nor diminished with want And therefore Though the prodigall bee to bee mislyked in necessitie and want yet ten times worse a miser that is couetous and scant 66. The great Darius easllyer was destroyde for all his might And of his valiant aduersary subdued and put to flight Then might Fabricius moued be with couetous desire Whose hart with filthy auaryce coulde not be set on fire The Paraphrase FRabricius beside a number of other his noble vertuous and worthie actes excelled in the vertue of liberalitie of whō it is reported by Valerius in his nienth booke that when he was presented by the state of Beneuento with a great masse of monie hee returned the embassadoures with their treasure home agayne as one that contented himselfe with the benefite of his Temperance and helde himselfe satisfied with that small wealth which hee had supposing it to bee a sufficient riches For hee did alwayes saie that riches consisted not in much hauing but in little coueting 67 To helpe a man in miserie our dutie vs doeth binde And not to doe it when we may is odious and vnkinde A noble minde will neuer stayne it selfe with such a blotte Nor suffer such a great offence nor such a filthie spotte The Paraphrase THE Prophet Dauid saieth in his Psalter Blessed is that man that hath compassion vppon the poore and the needie For in the time of his necessitie the Lorde shall deliuer him And Solomon in his Prouerbes sayth That who so hath pitie vppon the poore and relieueth them lendeth vppon vsurie to GOD who shall restore him with great gayne that which hee hath disbursed And therefore the Prouerb saieth To helpe a man in miserie our dutie vs doth bind Where Duetie is taken for a woorke of Mercie as Seneca accounteth it in his Booke of Dueties and farther it saith Not to succour when we may is odious and vnkind For as Solomon in his Prouerbs saith Whosoeuer stoppeth his eare at the crie of the poore shall crie
for helpe himselfe and not be hearde And therefore it is not to bee thought of a noble minde but if hee see a man in miserie or distresse hee will followe the aduise of the Prophet Esaie who saith Breake thy breade to the hungrie and carrie home to thy house the sorowfull and the poore where thou seest a man bare and naked cloth him and despise not thine own flesh Solomon saith in his Prouerbes He that hath pitie vpon the poore shal be happie And this is the meaning of this Prouerbe A noble minde wil neuer staine c. The seuenth Chapter of Truth 68 Truth honour thou alwayes loue step not from her aside But frame thy friendship after her that euer may abide The Image faire of holy life and daughter true is she As faithful sister vnto vertue chiefe is honestie TRuth is of so great a worthines and excellencie that God himselfe as it appeareth in the Gospel is called the Truth This truth hath two extremities The one called vayne boasting which is when men brag of theÌ„selues more then they are able to performe the other is named Ironia when men publishe of themselues that which is not in them Men ought to loue and honour the trueth after one of these two manners eyther where it concerneth onely them and therein men ought to beware that they neither exceede nor doe lesse then that which is reason The other is when it toucheth an other in this case to reuerence the trueth is as much to say as to performe whatsoeuer is promised and to bee true of our worde as well to our enimies as to our friends as we are bound by the Ciuill lawe for there is no greater duetie betwixt man and man then to keepe their faith and promise iustly one with the other without the which all trafficke and dealing amongst men must of necessitie cease And therefore the Prouerbe sayeth Truth honour thou and alwayes loue steppe not from her aside And farther that we ought to frame our friendshippe after truth Friendshippe according to the minde of Aristotle in his Ethickes is in one of these three sortes eyther for profite for pleasure or for honestie Friendshippe for profite as Seneca sayeth is Merchantes friendshippe which neuer endureth longer than there is hope of gayne Friendshippe for pleasure lasteth as long as delight and pleasure lasteth and as delightes doe alter with yeeres and suche thinges as seemed pleasant at some age are thought displeasant in an other Therefore this Friendshippe can neuer long continue Friendship for honestie is that which is grounded vppon truth and vertue and as vertue truth honestie are thinges euerlasting vnchangeable so the friendship that is grounded vppon them cannot but continue for euer This friendshippe floorisheth in the time of prosperitie and continueth and remayneth in the time of misfortune and aduersitie and therefore hee saieth That shee is the daughter of holinesse that honestie is the faithfull sister vnto the most soueraigne vertue Honestie as Plato reporteth as it is brought in by Tullie in the beginning of his offices is of suche an excelling beauty as if she might be seene with mens eyes the whole worlde woulde bee in loue with her Who because shee is stedfast assured sounde and euerlasting is saide to bee The faithfull sister to soueraigne vertue 69. Attilius knowing well before That he shoulde surely dye If vnto Carthage he returnd Obseruing faithfully His troth and woord deferd no time For to returne againe Where as he suffred tormentes great By death and deadly paine The Paraphrase MArcus Attilius as S. August writeth in his 1. booke of the Citie of God and also Tullie in his Booke of duties beyng prisoner among other Romanes