thy vessell brake it and the oyle ran oute so that I haue forgotten thée but doubte not an other time I will restore it thée That in aduersitie true frendes are discerned from fayned CIcero sayde that lyke as the swallowes apppeare in sommer and in winter are not séene so fayned fréendes in tyme of prosperitie shew themselues and in aduersitie absent themselues And Ennius sententiously to the same purpose sayth Amicus certus in re incerta cernitur In doubtfull matters he is tryde A frende that faythfull dothe abyde And Ouide lykewyse herevppon wrote after this sort Tempore felici multi numerantur amici Dum fortuna perit nullus amicus erit When welth abounds then many frendes we nuÌ„ber may When goodes decay then frendes do flee away And Ariosto notably sayth Alcun non puo saper da chi sia amato Quando felice in su la la ruota siede Pere che ha i veri finti amici allato Che monstran tutis vna mede sima fede Se poi si cangia in tristo il lieto stato Volta la turba adulatrice il piede Et quel che di euor ama riman forte Et ama suo Signor dopo la morte No man can tell who loues him in his mynde When happie he doth sitte vpon the wheele For that he fayned frendes and true doth fynde By him in whome he one selfe faith doth feele If louringly once fortune looke behinde The flattring flocke then turneth backe the heele And he that loues with hart will neuer waue And loues his lorde when he is layde in graue VVhat great faithfulnesse a chaste vvoman beareth to hir husbande ARmenia a noble woman and of excellent beautie comming from a great feast that king Cyrus made was demaunded of hir husbande by the way howe she lyked the beautie of Cyrus which was suche as all men maruelled at she answered chastly after this sort Husbande to tell you the truth as long as I was there I did not once looke vp therfore I can not tell you howe fayre or foule Cyrus or the other be That controuersie in lavve is the losse of of tyme money and frendes TWo kinsmen fell at variance for a matter in which eche of them claymed a propretie after variance they went to law and after law to open contention whiche is proprely to say to open warre Then one of them wyser than the other called his fellow asyde and in effect vsed these wordes vnto him saying Kynsman first this I put thée in mynde of that it is not honest that couetousnes shold separate vs when as Nature hath ioyned vs togither Moreouer you muste vnderstande that al controuersies in law are no lesse doutful than warre Euery man may at his pleasure begin to striue but when he liste he can not ende Our variance is for thrée hundreth crownes if that we go to lawe we shal spend halfe so much more vpon Notaries proctors aduocates Iudges and in making of frendes we must needes attend flatter trauaile to and fro wearie our selues neuer be quiet and fynally when I recouer my sute by iudgement the losse wil be greater than the gayne Is it not better kinsman that we here agrée among our selues and that wée deuide betwéene vs the money that we shold giue to these gréedie persons Graunt me one moytie of your chalenge and I will graunte you the moytie of myne In so dooing we shal obey nature we will be in hazarde and shall auoyde infinite troubles But where as also you wyll not yelde to any thing I yelde to the whole for I had rather that this money should remayn to you than come to these théeues Wherevpon the aduersarie béeing moued as well for the reasons as the curtesie of his kinsman yéelded to him willingly and wysely agréed among themselues Philosophers make but a trifle of Fortune ASclepiades the philosopher fallyng blynde by chaunce was nothyng at all sorie but rather iesting merryly sayde I haue made a good hande for before I went alone and now I goe with companie A mans vertue is esteemed euen of the enimie MEtellus surnamed for his victories Macedonicus when he heard that Scipio Africanus was dead althoughe he were his mortall ennimie he went foorth of his house sore gréeued and miscontent and comming into the market place many tymes hée horribly cryed saying Run my citizens run for the walles of our citie are fallen downe That debtes ordinarily do take a mans sleepe from him WHen a Romaine knighte was deade it was found that he owed more than fiue hundred thousande Ducates the which thing in his lyfe tyme hée had with a merye chéere kept very close Afterward his goods came to be solde and among the rest of his housholde stuffe Cesar Augustus coÌ„maunded that his bed should be bought for him saying that it would serue to make one sléepe seeing hée that was so farre in debt could sleepe thervpon That vvise men thinke it a folie to endeuor to come to highnesse and honour THe Erle Maria Mathevv Boiardo a verye wyse man reprouing a cosyn of his that inconueniently went out of the Duke of Milans wages to goe serue the kyng of Naples who made him greate profers greater promises sayd vnto him Ye wretched wightes that neuer sleepe in rest Ye that desire to clymbe to high degree That with so many griefes and sorrowes prest Do you turne backe to honours fickle glee Meanes must be sought to haue your sore redrest For that your wiâ—es from you berefte we see And well you â—oe not knowe what you woulde haue For then you would your selues from follies saue The man that is auaunced to high degree oftentimes forgetteth both his frendes and himselfe ONe Benedetto of the Albizi a familie so called went to reioyce with his friend for the good fortune happened to him whiche frend of his was to the dignitie of a Cardinal promoted But the Cardinall being swolne and puffed vp with pride for that degrée making as though he knew him not he asked him what he was Whervpon Benedetro a noble yong man and a stout being displeased changed foorthwith his purpose for the whiche hée came and sayd And it please you my Lorde I am come for our frendships sake to lament with you your fortune or rather blyndnesse that hath brought you to this degrée for such as you be as soon as you clymbe vp to the like honour as this is you lose so much your sight your hearing and the other senses that you doo not onely forgette youre selues but youre frendes also The follie of a prince the displeasure of a vvoman and the vnfaythfulnesse of a frend vvhat disorder they brede CAndaules king of Lydia had a very faire wyfe for whose beautie he thorough ioye waxed foolish and it was not inough for him to prayse hir to all men and discouer to all men the secrets that he vsed with hir in wedlocke but also woulde haue witnesse therof so he shewed hir on a
VVhat kynde of men are most noble DIogenes béeing demaunded who were the noblest men in the worlde he aunswered Those whych despise riches glory pleasures and fynally lyfe And whiche ouercome the thinges contrary to these To wit pouertye infamie grief and death enduring them with an vnconquerable courage And Socrates béeing demaunded what Nobilitie was he aunswered temperance of the mynd and body That it belongeth to a Princes magnanimitie to forgiue offences receyued in baser Fortune BY reason that king Charles the eight dyed wythoute heyres males the Croune of Fraunce came by succession to Lewes Duke of Orliens Now when some of his fauourers had maliciously put hym in remembraunnce that the tyme was come to reuenge the miseries that were doone him when he was duke he answered with a valiant courage That it belonged not to the duke of Orliens that the king of Fraunce shoulde reuenge his wrathe and grudge That the diuine maiestie is a thing to men incomprehensible SImonides the Philosopher béeing asked of Hiero the tyrant what maner thing GOD was tooke one days respite to make answer the nexte daye he tooke two days afterwarde foure days so doubling the tyme. In the ende Hiero asked him for what cause hée made no answere but stil asked longer tyme. Bicause the more I thinke vpon this sayd Simonides the darker I finde the thing and the more I confounde my selfe therin And the most percing Dant wysely sayth Matto è chi spera che nostra ragione Possa transcurrer l'infinita via Che tiene vna sustantia in tre persone State contenti humana gente al quia Che se potuto baneste veder tutto Mestier non era partorior Maria. that is He is vnwyse that thynkes his witte so sure That it maye ouerrunne the endlesse way Which holdes in persons three one substance pure With things belowe O men contented stay And yf you had ben able all to see Then Mary needed not deliuered bee That a mans goodnesse appeareth in euery fortune ONe Amerigo Zati intending to buy a slaue in Constantinople sayde to him If I buye thee wilte thou be honest and althoughe you buy me not answered he I will be honest That the maliciousnesse of mans nature hath nede of matter to vvork vpon ONodemus Chius hauing ouercome a certain conspiracie was counselled by them that tooke his part to banishe all his aduersaries out of the Citie But he wysely aunswered I shall saue my selfe very well as I am for if all my enimies goe awaye and matter sayle to exercise the spitefulnesse of mans nature discorde and debate woulde soone aryse among our frendes That some kynde of follies are pleasant and delectable ONe Atheus became so madde that he told all men that he was the owner of all the ships that belonged to Pireus So when they came home withoute asking whether anye made a good voyage or not with maruellous ioy he assembled them togither lykewise wheÌ„ they departed with infinite remembraunces and lessons he licenced them Wherfore wheÌ„ afterwarde by the diligence of his kinsfolke and frendes he was healed of that humoure by good Physitions he pleasantly sayd Doutlesse my freendes you haue me slayne Sith you haue taken from me all pleasure In dravving me by force from so svveete an errour That it is moste profitable in the state of vvedlocke seldome to gather the frutes of matrimonie LIcurgus béeing demaunded for what cause he forbad by his lawes that the husbande should not sléepe with the wife but wold that the one and the other should spende most part of the day and night with their equals that they should not but now and then and priuily come togither he aunswered for thrée causes first bicause they should be the lustier not vsing carnal copulation superfluously Secondly bycause loue betwene them should be always fresh and liuely Thirdly bicause their children shoulde be the stronger Salomon sayeth that there be three soueraigne goods of Matrimonie concorde fayth and ofspring That vvisedome and experience is more to be required in a captayn than strength and outvvarde shevve of body WHen a Captain was to be chosen in Athens for some greate enterprise the rulers brought to Isocrates and Timotheus one Charetes a strong and lustie man but vnskilfull and rashe saying Suche a personage is fit to be a captaine No by God he shall not sayd Timotheus but he shal bear the captains cloake and harneis bycause he oughte to bée made a captain that séeth very well that whiche hée hathe béefore hym and that whyche he hathe behynde hym And Epaminondas of Thebeâ— seing a gret armie without a captain that is without a valiant generall sayd Oh what a greate beast is there here without a head And Chabrias of Athens after Erasmus others attribute this to others to lyke purpose sayde that sentence woorthie of remembraunce That an hoste of hartes is more to be feared that is ruled by a Lion than an host of Lions ruled by an Hart. That the victorie and luckynesse of the armie do depend of the captiaines vertue and manhood THe Numantines very warlike men being discomfited put to flighte by Scipio Emilianus their elders reprouing them for theyr cowardnesse said Are not these the same Romain shéepe that we before this haue so many tymes ouercome vanquished To whom one of the yong men aunswered It is true that they be the same shéepe but they haue chaunged their shepherde That it is a detestable and a foul thing to suffer gold to beare rule in euery thyng PRopertius detesting the great couetousnesse that raigned in his tyme setteth it foorthe effectually in this sort saying Novve this may vvell be called a vvorlde of golde Bicause thervvith all things are bought and solde For golde thou shalt be lou'de and set alofte For gold thou shalt a vertuous man be thought For golde is loue and honoure also gotten For gold is faith for golde the lavves are broken And Alamanno describing the very same infirmitie of our tymes sayth J gran perigli â—lung hi error d'Vlysse Scilla Cyclopi Harpie Syrte Syrene Di cui per mille gia si disse scrisse Son quasi nulla a gran trauagli pene C'hoggi parte maggior del mondo cieco Sol per oro acquistar qua giu ' sostiene Vlysses daungers great and vvandrings long The Scyls the Cyclops the Syrtes and Marmaydes song Of vvhich a thousande earst did speake and fayne As none are to the trauayles great and payne That now most parte of this blinde world and vayne Doth here belowe in getting golde sustayne That liberalitie and clemencie are the best instruments to rule POntanus said that they which desire to rule ought to haue two things in minde the one to be liberall the other to be gentle Bicause that Prince sayth he which vseth liberalitie and gentlenesse maketh his enimies his friends the vnfaythfull faythfull he purchaseth other friends he winneth loue and fauour euen of the inhabitaunts of
