that wee desire with praiers and of him wée can not get a lodging no not with teares On a sunday in Aduent preaching in the Chappell vnto hir Maiestie I sayd that saint Iohn Baptist went to dwell in the desert not onely to auoyd sin but also for that he woulde not haue to doe with herbingers and your Lordship do demaund if there be much people at the Court to my iudgement ther are few men many women for that from Auila there came inowe to the Court and here in Medina was very many beside these Toro Zamora Salamanca Olmedo haue sent hither other aduentures in suche fort that if in Palace there be for euery galant seuen dames there is in Courte for euery courtyer seuen Courtizanes For that Caesar is in Flanders the winter harde and the yeare déere also there is none at the court that willingly would be there but for necessitie Further your Lordship will that I write vnto you what I thinke of the duke of Veiar which gathered so great treasure in hys lyfe that at his death he left foure hundreth thousand Ducates This is a matter perillous to write and odious to heare but in the ende my iudgemente is that he wente to séeke care for himselfe enuie for his neyghboures spurres for his enimies a praie for théeues trauaile for his person anguishe for his spirite scruple for his conscience perill for his soule lawe for his children and cursses for his heyres Great contention and debate goeth betwixt the olde duchesse and the yong Duke and the Erle of Miranda and others his kinsfolke and heyres vpon the inheritaunce of his good and the succession of his house in such wise that there be many that eft procure to inherit his money and none that takes the charge of his discharge In the yeare 1523. I béeing sicke in Burgos the Duke came to sée mée and demanded who might properly be called couetous for the he had asked many none had answered vnto his minde and that which I answered at the sodeyn were these words The man the sitteth in the smoke when he may warme himself by a faire fire that may drinke good wyne and drinketh euill that may haue a good garment and goeth hard and ragged and that will lyue poorely to die riche he alone and no other wée maye name couetous and wretched And sayde further Beléeue mée my Lord Duke that I holde hym a more woorthie man that dothe venter to parte his riches than him that gathereth them together bicause for a man to be riche it is sufficient that he be diligent but to employ his greate riches he muste be a Gentleman and noble minded To that your Lordship doth demaūd my opinion of this towne of Medina I can saye vnto youre honour to my iudgement that it hath neyther grounde nor heauen for the heauens are always couered with Clowdes and the grounde with dirt in suche wise that if the neighbourhed do call it Medina of the field we Courtiers doe terme it Medina of the dirt It hathe a riuer that is called Sapardiell which is so déepe and daungerous that géese in sommer go ouer drye footed and as it is a riuer narrow and muddy it doth prouide vs many éeles and dothe couer vs with many Clowdes No more but that our Lord be your protector and giue me grace to serue him Frō Medina del campo the xviij of Iuly in the yeare 1532. A letter vnto the Bishop of Tui new president of Granado in which is sayd what is the office of Presidents MAgnificent and most reuerend Lorde and regall iudge I wish the new prouision that his maiestie hath bestowed vpon your honour for the Presidentship of this royal audience of Granado may be fortunate I can shewe youre lordship that in this countrey you are more knowen by your fame than by your persō Wherfore as you know you haue to trauaile that your life may be conformable vnto your fame also you haue to consider that if you come to iudge you shall also be iudged not of few but of many not of learning but of custome not of goods but of fame not only in publique but also in secret not of waightie causes but also of very small matters One of the greatest trauayls that Presidents haue and suche as gouerne common wealthes is that they doe not onely iudge what they doe but also what they thinke not only the things that they doe in earnest but also what they commit in iest in such sort that all things whiche they doe not with seueritie they iudge it for lightnesse Plutarke sayth in his politikes that the Athenians did note in Simonides that he spake loude The Thebanes accused Parniculus that he spet much The Lacedemonians sayd that Licurgus went stouping The Romains blamed Scipio that hée slepte snorting The Vticenses defamed the good Cato that he did eat with both his chéekes The enimies of Pompey murmured that he scratched with one finger The Carthaginiās reproued their Hanniball for that he went lose with his garments and the Sillanos charged Iulius Caesar that he went euill girt Behold sir how far the malice of man doth extend and in what things the ydle in the common wealth do occupie themselues to witte that they prayse not what the noble mynded doe take