is betweene Loue and Friendship because I will make no long processe I leaue here to speake of Of all which both Aristotle in his eight booke of his Ethickes Tullie in his booke of Friendshippe and Seneca in his nienth Epistle do largely and thorowly discourse I should also here declare how we shoulde behaue our selues in getting of friendes and hauing once gotte them howe to continue them Whereof Seneca intreateth in his 3. Epistle whyther for auoiding tediousnes I referre the Reader 2. Who can assoile the man that 's dread from care and deadly feare If any reason minde or witte in him that dreads appeare Esteeme and thou shalt be esteemed for feare is to the sense A griefe that cannot be exprest a deadly pestilence The Paraphrase IN this prouerbe the Marques his minde is to prooue by natural reason that which he hath written in the former prouerbe that is that men ought to be gētle and eurteous in their conuersations and that they ought not to doe anie thing by force or feare but rather by loue and gentlenes He also setteth down the inconuenience that foloweth to him that had rather be feared then loued saying Who can assoyle the man that is dread from care and deadly feare c. For if he that feareth haue not altogether lost his discretion and vnderstanding he wil not feare him that he feareth For he may esily vnderstand that he that liueth in dread will seeke by all the meanes to be deliuered of him that he feareth For feare as Aristotle saith in the 3. booke of his Ethiks is a continuall looking for the harme that shal happen According to which such as feare others do continually looke to receiue harme at the handes of those whom they feare or to escape the euill that they looke for They imagine how they may preuent in doing of euill them of whom they thinke to receiue euill And therefore in the speache that Thyestes the Sonne of King Pelops hath with his sonne Philistines where his sonne requireth him to forsake the place of his banishment and to come and gouerne and liue together with his brother Araeus as Seneca sheweth in his seconde Tragidie where Thyestes doth shew the reasons that moueth him rather to liue in a poore estate then to be a man of greate place authority saying While I liued in princely state and maiestie I was neuer free from fearing of those that feared me yea and many times I was afraide of the very sword that hung by mine owne side least in the ende I should come to be slayne with it And afterwarde Oh what a great happines is it not to be feared of anie to sleepe soundly vpon the grounde and to eate in safety the meate that is prouided Poison is presented in golden cuppes meaning that it is not geuen to the poore labourer that drinketh in earth or wood but to great estates that drinke in golde geuen by those that feare them and by such as they haue good cause to feare And therefore Tullie saieth in his booke of Friendship that in the life of Tyrantes which be such as gouerne by force and feare more then by loue there can be neither faith loue nor stedfast friendshippe To the Tyrant all thinges are suspicious and euerie thing ministreth vnto him occasion of sorrowe and care And it followeth Who can loue him whom he feareth or him of whō he knoweth he is feared With this agreeth that which Boetius in his third booke of Comfort writeth that such as are guarded with men of warre stand in dread of those whom they seeme to make affraide And therfore wel sayth the Prouerbe That feare is a deadly griefe vnto the sense Which is verified as well in the person that feareth as in him that is feared It is written of Dionisius as Boetius in his 3. booke of Comforte witnesseth that hee was a great Tyrant and such a one as by tyranny and crueltie subdued many countries and did manie harmes and mischiefes who as he sought to gouerne by tyrannie and force it is most like hee was rather feared then beloued It is written that a special friende of his comming to see him told him that he had great cause to thinke him selfe happie in that he had atteyned to so greate and so hygh estate as hee was in Dionisius made no answere at all but bad him to dinner where ouer the chaire where his ghest should sit he caused to be hanged by a verie smal thred a weightie and a sharp pointed sword in such sort as his friend being set the sword hung directly ouer the crowne of his head so as if the thred brake it was sure to run thorow him thus caused him to sitte down to dinner who al the while that he sat sweat for feare least the thread breaking the sword should fal vpō him destroy him Dionisius caused him with sundrie dishes to be deintily and delicately serued the borde being taken vp he asked his ghest if hee had not pleasantly dined Who answeared him what pleasure coulde I haue at mymeate seeing the swoorde by so small a stay hanging ouer my head and still looking for the losse of my life whensoeuer the thred should breake Loe saith Dionisius such is the life of all tyrantes who for the mischiefes and tyrannies that they have doon and for feare of those whom they haue offended and wronged doe liue continually in feare and in dread and doe looke euerie howre for eyther death or some great danger touching the which I haue made a more large discourse in my Commentaries vpon the Prouerbes of Seneca in the Prouerbe that beginneth He that alwaies feareth is euerie day condemned To the which because I wil not be long I referre the reader since the Marques hath well concluded in this Proueth where he sayth Esteeme and thou shalt be esteemed meaning that it lyeth in thine owne power to be feared or to be loued and that feare is a deadly grief to the sense of which euerie man will seeke to ridde him selfe with as much speede as he may 3. Great Caesar as the stories tell most cruelly was slaine And yet the woorthiest conquerour that in the world did raigne Who on the earth so mightie is that when he is alone Can of himselfe doe any more then can a seely one The Marques CAesar most woorthie prince he that is heere mencioned was called by the name of Iulius and of others Caius the selfe same that passed the Rubicon against Pompey as Lucan writeth in his booke of the Ciuill-warres who after the death of Pompey and Cato triumphing with great pomp in the citie of Rome and taking into his handes the common treasurie behaued himselfe with such pride and outrage towarde the Citizens that they coulde by no meanes abide him and as his hautinesse was thought of them intollerable they conspired to kill him which treason of theirs they did no long time delay The chiefe of this conspiracie were
