Cassandra And that he might the better accomplish his malicious intēt he desired to mary hir Herein albeit she suspected his wicked purpose yet fearing his cruel nature to take vengeāce on hir she denied him not but sent one Dion to reasō with him in hir cause To whō he sware made many solemne protestations vowes that he sincerely sought the mariage of Arsinoe his sister Herevpon she hoping that his meaning had bene as simple as his speaking consented to marry him Vnto the solemnization whereof he assembled his nobilitie charging them to call and take hir for Quéene Which fayre wordes making hir fayne she nowe of hir own accord desired him to go sée hir citie Cassandra and agaynst his comming she caused the citie to be adorned garnished and further she commanded that hir two sonnes Lycimachus and Philip with their crounes on their heads shuld come and meete him by the way which thing they accordingly did and Ptolome with fayned countenance imbraced and kissed them But assoone as he came vnto the citie he commaunded the Towre to be taken and the two children to be slayne Wherefore the poore babes were compelled to flée vnto their mother for reskewe who imbracing them in hyr armes assayed wyth hyr owne bodie to kéepe them from wounding but all in vayne For in fine they were slayne and she most cruelly and dispitefully expelled the citie whence she went to Samothracia greatly lamēting that she was not slayne with hir children But Ptolome for his wyckednesse escaped not vnpunished For shortely after léesing his kingdome to the Frenchemen and him selfe taken captiue with the sworde as he deserued finished his life Whose head was fastned on a speare carried about for a terrour to their enimies Caius Cannius a Romane knight lying at Syracuse to refresh him selfe was very desirous to buy a garden there Whiche thing Pithius vnderstanding came vnto him told him that he had a garden which Cannius might vse as his owne but he would not sell it The next day he had Cannius to diner had prouided that at that time all the fishermen should fish before his garden At the time appoynted Cannius came where he saw great store of botes much fish takē and cast vp euen at Pithius féete Whereat Cannius wōdring what meneth it frend Pythius quoth he is here suche store of fish Yea quoth Pythius it is no maruel for al the fish in Syracuse is in this place Herewith Cannius was greatly in loue with it earnestly desired Pythius to sel it Which thing Pythins made straunge to do at the first but in the end yéelded to his request And so Cannius being a very welthy man desirous to haue it gaue him as much money for it as he woulde aske A day or two after Cannius inuited certain of his friends thither to supper he him selfe came thither betimes but could sée neuer a bote there Wherefore he demaunded of the nexte neighbour whether the fishermē kept holyday that day bicause none of them came thither No quoth the neighbour but they vse not to fish here Wherefore I marueled yesterday to sée so many of thē here and thus was Cannius deceiued Of death and buriall DIogines the Cinicke béeing persuaded that after a mās death he shuld haue no sense nor féeling was asked of hys frends what should be done with him after he was dead why take me quoth he cast me in the fields To whō his frends replying that beast birds would then deuour him he bad them lay his staffe by him But what shal that staffe do quoth they when you can not handle it And what tell you me quoth he that beasts will eate me if I féele them not Wherfore Seneca sayth very well that buriall was not inuēted for the deades sake but for vs that liue that we mighte not be offended with the noysome sauor and sight of the dead corpse When Alexander had taken certayne Philosophers of India called Gymnosophistae which prouoked Saba to rebelliō he proposed them hard questions which onlesse they could absolue they were put to death one of them which was eldest was made iudge in the mater The first of them was demaunded whether there were more liuing or dead he answered there were more alyue bycause the dead haue no more béeing The seconde béeing inquired whether the lande or sea ingendred greater creatures answerred the lande bicause the sea is but a portion of it The thirde béeing asked what beast was moste subtill the beast quoth he that man can not discerne The fourth was demaunded what induced him to persuade the Sabians to rebelliō who answered bicause I thought it better to dye manfully than to lyue miserably The fifthe inquired which was first made the day or else the night who sayd that the day was a day before the night The sixte béeing demaunded howe one raygning mighte get the good-will of the people aunswered if he be not terrible Of the other thrée one was asked howe a mortall man might be accounted in the number of the Gods if he do greater thinges quoth he than mans power can attayne to The other was demaunded whether he thoughte life or death to be the stronger answered that life was strongest bicause in it man suffereth so many calamities The last was inquired how long a mā should liue vntill sayd he that he thincketh life to be better than death The Galathians do so cōtemne death that they fighte naked and are persuaded as Pythagoras thincketh that they shall put on new bodies And therefore many put letters into the fire wherein theyr fréends bodies are burned thinking that their fréendes shall read them after their death Aulus Posthumius in an oratiō which he made vnto his souldiers sayd It is giuen to all men bothe good and bad to die but to die godly and gloriously is only giuen to good men Hector in Homer speaking vnto Andromache his wife said be not gréeued for my death for both the valiante and the miser muste needes take that way When Socrates was condempned of the Athoniens for bringing in of newe Gods with a stedfast countenaunce he tooke the poyson out of the hangmannes handes and putte it too his mouthe And when Xantippe his wife complained that should die giltlesse Why quoth he and haddest thou rather to sée me die giltie than giltlesse The Thratians wéepe at the birthe of man and are merrie at his deathe The Licians at the death of their fréedes put on womans attire that being moued with the deformitie therof they might the sooner cease mourning The Egiptians doe poulder the deade carcase and kéepe it at home with them The people in Carmania called Chelonophart doe throwe them to fishes to be eaten The people in the East called Nabatholi doe bury their kings in dunghils The Persians doe lappe them in waxe and salte them The Magians vse not to bury the corpse before it be rent with
quoth she wyth a goodly Boye And is it like me quoth he as like as maye be quoth she For as soone as he was borne he called for a sword and a buckler Phryne desired a Caruer that was in loue wyth hir to gyue hir one of the best Images he had the whiche thing the louer promised to do but the craftie Harlot thinking that he woulde not lette hir knowe whiche was the beste suborned her man to set his shop on fire wherfore when moste parte of his Images were brent and yet some of the beste escaped the caruer cryed out Alas if Cupide and my Satyres had bene brent I had bene vtterly vndone And so by this diuel she pollicie she vnderstanding that the Image of Cupide was more worth than the reste required to haue it for hir rewarde Ex Eras li. 6. Apoth Theodora a passing strumpet talking with Socrates of hir great haunt made hir beste that she could call away more of his schollers than he coulde of hirs No maruell quoth Socrates for thy wayes séeme pleasaunt and easie but the way to vertue séemeth full of brambles and briers Recitatur apud Xenophon Telia li. 13. de varia histo Gnathena a queane séeing two yong men fighting for hir comforted him that had the worse in this wise Be merie good felowe for this game was not for glorie but for spending of money Meaning that in other games he that had the beste had some rewarde for his paynes But héere he that had the best must pay some money or else should go without hir And so it was better for him to go without the cōquest than haue it Ex Er. l. 6. Ap. Of Humanitie and Gentlenesse DEmonax sayde that we ought not he offended with men when they offende vs but to correct and amend their faults imitatin herein good phisitians which are not offended with mē bicause they are infirmed but indeuour to cure their disease And as it is proper to man to offende so is it the maner of God and of suche men as desire to be like vnto God to forgiue their offences Ex Eras li. 8. Apoth Certen tospottes chaunced to fall in company with Pisistratus wise who hauing dronken more than they had bled began to shewe their lasciuious maners abundantly towards hir But on the morow whē they came to them selues and remēbred what they had don they went to Pisistratus and besoughte him wyth teares to forgiue their follie To whome Pisistratus sayde take héede hereafter that you behaue your selues more soberly But as for my wyfe I can beare hir record that she was not out of my gates yesterday of all the day Shewing great humanitie in forgiuing the sily soules and no lesse