in Carthage sent vnto Rome to persuade an exchange of prisoners when he came to the citie and hauing declared his message was demaunded to geue his opinion what hee thought best to bee done after that he had thorowly coÌ„sidered that the Roman prisoners were olde impotent men and that the Carthaginians were all young and lustie fellowes his aduise was that they shoulde in no wise make anie exchaunge and when his friends vnderstanding that his counsell was allowed laboured by all meanes they could to keepe him from goyng agayne He told them that hee had geuen his faith and his woorde to the Carthaginians that he would returne himself with the answere and therfore notwithstanding that he knew was sure that his goyng thither should be harmefull dangerous comming into the handes of his cruell dealy enimies yet coÌ„sidering that he had promised he would performe it and so in deede did whereas he suffered most cruell death with greate torture and tormentes The eight Chapter of Continence in coueting 70 Of worldly goodes possesse no more nor farther seeke to haue Then may suffice thy neede cleare thy conscience after graue All ouerplus with heede auoyde for more then meete is nought And nothing can continue long that on the earth is wrought The Paraphrase SOlomon saith in his Prouerbs that the praier which euery man ought to make vnto God is this Pouertie nor riches lord giue thou vnto me but only that with is sufficient for my maintenance least by hauing to muche I be tempted to forget God and to saie Who is the Lord and hauing on the other side to litle I bee forced by miserie and want to blaspheme the â—ame of my god And this aucthoritie of Solomon is in a maner the full CoÌ„mentarie of this Prouerbe Likewise Aristotle in the tenth of his Ethickes saith To seeke to possesse a meane moderate wealth is the perfection that a man attaineth vnto And Seneca in a booke that he made of the quietnesse and satisfyng of the minde moueth this question What quantitie of the goods of fortune a man ought to enioy to and what is the meane temperate state of riches That a man ought to seeke for and possesse so muche as may keepe him from pouertie and yet to be not farre from it And this is it that preserueth a man from falling as the piller which is the conscience being the greatest rest and quietest that a man can carry with him The Prouerb saith Nothing can continue long that on the earth is wrought The world it selfe must ende and all thing that therein is created wee see that nothing endureth long beautie decayeth fauour faileth strength abateth and life it selfe but a smal time lasteth The greatest princes that be must away and though the whole world be subiect to them yet are they them selues but subiectes to miserie to casualtie to sorowe to sicknesse and to death and muste die as an other man all our pompe our vanities and follies muste haue an ende wee haue no continuall abiding place as saint Paule saith but must al away some to heauen some to hell according as they haue heere behaued them selues And therfore is it a great madnes for any man to set
nor euill but giueth counsaile with out affection iustly and vprightly perswading alwayes to vertue and godlinesse of life and all the actions and doinges of such friends as are knit in this friendship doe ground them selues as the Prouerbe saith vpon goodnesse and honestie of life 86. And he that is thy friend I wish and warne in any case Thou keepe and vse him as a friend in euery time and place I speake not of the flatterer who vnder colour sweete Of sugred speeche and pleasant shewn with gift of gall doth greete The Paraphrase IN this Prouerb is mention made of the diuision of friendship before specified and it sheweth that the friendshippe that is vpon profit which is the dissembling and flattering friendship is not in very deede the true friendship For there is no perfect friendship but that which is grounded vpon vertue and honestie which friend aboue all others we ought to esteeme and of such a friend speaketh Aristotle where he sayeth What pleasure hath any man in his life though hee haue all the felicities in the worlde if he want a friende For to liue happyly and quietly it behoueth a man to haue one to whome he may safely open all his doings and with whom he may bee as bolde as with him selfe We reade in the Cronicle of the Philosophers that Aristotle beeing demaunded what hee accounted a friende to be made answere that it was one minde in two bodyes Of this assured and perfecte friende doeth the Prouerbe heere speake 87. If thou conceale thy thoughts and that thy minde in secret lyes Thou shalt be sure to be esteemde and taken to be wise Ofte haue I found my selfe by speache in thrall and trouble brought But neuer yet for keeping of my toung I suffred ought The Paraphrase CAto in his morrall Philosophie saith That the first and principall vertue that a man should haue is to haue a sober and a modest tongue for much is he in fauour with God that is able to holde his tongue when time and cause requireth Isocrates in his Oration sayeth that in two thinges onely speache is to bee preferred before silence the one is in speaking that which is to a publike commoditie the other in vttering that which necessitie forceth In all other thinges hee sayeth that silence is farre to bee preferred before speech but specially a man ought to keepe his owne secrets For as Seneca saith If thou art not able to keepe thyne owne secrets how canst thou require an other man to doe it And therefore the