Triumphes they went before in the Temples they did sit downe they spake to the Senate before all others they had their garments furred they might eate alone in secret and by their onely word they were credited as witnesses Finally I say that in all thinges they serued them and in nothing they annoied them After the people of Rome beganne warre with Asia they forsooke all their good Romane customes immediately And the occasion hereof was that since they had no men to sustaine the Common-wealth by reason of the great multitude of people which died in the warre they ordained that all the young men should marry the young maides the widdows the free and the bond and that the honour which had beene done vntill that time vnto the olde men from henceforth should bee done vnto the maried men though they were yong So that the most honoured in Rome was hee not of most yeares but he that had most children This Law was made a little before the first battell of Carthage And the custome that the married men were more honoured then the old endured vntil the time of the Emperour Augustus which was such a friend of Antiquities that hee renued all the walles of Rome with new stone and renued all the auncient customes of the Common-wealth Lycurgus in the lawes which he gaue to the Lacedemonians ordayned that the young men passing by the olde should doe them great reuerence and when the old men did speake then the younger should be silent And hee ordained also that if any olde man by casualtie did lose his goods and came into extreame pouertie then hee should be sustained of the Common wealth and that in such sustentation they should haue respect not onely to succour him for to sustain him but further to giue him to liue competently Plutarch in his Apothegmes declareth that Cato the Censor visiting the corners of Rome found an olde man sitting at his dore weeping and shedding many teares from his eyes And Cato the Censour demanding him why he was so euill handled and wherefore hee wept so bitterly the good olde man answered him O Cato the Gods beeing the only Comforters comfort thee in all thy tribulations since thou art ready to comfort mee at this wofull houre As well as thou knowest that the consolations of the Heart are more necessarie then the physicke of the bodie the which being applyed sometimes doeth heale and an other time they do harme Behold my scabby hands my swollen legs my mouth without Teeth my peeled Face my white beard and my balde head for thou beeing as thou art discreete shouldest be excused to aske mee why I weepe For men of my Age though they weepe not for the little they feele yet they ought to weep for the ouermuch they liue The man which is loaden with teares tormented with diseases pursued with Enemies forgotten of his friends visited with mishaps and with euill will and pouertie I know not why he demandeth long life For there can be no sharper reuengement of vices which wee commit then to giue vs long life Though now I am aged I was young and if any young man should doe me any iniurie truely I would not desire the Gods to take away his life but that they would rather prolong his life For it is great pittie to heare the man which hath liued long recount the troubles which he hath endured Know thou Cato if thou doest not know it that I haue liued 77. yeares and in this time I haue buryed my Father my Grand-father two Aunts and fiue vncles After that I had buryed 9. Systers and 11. Bretheren I haue buryed afterwards two lawfull wiues and fiue bond-women which I haue had as my lemmans I haue buryed also 14. children and 7. marryed daughters and therewith not contented I haue buryed 37. Nephewes and 15. Nieces and that which grieueth me most of all is that I haue buryed two good friendes of mine One of the which remayned in Capua and the other which remained was resident heere at Rome The death of whome hath grieued me more then all those of my alyance and parētage For in the world there is no like losse to that where a man looseth him whom entierly he loueth and of whome also hee is deerely beloued The fatall Destenyes ought to content themselues to haue annoyed my house with so many misfortunes But all this and aboue all this they haue left me a wicked nephewe which shall be mine heyre and they haue left vnto me that all my life I shall lament Oh Cato for that thou owest to the Common-wealth I doe desire thee and by the immortal Gods I doe conjure thee that since thou art a vertuous Romane and Censor of the people that thou prouide for one of these two things that is to say that this my nephew doe serue me or else ordeyne that I dye forthwith For it is a great crueltie that those doe pursue mee which are aliue since it is now fourtie yeares that I ceased not to bewayle the dead Cato beeing well informed of that the olde man had tolde him and since he found all that true which he spake he called vnto his presence the young Nephewe and sayde vnto him these wordes If thou wert such a Childe as thou oughtest to bee thou shouldest excuse mee of paine and thy selfe of trauell But since it is not so I pray thee take paciently that which I shall commaund thee and bee thou wel assured that I will not commaund thee any thing but that which shal be correspondent to Iustice For the vicious younglings as thou art ought to be more ashamed of the vnbrideled youthfulnesse they haue committed then for all the punishments which is giuen vnto them First I commaund thou bee whipt because thou art become so disobedient and troublesome to thy Graundfather Secondly I commaunde that thou bee banished the limites of Rome because thou art a vicious young man Thirdly I commaund that of all the goods which thou hast enherited thou shalt bee disinherited because thou doest not obey thy Graundfather And the cause why I giue such seuere sentence is to the ende that from henceforth the young shall not disobey the Aged and also that those which haue inherited great treasours shall not thinke that men should permit them to bee more vicious then others Phalaris the Tyraunt writing to a Friende of his which was very aged saide these words the which seemed rather spoken of a Phylosopher then of a tyrant I haue maruelled at thee and am offended with thee my friend 〈◊〉 to know as I doe that in yeares thou art very aged and in workes very young and also it grieueth mee that thou hast lost the credit of knowledge in the Schooles It grieueth me more that through thee the priuiledges should bee lost which the olde men haue accustomed to haue in Greece that is to say that all the thieues all the periured and all the murtherers were
kill and put into the shambles all the euill men and weigh them as wee doe the flesh of sheepe or other like be asts all the neighbours and Inhabitants of Italy should haue meate sufficient for to eate Behold Censour in this land of Campania they call none good but those which are quiet sober wise and discreet men They call none good but the patient honest and vertuous men Finally I say that wee call none good but these men which will doe no harme and will occupie themselues in good workes Without teares I speake not that which I will say that is if wee seeke for any of them wee shall find none but in their graues For the iust iudgement of God it was they should repose themselues in the entrailes of the earth whom the publike weale deserued not to haue aliue Thou commest to visite this land where thou shalt immediately be serued with the wicked and to hide their faults their desolute life and their vices thou shalt not be a little solicited Beleeue mee if thou wilt not vndoe thy selfe and be deceyued Trust thou rather these rotten bones then their deceitfull hearts For in the end the examples of the dead that were good doe profite men more to liue well then the counsell of the liuing that bee wicked doe interre and bury all those that be now liuing CHAP. III. Marcus Aurelius concludeth the letter and declareth at large the sciences he learned and all the Masters which he had And in the end hee reciteth fiue not able things in the obseruance of which the Romanes were very curious I Haue recited these things vnto thee my friend Pulio to the end thou shouldest know what an infinit number there is of the wicked sort in the world and how small scant a number there is in Italy of the good and this proceedeth of none other thing but because the Fathers doe not bring vp their children as our Ancesters did It is vnpossible a yong child should be vicious if with due correction he had been instructed in vertues Annius Verus my Father in this case deserueth as much prayse as I doe reproach For whiles I was young he neuer suffered me to sleepe in bed to sit in chayre to eate with him at his Table neyther durst I lift vp mine eies to looke him in the face And oftentimes he sayde vnto mee Marcus my sonne I had rather thou shouldest bee an honest Romane then a dissolute Philosopher Thou desirest mee to write vnto thee how many Masters I had and what sciences I learned in my youth Know thou that I had many good Masters though I am become an euill Scholler I learned also diuers sciences though presently I know little not for that I forgot them but because the affaires of the Empire of Rome excluded mee from them and caused me to forsake them For it is a general rule That Science in that place is neuer permanent where the person is not at liberty I studyed Grammer with a Master called Euphermon who sayde he was a Spaniard borne and his head was hoare for age In speech he was very temperate in correction somewhat seuere and in life exceeding honest For there was a law in Rome that the childrens Masters should bee very old So that if the Disciple were ten yeares of age the Master should bee aboue fifty I studyed a long time Rethoricke and the Law vnder a Greeke called Alexander borne in Lycaonya which was so excellent an Oratour that if hee had had as great a grace in writing with his pen as he had eloquence in speaking with his tongue truly hee had beene no lesse renowmed among the Grecians then Cicero was honored among the Romans After the death of this my Maister at Naples I went to Rhodes heard Rhetoricke again of Orosus of Pharanton of Pulio which truly were men expert and excellent in the art of Oratorie and especially in making Comedies Tragedies Enterludes they were very fine and had a goodly grace Commodus Calcedon was my first Maister in naturall Phylosophy He was a graue man and in great credite with Adrian he translated Homer out of Greeke into Latin After this man was dead I tooke Sextus Cheronensis for my Maister who was Nephew to Plutarch the great which Plutarch was Traianus Maister I knew this Sextus Cheronensis at 35. yeares of age at what time I doubt whether there hath beene any Phylosopher that euer was so well esteemed throughout the Romane Empire as he I haue him here vvith me and although hee be fourescore years old yet continually he vvriteth the Histories and gests done of my time I let thee know my friend Pulio that I studyed the law two yeers and the seeking of the lawes of many nations was occasion that I knew many Antiquities and in this science Volucius Mecianus vvas my master a man vvhich could reade it vvell and also dispute of it better So that on a time hee demaunded of me merily and said Tel mee Marke doest thou thinke there is any Law in the World that I knovv not and I answered him Tell mee Master is there any Lavv in the World that thou obseruest The sift yeere that I vvas at Rhodes there came a marnellous pestilence vvhich vvas the occasion of the dissolution of our Schoole vvhich vvas in a narrovv and little place and being there a certaine Painter painting a rich and excellent Worke for the realme of Palestine I then for a truth learned there to dravv and paint and my Master vvas named Diogenetus vvho in those dayes vvas a famous Painter He painted in Rome sixe worthie Princes in one Table and 6. other tirannous Emperours in an other And amongst those euill Nero the cruel was painted so liuely that he seemed aliue to all those that savv him and that Table vvherein Nero vvas so liuely dravvne vvas by decrees of the sacred Senate commanded to be burnt For they sayde That a man of so wicked a life deserued not to be represented in so goodly a Table Others sayde that it was so naturall and perfect that hee made all men afrayde that beheld him and if he had been left there a few dayes that hee would haue spoken as if he had been aliue I studyed the art of Necromancy a while with all the kindes of Gyromancy and Chiromancie In this science I had no particular Master but that sometimes I went to heare Apolonius Lecture After I was married to Faustine I learned Cosmography in the City of Argelata which is the chiefest towne of Illyrta and my Masters were Iunius Rusticus and Cyna Catudus Chroniclers Councellours to Adrian my Master and Antoninus my Father in Law And becaused I would not be ignorant in any of these things that mans abilitie might attaine to being at the wars of Dalia I gaue my selfe to Musicke and was apt to take it and my Master was named Geminus Comodus a man of a quicke hand to play and of
that land so euil tilled so barren cold and little and that they should come and enhabite Italy which was a plaine Country fertile and ample temperate and very rich and that now or neuer they should conquer it And Narsetes therewith not contented but to prouoke his friends the more and make them the more couetous sent them part of euery good thing that was in Italy that is to say light horses rich armour sweet pleasant and daintie fruites fine mettals and may kindes of ointments very odoriserous silkes and Marchandises of many and diuers sorts The Ambassadors arriued in Pannony which now is called Hungarie were honourably receyued and the Lumbardes seeing that there were such and so many goodly things in Italy determined to leaue Pannonia and goe spoyle and conquer Italy although it belonged to Rome and were at that season friends with the Romanes yet notwithstanding they had little respect to this And hereat no man ought to maruell for in that place there is neuer perfect friendship where he that commandeth is constrayned to demaund helpe of others The Lumbards determined for to passe into Italy and at that time there was seene of the Italians visibly in the ayre sundry Armies of fire that one cruellie killed the other Which thing greatly feared the hearts of the people For by this they knew that within a short space much of theyr bloud of their enemies also should be shed for it is an olde ancient custome that when any great matter doth chance to any Realme first the Planets and Elements do declare the same by secret tokens the ingratitude of the Emperour Iustinian against Narsetes his Captaine and the euill words which Sophia spake vnto him were the occasion that the Lumhards inuaded and destroied all Italy which thing valiant Princes ought well to note to keepe themselues from ingratitude towards their seruants who hath done them great seruice For it is a generall rule That the ingratitude of a great benefite maketh the seruants despayre of recempence or of a faithfull jeruant maketh him become a cruell and mortall enemie And let not Princes trust men because they bee natiue of their realms brought vp nourished in their Pallaces and alwayes haue been faithfull in their seruices that therefore they will not of good subiects be turned to euill nor yet of faithfull become disloyall For such imagination is vaine For the Prince that in his doings is vnthankfull cannot keepe nor retaine any honest man long in his seruice One thing the noble Iustintan did with Narsetes whereof all noble and sage Princes ought to beware that is to know hee did not onely giue eare vnto his enemies and beleeued them but also before them he did dishonour him and shame him to his power which thing made him vtterly to despayre For there is nothing that spiteth a man more then to haue before his enemies any iniury or dishonour done vnto him of his superiour The Empresse Sophia therefore deserued great reproach for speaking such dishonest words to Narsetes to send him to thread the needles in that occupation where the damsels wrought For it is the duety of a Noble Princesse to mitigate the yre of Princes when they are angry and not to prouoke thē further to anger Narsetes then alwayes doubting the Empresse Sophia neuer after returned into Naples where shee was but rather came from Naples to Rome a yeare before the Lambards came into Italy where hee receyued all the Sacraments and like a deuout Christian hee dyed His body was carried to Alexandria in a cossin of siluer all set with precious stones and there was buried And a man cannot tell whether the displeasure were greater that all Asia had not to see Narsetes aliue or the pleasure that Sophia had to see him dead For the vnpatient heart especially of a woman hath no rest vntill shee see her enemie dead CHAP. XVII Of a Letter the Emperour Marcus Aurelius sent to the King of Sicilie in which he recordeth the trauels they endured together in their youth and reproueth him of his small reuerence towards the Temples MArcus Aurelius sole Emperour of Rome borne in Mount Celio called the old Tribune wisheth health and long life to thee Gorbin Lord and King of Sicilie As it is the custome of the Romane Emperours the first yeare of my raigne I wrote generally to all the Isle the second yeare I wrote generally vnto thy Court and Pallace and at this present I write more particularlie to thy person And although that Princes haue great Realmes yet they ought not therefore to cease to communicate with their olde friendes Since I tooke my penne to write vnto thee I stayed my hand a great while from writing and it was not for that I was slothfull but because I was ashamed to see all Rome offended with thee I let thee to know most excellent Prince that in this I say I am thy true friend for in my hart I feele thy trouble and so sayd Euripides That which with the heart is loued with the heart is lamented But before I shew thee the cause of my writing I will reduce into thy memory some thinges past of our youth and thereby we shall see what wee were then and what we are now for no man doth so much reioyce of his prosperity present as hee which calleth to mind his miseries past Thou shalt call to mind most excellent Prince that wee two together did learne to reade in Capua and after we studyed a little in Tarentum and from thence wee went to Rhodes where I reade Rhethorike and thou heardest Philosophy And afterwardes in the end of ten yeares wee went to the wars of Pannonia where I gaue my selfe to musicke for the affections of young men are so variable that dayly they would know strange Realmes and change offices And in all those iournies with the force of youth the sweete company with the pleasant communication of Sciences and with a vaine hope wee did dissemble our extreame pouerty which was so great that many times and often we desired not that which many had but that little which to few abounded Doest thou remember that when wee sayled by the gulfe Arpin to goe into Hellespont a long and tempestuous torment came vpon vs wherein we were taken of a Pirate and for our ransome hee made vs row about nine moneths in a Galley whereas I cannot tell which was greater eyther the want of bread or the aboundance of stripes which wee alwayes endured Hast thou forgotten also that in the City of Rhodes when wee were besieged of Bruerdus puissant King of Epirotes for the space of fourteene monethes wee were ten without eating flesh saue onely two cats the one which wee stole and the other which wee bought remember that thou and I beeing in Tarent were desired of our Host to go to the feast of the great Goddesse Dtana into the which Temple none could enter that day but
of the common people And truly it is no small benefit that God had made him of a mean estate for to be of base lynage maketh men to bee despised and not regarded and to come of a noble bloud and high lynage maketh men to be proud and lofty This young man being come into the Romaine Campe the fame was immediately spred how that he alone had vanquished 5. Knights And his strength and courage was so highly esteemed that within a while after he was made Pretour of the Armie For the Romaines not according to fauour but according to the ability of men diuided the offices and degrees of honour in warres Time therefore working his nature and many estates being decayed after this young Gracian was made Pretour of the Armie and that hee was sufficiently tryed in the warres Fortune which many times bringeth that to passe in a day that mans malice cannot in many yeares raysed this Gracian to be Emperour of Rome For truly one houre of good successe is more worth then all worldly fauour This Gracian was not onely singular in strength couragious in battell fortunate in all his affayres but also hee was luckie of children that is to say hee had two sonnes which were Emperors of Rome the one was called Valente the other Valentinian In this case the children might glory to haue a Father so stout but the glory of the Father is greater to haue sonnes of such Nobility For there is no greater felicity in this world then during life to come to honour and riches and after death to leaue good children to enioy them The eldest of the two sonnes was the Emperour Valente who ruled in the Orient for the space of foure yeeres and was the nine and thirtieth Emperour of Rome from Iulius Caesar though some doe beginne at the time of Octauian saying that hee was vertuous and that Iulius Caesar vsurped the Empire like a Tyrant This Valente was beautifull of person but poore of vertues so that hee was more beautifull then vertuous more couragious then mercifull more rich then charitable more cruell then pittifull For there are many Princes that are very expert to deuise new orders in a common wealth but there are few that haue stoute hearts to put the same in execution In those dayes the Sect of Arrian the cursed Heretike flourished and the Emperour Valente was greatly blinded therein insomuch that hee did not onely fauour the Arrians but also hee persecuted the Christians which was shewed for so much as he killed and caused to be killed for that occasion many lay men and tooke many Clerkes and banished many Bishops ouerthrew many Churches robbed the goods of the Christians and did infinite other mischiefes in the common welth For the Prince which is infected with heresie and liueth without feare of the Church there is neither mischiefe nor treason but he will commit In the deserts of Egypt in the mountaines of Armenia and in the cities of Alexandrie there was a great multitude of Fryers and religious men amongst whom were many Wisemen and pure of life constant in the defence of the Church and patient in persecutions For hee is a true religious man that in time of peace is charitable to teach the ignorant and bolde in the time of Schismes to confound the Heretikes The Emperour Valente was not onely a friend vnto the Arrians and and an enemie to the Christians but also hee was a persecuter of the deuoute and religious Fryers For hee commaunded proclamations to be hid through all his Realmes and Domions that all the religious that were young in yeares whole of their bodies and sound of their limmes should immediately cast off theyr Cowles and Hoodes leauing theyr Monastery and take Souldiers wages in the Campe for hee sayde Monasteries were inuented for nothing else but to maintaine those that were deformed blinde lame and maymed and vpon this occasion hee shewed great tyranny for many Monasteries were left naked many notable constitutions were broken many hermites were martyred many Fryers whipped many notable Barons banished and many good men robbed of their goods For the vertuous men desired rather the bitter life of the Monastery then the sweete and pleasant liberty of the world This wicked Emperour yet not contented with these things as by chance his wife commended vnto him the beauty of a Romane called Iustinia without any more delay hee married her not forsaking his first wife and immediately made a law throughout all his Empire that without incurring any danger each Chrian might haue two wiues and marry with them by the law of Matrimonie for the tyrannous Princes to cloake their vices make and establish the lawes of vices The shame was not little that the Emperour Valente against the commaundement of the Church would marry with two women at one time but the lesse shame hee had the greater was his iniquitie to put it in execution and to cause it to bee published through his realm as a Law for a particular vice corrupteth but one alone but a generall law destroyeth all At that time the puissant Gothes were in the parties of the Orient the which were in feates of Armes very valiant and couragious but in things of faith they were euil brought vp although the greatest part of them were baptized for then the Church was very poore of Prelates howbeit those that they had were very notable men After the Gothes were baptized and the fury of the warres somwhat appeased they sent Ambassadours to the Emperour Valente desiring him that immediately and forth with hee would send them holy Catholike Bishoppes by whose doctrine they might be instructed brought to the Christian faith for it was supposed that the Emperour of Rome could haue no Bishops in their countryes vnlesse they were vertuous this wicked Emperour sith hee was now entangled with heresie and that hee had peruerted the customes of good Emperours that is for hauing about him euill Bishoppes as he was now enuironed with al euils and mischiefes so hee sent to the Gothes a Bishop called Eudoxius the which was a ranke Arrian and brought with him many Bishoppes which were Heretikes by the which the Kinges and Princes of the Gothes were Arrians for the space of two hundred yeares The Catholike Princes ought to take great care to Watch and in watching to be warie and circumspect that they their Realmes neyther their Subiects should in theyr time bee defiled with heresie For the plague of Heretikes and Heresies is not of light occasion banished the place where once it hath raigned Wee haue declared of the small faith that this Emperour had in Iesus Christ and of the great mischiefes he did to the Church Let vs now see what was the end of his miserable life For the man of wicked life seldome commeth to good end The matter was this that as the Gothes were driuen out of the Realme by some of the Hunnes they came immediately to
I see Fathers conscript that I haue bin iudged here of worldly malice because I accompanyed the captiues in procession and also because I suffered my selfe to bee touched with them to the ende they might enioye the priuiledge of their libertie and in this case I render most humble thanks vnto the immortall Gods because they made mee a mercifull Emperour to set those at Libertie that were in prison and that they made me not a cruell tyrant to set those in prison which were at liberty For the prouerb saith that with one bean a man may take 2. pigeons euē so chanced the like herein yesterday For the benefite was don for those miserable Captiues but the example of humanitie was shewed to all strange nations And know ye not that whē the prince vnloseth the irons frō the feet of the captiues he bindeth the harts goods and lands of his subiects Concluding therefore I say that to the Princes it were more safety and to the Common wealth more profite to be serued in their Pallaces by free hearts with loue then by subiects which are kept vnder by feare CHAP. XL. Of a Letter which the Emperour Marcus Aurelius sent to his friend Pulio declaring the opinion of certaine Philosophers concerning the felicitie of man MArcus Aurelius Emperour of Rome tribune of the people high Bishop secōd Consull and Monarche of al the Romane Empire wisheth to thee Pulio his olde friend health to thy person and prosperitie against thy euill fortune The letter that thou wrotest vnto mee from Capua I receyued here at Bethinia and if thou diddest write it with a good heart I did reade it with willing eyes wherof thou oughtest somewhat to content thee For it is an olde saying of Homer That that which is well viewed with the eyes is tenderly beloued of the heart I protest vnto thee by the faith of the immortall gods that I do not write vnto thee as a Romane Emperour that is to say from the Lord to the seruant for in this sorte I should write vnto thee briefe and touching the purpose which thing ought not to bee done to the peculiar friend For the Letters of graue men should neuer beginne and the Letters of vs friends should neuer end I write vnto thee my friend Pulio as to a priuate friend to an olde companion of mine and as to him which is a faithfull secretary of my desires and in whose company I was neuer displeased in whose mouth I neuer found lye and in whose promise there was neuer breach made And the thing being thus I shuld commit treason in the law of friendship if I keepe secret from thee any of my inward conceites for all the griefes which lye buried in the wofull heart ought not to bee communicated but with a faithfull friend Doest thou thinke Pulio that the Romane Emperour hath little trauell to write vnto thee as Emperour to speake as Emperour to walke as Emperour and to eate as Emperour and finally to bee as Emperour indeed Certes I do not maruell hereat For truely the life of the vertuous Emperour is but a Dyall which ordereth or disordereth the Common-wealth and that whereof I maruell is of the folly of Rome and vanity of the Common wealth For as much as all say that the Prince if he will seem graue and be well esteemed of the people ought to goe softly to speake little to write briefly so that for writing of letters they will he be briefe and for conquering of strange Realmes they doe not rebuke him although hee be long Wise men should desire that their Princes be of gentle condition to the end they fall not to tyranny That they haue their mind vncorrupted to minister to all equall iustice that their thought bee good not to desire straunge Realms that they haue their hearts voide from wrath that they bee sound within to pardon iniuries that they loue their Subiects to bee serued of them that they know the good to honour them and that they know the euill to punish them and as for the surplus we little regard whether the King go fast whether he eate much or write briefe For the danger is not in that which is in the lacke of his owne person but it is in the negligence that he vseth in the common-wealth I haue receyued my Friend Pulio great comfort of thy letter but yet much more I should haue receiued of thy presence for the letters of auncient friends are but as a remembrance of times past It is a great pleasure to the Mariner to talke of the perils past being in the hauen and to the Captain to glorie of the battell after the victorie I meane aboue all pleasures this is the greatest to men beeing now faithfull friends to talke of the trauells dangers which they had passed when they were young men Belieue me in one thing do not doubt therof There is no man that knoweth to speak that knoweth to possesse nor that cā iudge or take any pleasure neyther that well knoweth how to keep the goods which the gods haue giuen him vnlesse it be hee that hath bought it deerely with great trauell For with all our hearts wee loue that thing which with our owne proper labour and trauell wee haue gotten I aske thee one thing who is hee that oweth most to the Gods or that is most esteemed amongst men of Traian the iust which was brought vp in the Warres of Dace Germanie and Spaine or of Nero the cruell which was nourished in all the deliciousnes of Rome Truely the one was none other then a Rose among bryers and the other was but a Nettle amongst flowers I spake this because the good Traian hath gouerned his life in such sorte that alwayes they will smell the Rose by the pleasant sauour but the cruell Nero hath left the sting the nettle of his infamie I will not speake all because many are and were made good but for the most part the princes which were brought vp deliciously gaue euery man occasion that al shuld be offended for the euill gouernance of their liues in their Realmes and because they neuer experimented any kinde of trauell in themselues they do little esteeme the paines of another I will not that thou thinke my friend Pulio that I haue forgotten the time that is past though the Gods brought me to the Empire present For thogh we together were tossed with the torments of youth yet now wee may repose our selues in the calmes of our age I do remember that thou and I did study in Rhodes in letters and after we had sowen weapons in Capua it hath pleased the gods that the seedes of my Fortunes should ripen heere in Rome and to thee and to others better then I Fortune would not giue one only eare I doe not giue thee licence that thy thought be suspicious of me sith thou of my hart art made a faithfull Friend for if vnconstant Fortune doth trust mee
no sporte nor lightnes inuented in Rome but first it is registred in your house And finally they say that you giue your selues so vnto pleasures as though you neuer thought to receyue displeasures O Claude and Claudine by the God Iupiter I sweare vnto you that I am ashamed of your vnshamefastnes and am greatly abashed of your manners and aboue all I am exceedingly grieued for your offence For at that time that you ought to lift your hands you are returned againe into the filth of the world Manie things men commit which though they seeme graue yet by moderation of the person that cōmitteth them they are made light but speaking according to the truth I finde one reason whereby I might excuse your lightes but to the contrarie I see tenne whereby I may condemne your follies Solon the Phylosopher in his Lawes said to the Athenians that if the young offended hee should be gently admonished and grieuously punished because he was strong and if the olde erre hee should bee lightly punished and sharply admonished sith hee was weake and feeble To this Lycurgus in his lawes to the Lacedemonians sayd contrarie That if the young did offend hee should be lightly punished and grieuously admonished since through ignorance he did erre and the olde man which did euill should bee lightly admonished and sharply punished since thorough malice hee did offend These two phylosophers beeing as they haue bin of such authority in the worlde that is past and considering that their lawes and sentences were of such weight it should bee much rashnes in not admitting the one of them Now not receiuing the one nor rereprouing the other Mee thinketh that there is no great excuse to the young for their ignorance and great condemnation to the aged for their experience Once againe I returne to say that you pardon me my friends and you ought not greatly to weigh it thogh I am somewhat sharpe in condemnation since you others are so dissolute in your liues for of your blacke life my penne doth take inke I remember wel that I haue heard of thee Claude that thou hast beene lusty and couragious in thy youth so that thy strength of all was enuyed and the beauty of Claudine of all men was desired I will not write vnto you in this letter my friends and neighbours nether reduce to memory how thou Claude hast employed thy forces in the seruice of the comonwealth and thou Claudine hast won much honor of thy beauty for sundry times it chāced that men of many goodly giftes are noted of grieuous offences Those which striued with thee are all dead those whom thou desirest are deade those which serued thee Claudine are dead those which before thee Claudine sighed are dead those which for thee dyed are now dead and since all those are deade with theyr lightnesse doe not you others thinke to die and your follies also I doe demand now of thy youth one thing and of thy beauty another thing what do you receiue of these pastims of these good entertainements of these aboundances of these great contentations of the pleasures of the world of the vanitie that is past and what hope you of all these to carry into the narrow graue O simple simple and ignoraunt persons how our life consumeth and wee perceiue not how wee liue therein For it is no felicitie to enioy a short or long life but to know to employ the same eyther well or euill O children of the earth and Disciples of vanitie now you know that Time flyeth without mouing his wings the life goeth without lifting vp his feete the World dispatcheth vs not telling vs the cause men doe beguile vs not mouing their lippes our flesh consumeth to vs vnawares the heart dyeth hauing no remedie and finally our glorie decaieth as it it had neuer beene and death oppresseth vs without knocking at the dore Though a man be neuer so simple or so very a foole yet hee cannot deny but it is impossible for to make a fire in the bottome of the sea to make a way in the ayre of the thinne bloud to make rough sinewes and of the soft veines to make hard bones I meane that it is vnpossible that the greene flower of youth be not one day withered by age CHAP. XX. The Emperour followeth his Letter and perswadeth Claudius and Claudinus being now olde to giue no more credite to the World nor to any of his deceitfull flatteryes THat which I haue spoken now tendeth more to aduertise the young then to teach the olde For you others haue now passed the prime time of childhood the summer of youth and the haruest of adolescency and are in the winter of age where it seemeth an vncomely thing that those your hoary haires should bee accompanied with such vaine follies Sithens young men know not that they haue to end their youth it is no maruell that they follow the world but the olde men which see themselues fall into this guile why will they runne after vices againe O world for that thou art the world so smal is our force so great our debilitie that thou willing it and we not resisting it thou dost swallow vs vp in the most perillous gulfe and in the thornes most sharpe thou dost pricke vs by the priuiest wayes thou leadest vs by the most stony waies thou carriest vs. I meane that thou bringest vs to the highest fauours to the end that afterwards with a push of thy pike thou mightest ouerthrow vs. O world wherein all is worldly two and fifty yeeares haue passed since in thee I was first borne during which time thou neuer toldest mee one truth but I haue taken thee with ten thousand lyes I neuer demanded the thing but thou diddest promise it me and yet it is nothing at all that euer thou diddest perform I neuer put my trust in thee but euer thou beguiledst me I neuer came to thee but thou diddest vndoo me finally neuer saw I ought in thee wherby thou deseruest loue but alwayes hatred This presupposed I know not what is in thee O world or what we worldlings want for if thou hatest vs we cannot hate thee if thou doest vs iniury we can dissemble it if thou spurne vs with thy feet wee wil suffer it if thou beatest vs with a staffe wee wil hold our peace also though thou persecutest vs we will not complain though thou take ours wee will not demand it of thee though thou dost beguile vs we will not call ourselues beguiled and the worst of all is that thou doest chase vs from thy house yet we will not depart from thence I know not what this meaneth I know not from whence this commeth I know not who ought to prayse this same that wee couet to follow the world which wil none of vs and hate the gods which loue vs oft times I make account of my yeares past somtimes also I turne and tosse my booke to see what
your bodies weake and corrupted what hope shall wee haue of young men which are but 25. yeeres of age if my memorie deceiue mee not when I was there you had Nephewes married and of their children made sure and two of the children borne and since that is true mee thinketh when the fruite is gathered the fruit is of no value and after the meale is taken from the mill euil shal the mill grinde I meane that the olde man ought to desire that his daies might be shortened in this world Do not thinke my friends that a man can haue his house full of Nephewes and yet say that he is very yong for in loding the tree with fruites the blossoms immediately fall or else they become withered I haue imagined with my selfe what it is that you might doe to see me yong and cut of some of your yeares and in the end I know no other reason but when you married Alamberta your daughter with Drusius and your Neece Sophia the faire with Tuscidan which were so yong that the daughters were scarce 15. veares old nor the young men 20. I suppose because you were rich of yeares and poore of money that he gaue to euery one of them in stead of money for dowry ten yeares of yours hereof a man may gather that the money of your Nephewes haue remayned vnto you and you haue giuen vnto them of your owne yeares I vnderstand my friends that your desire is to bee yong and very yong but I greatly desire to see you old and very old I doe not meane in yeares which in you doth surmount but in discretion which in you doth want O Claude and Claudine note that which I wil say vnto you and beare it alwayes in your memory I let you know that to maintaine youth to deface age to liue contented to be free from trauels to lengthen life and to auoyde death These things are not in the hands of men which doe desire them but rather in the hands of those which giueth thē the which according to their iustice and not according to our couetousnesse doe giue vs life by weight and death without measure One thing the old men do which is cause of slaundering many that is that they will speake first in counsels they will bee serued of the young in feasts they will bee first placed in all that they say they will be beleeued in Churches they will bee higher then the residue in distributing of offices they will haue the most honour in their opinions they will not be gainesayde Finally they will haue the credite of old sage men and yet they will leade the life of young doting fooles All these preheminences and priuiledges it is very iust that olde men should haue spent their yeares in the seruice of the common-wealth but with this I do aduise require them that the authoritie giuen them with their white haires bee not diminished by their euill works Is it a iust thing that the humble honest yong mā do reuerence to the aged man proud and disdainefull Is it a iust thing that the gentle and gracious yong man do reuerence to the enuious and malitious old man is it a iust thing that the vertuous and patient young man do reuerence to the foolish and vnpatient old man is it a iust thing that the stout and liberal yong man doe reuerence to the miserable couetous old man is it iust that the diligent and carefull young man do reuerence to the negligent old man is it iust that the abstinent and sober yong man do reuerence to the greedy and gluttonous old man is it iust that the chast and continent yong man do reuerence to the lecherous and dissolute olde man Mee thinketh these things should not bee such that thereby the old man shold be honored but rather reproued and punished For old men offend more by the euill example they giue then by the fault which they cōmit Thou canst not deny me my friend Claude that it is 33. years since we both were at the Theaters to behold a play whē thou camest late and found no place for thee to sit in thou saydest vnto mee who was set Rise my sonne Mark and sithens now thou art yong it is but iust that thou giue mee place which am aged If it bee true that it is three and thirty yeares sithence thou askedst place in the Theaters as an olde man Tell me I pray thee and also I coniure thee with what oyntment hast thou annoynted thy selfe or with what water hast thou washed thy selfe to become young O Claude if thou hadst found any medicine or discouered any herbe wherwith thou couldest take white haires from mens heades and from women the wrinccles of their face I sweare vnto thee and also I doe assure thee that thou shouldest be more visited and serued in Rome then the God Apollo is in his Temple at Ephesus Thou shouldest well remember Annius Priscus the old man which was our Neighbour and somewhat a kinne to thee the which when I tolde him that I could not be filled with his good words and to behold his auncient white haires he said vnto me Oh my Sonne Marke it appeareth well that thou hast not bin aged because thou talkest as a young man For if white haires do honour the person they greatly hurt the hart For at that houre when they see vs aged the strangers doe hate vs and ours do not loue vs. And he told me more I let thee know my sonne Marke that many times my wife and I talking of the yeares of another particularly when shee beholdeth mee and that I seeme vnto her so aged I say vnto her and sweare that I am yet young and that these white hayres came vnto mee by great trauells and the age by sicknes I doe remember also that this Annius Priscus was Senatour one yeare and because he would not seem aged but desired that men shold iudge him to be young he shaued his beard and his head which was not accustomed among the Senatours nor Censors of Rome And on a day among the other Senators he entred into the high Capitoll one saide vnto him thus Tell me man from whence comest thou What wilt thou and why commest thou hither How durst thou being no Senatour enter into the Senate Hee answered I am Annius Priscus the aged How chaunceth it now you haue not knowne me They replyed vnto him if thou wert Annius Priscus thou wouldest not come hither thus shauen For in the sacred Senate can none enter to gouerne the commonwealth vnlesse his person be endued with vertues and his head with white hayres and therefore thou art banished and depriued of thy Office For the olde which liue as the young ought to bee punished Thou knowest well Claude and Claudine that that which I haue spoken is not the faynings of Homer neyther a Fable of Ouide but that you your selues saw it with your eyes and in his
