lastly by the libertie of vices suffered in the Cytie That we ought rather to present before God the loue which we beare him then the seruices we doe to him LAzarus one of the notablest of Jerusalem a secret Disciple of Iesus Christ and brother to Martha and Mary being grieuously sicke his sisters wroate to Iesus Christ a letter conteining only these few words Lord he whom thou louest is sicke At the contemplation wherof Iesus Christ not without great contrariety of his folowers and no small perill to his person determined to goe and comfort the two desolate sisters and raise againe Lazarus amazing the world with a miracle right high and execellent And albeit the Pharises were in conspiracy agaynst him the Iewes troubled albeit his Apostles were in feare and his Disciples not well assured yet immediately after hée hadde considered of the Louing Wordes of the Letter hée forgatte all feare and tourned the pre-present view of so many perilles into an inwarde feruencie of zeale and loue And albeit in cases of peticion it can not be amisse to vse perswasions of deuotion at large Yet God knowing the qualetie and intention of the hart requires not so much copye of speach as humilytie of the Spiritte as appeareth by the manner of this Letter which neyther in the beginning nor in the ende nor in the matter conteyned but the wordes aforesayd giuing vs to vnderstand that hauing our loue once fixed in God it suffiseth to make vnto him onely a signe wythout troubling him wyth importunitie of words since such as bée true louers and practisers in the matter of loue ought more to thinke then speake Great is the difference béetwéene the loue which wée beare to Iesus Christ and that hée beareth to vs as is well prooued in the zeale of these two holy women who durst not communicate wyth Iesus Christ the loue that they bare him and much lesse the affeciton of their Brother onely they referred him to the loue which he bare vnto Lazarus saying Hee whom thou louest c. The better to make vs know that if the Lorde dyd not put in the Balance of our iustice some little peyse or wayght of his loue he would giue vs but a little séeing our loue is so small a thing The vayne louers of the Worlde haue this custome to reproche the affection they beare one to an other which much lesse that it is tollerable amongest the seruauntes of God séeing they ought to make so small accompt of their loue as not to demaunde any thing they pretende but by the meane and vertue of his loue For so high souereigne is the commaundement of the loue of God that onely in this mortall life we can not scarsely learne it and in the other world of ioyes fully accomplishe it Facti sumus vt immundi et omnes iusticiae nostrae sum quasi pannus c. Esay speaking of the multitude of his sinnes and his little merit speaking also in the person of sinners cryeth out The sinagogue and I are vncleane and great sinners and what good workes so euer we séeme to haue done after they come to be examined in the sight of God they beare suche staymes infection and corruption that wée finde our owne shame to present them afore him Wherein the Prophete hath great occasion to exclaime that al our desires and affections are fleshely and corrupt séeing that wyth the selfe same harte wherewyth wée ought to loue God wée loue also our Children our neyghbours and our Parentes Yea sometimes wee transferre that affection to our vnlawfull friendes séeking out of one moulde to drawe an apple of Golde and boollettes of earth But the loue which God beares vs is not of such frayle condition séeing as hath bene sayde he loues vs wyth the selfesame zeale he loues himselfe so inuoluing vs in his proper affection that as of himselfe hee is but one so hée hath but one selfe and infallible affection notwythstanding suche as hée fauoureth most hée followeth wyth a stronge zeale and the others wyth a loue not so feruent So that it is good wée stande at this resolution that when the Lords calles vs to accompt wée doe not recommende vnto him the seruices we haue done but rather to put him in remembrance of the great affection wée haue borne him For otherwayes if hée bestowe on vs one onely daye of lyfe it is sufficient for the hire and recompence of all our transitorie time Eme a me aurum ignitum vt locuples fiâ—s Sayth God to the Bishoppe of Laodecia as it is sette downe in the text of the Apocalips Thou which art poore and haste a desire to bee Riche J aduise thee to come and buye of the fyne Golde whiche I haue freshly purifyed and drawne out of the furnace and doe keepe it wythin my treasurie What meaneth this that the Lorde hath spoken that who wyll not renounce all that hée Possesseth canne not bée his Disciple and yet hee inuites vs to his shoppe to buye fyne Golde And albéeit hée Commaunde vs to buye any thing why muste it necessaryly bée Golde though the Ware wée buye bée Golde why ought it to bée so fyne and béeing so fyne wherefore perswades hée vs to buye it onely of him And comming to buye it of him why doth hee Sell it so flaming and Burning And although wée muste buye it Burning why hath hée not sette a Pryce and Weyght if of And séeing hée inuites men to buye it why doth hée not sette it out wyth more prayse and Commendation But suche are the gratious meanes and bountie of the Lorde the hée speakes not to vs as a Mayster to his Seruauntes but as a Brother vsinge the Nature and Phrase of a very famyliar and gracious friende By this wée haue to consider that by how muche Golde is a thing most estéemed beste béeloued and of all other Ryches wyth greatest importunitie desired by so much loue is the vertue that most delyghtes vs that aboue all other wée honour and that more then any other doth content vs For the harte that is inflamed wyth the loue of God makes a base Estimation of all the other Ryches and Treasures of the Worlde And of all the Particuler thinges vnder Heauen loue coulde not bée better resembled then to Golde nor Golde more Equaly Compared then to loue For a there is nothing how ryche so euer it bée which is not to bée bought wyth Golde so if loue bée the worker there is nothing so harde and difficult which by the operation of loue is not made easie and passible where by it foloweth that the hart which is wounded with loue takes his rest solace in seruice in reaposing takes paine and trauel And therfore he that loueth and makes difficulty to doe that he is commauÌ„ded searcheth excuse in things he is required that man deserueth not to be called a louer but a scorner such one hath no harte of Gold but a
Father of fayth The good THEEFE hauing no other thing to offer to God offered him his hart and his tongue SAint Paule hauing séene the great secrets of god of which it belongeth not to man to speake being asked what we ought to do to please God Aunswered Commendat vobis Deus charitatem suam the chiefest thing saith he which God recommends vnto you is charitie which consisteth in this that you loue him as he loueth you which you shall more easely accomplish if you loue your Christian neighbour not so much for that he loueth you as for that he loueth and deliteth in god Wherein the Apostle doth not so expressely say that God recommends vnto vs his fayth his hope his patience his chastitie and his humilitie But aboue all things he enioyneth vs to haue charitie as therby to giue vs to vnderstand that that man that deliteth truly in God can not be reproued of any vice For what can be lacking to him that wanteth not charitie as also who wanteth charitie is imperfect in all other vertues Let the charitable man and he that delites to be pitifull be assured that God will alwayes lend him his hand to the end he decrease not in fayth loase not his hope defile not his chastetie dispise not humilitie nor forget patience For afore the tribunall and iudgement seat of God is neuer vsed crueltie to him the on earth hath exercised charitie si charitatem nō habeo factus sum sicut sonās aut cimbalē tynniens saith the Apostle though I speake sayth he as an Angell and all other vertues except charitie were familiar with me yet I should be but as a Bell that calleth the people to seruice yet entreth not therein it selfe The man then that is not charitable but taketh delite in his rigor is no way worthy of the name of a Christian and much lesse deserueth to be called friend because that in the hart wherein is not lodged charitie shall neuer be found fidelitie If we aske the scripture what thing charitie is we shal find by many texts that it is a vertue drawing to none other effect then to loue God for himselfe and our neighbour for the loue of God Wherevppon the loue of God and the feare of God ought alwayes so to be coupled within the harts of the iust that wee neuer ought to feare God only to the end he preserue vs from hell nor loue him altogether in this respect that he graunt vs Paradise but we ought both to loue and feare him because he is the Supreame and Soueraigne good and on whome doth depende and come all felicitie If men loue one an other it is eyther for benefites all readie receaued or for hope of good tournes to come But in the house of GOD there is no Sufferance nor Custome of suche affections For suche is the nature measure and proportion of Gods goodnesse towardes vs that the respect and intention of our zeale ought not to consist onely for that he is all in al for vs but because the greatnesse of his goodnesse deserueth it by which occasion the Prophete cryed oftentimes Paratum con meum the better to instruct vs that his hart was not onely ready to loue the creator but also to beare affection to the creature That man is ignorant in charitie who estemeth himselfe to loue God and hath no care of his neighbour and lesse is he a follower of charitie that is reputed to beare affection to his neyghbour and loueth not God since that all our Christian charitie consistes in this to doe seruice to Iesus Christ and