valient man. Reason Then hast thou one that perhaps may purchase vnto his countrey libertie to his enimies slaughter to him selfe honour and one day vnto thee teares but feare continually Ioy. My Sonne is valient and of great courage Reason What other thyng dyd Creon bewayle in his sonne that was slayne then his couragious desire of martial prayse What Enander in his sonne Pallas then his newe glory in armes and the sweete honour of his first encounter Whereof dyd feareful Priamus admonish his sonne Hector then that he should not alone expect Achilles What doth the careful mother entreat her sonne other then to shun that warlike champion Finally what dyd Hectors wyfe beyng ignorant of the heauie chaunce that alreadie was hapned say that she feared other then her husbandes well meanyng and the heate of his minde that was not able to stay hym out of the fyrst aray of the Souldiours but woulde rather runne before them all Whiche thyng also she feared at the beginning when as she spake vnto hym as he was going into the warres in this maner Doeth thy valiencie so deuilishy be witche thee that thou takest compassion neyther vpon thy Sonne nor mee his Mother who shall shortly be thy Wydowe Lastly what other dyd Achilles mother say beyng fearefull for her Sonne Now must I seeke for my sonne Achilles by Lande and Sea and I woulde he woulde folowe mee Whilst in wayne she tooke hym being feeble out of the garboyle of the hotte warres and carrying hym into the pallace of the calme olde man hyd hym vp in her virgins secrete closets All these lamentations and feares were by nothyng els procured then Martial force and valient courage Ioy. My sonne is exceeding couragious Reason A great courage without great power is great follie True valiencie and magnanimitie apparteine but to fewe men although they that seeme most mighty strong how weake they be in deede many things besides death do declare but specially death it selfe so that it may be sayde shortly and truely There is nothyng more weake nor more proude then man. Ioy. I haue a couragious sonne Reason Reioyce therefore for thy house shal be full of great attemptes and emptie of rest and quietnesse and thou shalt often wishe that thy sonne were not so couragious To conclude fortitude is a noble vertue and magnanimitie beautifull but both are painefull and troublesome and modestie is safe and quiet Of the Daughters chastitie The Lxxiiii Dialogue IOY I Haue a chaste Daughter Reason A great ioy but a careful For the greater her chastity is the more watching is lust ouer her For there is nothyng more ardently inuaded then that which is defended with chaste watch and womanly shamefastnesse When the corruptor hath won the path he goeth foorth then more slowly and permitted thynges are more coldly desired a thyng that is muche coueted is hardly preserued Ioy. My Daughters beautie is excellent Reason There it is then where a very good thing ministreth matter to the most vilest The beautie of Lucretia was great but nothing in respect of her honestie so that the chastitie of this noble Matrone violently pricked foorth the hot young man to adulterie Thus the wickednesse of the reprobate abuseth the ornamentes of the vertuous Ioy. My Daughters chastitie is knowen Reason Pray that it may continue Thou readest in the Poet A woman is alwayes diuers and changeable Which although Virgil sayd it not were it therefore lesse true How many haue we seene that haue been honest whyle they were young and haue afterward prooued wanton in their age And so striuing with their present vices against their forepassed honestie doo seeme in a maner to repent them of their tyme honestly spent a more foule reproche then whiche there can chaunce in no sexe and age Ioy. I haue a most chaste Daughter Reason If she knewe her selfe and vnderstoode whose gift chastitie is and geuing thankes vnto hym coulde apply all her studie to preserue the same wouâ—d continue vndefiled in safetie thou shalt then haue great cause I confesse to thanke God and reioyce with her more then yf thou haddest married her to a Kyng and yet beleeue me some tyme to feare also For since constancie is rare in al thinges be sure there is none at al in women Of a good sonne in Lawe The Lxxv. Dialogue IOY I Haue a very good Sonne in law Reason Thou oughtest to loue him more deere then thine owne sonne for thine owne sonne commeth to thee by chaunce but thy sonne in lawe by choyce Thanke therfore thy Daughter who owing vnto thee Nephewes hath now brought thee a sonne Ioy. Fortune hath brought vnto me a very good sonne in lawe Reason In this kinde of affinitie there be examples of notable fayth and treason Seldome or neuer hath any Sonne been so faythfull to his father as way Marcus Agrippa to Augustus Caesar as Marcus Aurelius to Antonius Pius vnto whom euen vnto his liues ende whiche was the space of three and twentie yeeres he so behaued hym selfe that not onely he deserued his loue and his Daughter but also the succession in his Empire as his Sonne through his continuall fayth and diligence But Nero was no suche sonne in lawe vnto Claudius although he not by his desartes but by his mothers policie obtayned the Emperours daughter and Empire Ioy. I haue founde a courteous and agreeable Sonne in lawe Reason Beware least eyther the hope of succession or the seekyng after goodes doo infringe this agreement Who wyll not wyshe that he may lyue whose lyfe he seeth to be profitable vnto hym selfe But yf he once begynne to attempt any thyng so that perhappes he suppose thy lyfe to be an hynderaunce or thy death begynne or seeme to be profitable vnto hym then the affections of the mynde are changed and secret hatred wyll soone breake foorth And of what force the discorde is betweene the Father and the Daughters husbande to say nothyng of the auncient Fable of Danaus and Nummianus who was slayne by the wycked treason of Aprimus his Father in lawe and likewyse Stilico who through the desyre to reigne forgat his Father in lawe that was dead and his Sonne in lawe that was lyuing the most memorable example of Caesar and Pompei doth sufficiently declare Of seconde Marriage The Lxxvi Dialogue IOY I Meane to be married agayne Reason If thou knewest throughly what a woman were or what excellent auctours doo write of her thou wouldest not haue married at the first Ioy. I entend to marrie againe Reason If thy first mariage haue not tamed thee then marrie againe if the tame thee not then thou mayst also marrie the third time Ioy. I am about to marrie againe Reason Who so hauyng chyldren by his fyrst marriage bringeth a Stepmother among them he setteth his house afyre with is owne handes If youth pricke thee or letcherous olde age styrre thee to lust then whiche there is nothing more filthie perhaps to speake now more
ciuilly then vertuously it were more profitable were it not the cause of sinne or forbyd by the lawe of God to remedie the matter by keepyng a Concubine then that a quiet house be disturbed by Stepmothers tempests and hatred Ioy. I entende to marrie againe Reason Thou maiest do so by the lawe of man the lawe of God rather suffryng it then praysing it All men knowe what Sainct Paul sayth concernyng that matter And truely we may easily perceiue how that among the Gentiles who in that respect lyued in more libertie this was more suffred then lyked of For your Forefathers dyd alwayes repute the experiment of many mariages to be a token of a certayne lawfull intemperauncie whiche opinion Sainct Ierome embracing how muche he writeth agaynst seconde marriages and how sharply our promised breuitie wil not suffer vs to declare whiche although it seeme al to be spoken agaynst women and not against men doubtles that sexe ought to be the greater preseruer of chastitie honestie notwithstandyng there is more wisedome and constancie required of men Ioy. I haue neede of seconde mariage Reason I should wonder vnlesse I knew your conditions for you make not only vayne but hurtful thynges also necessarie for you And as for thee thou hast a very hard mouth yf thou haue neede of another wife to brydle thee Ioy. I make hast to be married agayne Reason Too it then apace whyle thou art hotte and when thou art cold thou wylt repent thee Hast thou not noted how pleasaunt sleepe is in an emptie chamber Thy minde is only bent vpon that filthie and miserable act which passeth away and woundeth Of the marriage of Chyldren The Lxxvii Dialogue IOY MY ofspring is encreased by the marriage of my children Reason This care is somwhat more coÌ„mendable then the last was and yet notwithstanding the encrease of the hines hath often been more profitable then the bodyly issue The one filleth the caske with pleasant wine the other annoyeth the friende with bytter cares Ioy. I haue bestowed my daughter in mariage Reason If thou haue so doone circumspectly and happily thou hast both preserued thy daughter and founde a sonne or as I haue sayde erewhyle one better then a sonne but yf thou haue doone otherwyse then hast thou both cast away her and purchased to thy selfe an enimie and to thy daughter a Tyrant Ioy. I haue bestowed my daughter in mariage Reason If she were a good daughter thou hast bereft thy selfe of a sweete and pleasant iewell and transported it into an other mans house If she were an euyl daughter thou hast eased thy selfe of an heauy burden and laden therewith another man. Ioy. I haue married my daughter Reason Reioyce not to muche at it Maryage hath been vnto many the begynnyng of a careful and vnfortunate lyfe and admit that al thynges fall out happyly a wyfe is a trouble some thyng and thou hast sent foorth her whom thou louest about an harde labour and a payneful businesse Chyldren wyl come at home and thereof wyll spryng vp a peculiar fountayne of cares But yf there come nonâ— then that is a miserie and griefe Thus fruitefulnesse shal make her burdensome and barrennesse shall make her odious and perhaps she wyll wyshe she had taryed at home with thee and wyll haue this thy ouerhastie loue in bestowyng her Ioy. I haue gotten an husbande for my daughter Reason The ende of an idle lyfe and the begynnyng of a payneful an heauie burden of household cares the knowledge of the worlde and the triâ—â— or hersâ—â—â—e Ioy. My daughter is married Reason But she â—oth 〈◊〉 her libertie her virginitie her quietnesse whiche is nâ— indifferent change Ioy. I haue prouided a wyfe for my sonne Reason The bringing home of a daughter in law is worse then the sending â—ooth of thine owne daughter forasmuch as ciuil war is alwayes more dangerous then forraigne Thou hast set open thy Castle gates perhaps to an enimie or truely to a partner for nowe thou art not Lord and maister alone of thyne owne goodes and therfore it skylleth to know what maner one thou lettest in Ioy. I haue prouyded for my sonne a noble ryche and a fayre wyfe Reason Why dooest thou conceale that whiche followeth to wyt a proude and an importunate one who is enuious of her husbande and of thy lyfe There is auncient war betweene the husbandes father and the sonnes wyfe and neyther of them hath the greater vauntage but equal feare for they be both in one state and condition There is no lyuyng thyng that so much affecteth the hygher place as dooeth a woman For in case she perceyue her selfe by meanes of your lyfe debarred thereof what she imagineth then in her mynde and what she wysheth it were an harde matter to coniecture Ioy. I haue marryed my sonne to a wife Reason What knowest thou whether thou haue procured an euerlastyng weerysomnesse to hym thy selfe or perhaps secrete danger to you both Many daughters in law haue consumed theyr fathers in law and husbandes with continual pryde and doggednesse some haue made them away with poyson and some haue shortened theyr dayes with a weapon Howe many sonnes had Egisthus before he had euer a daughter in lawe Yea there hath ben founde suche a daughter in lawe who beyng carryed away with desyre to raigne and impaciencie of the seconde roomth to the ende she myght the sooner see her husband and her selfe possesse the gouernment hauyng procured the death of her owne father caused her Chariot to be driuen ouer his stayne carkasse If this be the rewarde of fathers at their owne chyldrens handes what shal the sonnes father looke for at his sonnes wiues hands Ioy. I am glad that I haue celebrated my daughters maryage Reason How many tymes hath an vnlucky euent disturbed this celebration and teares tumultes folowed songs and banquettes and dauncinges All immoderate ioy is foolish specially in these thynges whereout sorow may and woonteth to aryse Ioy. I haue both prouided a wyfe for my sonne and an husband for my daughter Reason Thou hast chaunged burdens thou hast layde a strange care vpon thyne owne shoulders and carryest thyne owne care vpon other mens shoulders Of Nephues The .lxxviii. Dialogue IOY I Haue a younge Nephue borne of my sonne Reason A great loue of thy sonnes and a continuall care notwithstandyng it hath a certeine ende but if it passe any further there is no ende of carefulnesse and both he that is borne of thy sonne and he likewyse that shal be borne of him finally all of them are borne to thy payne whose number how farre it proceedeth or may proceede thou knowest He that was the father of the people of Israel yf he beyng affected as thou art had in suche sort lyued duryng the lyfe cyme of our fyrst fathers howe great a burden of cares should there haue rested vpon the weeryed olde mens shoulders For besides Priestes and women and chyldren and other vnhable
into familiaritie yea many tymes in theyr â—â—â—â—age But brethren before they be borne after they be borne are conuersant togeather in one house and are wrapped in the same clâ—utes and are of equall yeeres and of lyke maners So soone as they be borne they see one another are fed with the same meate vnder the same parentes are accustomed vnto the same felowes to the same pastimes to the same Schooles to the same Schoolemaisters and bryngers vp they grow vp togeather they w â—â— men togeather There is equalitie betweene them on euery syde and loue confirmed and established by many assured knottes and indissoluble linkes vnlesse some accidental causes doo breake them and the hardnesse of a rough minde doo infringe them whiche is so common a thyng that I knowe not whether there ought to be any loue greater then betweene brethren or any malice be more cankred or displeasure more deepe equalitie is alwayes so troublesome a thyng and mans minde so impacient of a match Ioy. I haue vertuous and godly brethren Reason Keepe them with lyke vertue and godlynesse Loue is a very daintie thyng make muche of it it is hardly gotten and easily lost Ioy. I haue good Sisters lykewise Reason An heauie burden but pleasant and almost the first trauel for young men wherin they may exercise themselues when they come to their owne libertie wherein they may win their first renowme of vertue and honestie Ioy. I haue good Sisters Reason See thou that they may haue a good Brother of thee and while thou liuest although your Father be dead let them not feele the want of him Ioy. My Sisters are very faire Reason Thou art keeper of a slipperie thing beware of deceipt when thou watchest most circumspectly let the troupes of suters that are about her awake thee It is an hard matter to preserue beautie where one man assaulteth what thinkest thou then where there be many The garde of chastitie ought to be by so muche more circumspect then of golde as it is more precious and not to be recouered Truly there is no meanes whereby a Virgins chastitie may better be preserued then by tymely marriage Ioy. I haue fayre Systers at home Reason Prouide that thou haue them not there long they woulde better furnyshe many houses Of a good lord The Lxxxv. Dialogue IOY I Haue a good Lorde Reason Whether thou hast hym or he haue thee thynke with thy selfe but this is the maner of speakyng for so you haue a Lorde as a man may say he hath a Scab or a Cough There be many thynges whiche the possessours haue agaynst theyr wylles those ryches be troublesome whiche a man can not shake of Ioy. I haue a good Lorde Reason Then hast thou lost thy libertie for no man can haue a Lorde and libertie at one tyme Now neyther thy Systers of whom thou spakest erwhile neyther thy Daughters neyther thy Sonnes wyues neyther thy Wyfe neyther thy Patrimonie neither thy lyfe are in safetie for in respect of the Lord whom thou hast thou hast left of to haue all other thynges at once Ioy. Chaunce hath offered vnto me and my countrey a good Lorde Reason These twayne are repugnant and quite contrary for yf he be good he is no Lord and if he be a Lorde he is not good specially if he would be called a Lord. Ioy. I haue a good Lord. Reason Parentes are good brethren and children may be good but friendes are alwayes good els are they not friendes howbeit for a Lord to be called good is a gentle lye or a pleasant flatterie Ioy. We haue a very good Lord. Reason Perhaps a good gouernour of the people and defendour of the Common wealth a more acceptable thyng then which can not be offred vnto God by man He is not onely not woorthy to be termed very good yea not so much as good but rather woorst of all who taketh away from his Citizens and Subiectes the best thyng that they haue to wit their libertie which is the cheefe and most speciall commoditie of this lyfe and for the fulfilling of one mans bottomlesse gulfe of couetousnesse whiche wyll neuer be glutted can willingly behold so many thousand wretches in miserie with drye eyes And yf iustice and mercie can not preuayle yet at leastwise shame and honestie must reuoke him from so heauie a spectacle although he be affable to be spoken withal faire spoken to perswade and lastly liberal vnto a fewe of the spoyles of many These are the meanes that Tyrantes doo vse whom men commonly call Lordes and are found to be Hangmen With these mistes they bleare mens eyes with these baites they couer their hookes and catche the credulous in their snares Ioy. I haue a mightie Lord. Reason There is one only in heauen who of his owne ryght hath called him selfe Lorde and commaundeth him selfe so to be called for Augustus Caesar that was lord of the earth prouided by proclamation that none should cal him lord The one is God of goddes the other Emperour ouer men The one mayntayned his Maiestie the other preserued his modestie Finally in this respect he sharply reprooued the people of Rome for thus it is written of him He alwayes abhorred the name of Lorde as a reproche and slaunder Which moderation also it is well knowen that his successour obserued although in all degrees he were farre inferiour vnto hym who though he were greedy of gouernement yet refrayned hym selfe from the title of Lordshyp and so keepyng as it were a middle course betweene ambition and modestie he was content to be a Lorde but not to be called so knowing that it was vniust which he desired and therefore desired so as he might auoyde the blemish of reproofe Harde proude and greeuous is the name of a Lord specially where is loue of libertie and shame of seruilitie Whose foootesteppes Alexander that was Emperour of Rome wyfely followyng woulde haue no man write vnto hym in any more lofue style and maner then to a priuate man As for the other Alexander that was kyng of Macedonie he woulde not onely be called Lorde but also God whom these pettie Theeues of our tyme followyng in lyke pride of minde scarce hauyng possessed by sinister meanes a towne or twayne wyll not onely be called Lordes but count it a shame to be reputed men and take it as an iniurie to be so tâ—armed Ioy. I haue a very good Lorde in deede Reason There is one very good Lorde in deede whom yf thou hast thy seruice is most honest and more happie then a kingdome Ioy. We haue a iust Lorde and 〈◊〉 very good King. Reason The Greekes make no difference betweene a King and a Tyrant accordyng vnto which signification our Poet speaking of a kyng sayeth It shal be vnto me some part of contentation to haue touched the Tyrantes right hand But among you onely the purpose and maner of gouernment maketh the difference so that he is truely to be tearmed a Kyng