and iudgeth of his sound It is but reason hee should be so much the more circumspect before hee choose his Friend to examine his life and condition since all the other things wee haue spoken of may bee put in diuers houses and corners but our Friend we lodge and keepe deerely in our proper be wells Those that write of the Emperour Augustus say that he was very strange and scrupulous in accepting Friends but after hee had once receyued them into his friendship hee was very constant and circumspect to keepe them For hee neuer had any friend but first he had some proofe and tryall of him neyther would hee euer after forsake him for any displeasure done to him Therefore it shold alwayes be so that true friends should beare one to an other such loue and affection that the one beeing in prosperitie should not haue occasion to complaine of himselfe in that hee did not relieue his friends necessitie being in aduersitie nor the other being poore and needy should grudge or lament for that his friend being rich and wealthie would not succour him with all that hee might haue done for him For to say the trueth where perfect friendship is there ought no excuse to be made to doe what possible is the one for the other The friendship of young men commeth commonly or for the most part at the least by beeing companions in vice and follie and such of right ought rather to be called vacabonds then once to deserue the name of true friends For that cannot bee called true friendship that is continued to the preiudice or derogation of vertue Seneca writing againe to Lucillus saith these words I would not haue thee thinke nor once mistrust O my Lucillus that in all the Romaine Empire I haue any greater Friende then thuo but with all assure thy selfe that our Friendship is not so straight between vs that I would take vpon mee at any time to doe for thee otherwise then honesty should lead mee For though that loue I beare thee hath made thee Lord of my libertie yet reason also hath left mee vertue free The Authour proceedeth on Applying that wee haue spoken to that wee will now declare I say I will not acknowledge my selfe your seruant for so should I bee compelled to feare you more then loue you much lesse will I vaunt my selfe to bee your Kins-man for so I should importune and displease you and I will not brag that heretofore wee haue beene of familiar acquaintaunce for that I would not make any demonstration I made so little account of you and lesse then I am bound to doe neyther will I boaste my selfe that I am at this present your familiar and welbeloued For indeed I should then shew my selfe to bee too bolde and arrogant but that that I will confesse shall be that I loue you as a Friend and you mee as a Kins-man albeeit this friendship hath succeeded diuersly till now For you being Noble as you are haue bountifully shewed your friendship to mee in large and ample gifts but I poore and of base estate haue onely made you sure of mine in wordes Plutarch in his politikes sayd That it were far better to fell to our friends our workes and good deedes whether they were in prosperitie aduersitie or necessitie then to feede them with vaine Flattering wordes for nothing Yet it is not so generall a rule but that sometimes it happeneth that the loftie and high words on the one side are so profitable and the workes so few and feeble on the other side that one shal be better pleased and delighted with hearing the sweete and curteous wordes of the one then he shall be to be serued with the colde seruice and workes of the other of small profite and value Plutarche also in his booke De animalibus telleth vs that Denis the Tyrant beeing one day at the Table reasoning of diuers and sundrie matters with Chrysippus the Phylosopher it chaunced that as hee was at dinner one brought him a present of certaine Sugar-cakes wherefore Chrysippus ceasing his former discourse fell to perswade Denis to fall to his cakes To whome Denis aunswered on with your matter Chrysippus and leaue not off so For my heart is better contented with thy sweete and sugred wordes then my Tongue is pleased with the delicate taste of these mountain-cakes For as thou knowest these cakes are heauie of digestion and doe greatly annoy the stomack but good workes doe meruellously reioyce and comfort the heart For this cause Alexander the great had the poet Homer in greater veneration beeing dead then all the other that were aliue in his time not for that Homer euer did him seruice or that hee knew him but onely because of his learned Bookes hee wrote and compiled and for the graue sentences he found therein And therefore he bare about him in the day time the booke of the famous deedes of Troy called the Illyades hanged at his neck within his bosome and in the night hee layde it vnder his bolster at his beds-head where hee slept In recompence therefore Syr of the many good turnes I haue receyued at your hands I was also willing to compyle and dedicate this my little Treatise to you the which I present you with all my desires my studyes my watches my sweatte and my troubles holding my selfe fully satisfyed for all the paines I haue taken so that this my simple trauell be gratefull vnto you to whom I offer it and to the publike weale profitable Being well assured if it please you to trust me and credite my wryting you shall manifestly know how freely I spake to you and like a friend and not deceyue you as a flatterer For if the beloued and Fauourites of Princes chaunce to bee cast out of fauour it is because euery man flattereth him and seeketh to please him and no man goeth about to tell him trueth nor that that is for his honour and fittest for him Salust in his booke of the warres of Iugurtha sayth that the high heroycall facts and deedes were of no lesse glorie to the Hystoriographers that wrote them then they were to the captaine that did them For it happeneth many times that the Captaine dying in the battell hee hath wonne liueth afterwardes notwithstanding by the Fame of his noble attempt And this proceedeth not only of the valiant deeds of Arms he was seene doe but also for that wee read of him in worthy Authors which haue written thereof Wee may well say therefore touching this matter that as well may wee take him for a true friend that giueth good counsell as hee which doeth vs great pleasure and seruice For according to the opinion of the good Emperor Marcus Aurelius who who saide to his Secretarie Panutius that a man with one pay may make full satisfaction and recompence of many pleasures and good turns shewed but to requite a good counsell diuers thankes and infinite seruices are requisite If we
from Spaine and to treate of accord of peace When hee came to Rome he proued before the Senate that sith hee entred into Italy he had bin ten times robbed of his goods and whiles he was at Rome he had seene one of them that robbed him hang vpanother that had defended him Hee seing so euill a deed and how the theefe was saued without iustice as a desperate man tooke a cole and wrote vpon the gybet as followeth O gybet thou art planted among theeues nourished among theeues squared of theeues wrought of theeues and hanged full of Innocents with innocents The originall of these wordes are in the history of Liuius where the whole Decade was written with blacke inke and these words with redde vermelion I cannot tell what other newes I should send thee but that euery thing is so new and so tender and it ioyned with so euill sement that I feare mee all will fall suddenly to the ground I tell thee that some are suddenly risen within Rome vnto honour whose fal I dare rather assure then life For all buildinges hastily made cannot bee sure The longer a tree is kept in his kinde the longer it will bee ere it bee olde The trees whose fruite wee eate in Summer doe warme vs in Winter Oh how many haue wee seene wherof we haue maruelled of their rising and beene abashed at their falles They haue growne as a whole peece and suddenly wasted as a skumme Their felicity hath beene but a short moment and their infortune as a long life Finally they haue made a mille and layde on the stones of increase and after a little grinding left it vnoccupied all the yeare after Thou knowest well my friend Catullus that wee haue seene Cincius Fuluius in one yeare made Consull and his children Tribunes his wife a Matrone for young maydens and besides that made keeper of the Capitoll and after that not in one yeare but the same day we saw Cincius beheaded in the place his children drowned in Tiber his Wife banished from Rome his house razed down to the ground and all his goods confiscated to the common Treasury This rigorous example wee haue not read in any booke to take a copie of it but wee haue seene it with our eyes to keepe it in our minds As the Nations of people are variable so are the conditions of men diuers And mee thinketh this is true seeing that some loue some hate and that some seeke some eschew and that some set little by other make much store In such wise that all cannot bee content with one thing nor some with all things cannot be satisfied Let euery man chuse as him list embrace the world when hee will I had rather mount a soft pace to the falling and if I cannot come thereto I will abide by the way rather then with the sweat to mount hastily and then to tumble downe headlong In this case sith mens hearts vnderstand it we neede not to write further with pennes And of this matter marke not the little that I doe say but the great deale that I will say And sith I haue begunne and that thou art in strange lands I will write thee all the newes from hence This yeare the 25. day of May there came an Ambassadour out of Asia saying hee was of the Isle of Cetin a Baron right proper of body ruddy of aspect and hardy of courage Hee considered being at Rome thogh the Summers dayes were long yet Winter would draw on and then would it bee daungerous sayling into this isle and saw that his busines was not dispatched On a day beeing at the gate of the Senate seeing all the Senators enter into the Capitoll without any armour vpon them he as a man of good spirite and zelator of his Country in the presence of vs all sayd these words O Fathers Conscript O happie people I am come from a straunge countrey to Rome only to see Rome and I haue found Rome without Rome The walles wherewith it is inclosed hath not brought mee hither but the fame of them that gouerne it I am not come to see the Treasury wherein is the treasure of all Realmes but I am come to see the sacred Senat out of the which issueth counsell for al men I came not to see it because yee vanquish other but because I thought you more vertuous then all other I dare well say one thing except the gods make me blinde and trouble my vnderstanding yee bee not Romanes of Rome nor this is not Rome of the Romanes your predecessors Wee haue heard in our Isle that diuers realmes haue beene wonne by the valiantnes of one and conserued by the wisedome of all the Senate and at this houre you are more likely to lose then to winne as your Fathers did Al their exercise was in goodnes and yee that are their children passe all your time in Ceremonies I say this yee Romanes because you haue almost killed me with laughing at you to see how you doe all as much your diligence to leaue your armour without the gate of the Senate as your predecessors did take to them to defend the Empire What profite is it to you to leaue off these Armours which hurt the bodies and to put on them those which kill all the World What profiteth it to the carefull Suiter that the Senator entreth vnarmed into the Senat without sword or dagger and his hart entreth into the Senate armed with malice O Romanes I will that you know that in our Isle wee esteeme you not as armed Captaines but as malitious Senators You feare vs not with sharpe golden swords and daggers but with hard hearts and venemous tongues If yee should in the Senate put on harnesse and therewith take away our liues it were but a smal losse seing that you sustaine not the Innocents nor dispatch not the businesse of suiters I cannot suffer it I cannot tell in what state yee stand here at Rome for in our Isle we take armour from fooles whether your Armours are taken away as from fooles or mad folks I know not if it bee done for ambitiousnesse it commeth not of Romanes but of Tirants that wranglers and irefull folke should be iudges ouer the peaceable and the ambitious ouer the meeke the malitious ouer the simple if it be done because you are fooles it is not in the Lawes of the gods that three hundred fooles should gouerne three hundred thousand wise men It is a long season that I haue tarried for mine answere and licence and by your delayes I am now further off then I was the first day Wee bring oyle honey saffron wood and timber salte siluer and solde out of our Isle into Rome and yee will that wee goe else where for to seeke iustice Yee will haue one Law to gather your rents and another to determine your iustice yee will that wee pay our tributes in one day and yee will not discharge one of our errands in a
child-bearing Whether doest thou desire to goe put thy selfe then in a barrell and cast it into the Riuer so shalt thou become pure and white Wee haue eaten the fresh fish and now thou wouldest bring hither the stinking salt fish O Boemia Boemia in this case I see no trust in youth nor hope in age For vnder this thy hored age there is hid the pangues of frayle youth Thou complainest that thou hast nothing it is an old quarrel of the auncient amorous Ladyes in Rome that taking all thinges they say they haue left them nothing The cause thereofis where you do lacke credite there you would haue it accomplished with money Beleeue me louing friend the foolish estate of vnlawfull gaming both giueth an vnsure estate and also an euill fame to the person I know not how thou art so wastfull for if I pulled off my rings with the one hand thou pickedst my purse with the other greater wars haddest thou then with my Coffers then I haue now with my enemies I neuer had iewell but thou demaundedst it of mee and thou neuer askedst mee thing that I denyed thee I finde and bewaile now in my age the high parts of my youth Of trauell pouerty thou complainest I am hee that hath great neede of the medicine for this opilation and playsters for the sonne and colde water for such a burning feuer Doest thou not well remember how I did banish my necessity into the land of forgetfulnesse and placed thy good wil for the request of my seruice in the winter I went naked and in the sommer loaded with clothes In the mire I went on foot and rode in the fayre way When I was sad I laught when I was glad I wept Being afraid I drew out my strength and out of strength cowardnes The night with sighes and dayes in wayling I consumed When thou haddest neede of any thing I robbed my father for it Tell mee Boemia with whom diddest thou sulfill thine open follyes but with the misorders that I did in secret Thinke you what I thinke of the amorous Ladies in Rome that yee be mothes in olde garments a pastime for light persons a treasure of fooles and the sepulchres of vices This that seemeth to mee is that in thy youth euery man gaue to thee for that thou shouldest giue to euery one now thou giuest thy selfe to euery man because euery one should giue them to thee Thou tellest mee that thou hast two sonnes and lackest helpe for them Giue thanks to the gods for the mercy they shewed thee To xv Children of Fabritius my neighbour they gaue but one Father and to thine onely two sonnes they haue giuen fifteene Fathers Wherefore diuide them to their Fathers and euery one shall bee well prouided for Lucia thy daughter indeed and mine by suspect remember that I haue done more in marrying of her then thou diddest in bringing her forth For in the getting of her thou calledst many but to marry her I did it alone Verie little I write thee in respect of that I would write Butrio Cornely hath spoken much to mee on thy behalfe and hee shall say as much to thee on my part It is long agoe sithence I knew thy impatience I know well thou wilt sende mee another more malitious I pray thee since I write to thee in secrete discouer mee not openly and when thou readest this remember what occasion thou hast giuen me to write thus Although wee bee fallen out yet I will send thee money I send thee a gowne and the Gods bee with thee Boemia and send mee from this war with peace Marke Pretour in Daeia to Boemia his Louer and ancient friend in Rome CHAP. IX The aunswere of Boemia to the Emperour Marcus Aurelius wherein is expressed the great malice and litle patience of an euill woman BOemia thy auncient Louer to thee Mark of Mount Celio her naturall enemie desireth vengeance of thy person and euill fortune during thy life I haue receyued thy letter and thereby perceyue thy spitefull intents and thy cruell malices Such naughty persons as thou art haue this priuiledge that sith one doth suffer your villanies in secret you will hurt them openly but thou shalt not doe so with mee Marke Althogh I am not treasuresse of thy good yet at the least I am of thy naughtinesse All that I cannot reuenge with my person I will not spare to doe it with my tongue And though we women for weakenesse sake are easily ouercome in person yet know thou that our hearts are inuincible Thou sayest escaping from a battell thou receyuedst my Letter wherof thou wast sore agast It is a common thing to them that be slothful to speak of loue for fooles to treate of bookes and for Cowards to blaze of Armes I say it because the aunswere of a Letter was not needfull to rehearse to a woman whether it was before the battell or after I thinke well thou hast escaped it for thou wert not the first that fought nor the last that fled I neuer saw thee goe to the iwarre in thy youth that euer I was fearefull of thy life for knowing thy cowardlinesse I neuer tooke care for thy absence I alwayes iudged thy person safe Then tell mee Marke what doest thou now in thy age I thinke thou carriest thy lance not to serue thy turne in thy warre but to leane on when the gout taketh thee The head-peece I iudge thou hast not to defend thee from the strokes of swords but to drinke withall in tauernes I neuer saw thee strike any man with thy sword but I haue seene thee kill a thousand women with thy tong O malitious Marke if thou wert as valiant as thou art spitefull thou shouldest be no lesse feared among the barbarous nations then thou art abhorred with good reason amongst the Romanes Tell me what thou list but thou canst not deny but both thou hast beene and art a slacke louer a cowardly knight an vnknown friend auaricious infamed an enemy to all men and friend to none Moreouer wee knew thee a light young man condemne thee now for an olde doting foole Thou sayest that taking my letter into thy hands forthwith thy heart receyued the hearbe of malice I beleeue thee well vnsworne for any thing touching malice dooth straight finde harbour in thy brest the beasts corrupted do take poysō which the sound and of good complexion refufeth Of one thing I am sure thou shalt not dye of poyson For seldom times one poyson hurteth another but it driueth out the other O malicious Marke if all they in Rome knew thee as well as the vnhappy Boemia doth they should see how much the wordes that thou speakest differ from the intention of thy hart And as by the bookes thou makest thou meritest the name of a Philosopher euen so for the ilnesse thou inuentest thou doest deserue the name of a Tirant Thou sayest thou neuer sawest constancy in a Womans loue nor end in
doth not weigh vs as we are but as wee desire to bee And let no man say I would and cānot be good for as wee haue the audacitie to commit a faulte so if we list wee may enforce our selues to worke amendes All our vndoing proceedeth of this that wee outwardly make a shewe of vertue but inwardly in the deede wee employ our whole power to vice which is an abuse wherewith all the world is corrupted and deceiued For Heauen is not furnished but with good deedes and hell is not replenished but with Euill-desires I graunt that neyther man nor beast desireth to die but all trauell to the ende they may liue But I aske now this question What doth it auayle a man to desire his life to be prolonged if the same be wicked vngodly and defamed The man that is high-minded proude vnconstant cruell disdainfull enuious full of hatred angry malicious full of wrath couetous a Lyer a Gluton a Blasphemer and in all his doings disordred Why will wee suffer him in the world The life of a poor man that for need stealeth a gowne or any other small trifle is forthwith taken away Why then is hee that disturbeth the whole Common-wealth left aliue Oh would to GOD there were no greater theeues in the world thē those which robbe the temporall goods of the Rich and that wee did not winke continually at them which take away the good renowne as well of the Rich as of the Poore But wee chastise the one and dissemble with the other which is euidently seene how the theefe that stealeth my neighbours gown is hanged forthwith but hee that robbeth mee of my good-name walketh still before my doore The diuine Plato in the first booke of laws saide We ordaine and commaund that hee which vseth not himselfe honestly and hath not his house well-reformed his Riches well gouerned his family well instructed and liueth not in peace with his neighbors that vnto him bee assigned Tutours which shall gouerne him as a Foole and as a vacabonde shall he be expulsed from the people to the intent the common-wealth be not through him infected For there neuer riseth contention or strife in a commonwealth but by such men as are alwayes out of order Truely the diuine Plato had great reason in his sayings for the man that is vicious in his person and doth not trauell in things touching his House nor keepeth his Familie in good order nor liueth quietly in the Commonwealth deserueth to be banished and driuen out of the countrey Truely we see in diuers places mad men tyed and bound fast which if they were at libertie would not doe so much harme as those doe that daylie walke the streetes at their owne willes and sensualitie There is not at this day so great or noble a Lord nor Ladie so delicate but had rather suffer a blow on the head with a stone then a blot in their good-Name with an euilltongue For the wound of the head in a month or two may well bee healed but the blemish of their good-name during life will neuer be remoued Laertius sayth in his booke of the liues of Phylosophers that Dyogenes being asked of one of his neighbours what they were that ordayned theyr Lawes Aunswered in this wise Thou shalt vnderstand my friend that the earnest whole desire of our Fore-fathers and all the intentions of the phylosophers was only to instruct them in their Common-wealth how they ought to speake how to be occupyed how to eate how to sleepe how to treat how to apparrel how to trauell and how to rest And in this consisteth all the wealth of worldly wisedome In deede this Phylosopher in his aunswer touched an excellent point For the Law was made to none other end but only to brydle him that liueth without Reason or Law To men that will liue in rest and without trouble in this life it is requisite and necessarie that they chuse to themselues some kinde and manner of Liuing whereby they may maintaine their house in good-order and conforme their liues vnto the same That estate ought not to be as the folly of the person doth desire nor as may bee most pleasant to the delights of the bodie but as reason teacheth them and God commaundeth them for the surer saluation of theyr soules For the Children of vanitie embrace that onely which the sensuall appetite desireth and reiect that which Reason commaundeth Since the time that Trees were created they alwayes remaining in their first nature vntill this present day doe beare the same leafe and fruite which things are plainly seen in this that the Palme beareth Dates the Fig-tree figs the Nut-tree Nuttes the Peare-tree Peares the Apple-tree Apples the Chestnut-tree chest-nuts the Oke Acornes and to conclude I say all things haue kept their first nature saue onely the Sinnefull-Man which hath fallen by malice The Planettes the Starres the Heauens the Water the Earth the Ayre and the Fire the brute beasts and the Fishes all continue in the same estate wherein they were first created not complaining nor enuying the one the other Man complaineth continually hee is neuer satisfyed and alwayes coueteth to chaunge his estate For the shepheard would be a Husbandman the husbandman a Sqiure the Squire a Knight the Knight a King the King an Emperour c. Therefore I say that fewe is the number of them that seeke amendment of life but infinite are they that trauell to better their estate and to increase their goods The decay of the Common-wealth at this present through all the world is that the drye and withered Okes which haue been nourished vpon the sharpe mountains would now seeme to be daintie Date-trees cherished in the pleasant gardains I meane that those which yesterday could haue bin pleasant with drye Acornes in a poore cottage at home at this day will not eate but of delicate Dishes in other mens houses abrode What estate men ought to take vpon them to keepe their conscience pure and to haue more rest in theyr life a man cannot easily describe For ther is no state in the Church of God but men may therin if they will serue God and profite themselues For there is no kinde of life in the world but the wicked if they perseuer and continue therein may slaunder their persons and also lose their soules Plinie in an Epistle that hee wrote to Fabatus his friend saith There is nothing among mortall men more common and daungerous then to giue place to vaine imaginations wherby a man beleeueth the estate of one to bee much better then the estate of another And hereof it proceedeth that the World doeth blinde men so that they will rather seeke that which is an other mans by trauell and daunger then to enioy their owne with quiet and rest I say the state of Princes is good if they abuse it not I say the state of the people is good if they behaue themselues obediently I say
farre and how great is the difference betweene the estate of Phylosophers and the state of Captaines betweene the skyll to reade in Schooles and the knowledge to rule an Armey betweene the science that wise men haue in bookes and the experience that the others haue in warre betweene their skill to write with the penne and ours to fight with the Sword betweene one that for his pastime is set round with deskes of bookes and an other in perill of life encompassed with troups of Enemyes For many there are which with great eloquence in blazing deeds don in warres can vse their tongues but fewe are those that at the brunte haue hearts to aduenture their liues This Phylosopher neuer saw man of war in the field neeer saw one Armey of men discomfited by an other neuer heard the terrible Trumpet sound to the horrible cruel slaughter of men neuer saw the Treasons of some nor vnderstood the cowardnes of others neuer saw how few they be that fight nor how many ther are that run away Finally I say as it is seemly for a Phylosopher and a learned man to praise the profite of peace Euen so it is in his mouth a thing vncomely to prate of the perills ' of warre If this Phylosopher hath seene no one thing with his Eyes that hee hath spoken but onely read them in sundry bookes let him recount them to such as haue neyther seene nor read them For warlike feates are better learned in the bloudy fields of Affricke then in the beautifull schooles of Greece Thou knowest right well king Antiochus that for the space of thirty and sixe yeares I had continuall and daungerous warres as well in Italie as in Spayne In which Fortune did not fauour mee as is alwayes her manner to vse those which by great stoutnesse and manhood enterprise things high and of much difficultie a witnesse whereof thou seest mee here who before my beard beganne to growe was serued and now it is hoare I my selfe beginne to serue I sweare vnto thee by the God Mars king Antiochus that if any man did aske mee how hee should vse and behaue himselfe in warre I would not aunswer him one word For they are things which are learned by Experience of deedes and not by prating in words Although Princes beginne warres by justice and followe them with wisedome yet the ende standeth vppon fickle Fortune and not of force nor pollicie Diuerse and sundrie other things Hannibal sayde vnto king Antiochus who so bee desirous to see let him reade in the Apothegmes of Plutarche This example Noble Prince tendeth rather to this end to condemne my boldnesse and not to commend my enterprise saying that the affayres of the common wealth bee as vnknowne to mee as the dangers of the warres were to Phormio Your Maiestie may iustly say vnto me that I being a poor simple man brought vp a great while in a rude Countrey doe greatly presume to describe how so puissant a Prince as your Highnes ought to gouerne himselfe and his Realme For of truth the more ignorant a man is of the troubles and alterations of the world the better he shall be counted in the sight of God The estate of Princes is to haue great traines about them and the estate of religious men is to bee solitary for the seruant of God ought to be alwaies void from vaine thoughts to be euer accompanied with holy meditations The estate of Princes is alwayes vnquiet but the state of the religious is to bee enclosed For otherwise he aboue all others may be called an Apostata That hath his body in the Cell and his heart in the market place To Princes it is necessary to commune and speake with all men but for the religious it is not decent to be cōuersant with the world For solitary men if they do as they ought should occupy their hands in trauel their bodies in fasting their tongue in prayer and their heart in contemplation The estate of Princes for the most part is employed to war but the estate of religious is to desire procure peace For if the Prince would study to passe his bounds and by battell to shed the bloud of his enemies the religious ought to shed teares and pray to God for his sinnes O that it pleased Almighty God as I know what my bounden duty is in my heart so that hee would giue me grace to accomplish the same in my deedes Alas when I ponder with my selfe the weightines of my matter my Pen through slouth and negligence is readie to fall out of my hand and I halfe minded to leaue off mine enterprize My intent is to speake against my selfe in this case For albeit men may know the affaires of Princes by experience yet they shall not know how to speake nor write them but by science Those which ought to counsell princes those which ought to reforme the life of princes and that ought to instruct them ought to haue a cleare iudgement an vpright minde their words aduisedly considered their doctrine wholesome and their life without suspition For who so wil speake of high things hauing no experience of them is like vnto a blinde man that would leade and teach him the way which seeth better then hee himselfe This is the sentence of Xenophon the great which saieth There is nothing harder in this life then to know a wise man And the reason which hee gaue was this That a wise man cannot bee knowne but by another wise man wee may gather by this which Xenophon sayeth That as one wise man cannot be knowne but by another wise man so likewise it is requisite that he should be or haue bin a Prince which should write of the life of a Prince For hee that hath bin a marriner and hath sailed but one yeare on the Sea shall bee able to giue better counsell and aduise then he that hath dwelled ten yeares in the hauen Xenophon wrote a booke touching the institution of princes bringeth in Cambyses the king how hee taught and spake vnto king Cyrus his sonne And he wrote an other book likewise of the Arte of Chiualry and brought in king Philip how he ought to teach his sonne Alexander to fight For the philosophers thought that writing of no authoritie that was not entituled and set foorth vnder the Names of those Princes who had experience of that they wrote Oh if an aged Prince would with his penne if not with word of mouth declare what misfortunes haue happened since the first time hee beganne to raigne how disobedient his subjects haue bin vnto him what griefes his seruants haue wroght against him what vnkindnesse his Friendes haue shewed him what wiles his enemies haue vsed towards him what daunger his person hath escaped what jarres hath bin in his Pallace what faultes they haue layde against him how manie times they haue deceyued straungers Finally what griefes hee hath had by day and what sorrowfull sighs
whereby the good were fauoured and also institutions of grieuous paines wherewith the wicked were punished Although truely I had rather and it were better that the good should loue reason then feare the law I speake of those which leaue to doe euill workes for feare onely of falling into the punishments appoynted for euill doers For although men approue that which they do for the present yet God condemaeth that which they desire Seneca in an epistle hee wrote vnto his friende Lucille saide these wordes Thou writest vnto mee Lucille that those of Scicile haue carryed a great quantitie of Corne into Spaine and into Affrike the which was forbidden by a Romaine law and therefore they haue deserued most grieuous punishment Now because thou art vertuous Thou mayest teache mee to doe well and I that am olde will teach thee to say well and this is because that amongst wise and vertuous men it is enough to say that the Law commaundeth appoynteth and suffereth this thing but in as much as it is agreeing with reason For the crowne of the good is reason and the scourge of the wicked is the law The fourth thing that commonly through the worlde amongst all men was accepted was the Barbers And let no man take this thing in mockery For if they doe reade Plinie in the 59. chapter and the seuenth booke there they shall finde for a Trueth that in those former times the Romaines were in Rome 454. yeares without eyther powling or shauing the hâ—ires off the bearde of anie man Marcus Varro said that Publius 〈◊〉 was the first that brought the barbers from Scicilie to Rome But admit it were so or otherwise yet notwithstanding there was a great contention among the Romaines For they sayd they thought it a rash thing for a man to commit his life vnto the curtesie of another Dyonisius the Syracusian neuer trusted his Beard with any barbor but when his Daughters were very little they clipped his beard with sisers but after they became great hee would not put his trust in them to trimme his beard but hee himselfe did burne it with the shales of nuttes This Dyonisius Syracusan was demaunded why hee would not trust any Barbours with his beard He aunswered Because I know that there bee some which will giue more to the Barbor to take away my life then I will giue to trimme my beard Plinie in the seuenth booke sayeth that the great Scipio called Affrican and the Emperour Augustus were the first that caused them in Rome to shaue their beards And I thinke the end why Plinie spake these things was to exalt these two Princes which had as great courage to suffer the rasours to touch their throats as the one for to fight against Hanniball in Affricke and the other against Sextus Pompeius in Scicilie The fifte thing which commonly throgh the world was accepted were the Dyalls and clockes which the Romains wanted a long time For as Plinie and Marcus Varro say the Romaines were without clockes in Rome for the space of 595. yeares The curious Hystoriographers declare three manner of dyalls that were in old time that is to say Dyalls of the houres Dyalls of the Sunne and Dyalls of the Water The dyall of the Sunne Aneximenides Millesius inuented who was great Animandraes scholler The dyall of the water Scipio Nasica inuented the dyall of houres one of the Schollers of Thales the phylosopher inuented Now of all these Antiquities which were brought into Rome none of them were so acceptable to the Romaines as the Dyalls were whereby they measured the day by the houre For before they could not say we will rise at seuen of the clocke wee will dine at ten we will see one the other at twelue at one wee will doe that wee ought to doe But before they sayde after the Sunne is vp wee wil doe such a thing and before it goe downe wee will do that wee ought to doe The occasion of declaring vnto you these fiue antiquities in this preamble was to no other entent but to call my Booke the Diall of Princes The name of the Booke beeing new as it is may make the learning that is therin greatly to be esteemed God forbid that I should bee so bolde to say they haue been so long time in Spaine without dayes of learning as they were in Rome without the Diall of the Sunne the water and of the houres For that in Spaine haue beene alwaies men well learned in Sciences and very expert in the warres By great reason and of greater occasion the Princes ought to bee commended the knights the people their wits and the fertility of their Countrey but yet to all these goodnesse I haue seen many vnlearned bookes in Spaine which as broken Dials deserue to bee cast into the fire to bee forged anew I doe not speake it without a cause that many bookes deserue to bee broken and burnt For there are so many that without shame and honesty doe set forth bookes of loue of the world at this day as boldlie as if they taught them to despise and speake euill of the world It is pitty to see how many dayes and nights be consumed in reading vaine bookes that is to say Orson and Valentine the Court of Venus and the foure sonnes of Amon and diuers other vaine bookes by whose doctrine I dare boldly say they passe not the time but in perdition for they learne not how they ought to flye vice but rather what way they may with more pleasure embrace it This Diall of Princes is not of sand nor of the Sunne nor of the houres nor of the water but it is the Diall of Life For the other Dials serue to know what houre it is in the night and what houre it is of the day but this sheweth and teacheth vs how wee ought to occupie our minds and how to order our life The property of other Dials is to order things publike but the Nature of this dyal of Princes is to teach vs how to occupie our selues euerie houre and how to amend our life euery moment It little auaileth to keepe the dyalls well and to see thy Subiects dissolutely without any order to range in routes and dayly rayse debate and contention among themselues The End of the generall Prologue THE AVTHOVRS PROLOGVE SPEAKETH PARTICVLARLIE of the Booke called MARCVS AVRELIVS which he translated and dedicated to the Emperour CHARLES the fift THe greatest vanity that I finde in the world is that vaine men are not onely content to be vaine in their life but also procure to leaue a memory of their vanity after their death For it is so thought good vnto vaine and light men which serue the world in vain works that at the houre of death when they perceyue they can do no more and that they can no longer preuaile they offer themselues vnto death which now they see approch vpon them Many of the World are so fleshed in the World that
shall haue but in small estimation his renowme The Syrians Assyrians the Thebanes the Chaldees the Greekes the Macedonians the Rhodians the Romaines the Hunnes the Germains and the Frenchmen if such Noble-men as amongst these were most famous had not aduentured their liues by such daungerous Enterprizes they had neuer got such immortall fame as they had done to leaue to their posteritie Sextus Cheronensis in his third book of the valiant deedes of the Romaines saith that the famous captaine Marcus Marcellus which was the first of all men that saw the backe of Hannibal in the field was demaunded of one how he durst enter into battell with such a renowmed captaine as Hanniball was To whom he answered Friend I am a Romaine borne and a Captaine of Rome and I must daily put my life in hazard for my Countreys sake for so I shall make perpetuall my renowme Hee was demaunded againe why hee stroke his enemys with such fiercenes and why hee did so pittifully lament those which were ouercome after the victory gotten in battell Hee aunswered the Captaine which is a Romane and is not iudged to bee a tyrant ought with his owne hand to shed the bloud of his enemies and also to shed the teares of his eyes A captaine Romane ought more to aduance him of his clemency then of his bloudy victory And Marcus Aurelius sayeth further when a Romane captaine shall bee in the field hee hath an eye to his enemies with hope to vanquish thē but after they bee vanquished hee ought to remember they are men that he might haue been ouercome For fortune sheweth her selfe in nothing so common as in the successes of warre Certainely these were words well beseeming such a man and surely wee may boldly say that all those which shall heare or reade such things will commend the wordes which that Romane spake but few are they that indeed would haue done the feates that hee did For there be many that are readie to praise in their wordes that which is good but there are fewe that in their workes desire to followe the same Such hearts are vnquiet and much altered by sight and enuie that they bare towardes their Auncients which throgh manfulnes attained vnto great triumphs and glorie let them remember what daungers and trauells they passed through before they came thereto For there was neuer Captaine that euer triumphed in Rome vnlesse hee had first aduentured his life a thousand times in the field I thinke I am not deceiued in this that I will say That is to say all are desirous to taste of the marrow of Fame-present but none will breake the bone for feare of perill ensuing If Honour could bee bought with desire onely I dare boldly say it would bee more esteemed in these dayes of the poore page then it was in times past of the valiaunt Romaine Scipio For there is not at this day so poore a man but would desire honour aboue all things What a dolefull case is this to see many gentlemen and young Knights become euil disposed vagabonds and loyterers the which hearing tel of any famous battell fought that many of their estate profession haue don valiaunt seates in the same immediately therewith be styrred and set on fire through Enuyes heate So that in the same furie they chaunge their robes into armour and with all speede prepare themselues to warre to exercise the feates of armes And finally like young men without experience make importunate suite and obtain licence and money of their Friends to go vnto the warres But after that they are once out of their Countreys and see themselues in a straunge place their dayes euill and their nights worse At one time they are commaunded to Skyrmishe and at an other time to watch when they haue victualls they want lodging and when the pay day commeth that pay and the next also is eaten and spent With these and other like troubles and discommodities the poore young men are so astonyed especially when they call to minde the goodly wide Hawles so well hanged and trimmed wherein they greatly delighted to passe the time in Summer-season When they remember their great chimneys at home wherby they comforted their old limmes and how they vsed to sit quietly vppon the Sunnie bankes in winter For the remembrance of pleasures past greatly augmenteth the paines present Notwithstanding their Parents and friends had admonished them therof before And now being beaten with their owne follie and feeling these discommodities which they thought not of before they determine to forsake the warres and eache one to returne home vnto his owne againe But where as they asked licence but once to goe forth now they were enforced to aske it ten times before they could come home And the worst is they went forth loden with money returne home loden with vices But the end why these things are spoken is that sage and vertuous men should marke by what trade the euill disposed seeke to gaine which is not gotten by gasing on the windowes but by keeping the frontiers against their enemies not with playing at Tables in the Tauernes but with fighting in the fieldes not trimmed with cloath of gold or silkes but loden with armour and weapons not praunsing their palfreyes but discouering the ambushment not sleeping vntill noon but watching all night not by aduancing him of his apparrell and handsomnesse but for his stout couragiousnes not banqueting his friends but assaulting his enemies though a knight do these things yet he ought to consider that it is vanitie and foolishnesse But seeing the world hath placed honour in such a vaine thing and that they can attaine to it by none other was the young aduenturous Gentlemen ought to employ therunto their strength with stout courage to atchieue to some great acts worthy of renowne For in the end when the warre is iustly begunne and that in defence of their Countrey they ought to reioyce more of him that dyeth in the hands of his enemies then of him which liueth accompanied with vices It is a great shame and dishonour to men of Armes and young Gentelmen being at home to heare the prayse of them which bee in the wars for the young Gentlemen ought not to thinke it honour for him to heare or declare the newes of others but that others should declare the vertuous deedes of him Oh how many are they in the world this day puffed vp with pride and not very wise which still prate of great renowne and yet passe their life with small honesty For our predecessors fought in the field with their lances but young men now a dayes fight at the table with their tongues Admit that all vaine men desire and procure to leaue a memory of their vanitie yet they ought to enterprise such things in their life wherby they might winne a famous renowne and not a perpetuall shame after their death For there are many departed which haue left such memory of their
