theyr fingers the Bracelets of theyr armes the Pearles from theyr heades the collers from theyr necks theyr brooches from theyr brests the girdles from their middles and borders of theyr gownes Whereby there was enough not only to performe the said vow but also to prosecute the warre against theyr enimies Fuluius Torquatus being consul in the warre against the Volseos the Knightes of Mauritane brought a wilde man to Rome that had but one eye whome they had taken in hunting in the desertes of Egipt And the matrones of Rome were at that time as sadde and sober as theyr husbandes were valiant and vertuous Amongst others was the wife of that saide Torquate who was great with child and neare the time of hir deliuerance A woman so honest for the sober solitarinesse that shée kept in Rome that shée had no lesse glory in the citie than hir husbande had abrode in the warres For in the fourtéene yeare that hir husbande was in warfare in Asia frō the first time the he went thether shée was neuer séene at the windowes gasing out nor suffred man childe aboue the age of eight yeares to come within hir gates Yea where shée had left with hir thrée sonnes the eldest of whom was not aboue the age of three yeares assone as they came to the age of eight yeares shée sent them away vnto theyr graunde father to the intent that vnder the coloure of hir owne children no others should enter into hir house Those yeares passed after the good olde Torquate was returned home the saide Wilde man with one eye went by the doore of the sayde Torquate and one of hir maidens tolde hir that it was a maruell to sée him Wherefore shée hadde great desire to sée him and bicause there was no body to shewe him hir shée lost hir lust and dyed for sorow choosing rather so to doe than eyther to goe abrode or to gaze oute of the windowes to sée him wherfore shée had this glorious Epitaphe Heere lieth the vvife of Torquate the chaste Matrone That did aduenture hir life to assure hir Fame Ex M. Aurelio Almaricke king of Ierusalem who destroyed Babylon hadde a sonne named Baldewine and a daughter called Sibilla Baldewine from the beginning of his raigne was a leapre and therefore not able of bodye all be it valiant in harte to rule that function Sybilla his sister was marryed to one VVilermus of the mounte Ferat by whome shée hadde a sonne called also Baldevvinus After him shée was married to an other husbande named Guido de Lizimacho Earle of Joppa and Ascalon Vppon thys it befell that the sayde Baldevvine the Leapre sonne of Amaricke béeing thus féeble and infirme as is saide called his nobles togither with his mother and the Patriarche declaring vnto them his inhabilitie and by theyr consentes committed the vnder gouernment of the Citie to Guido the husbande of Sybilla his sister But he being founde vnsuffiente or not luckie in the gouerning thereof the office was translated to a nother named Raimundus Earle of Tripolis In the which time the Souldans with the Sarazens mightely preuailed againste the Christians and ouer-ranne the countrey of Palestina In the meane time Baldevvine the leaprous king departed whereby the kingdome fell next to Baldevvinus the sonne of Sybilla by hir first husbande But hée also dying in hys minoritie the succession thereof by discente fell to Sybilla the wife of Guido aboue mentioned To whome the Péeres and Nobles of the Realme iayning togither in Counsell offred vnto the sayde Sybilla as to the lawfull heyre vnto the Crowne to bée theyr Qúeene wyth thys condition that shée should sequester from hir by lawfull diuorcement the foresayde Guido hir husbande But shée refused the kingdome offred vnto hir on that condition till at the laste the Nobles with the Magistrates in generall graunted vnto hir and by theyr othe confirmed the same that whome so euer shée woulde choose to be hir husbande all they woulde take and obey as theyr king Also hir husbande Guido amongste the rest wyth like petition humbly requested hir that the kingdome not for his sake or for his priuate losse mighte be destitute of gouernement At length shée with teares consenting to theyr intreatie was contented and solemnly was crowned for theyr Quéene who after the manner againe receyued theyr fidelitie by theyr othe Wherupon Guido without all hope of kingdom and wife departed home quietly to his owne house This done the Quéene assembling hir states and Prelates together entred talke with them about the choosing of the king according vnto that they had promised and sworne vnto hir and to obey him as theyr king whome shée shoulde nominate the Quéene wyth a loude voice sayde vnto Guido that stoode amongst them Guido my Lord I choose thée for my husbande and yéelding my selfe and my kingdome vnto you openly I protest you to be the king And woorthy no doubte was shée to be commended and extolled bothe for hir singular vertue of chastitie and high prudence so tempering the matter that both shée obtained to hir husband the kingdome and retained to hir selfe hir husband Dominus Fox Ex bibliothaeca Cariensi Licurgus made a lawe amongste the Lacedemonians that the father that died shoulde giue nothing to hys Doughter And that neither liuing nor dying he should giue any thing to marie hir with to the intent that none should marry hir for hir riches but for hir goodnesse and vertue And whereas nowe some be vnmarried bicause they are poore so then they abode vnmaried bicause they were shamefull and vicious Ex M. Aurelio Of Magistrates and Officers CLeobulus sayde that that common wealth was most fortunate and best ordered wher the Magistrate was more afearde to be euill spoken of than to suffer the penaltie of the lawe Bias sayde that that common wealth was happiest where men stoode more in feare of the law than of the Magistrate And Pitticus counted that realme in best case where the wicked do beare no sway nor authoritie Antisthenes being demaunded howe they oughte to order them selues that come to be Magistrates in the common wealth answeared they muste doe as men that doe come to the fire that is they must take héede least they stand to neare for burning theyr shinnes nor yet stand to farre of least they be a cold still Ex Stob. serm 43. Agasicles being asked howe a manne mighte rule wythoute a garde to defend him Answeared if he do so rule his subiectes as a father dothe his sonnes Meaning that if he were gentle and amiable vnto his Citizens there can be no surer defence than they will be vnto him Ex Plutarcho in Lacon When Cleon shoulde take in hande to administer the common wealthe he called all his fréendes vnto him and dissolued his olde knot of amitie and frendshippe as a great stay to kéepe him from equitie and iustice Therefore also when Themistocles shoulde be made Magistrat he denyed it saying
