without a soule The memorie of such men of whome we see but too many examples among vs ought to be buried in obliuion and during their life time they should remaine vnknowne aswel for their owne honor as for the good of the common societie of men to which they could not but be offensiue and hurtfull For the most part they are not onely afraid of men of the hazards of warres of troubles seditions of the dangers of long voyages of the losse of their goods of diseases of dolors yea of the least discommodities and aduersities that can befall men the euent of all which causeth them vsually to forget all reason and dutie but they are also frighted with dreames they tremble at sights and visions they credite false abusing spirits and with a forlorne feare they stand in awe of the celestiall signes Briefly vpon the least occasions that may be and such as are vnwoorthie the care of a prudent and valiant mind they fall oftentimes into such vexation of spirite that they loose it altogither and become mad and inraged insomuch that many haue hastened forward with their owne hands the end of their so miserable daies As we read of Mydas king of Phrygia who being troubled and vexed with certaine dreames grew to be desperate and died voluntarily by drinking the bloud of a Bull. Aristodemus also king of the Messenians being in warre against his subiects it happened that the dogs howled like woolnes which came to passe by reason of a certain herbe called Dogsteeth growing about his altar at home Wherupon vnderstanding by the Southsayers that it was an euill signe he was stroken with such a feare and conceit thereof that he slue himselfe Cassius the captaine had a better hart when he answered a Chaldean Astrologian who counselled him not to fight with the Parthians vntill the Moone had passed Scorpio I feare not quoth he Scorpions but Archers This hee spake bicause the Romane armie had beene put to the worst before in the plaine of Chaldea by the Parthian archers Neuertheles that which we spake of Midas and Aristodemus is seldome followed yea is rarely found amongst cowards and base minded fellowes who commonly flie from temporall death as much as may be as also from griefe which they feare in such sort that contemning all vertue and iustice they labour for nothing more than to preserue their liues togither with their carnall commodities for the obtaining of which they seeme to liue cleane without all care of their soule as if hir portiō were in this world should end togither with the bodie The effects of this feare of death are sufficiently felt of euerie one in particular the number of them being verie small who would not willingly make as we say a sluce to their consciences that they might be deliuered thereof Let vs then confesse our selues to be fearefull and faint-harted and not boast of Fortitude and generositie of hart which will not suffer vs to stand in feare no not of certaine death in an holie and honest cause so farre is it from fearing and forsaking dutie through doubt of an vncertaine death That which Speron rehearseth in his dialogues of a gentleman of Padua sufficiently sheweth what maruellous force is in the apprehension and conceit of death which extendeth it selfe not onelie vpon the spirites of men but also changeth the nature of their bodies who want constancie to beare and sustaine a small and light griefe for the inioieng of eternall goods This yoong gentleman being put in prison vpon some accusation it was tolde him that of a certaintie his head should be cut off the daie following Which newes altered him in such sort that in one onelie night hee was all white greie-headed whereof before there was no shew or appearance and so he liued long time after Besides experience daily ministreth vnto vs sufficient proofe of the mischiefes which proceed of want of courage and faint-hartednes especially in matters of estate gouernment and publike offices wherein a fearefull and soft man for euerie reproch dislike or euill opinion of the world yea of such as are most ignorant and much more for the least dangers of his person and for feare and threatnings of the greater sort yeeldeth easilie against all dutie and suffereth himselfe to be drawne to the error of the wicked and common sort As for the middle and lesser sort wherefore serue they being void of reason and assurance Homer saith that king Agamemnon dispensed with a rich Coward for going to warre personally for a Mare which he gaue him Wherein truly he had great reason bicause a fearefull man hurteth much and profiteth little not onely in warre but euen in euery good and vertuous action This caused that great captaine Paulus Aemilius to say that magnanimitie and courage were for the most part reuerenced in euery enimie of theirs but that cowardlines although it had good successe yet was it alwayes and of all men despised I might here mention sundry vices which ordinarily growe and are nourished of cowardlines and pusillanimitie as namely crueltie treason breach of promise impatiencie idlenesse slouth couetousnes enuie backbiting and all iniustice were it not that I hope the sequele of our discourses will offer vs matter and occasion to handle these vices particularly our houre not affording vs time and leasure to enter vpon so many things togither There remaineth yet a word to be spoken of that feare which I said did accompany the froward and wicked many times being called by the Poet a seruile feare which through the onely horror of punishment holdeth them backe from practising their wicked purposes Of them spake Pythagoras when he sayd that he which careth not for doing of euill in any other respect but onely bicause he would not be punished is very wicked Now although such feare is accursed and to be condemned in all yet is it necessarie for the preseruation of humane societie For otherwise all things would run to confusion through the shameles malice of the wicked of whom the earth is full And it is a great deale better that through such feare they should be restrained from their wicked desires and wils than that they should without all feare abandon themselues to put them in execution albeit they are no way excusable before God who requireth to be serued with hart and spirit Neuerthelesse such feare doth not alwayes stay them from putting their malice in effect but the more they are retained so much the more are they inflamed and kindled with a desire to satisfie their corrupt will which in the end is constrained to burst foorth and euidently to shew that mischiefe which they kept secret a long time But if the commō sort saith Seneca be staied by lawes from committing euil the Philosopher contrarywise hath reason for all lawes doing good not bicause the law commandeth it and abstaining frō euil not bicause it forbiddeth it but bicause
which were his lands in the territorie of Athens Whereunto when Alcibiades answered that they were not described nor set downe there How is it then quoth this wise man that thou braggest of that thing which is no part of the world One meane which Lycurgus vsed and which helped him much in the reforming of the Lacedemonian estate was the disanulling of all gold and siluer coine the appointing of iron money onely to be currant a pound waight whereof was woorth but sixe pence For by this meanes he banished from among them the desire of riches which are no lesse cause of the ouerthrow of Common-wealths than of priuate men This mooued Plato to say that he would not haue the princes and gouernors of his Common-wealth nor his menne of warre and souldiours to deale at all with gold and siluer but that they should haue allowed them out of the common treasurie whatsoeuer was necessary for them For as long gownes hinder the body so do much riches the soule Therfore if we desire to liue happily in tranquillitie and rest of soule and with ioy of spirit let vs learne after the example of so many great men to withdraw our affections wholy from the desire of worldly riches not taking delight pleasure as Diogenes said in that which shall perish and is not able to make a man better but oftentimes woorse Let vs further know that according to the Scripture no man can serue God and riches togither but that all they which desire them greedily fall into temptations and snares and into many foolish and noisome lustes which drowne men in perdition whereof we haue eye-witnesses daily before vs. This appeereth in that example which the self same word noteth vnto vs of the rich man that abounded in all things so that he willed his soule to take hir ease and to make good cheere bicause she had so much goods layd vp for many yeeres and yet the same night he was to pay tribute vnto nature to his ouerthrow and confusion Being therefore instructed by the spirite of wisedome let vs treasure vp in Iesus Christ the permanent Riches of wisedome pietie and iustice which of themselues are sufficient through his grace to make vs liue with him for euer Of Pouertie Chap. 34. ACHITOB NOw that we haue seen the nature of riches with the most commō effects which flow from them and seeing the chief principall cause that leadeth men so earnestly to desire them is the feare of falling into pouertie which through error of iudgement they account a very great euill I am of opinion that we are to enter into a particular consideration thereof to the end that such a false perswasion may neuer deceiue vs nor cause vs to go astray out of the right pathe of Vertue ASER. Pouertie said Diogenes is a helpe to Philosophy and is learned of it selfe For that which Philosophie seeketh to make vs know by words pouertie perswadeth vs in the things themselues AMANA Rich men stand in need of many precepts as that they liue thriftily and soberly that they exercise their bodies that they delight not too much in the decking of them and infinite others which pouertie of hir selfe teacheth vs. But let vs heare ARAM discourse more at large of that which is here propounded vnto vs. ARAM. If we consider how our common mother the earth being prodigall in giuing vnto vs all things necessarie for the life of man hath notwithstanding cast all of vs naked out of hir bowels and must receiue vs so agayne into hir wombe I see no great reason we haue to cal some rich and others poore seeing the beginning being and end of the temporall life of all men are vnlike in nothing but that some during this litle moment of life haue that in abundance and superfluitie which others haue onely according to their necessitie But this is much more absurd and without all shew of reason that they whom we call poore according to the opinion of men should be accounted yea commonly take themselues to be lesse happy than rich men and as I may so say bastard children not legitimate bicause they are not equally and alike partakers of their mothers goods which are the wealth of the world for the hauing whereof we heare so many complaints and murmurings For first we see none no not the neediest and poorest that is except it be by some great strange mishap to be so vnprouided for that with any labour and pains taking which is the reward of sinne he is able to get so much as is necessary for the maintenance of his life namely food and raiment neither yet any that for want of these things howsoeuer oftentimes he suffer and abide much is constrained to giue vp the Ghost But further as touching the true eternall and incomparable goods of our common father their part and portion is nothing lesse thā that of the richest Yea many times they are rewarded and enriched aboue others in that beyng withdrawen from the care gouernment of many earthly things they feele themselues so much the more rauished with speciall and heauenly grace if they hinder it not in the meditation and contemplation of celestiall things from whence they may easily draw a great and an assured contentation in this life through a certaine hope that they shall enioy them perfectly bicause they are prepared for them in that blessed immortalitie of the second life For nothing is more certaine than this that as the Sunne is a great deale better seene in cleare and cleane water than in that which is troubled or in a miry and dirtie puddle so the brightnes that commeth from God shineth more in minds not subiected to worldlie goods than in them that are defiled and troubled with those earthlie affections which riches bring with them This is that which Iesus Christ himselfe hath taught speaking to him that demanded what he should do to haue eternall life If thouwilt be perfect saith he sell that which thou hast and giue it to the poore and thou shalt haue treasure in heauen adding besides that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdome of heauen If a father diuiding his substance among his children should leaue to one as to his eldest or best beloued the enioying of his principall mannor by inheritance and to the rest their mothers goods which are of much lesse value and that only for terme of life what folly were it to iudge that these last were more preferred and had better portions than the other And I pray you what comparison is there betweene the greatest worldlie and transitorie riches that can be and the permanent treasures of heauen seeing those cannot be compared but to a thing of nought than which they are weaker beeing moreouer accompanied with innumerable hurtfull euils as we haue alreadie shewed What happines and felicitie can wealth adde to rich men aboue the poorer
consequently the bond and preseruatiue of humane societie But if we being well instructed by the spirite of wisedome feede the hungrie giue drinke to the thirsty lodge them that want harbour and clothe the naked sowing in this manner by the works of pietie that talent which is committed to our keeping we shall reape abundantly in heauen the permanent riches treasures of eternall life Of Couetousnes and of Prodigalitie Chap. 42. ACHITOB IF that diuiue rule of Cicero were aswell written in our hart as he desired to haue it setled in his sonne that onely that thing is to be iudged profitable which is not wicked and that nothing of that nature should seeme profitable we should not behold amongst vs so many cursed acts as are daily committed through the vnbrideled desire of the goods of this world For that which most of all troubleth men is when they thinke that the sin which they purpose to practise is but small in respect of the gaine thereby craftily separating profite from honestie and so suffering themselues to be ouercome of couetousnes which is the defect of liberalitie whereof we discoursed euen now whose excesse also is Prodigalitie of which two vices we are now to intreat ASER. Every one that coueteth treasures said Anacharsis one of the wise men of Graecia is hardly capable of good coūsell and instruction For the couetous man commonly murmureth at that which God permitteth and nature doth so that he will sooner take vpon him to correct God than to amend his life AMANA It is a hard matter said Socrates for a man to bridle his desire but he that addeth riches therunto is mad For couetousnes neither for shame of the world nor feare of death will not represse or moderate it self But it belongeth to thee ARAM to instruct vs in that which is here propounded ARAM. Since the greedie desire of heaping vp gold and siluer entred in amongst men with the possession of riches couetousnesse folowed and with the vse of them pleasures and delights whereupon they began to saile in a dangerous sea of all vices which hath so ouerflowen in this age of ours that there are very few towers how high so euer seated but it hath gone vp a great deale aboue them For this cause I see no reason why men should esteeme so much or iudge it such a happy thing to haue much goodly land many great houses and huge summes of readie money seeing all this doth not teach them not to be caried away with passions for riches and seeing the possession of them in that maner procureth not a contentation void of the desire of them but rather inflameth vs to desire them more through an insatiable couetousnes which is such a pouerty of the soul that no worldly goods can remedie the same For it is the nature of this vice to make a man poore all his life time that he may find him self rich only at his death Moreouer it is a desire that hath this thing proper and peculiar to it selfe to resist and to refuse to be satisfied whereas all other desires helpe forward the same and seeke to content those that serue thē Couetousnesse saith Aristotle is a vice of the soule whereby a man desireth to haue from all partes without reason and vniustly with-holdeth that which belongeth to another It is sparing and skantie in giuing but excessiue in receiuing The Poet Lucretius calleth it a blind desire of goods And it mightily hindereth the light of the soule causing the couetous man to be neuer contented but the more he hath the more to desire and wish for The medicine which he seeketh namely gold and siluer encreaseth his disease as water doth the dropsie and the obtaining thereof is alwaies vnto him the beginning of the desire of hauing He is a Tantalus in hell who between water and meat dieth of hunger Now it is very sure that to such as are wise and of sound iudgement nature hath limited certaine bounds of wealth which are traced out vpon a certaine Center and vpon the circumference of their necessitie But couetousnesse working cleane contrary effects in the spirit of fooles carieth away the naturall desire of necessarie things to a disordinate appetite of such things as are full of danger rare and hard to be gotten And which is worse compelling the auaritious to procure them with great payne and trauell it forbiddeth him to enioy them and stirring vp his desire depriueth him of the pleasure Stratonicus mocked in olde ryme the superfluitie of the Rhodians saying that they builded as if they were immortall and rushed into the kitchin as if they had but a little while to liue But couetous men scrape togither like great and mightie men and spend like mechanicall and handy-craftesmen They indure labour in procuryng but want the pleasure of enioying They are like Mules that carie great burthens of golde and siluer on their backes and yet eate but hay They enioy neyther rest nor libertie which are most precious and most desired of a wise man but liue alwayes in disquietnesse being seruauntes and slaues to their richesse Their greatest miserie is that to encrease and keepe their wealth they care neither for equitie or iustice they contemne all lawes both diuine and humane and all threatnings and punishmentes annexed vnto them they liue without friendship and charitie and lay holde of nothyng but gayne When they are placed in authoritie and power aboue others they condemne the innocent iustifie the guiltie and finde alwayes some cleanly cloke and colour of taking and of excusing as they thinke their corruption and briberie making no difference betweene duetie and profite Wherfore we may well say in a word That couetousnes is the roote of all euill For what mischiefs are not procured through this vice From whence proceed quarels strifes suites hatred and enuie theftes pollings sackings warres murders and poisonings but from hence God is forgotten our neighbour hated and many times the sonne forgiueth not his father neither the brother his brother nor the subiect his Lord for the desire of gaine In a worde there is no kind of crueltie that couetousnesse putteth not in practise It causeth hired and wilfull murders O execrable impietie to be well thought of amongst vs. It causeth men to breake their faith giuen to violate all friendship to betray their countrey It causeth subiectes to rebell against their princes gouernours and magistrates when not able to beare their insatiable desires nor their exactions and intollerable subsidies they breake foorth into publike and open sedition which troubleth common tranquillitie whereupon the bodie politike is changed or for the most part vtterly ouerthrowen Moreouer the excesse of the vertue of liberalitie which is prodigalitie may be ioyned to couetousnesse and than there is no kind of vice but raigneth with all licence in that soule that hath these two guestes lodged togither And bicause it is a thing that
