and worthie Charitie the same being well expressed in the day of his Passion when neyther the tormentes of his bodie nor the wickednesse of his People could restraine the course of his great loue wherewith he Prayed for such as Crucifyed him and pardone those that offended him Yea he prayed not onely for his Apostles and Disciples but also for all the faythfull that beléeued in him and loued his Father with whom as he was one selfe thing in Diuinitie so he prayed to his Father that all such as beléeued might be in him one body misticall through Charitie Great was the loue of Iesus Christ in the wordes of his petition to his Father séeing that albeit we were not then borne no nor our farre auncient Fathers yet he besought his Father in great feruencie for the estate of all his Church euen no lesse then for those that dyd communicate with him in the Supper So that as he dyed for all so he prayed for all By which we haue good reason to beléeue that séeing be remembred vs afore we came into the world he will also kepe care ouer such as are employed in his seruice If Christ had not loued vs with that Charitie and prayed for vs in such feruencie of zeale what had become of vs Sure if there be in the Church of God at this present any obedience patience charitie humilitie or any abstinence or continencie it ought all to be atributed to that loue which Christ expressed in the prayer that he commended to his Father for vs Redéeming with his bloud our disfauour and with his praier he restored vs eftsoones to an estate of Grace and reconcilement To loue those that are present and such as are absent to beare affection to the Quicke and remember such as are Dead happeneth often is naturall but to loue such as are to come and not yet borne is a zeale that neuer was hearde of but in the person of our Redéemer who prayeth for such as liue wickedly and loueth good men although they are not yet borne In worldly thinges so straight is the copulation and vnitie betwéene lyfe and death loue and hate him that doth affect and the thing affected that al takes end together and in one houre But to the frendship that Iesus Christ beares vs belonges an other qualetie for that his loue tooke beginning afore the foundation of the world and will not ende no not at the day of iudgement In this Letter is debated the difference betweene a seruaunt and a frende FInding in your last Letter more matter worthie of rebuke then méete to be answered I am bolde to geue you this Councel that in causes of importance the Penne is not to bée vsed afore the matter be wel debated lest others take occasion to iudge of your domges and your selfe be denied of that you demaunde This is also to bee obserued in speaking to any personage of estate wyth whom we ought not to Communicate but with feare reuerence and modestie By your Letter you wishe me to be your Mayster and withall would chuse me to be your frende Two estates no lesse different in qualitie then incompatible in one person and most vnlyke in office for that a frende is chosen by wil and a Mayster is taken by necessitie A frende will consider but a Mayster must be serued A frende geues of liberalitie but a Lorde demaundes by authoritie a Mayster hath libertie to be Angrie but it belonges to a frende to suffer And a frende pardoneth but a Mayster punisheth So that the comparison béeing so different it cannot be possible that being your Master I should beare vnto you the due respects of a frende since if I be your Mayster you are bounde to serue me feare me follow me and obey me Offices preiudiciall to the prerogatiues of a frende and against the laws of that libertie and frée souereignetie which the hart of man desireth To require me with such rashenesse to be your frende is sure to demaunde of me the most precious Iewell I haue in the worlde For to be your frende is to binde me to loue you all my lyfe deuiding my hart into youres and making you euen an other moytie with my selfe true frendship being none other thing then an vnfayned consent of will and affections and a transportation of two hartes into one bodie And therefore two frendes if they will loue and liue in the true obseruations of frendship ought to speak but wyth one Tongue and loue with one harte yea they ought to Communicate together in one substance and rate of lyfe and not grudge to suffer in common one perculier and singuler death Amongest frendes what is suffered of the one ought not to be intollerable to the other and albeit their thoughtes be proper to themselues yet their persons their goodes and fortunes ought alwayes to be common One frende ought not to say to an other I will not or I cannot since it is principall priueleadge in frendship to finde nothing impossible Therefore who ioynes in frendship with an other bindes himselfe not to denie the thing that he demaundes nor to vse excuse in any thing that his frende requires him to doe since in this consistes the full office of frendship to owe to our frendes euen our selues and all that we haue By the Councell of Seneka the wise and discréete man ought to admitte but one frende forséeing withall as neare as he can to haue no enemie at all For sayth he if there be daūger in enemies there can be no suretie in the multitude of frendes since in respect of their nomber they bréede difference of consent and will with varietie of condicions and where is no conformitie of manners there can be no perfection in frendship So straight is the rule of frendship that of many that professe liberall affection there are fewe that performe it being an office perticuler to the Children of vanitie to haue readie tongues to promise and slowe handes to performe True frendes are bounde to féele the aduersities of their frendes with no lesse affection then if they had proper interest in them yea it belonges to them to minister remedie to their necessities and geue comfort to their miseries estéeming it to apperteine to their dutie to communicate in all the fortunes of their frendes The same agréeing with the resolution of Eschinus the Philosopher who being asked what was the greatest perplexitie of this lyfe aunswered that to loase thinges which we haue got with paine and to be deuided from that which we loue are the greatest afflictions that can trauell a humaine minde The frende whom we chuse ought aboue all other thinges to be discréete to the ende he may Councell vs and of habilitie and wealth the better to administer to our necessities and lackes For other wayes if he beare no aduise and iudgement wée shall want Councell to gouerne our prosperitie and if he be pore what meane is there to
ioyne succours to our wantes by which imperfection our prosperitie standes in hazarde for want to be warned and in aduersitie we are subiect to dispaire or murmure by the intolerable burden of our necessities being no lesse hurtfull to be raised to wealth and dignitie without a frend to instruct vs to gouerne it then to be extreme poore haue no meane to releue vs therefore amongst men there is nothing more necessary then to be enuironed with friends who in their presence may assist them with good counsell and in their absence hold common faith loyaltie There be two things that proue the malice of the world to be infinit therewithal warne all men to séeke securitie in a wise wel hable frieÌ„d The first is that to him that is ouerthrown there are very few that will lend their hand to helpe him vp againe and to such as stand in wealth and fauour euery one studieth to cast stumbling blocks to make them fall In which respect that man is possest of no small treasure who hath admitted societie with a wise and wel aduised friend whose qualitie ought to be such as to comfort his friend with his eye to counsel him with his spéech to succour him with his goods to protect him with his power and not only to do his best to kéepe him from falling but if he be downe to lend him his liberall hand to remount him To the qualetie of our friend it appertaines to be discréete and secret least his lightnes make him intollerable to vs and being lauish hée can not but be troublesome to our affaires and therefore as the bosome of our friend ought to be a place of retraict for al our counsels opinions actions and enterprises so in the election of him if we first séeke that we would and suffer that we most feare since true friendship to young men is a notable sobrietie to old men an infalliable comfort to the poore sufficient riches and to the rich assured honour Let no man disclose the secrets of his heart but to such as he loueth with all his hart since it is one chiefe branch of the office of a good friend to kéepe that he heareth and conceale what he séeth and therewithall a rule most infallible that who speakes without discretion shal be aunswered with shame and confusion A true friend ought neuer to flatter his friend nor ioyne reproch to any pleasure he hath done for him taking it for his recompence that he hath don pleasure to him to whom he is bound by the merit and law of true friendship For in case of daunger and necessitie there ought betwene friends to be no delay of succours no no remedie ought to be required where all thinges are due by iustice nothing ought to be holden perticular where all things deserue to be in common nor no importunitie intâ—llerable where ought to be no necessitie of request It is not proper to all men to professe the qualetie of a friend for that if they haue power they may want disposition if they haue counsel they may haue weakenes of action and if they haue mindes to loue yet they may be subiect to the error of inconstancie so that in case of friendship men can haue no such full perfection but that in some respect they suffer infirmitie either by person or qualetie And so if you waigh the office of a friend with the inconueniences annexed and consider the state of a Lord with the seruices