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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02299	Archontorologion, or The diall of princes containing the golden and famous booke of Marcus Aurelius, sometime Emperour of Rome. Declaring what excellcncy [sic] consisteth in a prince that is a good Christian: and what euils attend on him that is a cruell tirant. Written by the Reuerend Father in God, Don Antonio of Gueuara, Lord Bishop of Guadix; preacher and chronicler to the late mighty Emperour Charles the fift. First translated out of French by Thomas North, sonne to Sir Edward North, Lord North of Kirthling: and lately reperused, and corrected from many grosse imperfections. With addition of a fourth booke, stiled by the name of The fauoured courtier.; Relox de príncipes. English	Guevara, Antonio de, Bp., d. 1545?; Munday, Anthony, 1553-1633.; North, Thomas, Sir, 1535-1601?; Guevara, Antonio de, Bp., d. 1545? Aviso de privados. English.	1619 (1619)	STC 12430; ESTC S120712	985,362	801

weale iustice in theyr owne house the king troth in their mouthes and fidelity in their hearts the good and honest men grace in their fauour and that the ill and wicked boast themselues no more of their authority and office and that the poor shall praise them for their good works and the King also finde them faithfull seruants I will at this present with mine owne hand giue them such faith and assurance that they shall neede neuer to feare that God will forsake them nor that men can hurt them that they shall neuer bee detected of any infamy ouerthrown by any misfortune neither put out of fauour and credit with their prince at any time HERE FOLLOWETH CERTAINE OTHER LETTERS WRITTEN BY Marcus Aurelius Selected out of the Spanish Copie not written in the French Tongue CHAP. I. Of the huge Monster seene in Scicilie in the time of Marcus Aurelius and of the Letters hee wrote with bloud vpon a gate IN the yeare of the foundation of Rome 720. and xlii of the age of Marcus Aurelius and two yeares before hee tooke possession of the empire the twenty day of August about the going downe of the Sunne in the Realme of Scicill in the City of Palermo a port of the sea there chanced a thing perillous to them that saw it then and no lesse dreadfull to those which shall heare it now Whiles they of Palermo were celebrating a great feast with much ioye that they had vanquished the Nauy of the Numedians the Pirates diuiding their bootie were preuented by the Magistrates of the City who cōmaunded the whole spoyle to be laide vp till the warres were finished for such was the Law of the Isle And truly it was a iust law for oftentimes the onely let why the peace is not made betweene Princes is because there wanteth riches to satisfie the damage done in wars When all the people were returned home vnto their houses to Supper for it was in the Summer there appeared an huge Monster in the Citie in this forme Hee seemed to be of the length of three cubites his head was balde so that his skul did appeare Hee had no eares saue onely two holes in the necke whereby men iudged that hee heard he had two writhen hornes like a Goate his right arme was longer then his left his hands were much like the feete of horses without throte his shoulders and his head were both of one height his shoulders shone as doeth the scales of fishes his brest was all rough of haire his Face in all things was much like vnto a man saue that hee had but one Eye which was in the middest of his fore-head In his Nose there was but one nosethrill From the middle downwards there was nothing seen because it was all couered he sate on a charyot with fowre wheeles which was drawn with fowre beasts That is two Lyons before and two Beares behind No man can tell of what wood the Charriot was made In fashion it differed nothing from those which other men do accustomably vse Within this Chariot stood a great Chauldron with eares wherein the Monster was wherefore it could not be seene but from the middle vpward It wandred a great space in the Cittie from one gate to another casting out sparkes of fire The feare and terror hereof was so great throughout all the Cittie that some Women with childe were with great daunger deliuered and others beeing weake and fainte hearted fell downe dead And all the people both men and women great and small ranne to the Temples of Iupiter Mars and Februa with dolefull clamours and cryes making their importunate prayers At the same time all these Rouers were lodged in the Gouernours Pallace of the Cittie whose name was Solyno borne at Capua where also the riches was kept After the Monster had beene in all patts of the Cittie or in the most part thereof it came to the pallace where the Pyrates were and cut one of the Lyons eares off and with the bloud therof wrote these Letters vppon the pallace gate which was shut R. A. S. P. I. P. These Letters were of diuers men diuersly interpreted so that the interpretations were moe then the letters And in the end a woman-prophetesse greatly esteemed for her science vnto whome God had giuen this secrete knowledge opened the true meaning of these Letters saying R. signifieth Reddite A aliena S sivultis P. propria I. in Pace P. possidere Which altogether is to say Render vnto others that which is theirs if you in quyet will possesse your owne Truly the pyrates were wonderfully afrayd of this sudden commaundement and he Woman was highly commended for her exposition This being done the Monster went the same night out of the City vnto a high hill called Iamicia there stood for the space of 3 dayes in the sight of the City the Lions with terrible voyces roaring the Beares with no lesse fearefull cries raging and finally the monster most dreadful flames casting During all this time there was neither bride seene in the aire nor beast in the fields And the people offered such great sacrifices vnto their Gods that they brake the veines of their handes and feet and offered the bloud therof to see if they coulde appease theyr wrathes These three dayes being passed there appeared in the Element a maruellous darke cloud which seemed to darken the whole earth and therewith it beganne to thunder and lighten so terrible that sundry houses fell to the ground and infinite men ended their liues And last of all there came such a flame of fire from the Monster that it burned both the Pallace where the Rouers were and all other thinges that were therein so that all was consumed with fire yea the very stones themselues The tempest was so great that there fell aboue two thousand houses and there dyed more then tenne thousand persons In this place where this Monster was on the toppe of the Hill the Emperour edified a sumptuous temple to the God Iupiter in perpetuall memory of the same Whereof afterwards Alexander Emperour hauing warre with the people of the Isle made a strong Castle CHAP. II. Of that which chaunced vnto Antigonus a Citizen of Rome in the time of Marcus Aurelius AT the same time when this woefull chaunce happened in the Isle there dwelled a Romane in the same City called Antigonus a man of a noble bloud and well strucken in age who with his wife and daughter were banished two yeares beefore from Rome The cause of this banishment was this There was an olde laudable custome in Rome instituted by Quintus Cincinnatus the Dictator that two of the most auncient Senators should go with the Censour newly created in the moneth of December to visite al Rome and to examine seuerally euery Romane declaring vnto him the 12. Tables and also the particular Decrees of the Senate demaunding of of them if they knew any man that had not obserued these lawes and if they