works as moueth vs rather to pitty their follie then to enuie their vertue I aske of those that reade or heare this thing if they will be in loue with Nembroth the first Tyrant with Semiramis which sinned with her owne sonne with Antenor that betrayed Troy his countrey with Medea that slew her children with Tarquine that enforced Lucretia with Brutus that slew Caesar with Sylla that shed so much bloud with Catilina that played the Tyrant in his countrey with Iugurtha that strangled his brethren with Caligula that committed incest with his sisters with Nero that killed his mother with Heliogabalus that robbed the Temples with Domitian that in nothing delighted so much as by straunge handes to put men to death and to driue away flyes with his owne hands Small is the number of those that I haue spoken in respect of those which I could recite of whom I dare say and affirme that if I had beene as they I cannot tell what I would haue done or what I should haue desired but this I know it would haue beene more paines to mee to haue wonne that infamie which they haue wonne then to haue loste the life which they haue lost It profiteth him little to haue his Ponds full of fish and his parkes full of Deere which knoweth neyther how to hunt nor how to fish I meane to shewe by this that it profiteth a man little to be in great auctoritie if hee be not esteemed nor honoured in the same For to attaine to honour wisedome is requisite and to keepe it patience is necessarie With great considerations wise men ought to enterprise daungerous things For I assure them they shall neuer winne honour but where they vse to recouer slander Returning therefore to our matter puissant Prince I sweare and durst vndertake that you rather desire perpetuall renowme through death then any idle rest in this life And hereof I doe not maruell for there are some that shall alwayes declare the prowesses of good Princes and others which will not spare to open the vices of euill tyrants For althogh your Imperial estate is much and your Catholike person deserueth more yet I beleeue with my heart and see with these eyes that your thoughts are so highly bent vnto aduenturous deedes and your heart so couragious to set vpon them that your Maiesty little esteemeth the inheritance of your predecessors in respect of that you hope to gaine to leaue to your successors A Captaine asked Iulius Caesar as he declareth in his Commentaries why he trauelled in the Winter in so hard frost and in the summer in such extreame heate Hee aunswered I will doe what lyeth in mee to doe and afterward let the fatall destinies doe what they can For the valiant knight that giueth in battel the onset ought more to bee esteemed then fickle fortune whereby the victory is obtained since fortune giueth the one and aduentur guideth the other These words are spoken like a stout and valiant Captaine of Rome Of how many Princes doe we reade whom truely I much lament to see what flatteries they haue heard with their eares being aliue and to reade what slaunders they haue sustained after their death Princes and greate Lordes should haue more regard to that which is spoken in their absence then to that which is done in their presence not to that which they heare but to that which they would not heare not to that which they tell them but to that which they would not bee told of not to that which is written vnto them beeing aliue but to that which is written of them after their death not to those that tell them lyes but to those which if they durst would tell them truth For men many times refrayne not their tongues for that Subiects bee not credited but because the Prince in his authority is suspected The Noble and vertuous Prince should not flitte from the truth wherof hee is certified neyther with flatteries and lyes should he suffer himselfe to bee deceyued but to examine himselfe and see whether they serue him with truth or deceyue him with lyes For there is no better witnes and iudge of truth and lyes then is a mans owne conscience I haue spoken all this to the entent your Maiesty might know that I will not serue you with that you should not bee serued That is for to shew my selfe in my Writing a flatterer For it were neyther meete nor honest that flatteries into the eares of such a noble Prince should enter neyther that out of my mouth which teach the truth such vaine tales should issue I say I had rather bee dispraysed for true speaking then to bee honoured for flattery and lying For of truth in your Highnesse it should bee much lightnesse for to heare them and in my basenesse great wickednesse to inuent them Now againe following our purpose I say the Histories greatly doe commend Lycurgus that gaue lawes to the Lacedemonians Numa Pompilius that honoured and addorned the Churches Marcus Marcellus that had pitty and compassion on those which were ouercome Iulius Caesar that forgaue his enemies Octautus that was so welbeloued of the people Alexander that gaue rewardes and gifts to all men Hector the Troian became hee was so valiant in wars Hercules the Thebane because hee employed his strength so well Vlisses the Grecian because hee aduentured himselfe in so many dangers Pyrrhus king of Epirotes because hee inuented so many engines Catullns Regulus because he suffred so many torments Titus the Emperour because he was father to the Orphanes Traianus because he edified sumptuous goodly buildings The good Marcus Aurelius because he knew more then al they I doe not say that it is requisit for one Prince in these dayes to haue in him all those qualities but I dare be bolde for to affirme this that euen as it is vnpossible for one Prince to follow all so likewise it is a great slaunder for him to follow none Wee doe not require Princes to doe all that they can but for to apply themselues to do som thing that they ought And I speake not without a cause that which I haue sayde before For if Princes did occupie themselues as they ought to doe they should haue no time to be vicious Plinie sayeth in an Epistle that the great Cato called Censor did weare a Ring vpon his finger wherein was written these words Esto amicus vnius inimicus nullius which is be friend to one and enemy to none He that would deepely consider these few words shall finde therein many graue sentences And to apply this to my purpose I say the Prince that would well gouerne his common weale shew to all equall iustice desire to possesse a quiet life to get among all a good fame and that coueteth to leaue of himselfe a perpetuall memorie ought to embrace the vertues of one and to reiect the vices of all I allow it very wel that Princes should bee equall
much as I might nor studyed so much as I ought yet notwithstanding all that I haue read hath not caused me to muse so much as the doctrine of Marcus Aurelius hath sith that in the mouth of an heathen God hath put such a great treasure The greatest part of all his works were in Greeke yet hee wrote also many in Latine I haue drawn this out of Greeke through the helpe of my friends and afterwards out of latine into our vulgar toung by the trauell of my hands Let all men iudge what I haue suffered in drawing it out of Greeke into Latine out of the Latine into the vulgar and out of a plaine vulgar into a sweete and pleasant Stile For that banquet is not counted sumptuous vnlesse there be both pleasant meates and sauoury sauces To call sentences to minde to place the wordes to examine languages to correct sillables What swet I haue suffered in the hote summer what bitter colde in the sharpe winter what abstinence from meats when I desired for to eate what watching in the night when I would haue slept What cares I haue suffered in stead of rest that I might haue enioyed Let other proue if mee they will not credit The intention of my painefull trauels I offer vnto the diuine Maiesty vpon my knees and to your Highnesse most Noble Prince I present this my worke and do most humbly beseech the omnipotent and eternall GOD that the Doctrine of this Booke may bee as profitable vnto you and to the common wealth in your Life as it hath beene vnto me tedious and hinderance to my health I haue thought it very good to offer to your Maiestie the effect of my labours though you peraduenture will little regarde my paines for the requiring of my travell and rewarde of my good will I require nought else of your Highnesse but that the rudenesse of my vnderstanding the basenesse of my Stile the smalnesse of my eloquence the euill order of my sentences the vanity of my words bee no occasion why so excellent and goodly worke should bee little regarded For it is not reason that a good Horse should bee the lesse esteemed for that the Rider knoweth not how to make him runne his carrere I haue done what I could doe do you now that you ought to doe in giuing to this present worke grauity and to mee the Interpretor thereof authority I say no more but humbly doe beseech God to maintaine your estimation and power in earth and that you may afterward enioy the fruition of his Diuine presence in Heauen The End of the Authors Prologue THE ARGVMENT OF THE BOOKE CALled THE DIALL OF PRINCES Wherein the Authour declareth his Intention and manner of proceeding ARchimenedes the great and famous Philosopher to whom Marcus Marcellus for his knowledge sake granted life and after vsing Nigromancy deserued death being demanded what time was sayde That Time was the inuentor of all nouelies and a Register certaine of Antiquities which seeth of it selfe the beginning the middest the ending of all things And finally time is he that endeth all No man can deny but the definition of this Philosopher is true for if Time could speake he would certifie vs of sundry things wherin we doubt and declare them as a witnes of sight Admit all things perish and haue an end yet one thing is exempted and neuer hath end which is truth that amongst all things is priuiledged in such wise that shee triumpheth of time and not time of her For according to the diuine saying It shal bee more easie to see heauen and earth fall then once truth to perish There is nothing so entier but may bee diminished nothing so healthfull but may bee diseased nothing so strong but may bee broken neyther any thing so wel kept but may be corrupted And finally I say There is nothing but by time is ruled gouerned saue onely truth which is subiect to none The fruits of the Spring time haue no force to giue sustenance nor perfect sweetnesse to giue any fauour but after that the Summer is past and haruest commeth they ripe and then all that wee e ate nourisheth more giueth a better taste I meane by this when the world began to haue wise men the more Philosophers were esteemed for their good manners the more they deserued to bee reproued for their euill vnderstanding Plato in his second booke of the Common-wealth sayde That the auncient Philosophers as well Greekes as Egyptians and Caldees which first began to behold the starres of heauen and ascended to the toppe of the mount Olimpus to view the influences and motions of the Planets of the earth deserued rather pardon of their ignorance then prayse for theyr knowledge Plato sayde further that the Philosophers which were before vs were the first that gaue themselus to search out the truth of the Elements in the Heauen and the first which sowed errors in thinges naturall of the earth Homer in his Ilyades agreeing with Plato saieth I condemne all that the auncient phylosophers knewe but I greatly commend them for that they desired to know Certes Homer saide well and Plato saide not amisse for if amongst the first Phylosophers this ignorance had not raigned there had not beene such contrary Sects in euery Schoole He that hath read not the books which are lost but the opinions which the auncient Phylosophers had will graunt mee though the knowledge were one yet their sects were diuerse that is to say Cinici Stoyci Academici Platonici and Epicurei which were as variable the one from the other in their opinions as they were repugnant in their conditions I will not neither reason requireth that my Pen should bee so dismeasured as to reprooue those which are dead for to giue the glory all onely to them that are aliue For the one of them knew not all neyther were the other ignorant of all If hee deserue thanks that sheweth mee the way whereby I ought to goe no lesse then meriteth hee which warneth mee of that place wherein wee may erre The ignorance of our fore-Fathers was but a guide to keepe vs from erring for the errour of them shewed vs the Trueth to their much praise and to our great shame Therefore I dare boldly say If wee that are now had been then wee had knowne lesse then they knewe And if those were now which were then they would haue knowne more then we know And that this is true it appeareth well for that the auncient Phylosophers through the great desire they had to knowe the Truth of small and large wayes the which wee now will not see nor yet walke therein Wherefore wee haue not so much cause to be wayle their ignoraunce as they had reason to complaine of our negligence For truth which is as Aulus Gellius saith the daughter of Time hath reuealed vnto vs the errours which wee ought to eschewe and the true doctrines which wee ought to follow
What is there to see but hath bin seene what to discouer but hath bin discouered what is there to read but hath bin read what to write but hath bin written what is there to knowe but hath bin knowne Now-adayes humaine malice is so experte men so well able and our wittes so subtill that wee want nothing to vnderstand neyther good nor euill And wee vndoe ourselues by seeking that vaine knowledge which is not necessary for our life No man vnder the pretence of ignoraunce can excuse his fault since all men know all men reade and all men learne that which is euident â—n this case as it shall appeare Suppose the Plough-man and the Learned-man do goe to the Law and you shall perceyue the Labourer vnder that simple garment to forge to his Counsellour halfe a dozen of malitious trickes to delude his aduersarie as finely as the other that is learned shall bee able to expound two or three Chapters of this booke If men would employ their knowledge to honesty wisedome patience and mercy it were well but I am sorry they know so much onely for that they subtilly deceiue and by vsury abuse their neighbours and keepe that they haue vniustly gotten and dayly getting more inuenting new trades Finally I say if they haue any knowledge it is not to amend their life but rather to encrease their goods If the deuil could sleep as meÌ„ do he might safely sleepe for whereas he waketh to deceyue vs wee wake to vndo our selues Well suppose that all this heretofore I haue sayde is true Let vs now leaue aside craft and take in hand knowledge The knowledge which we attaine to is small and that which wee should attain to so great that all that wee know is the least part of that wee are ignorant Euen as in things naturall the Elements haue their operations according to the varietie of time so morall Doctrines as the aged haue succeeded and sciences were discouered Truly all fruites come not together but when one fayleth another commeth in season I meane that neyther all the Doctors among the Christians nor all the Philosophers among the Gentiles were concurrant at one time but after the death of one good there came another better The chiefe wisdome which measured all thinges by iustice and dispearseth them according to his bounty will not that at one time they should bee all Wisemen and at another time all simple For it had not beene reason that one should haue had the fruit and the other the leaues The old world that ranne in Saturnes dayes otherwise called the golden world was of a truth much esteemed of them that saw it and greatlie commended of them that wrote of it That is to say it was not guided by the Sages which did guild it but because there was no euill men which did vnguilde it For as the experience of the meane estate and Nobility teacheth vs of one onely person dependeth as well the fame and renowne as the infamy of a whole house and parentage That age was called golden that is to say of gold and this our age is called yron that is to say of iron This difference was not for that gold then was found and now yron nor for that in this our age there is want of them that be sage but because the number of them surmounreth that be at this day malicious I confesse one thing and suppose many will fauour mee in the same Phauorin the Philosopher which was master to Aulus Gelius and his especiall friend saide oft-times that the Phylosophers in olde time were holden in reputation Because there were fewe teachers and many learners We now-adayes see the contrarie For infinite are they which presume to bee Maisters but fewe are they which humble themselues to be Schollers A man may know how little Wise-men are esteemed at this houre by the great veneration that the Phylosophers had in the olde time What a matter is it to see Homer amongst the Grecians Salomon amoÌ„gst the Hebrewes Lycurgus amongst the Lacedemonians Phoromeus also amongst the Greeks Ptolomeus amongst the Egiptians Liuius amongst the Romaines and Cicero likewise amongst the Latines Appolonius amongst the Indyans and Secundus amongst the Assyrians How happie were those Phylosophers to bee as they were in those dayes when the world was so full of simple personnes and so destitute of Sage men that there flocked great numbers out of diuers countreys and straunge Nations not onely to heare their doctrine but also to see theyr persons The glorious Saint Hierome in the prologue to the Byble sayth When Rome was in her prosperitie then wrote Titus Lyuius his deedes yet notwithstanding men came to Rome more to speake with Titus Linius then to see Rome or the high capitol therof Marcus Aurelius writing to his friend Pulio saide these wordes Thou shalt vnderstand my Friende I was not chosen Emperor for the Noble bloud of my predecessors nor for the fauour I had amongst them now present For there were in Rome of greater bloud and Riches then I but the Emperour Adrian my Maister set his eyes vpon mee and the Emperor Anthonie my Father in law chose mee for his Sonne in law for none other cause but for that they saw me a friend of the Sages and an enemie of the ignoraunt Happie was Rome to chuse so wise an Emperour and no lesse happie was he to attaine vnto so great an Empire Not for that hee was heire to his predecessours but for that hee gaue his minde to studie Truely if that Age were then happie to enioy his person no lesse happie shall ours bee now at this present to enjoy his doctrine Salust saith they deserued great glory which did worthie feates and no lesser merited they which wrote them in high stile What had Alexander the great bin if Quintus-Curtius had not written of him what of Vlysses if Homer had not bin borne what had Alcybiades bin if Zenophon had not exalted him what of Cyrus if the phylosopher Chilo had not put his actes in memorie what had been of Pyrrus king of the Epyrotes if Hermicles chronicles were not what had bin of Scipio the great Affricane if it had not bin for the Decades of Titus Liuius what had been of Traian if the renowmed Plutarch had not bin his friend what of Nerua and Anthonius the meeke if Phocion the Greeke had not made mention of them How should wee haue knowne the stoute courage of Caesar and the great prowesse of Pompeius if Lucanus had not written them what of the twelue Caesars if Suetonius Tranquillus had not compyled a booke of their liues And how should we haue knowne the antiquities of the Hebrues if the vpright Ioseph had not beene Who could haue knowne the comming of the Lombardes into Italie if Paulus Dyaconus had not writ it How could we haue knowne the comming in and the going out of the Gothes in Spayne if the curious Roderious had not showed it vnto
against the Romaines who without cause or reason had conquered his Countrey Approouing mainifestly that through offending the Gods they had thus preuayled And the Oration is diuided into chapt 3. fol. 362. ch 4. fol 366. And ch 5. f 366 That Princes and Noble-men ought to be very circumspect in choyce of their Iudges and Officers because therein consisteth the benefite of the weale publique chapt 6. fol 373 Of a Letter which the Emperour Marcus Aurelius wrote to his friend Antigonus answering an other which hee sent him out of Scicile concerning the crueltie exercised by the Romaine Iudges The letter is diuided in chap 7. fol 379. cha 8. fol. 381. chap 9. fol. 385 chapt 10. fo 387 cha 11. fol. 391 An exhortation of the Authour vnto great Princes and Noble-men to embrace peace and to auoyde all occasions of warre chap 12 fol. 394 Of the commodities which ensue by peace declaring that diuers Princes vppon light occasions haue made cruell warres chap 13 fol. 397 The Emperour Marcus Aurelius wryteth to his friende Cornelius wherein hee describeth the discomodities which come by warres and the vanitie of Triumphes Chap 14 fol. 406 Marcus Aurelius proceedeth on further in his letter declaring the order which the Romains vsed in setting forth their men of warre And of the outragious villainyes which Captaines and Souldiours vse in warre chap 15 fo 408 The Emperours further pursuite in the same letter shewing what great dammages haue ensued by warre begun with strange and forraigne Realmes ch 16 fo 409 Ad admonition of the Author to Princes and great Lordes to the intent that the more they growe in yeares the more they stād bound to refrain frō vices ch 17. 415 That Princes whē they are aged should be temperate in eating sober in drinking modest in apparel aboue al things else true in their cōmunication ch 18. fo 418 Of a letter written by the Emperour M. Aurelius to Claudius Claudinus reprouing them being olde men because they liued ouer youthfully chap 19 fo 423 A prosecution of the Emperours letter perswading Claudius and Claudinus beeing now aged to giue no more credite to the world nor to any of his deceiptfull flatteries chap 20. fol 430 A further continuation of the Emperour in the same Letter approouing by good reasons that in regard aged persons will bee serued and honoured of younger people they ought therefore to be more vertuous and honest then they of younger degree chap 21. fol 433 The Emperours conclusion of his Letter shewing what perills those olde men liue in that dissolutely like young Children spend their dayes And he giueth wholesome councell vnto them for better means and remedy therof ch 22. 438 How Princes ought to take heede that they bee not noted guiltie of Auarice because the Couetous man is hated both of God and man ch 24 441 Great reasons to discommend the vices of couetous men ch 24 444 Of a letter which the Emperour Marcus Aurelius wrote to his friend Cincinnatus who being a Romaine Knight became a Marchaunt of Capua reproouing such Gentlemen as take vppon them the trade of Marchaundise contrarie to their owne vocation declaring what vertuous men ought to vse and the vices which they ought to shunne instructing also how to despise the vanities of the world And although a man bee neuer so wise yet hee shall haue neede of another mans councell ch 25. fol 447. c. 26. fo 449. c. 27. 451. A perswasion to Princes great Lords to shunne couetousnes and to become liberall bountifull which vertue should alwayes appertaine to a Royall personage chap 28 fol. 454 A perswasion to Gentlemen and such as follow Armes not to abase themselues for gaynes-sake in taking vpon them any vile office or function ch 29 458 Of a Letter which the Emperour wrote to his Neighbour Mercurius a Marchant of Samia instructing men in those daungers which ensue by traffique on the Seas and the couetousnes of them that Trauell by Land chap 30 461 The conclusion of the Emperours Letter reprouing Mercurius because he tooke thought for the losse of his goods Shewing him the nature of Fortune and conditions of couetous men ch 31 fol 464 That Princes and Noble-men ought to consider the miserie of mans nature And that brute Beasts are in some pointes reason excepted to bee preferred with men chapt 32. fol. 466 A further comparison of the miseryes of men with the liberty of beasts ch 33. 469 A letter of the Emperour M. Aurelius to Domitius a cittizen of Capua comforting him in his Exile being banished for a quarrell betweene him and an other about the running of a Horse Comfortable for such as haue bin in great fauour afterward falne into disgrace ch 34 fo 474 That princes and Noble men ought to be aduocates for widdowes fathers of Orphans and helpes to the comfortlesse chap. 35 479 That the troubles sorrowes and griefes of widdows are much greater then those of Widdowers wherefore Princes and Noble men ought to haue more compassion vpon such women then men ch 36 fol. 462 Of a letter which the Emperour Marcus Aurelius wrote to a Romane Lady named Lauinia comforting her in her husbands death ch 37 486 A perswasion to widdowes to depend onely vpon Gods will and exhorting them to liue honestly chap. 38 489 That Princes and Noble men ought to despise the world because there is nothing in it but plaine deceit ch 39 493 A vehement inuectiue against the deceites of the world with a further proofe by strong and weightie reasons perswading all men that liue in the world not to trust it or any thing therein verefied by a letter of the Emperour to his friend Torquatus chap. 40. 41. 42. fol. 498. 501. 504 Princes and Nobles ought not to beare with Iuglers Iesters parasites and cōmon players nor with any such kind of rascals and loyterers And of the Lawes which the Romanes made especially on that behalfe chap. 43 507 How some Iesters were punished by our graue Ancients and of the Iesters loyterers in our time chap 44. 510 Of a letter which the Emperour wrote to Lambartus his friend then Gouernour of Hellespont certifying him that hee had banished from Rome all fooles and loy terieg players a notable lesson for them that keepe counterfeit fooles in their houses chap. 45 514 Marcus Aurelius proceedeth on in his letter declaring how he found the Sepulchres in Hellespont of many learned philosophers whereunto he sent all those loiterers chap. 46 517 The Letters conclusion relating the cause and time why and when Iuglers Iesters were admitted into Rome ch 47. 520 How Princes and Noble men ought to remember that they are mortall and must die with notable consolations against the feare of death chap. 48. 522 Of the death of the Emperour Marcus Aurelius and how there are few friendes that dare speake the truth to sicke men chap. 40 527 Of the comfortable wordes which the Secretarie Panutius spake to the
graue countenance eloquenr in speech yet hee spake little stout in his affaires and diligent in his businesse in aduersities patient and a great enemie of the vicious temperate in eating drinking and a friend of religious persons so that they sayde hee resembled the Emperour Aurelius For after that the Emperour Marcus Aurelius dyed with whom the felicitie of the Roman Empire ended they euer vsed thēcefoorth in Rome to compare and liken the yong and new come Princes to the ancient Emperours their Anrecessors That is to say if the Prince were couragious they sayde hee was like Iulius Caesar if he were vertuous they sayde he was an other Octauian if he were fortunate that hee was Tiberius if hee were rash they say de he was Caligula if he were cruell they compared him to Nero if hee were mercifull they said he was like to Traian or Antoninus Pius if he were beaucifull they likened him to Titus if idle they compared him to Domitian if he were patient they called him Vespasius if he were temperate they likened him to Adrian if he were deuout to their gods then he seemed Aurelianus Finally he that was sage and vertuous they compared him to the good Marcus Aurelius This Emperour Valentinian was a good Christian and in all his affaires touching the Empire very wise and circumspect and yet he was noted for one thing verie much and that was that hee trusted and fauoured his seruants so much and was so led by his Friends that through their occasion they abusing his loue and credite there arose many dissentions amongst the people Seneca saide once vnto the Emperour Nero I will that thou vnderstand Lorde that there is no patience can suffer that two or three absolutely commaund all not for that they are most vertuous but for that they are most in fauour with thee O yee Noble Princes and great Lords if you were as I am I know not what you would doe but if I were as you bee I would behaue my selfe in such sorte to them of my house that they should be seruants to serue and obey mee and not to boast themselues to bee so farre in fauour as to commaund mee For that Prince is not sage that to content a fewe getteth the hatred of all The Emperour Valentinian dyed in the fiue and fiftie yeare of his byrth and the eleuenth yeare of his Empire languishing of a long sicknes that his vaynes were so dryed vppe that they could not drawe one drop of bloud out of his bodie And at the day of his Funeralles where the dead corps was greatly bewayled Saint Ambrose made an excellent Sermon in commendation of him For in those dayes when any Noble Prince departed that loued and succoured the Church all the holy Bishops met together at his buryall The two brethren beeing Emperours that is to say Valentinian and Valent through the desire of the Father in law of Gracian who was father to his wife and desirous to haue one of his daughters childrē chose Valentiniā to bring vp who had a sonne named Gracian which was created Emperor so young that as yet he had no beard And truly the Senate would not haue suffered it if the Father had not bin vertuous and the childe sage But the Senate would haue done this and more also for Valentinian because hee did deserue it well of the Romaine people For it is reason in distributing of the Offices That Princes haue more repsect to the deserts of the Fathers then to the tender age of the Children This young Gracian began to be so temperate and was so good a Christian in fauouring the Church that it was much quiet and great pleasure to the Romaine people to haue chosen him and greater ioy to the Father being aliue to haue begotten him so that he left for him after his death an immortall memorie of his life For the childe that is vertuous is alwayes the memorie of the Father after his death In the yeare of the Foundation of Rome a thousand an hundred thirtie and two the said Gracian the younger was created sole Heyre of the whole Empire his vnckle Valent and his Father being departed the world And after Gratian came to the Empire many Bishops which were banished in the time of his Vnckle Valent were restored to the Church againe and bannished all the sect of the Arrians out of his Region Truely he shewed himselfe to bee a very religious and Catholike Prince For there is no better iustice to confound humain malice then to establish the good in theyr estate In the first yeare of the raigne of Gracian Emperour all the Germanes and the Gothes rebelled against the Romane Empire for they would not onely not obey him but also they prepared an huge Army to inuade his Empire Imagining that sith Gracian was young hee neyther had the wit nor yet the boldnesse to resist them For where the Prince is young there oftentimes the people suffered much wrong and the Realme great misery Newes came to Rome how that the Gaules and Germaines were vp the Emperour Gracian wrote to all the Catholike Bishops that they should offer in their Churches great Sacrifices with prayers vnto God and in Rome likewise it was ordayned that generally processions should be had to the end Almighty God should moderate his ire against his people For good Christians first pacifie God with Prayers before they resist their enemies with weapons This good Prince shewed himselfe to be no lesse warlike in his outward affayres then a good Christian in his Religion for God giueth victories vnto Princes more through tears then through weapons These things thus finished and his affayres vnto God recommended the noble Emperour Gracian determined to march on and himselfe in person to giue the battell And truly as at the first hee shewed himselfe to bee a good Christian so now he declared himselfe to bee a valiant Emperour For it were a great infamy and dishonour that a Prince by negligence or cowardnes should lose that which his Predecessors by force of armes had gotten The army of the enemies exceeded farre the Romane army in number and when they met together in a place called Argentaria the Romaines being inferiour to their enemies in number were afraide For in the warres the great multitude of enemies and their puissant power maketh oft-times the desired victorie to be doubtful This thing seene of the Romanes and by them considered importunately they besought the Emperour not to charge the battell for they sayde hee had not men sufficient And herein they had reason For the sage Prince should not rashly hazard his person in the warre nor yet should lightly put his life in the hands of Fortune The Emperour Gracian not changing countenance nor stopping in his words to all the Knights which were about him answered in this wise CHAP. XXVI Of the godly Oration which the Emperour Gracian made to his Souldiers before hee gaue the battell VAliant
noble courages Of Antisthenes the Philosopher ANtisthenes the Philosopher put al his felicity in renowne after his death For sayeth hee there is no losse but of life that flitteth without fame For the Wise man needeth not feare to die so he leaue a memory of his vertuous life behinde him Of Sophocles the Philosopher SOphocles had al his ioy in hauing children which should possesse the inheritance of their Father saying that the graft of him that hath no children surmounteth aboue all other sorrowes for the greatest felicity in this life is to haue honour riches and afterwardes to leaue children which shall inherite them Of Euripides the Philosopher Euripides the Philosopher had all his ioy in keeping a fayre woman saying his tongue with wordes could not expresse the griefe which the hart endureth that is accombred with a foule woman therefore of of truth hee which hapneth of a good vertuous woman ought of right in his life to desire no more pleasure Of Palemon the Philosopher PAlemon put the felicity of men in eloquenee saying and swearing that the man that cannot reason of all things is not so like a reasonable man as he is a brute beast for according to the opinions of many there is no greater felicity in this wretched world then to be a man of a pleasant tongue and of an honest life Of Themistocles the Philosopher THemistocles put all his felicity in discending from a Noble lynage saying that the man which is come of a meane stocke is not bound to make of a renowmed fame for truly the vertues and prowesses of them that are past are not but an example to moue them to take great enterprises which are present Of Aristides the Philosopher ARistides the Philosopher put all his felicity in keeping temporal goods saying that the man which hath not wherwith to eate nor to sustaine his life it were better coūsell for him of his free will to goe into the graue then to do any other thing For he onely shall bee called happy in this world who hath no neede to enter into an other mans house Of Heraclitus the Philosopher HEraclitus put al his felicity in heaping vp treasure saying that the prodigall man the more begetteth the more he spendeth but he hath the respect of a wise man who can keep a secret treasure for the necessitie to come Thou hast now sufficiently vnderstood my friend Pulio that 7. moneths since I haue been taken with the feuer quartaine and I sweare vnto thee by the immortall Gods that at this present instant writing vnto thee my hand shaketh which is an euident token that the colde doth take mee wherefore I am constrained to conclude this matter which thou demaundest mee although not according to my desire For amongst true friendes though the workes doe cease wherewith they serue yet therefore the inward parts ought not to quaile wherwith they loue If thou doest aske mee my friend Pulio what I thinke of all that is aboue spoken and to which of those I doe sticke I answere thee That in this World I doe not graunt any to bee happy and if there be any the gods haue them with them because on the one side chosing the plaine and drye way without clay and on the other side all stony and myerie wee may rather call this life the precipitation of the euill then the safegard of the good I will speake but one word onely but marke well what thereby I meane which is that amongst the mishaps of fortune wee dare say that there is no felicitie in the World And hee onely is happy from whom wisdome hath plucked enuious aduersity and that afterwards is brought by wisedome to the highest felicitie And though I would I cannot endure any longer but that the immortall Gods haue thee in their custody and that they preserue vs from euill fortune Sith thou art retired now vnto Bethinie I know well thou wouldest I should write thee some newes from Rome and at this present there are none but that the Carpentines and Lusitaines are in great strife dissention in Spaine I receiued letters how that the barbarous were quiet though the Host that was in Ilium were in good case yet notwithstanding the Army is somwhat fearefull and timorous For in all the coast and borders there hath beene a great plague Pardon me my friend Pulio for that I am so sickly that yet I am not come to my selfe for the feuer quartane is so cruel a disease that he which hath it contenteth himselfe with nothing neyther taketh pleasure in any thing I send thee two of the best horses that can be found in al Spaine and also I send thee two cups of gold of the richest that can bee found in Alexandria And by the law of a good man I sweare vnto thee that I desire to send thee two or three howers of those which trouble mee in my feuer quartane My wife Faustine saluteth thee and of her part and mine also to Cassia thy olde mother and noble Widdow we haue commended Marcus the Romane Emperour with his own hand writeth this and againe commendeth him vnto his deere friend Pulio CHAP. XLI That Princes and great Lords ought not to esteeme themselues for being fayre and well proportioned IN the time that Ioshua triumphed amongst the Hebrewes and that Dardanus passed from great Greece to Samotratia and when the sons of Egenor were seeking their sister Europe and in the time that Siculus raigned in Scicil in great Asia in the realme of Egypt was builded a great City called Thebes the which K. Busiris built of whom Diodorus Siculus at large mentioneth Plinie in the 36. Chapter of his naturall history and Homer in the second of his Iliades Statius in al the booke of his Thebiade doe declare great maruels of this City of Thebes which thing ought greatly to bee esteemed for a man ought not to thinke that fayned which so excellent authours haue written For a truth they say that Thebes was in circuit forty miles and that the walles were thirty stades hie and in bredth sixe They say also that the City had a hundred gates very sumptuous and strong and in euery gate two hundred Horsemen watched Through the midst of Thebes passed a great riuer the which by milles and fish did greately profite the City When Thebes was in his prosperity they say that there was two hundred thousand fires and besides all this all the Kings of Egypt were buried in that place As Strabo sayeth De situ orbis when Thebes was destroyed with enemies they found therein seuenty seuen Tombes of Kings which had bin buried there And here is to bee noted that all those tombes were of vertuous kings for among the Aegyptians it was a law inuiolable that the King which had beene wicked in his life should not bee buried after his death Before the noble and worthy Numantia
not repent mee for calling them vayne since there is no vanity nor fondnes comparable to this for they are not contented to bee vaine in their liues but will also after their drathes enterprise their vanities in sumptuous and stately sepulchres The coale of the Cedar in mine opinion that is high and fayre is nothing more whether when it is burnt then the coale of the oake which is little and crooked I meane oftentimes the Gods doe permit that the bones of a poore Philosopher are more honoured then the bones of Princes With death I wil threaten thee no longer for sith thou art giuen to the vices of this life thou wouldest not as yet that with a word it should destroy thee but I will tell thee on â— word more though it grieue thee to heare it which is that God created thee to die women bare thee to dye and thou camest into the world for to die and to conclude I say some are borne to day on condition they dye tomorrow â—â—d giue their places to others When the great and fearefull Trees beginne to budde by the rootes it signifieth that time draweth on for them to cut the drie withered branches meane that to see hildren borne in Ihe House is no other but to cite the Grand-fathers and Fathers to the graue If a man would aske me what death is I would say a miserable lake wherein all worldly men are taken for those that most safely thinke to passe it ouer remaine therein most subtilly deceyned I haue alwayes read of the Ancients past and haue seene of the young men present and I suppose that the selfe same will bee to come hereafter that when life most sweetest seemeth to any man then suddenly death entereth in at their dores O immortall Gods I cannot tell if I may call you cruell I know not if I may call you mercifull because you gaue vs flesh bones honour goods friends and also you giue vs pleasure finally yee giue to men all that they want saue onely the cuppe of life which to your selues you did reserue Since I may not that I would I will that I may but if it were referred to my will I would rather one onely day of life then all the riches of Rome for what auayleth it to toyle and take paines to encrease honour and worldly good since life dayly diminisheth Returning therefore to my first purpose thou must know that thou esteemest thy selfe and glorifiest in thy personage and beauty I would gladly know of thee and of others which are young and faire if you doe not remeÌ„ber that once yee must come to bee olde and rotten for if you thinke you shall liue but a little then reason would you should not esteem your heaâ—ties much for by reason it as a straunge thing that lise should abate vs and folly traine vs. If you thinke to become aged yee ought to remember and alwayes to thinke that the steele of the knife which doth much seruice at length decayeth and is lost for lacke of looking to Truely the young man is but a new knife the which in processe of time cankereth in the edge For on one day hee breaketh the poynt of vnderstanding another he looseth the edge of cutting and to morrow the rust of diseases taketh him and afterwards by aduersitie he is writhen and by infirmities hee is diseased by riches hee is whetted by pouertie hee is dulled againe and finally oftentimes it chanceth that the more sharpe he is whetted so much the more the life is put in hazard It is a true thing that the feete and hands are necessarie to climbe to the vanities of youth and that afterwards stumbling a little immediately rowling the head downewards wee discend into the misery of age For to our seeming yesterday wee knew one that was young and beautifull and within short time after wee heare that he is dead and rotten When I consider many men as well friends as enemies which were not long agoe flourishing in beauty and youth ' and presently I see them to bee old and drie sicke and foule truely I thinke that as then I dreamed of them or that they be not now as they were then What thing is more fearefull or more credible then to see a man become miserable in short space that the fashion of his visage should change the beauty of the face should bee lost the beard waxe white the head bould the cheekes and forehead full of wrinckles the teeth as white as Iuorie become blacke the light feete by the goute to seeme crepeled and and afterward waxeth heauy the palsey weakenneth the strong arme the fine smoth throat with wrinckles is playted the body that was straight and vpright waxeth weake and crooked Aboue all that I haue spoken I say to thee Epesipus which presumest to bee fayre that hee which through his propernesse in youth was the mirrour of all becommeth to bee such a one that he doubteth whether he be the selfe same now in his age that he was in his youth Doe what thou wilt praise and glorifie thy beautie as much as thou thinkest good yet in the end the beauty of men is none other but as a vayle to couer their eyes a payre of fetters for the feete manacles for the hands a lime rodde for the winges a theefe of time an occasion of daunger a prouoker of trouble a place of lecherie a sinke of all euill and finally it is an inuentor of debates and a scourge of the affectioned man Since thou hast forsaken thy study I am not bound to send thee any thing chiefly wasting thy money in childish and youthfull to yes but not withanding all those things I sende thee by Aulus Vegenus two thousand crownes for thy apparrell and truelle thou shalt be very vnthankfull if thou doest not know the benefite done vnto thee for a man ought to giue more thanks for that which is done of curtesie then for that which is offered of necessitie I cannot tell what to let thee vnderstand in these partes but that thy sister Anania Salaria is married who sayth shee is content I pray God it bee so for with money men may bee holpen to marriages but it lyeth in the gods to content the parties If thou wilt know of Torings thy cofin thou shalt vnderstand shee is embarked in the fleet which went to Spaine indeed I neuer thought otherwise wise on her after shee had been three dayes hidde in the way of Salaria For maydes that will betimes gather their grapes it is a token that they will go on warfare with Souldiers Of Annius Rufus thy friend and companion I certifie thee that hee is gone into the Isle of Helespont and hee goeth by the authority of the Senate to vnderstand the gouernement thereof and albeit he bee young yet he is wise and therefore I suppose he will render a good account of his commission for of these two extremities the aged that doe