worke some Good or benefite to our neighbour For the Lorde beares such a zeale to the Christian soule that in louing vs he will be onely and singuler and when we loue him he will be accompanied the same being contrary to the loue of the worlde with whom it is not suffered to haue the hart deuided into many partes but in the diuine loue and holy affection of the Lorde we are required to loue Iesus Christ and haue care ouer our neyghbour specially if he be a christian for otherwayes we ought to wish vnto him good eschew his conuersatiō This discourse haue I brought in to expresse testifie the wonderfull charitie which the good théefe had on the crosse who in the perplexitie of death in a small moment of time gaue good declaration of the affection he boare to Iesus Christ right published the zeale he had to saue his companion the wicked théefe Besides he was not without feruent desire to reléeue his sauiour of the paines he suffered which he wel testified in the seruice he did to him For dissembled loue is shewed in the propertie of spéech where the true frendship affection is expressed in the seruice gifts that are ministred the same appearing for the most part amongst our vaine worldlinges with whom swéet alluring words are familiar but the office effect of seruice are most commonly forgotten where in déede whose loue is chast ioyned with the holy loue of god there their mouthes kepe seilence their hands minister distributiō Cain offered to God fruits of the earth Abell brought firstlings of the fattest of his flocke Noe presented Muttons Abraham gaue Pigions Melchisedech brought Bread and Wyne Moyses Insence Dauid Golde Siluer Jeptha sacrificed his Daughter Annas Samuell his sonne All which offeringes presented by those holy personages beare great reckoning are much to be accompted of But farre more worthy was the seruice sacrifice of this théefe for that where they offered to God things apperteining to their houses he presented to the Lord his proper hart wherein he discouered a difference betwéene the oblation of things that we haue neare vs and to make an offering of our selues Therefore let no man maruell why I debate so much in prayse of this théefe For if I be asked what it was that he offered I may estsoones make a question what it was that he kept for himselfe When one man geueth to another his proper being ▪ doth he not geue by consequence his will and habilitie This théefe gaue not to God his eyes for the they were cloased vp shut he gaue him not Golde nor siluer hauing lost all by the iustice of his offēce he could not compart with him his cloths being riffeled by the executioners he offered him not his hāds féete for that the one were nailed the other bound And much lesse could he communicate with him his body for that it was crucified onely he offered that which he had remayning which was his hart wherwith he beleued his tongue by the which he confessed him to be god So that as he testified his fayth affection towards God with all that he had in his power so we haue to thinke that if there had remayned in him any propertie of more precious or greater thinges he would
by howmuch he did not onely wéepe for the death of his enemie and honored him with funerall pompe and Burying but also he gaue Reuenge to his Death In that fearefull discourse which CHRIST makes of the rich man and Lazarus in the other worlde we finde that the riche man Cryed vnto Abraham to haue Pitie on him at least wise that he would sende Lazarus to touch with his Finger the flame and heate of his Tongue which request albeit séemes to carie no face of importance or greatnesse yet the vpright iustice of God would neither heare nor helpe him For that in his prosperitie hauing denied to the pore the very Crummes falling from his Table by what reason could he deserue a droppe of Water to refreshe or comfort his necessities And where by the testimonie of the Scripture we finde that this wretched riche man was both a glutton and an epicure in delites of Banquets Garments and all other sensualities Yet it is apparant that in no part of his body he féeles such sorow as in his Tongue nor in any sort commits so great sinnes as in speaking By whose example and Punishment let all men in their conuersation bring forth vertue and in their spéeche vse councell and discression since the next way to liue in honor and dye wyth prayse is to be honest in desires and to haue a Tongue well corrected And so for ende if to Cayn Lucipher Senacherib the builders of the tower of Babilon the Murderer of Saule the wicked riche man had not bene ioyned vaine tongues to pronounce disdainefull and vndiscréete thinges it may be beléeued that they had not with such lightnesse haue loste their liues in this world nor in the other had put their souls vnder perpetuall damation But now hauing proued how the Tongue hath béene to many the cause of their Death Let vs also in another Example of the Pietie of Dauid prooue that in so hath béene the occasion of lyfe according to the argument of our Theame That Lyfe and Death are in the power of the Tongue In the bodye of Man the most necessarie member is the Harte The goodlyest Instruments are the Eyes The partes most delicate are the Eares And the thing wherein is most daunger wyth good reason wée may saye is the Tongue For that the Harte thinketh onely the wyll consentes the Eares heare the Handes stryke but to the Tongue is tyed a propertye too Kyll and Sleye And as our Tongue is none other thinge then as a whyte Wall whereon the Wyse man may paynte deuoute Images and the Foole drawe thinges vayne and fonde So to him that canne vse his Tongue well it is an Instrument that may woorke to his Saluation as of the contrarye who employeth it in ill seruices it is sufficient to his Damnation For the Harte béeing the Fordge whereon our Wicked plottes are wrought then that which our Tongue pronounceth is none other thing then the pryce and publication of the Sinnes which we haue within our Harte But now to the Historie of King Dauid a thing no lesse pitifull to heare then necessarie to know For that the discourse leaues to all Christians a true experience what weakenesse we haue to fall and with what readinesse we may eftsoons rise againe As king Saule by Gods wil was depriued of his kingdome so in his place the eternall prouidence raised the holy king Dauid who in the sight of the Lord found so much grace as the wicked Saule was disfauored So God loued Dauid that amongst al the patriarkes he made him most honored amongest the propheâ—s best inspired amongest the Capteines most feared amongst the kings best estéemed and loued yea he founde him so agréeable in his sight that he promised and swore to discend of his race bearing himselfe such witnesse of his holinesse that he confessed that amongst all the Children of Israell he had founde and chozen Dauid as best pleasiing his Harte and most agréeable to his will And so was Dauid loued of God wyth a diuine affection For that he serued him wyth all his Harte by which wée may iudge that wyth one equall Weyght or measure are peysed the loue which GOD beares too vs and the seruices which wée doe to him But as Idlenesse is the Enemie of vertue and the verie trayne to all Wickednesse it happened that Dauid being in his Palaice well dispozed of his person and mightie in Countreyes but his minde enuironed with Idlenesse he fell into an accident most preiudiciall to his renoume no lesse infamous to his common weale Wherby Princes may sée that more punishment doe they deserue for the euill example they shew then for the vices they commit For it had not happened so to the good king Dauid if he had bene either writing of Psalmes or busie in some expedition of war or at least managing some other his affaires of importance but such is the resolution of God so it is so it hath bene so it shal be that from the time that princes take truce with their enemies they set at libertie the fludde of vices to run with maine streame into their courts palaices according to the testimonie of S. Augustine in the citie of god More hurtful was the citie of Carthage to Rome after her destruction then during the whole course season of wars which the Romains had with her For the whylest they had enemies in Affrike they knew not what vices ment in Rome But now eftsoons to the history Dauid being idle in his gallery beheld the beutie of Bethsabe the wife of Vrias being then in the warres applying the absence of her husband to the commoditie of his desire what with his great importunitie and her small constancie hée committed Adulterye and gatte her wyth childe And fearing Detection of the Fact he Wroat spéedelye to Joab his Gennerall in those Warres that at the time of the assault Vrias might be preferred to the perill of his lyfe wherein according to the societie that is in sinne it séemed that from one offence he appealed to an other as from Epicuritie he fel to idlenesse idlenesse bred in him foule desires by desire he was driuen to solicit by soliciting he beguiled her weakenesse and after he had beguiled her he fell to adulterie and from Adulterie to Murder so that the Deuill had neuer deceiued him if himselfe had not pitched the toyles of his proper harmes Yea if Dauid had so serued God as God loued him he had neuer suffered him to fall so farre For with such care doth the Lorde holde vp such as striue to serue him that he neuer suffereth them to fall into great sinnes But if we doe slyde stumble and hurt our selues let vs not be amazed for euen the same infirmities are common to Angels Therefore when we pray to God we ought to demaunde with teares and contrition for that if he then suffer vs to fall he will also geue vs grace
