of his mother syde was so enamored of a woman of Thebes that he taught her al his coūnynge and whan he was sycke in his bedde she redde in the schole for hym Epimenides of Crete that slepte .xv. yeres without waking and though he was .x. yere a great worshypper of the goddis yet he was banysshed frome Athenes for the loue of women Archyta Tarentyn mayster of Plato and disciple of Pythagoras occupied his mynde more to inuente the kindes of loue than his forces in doctrines of vertues Gorgio Cleontino borne in Sycyll kepte rather concubines in his chambre than bokes in the scholes All these were wyse men and yet we maye se howe at the laste they were ouercome with the flesshe Than blame not me alone for as I haue tolde of so fewe in noumbre so I coude recyte of other a holle armye Of trouth he ought to haue many thynges that wylle be taken as curious in loue He muste haue his eien displayed on her that he loueth his vnderstandynge fore altered in that he thinketh his tonge troubled in that he shulde say So that in seinge he be blynded in thoughtes wandring and in speakynge troubled O lady Libia the louynge in mockerie passeth by mockerie but where as the true hart is there is the grefe and no mockerie Loue shedeth her poysone and cruell Cupydo fyxeth his arowes vppe to the fethers Than the eien wepe the harte syghethe the flesshe trymbleth the synewes shrynke the vnderstandynge waxeth grosse reason fayleth and so all falleth to the erthe so that fynally the heuy louer abydynge in hym selfe holdeth lyttell or nothynge of hym selfe All this I say bicause that knowlege to loue fayleth in me yet be ye sure that the workes faile me not to worke in thy seruice And syth it was myn aduenture to see the nowe it is my chaunce to knowe the I demaunde nothyng elles of the but that thou wylte loue me truely syth I loue the withoute feynynge And if thou haste harde that I am sycke at my harte I desyre the to do me some good for sythe it is all onely in the it is reason that thou all onely seke for remedy I was greatly comforted whan Fabius Carlynus desyred me in thy behalfe to be a prisoner and I dyd incontinent all that thou dyddest desyre to thentente that thou on some day shuldest do that I desyre And beholde lady Lybia the woman that is serued with seruyces it is reasonne that she receyue some prayers And though my strengthes haue no power to open the gates of thy pourpose as not to agree to thy demaunde yet all my labours be bycause of thy renoume I praye the discouer not the one nor begyle me nat with the other For now thou seest that in grauntynge is remedy and in truste is comforte but promesse is deceyuable the delayenge is peryllous and the entreatynge byndeth I see verye welle that the hasty demaunde deserueth a longe aunswere but I wold not that thou shuldest do soo but as I desyre the soo desyre me I saye agayne I am all thyne and not myne owne And as for my selfe in al thynges I wyll serue the. And lady Libia regard that it were as moche honour for the as profytable for me to tourne thy disordinate desyres and pourposes For thou seest well it is moch better to heale shortly than to late with faylynge of thy pourpose All women kepe one daungerous opynyon that is they wyll neuer receyue counsell that is gyuen them in a great cause and if it be so as I thynke syth thou arte praysed and estemed of great beautie than be estemed to receyue good counsell And in this maner in case that my domage be very great and thy pacience very lyttell I shalbe called wise to gyue the suche counsell and thou ryghte gratious to folowe it One thynge I saye and pardone me though I shewe it to the howe that women be greatly infamed that wyll take no counsell and suche as wylle assure their renoume by the opinion of other as moche as though they were determyned so to doo their selfe Wherfore I wolde ye shuld do one thyng for an other as I coūsayle you And if thou fyndest any ylle therby withdrawe thy hande I wyll say no more to the but that I doo present to the al my vnhappy troubles my desperate syghes and my seruyces as thy seruaunt My troubled dolours my wordes of philosophy and my amorous teares Also I sende the a gyrdelle of golde and I gyue it the on the condition that thou sette thyn eies theron and apply thy harte to me I pray the goddis to gyue me to the and the to me Marcus Aurelius the philosopher writeth this in very great secrete ¶ THVS ENDETH THIS GOLDEN Boke of the eloquent Marc Aurelie emperour who so euer be reder therof may take it by reason for a ryche and a newe labour and specially pryncis and gouernours of the common welth and mynisters of iustyce with other Also the common people eche of theym may fynde the labour conueniente to their estate And therin is conteyned certayne right hygh and profounde sentences and holsom counselles and meruaylous deuyses ageynst thencumbraunce of fortune and ryght swete cōsolations for them that are ouerthrowen by fortune Finally it is good to them that digeste it and thanke god that hath gyuen suche grace to a paynym in gyuynge vs exaumple of vertuous lyuynge with hye and salutary doctrines and meruaylous instructions of perfectnes Certainly as great prayse as ought to be gyuen to the auctour is to be gyuen to the translatours that haue laboriously reduced this treatyse oute of Greke into latyn and out of latyn into Castilian and out of Castilyan into frenche and out of frēche into englishe writen in high and swete styles O ryght happy trauayle sythe that suche fruyte is issued therof And also blessyd be the handes that haue wrytten hit A ryghte precyous meate is the sentences of this boke But finally the sauce of the sayd swete style moueth the appetite Many bokes there be of substancial meates but they be so rude and so vnsauery and the style of so smal grace that the fyrste morsell is lothesome and noyful And of suche bokes foloweth to lye hole and sounde in Lybraries but I truste this wylle not Of trouthe great prayse is due to the auctour of his trauayle And syth there can be no grace equipolent in erthe lette vs pray to god to gyue hym grace rewarde in heuen Amen Graces to god FINIS ⧠Thus endeth the volume of Marke Aurelie emperour otherwise called the golden boke translated out of Frenche into englyshe by Iohn̄ Bourchier knyghte lorde Barners deputie generall of the kynges towne of Caleis and marches of the same at the instant desyre of his neuewe syr Francis Bryan knyghte ended at Caleys the tenth day of Marche in the yere of the Reygne of our souerayn lorde kynge HENRY the VIII the XXIII LONDINI IN AEDIBVS THOMAE BERTHELETI REGII IMPRESSORIS ANNO M.D.XXXVII CVM PRIVILEGIO LUCRECIA ROMANA THOMAS BETHELETVS