commodities to get and treasure vp vertue only And why do we after their example despise all these things and spend that which we account most pretious I meane time that we may be adorned and cloathed with vertue if it cannot make vs hit that marke which euery one so much desireth and seeketh after with such great paine and labour namely that they may enioy some chiefe Good in this world and lead thereby a contented and happy life Be not ouertaken friendly Reader with this smal difficultie which perhaps might cause a grosse and feeble head not well instructed in wisedome to stagger and depart out of the right way Now although the heauenly word onely hath the perfect and sound knowledge of wisedome bicause he is that eternall wisedome it selfe yet man being his workmanship aided with his grace must not leaue of to seeke for to require earnestly of him that gift of the knowledge participation of the secrets of that incomprehensible truth so farre foorth as he may and shall be necessary for him that his soule thereby may obtaine hir permanent and lasting happines Moreouer albeit our soueraigne chiefe Good our perfect contentation and absolute felicitie be onely in heauen in the enioying of that diuine light yet we must not in the meane while albeit we cannot fully possesse that leaue of to seeke without ceasing or giue ouer in any sort to keepe and follow that good and infallible way of vertue which causing vs to passe ouer quietly and to sustaine with ioy of spirite the miseries of mankind and appeasing the perturbations of our soules from whence proceed all the euils that torment vs and making them void of all damnable effects will teach vs to lead a pleasant peaceable quiet life to effect all things woorthy beseeming this certaine hope that we shal one day by the grace of God be framed a new in that eternal most happy contented life Let vs therefore account this world and all the riches thereof as a thing belonging to an other as a straunger and nothing appertaining to those men who beyng regenerated by the spirite of grace haue profited well in the schoole of wisedome Let vs not seeke for friendshippe vpon earth let vs not couete after riches glory honour and pleasure which none but fooles doe extoll desire and wonder at Wee are not of this worlde but straungers onely therein and therefore let vs set all worldly things behinde vs and account them vnwoorthie the care of our immortall soules if we meane not to perish with the worlde by ioyning our selues there-unto Let vs forsake it I say forsake it boldly how precious soeuer it bee that we may aboundantly treasure vp that great sweete and durable wealth I meane vertue which is honoured loued and desired for it selfe onely which is the true and wholesome medicine for diseased soules the rest of the mynde oppressed with care the cause by the will of GOD of that chiefe Good wherein the principall ende of the soule consisteth and the onely assured guide which leadeth to the Hauen so much desired of euery one namelie the contentation of minde Which thing this present Academie doth not onely set before our eyes but also doth saue and keepe vs beyng already entered into this Hauen of safetie agaynst all tempestes if wee will our selues and not spare our labour to reape profite of those learned and wise instructions that are here giuen vnto vs by the preceptes of doctrine and examples of the lyues of auncient vertuous and famous men For first of all wee shall learne hereby to know our selues and the ende of our beyng Secondly wee shall bee instructed in good maners and taught how we may liue well and happily in euery estate and condition of lyfe whatsoeuer Yea we shall finde in the basest and lowest estate which of the ignorant and common sort of people is oftentimes called miserable as much ioy and happinesse as a Monarch can be partaker of in the fruition of his greatnesse yea much more than he if he bee wicked bicause vice in all Estates maketh the possessour thereof wretched and contrarywise Vertue maketh euery condition of life happy Moreouer wee shall see in this Academie that euery one louyng and fearing GOD may obtaine this inestimable Good of vertue and thereby remayne a Conquerour ouer the perturbations of his soule which breede all his miserie remembring this poynt alwayes so farre foorth as the fraile nature of man ayded by the Author of all goodnesse can attayne to this perfection Wee shall learne here how we ought to gouerne our selues wisely and duetifully in all humane actions and affaires and in all charges and places whatsoeuer either publique or priuate whereunto we shall be called We may note here cause of the subuersion and ruine of many Empires Estates and Common-wealths and of the glittering shew and glory of infinite others as also the cause of the wretchednesse and destruction of a great number of men and what hath lift vp others and crowned them with honour and immortall prayse We shall bee taught here the gouernement of a house and familie the maner of the education and instruction of children the mutuall duetie of married couples of brethren of masters and seruauntes how to commaund and how to obey We shall see here the order and establishment of policies and superiorities what is the duetie of the Heads of them of Princes and Gouernours of nations as also what the duetie of their subiectes is Briefly both great and small may drawe out from hence the doctrine and knowledge of those things which are most necessarie for the gouernement of a house and of a Common-wealth with sufficient instruction how to frame their life and maners in the moulde and paterne of true and holy vertue and how by meanes thereof the grace of GOD woorking in them they may runne the race of their dayes in ioy happinesse rest and tranquillitie of spirite and that in the middest of greatest aduersities which the vncertaintie and continuall chaunge of humane things may bring vpon them Nowe bicause the sequele compounded of the sundrie treatises and discourses of this Academy will sufficiently instruct thee in all things aboue mentioned as it promiseth in the fore-front and title thereof I will not dilate this matter any farther but only desire of thee Reader patiently to heare these Academicall students from the first of their discourses vnto the last Their intent was only as thou maiest vnderstand more at large in the entrance of their assembly to teach themselues and next euery one according to their abilitie the institution of good maners and rule of good lining for all ordinarie and common estates and conditions of life in our French Monarchie to the ende that euery member of this politike body brought thus low with euils and beaten with tempestuous stormes might somewhat helpe and profite it by their counsels and instructions And this thou mayest do friendly
might refer all to the glorie of the diuine maiestie and to the profit and vtilitie as well of themselues as of their country And yet in the meane while these noble toward youths were not depriued of other exercises meete for them which as the diuine Plato saith are very profitable for this age and helpe much to quicken the spirits of yoong men and to make their bodies which are weake by nature more strong and apt to sustaine trauell as namely to ride horses to run at the ring to fight at barriers to applie themselues to all kind of weapons and to followe the chace of beasts All which exercises this wise and ancient Knight did intermingle with their earnest studies by way of recreation himselfe standing them in steade of a maister For in such exercises he was as fully furnished as is to be wished in a man of valure and actiuitie insomuch that he was more expert than many of our time who make no other profession Now this schoole hauing been continued for the space of sixe or seauen yeeres to the great profit of this nobilitie of Aniou the fower fathers on a day tooke their iournie to visite this good old man and to see their children And after the vsuall welcome which is betweene kinsfolks and friends they discoursed togither of the corruption which then was in all estates of France wherevpon they foresawe as they said some great storme at hand if euerie one did not put to his helping hand for the correction and reformation of them but chiefly the secular power authorised of God for this purpose They alledged for witnes of their saying many examples of ancient estates common-wealths and kingdoms which were fallen from the height of glorie and excellencie into a generall subuersion and ouerthrow by reason of vices raigning in them vnpunished And thus continuing their speech from one thing to another they fell in talke of the corrupt maners that might particularly be noted in all and those maintained by authoritie and with commendation insomuch that both great and smal endeuored to disguise vice with the name of vertue In fine they were of opinion to heare their children discourse heervpon that they might know and iudge whether they had profited so wel in the institution of good maners the rule of good life by folowing of vertue and by the knowledge of histories the patterne of the time past for the better ordering of the time present as their maister who was present at the discourses of these ancient gentlemen did assure them by intermingling the praises of his schollers in the midst of their graue talke and vaunting that they were well armed to resist the corruption of this age For truly vertue purchased and gotten by practise is of no lesse power against all contagion of wickednes than preseruatiues well compounded are of force in a plague time to preserue in good helth the inhabitants of a countrie and as heeretofore that famous physicion Hippocrates preserued his citie of Coos from a mortalitie that was generall throughout all Grecia by counselling his countrymen to kindle many fires in all publike places to the end thereby to purifie the aire euen so whosoeuer hath his soule possessed and his hart well armed with the brightnes and power of vertue he shal escape the dangers of corruption and eschew all contagion of euill maners But returning to the intent and desire of our good old men bicause they had small skil in the Latine tong they determined to haue their children discourse in their owne naturall toong of all matters that might serue for the instruction and reformation of euerie estate and calling in such order and method as themselues with their foresaid maister should thinke best For this purpose they had two howers in the morning granted vnto them wherein they should be heard and as much after dinner which was to each of them one hower in a day to speake in You may ghesse gentle readers whether this liuely youth did not bestow the rest of the day yea oftentimes the whole night vpon the well studying of that which they purposed to handle and with what cheerfulnes of hart and willingnes of mind they presented themselues before the honorable presence of their fathers who were so greatly delighted in hearing them that for the most part in stead of fower howers a day before mentioned they bestowed sixe or eight For after they had heard the two first discourse one morning they had not the patience to refer the rest of that matter vnto the afternoone when the other twain of their children should be heard but commonly commanded them presently to enter the lists and to proceed as being iealous ouer their glorie in regard of their companions In this commendable maner of passing their time they continued certaine daies But the sudden and sorrowfull newes of the last frantike returne of France into ciuill war brake vp their happie assemblie to the end that these noble youths betaking themselues to the seruice due to their prince and to the welfare and safetie of their countrie might make triall of their first feates of armes wherein they wanted neither readines nor valure of hart which being naturally in them was also increased by the knowledge of philosophie The studie whereof resembling as Plato saith to a separation of the soule from the bodie standeth wise men in stead of an exercise to die without feare when dutie requireth it and causeth them to esteeme of death as of the cause of the true and perfect good of the soule For which reason Socrates Xenophon Architas Thucidides Thales Epaminondas and a million of other famous men learned philosophers and historiographers hauing charge of armies neuer doubted or feared in any sort to offer themselues cheerfully vnto all perils and dangers when the question and contention was for publike benefit and safetie and in a iust war without which a wise man neuer ought to fight Yea I dare boldly say that the greatest and most famous exploits of warfare were atchieued for the most part by them and their like Which serued well for a spurre to our yoong Angeuins to cause them to vndertake this iournie with ioy and cheerfulnes of spirit being resolued to follow with all their might the examples of such great and notable personages as histories the treasurie of time did call to their remembrance When they were in the campe each of them according to his particular affection ranged himselfe vnder sundry cornets of great Lords and good captaines But as we said in the beginning after news of the peace proclaimed which was so greatly looked for and desired of all good men they labored foorthwith to meete togither knowing that their ioint-returne would be acceptable to their friends especially to that good olde-man by whome they were brought vp Moreouer they deliberated with themselues as soone as they were arriued at the old mans house to giue their fathers to vnderstand thereof to the end
they might be certified from them whether it were their pleasures to haue them reiterate and continue in their presence the morall discourses begun by them as we learned before that they might bee refreshed with the remembrance of their studies and thereby also keepe fast for euer those good instructions which by the daily trauell of so manie yeeres they had drawen out of the fountaine of learning and knowledge As it was deuised by them the execution therof followed so that all these good old-men being assembled togither taking vp their first order and conferring anew of the same matters daily met in a walking place couered ouer in the midst with a goodly green Arbour alotting for this exercise from eight to ten in the morning and from two to fower in the afternoone Thus they continued this exercise for the space of three whole weekes which make eighteene daies works besides the three Saboth daies set apart by them that they might rest and cease from their studies and attend the better to the chiefe point of that holie daies institution which is to the contemplation and consideration of the works of God of his law and of his praises During which time it was my good hap to be one of the companie when they began their discourses at which I so greatly woondred that I thought them worthie to be published abroad as well to enrich our French toong with an infinit number of graue sentences and speeches worthie to be remembred being drawen out of the fountaine of Greeke and Latine arts and disciplines through the incredible labour of these youths louers of vertue as also to awake and stirre vp by their example all the Nobilitie with a ielousie and emulation of glorie gotten by the same vertue For onely vertue is able to guide and conduct gentlemen to honor for the obtaining whereof as they say they contend and fight so often and can also restore them to the fruition of their first rights of authoritie and goodlie priuileges whereby as we read of the ancient Romans such as were most worthie amongst the Nobilitie were chosen to attend vnto these three things namely to the seruice of God which is to gouerne as the scripture speaketh secondly to the administration of lawes and iustice which is the piller of kingdoms and lastly to the tuition and defence of the Common-wealth by armes which is the assurance therof against all practises and assaults of the enimie Of which three excellent administrations necessarie for the establishing and maintenance of all estates and common-wealths the most part of our Nobilitie retaineth the last onely which likewise they seeme to despise in a maner submitting to their great shame by reason of their ignorance and weltring in delights and pleasure their conscience honor goods and life to the opinion and iudgement of those whom nature and right had subiected to them But marke how we deuised to proceed in our discourses to wit that three of vs one after another should vtter some sentence or memorable saying in the praise of that vertue or dispraise of that vice whereof we were resolued to speake and that the fourth should make a whole discourse of that matter Which being ended he should begin the first proposition of the second treatise and two others should followe him therein then the last should make the second whole discourse for that morning Likewise in the afternoone the same partie was to lay open that matter which was to be intreated of and two others continuing it one of those who in the morning did onely propound should discourse in his turne and then giuing vnto his companions new matter subiect he which as yet had not discoursed at all was to handle it and so to make an end for that day And thus all fower of vs followed the same order daily vntil euerie one in his course had intreated according to appointment both by the precepts of doctrine as also by the examples of the liues of ancient Sages and famous men of all things necessarie for the institution of maners and happie life of all estates and callings in this French Monarchie But bicause I knowe not whether in naming my companions by their proper names supposing therby to honor them as in deede they deserue it I should displease them which thing I would not so much as thinke I haue determined to do as they that play on a Theater who vnder borrowed masks and disguised apparell do represent the true personages of those whom they haue vndertaken to bring on the stage I will therefore call them by names very agreeable to their skill and nature the first ASER which signifieth Felicity the second AMANA which is as much to say as Truth the third ARAM which noteth vnto vs Highnes and to agree with them as well in name as in education and behauior I will name my selfe ACHITOB which is all one with Brother of goodnes Further more I will call and honor the proceeding and finishing of our sundrie treatises and discourses with this goodlie and excellent title of Academie which was the ancient renowmed schoole amongst the Greeke Philosophers who were the first that were esteemed and that place where Plato Xenophon Polemon Xenocrates and many other excellent personages afterward called Academiks did propound discourse of al things meet for the instruction and teaching of wisedome wherin we purposed to followe them to our power as the sequele of our discourses shall make good proofe Begin then gentle readers to heare that which we spake concerning Man in the first daies worke vsing these or the like speeches Aser Felicitie Amana Truth Aram Highnes Achitob Brother of goodnes Of Man Chap. 1. WHen I direct my flight now and then my companions euen vnto the heauens and with the wings of contemplation behold their wonderfull greatnes their terrible motions being contrarie and without ceasing the liuely brightnes rare beautie and incomparable force of the sun and moone their vnchangeable course one while cause of light and by and by after of darknes the infinite number of goodlie stars and of so many other celestiall signes and from this excellent and constant order of all these things as one rauished and amased when I withdraw my spirite lower into the elementarie region to admire and wonder at the situation and spreading of the earth amidst the waters both of them making one round masse or lumpe which in the midst of this great firmament occupieth the roome but of a pricke or tittle in respect thereof besides when I acknowledge in this earth and water as many sundrie and most beautifull plants and kindes of earthie and waterie creatures as there are graines of sand on the sea banks and when I delight my selfe in the varietie of minerals pretious stones considering the forme qualitie and vertue of each of these things briefly when I admire the diuersitie of times and seasons the continuall spring of fountaines the certaine course of riuers and
no man can fall into this feare least he should not becom vertuous except he be very desirous to be so indeed and none can haue this desire except reason guided with heauenly light and doing her dutie in him had wrought the same but reason thus qualified must needs be an enimy to all perturbations Thus we see that no man through feare of not being vertuous is ouertaken with perturbations The like may be saide of sorrow For albeit a man be greeued bicause he is not vertuous yet his minde is not excessiuely disquieted seeing this desire is neuer in him but when reason commandeth according to hir diuine nature by causing vs to knowe our selues Whereby we perceiue that perturbations neuer arise in vs for that which is the true good of the soule but onely for that which fooles do falsely call good and which the philosophers call the goods of the bodie and of fortune But these being naturally subiect to corruption and as we haue alreadie said inseparably accompanied with vehement desire vnbrideled ioy feare and griefe as we shall see more at large when we handle them hereafter are vnwoorthy to be cared for by the immortall soule neither may or ought they to be called goods bicause they are possessed much lesse euils when they are wanting If we be thus perswaded we shall be masters ouer all perturbations not esteeming that which is mortall and fraile woorthy to be either wished for or delighted in Hereof it will come to passe that our soule and spirit shall be quiet and reason which knoweth how discerne good from euill wil deale with vs as a good husbandman and vine dresser dealeth with his tree and vine when he cutteth off the dead branches and vnprofitable twigs to the end that all noisome sap and moisture may be taken away And thus shall we be taught to desire and do that which we ought and euery contrarie inclination shall be weakened not taking effects and the soule shall fulfill hir dutie in commanding absolutely ouer all the prouocations of the flesh and in quenching them so foone as they do appeere For as they that haue healthful bodies saith Epictetus easily indure both cold and heate so they that haue a staied and setled soule haue the dominion ouer anger griefe ioy and all their other affections Then shall we liue happily not being terrified with any feare nor vexing our spirits with any longing or tedious desires nor being tormented with any lustes and disordred affections and lastly not suffering our selues being drunken with sugred poison to be ouer come and bound vnder the yoke of pleasure This shall we learne by the studie of Philosophie which is a certaine remedie and a sound medicine for euery vice and passion and is able to inrich and cloath vs with reason which is such a beautifull perfect and profitable ornament Of Philosophie Chap. 4. AMANA THe life of man said Pythagoras is like to that generall assemblie of Graecia at the Olimpyan games where manie carried with glorie and ambition presented themselues at those exercises that they might beare away the crowne and prize otehrs led with couetousnes came thither to traffike selling and buying merchandise and a third sort of men more praise worthie and noble came thither also who sought not after vaineglorie or couetousnes but carefully marked whatsoeuer was done in that assemblie that they might reape profit and commoditie thereby So men comming into this world as into a faire or mart some giue themselues to ambition and vaineglorie others to couetousnes and to heape vp treasure But they that are of a more diuine nature sequestring themselues from worldlie affaires meditate vpon heauenlie things and thereupon fasten the scope of their intents desires and wils Diuine Plato ioining action with contemplation in a happie and perfect life saith that next to the glorie of God we must haue regard to do that which is profitable for the Common-wealth Which excellent opinions of these two philosophers are comprehended vnder this onely word of practising philosophie and that art which giueth vs the precepts thereof is called philosophie whose worke and effect as Seneca Neroes schoolmaister said very well is to find out and to knowe the truth both of diuine and humane things Iustice pietie religion yea the whole companie of vertues neuer depart from hir She teacheth vs to adore and serue God and to loue men ARAM. Surely philosophie is the mother and continuall spring of all good knowledge For she teacheth vs to knowe good and euill she prouoketh vs by the vprightnes of reason to flie this thing to do that causing vs to liue as wise and prudent men ioyfull and contented in euery estate whereupon ariseth the sound rest of the spirit Moreouer the excellencie of this knowledge as Plato saith is so great that it is but one and the same thing to be a king a gouernor of a Common-wealth and a philosopher bicause the roiall ciuill and philosophicall arts are compounded of the same matter namelie of iustice and prudence ACHITOB. Philosophie cannot sufficiently be praised seeing that whosoeuer obeieth hir may passe his daies without tediousnes For the true scope thereof is to seeke to glorifie God in his woonderfull works and to teach a man how to liue well and to helpe his neighbor Which perfection cannot be attained vnto without a speciall and heauenlie grace and that after the knowledge of the sountaine from whence all goodnes commeth And this hath beene the cause as I thinke why so many great philosophers knowing certainly wherein the true and perfect felicitie of man liuing in this world consisted namely in the tranquillitie of the soule and labouring continually to roote out or at least to weaken al the perturbations therof by the vprightnes of reason and to engraffe vertue therein yet could neuer perfectly enjoy this souerigne good which they so much desired bicause they were ignorant of the fountaine from whence it proceeded which is the grace and mercie of our God in his beloued sonne And albeit their life was maruellously quiet and void of many vices yet it standeth vs in hand if we be Christians in deed to lead without comparison a more happy contented and excellent life and to exercise philosophie according to that true wisedome which our Lord Iesus Christ teacheth vs. But I thinke ASER is prepared to speake of this matter and to discourse thereof more at large vnto vs. Let vs harken then what he will say ASER. That which presently offereth it selfe to bee handled requireth truely a farre better spirit than mine Notwithstanding that I seeme not to shun those lists into which we entered willingly I purpose according to my weake iudgement to tell you first what philosophie is what good commeth vnto vs by it the meanes to learne it and to profit thereby how a man may know he hath it and how he must shew foorth the fruits thereof and lastly how we
