discribeth Pompeius deathe in this wise In hast he stayde his vvofull voyce and vvould no vvord complayn Least vveping teares might so vnvvares his heauenly fame disdain And vvhâ—â—â—is noble side vvas pearst vvith fearce Achilles blade No sigâ— no sob no careful cheare no sorovving sound he made but in disdaine of crueltye Cato VticeÌ„sis determined to dye ordered his goods wiselye forseinge the good of others though he neglected his owne which done reading Plato of the immortality of soules layd himselfe down slepte so souÌ„dly as he snored after being awaked sticked himselfe And when throughe weakenes of his hand the wounde was not mortal suche as were by saued him tyl at length violently he brake lose dyed Such was his gredy desyre of death Otho themperoure a yong man of thirtye seuen yeares of al men accompted soft and effeminate after hee had won thre battels of the Vitelli for the sorow of one lost gaue his mony and substance to his frendes and willed his familiar companion to shewe himselfe to the souldiers lest that after he should be suspected and in the night with two daggers murdered himselfe And yet neither dispayred hee of the holding of the Empire nor wanted the loue of the Senate or his souldiers but onlye for that nether in victory or victored he would hinder the commoÌ„ wealth Caius Iulius by Caius themperour condempned to dye â–ª obteyned ten dayes pardon all whiche time careles he consumed in sleape and table play and when the hangeman came in to warne him y his tyme was euen at hande hee tolde what aduauntage he had in the game and willed his play felow that after his death he should not boast of winning and called the hangman to record who led him towardes death accompanied with a philosopher Vpon the way being asked whaâ— he mused of He aunswered I determined to obserue what at the last instant my soule shal feele when it parteth away to the ende that after I may aduertise my frends Aratus knowing he had taken a lingering poyson at the handes of Philippus the Macedonian kinge speaking one secrete worde to his familier frend passed the rest of his life so pleasantly as semed not to haue any such griefe or assurance to dye The seuen brothers called Machabei al yoÌ„g men and sonnes of one mother by the commaundement of king Antigouns one after an other and in sondry sorte together with their Mother killed themselues Tectamenes condempned to dye went his way laughinge and being asked whether hee disdayned the lawes answered no but by dyinge I must pay that I neither asked nor borrowed of any Which example although vnder the person of one vnknowen was much praysed of Cicero yet in wise iudgements such behauiour argueth In Tectamenes rather vanity theÌ„ fortitude for a man condempned specially for wicked doing naturally can not loue death neither was it our entente to proue that death should be desired or sought for But as it is the condicion of a faithlesse man not to restore y he boroweth so is it also an vnfreÌ„dly and vnthankefull parte not to kepe that hee boroweth As therfore death is not to be fled or lameÌ„ted â—o ought it not to be sought for But as y Poete sayth Do neyther seke nor shonne the ende of thine ovvne lyfe Yet happely Craton may holde such opinion and though it be not mainteined by reason yet for the meruaile gaineth reputation among the common sort The example therfore of Theramon is more honest and more couragious For he beinge vniustly by thirty Tyrantes condempned tooke the poyson saying according to the auncient maner of Athens Critus I drinke to the for so was the greatest Tyrant and worse then Theramines called that done whatsoeuer remayned in the cuppe he threw vpon the ground The death of Phocion was more noble he seing his frend desyrous to drinke poison didde stay him after findinge that which was not left to suffise did buy more saying that in Athens a man was forced to buy his own death But why do I labor to enduce more ensamples of men when whoole Nacions may be called to recorde As the Galathians did so little regarde Deathe as they feared not to fighte Naked So did also manye noble Romaines and Germaines that nedelesse it wer to resyte their names I do therfore thinke best in fewe words to declare that men were made mortall for three causes First because there shoulde be some ende of their offences This life is displeasant and the nerer age the moore troublesome and therefore the Gimniophista as men say answered Alexander well askinge whether death or life wer stronger Liâ—e quod hee because it beareth so many calamities The second cause is that goodmen without enuy might be honoured and euil Men without feare coÌ„dempned and that riches and aucthority for whiche menne commit greate wickednesse might not be regarded Yf those thinges whiche mortall men haue were iustly wayed they shoulde as Cares and Euilles be reputed