PHISICKE against Fortune aswell prosperous as aduerse conteyned in two Bookes Whereby men are instructed with lyke in differencie to remedie theyr affections aswell in tyme of the bryght shynyng sunne of prosperitie as also of the foule lowryng stormes of aduersitie Expedient for all men but most necessary for such as be subiect to any not able insult of eyther extremitie Written in Latine by Frauncis Petrarch a most famous Poet and Oratour And now first Englished by Thomas Twyne At London printed by Richard watkyns An. Dom. 1579. To the right woorshypful Maister Richard Bertie Esquier c. quietnesse of Conscience health of Body continuance of Lyfe with encrease of worldly VVoorshyp PEtrarches remedies agaynst both Fortunes in Latine Right woorshipful were as it appeareth dedicated vnto Azo an honourable Gentleman of Italy Azo had good cause to enterteyne them thankefully for that being strangely wounded with aduersitie and cast downe from the dignitie of a Lorde to the state of a wretched forlorne man he myght receaue thereby no small comfort in his sorowes The same woorke now called Physicke agaynst Fortune in Englishe and intituled vnto your Woorshypful name who are no meane personage of this our Realme of Englande but in this respect farre exceeding the degree of Azo in that you haue gained surpassing prefermentes at the handes of Fortune is semblably presented vnto your fauourable acceptation Not that it is doubted the infirmitie of your minde any way to be such that you stand in neede of these or the lyke Medicines to mittigate the sugered Bankettes or sower sauces of eyther Fortune that is to say prosperitie or aduersitie Although whoso lyst to examine your right worsbypfull estate shall well perceyue thereby that yf your minde coulde be caried away by any of these two affections the same by lykelyhood should be it which is quite contrarie to that which troubled Azo since it hath pleased Fortune or GOD rather to blesse you with suche valure of Minde Vertue Godlynesse Wysedome Grauitie and Learnyng generally in all Faculties Good letters and Tongues as fewe or none the lyke farre and wyde to be founde in this our age Adde herevnto moreouer the commendable cumlinesse of your person with integritie of health and good constitution of bodie And lastly the accesse of a noble Duchesse to your Wyfe of an honourable Countesse to your Daughter of a Lorde apparant to your Sonne and Heyre besides large Reuenues and fayre Houses and which maketh not smally to the accomplyshment of worldly felicitie the fauour of a most vertuous and louing QVEENE and a most flourishyng Commonwealth to lyue in These albeit I confesse they be very great yet are they not suche but that your wisedome of it selfe is able to beare them with sufficient moderation and as in deede they be so to esteeme of them But rather in respect of these your rare giftes and the loue that you beare vnto learnyng and the fauourers thereof I haue been induced to exhibite the medicines of Petrarch against Fortune vnto you that as many of our Countreimen as shall haue occasion hereafter to reade or vse them may the more freendly accept them for your Woorshypfull name sake In consyderation whereof and lykewyse yf it shall please you not discontentedly to accept them at my handes I shall not onely thynke my trauell well requited but also in regarde of other benefites receyued acknowledge my selfe muche bounden vnto you and to remaine your Woorships euermore readie at commaundemente Thomas Twyne ⧠The Epistolare Preface of Francis Petrarch a most famous Poet and Oratour written vnto Azo concerning the Phisicke and remedies of both Fortunes aswell aduerse as prosperous WHEN I thinke vpon the affayres and fortunes of men their vncertaine and sudden chaunces and changes truely I finde nothyng almost more fraile nothing more vnquiet then the lyfe of man For I perceiue howe nature hath prouided well for all other liuing creatures by a woonderful kind of remedie to wit a certaine ignorance of them selues but in vs only she hath conuerted our memorie vnderstanding prouidence and moreouer the diuine giftes of our minde vnto our owne toyle and destruction For being alwayes subiect not onely vnto vayne and superfluous but also hurtfull and pestiferous cares we are both greeued with the present time and also vexed with the time past and that is to come so that we seeme to feare nothyng so muche as not to seeme at all tymes to be in miserie Our studie is so great whereby we heape together causes of miseries and nouryshmentes of sorowes whereby we make our lyfe whiche yf it were wel gouerned were the most happie pleasaunt thyng that we possesse a wretched and wofull toyle whose entraunce is blindnesse going forwarde toyle ende sorowe and the whole course errour Whiche he shall fynde to be so whosoeuer with diligent eye consydereth the whole race of his owne lyfe What day doo we passe ouer in rest and quietnesse or rather doo we not finde more painefull and troublesome then other What mornyng haue we euer passed so merie and pleasaunt that hath not been surprised with sorowe and heauinesse before night Of whiche euyll although a great cause doo rest in the thinges them selues neuerthelesse vnlesse our selfe loue deceyue vs a greater cause or to confesse the trueth the whole cause consisteth in our selues and to let passe all other thinges whereby we are troubled on euery syde what war and how perpetuall is it which we maintayne agaynst Fortune wherein Vertue only can make vs conquerours But willingly wittingly we reuolt from her We only being weaklinges vnarmed encounter a most fierce foe in vnequall fight whom she againe as lightly as thinges of nought tosseth vs vp and throweth vs downe turneth vs round about and plaieth with vs so that it were better for vs to be quite ouercome then continually to be had in skorne And what is the cause hereof but only our owne lightnes daintines for we seeme to be good for nothing els but to be tossed hither thither like a Tennise bal being creatures of very short life of infinite carefulnesse yet ignorant vnto what shoare to fal with our shyp or vnto what resolution to apply our mindes whose determination is alwayes to hang in doubt and besides the present euil alwayes to haue somewhat to greeue vs behind our backe before our eyes to make vs afeard Which thing hapneth vnto no creature besides man for vnto all other it is most perfect securitie to haue escaped that which is present But we in respect of our wit and the vnderstanding of our minde are in continual wrastling strife with an enemie as it were a three headed Cerberus So that it had ben almost better for vs to haue wanted reason since we turne the force of our heauenly nature against our selues for it were now an hard matter to resist subdue this euil being so deepely rooted through age custome Notwithstanding we
that remaine their faith is decaied the goodwil of men as that coÌ„mon maner is flyeth away with prosperitie so that thou art brought into a doubt which to bewaile first either the death of thy freends that are peryshed or the losse of their assurednesse that are liuing Now in the middest of these troubles there happened vnto thee a most desperate and dangerous sickenesse wherein thou wast brought so neare vnto death that when euery man supposed thou couldest not escape it was generally reported that thou wast dead Which sickenesse which pouertie which heape of troubles in that thou wast driuen out of thine owne countrey and farre from thine owne house in a strange lande and warre rounde about thee and thou on euerye syde oppressed gaue occasyon that in the meane whyle thou couldest haue no entercourse eyther of letters or conference with those thy frendes whiche eyther thy vertue had purchased or fortune had reserued There was no extremitie wantyng sauing imprisonment and death although we cannot say neyther that thou wast quite free from imprisonment whilest thy most faythful wyfe and al thy sonnes beyng part of thy bowelles and thy daughters also were taken prisoners by thine enimies and there was no comfort remayning vnto thee of so many chyldren Nâ—yther yet from death whilst thou thy selfe striuedst euery day with death and at that tyme also one of thy sonnes gaue vp his tender and giltlesse ghost in prison To be shorte we haue seene that fulfilled in thee whiche we reade of two most excellent personagies Caius Marius and the great Pompeius to wit that fortune hath seuerally expressed in thee and thy chyldren what good and euyl she is able to do and neuer mingle any prosperttie with aduersitie whose flatteries in tymes past although theu hast not casted so plentifully as many happie men haue done notwithstandyng thou hast abidden her threates and force of late dayes with so couragious and inuincible a mynde that in this respect thou hast geuen occasion vnto many who before hated thy name to loue thee and woonder at thee For vertue hath this propertie that it stirreth vp good men to loue it and astunnisheth the euyl Whiche propertie as it is common to euery vertue so is it peculier especially to fortitude whose tranquilitie and vprightnesse is the more acceptable and lyght more conspicable among the troublesome turmoyles of fortune and darkenesse of terrible thinges For vnto me thou hast not onely heaped vp much new good wyl vpon the auntient loue whiche I bare towardes thee whiche I thought to haue been impossible but hast also conuerted my quill whiche made hast towardes another matter to wryte this woorke in tyme not purposed both that thou mightest beholde the countenance of thy mynde in my wrytinges as it were in a lookyng glasse and also if herein there were any thyng that seemed vnto thee nothyng fine but rather rude and barbarous and whiche in deede dyd not lyke thee that in this manner thou order and take it that yf it shal chaunce that fortune hereafter varrie with thee in any strange manner or deuice whereof she hath great plentie yea innumerable in store that thou be not troubled at al with any hope But being prouided for al chaunces and redye for what soeuer may happen thou mayest despyse both the sweete and the sower crying out most confidently these verses of Virgil agaynst them O virgin there is no newe or suddeyne shewe of troubles can aryse vnto me I haue forethought vpon al matters and forecast them alredie in my mynde Neyther am I ignorant that as in the bodyes of men so also in their mindes that are affected with sundry passions the medicines of woordes wyl seeme vnto many to be without effect Notwithstandyng I knowe wel enough that as the diseases of the minde are inuisible so are there remedies inuisible also For they that are seduced by false opinions must be remedied by true perswasions that they that fel by hearyng may also ryse by hearyng Moreouer who so wyllingly offereth vnto his freende beyng in neede that whiche he hath to releeue hym withal howe smal soeuer it be he hath fulfilled the duetie of perfect freendshyp For freendshyp weigheth the mynde and not the thing whiche though it be but smal yet may it be an argument of great good wyl For my part as I wyshe vnto thee al honour so haue I nothyng at this present more conuenient to geue thee whiche yf thou thinke to be of any force the commoditie of it whiche maketh euery thyng to be regarded shal sufficiently commend it But if thou perceyue it to be of no force notwithstandyng thy good wyl towardes me shal excuse it And thou shalt come to reade it as though those foure most famous and coosinne passions of the mynde to wyt hope or desire and ioy feare and sorowe whiche the two sisters prosperitie and aduersitie brought foorth at equal byrthes lay on eyther side most fiercely assaultyng the minde of man howebeit reason whiche gouerneth the cheefe castle maketh answere vnto them al and beyng furnished with her shielde and head peece by her meanes and proper force but specially being assisted with most myghtie power from heauen defendeth of the weapons of the throngyng enimies But I conceyue suche hope of thy wysedome that thou canst soone iudge whiche part wyl haue the victorie I wyl nowe holde thee no longer but to the ende thou mightest vnderstand my purpose it was needeful for me to wryte this epistle as it were an argument to the booke whiche yf thou cause to be set before the woorke consyder thou of these both that an ouerlong preface trouble not a short booke none otherwyse then an ouer great head burdeneth a lytle body For there is nothing wel fauoured without due measure and proportion of the partes ¶ Of floorishing yeeres The first Dialogue IOY REASON MY yeeres are floorishyng I shall yet lyue a long tyme. Reason Loe this is the first vaine hope of mortall men whiche hath alredy and wyll hereafter deceiue many thousandes Ioy. My yeeres are floorishing Reason A vayne ioy and a short whyle we be speakyng this flowre withereth Ioy. My age is sounde Reason Who wyl cal that sound whiche wanteth much and when that whiche remayneth is vncertayne Ioy. But there is a certaine prefixed terme and lawe of liuing Reason Who made that lawe or what is the prefixed time of lyfe Surely it is a very vnequl law that is not indifferent vnto al men yea rather it is so variable that there is nothing more vncertayne in the lyfe of man than the terme of mans lyfe Ioy. Howbeit there is some terme and measure of life which the wise men haue defined Reason To appoynt the terme of lyfe it is not in his power that receiueth it but in his that geueth it which is god And I vnderstande howe that hereby you meane the terme of threescore ten yeres or if nature be somwhat stronger fourescore
a fewe woordes who shall scarce be knowen in many yeeres and by many tryalles I speake now of a freende after the common maner of speeche but as for a true freende he is not founde before he be tryed Neyther truely doo other mens woordes or his owne proue a freende but the tryall of his loue and trustinesse Ioy. Report hath wonne me a freende a farre of Reason Some body hath won thee a freende by tellyng a lye of thee and lykewyse by reportyng the trueth or peraduenture by blasing a false tale of thee another wyll take hym away from thee For looke by what meanes all thynges are made and doo growe by the same they are soone vndone and resolued And nature wyll haue it so that thinges which soone doo growe shal soone decay Of one only faythfull Freende The Lii Dialogue IOY I Haue one faythfull and approoued freende Reason In trying your iudgement is often deceyued and looke wherein ye thynke your selues most expert both in that and so lykewyse in all other thynges your opinion fayleth Ioy. I doo knowe it and not suppose onely that I haue a most faythfull freende Reason And howe many haue there been thynkest thou that beleeuyng so muche yea and as they thought knowing so muche yet when the matter came to more diligent examination founde them selues to be deceyued Whence commeth it that there be so many complantes made dayly of freendes but onely because whom ye counted most saythful ye haue found vntrustie There is no coniecture nor estimation so difficult as is of the minde of man. Ioy. I doo not coniecture nor suppose as I haue sayde but I knowe that I haue a most assured freende Reason Eyther thou hast a most excellent thyng or els thou art in a most foule errour Ioy. Concernyng this matter I am in no errour but I haue a freende whom I haue tryed in sundrie and great difficulties Reason Then hast thou a most sweete and sacred thyng a more excellent then which next vnto vertue onely neyther nature nor fortune not labour nor studie haue graunted vnto Mankinde A mans parentes I confesse are deare vnto hym his chyldren deare his brethren deare all these may waxe vnpleasant and yet for all that they are styll our parentes chyldren and brethren yea though vppon occasion they surceasse to be sweete vnto hym onely a freende as long as he is true can not surceasse to be sweete and dearelybeloued Parentes I say are deare Notwithstandyng dyd not Iubiter expulse Saturnus his father out of his kyngdome Dyd not Nicomedes depriue of lyfe Prusias his father that was kyng of Bithynia who at that tyme was in consultation with hym selfe howe to murder his sonne Ptolomeus also hereof surnamed Philopater who hauyng slayne his father mother and brother and last of all his wyfe Euridice gouerned the kyngdome of Egypt in suche sort by the aduice of harlottes that he had nothyng in his whole Realme proper to hym selfe besydes the bare and vayne name of a kyng Dyd not also Orestes slay his mother Clytemnestra Nero his mother Agrippin and Antipater his mother Theslalonice Chyldren also are deare Dyd not These us commaunde his most chast sonne Hippolytus and