Prouerb saith Thou shalt be counted discrete and wise if thou kepest thy secrets to thy self and that a man bringeth him selfe in subiection by speech but shall neuer bee harmed by silence 88. But yet I would not haue thee heere to be so straightly tyed That from thy deere speciall friend thou shouldst thy doings hide For why it were to great offence t' abuse his friendship so And euen the redyest way it were to make thy friend thy foe The Paraphrase SEneca in his third epistle setteth downe the way and meane how to get freends and being gotten how to kepe them saying to Lucilius Way with thy selfe a long time the worthynesse of the partie whom thou doest choose for thy friend and when thou hast founde him to be meete for thy friendship commit all thy doings and all thy deuises vnto him and be as bolde of him as of thy selfe With thy friende saith Seneca imparte all thy cares and all thy thoughts and in so doeing thou shalt haue him faithfull vnto thee but if thou growest once into ielousie and hidest any thing from him thou giuest him cause to be vnfaithfull for diuers in fearing to bee deceiued haue taught others to deceiue and therefore the Marques saieth The readiest way it were to make thy friend thy foe 89. See thou thy life be alwaies such in deede and eke in showe As thou regardest not a whit though all the worlde did knowe Vnto thine honour and thy name haue alwaies speciall eye To shunne the thing thou oughtest to shunne and all offence to flye The Paraphrase SEneca in the aforesaid Epistle sayeth That he which dare not trust his friend as much as him selfe hee is greatly deceiued as one that knoweth not perfectly the force of freindship howbeit hee sayeth beside Liue thou in such sorte that thou committest nothing neither in deede nor thought that thou shouldest be ashamed to shewe thy friende meaning that a man mighte to haue no filthy nor dishoneste thoughts in his minde but such as can minister no cause of offence to any man not though it were to his very enemie The twelfth Chapter of Duetie to Parents 90. Great reuerence to the parents euermore we ought to giue And with obedience honor them as long as they doe liue The Lord him selfe hath promised assuredly that hee That doth the same with long happy life shall blessed bee The Paraphrase SEtting aside the lawes both of God and man we see that euen by very nature men are moued to honour loue feare their parentes and that we shun to offend them for the benefite of nature that by them we haue receiued as we are taught by the Ciuil law Besides our Sauiour Iesus Christe intreating of the Commaundements hath not promised long life for the fulfilling of any of them saue onely for this where he saith Honor thy father and thy mother that thou maist liue long many daies vpon the earth As it is also written in Ecclesiasticus He that honoreth his father shall receiue ioy and comforte of his owne children and shal liue a long and an happy life And againe The blessing of the father maketh stedfast the state of the children but the curse of the mother bringeth them to distruction Whervpon saith the Prouerbe The Lorde him selfe hath promised c. 91. By motherly perswasions Veturia did asswage And with her presence pacifie the Roman in his rage On th' other side the beastly lust of that same monster vile With incest and with murder did his hatefull hart defile The Paraphrase VEturia was an honourable Matrone of Rome and mother to Coriolanus a man of great wisedome and valure to whom for his great deseruings the common wealth of Rome was not a little beholding howbeit as it is no newe thing amongst men to haue their good deedes requited with vnthankfulnesse he was moste vnkindely vniustly banished by his owne Countrey men the cause why I finde not apparant for malice neuer mindeth reason neither doth euill will at any time regarde Iustice But to returne to the matter of Coriolanus beeing thus banished goeth straightwayes to the Volscians who at that time were in armes against the Romanes and as vertue in all places getteth estimation so was he receiued and interteined with great honour amongst them and for his valour within a very small time chosen to be their general Wherby it came to passe as Valerius writeth that euē him whose
profit and good turnes his Citizens could not away with nowe were they the case beeing altered driuen to dreade as their mortall enemy and besieger of their towne And beeing thus by the siege sore distressed which is alwayes more grieuous to great and populous Cities then to small townes they were constrayned to send vnto Coriolanus moste humbly requiring him to leaue his siege and to departe from the Citie and whereas their Embassadors beeing the chiefe and principall men of the Citie and of the Capitoll with colde entertainment were neither heard nor answered they continued their sute and with humble submission sent out their priestes and clergie beeing araied in their deuoutest vestures but as the other were returned so were these sent back with very harde speeches and euel entertainment whervpon the whole Citie bewayling their miserable case and crying out for the cruel aunswere that iustly deserued they had receued Venturia the mother of this Coriolanus staudeth vp and taking with her Volumnia hee sonnes wife with her and her Children she goeth directly to the Campe of the Volscians whom when Coriolanus a farre of perceiueth hauing in his company a galant company of Gentlemen he commeth foorth to meete her though not a little disquieted because his