trauaile then hée to haue thée dead to rydde him of trouble And not seldome hath thy mother wished that eyther hir wombe had ben thy graue or the ground hirs Yea al thy friends with open mouth desire eyther that God will send thée grace to amende thy lyfe or griefe to hasten thy death Thou wilt demaunde of mée in what thou dost offend and I aske thée in what thou dost not sinne Thou swearest thou arte not coâ—etous but I saye thou arte prodigall and as much sinneth he that lauisheth without meane as he that hoordeth without measure But canst thou excuse thy selfe of vice in y thou art not couetous certeinly no more then the murtherer would therefore be guiltlesse bicause he is no coyner But why go I about to debate reason with thée when thou hast no regard of honestie though I leaue héere to perswade thée yet will I not cease to pray for thée In the meane season I desire thée yea in Gods name commaund thée that if neither the care of thy parents whom thou Souldest comfort nor the counsaile of thy friends which thou shouldest credit nor the rigor of the lawe which thou oughtest to â—eare nor the authority of the Magistrate which thou shouldest reuerence can allure thée to grace Yet the lawe of thy Sauiour who hath redéemed thée and the punishment of the almightie who continually threatneth thée draw thée to ameâ—dement otherwise as thou liuest now in sinne so shalt thou diâ— with shame and remaine with Sathan from whome he that made thée kéepe thée ¶ Liuia from the Emperours court to Euphues at Athens IF sickenesse had not put mée to silence and the weaknesse of my body hindred the willingnesse of my minde thou shouldest haue had a more spéedy aunswere and I no cause of excuse I knowe it expedient to retourne an aunswere but not necessary to wryte it in posse for that in thinges of grâ—ate importaunce wée commonly looke before wée leape and where the heart droupeth through faintnesse the hande is enforced to shake through féeblenesse Thou sayest thou vnderstandest howe men liue in the courâ—e and of me thou desirest to knowe the estate of women certes to dissemble with thée were to deceiue my selfe and to cloake the vanities in court were to clogge mine owne conscience wyth vices The Empresse keepeth hir estate royall and hir maydens will not léese an ynch of their honour shée endeauoureth to sette downe good lawes and they to breake them shée warneth them of excesse and they studye to exâ—éede she sayth that decentâ— attire is good thoughe it be not costly and they sweare vnlesse it bée déere it is not comely She is héere accompted a slut that commeth not in hir silkes and shée that hath not euerye fashion hath no mans fauour They that be most wanton are reputed most wise and they that be the idlest liuers are déemed the finest louers There is great quarelling for beautie but no question of honestie to conclude both women and men haue fallen héere in court to such agréement that they neuer â—arre about matters of religion bycause they neuer meane to reason of them I haue wished oftentimes rather in the countrey to spinne then in the courte to dawnce and truely a distaffe doth better become a mayden then a Lute and sitter it is with the nedle to practise howe to liue then with the pen to learne how to loue The Empresse gyueth ensample of vertue and the Ladyes haue no leasure to followe hir I haue nothing els to write Heere is no good newes as for badde I haue tolde sufficient yet this I must adde that some there bée whiche for their vertue deserue prayse but they are onely commended for theire beautie for this thincke courtiers that to be honest is a certeine kinde of countrey modestie but to bée amiable the courtly curâ—esie I meane shortly to sue to the Empresse to bée dysmissed of the court which if I obtayne I shall thinckâ— it a good rewarde for my seruice to bée so well rydde from such seueritie for beléeue mée there is scarce one in courte that eyther feareth GOD or meaneth good I thancke thée for the booke thou dyddest sende mée and as occasion shall serue I wyll requyte thée Philautus beginneth a little to lysten to connsayle I wishe him well and thée too of whome to heare so muche good it doth mee not a little good Pray for mée as I doe for thée and if opporâ—unitie be offered write to me Farewell ¶ Euphues to his friend Liuia DEare Liuia I am as gladde to heare of thy welfare as sorrowfull to vnderstande thy newes and it doth mée as much good that thou art recouered as harme to thincke of those which are not to be recured Thou hast satisfied my request and aunswered my expectation For I longed to knowe the manners of women and looked to haue them wanton I lyke thée well that thou wylte not conceale their vanities but I loue thée the better that thou doest not followe them to reproue sinne is the signe of true honour to renounce it the part of honestie All good men wyll accompte thée wyse for thy truth and happye for thy tryall for they saye to absteine from pleasure is the chiefest pietie and I thincke in courte to refraine from vice is no little vertue Straunge it is that the sounde oye viewinge the sore shoulde not be dimmed that they that handle pitch should not be defiled that they that continue in court should not be infected And yet it is no great meruaile for by experience we sée that the Adamant cannot drawe yron if the Diamond 〈◊〉 it â—or vice allure the courtier if vertue be retained Thou praysâ—st the Empresse for instituting good lawes and grieuest to sée them violated by the Ladyes I am sory to thincke it should be so and I sigh in that it cannot be otherwise Wher ther is no héed takeÌ„ of a commaundement there is small hope to be looked for of amendement Where duetie can haue no show honestie can beare no sway They that cannot be enforced to obedience by authoritie will neuer be wonne by fauour for béeing without feare they commonly are voide of grace as farre be they carelesse from honour as they be from awe and as ready to dispise the good counsaile of their Péeres as to contemne the good lawes of their Prince But the breaking of lawes doth not accuse the Empresse of vice neither shall hir makinge of them excuse the ladies of vanities The Empresse is no more to be suspected of erring then the Carpenter that buildeth the house bée accused bicause théeues haue broken it or the Mintmaister condemmed for his coyne bicause the traitor hath clipped it Certeinly God wil both reward the godly zeale of thy Prince and reuenge the godlesse doinges of the people Moreouer thou saist that in the court all be sluttes that swimme not in silkes and that the idlest liuers are accompted the brauest louers I cannot tell
