Selected quad for the lemma: friend_n
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A06083
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Solon his follie, or a politique discourse, touching the reformation of common-weales conquered, declined or corrupted. By Richard Beacon ...
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Becon, Richard.
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1594
(1594)
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STC 1653; ESTC S101151
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82,861
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127
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In like manner the people of Rome consulting at large founde that they sustained in all warres the greatest force of the enemie they found themselves also to be called to all labours and workes whereby the common-wealth was to be preserved or augmented and so forthwith they iudged themselues as worthy of the office and dignity of the Tribuneship and Consulship as any Patrician whatsoever and therevppon contended that the Tribunes should be equally elected as wel of the one as of the other sorte the which beeing vnto them graunted and descending to make election could finde none in particular worthy of that honour or at the least so worthy as the Patricians and nobles were then forthwith they did acknowledge their former errour and made choice of the Patricians only After this manner the people generallie consulting of the delaies and cunctation which Fabius vsed in repelling the forces of Hannibal forthwith they condemned him to be a cowarde and faint harted but afterward they waighing that their councell by the severall events and overthrowes they received by the rash and over-hasty proceeding of Varro the Consull and of Marcus Senteinius with others they did soone after adiudge the wisedome of Fabius to be some rare and divine influence received from the Gods In like sort the people of Rome after such time as Brutus and Cassius had fully executed the conspiracie then intended against the person of Caesar generally consulting of that action remained for a time as indifferent beholders thereof neither accusing neither yet making allowance thereof but no sooner did Caesar his friendes shevv forth his testament his severall legacies vnto the people his manie and cruell woundes and those every where freshly bleeding and increasing like a running streame the people as possessed with some furie or frencie every vvhere in the market place every where in the corners of the streete in privat houses in the fieldes and in the vvoodes also cruelly murdred all such as vvere partakers vvith Brutus in that action After this manner the auncient Tirantes of Athens contending sometimes to perswade the people to labour and especially to til and ploughe the grounde thereby to render them more obedient vnto their governement did give out a certaine fable they tell of the Goddesse Pallas that shee contending vvith Neptune about the patronage of the countrie of Athens brought foorth and shewed to the Iudges the Olive tree by meanes whereof she obtained the preheminence by vvhich particular demonstration made the people vvere mightily induced to labour and till the land After this manner the people of Rome generallie consulting of the division of landes gained by conquest did fall into mutinies and seditions against the Senators then vvisely the Senators deducted forthwith certaine colonies out of the confines of Italie vvhereby eftsoones the multitude vvere given to vnderstande of the particular charge travell and other sundry inconveniences that did arise by possessing of lands gained by conquest vvherewith all mutinies vvere appeased Thus the magistrate that intendeth to perswade the people must not generally consult of matters but must descende vnto particulars vvith them and therefore that oratour shall most readilie perswade vvhich shall dravv his argumentes and the force of his perswasion ab effectibus ab exemplis or such like and these be the ordinarie perswasions Sol There remaineth nowe the other sote tearmed by you perswasions extraordinary CAP. 11. Perswasions extraordinary and when or at what time they be requisite and necessarie EPI Such were they which Themistocles sometimes vsed for saith Plutarch vvhen all other perswasions failed and coulde not worke that publicke good which he then intended hee did threaten the Athenians with signes from heaven and with Oracles and aunsweres and when as he coulde not perswade the Citizens of Athens no not for the safegarde of their lives to departe the Citie at the comming of Xerxes vvhose forces they were not able to withstande hee pollitiquely caused a brute to be spread abroade among the people that the Goddesse Minerva the protector and defender of the Citie of Athens had forsaken the Citie pointing them the vvaie vnto the sea and againe he vvonne them with a prophesie which commaunded them to save themselves in walles of woode saying that the walles of woode did signifie nothing else but ships and for this cause Apollo in his Oracle called Salamina divine not miserable and vnfortunate because it shoulde give the name of a most happie victorie vvhich the Graecians shoulde gette there by vvhich extraordinarie perswasions hee did induce them at the last to leave the Citie of Athens and to betake themselves to the sea by occasion vvhereof they did not onely deliver themselves from the handes of their enemies but became at the last conquerours and victours over them In like manner when all ordinarie meanes of perswading failed to effect the reformation sometimes intended by Numa he made his recourse to these extraordinarie helpes and meanes laying before the peoples eies a terrour and feare of their Gods bearing them in hande that they had seene straunge visions or that he had heard voices by vvhich their Gods did threaten them with some great troubles and plagues whereby hee did pull downe and humble their hearts as Plutarch witnesseth and made thereby a thorough chaunge and reformation aswell of the common-weale as of the manners of the people Therefore Plutarch not without iudgment affirmeth that the multitude in matters vvaightie and difficult rest satisfied and perswaded rather by extraordinarie then by ordinary meanes all which he doeth lively manifest vvhereas he induceth the multitude exclaiming vppon Themistocles for not sacrificing the three young prisoners in so much as Themistocles forced by their rage and clamour did sacrifice at the last the three prisoners wherewith the people remained fully perswaded that the victorie shoulde be given vnto them over their enemies Againe sometimes it fareth vvith the multitude as with the sicke patient vvhich being overcome with the greatnesse of his malady is therby become so impatient as he refuseth all wholesome medicines vvhich may breed his health and safety the vvhich malady sometimes possessed the people of Athens when as they reiected your counsell for the vvithstanding of the tyranny of Pisistratus having then newly vvith his forces entered the castle and forte of Athens vvherewith the people stoode so amazed as they shewed themselves more vvilling to suffer that evill then able to prevent the same by your counsell Sol This happeneth oftentimes when the people with the suddennes or waightines of the matter are found dulled mazed and oppressed and thereby as with some great malady remaine overcome or otherwise when they finde themselves formerly deluded by the like matter or by the same persons dare not or wil not nowe give confidence though for the present he perswadeth nothing but that which is expedient profitable for theÌ the which matters the people of Rome obiected sometimes against the Senators when by the feare of
