the wyser and more prudent Certeynlye though this be comoÌ„ly true for experieÌ„ce is mother of prudence yet suche prudence wysedom cost the comon weale moch Warres for defence of y e couÌ„trey be necessary moch to be preferred afore cowardly peax quiete And agayne I graunte suche troubles and stormes do engendre wysdome and experience of thynges But doubtles out of the case of necessitie farre better it were and also moche more godly to fetche wisedom out of wyse mens bookes then to gather wretched prudence wyth experimentes and suche hasardes as putte the hole countrey in daunger The same Darius wheÌ„ he had imposed layd a tribute vpoÌ„ his subiectes he sent sodeynly for hys collectours and asked them whether the trybute whyche he had assesed semed to greuouse and ouerchargeable to the commons When they aunswered that it semed meane and indyfferent he coÌ„maunded they shulde demaunde but the half of y t which was assessed The prudent kyng in dede intended at the begynning to haue had nomore But yf he shuld haue taxed theÌ„ forthwyth at nomore he perceyued they shulde not haue bene so wel wylling to haue payde it as they were now when he assesed them at the double and after released them of the one halfe When thys kynge had cut a very great pome granate one asked hym of what thynge he wolde wyshe to haue so greate a noÌ„bre as there were graynes or kernels he aunswered of zopyres Thys zopyre was the sonne of Megabyses which was one of the sayd seuen princes a very good man a ryght trusty and assured frend to kyng Darius Signifyeng by thys that to a kyng nothynge ought to be dearer nor more preciouse theÌ„ good faithful frendes This zopire dyd cut of hys owne nose eares so not be yng aknowen whom he was fledde away like a fugitiue person vnto the BabiloniaÌ„s which at y t time were at mortal warre w t kyng Darius faynynge that he was most cruelly hand led of Darius The BabiloniaÌ„s beleuyng hym beyng persuaded by his colorable wordes that hys tale was true espyeng him a very wyse hardye maÌ„ made him one of theyr chiefe captaynes He sekyng his occasion delyuered vp y e hole cytie of BabyloÌ„ vnto Darius After which feate Darius was accustomed ofteÌ„times to say y t he had rather haue one zopyre hole souÌ„de theÌ„ to coÌ„quere an huÌ„dred Babylones Babylon at that tyme was a cytie moste floryshyng flowynge full of all richesse yet preferred he one frende afore an hundred Babylones ¶ Of quene Semiramis SEmiramis quene of y e CariaÌ„s which is cronicled to haue buylded Babylon caused to be wrytten vpoÌ„ her toÌ„be this saynge What kynge so euer shall haue nede of money let hym open my graue take so moche as he woll desyre Darius after he had wonne the citie gyuynge credite to the tytle wyth moch ado at last remouyug awaye y e great stone wherwyth the graue was couered money he fouÌ„de none at all but on the other syde of y e stone he founde thys inscripciou Onles thou haddest bene an euell man wyth money vnsatisfyable thou woldest neuer haue moued the graues of the deade ¶ Of kynge Xerxes BEtwene Xerxes y e soÌ„ne of Darius and Arimenes hys elder brother but borne afore Darius was chosen kynge was great stryfe who shulde be kyng So wheÌ„ Xerxes had knowlege that hys brother was coÌ„mynge from the countrey of the Bactrians he sente vnto hym ryche presentes and to them that bare them he gaue in coÌ„maundement that they shuld say in hys name thus vnto hys brother Wyth these rewardes thy brother Xerxes at this time honoreth the but yf he may be onesproclaimed kyng thou shalt be w t hym y e chyfest of all other Arimenes assuaged with thys excedyng humanite left hys coÌ„tention his brother beyng now pro claimed kyng forthwith he saluted honored hym as kyng and moreouer dyd sette the crowne vpon hys hedde Agayne Xerxes y e kynge for hys part gaue hym the nexte place vnto hym Ye shal rede a lyke thynge of Jacob Esau in the boke of Genesis Thys kynge beynge sore agreued w t the BabiloniaÌ„s bycause they traytorously shronke froÌ„ him renouÌ„ced hym for theyr lord after he ones had brought them vnder agayne forbad them to beare any more weapeÌ„s and further coÌ„maunded they shulde synge at the lute shalmes kepe