done they retourned all into the temple that they came out of and there offred echeone as they myght And in the sayde processions it was of custome that the emperours went accompanied with the senatours but this good emperour was soo famylier that he wolde honour and accompany euery man It was accustomed in Rome that the sayde day themperour shulde weare on his robe and mantelle unperiall And all prisoners and captiues that myght touch hym with their hāde were deliuered al trespassours were pardoned and banished folke were forgiuen and called agayn And this emperour to vse his clemency and to leaue after hym perpetuall memorie lefte the procession of senatours and without any gard went the procession with prisoners and captiues The whiche doinge was occasion to leaue behynde hym perpetuall memory of hym selfe and greate example of clemencie and lowlynes to princes for to come Howe be it there is nothynge so well done of them that be good but forthwith it shalbe contraried of them that be yl And therfore this example was soo moche dispraysed of theym that were yll as praysed and allowed of theym that were good And in likewise as among them that be good there is one noted to be pure good so amonge them that be yll there is one noted to be right ylle And that worse is that the vertuous person estemeth not the glorie his vertue so great as the malitious person by his malice is shamid This is sayde bycause there was a senatour in the senate named Fuluius whiche was as blacke by his malyce as whyte by his heares He laboured soore in the dayes of Adrian to haue ben emperour and had Marcus always as competitour And as it is a naturall thyng to theym that haue yll hartes to shewe theyr malyce in smal thynges so this emperour dyd neuer no good thynge openly but this Fuluius wolde grudge therat secretely And though this emperour was greatly praysed for the delyuerynge of prisoners yet the sayd senatour coude not haue the prudence for to suffre it and so part in mockery and part in erneste he sayd these wordes to the emperour in the senate Why gyuest thou thy selfe to all men ¶ Howe Marcus the emperour aunswered a senatour in the senate Cap. xvi THe emperour Marcus Aur̄hering what the senator had said to him in the p̄sence of the senators y t is to wite Wherfore he gaue him to all men He aunswered Frende I giue me to all men bycause all men giue them to me and ar glad of me Beleue me that ouer great rigour in a prince causeth hatred of the people The goddis wyll not nor the lawes permit not nor the agreement of the cōmon welthe wyll not suffre y e princis be lordes ouer many to accompany but with a fewe I haue redde in bokes haue proued it by my selfe that the loue of subiectes the suretie of the prince the dignitie of thempire and the honour of the Senate do conserue the prince not with rigour but with gentyll conuersation The fysher goth not to take dyuers fyshes of the riuer with one baite nor y e mariner with one nette entreth into the see I promyse you the depenesse of good wylles ought to be wonne with the depenesse of the harte some with gyftes some with wordes some with promyses and some with fauours The insaciate couetous men are neuer content nor wyll open their affection but locke vp their treasours And such as serueth for loue ar lesse content with openyng of their treasure than locking vp their wylles It is an olde prouerbe of Pythagoras Loue is payd with other loue O how yl fortune it is to a prince how vnhappy it is to a cōmon welth whā y e people serue not their lordes but for rewardes the lordes to kepe mayntayne them but for their seruice With diuers stones and one ciment buyldynge is reysed and of diuers men and one lord is composed a common welthe And if geometrie begile me not the morter that ioyneth one stone with an other ought to be medled with sande and slecked lyme by reson Separate the stones and the wal openeth and let the cyment fayle and the edifice falleth He that is wyse may well vnderstande me Loue betwene neybours suffereth to be mitigate with water but hit is requysite that the loue of the prince and his people be pure Dyuers trowbles and acte dyuers tymes I haue seene among the common people of Rome in one day moued and appeased but one discorde reysed betwene the lorde and the common welthe vnto the death is neuer accorded It is a difficile thinge to make appoyntment of many with many and more difficile to accorde one with an nother But without comparison more harder it is to appoynt diuers with one than one with dyuers And in this case I wyl not saue the prince nor leue the people vncondēpned Fro whens as ye thynk cometh it now adays that lordis with annoyance commaunde vniuste thinges and in iust thinges the subiectes are vnobediente Nowe here me I shall tell you The prince doinge a thynge in dede and not of righte wyl confounde the wyl of euery manne and beleue his owne vnderstandynge and drawe of hym selfe and all other his onely wyl Contrary wise the multitude of the people dispraysynge theyr lordes vnderstandynge do as they will not as all wyll but as euery manne desireth hym selfe Of trouth it is a greuous thing although it be greately accustomed to wyll that all gounes shulde be mete fore one man and that one mans harneis shuld be mete to arme all men Than what shall we do that our fathers haue lefte thus in the worlde also we hold that we be theyr chyldren and that worse is we leaue the same to our heires O howe many princis of my predecessours I haue redde of that haue bene loste in shewynge theym selfe ouer straunge and beloued of none I wyll tell you of somme of them for exaumples that I haue redde in my bokes to thintent that pryncis maye se what they wynne by amiable conuersation and what they lose by ouermoch straungenes In the realme of Assiens greatter in armes than the Caldeens and lesse in aduantage and antiquitie than the Assiriens One maner forme of kynges endured amonge them CC. and .xx. yeres by reason they were of lowable conuersation And an nother fourme and maner as Homer sayth lasted but .xl. yeres bicause their kinges were of an yll condition And the .ix. Epiphanes of the Egiptiens was vnnombred and put down bycause there was a lawe that eche one shulde be bare legged in the temples vpon the holy dayes And this kynge on a day riding came before the god Apis god of the Egiptiens the whiche thyng was not suffred for besyde that he was put out of his realme he was chastised Also the .vi. Arfacidauel the inuincible kynge of Parthes not onely was depriued but also banyshed out of his realme bycause he dyned