of men and loue of God. THe great Philosopher Eschinus in a famous inuectiue against his mortal enemie Demosthenes vseth these wordes it belongeth to the Demosthenes according to the estimation which thou makest of thy wisedome to be resolute in thy enterprises true in thy promises wel aduised in thy counsels and righteous in all that thou doest all which fall out contrarie in thy behauiour and actions for that oftentimes thou art séene to do thinges which thou oughtest not and no lesse often art heard to speake that which thou thinkest not These wordes spoken by the Philosopher to the reproch of his enemie deserue to be applied to all men for that there are none that can worthely challenge the true merit and imputation of wisemen if they expresse not as great modestie in their spéech as equitie in their workes it is a iust thing that euery one take héede to that he doth and be well aduised in what he sayth since amongest noble mindes more easely is satisfied an actuall wrong done against their persons then an iniurious word vttered to the preiudice of their honour alwayes esteming that the blowe of a sword hurtes but the flesh but a word suggested to infamie offendeth the reputation This I say sir vppon the occasion of your letter charging me eftsones to repeat my late discourse vttered in the presence of the Emperour vppon this theame that it is very hurtfull to haue Christ to our enemie and a thing no lesse daungerous to haue man our friend If in your opinion I speake any thing which was not well studied and considered vppon you do wrong to the grauetie of my profession since it is my custome neuer to pronounce wordes of such deuine and high subiect but euen with the same attention and deuocion wherewith I would confesse my selfe to God accompting it withall to too great a fault to publish any thing which might bréede scrupull in your Lordship or murmure in so excellent an auditorie But now to our purpose wherein I confirme eftsones that if it be euill to haue the creator to our enemie it can not be lesse daungerous to haue to our friend the creature And if there be no necessitie to employ the Phisition and our friend but in times daungerous and doutfull it can not but be to men a most assured counsell rather to eschew perils then to entreate friendes since friends being of the world their friendship hath also his corruption of the world in whom is more confusion then continuance of thinges I do not say it is euill to haue friends but that it is daungerous and painefull for that the mightie thy friend is of estate by so much is thy daunger the greater to proue him and thy care no lesse to obserue and kéepe him séeing specially great friendship is not knowne but in extreme necessitie Many and many are there now a dayes who would abstaine from many haynous and hurtfull faultes if they had not confidence in the fauour and reskew of their friends which being a braunch of impunitie can not but bring perill to a common weale where the due course sinceritie of iustice is stopped by the corruption of perticuler fauour This is one maner of election of friendes amongest men that méeting by chaunce or cōmoning together or eating at one table they suppose from the instant a perpetuall friendship to be established betwene them which in good certaintie truth can not be so for that in times of necessitie and trial there is no more proofe or effect of such friends thē betwene the Crowe and the Kyte of whom when it hapneth to the one to be bare of fethers the other aunswereth that to him is no more then sufficeth him to flie That which one friend doth for an other in these times is eyther to excuse or conseale himselfe when there is néede of him being more ready to lend him his conscience then his money that is eyther to go with him to the reuenge of an enemie or to perfourme some exployt of vice or at least to serue his turne with some false testimonie Which sort of friendes as they are most common and least rare so let all men esteme it no small felicitie to be deuided from them séeing they are more prodigall of their conscience then liberall of their goods Who waigheth with the number of friends that are professed to hint how many haue ministred the true office and qualitie of frendes to giue succours to his necessities for one that he hath founde faythfull I doubt not but he shall be hable to disclose an hundreth dessemblers In which respect I sayd not without great reason that it was great perill to a man not to be consociate with a frende honest firme and vertuous since for no greaten cause then the action of a common reuerence and ciuilytie they are readie to require our goodds to loane commaunde the vse and seruice of our house and not sticke to bring our conscience in doubt occasions that many times mooue men to disclaime neighbourhoodes and frendships which they had begone in great good wil and deuotion But right blessed and holy is the frendshippe of Iesus Christ wherein can be no scrupull nor daunger For that in recompence of the affection he beares vs he neyther demaundes our goodes nor trobleth our conscience his frendship is alwayes assured for that it is wel established it is certeine since he neuer forgets vs it is not fayned since it correctes our conscience it is iust for that it suffereth nothing vnreasonable it is righteous since in it hée doth communicate to vs his grace and it is most riche and plentiful as by whose meane he geues vs his glory So that he onely may and ought to be called a frende holy a frende iust faythfull profitable and perpetual For that the frends that he takes he lookes not if they riche and much lesse estéemes it to dishonor if they be pore he chuseth for his frend whom he lyketh and after he haue once called him he neuer forbeareth to loue and lyke him He looketh not whether he be mightie or impotent faire or deformed or whether his condition be frée or bonde No he makes not so great reckoning of the seruices we doe him as of the loue which we beare to him Jn charitate perpetua delexite The loue saith Iesus Christ by his Prophete where with Christ loueth vs is not feyned nor transitorie but reteyneth always one perpetuall setled stability as appeareth most truely in this that by the meane of his grace we are made agréeable to him afore we are able to doe any thing to deserue to be his frends Such is the perpetuall perfection of his charitie that the loue that he bears vs being his owne the profit that comes of it apperteyns to vs pretending no other thing in the loue which he beares to all Creatures then to make séene his souereigne bountie employed on our behalfes in most highe
and worthie Charitie the same being well expressed in the day of his Passion when neyther the tormentes of his bodie nor the wickednesse of his People could restraine the course of his great loue wherewith he Prayed for such as Crucifyed him and pardone those that offended him Yea he prayed not onely for his Apostles and Disciples but also for all the faythfull that beléeued in him and loued his Father with whom as he was one selfe thing in Diuinitie so he prayed to his Father that all such as beléeued might be in him one body misticall through Charitie Great was the loue of Iesus Christ in the wordes of his petition to his Father séeing that albeit we were not then borne no nor our farre auncient Fathers yet he besought his Father in great feruencie for the estate of all his Church euen no lesse then for those that dyd communicate with him in the Supper So that as he dyed for all so he prayed for all By which we haue good reason to beléeue that séeing be remembred vs afore we came into the world he will also kepe care ouer such as are employed in his seruice If Christ had not loued vs with that Charitie and prayed for vs in such feruencie of zeale what had become of vs Sure if there be in the Church of God at this present any obedience patience charitie humilitie or any abstinence or continencie it ought all to be atributed to that loue which Christ expressed in the prayer that he commended to his Father for vs Redéeming with his bloud our disfauour and with his praier he restored vs eftsoones to an estate of Grace and reconcilement To loue those that are present and such as are absent to beare affection to the Quicke and remember such as are Dead happeneth often is naturall but to loue such as are to come and not yet borne is a zeale that neuer was hearde of but in the person of our Redéemer who prayeth for such as liue wickedly and loueth good men although they are not yet borne In worldly thinges so straight is the copulation and vnitie betwéene lyfe and death loue and hate him that doth affect and the thing affected that al takes end together and in one houre But to the frendship that Iesus Christ beares vs belonges an other qualetie for that his loue tooke beginning afore the foundation of the world and will not ende no not at the day of iudgement In this Letter is debated the difference betweene a seruaunt and a frende FInding in your last Letter more matter worthie of rebuke then méete to be answered I am bolde to geue you this Councel that in causes of importance the Penne is not to bée vsed afore the matter be wel debated lest others take occasion to iudge of your domges and your selfe be denied of that you demaunde This is also to bee obserued in speaking to any personage of estate wyth whom we ought not to Communicate but with feare reuerence and modestie By your Letter you wishe me to be your Mayster and withall would chuse me to be your frende Two estates no lesse different in qualitie then incompatible in one person and most vnlyke in office for that a frende is chosen by wil and a Mayster is taken by necessitie A frende will consider but a Mayster must be serued A frende geues of liberalitie but a Lorde demaundes by authoritie a Mayster hath libertie to be Angrie but it belonges to a frende to suffer And a frende pardoneth but a Mayster punisheth So that the comparison béeing so different it cannot be possible that being your Master I should beare vnto you the due respects of a frende since if I be your