into a newe And what other thing is the sepulchre but a castelle wherin we be closed agaynst the assautes of the lyfe Of trouth you ought more to couete to take that you find at your deth than the hurte of that you shal leue in your lyfe I demand of you what is it that dothe you most peyne in lesyng of the lyfe If you peyn your self for Helie Fabrice your wyfe bicause you leaue her yonge wery not yourself for she is wel thought on in Rome for any peryll of your lyfe And as soone as she knoweth it I am in certayne she wyll not wepe moche though you go your way Thā you ought not to wepe for leuyng of her These yonge damoysels maried to old men haue euer their eyes fixed in the deth of their husbandes And holly fasten their hartes on him that they think to mary with ageyn They wepe with their eies laughe in their hartis And thinke not contrary though she be an empresse and can not fynde an other emperour to be her husbande yet she wyll fynde some other man For if they be soo determyned they wyll change their robes of sylke for a gowne of clothe I dare well saye they more desyre a yonge sheparde than an olde emperour If you care for your chyldren whom ye muste leaue behind you I can not tell why you shuld do so For if your deth be displeasant to them moch more displeaseth them y t you liue so longe It is great pein to the child not to desire the deth of his father For if he be poore it is for feare how they shuld be mainteined if he be ryche thā bicause he shalbe his heire They synge you wepe you fere the deth wepe bicause you leaue your life Doo you not know y t after the night cometh the dewy mornyng after y t cometh the bright son after y e son comith a derk cloude and after ageyn cometh faire wether after that cometh lightnyng thonder than again clere aire Also I say that after infancy cometh childhode thā cometh youth age after that and so at laste cometh deth and after dethe fearefull hope of a sure lyfe Sir beleue me in one thyng The beginning the meane and the ende euery man hath Certainly if you had ben takē as the floure fro the herbe if you had ben cut grene fro the tree if you had ben graffed in primetyme if you had ben eaten in the sowernes of the vyne I meane if in the fyrste youthe whan lyfe was at the swetest if dethe had come and knocked at the gate ye shulde haue had cause to be sory but as nowe the walles are weake and redye to falle and the flowre wythered and the very putrified the speare full of mosse and canne not drawe the knyfe out of the shethe Herein you haue desired the worlde as if you had neuer knowen the worlde Lxii. yere you haue ben prisoner in the dongeon of the body now whan the shakles or gyues shuld be taken from you you complayne you lorde wold make newe of other newes He that thinketh it nat sufficient to lyue .lxii. yeres in this dethe or to dye in this lyfe he wyll not be contente with thre score thousande ¶ Auguste the Emperour sayde that after that men had lyued .l. yeres they ought to dye orels cause them selfe to be slayne bycause that vnto that tyme is the felycitie of man He that lyueth beyonde that tyme passeth his tyme in heuynesse in greuous aches deathe of his chylderne and losse of his goodes in importunities of his chyldren in lawe buryenge of his frendes susteynynge processe payinge of dettis and other infinyte trauayles So that it were better with his eies cloosed to abyde theym in his graue thanne with his eyes open to abyde theym in his lyfe dayes Certaynly it is a fortune of all fortunes and he is ryght priuie with the goddis that at .l. yere leaueth his lyfe For al the time that he liueth after is in decaying and neuer vpryght but rollyng relynge and redy to fall O Marc my dere lorde do you not know that by the same way that lyfe gothe cometh dethe It is .lxii. yere that ye haue soughte the one from the other And whan ye wente fro Rome where as you lefte your howse ye wente to Illirike where you lefte a great pestylence and nowe you are retourned into Hungarie Do you not knowe that as soone as you were borne to gouerne the erthe incontinent dethe issued out of his sepulchre to fynde your lyfe And if you haue honored ambassadours of the straunge kynges moche more ye oughte to honour deathe that cometh fro the goddis What lordshyp can be loste in this lyfe but you shal fynde greatter in the death Are you not remembred whan Vulcan my sonne in lawe poisoned me bicause he desyred my goodes more than my lyfe howe you my lorde for loue that you had to me gaue me comforte and counsell for the deth of my sorowfull youth and you sayd to me the goddis were cruell in kyllynge of them that be yonge and pitiefull whan they burie theym that be olde And also you sayde to me Comforte thy selfe Panutius For if thou dydst lyue to dye now than thou dyest to liue Therfore right high and myghty prince I saye