by the power of the Gawles for then all sortes of persons in the citie were founde to be possessed with a generall securitie in somuch that they neglected all religion they contemned the holy order of the Faecials and made no account of their propounded religion and lastly they were founde so secure as they neglected all their former discipline of warres yea they iested and made themselves merry with Marcus Cedicius which gaue them vvarning thereof In like manner a generall security did possesse the Philistians when as Ionathan said to the young man that bare his armoure come and let vs go over vnto the garrison of these vncircumcised for it is not hard for the Lord to save with many or with few so as they both shewed themselves to the Philistians but they as men secure scorned Ionathan and said see the Hebrewes come out of the holes wherein they have hid themselues for a long time but Ionathan eftsoones put them to the sworde But for that the histories and reportes of ages past doe afforde infinite proofes and examples hereof let vs proceede readily vnto other signes and tokens of declinations Sol Before a generall declination the people are found possessed vvith a generall feare for before the overthrow given by Samuel vnto the Philistians the people were holden with a mighty feare of their future fortunes and of the event of those warres insomuch as it is saide there was a feare in the hoast and in the fielde and amonge all the people the garrison also and they that vvent out to spoile vvere afraide themselves and the earth trembled for it was striken with feare by the Lord. And after this manner Christe prophecieyng of the destruction of Ierusalem vnto such as asked what signes shal there be when these thinges shall come to passe he saide there shall be trouble vpon earth and amonge nations perplexity mens heartes shall faile them for feare and for looking after those things which shall come on the vvorlde Epi After such time as Camillus was vniustly condemned and banished there vvas not a Romane of any vnderstanding but believed certainely that some great punishment would follow them incontinently and that the wronge and iniurie which they had done him would be quicklie requited with some sharpe and terrible revenge not onlie vnpleasaunt to thinke vppon but farther most notable to be spoken of thorough the world then fell out so sodainely vpon the same such mischiefes towardes the citie of Rome as it was doubted to bee the handy worke of some God that woulde not suffer vertue to be vnrecompensed vvith ingratitude Sol There remaineth yet a greater signe of declination Epi What may the same be Sol When the common-wealthes shall generally depart from all the partes and right rules of governement the same is a manifest signe of declination For before the overthrow of Rome by the power of the Gawles there was found all disorder and confusion they were not governed by one selfesame commaunder as in former times but their governoures being many contrary to the discipline of warres bredde naught else but confusion The like disorder did they admit in all the other partes of their governement as in the historie thereof more at large appeareth the which did breede the ruine and destruction of that citie These bee the ordinary signes of declination Sol You seeme hereby to give vs to vnderstande of signes extraordinary Epi Yea verily Sol What be they Epi Great earthquakes shal be in divers places hunger pestilence and fearefull thinges and great signes shall there be in heaven there shall be signes in the sunne and the moone and in the starres the sea and waters shal roare this is the time wherein Ierusalem shal be troden vnder foote of the Gentiles vntill the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled these be the times wherein they shall fall on the edge of the swoorde and shal be ledde captive to all nations these be the signes whereby as by the budding of the figge tree wee knowe summer to bee neare at hande so by these we may discerne common calamities a farre of as also when they approach neare vnto vs. Sol Before Caesar was murdered in the Senate house there appeared many terrible signes in the heavens in the aire and vppon the earth vvhich did threaten his overthrowe and destruction and many common calamities vnto that citie in like manner before the sacking burning and destroying of Rome by the Gaules one Marcus Cedicius a man of faire condition honest and of good conscience tolde vnto the Tribunes a thing that was well to be considered of for he saide that the night before as he was going on his waie in the new streete he harde one call him alowde and returning backe to see what it was he sawe no living creature but onely hearde a voice bigger then a mans which saide vnto him Marcus Cedicius goe thy way to morrowe morning to the Tribunes of the souldiers and bid them looke quicklie for the Gaules Epi Surely God governeth the worlde and the creatures vppon earth mercifullie and lovingly in sending sometimes Marcus Cedicius vnto the citie of Rome yea sometimes Ionas vnto the citie of Ninivie nay that which is more in making the dumbe creatures as well in heaven as in earth to speake vnto vs and foretell vs of our destruction Sol To the good they be tokens of his mercie and favour and to the wicked they threaten his Iustice and iudgement so as what the highest hath determined in his secret fore-knowledge the same shall stande and may not passe For in vaine shall Caelphurnia crie out in the night Caesar is slaine for hee shall not give credit vnto dreames in vaine shall she perswade him in the day to keepe his house not to go abroad for he shal be deluded with the hopes and flatteries of Brutus in vaine shall the southsaier forewarne him of his destruction for he shal not regarde prophecies in vaine doe his friendes and vvelwillers set downe in writing the daies times and meanes of his destruction and deliver the same into his handes for he shall not once reade or regarde it so the highest hath determined and the same shall stand and may not passe Brutus shall flatter wounde and kill him and he shall fall with the stroke thereof in vaine shall Marcus Cedicius forewarne the Tribunes of the people that the Gaules with their armie are marching towardes Rome for they shall laugh and make themselves merry thereat and not foresee howe they may resist them they shal be as men amazed and bewitched and forget even their ordinarie discipline and fall into all disorder of governement their Citie shall be wasted and destroyed for so the highest hath determined and the same shall stande and may not passe Epi To this purpose Plutarch writing of the death of Caesar saieth that the declinations and destinies are more easily foreseene then avoided CAP. 2. The times wherein common-weales doe vsually fall and