in hande as valiaunt men but condemne that whiche they doe of negligence With reason they mighte haue praysed Simonides that ouercame the battaile of Marathone Parniculus that reskued Thebes Licurgus that reformed his kingdom Scipio that subdued Carthage Cato that susteined Rome Pompeius that augmented the Empire Hanniball that was of a mynd immortall and Iulius Caesar that thought it little to bée Lord of the world Wherof we may gather that the people of a base soile do not speake of their betters and of the mightie accordyng as reason directeth but agréeable to that whiche enuie dothe persuade them Plinie sayeth that the Romanes onely in the prouince of Vetica held fiue iurisdictions conuented whiche is that of Gades Hispalis Emeritans Astaginensis Cordubensis they called Andelozia the Prouince of Vetica they named the Chauncellorships iurisdictions conuented Gades was Calis Hispalis was Seuill Cordubensis Corduua Meritensis Merida Astaginensis Ecija Of these fiue Chauncelorships the first and the greatest was that of Calis for there was resident the Counsell of the Prouince and in Merida were the men of warre I haue broughte all these antiquities vnto youre Lordships memorie therby to be aduertised and also to consider as there were then many presidents appoynted to gouerne ther were many of whom also to murmur but now you being alone the charge of murmuration wil light vpō you onely The people of this countrey are not lyke the people of your countrey for here they be sharpe suttle and greate dissemblers therefore I aduise and forewarne you that in hearing them you vse leysure and in your answers resolution As you shall perceiue more hereafter
of his great Librarie but of his good armorie For the weale of the common wealth it is as necessarie that the knight doe arme as the priest reuest himselfe for as prayers do remoue sinnes euen so doth armour defende from enimies Sir I haue sayd all this to the ende you shall vnderstande there that we know here all that you do in your campe and also all that you do say Wherwith you ought not to be grieued sith euery man dothe praise your wisedome and magnifie your Fortune In the register of fame maruellous is the great Iudas Machabeus the whiche when he was counselled by his souldiours by flying to saue their liues euen at the instant to giue battaile sayd God neuer permit that we put our fame in suspitioÌ„ but that this day we die all here to kéepe our lawes to succour our brethren and not to liue de famed Great account doe the Gréeke writers make of their king Agiges the which vpon the point to giue battayle to the Licaonians when his souldiors began to say that the enimies were very many he made answere The Prince that will subdue many of necessitie must fight with many Anaxandridas Captaine of the Spartans béeing demaunded why those of his armie did rather endure themselues to be slaine than taken answered That it was a lawe amongst them much vsed rather to dye frée than lyue captiues The great Prince Bias holding warres with Iphicrates Kyng of the Athenians when hée happened to fall into the stale of his enemies and hys Souldiours beganne to crie what shall we doe he made aunswere That you make reporte to those that are aliue that I dye fyghtyng and I will say there to the dead that you scapte flying Leonidas the sonne of Anaxandridas and brother to Cleomenides fighting in a certayn battaile when his souldiours sayd the enemies dyd shoote arrowes so thick that the Sunne was couered He aunswered Then lette vs fighte in the shade Charrillus the fifte King after Licurgus béeing in warre with the Athenians when one of his Captaynes didde aske an other if hée dydde knowe what number the enemyes were Charrillus answered The valiant and noble mynded Captaynes ought neuer to enquyre of their enimies howe many they are but where they be The one is a signe of flying the other of fyghting Alcibiades a famous Captaine of the Athenians in the warres he held with the Lacedemonians when they of his campe sodenly made alarum with great cries that they were fallen into their enemies handes â—e valiant and feare not quod he we are not fallen into their handes but they into oures I thought good to recounte these fewe antiquities that it may be knowne to all that be presente and also notified to those that are absent that amongst these so glorious personages your noble worthinesse mighte be recounted for that they neyther did excéede you in their wordes they spake neither in their actes they did We haue here vnderstoode in what manner the armye of Toledo did make their salye to take away a great bootie that you were driuing to your Campe and many of your souldiours did not onely begin to flée but also gaue you counsell to saue your selfe by running away but you of your part as a man of muche courage and a Captaine of no lesse experience gaue onset amongst the enimies crying Here Gentlemen here shame shame victorie victorie if this daye wée ouercome we obtain that we