harlottes haunt tauernes alehouses and vse wyde longe garmentes to thintent that beynge molifyed made effeminate wyth pleasures they moughte nomore studye to fal awaye froÌ„ theyr lord By this prudeÌ„t facte of a panim hethen prince we be taughte what is the successe of delicate and voluptuouse lyuynge When he sawe al Hellesponte full of shyppes and all the see coostes and playnes of Abydon fylled wyth men he boasted hymselfe to be blessed and fortunate y t he had so greate power at hys commaundemente and anone he wepte a good pace Artabamus y e kynges vncle woÌ„deryng at so sodayn chaunge asked the cause Then xerxes the kynge thus answereth Oh vncle a right depe thought entreth my mynde how short maÌ„s lyfe is syth of so passynge greate a multitude of men that I nowe see w tin an hundred yeares not one shalbe lefte a lyue Undoubtedly yf maÌ„ wold thus consydre y e shortnes of hys tyme and in what state God hath set hym here in earth he wolde not runne so headlonge to all kyndes of myschyefes Thys Xerxes what tyme he purposed to gyue battell to Grece called to gether all the prynces of Asya thus said vnto them Lest I moughâ— seme to enterpryse this thinge of my owne priuate counsayle I haue gathered you together but I woll ye remeÌ„ber that ye muste obeye me rather then counsayle me Thys oratioÌ„ of Xerxes is not here recounted to thintente it shuld be folowed For without doubt it is tyrannicall and that two maner wayes fyrste bycause he abused the assemblie of hys lordes for a coloure to cast a myste before mens eyes makyng them beleue that al he dyd was done by thaduyse and counsayl of his lordes second that he wolde venture vpon a matter so daungerouse to the hole people beynge inforced rather of hys owne sensual lust then induced by sage and wyse counsayle When thys kinge was vexed and almost put to the worse but of iii. huÌ„â—â— Lacedemonians where as he hymselfe had wyth hym a very great multytuue of souldiours He coÌ„fessed himself deceyued in thys that he toke with hym many meÌ„ but fewe souldiours He perceiued wel that it forceth not so much howe many there be as howe well assayed pyked and tryed men there be When the espyes of the Grekes were taken in hys hoste he wolde do theÌ„ no maner harme at al but moreouer bad them marke and viewe diligeÌ„tly hys hole armye whych thyng when they had done he licenced them to departe wythout hurte of any persone An example of a synguler
rauished her For the probation of the other crime they had gotten one Arsenius sometime Athanasius lcctour whiche for feare of the byshops chastenynge whom he had offended was fled away from hym Thys fugitiue Arsenius the Arrians had hyd out of mens syghtes for a good space to the intente it myghte be the better beleued that he were deade Neuertheles thys Arsenius when he had learned througly what they had in hande agaynst his olde maister whether he abhorred theyr detestable coÌ„spiracye or whether he was desyrouse by this occasyon to come in fauour agayne wyth hys byshop pryuily by nyght sted his way out of the secrete place where he was hydden and arriuyng at Tyre came to Athanasius vnto whom he opened all the matter Here this noble prelate as he was passinge holy so also beyng of a ryght sharpe wyt for accordynge to the Lordes commaundement he had ioyned the simplicite of the doue with the prudence of the serpent he gaue Arsenius in commaundement to hyd hym selfe tyll tyme he shulde be called forthe for the purpose To be shorte the councell is assembled the commissyonred the woman appeareth the biere of a deade man to the terrible syght of all that were present is brought in a dead mans arme cut of beyng layd vpon the biere is shewed forth Mens myndes were stryken at the syght herof with indignation and hatred For who wold haue thought that these thynges had bene fayned namely of prestes The womaÌ„ whiche had her lessoÌ„ redy taught her before beginneth to tel how on a time she harboured this bishop athanasius in her house and how in y e night season when she suspected nothyng les then any such matter she was by hym rauyshed perforce Athanasyus was brought forth to make aunswere to this accusatioÌ„ Here Athanasius