wood inough to séeth your flesh for nothing for we wil destroy your woods franke and fréely Of Banquetting PHilippe king of Macedonie béeing on a time inuited to supper brought many gests with him wherat seeing his host troubled fearing belike that there woulde not be meat inough he deuised this mery iest He sente one to euery of his friends willing them to kéepe a place for the iunkets which should come after And so they gaping for after dishes left the meat on the table vntouched When Socrates had bydden many rich men to supper and his wife Zantippa was ashamed for that they had no better prouision to intertayne thē withall he bad hir be of good comfort For sayth he if they be modest they wyll nothing be offended with a sparing table but if they be giuen to riot and excesse I care not for them Xenophon in his booke de repub sheweth that at feastes yong men oughte not muche to talke but onely to answer to suche questions as are demaunded them Licurgus made a law amongst the Lacedemonians that at banquets should be recited al the noble affayres that any man had done in the citie And Plato sayth that guestes ought not to talke of any weightie matters but as their talke ought to be honest and chaste so should it likewise be mery and pleasaunt Heliogobalus sometime Emperour of Rome was so excessiue in banquetting that he was neuer two dayes serued with one kinde of meate sometyme his company was serued at meale with the braynes of Ostriges and straunge soule called Phenocapterie an other day with the tōg of popiniays other swete singing birds Being nigh the sea he neuer vsed fishe in places far distante from the sea al his houshold were serued with most delicate fish at one supper he was serued with 7000. fishes 5000. foules Who being foretolde of his sorcerers that he should dye a violent death he prouided ropes of silke to hang him selfe swordes of golde to kill him selfe and straunge poyson in Iacinas Emeraudes to poyson him self if néedes he must be forced Moreouer he made an high toure hauing the floore of bords couered with gold plate bordred with precious stones frō the which toure he would throwe himself if he should be pursued of his enimies but for al this he was slaine of his souldiers and caste into Tiber. Ex Eutropio Of bestowing and thākfull receiuing of benefites THoas in his youth brought vp a yong Dragon which waring great he searing his serpentine nature brought him into the wood there left him It hapned afterwards that in the same wood Thoas was beset with théeues whose voyce the dragon remembring came and rescued him from them Philarchus telleth of a man of Egipt who brought vp an adder which afterwards bringing forth yōg one of thē slue the son of him who had fostred thē But when the old adder perceiued it she slue hir yong one and afterwards woulde neuer more come there Also it is reported that at Sestos a city in the sea coast of Thracia there was a mayd which brought vp an Egle who to requite hir gentlenesse would first kill hir birdes afterwards flie abrode and bring home great pray vnto hir moreouer when the maiden died the egle also cast hir self into the fire wherin according to the maner the maiden was burned so in hir life requited hir at hir death died with hir Simonides finding a dead mā whō he knew not lying vnburied on the groūd tooke the paines to take him vp burie him Wherfore when as he minded the nexte day to take shipping he was warned as he thought by the dead man in hys sléepe not to do so for that the ship wherein he would sayle should make shipwrack so it came to passe And Simonides by this means tarying at home was saued wheras the rest with whō he should haue taken his iourney were drowned Aristomenes after the Lacedemomās wer cōquered brought frō thence xv virgins captiue whō when his cōpaniōs would haue defiled by the way he defended thē and in their defence slue some of the cōpany Wherfore afterwards when the virgins were raunsomed of their kinsfolks Aristomenes was accused of murther but the virgins would neuer returne vnto their cūtry vntil the by knéeling and weping at the iudges fete they had deliuered Aristomenes their defender When L. Cinna had conspired against Augustus Caesar and Caesar had therfore determined to be reuenged on him the empresse Liuia desired him to absteine from taking vengeaunce persuading hym rather by gentlenesse to bynde him vnto him Wherefore Caesar called Cynna vnto him vnto whom declaring the trespasse committed he desired that like as he would forget and forgiue it so Cynna woulde from thencefoorth leaue off suche conspiring deuises and ioyne with him in peace and vnifie and besides that which Cynna lyttle looked for he bestowed on hym the Consulshippe and after that founde hym moste faythfull and friendly in all things Diogines béeing demaunded why he was called Cynicus that is a dogge bycause quoth he I vse to fawne on suche as giue me any thing barke at suche as giue me nothing and bite them which are nought Of brethren and sisters ARthemenes and Xerxes two of king Darius his sons after their fathers death contended for their fathers kingdome Arthemenes alleaging for himself his birthright bicause he was eldest and Xerxes stucke to the felicitie of the time wherein he was borne for Darius was a king at his birth wheras he was but a priuat person at the birth of his brother The determination hereof was cōmitted to Anafernes their vnele who vnderstanding both their cases gaue sentence with Xerxes But neither was Xerxes hereof glad nor Arthemenes any whyt gréeued but euē in the very time of their contention they gratifled ech other with presents and oftentinies kept banquetting and good chéere togither Lucius Lucullus did beare his brother such good wil the albeit he were the elder yet he wold beare no office vntil his brother came to age wherby he so pleased the people that euen in his absence his brother and he were made Odiles When Cato had founde his brother Caepio dead he made wonderful lamentatiō mourning for him And after that he had with wonderful great charges finished his burial he erected him a sepulchre of nutte or mazer Further at his returning to Jtalie he determined to carrie his brothers ashes with him when his friends persuaded him to put these reliques in some other shippe and not to beare them with him for feare of drowning both his ship himselfe He answered that he would rather depart frō his life than from it And so he sayled not without great daunger of lesing his life wheras the residue arriued safe When Itafernes w al his family were takē captiue of Darius and cast into prison his wife came euery day to his gate making
