forget what I would and I have things in memory which feign I would they were out of memory Seneca doth so report of himself that he was of such a perfect memory that he could rehearse after one by hearing two hundred verses yea to a greater marvell of his memory he could recite two thousand names of men being repeated once before him with as good a memory as he that first named them The like we read of Aelius Adrianus a Captain that having a great army of souldiers under him if any were absent in any place about any businesse he had in memory the name of the person the name of the place and the cause of the businesse Of this excellent memory to their perpetuall fame was King Cyrus and Scipio the one a Persian the other a Roman which had this fame by memory that either of them could severally call their souldiers by name every one after another which is most rare yea most marvellous having so many alwaies under them as both Rome and Persia were chiefly in their days by them defended to be able to name so many souldiers as either of them both had in their armies Their memory was such then that they may not be forgotten now Julius Caesar was much renowned for that Pliny reported that he could do such things by memory as in reading in talking in hearing and in answering at one time that no fault could be found in either of these four qualities at one time practised whereby he deserveth no lesse praise by his memory then fame by his acts Divers excelled in time past in memory as Hortensius a noble Oratour of Rome was able to speak in any place any thing which he premeditated privately without study openly he had more trust in his memory then in books Carmides of Greece was so famous for that faculty that he never heard any reading but he could repeat it word by word without writing were the writing or reading never so long he would not misse a syllable Cineas a noble and a famous Oratour one of the counsellours of King Pyrrhus being sent from Epire unto the Senatours of Rome as an Embassadour he but once hearing the names of the Senatours before he came unto the Senate house he named them orderly by name every one after another that all the Senatours were in a great admiration of his memory in repeating so many names in opening so many matters in concluding so many things which when he came unto King Pyrrhus he recited not onely his doings and orations but also their answers and replies every word by word as then was spoken done or written by the Senatours This Cineas was not so excellent of memory but also of passing eloquence of whom King Pyrrhus was wont to say that he got more Cities Towns and Kingdomes by the eloquence of Cineas then with all the force and strength of the Epirots beside It is written in Laertius in his eighth book that Pythagoras had charge of God Mercury to ask what he would saving immortality and he should have have it and he willed to keep in memory all things that he heard and saw and to forget nothing being dead of that which he saw being alive which being granted the soul of Athalides being slain by Menelaus entred in Euphorbus secondly took place in Hermonius thirdly in Pyrrhus fourthly into Pythagoras which had such memorâ— thereby that he could describe the state of the living the dead Divers were famous for memory amongst the Greeks as Archippus Lysiades Metrodorus Carneades Theodectes and others Many amongst the Romans were renowned for their memories as Julius Coesar L. Scipio Portius Claudius Hortensius with infinite number What great fame had Mithridâ—tes King of Pontus that having as Pliny and Gellius both report xxii strange nations that were souldiers alwaies in wars under him against the Romans he could speak xxii languages without interpreter to open his mind unto them A strange thing it is now to find a man in this our ripe years that can speak half a dozen languages If a man can but smatter in six or seven languages he is noted to be a rare fellow and yet King Mithridates had xxii A note of great memory for some there be in learning for one language that they hardly know they forget another that they know That worthy man Lucullus is remembred of Cicero in his fourth book of Academical questions for his passing and noble memory The Egyptians used notes and figures for their memory insomuch that they noted the well memoried man with a For or a Hare for that the Hare heareth best and the For is of greatest memory and if any wanted memory they compared him to the Crocodile We read of Esdras a Priest that he had all the laws of the Hebrews upon his finger end We read of Portius that he never forgot any thing that he once read before He again would never read that which once he wrot but straight out of hand his memory was such he would speak it and pronounce it in order even as he wrote it before Memory therefore is likened to a Net which taketh and stayeth great fish and letteth through the little fish and even as books that be not occupied wax rusty and did cleave together so memory that is not occupied saith Seneca waxeth dull and oblivious as we oftentimes see how forgetfull men wax either with sicknesse age or such like that letteth the memory of man as Orbilius by extremity of age forgot his Alphabets and letters Hermolaus had a friend which in his youth was a perfect Grecian and yet in his latter years waxed so oblivious that he could not read Gréek Plini saith Messala surnamed Corvius waxed so forgetfull by long sicknesse that he forgot his own name And Seneca doth write of one Calvisius that was so weak of memory that he did forget the names of those that he was daily in company with as Achilles Ulisses and Priamus whom he knew very well What is it else for a man to want memory but to want the name of his knowne friend for hee is no man that knoweth not that man as Augustus Caesar sometime Emperour of Rome his beadel having forgot when he should come unto the Senate demanded of the Emperour whether he would command him to do any thing that he could do why said the Emperour take this letter with thee that men may know thée for thou knowest no man for thou wantest memory Cicero doth make mention of Curio that was so oblivious being a judge that he forgot the cause which he should give judgement upon Likewise Articus the son of Sophista was of so frail memory that he could never keep in mind the names of the four Elements Bamba a certain King of the Goths by a draught of drink given by Heringeus his successour lost his memory It may well be that drink cutteth off memory For the Poets fain that there is a river named Lethes
and pain after long felicity and pleasure even so Dionisius King of Siracusa after many Princely pleasures renowned fame great glory yet in the end was banished his country and driven to keep school in Italy In the like sort that noble and valiant Scipio Affricanus was deceived whose prowesse and magnanimity augmented much the fame of the Romans by conquering of Affrick and Carthage and notwithstanding he was driven to exilement and misery where he died after many triumphs and victories like a poor beggar O uncertain state and slippery wheel of Fortune And because fame followeth fortune and proceedeth from Fortune as the smoke cometh from the fire for as Fortune is variable so is Fame divers if we seek Histories we find the fame of poor men for their poverty is great as well as the fame of the rich for all their riches poor Codrus and ragged Irus are as famous in respect of being Beggars as Midas and Craesus two wealthy Kings of Lydia Doth not Aristophanes make as much mention of Cleonimus the Coward as Homer doth of stout Achilles Poliphemus and Enceladus two huge monstrous Giants not so famous in Virgil for their bignesse as Conopas or Molon two little dwarfs of two foot length are renowned in Plini for their smalnesse Juvenal and Claudian report no lesse of the little Pigmies then Ovid or Maro of the huge Ciclopes If Fame proceed of poor men for poverty of dwarfs for their smalnesse of cowards for their cowardize as much as it doth flow of rich men for their wealth of Giants for their bigness and of stout men for their courage What is it but a pilgrimage in which we live travel here For fortune fame run together as cōstantly as they are thēselves uncertain Plini that famous Historiographer writeth of one named Messala who was so forgetfull and weak of memory that he