defile them nor sell them but caused them to bee apparrelled and safely to bee conducted to their owne natiue Countries And let not this liberty that he did be had in litle estimation to deliuer the captiues and not to defloure the virgins For many times it chaunceth that those which are ouercome with the weapons of the Conquerours are conquered with the delights of them that are ouercome This deede amongst the Greekes was so highly commended and likewise of their enemies so praysed that immediatly the Metinences sent Ambassadors to demaund peace of the Prienenses And they concluded together a perpetuall peace vpon condition that they should make for Bias an immortall Statue sith by his hands and also by his vertues hee was the occasion of the peace and ending of the wars betweene them And truely they had reason for hee deserueth more prayse which winneth the hearts of the enemies in his tents by good example then hee which getteth the victory in the field by shedding of bloud The hearts of men are noble and wee see dayly That oftentimes one shal sooner ouercome many by good then many ouercome one by euill And also they say that the Emperour Seuerus spake these words By goodnesse the least slaue in Rome shall leade mee tyed with a hayre whether hee will but by euill the most puissant man in the world cannot moue mee out of Italy For my heart had rather bee seruant to the good then Lord to the euill Valerius Maximus declareth that when the City of Priene was taken by enemies and put to sacke the wife of Bias was slaine his children taken prisoners his goods robbed the City beaten downe and his house set on fire but Bias escaped safe and went to Athens In this pittifull case the good Philosopher Bias was no whit the sadder but rather sang as he went by the way and when hee perceyued that men maruelled at his mirth hee spake vnto them these words Those which speake of mee for wanting my City my wife and my children and loosing all that I had truely such know not what Fortune meaneth nor vnderstand what Philosophie is The losse of children and temporall goods cannot bee called losse if the life bee saued and the renowne remaine vndefiled Whether this sentēce be true or no let vs profoundly consider if the iust God suffer that this City should come into the hands of the cruell Tyrants then this prouision is iust For There is nothing more conformable vnto Iustice then that those which receiue not the Doctrine of the Sages should suffer the crueltite of the Tirants Also though my enemies haue killed my wife yet I am sure it was not without the determination of the Gods who after they had created her body immediately appointed the end of her life Therfore why shuld I bewayle her death since the Gods haue lent her life vntill this day The great estimation that we haue of this life causeth that death seemeth vnto vs sodayne and that the life vnwares with death is ouertaken but these are words of the children of vanitie for that by the will of the Gods death visiteth vs and against the willes of men life for saketh vs. Also my Children bee vertuous Philosophers and albeit they be now in the hands of tirants we ought not therefore to call them captiues for a man may not call him a captiue which is laden with yrons but him which is ouerwhelmed with vices And although the fire haue burnt my house yet I know not why I ought to be sad for of truth it was now olde and the winde did blowe downe he tiles the wormes did waste the wood and the waters that ranne downe perished the walles and it was olde and like to fall and perchaunce would haue done greater displeasure For most commonly enuie malice and old houses suddenly without any warning or knocking at the dore assaulteth men Finally there came the fire which quited mee of many troubles First of the trouble that I should haue had in repayring ◠Secondarily it saued mee money in plucking it downe Thirdly it saued me and mune heyres frō much cost and many daungers For ofentimes that which a man consumeth in repayring an old house would with aduantage buy him a new Also those which say that for the taking away of my goods I lacke the goods of Fortune such haue no reason so thinke or say for fortune neuer giueth temporall goods for a proper thing but to those whom shee list when shee will dispose them therefore when Fortune seeth that those më whom shee hath appointed as her distributers do hoarde vp the same to them and to theyr heyres then shee taketh it from them to giue it to another Therfore by reason I should not complaine that I haue lost any thing for Fortune recommendeth vnto any other the temporall goods but I carrie patience and Philosophie with me so that they haue discharged me from all other and haue no more charge but for my selfe alone Laertius declareth in his fifth booke of the sayings of the Gretians That this Byas determined to goe to the Playes of the Mount Olympus wherevnto resorted people of all Nations and he shewed himselfe in this place of so high an vnderstanding that hee was counted supreame and chiefe of all Phylosophers and wonne the name of a true Phylosopher Other Philosophers then being in the same Playes called Olymp calles asked him many questions of diuerse and sundry matters where of I will make mention here onely of some of the chiefest The Questions demaunded of the Phylosopher Byas THE first Question was this Tell mee who is the vnhappiest man in the Worlde Byas answered Hee is most vnhappie that is not patient in aduersitie For men are not killed with the aduersities they haue but with the impatience which they suffer The second was What is most hardest and most troublesome to iudge He aunswered There is nothing more difficult then to iudge a contention betwixt two Friends For to iudge between two enemyes the one remaineth a Friende but to iudge betweene two Friendes the one is made an enemie The third was What is most hardest to measure Wherevnto Byas answered There is nothing that needeth more circumspections then the measuring of Time For the Time should bee measured so iustly that no Time should want to doe well nor any time should abound to doe euill The fourth was What thing is that which needeth no excuse in the accomplishment thereof Byas answered The thing that is promised must of necessitie be performed For otherwise hee that doth loose the credite of his word should lose more then he that should lose the promise to him made The fifth was What thing that is wherein the men as well good as euill should take care Then Byas answered Men ought not in any thing to take so great care as in seeking counsell and counsellours For the prosperous Times cannot bee maintained nor the multitude of enemyes
ought to be friend to one and enemie to none Besides all this wee haue amongst vs great friendshippes good peace great loue much rest and aboue all wee holde our selues contented for it is better to enioy the quietnesse of the graue then to liue a discontented life Our Lawes are few but in our opinions they are good and are in seuen words onely included as here followeth Wee ordaine that our children make no more Lawes then wee their Fathers doe leaue vnto them for new Lawes maketh them to forget good and ancient customes We ordaine that our Successors shall haue no moe Gods then two of the which the one God shall bee for the life and the other for the death for one God well serued is more worth then many not regarded Wee ordaine that all bee apparrelled with one cloath and hosed of one sort and that the one haue no more apparrell then the other for the diuersity of garments engendreth folly among the people Wee ordaine that when any woman which is maried hath had three children that then shee bee separated from her husband for the aboundance of children causeth men to haue couetous hearts And if any woman hath brought forth any mo children then they should bee sacrificed vnto the Gods before her eyes We ordaine that all men and women speake the truth in all things and if any bee taken in a lye committing no other fault that immediately hee bee put to death for the same For one lyer is able to vndoe a whole multitude We ordaine that no woman liue aboue forty yeares and that the man liue vntil fifty and if they dye not before that time that then they be sacrificed to the Gods for it is a great occasion for men to bee vicious to thinke that they shall liue many yeares CHAP XXXV That Princes ought to consider for what cause they were made Princes and what Thales the Philosopher was of the 12. questions asked him and of his answere he made vnto them IT is a common and olde saying which many times by Aristotle the noble and vertuous Prince hath beene repeated That in the end all thinges are done to some purpose for there is no worke neyther good nor euil◠but he that doth it meaneth to some end If thou demaundest the Gardener to what end he watereth so oft his plants hee will answere thee it is to get some money for his hearbes If thou demaundest why the riuer runneth so swift a man will answere thee that it his to the end it should returne from whence it came If thou demaundest why the trees budde in the spring time they will answere to the end they may beare fruite in haruest If wee see a traueller passe the mountaines in the snow the riuers with perill the woods in feare to walke in extreame heate in Sommer to wander in the night time in the colde winter and if by chance a man doth aske one of them saying Friend whether goest thou wherefore takest thou such paines And hee aunswereth Truly sir I know no more then you to what end neyther can I tell why I take such paines I aske thee now what a wise man would answere to this innocent Traueller Truly hearing no more hee would iudge him to bee a foole for he is much infortunate that for all his trauell looketh for no reward Therefore to our matter a Prince which is begotten as an other man borne as an other man liueth as an other man dyeth as an other man And besides all this commaundeth all men if of such a one wee should demaund why God gaue him signiory and that he should answere hee knoweth not but that he was borne vnto it In such case let euery man iudge how vnworthy such a King is to haue such authority For it is vnpossible for a man to minister iustice vnlesse hee knew before what iustice meaneth Let Princes and noble men heare this word imprint it in their memory which is that when the liuing God determined to make Kings and Lords in this world hee did not ordaine them to eate more then others to drinke more then others to sleepe more then others to speake more thē others nor to reioyce more then others but hee created them vpon condition that sith he had made thē to commaund more then others they should be more iust in their liues thē others It is a thing most vniust and in the Common wealth very slaunderous to see with what authority a puissant man commandeth those that bee vertuous and with how much shame himselfe is bound to all vices I know not what Lord he is that dare punish his subiect for one onely offence committed seeing himselfe to deserue for euery deede to bee chastised For it is a monstrous thing that a blinde man should take vpon him to leade him that seeth They demaunded great Cato the Censor what a King ought to doe that he should be beloued feared and not despised he answered The good Prince should be compared to him that selleth Tryacle who if the poyson hurteth him not hee selleth bis Triacle well I mean therby that the punishment is takē in good part of the people which is not ministred by the vitious man For hee that maketh the Tryacle shall neuer bee credited vnlesse the proofe of his Triacle bee openly knowne and tryed I meane that the good life is none other then a fine Triacle to cure the Common-wealth And to whome is he more like which with his tongue blazeth vertues and imployeth his deedes to all vices then vnto the man who in the one hand holdeth poyson to take away life and in the other Triacle to resist death To the end that a Lord bee wholy obeyed it is necessary that all that he commaundeth bee obserued first in his owne person for no Lord can nor may withdraw himselfe from vertuous works This was the answere that Cato the Censor gaue which in mine opinion was spoken more like a Christian then any Romane When the true God came into the World he employed 30. yeares onely in workes and spent but two yeares and a halfe in teaching For mans heart is perswaded more with the worke hee seeketh then with the word which hee heareth Those therfore which are Lords let them learne and know of him which is the true Lord and also let Princes learne why they are Princes for he is not a Pylot which neuer sayled on the seas In mine opinion if a Prince will know why he is a Prince I would say to gouern well his people to command well and to maintaine all in iustice and this should not bee with words to make them afrayde neyther by works which should offend them but by sweet words which should encourage them and by the good workes that should edifie them for the noble and gentle heart cannot resist him that with a louing countenance commaundeth Those which will rule and make tame fierce and wilde beasts do
Sith all these thinges are vnstable in one so from one day to another wee see them chance The Romanes did greatly esteeme the policy of the Common-wealth the discipline of warre the nurture of children the exercise of the young and the honesty of the Players and Iuglers the which in time came to bee dissolute that very oft they were occasion of great slaunder among the people The which by the Romanes seene and considered and that the Iesters which were wont to shew them pleasures were cause of dissention where all they commaunded them to be resident in their offices they were vagabonds and that vsing them as sages they liued as loyterers fooles not contented with that they gaue them of the common Treasure but they went begging of euery man the Senate of Rome determined among themselues to banish all the Iuglers and Iesters out of the Common-wealth On this execution of these loyteterers sprang diuers dissentions among the people For the Princes which were good cast them out and those which were euill called them in So that one of the tokens which were in Rome to know a verruous or vitious Prince was to see if hee maintayned Iesters Iuglers or vagabonds among the people Plutarch in his Apothegmes sayeth that the Lacedemonians did neuer Permit any iugler or Iester to be in the Common-wealth And when one did demaund a Lacedemonian by an Ambassadour of Rhodes what was the occasion to make such a law since that the Iesters and players shewed pleasure to the people and the people lost nought but laughed at their folly The Lacedemonian answered Licurgus saw heard felt or read some great damage the Iesters Iuglers or Players might doe in the common-wealth since against them hee made this so straight a law But that which I know is that wee Greekes are better weeping with our Sages then are the Romanes laughing at their fooles Dio in the life of Traian declareth that there came a Iugler to Rome from Africke whose conuayance was so cleane that it was a wonderfull thing to see what feates he did and to he are what words he spake And when they prayed the good Emperor Traian that it would please him to heare him he answered It is not for the authority of a graue and vertuous Prince that in his presence any such vaine thing should be shewed For in such a case hee should be no lesse noted of lightnesse then the other accused of folly And further he sayde Before princes a man should not be so hardy to speake dishonest wordes nor shewe light representations And in such case as much paine deserue they which moue him thereto as those which doe represent them For a man ought not to put before Princes the things which should allure them to vices but things which should moue them to vertues Certainely these words were worthy of such a personage Suetonius Tranquillus in the life of Augustus declareth that in Rome there was a Iester very pleasant and of an excellent wit called Epifanius who one day vpon a Holy day to shew the Emperour some pleasure and hoping to haue a good reward went to the Pallace at one time in the attire of a Page and another time in the habite of a Romane Matrone and so truely counterfeyted euery thing that it seemed not to be him but the selfe same person her represented The Emperour Augustus was greatly displeased with that the Iester had done and commaunded forthwith that hee should be whipt three times about the Theater And when hee complained that the Emperor commaunded vacabonds to be whipped once and he thrice the Emperour Augustus answered Once they shall whippe thee for the iniurie thou diddest to the Roman matron whom thou diddest sepresent The second time they shall whipp thee for the presumption that thou hast to represent it before my person The third for the time that thou hast made diuers lose for beholding and hearing thee For Iesters doe not deserue so much punishment in the Iestes and mockeries they doe say as for the time which they lose and cause others to lose Certainely the punishment which was giuen to the Iester was very iust and exceeding good were the words which Augustus sayde There was an other in the time of Augustus whose name was Pilas And when the Emperour had banished all the Iesters and Iuglers from Rome this Pilas was so pleasant and merry with all persons that with great instance they besought the Emperour to reuoke that sentence And the request indeed was so great as if it had beene for a Philosopher they could not haue done more For vaine and light men employ rather that they haue on him who bringeth vnto them some folly then on one which teacheth and correcteth their life The Emperour condiscended to the request of the people on such condition that they should giue a Master and Tutor vnto Pilas that should chastice and correct him as a foole saying That since Sages tooke fooles to be their Masters that the fooles also should haue Sages for theyr Masters The case was that one day he that had the charge of Pilas did rebuke him for certaine lightnes that he had done whereat Pilas was exceeding wroth with him The which the Emperour vnderstaunding commanded he should be whipt and banished for euer When Augustus gaue this sentence they say he said these words Rome hath been mighty puissant inough to make her enemies stoope and now shee is not able to banish Iesters and fooles And that that is worst of all they haue presumption to vexe vs and wee haue not courage to reproue them The Lacedemonians had great reason and also the Romanes to rid their common-wealth of Iesters for they are idle vitious dishonest malicious and preiudicial to the common-wealth these Iesters and Iuglers are idle seeing that more then others they eate the sweate of others They are vitious for they cannot exercise their offices but in vices and in treating with vitious men They are dishonest for they get not to eate by doing good works but by speaking dishonest words They are malitious for they haue accustomed when they loue not a man immediatly to speake euill of him They are vnprofitable for the common wealth for they mocke vs and sell vs vaine words and wee pay them good money The world is come to so great folly and corruption that euen as graue and wise men thinke it great inconuenience to be conuersant with vaine and fond men so the Lordes of Estate thinke it an honour to haue in their house some foolish Iesters yea better to say with reuerence of speech rayling knaues which speake not to please and shew pastime but to offend the present and rayle at the absent as well of the high as the low and that that is more yet then this is that they are not contented to haue giuen this entertainement and welcome to the Noble men and Gentlemen that are at
they should be throwne at their tayle and kept filthily for as charily and daintily doth a poore labouring and hus bandman keepe his woollen coverlet and setteth as much by it as doth the iolly Courtier by his quilt or ouerpaine of silke And it chanceth oft times also that though at a neede the poore mans bed costeth him lesse money then the rich mans bed costeth him yet doth it serue him better then the rich and costly bed serueth the Gentleman or Nobleman And this to be true we see it by experience that the poore husbandman or Citizen sleepeth commonly more quietly and at his case in his poore bedde and cabben with sheetes of towe then doth the Lord or rich Courtier lying in his hanged Chamber and bed of sickenesse wrapped in his finest Holland sheetes who still sigheth and complaineth And finally wee conclude that then when the Court remoueth and that the Courtier departeth from his lodging where he lay hee must with all courtesie thanke the good man and good wife of the house for his good lodging and courteous intertainment hee hath had of them and must not sticke also to giue them somewhat for a remembrance of him and besides giue certaine rewards among the maides and men seruants of the house according to their ability that he may recompence them for that is past and winne their fauour for that is to come CHAP. IIII. What the Courtiers must doe to win the Princes fauour DIodorus Siculus saith That the honour reuerence the Egyptians vsed ordinarily to their princes was so great that they seemed rather to worship them then to serue them for they could neuer speake to them but they must first haue licence giuen them When it hapned any Subiect of Egypt to haue a suite to their Prince or to put a supplication to them kneeling to them they sayde these words Soueraigne Lorde and Mightie Prince if it may stand with your Highnesse fauour and pleasure I will boldly speake if not I will presume no further but hold my peace And the selfe reuerence and custom had towards God Moses Aaron Tobias Dauid Salomon and other Fathers of Egypt making like intercessiō when they spake with God saying Domine mi Rex Si inueni gratiam in oculis tuis loquar ad Dominummeum O my Lord and King if I haue found fauour in thy sight I will speake vnto thee if not I will keepe perpetuall silence For there is no seruice ill when it is gratefull and acceptable to him to whom it is done as to the contrary none good when it pleaseth not the party that is serued For if he that serueth be not in his masters fauor he serueth he may wel take paine to his vndoing without further hope of his good wil or recompence Wherfore touching that I haue said I inferre that hee that goeth to dwell and abide in the Court must aboue all endeuour himselfe all hee can to obtaine the princes fauour and obtaining it hee must study to keepe him in his fauour For it should little preuaile the Courtier to bee beloued of all otherr and of the Prince onely to be misliked And therefore Alcamidas the Grecian being once aduertised by a friend of his that the Athenians did greatly thirst for his death and the Thebans desired his life hee answered him thus If those of Athens thirst for my death and them of Thebes likewise desiring my life I can but bee sorry and lament Howbeit yet if K. Philip my soueraigne Lord and Master holde me still in his grace and fauour and repute me for one of his beloued I care not if all Greece hate maligne me yea and lye in waite for me Indeed sir it is a great thing to get into the princes fauour but when he hath gotten it doubtlesse it is a harder matter to know how to keepe it For to make them loue vs and to win their fauour wee must doe a thousand manner of seruices but to cause them to hate and dislike of vs the least displeasure in the world sufficeth And therefore the paine and trouble of him that is in fauour in the Court is great if hee once offend or bee in displeasure For albeit the prince do pardon him his fault yet he neuer after returneth into his fauor againe so that to conclude hee that once onely incurreth his indignation hee may make iust reckoning neuer after or maruellous hardly to be receyued againe into fauour Therefore sayeth the diuine Plato in his bookes De Republica That to be a King and for to raigne to serue and to be in fauour to fight and to ouercome are three impossible thinges which neyther by mans knowledge nor by any diligence can be obtained onely remaining in the hands and disposing of fickle fortune which doth deuide and giue them where it pleaseth her and to whom she fauoureth best And truely Plato had reason in his saying for to serue and to be beloued is rather happe and good fortune then industry or diligence Since wee see oft times that in the Court of princes those that haue serued but three yeares onely shall bee sooner preferred and aduanced then such one as hath serued perhaps 20. or 30. yeares or possible all his life time And further hee shall bee both displaced and put out of seruice by meanes of the other And this proceeds not through his long and faithfull seruice hee hath done but onely by reason of the good happe that followeth him Although Plato telleth that to gette Realmes and Seigniories to ouercome battels and to be fauoured and beloued of princes be things graunted to vs rather by hazard and fortune then by force of good works and laudable actes or by long toyling in painefull seruice yet the Noble and stout heart therefore should not cease at any time to enterprise and manfully to execute in euery occasion presented to him to atchieue to fame and honour neyther for any pain and labour to lose the hope to obtaine his pretended purpose for men sometimes lose many things rather through timerousnes and want of audacity then for that they lacke good happ or fortune To see in the Court of princes some to bee richer more honoured more noble more esteemed better beloued more wayted vpon better serued and better welcome then others and more seared then others we may by these tokēs know that fortune hath not vsed to reward those with such fauours and preferments which liue at home idely and much lesse Courtiers who liue in Court with all pleasure and delicacie wherewith they are neuer wearied Let no man bee so fond to thinke that fortune is so bountifull and liberall that for his authority or onely thought shee will be once moued to lift him out of misery to exalt him to higher place and dignity without som secret and priuate respect had to his vertue For when shee many times vpon a suddaine rayseth any to high and great estate it commeth by the