blessed felicitie we may a great deale more perfectly than did all those great and ancient philosophers lead a contented ioyfull and quiet life void of all perturbations and feare for asmuch as they knew the iustice of God onely and not his mercy which is assured vnto vs in his beloued sonne Moreouer they were ignorant notwithstanding their philosophie of the chiefe point of his iustice namely of the beginning of all things and of their end which the word of God teacheth vs together with the truth of that permanent happines of the soule whereof they had but a shadow in their life Heerof our Lorde Iesus Christ himselfe hath left good and sure pledges in the depth of our harts saying that he gaue and left his peace with vs his peace I say in our soules and not with the world Therefore it appeereth sufficiently that nothing is so much to be desired whether we regard profite to our selues or seruice to the whole bodie and societie of our brethren and countrimen as the studie of philosophie which is the knowledge of life and the true medicine and tillage of the soule whereby all vertue is taught vs. The end of the first daies worke THE SECOND DAIES WORKE Of Vertue Chap. 5. ASER. AMongst the infinite number of them that were honoured with this faire name and excellent title of Philosopher which is as much to say as a louer of wisedome there were three principal sects that contended together by generall rules but especially about the souereigne good and felicitie of man namely the Academiks the Peripatetiks and the Stoiks The best of them all and they which came neerest to the knowledge of the truth were the Academiks whose first authors were Socrates Plato who as we heard yesterday alwaies taught that our true good consisted in the tranquillitie of the soule void of all perturbations in stead of them adorned and enriched with all vertue which is the proper substance and matter of philosophie therfore called the onely permanent good of the soule AMANA I can not but greatly commend this paradox of the Stoiks that There is no good but vertue nor euill but vice which is the contrarie vnto it And to go a little further following their opinion and the opinion of many ancient wise men I say that The vertuous man onely is free and happie yea although he were in Phalaris bull and that The vicious man onely is a bond-man and vnhappie albeit he had the riches of Craesus the empire of Cyrus and the glorie of Alexander For great callings are nothing where the mind is not content and where the hart pricked with desire troubleth the tranquillitie of the soule ARAM. Riches saith Pythagoras are no sure pillers and glorie is lesse certaine Likewise beautie and the disposition of the bodie magistracies and honors are all of no force but Prudence Magnanimitie and Iustice are ankers of greatest stay which cannot be plucked vp by any tempest For it is the will and law of God that vertue onely should be mightie and firme all other things being but toyes and fooleries But we must now learne of thee ACHITOB that which is necessarie for vs to know concerning this excellent disposition of the soule ACHITOB. The disputation concerning the good of man hath indeed alwaies been great amongst the learned so that as well their diuers opinions as their arguments would stay vs heere with too long a discourse especially seeing they are vnnecessarie for vs who seeke onely to be instructed in the truth Now that we may attaine heerunto and to the perfect vnderstanding of that matter which is heere propounded vnto vs we will heere set downe this Maxime or principle confessed of al the greatest and most ancient philosophers and agreeable to that truth which is taught vs in the holie scriptures that There are two sorts of goods the one which is the last end the other is the meanes to attaine thereunto The first is the souereigne supreme most perfect and eternall good which we expect and hope for in the immortalitie of the second life when we shall enioy that true and absolute felicitie which neither eie hath euer seene nor eare heard neither hath entred at any time into the hart of man That which we call the meanes whereby we come to the first is vertue onely whereof we are now to speake and which is the proper effect of our regeneration by the spirit of God dwelling in vs. First then let vs consider what vertue is also the diuision sountaine incomparable excellencie and inuincible force thereof with those woonderfull effects which it worketh in him that possesseth hir wherein also we will see some notable examples of ancient men Vertue as the philosophers say is a disposition and power of the reasonable part of the soule which bringeth into order and decencie the vnresonable part by causing it to propound a conuenient end to it own affections and passions wherby the soule abideth in a comely and decent habit executing that which ought to be done according to reason But to speake more briefly Vertue is a proportion and vprightnes of life in all points agreeable to reason The diuision thereof is altogither like to that of philosophie For they are so linked togither that it is all one to be vertuous and to be a philosopher the one being the matter and substance of the other Vertue therefore is diuided into Contemplatiue and into Morall The eternall Wisedome by the operation of his spirit guideth and lifteth vp the contemplatiue vertue to hir proper end which is that happie and immutable knowledge that concerneth the maiestie of God This did Socrates call Religion and the greatest vertue saying further that the contempt thereof brought vpon men a cursed ignorance and that no man ought to persuade himselfe that he could finde amongst the race of men any greater vertue than religion and pietie towards God whose honor is the foundation of euerie good worke which if it be ouerthrowne the other parts are as soone dispersed as the peeces of a ruinous building Yea religion is not onely the head of iustice and vertue but also is as it were the soule to giue vigor and strength vnto it From this supreme science floweth prudence which is a worke thereof appointed to gouerne rule and moderate by the meanes of morall vertue the passions and affections of the vnreasonable part of the soule in all mediocritie by cutting off all excesse and defect of those passions and by moderating them between too little and too much thereby to â—â—epe men from erring As for example she holdeth a man within the limits of prowes and valure least he should cast away himselfe through rashnes or cowardlines she causeth him wisely to vse liberalitie bicause he should not be spoiled by couetousnes or fall into prodigalitie And that he should not be cast downe too much in aduersitie nor lift vp
vnbeseeming good wits This did Antisthenes giue one to vnderstand who greatly commended Ismenius for an excellent plaier on the flute it is true quoth he to him but otherwise he is good for nothing For else had he not been so good a minstrell So euerie one applying himselfe to some base and vaine art produceth for witnes against himselfe that labor which he hath bestowed about vnprofitable matters to prooue that he hath beene idle and slothfull in learning honest and profitable things And for the last fruit and vse of our speech we see heere what great occasion we haue all our life time to become the disciples of knowledge which is so high and profound and to diminish all pride and presumption of our skill after the example of that wise man Socrates who although he were the learnedest of his time and so iudged to be by the oracle at Delphos yet alwaies said that he knew nothing And when he was demanded any thing he would neuer answer resolutely as if he would haue been beleeued but doubtingly vsed to say I thinke so or It may be so Being therefore desirous to learne with all modestie let vs endeuor to seeke out more and more by trauell and studie the assurance and knowledge of veritie and vertue Of the Spirit and of memorie Chap. 8. AMANA HAuing now discoursed of the greatnes beutie and profit of knowledge I thinke that if we were to wish for two helps very necessarie for the attaining vnto it those ought to be a spirit or mind ready to conceiue and memorie firme to retaine without which two things we shall profit our selues little and much lesse a great many ARAM. Those two things which thou propoundest vnto vs would seeme woonderfull if they were togither For we commonly see that they who haue a readie and quicke wit for the most part want memorie and they that learne with greatest difficultie and paine do best retaine and keepe that which they haue once learned ACHITOB. This talke of the spirit whereunto you attribute the propertie of comprehending and yet speake not of the soule is vndoubtedly worthie of great consideration For euen when we speake of a yong infant we say by and by that his spirit or wit will grow with his bodie and of a crooked old-sire we say that his spirit waxeth old with him which in many we see oftentimes becommeth altogither dul and vnfit for the ordering gouernment of affaires Now that which waxeth old draweth to an end as the scripture it selfe teacheth vs concerning times and seasons which wax old like to mens garments and are to take end And yet we know that the soule is immortall and therefore waxeth not old So that one would thinke that the soule and spirit are two distinct things although we see euery where the one taken for the other But let vs heare ASER discourse of this matter and so we shall learne what the spirit is in the soule ASER. As the works of the diuine power are altogither incomprehensible to the outward sence of man and very hard to be comprehended by reason guided conducted by grace from aboue so we are not to think much if the knowledge of a mans selfe which is most necessary be so hardly found out by him seeing his composition farre passeth all the works of nature that are visible and subiect to sight Now if a man cannot know himselfe how should he hope to comprehend greater matters which are supernaturall and hidden in the heauens And who can rightly boast that he hath the true and perfect vnderstanding of the chiefest part and most powerfull beginning of himselfe namely of his spirite Who am I saide Socrates Am I a subiect compounded of soule and body Or rather a soule that vseth the body as a horseman doth a horse Or is euery one of vs that principall part of the soule whereby we vnderstand discourse and do and all the other parts of the bodie but instruments of this power Or if there be no proper substance at all of the soule by it selfe but that it is onely a temperature and complexion of the bodie so framed that it hath power to vnderstand and to liue am I not a sauage beast more crafty bold and furious than euer was the serpent Typhon Or else am I a meeker and simpler creature pertaker of a better estate and voide of pride All the excellentest philosophers that euer were handled this self same matter aswel as Socrates with incredible trauel and paine that they may attaine to this knowledge of the noblest part in the which is the soule and spirite taking indifferently the one for the other But first of all this wise Socrates spake excellently of the dignitie and immortalitie of the soule saying that in truth the soule is man and not this mortall masse and lumpe of the bodie which of it selfe is no more than a simple and base instrument is in regard of the most cunning workeman of any art of science And for this cause giuing vp the ghost amongst his disciples and being asked by Clito where he would be buried As for Socrates quoth he to him take thou no thought or care For thou canst not stay him whose tombe hath beene from all time readie for him But concerning that which he leaueth here below it is not woorthy to be cared for by him The greatest thing said Periander that may be said to be contained in a little place is the soule in a mans bodie Empedocles speaking of the generation of the soule saith that neither bloud nor the vitall spirit congealed haue giuen vnto vs the substance of the soule and the beginning of life The bodie onely is compounded earthlie and mortall But the generation of the soule is heauenly being sent here below as a passenger and stranger or as one that is banished and sent out of his countrey Whereupon she continually sigheth groneth and as it were drieth away like to a good plant translated out of a good plot of ground into a bad vntill in the end she returne and be receiued into hir immortall habitation after she hath changed hir present life which is vnto hir but as a vaine illusion of some dreame in respect of a true certaine and permanent life Surely these philosophicall speculations are not vaine and friuolous but very necessarie to lead vs to that happie end of our being which we seeke for For if we be well instructed concerning the great and honorable place and condition which the soule enioieth aboue the bodie as well in hir immortall generation as in hir contemplation and action as also that of hir happines dependeth as before we handled it the felicitie of the whole frame of man will we not apply all our principall care studie and diligence in prouiding such things for hir as she desireth and which are meet and healthfull for hir But we haue further thanks be giuen to
perfection of these two great gifts of nature is a good sound iudgement proceeding from pondering and from a firme discourse of reason lightned by the spirit of God and by the same spirit purged from error illusion and all vaine opinion which are vsuall in man and hinder him from iudging aright of the truth But to continue our speech of the woonderfull effects of memorie so much esteemed of Plato that he writeth that we shuld leaue of to be men become like to the gods if our memory could retaine and keepe so much as the eies can read and see We must not here forget to make mention of Iulius Caesar that great monarke of whom Historiographers report that at one time he caused his Secretaries to write vnto foure seuerall persons of sundry matters and that oftentimes he would indight a letter to one of his Secretaries read in a booke and heare another speake all at one time Seneca rehearsed two thousand sundry names hauing onely heard them pronounced before beginning at the last and continuing to the first By these examples we see the greatnes of memorie wherby we may easily indge how profitable it is for the inriching of the minde with all things necessarie to the gouernment of mans estate Yea it is vnto vs a helpe requisite to saluation as that whereby we keepe in remembrance the gifts and graces which we daily receiue from the goodnes and fauor of God to this end that we should not be vngrateful but yeeld vnto him glorie and praise without ceasing Nowe bicause one of you my companions touched this that they which haue a ready and quick wit commonly want memorie that they which hardly learne retaine and keepe better that which they haue learned I will giue you this reason with Plutark that hardnes of belecfe seemeth to be the cause why men comprehend slowly For it is very euident that to learne is to receiue some impression whereupon it followeth that they which resist least are such as soonest beleeue And therefore youth is easier to be perswaded than old folks sick than sound women than men and generally the weaker that thing is which discourseth and doubteth the easier may a man put and adde vnto it what he will as likewise the selfe same thing is sooner lost and let slip away Some others as Iustine Martyr saith haue rendred this reason of the quicknes or slownes of mans wit saying that it commeth of the good or immoderate mixture temperature of the elements of which our bodies are compounded and framed and of the symmetrie and proportion of the organicall or iustrumentall parts ioyned togither in him And surely these seeme to giue the true reason therof For we see many who in their beginning and first age shew that they haue a prompt and sharp wit but when they come to old age are changed become slow and dul to conceiue Which is a great token and argument that a good or bad complexion and constitution of the body is the cause of such a disposition either in quicknes or slownes of spirit as the difference of yeeres doth affoord them Besides doe we not perceiue that they which haue the head ouergreat and ill fanored whom we cōmonly call great blockheads bicause there is not an equall symmetry and moderate proportion betweene that and the other parts of the bodie are naturally vnapt to conceiue and to bring foorth any sensible and wittie thing But the resolution of al this speech shall be that all gifts of the spirit are from aboue that amongst all sorts of men there are some found that are prompt wittie to comprehend great and diuine things by a speciall grace and fauour which God hath bestowed vpon them Some by the gift of the holie Ghost haue wisedom others knowledge and vnderstanding of things and all giuen to euerie one for the profiting both of himselfe and of his neighbor Knowing therefore by this present discourse according to the weakenes of our iudgement the creation and nature of the spirit which is the principall and most noble part of vs and that whereof dependeth and proceedeth all our happines rest and felicitie let vs be carefull and diligent to search it out and to prouide such things as it desireth of vs as helps to that effect bestowing all our care labour and studie to adorne and deck it with righteousnes and holines according to the holie desire therof wherin consisteth life and peace And let vs beware that we seeke not to feede it with strange meats which may make it sorrowfull and with which our flesh aboundeth to hir death and destruction But mortifieng all the deadly desires and affections thereof let vs labour not to walke any more according to the flesh but according to the spirit and let vs know that all wearisomnes and tediousnes which troubleth the tranquillitie and rest thereof proceedcth from the want of experience in affaires from the want of good discoursing grounded vpon a resolute and setled iudgement and from the want of skill fitly to apply our selues to present occasions And this is that which troubleth all sorts and conditions of life as well rich as poore But the way to preserue the spirite in rest and quietnes is to nourish and exercise it in the studie of wisedome where it learneth reason which of it selfe can cure it of all sorrow anguish and greefe through wise discoursing and worke in it a like inclination and constant behauior in euerie alteration of life causing man to liue happie throughout the whole course of his life not without the hope and certaine expectation of a blessed immortalitie The end of the second daies worke THE THIRD DAIES WORKE Of Dutie and Honestie Chap. 9. ASER. ALthough all things were created of diuers natures and properties and manie of cleane contraries yet by an incomprehensible wisedom they were appointed to refer themselues to one onely certaine and common end namely to shew foorth the infinite power and greatnes of their worke-maister sufficient in the lest of his works with admiration to rauish man to whom he hath made al things subiect But as in him alone the treasures of his heauenly graces haue been without comparison more liberally vnfolded and that in all fulnes and bountie as well in regard of the goods and commodities of this life which he draweth from heauen from the earth from the aire from the water from beasts and plants and generally from all things contained vnder the cope of the firmament as also in respect of that vnspeakable happines and eternall felicitie which by the speciall grace of God is purchased and assured to him onely in the immortalitie of the second life so also hath God from the beginning vntill this present and for euer reserued to himselfe a particular homage and that not for a time or for certaine yeeres of his life but to continue without intermission from time to