of an excedyng pregnauÌ„t wyt secretly warned Timothie his preste to couÌ„terfeyt hym make aunswere in his stede to the womaÌ„ For he perceyued ful well y t the womaÌ„ knewe hym not so much as by syght WheÌ„ she had ended her accusatioÌ„ theÌ„ thus beginneth Timothie in hys maisters name Sayest thou womaÌ„ I had euer carnally to doo with the that also by force Yea euen thou ê™ the woman thou I say yf thou remembrest in suche a place at suche a tyme didest forcybly rauyshe me Some of them were ashamed seyng y e womans sklander thus so easely detected and auoyeded Yet neuertheles they did not acquitte Athanasius neyther punyshe y e womaÌ„ for her sklaunder bycause the selfe same were hys iudges and hys accusers They came thaÌ„ to thother crime loo say they this mater is to playne here ye se y e arme of Arsenius which to what purpose it was by the cutte of declare thou Athanasius vnto vs. Here with lyke sharpnes of witte the prudent byshop asketh theÌ„ whether they euer wel knew Arsenius Some of them make aunswere they knewe hys face verye well Athanasyus desyreth leaue to sende for one that he shulde haue nede offor thys mater They graunted hym To make short tale Arsenius is brought forth his face discouered Loo ê™ y e bishop here is Arsenius a lyue beholde hys right arme beholde his left hole sownd nowe howe yonder arme commeth cutte of declare you Let thys exemple of thys moste holye lyuer admonyshe vs to fense our selfes ayenst the wyly and crastye foxes wyth columbyne prudencie for all hasardes and chaunces ¶ Sigismund Themperour THe emperour SigismuÌ„d had in hys court manye yeres a seruaunte vpon whoÌ„ he neuer bestowed any notable benefyte for all the seruice he dyd him On a tyme as themperour rode through a water it chaunced hys horse to stale At which thing his old seruauÌ„t lawghed said to hys companioÌ„s riding with him before theÌ„perour y t theÌ„perours horse had lyke propertie w t hys mayster Themperour by chauÌ„ce hearing thys asked what he meant Mary ê™ the seruaunt As your horse by hys stalyng addeth more water to the rywer where is already abundaunce of water euen so doth youre Maiestye For to suche as be welthy alreadye flowe in ryches ye gyue more riches Here theÌ„perour perceyuynge he was closely touched of illiberatye in that he neuer rewarded his olde seruaunt with any worthy benefyte answered in thys wyse Assuredly I neuer waÌ„ted a good wyll to further auaunce my frendes and trustye seruauntes but ye muste consyder that gyftes of princes happen not alwayes to them that haue deserued them but to suche only as the fatall prouidence of God appoynteth And this God wylling shall I euidentlye declare vnto the so soone as my busynes dyspetched I shall haue gotten any opportunitie and leyser A whyle after leyser to his desyre obteyned he coÌ„maundeth two boxes of lyke fascion and proporcion to be brought forthe he fylleth thone with gold thother with leade of lyke weyght he byddeth his said seruauÌ„t to chose whether boxe he wold The seruauÌ„t peysyng now this now that boxe stryken wyth greate perplexitie whyche he myght beste take at laste chase that whyche conteyned the lead which when he opened saw y t lead thou seest now ê™ Themperour that the fault is not in me that thou were not amonges other promoted of me but in thy owne mysfortune Declarynge herby very prudently that the happy successe of thynges onely chauÌ„ceth vnto men from God aboue Thys Emperour beynge muche prayse worthy for other thynges in thys one thynge was excedynglye to be commended that lyke as hys selfe loued the knowledge of tongues and of good letters so he alwayes studied to auaunce and promote men that excelled other in learnynge For whyche thyng wheÌ„ he was blamed of certain prynces of Almayne whyche hated good letters that he so exalted men of lowe byrth for the commendacion of learnynge Why ê™ he shulde I not loue suche as nature wolde haue excell the rest of men The Almaynes do attribute verye muche to nobilitie of bloude But y e prudent Emperour obserued that in learned personages was a thyng of much more worthynes noblenes then in stockes They haue the walles of theyr houses portered with armes with