apparrelled like Priests Haman was also very familiar with the King Assuerus and although all those of his Realme did him great seruice and that strangers had him in great veneration and did honor him maruellously yet was there a glorious Mardocheus that would neuer do him reuerence nor once put off his cappe to him by reason whereof this Haman that was in so great fauour commaunded a gybbet of fifty yardes high to bee set vppe for Mardocheus whom hee would haue hanged on that gibbet to be reuenged on him for the iniury he had done him But the Diuine wil of God was such and fortune did permit it that on the same Gallowes Hamon thought to haue put Mardocheus to death on the selfe same himselfe was hanged Themistocles and Aristides were 2. famous men among the Greekes and because they were both great Princes and Philosophers and had in great reputation of all those that knew them there was such a secret emulation and ambition betweene them the one to raigne ouer the other that both aspiring each to commaund other there followed great disorders and oppressions of the subiects of their Common-Weale Wherefore Themistocles moued with pitty and compassion of so great a Tirant which for their sakes their Common weale endured one day in the Market place before all his people with a loude voyce hee spake these words Know you O you people of Athens that if you doe not lay handes on my exceeding presumption and on the ouer great ambition of Aristides that our Gods will bee offended the temples will fall down to the hard foundation our treasures will bee consumed our selues destroyed and our common weales brought to vtter ruine and decay Therefore once againe good people I say bridle these our inordinate and vnspeakeable affections betime lest the reines layde in our neckes be runne too farre O golden wordes of a Prince and worthie eternall fame Lucanus also when hee would reproue the pride and presumption of the Romane Princes sayde that Pompey the great could neuer abide to haue any for his companion or equall with him within Rome And Iulius Caesar also wold neuer suffer that there should bee any greater in the Worlde then himselfe And therefore to discourse a little of this abominable and horrible vice of pride we haue not without great reason layde before you these approued examples before wee beginne to reproue it For in al things the examples wee shew you are wont to moue vs more then the reasons we seeme to tell you of For that which I haue seene for that I haue read and for that I haue heard say also of others I am most assured and resolued therof that by the onely cause of this wicked sinne of pride proceedeth the ruine and vtter decay of all our greatest things and affayres of this life for by all other sinnes a man may indeede discend and decline from his degree and state of honour and estimation but by this onely sinne hee cannot chuse but hee must fall downe flat to the ground They finde out the middest and center of the earth the depth of the sea and the highest toppes of Riphey Mountaines the end of the great mount Caucasus and the beginning of the great floud Nile and only the little heart of man touching desire to rule and commaund can neuer finde ende The insatiable couetousnesse is such that it cannot bee contented with the things wee haue but onely with those wee repute of lesse price Likewise Ambition pride to commaund cannot bee contained within boundes but onely by obeying For neuer no vice can haue end if hee that haue it doe not leaue it and banish it from him After Alexander the Great had conquered all Asia and had subdued the great India he was one day reproued of the great Philosopher Anacharses who tolde him these words Sith thou art now O Alexander Lord of the earth why doest thou weary thy selfe so much in thy affayres as no paine seemeth troublesome to thee To whom Alexander answered Thou hast tolde mee many times Anacharses that besides this world there are also three others And if it bee so as thou sayest how great a reproach and infamy it were to me that being three other worlds I should bee Lord but onely of one Therefore I doe dayly sacrifice to the Gods that though they take mee out of the life of this World yet at least they will not deny mee of so glorious a conquest I confesse that the Scriptures excepted I haue no wordes so rise in memorie as these whereby may easily be perceyued that for to quiet and to content a proud and haughty heart the seigniorie of the whole World is not yet sufficient and how ended the pride of this glorious prince euen thus Hee that hoped for to conquere and to bee Lorde of three other Worldes did not rule this one onely aboue three yeares Wee may boldly say this and sweare it and may also plainely proue it to any that desire to see it that he wanteth both wit and knowledge that taketh vppon him to bee proud and presumptuous For the more hee looketh into himselfe and reconsidereth and considereth his state and calling and what he is hee shall finde in him a thousande occasions fitte to humble him but neuer a one onely to make him proude and naughty How great rich mighty noble and worthy soeuer the person be euery time that wee happen to see him and that we haue no acquaintance of him And that we desire to know what hee is wee doe not aske of what Element of what Sea of what Fire of what Planet of what Climat of what Sunne of what Moone nor of what ayre but onely of what Countrey hee is of and where he was born For wee are all of the earth wee liue in the earth and in the end wee haue to turne into the earth as to our naturall thing If the Planets and the beasts could helpe vs with the Instrument and benefite of the tongue they would take from vs the occasions of vaine glory For the starres woulde say that they were created in the firmament the Sunne in the Heauens the birdes in the ayre the Salamander in the fire and the fish in the water but onely the vnhappy man was made of earth and created in the earth So that in that respect wee cannot glory to haue other kinsfolke neerer to vs then are the wormes the flyes and horse-flyes If a man did consider wel what he were hee would assertaine vs that the fire burns him water drowns him the earth wearies him the ayre troubles him the heate grieues him the colde hurtes him and the day is troublesome to him the night sorrowfull hunger and thirst makes him suffer meate and drinke filles him his enemies dayly follow him and his friendes forget him So that the time a man hath to liue in this wretched world cannot be counted a life but rather a long death The first day wee
works as moueth vs rather to pitty their follie then to enuie their vertue I aske of those that reade or heare this thing if they will be in loue with Nembroth the first Tyrant with Semiramis which sinned with her owne sonne with Antenor that betrayed Troy his countrey with Medea that slew her children with Tarquine that enforced Lucretia with Brutus that slew Caesar with Sylla that shed so much bloud with Catilina that played the Tyrant in his countrey with Iugurtha that strangled his brethren with Caligula that committed incest with his sisters with Nero that killed his mother with Heliogabalus that robbed the Temples with Domitian that in nothing delighted so much as by straunge handes to put men to death and to driue away flyes with his owne hands Small is the number of those that I haue spoken in respect of those which I could recite of whom I dare say and affirme that if I had beene as they I cannot tell what I would haue done or what I should haue desired but this I know it would haue beene more paines to mee to haue wonne that infamie which they haue wonne then to haue loste the life which they haue lost It profiteth him little to haue his Ponds full of fish and his parkes full of Deere which knoweth neyther how to hunt nor how to fish I meane to shewe by this that it profiteth a man little to be in great auctoritie if hee be not esteemed nor honoured in the same For to attaine to honour wisedome is requisite and to keepe it patience is necessarie With great considerations wise men ought to enterprise daungerous things For I assure them they shall neuer winne honour but where they vse to recouer slander Returning therefore to our matter puissant Prince I sweare and durst vndertake that you rather desire perpetuall renowme through death then any idle rest in this life And hereof I doe not maruell for there are some that shall alwayes declare the prowesses of good Princes and others which will not spare to open the vices of euill tyrants For althogh your Imperial estate is much and your Catholike person deserueth more yet I beleeue with my heart and see with these eyes that your thoughts are so highly bent vnto aduenturous deedes and your heart so couragious to set vpon them that your Maiesty little esteemeth the inheritance of your predecessors in respect of that you hope to gaine to leaue to your successors A Captaine asked Iulius Caesar as he declareth in his Commentaries why he trauelled in the Winter in so hard frost and in the summer in such extreame heate Hee aunswered I will doe what lyeth in mee to doe and afterward let the fatall destinies doe what they can For the valiant knight that giueth in battel the onset ought more to bee esteemed then fickle fortune whereby the victory is obtained since fortune giueth the one and aduentur guideth the other These words are spoken like a stout and valiant Captaine of Rome Of how many Princes doe we reade whom truely I much lament to see what flatteries they haue heard with their eares being aliue and to reade what slaunders they haue sustained after their death Princes and greate Lordes should haue more regard to that which is spoken in their absence then to that which is done in their presence not to that which they heare but to that which they would not heare not to that which they tell them but to that which they would not bee told of not to that which is written vnto them beeing aliue but to that which is written of them after their death not to those that tell them lyes but to those which if they durst would tell them truth For men many times refrayne not their tongues for that Subiects bee not credited but because the Prince in his authority is suspected The Noble and vertuous Prince should not flitte from the truth wherof hee is certified neyther with flatteries and lyes should he suffer himselfe to bee deceyued but to examine himselfe and see whether they serue him with truth or deceyue him with lyes For there is no better witnes and iudge of truth and lyes then is a mans owne conscience I haue spoken all this to the entent your Maiesty might know that I will not serue you with that you should not bee serued That is for to shew my selfe in my Writing a flatterer For it were neyther meete nor honest that flatteries into the eares of such a noble Prince should enter neyther that out of my mouth which teach the truth such vaine tales should issue I say I had rather bee dispraysed for true speaking then to bee honoured for flattery and lying For of truth in your Highnesse it should bee much lightnesse for to heare them and in my basenesse great wickednesse to inuent them Now againe following our purpose I say the Histories greatly doe commend Lycurgus that gaue lawes to the Lacedemonians Numa Pompilius that honoured and addorned the Churches Marcus Marcellus that had pitty and compassion on those which were ouercome Iulius Caesar that forgaue his enemies Octautus that was so welbeloued of the people Alexander that gaue rewardes and gifts to all men Hector the Troian became hee was so valiant in wars Hercules the Thebane because hee employed his strength so well Vlisses the Grecian because hee aduentured himselfe in so many dangers Pyrrhus king of Epirotes because hee inuented so many engines Catullns Regulus because he suffred so many torments Titus the Emperour because he was father to the Orphanes Traianus because he edified sumptuous goodly buildings The good Marcus Aurelius because he knew more then al they I doe not say that it is requisit for one Prince in these dayes to haue in him all those qualities but I dare be bolde for to affirme this that euen as it is vnpossible for one Prince to follow all so likewise it is a great slaunder for him to follow none Wee doe not require Princes to doe all that they can but for to apply themselues to do som thing that they ought And I speake not without a cause that which I haue sayde before For if Princes did occupie themselues as they ought to doe they should haue no time to be vicious Plinie sayeth in an Epistle that the great Cato called Censor did weare a Ring vpon his finger wherein was written these words Esto amicus vnius inimicus nullius which is be friend to one and enemy to none He that would deepely consider these few words shall finde therein many graue sentences And to apply this to my purpose I say the Prince that would well gouerne his common weale shew to all equall iustice desire to possesse a quiet life to get among all a good fame and that coueteth to leaue of himselfe a perpetuall memorie ought to embrace the vertues of one and to reiect the vices of all I allow it very wel that Princes should bee equall
yea and surmount and surpasse many but yet I doe aduise thē not to employ their force but to follow one For often times it chanceth that many which suppose themselues in their life to excell all when they are dead are scarcelie found equall vnto any Though man hath done much and blazed what he can yet in the end he is but one one mind one power one birth one life and one death Then sithence hee is but one let no man presume to know more then one Of all these good Princes which I haue named in the rowle of iustice the last was Marcus Aurelius to the intent that he should weaue his webbe For suppose we reade of many Princes that haue compiled notable things the which are to bee reade and knowne but all that Marcus Aurelius sayde or did is worthy for to be knowne and necessary to bee followed I doe not meane this Prince in his Heathen law but in his vertuous deedes Let vs not stay at his beleefe but let vs embrace the good that hee did For compare many Christians with some of the Heathen and looke how farre we leaue them behind in faith so farre they excell vs in good and vertuous works All the olde Princes in times past had some Philosophers to their familiars as Alexander Aristotle King Darius Herodorus Augustus Pisto Pompeius Plauto Titus Plinie Adrian Secundus Traion Plutarchus Anthonius Apolonius Theodotius Claudinus Seuerus Fabatus Finally I say that Phylosophers then had such aucthoritie in Princes pallaces that children acknowledged them for Fathers and Fathers reuerenced them as masters These Wise and Sage men were aliue in the company of Princes but the good and vertuous Marcus Aurelius whose doctrine is before your Maiesty is not aliue but dead Yet therefore that is no cause why his Doctrine should not bee admitted For it may bee peraduenture that this shall profite vs more which hee wrote with his handes then that which others spake with their tōgus Plutarch sayeth in the time of Alexander the great Aristotle was aliue and Homer was dead But let vs see how hee loued the one and reuerenced the other for of truth he slept alwayes with Homers booke in his hands and waking he read the same with his eyes and alwayes kept the doctrine thereof in his memory and layde when he rested the booke vnder his head The which priuiledge Aristotle had not who at all times could not be heard and much lesse at all seasons be beleeued so that Alexander had Homer for his friend and Aristotle for a master Other of these Philosophers were but simple men but our Marcus Aurelius was both a wise Philosopher and a very valiant Prince and therfore reason would hee should be credited before others For as a prince hee will declare the troubles and as a Philosopher hee will redresse them Take you therefore Puisaunt Prince this wise Philosopher and Noble Emperour for a Teacher in your youth for a Father in your gouernment for a Captaine generall in your Warres for a guide in your iourneyes for a friend in your affayres for an example in your vertues for a Master in your sciences for a pure white in your desires and for equall match in your deedes I will declare vnto you the Life of an other beeing a Heathen and not the life of an other beeing a Christian For looke how much glory this Heathen Prince had in this world beeing good and vertuous so much paines your Maiesty shall haue in the other if you shall bee wicked and vicious Beholde behold most Noble and illustrious Prince the Life of this Emperour and you shal plainly see and perceyue how cleare hee was in his iudgement how vpright hee was in his iustice how circumspect in the course of his life how louing to his friends how patient in his troubles and aduersities how hee dissembled with his enemies how seuere against Tirants how quiet among the quiet how great a friēd vnto the Sage and louer of the simple how aduenturous in his warres and amiable in peace and chiefly and aboue all things how high in wordes and prosound in sentences Many and sundry times I haue beene in doubt with my selfe whether the heauenly and eternall Maiesty which giueth vnto you Princes the Temporall Maiesty for to rule aboue all other in power and authoritie did exempt you that are earthly Princes more from humane fraylety then hee did vs that be but Subiects and at the last I know hee did not For I see euen as you are children of the World so you doe liue according to the World I see euen as you trauell in the Worlde so you can know nothing but things of the world I see because you liue in the Flesh that you are subiect to the miseries of the flesh I see though for a time you doe prolong your life yet at the last you are brought vnto your graue I see your trauel is great and that within your Gates there dwelleth no rest I see you are colde in the winter and hote in the Summer I see that hunger feeleth you and thirst troubleth you I see your friendes forsake you and your enemies assault you I say that you are sadde and do lacke ioy I see that you are sicke and bee not well serued I see you haue much and yet that which you lacke is more What will you see more seeing that Princes dye O noble Princes and great Lords since you must dye and become wormes meate why doe you not in your life time search for good counsell If the Princes and noble men commit an errour no man dare chastice them wherefore they stand in greater need of aduise and counsell For the traueller who is out of his way the more he goeth forward the more hee erreth If the people doe amisse they ought to be punished but if the Prince erre he should be admonished And as the Prince will the people should at his hands haue punishment so it is reason that he at their hands should receyue counsell For as the wealth of the one dependeth on the wealth of the other so truly if the Prince bee vitious the people cannot be vertuous If your Maiesty will punish your people with words commaund them to print this present worke in their hearts And if your people would serue your Highnesse with their aduise let them likewise beseech you to reade ouer this booke For therin the Subiects shall finde how they may amend and you Lords shall see all that you ought to doe whether this present Worke be profitable or no I will not that my pen shall declare but they which do reade it shall iudge For wee Authours take pains to make and translate and others for vs to giue iudgement and sentence From my tender yeares vntill this present time I haue liued in the World occupying my selfe in reading and studying humane and diuine Bookes and although I confesse my debility to bee such that I haue not read so
as pleasaÌ„t a voice to sing as euer I heard Romane tongue prompt to speake This was the order of my life and the time that I spent in learning And of good reason a man so occupied cannot chuse but bee vertuous But I sweare and confesse to thee that I did not so much giue my selfe to studie but that euery day I lost time enough For Youth and the tender flesh desireth liberty and although a man accustome it with trauels yet he findeth vacant time in it also for his pleasures Although all the ancient Romaines were in diuers things very studious yet notwithstanding amongst all ouer and besides these there were fiue things whereunto they had euer a great respect and to those that therein offended neyther requests auayled rewards profited nor law olde nor new dispensed Truly their good wils are to be commended and their diligence to bee exalted For the Princes that gouern great Realms ought to employ their harts to make good lawes and to occupie their eyes to see them duely excuted throughout the common-wealth These fiue â—eings were these 1 The first they ordayned that the Priests should not be dishonest For in that Realme where Priests are dishonest it is a token that the Gods against the people are angry 2 The second it was not suffered in Rome that the Virgines Vestals should at their pleasure stay abroad For it is but reason that shee which of her owne free will hath heretofore promised openly to bee good should now if shee change her mind be compelled in secret to bee chast 3 The third they decreede that the Iudges should bee iust and vpright For there is nothing that decayeth a common wealth more then a Iudge who hath not for all men one ballance indifferent 4 The fourth was that the Captaines that should goe to the warres should not bee Cowards for there is no like daunger to the Common-wealth nor no like slaunder to the Prince as to commit the charge of men to him in the Field who will be first to commaund and last to fight The fifth was that they which had charge of bringing vp of children should not be vicious For there is nothing more monstrous and more slanderous then he that is a Master of children should bee subiect and seruant to vices How thinkest thou my friend Pulio when all these things were obserued in Rome Thinkest thou that the youth was so dissolute as at this present Thinkest thou indeed that it is the same Rome wherein in times past were so notable good and auncient men Beleeuest thou that it is that Rome wherein in the golden age the old men were so honest and the children so wel taught the Armies well ordered and the Iudges and Senatours so vpright and iust I call God to witnesse and sweare to thee that it is not Rome neyther hath it any likenesse of Rome nor yet any grace to be Rome and hee that would say that this Rome was the olde Rome knoweth little of Rome The matter was this that the auncient and vertuous Romans being dead it seemeth to the Gods that we are not yet worthy to enioy their houses So that eyther this is not Rome or else we bee not the Romanes of Rome For considering the prowesse and vertuous deedes of the auncient Romanes and weighing also our dissolute liues it were a very great infamy for them to call vs their Successors I desired my friend Pulio to write vnto thee al these things to the end thou mayest see what we were and what wee are For great things haue need of great power and require a long time before they can grow and come to their perfection and then afterward at one moment and with one blow they fall down to the ground I haue beene more tedious in my letter then I thought to haue beene and now I haue tolde thee that which with diligence by reason of my great affaires in three or foure times I haue written of that that wanteth in thine and is too much in mine We shall make a reasodable letter and since I pardon thee for being too briefe pardon thou mee also for being too long I saw thee once enquire for Vnicornes horne in Alexandry wherefore now I send thee a good peece and likewise I send thee a horse which in my iudgement is good Aduertise mee if thy daughter Drusilla bee aliue with whom I was wont to laugh and I will helpe her to a marriage The immortall Gods keepe mee O my Pulio thy wife thy stepmother and thy daughter and salute them all from me and Faustine Marke of Mount Celio Emperour of Rome with his owne hand writeth vnto thee CHAP. IIII. Of the excellency of Christian religion which manifesteth the true God and disproueth the vanity of the Ancients hauing so many Gods And that in the olde time when the enemies were reconciled in their houses they caused also that the Gods should embrace each other in the Temples HE that is the onely diuine Word begotten of the Father Lord perpetuall of the Hierarchies more auncient then the Heauens Prince of all Holinesse chiefe head from whom all had their beginning the greatest of all Gods and Creator of all creatures in the profoundnesse of his eternall sapience accordeth all the Harmony and composition of Christian Religion This is such a manner of sure matter and so well layed that neyther the miseries which spring of the infections of naughtie Christians can trouble nor yet the boisterous windes of the Heretiques are able to moue For it were more likely that Heauen and Earth should both perish then it should suspend for one day that there should be no Christian Religion The ancient Gods which were inuentors of worldly things as the foundation of their reproued sects was but a flying sand and an vnstable ground full of daungerous and erroneous abuses so some of those poore wretches looking perhaps like a ship running vpon a rocke suspecting nothing were drowned Other like ruined buildings were shaken in sunder and sell down dead Finally these Gods which only bare the name of Gods shall be for euermore forgotten But hee onely shall bee perpetuall which in God by God and through God hath his beginning Many and sundry were the multitude of the Nations which haue been in times past That is to wit the Sirians the Assyrians Persians Medians Macedonians Grecians Cythians Arginians Corinthians Caldeans Indians Athenians Lacedemonians Africans Vandales Sweuians Allaines Hungarians Germaignes Britons Hebrews Palestines Gentiles Iberthalides Maurians Lucitanians Gothes and Spaniards And truly in al these looke how great the difference amongst them in their customes and manners was so much diuersity was of the Ceremonies which they vsed their Gods which they honoured For the Gentiles had this errour that they sayd one alone was not of power sufficient to create such a multitude as were created If I were before all the Sages that euer were they would not say the contrary