appertaining I hope you will neither reteyne me for a maister nor chuse me for a friend since for the one I am vnhable and to the other vnapt A letter to a noble personage wherein is debated why God afflictes good men ALbeit I haue had smal meane hithervnto to declare my good affection to you wardes and lesse expectation of great things in so poore a state as mine yet hath there not wanted good will to wish well with the best and so wishing as with effect I might expresse it leaue you satisfied of my good meaning neither to merit the more nor to aduaunce the sooner but only for the due respectes I owe to your greatnes and vertues by whose aide I confesse I haue aspired to the successe and end of all my desires And where my profession kéepes me so restrayned that to your many benefites I can giue no equall recompence I am glad that byt he request of your letter is ministred occasion to declare with what deuocion I wish to doe you seruice praying you to estéeme me not as I am but as I desire to be on your behalfe You demaund by your letter why God suffreth so many aduersities to afflict good men whereunto I aunswere that to the man of vertue nothing can happen in ill since according to the opinion of Philosophers contraries can hold no consent nor vnitie together For aduersities albeit they haue custome to vex and trouble men yet they haue no power to change the constancie and courage of a valiant resolute minde who in all reuolutions reteynes one firme and immouable vertue euen as a trée which being well rooted although he be shaked with many violent winds yet in their furie is no power to supplant him Men thorowe exercise of aduersities become humble wise and perfect and the iust man is better reformed by the proofe of afflictions then by any other meane For knowing them to bée messengers and warninges of God hee debates not the grieues he féeleth but calleth his conscience to reckoning he glorifieth himselfe in tribulation knowing that tribulations bring patience patience bréedes experience experience rayseth hope and hope can not be confounded for that the loue of God is dispersed into our hartes by the holy spirite that hath bene giuen to vs he suffreth his sorrowes but in the end he surmounts them and is not ouercome by their violence shewing then his owne greatnes and with what vertues he is enuironed when he proueth what force his pacience is of he taketh all thinges for exercise of his vertue since vertue without aduersitie wythereth and loaseth his force A noble mind ought not to feare hard and doubtfull thinges nor complaine of any perplexitie he endureth For hauing true magnanimitie he ought to take all thinges in good part and hold no fortune grieuous Let him not debate what he suffreth but determine to endure to the end since God neuer proueth his people aboue their power nor vseth to visite their frayltie otherwayes then with a shaking rod which rather threatneth then striketh Yea it is one custome in Gods affection to correct those children whom he receiueth and loueth to the end they may attaine to a true strength fayth and perfection not suffring the extremitie of his iustice to tempt them to murmure or dispaire but mildly to prepare them hauing appoynted to the godly no other passage to heauen but thorowe the furnace and fire of afâ—ictions Creatures that be fat and
lastly by the libertie of vices suffered in the Cytie That we ought rather to present before God the loue which we beare him then the seruices we doe to him LAzarus one of the notablest of Jerusalem a secret Disciple of Iesus Christ and brother to Martha and Mary being grieuously sicke his sisters wroate to Iesus Christ a letter conteining only these few words Lord he whom thou louest is sicke At the contemplation wherof Iesus Christ not without great contrariety of his folowers and no small perill to his person determined to goe and comfort the two desolate sisters and raise againe Lazarus amazing the world with a miracle right high and execellent And albeit the Pharises were in conspiracy agaynst him the Iewes troubled albeit his Apostles were in feare and his Disciples not well assured yet immediately after hée hadde considered of the Louing Wordes of the Letter hée forgatte all feare and tourned the pre-present view of so many perilles into an inwarde feruencie of zeale and loue And albeit in cases of peticion it can not be amisse to vse perswasions of deuotion at large Yet God knowing the qualetie and intention of the hart requires not so much copye of speach as humilytie of the Spiritte as appeareth by the manner of this Letter which neyther in the beginning nor in the ende nor in the matter conteyned but the wordes aforesayd giuing vs to vnderstand that hauing our loue once fixed in God it suffiseth to make vnto him onely a signe wythout troubling him wyth importunitie of words since such as bée true louers and practisers in the matter of loue ought more to thinke then speake Great is the difference béetwéene the loue which wée beare to Iesus Christ and that hée beareth to vs as is well prooued in the zeale of these two holy women who durst not communicate wyth Iesus Christ the loue that they bare him and much lesse the affeciton of their Brother onely they referred him to the loue which he bare vnto Lazarus saying Hee whom thou louest c. The better to make vs know that if the Lorde dyd not put in the Balance of our iustice some little peyse or wayght of his loue he would giue vs but a little séeing our loue is so small a thing The vayne louers of the Worlde haue this custome to reproche the affection they beare one to an other which much lesse that it is tollerable amongest the seruauntes of God séeing they ought to make so small accompt of their loue as not to demaunde any thing they pretende but by the meane and vertue of his loue For so high souereigne is the commaundement of the loue of God that onely in this mortall life we can not scarsely learne it and in the other world of ioyes fully accomplishe it Facti sumus vt immundi et omnes iusticiae nostrae sum quasi pannus c. Esay speaking of the multitude of his sinnes and his little merit speaking also in the person of sinners cryeth out The sinagogue and I are vncleane and great sinners and what good workes so euer we séeme to haue done after they come to be examined in the sight of God they beare suche staymes infection and corruption that wée finde our owne shame to present them afore him Wherein the Prophete hath great occasion to exclaime that al our desires and affections are fleshely and corrupt séeing that wyth the selfe same harte wherewyth wée ought to loue God wée loue also our Children our neyghbours and our Parentes Yea sometimes wee transferre that affection to our vnlawfull friendes séeking out of one moulde to drawe an apple of Golde and boollettes of earth But the loue which God beares vs is not of such frayle condition séeing as hath bene sayde he loues vs wyth the selfesame zeale he loues himselfe so inuoluing vs in his proper affection that as of himselfe hee is but one so hée hath but one selfe and infallible affection notwythstanding suche as hée fauoureth most hée followeth wyth a stronge zeale and the others wyth a loue not so feruent So that it is good wée stande at this resolution that when the Lords calles vs to accompt wée doe not recommende vnto him the seruices we haue done but rather to put him in remembrance of the great affection wée haue borne him For otherwayes if hée bestowe on vs one onely daye of lyfe it is sufficient for the hire and recompence of all our transitorie time Eme a me aurum ignitum vt locuples fiâ—s Sayth God to the Bishoppe of Laodecia as it is sette downe in the text of the Apocalips Thou which art poore and haste a desire to bee Riche J aduise thee to come and buye of the fyne Golde whiche I haue freshly purifyed and drawne out of the furnace and doe keepe it wythin my treasurie What meaneth this that the Lorde hath spoken that who wyll not renounce all that hée Possesseth canne not bée his Disciple and yet hee inuites vs to his shoppe to buye fyne Golde And albéeit hée Commaunde vs to buye any thing why muste it necessaryly bée Golde though the Ware wée buye bée Golde why ought it to bée so fyne and béeing so fyne wherefore perswades hée vs to buye it onely of him And comming to buye it of him why doth hee Sell it so flaming and Burning And although wée muste buye it Burning why hath hée not sette a Pryce and Weyght if of And séeing hée inuites men to buye it why doth hée not sette it out wyth more prayse and Commendation But suche are the gratious meanes and bountie of the Lorde the hée speakes not to vs as a Mayster to his Seruauntes but as a Brother vsinge the Nature and Phrase of a very famyliar and gracious friende By this wée haue to consider that by how muche Golde is a thing most estéemed beste béeloued and of all other Ryches wyth greatest importunitie desired by so much loue is the vertue that most delyghtes vs that aboue all other wée honour and that more then any other doth content vs For the harte that is inflamed wyth the loue of God makes a base Estimation of all the other Ryches and Treasures of the Worlde And of all the Particuler thinges vnder Heauen loue coulde not bée better resembled then to Golde nor Golde more Equaly Compared then to loue For a there is nothing how ryche so euer it bée which is not to bée bought wyth Golde so if loue bée the worker there is nothing so harde and difficult which by the operation of loue is not made easie and passible where by it foloweth that the hart which is wounded with loue takes his rest solace in seruice in reaposing takes paine and trauel And therfore he that loueth and makes difficulty to doe that he is commauÌ„ded searcheth excuse in things he is required that man deserueth not to be called a louer but a scorner such one hath no harte of Gold but a