to mocke him sayd Ho sirra on horsebacke what is the Canna worth this is a mesure of 4. Flemish elles now the Florentine perceiuing himself to be pricked lifting vp foorthwith his horse tayle readily answered enter in héere into the shop and I will sell thée good cheape These tvvo vvords mine and thine marre the vvorlde POlitiane sayde that God had giuen water to euery thing liuing in the water so all the earth without any diuision to euery earthly thing but that man is the vnhappiest of all other liuing creatures he requireth that he alone mighte beare rule ouer the whole world and herewith are broughte into the worlde two words to wit mine and thine which are the occasion of al mens strife And therefore Pythagoras the Philosopher ordeyned that all things shoulde be coÌ„mon among friends Plato enacted the same betwéene the Citizens of his new publike weale others haue gon about to bring this in among al meÌ„ That vile counsels are to be despised of noble and vvorthy men ARistodemus was thoughte to be a cookes sonne notwithstanding came in greate fauour with king Antigonâ—â— and on a time he went about to persuade him to abate his expenses and to vse lesse liberalitie than he ordinarily vsed But the noble king smiling sayde to him worthily O Aristodemus these words of thine smell of the kitchin That the vertue of curtesie is had in price euen of murderers and that it maketh them gentle and pitiful MAster Alexander of Siena a liberall gentleman and a benefactour to al men riding a iorney fell in the hands of murdering theeues the which besetting him would haue slayne him but one of them knowing him cryed out incontinently alas kill him not for he is a rare man he dothe pleasure to all men and hath done me a hundred good turns For the which wordes his fellowes béeing moued with pitie did not onely refrayne to kill him but altogither kepte him company kill he was out of daunger wherfore Ariosto nobly sayde Studifi ogniun giouar altrâ—â— che rade Volte il ben far senza il suo premio sia E s' è pur senza al men non te n' accade Morte nè danno nè ignominia ria Chi nuoce altrui tardi o per tempo cade Il debito à scontar che non s' oblia Dice il prouerbio ch' à trouar si vanno Gli huomini spesso e i monti fermi stanno That is Let one man seeke an other to sustayne For selde a good turne is without his meede And though it be without yet no names stayne Nor hurte nor death may thy destruction breede Late or betime he that dothe other payne Doth pay his debt that in the harte doth heede The prouerbe sayth that men do go their way Oftetimes to finde and the hilles do firmely stay That the ignoraunt sell their labours dearer than the learned THere was not many yere past a citizen in Florence who although he was a Doctour of the lawe yet he had no great learning and consequently little to do Vpon a time when he was entertayned in a matter in lawe asked for his counsayle and paynes xxv Ducats How so sayde his client master Mark of the A sini an excellent good doctour who I haue entertayned in the same matter was contented with sixe Crownes and you will haue aboue fiue and twentie And no maruayle sayde the Doctour that he is contented with so little for he hathe dayly one matter or other in hande but as for me I haue nothing to doe but three or foure times a yere That the ignorant lavvyer is like to necessitie vvhich hath no lavve ONe Laurence Gualterotti béeing asked of one of his friends touching the sufficiencie of the foresayde Florentine Doctour he sayd that he was like to néede howe answered his friende without lawe sayde he alludâ—ng pleasantly to this prouerbe that Néede hath no Lawe That the honor of euery man dependeth of his ovvne deedes not of others vvordes OEdipus béeing banished out of hys countrey wente to Athens to king Theseus his friende to the ende to saue his lyfe which his ennimies sought for And when he was come in Theseus presence hearing a daughter of his speake knewe hir by the voyce and bicause he was blinde stayed not to salute Theseus any otherwise but rather as a father was mindefull onely to comfort and cherishe his childe And by and by remembring himselfe went about to excuse him selfe to Theseus and to aske him pardoÌ„ Wherfore the good and wise king brake off his words and sayde to him be of good chéere Oedipus for I honour not my life with the words of other but with my déedes Many excellent meanes to keepe the minde quiet DIogenes admonisheth vs to set foorthe agaynst Fortune the constancie of the minde agaynst the lawes nature agaynst the senses reason saying that by these thrée ways mens tranquilitie quiet is preserued That youth had neede of good bringing vp to the ende to bring foorth good fruite in age CIprian sayth that euen as of a trée that hath not blossomed no fruite can be gathered so of a mans age in whose youth hath bene no good discipline no good fruite can be receyued And he added moreouer that if in youth there be no obedience there will neuer be in age any good discipline A singular meane to constrayne euery man vvhosoeuer he be not to refuse a present WHen Alexander the greate had giuen fiftie talents to the Philosopher Xenocrates the Philosopher refused them saying that he had no néede of them Wherefore Alexander sayd to him and haue you no friend that you stande in néede of Oh all the riches of Darius are not sufficient for me to giue my friends and knowe not you howe to bestow fiftie Talents among yours what Philosophie is this That enuy follovveth glory ARistomenus saythe that euen as a man which goeth in the sunne is of necessitie accompanied with his shadow so he that walketh in the way of glory is likewise followed of others enuy and sayde moreouer that miserie alone did not bréede enuy A parable shevving that malmsey is good at all times of ones meale PIouano Arloto a Florentine was a pleasaunt companion and a wittie fellow who went vpon a time to dinner to Fraunces Dini a worshipfull citizen of Florence and when he was set at the table Fraunces sayde vnto him Piouano I haue malmesey shal we haue it before dinner or after To whome Piouano answered in a parable saying The blessed Marie was a virgine before hir deliuerie in hir deliuerie and after hir deliuerie Wherfore Fraunces vnderstanding him would haue nothing dronke but malmesey all dynner while VVhy the head vvaxeth hoare before the beard PIouano béeing demaunded for what cause the head came hoare before the beard aunswered bycause the heares of the head were twenty yeares elder than the beard He is more miserable that commeth vnder the povver of vvicked people than he that
was placed in one of the moste frequented stréetes of Rome asked almes with these words saying Yée that passe by gyue poore Bellisarius a farthing for Gods sake who for his vertue was renoumed and for enuie of others is made blinde To this myserie Fortune brought so greate a man Wherfore Petrarcha sayd very well Fortune doth neuer begin for a little When man a sport and mocking flocke is made That humain creatures do receiue diuers qualities and giftes of the Planets DIuers philosophers disputing togither of that whiche an humain creature receiued from the influence of the Planets grewe to this opinion that man of Saturne had his vnderstanding of Iupiter strength of Mars the mynde of the Sun vertue of Venus mouing of Mercurie sharpnesse of wit of the Moone the nature of generation The Physitions say that man in his creation receiueth of the Sunne the Spirite of the Moone the body of Mars the bloud of Mercurie the wit of Iupiter desire of Venus pleasure and of Saturne moysture The riche man compared to the Peacocke IVno is the goddesse of riches kingdomes to the whiche Goddesse the Pecocke is giuen to signifie that the conditions of ryche men are lyke the nature of the peacocke for asmuch as he euer climbeth vppon the roofs houses and vpoÌ„ the highest buyldings so the ryche man always séeketh for degrées of honour and preeminence and if they be not giuen him he taketh them The Pecock skreaketh and cryeth so the riche man lifteth vp his voyce and setteth oute his loftynesse of mynde The Peacocke is decked with fayre feathers he taketh delight to be séene and so is desirous to shew and behold his eyed taile that he discouereth his filthie partes behind so the rich man is stored with purple and riches and delyteth in flatterie in pride and in vaine glorie And whilest he goeth about to shewe hys bodie well trimmed well fedde nice perfumed he sheweth a brutish minde voyde of vertue full of foly and all vanitie That a mans vvordes are the image of his mynde SOlon sayde that wordes are the image of the déedes nay rather of the life of a man and that in a glasse the fashion of the body is not séene better set foorth than in speach the forme of the mynde And Socrates alluding so that opinion when a chylde was sent him by one of his fréendes bicause he sawe him examined him somwhat in that which he thought best sayd speake if thou wylte that I may knowe thee VVhat thing the people is PLato sayd that the people is a great beast lyke a huge giaunt according to whose appetite things are called iust fair and good and contrarywise vniust foule and naughte and not as they are in deede That vvine ought to be drunk moderately ANacharsis the Philosopher sayde that the vine didde beare thrée grapes the fyrst of pleasure the seconde of drunkennesse and the thirde of griefe The same philosopher being asked howe a man myght kéepe himself from drunkennesse answered Haue alwayes in mynde the lothsome fashions of drunkardes That iealousie bringeth foorth vvicked effectes A Certain old man of Paris called Claude hadde to wife a very faire and wise yong woman with whome he was maruellously in loue but he was so iealous that setting al other businesse aside he suffered hir neuer to be out of his sight and to Churche and euery where he folowed hir and watched hir so that the woman thinking with hir selfe that she receyued great wroÌ„g as she did in déede waxed very angrie and was determined notwithstanding so great watch to doe to him that he deserued and that which she in my iudgemeÌ„t would neuer haue done if he had bene a reasonable man So she casting hir eye vppon a goodly yong man appoynted him by meanes of a trustie mayde of hies to please hir desire as often as might be for the doing wherof the yong woman helde this maner She vsed from tyme to tyme to take occasion at night to fall out with hir husbande wherfore the quarel hâ—nging still she went to bed murmuring and lowring where when hir husbande came they held their peace til the morning Vppon which occasion of not speaking one to an other the wyfe afterwarde when it was time made the mayde fayre and softly to come and lye with hir husbande and she merily went into an other chamber to take delight with hir louer These are the fruites that ielousie bringeth foorth Wherefore Ariosto sayde very well Che dolce pin che piu ginconda stato Saria di qual d'an amoroso core Che viuer piu felice piu beato Che ritrouarsi in seruitù a' amore Se l'huom non fusse semper stiâ—olato Da quel sospetto rie da quel timare Da quel furor da quellae frenosia Da quella rabbia detta gelosia That is What better state vvhat more â—blent with blisse Shall be than his whose heart in loue is wrapt What life more happie and more blessed is Than to be founde in bonde of loue intrapt If man were not still prickt and led amisse With that mistrust with that fonde feare of his With that furie with that doting frensie With that wilde woodnesse termed ielosie A singuler example of continencie XEnocrates the scholer of Plato was a yong man of maruellous contineÌ„cie in so much that when Phrina a very fayre harlotte had made hir boast and layd a wager that she was able to allure him to lye with hir he was brought to hir bedde but in no wise for any prouocation or arte of loue which she pleasantly vsed she could moue him to yeeld vnto hir flickering enticements Wherfore these yong men that had layde the wager with hir asked hir for their gotten money but she readily answered them saying that she had spoken of a man and not of an Image That loue hath no lavve and maketh one thing seeme for an other MAster Levves Alamanni was in the company of honest yong men deuising togither of loue and one Peter of Gagliano sayde that he greatly maruelled to sée sometimes suche diuers likings in loue and that it séemed to him vnpossible that one shoulde be in loue with a foule woman an other with an olde woman this man with a cortesan common to euery man and that man euen with one that he hateth To whom Alamanno turning himselfe courteously sayde Chi vuol dar legge all'amoroso nodo Non sa ben qual si sia la sua natura L'un d'una cosa to dell'altra godo Chi lo spirto ama Chi solla figura Chi deletta la vista chi l'udire Chi s'foga ogni desir solo in seruire that is Who so appoynteth lawes vnto the louing â—inor What is his nature he well knoweth not One liketh this and I an other thinke most fit This man the shape and that man loues the vvit Some man great pleasure takes to see and some to heare Some man to serue doth