conisaunces and wyth the ymages of theyr auncestours lerned meÌ„ haue theyr minde furnyshed and decked wyth good disciplines Wherfore as by nature the minde is more excellent then y e body so the ornameÌ„tes of y e wytte be farre fayrer then the badges of outwarde nobilitie He that hath nothynge els then the armes and ymages of hys auncestours in opinion is noble rather theÌ„ in dede But who so is adourned decked wyth vertue froÌ„ whens floweth also that vulgare nobilitie hath the true and vnfayned nobilitie The trouthe of thys mater declareth to al the world the moste noble kyng Henry the eyght who to y e most royal nobilitie of stocke hath also ioyned the most true veray nobilitie that is to saye renowme of lernynge of prudence of graue iugement mete for so noble magnifycent a prince Wolde god al other noble meÌ„ of byrth
The secoÌ„d booke of the Garden of wysedome wherin are conteyned wytty pleasaunt and nette sayenges of renowmed personages collected by Rycharde Tauerner Anno. M. D. XXXIX Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum ¶ Rycharde Tauerner to the gentle readers I Confesse my selfe a debtor unto you gentle readers in y t I promysed in my for mer boke to adde the secoÌ„d Assuredly although I haue marked that thys argument of wrytynge is not ingrate vnto you as well for the varietie of the matter as for the sharpenes of the sentencies for whyche consideration they were called of the Grekes Apophthegmata that is to saye shorte and quycke speakynges yet for my sondry occupations wher wyth I am dyuersly interrupted I shall not be able to make my promyse good namely in such sorte as I may satisfye eyther youre expectation or myne owne Wherfore I muste desyre you not only to pardon myn incondite and grosse phrase on whych ye shal happen to stomble but also to wynke at the coÌ„fuse order herin For ordre in thys boke I protest I kepe none but accordynge to the prouerbe that fyrst commeth to the hande that I write And thus fare you well and se ye fauour myne honest endeuours ¶ Here foloweth the seconde boke of the gardeÌ„ of wysdom conteynyng wytty and pleasauÌ„t saienges of renoumed persons selecte by Richard Tauerner ¶ Of Achilles A Chilles was asked of Aiax which were y e greatest hardest labours y t euer he toke vpoÌ„ him He aunswered those y t he susteyned for hys frendes Againe Aiax asked him whych wer the most pleasaunt labours y t euer he suffered He answered euen those same Meanyng herby that a noble and worthy personage adourned in dede with heroical vertues brenneth with a certaine wonderfull desyre and luste to further y e comon weale with whiche desyre beyng pricked and inwardly tickeled he valiauÌ„tly ventureth vpon most hyghe and ieoperdous maters nought regardyng his owne priuate weale but his countreys vtilitie and benefite WheÌ„ with this noble corage wyth this ardeÌ„t zele and stomake he is thus rapte doubtles no thynge is sweater then vpon thynges most diffycile and weyghtye to enter pryse and to go throughe in euen as vnto a musicien nothyng can be more pleasaunte then the moste connynge exercises of his arte ¶ Alfonsus kynge of Aragon A Certayne knyght had ryottously prodigally wasted al his patrimony laÌ„des which were very greate and moreouer had indebteh hym selfe excedyngly moche His frendes in the courte were suters to y e kynge for hym y t at least hys bodye myght not be imprisoned for hys debtes Alfonsus maketh them thys aunswere Yf he had bestowed this so great ryches eyther in y e seruice of me hys prynce or vpoÌ„ the coÌ„mune weale of hys couÌ„trey or in releuynge of hys kynsfolkes I coulde heare your sute Now syth he hath spent so great substauÌ„ce vpon hys body it is mete that hys body suffre for it Let thys be a lesson to all prodigalities chyldren to plucke backe theyr fete betymes ere all be wasted leaste yf they do not they happeÌ„ to be serued as this wyse gentylman was When he herd say that a certayne kynge in Spayne shulde saye that learnynge was not comly for princes and noble men he made an exclamation and sayde thys was neuer no mans voyce but an oxes Assuredlye althoughe perchaunche all kynde of letters be not mete for prynces yet the studye