escape the effect of thy misfortune the more those things please thée the more thou displeasest God and the greater pride thou takest in sinne the greater paine thou heapest to thy soule Examine thine own conscience and sée whether thou hast done as is required if thou haue thancke the Lorde and praye for encrease of grace if not desire God to giue thée a willyng minde to attâ—yne fayth and constancie to continue to the ende Euphues to Ferardo I Salute thée in the Lord c. Although I was not so wittie to follow thy graue aduice when I first knew thée yet doe I not lacke grace to giue thée thankes since I tryed thée And if I were as able to perswade thee to patience as thou wert desirous to exhort me to pietie or as wise to comfort thee in thine age as thou willyng to instruct me in my youthe thou shouldest nowe with lesse griefe endure thy late losse and with little care leade thy aged lyfe thou wéepest for the deathe of thy daughter I laugh at the folly of the father for greater vanitie is there in the minde of the mourner then bitternesse in the deathe of the deceased but she was amyable but yet sinful but she was young might haue lyued but she was mortall and must haue dyed I but hir youth made thée often merry I but thine age should once make thée wise I but hir gréene yeres wer vnfit for death I but thy hoary haires shoulde dispise lyfe Knowest thou not Ferardo that lyfe is the gifte of God deathe the due of nature as we receiue the one for a benefitte so must we abide the other of necessitie Wisemen haue found that by learning which olde men should know by experience that in lyfe there is nothing swéet in death nothing sowre The Philosophers accompted it the chiefest felycitie neuer to be borne the second soone to die And what hath death in it so hard that we should take it so heauily is it strange to sée the cutte off which by nature is made to be cut or that melten which is fit to be melted or that burnt which is apt to be burnt or man to passe that is borne to perish But thou grauntest that she shold haue dyed yet art thou grieued that she is dead Is the death y better if the lyfe be longer no truly For as neither he that singeth most or praieth longest or ruleth the sterne oftenest but he that doth it best deserueth greatest prayse so he not that hath most yeres but many vertues nor he that hath grayest haires but greatest goodnes lyueth longest The chiefe beautie of lyfe consisteth not in the numbring of many dayes but in the vsing of vertuous doings Amongst plants those be best esteemed that in shortest time bringe forth much frute Be not the fairest flowers gathered when they be freshest the youngest beasts killed for sacrifice bicause they be finest The measure of lyfe is not length but honestie neyther do we enter into lyfe to the ende we should set downe the day of our death but therefore do we lyue that we may obey him that made vs and be willyng to dye when he shal call vs But I wil aske thée this question whether thou wayle the losse of thy daughter for thine owne sake or hirs if for thine owne sake bicause thou didst hope in thine age to recouer coÌ„fort then is thy loue to hir but for thy commoditie and therein thou art but an vnkinde father if for hirs then dost thou mistrust hir saluation and therein thou shewest thy vnconstant fayth Thou shouldst not wéepe that she hath runne fast but that thou hast gone so slowe neyther ought it to grieue thée that she is gone to hir home with a few yeares but that thou art to goe with manye But why goe I about to vse a longe processe to a little purpose The budde is blasted as soone as the blowne Rose the winde shaketh off the blossome as well as the fruite Death spareth neyther the golden locks nor the hoary head I meane not to make a treatise in the prayse of death but to note the necessitie neyther to write what ioyes they receiue that dye but to show what paynes they endure the lyue And thou which art euen in the wane of thy life whom nature hath nourished so long that now she beginneth to nod maist well know what griefes what laboures what paynes are in age yet wouldest thou be eyther young to endure many or elder to byde more But thou thinkest it honourable to goe to the graue with a gray head but I déeme it more glorious to be burted with an honest name Age sayste thou is the blessing of God yet the messenger of death Descende therfore into thine owne conscience consider the goodnesse that commeth by the ende the badnesse which was by the beginning take the death of thy daughter patiently and looke for thine owne spéedely so shalt thou perfourme both the office of an honestâ— man and the honour of an aged father and so farewell Euphues to Philautus Touching the deathe of Lucilla I Haue receiued thy letters and thou hast deceiued mine expectation for thou séemest to take more thought for the losse of an harlot then the life of an honest woman Thou writest that she was shamefull in hir trade and shamelesse in hir ende I beléeue thée it is no meruayle that she which lyuing practised sinne should dying be voyde of shame neyther coulde there be any great hope of repentaunce at the houre of death where there was no regard of honestie in time of lyfe She was stricken sodaynely béeinge troubled with no sickenesse It may be for it is commonly séene that a sinfull lyfe is rewarded with a soddayne deathe and a sweete beginning with a sowre ende Thou addest moreouer that she being in great credite with the states died in great beggerie in the stréetes certes it is an olde saying that who so lyueth in the courte shall dye in the strawe she hoped there by delyghtes to gayne money and by hir deserts purchased misery they that séeke to clyme by priuie sinne shall fall with open shame and they that couet to swimme in vice shall sinke in vanitie to their owne perilles Thou sayest that for beautie she was the Helen of Greece and I durst sweare that for beastlines she might be the Monster of Italy In my minde greater is the shame to be accompted an harlot then the praise to be estéemed amiable But where thou arte in the courte there is more regard of beautie then honestie and more are they lamented that dye viciously then they loued that liue vertuously for thou giuest as it were a sigh with all thy companions in the courtâ— séeme by thée to sound also that Lucilla béeing one of so great perfection in all partes of the body and so littlâ— pietie in the soule should be as it were snatched out of the iawes of so many young gentlemen