minde gaue him that their comming was onely to mooue him for the raysing of his siege and as soone as he came neere vnto them alighting from his horse hee came towardes his mother to embrace her But shee putting him a little backe from her with her hand with a heauie countenaunce saide vnto him these woordes Before thou commest neare mee and before I receiue thine embracinges let mee vnderstande whether I bee come vnto my sonne or to my enemie or whether I shall enter into thy tent as a mother or as a sorrowfull captiue Alas to what extremitie is my wretched Age come to see thee firste bannished and expulsed thy Cittie and nowe a cruell enemie and spoyler of thy Countrie that nourished thee howe couldest thou come into these partes with so deadely and reuengefull a minde howe couldest thou enter into these territories and not let fall thy furious displeasure and threatnings Howe happened it that at the sight of Rome thou saydest not vnto thy selfe Loe heare within these walles is enclosed my natiue soyle my patrimonie my mother my wife and my children Vnhappie woman that I am who am well assured that if I had neuer borne thee Rome had neuer by thee been besieged And if I had neuer beene deliuered of a sonne I had happily dyed both free and at home in mine owne countrie I speake not these woordes because I am not able to suffer anie thing that shall be more reprochfull to thee nor for the griefe of myne owne captiuitie whose miserie can not be long by reason of my age but onely for these that be heere present thy miserable wife poore distressed infants When Ventruria had thus ended her sorowfull complaint Coriolanus imbracing her with teares in his eyes said these wordes Mine owne sweete Mother my rage and fury is conquered appeased and is turned at your request from this mine vnnatural vnthankful countrie wherwith he presently discamped brake vp his siege Wherevpon Valerius in the same Chapter sayeth That the hart that was full of wrath reuenge for the iniurie that he had sustained and was now in assured hope of present victory vpon the onely sight of his mother and vpon his vertuous compassion chaunged his intent of bloody warres into a sweete and healthfull peace Long were it to write how greatly vertuous children haue alwayes beene gouerned by duetie and reuerence to their parents Touching Nero of whom mention is made in this prouerb where hee sayeth The beastly lust of that same monster vile c. Howe lothsome and horrible the lecheryes of this shamefull tyrant was and what and howe greate his disobedience was to his owne natural mother is to bee seene in the story of his life where who so liste may reade it And therefore I meane to stand no longer vpon this prouerb but to conclud affirming that reuerence ought of bounden deutie to bee giuen to the Parents for which the Lorde hath promised in the fourth of his Commaundements a long and blessed life vpon the earth I could heere bring in if I were disposed a great number of testimonies as wel from the Philosophers as from the holy Patriarches and Prophets But because the olde saying is The tedious tale offends the eare and briefest words wee gladiest heare And therefore let this that I haue saide suffise the Reader which I take to be inough for the vnderstanding of the Prouerbe 92. And heere we may not ouerslip the wicked Absolon But call to minde his froward hart and fond presumption For neuer haue we seene nor shall that he that is vnkinde Doth any grace with GOD aboue or any fauour finde The Paraphrase ABsalon was the sonne of Dauid a man of passing beautie and singular proportion who found the meanes by certaine of his seruants to murder his brother Amon for the deflouring of Thamar his sister turning her dishonestly out of his house For which murder Dauid was greatly offended howbeit vppon fatherly compassion and at the humble sute and request of Ioab who was a speciall friende to Absalon he pardoned him But Absalon whether it were because he found not the like countenaunce at his fathers hande as he was woonte to doe or that hee was set on by some wicked seruauntes and leude Councellers or whether it was the motion of his owne euill disposed minde he presently withdrue himselfe as if he wont with his fathers fauour from Hierusalem and came to Hebron and with the sounde of the Trumpet calling togither the people of Israel without any regarde of his duetie to his father he made him selfe King with presumption to depose him and to set vy him selfe to that intent he allured vnto him a great number of the tribes of Israel and entred into open armes against his father But God who could neuer away with the disobedience of the childe to his father turned all his deuises force and power to his owne confusion for at the ioyning of the battailes the fight being fierce there was slaine to the number of twentie thousand and Absalon him selfe galloping vp and downe and passing thorowe a thick wood was hanged by the heare of the head vpon the bough of an Oke his Moyle running from vnder him and beeing found so hanging was slaine by Ioab and certaine of his seruants wherby the good father obtained the victory of his disobedient sonne where it plainely appeared that God him selfe abhorring his rebellious fact fought against him as is more largely declared in the seconde Booke of the Kinges which I haue heere but briefely touched to shewe that the disobedience to the father is greatly displeasing of God. The thirtienth Chapter of Age. 93. Let not olde age thee discontent since that it is