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
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
being desirous to procure the benefit and ease of the Common-wealth would serue himselfe for this sacrifice And so it came to passe for presently this gulfe closed vp to the great astonishment of all the people How shal we thinke that these and so many others as histories set before our eies who haue freely offered their liues for the safetie of many and chose rather to vndertake any danger than to turne aside in any thing from that which they knew to be the dutie of a good man how I say shall we thinke that they would haue fainted or yeelded through the enticements of honor grace fauor riches whereby the greatnes of their courage limited onely with the bounds of right and iustice might haue beene weakened But hoping that the sequele of our discourses will furnish vs with more ample testimonies both of this and of all the other parts of dutie which respect euery particular action and fearing least I haue been somewhat too long in the examples alreadie alledged we will conclude our present matter with this generall instruction that vnto what estate qualitie or condition soeuer men are called they ought to propound to themselues in all their actions Dutie and Honestie searching for them in the holie scriptures and in the precepts of good life conformable thereunto which are left vnto vs by the ancient Sages and wise philosophers to this end that being wel instructed in true pietie we may first of all giue honor and glorie to God and then be beneficiall helpfull and profitable to his creatures These graces we may by the direction and blessing of God draw out of those fower riuers which proceed and flow from this generall vertue and fountaine of Honestie of which we are to discourse particularly heerafter namely of Prudence Temperance Fortitude and Iustice which are those morall vertues whereby all good and vertuous actions are brought to passe Of Prudence Chap. 10. ACHITOB THere is one only wise souereign Creator of al things the almighty strong and terrible who sitteth vpō his throne frō whom commeth al wisedom which alwaies hath been and is for euer with him and which he hath powred out vpon all works and vpon all flesh according to his liberalitie and giueth hir abundantly to them that loue him She teacheth the doctrine of God and causeth vs to choose his works She decketh vs with prudence iustice and courage giuing vs the knowledge of the time past and iudgement of that which is to come The multitude of those which are endued with these gifts graces are the gard of the world and a prudent king is the assurance of his people The sequele therfore of our speech leadeth vs to the handling of Prudence the first riuer of the fountaine of Dutie ASER. Wisedome raineth downe knowledge and wise vnderstanding and bringeth to honor those that possesse hir Of hir therefore we are to seeke for true Prudence a necessarie guide to all our actions but we must hate the prudence of the flesh which is follie before God and maketh all the thoughts of the wise of this world to become vaine and foolish Moreouer Cicero saith that no man can be prudent but he must be good AMANA O how learnedly hath Socrates taught vs to know and marke this true and heauenly Prudence proceeding from the loue and feare of the highest from that earthlie Prudence which is full of darknes when he saith that Prudence is the generall vertue the princesse and guide of morall vertues and that wherein the knowledge of our souereigne good and of the end of our being consisteth as also the choice of those waies wherby we may come vnto it But let vs heare ARAM discourse more largely of the great woorthie and wonderfull effects of this rich vertue ARAM. All the life of men expressing a worthie end of their being consisteth in contemplation and action For knowing that the thoughts of all mortall men are vnstable and their inuentions vncertaine bicause the bodie and the affections thereof oppresse the soule and cast downe the spirit loden with care they lift vp their harts towards the brightnes of the eternall light who of his meere grace prepareth their soules lighteneth their vnderstandings and directeth their paths to the knowledge of that true and perfect Idea of Good from whence Prudence floweth that she may gouerne their actions according to Gods will and to the profit of humane societie Therefore it is from knowledge and reason gotten in the studie of wisedome by the grace of God from whence the vertue of Prudence proceedeth which is that rule of all the actions of man whereby through good and sage aduice he discerneth and chooseth good from bad that which is profitable from the contrarie to the end he may shun the one and practise the other This is that which Aristotle saith that the office of Prudence consisteth in skill to consult and to choose to the end to execute that which vertue commandeth namely Honestie and decencie and that for no other respect than for the loue thereof And therfore wise men haue put a difference betweene Science and Prudence saying that Science is a dead knowledge of things which of it selfe cannot change the will in such sort that it may imbrace and follow the knowen good or auoid the euill which is euident in wicked men endued with knowledge But Prudence is a beame proceeding from that true sunne which doth not only illuminate and lighten the vnderstanding but also warmeth and kindleth the affection This vertue saith Bias one of the Sages of Graecia is amongst the rest of the vertues as the sight is amongst the fiue senses of mans bodie thereby giuing vs to vnderstand that as the eie of al the other senses is most beautifull subtill and pearcing so the vertue of Prudence by hir quicke and cleere light directeth and conducteth al vertues in their good and commendable operations It is by hir that man is alwaies clothed with a milde and setled disposition whereof he standeth no lesse in need than a ship floating on the sea doth of the presence of a pilot that he may prudently vndertake wisely execute whatsoeuer he knoweth to be good after mature deliberation and consideration of all the circumstances of the fact Morall philosophers attributed three eies to this vertue of Prudence namely Memorie Vnderstanding and Prouidence which three things Cicero calleth the parts of Prudence With the first she beholdeth the time past with the second the time present with the third the time to come Moreouer a prudent and wise man by the consideration of things past and of that which hath followed since iudgeth of that which in the like case may fall out in the time following And after long deliberation he expecteth the times waigheth the dangers and knoweth the occasions and then yeelding now and then to the times but alwaies to necessitie so it be not against dutie he boldly setteth
haue not onelye infinite testimonies in the Scripture that the estate of Magistrates is acceptable before God but which is more it is adorned with honourable titles that the dignitie therof might be singularly recommended vnto vs. When we see that all men placed in authoritie are called Gods we must not esteeme this title to be of smal importance seeing it appeereth therby that they are authorized by him and represent his maiestie in the ruling gouerning of vs. If the Scripture as that heauenly word saith called them Gods vnto whom the word of God was giuen what is that else but that they haue charge cōmission from God to serue him in their office as Moses Iosaphat said to their Iudges whom they appointed ouer euery citie of Iudah to exercise iustice not in the name of men but in the name of God By me saith the wisedome of God kings raigne and princes decree iustice By me princes rule and the nobles and all the iudges of the earth Moreouer we see that many holye men haue obtained kingdomes as Dauid Iosias Ezechias some gouernments and great estates vnder kings as Ioseph and Daniel others the guiding of a free people as Moses Iosua and the Iudges whose calling and estate was acceptable to God as he hath declared by his spirite Wherefore no man ought to doubt of this that ciuill superioritie is not onely a holie and lawfull calling before God but also the holiest and most honourable of all other whereunto all the people is subiect aswell by the establishment of the right of the estate as by the holie and heauenly ordinance of God And if the Magistrate be perswaded as it is certaine that many Estates haue had that foundation that the cause of his first institution and voluntarie subiection whereunto the people submitted themselues for their cōmon benefit was that excellencie of vertue which appeered in some aboue the rest ought he not to thinke himselfe vnwoorthy of so honourable a title if he want the cause of the beginning thereof But further if the Magistrate know that he is appointed the minister of Gods iustice vnto what great integritie prudence clemencie moderation and innocencie ought he to conforme frame himselfe With what confidence dare he suffer any iniquitie to haue entrance into his seate which he vnderstandeth to be the throne of the liuing God With what boldnes will he pronounce any vniust sentence out of his mouth which he knoweth is appointed to be an instrument of the truth of God With what conscience will he subscribe to or seale any euill statute with his hand which he knoweth is ordained to write the decrees of God To be short if the Magistrate call to mind that as God hath placed the Sunne and Moone in the heauens as a token of his diuinitie so is he also appointed in earth for the like representation and light will he not thinke that he is to imploy and bestow all his care and studie that he may represent vnto men in all his dooings as it were an image of the prouidence defence goodnes clemencie and iustice of God It is certaine that the Magistrate is the same thing in the Common-wealth which the hart is in the body of a liuing creature If the hart be sound and pure it giueth life vnto the whole body bicause it is the fountaine of the bloud and of the spirits but being corrupted it bringeth death and destruction to all the members So fareth it with the Magistrate who is the soule of the people their glasse and the white whereat all his subiects aime If he liue vnder right reason truth and Iustice which are the proper wil of God onely he is not vnlike to a line or rule which being first right it selfe afterward correcteth all other crooked things that are applied vnto it For nothing is more natural than that subiects should conforme them selues to the manners deedes and words of their prince The wise Hebrew Plato Cicero and Titus Liuius haue left this Maxime vnto posteritie as an infallible rule of Estate And Theodoricus king of the Gothes writing to the Senat of Rome goeth yet further vsing these words as Cassiodorus rehearseth them That the course of nature would sooner faile than the people would leaue off to be like their Princes But further as the hart in the bodies of liuing creatures is last corrupted insomuch that the last relicks of life seeme to abide therein so it is meete that if any disease corrupt the people the soueraigne Magistrate should continue pure and sound vnto the end from all that pollution If there be any euill in the soule it proceedeth from the wickednes of the body being subiect to peruerse affections and looke what good thing soeuer is in the body it sloweth from the soule as from the fountaine thereof Now as it would be against nature if the euils of the body should come from the soule the good gifts of the body should be corrupted by the vices of the spirite so would it be very absurd that corrupt manners euill lawes vice and vngodlines should proceede from the Magistrate vnto the people seeing as Plato saith he holdeth the same place in the Common-wealth that reason doth in the soule which guideth the other parts by wisedome And forasmuch as the whole Common-wealth representeth but one certaine bodye compounded of diuers members whereof the Magistrate is the Head and most excellent of all he must also vse such equitie that he profit euery one of them and beware that he be not contagious to the whole publike body through his euil example The people saith Seneca giue more credite to their eies than to their eares that is to say they beleeue that which they see sooner than that which they heare And to instruct the people by precepts is a long and difficult way but to teach them by examples is very short and of greater efficacie Therefore the Magistrate must be more carefull of that which he doth than of that which he speaketh And that which he prescribeth his subiects for a rule as it were by law must be confirmed of him by works and deedes For as he is chiefly bound to follow the lawes of God and nature so he must make all those lawes and statuts which he establisheth in his estate according to that paterne And therfore one of the Ancients said very wel that the prince togither with his subiects had one and the same God to serue one law to keepe and one death to feare We will then briefly comprehend the dutie of the Magistrate in these three things in ruling in teaching and in iudging his people which duties are so neerely knit and ioined togither that the one cannot be well exercised without the other and he that faithfully dischargeth one fulfilleth them all For this cause Plato saith that the arte and science of the King of the
ciuil estate gouernment which is the chief Magistrate let vs consider now of the second no lesse necessary therein which is the law whereby he is ioined and vnited to the rest of the publike body for the maintenance and preseruation thereof ACHITOB. The lawe is in the citie as the spirite is in the body For as the body without the spirite vndoubtedly perisheth in like maner euery citie Commonwealth that hath no law falleth into ruine and perdition Therefore Cicero calleth lawes the soules of Common-wealths ASER. As the soule guideth the body and indueth it with abilitie to work so the law is the direction maintenance of euery Estate By the lawe is the Magistrate obeied and the subiects kept in peace and quietnes But let vs heare AMANA handle this matter AMANA We see that naturally all liuing creatures whether earthie watry aërie or flying tame or wild seeke after the companies and assemblies of their kinds to liue with them as Sheepe by flocks Kine Oxen Harts and Hindes feeding by herds Horses Asses Mules by companies Choughs Stares Cranes other birds by flights Fishes both in fresh and salt waters following one another in sholes Bees dwelling in hiues Pigeons in doouehouses Ants in little hollow places No maruell therefore if men singularly adorned with an immortal soule with reason speech and by these prerogatiues more communicable than other creatures as borne to honour God to loue one another to liue togither in a ciuill policie with lawes Magistrats iudgements hauing proper to themselues onely the knowledge of good euill of honestie dishonestie of iustice iniustice knowing the beginnings causes of things their proceedings antecedents consequents their similitudes cōtrarieties no maruel I say if they liue more commodiously happily togither do that by right equity which other liuing creatures do only by a natural instinct seeing also they may be assured as Cicero saith that nothing here below is more acceptable to god the gouernor of all the world than the cōgregations assemblies of mē linked togither by right equity which we cal cities Now we are to note that all those which obey the same lawes Magistrats make iointly togither but one city which as Aristotle saith is euery cōpany assembled togither for some benefit If a city be assēbled in monarch-wise it is to be defēded against strāgers to liue peaceably among thēselues according to law if Aristocratically vnder certaine chiefe lords it is to be respected according to their riches nobility vertue if in a popular cōmunity it is to enioy liberty equality the better that the city is guided by policy the greater benefit they hope for therby Therefore as the Venetians make but one city liuing vnder an Aristocraticall gouernment the Bernians an other liuing vnder a Democraty whether they liue within or without the wals or far frō the chief towne so all the natural subiects of this Monarchy acknowledging one king for their soueraigne lord obeying his commandemēts the decrees of his coūcel represent one city political cōmunion cōpounded of many villages townes prouinces Prouostships Bailiweeks Senshalships gouernments Parliaments Barronies Counties Marquesies Dukedoms Cures Bishopriks Archbishopriks being in of it self sufficiently furnished with all necessary honest things for the leading of a good vertuous life obeying the statuts lawes ordinances established therin according to which the Magistrat ought to rule to gouern his subiects shewing therby that albeit he be not subiect to the law yet he wil as it becommeth him liue gouerne himselfe vnder the law Therfore the Magistrate is very wel called by some a liuing lawe the law a mute Magistrate Moreouer the marke of a soueraign Prince of which depēdeth whatsoeuer he doth by his imperial authority is the power to prescribe lawes vnto all in general to euery one in particular not to receiue any but of God who is the Iudge of Princes saith Marcus Aurelius as Princes are the iudges of their subiects yea it is God saith the wise mā that wil proceed with rigor against thē for the contēpt of his law So that they which say generally that princes are no more subiect to laws thā to their own couenāts if they except not the laws of god of nature those iust couenants and bargaines that are made with them they are iniurious to God And as for their power to abrogate such lawes by their absolute authoritie it is no more permitted vnto them than the other seeing the power of a soueraign is only ouer the ciuill or positiue lawes But that we may haue some certaine vnderstanding of the matter heere propounded vnto vs to intreate of we must first see what the lawe is into howe many kindes it is diuided whereunto it ought to tend the profite of it and howe we must obey it The lawe is a singular reason imprinted in nature commanding those things that are to be done and forbidding the contrary We haue both the lawe of nature and the lawe written The lawe of nature is a sence and feeling which euerie one hath in himselfe and in his conscience whereby he discerneth betweene good and euill asmuch as sufficeth to take from him the cloake of ignorance in that he is reprooued euen by his owne witnesse The written lawe is double diuine and ciuill The diuine lawe is diuided into three partes that is into Manners Ceremonies and Iudgements That of Manners was called of the ancient writers the Morall lawe beeing the true and eternall rule of Iustice appointed for all men in what countrie or tyme soeuer they liue if they will direct their life according to the will of God And as for the Ceremonies and Iudgements although they haue some relation to Maners yet bicause both of them might be altered and abolished without the corruption or diminution of good manners the Ancients did not comprehend those two parts vnder the word Morall but attributed this name particularly to the first part of the lawe of which the sincere integritie of Maners dependeth which neither may nor ought in any sort to be altered or changed and whereunto the end of all other lawes is to be referred in honouring God by a pure faith and by godlines and in being ioined vnto our neighbour by true loue The Ceremonial lawe was a Pedagogie of the Iewes that is to say a doctrine of infancie giuen to that people to exercise them vnder the obedience to God vntill the manifestation of those things which were then figured in shadowes The Iudiciall law giuen vnto them for policie taught them certaine rules of iustice and equitie wherby they might liue peaceably togither without hurting one another Now as the exercise of ceremonies appertained to the doctrine of pietie which is the first part of the Morall law