vertuous deedes it ought rather to be called the chiefest euil forasmuch as he that sinneth through ignorance is more excusable than the malitious who sinneth wittingly And for defence of my saying besides the authoritie of the scripture I haue Plato who saith that Science without the knowledge and practise of that which is good is very pernitious But let vs harken to AMANA who will discourse vnto vs more at large of these two vices want of discretion and malice or subtiltie AMANA All vertue being in the midst of two vices the one of them is cleane contrarie vnto it and the other being more dangerous seeketh to couer it selfe with hir name and it is called of the philosopher a false follower of vertue For this cause they placed want of prudence which vice is in the defect at the right hand of prudence and at the left hand Malice or Craft which is the excesse and causeth a man to sinne not through ignorance but by deceit and subtiltie and that vnder the name of Prudence First then let vs consider of want of prudence or vnskilfulnes and of the effects thereof in the soule Vnskilfulnes proceeding or rather being the same thing that ignorance is causeth a man as Aristotle saith to iudge euil of things to deliberate worse not to know how to take the aduantage of present good things but to conceiue ill of those things that are good and honest in mans life And as Prudence is the knowledge of that which ought to be done or left vndone so vnskilfulnes is the ignorance of those selfe same things and is alwaies followed of incontinencie of want of ciuilitie and of forgetfulnes Briefly want of prudence is so contagious and pestilent a thing in the mind of man that all other infirmities of the spirit wherewithall it is commonly molested and all euill actions seeme to proceed from the same And truly wheresoeuer it is there neither God can be truly honored and serued nor vice auoided nor any action either publike or priuate can be orderly and according to dutie executed For as a weake and diseased sight cannot behold the light of the sunne so an vnskilfull soule cannot know the truth Vnskilfulnes causeth a man to fall into seueritie when he thinks to exercise iustice If he would be liberall he becommeth prodigall If he thinketh to auoid superfluitie he falleth into couetousnes If he haue any apprehension of the diuine nature he consumeth his soule with a confused feare through superstition If his mind cannot conceiue that there is a most happy and blessed nature forthwith he iudgeth that there is none at all and thus guided by ignorance all his desires and inclinations tend to wretchednes and miserie Moreouer Plato saith that ignorance taketh away the sight of the mind from those that are tainted therewith as blindnes taketh away the sight of corporall eies from those that lacke their sight And further he testifieth that the ignorant mind is vile and wretched and that it is more expedient not to liue at all than to liue in ignorance But if we giue credit to Cicero he onely liueth indeed and possesseth a soule who setling himselfe to some good matter seeketh after renowme by some notable fact or by some good art It is good saith Socrates to leaue off altogither the vse of that thing wherof we haue no skill to vse it well And so for those that know not how to vse their eies eares and whole bodie it were more profitable neither to see heare or helpe themselues any way with their bodie In like maner it were better for him that knoweth not how to use his soule to haue none at all than to liue And if he must needs liue being borne he should be happier in the estate of a slaue than of a free man The speech of this wise philosopher expoundeth it selfe sufficiently as tending to no other end than to giue vs to vnderstand that it is better not to be yea neuer to haue been borne than through ignorance to follow vice and further that it is more dangerous when a man may freely do so without feare of any greater than himselfe For as droonkennes engendreth rage and madnes so saith Aristotle ignorance ioined with power begetteth insolencie and furie And it is all one as Plato saith to place an ignorant man in authoritie as to lay a great burden vpon the shoulders of a man halfe dead through weakenes All these things make me iudge an ignorant man to be I will not onely say like an image or blocke of wood but in a maner nothing differing from brute beasts This caused the ancients to vse this saying that Euery ignorant man was euill And Terence going yet further saith that The earth beareth nothing worse than an ignorant man And in truth what mischiefs do we not see to come of ignorance If a man be of a meane or base estate it maketh him good for nothing fearfull superstitious vnprofitable needie vnciuill slothfull and vnfit to euery good thing If he be mightie and rich besides that he may fall into the said miseries through the same imperfection he will so much the sooner become arrogant cruell rash talkatiue couetous vnconstant giuen to voluptuousnes and vniust In a word the more meanes he shall haue to exercise vices the richer in them will he grow to be through ignorance and so not being able to gouerne himselfe he must needs be vnwoorthie to intermeddle at all either in politicall or Oeconomicall gouernment If an ignorant man possesse any great benefit or felicitie he can neuer know so much before he hath lost it againe Moreouer this mischiefe followeth him that he can neuer make his profit of any good counsell bicause of the presumption of his owne opinion which he alwaies thinketh better than any other yea he supposeth that nothing can be well done except he put to his helping hand For as Menander saith nothing is so rash as ignorance And the more that an ignorant man is lift vp vnto some excellencie of dignitie or riches the more vnsufferable he is as one that knoweth not how to vse them so that he is puffed vp with pride aboue measure and not content with his estate but driuen with ambition he presumeth oftentimes to vndertake things against all reason and equitie And contrariwise if fortune change he abaseth himselfe out of measure shewing nothing but abiection of mind inconstancy and impatiencie and that with so great trouble and disquietnes of spirit that oftentimes he is wholie besides himselfe Now these are but small fruits of ignorance namely to make a man importunate to cause him to stay another that hath great affaires saying that he hath many things to communicate vnto him when in truth they will do him but small pleasure to desire one that hath lost his suite to bestow a dinner vpon him promising to tell him a way how he may recouer it againe to speake ill
And then how much more easie wil it be to restraine yea wholy to ouerthrow the foolish desires of vanitie Soüs a captaine of great renowne and king of Lacedemonia being besieged in a narrow straight very craggie place void of water after he had endured the necessitie of thirst to the vttermost he offred to the Clitorians his enemies to restore vnto them al their land which he had wonne of them so that he and all his companie might drinke of a fountaine neere vnto them Which being thus agreed vpon betweene them he led al his men thither and said vnto them that if any one would abstaine from drinking he would resigne his royaltie of Lacedemonia vnto him But none would accept thereof insomuch that all dranke except himselfe who going last downe into the fountaine did nothing but refresh himselfe and wet his mouth a little on the outside in the presence of his enemies not drinking one drop thereof By meanes whereof he maintained that he was not bound at all vnto his promise bicause all dranke not and so he continued the warre to the great honor aduantage of his country Lysimachus one of Alexanders successours in the empire had not so great power ouer the like passion For being compelled by thirst he diliuered himselfe and all his armie to the Getes his enemies After he had drunke being prisoner O God quoth he how faint-harted am I that for so short a pleasure haue depriued my selfe of so great a kingdome Cato the yoonger trauelling ouer the deserts of Lybia endured verie sore thirst And when a souldier offered him a little water in his morion he threw it vpon the ground in presence of them all to the end his armie might knowe that he would be in no better estate than they Truely a woorthy example for all captaines for by so doing that which would hardly haue quenched the thirst of one restrained it in a whole armie The emperor Rodolphus who of base estate attained to this dignitie by his vertue vpon the like occasion made an answere woorthy to be remembred For when a full cup of beere was brought vnto him in the warre which he had against Octocarus king of Bohemia at what time he was in a place where his whole army was greatly troubled with thirst he would not receiue it but said vnto the bearer thereof that his thirst was for all his armie and not onely for himselfe therfore that cup of beere was not sufficient to quench it We read of Socrates that whensoeuer he felt himselfe very thirsty he would not drinke before he had spilt and cast away the first pitcher of water which he drew for himselfe out of the well to this ende as he said that he might acquaint his sensuall appetite to expect the conuenient time of reason Seeing therefore by such examples and infinite others contained in histories we haue certaine and assured proofe of the force of temperance ouer naturall and necessarie passions how credible is it that she may haue farre greater power ouer those other passions that came from without vs after we fell from our first creation Let vs therefore conclude by our present discourse that the vertue of temperance is verie necessarie and profitable for a happie life as that which hath this propertie belonging vnto it to be skilfull in chasing a mediocritie in pleasures and greefes in keeping that which is honest vertuous and in shunning of vice especially of carnall pleasures although she serue also to moderate all the actions of our life And if a prudent man auoideth dishonest things in publike places a temperate man goeth farther eschewing them in solitarie and obscure corners If iustice suffereth no violence to be vsed or wrong offered to any temperance further permitteth none to offend any and therefore is verie well called of the philosophers the mother of all dutie and honestie Of Intemperance and of Stupiditie or blockishnes Chap. 18. ACHITOB BEing instructed in the vertue of temperance which as well as hir fellow vertues consisteth in mediocritie we are now to consider of hir extremities and vices that are in excesse and in defect Intemperance is cleane contrarie vnto it which as Cicero saith inflameth prouoketh and troubleth the tranquillitie of the spirit but concerning the defect I find no proper name giuen vnto it by the philosophers But I leaue the handling of this matter vnto you my Companions ASER. Intemperance saith Plato was so called of the ancients bicause that peruerse cruell great and variable beast Lust exerciseth therein more power than it ought as also disordered ioy doth the like Whereupon it commeth that intemperate men enioying the pleasure of their senses imagine falsely that true felicitie accompanieth them therein But truly whosoeuer obeieth bodilie pleasures serueth most cruell tyrants AMANA Nature said Architas hath giuen no plague more pernitious hurtful than the pleasure of the body For wheras God hath bestowed vpon man nothing more excellent than the soule and reason there is none so great an enimie to this heauenlie gift as voluptuousnes bicause where luxuriousnes and concupiscence raigne there temperance can haue no place yea all vertues are banished out of their kingdome But let vs heare ARAM discourse of these vices heere propounded vnto vs. ARAM. I red in Plato not long since that there were many sins which ought rather to be called punishments of other sins going before than sinnes According to the course and sequele of his speech if my memorie be good I thinke his meaning is that men suffering themselues to be ouertaken of vice in the beginning as it were in sport neuer take heed vnto themselues vntill they be wholie abandoned and giuen ouer as S. Paule saith to their vile affections and pleasures of their harts in all vncleannes and turbulent passions of ignominie and reproch Insomuch that after they haue opened the gate to their concupiscences and to the desires of the flesh of whooremongers couetous persons reuengers of their owne wrongs belly gods gluttons and from other lesse imperfections being notwithstanding foule and beastly they become Sodomites Church-robbers parricides Epicures Atheists and full of all execrable villanies which are comprehended vnder this word of intemperance Intemperance is very well defined of the philosophers to be an ouerflowing in voluptuousnes forcing and compelling all reason in such sort that no consideration of losse or hinderance is able to stay or keepe backe him that is through long custome infected with vice from betaking himselfe of set purpose and as a man would say willingly and desperately to the execution of all his desires and lusts as he that placeth his sole and soueraigne good therein seeking for no other contentation than in that thing which bringeth to him and to his senses delight and pleasure For this cause Aristotle distinguisheth betweene intemperance and incontinencie albeit many take them indifferently one for an other saying
desperate case Briefly to speake in a word Fortitude is the cause that neither for feare nor danger we turne aside from the path waie of vertue and iustice neither yet repent vs of well doing for any torment And thus it belongeth properly to this vertue to command chiefly ouer these two perturbations grounded vpon the opinion of euill namely Feare and Griefe as before we saw that Temperance exerciseth hir power ouer vnbrideled desire excessiue ioy Furthermore bicause they that naturally haue greater stomacks and more excellent spirits are desirous and greedie of honors power and glorie and seeing that an excessiue desire to rule and to excel others commonly groweth with the greatnes of the hart it is necessarie that this vnrulie affection should be moderated by the contempt of such things as are common to all men by nature And this also is a propertie belonging to this vertue of Fortitude which desiring the greatest and best things despiseth those that are base and abiect aspiring to celestiall and eternall things shunneth humane mortall things and iudgeth honors riches and worldlie goods an vnwoorthie recompence for his valiant acts Which is the who cause that whosoeuer hath this vertue of Fortitude perfectly if so great happines could be among mortall wights he remaineth free from all perturbations of the soule to enioy a blessed tranquillitie which togither with constancie procureth vnto him dignitie and reputation For this cause Cicero teacheth vs that they which giue themselues to the gouernment of affaires ought at least asmuch as Philosophers to make light account of temporall goods from whence proceedeth all the rest of our mindes yea they ought to striue to that end with greater care and labor than Philosophers do bicause it is easier for a Philosopher so to doe his life being lesse subiect to Fortune standing in lesse need of worldly Goods than doth that of Politicks And if any mishap befall them it toucheth the Philosopher a great deale lesse But whether it be in war or in ruling a Common-wealth or in the gouernment of a house there are alwaies means enough to exercise the works of Fortitude many times this vertue is most necessarie in things that seeme to be of smallest account Besides that honesty which we seeke after is perfected by the forces of the soule of which euery one hath great need not by those of the bodie I will not say that the firme knitting togither of the members and the good disposition of nature to sustaine manfully the iniuries of wether al kind of paine trauel without sicknes is not a good helpe towards the execution of noble enterprises only I say that it is not so necessarie but that many being troubled with a thousand ill dispositions in their persons especially such as were placed in offices of Captaines and Conductors of armies haue executed infinite great and glorious exploits surmounting all weakenes of their bodies through the magnanimitie of their hart Yea oftentimes they haue as it were constrained their bodies to change their nature that they might be made fit to execure whatsouer their wise spirite iudged to belong to dutie Was there euer any Captaine among the Romanes greater than Iulius Caesar Yet was he of a weake and tender complexion subiect to great head-aches and visited somtimes with the falling sicknes But in steed of vsing the weaknes of his bodie for a cloke to liue nicely and delicately he tooke the labors for warre for a fit medicine to cure the vntowardnes of his bodie fighting against his disease with continuall labor and exercise liuing soberly and lying for the most part in the open aire which made him to be so much the more admired and loued of his souldiers As it may appeere by that which is reported of him that being one daye by reason of great storme and tempest greatly vrged with want of lodging in a plaine where there was but one little cottage belonging to a Peasant which had but one chamber he commanded that Oppius one of his Captaines who was il at ease should be lodged there as for himselfe he laye abroad with the rest saying that the most honorable places were to be appointed for the greatest and the most necessarie for such as were most diseased What shall we say of those who being impotent in some part of their members did notwithstanding not diminish in any sort but augment the glorie of their doings Marcus Sergius a Romane Captaine hauing lost his right hand in a battell practised so well with the left hand that afterward in an armie he chalenged foure of his enimies one after another and ouercame them such force hath a good hart that it can doe more in one onely little member than a man well made and fashioned in all points that hath but a cowardly hart We might heere alleadge infinite examples whereof histories are full of all those effects which we said were brought foorth by the vertue of Fortitude in noble minds but we will content our selues to touch certaine generals that were of notable and politike prowes and valure and constant in their resolutions aswell for shortnes sake as also bicause heereafter we shall haue further occasion to bring others in sight when we handle more at large the parts and branches that proceed from this happie stalke of Fortitude Fabius the Greatest commeth first to my remembrance to prooue that the resolution of a courageous hart grounded vpon knowledge and the discourse of reason is firme and immutable This Captaine of the Romane armie being sent into the field to resist the furie and violence of Hannibal who being Captaine of the Carthaginians was entred into Italy with great force determined for the publike welfare and necessitie to delay and prolong the warre and not to hazard a battell but with great aduantage Whereupon certaine told him that his owne men called him Hannibals schoolemaister and that he was iested at with many other opprobrious speeches as one that had small valure and courage in him and therfore they counselled him to fight to the end he might not incurre any more such reprehensions and obloquies I should be quoth he againe to them a greater Coward than now I am thought to be if I should forsake my deliberation necessarie for the common welfare and safetie for feare of their girding speeches and bolts of mockerie and obey those to the ruine of my countrey whom I ought to command And in deed afterward he gaue great tokens of his vnspeakeable valure being sent with three hundred men onely to encounter with the said Hannibal and seeing that he must of necessitie fight for the safetie of the Common-wealth after all his men were slaine and himselfe hurt to death he rushed against Hannibal with so great violence and force of courage that he tooke from him the diademe or frontlet which he had about his head and died with that about him Pompey who by
