proper sinnes we discharge vpō others And in Iesus Christ charitie is so great That he taketh the sinnes of others vpon him selfe in such maner that he confesseth to haue many sinnes for as much as he is the redéemer of many sinners Behold honorable Rabbis what it is that the Christiās doe vnderstand of his diuinitie and that which we confesse of his humanitie Vnto which faith I extéeme to lyue and protest to dye And for that I haue sayd more then I thought to haue done yea and more then ye would haue heard we wyll remitte for another disputacion both your doubtes and my aunsweres Considering that my Lordes the Prelates And the noble men that be here do staye to goe to dinner and to withdrawe them selues c. ¶ A Letter to Syr Ferdenando of Cordoua wherein is discoursed the eleuen persecutions of the Church when and by whom they were persecuted WOrshipful Syr and Christian Knight Iohn de Cabreta your Steward deliuered me a letter from your worship which was as long as betwéen Madrid Almagro where at this present you do remaine wherby if you thinke to receiue no short answere by writing so long a Letter you do much abuse your selfe for wanting oportunity leasure to studie I maie not imploye my selfe to write such long tedious Epistles especiallye when he to whom they are written is simply but a friend Yet true friends delight not only in reading lōg letters but are grieued if their friends write not euery day al which aboue sayd is not to say that I estéeme not to place you in the chiefestes rankes of my best friends And if you imagine the contrarie you are much deceiued For your friendes mine do wel know that Don Ferdenand de Cordoua and Friar Anthony de Gueuarra Bishop of Mondoneto be twoo bodies ioyned in one wyll linked in a chaine of in dissoluble amitie But omitting this discourse retorning to your letter I assure you it pleased me very much chieflie in that I perceiued your good dispositiō which is no smal matter in the middest of these perillous heates Now touching the persecutions of the myllitant Church wherof you haue written wherof the Prior of Calatrana you haue liberally discoursed I aunswere that there haue beene many persecutions of the Church done at sundry times and by seuerall Princes And for that I greatly desire to do you that seruice which lyeth in my power I haue not fayled to sende you the sayde persecutions in order as followeth The first persecution was in the raigne of the Emperour Nero the which possessed with the Deuil in whose bonds his offēces did imprisō him perceiuing the nūber of Christiās daily to increase at Rome by grace of the euangelical worde which Peter Paul preached there where they were martered for such conuersion of the people determined with his power to persecute destroye the Church whereby he murdred many Christiās as wel in Rome as els where which was the first persecution of the Church For albeit the Church since the suffering of Christ hath béen continually persecuted in hir perticuler members yet notwithstanding vntyll the comming of Nero there went forth no commaundement to persecute the Christians Touching the constancy of the Martyrs and the diuersitie of the tormentes which they endured beside the Catholique Historiographers which write therof Cornelius Tacitus a Painim writer and enemie to the Christians yet verye credible in his writing doth report the same who making recitall of the persecutions made by the ordinaunce of the Emperour Nero of whome Sueton maketh also mencion doth say of the slaughter of Christians both men and women that amongest a thousande diuersities of punishmentes and deathes they cast the Christians to be torne in péeces with dogges And to make the dogges more fierce vpon them the men were braced in skinnes of Beares and other sauadge Beastes Which persecution was performed as witnesseth Cornelius Tacitus and Suetonius after the huge fire of Rome In the eleuenth yéere of the Empyre of Nero by whose decrée the glorious Apostles Peter and Paul were martyrred It maye well bée as I also beléeue that this martyrdome continued lytle more then thrée yéeres For though it were done at that time according to the Prior of Calatrana his opinion yet God would preserue his Apostles and deferre their martyrdoms vntyll the foresayde time The second persecution was in the time of the Emperour Domitian This wicked and accursed monster vnderstanding that there should one spring out of the lyne of Dauid which should expell him out of the Empyre he caused search to be made with much diligence for all those whiche descended from the race of Dauid amongst the Iewes and caused them to be put to death onelye raunsoming as Eusebius sayth twoo persons of the same familie who further for the accomplishment of his deuillishe deuices at the motion of the fiende he determined to persecute the Catholique Churche Whereby at his commandement a great slaughter was made of Christians within Rome and without In which persecution multitudes of the Christians were at the first committed to banishment who after were tormented and then murdered by most horrible paines and cruell deaths as affirmed Eusebius Orosius and many other Christian Historiographers This was the second general persecution of the primitiue Church in which S. Iohn the Euangelist was confined or exiled into the Yle of Pathinos where he sawe the visions of the Apocalips It were hard to know how long this persecution endured but as we may gather by Eusebius it continued twoo yéeres a lytle more For he sayth that Domician dyd moderate and cease his execution and yet notwithstanding aswel by reason of the sayd persecution as for his other vices the same Domician hath béene holden to be one of the most wicked and cruell Princes that euer liued The third persecution of the Church was vnder the gouernment of the Emperour Traian who allured by the Deuill his other ministers determined by torments to punishe the Christians and therfore by publique edict ordayned that the Christians should worship the Idol of the Gentiles vpon paine of death Wherevnto the Christians not wylling to obey he made a great slaughter of them This was the third persecution of the Church Catholique whereof Eusebius and diuers other Historiographers Christians do make plentiful mencion that was in the tenth yéere of the Empyre of Traian which afterward also commaunded this persecution to be stayed as doth apeare by some writers especially in the letters of Plyny directed to Traian in the answeres thereto sent by the same Emperor which are at this presēt extant where he prescribed that the christians should be permitted to lyue in their Lawes and vnder theyr liberties If they dyd not commit any other wickednesse therewith The fourth persecution was in the time and vnder the dominion of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius surnamed the Philosopher whose lyfe we haue discribed in
was afflicted Man by the multitude of his sinnes doth deserue to be an offence and a scourge of the good Much did the Diuell offend Iob in tempting him but much more did holy Iob deserue in suffering that temptation Bycause in the persecutions of the iust God doth more behold the pacience of him that suffreth than he doth the malice of him that doth persecute Also you will that I write vnto you what it was I preached this other day vnto the Emperour which is to wit that the Princes which tyraÌ„nously gouerne their common wealthes haue more cause to feare good men than those that be euill Sir that whiche I sayde in this case was that the tyrants whiche in the common wealthes haue offices of most preheminence haue much more respect to the bountie of the good than to the conspiracies of the euill For that amongst many other thinges this priuilege is coÌ„tayned in vertue that is to vnderstand amongst the least inferiors it giueth dismay with the equall it moueth enuie and to the great mightie it yeldeth feare The Siracusan Dionisius had more feare of the diuine Plato which was in Grecia than of al the enemies he had neare him in Cicilia Kyng Saule had more respect to the deseruings of Dauid than to the armies of the Philistines The proud Aman that was so priuate with Kyng Assuerus was more grieued with the good Mardocheus that he held him in no reuerence than with all the rest of the kyngdome