Yet if death were not Menne would muse onlye vppon Thefte and Violence while in this short space that now they lyue they thinke so much thereof The third reason is for that men might receiue rewarde of good and euil according to the quality of their deserts For after death such as haue passed a godly life shall liue not only with their brethren kinsfolke but also accoÌ„panied withal honest and learned men and aboue y starres receiue ioy and euerlasting felicitye So contrary wise the wicked in darkenesse and solitarye places shal be tormented Therfore for wicked folke only death can bee thought euill and yet is not but Good men not vnlike the Swanne who only at his death do synge may boldly reioyse and be gladde Some there are so ambicious that the care of their funeralles doth trouble them muche who are not to bee comforted but for their follye to be reprehended what is the body of man when the Spirite is passed awaye It is no moore accompted as parte or member of him but rather a Carckcasse vnprofytable stinckinge and horryble Seneca therfore didde well deuise that the same should be buried not in respect of the Dead but the liuinge least they by sauour and sight therof might be offended Where vppon in sundrye nacions hath growne sundrie customes of buryinge the Deade The Grecians were wonte to wrye them in the earthe The Romaines dyd burne them in fyre The Nathabeians did burye them in their dungehilles Yea their Kinges had none other Sepulchre The Ethiopians do cast them into the ryuers to be deuoured of Fishes The Magi did geeue them to wilde Beastes Hercani to Doggs But the Massageti most meruailouslye do eate them The Egiptians with their owne Nayles doe burie them The Persians doe wrappe theym in Waxe So incertayne is the reason where is no reason at all Alas good Foole doest thou not heare the Poete sayinge To vvant a tombe the lacke is neuer great What doth it preuayle the to lye in marble aboue the ground
soundly slepte hee tasted the pleasantest part of life meaning as I thinke that euery pleasure that we take by our sences hathe in it more displeasure then sweetenes And therefore there could be nothing better then to lack y knowledge of theym But common opinion hath compared death to slepe rather theÌ„ trauayle or destruction therfore Homer doth call it brasen slepe Virgil yron slepe either of which importeth forgetfulnes of al thinges the allay of cares dulnes of sences careles mynde of hap to come Betwixt slepe and death this only difference there is that in death y time of quiet is longer Diogenes beinge sicke sleaping was asked of his phisicion how hee fared to whom he answered wel for quod he one brother enuieth an other Such was the securitye of hys mynde as euen at point of death he feared not to iest In like maner did Cosmas Medices a wise man in our age who being nerse death closed hys eyes whiche his wife seinge asked whye hee so dyd hee answered that hee did it to bringe his eyes in custome For in dede the eyes of dead men are neither broade open nor close shutte And so I thinke the Poet did wel knowe sayinge Is not our sleape O foole of death an Image playne For fatall course shal bring a rest that euer vvill remayne But if thou compare death to long trauayl and that the soule beinge let lose from prison of the bodye seeth al thinges and walketh euerye where Than what can be consydered more happye For the soule being burdened with the body is neither free nor rightly knoweth any thinge but beyng ouerladen with cares doth beholde only the fygure of thinges and as it were throughe a webbe or clothe gesseth a syghte and certainlye knoweth nothing but beinge free doth not only cast of all hyndraunce but also beholdeth all thinges without interruption whiche beinge true who is hee that willingly woulde eschewe deathe yea who is hee that woulde not rather doe as Theombrotus Ambrociota did who hauinge red Platoes booke of the immortalitye of soules cast himselfe headlong downe from a wall not feelinge any offence or other naturall sickenes but onely for desyre of such heauenlye happynesse as spirites were partakers of Therfore men saye that Socrates being by Crito perswaded to flye frome prison aswel for sauinge hymselfe as his frendes and kinsfolkes refused to doe it answerynge wiselye O Crito my chyldren shal be left in charge to God which gaue them As for friendes I am going into those partes where I am assured to fynd as good or haply better then they be And at length I doubt not but you wil also offer me your company meaninge thereby that the lyfe of man was of small continuance Such were the wordes of Socrates thynking that death necessarilye myght be compared to one of these three and most lyke of al to trauayle whych may also be coniectured by dreames For there is nothing that doth better or moore truely prophecy the ende of lyfe then when a