desire and if we die we perform our duetie Oh woordes worthy to bée noted and right worthie vppon your tombe to be engrauen Since it is certain that you slew that day more thaÌ„ .vij. with your sword with your noblenes of mind ouercame more than seuen thousand Trogus Pompeius doth saye many tymes and in many places that the innumerable victories whiche the Romaines did obtain were not so much for that their armies were of such power but bicause their Captains were of experience And this may we verie well beléeue for we euery day sée that the happie successe of a battell is not so much attributed to the armie that fighteth as to the captain that ouercoÌ„meth The Assyrians doe muche glorie themselues of their captaine Belus The Persians of Syrus The Thebans of Hercules The Iewes of Machabeus The Grekes of Alcibyades The Troyans of Hector The Aegyptians of Osiges The Epirothians of Pyrhus The Romains of Scipio The Carthagians of Hanniball The Spaniardes of Viriato This noble man Viriato was naturall of the prouince of Lusitania the which is now called Portingale In his youth he was first a shepeherd afterwarde a ploughman and then a robber and in fine made Emperour and of his countrey only defendour The writers of Rome themselues doe recount of this valiant Captaine Viriato that in fiftéene yeares that the Romaines helde warre with hym they coulde neuer kill take eyther foyle hym When they founde him inuincible and not to be ouercome in battaile they ordeyned treason to kill him with poyson Sir I thought good to bring this Historie in remembraÌ„ce to the ende that in this ciuill warre that we the Gentlemen hold with the Communers that you shew your self an other new Machabeus amongst the Hebrues and an other newe Viriato amongst the Spaniards To the end that our enimies may haue what to say and your friends what to prayse But to let the conclusion bée that you ceasse not to trauell as you haue a noble mynde to giue aduenture vpon your enimies that you may also resist al vices for men of valiantnesse as your worship is fewe vices are sufficient to darken many victories As concerning the reste that M. Hernando of Vega did commend vnto mée of your part wich is to wit that since you haue doone notably in the warres it maye bée remembred in the Chronicles Sir holde your selfe for happie that if your launce shall be such as was Achilles my pen shall be suche as that of Homere From Medina of Ruisseca the .18 of Februarie 1522. A Letter to the Earle of Myranda wherin is expounded that text of Christ whych sayth My yoke is sweete c. MOste famous and right noble Lorde and Master of the house to Caesar your honoure requireth by youre Letter that I should send vnto you the exposition of that text of Christe whiche sayeth My yoke is sweete and my burden is lyght the whiche you heard me preache the other day before his maiestie in the sermon of all saincts and that you delighted not a little to heare it and no lesse desire to haue the same in writing Also you write it shall not be muche for me to take the payne to send the exposition thereof for that you came to visite me when I was Warden of Soria in suche wise that if I would not performe your request of courtesie you would demaund it by iustice I will not denie but that visitation was to me no smal pleasure and consolatioÌ„ for that the
not putte to flyghte or weakened The sensualitie makes vs warre with his vices Reason fyghteth with oure wickednesse Our bodie contendeth with his appetites The hart striueth with his desires For whiche cause it is necessarie to giue place to the one that they bring vs not to oure ende and to dissemble with the other that they leade vs not to despaire This I saye to your imperiall Maiestie for the magnificent meanes whiche your excellencie vsed to passe the tyme whē it pleased you to cōmand that I shuld be called to your chāber presēce And for a trouth the recreatiō of princes ought so to be measured limited that thei may recreate without offēce to the world Arsacidas king of the Bactriās his pastime was to knit fishing nets of king Artaxerxes to spin And of Arthabanus king of Hircans to arme for Rats And of Viantus King of Lidians to fishe Frogges And of the Emperour Domitianus to chase Flies Princes hauing their times so limitted also of all men so beholden and considered that imploy themselues in such pastimes and vanities we cannot well saye that therin they passe their times but loose their times The case is this that your Maiestie presently after you felt your selfe deliuered of your quartaine commaunded to be set before you a certaine little table all full of stamped metals aswell of gold as siluer of brasse as also of Iron A thing surely worth the beholding and much to be praysed I did not a little delight in seing your Maiestie take pleasure in beholding the faces of those metalles in reading the letters they held and in examining the deuises they did containe All which thinges might not easely be read and much lesse