to you as you sayde to me and I counsayle you as you counsayled me and that you gaue me I gyue you ageyne Fynally of this repynge take the best in worthe let the rest abide ¶ How themperour demanded to haue in writing al that the Secretarie had sayde Cap. xli ANd as of the contentynge of the wylle oftentymes procedeth helthe and ease of the body the emperour was wel satisfied with the wordes of Panutius whiche he eloquently vttered and with profounde counsell hardily and familyarly and in due tyme as a good frende Great cōpassion it is to them that wold die whā it is shewed them what they ought to do For of them that be about the bed somme robbe hym of his money somme serue hym welle some holde the place to be his heire some gape for gyftes some wepe for losynge of hym somme laugh for the gaynes they haue by his death and so in this maner the poore pacient hauyng many lokynge for their profyte hath no body to counsel hym We se dayly that seruātes whā they se the going out of the cādell of lyfe care not for the clēsing of their lordes vyces And therof cometh that as sone as he is deed streight way begynneth to stynke And so I say that the ende of his lyfe is the begynnynge of his infamy All they that were there as well the olde seruantes as the newe belongynge to themperour capitaynes of warre other were not a lyttell abashed of the sayenge of Panutius and they all allowed his sayinge and sayde he was worthy to haue the gouernaunce of thempire The good emperour all the season
say it not without teares thou seeste that my son remayneth ryche yonge and at libertie Ryches youthe solitarines and lybertie ben .iiii. pestilences that enpoysone the prince and waste the common welthe hit sleethe them that be a lyue infameth them that be deed Beleue me one thynge dyuers graces are requisite to susteyn diuers vertues With the fairest women the brothell houses are peopled the mooste vilaynes are made ruffyens the moste hardye are robbers in woddes the quickeste of vnderstandynge ofte proue fooles and the mooste subtylle becom theues I say that such as are clothed with dyuers graces of nature lacke the furres of accquired vertues We may say they hold in their handes a knyfe wherwith they stryke and hurte theym selfes fire on their shulders wherwith they bren and a corde about their necke wherwith they hange daggers at theyr stomacke wherwith they are stayne thornes at theyr feete wherwith they are pricked a stony way afore theyr eies where they stomble and stomblynge fall and fallynge they lese theyr life and wynne dethe The great trees of whom we haue fruite in wynter and shadowe in sommer first be planted the rotes faste in the entrayles of the erthe or euer theyr wauerynge boughes are aduentured in the wynd Marke Panutius marke well The man that from his youth hath set before hym the feare of the goddis and the shame of men is habited in vertues he that accompanieth with them that be vertuous mainteyneth trouth to euery maÌ„ and liueth without preiudice of any man Malicious fortune maye somtyme cleue the barke of the welthe of suche a tree wyther the floure in his youthe breake the leaues of his fauour gather the fruite of his trauaylle breake downe a bough of his offices bowe downe the height of his couÌ„cell yet for all the strokes that the wynde can strike it can not be plucked vp by the rote Certaynely the sonne that the father hath endued with graces and the sonne applienge hym in vices ought not to be borne in this worlde if he be borne to be buried quicke For the fathers sweate by day and watche by nyght to leue honour to their children whiche the fathers bye of the goddis with sighes the mothers delyuered of them with peyne and bring theÌ„ vp with trauayle and the chylde proueth so that he giueth greuous age to the father in his lyfe great infamy after his death I consider wel that the prince Comode beinge yonge and I olde ageynst his wyl forbare vyces I fere me that after my deth he wyll hate vertues I remeÌ„bre diuers of his age haue inherited the empire whiche were so hardy in their lyues that they deserued to be called tyrantes after their dethes ExaÌ„ple of Denys renoumed tyrant of Sycill whiche hired theym that coude inuent vices as our Rome rewardeth them that conquere realmes What greatter tyranny can be in a tyraÌ„t than to make most priuie to him theÌ„ that be vicious Also I forget not the foure kinges that succeded after great AlexaÌ„der as Ptholome Anthiocê° Siluiê° Antigonus whiche the grekes called great tirantis all that AlexaÌ„der had gotten with renomed triuÌ„phes they lost by their viciousnes And in this maner the world y t AlexaÌ„der had deuided amonge them .iiii. came to the handes of mo than foure C. for Antigonê° set so litle by that had cost his lord AlexaÌ„der so moch was so lighte in his age so bolde in his realme y t in