of Gods lawes the politicall sciences morall letters and the readynge of Cronicles be so necessarye vnto them that wythout these it shalbe very hard for them to furnysh and dyscharge the offyces whervnto they be appoynted He was accustomed to saye that wedded persons may thus passe ouer theyr lyues quietly and without complaynynges yf the husbande become deafe and the wyfe blynde Signifyenge that womankynde is much subiecte to the sycknes of gelousie wherof vndoubtedly springeth greate variauÌ„ce playntes Agayne that the husbande is very sore noyed and greuen wyth the iangelyng and vnquiet tongue of the wyfe whyche greuaunce he shulde lacke yf he were deafe nether shuld she be vexed wyth the suspicion to be made Cokequen yf she wanted her eye syghte But to this coÌ„moditie may wise meÌ„ womeÌ„ wythout detrimeÌ„t blemishe of their bodye verye well atteyne yf the husbande will not heare that he heareth nor the woman see that she seeth This kyng Alfonse was wonderful courteouse and familier with all that resorted to his court Wherfore on a tyme certayne hys specyall frendes couÌ„sailled him to beware least his ouermuche familiaritie myght breade him coÌ„tempte of coÌ„tempte myght ensue great peryll and consequently destructioÌ„ to hys person He aunswereth Nay it is more to befeared least seueritie and roughnes gette vs the enuie grudge of our comons whervpon hangeth a greater peryll of destructioÌ„ than vpoÌ„ gentle behauiour When one of hys knightes was alway crauynge somwhat of hym neuertheles forthwyth lasshed out agayn what soeuer he receyued at the kynges hande Uerely ê™ the kyng yf I wold coÌ„tinue to gyue y e such thynges as thou askest I shuld soner beggar my selfe than enriche the. For he that gyueth y e doth nothyng els but poure water into a botoÌ„les tubbe Demaunded whom of his subiectes he had moste deare vnto hym he answered those that feare rather for me thaÌ„ me He meant that those only be the hartye frendes whyche rather loue theyr prince then feare hym Also when he was asked whether he was more bound to his bokes thaÌ„ to hys weapoÌ„s or armes he aunswered Out of my bokes I haue learned bothe armes and the lawes of armes knowlegyng by thys sayenge that he myghte impute all togyther vnto learnynge This Kyng Alfonse delited muche in his cognisauÌ„ce which was a Pelecane diggyng her brest with her byll and launchinge out her owne bloude to fede therwyth her yonge To thys picture he added thys inscriptioÌ„ Pro lege pro grege that is to say for the law and for the flocke Signifyenge that a prynce ought with a noble courage to veÌ„ture vpoÌ„ al dauÌ„gers aswel for the defence of hys people as for y e auauÌ„cemeÌ„t of true godlines religioÌ„ ¶ Of Athanasius AThanasius was an inuincible defendour of y e catholyke trouth whoÌ„ because y e most pestileÌ„t secte of the ArrieÌ„s coulde not ouercome w t scriptures argumeÌ„tes they had coÌ„spired to laye feloniouse crymes to his charge so to put hym down Wherfore throughe their maliciouse suggestioÌ„s they had so kyndled y e emperour ConstaÌ„cius agaynst this most godly bysshop y t he strayght awarded out his coÌ„mission vnto suche as they them selues named to sytte vpon hym Two principall crymes were layde to hys charge the one was that he had rauyshed a woman the other that he had cut of a deade maÌ„sarme to serue for enchauntement For the proufe of y e first they had hired a womaÌ„ to gyue euidence agaynst hym y t he had
and vnstablenes of mens thynges in the worlde vttered these wordes to such as stode about hym O frendes take hede of the brykylnes and slyppery chaūge offortune trust not the flatterye of the worlde name ly of the courte For lyke as the fyngers of auditours when they cast accomptes can lay otherwhyles an in fynite nombre otherwhyles agayn but one euen so the frendes of kinges now can do all and nowe nothynge Here ye shall note that in old tyme they made theyr accomptes w t theyr fyngers as now with counters ¶ Duke Memnon WHat tyme the valyaunt capitayn Memnon held warres agaynst y e great Alexander on the behalfe of Darius kynge of Persia it chaunced that a certayne hyred sowldiour in the armie of Memnon made very moche raylynge