Herod Escalonite did hold in more reuereÌ„ce and also did more feare only Iohn Baptist than all the kingdome of Iudea Finally I do say and affirme that none may with a troth say or affirme that he hathe an enemie but when he hath some good man to his enemie Bycause the euil man doth hurt with his knife but the good doth hurt with his credit Sir alwaies haue regard not to striue or contend with a man that naturally is good and hath credite in the common wealth with all men For he shall do you more hurt with his word than you shall offend him with a blowe of a launce Sir as touching the Commendathor Iohn of Towres that would not the gouernment this yéere which the gouernours had giuen him saying that he deserued better and that the king when he shall come from Flaunders will giue him more to this I aunswere that it seemeth to me lacke of wit and also a surplusage of foolishnesse to leaue a reward certaine for a hope doubtfull Sir also you coniure me that I write vnto you what I thought of the Lorde President Sir Antony de Roias when I talked with him in your businesse to this I aunswere that hée séemeth to mée sharpe in his aunsweres and wise in his dealings I do not like well with many of this Court that depraue him for his speache and do not afterwards consider of his doings as it is true so likewise many of our fréends giue vs wordes by Kintals but workes by the ounce Also you will mée that I write vnto you what I iudge of the Embassadour of Venize for that I am conuersant with him and hée confesseth himself with me Sir I can tell you that hée is in science learned in his life reformed and in conscience much considerate And it may bée sayde by him thatwhich Plato saide by Phocion his friend he did more loue to bée than séeme to be vertuous In the other secrete and particular businesse that Alonso Espinell commoned with mée off in your behalf with the same faith that your worship sent me the message receyue yée also the aunswere From Toledo the .xxx. of Iune in the yeare of our Lord. 1525. A letter vnto Master Frier Iohn Beneuiades wherein is expounded that which is sayd in the scripture that the euill spirite sent of God came vpon Saule REuerend and welbeloued Father the letter that your fatherhod made in Salamanca I haue receiued héere in Soria the which forthwith I read and afterwardes many times did turne to reade For that I receyued very great consolatioÌ„ in remembring my self from whom it came and in noting what it contained In the letter of a very friend the spirits do reioyce the eyes delight the hart is recreated friendeship confirmed and the vnderstanding is comforted For Plutarch sayth in the book of the fortune of Alexander that the great Alexander did neuer reade the letters whiche tyrantes did send him eyther did teare the letters that Philosophers did write vnto him All the letters that Marcus Antonius did write vnto Cleopatra and all the letters that Cleopatra did write vnto Marcus Antonius were found by the Emperoure Augustus very well laide vp after the death of Marcus Antonius The letters that Cicero did write to Publius Lentulus to Atticus to Rufus to Fabarius and to Drusius which were his familiar frends were all found in their keping and not in his originall As coâ—cerning that your fatherhode wryteth and by this letter comaund me to write it may be very well answered as saint Agneda did answer the virgin Lucie which is to wete Quid a me petis Lucia Virgo nam ipsa poteris praestare continuò matri tuae In this case and in this demaund I can not tell whether of vs deserueth more paine your fatherhode for tempting my patience or I in aduenturning my selfe to publishe my ignorance For hée is not worthy lesse fault that sinneth than hée that is the cause of sinne Si nequeo ascendere in montem cum Loth ad minus saluabor in Segor I would say that if your fatherhode bée not satisfied with that whiche I shall aunswere it maye please you to bée satisfied with that I would aunswere For as Plato sayd hée that doth trauel not to erre misseth very narowly You will that I write vnto you what I iudge and how I vnderstand that text whiche is written in holy scripture 1. Regum cap. xvj where it is said speaking of King Saul and of his infirmitie Spiritus Domini malus arripiebat Saulem The fyrst King of Israell was named Saul he was chosen of the Tribe of Beniamin which was the last Tribe of all the Tribes and in the second yeare of his raigne an euill spirit sent of God did vex him whiche would not come out of him neyther leaue to torment him vntill the good King Dauid came before him to play and to sing But now the dout is how it may be vnderstoode and agrée withall that the scripture should say the euill spirit of the Lord did take Saul if the spirit were of the Lord how was he euell and if he were euill how was he of the Lord it séemeth an hard thing and not intelligible to say of the one part that that spirit which held Saul was of the Lord and of the other part to say that the spirit was euil But if the spirite were of the Lord how was he then euil and if he were euill
is delicate and of smal strength so be is more offended by a little ayre that cōmes in at a chinke thā the cold of one whole winter night did gréeue him when he was yong The old men of your age ought very much to procure to eate good bread and to drinke good wine and the bread that is well baked and the wine that is a yeare old for as old age is compassed with infirmities and laden with sadnesse the good vituals shall hold them in health and the good wine shall leade them in mirth The old men of your age ought much to consider that theyr meales be small their meate yong and well seasoned and if they eate much and of many meates they euer goe sicke for notwithstanding they haue money to buy them they haue not heate to disgest them The old men of your age ought too procure their bed curteyned their Chamber hanged a meane fire the chimney without smoke for the life of olde men consisteth in going clenly warme cōtented and without anger The old men of your age ought vtterly to auoide to dwel vppon any riuer either to do their busines in moist groundes either to sléepe in ayry places for olde men being delicate as they are be like children and naturally accraised the ayre shall penetrate their powers and moystnesse shall enter their bones The old mē of your age vpon paine of their life ought to be temperate in their diet refusing to eate late for old mē as they haue their stomacks weake and growen colde they may not disgest two meales in a day for the olde man that is vnsatiable and a glutton vsing the contrary shall belke much and sléepe little The olde men of your age to the ende that they be not sicke or grow heauie neyther turne to be grosse ought a little to refreshe them selues walke into the fielde vse some exercise or be occupied in some facultie for otherwise it might happen them to get a tisick or a lamenesse in their limmes in such wise that it will be hard to fetch breath and by puffing and blowing giue warning where you walk The old men of your age ought to haue great care to auoyde all contentious brabbling amongst their seruants and sometime to beare with their negligences to pay their wages too the ende they go contented for otherwise they will be negligent in seruice and very suttle in stealing For conclusion the old men of your age ought much to procure to weare their apparell swéete and cleanly their shirts very well washed their house neat and wel swept and their chamber very close warme and well smelling For the olde man whiche presumeth to be wise if he will liue in health and goe contented ought to haue his body without life his hart without strife In the end of your letter you write that hauing left to loue sorow leaueth not to vere you which vseth to folow the enamored and instantly you desire me to giue you some remedy or to sende you some comfort for notwithstanding you haue throwen it out of the house it leaueth not nowe and then too knocke at the gate Sir in this case I remit you to Hermogenes to Tesiphontes to Doreatius to Plutarch and to Ouid which spent much time and wrote many bookes to giue order in what manner the enamored shoulde loue and the remedies that for their loue they should vse Let Ouid write what him pleaseth Dorcas say what he thinketh