so pitiful coÌ„plaintes that in fine the moued him to mercy Insomuch that he sent one vnto hir who willed hir in the kings name to chose the deliuerie of one captiue whom she would wherfore she amoÌ„gst the rest desired that hir brother might be deliuered The king wondering that she did thus prefer hir brother before hir husband and children she answered him an other husband other children if it please God I may haue but an other brother now my parents be dead I shall neuer haue Of Children SEruilius Geminus supping with Lucius Manlius who was counted the best paynter in Rome séeing his children harde fauoured he saide vnto him I sée Manlius thou canst not make a childe so wel as thou canst paint him No quoth Manlius manerly answering for I paint them in the lighte but I make them in the darke Cyriades the first of the. 30. Roman tiraÌ„ts for that Cyriades his father was iustly displeased w him toke a great pece of money and fled vnto Persia where ioyning with Sapores he made war against Rome and killed his owne father but after wardes was by his owne crafte slaine him selfe Absalon king Dauids sonne desiring his fathers kingdome and therfore making war agaynst him was as he fled hanged by the haire on a bushe and so flayne whose death his moste godly father bewayled with many teares Ariaster Triganis sonne hearing that Pompeâ— was inuading his fathers kingdom fled to aid hym agaynst his father wherof Triganis hearing came huÌ„bly submitted himself at Pompeis féete who curteously receyued him and placed him on the right hand and his sonne Ariaster on his left hand deuiding the kingdome betwéene them But Ariaster béeing offended herewith when as PoÌ„pei sent for him to to supper he wold not come sending him this manacing answer the he had no néed of him but wold ioine with some other Roman who shold better estéeme him With which words he so offended Pompei that he caste him in prison and kept him for a spectacle at the triumph Herodes father to Parcorus hearing of of the death of Parcorus his sonne the discoÌ„fiture of his host was so greued that he fel mad for sorrowe but after he had bene a great while in this care at laste comming to himselfe he was so greatly trobled whoÌ„ of his 30. sons which he had begotteÌ„ of his coÌ„cubines he might make king for euery of these coÌ„cubines desired the regimeÌ„t of the kingdome for their sonne but in fine he determined to prefer Phrahates therto who immediatly killed his father destroied his brethren wheÌ„ his owne son came to age put him to death It was by an oracle declared vnto Altamenes the he should be the death of his father Cartareus king of Crete nowe called Candie which destinie he desirous to eschue departed and dwelt at Camiros in Rhodes But after a season his father desirous to sée him departed from Candie and by night ariued at Camiros But his men and the inhabitantes falling at debate Altamenes comming amongste them vnawares siue his father Which thing when he vnderstoode being ashamed to looke any man in the face he departed into the wildernesse and there died for sorowe Spartianus wryting of the life of Seuerus saythe that there was almoste no good or noble man which left any sonne good or profitable for the coÌ„mon wealth but either they died withoute issue or lefte suche as it had bene good if they neuer had bene borne And to begin with Romulus he lefte no childe Numa Pompilius none to doe the common wealthe good What did Camillus lefte he any childe like himselfe What did Scipio or the Catoes who were noble men And what should I speake of Homer Demosthenes Virgill Crispus Terence Plautus or the rest Or what of Caesar or Cicero Who aboue all others had bene happie if he had died without issue And finally who had bene more happie than Marcus Aurelius if he hadde not lefte his sonne Comodus to succéede him in the Empire or who more fortunate than Seuerus Septimius if Bassianus had neuer bene begotten Reade more in the title of education Of Concord and vnitie VVHen Pisistratus king of the Atheniens giuing his children good couÌ„sell coulde not be heard of them he was iustly displeased with them for it Which thing his enimies perceiuing were very glad hoping that by this discorde in his house some alteration woulde followe Wherof when the king had intelligeÌ„ce he assembled the Citie before him telling them that bicause his sonnes would not obey his fatherly pleasure he was offended with them but yet now it séemed good to his fatherly pitie that remitting their disobedience to forgiue them and consent vnto them Wherefore willed it to be published in the Citie that the king and his sonnes were nowe at one Demetrius a very louing and obedient sonne to Antigonus his father chauncing to come from hunting whilest certaine Embassadoures were doing theyr legacie vnto him in theyr presence entred all armed as he was and kissed his Father Wherefore when the Embassadoures shoulde departe Antigonus sayde vnto them Remember sirs to declare the loue and hartie affection which you haue séene betwéene my sonne and me Héereby declaring that agréement betwéene the father and the sonne is the greatest token of a Princes power that may be Licurgus vnto the Citizens whiche wrote to knowe howe they mighte best resist theyr ennimies force Answered if you shal be content to liue poore as you are and abstaine from mutuall dissention and discorde That Concorde is a thing very pleasante before God Homer in his Fâ—â—ades declareth Where hee felleth howe Mars the God of warre came vnto Iupiter to complaine of Diomedes who had wounded him but Iupiter with sterne countenaunce answered I woulde thou knewest that of all the celestiall coÌ„panie thou art one that I worst can away withal whose only delite is in brauling fighting and making of warre In Salust Mycippa at his death warned his sonnes to agrée amongste themselues saying by Concorde and vnitie smal things are increased made great but by discorde the greatest things that euer were will be decayed and brought to naughte Of the Court and Courtyers life CAlisthenes the Philosopher going to dwel with king Alexander was warned of Aristotle either seldome to speake vnto him or else to frame his speache pleasant and merie But he reprouing the king for taking pleasure to be saluted of the Persians and indeuoring to induce him in the Macedonian customes was cast in prison there as some say he died of the gout others say he was crucified which Trogus denyeth saying he had his handes and his eares cut off also his nose and his lippes deformed and so was made a spectacle for men to behold Praexaspes one of Cambyses his secrete counsell being asked what the people saide of him he answered that all men praised him greatly but that they saye he was toomuche giuen to Wine