Mayster you are bounde to serue me feare me follow me and obey me Offices preiudiciall to the prerogatiues of a frende and against the laws of that libertie and frée souereignetie which the hart of man desireth To require me with such rashenesse to be your frende is sure to demaunde of me the most precious Iewell I haue in the worlde For to be your frende is to binde me to loue you all my lyfe deuiding my hart into youres and making you euen an other moytie with my selfe true frendship being none other thing then an vnfayned consent of will and affections and a transportation of two hartes into one bodie And therefore two frendes if they will loue and liue in the true obseruations of frendship ought to speak but wyth one Tongue and loue with one harte yea they ought to Communicate together in one substance and rate of lyfe and not grudge to suffer in common one perculier and singuler death Amongest frendes what is suffered of the one ought not to be intollerable to the other and albeit their thoughtes be proper to themselues yet their persons their goodes and fortunes ought alwayes to be common One frende ought not to say to an other I will not or I cannot since it is principall priueleadge in frendship to finde nothing impossible Therefore who ioynes in frendship with an other bindes himselfe not to denie the thing that he demaundes nor to vse excuse in any thing that his frende requires him to doe since in this consistes the full office of frendship to owe to our frendes euen our selues and all that we haue By the Councell of Seneka the wise and discréete man ought to admitte but one frende forséeing withall as neare as he can to haue no enemie at all For sayth he if there be daūger in enemies there can be no suretie in the multitude of frendes since in respect of their nomber they bréede difference of consent and will with varietie of condicions and where is no conformitie of manners there can be no perfection in frendship So straight is the rule of frendship that of many that professe liberall affection there are fewe that performe it being an office perticuler to the Children of vanitie to haue readie tongues to promise and slowe handes to performe True frendes are bounde to féele the aduersities of their frendes with no lesse affection then if they had proper interest in them yea it belonges to them to minister remedie to their necessities and geue comfort to their miseries estéeming it to apperteine to their dutie to communicate in all the fortunes of their frendes The same agréeing with the resolution of Eschinus the Philosopher who being asked what was the greatest perplexitie of this lyfe aunswered that to loase thinges which we haue got with paine and to be deuided from that which we loue are the greatest afflictions that can trauell a humaine minde The frende whom we chuse ought aboue all other thinges to be discréete to the ende he may Councell vs and of habilitie and wealth the better to administer to our necessities and lackes For other wayes if he beare no aduise and iudgement wée shall want Councell to gouerne our prosperitie and if he be pore what meane is there to
hurts we haue by our enemies are causes to decrease our goodes the vices of our children bring losse and spoyle to our honour And where it may happen that an honest man may not receyne a blowe of his ennemie once in his lyfe the enormities of his owne children are sufficient to make him dye euery hower So that the perplexities wée haue sometimes by straungers are disgested as thinges happeninge by straungers as the wound that is outwarde may gréeue but not perishe the intrales But the displeasures passing in our house pearse déeper and as a martyr languishe the harte euen to death And therefore by howe much the Father beareth pittie to hys wicked Sonne by so much hee vseth extreame cruelty againste himselfe yea that day wherein he ministreth not correction to his Sonne that daye doth he iustice of hys proper person and sendes his renowne to question The Romaynes had a Lawe called Faelcidia by which the first offence of the Childe was pardoned the Seconde punnished and for the third he was banished which Law if it were eftsones reduced to practise in these tymes wée should not sée so many youth runne hedlong into vices nor so many Fathers suffer blame for their negligence But because Fathers doe not chastise and mothers too muche suffer the childe takes boldnesse in vice leauinge to the Parentes occasion to lament but no lybertye of remedie Where you wryte to me that you are old that your infirmityes make you weary as though you liued to longe I wishe you not to reckon your age so much by the nomber of yeares you haue lyued as by the many trauelles you haue endured For that to sensuallitie to liue a hundred yeares séemes but a short time and to the harte that is heauie and sorrowfull the lyfe of a hundreth momentes is too long and wearie It must not suffize you to séeme to bée olde but you must bée so in déede séeing he onely may bée called olde who puttes ende to his olde vices For little doth it profite to haue your head Graye and your Face Wrinckled if your lyfe follow younge customes and your minde Féede vppon Greene desyres the same béeing the cause why Olde men weakened wyth vice and Sinne are Subiecte to feare Death and to dye soone béeing wyth nothing so ill contented as to bée deuided from their vices The Author writeth to his Sister seruing in Court Partly hée instructes her how to liue in Court and partly satisfyeth her request vnder a short Discription of Loue. WEighing wyth the nature of the place where you are the qualetie of the affection I beare to you I dout whether it were better to vse playnesse according to good meaning or dissemble and so leaue you better contented For by the office of nature I cannot but warne you and yet to the place where you are nothing is lesse acceptable then to be instructed the Court béeing a place that sometimes couereth or séeth not the faultes in their frendes or else takes all thinges to blame and findes nothing in their foes that they may lyke But béeing my Sister I will vse my authoritie though not to please you yet to perswade you and acquite my selfe béeing farre from my profession to deale in matters of loue I that haue vndertaken the direction of consciences And albeit my other trauels priuat exercise make me very insufficiēt to debate with you to your ful satisfactiō yet taking the opportunity as it is I had rather put my imperfectiō vpōiudgment then leaue you not instructed hoping you wil no lesse answer for mine honor then for your sake you sée mée readie to hazarde it to Question Where you write to me that he that presented you wyth your laste Iewell was your frende and Louer I denye it since there is difference béetwéene him that Loues and one that is a Friende For a friende doth alwayes Loue but he that Loues is not alwayes a friende Which may bée well prooued in your Ladyes of the court For that in Seruice and Amarous deuotion you haue many that Serue you Follow you and desire you who may rather bée called your Louers then your Friendes since they intende no other thing then the practise of pleasure being as voyde of intent of mariage as they are of vertue Yea hauing not the Spirite to iudge of honest Loue nor true intention to follow it they bring oftentimes dishonor to their Ladyes whose simplicitie for the most parte falles into Slaunder by the Sutletie and malice of their Seruauntes Suche one I feare is hée that hath béestowed the Iewell vppon you which then you may best discerne when you finde him to Promise much and perfourme little assuring you that then hée vseth the Sleyght of the Fowler who wyth a Swéete Call bringes the Byrde to his Nette and deceaues her to her Destruction Consider therefore the place where you are the Race that you come of and what you pretende The Courte giues you Libertie to doe muche ill and little Instruction too Follow that is good And if you Stande not Faste vppon those Vertues you Learned in the House of your father the place it selfe will infect and change you since frequentation drawes into one felowship societie of Estate things that of themselues are different remēber also that to such as desire to be vertuous the house of the Prince is a schole house for their better instruction and a place helping to their aduauncement Wherein if any miscarie the falt may be more in their proper negligence then in the will of the Prince since to maydes of honor seruing in Court it is a greater aduauncement to be maried by the fauor consent of the Prince then by the patrimonies or portion which their parentes can leaue them I haue oftentimes written vnto you that if deuotion and conscience leade some women into Religion vertue and good name rayse others to preferment in court Therefore I aduise you lay not vp great confidence in your beautie much lesse presume vpon the greatnesse of your race For in Court for one Gentleman that makes loue to your persones you shall find twenty that spend the whole day to iudge of your liues since beautie without vertue and high kindred wythout good conditions is no other thing then as a goodly gréene Trée that florisheth with leaues and blossomes and brings forth no fruite or as a stately carued Image which men take great pleasure to beholde but are gréeued when they finde it dead and without qualitie You and the other Ladies your companions would haue me write what loue is wherein it consistes and what be the fignes and tokens of true loue estéeming me a man of studie and an auncient Courtier This office I might better tourne vppon your selues for that your beauties standing in the eyes of men leading them to sue to serue to solicit and to loue you mée thinkes it belonges to you to set downe the discription of loue and to me