or malice but keepeth him alwayes within the limites of equitie and iustice causing him further to make choice of and to finish all honest matters of his owne will and for their loue not caring at all for mortall and corruptible things that he may wholy apprehend and take hold of those things that are diuine and eternall Of Hope Chap. 28. AMANA COnsidering that the perfection of a wise mans life consisteth in the practise of great and excellent things he that is borne to vertue feeleth himselfe touched to the quicke with desire to bring them to passe But the instabilitie and small assurance which he knoweth to be in that which dependeth vpon the doubtfull euent of euery high enterprise oftentimes cooleth his vertuous intents if a certaine confidence and good hope did not make easie vnto him the means of attaining thereunto Likewise when he feeleth the sharpe pricking that proceedeth from the ouerthwarts and miseries of man which sequester themselues very little from his life he is soone daunted with sorow and care if he haue not this hope that comforteth him with expectation of speedie redresse Of you therfore my companions we shall vnderstand the excellencie of this Good that belongeth to the soule and is so necessarie for a happy life I mean Hope which dependeth of the vertue of Fortitude whereof we haue discoursed all this day ARAM. Learned men saith Bias differ from the ignorant sort in the goodnes of hope which truly is verie profitable sweete and acceptable to a prudent man But euil hope leadeth carnall men as a naughtie guide vnto sinne ACHITOB. As good hope serueth to increase strength in a man so rash hope oftentimes beguileth men But it belongeth to thee ASER to handle this matter ASER. Alexander the great being by the states of all Graecia chosen generall captaine to passe into Asia and to make warre with the Persians before he tooke ship he enquired after the estate of all his friends to know what means they had to follow him Then he distributed and gaue to one lands to another a village to this man the custome of some hauen to another the profit of some Borough towne bestowing in this maner the most part of his demeans and reuenues And when Perdicas one of his Lieutenants demanded of him what he reserued for himselfe he answered Hope So great confidence had this noble monarch not in the strength of his weapons or multitude of good warriors desirous of glory and honor but in his owne vertue being content and satisfied with a little in his continencie beneficence contempt of death magnanimitie curtesie gratious intertainment being easie to be spoken with hauing a free disposition by nature without dissimulation constant in his counsels ready and quicke in his executions willing to be the first in glorie and alwaies resolute to do that which dutie commanded From this Hope thus surely grounded he neuer shrunke vntill the last gaspe of his life which caused him to make this answer to Parmenio who counselled him to accept of the offers which Darius made vnto him for peace namely sixe thousand Talents beeing in value sixe Millions of gold and the halfe of his kingdome with a daughter of his in mariage If I were Parmenio I would accept of his profers Besides he sent word to Darius that the earth could not beare two Sunnes nor Asia two Kings Neither was he deceiued of his good hope which led him to such a perfection of worldlie glorie and felicitie that he was the first and last that euer approched neere vnto it This Hope was that foundation whereupon so many great and excellent Heathen men and Pagans built their high and noble enterprises For proofe heerof may be alleadged that definition which Cicero giueth of Confidence being the second part of Hope affirming it to be that vertue whereby the spirite of man putteth great trust in waightie and honest matters hauing a certaine and sure hope in himselfe And elsewhere he saith that he shall neither reioice nor be troubled out of measure that trusteth in himselfe But we know that this Hope is weake and vncertaine if it be not setled and grounded vpon a sure expectation of the helpe and grace of God without which we can neuer prosper Now this is out of doubt that we can not hope and waite for that grace vnles our counsels and enterprises haue reason for their guide and right and equitie for their bounds For as an ancient man saith that man hopeth in vaine that feareth not God and they onely are filled with good hope whose consciences are cleane and pure So that all they that are led with sundry euill passions either of ambition of vainglory or of any other vnbrideled desire can neuer haue that happy and good hope which neuer deceiueth men And in deed they misse oftentimes of their intent yea are depriued of that which was their owne and certaine bicause they are desirous to get vniustly another mans right being also vncertaine The selfe same thing falleth out to those that trust and stay in such sort vpon their owne strength vertue and constancie that fearing in no respect as they say the greatest calamities that can come to man assure themselues in their prosperitie to be inuincible in their resolutions and presume that nothing is able to pull them downe or to cause them to change their opinion and yet so soone as the wind of aduersitie bloweth they are the first that are throwen to the ground and soonest shew foorth the inconstancie imbecillitie of mans nature left to it self As contrarywise they to whom God giueth eyes to acknowledge themselues are then humbled so that they reuerence the ordinance of God who derideth all the enterprises of men The practise hereof was well knowen to Wencelaüs king of Hungaria being driuen out of his kingdom and forsaken of his owne who oftentimes vsed to say The hope I had in men hindred me from putting my trust in God but now that all my confidence is in him I assure my selfe that he will helpe me by his diuine goodnesse As in deed it fell out so vnto him being re-established agayne in all his estates and dignities But to the end we confound not togither that which is simplie diuine with that which is humaine I thinke we ought to make a double hope the first true certaine and vnfallible which concerneth holy and sacred mysteries the other doubtful respecting earthly things only As touching the first we know things to come by the assurance thereof as well as if they were already done We are taught in the holy scripture what is the vndoubted certaintie of this hope which through faith ought to be so imprinted in our harts that by the strength power vertue therof we should run the race of our short daies in all ioy happinesse and peaceable tranquillitie of our minds expecting without doubting the perfect and absolute enioying
condition of his life whether it be poore or rich prosperous or aduerse honourable or contemptible happinesse ioy pleasure and contentation which flowe in his soule aboundantly from that fountaine and liuelie spring which Philosophie hath discouered vnto him in the fertile field of Graces and Sciences whereby he enioyeth true tranquillitie and rest of spirit as much as a man may haue in this mortall life moderating the perturbations of his soule and commaunding ouer the vnpure affections of the flesh And than as the shoe turneth with the fashion of the foote and not contrarywise so the inward disposition of a wise and moderate man causeth him to lead a life like vnto the same that is mild peaceable and quiet being neuer caried away with vnreasonable passions bicause she neuer enioyeth or reioyceth immoderately in that which she hath but vseth well that which is put into her hand without feare or repining if it be taken away following therein the saying of Democritus that whosoeuer mindeth to liue alwayes happilie must propound to himselfe and desire things possible and be content with things present Therefore seeing the fountaine of all felicitie and contentation in this life is within vs let vs cure and cleanse diligently all perturbations which seeke to hinder the tranquillitie of our spirites to the ende that externall things which come from without vs agaynst our will and expectation may seeme vnto vs friendly and familiar after we know how to vse them wel Plato compared our life to table-play wherein both the dice must chance wel the plaier must vse that wel which the dice shal cast Now of these two points the euent lot of the Dice is not in our power but to receiue mildly and moderatly that which falleth vnto vs to dispose euerie thing in that place where it may either profite most if it be good or do least hurt if it be bad that is in our power belongeth to our dutie if we be wise men Fortune saith Plutarke may well cast me into sickenesse take away my goods bring me in disgrace with the people but she can not make him wicked a coward slouthfull base-minded or enuious that is honest â—aliaunt and noble-minded nor take from him his setled and temperate disposition of Prudence which maketh him to iudge that no tedious grieuous or troublesome thing can befall him For being grounded not vpon vanishing goods but vpon Philosophicall sentences firme discourses of reason he may say I haue preuented thee fortune I haue closed vp all thy chances and stopped the wayes of entrance in vpon me and so led a ioyfull life as long as vertue and that part which is proper to man are strongest And if peraduenture some great inconuenience happen vnto him against all hope which humaine power is not able to ouercome than with ioy of spirite he considereth that the hauen of safetie is at hand wherein he may saue himselfe by swimming out of the body as out of a Skiffe that leaketh departing boldly and without feare from the miseries of the world that he may enioy absolute and perfect happines Alexander the great hauing vnder his dominion more than halfe the world when he heard the Philosopher Anaxarchus dispute and maintaine that there were innumerable worlds he began to weepe saying Haue I not good cause to be sorowful and to mourne if there be an infinite number of worlds seeing as yet I haue not been able to make my selfe Lord of one But Crates the Philosopher being brought vp in the schoole of wisdome and hauing in stead of all wealth but an old cloke and a scrip neuer wept in all his life but was always seen mery and passing ouer his dayes cheerfully By which two kinds of life contrary one to an other it appeereth sufficiently that it is within our selues and not in outward things wherein we must seeke for the foundation of a certaine ioy which is watered and flourisheth in strength by the remembrance of good and vertuous actions proceeding from the soule guided by right knowledge and reason Homer bringeth in Agamemnon complaining greatly bicause he was to command so great a part of the world as if he had an intollerable burthen vpon his shoulders Whereas Diogenes when he was to be sold for a slaue lying all along mocked the Sergeant that cried him to sale and would not rise vp when he commanded him but scoffingly said vnto him If thou wart to sell a fish wouldest thou make it arise Cry this rather that if any man want a maister he should buy me for I can serue his turne well Wherby we may fitly note this that all the happines rest and contentation of man dependeth of vertue onely and not of worldlie greatnes and glorie For this reason the selfe same Diogenes beholding a stranger come from Lacedemonia more curiously decked on a festiuall day than he was woont said vnto him What Doth not an honest man thinke that euery day is festiuall vnto him And truly there is nothing that ought to mooue vs so much to shew all outward signes of ioy or that breedeth such serenitie and calmenes against the tempestuous waues of humane miseries and calamities than to haue the soule pure and cleane from all wicked deedes wils and counsels the manners vndefiled not troubled or infected with any vice For then acknowledging the estate of mortall and corruptible things we iudge them vnwoorthie the care of our soules that we may wholy lift them vp to the contemplation of heauenlie and eternall things wherein our happines and perfect felicitie consisteth Heereby we learne that in the second life onely we are to seeke for and to expect the fruition of true happines which can neuer increase or be diminished For as no man can make a line straighter than that which is straight and as nothing is more iust than that which is iust so he that is happie can not be more happie Otherwise vntill a man had gotten all that might be had his desires would neuer be setled so no man should be called happie But felicitie is perfect of it selfe Cicero knew it well enough when he said that no man standing in feare of great things could be happie and in that respect no man liuing can be so but to speake in deed of a happie life that is it which is perfect and absolute To the end therefore that we may reape some profit by our present discourse let vs neuer thinke that any man may be called happie or vnhappie bicause he is aduanced or disgraced with honors goods and worldlie commodities or bicause he is partaker either of prosperitie or aduersitie throughout his whole life But he onely ought to be esteemed happie in this world that knoweth in rest quietnes of soule how to vse both estates and neuer suffereth himselfe to be caried away or troubled with vncleane desires but with all his hart seeketh for the possession of a
necessarily a continuall rest to preserue it well vsing that goodly pretence bicause they would not be troubled with mo matters thā needs they must especially with those which concerne publike commoditie as also bicause they would not take paines in the studie of wisedome they cannot be better compared than to such as will not vse their eies in beholding any thing that they might keepe them the better neither will speake at all to preserue their voyce well Euery kind of life hath both sicknesse and health but a sound man cannot take a better course to preserue his health than to imploy himselfe in the practise of many good and honest duties of humanitie Yea we must yet go farther and say with Socrates that diseased men ought not to be so carefull of their health that they leaue the studie and exercise of vertue seeing we are to make but small account of death it selfe And therefore Plutarke is very earnest against this Epicurian sentence Hide thy life which was set downe by Neocles brother to Epicurus meaning thereby to perswade them that would liue happily not to intermeddle with any publike matter But contrarywise saith this Philosopher it is dishonest to liue so that no man may know any thing Art thou vicious shew thy selfe to those that are able to admonish to correct to cure thee that so thou mayst amend repent If in the knowledge of nature thou hast learned by songs to prayse God his iustice and heauenly prouidence or in moral knowledge to commend the law humane societie the gouernment of the common-wealth and therein to respect honour not profite hide not this talent but teach it others and giue thy selfe an example vnto them of well doing and of profiting euery one O diuine counsail proceeding out of the mouth of an Ethnike as necessarie to be practised at this day as we see it contemned of so many wise worldings who say they haue the absolute and sound reformation of our estates of France in their head but that as yet there is no time to speake of it Thus some liue idlely and like to Recluses bicause they will take no paine and others do worse in maintaining the corruptiō of the estate and in cleauing wittingly to the destruction thereof But let vs proceed to looke vpon the fruits of idlenes It is of that fountaine whereof cursed ignorance drinketh and maintaineth hir selfe and from thence flow all pleasures folowed with bitternes griefe which withdraw vs from all vertuous occupations to imploy our selues about all kinds of trifles that are neither good honest nor profitable but rather hurtfull and very pernitious Of which number we may note gaming which is as common amongst vs and as blame-worthie as any other imperfection seeing hir foundation is laid vpon lucre and couetousnes or els vpon the losse of time Those cursed effects which it bringeth forth daily as quarels murders blasphemies cogging ouerthrow of houses and families do sufficiently testifie vnto vs the infamous nature thereof Likewise it hath bin so abhorred of the ancient Sages that Chilon being sent from Lacedemonia to Corinth to intreat of a league between those two peoples finding the rulers playing at dice returned back again and would not speake of his commission saying that he would not staine the glory of the Spartanes with so great an ignominie as to ioine thē in society with dice-plaiers How many happy ages haue our forefathers passed ouer yet neuer heard word of so vnhappy an exercise And some say that the Lydiās were the first inuēters of games but it was whē their countrey was brought into great necessitie of victuals to the end that by playing they might find some help and meane to sustaine and to resist hunger the better by spending euery other day in gaming without any meate Which they continued for the space of twentie and eight yeeres preseruing their country by that means from a generall famine through the great sparing of their prouision But now a daies we see that men are so farre from recompencing the fault of so vile an occupation by fasting that contrary wise it is followed with all kind of dissolutenes gluttonie riot and superfluitie And this is seene too much in these new faculties of carelesse men who haue taught vs this goodly prouerbe That a man were better loose than be idle But if they knew their inestimable losse not of mony which they abuse but of the richest and most precious thing that may be spent and which can neuer be recouered I meane of time they would speake cleane contrary That to loose is worse than to be idle bicause it is ioined with a naughtie action which of necessitie turneth to the detriment of himselfe or of his neighbor oftentimes of both Among many goodly and holy ordinances which Alphonsus sonne of Ferdinando king of Spaine caused those knights to obserue which he made of the order of the band himself and all his children being of the same order this was straightly kept that no knight should presume to play for any money at cardes or dice or giue his consent to any such play in his house vpon paine of forfeiting his wages for one moneth and himselfe to be forbidden another moneth and a halfe from entring into the kings palace But bicause the nature of man is not able to abide continuall labor and occasion of businesse is not alwaies offred it shall be lawfull for vs according to the precept of Plato his Academie to bestow our leasure vpon some honest pastime and game of moderate pleasure that is not far separated from study or vertue which will not be blame-worthie in vs so we vse it as we do rest or sleepe after we haue dispatched and ended graue serious affaires according to the gift and facultie of our spirits Moreouer let vs propound to our selues for example the liues of so many famous and graue men who both in youth and age laboured to do good and to profit euery one esteeming it great honor to end their daies in such a commendable exercise according to that saying of Erasmus That in vaine men follow that which is good and striue to do well if they stand still before the end of their daies For that man looseth his time in running swiftly who fainteth before he come to the end of his race Nothing will be vnpossible to thee saith the same author so that thy hart faint not Not to go forward in the way of the Lord is all one with turning backeward yea it were better neuer to begin than not to perseuer vnto the end This also is that which Cicero teacheth vs that it is not sufficient to know what ought to be done but we must abide firme and stedfast in that wherin vpon aduised good counsell we are once resolued And though we are out of hope of attaining to perfection yet we must striue to come vnto it
Many saith he that are weakened with dispaire will not vndertake that thing which they feare they shall neuer be able to finish but they that would obtaine great things and such as are most to be desired must try euery way And if any man hath not this excellencie of spirite and greatnes of hart by nature neither yet the knowledge of euery good discipline let him take that course which he is able to attaine vnto For it is great praise to him that followeth after the excellentest best things to staie in the second and third place if he can doe no better Those things are great which are next to perfection It is our dutie therefore to abide firme and constant in that good and commendable kind of life which we haue chosen from the beginning so that the end therof be to liue well And let vs shun idlenes in such sort as to say with Cato that this is one thing whereof we ought to repent vs most if we know that we haue spent a whole day wherin we haue neither done nor learned some good thing Phocylides minding to instruct vs in this matter said that in the euening we ought not to sleep before we haue thrice called to our remembrance whatsoeuer we haue done the same day repenting vs of the euill and reioicing in our well doing Apelles the best painter that euer was would not suffer one day to passe without drawing of some line meaning thereby as he said to fight against idlenes as with an arrow Aeleas king of Scythia said that he seemed to himself to differ nothing from his horsekeeper when he was idle Dionysius the elder being demanded if he were neuer idle answered God keepe me from that for as a bowe according to the common prouerbe is marred and breaketh by being too much bent so is the soule through too much idlenes This is that which Masinissa the Aphrican would learnedly teach vs of whome Polybius writeth that he died when he was foure score and ten yeeres of age leauing behind him a sonne that was but foure yeeres old A little before he died after he had discomfited the Carthaginians in a maine battell he was seene the next day eating of course browne bread saying to some that maruelled thereat that as iron is bright and shineth so long as it is vsed by the hand of man whereas a house falleth into decay when no man dwelleth therein as Scphocles saith so fareth it with this brightnes and glistering light of the soule whereby we discourse vnderstand and remember The same reason mooued Xerxes father to say to Darius that in perillous times and dangerous affaires he increased in wisedome Likewise politicall knowledge which is such a prudence setled mind iustice and experience as knoweth full well how to make choice of and to take sit oportunitie in all things that happen cannot be maintained but by the practise and managing of affaires by discoursing iudging Now to conclude our present treatise seeing we know that we are borne to all vertuous actions let vs flie from idlenes and sloth the welsprings of all iniustice pouertie the stirrers vp of infinite passions in the soule and the procurers of sundrie diseases in the bodie euen to the vtter destruction of them And let vs imbrace diligence care trauell studie which are sure guides to lead vs to that end for which we ought to liue that is in glorifieng God to profit our selues in honest things and also all those with whome we liue wherein consisteth all the happines and contentation of the life of good men And let vs not doubt but that all time otherwise spent is lost time knowing that all times in respect of themseluns are alike but that which is imploied in vertue is good in regard of vs and that which is vnprofitably wasted and in vices is naught Further let vs learne neuer to giue ouer the effecting and finishing of that which we once know to belong to our dutie seeing that without perseuerance neither he that fighteth can obtaine the victorie neither the conqueror the garland but he that continueth to the end shall be saued Therefore let vs be carefull to make profit of that talent which is giuen vs to keepe that we be not found euill and vnprofitable seruants before him to whome we must yeeld an account euen of euery idle and vaine word Of an Enimie of Iniurie and of Reuenge Chap. 36. AMANA HAuing hitherto in three daies workes discoursed according to our iudgement of all the parts of the vertue of Fortitude and of those commendable effects that issue from it to the correcting of many vices imperfections which abound in mans nature I thinke that to end this afternoone we are yet to resume and to continue the speech already begun by vs as also we then promised of one principall point concerning true magnanimitie and greatnes of courage which respecteth our enimies thereby to know more particularly both our dutie towards them and also what good may come to vs from them if we sustaine and beare courageously their iniuries forsaking all desire and lust to reuenge ARAM. As industrious Bees gather the driest most pearcing honie of bitter time so a wise and vertuous man saith Xenophon knoweth how to drawe profite and commoditie from his enimies vpon whome we must beware of reuenging our selues least as Theophrastus saith we hurt our selues more than them ACHITOB. It is the propertie saith Cicero of famous personages and noble harts to contemne iniuries offered vnto them by knowen wicked men whose commendation of a man importeth some dishonestie in him Now then ASER teach vs somwhat of this matter wherein we haue so great neede of instruction ASER. The Cynick Philosopher said that if a man would be in safetie and partaker of happinesse he must of necessitie haue good friends or sharpe enimies that the first sort by good and wise admonitions and these by notable iniuries might withdraw him from doing of euill And truely if we consider the profite and commoditie which may come vnto vs from him that voluntarily without occasion giuen him as it is our dutie not to offend any is become our enimie by gouerning our selues therin with the reason of a true Academical prudence besides that we shall shew foorth the effects of that title which we beare and of the end of our being we must be so farre off from hating an enimie that we should rather thinke our selues beholding and bound vnto him for that great good which he procureth vnto vs. That this is so is not this one propertie of vice to make vs more ashamed before our enimies when we haue committed a fault than before our friends Do we not take our enimie for a spie and enuier of our life If any imperfection raigne in vs who wil more freely giue vs to vnderstand thereof than he that hateth vs who will not be slacke