good but in fine there is no better remedie for loue than is neuer to begin to loue for loue is so euill a beast that with a thread he suffereth to be taken but hée will not depart with thrusts of a launce Let euery man consider what he attempteth marke what he doth beholde what he taketh in hand note whither he dothe enter and haue regarde where he may be taken for if it were in his handes to set the tables he is not certaine to win the game There is in loue after it is begon infinite shelues immesurable sloughes daungerous rockes and vnknowen whirelpooles in whych some remaine defaced others blinded some besoilde and also some others vtterly drowned in such wise that he that is best deliuered I accoumpt to be euill deliuered Oh how many times did Hercules desire to be deliuered from his loue Mithrida Menelaus from Dortha Pyrrhus from Helena Alcibiades from Dorobella Demophon from Phillis Hāniball from Sabina and Marcus Antonius from Cleopatra from whome they could neuer not only depart but also in the end for them and with them they were cast away In case of loue let no man trust any man and much lesse him selfe for loue is so naturall to man or woman and the desire to be beloued that where loue amongst them dothe once cleaue it is a sore that neuer openeth and a bond that neuer vnknitteth Loue is a metall so delicat a canker so secret that he planteth not in the face where he may be sene nor in the pulse where he may be felte but in the sorowfull hart where although he be sensible they dare not discouer it After all this I say that the remedie that I giue for loue is that they gyue him no place to enter amongst the entrayles nor giue theyr eyes libertie to behold windowes or giue eare to bawdes either suffer any trade of Dames to come or goe if any come to house to shut the dores and not to walke abroade after euening if with these conditions loue may not altogither bée remedied at the least it may be eased and amended Sir and my gossip if you will in all these things profite youre selfe and well consider thereof you shall be excused of many angers and also saue much money For to youre age and my grauitie it is more conuenient to vnderstande of the best wines than to view the windowes of the enamored Take for example chastisement the Licentiat Burgos your acquainted and my great friend which being old and enamored as you died this saterday a death so straunge and fuddayne as was fearefull to al men and sorowfull to his friēds No more but our Lord be youre guide and giue me grace too serue him From Burgos the .24 of Febr. 1523. A letter vnto Sir Iames of Gueuara vncle to the Author wherein he doth comfort him for that he hath bin sicke MAgnificent and right honorable Vncle it pleaseth your Honor to complaine of mée in youre letter that I neither serue you as my good Lorde either do sue as vnto a father or visite as an vncle neyther write as vntoo a friende I may not denie but as concerning kinred your are my Fathers brother in merit my good Lord my father in curtesie and my Progenitor in giuing of liberall rewards which I haue receiued at your hands not as a nephew but as a sonne much beloued Since I haue confessed the affinitie that I hold and affirme the dette
or anger REnoumed Lord and pitifull Constaple I may saye by your honour that whiche God saide by the Sinagog which is to wit Curauimus Babilonian nō est curata relinquamus illam which is to say we haue cured Babilon and it woulde not bée cured let vs abandon it Sir I say thus muche for that it hath happened not a little gracious vnto me that whereas I craued in my letter that my Lady the Duchesse should not see any one part therof notwithstanding you haue not only shewed it and conferred theron with hir but also had great game thereat Wherevpon in the way of reuenge I shewed youre letter vnto the Earle of Nassaro who with Flemings Portingalles Almaines and Spaniards dyd also take some pastime therewith yet was it my very good lucke that all the euill that I saide of women in your letter my Lady the Duchesse conuerted into iest in such wise that with greate reason I may praise hir for hir wisedome and complaine me of your temeritie My Lord Constable I shall most hartely desire you not to haue such care to make proues of triacle with my letters but to reade them and to teare or else burne them for it may happen that some day you might reade them before some not very wise either yet of good condition that might deuine to my hurt that which they vnderstand not to their owne profit Leauing this a part your Lordship sayeth that for my sake you haue remitted the displeasure you did beare against the Gentleman the which I accept for so great courtesie and grace as if vnto my selfe the iniurie had bin pardoned for I am so tēder ouer him that is my dere friend that al which I sée to be done in the behalfe of his person to the amendment of his estate I set it downe in mine own account Besides the accomplishment of my desire your Lordship hath performed that which you were bound to doe for Princes and great Lordes haue no licence to doe iniuries eyther so muche as to reuenge them For as you know that whiche is in the meaner called wrath in the mightie is named pride and that which amōgst the smaller sort is chastisement in the mightie is termed vēgeance As oft as you shall make coniugation with youre noblenesse and conscience and shall call to remembrance that you be a Christian and a Knight it shall not mislike you of the offences you haue dissimuled and it shall grieue you of the iniuries you haue reuenged The pardoning of iniuries gyueth great contentation to the hart and the desire of reuengement is no small torment thereof By that whiche is said I woulde saye that sometimes for some man to reuenge some little iniurie he escapeth from thence much more iniuried There be some iniuries that onely are not to be reuenged neither as muche as to bée confessed for things of honour are so delicate that the same day that any confesseth to haue receyued an iniurie from that day he bindeth himselfe to take reuengement The Consull Mamilius demaunded at a certaine time of Iulius Caesar wherein it was that he had in this worlde most vaine glory and in the remembring thereof did take most pleasure to this the good Caesar made aunswer by the Goddes immortall I sweare vnto thée Oh Consul Mamilius that of nothing in all this life I doe thinke that I deserue so muche glory or any other thing doth giue me so greate ioy and contentation as pardoning of those that do offend me and gratifying such as do serue me Oh wordes worthy prayse and pleasant to heare notable to reade and necessary to followe for if Iulius Caesar did beléeue as a Pagane he did worke as a Christian but we all beléeue as Christians and worke lyke Paganes I speake it not without a cause that we liue as Paganes although we beléeue as Christians since in this case the malice of man is growen so great that many woulde pardon their enemies and dare not for feare of their friends for if they once perceiue them to speake of pardoning any man presently they will say they doe it more of cowardise than of conscience Be it as be may and let euery man speake as he thinketh good in this case of pardon your lordship hath done with that Gentleman like a faithfull Christian and with me like a very friend and beside fidelitie to God and frendship to a friend There is no more to be craued of any man in this world The memoriall that your Lordship sendeth me of that things that toucheth your goods and conscience I my Lord wil consider therof at leysure and wil answere vpon aduisement because in your charges or discharges in such wise I will giue you counsel as in my brest no scruple shall remaine In him that asketh counsell there ought to be diligence and no slackenes for that many times businesse lieth so in corners and so farre from hand that it shall be more sure counsell to trust to our weapon than to staye for that bookes shall say the contrary wherof is to be vsed of him the shall giue counsel vnto another which is to wit that he haue much wisedome and little diligence for counsell that is giuen if it be not vpon aduisement most times bringeth some repentance The diuine Plato writing of Orgias the Greeke sayd My frend Orgias thou writest vnto me that I should counsell