vnderstood There were amongst those stamped metalles certaine that were Gréeke some Latin some Caldée some Arabick some Gothick and other some high Dutch your Maiestie cōmaunded mée to vew them reade them and the most notable to expound assuredly the commaundement was directed very iustly and in me more than another moste aptly imployed For being as I am your imperiall Chronicler it is my part to render accompt of the thinges you shall doubt and to declare the meaning of that which you reade I haue vewed thē read them and studied them and although some of them be very hard to be read and very difficult to bée vnderstoode I will trauayle with such playnesse to declare them and euery parcell so diligently to examin and distinguish that not only your Maiestie may vnderstand to reade the stampe but also comprehend the blason and originall therof It is to be vnderstoode that the Romanes more than all other nations were couetous of riches and ambitious of honoures whereby it came to passe that to haue to spend and to magnifie their names they hild warres sixe hundreth and fortie yeares with all nations and kingdomes In two things the Romanes did trauell to leaue and perpetuate their memorie that is to wit in buildings they made and in their Coines they did graue or stampe neither did they allowe the grauing or stamping of any money but vnto him that had ouercome some famous battaile or done some notable thing in the cōmon wealth The buildings they most vsed to make were wals for Cities cawsies in high waies Bridges ouer Riuers fountaines artificially made statues or greate pictures ouer gates Bathes for the people arches for their triumphes and Temples for their Goddes Much time passed in the Empire of Rome wherein the Romanes had no money but of brasse or of yrō Whereof it procéedeth that the true and most auncient metalls be not of golde but of Iron For the first coyne that was made to be melted in Rome of gold was in the time of Scipio the Africane The auncient Romanes vsed to stampe or graue on the one side of their money their faces drawne most naturall and on the other the kingdomes they had ouercome the offices they had held and the lawes they had made And for that it shall not séeme that I speake at large or of fauour it is reason I giue account of all I haue said The letters of one of these stamped mettals doth say Pboro dact Leg. Your Maiestie hath to vnderstand that this stampe is the most auncient that euer I saw or redde which appeareth very well by the mettall it is made of by the letter it is written in for declaration whereof it is to be vnderstoode there haue bin seuen whiche inuented to giue lawes to the world that is to wit Moses that gaue lawes to the Hebrewes Solon to the Athenians Licurgus to the Lacedemonians Asclepius to the Rhodians Numa Pompilius to the Romanes and Phoroneus to the Aegiptians This Phoroneus was King of Aegipt before that Ioseph the sonne of Iacob was borne And as Diodorus Siculus doth say he was a King very iuste vertuous honest and wise This was he that first gaue lawes in Aegypt and also as it is thought in all the worlde whereof it dothe procéede that all Coūsellours and Lawyers of Rome did call the lawes that were iuste and moste iust Forum in memory of king Phoroneus And so the letters of this mettall would thus much say This is King Phoroneus whiche gaue lawes to the Aegyptians The letters of the other stampe Genuci D. vi Leg. For the vnderstanding of this stampe it is to be considered that the Romanes conceiued so great shame and disdaine of the filthinesse of king Tarquine cōmitted with chast Lucrece that onely they would not that in Rome there should be any more kings but also that the name of king and the lawes of kings should for euermore bée banished and in the common wealth forgotten So the Romanes not meaning to obey the lawes they had receiued of their good King Numa Pompilius sent a moste solemne imbassage to Grecia to bring them the lawes that the Philosopher Solon had giuen to the Athenians Which being brought to Rome accepted and obserued were afterwards intituled the lawes of the twelue tables The Embassadours that were sent to bring these lawes from Greece were ten moste sapient Romanes whose names are Apius Genutius Sextus Veturius Iulius Mannilius Sulpicius Curius Romulus Postumus and bicause Genutius was one of those ten notable men for that great act so famous he stāped those words on the one side of his money The whiche would say this is the Consull Genutius one of the ten men of Rome that was sent for the lawes of Greece The words of the other stamp following are Con Quir Ius Mos Le Obs. To explane these words which are very darke it is to be vnderstood that al the lawes of this world are reduced frō thrée maner of lawes which is to wit Ius naturale lex condita mos antiquus That whiche in the old time was called the Law of Nature is That thou wish not for another which thou wilt not for thy self also to shunne euil approch to do wel which