wisedome in defending his wiues honestie Ex Plut in Grae Apoth When one told Agisipolis that Philip king of Macedonie had in a shorte tyme destroyed the citie Olirthius he answered but it would be a good while ere he woulde builde suche an other Meaning that it were far better with gentlenesse to preserue suche a citie than with suche austeritie to destroy it Ex Plut. in La. Theodocius the younger was of suche and so wonderfull humanitie that when his friends demaunded him why he dyd not behead suche as had conspired hys death he aunswered I had rather restore suche as are dead to lyfe than to put to death suche as are alyue Aboundauntly herein declaring the ductie of a good Prince who oughte to be gentle and ready to forgiue suche as offende priuately agaynst him selfe but yet to be austere and sharpe to punishe such as offende generally agaynst the common wealth When Ouileus Camillus a Romans Senatour meaned to rebell and purchase vnto him selfe the Romane Empire Alexander Seuerus hearing therof sent for him and thanked him that he was so willing to take so great a charge in hande And in the Senate house called him sellowe Emperoure curteously intertayned him into his palace caused him to be apparelled with his imperiall robes and when he went in progresse tooke him as his companion to ryde with him And when he him selfe wente on foote he woulde cause him to ryde on horsebacke And finally when by the lawe he was condemned to dye he gaue him his life and forgaue him his fault Traianus the Emperour which succeded Nerua did so surmount his predecessours in humanitie and gentlenesse that when his friends blamed him and saids he was too gentle vnto his subiectes he answered that he behaued him selfe towardes them as he woulde wishe that they should do towards him Sigismunde the Emperour sayde that those Princes of all others were moste happie and fortunate which expel from out of their courte the malicious and proude and retayne suche as be mercyfull and gentle Aeneas Siluius de dictis Sigismun Impe. Alexander hauing taken Porus king of Indio captiue offered to giue him his request in any thing that he shoulde reasonably demaunde Wherefore king Porus desired him that he might be vsed lyke a king At which words Alexander smiled and sayde I meaned so to doo albeit thou haddest not desired it though not for thy sake yet for my owne honor and honestie Ex Bruso li 3. cap. 13. When one had solde gems of glasse vnto Galenes Aurelius Ceasars wyfe making hir be léeue that they were right gemmes she afterwardes perceyuing that she was so deluded desired hir husbande to haue him punished for his disceite Whervppon the Emperour commanded that be should be taken made him beléeue that he should be deuoured of a lyon Then béeing put into a caue and all men looking when a ramping lion should come to deuoure him on a sodayne he caste in a sily capon And when all men maruelled at so ridiculous a thing he caused the crier to cry he offended in deceit and with deceite lo he is punished Ex Trebellio pollio This Aurelianus the Emperour comming to besiege Tira and finding the gates shut agaynst him said in his chafe that he would not leaue a dog aliue in al that citie Which voyce of his greately encouraged his souldiers hoping therby to get some great pray and when they had nowe subdued the citie they desired the Emperor according to promise to suffer them to ransacke the same Go to quoth he I remember in déede that I sayde that I woulde leaue neuer a dogge in all the citie Wherfore go your ways and kil them al. And so he accomplished his promise and yet gētly intreted his einmies Ex Flauio Vopisc At the siege of Caieta when the inhabitants had for want of vittaile expelled out of their citie all the yong frie olde people and all other that were not mete for warre Alphonsus king of Arragon who came to subdue them gently receyued them into his campe Whereof of when certayne of his souldiers blamed him and sayde that if he had not receyued them the Caietanes woulde haue yéelded vnto
him ere long he answered that he dyd more estéeme their lyues than the conquest of a hundred suche cities A notable acte and worthy perpetuall memorie And afterwardes the citie which with fortie thousand men of armes he coulde not subdue by that kindenesse without any effusion of bloud yéelded vnto him Ex Panor li. 1. de rebus geftis Alphonsi Iohannes Scotus a right godly deuine and learned Philosopher comming to Fraunce out of his owne countrey of Scotland by reason of the gret tumults of war was worthily intertained had in great estimation of Carolus Caluus the Frenche king whom he commonly and familiarly vsed to haue about him both at bed at borde Vpon a time the king sitting at meate and séeing belike in this Iohn Scotus somewhat which séemed not very courtly cast forth a mery word asking him what differeÌ„ce there was betwene a Scot and a Sot Whervnto the Scot sitting ouer against the king somewhat lower replyed agayne sodenly rather than aduisedly yet merily saying Mensa tantum that is the table onely importing himselfe to be the Scot and so by crafte calling the king a Sot. Which thing the king tooke in good parte and laughed it out Xerxes séeing Grecian spyes come to viewe his armie dyd them no harme but ledde them about shewing them all his armie and let them go vnhurt Laurentius Palatine of Hungarie said that Sigismunde the Emperoure dyd foolishly who not onely forgaue his enimies their liues but also intreated them as his friends and bestowed much liberalitie vpon them to whom Sigismunde answered thou thinkest it profitable to kill thy enimies bicause they shal make warre agaynst thée no more But I kill my enimie with sparing him and with my liberalitie I make him my friende Ex Aenea Siluio l. 3. commentarij de rebus geâ—â—is Alphon. Of Innocencie or a good conscience WHen Anaxandridas sawe one heauie bicause he should be banished the citie he said be not afraid good felow to leaue the citie but be afraid to forsake iustice equitie Meaning that they wer not miserable which were vnworthily punished but them to be most miserable which of their owne accorde forsake iustice and depart from honestie albeit no punishment ensue therfore Pirrhus leading an armie agaynst the Lacedemonians heard Cyrcilidas a Lacedemonian Senatour manace the armie But Pirrhus saide vnto them Be of good comforte sirs for if Cyrcilidas be a God we haue done nothing wherewith he may be displeased But if he be but a man he shall well perceiue that we are men to whome he thus threatneth and not women Whose meaning was that the innoceÌ„t are always in hope of Gods fauour and assistaunce Who although he be sometimes displeased yet will he always he iust and righteous in visiting the vniust and letting the innocent and guiltlesse escape When Vespasian had a long time ben sicke of an ague and was remoued in his bedde from the place where he lay vnto some other chamber he looked vp into heauen and complayned that his life should without cause be taken from him And sayde that he was sory for no déede that euer he did but for one what that was he tolde not him selfe neither can any contecture what it should be Ex Suetonio WheÌ„ one blamed Anthonius Pius the Emperor saying that he was ouer gentle vnto his enimies suche as had conspired his death asking him what should become of him if they had preuayled agaynst him he answered I doo not so serue God neither is my life suche that I should be giuen into my enimies handes Ex Brus li. 5. cap. 26. Alphonsus King of Arragon béeing demaunded why he went somtimes without his gard answered that he went accompanied with innoceÌ„cie Wherby the wise prince meaned that he was well garded from sustayning any iniurie that had a cleare conscience of his owne and that they wer neuer in safetie who bere about them a corrupt conscience but as the Psalmist sayth they are afrayde of daunger where no daunger is Of Iudges and Iudgement PHilip king of Macedonie sitting in iudgemeÌ„t in a certen cause of one Macheta slumbring and not tending the cause vnaduisedly condemned Macheta But he cried out and said I appeale Appeale quod the king vnto whoÌ„ dost thou appeale Vnto thée O king quod he if thou wilt awake heare me WhervpoÌ„ the king began to awake be more atteÌ„tiue in his cause perceiuing that he had done him wrong he did not reuoke hys former iudgement but payed him selfe the summe wherein Macheta was condemned Bruso li. 3. cap. 10. Alexander Seuerus did beare such stomacke agaynst corrupt iudges that wheÌ„ he chaunced to méete with any of theÌ„ by coÌ„motion of his minde he would cast vp choler béeing so moued with them that he could not speake and was ready with his two fingers to putte out their eyes Bruso li. 3. cap. 10. When Cambises king of Persia vnderstoode that one of his iudges had pronounced false iudgement he coÌ„maunded that his skin should be flayne of set on the chaire where he sat in iudgemeÌ„t and where his sonne after him should sit to giue sentence Brus li 3. cap. 10. Marcus Antonius the wyse Philosopher and mightie Emperour was wont to say that priuate persons had many iudges but Princes and Magistrates haue onely