to publish it euery where For this reason Plutarke calleth an enimie a Schoole-master that costeth vs nothing of whom we learne that which may greatly profite vs and which we know not To this effect he maketh mention in his Apophthegmes of an Athenian captaine who complained to Aristo chief captain of the Lacedemonians that his souldiers blazed abroad the maners of the Athenians If the Athenians said Aristo vnto him did looke well to their doings they should not neede to care what the Spartanes could say of them These things being well considered by vs if we haue enimies they will be a meane to make vs more fearefull and restrained from offending and more earnest and diligent to order well our behauior to direct our doings and to correct our imperfections But let vs marke a litle how the noble and courageous youths of the world behaue themselues now adaies The reproofes and iniuries of an enimie may peraduenture be tolerated in some sort by the skilfuller sort of those that boast themselues to be so curious obseruers and ready defenders of their honor so that they be not vttred in their presence bicause they say that they cannot be offended at that which is spoken of them in their absence and that they which speake so will not auouch that slander before their faces which they raysed behind their backes According to these weake reasons they would haue other men iudge of reproch and iniurie either to credite or to discredite them according to their power and not as the truth of the fact it selfe requireth whereupon also they passe that ouer without profite and amendment of their life which they knew was misliked in them There are others who vpon a bare report made vnto them thinke themselues greatly misused harmed by those that spake ill of them so that presently they purpose to be auenged of them But herein they agree al that if any man voluntarily offereth iniurie to another they would haue the sword presently to decide the controuersie What say I for an iniurie Nay for a yea or a nay they forthwith thinke that the lie is giuen them and that they are out-faced so that nothing but the death of the one or of both together and oftentimes of their dearest and best friends is able as they thinke to repaire the preiudicate and supposed offence and all for this vaine honour of the world O detestable furie not to be found in most cruel beasts which spare the bloud of their sexe It is not conuenient that any time should be lost in reproouing the same being of it self so odious that it cannot so much as be once named but with shame trembling and horror For no man is so dull of vnderstanding but he knoweth that effusion of bloud is forbidden by God and that outrage being in no sort permitted much lesse may a christian forget himselfe so farre as to kill another except it be through necessitie in defending his owne body or in the seruice of his prince and country in a iust warre Amongst all the sententious sayings of Socrates the wise the wonderfull workes of Plato his scholer I find none more diuine or woorthie of greater praise than that sentence so often repeated by them That reuenge is not in any sort to be vsed It is not iust said the same Socrates to offend any although he had offred vs wrong For a good man neuer ought to do euil◠yea it is a great deale better to suffer than to offer contumelie to be slaine than to slay bicause the one bringeth no detriment to man who is the soule but the other procureth the vtter ruine and destruction therof This will sound very ill in many mens eares But if they will iudge without passion and had eies to see and eares to vnderstand the end of their being calling as also the reason of true prudence generositie taught vs in the studie of Philosophie no doubt but they would subscribe to the opiniō of these wise Philosophers agreeing very well with that which is taught vs by the spirite of God who condemneth the murderer and him that offereth wrong and iniurie to another but calleth himselfe the defender of innocencie and such a one as returneth a double reward and recompence to those that suffer for righteousnes and equitie Who may therfore doubt but that it is farre better to receiue than to do euil to be killed than to kill seeing by the one the good houre of our perpetuall rest and felicitie is hastened forward by the other we are vtterly frustrated thereof and throwen into a hell of eternall fire So that if we endeuor to shew forth the effects of true magnanimitie and greatnesse of hart there is no doubt but to beare and to endure with al modestie and patience the outrages and wrongs of our enimies is the marke of that vertue which is most absolute and perfect That it is so doth it not appeere in this that vertue consisteth in difficult things And that vertue that commeth neerest to the diuine nature which is hardest to be obtained and least familiar with men is it not more woorthie and beseeming a noble and valiant man than all the rest Vnto which may we attribute better this marke than to the vertue of patience whereof we haue alreadie intreated We see no man vpon earth of so base estate no woman so feeble and weake no liuing creature so litle but if they be striken they will reuenge themselues very willingly as wel as they can How greatly then ought this vertue to be accounted of which forceth this natural lust of reuenge bred in al liuing creatures and how noble must the mind of that man needs be which is able to master such a violent passion so common to all men thereby procuring to it selfe the name of a mild and gratious spirit and readie to forgiue which is proper and peculiar to the diuine nature Therfore that great monarch Alexander said That a man wronged had need of a more noble hart to forgiue his enimie thā to be reuēged of him to kil him Behold the saying of as noble a prince as euer the earth bare What can the Courtiers of these times say to the contrarie It is a great vertue saith Epictetus not to hurt him of whom thou art misused It is a very commendable thing to pardon him whom thou mightest hurt and it is a praise-woorthie kind of reuenge to let them go in peace that are ouercome Therefore Pittacus the Sage hauing one in his power that had dealt contumeliously with him he suffered him to depart vnharmed saying That pardon was better than reuenge the one being proper to the spirit of a man the other of a cruel beast But further although it were onely in respect of our own benefit during our life we ought to shunne all motions of iniurie and all desire of reuenge forasmuch as we cannot either determine
of their falling out otherwise so that a man may well say that such a thing came to him by Fortune which falleth out besides his thought when he vndertaketh any worke with deliberation Epicurus said that Fortune was such a cause as agreed neither to persons times or manners Theophrastus speaking of Fortune saith that she looketh not whereat she shooteth that oftentimes she delighteth in taking away that which is gotten with very great paine but especially in ouerturning those felicities which as men think are best staied and assured Iuuenal saith that when it pleaseth hir she maketh a Consul of a Rhetoritian likewise cleane contrary hauing this propertie in hir to reioice greatly in the varietie of chances to deride all the deuices of men oftener lifting vp into the place of soueraigne authoritie such as are vnwoorthy thereof than those that deserue the same Amongst the Ancients the Romanes honoured Fortune more than all the rest esteeming of hir saith Pindarus as of the patron nurse vpholder of the citie of Rome They builded for hir many sumptuous Temples wherein she was adored vnder sundry names honorable titles for a Goddesse of singular power insomuch that they thought themselues more beholding to hir for the greatnes prosperity of their Empire than to vertue Sylla hauing attained to the soueraigne authoritie of a Monarch and of Dictator yeelded himselfe all his actions to the fauor of Fortune saying that he reputed himselfe to be Fortunes child and thereupon tooke vnto him the surname of Happie Which opinion seemeth to haue preuailed greatly with him in causing him after he had committed infinite proscriptions murders cruelties voluntarily without feare to giue ouer the Dictatorship to lead the rest of his yeeres in all assurance quietnes as a priuate man to passe repasse through all Italy without any gard euen in the midst of them whome he had so much offended We read also that when Mithridates king of Pontus wrote vnto him concerning the war which he had vndertaken against him saying that he maruelled how Sylla durst buckle with his great fortune especially knowing that she had not deceiued him at any time whereas she neuer knew Sylla Consul he returned this answer For this selfe same reason thou shalt now see how Fortune doing hir dutie will take hir leaue of thee to come to mee Iulius Caesar gaue a certaine argument of the assurance he had in Fortune when entring vpon the sea in a little Fregate in a very tempestuous weather and the Pilot making some doubt of waighing vp the Anchor he sayde thus vnto him Be not afrayde my friende for thou cariest Caesar and his Fortune Augustus his successour sending his Nephew to the warre wished that he might be as valiant as Scipio as well beloued as Pompey and as fortunate as himselfe attributing to Fortune as a principall worke the honour of making him so great as he was To this purpose also it is reported that great acquaintance and familiaritie growing betweene Augustus and Antonius his Companion in the Empire they often passed away the time togither with sundrie sortes of plaies and pastimes wherein Antonius alwayes went away vanquished Whereupon one of his familiar friendes well seene in the arte of Diuination tooke occasion many tymes to vtter his mind vnto him in these or the like speeches Sir what do you so neere this yoong man Separate your selfe farre from him Your fame is greater than his you are elder than he you command moe men than he you are better exercised in feates of Armes you haue greater experience but your familiar spirite feareth his and your fortune which of it selfe is great flattereth his and if you sequester not your selfe farre from him she will forsake you and goe to him Thus we see what great estimation the Romanes had of Fortune yea they stood in so great awe of hir power that Paulus Aemilius that great Captaine sayd that amongst humane things he neuer feared any one of them but amongst diuine things he alwaies stoode in great feare of Fortune as of hir in whome there was small trust to be placed bicause of hir inconstancie and mutable varietie whereby she neuer vseth to gratifie men so liberally or to bestow such absolute prosperitie vpon them but that some enuie is mingled withall Oh deceitfull Fortune said Demetrius thou art easily found but hardly auoyded They that haue laboured most in painting out this fained Goddesse say that she hath a swift pace a loftie mind and a hawtie hope They giue hir light wings a globe vnder hir feete and in hir hand a horne of abundance full of all such heauenlie and earthlie things as are exquisite and pretious which she poureth foorth liberally when and where she pleaseth Some put a wheele into hir hands which she turneth about continually whereby that part which is aboue is presently turned downeward therby giuing vs to vnderstand that from hir highest preferment she throweth downe in one instant such as are most happy into the gulfe of miserie In a word we may well compare hir to a glasse which the brighter it is the sooner it is broken dasht in peeces Histories the treasurie of antiquitie set before our eies innumerable examples of common and contrary effects which are wrought by this inconstant Fortune and those oftentimes practised vpon the same persons whome of smal she hath made very great and after taken them downe lower yea made them more miserable if I may so speake than they were at their beginning Hannibal that renowmed Captaine of the Carthaginians that redouted enimy of the Romanes after notable victories obtained sundry times against thē was in the ende vtterly ouerthrowen and compelled to flie hither and thither and to haue recourse to forraine princes into whose armes he cast himselfe for the safetie of his person and after long wandring being old spent he setled himselfe with the king of Bithynia But Titus Flaminius whom the Romanes had sent embassador to that king required to haue him that he might put him to death For quoth he as long as he liueth he will be a fire for the Romane empire which wanteth but some one or other to kindle it When he was in the vigor and strength of his age neither his hand nor his body had procured so great damage to the Romanes as his good vnderstanding and sufficiencie in the arte of warre had done being ioined with the hatred he bare them Which is nothing diminished through old age neither yet through the alteration of his estate and fortune bicause the nature and qualitie of maners continueth alwaies Hannibal being aduertised of this request of Titus stieped poison in a cup of drinke which he had kept a long time against an extremitie But before he dranke thereof he vttred these wordes Go to let vs deliuer the people of Rome from this great care
seeing it lieth so heauy vpon them and the time seemeth vnto them ouer-long to stay for the naturall death of this poore old man whom they hate so extremely And yet Titus shall not obtaine a victory greatly honorable or woorthy the praise of the ancient Romanes who euen then when Pyrrhus their enimy warred against them and had wonne battels of them sent him word to beware of poison that was prepared for him Thus did this great vertuous captaine finish his daies being vtterly ouerthrowen and trode vnder foote by fortune which for a time had placed him in the highest degree of honor that could be Eumenes a Thracian one of Alexanders lieutenants and one that after Alexanders death had great wars and made his partie good against Antigonus king of Macedonia came to that greatnesse and authoritie from a poore Potters sonne afterwards being ouercome and taken prisoner he died of hunger But such preferments of fortune will not seeme very strange vnto vs if we consider how Pertinax came to the Empire ascending from a simple souldier to the degree of a captaine and afterward of Gouernour of Rome being borne of a poore countrywoman And hauing raigned only two moneths he was slaine by the souldiers of his gard Aurelianus from the same place obtained the selfe same dignitie Probus was the sonne of a gardiner and Maximianus of a black-smith Iustinus for his vertue surnamed the Great from a hogheard in Thracia attained to the empire Wil you haue a worthy exāple agreeable to that saying of Iuuenal which we alleaged euen now Gregory the 7. from a poore monke was lift vp to the dignitie of chief bishop of Rome Henry the 4. emperor was brought to that extreme miserie by wars that he asked the said Gregory forgiuenes cast him selfe down at his feete And yet before this miserable monarch could speake with him he stood 3. days fasting and barefoote at the popes palace gate as a poore suppliant waiting whē he might haue entrance accesse to his holynes Lewes the Meeke emperour king of France was constrained to giue ouer his estate to shut himself vp in a monasterie through the conspiracie of his own childrē Valerianus had a harder chaunge of his estate ending his days whilest he was prisoner in the hands of Sapor king of the Parthians who vsed the throte of this miserable emperor whensoeuer he mounted vpō his horse But was not that a wonderful effect of fortune which hapned not long since in Munster principal towne in the country of Westphalia wherin a sillie botcher of Holland being retired as a poore banished man from his country called Iohn of Leiden was proclaimed king was serued obeied of all the people a long time euen vntil the taking subuersion of the said town after he had born out the siege for the space of 3. yeeres Mahomet the first of that name of a very smal and abiect place being enriched by marying his mistres and seruing his own turne very fitly with a mutinie raised by the Sarrasins against Heracleus the emperor made himself their captain tooke Damascus spoiled Egypt finally subdued Arabia discomfited the Persians and became both a monarch a prophet Wil you see a most wōderful effect of fortune Look vpon the procedings of that great Tamburlane who being a pesants son keping cattel corrupted 500. sheepheards his companions These men selling their cattel betook them to armes robbed the merchants of that country watched the high ways Which when the king of Persia vnderstood of he sent a captaine with a 1000. horse to discomfit them But Tamburlane delt so with him that ioining both togither they wrought many incredible feates of armes And when ciuil warre grew betwixt the king and his brother Tamburlane entred into the brothers pay who obtained the victory by his means therupon made him his lieutenant general But he not long after spoiled the new king weakened subdued the whole kingdom of Persia And when he saw himselfe captain of an army of 400000. horsmen 600000. footmē he made warre with Baiazet emperor of the Turkes ouercame him in battel and tooke him prisoner He obtained also a great victorie against the Souldan of Egypt and the king of Arabia This good successe which is most to be maruelled at and very rare accompanied him always vntill his death in so much that he ended his days amongst his children as a peaceable gouernour of innumerable countries From him descended the great Sophy who raigneth at this day and is greatly feared and redoubted of the Turke But that miserable Baiazet who had conquered before so many peoples and subdued innumerable cities ended his dayes in an iron cage wherein being prisoner and ouercome with griefe to see his wife shamefully handled in waiting at Tamburlanes table with hir gowne cut downe to hir Nauell so that hir secrete partes were seene this vnfortunate Turke beate his head so often agaynst the Cage that he ended his lyfe But what neede we drawe out this discourse further to shewe the straunge dealinges and maruellous chaunges of fortune in the particular estates and conditions of men which are to be seene daily amongst vs seeing the soueraign Empires of Babylon of Persia of Graecia and of Rome which in mans iudgement seemed immutable and inexpugnable are fallen from all their glittering shew and greatnes into vtter ruine and subuersion so that of the last of them which surpassed the rest in power there remaineth onely a commandement limited and restrained within the confines of Almaigne which then was not the tenth part of the rich prouinces subiect to this Empire Is there any cause then why we should be astonished if litle kingdoms common-wealths and other ciuill gouernments end when they are come to the vtmost ful point of their greatnes And much lesse if it fal out so with mē who by nature are subiect to change and of themselues desire and seeke for nothing else but alteration Being assured therefore that there is such vncertaintie in all humane things let vs wisely prepare our selues and apply our will to all euents whose causes are altogither incomprehensible in respect of our vnderstandings and quite out of our power For he that is able to say I haue preuented thee O fortune I haue stopped all thy passages and closed vp all thy wayes of entrance that man putteth not all his assurance in barres or locked gates nor yet in high walles but staieth himselfe vpon Phylosophicall sentences and discourses of reason whereof all they are capable that imploy their wils trauell and studie thereupon Neither may we doubt of them or distrust our selues but rather admire and greatly esteeme of them beyng rauished with an affectionate spirite He that taketh least care for to morow saith Epicurus commeth thereunto with greatest ioy And as Plutarke saith riches glory