nourisher of wantonnesse Had it not bene better for thée to haue eaten salt with the Philosophers in Greece then sugar with the courtiers of Italy But behold the course of youth which alwayes inclyneth to pleasure I forsooke mine olde companions to search for new friends I reiected the graue and fatherly counsayle of Eubulus to follow the brainesicke humor of mine owne will. I addicted my selfe wholy to the seruice of women to spende my lyfe in the lappes of Ladyes my lands in maintenance of brauerie my witte in the vanities of idle Sonnets I had thought that women had bene as we men that is true faithfull zealous constant but I perceiue they be rather woe vnto men by their falshood gelousie inconstancie I was halfe perswaded that they were made of the perfection of men would be comforters but now I sée they haue tasted of the infection of the Serpent and will be corasiues The Phisition saythe it is daungerous to minister Phisicke vnto the patient that hath a colde stomacke and a hotte lyuer least in giuing warmth to the one he inflame the other so verely it is harde to deale with a woman whose wordes séeme feruent whose heart is congealed into harde yce least trusting their outwarde talke he be betraied with their inwarde trechery I will to Athens ther to tosse my bookes no more in Naples to lyue with faire lookes I will so frame my selfe as al youth héereafter shal rather reioice to se mine amendmeÌ„t then be animated to follow my former lyfe Philosophie Phisicke Diuinitie shal be my studie O the hidden secrets of Nature the expresse image of morall vertues the equall ballaunce of Iustice the medicines to heale all diseases how they beginne to delyght me The Axiomaes of Aristotle the Maxinis of Iustinian the Aphorismes of Galen haue sodaynelye made such a breache into my minde that I séeme onely to desire them which did onely earst detest them Iâ— witte be employed in the honest study of learning what thing so pretious as witte if in the idle trade of loue what thing more pestilent then witte The proofe of late hath bene verefied in me whome nature hath endued with a lyttle witte which I haue abused with an obstinate will most true it is that the thing the better it is the greater is the abuse and that ther is nothing but through the mallice of man may be abused Doth not the fire an element so necessarie that without it man cannot lyue as well burne the house as burne in the house if it be abused Doth not Treacle as wel poyson as helpe if it be taken out of time Doth not wine if it be immoderately taken kill the stomacke enflame the lyuer murther the droncken Doth not Phisicke destroy if it be not well tempred Doth not law accuse if it be not ryghtly interpreted Doth not diuinitie condemne if it be not faythfully construed Is not poyson taken out of the Honnysuckle by the Spider venime out of the Rose by the Canker dunge out of the Maple trée by the Scorpion Euen so the greatest wickednesse is drawne out of the greatest wit if it bée abused by will or entangled with the world or inueig-with women But séeinge I sée mine owne impietie I wyll endeuoure my selfe to amende all that is paste and to be a myrrour of godlynes héereafter The Rose though a lyttle it be eaten with the Canker yet béeing distilled yéeldeth swéete water the yron thoughe fretted with the ruste yet béeing burnte in the fire shyneth brighter and witte although it hath bene eaten with the canker of his owne conceite and fretted with the rust of vaine loue yet beeinge purified in the still of wisedome and tryed in the fire of zeale will shine bright and smell swéete in the nosethrilles of all young nouises As therefore I gaue a farewell to Lucilla a farewell to Naples a farewell to woemen so now doe I giue a farewell to the worlde meaning rather to macerate my selfe with melancholye then pine in follye rather choosinge to dye in my studye amiddest my bookes then to courte it in Italy in the company of Ladyes It happened immediatly Ferardo to retourne home who hearing this straunge euent was not a lyttle amazed and was nowe more readye to exhorte Lucilla from the loue of Curio then before to the lykinge of Philautus Therefore in all haste with watryâ— eyes and a wofull heart began on this manner to reason with his daughter Lucilla daughter I am ashamed to call thée séeing thou hast neyther care of thy fathers tender affection nor of thine owne credite what sprite hath enchaunted thy spirite that euery minute thou alterest thy minde I had thought that my hoary haires should haue found comforte by thy golden lockes and my rotten age greate ease by thy rype yeares But alas I sée in thée neyther witte to order thy doinges neyther will to frame thy selfe to discretion neither the nature of a child neyther the nurture of a mayden neyther I cannot without teares speake it any regarde of thine honour neyther any care of thine honestie I am nowe enforced to remember thy mothers deathe who I thincke was a Prophetesse in hir lyfe for oftentimes shée woulâ—e saye that thou haddest more beautie then was conuenient for one that shoulde bée honeste and more câ—ckering then was méete for one that shoulde bée a Matrone Woulde I had neuer lyued to bée so olde or thou to bée so obstinate eyther woulde I had dyed in my youthe in the courte or thou in thy cradle I woulde to God that eyther Iâ— had neuer bene borne or thou neuer bredde Is this the comfort that the parent reapeth for all his care Is obstinacie payed for obedience stubbernnesse rendred for duetie mallitious desperatenesse for filiall feare I perceiue now that the wiâ—e Paynter saw more then the foolish parent can who paynted loue going downeward saying it might well descend but ascende it coulde neuer Danaus whome they reporte to bée the father of fiftie children had amonge them all but one that disobeyed him in a thinge most dishonest but I that am father to one more then I would be although one be all haue that one most disobedient to me in a request lawfull and reasonable If Danaus séeing but one of his daughters without awe became himselfe without mercie what shall Ferardo doe in this case who hath one and all most vnnaturall to him in a most iust cause Shall Curio enioy the fruite of my trauailes possesse the benefite of my labours enherit the patrimony of mine auncestors who hath neither wisedome to increase theÌ„ nor wit to kéepe theÌ„ wilt thou Lucilla bestow thy self on such an one as hath neither comlines in his body nor knowledge in his minde nor credite in his countrey Oh I would thou haddest eyther bene euer faithfull to Philautus or neuer faithlesse to Euphues or would thou wouldest be more fickle to Curio As thy beautie hath made thée blaze of Italy so will thy