and worthie that vneth a man dareth to loke hir ful in the face That mans ambition cannot abyde any fellovve in rule WHen Alexander the great hadde ouercome Darius in two greate battayles Darius knowing the valiantnesse of his enimie offered him halfe his kingdome and one of his Daughters in mariage with infinite treasure if he woulde make peace with him Whiche offer Parmeno the chiefest man about him vnderstanding sayde If I were Alexander I would do it And I would doe it aunswered Alexander if I were Parmeno So refusing the offer he quickely conquered the countrie and obteyned the whole victory That the presence and svveete speache of the Prince is very profitable in daungerous and troublous times WHen the Emperoure Charles the fifte in the yere of our Lorde a thousand fine hundred and foure was entred into Fraunce through Campania with a huge armie he marched onward apace So lastely hauing taken Soisson he thought good to go toward the royal Cittie of Paris Wherfore the Parisians notwithstanding that they knewe that their King was with no lesse armie at hande did not onelye murmur and repine but the people also made many signes of mutinie and rebellion Wherfore king Frauncis wente forthwith in his owne person to Paris where setting al things in very good order for the suretie and safegard of the people and seeing them for all thus in great feare vsed to them among other these notable words saying I cannot keepe you men of Paris from feare but I will surely kéepe you from hurte assuring you that I had rather to dye valiantly than to liue vilely in forsaking you That it belongeth to euery man but especially to Princes to keepe faith and promise THe same king Fraunces was wont sometimes to say that when faith should fayle in all other meÌ„ yet it should remayne amoÌ„g Princes bycause their power is such as they cannot be coÌ„strayned neyther by iudgemeÌ„ts nor by lawes And the wise king Alphonsus of Aragon sayd that the word of a Prince ought to be so much worth as the oth of priuate men Ariosto meaning no lesse of priuate men than of Princes wrote wisely and generally vpon the kéeping of faith and promise after this sorte Faith vndefiled thou oughtest aie to haue To one alone as to a thousand giuen So in a wood and in a secrete caue Far of from citties tounes and mens fight hidden As at the barre before the iudges gâ—â—ue In courte of record and witnesses written Without oth or other signe more expresse That once is inough which thou didste promesis That vvise men liue in suche vvise that they feare not forged crimes WHen it was told Plato that some spake amisse of him he aunswered I passe not for my liuing is suche that they shall not be beléeued And Aristotle sayde of one that had spoken amisse of him I giue him leaue to correcte me euen in my absence And of late yeares the Emperoure Charles the fifte token it was reported vnto him that some did backbite him said let them talke for meÌ„ will accoumpte them fooles That vvomen do rather obey sense than reason WHen the Emperoure Sigismunde was dead a curiouse kinsman of his exhorâ—ed his wife to remayne a widdowe and followe the turtle shewing hir at large howe that birde when hir make is dead liueth chast euer after But the woman smyling aunswered him Sith that you counsell me to followe an vnreasonable birde why doe not you rather sette before me the doue or the sparrowe which haue a more pleasaunte nature for women That men ought to do good euen to the dead SYmonides the Philosopher sayde that men ought to do good eueÌ„ to the dead recompting that he going a iorney found a dead man layd out to be deuoured of wilde beasts and birds wherfore taking pittie caused him forthwith to be buried And when he was minded the nexte day to take shipping there appeared to him béeing a sléepe in the night the soule of that dead man whiche warned hym that he shoulde not enter into that appointed shippe saying that the same should perrishe without doubte Wherfore he tolde in the morning this dreame to his fellowes willing them in no wise to enter that shippe and to stay for an other passage but they laughing him to scorne lefte him and embarked themselues in hir So it fell out that not long after suche a greate tempest rose that the shippe was drowned and his companions fainting dyd all perishe That the life of priuate men is more pleasaunt and quiet than that of Princes THe Emperoure Maximiane and Diocletiane béeing wearie of rule the one and the other willingly resigned their Empire this man to Nicomedia and that man to Milanuâ— notwithstaÌ„ding Maximiane afterward repenting himselfe and hauing intelligence that Maxentius his sonne was chosen Emperoure came to Rome with desire and hope which at the end was vaine to take eftsoons rule in hand and to this effecte he procured and lay instantly vpon Diocietiane But Diocletiane aunswered him thus oh brother if you sawe the faire coleworts and goodly onions that I haue planted and sowen with my owne hande certes you woulde neuer thinke more vppon rule VVith vvhat gentlenesse and mildnesse valiaunt Princes auoide the misreports of their subiects against them WHen King Antigonus hadde broughte his armie to winter in barraine and deserte places hys souldiers wanted many things necessarie wherfore some presumpteous fellowes not knowing that he was thereby blamed him and spake very ill of him But he hearing them lyke a mylde and gentle prince as he was came out of his teÌ„t sayde Oh if you will speake amisse of the king go further off for if you felt the payne I doo you could not abide it That the remembrance of our short life doth muche abate mans loftinesse of mynde XErxes king of Persia gooing a warfarâ— agaynst the Gréekes and séeing all Hellesponte full of his shippes and men of warre cryed with a loude voyce I am a happy man A little whyle after chaunging his countenaunce he beganne to wéepe wherefore his vncle Artabanus séeing so great a chaunge asked him the cause To whom Xerxes altogither grieued pitifully answered in this maner I doo lament bicause I call to mynde the great miserie and shortnesse of mans life considering that in lesse than a hundreth yeres wée shall without doubte all bée dead and rotten He that knovveth much speaketh little DEmosthenes séeing in a company a prating fellowe sayd vnto him if thou were wise inough thou wouldest speake lesse and adding moreouer this sentence he that is wise doth little speake and thinketh much That syncere friendship is knovvne in aduersitie VAlerius Maximus sayth that the sincere fayth of a friende is knowne in aduersitie in the whiche all that gentlenesse and curtesye whiche is shewed to a man procéedeth of founde and constant good will The friendlye déedes that are shewed in prosperitie saith he may procede of flatterie at the least they are suspected to
and ready aduisement the fastnesse or nigardshippe of an other is oftentimes ouercome IN the time of Octauian the Emperor ther was at Rome a certain gréeke Poet which froÌ„ time to time the morning that the Emperor went to his pallace met him and presented to him a trim Epigram in the gréeke tong But the Emperor albeit he toke it as suche lewde persons as he was loked for he gaue him nothing But desirous vpoÌ„ a time to rest which him peradueÌ„ture turned him aside and séeing him comming towardes him to presente him he himselfe gaue him first an Epigram likewise made by him in Gréeke and writteÌ„ with his own hand The Gréeke toke it gladly and began to read it and reading it he shewed with countenance words and gesture that it liked him very wel And when he had read it he put his hand to his purse and drawing nearer to Octauian gaue him a great many halfepence saying Cesar take this which I giue you not according to your calling but according to my abilitie for if I had more more I woulde gyue you Wherevpon euery man fell a laughing and the Emperor laughing more than the reste caused one to giue him forthwith a hundreth thousand Serstertia whiche amounteth to 5. hundreth pound sterling That neyther force nor eloquence is strong inough against impossibilitie and pouertie WHen Themistocles was sente out of his countrie to the Iland of Andros to gather vp money he entring into the couÌ„sell declared the cause of his comming but finding a scarsitie sayde Ye men of Andros I bring you two Goddesses force and persuasion take now which you lyst To whom the men of Andros readily answered saying and we Themistocles haue two Goddesses pouertie and impossibilitie take whiche you please That the mynd of man is vnquiet vntill that he turne thither from vvhence he came SOcrates as it hath bene alreadie many times declared a man so diuine sayd that euen the mynde is man and that the body is nothing else but the instrument of the mind or the mansion place or rather to speak better the sepulcher from whence when he departeth then finally he is in his own power and felicitie And Plato to this purpose said that the mynde of man is so vnquiet and insatiable bycause he being sent from God is not satisfied nor at quiet before he returne thither from whence he came That a man ought to content himselfe vvith that vvhich God hath giuen him vvithout seeking any further PHauorinus the Philosopher sayde that euen as a man being bydden by his freind to a feast taketh of that whiche is set before him and is contented so ought we to take of that and content our selues with that which God giueth vs. For if it be not honest sayth he to aske of that friende Partriges Lampreys or other wine thaÌ„ that which he presenteth to vs it is lesse iustice to aske of almightie God this or that thing more than that whiche he giueth vs especially of his maiestie which knoweth better what we neede than we knowe our selues Hovve many and vvhat abuses there be that corrupt the vvorlde CIpriane sayth that there are twelue abuses which corrupte the worlde to wit a wise man without works an old man without religion a yong man without obedience a blinde man without almes a poore manne proude a woman without honestie a noble man without vertue a Christian contentious a Byshop negligent a King vniust the coÌ„mons without instruction and the people without lawes Philosophicall and true opinions concerning mans ryches and substance DEmocritus being demaunded whome he thought ryche aunswered he that hath little desire And Socrates being asked touching the same after the same sorte answered he that is content with a little Epictetus sayd that he was rychest which had so muche that he is content and added moreouer that it is better liue merrily with a little than miserably with a great deale Master Levves Alamanni sayth that a man ought to be content with a little and inough with good and yll and wyth euery thing adding héereto these verses L'huom si deo contentare in ogni stato Che thi parda il contento perde'l tutto Sia colmo vn quant'ei vuol d'argento oro Possegga quante son cittadi Regni Che se'l contento manca ogn ' altrae cosa Si dee poscia stimar sogni ombre fumi A man must be content in each degree For once contentment lost then all is gone Although at will with coyne he stored be Although al Realmes and Cities he doth owne For if contentment fayle then each thing ought Shadows vaine dreames and smoke of vs be thought An argument vvorthie of consideration touching the immortalitie of the soule ALphonsus king of Aragâ—n said that this séemed to him the greatest argumente of euerlastingnesse of the soule to wit that the body in this our life when youth is past doth alwayes diminish in strength and lustinesse hauing his endes and limits And that the mynd contrarywise the more it is charged with yeares the more it augmenteth and groweth in vnderstanding vertue and wisedome VVhat difference after vvise mens iudgement is betvveene the learned and the ignorant WHen Plato was asked what difference was betwéene the learned and the ignorant he answered As much as is betwéen the Phisition and the diseased And Socrates being demaunded touching the same Erasmus attributeth it to Aristippus answered send the one and the other to people naked and thou shalte sée Aristippus sayde that the one differeth so muche from the other as a tame horse from one not tame Aristotle speking more surely said so great difference is betwéene a learned man and one that is ignorante as is betwene the lyuing and the deade And Horace expresseth his opinion in this manner The man that hath no learning liueth in the darke And he may not compared be vnto the learned Which seeth more in one day than the other in an hundreth That euen Philosophers sometimes doe vexe and tormente themselues for the losse of their deare things EVphrates a Philosopher of Siria wheÌ„ his wife was dead whoÌ„ he loued excéedinglye said Oh tyrannous Philosophie thou commaundest vs to loue and if we lose the things beloued thou forbiddest vs to be sorrie for them what should I then do nowe in this miserable state A very good regiment for him that is vvhole to maintaine his health COrnelius Celsus an auncient and a most excellent phisition saith that he which is in health and naturally wel disposed oughte not to binde himselfe to any rule of phisicke bycause he hath no néede of phisitions nor glisters This man saith hé ought diuersly to vse his life now to go to the village now to the Citie and oftentimes to walke in the feeldes to saile on the Sea to go a hunting somtime to rest but most coÌ„monly to exercise the body bicause â—â—uth enféebleth it and exercise strengthneth it the one giueth long old age the other