forgat his own name and yet he was as famous for his obliviousness as Hortensius was renowned for that he could pronounce out of hand with his tongue what he wrote with his pen. Seneca the Philosopher commendeth one called Calvisius that he was likewise so oblivious that he could not often name those dayly friends that he used company withal What greater Fame could Cyneas have for all his memory when he was sent from King Pyrrhus as Embassador to Rome where the second day in the Senate house before all the people of Rome he named all the Senators by name What greater renown could King Cyrus have for his noble memory for naming every souldier of his by name being in the Camp What Fame hath King Mithridates for his divers and sundry languages which he without an Interpretor could speak unto two and twenty Nations being his souldiers but onely that they are recorded in books where likewise Calvisius Messala and such oblivious men that forgot their own names are committed into History Doth not Homer the Trumpetter of Fame write of Militides an Idiot who after the destruction of Troy and the death of King Priamus and all his sons would come to succour the Troyans Homer I say doth not forget Militides no more then he doth Agamemnon What should I speak of silly and wicked Herostratus who for burning the Temple of Diana is everlastingly remembred And millions more of the like nature who are mentioned by ancient writers Thus you sée we travel all one way in the vale of misery and the condition is alike of the greatest Princes and the poorest Beggars and if there be any difference it is in that oftentimes the King is the more unfortunate of the two CHAP. IIII. Of magnanimity of Princes and their fortitude of mind where and when it was esteemed AS Iustice without temperance is often counted injury so magnanimity without respect unto prudence is but tyranny This vertue proceedeth from a valiant and a sober mind joyning both the body and the mind together so that the wisedome and policy of the one the strength and courage of the other are united and alwaies ready to defend the cause of their country and the quarrel of their Prince and society of friendship unto this therefore every good man is born preferring common commodities before private wealth Hercules pondering much what he might best do and to what he should apply his noble mind there appeared unto him two goodly women the one as Xenophon doth describe very gorgeous and brave rings of gold on her finger a chain of gold about her neck her hairs composed and frisled with pearls and Diamonds hanging at her ears the other in sober and comely apparel of modest behaviour of shame faced countenance they stood both before him The first said Hercules if thou wilt serve me thou shalt have gold and silver enough thou shalt féed daintily thou shalt live princely thou shalt injoy pleasures In fine thou shalt have all things at thy will to live with ease and rest The other said with comely countenance If thou wilt serve me Hercules thou shalt be a Conquerour of conquerours thou shalt subdue Kingdomes and overthrow Kings thou shalt be advanced into fame renowned in all the world and shall deserve praise both of men and women Which when Hercules understood taking into consideration the idle service of the first and the exercise of the second he took her as his mistresse and willingly became a servant to her Wherefore according unto promise made he injoyed fully the fame and praise by due deserts he overcame Lions Dragons Bears and such monstrous huge wild beasts he did destroy Kingdomes and countries he had that fortitude of mind that he conquered Giants and subdued Tyrants inlarged liberties set frée Captives and prisoners and briefly that magnanimity was in him that he never effended just men nor hurt innocent men he preserved divers Kings and countries he never spoiled good countrey nor subdued a just King but wholly addicted himself to merit fame He destroyed the Serpent Hydra the Dragon the Lion the wild Bore and terrible Bull conquering Geron Cerberus and Diomedes cruel Tyrants He took the gilded Hart he vanquished the Centaures and the ravening birds named Stimphalides was there any tyranny in these his enterprizes but Hercules they say was more aided of the Gods then helped of man With these his princely acts and renowned feats noble Theseus was much enamored insomuch that he emulated the vertuous life of Hercules he tamed wild beasts slue monsters overcame cruel Creon the Tyrant of Thebes he descended also as the Poet saith unto hell to imitate the feats of Hercules to resemble his magnanimity to augment Hercules fame erecting alters appointing sacrifice in memory of Hercules hoping that others would do unto Theseus as Theseus did unto Hercules Next unto Theseus for antiquity of time that valiant and renowned Gréek Achilles succeeded who was the onely stay and comfort of his country the very hope of Greece his magnanimity valiant courage worthy acts and famous life is at large set forth in Homers
the cause thereof being demanded by Marius and orderly declared by Trebonius where as it was thought he should be hanged drawn and quartered and suffer most ignominious death he was rewarded with a Crowne of gold upon his head written about with this sentence This crowne and garland won Trebonius by temperance Had Demetrius King of Macedonia embraced sobriety of féeding Democles had not béen so famous by abstinence as Demetrius might have béen renownes through temperance Had that Roman Lucius loved continency as Trebonius honored chastity Trebonius had not had of Marius Lucius his uncle the praise the garlaÌ„d of commendations and he so vile and shameful a death Certainly when the people of Athens fed on figs the Arcadians on Acorns or Walnuts the Argives on Parsly the Terinthians on Pears the Scythians on herbs the inhabitants of Carmenia and Meâ—cica on poor fare yea when the whole world fed on those fruits which our old mother the earth naturally brought forth before corne was sowne then kingdomes and nations were ruled by the law of nature to imbrace temporance to honour abstinence and to observe chastity which since grew to that aboundance and excesse that the law of God which was first the law of nature which was the second the law of Princes which was the last could not kéep men from the excesse of meat which onely was the cause of the sinking of Sodom and Gamorrha of the often plaguing of the Israelites of the just confusion of gluttony and drunkards When the Gymnosophistes of India fed onely with apples when the Priests of Egypt abstained from flesh and wine and fed on bread and oyl when the Sages of Persia fed on fruits and herbs then temperance bare rule then sobriety governed then abstinence was honoured then Egypt flourished through temperance and is now destroyed by gluttony Then India prospered through continencie and sobriety and is now vanquished by drunkennesse and temerity Then Persia was famous and conquered Kingdomes by abstinencie and is now convicted and conquered by abundance and excesse Where is learned Athens famous Sparta stately Thebes These while temperance ruled were feared of all kings and are now by meanes of excesse hated and despised of all Princes All the while that the Lacedemonians observed the laws of Lycurgus in abstaining from brave banquets and excesse of chéer yea when they might not passe unto Asia for fear they should be allured and entiled with the sight of the junkets of Asia then saith Cicero were the people of Sparta so temperate that the men did never sit with women nor the women with the men The Milesians made a straight law as Theophrastus doth witnesse that neither their wives their daughters nor maids might taste wine neither durst any man by the same law praise any wine in presence of women for wine causeth heat heat moveth lust lust causeth murther Wherefore wise men write that it is dangerous to prayse three things in presence of the people As for a man to prayse the beauty of his wife for fear of fornicators for so did King Candaules of Lidia praise his wife unto his friend Giges and he was murthered thereby and the Queene his wife afterward married unto Giges for a man to brag of his riches and substance for so did Sichaeus shew his substance unto Pigmalion king of Tyre who married the kings daughter named Eliza and was slaine by the selfe