Euphues is as colde as a clock though he be a Cocke of the game yet Euphues is content to bée crauen and crye creeke though Curio bée olde huddle and twange ipse hée yet Euphues had rather shrinke in the weeting then wast in the wearing I knowe Curio to be stéele to the backe standerd bearer in Venus campe sworne to the crewe true to the crowne knight marshall to Cupid and heire apparaunt to his kingdome But by that time that he hath eaten but one bushell of salt wyth Lucilla he shall taste tenne quarters of sorrow in his loue then shall he finde for euerye pynte of honnye a gallon of gall for euerye dramme of pleasure an ounce of payne for euery inche of mirth an ell of moane And yet Philautus if there be any man in despayre to obtayne his purpose or so obstinate in his opinion that hauing lost his fredome by solly would also lose his lyfe for loue lette him repaire hether and hée shall reape suche profite as will eyther quenche his flames or asswage his furye eyther cause him to renounce his Ladye as most pernicious or redéeme his lybertie as most pretious Come therefore to me all ye louers that haue bene deceiued by fancie the glasse of pestilence or deluded by woemen the gate to perdition be as earnest to séeke a medicine as you wer eager to runne into a mischiefe the earth bringeth forth as well Endyue to delyght the people as Hâ—mlocke to endaunger the patient as well the Rose to distill as the Nettle to sting as well the Bée to giue honny as the Spider to yéeld poyson If my lewde lyfe Gentlemen haue giuen you offence lette my good counsayle make amendes if by my folly any be alluâ—ed to lust let them by my repentaunce be drawne to continencie Achilles speare could as well heale as hurte the Scorpion though he sting yet hée stints the paine though the hearb Nerius poyson the Sheepe yet is a remedie to man agaynst poyson though I haue infected some by example yet I hope I shall comforte many by repentaunce Whatsoeuer I speake to men the same also I speke to women I meane not to runne with the Hare and holde with the Hounde to carrye fire in the one hande and water in the other neyther to flatter men as altogether faultlesse neyther to fall out with woemen as altogether guyltie for as I am not minded to picke a thancke with the one so am I not determined to picke a quarrell with the other if women be not peruerse they shall reape profite by remedye of pleasure If Phillis were now to take counsayle shée would not be so foolish to hang hir selfe neyther Dido so fonde to dye for Aeneas neyther Pasiphae so monstrous to loue a Bull nor Phedra so vnnaturall to be enamoured of hir sonne This is therefore to admonish all young Impes and nouises in loue not to blow the coales of fancie wyth desire but to quench them with disdayne When loue tickleth thee decline it lest it stiâ—fle thée rather fast then surfette rather starue then striue to excéede Though the beginning of loue bring delyght the ende bringeth destruction For as the first draught of wine doth comfort the stomacke the seconde inflame the lyuer the thirde fume into the heade so the first sippe of loue is pleasaunt the seconde perilous the thirde pestilent If thou perceiue thy selfe to be entised with their wanton glaunces or allured with their wicked guyles eyther enchauÌ„ted with their beautie or enamoured with their brauerie enter with thy selfe into this meditation What shall I gayne if I obtayne my purpose nay rather what shall I loose in winning my pleasure If my Lady yeelde to be my louer is it not lykely she will bée an others lemman and if she be a modest matrone my labour is lost This therfore remayneth that eyther I must pine in cares or perish with curses If she be chaste then is she coy if lyght then is shée impudent if a graue Matrone who can woe hir if a lewde minion who woulde wedde hir if one of the Uestall Uirgins they haue vowed virginitie if one of Venus courte they haue vowed dishonestie If I loue one that is fayre it will kindle gelousie if one that is fowle it will conuerte me into phrensie If fertile to beare children my care is increased if barren my curse is augmented If honest I shall feare hir death if immodest I shall be weary of hir lyfe To what ende then shall I lyue in loue séeing alwayes it is a lyfe more to be feared then death for all my time wasted in sighes and worne in sobbes for all my treasure spente on Iewells and spilte in iollyâ—â—e what recompence shall I reape besides repentaunce What other rewarde shall I haue then reproch What other solace then endles shame But happely thou wilt say if I refuse their courtesie I shal be accoÌ„pted a Mecocke a Milkesoppe taunted and retaunted with check and checkemate flowted and reflowted with intollerable glée Alas fonde foole arte thou so pinned to theire sléeues that thou regardest more their babble then thine owne blisse more their fruÌ„pes then thine own welfare Wilt thou resemble the kinde Spaniell which the more he is beaten the fonder he is or the foolish Eiesse which will neuer away Dost thou not knowe that woemen déeme none valyaunt vnlesse he be too venturous That they accompte one a bastarde if he be not desperate a pinche penny if he be not prodigall if silente a sotte if full of wordes a foole Peruersly do they alwayes thinck of their louers and talke of them scornfully iudging all to be clownes which be no courtiers and all to be pinglers that be not coursers Seing therefore the very blossome of loue is sower the budde cannot be swéete In time preuent daunger least vntimelye thou runne into a thousande perrills Searche the wounde while it is gréene to late commeth the salue when the sore fesâ—ereth and the medicine bringeth dubble care when the maladye is past cure Beware of delayes What lesse then the grayne of Mustarde séede in time almost what thing is greater then the stalke thereoff The slender twigge groweth to a stately tree and that which with the hand might easely haue bene pulled vpp will hardly with the are be hewen downe The least sparke if it bee not quenched will burst into a flame the least Moth in time rateth the thickest clothe and I haue reade that in a shorte space there was a Towne in Spayne vndermiâ—ed with Câ—nuyes in Theslalâ—â— with Mowles with Fregges in Fraunce in Africa with Flyes If these silly Wormes in tracte of time ouerthrowe so statelye Townes how much more will loue which creepeth secretly into the minde as the rust doth into the yron and is not perceiued consume the body yea and consound the soule Defer not from houre to day from day to month from month to yeare and alwayes remayne in misery He that to day is not willyng will to