thée how thou shouldest behaue thy selfe in Licaonia and on the other parte thou makest great haste to haue an aunswere which thing although thou doest rashly craue I dare not performe for that I doe much more studie to counsel my frends than to read in scholes to Philosophers the counsell that is giuen or taken ought to be giuen by a man that is wise for the good iudgement he hath a learned man for the much that he hath read an auncient man for that he hath séene a patient man for that of him selfe he hath suffered a man without passion bycause malice shall not blind him a man without interest for that couetousnesse shall not let him Finally I saye that the shamefast man and of a noble minde oughte to giue vnto his friendes money with liberalitie and counsell with greate grauitie If it bée true as it is moste certayne that he oughte to haue all these conditions that shoulde giue counsell vnto an other we dare wel say that to giue counsell is an office so cōmon that many vse it and very few can performe it There commeth a carefull man to aske counsell of his friende in giuyng whiche counsell the one way or the other there goeth lyfe honour goodes and also conscience and then his friend whose counsell he hath craued without remouing or further thinking therof voyde of all scruple or doubt sayeth what is to be doone in that case as though he had founde it written in the holy Scripture All this I say vnto youre Lordship bycause sometime you be
with all the mightie and nobles of Spaine ioyned in Medina del rio Secco to giue order for the succour of Tordisillas and to chase away the Rebelles frō the town of Braxima my desire and iudgemēt is that you shoulde rather estéeme to be a souldier with the Gentlemen thā a Captaine ouer Rebelles Also I said vnto you that the gouernours had commaunded a scaffold to be made wherevppon a King at armes beeing ascended made publique proclamation that all Knightes and Gentlemen that repaired not within fiftéene dayes with Horse and Armour vnder the Kings Standerd to serue and be resident should bée holden as traytors and disloyall and that it séemed vnto me that you shoulde rather haue accomplished that which the gouernours cōmanded than that which in Toledo they had desired Also I sayde vnto you that commonly ciuill and popular warres decay in puissance preuaile sildome and may not indure and after they bée finished and the common wealth pacified the Kings and Princes of the same doe vse for custome to pardon the commō people and behead the Captaines Also I sayd vnto you that you shoulde not blinde your selfe with foolishe lyes eyther with wordes of vncertaine purposes whyche is to witte if anye shall saye vnto you that you are the father of the countrey the refuge of prisoners the repaire of the grieued the defender of the common wealthe and the restorer of Castile for the very same persons that to daye do name you redeemer on the morrow will proclaime you traytor Also I sayd vnto you that you ought to haue before youre eyes that your father Peter Lopes and your Vncle Sir Garcia and your Brother Gutiere Lopes and all your friends and alies be all in seruice of the King in the gouernours Camp and that you alone of all your linage amongst rebelles bend against the King whereof there followeth that you alone being in fault they here in generall receiue the shame Also I said vnto you that since the King had giuen you no cause of offence either taken from you any rewarde or bountie or commaunded you any iniustice It were very vniust that you shoulde be the whip wherewith Hernando of Aualos should reuenge his iniurie For if he hath sworne to be reuenged of Xeues also you are bound to be faithfull vnto the king Also I saide vnto you that you shoulde giue to the Diuell the prophestes witchcrafts and enchantments of the Lady Mary your wife whiche is sayde that she and a certaine woman slaue do practise for that to speake and practise with the Diuell it may not be otherwise but that she-looseth hir soule and you to lose your life and honor Also I said vnto you that you should not care to attempt to enter the Couent of Vcles with intent to be master of Saint Iames either to throw Sir Iohn del rio Secco out of Toledo since it were a vanitie to thinke it and a great lightnesse to take it in hande for to be master of saint Iames you haue not done suche seruice wherefore it should be giuen you neyther sir Iohn hath done any treason why it should be takē from him So many and so good Counsells so many and so profitable aduises so many and so perswasible words so many and so importune desires so many and so great promises so many and so great assurances as I gaue promised did sweare desire and importune and assure you mighte not procéede from a suspitious friende either from a man of a double cōdition but rather as from a father to a sonne from a brother to a brother and from a friend to a friende I would to God you did throughly know my hart and the heart of Hernando of Aualos your vncle then shoulde you sée most cleare how it is I that do loue you and he that doth deceyue you I that giue you the hande and he the man that offreth you deceyts I that shew you the deapth and he that sendes you to the bottome I that set vp the marke and he that takes away the white I that lettes you bloud in the right vaine and he that lameth your armes Finally I am he that would cure and open your impostume and he is the man that giueth end to your lyfe and burieth your renoume If you had taken my counsell I had placed you in my Chronicles amongest the glorious personages of Spayne with the famous Viriato the venturous Cid the good Fernan Gonsalis the Knight Tiran and with the great Captaine and other infinite Knightes and Gentlemen woorthie of prayse and no lesse to be followed But since you woulde néeds imitate and credit Hernando of Aualos and the other rebellious commoners I shall be forced to place you in the Cathaologe of the famous tyrantes that is to saye with the Iustice Castromino and Fernan Centeno with captayn Sapico the duchesse of Villalua the Marshal Peter Pardo Alfonso Trusillo Lope Carasco and Taymayo Isquirdo All these and many other with them were tyrantes and rebelles in the dayes of king Iohn and king Henry And this is the difference betwixt you and them that euery one of them dyd tyrannise but their owne countreyes but you the whole countrey of Castile I can not comprehend your intention either can I conceyue what you may obtaine in folowing this enterprise and to contend vpon so vniust a demaunde since you knowe and all we vnderstande that if your enterprise shoulde happe to preuayle there is none that woulde accepte gratifie or take it in good part and if your purpose be made frustrate there is a Kyng that will reuenge the iniurie for the greatenesse and Maiestie of Castile knoweth not to endure disobedience to their kings either suffer themselues to be commaunded by tyrantes When this yeare ye came to talke with me in Medina del campo and I went with you to sée the bit maker and Viloria the skinner Bobadilla the sheareman Pennelas the carde maker Ontoria the lockier Mender the bookebynder and Lares the enseigne bearer that were the heads and inuentours of the commoners of Valiodolid Borgos Leon Zamora Salamanca Auila and Medina I assure you I was dismayde and ashamed for that presently I did both sée and knowe that passion was your guyde and they conducted by opinion that you all did flée reason but for that I am in lyfe a sinner in habite religious in office a preacher and in knowledge simple you haue not to make small accompt of my counsell for as Plato sayd we are not a little beholding vnto those that do aduise vs wherin wée erre and doe directe vs in what wée ought to doe for it is much better we amend by others correction than lose our selues by foolishe perseuerance Beléeue me and be out of doubt Maister Iohn of Padilla if you had spoken firste with me in Toledo as you did after talke with me in Medina you had neuer taken this enterprise in hande for as the