and hys master Seneca Lucane and diuers others aswell learned men as also his tutors and friends he rewarded wyth like curtesie Finallie when he had attempted diuers diuelishe deuises to destroy his mother and yet she was by Gods prouidence preserued in fine pretending great amitie he sent for hir to a banquet where with great ioy he receyued and interteined hir at parting kissed the brests which he more vnnatural than any Tigre had sucked secretly cōmaunding the shipmaster that béeing on the sea he shuld make as though perforce he were driuen against hir ship so bursting the ship to drowne hir which being as wickedly accomplished she neuerthelesse swam out escaped Wherof as ioyfull tidings when one Ligarinus brought him word he cōmanded him to be put to death and with him his owne mother This Nero cōmanded Rome to be set on fire in twelue places so continued it sixe dayes and seuen nightes in burning while that he to sée the example howe Troy burned sitting in his towre Mecaenas song Homers verses But in the ende he was fayne to kil him self for fear cōplayning the he had neither friend nor foe left the would do it for him Also C. Caesar Caligula was so cruell that in dedicating a bridge which he had made conteyning in lengthe thrée myles and sixe hundred passes he calling a number of people vnto him caused them all to be throwen downe and drowned in the sea he wyshed that all the people of Rome had but one necke to the intent he mighte destroy suche a multitude But God sent so shrewde a cowe short hornes For he was cut of by Cheraea Sabinus others which conspired against him After whose death there was soūd in his closet two libels wherin was cōteined the names of those senators and noble men that he meant to put to death ther was also foūd a coffer wherin diuers kinds of poyson were kepte to destroy a multitude of people which poysons afterwards being throwen into the sea destroied a great number of fish When Herode had put to death al his sons at length falling into a gret greuous disease insomuch the worms did eat him aliue dispayring the he should neuer recouer he caused all the noble men of Iewry to be imprisoned thē calling his sister Salome Alexander hir husbande vnto him he said vnto them I know the Iewes wil be right ioyful make great feasts at my death wherfore take these whom I haue in holde and put them to death that once in my life I may cause all Iewry to lament and mourne Whē king Darius made war agaynst the Scithians had taken the sonnes of Orobertus a noble man he desired the king to leaue him one of his thrée sonnes to comfort him in his age Which thing Darius promised to do and more than that to And so cruelly killing them he bad him take them all thrée Cneius Piso made an Edict that if any of his souldiours returned out of the field without his cōpanie he should dye for it aswel as if he had slaine him him self It hapned that one so returning desired his leaue to goe séeke his mate whiche thing Piso would not graunt but commaunded a Captain to sée him executed which when he prepared to accomplish he sawe the man whiche was missing comming towards them wherefore he commaunded the hanchman to stay the sworde and so brought them both vnto Piso but he in a furie commaunded thē all thrée to be put to deathe the one bycause he was alreadie condemned the other bycause he was the cause of his condemnation and the Captain for not executing his precept Of deceyte and guile ROsimund the wife of Alboinis king of Longobardia through the persuasiō of one Helmelchides who promised hir mariage made awaye Albonis hir husbande After whose death the adulterer and she béeing chased from Longobardia fled to Rauenna where she was honourably interteyned of Longinus the king who also béeing taken with hir beautie desired that she would make away Helmelchides and marry him promising hir by this meanes to restore hir to the kingdome of Longobardia Wherevpon as Helmechides on a tyme came out of the bathe she making him beléeue that she had made him a drinke to recouer his strengthe caused hym to drinke poyson whiche thing when he perceyued he compelled hir to drinke the rest and so in one day and wyth one kinde of death the worlde was deliuered of two adulterers Datames was a man of singular craft and very subtyll and circumspecte in all his dealinges so that when it was tolde him that there were some which lay in wayse to kyll him he caused one to doo on hys attire and to goe to the place where the ambushement was who béeyng supposed to haue béene Datames him selfe was beset but Datames with greater power rescued him and subdued his foes After this one Mithridates pretending friendship desired to speake with him in a secrete place where he before had hidde his weapon When the tyme was come that they should méete Datemes caused him and he Datemes to be searched and when no weapon coulde be founde aboute them they came togither to talke and after long debating they departed eche man his way but Mithridates comming to the place where his weapon lay making as thoughe he paused tooke vp his weapon and hid it vnder his clothes thē calling againe after Datemes as though he had somewhat more to say vnto him came to him and flue him Whē Xerxes for his feblenesse began to be contēned of his subiects Artabanus his chief ruler hoping to aspire vnto the kingdome came with his vij sturdy sons vnto the palace where first he secretly made away his lord Xerxes then the soner to attaine his hoped pray he set discorde betwéene the two yong princes persuading Artaxerses that Darius his brother had killed his father Xerxes Wherevppon Artaxerses caused Darius to be kylled in his bedde But as GOD woulde haue it Artabanus not kéeping his owne counsayle opened hys trayterous stomacke to Bacabassus hys companion who disclosing it to Artaxerses the Prince he faygning as though he woulde sée a viewe of his men commaunded them all agaynst the next day to be before him in complete armoure Wherein they accomplished his commaundement he according to promise came to take a view of them and espying Artabanus amongst the rest making as thogh his cote of maile were to short he willed Artabanus to chaunge wyth him And so Artabanus vnarming him Artaxerses thrust him through verefying the Psalm Foueam féecit ac incidit in eam he pretended the destruction of an other and was him selfe destroyed After that Ptolome king of Ceraunia had subdued Antigonus made war with Antiochus Pirrhus and had now gotten the regimēt of al Macedonia into his own hands he assaied also to deceiue his own sister to bereue frō hir hir two sonnes and hir citie