a fote to the riuerside and there passe the tyme the space of two houres And as soone as the heate came he wolde goo to the hygh capitoll to the senate That done he wente to the colledge where as all the procurours and ambassadours of al prouinces were and there he wolde be a greatte parte of the daye and here euery nation by hit selfe accordynge to the tyme that was deputed by order And towarde the euennynge he wolde goo to the temple of the vyrgins vestales He eate but ones a day and that was somewhat late and thanne he wolde make a good meale and but of fewe meates He had a custome euerye weke in Rome or other cities where as he was that two dayes late in the euennynge he wolde walke in the stretes without his garde or knyghtes onely with .x. or .xii. pages to se if any persone wolde speake with hym or complayne of any officer of his courte and house and this he caused to be demaunded of other men This good emperour wolde often tymes saye A good prynce that wyll rule and gouerne wel and not to be a tyraunte oughte to do thus That is that he be not couetous of tributes nor proude in his commaundementes nor vnkynde to seruices nor bolde in the temples nor defe to here complayntes In fulfyllynge hereof he shall haue the goddes in his handes and the hartys of menne shalbe his Al the whyle that this Marke was emperour he had neuer porter at his chaumbre doore but if it were the two houres that he was with Faustine his wyfe This good emperour had in his howse a secrete closette locked with a key that he bare hym selfe and neuer trusted none other therwith to the houre of his death And than he cōmaunded to delyuer it to Pompeiano a prudent ancient bacon that was maryed to his doughter In the which closet he had diuers bokes writen in all langages as Greke hebrewe latyne and Caldee and other antike hystories The answere of M. themperour whan Faustine his wife demaunded the key of his study ca. xix AS it is natural to womē to dispise that thyng that is gyuen them vnasked so it is deathe to them to be denayed of that they do demande This emperour had the study or closet of his howse in the mooste secrete place of his palays wherin he neyther suffred his wyfe seruant nor frende to entre On a day it chanced that Faustin thempresse desyred importunatly to se that study sayinge these wordes My lorde let me se your secrete chaumbre Beholde I am greatte with chylde and shall dye if I see it not And ye knowe well that the lawe of the Romayns is that nothynge shall be denyed to womenne with chylde of that they desire And if ye do otherwise ye doo it in dede but not of ryghte For I shall dye with the chylde in my bodye And more ouer I thynke in my mynde that ye haue some other louer within your study Therfore to put away the peryl of my trauaylyng and to assure my harte frome Ielousie hit is no great thyng to lette me entre into your study The emperour seinge that Faustines wordes were of trouth bycause he sawe her wordes washed with wepyng answered her on this wyse It is a thyng certayne whan one is contented he saythe more with his tongue than he thynketh with his harte And contrary wyse whan one is heuy the eyen wepe not soo moche nor the tongue can not declare that is locked in the hart Vayne men with vayne wordis shewe and declare their vayne pleasures And the wyse men with prudent wordes dissemble their cruel passions Amonge wyse men he is wysest that knoweth moche and sheweth to knowe but lyttell And amonge the symple he is mooste symple that knoweth but lyttelle and sheweth hym selfe to knowe moche They that ar prudent though they are demaunded say nothyng but symple folke wyll speake ynough without askynge of any question This I saye Faustine bycause thy wepynge hath soo hurte me and thy vayn speche so turmented me that I can not declare that I fele nor thou canst nat fele y t that I saye Dyuers aduertisementes haue they writen that haue writen of mariage yet haue they not writen how many trauailes that one womanne causeth her housbande to suffre in one daye Of a suretie it is a ioyfull thynge to reioyce in the chyldhode of chyldren but it is a ryght cruel thing to suffre the importunities of theyr mothers The chyldren do nowe and then a thing that tourneth vs to pleasure but ye women do nothynge but gyue vs displeasure I shall agree with all maried men to pardon theyr chyldrens plesures for the annoyance that the mothers gyue to theym One thynge I haue sene the whiche neuer begyled me that the iuste goddes do gyue to the vniuste menne that all the euylles that they doo in this worlde shall be remytted to the furies of the other worlde But if they doo commytte any synne for the pleasure of any woman the goddis commaunde that by the handes of the same womanne we shall receyue peyne in this worlde and not in the other There is not soo fyers or peryllous an ennemie to a manne as is his wyfe And though a manne can not lyue with her as a man I neuer sawe none soo lyght beynge with a vicious woman in doynge vyce but that by the same woman at the last he receyued shame and chastysement Of one thynge I am sure and I saye it not bycause I haue sene it but experimented in my selfe that though the husbande do all that his wyfe wylle yet wyll she do nothynge that her husband wolde haue done Gret crueltie is among the barbariens to holde theyr wiues as sclaues And no lesse madnes is it of Romaynes to kepe them as ladyes Flesshe oughte not to be soo leane that it abhorre nor so fatte that it cloye the stomake but meane and enterlarded to the ende that it be sauourye I saye that a wyse manne canne not gyue so stronge a brydelle to his wyfe that she wylle obeye as an hande mayden nor gyue her so lyttell of the brydell but she wylle exalte her selfe as maystresse and reuler Beholde Faustine howe ye womenne are soo extreme in all heedlonge extremities that with a lyttell fauour ye wylle exalte augemente and growe into great pride and with a lyttell disfauour ye recouer greatte hatred There is no parfite loue where is no egalitie betwene the louers And as ye and other are vnperfite soo is your loue vnperfite I wote well ye vnderstande me not Therfore vnderstande Faustine that I say more than ye wene There is no woman that with her wyll wolde suffre any greatter than her selfe nor to be contente to haue an other egall with her For thoughe she haue a. M.li. rent yet she hathe x. M. folyes in her heed And that worse is though it chaunce her husbande to dye and she lese all her rent yet endeth