all the residue Lette me sayde Phocion be still suche a one as he thinketh mée now to be and let him not goe about to corrupt me with money So he refused that money of the king knowing it to be full of craft and deceyte for his countrey That men although they be old and miserable desire for all that to liue A Poore olde manne caryed from the wood a bundle of stickes and beyng weary of that miserable lyfe fell down to the ground and as desperate called for death who forthwith appearing asked hym what he woulde haue To whom the oldeman seeyng hir so horrible by and by repented him and sayde I pray thée helpe mée to laye vp this bundle vpon my shoulders An example vvorthie of remembrance of loue tovvardes ones countrey WHEN there was in Rome an excéeding greate dearth of corne Pompey the great was declared purueyoure but in effect as lorde of the sea and lande he went to Sicilia to Affricke and Sardinia and gathering togither with a great borrow great plentie of corne made all the haste he coulde to retourne to Rome with the firste But the weather béeing contrarie and a tempeste appearing the Mariners vtterly refused to goe to sea with so great danger Wherfore Pompey first taking shipping caused the sayles to be hoyssed vp and spreade saying Necessitie constrayneth vs to sayle but no necessitie constrayneth vs to liue That giftes please God and men QVintus Fabius Maximus hauyng intelliligence that one Marsus his souldior a very worthie and skilfull man in the arte of warre was secretely in practise to consent to his enimies caused him to be called vnto him without shewe of knowing any thing or of hauing any suspition of him was sorie with himself he neuer asked any thing of him saying Why askest thou not wilte thou alwayes hold me for thy detter Afterward he giuing him a very faire and couragious horse and money and shewyng him many curtesies in the warre bounde him vnto him and made him moste faithfull Wherfore Ouide truely sayde Munera crede mihi placant hominesque deosque that is Both Gods and men beleeue me giftes do please That he vvhich hath chiefe authoritie vnder a Prince and is sodainly aduaunced to honour most commonly is subiect to enuie WHen the lord Cromwel a man of great wisedome was in greatest prosperitie and exercised his authoritie as some say verie arrogantly and proudely chiefly againste the nobles there was one of them who to shew him that he ought not to make himself equall with them and that he came in the tempeste of enuie and therfore shoulde perishe caused vpon a nyght these wittie Verses of Alciate to be fastened to his dore Crebbe la zuccatà tanta altezza ch'ella Aun ' altissimo Pin passò le cima E mentrè abbraccia in questa parte en questae Irami suoi superba oltre ogni stima Jl pino ride a lei cosi fauella Breue è la gloria tua perche non prima Verrà il verno di neui vt ghiaccio cinto Ch'ogni vigor in te sara estinto The Gourde did growe to suche a heyght that she Did of a loftie Pyne the toppe surpasse And whylest she beyonde all measure proude Did twinde hir twigs on this side and on that The Pine did laugh and to hir thus gan say Short is thy glorie for no sooner shall The winter come with frost and snowe yfraight But all thy strength in thee shall be extinct A meete ansvvere for spitefull speche WHen a man of most wicked life caste Diogenes in the téeth that he had béen in times past a forger of false money he answered saying I knowe that the time hath béene when I was suche a one as thou arte nowe but suche a one as I am nowe thou wilt neuer be That the arrogancie of some presumptuous persons is oftentimes scorned by the promptnesse of an other MAister Frauncis Pescioni and a certaine Gréeke discoursed togither of dyuers things and in processe of talke they fell in disputation and in disputing they pricked one an other so that the Gréeke arrogantly sayde With whom speake you thinke you know you not that I am a Gréeke and that out of Greece came all vertues Inferryng that of the Gréekes in time past other nations had taken them But Pescione who considered the presente state of that prouince answered wittily saying you say truth that al vertues came oute of Greece for it is not séene there remaineth any one at this day That fathers ought to make accompt of their children according to their desertes not othervvyse THe Philosopher Aristippus when he was reproued of some of his frends bycause he had refused cast off one that was his owne naturall sonne sayd vnto them What know you not also that sweate and lyce are engendred of vs and notwithstanding as things filthie and vnprofitable they are abhorred and cast away So ought we to do with children when they deserue it as myne for hys wickednesse doth greatly deserue And Marcus Antonius the Emperor and Philosopher when he was asked at the poynte of death of the standers by to whom he would commend his sonne sayd First to God almightie and afterward to you if he be worthie The same Emperour when he saw at that present time his fréends and seruantes wéepe sayde And why wéepe you and are not rather sorowfull for death common as well to you and to all miserable men as to mée VVomens counsell sometimes is much vvorth WHen certaine conspirators of Forli had slayne Earle Hierome their prince taken prisoners his sonnes and the Countesse Catherine his wife lawfull inheretrix of the state they toke and held the Citie with force But forasmuche as the Castle was kepte for the Prince and the Captaine not mynded to yelde it they thought that without it they had nothing at all preuailed whervpon the worthie Countesse quickly taking in hand a most noble exployt promised that if they would let hir enter in she woulde cause if foorthwith to be giuen ouer leauing for the performance of hir promyse hir sonnes for hostages Then after they were agréed the woman went into the Castle and came by and by to the walles reprouing the conspiratoures with moste sharpe wordes for the death of hir husbande and threatning them with all kindes of punishment Wherfore they taking hir sonnes and a knyfe in hande made as thoughe they woulde kill them in hir presence if she kept not promise with them But the couragious Countesse without changing hir coūtenance immediatly taking vp hir clothes before with fierce looke sayd vnto them And doe not you think that you play the fooles bycause I haue fourmes to make other so that they late espying their faulte lefte behynde them those hir sonnes and in hast as it seemed best to them sled out of the citie That couetousnesse is a thyng monstrous and pestiferous BOiardo when he sawe a neyghbour of his a verie riche man broughte thorough
it La speranza è t'ultima cose del huomo Hope is the last thing that man hathe to flée vnto Le buone parole ongino le cattiue pungino Good woordes do annointe the shrewde do pricke Le bugie hanno corte le gambe Lies haue shorte legs To this the Germaine prouerbe is like Leugen hat ein kranck beyn that is A lye hath one lame legge Le lettere sono de i studiosi Le richezze di solliciti Jl mondo di presontuosi Il Paradiso di douoti Learning belongeth to students Riches to the carefull The world to the presumptuous Paradise to the deuoute Lingua bardella è che per fretta fauella The tong is a lyar that speaketh in hast L'occhio del Patron ingrassa il cauallo The owners eye doth fatte the horse Lombardia è il guardino del mendo Lombardie is the gardin of the worlde M. Mal anno e moglie non manco mai An yll yeare and a wyfe doth neuer fayle Matte per natura e sauio per scrittura A foole by nature and wyse in wrighting Medico pietoso fa la plaga verminosa A pittiful physition maketh a deadly wound Meglio è dar la lania che la pecora It is better to giue the wooll than the shéepe Meglio è esser confessore che Martyre It is better to bée a Confessoure than a Martir Meglio è vn magro accordo ch'vna grassa sentenza A leane agréement is better than a fatte sentence Mett ' il matto sul banco o gioca di piede o di cantò Set a foole vpon the benche and he will play with his féele or sing Mi bisogna fare come quelli che vedino la ruina su la testa e pur s'adiutano delle mani I had néede doo lyke them whiche sée the ruine ouer their heade and yet healpe themselues with their hands Muro bianco carta di matto A white wall is fooles paper N. Ni amor ni signoria vuol compagnia Neyther loue nor soueraigntie will haue companye Ni dae frate ne da suor speri mai d'aiutor Neuer hope to receiue any thing of Friers or Nunnes Nessuno da quel che non ha None giueth that which he hath not Ni occhij in lettera ni man in tasca a'altrui Neither the eye in the letter nor the hande in the purse of an other Nul bene senz a pene No good thing is without payne Nul tacer fu mai scritto No silence was euer written Non è virtù che pouertà non guasti There is no vertue which pouerty destroyeth not Non sparger tanto del tuo con le mani che tu ne vagi cercando con i piedi Spread not abroade so much of thyne owne wyth the handes that thou goe not to seke it with thy féete Non vien ingannato qui ha quel in che si fida He is not deceyued which hath that wherein he may trust Nozzeè Magistrato sono del cielo destinato Marriage and Office are appoynted from aboue O. Oglio ferro sale mercantia regale Oyle Iron and Salte is a royal marchandise Ogni dieci anno l'uno ha bisogni de l'altro Euery ten yeares one hathe néede of an other Odi fra gl'amici è soccorso dalli strani Hatred among friendes is the succoure of straungers Ogni di vene la sera Euery day the nighte commeth Ogni ozello non conosce il buon grana Euery bird knoweth not good grayne Ogni tristo cano mena la coda Euery naughty dog hangeth the tayle Ogniuno per se il diauolo per tutti Euery man for him selfe and the Deuill for all O di ricomminciato peggio che prima Hatred begon eftsones is worse than before P Patisco il male sperande ' il bene I suffer the yl hoping for the good Pesa giusto e vendi caro Make iust waight and sell déere Piu per delcezza che per forza More by faire meanes than by foule Poco Senno basta a chi fortuna suona A little wit is inough for him to whom fortune pipes Puâ—ti e matti indouinano Children and fooles tell truth Q. Qualis vita finis ita Qual vita tal fine Such as the life is such is the end QuaÌ„do lagatta non é in casa i sorzi ballano When the Catte is not at home the Myce daunce Quando l'ha ben tonato è forza che pioui When it hath well thundred it must néedes raine R. Radigo non fa pagamento Delay maketh no payment Ramo curto vindemi a longo A short bow a long grape time or store of grapes â—agione deu'essere in consiglio â—eason ought to be in counsell â—â—co rotto non tene meâ—o A broken bagge can hold no mill mill of milium is a small graine Sauio per lettera e matio per volgar Wise in learning and a foole in speaking Se vuoi venir meco porta teco If thou wilt come with me bring with thée Si danno bene gli officij ma non si dona discretione Offices maye well be giuen but not discretion Soffri il â—ale et astetti il bene Suffer the ill and loke for the good Sono huominâ— al mondo the voglione l'ouo e la gallina There are men in the worlde that woulde haue the egge and the hen