vpon kynge Alexander Memnon hearynge hym layde hym on the pate with hys speare and thus rebuketh hym I gyue the wages syr knaue and meate and drynke to fyghte wyth Alexander and not to rayle vpon hym Let Chrysten men at lest waye take example herby to leaue theyr fowle and detestable raylynges farre vnworthye for suche as professe Chrystes doctryne that forbyddeth vs to calle oure brother but fole Some we call Pharisees we beknaue we defye as naughtye papistes w t other lyke opprobriouse wordes vnmete for Chrysten mens eares but as for to fyght agaynste theym and to confounde them wyth pure doctryne and good lyuyng that we woll not Agayne other some we beheretike we call Lutheranes and all that naught is but to shew them charitably where they erre rightly to instructe them we woll not ¶ The Egyptians THe Kynges of Egypte according to the custome of theyr countreye were wont to take an othe of suche as were made iudges that althoughe the kynge hym self wold cōmaunde thē to iudge any thyng that shulde be agaynst right equytie they shulde not iudge it So greatly they thought it expedient for the common wealthe that the people shulde haue iuste iudges But howe can that people haue iuste and incorrupte iuges where as is reported y e prince selleth the offyce and power of iugyng for a great some of money In Englande thanked be God in the iuges of the lawe there is as litle corruption as in any other regyon And yf any default in this behalfe be it is soner in inferiour courtes where the iuges be appointed not by y e Kynges Maiestye but by others amonges whom if any corruption were found I wold wyshe for y e terrible exemple of other they myght be serued as a certayn iuge of whome I shall nowe make relation ¶ Of Cambyses CAmbyses Kynge of Persia was otherwyse a verye wycked and cruell tyraunte Yet there is no prynce of so disperat an hope of so naughtye a lyfe but that at the lest waye otherwhyles doth some ho nest acte For gods propertye is to garnyshe exornate the offyce of the magistrat rulers he causeth that for the cōseruatiō of ciuil gouernaūce in the common weale sometyme excellente and profytable workes be of necessitie done of thē that beare rule But to my purpose Cambyses in al hystories is cōmended for this one facte for whyche no doubte he deserueth prayse In the former parte of Asia he had a deputie named Sisam nes now he was credibly infourmed that thys Sisamnes beynge corrupted wyth brybes rewardes had falsly iudged agaynst the kynges lawes agaynst good ryght cōsciēce The mater beyng examined foūde true sorthwyth he cōmaūded he shulde be put to death and y t the skynne of hys body shuld be plucked of layd ouer the iudgemēt seat where he gaue the false iudgemente in hys rowme he dyd set Dtane the sayde iudges sonne to succede hys father in office whyche was admonished by cōtemplacion of his fathers skinne y t he shuld succede hym also in lyke kynde of punyshmēt yf he folowed his fathers steppes Thys exemple teacheth them y t beare offyce rule to remēber y t god suffereth not iniustice nor iniury vnreuenged But for asmuche as I haue entred to speake of Cambyses which otherwyse as I haue sayd lyued a very tyrānouse wycked lyfe I thynke it here good to report certayne his notoriouse crymes and his ende to thyntent all rulers what so euer they be maye take exemple at hym to feare God to preserue the common weale to execute iustice and iudgemēt to vse theyr subiectes as men and not as beastes This Cambyses beganne to raygne after that Cyrus hys father had made his viage agaynst the Scithians And albeit at the begynnynge he subdued conquered Egypte yet anone he forgatte all goodnes and degendred quyte cleane frō the renowmed excellent vertues of hys father Wherfore when Prexaspes one of hys chosen counsaylours aduertysed hym very freely and sayde vnto hym that the Persians praysed hym very much but thys one thyng dyspleased them that he was so subiecte to the vyce of dronkēnes anone he cōmaunded the chyefe estates lordes of thēpyre to be called together and asked of thē whether in any thyng he were worthy to be reprehēded They espyeng how thankful plausible a thing flattery is aūswered no but y