man dreameth that he doth trauayle and wander into farre countries and chiefly if he imagineth hym selfe to ryde vppon a whyte horse that is swyfte and that he trauayleth in countries vnknowen wythout hope of retourne in such sort naturallye deâ—yninge of that shortlye wyll come to passe in dede But if death be resembled to destruction which as is all ready proued is moost impossible yet can it no wayes bee accompted euyll Because what so euer is not can not be euyll els we should lament for them that neuer were born nor neuer were at all and they that are not can nothinge suffer But if thou bewaylest thy chaunge sure it is that Death dooth take away more euylles then it bringeth and those more certayn And although Death were euyll and brought wyth it but one onely commodity whyche Epicharinus spake of because the partinge from Lyfe was painfull yet by death art therof delyuered for in all euilles to haue escaped is a greate comforte If then death be euyll to be dead is to escape but if it bee good thou haste no cause to lament And that the one or the other is who doubteth I remember nowe that longe synce happened to my selfe neither do I thinke to digresse from the purpose that albeit the twentye and seuenth yeare of myne age I became sore sicke of a syngle Tercian after Seuen fyttes I â—ounded and lay for dead In whych tyme althoughe euery member was almoste depriued of his vertue yet felt I neither griefe nor payn other then a certayn ticklinge throughout my whole bodye euen such as we feele in vsing venery Therfore as I sayde beynge in suche estate I feeled nothinge worse then that this tickelinge where in was not so greate pleasure as in Venus Sporte And there with all a certayne Feare leaste in deede I shoulde dye and truely as touchinge Sence or Strength I founde small dyfference thoughe the peryll were greate Afterwardes askinge of manye that hadde beene neare Death whether therein they felte any greate euill or not who aunsweared that in the Headeache and in euerye other sicknesse of the Bodye was greater Griefe I founde that in myne opinion of Death conceyued I dyd not erre at all That proofe maye also bee had that althoughe Children and women be moste fearfull to receiue all sortes of Medecines and yelde to Cuttinge of vaynes yet being ready to dye do neither complayn nor lamente but rather are offended if wee seeke to preserue their liues Who cannot therfore coniecture that in death there is either none euyll at al or very litle seynge those paynes whiche we feare most are in dyinge not regarded Thys is also worthy to bee noted that they that hope of no lyfe to come do no lesse valiantly dye theÌ„ they that beleue the soule immortal As Cassius who hauing killed Caesar with the same dagger that Caesar was slayne aspecting no messenger of death slewe himselfe so dyd Marcus Antonius and Sardanapalus king of the Assyrians did cast into the fyre not only hym selfe but also his bed and his concubines but that he belieued no lyfe after death is knowen by these verses Novve eate novve drinke novve make good sport For sith thy felfe on earthe a mortall man do see Take here thy fill of earthly ioyes no ioyes hereafter be Therfore albeit it were that with the body y soule did perishe yet death could not be eyther euyl greuous or any wayes to be feared yea such as so beleue are in greatest security for not beinge subiect to iudgement and free from all suspicion of mynde either of punishment or reward which thing doth most torment men that are ready to take leaue of lyfe But thou shalt beleue al rather then this that the soule perysheth with the body For as it is not altogether certaine what dothe presentlye folowe death so is it moste assured that the soule of man doth neuer dye wherof althoughe none other profe were then the consideracion of
wise men made more often then in banishmente Ouidius Naso beinge in exile wrote his bookes De tristibus De ponto in Ibin Triumphus Caesaris and De piscibus So as it seemeth that in eight yeares exile he performed more then in those fyftye and foure which before he had liued in Rome Plato wrote the greatest parte of his bookes whyle he lyued from his owne countrye For when Socrates dyed hee was aboute the age of twenty and seuen yeares Truly whosoeuer lyueth in his owne naturall countrye an industrious lyfe doth gayne greate enuye and y more if he be basely borne Where was Chryste worse entreated then in Nazereth beinge there borne yet hated disdayned afflicted and at length in Ierusalem slayn So it seemeth true and that no mā can be a Prophete in his owne countrye Thus we see that exile is not onely good but also glorious chieflie to a wise and learned manne Neyther ought any to mislyke of that which hath forthered many Would God all men knew how profytable a thinge it is to trauayle and chieflye for such as dwell in those countries