Emperour Traiane did vse to say men that possesse noble heartes and blushing vysages ought neuer to beginne that whiche lyeth not in their handes to performe for otherwyse they shall leaue with great shame that they beganne with great hope Sir you doe well knowe that all those that you leade in your campe against the king be théeues murtherers blasphemers and seditious Commoners all whiche as they are a base people and men of handicrafte you haue to intreate them but not to force them suffer but not to chastise to pray but not to commaunde to flatter but not to threaten for they followe you not to remedie things amisse but to rob the goods that others haue in possession That daye that the king shall enter into Castile that day that you shal lose any battell and also that daye that you haue not to paye the men of warre then shall you sée howe they will trudge from you without takyng any leaue and also make a secrete sale of you Sir haue compassion of your age so tender and of youre bloud so vndefiled of your parentage so honorable of youre house so auncient of your condition so good of your abilitie so â—ntier and of your youth so euill imployed all which things you haue vnfauourly infected and also in a maner mortifyed If you will beléeue me and giue credite vnto my wordes incommende your selfe vnto God leaue this enterprise turne vnto the king goe vnto the Gouernours and shake handes with these commoners Forasmuche as the king is pitifull and all men desire your remedie and welfare hée woulde much more accept your comming to serue with the rest than to haue raised this war against him Let not the deuil deceiue you either any vaine or fantasticall imagination hinder you to performe the same neither to conceiue that they haue to charge you with vnstablenesse in that you haue enterprised either as a traitor for that you haue taken in haÌ„d bicause in al the histories of this world they be acompted loyal that serue their king and such as rebell be called disloyall traitors Also if a GeÌ„tleman be reproued for slouthfulnesse he riseth more early and vseth more diligence if they call him babbler he kéepeth silence if they accuse him for a glutton he vseth temperance if they charge him as an adulterer he abstayneth if they burden him to be furious he suffereth if they impute him to be ambicious he abaseth if they name him a sinner he amendeth but if they call him by the name of a traytor there is no water that may wash or make it cleane either any excuse that may excuse it Neyther is the King so muche offended or the kingdome so much altered or affaires so aforehand nor the Gouernours of so hard disposition but that you maye be reduced and finde time very conuenient to serue the King. The which if you woulde performe I promise you by the faith of a Christian and do sweare vnto you by the lawe of an honest man that amending this wrong my penne shall change his stile Montauan maister of your house and I haue communed in secrete things of greate importaunce and since he did herein credit me it shal not be amisse that you beleue him there and if you will not I washe my handes of all your faulte and from hence forwarde doe take my leaue of your friendship No more but that with the faith and credit that I haue receiued your letter with the verie same it may please you to receyue this of myne From Medina del camop the eight day of Marche in the yeare of our Lorde .1521 A letter vnto a Gentleman and secrete friend to the Author wherin he doth aduise and reprehende him for his wretched couetousnesse MAgnificent and couetous GeÌ„leman the good Emperor Titus that was son to Vaspasian and brother to Domitian was of himself so vertuous of al the Romane Empire so welbeloued that at the tyme of his death they did engraue these words vpoÌ„ his sepulcher Delitiae moriuÌ„tur generis humani which is to say To daye is dead in Rome that did reioyce all mankynd Of this good Emperor Titus is read in Suetonius that being at supper on a time with many Princes of the empire other Embassadors of diuers kingdoms sodeinly gaue a great sigh sayd Diem amisimus amici as if he should say more cléere Let not this day be accompted amongst the days of my lyfe bicause this day I haue not performed any bountie neither giuen any reward Plutarke doth report of Alexander the great that when many Philosophers had disputed in his presence wherein consisteth the good happe of this lyfe hée made answere Beléeue me friends and be out of doubt that in all this worlde there is not equall delighte or lyke pleasure as to haue wherwith to be liberall and not wherefore to chastise Also it is said of Theopontus the Thebane who béeing a Captayne of men of warre a souldioure craued of him some péece of money to buye breade and hauing none to giue pulled of his shoes saying If I had better I would giue thée better but in the meane while take these shoes of myne for that I haue no money for it is more iust that I goe barefoot than thou an hungred Dionysius the tyrant entring vpon a certain day into his sonnes chamber and séeing there many iewels of siluer and gold sayde Sonne I did not giue these riches to the end thou shouldest kéepe them but bicause thou shouldst giue and imparte them For there is no man in this world of more power than the giuing and liberall man for with his giuing he conserueth his frends and maketh teÌ„der his enimies I haue made this discourse to vtter a certaine thyng vnto you which if you were in Castile as you are in Andolozia my penne should neuer haue written vnto you but my toung should haue spoken it into your eare for our assured friendes notwithstanding wée haue licence to blame them yet we may not vse our libertie to defame them Some of Andolozia hath told me here and some of your frendes haue written me from thence that your delite excéedeth to farre in hoording vp of money and no lesse enimie with the spendyng therof Of which déede and disposition I am not a little grieued also muche ashamed bicause honor auarice be so contrarie and in such contention and defiance that they neuer dwell in one person neither at any time had any affinitie All vicious men in this life haue some tast in their vices except it be the miserable and most vnfortunate couetous nigard which is tormeÌ„ted with that which others do possesse takes no tast in that whiche he hath The painfull trauell of the couetous nigarde is that always he walketh suspicious and in feare that the raging flouds carrie awaye his Milles that the hierd eate vp his meades that hunters steale his game and
to make incisions the Romanes being not vsed to behold such cruelties and to suffer so intolerable grieues in one day and in one houre they stoned him to death drew him al abouts in the streates FroÌ„ the time they stoned this miserable Antony Musa they coÌ„sented not to haue any Phisition or Chirurgian in all Italy vntill the time of the wicked Emperour Nero which at his returne from Grecia brought vnto Rome many phisitions and also many vices In the times of the Empire of Nero Galba Octo and Bitello phisicke did much florish in Italy and the phisitions did greatly triumph in Rome but after the death of these Princes the good Emperour Titus commaunded the Orators and also the phisitions to be driuen out of Rome The Emperour Titus béeing demaunded why hée did banish them since the one were aduocates for matters in lawe and the other did cure the diseased he made answer I banish the Orators as destroyers of the customes and also phisitions as eniâ—â—â—â— to health And more he said I do also banish the phisitions to take away the occasions from men that be vicious for that we sée by experience in the Cities where phisitions be resident there is alwaies abundance of vices A letter written from Grecia to Rome wishing them to beware of the Phisitions that were come thither THE great Cato of Vtica was no small enimie to all phisitions of this worlde specially that they should not enter within the Empire of Rome who from Asia did write a letter vnto his sonne Marcellus that was in Rome after this maner In thée and in me it appeareth most clearely that more is the loue that the Father beareth vnto the son than the son vnto the father since thou forgettest thy self to write vnto me neither yet to prouide for defence of thy necessities If thou wilt not write vnto me as to thy father write vnto me as vnto thy friend not withstanding it is much more which thou owest vnto my hoare haires and also vnto my good friendly works As concerning the rest my son Marcellus thou knowest that I haue ben resident a