God to be their iudge As by this example folowing may appeare Anno domini 1105. two famous Archebishops of Mentz béeing right vertuous and wel disposed prelates were cruelly and tirannously delt withal intreated by the bishoppe of Rome Their names were Henrie and Christian This Henry hauing intelligence that he was complayned of to the Pope sent a learned man an especiall friend of his named Arnolde to excuse him But this honest man Arnolde in steade of an excuser became an accuser brybing the chiefe Cardinalles with good golde by which meanes he obtayned of the Pope those two Cardinalles to be sente as inquisitours and onely doers in that present case The which comming to Germanie summoned the sayde Henry and deposed him of his Archbishopricke for all that he could doo either by iustice or lawe substituting in his place the sayde Arnolde â–ª vppon hope no doubte of the Ecclesiasticall golde Wherevpon that vertuous and honorable Henry spake vnto those peruerse iudges on this wise If I shoulde appeale vnto the Apostolike see for your vniust processe had agaynst me perhappes the Pope would attempte nothing more herein than you haue neither shoulde I winne any thing by it but onely toyle of body losse of good affliction of minde care of heart and missing of his fauor Wherfore I do appeale vnto the Lord Iesu Christ as to the most highest and iust iudge and cite you before his iudgement there to answere before the high iudge For neither iustly nor godly but by corruption as it pleased you ye haue iudged me Wherto they scoffingly answered go you first
was conteyned the minte and money coyned for that countrey to the value of a great substaunce Whiche when the souldier had founde in breaking vp a house where the first grosse metall was not yet perfitly wroughte he came to the Earle declaring vnto him the treasure to knowe what was his pleasure therein To whome the valiaunt captayne answered that the house was his what so euer he founde therein Afterwardes the souldier finding a whole minte of pure siluer ready coined signifying the same to the Earle thinking so great treasure to be to much for his portion To whome the sayde Earle answered and sayde that he had once giuen him the whole house for his portion and that he hadde once giuen he would not call backe as children vse to play and if the money were thrise as muche it should be his owne Dominus Fox Ex Chro. Albanea Dionisius the elder comming to his sonnes house and séeing there greate store of plate bethe of siluer and golde cryed oute and sayde O my sonne thou haste no princely stomacke which canst kéepe all this plate to thy selfe and make friends with none of it Meaning that without the good will of the citizens he shoulde neuer aspire to be prince and hardely kéepe his kingdome if he had it But the vnskilfull yong man thoughte it better to haue a house well garnished than to haue faythfull friendes abroade in the citie Brus lib. 3. cap. 28. Iohn Patricke béeing sometimes a hardeand a sparing man as he was at his prayers on a time there appeared vnto him a comely virgin hauing on hir head a garlande of Oliue leaues which named hir selfe Mercie saying to him and promising that if he would take hir to wyfe he shoulde prosper maruellously well Wherefore after that day he became so bountifull and beneficiall to the poore and néedie that he counted them as his Masters and hym selfe as a seruaunt and stewards vnto them He vsed twyce a weeke to sitte at hys doore all the day long to take vppe matters and to sette vnitie where there was any variaunce One day it happened as he was sitting all day before hys gate and sawe no man come vnto him he lamented bicause that that day he had done no good But his Deacon standing by sayde that he had more cause to reioyce seting that he had brought the citie to suche perfection that there néeded no reconcylement amongest them An other tyme as he was reading the Gospell the people as their manner is wente foorthe to talke and iangle he perceyuing that wente foorthe aâ—â—e and saâ—e amongst them and sayd where the flock is there ought the shepheard to be Wherfore either come you in that I also may come in with you or else if ye tarie out I wil likewise tarie with you Dominus Fox ex Polly chro li. 5. cap. 10. Osevvie sometimes king of Deira in Englande was a prince of wonderous liberalitie towardes his people and no lesse deuoute and religious towardes god Who on a tyme had giuen to Adianus a Scottishe Bishop a princely horse with trappers and all that perteyned thereto This Adianus as he was riding vpon his kingly horse there méeteth him a begger crauing his almes Adianus hauing nothing else to giue hym lighted downe and giueth to him his horse trapped and garnished as he was The king vnderstanding this and not contented therewith as he was entring at diner with the sayde Adianus what mente you father byshop sayde he to giue away my horse I gaue you vnto the begger had not I other horses in my stable that might haue serued him but you muste giue away that which of purpose was picked out for you To whome the Byshopp aunswered and sayde what be these wordes O king that you speake Why sette you more price by a horse which is but the foale of a horse than you did by him which is the sonne of Marie yea the sonne of God He sayd but this and the king fell downe at the Bishops féete destring him to forgiue him that and he woulde neuer after speake any worde for giuing away any treasure of his Dominus Fox Pa. 164. Ex Hunting de hist Angli Of Mariage wyues and vvomen WHen the realme of Carthage was flourishing in riches and happy in armes they ruled the common wealth by wise Philosophers and sustayned it by discrete armies on the sea At which tyme Arminius the Philosopher was aswell estéemed amongest them as Demosthenes amongest the Gréekes or Cicero amongest the Latines Fourescore yeres he liued quietly as a baron moste peacible of minde And was as strange to women as familiar with his bookes Then the Senate séeing he was much broken with the common wealth withdrawen from al naturall recreation they desired him with gret instance to be maried that mentorie mighte be had of so wise a man in time to come But she more importunate they were the more he resisted and sayde I will not be marryed For if she be foule I shall abhorre hir If shee be riche I muste suffer hir if she be poore I muste mayntayne hir if she be faire I muste take heede of hir if she be a shrewe I canne not suffer hir And the least pestilence of all these is inough to slea a thousande menue Ex Marco Aurelio When one asked Socrates whether it were better to marrie or to liue single He answered whether of bothe thou doest it shall repente thée For if thou marrie not thou shalte liue solitarily thou shalte dye withoute issue and a straunge â–ª shall inherite thy lande on the other side if thou take a wise thou shalte haue perpetual vexation and continuall complayning Hir dourie shall be caste in thy dishe hir kinsefolkes shall bend the browes at thée and hir mother shall speake hir pleasure by thée And besides this little knoweth the father what shall be the ende of his children Brus li. 7. ca. 22. Laer. li. 2. ca. 5. When Cneius Pompeius passed the Orient on the mountaynes Rifees he founde a manner of people called Masagetes whiche hadde a lawe that euery inhabitaunte shoulde haue two tunnes or fattes bicause they had no houses to dwell in In one of them was conteyned the husbande their sonnes and their menne seruauntes and in the other the wyfe the daughters and their mayd seruaunts On the holidayes they did eate togither and once a wéeke lay togither Hereat when Pompei wondred demaunded the cause therof they answered because the Gods haue giuen vs but a shorte life for none of vs may lius aboue lx yeres at the moste those yeares we indeuour to liue in peace and tranquilitie And in hauing our wyues still with vs wée shoulde liue euer dying For wée shoulde passe the nyghtes in hearing their complayntes and the day in abyding their chidinges and braulâ—â—ges but in kéeping them this wyse a parse from vs they nourishe their children more peaceable and eschews the noyse which slayeth their fathers Ex Marco