the wisedome and dispensation of God many notable conclusions proceeded from sundry of them as Augustine him selfe sheweth by a long discourse in his eight booke De Ciuitate Dei where among other he alleadgeth these out of Plato That God is a spirite and of a farre more excellent nature than the soule of man or any other spirite whatsoeuer that God is one and the same and alwaies like vnto himselfe that God is the light of our minds wherby we attaine to all our knowledge and vnderstanding that no man is therefore blessed and happy bicause he hath abundance of wealth honor strength beautie or of any externall thing nor yet for any gift of the mind but bicause he enioyeth God the soueraigne Good How diuinely doth Aristotle write of God and of his fatherly prouidence in his tractate De Mundo dedicated to Alexander I know that many with force of reason carying them thereunto haue vehemently suspected that this peece of worke came neuer out of his shop Which although it be granted for true yet the book it selfe doth euidently declare that the Author thereof was a meere heathen man and directed onely by his pure Naturals when he wrote it which being sufficient to shew how farre the darkenes of nature doth comprehend the light and knowledge of heauenly things is as much as I require This treatise being wholy occupied in these two principall points namely in the description of the vniuersall frame of the world and in the declaration of the nature of God the workemaister thereof I will briefly set before you the summe of the last part which the Philosopher painteth out vnto vs very notably in liuely and orient colours First he acknowledgeth that all things are of God that they consist and haue their being by his power that no nature whatsoeuer is able to continue if it be not maintained and preserued by him And in setting out the manner of working whereby this mightie power of God is forceable in the gouernment of all things he goeth beyond the common reach of naturall men affirming that although God be present euery where yet not by any bodily or locall presence as the common receiued opinion then was That all things whatsoeuer we perceiue by sight hearing or any other sense were full of Gods and as Seruetus blasphemously taught of late yeeres That God was an essentiall part of euery creature but that he gouerneth all things by his power and vertue whereby he effecteth whatsoeuer pleaseth him Againe as he subscribeth to the almightie power and prouidence of God in the being and rule of all things so he laboureth to make knowne the great wisedome of God by the contemplation of the excellent course of nature which is certaine without inconstancie beautifull without blemish diuers without disorder For what can be more certaine than the ordinarie course of the Sunne Moone Starres which haue continued in their appointed race from time to time and from one age vnto another What greater certaintie than that which to our comfort appeereth in the mutuall turnes and returnes of times and seasons of Sommer and Winter Spring and Autumne day night In regard of which constant continuance of the irreuocable order appointed by God in this whole frame the world is called by the Hebrewes gnolam and in the Epistle to that people it is expressed by this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which many times signifieth perpetuitie Heb. 1. 2. 11. 3. Concerning the beautie and glorious shew thereof what thing more beautifull than the glittering face of the heauens decked and adorned with starres both great and small as it were with iewels and pretious stones of all sorts And for this self same cause it receiued that name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the Grecians and of Mundus from the Latines Lastly if we looke either to the variable motions of the Spheres in the ethereall region or to the contrary qualities of the elements in the aerie and lower part of the world or to the varietie of foules fishes beasts plants graine stones mettals c. and consider withall what a sweete harmonie ariseth from all these as it were from a well tuned instrumeÌ„t that hath strings of all sorts or like to a liuely picture that hath all kinds of colours mingled in it or to a well ordered citie compounded of sundry occupations callings conditions of poore and rich yoong and old bond and free we may see if we haue but halfe an eie and feele if we be blind that in this rare peece of worke and frame of the world there is most excellent conueiance without confusion great varietie concurring in vnitie and diuersitie of all kinds without disorder All this and much more is attributed by the Author of that booke De Mundo be he Aristotle or some other heathen Philosopher to the onely working of the power of the inuisible God of whome saith he we must thus conceiue that for his power he is most mightie for his beautie most excellent for his life immortall and for his vertuâ— most absolute and therfore he cannot be seene of any mortal creature but is notwithstanding known by his works For all accidents in the aire in the earth and in the water may truly be called the works of God who containeth and preserueth this world of whome as Empedocles saith proceeded All things that were that are and shall be here Plants Men Beasts Birds and fish in waters cleere But this Philosopher not contenting himselfe with this consideration and view of God in his works entreth into a deeper meditation of his nature by setting downe a very good exposition and as it were a Commentarie vpon those names and titles which vsually were attributed in his time vnto God thereby to make his powerful gouernment ouer all the world more knowne vnto men Although saith he that God be but one yet we call him by many names as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bicause we liue by him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bicause he is of an immutable nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bicause nothing is done by chaÌ„ce but according to his most certaine decree 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bicause no man can possibly auoide him or flie from him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bicause he abideth for euer And as for that fable faith he of the three sisters of destinie I meane of Clotho that spinneth of Leachesis that draweth out to a â—ust length and of Atropos that cutteth off the threed of mans life it is to be vnderstood of God onely who as it was said in old time is the beginning midst and end of all things To conclude there is a iustice that is neuer separated from God which is the reuenger of al transgressions committed against the law of God wherin euery one must be well instructed that would be partaker of humane felicitie and happines Now iudge I pray you whether a Christian may
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
Reader if thou takest payns to read well to vnderstand better and which is best of all to follow the precepts instructions and examples which thou shalt find here as also if thou bringest hither a good will and cheerefull disposition voyd of all malicious enuy which at this day is commonly practised by most men of this our age who like to malicious Censorers busie themselues rather in seeking out what to bite at and to reprehend in other mens workes than to draw out and to commend that which is good or to assay to make them better Besides thou shalt haue somewhat to commend in the order of these discourses and in the maner of teaching which is in them For after the handling of that knowledge which is especially necessary for man all those vertues follow which he ought to imbrace and those vices which he is to shun Next he is instructed in that which concerneth house-keeping then in that which hath respect to estates and policies last of all how he may die well after he hath liued well As for the maner of teaching which is diligently obserued by these Academikes thou shalt see that first they prayse that vertue or disprayse that vice which they propound to themselues to discourse vpon that they may mooue and frame mens minds as well to hate the one as to desire the other Then they define that wherof they discourse that the end of the present subiect may be better knowen Afterward they giue precepts to find out the means wherby to attaine to that which is Good and to eschew the euil Lastly they adde examples which are liuely reasons and of great waight to mooue men with delight to embrace vertue and to flie vice Now if thou thinkest that too litle is spoken considering the goodly and large matter here propounded it is not bicause they knew not that the excellencie of euery thing put foorth here is so great and the reasons so aboundant that a man might well make a booke therofby it selfe as many learned men haue done but the chiefe scope and drift of these Inter-speakers was to discourse briefly of such things as are necessarily required in the institution of maners and of a happy life Neuerthelesse it may well be that that which thou findest not sufficiently folowed in one place may be learned in another if thou lookest vnto the end Moreouer they who are here named and who mind to retaine alwayes the name of disciples neuer purposed or presumed to set downe resolutions or to appoint lawes which are necessarily to be kept and may not be changed in any wise by those that are cleere-sighted according to the occurrence benefit of the estate of this Monarchie but grounding their counsels and instructions vpon the soundest and most approoued opinion of the writings of learned men both of auncient and late times and vpon such as drew neerest to the infallible rule of the holy scriptures according to the small measure of graces giuen them from aboue they haue left to euery one following therein the ancient schoole of the Academikes libertie to compare the motiues of the one side with the reasons on the other that the truth of all things might be diligently searched out and inquired after that none through any head-strong conceit should be wedded to priuate opinions and that afterward choise might be made of the best and of such as are most certain therby to order and rule all intents and actions and to referre them to the perpetuall glory of that great Lord of Hierarchies who is the onely cause and chiefe fountain of all Good contentation and happinesse Spe certa quid melius The Contents of the seuerall chapters of this Booke Chap. 1 Of Man Page 10 2 Of the body and soule 19 3 Of the diseases and passions of the body and soule and of the tranquillitie thereof 27 4 Of Philosophie 38 5 Of Vertue 51 6 Of Vice 63 7 Of Sciences of the studie of Letters and of Histories 72 8 Of the Spirit and of Memorie 83 9 Of Duetie and Honestie 92 10 Of Prudence 103 11 Of want of Prudence and of Ignorance of Malice and subtletie 115 12 Of Speech and Speaking 126 13 Of Friendship and of a Friend 136 14 Of Reprehension and Admonition 148 15 Of Curiositie and Noucitie 159 16 Of Nature and Education 170 17 Of Temperance 179 18 Of Intemperance and of Stupiditie or blockishnes 189 19 Of Sobrietie and Frugalitie 198 20 Of Superfluitie Sumptuousnesse Gluttonie and Wallowing in delights 209 21 Of Ambition 223 22 Of Voluptuousnes and Loosenesse of life 234 23 Of Glory Praise Honour and of Pride 245 24 Of Shame Shamefastnes and of Dishonor 256 25 Of Fortitude 265 26 Of Timorousnes Feare and Cowardlines and of Rashnes 277 27 Of Magnanimitie and Generositie 288 28 Of Hope 298 29 Of Patience and of Impatiencie of Choler and Wrath. 308 30 Of Meeknes Clemencie Mildnes Gentlenes and Humanitie 319 31 Of good and ill Hap. 328 32 Of Prosperitie and Aduersitie 338 33 Of Riches 350 34 Of Pouertie 358. 35 Of Idlenes Sloth and Gaming 367 36 Of an Enimie of Iniurie and of Reuenge 378 37 Of Iustice 390 38 Of Iniustice and of Seueritie 402 39 Of Fidelitie Forswearing and of Treason 413 40 Of Ingratitude 424 41 Of Liberalitie and of the vse of Riches 434 42 Of Couetousnes and of Prodigalitie 444 43 Of Enuie Hatred and Backbiting 457 44 Of Fortune 467 45 Of Mariage 478 46 Of a House and Familie and of the kinds of Mariage of certaine ancient customes obserued in mariage 484 47 Of the particular dutie of a Husband towards his wife 500 48 Of the dutie of a Wife towards hir Husband 513 49 Of the dutie of the Head of a familie in other partes of the house namely in the Parentall Masterly and Possessorie part 523 50 Of the dutie of children towards their Parents of the mutuall loue that ought to be among brethré of the dutie of seruants towards their masters 536 51 Of the Education and instruction of Children 549 52 Of the diuision of the ages of Man and of the offices and duties that are to be obserued in them 561 53 Of Policie and of sundry sorts of Gouernments 573 54 Of the soueraigne Magistrate and of his authoritie and office 584 55 Of the Lawe 593 56 Of the People and of their obedience due to the Magistrate and to the Lawe 603 57 Of a Monarchie or a Regall power 615 58 Of diuers kinds of Monarchies and of a Tiranny 627 59 Of the Education of a Prince in good maners and conditions 640 60 Of the office and dutie of a King 652 61 Of a Councell and of Counsellers of Estate 675 62 Of Iudgements and of Iudges 689 63 Of Seditions 703 64 Of the causes that breede the change corruption c. of Monarchies and Policies 716 65 Of the preseruations of Estates and Monarchies and of remedies to keepe them from sedition 730 66
generally so manie wonderfull works vnder the cope of heauen I cannot maruell enough at the excellencie of Man for whom all these things were created are maintained and preserued in their being and moouing by one and the same diuine prouidence alwaies like vnto it selfe AMANA There is nothing more certaine than this that all things whatsoeuer either the eie can behold or the eare heare were created for the benefit profit and vse of man and that he was made excellent aboue all things to rule ouer them yea the very Angels are sent to minister for their sakes which shall receiue the inheritance of saluation ARAM. Oh vnspeakable and heauenlie goodnesse which hast created man little lower than thy selfe and crowned him with glorie and worship But tell vs I pray thee ACHITOB more particularly what this great and principall worke of nature Man is to what end his being was giuen him and how he hath shewed foorth the fruits thereof For it â—â—st needes be that there is something in him greatly to be woondered at seeing all things were created to serue and obey him ACHITOB. Truely yee haue reason companions to begin our happie assembly with that knowledge which we ought to haue of our selues as being the storehouse of all wisdome and beginning of saluation wherof we may haue an assured testimonie from that father of Philosophie Socrates who beholding the first precept written at Delphos in that temple of Apollo which was so renowmed throughout Graecia namely Know thy selfe was foorthwith driuen into a very deepe cogitation and being rapt with contemplation of spirit he began from that time forward to doubt and to inquire of himselfe Wherupon contemning that way which all the Philosophers of his time who busied themselues about nothing but onely in finding out the causes of naturall things and in disputing curiously of them he gaue himselfe wholie to the knowledge of himselfe I meane of his soule which he maintained to be in deed man and by disputuation to intreat of the soueraigne good thereof and of vertue By which meanes the gate of wisedome was opened vnto him wherein he profited in such sort that according to the oracle at Delphos he was called of all men the wise the iust the prince of Philosophers and father of Philosophie And surely out of his sayings which being more diuine than humane were written by his disciples all other Philosophers haue drawne their knowledge Heraclitus another excellent man minding to giue out in speech that he had done some notable act woorthy of himselfe said I haue sought my selfe Which beginning truely is verie necassarie for man as being a guide to leade him to the true knowledge of God which is a heauenly gifte of God and peculiar to his And this is learnedly taught vs by the same Socrates where he saith that the dutie of a wise man is to seeke out the reasons of things that in the ende he may finde that diuine reason wherby they were made and hauing found it may worship and serue it that afterward he may enioy it and reape profite thereby Moreouer he addeth that the perfect knowledge of ones selfe which consisteth in the soule is in such sort ioined with the knowledge of God that the one without the other cannot be sincere and perfect And for the same reason Plato his disciple who for the excellencie of his writings was surnamed the Diuins saith that the perfect dutie of man is first to know his owne nature then to contemplate the diuine nature and last of all to bestow his labour in those things which may be most beneficiall to all men Ignorance of a mans selfe saith Lactantius and the want of knowledge wherefore and to what end he is borne is the cause of error of euill of leauing the right way to follow the crooked of wandring out of the plaine way to walke in the ragged and vneeuen way or vpon a dangerous and slipperie mountaine and lastly of forsaking the light to walke in darknes Now if we account it a shamefull thing to be ignorant of those things which belong to the life of man surely the not knowing of our selues is much more dishonest Let vs then consider what man is according to that meane knowledge which by the grace of God we are endued withal not staying in those curious definitions which the Philosophers haue made Man is a creature made of God after his owne image iust holy good and right by nature and compounded of soule and body I say of soule which was inspired of God with spirite and life and of a perfect naturall bodie framed of the earth by the same power of God In this sort man had his beeing of the eternal workmaster of the whole world of whom he was created by his incomprehensible goodnes to be made partaker of his immortalitie and permanent felicitie for this onely ende to set foorth the glorie of his Creator and to speake and do those things that are agreeable vnto him through the acknowledgement of his benefits From which ende man being fallen of his own free wil through ingratitude and disobedience was bereaued of all those ornaments which he had receiued before of God and in steede of righteousnes and holines all iniquitie filthines and vncleannes entred into him wherby he was made the slaue of sinne and of death from whence all those miseries had their beginning wherewith the life of man is ouerwhelmed His soule also was wrapped with infinite hurtfull passions and perturbations which worke in it a continuall disquietnes and his body became subiect to innumerable trauailes and violent vntowardnes Of which corruption the ancient Philosophers had great and assured knowledge but the first and true cause therof which was sinne and the voluntarie fall of man with his restoring vnto grace by the vnspeakeable goodnes and mercie of his Creator from whence he was fallen were alwaies hidden from them as we shall see anon as also from an infinite number of men who liuing holily according to the world neuer had the perfect knowledge of God in his eternall sonne As for any good thing whatsoeuer they vttered or found out it came through earnestnes of studie by discoursing and considering in the reasonable part of their soule of those things which offred themselues to their minde But forasmuch as they were not wholy ouerwhelmed in euery part of reason and yet had no knowledge of the heauenly word Iesus Christ they vttered many things contrarie one to another and in the midst of their great and woonderfull skill according to that saying of the Scripture who hideth his secrets from the prudent and reueleth them to babes they had a continuall troubled spirit wandring here and there aswell in the seeking out of themselues and of the causes of naturall things as of those things which are aboue nature And truely the reason of man naturally ingraffed in his hart which so farre foorth
time forward to liue a mortall life so that his bodie and soule became subiect to infinite miseries and damnable infirmities which draw vpon them the condemnation of eternall death Notwithstanding God whose goodnes and mercie are endles reestablished and assured the succession of his immortall inheritance vnto those whom it pleased him by grace to make dead to sin and aliue to himselfe through the satisfaction of his wrath made by the innocencie of his eternall sonne purging them in his bloud and opening vnto them by him the gates of heauen after he hath renewed them in righteousnes holines and innocencie that they may follow after godlines and religion And knowing that man so fraile and weake might easily fall downe vnder the heauie burden of those miseries and calamities whereunto the corruption of his nature made him subiect and wherein by reason of hereditarie sinne he should remaine during this mortall life as also that those furious and continuall passions which are mingled togither in his soule being ioined to the common infirmities of his bodie would be of too great force to throwe him againe headlong into destruction this infinite mercie of God appointed that from the beginning there should remaine in the spirite of man a little sparke of light which driueth him to a naturall loue of the truth and to a desire to inquire after it yea which pricketh and prouoketh him not to sleepe altogither in his vices This weake instinct being awaked stirred vp holpen and disposed by the pure grace vertue and power of the author of all goodnes draweth and moueth a Christian regenerated by the holie Ghost after knowledge of himselfe and hatred of that which is in him to seeke after and to couet with a speciall hartie desire that goodnes and righteousnes whereof he is void and that glorious libertie of which he depriued himselfe Furthermore the same heauenlie grace blessing this holie desire of the man regenerate causeth him to draw out of the doctrine of holie scriptures that wherewithall he may if not heale perfectly his wicked inclinations yet at the least containe and represse them in such sort that they breake not out into any damnable execution He teacheth him also to receiue the infirmities of his flesh as fatherly chastisements for his sin and as necessarie means to exercise him and to keepe him in awe And lastly for the vpshot and perfection of all happines and felicitie in this world he instructeth him how he may lead a quiet and peaceable life in beholding the woonderfull works of the diuinitie which he is to adore and honour and in the amendement and correction of his maners naturally corrupted by squaring them after the patterne of vertue that so he may be made worthie and fit to gouerne humane affaires for the profit of manie and at length attaine to the perfection of a wise man by ioining togither the actiue life with the contemplatiue in the certaine hope and expectation of a second immortall and most blessed life Whereunto also the precepts and discourses of learned and ancient philosophers may serue for-our instruction and pricking forward as also the examples which are liuely reasons of the liues of so manie notable men as histories the mother of antiquitie do as it were represent aliue before our eies And this in my iudgement is sufficient generally to vnderstand of Man seeing we are heerafter to discourse more particularly of both his principall parts the bodie and the soule Of the bodie and soule ACHITOB THe bodie and soule are so knit and conioined togither that nothing can separate them but death the destroier of all which through sinne and for the iust punishment thereof entred into the world And this is no sooner done but that whatsoeuer we see of man vanisheth from before our eies the earthie part returning into the masse of earth frō whence it came according to that saying of Aristotle that All things are resolued into those things whereof they are compounded likewise that which is spirituall and inuisible goeth into an eternall immortalitie from whence the being thereof proceeded ASER. Truly this knitting togither and coniunction of the bodie and soule is a most wonderfull thing in nature yea as manie of the philosophers say against nature seeing the soule which is light is contained within the bodie being heauie that which is of celestiall fire within that which is cold and earthie that which is inuisible within that which is palpable that which is immortall within that which is mortall But what Where is the sence of man which is able to comprehend the reason of the doings of that great Maister-builder of the vniuersall frame Yea there is more For during this coniunction as all things that mooue within this generall globe are maintained by agreeing discords euen so of necessitie there must be such a harmonie betweene the bodie and the soule that by the helpe of the one the other subsisteth and abideth and that through their continuall striuing sometimes the one and then the other be in the end obeied AMANA Thou tellest vs heere of a wonderful strange thing that that which is spirituall and immortall sometime obeieth that which is mortal and made of a corruptible lumpe But I vnderstand thee well This proceedeth of the imperfection and imbecillitie of our nature For as Socrates said if we were perfect philosophers we would neuer agree with our selues but resist continually Now following this matter make vs to vnderstand more particularly ARAM what the bodie and soule are what properties they haue and what is the excellencie both of the one and the other ARAM. With a good will my companions and first I will begin at the definition of a body A body as the Philosophers say speaking generally of all things that haue bodies is that which may be deuided and measured after three sorts in length in breadth and in deapth Or according to others a bodie is a masse or lump which asmuch as lieth in it resisteth touching and occupieth a place A body saith Plato is that which being in his proper place is neither heauie nor light but being in a strange place first inclineth somewhat then is driuen and caried forward either with heauines or lightnes Hereupon both he and other Philosophers discourse learnedly and profoundly of the particular nature of al bodies of the earth of the fire of the aire of the water and of all other both simple and compound bodies and of their contrarie motions But seeing all those discourses are at this present without the compasse of our Academy let vs simplie with more profite and that according to the scripture define the body which we haue vndertaken to handle We say then that the body is flesh that euery affection of the flesh is deadly and that the works therof are vncleannes pride fornication enmity debate wrath contention enuy murder gluttonie and such like and therfore that the bodie is made of