where riches do rule as Lawe power take place of Order or Tyrannye in any sort is put in practyse Wherfore I saye that exile is neyther euyll nor to be nombred amonge those thinges which haue of euyll any resemblance But exile doth not so much offend these as iniuryes do torment others affirmynge withe the Lacedemonians that who so receiueth one iniury doth occasion an other But who euer thincketh iniuries ought to be reuenged doth greatlye erre For in so doinge no ende of iniuryinge can be taken when one iniury reuengeth another Who so offereth the fyrst must he not reuēge the seconde Hee therefore doth mooste well that offereth the fyrste iniury and nexte to hym he that seketh reuenge deserueth blame because the third iniurye of necessity must folowe And how can he paciently suffer wronge that vnprouoked willingly offered the fyrst iniury What can therfore be bette then to refrayne from doing iniuries and call to memorye the sayinges of Plato that a wise man dyfferethe as far from a common person as a common person from a chylde For children do reuenge euery iniury yea thoughe against the iniuryous wyll it be offered most lyke vnto Beastes vppon whose tayles yf thoughe vnwares thou treade sodenly they byte without consydering whether wyllingly thou did it or not But farre otherwyse oughte Menne to reuenge those iniuries which willingly are offred If then a wise mā do not reuenge those wrongs which by mishap do happen vnto him is he not therin more worthy then the common person voyde of all wisedome how muche were it better to obserue that deuine precept Michi vindictam et ego retribuam That wise men haue so done no man doubteth Amongs whom we reade that Socrates beinge stricken vppon the Shynnes and aduised by his frendes to seeke reuenge aunswered If an asse haue stricken me shal I therfore be so foolishe as to call him in question And when Xantippe hys wyfe in a rage toke his cloake from his shoulders hys frēdes perswadinge him to reuenge he sayde thys is done only to occasyon you to looke vpon vs saye here is Xantippe and here is Socrates Diogenes receyuinge a blowe sayde Nesciebam quādo michi cum galea è domo sit pro deundum Crates also beinge striken on the face by Nicodromo Citaredo made none other reuenge but wrote Nicodromo his name vpon the place he was stricken and in that sorte shewed to the hole cittye the iniury offred vnto him because to offer iniury without cause is a greater reproche then to receiue it The one by offringe wronge sheweth himselfe plainly wicked an euylle man the other is giltye of nothinge mysdone When it was tolde to Antistines that Plato had spoken euyll of him he made this answere It is the parte of a prince to heare euyll when hee doth best But Plato beinge tolde that Zenocrates did slaunder him said fyrst he could not beleue it and after better proofe aunswered sayinge I can not thinke he would haue thus spoken withoute cause What could haue beene sayde more wiselye or more safelye A christian kinge stricken on the right cheke ought to turn the left And S. Paule sayth that if thou do good to those that speake euyll of the thou heapest burning coales vpon their heades There is nothinge more wicked then ingratitude nor more cruel then to oppresse innocentes either of which faults he committeth that offereth iniury to his benefactors Let vs now follow the law of Nature and consider when anye iniury is offered whether safely or withe perill the came may be doone For what can bee moore foolishe then to seeke reuenge when safelye it can not bee perfourmed So did Pausanias reuenge himselfe vpon Philippus but for his laboure was hanged So did Andreas Lampugnanus wreake his ire vpon Galeazeus Sforsa but thereby he wrought the distruction of himself his son his brother besydes many discomodities of his country But how many haue bene punished put to death before they had performed their intent to reuenge as were those that conspyred the murder of Phaleris that wrought treason against Nero. The multitude of ensamples doe make mee leaue them vntouched Who doth therfore beinge neuer so symple cōmend the peryl that reuenge bringeth which though performed doth more hynder thee then him to whom it is offered and somtime before performance doth vndoe both the and thine Is then reuenge good when safely it maye bee executed Surely at no time Because the pleasure of reuenge is when there in a man may declare courage and magnanimity of mynde And as the Poet sayth Shevve not thy force on yeldinge foes let proud men be opprest Me thinckes therfore that Aristides deserued praise For when Cleomines had sayd a man must do good to frendes and euyll to Foes Aristides turned the wordes sayinge A man must do good to his frendes and seeke the reconsiliacion of his foes The glory gotten by forgeuing of foes whō thou may oppresse is greater then the pleasure of