liue honest and temperate the which cannot well bee done vnlesse they bee marryed or that they see themselues to bee conquerors of the flesh and being so they are satisfyed but if they be not marryed and the flesh doth assault them then they liue immediately conuered Wherefore of necessitie they must goe by their Neighbours houses or else by some other dishonest places scattered abroad to the reproach and dishonor of them and their kindred and oftentimes to the great perill and danger of their Persons CHAP. III. Of sundry and diuers Lawes which the Ancients had in Contracting Matrimony not onely in the choyse of Women but also in the manner of celebrating Marriage IN all Nations and in all the Realmes of the World Marriage hath alwayes beene accepted and marueilously commended for otherwise the world had not beene peopled nor yet the number of men multiplyed The ancients neuer disagreed one from another in the approbation and acception of Marriage but there was amongst them great difference and strife vpon the contracts ceremonies and vsages of the same For they vsed as much difference in contracting Matrimony and choosing their wiues as these Epicures do desire the varietie of sundry delicate meates The diuine Plato in his Booke hee made of the Common-wealth did counsell that all thinges should be common and that not onely in bruit beasts in moueables and heritages but also that womē should be common for he sayd that if these two words thine and mine were abolished and out of vse there should not bee debates nor quarels in this world They cal Plato Diuine for many good things which he spake but now they may call him Worldly for the counsel profane which he gaue I cannot tell what beastlinesse it may be called nor what greater rudenes may be thought that the apparrell should be proper and the wiues common The bruite beast doth not know that which came out of her belly longer then it sucketh of her brests And in this sort it would chance to men yea and worse too if women were common in the Common-wealth for though one should know the Mother which hath borne him hee should not know the Father which hath begotten him The Tharentines which were wel renowmed amongst the ancients and not a little feared of the Romanes had in their Citie of Tharente a law and custome to marry themselues with a legitimate wife to beget children but besides her a man might yet chuse two others for his secret pleasures Spartianus sayd that the Emperour Hellus Verus as touching women was very dissolute and since his wife was young and faire and that she did complaine of him because he led no honest life with her hee spake these words vnto her My wife thou hast no cause to complayne of me since I remaine with thee vntill such time as thou art quicke with childe for the residue of the time we husbands haue licence and priuiledge to seek our pastimes with other women For this name of a wife containeth in it honour but for the residue it is a grieuous burden and painefull office The like matter came to Ptolomeus King of Egipt of whom the Queene his wife did greatly complaine Admit that all the Greekes haue beene esteemed to bee very wise amongst all those the Athenians were esteemed of most excellent vertue for the Sages that gouerned the Common-wealth remained in Athens with the Philosophers which taught the Sciences The Sages of Athens ordeyned that all the neighbours and inhabitants might keepe two lawfull wiues and furthermore vpon paine of grieuous punishments did commaund that none should presume nor be so hardy to maintain any concubine for they sayd when men haunt the companie of light women comonly they misuse their lawfull Wiues As Plutarch saith in his Politiques the cause why the Greekes made this lawe was considering that man could not nor ought not to liue without the companie of a woman and therefore they would that a man should marrie with two wines For if the one were diseased and lay in yet the other might serue in bed waite at the Table and doe other businesses in the house Those of Athens had another great respect and cōsideration to make this law which was this that if it chanced the one to be barren the other should bring forth children in the Common-wealth and in such case shee that brought forth Children should be esteemed for Mistresse and the other that was barren should be taken for a seruant When this law was made Socrates was marryed to Xantippa and to accomplish the law hee tooke another called Mirra which was the daughter of the Phylosopher Aristides and sith those two women had great quarrells and debates together and that thereby they slaundered their Neighbours Socrates saide vnto them My wiues yee see right well that my eyes are hollow my legges are withered my hāds are wrinckled my head is balde my bodie is little and the haires are white Why doe yee then that are so faire stand in contention and strife for mee that am so deformed Though Socrates saide these wordes as it were in ieast yet such words were occasion that the quarrells and strifes betweene them ceased The Lacedemonians than in the time of peace and warre were always contrary to the Athenians obserued it for an inuiolable lawe not that one man should marry with two wiues but that one woman should marrie with two husbands and the reason was that when one Husband should goe to the warre the other shold tarry at home For they saide that a man in no wise should agree to leaue his Wife alone in the common-wealth Plinie writing an Epistle vnto his friend Locratius and Saint Hierome writing to a Frier called Rusticus saith That the Atbenians did vse to marry Bretheren with the Sisters but they did not permitte the Auntes to marrie with their Nephewes neither the Vnckles with their Nieces For they sayd that brothers and sisters to marrie together was to marry with their semblables but for vnckles to marry Nieces Aunts with Nephews was as of fathers to daughters and of mothers to sonnes Melciades which was a man of great renowme amongst the Grecians had a sonne called Cimonius who was marryed to his owne sister called Pinicea and being demaunded of one why hee tooke his sister in marriage hee answered My sister is faire sage rich and made to my appetite and her Father and mine did recommend her vnto mee and since by the commaundement of the Gods a man ought to accomplish the behests and requests of Fathers I haue determined since Nature hath giuen mee her for my sister willingly to take her for my lawfull Wife Dyodorus Siculus saith that before the Egiptians receyued any Lawes euery man had as manie Wiues as hee would and this was at the libertie of both partyes for as much as if she would goe shee went liberally and forsooke the man and likewise hee left her when
procure to be hated of God Truely to loue to serue and content God it is not hurtful to the woman for that she should bee the better beloued of her husband but yet God hath suffered and doth permit oftimes that the women being feeble deformed poore and negligent should bee better beloued of their husbands then the diligent fayre and rich And this is not for the seruices they doe to their husbands but for the good intention they haue to serue and loue GOD which sheweth them this speciall fauour for otherwise God doth not suffer that he being with her displeased she should liue with her husband contented If womē would take this counsel that I giue them in this case I will teach them furthermore a notable enchauntment to obtayne the loue of their husbands which is that they bee quiet meeke patient solitary and honest with which fine herbes they may make a confection the which neither seene nor tasted of their husbands shall not onely cause them to be beloued but also honoured For women ought to know that for their beautie they are desired but for their vertue only they are beloued CHAP. VI. That Princesses and great Ladyes ought to be obedient to their Husbands and that it is a great shame to the Husband that his wife should command him MAny ancient Historiographers trauailed greatly consumed long time in writng to declare what authoritie the man ought to haue ouer the woman and what seruitude the woman oweth to the man and some for to aduance the dignitie of the man and others to excuse the frailtie of the woman alleadged such vaine things that it had beene more honour for them not to haue written at all then in such sort as they did for it is not possible but the Writers should erre which write not as reason teacheth but rather as their fantasie leadeth Those that defend the frailtie of the woman sayd that the woman hath a body as a man she hath a soule as a man shee hath reason as a man dyeth as a man and was as necessary for generation as man she liueth as a man and therefore they thought it not meete that shee should bee more subiect to man then man to her for it is not reason that that which nature hath made free should by any lawes of man be made bond They said furthermore that God created not the creatures but to augment the generation of mankinde and that in this case the woman was more necessarie then the man for the man engendereth without paine or trauaile but the woman is deliuered with perill and danger and with paine and trauaile nourisheth vp the childe Wherefore it seemeth great vnkindnesse and crueltie that the women which are deliuered with perill and danger of their liues and bring vp their children with labour and toyle of their bodies should bee vsed of their husbands as slaues They sayd further that men are those that curse that moue seditions that make warres that maintaine enmitie that weare weapons that shed mans bloud and commit sundry other mischiefes which the women do not but in stead of killing men shedding bloud and other notorious euils that men do they imploy themselues to encrease men And since it is so then women rather then men ought to haue dominion and command in the Common-wealth for women increase the Cōmon-wealth and men diminish it for neyther diuine nor humane law commaundeth that the foolish man should bee free and gouerne and that the wise woman should bee bond and serue Those of Achaia affirmed this opinion and groundeth themselues vpon this reason and obserued it as a custome That the husbands should obey and the wiues commaund And so they did as Plutarch sayth in the Booke of Consolation for the husband swept made cleane the house made the bed washed the buck couered the table dressed the dinner and went for water And of the contrary part his wife gouerned the goods answered the affayres kept the money and if shee were angry shee gaue him not onely foule words but also oftimes laid her hands on him to reuenge her anger And heereof came this ancient Prouerb the which of many is read and of few vnderstood that is to say Vita Achaiae The life of an Achaian When in Rome the husband suffered to be ruled and commanded of his wife the neighbours would say vnto him in manner of a reproach Vita Achaia which is as much as if a man would say Goe goe as thou art since thou liuest after the law of Achaia where men haue so little discretion that they suffer themselues to bee gouerned bee it well or euill of their Wiues and that euery woman commandeth her Husband Plinie in an Epistle that hee wrote reprooued greatly his friend Fabatus for that hee kept in his house a wife the which in all his doings ruled and commanded him wherein hee told him that hee durst doe nothing without her commaundement And to make the matter to seeme more heynous in the latter ende of his Epistle he sayd these words Me valde poenitet quod tu solus Rome polles vita Achaia which is It grieueth mee much that thou alone in Rome shouldest leade the life of one of Achaia Iulius Capitolinus saith that Anthonius Caracalla being in loue with a faire Lady of Persia and seeing that he could not enioy her nor obtayne his desire promised to marrie her according to the law of Achaia and truly shee shewed her selfe more wise in her answere then hee did in his demand telling him that shee would not nor might not marry for because shee had promised her selfe to the goddesse Vesta and that she had rather be a seruant of the gods then a Mistresse of men The Parthes had a law contrary to them and likewise those of Thrace the which so little esteemed women that their husbands vsed them none otherwise then like seruants And in this case men had so great liberty or to say better lightnesse that after a woman had borne and brought foorth twelue children the children remained in the house and the husbands sold their wiues to them that would giue most or else they changed them for others that were more young And the children agreed to the selling of their owne mother to the intent that their father might refresh himselfe with another that was more young and the olde and barren woman should eyther be buried quicke or else serue as a slaue Dionisius Halicarnaseus saith that the Lides had a law and the Numiaians in like manner that the woman should command things without the house and the man should prouide for those that were within but according to my poore iudgement I cannot tell how this law was kept nor how they could fulfill it for by reason the wife should not goe out of the house but very little and therefore me thinks that they ought not to command any thing abroad nor the husband should enter
prohibite children their milke which hereafter should bee made Priestes of the temples mee thinketh it a tricke rather of superstitious sorcerers then of religious Priests For there is neyther diuine nor humane Law that will forbid or prohibite any such thing without the which mans life cannot endure These were the maners and customes that the Ancients had in the nourture of their children And indeede I maruell not at that they did for the Gentiles esteemed this cursed Idol as a great God as wee Christians doe the true and liuing God I was willing to declare all these antiquities to the end that Princesses and great Ladies shoulde haue pleasure in reading them and knowing them but not to that end they should imitate and follow them in any kind of thing For according to the faith of our Christian Religion as sure as wee be of the offences that those did vnto God through following those superstitions so sure wee are of the good seruices which wee doe vnto God in forsaking them How long time the mothers ought to giue their children sucke and what age they ought to weine them not for that which I haue read nor for that which I haue demaunded in this case I am able to answere but forasmuch as Aristotle sayeth in the booke aboue named that the child at the most ought to sucke but two yeares at the least one yeare and a halfe for if hee sucke lesse he is in danger to be sicke and if hee sucke more he shall be alwayes tender I will not omit that which Sextus Cheronensis sayeth in the fourth booke of his common-wealth And hereof Bocohas also maketh mention in the third booke De natura Deorum that when Alexander the Great passed into India amongst other renowmed Philosophers there was one with him called Arethus who as by chance he was in Nissa an ancient City of India there came a mā of the Countrey to shew him such antiquities as were there Arethus the Philosopher beheld them as a sage and wise man for the simple man onely beholdeth the doings and how they seeme but the sage man enquireth and demandeth of the causes and from whence they came Among other things he shewed this good Philosopher a great house being in the end of the City therin were many women whereof euery one of them had a chamber and in euery chamber there was two beds and adioyning to the one herbs were sowen in maner of nettles and adioining to the other there was kind of twigges as of Rosemary and in the midst of the house there were many graues of small children The Phylosopher Arethus asked why that house was so great and the Indian answered This house is to nourish the Children which are Orphanes when they bee of their Parents and friendes abandoned For it is a custome in this City that immediately when the Father of one chelde dyeth the City then taketh him for her sonne And from that time forward he is called the child of the City which nourisheth him and not the childe of the Father which begot him Arethus the Philosopher secondarily asked him why there were so many women in that house without any man among them whereunto the Indian answered In this Country there is a custome that the women are seuered from their husbands all the time they giue their children sucke For the will of our God is that the woman be not in company with her husband after shee is with child and this not onely vntil such time as shee is deliuered but also vntill such time as the childe be wayned from the brest The Philosopher Arethus thirdly demaunded him why euery one had her chamber seuerally The Indian answered Thou knowest that now naturally raigneth so much malice in the woman that shee alwayes enuyeth the felicity of another And if they were altogether they would haue amongst them such quarrels debates that they would corrupt the milke which they should giue to the child Fourthly the Philosopher Arethus asked why in euery chamber there was a great bed and a little pallet since there was but one woman and one child whereunto the Indian answered In this India they doe not consent that the Nurses should sleepe together in one bed with the young childe whom they nourish for when the women are heauy a sleepe not taking heede to the childe they many times ouerlay the poore infant and so smother it aliue Fiftly the Philosopher asked why ioining to the beds there was nettles which are without fauour in eating and dangerous in touching The Indian answered I let thee know that in this India against al nature the childrē weepe not whiles they are young and therefore they haue growing by the beddes nettles to make them weepe for our Philosophors tell vs that if dayly the childe doth weepe two houres it profiteth him not onely for the health of his body but also for to prolong his life Furthermore the Philosopher for the sixt asked why there were so many twigges like Rosemary by the bed side whereunto the Indian aunswered Know thou that in India there is an olde plague that wee cannot defende our selues from these witches the which by their sorceries and with the onely lookes of their eies destroy many children and they say that all the children which shall bee perfumed with those hearbes can take no hurte through the lookes of those witches CHAP. XXIIII Of a letter which Marcus Aurelius sent to his friend Dedalus in the ende whereof he enuaieth against those women which cure children by sorceries charmes and enchantments PRincesses and great Ladyes ought to take heed that their nurses be not Witches and that they doe not suffer the babes whiles they are yet young to take any charmes or sorceries for the medicine putteth the life of the creature in perill and those sorceries doe not onelie harme to the body of the child but also to the soule of her selfe which vseth it To prayse more them that are past and to confound more the present I will that those which shall reade this doe reade a letter of Marcus Aurelius which he sent to a friend of his in the end whereof it appeareth how great enemies the Auncients were to Witches Charmers to all kind of Sorcerers for truely I know not which was greater eyther the temperance that they had in nourishing their children being Gentiles or the foolish hardinesse which wee haue being Christians Here followeth therefore the Letter in the ende of the which hee speaketh against Witches and euill women The letter of the Emperour Marcus Aurelius MArcus Aurelius the Romane Emperour fellow with his brother Annius Verus in the same Empire wisheth to thee Dedalus his speciall friend health to thy person and good fortune against all euill Since the day that thou diddest take shipping at the Hauen of Ostia I read no letter of thine neyther haue I seen as yet any man of thy house yea and moreouer they could not tell
mee whether thou wert aliue or dead Wherefore thy friends did imagine that some mishap had befallen thee and thy ship or else for the misliking of the Country thou shouldest returne againe because that men which doe sayle as thou goe alwayes in dangar to be drowned by some tempest and if they doe escape they despayre in that strange Countrey by Tolitarinesse but when I saw Fronton thy seruant I was very ioyfull and much more when I vnderstood thou wert aliue after thy great trauell Truely I receiued great pleasure of that thou writest in thy letter that thou art contented with the Countrey for that to mee it is a strange thing that a man beeing nourished in the delitiousnesse of Rome should finde himselfe contented in in an other strange Realme and nation When Rome was Rome and Italy was named great Greece thither came of all sorts of people and Nations to learne vertues and Noblenesse and others for to giue themselues to vices and pleasures Because if Titus Liuins deceyue mee not Rome spent all her treasures in Asia and Asia employed all her vices and delicatenes in Rome Thou writest to mee in thy letter of so many thinges and Fronton thy seruant hath tolde mee so many newes of that land that by the immortall Gods I sweare vnto thee I cannot tell what for to write vnto thee nor what to aunswere thy seruant For the more the straunge newes doe please the eares in hearing them so much the more doe they seeme to bee vncredible The noble and stout personages though they would bee esteemed and iudged true in their saying hauing seene many wonders with their eyes yet when they come to count them then they ought to bee very moderate in their tongues For it is a shame to the honest man to declare a thing wherein may bee any doubt whether it bee true or not I will briefly answere al the things of thy Letter and the answere shall bee not according to thy desire but according to that I perceyue of thee and the World And before I beginne I beseech thee if my penne shall erre in writing that thy heart pardon mee For thy few yeares as yet doe not let thee know the World and my white hayres and hoarie beard doth giue mee authority to aduertise thee of that which is to come and to condemne thee of that which is past Thou sayest that in the Sea thou hast past many perils and dangers and that for to lighten the shippe thou diddest cast much of thy goods into the sea In this case me thinketh thou oughtest greatly to thanke the tempestuous waues which hauing power to drowne thee contented themselues with thy Marchandize For they which sayle vpon the foming Seas ought not to regarde so much the goods they loose as the life which they saue Thou sayest that on the Seas thou werte greatly accompanyed with passengers and that thou hast tarryed longer in thy voiage then thou thoghtest or diddest desire This I say vnto thee my friend Dedalus that though the dayes were manie thou diddest stay yet notwithstanding the griefes were more which thou receyuedst For it is vnpossible that those men which sayle much should not be troubled with the Marriners and also in feare of tempests To that I aunswere thee the more thou wert loaden with companyons the lesse thy money weighed for it is a general rule that where the iourney is long and the companie great there the purse of necessitie must needes wexe thinne Thou sayest that through the moysture of the sea as soone as thou wert landed thou diddest feele thy selfe taken with the goute To this I answere thee that thou hast the gout in thy feet or else in thy hands and if thou hast it in thy feete it shall be an occasion that thou shalt keepe thy house and if thou hast it in thy hands it shall bee an occasion that thou shalt play no more at Tables as thou werte wont to doe and also thou shalt not waste as thou hast done thy owne money And if thou hast not changed thy coÌ„dition which thou haddest I am assured that onely for to encrease thy goods thou wilt thinke thy goute welcome Thou sayest in that Countrey thou hast found many soueraigne expert Physitians for to remedy thy diseases To that I answere as Plato sayeth that in the Countrey where there is many Physitians there are many vices and many vicious for man by excessiue delicatenes commeth to sicknesse and by that meane trauell hee is healed As long as our auncient Fathers were without Physitians in Rome which was foure hundred yeares so long and no more they shewed them selues sober in eating and drinking For euen as by temperance health proceedeth so of Physicke proceedeth gluttonie Thou sayest that the Country is verie fertile and that amongst other things there is much wood which we lacke here in Rome To this I answer that if thou hast much wood thou hast little bread for it is an ancient Prouerbe that where the fires are great the barnes are few And if thou sayst thou art content with the wood of that Country I let thee know that I am not discontented with the bread of Italy for in the ende a man shall sooner finde wood to heate the euen then corne to carrie to the â—â—ill Truly it is a good thing to haue woode for the winter but it is better to haue corne for the Winter and Summer for they call it no hunger when wood lacked for the aged but when bread wanteth for the young Thou sayest in that Country there are many waters and that the water is verie cleare and cold and further that the aboundance thereof is such that euery house hath a fountain To this I answere thee that where the waters doe abound there wanteth health continually And I doe not maruell thereat for the moyste and dankish places are alwayes most daungerous vnhealthfull and noysome If this had beene in the time of the Golden World when men know not what wine meant but that all dranke Water without comparison that Countrey would haue beene better then this For the more the drunkennes of Wine is infamous the more sweeter and profitable is that of the water Thou knowest well that a Fountaine which I haue in my gardaine by the streete Salaria was occasion that at one time seuen of my House dyed together And if I had not made a conduit to voyde the standing water I thinke it had made an ende of mee and of my Family Wherfore I pray thee haue respect vnto the health of thy person rather then to enioy the freshnes of the water For my part I thinke him onely happie who hath his bodie healthfull and his heart at ease Prayse as much the land as they will enioy thou the freshnes thereof as much as thou canst and fill thee with the fresh and cold water and write vnto thy friends how plentie it is in the end I sweare vnto
thee so much to keepe thy children from witches For otherwise the cursed Women will doe them more harme then the good milke shal profite them I haue beene moued and prouoked to write thus much vnto thee for the great loue which I do beare thee and also calling to minde that which thou when we were in the sacred Senate oft times toldest me which was that thou diddest desire a sonne And since now thou hast thy petition I would not thou shouldst prouoke the Gods wrath by sorceries For in the faith of a good man I doe sweare vnto thee that when the Fathers are in fauour with the Gods there needeth no sorceries vnto the Children I had manie other things to write vnto thee Some of the which I will cōmunicate with thy seruant Fronton rather then to send them by letters And maruel not at this for letters are so perillous that if a man be wise hee wil write no more in a close letter thē he would declare openly in Rome Pardon me my friend Dedalus though indeede I write not vnto thee as thy appetite would nor yet as my will desireth For thou hast need to know many things and I haue not leaue by letter to put thee in trust therewith I cannot tell what I should write vnto thee of me but that alwayes the Goute doth take me and the worst of all is that the more I growe in yeares the more my health diminisheth For it is an old course of mans frailtie that where wee thinke to goe most surest there haue we most lets The Popinjay which thou didst send me as soone as I receyued it my wife did seaze it and truely it is a maruellous pleasure to heare what thinges it doth speak but in the end the women are of such power that when they wil they impose silence to the liuing and cause that in the graues the dead men speake According to that I doe loue thee and according to that I owe thee and as I haue vsed that which I doe sende thee is very little I say it because that presently I do send thee but two horses of Barbarie twelue swords of Alexandrie and to Fronton thy seruant for a new yeares gift for his good newes I haue giuen him an Office which is worth to him 20. thousand Sexterces of Rent in Cecyl Faustine did bid mee I should send thy wife Perusa a cofer full of odoriferous odours of Palestine and another cofer full of her owne Apparrel the which as I thinke thou wilt not a little esteeme For naturally Women are of theyr owne Goods niggardes but in wasting spending of others very prodigall The Almighty gods bee with thee and preserue thee from euill fortune The which I humbly beseech to graunt that vnto thee and mee and vnto my wife Faustine and to thy wife Pertusa that we all meete merily together in Rome for the heart neuer receyueth such ioy as when hee seeth himselfe with his desired friend Marcus of Mount Celio writeth to thee with his own hand CHAP. XXV How excellent a thing it is for a Gentleman to haue an eloquent tongue ONe of the chiefest things that the Creatour gaue to man was to know and be able to speake for otherwise the soule reserued the brute beasts are of more value then dumbe men Aristotle in his Aesconomices without comparison prayseth more the Pythagoricall sort then the Stoicall saying that the one is more conforme to reason then the other is Pythagoras commaunded that al men which were dumbe and without speech should immediately and without contradiction be banished and expulsed from the people The cause why this Phylosopher had commanded such things was for so much as he saide that the tongue is moued by the motions of the soule and that he which had no tong had no soule And hee which hath no soule is but a brute beast and he that is a beast deserueth to serue in the fieldes among brute beasts It is a good thing not to bee dumbe as bruite beasts are and it is a greater thing to speake as the reasonable men doe but it is much more worthy to speake wel as the eloquent Philosophers doe For otherwise if hee which speaketh doth not weigh the sentences more then the wordes oft times the Popingayes shall content thē more which are in the cage then the men which doe reade in Schooles Iosephus in the booke De Bello Iudaico sayeth That King Herod not onely with his person and goods but also with all his friends and parents followed and gaue ayde to Marcus Anthonius and to his louer Cleopatra howbeit in the end Octauian had the victory For the man which for the loue of a woman doth enterprise conquests it is impossible that eyther he lose not his life or else that hee liue not in infamy Herod seeing that Marcus Antonius was dead determined to go towards the Emperour Octauian at whose feet he layd his crowne and made a notable Oration wherein hee spake so pleasant words and so high sentences that the Emperour Octauian did not onely pardon him for that hee was so cruell an enemie but also hee confirmed him again vnto his realm and tooke him for his deare and speciall friend For among the good men and noble hearts many euill workes are amended by a few good works If Blundus in the booke intituled Roma triumphante do not deceiue me Pirrus that great King of the Epirotes was stoute and hardy valiant in armes liberall in benefices patient in aduersities and aboue al renowned to be very sweet in words and sage in his answeres They sayde that this Pirrus was so eloquent that the man with whome once hee had spoken remained so much his that from that time forward in his absence hee tooke his part and declared his life and state in presence The aboue named Blundus sayed and Titus Liuius declareth the same That as the Romaines were of all things prouided seeing that King Pyrrus was so eloquent they prouided in the Senate that no Romane Ambassadour should speake vnto him but by a third person for otherwise he would haue perswaded them through his sweet words that they should haue returned againe to Rome as his procurers and soliciters Albeit Marcus Tullius Cicero was Senatour in the Senate Consull in the Empire rich amongst the rich and hardy amongst men of warre yet truely none of these qualities caused him eternall memorie but onely his excellent eloquence This Tullius was so esteemed in Rome for the eloquence of his tongue onely that oft times they heard him talke in the Senate three houres together without any man speaking one word And let not this bee little esteemed nor lightly passed ouer for worldly malice is of such condition that some man may easily speake foure houres then another man shal haue patience to heare him one minute Antonius Sobellicus declareth that in the time of Amilcares the Affrican a Philosopher named Afronio flourished in
The intention whereupon I wrote these things was for no other but to admonish perswade and pray all princes and great Lords that whiles their children are young they should put them to wise and learned men to the end they should teach them not onely how they ought to liue but also how they ought to speake For to persons of estate it is a great infamy to doe or to inuent to doe a thing afterward not to know how to giue a reason thereof Polidorus in the third booke of his Commentaries sayth that when the Lacedemonians were put to flight by the Athenians In rota milina it is called Milina because the battell was in the riuer of Miline the Lacedemonians sent a Philosopher called Heuainus to treate of peace with the Athenians who made such an eloquent Oration to the Senate of Athens that he did nor onely obtaine the Peace which hee desired for his Countrey but for himselfe also hee wan perpetuall renowne At the Philosophers returne the Athenians gaue him a letter which sayd in this sort CHAP. XXVI Of a Letter which the Athenians sent to the Lacedemonians THe Senate people Sages of Athens wisheth health to the persons and peace to the Common wealth of you of the Senate and people of the Lacedemonians Wee take the immortall Gods to recorde that in the last battell we had no lesse displeasure to see you ouercome then on the contrary wee had pleasure to see vs remaine victorious for in the end the daungers and inconueniences of the cruell warres are so great that the euill and danger is certain to them that are vanquished and the profite is doubtfull to them that haue ouercommed We would gladly that that which now yee will yee would haue willed sooner and that which now yee require and demaund that before yee had required and demanded But what shall we doe since it was ordayned to your and our wofull destinies that hee should lose the battell and that wee of your losse can take no profite For it is a rule vnfallible that all that which the Gods haue ordayned no worldly wight can auoyde nor humane power resist Yee demaund that warre may leaue and cease off and that wee take truce for three monethes and that duriyg this time peace and concord may be concluded To this wee make answere That the Senate of Athens hath not accustomed to grant peace afterward for to returne to warre for amongst vs Athenians wee haue an ancient Law that freely wee doe accept the cruell warre and liberally we doe graunt perpetuall peace In our Schooles and Vniuersities we trauell to haue Sages in time of peace for to help vs with their counsels in the time of warre And they doe counsell vs that wee neuer take vpon vs truce vpon suspect condition And indeed they counsell vs well for the fayned and dissembled peace is much more perillous then is the manifest warre The Philosopher Heuxinus your Ambassadour hath spoken to vs so highly and eloquently in this Senate that it seemed to vs very vniust if wee should deny him and gaine-say that hee requireth vs. For it is much more honesty to grant him peace which by sweet and pleasant words doth demaund it then him which by force and sharpe sword doth require it Let the case therefore be that the Senate people and Sages of Athens haue ordained that warre doe cease with the Lacedemonians and that all discordes contentions dissentions and debates doe end and that perpetual peace bee granted vnto them And this thing is done to the end all the world should know that Athens is of such courage with the hardie and so very a friend to the Sages that she knoweth how to punish the foolish Captaines and suffereth to bee commanded and gouerned by sage Phylosophers Yee know right well that all our warre hath not been but onely for the possession of Cities and limits of the riuer Milina Wherefore by this letter wee declare vnto you and by the immortall Gods wee sweare that wee doe renounce vnto you al our right on such condition that you do leaue vs Heuxinus your Ambassadour and Philosopher The great Athens desireth rather a Philosopher for her Schooles then a whole Prouince of your Realmes And do not you other Lacedemonians thinke that that which wee of Athens doe is light or foolish that is to say that wee desire rather one man to rule then to haue a whole Prouince whereby wee may commaund many For this Philosopher shall teach vs to liue well and that land gaue vs occasion to dye euill and sith wee now of your old enemies do become your true friendes we will not onely giue you perpetuall peace but also counsell for to keepe it For the medicine which preserueth health is of greater excellency then is the purgation which healeth the disease Let the counsell therefore bee such that as yee will the young men doe exercise themselues in weapons that so yee doe watch and see that your children in time doe learne good letters For euen as the warre by the cruell sword is followed so likewise by pleasant words peace is obtained Thinke not yee Lacedemonians that without a cause we do perswade you that you put your children to learne when as yet they are but young and tender and that yee doe not suffer them to runne to vices for on the one part wise men shall want to counsell and on the other fooles shall abound to make debate We Atbenians in like manner will not that yee Lacedemonians doe thinke that wee bee friends to bablers For our Father Socrates ordained that the first lesson which should be giuen to the Scholler of the Vniuersity should be that by no meanes hee should speake any word for the space of two yeares for it is vnpossible that any man should be wise in speaking vnlesse he haue patience to be silent Wee thinke if you thinke it good that the Philosopher Heuxinus shall remaine in our Senate and thinke you if wee profite by his presence that yee may bee assuted that others shall not receyue any damage by the counsels hee shall giue vs For in Athens it is an ancient Law that the Senate cannot take vpon them wars but by the Philosophers first it must bee examined whether it be iust or not We write none other thing but that wee beseech the immortall gods that they bee with you and that it please them to continue vs in this perpetuall peace for that onely is perpetuall which by the Gods is confirmed CHAP. XXVII That Nurses which giue sucke to the children of Princes ought to be discreete and sage women THe Pilgrims which trauell through vnknowne Countries and strange mountaines wth great desire to goe forward and not to erre doe not onely aske the way which they haue to goe but also do importune those whom they meete to point them the way with their finger For it is a grieuous thing to trauell doubtfully in feare
were of immortall memorie of letters I will not deny that in the common wealth of Rome there hath not beene nourished and taught many women of great science but that the difference of the one and the other was that the Grecian women were learned in Philosophy and the Romane women in Rethoricke and Poetrie And hereof came that in Athens they esteemed to know how to teach well and in Rome they vaunted how to speake well Euphronius in the third booke of the Romane gestes sayeth that in the third yeare of the Consulship of Lelius Sylla by chance a Greeke Ambassador and an Ambassadour of Rome were at wordes in the Senate of the Rhodians the Greeke Ambassadour sayd to the Romane Ambassador It is true that amongst you other Romanes you are aduenturous in armes but for all that you are vnable in sciences For truely the women of Greece know more in letters then the men of Rome in weapons As soone as the Senate of Rome vnderstoode those words immediatly hereupon grew the cruell wars betweene Rome and Carthage about the possession of Sicill And no man ought hereat to maruell for in the end we see more wars arise by iniurious words then for to recouer the good that is lost The Romanes and the Grecians therefore being ready the one to defie the other the Rhodians came in the middest and kept them from such debate and in the end appointed them in this sort That is to say that as this iniurie should by weapons haue been determined they ordayned that by the disputations of women it should bee argued And truely the Romanes were counselled well for it was greater shame to the Greekes to bee ouercome with the tongues of women then with the swords of men The cause thereof was such that by appointment assembled at Rhodes ten Roman women and ten Greeke women All women very well learned the which in their chairs read certain lessons euery one after other and afterwardes the one disputed against the other of sundry and diuers matters And finally there was betweene them great difference for the Greeks spake very high things not so profound but with an excellent stile We ought not to maruell that such giftes were in those women for wee dayly see it by experience that profound science and high eloquence seldome meeteth in one personage The Greekes were very well pleased to heare the Romane women and the Romaines remained astonied to heare the Greekes And vpon this occasion the Rhodians iudged in this sort that euery one of them should be crowned with a crowne of Lawrel as vanquishers And they iudged that in graue sentences the Grecians had the best and in eloquent speech the Romanes had the victory As the aboue named Euphronius sayeth the disputations beeing ended the Romane women returned to Rome the Greeke women to Greece where they were receiued with such triumph and glory as if they had won a battel The Senate of the Rhodians for the memory of those women in the place of the disputations caused to bee set vp 20. pillers in euery one of the which were the names of the women Which was so sumptuous a building that in Rhodes there were none like to it saue only the Collyseo Those pillers stood vntill the time of Heliogabalus the Emperour who was so euill that he inuented new vices and destroied the ancient memories The writers which write in that time declare yet another thing wherin the women of Greece were differēt from the women of Rome That is to say that the Greeke women were foūd more fairer then the Romane women but the Romanes had a better grace more rich in apparel then the Greeks They sayd also that the Greekes were more hardy and stout then the Romanes but the Romanes were more honest pleasant and gracious then the Greekes And if this be true I do counsell Princesses and great Ladies that they haue no more enuy at the honesty of the Matrones of Rome then at the boldnes of the Ladies of Gretia For women were not born to slay men in the warre but to spin sowe and liue well like good housewiues in the house CHAP. XXVIII That women may bee no lesse wise then men and though they bee not it is not through default of nature but for want of good bringing vp CEasing to speake in generally it is but reason wee speake particularly and that wee reduce to memory some ancient histories of wise and discreete women as well Greekes as Romans for that these Ladies seeing what others were in times past may know what their duty is at this present In mine opinion the duty that the men of this present haue to follow the courage that the Ancients had in fighting the selfe same desire ought women of this present to haue to follow the ancient women in deuout liuing for there is no good thing in the world at this present day but the like hath been seene of our ancients heretofore When any sudden new and vnaccustomed thing doth happen men that neuer saw the like vse to say that there was neuer the like in the world yet indeed they say not true for though the thing bee vnto them new it is through their ignorance and simplenesse which neither haue read it by themselues nor heard it of others or this excellency hath the man that is learned that for what soeuer hee heareth or sayth hee is nothing abashed at Since women now a dayes are so ignorant that scarcely any of them can reade well hee that shall reade this will maruell why I doe perswade them to learne but the truth known what the Ancients were and what they did know from this time forward I beleeue they would greatlie reproue the women of this present for the time which the ancient women spent in vertues and studies These of this present consume in pleasures and vices Bocchas in the prayse of Women sayth that Lucius Sylla was a great companion of Marius the Consull in the time of the warre of Iugurtha and was no lesse a friend of Caius Caesar in the time of the first ciuill warres My penne needeth not to be occupied to write any thing of the life of Sylla For all the Historiographers doe not onely reproue the cruelties which he vsed to his enemies but also condemne him for the little faith he obserued his friends This Consull Sylla had three daughters the one of them was named Lelia Sabina the which of all the sisters was least fayre but amongst all the Romanes shee was the most sagest for shee read openly in Rome in a chayre both Greeke and Latine After the warres of Mithridates Lucius Sylla came to Rome where he beheaded three thousand Romanes which came to salute him although before by his word he had assured them all And in deed and also iustly Lucius Sylla had been vtterly vndone for his fact if his daughter had not made to the Senate a wise Oration for