from publike administrations charges but onely that he would haue them imploied about such things as require least labour and not to beginne to meddle with publike affaires before they be fortie yeeres of age He alleadgeth these reasons bicause often-times many women haue beene more excellent than all the men of their countrie and such are dailie to be seene And seeing they haue a soule aswell as we as quicke a spirite and often-times more quicke than we whereof those women are witnesses who hauing giuen thēselues wholy to any thing whatsoeuer were not inferiour but rather went beyond many men it were great follie in men seeing God hath created man and woman with the like spirite to cut off as it were the one halfe of their strength and to helpe themselues but with a part thereof Nowe albeit these reasons are of great waight yet sure it is that men and women both by diuine and humane policie haue their distinct and seuerall offices It is very true that I like not the opinion of many who say that women ought to knowe nothing but to spinne and sowe which saying commeth neere to that of the Emperour who would not haue a woman to haue more witte than is needefull for hir to discerne hir husbandes shirt from his doublet Such opinions are fit for ignorant persons and proceede from a darke braine For it cannot but be very seemely and profitable for a woman to be able to render a reason of hir being aswell by the knowledge of the holie Scriptures as by the precepts of good life which we haue from the Ancients This ought parents to teach their daughters that they may be withdrawne from all other foolish loue through the loue of vertue and be desirous of all honestie and chastitie as also that when they are moothers in good and holie mariage they may be a principall cause of the good bringing vp of their children Yea histories reckon vp vnto vs a great many that haue beene in steede of Schoole-maisters in excellent sciences Aretia taught hir sonne Aristippus Philosophie Zenobia Queene of the Palmyrians being very well learned in the Greeke Latine and Aegyptian toongs taught them to hir two sonnes and wrote an Epitomie of the Easterne Histories Cornelia taught the Gracchyes hir two sonnes the Latine eloquence But let vs followe our discourse of the generall instruction of children Aristotle seemeth vnto mee to bee a good teacher and Maister where hee sayeth that there are two ages in which it is necessarie to diuide the institution of those disciplines which we would haue our children learne namely from seuen yeeres vntill foureteene which he calleth the age of pubertie and againe from this age vntill the one twentieth yeere He saith that in the institution of youth two things must be looked vnto the one wherin children are to be instructed the other how they ought to be instructed For all men are not agreed of this what things children are to learne neither yet is it decided or resolued vpon to what end their institution ought to be directed whether to profite or to manners or to vnderstanding and contemplation which proceedeth from the variable opinions of men who place their end in diuers things But how soeuer it is we must as we said before referre all our studies to the glorie of God and to the seruice of our neighbours in liuing well according to those charges and vocations whereunto we may be called We haue already seene the diuision of sciences and arts and spoken of those that are most necessarie for a happie life Aristotle following the custome then vsed in Grecia appointed that children should learne foure things Grammer bodilie exercise Musicke and painting for certaine commodities meete for the life of a man Grammer is the entire to all sciences whereby we learne to speake exactly also to read and to write And this is necessarie for all estates of life whether publike or priuate in peace or in warre in a quiet life or in multitude of busines for marchandice for the guiding of a house for the obtaining of knowledge for the continuance and perpetuitie of the memorie of man Briefly as nature is the cause of our being so the knowledge of letters which Grammar teacheth vs worketh in vs the knowledge how to liue well For this cause Charondas the law-maker as Diodorus the Sicilian writeth preferred Grammer before all other sciences as that which is most necessarie for mans life appointing that all the children of his citie should learne their letters at the charges of the common-wealth which was to maintaine publike maisters to teach both poore and rich Truly this law ought to be put in practise in all the townes of this kingdome to resist that pernitious Hydra of ignorance which the richer sort defend making no account of knowledge to the treading downe and oppression of the poore who would gladly haue the meanes whereby they might be instructed The Gymnastical part was that arte which as the Ancients affirmed did serue for health and strength preparing the bodies of children by honest and moderate exercises as fencing shooting throwing of a stone riding wrastling running leaping swimming and such like These according to Aristotles opinion are to be moderately practiced by children vntill they be foureteene yeeres old exercising them lightly not with forced labors that their growth be not hindred thereby This age being past after they haue bestowed three yeeres in other Morall disciplines and followed their studies in deeper sciences vntill the one and twentieth yeere then may they be exercised with more sharpe and hard labors of the body They must also be taught Musicke for the solacing and recreation of their mindes after trauels and painting that they may the better consider of the beautie of the bodie and vnderstand the symmetry and apt composition of all things to the ende that they may be the better aduised either in buying or selling them Let them also knowe howe to drawe platformes of publike and priuate buildings to set foorth countries townes and castels their height breadth and length for the warre liuing creatures of all sortes with their parts herbs trees rootes leaues flowres fruits for medicine for the knowledge of simples In this institution of children Aristotle had respect to that which was conuenient drew neerest to the forme of a happie Commonwealth established by him and to that which was necessary for the preseruation and maintenance thereof Nowe let vs apply to our vse that which we may learne both of him and of the rest of the Ancients for the framing of yoong men to honesty and vertue leauing to the libertie of Fathers to make choice of those arts and sciences wherein they purpose to bring vp their children hauing regard to that whereunto nature maketh them most apt and pliable We shall take a good way in the institution of
king or master but holdeth of one only Iesus Christ according to the ministerie of his word the other is to ordaine a ciuil iustice only and to reforme outward maners wherunto the body during this life is wholy subiect rescruing the first estate of man in his freedom according to the diuine rule of pietie we are diligently to looke to this second estate of subiection seruitude which is most necessary for the maintenance of common peace tranquillitie amongst men Now forasmuch my companions as we haue hitherto according to our weak iudgement noted the moral vertues of the soul for the better framing of mens actions to that which is decent honest in this life and folowing the same order haue also giuen rules instructions for the gouernment of a family we are now to enter into this large field of humane policie to consider of the parts that belong vnto it referring the chiefe scope of the handling of this matter which otherwise would be infinite to the ruling preseruing of our French monarchie for the instruction of al estates that are therein And first we wil see what ciuil policie is and intreat briefly of the diuers kinds of gouernments amōg the ancients that we may so much the better attaine to the knowledge of that vnder which we liue AMANA To command and to obey saith Aristotle are not only necessary but also profitable yea some things are borne to obey and others to command whose common end is publike benefit ciuil iustice which are preserued by a wel established policie and right gouernment according to the lawes of nature ARAM. Euery ciuil societie must be kept in order by some policie which is a necessary helpe to cause a man to walke in his vocation But as the elements cannot be intermingled one with another except it be by an vnequall proportion and temperature so I thinke that ciuil policies cannot wel be preserued but by a certaine inequalitie which is to be seene in all countries by diuers sorts of Gouernments But let vs heare ACHITOB discourse to this effect ACHITOB. In all things compounded of matter and forme commanding obeying are so naturall that there is some shew therof euen in things without life as we see in that harmonie which consisteth in voyce in sounds wherein the contra-tenor seemeth to command ouer the base This whole inferiour world obeyeth the superiour and is gouerned thereby through a certain vertue accompanied with light and heate called of many Philosophers the spirit of the world or as Plato saith the soule of the world which descending from the celestiall nature and intermingling it selfe throughout the whole masse of this great body penetrateth quickneth nourisheth and moderateth all chaungeable things vnder the Moone The chiefe minister and disposer of this vertue is the Sunne whom we acknowledge as king among the starres lightning the vniuersall frame with his beames The Moone is as it were the Queene ruling ouer all moistures and among other maruails shewing hir manifest power ouer the flowyng and ebbing of the Ocean seas We see among the Elements that the Fire and Aire through their first qualities are Actiue and that the water and earth are Passiue as beeyng more materiall Amongst all kinds of birdes the Eagle is president amongst beasts the Lion In fresh and salte waters the mightiest fishes rule as the Whale in the sea and the Pike in pooles Man ruleth ouer all liuing creatures and in man compounded of body soule and vnderstanding the soule commaundeth ouer the body and the vnderstanding ouer the desire We haue also seene by proceeding from one particular man to a familie made of many persons how the head commandeth diuersly ouer the partes of his house Euen so it is necessary that euery ciuill societie which is made one of many families tending to a generall good should be kept in by some policie consisting in commanding and obeying In many places of the world there are countries where the cities are not inclosed where there is no vse of learning and where there are no kinges Other people there are that dwell in no houses that vse no money that liue with rawe flesh in a worde that seeme to hold more of the nature of beasts than of men And yet there are none that haue no kind of policie established amongst them or that vse no lawes or customes whereunto they willingly submit themselues Neither are they without some apprehension and reuerence of the diuine nature vsing prayers sacrifices although damnable so straightly are these two things diuine Iustice and humane Policie ioined togither that the one cannot in any sort remaine amongst men without the other Therefore Plutarke saith that a citie will sooner stand without a foundation than ciuil policie can be framed and established without any religion and opinion of God or without the preseruation thereof after it is once receiued Moreouer the first agreement of people forsaking their barbarous and rusticall life to ioine in ciuil societie was to this ende that they might haue a place of religion to keepe them togither Religion surely is the foundation of all common-wealths of the execution of lawes of the obedience of subiects towards their magistrates of their feare towards princes of mutual loue among themselues and of iustice towards others Lycurgus reformed the estate of the Lacademonians Numa Pompilius of the Romanes Solon of the Athenians and Deucalion of all the Graecians generally by making them deuout and affectionate towardes the gods in prayers othes oracles and prophesies through the means of feare and hope of the diuine nature which they imprinted in them Polybius gouernour and lieutenant to Scipio Africanus and taken for the wisest Politician in his time saith That the Romans had neuer any greater means than religion to extend the borders of their empire and the glory of their famous acts ouer all the earth Desiring therfore that religion the truth and the law of God all which are one and published by the mouth of God may continue and dwel amongst vs let vs see what Policie is wherunto it ought chiefly to tend and what sundry sorts there are of establishing it by the contrary kindes of gouernment vsed among the auncients Policie is a worde deriued of this Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth the regiment of a citie or common-wealth and that which the Graecians call Political gouernment the Latines call the gouerment of a common-wealth or of a ciuil societie This word Policie hath been taken in many significations amongst the auncients sometime it signified a Burgesie that is to say the participation and enioying of the rights and priuiledges of a towne sometime the maner of life vsed by some politicall person as when one commendeth the policie of Pericles or of Bias that is their kind of gouernment sometime also when they would note some woorthy
Prince whereby it seemeth he thought that there was lesse to do in well ordering ruling and preseruing a great Empire once entirely gotten than in conquering the same And surely to speake truth there is nothing more difficult than to raigne well Moreouer it is better for a Prince to gouerne prudently and to rule according to his estate than to inuade possesse another mans countrie namely if he consider that God being so gratious vnto him as to bring innumerable persons vnder his obedience hath chiefly established him to keepe them in the knowledge and obseruation of true religion to rule them by good lawes to defend them by armes and in all things to be so carefull of their good that they may esteeme of him as of their father and sheepeheard Now seeing we haue summarily intreated of the education and institution of a prince vnder the charge of a teacher and gouernour let vs in this place my Companions consider of his office and dutie when he raigneth with full authoritie ouer his subsubiects ARAM. Forasmuch as integritie of religion and the good will of the people are two principall pillers vpon which the safetie of euery Estate standeth the king ought to procure the first being therefore appointed by God ouer so many millions of men and the second without doubt dependeth of the former which is the onely difference betweene a king and a tyrant who ruleth by constraint ACHITOB. In a king is seene the ordinance of God who is the author and preseruer of policies and of good order Therefore his feare and reason must neuer depart out of his mind to the end that seruing God he may profite all those that liue vnder his dominion But from thee ASER we looke for the discourse of this matter ASER. The seuen Sages of Grecia being inuited to a feast by Periander prince of Corinth were requested by him to enter into the discourse of the estate of great men Solon speaking first said That a soueraigne king or prince cannot any way procure greater glorie to himselfe than by making a popular Estate of his Monarchy that is to say by communicating his soueraigne authoritie with his subiects Bias speaking next said By submitting himselfe first of all to the lawes of his countrie Thalcs I account that Lord happie that attaineth to old age and dieth a naturall death Anacharsis If he be the onely wise man Cleobulus If he trust none of those that are about him Pittacus If he be able to preuatle so much that his subiects feare not him but for him Chilon A Prince must not set his mind vpon any transitorie or mortall thing but vpon that which is eternall and immortall Periander concluding vpon these opinions said that all these sentences seemed to him to disswade a man of good iudgement from desiring at any time to command ouer others The Emperour Traian writing to the Senate of Rome among other things vsed these very words I freely confesse vnto you that since I began to taste of the trauels and cares which this Imperiall Estate bringeth with it I haue repented me a thousand times that I tooke it vpon me For if there be great honor in hauing an Empire there is also very great paine and trauell in gouerning the same But ouer and besides to what enuie is he exposed and to how many mislikings is he subiect that hath others to gouerne If he be iust he is called cruell if pitifull he is despised if liberall he is thought to be prodigall if he laie vp monie he is taken for couetous if he be addicted to peace he is supposed to be a coward if he be courageous he is iudged ambitious if graue they will call him proud if affable and courteous he is termed simple if solitarie an hypocrite and if he be merrie they will say he is dissolute After many other speeches this good Emperour concluded that although he willingly accepted of his estate at the first yet he was very sorowful afterward that he had so great a charge bicause the sea and the Empire were two pleasant things to looke vpon but perilous to tast Diuine Plato wrote also that none was fit to gouerne an Empire and to be a Prince but he that commeth vnto it through constraint and against his will For whosoeuer desireth the charge of a Prince it must needes be that he is either a foole not knowing how dangerous and full of care the charge of a King is or if he be a wicked man that he mindeth nothing but how he may raigne to satisfie his pleasure and priuate profite to the great hurt of the Common-wealth or else if he be ignorant that he considereth not how heauie the burthen is which he taketh vpon him Therefore a wise Prince will not thinke himselfe the happier bicause he succeedeth in a greater Empire and kingdome but remember rather that he laieth so much the more care and paine vpon his shoulders and that he beginneth then to haue lesse leasure lesse rest and happines in passing away his time In other persons a fault is pardoned in youth and growing old they are suffered to take their ease But he that is Head of a Common-wealth bicause he is to trauell for all must be neyther yoong nor old For he can-not commit a fault how small soeuer it be without the hurt of many men nor yet rest from his dutie but it will turne to the miserie of his subiects This caused the Philosophers to say that a Prince ought not to dedicate the Common-wealth to himselfe but to addict himself to the Common-wealth and for the profit thereof alwaies to be diligent vertuous and wise so to gouerne his Empire that he may be able easily to giue a reason of his charge And bicause no man asketh an account of him in this life he ought to be so much the more stirred vp to demand a straighter reckoning of himselfe being assured that the time wil come and that speedily wherein he must yeeld it vp before him with whome there is no respect of Princes except in this that they shal haue the Iudge more rigorous against them that haue abused greater power and authority To begin therfore to handle the duty and office of a Prince first he must haue the lawe of God continually before his eies he must engraue it in his soule and meditate vpon the wordes and ordinances thereof all the dayes of his life desiring of God to graunt him the spirite of vnderstanding to conceiue them well and according to that diuine rule to direct all his intents and actions to the glorie of that great eternall and Almightye Kinge of Kinges aswell for the saluation of his owne soule which he ought to preferre before the rule of the whole worlde as for the good of those that are committed to his charge to gouerne teach and iudge them For it is moste certaine that of the knowledge of the truth in
iudgements of the Romanes were for a long time in the hands of three Orders or Estates namely of Senators Knights and Tribunes of the treasure Neuertheles the same persons did not alwaies iudge but the Pretors who were annuall Iudges and chief amongst them tooke a certaine number of Iudges by lot out of those three Estates And if they that were first taken were refused by any one of the parties others were chosen by an after-lot who being agreed vpon and sworne were distributed by decuries or tens There were three sorts of Pretors the Pretor of the Citie who tooke knowledge of particular causes namely of ciuill and criminal matters amongst the citizens of Rome the Pretor established for matters betweene strangers citizens the Pretors appointed for publike causes The Senators were once the only Iudges of all processes but Tiberius Caius Gracchus being popular persons to diminish the authority of the Senate and to encrease the peoples power ioined vnto them 300. Knights according to the number of the Senators brought it so about that the iudgmēts of al causes were diuided betweene these 600. men Vnder Sylla all authoritie of iudging was restored againe to the Senate but Pompey after that brought in the Knights againe all iudgements were equally communicated vnto the three Orders aboue mentioned Afterward when Caesar was Dictator he reduced them to two Orders only that is to Senators to Knights Buda in his annotations vpon the Pandects hath obserued many good things belonging to the Romane iudgements which curious spirits may looke into among the rest of the great respect honor that was giuen to Magistrats Concerning which matter we may vse as a good testimony that which we read in Plutark of Fabius Maximus his son who seeing a far off his father come towards him on horse-backe that his sergeants in regard of fatherly reuerence had not caused him to alight commanded him to set foot on ground Which the father presently obeied imbracing his sonne made greater account of him than if he had done otherwise The same author writeth that one Vectius was presently slaine bicause he arose not whē the Tribune of the people passed before him And Valerius Maximus saith that the Censors did note with ignominy withall disfranchised a citizen of Rome bicause he breathed yawned a little too loud in their presence But what Estats dignities were then giuen to vertue not to him that offred most And often times the places of iudgement were necessarily and as it were by force laid vpon Iudges being more honourable than profitable yea very incommodious to such as would discharge themselues vprightly therein I remember an excellent iudgement giuen by Archidamus the Lacedemonian when he was chosen Arbitrator to decide a certaine contention betweene two friendes After he had brought them both into the Temple of Diana and made them sweare vpon the aultar that they shoulde obserue precisely whatsoeuer he determined wherunto they yeelded I iudge then quoth he that none of you depart out of this Temple before you haue ended your strife Thus were they both constrained to agree among themselues and Archidamus freed from perill of loosing one of their friendships against whome he must needes haue giuen iudgement By this meanes he put in practice that saying of Pittacus That a man must not be ludge or Arbitrator in the controuersie of two friendes least by iudging profitably for one he loose the friendship of the other But let vs speake of our own Estate In old time as many histories report iudgements were so well administred in France that strangers did willingly submit themselues vnto them Frederick the 2. submitted to the iudgement of the king and his Parliament the deciding of many contentions and controuersies betweene him and Pope Innocent the fourth In the time of Phillip the Faire the Earle of Namure did the like albeit that Charles of Valoys the kings brother was his aduerse partie so great confidence had he in the equitie of those Iudges At the same time Phillip Prince of Tatentum willingly accepted for Iudge the king sitting in his Parliamēt about the controuersie that he had with the Duke of Burgundye for certaine charges which he should defraye towardes the recouerie of the Empire of Constantinople The like did the Duke of Lorraine in the suite which he had against Guy of Castillon his brother in law for their diuision of lands And in the yeere 1402. the Kinges of Castile and of Portingale sent an agreement made and past betweene them that it might be published and proclaimed in the Court of Parliament to haue greater authoritie thereby Truly these testimonies are as famous for the glorie of iustice vsed in France as any that can be alleadged by the Grecians or Romanes for the proofe of their iust iudgements of the reputation of their lawes and renowne of their Magistrates But let vs consider how farre iustice is fallen at this day from that ancient opinion and credite iudgements being now brought to that length and intangled in so many formalities that it is a thing greatly to be pitied and full of calamitie to see this Realme so infected as it were with a generall contagious disease wherein such an innumerable companie of men liue by that miserable exercise of pleading called Practice Plato saith that it is an euident token of a corrupted Estate where there are many Iudges and Phisitions bicause the multitude of Iudges is maintained by the vnfaithfulnes and contention of men and the great number of Physitions by idlenes daintie fare and gluttony There was neuer any nation of which this might be more truly spoken than of ours as it is notoriously knowne to euery one Paulus Aemilius writeth that in the beginning Frēch men behaued themselues simply and plainly in matters of iudgement resting in the determinations giuen by the Bailiffs and Seneshals who had the administration almost of al right and iurisdiction and thinking it vnseemely and void of honestie to seeke a farre off for right by meanes of appeale But after that slanders arose amongst them and suites were multiplied soueraigne iustice began to be exercised once a yeere and that for a few daies togither afterward twice a yeere alwaies changing the place In the end it was determined that the chiefe iudgements should be held in a certaine place and that a house should be built for that purpose at Paris the principall citie of the kingdome Whereupon in the raigne of Phillip the Faire the Pallace was erected according to that greatnes and magnificence wherein you now see it with hals chambers into which were distributed by certaine companies those Iudges that gaue the last sentence frō which no appeale might be made both in ciuill and criminal matters The erection of this Parliament into an ordinarie Court doth giue vs to vnderstand that there should be one or two Presidents The first