mockery in y e stede of a crowne of gold he ware a garlande of Iuie in stede of a scepter he bare a thystle in his right hande and after that maner he wold syt amonge his men whan he spake to strangers I lay shame to the yong man so to do but I meruayle that the sadde and wyse men of grece suffred it ¶ I remembre also Caligula the .iiii. emperour of Rome a yonge man in whose tyme it was harde to knowe whiche was the greatter eyther the disobedience of the people to their lorde or the hatrede that the lorde bare to the people And this yonge prince went so farre oute of the waye in his youthe and was so farre wyde frome reason in his tyrannies that euery man studyed howe to take his lyfe from hym he studied to slee euery man He wrote these wordes in a table of golde Wolde to god that all Rome hadde but one heed to the entente that with one stroke I myght stryke it of ¶ I also remembre Tyberie sonne adoptiue of good Auguste called August bycause he augmented Rome But this good olde prince dyd not so moche augmente it in his lyfe but this yonge successour distroyed it moche more after his deathe The hate that the Romayne people had agaynste Tyberie in his lyfe was ryght welle shewed after his dethe For the same day that he dyed or whan he was slayne the people made dyuers processions and the senatours offred great gyftes in the temples and the priestes offred gret sacrifices to their goddis to thentent that they shulde not receyue the soule of the sayd Tiberie into their glorie but to sende it to the furies of Hell ¶ Also I mynde Patrocle the seconde kynge of Corynthe whiche enheryted the realme beinge but .xvi. yere of age and he was so vycious of his body and so lyberall of his mouthe that where as his father helde the realme .lx. yere he possessed it but .xxx. dayes ¶ Also the auncient Tarquin the proude the .vii. kynge of Rome whiche was ryght goodly in gesture ryght valyant in armes and of a cleane bloudde as an vnhappye prince defyled al his vertues with noughtye lyuynge in suche wyse that he conuerted his beautie into lechery his power into tyranny for the villany that he did to Lucrece the chaste lady of Rome wherby he lost not onely his realme but the name of Tarquine was banysshed for euer out of Rome ¶ I remembre cruelle Nero whiche inheryted and dyed yonge in hym ended the memorie of the noble Cesars and by hym was renewed the memorye of Antygones the tyrantes Whom thynkest thou this tyrant wolde suffre to lyue whiche slewe his owne mother Tell me I pray the what harte is that of a chylde to slee his owne mother to open the brestes that he sucked to shedde the blood of her that nouryshed hym in her armes and to beholde the entrayles wherin he was fourmed What thynkeste thou that he wolde not haue done sithe he commytted suche an yll dede The day that Nero slew his mother an oratour sayd in the senate that Agrippyne his mother had deserued deth for chyldyng suche a chylde in Rome These thre dayes that thou haste sene me so altered in my mynde all these thinges came before me and I haue drawen theym into the depenes of my harte and disputed theym This sonne of myn holdeth me in the gulfe of the see betwene the wawes of feare and the ankers of dispayre hopynge
Eyther I lye or I haue redde in the lawe of the Rodiens where as it is written We cōmaunde the father in marienge .x. sonnes to trauayle but one day but to mary oone vertuous doughter lette hym trauayle .x. yeres ye suffre the water come to the mouth sweate droppes of bloode trauayle the stomake disherite all his sonnes lose his goodis and aduenture his person These wordes in this law were pitieful for the doughters not lesse greuous to the sonnes For .x. sonnes by y e lawe of men ar bound to discouer to go ouer al the world but y e doughter by y e good law ought not to go out of y e hous I say more ouer that as thinges vnstable threte fallyng so lyke wise it chaunseth to yonge damselles whiche thinketh all theyr tyme loste and superfluous vnto the daye of their mariage Homere sayth it was the custome of ladies of Grece to count the yeres of theyr lyfe not fro the tyme of their byrth but from the tyme of theyr maryage As if one demaunded of a Grecian her age she wolde aunswere xx yeres if it were .xx. yeres sith she was maried though it were .lx. yeres sith she was borne Affirminge after they hadde a house to gouerne and to commande that daye she begynneth to lyue The Melon after it is rype and abydeth styll in the gardeyn can nat scape but eyther rotteth or elles must be gathered I say the mayden that taryethe longe tyll she be maried can not escape eyther to be taken or infamed I will saye no more As soone as the grapes be ripe it behouethe that they be gathered so it is necessary that the woman that is come to perfite age be maried and kept And the father that doth this casteth