Consull here in Asia fiue yeres of which the most time I haue continued here in Athens where al Grecia do hold their notable studies of their renowmed Philosophers and if thou wilt vnderstand what I conceiue of these Greekes it is they speake much and performe little they call all men barbarous and onely themselues Philosophers and the worst of all is they be ready friends to giue counsell vnto al men enimies to accept the same iniuries they know to dissemble but neuer to pardon they be very constant in hatred and very mutable in loue and friendship Finally my son Marcellus I say vnto thée that naturally they be proud to commaund and vntamable to seruice Behold here what in Grecia the Philosophers do reade and teach and what the popular people do learne and if I do write vnto thée it is for that thou shalt not paine thy selfe to come into Grecia neither to passe thy thought to leaue Italy Since thou knowst and also dost vnderstand that the grauitie of our Mother Rome neither may suffer youthly wantonnes neither admit nouelties That day that the fathers of our sacred Senate shall permit the Artes and letters of Grecia to enter Rome from that day I hold our common wealth as lost for our Romanes do esteme and make accompt to liue well and the Greekes but only to speak well In those kingdomes and Cities where schooles and studies be wel ordred and on the other part their common wealthes euill gouerned notwithstanding we sée them florish very shortely we shall sée them famish for there is not in al this whole world any thing that iustly may be termed perpetuall but that which vpon troth and vertue is founded Although al the arts of Grecia be suspicious pernicious scandalous yet I say to thée my son Marcellus for the commonwealth of our Mother Rome the worst of them all is phisicke for that all these Greekes haue sworne to send to kill by medicine those which they might not ouercome by armes Euery day I sée here these phisick Philosophers holde amongst themselues great altercations about the curing of infirmities and the applying of certaine medicines and that whiche is most to be wondred that doing what the one commaundeth and the other counselleth we sée the patient cruelly tormented and sometimes finish his dayes in such wise that their question riseth not how they shall cure him but how with medicines they may kill him My son Marcellus thou shalt aduise the fathers of the Senat if they bring thither vj. phisicke philosophers which be departed hence out of Grecia that they suffer them not to read or teache phisicke either to cure in the common welth bycause this art of medicine is so perillous to be exercised and so delicate to be vnderstoode that there be many that do learne and very few that do know it Of seauen notable benefites that proceedeth from the good Phisition BEhold here maister Doctor the beginning of your Phisick declared and how it was found how it was compiled how it was loste how it was banished how it was receiued and also how sorowfully she went wandring from common welth to common welth Master Doctor by your letter you also craue of me that I write vnto you not onely what I haue read of Phisick but also my iudgment therof whiche I will accomplish to do you pleasure and also for that it may be seene how much profite riseth from the good Phisition and what hurtes from the euill Medicine is to be praised bycause the maker of all things did create the same for the remedie of his creatures giuing vertue to waters plantes herbs stones also in wordes to the end that with all these things men should be cured and with their health serue him God is much 〈…〉 ed with the pacience which the sicke manne vseth but much more with the pacience charitie and hospitalitie that the whole and sound man performeth It is a thing religious and also necessary to procure bodily health and to serue God for if the sicke man haue good desires his workes bée weake but he that is whole sound and vertuous hath good desires and excellent and also notable workes Medicine is to be praised when it is in the handes of a Phisition that is learned graue wise stayed and of experience for such a Phisition with his science shal vnderstand the infirmitie with his wisdome séeke his medicine and with his great experience what and when to imploy the same Medicine is to be praised when the Phisition vseth not the same but in sharpe diseases that be very perillous which is to wit for the Pluresy Squinancy inflamation sharpe Feuer or Apoplexie bycause in cases so daungerous and in perils so perillous all thinges for health is to be prouided and the Phisition in all things
Yong men when they marry in their youth haue no further consideration but of their pleasure and onely content them selues to haue their wiues beautifull but the father and mother for that it toucheth both honor and goods they séeke him a wyfe that shall be wise ritch gentle honest and chast and the last thing they behold is hir beautie The marriages that be made hidden and in secret I say it groweth of greate lightnes and procéedeth of no small crueltie for it giueth to al the neighbours whereof to talke and to their old parents wherfore to wéepe It hapneth many times that the mother ouerwatcheth hir selfe to spinne and the Father to grow old in gathering a sufficiēt portion And at the time they shall entreat or talke of an honest marriage the foolish yong man remayneth secretly married whereof after followeth that the mother remayneth wéeping the father ashamed the kindred offended and the friende scandalized and yet thereof procéedeth a greater griefe which is that the sonne hath chanced to matche with suche a wife that the father holdeth his goods not onely euill employed but is much ashamed to admit hir into his house Also another offence riseth in the like marriage which is many times the fathers doe determine with the sonnes portion to remedie and amend the daughters marriage and as the yong mans most principall intent is to enioye the mayde withoute care of goodes the sister remayneth cast awaye the sonne deceyued and the father derided Plutarche in hys politikes sayeth that the sonne whyche married withoute consente of hys Parentes amongst the Greekes was publikely whipt amongst the Lacedemonians they did not whippe but disinherite Laertius sayeth that vnto suche so married it was a custome amongst the Thebanes not that they should only be disinherited of all goodes but also openly be cursed of their parents Let no man estéeme it light to be cursed or blessed of their elders for in the old time amongst the Hebrewes the children withoute al comparison held more account of their fathers blessing thā of their Grandfathers inheritance That the woman be very shamefast and no babler or full of talke ALso it is a counsell very necessary that the man whyche shall marrie and set vp house do choose a wife shamefast for if forceably there should be in a woman but one vertue the same ought to be only shamefastnesse I confesse that it is more perillous for the conscience but I say lesse hurtfull to honesty that a woman be secretely vnhonest than openly vnshamefast Very many infirmities be couered in a woman only by shamefastnesse and many more suspected in hir that is of ouerbold and of shamelesse countenance Let euery man say what he will but for my part I doe firmely beléeue that in a woman of a bashfull countenance there be fewe things to bée reprehended and in hir that is otherwise there wanteth all things wherefore to be praysed The safety that nature hathe giuen vnto a woman to kéepe hir reputation chastitie honoure and goodes is only shamefastnesse and that day that thereof she hathe not great regard let hir yéeld hir selfe euermore for a castaway When any man shall enquire marriage of any woman the first thing he hath to demaund is not if she be rich but if she be shamefast for goodes is euery daye gotten but shamefastnesse in a woman once lost is neuer recouered The best portion the greatest inheritance and the most precious iewell that a woman can bring with hir is shamefastnesse For if the Father shall sée that his daughter hath lost the fame it shall be lesse euill for him to bury hir than to marry hir The maner is that many women presume to be talkers and to séeme gratious in taunting whiche office I woulde not