thee And those that praise themselues because as Tullie sayth it seemeth to proceede of pride doe thereby bring themselues into hatred and euill will. So as if any man shall set soorth his owne doings to the ende to bee commended honoured and shall thereby be reputed to bee a man of great vanitie and folly his errour as the Prouerb saith shal appeare to be great 61. Such things as wonderfull do seeme but seld or neuer tell For all men haue not heades alike To iudge thy credite well And many wordes to vse doth shew no great perfection T is better for to shew thy deedes and let thy tongue alone The Paraphrase THe chaunces that are wonderfull are those that doe seldome happen which though a man hath seene with his own eies yet will not the common people who neuer beleeue more then is subiect to their grosse senses giue credite to him that shall report them but shall bee counted a liar and vaine prater for telling of them And therefore if a man be not driuen by necessitie to tell it it is much better for him to keepe his tongue For as Isocrates sayeth I haue manie time repented for woordes that I haue spoken but for keeping silence neuer And euerie mans perfection doeth rather stande in the proofe of his workes then in his words according as Saint Luke writeth in the beginning of the Actes of the Apostles touching our Sauiour where he sayeth that our Lorde Iesus Christ beganne to do and to teach where he placeth his workes before his woordes which is the meaning of the Prouerbe And manie woordes to vse doeth shewe no great perfection t is better c. The sixth Chapter of Liberalitie and Franknesse 62. Be franke and free at all assayes with speede bestowe thy gift The goodliest grace in giuing is to be short and swift Well vnderstand the qualitie of that thou doest bestowe Which seene thou shalt be able soone the quantitie to knowe The Paraphrase AS Seneca sayeth in his booke of Benefites wee are not borne to liue onely to our selues but to benefite and profite our kinsmen our friendes our neighbours yea and euerie other person that we can Sith nature as the ciuill law saith hath linked all men in a consanguinitie and duetie eche to other And therefore we are bound being of abilitie to be liberall and bountifull to such as liue in wante and necessitie though as the Doctours say it ought to bee done by order and degrees as first to consider our parents next our children then our kindred and after them our friends and so thorowout as they be in degree And if so bee we haue some of our kindred that be of the householde of fayth and others that be not the Apostle willeth vs if our power be not sufficient to serue them both rather to relieue those that be of the fayth then the others and this great vertue Liberalitie hath as Aristotle writeth in the fourth of his Ethickes certaine circumstances As that hee that giueth ought to consider to whom he giueth and to what end he giueth and to looke that the things which hee giueth be not of the basest of his substance as Caine did who offered vnto God the verie worst and vilest of his flocke whereas Abel offring the best that hee had his Sacrifice was accepted Caines refused Likewise he is to consider to whom he giueth For to giue to such as haue no neede is to cast away that which is giuen It must also be knowne whether the partie to whom we giue be able to woorke and can by his labour sufficiently maintaine himselfe For to giue to such a one were to rob another that is not able to labour nor hath any meane to gette his liuing and yet as the lawiers say if a man be well borne and descended of a good house so as he cannot considering his parentage without great shame disparagement giue himself to anie base trade of life although he be of abilitie for bodie to trauell and labour yet is it a good turne to relieue him because he is in the same case with him that can neither labour nor hath means to get his liuing for with his honesty he cannot abase himselfe to any vile occupation and therfore is to be considered Moreouer we ought to regard the manner and intent of our liberalitie which ought not to bestowed for anie vaunt or vayneglorie as appeareth by the exāple in the Gospel where our Sauiour beeing present in the temple there cōmeth in together to offer a proude wealthy Pharisey and a poore vertuous widdowe The riche Miser offereth of his great substance great and precious presentes the poore widowe turneth out of the bottome her purse and her hart a poore sillie Farthing Our Lord demaundeth which of the twayne had offered most and gaue sētence with the poore widow because the mind of the giuer who onely gaue it in respect of the seruice of God not for anie vaunt or vaineglory as the riche man did Beside al this we ought to geue that which we geue with a willing a cheerful minde as the Apostle saieth For the Lorde doeth loue a cheerfull giuer and such a one as is not slacke nor slowe in the bestowing of his benefites For he giueth double as the cōmon prouerb is that giueth soone as Solomon saith in his prouerbs Say not vnto the pore man go come againe to morrow when it is in thy hand to helpe him presently For as Aristotle in the fourth of his Ethicks saith Liberality standeth not in the giuing of many sumptuous gifts but in the habit of him that giueth whatsoeuer it be that is giuē that is to say in the cheerfull bountiful mind of the giuer which all are here briefly comprehended by the Marques Be franke and free c. 63. By worthy liberalitie great Alexander wan His fame and high renowne when all the worlde he ouerran And likewise Titus for his frankenes great and actes of fame Amongst the worthy conquerours obteind a woorthy name The Paraphrase ALexander king of the Macedons and one of the 3. monarchies of the world was a Prince of great liberality and franknes of whom Seneca writeth in his Booke of Benefites That when as a poore minstrell came vnto him beseeched him to bestowe a pennie vpon him the king presently gaue him a whole towne and when the poore felow halfe astonied tolde that so greate a gifte was not fitte for him Alexander answered him hee did not regarde what was meete for suche a fellowe to receiue but what was seemely for so greate a Prince to geue Titus was Emperour of Rome a Prince of a noble minde and of greate liberalitie who as it is reported by Eutropius in his life and other auncient Authours had proclaimed that whosoeuer had anie sute vnto him what soeuer it were it should be graunted when some of his counsell misliking it had tolde him that it woulde