on heapes it would both haue couered their carkases and also haue drowned the liuing Yet hee not contented with that I haue spoken off set in the Temple of the Lord an olde Idoll that stood in the wood for the punishment of which fact God suffered his seruants to kill his eldest sonne And afterward God would not suffer these such sundry mischiefes of mans malice but of his diuine iustice caused these words to bee proclaimed in Hierusalem Sith the King Manasses hath beene so bolde to contemne mee and himselfe alone to commit the offences of all I will chastice him alone with the same correction that hee hath shewed vnto others By these words let Princes note here how the diuine vengeance extendeth no further then our offences deserue so that if our fault bee litle the punishment which hee giueth vs is very temperate but if the Prince bee stubborne and obstinate in his wickednesse let him be sure that the punishment shall be extreame Why Iulius Pompeius Xerxes Catilina Germanicus and Brennus were punished WHen Pompeius the Great passed into the Orient with all the Host of the Romaine people and after he had subdued all Siria Mesopotamia Damasco and Arabia hee passed into the Realme of Palestine which otherwise was called Iudea where he committed diuers and sundry euils so that many of the Romanes and Hebrues dyed there Finally by force of Armes hee tooke the puissant City of Hierusalem which as Plinie sayeth was the best of all Asia And Strabo sayeth of the situation of the World that Rome was the chiefe of all Italy and of Affricke the principall was Carthage of Spaine Numantia of Germany Argentine of Caldea Babylon of Egypt Thebes of Greece Athens of Phenice Tira of Cappadocea Cesare of Thrace Constantinople and of Palestine Hierusalem Pompeius therefore not contented to kill all the Auncients of that warre to imprison the youth to behead the elders to force the mothers to defile the virgins to teare in peeces the children to beat down buildings and to rob the Treasure◠but encreasing euill vpon euill and putting all al the people to destruction he made of the Temple a Stable for his horses which before God was abominable that where alwayes heretofore he had beene a Conquerour and triumphed ouer twenty two Kinges euer after he was vnluckie and ouercome in battell The famous rebell Catilina as Salust affirmeth had neuer beene ouercome as if it had not beene for the robbing and destroying of the Temples which were consecrated to the Gods The noble Marcuus Marcellus to whome no Romaine is to bee compared in vertues the same day hee caused the Temple of the Goddesse Februa to be burnt was himselfe slaine in battell The noble Romaine Captaine Drusius Germanicus that was so well willed and beloued because hee gaue a calfe meate to eate which was the God of the Chaldeans being prohibited and forbidden within a moneth after dyed whose death was greatly lamented in Rome Suetonius sayeth that after Iulius Caesar had robbed the Temple of the Gawles the Gods alwayes made him afrayde in the night And Xerxes which was the Sonne of King Darius when he passed into Italy to wage battell before all other things hee sent foure thousand Horsemen to Delphos where the Temple of God Apollo was to beate it downe for the pride of Xerxes was so great that hee would not only subdue men but also conquer the Gods It chanced that euen as they approached neere the Temple to beate it downe a sodaine tempest fell vpon them so that with stones and thunderbolts they were all killed in the fields and so dyed Brennus was one of the renowned Captaines of the Gothes who sith hee had conquered and subdued the Greekes determined also to robbe the Treasures of the Temples saying that Gods should giue vnto men not men vnto Gods and that it was great honour to the Gods that with their goods men should bee made rich But as they beganne to robbe the Temple there fell a multitude of arrowes from heauen that the Captaine Brennus dyed there and all his men with him not one left aliue After that Sextus Pompeius was vanquished in the battell by sea neare vnto Sicilie by Octauus Augustus hee retired himselfe into the Arkes Lacinii where there was an auncient Temple consecrated to the Goddesse Iuno endowed with maruellous Treasures And it chaunced one day that his Souldiers asking him money and he being then without he commaunded them to beate down the Temple of the Goddesse Iuno and to pay themselus with the spoyle of her treasure Vhe Historiographers say that within a while after it chanced Sextus Pompeius to be taken of the knights of Marcus Antonius and when hee was brought before Titus Generall of the Army he spake vnto him these words I will you know Sextus Pompeius I doe not condemne thee to dye for the offences thou hast committed against my Lord Marcus Antonius But because thou hast robbed and beaten downe the Temple of the Goddesse Iuno For thou knowest that the good Captaines ought to forget the offences against men and to reuenge the iniuries done the Gods CHAP. XXIIII How Valente the Emperour because hee was an euill Christian lost in one day both the Empire and his life and was burned aliue in a sheepecote WHen Iulian the Apostate was Emperour of Rome hee sent to conquer Hungary of no iust title hee had to it more then of ambition to vnite it to the Romane Empire For tirannous Princes vse all their force to vsurpe other realms by crueltie and little regard whether they may doe it by iustice And because the Romane Empire was of great force this ambitious Emperour Iulian had in that warres a mighty and puissant Armie which did wonderfull much harme through all the coūtries they came For the fruites of warres is to bereaue the enemies of life and to spoyle the men of theyr goods It chaunced one day as fiue knights went out of the Campe to make a rode they found a youngman that carried a halter in his hand and as they would haue taken it away from him to haue tyed theyr horses to let them feede hee was so hardy and so stout that hee defended himselfe from them all so that he had more strength alone then they fiue altogether The Romane Knights amazed to see this young man defend himselfe from them all so stoutely very instantly desired him to goe to the Romane Campe with them and they promised him hee should haue great entertainement for the Romanes were so diligent that they should omit no good thing for want of money so that it were for the publike weale This young man was called Gracian and was borne and brought vp in the Country of Pannonia in a City they called Cibata His lynage was not of the lowest sort of people nor yet of the most esteemed Cittizens but were men that liued by the sweate of their browes and in loue
threaten and rebuke them a hundred times before they beate them once and if they keepe them tyed they shew them sundrie pleasures So that the wildnesse of the beast is taken away onely by the gentle and pleasant vsage of the man therfore sith wee haue this experience of brute sauage beasts that is to say that by their well doing and by the gentle handling of them they voluntarily suffer themselues to bee gouerned much more experience we reasonable men ought to haue that is to know that being right and well gouerned wee should humbly and willingly obey our soueraigne Lords for there is no man so hard hearted but by gentle vsage will humble himselfe O Princes and noble men I will tell you in one word what the Lorde ought to doe in the gouernement of his common-wealth Euery Prince that hath his mouth full of truth his hands open to giue rewards and his eares stopped vnto lyes and his heart open to mercy such a one is happy and the realme which hath him may well bee called prosperous and the people may call themselues fortunate For where as truth liberality and clemency ruleth in the hart of a Prince there wrongs iniuries oppressions do not raigne And contrariwise where the Prince hath his heart fleshed in cruelty his mouth full of tyrannies his hands defiled with bloud and enclineth his eares to heare lyes such a Prince is vnhappy and much more the people the which by such a one is gouerned for it is vnpossible that there is peace and iustice in the common wealth if hee which gouerneth it bee a louer of lyes and flatteries In the yeare 440. before the Incarnation of Christ which was in the year 244. of the foundation of Rome Darius the fourth being King of Persia and Brutus and Lucius at Rome Consuls Thales the great Philosopher flourished in Greece who was Prince of the seuen renowmed Sages by the which occasion all the Realme of Greece had and recouered renowne For Greece boasted more of the seuen Sages which they had then Rome did of all the valiant Captains shee nourished There was at that time much contention betweene the Romanes and the Greekes for so much as the Greekes sayd they were better because they had more Sages and the Romanes said the contrary that they were better because they had alwayes more Armies The Greekes replyed againe that there were no lawes made but in Greece And the Romanes to this aunswered that though they were made in Greece yet they were obserued at Rome The Greekes sayde that they had great Vniuersities to make Wise men in And the Romanes said that they had many great temples to worship their Gods in for that in the end they ought to esteeme more one seruice done to the immortall Gods then all the other commodities that might come vnto men A Thebane Knight was demaunded what hee thought of Rome and Greece and hee answered mee thinketh the Romanes are no better then the Greekes nor the Greekes then the Romanes For the Greekes glory in their tongues and the Romanes in their Launces but we referre it to vertuous works For one good worke is more worth then eyther the long staues of the Romanes or the eloquēt tongues of the Greekes Therfore touching my matter this Philosopher Thales was the first that found the Pole called the North starre to sayle by and the first that found the deuision of the yeares the quantitie of the Sun and the Moone and the first that sayde soules were immortall and that the World had a soule And aboue all hee would neuer marry for the care to content a wife and the thought to bring vp the children doth much dull the wits of wise men This Philosopher Thales was very poore wherefore some disdayning him for his pouerty to declare and shew that he was more rich then all they hee bought the next yeare all the Oliues hee could get for by Astronomy hee knew that in the thirde yeare there would be a great want scarsitie thereof throughout all the Country Wherefore all were compelled to come to him for Oliues which at his owne price he solde in this sort he shewed them that mocked him that he willingly despised riches and louingly embraced pouertie For he that willingly in this world is poore ought not to be called poore This Philosopher Thales was a Mirror amongst the Sages of Greece and was greatly reuerenced of al the Kings of Asia and highly renowmed in Rome And further he was so wise and had so ready a wit that to all sodaine questions hee was demaunded hee gaue present aunswere forthwith which thing declared him to bee of a maruellous wit and truely it was a great matter for the most part of mortall men cannot tell how to answere nor what to demaund Many and diuers questions wee asked him as Diogenes Laertius affirmeth in the answering whereof hee shewed great wisdome the treasure of memory and subtilty of vnderstanding First he was asked What GOD was Thales answered Of all the most antiquities GOD is the most auncient thing For all the Ancients past neyther sawe him take beginning nor those which shal come shall see him haue ending Secondarily hee was asked What thing was most beautifull he answered The world because no Artificiall paynting could make the like Thirdly he was asked What was the greatest thing To that hee answered Place wherein all things doe stand For the place which containeth all of necessitie must be greater then all Fourthly it was asked him Who knoweth most he answered That no man was wiser then Time because Time alwayes onely inuented new things and is he which renueth the olde Fiftly they asked him What was the lightest thing hee answered the wit of man because that without trauel and danger it passeth the Sea to discouer and compasse all the whole earth Sixtly they asked him What was the strongest thing he said That man that is in necessitie For necessitie reuiueth the vnderstanding of the rude and causeth the coward to be hardy in perill Seuenthly they asked him What was the hardest thing to know hee answered for man to know himselfe For there should bee no contentions in the world if man knew himselfe Eightly they asked him What thing was sweetest to obtaine hee answered Desire For the man reioyceth to remember the paines past and to obtayne to that he desireth present Ninthly they asked him when the enuious man is quyet he answered when he seeth his enemy dead or vtterly vndon For truely the prosperity of the enemie is a sharpe knife to the enuious heart Tenthly hee was asked What man should doe to liue vprightly Hee answered to take the counsell to himselfe which hee giueth to another For the vndoing of all men is that they haue plentie of counsell for others and want for themselues The eleuenth question was they asked him What profite he hath that is not couetous whereunto hee answered That such a
one is deliuered from the torments of his Auarice and besides that hee recouereth friends for his person For riches tormenteth the Auaricious because hee spendeth them not The twelfth they asked him What the Prince should doe to gouerne others hee answered hee ought first to gouerne himselfe and then afterwards to gouerne others For it is vnpossible the Rod should bee right where the shadow is crooked By the occasion of this last answer I did bring in here all these questions to the ende Princes and Rulers might see how that euery one of them is as the rod of Iustice and that the Common-wealth is none other but a shadow of them which in all and for all ought to be right For immediatly it is perceiued in the shadow of the Comon-wealth if the Iustice or life of him which gouerneth bee out of his order Therfore concluding that all I haue spoken before if a Prince would aske mee why he is a Prince I would tell him in one word onely that hee which is the High Prince hath made you a Prince in this world to the ende you shuld be a destroyer of heretikes a father of orphanes a friend of Sages a hater of malicious a scourge of Tyrants a rewarder of good a defender and protector of Churches a plague of the wicked a onely louer and friend of the Commonwealth and aboue all you ought to bee an vpright minister of Iustice beginning first with your owne person and Pallace For in all things amendment is suffered except in Iustice which ought to bee equall betweene the Prince and Common-wealth CHAP. XXXVI What Plutarch the Philosopher was Of the wise words hee spake to Traian the Emperour And how the good Prince is the head of the Publike-weale IN the time of Traiana the Emperour there flourished in his Court a Philosopher named Plutarch a man very pure and of good life wise in science and well esteemed in Rome For Traian the Emperor desired greatly to haue Wise men in his companie and to make notable and sumptuous Buyldings in euery place where he came It was hee which wrote the liues of many noble Greekes and Romanes and aboue all hee made a Booke entituled The doctrine of Princes which hee offered to the Emperour Traian in the which hee sheweth his vertues the zeale which he had to the Common-wealth the highnes of his eloquēce the profoundnes of his knowledge For he was elegant in writing and pleasant in speaking and among all other things which hee wrote in his booke were these words following most worthie to be noted and written in Golden letters And they are such I let thee to know Lord Traian that thou and the Empire are but one mysticall bodie in manner and forme of a liuely bodie For they should and ought to be so correspondent and agreeable that the Emperor should reioyce to haue such subiects and the Empire ought to be gladde to haue such a Lord. And to the ende wee may describe the mysticall bodie which is the Empyre in the forme and shape of a natural man you shall vnderstand that the head which is aboue all is the Prince which commaundeth all the eyes whereby we see are the good men in the Commonwealth whom we followe the eares that heare what wee say are the Subiects which doe what wee commaund them the tongue wherewith we speake are the Sages of whom we heare the lawes and doctrines the hayres which growe on our heads are those which are vexed and gricued and that demaund iustice of the King The handes and armes are the Knights which resist the enemyes the feet which sustaineth the mēbers are the tyllers of the ground which giueth meate to all Estates the hard Bones that sustaineth the feeble and soft Flesh are the Sage men which endure the burden and trauell of the Common-wealth the Hearts which we see not outwardly are the Priuie Councellours Finally the necke that knitteth the bodie with the Head is the loue of the King combined with the whole Realme which make a Common-wealth All the words abouenamed spake Plutarch the great vnto Traian the Emperour And truly the inuention and grace of him proceeded of an high and deepe vnderstanding For the head hath three properties which are very necessary for the gouernor of the Common-wealth The first is that euen as the head is of all other members of the body the highest so the authority of the Prince exceedeth the estates of all others For the Prince onely hath authoritie to commaund and all others are bound to obey Admit there be many that are stout rich and noble men in the Common-wealth yet all ought to knowe and acknowledge seruice to the Lorde of the same For the noble and worthie Princes doe daily ease many of diuers seruices but they will neuer exempt any man from their loyaltie and allegeance Those which are valiant and mighty in a Realme should content themselues with that wherewith the battlements doe vpon a Castle that is to know that they are hier then the rampers wherein men walke on the Wals and lower then the pinnacles which are on the toppe for the wise man of high estate ought not to regard the Prince which is the high pinnacle but ought to looke on the alleis which are the poore comfortlesse I would speake a word and it greeueth me that is whereas great Lords desire in the commonwealth to commaund is like vnto him that holdeth his armes and hands ouer his heade For all that I haue heard and for all that I haue reade and also for all that hath chanced in my time I counsell admonish and warne all those which shall come after this time that if they will enioy their goods if they will liue in safeguard and if they will bee deliuered from tyranny and liue quiet in the Common-wealth that they doe not agree to haue in one Realme aboue one King and one Lord For it is a generall rule where there are many Rulers in a Common-wealth in the end both it and all must perish Wee see by experience that Nature formed vs with many sinewes many bones with much flesh with many fingers and with many teeth and to all this one only body had but one head wherefore though with many estates the Common-wealth is ordayned yet with one Prince alone it ought to bee ruled If it consisted in mens hands to make a Prince they would then also haue the authority to put him down but being true as it is most true indeede that the Prince is constituted by God none but God alone ought to depriue depose him of his estate but thinges that are measured by the diuine iudgment man hath no power with razour to cut them I know not what ambition the mean can haue neither what enuie the lowest can haue nor what pride the highest can haue to command and not to obey since wee are sure that in this mysticall body of the
wrathfull man able to hide his wrath for the heauy sighes are tokens of the sorrowfull heart and the words are those that disclose the malicious man Pulio sayeth in the first booke of Caesars that the Emperor Marcus Aurelius was very vertuous in all his works sage in knowledge iust in iudgment mercifull in punishment but aboue all things he was wise in dissembling and herein he was very discreet for there was neuer patient man but prospered well in all his affayres Wee see that through patience and wisedome many euill things become reasonable frō reasonable are broght to good from good to excellent The contrary hapneth to them that are moued more then they need for the man which is not patient looketh not yet for any good successe in his affayres thogh they are iust The Emperour Marcus oft times was wont to say that Iulius Caesar wan the Empire by the sword Augustus was Emperor by inheritance Caligula came to it because his father conquered Germany Nero gouerned it with tyranny Titus was Emperor for that he subdued Iury the good Traian came to the Empire by his clemency and vertue but I sayeth he obtained the Empire through patience onely for it is a greater patience to suffer the iniuries of the malitious then to dispute with the Sage in the Vniuersity And this Emperour sayde further in the gouernment of the Empire I haue profited more through patience then by science for science only profiteth for the quietnesse of the person but patience profiteth the person and the Commonwealth Iulius Capitolinus saith that the Emperor Antoninus Pius was a prince very pacient and in such sort that often times being in the Senate hee saw both those which loued him and also those that were against him with the people when they did rebell yet his patience was so great that neither his friends for the vnthankefulnesse of themselues remayned sad neyther his enemies for any displeasure by him done did at any time complain Meaning therefore in this Chapter to ioine the end with the beginning I say that as the Emperour Marcus Aurelius put himselfe among the captiues and that this deed in Rome of all men was commended The Senatour Fuluius could not refraine from speaking for that he had not the wit to endure it wherfore as it were scoffing he spake these words to the Emperour Lord I maruell why thou yeeldest thy selfe to all which thing for the reputation of the Empire cannot bee suffered for that it is not decent for thy Maiesty The Emperour Marcus Aurelius seeing hearing that in the presence of them all the Senator Fuluius spake vnto him these words he tooke it patiently with pleasant countenance sayde The Questions which the Senator Fuluius propoundeth let it bee for to morrow because my answere may bee the riper and his choller the quieter Therefore the next day following the Emperour Marcus came into the High Capitoll as Pulio declareth in the life of Marcus Aurelius and spake these words CHAP. XXXIX Of the answer the Emperour Marcus Aurelius made to the Senatour Fuluius before all the Senate being reproued of him for his familiaritie hee vsed to all contrary to the maiestie and authoritie of the Romane Emperour wherein he painteth enuious men FAthers Conscript and sacred Senate I would not yesterday answere to that which the Senator Fuluius spake vnto mee because it was somewhat late and for that wee were long in sacrifices I thought that neyther time nor place was conuenient to answere thereunto For it is a signe of a little wisdome and of great folly for a man to answere sodenly to euery question The liberty that vndiscreet men haue to demaund the selfe same priuiledge hath the Wise for to answere for though the demaund proceed of ignorance yet the answere ought to proceede of Wisedome Truly wise men were well at ease if to euery demaund they should answere the simple and malitious who for the most part demaund more to vexe other men then for to profite themselus more for to proue then to know wherefore Wise men ought to dissemble at such demaundes for the Sages ought to haue their eares open to heare and their tongue tyed because they should not speake I let you know ancient Fathers and sacred Senate that that little which I know I learned in the Isle of Rhodes in Naples in Capua and in Tharente And all Tutors tolde mee that the intention and end of men to study was onely to know to gouern themselues amongst the malicious For science profiteth nothing else but to know how to keepe his life well ordered and his tongue well measured Therfore I protest to God that which I will say before your sacred presence I will not speake it of any malice or ill will but onely to answere vnto that which toucheth the authority of my person for the things which touch the honour ought first by word to be answered and afterwards by sword to be reuenged Therefore now beginning my matter and addressing my words to thee Fuluius and to that which thou spakest vnto me asking why I shew my selfe so to all men I answere thee It is because al men should giue them selues to me Thou knowest well Fuluius that I haue beene a Consul as thou art and thou hast not beene an Emperour as I am Therefore beleeue mee in this case that the Prince being despised cannot bee beloued of his people The gods will not nor the lawes doe permit neyther the Commonwealth willingly should suffer that all Princes should bee Lords of many and that they should not communicate but with a few For Princes which haue beene gentle in their liues the Ancients haue made them gods after their deathes The Fisher to fish for many fishes in the riuer goeth not with one Boate alone nor the Mariner to fish in the deepe sea goeth not with one net onely I meane that the profound wills which are deeply in the hearts ought to bee won some by gifts other by promises other by pleasant words and other by gentle entertainement For Princes should trauell more to winne the hearts of their Subiects then to conquere the realmes of strangers The greedy and couetous harts care not though the prince shutteth vp his heart so that he open his cofers but Noble and valiant men little esteeme that which they locke vp in their cofers so that their hearts bee open to theyr friends For Loue can neuer but with loue againe be requited Sith Princes are Lords ouer many of necessitie they ought to bee serued with manie and beeing serued with manie they are bound to satisfie manie and this is as generally as particularly they cannot dispence with their Seruants For the Prince is no lesse bound to pay the seruice of his Seruant then the maister is to pay the wages of the hyred labourer Therefore if this thing be true as it is how shall poore Princes do which keepe many Realmes and