Sopra Dio non e Signore Sopra il nero non è colore Ni Sopra il sale si troua sapore Aboue God there is no Lorde Aboue blacke there is no colour And Aboue salt there is found no sauour Speranza conforta l'huomo Hope comforteth man T. Taglia la coda al Cane restà semper cane Cut off a dogs taile he will be a dog still Tal biasma altrus chi se stesso condanna Such a one blameth an other that condemneth himselfe Tresta quelle Musa che non sa trouar scusa Naught is that muse that findes no excuse Triste quelle caso oue le galline cantano il gallo tace Naught are those houses where the henne crow and the cocke hold his peace Tristo colui chi da essempio ad altrus Naught is he that giueth an example to an other Trotto a' asino e fuoco di paglia poco dura The trot of an asse and a fyre of strawe endureth but a while Troppo sperar inganna Too much hope deceyueth Tu la poi slongare ma non scampare Thou maist prolong hir but not escape hir Tutti tirano l'acqua al sus molino All draw water to their owne mill Tyriaca vecchia è confittione nuona Olde triacle and a new confection V. â—egliar a la Luna e dermir al sole noÌ„ fa ni profite ni honore 〈◊〉 watch in the night and sléepe in the day â—auseth neither profite nor honour Vengo di casa cio e ni guadagno ni perdo I come from home that is I neither winne nor loose Venetia chi non ti vide non ti pretio Venice he that dothe not sée thée dothe not estéeme thée Vesti caldo mangia poce beui assai e vinerai Cloath thée warme eate a little dryncke inough and thou shalt liue Vi manca cosa che habbi You want the thing you haue Viua chi vence He lyueth that ouercommeth Viui con viui e morti con morti The liuyng wyth the liuyng and the deade with the dead Vna man laua l'altra e tutte due lauan ' il viso One hand washeth an other and both wash the face Volunta fa mercato e dinari pagano Will buyeth and money payeth A pleasant ansvvere of Virgill JT is written that Augustus was once in doubt whether he were the sonne of Octauius or not When he hoped that he might learne this of Virgill he asked him béeyng sent for come whether he knew who was his father and howe great power he had to make men happie Whom Virgill aunswering sayde I know that thou art Augustus Cesar and haue almost equall power with the immortall Gods that you may make happy whom you liste Then Cesar sayde I am of that mind that if thou tell me true I maye make thée happy and blessed I wold to god said Maro I could tell you the truth of those things which you aske mee Then Augustus said some think that I am Octauians sonne other saye that I haue an other man to my father Then Maro smiling said If you bid me to speake fréely as I thinke I will soone tell it you Cesar affirmed with an othe that he would not take in ill part whatsoeuer he said nay rather that he shuld haue gifts not â—o be misliked for his aunswere Nowe Auâ—stus loked what Virgill would say when said As farre as I can coniecture you are â—kers sonne Augustus was astonied and â—ght with himselfe howe that mighte be TheÌ„ Virgill said heare me why I coniecturs so When of late I had spoken some things which could not be vnderstoode but of the best learned you Prince of the worlde did commaund once or twise the bread shuld be giuen me for a reward which trulie was the part of a Baker or of one that had a baker to his father The merie iest liked the Emperour excéeding wel who aunswered him againe that hereafter he shuld not be rewarded of a baker but of a noble and valiaunt king after that he made excéeding much of Maro A mery rest of vinum Theologicum that is vvine of the diuines THey of Paris for a commoÌ„ iest do call that Vinum Theologicum which is strongest not alayed with water A certaine man béeing asked howe this prouerbe came vp answered merilie that the lawyers had Prebendes deanryes and Archdeaconries and that the diuines had nothing left besides benefites But bicause it is written of the pastors or curates ye eate the sinnes of the people to the digestion of such hard meate saide he there néeded verye strong wine And that hereof grewe the prouerbe FINIS OMNIA TEMPVS HABENT ¶ Imprinted at London by Henry Bynneman dvvelling in Knight riders streate at the signe of the Mermayde ANNO. 1573. And are to be sold at his shop at the Northwest dore of Poules Church
That the deceytes of some vvomen tovvards their husbands are great and greuous WHen Henry the eyghte reigned there was in London a gentlewoman poore in goods but riche in beautie and very wanton She had twelue sonnes the first was hir husbands the residue other mens Nowe she falling grieuously sick and waxing worse and woorse was sodeynly in daunger of deathe Wherefore vpon a tyme she causing hir husband to be called to hir sayd vnto him William so was he called I must nowe mocke thée no longer vnderstande that of all these sonnes there is none thine but the eldest bicause I was true to thée but the first yeare The husbande was astonyed and all those children whiche by chaunce sate there aboute the fyre eatyng were at a staye The mother followed hir purpose and began to recken vp in order their fathers Whiche the yongest hearyng Oh myghtie nature not aboue foure yeares olde whiche had breade in one hande and chéese in the other layd down his meate and holding vp bothe his handes togither in trembling wise turned to hir and sayd Oh my deare mamme giue me I praye you a good father The woman commyng to hys father named a famous and a riche man Wherefore the boy béeing very mery and taking his meate agayne sayde I am in very good case séeing that I haue suche a father A shrevvd and pleasant rebuke of Diogenes tovvardes a vvanton yong man A Yong man very wantonly attired asked Diogenes concerning some matter who sayde to him I am not to answer thée except thou first lift vp thy clothes before to the end that I maye sée whether thou be a male or a female before I tell thée myne opinion That ouermuch talke is very troublesome to the hearers APollonius blaming ouermuche speaking sayde If these lothsome babblers did receyue so great griefe in their long discourses as they giue to other they would speake lesse A suttle crueltie but tyrannous and monstrous CAligula the Emperoure was a moste cruell monster who when a sicke man lefte him some thing by his will and afterwarde dyed not of that disease to the intent he myght be sure to haue his bequest caused him wickedly to be slayne saying that he had made a mocke of lyfe séeing that hée hadde lefte an heire behinde him Wherfore Plaurus sayth very well Man to man is no man but a Wolfe That prosperitie and aduersitie chaungeth commonly the nature of men ONe Robert of Pandolfo Pandolphini resoning of the prosperitie aduersitie of mē and how these made them much to change in nature and condition suttlely affirmed that it was no maruell For the comming from one state to an other sayd he is euen as if one woulde goe from one countrey to an other where of necessitie wée muste sende an other heire That a lyar is not beleeued vvhen he telleth the truth ARistotle being demaunded what lyers got in telling their vain leasings aunswered nothing else but that when they tel the truth they are not beléeued The customes of Princes are diuers according to the diuersities of their natures POpe Nicolas the third of the Orsini a man learned and very well manered banished out of Rome aduocates proctours notaries and that lyke generation saying that they liued by poore mennes bloud But Martin the fourth his successour caused them to returne agayn as soone as he was made Pope saying prouerbially that they were good men to drawe water to his mill VVhen a man of all other liuing creatures is the best and vvhen the vvorste ARistotle sayd that it is a priuiledge of nature that the Lyon is not cruel to the Lion not the Leopard to the Leopard not the Tiger to the tiger not finally the Dragon to the dragon vse violence but that euery kynd of brute beasts doth peaceably assemble togither and fyght against other kinde of lyuing creatures vnlike to them Only man sayde he moreouer doth persecute mā so that he alone of al other creatures in his kinde cannot lyue in safetie Wherfore Aristotle to this purpose prudently sayd that euen as a man when he is ruled by reason is of all other liuing creatures the best so when he is not ruled thereby is of all the worst That vnreasonable demaundes deserue foolish aunsvveres PLautius pleading and crying out in a certain controuersie asked Cestius with a loud voyce for what cause a glasse falling downe shoulde breake and not a spunge To whome Cestius accordinglye aunsweared and for for what cause doe thrushes flye hygher than boates That many persons doe foolishly and to be mocked that abate their age ONe in the pesence of Cicero sayd that hée was thirtie yeares olde Cicero answered it is true for it is more than twelue yeares past since I hearde him speake it And to an other that to the ende he might seeme yong rehersed many follies of his age hée sayde When we studied logike togither thou wast not borne That pouertie maketh a man safe euen amidst murtherers HIlation of Athens was extremely poore and méeting théeues in a wood chaunged nothing at all but laughing sayd You are deceyued wherefore they asking him why hée laughed and wherefore he was not afrayde as other were he answered bicause I am naked I am not afrayde That husbandes oughte to giue credite to theyr vviues that their children be their ovvne BArnarde Amidei was sorrowfull bycause it was reported that his onely sonne was not his but an other mans wherefore Petrarche his friende pleasantly reproued hym saying Thou oughtest rather beléeue thy wife than an other bicause that she knoweth it better than any other And to this purpose I will tell you a pleasant tale It is not long agone since there was at Siena a noble man whiche had a very faire wyfe but somewhat suspected of vnchastitie So they hauing one onely sonne it chaunced that the mother had him one daye in hir armes and played wyth him wherefore the father séeing him looked now on him now on hir sighing in such sorte that the woman asked him why he sighed I wold spend said he sighing afresh the moytie of that I haue to knowe certainly that thys chyld were myne as thou knowest that hée is thyne To so straunge a saying the woman without chaunging hir countenaunce answered You néede not pay so muche if you will giue mée the value of a thousande ducates I will certifie you The husbande thynking it impossible to bée certified promised largely Wherefore certaine of their kinsfolke being called to be iudges and the case béeing tolde them the wyfe tooke the chylde in hir armes and turning vnto hir husbande sayde Sir you confesse that this little infante is myne is it not true I do cōfesse it sayd he but what of this Then she reaching hym foorth to hym added moreouer Holde héere for I wil gyue him to thée Now be you sure that he is yours The kynsfolke béeing very wel satisfied with laughter commended greatly the wyse woman and worthyly condemned the man