in And therefore the Prouerbe saieth that the woman is not vnprofitable nor vnperfect Neither ought we to thinke that because some women haue been to blame therefore they are all to be condemned For as the nurse sayth to Hippolytus as Seneca in his fourth Tragedie sheweth where Hippolitus saith that if there had neuer been other euill woman but Medea the wife of Aegeus her onely villanies were sufficient to cause all other women to be abhorred Wherto the nurse answereth that it were greatly against reason that the offence of one or two should be the blame of all the rest And therefore sayeth the Prouerbe that notwithstanding the faultes of a fewe the vertues of women haue been highly commended and set out with the pen. 47. For setting here aside that sweete and blessed worthie rose That ouer all the rest doth shine and farre beyonde them goes The daughter of the thundring God and spouse vnto the hiest The light and lampe of women all who bare our sauiour Christ 48. Manie Ladies of renowne and beautifull there bee That are both chast and vertuous and famous for degree Amongst the blessed holy saintes full many a one we find That in this cōpasse may be brought for liues that brightly shinde 49. What should I of Saint Katheren that blessed martyr tell Among the rest of Virgins all a flowre of preecious smell Well worthy of remembrance is her beawty and her youth And eke no lesse deserueth praise her knowledge in the trueth The Marques SAint Katherin was a virgin and a holy Martyr and among the whole company of Saintes of speciall commendation touching whose life and death beeing a thing so commonly knowne I refer the Reader to the booke called The Flower of Saints 50. We finde that Hester wanted neither beawtie great nor grace Whose noble minde was ioyned with the fauour of her face Of Iudith likewise doe we reade the bewtie great to bee And how she vertuously behaude her selfe in eche degree The Paraphrase of the Marques HEster the Queene was the wife of King Assuerus of whom it shall not bee needefull to speake much considering that in the Paraphrase to the prouerbe of Assuerus in the beginning of the Booke there hath been enough saide It is sufficient to knowe that she was a holy woman and a deuout seruaunte of God as appeared by her vertuous life and by the earnest Prayers that shee made vnto God in the case of Hamon and Mardocheus Iudith as her Booke testifieth which is one of the 24 bookes of the Bible was reputed among the Iewes for a woman of singular wisdom and of great honestie in life who slewe the great Holofernes that being sent by the King Nabuchodonosor with a great and puisant Campe had besieged the Citie of Ierusalem as her Booke at large declareth where it also appeareth by what great policicie after shee had slaine him shee conueyed his hed passing thorowe the watch of the Camp to the aforesaid Citie This only fact renowmed Prince strake such a feare and terrour to the harts of the enemies as they speedily and without order to their great losse brake vppe their siege So as shee is greatly commended in the Scripture for her beautie and for her noble and valiant stomacke 51. The famous worthy women that among the heathen warre No reason that of good reporte among the rest we barre For why their valure and renoume was woundrous in their dayes And therefore not to be depriude of due deserued praise 52. In Athens and in Thebes too wer Ladyes great of fame The Troians Sabynes Greeks Arge had many a worthy dame The Laurentines the Amasons may triumph for the same And Rome of vertuous women can remember many a name 53. No fairer creatures coulde be seene then Vagnes and Diana Daphnes Dido Anna and the vertuous Lucretia Nor vnrembred let wee passe Virginia the same Whose passing chastitie procurde her euerlasting fame The Paraphrase VAgnes as Statius in his Booke of the Warres betwixt the Thebanes and the Argians reporteth was the cheefe among the Argian Ladies that went altogether to King Creon with humble petition for the deliuery of the dead bodyes of their husbandes and kinsemen that were slaine at the battaile of Thebes fighting against Ethiocles the Sonne of Oedippus and nephew to King Layus who was of the linage and stock of Cadmus Who hauing receiued a flat denyal went altogither to Theseus that then was Duke of Athens declaring vnto him with great exclamation the great crueltie and extremitie that was showed vnto them Theseus who was then newly come from the warres of the Amasons as Iohn Boccace the poet of Florence in his Booke of Theseus at large discribeth vowed that before he entred the Citie he would go out of hand with his whole forces against Creon requiring him yet before by his Embassadours to graunt vnto the poore Ladyes this their so iust and reasonable request which when he disdainfully refused to doe hee made warres vpon him and slew him wherby the gentlemen of Argos by the industrie and diligence of the vertuous Vagnes came in the ende to bee honourably buryed At the ende of this battaile wherin Creon was slaine by the handes of Theseus beginneth the story of Arcyt and Palemon the seruants and great louers of Emilia the sister of Hypolitus which because of the tediousnes and that the matter maketh nothing to our purpose I heere passe ouer Diana was counted the goddesse of Chastitie a Lady that set all her delight vpon the feeld in the chase and hunting of wilde beastes Lucretia and other the famous Ladies of Rome are sufficiently mencioned as wel by Lyuy and Valerius in their storyes as by Saint August a man of more credit in his Boke Of the Citie of God and Iohn Boccace in the fall of Princes and commendation of woorthy women where it is shewed how she beeing the wife of Collatinus was violently forced by Sextus Tarquinius wherevpon with a knife or a swoord shee slewe her selfe saying I free my selfe from the faulte but not from punishement which I heere but briefely touch because I haue writen thereof before in the story of Sextus Tarquinius Daphnis was daughter to Peneus a Virgin dedicated to Diana the Lady of Chastitie who as Ouid writeth beeing greatly desired of Phebus and not consenting nor able to withstande the force of her furious louer commending her selfe to all the gods but specially to Diana whom shee serued was as the Poets faine transformed into the Laurell a tree of continuall greenenesse sweete of sauour and of a delectable shadowe The morall whereof beeing declared by diuers Authors as Fryer Thomas of Capua in his Moralls vpon the Metamorphosis Iohn Boccace in his Genealogie of the heathen gods and Maister Iohn the Englishman commenting vppon the same Booke I heere leaue to declare as a thing to long to entreate off It may suffice that shee was counted among the heathen for a mayden of singular beawtie Anna was