is not to be learned by lesson but by reason Lex condita are the lawes that kings haue made in their Kingdomes and Emperours in their Empires Some of the which consiste in Reason and other some in opinion Mos antiquus is when a Custome by little and little is brought in amongst the people the force whereof dependeth vpon the well or euill obseruing thereof Of the aboue sayd it is to be gathered wée call Ius naturale the lawe whiche reason doth direct we name Lex Condita whiche is ordayned and written and we terme Mos antiquus the custome of long time vsed and presently obserued this presupposed the letters of this stampe do signifie This is the Consull Quirinus the which in the time of his Consulship did obserue and caused to be obserued that which right requireth lawe commaundeth and custome hath brought in The wordes of the other stampe are these Popil Con. Iu. Mill. fecc for the vnderstanding of these wordes is to be vnderstood that the auncient Lawyers did ordaine seuen manner of Lawes which is to wit Ius gentium Ius ciuile Ius consularis Ius publicum Ius quiritum Ius militare Ius magistratum In the old time they did call Ius Gentium to occupie that which had no owner to defende the Countrey to die for the libertie to endeuer to possesse more than others and to be of more abilitie than the rest This was named ius Gentium bycause in all Kingdomes and Nations Greekes Latines and Barbarians this manner of liuing was vsed and obserued Ius Ciuile was the order and manner in old dayes to forme their plees in lawe that is to wit to cite aunswere accuse proue denie alledge relate to giue sentence and to execute to the end eche one might obtaine by iustice that which was taken by force Ius Consulare was such orders as the Consuls of Rome did vse amongst themselues for themselues which is to say of what number they should bée what garments they should weare what company they should kéepe where they should congregate and how many houres they should assemble of what things they should conferre howe they should liue and to how much goods they should attaine This Ius Consulare did serue but for the Romane Consuls that were resident in Rome for notwithstanding there were Consuls in Capua they would not consent they should liue as those of the Senate of Rome Ius Quiritum was the lawes and priuiledges that the Romane Gentlemen did vse or enioy that did liue within the cōpasse of Rome or had the priuiledge of a Romane Gentleman which is to say that the Gentlemē and knights of Rome had foure names that is to vnderstand Patricios Veteranos Milites Quirites The which foure names according to the varietie of the time was giuen them The priuiledge or law Quiritum that the Knights of Rome enioyed was that they might sit in the tēples thei might not be arested for debt or pay for lodging or prouēder where they went to be maintained by the cōmon treasure if they became poore to make a testament without witnesse not to be accused but in Rome to pay no impost in time of tribut and also that they might be buried in an highe Tombe All these preheminences no gentleman did enioy but only such as were Citizens of Rome Ius Publicum was the ordinances and constitutious that euery people in particular did vse amongst themselues and for themselues that is to saye how they should repaire their walles conserue their waters measure their streates build their houses prouide necessary thinges to haue store houses to gather money to make their fifes to watche their cities They called these ordinances Ius Publicum because they were made by all and obserued by all Ius Militare was the lawes that the anciēt Romains made for the times that kingdoms did breake peace and entred into warres one with the other bicause they estemed muche to be wise in gouernment and to fight as men determined in order The lawes of Ius militare were how to proclaime warres to confirme peace to take truce to leuie their souldiours too pay their Campe to giue order for their watches too make their trenches to giue battaile to retire their host to redéeme prisoners and how the Conquerours should triumphe They called these lawes Ius militare which is to say the order of Knightes because they serued no further but too giue order vnto those that did follow the warres and with armes did defend the common wealth Comming now to the exposition of the stampe it is too be vnderstood that in the daies of the first Romane Dictator Quintus Cincinatus ther was also in Rome a certain Romain Consull named Popilius Vastus a man very well learned and no lesse expert in armes This Consul Popilius made lawes to be obserued in warres and gaue it in stampe in his money that which is conteyned in the stampe before rehersed in the letters hath this signification This is the Consull Popilius which made lawes for the captaines that should goe to the warres for defence of the common wealth Also it may please your Maiestie to vnderstand that if any Prince or Romane Consull