malice that thou takest no more shame of thy Sinnes then a common woman deuiding her body to straunge Fleshe yet if thou come afore me in Prayer and call me Father I will aunswere thée and acknowledge thée for my Sonne By this we haue to thinke that it was not to obteyne a small thing when he began his Prayer by this inuocation Father forgeue them yea he made offer of the same Phrase for the remission of his Enemies which he would haue done if he had prayed for the aduauncement of his best friendes But in recompence of this Wonderfull affection and Zeale that Nation replenished with malice Cryed out to Pylate to Crucifye him who refusing to committe his Innocencie to sentence and not fynding in him worthynesse of Death they cryed eftsoones Sanguis eius super nos et super Filios nostros Be not so scrupulus to Iudge an offendour saye they for if thou thinke thou doest an vniust thing let the Venggeance of his innocencie fal vpon vs and our Posteritie but from this petition Iesus Christe séemed to appeale for that as they Cryed that his bloud might be agaynst them so of the contrary he sought to make that Holy effusion profitable to them So that where they demaunded of Pylate their condemnation he Prayed to his Father for their Pardon For a man to doe no Euill to his Ennemie may very well happen to Pardon Ennemies belonges to the Office of CHRISTIANS to loue an Ennemie is the worke of a perfect man But to pardon him which would not obteyne pardon was neuer done by any but by Iesus Christ For when the Hebrewes cryed Sanguis eius super nos Christ lyft vp his voyce and zeale to his Father Pater ignosce illis There was no great distance betwéene the time of the petition of the Jewes and the Prayer of our Sauiour for as they cryed at the the third hower to haue him crucified and that the reueng of his bloud might light vpon them and theirs so at the ninth hower Christ prayed to his Father to forgeue them Oh Father sayth he let not the vengeance of my death redownd vpon them neyther stretch out thine Ire vpon this people that know not what they do for they are ignorant of the price of their demaunde and protestation that with such obstinate vehemencie they pursue to Pilate Much better then did the Apostle consider and féele this great miserie when he sayde Accessitis ad sanguinis aspersionem melius loquentem quam abell Oh wretched Hebrews and happie Oh we Christians who haue obteined pardon by the effusion of the bloud of the Sonne of God shed by your meane this spéech sure was farre otherwayes then the saying of Abell crying iustice iustice but our Sauiour sayd mercie mercie So that the iniquitie so generall and sinne so wicked as ours is had néede of such an aduocate as is Iesus Christ for who was so fitte to obtaine Pardon for our sinnes as he whose innocencie made him without sinne That God was wont to be called the God of vengeance and now is he named the Father of mercie IEsus Christ Langushing in torment and Martirdome vpon the Crosse expressed an other maner of Testament to the worlde then King Dauid who in the very passions of death charged Salomon his Sonne not to suffer the gray heares of Joab to come to the graue without bloud nor the liues of his subiects seruantes to end without reuēg yet they had not somuch as touched his garmēt to offend him where the Lord would not cease to purchase pardō euen for those by whose violēt hāds was wrought the effect of his death Deus vltionum dominus deus vltionum saith Dauid speaking of the iustice of god thou Lord art the god of reuenge since that from the instant that we commit the offence it is thou that thondrest punishment vpon vs yea thou art so called because of the feare that the world hath of thée that thou dealest with the generations of men in so great rigor with the auncients he was called the God of reuenge for the immediatly that Adam had transgressed he was chased out of the earthly paradise the regions of the earth by the vniuersalflud were drowned the two cities by his rigor subuerted the faction of Aron and Abiram consumed the idolators that offred worship to the calfe cōmitted to death the théefe of Hiericho stoaned and the host of Senacherib ouerthrowne yea without offring wrong to any he did iustice to all That god in those times was the god of vēgeāce appeareth in the actiō on the moūt Raphin whē the Hebrues demaūded of Moyses to geue them flesh to eate which tourned to their great domage for that they had scarcely begon to tast the flesh of the quailes falling in their host whē loe the indignation of the lord slew such multitudes of them that the scripture forbears to expresse the nomber The reuēge of the offence of the king Abimelech denying the Jsraelites to passe thorow his coūtries was it not executed thrée hūdreth years after the falt in the raign of Saule to whō god said I kepe remēbrāce of the smal regard which Abimelech gaue to my cōmaundements stopping the passage of my people thorow his realmes against whom looke that thou rise arreare thine armie cut in péeces all his people sparing neither man woman nor beast by which example with many others of equall continuance and equitie the men of the world may perceiue how déepe and vnsearchable are the iudgmentes of god who somtimes punish the ymediat offender oftentimes transferreth the correction vpon such onely as discende of their race So that he punisheth no man without desert and therfore not without mistery is he called by the Prophet the God of reuenge because that albeit he vseth to dissemble for sometime our transgessions committed against his maiestie yet they are not parpetually forgotten with him The same God that the Hebrues had and worshipped in those times doe the Christians hold at this day as true and soueraigne Lord of whom the Apostle yéeldes better testimonie to the Church then did Dauid to the sinagog For Dauid called him the God of vengeance and the Apostle honoureth him by the name of Father of mercie and consolation wherin as Dauid was not without some occasion to ascribe vnto him that surname title so the Apostle also had better reason to inuocate him in the phrase of mercifull father for that in that law of rigor feare God had a propertie to chastise people nations where in this law of grace he visiteth vs in affection mercy whereby hauing chaunged custome he hath also ioyned vnto him an other propertie of name title being now worthely called the father of mercy according to his many examples of mercie pitie expressed vpon many sinners as vpon S. Mthew in remitting his vseries vppō Mary Magdaline in pardoning her vanities vpō
of men and loue of God. THe great Philosopher Eschinus in a famous inuectiue against his mortal enemie Demosthenes vseth these wordes it belongeth to the Demosthenes according to the estimation which thou makest of thy wisedome to be resolute in thy enterprises true in thy promises wel aduised in thy counsels and righteous in all that thou doest all which fall out contrarie in thy behauiour and actions for that oftentimes thou art séene to do thinges which thou oughtest not and no lesse often art heard to speake that which thou thinkest not These wordes spoken by the Philosopher to the reproch of his enemie deserue to be applied to all men for that there are none that can worthely challenge the true merit and imputation of wisemen if they expresse not as great modestie in their spéech as equitie in their workes it is a iust thing that euery one take héede to that he doth and be well aduised in what he sayth since amongest noble mindes more easely is satisfied an actuall wrong done against their persons then an iniurious word vttered to the preiudice of their honour alwayes esteming that the blowe of a sword hurtes but the flesh but a word suggested to infamie offendeth the reputation This I say sir vppon the occasion of your letter charging me eftsones to repeat my late discourse vttered in the presence of the Emperour vppon this theame that it is very hurtfull to haue Christ to our enemie and a thing no lesse daungerous to haue man our friend If in your opinion I speake any thing which was not well studied and considered vppon you do wrong to the grauetie of my profession since it is my custome neuer to pronounce wordes of such deuine and high subiect but euen with the same attention and deuocion wherewith I would confesse my selfe to God accompting it withall to too great a fault to publish any thing which might bréede scrupull in your Lordship or murmure in so excellent an auditorie But now to our purpose wherein I confirme eftsones that if it be euill to haue the creator to our enemie it can not be lesse daungerous to haue to our friend the creature And if there be no necessitie to employ the Phisition and our friend but in times daungerous and doutfull it can not but be to men a most assured counsell rather to eschew perils then to entreate friendes since friends being of the world their friendship hath also his corruption of the world in whom is more confusion then continuance of thinges I do not say it is euill to haue friends but that it is daungerous and painefull for that the mightie thy friend is of estate by so much is thy daunger the greater to proue him and thy care no lesse to obserue and kéepe him séeing specially great friendship is not knowne but in extreme necessitie Many and many are there now a dayes who would abstaine from many haynous and hurtfull faultes if they had not confidence in the fauour and reskew of their friends which being a braunch of impunitie can not but bring perill to a common weale where the due course sinceritie of iustice is stopped by the corruption of perticuler fauour This is one maner of election of friendes amongest men that méeting by chaunce or cōmoning together or eating at one table they suppose from the instant a perpetuall friendship to be established betwene them which in good certaintie