and that is without procuring or offering my selfe he Senate of their own Will hath commaunded mee In the eight Table of our auncient laws by these Wordes Wee commaund that in our sacred Senate Charge of iustice bee neuer giuen to him that willinglie offereth him selfe to it but to such as by great deliberation are chosen This is certainely a iust Law for men be now not so vertuous not so louing to the Common wealth that they will forget their own quietnes and rest doing damage to themselues to procure another mans profite There is none so foolish that will leaue his wife children and his owne sweet Countrey to gee into straunge Countries but if hee see himselfe among strange people thinking vnder the colour of iustice to seeke for his owne vtility I say not this without weeping that the Princes with their small study and thought and the Iudges with their couetousnesse haue vndermined and shaken downe the high wals of the policie of Rome O my friend Catullus what wilt thou that I shall say but that our credence so diminisheth our couetousnesse so largely stretcheth our hardinesse so boldneth our shamefastnesse so shamelesse that wee prouide for Iudges to go and rob our neighbours as Captaines against our enemies I let thee to know where as Rome was beloued for chastising the euill now it is as much hated for spoiling the good I doe remember that I reade in the time of Dennis Siracusan that ruleth all Scicill there came an Ambassadour from Rhodes to Rome being of a good age wel learned and valiaunt in armes and right curious to note all things He came to Rome to see the Maiesty of the sacred Senate the height of the high Capitoll enuironed with the Colliset the multitude of Senators the wisedome of the Counsellors the glory of triumphes the correction of the euill the peace of the inhabitants the diuersity of Nations the aboundance of the mantenance the order of the offices And finally seeing that Rome was Rome hee was demaunded how hee thought thereby He answered and sayde O Rome at this present world thou art ful of vertuous and wise men hereafter thou shalt bee furnished with fooles Loe what high and very high words were these Rome was seuen hundred yeares without any house of fooles and now it hath beene three hundred yeares without any wise or vertuous man Looke what I say it is no mockery but of truth if the pittifull Gods now a dayes did raise our predecessors from death to life eyther they would not know vs for their children or else they would attach vs for fooles These be things vsed in Rome but thou sendest no word of that is vsed in Agripine I will write nothing vnto thee to put thee to paine write to me some thing to reioyce me if thy wi●e Dimisila chanced well of the flote that came out of Cetin with salt oyle and honey I haue well prouided for her Wilt thou know that Flodius our vncle was cast downe by the rage of his horse and is deceased Laercia and Colliodorus are friendes together by occasion of a marriage I doe sende thee a Gunne I doe pray to the gods to send thee ioy thereof My wife Faustine saluteth thee Recommend mee to Iamiro thy sonne The Gods haue thee in keeping and and sinister fortune bee from me Marcus thy friend to thee Catullus his own CHAP. VII Marcus Aurelius writeth to the amorous Ladies of Rome MArk Orator reading in Rhodes the art of humanity to you amorous Ladies of Rome wisheth health to your persons and amendmēt of your desired liues It was written to mee that at the Feast of the mother Berecinthia all you being present together made a play of mee in which you layed my life for an example and slaundred my Renowne It is tolde mee that Auilina composed it Lucia Fuluia wrote it and thou Toringua did sing it and you altogether into the Theater did present it You brought mee forth painted in sundry formes with a booke in my hand turned contrary as a fained Philosopher with a long tongue as a bold speaker without measure with a horn in my head as a common Cuckolde with a nettle in my hand as a trembling louer with a banner fallen down as a coward Captaine with my beard halfe shauen as a feminate man with a cloth before my eyes as a condemned foole and yet not content with this another day yee brought mee foorth portracted with another new deuise Yee made a figure of mine with feete of straw the legges of amber the knees of wood the thighes of brasse the belly of horne the armes of pitch the hands of mace the head of yron the eares of an Asse the eyes of a Serpent the heares of rootes ●agged the teeth of a catte the tongue of a Scorpion and the forehead of lead in which was writtē in two lines these letters M. N. S. N. I. S. V. S. which in my opinion signifieth thus This picture hath not so many mettals as his life hath changes This done yee went to the riuer and tyed it with the head downwarde a whole day and if it had not beene for the good Lady Messelyne I thinke it had beene tyed there till now And now yee amorous Ladies haue written mee a Letter by Fuluius Fabritius which grieued me nothing but as an amorous man from the handes of Ladies I accept it as a mockery And to the end I should haue no leysure to thinke thereon yee sent to demaund a question of me that is if I haue found in my bookes of what for what from whence when for whom and how women were first made Because my condition is for to take mockes for mockes and sith you doe desire it I will shew it vnto you Your friendes and mine haue written to mee but especially your Ambassador Fuluius hath instantly required mee so to doe I am agrieued with nothing and will hold my peace sauing to your letter onely I will make aunswere And sith there hath been none to aske the question I protest to none but to you amorous Ladies of Rome I send my aunswere And if an honest Lady will take the demaund of you it is a token that shee doth enuie the office that yee bee of For of a truth that Lady which sheweth her selfe annoyed with your paine openly from henceforth I condemne her that shee hath some fault in secrete They that bee on the Stage feare not the roaring of the Bull they that bee in the Dungeon feare not the shot of the Canon I will say the woman of good life feareth no mans slaunderous tongue The good Matrons may keepe mee for their perpetuall seruant and the euill for their chiefe enemie I aunswere It is expedient you know of what the first women were made I say that according to the diuersities of Nations that are in the world I find diuers opinions in this case The Egyptians say that when the tiuer Nilus brake and ouerranne the