sence obiect vnto it Aristotle maketh another distinction of the soule saying that one part of it is voide of reason in it selfe and yet may be guided by reason and that the other part is of it selfe partaker of reason And in another place this Philosopher saith that there are three thinges from whence humane actions proceed namely sence vnderstanding and appetite Many others both ancient and late writers make foure parts of the soule Vnderstanding reason anger desire The vnderstanding lifteth the soule vp to heauen to the contemplation of diuine intellectual things Reason guideth the soule by prudence in all her functions Anger is ruled and moderated by the vertue of magnanimitic and desire is gouerned by temperance Of these a very harmonicall Iustice is framed which giueth to euerie part of the soule that which belongeth vnto it But the most sensible common and true opinion which the wisest amongst the Philosophers had of the soule is that which diuideth it into two parts onely vnder which all the rest are comprised the one being spiritual and intelligible where the discourse of reason is the other brutish which is the sensuall will of it selfe wandring and disordred where all motions contrarie to reason and all euill desires haue their dwelling Amongst all the philosophical discourses of the soule written by these great personages this error is verie great when they attribute such a strength and power to reason which they say is resident in the soule as a lampe to guide the vnderstanding and as a queene to moderate the will as that by it alone a man may wel and iustly gouerne himselfe Now although we know that this reason of man is of it selfe wholy depraued corrupted yet we may say wel enough that the soule which is spirit and life cannot be diuided being immortall bicause whatsoeuer is diuided dissolueth and parteth a sunder and whatsoeuer is dissolued perisheth Neuertheles it may be said to be compounded and made subiect during the coniunction thereof with the body to these two principall parts of vnderstanding and will The vnderstanding serueth to conceaue and comprehend all things propounded vnto vs and to discerne and iudge what we ought either to approoue and allow or what to refuse and reiect The will is that which executeth and bringeth to effect whatsoeuer the vnderstanding iudgeth to be good and contrariwise flieth from that which it reprooueth and condemneth And herein we agree with the Philosophers that the vnderstanding vnder which we comprehend the sence is as the gouernour and captaine of the soule and that the will dependeth of it But withall we say that both the one and the other are so corrupted and altered from their nature the vnderstanding being obscured and dimmed with the clouds of darknes by reason of the first mans sinne descended vpon all his posteritie through hereditarie and naturall filthines and the will in such sort corrupted by this disobedience and so weakened and made feeble to all goodnes that if there be none other guide comming from aboue to teach the vnderstanding and to direct and leade the will I meane regeneration by the spirite of God both of them cannot but do euill drawing the soule with them to vtter ruine and perdition by causing her to consent to the law of her members which are the bodie and flesh ful of ignorance of obscure darknes of frowardnes miserie calamitie ignominie shame death and condemnation Notwithstanding if in the corruptible heauie and grosse lumpe of the bodie within which the soule is contained we found matter of praise and of the contemplation of heauenly things what shal we say of that which is immortal which in a moment in hir discourses and cogitations goeth through the whole heauen compasseth the earth about saileth all ouer the sea without which the body mooueth not at all and all the beautie thereof turneth suddainly into putrefaction This onely can make a man happie both in this and in the other life by reason of the treasures of wisedome the vnderstanding whereof is proper vnto it yea this is the onely instrument whereby a man may behold the diuine nature This is inuisible and cannot be perceiued by any naturall sence this is contemplatiue and actiue at one and the same time this beholdeth vniuersall things and practiseth particulars vnderstanding the one and feeling the other This hath for the actions and operations of her essence and nature Will Iudgement Sense Conceauing Thought Spirite Imagination Memorie Vnderstanding and Reason and for her incomparable beautie she hath Prudence Temperance Fortitude and Iustice without which the excellent order of all humane things would be changed into disorder and confusion This is that moreouer which being illuminated with wisedome bringeth foorth the fruites of loue ioy peace long suffering gentlenes goodnes faith meekenes temperancie Briefely to conclude our present speech we may well say that the soule is so great and diuine a thing that it is a verie hard matter to comprehend it by reason but altogither incomprehensible by the outward sence and that all mans felicitie as well present as to come dependeth of the soule when being regenerated as hath been said and made free and voide of al wicked perturbations as neere as the nature of man can approch to perfection her humane contentation and delight is onely in vertue and in the hope and certaine expectation of a more sound and perfect vertue by the renuing and changing of this mortall life into that which is immortall and most blessed as S. Paule exhorteth vs hereunto saying Let vs reioice in the Lord both bicause our names are written in heauen as Christ saith and that our modesty meeknes and goodnes may be knowne to all men Moreouer let vs learne that in the woonderfull composition coniunction and disposition of the soule bodie there is matter whereby to draw man greatly to the consideration of the chiefe ende for which he was first placed in the world namely to glorifie his Creator in godlines holines and religion He ought therefore both to serue him with all the parts of his body not abusing them in any sort but keeping them pure and cleane to be made members of the glorious body of his eternall Sonne in the resurrection and also to praise and glorifie him with all the gifts and graces of his soule not defiling it with vncleannes and vice that she may by the same diuine grace returne vnto the full fruition of that most happy essence and nature from whence she had her being In the meane while let vs learne that as the bodie vseth many instruments wherof it is compounded and which are proper vnto it so the soule being much more noble excellent and diuine ought to vse the bodie and all the parts therof and that the soule is the organ and instrument of God whereby he worketh in vs and lifteth vs vp to the contemplation of his
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
ought to contemne all things that we may obtaine it after the example of some ancient Sages whom we will alledge Philosophie is a loue or desire of wisedom Or otherwise it is a profession studie and exercise of that wisedome which is the knowledge of diuine and humane things and which properly belongeth to him who onely is sufficient of himselfe and is wisedome it selfe namely to God Pythagoras was the first that gaue the name to philosophie which being diuided as well by him as by other ancient philosophers into diuers and sundrie arts and sciences we may distinguish into two generall parts onely into the Contemplatiue part and into the Morall which som call Actiue We will make two kinds of the Contemplatiue Diuine and Naturall As touching the diuine part it is that highest and most vnchangeable knowledge whereunto we must wholy refer the end of our being and the scope of all our purposes studies and actions namely to be able to know and to glorifie the Creator and preseruer of the whole world Of this eternall knowledge which Socrates called Wisedome we say with Iustin who was both a philosopher and a martyr that all louers of Christian faith ought to endeuor not to be ignorant no not of any point belonging to the knowledge and perfect keeping of God his commandements but especially they must haue in singular recommendation his seruice and true worship As touching the absolute and perfect knowledge of heauenlie mysteries they ought to desire the vnderstanding of them so far foorth as they are able and according to the gift and measure of graces which shall be giuen them from aboue But if the eie of their soule dazell in the consideration of them it shall be sufficient to honor and admire them with due reuerence and to beleeue them stedfastly knowing that mans vnderstanding is not able to attaine to the exquisite knowledge of so high mysteries Naturall philosophie consisteth chiefly in the Mathematiks which are diuided into many parts and particular sciences of which the most of them seeme to manie not greatly necessarie as that which intreateth of the nature of the heauens of the sunne of the moone of their motions measures of the naturall causes of al things Which oftentimes serueth rather to content the curiositie of hawtie spirits than to make them better insomuch â—hat sometimes by speculations and by vaine and friuolous questions they seeke out the naturall causes of things so curiously that in the end they striue to finde out another beginning of all things than God whereby at length they remaine deceiued and confounded in their knowledge as both the writings of so many ancient philosophers and also the life of many in our time do proue vnto vs. Neuertheles there are some parts of the Mathematiks necessarie to be knowen for the great profit that may come vnto vs by them as Physicke Atithmetike Geometrie and others But the subiect of our Academie will not suffer vs to handle all these sciences at this present I will say thus much onely by the way that we ought so to rule and direct the profession of all naturall philosophie that we vse it not before we haue been well and sufficiently instructed in the feare and knowledge of God and of all things that concerne a good and happie life and that vaineglorie should not be the end of that studie but that it should rauish vs more and more in the contemplation of the works of that great maister-builder of the whole frame to the end to glorifie him in greater measure And yet we must aboue all things beware that we fall not into that curse of the prophet which he denounceth against those who being destitute of Gods grace by reason of their sinnes giue themselues to soothsaying and to seeke after sorcerers magitians and calculators of natiuities which things we see are too common amongst vs insomuch that he is iudged as it were miserable that knoweth not his Horoscope from whence so many abuses inuocations and cursed charmes haue proceeded by little and little Let vs shun such vaine knowledge proper to infidels and Atheists and refer our euents and issues which albeit we knew before yet could we not assure our selues that we should auoid them to the onely prouidence and direction of God It remaineth now to intreate of the other part of philosophie called Morall Of this I thinke Socrates the wise man meant to speake when he said that philosophie consisted not in learning manie things or in medling with many arts but in the perfect knowledge of iustice prudence and of all other morall vertues He addeth further that this philosophie worketh two things in our mind the one in purging it as well of perturbations as of false opinions and the other in causing it to returne into the right way by reasons and exhortations drawen from earthly and sensible formes to such as are spirituall which are inclosed within our soules that by them we may be led to God the Idea and paterne of all good This is that morall philosophie which we haue vndertaken to handle in all our discourses and which is so necessarie for the life of man For as the vntamed horse by reason of his ouer-great wildnes is not profitable for any thing so he that is drawen away by his affections which philosophie onely can moderate is vnprofitable and vnworthie of all companie and of all gouernment either publike or priuate It is philosophie that teacheth vs the doctrine of good life and causeth vs to know our miseries and the meanes whereby we may be deliuered from them She it is that frameth in our vnderstanding the iudgement of reason and learneth vs to lead a life agreeable to doctrine shewing vnto vs what true honestie is what perfect beautie and what in truth and in deed is profitable She represseth all euil passions and perturbations of the soule appeaseth the vnsatiable desires therof deliuereth it from all feare and from all earthlie carefulnes filling it with tranquillitie constancie assurance magnanimitie and sufficiencie She purgeth pride presumption ambition choler reuenge couetousnes iniustice and in a word she it is that by the meanes of reason guided by the heauenly spirit which teacheth vs reason and giueth it vnto vs for a law frameth all the maners and behauior of man according to the paterne of vertue by ingraffing it in his setled soule as his onely permanent good and by causing him to do that willingly which others as Xenocrates said do by compulsion and for feare of lawes We are by philosophie instructed at large in that dutie and obedience which we owe to our parents superiors and lawes and taught how much we ought to loue and honor one another our wiues our children our brethren yea al those that are not of our bloud She it is saith Cicero that containeth the discipline of vertue of dutie and of good life she is
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
speech whereat one of the inhabitants suddenly stood vp and pronounced the word aright as he should haue vttered it For this correction quoth Demetrius I giue thee besides fiue thousand measures of wheat The example of good Traian writing to his maister Plutarke ought especially to be imitated of great men I aduertise thee quoth he that hence forward I will not vse thy seruice to any other thing than to counsell me what I ought to do and to tel me of those faults wherinto I may fall For if Rome take me for a defender of hir Common-welth I make account of thee as of the beholder of my life And therefore if at any time I seeme vnto thee not well pleased when thou reprehendest me I pray thee maister not to take it in ill part For at such a time my griefe shall not be for the admonition thou vsest towards me but for the shame I shall haue bicause I offended Philoxenus the poet may also serue for a witnes of free correction void of all flatterie in regard of great men For when Dionysius prince of Syracusa sent vnto him a tragedie of his owne making that he should read and correct it he sent it backe againe vnto him all rased and blotted from the beginning to the end bicause he found it in no respect worthie to be published Neither doth antiquitie onely affoord vs such examples of bold reprehension by word of mouth vsed by wise men in old time but there hath been also in our ages woorthie examples of base and contemptible men yet full of good learning For profe heer of may serue that quip which not long since a peasant gaue vnto an Archbishop of Cullen who was well accompanied with armed men according to the custome of Almaigne This countrie-fellow beginning to laugh and being demanded by the prelate the cause therof I laugh quoth he vnto him at S. Peter prince of prelates bicause he liued and died in pouertie to leaue his successors rich The Archbishop being touched therewith and desirous to cleere himselfe replied that He went with such a companie as he was a Duke Wherat the peasant laughing more than before said I would gladly know Sir of you where you thinke the Archbishop should be if that Duke of whom you speake were in hell Neither may we omit the answer which a poore Franciscan Frier made to Pope Sixtus the fourth who from the same order being come to that great dignitie shewed him his great wealth and riches saying Frier I cannot say as S. Peter did I haue neither gold nor siluer No truly answered the Franciscan no more can you say as he said to the impotent and sicke of the palsie Arise and walke Now concluding our present discourse we learne that free reprehension and gentle admonition grounded vpon reason and truth and applied fitly are of such vertue and efficacie with men but especially with a friend that nothing is more necessarie or healthfull in true and perfect friendship and therefore ought to be ioined inseparably therewith according to that saying of the wise man that Open rubuke is better than secret loue and that The wounds made by a louer are faithfull but the kisses of him that hateth dangerous In the meane time we must as S. Paule saith restore those that fall with the spirit of meeknes considering our selues and neuer betraie the truth for feare of the mightier sort Of Curiositie and Noueltie Chap. 15. ARAM. MAn hauing by nature imprinted in his soule an affected and earnest inclination to his soueraigne good is drawen as it were by force to search it out in euerie thing which he esteemeth faire and good in this world And from hence proceed all those his affections which carrie him hither and thither causing him to reioice in and to desire greatly all varietie and noueltie But the ignorance of things and imperfection of reason which abounde in him bicause of his corruption make him for the most part to labour and take delight in euill rather than in goodnes if he be not by other means called to the knowledge of the truth which ought to be the principal and most woorthy obiect of our minds esteeming all other knowledge vaine and vnprofitable being compared to this which is so great and diuine And in this respect curiositie tending to vnderstanding albeit in many things it be verie hurtfull especially being left vnto it selfe is also verie profitable and necessary when it is directed and guided by the grace of God to the best end Wherefore I thinke my companions that it will not be vnprofitable if in this matter we discourse of these two things Curiositie and Noueltie which seeme to proceed from one and the same fountain and about which the vertue of prudence sheweth great and woorthy effects ACHITOB. Curiositie indeed desireth in part to know and learne much which cannot be condemned Neuertheles we must wisely beware that we imploy it not vpon euil and vile things but rather testifie alwaies that we are of a graue and contented nature which is enemie to all noueltie and to superfluous things that are without profite ASER. Noueltie causeth vs through error of iudgement to esteeme those things wherewith we are not acquainted greater and more to our liking and so to buy them dearer than better things that are common and familiar It is the verie guide of the curious causing them to contemne their owne climate and to hazard what good thing soeuer they haue to possesse that which belongeth to others But let vs heare AMANA who will handle this matter more at large AMANA Amongst those learned precepts belonging to good life which were written in the temple of Apollo in Graecia this was in the second place Nothing too much Solon said Nothing more than enough Pittacus Do all things by a mediocritie These sayings are verie short and of one matter but yet comprehend all prudence necessarie for the gouerning of mans life aswell for the preseruation of the tranquillitie of the soule and of the spiritual gifts therof as of all humane goods called by the philosophers the Goods of the bodie and of fortune The ancients being desirous to make vs vnderstand this the better propounded vnto vs euerie vertue betweene two vices teaching vs thereby that we cannot decline neuer so little either to the right hand or to the left but we step aside from the right way of vertue which is our onely true good and that al difference betweene good and bad consisteth in a certaine moderation and mediocrity which Cicero calleth the best of all things If men had from the beginning contained themselues within the limits of these diuine precepts it is certaine they would not so lightly haue abandoned the simplicitie and first modestie of their nature to feed their minds with a vaine curiositie and searching out of things supernaturall and incomprehensible to the sence and vnderstanding of man Which things the