discend of the Linage of the Troyans and therefore when king Eneas and prince Turnus had great Warres betweene them which of them should haue the Princesse Lauinia in Marriage the which at that time was onely heyre of Italie king Euander ayded Eneas not only with goods but also sending him his owne Sonne in person For the friendes ought for their true friendes willingly to shead their bloud and in their behalfe without demaunding they ought also to spend their goods This King Euander had a Wife so well learned that that which the Greekes sayde of her seemeth to bee fables That is to say of her eloquence and wisedome for they say that if that which this woman wrote of the warres of Troy had not been through enuie cast into the fire the name of Homer had at this day remayned obscure The reason hereof is because that woman was in the time of the destruction of Troy and wrote as a witnesse of sight But Homer wrote after the destruction of Troy as one affectioned vnto the Prince Achilles as a friend of the Greekes and enemie of the Troians And truely when a Writer is affectioned to any person his writing of force must be suspected The wife of this King Euander was called by her name Nicostrata albeit others called her Carmenta for the eloquence shee had in her verses For they say that she made as easily in meeter as others doe in prose The Historiographers of the Gentiles say that shee prophefied the destruction of Troy fifteen years before She tolde the comming of Aeneas into Italy and spake of the warres that should be before the marriage of Lauinia and said how Ascanius the sonne of Enea should builde Alba longa She sayde further that of the Latine Kings should descende the Romaines and that the reuenge which Rome should take of Greece should bee greater then that which Greece did take of Troy And shee sayde also that the greatest Warre which Rome should haue should be against the Princes of Affricke and that in the end Rome should triumph ouer all the Realmes of the earth and finally a nation vnknowne should triumph for euer in Rome As Eusesebius Caesarten saith The Routaines kept these writings in as great estimation in the high capitoll as the Christians kept their faith vnto GOD. King Darius after he was vanquished in the first Battell by King Alexander the great before he was in the second battel vtterly destroyed trauelled and sought many wayes and means to the ende he might be friend vnto Alexander And in very deede King Darius was sage to seeke it but not so happie to obtain it For to Princes the peace is more worth that is honest then is the victorie which is bloudie Betwixt these two so stoute Princes Truce was made for three moneths and in the meane time the Priests of the Chaldeans treated peace with these conditions that the great Alexander should marry the daughter of king Darius and that Darius should giue her a great quantity of gold and besides this that he should endow her with the third part of his realme And truely these meanes were good For among Princes there is nothing that sooner pacifieth olde iniuries then to make betweene them newe Mariages King Alexander excused himselfe of this marriage saying that hee was but xxiiij yeares of age and that hee was too young to bee marryed because amongst the Macedonians there was a custom that the woman could not be marryed vntill xxv yeares of age nor the man vntill xxx The Daughter of King Darius was faire rich and noble but the best she wanted for she was not wise And this was the cause why K Alexander refused her for his wife for in those dayes women were not marryed because they were rich but beloued because they were wise And finally the woman that had studyed best came commonly to the highest Marriage Antonius Rusticus and Quintus Seuerus say that the great Alexander after he had forsaken the daughter of king Darius marryed a wife which was a poore woman and deformed called Barsina which indeede was neyther with riches nor beautie endued but without doubt in the Greeke and Latine tongue most excellently learned And when the Princes of Macedonie would haue withdrawn him from that marriage asking him why hee esteemed the rich lesse then the poore he aunswered thus I see my Friends in Marriage it suffiseth the husband to bee rich and the woman wise For the Office of the husband is to winne that which is lost and the Office of the wife is to keepe safe that which is wonne Strabo de situ Orbis saith that the fifte Queene of Lides was Mirthas the which of her bodie was so little that shee seemed to bee a Dwarffe and in quicknes of wit so high that they called her a giant For the man that hath a stout stomack and a little body may well be called a giaunt and hee that hath a great body and a cowards hart may iustly be named a Dwarffe For that this excellent Queen Mirtha was such a wise wife when she was marryed and afterwards also a widowe very honest and aboue all things in Phylosophie excellently learned The Lides counted this Queen Mirtha amongst the seuen Kings of the which they vaunted themselues to be gouerned as of glorious Princes For the Auncients gaue as much glorie to Women learned in Letters as vnto the valiant and stoute men expert in Armes Cornificius the Poete as Laertius saieth had a sister called Cornificia the which in Greeke Latin letters was not onely learned but also in making Metre and Epigrames very expert They write that of this Woman which of few men the like hath been heard That is to say that she made verses and Epigrams better at the first sight then her brother did with much study And it is not too much incredible to put any doubt in that that is spoken for the penne hath more swiftnesse of the liuely spirit then the tongue hath of the small vnderstanding This Poet Cornificius was resident a long time in Rome and was alwayes poore and voide of all fauour thogh indeede hee was better learned then others which were in greater estimation the which thing dayly chaunceth in the Court of Princes For there is no difference whether they bee fooles or wise but whether they be acceptable to the Princes Aristotle sayeth Vbi multum de intellectu ibi parum de fortuna Meaning thereby that men which of memory and vnderstanding are most rich of the goods of this world are commonly most poore This Poet Cornificius therefore going through Rome little set by of any by chaunce a Romane named Calphurnius to scoffe at him sayd Tell me Cornificius hast thou had any fortunate day since thou wert borne for in these twenty yeers that I haue known thee I neuer saw thee in fauour and if I bee not deceyued it is fifteene yeeres since I knew thee haue
and so modest in life that of their family there was neuer found any cowardly man in the field nor any defamed woman in the twone They say of this linage of the Cornenelii among many other there were 4. singular and notable women among the which the chiefe was the mother of Graccht whose name was Cornelia and liued with more honor for the sciences shee read in Rome then for the conquests that her children had in Affrike Before her children were brought into the Empire they talked of none other thing but of their strength and hardinesse throughout the world and therefore a Romain one day asked this woman Cornelia wherof she tooke most vain glory to see her selfe mistresse of so many Disciples or mother of so valiant children The Lady Cornelia answered I doe esteeme the science more which I haue learned then the children which I haue brought forth For in the end the children keepe in honour the life but the Disciples continue the renowme after death And she sayd further I am assured that the Disciples daily wil waxe better and better and it may be that my children will waxe worse and worse The desires of young men are so variable that they dayly haue new inuentions With one accord all the writers doe greatly commend this woman Cornelia in especiall for being wise and honest and furthermore because she read Phylosophy in Rome openly And therefore after her death they set vp in Rome a statue ouer the gate Salaria whereupon there was grauen this Epigram This heape of earth Cornelle doth enclose Of wretched Gracches that loe the mother was Twise happy in the schollers that shee chose Vnhappy thrise in the of spring that shee has AMong the Latines Cicero was the Prince of al the Romane Rethorike and the chiefest with his pen enditing Epistles yet they say that he did not onely see the writings of this Cornelia but read them and did not onely reade them but also with the sentences thereof profited himselfe And hereof a man ought not to maruell for there is no man in the world so wise of himselfe but may further his doings with the aduise of an other Cicero so highly exalted these writings that he sayde in his Rethorike these or such other like words If the name of a woman had not not blemished Cornelia truly she deserued to be head of al Philosophers For I neuer saw so graue sentences proceede from so fraile flesh Since Cicero spake these words of Cornelia it cannot be but that the writings of such a woman in her time were verie liuelesse and of great reputation yet notwithstanding there is no memory of her but that an author for his purpose declareth an Epistle of this maner Sextus Cheronensis in his booke of the prayse of women reciteth the letter which shee sent to her children Shee remaining in Rome and they being at the wars in Affricke The Letter of Cornelia to her two sons Tiberius and Caius otherwise called Gracchi Cornelia the Romane that by the fathers side am of the Cornelii on the mother side of the Fabii to you my two sonnes Gracchii which are in the warres of Affricke such health to you I doe wish as a mother to her children ought to desire You haue vnderstoode right well my children how my father dyed I being but three yeares of age and that this 22. yeares I haue remained widdow and that this 20. yeares I haue read Rethorike in Rome It is 7. yeeres since I saw you and 12. yeares since your brethren my children dyed in the great plague You know 8. yeeres are past since I left my study and came to see you in Cicilia because you should not forsake the wars to come to see me in Rome for to mee could come no greater pain then to see you absent from the seruice of the Common wealth I desire my children to shew you how I haue passed my life in labour and trauell to the entent you should not desire to spende yours in rest and idlenes For to me that am in Rome there can want no troubles be yee assured that vnto you which are in the wars shall want no perils For in warres renowne is neuer solde but by weight or changed with losse of life The young Fabius sonne of my aunt the aged Fabia at the third Calends of March brought mee a letter the which you sent and truly it was more briefe then I would haue wished it for betweene so deere children and so louing a mother it is not suffered that the absence of your persons should be so farre and the letters which you write so briefe By those that goe from hence thither I alwaies doe send you commendations and of those that come from thence hither I doe enquire of newes Some say they haue seene you others tell mee they haue spoken with you so that with this my heart is somwhat quieted for between them that loue greatly it may bee endured that the fight be seldom so that the health be certaine I am sole I am a widdow I am aged and now all my kindred are dead I haue endured many trauels in Rome and the greatest of all is my children of your absence for the paine is greater to be voyd of assured friends then assault is dangerous of cruell enemies Since you are young and not very rich since you are hardie and brought vp in the trauels of Affricke I do not doubt but that you do desire to come to Rome to see know that now you are men which you haue seen when you were children for men doe not loue their Country so much for that it is good as they doeloue it for that it is naturall Beleeue me children there is no man liuing that hath seene or heard speake of Rome in times past but hath great griefe sorrow and pitty to see it at this present for as their hearts are pittifull and their eyes tender so they cannot behold that without great sorrow which in times past they haue seene in great glory O my children you shall know that Rome is greatly changed from that it was wont to be To reade that wee doe reade of it in times past and to see that which wee see of it now present wee must needs esteeme that which the Ancients haue written as a iest or else beleeue it but as a dreame There is no other thing now at Rome but to see iustice corrupted the common-weale oppressed lies blown abroad the truth kept vnder the Satyres silent the flatterers open mouthed the inflamed persons to bee Lords and the patient to be seruants and aboue all and worse then all to see the euill liue in rest and contented and the good troubled and displeased Forsake forsake my Children that City where the good haue occasion to weepe and the euill haue liberty to laugh I cannot tell what to say in this matter as I would say truly the Common weale is at this day such and
as hee sayeth that I haue disinherited him and abiected him from my heritage hee beeing begotten of my body hereunto I answere That I haue not disinherited my sonne but I haue disinherited his pleasure to the entent hee shall not enioy my trauell for there can bee nothing more vniust then that the young and vicious sonne should take his pleasure of the swet and droppes of the aged father The sonne replyed to his Father and sayde I confesse I haue offended my Father and also I confesse that I haue liued in pleasures yet if I may speake the truth though I were disobedient and euill my Father ought to beare the blame and if for this cause hee doeth dishenherite mee I thinke hee doth me great iniurie for the father that instructeth not his son in vertue in his youth wrongfully disinheriteth him though he be disobedient in his age The Father againe replyeth and sayeth It is true my sonne that I brought thee vp too wantonly in thy youth but thou knowest well that I haue taught thee sundry times and besides that I did correct thee when thou camest to some discretion And if in thy youth I did not instruct thee in learning it was for that thou in thy tender age diddest want vnderstanding but after that thou hadst age to vnderstand discretion to receyue and strength to exercise it I beganne to punish thee to teache thee and to instruct thee For where no vnderstanding is in the child there in vaine they teach doctrine Since thou art old quoth the sonne and I young since thou art my Father and I thy sonne for that thou hast white hayres on thy beard and I none at all it is but reason that thou be belieued and I condemned For in this world wee see oft times that the small authoritie of the person maketh him to loose his great iustice I graunt thee my Father that when I was a childe thou diddest cause mee to learne to reade but thou wilt not denie that if I did commit any faulte thou wouldst neuer agree I should be punished And hereof it came that thou suffering me to do what I would in my Youth haue bin disobedient to thee euer since in my age And I say vnto thee further that if in this case I haue offended truely mee thinketh thou canst not bee excused for the fathers in the youth of their children ought not onely to teach them to dispute of vertues what vertue is but they ought to inforce thē to be vertuous in deed For it is a good token when Youth before they knowe vices haue been accustomed to practise vertues Both partyes then diligently heard the good Phylosopher Solon Solinon speake these words I giue iudgement that the Father of this childe be not buryed after his death and I commaund that the Sonne because in his youth hee hath not obeyed his Father who is olde should be disinherited whilest the Father liueth from all his substance on such condition that after his death his sonnes should inherite the Heritage and so returne to the heyres of the Sonne and liue of the Father For it were vniust that the innocencie of the Sonne should be condemned for the offence of the Father I do commaund also that all the goods be committed vnto some faithfull person to the end they may giue the Father meat and drinke during his life and to make a graue for the Sonne after his death I haue not without a cause giuen such iudgement the which comprehendeth life and death For the Gods will not that for one pleasure the punishment bee double but that wee chastise and punish the one in the life taking from him his honour and goods and that wee punish others after their death taking from them memorie and buryall Truely the sentence which the Philosopher gaue was very graue and would to GOD wee had him for a iudge of this world presently For I sweare that hee should finde manie Children now a dayes for to disinherite and moe Fathers to punish For I cannot tell which is greater The shame of the children to disobey their Fathers or the negligence of the Fathers in bringing vp their children Sextus Cheronens in the second book of the sayings of the Philosophers declareth that a Citizen of Athens saide vnto Dyogenes the Phylosopher these wordes Tell mee Dyogenes What shall I doe to be in the fauour of the Gods and not in the hatred of men For oft times amongst you Phylosophers I haue hearde say that there is a great difference between that that the gods will and that which men loue Dyogenes answered Thou speakest more then thou oughtest to speake that the Gods will one thing and men another for the Gods are but as a center of mercy and men are but as a denne of malice if thou wilt enioy rest in thy dayes and keepe thy life pure and cleane thou must obserue these three things The first honour thy Gods deuoutely for the man which doeth not serue and honour the Gods in all his enterprises hee shall be vnfortunate The second bee very diligent to bring vp thy children well for the man hath no enemie so troublesome as his owne sonne if hee bee not well brought vp The third thing bee thankefull to thy good benefactors and friends for the Oracle of Apollo sayth that the man who is vnthankefull of all the world shall be abhorred And I tell thee further my friend that of these three things the most profitable though it be more troublesome is for a man to teach and bring vp his children well This therefore was the answere that the Philosopher Diogenes made to the demaund of the Citizen It is great pitty and griefe to see a young childe how the bloud doth stirre him to see how the flesh doth prouoke him to accomplish his desire to see sensuality goe before and he himselfe to come behind to see the malitious World to watch him to see how the Diuell doth tempte him to see how vices binde him and in all that which is spoken to see how the Father is negligent as if hee had no children whereas in deede the olde man by the fewe vertues he hath had in his Youth may easily knowe the infirmityes and vices wherewith his Sonne is incompassed If the expert had neuer beene ignorant if the Fathers had neuer beene children if the vertuous had neuer been vicious if the fine wittes had neuer been deceiued it were no maruell if the Fathers were negligent in teaching their children For the little experience excuseth men of great offences but since thou art my Father and that first thou wert a Sonne since thou art old and hast bin young and besides all this since that pride hath inflamed thee lechery hath burned thee wrath hath wounded thee Negligence hath hindred thee Couetousnes hath blinded thee Glotonie surfetted thee Tell mee cruell Father since so many vices haue reigned in thee why hast thou not an
hee put them out of his house he himself did write in the third booke and the first Chapter vnder the title Adstultos Pedagogos And sayde that he saide vnto them these and such other like words CHAP. XXXVI Of the words which Marcus Aurelius spake to fiue of the foureteene Masters which he had chosen for the Education of his sonne and how hee sent them from his Pallace for that they behaued themselues lightly at the feast of God Genius FRiendes my will was not to foresee that which cannot bee excused nor I will not command you that which I ought not to commaund but I desire that the Gods of their grace doe remaine with me and that with you the same iust gods may goe and that likewise from mee and from you the vnluckie and vnfortunat chances may be withdrawn For the vnluckie man were better to be with the dead then remaine here with the liuing Since that now I had receyued you and with great diligence sought you to the end you should bee tutors to my Sonne the Prince Comodus I protest to the immortall Gods that I am sorry and that of your shame I am ashamed and that of your paine the greatest part is mine And it can be no otherwise for in the world there should be no friendshippe so straight that a man therefore should put his good name in danger The Sages that I haue sought were not prouided onely to learne the Prince Comodus but also to reform all those that liued euill in my Pallace And now I see the contrary for where I thought the fooles should haue beene made wise I see that those that were wise are become fooles Know you not that the fine golde defendeth his purenes among the burning coales that the man endued with wisdome sheweth himselfe wise yea in the middest of many fooles for truly as the golde in the fire is proued so among the lightnes of fooles is the wisedome of the wise discerned Doe not you know that the Sage is not knowne among the Sages nor the foole among the fooles but among fooles wise men do shine and that among the sages fooles are darkned for there the wise sheweth his wisedome and the foole sheweth his folly Doe not you know that in the sore wounds the Surgian sheweth his cunning and that in the dangerous diseases the Physitian sheweth his science And that in the doubtfull battels the Captain sheweth his stoutenesse and that in the boysterous stormes the Master sheweth his experience So in like maner the Sage man in the place where there is great ioy and solace of people ought to shew his wisedom and discretion Do not you know that of a moderate witte there proceedeth a cleare vnderstanding a sharpe memory a graue person a quiet minde a good name and aboue all a temperate tongue for he onely ought to be called wise who is discreete in his workes and resolute in his words Do not you know that it little auayleth to haue the tongue expert the memory liuely the vnderstanding cleare to haue great science to haue profound eloquence a sweet style and ample experience if with all these things you bee as masters and in your workes as wicked men certainly it is a great dishonour to a vertuous Emperor that he should haue for masters of yong Princes those which are Schollers of vaine iuglers Do not you know that if all the men of this world are bound to leade a good life that those which presume to haue science are much more bound then others are which by their eloquence presume to confound the world For it is a rule certaine That alwayes euill workes take away the credite from good words And to the end it seeme not vnto you that I speake of fauour I will here bring into your memory an ancient Law of Rome the which was made in the time of Cinna which said Wee ordaine and commaund that more grieuous punishment be giuen vnto the Sage for one folly only committed by him openly then to the simple man for a greater offence committed secretly O iust and very iust law O iust and happy Romanes I say vnto all those that together did finde and ordayne the Law for the simple man slayeth but one man with his sword of wrath but the sage man killeth many by the euill example of his life For according to the saying of the diuine Plato The Princes and Sage men sinne more by the euill examples which they giue then in the fault and offence they commit All the ancient Writers affirme that the triumphant Rome neuer beganne to decay vntill the Senate was replenished with sage serpents and destitute of simple doues for in the ende there is nothing that sooner destroyeth Princes then thinking to haue about them wise men that shold counsell them when indeed they are malitious that seeke to deceiue them What a thing it was in olde time to see the policie of Rome before that Silla and Marius did alter it before that Catilina and Catullus did troble it before that Iulius Caesar and Pompeius slaundered it before that Augustus and Marcus Antonius destroyed it before that Tiberius and Caligula did defame it and before that Nero and Domitian did corrupt it For the moste parte of these although they were valiant and wanne many Realmes yet notwithstanding the vices which they brought vs were more then the Realms they wanne vs. And the worste of all is that all our Kingdomes are lost and our vices abide still If Liuius and the other Hystoriographers doe not deceyue vs in olde time they might haue seene in the sacred Senate some Romaines so auncient with hayres so honorable others so experte men others aged so modest that it was a wonder to see the majesty they did represent and a comforte to heare that which they sayde I speake not that without teares which I will say that instead of those graue auncient aged persons there sprang vppe other young bablers the which are such and so manie that all the Common-wealth is altered and Rome her selfe slaundered For that Land is cursed and with much miserie compassed where the gouernaunce of the young is so euill that all wish for the reuiuing of the dead If wee credite that which the auncients wrote wee cannot denye but that Rome was the mother of all good workes as the auncient Greece was the beginner of all sciences So that the effect of the Greekes was to speake and the glorie of the Romaines was to worke But now through our wofull destinies it is all contrary For Greece hath banished from it all the speakers to Rome and Rome hath banished from it all the Sages to Greece And if it be so as it is indeed I had rather be banished to Greece with the Sages then to take part with Rome among the fooles By the faith of a Christian I sweare vnto you my friendes that I beeing young saw an Oratour in Rome which
fought together for as Nafica sayde the pleasures that Rome had to see many victories were not so great as the displeasure was which she tooke to see her selfe once ouercome The good Vlpius Traianus gaue battell to king Cebalus wherein Cebalus was not onely ouercome but also taken and afterwardes brought before the Emperor Traianus which sayde vnto him these words Speake Cebalus Why diddest thou rebell against the Romaines since thou knowest that the Romanes are inuincible King Cebalus answered him If the Romans could not bee ouercome how then did I ouercome the Emperour Domitian Traian the Emperour sayde vnto him againe Thou art greatly deceyued King Cebalus to thinke that when thou ouercamest the Emperor thou hadst ouercome the Romanes For when that Romulus founded Rome the Gods ordained that though their Emperour dyed in any battell yet notwithstanding it is not to bee thought that the Empire is ouercome The Historiographers made a great matter of the words that this Vlpius Traianus spake for therin he shewed that the Rom Empire was invincible After that this King Cebalus was dead and that for his deserts hee was depriued as the Emperour Traian was a mercifull Prince so hee prouided that a little child that Cebalus had should bee brought vp in his Palace with intention that if the Child became good they would giue him the Realme which his Father through treason had lost For in Rome there was an auncient Law that all which the Father lost by reason the sonne should recouer by his faithfull acts It chaunced that the good Traian taking his pleasure in the garden of Vulcan saw the sonne of King Cebalus and many other young children of Rome stealing fruit foorth of an Orchard and it is no wonder for the Locustes did not so much harme to the corne as the children do to the fruites when they enter into the Orchards When the Emperour afterwardes demaunded him from whence hee came hee answered from his study hearing Rethorike but indeed hee came from stealing of fruit The Emperour Traian was so angry and displeased that the child was a lyer that he commanded he should vtterly be depriued and made voide of all hope to recouer the Realme of his Father The Emperour Traian was greatly importuned as wel of strange Ambassadours as of his owne countrimen that he would change that cruell sentence For Princes in a fury doe commaund that which when they are patient they doe vndo The Emperour Traian answered them if the Father of this child which was King Cebalus had been a true Prince he had not lost his life neyther his Realme nor had not put mee and the Empire so many times in daunger but since the Father was a lyer and the sonne is not true it were too vniust a thing to render him the Realme For to me it should be great reproach and to our mother Rome as much dishonour that shee being the mother of truth should giue Realmes to children beeing lyers This was it that Vlpius Traian spake vnto the sonne of King Cebalus Marcus Aurelius the 17. Emperour of Rome had two sonnes as before we haue rehearsed the eldest of the which was called Comodus and his father procured greatly to dishen herite him of the Empire for hee would that the second sonne named Verissimus should haue enherited it and hee did not onely determine it but also spake it oft times openly For that thing is with great difficulty dissembled that excessiuely is beloued By chance an olde Senator and friend of Marcus Aurelius the Emperour one day both going out of the Senate house sayde vnto him I maruell at thee most Excellent Prince Why thou doest dishenherite thy sonne which is eldest to make thine Heyre the youngest knowing that they are both thy sonnes and that the gods haue giuen thee no other but them For the good Fathers are bound to chasten their children but they haue not licence to dishenherite them The Emperour Marcus Aurelius answered him If thou wert a Greeke Philosopher as thou ort a Romane Citizen and if thou knowest tke fathers loue towards the child thou wouldest not take pitty on my sonne which vndoeth the Empire but thou shouldest haue compassion on me his Father which doth dishenherite him For the child scarcely knoweth what hee looseth but I that am his Father doe bewayle the dammage which I doe vnto him For in the end there is not in the world so cruell a Father but if his sonne should bee hurt with the pomell of the sword in the hand the Father would feele incontinently the dent of his blade at his heart In this case I sweare vnto thee by the immortall Gods that I do that which I would not doe and I take that from him which I would not take For Anthonius my Lord and Father in law gaue mee the Empire for no other cause but because hee neuer found in mee any lye and for this occasion I doe depriue my sonne from it for that I neuer found in him any truth For it is not meete that the Empire beeing giuen vnto me for that I was true should bee left in heritage to him that is a lyer For in the ende it is better that the sonne doe loose the heritage then the father should loose his renowne By these two examples those which are the tutors and masters of Princes and great Lordes may see how to bee diligent to keepe them from lyes whilest they are yong and it ought to be in such sort that neyther in pastime neyther in earnest answering they should bee suffered to tell a lye For those that for their pleasures were accustomed to lye in their youth will not fayle for their profite to lye in their age Secondarily the Tutours and Masters ought to keepe their Disciples that they bee no gamesters that they doe not accustome themselues in their youth to bee vnthrifts for it is a great token of the decay of the Empire when the Prince in his youth is affectionated to play Experience sheweth vs that to play is a vice as Seneca saieth which hath the property of a raging dogge with whom if a man bee once bitten vnlesse hee hath present remedie forthwith he runneth mad and the disease also continueth with him vncurable vntill the houre of his death Players not without a cause are compared to madde dogges for al those that vse it hurt their conscience loose their honour and consume their substance It chaunceth oft that in that wherein Masters should bee most circumspect they for the most part are most negligent that is to say that vnder the colour of some honest recreation they agree to their Schollers to vse some pastime which if therein bee contained no commendable exercise the children ought not to vse it nor yet the tutors to suffer it for vice is of such a propertie that if a childe in his youth dare play a point it is to bee feared when he commeth to yeares hee
one as al may say that in him there is nothing worthy of reprehension but adding therunto It displeaseth me much more that he should haue so euill Iudges that all should say in them were nothing worthy of commendation For the faults of Princes very well may be excused but the offences of the officers can by no meanes bee endured Many princes and great Lords deceiue themselus in thinking that they do their duety in that they be vertuous in their persons but it is not so for it sufficeth not a prince to draw vnto him all vertues but also hee is bound to root all vices out of the cōmon wealth Admit that princes will not or of themselues cannot govern the common-wealth yet let vs desire and admonish them to seeke good Officers to doe it for them For the poore Plebeian hath no account to render but of his good or euil life but the prince shall render account of his vitious life which he hath led and of the little care that he hath had of his common wealth Seneca in an Epistle he wrote to Lucilla sayth My deare friend Lucilla I would gladly thou wouldest come and see me heere in Rome but I pray thee recommend to good Iudges the Isle of Scicile for I would not desire to enioy thy sight if through my occasion thou shouldest leaue the Common-wealth out of order And to the entent thou mayest know what conditions they ought to haue whom thou shouldest choose for Gouernors or Iudges I will let thee vnderstand that they ought to be graue in their sentences iust in their wordes honest in their workes mercifull in their iustice and aboue all not corrupted with bribes And if I do aduertise thee of this it is because if thou diddest take care to gouerne thy Common-wealth well thou shouldest now bee circumspect to examine them vnto whom presently thou must recommend the gouernement thereof I would say afterwardes that all that which the ancient philosophers haue written in many books and haue left by diuers sentences Seneca did rehearse in these few wordes the which are so graue and necessarie that if Princes retayned them in their memory to put them in execution and Iudges had them before their eyes for to accomplish them they would excuse the common wealth of diuers slaunders and they should also deliuer themselues from a great burthen of their conscience It is not a thing voluntary but necessary that the ministers of iustice be vertuous well established and very honest For to Iudges nothing can bee more slaunderous and hurtfull then when they should reproue young men of their youth others may iustly reprehend them of theyr lightnesse He which hath a publike Office in the Common wealth and sitteth openly to iudge therein ought to obserue a good order in his person lest hee bee noted dissolute in his doing For the Iudge which is without honesty and consideration ought to consider with himselfe that if hee alone haue authoritie to iudge of other mens goods that there are a thousand which will iudge of his life It is not onely a burden of Conscience to princes to committe the charge of gouernance of the people to dissolute persons but also it is a great contempt and disprayse of Iustice For the sentence giuen of him who deserueth to bee iudged is among the people little esteemed Plutarch in his Apothegmes sayeth that Philip King of Macedonie Father of the Great Alexander created for Iudge of a prouince a friend of his who after hee saw himselfe in such office occupyed himselfe more in kemming his head then in working or studying his bookes King Philip being enformed of the vanitie and insolency of this Iudge reuoked the power which he had giuen him and when hee complayned to all of the wrong and griefe which was done vnto him taking his office from him K. Philip sayde vnto him If I had giuen the office to thee for none other cause but being my friend beleeue mee that nothing in the world could haue sufficed to haue taken it from thee because I louing thee so entirely as I did reason would not I should haue depriued thee of this office wherewith I honoured thee I gaue thee this office thinking that thou werte vertuous sage honest and also a man well occupied and me thinketh thou rather occupiest thy selfe in beholding thy person thē in gouerning well my Common-wealth which thou oughtest not to consent vnto and much lesse doe in deed for the Iudge ought to bee so occupied in the administration of the Common wealth that hee should haue no leasure at any time for to combe his heade These wordes the good Philip spake vnto the Iudge whom hee displaced of his office for beeing too fine diligent in combing his head and trimming his person It is not onely decent for ministers of Iustice to bee graue and honest but also it behoueth them to bee true and faithfull For to Iudge whose office is to iudge the truth there can bee no greater infamie then to be counted a lyer When two Plebeyans bee at variance together for one thing they come before the iudge for naught els but that hee should iudge who hath right and iustice therevnto Therefore if such a Iustice bee not counted true but a lyer all take his iudgement for false so that if the plaintife hath no more power hee will obey iustice yet at the least he will blaspheme him that gaue sentence There are some Iudges that presently to get more money to drawe vnto them more friends and to continue also in their Offices vse such shamefull shifts with the poore plaintifes and take such large bribes of the defendant that both partyes are by himselfe assured of the Sentence in their fauour before hee come vnto the Barre Many goe to the houses of Iudges some to demaund others to giue instructions others to worke deceyte others to win them others to importune thē but few to go to visite them so that for those and such semblables I doe aduise and admonish Officers that they be iust in their sentences vpright in their wordes The ministers of Iustice ought to be such and so good that in their life nothing be worthie of rebuke neyther in their words any thing worthy of reproche For if heerein they be not very circumspect oftentimes that shall happen which the Gods vvould not which is that to the preiudice of the iustice of another hee shall denie the words of himselfe It sufficeth not Iudges to be true in their words but it is very necessarie that they bee vpright in their sentences That is to say that for loue they bee not too large neyther for couetousnes they should be corrupted nor for feare drawne backe nor with prayers to bee flattered nor with promises blinded For otherwise it were a great shame and inconuenience that the Yarde which they carrie in theyr hands should bee streight and the life which they lead should be very
crooked To the end Iustices be vpright they ought much to trauell to bee liberall I meane in things wherein they ought to giue sentence It is vnpossible that those which haue respect in theyr sentences to fauour their Friendes should not accustomably vse to bee reuenged of theyr enemyes Truely such a Iudge ought not to bee called iust but a priuate tyrant Hee that with affection iudgeth and passion punisheth is greatly deceyued Those in like manner which haue authority to gouerne and doe thinke that for borrowing a little of Iustice they should therby encrease and multiplie friends in the common wealth are much abused For this acte before men is so heynous and before GOD so detestable that though for a space he refraine his hands yet in the ende hee will extend his power For the Redeemer of the world onely Father of Trueth will not permit that such doe take vppon them the title of Iustice which in their Offices do shew so extreame wrong Helius Spartianus in the life of Anthonius saith that the good Emperour going to visite his Empire as he was in Capua and there demaunding of the state of the Censours whether they were vniust or rightfull A man of Capua saide in this wise By the immortall Gods most noble Prince I sweare that this Iudge who presently gouerneth here is neither iust nor honest and therefore mee thinks it necessarie that wee depriue him of his dignitie and I will recount vnto thee what befell betweene him and mee I besought him that for my sake hee would graunt me foure things which were all vniust and hee willingly condescended therevnto wherof I had no lesse maruell in my hart then vexation in my bodie For when I did desire him I thought nothing lesse then to obtaine them but only for the contentation of those which instantly desired me to doe it And further this Capuan saide By the God Genius I sweare likewise that I was not the more friendly vnto him for that he sayde he did it for my sake more then for another For hee that to mee would graunt these foure it is to bee beleeued that vnto others hee would graunt them foure hundreth For the which thou oughtest to prouide most noble Prince because good Iudges ought to be patient to heare and iust to determine By this notable example Iudges ought to haue a great respect not to those which doe desire them but to that which they demaund For in doing their duty their enemyes will proclaime them iust and contrary wise if they doe that they should not doe their nearest friends wil account them as tyrants Iudges which pretend fauour vnto the common-wealth and to bee carefull of their consciences ought not to content themselues simply to doe Iustice but that of themselues they should haue such an opinion that none durste presume to come and require at their hands any vile or dishonest thing For otherwise if we note the demaunder to bee vnshamefaste we must needes somewhat suspect the Iudge in his iustice Princes ought also to bee very circumspect that the Iudges be not onelie contented to bee iust honest and true but also in them there ought to remaine no auarice nor couetousnes For Iustice and Auarice can seldome dwell in one house Those that haue the charge of the gouernement of the people and to iudge causes ought to take great heed that with bribes and presentes they be not corrupted For it is vnpossible but that the same day that Riches and Treasures in the houses of Iudges begin to increase that the same day the true administration of Iustice should not decay Lycurgus Prometheus and Numa Pompylius did prohibite nothing in their Law so much neyther for any other cause they ordained so many punishments but to the intent Iudges should not bee so couetous nor yet thieues And of truth they had great consideration to foresee and forbid it For the iudge that hath receyued parte of the Thefte will not giue sentence against the stealers thereof Let not iudges be credited for saying they receyue no siluer nor golde neyther silkes nor iewells but that they take onely small presentes as fruites fowles and other trifles For oftentimes it chaunceth that the iudges doe eate the fruite and the poore Suter doeth feele the morsell Cicero in the booke of lawes saith that Cato the Censor beeing very aged the Senators said vnto him one day in the Senate Thou knowest now Cato that presently wee are in the Calendes of Ianuary wherein wee vse to deuide the Offices among the people Wherefore wee haue determined to create Manlius and Calidanus Censors for this yeare wherefore tell vs as thou thinkest if they be able and sufficient to supplye the rowme Cato the Censour answered them in this wise Fathers conscript I let you knowe that I do not receyue the one nor admit the other For Manlius is very rich and Calidanus the citizen extream poore and truly in both there is great perill For we see by experience that the rich Officers are too much subiect to pleasures and the poore Officers are too much giuen to auarice And further hee said in this case me thinketh that your Iudges whom yee ought to chuse should not bee so extreame poore that they should want wherewith to care neither so rich that they should surmount in superfluity to giue themselus too much to pleasurs For men by great aboundance become vitious and by great scarcitie become couetous The Censor Cato beeing of such authoritie it is but reason that wee giue credite to his words since hee gouerned the Romane Empire so long space though in deed all the poore bee not couetous nor all the rich vitious yet hee spake it for this intent because both those Romans were noted of these two vices For the poore they desire to scrape and scratch and the rich to enioy and keepe Which of those two sortes of men Princes should chuse I cannot nor dare not rashly determine And therefore I doe not counsell them eyther to despise the poore or to chuse the rich but that they giue the authoritie of iustice to those whom they know to bee of good conscience and not subiect to couetousnesse For the iudge whose Conscience is corrupted it is vnpossible hee should minister equall iustice A man may giue a shrewde guesse of suspition in that iudge whether hee bee of brittle conscience or no if hee see him procure the office of iustice for himselfe For that man which willingly procureth the charge of conscience of another commonly little regardeth the burthen of his owne CHAP. VII Of a Letter which the Emperour Marcus Aurelius wrote to Antigonus his friend answering another which hee sent him out of Scicile wherein hee aduertised him of the cruelty of the Romane Iudges and this Letter is diuided into v. Chapters MArcus Aurelius companion in the Empire Tribune of the people presently being sicke wisheth vnto thee Antigonus health comfort in the
banishment To flye the extreame heate of Rome and to reade some bookes which are brought mee from the realme of Palestine I am come hither to Capua and for the haste I made to ride great iourneyes the Ague hath ouertaken me which is more troublesome then perillous For it taketh me with cold and plucketh my appetite from me The 20 day of Ianuary I receyued thy second letter and it hapned that thy letter and my feuer tooke mee both at one instant but the feuer grieeued me in such wise that I could not long endure to reade thy letter Mee thinketh wee haue no stay nor meane thou beeing so briefe and I so long for my long letter hath taken thy grieuous sorrows from mee but thy short letter could not take my feuer from me now that my mind is beating of thy trauell the desire that I haue to remedy it is enflamed I would tel thee one thing succor thee with som counsel but I find that the consolation which thou wantest I cannot giue thee and that which I can giue thee thou needest not In this letter shall not be written that which was in the first but herein I will trauell the best I can to answer thee I wil not occupie my self to comfort thee because I am so out of course with this disease that I haue neyther will to write ne yet any fauour in any pleasant things If perhaps this letter bee not sauoury nor compendious neither so comfortable as those which I was wōt to write vnto thee attribute not the blame vnto my good will which desireth to serue thee but to the sicknes that giueth no place thereunto For it sufficeth the sicke to be contented with medicines without satisfying theyr friendes If thy comfort consisted in writing many letters and offering thee many words truely I would not sticke to doe that for my feuer but it neither profiteth thee nor satisfieth mee since I haue little to proffer thee much Talking now of this matter I doe remember that the ancient lawes of the Rhodians sayd these words We desire and admonish all men to visite the Captiues the Pilgrimes and the comfortlesse and further we ordaine and commaund that none in the Common wealth be so hardy to giue counsell vnlesse therewith hee giue remedy For to the troubled heart words comforteth little when in them there is no remedy Of a truth the Law of the Rhodians is good and the Romane which shall obserue them much better Assure thy self that I am very desirous to see thee and also I know that thou wouldest as gladly speake vnto me to recount mee all thy griefes Truely I doe not maruell because the wounded heart quieteth himselfe more declaring his owne griefes thē hearing another mans consolations Thou writest vnto me of sūdry things in thy letter the effect whereof that thou certifiest me is that the Iudges and Officers in that Realme bee very rigorous and extreame and that therefore the Cicilians are greatly displeased with the Senate Hitherto thou hast neuer tolde mee lye the which moueth me to beleeue all that thou writest now in thy letter Wherefore I take it for a thing most true that forasmuch as all those of Cicill are malitious and enuious they giue the Iudges fitte occasion to bee cruell For it is a generall rule where men are out of order the Ministers of iustice ought to bee rigorous And though in other realms it chaunced not it is to be beleeued that it is true in this Realme whereof the ancient Prouerbe sayth All those which inhabite the Isles are euill but the Cicilians are worst of all At this day the wicked are so mighty in their malice and the good are so much diminished in their vertues that if by Iustice there were not a bridle the wicked would surmount al the world and the good should vanish immediately But returning to our matter I say that considering with what how many euils wee are enuironed and to how many miseries wee are subiect I doe not maruell at the vanities that men commit but I am ashamed of the cruelty which our iudges execute so that wee may rather call them tyrants which kill by violence then Iudges which minister by iustice Of one thing I was greatly astonied and almost past my sense which is that iustice of right pertayneth to the Gods and they being offended will bee called pittifull and wee others borrow iustice and not beeing offended doe glorifie our selues to be called cruell I know not what man will hurt another since wee see that the Gods forgiuing their proper iniuries haue obtained the renowne of mercifull and wee others punishing the iniuries done vnto another doe remaine with the name of the tirants If the punishment of the Gods were so seuere as our sinnes are filthy and that they should measure vs with this measure the only desert of one offence is sufficient to take life from vs. With reason hee cannot be called a man amongst men but a sauage amongst the sauages that forgetting to be of feeble flesh tormenteth the flesh of his brother If a man he helde himselfe from toppe to toe he shall finde not one thing in him to moue him to cruelty but he shall see in him many instruments to exercise mercy For hee hath his eyes wherewith hee ought to behold the needy and indigent hee hath feete to goe to the Church and Setmons he hath hands to helpe all hee hath his tongue to fauour the Orphanes he hath a heart to loue God And to conclude hee hath vnderstāding to know the euill and discretion to follow the good If men owe much to the Gods for giuing them these Instruments to be pittifull truely they are bound no lesse vnto them for taking from them all occasions to be cruell For hee hath not giuen them hornes as to buls neither nailes as to the cat nor yet hee hath giuen them poyson as to the Serpent Finally hee hath nor giuen them so perilous feet as to a horse to strike nor hee hath giuen them such bloudie teeth as to the Lyons to bite Then sith the Gods bee pittifull and haue created vs pittifull and commaunded vs to bee pittifull why do our Iudges desire then to be cruell O how many cruell and seuere Iudges are there at this day in the Romane Empire which vnder the colour of good zeale to iustice aduenture to vndo the common wealth For not for the zeale of iustice but for the desire to attaine to renowne they haue beene ouercome with malice and denyed their owne proper Nature I doe not maruell that a Romane Censor should enuie my house will euill to my friends fauour mine enemies dispise my children with euill eyes behold my daughters couet my goods speake euill of my person but that which I am ashamed of is that diuers Iudges are so greedy to teare mens flesh as if they were Beares mans flesh were nointed with honey CHAP. VIII The Emperour