truth can not be so for that in times of necessitie and trial there is no more proofe or effect of such friends thē betwene the Crowe and the Kyte of whom when it hapneth to the one to be bare of fethers the other aunswereth that to him is no more then sufficeth him to flie That which one friend doth for an other in these times is eyther to excuse or conseale himselfe when there is néede of him being more ready to lend him his conscience then his money that is eyther to go with him to the reuenge of an enemie or to perfourme some exployt of vice or at least to serue his turne with some false testimonie Which sort of friendes as they are most common and least rare so let all men esteme it no small felicitie to be deuided from them séeing they are more prodigall of their conscience then liberall of their goods Who waigheth with the number of friends that are professed to hint how many haue ministred the true office and qualitie of frendes to giue succours to his necessities for one that he hath founde faythfull I doubt not but he shall be hable to disclose an hundreth dessemblers In which respect I sayd not without great reason that it was great perill to a man not to be consociate with a frende honest firme and vertuous since for no greaten cause then the action of a common reuerence and ciuilytie they are readie to require our goodds to loane commaunde the vse and seruice of our house and not sticke to bring our conscience in doubt occasions that many times mooue men to disclaime neighbourhoodes and frendships which they had begone in great good wil and deuotion But right blessed and holy is the frendshippe of Iesus Christ wherein can be no scrupull nor daunger For that in recompence of the affection he beares vs he neyther demaundes our goodes nor trobleth our conscience his frendship is alwayes assured for that it is wel established it is certeine since he neuer forgets vs it is not fayned since it correctes our conscience it is iust for that it suffereth nothing vnreasonable it is righteous since in it hée doth communicate to vs his grace and it is most riche and plentiful as by whose meane he geues vs his glory So that he onely may and ought to be called a frende holy a frende iust faythfull profitable and perpetual For that the frends that he takes he lookes not if they riche and much lesse estéemes it to dishonor if they be pore he chuseth for his frend whom he lyketh and after he haue once called him he neuer forbeareth to loue and lyke him He looketh not whether he be mightie or impotent faire or deformed or whether his condition be frée or bonde No he makes not so great reckoning of the seruices we doe him as of the loue which we beare to him Jn charitate perpetua delexite The loue saith Iesus Christ by his Prophete where with Christ loueth vs is not feyned nor transitorie but reteyneth always one perpetuall setled stability as appeareth most truely in this that by the meane of his grace we are made agréeable to him afore we are able to doe any thing to deserue to be his frends Such is the perpetuall perfection of his charitie that the loue that he bears vs being his owne the profit that comes of it apperteyns to vs pretending no other thing in the loue which he beares to all Creatures then to make séene his souereigne bountie employed on our behalfes in most highe
hurts we haue by our enemies are causes to decrease our goodes the vices of our children bring losse and spoyle to our honour And where it may happen that an honest man may not receyne a blowe of his ennemie once in his lyfe the enormities of his owne children are sufficient to make him dye euery hower So that the perplexities wée haue sometimes by straungers are disgested as thinges happeninge by straungers as the wound that is outwarde may gréeue but not perishe the intrales But the displeasures passing in our house pearse déeper and as a martyr languishe the harte euen to death And therefore by howe much the Father beareth pittie to hys wicked Sonne by so much hee vseth extreame cruelty againste himselfe yea that day wherein he ministreth not correction to his Sonne that daye doth he iustice of hys proper person and sendes his renowne to question The Romaynes had a Lawe called Faelcidia by which the first offence of the Childe was pardoned the Seconde punnished and for the third he was banished which Law if it were eftsones reduced to practise in these tymes wée should not sée so many youth runne hedlong into vices nor so many Fathers suffer blame for their negligence But because Fathers doe not chastise and mothers too muche suffer the childe takes boldnesse in vice leauinge to the Parentes occasion to lament but no lybertye of remedie Where you wryte to me that you are old that your infirmityes make you weary as though you liued to longe I wishe you not to reckon your age so much by the nomber of yeares you haue lyued as by the many trauelles you haue endured For that to sensuallitie to liue a hundred yeares séemes but a short time and to the harte that is heauie and sorrowfull the lyfe of a hundreth momentes is too long and wearie It must not suffize you to séeme to bée olde but you must bée so in déede séeing he onely may bée called olde who puttes ende to his olde vices For little doth it profite to haue your head Graye and your Face Wrinckled if your lyfe follow younge customes and your minde Féede vppon Greene desyres the same béeing the cause why Olde men weakened wyth vice and Sinne are Subiecte to feare Death and to dye soone béeing wyth nothing so ill contented as to bée deuided from their vices The Author writeth to his Sister seruing in Court Partly hée instructes her how to liue in Court and partly satisfyeth her request vnder a short Discription of Loue. WEighing wyth the nature of the place where you are the qualetie of the affection I beare to you I dout whether it were better to vse playnesse according to good meaning or dissemble and so leaue you better contented For by the office of nature I cannot but warne you and yet to the place where you are nothing is lesse acceptable then to be instructed the Court béeing a place that sometimes couereth or séeth not the faultes in their frendes or else takes all thinges to blame and findes nothing in their foes that they may lyke But béeing my Sister I will vse my authoritie though not to please you yet to perswade you and acquite my selfe béeing farre from my profession to deale in matters of loue I that haue vndertaken the direction of consciences And albeit my other trauels priuat exercise make me very insufficiēt to debate with you to your ful satisfactiō yet taking the opportunity as it is I had rather put my imperfectiō vpōiudgment then leaue you not instructed hoping you wil no lesse answer for mine honor then for your sake you sée mée readie to hazarde it to Question Where you write to me that he that presented you wyth your laste Iewell was your frende and Louer I denye it since there is difference béetwéene him that Loues and one that is a Friende For a friende doth alwayes Loue but he that Loues is not alwayes a friende Which may bée well prooued in your Ladyes of the court For that in Seruice and Amarous deuotion you haue many that Serue you Follow you and desire you who may rather bée called your Louers then your Friendes since they intende no other thing then the practise of pleasure being as voyde of intent of mariage as they are of vertue Yea hauing not the Spirite to iudge of honest Loue nor true intention to follow it they bring oftentimes dishonor to their Ladyes whose simplicitie for the most parte falles into Slaunder by the Sutletie and malice of their Seruauntes Suche one I feare is hée that hath béestowed the Iewell vppon you which then you may best discerne when you finde him to Promise much and perfourme little assuring you that then hée vseth the Sleyght of the Fowler who wyth a Swéete Call bringes the Byrde to his Nette and deceaues her to her Destruction Consider therefore the place where you are the Race that you come of and what you pretende The Courte giues you Libertie to doe muche ill and little Instruction too Follow that is good And if you Stande not Faste vppon those Vertues you Learned in the House of your father the place it selfe will infect and change you since frequentation drawes into one felowship societie of Estate things that of themselues are different remēber also that to such as desire to be vertuous the house of the Prince is a schole house for their better instruction and a place helping to their aduauncement Wherein if any miscarie the falt may be more in their proper negligence then in the will of the Prince since to maydes of honor seruing in Court it is a greater aduauncement to be maried by the fauor consent of the Prince then by the patrimonies or portion which their parentes can leaue them I haue oftentimes written vnto you that if deuotion and conscience leade some women into Religion vertue and good name rayse others to preferment in court Therefore I aduise you lay not vp great confidence in your beautie much lesse presume vpon the greatnesse of your race For in Court for one Gentleman that makes loue to your persones you shall find twenty that spend the whole day to iudge of your liues since beautie without vertue and high kindred wythout good conditions is no other thing then as a goodly gréene Trée that florisheth with leaues and blossomes and brings forth no fruite or as a stately carued Image which men take great pleasure to beholde but are gréeued when they finde it dead and without qualitie You and the other Ladies your companions would haue me write what loue is wherein it consistes and what be the fignes and tokens of true loue estéeming me a man of studie and an auncient Courtier This office I might better tourne vppon your selues for that your beauties standing in the eyes of men leading them to sue to serue to solicit and to loue you mée thinkes it belonges to you to set downe the discription of loue and to me