too carefull to keep themselues But to come to the conclusiō of our discourse we say with Aristotle that concupiscences and desires change the bodie and make the soule outragious that so many as are infected with such a pernicious and damnable vice as intemperance is are no mē but monsters in nature leading a life altogether like to that of brute beasts which being destitute of all reason know nothing better or more honest than pleasure hauing no knowledge of the iustice of God neither reuerencing the beautie of vertue bestow al the courage craft force that nature hath giuen them to satisfie and to accomplish their desires So that if death brought with it an end of all sence and feeling and an vtter abolishing of the soule as well to men as to beasts intemperate folks should seeme to gaine much by enioying their desires and lusts during their life time and to haue good cause to waxe old and euen to melt in their foule filthie pleasures But seeing we know for truely he that doubteth hereof is very ignorant most miserable that sence and feeling remaine after death and that the soule dieth not with the body but that punishment yea euerlasting payne is prepared for the wicked let vs be careful to do the will of our father which is in heauen whilest we haue time that in the triumphing day of his eternal sonne we may not heare to our confusion that sentence of his mouth Depart from me ye workers of iniquitie At which time the iust shall shine as the sunne in the kingdome of God and the wicked shall be cast headlong into euerlasting fire where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Of Sobrietie and Frugalitie Chap. 19. ARAM. SOcrates vsed to dispute earnestly and grauely of the manner of liuing as of a thing of great importance For he said that continencie in meate and drinke was as it were the foundation and beginning of skill And truely the minde is much more prompt to comprehend all good reason when the operations of the braine are not hindered by vapours which the superfluitie of meates send vp thither I am of opinion therefore that we handle this vertue of sobriety which dependeth of temperance and is contained vnder the first part thereof namely vnder continencie ACHITOB. To liue well and frugally saith Plato is to liue temperately and as Epictetus saith there is great difference betweene liuing well and liuing sumptuously For the one commeth of temperance frugalitie discipline honestie and moderation of the soule contented with her owne riches and the other of intemperance lust and contempt of all order and mediocritie In the end the one is followed with shame and the other with true and lasting praise ASER. We can not well vse our spirite saith Cicero when we are stuffed with meate Neither must we gratifie the belly and intrailes only but also the honest ioy of the mind For that which is contained in the other parts perisheth but the soule separated from the body abideth for euer Let vs then harken to AMANA of whome we may vnderstand howe necessary sobrietie is for a happie life AMANA If we set before our eies the long and happy life of the Ancients so long as they obserued sobrietie and frugalitie out of doubt we will attribute one principall cause of our so short life and so full of infirmities to the riot superfluitie and curiositie of diet which at this day are seene amongst vs. The life of our first Fathers was it not maintained a long time with fruits milke honie and water Who euer came neere their long and happie daies since those times What preparation of exquisite victuals did those six hundred thousand Israelites thinke to find that came out of Egypt to go into a new land walking fortie yeeres through the wildernes drinking nothing but water and many times wanting that After those first ages the Grecians and Romanes loued sobrietie more than all other nations And as the Hebrewes vsed to eate but once a daye which was at dinner so the Grecians onely supped For this cause we read that Plato being demanded whether he had seene any new or strang thing in Sicilia answered that he had found a monster of nature which did eate twice a day This he spake of Dionysius the tyrant who first brought vp that custome in his countrey In the time of Iulius Caesar the Germaines a strong and warlike people liued onely of milke cheese and flesh not knowing what wheate and wine were nor yet what it was to labour the ground or to sowe Yea how many millions of men are there at this day in the West regions and Ilands who know not what all this superfluitie and daintines of fare meaneth and yet liue long and healthie in all frugalitie the greatest part of them vpon herbs and rootes whereof they make cakes in steede of wheate and others of raw flesh Whereby it is easie to iudge that sobrietie is the preseruation and maintenance of health and of naturall strength and vigor and so consequently of the life of man But when we looke higher and with the eies of our mind marke the excellent glorie and immortall praise deserued by so many Camilli Scipiones Fabriti◠Metelli Catones and by a thousand other famous families which executed so many woorthy acts by their owne vertue and yet in the meane while kept such a simple and sober diet that the most of them were contented with bread herbs and water endured and tolerated cheerefully all iniuries of weather went but homely araied and altogither contemned gold and siluer out of question we will iudge those men very blind and farre from the white of such glorie and honour who imbrace nothing but dissolutenes superfluitie lust dronkennes pride and all such like imperfections that beare sway amongst vs who behold Vice mounted so high that men must in a manner blush as much to speake of Vertue or to be vertuous in a thousand companies as in that happy time of the Ancients they were ashamed of vice or to be vitious And truly I thinke that these men being past shame care but little for the glorie that hath beene in many ages seeing they liue for the body onely after a brutish impietie without all regard of the foule or of the second life What say I for the body Nay rather they are the destroiers thereof seeing it cannot be denied but that sobrietie is a great benefit and helpe to preserue health and bodily strength and to expell diseases and is to be vsed as a good foundation to attaine to a happy old age The experience heereof is well knowne to euery one although there were no other proofe but this that we see the simple sort of people that labor and trauell to liue with bread and water grow old in health whereas our Princes and great Lords being delicately brought vp in idlenes die yoong men tormented with infinite diseases especially when they
grow a little in yeeres Further let such dissolute men as make pleasure the ende of their desire know that sobrietie leadeth those that follow her to farre greater and more perfect pleasures than incontinencie and superfluitie doe For these excessiue fellowes neuer expect hunger or thirst or any other pleasure of the bodye but through intemperance preuent them and so enioy scarce half the pleasure But sober and temperate men forbearing the fruition of their desire a long time haue a farre more perfect taste of them bicause as Cicero saith the pleasure of life consisteth rather in the desire than in the satietie thereof And if mediocrity be not obserued those things that are most acceptable and pleasant become most vnpleasant Do we not also see that when the body is not ouercharged with meate and wine it is better disposed and more temperate for euery good action And as for the spirite for which we ought chiefly to liue it is more ready and nimble to comprehend and conceiue what right reason and true honestie are For as Aristotle saith sobrietie causeth men to iudge better and according to truth of all things and in that respect is very necessary for the attaining of Philosophye Likewise sobrietie retaineth that in a wise mans thought which a foole without discretion hath in his mouth And therefore saith Cares we must striue by all meanes to restraine our belly bicause that only is alwaies vnthankfull for the pleasures done vnto it crauing continually and oftener than it needeth so that whosoeuer is not able to command ouer it wil daily heape vp mischiefe vpon mischiefe to himselfe But frugalitie and sobrietie are the mistresses of good counsell and the badges of chastitie For this cause Titus Liuius commendeth more the barrennes and sterilitie of a countrey than fertilitie and fruitfulnes saying that men borne in a fat fertile soile are commonly do-littles and cowards but contrariwise the barrennes of a countrey maketh men sober of necessitie and consequently carefull vigilant and giuen to labor as the Athenians were being situated in a very vnfruitfull place We make great account saith Paulonius of frugalitie not bicause we esteeme the creatures themselues vile and of small value but that by meanes thereof we may encrease the greatnes of our courage And if the greatest chiefest benefit that could come to man were said Solon to haue no need of nourishment it is very manifest that the next to that is to haue neede but of a little But amongst so many good reasons of such excellent mē the counsell of Epictetus is wel woorth the marking where he saith then when we would eate we must consider that we haue two guests to entertain the body and the soule and that whatsoeuer shall be put into the body departeth away quickly but what good thing soeuer entreth into the soule abideth for euer To this effect Timotheus a Grecian captaine hauing supped with Plato in the Academie at a sober and simple repast for the greatest festiual dainties were oliues cheese apples colewoorts bread wine said that they which sup with Plato feele the benefit therof the next day yea a long time after For these wise men met togither at bankets void of excesse not to fill their bellies but to prepare and dresse their minds to learne one of another by their goodly discourses of Philosophie whereof a vertuous soule hath better taste than the body of a well relished and delicate meale Such were the feasts of Pythagoras Socrates Xenocrates and of other Sages of Grecia where the discussing of good and learned matters there handled brought through the remembrance of them great pleasure and no lesse liked commoditie and that of long continuance to such as were present at them And as for the pleasures of drinking and eating they iudged the very remembrance thereof to be vnwoorthie and vnbeseeming men of honor bicause it was to passe away as the smell of a perfume Neither would they suffer that men should bring into their assemblies the vanitie of foolish delights as of the sound of instruments of enterludes or of any other pastime which a wise man ought rather to esteeme as a hinderance of delight than any pleasure at all For hauing within themselues sufficient matter of recreation and reioicing through their learned discourses it were meere follie to beg strange and friuolous delights from without them And Plutark saith that the brutish part of the soule depending of the feeding beast and vncapeable of reason is that which is pleased brought to order satisfied by songs and sounds which are sung and tuned vnto it euen as with the whistling of lips or hands or with the sound of a pipe sheepeheards cause their sheepe to arise or lie downe bicause they vnderstand not an articulate or distinct speech that hath some pith in it Therefore I commend Euripides for reprehending such as vse the harpe so long as a feast lasteth for quoth he musicke ought rather to be sent for when men are angrie or mourne than when they are feasting or making merry thereby to make them giue more libertie to all pleasure than before I suppose the Egyptians did better who vsed in the midst of their bankets to bring in the Anatomie of a dead bodie dried that the horror thereof might containe them in all modestie For this cause the memorie of the Emperour Henrie the third greatly recommendeth it selfe who banished all pompe and vanitie from his wedding and draue away the plaiers iesters causing a great number of poore folke to come in their place The custom which the Lacedemonians obserued when they liued vnder Lycurgus lawes is also worthie to be remembred which was that no torches or lights should be brought vnto them when they departed from feastes at night that it might be an occasion vnto them to feare drunkennes and so to auoid this shame that they onely could not find out their houses Now in those happie times vines were planted and dressed that wine might be drunke rather in time of sickenes than of health insomuch that it was not sold in Tauernes but onely in Apothecaries shops Those ancient Sages commonly measured their drinking by that saying of Anacharsis that the first draught which men drunke ought to be for thirst the second for nourishment and as for the third that it was of pleasure and the fourth of madnes Pythagoras being much more religious in this matter and liuing onely of herbs fruite and water said that the vine brought foorth three grapes whereof the first quencheth thirst the second troubleth and the third altogither dulleth He neuer dranke wine no more did that great Orator Demosthenes nor many other famous men of whome histories make mention The kings of Egypt were forbidden wine which they neuer dranke except on certaine daies and then by measure And truly it bringeth with it pernitious effects aswell to the soule as to
saith it lifteth vp our minds to attend to that which is most excellent laudable best and most profitable Therefore let vs heare ACHITOB discourse of the woonderfull effects of this great and woorthie vertue ACHITOB. Whatsoeuer is done manfully and with a great courage appeereth very decent and beseeming a man But the perfection of euery work consisteth in this that it be done by a staied and constant reason which reacheth vs that there is nothing after God but honestie which we are to admire to make account of to desire and that we ought not in any sort to shrinke and yeeld vnto perturbations or to any other humane accident whatsoeuer Which opinions being well imprinted in our minds pricke vs forward to enterprize those things that are most excellent difficult and fullest of labors perils For being free from all earthly care and void of feare or sorow we contemne euen death it selfe and are in such sort prepared against all griefes that our contentation lieth heerin that the greatest and most exceeding paines will not continue long that the least will vanish away of themselues and that we shall be maisters of the middle sort This is that which the Philosophers by infinite learned writings required to be in the vertue of Fortitude with which the force and strength of the bodie hath nothing common as that which is a Good that belongeth to the bodie But this is an immortall Good of the soule consisting in the power and direction of the spirite being fortified and confirmed through the studie of Philosophie and causing man of his owne accord to make choice of and to perfect all honest things for their owne sakes Fortitude then as Cicero saith is that part of honestie which is knowne by the excellencie greatnes and dignitie of the hart which after aduised counsell and good consideration causeth man to vndertake without feare all perillous matters and constantly to endure all kind of trauell For constancie and dignitie are neuer farre from Fortitude in greatest distresses bicause it adorneth him that possesseth hir with the contempt of griefe and of death causing him to esteeme nothing vntollerable that can happen to man neither any thing euill that is necessarie And so it is the preseruation of a firme setled iudgement in things that seeme terrible full of danger seeing it is the knowledge of that which a man ought to indure Plato also calleth it the knowledge of all good and euill as though he would say that nothing can come to a valiant and noble minded man against his expectation although it may be contrarie to his will bicause he is setled and prepared to vndergo all euents as if he had certainly foreseene them Aristole saith that Fortitude is a mediocritie betweene fearing and enterprizing Moreouer it maketh a man fit for all occasions of dangers and trauels and holdeth him betweene these two extremities of cowardlines and rashnes which vices are very hurtfull to a happie and commendable life The same Philosopher saith that whosoeuer will be strong and valiant must be free from all feare of death constant in aduersities void of feare in perils chosing rather to die honestly than to saue himselfe vilan ously He must endeuor to build noble enterprises hauing for his companions hardines greatnes of hart good confidence and hope besides industrie and patience Then he commeth to set downe many kinds of Fortitude Cicero agreeing well with him saith that Magnificence Considence Patience and Perseuerance are the parts of Fortitude Magnificence sheweth it doing great excellent things Confidence in this that a valiant man conceiueth good hope of the euent of them Patience in a voluntarie and continuall suffering for the loue of honestie and vertue and Perseuerance in a perpetual constancie and in a firme and stedfast abiding in his purposes and resolutions vndertaken with good consideration following reason Moreouer Fortitude as the Stoicks said very well is a vertue that fighteth for equitie and iustice And therefore neither they that suffer for vniust matters nor they that fight for their priuate commodities not being led onely with zeale of publike benefit can boast except falsly that they are decked with this pretious vertue For these latter sort of men are rather to be called cruell barbarous mercenaries and hired hangmen destroying all humanitie and the others impudents shameles and desperate yea so much more woorthie of blame as guiltie of wilfull madnes in that they shew themselues constant in doing euill But those men are valiant of great courage who thinke that no action whatsoeuer no time or season ought to be void of iustice who deliuer the oppressed and those that are wronged who build all their deuises vpon vertuous works They saith Aristotle are void of generositie who fight either for feare of reprehension or by constraint or being stirred vp with other mens speech or of choler or through ignorance of dangers And this was Platoes meaning when he said that all strong and valiant men were hardie but not all hardie men valiant bicause hardines commeth to men either by arte anger or pollicie but Fortitude is ingendred in the soule by nature and holie education And therefore this vertue standeth not in need either of choler rancor ambition pride or of any other euill passion whereby to bring to passe braue and glorious effects but is rather an vtter enimie vnto them because it proceedeth from a mature and ripe consideration and election of reason which causeth a man boldly to put in execution whatsoeuer he knoweth to belong to dutie and honestie according to that place whereunto he is called And this also is the cause that he neuer taketh any thing in hand rashly what pretence soeuer it hath neither is he kept backe by any feare in those matters which offer him good occasion of putting to his hand what hazard or imminent danger soeuer seemeth to threaten him But according to that sentence of Socrates that the hardest things ought to be taken in hand and executed with greater constancie and valure of hart after he hath well and prudently grounded his enterprise vpon a certaine knowledge and firme discourse of reason neither reproches nor praises neither promises nor threatnings or torments neither pleasures nor griefs are able to cause him to breake off or in any sort to alter and change his resolution which remaineth alwaies praise-woorthie and is neuer subiect to repentance the matter falleth out bicause we are not to iudge of enterprises by the euents which are altogither out of our power but by the ground-worke and foundation wherupon they were built And further when the greatest dangers are then is the time wherein a valiant man being nothing at all abashed most of all sheweth his strength prowes neuer taking himselfe to be ouercome as long as his vertue is free and at libertie to giue him new supplie of meanes to set forward againe his matters otherwise in a
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
hart as that which vndoubtedly is comprehended vnder the first part of Fortitude which Cicero calleth Magnificence or a doing of great excellent things yet notwithstanding it seemeth that this word Magnanimitie carieth with it some greater and more particular Empasis that a man may say that the wonderful effects thereof appeare principally in three points whereof I purpose here to discourse The first concerning extreme and desperate matters as when a man is past all hope of sauing his life wherein perfect magnanimitie always knoweth how to find out a conuenient remedie and wise consolation not suffering himselfe to be vexed therewith The second respecteth dutie towards enimies against whom generositie will in no wise suffer a man to practise or to consent to any wickednesse vnder what pretence so euer it be nor for any aduantage which may be reaped thereby The third causeth a noble minded man to contemne and to account that thing vnworthy the care of his soule which others wonder at labor by all means to obtaine namelie strength health beauty which the Philosophers call the goods of the bodie and riches honor and glory which they say are the goods of fortune and likewise not to stand in feare of their contraries Amongst the woorthy and famous men of olde time whose names and glorious factes crowned with an immortall Lawrell are ingrauen in the temple of Memorie we find no praise woorthie of greater admiration or that ought to awaken and stirre vs vp better in Christian dutie than the effects of this vertue of Magnanimitie vpon these three occasions presently touched Whereof one effect is that we yeeld not against reason nor passe the limits of duty by fainting vnder that heauy burthen of extreme distresses which the horror of death bringeth with it but that euen in the midst of greatest agonie which seemeth intollerable in mans iudgement we shew such grauitie and woorthines that we depart not in any sort from the peace and quietnes of our soules but with constancie and cheerefulnes of spirit meditate vpon the ioy of that hauen of saluation which we behold with the eyes of our soule whereinto through a happy death at hand we shall shortly be receiued Another effect is that we accomplish so farre as our frailtie can approch to perfection the commandement of the diuine will by louing our neighbors as our selues and by abstaining euen in regard of our greatest enimies from doing procuring or consenting yea by hindring that no treacherie or treason should be wrought them nor any other thing vnbeseeming that naturall loue which ought to be in euery one towards his like and further by procuring them all the good and profit that may be The third effect of this great vertue no les wonderful thā the rest is in that a noble minded man solong as he liueth wholy withdraweth his affection from worldly and corruptible things through a stedfast constant reason and lifteth it vp to the meditation and holy desire of heauenly and eternal things The remedy which these great personages destitute of the right knowledge of the truth most commonly vsed when their affaires were past all hope of mans helpe was death which they chose rather to bring vpon themselues by their owne handes than to fall into the mercy of their enimies whereby they supposed that they committed a noble act woorthie the greatnes of their inuincible courage And if peraduenture they were surprised and forced in such sort by their enemies that they were compelled to become their prisoners they neuer desired them to saue their liues saying that it beseemed not a noble hart and that in so doing they should submit both hart and bodie to him who before had but the bodie in his power Cato the yoonger being brought to such extremity in the towne of Vtica that by the aduice of all those that were with him he was to send Embassadors to Caesar the Conqueror to practise an agreement after submission to his mercie yeelded therevnto in the behalfe of others but forbad that any mention should be made of himselfe It belongeth quoth he to those that are ouercome to make request and to such as haue done amisse to craue pardon As for me I will account my selfe inuincible so long as in right and iustice I shall be mightier than Caesar He it is that is now taken and ouercome bicause that which hitherto he denied to take in hand against the Common-wealth is at this present sufficiently testified against him and discouered Neither will I be beholding or bound to a Tyrant for an vniust matter For it is a point of iniustice in him to vsurpe the power of sauing their liues like a Lord ouer whome he hath no right to command After many other speeches of Philosophie vsed by him standing much vpon that Stoicall opinion that onely a wise and good man is free and that all wicked men are bond men and slaues he went alone into his chamber and slew himselfe with his sword Sylla the Dictator hauing condemned to death all the inhabitants of Perouza and pardoning none but his Host he also would needes die saying that he would not hold his life of the murtherer of his countrey Brutus after the battel lost against Augustus Caesar was counselled by certaine of his friends to flie I must flie in deed said he but with hands not with feete And taking them all by the hand he vttered these words with a very good and cheerfull countenance I feele my hart greatly contented bicause none of my friends haue for saken me in this busines neither complaine I of fortune at all but onely so farre foorth as toucheth my countrey For I esteeme my selfe happier than they that haue vanquished as long as I leaue behind me a glorie of vertue for hazarding all liberally to free from bondage my brethren and countreymen Which praise our conquering enemies neither by might nor money can obtaine and leaue to posteritie but men will alwaies say of them that being vniust and wicked they haue ouerthrowne good men to vsurpe a tyrannous rule and dominion that belongeth not vnto them After he had thus spokē he tooke his sword and falling vpon the point thereof gaue vp the ghost Cassius also his companion caused his owne head to be cut off by one of his slaues whom he had made free and kept with him long time before for such a necessitie The historie which we read of the Numantines commeth in fitly for this matter which we handle heere For after they had sustained the siege of the Romanes fourteene yeeres togither and were in the ende inclosed by Scipio with a very great ditch of two and fortie foote in depth and thirtie in breadth which compassed the citie round about the Consul summoned them to commit themselues to the clemencie of the Romanes and to trust to their promise seeing all meanes of sallying foorth to fight and of