Esay telleth before of the captiuitie of the Iewes and their restoryng by Cyrus which was borne an hundreth yeares after the deathe of Esay and wheras Ierâ—my before the people were led away apointeth their exile to continew thréescore and ten yeares Whereas Ieremy and Ezechiel béeinge farre distaunt in places the one from the other doe agrée in all theire sayings Where Daniel telleth of things to come sixe hundreth yeares after These are most certeyne proues to establish the authoritie of the bookes of the Prophets the simplycitie of the speach of the first thrée Euaungelysts conteyninge heauenlye mysteries the prayse of Iohn thundring from on high with weyghty sentences the heauenlye maiestie shininge in the writings of Peter and Paule the sodayne callyng of Mathew from the receipte of custome the callyng of Peter and Iohn from their fisher boates to the preaching of the Gospell the conuersion and callyng of Paule béeing an enemy to the Apostleshippe are signes of the holye Ghost speaking in them The consent of so many ages of so sundrye nations and of so diuers mindes in embracing the Scriptures and the rare godlynesse of some oughte to establish the authoritie thereoff amongst vs Also the bloude of so many Martyrs which for the confession thereoff haue suffred deathe with a constant and sober zeale are vndoubted testimonyes of the truthe and authoritie of the Scriptures The myracles that Moses recounteth are suffient to perswade vs that God yea the God of hoastes sette downe the Scriptures For this that hée was carryed in a clowde vpp into the mountayne that there euen vntill the fortith daye he continued without the companye of men That in the verye publyshinge of the lawe his face did shine as it were besette with Sunne beames that lyghteninges flashed rounde about that thunder and noyses were eache where hearde in the ayre that a Trompette sownded being not sownded with any mouth of man. That the entry of the Tabernacle by a clowde set betweene was kepte from the sighte of the people that his authoritie was so miraculously reuenged with the horrible destruction of Chorah Dathan and Abiron and all that wicked faction that the rocke stroken with a rodde did by and by powre foorthe a ryuer that at his prayer it rayned Manna from Heauen Dyd not God héerein commend him from Heauen as an vndoubted Prophet Nowe as touchinge the tyrannye of Antiochus which commaunded all the bookes to be burned héerein GODS singuler prouidence is séene which hath alwayes kepte his woorde boâ—h from the mightye that they coulde neuer extinguishe the same and from the mallitious that they coulde neuer diminish it Ther were diuers copyes which god of his great goodnes kept from the bloudie proclamation of Antiochus by by followed the translating of them into Greeke that they might be publyshed vnto the whole worlde The Hebrew tongue lay not onely vnestéemed but almost vnknown and surely had it not bene Gods will to haue his religioÌ„ prouided for it had altogether perished Thâ—u seest Atheos how the Scriptures come from the mouth of God are written by the finger of the Holy Ghost in the consciences of all the faythfull But if thou be so curious to aske other questions or so quarrellous to striue agaynst the truth I must aunswer thee as an olde father answered a young foole which néedes would know what God did before he made Heauen to whom he said hell for such curious inquisitors of gods secrets whose wisedome is not to be comprehended for who is he that can measure the winde or way the fire or attayne vnto the vnsearcheable iudgementes of the Lorde Besides this where the Holy Ghost hath ceased to sette downe there ought we to cease to enquire séeing we haue the sufficiencie of our saluation conteined in holy Scripture It were an absurditie in schooles if one béeing vrged with a place in Aristotle could finde none other shifte to auoyde a blancke then in doubting whether Aristotle spake such words or no. Shall it then be tollerable to denye the Scriptures hauing no other colour to auoyde an inconuenience but by doubting whether they procéede from the holy Ghost But that such doubtes aryse amonge many in our age the reason is theire lyttle faythe not the insufficient proofe of the cause Thou mayst as well demaund how I proue white to be white or blacke blacke and why it shoulde bée called white rather then gréene Such grosse questions are to be aunswered with slender reasons and such idle heades would be scoffed with adle aunsweres He that hath no motion of God in his minde no féelinge of the spirite no tast of heauenly thinges no remorce in conscience no sparke of zeale is rather to be confounded by tormentes then reasons for it is an euydent and infallible signe that the holy Ghost hath not sealed his conscience whereby hée myght crye Abba Father I coulde alledge Scripture to proue that the godly shoulde refraine from the companye of the wicked which although thou wylt not beléeue yet will it condemne thée Sainct Paul sayth I desire you brethren that you absteine from the companye of those that walke inordinatelye Agayne my sonne iâ— sinners shall flatter thée gyue no eare vnto them flye from the euill and euils shall flye from thée And surely were it not to confute thy detestable heresie and bringe thée if it might be to some taste of the holy Ghost I would abandon all place of thy abode for I thincke the grounde accursed whereon thâ—u standest Thine opinions are so monstrous that I cannot tell whether thou wylte cast a doubt also whether thou haue a soule or no whiche if thou doe I meane not to wast winde in prouing that which thine infidellitie wyll not permit thée to beléeue for if thou hast as yet felt no tast of the spirit working in thée then sure I am that to proue the immortallitie of the soule were bootelesse if thou haue a secrete féelinge then it were néedlesse And God graunt thée that glowinge and sting in conscience that thy soule may witnesse to thy selfe that there is a liuing God and thy heart shed drops of bloud as a token of repentance in that thou hast denied that God and so I coÌ„mit thée to God and that which I cannot do with any perswasion I wil not leaue to attempt with my prayer Atheos Nay stay a while good Euphues leaue not him perplexed with feare whom thou maist make perfect by faith For now I am brought into such a double doubtfull distresse that I knowe not howe to tourne mée if I beléeue not the Scriptures then shall I be damned for vnbeliefe if I beléeue them then I shall be confounded for my wycked lyfe I knowe the whole course of the Bible which if I shoulde beléeue then must I also beléeue that I am an abiect For thus sayth Heli to his sonnes if man sin againe man God can forgiue it if against God who shall entreate for him â—e that