in keeping them they haue great expences and for to defray such charges they haue but little money For in this case let euery man doe what hee will and let them take what counsel they like best I would counsell all others as my selfe haue experimented that is that the Prince shuld be of so good a conuersation amongst those which are his and so affable and familiar with all that for his good conuersation onely they should thinke themselues well apaide For with rewards Princes recompence the trauells of theyr Seruants but with gentle and faire words they steale and robbe the harts of their subiects Wee see by experience that diuers Marchants had rather buye dearer in one shop because the merchaÌ„t is pleasant then to buy better cheap in an other wheras the merchant is churlish I meane that there are manie which had rather serue a prince to gaine nothing but loue onely then to serue an other prince for money For there is no seruice better imploied theÌ„ to him which is honest good and gracious and to the contrary none worse bestowed then on him which is vnthaÌ„kfull and churlish In Princes Pallaces there shall neuer want euill and wicked men malicious and diuelish flatterers which will seeke meanes to put into theyr Lords heads how they shal raise their rents leuy Subsidies inuent tributes and borrow money but there are none that will tell them how they shal winne the hearts and good willes of their Subiects though they know it more profitable to bee well beloued then necessary to be enriched He that heapeth treasure for his Prince and separateth him from the loue of his people ought not to bee called a faithfull seruant but a mortall enemy Princes and Lords ought greatly to endeauour themselues to bee so conuersant among their Subiects that they had rather serue for good Will then for the payment of money for if mony want their seruice wil quaile and hereof proceedeth a thousand inconueniences vnto Princes which neuer happen vnto those that haue seruants which serue more of good will then for money for hee that loueth with all his heart is not proude in prosperity desperate in aduersity neyther complayneth he of pouertie nor is discontented being fauourles nor yet abashed with persecution finally loue and life are neuer separated vntill they come vnto the graue Wee see by experience that the rablement of the poore Labourers of Sicill is more worth then the money of the Knight of Rome For the Labourer euery time he goeth to the field bringeth some profit froÌ„ thence but euery time the Knight sheweth himselfe in the market place he returneth without money By the comparison I meane that Princes should bee affable easie to talke with all pleasant mercifull benigne and stout and aboue all that they bee gratious and louing to the end that through these qualities and and not by money they may learne to winne the hearts of their subiectes Princes should greatly labour to bee loued specially if they will finde who shall succour them in aduersity and keepe them from euill will and hatred which those Princes caÌ„not haue that are hated but rather euery man reioyceth at their fall and misery for each man enioyeth his owne trauel and truly the furious and sorrowfull hearts take some rest to see that others haue pitty and compassion vpon their griefes Princes also should endeauour themselues to bee loued and well willed because at their death they may of all their seruants and friends bee lamented For Princes ought to bee such that they may be prayed for in their life and lamented and remembred after their death How cursed is that Prince and also how vnhappy is that Common-wealth where the seruants will not serue their Lord but for reward and that the Lorde dooth not loue them but for theyr seruices For there is neuer true loue where there is any particular interest With many stones a house is builded and of many men and one Prince which is the head of all the Common wealth is made For hee that gouerneth the Common wealth may be called a Prince and otherwise not and the Common-wealth cannot bee called or sayde a Common wealth if it hath not a Prince which is the head thereof If Geometrie do not deceyue me the lime which ioyneth one stone with an other suffereth well that it bee mingled with sand but the corner-stone that lyeth on the toppe ought to bee medled with vnslâ—ked lime And it soundeth vnto good reason For if the nether-stones seperate the wall openeth but if the corner stone should slippe the building incontinently falleth I suppse Fathers conscript you vnderstand very well to what end I applie this comparison The loue of one neighbour with an other may suffer to be cold but the loue of a Prince to his people should bee true and pure I meane that the loue amongst frends may passe sometimes although it bee colde but that loue betweene the King and his people at al times ought to be perfect For where there is perfect loue there is no fayned wordes nor vnfaithfull seruice I haue seene in Rome many debates and hurly-burlyes among the people to haue bin pacified in one day and one onely which betweene the Lorde and the Commonwealth ariseth cannot be pacified vntill death For it is a dangerous thing for one to striue with many and for many to contend against one In this case where the one is proud and the other rebelles I will not excuse the Prince nor yet let to condemne the people For in the end he that thinketh himselfe most innocent deserueth greatest blame And from whence thinke you commeth it that Lords now adayes commaund vniust things by furie and the Subiects in iust matters will not obey by reason I will tell you The Lord doing of will and not of right would cast the wills of all in his own braine and deriue from himselfe all counsell For euen as Princes are of greater power then all the rest so they thinke they knowe more then all the rest The contrary hapneth to subiects who beeing prouoked I cannot tell you with what Frensie despising the good vnderstanding of theyr Lorde will not obey that which their prince willeth for the health of them all but that which euery man desireth particularly For men now a dayes are so fonde that euery man thinketh the Prince should looke on him alone Truely it is a strange thing though it be much vsed among men that one man should desire that the garments of all others should be meete for him which is as vnpossible as if one mans Armour should arme a whole multitude But what shall we be Fathers conscript and sacred Senate sith our Fathers left vs this world with such follie and that in these debates and strifes wee theyr children are alwayes in dissention and controuersie and in this wilfalnes wee shall also leaue our children and heyres How many Princes haue I seen and read
it was onely the wise men which I had about me that thus long haue maintained mee in this great authority It is a goodly thing for a Prince to haue stout captains for the warres but without comparison it is better to keepe and haue wise men in his palace for in the end the victory of the battel confisteth in the force of many but the gouernment of the commonwelth oftentimes is put vnder the aduise of one alone These so dolefull and pittifull words my Lord and Master Theodosius spake vnto me Now tell mee Epimundus what I shall doe at this present to fulfill his commendement For at his heart hee had nothing that troubled him so much as to thinke whether his children would vndoe or encrease the Common wealth Thou Epimundus thou art a Grecian thou art a Philosopher thou hast vnderstanding thou art an old seruant thou art my faithfull friend therefore for all these things thou art bound to giue mee good and healthfull counsell For many times I haue heard Theodosius my master say That he is not accounted sage which hath turned the leaues of many bookes but hee which knoweth and can giue good and healthfull counsell Epimundus the philosopher answered to these words Thou knowest well Lord Estilconus that the ancients and great Philosophers ought to be briefe in words and very perfect in their works for otherwise to speake much and worke little seemeth rather to bee done like a tyrant then like a Greeke Philosopher The Emperour Theodosius was thy Lord and my friend I say friend because it is the liberty of a Greeke Philosopher to acknowledge no homage nor seruice to a superiour for hee in his heart can haue no true licence that to rebuke the vitious keepeth his mouth shut In one thing I content my selfe in Theodosius aboue all other Princes which were in the Romane Empire and that is that he knew and talked wisely of al his affairs and also was diligēt to execute the same for all the fault of princes is that they are apt bold to talk of vertues in executing them they are very slacke and fearfull For such Princes cannot continue in the vertue which they doe commend not yet resist the vice which they doe disprayse I graunt that Theodosius was an executor of iustice mercifull stout sober valiant true louing thankfull and vertuous and finally in all thinges and at all times he was fortunate for Fortune oftentimes bringeth that to princes which they will and desire yea many times better then they look for Presupose it be true as it is most true that the time was alwayes prosperous to the Emperour Theodosius yet I doubt whether this prosperity will continue in the succession of his children For worldly prosperity is so mutable that with one onely man in a moment shee maketh a thousand shrewde turnes and so much the more it is hard to continue stedfast in the second houre Of slow and dull horses come oftentimes couragious and fierce colts and euen so of vertuousfathers come children euill brought vp For the wicked children inherite the worst of the Father which is riches and are dishenherited of the best which are vertues That which I perceyne in this matter as wel of the father which is dead as of the children which are aliue is that Theodose was vertuous in deede and the children are capable to follow both good and euill and therfore it is requisite that you now go about it for the Prince which is yong is in great perill when in his youth he beginneth not to follow the steps of vertue To speake particularly of Archadius Honorious I let thee know Estilconus that it is a thing superfluous to talk of it for I should lose my time because the things of princes are very delicate and though wee haue licence to prayse their vertues yet wee are bound to dissemble their faults As a sage father Theodose I desire thee to giue his children good doctrine and alwayes to accompany thē But I as a friend do counsell thee that thou keepe them from euill for in the end all is euill to accompany with the euill and forsake the good but the worst euill pursueth vs rather by the presence of the euill then by the absence of the good It may wel be that one being alone without the company of the good may yet notwithstāding be good but for one that is accompanied with euil men to be good of this I greatly doubt for the same day that a man accompanieth himselfe with the vicious the selfe same day he is bound to be subiect to vice O Estilconus since thou so much desirest to accomplish the commādemēt of thy Lord and master Theodose if thou canst not cause that Archadius Honorius which are yong princes do accompany with the good yet at the least withdraw them from the company of the euill for in the courts of princes vitious men are none other but solicitors in this world to tempt others to be vicious how many and what solicitors haue we seen thou and I in Rome the which forgetting the affaires of their Lords did solicite for themselues vices and pleasures I will not tell what seruants of princes haue bin in times past but what they were and what they are euery man may easily see I will tell thee onely not of those which ought to be coūsellors to princes but also of those which ought not to liue in their courts For the counsellors and officers of princes ought to be so iust that sheares cannot find what to cut away intheir liues nor that there needeth any needle or thred to amend their fame If thou Estilconus hast heard what I haue sayd marke now what I wil say and keepe it in memory for it may profit thee one day In the Courts of Princes proude men ought to haue no familiarity nor entertainement For it is vnseemely that those which are not gentle in words should commaund and those that haue not their hearts ready to obey should bee familiar with the Prince In the Courts of Princes there ought not to bee of Counsell and much lesse familiar enuious men for if enuy raigne amongst Princes and Counsellours there shall alwayes bee dissentions in the common-wealth In the Courts of Princes hasty men ought not to haue familiarity for oftentimes it chanceth that the impatience of Counsellours causeth the people to be euill content with their Princes In the Courts of Princes there ought not to be familiar nor of counsell greedy nor couetous men for the Princes giue great occasion to the people to bee hated because their seruants haue alwayes their hands open to receyue bribes In the Courtes of Princes there ought not to be familiar fleshly men for the vice of the flesh hath in it so little profite that he that is wholy ouercome therewith is or ought to be to the Prince alway suspected In the Pallace of a King there ought not
one that hath proued it it is reason that I bee beloued in this case and that is That the entent of Princes to conquere strange Realmes and to permit their owne to suffer wrongs is for no other thing but because that the commendations which they speake of the Princes past they should likewise talke the same of them that bee to come Concluding therefore my minde and declaring my intention I say that the Prince that is Noble and desireth to leaue off himselfe from fame let him consider and see what it is that those can write of him which write his history for it profiteth little that hee atchieue great affayres by the sword if there bee no Writer to set them forth with the pen and afterwards to exalt them with the tongue These words thus spoken by the Noble Emperour Marcus Aurelius he gaue the key of his Studie to the Honourable olde man Pompeianus that tooke all the Writings and put them in the high Capitoll where the Romanes honoured them as the Christians the holy Scriptures All these Writings besides many others perished in Rome when by the barbarous it was destroyed for the Gothes vtterly to extinguish the name of Rome destroyed not onely the walles thereof but also the Bookes that were therein And truely in this case the Gothes shewed more crueltie to the Romanes then if they had slayne the children of their bodyes or beate downe the walles of their Cities For without doubt the liuely Letter is a more sweeter witnesse of renowme that alwayes speaketh then eyther the Lime Sand or Stone wherewith Fortresses are builded CHAP. XIIII Of the importunate suite of the Empresse Faustine to the Emperour Marcus Aurelius concerning the Key of his Closet WE haue declared how the Emperour Marcus Aurelius had his Study in the secretst place of all the Palace and how that he himselfe did keepe the key It is to be vnderstood that hee would neuer let his wife his children nor any other of his familiar friends come into it for he sayd I had rather suffer that they should take from mee my treasures then that any man should turne the leaues of my Bookes It chanced that on a day the Empresse Faustine being great with childe importuned the Emperour much by all the meanes shee could that he would be so fauourable vnto her as to giue her the key of his Studie and it is no maruell for naturally women despise that which is giuen thē lust for that that is denied them Faustine instantly besought him not once but many times not onely with faire words but with abundant teares alleadging vnto him these reasons I haue required thee sundry times that thou wouldest giue mee the key of thy chamber and thou hast by iesting made frustrate my request the which thou my Lord oughtest not to haue done considering that I am with childe for oftentimes it chanceth that that wherefore the husband reioyceth this day to morrow he doth lament Thou oughtest to remember that I am that Faustine the renowmed the which in thy eyes am the fayrest and of thy tongue haue beene most commended of thy person I was best beloued and of thy heart I am most desired then since it is true that thou hast me so deepely in heart why then doubtest thou to shew mee the Writings of thy Studie Thou dost communicate with mee the secrets of the Empire and thou hidest from me the books of thy study Thou hast giuen me thy tender heart of flesh and now thou denyest mee the hard key of iron now I must needs thinke that thy loue was fayned that thy words were double and that thy thoughts were others then they seemed for if they had been otherwise it had been vnpossible thou shouldest haue denyed mee the key that I doe aske thee for where loue is vnfayned though the request bee merrily asked yet it is willingly graunted It is a common custome that you men vse to deceiue vs simple women you present vs with great gifts you giue many fayre words you make vs faire promises you say you will doe maruels but in the ende you doe nothing but deceiue vs for we are persecuted more of you thē of any others When men in such wise importune the women if the women had power to deny and withstand wee should in short space bring yee vnder the yoke and leade you by the noses but when we suffer our selues to be ouercome then you beginne to forsake vs and despise vs. Let mee therefore my Lord see thy Chamber consider I am with childe and that I dye vnlesse I see it If thou dost not to doe me pleasure yet doe it at least because I may no more importune thee for if I come in danger through this my longing I shall but lose my life but thou shalt lose the childe that should be borne and the mother also that ought to beare it I know not why thou shouldest put thy noble heart into such a dangerous fortune wherby both thou I at one time shuldperish I dying so yōg and thou in losing so louing a wife By the immortall Gods I doe beseech thee and by the mother Berecinthia I coniure thee that thou giue me the key or that thou let me enter into the Study and stick not with me thy wife in this my small request but change thy opinion for al that which without consideration is ordayned by importunate suite may bee reuoked We see daily that mē by reading in Bookes loue their children but I neuer sawe heart of man fall in such sort that by reading and looking in Bookes hee should despise his children for in the ende Bookes are by the words of others made but children are with their own proper bloud begotten Before that any thing of wisedome is begunne they alwaies regard the inconueniences that may follow therefore if thou wilt not giue mee this key and that thou art determined to be stubborne still in thy will thou shalt lose thy Faustine thou shalt lose so louing a wife thou shalt lose the creature wherewith she is bigge thou shalt lose the authoritie of thy Palace thou shalt giue occasion to all Rome to speake of thy wickednesse and this griefe shall neuer depart from thy heart for the heart shall neuer bee comforted that knoweth that he only is the occasion of his owne griefe If the Gods doe suffer it by their secret indgements and if my wofull mishappes deserue it and if thou my Lord desirest it for no other cause but euen to doe after thy will for denying me this key I should dye I would willingly dye But of that I thinke thou wilt repent for it chanceth often times to wise men That when remedy is gone the repentance commeth suddenly and then it is to late as they say to shutte the Stable doore when the Steede is stolne I maruell much at thee my Lord why thou shouldest shew thy selfe so froward in this case since thou knowest that
all the time wee haue beene together thy will and mine hath alway beene one If thou wilt not giue me thy key for that I am thy welbeloued Faustine if thou wilt not let mee haue it since I am thy deare beloued wife if thou wilt not giue it me for that I am great with childe I beseech thee giue it mee in vertue of the ancient law for thou knowest it is an inuiolate lawe among the Romanes that a man cannot deny his wife with child her desires I haue seene sundry times with mine eyes many women sue their husbands at the lawe in this behalfe and thou my Lord commandest that a man should not break the priuiledges of women Then if this thing bee true as it is true indeede why wilt thou that the lawes of strange children should bee kept and that they should be broken to thine owne children Speaking according to the reuerence that I owe vnto thee though thou wouldest I will not though thou doest it I will not agree therunto though thou dost command it in this case I will not obey thee for if the husband doe not accept the iust request of his wife the wife is not bound to obey the vniust commaundement of her husband You husbands desire that your wiues should serue you you desire that your wiues should obey you in all and ye will condiscend to nothing that they desire You men say that wee women haue no certaintie in our loue but indeede you haue no loue at all For by this it appeareth that your loue is fayned in that it no longer continueth then your desires are satisfied You say furthermore that the women are suspitious and that is true in you all men may see and not in vs for none other cause there are are so many euill marryed in Rome but because their husbands haue of them such euill opinions There is a great difference betweene the suspition of the woman and the jealousie of the man for a man will vnderstand the suspition of the woman it is no other thing but to shew to her husband that she loueth him with all her heart for the innocent women know no others desire no others but their husbands onely and they would that their husbands should know none others nor search for any others nor loue any others nor will any others but them onely for the heart that is bent to loue one only would not that into that house should euter any other But you men know so many means and vse so many subtilties that you praise your selues for to offend them you vaunt your selues to deceiue them and that it is true a man can in nothing so much shew his noblenes as to sustaine and fauour a Curtizan The husbands please their wiues speaking vnto thē some merry words and immediately their backes being turned to another they giue both their bodies and their goods I sweare vnto thee my Lord that if women had the libertie and authoritie ouer men as men haue ouer women they should finde more malice deceitfulnesse and craft by them committed in one day then they should find in the women all the dayes of their life You men say that women are euill speakers it is true indeede that your tongues are none other but the stings of Serpents for yee doe condemne the good men and defame the Romane women And thinke not if you speake euill of other women to excuse your owne for the man that by his tongue dishonoureth strange women doth not so much euill as he doth by defaming his owne wife by suspition for the husband that suspecteth his wife giueth all men licence to account her for naught Sith wee women goe little out of the house wee trauaile not farre and sith wee see few things though wee would wee cannot bee euill tongued But you men heare much you see much you know much you wander abroad much and continually you murmure All the euill that wee silly women can doe is to listen to our friendes when they are vexed to chide our seruants when they are negligent to enuy our neighbours if they be fayre and to curse those that doe vs iniurie finally though wee speake euill wee cannot murmure but at those that dwell in the same Streete where wee dwell But you men defame your wiues by suspition you dishonour your neighbours in your words you speake against strangers with crueltie you neyther keepe faith nor promise to your wiues you shew your selues extreme against your enemies you murmure both at those that bee present and also at them that be absent finally on the one part you are so double and on the other part you are so vnthankefull that to those whom you desire you make fayre promises and those whose bodies you haue enioyed you little esteeme I confesse that the woman is not so good as shee ought to bee and that it is necessary that she should be kept in the house and so shee shall leade a good life and being of good life she shall haue good renowme and hauing good renowme shee shall bee well willed but if chaunce any of those doe want in her yet for all that shee ought not to bee reiected of her husband For the frailenesse that men finde in women is but little but the euils that women taste in men is very great I haue talked longer then I thought and haue saide more boldly then I ought but pardon me my Lord for my intention was not to vex thee but to perswade thee for in the end he is a foole that taketh that for iniury which passeth betweene the man and the wife in secret I stick alwaies to my first point if it neede once againe I require thee that thou wilt giue me the Key of thy studie and if thou doe otherwise as thou mayest thou shalt doe such a thing as thou oughtest not to doe I am not angry so much for that thou doest as for the occasion thou giuest me Therefore to auoyde the perill of my deliuerie and to take from me all suspition I pray thee my Lord deliuer me the key of thy studie for otherwise I cannot be perswaded in my hart but that you haue a woman locked in your studie For men that in their youth haue beene vnconstant though the apparell that they haue be not worne yet notwithstanding they desire to haue new Therefore once againe to preserue mee from perill in my deliuery and to lighten my heart of this thought it shall be well done that you let mee enter into your studie CHAP. XV. ¶ The Aunswere of the Emperour to Faustine concerning her demand of the key of the Studie THe Emperor hearing the wordes of Faustine and seeing that shee spake them so earnestly that shee bathed her woefull words with bitter teares determined also to answere her as earnestly and saide vnto her these wordes Wife Faustine thou hast tolde mee all that thou wouldest and I haue hearde all thy