continueth still his letter speaking against cruell Iudges and reciteth two examples the one of a pitifull king of Cypres and the other of a cruell iudge of Rome BY the saith of a good man I sweare vnto thee friend Antigonus that I being yong knew a Iudg in Rome whose name was Licaronicus a man of high stature his flesh neither too fat nor too leane his eyes were somewhat bloudy and red he was of the linage of the Senators and on his face hee had but a little bearde and on his head he had many white hayres This Lycaronicus of long time was Iudge in Rome in the Romane Lawes hee was very well learned and in Customes and policies very skilfull and expert of his owne Nature hee spake little and in the aunsweres hee gaue hee was very resolute Amongst all those which were in Rome in his time he had this excellencie which was That to all hee ministred equall iustice and to suters with great speede hee gaue briefe expedition and dispatched them immediatly They could neuer withdrawe him by requests neuer corrupt him with gifts nor beguile him with words nor feare him with threatnings neither would hee receyue a bribe of any man that would offer it him And besides this he was very seuere in condition churlish in wordes vnflectible in requests cruell in punishments suspitious in affaires and aboue all hee was hated of manie and feared of all How much this Lycaronicus was hated it cannot bee reported and of how manie hee was feared no man can thinke For in Rome when any man was iniuried hee saide I pray God that Lycaronicus may liue long When the children did crie the mothers said vnto them Take heede of Lycaronicus and streight way they helde theyr peace so that with the only name of Lycarcnicus people were astonyed and children kept silence Thou oughtest also to knowe Antigonus that when any commotion did arise in a Cittie or in anie other Prouince or that any sclaunder arose and increased therein they were assured and they saide that none other should goe thither but onely Lycaronicus And to say the truth when he was arriued at that Citie or prouince the rebells were not onely fledde but also diuers innocents were for feare of his crueltie hidde For Lycaronicus was so resolute a person that some for euill factes others for consenting Some for that they fauoured not the good right others for that they kept them secrete none escaped to be tormented of his person or punished in goods Thinkest thou Antigonus that they haue bin fewe whome this Iudge hath caused to bee whipt and carted cast into deepe wells beheaded taken banished and put in the stockes during the time that the Romaines had him with them By the immortall Gods I sweare vnto thee and as god Genius the God of nature may helpe me that the Gallowes and Gibbettes were so furnished with feete handes and heads of men as the shambles were with Oxen Sheepe and Kyddes This Lycaronicus was so fleshly to shead humaine bloud that he was neuer so conuersant nor hee neuer had so merrie a countenance as the same day when he should cause any man to be drowned in the riuer of Tyber hanged in Mount Celio beheadded in the streete Salario tormented or cast into the prison Marmortina Oh cruell Oh fierce and vnspeakeable condition that this Iudge Lycaronicus had For it was not possible that hee should be brought vppe betweene the delicate armes of the Romanes but in the vile entrails of you venemous Serpents I returne once more to say that it is vnpossible he should be nourished with the delicate milke of women but with the cruell bloud of Tygres If this Lycaronicus were cruell why did they giue him such aucthoritie I curse such aucthoritie If hee did for that hee had great zeale to Iustice I curse such zeale of iustice If he did it to winne more honour I curse that honour For that man shall be cursed of the Gods and hated of men which taketh life from others although it bee by iustice onely to increase his renowme The Gods are much offended and the people greatly damaged where the Senate of Rome called the Iudge gentle which is corrupted and him that is cruell iust So that nowe amongst the Romaine people those which heale with oyle are not credited but those onely which cure with fire If any mā think it at the least I doe not thinke it that when Licaronicus dyed all the cruell Iudges did end with him For through all the Romane Empire there was no more but one Lycaronicus and at this present there is aboue three or foure in euery Common wealth Not without teares I speake that which I will speake which is that in those dayes as all the Iudges that ministred were pittifull so was this Licaronicus renowmed for cruell But now since all are cruell wee hope in a Iudge which is pittifull In the 12. yeare of the foundation of our mother Rome the first king thereof was Romulus who sent a commaundement to all the neighbours and inhabitants therabouts to the end that all banished men al those which were afflicted all those which were persecuted and all those which were in necessity should come to Rome for they should bee defended from their enemies and succoured in their necessities The fame being spredde throughout Italy of the pitty and clemency which Romulus shewed in Rome if the Annalles of the Auncients do not deceiue vs Rome was more peopled with inhabitants in ten yeers then Babylon or Carthage in a hundred O noble heart of Romulus which such things inuented blessed bee that tongue which commaundeth that the famous Rome with clemency and pitty should bee founded In the originall bookes which were in the high Capitoll once I found diuers letters written to the sacred Senate and Romane people in the beginning of the letters the words sayd thus Wee the King of Parthes in Asia to the Fathers conscript of Rome and to the happy Romane people of Italy and to all those which with the Romane Senate are confederate which haue the name of Romanes and the renowne of clemency health and tranquility to your persons wee doe send you and desire the same of the gods for our selues Behold therefore Antigonus what titles of clemency had our first Romanes and what example of clemency did the Emperour leaue for them to come so that since the barbarous strangers called them pittifull it is not to be beleeued that to their subiects or naturall countreymen they were cruell And as the Auncients haue trauelled of all to be well beloued so they at this present through their cruelties seeke nothing but to bee feared If the gods perhappes should reuiue the dead and should compare the liuing before them in iudgement I suppose they would say these are not their children but their enemies not encreasers of the Common-wealth but destroyers of the people I beeing thirty seuen yeares of
the diligence which the Iudges vsed towards the Senat to the end they might giue them offices the selfe same ought the Senate to haue to seeke vertuous men to commit such charge into their hands For the office of iustice ought to be giuen not to him which procureth it but to him that best deserueth it In the yeare of the foundation of Rome 642. yeares the Romane people had many warres throughout all the world That is to say Caius Celius against those of Thrace Gneus Gardon his brother against the Sardes Iunius Scilla against the Cimbres Minutius Rufus against the Daces Seruilius Scipio against the Macedonians and Marius Consull against Iugurtha King of the Numedians and amongst all these the warre of the Numidians was the most renowmed and also perillous For if Rome had many Armies against Iugurtha to conquer him Iugurtha had in Rome good friends which did fauour him King Boco at that time was king of the Mauritans who was Iugurthas friend in the end hee was afterwards the occasion that Iugurtha was ouerthrowne and that Marius tooke him These two Kings Marius the Consull brought to Rome and triumphed of them leading them before his triumphant chariot their neckes loaden with yrons their eyes full of teares The which vnlucky fortune al the Romaines which behelde lamented and tooke great pitie of the strangers whō they heard The night after the triumph was ended it was decreede in the Senate that Iugurtha should bee beheaded leauing king Boco aliue depriued of his Country And the occasion thereof was this The Romaines had a custom of long time to put no man to execution before that first with great diligēce they had looked the ancient bookes to see if any of their predecessors had done any notable seruice to Rome whereby the poore prisoner might deserue his pardon It was found written in a booke which was in the high Capitoll that the Grandfather of King Boco was very sage and a speciall friend to the Romane people and that once hee came to Rome and made diuers orations to the Senate and amongst other notable sentences there was found in that book that he had spoken these words Woe be to that realme where all are such that neyther the good amongst the euill nor the euil amongst the good are known Woe vpon that realme which is the entertainer of all fooles and a destroyer of all Sages Woe is that Realme where the good are fearefull and the euill too bold Wo on that realme where the patient are despised and the seditious commended Wo on that Realm which destroyeth those which watch for the good and crowneth those that watch to doe euill Woe to that realme where the poore are suffered to bee proud and the rich tirants Wo to that realme where all know the euil and no man doth follow the good woe to that realme where so many euill vices are openly committed which in another countrie dare not secrrtly bee mentioned Wo to that realm where all procure that they desire where all attaine to that they procure where all thinke that this is euill where al speake that they thinke and finally where all may doe that which they will In such and so vnfortunate a realm where the people are too wicked let euery man beware hee bee not inhabitant For in short time they shall see vpon him eyther the yre of the Gods the fury of the men the depoputation of the good or the desolation of the Tirants Diuers other notable thinges were contained in those Orations the which are not at this present touching my letter But forasmuch as we thought it was a very iust thing that they should pardon the folly of the Nephew for the deserts of the wise grandfather Thou shalt reade this my letter openly to the Pretours and Iudges which are resident there and the case shall bee that when thou shalt reade it thou shalt admonish them that if they will not amend secretly wee will punish them openly I wrote vnto thee the last day that as touching thy banishment I would be thy friend and be thou assured that for to enioy thy old friendshipp and to performe my word I will not let to danger my person I write vnto Panutius my Secretary to succour thee with two thousand Sesterses wherewith thou mayest releeue thy pouerty and from hence I send thee my letter wherewith thou mayest comfort thy sorrowfull hear I say no more to thee in this case but that thorough the Gods thou mayest haue contentation of all that thou enioyest health of thy person and comfort of thy friends the bodily euils the cruell enemies the perillous destenies bee farre from me Marke In the behalfe of thy Wife Rufa I haue saluted my wise Faustine shee and I both haue receyued with ioy thy salutations and with thankes wee sent them you againe I desire to see thy person here in Italy and wish my feuer quartens there with thee in Scicilie CHAP. XII An exhortation of the Author to Princes and Noble men to embrace peace and to eschew the occasions of warre OCtauian Augustus second Emperour of Rome is commended of all for that hee was so good of his person and so wel beloued of all the Romane Empire Suetonius Tranquillus sayth that when any man dyed in Rome in his time they gaue great thanks to the Gods for that they tooke their life from them before their Prince knew what death meant And not contented onelie with this but in their Testaments they commaunded their heires and children that yearely they should offer great sacrifices of their proper goods in all the Temples of Rome to the end the Gods shold prolong the dayes of their Prince That time indeed might bee called the golden age and the blessed land where the Prince loued so well his subiects and the subiects so much obeyed their prince for seldome times it hapneth that one will be content with the seruices of all neyther that all will bee satisfied with the gouernement of one The Romans for none other cause wished for the good Prince more then for themselues life out because he kept the commonwealth in peace The vertue of this Prince deserued much prayse and the good will of the people merited no lesse commendation he for deseruing it to them they for giuing it to him for to say the truth there are few in number that so heartily loue others that for theyr sakes will hate themselues There is no man so humble but in things of honour wil be content to goe before saue only in death where he can be content to come behinde And this seemeth to bee very cleare in that that now dyeth the father now the mother now the husband now the wife now the sonne now his neighbour in the end euery man is content with the death of an other so that he with his owne life may escape himselfe A Prince which is gentle patient stout sober honest and
knew that there was in Spaine great mynes of gold and siluer immediately arose betweene them exceeding cruell warres so that those two puissant Realmes for to take from each other their goods destroied their owne proper Dominions The Authors of the aboue saide were Plutarchus Paulus Diaconus Berosus and Titus Liutus O secrete iudgements of God which sufferest such things O mercifull goodnes of thee my Lord that permitteth such things that through the dreame of one prince in his chamber another for to robbe the treasures of Spaine another to flye the colde of Hungarie another to drinke the Wines of Italy another to eate figs of Greece should put all the Countrey to fire and bloud Let not my penne bee cruell against all Princes which haue vniust warres For as Traianus sayd Iust warre is more worth then fained peace I commend approue and exalt princes which are carefull and stout to defend and keepe that which their predecessors left them For admitte that for dispossessing them hereof commeth all the breach with other princes Looke how much his enemy offendeth his conscience for taking it so much offendeth he his Common-wealth for not defending it The wordes which the diuine Plato spake in the first booke of his Lawes did satisfie me greatly which were these It is not meete we should be too extream in commending those which haue peace nor let vs bee too vehement in reproouing those which haue warre For it may bee now that if one haue warre it is to the end to attaine peace And for the contrary if one haue peace it shall be to the end to make warre Indeed Plato sayd very true For it is more worth to desire short warre for long peace then short peace for long warre The Philosopher Chilo being demanded whereby a good or euill Gouernour might be knowne he answered There is nothing whereby a good and euill man may bee better known then in that for which bey striue For the tyrannous Prince offereth himselfe to aye to take from another but the vertuous Prince trauelleth to defend his owne When the Redeemer of this world departed from this world hee sayde not I giue yee my warre or leaue yee my warre but I leaue you my peace and giue you my peace Thereof ensueth that the good Christian is bound to keepe the peace which Christ so much commaunded then to inuent warre to reuenge his proper iniurie which God so much hated If Princes did that they ought for to doe and in this case would beleeue mee for no temporall thing they should condiscend to shedde mans bloud if nothing else yet at the least the loue of him which on the Crosse shedd his precious bloud for vs should from that cleane disswade vs. For the good Christians are commaunded to bewayle their owne sinnes but they haue no licence to shed the bloud of their enemies Finally I desire exhort and further admonish all princes and great Lords that for his sake that is prince of peace they loue peace procure peace keepe peace and liue in peace For in peace they shall bee rich and their people happie CHAP. XIIII The Emperour Marcus Aurelius writeth to his friend Cornelius wherein hee describeth the discommodities of warre and the vanitie of Triumph MArcus Aurelius wisheth to thee Cornelius his faithfull friend health to thy person and good lucke against all euil fortune Within fifteene dayes after I came from the warre of Asia whereof I haue triumphed here in Rome remembring that in times past thou wert a companion of my trauell I sent immediately to certifie thee of my triumphes For the noble hearts doe more reioyce of their friends ioy then they do of their owne proper delights If thou wilt take paines to come when I send to call thee bee thou assured that on the one part thou shalt haue much pleasure to see the great abundance of riches that I haue brought out of Asia and to beholde my receiuing into Rome and on the other thou canst not keepe thy selfe from weeping to see such a sorte of Captiues the which entred in before the triumphant chariots bound and naked to augment the conquerours most glory and also to them vanquished to be a greater ignomie Seldome times we see the Sun shine bright all the day long but first in the Summer there hath beene a mist or if it be in the winter there hath beene a frost By this Parable I meane that one of the miseries of this world is that wee shall see few in this world which now bee prosperous but before haue had fortune in some cases very malitious For wee see by experience some come to bee very poore and other chaunce to attaine to great riches so that through the empouerishing of those the other become rich and prosperous The weapon of the one causeth the other to laugh so that if the bucket that is empty aboue doth not goe downe the other which is ful beneath cannot come vp Speaking therefore according to sensuality thou wouldest haue beene glad that day to haue seene our triumph with the abundance of riches the great number of Captiues the diuersity of beasts the valiantnes of the Captaines the sharpenesse of wittes which wee brought from Asia and entred into Rome wherby thou mightest well know the daungers that wee escaped in the ware Wherefore speaking the truth the matter betweene vs and our enemies was so debated that those of vs that escaped best had their bodies sore wounded and their veins also almost without bloud I let thee know my Cornelius that the Parthians are warlike men in dangerous enterprises very hardie and bold And when they are at home in their Country euery one with a stout hart defendeth his house and surely they doe it like good men and valiant Captaines For if we other Romanes without reason and through ambition doe goe to take an other mans it is meete and iust that they by force doe defend their owne Let no man through the aboundance of malice or want of wisedom enuie the Romane Captaine for any triumph that is giuen him by his mother Rome for surely to get this onely one dayes honour he aduentureth his life a thousand times in the field I will not speake all that I might say of them that wee ledde foorth to the warres nor of them which wee leaue here at home in Rome which bee all cruell Iudges of our fame for theyr iudgement is not vpright according to equity but rather proceedeth of malice and enuie Though they take mee for a patient men and not farre out of order yet I let thee know my Cornelius that there is no patience can suffer nor heart dissemble to see many Romanes to haue such great enuie which through their malitious tongues passe not to backebite other mens triumphes For it is an olde disease of euill men through malice to backebite that with theyr tongue which through their cowardnesse they neuer durst enterprise with their
of counsel they themselues imagine and other flattrers telleth that thogh they haue much in respect of other princes yet they can doe little Also they say vnto them that if their substaunce bee great their Fame ought to bee greater Further they tell them that the good Prince ought little to esteeme that hee hath inherited of his predecessors in respect of the great deale more hee ought to leaue to his successours Also they tell them that neuer prince left of him any great memory but inuenting some cruell Warre against his enemie Also they tell them that the houre that one is chosen Emperour of Rome hee may boldely conquer the whole earth These vaine reasons being heard of the princes afterwardes as their Fortune is base and their mindes high immediately they defie their enemies they open their Treasures they assemble great armies and in the end of all the Gods suffer that they thinking to tkae an other mans goods they waste and lose their owne Oh Princes I knowe not who doth deceyue yee that you which by peace may be rich and by war wil be poore Oh Princes I know not who doth deceiue you that you which may be loued doe seeke occasions to be hated Oh princes I knowe not who doth beguyle yee that yee which may enioy a sure life doe aduenture your selues to the mutabilitie of Fortune Oh princes I knowe not who doeth deceyue you that you so little esteeme and weigh your owne aboundance and so greatly set by the wants of others Oh princes I know not who doth deceiue you that all hauing need of you you should haue neede of others I let thee to knowe my Cornelius though a prince bee more quicke and carefull then all other his predecessors haue bin in Rome yet it is vnpossible that all things touching warre should succeede vnto him prosperously For in the greatest neede of warres eyther he wanteth money or his subiects do not succour him or time is contrarie vnto him or he findeth perilous pasges hee lacketh Artillerie or the captaines rebell or else succour commeth to his aduersaryes so that hee seeth himselfe so miserable that thoughtes doe more oppresse his heart then the enemies do harme his land Though a prince had no warre but for to suffer men of warre yet he ought to take vpon him no warre I aske thee now my Cornelius what trauell so great to his person or what greater damage to his Realme can his Enemies do then that which his own men of warre doe c The Enemies to doe the worst they can will but robbe our Frontiers but our men of War do robbe the whole countrey The Enemies we dare and may resist but to ours we cannot nor dare not speake The Enemyes the worst they can do is once in a moneth to robbe and runne their wayes but ours daily do robbe and remaine still The Enemyes feare their enemies only but ours doe feare their enemyes and haue no pitie on their friends The enemies the further they goe on the more they diminish but ours the further they goe the more they encrease I know no greater warre that Princes can haue then to haue men of warre in their realmes For as experience doth shew vs before the Gods they are culpable to Princes importunate and to the people troublesome so that they liue to the damage of all and to the profit of none By the God Mars I swear vnto thee my friend Cornelius as hee may direct my hands in the war that I haue more complaints in the Senate of the thefts which my Captaines did in Illyria then of all the enemies of the Romane people Both for that I say and for that I kept secret I am more afraid to create an Ensigne of two hundred men of warre then to giue a cruell battell to thirty thousand men For that battell fortune good or euill forthwith dispacheth but with these I can bee sure no time of all my life Thou wilt say vnto me Cornelius that since I am Emperour of Rome I should remedy this since I know it For that Prince which dissembleth with the fault of another by reason hee will condemne him as if it were his owne To this I answere that I am not mighty enough to remedy it except by my remedy there should spring a greater inconuenience And since thou hast not beene a Prince thou couldest not fall into that I haue nor yet vnderstand that which I say For Princes by their wisdom know many things the which to remedy they haue no power So it hath beene so it is so it shall be so I found it so I keepe it so will I leaue it them so I haue reade it in bookes so haue I seen it with my eyes so haue I heard it of my predecessors And finally I say our Fathers haue inuented it and so will wee their children sustaine it and for this euill wee will leaue it to our heyres I will tell thee one thing and imagine that I erre not therein which is considering the great dammage and little profite which men of warre do bring to our Common wealth I thinke to doe it and to sustaine it eyther it is the folly of men or a scourge giuen of the Gods For there can be nothing more iust then for the Gods to permit that wee feele that in our owne houses which wee cause others in strange houses to lament All those thinges I haue written vnto thee not for that it skileth greatly that I know them but that my heart is at ease for to vtter them For as Alcibiades sayde the chests and the hearts ought alwayes to be open to their friends Panutius my Secretary goeth in my behalfe to visite that Land and I gaue him this Letter to giue thee with two Horses wherewith I doe thinke thou wilt be contented for they are Genets The Weapons and riches which I tooke of the Parthians I haue now diuided notwithstanding I do send thee two Chariots laden with them My wife Faustine greeteth thee and shee sendeth a rich glasse for thy Daughter and a iewell with stones for thy sister No more but I doe beseech the gods to giue thee a good life and me a good death CHAP. XVII An Admonition of the Author to Princes and great Lordes to the entent that the more they grow in yeares the more they are bound to refrayne from vices AVlus Gelius in his booke De noctibus Atticis sayeth that there was an auncient custome among the Romanes to honour and haue in great reuerence aged men And this was so inuiolate a Law amongst them that there was none so noble of bloud and linage neyther so puissant in riches neyther so fortunate in battels that should go before the aged men which were loden with white hayres so that they honoured them as they did the Gods Amongst other the aged men had these preheminences that is to say that in feasts they sate highest in the
doth not enrich or empouerish his Common-wealth yet wee cannot deny but that it doth much for the reputation of his person For the vanity and curiosity of garments dooth shew great lightnes of mind According to the variety of ages so ought the diuersity of apparrell to bee which seemeth to be very cleare in that the young maides are attired in one sort the married women of an other sort the widdowes of an other And likewise I would say that the apparrell of children ought to be of one sort those of young men of an other and those of olde men of an other which ought to be more honester then all For men of hoary heades ought not to be adorned with precious garments but with vertuous workes To goe cleanely to bee well apparrelled and to bee well accompanied wee doe not forbidde the olde especially those which are noble and valiant men but to goe fine to go with great traines and to go very curious wee doe not allow Let the old men pardon mee for it is not the office but of yong fooles for the one sheweth honesty and the other lightnesse It is a confusion to tell it but it is greater shame to do it that is to say that many olde men of our time take no smal felicity to put caules on their heads euery man to weare iewels on their necks to lay their caps with agglets of gold to seeke out diuers inuētions of mettall to loade their fingers with rich rings to go perfumed with odoriferous sauors to weare new fashioned apparrell and finally I say that thogh their face be ful of wrinckles they cannot suffer one wrinckle to be in their gowne All the ancient histories accuse Quint. Hortensius the Romane for that euery time when he made himselfe ready hee had a glasse before him and as much space and time had hee to streighten the pleytes of his gowne as a Woman hadde to trimme the haires of her head This Quintus Hortensius being Consull going by chance one day through Rome in a narrow streete met with the other Consull where thorough the streightnes of the passage the pleights of his Gowne were vndone vppon which occasion hee complained vnto the Senate of the other Consull that he had deserued to loose his life The Author of all this is Macrobius in the third book of the Saturnales I can not tell if I be deceyued but we may say that all the curiositie that olde men haue to goe fine well apparrelled and cleane is for no other thing but to shake off Age and to pretende right to youth What a griefe is it to see diuers auncient men the which as ripe Figges do fall and on the other side it is a wonder to see how in theyr age they make themselues young In this case I say would to God wee might see them hate vices and not to complaine of their yeares which they haue I pray and exhort all Princes and great Lordes whome our soueraigne Lord hath permitted to come to age that they doe not despise to bee aged For speaking the truth the man which hath enuie to seeme olde doth delight to liue in the lightnes of youth Also men of honor ought to be very circumspect for so much as after they are become aged they bee not suspected of their friends but that both vnto their friends and foes they be counted faithfull For a Lye in a young mans mouth is esteemed but a lye but in the mouth of an auncient or aged old man it is counted as a haynous blasphemie Noble Princes and great Lordes after they are become aged of one sort they ought to vse themselues to giue and of the other to speake For good Princes ought to sell theyr wordes by weight and giue rewardes without measure The Auncient do oftentimes complaine saying That the young will not bee conuersant with them and truely if there be any faulte therein it is of themselues And the reason is that if sometimes they doe assemble together to passe away the time if the old man set a talking he neuer maketh an ende So that a discrete man had rather goe a dozen miles on foot then to heare an olde man talke three houres If with such efficacie we perswade olde men that they be honest in theyr apparrell for a truth we will not giue them licence to bee dissolute in theyr words since there is a great difference to note some man in his Apparrell or to accuse him to bee malitious or a babler For to weare rich and costly Apparell iniurieth fewe but iniurious words hurt manie Macrobius in his first booke of the dreames of Scipio declareth of a Phylosopher named Crito who liued an hundred and fiue yeares and till fiftie yeares hee was farre out of course But after hee came to be aged he was so well measured in his eating and drinking and so warie in his speeche that they neuer saw him do any thing worthy reprehension nor heard him speake word but was worthie of noting On this condition wee would giue licence to manie that till fiftie yeares they should bee young So that from thenceforth they would be clothed as old men speake as old men and they should esteeme themselues to be olde But I am sorrie that all the Spring time doth passe in flower and afterwardes they fall into the graue as rotten before they finde any time to pull them out The olde doe complaine that the young doe not take their aduise and their excuse herein is that in their words they are too long For if a man doe demaund an olde man his opinion in a case immediately hee will beginne to say that in the life of such and such Kings and Lords of good memory this was done this was prouided so that when a young man asketh them counsel how hee shall be haue himselfe with the liuing the olde man beginneth to declare vnto him the life of those which be dead The reason why the olde men desire to speake so long is that since for their age they cannot see nor go nor eate nor sleepe they would that all the time their members were occupied to doe their duties all that time their tongue should bee occupied to declare of their times past All this being spoken what more is to say I know not but that wee should content our selues that the olde men should haue their flesh as much punished as they haue their tong with talke martyred Though it bee very vile for a young man to speake and slaunder to a young man not to say the truth yet this vice is much more to be abhorred in old Princes and other noble and worshipfull men which ought not onely to thinke it their duty to speake truth but also to punish the enemies thereof For otherwise the noble and valiant Knights should not lose a litle of their authority if a man saw on their heads but white haires and in their mouthes found
coller of golde at the necke as those of Dace Fringes in their gownes as those of Saphire hoops in their hattes as the Greekes and pearls on their fingers as those of India What wilt thou I tell thee more then I haue tolde thee but that they weare theyr Gownes long and large as those of Tharento and they weare them of the colour as men of warre and euery weeke they haue change as players and the worste of all is that they shew themselues as doating with loue now in their Age as others haue done heretofore in their youth That old men are ouercome by yong desires I doe not maruel for that brutish Lust is as naturall as the daylie foode but the olde men being olde men should be so dissolute herewith men iustly ought to be offended For the olde men couetous and of Flesh vicious both offend the Gods and slaunder the commonwealth Oh how many I haue knowne in Rome who in their youth haue been highly praysed and esteemed and after wardes through giuing themselues to very much lightnes in their age haue bin of all abhorred And the worst of all is that they haue lost all theyr credite their parents their fauour and their poore innocent Children theyr profit For many times the Gods permit that the Fathers committing the offences the paines should fall vpon their owne children The renowmed Gaguino Cato who discended from the hie linage of the sage Catoes was fiue yeares Flamen priest and administrator to the Vestall virgins three yeers Pretor two yeeres Censor one yeere Dictator fiue times Consull being 75. yeares olde he gaue himself to follow serue and to desire Rosana and daughter of Gneus Cursius a Lady of truth verie young and faire and of many desired and much made of time afterwards passing away and God Cupid doing his office the loue was so kindled inwardly in the heart of this olde man that hee ranne almost mad So that after hee had consumed all his goods in seruing her dayly he sighed and nightly hee wept onely for to see her It chaunced that the saide Rosana fell sicke of a burning ague wherewith shee was so distempered that shee could eate no meat but greatlie desired to eates grapes and sithens there were none ripe at Rome Gaguino Cato sent to the riuer of Rheyn to fetch some being farre and many miles distant from thence And when the thing was spredde through Rome and that all the people knew it and the Senate vnderstanding the folly of him the Fathers commaunded that Rosana should be looked vp with the Vestall Virgins the olde man banished Rome for euer to the end that to them it should be a punishment and to others an example Truely it grieued mee sore to see it and also I had great paines in writing it For I saw the Father dye in infamie and his children liue in pouertie I beleeue that all those which shall heare this example and all those which shall reade this writing shall finde the fact of this amorous olde man both vile and filthy and they will allow the sentence of the Senate which they gaue against him for good and iust I sweare that if Gaguino Cato had had as manie young men in his banishment as he left olde men Louers that followed his example in Rome there should not be cast away so many men neyther so many women euill married It chanceth oft times that when the olde men specially being noble and valiant are aduertised of their seruants are rebuked of their parents are prayed of their friends and accused of their enemies to bee dishonest in such a place they answere That they are not in loue but in iest When I was very young no lesse in wisedome then in age one night in the Capitoll I met with a neighbour of mine the which was so old that hee might haue taken me for his nephew to whom I sayde these words Lord Fabritius are you also in Loue he answered me You see that my age suffereth me not that I should be a louer if I should bee it is but in sport Truly I maruelled to meete him at that houre and I was ashamed to haue such an answere In olde men of great age and grauity such request cannot be called loue but griefe not pastime but losse of time not mocrie but villanie for of loue in iest ensueth infamy indeed I aske you Claude and Claudine what a thing is it to see an olde man bee in loue Truely it is no other but as a garland before the Tauerne doores where al men think that there is wine and they sell nought else but vineger They are egges white without rotten within they are golden pilles the tast wherof are very bitter and as emptie boxes in shops which haue newe writings on them or as a new gate and within in the house is full of filth and cobwebs Finally the old Louer is a knight of Exchetes which helpeth to lose money and can deliuer no man from perill Let this word be noted and alwayes in your memory committed That the olde man that is vitious is but as a Leeke which hath the head white and the tale greene Mee thinketh that you ought to breake the wings of time since that you haue feathers to flye withall deceyue not your selfe nor your friends and neighbours saying that there is time for all For the amendment is in your hands but time is in the hands of God to dispose Let vs come now to remedy this great dammage doe what you can by the day of youth and deferre it not vntill the night of age for ill cutteth the knife when the edge thereof is dulled and ill can hee gnawe the bones which is accustomed to eate the flesh I tell you and aduertise you that when the olde and rotten houses beginne to fall vnderset not them with rotten wood but with hard timber I meane with the vpright thoughts of accounts which we ought to giue the Gods of our life and to men of our renowne For I say that if the Vine bee gathered of our vertues wee ought to graffe againe the amendment and if the shreds of our gatherings be drye and withered through our peruerse workes wee ought to set them againe with new mould and good desires The Gods are so gentle to serue and so good to content that if for all the seruices we owe them and for the gifts which they giue vs we cannot pay them in good works they demaund no more in pauement but good wils Finally I say that if thou Claude and Claudine haue offered the meale of youth to the world offer now the bloud of age to the Gods I haue written longer then I had thought to haue done Salute all my neighbours specially Drusio the Patrician and noble Roman widow I remember that Gobrine your neece did mee a pleasure that day of the Feast of the mother Berecinthia wherfore I send two thousand Sesterces one
on the earth with the goods and the miserable father goeth weeping to hell with his sinnes CHAP. XXV Of a letter which the Emperor Marcus Aurelius wrote to his friend Cincinnatus who beeing a Romane Knight became a marchant of Capua wherein hee toucheth those Gentlemē which take vpon them the trade of Marchanaize against their vocation It is diuided into three Chapters MArke the Emperour with his brother Annius Verus felow in the Empire wisheth to thee Cincinnatus of Capua health to thy person and grace against thy euill fortune From the feast of our mother Berecinthe I haue seene neyther seruāt of thy house nor read letter of thy hand which maketh me suspect greatly that thy health is in danger or that thou mistrustest our friendshipp for earnest friendship requireth dayly communication or visitation I pray thee be not so carelesse from henceforth and doe not forget vs in such wise I meane that thou wilt come and see vs or at the least that thou wilt write vnto vs often for the letters of faithfull friends though vtterly they doe not take from vs the desire of the presence yet at the least they make vs hope for a meeting I know that thou mayest answere mee that in the Common wealth of Capua thou art so busied that it is impossible thou shouldest write vnto mee hereto I answere thee That in no affayres thou canst be so occupied that it bee a lawfull let not to communicate or write vnto thy friend For we may well call the time which wee liue to bee well employed which is spent in the seruice of God and in the conuersation of our friends All the residue that we waste in talking trauelling sleeping eating resting wee ought not to write it in the booke of life but in the Register of death For albeit that in such sēblable works the body is refreshed yet therewith the heart cannot be comforted I sweare vnto thee therefore my friend that it is impossible that man take any contentation of any worldly thing where the heart is not at rest for our comfort is not in the sinewes or in the bones of the body but in the liuely power of the soule It is long sithence that you and I haue knowne together it is long time likewise that I loued thee and thou me and sith wee are so true olde friends it is but reason that with good works wee doe renue our friendship For falsly they vsurpe the name of friendshippe which are not conuersant one with the other no more then if they were strangers The man which speaketh not to me which writeth not to mee which seeth me not which visiteth me not which giueth me not and to whome I giue not I would not hee were my enemy but it little auaileth mee that hee cal mee friend for particular friendship consisteth not in abundance but that friends do open their harts and talke with their persons Peraduenture thou wilt say that the great distance which is from Rome to that Country hath been occasion to diminish our friendshippe for the noble hearts are on fire with the presence of that they loue and haue great pain with the absence of that they desire I answere that the farther the delicious wines are sent from the place where they grow the greater strength they haue I meane that herein true friends are knowne when their persons are surthest seuered for then are their wills most conioyned Tell mee I pray thee Cincinnatus sithence alwayes thou hast found mee a diligent friend in thy seruice why doest thou mistrust my faithfull good will The greene leaues outwardly doe shew that the tree inwardly is not drie I meane that the good workes outwardly doe declare the feruentnes of the heart inwardly If thou Cincinnatus presumest to bee a true friend of thy friend I will thou know this rule of friendship which is where perfect loue is not there wanteth alway faithfull seruice and for the contrary he that perfectly loueth assuredly shall be serued I haue beene am and will be thine therfore thou shalt doe me great iniurie if thou art not mine CHAP. XXVI The Emperour proceedeth in his Letter declareth what vertues men ought to vse and the vices which they ought to eschew IN times past I beeing yong and thou olde I did succour thee with money and thou me with good counsell but now the world is otherwise changed in that thy white hayres doe iudge thee to be old and thy works doe cause thee to be yong Therefore necessity compelleth mee that we change our stile which is that I succour thee with counsell though thou giue me no money therefore for I count thy couetousnesse to bee such that for all the good counsell and Counsellours of Rome thou wilt not vouchsafe to giue one quatrine of Capua Now for the good that I wish thee and for that which I owe to the Law of friendshippe I will presently giue thee a counsell whereby thou maiest know what a good man ought to doe to bee beloued of God and feared and loued of men If thou wilt quietly leade thy life in this miserable World retaine this well in memory which I write vnto thee First the good deeds thou hast receyued of any those shalt thou remember and the wrongs thou hast sustained them shalt thou forget Secondarily esteeme much thy owne little and weigh not the much of an other Thirdly the company of the good alwaies couet and the conuersation of the euill dayly flye Fourthly to the great shew thy selfe graue and to the small more conuersant Fiftly to those which are present do alwaies good works and of those that be absent alwaies speake good words Sixtly weigh little the losse of fortune and esteeme much things of honour The seuenth to winne one thing neuer aduenture thou manie nor for many things doubtful do not aduenture any one thing certaine Finally and lastly I pray thee and aduertise thee that thou haue no enemie and that thou keepe but one friend He which among the good will bee counted for good none of these things hee ought to want I know well that thou wilt haue great pleasure to see these my counsels well written but I ensure thee I shal haue greater pleasure to see them in thy decdes well obserued For by writing to giue good counsell it is easie but by workes to follow the same is maruellous hard My faithfull friendship to thee plighted and thy great ability considered caused mee alwayes for thee in Rome to procure honourable offices and by my sute thou hast beene Edite and Tribune and master of the horses wherein thou behauedst thy selfe with such wisedome that all the Senate therefore yeelded mee most hearty thanks I procuring them for thee and thou for thy selfe winning such perpetuall renowme One thing of thee I vnderstand which with good will I would not haue knowne and much lesse that any such thing by thee should haue bin committed that is to say