folly and that thy nature sheweth thou lookest I should craue pardon for speaking so boldly no Philautus I meane not to flatter thee for then shoulde I incurre the suspition of â—rawde neither am I determined to fall out with thée for theÌ„ might the wise conuince me of folly But thou art in great credite in the court what then shall thy credit with the Emperour abate my courage to my God or thy hauty lookes quench my kindled loue or the gallant shew aslake my good wil hath the courtier any prerogatiue aboue the clowne why hée should not be reprehended doth his highe callinge not onely gyue hym a commision to sinne but remission also if he offend doth his preheminence in the court warrant him to oppresse the poore by might and acquite him of punishment No Philantus By how much the more thou excellest others in honors by so muche the more thou oughtest to excéede them in honestie the higher thy calling is the better ought thy conscience to bée and as farre it beséemeth a gentleman to be from pryde as hée is from pouertie and as néere to gentlenesse in condition as hée is in bloude but I will descende wyth thee to perticulers It is reported héere for a troth that Philautus hath giuen ouer himselfe to all deliciousnesse desiringe rather to be dandled in the laps of Ladyes then busied in the studye of good letters And I woulde thys were all which is to much or the rest a lye which is to monstrous It is nowe in euerye mans mouth that thou yea thou Philautus art so voyde of curtesie that thou hast almost forgotten common sence and humanitie hauinge neither care of religion a thing to common in a courtier neither regarde of honestie or any vertuous behauiour Oh Philautus dost thou lyue as thou shouldest neuer dye and laugh as thou shouldest neuer mourne art thou so simple that thou doste not know from whence thou camest or so sinfull that thou carest not whether thou goest what is in thée that shoulde make thée so secure or what can there be in any that may cause him to glorye Milo that great wrastler beganne to wéepe when he sawe his armes brawnefallen and weake saying strength strength is but vanitie Helen in hir newe glasse viewing hir olde face with a smyling countenaunce cryed Beautie where is thy blaze Craesus with all his wealth Aristotle with all his wit all men with all their wisdome haue and shall perish and tourne to dust But thou delightest to haue the newe fashion the Spanish felte the French ruffe thy crewe of ruâ—sians all thine attire misshapen to make thée a monster and all thy time mispent to shewe thée vnhappy what should I goe about to decipher thy life séeinge the beginning sheweth the ende to bée naught Art not thou one of those Philautus which sekest to win credite with thy superiors by flatterye and wring out wealth from thy inferiors by force vndermine thy equals by frawde dost thou not make the court not onely a couer to defend thy selfe froÌ„ wrong but a colour also to commit iniurie Art not thou one of those that hauing gotten on their sléeue the cognisaunce of a courtier haue shaken from thy skirtes the regard of curtesie I cannot but lament I would I might remedy the great abuses that raigne in the eies of the Emperour I feare me the Poet say to truely Exeat aula qui vult esse pius virtus summa potestas non coeunt Is not pietie tourned all to pollicie faith to foresight rigor to Iustice doth not he best thriue the worst deserueth he rule al the country that hath no conscience Doth not the Emperours court grow to this insolent blindnesse that all y sée not their folly they accompt fooles all that speake against it precise laughing at the simplicitie of the one threatning the boldenes of the other Philautus if thou woldest with due consideration way how farre a courtiers lyfe is from a sound beliefe thou wouldest either frame thy selfe to a new trade or els amend thine old mannors yea thou wouldest with Câ—ates leaue all thy possessions taking thy books and trudge to Athens and with Anaxagoras dispise wealth to attaine wisdome if thou haddest as great respect to dye well as thou hast care to liue wantonly thou wouldest with Socrates séeke how thou mightest yelde to death rather then wyth Aristippus search howe to prolonge thy lyfe Dost thou not know that where the trée falleth there it lyeth and euery ones deathes daye is his domes day that the whole course of lyfe is but a meditation of dâ—ath a pilgrimage a warfare Hast thou not read or dost thou not regards what is written that wée shall all bée cyted before the Tribunall seate of God to render a straight accompt of our stewardshyp if then the rewarde bée to be measured by thy merites what boote canst thou looke for but eternall paine whiche héere lyuest in continuall pleasure So shouldest thou lyue as thou mayst dye and then shalt thou dye to lyue Wert thou as strong as Sampson as wise as Salomon as holy as Dauid as faythfull as Abraham as zealous as Moses as good as any that euer lyued yet shalt thou dye as they haue done but not rise againe to lyfe with them vnlesse thou liue as they did But thou wilt say that no man ought to iudge thy conscience but thy selfe séeinge thou knowest it better then any O Philautus if thou search thy selfe and sée not sinne then is thy case almost curelesse The patient if Phisitions are to be credited coÌ„moÌ„ eâ—perieÌ„ce estemed is the néerest death wheÌ„ he thinketh himselfe past his disease the lesse griefe he féeleth the greater fits he endureth y wouÌ„d that is not searched bicause it a lyttle smarteth is fullest of dead flesh and the sooner it skinneth the sorer it festereth It is sayde that Thunder bruseth the trée but breaketh not the barke and pearceth the blade and neuer hurteth the scabberd Euen so doth sinne wounde the hearte but neuer hurte the eyes and infect the soule though outwardely it nothing afflict the body Descende therfore into thine owne conscience confesse thy sinnes reforme thy manners contemne the worlde embrace Christ leaue the courte follow thy study prefer holynesse before honour honestie before promotion relygion and vprightnesse of lyfe before the ouerlashinge desires of the flesh Resemble the Bée which out of the dryest and bitterest Time sucketh moyst swéet Honny and if thou canst out of the courte a place of more pompe then pietie sucke out the true iuice of perfection but if thou sée in thy selfe a will rather to goe forward in thy losenesse then any meane to goe backewarde if the glystering faces of fayre Ladies or the glittering shew of lustie gallaunts or courtly fare or any delycate thing séeme to entice thée to farther lewdenesse come from the court to Athens and so in shunning the causes of euill thou shalt soone