Common-wealth hee which is most worth shal be no more esteemed then the fingers or paring the nailes or the falling of an haire from the head Let euery man the fore liue in peace in his common-wealth and acknowledge obedience vnto his prince and he that will not do so away with him for euen as the onely offence proceedeth of him so let the onely paine rest vpon him For it is an old saying That hee that taketh vp the sword against his Maister will shortly after lay his head at his feete The second condition is To compare the King to the head because the head is the beginning of Mans life The most part of things that euer God created according to their natures worke their operations as in growing high and towards the heauens We see the vapors ascend high the Trees budde out on high the sourges of the Sea mount high and the nature of Fire is alwayes to ascend mount on high onely the miserable Man groweth downwards and is brought low by reason of the feeble and fraile flesh which is but Earth commeth of earth and liueth on earth and in the ende returneth to earth againe from whence he came Aristotle saith well That Man is as a Tree planted with the rootes vpwardes whose roote is the head and the stocke is the bodie the braunches are the armes the barcke is the Flesh the knoties are the bones the sappe is the heart which with the braine is the seate of the soule first liuing and last dying the rottennes is malice the gumme is loue the flowers are wordes and the Fruites are the good workes To make the man to goe vprightly his head should be where his feet are and the feete where the head is sith the head is the root and the feet are the bowes but in this case I sweare that we are correspondent to our beginning for it our flesh bee planted contrariwise so much more contrary we haue our life ordered Therefore concerning our matter I say that the Realme hath no lesse his beginning of the King then the King of the Realme which thing is plainely seene for that the King giueth lawes and institutions vnto a Realme and not the Realme to the King The gifts and benefits which the King giueth cōmeth to the realm and not from the Realme to the King To inuent wars to take truce to make peace to reward the good and to punish the euill proceedeth from the King to the Realme and not to the contrary For it appertaineth only to the Maiesty of a Prince to commaund and ordaine and to the common wealth to authorize and obeye him As in a great sumptuous building it is more dāgerous where one stone of the foundation doth fall thē when ten thousand tiles fall from the toppe so he ought more to bee blamed for one onely disobedience committed and done to the King and his iustice then for fiue thousand offences against the common wealth For wee haue seene of a little disobedience a great slander arise in a cōmon wealth O it is a goodly matter for a Prince to be beloued of his subiects and a goodly thing also for the Realme to be fearefull of their King for the king that is not loued of his Subiects cannot liue in peace or quiet therealm that is not fearefull of their King cannot be well gouerned The Realme Sicilia had alwayes mighty Princes and Gouernors for in ancient time it was gouerned by vertuous Princes or els by cruell and malicious tyrants In the time of Seuerus the Emperour there raigne● in Cecil a King called Lelius Pius who had so many good things in him that throughout all the Empire hee was very well esteemed and chiefly for foure Lawes amongst others he ordayned in that Realme which were these following Wee ordaine that if amongst equall persons there bee any iniuries offered that they be punished or else that they be assembled for where enuy is rooted betweene two it profiteth more to recōncile their good willes then to punish their persons Wee ordaine that if the greatest bee offended by the least that such offence bee little reproued and well punished for the audacite and little shame and also the disobedience of the seruant to the master ought not to be reformed but by grieuous punishment We ordaine that if any resist or speake against the commandement of a Prince that presently without delay he suffer death before them all for they may boldly by the way of supplication reuerently declare their griefes and not by slaunder rebelliously disobey their Lords Wee ordaine that if any rayse the common wealth against the Prince hee that can first strike off his head may lawfully without fearing any daunger of punishment for his head is iustly taken from him that would there should be many heades in the common weale Of all this before spoken Herianus is the Authour in his fourth Booke of the Kinges of Sieile where hee putteth many and singular Lawes and Customes whith the Auncients had to the great confusion of those that be present For truely the Auncients did not onely exceede those that bee present in their works doings but also in speaking profound wordes Therefore returning to our matter mans life greatly trauelleth alwayes to defend the head in such sort that a man would rather suffer his hand to bee cut off then to suffer a wound to bee made in his head By this comparison I meane that a fault in a Common-wealth is a cut which cankereth and festereth but the disobedience to a Prince is a wound which forthwith killeth If a man did aske mee what vnion Princes should haue with their Common wealth I would answere them in this sort that the wealth of the King and Realme consisteth herein That the King should accompany with the good and banish the euill For it is vnpossible that the King should bee beloued of the Common-wealth if the company hee hath about him be reputed vicious Hee should also loue his Realme without dissimulation and the Realme should serue him vnfaynedly for the Common-wealth which knoweth it to bee beloued of their Prince shall not finde any thing too hard for his scruice Further that the King vse his Subiects as his children and that the Subiects serue him as a Father for generally the good Father cannot suffer his children to bee in danger neyther the good children will disobey their Father Also the King ought to bee iust in his commaundements and the subiects faithfull For if it bee a good thing in their seruices to liue vnder a iust Law it is much better to liue vnder a iust King Also the King ought to defend his Subiects from enemies and they ought well to pay him his tribute For the Prince who defendeth his people from enemies and tyranny worthily deserueth to be Lord of all their goods Also the King ought to keepe his Common-wealth in quiet and ought not to be presumptuous of his