same Pigmalion king of Tyre and his owne brother in law lastly to commend swéet wine in presence of the people doth bréed a desire unto lust and lust unto death The famous Romans for a long while kept so streight an order to observe temperance so streightly was this law looked unto that Eg. Maecenius having slain his own wife as Pliny recordeth for that she loved wine he was by the law of Romulus made for that purpose saved from death In the same place of Plini it is read that a certain matron of Rome was adjudged to die for that she had a privy key unto a cellar of wine So much did they observe this temperance that Cato the Censor appointed by a law certain men to kisse the women of Rome to know whether they smelled of wine by their breath No man of what degree soever he was Consul Censor Tribune or Senatour might drink wine in Rome before he was thirty and five years of age The people of Messaliâ—tica made and ordained that the women should drink no other drink then water Amongst the Egyptians there was by a law appointed how much wine their Princes might drink and no more The Persians fed onely then on bread salt and water The prophets of Jupiter in Créet abstained from flesh and wine In Rhodes he was taken a grosse brained man that fed on any thing else but on fish The Lacedemonians were most severe against those that waxt fat by féeding insomuch that they would punish their own children with hunger if they waxed fat either by feeding or by idlenesse Thus abstinence was fostred as a nurse unto chastity and temperance then Princes lothed vice and loved vertue then they abhorred gluttony and drunkennesse and honoured abstinence and sobriety The learned and sage Phylosophers and men of passing abstinence and sobriety being no lesse studious then careful of temperance despised banquets refused feasts lothed and defied belly chéere and being allured of Princes enticed of noble men sought of all men they forsook and fled from the same saying we eat to live we live not to eat A golden sentence and worthy to be observed Rather had Diogenes féed and lick dishes at Athens then to féed daintily at Alexanders table Rather had that learned Gréek noble Zeno drink water and féed poorly as an example unto his schollers of temperance then to pamper his belly at Antigonus princely table to shew them the way unto gluttony and drunkennesse Rather had Plato forsake Dionisius table than to abstain from his wonted Philosophicall cheere This vertue of abstinence was of noble Socrates maintained with bread and milk onely and learned Homer honoured it with pottage made of herbs and ancient Pythagoras with beans Anacharsis a Scythian Phylosopher being demanded of his estate how he fed how he did lye and how he was clothed answered I feed on hunger I lye on the ground and am clothed like a Scythian The famous Athenian Aristides at what time king Dionisius made sute for his daughter in marriage though he was a puissant Prince a mighty king yet for his gluttony and prodigal drinking for his tyranny and excesse Aristides who abhorred such vices in Princes soberly and temperately answered that he would rather kill his daughter with his own hands then to give his daughter in marriage unto Dionisius So odious unto good Princes was that excesse of eating and prodigal drinking and so highly esteemed was abstinence and temperance that in Athens a long while in the temple of Ceres of all the laws of Triptolemus three onely commandements as
others and of the vertue and commodity thereof SOcrates a famous Philosopher and Master unto that noble and divine Plato was wont to charge his schollers to honour and to embrace these three excellent vertues Silence of tongue shame fastnesse of countenance and wisedome of heart vertues appointed most fit for such noble persons The wisedom of a fool lies in his tongue which is the key of his councel the tongue of the wise lies hid in his heart for of the abundance of the heart the tongue wil speak so that silence in tongue is a proof of wisedom of heart Wherefore that learned Philosopher Zeno said that nature appointed two ears to hear much and one tongue to talk little In ancient time the Egyptians thought silence such a vertue unto people that they caused an image to be made saith Pliny with her finger on her mouth and a table written on her breast with this sentence hear sée and say nothing to represent silence The renowned Romans so esteemed silence saith the same Pliny that she was saâ—rificed unto once a year in Rome imitating the old Egyptians erecting an image and named it Angerora as a great Goddesse to honour for silence sake The Persians honoured nothing so much as silence and hated nothing so much as inordinate spéeth The famous Lacedemonians had silence in such reverence that their wise men named Ephori at what time they met in places to be merry fearing in drink to forget silence the elders did speak to the company before they sate down at drinking and pointed to the door with their finger Let nothing done or spoken at this table pass yonder door O worthy order and renowned law to think of that before sitting that should do them no harm after rising up The Lacedemonians used such short spéech that when one demanded of Charillus why did not Lycurgus appoint more laws then he did unto his country he answered to few words few laws will serve The silence of Mary Magdalen and the woman found in adultery pleased God much for that they went not with words but with sobs sighs and silence they came to Christ Better saith Zeno it it is to fail from foot or horse then to lie in tongue Even so the learned Athenians held silence in such estimation that though Athens was counted the Well of wisedome the flower of Philosophy where all the world came to speak yet learned they silence also in such sort as that worthy Gréek Themistocles at that time he was banished Athens and inforced to go into Persia where he was much esteemed and honourably received being intreated of the King to shew the state of the country he besought the King to grant him one year to learn the Persian tongue then the king should be certified in all points that he would demand of Themistocles O famous Gréek though banished from Athens yet obâ—erved he the law of Athens forgot not silence which was â—o honoured in Gréece but knew he was in Persia a place â—aith Curtius where silence was so magnified that sharp punishment was provided for talkative persons The people of Sparta wece noted as men given most unto silence hating so superfluous words that when the Ambassadours of the Abderites as Plutarch maketh mention had made a long and tedious Oration before Agâ—s King of Sparta and after much time spent and many words in vain bestowed as vaine bablers do did take their leave of Agis willing to have an answer to their King of Abderits salute your King faith Agis from me tel him as long as you spake so long held Agis his peace letting them to understand their much folly in babling The like answer received the Embassadors of Samos after a loÌ„g oration of Cleomenes king of the Lacedemonians saying the first part of your oration I have forgot the second part I understand it not and the third part I do not well allow The Taylor is not expert that maketh Hercules hose to a childs leg neither can that Shoemaker be good saith Agâ—silaus that frameth Titormus shoe to little Molons foot Neither may he be counted wise that speaketh much to none effect Wherefore the first thing which that ancient and learned Pythagoras taught his schollers was carefully to kéep silence It was Pythagoras law that none of his schollers might speak any thing in five years space after their their first comming unto School Pythagoras was no less careful to teach them silence than it was painfull for them to learn silence Most hard and most difficult is that silence unto a young man that one Messius used who pined and tormented himself three years as Plini saith for silence sake But Simonides said sometime to a silent man amongst a number of wisemen If thou be a foole said he thou doest the part of a wiseman to hold thy peace but if thou be wise thou art a fool that thou doest not speak to wisemen and so I end silence in a fool is great wisedom and silence in a wise man is méer folly Cleanthes therefore being desired of a Gentleman some short wise sentence to instruct his son withall said