for that he had Pius Metellus to his fréende the other bicause he had not destroyed Athens Ex Plutarch in Rom. Apoth When one demaunded of Socrates whether he thought not Archilaus moste happie I can not tell quoth he for I neuer spake with him Bruso lib. 2 cap. 36. Antigonus seeing one of his souldiers who otherwise was a valiant man to haue some secreate disease asked him what the matter was that he looked so pale To whome the souldier confessing the truthe of his anguishe Antigonus bad his Phisitians if it were possible to cure him But being now cured of his disease he began to be more slacke to fighte and not so hardie in his affaires as he was woont to be Whereat the king wondering asked him how it came to passe that his minde was so fodenly altered Why thou thy selfe quoth he arte the cause thereof For as long as I liued in paine and miserie I was nothing afeard to lose so miserable a life But nowe when by your goodnesse I liue in better case I am loth to lose my life Lycost Ex Eras lib. 8. Apoth Of Fortune POlycrates king of Samia was a prince so fortunate that he neuer desired any thing but he had it And coulde no sooner wishe but haue Wherefore fearing the mutabilitie of Fortune who when shée striketh striketh home he tooke a ring of inestimable price and cast it into the sea But fortune was so fauorable vnto him that a fish eat his ring which afterwards was taken and giueÌ„ vnto him in whose belly the Cooke finding the ring restored it vnto him againe But in the ende making warre with Darius he was taken captiue of Crontes the chiefe Captayne hanged on the high mount Michasus there lefte a praye for foules to deuour Dionisius the yonger being asked how it chanced that his father was preferred from the state of a priuat maÌ„ to become a king and he from royall scepter to be throwen downe to so base an estate answered bycause my father lefte me his kingdome but not fortune Cressus consulting the oracle whether he should wage warre against Tomiris the Quéene of whome he was in fine killed was aunswered If thou déemest thy self immortal then néedest thou not my counsell héerein but if thou acknowledge thy self to be a man let this be thy firste lesson that the state of humaine affaires is rounde and that fortune neuer leaueth man in one estate When Aucaeus the sonne of Neptune and Astipalcas planting a vineyard was earnest with his seruants to apply their worke one of them sayd to his felowes what paines my Maister taketh aboute this vine and yet he shall neuer taste the fruit of the grape When Ancaeus heard hereof he said nothing vntill the grapes were ripe and euen nowe pressed them sending for his seruant and caused a cup of the wine to be filled he put it towards his mouthe mocking and taunting hys seruant for this vaine prophecie But as he was thus preaching ouer the cup an other of his seruants came in with spéed and sayde that there was a wilde Bore in the vineyarde Wherfore Ancaeus cast downe the cuppe and running to chase away the wild bore was destroied of him and héerof sprang the prouerbial verse Multa caduÌ„t inter caliceÌ„ suprenâ—aque labra Though to thy mouth thou lift the pot Whether thou shalt drink yet wotest thou not When one Damacles a Parasite of Dionisius began to praise the abundance of welth maiestie dominion wherw t Dionisius was indued sayd the he neuer saw any so fortunat as he was Dionisius asked him whether he wold be content to assay his estate and fortune awhile Yea quoth Damacles with all my heart Wherfore the king commaunded that this Parasite should be layd in his bed The next day he caused a gorgious dinner to be prepared and setting him in his chaire of estate he charged theÌ„ that with all possible honoure and pleasure they should serue him But in the middest of this chéere he caused a glistering sweard to be hanged with a horsse haire and let downe ouer his head Which when Damacles sawe neither could he behold the comelinesse of his seruitures nor yet the delicacie of his meat but only fastening his eyes on the sworde he desired Dionisius to giue him leaue to departe and saide that he would no lenger be blessed Bruso Lib. 3. cap. 13. On a time when the papacie of Rome had bene vacante two yeares and more the Cardinals concluded to electe Petrus Moroneus a godly man and consecrated him by the name of Celestine the fifthe Who bicause he began to refourme the clergie Boniface the eighte then called Benedictus so handled the matter that what by his iuggling speaking through his chamber walles nightly admonished him to giue vp his papacie and other his diuellishe illusions he persuaded him in in some solitarie deserte And ere long was by this Boniface apprehended imprisoned and put to death For whiche impietie of his when Iacobus and Petrus Cardinalles of Columna séemed to be offended this Boniface tooke suche displeasure agaynst them that he caused Preneste Zagorolum and Columna to be made leuell with the grounde Yea for their sakes he was so displeased with the Gibilenes and the inhabitauntes of Columna that on ashewednesday when Porchetus an Archebishoppe came and knéeled downe before hym to receyue his ashes he looking on him and perceyuing that he was one of the Gibilines caste his handfull of ashes in his eyes and sayde Memento homo c. That is remember man that thou arte a Gibiline and to ashes thou shalte goe But in the ende partely from the Cardinalles of Columna and partely from Phillip the Frenche king whome he had greatly molested were sente an arnne of men whiche came to Augonum and there in hys owne fathers house and in the very chaumber where he was borne they spoyled his substaunce and led him captiue to Rome And there within 24. dayes after he dyed for sorrowe Whereas the inhabitants of Paphus were wonte to haue their king chosen of the familie of the Sinarasians and nowe that house was cleane spente Alexander being very desirous to get them a king of that stocke vnderstoode that there was yet a poore maÌ„ called Halimomus which came of that linage wherefore with al spéede he repaired thither to create him king And finding him in hys garden drawing of water with al triuÌ„ph had him thence incontinent made him a king and companion of his owne person Bru. li. 2. cap. 37. It is reported that Marius Septimus the tyrant was made emperor one day reigned the next the third day was slayn of his souldiers Brus li. 2. cap. 37. After the death of Antiochus king of Syria his sonne Seleucus killed Bernice his stepmother with the yong childe his brother Whereof when Ptolome king of Egypt and brother to this Bernice had intelligence he came to Syria with a mayne Hoste to reuenge