reuenge The man y doth good for euyll is lyke vnto god For he that defendeth and doth well to all menne doth most nearelye folowe god And howe great a sygne of noble mynde it is to forbeare reuenge y auncient examples doe beare witnes wherein Iulius Caesar gayned so great prayse as no man more Hee hauing ouerthrowen Pompeius and his army Commaunded that none shoulde bee hurte that were not present in the fyelde agaynst him He spared M Mercellus his mortall enemy He sett at lyberty Petreius the chieftaine of his foes Afranius Vero Korfinius L. Lentulus L. Domitius He tooke mercye vppon the Sonne of Cato a notable Enemye Hee touched not Sextus Pompeius the younger Sonne of the great Pompeius at whose death hee weeped He pardoned Ligarius at the suite of hys Freendes and Bretheren thoughe hee were an apparaunte offender and many waies gyltie He spared
or in the bowelles of the earthe doest thou take care for want of a workeman There is no cause of feare at all The Heauen doth hide hys bones that can no coffyn fynde as sayth the Poet. Who so were wise would not with one hafepeny spence buy this felicitie The fyrste inuentoure of names for these stately building for buriall of stinkynge bodies what did hee other then make tryall of an insolente and vayne ambicious mynde that euen in deathe woulde declare the same But this care caughte beginninge at Silla that Deade Menne should bee buryed Hee was the fyrste that at the Deathe of Cornelia caused burninge and not burying to be vsed because he feared to be digged vppe and suffer shame which he had care of in the buryinge of Marius But howe much better did Diogenes Cenicus lyinge vnder a tree sicke and readye to dye aunsweared them that asked where he woulde be buryed sayinge I praye you let me alone whereto they replyed that then the beastes woulde teare him in peeces whye then quoth hee geeue me a staffe naye sayde his frendes that were to none vse when the life is gone Then Diogenes not vnwiselye reproued them saying what harme can I haue when I shal be senceles and feele nothinge it maketh also to purpose to knowe that it is incertaine what doth become of mens carcases cast awaye sometimes it was thoughte they gayned an opinion of deuinitye as it came to passe of Cleo the Lacedemonian kinge whose body hanging whole vppon the gallouse ther appeared in it a Serpent that broughte forth deuouringe byrdes Whereof grewe a religion as though the Gods were keepers of innocent mens bodyes which foolishly the people honoured It is sayd that Ctesias found the carcasse of Clearchus not vnlike to the other out of which grew a woode and became to be honoured for a god Yea at this daye this superstitious opinion remayneth of them that lye vnburyed that theyr sprites should walke So great force hath y memorye of aunciente error and the feare which men haue in walkinge alone But nowe let vs leaue these vnprofitable matters and as at the beginninge was determined turne out talke to sorrowe And fyrste let vs speake of Parentes because not only Loue but also Pitye was wonte for them to moue teares Neyther can we with moore honesty lament any then theym of whome we came into the Worlde This is the dutye of Loue Charity and Pitie and if any whitte the teares of Children can preuayle to their good sure lye then ought we weepe But seing no weping or Sorrowe doth helpe let vs consider whether honestly or reasonably we ought to do it VVherein first commeth to memory the vniuersall reason of all theym that by Deathe haue bene called awaye For either we muste lament in fauour of theym that be deadde or ells in respect of our selues But if in consideracion of theÌ„ we Lament eyther we beleue that their Soules doe liue or ells together with their Bodies they are perrished And if thou thincke that booth the Soule and Bodye be perrished then so thincking and lamenting the Death of an other thus thou Complaynest Alas alas hencefoorthe thou shalt not be Thirssty Hongry Colde Not Painfull Sicke subiect to iniuries and Calamity yea that is moost of all hencefoorth thou shalt not dye as I shall but I know thou wilt saye I were to bee laughed at iâ— so I should lamente neuerthelesse all this thou doest and though thou confesse it not yet wylte thou know that so it is Surely there is no doubt that dye we muste Death as thou thinckeste is Euill Whie art thou then sorry for him that is paste it and not for thy selfe that by no meanes can auoide it But if it be superfluous to lamâ—t thyne owne Condition because in cases necessarye wepinge helpeth not To what purpose doest thou be wayle his Death whiche is the moore necessarye that he is already deadde But if thou beleeue his Spirite doth lyue then of necessitie thus must thou lament Alas alas froÌ„ a mortall man thou arte become immortall frome Paynefull Quiet from Miserable Happie from Sadde pleasaunt and from