did chaunce to make any law either necessary or very profitable for the people they did vse for custome to entitle that lawe by the name of him that did inuent and ordaine the same for that in the worldes to come it might bée knowen who was the author therof and also when it was made After this maner the lawe that they made to eate with dores open was called Caesaria The lawe that Pompey made too giue tutors to Orphans was named Pompeia The lawe that Cornelius made for parting of fields was intituled Cornelia The law that Augustus made to take no tribute but for the profit of the cōmon wealth was writtē Augusta The law that the Cōsul Falcidias made that none might buy the dowry of any other mans wife was nominated Falcidia The law that the Dictator Aquilius made that no Romāe should be put to death within Rome was cleped Aquilia The lawe that the Censor Sempronius made that none might disinherit his son but if he were a traytor to the Empire of Rome was termed Sempronia The wordes do followe of the other stampe Rusti prie tris ple. For the vnderstanding of these wordes it is to be noted that the order whiche the Romanes did vse in creating dignities and offices was as followeth First they had Kyngs afterward Decemuiri then Triumuiri after that Consulles and thē Censores then Dictators afterwardes Tribunes and lastely Emperoures Of their Kinges there were but seuen their Decemuiri endured ten yeares their Triumuri continued fortie yeres their Consulls foure hundreth thirtie and foure yeres their Censor one yere their Dictator halfe a yere their Tribune thrée yeres That which wée call the procurer of the people the auncient Romanes did name the Tribune of the people whose office was euery day to
enter into the Senate and to procure the causes of the people and in such businesse as did not like him he had authoritie to stand for the poore and to resist the Senators And for that the office of Tribune was alwaies against the Senate and thereby passed his life in perill it was a law made and capitulate by the Lawyers and Senators that what soeuer man or woman did violently prease to his person or vnto his garment to offend him publikely they cut off his head And be it knowne to your Maiestie that many Romane Princes did procure to be chosen Tribune of the people not for the interest they receiued by that dignitie but for the securitie they had with the same bycause not only they might not kill them either in their clothes so much as touch them The first Tribune that was in Rome was a certaine Romane named Rusticius a man of a very sincere life and merueilous zealous of his common wealth This Rusticuis was and this dignity created betwixt the first and the second Punick battails in the time that Silla and Marius did leade great bands in Rome and did spoile the common wealth Thus much the letters of the stampe would say This is the good Consull Rusticius the which was the first Tribune that was in the Empire of Rome Your Maiestie amongst these hath many other stāpes the whiche being easie and facile to reade and cleare to vnderstand I shall not néede to spende the time too expound them A certaine relation vnto Queene Germana declaring the life and lawes of the Philosopher Licurgus MOst high and serene Lady this Sunday past after I had preached before your highnesse the Sermon of the destruction of Ierusalem ye commaūded I should recite and also giue in writing who was that great Philosopher Licurgus whose life I praysed whose lawes I alledged In repayment of my trauell and to binde me the more vnto your seruice you commaunded I shoulde dine at your table and also gaue me a rich clocke for my studie For so small a matter as your highnesse doth commaund neither it needed ye should feast me either giue me so great rewards for that I attaine more honour and bountie in that ye commaund than your highnesse doth receiue seruice in the thing I shall accomplish To say the truth I had thought rather yée had slept in the sermon the curtains drawne but since ye cōmaund I shall recite that whiche I sayd of the Philosopher Licurgus it is a signe ye heard the whole Sermon and also noted the same And since it pleaseth your highnesse that the Ladies and dames that serue you and the gallants Courtiers that attend vpon you be present at this communicatiō that ye commaund them that they be not gibing either making of signes for they haue sworne to trouble me or to put me from my matter But cōming to the purpose it is to wit that in the first reignes of this world whē Sardanapalus reigned in Assiria Osias in Iury Tesplus in Macedonia Phocas amongst the Greekes Alchimus amongst the Latins Arthabanes amōgst the Aegyptians Licurgus was borne amōgst the Lacedemoniās This good Licurgus was iointly Philosopher and King King and Philosopher bicause in those Golden times either Philosophers did gouerne eyther else Gouernours did vse Philosophie Plutarche doth say of this Licurgus that he was low of stature pale of colour a friend