the farthest parts of the world and finally he is made like to God whose propertie is to do good to euery man and forgiue sinners That vvise men leaue not a certayne gayne for an vncertayne although it be muche greater WHen a fisher had taken in the sea a little fishe he went about to persuade the fisher to giue him libertie saying I am nowe so little that I shall doo thée little gooâ— but if thou do let me go I shall growe and so thou shalte haue more profite of me To whom the fisher sayde I were a very foole if I shoulde leaue that gayne which I haue presently in my hands although it be little for the hope of the gayne to come albeit it were very great And he added this saying of Terence Ego spem praetio non emo Hovve muche Gods helpe can do in humane things and contrarivvise hovv much Gods vvrath doth hurt ATlanta of the Ilande Scyros béeing a very fayre mayden and swiftest of foote baing wowed of many louers in way of maryage made a lawe that he that woulde haue hir shoulde runne with hir and if he ouercame hir she shoulde be his wyfe and béeing ouercome he should suffer death The which thing was attempted of many but all had the foyle and so they loste their liues It chaunced that Hyppomenes séeing on a time suche a wonderful beautie was kindled with the loue of hir in suche sorte that he was determined to gette hir by way of the cruell lawe But hauing well bethought him of his enterprise he wente afterwards like a wise man to aske counsell of Venus Who courteously gaue vnto him thrée apples of golde out of the garden of the Hesperides and taught him how he should vse them So he beeing entred in his course the mayden Atlanta ran swiftly before him Wherefore Hippomenes according as Venus had taught him cast one of the thrée apples vpon the grounde whervpon the maiden waxing very desirous for that brightnesse stouped downe to take it vp but forthwith thorow hir swiftnesse she ouertooke him and ran paste him Then Hippomenes caste downe the second that was fairer and goodlier than the first so that the mayden also more desirous to haue it lost so much time to take it vp that the louer making hast toke a little vauntage which she being swift soone recouered Notwithstanding he séeing hir almost at the ende of the course cast with good courage the thirde apple vppon the grounde much fairer than both the other of the which the damsell being so muche the more desirous with stedfast hope to ouertake and outrun hir louer stouped down to take it But in the mean season Hippomenes running apace ouerpassed hir and was at the marke before hir In this wyse he béeing conquerour ioyfully obtained the faire Atlanta to be his wife Wherfore he not being able to endure the loue hée bare hir in carying hir into his countreye brought her into the holy wood of Cibel mother of the gods there without reuerence of the place had to do with hir Wherwith Cibele being offended turned them both into Lions and sette them as it is also séene to drawe hir charyot VVhen vve must dine and suppe according to Diogenes the Cynike DIogenes the Cynike béeing asked of a certaine frende of his what tyme was beste for a man to dyne and suppe he aunswered He that is riche when he will and he that is poore when he may That vvise men make a iest of superstition A Citizen of Rome rysing in a morning founde that his shoes were gnawne with myse in the night which thing séeming to him monstrous taking it to be a naughtie signe token weÌ„t incontineÌ„tly sore dismayd to find Cato when he had founde him with great heauinesse he asked him what so strange and maruelous a thing betokened To whom Cato laughing answerd It is no maruel brother that the myse hath gnawne thy shoes it had ben a maruel if thy shoes had gnawne myse That foolishe and impertinent tauntes are soone vvrested against the taunters CAius Lelius being a very noble man born it happened that a man basely borne quarelling with him sayd vnto him Thou arte vnworthy of thy auncestours and thou sayd Lelius art worthy of thy now liuing pareÌ„ts That a mans counsell ought timely to be thought vpon contrarivvise a vvomans sodayne DEmocritus the Philosopher sayth that in councelles there is nothing worse than spéedinesse for that is full of errours wherof soone ensueth repentaunce And Bias of the same profession of Philosophie in like maner sayde that counsell had two great enimies to wit spedinesse and anger And Ariosto to this purpose sayth Th'vnthought counsels of women be better Than them which are of studie proceeded For this gifte alone to them is proper Emong so many from heauen bestovved But may that mischiefe of men be redrest Which ripe aduise doth timely not auayle Where vve to ponder oft in minde do fayle Sometimes is study great and labour prest That vaynglorie is oftentimes reputed for follie A Knight of Milan a vayne and boasting man came to Florence in ambassage and when amoÌ„g other his vanities he vsed braggingly to change oftentimes the chaine he did weare at his neck Niccolo Niccolini a man learned and ready maruelling at his fashions and despising suche great boasting sayd One chayne is inoughe for other fooles but this mans follie is such that he néedeth many That vayne ceremonies do little differ from vayne lyes MAster Giouanni della Casa sayd that this worde cirimonie that is ceremonies is straunge in the Tuscan tong for that the ancient Tuscanes knewe it not and therefore they could not giue it any name And he sayd moreouer that impertinent ceremonies do ordinarily little differ for their vanitie from lyes and that sometime they be not onely lyes vayne flatteries but wickednesse and treason bicause by the meanes of them men do not only flatter and deceiue but ofteÌ„times murder and betray their neighbour That euery man ought to speake of his ovvne and not of an other mans profession HAnniball of Carthage béeing come as a banished man to Ephesus to king Antiochus was vpoÌ„ a day requested of his frieÌ„ds to go to heare Phormio an excelleÌ„t Peripaâ—eâ—ike who discoursing many houres of the office of a captain and of the arte of warre very â—loquently contented his hearers maruellously Wherefore Hanniball béeyng asked of them howe he liked so worthy a man he smylyng aunswered I haue séene in my tyme many old men dote but I neuer saw none that doted more than Phormio doth That God hath appoynted to euery man his office and that he doth not allovv that men should go beside it VEnus being beaten of Diomedes woulde with weapon bée reuenged but Iupiter calling hir sayd Daughter myne thy office is not to be occupied in warlyke affaires but about women and louers Wherfore attend about loue kisses embracings and pleasures And as for warlike affaires Mars and Minerua
set his whole desire And Ariosto sayth Quel che l'huom vede Amor gli fa inuisibile Et l'inuisibil fa veder ' Amore. that is That thing which man doth see loue to him makes vnseene And the vnseene loue maketh to be seene A maruellous stoutnesse of a mans minde accompanied vvith pitie tovvardes his countrie WHen Lucius Scilla had ouercom by force of armes the Citie of Prenâ—ste he gaue leaue and commission to the Souldiers that they should destroye it and kyll all the Citizens sauing his Host meaning with this good turne to shewe himselfe thankfull vnto hym for manye curtesies receiued of hym at other times in his lodging But that valiant Citizen hering of this commission went foorth incontinently out of his house disguised preasing in among other of his countrimen sayd that he had rather die than owe his life to the destroyer of his countrie Counsels of great Captains to saue themselues and to ouercome their ennimies KIng Antigonus retiring from his enimies whiche then were stronger than he was said to him that peraduenture blamed him for fléeing away that he fled not but that he went thither where his profit and commoditie lay The same king being asked in what sorte a man might vanquishe his ennimies aunswered wyth strength and wisdome and if the Lions skin be not enough take the Wolfes too Erasmus attributeth this last saying also to Lysander Captaine of the Lacedemonians That Princes ought to displace the craftie and vvicked instruments of iustice ALphonsus King of Arragon hauing intelligence that a frenche Phisition who was a Sophister and verye subtile but of a moste gréedie minde leauing of Phisicke became an aduocate and with his Sophisticall pointes encombred the whole Courte made an Edicte oh most iust King that al the causes which the frenche aduocate tooke in hande should be accoumpted false and vniust Philosophicall obseruations in mankynde AS often sayde Diogenes as in mans life I thinke of the gouernours of countries Philosophers Phisitions and other lyke persons mée seemeth truely that there is no lyuing creature wyser than man Contrariwise when I beholde the interpretoures of Fortune the Prognosticatours of Starres the Diuinoures of heauenly things and the like generatioÌ„ me thinketh that no creature which beareth life is more foolishe than he That vvise men are thankfull to God for benefites receyued COsimo of the Medici Duke of Florence he the which for his wisedome was surnamed the wise did spende as it is wel knowen and founde in stories vppon buylding of Churches Monasteries and Hospitalles not onely in his countrey but also throughout many other partes of Europe aboue foure hundreth thousande Ducates besides other great and small almes déedes whiche he dyd dayly to marrie maydes to make Nunnes and for other workes which were thoughte holy Wherefore euery man maruelled at so great liberalitie and so great Religion That most wise gentleman was went sometyme to say to his dearest friendes that he was neuer able to spende and giue so muche for Gods sake as he found owing him in his bookes of account That the vyell framed minde endureth all trouble and displeasure FAuorinus the Philosopher sayde that euen as the body well disposed endureth colde heate and other griefes so the mynde well framed endureth displeasure thoughte and aduersitie To vvhat maner perturbations or vices of man the three furies of hell are correspondent THe Poetes write that the infernall furies daughters of Acheron and the night the which do vexe mans minde are thrée to witte Alecto Tisiphone and Megera they lyken Alecto to vnquietnesse bicause she desireth pleasure they lyken Tisiphone to anger bicause she séeketh reuengement they lyken Megera to pride bicause she desireth riches and soueraintie That the minde is the guyde and the true life of man SAlust sayth that the mind is the guyde and gouernoure of mans life and that the faire face the strong body great riches and other lyke thinges are transitorie and endure but a while but that the worthy déedes of the witte and minde are diuine and immortall Wherefore Viuitur ingenio caetera mortis erunt By wit we liue the rest to death belong In vvhat things humanitie doth chiefly consist PLato sayd the curtesie and nobilitie of man consisteth chiefly in thrée things the first is in saluting people gently the seconde in helping ones neighbour in his businesse and the third in bidding ones friends oftentimes to a moderate feast That it is a very harde thing to knovve the nature of men PHilomenes the Philosopher sayde when I consider that euery kind of bruite beasts haue one nature alone as the Lions which are all strong and hardie the Hares which are all fearefull and cowardly the Foxes which are all craftie the Eagles valiaunt the Doues simple in so muche that among a hundreth thousande of these or suche like beastes there is not founde one that swarueth out of kinde wherefore if the kinde be knowne the nature is by and by knowne I am sory truely for the state of man which haue more natures than there be persons so that it is impossible to know them al nay rather very harde to knowe one of so many without long time That death hath no more regard of yong men than of olde WHen there were dead at Milan in short space of diuers diseases certayne noble and courteous yong men Alciato made vpon that occasion in the Italian tongue these wittie verses Albergauano insieme Amore Morte Et la mattina desti Nel partirsi ambedue per dura sorte Cangiar le strali onde ferendo Amore Igiouani morien miseri mesti Et la Morte impiagando à mezzo'l câ—ore Ivecchi ardeuau d'amoroso ardore O potente signore Et tu de corpi nostri empia Regina Ritoruateui l'armi acchioche mota Jt vecchio viua li giouanetto in giona that is Both death and loue were lodged in one place And day did spring At parting both by cancred fortunes case They chaunged dartes wherfore loue sore wounding The heauy yong men died full of mourning When death with darte the fainting harts did frie The old men liud in loue and did not dye O Lord mightie And if our bodies fraile thou wicked Queene Retourne the weapons that to diâ—e deaths teene The olde may yeelde while yong men mery beene A notable discription of arte in mans shape THe most famous master Daniel Barbaro going about to transforme the knowledge of things into mans shape did paint it out in this sorte little of frature the eyes of the coloure of the skye the nose lyke an Eagle the eares very equall the necke shorte the brest large and as mother of all things full of teates the shoulders bigge the armes the palmes of the handes and the fingers long al tokens after Aristotle of great vnderstanding capacitie and study after in countenaunce in going and in apparell he made hir ready nimble and wakefull aboute euerie thyng but so seuere aduised