the high wayes And after that he was forty yeares of age he became King of the Lusitaines and not by force but by election for when the people saw themselues enuironed and assaulted on euery side with enemies they chose rather stout strong and hardy men for their Captaines then noble men for their guides If the ancient Historiographers deceyue me not when Viriatus was a thiefe hee ledde with him alwayes at the least a hundred theeues the which were shod with leaden shooes so that when they were enforced to runne they put off their shooes And thus although all the day they went with leaden shooes yet in the night they ranne like swift buckes for it is a generall rule that the looser the ioynts are the more swifter shall the legges be to runne In the booke of the iests of the Lumbardes Paulus Diaconus sayeth that in the olde time those of Capua had a Law that vntill the children were married the fathers should giue them no bed to sleepe on nor permit them to sit at the table to eate but that they should eate their meate in their hands and take their rest on the ground And truly it was a commendable law for rest was neuer inuēted for the yong man which hath no beard but for the aged being lame impotent and crooked Quintus Cincinatus was second Dictator of Rome and indeed for his deserts was the first Emperour of the earth This excellent man was brought vp in so great trauell that his handes were found full of knots the plough was in his armes and the swette in his face when hee was sought for to bee Dictator of Rome For the Ancients desired rather to bee ruled of them that knew not but how to plough the ground then of them that delighted in nothing else but to liue in pleasures among the people Caligula which was the fourth Emperour of Rome as they say was brought vp with such cost and delicatenesse in his his youth that they were in doubt in Rome whether Drusius Germanicus his father employed more for the Armies then Caligula his sonne spent in the cradle for his pleasures This rehearsed againe I would now know of Princes and great lords what part they would take that is to say whether with Cincinatus which by his stootenes wan so many strange Countries or with Caligula that in his filthy lusts spared not his proper sister In mine opinion there needeth no great deliberation to aunswere this question that is to say the goodnesse of the one and the wickednesse of the other for there was no battell but Cincinatus did ouercome nor there was any vice but Caligula did inuent Suetonius Tranquillus in the second Booke of Caesars sayeth That when the children of the Emperour Augustus Caesar entred into the high Capitoll where all the Senate were assembled the Senatours rose out of their places and made a reuerence to the children the which when the Emperour Augustus saw hee was much displeased and called them backe againe And on a day beeing demaunded why bee loued his childrē no better he answered in this wise If my children will bee good they shal sit hereafter where I sit now but if they bee euill I will not their vices should bee reuerenced of the Senators For the authoritie and grauitie of the good ought not to bee employed in the seruice of those that be wicked The 26 Emperour of Rome was Alexander the which though he was young was as much esteemed for his vertues amongst the Romanes as euer Alexander the great was for his valiantnes amongst the Greekes Wee cannot say that long experience caused him to come to the Gouernment of the common-wealth for as Herodian saieth in his sixth booke The day that the Senatours proclaymed him Emperour hee was so little that his owne men bare him in theyr armes That fortunate Emperour had a Mother called Manea the which brought him vp fowel and diligently that she kept alwayes a great guard of men to take heed that no vicious man came vnto him And let not the diligence of the Mother to the childe be little esteemed For Princes oft times of their owne nature are good and by euill conuersation only they are made euill This worthie woman keeping alwayes such a faithfull guarde of her childe that no Flatterers should enter in to flatter him nor malicious to tell him lyes By chaunce on a day a Romane saide vnto her these wordes I thinke it not meete most excellent princesse that thou shouldest be so diligent about thy Sonne to forget the affaires of the commonwealth for Princes ought not to be kept so close that it is more easie to obtaine a suite at the Gods then to speake one word with the Prince To this the Empresse Manea answered and saide They which haue charge to gouerne those which do gouern without comparison ought to feare more the vices of the King then the enemyes of the realme For the enemyes are destroyed in a Battell but vices remaine during the life and in the end enemies doe not destroy but the possessions of the Land but the vicious prince destroieth the good māners of the commonwealth These words were spoken of this worthy Romane By the Hystories which I haue declared and by those which I omitte to recite all vertuous men may knowe how much it profiteth them to bring vppe their children in trauels or to bring them vp in pleasures But now I imagine that those which shall reade this will prayse that which is well written and also I trust they will not giue their childrē so much their owne wils for men that reade much and worke little are as belles which doe found to call others and they themselues neuer enter into the church If the fathers did not esteeme the seruice they doe vnto God their owne honour nor the profite of their owne children yet to preserue them from diseases they ought to bring them vp in vertue withdraw them from vices for truly the children which haue beene brought vp daintily shall alwayes be diseased and sickly What a thing is it to see the sonne of a Labourer the coate without points the shirt tattered and torne the feet bare his head without a cap his body without a girdle in summer without a hat in winter without a cloke in the day plowing in the night driuing his heard eating bread of Rye or Otes lying on the earth or else on the straw and in this trauell to see this yong man so holy and vertuous that euery man desireth and wisheth that hee had such a sonne The contrary commeth of Noble mens sonnes the which wee see are nourished and brought vp betweene two fine Holland sheetes layed in a costly cradell made after the new fashion they giue the Nurse what she will desire if perchance the child be sicke they change his Nurse or else they appoint him a dyet The father and the mother sleepe neyther night nor day all