of silence an enemie of vaine talke a man of small health of great vertue He was neuer noted of dishonestie he neuer troubled the common welth he did neuer reuēge iniury he did neuer thing against iustice either against any man did vse malicious wordes He was in féeding tēperate in drinking sober in giuing liberall in receiuing of consideration in sleeping short in his speache reposed in businesse affable in hearing patient prompt in expedition gentle in chastisement and benigne in pardoning Being a child was brought vp in Thebes being a yong mā he did studie in Athens and in the time of more yéeres he passed into the great India afterwards being old was king of the Lacedemonians which also were called Spartans which of nation were Greekes and of condicion very barbarous For excellencie it is recounted of him that they neuer saw him idle he neuer dranke wine neuer trauailed on horsebacke neuer chid with any man neuer did hurt to his enemies neither at any time was ingrate to his friends He himself wente to the temples he himself did offer the Sacrifices he himself did reade in scholes he himselfe did heare complaints he himself gaue sentēce in causes of the law he himself did cause to giue chastisement to offenders This Licurgus was of a valiant mind in warres of great deuise in time of perill certaine in things determined seuere with rebels in sodaine assaults of great readinesse affable with offenders a mortal enemie of vagabonds They say that this Philosopher did inuent the Olimpiades whiche were certaine playes vsed euery fourth yéere in the mountaine Olimpus to the ende that all shoulde giue themselues to studie or to learne some Art bicause in that assembly which there they vsed euery man made a proofe of his knowledge and the sprite that was giuen him Licurgus was the first that gaue lawes to the Spartans which afterwards were called Lacedemonians whiche is to vnderstand before Solon and Numa Pompilius And also it is written of him that he was the first that inuented in Greece to haue publique or cōmon houses founded at the charges of the common wealth also endewed where the sicke might be cured the poore refreshed Before the days of Licurgus the Lacedemonians were a people very absolute also dissolute for which cause the good Philosopher did passe immesurable trauels no lesse perils amongst thē before they would be gouerned by a King or liue vnder a law On a certaine day before al the people he tooke two little dogges new whelped the one of the which he fedde in his own house very faire fat the other he cōmanded to be brought vp in a countrey house with hunger to vse the fields These dogs being thus brought vp he cōmaunded thē to be brought to the market place in the presence of the whole multitude throwing before them a liue Hare a great péece of flesh presently the countrey dog ran after the Hare and the pampered dogge to the fleshe Then said Licurgus you are witnesses that these two dogges were whelpt in one day and in one howre in one place of one Syre Dam. And for that the one was brought vp in the field he ran after the Hare and the other that was brought vp in idlenesse ran to his meat Beléeue me ye Lacedemoniās be out of doubt that to proue good vertuous it importeth muche from the infancie to bée well gouerned and brought vp for we retaine much more of the customes wherwith we be bred
so great merit for their worthy vertues Wherevnto Lucius coulde say no other thing but kissing the right hande of Scipio besought the immortall Gods to remunerate the great goodnesse and passing courtesie he had vsed vnto him confessing his great want of abilitie for the recompence of so great a bountie And after returning vnto the parents of the sayd Damsell rendering their daughter without any raunsome They most instantly besought him that it might please him to accept the gold whiche they had brought for hir raunsome in token and as a pledge of their amitie and dutifull affection Scipio being pressed of them did accept the same and placing it at his feete in the presence of them all called Lucius and sayd behold Lucius I giue thée this gold which thy father and mother in law haue presented me as a gift vnto the marriage of thy wife besides that which before was appoynted thée Take and refuse it not for my sake and as a token for remembrance of sound friendship in time to come Then Lucius and his father and mother in lawe receiuing the Damsell and the golde did take their leaue of Scipio and retired into their countrie publishing in all places wher they past most greatest praise of Scipio and the Romaine people Very shortly after Lucius came to séeke Scipio with fourtéene hundreth horse to attend and assist the Romaynes After which time Scipio departed from Carthage to Tarzacone to giue order for the warres in effect to chace and expulse the Carthaginians out of Spayne My Lorde beholde here my opinion as touching youre demaund and if your honor or the gouernor be not of the same opinion which