long youth It helpeth he addeth hereto sometime to vse bathes other while cold water to day to annoint himself to morrowe not passe vppon himselfe and finally to refuse no meate nor drinke which the common people doth vse That it is follye to looke for more of things then nature doth affourde them A Shepharde which had a flocke of shepe séeing that the wolfe did daily take and consume them assembled together vppon a daye the whole flocke and with a trim and long oration he put them in comfort not to feare the wolues for so muche as they were many in number and for the most parte had hornes which the wolues haue not wherefore he wold haue them to be of good courage and with one assent valiauntly to giue ayde one to another and that he would not sayle them at anye time The shéepe taking good hart at these worde ioyned with such effectuall reasons promised and sware that they woulde no more flie from the wolfe Notwithstanding a while after when the rumour was raised to the wolfe to the wolfe those poore beastes were surprised with so great feare that the words and the reasons of the shepherd were not able to holde them from flying awaye Whereuppon he afterward sorrowing with them one of the wisest francklye spake Whilest to make white the blacke thou dost assay Thou sekest that dark night shuld become cleare day That the fruite and safetie of mony consisteth in occuping and not in keping A Couetous man hauyng solde all that hée had and tourned it into ready money buried it in a place where he went daily to see it in suche wise that a man of the countrey watching what he did went thether in the night and digged it out and caryed it away And when the miser another daye came againe to sée his treasure he not finding it was minded desperately to gyue himselfe to the Deuill But a fréend of his being at hand and vnderstanding the cause said vnto him quiet thy self my felow for thou diddest not occupy this monie at all so that thou maiste put stones in place thereof and perswade with thy self that it is golde for these stones will stande thée in as good stéede as monie and added hereto these verses of Petrarcha Oh mente vaga al fin sempre digiuna A che tante pensieris vn'hora sgombra Quel ch' en molti anni a pena si ragana that is Oh greâ—dy mind still hungry to the ende Wherto are so great cares one houre doth spoyle That which long time hath hardly won with toyle That the counsayles of youth are rashe and vnaduised and of age considered and perfecte WHEN Paulus Emilius was generall Captaine in Greece for the Romans against king Perseus he had with him Scipio being a very yong man but famous for hys great beginnings of vertue The which Scipio when vpon some occasion he thought the time conuenient to giue battaile to the enimie said Dost thou not sée Emilius to whom the old expert captaine perceiuing some damage that mighte arise thereby whych the vnskillfull yong man knewe not of sayde Nasica when I was of thy yeares I was so minded as thou arte nowe and when thou shalte come to my yeares thou shalte be of that mind which I am now of That the state of vvorldly things is very full of chaunge and therefore that it is meete for vs to prepare to endure both fortunes THE same Emilius when hée had ouercome and taken prisoner the foresaide Perseus and sawe him fall prostrate to hys féete wéeping and ouer cowardlye yelding himself saide vnto him alasse for me stande vp for thou shamest my victorye I thought that I had ouercome some greate king but now I finde that I haue subdued a cowardly woman doutlesse thou arte worthy of greater misfortune And turning to his men of warre he said to them beholde there an example moste notable of worldly things to you yong men chiefly I speake to the ende that you may lerne not to puffe your selues ouer much with pride in prosperitie neither to truste happie fortune to much forasmuch as he is dead in the morning which is borne in the euening And he is a man in déede that in prosperitie is not proude and in aduersitie is not vnpacient A Philosophicall opinion touching the iudging of friendes causes BIas the Philosopher saith that he was neuer willyng to be iudge betwéene hys friendes but betwene his enemies Bycause euen as saith he it is to be feared that one of thy friends shall become thine enemye so is it to be hoped that one of thyne enemies shal be made thy friende That none can liue in this vvorlde vvithoute trouble SOcrates beyng asked of a friende of hys how mannes life maye be passed wythout trouble answered by no meanes for it is not possible said he to dwell in Cities castles and houses without trouble That loue entreth the bodye by the eyes and ouercommeth both Gods and men ARaspa beyng warned of Cirus that he shuld not bée conuersaunte wyth women saying that through his eyes loue by litle wold enter into him answered that if he dyd alwayes take héede of him he should neuer be ouercome But when he was not long after fallen into the flames of loue and for feare and shame durst not come in the presence of his Lord Cirus sent for him as for one whoÌ„ he loued and smiling saide Araspa I knowe that thou arte greatly afeard of me peradueÌ„ture more ashamed but be of good chéere for I maruaile not at thy errour knowing well that euen Gods themselues haue byn deceyued manye times and ouercome by loue That vvomen sometymes doe vvorthy deedes IN the warre betwéene the Emperoure Curradus the third surnamed Ghibellinus Guelfus Duke of Berne of whom in tyme paste the partes taking of the Ghibellines and the Guelfins toke name there chaÌ„unced a déede of women as Paulus Emilius the Historigrapher witnesseth no lesse worthy than pleasaunt And this it was that when the Emperoure had ouercome by force Monake the heade Citie of Berne and appointed for muche hatred conceyued all the men to be cut in péeces notwithstanding he fauorablie graunted the women that they should departe safe with all that they coulde carrie vppon their backes Wherevppon those valiaunte women furthered wyth excéeding great loue and true affection toke counsaile and strength to carrye with them the men for their burden With whych worthy acte the Emperoure not onely accompted hymselfe deluded but it pleased him so muche that throughe their loue he receyued afterwarde the Duke his aduersarye into fauour also That valiaunte and vertuous men vvill not be corrupted PHocion of Athens a verye good Citizen when Alexander the great had sent him a great summe of money to win him vnto him asked the messanger what he brought hym and for what cause Alexander had sent money rather to hym than to other citizens Because he thinketh you aunswered he honester and better than
broken painted the same afterward more easly and readily Thē Maximilian asked of Durer how it cam to passe that his cole brake not Durer smiling aunswered Most mercifull Emperour I wold not that your imperiall maiestie could painte so cunningly as I as who should say I haue exercised my selfe in this thing and this is my vocation your maiestie hath waightier affaires and an other vocation according to the common prouerbe Aliud est sceptrū aliud plectrū that is the scepteris one thing and the harp an other plectrum is properly an instrument wherwith men played on the harpe or dulcimers for hurting of their fingers with the former example this may agrée Leontinus the byshop saide to Constantine the Emperoure desirous to reason many things of Religion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Emperour thou being ordained for one thing dost an other Of the vvell bringing vp of Children THere is more regard to be had of the wel bringing vp of children than of anye riches They which do otherwise séeme to me very like to them which prouide shooes and passe not for the féete whereas they are inuented for the sauing of them Wherefore that aunciente Crates climbyng vppon the highest part of the citie wisely thought good to exclame Whither whither runne ye my countrey men is it méete that you shoulde thus be chieflye busied in gettyng of riches and not to be carefull and passe vpon them for whom they are gotten Beleue mée the parents cannot leaue their children a better inheritaunce than if they shoulde be well brought vp and trayned in vertue euen frō their youth this patrimonye abideth wyth them for euer neither can it be destroyed by the stormes of fortune As a horse vntamed although good by nature is not apt for those commodities which are required of him so thou canst not get the frute of vertue of a man vnlearned although he be wittie The like said Durer A man vnlearned is as it were a lookyng glasse not polished VVhat labours are greatest and pleasantest AChilles being demaunded of Aiax which were the greatest laboures that he had sustained aunswered them which he toke for his friendes And when he procéeded to aske which were the pleasantest laboures that he had sustained Achilles answered againe the same signifying that he whiche is noble in déede burneth with a certain great desire to helpe his friende Foure things required in feastes BAchilides sayth that there are foure things required in a feast 1. a measurable preparation of meate and drinke 2. pleasant communication 3. true good will of the feasters 4. good wine wherwith olde men are chiefly delighted And an other sayth that one ought not to drinke aboue two draughts at a feast for healthes sake That Christians being taken prisoners by Christians ought to be mercifully intreated THe Emperour Charles the fift when the king of Fraunce was taken and he Lorde ouer him méeting him embraced him frendly saying Mon frer en ' aye peur car tes affaires se portè bien that is Brother myne be of good cheare for all shal be well and he delte brotherly with him VVatchfulnesse and carefull diligence becommeth a Magistrate HOmer in the seconde booke of his Iliades hath two notable verses méete to be remembred not onely of Princes but of all other Magistrates and be these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which verses Frederick Duke of Saxonie thought worthy to be written with his own hand and to haue them in his chamber being by him translated into Latine wyth these woordes Non decet principē virū dormire totā noctem Cui populi gubernacula commissa sunt à cuius cura pendent ingentia rerum momenta that is A Prince for many that prouydes ought not to sleepe all nyght Who charge hath of the people and on whome great cares doe light The originall of the Electourship THe originall of the Electorship of the princes of Germanie tooke beginnyng of the Persians For as to their king were princes ioyned so to the Emperours of Germanie the Electours or Choosers are ioyned which do make vp the head counsell for the Romaine Empire If wée will consider aright to the Persian king were ioyned the Ephori For in their handes laye the chiefest power to choose take and put downe the king So it is the chiefest power and authoritie of the Electours which oftentymes haue remoued out of the Empire beasts and tyrants This state of Electours hathe defended Germanie and hath borne rule and kept quietnes these fiue hundreth yeares The tokens of a vvell framed common vvealth WHen king Ferdinando was at Norinberge he asked of the chiefe Aldermen of the citie howe they gouerned so greate a multitude they answered Most soueraigne King with faire woordes and cruell punishmentes It is a verie wise answere of a wittie mā For so ought Empires to be framed the gouernours to answere all men gently but in punishing to vse seueritie A description of three chiefe vocations in this life IN the Courte Basile this verse is founde written in golden letters Tu supplex ora tu protege tuque labora that is Praye thou vppon thy knees defende thou and laboure thou In this verse thrée chiefe vocations of this life are set forthe The Ecclesiasticall state the politique state and the state of the subiectes The picture of a good magistrate among the auncientes THe Emperours of Germanie among the auncientes were painted after this sorte holding in one hand a booke and in the other a sword Wherby antiquitie signified that Emperours ought to be furnished with the skill of lawes and weapons For the sworde without lawe is tirannie This picture was thus set forthe for the benefite of yong Emperours rulers that they mighte be admonished of the chiefest parts of gouernment The modest aunsvvere of Charles the fifth touching his prayses WHen the Emperour Charles the fifth was very honorably receiued into Paris by the french King and with so great a triumphe as neuer in anye place was made hym afterward one of the kings counsailours pronounced before him a long and very graue oration wherin he made rehersall of many vertues and noble actes of the Emperour to all these things he answered briefly and very modestly that he lyked the oration bycause he had put him in mind what manner of man he ought to be Three things necessarye for euery Magistrate WHen Augustus sente Germanicus into Asia hée wyshed hym thrée things the vertue of Alexander the good will of men that Pompey had thyrdly he added I wish thée my fortune signifying that the exploites and victories won by him were gouerned by God The order of Charles the fifth his counsell THe Emperour Charles the fifth called not aboue foure or fiue to counsell euery of which he commaunded to tell his opinion Afterwarde he considered which were the best opinions and reasoned of euery one of them he did not forthwith conclude but deferred till an other time