regal bloud And wouldest thou thou varlet haue ben author of so horrible an acte Aneas Siluiu lib 3. commentariorum de rebus gestis Alpho. On a tyme when the Abbot of a certaine Monasterie was dead there came vnto the Courte of VVilliam Rufus then king of Englande two Monkes of the same house who before hadde gathered muche money and made their friendes to the king and offred large offred large offers eyther of them to be promoted vnto that dignitie Ther was also the third Monk who of méekenesse and humilitie followed the other two to the intente that on him whome the King shoulde admitte Abbot he shoulde attende and wayte The King called before him the two Monkes seuerally eyther of them out-profered the other but as he caste his eye aside he espyed the thyrde Monke standing by supposing that his comming had also bene for the like cause wherfore calling him vnto him he asked him what he would do whether he woulde giue more than his brethren hadde offred to be Abbot who aunswered the king and sayde that he neyther hadde nor woulde if he myght offer any penny for it nor by any suche vnlawefull meanes come by it When the King had wel pondered his answere he sayde that he was beste worthy to be Abbot and to haue the rule of so holy a charge and so gaue it him without taking any pennie for it Of Laboure and paine taking DEmocritus being demaunded what difference was betwixt the painefull and the idle answered the same difference that is betwéene the wicked and the godly For the labourer hopeth for his rewarde whereas the idle persone respecting his present estate is content to take his ease and to liue a miserable and beggerly life Ex Maxi. ser 32. The wise man in his Prouerbes reproueth the sluggardes in thys wise Go to the Pismire O thou sluggard beholde her wayes and be wise For shée hauing no guide gouernoure nor ruler prepareth hir meat in sommer and gathereth hir foode in haruest How long wilt thou sleepe O thou sluggarde when wilt thou awake out of thy sléepe Yet a litle sléepe a little slumber a little folding of thy handes together Therefore thy pouertie commeth on as a trauailer by the way and thy necessitie as an armed man. The Corinthians hearing that Phillip king of Macedonie was comming to inuade theyr kingdome began euery man to doe his endeuoure to resist his force One in making fitte his armoure an other in gathering of stones togither Be made the wals hygher and the other made the fortresses stronger and to be shorte euery one did somewhat which might tende to the defence and sauegard of the Citie Which thing when Diogines saw bicause he had no other thing to do he began to roll and tumble his tun Whereat when one of his fréends wondered and asked what he meaned thereby He answeared bicause I alone will not be idle when all these are so busily occupied Guido Bitur tit de Disidia When one tolde Socrates that hée woulde very faine goe to Olympia but that he feared least he shoulde not be able to endure the laboure and paynes Socrates answered him I know thou vsest to walk betwene thy meales which walke if thou vse onwardes thy way to Olympus within fiue or sixe dayes thou shalte come there Whereby the wyse man declared that it is rather a slouthful imagination than oughte else whiche maketh men afrayde to attempte any goodnesse For if we should sustayne any labour daunger or coste for some honest matter Lorde howe we excuse our selues detracte the time and cast daungers Whereas commonly in a thing of no value yea sometimes in vnhonest affayres we nothing sticke to sustayne the like or greater paynes As for example exhorte a slouthfull truande to the studie of learning and vertue and he wil straiwaies haue an excuse that for want of wealth he can not sitte vp and take paynes at his booke that he is not able to buy bookes and other necessaries to his studie and yet the selfe same fellowe for all his weaknesse can indure to sit vp whole nightes at cardes dise and tossing the pot and so bothe spende his money léese his credite and gette the Ague Goute or Dropsie or some suche disease When one Matheus Siculus blamed Alphonsus for labouring wyth his owne handes Alphonsus smyled and sayde what hath God and nature giuen Kings their handes to do nothing with The Lacedemonians vsed this prouerbe put to thy hande and then call on fortune and she will helpe thée Whereby they meant that we shoulde so call to God for helpe that we in the meane season be not idle our selues for then our prayer shall nothing helpe vs And as we know the he will prosper our workes that we attempte in his feare so oughte we to persuade oure selues that he detesteth idle and slouthful persons and that his pleasure is that we shoulde take paynes for his blessings not thincking him to be so folish that he wil bestow his blessings on them that eare not for thē Ex Plut. in Lacon Amis king of Egipt amongste other his statutes made an especiall law that the Pretor should once a weeke aske an accoumpte howe euery one in the Citie liued to the intent that if any were founde irle or occupyed in any vnhenest science he should be taken and punished as one greatly offending against the cōmon wealth Aristotle woulde often saye that the roote of learning was sowre and bitter but the frute thereof to be most pleasant and swéete ▪ Meaning thereby that without laboure and diligence a man can attaine nothing ▪ But after laboure and diligēce so applied that there ensueth perpetuall rest and tranquilitie of mind Ex Laert. lib. 5. cap. 5. Of Lawes Statutes and Decrees PAusanias being demaunded why the Spartanians might alter none of their olde lawes bicause said he that lawes ought to rule mē not to be ruled by thé Anacharsis no lesse pleasantly than truely called lawes spider webs bicause they take the silly flées but let the great birds through them Meaning that the pore only are punished for their offences but the riche and mighty by bribing and other shiftes escape vnpunished When one inquired of Demarchus why he was exiled his Countrey being himselfe Prince therof He answeared bicause that oure Spartantan lawes are mightier than oure Princes Meaning that albeit he were Prince of the Citie yet he ought to be ruled guided by the law Herein shewing a Princely modestie in so quietly taking his exile and so nobly authorizing his countrey lawes Who did not repine but spake well of the rigoure of his countrymen Antiochus the thirde wrote vnto his citizens willing them that if he chanced to wryte any thing vnto thē which were cōtrary to the order of their law thei shuld not accept it but accoūt it wrytten w eout his consent or knowledge For Princes sometimes for pleasing of