is that if Marhaball were not the first Carthaginian that entred Spayne and that the great Scipio the African did not take sack and subuert new Carthage I will say no more but that if Titus Liuius were aliue he would giue you suche a cōbat with the Camp of his Decades that he would throughly giue you to vnderstand of your wrong information Of newes there is no other but that his Maiestie is in health and twice a wéeke goeth to the assembly The Emperesse also is in health and this hote weather féedeth very little Thys other night from Ciuile they broughte a paquet of letters vnto his maiestie wherein he was aduertised of ten shippes from Peru to be arriued in the hauen of Ciuill with twenty Millions of gold whereof there were eight for his maiestie and twelue for other particular persons Diego of Acunia the bearer hereof shall farther make report of all that passeth here at court No more but God haue you in his kéeping and giue me grace to serue him From Toledo the 22. of Iuly 1537. A disputatiō and discourse holdē against the Iewes of Rome wherin is declared notable authorities of the sacred Scripture ALiama Horranda which is to say honorable troupe of Inis I remayne with the long disputation past so wéery and my head so distempred with your cries that if it were not for the seruice of my Lorde Iesus Christe and for the zeale of youre soules the profession of a deuine as also for the honor of my law which I confesse soundly beleeue you shoulde be assured that I would neither dispute with you any more or enter at any time into your Sinagogue for that as touching your cōuersion ye are too too much obstinate and in the maner of disputation extremely opiniatiue Neyther vnto you eyther yet vnto me doth it apertayne that the difficulties or opinions which eyther of vs defendeth shuld be verefied with offensiue armes much lesse with iniurious words assuring that at the Scholes where I haue studied and of the masters of whome I haue learned he was not esteemed wise that cried strongly but could performe and speake very well And since we debate not vppon any matter of your goodes much lesse is my comming for the same or any suche purpose but only for the verifying of the sacred Scripture I pray you for the loue of God interrupt not my reasons but heare me with patience vntill I haue finished my tale for al you of this Sinagogue hold for custome that if any word be spokē againste your tast or liking forthwith ye begin to garboile cry brable Therefore heare me and I will heare you speake or else I will speake giue eare vnto me or else I wil hearken vnto you suffer me and I shall endure and suffer you since we talke confer and dispute of matters so high and deuine it is good reason that such difficulties and so great mysteries should be disputed after the manner of wise men and not crying as fooles considering that the wisedome of the wise is knowen by his talke and his prudence in the modestie which he vseth in his speech I haue sayd all this for that in the disputation which wee haue had betwixt vs eight days past ye did not only impugne and speake against both the authorities which I alleadged of the holy Prophet Esay and of King Dauid but also ioyning your fistes to my eyes ye charged me with the lie iniuriously and threatning If ye shuld say that I am a great sinner a dasterd dull and simple I confesse the same But to saye that is false whiche I alledged or erroneous whiche I defended I vtterly appeale and denie for my good Lord Iesus Christ of his mercy either coulde or woulde fayle me therin But comming to the purpose me thinketh to commit no iniurie to bring foorth and alleage the passages of the holy Bible and therewithall of the holy Prophet Dauid and a king amongst you best beloued and of Esay the Prophet of you most esteemed The whiche haue sayde and prophecied of the ignorance which ye should haue from the which I beséech God to drawe you and with his grace to enspire you for certaynely I haue compassion to consider youre greate infamie hauing in times past aboue all nations receyued most fauour of God. Scrutati sunt iniquitates defecerunt scrutantes scrutinio The royal Prophet Dauid sayd speaking of the doctors of your lawe as if he would say the ministers of the lawe be set to interprete and declare the sacred scripture from the which they haue not drawen but falshood and malice But now honorable Inis I pray you to say of whome doth your Prophete here speake And tell me what they be that dare falsifye the sacred scripture to the ende we may vnderstand to shun them or else as Heretiques to burne them For as the diuine Plato sayde he ought to be accused of high treason that falsely doth interprete the law If ye will saye that the Gentiles Scrutati sunt iniquitates which is to say That they haue euill interpretated the law I answere that you speake vniustly and raise a false testimonie against them for the princes of the heathen haue more gloried and giuen themselues vnto the warres than to the