t in vertue prowesse he also excelleth his father Cyrus forasmuche as vnto hys empyre and dominion he had gotten by way of conquest the kyngdome of Egypt But contrary wyse Cresus a worthy lord vnto whose cure and gouernaunce Cyrus had tōmytted hys sonne Cambyses to be instructed and brought vp in honestie and vertue by cause he wolde merylye as muche as myghte be borne abate the kynges pryde aunswered sayd that Cambyses myght not be yet compared to hys father Cyrus forasmuche as there is not yet begotten such a sonne of hym as Cyrus lefte Cambyses Thys thynge then as featly spoken pleased the kynge welynough Thus the coūsayle beyng parted whē none of the lordes had blamed any thynge in him he cōmaūded Prexaspes to be called afore him bad him bryng vnto hym hys yonger son For he wold declare how wel he coulde seme sobre euen when he had most of al dronken for he sayd he wold euē whē he were dronkē with hys bowe shote at Prexaspes sonne yf he myght wyth hys arowe stryke through hys herte thē it myght be iudged that in the myddes of hys cuppes he wāteth not the practyse of coūsaylle iudgement of reason Yf not y t he were worthye to be called a drōkard To be short whē Cāhyses had throughly washed hys braynes wyth wyne he shotte at the chyld as at an appointed marke and strykynge hym through the herte he cōmaūnded it shuld be cut out and so he shewed it to y e father Prexaspes sayenge that the chyldes herte was well hit wherfore he mought esteme full well herby y t he was no drōkard So barbarouse so sauage and so tyrannicall maners doeth dronkennes brynge vpon the myndes of men although they were before ryghtly institute and broughte vp lyke as it
confydence and affyaunce in hym selfe and in hys power ¶ Of Kyng Artoxerxes wyth the longe hand ARtoxerxes the son of Xerxes surnamed wyth the longe hand bycause hys one hand was longer then thother was wont to saye that it is more Kynglyke to put to than to take awey Regalius est addere quam adimere Meanyng that it is more worthy for a prynce and ruler of the people to augment the honour and riches of suche as he hath rule ouer rather then to diminyshe the same When Saubarzenes hys chamberlayne begged a thing of hym whiche was skarse lawfull and the kyng parceyued y t he was prouoked vnto it by one that promised him xxx thousande coygnes of that couÌ„trey money for thobteyning of the sute the Kyng coÌ„mauÌ„ded his treasauroure to bring hym thyrtie thousande coynes called Darikes which so sone as they were brought him he gaue theÌ„ al to Satibarzanes sayinge Holde here o Satibarzanes For while I gyue the this I shall not be the porer but I shulde be the worser and the vnrightuouser man yf I shulde haue graunted the thynge that thou demaundedst The most noble and excellent kyng had deuised howe he mighte neyther make sadde hys freende nor deflecte from ryght and equytie ¶ Cyrus the yonger CYrus y e yonger what tyme he shuld pitche hisfeld ayenst hys enemyes hys freende Clearchus couÌ„sailled him to kepehim selfe behynd the Macedonians not to cast himselfe in to the daunger of y e warres What saiest thou clearchus ê™ the kyng Dost thou connsaille me that where as I couette a kyngdom I shulde shewe my self vnworthy for a kyngdome ¶ Of Cresus IN y e time of Cyrus y e greate which was the fyrst kyng monarche of y e Persians of whom we haue hertofore sum what spoken raigned the riche Cresus ouer the Lydians in y e fyrst part of Asia he warred ayenst kynge Cyrus but Cyrus vaynquished him conquered his land toke him prisoner Nowe when Cresus sawe the souldiours of Cyrus spoylyng brennyng and makynge hauocke of all that was in the citye whiche they hadde taken he asked Cyrus what they dyde Cyrus aunswered marye they destroye thy citye and spoyle thy goodes No no ê™ Cresus Nothynge here is nowe myne it is thyne that they destroye These wordes wyttyly spoken moued Cyrus to calle backe hys sowldiours from spoyle But when by the coÌ„maundement of Kynge Cyrus he shulde be burnt euen when he shulde now goo to the fyer he cryed out wyth a very lamentable and weeping voyce O Solon Solon Kynge Cyrus wonderynge what these wordes shuld meane bad one of hys seruauntes aske hym for