though man doth what hee can as a maid and that he do all that he ought to do as a husband though he taketh painesfor her sake aboue his force and though with the sweat of his browes he relieueth her neede though euery houre he putteth himselfe in daunger yet in the ende shee will giue him no thanks but wil say that he loueth another and how hee doeth that but to please and satisfie her It is a long time since I desired to tell thee this Faustine but I haue deferred it vntill this present houre hoping thou wouldest not giue occasion to tell it thee For amongst wise men those wordes ought chiefly to bee esteemed which fitly to the purpose are declared I remember that it is six yeares past since Antonius Pius thy Father chose me to bee his Sonne in law and that thou chosest mee for thy Husband and I thee for my wife all the which things were done my wofull aduentures permitting it and Adrian my Lord commaunding it The good Anthonius Pius gaue his onely daughter in marriage vnto me and gaue mee likewise his Noble Empire with great treasures Hee gaue mee also the gardens of Vulcanali to passe the time therein But I thinke on both sides we were deceiued He in chosing mee for his Sonne in law and I in taking thee for my wife Oh Fanstine thy Father and my Father in law was called Anthontus Pius because to all hee was mercifull saue only to mee vnto whom he was most cruell For with a little flesh he gaue me many bones And I confesse the truth vnto thee that now I haue no more teeth to bite nor heate in my stomacke to digest and the worst of all is that many times I haue thought to rage on my selfe I will tell thee one word though it doeth displease thee which is that for thy beautie thou art desired of manie and for thy euill conditions thou art despised of all For the faire women are like vnto the golden pilles the which in sight are very pleasant and in eating very noysome Thou knowest well Faustine and I also that wee saw on a day Drusio and Braxille his Wife which were our neighbours and as they were brawling together I spake vnto Drusio such wordes What meaneth this my Lorde Drusio that being now the Feast of Berecinthia and being as we are adioyuing to her house and present before so honorable an assemblie furthermore thy wife being so faire as she is How is it possible there should bee any strife betweene you Men which are marryed to deformed persons to the ende that they might kil them quickly should always fall out with their Wiues but those that are married to faire women they ought alwayes to liue together in ioy and pleasure to the end they may liue long For when a faire woman dyeth although shee haue liued an hundred yeares yet shee dyeth too soone and on the contrarie though a deformed woman liueth but a small time yet notwithstanding shee dyeth too late Drusio as a man being vexed lifting vp his eyes vnto the heauens fetching a grieuous sigh from the bottome of his hart said these words as followeth The Mother Berecinthia pardon me and her holy house also and all the companie besides forgiue mee for by the immortall gods I sweare vnto thee that I had rather haue beene Marryed with a Moore of Chalde that is so fowle then being marryed as I am with a Romaine beeing very faire For shee is not so faire and white as my life is wofull and blacke Thou knowest well Faustine that when Drusio spake these wordes I did wipe the teares from his eyes and I gaue him a word in his eare that hee should proceede no further in this matter For such women ought to be chastened in secret and afterwards to be honoured openly Oh thou art most vnfortunate Faustine and the Gods haue euill deuided with thee giuing thee beautie and riches to vndoe thy selfe and denying thee the best which is wisedome and good conditions to keepe thy honor O what euil lucke cōmeth vnto a man when God sendeth him a faire daughter vnlesse furthermore the Gods doe permit that shee be sage and honest for the womā which is yong foolish and faire destroyeth the Common-wealth defameth all her parentage I say vnto thee againe Faustine that the gods were very cruel against thee since they swallowe thee vppe by the goulfes where all the euill perisheth and tooke from thee all the sayles and owers whereby the good doe escape I remained xxxviij yeares vnmarried and these vj. yeares only which I haue bin married mee thinketh I haue passed vj. hundreth yeares of my life for nothing can bee called a torment but the euil that man doth suffer that is euill married I will assure thee of one thing Faustine that if I had knowne before that which now I knowe and that I had felt that which now I feele though the Gods had cōmanded me and the Emperour Adrian my Lorde desired mee I had not chaunged my pouerty for thy riches neither my rest for thy Empire But since it is fallen to thine and mine euill fortunes I am contented to speake little and to suffer much I haue so much dissembled with thee Faustine that I can no more but I confesse vnto thee that no Husband doth suffer his wife so much but that hee is bound to suffer her more considering that hee is a man and that she is a woman For the man which willingly goeth into the bryers he must thinke before to endure the prickes The Woman is too bolde that doeth contend with her Husband but that Husband is more foole which openly quarrelleth with his wife For if shee be good hee ought to fauour her to the end that she may be better if she be vnhappie he ought to suffer her to the end she be not worse Truly when the woman thinketh that her husband taketh her for eulll it is a great occasion to make her to be worse For women are so ambitious that those who cōmonly are euil wil make vs belieue that they are better then the others Belieue me Faustine that if the feare of the gods the infamy of the person the speech of men do not restraine the woman all the chastisements of the worlde will not make her refraine from vice for all things suffereth chastisement and correction the woman only except the which must be wonne by intreatie The heart of the man is very noble and that of the woman very delicate because for a little good hee will giue a great rewarde and for a great offence hee will giue no punishment Before the wise man marieth it behoueth him to beware what he doth and when hee shall determine to take the companie of a Woman he ought to be like vnto him that entreth into the warre that determineth with himselfe to suffer all that may happen bee it good or euill I doe not
great Carthage who being of the yeares of 81 dyed in the first yeere of the wars of Punica they demaunded this Philosopher what it was that he knew he answered He knew nothing but to speake well They demaunded him againe what hee learned He answered Hee did learne nothing but to speake well Another time they demaunded him what hee taught Hee answered He taught nothing but to speake well Me thinketh that this good Philosopher in fourescore yeares and one said that he learned nothing but to speake well hee knew nothing but to speake well and that he taught nothing but to speake well And truely hee had reason for the thing which most adorneth mans life is the sweet pleasant tongue to speake well what is it to see two men in one counsell the one talking to the other the one of them hath an euill grace in propounding and the other excellent in speaking Of such there are some that in hearing them talke three houres wee would neyther be troubled nor wearied and of the contrary part there are others so tedious and rude in their speech that as soone as men perceiue they beginne to speake they auoyde the place And therefore in mine opinion there is no greater trouble then to hearken one quarter of an houre a rude man to speake and to be contrary there is no greater pleasure then to heare a discreete man though it were a whole weeke The diuine Plato in the Booke of Lawes sayde that there is nothing whereby a man is known more then by the words he speaketh for of the wordes which we heare him speake we iudge his intention eyther to bee good or euil Laertius in the life of the Phylosopher saieth that a young childe borne at Athens was brought vnto Socrates the great phylosopher being in Athens to the ende he should receyue him into his companie and teach him in his Schoole The yong childe was strange and shamefast and durste not speake before his Maister wherefore the Phylosopher Socrates sayd vnto him Speake friend if thou wilt that I know thee This sentence of Socrates was very profound I pray him that shall reade this writing to pause a while thereat For Socrates will not that a man be known by the gesture he hath but by the good or euill wordes which he speaketh Though eloquence and speaking well to euery man is a cause of augmenting their honour and no diminisher of their goods yet without comparison it shineth much more is most necessary in the Pallaces of Princesses and great Lords for men which haue common offices ought of necessity hearken to his naturall Countrimen and also to speake with strangers Speaking therefore most plainely I say that the Prince ought not to trauell onely to haue eloquence for the honour of his person but also it behoueth him for the Common-wealth For as the Prince is but one and is serued of all so it is vnpossible that hee haue so much as will satisfie and content them all And therefore it is necessary that hee requite some with money and that hee content others with good words For the Noble heart loueth better a gentle worde then a reward or gift with the tong of a rude man Plato Liuius Herodotus Vulpicius Eutropius Diorus Plinie and many other innumerable ancient Historiographers doe not cease to prayse the eloquence of Greeke princes and Latines in their workes Oh how blessed were those times when there were sage Princes and discreete Lordes truely they haue reason to exalt them For many haue obtayned and wonne the royall crownes and scepters of the Empire not so much for the great battels they haue conquered nor for the high bloud and generation from whence they are discended as for the wisedome and eloquence which they had Marcus Aurelius was naturall of Rome borne in Mount Celio hee was poore in patrimony and of base lynage little in fauour left and forsakē of his parents and besides all this onely for being vertuous in this life profound in doctrine and of so high eloquence the Emperour Antonius called Pius gaue him his daughter Faustine for wife who being reproued of many because he gaue his daughter to so poore a Philosopher answered I had rather haue a poore Philosopher then a rich foole Pulio in his seuenth booke of the Romaine lawes sayth that in Rome there was a law very well kept and obserued of the Consels by a custom brought in that the Dictators Censor and Emperors of Rome entred into the Senate once in the weeke at the least and in this place they should giue and render account in what state the common wealth remayned O would to God that at this present this Law were so kept and obserued for there is none who doth minister so good iustice as he which thinketh to giue account of his doings They say that Caligula the fourth Emperour of Rome was not onelie deformed infamous and cruell in his life but also was an Idiot in eloquēce and of an euill vtterance in his communication so that hee among all the Romane Princes was constrained to haue others to speake for him in the Senate This wicked man was so vnfortunate that after his cruell and infamous death they drew him throughout Rome and set vpon his graue this Epitaph Caligula lyeth here in endlesse sleepe That stretcht his raigne vpon the Empires head Vnfitte for rule that could such folly heape And fitte for death where vertue so was dead I Cannot tell why Princes do praise themselues to be strong and hardie to bee well disposed to bee runners to iust well and doe not esteeme to be eloquent since it is true that those gifts doe profite them onely for their life but the eloquence profiteth them not onely for to honour their life but also to augment their renowne For wee doe reade that by that many Princes did pacifie great seditions in the common wealth and besides that they deserued immortall memory Suetonius Tranquillus in the first book of Caesars sayth that the aduenturous Iulius Caesar being as yet but 16. yeares of age when there dyed in Rome an aunt of his called Cornelia at her buriall hee made an Oration in the which hee beeing so young shewed maruellous great eloquence which was so accepted that day in al people that in the end euery man iudged him to bee a valiant Romane Captaine And as Appianus declareth they say that Silla spake these words That which I perceyue of this young man Caius Caesar is that in the boldnesse of his tongue he declareth how valiant he ought to bee in his person Let therefore Princes and great Lordes see how much it may profite them to know to speake well and eloquently For wee see no other thing dayly but that a man of base lynage by his eloquence commeth to be exalted and the other which of linage is nobly borne for want of speaking well and being eloquent is the first that discendeth most vilest of all other
eye to thy childe whom of thy own bloud thou hast begotten And if thou doest it not because he is thy childe thou oughtest to doe it because hee is thy neerest For it is vnpossible that the child which with many vices is assaulted and not succoured but in the ende hee should be infamed and to the dishonour of the father most wickedly ouercome It is vnpossible to keepe Flesh well sauoured vnlesse it bee first salted It is vnpossible that the Fish should liue without water It is vnpossible but that the Rose should wither which is of the thorne ouergrowne So like it is vnpossible that the Fathers should haue any comfort of their children in their age vnlesse they haue instructed them in vertue in their youth And to speake further in this matter I say that in the Christian catholike Religion where in deede there is good doctrine there alwaies is supposed to bee a good conscience Amongst the Writers it is a thing well knowne how Eschines the Phylosopher was banished from Athens and with all his familie came to dwell at Rhodes The occasion was because that hee and the Phylosopher Demosthenes were in great contention in the common-wealth Wherefore the Atheniās determined to banish the one and to keepe the other with them And truely they did well for of the contentions and debates of Sages Warres moste commonly arise amongst the people This Phylosopher Eschines being at Rhodes banished amōgst others made a solemne Oration wherin he greatly reproued the Rhodians that they were so negligent in bringing vp their children saying vnto them these words I let you vnderstand lords of Rhodes that your Predecessours aduaunced themselues to descend and take theyr beginning of the Lides the which aboue all other Nations were curious and diligent to bring vp theyr Children and hereof came came a Law that was among them which saide Wee ordeine and commaund that if a Father haue many Children that the most vertuous should inherite the goods and riches and if there were but one vertuous that he alone shold inherit the whole And if perchance the Children were vicious that then all should be depriued from the heritage For the goods gottē with trauell of vertuous Fathers ought not by reason to be inherited by vicious childrē These were the wordes that the Philosopher spake to the Senate of the Rhodes and because he sayde in that oratiō many other things which touch not our matter I will in this place omit them For among excellēt Writers that writing loseth much authority when the Author from his purpose digresseth into an other matter To say the truth I doe not maruell that the children of Princes and great Lords be adulterers and belly-gods for that on the one part youth is the mother of idlenesse and on the other little experience is the cause of great offences And furthermore the fathers being once dead the children enherite their goods as quietly being loden with vices as if in deed they were with all vertues endued If the young children did know for a certaine that the lawes of the Lydes should be obserued that is to say that they should not inherite vnlesse they be vertuous it is vnpossible but that they would leade a vertuous life and not in this wise to run at large in the worlde For they doe abstaine more from doing euill fearing to lose that which they doe possesse then for anie loue to doe that which they ought I do not denie but according as the natures of the Fathers is diuers so the inclination of the children is variable For so much as some following theyr good inclinations are good and others not resisting euill sensualities are euill But yet in this matter I say that it lyeth much in the Father that doeth bring them vp when as yet they are young so that the euill which nature gaue by good bringing vp is refrayned For oft times the good custome doth ouercome all euill inclination Princes and great Lordes that will be diligent in the instruction of theyr children ought to enforme their maisters and tutors that shall teach them to what vices and vertues their Children are moste inclined And this ought to bee to encourage them in that that is good and contrarie to reproue them in all that is euill For men are vndone for none other cause when they be olde but for that they had so much pleasure when they were young Sextus Cheronensis in the second booke of the auncients saith that on a day a cittizen of Athenes was buying things in the market and for the qualitie of his person the greatest parte of them were superfluous and nothing necessarie And in this case the poore are no lesse culpable then the rich and the riche then the poore For that is so little that to sustaine manslife is necessarie that he which hath least hath therevnto superfluous Therefore at this time when Athens and her common-wealth was the Lanterne of all Greece there was in Athens a Law long vsed and of a great time accustomed that nothing should be bought before a Philosopher had set the price And truly the law was good and would to God the same law were at this present obserued For there is nothing that destroieth a commonwealth more then to permit some to sell as tyrantes and others to buye as fooles When the Theban was buying these things a philosopher was present who saide vnto him these words Tell me I pray thee thou man of Thebes Wherefore doest thou consume and wast thy money in that which is not necessarie for thy house nor profitable for thy person The Thebane answered him I let thee knowe that I doe buye all these things for a sonne I haue of the age of xx yeares the which neuer did any thing that seemed vnto mee euil nor I neuer denyed him any thing that hee demaunded This Philososopher answered Oh how happy wert thou if as thou art a Father thou wert a sonne and that which the Father saieth vnto the sonne the sonne would say vnto the father but I am offended greatly with that thou hast told me For vntill the childe be xxv yeares old he ought not to gainesay his father and the good father ought not to condiscend vnto the appetites of the sonne Now I may call thee cursed father since thou arte become subject to the will of thy sonne and that thy sonne is not obedient to the will of his Father so that thou alterest the order of nature For so much as the father is become sonne of his sonne and the sonne is become father of his father But in the ende I sweare vnto thee by the immortall Gods that when thou shalt become old and aged thou shalt lament and weepe by thy selfe at that which with thy Sonne thou diddest laugh when he was young Though the words of this Phylosopher were fewe yet a wise man will iudge the sentences to be manie I conclude therfore that Princes and
made a great ship and bestowed vj. or vij thousand ducates if hee be wise hee will first prouide a man that may gouerne her before hee will seeke Marchandise for to fraight her For in perillous Tempests the greatnes of the shippe little auaileth if the Pylote be not expert The Housholder that hath manie Cowes and sheepe and likewise hath faire fieldes and pleasant pastures for his cattell doth not only seeke Heardmen to keepe the cattell but also dogs to feare the wolues and cabbaines to lodge the Heardsmen For the cabbaine of the Shepheards and the baying of the dogge is but as a salueguard of the sheepe from the rauening of the wolfe The mightie and valiaunt Princes which in the Frontieres of their enemies keepe strong fortresses seeke alwayes stout and hardy captains to defend their walls for otherwise it were better the Fort should be battered to the ground then it should come into the power of the enemyes By the comparisons aboue-named there is no discreat man but doth vnderstand to what end my penne doth write them that is to know to keepe and proue how that men which loue their Children well adding this vnto it haue great neede of good maisters and gouernours to teach and bring them vp For whilest the Palme tree is but little a frost doth easily destroy it I meane whiles the childe is young if he haue no tutour he is easily deceiued with the world If the Lorde be wise and of vnderstanding there is no Fortresse so esteemed neither ship so faire nor Heard so profitable nor Vine so fruitfull but that hee better esteemeth to haue a good sonne then all these things together or anie other thing in this world For the Father ought to loue his children as his owne proper and all residue as gifts of fortune If it be so as it is indeede since that for to keepe and watch the Heard they seeke a good Shephearde If for the Vyne they seeke a good Labourer If for to gouerne the shippe they seeke a good Pylot and for to defend a Forte they seeke a good captaine why then will not the wise Fathers seeke for good maisters to teache and to bring vp theyr Children Oh Princes and great Lords I haue tolde you and againe doe say That if you trauell one yeare to leaue your children goods you ought to sweate 50. yeares to leaue them well brought vp For it auaileth little to carry much corne to the Mill if the mill be out of frame I meane that in vaine Riches and treasures are gathered when the childe that shall inherite them hath no witte to vse them It is no small matter to knowe how to choose good gouernours For the Prince is sage that findeth such a one and much more happie is hee that of him shall be taught For in my opion it is no small charge for one man to bring vp a Prince that shall gouerne manie As Seneca saith The wise man ought to conferre all things with his Friende But first hee ought to know who is he that is his Friend I meane that the wise Father ought for his Children to seeke one good maister and to him he should recommend them all but first he ought to know what hee is For that man is very simple which wil buy a Horse before he see and proue him whether he be whole or lame Hee ought to haue many good conditions and qualityes that should bring vp the children of Princes and great Lords for by one way they nourish the tender trees in the Orchard and after another sort they plant the wilde trees in the mountaines Therefore the case shal be this that weewill declare here what conditions and behauiours the Maisters and gouernors of Noblemens sonnes ought to haue which may bring them to honour and theyr disciples to bee well taught and brought vp For the glorie of the disciple alwayes redoundeth to the honour and praise of his maister The first condition is that he which ought to bee a Tutor to Noble mens children should bee no lesse then 40. yeares of age no more then 60. because the maister that is yong is ashamed to commaund and if he be aged he is not able to correct The second it is necessary that Tutors be very honest and that not onely in purenes of conscience but also in the outward appearance and cleanenes of life For it is vnpossible the childe bee honest if the Master be dissolute The third it is necessarie that Tutors and gouernours of Princes and great Lords be true men not onely in their wordes but also in then Couenauntes For to say the trueth that mouth which is alwayes full of lyes ought not by reason to be a teacher of the truth The fourth condition it is necessarie that the gouernors of Princes and great Lorde of their owne nature be liberall For oft times the great couetousnes of Masters maketh the hearts of Princes to be greedy and couetous The fifth it is necessarie that the masters and gouernours of Princes and great Lordes be moderate in wordes and very resolute in sentences so that they ought to teach the Children to speake little and to harken much For it is the chiefest vertue in a Prince to heare with patience and to speake with wisedome The sixt condition is it is necessarie that the maisters tutors of Princes c. be wise men and temperate so that the grauitie of the Maister may restrain the lightnes of the Schollers For there is no greater plagues in Realms then for Princes to be young and their teachers to be light The seuenth it is necessary that the masters and tutors of Princes great Lords be well learned in diuinitie and humanity in such sort that that which they teach the Princes by word they may shew it by writing to the ende that other Princes may execute and put the same in vre For mens harts are sooner moued by the examples of those which are past then by the words of them that are present The eight condition it is necessary that the Maisters and tutors of Princes bee not giuen to the vice of the flesh For as they are young and naturally giuē to the flesh so they haue no strength to abide chaste neither wisedome to beware of the snares Therefore it is necessarie that their maisters be pure and honest for the disciples shall neuer be chaste if the maister be vicious The ninth it is necessarie that the maisters and tutours of Princes and great Lordes haue good conditions because the children of Noble-men beeing daintily brought vp alwayes learne euil conditions the which their Maisters ought to reforme more by good conuersation then by sharpe correction For oft times it chaunceth that whereas the Master is cruell the scholler is not mercifull The tenth it is necessarie that the maisters and tutours of Princes and great Lords haue not onely seene and read many things but also that they haue proued changeable
was brought vp in the palace of Adrian my Lord whose name was Aristonocus of his bodie he was of meane stature leane of face and also he was of an vnknowne countrey but he had such a pleasaunt tongue that though he had made an oration in the Senate of three hours long there was no man but willingly were desirous to heare him For in the olde time if hee that made an Oration in the Senate were eloquent in his speach he was hearde no lesse then if god Apollo had spoken himselfe This Phylosopher Aristonocus was on the one parte so gentle in his speech and on the other part so dissolute in his life that hee neuer spake worde to the Senate but it deserued eternall memorie and out of that place they neuer sawe him doe good workes but it merited grieuous punishment As I haue saide though in that time I was yong yet I remember that to see this phylosopher so lost all the people did pittie and the worst of all was that they neuer hoped for his amendment since daily more and more hee lost his honour For there is no man that by is Eloquence may haue such renowme but in the ende hee may lose it againe by his euill life Now I aske you my Friendes sith you are in the reputation of Sages which was better or to say better which had beene lesse enuyed that this Phylosopher had beene a simple man and of good life then to bee as he was a man of high eloquence and of euill condition It was vnpossible if hee had once hearde of mee that which many times I haue heard say of him that he had not counselled me yea and further to doe it he had constrained me rather to chuse the graue then to liue in Rome with infamie For he is vnworthie to liue amongst men whose words of all are approued and his workes of all condemned The first Dictator in Rome was Largius and the first Lord of the knights was Spurius And from the time of the first Dictatour vntill the time of Sylla Iulius which were the first tyrants were foure hundred and fiftie yeares in the which space we neuer read that any philosopher spake any vain words nor yet committed any sclaunderous deedes And if Rome had done any otherwise it had bin vnworthie of such praise and estimation as it had for it is vnpossible that the people bee well gouerned if the Sages which gouern them are in their liues dissolute I protest to the immortall Gods and sweare by the faith of a Christian that whē I consider that which at this present with mine eyes I see I cānot but sigh for that is past and weep for that which is present That is to say to see then how the Armyes fought to see how the young men trauelled to bee good to see how well Princes gouerned to see the obedience of the people and aboue all it was a maruellous thing to see the liberties and fauours which the sages had the subjection small estimation that the simple people were in And now by our euill fortune we see the cōtrary in these our wofull times so that I cannot tel whether first I should bewaile the vertues and Noblenesse of them that are past or the vices and infamies of these which are present For wee neuer ought to cease from praising the goodnes of the good nor to cease from reprouing the wickednes of the euill Oh that I had been in that glorious world to see so honorable and auncient Sages to gouerne in pleasure and for the contrary what griefe and pittie shame and dishonour is it to see now so many dissolute Sages and so many young and busie heads the which as I haue saide doe destroy all Rome and slaunder all Italie and dishonor themselues For the want of vertue which in them aboundeth and endamageth the Common-wealth and as the other vices wherewith they are replenished corrupteth the people in such sorte that the weale publique is more dishonored through the dissolute life of them then it is anoyed by the weapons of their enemyes I say againe and repeate my friends that the prosperitie of Rome endured 400. and xv yeares in the which time there was a great maiesty of works and a maruellous simplicitie of words and aboue all that the best that it had was that it was rich of the good and vertuous men and poore of euill and vicious loyterers For in the ende that Citie cannot be called prosperous which hath in it manie people but onely that which hath in it fewe vices Speaking therefore more particularly the cause that moued mee to put you from mee is because in the day of the great feast of the god Genius you shewed in the presence of the Senate your little wisedome and your great follie For so much as all men did behold more the lightnes of your person then they did the follyes of the jugglers If perchaunce you shewed your follie to the intent men should thinke that you were familiar in my Royall Pallace I tell you that the errour of your thought was no lesse then the euill example of your worke For no man ought to be so familiar with princes but whether it be in sporte or in earnest he ought to do him reuerēce Since I gaue you leaue to departe I knowe you had rather haue to helpe you in your journey a litle money thē many counsells But I will giue you both that is to say money for to bring you to your journeys end also coūcels to the end ye may liue and maruel not that I giue coūcel to them that haue an office to counsell others for it chanceth oft times that the Physitian doth cure the diseases of others and yet indeed he knoweth not his owne Let therefore the last word and counsell bee when you shall bee in the seruices of Princes and great Lords that first you labour to be coūted honest rather then wise That they doe chuse you rather for quiet men then for busie heades and more for your few wordes then for your much babling for in the pallace of Princes if the wise man be no more then wise it is a great happe if hee bee much esteemed but if he an honest man hee is beloued and well taken of all CHAP. XXXVII That Princes and other noble men ought to ouersee the Tutours of their Children lest they conceale the secrete faults of their Schollers WEe haue before rehearsed what conditions what age and what grauitie Masters ought to haue which should bring vp the children of princes Now reason would we should declare what the counsels should bee that princes should giue to the Masters and Tutors of their children before they ought to giue them any charge And after that it is meete wee declare what the counsell shall be which the Master shall giue to his Disciple hauing the gouernment of him For it is vnpossible there should happen