learne only this word to thy son Sige that is silence That noble and renowned Phylosopher Zeno at what time he had prepared a banquet in Athens to receive the Ambassadours of Antigonus King of Macedonia where certain learned Philosophers and eloquent Oratours were present after many large and subtill disputations and great ostentation of Rhetorick betwixt them had at supper Zeno being demanded of the Ambassadours why he kept silence all that while answered that to keep silence is greater knowledge than to speak for silence said Zeno is most difficult to obtaine and most hard to kéep and therefore most rare to be found A Gentleman in that company then named Agatho hearing Zeno so commend silence being no lesse desirous to learn silence then having learned it to keep it prepared a great stone and held it in the roofe of his mouth three yeare to avoyd idle words and superfluous talk and to learn sober silence and vertuous taciturnity Alexander the great when his mother Olimpias did send letters from Macedonia unto India where then he was at wars wherein were written much concerning the state of Macedonia and great complaints made of Artipater with divers more secret counsels sealed he reading this news his friend Aephestion who knew all the secrets of Alexander looking and reading the letters with the King unto the end Alexander tooke his signet from his finger after perusing of those letters and joyned it close to Aephestions mouth saying since in friendship you fail not in silence break not Thus was silence in Alexander honoured but ot Princes which honored silence Julius Caesar most esteemed the same he may justly chalenge for sobriety in drinking and medesty in talking the garland of praise Who after long warres with Pompeius the great sometime his special friend yea and who married Julia Caesars daughter being
latter days having great care to his countrey when that no man durst refuse Pisistratus came before his door in Arms and called the citizens to withstand Pisistratus For age said he moveth me to be so valiant and stout that I had rather lose my life then my country should lose their liberty What vertue then see we to be in age what wisedome in time what courage in old men The examples of these old men stir and provoke many to imitate their steps insomuch that divers wished to be old when they were yet young to have that honor as age then had Wherefore king Alexander the great espying a young man coloring his hairs gray said It behoves thée to put thy wits in color and to alter thy mind The Lacedemonians a people that past all nations in honouring age made laws in their Cities that the aged men should be so honoured and estéemed of the young men even as the parents were of the children so that when a stranger came unto Lacedemonia and saw the obedience of youth towards age he said In this country I wish onely to be old for happy is that man that waxeth old in Lacedemonia and in the great games of Olympia an old man wanting a place went up and down to sit some where but no man received him but amongst the Lacedemonians not onely the young men but also the aged gave place unto his gray hairs and also the Embassadours of Lacedemonia being there present did reverence him and took him unto their seat which when he came in he spake aloud O you Athenians you know what is good and what is bad for that which you people of Athens said he do professe in knowledge the same doth the Lacedemonians put in practice Alexander being in his wars with a great army in Persia and meeting an old man in the way in the cold weather in ragged and rent cloaths lighted from his horse and said unto him mount up into a princes saddle which in Persia is treason for a Persian to do but in Macedonia comendable giving to understand how age is honoured and old men estéemed in Macedonia and how of the contrary wealth and pride is fostred in Persia for where men of experience and aged men are set nought by there it cannot be that wisedome beareth rule How many in the Empire of Rome ruled the City and governed the people of those that were very aged men as Fabius Maximus who was thréescore years and two in his last Consulship Valerius Corvinus who was six times a Consul in Rome a very old man who lived an hundred and odd years Metellus of like age called to the like function and administration in the Common-wealth being an old man What should I speak of Appius Claudius of Marcus Perpenna of divers other noble Romans whose age and time was the onely occasion of their advancement unto honour and dignity What should I recite Arganthonius who was threescore years before he came unto his Kingdome and after ruled his Countrey fourscore years unto his great fame and great commendations of age To what end shall I repeat Pollio who lived in great credit with the people unto his last years a man of worthy praise of renowned fame who lived a hundred and thirty years in great authority and dignity What shall I speak of Epimenides whom Theompus affirmeth that he lived a hundred and almost thréescore years in great rule and estimation Small were it to the purpose to make mention again of Dandon amongst the Illyrians which Valerius writeth that he was five hundred years before he died and yet of great memory and noble fame Or of Nestor who lived thrée hundred years of whom Homer doth make much mention that from his mouth proceeded sentences swéeter then honey yea in his latter days almost his strength was correspondent to the same That renowned Prince Agamemnon General of all Gréece wished no more in Phrygia but five such as Nestor was with whose wisedome and courage he doubted not but in short time he should be able to subdue Troy Swéet are the sayings of old men perfect are their counsels sound and sure their governance How frail and weak is youth How many Cities are perished by young counsel How much hurt from time to time have young men devised practised and brought to pass And again of age how full of experience knowledg and provision painful and studious is it unto the grave As we read of Plato that noble Philosopher who was busie and carefull for his countrey writing and making books the very year that he died being fourscore and two What shall I say of Isocrates who likewise being fourscore and fourtéen compiled a book called Panathenaicus of Gorgias who being studious and carefull to profit his countrey being a hundred and seven years was altogether addicted to his books and to his study So of Zeno Pythagoras and Democritus it might be spoken men of no lesse wit travell and exercise than of time and age For as Cicero saith the government and rule of Comon-wealths consisteth not in strength of body but in the vertue of mind weighty and grave matters are not governed with the lightnesse of the body with swiftnesse of the foot with external qualities but with authority counsel and knowledge for in the one saith he there is rashnesse and wilfulnesse in the other gravity and prudence As Themistocles and Aristides who though not friends at Athens being both rulers yet age taught them when they were sent Embassadours for the state of Athens to become friends to profit their country which youth could never have done That sage Solon was wont often to brag how that he dayly by reading learning and experience waxed old Apelles that approved painter and renowned Greek in his age and last time would have no man to passe the day idle without drawing of one line Socrates being an old man became a scholler to learn musick and to play upon instruments Cicero being old himself became a perfect Greek with study Cato being aged in his last years went to school to Ennius to learn the Greek Terentius Varro was almost forty years old before he took a Greek book in hand and yet proved excellent in the Greek tongue Clitomachus went from Carthage to Athens after forty years of age to hear Carneades the Philosophers lecture Lucius as Philostratus doth write meeting Marcus the old Emperor with a book under his arm going to school demanded of the Emperour whither he went like a hâ—y with his book in his hand the aged Emperour answered I go to Sextus the Philosopher to learn those things I know not O God said Lucius thou being an old man goest to school now like a boy and Alexander the great died at thirty years of age Alphonsus King of Sicilia was not ashamed at fifty years old to learn and to travel for his knowledge and lest he should lose the use of the Latin tongue he occupied himself in