to tell you what sorrow is Séeing it is an action due to my place and age to wéepe fast and praye but to you it apperteynes to daunce deuise tryffle Notwythstanding as I haue told you in short what a frende is so I will not sticke to fill vp the residue of your desire to debate briefly the nature of loue not that I would instruct you but to warne and aduise you hoping you will rather Loue as a Christian then as a Courtier Wherein I recommende vnto you chiefely to bée wise in your wordes discréete in your actions secret in your thoughtes particuler in your frendships modest in your behauiour and aboue all follow the instructions of your owne vertues and flée the example of such as draw to vice Yea haue more regarde to your selfe then to any other person since in the ende your vertues are sure of their rewarde for that God will preferre you to Mariage and put into the minde of the Prince to endue you wyth worthie Portion Take héede therefore you bée not lyght in lookes vayne in life lauishe of spéech nor a scoffer at men for that wyth Ladyes of these Conditions men of the Court take pleasure to deuise but none will haue fancie to Marie them So that the best dowrie to aduaunce the Mariage of a young Lady is when she bringes in her countenaunce myldnesse in her spéeche wisedome in her behauiour modestie and in her whole lyfe vertue For that there is no man what vayne and lyght affections soeuer hée haue but though hée take pleasure to sewe and serue a fayre Ladye yet in case of Maryage hée wyll séeke out Vertue and reiect Beautie But now to our purpose of Loue It is an opinion wyth you Ladyes of the Court that Loue and to bée a Louer consistes onely to be gaye in apparell to be set out in diuersitie of Coullers of Feathers to be pensiue to be passioned to solycite to beholde and often to entertaine his Lady wyth discourses of Loue Thinges no lesse vayne and light then most farre from the true propertie of loue Séeing of this qualetye is the good and true loue that to him that hath default of force it géeues him strength and in him that hath it alreadye it confirmes it further To him that is simple it géeues Quickenesse of spirite To him that hath want of Courage it géeues boldenesse and stomacke By it the Couetou◠man is made liberal and it sets open the Purse of the nigarde So that in the harte where he is entred he suffereth no imperfection nor inciuility but lifts their thoughts vp to high actions and searching that he loueth there are none perceiueth what he endureth when we cast our eye vpon a thing there is differenc to prayse it and to loue it ▪ for that the thing which we praise and loue not assone as it is commended it is forgotten but that which we loue truly wée laye vp in the the secret corner of our thoughtes we plant it in our will and bring it forth in the fruite of our memorie It stands always afore our eyes our eyes send it downe to the safe keeping of our harte Loue is beste knowne to the harte that loueth and he of himselfe onely feeles when he is content or miscontent fauoured or not fauoured suspected or trusted mery or sadde or in dispair or assured Yea his passions are not knowne to others if his affections be honest for that he will rather suffer in griefe then giue cause of offence estéeming his meritte so much the greater by how much his martirdome is painefull and his passion so muche the more worthie by how much his intention assureth his hope To instruct you in the signes of suche as loue truely you must obserue the behauiour of the parties when they depart one from another For it is no other thing the seperation of two frends then to deuide one hart into two moities the same moste commonly appearing at the time of leaue taking when in the one is disclosed want of wordes and in the other aboundaunce of teares you shall know likewise that loue that is accompanied with fastnesse when the partie enterpriseth great things and estéemeth little those of base importance loue alwaies enabling his subiects to high actions raising their thoughtes to great purposes Zo that the hart that loues lokes not to be commaunded but learns to win merit by preuention he offereth no excuse but is ready to execute he is not required to be liberall but finds out wherin he may be aceptable he suspectes not his mistres but takes all to the best he beleeues no report since he is assured of her vertue he is not importunate but makes his hope his felicitie if she but begin to like he puts wings to his affection yea he makes her the image of his thoughts liues wholy dedicated to her deuotion And therefore if he loue dearly hd liues in thought to please in care to offende in desire to suffer in feare to disclose and louing much he giues much thinking it no liberalitie if he refuse any thing since if he haue once giuen his wil and consent it is nothing to giue withal his abilitie and wealth and being possest by another he must think he hath nothing of his owne In like sort the true louer studies to be circumspect in behauiour estéeming it a swéet felicity to haue his thoughts delytes priuate he is modest in countenance the better to bleare the eyes of spies please the minde of his mistres And he is patient to suffer estéeming him not worthy of reward vnlesse he endure to the ende And where true loue is there wronges must be borne and no wordes deliuered to the dyshonour of his Lady By whom if any occasion be giuen yet he must alwayes haue this lesson that patience is a vertue and secret scilence doth best solicite since the true Trumpet of loue is not the Tongue that speaketh but the harte that sigheth Yea as the Tongue is restrayned from speaking but not the hearte from Louinge So I holde it better to loue wyth sewertie then to deceiue wyth swéetnesse since in the one is the vertue and bringes his rewarde and the other being the vice is sure of his Punnishement And so good Sister if any your Seruauntes in Courte iudge me a louer by this short discourse I haue written I praye you tell them that béeing a member of the worlde I haue a propertie in worldly actions and perhaps had bene as worldly as the best if Philosophie had not drawne me from the world To a Noble man in Consolation for the death of his Daughter in Law. THis hath bene alwayes a true obseruation from one time to an other that afore any great chaūce or accident there were forshewed certeine straunge and prodigious signes which as the Gentils interpreted according to their Superstitions so it belonges to vs Christians to take them as
mind fashioned of Drosse and fylth Séeing that in the house of God and where his loue is in office there ought to bée no Excuse of thinges Required nor Denyall to doe that is commaunded Oh that God giues a great grace to that man on whom hee béestoweth a hearte of massiue and weightye Golde as of the contrarie wretchednesse is his portion whose hearte is vayne light and hollow agaynst such men the Prophet beares witnesse Cor eorū vanum est For that the harte is the furnace wherein are framed all our desires and passions and the fordge whereon are Beaten all our trauelles and actions God sayth then that that which hée selleth vnto vs is no other thing then gold enflamed that is Gold Purifyed and Burning Wherein is géeuen vs to know that from that instant that the Loue of God hath touched our heart it wyll alwayes burne it will alwayes praye it wyll alwayes sight and it wyll neuer cease to loue The loue of God beeinge of suche Qualetie that in what mynde so euer hée makes hys aboade hée wyll not suffer to remayne any ill wickednesse or idlenesse Golde enflamed is sewer the loue of the Lorde séeing that with his sparcklinge flames it kindleth our vnderstanding enflameth our harte warmeth our will and burneth to ashes our offences Yea at the heat of that fire the elect are warmed and the reprobat smothered but the zeale of the louers of the worlde is not Golde enflamed for that it is entangled wyth this propertie to Burne wythout warming and to make Weary wythout resting it scorcheth and not purifyeth it terryfyeth and not assureth and killeth wythout remedie The mettall which is solde in the shoppe of the worlde is not Golde but Leade is not substaunce but scumme yea it is rather drosse then Golde séeing that such as loue wyth the affection of the worlde are euen those that come out of it in the end most smeared and corrupted The loue which the Lorde selleth is not onely Gold enflamed but very well refined and proued The first profe passing in himselfe in the trée of the Crosse and receiued Confyrmation by the Martyrdome of Saynt Peter and others by whose passions and torments the loue of Iesus Christ was well ratified and approued Quando apostoli ibant à conspectu concilij quoniam digni habiti sunt pro nomine Jesu cōtumeliam pati Right worthely was approued within their hartes the loue of Christ séeing they went to their execution better contented and glad then all the Princes of the world when they go to receiue the crowne of a kingdome Right well was approued the loue of Iesus Christ within the hart of S. Paule when he sayd ego Paulus vinctus in domino holding him selfe more happie to be fettred in chaines for the loue of God then if he had bene raysed to the greatest principalitie of the earth Touching the loue of the world frayle and vaine wyth greater reason we may call it reproued then approued séeing one man loues not an other but for respect of interest and commoditie So that as the seruants of God loue him with all their power including no other reason then the consideration of his greatnes and mercie So worldly men loue one an other no longer nor no more then there is possibilitie of gaine and recompence and therefore deserueth to be called and affection reprobate for that it beares regard to the benefit and not to the matter In this part of the text we haue also to consider that the Lord willeth vs not to buy gold of any other then of him offring it to vs of him selfe both purified and burning and all to instruct vs that it is he only