that in earnest matters any man should accuse them of pride and in things of sport they should count them for light For the Noble and valiant Prince in thinges of importance ought to shew great wisdome and in meane things great stoutenes The case was such that Alexander the Great hunting on the wilde mountaines by chance met with a cruell Lyon and as the good Prince would winne his honor with the Lyon and also the Lyon preserue his owne life they were in griepes the one of the other so fast that both fell to the earth where they striued almost halfe an houre but in the ende the Lyon remayned there dead and the hardy Alexander escaped all bloudy This hunting of Alexander and the Lyon through all Greece was greatly renowmed I say greatly renowned because the Grauers and Painters drew a portrait forthwith in stone-worke of this hunting and the grauers hereof were Lisippus and Leocarcus maruellous grauers of anticke workes which they made of mettall where they liuely set forth Alexander and the Lyon fighting and also a familiar seruant of his named Crotherus being among the dogges beholding them So that the worke seemed not onely to represent an ancient thing but that the Lyon Alexander Crotherus and the dogges seemed also to bee aliue in the same chase When Alexander fought with the Lyon there came an Ambassadour from Sparthes to Macedonie who spake to Alexander these Wordes Would to God Immortall prince That the force you haue vsed with the lyon in the mountain you had employed against some Pr for to be lord of the earth By the words of the Embassadour and the deedes of Alexander may easily bee gathered That as it is comely for Princes to bee honest valiant and stout so to the contrary it is vnseemly for them to be bolde and rash For though Princes of theyr goods be liberall yet of their life they ought not to be prodigall The diuine Plato in the tenth booke of his laws saith that the two renowmed Phylosophers of Thebes whose names were Adon and Clinias fell at variance with themselues to knowe in what thing the Prince is bound to aduenture his life Clinias saide that hee ought to die for any thing touching his honor Adon saide the contrarie That hee should not hazard his life vnlesse it were for matters touching the affaires of the cōmonwealth Plato saith those two philosophers had reason in that they said but admit that occasion to dye should be offered the Prince for the one or the other he ought rather to die for that thing touching iustice then for the thing touching his honor For there is no great differēce to die more for the one then for the other Applying that wee haue spoken to that we will speake I say that we doe not desire nor we will not that Princes and great lords doe destroy themselues with Lions in the chace neither aduenture their persons in the warres nor that they put theyr liues in perill for the cōmon-weale But wee onely require of them that they take some paines and care to prouide for thinges belonging to iustice For it is a more naturall hunting for Princes to hunt out the vices of their commonweales then to hunt the wilde boares in the thicke woods To the end Princes accomplish this which we haue spoken we will not aske them time when they ought to eate sleepe hunt sporte and recreate themselues but that of the 24 houres that bee in the day and night they take it for a pleasure and commodity one houre to talke of iustice The gouernment of the comonweale consisteth not in that they should trauell vntill they sweate and molest their bodyes shead their bloud shorten theyr liues and loose their pastimes but all consisteth in that they should be diligent to foresee the dammages of their common-wealth and likewise to prouide for good mimisters of iustice Wee doe not demaund Princes and great Lordes to giue vs their goods Nor wee forbidde them not to eate to forsake sleepe or sport to hunt or put their liues in daunger but we desire and beseeche them that they would prouide good ministers of iustice for the common-weale First they ought to be very diligent to search them out and afterwards to be more circūspect to examin them For if wee sigh with teares to haue good Princes we ought much more to pray that we haue not euil officers What profiteth it the knight to be nimble and if the horse be not ready What auayleth it the owner of the ship to be sage and expert if the Pilot be a foole and ignorant What profiteth the king to be valiant and stout the captain of the warre to be a coward I meane by this I haue spoken what profiteth it a prince to be honest if those which minister iustice bee dissolute What profiteth it vs that the Prince be true if his Officers be lyers what profiteth it vs that the Pr be sober if his ministers be drūkards what profiteth it that the P be gentle louing if his officers be cruell malicious what profiteth it vs that the Pr be a giuer liberall and an almes-man if the iudge which ministreth justice be a briber and an open Theefe What profiteth it the prince to bee carefull and vertuous if the Iudge bee negligent and vicious Finally I say that it little auayleth that the prince in his house be secretly iust if adioyning to that hee trust a tirant open theefe with the gouernment of the Common-weale Princes and great Lords when they are within their pallaces at pleasure their mindes occupied in high things doe not receyue into theyr secret company but their entire friends Another time they will not but occupie themselues in pastimes and pleasure so that they know not what they haue to amend in their persons and much lesse that which they ought to remedy in their common-weales I will not bee so eager in reprouing neyther so Satyricall in writing that it should seeme I would perswade princes that they liue not according to the highnesse of their estates but according to the life of the religious for if they wil keepe themselues from being tyrants or being outragiously vitious we cannot deny them sometimes to take their pleasures But my intention is not so straightly to commaund Princes to be iust but only to shew them how they are bound to doe iustice Common-wealthes are not lost for that their princes liue in pleasure but because they haue little care of iustice In the end people doe not murmur when the Prince doth recreate his person but when he is too slacke to cause iustice to be executed I would to God that Princes took an account with God in the things of their conscience touching the common wealth as they doe with men touching their rents and reuenues Plutarch in an Epistle hee wrote to Traian the Emperor saith It pleaseth mee very well most puissant prince that the Prince be such
doth not enrich or empouerish his Common-wealth yet wee cannot deny but that it doth much for the reputation of his person For the vanity and curiosity of garments dooth shew great lightnes of mind According to the variety of ages so ought the diuersity of apparrell to bee which seemeth to be very cleare in that the young maides are attired in one sort the married women of an other sort the widdowes of an other And likewise I would say that the apparrell of children ought to be of one sort those of young men of an other and those of olde men of an other which ought to be more honester then all For men of hoary heades ought not to be adorned with precious garments but with vertuous workes To goe cleanely to bee well apparrelled and to bee well accompanied wee doe not forbidde the olde especially those which are noble and valiant men but to goe fine to go with great traines and to go very curious wee doe not allow Let the old men pardon mee for it is not the office but of yong fooles for the one sheweth honesty and the other lightnesse It is a confusion to tell it but it is greater shame to do it that is to say that many olde men of our time take no smal felicity to put caules on their heads euery man to weare iewels on their necks to lay their caps with agglets of gold to seeke out diuers inuētions of mettall to loade their fingers with rich rings to go perfumed with odoriferous sauors to weare new fashioned apparrell and finally I say that thogh their face be ful of wrinckles they cannot suffer one wrinckle to be in their gowne All the ancient histories accuse Quint. Hortensius the Romane for that euery time when he made himselfe ready hee had a glasse before him and as much space and time had hee to streighten the pleytes of his gowne as a Woman hadde to trimme the haires of her head This Quintus Hortensius being Consull going by chance one day through Rome in a narrow streete met with the other Consull where thorough the streightnes of the passage the pleights of his Gowne were vndone vppon which occasion hee complained vnto the Senate of the other Consull that he had deserued to loose his life The Author of all this is Macrobius in the third book of the Saturnales I can not tell if I be deceyued but we may say that all the curiositie that olde men haue to goe fine well apparrelled and cleane is for no other thing but to shake off Age and to pretende right to youth What a griefe is it to see diuers auncient men the which as ripe Figges do fall and on the other side it is a wonder to see how in theyr age they make themselues young In this case I say would to God wee might see them hate vices and not to complaine of their yeares which they haue I pray and exhort all Princes and great Lordes whome our soueraigne Lord hath permitted to come to age that they doe not despise to bee aged For speaking the truth the man which hath enuie to seeme olde doth delight to liue in the lightnes of youth Also men of honor ought to be very circumspect for so much as after they are become aged they bee not suspected of their friends but that both vnto their friends and foes they be counted faithfull For a Lye in a young mans mouth is esteemed but a lye but in the mouth of an auncient or aged old man it is counted as a haynous blasphemie Noble Princes and great Lordes after they are become aged of one sort they ought to vse themselues to giue and of the other to speake For good Princes ought to sell theyr wordes by weight and giue rewardes without measure The Auncient do oftentimes complaine saying That the young will not bee conuersant with them and truely if there be any faulte therein it is of themselues And the reason is that if sometimes they doe assemble together to passe away the time if the old man set a talking he neuer maketh an ende So that a discrete man had rather goe a dozen miles on foot then to heare an olde man talke three houres If with such efficacie we perswade olde men that they be honest in theyr apparrell for a truth we will not giue them licence to bee dissolute in theyr words since there is a great difference to note some man in his Apparrell or to accuse him to bee malitious or a babler For to weare rich and costly Apparell iniurieth fewe but iniurious words hurt manie Macrobius in his first booke of the dreames of Scipio declareth of a Phylosopher named Crito who liued an hundred and fiue yeares and till fiftie yeares hee was farre out of course But after hee came to be aged he was so well measured in his eating and drinking and so warie in his speeche that they neuer saw him do any thing worthy reprehension nor heard him speake word but was worthie of noting On this condition wee would giue licence to manie that till fiftie yeares they should bee young So that from thenceforth they would be clothed as old men speake as old men and they should esteeme themselues to be olde But I am sorrie that all the Spring time doth passe in flower and afterwardes they fall into the graue as rotten before they finde any time to pull them out The olde doe complaine that the young doe not take their aduise and their excuse herein is that in their words they are too long For if a man doe demaund an olde man his opinion in a case immediately hee will beginne to say that in the life of such and such Kings and Lords of good memory this was done this was prouided so that when a young man asketh them counsel how hee shall be haue himselfe with the liuing the olde man beginneth to declare vnto him the life of those which be dead The reason why the olde men desire to speake so long is that since for their age they cannot see nor go nor eate nor sleepe they would that all the time their members were occupied to doe their duties all that time their tongue should bee occupied to declare of their times past All this being spoken what more is to say I know not but that wee should content our selues that the olde men should haue their flesh as much punished as they haue their tong with talke martyred Though it bee very vile for a young man to speake and slaunder to a young man not to say the truth yet this vice is much more to be abhorred in old Princes and other noble and worshipfull men which ought not onely to thinke it their duty to speake truth but also to punish the enemies thereof For otherwise the noble and valiant Knights should not lose a litle of their authority if a man saw on their heads but white haires and in their mouthes found
banishment I did helpe him with money and moreouer he was banished another time for the lightnes hee did commit in the night in the Citie and I maruell not hereof For we see by experience that Olde men which are fleshed in vices are more obstinate to correct then the young Oh what euill fortune haue the old men which haue suffered themselues to waxe olde in vice For more dangerous is the fire in an old house then in a newe and a great cut of a sword is not so perillous as a rotten Fistula Though olde men were not honest and vertuous for the seruice of the Gods and the commonwealth for the saying of the people nor for the example of the young yet he ought to bee honest if it were but for the reuerence of their yeares If the poore old man haue no teeth how shall he eate If he haue no heate in his stomacke how can he disgest If hee haue no taste how can he drinke if he be not strong how can hee be an adulterer if he haue no feet how can he goe if he haue the palsey how can he speake if he haue the gowte in his hands how can he play Finally such like worldly vicious men haue employed their forces being young desirous to proue al these vices and when they are old it grieueth thē extreamly that they cānot acomplish their desire Amongst all these faultes in olde men in myne opinion this is the chiefest that since they haue proued all things that they should still remaine in theyr obstinate follie There is no parte but they haue trauelled no villanie but they haue essayed no Fortune but they haue proued no good but they haue persecuted no euill but hath chanced vnto them nor there is any wickednes but they haue attēpted These vnhappie men which in this sort haue spent all their youth haue in the ende theyr combes cut with infirmities and diseases yet they are not so much grieued with the vices which in them doe abound to hinder them from vertues as they are tormented for want of corporall courage to further them in their lustes Oh if wee were Gods or that they would giue vs licence to knowe the thoughtes of the olde as wee see with our eyes the deedes of the young I sweare to the God Mars and also to the Mother Berecynthia that without comparison wee would punish more the wicked desires which the aged haue to be wicked then the light deedes of the young Tell mee Claude and Claudine doe you thinke though you behaue your selues as young you shall not seme to be olde Knowe you not that our nature is the corruption of our bodie and that our bodie hindereth our vnderstandings and that the vnderstandings are kept of our soule and that our soule is the mother of desires and that our desires are the scourge of our youth and that our youth is the ensigne of our age and age the spye of death and that death in the end is the house where life taketh his harbor from whēce youth flyeth a foot frō whence age cānot escape a horseback I would reioyce that you Claude and Claudine would but tell mee what you finde in this life that so much therwith you should be contented since no we you haue passed foure-score yeares of life during the which time either you haue bin wicked in the worlde or else you haue bin good If you haue bin good you ought to thinke it long vntill you bee with the good Gods if you haue bin euill it is iust you dye to the ende you be no worse For speaking the truth those which in threescore and ten yeares haue bin wicked in workes leaue small hope of their amendment of life Adrian my Lord beeing at Nola in Campania one brought vnto him a nephew of his from the studie whereas the yong childe had not profited a little for hee became a great Grecian and Latinist and moreouer hee was faire gratious and honest And this Emperour Adrian loued his Nephew so much that he saide vnto him these wordes My Nephewe I knowe not whether I ought to say vnto thee that thou art good or euill For if thou be euill life shall be euill employed on thee and if thou be good thou oughtest to dye immediately and because I am worse then all I liue longer then all These words which Adrian my Lord said doe plainly declare and expresse that in short space the pale and cruell death doth assault the good and lengtheneth life a great while to the euill The opinion of a phylosopher was that the gods are so profound in their secrets high in their mysteries and so iust in their works that to men which least profite the commonwealth they lengthen life longest and though he had not saide it we others see it by experience For the man which is good and that beareth great zeale friendship to the Commonwealth eyther the Gods take him from vs or the Enemyes doe slay him or the daungers doe cast him away or the trauells doe finish him When the great Pompeyus and Iulius Caesar became enemyes and from that enmitie came to cruell warres the Gronicles of the time declare that the kings and people of the occidental part became in he fauour of Iulius Caesar and the mightiest and most puissant of al the oriental parts came in the ayde of great Pompeius because these two Princes were loued of a few and serued and feared of all Amongst the diuersity and sundry nations of people which came out of the Orientall part into the hoast of the great Pompeius one nation came maruellous and cruell barbarous which sayde they dwelled on the other side of the mountaine Riphees which goe vnto India And these Barbarians had a Custome not to liue no longer then fifty yeares and therefore when they came to that age they made a greater fire and were burned therin aliue and of their owne wils they sacrificed themselues to the Gods Let no man be astonied at that we haue spoken but rather let them maruell of that wee will speake that is to say that the same day any man had accōplished fifty yeares immediately hee cast himselfe quicke into the fire and his friends made a great feast And the feast was that they did eate the flesh of the dead halfe burned and dranke in wine and water the ashes of his bones so that the stomacke of the childrē being aliue was the graue of the Fathers being dead All this that I haue spoken with my tongue Pompeius hath seene with his eyes for that some being in the camp did accomplish fifty yeares and because the case was strange hee declared it oft in the Senate Let euery man iudge in this case what he will and condemne the barbarians at his pleasure yet I will not cease to say what I thinke O golden world which had such men O blessed people of whom in the World to ome shall be
coller of golde at the necke as those of Dace Fringes in their gownes as those of Saphire hoops in their hattes as the Greekes and pearls on their fingers as those of India What wilt thou I tell thee more then I haue tolde thee but that they weare theyr Gownes long and large as those of Tharento and they weare them of the colour as men of warre and euery weeke they haue change as players and the worste of all is that they shew themselues as doating with loue now in their Age as others haue done heretofore in their youth That old men are ouercome by yong desires I doe not maruel for that brutish Lust is as naturall as the daylie foode but the olde men being olde men should be so dissolute herewith men iustly ought to be offended For the olde men couetous and of Flesh vicious both offend the Gods and slaunder the commonwealth Oh how many I haue knowne in Rome who in their youth haue been highly praysed and esteemed and after wardes through giuing themselues to very much lightnes in their age haue bin of all abhorred And the worst of all is that they haue lost all theyr credite their parents their fauour and their poore innocent Children theyr profit For many times the Gods permit that the Fathers committing the offences the paines should fall vpon their owne children The renowmed Gaguino Cato who discended from the hie linage of the sage Catoes was fiue yeares Flamen priest and administrator to the Vestall virgins three yeers Pretor two yeeres Censor one yeere Dictator fiue times Consull being 75. yeares olde he gaue himself to follow serue and to desire Rosana and daughter of Gneus Cursius a Lady of truth verie young and faire and of many desired and much made of time afterwards passing away and God Cupid doing his office the loue was so kindled inwardly in the heart of this olde man that hee ranne almost mad So that after hee had consumed all his goods in seruing her dayly he sighed and nightly hee wept onely for to see her It chaunced that the saide Rosana fell sicke of a burning ague wherewith shee was so distempered that shee could eate no meat but greatlie desired to eates grapes and sithens there were none ripe at Rome Gaguino Cato sent to the riuer of Rheyn to fetch some being farre and many miles distant from thence And when the thing was spredde through Rome and that all the people knew it and the Senate vnderstanding the folly of him the Fathers commaunded that Rosana should be looked vp with the Vestall Virgins the olde man banished Rome for euer to the end that to them it should be a punishment and to others an example Truely it grieued mee sore to see it and also I had great paines in writing it For I saw the Father dye in infamie and his children liue in pouertie I beleeue that all those which shall heare this example and all those which shall reade this writing shall finde the fact of this amorous olde man both vile and filthy and they will allow the sentence of the Senate which they gaue against him for good and iust I sweare that if Gaguino Cato had had as manie young men in his banishment as he left olde men Louers that followed his example in Rome there should not be cast away so many men neyther so many women euill married It chanceth oft times that when the olde men specially being noble and valiant are aduertised of their seruants are rebuked of their parents are prayed of their friends and accused of their enemies to bee dishonest in such a place they answere That they are not in loue but in iest When I was very young no lesse in wisedome then in age one night in the Capitoll I met with a neighbour of mine the which was so old that hee might haue taken me for his nephew to whom I sayde these words Lord Fabritius are you also in Loue he answered me You see that my age suffereth me not that I should be a louer if I should bee it is but in sport Truly I maruelled to meete him at that houre and I was ashamed to haue such an answere In olde men of great age and grauity such request cannot be called loue but griefe not pastime but losse of time not mocrie but villanie for of loue in iest ensueth infamy indeed I aske you Claude and Claudine what a thing is it to see an olde man bee in loue Truely it is no other but as a garland before the Tauerne doores where al men think that there is wine and they sell nought else but vineger They are egges white without rotten within they are golden pilles the tast wherof are very bitter and as emptie boxes in shops which haue newe writings on them or as a new gate and within in the house is full of filth and cobwebs Finally the old Louer is a knight of Exchetes which helpeth to lose money and can deliuer no man from perill Let this word be noted and alwayes in your memory committed That the olde man that is vitious is but as a Leeke which hath the head white and the tale greene Mee thinketh that you ought to breake the wings of time since that you haue feathers to flye withall deceyue not your selfe nor your friends and neighbours saying that there is time for all For the amendment is in your hands but time is in the hands of God to dispose Let vs come now to remedy this great dammage doe what you can by the day of youth and deferre it not vntill the night of age for ill cutteth the knife when the edge thereof is dulled and ill can hee gnawe the bones which is accustomed to eate the flesh I tell you and aduertise you that when the olde and rotten houses beginne to fall vnderset not them with rotten wood but with hard timber I meane with the vpright thoughts of accounts which we ought to giue the Gods of our life and to men of our renowne For I say that if the Vine bee gathered of our vertues wee ought to graffe againe the amendment and if the shreds of our gatherings be drye and withered through our peruerse workes wee ought to set them againe with new mould and good desires The Gods are so gentle to serue and so good to content that if for all the seruices we owe them and for the gifts which they giue vs we cannot pay them in good works they demaund no more in pauement but good wils Finally I say that if thou Claude and Claudine haue offered the meale of youth to the world offer now the bloud of age to the Gods I haue written longer then I had thought to haue done Salute all my neighbours specially Drusio the Patrician and noble Roman widow I remember that Gobrine your neece did mee a pleasure that day of the Feast of the mother Berecinthia wherfore I send two thousand Sesterces one