Philip kyng of Macedonie his sonne Demetrius a young Gentleman of singular towardnesse to be slayne Dyd not also the other Ptolomeus whiche is a name repugnaunt to godlynesse who was also a most trustie kyng of Egypt slay two of his sonnes Likewyse Herode king of Iudea slue one and Constantinus Emperour of Rome slue one of his sonnes called Crispus Dyd not also Maleus generall of the Carthagiens hang vp Carthalo his sonne Yea moreouer mothers whose loue is more tender and their kynde more milde haue also shewed crueltie agaynst theyr chyldren The historie of Medea is knowen to all men What sayest thou to the Queene of Laodicea and Cappadocia who vpon the immoderate desire she had to reigne slue fiue of her sonnes Parentes I say are deare for I repeate these agayne chyldren are deare brethren are deare But to conclude al wickednesse in one example Phraates kyng of the Parthians the most wickedst wretch that euer liued of al men most inraged with furie and desire to reigne cruelly and vnnaturally slue his owne father Orodes beyng an olde and diseased man and moreouer his thirtie brethren the sonnes of the abouenamed kyng and with these also his owne naturall soune to the ende there shoulde none remayne in Parthia to gouerne the kyngdome But these examples be olde heare we not howe of late memorie in Britanie the father and the sonne contended for the crowne and howe this other day in Spayne brethren were togeather by the eares for the kyngdome Howebeit of suche contentions and specially among brethren there be plentie examples both newe and olde that it were almost an harder matter to finde out whiche brethren were friendes then whiche were enimies But wee wyll let them both passe for nowe we gather remedies and not examples Moreouer are not husbandes deare and wyues deare Concernyng this matter thou shalt enquire of Agamemnon and Deiphobus and of your countreymen Claudius the Emperour and Africanus the younger these men shall tell thee howe dearely beloued they were vnto theyr wyues On the other side demaunde of Octauia and Arsinoe what the one thought of her husbande Nero and the other of her Ptolomeus The first of her adoptiue the other of her naturall brother both of them of theyr husbandes The fyrst wyl testifie as she hath been founde towarde her selfe the other towardes her chyldren Thus as thou seest we gather the most choyce and woorthy examples As for the common sort both of cities and vulgare lyfe and trade of men whiche are full of suche lyke complaintes I let them passe Whiche beyng so since in all kyndes of those thynges whiche seeme most deere what by priuie hatred or open displeasure oftentymes there is muche bitternesse freendshyp onely is voyde of suche griefe and displeasure and freendes neuer not onely not flue or destroyed but dyd not so muche as hurt one another willingly Wherefore yf thou haue founde suche a freende as thou speakest of perswade thy selfe that thou hast founde a great treasure and take heede thou doo not as the common sort of people doo who geuyng them selues to the searchyng and folowyng after vile matters and contemnyng excellent thynges doo busie them selues more with tyllyng their lande and folowing their trade of Merchandize then in seekyng of freendes and ensuing of vertue and so haply thou neglect this commoditie whiche thou hast gotten If ye bestowe so muche care and diligence in preseruing your golde and siluer and orientall precious stones whiche are but the excrementes of the earth and purginges of the sea howe muche more diligent ought ye to be in enterteynyng and keepyng of a freende whiche is a most precious and diuine thing Beware thou offende hym in no respect or that vpon occasion of any woorde he conceyue displeasure agaynst
but weake and thou mayest also sing to thy selfe this verse of Virgil The destinies shall onely shewe hym to the earth but not suffer hym to liue longer Ioy. I reioyce in my young Chyld Reason Reioyce so as yf thou shouldest be sory eyther for that as I haue said it may chaunce he may die or which is much more greeuous and hapneth very often of a most pleasant chylde become a most vnthankefull and disobedient young man. Ioy. I ioy much in my young chylde Reason There is no husband man so foolysh that wyl reioyce much in the flowre the fruite is to be looked for and then he ought to reioyce moderatly In the mean while tempestes hayle and blastinges are to be feared and the ioy must be moderated with dreade Of the excellent fauour of Chyldren The Lxxii Dialogue IOY MY Children fauour is excellent Reason If thou haue learned by mine instruction not to regarde thine owne fauour then thou knowest how much thou hast to esteeme of anothers Ioy. The fauour of my children is great Reason A thing verie dangerous for the male kinde but much more for the female For beautie and chastitie dwel seldome togeather they wyl not and againe if they would they can not seeing al humane thinges especially honestie can yf or kept in safetie now adayes chiefely if it be ioyned with an excellent beautie There be some whose beautie is enuied at but that enuie keepeth it selfe within it owne boundes some are sory some angry with their beautie as much as may be possible many haue waxed olde continuing vndefiled among the hatred of many some haue shewed perpetual and vnquenchable tyrannie How many saylers do passe euery day vpon the calme sea how many Merchantes do trauayle through the desartes with their wares safe neither Pyrate meeteth with the one nor the Theefe with the other But what beautiful woman canst thou name vnto me that hath not been assayed Although she be chast she shal be tempted and ouercome What womans minde is able to resist so many corrupters The scaling ladders of sugred woordes are set to the walles the engines of giftes are planted and the secret moynes of deceites are cast vp vnder the grounde If these meanes wyll not serue then force is violently offered If thou require proofe call to thy remembraunce the most famous rauishmentes Beautie hath tempted many and caused many to be tempted some it hath ouerthrowen and driuen them into wickednesse or to death Among the Hebrues Ioseph was an example of vehement temptation but the prouidence of God turned the danger into glory Among the Grecians Hippolytus and Bellerophon and among you Spurina to the ende she woulde not be tempted defaced her selfe with her owne hands Among the fyrst was no Thamar among the seconde was not the Greekish Penelope among the thyrde was not the Romane Lucretia safe Finally among all sortes the most part haue been commonly eyther tempted or ouerthrowen These be the fruites of this transitorie and brittle beautie whiche many tymes haue not onely ouerthrowen whole houses but great Cities and mightie Kyngdomes Thou knowest histories Truely yf Helen had not been so beautifull Troy had stoode safe yf Lucretia had not been so fayre the Romane kingdome had not ben so soone ouerthrowen yf Virginea had not ben so beautiful the auctoritie of the ten men had not so soone fayled neyther Appius Claudius beyng so great a law maker among the Romanes beyng vanquished with lust had lost his fame at the barre and his lyfe in prison Finally there haue been innumerable who if they had not been so fayre as they were there shoulde not haue been so many that beyng forced and deceyued haue fallen out of the castle of chastitie into so great reproches and ruine of their soules and therefore vtter what good effectes thou hast founde in beautie that they may be compared with their contraries Ioy. My Chylde is passing beautifull Reason This beautie hauing enflamed the lust of one called Messalina choose whiche thou haddest rather of these twayne eyther to deny and so to be slayne at the louers commaundement eyther to agree and to perysh by Claudius swoorde Thus at one side by chastitie death is purchased by adulterie there is nothing but only a litle deferring of death procured and this is the effect of this noble and excellent beautie In this therefore as in al other thinges the mediocritie is commendable and if any of the extremities were to be wished beautie is more delectable but deformitie is more safe Ioy. I haue a most beautifull Daughter Reason Be careful of treason and beware of force Doest thou thinke that there is but one Iason or one Theseus or one Paris Yes there be a thousand To haue a Daughter is a care and trouble if she haue beautie there is feare which thou canst not auoyde but by death or olde age for by marrying her into another house thou shalt but translate thy feare and not extinguishe it Ioy. I triumphe and reioyce in the singular heautie of my Children Reason For young folke to glorie and reioyce in theyr beautie it is a vayne thyng but common but for an olde man to reioyce in the beautie of his Chyldren whiche vnlesse he doated he woulde perceyue to be full of vanitie or subiecte to daungers it is more follie and next coosen to madnesse Ioy. My Chyld hath an heauenly beautie Reason Thou hast read I thinke the foure and twentie booke of Homers Iliades where Priamus speaking of his sonne Hector He seemed not sayeth he to haue ben the sonne of a mortal man but of a god This sayd Priamus but Achilles shewed that he was the sonne of a mortall man and not of a God and remember thou likewise that this heauenly beautie of thy chylde whereof thou speakest may be taken away and blemished and so long as it continueth whatsoeuer accompt be made of it it is but an vncertayne thyng Howbeit the immoderate loue of fathers whiche is enimie to vpryght iudgement bringeth foorth these errours and trifles Ioy. I haue a passyng fayre Daughter Reason If nothyng els chaunce thy house must be most sumptuous Of the valiencie and magnanimitie of a Sonne The Lxxiii Dialogue IOY I Haue a valient Sonne Reason The more valient he is the more it behoueth thee to be fearefull For Fortune layeth more dangers vpon none then those that contemne her that is to say Valient men And not without good cause for other men hyde them selues and seeke to auoyde her force but these lay themselues open to her furie Recall forepassed ages to memorie and thou shalt perceyue in a maner all the most valient men consumed by violent death Ioy. My Sonnes valiencie is exceedyng great Reason Fortitude is a most excellent vertue but accompanied with sundry chaunces and therefore see thou haue alwayes teares and a coffin in a redinesse Death is at hande to all men but nearest to the valient Ioy. My Sonne is a most
persons there sprang of his lyne in fewe yeeres aboue sixe hundred thousande fyghtyng men Goe thy wayes nowe and boast thee in the armies of thy Nephues among whom yf perhaps there be any happy there must needes be wretched of them innumerable What then ye must neuerthelesse not only loue your sonnes and Nephues but al men also Ye must loue them I say in hym in whom ye be all brethren notwithstandyng thou must not be careful nor to immoderately glad least presently thou be vexed with contrary affections and it repeathee sometyme to haue reioyced and thou be ashamed that thou art constrained to hate hym being a man whom thou loueâ—st dearely somtime when he was a chylde as it many times happeneth Ioy. I haue a Nephue borne Reason It may chaunce so to fal out that either through the wickednesse of thy Nephue or perhaps the force of fortune thou wylt cal that an vnhappy day which now thou thinkest to be fortunate Yea peraduenture the childe may dye shortly so purchase thee as much sorrow as euer he procured thee ioy There be many diuers and suddyne and vnlooked for chaunces that happen vnto men but 〈…〉 innumerable If all shoulde lyue that are borne the 〈…〉 not holde mankinde no though they liued not continually for if they should liue continually they were not men but euen vntyl they came to olde age or vnto ripe lawful yeres Wherfore it is a follie to conceiue great ioy of a very short thing and vncertayne to what ende it wyll come which is found to be true in chyldren and nephues but specially in nephues and most especially now in nephues chyldren the further they be distant from the roote Ioy. I haue nephues borne of my mother my daughter and my sister Reason These apparteyne lesse vnto thee commit this ioy and care vnto their fathers Ioy. I haue a nephue borne of my brother Reason So was Lucaâ—e nephue vnto Anneus Seneca who proued to be no smal part of the Spanyshe eloquence and likewyse Iugurtha vnto Mycipsa kyng of Numidia who was not the last example of the Libyan treacherie the destroier of his countrey murtherer of his brethren Ioy. I haue a nepheue borne of my sister Reason So was Psensipus Nephue vnto Plato on the sisters syde and in a maner his heire in Philosophie lykewyse Alcibiades suche a Nephue to Pericles the disturber of his countrey and the rayser of the warres in Greece and Brutus also to Targinius the proude who threw hym downe from his kingly dignitie was a great man profitable to his countrey but vtter enimie to his Vncle. Ioy. I haue a Nephue borne of my daughter Reason Innius beyng a modest and graue man was Nephue by the daughter vnto Pacunius and succeeded hym in Poetrie and so was Commodus vnto Antonius pius a most shamelesse and lyght person Ioy. I haue a Nephue borne of my daughter Reason Romulus and Remus beyng nephues vnto Numitoâ— of his daughter restored theyr grandfather to his kyngdome of Alba. Aucus Martius beyng Nephue vnto Numa by his daughter possessed his grandfathers kyngdome at Rome with great honour But Cyrus that was Nephue vnto Astiages of his daughter expulsed his grandfather out of the kyngdome of the Medes These Histories are aleaged to this purpose that concernyng the byrth of nephues howe muche may be hoped so muche also may be feared Of adopted chyldren husbandes children by a former wyfe and wyues children by a former husbande The .lxxix. Dialogue Ioy. I Haue adopted a sonne Reason Adoption is handmayden vnto nature whiche although she be the more noble yet is adoption the more warie and that whiche nature doth without aduice of the begetter and as it were by chaunce in adoption the same is accomplished by the iudgement of him that adopteth Ioy. I haue gotten a good sonne by adoption Reason Thou oughtest do so yf thou haue neglected it for as begettyng so is not election excusable herein thou canst not blame thy wyfe nor accuse fortune Ioy. I haue adopted a sonne Reason This ciuyl remedy was denised wel to helpe nature The same hath ben experimented to haue been profitable to some pestiferous Nerua adopted a good sonne but I knowe that some writers are of opinion that Traiane was deceyued in his adoptyng And that Augustus was deceyued in adoptyng his Nephue Agrippa his puttyng of hym away which shortly after happened doth testifie but that he was not deceyued in the adoptyng or succedyng of Tiberius I perceyue hym almost constrayned therunto to confesse the same by puttyng certaine of his friendes to death which his owne speache also declareth and the preface of his last Wyland Testament But Mysipsa of whom I made mention not long since was altogeather an vnfortunate adopter sendyng not a sonne but rather a cruel Dragon into his Palace among his chyldren whom although whyle he lay a dyeing he exhorted so to lyue that he myght not seeme to haue adopted better chyldren then he had begotten Howbeit for the more part better are adopted then begotten and no maruayle since the one is guyded by experiment and aduyce and the other by neyther But many tymes it falleth out contrary wyse that not worse only but worst of al are adopted For man is a close and doubtfull merchandize Ioy. I haue a good sonne in lawe Reason Seldome is there founde a good sonne in lawe but more seldom a good father in lawe Ioy. I haue a good sonne in lawe Reason What matter is it vnto thee howe good he be vnlesse thou reioyce as beyng thy wyues factour For what shal the vertue of another mans childe auayle thee but only to bewray the lewdenesse of thyne owne chyldren Ioy. I haue a very good and faythful sonne in lawe not inferiour to any of my chyldren Reason It may be so Suche a sonne in lawe was Drusus to Augustus but not Nero suche an one to Claudius Of an excellent Schoolmaister The .lxxx. Dialogue IOY I Vaunt of myne excellent schoolemaister Reason Thou ceassest not yet to boast of that which is another mans For what doeth the excellencie of thy schoolemaister apparteine vnto thee Beleeue me which I repeate oftentymes it must be within thee which must make thee glorious Ioy. I glorie in an excellent schoolemaister Reason Let hym in the meane tyme enioye as he list that which is his owne and glorie also if he please although yf he be very excellent in deede he wyll not doo it and touchyng thy selfe we wyl say somewhat hereafter Ioy. I haue a notable schoolemaister Reason I long to heare what manner scholar 〈◊〉 art For before I know that I can pronounce no certeintie How many fooles and dullardes 〈◊〉 thou were â—here in the schooles of Socrates and Plato Howe many without any schoolemaister at all haue by their owne industrie become excellent insomuch that they became schoolmaisters vnto ether that had no schoolemaisters theÌ„selues We reade not that Virgil had any