beholde howe greate domage ignorance dothe to all men And thoughe it be domageable to euery man yet it is moste hurtefull to a prince whiche oughte not onely to be content to knowe as moche as any other wise person knoweth but to knowe that euery man knoweth sythe he is lorde ouer all other To my iugement these princis ar not chosen that they shulde eate more meate thā all other nor to be apparayled rychelyer than all other nor to renne faster than all other but with presupposition y t they oughte to knowe more than all other Whan a prince wyll refrain his sensualitie than he ought to regarde that his person be right honest and remēbre this worde that is The gretter that a prince is of power aboue other the more ought he to be vertuous aboue al other For certainly the greattest infamy is to se a man most mighty most riche aboue all other and than to be knowen an ideot lesse of knowlege than other Al defautes in a gouernour may be borne saue ignoraunce for ignoraunce in a prince is a stroke of pestilence and it sleeth dyuers and infecteth all persons and vnpeopleth the realme chaceth awaye frendes gyueth harte to enmies of strange natiōs that were in drede finally domageth his person and sclaūdreth euery one ¶ Whan Camyll triūphed ouer the frenche men the day of his triumphe he wrote these wordes in the capytoll O Rome thou hast ben moder of all wise men and stepdame to al fooles ¶ These were worthy wordes of such a lorde and but if my remembrance begyle me certaynely Rome was more renoumed for wise persons that came thyther than for the featis of warre that were sente from thense Our auncient Romayns were more feared for their wisedome and knowlege than for their conquestes Al the erth feared them more that tourned leaues of bokes in Rome than them that were armed with armour For that cause Rome was neuer vanquished and though their armyes were deuyded and broken yet they neuer lacked wyse mē I can not say it without teares Rome is fallen frome the most hight of her estate not for faut of money and armes for to fight withall but for lacke of wyse men and vertuous for to gouerne Our forefathers wanne lyke men and we lese lyke simple chyldren All thynges that are desired of men they atteyn by trauayle susteyn with thought and departe fro with great annoyance And the reason is this There is nothynge so good nor soo well beloued but the course of tyme causeth vs to leaue it and to disprayse and abhorre it or to be wery therof This is the vayn vanite of the world and lost tyme lost for with their yonge desires they do refrayne their desires They wolde oftentimes attayne a thynge and after they study howe to go therfro agayne And yet to shewe further their lyghtnes that that coste moche they gyue for a lytel price That that they loue at one tyme they hate at an other and that that they with great study and labour haue atteyned with greatte furye they forgo And me thynketh this is the ordinaunce of the goddis that he that loueth shall haue an ende and it that is beloued shall take an ende and the tyme that we are in shall ende Than it is reasone that the loue wherwith we doo loue shall ende in lykewise Thus our appetite is so dishonest that in seinge we desire it and in desyryng we procure it and in procurynge we attayne it and in the attayninge we abhorre it and in the abhorryng we leaue it and than forthewith agayne we procure an other thynge and that newe procurynge we abhorre agayne In suche wyse that whan we begynne to loue a thyng than we fall agayne to hate it and in the fallynge to hate it we begyn ageyn to loue an other thynge So thus fynally our lyfe dothe ende er our couetyse dothe leaue vs. It is not thus of wysedome and knowlege the which if it ones entre into a mans hart it causeth hym to forget the trauayle that he toke in the attaynynge thereof For he taketh the tyme past as good and enioyeth with rightful ioy the tyme present and hateth ydelnes Nor he is not contente with that he knoweth but inforceth his appetite to knowe more louynge that other leaueth and leauyng that other loueth Finally he that is perfittely wyse sporteth in this worlde with trauayle and in trauailyng in bokes is his reste We haue not to say of all thinges but of that we fele of them For it is an other maner to speake by similitude of a stranger and of our owne experience And in this case I saye that though we hope of no rewarde of the goddis nor honour amonge men nor memorie of the worlde to come yet am I ryght gladde to be al onely a philosopher to se howe gloriously the philosophers haue passed their tyme. I demaunde one thynge whan myne vnderstandynge is dulled in that I haue to doo and whan my memorie is troubled in that I haue to determyne and whan my bodye is compassed with dolours and whan my harte is charged with thoughtes and whan I am without knowlege and whan I am set about with peryls where can I be better accompanied than with wise men or els redynge amonge bokes In bokes I fynde wysedom wherby I may lerne also there I fynd worthynes which I may folowe I fynd there prudence to counsell me I fynde suche as be sorowfull with whom I may wepe I fynde them there that be merye with whom I may laughe I fynde there symple folke at whom I may sport I fynde that is nought whiche I may leaue And fynally in bokes I fynde howe in prosperitie I ought to behaue me and howe in aduersitie I ought to guyde me O howe happy is that manne that hath wel red And yet more happy is he that though he knoweth moche yet stayeth vppon counsayle And yf this be true generally than moche more is it necessary y t he kepe the true waye whiche gouerneth all other It is a rule infallible that a prince being wyse can neuer be simply good but very good and the prince that is ignorant can not be simply yll but very yll A prince that is not wel fortunate his wysedome may greately excuse hym to his people of his mysfortune gyuen to hym by fortune Whan a prince is greatly beloued of his cōmontie and is vertuous of his persone than euery man saythe if he haue not good fortune Al though our prince wāt good fortune yet his worthy vertues fayle not and though he be not happy in his ententes yet at the leaste he sheweth his wysdom in the meane season And thoughe fortune denye hym at one howre yet at an other tyme. she agreeth by his wysedom And contrary wyse an vnwyse prince and hated of his people by yuell fortune renneth into great peryll For if ylle succede to hym in weighty mattiers than incontynent