Wherewith Cambyses being angrie sayde thou shalte perceiue whether the Persian people be deceiued or no. For if I strike not thy sonne which standeth in thy entrie in the middest of the hearte with this my shafte then is the reporte true whiche the Persians speake of me but if I strike him then doe the Persians belie my sobrietie and at this woorde he drew his bowe and strooke the childe full in the heart and thereat laughing he sayd nowe maist thou sée Praexaspes that not I but the Persian people are beside themselues and I pray thee tell me if euer thou sawest any aime righter wherat Praexaspes searing leaste he shoulde haue bene slaine himselfe said Nay surely I thincke euen God himselfe coulde not haue shotten righter When Agrippa the king had bestowed a Bishopricke vpon Mathias Ionas his brother one Sylas his chéefe ruler which neuer had failed him in his affaires enuying the preferment of Mathias began continually to cast his good seruice in the kings téethe requiring that he also might be rewarded for his diligence but thereby he so displeased the king that he tooke from him his former dignitie and caste him into prison Alexander Seuerus the Emperoure hearing that Veronius Turinus made the people beléeue that he was in greate authoritie with the Emperoure and thereby gotte greate bribes He caused one to sue to himself openly for a certaine sute but willed him to go secretly to Turinus to request his fauoure which being accordingly accomplished Turinus promised his furtherance héerein and shortly after tolde him that he had greatly laboured vnto the king in his case whereas in déede he had sayde neuer a woorde The matter thus suspending he was againe called for where his Aduocate Turinus likewise appeared who hearing the case begā to becken but said nothing yet in fine he obtaining his sute Turinus required a great rewarde for his laboure which he receiuing being accused hereof vnto the Emperoure was bounde to a stake in the markette place and stifeled with smoke The crier standing by and cried smoke he solde and with smoke he is punished Lampridius in the lyfe of Seuerus which he wrote vnto Constantine saythe your godlinesse knoweth what you redde in Marius Maximus howe that the common wealthe is in better case and more in safetie where the Prince is euill and his frendes be good than that common wealthe where the Prince is good and hathe euill fréendes For one be he neuer so hadde may be amended by many good wheras a multitude euil can neuer be amēded by one though he be neuer so good And he saith further that Courtiers oughte to be holy worshipfull agréeing they were séeking and he couering this theft bitte and tore his side pitifully All which pain he constantly abode vntil the séekers were gone whereof when one of his companions mocked him saying that he had bene better to haue deliuered the Fore than so to be bitten to death he answered no but it is better to die with pain than to be apprehended with theft Aristides hauing married one of his daughters to Dionisius the yonger and after repenting that he had so done said that he hadde rather wishe his daughter shortly to die than long to continue with suche a husbande wherof Dionisius hearing commaunded that he should immediatly he put to death but first he demaūded of him whether nowe he thought his daughter any better bestowed thā of late he professed No quoth Aristides I repēt me greatly of that I haue done but nothing at all of that I sayde When Decius Brutus making warre into Spaine had subdued all Luscitania only one Citie called Cynania excepted which stoutly tooke armor againste him he sent Embassadors vnto them to trie whether they wold giue any money to be at peare But they answered the Ambassadors that their ancestors had left them swordes to defend their country but neither siluer nor golde to redéeme it of so couetous a captaine Agis a man of Sparta being by Leonida cast into a prison called Dechas wher the prisonners were strangled to death séeing the hangman wéepe and stagger in doing on the rope fréende quoth he wéepe not for me For I dying thus vnjustly and contrary to the lawe am in better case than they which condemned me héereto And at this woorde he helde downe his head whilest the executor tied the knot to strangle him Pomponius a Romane captaine after many woundes was taken captiue of Methridates who asked him whether he woulde héereafter become his fréende if he caused him to be healed to whome he answered if thou wilte be a fréende unto the Romanes I will be thy fréende 〈◊〉 not I will surely be thy ennimie When Socrates was appointed to die he séemed as thoughe he cared not for his life wherefore Hermogenes his familiar fréende sayde vnto him O Socrates it were good that you had some respect vnto your owne safegarde why doe not I séeke my safegarde fréende Hermogenes quoth he whilest I bethincke me of my life passed An other called Appollodorus who also loued him intirely sayde D fréende Socrates I am very sory to sée thée thus vniustly condemned Why Appolodorus quoth he haddest thou rather sée me iustly condemned than vniustly and so fell a laughing After that Pompei was conquered by Caesar Cato the yonger fearing least he shoulde come into the handes of Caesar first reading Plato his booke de anima of the immortalitie of the soule caste him selfe on his swearde but when his housholde ranne aboute him and his sonne with a Phisitian came and bound vp his woundes he inwardly blamed him selfe for not making the wound déepe inough then thancking the Phisitian for sauing his life he sayde that he woulde a while take his rest and so the companie supposing that he woulde haue slept departed when as he renting the wounde wider tore out his guttes and died This Cato in his childhood comming to Sylla his house and séeing many noble mennes heades broughte thither asked Sarpedon his maister why no man slue Sylla Who answered bicause they feare him more than they hate him Why thē quoth Cato diddest not thou giue me a sweard that I might haue deliuered my country of so cruel a tirant When the sayde Sylla had fully obtained the regiment of the commō wealth and none durste gainesay him in oughte he tooke in hande he desired the Senate to giue sentence and pronounce Marius an ennimie to the common wealthe Whereto only Sceuola would in no wise consent But when Sylla began cruelly to threaten him Scenola answered albeit thou wouldest straightwayes shewe me thy hande of souldiers where with thou didst assault this court yet couldest thou neuer for shedding this little olde bloude of mine cause me to call him an enimie who so manfully hathe saued this Citie and all Italie by his prowesse When Aristides who for his vertue of the Atheniens was surnamed Iustus was leading towards execution all that met him call
for that he had Pius Metellus to his fréende the other bicause he had not destroyed Athens Ex Plutarch in Rom. Apoth When one demaunded of Socrates whether he thought not Archilaus moste happie I can not tell quoth he for I neuer spake with him Bruso lib. 2 cap. 36. Antigonus seeing one of his souldiers who otherwise was a valiant man to haue some secreate disease asked him what the matter was that he looked so pale To whome the souldier confessing the truthe of his anguishe Antigonus bad his Phisitians if it were possible to cure him But being now cured of his disease he began to be more slacke to fighte and not so hardie in his affaires as he was woont to be Whereat the king wondering asked him how it came to passe that his minde was so fodenly altered Why thou thy selfe quoth he arte the cause thereof For as long as I liued in paine and miserie I was nothing afeard to lose so miserable a life But nowe when by your goodnesse I liue in better case I am loth to lose my life Lycost Ex Eras lib. 8. Apoth Of Fortune POlycrates king of Samia was a prince so fortunate that he neuer desired any thing but he had it And coulde no sooner wishe but haue Wherefore fearing the mutabilitie of Fortune who when shée striketh striketh home he tooke a ring of inestimable price and cast it into the sea But fortune was so fauorable vnto him that a fish eat his ring which afterwards was taken and giueÌ„ vnto him in whose belly the Cooke finding the ring restored it vnto him againe But in the ende making warre with Darius he was taken captiue of Crontes the chiefe Captayne hanged on the high mount Michasus there lefte a praye for foules to deuour Dionisius the yonger being asked how it chanced that his father was preferred from the state of a priuat maÌ„ to become a king and he from royall scepter to be throwen downe to so base an estate answered bycause my father lefte me his kingdome but not fortune Cressus consulting the oracle whether he should wage warre against Tomiris the Quéene of whome he was in fine killed was aunswered If thou déemest thy self immortal then néedest thou not my counsell héerein but if thou acknowledge thy self to be a man let this be thy firste lesson that the state of humaine affaires is rounde and that fortune neuer leaueth man in one estate When Aucaeus the sonne of Neptune and Astipalcas planting a vineyard was earnest with his seruants to apply their worke one of them sayd to his felowes what paines my Maister taketh aboute this vine and yet he shall neuer taste the fruit of the grape When Ancaeus heard hereof he said nothing vntill the grapes were ripe and euen nowe pressed them sending for his seruant and caused a cup of the wine to be filled he put it towards his mouthe mocking and taunting hys seruant for this vaine prophecie But as he was thus preaching ouer the cup an other of his seruants came in with spéed and sayde that there was a wilde Bore in the vineyarde Wherfore Ancaeus cast downe the cuppe and running to chase away the wild bore was destroied of him and héerof sprang the prouerbial verse Multa caduÌ„t inter caliceÌ„ suprenâ—aque labra Though to thy mouth thou lift the pot Whether thou shalt drink yet wotest thou not When one Damacles a Parasite of Dionisius began to praise the abundance of welth maiestie dominion wherw t Dionisius was indued sayd