for thy daughter a wyfe for thy sonne thou hast woon the peoples fauour with thy ambitious flatterie thou hast gotten theyr voyces thou hast prepared vnto thy selfe a redy way vnto ryches and honour there nowe remayneth nothyng but that thou reioyce in thyne owne felicitie This yf I be not deceyued is thy conclusion but myne is farre other wyse to wyt that thou dye It seldome happeneth vnto men to enioy long that which they haue gotten togeather with great diligence the toyle is long the vse is short Ioy. Nowe that my affayres goe forwarde prosperously I am in an assured state Reason Howe thou canst stande whyle thyne affayres goe forwarde see thou for I cannot perceyue Ioy. I reioyce nowe that my businesse proceedeth accordyng to my desire Reason Now therefore it is tyme to dye thynkest thou that there can any man lyue long meery heare Dye therefore while thou art meery before thou begyn to be sorowful I wyl nowe repeate agayne that whiche I haue sayde For the repeatyng of profitable thinges is not tedious but pleasant Dooest thou remember in Tullie what Lacon sayde to the auncient Diagoras Rhodius who at that tyme muche reioyced though vpon very lyght occasion whiche thou heardest before when we entreated of Palestrical exercises Die nowe Diagoras quoth he for thou canst not clymbe into heauen And truely it was grauely spoken For in this so great an alteration of thinges what can the mynde looke for more then to leaue to be mery and to begyn to be sorowful And therefore Diagoras very seasonably folowed his friendes counsel for in the sight and a middest the shoutyng and gratulation of the people in the middest of the embrasinges and kysses of his sonnes he gaue vp the ghost This Historie is written in the booke of the Attike nightes and in summe moe haue peryshed through ioy then sorowe Of all therefore that are wyse but specially that are in great ioy death is to be wyshed of whiche we ought alwayes to thynke but most of all in tyme of prosperitie and this cogitation wyll brydle al other Ioy. I haue taken payne and nowe I rest Reason Ye hope al for that but therein ye be all deceyued The course of your lyfe fareth otherwyse and the ende thereof answereth not your expectation This thy rest is eyther short or false or to speake more truely both and howe then carrye dreame any rest heare So dooth he that is in pryson dreame of libertie the sicke man of health and he that is hungrie of dayntie cheere but behold the last day is at hand whiche wyll shortly dryue away these dreames But be ye not deceyued by dreames and false opinions wherof the lyfe of man is full promyse not vnto your selues rest heare Beleeue me death is all the rest that men haue after theyr trauailes Ioy. I haue al thynges most plentifully that I thynke to be necessarie forâ—ine Reason All thinges more then needeful are wast superfluous but this is the maner of mans minde that professyng and ascendyng vpward to heauen burdeneth it selfe with so great care and studie as it is scarce neuer able to disburden it self againe so that being wayed downe with a forraigne burden whyle it endeuoureth to ryse vpward it falleth downe the earth is vnto it in steede of heauen Ioy. I haue abundaunce of al thinges and they be nowe in the Hauen Reason Then are they in the end of their course For this present lyfe is lyke to the troublesome Sea. The end of the one is at the shore and of the other in death so that they may be both well termed Hauens And truely the most part of men while they be careful in heaping togeather necessaries to lyue by in the chiefest of their preparation they are cut of by death and there is nothyng nowe more common then for death to preuent the carefulnesse of this lyfe it happeneth but vnto fewe to obteyne their desire and from these the vse of theyr dayly gaine is so soone taken away that the shortnesse of theyr ioy is an encrease of their sorowe wherof it is knowne that many haue complained at theyr death Ioy. Now that I haue ended my trauayles I lyue in securitie Reason So doth the foule flie safe betweene the line and the grin the fishe playeth among the hookes and the wylde beastes among the toyles Oftentimes whereas is most danger and least feare it is fortunes cunning to take away distrust that she may strike the more freely Ioy. I haue toyled al my lyfe tyme to the end I might take my rest at last Reason Thou hast placed thy rest securitie vpon a daungerous downefal hast liued in sorow to die in mirth wherein thou hast folowed no absurd gouernment concernyng thy lyfe and death so that we agree about the qualitie of the securitie and rest sorow and ioy Ioy. I haue prouided al things to furnysh my selfe whyle I lyue Reason Nay rather to make thy death more greiuous Thou hast wel prouided for the Phisitions they will shortly come thicke vnto thee pratling about thy bed There wil come also some to make thy Testament some to loke for Legacies some that wil dissemble their ioy counterfeite teares secretly curse that thy life continueth so long thy death approcheth no faster some wil marke the crisis or determination day of the sicknesse some the signes and tokens some wyl watch the golden carkasse All these goodes whiche in al thy lyfe tyme thou hast scraped togeather wyl be the meanes onely not for thee to lyue the better but to dye the more accompanied Thou hast not altogeather lost thy labour for thou shalt not lacke companie when thou art sicke neyther money for thy lust and superfluities neyther pompe for thy buriall Ioy. Now that I haue gotten al things I may take my rest Reason I sayd erwhyle thou soughtest rest and comfort of lyfe but thou hast founde payne and tediousnesse of death Ioy. I haue disposed all thynges and attained prosperitie Reason Thou hast heaped togeather a nest of most deceitfull and transitorie hope which so soone as it groweth to any ripenesse wyl flee away leauing thy hart voyde and sorowfull and many tymes it perisheth before it be fledge Ioy. After my long traueyle commeth quietnesse Reason Perhaps it wyll be as short as may be possible For often the trauel of many yeeres perisheth in a moment when as for the most part al procedinges are by degrees the endes of thynges are not seldome sudden Ioy. By long cares at length I am come to the beginning of securitie Reason Humane curiositie is very careful of the beginninges but is so blynde that it cannot foresee the ende A thycke miste of the tyme to come hath bleared the sight of mortal mens eyes Let our deliberation be the accomplishment of our fortune But to speake more truely it is the wyl of God in whose hands are al mens chaunces not such as in your
tidinges when thou art awake Hope I saw good hap in sleepe Reason But thou shalt finde il hap when thou awakest Hope I was an happy man in my rest Reason But thou shalt be wretched in thy trauayle For many tymes â—reames signifie nothing and many tymes the contrary Hope True thynges are often seene in dreames Reason But how more often false The lyke iudgement is to he geuen of this and all such other kyndes of vanities one thyng happenyng true by chaunce purchaseth credite to a great many of false and mens myndes gapyng after that whiche is to come taketh no regarde of that whiche is past Hope The Diuinours promyse me many thyngs Reason I do not much wonder at these impostours and deceyuers who accordyng to theyr maner do lyue by theyr practise but I marueyle more at you that you subiect your lyues soules and wittes vnto theyr bellies and therfore take hede what perswasion thou holdest â—â—r yf thou wylt folowe mine aduyce thou shalt expect with a quiet and vpryght mynde not what the Starres but what the Creatour and gouernour of the Starres hath determined concernyng thee feruently woorkyng somethyng euery day whereby thou mayst be founde the more woorthy of his loue Concernyng the euentes let it not once enter into thy mynde to mooue any of them vnto whom the trueth is lesse knowne then to thy selfe Finally thus perswade thy selfe that it is an harde matter for men to knowe what it is to come and that it is not lawful for them yf it were expedient nor expedient yf it were lawfull Of glad tidings The. Cxiii Dialogue HOPE I Haue heard glad tydyngs Reason Beleeue not fame she is a lyar Hope Many tel me glad newes Reason It is better sometyme to beleeue one then many Hope That cannot be altogeather false which so many messengers doo report Reason The maner of common report is wel knowne which is to mingle lies with trueth A great many of lyes are seasoned with a few true tales for no body wyl beleeue hym that which al lyes Hope The first aucthour of the rumor is a credâ—â—le person Reason But there is no man contented to report only as much as he hath hearde or seene it is nothyng worth vnlesse that euery one adde some thyng of his owne to that which he hath heard or seene which when many haue done a man shal perceiue how one lye hath been heaped vpon another so that this mischiefe going from hande to hande hath encreased in mens handes as it was going and which the most excellent poet sayeth It floorisheth by moouyng and getteth strength by going Hope Hytherto the report is very ioyful Reason What yf it flatter thee that it may strike thee Many times after ioyful rumors folow woful massacres this for the more part is the manner of fortune to promyse hope that she may wound the deeper and she annoynteth her cruel weapon with the sweetnesse of some glad tidynges wherewith she purposeth to cut the throate of hym that reioyceth Which thyng forasmuche as the learned and wyse do vnderstande they are nothyng mooued with flatteryng reportes but remayne vnmooueable recountyng with them selues either that it is contrary or that this rumour that semeth so acceptable may be chaunged into the contrary Hope I am delighted in a ioyful rumour Reason Stay a whyle tyl thou knowe whether it be certayne and if it so fall out yet is it a shame for a manly courage to be moued with euery smal rumour though they be true but most shameful with those that are false Many haue ben ashamed that they haue reioyced and the remembrance of theyr false ioy hath augmented theyr true griefe Of expecting a mans sonne or Farmer or wyfe The Cxiiii Dialogue Hope I Hope for my sonnes returne Reason Thou hopest for a careful ioy and a neare sorow Hope I hope to see my friend agayne Reason Thou hopest for a sweete thyng but deceiueable mens affayres tremble vpon a brittle foundation perhaps he whom thou now lookest for is dead which thou maist proue yf thou liue There are a thousand kindes of impedimens one that is common to al that is death Hope I trust to enioy the desired sight of my friend Reason These two are almost alwayes ioyned togeather to wyshe and to hope but by sundry casualties they be dayly separated Howe many may we thynke were there in Rome that with very desirous myndes expected the returne of the last Marcus Marcellus But contrarywyse his most cruel foe attended his commyng in the myddes of the way whose furious sauagenesse was more mightie then was the mercyfulnesse of the conquerour that reuoked his aduersarie from exyle And therfore Caesar at the request of the Senate coulde pardon Marcellus but Marcellus Client coulde not sustayne any greater griefe then that he shoulde enioy that benefite from Caesar Hope I hope to see my friende and I expect him hauyng no enimie to hinder his commyng Reason What man is he that hath not an enimie and albeit he haue no priuate enimie yet is there any without publique fooes I meane theeues and murderers who mooued with couetousnesse haue proclaymed open war agaynst mankynde But imagine there chaunced some such good constellation that this mischiefe were banyshed out of the worlde notwithstandyng who shal defend Wagons and Horses from ouerthrowyng ryuers and streames from ouerflowyng brydges and houses from fallyng tempestes on Sea and lande from rysyng Adde moreouer the incursion of fierce and wylde beastes and venomous vermyne by meanes of whiche Dicaearchus a most curious searcher of such matters sheweth that not only certaine particuler men but also whole generations of men haue ben destroyed And in summe looke how many chaunces there be in humane affaires wherof there is no certaine number so many enimies are there of mankinde which may I say not slacke thy hope but extinguysh it And though nothyng els doo happen yet death of whom I spake erwhile whether men go or stande is alwaies at their elbowe and perhaps more neere to them that ryde and traueile vppon the way by howe muche theyr iourney and riding and changyng of place seemeth to be subiect to more kindes of casualties Hope I hope for my friendes returne after the prosperous dispatching of his businesse Reason How gloriously prosperously Drusus Nero that was sonne in law to Augustus behaued him self and accomplished his affaires that he was beloued of his enimies that he had vanquyshed so that they dyd almost adore hym as a God whose wonderfull affection towards the memoriall of hym euen to this present day I suppose thou mightest perceiue yf euer thou were conuersant among the states of Germanie Truely he atchiued such exploites wherof he might woorthily vaunt him the whiche appeareth yet remayning to this day ingrauen in certayne Romane stones wherof some of the first sillables are defaced and throwen downe by misfortune in these verses At the departing of the Rhine I inuaded the land and wasted
which he found of bricke which glory notwithstanding vnlesse it had been holpen with other thynges whereunto it would haue come we see and therfore yf thou be wyse dye in other traueyles and embrace permanent hope For these thinges whereof thou trustest are both of no price and also wyll shortly followe thee and returne to the earth from whence they came Hope I haue builded houses whereby I hope for prayse Reason Perhaps they wyl prayse thee that shal dwel in them A short and narowe prayse but they that doo come after shall eyther not vnderstande that it is due vnto thee or as men say commonly geue out that those woorkes were buylded by Paganes and thy name shal be vnknowne Of glory hoped for by keeping Companie The Cxix Dialogue Hope I Hope for glory by keepyng company Reason It skilleth muche with whom thou keepe company for there are many whiche I woulde it were not so whose company is discredible and infamous HOPE I knowe that there is no glory wonne but by good artes or conuersation with good men I rest my selfe vpon this last and hope to be good eyther by the example of good men or yf that fayle I hope that the familiaritie of good men wyll purchase me glory Reason Truely in a young man this is a very good signe who vnlesse he hadde a good mynde woulde neuer wyshe to be ioyned with good men For of all friendshyppes and familiarities a certayne lykenesse is the cause and couplyng togeather Proceede therefore and yf thou canst matche those whom thou dooest imitate it is wel doone If not yet yf thou doo thy best thy good wyll shal not want the rewarde of glory For the chiefe and greatest part of vertue is to haue a good mynde vnto vertue and vnlesse this goe before vertue wyll not folow Hope I boast in my familiaritie with good men Reason Veryly I prayle thee for it from whiche let neyther the hope of gayne nor of any other thing withdrawe thee and bende thou al thyne industrie vnto this that thou mayest be lyke them otherwyse that whiche is doone for glory only deserueth not true glory Hope I hope for glory by conuersation with good men Reason A great hope and not discommendable seeing it consisteth in obseruyng and imitating of knowledge and eloquence and other good artes of peace and warre For many haue become noble by conuersation with noble men But take heede of this that through errour thou choose not to thy selfe euyl leaders in steede of good or by meanes of the lamentable scarcitie of good men and penury of vertues in this age thou attayne not to that for whiche thou seekest Of manyfolde hope The Cxx. Dialogue HOPE I Hope for many thynges Reason In much hope there is muche vanitie and great meanes left vnto fortune to deceiue Hope I hope for many thynges Reason Many thynges disapoynt a manyfolde hope Who so hopeth for litle hath left but a narrowe way for casualties but not vtterly stopped it Hope I hope for good health Reason A forgetfulnesse of mortalitie Hope I hope for long lyfe Reason A long pryson wherein thou shalt see much and suffer muche agaynst thy lykyng Hope Fyrme members Reason Strong bandes but pleasant notwithstandyng from whiche thou art a frayde to be loosed Hope Surpassyng beautie of the body Reason Prouocation vnto pleasures Hope Happy ende of my yeeres Reason The matter of a shameful and sorowful thyng Hope The couenanted death of my louer Reason Some short and fylthy matter I knowe not what Hope Libertie to offende Reason A miserable ioy and long repentaunce Hope Oportunitie to reuenge Reason An entraunce vnto crueltie Hope A nymble and strong body Reason A stubburne and rebellious drudge Hope Great riches Reason An heauie burden of Burres and Bryers Hope Shyppes to returne from sundry Seas Reason Fortune diuersly dispersed betweene the monsters of the Sea and the Rockes beaten with the Surgies drawen with ropes and dryuen with the wind Hope Gayne by the hoped merchandize Reason A baite whiche will corment thee with continuall carefulnesse and by the hope of one small gayne dryue thee headlong vnaduysedly into many losses A newe Merchaunt is easye to beleeue but he that is expert forseeth many thynges Hope Honest bestowyng of my sonne or daughter in marryage Reason There is no hope almost that is so often and so grieuously deceyued Hope Great power Reason An hateful miserie a rytch pouertie a fearefull pride Hope A kyngdome and empire Reason A cragged headlong downefall and tempestuous stormes and vnder a glitteryng diademe a careful countenance and heauie hart an vnfortunate lyfe Hope Honours of the court of pleas Reason Dust and clamour Hope Wedlocke and children Reason Contention and cares Hope Warfare for my selfe and a sonne for my wyfe Reason Trauayle to thy selfe and payne to thy beloued Hope The death of mine olde wyfe and that I may haue a younger Reason To be loosed from a worne stryng and to be tyed to a strong newe Rope Hope Wyt a tongue and learning Reason An Handuyle an Hammer and a peece of iron whereby to breake thy selfe and others of theyr sleepe Hope Commendation at my buryall Reason A Nightyngale to syng vnto a deafe person Hope A golden Pyramis Reason A paynted house for a blynde man. Hope Glory after my death Reason A prosperous gale of wynde after Shypwracke Hope A name among posteritie Reason A testimonie from vnknowne persons Hope An heyre for my selfe Reason A friende to thy patrimonie and an argument to thy selfe that thou shalt not returne Of hoped quietnesse of mynde The Cxxi Dialogue HOPE I Hope for quietnesse of mynde Reason Why hadst thou rather hope for then haue peace Looke howe soone thou shalt begynne throughly to seeke it thou shalt fynde it Hope I hope for peace of mynde Reason To hope for peace is the parte of a warryour Who maketh warre agaynst thy mynde but thy selfe only that whiche thou hast taken away from thy selfe impudently thou requirest and hopest of another Hope I hope for peace of mynde Reason From whence I pray thee Or howe canst thou hope for that whiche thou mayest geue vnto thy selfe and so as none can take it from thee but thy selfe Lay downe the weapons of lust and wrath and thou hast absolutely purchased peace for thy mynde Hope I hope for peace and quietnesse of mynde Reason Why then is that which thou dooest agaynst peace And why dooest thou striue so muche agaynst peace Men haue scarce neede to endeuour so muche to be in safetie as they take paynes to seeke their owne destruction Continuall warre and traueyle of mynde is bought more deerely then are peace and quietnesse thus mens desires doo stryue agaynst theyr studies in suche sort as yf one man hadde not the mynde of one but of many and all those repugnant one to another Hope I hope for quietnesse Reason I marueyle from whence ye haue this desire of hopyng alwayes O ye mortall