will play his coate Waying the matter more deeply and aggrauating this vice I say further and affirme that when the children of Princes and great Lords play a man ought not to make account of that which they may winne or loose for that of all miseries were most miserie if therefore my penne should forbidde them play For play ought not to be forbidden to young children for the money that they lose but for the vices which they winne thereby and for the corrupt manners which therein they doe learne Octauian who was the second Emperour of Rome and one of the fortunatest Emperours that euer was among all his vertues was noted of one thing onely which is that from his youth he was much giuen to play at tennis Of the which vice hee was not onely admonished secretly but also was forbidden it openly For as Cicero sayeth in his booke of Lawes when the Emperour was noted of any open vice they might boldly reproue him in the open Senate When Octauian was for this vice reproued by the Senate they sayde hee spake these wordes You haue reason O Fathers conscript in taking from me my pastime for it is necessary that the vertues of Princes should be so many that al men might prayse them and their vices so fewe that no man might reproue them These wordes were notable worthy of such a rare and excellent Prince For in the end considering their delicate and wanton bringing vp together with the liberty that they haue Wee ought to thanke and commend them for the good workes which they doe and most of all to reioyce for the vices which they want To our matter therefore amongst the other wicked vices that children gette in their youth when they are players This is one that they learne to bee theeues and lyers For the money that they playe to demaund it their Fathers they are afrayde and ashamed and of theyr owne proper goods as yet they haue none in their hands Wherefore a man may easily conclude tha● if children play of necessitie they must steale The sixe and thirtieth Emperor of Rome was Claudius Luganus a man very temperate in eating moderate in apparrell vpright in iustice and very fortunate in chiualry for he did not onely repulse the Gothes from Illyria but also vanquished in a batrell the Germaines wherin were slaine aboue a hundred thousand This battell was neere vnto the Lake Verucus in a place called Luganus and for a memory of that great battell and victory they called him Claudius Luganus For it was a custome among the Romaines that according to the good or euill workes that Princes did so they were iudged and know by such surnames whether it were good or euill This Emperour had but one onely sonne which was a prince of comely personage and liuely of vnderstanding but aboue all things giuen to play so that these good gifts which nature gaue him to work in vertue he misused alwayes in play And amongst young men he desired rather to haunt vice then among the Philosophers to learne vertue And hereat a man ought not to maruell for all men of great courage vnlesse they be compelled to do vertuous acts doe exercise of themselues many detestable vices It chaunced when this young prince had no more to play nor gage he robbed out of his Fathers chamber a rich Iewell of golde whereof also his Master was priuie And when the knowledge thereof came to the Emperours eates hee immediately dishenherited his sonne of the Empire and caused the head of the Master to bee cut off his body and all those likewise that played with him to be banished the Countrey This act made euery man afrayde for correction executed after a good sorte hath this property that it encourageth the good to be good and feareth the wicked from their wickednesse Merula in the tenth booke of Caesars whereas at large hee mentioneth this matter sayeth that the Romaines esteemed more the banishment of those players from Rome then to haue drouen out the Gothes from Illyria and to say the trueth they had reason For a prince deserueth a greater growne of glory to banish the vitious from his palace then hee doeth for chasing the enemies out of his dominion CHAP. XL. ¶ Of two other vices perillous in Youth which the Maisters ought to keepe them from and that is to bee shamelesse in countenance and addicted to wickednesse and the lusts of the Flesh THirdlie Tutours ought to trauel that that the Children which they haue in charge be not light worldly nor that they do consent that they be bolde or shamelesse And I say that they doe not suffer them to be light or vnconstant For of young men vnconstant and light commeth oftentimes an olde man fonde and vnthriftie I say that they doe not suffer them to be too rashe For of too hardie young men commeth rebellious and seditious persons I say that they doe not consent they bee shameles For of the vnshamefastnes commeth slaunderous persons Princes and great Lords ought to haue much care and circumspection that their Children bee brought vp in shamefastnes with honestie For the crowne doth not giue so much glorie to a King nor the head doth more set forth the man nor the precious jewell more adorne the breast nor yet the regal Scepter more become the hand then shamefastnes with honesty beautifieth a young man For a man of what estate soeuer hee be the honesty which hee sheweth outwardly doeth most commonly hyde many secret vices wherewith he is indued inwardly In the time of the reigne of the Emperour Helyus Pertinax the nineteenth Emperour of Rome two Consulls gouerned the Common-wealth the one was named Verut and the other Mamillus One day they came vnto the Emperour and were humble suiters to his Highnesse beseeching him that it would please him to accept and receyue their two children into his seruice the eldest of the which passed not as yet twelue yeares of age the which request after the Emperour had graunted the Fathers were not negligent to bring them vnto him and beeing come before his presence eache of them made an oration the one in Latine and the other in Greeke Wherewith the Emperour was greatly pleased and all the residue amazed For at that time none serued the Romaine Princes but hee that was very apte to Chiualrie or very toward in Sciences As these two Children in the presence of the Emperour made their orations the one of them behelde the Emperour in such sorte that his eyes neuer went off him neither once mouing his head to looke downe to the earth and the other contrarie behelde the earth alwayes and neuer lift vp his head during his oration Wherewith the Emperour beeing a graue man was so highly pleased with the demeanours of this Childe that hee did not onely admit him for to serue him at his Table but also hee suffered him to enter into his Chamber and this was a preferment of