obscure noble VVho is hee that heareth the in this sorte complayne though he were of the dead mans bloud but should fal vnto laughinge Neither doe then thinke I tel the an vntrothe and therfore whiche I had almost forgotteÌ„ though thou alledge y for his cause thou mournest Seinge then there is almoost no manne so vnwise as dare saye hee complayneth in respect of him that is deadde whether his Soule dooth remaine or not so euery manne sayth he doth lament the want of his fryend whiche if thou acknowledge the eternitie of his soule cannot so be because for so much as is 〈◊〉 he is not with the and thou shalt shortly 〈◊〉 to him But take thou heede to 〈◊〉 that thou bewaylest thine owne Calamitye thoughe he 〈◊〉 not with thee To vayne and Enuious thou 〈…〉 thy selfe if for thy proffite thou can not 〈…〉 this benefite for as with 〈…〉 to preferre their Children to Seruice of Kinges in hope of Fauour and Reward that will come therof notwithstanding the mindes of Princes 〈◊〉 times inconstante the 〈…〉 faithfull and generallye 〈◊〉 Good 〈…〉 as serue little 〈…〉 will ought we 〈…〉 we 〈…〉 use Hate Ambition not Disdayne The mynde of that Prince is neither 〈…〉 nor ignoraunt of any thinge There is place with out perryll Felowshippe without 〈…〉 without doubte and 〈…〉 And would thou for thine owne commodiâ—te denye him of these Ioyes God forbidde But besydes this thou maye perhappes seeme iustlye to complayne 〈◊〉 thy Commodities by 〈◊〉 of 〈…〉 which 〈…〉 reason yet of thou consider at 〈…〉 to 〈…〉 enduce reason worthye thy consideration And first seinge in respect of thy selfe 〈…〉 thinke that one other may be found euer 〈◊〉 to him for Frendshippe Conuersacion or necessitye But admitte that coulde not bee or that such a man were not redely founde yet withe all remember what paynes thou haddest taken for thy deadde frende howe often for him thou were called in question how often than 〈◊〉 lesse how burdenous he was to thee and fynally how hee hadde bene towardes thee thou cannot certainly knowe and what hereafter he would haue beue 〈…〉 Alas how often haue some men beue 〈◊〉 by their owne Kinsfolke 〈◊〉 Children and Frendes of whome in times paste they were helped Cassius and Brutus didde aide Iulius Caesar in fighte against his countrye but beinge made Emperour they slewe him Full foolishly didde Antoniâ—s committe his counsell to Octauius where in hee discouered his freendes trustinge to him whome oftetimes in doubtful Fortune he hadde receiued help yet then throughe his feare he was enforced to voluntary Deathe Alexander while hee liued was faithfull serued of his Souldiers but being dead his Children Kinsfolkes and Friendes were all by theym distroyed and yet at the deathe of one of theym hee felte so great Sorrowe as searce lye he could euer after
by the Athenienses condempned to death his Friendes askinge what he woulde haue sayde to his sonne aunswered tell him that in any wise he forget this iniury here offered vnto me Aristides also vniustly remayning in exile prayd the Gods that the Athenienses might bee so happye as neuer after to thinke vppon him Also calle to thy consyderacion that against all Iniuries three Remedyes there are that is to saye Reuenge Oblyuion and disdayne Of whiche three who doubteth but Dysdayne is bothe the beste and mooste assured Because disdayne through the courage of mynd wherwith it is accompanied is not lyke vnto obliuiō ioyned with reproche neither perilous in respect of new iniuries as is a reuenge which bringeth therwith boothe peryll and repentaunce and in the meane tyme the desyre of offending doth not molest thee but arte there in moste lyke vnto god For suche as contempne iniuryes are mooste happye and lykeste to God and suche men they are or must bee that would become happye For seeinge no man lyueth free from iniuries and the greater in auctoritye he be the more followed with slaunder euyll report iniury it is expedient that euery man doe determyne himselfe to beare them Neyther is it lawfull for anye mortall man to vse reuenge Who hath bene more slaundred thē kinges and emperours whose power is greatest Whoe or what is of greater force then God and Nature and yet they delighte not in Reuenge Shall man then be lyke vnto Beares pursuynge the Bees seeke for reuenge God forbydde For although we might in lyfe reuenge all Iniuryes what good were that after Deathe or what care should wee then haue of iniuryes It is all one whether with sufferance of Iniurye or not after Death wee be remembred Who so therfore liuing seemed to contempne iniuryes by death he is free from the peryll whych Reuenge might cast hym in to Wherfore there is nothynge better then an inuysyble mynde whyche lyke vnto a man placed on the toppe of an highe Tower in dysdayne castynge downe stones vpon the heades of hys Ennemyes doth make lyght of all Iniuryes and as yt were dysdayne them For as women