the gounes or clothes of suche couetous people shulde not eate the reste of theyr lyfe nor the canker of infamie distroye theyr good name and faame at theyr deathes Harke ye Romaynes harke what I wyll say I wolde to the goddis that ye coude taste it I se that al the world hateth pride and yet is there none that foloweth mekenes and humilitie Euery man condempnethe aduoutrie and yet I see none that liueth chaste Euerye man curseth excesse and I se none lyue temperately euery man prayseth pacience and I se none that wyll suffre euery man blameth slouth and I se none but they be ydel euery one blameth auarice and yet euery body robbeth One thynge I say and not without wepynge I say euery manne with his tongue onely prayseth vertue and yet they them selfes with al theyr lymmes are seruantes vnto vices I saye not this onely for the Romaynes whiche bene in Illirie but I saye it by the senatours that I se in the senate All ye Romaynes in your deuises aboute your armes beare these wordes Romanorum est debellare superbos et parcere subiectis That is it pertainethe to Romaynes to subdewe them that be proude and to forgyue subiectes But certainely ye maye better saye hit partayneth to Romains to expell innocentis and to trouble vexe wrongfully peasible people For ye Romayns are but distroyers of peasible people and theues to robbe frome other that they sweate for ¶ Of dyuers other thynges that the vylayne sayd before the senate cap. xxxii O Ye Romayns sayd this vyllayn what action haue ye that are brought vppe nygh to the ryuer of Thyber agaynste vs that are nyghe to rhe ryuer of Danubie Haue ye seene vs frendes to your ennemies or haue we declared vs your ennemyes or haue ye harde say that we haue lefte our owne lande and inhabyted any straunge londes or haue ye harde that we haue rebelled ageynst our lordes or haue troubled any strange realmes or haue ye sente vs anye ambassadours to desyre vs to be youre frendes or hath any hooste of ours come to Rome to distroye you as our enmies or hath any kynge dyed in our realme that in his testament made you heyres to our realme or what antyke lawe haue ye founde wherby we ought for to be your subiectes Of trouthe in Almayne hereby they haue felt your tyranny as wel as we haue herde of your renoume And more ouer I say that the names of the Romaynes the crueltie of tyrantes aryued togither in one day vppon our people I wote not what ye wyll say that the goddis care not for the hardines of mē for I see he that hath moche dothe tiranny to him that hath but lytell And he that hath but lyttell though it be to his infamy wyll serue him that hath moche So that disordred men appoynt thē with secrete malice secrete malice gyueth place to open theft and the open robbery no manne resisteth And therfore it cometh that the couetyse of an yll man necessarily is had to be complete to the preiudyce of many good men One thynge I wyl say that eyther the goddis ought to thynke howe these men shall haue an ende or elles that the world must ende or els the worlde to be no worlde Or fortune muste holde sure with you if all that ye haue won in .viii. C. yeres ye lese not in .viii. dayes And where as ye are become lordes ouer many ye shall become slaues to all the worlde Certaynely the goddis shall be vniuste withoute that thynge come that muste fall to the worlde hereafter For that man that maketh hym selfe a tyraunt perforce it is ryght that he retourne to be a slaue by Iustice And it is reason that syth ye haue taken our myserable lāde that ye kepe vs in Iustyce I haue great meruayle of you Romains that ye send so smple persōs to be our iuges For I swere to the goddis they can not declare your lawes nor vnderstande ours I wote not whether ye sente them thyder or no but I shal shewe you what they do there They take openly what so euer is delyuered to theym and they doo their profytte with that they desyre in secrete They chastise the poore personne greuousely and they forbeare for money them that be riche they consent to many wronges to bryng them after to the lawes without goodes it boteth not to demand Iustice and fynally vnder y e colour that they be iuges vnder the senate of Rome they say they may robbe all the londe What is this ye Romayns shall your pride neuer haue an ende in commandyng nor your couetyse in robbynge Saye what ye wyll If ye do it for our chyldren charge theym with yrons and make theym sclaues If ye do it for our goodes goo thyther and take them If our seruyce doth not contente you stryke of our heedes Why is not the knyfe soo cruell in our throtes as your tyrannies be in our hartes Doo ye knowe what ye haue doone ye Romaynes ye haue caused vs to sweare neuer to retourne to our wyues but to flee our chyldren rather than to leaue them in the handes of so cruell tyrātes We had leauer suffre the beastly motions of the fleshe for .xx. or .xxx. yeres than to dye without wounde leauynge our children sclaues ye ought not to do this ye Romains Alond taken per force ought the better to be ruled to thētent that the myserable captiues seinge Iustice duely ministred to them shulde therby forgette the tyranny passed and to set their hartes to perpetuall seruitude And sythe we are come to complayne of the grefes that your Censures do vpon the fludde of Danubie peraduenture you of the senate wyll here vs. Wotte ye what they doo Harke and I shall shewe you If there come a ryghte poore man to demande Iustice hauyng no money to gyue nor wyne to present nor oyle to promyse they fede hym with wordis sayenge howe he shall haue Iustyce but they make hym to waste the lyttell that he hath and gyue hym nothynge though he demaunde moch And so the myserable person that came to complayne retourneth complaynyng on you all cursynge his cruell destenies and maketh exclamatiō vppon the rightwise goddis I lyue with acornes in winter and cutte downe the grene corne in sommer and sometyme I go a fyshynge for pastyme so that the moste parte of my lyuynge is feedyng in the fieldes and ye wote not why here me and I shall shewe you I se suche tyrannies in your censures and suche robberyes amonge the poore people and I se suche warres in that realme and hope of so small remedy in your senate that I am determined as moste vnhappy to banyshe my selfe out of myn own hous and honest company to thentent that my harte shulde not fele so great a hurte It is a great peyne to suffre the ouerthrowe of fortune but it is a greatter yll whan one feleth it and can not remedy it