miserable passions which depriue vs of true rest tranquillitie necessarie for a happie life let vs be carefull to learne how to discerne true happines from mishap that we may reioyce in that which is good and as readily giue thanks to the author thereof as naturally through a false opinion which we haue of euill we sustaine humaine miseries and crosses vnpatiently First then let vs heare the sundry and notable opinions of many ancient men touching good and ill hap If thou knowest all that ought to be knowen in all things said Pythagoras thou art happy Let them be accounted very happy said Homer to whom fortune hath equally wayed the good with the euill The greatest miserie of all said Bias is not to be able to beare miserie That man is happie said Dionysius the elder that hath learned from his youth to be vnhappy For he will beare the yoke better whereunto he hath been subiect and accustomed of long tyme. Demetrius surnamed the Besieger said That he iudged none more vnhappy than he that neuer tasted of aduersitie as if he would haue sayd that it was a sure argument that fortune iudged him to be so base abiect that he deserued not that she should busie hir selfe about him That man saith Cicero is very happy who thinketh that no humane matters how grieuous soeuer they may be are intollerable or ought to discourage him iudging also nothing so excellent wherby he should be mooued to reioyce in such sort that his hart be puffed and lift vp thereby Yea he is very happy who fitly and conueniently behaueth himself in all things necessary for him Nothing is euil saith Plutarke that is necessarie By which word Necessarie both he and Cicero vnderstand whatsoeuer commeth to a wise man by fatall destinie bicause he beareth it patiently as that which cannot be auoyded thereby increasing his vertue so much the more and so no euill can come to a good man Solon drawing neerer to the truth of sincere happinesse sayd that it consisted in a good life and death and that to iudge them happy that are aliue considering the danger of so many alterations wherein they are were all one as if a man should before hand appoint the reward of the victorie for one that is yet fighting not beyng sure that he should ouercome Socrates speaking rather with a diuine than a humane spirite sayd that when we shall be deliuered from this body wherein our soule is inclosed as an Oyster in his shell we may than be happy but not sooner and that felicitie cannot be obtained in this life but that we must hope to enioy it perfectly in the other life as well for our vertues as by the grace and mercy of God Not the rich said Plato but the wise and prudent auoyd miserie They that thinke sayth Aristotle that externall goods are the cause of happines deceiue themselues no lesse than if they supposed that cunning playing on the harpe came from the instrument and not from Arte but we must seeke for it in the good and quiet estate of the soule For as we say not that a body is perfect bicause it is richly arayed but rather bicause it is well framed and healthfull so a soule well instructed is the cause that both hir selfe and the bodie wherein she is inclosed are happy which cannot be verified of a man bicause he is rich in gold and siluer When I consider all the aboue named wise opinions of these Ethnikes and Pagans I cannot sufficiently maruell at the ignorance and blockishnes of many in our age touching Good and Ill hap bicause they labor to make these words priuate and to tie them to the successe of their affections in worldly matters which if they fall out according to their desire and liking behold presently they are rauished with extreme ioy boasting of thēselues that they are most happy But contrarywise if they misse of their intents by and by they dispaire and thinke themselues the vnhappiest men in the world Do we not also see that most men iudge them happy that possesse riches pleasure delight glory and honour and those men miserable that want especially if after they had aboundance they loose it by some mishap the cause wherof they commonly attribute either to good or ill lucke which they say ruleth all humaine affaires We read that Apollonius Thianaeus hauing trauelled ouer al Asia Afrike and Europe sayd that of two things whereat he maruelled most in all the world the first was that he alwayes sawe the proud man commaund the humble the quarellous the quiet the tyrant the iust the cruel the pitifull the coward the hardie the ignorant the skilfull and the greatest thieues hang the innocent But in the meane while who may doubt whether of these were the happiest that the good were not rather than the wicked if happines according to the ancients to the truth be perfected in good things then it is certain that whosoeuer enioieth al good things shall be perfectly happy Now nothing can be called good but that which is profitable and contrary to euill so that whatsoeuer may as so one be euill as good ought not to be called good Moreouer it must be the possession of some firme stedfast and permanent Good that maketh a man happy For nothing ought to wax old to perish or decay of those things wherin a happy life consisteth seeing he that feareth to loose them cannot be sayd to liue quietly Therefore neither beautie nor strength and disposition of body neither riches glory honour or pleasure can be truely called Goods seeing oftentymes they are the cause of so many euils waxe old and vanish away many times as soone as a man hath receiued them and lastly worke in vs an vnsatiable desire of them How many men are there to whom all these things haue been the occasion of euill And how can we call that good which being possessed and that in abundance cannot yet keep the owner thereof from being vnhappy and miserable Wherfore we may say that happines cannot be perfected by the possession of humane and mortall things neither vnhappines through the want of them but that the true felicitie which we ought to desire in this world consisteth in the goods of the soule nourished in the hope of that vnspeakable euerlasting happines which is promised and assured vnto it in the second life And so we say that none are vnhappy but they who by reason of their peruersnesse feele in their conscience a doubting of the expectation of eternall promises as also they that giue ouer themselues to vice whose nature is to corrupt destroy and infect with the venom that is alwayes about it all things whereof it taketh hold As for the common miseries of mans life they cannot in any sort make him vnhappy whose naturall disposition maners beyng framed and decked with vertue are able to giue to impart to euery
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
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
chast and reuerent virgine not violated or defiled but lodged alwaies with shamefastnes chastitie and simplicitie Pindarus calleth hir the Queene of all the world Pythagoras teaching by his riddlelike precepts how a man ought to beware of transgressing Iustice saith Go not beyond the ballance If we purpose saith Plato to exercise Iustice perfectly we must make no differēce of men in regard either of their friendship kindred wealth pouertie or dignitie This vertue saith Cicero requireth of vs the forsaking of our pleasures and priuate commoditie that we may procure the benefit of the Common-wealth although it be to our perill and losse And those men command and gouerne very wel who forbid vs to do any thing wherof we doubt whether it be iust or vniust bicause equity is so cleere of it self that when we doubt of any thing we may be assured that there is some iniustice in it Aristotle and Cicero deuide Iustice into these two partes Distributiue and Commutatiue Distributiue Iustice consisteth in giuing to euery one according to his desert whether it be honor and dignitie or punishment Commutatiue Iustice is in keeping fidelitie and in causing it to be kept in promises and contracts in behauing our selues no otherwise to another than we would be delt withall Many parts and particular dueties are also attributed by the Philosophers to Iustice as Liberalitie and sundry other whereof we will particularly discourse hereafter But we must here learne that the end of all Iustice tendeth to the preseruation of the common societie of men For the preseruation of the lawes which are the Gardian and Tutor of good men and a mortall enimie to the wicked is so necessarie for euery estate and condition of life that as Cicero saith the very Pirates thieues robbers could not liue together without some part thereof If we desire to know more of hir vnspeakeable fruits let vs consider that which Paulus the Pythagorian hath written saying Iustice among men ought in my opinion to be called the Mother and Nurse of all the other vertues For without hir no man could be either temperate valiant or prudent the profite wherof will be very euident if we consider all hir effects For the prouidence of God is that Iustice which gouerneth the world and hath the principalitie ouer it In cities and townes Iustice is rightly called Equitie and Peace in particular houses betweene the husband and the wife Vnitie and Concord in respect of seruants towards their masters Good will of masters towards their seruants Humanitie and Gentlenesse and in mens bodies Health and perfection of the members Thus you see that Iustice is the beginning and perfection of all the vertues By these short sayings of ancient and graue personages the excellencie of this holy and sacred vertue Iustice appeereth sufficiently vnto vs. Yea it is so earnestly commaunded by the spirit of God vnto Magistrates in these words of exercising Iudgement and Iustice so often repeated that whosoeuer infringeth and violateth it can not auoid the curse and wrath of the Almightie which will both light vpon their owne heads and also worke the destruction of them that are committed to their charge It belongeth to Iustice to receiue the innocent into protection and safegard to maintaine defend sustaine and deliuer them and to Iudgement to resist the boldnes of the wicked to represse their violence and to punish their offences bicause Magistrats are therefore armed with the sword and with power that publike peace should not be disturbed This also is that which Solon meant to teach vs when he said that the greatnes and preseruation of all Common-wealths consisted in two things in the reward of the good in the punishmēt of the wicked which being taken away the whole discipline of humane societie must needes be dissolued and come to nothing For there are many that haue no great care to do wel if they see not vertue recompenced with some honor although this beseemeth not a noble-minded man who ought to do nothing but onely for the loue of vertue And againe the malice of the wicked cannot be brideled if they see not vengeance and punishment prepared for offenders All these aboue specified considerations did so greatly recommend Iustice to the men of old time and caused them to esteeme so much of it that whensoeuer occasion was offered to maintaine and execute it it was preferred before all things insomuch that the father did not pardon his owne sonne The Egyptians were the ancientest Lawmakers as Historiographers report and were very carefull and diligent obseruers of Iustice In their cities they painted Iudges without hands and the President or chiefe Iustice with his eies blind-folded to teach that Iustice ought not to be either a briber or respecter of persons that is she must neither take any thing nor iudge for any fauour The kings of their countrey obserued this order to cause Iudges when they were installed by them in their offices to sweare that albēit they were commanded by them to iudge vniustly yet they should not obey them Since their time the ancient Grecians and Romanes shewed themselues great true and zealous followers of this vertue of Iustice and that towardes their greatest enimies They iudged it a very noble act to accuse the wicked so it were not vpon any priuate occasion or passion they delighted greatly to see yoong men by way of Iustice to pursue transgressors as grayhounds well flesht follow after wild beasts This caused Solon being demanded what citie seemed to him best gouerned to answer that city wherein they that are not wronged do as egerly follow after satisfaction in the behalfe of another man wronged as if themselues had receiued the iniurie For the truth is quoth he that they which violate and breake lawes do not offend one man alone but the whole Citie and Common-wealth therefore euery one ought to desire and seeke after iust punishment Moreouer the seueritie which the Lacedemonians obserued in their iudgements procured such a publike safety that for a long time they vsed not to put either lockes to cofers or barres to gates Aristotle maketh mention of a certaine countrey where the inhabitants were to assure the safetie of the waies and to repay vnto passengers that losse which they had receiued by theeues and robbers Neither is it long since the like statute was obserued in many places of Italie But I stand greatly in doubt that at this day it is ilfauoredly kept O happie yea an hundred times happy was the golden age of those famous men full of heauenlie spirite bicause vnder their gouernment Iustice was had in such honor and reuerence But let vs rub vp the memorie heereof by some notable examples If any thing causeth Magistrates to commit iniustice it is chieflye the fauour which they beare the bond wherewith they are bound more to some than to others Therefore Cleon the Lacedemonian
Paule we speake the truth euery one to his neighbour who is euery one that needeth our helpe and let all faining and dissimulation be banished from vs and all roundnes and integritie of hart and manners appeere in all our actions let vs hate periurie and treason periured and traiterous persons knowing that faith being taken away the whole foundation of Iustice is ouerthrowne al bonds of friendship broken and all humane societie confounded Of Ingratitude Chap. 40. AMANA AS the remembrance of an euil is kept a long time bicause that which offendeth is very hardly forgotten so we commonly see that the memorie of benefits receiued is as suddenly vanished lost as the fruite of the good turne is perceiued Which thing doth so ill beseeme a man well brought vp and instructed in vertue that there is no kind of Iniustice which he ought more to eschew And therefore my Companions I thinke that according to the order of our discourse we are nowe to speake of the vice of Ingratitude that knowing the ignominie therof and the pernitious effects which flowe from it we may beware of spotting our life therewithall ARAM. An vngratefull person can not be of a noble mind nor yet iust And therefore as Sophocles said a man is to remember him often of whome he hath receiued curtesie and pleasure For one good turne begetteth another and euery gentle hart easily pardoneth all iniuries except vnthankfulnes which it hardly forgetteth ACHITOB. Ingratitude maketh men impudent so that they dare ioine togither to hurt those that haue been their friends and them to whom they are bound both by blood and nature Let vs then heare ASER discourse more amply of this pernitious vice ASER. If man had not shewed himselfe vnthankfull for the vnspeakeable benefits which he had receiued of his Creator by eating of the fruite of the tree of life at the perswasion of Satan contrarie to his expresse commandement to whome he owed all obedience it is certaine that neither sinne nor death neither through them any kind of miserie and calamitie should haue had any power ouer him But as by his Ingratitude he neglected his obedience to his Lord and Creator so it seemeth also that his punishment was according to the manner of his offence For his owne members which before were in subiection to the will of his spirite rebelled against it and that with such force that they led him often captiue into the bondage of sinne Now although we are necessarily and iustly made inheritors of the same curse both of sinne death yet how become we so dull of vnderstanding as to desire with cheerefulnes of hart and without constraint to succeede him in the cause therof I meane Ingratitude which we ought to hate in greater measure and to slie from it more than from death it self by reason of the euils which it hath brought vpon vs Notwithstanding if we looke narrowly into the iustest mans life that is it will be a hard matter yea altogither vnpossible to find it purged and exempted of this detestable vice aswell towards God as towards his neighbours But this is farre woorse to behold the greatest part of men to nourish and feede their soules with Ingratitude as if they tooke singular delight therein by accustoming their mindes to keepe very diligently the memorie of the aduersities and iniuries which they suffer and to let the remembrance of those graces and benefits which they receiue slip away incontinently euen as soone as the pleasure of them is past Whereas dutie bindeth all persons to esteeme as a great benefit all fauour how little soeuer it be which the heauens or mer impart vnto them and to preserue it in perpetuall memorie as in a most safe Treasurie wherein they may keepe lay vp those good things which they receiue But contrariwise vnthankefull men suffer the remembrance of their greatest felicities to slide away suddenly which is the cause that they are alwaies void of happines of rest and tranquillitie and full of vnquietnes vncertaine desires which is an argument of the imperfection of their reason and of their ignorance of that which is good This is that which Seneca saith that the life of the ignorant is vnthankful wauering vnstaied in things present through the desire of things to come And as it is the propertie of an ignorant man to be alwaies troublesome to himselfe so from Ingratitude and the forgetfulnes of our prosperitie proceede cares melancholie passions to no purpose which consume men pull on age vpon them more than yeeres For it is vnthankfulnes that causeth vs to be neuer contented with our present estate but to complaine and murmure in steede of giuing praise as it becommeth vs to him that sendeth vs far better things than we deserue Vpon the least touch of affliction the Ingratitude for a million of graces receiued before causeth vs to cry out that we neuer had any thing but mishap whereas rather we ought to take aduersitie for a blessing and testimonie of the loue of God towards vs being assured that by Iustice rightly ordeined he dispenseth pouertie and riches health sicknes honor and contempt according as he seeth it expedient for euery one of vs. Yea it is necessarie by reason of the intemperancie of our flesh which is redie to cast off the yoke of the Lord when he handleth vs ouergently that he should reiue vs in hard with the bridle and keep vs within the compasse of some discipline least we wholy giue ouer that seruice obedience which we owe vnto him But to vexe our selues vpon euery occasion and as often as things fal out contrary to our inconstant rebellious will which for the most part is ignorant of that which belongeth vnto it is that which Pythagoras sayd To eat our hart or to offend wound our soule and spirit by consuming them with cares griefs as also not to know that one cause which most of all troubleth this miserable life is the suddain entrance of sorowes and irksomnes into the hart which afterward will not depart out of it but by litle and litle These are melancholy passions voyd of reason which as Plato saith proceed from naughty fumes and bitter vapors gathered togither within vs and which ascend and mingle themselues amidst the passages of the soule Euen as our strange and vnwoonted dreams testifie signifie that there is within vs repletion of grosse gluish humors perturbations of the vital spirits so are those euil vapors which darken our senses dim the eies of our soule namely ignorance rebellion arrogancie murmuring vnsatiable desires other inward corruptions which ingratitude stirreth vp and nourisheth and which hinder vs from acknowledging the benefits that God bestoweth vpon vs either towards him by thanksgiuing or towards his creatures by good deeds which he accepteth as done to himself For only God needeth nothing neither asketh any thing for