true pittifull honest and vertuous nor yet to be iust but that it is as well necessarie they bee obseruers of iustice For let them know that there is great difference between him that is iust and another that doth minister iustice for to the Prince that is good commeth honor to his person but from him that ministreth iustice commeth profite to the Common-wealth Peraduenture it is no wonder to see the Prince that will tell no lye and to see his Ministers not to speake one truth Peraduenture I do not thinke my selfe slaundered to see the Prince temperate in eating and to see all his seruants distempred both with eating and drinking peraduenture and it is no cause to muse vpon to see the Princes chast and honest and to see their seruants in flesh filthy and dissolute peraduenture it is no cause to maruell to see the Prince iust and to loue iustice and that very few of his ministers do minister it The end why all these thinges are spoken is to aduertise Princes that they be not so carefull to be chast sober true and iust but that they know whether their Gouernours and Iudges are corrupted couetous greedy vnshamefast lyers or bribers for if it toucheth vs much that our Princes be good so much more it toucheth vs that the Ministers be not euill One of the things wherein Princes ought to prouide with their Iudges and gouernours is that by no meanes they suffer their lawes and and ancient customes to be broken in their commō welth and that in their steads strange customs be not introduced for the Comminalty is so variable in that they say and so light in that they aske that they would dayly see a new king and hourely change a new law Plinie in an Epistle that he writeth to Escario sayeth Optime apud Persius capitalem per legem fuit prohibitum nouos aut perigrinos mores inducere As if hee spake more plainely Amongst the Persians it was a Law inuiolable that no man should bring into the Common-wealth any strange custome for such an offence they should pay none other ransome but the losse of their heads As men dayly doe diminish in vertue vnlesse by force they be withholden and augment in vanity so they would inuent new deuises and strange customes wherewith men should bee decayed and the Common wealth destroied for straunge meates doe alter mens stomackes When those of Creta were vngently vsed of the Rhodians they did not pray to their gods to send them pestilence warre famine or sedition among their enemies but that they would suffer som euil maners to be brought in amongst the people Let not those thinke that shall reade this that it was a small curse that those of Creta desired and that it was a small reuenge which God gaue them of their enemies if he gaue them that which they did require for from war famin and pestilence som may escape but with deuises we see all perish Of many things the historiās do reproue the Emperor Sergius Galba for one alone they praise him That he neuer cōsented that in Rome any new law shold be made nor any old custom broken And he commanded that those should be grieuously punished which brought in any new law he rewarded those which put him in mind of any olde custome the which bee commaunded to bee obserued It is a mockery yea better to say a slaunder to see that some young Iudges will doe that of the Common-wealth which a Taylour doeth of a gowne that is to say to turne him within and without before behind which they ought not to doe nor the people to consent therevnto For the Prince doeth not sende them to make lawes nor to bring in new orders but to the ende that they do only preserue the commonwealth in their good customes Princes ought also to take great care that vnto litle and great rich poor they minister equall iustice sith there is no diuine nor humaine law that giueth them power and aucthoritie to corrupt it For if a Prince cannot without reason d pose of his owne goods much lesse he can make lawes and sell Iustice Wee doe not denye a Prince but that hee is lorde of Beastes of Fysh of Byrds of Mynes of Mountains of seruants and of fields Finally that hee is lord of the sea and land but therefore we will not graunt him that he is lord of iustice For there is none other true Lorde of Iustice but GOD which is the selfe same Iustice When a Prince dyeth and maketh his will he sayeth I bequeath all my Realms and Seigniories to the Prince my sonne and legitimate heyre and doe leaue vnto my second sonne such an Estate and dowrey and to my daughter such Lands and to all I recommend Iustice to the end they do obserue it and cause it to be obserued euery one in his owne Countrey It is much to note that the Father doth not say that hee leaueth vnto his Sonne Iustice but that hee doeth recommend it vnto him so that the good Princes ought not to think that they haue inherited Iustice of theyr predecessors in form of a patrimony but that God gaue it vnto thē of trust Princes of all things may be called Lords saue onely of Iustice whereof they are but onely ministers Wee dare boldely say that the Prince or great Lord which iudgeth causes not according to the Diuine will but according to their owne affection wee will not call him a iust iudge but a rouing Theefe For the Prince is much worse which robbeth God of Iustice then the Theefe which stealeth the goods from men Suetonius Tranquillus reciteth much wickednes of Domitian and the greatest of al was the poore the Orphans and those which could doe little hee alwayes punished and the other that were rich and of authoritie he pardoned He compounded with some for money and with others hee dissembled for fauour Lampridius sayde of Alexander Seuerus the 25. Emperour of Rome that hee neuer kept in his Court any euill man or suffered any of his parents to be vicious And when he was demanded on a time why hee banished one of his cousines since he was young and a Childe Hee aunswered them which intreated for him and alleadged That though he was young and his Cousin yet Charior est mihi Respub as if more plainely he had saide I haue none other neerer of kinne to mee in my Pallace then the Commonwealth O high much more higher words worthy for a truth to be writtē in princes hearts whereby they ought to be aduertised that hee said not I take for my kinne one part of the Commonwealth For the Prince which feareth GOD and desireth to be found iust as he wil indifferently be obeyed of al so ought he equally to administer iustice to all If they wil not credit me nor my pen let them credit Plato in the books of his commonwealth who giueth libertie and