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
iourney and to the begynnynge of my firste iourney with the goddis It is reason that syth I haue loued you in time past that ye beleue me nowe For the time is come that ye can demande nothyng of me nor I haue nothing to offre you nor myn eares as now can not here flatteries nor my harte suffre importunities if ye neuer knewe me knowe me now I haue ben he that I am and am he that hath ben in tymes paste lyke vnto you some what nowe ye se I am but lyttell and within a lyttell whyle I shalbe nothynge This daye shall ende the lyfe of Marke your frende this day shall ende the lyfe of Marc your parente this day shal ende the fatal destenies of Marc your lorde this day shal ende the seignory of Marke your emperour and this day shall ende his empire I haue vanquysshed many and nowe I am ouercome with deth I am he that hath caused many to dye and I can not as now gyue my selfe one day of lyfe I am he that hathe entred into chariottes of golde and this day I shall be layde on a biere of wodde I am he for whome many haue songe meryly and this day they wepe I am he that hath had company in all exercites and this day I shall be gyuen to hungrye wormes I am Marcus greatly renoumed that with famous triumph mounted into the high capytolle and this day with forgetfulnes I shall discende into the sepulchre I see nigh with myn eies that was farre hyd in my harte And as the goddis be fauourable to you in this worlde equalle and fauourable to me in an nother worlde as my fleshe neuer toke pleasure to passe this lyfe but my harte was sodaynly taken with the feare of death than take no peyne for me for eyther I muste see the ende of you or you of me I yelde great thankes to the goddis that they take away this olde persone to rest with theym and leaue you yonge for to serue in thempire For there is no comparyson for to speake of dethe to the lyfe nor to eschewe the deathe at the houre therof And yet I wylle not denye but I do feare dethe as a mortal man Whan the lyfe passeth there is no prudence in a prudente nor vertue in a vertuous nor lordshyp in a lorde that can take away the feare of the spirite nor peyne of the flesshe Atte this tyme the sowle and the fleshe are so combyned and so conglutinate togyther and the spirite with the bloude are soo annexed that the separation of the one from the other is the mooste terrible and the last terrible of all terriblenes Certaynly it accordeth vnto good reason that the sowle departe dolorously leauyng the fleshe vnto wormes and the bodye as enuious to se the sowle go and sporte with the goddis O what lyttell thoughte we take in this lyfe vntylle we falle grouelynge with oure eies vppon deathe Beleue me Sythe I haue passed from whens ye be and haue experimented that ye doo se that is the vanities of vs that are vayne is so agreable to vs that whanne we begynne to lyue we ymagyne that our lyfe wylle endure a holle worlde and whanne it is ended it seemeth vs to be but a puffe or a blaste of wynde And bycause than sensualitie peyneth for sensibilitie and the flesshe for the flesshe reason guyded with them that be mortall tellethe me that it peyneth not with the departynge If I haue lyued as a bruetbeast it is reason that I dye as a discrete man ought to do I dyenge this day shal dye all my sickenes hungre shal dye colde shal dye al my peynes shal die my thought shall dye my displeasure shall dye and euery thynge that gyueth peyne and sorowe This day the nyght shall be taken away and the sonne shyne bryghte in the skye This daye the ruste shall be takem from myne eies and I shall see the sonne clerely This daye the waye shall be made smothe for to goo righte this is the daye shall ende the iourney wherin I shall not drede the stayes of Fortune I thanke the goddes immortall that haue suffered me to lyue so clerely and soo longe a tyme. This daye I shall haue an ende of al vnhappy destenes of enuyous fortune and not they of me Of trouthe if the goddis haue commaunded my flesshe to be hydden in the sepulchre and to be as mortalle yet if they be iuste and doo well they wyll make my renoume to be immortall bycause I haue lyued well Than sith I change this wery lyfe and company of menne for the swetenes of the goddis and the doubtes of fortune for this sure lyfe and greate and continuall feare for perpetuall peace and this ylle and naughty corrupte lyfe for good renoume and glorye I thynke veryly this shuld be none yll change ¶ It is nowe thre score and two yeres sythe the erthe hath susteyned and fedde the erthe of my bodye It is nowe tyme that the erthe knowledge me for her sonne and I wyl also take her for my mother Verely it is a pitiful mother that wylle nowe take me in to her entrayles for euer sythe that I haue soo longe space troden her vnder my feete And yet thoughe that I were as I am for to be as she is I am in certayne that she wolde kepe me surer amonge her wormes than Rome amonge the Senatours And all though it be peynefulle to you if it plese the goddes to haue it thus no mā can excuse nor scape it I shuld be right well eased if this webbe were broken and my possession taken in the Sepulcre Than shulde I haue the fyrst thyng propre of myn owne and perpetuall without any feare of lesynge therof All thynges mortal that mortalle folkes haue and the enuye of them that be enuious maye be broken except the deth and the sepulcre the whiche are priuileged from enraged hongre of enuy I se you wel shedynge teres from your eies and reise heuy sighes frome the depenes of your hartes Wylle ye not that I shulde desyre deathe sith the phisitions gyue me but thre houres of lyfe and there are conteyned in me .iii. M. yeres of peynes the length wherof is a cyronisme of deathe And all though our debilite be weake yet for all that our honour is so sensible that at the houre of deathe the more that the bones dischargeth them of the fleshe the more is the hart charged with thoughtes In manner that whan the sinewes vntie them from the bones of the bodye than newely they tye agayne a soore knotte to the herte Nowe let vs leaue speakyng of that that to wchethe particularly my selfe and speake we in generall of it that is conuenyente to a yonge Prynce and to you that are his tutours and maysters ¶ Ye se here my sonne Comodus only prince and heire abydynge for the heritage of thempire neyther for beynge good that he meriteth praise nor for being