sée them learne and much lesse put in vre for speaking the troth and also with libertie that which in men we call gratious in women we terme it witlesse babling Newes tales vaine fables and dishonest talkes an honest woman ought not onely shame to speake them but also loth to heare them The graue women of authoritie ought not to care to be skilfull of talke and newes but to be honest and silent for if she much presume of talke and taunting the very same that did laugh at hir deuice will afterwards murmur at hir manners The honour of women is so delicate that many things whiche men may both doe and speake is not lawful vnto women that they once dare to whisper them The gētlewoman or women that will be holden graue ought not onely to kéepe silence in things vnlawfull and vnhonest but also in lawfull things if they bée not very necessary for women seldome erre by silence and by much speach they seldome cease to giue cause of reproche Oh sorrowfull husband whose lot hath chaunced to light on a wife that is a great babler yet would séeme a curious speaker For truly if any such once take in hand to recite a matter or to frame any complaint or quarell she neither admitteth reason or patiently suffereth any woord to be said vnto hir The euill life that women passe with their husbands is not so much for that which they commit with their persons as it is for that which they speake with their tongues if the woman would kéepe silence when the husband beginneth to chide he should neuer haue bad dinner neither she worse supper which surely is not so for at the instant that the husbande beginneth to vtter his griefe she beginneth to scolde and yell whereof doth follow that they come to handy grypes and also call for neyghbours That the wife be a home keeper and auoyding all occasions JT is also a commendable counsel that the wife presume to be honest and an housekéeper for when women in their houses will be absolute they come afterwards to wander the streates dissolute The honest woman ought to be very well aduised in that which she speaketh and very suspicious and doutfull in all thinges she doth bycause suche maner of women as haue no regard to their wordes do afterwards offend in déedes For how simple and ignorant is that man but he easely knoweth the honour of women to be much more tender and delicate than of men and that this is true it appereth most cleare for that a man may not be dishonored but with reason but for a woman to shame hir selfe occasion is sufficient She that is good and presumeth in goodnes to continue may hold it for most certaine that she shal be so much better as she shall haue of hir selfe lesse confidence I say lesse confidence to the ende that she neither aduenture to giue eare to wanton or light words or presume to admit fayned offers Let hir be as she may be and deserue what she may deserue and presume what she thinketh good that if she delighteth to heare and suffer to be serued early or late she shall fall And if they shall
the rest The conditions of a good king Princes ought so to recreate themselues that thereof ryse none offence Princes ought to limite their recreations In the auncient times yron was vsed in coyne It is to be noted that all lawes are reduced from three lawes Seuen maner of auncient lawes Lawes onely for Romane Senators The lawes for warre they vsed in Rome The first that made lawes for warres The procurer of the people was most priuiledged in Rome We receiue liberalitie from the Prince when he commaundeth to serue Note the great vertues of the Philosopher Licurgus Of him that brought vp one dog fat in idlenesse and in the house the other in the field To be good it doth much profite to be well brought vp A notable proclamation daily made A right worthy search Bathes and oyntmēts forbidden The authoritie of old men The disobedient sonne both chastised and disinherited A friend by fraternitie New inuentiō and the inuentors banished An honour vsed to the dead that valiantly died in the warres Gentlemen may commen but not cōtend For what causes a Gentleman may be inflamed with choler Helia is nowe Ierusalē and Byzantio is Constantinople Numantia was named of Numa Pompilius The Numantins in the warres did rather die than flee Rome was enuious of the fortune of Numantia Nine Consulles were slaine at the siege of Numantia The good Captaine ought rather loose his life than make an infamous truce In the warres vice doth more hurt thā the enimies The Numātines did eate the fleshe of the Romains To fight with a desparate man is no small perill The noble minded had rather die free than lyue a slaue The Numantines did kill their wiues and children No Numantine taken prisoner The continuance of the prosperitie of Numantia In the warres it importeth dot to write with an euill pen. More is spent to maynteyne opinion than to defende reason No excuse may excuse the losse of a battayle A iust warre is loste by an vniust captaine An euill lyfe doth come to make repayment in one day The more noble victorie is that which is obtayned by counsel thā by the sword Iron was made to eare fields and not to kill men We ought rather to make tryall by perswasion than by sworde The bloudie Captain doth finishe his days with an euill ende Iulius Cesar pardoned more enimies than he kilde It is more loued that is obteyned by request than by the sworde In tyme of warre it besemeth not a knighte to write from his house Note the right conditions of a right gētleman Is a gentleman a fault is tolerable if it be not vile The good knight hath in possessiō more armour than bookes Iudas Machabeus had rather lose his his lyfe than his fame To cōmaund many wil cost muche Note the wordes of a valiant captain To demaunde how many not where the enimies be is a signe of fear Words wordthy to be engraued on his tombe Of more value is the noble mynded expert captain than a greate armie Who was the valiāt Viriato captain of Spayne Viriato was inuincible in the warres Fewe vices are sufficiente to darken many victories Note what is due betwixte friendes Ingratitude seldom or neuer pardoned The grace that is giuen in preaching is seldome giuen in writing The hearte is more moued hearing the word of God than by reading The old lawe gaue punishment to the euill but no glorie to the good Vntill Christ none proclaymed rest For what cause Christe saide my yoke is sweete and my burden is light The propertie of a faithfull louer Perfect loue endureth all trauell Christ did not commaund vs to doe that whiche he did not first experimēt himself The worlde doth more chastise than pardon but in the house of God more pardoned than chastised In all the lawes of the world vices be permitted Christes lawes excepted The Lawe of christ is sharp vnto the wicked but easie and light to the vertuouse Daughters are to be married before they grow old The Ipineās did write the date of their letters with the superscriptiō With what paper they were wont to write Note the inck of old time Famouse eloquence of the Auctor in a base matter Notable exāples of cōtinēcie in Princes Catiline a tyrant of Rome It ought not to be written that cannot be written The inuētion of the A.B.C. The rentes of great Lords ought to be agreeable to their titles Gamsters at dice play them selues to nothing Postes in old time made great speede Euill newes neuer cōmeth to late The auctor reporteth of his linage of Gueuara To descend of a noble bloud prouoketh to be vertuous The auncient and noble Linages in Rome were much esteemed In Rome they bare no office that descended of traitours The properties of a man born of a good linage A note of the Giants of the old time The differēce betwixt the great and litle men Of a little Frier of the Abbay of Guysando Little thinges giue more offence than profite A sise is obserued in nothing but in sermōs More grauitie is required in writing thā in talking Note the breuitie of ancient writing Twoo Romane Captaines would two manner of warres The warres against Numantia was vmust The nature of warres that is to be holden iust Warres betwixt christiās dependeth of the secretes God. Eight condicions meete to be performed by a captaine generall of the warres The good knight ought to imitate his good predecessors He is not to be intituled a knight that is rich but vertuous In the talke of