blemysh more greeuous in the wantonnesse of olde men then to compare it with the continency of youth And truely yf the honour of the parentes be burdensome to the chyldren that lyue yll with howe great a weight dooth the prayse of the chyldrens honestie presse downe the infamie of the yl lyuyng parentes Sorowe I was begotten in vnlawful and condemned lust Reason But it were better for thee to haue a desire to be and so to be reputed the honest sonne of an vnhonest father rather then the vnhonest sonne of an honest father For in all prayse or disprayse those thinges are most chiefly to be regarded whiche are a mans owne There is no man iustly reproued or praysed for that whiche is anothers although as I haue sayde whatsoeuer is in you it wyll be the more euident yf it be set by his contrary For as euery one is worthyly praysed or dispraysed so is the very and proper cause of prayse or disprayse within hymselfe But as one man is slayne with anothers swoorde and one mans goodes burned by another mans fire so hapneth it not that one mans good name perisheth by another mans fault for that the goods of the minde are more permanent then the goods of the body or of fortune so that they cannot be hurt or taken away agaynst the wyl of the owner Sorow I was begotten agaynst ryght and law Reason Thou hast doone nothyng agaynst the law but thy parentes haue and therefore henceforward do euery thyng according to the lawe In this respect thou hast committed none offence at all concernyng thy birth houre but of thine owne manners thou thy selfe shalt yelde an accompt And although in reuenge of wandring venerie the force of the ciuyl lawes is extended vnto the innocent chyldren notwithstandyng GOD measureth euery one within his owne boundes neyther imputeth the chyldes offence vnto the father neyther the fathers vnto the chylde And that Philosophie iudgeth otherwyse of this matter then do the lawes thou hast learned of the Philosophers them selues Being then beaten downe by the lawes and erected agayne by the iudgement of GOD and the Philosophers thou hast wherewith to comfort thy mynde neyther as thou art restrayned from a priuate patrimony so art thou barred from the publique inheritaunce of vertue For the one of these descendeth by the ordinaunce of man the other is geuen by desart and before thou were borne as thou deseruedst no glory so truely dyddest thou merite none infamie Sorowe Myne Originall is vnlawfull and incestous Reason What may be borne of incest or what of adulterie for proofe be Romulus and Alcides Perses was Kyng of Macedonie and lugurtha Kyng of Numidia and both of them expulsed theyr lawfull brethren out of theyr kyngdomes by euyll vsage and most vyle meanes but they expulsed them notwithstandyng Alexander Kyng of Macedonie that was called Philippes sonne yet whose in deede he was supposed to be thou hast hearde and also how Philip towardes the latter ende of his lyfe was woont sometyme to say that Alexander was not his sonne Whiche thyng his wyfe Olympias of her owne accorde confessed vnto hym and for that cause he was diuorsed from her as some aucthours haue written Constantius hym selfe beyng borne of a noble Concubyne was aduaunced vnto the Empyre before his brethren that were lawfully begotten Vnto these woulde I adde Kyng Arthure vnlesse that to myngle Fables with Histories were nothyng els then to dimyshe the credite of the trueth with lyes To be short there is no cause why thy byrth shoulde discourage thee Howesoeuer men are borne yf vertue aduaunce them they haue glory yenough Sorowe I am yll borne Reason Lyue well and dye well howsoeuer thou were borne it belongeth not to thee neyther canst thou remember it neyther enquyre muche after that whiche belongeth not vnto thee vnlesse it be to make thee more humble and mecke but not more sorowfull Sorowe I was borne fylthyly Reason Courteous behayour and an honest lyfe doo not only take away all blemyshes but all remembrance of a shameful byrth Vse this remedie while thou mayest for beleeue me thou hast none other Sorowe I am ashamed of my parentes infamie Reason Put away this shame for there is one father of all men whiche is GOD and one mother of all men whiche is the earth Of Bondage The vii Dialogue SOROWE I Entred a bondman into this lyfe Reason Be not sory thou shalt depart a free man yf thou wylt thy selfe as many haue doone who contrarywyse haue entred free and departed bonde Sorowe I was seruylely borne Reason Lyue freely there is nothyng letteth thee for the better part of thee to be free There is one most grieuous kynde of bondage whiche is synne that is not able notwithstandyng to oppresse men agaynst theyr wylles cast of that and thou shalt be free Sorowe Fortune woulde needes make me a bondman Reason Thine owne wil may make thee otherwise for although she vse her olde custome neuerthelesse thou knowest what to hope for Thou knowest what a monster she is thou knowest her toyes and pastymes it lyeth in thee not only to become a free man but also Lorde ouer thy maister although what she wyll or wyll not it skylleth not and albeit she be inexorable as some tyme she is neuerthelesse she hath no power ouer the mynde and in euery conflict agaynst her we must requyre ayde of her enimie Many tymes whom fortune hath made bonde vertue hath made free Sorowe I am oppressed with grieuous seruitude Reason Who so wyllyngly beareth the yoke maketh it lyght I wyll tell thee a speciall comfort and an euerlastyng stay whiche when thou art exempted from the controulement of thy mightie maister wyll make thee a free man and rycher then thy maister hym selfe apply the studie of wysedome and she wyll set thee at libertie It is the saying of Cato confyrmed by Cicero That only the wyse man is free namely by that libertie then which there is none more assured Sorowe I leade my lyfe vnder most harde maisters Reason They shal be made gentle by no meanes more then by faythfulnesse and diligence and perhaps in suche sort whiche hath hapned vnto many that therehence thou shalt gayne libertie where nowe thou bewaylest thy bondage and peraduenture by some other meanes and from some other place For some one is made free by his temporall maister and some by the Eternall Thou knowest with howe great daunger Malchus escaped the threatnynges of his maister that persecuted hym but neuerthelesse he escaped hym In the meane whyle thynke thus of thy maister that he maynteyneth thee and hath taken vpon hym al the care ouer thee whiche carefulnesse to leese a mans libertie what is it to be called other then a profitable discommoditie Vnto many theyr libertie hath been bonde and theyr bondage free The yoke of men is not so greeuous as the yoke of cares who so can shake of the one may indifferently beare the other Vnto this man
the lyke wealth to king Craesus nor to his fellowe citizen Crassus but he was happier then eyther of them although his ryches were lesse neyther dyd he lyue after a greater reuenue but as all good men doo after his owne Neyther truely doo I require of thee that thou lyue after any other proportion for thy selfe and thyne then after thyne owne nor that thou feede and cloth thy familie with princely meate and apparrell Princes chyldren feede dayntily and are brauely apparrelled but they lyue not better nor longer nor pleasanter nor as it is wel knowen more safely nor more honestly nor more vertuously In the steede of all these they haue one thyng wherein they excell they lyue more pompously that is to say foolyshlie Euerie one hath his owne manner of lyuyng and measure but not therefore the better because the greater whereby it commeth to passe that oftentymes a man shall see some merrie in a Cottage and other sadde in the court There is one onely Fountayne of grace but all are not of lyke capacitie that Fountaine I meane vnto whom it is sayde Thou openest thyne hand and fillest euery lyuyng thyng with thy blessing What maketh to purpose the greatnesse or smalnesse of the vesselles when they be all of a lyke fulnesse But poore folke lacke many thynges but howe muche more doo kynges want seeyng that saying of Horace is most true and approoued that Many thynges are wantyng to them that aske many thynges Sorowe It is a greeuous thyng to begette many chyldren Reason What canst thou recite vnto mee vnder heauen that is not paynefull and greeuous pleasure onely excepted then whiche notwithstandyng there is nothyng more paynefull in the ende nothyng that leaueth so many stinges in the minde Hast thou not read in Horace howe This lyfe hath geuen nothyng vnto mortalmen without great traueyle Doest thou not also heare what another Poet hath written aptly touching the same matter For when al the godlie confesse with one consent that all good thinges are geuen vs freely from aboue he sayeth that they are not geuen but solde and the price appoynted which is labour For thus he sayeth The Goddes sell vnto vs al good thinges for labour Sorowe The carefulnesse for so many chyldren is troublesome vnto me Reason Is not this sentence to be numbred among the true sayinges That there can no mans lyfe be founde that is without vexation and trouble And lykewyse this That all the whole course of lyfe is a torment What haue the chyldren deserued whiche yf they be lackyng yet other cares wyll aryse Beleeue mee whiche way so euer thou turnest thy selfe and whatsoeuer trade of fortune thou assay troubles and molestations and difficulties of lyfe wyll be present and therefore what neede vayne lamentations Sorowe I am oppressed with many chyldren Reason If thou say that thou art oppressed as it were with thyne owne felicitie and thou take it in euyll part that the thynges whiche men doo fyrst and especially desyre haue aboundantly hapned vnto thee this is a strange kynde of impacience Sorowe What shall I doo with so many Daughters Who shall geue me so many Dowries for them Reason There is one GOD of the Females and Males he feedeth his sonnes and daughters And as he wyll geue them witte and artes to lyue by so wyll he also endue them with his gyftes and Dowries Wherefore it is so written Trust in hym and be wyll doo it that whiche lyeth in thee to doo shal be the best kynde of Dowrie namely so to bryng vp thy Daughters that they may be well lyked and loued by vpryght iudgement without a Dowrie Faustina had the Romane Empire to her Dowrie and yet howe many women thynkest thou haue there been without Dowries that haue been more chaste fortunate then she It is not the Dowrie that maketh the happie marriage but the vertue Endeuour yf thou canst that thy Daughters money be not desyred but theyr honestie but theyr modestie but theyr integritie but theyr patience humblenesse faythfulnesse and obedience with these precious stones thy Daughters beyng adorned with this golde laded with these handmaydens accompanied let them goe into their husbandes houses that are not ryche men but honest where oftentymes shamefastnesse is safer and the lyfe sweeter then in the Bedchambers and Courtes of Princes Of money lost The .xiii. Dialogue SOROWE I Haue lost Money Reason And with it many cares and continuall daunger Sorowe I haue lost money Reason And also the payne of keepyng it and the feare of loosyng it Thus by loosyng thy money thou hast founde two good thynges and both of them better then that whiche thou hast lost to wit carelesnesse quietnesse Sorowe I haue lost money Reason It is well that it hath not lost thee whiche it hath done many owners thereof For the forme of money is hurtfull the bryghtnesse thereof pestilent and venomous And therefore like a Serpent that hath golden skales delyghting she pleaseth the eyes stryketh the Soule So then yf thou be glad that thou art safely deliuered from her reioyce that that is taken away whereby thou myghtest be infected and recount also with myrth and admiration that thou hast passed vnhurt through dangers But yf thou were infected knowe now that the cause of the mischiefe is rooted out whereby thou mayest returne the more easily vnto health Sorowe I haue lost Golde and Siluer Reason What hath an heauenlie minde to do with earthly drosse They that folowe the more manly Philosophie doo not reckon golde and siluer among goodes but they that professe the more effeminate learnyng doo call them goodes but not of the minde Whiche so euer of these thou followe these thynges eyther were not good eyther were not thyne so that thou hast no cause for to complayne And yf thou wylt needes haue them called goodes whiche thing many excellent men doo deny notwithstanding thou shalt be enforced to terme them Fortunes goodes and not thyne So then neither hast thou lost any thyng of thyne owne neyther shee any thyng that was hers but onely hath otherwyse disposed them Sorowe I haue lost money Reason As thou couldest not haue lost it yf it had been thyne so couldest thou not loose it not beyng thyne but in deede it was not thyne but his whom it hath followed nay rather it was not his but Fortunes as I haue sayde who lendeth it where shee seeth cause for some short tyme of occupying for a great interest And therefore learne nowe at length to knowe thyne owne from other folkes Sorowe I haue lost money Reason If other mens losses also and not thyne owne only do grieue thee are vexed that any thing that is an others shoulde be taken from thee learne to get those thinges that are thine owne for euer whiche are won with more ease and possessed with more honor and assurance If thou wouldest seeke after vertue thou shouldest not lose her but you are become despisers of vertue and seekers
thou doo not that whiche many a one dooeth obiect thyne owne fault to another Many women beyng married vnto some one man haue seemed barren whiche when they haue been married vnto other men haue had chyldren Sorowe My wyfe is barren Reason How knowest thou what manner of sonne she would beare thee yf she were fruiteful The byrthes of some women haue made their fruitefulnesse hatefull and therefore to haue been wyshed that they had been barren The Empire of Rome had not suffered and abydden those cruell monsters of men Caius Caligula Nero Commodus Bassianus yf that Germanicus of Domitius yf Marcus Antonius yf Septimus Seuerus had had no wyues at all or els yf they had been barren Of an vnchast Daughter The xxiij Dialogue SOROWE MY Daughter is too nice Reason It is reported howe that Augustus the Emperour was wont to say that he had two delicate and nice Daughters whom both notwithstanding he must suffer to wit the Common wealth and his daughter Iulia. But as for his daughter Iulia he sayde that he knewe that she was of a pleasant disposition and merrie euen vnto the resemblance of incontinencie but was assured that she was free from any dishonest deede dooyng Howbeit the most wyse prince in so thynkyng was deceyued in them both For the Common wealth had then begun to degenerate from the auntient vertue and integritie thereof and his daughter wast not onely nice and wanton but also shamefully reported of and her good name blemyshed with reproches whiche the father onely neuer hearde of and at length though too late fyrst brake foorth into the lyght notwithstandyng accordyng to this signification thy Daughter may be nice but honest enough Which thing though I graunt thee neuerthelesse it can not be denied but that nicenesse delicatenesse are the redie way vnto woorishnesse Sorowe My Daughter beginneth to waxe wanton Reason Looke vnto her at the begynnyng hard thynges require an instument of iron to take them away but tender thynges are plucked away with a mans fyngers Who so is desirous to haue an habite or the perfect vse of any thyng let hym begynne in his youth to practice it whether it be in hym selfe or another Young thynges are easily fashioned and turned whiche way soeuer a man lyst Sorowe My Daughter waxeth lasciuious Reason Withdrawe her daintie fare take from her her soft braue apparrel her Ringes and Bracelets and other Iewelles and what euer she hath els wherein eyther she taketh delyght her selfe or indeuoureth to please other Lay vpon her other care of housholde stint her at sewing and spynning or whatsoeuer woorke thou canst deuise to make harde her soft and delicate handes Restrayne her from common shewes and resort of people Keepe her within doores vppon Holidayes leaue her no tyme to thynke vppon vayne and vnprofitable matters Businesse and labour and homely apparrell and hard fare and solitarinesse and continuall bendyng of the minde vppon one thyng moreouer a beloued and feared witnesse often warnynges gentle threatninges and if neede require some tyme sharper these be the doores and barres of chastitie agaynst dishonestie and that keepe of inuadyng and assaultyng passions from entryng into an idle mynde and abandon them yf they be entred Sorowe My Daughter is dishonest Reason This is the counsayle of Ecclesiasticus Take diligent heede ouer thy dishonest Daughter lest that she chaunce to bryng thee to shame Although there be nothyng that thou couldest suffer more greeuous then this neuerthelesse yf thou leaue no part of thy fatherly duetie vndoone thou hast wherewithal to comfort thy sorowe For the griefe may be thyne but neyther the shame nor the fault forasmuche as it is a very harde matter to brydle the mynde that is prone vnto lust and viciousnesse and a thyng that is impossible for man to doo vnlesse that GOD set to his helpyng hande For the force of the affection is so great and disordinate that many tymes the father in vayne in vaine the brethren in vayne the husbande also stryueth agaynst it And no marueyle since it is written I am not able to lyue continent vnlesse GOD geue me the grace Howbeit this is no excuse for dishonestie for GOD graunteth it vnto as many as require it at his handes with a pure fayth and whiche endeuour of them selues what in them lyeth acknowledgyng whose gyft it is and esteemyng truely of it and of the auctour thereof Sorowe My Daughter is an Harlot Reason If shee be married then is thy sonne in lawe partaker of thy sorowe thou hast also Augustus the Emperour both to be vnto thee a companion of the iniurie and an example of the reuengement Of shame commyng from another The .xxiiij. Dialogue SOROWE I Am slaundred for an other mans offence Reason I tolde thee erewhyle and true it is that the griefe of another mans offence may touche thee but so can not the infamie I tell thee true And yf it be a false infamie though for the tyme it be greeuous yet is it not durable and to make infamie or glorie durable thou must looke into thyne owne fielde and prune the vine of thy minde with thine owne sickle Sorowe I am sorie for another mans fault Reason Truely I beleeue thee But reioyce then in thyne owne innocencie vnlesse thou greeue more at other mens matters then at thyne owne for the inheritaunce of fame descendeth not as doth the inheritaunce of a patrimonie for yf it were so it myght sometyme be refused No man is constrayned to take vppon hym a burdensome and infamous inheritaunce for as I sayde before it descendeth not by succession of name there is no degree of kyndred expected in this matter whether thou desyre to haue a glorious or obscure name it must come from thy selfe and not from another and therein thine owne desartes are necessarie There is a tyme when as another mans deedes can neyther defame thee nor commende thee To what purpose dooest thou expect the Carrier or the Post or the Testatour or repose any trust in thy most louing and noble auncetours thy Father or Grandfather or to what ende art thou afearde of any of them to become infamous or obscure by any of their meanes Truely by neyther sort of them commeth eyther estimation or discredite Fame is not bequeathed but won Sorow I am ouerburdened with the infamie of my friendes Reason It is rather thine owne fansie that oppresseth thee whiche is one of the cheefest rootes of humane miserie Cast of that and thou shalt lyghten thy selfe of a false burden Sorowe I am diffamed with the offences of my friendes Reason I denie that it is possible to be so howbeit I confesse that it were better for thee to be diffamed for other mens crimes then that other men should be for thyne For more heauie is the weyght of offence then infamie for where offence is there is perfect miserie And contrariwyse false infamie hath no part of perfect and true miserie as hath false glorie although