liuing than his heares were white The .iiii. was called Andrisco which in goodlynes of his gesture highnes of body vertue of courage and wysedome in conscience none was egall to him in Rome The .v. was named Bononius whiche at that tyme was consule and in the aunciente lawes very expert The last was called Iuan Varius the good and he was called the good bycause that in .lx. yere neuer man sawe hym do any yll workes nor harde hym speake any ydel worde nor do any thynge but it was profytable to the common welthe Though in case they were al egall in gouernynge yet I say these laste thre were princypall For Iuan Varius particularly was left to be chiefe capitayne of the armye and to hym was delyueted al the treasure and the testament was put into his handes and with sore weping the emperour recommended to him the prince his sonne Than whan the peine of his sicknes encreaced and that he loked for the houre of his deth he comaunded to awake his sonne Comodus whiche without any care was faste a slepe and whan he was brought into the presence of his father it was greatte pitie to se the eien of the olde emperour soore discoloured with wepynge and the eies of the sonne allmooste closed with slepynge the sonne was wakynge with small thoughte and the father coulde not slepe for great thoughte and peyne And whan he was in his presence seing the lyttell care that the sonne toke for the deth of his father and consideringe the great desire of the father for the good lyfe of his sonne it moued to pitie the hartes of all the great lordes that were there noo lesse to leaue the company of the good old man than the annoyance of the dealynge of the yonge prince Than the emperour sayde to his sonne these wordes ¶ What the emperour sayde to his sonne at the houre of his dethe Ca. xlv VNto thy maisters and my gouernours I haue shewed howe they shall counsel the and nowe my sonne at this houre I say to the howe they thoughe they be but a fewe all for the alone shal gouerne and it is not to be taken in smal estimation The mooste easyest thynge in the worlde is to giue councel to an other and the moste hardest and hieste thinge is a man to take it for him selfe There is none so simple a man but he may giue good councel though there be no nede And there is none so wyse that wyl refuse councell in tyme of necessitie I se one thyng that al take counsell for all and at the laste take it for hym selfe Sonne I thinke accordynge to my heuy fatall destenies and thyne yll customes that one thinge shall not profite the that is if the lyttell goodnes that thou hast done was for feare of me in my lyfe that thou wylte doo lesse whan thou haste forgotten my dethe I do more nowe for to satisfie my desire and the common welth than for any hope that I haue of the amendement of thy lyfe There is not a worse complaynt than that a man holdeth of him selfe If thou my sonne be yl Rome wyl complayne to the goddis that they haue giuen the so yll inclinations They wyll complayne of Faustine thy mother that hath brought the vp so wantonly and they wylle complayne on thy selfe that thou doste not refrayne the from vices and they shall not complayne of thyne olde father that hath gyuen the so many good counselles I am in certayne thou hast not so great dolour to see the ende of this nyghte and the ende of my lyfe as thou hast pleasure to se the day that thou shalte be emperour and I haue no meruayle for where as sensualitie reigneth reason is put asyde Dyuers thynges are beleued bycause they are not knoweÌ„ certainly O how many thynges of trouthe ben there that if they were knowen truely they shulde be lefte But we ben so doubtful in euery thing and go about our businessis so variably and inconstantly that somtyme our spirites breake the purpose and an other tyme they rydde vs not of trouble nor hyndrance I saye we be so swyfte to do yll that sometyme we lese by a carde of the moste and to do wel we be so dul that we lese by a carde of the leste and at the laste we doo nothing but lese Sonne I wyl aduertise the by wordes that I haue knowen in .lxii. yeres by long experience and syth thou arte my sonne and yonge it is reason that thou beleue hym that is thy olde father As we princes are regard of all men and regarde all men and are regarded of al other this daye thou doste enherite thempire of the worlde and the courte of Rome I knowe well there be inowe in the court of princis that knowe nothyng what is to make them selfe of worthynes and to maynteyn them self amoÌ„g so many truÌ„peries as are treated in the houses of princis I lette the to witte that in the courte is auncient parcialities presente discentions feareful vnderstandynges euidente wittenesses entrayles of serpentes tongues of scorpions many detractours and fewe that seke peace and where as all men shulde harken to the comon voyce euery man sercheth his owne proufite Euery manne sheweth a good pretence and all are occupied in yll workes In suche wyse that some by auarice lese their good fame and some prodigally spende and waste all theyr goodes What shulde I say more In the courte euery daye the lordes chaunge and after the lawes awake stryfes and reyse noyses abate noblenes exalte the vnworthy banysshe innoceÌ„tes and honour theues loue flatterers and dispraise theym the whiche be vertuous they embrace delites and treade vertue vnder their fete they wepe for them that be ylle and laughe to scorne theym that be good and finally ly they take all lyghtnes for theyr mother and vertue for theyr stepmother And my sonne I say more vnto the The courte the whiche thou shalt enherite this day is nothing but a shoppe with waares and a howse of vaâ—aboundes wherin somme selle vyle and corrupte thynges and other byelyes some haue credence and somme haue renoume somme haue goodes and some haue lyuynge and all togyther is but losse of tyme and that worste of all is they wyll not beleue the poyson therof tyll it be at theyr hartis they are so foolyshe and sturdy Rome hath very hye walles and the vertues is very lowe Rome vaunteth it selfe to be very stronge in nombre of inhabitauntes and afterwarde Rome shal wepe that there is more people than vertue and vyces are not accompted In a monethe a manne might recken all the stones of the proude edifyces but in a. M. yeres he myght not comprise the malyces of his yll customes I swere to the by the immortall goddis that in thre yeres I repaired all that was decayed in Rome and in thirty yere I coude not refourme one quarter therof to good lyuynge Good sonne beleue me the great cities full