denied him at the first when he became a suter vnto hir but after in processe of time she consented thervnto When they were come to the Temple of Diana to solemnize the mariage before the aultar she powred forth a little of that drinke which she had prepared in a cup and drinking part thereof she gaue the residue to Synorix to drinke The liquor was made of water honie and poison mingled togither When she saw that he had drunke all she fetched a great and loud grone and vsing reuerence towards the Goddesse sayd vnto hir I call thee to witnes that I haue not ouer-liued Sinatus my husband for any other intent than to see this daie neither haue I enioyed any good or pleasure in all this time wherein I haue since liued but only in hope that one daie I should be able to reuenge his death which being nowe perfourmed by me I goe cheerefully and with ioy vnto my husband But as for thee most wicked man quoth she to Synorix take order now that thy friends and kinsfolkes in steede of a wedding bed prepare a buriall for thee And so within a little while after both of them ended their daies Macrina the wife of Torquatus loued hir husband so feruently and was so sorowfull for his absence that for one yeeres space wherein he was gone vpon a voyage she neuer went out of hir house nor looked out of hir windowe We read that many women of Lacedemonia when their husbands were condemned to die for conspiring against their countrie came one euening clothed in blacke to the prison vnder colour to take their finall farewell of them and changing their apparell they couered their husbands with their vailes who went out and left their wiues in their place which sustaining the punishment due to others were beheaded contrarie to humanitie not without great patience shewed on their behalfe Histories are plentifull in shewing the great loue of women towards their husbands Yea I will not be afraid to speake it men are farre inferior vnto them in perfection of loue Wherefore we will conclude that it is easier for them to be dutifull to their husbands whome as we haue alreadie sayd if they loue esteeme and honour no doubt but they are the chiefe cause of all peace and concord in their families and of the prosperous successe of their houshold affaires to the quietnes and contentation of their happie life and to the immortall praise and honour of their good name The ende of the twelfth dates worke THE THIRTEENTH DAIES WORKE Of the dutie of the Head of a familie in other parts of the house namely in the Parentall Maisterlie and Possessorie part Chap. 49. ASER. IT is not without great shew of reason which many Philosophers maintaine that the Oeconomicall science that is to say the art of ruling a house well is one of the chiefest partes of policie which is the art of skilfull gouerning a great multitude of men The reason is bicause a Towne or Citie is nothing else but an assemblie of manie families and houses togither which will be verie harde for one onelie man to order well and iustlie if he knowe not howe to set that order in his familie which is necessarie and to guide it with sound reason and true prudence Moreouer when families are well gouerned no doubt but it goeth well with the Common-wealth as we see that the whole bodie is in good helth when euery seueral member doth his dutie Nowe that we haue considered particularly of that which concerneth the first and principall part of a house and of the mutuall dutie of the husband and wife I thinke my Companions we are to beginne this daies worke with instructing our selues in that which the head of a familie ought to keepe and obserue in other parts of his house mētioned before by vs namely his children seruants and possessions seeing we are taught by the Apostle that he which prouideth not for his owne and namely for them of his houshold denieth the faith and is woorse than an Infidell AMANA Euery house must be ruled by the eldest as by a king who by nature commandeth ouer euery part of the house and they obey him for the good preseruation thereof ARAM. Euery man by right saith Homer hath rule ouer his wife and children and he is not woorthy to haue any that wanteth sufficient vertue and prudence to gouerne them well Go to then ACHITOB let vs learne of thee what belongeth to the parts of a house now mentioned by vs. ACHITOB. Anacharsis one of the wise men of Grecia said that a house is not to be called good bicause it is well built and of good stuffe but men must iudge thereof by that which is within which belongeth to the house as namely by the children wife seruants with whome being wise and well qualified if the father of a familie communicateth and imparteth of that which he hath whether it be in the bottome of a caue or vnder the shade of a bough he may be said to dwell in a good and happie house Therefore it is no small happines and felicitie for them that are called to the gouernment of a familie when they see it wise and well nurtured in euery part But as nerues and sinewes being the instruments of sence and motion proceede and are deriued from the head which by them infuseth into all parts of the bodie the Animal spirite without which the bodie could not exercise any naturall function of sence and moouing so the parts of a house commonly receiue the habite of manners and conditions from the father of a family as from the head therof but then especially when he is prudent and wise and imploieth his care diligence and industrie thereupon Therefore a good housholder must beginne the right gouernment of his house at himself by letting his houshold see that he is prudent chast sober peaceable but chiefly religious and godly as also by bringing foorth plentifull fruits of his dutie towards those that are vnder his charge For as the anger and threatnings of the head of a familie astonisheth his children and seruants so his good workes harteneth them on to do well Now bicause there is varietie of houses whose difference is commonly taken from the goods and abilitie of men which abound to some and are wanting to others I will propound heere as my purpose and meaning was before a meane house in all pointes perfect and as we vse to say neither poore nor rich from which notwithstanding both great and small may draw instruction for their gouernment We haue alreadie seene that a house is diuided into foure partes whereof the coniugall or wedlocke part hath beene alreadie handled by vs. Now we must consider of the other three I meane of the Parentall Maisterlie and Possessorie parts And I thinke it will be best to follow that order which is most vsuall in the perfection and progresse of
were partly founded to this ende But how carefull are we at this day to imitate those auncients in this earnestnesse of good bringing vp of children in the studie of sciences and good discipline Haue we not very good occasion to say with Crates the Philosopher that it is most necessarie that one should ascend vp into the highest place of this kingdome and cry aloude Oh ye men whither doe ye throwe your selues headlong in taking all the paynes that may be to heape vp goodes and treasures that perish and in the meane while make no reckoning of your children but suffer them to continue long and to grow old in ignorance which destroyeth them both body and soule and turneth to the confusion and ouerthrow of your country For it is most certaine that a good nature ill brought vp waxeth very pernitious and that the mindes and hartes of men that are corruptly instructed become most wicked Doe you thinke saith Plato that execrable villanies and horrible vices proceede rather of a naughtie nature than of a noble nature corrupted with euill education In like maner a good nature well tilled will attaine to the toppe of vertue but if it be negligently looked vnto it will be nothing but vice But let vs see what goodly instructions the auncients haue giuen concerning this matter The same Plato was so carefull and searched out so exactly the good education of children as that which is as precious and necessarie a thing as any can be in the life of man that hee taketh them euen from their mothers wombe yea before they are begotten First hee willeth that the husband and wife that are desirous of children should keepe them-selues from drunkennesse and from entring into the bedde when they are cholerike and full of trouble bicause that many times is the cause of vices in children Next he requireth that great bellied women should giue themselues to walking and beware of liuing either too delicately or too sparingly that they should haue quiet mindes with many other things which he alleageth to that purpose He saith also that children being in their mothers wombe receiue good and ill as the fruites of the earth doe After they are borne he carefully recommendeth their education Wee will not here stande vpon many pointes to be obserued therein as namelie vpon the choice of Nurses whereof fewe are ignoraunt seeing it belongeth to the true and naturall office of euerie mother to nourish that with hir teate which she hath brought into the world except there be some great and lawfull impediment But let vs go on with the sayings of Plato He chargeth nurses to lead their children oftentimes on their feete vntil they be 3. yeeres old bicause this moouing is very profitable for them He forbiddeth much crying in children bicause it breedeth in them a habite and custome of sadnesse From 3. yeeres to six he would haue them moderately corrected when they commit a fault forbidden aboue all things to accustome them from that time forward vnto daintines or to ouer-great seueritie saying that delicatenes maketh them froward hard to please cholerike soone mooued and that seueritie maketh them hard-harted cruell abiect base-minded very blocks and fooles and haters of men At sixe yeeres of age he would haue them put apart from the daughters and begin to learne to ride a horse to shoote to practise all kind of feates of Armes both with the right hand and with the left to put in vre all other exercises of moderate labor that they may waxe strong and be acquainted with labour and therefore to vse such laborious pastimes But he expresly forbiddeth to change euery day for new this age being very apt thervnto saying that nothing is more pernitious than to acquaint youth to despise antiquitie But aboue all things he commandeth that children should be so brought vp that they be not constrained to any thing whatsoeuer they shall take in hand but as it were in sport that so euery ones nature may be knowne Neither would he haue them beaten without great discretion bicause it is not seemely that a free man should learne liberall sciences by seruitude and compulsion And in truth no science forced vpon a man will continue stedfast with him Moreouer he would haue them apply themselues to Musicke both to sing hymnes and songs to the praise of God to laud and magnifie him and to hope for all good successe from him as also to recreate their spirits He greatly misliketh in them slouth and too much sleepe saying that much sound sleepe is good neither for the bodie nor for the soule that it is nothing profitable for him that desireth to bring any good thing to passe bicause as long as a man sleepeth he doth nothing more than if he liued not Therefore whosoeuer desireth to liue and to come to knowledge let him watch as much as he may hauing regard notwithstanding to his health which is contented with a little when a man is once acquainted therewith Now bicause a child as he saith is more vnruly than a sauage beast he would neuer haue him left without a wise and vertuous maister It is no lesse necessarie saith he to consider what teachers a man hath than what parents For as children doe in a manner carie away the spirits of their forefathers so the vices of teachers are deriued vnto their schollers Therefore let such be chosen as teach vs their vertue by their workes and not such as onely vtter and speake many goodly words studied out of it At ten yeeres this diuine Philosopher would haue children to learne letters vntill fifteene But bicause we are to learne languages that differ from ours it were good to beginne sooner and to end a little after I thinke it were very profitable for youth to begin at the aboue named age of sixe yeeres to teach him his moother toong perfectly that he may read pronounce and write it well After at eight yeeres to teach him the rudiments of the Latine toong and to let him follow that vntil it be as familiar vnto him or little lesse than his natural speech At fourteene yeeres the same Plato would haue children learne Arithmetike saying that it is very necessary both for a souldior and for a Philosopher next Geometrie and that part of Astronomie that is necessarie for Cosinographie which he would haue likewise learned He commandeth also that youth should practise hunting bicause it is as it were an image of warre and an exercise that maketh men apt to sustaine all labour and trauell This institution of youth is surely woorthie of that diuine spirite of Plato and that partie were very vnhappie and of a froward and corrupt nature who being thus diligently brought vp would not growe to be a vertuous and good man He putteth small difference betweene the education and bringing vp of daughters and that of sonnes not depriuing women
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
of the tyrauntes were giuen vnto them as to the true deliuerers of their Countrey Nowe albeit wee sayde that this worde tyraunt was taken amongst them for him that made him-selfe soueraigne Prince of his owne authoritie with-out election or right of succession or lotte or iust warre or speciall callyng of GOD yet wee must not inferre this consequent that therefore it is lawfull to kill euerie Prince that exerciseth tyrannie For it belongeth in no wise eyther to anye particular subiect or to all in generall to seeke the honour or lyfe of the Prince that is absolutely and lawfully soueraigne as we haue alreadie discoursed Now to conclude our present speech we may see how farre the establishment of this French Monarchie is from any inclination and from all things that may seeme to giue any entraunce life and preseruation to a tirannie nay it is cleane contrary thereunto and goeth beyond all monarchies that euer were or are amongst the sundrie nations of men for goodnesse and mildenesse of gouernement which ought wonderfully to stirre vp Frenchmen to perseuere in loue obedience and fidelitie towardes their king for which straungers haue alwayes praysed them Of the Education of a Prince in good maners and conditions Chap. 59. ARAM. THe effect of custome is wonderfull yea it is so power-full that it passeth nature especially in vice and dissolutenes Wherein if men be once plunged it is a very hard matter especially if they be young to drawe them out of it But further when they know that they haue in their handes an vnbrideled licence and a soueraigne authoritie to enioy their lustes and desires at their pleasure a man may then saie that all hope of amendment is vtterly perished in them and that it is altogether impossible to gaine any thing of them by counsell instruction or reason Therefore it is very certaine that the principall hope and expectation of a Prince after request made to God that by nature he may bee of a good and teach-able disposition ought to bee grounded alwayes in his education and first institution which beyng either good or badde will bring foorth like effectes to the great good or hurt of his subiectes Nowe then my Companions let vs discourse of that which we thinke ought to be obserued in the right instruction of a Prince in all kinde of good maners and commendable conditions as well for his owne profit as for the common vtilitie of all those ouer whom he is to command ACHITOB. Men are commonly carefull to strengthen with rampires the bankes of riuers which receine into them great quantitie of waters But it is needefull that more diligence be vsed in preseruing and fortifying the minde of a young prince with strong reasons graue sentences and most learned preceptes of wisedome against the greatnesse of his fortune the great aboundaunce of wealth riote delightes and flatterie disguised with fidelitie and libertie which lyke to a mightie streame fall from some rocke to ouer-whelme and to drowne the weake seedes of Vertue naturallie in a Prince ASER. Men must bee so much the more carefull in the dressing and tillage of that spirite and soule which they know ought to bee vigilant wise prudent and iust for the benefite of many Such a one is the king or magistrate or any other man that is to deale in gouernement and in publike affaires For to fill that soule with vertue and goodnesse is to profite an infinite number by the meaues of one Now let vs heare AMANA discourse vpon this matter AMANA All kingdomes vnder which men doe liue at this day are eyther hereditarie or giuen by election Some that are hereditarie goe by succession from male to male onely as this kingdome of Fraunce And this did the French-men wisely ordaine in the beginning of their Monarchie by the Salicke lawe by which prouidence and fore-sight they haue continued in the same kind of gouernement almost one thousand and two hundreth yeeres so that the crowne neuer went out of their nation neither hath the roiall linage chaunged oftener than thrise in so long continuaunce which thing neuer happened to any other Monarchie or Seignorie to any mans knowledge In other kingdomes when males are wanting daughters succeede as in Spaine England and Scotland Moreouer in hereditarie kingdomes where males succeede in some places that honour is alwayes reserued for the eldest who giueth an honest pension to his younger brethren as it is in Fraunce or if no regard be had to birth-right either he is preferred that is fittest to gouerne or he that is most warlike and in greatest fauour with the souldiours as in Turkie Selim the first of that name beyng the third and youngest sonne of Baiazet the second vsurped the Empire by the aide of the Ianitzaries vpon his father whome he caused to be poisoned and slew Achmat and Corcuth his two elder brothers with all his nephewes and others of Ottomans race saying that nothing was pleasaunter than to rule when all feare of kindred was taken away In some places they kill not their brethren and kindred but shut them vp in some most sure and safe place of custodie as they vse or are accustomed to doe in Ethiopia where hee that must beare rule is kept alone the rest are sent to a very high and strong mountaine called the mountaine of the Israelites from whence none of the male kinde may euer come foorth except Prester Iohn die without heire of his bodie to succeede him in the crowne for then he that is next vnto it and knowen to be woorthiest and fittest is taken foorth By this meanes that great kingdome hath continued very long without ciuill warre or murder and neuer wanted of-spring of the royall race In Calecuth when the king dieth although hee haue male children or nephewes by his brother yet none of them succeed in the kingdom but his sisters sonne and if they faile the next of the bloud royal commeth to the crowne They ground this vpon a foolish and fond superstition which they haue in causing the Queene to bee defloured by some young priest called Bramin in whose custodie she remaineth euer after so long as the King is abroade Whereuppon they presume and peraduenture not without good cause that the children which descend or are borne of that Ladie hold more of the priest than of the prince Concerning kingdomes that goe by election we haue spoken of them alreadie Now bicause it is a very harde matter to change him that is once chosen in such a kingdome greater consideration must be had in making the election lest the ouer-sight of one hower procure a perpetuall repentaunce But where the prince is by nature and not by election men must labour by carefull industrie and diligence to bring him vp and to instruct him well by replenishing his mind with sound opinions from his infancie and by casting vpon his new ground seedes of vertue and honestie which by
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