Prince to whom wee wholly owe our dutie and alleageance And therefore the wise and vertuous Courtyer must flye from this company as farre as hee can that are possessed with such vaine humours and passions of minde For such kinde of men will neuer counseli vs to serue well nor to beware of liberall speaking but will rather infect vs and bring vs to their naughtie vaine humour and make vs bee deemed as bad as themselues though wee be not so onely for keeping them companie Like as in Common-weales there are seditious heads which moue and and styrre vp the poore Commons to rebellion euen so in Princes Courts there are the like factious heads that seeke to winne good will of courtiers and so to styrre vp their mindes also to tumult and sedition which because they haue no way to come vp and grow in fauour do detract and speak ill of those that are in Fauour and authoritie One of these abiects and inferior sort shall go to the house of another in like disgrace and discredite that himselfe is in and there these companyons shall open theyr throates against the Prince and his Court saying The King careth not for his Subiects Talking of the high mindes and countenaunces of the beloued and fauoured of Court of the affections of the Counsell of the parciality and enmitie of the Court of the want of munition for warres of the fall and decay of the common-wealth and thus with these leaud vncomely discourses they spend the long and dolefull nights of Winters season and therewithall also the long and hot Sunnydayes of Summers time Adrian the Emp being once in formed that ther met and assembled together daily at the house of one Lucius Turbon a number of the seditious and factious sort of Rome which were offended with him conspired against him to preuent them of insurrection proclaymed presently through Rome and enacted it for a law that all Courtyers that assembled there should lose their heads and all the Romains should be banished All this that we haue spoken is to banish vices from Princes Courts if it may be For now-adayes as there are many houses of ordinarie Tables and and numbers of Dycing-houses for all manner of play so is there also in the Court besides the Groom-porters other Chambers where they meete to murmur at each mans doings And as there are some that say Goe Let vs goe to such a mans house and there wee shall finde Playe enough and Good fellowshippe to passe the Time away as wee will c. Euen so these others say Goe we will goe to such a chamber and there we shal meet with our companyons and good-fellowes where wee may talke liberally and at our pleasure without checke or controll of anie In famous be that house where there is no other exercise but play and riot and accursed bee that where they cannot occupye themselues but in defaming and back-byting their Bretheren and neighbours For to conclude it were lesse euill to play and loose their money then to robbe and spoyle his neighbour of his good name Now to get into the Princes fauour it helpeth much to consider wherein the Prince taketh his chiefest delight and whereto he is best affected whether to Musicke Hunting Flying Ryding of horses or Fishing running or Leaping or any other actiuitie whatsoeuer it bee And his Affect and desire beeing once knowne and obserued hee must giue himselfe whollie to loue that the Prince loueth and to follow that that he followeth And as Noble Princes comonly are giuen to their wills to like of some pastimes better then others so doe they shew themselues more fauorable and gratious to some of their seruants then others and rather to those whom only they see conforme and agreable with theyr affections then to such as are always most diligent and painfull about them to doe them the best seruice they can The curious Courtyer may account him selfe happie if hee can frame him selfe to commende that the Prince alloweth and likewise to disalow of that the prince misliketh and though perhaps hee were many times of the contrarie opinion hee may well thinke and belieue to himselfe what he liketh best but in no case to vtter that hee thinketh nor yet to make any countenance to the contrary The Emperour M Aurelius neuer dranke other then red wine and because hee was informed that Torquatus the Romaine for his sake did not onely refraine from drinking White-wines but did also plant his vynes with red-grapes hee made him Censour of Rome and gaue him the warde of the gate Salaria in the saide Cittie In eating and drinking in hunting and Tilting in peace and in warre in youthfull sportes and graue matters the wise Courtyer must alwayes follow the steppes and will of his prince and imitate him in the same the best he can And if it bee beneficiall for the Courtyer to obtaine the fauour of his Prince and to bee esteemed of him let him in no wise enterprize to talke to much vnto him For by continuall frequenting the Prince it cannot otherwise fall out but hee shall both trouble him and be thought a proud arrogant and an importunate foole of him And if the Courtyer hath no graue and weighty matters to moue the Prince in to what purpose doth hee seeme to molest and importune the King We say in weighty matters to communicate with him For to talke with the Prince and to trouble his eares with tryfles and matters of small moment hee should bee reputed of the hearers a rash man and of the King himselfe held but for a witles foole Let vs consider a little what is fit for the Courtyer to doe and what becommeth him best and whether it be lawfull for him to conferrs with the Prince and then wee shall come to know if it be decent for him to speake ofte to the Prince Therfore to go to the King to speake ill of any man I thinke no wise man will offer to do it and if it be to giue him secret intelligence of anything he must first doubt whether the King will belieue him or no and to thinke to counsell him it is a token of a light head and to presume to sit with the Prince and to bee merry with him to passe the time away let euery man beware he runne not into that error nor that hee once prease to doe it To send to reproue a Prince I know not what hee is that would be so foolish hardie as once to dare open his lips against him And to slatter him if the Prince be wise he will understand him and if hee finde him once it is enough to turne the Flatterer to great displeasure yea and to put him quite out of fauour with him And therefore to liue in surety and auoyde these dangers me thinks it is best to speake but seeldome vnto him Lucullus was a great friend to Seneca and was also Gouernour of Scicilia and demaunding one day