Of whens thinkest thou that this cometh I shall shewe the The goddis are soo perfyte in all bountie and so wise in al wisedome and we are so yl in all malyce so simple in all symplenes that though they wolde erre they can not bicause they be goddis and we y t wolde be assured erre bycause we be men And herin I se what a brute beast man is for all these mortall men are so entier in their owne wylles that they wyll lose more in folowyng their owne opinion than wynne by the counsel of an other man and that worst of al is they take so the bytte in the teeth in doinge yll that there is no bridell that can refrayne them And they are so slowe to do well that there is no pricke nor spourre that can dryue theym forwarde Thou doest complayne of the pytiefull goddis and of the sacrate senate Also thou complaynest of ioyfulle fortune Thre thynges there be that one of them is inoughe with one stroke of a stone to take away thy lyfe and bury thy renoume And whan eche of them hath drawen the apart than al together wyl stryke on the with stones Thou hast taken great competitours and yet I knowe not what thy worthynes is I shal shewe the some strengthes and valiantnes that the aunciente barons hadde and therby thou shalt se what they of this worlde dothe holde ¶ The felawe of Scipio Nasica toke a serpente in the mountayns of Egipt whiche after it was slayne flayed and the skynne mesured in the felde of Mars it was .vi. score fote of length Hercules of Thebes proued his force with the serpente Hydra And in strykynge of one of his heedes there sprange out .vii. other heades ¶ Mylon the giaunt to exercise his strength was accustomed euery day to ouertake a bul with renninge a fote and cast hym downe and he made many courses with the bull as it were an other naked yonge man and yet that was more meruayle he with one stroke of his fist slewe the bul and the same day wolde eate hym all together ¶ On mount Olympe Cerastus the giaunt of the nacion of Grece wrasteled with mo than .l. M. menne and none coude styre nor shake him And if Homere begileth vs not of this gyaunt he was of suche fame and dedes that euery foure yeres there was a custome that al nations of the world went to wrastle at moūt Olympe And therof came the rekenynge of the Olympiades ¶ In the second warre punike among the captiues of sorowefull Carthage Scipio brought a manne a lorde of Maurytayne ryght strong and fierse to behold and in celebratynge a spectacle in the palayes of Rome which was than of greatte renoume there were innumerable beastes ron at This captiue prisoner lept into the parke and kylled two beares and wrastled with a lyon a great whyle finally being sore hurte with the lyons pawes he strangled the lyon with his handes This was a monstrous thynge to se and nowe it semeth incredyble to be belued ¶ In the yere CCCCxx of the foundation of Rome Curio Ledent a renoumed capitayne comynge fro Tarente agaynst Pyrro kyng of the Epirotes he was the first that brought .iiii. Oliphātes to Rome the day of his triumph Stages and places were made for .xxx. M. men to se the rennynge of these Olyphauntes and in the myddes of the pastyme the plankes brake and slewe mo than .v. M. persons And among them there was Numatian the whiche bare vpon his shulders a planke with mo than .iii. C. men tyl that he and they were succoured ¶ Gayus Cesar beinge yonge fleinge the companye of Sylla bycause he was perteyninge to Marius he being amonge the Rodiens wan his meate with coursyng runnynge of horses with his handes bounde dehynd hym It was a monstrous thinge to se as the annales wytnesse howe he wolde guyde the horses with his knees soo faste as thoughe he had drawen them with the reynes of theyr bridelles ¶ In the .xv. yere that the capitayne of Cartagenens entred into Italy our auncient fathers sente to the realme of Frigie for the dyesse Berecynthia mother of the goddis and whan she arryued at the porte Hostie the shyppe that she came in ranne vppon the sande and by the space of .iiii. dayes .xxx. M. men that came in the army coude not remoue it by chaunce came thither one of the virgins vestales named Rea whiche with her gyrdelle tyed to the shyppe drewe it to the lande as easily as she wolde haue drawen a threde from the distaffe And to the intente that we shulde beleue suche thinges as we here were done in tymes past we may know it by dedes done presētly in our days I remembre whan my lord Adrian came fro Dacie he dydde celebrate a spectacle in Rome wherin there was mo than .ii. M. wyld bestes And the thing most notable y t we haue sene there was a knyght borne by the riuer Danubio who toke a hors and ran into the parke and slewe so many wylde bestes that there fledde fro him lyons leopardes beares olyphantes and we dyd fle fro them and he slewe mo of them than they dyd of men These strange thinges I haue recyted to the that of all these I am not so abashed as I am of the to se the redye to doo armes ageinst the goddis and against the senate and ageinst fortune These thre are gyauntes in vertuous valyauntyse and happy at all tymes and they be suche as commaund them that commande other The goddis by their naturalyte and power close vp the furies and gouerne the sterres And the senate with their Iustyce ouercomethe realmes and subdueth tyrantes and fortune with her tirāny taketh them that they leaue and leauethe them that they take and honoureth them that they dishonour and chastyseth them that serue her she begyleth euery person and no person begyleth her she promyseth moche and fulfylleth nothynge her songe is wepynge and her wepinge is songe to them that be deed amonge wormes and to them that lyue in fortunes at them that be present she spurneth with her fete and threateth them that be absente All wyse men shrinke fro her but thou lyke a fole sheweste her thy face Of one thynge I am abashed of the to complayne of the senate and yet I meruayle not for in conclusion they be but men yet of trouth in thinges of Iustice they ought to be more than men And to complayn on fortune I meruayle not a lyttell for in the ende fortune is fortune amōg mortalle men And all the heuens is of an aunciente quarelle and whan we are besette with mooste greattest quarelles than she stryketh vs with most greuous hurtes I haue great wonder that thou being a Romain cōplainest on the goddis as if thou were one of the barbariens We Romayns are not so moche renowmed among al nations for the multitude of realmes that we haue ouercome as we are for the great churches