the he neuer saw any so fortunat as he was Dionisius asked him whether he wold be content to assay his estate and fortune awhile Yea quoth Damacles with all my heart Wherfore the king commaunded that this Parasite should be layd in his bed The next day he caused a gorgious dinner to be prepared and setting him in his chaire of estate he charged theÌ„ that with all possible honoure and pleasure they should serue him But in the middest of this chéere he caused a glistering sweard to be hanged with a horsse haire and let downe ouer his head Which when Damacles sawe neither could he behold the comelinesse of his seruitures nor yet the delicacie of his meat but only fastening his eyes on the sworde he desired Dionisius to giue him leaue to departe and saide that he would no lenger be blessed Bruso Lib. 3. cap. 13. On a time when the papacie of Rome had bene vacante two yeares and more the Cardinals concluded to electe Petrus Moroneus a godly man and consecrated him by the name of Celestine the fifthe Who bicause he began to refourme the clergie Boniface the eighte then called Benedictus so handled the matter that what by his iuggling speaking through his chamber walles nightly admonished him to giue vp his papacie and other his diuellishe illusions he persuaded him in in some solitarie deserte And ere long was by this Boniface apprehended imprisoned and put to death For whiche impietie of his when Iacobus and Petrus Cardinalles of Columna séemed to be offended this Boniface tooke suche displeasure agaynst them that he caused Preneste Zagorolum and Columna to be made leuell with the grounde Yea for their sakes he was so displeased with the Gibilenes and the inhabitauntes of Columna that on ashewednesday when Porchetus an Archebishoppe came and knéeled downe before hym to receyue his ashes he looking on him and perceyuing that he was one of the Gibilines caste his handfull of ashes in his eyes and sayde Memento homo c. That is remember man that thou arte a Gibiline and to ashes thou shalte goe But in the ende partely from the Cardinalles of Columna and partely from Phillip the Frenche king whome he had greatly molested were sente an arnne of men whiche came to Augonum and there in hys owne fathers house and in the very chaumber where he was borne they spoyled his substaunce and led him captiue to Rome And there within 24. dayes after he dyed for sorrowe Whereas the inhabitants of Paphus were wonte to haue their king chosen of the familie of the Sinarasians and nowe that house was cleane spente Alexander being very desirous to get them a king of that stocke vnderstoode that there was yet a poore maÌ„ called Halimomus which came of that linage wherefore with al spéede he repaired thither to create him king And finding him in hys garden drawing of water with al triuÌ„ph had him thence incontinent made him a king and companion of his owne person Bru. li. 2. cap. 37. It is reported that Marius Septimus the tyrant was made emperor one day reigned the next the third day was slayn of his souldiers Brus li. 2. cap. 37. After the death of Antiochus king of Syria his sonne Seleucus killed Bernice his stepmother with the yong childe his brother Whereof when Ptolome king of Egypt and brother to this Bernice had intelligence he came to Syria with a mayne Hoste to reuenge
the death of his sister and so good successe he hadde herein that all the kings of Syria yéelded them vnto him But whylest he was thus occupied in Syria his owne subiectes rebelled in Aegypt Wherfore he was fayne to rayse his siege and departe home Then Seleucus thinking to be reuenged on the Syrian cities which tooke parte agaynst him prepared an armie to inuade them But so it fell out that the greatest parte of his nauie were drowned on the sea and he with a small power ariued at the citie and there when the citizens submitted them selues vnto hym he receyued them to mercie And gathering a new armie he renued the warre agaynst Ptolome of whome he was subdued and compelled to flée to Antioche as one with whome fortune was disposed to make a playgame Bruso lib. 2. cap. 37. When Timotheus Conous sonne had subdued many cities vnto the Athenian kingdome certayne persons enuying him and ascribing all his prowesse vnto fortune paynted him a sleepe and fortune subduing cities for him But he offended so to loese the glorie of his valyaunt attemptes the nexte tyme that he had obteyned a conqueste he sayde vnto the Athenians that in all the victories that euer he gotte fortune coulde rightely chalenge none of hys glorie Wherevppon fortune was so offended with him that after that tyme he neuer atchéeued any notable acte but had euill successe in all the affayres he wente about and in the ende loste the fauour of the people and was banished his countrey Brus lib. 2. cap. 37. When tidings was brought to king Phillip of sundrie good fortunes which happened vnto him at one instaunte as that Tetrippo his sonne had wonne the pryce at Olimpus Dardenio had got a greate conqueste on the sea and Olimpia hys wife had broughte him foorth a man childe he helde vp his handes to heauen and sayde And O fortune I beséeche thée for so many and so greate benefites of thyne suffer but some small myschiefe to lyghten vppon mée Knowing hir manner to be suche that on whome shée meaneth to worke some greate myschiefe on them shée firste she weth a fauourable and fauning face as playnely appeareth in the storie of Polycrates Simonides the Philosopher was inuited to a banquet of Paulanias the king Who in the banquet desired him to tell them something out of his Philosophie that mighte be a lesson for them whylest they lyued Well then quoth hee remember Pausanias that thou arte a man For séeing Pausanias by reason of hys happie estate to thinke well of him selfe he thought good by those wordes to putte hym in mynde of his duetie But albeit Pausanias contemned thys sage saying of the Philosopher yet afterwardes béeing taken captiue and lyke to bée famyshed he was forced to allowe and commende hys wordes and to appostrophate vnto hymselfe in thys sorte O guest guest I sée nowe there was greate weighte in thy wordes but I reposed suche confidence in myne owne fickle fortune that I thoughte them of no force Wherefore now I muste dye a miserable death Of Fortitude and Manhoode IF Antisthenes sawe any woman goe gayly apparelled he woulde straightwayes goe vnto hir husbandes house and byd him shewe his horse and his harnesse and if he thoughte them sufficient he woulde suffer his wife to goe at hir pleasure bicause she had one at home to defende hir But if he lyked not of it he woulde persuade hir to leaue of hir gay clothes least some bodye woulde come and steale hir away Ex Laer. li. 6. cap. 1. Archilomida Brasidas mother hearing that Brasidas hir sonne was slayne in warre the firste question shée demaunded was whether he dyed manfully of no Yea quoth the Thrasisians For amongest all the Lacedemonians there was none in prowesse and vertuous qualityes comparable vnto hym You knowe not sirs quoth shée what felowes the Lacedemonians are I thinke in déede Brasidas my sonne was a good honest yong manne but yet not so good but that there be many better amongest the Lacedemonians Whiche aunswere of hirs is greatly to be commended aswell for hir wisedome and fortitude in so reioycing at the honest deathe of hir sonne as also for hir modestie and naturall affection vnto hir countrey which could not abyde that hir sonne shoulde be so highely praysed that his prayse shoulde any thing derogate from the true commendation of hir natiue soyle Plutar. in Lacon Apoth When a certayne Athenian made a funerall Oration in the prayse of them whome the Lacedemonians hadde slayne in the warre a Lacedemonian standing by sayde If these were suche iollie felowes which were slayne what thinke you of our men which slue them Alexander the sonne of Mammea hearing that Artaxerses king of Persia was comming with an huge armie to inuade the Romane Empire saide vnto his souldiers that strong and valiaunt men oughte to wishe the beste in all thinges but yet to be content and to suffer if any thing happen contrary to their expectation And neither to waxe proude in prosperitie nor to dispayre in aduersitie Herodian lib. 6. When Publius Crassus sonne had a long time manfully fought agaynst his enemies and was in fine slaine of them they fastned his head vpon a speare and therewith approched nye vnto the Romane armie and greatly triumphing that they had him they asked the Romanes of what stocke that yong man came saying that it was impossible that so valiaunt a sonne shoulde come of so cowardly a father But Crassus was nothing troubled with this heauy sight but ranne among the Roman souldiers and sayde this losse is mine ye Romanes this calamitie is mine and I onely haue cause to be sorie for this but in your health and prowesse consisteth the publike welth and glorie of the whole citie Plut. in N. Crass When Xerxes made warre agaynste Greece the Athenians sent a spie to view Agiselaus Themistocles brother Who comming into the host slue one Mardonius Xerxes Courtier thynking to haue slayne the king him selfe Wherefore he was apprehended and sacrificed on the aulter of Sol and there stoutly endured all the torment not once sighing for all the payne And when he was losed he told them that al the Atheniens were such fellowes and if you beléeue me not burne my left hand also Of Friendes and Friendship SOcrates was wont to say that no possession is so good as a true and a faythfull friende and that nothing is so pleasant and profitable as is suche a friende Wherefore they go a contrarie waye to worke which are more sorie for the losse of their money than for their friend and thinke that they haue lost much if they bestowe a benefit on any man without some present profite whereas in déede they gayne thereby a friende whyche maye by the fruitfullest gayne possible Erasm Lib. 3. Apo. When it was tolde Dion whiche afterwardes expelled Dionisius out of his kingdome that Calixtus his friend whō aboue all others he trusted moste wente about to