we consider that this tabernacle of our body which is weake vicious corruptible casuall and inclining to putrefaction is dissolued and as it were pulled downe by death that it may afterward be restored to a perfect firme incorruptible and heauenly glory shal not this certain assurance compel vs to desire earnestly that which nature flieth and abhorreth If we consider that by death we are called home from a miserable exile to dwel in our countrey yea in our celestial coūtrey shall we not conceiue singular consolation thereby But some man may say that al things desire to continue in their being For the same cause I say we ought to aspire to the immortalitie to come where we haue a setled estate which is not seene at all vpon earth How commeth it to passe that the bruite beasts and sencelesse creatures euen wood and stones hauing as it were some feeling of their vanitie corruption are in expectation of the iudgement day that they may be deliuered from their corruption and yet we that haue some light of nature boast that we are illuminated by the spirit of God lift not vp our eies aboue this earthly putrefaction when we talk of our beeing But what shal we say of those men whose number alas is very great who quenching all natural light opposing themselues directly against the testimonies of truth which presse their consciences sound daily in their eares dare yet doubt of yea impudently deny this day of iudgement and the change of this mortall life into a second which is immortal If the word of god so expresly set down for our assurance be of so litle credit that it wil not satissie them yet how is it that they are not conuinced by the writings of so many Ethnike and heathen Philosophers who make the immortalitie of the soule out of doubt by the consideration of the being of this life conclude a iudgemēt to come which bringeth perpetuall happines and felicitie to the soules of the blessed euerlasting miserie paine to them that are vnhappy Plato vnder the name of Socrates may serue for a fit teacher for such Epicures and Atheists that wil not heare the heauenly word of the almighty Frō whence commeth it saith he that we see so many wicked mē passe the course of their days in worldly happines and fclicitie and die in great rest quietnes whereas on the other side so many good men liue die in great afflictions most hard calamities The reason is bicause God doth not punish and chastise all the wicked vpon the earth to the end men may know that there is a iudgement to come wherin the vngodlines of such men shal be corrected Neither doth he recompence all good men with blessings in this world to the ende they may hope that there is a place in the other life where the vertuous shal be rewarded Likewise he doth not punish all the wicked nor reward al good men here beneath least men should thinke that the vertuous folowed vertue in hope of a carnal earthly reward or eschewed vice for feare of punishmēts torments in this world For so vertue should be no more vertue seing there is no action that may cary the surname of vertuous if the intent of him that doth it be in hope of some earthly carnal recompence not for the loue of vertue it self that he may be accepted of God and so conceiue hope of eternal rewards in the other life Also he punisheth and correcteth some wicked men vpon earth rewardeth some good men least if good men only were afflicted the wicked suffred in quiet men might be brought to beleeue that there were no prouidence that the diuine nature had no care of vs so all men would giue ouer themselues to folow iniustice By the sequele of this speech Plato inferreth proueth that there is one God that hath care ouer his cretures that naturally euery spirit loueth him better that striueth to resemble him in manners fashiōs of liuing that reuerēceth honoreth him thā those that feare him not but despise him whose conditions are altogither vnlike his Moreouer he prooueth euidētly that good men in feare reuerence of the Deitie striue to imitate it by good works done to the benefit and safetie of others and contrarywise that the wicked despise God and all lawes both diuine and humane whereupon it followeth that God loueth good men and hateth the wicked And bicause we see that good mē are subiect to calamity ignominy in this world we must therfore vndoubtedly confesse that there is another life after this wherein good men are eternally rewarded the wicked punished Otherwise it would folow that God cared more for the wicked than for the good which were too absurd to graunt From hence that diuine Philosopher draweth this conclusion that the life of a wise man ought to be a perpetual meditation of death and that the very feare to die not any desire to liue is that which maketh death fearefull to them that know not the immortalitie of the soule Now then ought not these men to blush for shame that dare doubt of the second life and future iudgement when they heare this discourse of an Ethnike and Pagan destitute of that true light of God and sincere religion which is manifested to vs in Iesus Christ Truly nothing is more cleere in all the holy scripture than that as before the first day mētioned in Genesis all things were possessed of Eternitie so that there was neither time nor yeere nor moneth nor season but all things were in that Eternitie so when the last day shal come all shall be eternall for the felicitie of the good torment of the wicked But to returne to our speech of death the worde of God giueth vs to vnderstand of three kinds of death the one is the separation of the soule from the body with the dissolution of the body vntill the resurrection and of this is our present discourse The second is the death of sinne as it is said oftentimes that they are dead that nourish themselues in sinne The third is called in the Apocalyps the second death and sometimes eternal death vnto which the wicked shal be condemned in the last iudgemēt Therfore to cōtinue our speech of corporal temporal death if the doctrine of the sonne of God be neuer so little apprehended of vs by faith we shall see cleerely enough that the faithful ought to haue that in great request which to humane sense seemeth neither happie nor to be desired seeing it turneth to their saluation It belongeth to him that will not goe vnto Iesus Christ to feare death and to be vnwilling to goe to Christ is a badge of such a one as wil not raign with him What traueller hauing passed many dangerous wayes reioyceth not when he draweth neer to his countrey
the author of all good a second more perfect vnderstanding of the soul than had all these notable heathen men both in respect of the blessed immortalitie and also of the cause thereof We know also that so long as she is detained in this mortall prison of the bodie that we are become new creatures by the grace of God she is diuided into these two partes the spirit and the flesh betweene which there is a perpetual combat Yea the flesh continually offereth to the spirit a thousand temptations to delight it withall For the bodie and flesh consisting of mortall and corruptible matter are but a lumpe of sinne and full of wicked desires whereas the spirit of it selfe vertuous and good and of an immortall essence is of it owne nature enimie to vice and iniquitie so that being ruled and guided by the spirite of God it loueth and desireth eternall happines and reioiceth in iustice puritie and holines And yet the soule is not so freed from the slauerie of sinne but that there remaineth in hir many steps of the earthly man so that she alwaies carieth about with hir the relickes of the flesh whereby hir libertie is so much diminished This is that fight whereof the true children of God haue dailie experience when they are lifted vpward by the spirit and by the flesh turned downeward by the spirit they bend with an ardent desire towards immortalitie by the flesh they are caried astray into the way of death by the spirit they thinke to liue iustly by the flesh they are stirred foreward to iniquitie by the spirit they contemne the world by the flesh they desire wordly delights But in the ende the grace of God causeth the spirit to remaine superiour so that his children walke not according to the flesh but according to the spirit Whereas if we be left of God to our owne corrupt and peruerse nature we haue not sufficient strength to resist the temptations of this wicked flesh but in steade of commanding it we obey it with shame and confusion And then accustoming our selues to sinne and to consent to the desires of the flesh the diuine part of the soule is so weakened that she hath no more strength or feeling of hir essence which is enimie to vice but hauing forsaken God he forsaketh hir and giueth hir ouer into the power of carnal desires So that by this long dwelling in sinne being as it were altogither dead she taketh no more counsaile of reason but followeth after detestable vices and such as are against nature But on the contrarie side being guided by the grace of God after we haue laboured by fasting watching and praier to resist the vnpure desires of the flesh al the concupiscences therof wil at length be so tamed and forced that the soule shal execute hir office in commanding ouer them absolutely and in choaking them so soone as they shall spring vp Therefore it commeth from the spirit that we aspire continually to our last and soueraign good that with a singuler desire of hart and with all our affection we studie to seeke and finde it out euen with teares and sighes by reason of those continuall impediments which the flesh laieth before vs in following our course Moreouer the spirit causeth vs to imploy all our might in the separation of the soule from the bodie and in dispising pleasure ambition vainglorie and riches that we may offer an acceptable present by yeelding vnto him the soul which he hath giuen vs. Which thing cannot be done saith Plato but by keeping it as much as may be purged cleansed from earthly spots that she may be knowne and acknowledged aboue amongst hir companions considering that no defiled thing shall enter into the kingdome of heauen In this discourse of the soule and of the spirit thus intermingled I thinke we may here set downe some special difference betwixt them although vndoubtedly the one is taken indifferently for the other without any absurditie yea they are one and the same thing The difference may be made in this sort if we say that the soule is common to all things that haue life as we vse to say that all beasts are animated and haue sensitiue soules but that the spirite which is immortall and capable of reason knowledge is proper and peculiar to man onely And it seemeth that Sophocles would teach vs this distinction when he saith that The spirit is the same thing to the soule which the eie is to the bodie Socrates also putting a difference betweene the soule and the spirit saide that as eucrie seditious man is to be banished out of a well gouerned citie so a spirit enclined to all mischiefe is to be remooued from that soule which we would saue Or else we may say otherwise not diuiding any thing that the spirit is the first and principall part of the soule wherein the Minde the Vnderstanding and the memorie are contained which are most necessary for the direction of all good and vertuous actions and which stand in need of preseruation nourishing and exercise and therfore they are said not without reason to increase decrease in the minde of man The minde is as a white paper wherein as a man groweth in age iudgement he writeth his cogitations and thoughts which the studie of letters and learning do affoord him Vnderstanding is framed by the knowledge of reason and lastly memorie followeth preserueth it being the mother of the muses and the treasorie of knowledge Plutark calleth it the hearing of deafe things and the sight of the blinde There is nothing that serueth so much to beget and preserue learning and knowledge as memorie doth whereof we haue many examples among the ancients We reade of Mithridates king of Pontus who was a great enimie to the Romaines that he had vnder his dominion two twentie nations speaking diuers languages all which he learned and answered their ambassadours in their owne toongs Which thing he could neuer haue comprehended without an excellent and happy memorie which also was the cause that Themistocles knew personally and could name all his countrimen by their proper names The emperor Frederick the 11. spake the Greeke Latin Hebrew Arabian Morisko Almaigne Italian and French toong In our time there was an interpreter of Sultan Solymaus named Genusbey borne in Corfou endued with the richest memorie that euer was For he spake perfectly the Greek toong both vulgar learned the Turkish Arabian Moorish Tartarian Persian Armenian Hebrew Russe Hungarian Sclauonian Italian Spanish Almaign Latin and French It is recorded of Publius Crassus that at one instant he heard fiue sundry languages spoken and answered ech of them in the same toong Whereby we see that he was endued with an excellent and quicke spirite apt to conceiue and with a firme memorie able to retaine them altogither and this may be seene in many But the
authoritie and credite reioyce them most that stande least in feare of their contraries For when a man seeketh after any of them with an ouer-burning desire whereby also too great a feare of loosing them is imprinted in him the pleasure which he hath by enioying the same is verie weake and vnstable much like to a flame blowen vp and downe with the winde But as for the power of fortune saith the same Philosopher it bringeth downe those men that of their owne nature are cowards fearefull and of small courage Neither must we attribute cowardlines to misfortune nor valure and prudence to fortune who is not able to make a man great without vertue For what good will weapons doe a man without experience riches without liberalitie victorie without bountie and clemencie fighting without valure and boldnesse briefly all fortunes goods without knowledge how to vse them well Let vs learne also that it is too great blockishnesse to attribute the cause of the change of monarchies common-wealths estates of battels lost and generally of all casuall mishaps both generall and particular to certaine second causes one while accusing the ambition of some the ignorance or negligence of others the small courage want of money of men or of munitions But we must looke higher and turne towardes him who vseth such meanes in the execution of his wonderfull counsell when he mindeth to chastise and to punish men for their offences Example hereof we haue in those great monarchies of Babylon of Persia and of Graecia whose markes are no more to be seene than the pathe of a ship in the water or way of a bird flying in the aire And yet they were ouerthrowen and vanquished by such as had a thousand times lesse humane force and chiefe sinewes of warre as treasure men munition and other furniture than their monarches and emperours had who abounded euery way But God purposed to punish their pride and iniquitie Let vs therefore stand in awe not of the goddesse fortune which is but the dreame of man and cannot as Cicero saith greatly hurt him that iudgeth hope grounded vpon vertue more firme than that which is built vpon hir forces but let vs feare him who directeth and disposeth in wisdome all things created to their proper end which is the glorie of his name and saluation of his elect albeit the order which he obserueth the cause reason and necessitie of them are for the most part hid in his secret counsell and cannot be comprehended by the sense of man And yet not so hid but that we ought prudently to consider of those means which he offreth vnto vs for our vse after we haue endeuoured to mitigate and to appease his wrath and anger through the amendment of our life and haue called for aide and helpe of him in all our enterprises grounded by reason vpon dutie The ende of the eleuenth daies worke THE TWELFTH DAIES WORKE Of Mariage Chap. 45. ASER. IT is greate perfection as Seneca writeth for a man to take in hand and desire to obtain but one only thing But no man is one and the same except a wise man all other men are of diuers formes Who knoweth not with how great disquietnes the mind of man is set on fire with what lightnes it is caried hither thither and with what ambition and desire it is stirred vp to take holde of many sundry thinges at once Notwithstanding we must diligently marke how the heauenly wisdome hath made a distinction of estates and kindes of life amongst men from the beginning appointing that of Adams two first children the one should be a husbandman the other a sheepheard Since that the selfe same prouidence hath alwayes commaunded that euery one of vs should looke vnto his calling in all the actions of his life accounting therof as of a station assigned vnto vs by his maiestie and as of a perpetuall rule whereby we must direct the ende of our intents and following the will of God striue to continue such men to the ende of our dayes as we once purposed with our selues to be For we may assure our selues that there is no worke so small and contemptible which doth not shine and appeere precious before the heauenly throne if we do it in faith according to our calling and giue glory to the Eternall for our whole condition and state of life Nowe we know that after God had created man by his almightie power and vnspeakable goodnesse to make him partaker of his glory and to rule ouer the earth the sea and all things contained in them he gaue him presently the woman for a faithfull companion and sweete solace to his life and for the preseruation of his kinde instituting and sanctifying mariage from that tyme forward Therefore I thinke my companions that we ought to handle this first bicause it is the first calling of man most common and most honorable to the end that we may as we sayd yesterday begin to apply the actions and practise of the vertues of which we haue hitherto intreated to estates and conditions of life whereunto eche of vs may be called AMANA If we could saith Plato behold with bodily eyes the beautie that honestie hath in hir we would be farre in loue with hir but she is to be seen onely with the eyes of the minde And truely with the same eyes we may behold it in mariage if we consider narowly the honestie of the coupled life when it is in euery respect absolute than the holy bond whereof the earth hath nothing more beautifull or honest ARAM. Mariage as the scripture saith is honorable among all and the bed vndefiled He that findeth a wife findeth a good thing and receiueth fauour of the Lord. Therefore of thee ACHITOB we desire to vnderstand more at large what thou hast learned concerning this matter discussed with so many contrary opinions both old and new ACHITOB. Nature hauing brought vs foorth to liue in societie and not alone like to brute beasts it must needes be saith Aristotle that he which liueth solitarily is either a very beast or more than a man Now a societie is an assemblie and agreement of many in one seeking after some good thing that is profitable pleasant and honest atleast that seemeth to be so or else labouring to flie from and to eschew some euill Euery societie respecteth the maintenance and preseruation of Monarchies Kingdomes and Common-wealths But bicause no one whole and generall thing can be knowne as the Philosophers say except the parts thereof be first knowne it agreeth very fitly with the cause of our meeting togither and is also very necessarie for vs to learne what the societie of wedlocke is which being the seminarie and preseruation of all societies is nothing else but a communion of life betweene the husband and the wife extending it selfe to all the parts that belong to their house of which we