to tell you what sorrow is Séeing it is an action due to my place and age to wéepe fast and praye but to you it apperteynes to daunce deuise tryffle Notwythstanding as I haue told you in short what a frende is so I will not sticke to fill vp the residue of your desire to debate briefly the nature of loue not that I would instruct you but to warne and aduise you hoping you will rather Loue as a Christian then as a Courtier Wherein I recommende vnto you chiefely to bée wise in your wordes discréete in your actions secret in your thoughtes particuler in your frendships modest in your behauiour and aboue all follow the instructions of your owne vertues and flée the example of such as draw to vice Yea haue more regarde to your selfe then to any other person since in the ende your vertues are sure of their rewarde for that God will preferre you to Mariage and put into the minde of the Prince to endue you wyth worthie Portion Take héede therefore you bée not lyght in lookes vayne in life lauishe of spéech nor a scoffer at men for that wyth Ladyes of these Conditions men of the Court take pleasure to deuise but none will haue fancie to Marie them So that the best dowrie to aduaunce the Mariage of a young Lady is when she bringes in her countenaunce myldnesse in her spéeche wisedome in her behauiour modestie and in her whole lyfe vertue For that there is no man what vayne and lyght affections soeuer hée haue but though hée take pleasure to sewe and serue a fayre Ladye yet in case of Maryage hée wyll séeke out Vertue and reiect Beautie But now to our purpose of Loue It is an opinion wyth you Ladyes of the Court that Loue and to bée a Louer consistes onely to be gaye in apparell to be set out in diuersitie of Coullers of Feathers to be pensiue to be passioned to solycite to beholde and often to entertaine his Lady wyth discourses of Loue Thinges no lesse vayne and light then most farre from the true propertie of loue Séeing of this qualetye is the good and true loue that to him that hath default of force it géeues him strength and in him that hath it alreadye it confirmes it further To him that is simple it géeues Quickenesse of spirite To him that hath want of Courage it géeues boldenesse and stomacke By it the Couetou◠man is made liberal and it sets open the Purse of the nigarde So that in the harte where he is entred he suffereth no imperfection nor inciuility but lifts their thoughts vp to high actions and searching that he loueth there are none perceiueth what he endureth when we cast our eye vpon a thing there is differenc to prayse it and to loue it ▪ for that the thing which we praise and loue not assone as it is commended it is forgotten but that which we loue truly wée laye vp in the the secret corner of our thoughtes we plant it in our will and bring it forth in the fruite of our memorie It stands always afore our eyes our eyes send it downe to the safe keeping of our harte Loue is beste knowne to the harte that loueth and he of himselfe onely feeles when he is content or miscontent fauoured or not fauoured suspected or trusted mery or sadde or in dispair or assured Yea his passions are not knowne to others if his affections be honest for that he will rather suffer in griefe then giue cause of offence estéeming his meritte so much the greater by how much his martirdome is painefull and his passion so muche the more worthie by how much his intention assureth his hope To instruct you in the signes of suche as loue truely you must obserue the behauiour of the parties when they depart one from another For it is no other thing the seperation of two frends then to deuide one hart into two moities the same moste commonly appearing at the time of leaue taking when in the one is disclosed want of wordes and in the other aboundaunce of teares you shall know likewise that loue that is accompanied with fastnesse when the partie enterpriseth great things and estéemeth little those of base importance loue alwaies enabling his subiects to high actions raising their thoughtes to great purposes Zo that the hart that loues lokes not to be commaunded but learns to win merit by preuention he offereth no excuse but is ready to execute he is not required to be liberall but finds out wherin he may be aceptable he suspectes not his mistres but takes all to the best he beleeues no report since he is assured of her vertue he is not importunate but makes his hope his felicitie if she but begin to like he puts wings to his affection yea he makes her the image of his thoughts liues wholy dedicated to her deuotion And therefore if he loue dearly hd liues in thought to please in care to offende in desire to suffer in feare to disclose and louing much he giues much thinking it no liberalitie if he refuse any thing since if he haue once giuen his wil and consent it is nothing to giue withal his abilitie and wealth and being possest by another he must think he hath nothing of his owne In like sort the true louer studies to be circumspect in behauiour estéeming it a swéet felicity to haue his thoughts delytes priuate he is modest in countenance the better to bleare the eyes of spies please the minde of his mistres And he is patient to suffer estéeming him not worthy of reward vnlesse he endure to the ende And where true loue is there wronges must be borne and no wordes deliuered to the dyshonour of his Lady By whom if any occasion be giuen yet he must alwayes haue this lesson that patience is a vertue and secret scilence doth best solicite since the true Trumpet of loue is not the Tongue that speaketh but the harte that sigheth Yea as the Tongue is restrayned from speaking but not the hearte from Louinge So I holde it better to loue wyth sewertie then to deceiue wyth swéetnesse since in the one is the vertue and bringes his rewarde and the other being the vice is sure of his Punnishement And so good Sister if any your Seruauntes in Courte iudge me a louer by this short discourse I haue written I praye you tell them that béeing a member of the worlde I haue a propertie in worldly actions and perhaps had bene as worldly as the best if Philosophie had not drawne me from the world To a Noble man in Consolation for the death of his Daughter in Law. THis hath bene alwayes a true obseruation from one time to an other that afore any great chaūce or accident there were forshewed certeine straunge and prodigious signes which as the Gentils interpreted according to their Superstitions so it belonges to vs Christians to take them as
and liuely to the same meaning speakes Virgill who deserybing the state and state and constitution of the body of Euriatus saith he was excelent in beauty and in the gréenesse of youth as if he had sayd he was in his first youth This distinction is not obserued onely in ages but also in the foure seasons of the yeare that is in spring time in sommer in Autumne and in Winter All which seasons suffer their diuision into thrée partes euen by the same meanes that the ages are distinguished For in common speache we gréeue vnto Sommer his first beginning his middest which is called the harte and the later part of Sommer This diuision caryeth great congruencie of reason for that euery season of the yeare comprehendes thrée moneths and the course of the Sunne by thrée signes of the Zodiacke The beginning of Sommer which is in the first moneth is called the first Sommer because he is as yet but newly chalenged the Middle parte which is in the second moneth is the hart and perfect part of Sommer as â—eing then in his greatest force and vertue The ende and thirde part of sommer which is in the thirde moneth is called the latter parte or declining time of sommer as in which season the heate vanisheth and leauing the propertie of sommer it is conuerted into the nature of Aâ—tumne the same happening also to all the other seasons of the yere according to the consent of the Astrologians who speake of the seasons according to the nature and propertie of the Signes by the which the Sunne passeth during the sayde seasons which causeth the diuersitie of tunes And as there his thrée Signes in euerie season by the which the Sunne passeth in thrée monethes So haue the Authors attributed thrée names to euery season according to the thrée Signes which raigne in the same As in sommer there bée the Signes of Cancer Leo and Virgo whereof the first is mouing the seconds fixed and the thirde common The first as called mouing for that the season is chaunged into it by conuertion of the springe tyme into Sommer The seconde is fixed reteyning firme aboade and stabilitie for that whylest the Sunne is in this Signe the Sommer remayneth in his offence and is not chaunged into any other Season The thirde is called common for that whylest the sunne is there the season holdes of the nature of Sommer which passeth and inclineth to Auntunure whiche commeth The same may bée sayde of other seasons and they resembled in conuenient propertie to the ages of mans lyfe Consideracions for Iudges cryminall expressed in a famyliar Letter from one friende to an other wherein is vsed a necessary Authoritie of a Philosopher CIcero in his discourse De amicitia holdes this opinion Si omnia facienda sunt quae a mici vellent tales non sunt amicitiased coniurationes If we should accomplishe all things sayth he aswell good as ill which our frends require of vs such frendship might rather be called coniuration of the wicked then confederation of the good For albeit the law of frendship is hardly restrained to limit yet it is an error to make it an office passible to all actions without distinction of things and consideration to the qualety of persons Yea we must loue our frends no further then the Alter that is for our frends we must not corrupt religion nor