the one vexe the mindes of the common multitude and the other delyght them Sorowe I can not choose but be greeued touched with the infamie of my friendes Reason To be touched is charitable to be discomforted is wretched And therefore whyle there are some remnantes of hope remayning be careful for the good name of thy friendes and haue respect vnto the vnquietnesse and trouble whiche thou hast conceyued If all hope be gone my counsayle is layng them aside to put of all greefe and vexation for to endeuour in vayne and seeke for matter of sorowfulnesse is a lyke madnesse Sorowe I am blamed for my seruauntes crimes Reason Thou art woorthily punished for thy patience and too muche sufferyng when thou myghtest haue auoyded that ignominie by punyshyng and correctyng the aucthours of the mischiefe Sorowe But I am molested with reproches whiche are due vnto them that can not easily be corrected nor put away Reason Who be they I pray thee For as touchyng the correction of the parentes it is in no wyse permitted to the chyldren And therefore by that meanes there can growe no infamie but rather in vpryght iudgement there wyll spryng vp vnto thee as it were a certayne bryghtnesse out of the darke for since vnto vertue difficultie is proper it is muche more harder to keepe the ryght way vnder conduct of obscure then famous leaders and Captaynes But yf it be thy wyues what in that case thou oughtest to doo and whose remedie to remember I haue alredie declared Yf of thy chyldren note what men what manner of chyldren they haue had as Fabius Maximus and Scipio Africanè and Pompeius the great for I followe not nowe the order of Empire and ryches but of age and glorie and what manner one Vespasians last was or Aurelius Antoninus onely or Seuerus eldest sonne What manner ones also though in another kynde had Hortensius and Cicero And lastly what a daughter Augustus the Emperour had or what a sonne Germanicus and thou shalt see great darkenesse to haue spring out of great lyght and thou shalt also perceyue how this euyll fortune in chyldren I knowe not by what chaunce doth most accustomably creepe into the most honourable families and that euery one hath that way one griefe and imperfection or another eyther vnknowen to the next neyghbours or not regarded There are not lackyng also examples of Brethren and Nephues Onely I haue set downe those whose shame may seeme most greeuous vnto a man and to touche hym neerest The order and reason is like in all that the blemishes of another person what so euer he be can not hang or be fastened vppon any man agaynst his wyll Of Infamie The .xxv. Dialogue SOROWE I Am oppressed with myne owne Infamie Reason I was affearde least thou were oppressed with thyne owne conscience Sorowe I am greeued with shamefull infamie Reason If it be deserued lament not the infamie but the cause of the infamie but yf it be vndeserued contemne the errours of men with a valient courage and comfort thy selfe with the testimonie of a good conscience Sorowe I susteine great infamie Reason Thou gronest vnder a burden of wind thus naturally the weakenesse of the bearer maketh a light burden heauie Sorowe There is great infamie rysen vpon my name Reason It skilleth much vpon what rootes it is sprung vp yf vppon trueth it wyll continue and encrease otherwyse it wyll wither and fall away quickly Sorowe There is great slaunder growen vnto me Reason Thou sayest wel yf thou speake of the blowyng of it abrode For fame is but a blast yea that fame is but the breath of an impure mouth oftentymes whiche dooeth so muche shake you and make you afeard But vehement infamie in deede hath been vnto many the beginnyng of great fame and renowme For the common multitude hath been often ashamed of their owne dooinges and that after their olde custome and manner they myght heape one errour vppon another and exclude all meane and measure from euery thyng haue at length obscured a small infamie with immoderate prayses Sorowe On euery syde I am sorely slaundered Reason Whyle the windes ruffle rounde about thee returne thou into the Hauen and from the stormes of thyne eares withdrawe thy selfe into the closet of thyne hart whiche yf it retayne it owne tranquilitie then hast thou a place where to rest thy selfe from the weerisomnesse of chyding and brawlyng and as the common saying is Reioyce in thyne owne bosome Sorow My fame is blemished but my conscience is cleere Reason Haddest thou rather then that thy fame and estimation were renowmed and thy conscience foule and blemished And is that saying of Horace altogether true False honour delyghteth and lyuyng infamie maketh men afearde O most vayne vanitie True thynges in deede may delyght men or make them afearde but to dread shadowes is not the part of a man. Sorowe The burden of infamie is heauie Reason If it be geathered by wickednesse I confesse it is heauie yf it come by chaunce it is but lyght but yf it happen through any honest endeuour it is glorious For that infamie whiche is purchased by honest meanes is a prayse Let fooles insult ouer thee but reioyce thou in so noble a gayne to wit in vertue whiche is a most rare and dayntie merchandize although thou hast wonne it paying therefore a great price whiche is the losse of thy good name He is the true louer and pursuer of vertue who in the followyng after her thinketh vpon nothyng but her onely And although contempt in other thynges be famous yet most famous is the neglectyng and despising of fame in the studie of vertue although I confesse that vnto valiant and noble mynds fame is not only dearer then gold but muche more precious then lyfe it selfe Who so therfore neclecteth fame for the loue of vertue contemneth this it may be thought that he wyll contemne any thyng whiche I would haue thee well knowe to be an excellent but a very rare thyng forasmuche as the most parte of them that woulde seeme to folowe the studie of vertue when they haue once taken holde of the fame of it doo immediatly waxe so colde in the action thereof that it may easily be perceyued that they sought nothyng els but only that whereof they haue taken holdfast Sorowe Many doo greeuously diffame me Reason Moe in olde tyme spake euyll of Eabius and many more greeuously of Scipio Africane which turned to theyr great glory That this fortune is common vnto thee with such worthy personagies leaue of to cōplaine for it hath hapned vnto very fewe neuer in any respect to be touched with infamie A mans good name is a very dayntie thyng and is blemyshed many tymes vpon smal occasions And to be short as there is nothyng more cleare then good fame so is there nothyng more apt to be obscured or redy to receyue externall blemishes Sorowe I am stayned with greeuous infamie Reason This plague is most
haue wept at his birth for then he began to die but nowe he hath done But do not thou lament for thine owne and his most excellent estate he left behind him a perilous way to passe but thou hauing him alwayes before thine eyes who now is in securitie hast no farther regarde of thy sweete burden as Virgil speaketh or of any other Sorowe Al my delite to lyue is extinguished Reason A good sonne I confesse is a great comforte vnto his father but notwithstanding careful greeuous And many times the sweetest things do offend vs and the dearest do hinder vs and the most precious do oppresse vs And perhappes this thy sonne was some let vnto thy minde that would haue aspired vnto greater matters And now although thou art become more heauie yet since thou art at more libertie be of good cheare to gather good out of euyl is the part of a wise man. Sorowe The death of my lonne hath made me heauie Reason But spende the residue of thy lyfe that remayneth in iolitie thou diddest lyue for hym now lyue for thy selfe Of the miserable fal of a young child The .xlix. Dialogue SOROWE I Lament the miserable fal of my young child Reason A man ought to lament for nothing that may happen vnto mankinde al thinges should be premeditated before if they haue not hapned alredie lament not thy childes fal but thine owne vnskylfulnesse the forgetfulnesse of thine owne condition Sorow I complaine of the miserable death of my young childe Reason There is no death miserable which the death of the soule doth not folow from which daunger thy young child is free Sorowe My childe is dead by breaking his necke Reason What skylleth it after what sort a man dye so that he die not dishonourably he can not die dishonourably that dieth without offences Sorowe My chylde is peryshed by breakyng his necke Reason But Archemorus by the biting of a serpent other some by suckyng milke of a nurse being with child other by sickenesse the which for the more part happen more commonly then than in old age Sorowe My young child is perished by breaking his necke Reason Sodeyne death is to be wished of the innocent and to be feared of the guiltie Sorowe My chylde is dead of a fal from an hygh Reason Unto them that dye languishingly death often times seemeth the sharper the panges the longer for al paine the shorter it is the more tollerable it is Sorow My chylde is dead by breakyng his necke Reason To stumble and fal is proper to that age Thy chylde hath done that which al doo although al peryshe not by casualtie but do thou suffer hym to peryshe for he must needes peryshe one day and he is the more happily dealt withal for that he hath peryshed before he was intangled in the euylles of this lyfe whiche howe manyfold they be those that haue prooued and diligently obserued can tell There is none that prooueth not in part and they that obserue them not leade foorth their liues as it were in a dreame whiche so soone as they awake they haue forgotten Thyne infant died an innocent who perhappes if he had lyued had dyed a very hurtful person Lament not that he is safe he hath escaped al the threates of fortune and hath preuented death whiche being deferred would haue preuented hym Sorowe A woolfe hath deuoured my chylde Reason This nowe is the woormes complaynt Sorowe A woolfe hath carried away the body of my poore chylde into his denne Reason But the angels haue caryed vp his blessed soule into heauen Of a sonne that is found to be another mans The .l. Dialogue SOROWE ANd moreouer that whiche is more greeuous then death he whom I thought had been my sonne is another mans Reason If you had a respect to the common father then would you by the counsel of the Comical Poet thinke that there is no humane thing but may happen vnto you Sorowe I haue fostred another mans chylde a great while for mine owne Reason Nature wylleth a man to foster his owne and charitie to foster another mans so that thou repent thee not after the deede but delite in it Sorowe He that was counted my chylde appeareth to be another mans Reason There is opened vnto thee a way vnto a great and singuler merite if as thou hast hytherto done so thou continue hereafter to keepe hym as thyne owne Truely that were a very gracious and acceptable deede before god For chyldren are woont for the more parte to contemne the mayntenance of theyr parentes as a thyng due vnto them by ryght and moreouer it were a poynt of wickednesse to loue thy chylde that is borne of thee and not to loue man that is created of god Thus euery way both before God and men thou shalt purchase vnto thy selfe singuler commendation and vertue through another mans wickednesse Sorow I haue nooryshed one for my chylde that was not so Reason Thou nooryshedst hym as thy chylde and so nooryshe hym styll yf not as thy chylde yet as thy brother For of al the people that are or euer shal be or haue been heretofore there is one father and one gouernour Doo not dissemble through insolencie or through enuie and hatred breake of the sacred bond of nature for you be brethren one to another Sorowe He whom I thought to haue been as I heare is not my sonne Reason Take heede of whom thou hearest it and whom thou trustest For many beyng pricked foorth by wicked prouocations doo of set purpose deuise false rumors and other some by a certayne slypprynesse and vnbridled affection of the tongue doo aswell babble foorth the thynges that they knowe as that they knowe not and with lyke impudencie vtter whatsoeuer commeth in theyr mynde Howbeit to determine precisely of a mans chylde whether it be his owne or not is an harde case Sorowe I heare say that he that was called my sonne is another mans Reason Why dooest thou herein beleeue other rather then thyne owne wyfe since none knoweth it more certaynely then she Truely she hath geuen thee a chylde whom other goe about to take from thee Thou hast heard I thinke howe that within the remembrance of our fathers there was a certaine noble man who had to wyfe a gentlewoman of equall beautie and parentage but of whose honestie the report seemed some what to doubt By her he hadde one moste beautifull sonne whom when his mother vppon a tyme helde in her lappe and perceyuyng that her husbande syghed and was carefull she demaunded of hym what was the cause of his heauinesse Then he syghyng agayne I had rather sayde he then the one halfe of my landes that I were as sure that this boy were myne as thou art that he is thyne Whereunto she aunsweared neyther in countenance nor mynde any whit moued Truely sayde shee the matter shall not cost so great a price but geue me an hundred acres of pasture whereon I