perill out of his house and bringeth him selfe out of thoughte and contenteth well his doughter ¶ Of a syckenes wherof themperour died of his age and where he dyed cap. xxxix MArcus the Emperour beinge olde not onely by age but by trauaile and great peines that he had taken and suffred in warres In the xviii yere of his empire and .lxii. yere of his age and of the foundation of Rome .vi. C. and .xl. as he was in Panony now called Hungarie with his hoste and Commode his sonne at a citie called Vendebone situate vpon a ryuer that had .iiii. M. fire housis and beinge in wynter and the waters great very weate wether he beinge in the fieldes about the .xxx. day of December sodainly vpon a nyghte as he wente with lanternes about his campe there toke hym a syckenes or palsey in one of his armes so that he coude not weld his speare nor yet drawe his swerde nor put on his owne clothes Than this good emperour charged with yeres and with noo lesse thoughtes and wynter increasynge with manye great snowes and fresynge of the erthe there felle on him an other malady called Lytarge the whiche put the Barbariens in great hardines and his hoste in greatte heuynes his person in peryll and his frendes in great suspect of his helthe There was done to hym all the experience that coude be founde by medicins as vnto great pryncis and lordes is accustomed And all dyd him no profite by reason the maladye was greuous and themperour charged with yeres and the ayre of the lande was contrarye to hym and the tyme helped hym nothynge and also he was not well intended And as men of worshyppe do sette more by theyr honour than by theyr lyues and had rather dye with honour thanne lyue dishonoured to assure their honour they aduenture euery houre their lyues and had leauer haue one houre of honour than a. C. yeres of lyfe So thus this sicke emperour caused him selfe to be borne all about his campe and went to see the scarmyshes and wold slepe in the feldes the which was not without great peryll of his lyfe nor without great trauaylle of his person Thus on a day the emperour beinge in a great feuer and letten bloudde harde a great clamour or noyse in the fielde made by his men that had brought home great quātitie of forage and theyr ennemies sette on theym to rescue it there was medlynge on bothe parties the one to beare away and the other to defende The Romaynes for hungre dyd what they coulde to beare it a waye And the Hungaryens fro whense it came made resystence They medled so one with an other and their debate was soo cruell that there was slayne .v. capitaynes of the Romayns the worst of them was more worthe than all the fourage that they had won And of the Hungariens were so many slayne that all the fourrage that they had loste was not so moche worth Certainly considering the crueltie that was there done the profyte that came therby was very smalle to the Romayns so that there went but a fewe away with the fourage of the Hungariens fewer was lefte to make resistence The emperour seinge the yll order and that by the reason of his bloudde lettynge and feuer he was not present at that acte he toke suche a heuynes at his harte wherby he fell into suche a traunce that it was thought he had ben deade and so he lay .iii. nyghtes and two dayes that he coude se no lyght of the skye nor speake to any persone The heate of his syckenes was greatte and his peynes greatter he dranke moche and eate lyttelle he cowlde not slepe his face was yelowe and his mouthe blacke Somtyme he lyfted vp his eies oftentymes ioyned his handes togyther He spake nothynge and syghed many tymes His throte was soo drie that he coulde not spytte his eies were verye soore with sobbynge and wepynge It was greatte compassion to see his deathe and a greate plage of confusion to his howse and also the very greate losse of his warre There durste no manne looke vppon hym and fewer speake to hym Panutius his Secretarye sorowynge at his harte to see his mayster so nere his dethe on a nyght in the presence of dyuers other that were there he sayd to hym ¶ The wordes of Panutius his secretary to themperour at the houre of his deathe Cap. xl O Marcus mi lorde there is no tongue that can be styll nor any hart suffre nor eies dissimule nor wytte that can permytte it My bloudde congeleth and my sinewes dry the stones openethe and my sowle wolde passe forthe the ioyntes vnioyne asonder and mi spirites are troubled bicause you take not the wyse and sage counsell the whiche ye gaue to other that were symple I see you my lord dye and I oughte for to be soore displeased therwith The sorowe that I fele at my hart is how you haue lyued lyke a wyse persone and at this howre you do lyke a simple man Tenne yere a knight gyueth meate to his hors to thentēt that he shulde kepe him from peryll and all that the wyse man studyeth for a longe season oughte