translating Titus Livius though he was a King I do not hold with age in divers men who for want of discretion and wit was childish again but of perfect men in whom age seemed rather a warrant of their doings For even as he that playeth much upon instruments is not to be commended so well as he that playeth cunningly and artificially so all men that live long are not to be praised so much as he that liveth well For as apples being green are yet sower untill by time they wax sweet so young men without warrant of time and experience of things are oftentimes to be misliked If faults be in old men saith Cicero as many there be it is not in age but in the life and manners of men Some think age miserable because either the body is deprived from pleasure or that it bringeth imbecility or weaknesse or that it is not far from death or calleth from due administration of Common-wealths these four causes saith Cicero make age seem miserable and loathsome What shall we say then of those that in their old age have defended their countries saved their Cities guided the people and valiantly triumphed over their enemies as L. Paulus Scipio and Fabius Maximus men of wonderfull credit in their old years What may be spoken of Fabritius Curius and Cornucanus aged men of great agility of famous memory in their latter days How can Appius Claudius be forgotten who being both old and blind resisted the Senatours to compound with King Pyrrhus for peace though they all and the Consuls of Rome hereunto were much inclined If I should passe from Rome a place where age was much estéemed unto Athens amongst the sage Philosophers if from Athens to Lacedemonia where age altogether bare sway and rule if from thence unto the Ethiopians and Indians where all their lives are ruled and governed by old men If from thence to any part of the world I might be long occupied in reciting the honour and estéemation of age Herodotus doth write that the Aethiopians and Indians do live most commonly a hundred and thirty years The people called Epeii in the Countrey of Aetolia do live two hundred years naturally and as it is by Damiates reported Lictorius a man of that Countrey lived thrée hundred years The Kings of Arcadia were wont to live thrée hundred years the people of Hyperborii lived a thousand years We read in the old Testament that Adam our first father lived nine hundred and thirty years and Eve his wife as many Seth nine hundred and twelve years Seth his son called Enos nine hundred and five Cainan the son of Enos nine hundred and ten Mahalalehel the son of Cainan eight hundred fourscore and fifteen so Enoch the son of Iared lived nine hundred thréescore and five years Enoch his son named Mechuselah lived nine hundred threescore and nine years with divers of the first Age I mean till Noah's time who began the second world after the floud who lived as we read nine hundred and five his son Sem six hundred years and so lineally from father to son as from Sem to Arphaxad from Arphaxad to Sala from Sala to Heber the least lived above thrée hundred years This I thought for better credit and greater proof of old ago to draw out of the Old Testament that other prophane authorities might be beleeved as Tithoniâ—s whom the Poets fain that he was so old that he desired to become a Grashâ—pper But because age hath no pleasure in the world frequenteth no banquets abhorreth lust loveth no wantonness which saith Plato is the only bait that deceives young men so much the happier age is that age doth loath that in time which young men neither with knowledg with wisdome nor yet with counsel can avoid What harm hath happened from time to time by young men over whom lust so ruled that there followed eversion of CoÌ„monwealths treason to Princes Friends betrayed countreys overthrown and Kingdoms vanquished throughout the world Therefore Cicero saith in his book entituled De Senectate at what time he was in the City of Tarentum being a young man with Fabius Maximus that he carried one lesson from Tarentum unto the youth of Rome where Architas the Tarentine said that Nature bestowed nothing upon man so hurtfull to himself nor so dangerous to his Countrey as lust or pleasure For when C. Fabricius was sent as an Embassadour from Rome to Pyrrhus King of Epyre being then the Governour of the City of Tarentum a certain man named Cineas a Thessalian by birth being in disputation with Fabritius about pleasure affirmed that hee heard a Philosopher of Athens affirm that all which we do is to be referred to pleasure which when M. Curius and Titus Coruncanus heard they desired Cineas to perswade King Pyrrhus to yéeld to pleasure and make the Samnites believe that pleasure ought to be esteemed Whereby they knew that if King Pyrrhus or the Samnites being then great enemies to the Romans were addicted to lust or pleasure that then soon they might be subdued and destroyed There is nothing that more hindreth magnanimity or resisteth vertuous enterprises then pleasure as in the Treatise of pleasure it shall more at large appear Why then how happy is old age to despise and contemn that which youth by no means can avoid yea to loath and abhor that which is most hurtfull to it self For Cecellius contemned Caesar with all his force saying to the Emperor that two things made him nothing to estéem the power of the Emperor Age and Wisdome By reason of Age and Wisdome Castritius feared not at al the threatnings of C. Carbo being then Consul at Rome who though he said he had many friends at commandement yet Castriâ—iâ—â— answered and said That he had likewise many years that could not fear his friends Therefore a wise man sometime wept for that man dieth within few years and having but little experience in his old age he is then deprived thereof For the Crow liveth thrise so long as the man doth the Hart liveth four times so long as the Crow the Raven thrice so long as the Hart and the Phoenix nine times longer then the Raven And thus Birds do live longer time then man doth in whom there is no understanding of their years But man unto whom reason is joyned before he commeth to any ground of experience when he beginneth to have knowledge in things he dieth and thus endeth he his toyling Pilgrimage and travel in fewer years then divers beasts or birds do CHAP. XIX Of the manners of sundry People under sundry Princes and of their strange life THe sundry fashions and variety of manners the strange life of people every where thorow the world dispersed are so charactered and set forth amongst the writers that in shewing the same by naming the Countrey and the people thereof orderly their customes their manners their kind of living being worthy of observation I thought briefly to touch and to note
Demetrius and Alexanders wife who then was a widdow and a Quéen in Corinth for in the midst of triumphs and preparations to the marriage Antigonus by deceit took the Castle commanded his souldiers in arms and proclaimed himself King in Corinth In the same book of Polinaeus the like History is written of Lysander of Sparta and Nearchus of Creet the one promising to the inhabitants of Miletum his aid and help in defending their liberties and the people giving credit to a Kings promise and trusting to have Lysander their special friend they found him their mortal foe for he deceived them thereby and took the City of Miletum unto himself The other sailing to the haven of Telmessus to renue friendship with Antripatridas who then governed the City of Telmessus under the color of friendship he had his men at arms ready on the Sea to destroy his friend and to take the City to himself This deceit was not onely séen in wars where much falshood and perjury is practised but in all things men use craft according to the proverb There is craft in daubing To speak of Theodectes craft toward his Master Aristotle to defraud him privily of his glory to speak of Sertorius deceit in winning authority among the common people to describe the means that Dionisius used to get mony amongst the Syracusans or how Pythius deceived Cannius in his bargain of fish or how Darius became King of Persia by the neighing of a Mare and a million more of such deceits and crafts were infinite I therefore refer the Reader to Poliaenus where he shall have enough of falshood