Well Philautus thou takest not so much care for the losse of hir as I griefe for thy lewdnesse neither canst thou sorrowe more to sée hir dye sodeinely then I to heare thée lyue shamefullye If thou meane to keepe mee as a friende shake off those vaine toyes and dalyaunces wyth women beléeue mée Philautus I speake it wyth salt tears trickling downe my chéekes the lyfe thou liuest in court is no lesse abhorred then the wicked death of Lucilla deâ—ested more art thou scorned for thy folly then she hated for hir filthinesse The euill ende of Lucilla should moue thée to begin a good lyfe I haue often warned thée to shunne thy wonted trade if thou loue me as thou profestest in thy letters then leaue all thy vices shewe it in thy lyfe If thou meane not to amend thy manners I desire thée to write no more to me for I will neither answere thée nor read them The Iennet is brokeÌ„ as soone with a waÌ„d as with the spurre a genâ—â—eman as well allured with a word as with a swoord Thou concludest in the end that Liuia is sick truely I am sory for shée is a madyen of no lesse comlinesse then modesty hard it is to iudge whether she deserues more praise for hir beauty with the amorous or admiration for hir honestie of vertues if thou loue me embrace hir for she is able both to satisfy thine eye for choice instruct thy heart with learning CommeÌ„d me vnto hir as I praise hir to thée so wil I pray for hir to God that either she may haue paâ—ience to endure hir trouble or deliuerance to scape hir peril Thou desirest me to send thée the Sermons which were preached of late in Athens I haue fulfilled thy request but I feare me thou wilt vse them as S. George doth his horse who is euer on his backe but neuer rideth but if thou wert as willing to read them as I was to send them or as ready to follow them as desirous to haue them it shall not repent thée of thy labour nor me of my cost And thus farewell ¶ Euphues to Botonio to take his exile patiently IF I were as wise to giue thée counsaile as I am willing to do thée good or as able to set thée at libertie as desirous to haue thée frée thou shouldest neither want good aduice to guyde thée nor sufficient helpe to restore thée Thou takest it heauylye that thou shouldest bée accused without colour and exiled wythout cause and I thincke thée happy â—o be so well rydde of the courte and to bee so voyde of crime Thou sayest banishment is bitter to the frée borne and I déeme it the better if thou bée wythout blame There bée manye meates which are sowre in the mouth and sharpe in the mawe but if thou mingle them wyth swéete sawces they yeelde both a pleasaunt taste and holesome nourishment Diuers colours offende the eyes yet hauinge gréene amonge them whet the sight I speake this to this enâ—e that though thy exile seeme grieuous to thee yet guiding thy selfe with the rules of Philosophye it shall bee more tollerable hée that is colde doth not couer himselfe wyth care but with clothes he that is washed in the rayne dryeth himselfe by the fire not by his fancie and thou which art bannished oughtest not with teares to bewaile thy hap but with wisedome to heale thy hurt Nature hath giuen no man a country no more then she hath a house or laÌ„ds or liuings Socrates would neither call himselfe an Athenian neither a Grecian but a CitizeÌ„ of the world Plato would neuer accompt him banished that had the Sunne Fire Aire Water Earth that he had before where he felt the Winters blast and the Summers blaze wher y same Sunne the same Moone shined whereby he noted that euery place was a countrey to a wise man and all partes a pallaice to a quiet minde But thou art driuen out of Naples that is nothing All the Athenians dwell not in Colliton nor euery Corinthian in Graecia nor all the Lacedemonians in Pitania How can any part of the world bée distant farre from the other when as the Mathematicians set downe that the earth is but a pointe being compared to the heauens Learne of the Bée as wel to gather Honny of the wéede as the flowre and out of farre countries to liue as wel as in thine owne He is to be laughed at which thincketh the Moone better at Athens then at Corinth or the Honnye of the Bée swéeter that is gathered in Hybla then that which is made in Mantua when it was cast in Diogenes téeth that the Synoponetes had banished hym Pontus yea sayde hee I them of Diogenes I maye saye to thée as Straconicus sayde to his guest who demaunded what faulte was punished wyth exile and hée aunsweringe falshoode why then sayde Straconicus dâ—st not thou practise deceite to the ende thou maist auoyde the myschiefes that followe in thy countrey And surely if conscience be the cause thou art banished tho court I accompt thée wise in being so precise that by the vsing of vertue thou maist be exiled the place of vice Better it is for thée to liue with honesty in the country then with honour in the court greater wil thy praise be by flying vanitie then thy pleasure in followinge traines Choose that place for thy palaice which is most quiet custome will make it thy countrey and an honest life will cause it a pleasaunt liuinge Philip falling in the dust and séeing the figure of his shape perfect in shewe Good God sayd he we desire the whole earth and sée how little serueth Zeno hearing that this onely barke wherein all his wealth was shipped to haue perished cryed out thou hast done well Fortune to thrust me into my gowne agayne to embrace Philosophy thou hast therefore in my minde great cause to reioyce that God by punishment hath compelled thée to strickâ—nesse of lyfe which by lybertie might haue ben growen to lewdnesse When thou hast not one place assigned thée wherein to liue but one forbidden thée which thou must leaue then thou béeing denied but one that excepted thou maist choose any Moreouer this dispute with thy selfe I beare no office whereby I shoulde eyther for feare please the noble or for gaine oppresse the néedy I am no Arbiter in doubtfull cases whereby I should eyther peruerte Iustice or incurre displeasure I am frée from the iniuries of the stronge and mallice of the weake I am out of the broiles of the sedytious and haue escaped the threates of the ambitious But as hée that hauinge a fayre Orcharde séeing one trée blasted recompteth the discommodity of that passeth ouer in silence the fruytfulnesse of the other So hée that is banished doth alwayes lament the losse of his house the shame of his exile not reioysing at the liberty quyetnesse pleasure that he enioyeth by the swéet punishment The kinges of