saying hereafter we will speake more of this matter That soone pricketh vvhich vvill be a thorne IT is written of the Lacedemonians that they put to death the kings sonne being a boy when they sawe him pull out litle birds eyes For hereby the Lacedemonians iudged that he would be tyrannous by nature and if he should rule that he woulde be cruell to his countrymen and subiectes A briefe summe of the nevve and olde testament MOyses in the beginning speaketh of the essence or beyng of God secondly of the creation thirdly of the making of man and of the promisse set foorth by the which man was restored and began agayne to build the Churche Afterward there followe excellent promisses Furthermore in Exodus the law is set out which is the euerlasting worde of God requiring obedience and condemning the disobedient In the bookes of the kyngs examples of obedience and disobedience are set forth Dauid is receyued afterwarde the promise is renewed fynally the prophetes make the same more manifest and plain In the new testament all the articles of christian doctrine are expessely declared VVhat things breede all mischiefe THese fiue things chiefly bring the coÌ„mon wealth far out of frame as one affirmed to wéete A false iudge in the consistory a deceiptful marchant in the market a couetous Prieste in the Church a faire whoore in the stewes and flatterie in Princes Courtes VVho are notable fooles A Faithfull louer of maides a faire gamster and a mercifull souldiour are sayde to be too foolishe VVhat housholde is vnprofitable THis familie of all other is said to be most vnprofitable and vnpleasaunt a henne withoute egges a sowe withoute pigges a cowe withoute milke a daughter that wandreth abroade in the nighte a sonne a gamster a wife priuily spending hir husbandes goods and a maide seruant with childe VVhosoeuer vvanteth money is nothing set by MOney can bring all things to passe and without money the good estimation of a man is nothing worth For except one haue money neither nobilitie nor knowledge or anye vertue is auailable Pallade saying is not muche vnlike this Golde openeth all things and the gates of hell A certaine man saide vnwisely Although my father were a hangman my mother a common harlot yet if I haue money I am well liked of and honored Wherfore it is said moreouer in a prouerbe Much wisedome is lost in the poore mans purse that is poore men are despised in whom oftentimes is much wisedome bicause pouertie is not regarded neither now a dayes is exercised in exployting of things and except one be riche he is neuer thought wise and of vnderstanding neyther is vsed in weightie matters whiche require wysedome Wherevnto Iuuenall alludeth in his seuenth Satire Rara in tenui facundia panno that is A poore mans speech but seldome pleasant is That three things displease both God and men A Poore man proude a riche man a lyer and an olde man a louer Foure things do corrupt all iudgements FAtte gyftes Hatred Fauoure and feare Foure things cannot be kept close Loue the cough fyre and sorowe Foure things kill a man before his time A Fayre wyfe an vnquiet housholde vnmeasurable meate and drinke and a corrupte aire Foure deedes of a Tyranne THe propertie of a Tyranne is to destroy the good to hate the poore to aduaunce the wicked and to abolishe vertue Foure sortes of men get friends THE liberall the gentle the myghtye or ryche and they that are easye to bée spoken vnto That a man is not to be iudged by his face A Man oughte not to be iudged by his face for we cannot know a man only by outward things and by the face bycause we be ignorant what lieth hidden in his mind for many hiding their wickednesse do faynedly shew in face great honestie The very which Iuuenal in his seconde Satyre sayeth Fronti nulla fides that is Trust not the face That vve oughte to take heede of flatterers as of poyson ALphonsus saide that flatterers are not vnlyke Wolues for euen as Wolues by tickling and clawing are wont to deuour Asses so flatterers vse their flatterye and lyes to the destruction of Princes Of Vsurers SAinct Bernard affirmed that onely by this meanes vsurie mighte be exercised wythout sinne if money were lent them whych could not restore the principall Of Hunting HVnting as Albert the Emperour sayde is a manly exercise and dauncing a womans exercise and that he could be wythout any other pleasure sauing Hunting Tvvo things necessary for him that vvill lyue quietly in matrimonie ANthony Panormita a very pleasant man béeyng asked what things be thoughte most necessarye to the leadyng of ones lyfe pleasantlye and merily in mariage taking an argument of the manyfolde great troubles which happened in the maried life answered that two things only were néedeful the husbande to be deafe and the wife blind least that she should sée very manye things which were vntemperately done of hir husband and least he should heare his wife continually chatting at home Pollicies of VVarre IT is very much vsed in Jtaly that the best Captaines haue manye volumes of pollicies wise counsels of warre aswel of their auncientes as of them of latter time The French men are saide to haue vsed in tyme paste this pollicie againste the Emperours souldioures They sent before carters laden with Silkes other clothes which the Emperours souldiours fearing nothing gréedily laide handes vpon In the meane season the FrenchmeÌ„ inuaded toke them sodenly vnawares with their host of horsmen whilest they striued among themselues for the pray Cymon a most wise and valiant Captaine was indued with so greate a modestie that when he broughte with him oute of â—onia a Poet which had set forth his prayses ouer large he was nothing delighted therewith but toke it verye grieuouslye For he said that of nothing that euer he did he sought anye praise but only of one stratageme or policy And this was such a one as he vsed towards the Lacedemonians his countrey men wythout the offence or hurt of any For when he had ouercom the Persians in a great conflict and had brought manye prisoners a huge praye from that battaile all which togither were to be deuided by him among his countrimen Cymon beyng not ignorant of the Lacedemonians couetousnesse commaunded that al the Gold and Siluer should be set on one side the bodies of the Captiues clad in vile apparell shuld be placed on the other and gaue afterward the choise to the Lacedemonians But they being deceyued throughe couetousnes gréedily chose that side wherein the Gold and Siluer was placed moreouer gaue Cymon thankes for so liberall a deuision sufferance of choise But Cymon got no lesse praye togither with praise For there were among the Captiues manye moste noble and ryche men which when he suffered to raunsome themselues gathered also with thankes a great summe of money by their raunsome and deliuerance much greater than
the Lacedemonians Furthermore I beleue that thorow this deliueraÌ„ce of the Captiues he won so greate fauoure among the ennimyes that thys was the chiefest cause that Asia afterwarde fell so muche to him So Cymon by this trimme polycie prouided for hys owne profite and got double thankes of the Lacedemonians for his liberalitie and of the captiues for his clemencie When the Lantgraue had taken a certaine Dukes Secretarye the Duke obiected to hym that it was not lawfull to take Embassadours The Lantgraue contrarywyse had an exception bycause he had founde an example in Liuie where the Romains tooke on the waye the Athenian Embassadours and it was iudged to bée well done The like example is in Herodotus where the Athenians tooke the Embassadours of the Lacedemonians going to the king of Persia to make league and by request to obtaine helpe against them and by and by they slewe them That vertue can doe more than crueltye and that mens mindes are more turned vvith clemencye than vvith outrage and fiercenesse ALphonsus king of Neaples liuing in the time of oure auncesters was one of the wisest kings that euer raigned he was very well learned and did greate things wyth great admiration he was expelled and banished and retourned eftsoones into his kyngdom When he beseiged Caieta the Caietans sent out of the Citie a great number of olde men women boyes and girles that the residewe mighte a longer time haue during the siege corne and other thinges necessarye Then certaine counsellours aduised the kyng to commaund that this miserable multitude or at least wyse some part of it might be slain in the sight of the citie which the inhabitantes beholding might the sooner yelde And he that wrote the historie sayeth God forgiue me the same counsell I gaue the King too Then the king being astonied stood musing and at length after long silence brake out into these words The whole kingdom of Neaples is not somuche worth to mee that I shold violeÌ„tly inuade this miserable companie and he gaue forthwith a moste seuere commaundement that all should be distributed safe into the townes and places néere adioyning When the inhabitantes of the citie sawe this from the walles and towers the matter béeing knowen they immediatly yelded béeing moued by the vertue and clemencie of the king in the victorie welnéere woonne Scipio sayde notably that he had lÃeffer saue one of hys countrymen than vanquishe a whole legion of his enimies ¶ Certayne Italian Prouerbes and sentences done into Englishe by I. Sanf A. A Buon hora in pescaria e tardi in Beccaria Betyme in the Fishe shambles and late in the Butcherie A buon intenditore mezze parola basta To a good vnderstander halfe a woorde is inough A caualli magri vanno le mosche The Flyes goe to leane horsses A chi l'ha va bene par sauio He that hath the world at will séemeth wise Al amico cura il fico Al nimico il persico Prouide a Figge for thy frende and a peache for thy enimie Allegrezzo di cuore fà bella pelladure di viso The merynesse of the heart causeth a fayre colour in the face Alle nozze alla morte si conoscono gli amici e parenti At mariages and burials frendes and kinsfolke be knowne Al nial mortal ne medice ne medicina val A deadelye disease neyther Physition nor Physike can ease Amor di putana e vin de fiasco Da mattina buono da sera guasto The loue of a harlot and wyne of a flagon or bottle is good in the morning and naught in the euening Asino ponto bisogna che trotti An asse pricked must néedes trot Asperta luoco e tempo a far vendettà Che non fece mai ben infretta Awayte tyme and place to be reuenged For it is neuer well done in haste A ssai ben balla a chi fortana sâ—ona Hée daunceth well inough to whom Fortune pipeth Assai gnadagna chi fortuna perde He gayneth inough whom fortune looseth Aue morai non fa mele A dead Bée maketh no honie A vn a vno si fanno gli fusi By one and one the spyndles are made B. Belle parole e cattino fatti Ingannone i saui i matti Fayre wordes and wicked deedes deceyue wyse men and fooles Ben faremo ben diremo Mal va la barca senza remo Doe wée well speake wée well Ill goeth the Barcke without oares Bandiera vecchia honor di capitano An olde bande is the honour of a captaine C. Cane che baia non vuol nuocer A barking Dogge will doe no hurt Can vecchio non baia indanno An olde dogge barketh not in vayne Caual corrente sepultura aperta A running horsse an open burying Cera tela e fustiano Bella bottega e poco guadagno Waxe linnen cloath and Fustaine A fayre shoppe and little gayne Chi compara caro e toglie a credenza Consum ' il corpo e perde la semenza He that buyeth déere and taketh vppon credite consumeth the bodie looseth the séed Chi di paglia fuoca fà molto fimo altri non ha He that makes a fire of strawe hathe store of smoke and nothing else Chi duo lepori cazzia vno perde l'altro lascia He that hunteth two Hares looseth one and leaueth the other Chi è in diffetto è in sospetto He that is in pouertie is in suspition Chi ha buona lancia la proui nel muro He that hath a good spoar proueth him against the wall Chi ha tempo non aspetti tempo He that hath tyme looketh not for tyme. Chi non fa non falla Chi falla s'amenda He that doth nothing doth not amisse He that doth amisse is amended Chi fa male â—dia il lume He that doth yll hateth the lyght Chi non ha cuori habbi gambe He that hath no heart hath legges Châ— non ha moglie spesso la batte He that hath no wyfe beateth hir often Chi non figliuoli ben gli pasâ—e He that hath no children doth bring them vp well Chi non ha seruito non fa commandare He that hath not serued knoweth not howe to commaunde Chi non nauiga non sa che sia timore di Dio. He that hath not ben on the sea knoweth not what the feare of God is Chi non puo batter il cauallo batta la silla He that can not beate the Horsse beateth the saddâ—e Chi non robba non fa robe He that doth not robbe maketh not a roabe or a gowne Chi nuoce altrui nuoce se stesso He that hurteth an other hurteth him selfe Chi serue al communo seru ' a nessuno He that serueth the Common wealthe serueth none Chi serue il puttane il tempo perde He that serueth harlots loseth his tyme. Chi tardi arriua mal allogia He that commeth late hath yll lodging Chi ti vede di giorno non ti