of righteousnes hauing this marke alwaies before his eies to direct all his actions thereunto namely to aspire to that perfection which God commandeth From which although the affections of our flesh seeke to separate vs and the difficulties are great so that it is impossible for vs to attaine perfectly thereunto in this mortall prison yet let vs not leaue of to followe that waye which we haue once begunne looking to our marke in puritie vprightnes and simplicitie and striuing to come to our ende vntill wee perfectly see that soueraigne goodnes when hauing put off the infirmitie of our fleshe and being made partakers of that goodnes in full measure we shall be receiued of God into his heauenlie kingdome Let vs nowe come to the seconde point Although the lawe of God comprised in ten Commandements and those ten also contained onely in two hath a most excellent methode and well ordered disposition whereby to direct our life to make it happy yet it hath pleased our good Maister his eternall sonne to frame them that are his by an exquisite doctrine according to that rule which he had giuen vnto them in his lawe The beginning of that way which he taketh is after this sort namely to teach them that it is the dutie of euery faithful man to offer his body a liuely holy and acceptable sacrifice to God wherin consisteth the chiefest point of that seruice which we owe vnto him Thē he goeth on to exhort vs that we would not fashion our selues to this world but be changed by the renewing of our mind that we may prooue what is the good will of God That is no small reason to say that we must consecrate and dedicate our selues to God that from hence forward we should neither thinke speake meditate or doe any thing but to his glorie For it is not lawefull to applye any thing that is consecrated to a prophane vse Nowe if we be not our owne but belong to the Lorde we may thereby see both how to auoid errour and whither wee must direct all the parts of our life namely to the rule of his holie and iust will Let vs not propound to our selues this ende to seeke after that which is expedient for vs according to the flesh Let vs forget our selues as much as may be and all things that are about vs. We are the Lordes let vs liue and die to him and let his will and wisedome gouerne all our actions Let all the parts of our life be referred to him as to their onely ende and let all our humane reason yeeld and retire that the holie Ghost may haue place in vs and that our reason may be subiect to his direction to the ende we may no more liue of our selues but hauing Iesus Christ to liue and raigne within vs. I liue saith Saint Paule yet not I nowe but Christ liueth in me Truly he that hath Iesus Christ liuing in him and that liueth in Iesus Christ liueth no more in himselfe and careth least for him-selfe For if all true loue hath such force within the hart where it is placed that it careth not for itselfe but delighteth in and is altogither partaker of the thinge that it loueth howe much stronger shall the heauenlie loue be to with-drawe all our affections from the earth vnto the things of the spirite O good Iesus O loue of my soule saith S. Augustine as often as loue beginneth in mee it endeth with hatred in thee but when it beginneth in thee I come to the hatred of my selfe so that the scope of thy loue is nothing else but dislike of our selues Therefore our Sauiour said to his Disciples that if any man would followe him he should forsake himselfe Moreouer after the hart of man is once possessed with this deniall of himselfe first all pride hastines and ostentation are banished out of the soule next couetousnes intemperance superfluitie desire of honour and of all delights with the rest of those vices that are engendred through the loue of our selues Contrariwise where the deniall of our selues raigneth not there is man giuen ouer to all kind of villanie without shame or blushing or if any shewe of vertue appeere in his actions it is corrupted before God through a wicked desire of glorie Most of our imperfections proceede from the loue of our selues which hindreth vs from discharging our duty towards God and towards our neighbors according to charity Charitie is nothing else but to loue God for himself our neighbour for his sake I say to loue God bicause he is the soueraigne good bicause the greatnes of his goodnes deserueth it to loue our neighbours bicause the image of God shineth in them whome he hath substituted in his place that we should acknowledge towardes them the benefits which he hath bestowed vpon vs. And who is able to performe those duties that S. Paule requireth in charitie vnlesse he hath renounced himselfe that he may seeke nothing but the profite of his neighbour Loue saith hee suffereth long it is bountifull it enuieth not it doth not boast it selfe it is not puffed vp it disdaineth not it seeketh not hir owne things it is not prouoked to anger and so forth If that onely saying were there that we must not seeke our owne profite it should be of no small force with our nature which draweth vs so much to the loue of our selues that we forget what wee owe to our neighbours But if we would faithfully discharge this dutie let vs whilest we do good and exercise the offices of humanitie remember this rule That we are Stewards of all that God hath giuen vnto vs wherby we may help our neighbour and that one day wee shall giue account howe wee haue executed our charge limited vnto vs in the practise of charitie by a true and sound affection of friendship Which thing wil haue place amongst vs when we take vpon vs their persons that stand in neede of succour when we pitie their miserie as if we felt and sustained it when we are touched with the same affection of mercie to help them that is in vs to helpe our selues As for that which onely concerneth our dutie towards God the deniall of our selues will make vs patient and meeke And when our affections pricke vs forward to seeke how we may liue in rest and ease the Scripture alwaies bringeth vs backe to this that resigning our selues and all that we haue into the hands of god we should submit the desires of our hart to him that he may tame them and bring them vnder his yoke We are led with a furious kind of intemperance with an vnbrideled lust in desiring credite and honour in seeking after power and might in heaping vp of riches and in gathering togither whatsoeuer we iudge meete for pompe and magnificence On the other side we maruellously feare and hate pouertie basenes and ignominie flie
when themselues shal be vngently handled by thē when they shal endure reproch when they shal be polled or afflicted with any kind of iniurie their comfort in al these euils will be to haue the last day before their eies in which they know that the lord wil gather his faithful ones togither into the rest of his kingdom that he wil wipe away the teares frō their eies crown thē with glory clothe thē with gladnes satisfie them with the exceeding sweetnes of his delicacies exalt them vnto his high mansion in a word make them partakers of his happines In the meane time going on in their course with all tranquillitie ioy of spirit they are cheerfully to giue vnto God that homage worship that is due vnto him submitting themselues wholy to his greatnesse receiuing with all reuerence his cōmandements Next they must put that trust hartie assurance in him which they haue receiued by knowing him aright attributing to him all wisdom iustice goodnes vertue truth making this account that all their happines is in communicating with him Inuocation foloweth wherby their soules must haue recourse vnto him as to their only hope whē they are pressed with any necessity In the last place is thanksgiuing which is that acknowledgement wherby all prayse is giuē vnto him Vnder these 4. points of worship trust prayer and thanksgiuing all those innumerable duties which we owe to God may well be comprehended Moreouer the contempt of this present life and the meditation of that which is immortal heauenly will teach vs the right vse of earthly goods created of God for the seruice of man as necessary helpes for this life Which things we must not neglect in such sort that we neuer vse them but vpon constraint necessity taking no delight in them as if we were sencelesse blocks Much lesse may we abuse them by ouer-great lust in superfluity delights but apply them to that end for which God hath created appointed thē for our good not for our hurt namely that they should sustain nourish preserue delight our nature vsing thē in al temperance mediocritie with thanksgiuing So that we are to vse these goods as though we vsed them not that is to say our chief affection and desire must be so smally set vpō them as if we were wholy depriued of them and we must be disposed and affected as well to sustaine pouertie patiently with a quiet mind as to vse abundance moderately Especially let vs referre the true and holy vse of all our earthly commodities to the works of charitie as we haue already touched knowing that all things are so giuē vnto vs by the goodnes of God appointed for our commoditie as things cōmitted to our trust of which we must one day giue account before his maiestie For the conclusion therfore of our speech we learn that thelife of a Christian is a perpetuall studie and exercise of the mortification of the flesh vntil it be so throughly dead that the spirit of God may raigne fully in his soule We learn also that our whole life ought to be a meditation and exercise of godlines bicause we are called to sanctification that true happines of life in this world consisteth therein namely when being regenerated by baptisme and the spirit of God we haue the loue of righteousnes throughly imprinted in our harts and follow the diuine rule thereof by framing and directing all our actions to the glory of our God and profit of our neighbors Wherfore euery one of vs must take his vocation and calling for a principle and ground for a station assigned of God vnto which we must direct our leuell withdrawing our mindes from the yoke and bondage of those naturall perturbations that are in vs. Wee must not be led with ambition and desire to take hold of many sundry matters at once being assured that euery worke done according to our calling how contemptible soeuer it be among men shineth before God and shall be rewarded by him beyng accounted very precious in his sight Of Death Chap. 72. AMANA NO man ought to be ignorant of this that after God had created man in the beginning he placed him in a garden and paradise ful of al pleasures and delights and gaue him leaue to vse all things contained therin the fruit of the knowledge of good and euill onely excepted which was expresly forbidden Neuerthelesse being vnable to keepe himselfe in that high degree and great dignitie he fell by disobedience so that thinking to make choice of life he chose the fruit of death as God had foretold him saying Whensoeuer thou eatest of this fruit of the knowledge of good and euil thou shalt die the death which thing fell vpon him and vpon all his posteritie Whereby we see that the reward and recompence of sinne is death not onely bodily death but which is more spirituall whereby we are banished and shut out of the heauenly kingdome and inheritance if we apprehend not that great grace and mercy of the father offered to all that draw neere vnto him by true confidence in Iesus Christ to the ende as the Apostle saith that as sinne raigned vnto death so grace might raign by righteousnes vnto eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord. And this is the onely way wherby to passe from death to life when we shall be subiect to no condemnation or afflictiō Moreouer neither sworde famine nor any other miserie can hurt vs no not temporal death which according to mās iudgement is the extreamest of all miseries shall in any sort confound vs but rather be a meane and pleasant way for vs to passe by from prison and bondage to ioyfull liberty and from miserie to happinesse Therfore my companions as death is the end of all men happy to the elect and vnhappy to the reprobate so let vs finish our discourses with the handling thereof ARAM. Nothing but death and the end of this bodily life is able to accomplish the wish and desire of a faithful christian For the spirit being then deliuered as it were out of a noisome and filthie prison reioyceth with freedom and libertie in those pleasant places which it seeketh after and desireth so earnestly ACHITOB. It is decreed that all men must once die And therfeore as the Wiseman saith whatsoeuer thou takest in hand remember the end and thou shalt neuer do amisse Now ASER as thou beganst to lay the foundation of our Academie so make thou an end of it with the treatise of Death that endeth all things ASER. It is no maruell if natural sense be mooued astonished when we heare that our body must be separated from the soule But it is in no wise tollerable that a Christian hart should not haue so much light as to surmount suppresse this feare whatsoeuer it be by a greater comfort and consolation For if
And who is not content to depart out of an olde ruinous house What pleasure haue wee in this world which draweth neere to an end euery day which selleth vnto vs so deere those pleasures that wee receiue therein What other thing is this life but a perpetual battell and a sharpe skirmish wherein we are one while hurt with enuie another while with ambition and by and by with some other vice besides the suddaine onsets giuen vpon our bodies by a thousand sorts of diseases and fluds of aduersities vpō our spirits Who than will not say with S. Paul I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ Why do we daily pray that the kingdom of God should come if it be not for the desire which we ought to haue to see the fulfilling therof in the other life We haue a thousand testimonies in the scripture that the death of the body is a certaine way by which we passe into that true and eternal life and into our owne countrey Flesh and bloud saith Saint Paul cannot inherite the kingdom of God neither doth corruption inherite incorruption For this corruptible must put on incorruptiō and this mortali must put on immortalitie then shall bee fulfilled that which is written Death is swallowed vp in victory They that beleeue in Iesus Christ haue already ouercome death sin and hell And therefore contemning death they may say O death where is thy sting O graue where is thy victory The sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the law but thanks be vnto God which hath giuen vs victory through our Lord Iesus Christ. He which hath raised vp the Lord Iesus shall raise vs vp also Our conuersation is in heauen from whence also we looke for the sauiour euen the Lord Iesus Christ who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like vnto his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able euen to subdue all things-vnto himselfe Ye are dead saith he to the Colossians and your life is hid with Iesus Christ in God When Christ which is our life shall appeere then shall ye also appeere with him in glory My brethren saith he to the Thessalonians I would not haue you ignorant concerning them which are a sleepe that ye sorow not euen as other which haue no hope For if we beleeue that Iesus is dead and is risen euen so them which sleepe in Iesus will God bring with him Iesus Christ saith he to the Hebrewes was partaker of flesh and bloud that is to say was truly man that he might destroy through death him that had the power of death that is the deuill And that he might deliuer all them who for feare of death were all their life time subiect to bondage God hath saued vs and called vs with an holy calling as he saith to Timothie not according to our works but according to his owne purpose and grace which was giuen to vs through Christ Iesus before the world was but is now made manifest by the appeering of our Sauiour Iesus Christ who hath abolished death hath brought life immortalitie vnto light through the Gospel I am sure saith Iob that my redeemer liueth and he shall stand the last on the earth And though after my skin worms destroy this body yet shall I see God in my flesh Whom I my selfe shall see and mine eyes shall behold and none other for me Iesus Christ is our head and we are his members This head cannot be without his members neither can forsake them Where Christ is there shall we be also He that considereth diligently these places of Scripture and infinite others contained therein it cannot be but he should haue great ioy and comfort in his hart against all feare and horror of death And then comming to compare the miseries which neuer leaue this life with that vnspeakable happines and felicitie which eye hath not seene neyther eare hath heard neyther came into mans hart which God hath prepared in the second and eternall life for all faithfull beleeuers a christian will not onely passe ouer this mortall life with ease and without trouble but will euen contemne and make no account of it in respect of that which is immortall But to whome is death sweete if not to them that labour The poore hireling is well at ease when hee hath done his dayes woorke So death is alwayes sweete to the afflicted but to them that put their trust in wordly things the remembrance thereof is bitter Now then the children of God are not afrayd of death but as Cyprian writeth in an Epistle sent to the Martyrs of Christ hee that hath once ouercome death in his owne person doth daily ouercome him in his members so that we haue Iesus Christ not onely a beholder of our combates but also an assistant and fighter with vs. And by his grace abounding in the harts of the faithfull they are so much the more bent to meditate vpon the benefites of the future and eternall life as they see that they are inuironed with greater store of miseries in this fading and transitorie life Then comparing both togither they find nothing more easie than to finish sweetly their race and to value the one as litle as they account the other absolute in all felicitie Moreouer seeing heauen is our countrey what is the earth else but a passage in a strange land And bicause it is accursed vnto vs for sinne it is nothing else but the place of our banishment If our departure out of this world be an entrance to life what is this world but a sepulcher And to dwell heere what is it else but to be plunged in death If it be libertie to be deliuered out of this bodie what is this bodie but a prison And if it be our chiefe happines to enioie the presence of our God is it not a miserie not to enioie it Now vntill we go out of this world we shal be as it were separated from God Wherefore if this earthlie life be compared with the heauenlie no doubt but it may be contemned and accounted as it were doung True it is that we must not hate it but so far foorth as it keepeth vs in subiection to sinne And yet whilest we desire to see the ende of it we must not be carelesse to keepe our selues in it to the good pleasure of God that our longing may be far from all murmuring and impatiencie For our life is as a station wherein the Lord God hath placed vs that we should abide in it vntill he call vs backe againe Saint Paul indeed bewailed his estate bicause he was kept as it were bound in the prison of his body longer than he would groned with a burning desire vntill he was deliuered but withall to shew his obedience to the wil of God he protested that he was ready for both bicause he knew
commoditie thereof A notable law for the common instruction of children Of Gymnastick or bodilie exercise The end of Musicke The vse of painning Fower things to be vsed in the institution of youth Instruction which consisteth in six precepts 1. The first precept The first thing that youth must learne is to worship God We can do nothing without the grace of God 2. The second precept Youth must not glorie in transitoric goods Nor in bodilie beautie The fruits of true knowledge and vertue 3. The third precept The common diseases of youth Modestie is the best remedie for them 4 The fourth precept hath fower branches 5. The fift precept 6 The sixt precept Of admonition Of promises Youth is to be drawne on with the promises of eternall life Of praises and threatnings Hope and feare are the foundation of vertue Adolescencie is the age betweene 14. 28 Place and time are to be considered in all things All kind of behauior not conuenient in all ages Of the diuision of the ages of man The number of seuen accounted a perfect number Of the climactericall yeere of 63. The whole age of man diuided into six parts Of Infaucie Of Childhood * He meaneth not common naturall infirmities but malitious offences Two things requisite in a Schoolemaister skill and bonestie of life The benefit that commeth by good Schoolemaisters A strang custom vsed by the children of Rome The reason oâ— this word Iuuentus Of adolescencie The fruits of adolescencie being left to it self Aurelius exhortation to his sonnes gouernours Concupiscence raigneth most in Adolescencie Who are to be accounted free Knowledge and iudgement are the gard of adolescencie Catoes sonne banished for breaking an earthen pot And Cinnaes sonne for gathering fruite without leaue How the Romanes taught their yoong men to forsake the follies of their first age The dutie of yoong men A moderate youth maketh a happie old age Examples of vertuous young men Alexander a paterne of vertue in his youth Bucephalus Alexanders horse Pompey Papyrius Of 〈◊〉 maâ—s estate The dutie of a man at the perfection of his age Clitomachus M. Aurelius Solon learned to the hower of his death Socrates learned musick being old T. Varro and M. Cato learned Greeke when they were old Iulianus Alphonsus Of old-age Psal 90. 10. Prudence is the ornament of old age What Senate is and froÌ„ whence it came What vse is to be made of a white beard Epaminondas salutation vsed to men according to their ages Cato What breedeth authoritie in a man Sophocles To whom old age is not grieuous The soule is not subiect to mans iurisdiction Gal. 3. 18. Col. 3. 11. Gal. 5. 1. 13. Rom. 13. 1. 2. All power is of God The beginning and preseruation of policies is from God Of commanding and obeying Policie is the bond of all societie There is shew of commanding and obeying in all things As in harmonie The superior part of the world ruleth the inferior The Sunne is king and the Moone Queene among the starres The Moone ruleth ouer all moistures The Fire and Aire chiefe among the elements The Eagle Lion whale and pike ouer their kinds No people without all policie Diuine iustice humane policie always linked togither Religion is the foundation of all estates The auncieâ—â— law makers established then ordinance through the means of religion Religion the greatest means of inlarging the Roman empire What Policie is and from whence the word is deriued The diuers significations of this word Policy Of the end of policie Ciuil ordinance ought to maintaine the worship of God Euery estate coÌ„sisteth of 3. parts of the magistrate the law and the people When common-wealths are right and when corrupt The good or euil estate of coÌ„mon wealths dependeth of the magistrates next vnder God The diuision of common-welths in generall The subdiuision of them Of a monarchie Of a tirannie Of an Aristocratie and what it signifieth The Lacedemonian estate was an excellent paterne of this gouernment Why the Senate of Lacedemonia was first instituted What power the kings of Lademonia had The policie of Polydorus and Theopompus to get the power out of the peoples hands Why the Ephories were appointed in Lacedemoniâ— Of an Oligarchâ— How an Oligarchie is changed into a tirannie with examples thereof Of a Timocraty * His meaning is that it is ruled by some lawes taken from ccb of these Of a Democratie Fiue kinds therof according to Aristotle in his 4. booke of Politi ca. 4. Athens a Democratical estate Of a mixt kinde of common-wealth Examples hereof The perfectest distinction of common-wealths There is difference between the estate and the gouernment of a common-wealth Examples of the popular estate Of the Aristocraticall Of the Monarchicall What right is The foundation of euery estate is the soueraigntie therof Euery estate coÌ„sisteth of 3. parts The magistrate is the image of God The wisest must rule Why God distributeth his gifts diuersly to diuers men A well gouerned familie resembleth the kingly regiment Gen. 10. 10. Of the originall of kingdoms Cicero his opinion therein What soueraigntie is A little king asmuch a Soueraigne as the greatest Monarch Of the name of Magistrate The Dictator of Rome was called Magister populi The calling of Magistrates prooued to be lawfull Psal 82. 6. Iohn 10 35. 2. Chron. 19. 6. Prou. 8. 15. 16. The calling of the Magistrate is most holie He is the minister of Gods iustice Good counsell for Magistrats The Magistrate compared to the hart of a liuing creature And to a Carpenters rule The Magistrate is in the Common wealth that which reason is in the soule The example of the Magistrate is the best way to teach the people Whereunto the Prince is bound aswell as his subiect The dutie of the Magistrate consisteth in three things The art Royall Philosophicall and Politicall is all one Who is most woorthie of soueraigne authoritie Why there are so few vertuous Princes Wherin the dutie of the chiefe Magistrate consisteth Why the sword is put into the Magistrates hand Ier. 22. 3. What is meant by this precept Do Iudgement and Iustice Prou. 16. 12. 20. 8. 26. Prou. 25. 4. 5. He that suffreth euill is culpable aswell as he that committeth it Seueritie and clemencie are to be linked togither in a Magistrate Ciuilitie and grauitie must be ioined both togither in a Magistrate The dutie of the Magistrate Al motions contained vnder one and all causes vnder the first The law is the blood and bond of the Common-wealth The law is the spirite and soule of the common-wealth All creatures are sociable by nature The prerogatiues of men aboue other creatures What a citie is The diuers ends of the three good Common-wealths A king must line vnder a law albeit he be not subiect to the lawe The marke of a soueraigne Wisd 6. 3. How far Princes are subiect to lawes Wherein the absolute power of Princes consisteth The definition of the law The diuision