may feede my cattayle and I my selfe wyll resolue thee in this matter Then he answeared that it was impossible But she sendyng for such Noble men and Gentlemen as dwelt neere hande and causyng hym to geue his woorde for the perfourmance of his promyse helde vppe her young sonne in her armes and Is this my chylde in deede myne sayde she And when they all answeared yea she stretched foorth her armes and delyuered hym vnto her husbande and heere sayde she take hym I geue hym thee freely and nowe be assured that he is thyne Then al that stoode by brake foorth in laughter and gaue iudgemente on the womans syde and condemned the husbande by all theyr verdictes Such contentions and lamentations are thereto often among men they be hastie to marriage yea slipperie and headlong you thynke you shall neuer see the day wherein you shal be husbandes that is to say men as though otherwyse you shoulde neuer be men Then beyng resolued in ioyes or to speake more truely in madnesse the fyrst dayes of your marriage you spende in reuel route feastyng and daunsing among your weddyng solemnities with pastimes and songes and minstrelles and the residue of your lyfe you spende in suspition and braulyng In both you are to blame For neyther ought you in suche sorte to loue so doubtful a thyng neyther to abhorre so inseparable a thyng nor to hate so louely a thyng and by deceiptfull coniectures so to confounde the moste sacred lawes of the diuine and humane house and dissolue the moste entyre bondes of this lyfe Sorowe Yea my wyfe her selfe hath confessed that he is none of myne Reason Thou tellest me this as yf it were some syngular matter but it is common some confesse so muche whyle they are lyuing and some when they lye a dying among whom some haue wylled to haue it imparted vnto theyr husbandes after theyr departure Sorowe Myne owne wyfe hath conâ—essed vnto me that he is 〈…〉 my sonne Reason Olimpias that was wyfe vnto the renowmed kyng Phillip of Macedonie confessed as muche vnto her husbande whiche myght haue tended vnto the destruction of her valiant sonne and yet we reade neyther of teares nor sighes nor complayntes among them all Nowe hearken to a meery tale but not vnfyt for our purpose Not far from the Ocean Sea shore whiche lyeth right ouer agaynst Britaine not very many yeeres agoe report goeth that there was a certayne poore woman fayre and well fauoured but a notable Harlot who had twelue small chyldren by as many seuerall men one of them but a yeere elder then other But beyng sicke when she perceyued that the houre of her death was come she caused her husband to be called vnto her and this is no tyme sayde she nowe to dissemble any longer there is none of all these chyldren thyne but the eldest only for the first yeere that we were married I lyued honestly It chaunced that at the same time al the children sate on the ground about the fire eating according to the maner of the countrey At which woordes the good man was amazed and the children also that hearde their mothers communication whose fathers she reckoned al by name as they were in order of yeeres Which thyng the youngest of them all hearyng who was then but three yeeres olde immediatly layde downe his bread which was in his ryght hande and the Rape roote whiche he had in his left vppon the grounde besyde hym and tremblyng with feare and holdyng vp his handes after the maner of them that pray Now good mother quoth he geue me a good father And when in the ende of her speache she had tolde who was father to the youngest to wit a certayne famous ryche man takyng vp his bread and meate agayne in his hand That is well sayde he I haue a good father Of the losse of a brother The Lj. Dialogue SOROWE I Haue loste my brother Reason Yet I heare no cause why thou shouldest be very sory For Ouid sayth to true that there is seldome agreement betweene brethren Sorowe I haue lost my brother Reason It may be that thou hast at once lost both a brother and an housholde enimie Loe see then what thou hast lost an yll thyng couered with a good name Sorowe I haue lost a brother Reason Perhappes thou hast lost hym that hath wyshed thee lost and that alwayes resisted thyne attemptes Brothers hatred hath hyndred many from the entraunce vnto great commendation Sorowe I haue lost a brother Reason Thou hast lost peraduenture an heauie yoke as oftentymes we haue seene it fal out vnto the tender yeeres of thy chyldren thou hast lost also the enuier of thy lyfe the hynderer of thy glory and also which is euident the partner of thy patrimonie Sorow But I haue lost a vertuous and louyng brother Reason But a mortall one Vertue is no defence to the body but an ornament to the mynde and a procurer of immortall glory but as for the body she cannot exempt it from the power of death but rather thrusteth it forwarde many tymes thereunto before due tyme but yf he be left vnto nature good and had doo perysh a lyke and most commonly we see the best men weakest and the woorst long lyued but none immortall Sorowe I haue lost a good and gloryous brother Reason If thy brother be dead the glory vertue soule remaineth in safetie which only excepted death consumeth and destroyeth all other worldly thinges with lyke violence These therfore embrace thou as yf they were so many sonnes of thy brother with these immortal good things requite the mortal euil but if he haue sonnes liuing vnfeigned duetifulnes shal make them thine Sorowe I haue lost a good brother Reason Thou shouldest haue employed hym diligently which if thou diddest necligently his death is not to be blamed but thyne owne slouthfulnes Death hath exercised his power but thou hast slacked thyne oportunitie Sorow Death hath deceiued me for I thought not that he woulde haue died so soone Reason All thinges that happen vnto them that are vnwillyng seeme to come quickly but if they be wished for they come but slowly Sorowe I scarce thought that he could haue died Reason Vehement loue beareth with it selfe in al things and promiseth it selfe euery thyng vnpleasant thoughtes whatsoeuer is noysome vnto cast it escheweth insomuche as whosoeuer is in loue imagineth vnto hym selfe that his pleasures are in a maner euerlastyng thou since thou knewest that thy brother was borne oughtest also to knowe that he was mortall and therefore yf thou bewayle his tymely death as some sodaine matter thou art much deceyued but if as it were vntymely thou wast in a wrong opinion Sorowe I knewe that he was mortall but I thought not vpon his death Reason Vnwysely doone but this is your dissimulation beyng mortall ye thynke neuer to dye when as you may chaunce to dye euery day and needes you muste dye one day Yea rather it is the
as soone as he is borne he weepeth by and by and laugheth not before fourtie dayes are expired that thing especially this wise creature doth proue which is skylful of thynges to come not the end whiche I accompt happie through the gouernance of vertue but rather difficult for that he is entred into trauel and the garboyle of present paynes To conclude whatsoeuer strength is in all other creatures whatsoeuer swiftnesse whatsoeuer oportunitie whatsoeuer commoditie it wholly serueth to the vse of man He bringeth the wilde headed Oxen to the yoke forceth the fierce Horse to be bridled The Beares that are to be feared for their clawes Boares for their tuskes and Hartes for their hornes he hath made them to garnyshe mans Table The Linx the Foxe and an infinite number moe creatures of that sort because they were not to be eaten he hath reserued for the vse of their skins and hide He searcheth the seas with nettes the wooddes with Dogges and the skies with foules and with whom hath man nothing to doo He hath taught such beastes to vnderstand mans voyce to be obedient vnto hym Thus of euery naturall thyng there is some commodity gotten Thou hast not the strength of an Oxe yet thou makest hym to drawe Thou hast not the swyftnesse of an Horse and yet thou makest hym runne Thou canst not flye so well as a Gosehauke and yet thou makest hym flye for thee Thou art not so bygge as an Elephant or a Camell yet thou makest the one of them to beare a Turret and the other a burden Thou hast not the skynne of a Bucke nor the pelt of a Lambe nor the case of a Foxe yet these haue them for thee Is this answeare then of a certayne Romane Captaine improper vnto them that say you are destitute of these thynges to witte That a man would not haue these thinges but had rather gouerne them that haue them And thus muche haue I spoken breefely partly like a Philosopher and partly like a Catholike Touching the greefe of the minde for so the Philosophers doo tearme it the better to expell it and purchase tranquilitie thereunto it auayleth to knowe what Tullie hath disputed of the fyrst in his disputations vppon the thyrde daye in his Tusculans and of the seconde Seneca in his booke whiche he wrote of the tranquilitie of the minde For whilest I make haste vnto other matters and drawe towardes an ende I shall not haue tyme to comprehende all thynges that I woulde For the present it is sufficient that I haue bounde vp the wounde and shewed thee the Phisitions of the minde whose helpe thou mayest vse yf these thynges be not sufficient Nowe as touchyng those three thynges whereof thou complaynedst laste I haue not thought them woorthie the answearyng for as muche as of the roughnesse of Fortune wherein the greater part of this our seconde booke of talke hath been and shal be spent both the very shortnesse thereof ought to mollifie and diminishe the sharpenesse it selfe and nature also doth appoynt an vncertayne ende of lyfe that it may seeme alwayes to be at hande or not verie farre of Of the Toothache The XCiiij Dialogue SOROWE I Am tormented with the Toothach Reason Thou mayst see what trust there is to thy intrayles when as thy bones doo fayle thee Sorowe My teeth beginne to be loose Reason What hope is there in the softe since that thy harde and strong limmes doo quaile Sorowe I am sicke in my teethe Reason Man is a feeble and frayle creature in whom suche thynges as seemed to be most strong are weake Sorow I am troubled with a great payne in my teeth Reason And those thynges whiche are appoynted for the ornament and cheefe strength of the mouth thou seest them to be turned into a cause of greefe that thou mayest perceyue howe long the conioynyng of this mortall frame wyll remayne Sorowe I haue nowe loste a toothe or twayne Reason Now mayest thou then consyder howe muche thou art bounde vnto GOD for so many great good gyftes since to lacke the fewest or the least thereof thou wouldest thynke it a great greefe and a lamentable losse a right woorthy punishment for thine ingratiude A seruant that hath refused his maisters present lyberalitie when the tyme is once past he is sorowful and that whiche he would not perceyue for his gayne it is meete he vnderstand to his losse Sorowe I am quite vnarmed of my teeth Reason Beyng nowe vnarmed thou shalt wrestle with pleasure thou shalt eate lesse thou shalt laugh lesse thou shalt byte more bluntly at an other mans good name The closure of the teeth beyng broken wyl cause thee to brydle thy tongue being redy to speake And if chastitie cause not thy olde wanton affection to restrayne from vnlawful kisses then let shame restrayne it Sorowe Nowe hath olde age broken my teeth Reason She hath vsed her libertie geue now thankes vnto nature who hath suffered thee to vse that her gift tyl thou were olde for that she taketh it away many tymes from them that are young as from one amongst you of late dayes the myghtiest of al kynges who euen in his lustye youthful yeeres lacked almost al his teeth but though he suffred this great infirmitie of youth yet afterward as he reported hym selfe he was comforted with a notable sharpenesse of sight in his olde age and also whereof he maketh no mencion with a wonderful quickenesse of wyt and courage whiche is a profitable example vnto al men that are affected with any discommoditie eyther of nature or age that they lament not al thynges or terme euery slackenesse of gods lyberalitie an iniury but aswage the greefe of benefites lost with them that art saued sharpe thynges with the gentle sower with the sweete Sorowe Olde age hath taken away my teeth Reason If age should not take them away death would Looke into the graues ful of dead bones where thou shalt see teeth sticking in drye rotten skulles whiche at the first do shewe terrible pale gryn fearefully but yf thou plucke them a litle thou shalt finde them loose and easie to fal out and in this case neyther the number nor the strength nor comlinesse of them auayleth any whit at al. We reade that the daughter of Mithridates king of Pontus had double rowes of teeth aboue beneath Prusias sonne to the king of Bithinia in steede of the rowe of his vpper teeth had only one tooth that is to say one bone that was matche with his neither teeth reachyng from the one side of his iawe vnto the other which strange thing was neither vncomly nor vnprofitable But Zenobia the queene of the East amongst al other commendations of her beautie is commended exceedingly for the surpassing comlinesse of her teeth for that when she eyther spake or laughed it seemed that her mouth was ful rather of bright pearles then of white teeth But yf thou searche nowe the graues of these also thou shalt
such a death as thou oughtest to wyshe for but suche an one as thou mayest wel endure For this is a cleare case that vnto a wyse man and one that foreseeth a far of al thynges that are lyke to ensue there can nothyng happen vnlooked for Whereupon it foloweth that death cannot come vnto hym vnprouided for whose lyfe was alwayes prouident for how should he be negligent in the greatest thinges that was wount to demurre in small yea the least thynges And in al worldly thynges what canst thou shewe me that is greater then death or comparable vnto it Sorowe I dye most speedily Reason So that the death be not vnthought vpon the speedier the easier it is and yf there be any payne in it it is very short and the speedinesse thereof preuenteth the feelyng of it and so that is taken away from death whiche is most greeuous in death to wyt the feare of death Of one that is sicke out of his owne countrey The .cxxiiii. Dialogue SOROW. I Am sicke in a strainge countrey Reason What skylleth it whose countrey it be the sickenesse thou art sure is thine owne Sorowe Thou mockest me I am sicke out of mine owne countrey Reason He that is out of his owne countrey is surely in some other for none can be sicke or whole out of al countreyes Sorow Thou seekest delayes in wordes but I am sicke out of my countrey Reason In this miserie thou gainest this one commoditie that thou hast none to trouble thee nor to lye vpon thy bed not thine importunate wyfe nor thy sonne who woulde both be careful for them selues and carelesse of thee Howe often thinkest thou hath the wyfe to her husband and the sonne to the father and one brother to another when they haue lien in extremitie of death throwne a pillowe ouer their mouthes and holpen to set them packyng whiche a stranger would not haue done nor haue suffered to be done by others Many tymes there is most loue where it is lesse looked for and there none that are about thee wylbe glad of thy sickenesse or wyshe for thy death And shall I tel thee the cause why There is none there that looketh for thine inheritance none commit any wickednesse but they are moued thereunto by hope or desire which quietnesse wherein thou art nowe would not haue hapned vnto thee in thine owne countrey For many vnder the colour of goodwyl woulde flocke about thee and gape after thy burial whiche conceit vnlesse I be much deceiued is a seconde sickenesse to him that is sicke alreadie when he shal perceiue himselfe beset rounde about at the one side with woolfes and at the other with rauens whiche in their mindes come to pray on the carcase Sorowe I am sicke out of my countrey Reason Howe knowest thou that Perhaps thou returnest nowe into thy countrey for the readiest and shortest way for a man to returne into his countrey is to dye Sorowe I am sicke out of my countrey Reason O the needelesse alwayes and vayne cares of men and fond complayntes as though out of a mans owne countrey his ague were fiercer or his gout more intollerable Al this whiche seemeth euyl consisteth in your owne wyl and lyeth in your owne power lyke as other plagues and mischeefes do whatsoeuer a false opinion hath engendred in your mindes Of one that dyeth out of his owne cuntrey The .cxxv. Dialogue SOROWE I Dye out of my natiue countrey Reason Doth this happen vnto thee beyng a traueiler or a banished man For whether thou madest thine aboade in this countrey for studie sake or for religion thou hast cause to reioyce that death hath taken thee in an honest deede or in a iust condemnation and thou oughtest to take it not onely valiantly but also willingly For the wyckednesse of an vnryghteous person is by no meanes better purged then by wyllyng and patient suffryng of punishment But yf it be long of the iniurie of some mightie enimie neuerthelesse thou must not be sorie for it and as for banishment I suppose we haue disputed sufficiently of it alreadie Sorowe I dye out of my countrey Reason This I sayd euen nowe is to returne into thy cuntrey there is no streighter path nor readier way Hast thou forgotten hudemus of Cyprus that was familiar with Aristotle of whom Aristotle hymselfe and also Cicero wryteth Who on a tyme beyng very sicke in Thessalia dreamed that he should recouer very shortly and after fiue yeeres expired returne into his countrey that the Tyrant of the same citie where at that tyme he soiourned whose name was Alexander Phaereus shoulde dye shortly But when after a fewe dayes beyng restored vnto his despaired health and the Tyrant slayne by his owne kinsfolke thinking his dreame to be true in al poyntes at the tyme limitted he looked also to returne into his Countrey at the ende of the fyfth yeere he was slayne in fyght at Syracuse and this sayd the Interpretours of dreames was the meanes of the returnyng into his Countrey that there myght be no part of the dreame false What myne opinion is concernyng dreames I haue declared elsewhere alreadie and nowe I haue vttered what came into my mynde of this returnyng into a mans Countrey Sorowe I am compelled to dye out of my Countrey Reason When I entreated of exile then sayd I which nowe I repeate agayne that eyther none or all dye out of theyr Countrey The learned holde opinion that euery part of the worlde is a mans Countrey specially to hym that hath a valiant minde whom any priuate affection hath not tyed to the liking of this place or that and othersome call that a mans Countrey where he is wel and lyueth in good case And contrariwyse some say that a man hath heere no speciall Countrey at all The fyrst is a common doctrine but this last a poynt of hygher Philosophie Sorowe I dye farre from my Countrey in which I was borne Reason But that is more truely thy Countrey where thou dyest The same shall possesse thee longer and not suffer thee to wander abroade but keepe thee within it for a perpetuall inhabitaunt for euer Learne to lyke of this Countrey that wyll enfranchize thee into it selfe wheresoeuer otherwyse thou were borne Sorowe I must dye and be buried farre out of myne owne Countrey Reason Those heauenly and diuine men lykewyse whom one age and the selfe same middle part of the worlde brought foorth are dispersed ouer all partes of the worlde as well in theyr deathes as burialles Ephesus keepeth one and Syria another and Persis another and Armenia another and Aethiopia another and India another and Achaia another and Rome othersome and the farthest part of Spayne another neuerthelesse it is reported that some of them after theyr death were carried away and translated from the places where they dyed vnto certayne Cities of Italy I speake of the earthly part of them but as for theyr spirituall part doubtlesse it is long since that