to be to passe his lyfe with honour and to take his deth with great vertue Ryght dere lorde I demande of you what prouffyte is it to the maryner to knowe the carde of the see and after to peryshe in a tourment or tempeste What prouffytte is it to a capitayne to speake moche of warre and after knowe not howe to gyue battayle What profyteth it to a knyght to haue a good horse and to falle in the strete What profyteth it one to teache an other the playne waye and hym selfe to wander asyde I saye what profyted it the force of your lyfe that you estemed soo lyttelle manye tymes seekynge your deathe And at this present howre that you haue founde deathe you wepe bycause it wyll take away your lyfe What thynges haue I written with myn owne hande beinge your Secretarye dyuysed by your hyghe and profounde vnderstandynge towchynge the stroke of deathe What thynge was it to se the letter that you sent Claudine vpon the deathe of her husbande what wrote you to Anthygone whan your sonne Verissimus dyed Wherin your vertue dydde consolate his heuynesse What highe thinges dyd I write in the boke that you sent to the Senate in the yere of the great pestylence comfortynge them after the great mortalitie passed therein you dydde shewe theym howe lyttell men shulde sette by deth what profyte foloweth therby And I haue seene and harde you blason dethe in your lyfe and nowe you wepe as thoughe you shulde lyue here styll Syth that the goddis cōmande it and your age requireth it your syckenes is the cause and nature permytteth it and fortune consenteth to it and is the fatall destenie of vs all than you muste nedes dye The trauayles that come of necessitie ought with a good courage to be abyden For the couragious feeleth not soo sore the harde strokes as the weake that falleth or he be foughten with You are but one man and nat two and ye ought to haue oone deathe and nat two Therfore why wolde ye for one lyfe haue two dethes enterrynge the body and sleinge the spirite with syghes After so many perylles of longe lyfe to take a sure porte wyll ye lyfte vp the sayles and entre ageyne into the swolowe of the see for to engloutte you In the see you haue chased the bulle and scaped his woodnes and nowe ye refuse to entre into the parke where you may surely slee hym You make assaute with vyctorie of your life and wyl dye atteynyng the deth you haue foughte .lxii. yeres in the campe of myserie and nowe you feare to entre into your sepulchre you haue got out of the busshes and thornes wherin you were closed and nowe at this howre you stomble in the faire way you haue had in certayne the domage of your death and now ye put in double the profyte of your death you ar entred into the campe of defyenge of the worlde and nowe you wolde tourne your backe whan it is tyme to putte your handes to armes Lxii. yere you haue foughte agaynste fortune and nowe you cloose your eies bycause fortune wyl strike you I say it bycause that willyngly you refuse this present dethe the whiche wyll cause vs to haue your lyfe passed suspect What do you high and mighty prince Why wepe you like a chyld why sigh you as one in dyspaire if you wepe bicause ye shal die why dyd you laugh so moche in your lyfetyme For of moche laughynge in the lyfe tyme cometh moche wepyng at the deth Wyl you do that you can not do and not be content with that you may do The grounde and pasture that is common you wolde ioyne to your owne the renowme of the common welthe you applyed to your owne heritage Of a subsidy or lone you wolde make your perpetuall ryghte I wylle shewe you who be deed All be deed and shall dye And amonge all other you wolde all onely lyue Wyll ye haue that of the goddis that they be goddis for That is bycause you are mortall that they make you immortall And you to haue that by priuilege which they haue by nature I that am but symple demaunde one thynge of you my lorde that are auncient and wyse whiche is the greattest or least welthe to dye well or lyue yll To lyue welle noo man can attayne certainely for hungre thirst solitarines persecution yll fortune sicknesses and disfauours This can be called no lyfe but rather a deth If an ancient man wolde make a shewe and booste of his lyfe from the tyme of his birthe to the layinge in his graue and the bodye to shewe all that it hath suffred by dolours and the harte to discouer all the strokes of fortune I thynke that the goddis wolde haue maruayle therof and men wolde be abashed therof that the body coude suffre soo moche and the harte beare it I holde the grekes wisest whiche wepe whan theyr children are borne and they synge whan an olde man dyeth but the Romaynes synge at the byrthe of theyr chyldren and wepe whan they dye olde Certaynly to laughe at the deth of them that die olde sith they dye to laugh and to wepe at the birth of chyldren