of whom we are to obtaine grace to loue him and loue to serue him Besides this gold of the loue of the Lord will not be communicated to vs for nothing least we should estéeme it little Neither is it to be sold to vs at a deare price to the end we refuse it not and much lesse will it bée prised because it is without value and estimation onely all that is required of vs is that we retribute vnto the Lord loue for loue and giue our affection in recompence and change of his And séeing our loue is ambicious and blind in worldly things and altogether caried to light and strange desires Let not that man thinke hée giues little who vnto Iesus Christ giues his whole hart And he since he selleth not to vs but loue sincere and holy let vs not in enterchange returne to him affections fained infected and doubtfull great is the zeale of Christ who being loue and the better to lead our affections he teacheth vs how to loue The Lord make vs as we ought to be to the end we may the better minister to his commaundements and seruice and séeing hée is the true Lord that hath made vs of earth and referred vs eftsones to the destinie of the earth and that we haue nothing to giue in exchange for his loue of gold but a small affection and that cankared and infected Let vs beséech him that our corrupt drosse may be made acceptable to him and his precious and purified gold become profitable to our saluation A short Letter partly in rebuke and partly in perswasion WHen the miserie of others wil not make you kéepe a meane with your fortune nor the experience of harmes past touch you in example and warning I sée no other safetie remayning then may be hoped for in a ship who tossed with many stormes séekes her securitie where the sea goeth most high and raging But being happie in friendes you liue carelesse of chances estéeming your selfe subiect to the sentence of Solomon that that which the euill man feareth shall assuredly happen vnto him I vnderstand by your messenger the state of your perplexitie together with the possibilitie of your perill if present pollicie be not vsed for the which I am so much the more sory by how much our frendship is auncient and so much the lesse carelesse by how much it ministreth interest to our common alliance Two qualities of such fast coniunction that nothing can dissolue them for that alliance is congealed in the bloud and friendship makes his knot in the hart as touching the regard of a friend I maruell I haue not heard of you thus long for that amongst friends when their persons are deuided the next office is to communicate by intelligence but remembring that forgetfulnes is a swéete error I haue long since cut of all expectation to heare front you specially since you haue dedicated your selfe to sanctuaries churchyardes and churches of refuge where I thinke you establish your resort not so much for deuocion and remorse as to giue cooller to some abuse and wrong Remember that to offend God and disobey iustice is an act so duly deseruing punishment that there is no doubt of the reuenge though not vppon the person of the imediat offender yet vppon
signes hée manifesteth by mouth that which hée loueth and by his teares makes declaration of his payne By which argument good Madam I say it can not bée but you beare no small affection to your litle Dogge séeing you mourne for him with so great apparance of sorowe The tongue publisheth nothing but our thoughts but in the teares is expressed the true propertie of our affection whereuppon it followeth that though in men and women bée found sometime a custome of fayned wordes yet it can not bee but their teares for the most part are true and simple And therfore it is a false testimonie against women to say that their teares bée alwayes fayned although in this they may dissemble when they wéepe for one thing to say it is for an other béeing a propertie very familiar with the most of them to haue two coollers to one meaning and as the saying is to beare two complexions in one face This I haue sayed for the defence of your sighes and in fauour of your teares which I thinke you haue shed with small deuocion although with very franke and good hart séeing according to the reapport you haue bene euer since trauailed with an Ague and exercised in those passions that kéepe you continually in your Bedde But to vse plainenes according to my profession I can not maruell so much at your teares as I am sory that so small a thing should make you to wéepe being a thing more vertuous to lament your sinnes then to be heauie for the losse of your litle puppie And I can not with patiēce beleue that being as you are both noble honorable therwithal reputed wise vertuous you haue bestowed your loue on a thing so vile base séeing that such are they that loue as is the thing that they loue For that so great is the force of loue that he that loueth suffreth conuersion into the thing which he loueth therfore to loue things reasonable belongs to the affectiōs of men but in louing things brute insensible we cannot but be made like vnto them Your friends here beare some shame that you haue chosen so base a subiect to gouern your affection not without reason do your enemies smile your friēds mourne at it for that it is contrary to the vertue and reputation of any either to fixe their eyes or occupie their thoughts but where the hart may be well employed and the loue gratified The best part of the body is the hart and the most precious iewell of the hart is the affection which if it bée not well employed the partie may esteme himselfe vnhappie for that in that man there can be possibilitie to liue well in whom is no proofe or meane of honest affection What propertie of loue shold you beare to your little puppie from who you could draw no other pleasure then to araye your garments with haires to make a noyse in your chamber when you would sléepe to fill you ful of flease and to be alwayes in feare to be stolne from you all which conclude against your wisedome for mourning for a thing so harmefull and of so base importance To loue a little dogge a Monkie a Parrot or other singing Bird is not ill nor dishonest if your affection be ioyned to this condicion not to followe them otherwayes then with your eyes to behold them and your eares to heare them not estéeming them worthy of other affection Séeing that of such thinges we may make our seruice and solace without ielousie to kéepe them or compassion to loase them Yea to make sorowe for such trifles excedes the limits of an honorable Lady is contrary to the office of a good Christian Wherein if I were the iudge afore whom should be debated the loue you beare to your little Dogge and the transgressions of your life sure I could not but laugh at the follie of the one and wéepe for the Offences of the other It is Written that the great Alexander buried his horse the Emperour Augustus his Parrot and Prince Heliogabalus made a graue for his Sparow at whose obsequies he prayed and caused the body to be embawmed If you had hard or read of these it may be by their example you would haue built a a tombe for your little Dogge although I accompt to worse purpose the teares you haue let fall for him then the sepulchers and ceremonies which those Pagans made for their dead beastes And so good Madame God giue you a spirite to wéepe for your sinnes and a mind to leaue of to mouone for thinges vaine and transitory To an olde Gentleman enamored of a young Ladie this letter toucheth the perplexities which amorous Dames giue to their seruants and friendes AFter so long scilence I wold some better occasion had bene giuen then to recontinue our auncient quarrell wherin is no expectation of other effect then hapneth by the Chirurgion when hée commeth to reaue in an olde wound which by how much more it hath discontinued the vse and seruice of plaesters by so much doth it bring payne to the patient suffring the new opening of his hurt And albeit amongest friendes there can not bée a more necessary action then to minister counsell the same being the first effect of that fayth and vertue which ought to be considered in the election of friendes Yet to some men it is hatefull to be counselled in thinges contrary to their will and affection esteming it better to dwell in the lust of their particular desires then to be warned euen as the miserable patient findes it swéeter to giue libertie to his wound then to suffer it to haue cure with a litle paine in the beginning But for my part hauing ioyned alwayes our long friendship an honest care of your weldoing I can not hold my selfe discharged in office if I debate not franckly the estate of your auncient abuses although there remaynes no expectation of other fruite then hapneth to the Chirurgion who comming to vncouer an olde wound long corrupted séemes griuous to his patient I perceiue by your letter you are falen into a practise of new loues which being a new hurt to your olde wound you séeme also to demaund a new remedie at my hand as though I had the facultie both to let bloud and close vp the vaine I would I were with you for that hauing libertie to communicate there may be many things spoken which are not conueniēt to be written But more do I wish that you would haue vsed me in an other office since for matters of loue you are not now in age to follow it and much lesse is it consonant to my grauetie to giue you counsell my habit my authoritie my place being all against it It is not to you and me to whom it belongeth to solicite in loue and much lesse are we subiects wherin he takes his delites grace recreation For that you being loden with yeres and I tied to my