conscience Scaurus and Cattiline the tirants of Rome Brutus and Cassius the murderers of Caesar helde great league confederacie together but in no sort they coulde be called frends for that there can be no true amity where is no vertue and that friendshippe is most accursed and infamous where men become friendes to the ende to be enemies to others I am bolde sir to vse this entrie into the aunswere of your last Letter by the which you séeme to put me in remembraunce of your frendship and my auncient fidelitie hauing occasion now more then euer as you say to make tryall of your friendes to sée if they will fauour your absence wyth the same affection wherewith they were wont to faune vpon you in your presence For my part I estéeme my selfe of no lesse fidelity then you suppose and do confesse the honorable frendship you bear me but vnder this condicion that you doe nothing worthie of rebuke nor vnworthy to be defended since in a magistrate albeit there may be many things to be amended yet he ought to do nothing worthy of dishonor nor to deserue blame It brings no small griefe vnto me to hears what faltes are heaped agaynst you touching your gouernment in those parts assuring you that if you had receiued Councell of the Doctrine of the Philosopher you had not brought such passion to your friendes nor to your person such infamie and perill Men that manage estates or take charge to gouerne common weales ought to be circumspect in that they doe and skilfull to vnderstande what they iudge séeing that science and experience are the two principall pillors that vpholde common weales we sée many who albeit haue red ouer the whole Volumes of the Lawes yet when they leaue the vniuersities and come to administer affaires of estate they discouer no small imperfections For that he deserues not fully the name and reputation of a Councellour at Lawe that knoweth onely the body of the law but he which can apply it in time and place Séeing that to learne science a certayne discourse of time suffiseth but to put it to conference and vse there is requisite a déepe and assured iudgement And therefore all humaine Lawes béeing grounded more vppon reason then opinion it happeneth oftentimes that the man of the Countrey replenished wyth experience holdes better course in gouernement and iudgement then the graduat raysed to degrées of learning by the customes of the vniuersitie But now to debate wyth you somwhat more particulerly as I haue alwayes helde you in the opinion of a man wise and learned and also a iudge and counceller resolute So by your late abuses in those partes heaped agaynst you in great slaunder here I am eyther otherwayes then I was wont to be or at least you are not the same that I haue alwayes estéemed you séeing that hauing commission from the Prince to chastise a sedicious Rebell both in body and goodes you are accused to haue abused your authoritie wyth suspected fauor to his person and corrupte affection to his house and goodes hauing bene so long a Councellor it is time for you to know that no rebellion is excusable no though the oppression be intollerable and it is as due iustice in the Prince to execute a Rebell as to defende an innocent séeing he doth but blowe the Brande of sedicion vpon the head of the doers and so burneth them wyth their proper fire Oh that pardon is wicked which bringes wyth it the hazarde of a Countrey as on the contrary most happie is that punishment wherin
signes hée manifesteth by mouth that which hée loueth and by his teares makes declaration of his payne By which argument good Madam I say it can not bée but you beare no small affection to your litle Dogge séeing you mourne for him with so great apparance of sorowe The tongue publisheth nothing but our thoughts but in the teares is expressed the true propertie of our affection whereuppon it followeth that though in men and women bée found sometime a custome of fayned wordes yet it can not bee but their teares for the most part are true and simple And therfore it is a false testimonie against women to say that their teares bée alwayes fayned although in this they may dissemble when they wéepe for one thing to say it is for an other béeing a propertie very familiar with the most of them to haue two coollers to one meaning and as the saying is to beare two complexions in one face This I haue sayed for the defence of your sighes and in fauour of your teares which I thinke you haue shed with small deuocion although with very franke and good hart séeing according to the reapport you haue bene euer since trauailed with an Ague and exercised in those passions that kéepe you continually in your Bedde But to vse plainenes according to my profession I can not maruell so much at your teares as I am sory that so small a thing should make you to wéepe being a thing more vertuous to lament your sinnes then to be heauie for the losse of your litle puppie And I can not with patiēce beleue that being as you are both noble honorable therwithal reputed wise vertuous you haue bestowed your loue on a thing so vile base séeing that such are they that loue as is the thing that they loue For that so great is the force of loue that he that loueth suffreth conuersion into the thing which he loueth therfore to loue things reasonable belongs to the affectiōs of men but in louing things brute insensible we cannot but be made like vnto them Your friends here beare some shame that you haue chosen so base a subiect to gouern your affection not without reason do your enemies smile your friēds mourne at it for that it is contrary to the vertue and reputation of any either to fixe their eyes or occupie their thoughts but where the hart may be well employed and the loue gratified The best part of the body is the hart and the most precious iewell of the hart is the affection which if it bée not well employed the partie may esteme himselfe vnhappie for that in that man there can be possibilitie to liue well in whom is no proofe or meane of honest affection What propertie of loue shold you beare to your little puppie from who you could draw no other pleasure then to araye your garments with haires to make a noyse in your chamber when you would sléepe to fill you ful of flease and to be alwayes in feare to be stolne from you all which conclude against your wisedome for mourning for a thing so harmefull and of so base importance To loue a little dogge a Monkie a Parrot or other singing Bird is not ill nor dishonest if your affection be ioyned to this condicion not to followe them otherwayes then with your eyes to behold them and your eares to heare them not estéeming them worthy of other affection Séeing that of such thinges we may make our seruice and solace without ielousie to kéepe them or compassion to loase them Yea to make sorowe for such trifles excedes the limits of an honorable Lady is contrary to the office of a good Christian Wherein if I were the iudge afore whom should be debated the loue you beare to your little Dogge and the transgressions of your life sure I could not but laugh at the follie of the one and wéepe for the Offences of the other It is Written that the great Alexander buried his horse the Emperour Augustus his Parrot and Prince Heliogabalus made a graue for his Sparow at whose obsequies he prayed and caused the body to be embawmed If you had hard or read of these it may be by their example you would haue built a a tombe for your little Dogge although I accompt to worse purpose the teares you haue let fall for him then the sepulchers and ceremonies which those Pagans made for their dead beastes And so good Madame God giue you a spirite to wéepe for your sinnes and a mind to leaue of to mouone for thinges vaine and transitory To an olde Gentleman enamored of a young Ladie this letter toucheth the perplexities which amorous Dames giue to their seruants and friendes AFter so long scilence I wold some better occasion had bene giuen then to recontinue our auncient quarrell wherin is no expectation of other effect then hapneth by the Chirurgion when hée commeth to reaue in an olde wound which by how much more it hath discontinued the vse and seruice of plaesters by so much doth it bring payne to the patient suffring the new opening of his hurt And albeit amongest friendes there can not bée a more necessary action then to minister counsell the same being the first effect of that fayth and vertue which ought to be considered in the election of friendes Yet to some men it is hatefull to be counselled in thinges contrary to their will and affection esteming it better to dwell in the lust of their particular desires then to be warned euen as the miserable patient findes it swéeter to giue libertie to his wound then to suffer it to haue cure with a litle paine in the beginning But for my part hauing ioyned alwayes our long friendship an honest care of your weldoing I can not hold my selfe discharged in office if I debate not franckly the estate of your auncient abuses although there remaynes no expectation of other fruite then hapneth to the Chirurgion who comming to vncouer an olde wound long corrupted séemes griuous to his patient I perceiue by your letter you are falen into a practise of new loues which being a new hurt to your olde wound you séeme also to demaund a new remedie at my hand as though I had the facultie both to let bloud and close vp the vaine I would I were with you for that hauing libertie to communicate there may be many things spoken which are not conueniēt to be written But more do I wish that you would haue vsed me in an other office since for matters of loue you are not now in age to follow it and much lesse is it consonant to my grauetie to giue you counsell my habit my authoritie my place being all against it It is not to you and me to whom it belongeth to solicite in loue and much lesse are we subiects wherin he takes his delites grace recreation For that you being loden with yeres and I tied to my