séeke his life he couloe by no meanes be persuaded to condemne hym to death But saide I had rather be dead than not only to stande in feare of my ennimies but also to mistruste my friendes Ex Plutarcho in regum Apotheg Antigonus dreamed that he was walking in a faire fielde and there sowed golden crummes whereof incontinente sprang vp golden Corne. The interpretation whereof was applyed to Methridates king of Pontus whome they sayde at Ponthus to haue great store of Golde Wherevpon Antigonus fully purposing to destroy Methridates opened his minde to Demetrius hys son binding him with an othe to tell it to no man but Demetrius béeing Methridates verie friende bycause for his othe he coulde not open it in woordes watched a tyme vntyll Methridates and he were alone and then he toke hys Speare and wyth the poynte thereof wrote Flee Methridates and so delyuered hys friende from presente perill Luc us béeing Brutus verie friende and séeing the Souldiours verie desirous to take Brutus he made as thoughe he hadde béene Brutus and so was taken and with all spéede brought before Antonius the Emperour in whose presence he sayde O Anthonie no man hath taken Brutus and God forbid that he shoulde euer come into his ennimies handes At which wordes of his when Anthonie sawe his Souldioures greatly abashed he sayde thus vnto them I beléeue syrs that you are greatly grieued and verie sorie to sée that you are thus deceyued and also thinke that you were verie muche mocked herein But know of a troth that you haue brought me a better pray than you are aware of for I knowe not I protest what to haue done with Brutus if I hadde him a liue But such a friende as this is I had rather haue than all my foes And so louingly entertayned embraced and kyssed Lucius Plutarchus Orestes and Pilades so entirely loued eache other that whereas Orestes fell madde for slaying his mother Clitimnestra Pilades tooke him and brought hym to Tauritia to the temple of Diana wher Iphigenia his Sister was abyding And there afterwards when Orestes and his Sister went about to steale the Image of Diana he was therefore apprehended and brought before the king And when he was adiudged to die Pilades made as though he had bene Orestes ▪ and Orestes as the truth was offred himselfe as the partie guiltie And so contended whether of them should die Ex Plutarcho Suche friendship likewise there was betwixt Damon and Pythias that wheras Dionisius the tirante had condemned one of them to die and he desired leaue to goe to bid his friendes their vltimum val and to set his goodes in a staye the other became his suertie promising that if he came not at his daye he would dye in his steade But when he was so faithfull that he came at the time prefixed Dionisius maruelling at their fidelitie forgaue the partie guiltie desired them to make him the thirde in this saythfull and friendly fellowship Cicero off li. 3. But bycause this friendshippe is a blacke Swanne in these oure dayes Esope in his fables warneth vs that the things whiche we nowe doe our selues we neuer loke for our friendes to do for vs The Fable whereof is thys On a tyme the Larke hauing yongones in a corne fielde which began to waxe ripe when she shoulde flee abreade to séeke meat she warned them to herken what news they could hear and at hir cōming home to certifie hir thereof It happend in the meane season that the owner of the fielde came thether with hys sonne to see his corne saying this géere is ripe and it is tyme that it were nowe cutte downe wherefore to morrow morning betimes goe vnto my friendes and desire them that I maye haue their helpe to dispatche this businesse whyche thing the sonne accordingly dyd and they no doubt promysed their ayde Wherefore at nyghte when the Larke came home all hir birdes beganne to flutter aboute hir telling hir what they hadde hearde and desiring that shée woulde incontinent carrie them to some other place but she willed them be contente and bad them hearken the next day what newes they coulde heare The nexte daye the goodman and hys Sonne came a fielde wayting when his friendes woulde appeare but there came nobodie Wherefore he sayde agayne vnto hys Sonne goe to my Cosens and Kinsfolke and desire them to morrowe morning to come and helpe me reaps my corne The yongbirdes hearing thys were nowe more earnest wyth theyr damme to transporte them thence but she was as earnest to persuade them not to be afraide For no Cosens quothe she will be so seruiceable that they wyll strayghte-wayes come and helpe their kinred But to morrowe abyde and hearken what other newes you can heare and then if néede bée I will prouide for you The nexte daye the Cosens came not wherfore the goodman sayde farewell friends and kinsfolke let vs truste to our selues goe thou my Sonne and prouide two hookes one for thy selfe and an other for me and we two to morrowe will reape it our selues When the Larke hearde of this nay now quoth she it is time to get vs packing and so she immediately bare away hir youg ones Ex Aesopo Zopirus caused his nose and his eares to be cutte off and making as though he were some other of the Persian princes he wente vnto Babylon and there complayned that Darius hadde so cruelly delte wyth him desiring them to take vengeāce on him And so preuailed with them that they leuied a power and made him chiefe ruler of their Armie and so by this meanes betrayed Babylon vnto Darius his friende But afterwardes Darius woulde often say that he hadde rather haue Zopirus whole agayne than the cōquest of a hundred Babilons Much vnlike such Princes whiche make more of a disarde a horse or a dogge than of an honest faythfull and learned friende Also Darius finding faulte with the crueltie of Zopirus towards himself would say that by a foule facte he hadde gotten himself a fair name Ex Plutarcho lustino in Lib. 1. Scipio the yonger following the aduise of Polibius endeuored neuer to returne out of the market before he hadde made some of them whom he met there to become his verie friend Plurarchus in Reg. Apoth When Nicocles and Photion being perfite friendes were condemned to die of poyson Nicocles desired Photion to suffer him firste to taste of this deadely drinke who answered Albeit friende Nicocles this request of thyne is hard yet must I néedes graunt it thée to whō in all my life hetherto I neuer denyed ought So great a griefe it is where true friendshippe is to sée the deathe of his friend Plutarch in Grae. Apoth Of Gluttonie and Ryot WHen it was tolde Augustus that Curotes his steward of Aegipt had boughte a tame Quayle whiche was compted the passingst fighting birde in all the Countrie and after he had boughte him dyd roste and eate him
He sent for his Stewarde and prouing this reporte to be true he commaunded that he shoulde be fastned to the maste of a ship and there to dye Accompting him vnworthie to liue who for his gluttonous appetite woulde kyll a bird whose life woulde haue shewed many menne much pastime and pleasure When it was tolde Scipio that a certayne yong man bydding Guestes to a banquet hadde made cakes lyke vnto the Cittie and termed it Carthage he tooke thys yong mans horse from hym and when he demaunded hym what he mente thereby whye quod Scipio dyddest thou fyrste take awaye Carthage from me and eat it And so with a prettie scoffe punished him for hys gluttonie Cyrus in Xenophon rebuked Astiages his Grandfather for his excesse in delicate fare But Astiages answered him if thou dyddest once taste of thys my Sonne thou wouldest like it maruellous well and howe shoulde I like of it quoth Cyrus whereas thou doest so much abhorre it For when thou takest breade thou neuer wipest thy fyngers after it but when thou dippest of thys thou kéepest a wyping as thoughe thou haddest touched some vncleane thing Of Hatred and Enuie WHen it was tolde Agis that there was one enuied him no force quothe he the harme shall be hys for then both his owne euill happe and my good fortune shall put him to payne Aluding to Horace who sayde Inuidus alterius rebus macrescit opimis The enuious man pineth awaye when he séeth his aduersarie prosper And Antisthenes sayde that Enuie gnaweth consumeth the enuious man no other wise than ruste dothe the yron Likewise