for lacke of magnanimity can not beare offences so men as they are men may take what Reuenge they thinke best Then make thy choyse whych of them thou wilte bee lyke But happely thou wilt saye some worthy men haue bene reuenged For Caesar commaunded Faustus Silla and Affranius to be slaine Lykewise Antonius reuenged him selfe vpon Cicero and Alexander vpō Calistines carying him abrode when his Eyes were putte oute and in the end shutte him vppe into a caue with a Dogge But alas good manne thys was no Reuenge though some saye that Antonius beinge of Mynde moore abiecte then a Woman didde lyke vnto his other doinges committe this acte and therefore had an ende aunswerable to his deseruinge But as for the other they mynded nothinge lesse then Reuenge for the respecte of their doinges was securitye whiche in lyke case by oure Lawes is sufferable For if Afframus had gotten libertye hee woulde neyther haue kepte Promise nor lyued in quiet Also Faustus Silla was by Lawe giltie Pompeius freende and for his fathers Tyrannye odious to the people of Rome So as beinge a necessary Friende for Pompeius he could not haue lyued in quiet But if he had for the Mallice borne to his Father beene slayne the same shoulde rather haue beene doone vppon Cato who as was well knowen after that Caesar conquered the Germaines did perswade y Senate to haue him deliuered into the Enemies Handes because hee had foughte contrarye to the truce taken But Sylla when easly he mighte haue slayne him he woulde not So Alexander beinge setled in his Empyre amonge the barbarous People did not condempne Calistines for Mallyce but Securitye because throughe hys woordes hee coulde hardelye keepe the Persians And the Macedonians beganne to disdayne hym Full well knewe Antonius that if Cicero hadde escaped hee woulde neuer haue lyued in quyet because beinge all readye once Pardoned hee notwithstandinge didde followe hym wyth Hate vnreconsiliable and if the Death of CICERO had beene soughte for Reuenge eyther a lyue he might haue beene tormented and kepte or elles executed wyth more crueltye It commeth also to mynd that Iniuries haue not a little proffyted Some menne and therfore Ouidius saythe A vvronge somvvhiles vve see doth helpe the vvronged vvight It happeneth ofte tymes that wee take Compassion of theym wee loue not eyther for the malice wee beare theym that offered the Iniurye or throughe beliefe that the Iniured is condempned rather by power of hys Enemye then his own offence And by suche meanes it is well knowen that many haue escaped great peryll Amonge whiche nomber Valerius Maximus tellethe howe Gabinius throughe the Sclaunder of Sisenna and Flauius for the Iniurie of Valerius were delyuered and Cotta onelye for suspicion of wronge founde the same fauoure In which cases if none iniurye had beene no hope had remayned It is also to be consydered that the occasions of Sclaunders are so common as nothynge more The People doe backebyte the learned the Learned dysdayne the vnlearned the Iuste doe condempne the wicked the Wycked do laugh to Scorne those that bee good the Mightye doe Enuye the Mightye agaynste whome they prouoke Seruaunts and Subiects by sclaunderous Speache Robberye Practise and vntrewe dealynge Were it not better with noble mynde to disdayne all Iniuries then thus continuallye to liue tormented in minde Lucius Murena was praysed because he tooke Cato vnder his Gowne and saued him from Deathe that not longe before had accused him Publius Pulcher beinge by the three Lentuli accused of inceste did notwithstandinge afterwardes saue one of them from perrill Marcellus being haynously accused by the Siculi did not only forgeue them but also receiued theim into his owne tuition So Menedemus bestowed manye Benefytes vppon Alexinus of whome he had bene great lye iniured How wisely sayd S. Gregorius that who so can not beare iniurye dothe shewe by hys impacience that he is not good The kinge Archelaus when vpon a time one caste water vpon him beinge perswaded by his frendes to reuenge answered saying I know he would not haue cast yt vpon me but some other By which answer he saued y offender frō hurt him self from the importunity of his friendes A notable example remayneth in memorye of the seruaunte of Antius Restio who beinge longe time kepte in prison and by his maisters commaundemente ofte times burned with hot yrons yet afterwards folowing him in the triūphe triumuiral did notwithstanding all their iniuries saue himself frō peryl when comodiously he might haue bene reuēged also rewarded Such wisdome hath not only bene performed by priuate men but also by hole Citties For Dionisius the yonger bothe at the playes of Corinthus and also before hee was sente into exile might haue beene by them of Syracusa slayne whome befoore tyme hee hadde mooste Tyrannouslye vsed But they with disdayne didde lette him