visit him but also to comfort and refreshe him wyth meate By this also we may inferre that if we forget not to serue God he will not forget to minister remedy to our distresses as knowing right well the little we haue and the lesse we canne doe And therefore let vs not giue ouer to Serue him and much lesse forbeare to folow him séeing he doth Capitulate wyth all men that if in his Seruice they doe that which they may he will recompence them with the effect of all their desires So that how lame weake or frayle so euer we be we ought not in the action of Gods seruice say We can not and therefore wee will not For that we haue a Lorde so good and easie to content that he takes vs not as we are but hath respect to that we desire to be Agréeable to these S. Barnard vseth this text Debilis est hostis qui non vincit nisi volentem as if he had sayde the Deuill of his nature is weake and the Lorde holdes him so restrayned and vnhable that he hath no power to vanquishe any but such as cannot resist him At the Gates of the hart of a Christian knocketh Iesus Christ and also knocketh the Diuell and offereth to enter so that in that case we cannot deny that it is not in our hande to receiue the one and rereiect the other And therefore neyther hath the Diuell any prerogatiue to enter one house vnlesse we admit him nor the spirite of God doth depart out of our harte if our selues make not the way for him O miserable man what shall become of thée when the Lorde calles thee to reckoning saying he hath entreated thée and thou hast not followed him He hath admonished thée thou hast not béeleeued him he hath called thée but thou hast not aunswered he hath spoken to thée but thou hast not knowne him Yea he hath touched thée but thou hast not felt him God speaking to Dauid as he was wont to communicate with his friendes and seruauntes sayth I holde not so great a care ouer my Elect when they eate when they sléepe or in their other actions as when they sigh and wéepe Yea if they will call vppon me in their tribulations and somwhat attende me I will draw them out of their troubles not onely comforted but also to their honour and Estimation Wherein wée haue reason to know that God loueth vs aboue all others séeing hee byndes himselfe to doe more for vs then all the worlde agayne For according to the propertie of the worlde our frindes helpe vs to spende the goodes we haue gotten where the Lorde aydes vs to beare the trauelles we suffer And therefore the seruaunt of God ought to consider that when Iesus Christ sayth Beati qui lugent quoniam ipsi consolabuntur He establisheth not a happinesse and felicitie onely in that men wéepe and mourne but referreth it to consolation that they exspect of their teares So that to the wise and good Christian it is not so much to beholde the Temptation which of the enmie he suffereth as to consider the recompence which of the Lord he expectes The simple husbandman when the season and the weather agrée is not affrayde to cast his séede into the dust of the earth recommending the encrease to the Lord and dare not true Christians commit their estate to the hands of God their Cretor in whom remains the euerlasting prouidence ouer all And séeing he is the trueth wherein men ought to beléeue and the lyfe in whom we ought to liue and lastly the way by the which we ought to walke he inuiteth vs thereby to belieue him and so to possesse our desires to liue in him to the end we may be made happy by the benefite of his promises and lastly to walke in his wayes to the end he may guide vs and if we stumble or fall he may lende vs his hande eftsoones to remount vs. Non sumus sufficientes cogitare aliquid ex nobis tanquam ex nobis sed sufficientia nostra ex deo est We haue no licence saith S. Paule to thinke or presume any thing of our selues and much lesse sufficient by our industry onely to doe any good work But this ought rather to be our beliefe that if we doe or know to doe any good we haue power therunto by the grace of God like as also if we erre in any thing it comes for that we hauing forgot God he forgets vs and tournes vs ouer to our proper errors And therefore that Christian that beginneth any thing in confidence of his proper force or power hath great reason to liue in suspition of himselfe and set good garde of his doings for though it be in the cunning of men to giue the battell it resteth onely in the wisedome of God to dispose the victory So that who determineth to serue God and vnfaynedly repose confidence in him hath no necessitie nor reason of feare of himselfe or to be hurt by any other For that so great a prouidence hath god ouer his seruants that though he suffer them to be tempted yet he consenteth not that they be vanquished if it be not of their proper will. The Diuell obteined licence of God to tempt Iob but it was giuen him vnder this condition that though he afflicted his body yet he should not touch his soule Whereby we may note that our Lorde shewed not so much the loue he beareth to his seruauntes in taking from them their perplexities and trauelles but rather in deuiding them farre from sinnes In like sort the Diuell gat leaue to deceiue the wretched Achab by the meane industry of false prophetes In which two examples we may sée what difference is vsed betwéene the frendes and enemies of God séeing to such as serue him he suffereth that they be tempted onely but to those that offende him he giueth leaue that they be beguyled Graunt therefore Oh good Iesu and loue of our soules that we may rather be tempted troubled persecuted and vexed with the happy man Iob then beguiled vanquished and abandoned as was the wretched king Achab. If it be familiar to the men of the worlde to passe from place to place at their pleasure vnder protection and safe conduit In greater assurance doe walke all such as loue and serue god For that he hath promised by his Prophete Micheas that who shall lay handes vppon any one of his Elect shall touch euen the Apple of his eye kéeping such a mercifull prouidence ouer them that if he suffer them to slyde into sinne he is ready forthwyth to minister his grace And therefore such deserue not to be called Christians and much lesse to beare estimation in the ministery who forbeare to serue the Lord for feare to be tempted or that they doubt of his succours séeing according to the testimony of Dauid God beares to his chosen such property of affection that he pitcheth his Tentes rounde about them to defende
as he was in the state of a widower put the coole on his head eate not vppon any table cloth was not serued in vessell of siluer tooke not his seate in a chaire was not séene to looke out of a windowe in two monthes did not wash his face and in a whole yeare did not lie out of his cloathes All which I alleadge to you not so much to condemne Roderico for his follie past as to put you in remembrance that to continue in ceremonies is to offend god and abuse the reputation of a wise man One of the greatest benefites that a man can haue in this life is to be thankfull to Gods prouidence and not to attribute any thing to fortune The resolute man is neyther chaunged by a froward fortune nor raised into presumption by any prosperitie but standes as a trée well rooted which albeit is shaken with diuerse windes yet none can make it fal And be it that aduersitie make some mutation in goods yet it ought not to exchange the person much lesse haue power ouer our wisedome For the shamefast noble mind loseth much more in loasing that he deserueth then if he lost al the goods he was possest of by which reason I accompt that no losse which falles in transitory goods if with the losse of them hée recouer his shame and wisedome for let not that man thinke he hath found little which hath found himselfe it is a thing to be wondered at and no lesse worthy of slaunder that for the losse of any thing of right meane value men omit no paine nor cost to recouer it but if they loase shame patience continencie yea and conscience too they will neither be sory for losing them nor make great search to recouer them Oh corrupt nature of oures which cares not how we faile makes lesse reckoning to go the right way and that which worse is after we haue folowed error and falne from a faire path into a foule puddle we will not onely not search to find our selues but according to our full wickednesse we will not sée nor confesse that we are lost All things in this world what vile and base estimation so euer they beare we do not only make care and cost to kéepe them but also séeke out others to ioyne with vs for their safetie except our selues who not only forbeare to watch and kéepe our selues but also we search others to helpe to loase vs I wish you for end that you giue ouer to be priuat and enter into the discharge of the requestes and legacies of your wife so shall you expresse a dearer remembrance of hir then with al the funerall ceremonies you can vse for as she kéepes now no reckoning whether you are serued vpon a table at in a chaire or vse your other obseruations of dignitie so you can not yéeld a more worthy recompence to the affectiō she bare you then to visite hospitalles and haunt sermons and rather expresse the office of a true Christian then mourne in the habite of a pitifull wydower From Logronio the xj of August 1523. To Sir Peter Giron banished into Oran comforting such as liue in exile IT is written in the wonderfull visions of the prophet Daniel that two Angels disputing afore God the one mayntained that it was not méete to put the Hebrues in libertie least they were conuerted to the Persians and the other proued it necessary to giue them licence to the ende they might do Sacrifice reedifie the temple of Ierusalem by which may be inferred that that which amongest the wicked is called stubburnes with the good sort