person and his goods he ought to do it for a matter of greate importance For in the end more defamed is hee that ouercommeth a Labourer then he which is ouercome with a knight O how variable is Fortune and in how short space doth happen an euil fortune in that which now I will speake I doe condemne my selfe and accuse thee I complaine to the Gods I reclaime the dead and I call the liuing to the end they may see how that before our eyes wee suffer the griefes and know them not with the hands wee touch them and perceyue them not wee goe ouer them see them not they sound in our eares and wee heare them not dayly they doe admonish vs and wee doe not beleeue them Finally we feele the perill where there is no remedy for our griefe for as experience doth teach vs with a little blast of wind the fruit doth fal with a little sparke of fire the house is kindled with a little rocke the shippe is broken at a little stone the foote doth stuinble with a litle hooke they take great fish and with a litle wound dyeth a great person For all that I haue spoken I doe meane that our life is so frayle and fortune so fickle that in that parte where wee are surest harnessed wee are soonest wounded And Seneca writing to his mother Albina which was banished from Rome sayde these words Thou Albina art my mother and I thy sonne thou art aged and I am young I neuer beleeued in fortune though shee would promise to bee in peace with mee And further hee sayde All that which is in mee I count it at the disposition of Fortune as well of riches as of prosperity And I keepe them in such a place that at any boure in the night when shee listeth shee may carry them away and neuer wake me So that thogh shee carry those out of my Cofers yet shee should not robbe mee of this in my Entrals Without doubt such wordes were maruellous pithie and very decent for such a a wise man The Emperour Adrian my Lord did weare a ring of gold on his finger which hee sayd was of the good Drusius Germanicus and the words about the ring in Latine letters sayd thus Illis est grauis fortuna quibus est repentina Fortune to them is most cruell whom suddenly shee assaulteth We see oftentimes by experience that in the fystula which is stopped and not in that place which is open the Surgeon maketh doubt In the shallow water and not in the deepe seas the Pilot despayreth The good man of Armes is more afraide of the secret ambushmnt then in the open battell I meane that the valiaunt men ought to beware not of straungers but of his owne not of enemies but of friends not of the cruell warre but of the fained peace not of the vniust damage but of the priuy euil O how many men wee haue seene whom the mishaps of fortune could neuer change and yet afterwards hauing no care she hath made them fall I aske now what hope can man haue which will neuer trust to the prosperity of fortune since for so light a thing we haue seen such trouble in Capua and so great losse of thy person and goods If wee know fortune we would not make so great complaint of her For speaking the truth as shee is for all and would content all though in the end shee mocke all she giueth and sheweth vs all her goods and we others take them for inheritance That which she lendeth vs wee take it for perpetuall that which in iest shee giueth vs we take it in good earnest and in the end as she is the mocker of all so shee goeth mocking of vs thinking that shee giueth vs another mans she taketh our own proper I let thee know that knowing that of fortune which I know I feare not the turmoyles of her trauels neither doth her lightnings or thunders astonish me nor yet will I not esteeme the pleasantnesse of her goodly fayre flatteries I will not trust her sweete reioysings neyther wil I make accoūt of her friendships nor I will ioyne my selfe with her enemies nor I will take any pleasure of that shee giueth mee neyther griefe of that shee taketh from mee nor I will haue respect when she telleth me truth nor I doe not regard it though she tell me a lye Finally I would not laugh for that shee asketh me nor I will weepe for that she sendeth mee I will now tell thee my friend Domitius one thing and heartily I desire thee for to keepe it in memory Our life is so doubtfull and fortune is so sodaine that when shee threatneth shee striketh not alwayes neyther doth shee threaten alwayes when shee striketh The man which presumeth to bee sage and in all things well prouided goeth not so fast that at euery steppe hee is in danger of falling nor so softly that in long time hee cannot arriue at his iorneyes end for false fortune gauleth in stead of striking and in steade of gauling striketh Therefore since in yeares I am older then thou and haue more experience of affayres if thou hast marked that I haue tolde thee thou wilt remember well that which I will say vnto thee which is that that part of thy life is troublesome which vnto thee seemeth to be most sure Wilt thou that by example I tell thee all that which by words I haue spoken Behold Hercules of Thebes who escaped so many dangers both by sea and land and afterwards came to dye in the armes of a harlot Agamemnon the great Captaine of the Greekes in the x. yeares which hee warred against Troy neuer had any perill and afterwards in the night they killed him entring into his owne house The inuincible Alexander the Great in all the conquests of Asia did not die and afterwards with a little poyson ended his life in Babylon Pompeius the Great dyed not in the conquest of his enemies and afterwards his friend Ptolomeus slew him The couragious Iulius Caesar in 52. battels could not bee ouercome and afterwardes in the Senate they slewe him with 23. wounds Hannibal the terrible Captaine of Carthage slewe himselfe in one moment which the Romanes could not do in 17. yeares onely because he would not come into the hands of his enemies Asclipius medius brother of great Pompeius in 20. yeeres that he was a Rouer on the seas neuer was in any perill afterwards drawing water out of a well was drowned therein Ten Captains whom Scipio had chosen in the conquest of Affricke ieasting on a bridge fell into the water and there were drowned The good Bibulus going triumphing in his Chariot at Rome a tile fell on his head so that his vaine glory was the end of his good life What wilt thou more I say vnto thee but that Lucia my sister hauing a needle on her breast and her childe betweene her armes the childe laying his hand
from Enemyes it is but meete and reasonable they finde me and my Seruāts For that they say I suffer me not to be entreated it is true For daily and hourely they aske mee so many vniust and vnreasonable things that for them and for mee it is better to denye them then for to graunt them For that they say that I am not conuersant with any I confesse it is true for euer when they come into my Pallace it is not so much to doe mee seruice as to aske some particular thing for their profite For that they say I am not pittifull among the miserable and will not heare the Widdowes and Orphanes in no wise to that I will agree For I sweare vnto thee by the immortall Gods that my gates were neuer shut to Widdowes and Orphanes Pulto in the life of the Emperour Claudius sayth that once a poore widdow came before Claudius the Emperour with weeping eyes to desire him of iustice The good Prince being moued with compassion did not onely weepe as shee but with his owne hands dried her teares And as there was about the Emperour many Noble Romaines one amongst them saide thus vnto him The authority grauitie of Romaine Princes to heare their Subiects in iustice sufficeth onely though they drye not the teares of theyr faces This Emperour Claudius aunswered Good Princes ought not to bee contented to doe no more then iust ludges but in doing iustice a man must know that they are pittiful For oftentimes those which come before Princes doe returne more contented with the loue they shewe them then with the Iustice they minister vnto them And further he saide For as much as you say That it is of small authority also of lesse grauitie that a Prince doe weepe with a widdowe and with his hands wipe her eyes I aunswere thee that I desire rather to bee partaker of the griefes with my Subiectes then to giue them occasion to haue their eyes full of teares Certainely these wordes are worthie to bee noted and no lesse followed Admit that clemencie in all things deserueth to bee praised yet much more ought it to be cōmended when it is executed on women And if generally in all much more in those which are voyde of health and comfort For Women are quickly troubled and with greater difficultie comforted Plutarche and Quintus Curtius say that good entertainment which Alexander the great shewed vnto the wise and children of king Darius after hee was vtterly vanquished exalted his clemencie in such sort that they gaue rather more glorie to Alexander for the pittie and honesty which hee vsed with the children then for the victorie he had of the Father And when the vnhappie King Darius knewe the clemencie and pittie which the good King Alexander vsed towards his wife and his children hee sent vnto him his Embassadors to the ende that on his behalfe they should thanke him for that that is past and should desire him that hee would so continue in time to come Saying that it might chaunce that the Gods and Fortune would mittigate theyr wrath against him Alexander aunswered vnto the Embassadours these wordes Yee shall say in my behalfe to your king Darius that hee giue mee no thankes for the good and pittifull worke which I haue shewed or done to his captiue Women since hee is certaine I did it not for that hee was my friend and that I would not cease to doe it for that he is mine enemie But I haue done it for that a gentle Prince is bound to doe in this case For I ought to employe my clemencie vnto Women which can doe nought but weepe and my puissant power Princes shall feele which can doe nought else but wage battell c. Truely those wordes were worthie of such a Prince Manie haue enuie at the surname of Alexander which is great And he is called Alexander the great because if his heart was great in the enterprises hee tooke vppon him his courage was much more greater in Citties and Realmes which he gaue Manie haue enuie at the renowme which they giue Pompeyus because they call him great for this excellent Romaine made himselfe conquerour of xxii Realmes and in times past hath bin accompanyed with xxv Kings Manie haue enuie at the renowme of Scipto the Africane because hee ouercame and conquered the great and renowmed cittie of Carthage the which citty in riches was greater then Rome in Armes and power it surmounted all Europe Many haue enuie at Scipio the Asian who was called Asian because he subdued the prowd Asia the which vntill his time was not but as a church-yarde of Romaines Many haue great enuie at the immortall name of Charles the great because being as he was a little king he did not only vanquish and triumph ouer many Kings and Realms but also forsooke the royall Sea of his owne Realme I doe not maruell that the prowde Princes haue enuie against the vertuous and valiant Princes but if I were as they I would haue more Enuie at the renowm of Anthoninus the Emperour then of the name and renowme of all the Princes in the worlde If other Princes haue attained such prowd names it hath bin for that they robbed many Countreys spoyled many Temples cōmitted much tiranny dissembled with many Tyrants pesecuted diuers Innocents and because they haue takē from diuers good men not onely their goods but also theyr liues For the world hath such an euill propertie that to exalte the name of one onely he putteth downe 500. Neyther in such enterprises nor yet with such Titles wanne the Emperour Anthoninus Pius his good name and renowme But if they call him Authoninus the pittifull it is because hee knewe not but to bee the Father of Orphanes and was not praysed but because hee was the onely Aduocate of Widdowes Of this most excellent Prince is read that he himselfe did heare and iudge the complaints and proces in Rome of the Orphanes And for the poore and Widdowes the gates of his Pallace were alwayes open So that the porters which hee kept within his Pallace were not for to let the Entrie of the poore but for to let and keepe backe the rich The Hystoriographers oftentimes say that this good Prince sayde That the good and vertuous Princes ought alwayes to haue theyr Hearts open for the poore and to remedie the Widdowes and Father-lesse and neuer to shutte their Gates against them The God Apollo sayeth that the Prince which will not speedily iudge the causes of the poore the Gods will neuer permit that hee be well obeyed of the rich O high and worthie wordes that it pleased not the God Apollo but our Liuing GOD that they were written in the hearts of Noble Princes For nothing can be more vniust or dishonest then that in the pallaces of Princes and great Lordes the rich and the fooles should be dispatched and the Widdowes and Orphanes friendes should haue no audience Oh happie
further since both rich and poore doe daylie see the experience hereof And in thigs verie manifest it sufficeth onely for wise men to be put in memorie without wasting any more time to perswade them Now the Emperor Marcus Aurelius had a secretarie verie wise vertuous through whose hands the affaires of the Empire passed And when this secretarie saw his Lord and Master so sicke and almost at the houre of death and that none of his parents or friends durst speake vnto him he plainly determined to doe his dutie wherein hee shewed verie well the profound knowledge hee had in wisedome and the great good wil he bare to his Lord. This Secretary was called Panutius the vertues and life of whom Sextus Cheronensis in the life of Marcus Aurelius declareth CHAP. L. Of the Comfortable words which the Secretary Panutius spake to the Emperour Marcus Aurelius at the houre of his death O My Lord and Master mytongue cannot keepe silence mine eyes cannot refraine from bitter teares nor my heart leaue from fetching sighs nor yet reason can vse his duty For my bloud boyleth my sinews are dried my powers be open my heart doth faint and my spirit is troubled And the occasion of all this is to see that the wholesome counsels which thou giuest to others ether thou canst not or will not take for thy selfe I see thee die my Lord and I die for that I cannot remedy thee For if the gods would haue granted me my request for the lengthning of thy life one day I would giue willingly my whole life Whither the sorrow bee true or fayned it needeth not I declare vnto thee with wordes since thou mayest manifestly discerne it by my countenance For mine eyes with teares are wet and my heart with sighes is very heauie I feele much the want of thy companie I feele much the dammage which of thy death to the whole commonwealth shall ensue I feele much thy sorrowe which in thy pallace shall remaine I feele much for that Rome this day is vndone but that which aboue all things doth most torment my heart is to haue seene thee liue as wise and now to see thee dye as simple Tell me I pray thee my Lord why do men learne the Greeke tongue trauell to vnderstand the Hebrew sweate in the Latine chaunge so many Maisters turne so many bookes and in studie consume so much money and so many yeares if it were not to knowe how to passe life with honor and take death with patience The end why men ought to studie is to learne to liue well For there is no truer science in man then to know how to order his life well What profiteth it me to know much if thereby I take no profite what profiteth me to know straunge Languages if I refrain nor my tongue from other mens matters what profiteth it to studie many bookes if I studie not but to begyule my friendes what profiteth it to know the influence of the starres and the course of the Elements if I cannot keepe my selfe from vices Finally I say that it little auayleth to to bee a master of the Sage if secretly hee bee reported to bee a follower of fooles The chiefe of all Phylosophie consisteth to serue GOD and not to offend men I aske thee most Noble Prince what auaileth it the Pilot to know the Arte of Sayling and after in a Tempest by negligence to perish What auaileth it the valiaunt Captaine to talke much of Warres and afterwards he knoweth not how to giue the Battell What auayleth it the guyde to tell the nearest way and afterwards in the middest to loose himselfe All this which I haue spoken is saide for thee my Lord For what auayleth it that thou beeing in health shouldest sigh for death since now when hee doeth approche thou weepest because thou wouldest not leaue life One of the things wherein the wise man sheweth his wisdome is to know how to loue and how to hate For it is great lightnes I should rather say follie to day to loue him whome yesterday we hated and to morrowe to slaunder him whom this day wee honoured What Prince so high or what Plebeyan so base hath there been or in the world shall euer be the which hath so little as thou regarded life and so highly commended death What things haue I written beeing thy Secretarie with mine owne hand to diuers Prouinces of the world where thou speakest so much good of death that sometimes thou madest mee to hate life What was it to see that letter which thou wrotest vnto the noble Romaine Claudinaes widdowe comforting her of the death of her Husband which dyed in the warres Wherein shee aunswered that she thought her trouble comfort to deserue that thou shouldst write her such a Letter What a pittifull and sundry letter hast thou written to Antigonus on the death of thy childe Verissimus thy sonne so much desired Whose death thou tookest so that thou exceedest the limits of Phylosophie but in the ende with thy princely vertues thou didst qualifie thy woful sorows What Sentences so profound what wordes so well couched didst thou write in that booke intituled The remedy of the sorrowfull the which thou didst send from the warre of Asia to the Senatours of Rome and that was to comfort them after a sore plague And how much profite hath thy doctrine done since with what new kinde of consolation hast thou comforted Helius Fabatus the Sensour when his son was drowned in the riuer where I do remember that when we entred into his house we found him weeping and when wee went from thence wee lest him laughing I doe remember that when thou wentst to visite Gneus Rusticus in his last disease thou didst speake to him so effectuously that with the vehemency of thy words thou madest the teares to runne downe his cheekes And I demanding him the occasions of his lamentations he said The Emperor my Lord hath told me so much euils that I haue won and of so much good that I haue lost that I weepe I weepe not for life which is short but for death which is long The man whom aboue all thou hast loued was Torquatus whom thou didst obey as thy father and seruedst as thy master This thy faithfull friend being readie to die and desiring yet to liue thou sendest to offer sacrifices to the gods not for that they should graunt himselfe but that they should hasten his death Herewith I being astonied thy noblenesse to so satisfie my ignorance sayd vnto mee in secret these wordes Maruell not Panutius to see me offer sacrifices to hasten my friends death and not to prolong his life for there is nothing that the faithfull friend ought so much to desire to true friend as to see him ridde from the trauels of the earth and to enioy the pleasures of heauen Why thinkest thou most noble Prince that I reduce all these things to thy memory but for to
passioned in casting his seruice in the Princes teeth saying All others haue been recompenced saue onely him whom the Prince hath cleane forgotten For Princes will not that wee onely serue them but that we also at their willes and pleasures tarry for recompence and not to haue it when wee gape or are importune for it Howbeit it is lawfull notwithstanding humbly and lowly without choler or passion to put the Prince in remembrance of all that wee haue done for him and of the long time we haue spent in seruing him Also the curious Courtier shall not shew himselfe to dislike at all of the Prince neyther by heaping of many words to induce him to hear him with the better good will For mens hearts are so prone to ill that for one onely vnpleasant or ouerthwart word spoken to them they lightly forget a thousand seruices done them Socrates being one day demanded what hee thought of the Princes of Greece answered There is no other difference betweene the names and propeties of the gods that of princes but that the gods were immortall and these mortall For these mortall princes vse in a manner the like authoritie heere in earth that the Gods immortall do in Heauen aboue Saying further also that I alwaies was am and will bee of that minde that my mother Greece remain a common weale But since it is determined to bee gouerned by princely Monarchy I wish them in al and for al to acknowledge their obedience and allegiance to their King and Soueraigne For when they would otherwise vse it they may bee assured they shall not onely goe against mortal Princes but also against the eternall God Suetonius Tranqutllus sayth that Titus the Emperour being aduertised that the Consuls would kill him and vsurpe his Empire aunswered thus wisely Euen as without the diuine will and prouidence I could neuer haue possessed the Emperiall Crowne so without their permission sufferāce it lyeth in no mans power to depraue mee of it For to vs men it pertayneth onely to keepe the Emperiall iurisdiction and to the gods alone to giue and defend it Which wee haue spoken to the end no man presume to be reuenged of his Prince neyther in word nor deede for to speake ill of him wee should rather purchase vs their high indignation and displeasure then procure vs any cause or suggestion to be reuenged of him Let the good Courtier bee also aduised that in talking with the Prince he bee not too obstinate to contende with the Prince or any other in the Princes presence For this name of arrogant and selfe willed becommeth not the person of a wise Courtier For we know that in sport and argument euery man desireth to ouercome how trifling soeuer the matter bee And therefore wee reade in the Life of the Emperour Seuerus that Publius the Consull iested one day with Fabritius his Companion and tolde him he was in loue Whom Fabritius answered I do doe confesse it is a fault to bee in loue but yet it is a greater faulte for thee to bee so obstinate as thou art for loue proceedeth of wit and discretion but obstinacy commeth of folly and great ignorance If perchance the King aske the Courtiers opinion in those matters they discoursed if he know his opinion to agree with the Princes Let him therfore tell it him hardly but if it be contrary let him holde his peace not contend against him framing som honest excuse to conceale his opinion But if perhaps the King were obstinate and bent to his opinion in any thing and that through his selfe will and obstinacie he would do any thing vnreasonable or preiudiciall to his Common-wealth and that great detriment might come thereby yet for all this in such case the Beloued Courtier should not at that instant be too plain with him to let him vnderstand his error neyther yet should hee suffer him altogether to passe his way vntouched but in some fine manner and proper words as may become the place best to giue him to vnderstand the truth But to vse it with more discretion hee shall not need before them all to open his whole mind but to keepe his opinion secret expecting a more apter time when the King shall be apart in his Priuie Chamber and then franckely to tell him his whole minde with all humility and reuerence and to shew him the plaine truth without keeping any one thing from his knowledge For otherwise in telling the King openly he should make him ashamed and in dissembling his faulte also priuily he should not be admonished of his error committed Now therefore let our conclusion bee that the Courtier that proceeds in his matters rather with opinion obstinacy then discretion and iudgement shall neuer be in fauour with the Prince nor yet beloued in the Court For it is as necessary for the Courtier that will seeke the fauour of the Prince and loue of the Court to impose his tongue to silence as it is to dispose his body to all manner of seruice I know there are some such rash vndiscreet and arrogant fooles that as much do boast and reioyce to haue spoken vndiscreetly to the King and without respect of his princely Maiesty as if they had done some maruellous thankefull seruice with whome truely no man ought to be greatly offended for such fond bosts and vants as they make and much lesse also with that that happens to them afterward The Courtier also must bee well aduised that albeit the king for his pleasure doe priuilie play with his handes or iest with his tongue with the Courtier and that he take great pleasure in it yet that he in no case presume to doe the like yea thoogh hee were assured the Kings Maiesty would take it well but let him modestly behaue himselfe and shew by his words and countenance that hee thinketh the Prince doth honour him in pleasing his Maiesty to vse those pastimes and pleasant deuises with so vnworthy a person as he is For the Prince may lawfully play and sport himselfe with his Lordes and Gentlemen but so may not they againe with him For so doing they might be counted very fond and light With a mans companions and coequals it is lawfull fot euery man to bee merry and playe with all But with the Prince let no man so hardy once presume further more then to serue honour and obey him So that the wise Courtier must endeauour himselfe alwayes to come in fauour by his wisedome and courtly behauiour in mattsrs of weight and importance and by great modesty and grauity in thinges of sport and pastime Therefore Plutarch in his Apothegmes sayth That Alcibiades amongst the Greekes a worthy Captaine and a man of his owne Nature disposed to much mirth pleasure being asked once by some of his familiar friends why he neuer laughed in Theaters Banquets and other cōmon playes where hee was aunswered them thus Where others eate I faste where others