his time To these foure and to the two others Don Iohn and Don Hurtado he left such Lordshippes rents reuenewes as made fiue great houses besides his owne principall house FINIS ⧠The first Chapter of Loue and Feare 1. My sonne whom I doe dearly loue Vnto my wordes geue eare ▪ Seeke not by rigour for to rule Nor gouerne men by feare ▪ Loue and thou shalt beloued be And by the same shalt doe Such worthie things as hated thou shalt neuer attaine vnto The Paraphrase EVery wyse Oratour as Tullie in his booke de Oratore teacheth ought principally ▪ in whatsoeuer matter he dealeth to consider three things That is to make all those that shall eyther heare his speach or reade his workes to be well willing vnderstanding and mindefull The speaker shall make his audience well willing when he laboureth to obteyne their fauour and good wil towardes him For no man wil gladly geue eare to such a man as he is afore euil perswaded of he maketh his hearers to vnderstād when he declareth the matter that hee meaneth to entreate off in shewing that it shal be profitable commodious he causeth them to be attentiue or mindeful when he mooueth or stirreth them vp by good meanes inductions to be readie to heare not hauing their minds caried away with anie other matters All these points hath this learned gentleman folowing this inscription obserued in al his discourse But especially in this first Prouerbe he hath obserued the first in making him that shal reade him wel minded towardes him procuring his fauour goodwil in calling him by the name of his sōne beloued For as the Ciuil law sayth we can name no man by a more sweet or better name thē to call him our sonne He maketh him to vnderstand in shewing him howe to direct or order his life amōgst the people he maketh him attētiue in these wordes where he saith Geue eare And the meaning and matter of this Prouerbe is the most sweet gracious behauiour that men of all degrees ought to vse in their conuersation And if so be that men of gret estate calling ought to vse this gētle behauiour much more ought they that are of meane degree to do it And therfore Seneca in the speach that he hath with the Emperour Nero as he bringeth in in his 9. Tragedie when the Emperour did striue to gouerne rather by feare then by loue and commaunded sundrie things to be done by force and disorder to the ende the people should feare him because Seneca did therefore greately blame him the Emperour tolde him that whatsoeuer he did he ought by reasō for to do for the sword was it that defēded the Prince Seneca answeared that the faith and true allegiance of his subiects would better defend him The Emperour replied That it is good that the Prince bee feared Seneca answeareth it is better that he be beloued The naked sword saith Nero shal make them doe what I wil haue thē Beware saieth Seneca you neuer fall into suche an errour The Emperour answereth I wil force the people to feare mee Surely saith Seneca that which you force and compell the people to doe they will verie hardly suffer And therefore it is not meete that anie person as is sayde especially suche gouernours as are vertuous and iust should vrge or force any thing agaynst the good will of the people much lesse that priuat persons should in their conuersation one with an other doe it For as Seneca in his thirde Epistle sayeth whereas hee sheweth the deliberation that a man ought to haue in the getting and keeping of his friende If thou wilt be beloued loue or as the Prouerbe sayeth By loue thou shalt doe that hated thou shalt neuer attayne vnto For there is nothing in the world that is sought with loue either by the prince of his subiecte the Lorde of his tenant or the friend of his familiar but it is easily obteined For as Virgill saith in his Bucolikes Loue ouercōmeth al thinges insomuch is for the great loue that the Almightie bare vnto mankinde hee sent his only begottē sonne to take our flesh vppon him and to die for vs that he might beare our faults and infirmities as Esai saith and suffer for our offences And therefore if loue coulde cause God to abase himselfe to be conuersant with man and to doe that which might chiefly auayle vs being euerlasting and most perfect and we mortall and imperfecte what shall it not doe in the companie and conuersation of one man with an other Whereuppon Valerius in his thirde booke in the title of Loue and delight writeth that Damon and Pithias two of Pythagoras his schollers bare so great loue and affection one to the other as when Dionisius of Sarragos would haue put one of them to death he seeyng that there was no remedie but needes he must dye required that hee might haue libertie to goe home to dispose set in order suche thinges as hee had promising to put in sureties for his returne at what day soeuer he woulde appoint him Dionisius supposing that none so faithfull a friēd could be found that in such a case woulde become suretie to the hazard of his life and all that he had aunsweared that he was content to giue him leaue time to goe to his house so that he put in such suretie as hee promised whereuppon he left him for suretie his other friende And as the last day was now come wherein the condemned person was bound to returne to suffer his determined death all those that were present did count a great follie in him that woulde in suche a case become suretie hazard his life for an other how great soeuer the friendship was betwixt them But the partie that was suretie did no whitte distrust the fidelitie of his friende nor repent him any whitte of his suretyshippe Nowe as they were all gaping and gasing to see the ende of the matter at the last day and euen in the last houre commeth the condemned man wherat Dionisius was greatly astonished and for the great faithfulnes loue that he saw betweene them pardoned the partie that he had condemned and desired them both that they woulde vouchsafe him for a third into their friendship Wherby it is euident that loue is of so greate a force that it forceth such men as be true friends to venter giue their liues the one for the other So that very well saith the Prouerbe Loue and thou shalte beloued bee For Seneca in his thirde Epistle affirmeth that nothing doeth more trouble a man in his prosperitie and wealth then to thinke that they can neuer bee to him good and faithfull friendes to whom he himselfe hath neuer been good Howe manie kindes of Friendshippes there bee and howe some bee friendes for Commoditie sake others for pleasure and delight others for vertue and honestie howe some bee sworne friendes and what difference there