father who abhorring all pride rebuked hir for hir ouer nicenesse Wherfore the nexte day shee attyred hir selfe more soberly and came and saluted hir father Who sayde vnto hir is not this attyre better than yesterdays yea quoth shee For to day I indeuoure to satisfie my fathers by yesterday my husbande his eyes Ex Macrobio Satur. lib. 2. cap. 3. An other tyme when one tolde hir that she was a great deale more proude than hir father Caesar She answered my father forgetteth that he is Emperour but I remember wel that I am an Emperours daughter Ibidem When one demaunded Phitons wife why she was not attired in gold as other princes wiues were she answered bicause my husbands vertue is a sufficient ornament for me Ex Stobeo ser 72. Tharsius Amphius béeing exalted from the state of a gardener vnto great honor and dignitie beganne to forget his olde friends Wherfore one of them saide vnto him if ye remēber sir we also sprang vp of the same séede that you did Of Princes and principalitie PYthagoras sayde that a Prince ought so to rule that he may be more beloued than feared of his subiects For loue causeth reuerence but feare causeth hatred and treason Ex Stobaeo ser 46. Edwarde surnamed the Confessour somtimes king of Englande describeth the office of a prince in this sort A king saith he ought aboue al things to feare God to loue obserue his commaundements to cause thē be obserued throgh his whole kingdome He ought also to kéepe cherish maintayne gouerne the church within his kingdome according to the institution of his auncientes and predecessors to defend the same agaynst al his enimies so the god aboue al thinges be honoured euer be before his eyes He ought also to set vp good lawes and customes suche as be holsome approued such as be otherwise to repel and put out of his kingdome Item he ought to do iudgement and iustice in his kingdome by the counsel of the nobles of the Realme Also thrée seruauntes a king ought to haue vnder him as vassals fleshly lust auarice and gréedy desire Whō if he kéepe vnder him as slaues he shall reigne well and honorably in his kingdome Al things are to be done with good aduisement and premeditation that properly belongeth vnto a king For temeritie and rashnesse wil bring a kingdome soone to desolation and decay Dominus Fox Ex libro regum antiq in praeto Londinensi Agesilaus would oftē say that a prince ought to excell his subiectes not in nicenesse and wantonnesse but in fortitude and temperaunce Also he sayde that a prince oughte to learne this lesson to be stoute and cruell agaynst traytours and rebels and to be gentle and louing vnto his citizens and subiectes And he was wont muche to reioyce in this that where as he was Prince and ruler of his people yet he coulde aswell indure to take paynes as any of them Yea when vs woulde haue his souldiers attempte any enterprise he hym selfe would be the first that should set on it and so for shame they woulde followe him in dooing the like Ex Plutarch in Lacon When one sayde vnto Theopompus king of the Lacedemonians that then it should be well with the Lacedemonians when the Prince knewe howe to rule the subiectes as he ought to doo he replied that that shoulde rather come to passe when the subiectes knewe howe to obey their Princes Meaning that the citie shall be beste gouerned where the citizens will be obedient and ruled by their gouernour For as the Gospell sayth euery citie deuided within it selfe shall be broughte to desolation Ex Fulgocio li. 7 ca. 2. Cyrus king of Persia sayde that no man shoulde be a Prince which were not better than the people whom he ruled and did not excell them in valiauntnesse and prowesse aswel as in wisdome and knowledge Brus li. 3. ca. 33. Fredericke the Emperour béeing demaunded whom he loued best of his subiects he answered that he loued thē best which would so please him that in no case they would displease god A christian prince and spoken right christianlike Ex Aenea Siluio Alphonsus king of Arragon sayde that those princes ought especially to be beloued feared which were louers and imbracers of iustice and equitie Which Princely vertues who so euer is indued withall theyr behest all men loue reuerence and feare As we reade of Cyrus who not only in iustice but also in all other princely vertues was him selfe an example vnto his subiectes and whose woorde was of as great a force as the oth of any priuate person Ex Panormi lib. 1. de rebus gestis Alphonsi When one tolde him that the king of Spaine should say that it was not comely for a Prince to be learned he said that those were woords of an Oxe and not of a man. For quoth he a Prince wythout learning is nothing else but as it were an Asse with a crowne Also whē it was tolde him that he was not apparelled like a Prince he answeared that he had rather be princelike in manners and authoritie rather than in his scepter and crowne Boso the last king of Araletensis commaunded the Bishop that he shoulde not goe to Euening prayer on Christmasse euen before that he came thether But when the Bishop with the rest of hys companie had taryed somewhat longer than his accustomed time and sawe that the king came not he went to seruice Wherfore whē the king came in he began to chide with the Bishop and was so moued that before all the people he gaue him a blowe Whereof the Bishop thincking to be reuenged complained to Otho the Emperoure who immediatly commanded that the Bishop should be beheaded And when the Archbishop intreated for him he woulde not forgiue him but sayde that no woorde that came from the mouthe of a Prince shoulde be spoken in vaine When one sayd vnto Antigonus that all things were honest and iust what so euer the Prince did he answeared yea amongst the Barbarike Princes it is so but we account nothing honest which is not honest in déede nor any thing iuste which is not iust in déede Alexander Seuerus the adopted sonne of Heliogabalus was a wise valiant and vertuous Prince who bare suche affection to learning and learned men that he would do nothing without their cousel and assistence From his Courte he dismissed all superfluous and vnnéedefull seruantes and sayd that he was no good pupill which fedde idle seruauntes with the bowels of his common wealth And amongste his other good vertues which was a rare thing in those dayes he was fréendly and fauourable vnto the Christians In so muche that when the Christians hadde occupied a certaine publike place to some good vse belike for the assembling and conuenting togither of the congregation the companie of the cookes or tiplers made chalenge thereto The matter being