sithe they are borne to wepe and that the lyfe abydeth the sentence of yl proueth well that the deathe is good Wyll you that I saye one veritie to you I haue alwayes seene that coūsell in the wysest man sonest faileth him Such as wolde gouerne al thinges by theyr opiniōs of necessitie in some or in the moste parte they do erre and fayle O Marc my dere lorde weene you that haue caused to burye soo many that some shulde not burye you in lykewise As you haue seene the ende of theyr dayes so other shal se the ende of your yeres Therfore me semeth it were better for you to dye and to go your waye to atteyne soo moche welthe than to scape and to lyue in so moche mysery If you fele deathe I haue no meruayle sythe you be a man But I meruayle that you do not dissimule it sythe you are dyscrete They that haue clere vnderstandynge feele many thynges at theyr harte that putteth them to peyne which they shewe not outwarde for the presumption of honour If al the poyson that is in a heuy hart were spred abrode in the weake flesshe by smalle greynes noo walles shulde suffyse vs to rubbe nor our nayles to scratche For certainly the deathe is but a playe wherin the player if he be apt aduentureth but lyttell to wynne moche and they that play may se wel that this is a wyly play and not a strōg And that also as well they lese that haue but a smal card not fearyng dethe as they that with a greatte carde loue long lyfe What thinge is deth but a trappe dore wherin the tent is closed in the whiche is solde all the miseries of our life This the goddis do change vs fro an olde filthy house
and of possible to make impossible I meane that none shal thynke but that the grenenes of youthe shall waste and wydder in age O worlde what a world art thou so lytel is our force and our wekenes so great that withoute resystynge drowneste vs wyllyngly in the depenes of thy peryllous whyrlepoole and hydest vs in the thyckest of thy mountaynes and leadest vs out of the brode way wandring by thy narow pathes and bryngest vs into the rugged waye I doo meane that they that be greattest in fauour thou bryngest into daunger to the entente that with one stroke of thy foote thou mayst ouerthrowe them O worlde .lii. yere I haue benne in the and yet thou neuer saydest one trouthe to me and I haue taken the with .x. M. lyes I neuer desyred any thynge of the but thou dyddest promyse hit me but thou neuer gauest me any thynge promysed me I neuer treted with the but thou begyledste me I neuer arryued at the but thou loste me I neuer sawe thynge in the wherby I shulde loue the. For all that we see in the is worthy to be abhorred And besyde this I wote not what is the world O what faut is in vs thy worldly wretches For yf thou hate vs we dare not hate the yf thou braule with vs we muste be stylle yf thou spurne at vs we muste suffre the if thou beate vs with a staffe we saye nothynge And yet if thou woldest haue vs gone we wyll not go And worste of all is that we hadde rather serue the for nothyng with trauayle thanne the goddis with prayer and reste I swere to the by the immortalle goddis that oftentymes I make accompte of my yeres passed and an other tyme I reuolue my bookes to see what I haue redde And lykewyse I demaund of my frendes to gyue me counsel to know wherin it is that I wolde speake I beinge at Rhodes redynge Rhetorique My lorde Adrian kepynge me there at the age of .xxi. yere my yonge fleshe and no lesse weake than tender at the fyrste worke I founde solytarynesse and the solytarinesse with lybertie adored the worlde In adoryng I felte it in felynge I folowed it in folowyng I ouertoke it in ouertakynge I toke it in takyng I proued it in prouynge I tasted it in tastyng I found it bytter in fyndyng in bytter I hated it in hatynge it I felte it in leauynge it it retourned and retournynge I receyued it And in this maner .lii. yeres we haue eaten of one breadde and dwelled in one house Whā I sawe it displesed I serued it whan it sawe me thoughtfull it chered me whan I sawe it in prosperitie I demaunded it whan it sawe me mery it begyled me And thus we be togyther vnto this day not gyuynge me leaue to goo nor I wyllynge to departe fro it O worlde thou haste so many countenances in thy vanitie that thou leadest all wandrynge in vnstablenes Syth we suffre the to take vs thou wylt neuer deliuer vs if we withdraw our fete fro the snare of fortune forthwith thou fettrest our legges fast with yrons and if by chance we fyle the yrons anon thou manaclest our handes and though the way be strayte the pathe sharpe the iourneye longe and our fleshe weake yet our bodies are euer laden with vyces and our hartes fulfylled with thoughtes and pensyuenes Of one thynge I haue greatte meruayle and I can not deuyse what it is without any constraynt to the contrary we go surely ouer the brydge and yet we wyll