whom he would haue abused was to hard for him For the traines and pathes of pickthankes are not for wise men to fall in but for grosse heads and simple people Tullie in his Inuectiue that he made against Salust hath these wordes I haue seene saith he many that in telling of other mens faultes haue more offended the hearers then did they that committed the faultes And therefore Backbiters whether their accusations bee false or true are not to be suffered Since as Tullie saieth They more offende the mindes of such as heare them with their spitefull and euill speech then doe those that commit the euill in deede And therfore wise men ought greatly to shunne to stop their eares against all Clawbackes taletellers and backbiters and not only to banish them but all vaine and idle talke as Saint Bernard writeth in an Epistle touching the gouernment of a house to a gentleman called Raymond wherein he sheweth what wayes hee ought to vse to auoyde all Parasites and gesters saying Whensoeuer thou art troubled with Coxecombes counterfaits or gesters make as if thou diddest heare them and let thy minde be vpon other matters for if thou once answere them and seeme to take pleasure in them thou shalt neuer be rid of them thou shalt shewe thy selfe to be but a light fellowe in seeming to take pleasure in any such follyes shalt be forced to giue them rewards loosing and casting away in so doeing whatsoeuer thou giuest 8. Assuerus if he had not heard eche part with equall eare Had greatly abusde the sword that he for iustice due did beare And into errour fallen which straight he would haue wisht vndone So had the guiltlesse creature died that no offence had doone The Paraphrase of the Marques ASsuerus was a man of so great power amongst the heathen that he was accounted for a Monarch or ruler of the world and as it is written in the Booke of Hester Haman beeing in speciall fauour with the King taking a displeasure against the Iewes who liued vnder the gouernmeÌ„t of Assuerus procured the Kings displeasure greately against them but especially against Mardocheus so as hee appointed him to be hanged And as it was a custome that Assuerus alwayes vsed to haue many times read vnto him a Booke wherein was contained the seruices that any of his subiects or any other had done vnto him where happely he chaunced to heare a speciall seruice that Mardocheus had done vnto him what seruice it was I leaue here to speake off beeing a matter commonly knowne to all such as haue beene studious in the scriptures This being vnderstood of the king and at the earnest request of Hester hee commaunded that Haman should bee trussed vppe vpon the same Gallowes that hee had prepared for Mardocheus whereby according to the saying of Dauid Hee fell into the same pitte that hee had digged for other With this Prouerbe agreeth the saying of Solon That euery well guyded common wealth standeth vppon twoo feete the one the right foote is the bountifull rewarding of those that haue doone good seruice the other the left foote is the punishment and correction of all disordered persons and offenders What Prince soeuer wanteth either this bountie in rewarding or iustice in punishing his common wealth shall alwayes be lame and halting and the good deedes and seruice of the subiectes ought euermore to bee recorded and many times read to the Prince and the parties them selues continually to bee examined The Doctour IN this prouerbe the Marques sheweth by examples that which he hath taught in the prouerbe before and to this intent he bringeth in the story of king Assuerus which story is written at large in the Booke of Hester which is one of the Canonicall bookes of the holy Scripture Of which to make you here a shorte relation you shall vnderstand that this Assuerus was one of the greatest mightiest Princes that was in the world and as it is written was Lord of an hundred and xxvii Prouinces who toke to wife Hester a Iewish woman and of the linage of the Iewes whom hee very entirely loued This Queene had an vncle with whom shee had been brought vp called Mardocheus who vsed to come dayly to the Court to learne and vnderstande how the world weÌ„t with the Queene his Neece and as the story telleth the Queâ—ne beeing so aduised by Mardocheus did not discouer what country man he was neither was it knowen that he was her vncle This King Assuerus had one that was very great about him called Haman who bare all the sway in the Kings house and as the whole company aswell the greatest as the meanest gaue honor and reuerence to Haman beeing so commanded by the King only Mardocheus would neither honor him nor doe him any reuerence notwithstanding that the Kings seruaunts had many times blamed him for not honouring of Haman nor making obeisance to him as the rest of the Court ' both did and the king had commanded and because they sawe that he would take no warning they complained to Haman of him who casting his eye vpon the Iewe and perceiuing plainely that he vsed no reuerence towardes him conceiued a great hatred against him and for the displeasure that he bare him deuised howe he might procure the destruction aswell of all the Iewes as of Mardocheus and therevpon tolde the King that throughout all his dominions there swarmed a lewde and a contemptuous kinde of people beeing authors of new sects and Ceremonyes and dispisers of his Maiesties lawes and ordinaunces which was a thing not before seene that such a kinde of people should be suffered to liue within his dominions made humble request to the King that hee might haue licence and authoritie from him to destroy them promising thereby to bring to the Kings cofers an infinite masse of treasure The King answeared him that he freely gaue him the treasure that he spake off and for the people hee bad him doe with them what he thought good and gaue him his ring from his finger that he might send out letters for the execution of his commaundement Whervpon Haman in great haste caused letters to be directed to all the Prouinces and Cities within the Kinges dominions that they should at a day appointed set vpon the Iewes and destroy them taking all their goods and not leauing one of theÌ„ aliue which newes when they came to the eares of Mardocheus were not very pleasant vnto him whereupon he hied to the Queene and perswaded her to goe with great spede to the King and to sue for pardon for her woful countrymen which at the first she refused to doe by reason of a law that if any should presume to enter the Kinges chamber without licence or speciall commaundement except the King did holde out in signe of clemencie the goldeÌ„ scepter that he held in his hand should presently dye for it Notwithstanding at the earnest request of Mardocheus after that she al the