But because craft is used diversly I will somewhat touch those that used craft in altering themselves into the form of women some for filthy lust some for vertues sake and some for vice What kind of dissimulation was in Sardanapalus King of Assyria to forsake the Empire to forgo his Kingdome to become like a woman to spin and card with his Concubines and so from the shape of a man to dissemble himself to be a woman What kind of dissimulation did that renowned and mighty Hercules even the off-spring of the Gods and son to Jupiter use after that he tamed monsters slew Giants overcame Dragons Lions wild beasts and yet he did translate himself from a champion and a conquerour into womans apparel and fashioned himself like a woman with such dissimulation he served Omphale Quéen of Lydia like a woman in the apparel of a woman at the whéel and at the cards at Omphales commandement What kind of craft used Clodius to bring his purpose to pass with Pompeia Caesars wife dissembling himself to be a woman as Cicero taunteth him in an Epistle that he writeth to Lentulus where he saith that Clodius dissembled with the Npmph Bona Dea as he was wont to use the thrée sisters Thus Clodius would at all times go unto Pompeia in the apparel of a woman to use such feats that he made Caesar to divorce his wife Pompeia Dissimulations and subtilties as they are most evil to practise so somtimes they are necessary to do good for example Euclides used the like craft as before but to a better purpose for he practised it not to féed lust or to pleasure affectioÌ„ but he used it to hear Socâ—ates to read Philosophy to learn wisedome from him For there was a law betwéen Athens and them of Megaris for the great hatred the one bare unto the other that whosoever came from Athens to Megaris should die and whosoever would go from Megaris to Athens should likewise die Thus death frighted not Euclides but the love thâ—t he bare to Socrates and to Philosophy and wisedome so emboldned him that he would in the night travel from Megaris to Athens in the apparel of a woman least he should be known and he returned before day from Athens to Megaris again This dissimulation and craft of Euclides was far better and more to be commended then the doings of the former Better is Semiramis Quéen of Babylon thought of in that she perceiving her young son Ninus to be too tender to govern the stout Babylonians and Assyrians and knowing the nature of the people to be impatient of a womans government became in her apparel like a man and ruled the Kingdome till her son came to ripe age More praâ—ie ought â—â—lâ—gia a woman of Antioch to have who though she fained her self to be a man and dissembled with the world in that case yet this was to avoid incontinence and to live chast and solitary without the company of men For this cause is the Greek Virgin Mâ—rina and Euphrosina a maid of Alexandria worthily preferred before Cleocritus and Clisthenes for that they went in the apparel of men to live in the wildernesse to avoid lust and sensuality the others went in the apparell of women to beguile women Caelius doth report that certain women as Mantinia Lasthenia Axâ—othea and Phliasia would come in their apparel like men to hear Plato read philosophy in the schools The cause of their dissimulations was vertue and honest life the cause of the others dissimulation was vice and a wicked life so that dissimulation is both good and bad For we read at what time the armed youth of Gréece had determined co fetch home again fair Helene Menelaus wife from Troy where she was deteined by Paris King Priamus son that then Achilles the stoutest and worthiest of all the Gréeks while yet he slept in the Tent of Chiron his mother Thetis suddenly took him from Chiâ—ons house and changed his apparel into the apparel of a woman and appointed where he should hide himself with the daughters of King Lycomedes where he got one of them with child and commanded her to betray him to no man for she knew that her son Achilles should die in Troy if he should go thither There Achilles was a long while at the commandement of his mother Thetis untill the Oracle was given that the City of Troy should never be destroyed without the help of Achilles Ulisses being most subtill and crafty taking upon him to séek out Achilles took a little pack full of fine wares such as women buy and a strong bow and arrows thus when Ulisses came to King Lycomedes daughters though he knew Achilles to be there yet because he was in the apparel of a woman he knew him not and therefore shewed his fine ware unto the Kings daughters having a strong bow bent by him while Deidamia the mother of Pyrrhus and the rest of her sisters viewed the glistering ware of Ulisses Achilles stept in and took Ulisses bow in hand and drew it whereby Ulisses séeing him draw so strong a bow he straight perceived that he was Achilles And thus one craft beguileth another one deceit deceiveth another and one dissembling man findeth out another For by the means of Ulisses was the dissimulation of Achilles known I might have just occasion here to speak of those that were
youthfull Romans were as crafty in finding them out so that at that one instant of sixty young virgins fifty and five deserved the name of mothers Thus we perceive that by sight we are moved to lust and by consent we wilfully sin the one in the eye the other in the heart therefore better it is with Sophocles for a man to turn his back from a fair woman then with Nero to behold beauty who looking to earnestly upon the haire of Poppaeas was thereby moved to lust CHAP. XXXVIII Of Jealousie A Question was propounded to all the Gods to be answered whether man or woman be more jealous For as the Poets feign there sprung a contention between Iupiter and Iuno concerning lust and jealousie and having no equal judge to determine this matter it was referred after great controversie unto one Tiresias an ancient and learned poet sometime in Thebes which Tiresias on a certain time meeting two Snakes according to kind ingendring together having a white rod in his hand parted at once both their bodies and their lives Wherewith Iuno being moved to anger transformed this poet Tiresias from a man to a woman and being in the shape of a woman seven years he again found two Snakes ingendring together and in like manner striking them he was again reduced to his first form This Tiresias was thought most meet of Iupiter and Iuno by the consent of all the Gods for that he had been a woman seven years and now a man again to judge of this question And being called to the Bar to give his verdit he preferred Iuno for jealousie whereby Iuno waxed angry and made him blind and Iupiter to recompence his truth did make him a Prophet When Jupiter fell in love with Io Juno being suspicious and full of jealousie caused one named Argos with an hundred eys to watch Jupiter who for all his eys was deceived Juno thereby was so furious and so hungry with Argos that she translated his eys unto a Peacocks tail and transformed Io to a white Cow There is no such rage in jealousie as there is craft in love so that the streight kéeping of Danae King Acrisius daughter in Towers and Castles could never kéep her from Perseus neither the hundred eies of Argos might spie the craft of Jupiter to Io. We read of a woman named Procris who was in such jealousie of her husband called Cephalus that having him in suspicion for his often going a hunting on a certain time she followed him privily into the Woods thinking there to find her husband at his wantonnesse and hiding her self in a thick bush to sée the end of the event her husband passing by the bush perceiving something there to stir thinking it had béen some wild beast thrust his wife into the heart with his dart and thus Procris was slain of her own husband for her importunate jealousie The like happened to Aemilius wife who for her suspicious and raging jealousie was never quiet but was busie alwaies to find some fault in her husband following him every where and watching still in privy places thinking to find him in the manner and untill she sped of the like chance as Procris did she could never be quiet Cyampus wife named Leuconona was devoured by dogs instead of a wild beast hiding her self in the Woods to follow and mark her husbands voyage Iealousie so moved her that she could do no otherwise A strange