A poore man esteemeth as much a cloake as the rich man doeth his delicious life Therefore it is a good consequent that if the Rich man take the gowne from the poore the poore man ought to take the life frō the rich Phocion amongst the Greekes was greatly renowmed and this not so much for that hee was sage as for that hee did despise all worldly riches vnto whome when Alexander the great king of Macedonte had sent him an hundred markes of siluer he said vnto those that brought it Why doth Alexander sende this Money vnto me rather then to other Phylosophers of Greece They aunswered him Hee doth send it vnto thee for that thou art the least couetous and most vertuous Then aunswered this Phylosopher Tell Alexander that though he knoweth not what belongeth vnto a Prince yet I knowe well what pertayneth to a Phylosopher For the estate and office of Phylosophers is to despise the treasurs of Princes and the office of Princes is to aske counsell of Phylosophers And further Phocion said You shall say also to Alexander That in that hee hath sent mee hee hath not shewed himselfe a pittyfull Friend but a cruell Enemie for esteeming mee an honest man such as hee thought I was he should haue holpen me to haue been such These wordes were worthie of a wise man It is great pittie to see valiaunt and Noble men to be defamed of couetousnes and onely for to get a fewe goods hee abaseth himselfe to vile offices which appertaine rather to meane persons then to noble men and valiaunt knights Whereof insueth that they liue infamed and all their friēds slandered Declaring further I say that it seemeth great lightnes that a knight should leaue the honorable estate of chiualrie to exercise the handycrafte of Husbandrie and that the Horses should bee chaunged into Oxen the speares to mattockes and the weapons into ploughes Finally they doe desire to toyle in the fields and refuse to fight in the Frontiers Oh how much some Knightes of our time haue degenerated from that their fathers haue bin in times past for their predecessors did aduance themselues of the Infidells which in the the fields they slew and their children brag of their Corne and Sheepe they haue in their grounds Our auncient knights were not wont to sigh but when they saw themselues in great distresse and their successors weepe nowe for that it rayned not in the moneth of May. Their Fathers did striue which of them could furnish most men haue moste weapons and keepe most horses but their children now a dayes contend who hath the finest witte who can heape vp greatest treasours and who can keepe most sheepe The Auncients striued who should keepe most men but these worldlings at this day striue who can haue greatest reuenues Wherefore I say since the one doeth desire as much to haue great Rents as the others did delight to haue many weapons It is as thogh Fathers should take the Sword by the pomell and the children by the scabberd All the good arts are peruerted and the arte of Chiualrie aboue all others is despised And not without cause I called it an art for the ancient philosophers cōsumed a great time to write the lawes that the knights ought to keepe And as now the order of the the Carthaginiās seemeth to bee most streight so in times past the order of Knighthood was the streightest To whom I sweare that if they obserued the order of chiualry as good gentle Knights there remained no time vacant for them in life to bee vitious nor wee should accuse them at theyr death as euil christians The true and not fayned Knight ought not to bee prowde malicious furious a glutton coward prodigall niggard a lyer a blasphemer nor negligent Finally I say that all those ought not to bee iudged as Knights which haue golden spurs vnlesse he hath therewith an honest life O if it pleased the King of Heauen that Princes would now a daies examine as straightly those which haue cure of soules as the Romanes did those which had but charge of armies In old time they neuer dubbed any man Knight vnlesse hee were of noble bloud proper of person moderate in speech exercised in the war couragious of heart happy in armes and honest in life Finally he ought of all to bee beloued for his vertue and of none hated for his vice The Knights in whom these vertues shined bright in Rome had diuers liberties that is to say that they onely might weare rings ride on horsebacke through the streetes they might haue a shield shut the gates at dinner they might drinke in cupps of siluer speake to the Senate and make defyances they might demand the ensigne weare weapons take the charge of Embassage and ward at the gates of Rome The Author hereof is Blondus in the booke De Italia illustrata If Plinie deceyue vs not in an Epistle Plutarch in his Politikes Seneca in a Tragedy and Cicero in his Paradoxes There was nothing wherein the Ancients were more circumspect then in electing of their knights now it is not so but that one hauing money to buy a Lordship immediately he is made Knight it is not to fight against the enemies in the field but more freely to commit vices and oppresse the poore in the towns To the end he may be a good Christian hee ought to thinke vpon Iesus crucified to be a good knight he ought alwayes to behold the armes of his shield the which his Grandfather or great Grandfather wanne For they they shall see that they wanne them not beeing in their houses but in shedding of the bloud of their enemies in the Frontiers CHAP. XXX Of a Letter which the Emperour wrote to Mercurius his neighbour a Marchant of Samia wherein men may learne the daungers of those which traffique by sea and also see the couetousnesse of them that trauell by land MArcus Aurelius Emperor of Rome born in mount Celio wisheth to thee Mercurius his speciall friend health and consolation in the Gods the onely Comforters It seemeth well that we are friends sithens wee doe the works of charity For I vnderstanding here thy mishap immediatly sent a messenger to comfort thee and in hearing my disease thou sendest a friend of thine to visite me Wherefore men may perceiue if thou haddest me in mind I did not forget thee I vnderstand that the messenger that went and the other that came met in Capua the one carried my desire for thee and the other brought thy letter for me And if as diligently thou haddest read mine as I attentiuly haue heard thine thou shouldest thereby plainely know that my heart was as full of sorrow as thy spirite was full of paine I was very glad great thanks I yeeld thee that thou sendest to comfort me in my feuer tertian thy visitation came at the same houre that it left mee But if the Goddes did leaue this fact in my hands
vpon the needle and thrust it into her breast whereby the mother dyed Gneus Ruffirius which was a very wise man and also my Kinsman one day combing his white hayres strake a tooth of the combe into his heade wherewith hee gaue himselfe a mortall wound so that in short space after his life had end but not his doctrine nor memory How thinkest thou Domitius By the immortal Gods I do sweare vnto thee that as I haue declared to thee this small number so I could recite thee other infinite What mishappe is this after so many fortunes what reproch after such glory What perill after such surety what euill lucke after such good successe what darke night after so cleare a day what euill entertainement after so great labour what sentence so cruell after so long processe O what inconuenience of death after so good beginning of life Being in their steade I cannot tell what I would but I had rather chuse vnfortunate life and honorable death then an infamous death and honourable life That man which will bee counted for a good man and not noted for a brute beast ought greatly to trauell to liue well and much more to dye better for the euill death maketh men doubt that the life hath not bin good and the good death is the excuse of an euill life At the beginning of my Letter I wrote vnto thee how that the gowte troubleth mee euill in my hand I say it were to much to write any longer and though the Letter bee not of my owne hand these two dayes the loue that I beare thee and the griefe that holdeth me haue striued together My will desireth to write and my fingers cannot hold the penne The remedy hereof is that since I haue no power to doe what I would as thine thou oughtest to accept what I can as mine I say no more herein but as they tell mee thou buildest now a house in Rhodes wherefore I do send thee a thousand sexterces to accomplish the same My wife Faustine saluteth thee who for thy paine is sore grieued They tell vs thou hast beene hurt wherefore she sendeth thee a weight of the Balme of Palestine Heale thy face therewith to the end the scarres of that wound doe not appeare If thou findest greene Almonds new nuts Faustine desireth thee that thou wilt send her some By another man shee sendeth a gowne for thee and a kirtle for thy wife I conclude and doe beseech the immortall Gods to giue thee all that I desire for thee and that they giue me all that thou wishest me Though by the hands of others I write vnto thee yet with my heart I loue thee CHAP. XXXV That Princes and Noble men ought to bee aduocates for widdowes Fathers of Orpnans and helpers of those which are comfortlesse MAcrobius in the 3. booke of the Saturnals sayeth That in the noble Citie of Athens there was a temple called Misericordia which the Athenians kept so well watched and locked that without leaue licence of the Senate no man might enter in There were the Images of pittifull Princes onely and none entered in there to pray but pittifull men The Athenians abhorred always seuere and cruell deeds because they would not be noted cruell And thereof commeth this manner of saying that the greatest iniurie they could say vnto a wan was That hee had neuer entred into the Schoole of the Philosophers to learne nor into the Temple of Misericordia to pray So that in the one they noted him for simple and in the other they acused him for cruell The Historiographers say that the most noble linage that was at that time was of a King of Athens the which was exceeding rich and liberall in giuing and aboue all very pittifull in pardoning Of whom it is written that after the great Treasures which he had offred in the temples and the great riches he had distributed to the poore hee tooke vpon him to bring vp all the Orphans in Athens and to feede all the widdowes O how much more did that statute of the sayde pittifull King shine in that Temple who nourished the Orphanes then the Ensignes which are set vp in the Temples of the Captains which had robbed the widows All the auncient Princes I say those that haue beene noble and valiant that haue not had the name of Tyrants though in some thinges they were noted yet they alwayes haue beene praysed esteemed and commended to be mercifull and gentle so that they recompenced the fiercenesse and cruelty which they shew to their enemies with the mercy and clemency which they vsed to the Orphans Plutarch in his Politiques sayeth that the Romanes among themselues ordained that all that which remayned of banquets and feastes which were made at mariages and triumphs should bee giuen to Widdows and orphanes And this custome was brought to so good an order that if any rich man would vse his profite of that which remayned the Orphanes might iustly haue an action of felony against him as a thing robbed from them Aristides the Philosopher in an Oration hee made of the excellency of Rome sayth That the Princes of Persia had this custome neuer to dine nor suppe but first the Trumpets should blow at their gates the which were more loude then harmonius And it was to this end that all the Widdowes and Orphanes shoulde come thither for it was a Law amongst them that all that which was left at the royall tables should bee for the poore and indigent persons Phalaris the Tirant writing to a friend of his sayde these wordes I haue receyued thy briefe Letter with the rebuke likewise which thou gauest me therein more bitter then tedious And admit that for the time it grieued mee yet after I came to my selfe I re ceyued thereby great comfort For in the ende one louing rebuke of his friēds is more worth then a fayned flattery of his enemie Amongst the things whereof thou accusest mee thou sayest that they take mee for agreat tyraunt because I disobey the Gods spoyle the Temples kyll the Priestes pursue the innocents robbe the people and the worst of all that I doe not suffer mee to be entreated nor permit that any man be conuersaunt with mee To that they say I disobey the Gods in very deede they say true For if I did all that the Gods would I should doe I should doe little of that men doe aske mee For as much as they say I robbe the Temples there vnto also I graunt For the immortall Gods doe demaund rather of vs pure hearts then that wee should buylde their Temples For that they say I kill the priests I confesse also that it is true For they are so dissolute that I thinke I doe more seruices to the Gods to put them to death then they doe in doing their Sacrifices while they liue For that they say I robbe the Temples I also confesse it For I defending it as I doe
from Enemyes it is but meete and reasonable they finde me and my Seruāts For that they say I suffer me not to be entreated it is true For daily and hourely they aske mee so many vniust and vnreasonable things that for them and for mee it is better to denye them then for to graunt them For that they say that I am not conuersant with any I confesse it is true for euer when they come into my Pallace it is not so much to doe mee seruice as to aske some particular thing for their profite For that they say I am not pittifull among the miserable and will not heare the Widdowes and Orphanes in no wise to that I will agree For I sweare vnto thee by the immortall Gods that my gates were neuer shut to Widdowes and Orphanes Pulto in the life of the Emperour Claudius sayth that once a poore widdow came before Claudius the Emperour with weeping eyes to desire him of iustice The good Prince being moued with compassion did not onely weepe as shee but with his owne hands dried her teares And as there was about the Emperour many Noble Romaines one amongst them saide thus vnto him The authority grauitie of Romaine Princes to heare their Subiects in iustice sufficeth onely though they drye not the teares of theyr faces This Emperour Claudius aunswered Good Princes ought not to bee contented to doe no more then iust ludges but in doing iustice a man must know that they are pittiful For oftentimes those which come before Princes doe returne more contented with the loue they shewe them then with the Iustice they minister vnto them And further he saide For as much as you say That it is of small authority also of lesse grauitie that a Prince doe weepe with a widdowe and with his hands wipe her eyes I aunswere thee that I desire rather to bee partaker of the griefes with my Subiectes then to giue them occasion to haue their eyes full of teares Certainely these wordes are worthie to bee noted and no lesse followed Admit that clemencie in all things deserueth to bee praised yet much more ought it to be cōmended when it is executed on women And if generally in all much more in those which are voyde of health and comfort For Women are quickly troubled and with greater difficultie comforted Plutarche and Quintus Curtius say that good entertainment which Alexander the great shewed vnto the wise and children of king Darius after hee was vtterly vanquished exalted his clemencie in such sort that they gaue rather more glorie to Alexander for the pittie and honesty which hee vsed with the children then for the victorie he had of the Father And when the vnhappie King Darius knewe the clemencie and pittie which the good King Alexander vsed towards his wife and his children hee sent vnto him his Embassadors to the ende that on his behalfe they should thanke him for that that is past and should desire him that hee would so continue in time to come Saying that it might chaunce that the Gods and Fortune would mittigate theyr wrath against him Alexander aunswered vnto the Embassadours these wordes Yee shall say in my behalfe to your king Darius that hee giue mee no thankes for the good and pittifull worke which I haue shewed or done to his captiue Women since hee is certaine I did it not for that hee was my friend and that I would not cease to doe it for that he is mine enemie But I haue done it for that a gentle Prince is bound to doe in this case For I ought to employe my clemencie vnto Women which can doe nought but weepe and my puissant power Princes shall feele which can doe nought else but wage battell c. Truely those wordes were worthie of such a Prince Manie haue enuie at the surname of Alexander which is great And he is called Alexander the great because if his heart was great in the enterprises hee tooke vppon him his courage was much more greater in Citties and Realmes which he gaue Manie haue enuie at the renowme which they giue Pompeyus because they call him great for this excellent Romaine made himselfe conquerour of xxii Realmes and in times past hath bin accompanyed with xxv Kings Manie haue enuie at the renowme of Scipto the Africane because hee ouercame and conquered the great and renowmed cittie of Carthage the which citty in riches was greater then Rome in Armes and power it surmounted all Europe Many haue enuie at Scipio the Asian who was called Asian because he subdued the prowd Asia the which vntill his time was not but as a church-yarde of Romaines Many haue great enuie at the immortall name of Charles the great because being as he was a little king he did not only vanquish and triumph ouer many Kings and Realms but also forsooke the royall Sea of his owne Realme I doe not maruell that the prowde Princes haue enuie against the vertuous and valiant Princes but if I were as they I would haue more Enuie at the renowm of Anthoninus the Emperour then of the name and renowme of all the Princes in the worlde If other Princes haue attained such prowd names it hath bin for that they robbed many Countreys spoyled many Temples cōmitted much tiranny dissembled with many Tyrants pesecuted diuers Innocents and because they haue takē from diuers good men not onely their goods but also theyr liues For the world hath such an euill propertie that to exalte the name of one onely he putteth downe 500. Neyther in such enterprises nor yet with such Titles wanne the Emperour Anthoninus Pius his good name and renowme But if they call him Authoninus the pittifull it is because hee knewe not but to bee the Father of Orphanes and was not praysed but because hee was the onely Aduocate of Widdowes Of this most excellent Prince is read that he himselfe did heare and iudge the complaints and proces in Rome of the Orphanes And for the poore and Widdowes the gates of his Pallace were alwayes open So that the porters which hee kept within his Pallace were not for to let the Entrie of the poore but for to let and keepe backe the rich The Hystoriographers oftentimes say that this good Prince sayde That the good and vertuous Princes ought alwayes to haue theyr Hearts open for the poore and to remedie the Widdowes and Father-lesse and neuer to shutte their Gates against them The God Apollo sayeth that the Prince which will not speedily iudge the causes of the poore the Gods will neuer permit that hee be well obeyed of the rich O high and worthie wordes that it pleased not the God Apollo but our Liuing GOD that they were written in the hearts of Noble Princes For nothing can be more vniust or dishonest then that in the pallaces of Princes and great Lordes the rich and the fooles should be dispatched and the Widdowes and Orphanes friendes should haue no audience Oh happie
thinke thou wilt do so For by the faith of a good man I sweare vnto thee that my heart neither suspected iâ— nor yet the aucthority of so graue a Romane doth demand it for to thee onely the fault should remaine and to me the wonder Heartily I commend vnto thee thy honesty which to thy selfe thou oughtest and the care which behooueth so worthy and notable a widow For if thou art tormented with the absence of the dead thou oughtest to comfort thee with the reputation of the liuing At this present I will say no more to thee but that thy renowne among the present be such and that they speake of thee so in absence that to the euill thou giue the bridell to be silent and to the good spurres to come and sefue thee For the widow of euill renowne ought to be buried quicke Other things to write to thee I haue none Secret matters are dangerous to trust considering that thy heart is not presently disposed to heare newes It is reason thou know that I with thy parents and friends haue spoken to the Senate which haue giuen the office that thy husband had in Constantinople to thy sonne And truly thou oughtest no lesse to reioyce of that which they haue said of thee then for that they haue giuen him For they say though thy husband had neuer beene Citizen of Rome yet they ought to haue giuen more than this onely for thy honest behauiour My wife Faustine saluteth thee and I will say I neuer saw her weepe for any thing in the world so much as shee hath wept for thy mishap For shee felt thy losse which was very great and my sorrow which was not little I send thee foure thousand sexterces in money supposing that thou hast wherewith to occupy them as well for thy necessaries as to discharge thy debts For the complaints demaunds and processes which they minister to the Romane Matrons are greater then are the goods that their husbands doe leaue them The gods which haue giuen rest to thy husband O Claudine giue also comfort to thee his wife Lauinia Marcus of mount Celio with his owne hand CHAP. XXXIX That Princes and Noble men ought to despise the world for that there is nothing in the world but plaine deceit PLato Aristotle Pythagoras Empedocles Democrates Seleucus Epicurus Diogenes Thales and Methrodorus had among them so great contention to describe the world his beginning and propertie that in maintaining euery one his opinion they made greater wars with their pens then their enemies haue done with their lances Pythagoras sayde that that which wee call the World is one thing and that which wee call the vniuersall is an other the Philosopher Thales said that there was no more but one World and to the contrarie Methrodorus the Astronomer affirmed there were infinit worlds Diogenes sayd that the world was euerlasting Seleucus sayd that it was not true but that it had an ende Aristotle seemed to say that the world was eternall But Plato sayde clearely that the world hath had beginning and shall also haue ending Epicurus sayd that it was round as a ball Empedocles saide that it was not as a bowle but as an egge Chilo the Philosopher in the high Mount Olimpus disputed that the world was as men are that is to say that hee had an intellectable and sensible soule Socrates in his Schoole sayeth and in his doctrine wrote that after 37 thousand yeares all things should returne as they had beene before That is to say that he himselfe should bee borne anew and should be nourished and should reade in Athens And Dennis the Tytant should returne to play the Tyrant in Syracuse Iulius Caesar to rule Rome Hannibal to conquer Italy and Scipio to make warre against Carthage Alexander to fight against King Darius and so foorth in all others past In such and other vaine questions and speculstions the auncient Philosophers consumed many yeares They in writing many bookes haue troubled their spirites consumed long time trauelled many Countryes and suffered innumerable dangers and in the end they haue set forth few truthes and many lyes For the least part of that they knew not was much greater then all that which they euer knew When I tooke my penne in my hand to write the vanity of the world my intention was not to reproue this material world the which of the four Elements is compounded that is to say of the earth that is cold and drie of the water that is moist and cold of the ayre that is hote and moist of fire that is drie and hote so that taking the world in this sort there is no reason why we should complaine and lament of it since that without him we cannot liue corporally When the Painter of the world came into the world it is not to be beleeued that he reproued the water which bare him when hee went vpon it nor the ayre that ceased to blow in the sea nor the earth that trembled at his death nor the light which ceased to light nor the stones which brake in sunder nor the fish which suffered themselues to bee taken not the trees which suffered themselues to be drie nor the monuments that suffered themselues to bee opened For the creature acknowledged in his Creator omnipotency and the Creator founded in the creature due obedience Oftentimes and of many persons wee heare say O woefull world O miserable world O subtill world O world vnstable and vnconstant And therefore it is reason wee know what the world is whereof the world is from whence this world is whereof this world is made and who is lord of this world since in it all things are vnstable all things are miserable all things deceitfull all things are malicious which cannot be vnderstood of this materiall worlde For in the fire in the aire in the earth and in the water in the light in the Planets in the stones and in the Trees there are no sorrowes there are no miseryes there are no deceytes nor yet any malice The world wherein wee are borne where we liue and where we die differeth much from the world whereof we doe complaine for the world against whom wee fight suffereth vs not to be in quyet one howre in the day To declare therefore my intention this wicked World is no other thing but the euill life of the Worldlings the Earth is the desire the fire the couetise the water the inconstancie the ayre the folly the stones are the pride the flowers of the Trees the thoughts the deepe Sea the heart Finally I say that the Sunne of this world is the prosperity and the moon is the continuall change The Prince of this so euill a world is the diuell of whom IESVS CHRIST laid The prince of this world shall now be cast out and this the Redeemer of the World sayeth For he called the worldlings and their worldly liues the world For since they be seruants of sinne of
and so curious to buye that that which hee taketh shall be of great measure and that which hee selleth vs shal want much weight CHAP. XLI ¶ Of a Letter which the Emperour Marcus Aurelius wrote vnto his friend Torquatus to comfort him in his banishment which is notable for all men to learne the vanities of this World MArcus Emperour of Rome companion in the Empire with his Brother Annius Verus to thee Torquatus of the citie of Gaietta wisheth all health to thy person and strength against thy euill Fortunes I beeing in the Temple of the Vestall virgines about three moneth since I receyued a Letter of thine the which was in such sorte that neyther mine eyes for that time could make an ende to read it or since I haue had the heart to answer it For in the incoÌ„nueniences of our friends if we haue no facultie nor might for to remedie it at the least we are bound to bewayle it Thy sorrow maketh me so heauie thy paine doeth trouble mee so much I am so carefull of thy anguish so tormented with thy griefe that if the Gods had giuen power to wofull men to imparte theyr sorrowes as they haue giuen to rich men to imparte their goods by the faith I owe to God I sweare that as I am the greatest of thy Friendes I would bee hee which should take the most parte of thy griefes I know right well and as well as he that hath proued it that asmuch difference as there is betweene the baâ—ke and the tree the marow and the bone the corne and the straw the gold and the drosse the trueth and the dreams so much is there to heare the Trauells of another and to taste his own Notwithstanding comfort thy selfe my friend Torquatus for where the friends bee true the goods and the euills are common betwixt them Oftentimes with my selfe I haue maruelled to what ende or intention the immortall Gods haue giuen Trauell and torments to men since it is in their powers to make vs liue without them I see no other thing why the mishaps ought paciently to bee suffered but because in those wee know who are our faithfull friendes In battell the valiant man is knowne in tempestuous weather the Pylot is known by the Touch-stone the gold is tryed and in aduersitie the true Friende is knowne For my friende doth not enough to make me merrie vnles also he doth take part of my sorrow I haue heard say here and now by thy letter I haue seene how they haue banished thee from Rome and confiscated thy goods and that for pure sorow thou art sicke in thy bed wherof I maruel not that thou art sicke but to be as thou art aliue For saying to thee the Trueth where the heart is sore wounded in shorte space it hath accustomed to yeelde vp vnto the bodie I see well that thou complaynest and thou hast reason to complain to see thy selfe banished from Rome and thy goods confiscate to see thy selfe out of thy countrey without any parentage yet therfore thy sorrowes ought not to be so extreame that thou shouldst put thy life in hazzard For hee alone ought to haue licence and also is bounde to hate life which doeth not remember that hee hath serued the Gods nor hath done any profite to men If the affayres of the Empire did not occupie me and the Emperiall Maiestie did not withdraw me I would immediately haue come to comforte thy person where thou shouldest haue seen by experience with what griefe I feele thy troubles And therefore if thou takest mee for thy friende thou oughtest to belieue of mee that which in this case I would of thee which is that as thou hast been the most entier Friend which I had in Rome So is this the thing that most I haue felt in this life Tell me my friend Torquatus what is it thou sufferest there that I do not lament here It may be that sometime thou laughest but I alwayes weepe sometimes thou comfortest thy selfe but I am alwayes sad It may be that thou lightnest thy paine but I am in sighing It may bee that sometimes thou castest from thee sorrow but for mee I cannot receyue consolation It may bee that thou hopest remedie of long life but for mee I finde no remedie more healthfull then present death Finally I say that here I feele all that thou feelest there and furthermore I suffer all that which as a friend I ought to suffer here so that both our paynes are made one moste cruell sorrowe wherewith my woefull life is tormented I would greatly desire to come and see thee and to help to disburden thee of this charge And since it is vnpossible that thou shalt finde some comfortable wordes For thou knowest that if the true Friendes cannot doe that which they ought yet they doe accomplish it in doing that they can If my memory deceyue me not it is well two and thirty yeares since we two haue known together in Rome during the which Fortune hath made here betweene vs diuers alterations in the which time I neuer saw thee one day contented For if thou were sad nothing did make thee merrie but wert as a man without taste and if thou were ioyfull thou esteemedst it little as a man being troubled Therefore if the trueth be so as indeed it is that in trauells thou were loden with sorrows and in prosperities thou wert euill content so that of nothing in the world thou takest any taste why is it my friend Torquatus that now again thou art in despaire as if thou camest new into this world Thou didst reioyce thy selfe xxxii yeares with the Triumphes and prosperitie of Rome and thou complainest onely of three moneths that Fortune hath been contrary vnto thee O Torquatus Torquatus dost thou knowe that the wise men in whome wisedome raigneth haue more feare of two vnhappie dayes in this life then of two hundreth of prosperous Fortune Oh how many haue I seene go out of their prosperities with the charges of another man and theyr owne proper vices so that the vaine-glory and the fayling prosperities endured fewe dayes but the griefe of that they haue lost and the enmities which they haue recouered endure many yeares The contrary of all this commeth to vnfortunate men which escape out of their tribulations spoyled of vices enuironed with vertues persecutors of euills zealous of good friends of all and enemyes of none contented with theirs and not desiring others Finally they are escaped wisely from the snare and haue gathered the Rose not hurting themselues with the prickes What wilt thou that I say more vnto thee but that the most Fortunate ate vanquished in peace and the vnfortunate are conquerors in warre One of the Sentences which moste haue contented me of those which the Auncients haue spoken is this of the diuine Plato That those which are in prosperity haue no lesse need of good counsell then the vnhappy haue of remedie For
their Lordes boorde but they must needs haue a cast at my Lord himselfe to cheare him withall which intollerable abuse ought not to be suffred but with most sharpe correction punished But what shall wee say that for the most part the Lords are so vaine and the Iesters so presumptuous and arrogant that the Lords haue more care to content them then they haue to please the Lords In the house of a Lord a foole at the end of the yeare will aske more then any other of those which are most auncient so that the follies of the one are more acceptable then the seruices of all It is shame to speake it and no lesse for to write it that the children of vanity are so vaine that they bribe a foole or a Iester no lesse in these dayes to the entent he may bee a meane for them vnto the Prince then they did in times past desire Cicero to make an Oration for them before the Senate It is for want of vnderstanding and through the vilety of the person oppression of the heart and disprayse of renowne to be desirous by the means of fooles to attaine to any thing For he can haue no great wisdom which putteth his hope in the fauour of a foole What remaineth for me to say when I haue sayde that which I will say And it is that if a Iester or foole say openly to some Lord God saue your life my good Lord. Oh hee is a Noble man indeed he will not sticke to giue him a gowne of silke and entring into a Church hee would not giue a poore man a halfe penny O what negligence is there of Princes O what vanity of Lordes since they forsake the poore and wise to enrich the Iesters and fooles they haue enough for the world and not for Iesus Christ they giue to those that aske for his Louers sake and not to those which aske for the health of the soule Hee ought not to doe so for the Knight which is a Christian and not a worldling ought rather to will that the poore doe pray for him at the houre of death then that the fooles and Iesters should prayse him in his life What doth it profite the soule or the body that the Iesters do praise thee for a cote thou hast giuen them and that the poore accuse thee for the bread thou hast denied them Peraduenture it will profite thee as much that a foole or a flatterer goe before a Prince apparrelled with a new liuerie of thine as the poore man shall do thee damage before God to whom thou hast denyed a poore ragged shirt All Gentlemen and Noble Parsonages in the name of our Sauiour Iesus Christ I admonish exhort and humbly require that they consider well what they spend and to whom they giue for the good Princes ought to haue more respect of the necessities of the poore then of the follyes of counterfeytes Giue as yee will diuide as yee list for at the houre of death as much as yee haue laughed with the fooles for that yee haue giuen them so much shall yee weepe with the poore for that you haue denyed them At the houre of death it shall bee grieuous paines to him that dyeth to see the flesh of the Orphanes all naked and to he holde counterfaite fooles loden with their garments Of one thing I am amazed that indifferently euery man may become a foole and no man let him and the worst of all is if once a foole become couetous all the world afterwards cannot make him to bee in his right sences Truely such one which hath no reason to bee a foole at the least he hath good occasion since hee getteth more to eat playing then the others doe by working O what negligence of the Princes and what smal respect of the Gouernours of the Common wealth is this that a yong man whole stoute strong and valiant should be suffered to goe from house to house from table to table and onely for babling vaine wordes and telling shamefull lyes hee should bee counted a man of an excellent tongue Another folly there is in this case that their words are not so foolish as their deedes are wicked though they haue a good or euill grace yet in the end they be counted in the Common wealth as loyterers and fooles I know not whether in this case is greater eyther their folly or our lightnesse for they vse vs as fooles in telling vs lyes and wee pay them good money The Romanes did not permit in their Common wealthes olde stale Iesters nor wee Christians ought to retaine into our houses idle loiterers Yee ought to know that more offendeth hee which sinneth with a deformed woman then hee which sinneth with a beautifull Lady And he which is drunke with sowre Ale offendeth more then hee which is drunke with sweet wine And so in like manner greater offence commit they which lose their times with fooles that haue no grace then with Iesters which haue good wits for it may be permitted sometime that the Sage man for the recreation of his Spirits doe frequent the company of some pleasant man CHAP. XLIV Of a Letter which the Emperour wrote to Lambertus his friend Gouernour of Hellespont certifying him that he had banished from Rome all fooles and loytering Players and is diuided into three Chapters a notable Letter for those that keepe counterfeyte fooles in their houses MArcus Aurelius onely Emperour of Rome Lord of Asia confederate with Europe friends of Affricke and enemy of the wars wisheth health to thee Lambert Gouernor of the Isle of Helespont With the furres which thou didst send mee I haue caused my gowne to be furred and am girded with the girdle which thou didst present me and am greatly contented with thy hounds For all is so good that the body doth reioyce to possesse it and the eyes to beholde it and also the heart to render thanks for it Where I did aske a few things of thee in iest thou hast sent me many in earnest wherein not as a seruant but as a friend thou hast shewed thy selfe For the office of noble and worthy hearts is to offer to their friends not onely that which they demaund but that also which they doe thinke they will demaund Truly thou hast better measured thy seruices by thy noblenesse then I thee demaund by my couetousnesse For if thou doest remember I did demaund of thee onely 12. skinnes and thou hast sent mee 12. dozen I tolde thee that I desired 6. hounds for to hunt thou hast sent mee 12. of the best that can bee found in the Isle In such sort that I had honour and thou hast wonne renowne For in the little I haue demaunded thou shalt see my little couetousnesse and in the much thou hast sent mee they shall perceiue thy great liberalitie I esteeme highly that which thou hast sent mee and I beseech the Gods send thee good lucke For thou knowest wee may
and trauells considered wherein wee liue and the safetie wherein wee dye I say that it is more needefull to haue vertue and strength to liue then courage to dye The Authour hereof is Plutarch in his Apothegmes Wee cannot say but that Cato the Censor spake as a wise man since daylie we see shamefast and vertuous persons suffer hunger cold thyrst trauell pouerty inconuenience sorrows enmities and mishaps of the which things wee were better to see the ende in one day then to suffer them euery houre For it is lesse euill to suffer an honest death then to endure a miserable life Oh how small consideration haue men to thinke that they ought to dye but once Since the truth is that the day when wee are born and come inthis worlde is the beginning of our death and the last day is when we do cease to liue If death bee no other but an ending of life then reason perswadeth vs to thinke that our infancie dyeth our childhood dyeth our manhoode dyeth and our Age shall dye wherof we may consequently cōclude that we dye euery yeare euery day euery houre and euery moment So that thinking to leade a sure life we taste a new death I know not why men feare so much to dye since that from the time of their birth they seeke none other thing but death For time neuer wanteth for any man to dye neyther I knew any man that euer fayled of this way Seneca in an Epistle declareth that as a Romaine Woman lamented the death of a Childe of hers a Phylosopher saide vnto her Woman why bewaylest thou thy childe She aunswered I weepe because hee hath liued xxv yeares and I would he should haue liued till fiftie For amongst vs mothers wee loue our Children so hartily that we neuer cease to behold them nor yet ende to bewaile them Then the Phylosopher said Tell me I pray thee woman Why doest thou not complame of the Gods because they created not thy Sonne manie yeares before he was borne as well as thou complavnest that they haue not let him liue fiftie yeares Thou weepest that hee is deade so soone and thou dost not lament that he is borne so late I tell thee true Woman that as thou doest not lament for the one no more thou oughrest to bee sorrie for the other For without the determination of the Gods we cannot shorten death and much lesse lengthen our life So Plinie saide in an Epistle that the chiefest law which the Gods haue giuen vnto humane nature was that none shold haue perpactual life For with dis-ordinate desire to liue long wee should reioyce to goe out of this paine Two Phylosophers disputing before the great Emperor Theodose the one saide that it was good to procure death and the other likewise sayde it was a necessary thing to hate life The good Theodose taking him by the hand sayd All wee mortalles are so extreame in hating and louing that vnder the colour to loue and hate life wee leade an euill life For we suffer so many trauells for to preserue it that sometimes it were much better to loose it And further hee sayde Diuers vaine men are come into so great follyes that for feare of Death they procure to hasten death And hauiwg consideration to this me seemeth that wee ought not greatly to loue life nor with desperation to seeke Death For the strong and valiant men ought not to hate Life so long as it lasteth nor to bee displeased with death when hee commeth All commended that which the Emperour Theodose spake as Paulus Dyacon saith in his life Let euery man speake what he will and let the Phylosophers counsell what they lift in my poore iudgment hee alone shall receyue death without paine who long before is prepared to receyue the same For sudden death is not onely bitter vnto him which tasteth it but also it seareth him that hateth it Lactantius saide that in such sorte man ought to liue as if from hence an houre after he should dye For those men which will haue Death before their eyes it is vnpossible that they should giue place to vaine thoughts In my opinion and also by the aduise of Apuleius It is as much follie to flie from that which we cannot auoyd as to desire that wee can not attaine And this is only spoken for those that would flye the voyage of death which is necessarie and desire to come againe which is vnpossible Those that trauell by long wayes if they want any thing they borrow it of their companie If they haue forgotten ought they returne to seeke it at their lodging or else they write vnto their friends a letter But I am sorrie that if wee once dye they will not let vs returne again we cannot speake and they will not agree we shall write but such as they shall finde vs so shall wee bee iudged And that which is most fearfull of all the execution and sentence is giuen in one day Let Noble Princes and great Lords beleeue mee in this Let them not leaue that vndone til after their death which they may doe during their life And let them not trust in that they commaund but in that whiles they liue they doe Let them not trust in the workes of an other but in theyr owne good deedes For in the end one sigh shall be more worth then all the friendes of the world I counsell pray and exhort all wise and vertuous men and also my selfe with them that in such a sort wee liue that at the houre of death wee may say we liue For wee cannot say that wee liue when we liue not well For all that time which without profite wee shall liue shall be counted vnto vs for nothing CHAP. XLIX ¶ Of the death of Marcus Aurelius the Emperour and how there are fewe Friendes which dare say the truth to sicke men THe good Emperor Marcus Aurelius now beeing aged not onely for the yeares he had but also for the great trauells hee had in the warres endured It chaunced that in the xviii yeare of his Empire and lxxij yeares from the day of his birth and of the foundation of Rome fiue hundreth xliii beeing in the warre of Pannonie which at this time is called Hungaria besieging a famous cittie called Vendeliona suddenly a disease of the palsey tooke him which was such that hee lost his life and Rome her Prince the best of life that euer was borne therein Among the Heathen princes some had more force then he others possessed more riches then hee others were as aduenturous as hee and some haue knowne as much as hee but none hath bin of so excellent and vertuous a life nor so modest as hee For his life being examined to the vttermost ther are many princely vertues to follow and fewe vices to reproue The occasion of his death was that that in going one Night about his Campe suddenly the disease of the palsey tooke him in