Chrisostome vppon one of the Psalmes saythe that enuie is an vnquenchable fire whiche consumeth hym that hath it like as the mothes do cloth Whose vglie anctamie a certaine Poet describeth in this sort Pallor in ore sedet macies in corpore toto In English thus His face is pale his corpes is leane his eyes are dimme of sight His teeth do rust his breath doth stinke his tong is poysoned quite He neuer laughes vnlesse it be vvhen other men do vveepe He troubled is at others ioyes that scarce he taketh his sleepe And other men he blameth apase and they at him do chyde And thus himselfe he doth torment and payne doth still abyde When Caius Furnius was made frée albeit he hadde but a little grounde of hys owne yet he so played the good husbande therein that he hadde more encrease of Corne than hys neighbours hadde of better and farre larger fieldes Wherefore some of them accused hym that he had by witchcrafte gotten other mennes Corne into hys fielde At the day therfore of his appearance he brought all his husbandrie tooles with hym He broughte his Daughter béeing a ioly huswife and wel apparelled hys plowchaynes strong and well made his culter share and other instrumentes méete for a good husbande and hys Oxen mightie and full of fleshe and sayde loe here are my charming instrumentes whyche brought my field so good encrease and so he was released Ex Plin. Lib 18. cap. 16. Bruson Lib. 3. cap. 7. Antiphiles enuying Apelles accused hym to Ptolome who loued him verie well that he wente to Tyre and there stirred the king to Rebellion and saide that al the businesse which was betwene the â—irians and Aegipt came by means of this Apelies Ptolome beléeuing this tale began to cal Apelles traitour and rebel But afterwards when one of the Tirian captiues swore that Apelles was falsly accused that he neither made nor medled therein Ptolome repented him that euer he had so said and for amends gaue Apelles a hundred Talentes and this Antiphiles to be his bondman A iust reward of a lying and enuious varlet and a notable example for Princes to be ware so lightely to giue credite to pickthankes and tell tales Brusonius Lib. 3. cap. 7. Marcus Anthonius commaunded hys Steward to deliuer two hundred poundes to a friende of his But the Steward maruelling enuying at the greatnesse of the gifte beganne to open the money and asked what shoulde be done therewith Why I tell thée quoth the Emperour I mean to bestow it on this my friend And séeing the malicious stomacke of his Steward he sayde Is thys the whole summe yea quoth he now â—urely quoth Anthonius I thought two hundred poundes had contayned muche more mency than thys Wherfore go and fetch as much more O how many â—uch wicked and malicious stewards be there nowe a dayes which bicause they deserus nothing them selues they can not abide that theyr Lordes shoulde bestowe it on suche as well deserue it Themistocles was so gréeued to sée Milciades honoured for the greate conquest he wonne at Marathea fighting against the Barbarians that he could not take his rest And being demauÌ„ded what caused him to be so watchfull He aunswered that Milciades triumphs would not suffer him to sleepe The king of the Assirians so loued Gobrias one of his Noble men that he meaned to ioyne his daughter in marriage with Gobrias sonne Wherewith Gobrias being well content sent his only sonne to the king that they mighte further intreat of this marriage matter But so it fell oute that the kings sonne and he going a hunting together and chauncing to méete with a Beare the kings sonne shotte at him and missed but this young Gobrias siewe him And when the like chaunced in chasing a Lyon the kings sonne was so wrothe and enuious against him that he tooke a speare out of his mannes hande and slue him Bruson Lib 3. cap. 7. Of Harlots SAlomon who had himselfe 300. concubines sayeth in his Prouerbes that the lippes of an harlot are as the dropping of an hony combe and her throte more swéete than oyle but hir ende is as bitter as wormewoode When Agrippus a yongman in Plautus comedie intituled Asinaria was like to be put from his lemman bicause he had not twentie pounds to giue her and Leonidas his man hadde so handled the matter that he had gotte the money the harlot came to him and saide O Leonida mine eye my Rose my minde my pleasure and hartes delight let me haue the mony that we two louers be not put asunder Nay I pray thée quoth Leonidas call me thy sparow thy hen thy Lambe thy kid or thy calfe and so pretely tauÌ„ted hir flattering tong Straphones a soldier in Plautus comedie Truculentus was in loue with Phronesius a harlot wheÌ„ he had ben froÌ„ hir a season she sayde that she was conceyued with chylde by him and getting an other womans chylde she mente to present it vnto hym and make hym beleeue that it was his When worde was broughte vnto him that Phronesius was broughte a bedde with a chyld and confessed that he was father therof he made al spéed to returne home vnto hir Afterwardes resorting vnto hir house and méeting with Astrophius the Harlottes handmayde he talked with hir in this sorte I praye thee is Phronesius brought a bedde yea forsoothe syr
he woulde neuer sitte in that seate where he mighte doe no more for his fréendes than for his foes Ex Plutarcho in Lacon Chrysippus being demaunded whye he woulde beare no office in the common wealth Answeared bicause that if I rule not well I shall displease God but if I rule as I shoulde doe the people will be offended Brusonius Lib. 3. cap. 5. Socrates was wonte to saye that it was a shame to sée that wher as in handy craftes no manne taketh anye thing in hande wherein he hathe not benetraded yet in administration of the common wealth oftentimes many are made officers whiche wotte but very little what belongeth thereto Ex Eras lib. 3. Apoth Antisthenes willed his Citizens to set Asses to ploughe and when they aunsweared that Asses were not apt to that laboure what matter is that quoth he For you make many Officers in the common wealth which neuer learned the manner thereof and yet when you haue made them they serue the turne wel inough Meaning that it was a thing muche more absurde to make an vnskilfull man a magistrate than to sette an Asse to ploughe Brusonius Lib. 6. cap. 5. Ex Laertio Lib 4. Cap. 1. When the regall Diademe shoulde be sette on Antigonus his head before it was put on he sayde these woordes O noble though vnhappie crowne if a mā knewe howe full of trouble and misery thou arte he would not take thée vp albeit he founde thee lying in the streate Max. Valerius lib. 7. cap. 2. Ex Stobaeo serm 46. Alphonsus the mightie king of Arragon vsed to say that Magistrates oughte as muche to excell priuate personnes in life and conuersation as they d ee in dignitie and vocation Meaning that the life of the subiects shal best be reformed when Princes and others giue others example of theyr godly and vertuous liuing As by this story folowing may appeare Ex Panorm lib. 6. Cato being Censor in Rome was so seuere a punisher of transgressoures and so feared for his good and vertuous liuing that like as children in the schole hearing their master comming runne vnto their bookes so when he wente through the citie euery one ranne vnto his businesse Who when he tooke any euill doer he strayghtewayes imprisoned him and in steade of examination the first thing he tooke hold of was their hands which if they had bene laborious and full of harde knots though his crime were very gréeuous yet his chastisemēt was mitigated and made more easie but if the vnhappie prisoner chanced to haue idle hands that is softe and smoothe he shoulde for a small faulte haue greeuous punishment For the Romanes had this prouerbe he that hath good hands muste néedes haue good conditions Ex Marco Aurelio The sayde Alphonsus also called effites and dignities touchstones to try the natures and dispositions of men which can in nothing be so well perceiued as in promotion and dignitie Ex Panormita de rebus gestis Alphonsi li. 6. Of Misfortune and miserie of man. CRates sayde that what state soeuer man follow he shall be sure to finde bitternesse therin In the field labour at home cares in a strange countrey feare if he haue ought in youth folly in age weaknesse in mariage vnquietnesse in lacking a wife sollitarinesse If a man haue children he shall haue cares if he haue none he is halfe maymed so that one of these two sayth he is to be wished either not to be borne or quickly to dye Xerxes séeing Helespontus swimming with his ships and all the playnes therabout mustring with his mē said that he was a right happie man therwith began bitterly to wepe Which soden alteratiō Artabanus his vncle espying wondred and demanded the cause therof Oh quod Xerxes now I remember howe short transitorie mans life is For sée of so great a multitude as here is within this hundred yeres there shal not be one man aliue Ex Plut. in Rom. Apoth When Philip king of Macedonie had subdued Cheronea a citie of Athens and thereby hadde purchased innumerable wealth he began to be hautie and high minded saying that fortune hadde no power to doo him harme But afterwardes béeing aduertised that his pride woulde haue