kind of sicknesse it is that so infecteth the mind vexeth the spirits and molesteth the heart that the head is full of invention and the mind full of thought and the heart full of revenge So jealous was Phanius that the dores being shut the windows close all privy and secret places prevented every where as he thought so stopped that his wife could not deceive him yet never thought that love could pierce tile-stones to come unto his wife but he was deceived for the lurking dens of love and fancies and the secret search of affection hath more privy paths whereby Cupid may come to his mother Venus then the Labyrinth had chambers for the Minotaur King Acrisius thought he was sure of his daughter Danae when she was close bulwarked within a great Castle Iuno thought to prevent Iupiter by the hundred eys of Argos Phanius thought that his wife was sure enough when the dores were shut and the windows close but neither could the jealousie of Iuno prevent it neither the eys of Argos spie it neither the streight kéeping of Danae avoid it neither the close defence of Phanius defend it I must needs commend one called Cippius that would oftentimes take upon him to sleep when he did wake and would pretend to be ignorant though he knew it I wish wise men to sleep with Cippius and to say with Cicero Non omnibus dormio I sleep not to all men and to be ignorant though they know things And likewise I wish wise women to imitate Aemilia the wife of noble Scipio who although she knew things evident by Scipio yet she made as much of his Paramour as she made of her husband and all for his own sake They say jealousie proceedeth from love and love from God but I say it commeth from hatred and hatred from the Divel And yet we read in the sacred Scripture that Abraham was jealous of his wife Sarah saying thus to his wife I know that thou art fair and they will kill me to have thy love The manners of the Parthians were to keep their wives in privy places of their houses over whom they were so jealous that their wives might not go abroad but with covered faces The Persians were so suspicious of their wives that they had no liberty to go in sight and they durst not go on foot but in Wagons covered over lest they should see or be seen The Thracians with such care and study keep their wives that as Herodotus affirms they trust no man with them in company but their own parents The old and ancient Romans in times past kept their wives so close that their wives as Valerius Maximus saith did divers times either kill poison or with some cruelty or other destroy their husbands and it was by a young man of the city of Rome disclosed that there was a hundred threescore and ten that so killed and destroyed their husbands for that their husbands were so jealous over them But because it is a comon disease in all places I need not further to write thereof wishing my friend never to be incumbred therewith but rather with silence to passe it with Cippius and so he shall find ease thereby CHAP. XXXIX Of Idlenesse AS nothing can be greatly difficult to a willing mind so every thing is a burthē to the idle one for as labor exercise of body industry diligence of mind are sure and strong bulwarks of countries so are idlenesse and negligence the cause of all evill We read that Alexander the great least he
should be acquainted with idlenesse at any time even in the night time used this art to hold a silver ball when he went to bed in his hand having a silver bason upon the ground that when the ball should fall he being fast asléep the shrill sound thereof should wake him and make him mindfull of his enemies so fearfull was this noble prince of idlenesse that to shake off sléep and slothfulnesse he studied and travelled how he might avoid it For Alexander the great being called the son of Jupiter and fully perswaded with himself that he was of the linnage of the Gods had special regard of sléep and lust whereto he being so much subject knew himself to be a man wherefore he oftentimes wrastled with nature in that behalf In the self-same place of Marcellinus it is read that Julius Caesar the greatest and most renowned Emperour that ever reigned in Rome followed this order and practised this policy least he should be idle at any time For first to suffice nature he slept a certain time appointed Secondly he would be occupied in the affairs of his country Thirdly he travelled in his private study Thus least he should be idle nay rather least he should lose any time he divided every night into thrée parts first to nature secondly to his country thirdly about his own businesse The mighty Prince Philip of Macedon as we read in Brusonius was of such care and diligence that when his souldiers slept he alwaies watched Again he never slept untill his friend Antipater were first awake So that betwéen King Philip and Antipater diligence was as much honoured and embraced as slothfulnesse was feared and hated Epaminondas that renowned Prince of Thebes being studious and profitable to profit his country so hated idlenesse that finding one of his Captains in the Camp in the day time sléeping he slue him streight with his own hand and being reprehended by his Nobles and Counsellours for that cruell fact he answered them in few words I left him as I found him comparing idle and drowsie men to dead men for men are born to travell and watch and not to take pleasure and stéep How did Scipio in Affrica overthrow the Tents of Siphax how vanquished he his host of souldiers slew his army and how took he King Siphax captive himself Livius saith that the diligence of Scipio and the sloathfulnesse of Siphax being a sleep when he should be waking was the cause thereof Had Demosthenes loved idlenesse he had never been able to prevent that famous Prince Philip King of Macedon he was so carefull and diligent to the state of Athens that that worthy Captain and great Conquerour Philip was wont to say that he doubted more the diligence of Demosthenes then he feared all the force of Athens Had Cicero slept during the conspiracy of Catelin he had never been able worthily to boast of himself O happy Rome that ever I was thy Consul Studious travel saved oftentimes Rome from divers enemies Quintilian reciteth a worthy history of a famous scholler named Hippias who to avoid idlenesse after long studying of his book would exercise himself in something or other least he might seem to be idle insomuch that he applied himself to divers faculties at void hours and used to practise the faculty of a Goldsmith of a Tailor of a Shoo-maker insomuch that at length he became his own Taylor his own Shoemaker yea to make his own rings so artificially as though he had been brought up in the school of Praxiules What is so hard but diligence will attempt it What is so déep but travel will wade through it What is so strange but study will know it Labour and diligence are of Wise men much commended by the example of the Bée that is busie and carefull and knoweth how to profit her self and others If the little Ants be so praised for that they toyl in the Summer to provide against the Winter If the silly simple Worms do provide things necessary for them and theirs How much more ought man who is born to profit his countrey his Prince his friends and his parents to consider the commodity of diligence and the danger of idlenesse But it is before mentioned vices are covered with the names of vertues as the idle man is noted to be a quiet man the ignorant termed an innocent Caelius doth write of a certain Emperor named Attalus which so well loved idlenesse that he gave the government of the Empire to his friend Philopenes for that he would be idle We read again of one Vatia a great ruler and Mastrate in Asia that loved idlenesse so well that the people used a proverb when they saw any man idle to say He is an idle scholler of Vatiaes The Emperor Licinius and Valentianus were such enemies to learning and so ignorant as Egnatius doth report that they called Learning the onely poison of the world and named them that were learned the Asses of Cuma Who hated learning so much as Heraclides and Philonides which were so ignorant that they were as Caelius doth testifie had of the common people in great derision These blind men did call others Asses of Cuma when they themselves were far inferiour to any Asse in the world For divers Asses had more reason then