warres not that I haue heard but that I haue scene is most commendable for a gentleman The armes of a knight are giuen him to fight and not to behold Age and abilitie be mothers of good counsell The generous and noble mind dothe more feare to flie than to abide In soden perils it needeth not to vse lōg and delayed counsels A fort ought to be the sepulchre of the defendant If many be married they are not fewe that be repentant No married man may liue without trauell That man is miserable that is maried vnto a foolish woman Worship is not blemished by answering of a letter A Prince did write vnto a bitmaker A noble Romane did write vnto a plough man. No man is so euill in whom there is not somwhat to be praysed Negligence presumptiō be two things that loseth friends Euill nurture is hurtfull in all estates Where is money there is dispatch God doth many times bring things to passe rather by the weake thā by the strong Amongst .xij. sonnes the yongest was most excellent To lacke friends is perillous And some friends be tedious We ought rather to bewaile the life of the wicked than the death of the iust A man is to be knowne but not to be vnderstood The battell of Rauenna for euermore shall be renoumed Lesse in the warres than many other thing we haue to beleue fortune With great eloquence the aucthor declareth the nature of
band in Spayne in time past A right notable rule A necessary rule for these our dayes A rule for modestie of apparell A rule for erection of curtesie and good maner Rules for the obseruyng of peace Rules for the obseruing of peace Rules for the exercise of armes They should assaile each other The nobleminde of the maker of this rule is to be noted Things to be noted A gracious confession of Cicero A notable example to be imbraced Hastie counsell breedeth repentance Worthy to be admitted a counsellour Short newes from the court The conditions of Italy A plaine aduertisement Notable conditions in a Iudge May descend but not fall Excellent graces in a iudge A friēdly perswasion Skilful eloquence Why the kings of Castile be called Catholiques The ouer-names of renoumed kings The yere the day the month and hour that Spaine was lost Spaine lost in eight months and hardly recouered in eight hundred yeares To the end cold in winter neither heate in somer shold hinder residents The first inuētiō of the title Catholike Contrary salutations in respect of his birth and maners A sufficiente cause to forget olde acquaintance Assured notes of old acquaintance The issue of vnhonest loue The conditions of men apt for loue A louer in possession of threescore and three yeares A chief cause of courtizans loue The authors of remedies for loue and the frute they reaped therof The beginners of quarels do sometyme catche a wipe Contrarye congratulations in respect of his functiō and maners The lykelyhode of a notable combat A lewde office for an old bishop Prelates for the bodie Doubtfull to be answered A Bishoppe vtterly voyde of a scrupulous conscience A bishop fighting for a bishoprike An Abbot fighting for a bishoprike The prelate lost his Catelina A tinage is an earthen can vsed in Spain of no litle syse to holde their wine Repugnancie in respect of estate and maners The conditiō of tyrants The office of a Bishop A Bishop practiseth his houshold not to pray but to skirmish Armour vsed to wrong purpose A wrong meane to obtayne fame A sclaunderous fraternitie Difficult to content Vaine promises A quent of Maruedis which be 6. for a penny amount 2500 Dukats Repugnancie of speech in respect of noble bloud and want of iudgement A friuolous deuise Notable qualities euill imployed In rebellon vse to pardon the poore and to behead the Captaines Perswasions of a perfect friend An eloquence rarely vsed Rebelles of Spayne Euill guydes not to be followed An eloquent persuasion The wordes of a very frende Repugnancie in speeche in respect of birth and maners A famous speache of an heathen prince A magnificēt answere of a pagan king An exceeding humanitie of a generall to a poore souldior An excellente counsell to make enimies tender and to conserue frendes The couetous man defendeth his goodes from himselfe The liberall and noble minded is Lorde of his neighbour The vile conditions of the couetous Slaues to their owne goodes Wāting that which he possesseth Two kayes to his cofer but two C. in his hart The whole life of the niggard is spent in penance The fruites of couetousnesse Notable conditions of the captain Narsetes I cruell commandement A sharpe answere His penne is constrained to make combat Loyaltie and treason fight not with wordes but with swordes Famouse women Vngodly sciences A religiu◠theft An eloquent perswasion The auhors of Rebellion Hard shiftes An vntoward change A miserable state A wrong deuise to maintaine a common wealth Mischiefe for a medicine Large offers Pithyly perswaded A sharp reprehension A friendly aduise Cruell prayers The authors of Phisicke A tale tolde in iest beleued in earnest Great trauailes that physik hath past Phisick hath wandred many countreys Phisicke vtterly decayed the space four hūdred yeres Rules to be noted The place whereas Ipochras was borne and other famous men The diligence of Ipochras Phisitions banished out of all Greece Another hundred yeares phisick banished out of Greece An exceeding reward The first phisition that cured for mony Phisick banisht another C. yeares In foure hūdreth yeares Rome reserued no Phisitions Nero brought from Greece vices and phisitiōs Phisitions banished by Titus the Emperour Cato an enemy of Phisitions Nota The causes of praise of phisicke The rule and Lordship of the Phisition A law amōgst the Gothes A sentence of Ipochras The Emperour Adrians opinion of Phisitions A notable reward in the place of punishment Valiant phisitions The authors opinion of Phisicke Anciēt lawes for the maried The conditions of the hapily maried A note for the maried A graue sentence of Plato The trauels of the maried man. Equalitie betwixt the maried very necessary Housholde enimies A caueat for Parents A knitting of harts before striking of handes Loue cometh rūning and retorneth flying In old tyme the fathers blessing preferred before hope of inheritance Want of shamefastnes in womē most hurtfull The safetie of womens reputation The cause of domesticall Combatts Suspition no small enimy to womens liues The honoure of the husbād dependeth on the wife A notorious example of a Greeke A furio◅ woman is compared to the hill Ethna An euill kind a measuring Malice finds many faultes Commodities following a pacient wife The dwelling rather of foles than friends A time for the husbande to seeke hys wittes Forget not to make choyce to harboure such guests Causes rather of pitie than of enuy To be noted Good counsel Aduertisements worth the folowing To be cōsidered An euill maner of cōferēce The wiues complaynt Froward out of measure A counsell to be imbraced The office of the husband and of the wife Rather trotting than spinning Causes of spitefull patience No small offence to God. The wife and sword must not be lent A foolish fashion to take vp dust Necessary exercises for the maried wife Idlenesse and chastitie are greatenimies The workes of an huswife A friendly warning to al mothers A Mareuedy is the sixt part of a peny The originall of the Turks The first Saracyns This Mahomet was borne in Arabia issued of the line of Ismaell and of a base place he being an Orphant was sold to a great Marchant his master dyed he married his wydow he was instructed in false doctrine by a Moonke named Sergius a fugitiue from Constantinople he afterwards chalenged and the people attributed certaine deuine veneration vnto him whych the vnlearned Barbarians were prompt to beleeue so as whē by force of the falling sicknesse he fel he feyned to the people that he could not endure the brightnesse of the Angell Gabriell whome he affirmed to celebrate with him the secrets of the highest with many suche abhominable errours and such like abuses he abused the people Othoman Orchanees Amurathes Solyman and Baiazeth Mahomet sonne to Amurathes Mahomet first of the race of Othomās that tooke on him the name of Greate Turke and Emperor To this Baiazeth succeded Selim which poysoned his father bicause he liued ouerlong and to Selim succeded Soliman