sinneth is of the Dyuell the rewarde of sinne is death thou shalte not suffer the wicked to lyue take all the Princes of the people and hange them vp agaynst the Sunne on Iybbets that my anger maye bée tourned from Israell these sayinges of holy Scripture cause mée to tremble and shake in euery sinnewe Agayne this saith the holy Byble nowe shall the scowrge fall vppon thée for thou hast sinned beholde I set a curse before you to daye if you shall not harken to the commaundementes of the Lorde all they that haue forsaken the Lorde shall be confounded Furthermore where threates are poured out agaynst sinners my heart bléedeth in my bellye to remember them I wyll come vnto you in iudgement sayth the Lorde and I wyll be a swifte and a seuere witnesse offenders adulterers and those that haue committed periurie and retained the duetie of the hirelinges oppressed the widowes misused the straunger and those that haue not feared me the Lord of hoasts Out of his mouth shall come a two edged swoorde Beholde I come quickly and bringe my rewarde with me which is to yelde euery one according to his desertes Great is the day of the Lord and terrible and who is he that may abide him What shall I then doe when the Lord shall arise to iudge and when hée shall demaund what shal I answere Besides this the names that in holy scripture are attributed to God bring a terrour to my guiltie conscience He is said to be a terrible God a God of reuenge whose voice is like the thūder whose breath maketh al the corners of the earth to shake tremble These things Euphues testifie vnto my conscience that if there be a God he is the God of the righteous one that wil confound the wicked Whether therefore shal I goe or how may I auoide the day of vengeance to come if I goe to heauen that is his seate if into the earth that is his footstoole if into the depth he is there also Who can shrowde himself from the face of the Lord or where can one hide him that the Lord cannot finde him his wordes are like fire and the people lyke drye woode and shal be consumed Euphues Although I cannot but reioyce to heare thée acknowledge a God yet must I néedes lament to sée thée so much distrust him The Diuell that roaring Lyon seing his pray to be taken out of his iawes alledgeth al Scripture that may condemne the sinner leauing al out that should comfort the sorrowful Much like vnto the deceitfull Phisition which recounteth all things that may endomage his patient neuer telling any thing that may recure him Let not thy conscience be agrieued but with a patiēt heart renounce all thy former iniquities and thou shalt receiue eternall life Assure thy selfe that as God is a Lord so he is a father as Christ is a Iudge so he is a Sauiour as ther is a lawe so there is a Gospel Though God haue leaden handes whiche when they strike paye home yet hath he leaden féet which are as slow to ouertake a sinner Heare therfore the great comfort flowing in euery leafe line of the Scripture if thou be patient I my selfe am euen hée which doth blotte out thy transgressions and that for mine owne sake and I will not be mindefull of thy sinnes Beholde the Lordes hande is not shortned that it cannot saue neither his eare heauy that it cannot heare If your sinnes were as Crimosin they shall be made whiter then Snow though they were as red as Scarlet they shall be made like white Woll If we confesse our offences hée is faythfull and iuste so that he will forgiue vs our sinnes God hathe not appointed vs vnto wrath but vnto saluation by the meanes of our Lorde Iesus Christe the earthe is filled with the mercye of the Lorde It is not the will of your Father which is in heauen that any one of the little ones should perishe God is riche in mercye I will not the death of a sinner sayth the Lord God retourne and lyue The sonne of man came not to destroye but to saue God hath mercy on all bycause hée can doe all God is mercifull longe sufferinge and of much mercy If the wicked man shall repent of hys wickednesse which hée hath committed and kéepe my commaundementes doinge Iustice and iudgement hée shall lyue the lyfe and shall not dye If I shall saye vnto the sinner thou shalt dye the death yet if hée repent and doe Iustice he shall not dye Call to thy minde the great goodnesse of God in creating thée his singuler loue in giuing his sonne for thée So God loued the worlde that he gaue his onely begotten sonne that whosoeur beléeued in him myght not perish but haue euerlasting life God hath not sent his sonne to iudge the world but that the worlde might be saued by him Can the Mother sayth the Prophet forget the chylde of hir wombe though she be so vnnaturall yet will I not be vnmindefull of thée There shal be more ioye in heauen for the repentaunce of one sinner thē for nintie nine iust persons I came not saith Christ to cal the righteous but sinners to repentāce If any mā sin we haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christe the righteous hée is the propitiation for our sinnes and not for our sinnes onely but for the sinnes of the whole worlde I write vnto you little children bicause your sinnes be forgiuen for his names sake Doth not Christ saye that whatsoeuer wée shall aske the Father in his name wée shall obtayne Doth not God saye this is my beloued sonne in whome I am well pleased heare him I haue reade of Themistocles which hauing offended Philip the king of Macedonia could no way apease his anger méeting his young sonne Alexander tooke him in his armes met Philip in the face Philip séeing the smilyng countenaunce of the childe was well pleased with Themistocles Euen so if through thy manifolde sinnes and haynous offences thou prouoke the heauye displeasure of thy God insomuch as thou shalt tremble for horror take his onelye begotten and welbeloued sonne Iesus in thine armes and then he neyther can nor will bée angry with thée If thou haue denyed thy God yet if thou goe out with Peter and wéepe bitterly God will not deny thée Though with the prodigall sonne thou wallow in thine owne wilfulnesse yet if thou retourne agayne sorrowfull thou shalt be receiued If thou bée a grieuous offender yet if thou come vnto Christ with the woman in Luke and wash his féete with thy teares thou shalt obteyne remission Consider with thy selfe the great loue of Christ and the bitter torments that he endured for thy sake which was enforced through the horror of death to crye with a loude voyce Eloi Eloi Lamasabathani My God my God why hast thou forsaken mée and with a groning spirite to say my soule is heauie euen