profession in you is expressed too great debilitie and in me no lesse want of libertie Beleue not that your loue is true loue but rather sorow not ioy but perplexitie not delite but torment not cōtentmēt but griefe not honest recreation but very confusion Séeing that in him that is a louer must be looked for youth libertie and liberalitie Straw that is rotten and become doung is better to fat land then to lay vppon a house and in a bodie broken and aged is more vse and seruice of sorowe and infirmities then possibilitie to suffer beare passion and solicit in loue For that to Cupid and Venus are not acceptable any sortes of people but young men to serue them such as are liberall to spare for no cost patient to endure discréete to speake secret to conceale faythful to deserue and constant to continue to the end It is a miserie to be poore and proude to be reuengefull and dare not strike to be sicke and farre from succour to be subiect to our enemies and lastly to suffer perill of life without refuge But for an old man to bée in loue is the greatest wretchednes that can trauell the life of man For the pooreman sometimes findeth pitie but the old louer standes alwayes reiected The coward finds friends to beare out his quarrels but the amorous old man liues alwaies persecuted with passiōs He that is sick liues vnder the climate of Gods prouidence where the amorous old man is abandoned of all succour He that is subiect to his enemies is not sometimes without his seasons of consolation and quiet where to the old louer is no time of truce nor hope of reconcilement Lastly there is no peril of life so desperate which may not be forséene or suffred where the estate of the amorous old man is ioyned alwayes to daūger He is alwayes vexed with scornes of his Lady defaced by his neighbours robbed of his seruants and seruiceable euen to the seasons and appoyntments of Bawdes who are not without their pouders whose propertie is to trouble his sléepe on the night and kéepe him ielouse on the day leading his minde in Ague fits sometimes hot and sometimes colde sometimes glad and sometimes sorowfull someiimes doubtfull and sometimes assured and alwaies in expectation but neuer satisfied By meane wherof I hold al the faculties and sciences of the world possible to be learned but the trade to loue which Salomon was too ignorant to write and Ouid not hable to set down in rule precept For that it onely is a doctrine that ought to be drawne out of the schole of the hart and guided by true and perfect discretion There is nothing that more requireth gouernement then the practise of loue séeing that in cases of hunger thirst cold heat and all other naturall influences they may be referred to Passions sensible only to the body But the follies and faultes that are done in loue the hart is subiect to suffer féele and bewayle them since loue more then all other thinges naturall retayneth alwayes this propertie to exercise tirannie chiefely against the hartes of his subiects The better to establish stabilitie assurāce constancie it behoueth such as do loue to be equal For if she be young he old if he be priuate and she a wanderer if she a nigard he prodigall If he ciuill and she rude if she discréete and he foolish if lastly he loue and she hate There is no doubt but vnperfect loues will resolue into iarres contencions and continuall disquiets For that where is not conformitie of condicion there can bee no contented loue no more then where is no true faith can be no true operatiō of good life and maners It is impossible to an old man and a louer to be without sorow or suspicion For that ielousie is ioyned to loue as the Briare is to the Rose and passion followeth olde age as the shadowe doth the man Why should then a man of your age containing more then thréescore yeres plucked with aches and pinched with the goute séeke the company of a young faire and amorous Lady who wil studie more to plume vpon you then to please you esteming you for no other vse then to minister to her wants giue cooller to hir lightnes protect her abuses For being not able to please hir eye you must perfourme her prodigalities and being impotent to delite her your office must be to suffer an other to supplie that which you are not hable to satisfie Why desire you the company of a friend séeing betwene you and her can passe no other communitie or conuersatiō then to read Ridles dreames and tell tales complayning that of the day you haue no stomacke to meate and on the night you do nothing but accompt the houres and exercise hateful to women a custome intollerable such as haue bene enured to men of better complexion Why séeke you a friend séeing you haue no power to entertaine her no patiēce to endure her nor age to possesse her For that amōgst women this is infallibly obserued that if their friend bée poore they disdaine him if he be waspish they séeke to vex him further and being old they scorne their age and séeke their recompence of others What fruite looke you to drawe from a friend séeing you are not hable to tell her in order the passions you endure for her nor the felicities you wish to her Al women for the most part enclining to this glorie to heare of the torments of their friendes and to sée their seruants labour to be seruiceable How can you desire the societie of a friend séeing if you write not to her on the day you are sure to find her froward at night and bestowing no present vppon her she will retorne recompence to your discontentment For being not courted with songes and letters to extoll her beautie and not visited with presents to please her ambicion Oh it were more safe to beholde a Cockatrice then hope for pitie in her face Why desire you a friend séeing you must denie her nothing shée demaundes nor mislike with any displeasure shée doth to you For women béeing denied not considering their owne vnworthinesse conster it to the despite of the partie for whom they prepare reuenge And if you make not their displeasure your felicitie they will charge you with want of loue and affront you with toyes to your perpetuall disquiet Why kéepe you a friend to whom you must not minister according to your port and hauiour but according to her follie and ambicion For a friend marcenarie in loue is not subiect to allowance and much lesse regards the proporcion of him that entertayneth her but béeing compounded vppon insatiable humors shée is neuer satisfied till shée sée him vtterly spoyled Why require you a friend séeing you must not fayle to thanke her for the fauours you receiue and hold it a dutie to beare her displeasures For in them though there bée but litle merit
yet they looke for great recompence and if they doe nothing but vex you yet you must iudge all to the best and take nothing to blame Why seeke you a friend séeing when shée flattreth you most it is not to content you but vnder this intencion to drawe something from you For women to worke their desires can tourne them selues into so many subtelties and sugred humilities as the Camelion into coollers or the iugler into straunge deuises to deceiue the beholders And if you haue a friend you must enforce your selfe to laugh euen when the dollors of your Goute prouokes you most to crie And afore you haue had ful possessiō of her shée will cast you vp loden with sorrowe care ielousie and all other troublesome infirmities and for recompence ioyne her selfe to an other with whom shée will laugh to sée you poore impotent deceiued and spoyled And therefore to one of your age and subiection to sicknesse it were better to delite in the conuersation of some honest companion to cherish and recreate you then in the companie of a young Ladie to make your dayes troublesome Samocratius Nigidius and Ouid haue written many volumes of the remedie of loue wherein they rather taught remedie to others then found any them selues for that they all thrée died in persecution not for the abuses they committed at Rome but for the loues they practised at Capua Let them say what they will and surmise that best may please their fancie but according to experience the best remedie in loue is to eschew conuersation and auoyd occasion for that of many that follow him there are fewe frée from his bondage where such as abandon him liue alwayes in libertie Take héede therefore you dwell not long in that temptation séeing it is not conuenient for your soule your bodie your honour nor profite of your house assuring you that more shall you hasten your death by the perplexities of your Mistresse then by the torment or dollor of the Goute And so I pray you kéepe me still in your fauour and commaund mée alwayes as your owne A Letter aunswering certaine particular requests from the Court and that it is not conuenient to visite often those women whose husbands be absent IT is written in praise of the liberalitie of Alexander the great that one Byance a poore souldiour of his asking some small porcion for the mariage of his daughter he gaue him a Citie rich and populous The greatnes of the gift so farre excéeded the capacitie of the poore souldiour that the desired Alexander eftsones to consider better what he gaue and to whom he gaue it For sayth he it may be your greatnes takes me for an other then I am or at least vnderstands not what I demaund To whom the king aunswered Take what I giue thée and be contented since if thou be Byance that askest I am Alexander that giueth In like sort the great Quéene Cleopatra albeit shée was of amorous life yet otherwayes she exercised great liberalities neuer giuing to any man so litle which was not sufficient to relieue his present wantes and kéepe him from miserie all the rest of his life These two examples I haue vsed sir to publish your liberalitie that sending to you for a small thing you retorned my messenger so loden with rewardes that the world may sée that if I haue the pouertie of Byance in you is expressed the liberalitie of Alexander And by the testimonie of this letter all men may approue my demaund and giue commendation to your bountie séeing I shewed no ambicion in my request nor you expressed want of liberalitie in your recompence You write ty mée to aduertise you how the Lady Angelo