is named zeale This I write to bring into discourse the contents of your Fathers Letter and yours in which I finde such contraritie that it is harde to Iudge which is greater eyther the sorowe of the Father or the constant minde of the Sonne the Father expressed great heauinesse seing his Sonne sent into Exile vsing the nature of a pitifull Father and the Sonne according to the propertie of a noble minde beares this disgrace without grudge or griefe if this banishement had pleased your Father and you likewise had declared signes of disdaine and dispight he had abused the dignitie of a father and you transgressed the law of a valiāt Knight but seing you both perfourm that which you ought you haue no reason to distrust of that which you desire For my part to satisfie the dutie I owe to the one and exercise the good will I beare to the other I thought it agréeing with your estate and my profession to recommend vnto you these Particuler instructions which if you finde Tedius to read you shall at least féele wholesome to obserue specially conteyning poyntes of Consolation in your present banishement Now is the time wherein you are to call into exercise your Auncient wisedome to gouerne you your setled discretion to minister consolation and your valiant minde to entertaine the reputation of your honour by some worthie enterprise which thrée thinges if you omit you shall be holden a banished man euen in your owne Citie where putting them in execution being exiled you shall be sure to encrease the renowne of a valiant knight It is a verteous disposition to yéelde compassion to the afflicted but nature most of all doth chalenge it of those who prouing an estate of necessitie haue founde comfort in others And albeit one friend can owe no more to another then to remedie his necessities comfort his aduersities yet the wordes of a friend do giue lyfe to the hart of his friend if to the same be ioyned effectes of true affection and as prosperitie and aduersitie haue such societie by kinde that the one followeth the other as the shadow doth the man so also such perplexities as are fastened within a hart are hardly fogotten but with the passions of another mind the languisheth according to this example At the death of the only sonne of Diomedes the Gréeke and vppon whome depended the possibilitie of succession there appeared to this mourning father many affections of many his noble friends amongst the presse of others that came to visit and comfort his sorrowes there resorted a pore woman demaunding iustice Diomedes seing her wéepe as it were accompanie him in his sorrowfull moodes his other friendes to deliuer only reasons of consolation without teares tolde them the albeit his eares had receiued the impression of their words yet none had made passage into his hart but the sorrowful compassion of that simple woman in whome I haue receiued sayth he somuch the more comfort by how much I sée her hart suffereth the selfe same sorrowes which by effect I féele According to the conformitie of this aunswere sir you may iudge my disposition therwithal take occasion to giue faith to my wordes belieue the affection of my hart for by the fayth of a friend I sweare vnto you that as I haue always folowed you with an
vnfeined zeale so your presēt misfortune stands in such compassion with me that if to my want were ioyned welth with my wil were matched conuenient libertie you should know that though I am innocent of your fault yet I would be partner of your paine or if as you stand in ful power to distribute dispose your goods you had also the facultie to impart your perplexities the world shuld be iudge whether my frendshp stretch to affect your goods or to cōmunicate with your fortune calamitie And as I cānot but cōfesse that you haue always expressed towards me one perpetual nobilitie boūtie of mind so I hope you wil not denie but I haue retributed that recōpence which belongs to the power of so poore a friend But as I know you haue this propertie in nature to kepe in continual memorie the good turnes you receiue of others so if I forget the benifites which you haue bestowed of me let my profession suffer indignitie by the which I holde the countenaunce of my reputatiō so wil I wade no further in protestatiō since great offers are vsed amongst staungers and good déedes ought to be familiar with true meaning friendes I know this banishement may bréede you some conceyt by the opinion which this court may haue of you and I doubt not but asmuch the Ioye of your enimies will dispight you as the displeasure of your friendes will grieue you for that in a chance of calamitie most men are more sorie for the their enimies can say then for the martirdome they indure Plutarke in his Apothegmes recites of a famous Captaine and Louer of the Lacedemoniens to whome a certaine Reader of the Atheniens making his complaint that the men at Armes in his Camp reproched thē of Athens answered that as the thing that is well kept is hardely lost that nothing prouokes the thiefe sooner then necligence so if the Atheniens had tied care and Circumspection to their wordes and Actions they had neither falne into the Mouthes of the Lacedemoniēs nor feared their malice Job saith Factus sum mihi met ipsi grauis meaning that the misaduentures and disgraces which happen to vs for the most part our selues doe search them For as the power of fortune is to do more harme in one hower then good in many Hundreth yeares so when the chaunge falleth it blindes our eyes that we cannot deserne it and binds our handes that we cannot helpe it making vs Instruments euen against our selues in the execution of our proper mishap But for your part Sir if you had eyther followed my direction or ioyned your selfe to the aduise of the Constable your deare vncle the ignorance and rashnesse of your hoate youth had not caried you thus far to your own ruine yea you had preuēted that which now wyth payne you suffer The vengeance which you sought to take ought not to be grounded vpon so small occasion séeing oftentimes reason demaundes execution of a thing which time will not suffer to be done by which meane are spoyled many particuler causes not for that they were not iust but because they were not followed in season for as conuenient is the obseruation of time place to prosecute a businesse as in due season to throw the séede into the earth to the end to haue a good haruest therefore in your quarrell or pretence of action to the Dukedom of Medina Sidonia much better had it become the vertue of a noble Gentleman and farre more suretie to your title to haue demaunded it in Parliament by iustice then to recommēd your selfe to the Bishop of Camore I haue often tolde you that tyrants committe their triall to Armes and the iust sort referre their causes to the arbytrement of the Lawes Euen so when I sawe you ioyne your selfe to the good Bishop I felt great coniecture of the ill successe of your cause in which I doubted not but he would rayse occasion to vndoe you that earst made no conscience to put in perill the whole Realme disobey the king deceiue his confederates dissemble euen with his own opinion For where in one man doe méete incertaintie of affection and malice of nature there is no other hope in that man then distrust Periurie wordes and reuenge I put you in remembrance of all these more to reprehende you then to comfort you and with all to reduce to your knowledge that if you suffer any present affliction thinke it is for no offence presently committed but for the falt that then you did for as euery offence hath his punishement so God being bound to no time vseth to visit our olde insolencies euen whom we accompt our selues most innocent More 〈◊〉 is it to your wise friendes to suffer your banishment obeying the Prince then to sée you Duke of Medina with the displeasure of his Maiestie and farre better shal you expresse that which is loked for of you if simplie you attribute to the infirmitie of your discretion that which in good equitie cannot but carie the very nature and habite of a great falt Oh how well doth it become the reputation of a valiant knight to deserue to be holden gratious in the sight of his prince and with good and true seruices to enterteine the estate and fauour he hath of him expressing alwayes this true effect and example of readie obedience that if eyther in the court the Kingdome or any dominion of the Prince there moue any faction trouble quarrell tumult or mutinie he may with libertie be heard speake and giue occasion to be employed but not of himselfe to practice secreat confederacie nor yet without Authoritie to intrude himselfe into the councell or managing of affayres of estate For the businesse of kingdomes conteyne in them many secret difficulties more daungerous to be reformed then easie to wéeld which we sée dayly in sundry cōmon weales euil gouerned worse reformed for that for the most part the popular sort is ready to reuolt and very hard to be appeased great paine had Catiline to reforme Rome Socrates Athens Ptolome Pentapolis Promotheus Egipt and Plato the Siciliens But in the ende of all these enterprises where some of these noble men escaped death the rest suffered banishement their comonweales notwithstanding in more broyle then before But now to the matter of your exile and the remedies proper to men in your fortune In which if I satisfie not your passion I doubt not but the lawe of our frendship will leade you to iudge wel of my reasons assuring you that I had rather succour you then comfort you Weying Sir with your present condition being banished in Afrika the consideration that you are of the frée Countrey of Spaine I doubt not but the remembrance of the pleasures you haue passed in Spaine will make this exchange more painfull to you being now restrained in Afrika for the loue of our countrey is so naturall to vs and we so partiall in our