and one of the greatest defeatings or auoydings as the Lawyers say of any proces is if iudgemēt haue been prooued or done without deliberation And therefore the Prouerbe sayth See that you take good deliberation in iudgement 10. The deed that 's done by good aduice doth alwayes firmely stand And seldome seene to craue amendes at any second hand Be ruled by counsaile euermore whatsoeuer thou dost intend And from thy side let neuer goe thy faythfull aged friend The Paraphrase THe Marques in this Proueth concludeth two things The first is the effect that followeth when a thing is done with good deliberation and brought to passe by good aduise and counsaile the seconde is whose aduise and coūsaile in our doings we ought to follow Touching the first Solomon in his Prouerbes saith The determinations of a man neuer come to good where counsaile is not afore had The deuises that are executed by good aduise are alwayes perfect good And Seneca saith Do al thy things by good aduise thou shalt neuer repent them For a man not taking coūsaile nor aduise in that which he intendeth it is not possible for him that he should foresee the errours that he shal fal in And falling therein for want of good foresight counsaile it must needes be that he must repent himselfe and say I had not thought so great a mischiefe woulde haue folowed And as Valerius writeth that Scipio of Affrica was wont to say It was an euill fauoured a shameful thing for a man in any matter especially in such as belong to a man of warre to say I would not haue thought it For such things as are to be done with the sword ought well to be thought of before For the errours that in warres are cōmitted can neuer as Scipio saith be amended And as Vegetius in his booke that he made Of the knowledge of the Warres affirmeth There is no other reason to be yeelded why the Romanes did subdue the whole worlde conquered wheresoeuer they came but because they did al that they did by great deliberation aduise being verie skilfull well trained in such things as belonged to the warres For what saith he was a handful of poore Romanes to the infinite numbers of the Frenchmen or what could so slēder a power preuaile against the great forces puissance of the Germanes Certaine it is that the Spaniards were more in nūber and of greater strength force thē were the Romanes They were alwayes behind the Affricanes both in wealth policies And no mā doubteth but the Greeks were farre beyond them in grauitie wisedom Yet alwayes did the souldier of Rome preuaile because of his skill being continually trained daily exercised in the warres For there could nothing hap in any skirmish or battel wherew t they had not long time afore been acquainted Certaine it is as the Prouerb saith that that which is done by deliberation cōmeth not to craue amendment at the second hande and that from this counsaile and aduise the olde stager ought neuer to be shut out For as Aristotle sayth in the first of his Ethickes The yong man by reason of his small experience can haue no great knowledge in anie matter and therfore not able to giue anie good coūsaile And beside in his booke of Rethorike In mans affaires and actions the thinges that haue passed be cōmonly like to the thinges that after happen and as the young man hath had no experience of such thinges as haue happened before so can hee neuer bee able to iudge of the things that shall after fal out therefore the auncient mē are alwayes able to giue better counsaile And therefore Roboam the sonne of Solomon for taking the aduise of yong men and refusing the olde and expert fellowes did verire worthily forgoe tenne partes of twelue of his kingdome as shal hereafter be more at large declared And though young men are by reason of strength and lustinesse more able and fitte for the fight than are the olde men yet as Tullie in his booke of Age saith The great and notable exploites are neuer done by force nor agilitie of body but by counsaile aucthoritie secresie And among the principal causes that we reade why Alexander had alwaies the victory and the better hand it was the chiefe that he went alwaies accompanied with graue auncient counsellours For as Trogus Pompeius in his eleuenth booke writeth That Alexander whensoeuer he was in any iourney of great daunger he neuer called to counsel nor made priuie to his doinges the young and lusty Gallantes but the olde expert souldiers that had folowed the warres with his father and with his vncle whom he vsed not so muche for souldiers as for gouernours And it is saide that those whom he put in his battailes were commonly of the age of threescore yeeres vpwarde to the entent that none of them should thinke to run away but to ouercome and trusting more to their handes then their feete shoulde set their whole mindes vpon the victory And when diuers of his old souldiours desired him that they might depart to rest and refreshe them selues offering him their sonnes that were young and lustie to serue in their places It is saide that he answered I had rather to haue about me the well experienced grauitie of aged men then the frowardenesse and vnaduised rashnesse of young men And thus did Alexander attaine to whatsoeuer he desired and was in all his doinges honourable and vertuous because he neuer suffered as the Prouerbe sayeth The olde man to depart from his side 11 So long the common wealth of Rome Did floorishe strong and glad As they their aged senatours At home in honour had But when that Tirantes once began To rule and beare the sway They neuer any conquest made But lost from day to day The Paraphrase IN this Prouerbe the Marques sheweth and prooueth by good example and greate experience of thinges before passed That which before he declared that as long as the Romanes gaue credit to the aduise and counsaile of their aged Fathers so long they prospered and did well and when they once ceassed so to doe their honour presently ceassed and came to nought They were gouerned in those dayes by a certaine companie of men called Senators which woorde and name commeth of the Latine woorde Senex which signifieth aged In what sorte and by what meanes the Romanes prospered is plainely declared by Iudas Machabee in the first boke of the Machabees where he saith The Romanes by their wisedome and sober behauiour possessed the whole worlde and ouerthrewe the Princes that rebelled against them and made Tributaries Galacia and Spaine subdued and overcame the king of the Persians and Antiochus the king of Asia hauing in his company a hundred and thirtie Elephants sacked al their cities and made Tributarie vnto them all their Dominions and brought into subiection al the countries rounde about them as wel farre as neare