my neighbour and your Aunt doth since the departure of her husband I haue not séene her nor meane to go to her vnlesse she send for me For that to women whose husbandes are absent albeit we are bound to aide them yet we haue no licence to visite them often A wife béeing the dearest of the two thinges according to the common saying which we ought not to lend nor commit to the trust of any other Lucresse liuing priuate during the absence of her husband fell by force into the rape of Tarquinius by which vile act Rome suffred sclaunder the warres brake vp Lucresse killed her selfe and Tarquine was destroyed So that to the wiues of our friends it is sufficient to minister to their wantes if they haue néede or protect them if there be cause of oppression without visiting them often and much lesse to entertayne discourse with them Séeing the malice of men is so great and the honour of women so delicate that in often resort the world takes occasion to rayse brutes and their husbande 's not without aduauntage to bée discontented I haue spoken to the Chauncellor about your businesse wherein though you preuayle not to your desire yet there shal be no fault in my solicitation In him that hath businesse in Court ought neuer to bée want of patience nor too great confidence or trust For that in Court rewardes goe not by merit but by affection and the successe of sutes is more led by Fortune then by wisedome In Court wée sée many reasonable causes that bée iust and indifferent reuersed euen when they are at poynt to bée resolued and others of no expectation or hope of ende to bée dispatched to the liking of the partie So that in Court let no man reappose confidence in the fauour of an other and much lesse dispayre if to his sute bée ioyned delaye or deniall I haue often delt with the Coronell to receiue your Nephew for his Liefetenant and béeing so often denied I take it for a discharge no more to trouble him For it is a hard thing to a liberall minde and a shamefast face to bée a suter to him in whom is no merit to bée entreated but specially when hée tourneth our importunitie to his glory and makes vs ashamed of our request In which respect there is nothing in this worlde which I holde more deare then that which is bought by sute and request séeing that more doth that man giue which for one hower employeth the shame of his face then another that for any other thing shall giue all his goodes the same agréeing with the opinion of Plato that as great is the contentment which a good harte taketh in giuing as it is gréefe to him that entreteth and is denyed For that in giuing the one buyeth the libertie of an other and in receiuing the other puttes in subiection himselfe and all that he hath Touching the money you sent me for your books I haue retourned it againe by the bearer praying you to thinke that the pleasure which one friende doth for an other ought not to be payed wyth ready money but wyth retribution of equall recompence or value And by sending to me so little money so farre of the world may thinke that eyther you suffer want of
suffer more separation and liberty they cannot expresse so great vertue and effect as in the lesser body whose littlenesse kéepes them better to their naturall properties and actions according to the iudgement of Homer who in his discription of Vlisses maks him of little stature but of much excellency of wit and of the contrary he sets forth Aaix with body members of great corpulency but very simple in minde and iudgment Where you aske me how it commeth to passe that for the most part peasantes pore men of the country get children wel accomplished wise and of the contrary to men of great wisdome and opinion succéede children that be Idyots and without iudgment I take it to procéed of this The simple man and he that followeth the toyle of his husbandry when he is in the exercise of generation thinkes of no other thing but of the pleasure in the act by which this séede is more perfect as hauing the full consent and force of all the spirites vitall animall and naturall the same breathing into his Chyldren mindes suttle and resolute But wyth the wyse men it is otherwayes For they hauing continuall exercise of minde kéepe their thoughtes in impression and contemplation of some particuler thinges eyther concerning honesty profite or matter of enterprise whereby as it is not possible that in the act of generation their natural séede should be accompanied wyth the forces of all the spirites and specially of the spirit animall which engendreth such cogitation in persons So of necessity to the children which they get are referred more imperfections then to others You would know why a stone a péece of Iron or other such like thing being thrown into the water sinketh forthwith to the bottome where of the contrary a péece of wood how great so euer it be swimmeth alwayes vpon the vpper face therof Tocuhing the property of the wood I think it may be referred to the litle holes that be in it which being full of wynd aire so hold it vp that his weight cannot work his naturall condition but stones Iron compounded of bodies more close heauy and suffering no conduit or place for the aire to enter of necessity sinke downe as hauing no impediments till they come to their ceinter To this may be adioyned the experience of suche as are drowned who the fyrste daye fall to the bottome but afterwarde remounte aboue the water For after the Bodye bée rotten the Weysande and all other concauyties are fylled wyth Wynde and ayre by whose propertye they are blowen vp and séene floate vppon the vpper most of the Water For thys cause there haue béene certayne Pyrates who vsed to cutte out the weysande of suche as they slue in the Sea to the ende their bodyes were not throwen vp agayne to the disclosing of their vile act By this reason also egges that are not broken or corrupt sincke fortwyth to the bottome being throwen into a ryuer Where such as are rotten floate vpon the water for that the humor that is within being corrupted makes place to an ayre that entreth which kéepeth the egges swimming You aske me how it happeneth that louers often times expresse in their vtter partes a passion of colde and sometimes a feruencie of heat séeming to suffer those same fits and motions which we see asscribed to Agues Touching this demaunde albeit you might be better satisfyed with your owne experience then with any resolution of me who haue alwayes professed the science of humanytie and not the study of folly Yet according to our method of naturall reason I may thus farre presume to your instruction that louers plunged in the passion and perplexities of loue their naturall heate wyth drawing to the inner partes leaueth the extremities of the body colde as depriued of all their hote substance the same conuerting them into mindes vncertaine tormented and traunced But when they are brought into hope of obteyning their naturall heate eftsones retorneth outwardly and disperseth through all the extreame partes of the body which by this refreshing of the bloud becomes red and of pleasaunt temperature For that cause it hath bene an vse amongest Paynters and grauers of Images to draw Cupid sometimes sad and sometime ioyfull giuing him withall the forme and proportion of a Chylde for that light loue is an affection great and vehement and yet lasteth not long Whereto the loue vertuous and honest is ioyned continuance and constancie as appeareth in the friendship betwéene friend and frende the affection of the Father to his Children and the obseruation betweene the husbande and his honest wyfe But touching vnlawfull loue as it bréedes oftentimes in peesons not well knowen one to another therfore hath no great stability and lesse continuance so the loue honest taking his greatest consideration of the merit qualety and vertue of the party remaynes alwayes moderate and temperate where the affection that dare not be iustified is full of violence fury and passion Where you would know wherupon it procéeds that louers are striken and made slaues bondmen at the only regard and sight of their Ladies I aunswere according to the opinion of some that as the true seate and testimony of loue consisteth in the eyes and no part of man more truly expresseth the inward affections of the body then the eyes so loue being a certayne affection and good will is naturally bred of a thing lyke to himselfe For such as loue search nothing but recompence of affection and by consequence the house and seat of affection which is the eyes by whose meane they are made certayne of the loue which remayneth wythin You aske me why louers passe most part of many nights with out power to sléepe you must consider that this great affection draweth the whole man to it so entāgleth him wyth confusion that he retayneth no contemplation of thinges necessary or profitable This affection is that selfesame loue who much lesse that he will suffer his subiectes to liue in rest séeing as a Canker hée encreaseth more and more to the confusion of all their delyghtes felycitie and contentment and therefore hée is place amongest the naturall diseases afflicting the tranquility of man There is also an other reason which is drawen from the cares and thoughtes which Louers haue For those malenchollyke contemplations mingled wyth passions of choller and heauinesse doe heate and dry vp the party Restrayning by that meanes his course of sléepe which proceedes of vapoures colde and moyst the same béeing also the cause why olde men wake more then the younyounger sort as béeing Conuerted into more colde and drought Where you demaund why Louers fall into great complayntes for small causes you must consider that béecause Louers aboue al other sorts of men are naturally suspicious and caryed into mutation for small thinges lyke litle Chyldren They are by that meane seldome wythout heauinesse and sorrow of harte and therefore so muche