go an other way and though the same waye be sure yet we wyll aduenture into the gulfre if the wayes be drye yet wyll we goo throughe the dyrte and myre and plasshe hauynge meate for our lyuynge we serche for poyson to kyll vs we serche to be lost and may be assured withoute interest we commytte synne seinge peyne commynge withall and fynally to the entente that we shoulde be taken for good we shote at the whyte of vertues and hytte the butte of vyces One thynge I confesse though it be myne owne shame Peraduenture in tyme to come it shal be profytable to somme other In .l. yeres of my lyfe I wolde proue all the vyces of this lyfe to see if any thynge might haue satisfied the humayn malyce And after I had sene all thynge I founde that the more I dydde eate the more I dyed for hungre The more I slepte the more fluggye I was the more I dranke the more thyrste I hadde the more I rested the more werye I was the more good I hadde the more couetous I was the more I soughte the lesse I founde And fynally I neuer toke peyne for any thynge but I was euer lette and thanne anone I hadde appetite to an other Lette no manne thynke to lyue in the fleshe and satisfie the fleshe It hath power to take fro vs our lyfe and we haue no power to take frome it the disordinate couetyse I wolde fayne knowe of the goddis why our dayes shulde haue an ende O cruelle goddis what is this We can neuer passe one good lyfes day we do but taste it and so passeth our lyfe and lyfe is but a dreame and dethe waketh it Lette euery manne knowe that the worlde taketh our wyll and we with our good wyll gyue it therto and it takethe our wylle to the ende to contente vs and prayse that we prayse and the tyme passethe soo that we lyue after the cursed tyme. To attayne vertues we haue good desire but to attayne to vices we putte to all our warkes This haue I sayde for you Claudyus and Claudine that in thre score yeres ye wylle not yssue nor goo oute of the prysonne of the worlde Hauynge your feete putrifyed with yrons and chaynes What is thanne to be hoped of yonge personnes whiche be of fyue and twenty yeres olde Excepte my memorye fayle me whan I was with you ye hadde your neuewes sonnes of your chyldren maryed and nyeces doughters of your doughters maryed and me thynketh whan the guynes comme the season of cheryes is not comme and whanne the newe wyne is tounned the drye huskes are caste out Canne ye suffre dyuers neuewes sonnes to your chyldren in your howse and fewe yeres in your persones Very seldome we see fruite and the floweres togyther for whanne the one is rype and in season than the other is cleane goone and auoyded ¶ In this case I thynke greatte meruayle howe ye can be of manye yeres and seeme to be yonge I knowe none other thynge but whanne ye maryed Lambert your own doughter to Drusio and Matryne your nyece doughter of your doughter with Lamberte that were all lyttell and yonge chyldren and sythe that ye be of a good aege and lacke good ye maye gyue vnto eche of them twenty yeres of your aege in stede of theyr dowrie And soo ye shall vnlade you of your yeres and charge you with other mennes goodes and substaunce Noo lesse this mattier
souerayne folye to be borne wepynge to dye syghynge and to lyue laughynge The rule to gouerne all partes ought to be egall O Cincinate who hath begyled the that for a potte full of water thou haste nede of a greatte laake of this world to passe this wretched lyfe Wylt thou flay away the skynne of thy handes with the corde of thoughtes breake thy body in bataylle with great trauayle and aduenture thyne honour for one potte of water What wylte thou more that I shulde say but that to fyl a potte of thy goodes thou wylt suffre a. M. perylles And in the vyle exercysing of thy marchandyse thou doubtest not for lesynge of thy credence And fynally I sweare to the thou shalt abyde deed for thurste as thoughe there were no water in the feldes If thou wylt do by my counsell desyre deathe of the goddis to reste the as an aged wyse man and demaunde not rychesse to lyue yll as a yonge foole I haue soore wepte for many that I haue sene in Rome departed oute of this worlde and for the I haue wepte droppes of blode to se the retourne newly vylely to the worlde My amitie and the credite of the senate the bloude of thy predecessours the auctoritie of thy person and the honour of the countreye oughte to refrayne thy couetousnesse Oh frende thy whyte heares sheweth honour and wysedome the whiche shuld exercise and be occupied in noble dedes Regarde It auayleth more to folowe reason by the ways of them that be good than the cōmon opinyon whiche is the large way of them that be yll For though the one be strayte for the fete it reiseth no duste for to blynde the eies as the other dothe to lyghte younge persons the whyche procure lyghtnesse ignoraunce excuseth them but