a great goddesse vnder whose gouernment and at whose dispositioÌ„ are all the treasures and riches of the world farther they say that shee hath all maner of persons in the worlde vpon a wheele that her condition and nature for she is a woman is neuer to be long of one minde but somtime of great and honourable personages to make poore and miserable creatures againe of poore miserable caitiues to make hye mightie Princes stil whirling about her vnstedfast wheele as pleaseth her Aristotle hath also the like maner of speach in his Booke Of good Fortune where he affirmeth that there are diuerse and sundry opinions aboute Fortune But all their opinions are farre differing from our Christian faith For as Boetius in his firste Booke Of Consolation And Saint Augustine in the fourth Booke Of the Citie of God doe vnite this Fortune destinie are no other things then the prouidence of God therfore to speake like a good Christian that which the Prouerbe heere saith When as it pleaseth Fortune c. is as much to say as when it pleaseth the prouidence of God the thinges that bee hurtfull vnto vs shall turne to our profit and such things as are profitable to our hurt and destruction Whereof there is a very good example in the holie Scriptures in the first Booke of Moses where it is written that the Children of Iacob for the malice that they bare to Ioseph their brother threw him into a deepe pitte and after solde him to certaine Merchants who solde him to an officer of King Pharaoes that vpon the vnfull accusation of his wife kepte him a long time in Prison from whence hee was sent for by King Pharao and after that hee had declared the meaning of his dreame and foreshewed the comming of the deare and the barren yeares he was made the greatest man aboute him which was the cause that the patriarch Iacob with all his house escaped the great famine came to liue honourably in Aegypt and thus did it please fortune that is to say God that the hurtfull things that is the imprisonment of Ioseph and all the other harmes and miseries that he sustained should turne to the profite of himself his father and his brethren So likewise doe the things that appeare good and profitable many times fall out to bee hurtfull and euill vnto vs as to haue great store of monie is a profitable thing and yet it often falleth that their throates are cut for it that haue it and so doeth a profitable thing become hurtefull 22. My sonne the wiseman and his life still set before thy face And speake no euill of thy Prince in anie secret place Looke that thy toung iudgement both such nets do warily shun For why the very walles them selues Will witnes what is doone The Paraphrase THE Marques in this Prouerbe sheweth that if a man be not able of him selfe to rule and order his life hee should seeke out and set before his eyes same wise and notable man according to whose doings he shuld in euery point frame his life as Seneca writeth to Lucilius it is one of the chiefest lessons that hee could deuise to giue him for the framing of his life aright He willeth him that he shuld alwaies imagine him selfe to bee in the presence of some good man for example sake either Cato or Lelius for ether of them were both vertuous wise and that he should frame al his thoughts and direct all his deedes according to the life and vertues of them and so should he neuer do amisse and this is it that is ment in the prouerbe Follow the wise man and his lawe The law of the wiseman is his discretion for as Aristotle saieth The iust and the vertuous man is a lawe vnto him selfe for hee measureth the times disposeth his things according as the time and reason doth require And the Prouerbe saith more Speake thou no euill of thy Prince according to the doctrine of the Apostle Sainct Paule We are bound to feare God and to honour the King. We ought to serue the King as our naturall Lorde and wee offende God grieuouâ—ly in dissobeying of him In so much as some Doctors of law are of opinion that whosoeuer obeyeth not the Kinges commaundement findeth deadly according to that is written in the second of the Kings Hee that obeyeth not the Prince shall dye for it And therefore as it is a grieuous and greate sacriledge to blaspheme the name of God so is it a damnable and horrible offence to speake euill of the King and against such as shall so offende it is very well prouided bothe by the constitutions of the Emperours and by the lawes and statutes of Spaine And the Marques sayth That wee ought not onely to forbeare to speake euill of the Prince abroade and in company whereby it may come to his eare but also wee ought not to do it in secrete For Solomon sayth in his Prouerbs Speake no euill of the Prince iu any wise for if thou doest be sure the verie birdes of the ayre will disclose it The Byrdes of the ayre as some Doctoures teache are the Spyrtes and Diuelles according to the saying of our Lorde and Sauiour in the Gospel where hee telleth the parable of the seede that fell by the highe waye and the Byrdes of the ayre deuoured it The The birdes of the Aire saith our Sauiour are the lewde and wicked spirits that take out of the heart of man the worde of god And in this sorte is the aforesaide allegation to be vnderstoode that the birdes of the aire will discouer it that is to say the wicked spirites who shall reueale the treason that thou haste spoken in secret and this is it that the Prouerb meaneth when it saith The very walles will witnes beare The third Chapter of Iustice 23. From Iustice see thou varrie not for duetie loue nor feare Let no good turne at any time procure thee to forbeare Or for to swarue in any point from sentence iust and right In giuing dewe correction to the faithlesse fautie wight The Paraphrase AS Aristotle in the first Booke of his Ethicks affirmeth that the cleerest most bewtifull vertue of all others is Iustice whose brightnesse doth farre exceede either the day starre or the euening starre and therefore he saith That Iustice comprehendeth in it self all other vertues And Saint Augustine saith in his fourth Booke Of the Citie of God that Iustice beeing taken away the kingdomes of the earth are nothing else but greate companyes of theeues nor the companyes of theeues any other then small kingdomes And therefore saith the wise man in his Ecclesiastes Follow iustice all you that are Iudges on the earth Whosoeuer is a Iudge ought to bee as a Balance and iust weight in all his doinges and neither for feare friendship nor any other respect to forbeare the executing of vpright Iustice And therefore Valerius sheweth in