take paine and play I rest mee and am quiet where others speake I am silent where they laugh I am courteous and iest not For wise men are neuer knowne but among fooles and light persons When the Courtier shall vnderstand or heare tell of pleasant thinges to be laughed at Let him in any case if he can flye from those great laughters and fooleries that hee bee not perhaps moued too much with such toâ—es to laugh too lowde to clappe his hands or to doe other gestures of the bodie or admirations too vehement accompanied either with a rude and barbarous manner of behauiour then with a ciuill and modest noblenesse For ouer great and excessiue laughter was neuer engendred of wisdome neyther shal he euer be counted wise of other that vseth it There are also an other sort of Courtiers that speake so coldly laugh so drily and with so ill a grace that it were more pleasure to see them weep then to laugh Also to nouell or to tell tales to delight others and to make them laugh you must be as briefe as you can that you weary not and comber not the Auditory pleasant and not biting nor odious Else it chanceth oftentimes that wanting any of these conditions from iesting they come many times to good earnest Elius Spartianus in the life of the Emperour Seuerus sayth that the sayd Em-Emperour had in his Court a pleasant foole and hee seeing the foole one day in his dumpes and cogitations asked him what he ayled to be so sadde The foole made answere I am deuising with my selfe what I should doe to make thee merry And I sw are to thee my Lord Seuerus that for as much as I weigh thy life so deare possibly I study more the nights for the tales I shall tell thee in the morrow after then doe the Senators touching that they must decree on the next day And I tell thee further my Lord Seuerus that to bee pleasant and delighting to the Prince hee must neyther be a very foole nor altogether wise But though hee bee a foole yet hee must smatter somewhat of a wiseman and if hee bee wise hee must take a little of the foole for his pleasure And by these examples wee may gather that the Courtier must needs haue a certaine modesty and comely grace as well in speaking as hee must haue a soft sweet voyce in singing There are also some in Court that do not spare to go to Noble mens bords to repast which being in deede the vnseemely grace it selfe yet in theyr wordes and talke at the boorde they would seeme to haue a maruellous good grace wherein they are oft deceyued For if at times the Lordes and gentlemen laugh at them it is not for any pleasure they take in their talke but for the ill grace and vncomely gestures they vse in their talke In the banquets and feasts Courtiers make sometimes in the Summer there are very oft such men in theyr company that if the wine they dranke tooke their condition it should bee drunke eyther colder or hoter then it is CHAP. VI. How the Courtier should behaue himselfe to know and to visite the Noble men and Gentlemen that be great with the Prince and continuing still in Court THe Courtier that commeth newly to the Court to serue there must immediately learne to know those that are in authority and fauour in the Court and that are the Princes Officers For if hee doe otherwise neyther should he be acquainted with any Noble man or Gentleman or any other of the Princes seruants neither would they also giue him place or let him in when he would For wee bee not conuersant with him wee know not and not being conuersant with him we trust him not and distrusting him wee commit no secrets to him So that hee that will come in fauour in the Court must make himselfe knowne and be friend to all in generall And hee must take heede that hee beginne not so suddenly to bee a busie suiter in his owne priuate affayres or for his friend for so hee shall be soone reputed for a busie soliciter rather then a wise Courtier Therefore hee that will purchase fauour and credite in the Court must not bee carefull to preferre mens causes and to entermeddle in many matters For the nature of Princes is rather to commit their affayres into the hands and trust of graue and reposed men then to busie and importunate soliciters The Courtier also may not bee negligent to visite the Prelates Gentlemen and the fauoured of the Court nor to make any difference betweene the one and the other and not onely to visite their parents and friends but his enemies also For the good Courtier ought to endeauour himselfe the best he can to accept al those for his frends at least that he cannot haue for parents and kinsfolkes For amongest good and vertuous Courtiers there should neuer bee such bloudy hate that they should therefore leaue one to company with another and to bee courteous one to another Those that be of base mind doe shew their cankred hearts by forbearing to speake but those that bee of Noble bloud and valiant courage beginne first to fight ere they leaue to speake together For there is also an other sort of Courtiers which beeing sometimes at the Table of Noble men or else where when they heare of some quarrell or priuate displeasure they shew themselues in offer like Lyons but if afterwards their helpe be craued in any thing and that they must needs stand by their friend and draw on his his side then they shew themselues as still as Lambes and gentle inough to bee entreated Amongst other the new come-Courtier hath to be acquainted withall he must learne to know those the Prince fauoureth and loueth best on whome hee must wayte and attende vpon and doe all the seruice he can without grudge and disdaine For there is no King but farre off on him hath an other King that still contrarieth his minde and preuenteth him of his intent and pleasure And euer neere vnto him some whom hee loueth and fauoureth that may dispose of the Prince as hee listeth Plutarch writing to Traian sayde these words I haue O Traian great pitty on thee for the first day thou tookest vpon thee the Imperiall Crowne of the Romane Empire of a free man thou thraldest thy selfe to bondage For onely you other Princes haue authority to giue liberty to al others but neuer to graunt it to your selues saying moreouer that vnder the colour of royall liberty you shall remaine more subiect then your owne subiects that euer obey you For if you command many in their houses also one alone after commaundeth you in your owne Courte Now although many commanded the Prince or that he would follow the counsell but of a few or that hee loued one aboue an other or that hee consented one alone should gouerne him the good Courtier neede not once to open
is forced by importunacie to accept the bidding without offering himselfe before hee deserueth as great thankes of the bidder for his comming as the other did in bidding him For if it should not be so it should seeme rather a dinner for staungers that trauell by the way then for Noblemen and Gentlemen that come from the Court. For that day the Courtyer graunteth to dyne with any man the same day hee bindeth himselfe to be beholding to him that bids him for although he come to him of good will yet to acquite his courtesie done him hee is bound of necessitie Also it is a small reputation and worthy great reproche that a Courtyer make his boast he hath eaten at all the Tables and Officers bordes in the Court and no man can say hee hath once beene at dinner or supper with him at his owne house And truly I remember I knew once a Courtyer that might dispende aboue two hundred Ducates by the yeare who told mee and assured me he neuer bought sticke of wood to warme him within his chamber nor Pot to seeth his meate in neither spit to roast with all nor that euer hee had any Cater for his prouision saue only that he had made a register of many Noblemens bords amongst whom he equally deuided his dinners and suppers By meanes whereof hee saued all his charges saue onely his mens Boordewages But what vilenesse or discurtesie could equall the miserie and shame of this carelesse Courtyer Sure not that of the meanest and poorest Slaue of the world that liueth only by his hire No it deserueth not to be compared vnto it For to what ende desire wee the goods of this world but that by them we may be honored relieue our Parents and Kinsmen and thereby also win vs new Friends what state or condition soeuer hee be of that hath ynough and aboundance wee are not bound to esteem the more of him for that nor to do him the more honour but onely for that he spendeth it well and worshipfully and for his honour if hee be honourable And this we speake of Gentlemen as of Cittizens And he that in Court makes profession to Dine at othermens Tables I dare vndertake if they dine betimes on the Holliday hee will rather lose Seruice in the morning then Dinner at noone And if any Friend come to lye with these sort of Courtyers and that hee be but newly come the Court straight-wayes he will haue him with him to dinner and bring him to salute the Gentleman where he dines that day saying That hee was bolde to bring his Kinsman and Friend with him to salute him And all this is not so much to bring him acquainted with him as it is to spare his meate at home for them both And yet they haue an other knacke of Court finer then this They flatter the Pages and Seruants because they shold euer giue them of the best wine at the Table and with certaine familiar nods and sweete wordes they entertaine the Lords Shewers and Caruers and make much of them that they should set before them full dishes and of the best and daintiest meate There are also some of these Courtiers that to be well wayted vpon at the fable and to make them his friends doe sometimes present the Steward with a veluet capp the shewers with a payre of washed or perfumed gloues the Pages with a sword-girdle and the Butlers or Cupbordkeepers with some other prety reward or deuise And it chanceth often times in noble mens houses that there are so many guests to dine and suppe with him dayly that many times the boord will not holde them all by a great number which when they once perceyue to see how quickly and with what speed the Courtiers take their places to set them downe and to be sure of a roome It is a world to see it But oh I would to God they were so happy and diligent to goe to the Church and heare a Sermon as they are busie to get them stooles to sit at the Table And if perhaps a Courtier come late and that the Table bee all ready full and the lurch out yet hee will not bee ashamed to eate his meate neuerthelesse For albeit hee cannot bee placed at his ease yet he is so bold and shamelesse that rather then faile hee will sit of halfe a buttocke or behind one at the Table I remember I saw once at a Noblemans Table three Courtiers sitt vpon one stoole like the foure sonnes of Amon and when I rebuked them for it and tolde them it was a shame for them They aunswered me merily againe that they did it not for that there wanted stooles but to proue if neede were if one stoole would holde them three Such may well bee called greedie gluttons and shamelesse proulers without respect or honesty that when they are dead would bee buried in the highest place of the Church when they are aliue little force at whose table they sit or how they sitt little regarding their honor or estate Truely for him that is poore and needy to seeke his meate and drinke where he may come by it best it is but meete but for the gorgeous Courtier bedeckt with gold buttoned and be iewelled ietting in his veluets and silkes to begge and seeke his dinner dayly at euery mans boord being nobly and honourably entertayned of the prince and able to beare his coūtenance what reproch defame and dishonour is it to him Hee that vseth dayly to runne to other mens Tables is oft times forced to sit lowest at the boord vpon a broken stoole and to be serued with a rusty knife to eate in foule dishes to drinke for a change hote water and wine more then halfe full of Water and to eate hore bread and that that of all others yet is worst of all euery one of the seruants lookes ouer theyr shoulder on him and are angry with him in their minds Truely hee that with those conditions goeth abroad to seeke his dinner were better in my opinion to fast with bread water at home then to fil his belly abroad But such mēs reward that haunts mens houses in this manner is this in the end that the Noblemen to whose houses they come to are offended with them the Stewards of the house murmur at them the pages and seruants mockes them and laughes them to scorne The Tasters and Cup-bearers chafe with them in their mindes The Cupborde keepers wonder at them the Clerkes of the Kitchin thinkes them importunate and shamelesse creatures Wherfore it followeth whosoeuer will obserue it that so soone as the seruantes once see him come into the dining Chamber some of them hides the stoole where hee would sit downe others set before him the worst meat of the boord and the filthiest dishes they haue and therfore he that may haue at home at his house his poore little pittance well drest a faire white Table cloath a
then all others and otherwise to fall in disgrace and to make the Prince forget all the good seruice he hath don him his whole life time hee need but the least displeasure and fault he can commit Eusenides was maruellously beloued with Ptolomey who after Fortune had exalted and brought him to honour and that he was grown to great wealth sayde one day to Cuspides the Philosopher these words O my friend Cuspides tell mee I pray thee of thy faith is there any cause in mee to be sadde sith Fortune hath placed me in so great authoritie and honour as she can deuise to doe and that the King Ptolomey my Lorde hath now now no more to giue me he hath already beene so bountifull to me To whom the Philosopher aunswered saying O Eusenides if thou wert a Philosopher as thou art a beloued seruant thou wouldest tell mee an other tale then that thou tellest mee now For although King Ptolomey hath no more to giue mee knowest thou not that spightfull fortune hath power to take away from thee many things For the noble heart feeleth more griefe and displeasure to come downe one stayre or steppe then to clime a hundred Not many dayes after these words passed betweene Cuspides and Eusenides it happened that one day King Ptolomey found Eusenides talking with a Lemman or Curtesan of his which hee loued dearely whereat hee was so much offended that hee made her straight drinke a cuppe of poyson and caused him to bee hanged before his owne gates The Emperour Seuerus had one in so great fauour and credit which was called Plautius and he loued him so extreamely and trusted him so much that he neuer read letter but Plautius must reade it and hee neuer graunted commission or licence to any man but it must passe vnder Plautius Seale neither did hee euer graunt anything but at the request of Plautius nor did make warres or peace without the counsell and aduise of Plautius The matter fell out so that Plautius entring one night into the Emperours Chamber with a priuy coate his ill happe was such that a little of his breast before was open whereby was spyed the male which Bahhian seeing being the Emperours eldest Sonne sayde vnto him these sharpe words Tell me Plautius Doe those that are beloued of Princes vse to come into theyr Bed-Chambers at these howers Armed with yron-coates I sweare vnto thee by the immortall Gods and so let them preserue me in the succession of the Empyre That since thou commest with yron thou shalt also dye with yron Which presently tooke place For before hee went out of the Chamber they strake off his head The Emperour Commodus that was sonne of the good Emperour Marcus Aurelius had a Seruant called Cleander a wise and graue man olde and very pollitike but withall a little couetous This Cleander was oft times requested of the Praetorian company that is to say of the whole band of souldiers that he would commaund they might be payd their pay due vnto them and to perswade him the better to pay it they shewed him a bill signed from the Emperour to which he answered That the Emperour had nothing to do in the matter For althogh he were lord of Rome yet had he not to deale in the affayres of the Common-weale These discurteous and vnseemely wordes related to the Emperour Comodus and perceyuing the small obedience and respect of duty that Cleander shewed to him hee commaunded forthwith he should be slaine to his great shame and that all his goods should be confiscate Alcimenides was a great renowned King among the Greekes as Plutarch writeth of him and hee fauoured one Pannonius entirely well to whom only hee did not commit his person his trust but also the whole affaires and doings of the common weale and hee might dispose of the goods of the king at his will and pleasure without leaue or licence So that all the Subiects found they had more benefite in seruing of Pannonius then in pleasing of the King Therefore the King and the beloued Pannonius playing at the ball together they came to contend vpon a Chase and the one sayde it was thus the other sayde it was contrary and as they were in this contention the king commaunded presently those of his guarde that in the very place of the Chace where Pannonius denyed they should strike off his head Constantius the Emperour also had one whome hee liked very well and made much of called Hortentius which might well bee counted a Princes darling for hee did not onely rule the affayres of the common weale of the pallace of warres his goods and person of the Emperour but also hee was euer placed aboue all the Ambassadours at his table And when the Emperour went in progresse or any other iourney he euer had him to his bedfellow Thus things being in this state I tell you it happened that one day a Page giuing the Emperour drinke in a glasse the glass by mishappe fell out of the Pages hand and brake in pieces whereat the Emperour was not a little displeased and offended And euen in this euill and vnhappy howre came Hortensius to the king to present him certaine billes to the signe of hasty dispatch which was a very vnapt time chosen and the Emperour yet contented to signe it could neyther the first nor the second time because the penne was ill fauouredly made the inke so thicke that it woulde not write which made the king so angry that euen presently for anger he commaunded that Hortensius head should be strucken off But to the end wee may come to the knowledge of many things in few words I will shew you how Alexander the Great slew in his choller his deere accounted Cratherus and Pirrhus king of the Epirotes Fabatus his Secretary The Emperour Bitillion his greatest friend Cincinnatus Domitian the Emperour Rufus of his Chamber Adrian the Emperour his onely fauoured Ampromae Dâ—cclesian his friende Patritius whom he loued as himselfe and alwayes called him friend and companion Diadumeus Phamphilion his great Treasurer for whose death hee was so sorrowfull that hee would haue made himselfe a way because he caused him to be so cruelly slaine All these aboue named and infinit others also some were Masters some Lordes some kings and som of great authority and fauour about Princes by whose tragicall histories and examples wee may plainely see that they did not onely loose their goods fauor and credit but also vpon very light occasions were put to death by sword Therefore mortall men should put no trust in worldly things sith that of little occasion they become soone great and of much lesse they suddenly fall and come to worse estate then before And therefore king Demetrius asking one day Euripides the Philosopher what hee thought of humane debility and of the shortnesse of this life answered Mee thinkes O king Demetrius that there is nothing certaine in this vnstable life sith all men liuing
great Lordes ought to recommend their children to their Maisters to the ende they may teache them to change their appetites and not to follow their owne will so that they withdrawe them from their owne will and cause them to learne the aduise of another For the more a man giueth a Noble mans sonne the bridle the more harder it is for them to receyue good doctrine CHAP. XXXIII Princes ought to take heede that theyr Children bee not brought vp in pleasures and vayne delightes For ofte times they are so wicked that the Fathers would not onely haue them with sharpe discipline corrected but also with bitter teares buryed BY experience we see that in Warre for the defence of men Rampiers and Forts are made according to the qualitie of the enemyes and those which saile the daungerous Seas doe chuse great Ships which may breake the waues of the raging Seas So that all wise men according to the quality of the danger doe seeke for the same in time some remedie Ofte times I muse with my selfe and thinke if I could finde anie estate anie age anie Land anie Nation anie Realme or any World wherein there hath beene any man that hath passed this life without tasting what aduersitie was For if such an one were found I thinke it should bee a monstrous thing throughout all the earth and by reason both the deade and liuing should enuie him In the ende after my count made I find that he which but yesterday was rich to day is poore hee that was whole I see him to day sicke he that yesterday laughed to day I see him weepe he that had his hearts ease I see him now sore afflicted hee that was Fortunate now I see him vnluckie Finally him whome lately we knew aliue in the towne now wee see buryed in the graue And to be buryed is nothing else but to be vtterly forgotten For mans friendship is so fraile that when the Corps is couered with earth immediatly the dead is forgotten One thing me thinketh to all men is grieuous and to those of vnderstandng no lesse painfull which is that the miseries of this wicked world are not equally deuided but that oft times all worldly calamityes lyeth in the necke of one man alone For we are so vnfortunate that the worlde giueth vs pleasures in sight and troubles in proofe If a man should aske a Sage man now a daies who hath liued in meane estate and that hee would bee contented to tell him what hee hath past since three yeares that he beganne to speake vntill fiftie yeares that hee began to waxe olde what things thinke you he would telvs that hath chanced vnto him truely all these that follow The griefes of his Children the assaults of his enemyes the importunities of his wife the wantonnes of his daughters sicknes in his person great losse of goods generall famine in the citie cruel plagues in his countrey extreame colde in winter noysom heate in Summer sorrowfull deaths of his friendes and enuious prosperities of his enemyes Finally hee will say that hee passed such and so manie things that oft times he bewailed the woful life and desired the sweet death If the miserable man hath passed such things outwardly what would he say of those which he hath suffered inwardly the which though some discrete men may know yet truly others dare not tell For the trauells which the bodie passeth in 50. yeares may well bee counted in a day but that which the heart suffereth in one day cānot be counted in a hundred yeres A man cannot denie but that wee would count him rash which with a reede would meet another that hath a sword and him for a foole that wold put off his shooes to walke vpon the Thornes But without comparison we ought to esteeme him for the most foole that with his tender flesh thinketh to preuaile against so manie euill fortunes for without doubt the man that is of his body delicate passeth his life with much paine Oh how happie may that man bee called which neuer tasted what pleasure meaneth For men which from their infancie haue bin brought vp in pleasures for want of wisedome know not how to chuse the good and for lacke of force cannot resist the euill which is the cause that Noble-mens children oft times commit sundry heinous offences For it is an infallible rule that the more a man giueth himselfe to pleasures the more he is intangled in vices It is a thing worthie to be noted and woefull to see how polliticke we be to augment things of honour how bolde we be to enterprize them how fortunate to compasse them how diligent to keepe them how circumspect to sustaine them and afterward what pittie it is to see how vnfortunate we are to loose all that which so long time we haue searched for kept and possessed And that which is most to bee lamented in this case is that the goods and Honours are not lost for want of diligence and trauell of the father but for the aboundance of pleasures and vices of the sonne Finally let the Riche man knowe that that which hee hath wonne in labour and toyle waking his Sonne beeing euill brought vp shal consume in pleasures sleeping One of the greatest vanities that reigneth at this day amongst the children of vanitie is that the Father cannot shewe vnto his Sonne the loue which he beareth him but in suffering him to be brought vp in the pleasures and vanities of this life Truly he that is such a one ought not to be called a pittifull father but a cruell step-father for no man will denie me this but that where there is Youth liberty pleasure and Money there will all the vices of this world be resident Lycurgus the great King giuer of lawes and sage Philosopher ordained to the Lacedemonians that all the children which were borne in Citties and good Townes should bee sent to be brought vp in villages till they were xxv yeares of age And Liuius saith that the Lygures were which in olde time were confederates with those of Capua and great enemyes to the people of Rome They had a Lawe amongst them that none should take wages in the warres vnlesse he had bin brought vp in the fields or that he had bin a heard man in the Moūtains so that through one of these two waies their flesh was hardned their joyntes accustomed to suffer the heate and the cold and their bodies more meete to endure the trauells of the warres In the yeare of the foundation of Rome 140. the Romalnes made cruell warres with the Lygures against whome was sent Gneus Fabritius of the which in the end he triumphed and the day following this triumph hee spake vnto the Senate in these words Worthie Senatours I haue beene these fiue yeares against the Ligures and by the immortall Gods I sweare vnto you that in all this time there passed not one weeke but wee had eyther battell or some