the disordinate couetyse of the olde persones causeth theym to occupie their lyfe with trauayle and to take deathe with great annoyaunce and in the one as welle as in the other abydeth great infamy O Cyncinate take this counsayle of a frende Charge not thy selfe with takynge of these vayne goodes syth thou haste soo smalle a morselle of thy lyfe For suche as thou arte we see consume and waste and not to quicken Put no trust in frendes in the present prosperitie for it is a pronostication of an euyll fortune And sythe thou arte in a hasarde lyke a foole me thynke thou oughtest to discende a foote lyke a sage person And thus euery man wyll saye howe Cincinate is discended and not fallen I wyll say no more but the goddis be thy sauegarde and defende bothe the and me frome gylefulle fortune My wyfe Faustyne saluteth the and she is withdrawen frome me bycause I wrote this letter to the and hathe coniured me to write this worde to the that is she saythe thou oughtest to haue wytte whan thy necke is full of heare and I thynke thou oughteste in continente to take a barber shaue away the heare that thy wytte maye come forth I wold thy couetyse shuld forsake the and foly Faustin and the gowte me and the soner our soules may departe fro our fleshe than gile shuld remayne in our hartes Marc of mount Celio writeth this with his hande ¶ A letter sente fro Marc the emperour to Catulus censorious that was sorowfull for the deth of his sonne Verissimus The .viii. letter MArc censore newe and yonge salute and reuerence to the Catulus censorius olde and auncient I haue writen two letters to the thou haste made aunswere to none of them If it be bycause thou couldest not I holde my peace If it be bycause thou woldest not than I complayne me If it be for forgetfulnes thā I accuse the If it be bycause thou setteste lyttelle by me than I appeale the If thou haste dreamed that thou haste wrytten I saye beleue not in dreames And if thou wylte not it shulde vayle to glorifie me as a frende yet thou mightest take it write in aduertisinge repreuynge as the father to the son Yong vertuous persons are bounde to honour aunciente wise men no lesse old wyse men ought to endoctrine the yong people and very yonge as I am A iuste thynge it is that the new forces of youth supply serue them that are worne by age For theyr longe experience mocketh our tender age natural ignorance youth is yl applied when it surmōteth the force of the body faylleth the vertues of the soule age is honored wherin the force dyeth outwarde wherby vertues quickneth the more inward we may se the tre whē the fruite is gadered the leues fal and whan flowers dry than more grene and perfyte are the rotes I meane that whan the first season of youth is passed which is the Somer tyme than cometh aege called wynter and putrifieth the fruite of the fleshe and the leaues of fauour falle and the floures of delyte are wyddered and the vynes of hope dried outwarde than it is right that moche better the rotes of good workes within be good They that be old and auncient ought to prayse theyr good werkes rather than theyr white heares For honour ought to be gyuen for the good lyfe and not for the whyte heade Glorious is that common welthe and fortunate is that prince that is lord of yonge men to trauayle and ancient persons to counsel As to regarde the susteynyng of the naturalitie of the life in lykewise ought to be consydered the polycie of gouernaunce the whiche is that al the fruites come nor drie not al at ones but whan one beginneth an other fayleth And in this maner ye that be auncient teachynge vs and we obedient as olde fathers and yonge pullettes beynge in the neste of the senate Of some their fethers fallyng and other yonge fethered and where as the olde fathers can not flye their trauaylles are maynteyned by theyr tender chyldren Frende Catulus I purposed not to write one lyne this yere bycause my penne was troubled with thy slouthe but the smallenesse of my spirite and the greatte peryll of myn offices always called on me to demande thy counsell This priuilege the olde wyse men holde in their houses where they dwelle They are alwayes lordes ouer them that be symple and are sclaues to them that be wyse I thynke thou haste forgotten me thynkynge that sythe the dethe of my dere sonne Verissimus the tyme hath ben so longe that I shulde forgette it Thou hast occasion to thynke so for many thynges renneth in tyme that reason can not helpe But in this case I can not tel whiche is the greattest thy trumperie or my dolour I sweare to the by the goddis immortall that the hungry wormes in the entrayles of the vnhappy chylde are not so puisante as are the cruell dolours in the harte of the father sore wounded And it is no comparison for the son is ded but one tyme ▪ y e heuy father dieth euery moment What wilt thou more