what cause wyth so greate sorow he cryed thus and named Solon Then Cresus drawyng a great syghe euen from the botome of his hart aunswered in thys wyse Solon sumtyme amonges the Athenians was a very wyse man vnto whom Jones when he was wyth me did shewe and exhibite moche kyndnes and worshyp I shewed hym all my power and treasures which doon I asked hym whether he thought that euer any aduersitie or misfortune cowld happeÌ„ vnto me being furnyshed and fensed wyth such power and riches ayenst al chauÌ„ces of fortune or force of enemyes But to this aunswered Solon rebukyng me for my securitie and careles mind said No man in the worlde o kyng Cresus is so happye and fortunate in thys lief that he can be called throughly in euery parte blessed afore he dye neither is there any maÌ„ I assure the be he neuer so mighty but some aduersitye may come vpoÌ„ hym ouerthrowe hym or he be aware But at that tyme trusting alas reche lesly vpoÌ„ my happy lucke successe of thynges I despised his wordes neyther cowlde I fere thys so excedynge a falle as nowe I fynde Wherfore bycause nowe fyrst I vnderstode the senteÌ„ce of Solon therfore now afore my deathe I named hym And I do wysshe all meÌ„ in prosperitie not to be vnmyndful of misfortunes and calamities that maye chaunce lest they becom ouer hawlty by reason of their present felicitie gready to attempte thynges headyly y t by occasyon maye be their vtter coÌ„fusioÌ„ These thynges wheÌ„ Cyrus y e king herd he was not a litle touched with pytie clemencie towardes Cresus sayed he wolde not herafter shew him selfe to hard vpon Cresus whyche was sometyme a ryght mightie kyng for he remembreth that he hymselfe also is a man and that it mought chaunce hym to haue nede of other mens ayde and mercye After that he commaunded Also Cresus to be brought vnto hym whome he enterteyned lyke a noble prynce and vsed hys aduyse and couÌ„saille in al his affayres procedinges Thys Cresus after he was taken prisoner of Cyrus by this argument preferred peax before warres that in tyme of peax the sonnes be wont to burye the fathers but in warres contrary wyse the fathers burye the sonnes ¶ Of Amyntas and Alexander hys sone WHyle y e Persians were a lofte had the chief empire and y e monarchie of the world they wente about also to subdue all Grece Macedonye But bicause god hath prefixed the certayne limites to euery kyngdome whiche can not be passed ouer therfore y e kynges of y e PersiaÌ„s could neuer subdue vnto theyr dominions neyther the Macedonyans nor the Grekes Neuertheles on a tyme the Persyans sent theyr ambassadours vnto Amyntas then kynge of Macedony and requyred him to yeld him vnto them Kynge Amyntas fearyng the power of the Persians voluntarily in maner submittyng hymself promised to do what so euer they wolde haue him and interteyned the Ambassadours wyth al kynd of humanitie Now when to the ambassadours desyre a solempne feaste was ordeyned they requyred that for the furniture of the feaste certayne noble matrones theyr daughters myght be brought thither Amyntas durste denye them no thing but coÌ„maunded they shulde be brought to the feaste So when the Persians had well fauoredly wasshed theyr throtes wyth wine forgettyng all honeste sobrietie they began to dally w t the Ladyes so vnshamefastsly that Amyntas and the yonger kynge Alexander hys son were not a litle abashed and wery to se theyr shamefull demenours Alexander desyred hys father for the reuerence of his age that he wold depart from the banket and go to hys reste saynge that he wolde kepe thembassadours companye When he hadde thus conuayed awaye hys father he pretended great myrth and suffered the Persians to dallye sporte wyth the ladyes at theyr pleasure At laste he desyred them they wolde ryse for a whyle and lycense the ladyes to departe a lytle for they shulde come in agayne forthwyth much more gorgi ously arayed The lordes of the Persians were very well coÌ„tent herwith In the meane season the yoÌ„ge kynge caused a pyked sorte of yonge men that hadde good faces to be decked lyke ladyes and to retourne to the banket to whom he had gyuen in coÌ„maundement that euerye one shulde haue vnder hys clothes a swearde