brought before the Emperoure he iudged it more honest the place to serue to the woorshippe of God howe so euer it were than to the durtie slubbring of cookes and scullians Ex domino Fox King Alfrede alias Alurede Anno 899 king of Englande in his youthe perceyuing him selfe somewhat disposed to the vice of the fleshe and therby letted from diuers vertuous and good purposes did not as many yong Princes and Kings sonnes in the worlde be nowe wonte to doe that is to resolue them selues so all kinde of carnall licence and sensualitie running and folowing without bridle whether so euer theyr licence giuen doth giue them leaue as therefore not without cause the cōmon prouerbe doth reporte of them that kings sonnes learn nothing else well but only to ride Meaning thereby that Princes and Kings sonnes hauing aboute them flatterers which boast them in theyr faultes only theyr horsses giue them no more than to any other but if they fit not fast they will cast them But this yong king seeing in him selfe the inclination of the fleshe minding not to giue him selfe so muche as he might take but rather by resistance to auoid the temptation therof besought God that he would send to him some continuall sicknesse in quenching of that vice whereby he mighte be more profitable to the businesse of the common wealth and more apte to serue God in his calling Then at Gods ordinaunce he had the euill called Bicus till he came to the age of twentie yeres After this sicknesse being cured he fel to another which continued with him from twentie yeares of his age to 45. according to his owne petition and request made vnto God whereby he was more reclaimed and attempred from other more greate inconueniences and lesse disposed from that which he did most abhorre Also he deuided his goods into two equall partes the one appertaining to vses seculare the other to vses spirituall or ecclesiastical Of the which two principall partes the firste he deuided into thrée portions the first to the behoose of his house and familie the secōd vpon his workemenne and builders of his newe woorkes whereof he had right great delighte and cunning the thirde vppon straungers Likewise the other seconde halfe vppon spirituall vses he did thus deuide in foure portions one to the reléeuing of the poore an other to monasteries the third to the schollers of Oxford for maintināce of good letters the fourth he sent to forren churches wythoute the realme Also so sparing he was of time that he deuided the day and the night into three partes if he were not lette by warres and other great businesse the viij houres he spent in study and learning other viij houres he spent in prayer and almes déedes and other viij houres he spent his naturall rest sustinance of his body and the néedes of the realme The which order he kept duely by the burning of waxen tapers kept in his closette by certaine persones for the same purpose Nowe besides these other qualities and gifts of Gods grace in him aboue mētioned remaineth another part of his no little praise cōmendation which is his learning and knowledge of good letters whereof not only he was excellent expert himself but also a worthy maintainer of the same throughout all his dominions He translated into English Orossius pastorale Gregorij the historie of Bede Boetius de consolatione Philosophie also a Booke of his owne making in his owne tong which in the Englishe spéeche is called a handbooke in Gréeke called Inchiridion in Latin a manuell Suffring no man to aspire vnto any dignity in the court onlesse he were learned Do. Fox Next vnto this vertuous and learned prince Alfrede of all others that I could reade Maximi ian moste resembled hym in godly learning and in learned godlinesse Who was so excellente expert in the toungues but specially in the Latine stile that imitating the example of Julius Caesar he did wryte and comprehend in Latin histories his own acts and feates of chiualrie and that in suche sorte that when he had giuen a certaine taste therof to one Pycharmerus a learned man asking his iudgement how his warrelike stile in Latin did like him the said Pycharmerus did affirme and report of him to Iohn Charum the witnesse wryter of this historie that he did neuer sée nor read in any 〈◊〉 story a thing so exactly done as this was of Maximilian Moreouer as he was himselfe right learned so was he a singuler patrone and aduauncer of learning and learned men And for the maintenaunce thereof erected the excellent vniuersitie of Wittenberge Dominus Fox ex Iohanne Carione Of Pleasure KIng Lysimachus by chaunce of warre taken captiue of the Scithians in hys captiuity was so sore oppressed with thirst that he was glad for a draught of drinke to sell his kingdome But afterwardes remembring for howe shorte a pleasure he hadde solde a thing most precious he cried out and wept saying Alasse howe madde was I to sell a noble empire for the satisfying of my affection and gréedie belly The same day that Socrate shoulde drincke his deadly drench when his shakles were taken off his feete he felt himselfe maruellous light and pleasant and sayde behold how wonderously nature hath ordeyned that sorowe and pleasure goe alwayes togither and that there is neuer any perfite pleasure where there hath not bene paine and sorowe before Ex Laertio lib. 2. As Homer like a learned Poete dothe faine that Circes by pleasant enchauntments did turne men into beastes some into Swine some into Asses some into Foxes some into Wolues euen so Plato like a wise Philosopher dothe plainly declare that pleasure by licentious vanitie that swéete and pleasant poyson doth ingender in all those that yéelde them selues vnto hir foure notorious properties The first forgetfulnesse of all good things learned before The seconde dulnesse to receiue either learning or honesty afterwards The third a minde imbracing lightly the worst opinion and barren of discretion to make true difference betwixt good bad betwixt trouth and vanity The fourth a proud disdainfulnesse of other good men in all honest maters Plato and Home haue both one meaning For if a man inglut himself with vanitie or walter in filthinesse like a swine then quickly he shal become a dul asse to vnderstād either learning or honestie yet he shal be as subtil as a foxe in bréeding of mischeefe in bringing misorder with a busie hed a discoursing tōg and a factious heart alwayes glad to cōmend the worser partie euer ready so defend the falser opinion And why for where the will is giuē from goodnesse to vanitie there the minde is caryed from right iudgement to any fonde opinion in religion in Philosophie or any kinde of learning The fourth frute of vain pleasure by Homer and Platoes iudgement is pride of them selues and contempt of all others which is the very badge of all those that serue in Circes