reputed of small iudgement and of simple counsell Pythyas ' that was the great Gouerner and Duke of the Athentan nation was a Noble prince beloued and feared hardy and valiaunt and yet in the ende as saith Plutarch the aboundance of wordes obscured the glorie of his heroicall deedes Although oft times these great talkers and men too full of words bee of Noble byrth ' or worship wealthie in possessions and otherwise of authoritie and estimation yet neuerthelesse all that time they spende in speaking too much others that heare them occupie the same in deryding and scorning of them I beseech you consider what greater reproach could a Courtyer haue then to be counted a babbler a prater of his tongue and a lyer For when hee thinks euery man is attentiue and listening to him it is quite contrarie for euen at that instant do they laugh him to scorne and yet this is nothing to the shame they doe vnto him afterwards For those that talke to him whilst he is thus babbling pots at him with their mouthes behind his backe nods with their heads holdes downe theyr Eyes and soothes him in all that hee sayes and all this not to praise or commend him but to be merry afterwards at the matter when they are together And it is a sport to note and heare of one of these great Talkers if any man talke of warre of the liberall sciences of hunting or of husbandrie hee will streight leape into the matter althogh he be vtterly ignorant in the thing proponed taking vppon him to reason of the matter as if hee were very skilfull or master of that faculty And to make the hearers belieue that that is true he saith hee bringeth in an example saying that he hath seene it read it or heard it and all perhaps a starke Lye that hee neyther sawe it reade it nor heard it of any but onely deuised of his owne head on a sudden vnder the colour of Truth to forge and make a false Lye Acaticus the Phylosopher beeing one day at a Feast where hee neyther spake nor offered once to speake being asked after Dinner what was the occasion of his silence answered them thus It is better for a man to know his time to speake then it is to knowe to speake For to speake well is giuen vs by Nature but to chuse fit time to speake proceedeth of wisdome Epimenides the painter after hee had dwelt long time in Asia returned to Rhodes from whence hee first departed and because none of the Rhodians euer hearde him speake any thing eyther of that hee had seene or done in Asia they maruelled very much and earnestly prayed him to discourse vnto them some part of that he had seen and suffered in Asia To whome hee made this aunswere Two yeares I sulked the Seas abyding the perills of the water and ten other yeares I was resident in Asia to learn the perfection of a paynters art sixe other yeares I studyed in Greece to accustome my selfe to be silent and nowe you would I should feede you with tales and newes O Rhodians come to mee no more with any such motion for you should come to my house to buy pictures and not to heare newes Albeit in so many yeares and in such farre and strange Countries it could not be but Epimenides had seene many things worthy to bee recounted and also very pleasant for to heare yet hee would neuer tell them nor shew thē and sure herein he did like a good philosopher and answered like a wise graue person For in telling of strange things and of diuers countries there are few that will beleeue them and many that will stand in doubt whether they be true or not And therefore touching this matter also Pythagoras the Philosopher was one day asked vpon what occasion he made his Scholers vse so great silence in his Colledge that in two yeares after they were entered they might not speake He answered thus In other Philosophers Schooles they teach their Disciples to speake but in mine there is taught nothing but to holde their peace For in the whole World there is no better nor higher philosophy then to know to bridle the tongue It is a maruellous thing to see a mā that with time his beard and haires of his head become all white his face withered his eares deafe his legs swoln his breath stinke his spleene stopte and his body faint and feeble with age and all the parts thereof consumed saue onely the heart and tongue which we neuer see waxe olde in manner how aged or impotent soeuer he bee but rather dayly become greene and that is worst of all is that what euill the wretched hart thinketh in that crooked and miserable age that doth that accursed tongue with all celerity vtter There is a Companie of Courtiers in the Court that presume to bee eloquent and well spoken and of Courtly entertainement which when they will talke of some pleasant matter they must first tell you a lye and surely these kind of Courtiers wee may better call them detractors of others then ciuill entertainers Accursed bee hee that to the preiudice of his neighbour maketh profession to bee a Courtly entertainener and you shall hardly see none of these recited Courtiers iest of any but they haue in secret Spunne the thread to weaue a great cloth of malice And yet wee doe these men great honour and reuerence not for any good will we beare them but for that wee are afraid of their ill tongues and althogh to dissemble other while it is a graue and wise mans part yet for all that wee may not iudge ill of them since wee see the best mans honour and credite commonly to be no greater nor lesse then a malignant person shal seeme to vse his tongue to speake of him I remember there was in the Court in my time a noble man noble of birth and person both whome I reproued diuers times as his familiar friend of his prodigall liuing and ill speaking And he made me this answere Truely sir those that report that I speake ill of them it is themselues that do it of me and if I follow them therein it is for nothing else but to bee a witnesse for them if any seeke to impugne their saying but sure of my selfe I neuer vttered or deuised word that might bee to the preiudice of any O what euill causeth hee that speaketh ill of another he onely offendeth not that beginneth but hee that assisteth him and much more he that heareth him and after publisheth it but aboue all hee that telleth it abroade and addeth more then hee heard The Fauoured of Princes must also thinke that though they are prohibited to speake much yet it is most fitte and decent for them to bee true and faithfull Secretaries For there is no thing that the Prince priseth more then the secret breast of his fauoured Courtier And therefore I say not without cause that they