for helpe himselfe and not be hearde And therefore it is not to bee thought of a noble minde but if hee see a man in miserie or distresse hee will followe the aduise of the Prophet Esaie who saith Breake thy breade to the hungrie and carrie home to thy house the sorowfull and the poore where thou seest a man bare and naked cloth him and despise not thine own flesh Solomon saith in his Prouerbes He that hath pitie vpon the poore shal be happie And this is the meaning of this Prouerbe A noble minde wil neuer staine c. The seuenth Chapter of Truth 68 Truth honour thou alwayes loue step not from her aside But frame thy friendship after her that euer may abide The Image faire of holy life and daughter true is she As faithful sister vnto vertue chiefe is honestie TRuth is of so great a worthines and excellencie that God himselfe as it appeareth in the Gospel is called the Truth This truth hath two extremities The one called vayne boasting which is when men brag of theÌ„selues more then they are able to performe the other is named Ironia when men publishe of themselues that which is not in them Men ought to loue and honour the trueth after one of these two manners eyther where it concerneth onely them and therein men ought to beware that they neither exceede nor doe lesse then that which is reason The other is when it toucheth an other in this case to reuerence the trueth is as much to say as to performe whatsoeuer is promised and to bee true of our worde as well to our enimies as to our friends as we are bound by the Ciuill lawe for there is no greater duetie betwixt man and man then to keepe their faith and promise iustly one with the other without the which all trafficke and dealing amongst men must of necessitie cease And therefore the Prouerbe sayeth Truth honour thou and alwayes loue steppe not from her aside And farther that we ought to frame our friendshippe after truth Friendshippe according to the minde of Aristotle in his Ethickes is in one of these three sortes eyther for profite for pleasure or for honestie Friendshippe for profite as Seneca sayeth is Merchantes friendshippe which neuer endureth longer than there is hope of gayne Friendshippe for pleasure lasteth as long as delight and pleasure lasteth and as delightes doe alter with yeeres and suche thinges as seemed pleasant at some age are thought displeasant in an other Therefore this Friendshippe can neuer long continue Friendship for honestie is that which is grounded vppon truth and vertue and as vertue truth honestie are thinges euerlasting vnchangeable so the friendship that is grounded vppon them cannot but continue for euer This friendshippe floorisheth in the time of prosperitie and continueth and remayneth in the time of misfortune and aduersitie and therefore hee saieth That shee is the daughter of holinesse that honestie is the faithfull sister vnto the most soueraigne vertue Honestie as Plato reporteth as it is brought in by Tullie in the beginning of his offices is of suche an excelling beauty as if she might be seene with mens eyes the whole worlde woulde bee in loue with her Who because shee is stedfast assured sounde and euerlasting is saide to bee The faithfull sister to soueraigne vertue 69. Attilius knowing well before That he shoulde surely dye If vnto Carthage he returnd Obseruing faithfully His troth and woord deferd no time For to returne againe Where as he suffred tormentes great By death and deadly paine The Paraphrase MArcus Attilius as S. August writeth in his 1. booke of the Citie of God and also Tullie in his Booke of duties beyng prisoner among other Romanes in Carthage sent vnto Rome to persuade an exchange of prisoners when he came to the citie and hauing declared his message was demaunded to geue his opinion what hee thought best to bee done after that he had thorowly coÌ„sidered that the Roman prisoners were olde impotent men and that the Carthaginians were all young and lustie fellowes his aduise was that they shoulde in no wise make anie exchaunge and when his friends vnderstanding that his counsell was allowed laboured by all meanes they could to keepe him from goyng agayne He told them that hee had geuen his faith and his woorde to the Carthaginians that he would returne himself with the answere and therfore notwithstanding that he knew was sure that his goyng thither should be harmefull dangerous comming into the handes of his cruell dealy enimies yet coÌ„sidering that he had promised he would performe it and so in deede did whereas he suffered most cruell death with greate torture and tormentes The eight Chapter of Continence in coueting 70 Of worldly goodes possesse no more nor farther seeke to haue Then may suffice thy neede cleare thy conscience after graue All ouerplus with heede auoyde for more then meete is nought And nothing can continue long that on the earth is wrought The Paraphrase SOlomon saith in his Prouerbs that the praier which euery man ought to make vnto God is this Pouertie nor riches lord giue thou vnto me but only that with is sufficient for my maintenance least by hauing to muche I be tempted to forget God and to saie Who is the Lord and hauing on the other side to litle I bee forced by miserie and want to blaspheme the â—ame of my god And this aucthoritie of Solomon is in a maner the full CoÌ„mentarie of this Prouerbe Likewise Aristotle in the tenth of his Ethickes saith To seeke to possesse a meane moderate wealth is the perfection that a man attaineth vnto And Seneca in a booke that he made of the quietnesse and satisfyng of the minde moueth this question What quantitie of the goods of fortune a man ought to enioy to and what is the meane temperate state of riches That a man ought to seeke for and possesse so muche as may keepe him from pouertie and yet to be not farre from it And this is it that preserueth a man from falling as the piller which is the conscience being the greatest rest and quietest that a man can carry with him The Prouerb saith Nothing can continue long that on the earth is wrought The world it selfe must ende and all thing that therein is created wee see that nothing endureth long beautie decayeth fauour faileth strength abateth and life it selfe but a smal time lasteth The greatest princes that be must away and though the whole world be subiect to them yet are they them selues but subiectes to miserie to casualtie to sorowe to sicknesse and to death and muste die as an other man all our pompe our vanities and follies muste haue an ende wee haue no continuall abiding place as saint Paule saith but must al away some to heauen some to hell according as they haue heere behaued them selues And therfore is it a great madnes for any man to set