sufficient to protect and defende mee in all my causes And shortly after these words passed betweene tham Marke Anthonie shewed the friendship hee bare to the one and the enmitie hee had to the other For he caused Tullie to be put to death and raysed Salust to great honour A Friend may well imparte to the other all his owne as bread wine money time conuersation and such like but hee cannot notwithstanding giue him part of his heart for that suffereth it not to be parted nor deuided because it cā be giuē but to one alone This graunted to bee true as needs it must doubtles that the heart cannot bee deuided but onely giuen to one then is it of necessitie that hee that will seeke to haue many Friends must needs repaire to the shambles to prouide him of many hearts Many vaunt themselues and thinke it a glory to haue numbers of friends but let such well consider to what vse that legendarie of Friendes doe serue them they shall then easily finde they stand them in no oeher steede but to eate to drinke to walke to babble and to murmure togethers and not one to helpe the other with their goods fauour and credite at their neede nor friendly to reprooue them of theyr faults and vices which doubtles ought not to bee so For where true and perfect friendship raigneth neyther I with my friend nor hee with mee should dissemble any vice of faulte Ouide sayth in his booke De Arte amandi that the law of true and vnfained Loue is so streight that no friendship but mine in thy heart should harbour and in mine should lodge none others loue but thine for loue is none other thing But one heart liuining in two bodyes and two bodyes obeying in one heart In this World there is no treasure comparable to a true and sure Friend sith to a faithfull Friende a man may safely discouer the secrets of his heart bewray vnto him his gryping griefes trusting him with his honour committing to his guyde and custodie all his goods hee shall succour him in his miserie counsell him in perill reioyce at his prosperitie and mourne at his aduersitie And in fine I conclude such a friend neuer wearyeth to serue him in his life nor to lament him after his death I graunt that Golde and Siluer is good Kinsefolkes are good and Money is good but true friends exceede them all without comparison For all these things cannot warrant vs from necessitie if sinister Fortune plunge vs into it but rather encrease our torments and extreamitie Also they doe not reioyce vs but rather heape further griefes vpon vs neither doe they succour vs but rather eache houre giue vs cause to complaine and much lesse do they remember and aduise vs of that that is good but still doe deceyue vs not directing vs the right way but still bringing vs out of our way and when they haue led vs awry out of the High-way they bring vs into Desart woods and high and dangerous mountaines whence from we must fall downe headlong A true friend is no partaker of these conditions but rather hee is sorry for the least trouble that happeneth to his friend hee feareth not neither spareth his goods nor the daunger of his person he careth not to take vpon him any painfull iourney quarrels or sutes nor yet to put his life in euery hazard of death And yet that that is most of all to bee esteemed is that like as the heart and bowels euer burne with pure and sincere loue so doth hee wish and desire with gladsome mind to beare the burthen of all his friends mishaps yea more then yet is spoken of Alexander the Great offered great presents to the Philosopher Zenocrates who would not vouchsafe to receyue them much lesse to beholde them And beeing demaunded of Alexander why he would not receyue them hauing poore kinsfolkes and parents to bestow them on hee answered him thus Truely I haue both brothers and sisters O Alexander yet I haue no kinsman but him that is my friend and one onely friend I haue who hath no need of any gifts to bee giuen him For the onely cause why I chose him to be my sole and only friend was for that I euer saw him spise these worldly things Truly the sentence of this good Philosopher Zenocrates is of no small efficacy for him that will aduisedly consider of it sith that not seldome but many times it happeneth that the great troubles the sundry dangers the continuall necessities and miseries wee suffer in this vale of misery haue for the most part procceded from our parents and afterwards by our friends haue beene mediated and redressed Therefore since wee haue thought it good and necessary to chose a friend and that hee bee but one onely each man must bee wise lest in such choise hee be deceyued For oft times it happeneth that those that take little regarde herein grant their friendship to such a one as is too couetous impatient a great babler seditious and presumptuous and of such conditions that sometimes it should be lesse euill for vs to haue him our enemie then to account of him as of our deer friend Him whom wee will chuse for our faithfull friend amongst other manners and conditions hee must chiefly and before all bee indued with these that he be courteous of nature fayre spoken hard and stout to indure pain patient in troubles sober in diet moderate in his words graue and ripe in his counsels and aboue all stedfast in friendshippe and faithfull in secrets And whom wee shall find with these laudable vertues and conditions adorned him may wee safely take and accept for our friend But if wee see any of these parts wanting in him wee ought to shun him as from the plague knowing for certainety that the friendshippe of a fayned and fantasticall friend is much worse and perillous then the enmity of a knowne and open enemy for to the hands of one wee commit our heart and faith and from the deceites and treasons of the other wee defend our selues with our whole force and power Seneca writing to his deere and faithfull friend Lucillus sayeth vnto him I pray thee O Lucillus that thou order and determine thine affayres by the aduice and counsell of thy friend but also I doe remember thee that first thou see well what manner of friend thou hast chosen thee for there is no marchandise in the world this day that men are so soone beguiled in as they are in the choise of friends Therfore the graue sentence of Seneca wisely wayed wee should assent with him in opinion that sith no man buyeth a Horse but hee first causeth him to bee ridden nor bread but first hee seeth and handleth it nor wine but hee tasteth it nor flesh but first he wayeth it nor corne but hee seeth a sample nor house but hee doth first value it nor Instrument but that first hee playeth on it
Courtier in the ende hath not the meane nor commodiitie to spende as the Countrey-man hath that liueth at home at else in the countrey spendeth such commodities as hee brings into his house but the courtier consumeth in court not his owne alone but also that of others And therefore in Courte or elsewhere let euery wise man bee diligent to bring his affayres to ende but yet let him so moderate and vse his Expences as hee shall not neede nor be driuen to morgage and gage that hee hath For hee that feasteth and rowteth with others purse of that that is lent him cannot choose but in the ende he must breake and deceyue his creditours Therfore all worthiemen that loue their honour and feare reproache ought rather to suffer hunger colde thyrst care paine and sorrow then to be had in the checke-roule of ryotous and prodigall spenders trustlesse of theyr promises and suspected of their wordes There is yet another great trouble in the court of Princes and that is the exceeding dearth of victualls the vnreasonable want of houses and the great price of horses for many times they spend more for strawe and litter for their horse then they doe in other places for hay oats and bread And further if the Courtyer bee a poore gentleman and that he would feast and banquet his friends or companions he shall spend at one dinner or supper so much that he shal be constrained to faste a whole weeke after Therefore if the Courtyer will be well vsed in following of the Courte hee must not onely knowe and speake to also loue and inuite at times the Butchers Vittlers Fruitrers Keepers and Fosters Fishmongers and Poultrers and other purueyers of the same Of whom hee shall alwayes haue asmuch neede of his prouision as he shal haue neede of the iudges to shewe him Iustice when hee shall neede it For meate bread wine wood haye oats and strawe are commonly very deare it Court for fewe of all these things are to bee bought in Court but of others infinit things to be solde to profite and gayne the poore Courtyers that else had no shift to liue And yet is there a little more trouble in Court and that is that continually letters are sent to the Courtier from his Friendes to obtaine of the Prince or his Counsell his dispatch in his priuate affaires or for his seruants or tenants or other his friends And many times these sutes are so ill welcome to the courtyer that hee had rather haue pleasured his friend with a piece of mony then they should haue layde vpon him so weightie a matter And besides this there is yet another trouble that the bringer of this letter must needes lye at the Courtyers house attending his dispatch So that the Courtyer delaying his friends busines augmenteth his griefe and keeping the messenger there increaseth his charge And if perchance his busines be not dispatched and the suite obtained those that wrote to him will not thinke hee left it off for that hee would not do it or take paines therin but for that he wanted fauour and credite or at least were very negligent in following their cause And that that vexeth them throghly yet is that their parents and friends thinke which are in the countrey farre from Court that this Courtyer hath all the Courtyers at his commaundement that he may say and doe what he will there And therefore his Friendes when they haue occasion to employ him in Court and that they write vnto him touching their affayres and that hee hath now taken vpon him the charge and burden of the same seeing himselfe after vnable to discharge that hee hath enterprised and cannot as hee would satisfie his friends expectation then hee falleth to dispaire and wysheth hee had beene dead when hee first tooke vpon him this matter and that hee made them beleeue he could goe through with that they had committed to him beeing vnpossible for him hauing small credite and estimation ' amongst the Nobilitie and Councellours Therefore I would neuer councell him that hath Brethren Friendes or other neere Kinsfolkes in Court to goe seeke them out there albeit they had matters of great weight and importance on hope to be dispatched the sooner by their credit fauour and suite And for this cause for that in Court there is euer more priuate malice and enuie then in other places wherefore they cannot bee reuenged the one of the other but must tarry a time and when they see opportunitie they set in foote to ouerthrowe and secretly to put backe theyr aduersaries suite Now loe these things and other infinite plagues doe light vpon these vnfortunate courtiers incredible happely to anie but the olde and experienced Courtyer If the old and wise Courtier would count all the fauours and mischances the dearth and abundance the frendships and enmities the contentation and displeasures and the honor infamy hee hath endured in the Court I belieeue assuredly we should not be a little sorrie for that bodie that had suffered so much but much more for that heart that had abidden all those stormes and broyles When the Courtyer seeth that hee is not heard of the Prince nor spoken to of the beloued and fauoured of the Court and that the Treasurer doeth not dispatch him and the Cofferer keepe backe his wages it is a miserie to see him and on the other side a pleasure and pastime to heare what he sayes cursing the wretched life of this world And euen then in his heate and rage he teareth and blasphemeth GOD and sweares accursedly that thenceforth hee will forsake the vaine abuses of Courte and leaue also the Trompries of the deceitfull world avowing to enclose himself within precinct of Religious walles and to take vpon him also religious habite Alas if I fetched as many sighes for my sinnes as Courtyers doe for their mishaps and disgraces what a number would they come to For a Courtyer incontinent that hee feeleh himselfe sicke that hee is alone and reiected of his Friendes in Court hee becommeth so heauie and pensiue that with his deepe sighes he pierceth the heauens on hye and with his flowing teares he moystneth the Earth below So that a man might more easily number the troubles of the stout and hardy Hercules then those which the Courtyer daily suffreth And besides those manie wee haue recyted yet further these also we can recite that their seruaunts robbe them their Purse-bearers consume their money ieasters counterfait knaues lye euer vpon their reward women picke their purses and strumpets bawds spoile them of all But what shal I say more to you If the poore Courtyer be full of feathers euery man plumes him but if he want Winges there is no man hastie to plume him And to conclude in Princes Courts you shall finde no such trade of life whereby you may satisfie euery man For if the Courtier speake little they will say he is but a foole
not onely with the sicke and diseased but the whole and found And then the good Courtier must take his leaue of them when hee is euen in his most pleasant discourse to the end they may intreateth him to tarry longer and not to tarry till they seeme to licence him by outwarde signes and ceremonies and hee that shall goe visite another let him take heed hee bee not so long and tedious in his talke that the person whom hee visiteth doe rise before him For it were too plaine a token hee were wearie of his company and long tarrying sith he rose before him to giue him ocasion to depart If his wife whom hee visiteth bee not a sister or kinswomaÌ„ of the Courtiers that visites him or that they bee not of very familiar acquintance together hee should not once seeme to aske for her much lesse to desire to see her For as Scipio sayth A man should not trust any to see his Wife nor to proue his sword It is also a custome vsed among Courtiers that when they goe to any mans house to see him before they light off their horse they send to know whether he be within or no. And when the Courtier taketh his leaue of him he hath visited hee must not suffer the Gentleman for to bring him out of his Chamber to accompany him much lesse to come downe the stayres with him which if hee vse in this manner the other shall bee bound to thanke him for his comming and shall commend him for his ciuility And if it happen when wee goe to visite some Noble man or other beloued of the Court at his lodging and that at our comming hee is ready to com out of his house to ride abroad in the fieldes to take ayre or to ride vnto the Courte for to solicite some of his affayres or to ride abroade in the towne for his pleasure the diligent Courtier must willingly accompany him and offer him all the seruice hee can and so hee shall deserue double thankes of him the one for his comming and the other for his gentle offer and company To visite the Princes seruants it is not the manner for that they are alwaies occupied in the Princes seruice neyther shall they haue such time of leysure as other haue And because they haue no time commodious to see them at home at their owne houses yet at the least the good Courtier must needes accompany them at times when they goe abroade For there is more reason the esteemed Courtier should make more of him that accompanieth him then of the other that is too importunate and troublesome to him CHAP. VII Of the good countenance and modesty the Courtier should haue in behauing himselfe at the Prince or Noble mans Table in the time of his meale THose that are abiding still in Princes Courts must in any case goe seldome or not at all abroade to others Tables but alwayes to keepe their owne For that Courtier that runneth from Table to Table to eate of others cost to haue his meate free is not so sparing of his purse as hee is too prodigall and lauish of his good reputation Therefore Eschines the Philosopher being demaunded one day what a man should do to be counted good he answered thus To become a perfect Greeke he must go to the church willingly and of good deuotion and to the warres of necessity but to feasts and banquets neyther of will nor of necessity vnlesse it be to doe them honour and pleasure that doe inuite thee Suetonius Tranquillus writeth that the Emperour Augustus prohibited in Rome that no man should enuite each other to feast or banquet with an other but if his friend would do him that honour to come to his feast that then he should send him home to his house of that meat hee should haue â—ad at the feast and banquet with them at their houses And when he was asked of certain of his friends what he meant to make this Law he gaue them this answere The cause that moued mee good friend to forbidd playes and banquets in Rome was because in play no man kept himselfe from swearing and terrible blaspheming the name of God and in banquets euery man is giuen to deâ—ect and defame his neighbour Cicero recounteth of Cato the Censor that he lying on his death bed at the mercy of God should say these words Foure things I remember I haue done in my life wherein I haue rather shewed my selfe a voluptuous and negligent Barbarian then a wise and good Romane Citizen for the which I find my selfe sore grieued The first is this For that I spent a whole day and forgot to serue the Gods and did not profite my common Wealth in any thing which I should neuer haue done For it is as great a dishonor for a Philosopher to be counted an idle and negligent person as it is for a noble heart to bee counted a ranke coward The second is for that safely I might once haue gone by land and perillously I hazarded my selfe vpon the water A thing which well I should haue let alone for neuer no wise man should euer haue put himself into perill vnlesse it were only for the seruice of the Gods for the increase of his honour or for the defence of his Country The third is that I opened once a great secret and matter of importance to a woman which I ought lesse to haue done then all the rest For in graue matters and things of counsel there is no woman capable to giue counsell and much lesse to take it and least of all to keepe it secret The fourth was that another time I was contented to be ouercome by a friend of mine that earnestly inuited me to his house to dinner and thereupon I went with him which I should not haue done for to say the truth there was neuer famous nor worthie person that went to eate in an other mans house but that hee diminished his liberty hazarding also his grauity and reputation to the rumour and brute of others The which wordes being so wisely spoken by the prudent Cato were well worthy to bee noted and carried away and so much the more that being now drawing to his last home euen in his last breathing hower hee onely spake of these foure things and no more whereof although hee were a Romane yet he shewed to vs a repenting mind But woe is mee that albeit I doe beare the name of a Christian yea and that I am so indeed yet in that last day when Nature summons mee I feare me and belieue assuredly I shall haue cause to repent me of more then foure things Now by these things heretofore recyted wee may easily coniecture that albeit wee are contented to be entreated and requested in many things yet in this onely to goe to others tables to feast and in strange houses we should not bee intreated but rather compelled and against our wills And where the Courtyer
to punish an iniurious word then to seeme to laugh at it For it is a thing more naturall and proper to women then men to desire to take reuenge of wordes with the like words againe sith the noble heart that esteemeth his honour must not haue his handes in his tongue but his tongue in his hands O how many haue we seene both out of Court and in Court the which for no other respect but to reuenge one onely silly word that touched them not much would put themselus their goods and fame in perill and yet in the end had not that reuenge which they desired but rather redoubled it against themselues in loosing their fond and vaine attempt Therefore to conclude those that will bee great in fauour and estimation in the Princes Court and those also that are now in fauour and credite with the Prince and that desire to continue and perseuer in his fauour still must not make account of any wordes spoken to him or offences done him for all that are in fauour haue neede to suffer and no occasion to report Till this present day I neuer saw any that receiued any hurt or detriment by being patient but being impatient I haue seen numbers cast thēselus away you must also know that in all places where troupes and companies of people be there is alwayes euer discords and diuersities in opinions and iudgements of men So that it happeneth many times in a common-weale yea and it meeteth sometimes in one house that all shal be of one bloud and kinred yet in priuate willes and affections mortall enemyes And therefore sure it is a thing worthy to be noted and no lesse to be wondred at to see the fathers with the sonnes the Vnckles with the nephews the graund-fathers with the children the sonnes in Law with their fathers in Lawe and Brothers with their brothers and sisters the one to be as farre different from the other as white and blacke and as much friends as the dogge and the cat And all this is caused only for that they are rather wedded to a selfe-will and opinion they haues then they are adicted to loue and affect that that nature bindeth them to We see also many young Courtiers that though they be vertuous and Noble hauing inherited and succeeded in Nobilitie of bloud their Ancestors by meanes whereof they are honoured and reuerenced and possessing also the greatnesse and abundance of their goods and riches which makes them wealthy and maintaines them honourably enioying the Noble parentage for which they are regarded hauing many friends and seruants that doe them great seruice and pleasure And all in respect of their Noble Ancestors and yet notwithstanding al these great things wee haue spoken they follow their owne inuentions and imaginations which their Ancestors knowing would haue fled and hate and mislike that they doubtlesse being aliue would haue followed And therefore it is rather a token of lightnesse then of good will for one to leaue to helpe and relieue his owne friends and kinsfolks to succour and doe good to strangers or others whom hee neuer knew nor can tell what they are For I assure you that one of the greatest losses and mishaps that can come to a Noble house is to haue new friendshippe and parciality with strangers and men vnknowne That Gentleman that giueth himselfe to follow such a one as pleaseth his fantasie best and that leaueth to leaue to those whom his Ancestors heretofore both loued and liked shall see those old friends not onely leaue and forsake him but cleane giue him ouer to his will and shortly after shall finde his substance and faculty consume and waste away besides the honour of his house to bee brought to vtter decay and obliuion And this we haue spoken onely to aduise the Princes Officers and such as haue credite and authoritie that they doe not with fauour support and ayde any partiall sect namely that that concerneth the state and body of Common-wealth for the esteemed of the Prince more easily and with lesse occasion doe vndoo themselues and lose the credite they haue wonne by reason of their partialiteis and factions they maintaine then they doe for their daily benefites and suits they importune the Prince in Wherefore the seruants and Officers of the Kings house although they bee in good fauour with the Prince and that it please him to like well of them yet they may not so hardly support any to doe hurt to others and so absolutely as if they were the Lords and Princes themselues For albeit it pleaseth the King to call them to honour and to enrich them with goods and possessions yet the King cannot nor will not like that they shall bee suborners of factions and quarels amongst their subiects in the Common-wealth And yet neuerthelesse it happeneth many times that those that see themselues onely in fauour aboue others will presume to doe violence and wrong to others trusting to their great fauour they are in that that shall suffice to cloke and hide any fault they shall commit which they neuer ought to think nor yet for any respect in the world to doe For such vnhaply might be the crime they doe commit that although it be in the Princes power to doe great things for them yet he could not at that time with his honor excuse their offence nor seeme to protect them in their lewdnesse without great murmour and discontentation of his subiects I know very well that in Court the mindes affections and opinions of Courtiers are so diuers and variable and notwithstanding the beloued of the Prince endeauour himselfe all hee can possible to please and content euery man in Court yet of all impossibilities it is a thing most impossible euer to attaine to it to winne all mens good willes Neuerthelesse hee must so trimly and wisely behaue himselfe in all his doings that those at least whom he cannot with all his pollicy and deuice make his friends haue not yet any iust occasion giuen them to bee his enemies I see there is no meane no reason no deuice nor pollicy of man fauour nor negligence that can defend the honoured and esteemed of Court from detraction and enuy Therefore I will boldly giue him this aduice with him that in matters of Iustice and other publike affayres he beare himselfe so vpright that notwithstadding they repine at his authoritie and credite yet that they haue no cause offered to complayne of him The Courtyer is forced to complaine when his owne familiar companyons and fellow-seruants of the Prince in his matters of contenion or quarrell step between them not to part them but rather to the contrary to contend with them and ioyne in demaund of that they striue for which the luckles Courtyer is very apt to know although hee dares not discouer it For many times he supposeth it lesse euill to suffer the persecution of the enemie then to fall into the disgrace of the beloued and
golde in the world I haue liued in the Court manie yeares and at this present I haue forsaken it quite wherefore I dare boldly say that if once a man come to enioy a qui life and reposed rest I am assured he would for euer hate and dislike to be a Courtier longer But like as these senseles Courtiers remember not the Life for to come but onely account of theyr vaine and Courtly Life present reputing that the most blessed and happie of any other So God seeing theyr folly and their fond addicted minde to the vanitie of Court to plague them and scourge them there withall withtheir owne rodde doth great them no other nor better rest then that they onely enioy in Princes Courts and so feedes them with their owne humour And therefore it is very truely sayde That rest and contentation neuer endeth into a 〈◊〉 house O you worthy and Noble Courtiers O you blessed and fauoured Courtiers I will remember you yea and againe remember that you presume not to cut or pull off the winges of Time since you neyther shall haue time nor meane to plucke one feather from him much lesse the least knowledge how to doe it And therefore it is sayde Ill cutteth the knife if the edge bee broken and ill can hee gnaw bones that lacketh his teeth And if hee seeme good vnto you and me also That to day it is Time to gather the fruit of the vine of our youth Let vs go now againe to seeke it about by the meanes of our amendment And if the Pipe or Caske wherein wee shoulde put our Wine bee fusty with the malignity and peruersnesse of our wicked doings Let vs season them with new and better Wine of good and holy desires And now to conclude if to sequester themselues from Court it be a wholesome Counsell for Courtiers much more wholesome and necessarie it is for such as beare sway and reputation about the Prince For other Courtiers doe dayly liue in hope to enlarge theyr countenance and credite and to grow in fauour and authority But these Darlinges and Beloued of Princes are continually afrade to fall and vtterly to bee put out of fauour CHAP. XVII Of the continency of fauoured Courtiers and how they ought to shunne the company and conuersation of vnhonest women and to bee carefull quickly to dispatch all such as sue vnto them TItus Liuius and Plutarch writeth that the Romanes had in such veneration those men that liued chaste and those women also that professed virgins Life that they erected statues of them in the Senate house carrying thē thorough the City in triumphant chariots recommending themselues to their deuout prayers and giuing them great gifts and presents and finally adored them as gods and this was their reason in that they honoured them as gods for that they being of flesh and liuing in flesh did leaue to vse the workes and instinct of the flesh which they helde a thing more diuine then humane Filostratus sayeth that Appoloneus Thianeus was borne without any pain or griefe to his mother in all her travell And that the gods spake to him in his eare that hee raysed the deade to life healed the sicke knew the thoughts of men diuined of things to come how hee was serued with Princes honoured of the people and followed of all the Philosophers yet they did not make so great a wonder of all these things spoken of him as they did for that hee was neuer married and moreouer neuer detected with the knowledge of any woman liuing much lesse suspected Whilest Carthage was enuironed with siege on each side a Virgine of Numidia taken prisoner was presented to Scipio and she was very fayre which Scipio notwithstanding would not onely not deflower but set her at liberty and married her very honourably Which act of his was more apprised of the Roman writers then was his conquest of Numedia the restoring of Rome her liberty the destruction of Carthage the succour and reliefe giuen to Asia and the enobling of his Common wealth For in all these enterprises hee still fought against others but in the effects of the flesh hee fought against himselfe And therefore hee must needes be maruellous wise and of good iudgement that can subdue the desires and motions of the flesh For wee doe as much couet to follow these carnall desires as wee are apt to our meate when wee are hungry Cruell and bitter are the assaultes of the flesh to the spirite and wonderful is the paine the Spirite abideth to resist the motions of the same which by no meanes can be ouercome but by eschewing the occasions thereof As in brideling the desires punishing the flesh liuing with spare dyet increasing learning giuing himselfe to tears and altogether shutting the gates of our desires O if this vice of the flesh came of aboundance of heate or rage of bloud we might soon remedy it with letting our selues bloud If it were any sicknesse of the heart it should be cured by interiour medicines If of the liuer wee would refresh it with ointments If of Melancholy humour wee would wash away al the Opilations If of choler wee would procure easie purges But alas it is a disease so farre from pitty that it misliketh wee should call for Physitians and cannot abide wee should offer it any remedy It cannot bee denyed but that ciuill warre is most grieuous and dangerous in a Common-wealth But much more perillous is that at home betwixt the husband and the wife but most ieoperdious of all is that a man hath within himselfe For wee cannot reckon any other our enemy but our owne desires I remember I saw once written in a Courties house these wordes which truely deserued to bee written in golden Letters and the words were these The dreadefull Warves that I alas sustaine Where blinde desire becomes my mighty foe Against my selfe perforce my selfe doth straine The wreckfull Gods vouchsafe it doe not so Surely hee that wrote this for his word wee thinke hee was no foole nor euill christian sith hee neither sought for money nor by sleight of witte procured to deceiue or beguile neither he called his friendes to helpe him to withstand his enemies but only craued remedy against his vnhonest and vain desires And vndoubtedly he had reason for a man may easily absent himselfe it is an impossible thing And therfore me thinks it is a thing more to be lamented then written to see that a multitude of corporall enemies cannot vanuquish vs and yet notwithstanding when wee are alone and thinke nothing of it this only vice of the flesh dooth not alone make vs stumble but fal downe on the groūd for neither to becom religious a frier nor to dwell in churches nor to be shut vp in cloysters to sequester our selues from the world nor yet to chaunge state and condition For all this I say I see none of al these things helpe vs mortall men to defende vs from this
vice and sinne But the further we seeke to flye from it the more daunger we finde to fall into it And albeit to auoyd other vices and sinnes it shall suffice vs to bee admonished yet against that alone of the flesh it behoueth vs to bee armed For there is no sinne in the world but there are meanes for men to auoyd it This only excepted of the flesh wherewith all wee are ouercome and taken Prisonners And to proue this true it is apparant thus Where raigneth Pride but amongst the Potentates where Enuie but amongst equalls Anger but amongst the impacient Gluttony but amongst gourmands auarice but amongst the Rich slouth but amongst the ydle And yet for all these the sinne of the Flesh generally reigneth in all men And therefore for not resisting this abhominable vice we haue seen kings lose their kingdoms Noblemen their Lands and possessions the marryed wiues their auowd faith the religious nunnes their professed virginitie So that wee may compare this sinne to the nature and condition of the venemous serpent which being aliue stings vs and after hee is dead offendeth vs with his noysome stinke Examples by Dauid who for all his wisedome could not preuaile against this sinne nor Salomon for al his great knowledge nor Absolon for all his diuine beautie nor Sampson with his mighty force which notwithstāding the great Fame they had for their renowmed vertues yet through this only defect they lost all accompanying with harlots licentious women Into which shameful felowship fell also Holofernes Haniball Ptholomeus Pyr-Pirrhus Inlius Caesar Augustus Marcus Antonius Seuerus and Theodorius and many other great Princes with these aboue recited the most part of the which we haue seene depriued of their Crownes and afterwards themselues haue come to their vtter shame and dishonour on their knces to yeelde themselues to the mercy of these their infamed louers crauing pardon and forgiuenesse Many graue Writers of the Grecians say that the Ambassadours of Lidia comming one day into the chamber of Hercules vpon a suddaine to speake with him they found him lying in his Curtesans lappe she pulling his rings off on his fingers hee dressed on his head with her womanly attire and she in exchnnge on hers bedect with his royall crowne They write also of Denis the Syracusian that albeit of nature hee was more cruell then the wild beast yet he became in the end so tractable and pleasant by meanes of a Curtezan his friend called Mirta that she only did confirme all the prouisions and depeches of the affayres of the Weale publike and he onely did but ordaine and appoint them And if the Histories written of the Gothes deceyne vs not wee finde that Antenaricus the famous king of the Gothes after he had triumphed of Italy and that hee had made himselfe Lord of all Europe hee became so farre in loue with a Louer of his called Pincia the whilest shee combed his head hee made cleane her slippers Also Themistocles the most famous Captaine of the Greekes was so enamoured of a woman hee had taken in the Warres of Epirns that shee beeing afterwardes very sicke when shee purged her selfe hee would also bee purged with her If shee were let bloud hee would also bee let bloud and yet that that is worst to bee liked is that hee washed his face with the bloud that came out of her Arme so that they might truly say though shee were his prisoner yet hee was also her slaue and subiect When King Demetrius had taken Rhodes there was broght to him a faire gentlewomen of the Cittie which he made his friend in loue and this loue betwixt them in time grewe so great that she shewing her selfe vpon a time to be angry with Demetrius and refusing to sit neare him at the Table and also to lye with him Demetrius vtterly forgetting himselfe and his royall estate did not onely on his knees pray her to pardon him but also imbracing her conueighed her in his armes into his chamber Myronides the Grecian albeit hee had made subiect to him the kingdom of Boetia yet hee was notwithstanding made subiect with the beautie of Numidia his louer Hee enflamed thus with loue of her she likewise strucken with couetous desire of his goods in fine they agreed that he shold giue her all the spoyle he had wonne in the warres of Boetia and that she should let him lye with her in hir house onely one night Hanniball made warres xvii yeares with the Romaines and in all that time he was neuer vanquished till hee was ouercome with the Loue of a young mayden in the cittie of Capua which proued a most bitter loue to him sith thereby it happened that whereas hee had so many yeares kept in subiection all Italie hee now was made a subiect at home in his owne countrey Plutarch in his booke De Republica writeth That Phalaris the Tyraunt would neuer graunt a man any thing that he desired neyther euer denyed any thing that a dissolute Woman requested No small but great disorder happened to the Common-weale of Rome by the occasion of the Emperour Caligula who gaue but 6000. Sexterces onely to repayre the Walls of Rome and gaue otherwise for furring one one gowne alone of his Lemmans a 10000. sexterces By all these examples aboue recited wee may easily vnderstand how daungerous a thing it is for the Courtier to haue friendshippe and acquaintance with women of so vile a facultie For the woman is of like quality that a knot tyed of corde is which is easily tyed of sundry knots and very hardly afterwards to bee vndone againe Heretofore wee haue besought Courtiers and the fauoured of Princes that they should not bee so liberall in commaunding and now once againe wee pray them to beware of fornication and adultery for albeeit this sinne of the flesh be not the greatest in fault yet it is the most daungerous in fame There is no King Prelate nor knight in this World so vicious and dishonest of life but would be glad to haue honest vertuous and well conditioned seruants so that it is impossible therefore for the fauoured Courtier liuing dishonestlie to continue any long time in fauour with his Prince For wee haue seene many in Princes Courts and Common Weales also that haue lost their honour fauour riches not for any pride they shewed in themselues nor for enuy that they had nor for any treasure nor riches that they robbed nor for any euil words that they should speake neither for any treason that they committed but onely through the euill fame that went of them for haunting the company of naughty women for women be of the right nature of Hedge-hogs which without seeing or knowing what they haue in their heart do notwithstanding drawe bloude of vs with their prickes And let not any man deceyue himselfe hoping that if hee did commit a fault through the flesh that it shal be kept from the Princes cares or
the Sunne shineth hotest and at the beginning there was found one Woman with one birde called the Phenix which birde was created on the Water and the woman engendered by the great heat of the Sunne and of the powder of trees in this wise There was a tree sore eaten with wormes and vpon a time a blast of Lightning set it on fire and burnt it so as among the ashes of that rotten tree the first woman was made and found Although I bee a Romane Philosopher yet can I not disallow the opinion of the Greeke Philosopher Of a truth ' ye amorous Dames you haue your tongues of the nature of fire and your conditions like the powder of a rotten tree According to the diuersity of Beasts so Nature hath in diuers parts of the body placed their strength as the Eagle in her byll the Vnicorne in the horne the Serpent in the tayle the Bull in the head the Beare in his pawes the horse in the breast the dog in the teeth the Bore in the tuske the Doues in the winges and the women in their tongues For of a truth the flight of their loue is not so high as the fantasie of your foolishnesse is vaine the catte scratcheth not so sore with her nayles as yee doe scratch the foolish men with your importunities The dogge hurteth him not so much that hee runneth after as ye do the sorrowful Louer that serueth you the life of him is not in so much danger that catcheth the Bul by the horns as is the fame of him that falleth into your hands To conclude the Serpent hath not so much poyson in his tayle as ye haue in your tongues I accept the Romane Ladies apart for there are many very noble whose liues are not touched with complaint nor good fames had in suspect Of such neyther my Letter speaketh ought nor my penne writeth but of those women I speake that bee such as all the venemous beasts in the world haue not so much poison in their bodies as one of those haue in their tongues And sith the Gods haue commaunded and our fate doth permit that the life of men cannot passe without women I aduise the youth and beseech the aged I wake the wise and instruct the simple to shunne women of euill name more then the common pestilence Reading the auncient Lawes of Plato I finde written this We command that all women openly defamed bee openly banished the City to the entent that others seeing the sinne punished may abhorre the same for feare to fall in the like paine The same Law sayde further Wee commaund that they pardon a woman for all her faults shee committeth boldly in case yee see amendment likewise in her but wee will that no fault bee pardoned committed by the tong For actuall sinne done is the frailety of nature the tongue onely of malice O diuine Plato Master and measure of all knowledge and science and prince of all philosophers when thou in the golden world madest such Lawes In which time there was such scarcitie of those women which were euill and so great plentie of them that were good In this case what should wee doe now in Rome where there bee so many euill openly and none good in secret Women ought naturally to bee shamefast in their face temperate in their words wise of wit sober in their going honest in their conuersation pittifull in their correction warie in their liuing auoyding companies faithfull in their promises constant in their loue Finally shee that will be counted honest let her not trust to the wisedome of the Worldly-pretended-wise nor commit her Fame vnto the wanton youth Let euery wise woman take heede what hee is that promiseth her ought For after the flames of Venus be set on fire and Cupid shotte his arrowes the Rich offereth all that hee hath and the poore all that hee may The wise man will euer be her friend and the simple-man for euer her seruant The wise man wil lose his life for her and the simple will accept his death for her The old men say they will be friends to their friends and the yong men will say he wil be enemy to theyr enemyes The aged promising to pay her debts the other to reuenge her jniuries Finally the one because to hide their pouerty and the other to publish their beautie leade these fooles losing their liues and bringing their fame to ende I will leaue to speake of the good Women for I minde not to charge them with ought I aske you amorous Ladyes if Plato was amongst you when ye made a play of my life and drewe my picture about Rome No surely for that I see in your acte now I doe suspect that to be true which hath been saide of others for there are fewe in Rome that execute the paines of Platoes Law One thing yee cannot denie if I were the worst of all men at the last ye see the end of my transgressing but this you cannot denie that she which is least euill of all you the naughtines of her life I could not sufficiently set out in my life It is great perill to wise women to be neighboured with fooles it is great perill to the shamefast to bee with the shameles it is great perill to the chast to be with the adulterers great perill it is for the honourable to be with the defamed For there is no slaundered woman but thinketh euery one defamed or at the least is desirous to haue them so procureth to haue them slaundered or saith they bee infamed And in the end to hide their infamie they slaunder all the good It is long sith I knewe you amorous Ladyes and you mee If I speake I speake if you knowe I knowe If yee holde your peace I am still if ye speake openly I will not talke in secrete Thou knowest well Auilina thou diddest compasse the ieast of mee that Eumedes solde Calues deâ—rer in the Butchery then thou diddest innocent Virgines in thy house And thou Toringa knowest well that before mee thou couldest not recount all thy Louers on thy fingers but diddest desire to haue a bushell of peason Thou knowest well Lyuia Fuluia when thou wert thou knowest with whom at Bretus we made agreement with thy husband thou tookest him aside and sayedst Vnles I may lye out of my house one Night in a weeke thou shalt not lie quietly in thy house Thou knowest well Rotoria that in thy youth thou werte two yeares on the Sea and diddest compound with the pirate that no woman shold serue the 100. soldiers but thou alone in a gally Thou knowest right wel Enna Curtia that when the Censor came to take thee hee found v. mens apparrell the which thou warest in the night season and but one womans attire wherewith thou wert clothed in the dayetime Thou knowest well Pesilana Fabricia that Alluines Metelles and thou beeing married demaunded openly what thou haddest gotten in his house with thy friendes in secret Thou