estate this man forsaking the sleppes of so many his auncetours predecessours hauing defiled the Commonwealth with his short and filthy gouernment or rather tyrannie at last came to a miserable but for his desartes a woorthy end the whole contempt mockerie of the common people being turned vpon him But long before al these Scipio that was the sonne of Scipio Africanus the great adopted vnto him selfe to the honour of his familie the second thunderbolt of the Punike war and hammer of the citie of Carthage by special ordinance appointed to that purpose that the same citie which the grandfather had shaken the nephew should ouerthrow as Florus the Historician sayeth being translated from the stock of Aemilia into the familie of Cornelia no small glory confesse and yet the last of them both Hereby thou seest that neither thou nor any Prince can lacke a sonne or rather that which is best of al they that are good can not lacke a good choise which if it please thee to make perhaps it wil geue thee such an one as thy wife wyl not bring thee the like being losed from the bandes of marriage shalt possesse the desired effect and end of matrimonie In such sort doth the law prouide for the defectes of Nature Sorow How shal I now dispose of my house since that I die without children Reason Do not refuse this great occasion of wel deseruing and commendation which is now as it were throwen into thy lap and that which thou determinest to bestowe vpon thy children who peraduenture would be vnthankful for it or wickedly hoorde it vp or els as it is the custome of either sort of these to conuert it to vngodly vses or rather in very short tyme or waste consume al most prodigally employ thou more cōmendably more profitably more durably Attalus that was king of Pergamus by his testament made the people of Rome his heire not being poore nor needefull of it who also were sshortly after corrupted with the wanton wealth of Asia But I wyl tel thee of another people to whom thou mayest leaue thy goodes On the one side of thee standeth a route of thy freendes kinsfolke at the other a rabble of poore people out of both which thou art permitted to adopt chyldren The one sort of these when thou art gone wyll deteyne the sweete remembraunce of thee in theyr mindes the other preuent thee with their godly prayers vnto the place whyther thou art nowe passing insomuch as looke what thou bestowest vpon them here thou shalt receiue an hundred fold there which is a large interest a most assured prouision for them that are vpon the poynt to passe that way Sorow I die without a sonne Reason What if thou haddest many wouldest thou then chose one of them to be the keeper of thy house and money which shal be thine no longer Or wouldest thou appoint one of them to be thy Champion in the conflict pangues of death beyng hym selfe also mortall or els to wayte vpon thee to thy graue for farther none of all thy freendes wyl folowe thee more then Metellus freendes followed hym The way is but short from the death bed to the graue and what skilleth it whether thou lye alone here or there These are but friuolous and vaine causes truely to wysh for sonnes and yf in them moreouer as the vulgare speeche is thou hopedst to haue thy name preserued and continued thou wast also vulgarly deceiued For doubtlesse for the most part suche is the obscurenesse of the children generally to be found that they are not able to beautifie nor to keepe vp their fathers name But the rare nobilite of the sonnes as alwayes it maketh the sonnes them selues honourable so for neerenesse sake sometyme it couereth and obscureth the parentes euen as the Sunne doth the lesser Starres which is in none seene more euidently then in Iulius Caesars father whom his sonnes bryghtnesse made almost vnknowen And to be short whosoeuer reposeth the trust of his name in his sonne he putteth a slender and slipperie substance into a rotten and cracked earthen vessell and which is more foolysh that is none of his owne a thyng truely more accounted of among the common multitude then of the learned and yet contemned of neyther Howbeit this hope were more commendably and assuredly layde vp in their sounde and vncorruptible vessels to wit in their owne vertue notable deedes and learning Sorowe I dye without chyldren Reason Thou hast none to diuide thy care vpon thyne attendaunce is fixed only on thy selfe so that thou maiest depart with more readinesse and libertie respectyng thy selfe and consideryng thine owne estate how miserable or happie thou shalt die And further thou diest not in an vncertayntie whether thy miserie be augmented or felicitie abated by the dishonour or vertue of another Although some others be of another opinion to accord with whom I finde my selfe more wyllyng notwithstandyng it hath seemed true for the most part vnto Philosophers of great skil that the fathers estate concernyng miserie or happinesse is varied by the euent of the chyldren Truely it is a weake good thyng that streatcheth vnto fortune that shal befal hereafter and dependeth vpon anothers estate Whiche opinion if we do admit what may be concluded thereon thou knowest for it is out of al doubt that many had departed in more happie estate if they had dyed without chyldren Of one dying that feareth to be throwne foorth vnburied The Cxxxii. Dialogue FEARE I Shal be throwen foorth vnburyed Reason Enuiest thou the birdes or the beastes or the fishes And yf thou be afearde of them take order that thou mayest haue one appoynted to keepe thee or a staffe layde by thee to dryue them away from thy carcasse Feare Thou doest iest at my miserie for truely I shal feele nothyng Reason Why then doest thou feare that which thou shalt not feele If thou couldest feele it thou wouldest lyke wel of it for to burie one that feeleth is to kyl him Feare I shal lye vnburied Reason If the earth presse not thee thou shalt presse the earth if the earth couer thee not heauen wyll Thou knowest the olde saying Him heauen hides that hath none other graue And very wel knowen is this other most common speech also To lacke a graue is but a slender losse so slender a losse indeede that there is none more slender Feare I shal lye vnburied which is a woful thyng to be spoken Reason I know not what to be spoken but truely in effect a very trifle beleeue me it is muche more tollerable for a man to be throwne out of his graue then to be turned out of his bed or apparrel Feare I I shal lye vnburied whiche is a filthie sight Reason Filthie perhaps vnto others but nothing at al vnto thee It is the general opinion of al learned men and experience also confirmeth no lesse that all manner of buriall was deuised not so
manifést so many thousand woorthie men and valiant warriours and which is a more haynous matter holy Sainctes haue lacked Feare The earth is denyed me when I am dead whiche is a very hard matter Reason This is not harde but thou art tender that canst be hurt and yet feelest nothyng Feare The earth is denyed me when I am dead whiche is an vnwoorthie thing Reason Howe so Art thou then due to the earth or the earth to thee Perhaps the earth may be denyed thee but not thou the earth Some chaunce peraduenture or iniurie of the enimie may depriue thee of thy graue but thou that camest from the earth must needes returne thyther agayne whiche thing since the Lorde thy God hath forewarned thee of by his owne mouth cannot be false Feare The earth shal not couer me in her bosome Reason But thou shalt couer her with thy nakes body and what shal this apperteyne more vnto thee after thy death then it doth at this present what is become of the paringes of thy nayles and clypping of thy haire and the blood that was let out for some feauer or other disease and also of the pieces of thy chyldrens coates and infantes mantles and swadlebandes when thou wast in thy tender yeeres Hast thou forgotten the gallant answere of Theodorus Cyrenaeus in Tullie whom when Lysimachus the kyng threatned to hang vp vpon the galous as I take it These terrible thynges quoth he threaten vnto thy gorgious courtyers as for Theodorus he careth not whether he rotte aloft or vpon the ground And if the earth receiue thee not into her bosome yet shal she entertayne thee vpon her face wheras the grasse shall cloath thee the flowers decke thee being glad of suche a guest and the raine moisten thee and the sunne burne thee and the frost freese thee and the winde mooue thee and perhaps this is a more natural meane wherby the body whiche is framed of the foure elementes may be resoued into so many agayne Feare I am left vnburyed whiche is horrible to be heard Reason This horrour consisteth in opinion and not in trueth forasmuch as some haue thought it an horrible matter to be couered with earth very faire to be consumed with fire as we know your aâ—nceâ—ours were perswaded Among sâ—me it was counted an honourable death to be torne in peeces by dogges and wylde beastes Concernyng this poynt there are innumerable customes manners among nations which being curiously gathered togeather by Crispus Cicero hath abridged Thou shalt lye vpon the bare ground but another shal be pressed with a great rough stone another couered with rotten cloddes another flit weliring dead in the water another as he hangeth be driuen with the wind beaten with the haile torne by the rauens and crowes to be short they that haue been perfumed with odours cloathed with purple the woormes shal consume them And that more hath he that is couered with marble and gold ouer him who weeping in the Poet sayeth And now the surges drench me and the windes beate me agaynst the shoare Although he also folowing the sway of the common errour abhorreth to be couered with earth Vnlesse perhaps thou do likewyse condescend to fables olde wiues tales thinking that the soules of them that lye vnburied do wander an hundred yeeres about the bankes of the hellish lake which toyes truely a sound religious minde vtterly reiecteth Feare I am denied a graue in my natiue soyle Reason If thou haue a turfe left thee in thy natural countrey thou art in case that Phocion as great a man as he was may enuie at thee whom being a citizen of Athenes hauing otherwyse deserued thereof then I doubt me thou hast of thy countrey the vnthankeful citie bannished out of their confines when he was dead a strainge kinde of crueltie Feare I shal be cast foorth vnburied Reason Se to thyne owne businesse and leaue this care vnto the lyuing FINIS The aucthour speaketh of his abhominable country Imprinted at London in Paules Churchyarde by Rychard VVatkins 1579. A Table of the matters conteined in the fyrst booke of this woorke OF Floorishyng yeeres Folio 1. Of the goodly Beautie of the Body Folio 2. Of Bodyly health Folio 4. Of Restored health Eod. Of Bodyly strength Folio 5. Of Swyftnesse of bodye Folio 6. Of Wytte. Eod. Of Memorie Folio 7. Of Eloquence Folio 8. Of Vertue Folio 10. Of the opinion of Vertue Folio 11. Of Wysedome Folio 12. Of Religion Folio 14. Of Freedome Eod. Of a glorious Countrey Folio 15. Of an honourable Familie Folio 18. Of a fortunate Begynning Folio 20. Of Sumptuous fare Folio 21. Of Feastes Folio 23. Of Apparrell and trimming of the Bodye Folio 26. Of Rest and quietnesse Folio 27. Of pleasaunt Smelles Folio 29. Of the sweetenesse of Musicke Folio 30. Of Daunsing Folio 32. Of playing with the Ball. Folio 34. Of playing at Dice and Lottes Eod. Of prosperous playing at Tables Folio 35. Of Iesters Folio 37. Of the games of Wrestlyng Folio 38. Of sundry Spectacles and Shewes Folio 40. Of Horses Folio 42. Of Hunting and Haukyng Folio 44. Of great retinue of Seruauntes Folio 45. Of the magnificence and beautifulnesse of Houses Folio 47. Of strong defenced Castles Eod. Of precious housholde stuffe Folio 48. Of Precious stones and Pearles Folio 49. Of Cuppes made of Precious stones Folio 53. Of Engrauinges and Seales in Precious stones Folio 56. Of Pictures and paynted Tables Folio 57. Of Statues and Images Folio 58. Of Vesselles of Corinth Folio 60. Of store of Bookes Folio 61. Of the fame of Wryters Folio 64. Of Maistershyppe Folio 66. Of sundrie tytles of Studies Folio 67. Of Tytles of Businesse and Affayres Folio 69. Of Tytles of Warres Wâ—â—â—cuyre and Chiefetayneshyp Folio 70. Of the Frâ—â—â—dshyp of Kinges Folio 71. Of the abundance of Freendes Folio 72. Of Freendes not knowen but by report Folio 74. Of one onely Faythfull Freende Folio 75. Of Plenty of Rychesse Folio 77. Of fyndyng of a Golde mine Eod. Of the fynding of Treasure Folio 78. Of Vsurie Eod. Of Fruitefull and wel tylled Lande Folio 80. Of Pleasant greene walkes Folio 81. Of Flockes and heardes of Cattell Folio 83. Of Elephantes and Cammelles Eod. Of Apes and other beastes of Pleasure Folio 84. Of Peacockes Chickins Hennes Bees and Pigions Eod. Of Fyshe pondes Folio 85. Of Cages of Byrdes and of Speaking and Singing Byrdes Folio 87. Of the worthinesse of Mariage Folio 89. Of a fayre Wyfe Folio 90. Of a fruitefull and eloquent Wyfe â–ª Folio 91. Of a great Dowrie Eod. Of Pleasant loue Folio 92. Of the Byrth of Chyldren Folio 96. Of a Pleasant young Chylde Eod. Of the excellent Fauour of Chyldren Folio 97. Of the valiencie and magnificencie of a Sonne Folio 98. Of the Daughters chastitie Folio 99. Of a good Sonne in Lawe Eod. Of Seconde Mariage Folio 100. Of the Mariage of Chyldren Folio 101. Of Nephues Folio 102. Of Adopted Chyldren Folio 103. Of an excellent
Schoolemaister Eod. Of a notable Scholler Folio 104. Of a good Father Folio 105. Of a most Louing Mother Eod. Of Good Brethren and Louing and Fayre Systers Folio 106. Of a good Lorde Folio 107. Of the Clearenesse of the Ayre Folio 109. Of Fortunate Saylyng Eod. Of wyshed Arriuing at the Haune Folio 110. Of commyng foorth of Pryson Eod. Of a quiet State. Folio 111. Of Power Folio 113. Of Glorie Folio 114. Of Benefites bestowed vpon many Folio 115. Of Loue of the people Folio 116. Of Inuadyng a Tyrannie Folio 117. Of a Kyngdome and Empire Folio 119. Of a furnished Armie Folio 123. Of a wel apppoynted Nauie Folio 124. Of engyns and Artillarie Folio 125. Of Treasure layde vp in store Folio 126. Of Reuenge Eod. Of hope to Wynne Folio 129. Of Victorie Eod. Of the death of an Enemie Folio 130. Of hope of Peace Folio 131. Of peace and Truce Folio 132. Of the Popedome Folio 133. Of Happynesse Folio 134. Of good Hope Folio 136. Of expectation of Inheritance Folio 138. Of Alchimie Follo 139. Of the promises of wyse men and Soothsayers Folio 140. Of Glad tydynges Folio 143. Of Expectyng a mans sonne or farmer or wyfe Eod. Of Lookyng for better tymes Folio 145. Of the hoped comming of a Prynce Folio 146. Of hope of fame after Death Folio 147. Of Glory hoped for by buyldyng Folio 148. Of Glory hoped for by keepyng company 149. Of Manyfold hope Folio 150. Of hoped quietnesse of Mynde Eod. Of the hope of lyfe Euerlastyng Folio 151. The Table of the matters conteyned in the second Booke of this woorke OF the deformitie of the Bodye Folio 162. Of Weakenesse Folio 164. Of Sycknesse Folio 165. Of a base Countrey Eod. Of Basenesse of Stocke Folio 166. Of a shamefull Byrth Folio 169. Of Bondage Folio 171. Of Pouertie Folio 174. Of Damage susteyned Folio 175. Of Thynne fare Folio 178. Of Originall pouertie Folio 180. Of the heauie burden of many Chyldren Eod. Of Money lost Folio 183. Of Suertishyppe Folio 187. Of Losse of tyme Folio 188. Of Vnfortunate pâ—aâ—ing at Tables Folio 190. Of Her vnto whom one was assured iudged vnto another Eod. Of the losse of a mans Wyfe Folio 191. Of a Shrewyshe Wyfe Folio 193. Of the stealyng away of a mans Wyfe Folio 194. Of an vnchaste Wyfe Eod. Of a barren Wyfe Folio 197. Of an vnchaste Daughter Folio 198. Of Shame commyng from an other Folio 199. Of Infamie Folio 200. Of Shame procured by meanes of vnwoorthy commendation Folio 202. Of Vnthankfull Freendes Folio 203. Of Vnthankfull persons Folio 204. Of Euyll Seruauntes Folio 206. Of Fugitiue Seruauntes Folio 107. Of Importunate Neyghbours Folio 208. Of Enimies Folio 209. Of occasion lost to reuenge Folio 210. Of the peoples Hatred Folio 211. Of Enuie Passiuely Eod. Of Contempt Folio 212. Of Long expectyng a promised Rewarde Folio 213. Of Repulses Eod. Of an vniust Lorde Folio 215. Of an Vnlearned Schoolemaister Folio 216. Of an Vnapt and proude Scholer Folio 217. Of a Stepdame Folio 218. Of the hardnesse of a Father Eod. Of a stubburne Sonne Folio 220. Of a contentious Brother Folio 221. Of the Losse of a Father Folio 222. Of the Losse of a Mother Eod. Of the losse of a Sonne Eod. Of the miserable fal of a young Chylde Folio 224. Of A sonne that is founde to be another mans Eod. Of the losse of a Brother Folio 226. Of the death of a Freend Folio 227. Of the absence of Freendes Folio 228. Of greeuous Shyp wracke Folio 230. Of Burnyng Eod. Of Great labour and Trauayle Folio 231. Of A payneful Iourney Folio 232. Of One yeeres Barrennesse Folio 234. Of An euyl and proude Bayliffe Folio 235. Of Theft Folio 236. Of Robberies Folio 237. Of Coosynage and deceite Eod. Of A streyght and narrome dwellyng Folio 238. Of A Pryson Folio 239. Of Tormentes Folio 240. Of Vniust Iudgement Folio 241. Of Banyshment Folio 242. Of A mans countrey Besieged Folio 245. Of A mans countrey Destroyed Folio 246. Of the feare of loosyng in warre Folio 247. Of A foolyshe and rashe felowe in office Folio 248. Of an vndiscreete and hastie marshal of the Feelde Eod. Of vnfortunate successe in battayle Folio 249. Of Ciuile warre Folio 250. Of the disagreement of a waueryng mynde Folio 251. Of a doubtful State. Folio 253. Of Woundes receyued Eod. Of a kyng without a Sonne Folio 254 Of a kyngdome Lost Folio 255. Of Treason Folio 257. Of the losse of a Tyrannie Folio 258. Of Castles lost Folio 260. Of olde Age. Folio 262. Of the Gout Folio 267. Of Scabbes Folio 268. Of Watchyng Folio 269. Of the vnquietnesse of Dreames Eod. Of Importunate renowme Folio 270. Of Sorowe conceyued for the euyl manners of men Folio 272. Of Smal greefes of sundry thynges Folio 273. Of an Earthquake Folio 279. Of the plague farre and wyde ragyng Folio 280. Of Sadnesse and miserie Eod. Of the Toothache Folio 284. Of payne in the Legges Folio 285. Of Blyndnesse Folio 286. Of the losse of Hearyng Folio 289. Of the loathsomnesse of Lyfe Folio 290. Of Heauinesse of the body Folio 291. Of great dulnesse of wyt Eod. Of a slender and weake Memorie Folio 292. Of lacke of Eloquence Folio 293. Of Losse of the tongue and speeche Folio 294. Of want of Vertue Folio 296. Of Couetousnesse Folio 297. Of Enuie and Mallice Eod. Of Wrath. Folio 298. Of Gluttonie Folio 299. Of sluggishenesse of the Mynde Eod. Of Leâ—cherie Folio 300 Of Pryde Eod. Of Agues Folio 301. Of the 〈◊〉 e of the guttes and Traunce Folio 302. Of Sundry paynes and greefes of the whole body Folio 303. Of Madnesse Folio 309. Of Poyson Folio 310. Of the feare of death Folio 311. Of Voluntarie murtheryng a mans owne selfe Folio 315. Of Death Folio 319. Of Death before a mans tyme Folio 322. Of a violent Death Folio 324. Of a shameful Death Folio 326. Of a sodayne Death Folio 327. Of one that is sicke out of his owne Countrey Folio 328. Of one that dyeth out of his owne Countrey Eod. Of One that dyeth in sinne Folio 332. Of One dying that is careful what shal become of his inheritance and chyldren Folio 334. Of One dying that is careful what his wyfe wil do when he is dead Folio 335. Of One dying that is careful what wyll become of his countrey after his deceasse Folio 336. Of One that at his death is careful of his fame and good report Folio 337. Of One that dyeth without chyldren Folio 338. Of One dying that feareth to be throwen foorth vnburyed Folio 340. FINIS