a fall and howe vayne a thing man was he kepte a boy euery day to come to hys chamber doore and with a loude voyce to cry Remember Philip thou art a man. Also his sonne Alexander as he was at the siege of a certayne citie viewing in what place the walles thereof were moste weakest was wounded in the legge with an arrowe But at the first not séeling the smarte thereof procéeded in the siege vntill in fine his legge waxed so sore that he was compelled to take his horse and leaue the fielde And then he sayde Euery one telleth me that I am immortall and sonne to Iupiter but thys wounde playnely sheweth that I am a myserable mortall manne Ex Plutarch in vita Alexand. When flatterers came about Canutes sometimes king of Englande and began to exalte him with highe wordes calling him a king of all kinges moste mightie who had vnder his subiection bothe the people the lande and the sea Canutus reuoluing this matter in hys minde whether for pride of his heart exalted or whether to trie and refell their flattering wordes commaunded his chaire to be broughte to the sea side at what time it should begin to flowe and therein sitting downe charged and commaunded the floudes rising to goe backe and not to touche him But the water kéeping his ordinarie course growing higher and higher began to wash him welfauouredly Wherfore the king starte backe and sayde Lo ye call me a mightie king and yet I can not commaunde this little water to stay but it is like to droune me Dominus Fox Ex Polli li. 7. Hunting li. 6. A scholer of Zenons comming honie to his father was of him demaunded what profite he had attained by his long studie in Philosophie who answered that he would tell him and saying no more his father was offended and thinking his coste caste away he began to beate him Which thing his sonne paciently suffred Then his father demaūded him agayne to she we some experience of his learning to whom his sonne answered Lo this fruite haue I gotten by my Philosophie thus paciently to endure my fathers displeasure Ex Era. l. 8. A poth When one stroke Socrates with hys héeles and his friends sayde that they wondred howe he could put vp so great an iniurie he aunswered them what and if an asse should kicke you woulde you go to laws with him for it Another tyme when one gaue him a blowe he was nothing offended but sayde it was great pitie that menne coulde not tell when to doo on their helmets Ex Eras Pericles béeing rayled on and brawled with of a brabling marchaunt saide nothing but went his wayes home and when the other folowed him incessantly
father who abhorring all pride rebuked hir for hir ouer nicenesse Wherfore the nexte day shee attyred hir selfe more soberly and came and saluted hir father Who sayde vnto hir is not this attyre better than yesterdays yea quoth shee For to day I indeuoure to satisfie my fathers by yesterday my husbande his eyes Ex Macrobio Satur. lib. 2. cap. 3. An other tyme when one tolde hir that she was a great deale more proude than hir father Caesar She answered my father forgetteth that he is Emperour but I remember wel that I am an Emperours daughter Ibidem When one demaunded Phitons wife why she was not attired in gold as other princes wiues were she answered bicause my husbands vertue is a sufficient ornament for me Ex Stobeo ser 72. Tharsius Amphius béeing exalted from the state of a gardener vnto great honor and dignitie beganne to forget his olde friends Wherfore one of them saide vnto him if ye remēber sir we also sprang vp of the same séede that you did Of Princes and principalitie PYthagoras sayde that a Prince ought so to rule that he may be more beloued than feared of his subiects For loue causeth reuerence but feare causeth hatred and treason Ex Stobaeo ser 46. Edwarde surnamed the Confessour somtimes king of Englande describeth the office of a prince in this sort A king saith he ought aboue al things to feare God to loue obserue his commaundements to cause thē be obserued throgh his whole kingdome He ought also to kéepe cherish maintayne gouerne the church within his kingdome according to the institution of his auncientes and predecessors to defend the same agaynst al his enimies so the god aboue al thinges be honoured euer be before his eyes He ought also to set vp good lawes and customes suche as be holsome approued such as be otherwise to repel and put out of his kingdome Item he ought to do iudgement and iustice in his kingdome by the counsel of the nobles of the Realme Also thrée seruauntes a king ought to haue vnder him as vassals fleshly lust auarice and gréedy desire Whō if he kéepe vnder him as slaues he shall reigne well and honorably in his kingdome Al things are to be done with good aduisement and premeditation that properly belongeth vnto a king For temeritie and rashnesse wil bring a kingdome soone to desolation and decay Dominus Fox Ex libro regum antiq in praeto Londinensi Agesilaus would oftē say that a prince ought to excell his subiectes not in nicenesse and wantonnesse but in fortitude and temperaunce Also he sayde that a prince oughte to learne this lesson to be stoute and cruell agaynst traytours and rebels and to be gentle and louing vnto his citizens and subiectes And he was wont muche to reioyce in this that where as he was Prince and ruler of his people yet he coulde aswell indure to take paynes as any of them Yea when vs woulde haue his souldiers attempte any enterprise he hym selfe would be the first that should set on it and so for shame they woulde followe him in dooing the like Ex Plutarch in Lacon When one sayde vnto Theopompus king of the Lacedemonians that then it should be well with the Lacedemonians when the Prince knewe howe to rule the subiectes as he ought to doo he replied that that shoulde rather come to passe when the subiectes knewe howe to obey their Princes Meaning that the citie shall be beste gouerned where the citizens will be obedient and ruled by their gouernour For as the Gospell sayth euery citie deuided within it selfe shall be broughte to desolation Ex Fulgocio li. 7 ca. 2. Cyrus king of Persia sayde that no man shoulde be a Prince which were not better than the people whom he ruled and did not excell them in valiauntnesse and prowesse aswel as in wisdome and knowledge Brus li. 3. ca. 33. Fredericke the Emperour béeing demaunded whom he loued best of his subiects he answered that he loued thē best which would so please him that in no case they would displease god A christian prince and spoken right christianlike Ex Aenea Siluio Alphonsus king of Arragon sayde that those princes ought especially to be beloued feared which were louers and imbracers of iustice and equitie Which Princely vertues who so euer is indued withall theyr behest all men loue reuerence and feare As we reade of Cyrus who not only in iustice but also in all other princely vertues was him selfe an example vnto his subiectes and whose woorde was of as great a force as the oth of any priuate person Ex Panormi lib. 1. de rebus gestis Alphonsi When one tolde him that the king of Spaine should say that it was not comely for a Prince to be learned he said that those were woords of an Oxe and not of a man. For quoth he a Prince wythout learning is nothing else but as it were an Asse with a crowne Also whē it was tolde him that he was not apparelled like a Prince he answeared that he had rather be princelike in manners and authoritie rather than in his scepter and crowne Boso the last king of Araletensis commaunded the Bishop that he shoulde not goe to Euening prayer on Christmasse euen before that he came thether But when the Bishop with the rest of hys companie had taryed somewhat longer than his accustomed time and sawe that the king came not he went to seruice Wherfore whē the king came in he began to chide with the Bishop and was so moued that before all the people he gaue him a blowe Whereof the Bishop thincking to be reuenged complained to Otho the Emperoure who immediatly commanded that the Bishop should be beheaded And when the Archbishop intreated for him he woulde not forgiue him but sayde that no woorde that came from the mouthe of a Prince shoulde be spoken in vaine When one sayd vnto Antigonus that all things were honest and iust what so euer the Prince did he answeared yea amongst the Barbarike Princes it is so but we account nothing honest which is not honest in déede nor any thing iuste which is not iust in déede Alexander Seuerus the adopted sonne of Heliogabalus was a wise valiant and vertuous Prince who bare suche affection to learning and learned men that he would do nothing without their cousel and assistence From his Courte he dismissed all superfluous and vnnéedefull seruantes and sayd that he was no good pupill which fedde idle seruauntes with the bowels of his common wealth And amongste his other good vertues which was a rare thing in those dayes he was fréendly and fauourable vnto the Christians In so muche that when the Christians hadde occupied a certaine publike place to some good vse belike for the assembling and conuenting togither of the congregation the companie of the cookes or tiplers made chalenge thereto The matter being