14 Recreation how men ought to recreate theÌ„selues 375 Religion religion is the foundation of all estates 576. Socrates called it the greatest vertue 53. integritie of religion knitteth the harts of subiects to their princes 653. the fruits of the contempt of religion 704 Reprehension how we must vse reprehension 151. examples of free reprehension 156 Reuenge priuate reuenge commeth of frailtie 326. examples of princes void of reuenge 327. Socrates precept against priuate reuenge 381. a comendable kind of reuenge 382. 383. Reward the difference between a reward and a benefit 672 Riches how riches may be well vsed 435. the common effects of riches 350. anotable example of the true vse of riches 439. the nature qualitie and fruits of riches 351. what riches are to be sought for 358. riches are the sinewes of warre 749 Rome of the ancient estate of Rome 605 S Salick the Salick lawe excludeth daughters and their sonnes from gouernment 635 Schoole-master what schoole-masters are to be chosen 554. the properties of a good schoolemaster 564 Sciences what sciences are first to be learned 77 Scoffing what scoffing is and how it is to bee auoided 464 Secret of concealing a secret 134 Sedition the original of all sedition 703. the fruits of sedition 705. the causes of sedition 718 Selling it is wickednes to conceale the fault of that which a man selleth 416 Senate what a Senate is and from whence the word came 572. why the Senate of Lacedemonia was first instituted 580. of the Senate of sundry nations 678 Seruant examples of moderate traine of seruing-men 220. the dutie of seruants comprehended in foure points 547. examples of the loue of seruants towards their maisters 548 Seueritie an example of most cruell seueritie 412 Shame honest shame is alwaies commendable 264. howe we must learne to resist all naughty shame 259. 261. shame is the keeper of all vertues 256. what shame is hurtfull 259 Shamefastnes the shamefastnes of the Romans 263. of the Milesian maidens 264. it is the best dowrie of a woman 516 Signes Anaxagoras saying against the superstitious feare of celestiall signes 121 Silence Alexander gaue monie to a poet to keepe silence 131. the praise of silence 133 Sinne the punishment of sinne is equall with it both for age and time 407. how we must auoid and represse it 258. some sinnes are punishments of other sinnes 190. how we may ouercome great sinnes 47. sinne the first and true cause of all our miserie 13 Sobrietie it preserueth health 200. examples of sobrietie 203. c. Societie the end of all societie 480 Soueraigntie what soueraigntie is 586. the marke of a soueraigne 595 Souldiers good counsell for souldiers 343. souldiers must begin war with praier and end with praise 783 Soule the soule is not subiect to mans iurisdiction 573. the soule is infused not traduced 23. the properties of the soule 25. the soule is truly man 12. 85. 115. the actions beautie and delight of the soule 26 Speech pleasant speeches full of doctrine 114. how it is framed 127. Laconical speech 128. two times of speaking 130. how great men ought to speake 131. a good precept for speech 132. examples of the commendable freedome of speech 135 Spirit the difference betweene the soule and the spirit 88. the proper worke of mans spirit 74 Sports the sports of prudent men 113 Studie the end of all studies 556 Stupiditie the description of stupiditie 196 Subiects what seruice they owe to their princes 608. how far they are bound to obey their prince and his lawes 610 Superfluitie how Heraclitus disswaded superfluitie 217. good counsell for princes and magistrates concerning superfluous expences 222 Swearing against swearing 317 T Temperance no vertue can be without temperance 180. fower parts of temperance 182. what passions are ruled by it 181. examples thereof 184 Temple the temple of Diana was burnt by Erostratus 196 Theft theft punished diuersly in diuers nations 602 Timocratie the description of a Timocratie 581 Toong the toong is the best and woorst thing that is 130. examples of mischiefes caused by the intemperancie of the toong 134. Trafficke Lycurgus forbad all traffick with strangers 164 Treason treason and crueltie neuer find place in a noble hart 296. the effects of treason 418. examples of the ill successe of traitors 422. a seuere law against treason 614 Truth all men by nature haue some light of truth 18 Turke of the estate of the Turke 631. he disposeth of all lordships at his pleasure 632 Tyrannie when a kingdome turneth into a tyoannie 579 tyrants are naturally hated 610. marks of a tyrannie 631. of the name of a tyrant 636. the difference betweene a good king and a tyrant 637. examples of the extraordinarie deaths of tyrants 639 V Vain-glorie Solon called euery vain-glorious man a foole 255 Valure properties requisite in a valiant man 267. all hardie men are not valiant 268. how a man may be valiant 288. froÌ„ whence valure proceedeth 765 Vengeance why God deferreth his vengeance vpon the wicked 69 Venice of the state of Venice 605. the dukedome of Venice is electiue 624 Vertue vertue is neither without affections nor subiect vnto them 309. the propertie of vertue oppressed 347. three things concurre in perfect vertue 175. the neere coniunctiâ— of all the vertues 107. examples of the force of vertue in aduersitie 58. the excellencie and property of vertue 55. it is alwaies void of extreame passion 37 Vice when we begin to hate vice 64. the effects of vice 65. how we should fortifiâ— our selues against vice 69. fiâ—â— vices brought out of Asia by the Romans 164 Victorie how victorie is to be vsed 791 Vnhappines who are vnhappie 334 Vnthankfulnes Draco punished vnthankfulnes by death 429. the fruits of vnthankfulnes 430 Voice the diuersitie of mens voices is a great secret of nature 22 Vsuric biting vsuric is detestable gaine 527 W War a notable example against ciuill war 101. two kinds of war 706. whether diuersitie of religion be a cause of ciuill war 738. the effects of war 758. wherefore and when we must begin war 760. three things necessarily required in men of war 765. war ought to be speedily ended 776. affaires of war must be debated by manie but concluded by few 781 Whoordome the hurtfull effects of whoordome 237. c. good counsell against whoordome 244 Wicked why the life of the wicked cannot be happâ—â— 406. the propertie of the wicked 67 Widow of the marriage of widowes 496 Wife a wife is to be chosen by the cares not by the fingers 493. the best way to order an 〈◊〉 wife 507. how she must deale with hi◠〈◊〉 husband 514. a short 〈◊〉 of â—he dutie of a wife 517. examples of the great loue of wiâ—â—s toward their husbands 518. Wisedome it is true wisedome to know our selues 11. the perfection of a wise mans life 18. a wise man is ashamed to offend before himselfe 68. the praise of wisedome 75. 730. Wit quicke wits commonly want memorie 84 Wimes how the Iewes punished false witnes bearing 602 Woman why the woman was created of the rib of man 485. the naturall gifts of women 512. curtaine takens of an adulterous hart in a woman 516. against ignorance in women 555 Worke wherin she perfection of euery worke consisteth 266. two things requisite in euerie good worke 95 World the differens opinions of the Stoicks and Epicures concerning the gouernment of the world 328 Wrath Cotys brake his glasses to auoid occasion of wrath 315 Writing piâ—hie writings of ancient men 132 X Xenophon the great prudence of Xenophon in conducting an armie 81 Y Yeer effects of the climacterical yeer 63. 563 Youth how the Romans taught their youth to for sake the follies of their first age 567. examples of vâ—riuous yoong-mâ—n 568. how the Perâ—iaâ— youth was instructed 263. two things to be respected in the institution of youth 556. the common diseases of youth 559. sixe precepts requisite in the inâ—truction of youth 558 Z Zaleucus Zaleucus laâ—e against adulterie 240 Zeale the zeale of the ancients in the seruice of their Gods 97 FINIS
side if we acquaint our selues and take delight in enuying the welfare of our enimies we shall do the like many times to our friends as we see experience thereof in many at this day who are so touched with this vice that they reioice at the euil which happeneth to their wel-willers and to such as are the occasion of their good preferment But if we be desirous to discharge our duetie towards our neighbours for whose profite we are borne let vs seeke to practise that sentence of Cicero that an honest man good citizen neuer ought to be moued with hatred or enuy vpō supposed crimes no not towards his enimy wishing to die rather thā to offend against Iustice which is an vtter enimie to that vice This also will be a good helpe and meane to keepe vs from backbiting if we eschew al kind of scoffing which as Theophrastus saith is nothing else but a close and coloured reproofe of some fault which by little and little inureth him that mocketh to back bite another openly and vntruly This great imperfection of gibing is very familiar amongst vs although it be as vnseemely for an honorable personage as some other more infamous vice But to the end we may haue better occasion to keepe vs from it let vs know that many times a man is more mooued with a gibing gird than with an iniurie bicause this latter proceedeth commonly from the vehemencie of sudden choler euen against his will that vttereth it but the other is more taken to hart as that which seemeth to come from a setled wil and purpose to offer wrong and from a voluntarie malitiousnes without any necessitie If we be disposed to be merie as sometimes opportunitie place and persons inuite vs thereunto let it be done with a good grace and without offence to any Now although enuie and backbiting by reason of their pernitious effects are so odious to all honorable and vertuous personages yet no other reuenge is to be sought or desired than that punishment which followeth and groweth with the vice it selfe which neuer suffereth him that is touched therewith to enioy any rest in his soule as we haue already learned Neither is there any great care to be had for the matter seeing enuious persons and backbiters are no waies able to bite the deserts of good men But if we would haue their punishment augmented and doubled there is no better way than to studie so much the more to do well as we see them labor more earnestly to enuie and to condemne our dealings For as the Sunne being directly ouer the top of any thing whatsoeuer if it leaue any shadow at all yet is it but short and little bicause the light thereof is dispersed round about the same so the excellencie of vertue glorie honor in the end constraineth the venemous toong to drinke and to swallow downe hir owne poison not daring to bring it againe in sight whereby enuie and blame are as it were wholy extinguished and vnable to hurt good men any more This reason caused Phillip king of Macedonia to make this answere to certaine who told him that the Graecians spake ill of him behind his backe notwithstanding he did them much good and therefore willed him to chastice them What would they do then quoth this noble and gentle Prince if we should doe them any harme But they make me become a better man For I striue dailie both in my wordes and deedes to prooue them lyars And another time as his friendes counselled him to put to death or to banish a Gentleman of Macedonia who continued in slandering him he would not doe either of both saying that it was no sufficient cause to condemne him to death and as for banishing him he sayd that it was a great deale better if he stirred not out of Macedonia where all men knewe that he lyed than if he went amongst strangers to speake ill of him who bicause they knewe him not well might peraduenture admit his slander as true Whereby this vertuous Prince at one tyme shewed foorth the effectes of three excellent vertues first of Clemencie in that hee would not put him to death of whome he had receiued great iniurie then of Magnanimitie in contemning iniurie and lastly of woonderfull Prudence in that he did not banish him And in deede he was of such a gentle nature that he would neuer punish them that gaue him an euill report but rather tooke away the occasion thereof as heeretofore we haue in part mentioned it And for a greater testimonie of the goodnes of this Monarch the answere he made to them that counselled him to destroy the citie of Athens deserueth well to be heere set downe I doe all thinges quoth he to them for glorie how then should I destroy Athens which by reason of learning is the Theater of glorie The example of Demetrius Phalerius a Prince of immortall renowne serueth fitly to teach vs what small account we are to make of the dealings of enuious men so farre ought we to be from caring either for their dooings or sayings When word was brought to this Prince that the Athenians mooued with enuie against him had broken downe those three hundred images which were before erected in their streete of Ariopagus to his honour and thereupon was prouoked by his Councel to be reuenged of them he said The Athenians may well throw downe my images but they are not able to abase my vertues for whose sake my images were heeretofore erected for a publike spectacle And truely those actes of Princes which being done in their life time are woorthie of memorie may serue them for an euerlasting monument and not Images Tombs made with mens hands which length of time besides a thousand other accidents may bring to pouder Neither are they depriued of the same glorie that liue vnder the gouernment of great men when according to their places and callings they direct their actions to the benefite and safetie of the Common-wealth For whensoeuer enuie laboureth to hurt them with supposed crimes their innocencie as Horace saith will be vnto them in place of an inexpugnable tower of brasse so that being assured of that they neede not stand in any feare of the cruell teeth of slanderers Therefore Socrates being reprooued by Hermogenes bicause he did not once dreame of defending himselfe when he was accused made this answere I haue dreamed of that all my life time by striuing to liue well To conclude then our present discourse let vs learne to vncloath our hartes of all enuie and hatred which procure so many turbulent and hurtfull passions in the soule and ouerthrowe all that charitie and loue which we ought to beare towards euery one Let vs feare this sentence pronounced by the holie spirite that whosoeuer hateth his brother is a man slayer And if we see that vice and imperfections raigne in our like let vs hate their
euill manners and loue the welfare of their soules by endeuouring to bring them backe againe into the path way of vertue vntill we see that all hope of remedie is taken away by reason of their long setled habite and continuance in vice for then we are to shunne altogither the hurtfull conuersation of such forlorne men Let vs take heede that wee please not our selues in detracting and backbiting or in speaking rashly of any without aduisement taken of whome to whome and what we speake Let vs not be giuen to lying or to harken to slanderers but following the counsell of the Scripture let vs laye aside all malitiousnes and all guile and dissimulation and enuie and all euill speaking and as newe borne babes desire the milke of vnderstanding which we may as it were boast that we haue in the true and right knowledge of Iustice which is to render to God that which is due to him according to pietie and to our neighbours whatsoeuer belongeth to them according to the dutie of charitie which is gentle not easily prouoked to anger nor enuious nor reioycing in iniquitie but alwaies in the truth Of Fortune Chap. 44. AMANA IF I bee not deceiued my Companions wee haue hitherto sufficientlye discoursed of the foure Morall vertues being riuers that flowe from the fountaine of dutie and honestie as also of all the partes that belong vnto them and of their contrarie vices Therefore from hence foorth we are to make choice of some other matter and to applie that which we might haue learned in the discourses of our Morall Philosophie vnto Estates charges and conditions of life whereunto euerie one of vs may be called during this life yea let vs assaie to giue aduice and councell to superiours according to the measure of our iudgement But bicause as I thinke the entrie to so high a matter requireth some leasure to thinke vppon it I am of opinion that we were best to deferre this point vntill the next dayes worke and in the meane tyme for the spendinge of the reste of this after-noone looke out some matter subiect apt and fit to recreate our spirites withall which bicause naturally they delight in varietie and diuersitie of thinges cannot haue a more conuenient matter than to make sport with the diuers and sundrie effects of Fortune which according to the saying of the Ancients is very constant in hir inconstancie Further let vs consider howe we may vse this word of Fortune which is so common amongst vs and not abuse it ARAM. To him saith Cicero whose hope reason and cogitation dependeth of Fortune nothing can be so certaine or assured vnto him that he may perswade himselfe it will abide by him no not one day But he is most happie that is of himselfe sufficient in euery respect and that placeth the hope of all his affaires in himselfe in regard of men ACHITOB. I am she sayth Vertue speaking in Mantuan that surmounteth Fortune and the scourge that punisheth sinnes Vice and Vertue sayth Plutark haue no maisters to rule ouer them and they are very blind who calling Fortune blinde suffer themselues to be guided and ledde by hir But we must learne of thee ASER what we are to thinke of this counterfet Goddesse ASER. If we are perswaded that he who is Iustice it selfe and the essentiall truth maketh Princes contemptible as it is said in the Scripture and causeth them to erre in desert places out of the way raising vp the poore out of miserie and making him families like a flocke of sheepe there is no doubt but that Fortune being an Epicurian worde rather than an Heathenish is nothing else but a fayned deuice of mans spirite and an imagination without truth vpon which as Plutarke sayth a man can not settle his iudgement nor yet comprehend it by the discourse of reason So that we must confesse that all things are guided gouerned by the prouidence of God who knoweth and ordereth casuall thinges necessarily Which albeit we easily cōfesse with the mouth as also that prosperitie and aduersitie depend onely of the will of God yet we may daily note in many of vs effects cleane contrarie to the worde in that when we deliberate about our affayres we presently cast our eie vpon humane meanes to come to the ende of them although they are but second causes casting behind our backes that helpe which is from aboue And when we want the blessing of God through his anger and iust indignation which we care not to appease and so for the most part stumble vpon the cleane contrarie of all our platformes and goodly enterprises then we accuse not our ignorance and ingratitude towardes his Maiestie but the vnfortunate mishap and chance of humane thinges which through the common error of men we attribute to Fortune Nowe knowing that we liue and mooue and haue our being in God onely that his mysteries are great and woonderfull and such that if we should go about to sound the bottom of them it were all one as if we sought to pearce the heauens after the manner of the Giants set foorth vnto vs by the Poets that our way is not in our power and that of our selues we cannot direct our steps that it is the Lorde that offereth a man into his handes who vnwittingly killeth him with the heade of his Axe slipt from the helue that lots cast at aduenture fall out according to his iudgement and that generally all things are done by the ordinance of God I say knowing all these things yet bicause the order reason ende and necessitie of those thinges which are so strange vncertaine and mutable in the world are for the most part hidden in the counsell of God and cannot be comprehended by the opinion and reach of man we may well call them casuall and chancing in respect of our selues The like we may both conceiue of all future euents holding them in suspence bicause they may fall out either of the one or the other side and yet being resolued of this that nothing shall come to passe which God hath not ordained and also note them out by this worde Fortune not attributing thereunto any power ouer the inconstancie and continuall alteration of humane things especially seeing they are so changeable that it would be a verye hard matter speaking after the manner of men to comprehend them vnder a more proper and fit word The definition also which the Ancients gaue of Fortune is very agreeable to the effect of the thing signified and of that wherof we haue daily experience namely that there is no other final end of chang alteration in man than that of his being Plato saith that Fortune is an accidentall cause a consequence in those things which proceed from the counsell of man Aristotle saith that Fortune is a casuall accidental cause in things which being purposely done for some certaine end haue no apparant cause