Philonides or Heraclides had We read that Ammonius a great philosopher of Alexandria had an Asse which would keep company with Origen and Porphirius to frequent the school of Amonius to hear him read Philosophy and to his schollers the Asse was taught to know the reader as the schollers were to know the school at the time of reading The sacred Scripture commends tons the Asse of Balaam who was likewise taught to speak and to shew the prophet Balaam the will of God But the idle and ignorant will neither learn to know time place nor person neither to profit themselves nor others These lasie members these idle and ignorant beasts are the children of Morpheus sléeping alwaies in the cave of Pamedes to whom it well may be spoken as Aurelian sometime an Emperour of Rome spake unto one Bonosius that he was born to drink and not to live The Romans used to punish idlenesse so sharply that the Husbandman that had his ground barren and his Pastures Meadows or Fields untilled any other man should be there placed and he put out The Gentleman that had not his horse ready and in good liking with all things thereunto belonging should be suspected to be an idle member unto his country and should be hated and eschued by the people The common people might use no kind of private pleasure as plaies pastime or any other idle sport but at times appointed The gates of Rome were opened day and night to come and to go for the good of the Commonalty as Plutarch writes the life manners of all men were strictly examined whether they lived idle or no. And if any did resist the order of the Magistrates his head
paper in one hand he with his dagger in the other hand slue himself upon the grave holding the paper fast in it being deâ—d where this sentence he wrote Thou that knewest the faithfull friendship betwixt Volumnius and Lucullus join our bodies together being dead as our minds were alwaies one being alive The like history is written of Nisus who when his faithfull friend Eurialus was slain in the wars betwixt Turnus Aeneas he having understood thereof weÌ„t up down the field tumbling and tossing the dead carcasses til he found out Eurialus body which having long looked on and embraced he drew out his sword held it in his hand a little while saying As my body shal never depart from thy body so shall I never fear to follow thy ghost and laying the pummel of his sword upon the ground he fell upon it having the body of his friend Euâ—ialus betwixt his arms This love was great betwixt Princes who did live honourably and died willingly A strange thing for men so to love their friends as to weigh their deaâ—hs more then their own lives Orestes faith and friendship towards Pylades was such that being come unto a strange Region named Taurica to asswage his grief and to mitigate his furious flames because he slew his mother Clitemnestra and being suspected that he came onely to take away the image of Pallas their Goddesse in that country the King understanding the matter made Orestes to be sent for and to be brought before him to have judgement of death For Pylades was not mentioned nor spoken off but onely Orestes he it was that should steal their Goddesse away and carry it into Gréece Orestes therefore being brought and his fellow Pylades with him the King demanded which of them was Orestes Pylades that knew his friend Orestes should die suddenly stept forth and said I am he Orestes denied it and said he was Orestes Pylades again denied it and said that it was even he that was accused unto the King thus the one denying and the other affirming either of them most willing to die for the other the King dismaied at their great â—mity and love pardoned their faults and greatly honoured their natural love and faith So many like histories to this there be that then Princes would die for their friends even that great Conquerour Alexander would have died presently with his friend Hephestion had not his counsel letted him he loved him alive so well that he was called of all men another Alexander he so much estéemed his friend that when Sisigambis King Darius mother had saluted Hephestion instead of Alexander and being ashamed at her errour he said forbear not to honour Hephestion for he is Alexander also What was it that Anaxagoras wanted that Prince Pericles could get for him whither went Aeneas at any time without Achates with him there was nothing that Pomponiuâ— had but Cicero had part of it the friendship of Scipio never wanted towards Cloeâ—ius Though Rome could alter state though fortune could change honour yet could neither Rome nor fortune alter faith or change friends After the Senatours had judged Tiberius Gracchus for divers seditions in the City to die his friend Blosius having knowledge thereof came and kneeled before the Senators besought Laeâ—us whose counsel the Senators in all things followed to be his friend saying unto the rest after this sort O sacred Senate and noble Counsellours if there remains in the City of Rome any sparkle of Iustice if there be regard unto equity let me crave that sentence by law which you injuriously award unto another and since I have committed the offence of Gracchus whose commandement I never resisted whose will I will during life obey let me die for Gracchus worthily who am most willing so to do and let him live who justly ought so to do Thus with vehement invectives against himself he made the Senatours astonied with his rare desire of death saying the Capitol had béen burned by Blosius if Gracchus had so commanded but I know that Gracchus thought nothing in heart but that which he spake to Blosius and that which he spake to Blosius Blosius never doubted but to do and therefore I rather deserve death then he The faith and love betwixt Damon and Pythias was so wondred at by King Dionisius that though he was a cruel Tyrant in appointing Damon to die yet was he so amazed to sée the desire of Pythias his constant faith and his love and friendship prosessed in Damons behalf striving one with another to die that he was inforced in spight of tyranny to pardon Damon for Pythias sake Thelcus and Perithous became such faithfull friends that they made several oaths one unto another never during life to be parted neither in affliction plague punishment pain toil or travel to be dissevered insomuch that the Poets fain that they went unto the Kingdome and region of Pluto together I will not speak of the great love of that noble Greek Achilles toward King Patroclus Neither will I recite the history of that worthy Roman Titus toward Gisippus nor report the love of Palemon and Arceir nor of Alexander and Lodwick whose end and conclusion in love were such as is worthy of everlasting memory CHAP. XLII Of Envy and Malice and the tyranny of Princes AS Malice drinketh for the most part her own poison so Envy saith Aristotle hurteth more the envious it self then the thing that it envieth Like as the sloathfull in war or Darnel amongst Wheat so is the envious in a City not so sad for his own miseries and calamities as he lamenteth the hap and and felicity of others Wherefore the Philosopher Socrates calleth the enemy serrom anima the sow of the soul for that it cutteth the heart of the envious to sée the prosperity of others For as it is a grief to good and vertuous men to sée evill men rule so contraily to the evill most harm it is to sée good men live Therefore the first disturber of Commonwealths and last destroyer of good states the beginning of all sorrows the end of all joys the cause of all evil and the onely let of all goodnesse is envy How prospered Greece Had flourished Rome How quiet was the whole world before envy began to practise with malice two daughters of tyranny never séen but hidden in the hearts of flatterers Then I say Gréece was glorious Rome was famous their names were honoured their prowesse feared their policy commended their knowledge extolled their fame spread over the whole world but when envy began to sojourn in Gréece and malice to build her Bower in Rome these sisters like two monsters or two grim Gorgons oppressed Castles destroied countries subdued Kingdoms depopulated Cities in fine triumphed over all Gréece and Italy Hannibal chief General of the Carthaginians Jugurth King of Numidia Pyrrhus of Epirus most valiant puissant mighty Princes with long wars and mighty slaughter could not with all their force and