of his mother syde was so enamored of a woman of Thebes that he taught her al his coūnynge and whan he was sycke in his bedde she redde in the schole for hym Epimenides of Crete that slepte .xv. yeres without waking and though he was .x. yere a great worshypper of the goddis yet he was banysshed frome Athenes for the loue of women Archyta Tarentyn mayster of Plato and disciple of Pythagoras occupied his mynde more to inuente the kindes of loue than his forces in doctrines of vertues Gorgio Cleontino borne in Sycyll kepte rather concubines in his chambre than bokes in the scholes All these were wyse men and yet we maye se howe at the laste they were ouercome with the flesshe Than blame not me alone for as I haue tolde of so fewe in noumbre so I coude recyte of other a holle armye Of trouth he ought to haue many thynges that wylle be taken as curious in loue He muste haue his eien displayed on her that he loueth his vnderstandynge fore altered in that he thinketh his tonge troubled in that he shulde say So that in seinge he be blynded in thoughtes wandring and in speakynge troubled O lady Libia the louynge in mockerie passeth by mockerie but where as the true hart is there is the grefe and no mockerie Loue shedeth her poysone and cruell Cupydo fyxeth his arowes vppe to the fethers Than the eien wepe the harte syghethe the flesshe trymbleth the synewes shrynke the vnderstandynge waxeth grosse reason fayleth and so all falleth to the erthe so that fynally the heuy louer abydynge in hym selfe holdeth lyttell or nothynge of hym selfe All this I say bicause that knowlege to loue fayleth in me yet be ye sure that the workes faile me not to worke in thy seruice And syth it was myn aduenture to see the nowe it is my chaunce to knowe the I demaunde nothyng elles of the but that thou wylte loue me truely syth I loue the withoute feynynge And if thou haste harde that I am sycke at my harte I desyre the to do me some good for sythe it is all onely in the it is reason that thou all onely seke for remedy I was greatly comforted whan Fabius Carlynus desyred me in thy behalfe to be a prisoner and I dyd incontinent all that thou dyddest desyre to thentente that thou on some day shuldest do that I desyre And beholde lady Lybia the woman that is serued with seruyces it is reasonne that she receyue some prayers And though my strengthes haue no power to open the gates of thy pourpose as not to agree to thy demaunde yet all my labours be bycause of thy renoume I praye the discouer not the one nor begyle me nat with the other For now thou seest that in grauntynge is remedy and in truste is comforte but promesse is deceyuable the delayenge is peryllous and the entreatynge byndeth I see verye welle that the hasty demaunde deserueth a longe aunswere but I wold not that thou shuldest do soo but as I desyre the soo desyre me I saye agayne I am all thyne and not myne owne And as for my selfe in al thynges I wyll serue the. And lady Libia regard that it were as moche honour for the as profytable for me to tourne thy disordinate desyres and pourposes For thou seest well it is moch better to heale shortly than to late with faylynge of thy pourpose All women kepe one daungerous opynyon that is they wyll neuer receyue counsell that is gyuen them in a great cause and if it be so as I thynke syth thou arte praysed and estemed of great beautie than be estemed to receyue good counsell And in this maner in case that my domage be very great and thy pacience very lyttell I shalbe called wise to gyue the suche counsell and thou ryghte gratious to folowe it One thynge I saye and pardone me though I shewe it to the howe that women be greatly infamed that wyll take no counsell and suche as wylle assure their renoume by the opinion of other as moche as though they were determyned so to doo their selfe Wherfore I wolde ye shuld do one thyng for an other as I coūsayle you And if thou fyndest any ylle therby withdrawe thy hande I wyll say no more to the but that I doo present to the al my vnhappy troubles my desperate syghes and my seruyces as thy seruaunt My troubled dolours my wordes of philosophy and my amorous teares Also I sende the a gyrdelle of golde and I gyue it the on the condition that thou sette thyn eies theron and apply thy harte to me I pray the goddis to gyue me to the and the to me Marcus Aurelius the philosopher writeth this in very great secrete ¶ THVS ENDETH THIS GOLDEN Boke of the eloquent Marc Aurelie emperour who so euer be reder therof may take it by reason for a ryche and a newe labour and specially pryncis and gouernours of the common welth and mynisters of iustyce with other Also the common people eche of theym may fynde the labour conueniente to their estate And therin is conteyned certayne right hygh and profounde sentences and holsom counselles and meruaylous deuyses ageynst thencumbraunce of fortune and ryght swete cōsolations for them that are ouerthrowen by fortune Finally it is good to them that digeste it and thanke god that hath gyuen suche grace to a paynym in gyuynge vs exaumple of vertuous lyuynge with hye and salutary doctrines and meruaylous instructions of perfectnes Certainly as great prayse as ought to be gyuen to the auctour is to be gyuen to the translatours that haue laboriously reduced this treatyse oute of Greke into latyn and out of latyn into Castilian and out of Castilyan into frenche and out of frēche into englishe writen in high and swete styles O ryght happy trauayle sythe that suche fruyte is issued therof And also blessyd be the handes that haue wrytten hit A ryghte precyous meate is the sentences of this boke But finally the sauce of the sayd swete style moueth the appetite Many bokes there be of substancial meates but they be so rude and so vnsauery and the style of so smal grace that the fyrste morsell is lothesome and noyful And of suche bokes foloweth to lye hole and sounde in Lybraries but I truste this wylle not Of trouthe great prayse is due to the auctour of his trauayle And syth there can be no grace equipolent in erthe lette vs pray to god to gyue hym grace rewarde in heuen Amen Graces to god FINIS ⧠Thus endeth the volume of Marke Aurelie emperour otherwise called the golden boke translated out of Frenche into englyshe by Iohn̄ Bourchier knyghte lorde Barners deputie generall of the kynges towne of Caleis and marches of the same at the instant desyre of his neuewe syr Francis Bryan knyghte ended at Caleys the tenth day of Marche in the yere of the Reygne of our souerayn lorde kynge HENRY the VIII the XXIII LONDINI IN AEDIBVS THOMAE BERTHELETI REGII IMPRESSORIS ANNO M.D.XXXVII CVM PRIVILEGIO LUCRECIA ROMANA THOMAS BETHELETVS
passeth in my thoughte than the shorte clothe doothe in a false weuers handes Ye haue strayned it on the tentours and drawen it on the perche for to to lengthen the lyfe If ye were made faire and clere cordwainers waxe and swete of sauour that ye myghte be drawen out at lengthe hit were welle doone but ye are but as fruyte of almondes semynge drie without and worme eaten within For the loue that I haue to you and for neyghbourheed that ye haue had with me I desire styll frendshyppe of you that lyke as I knewe you yonge and very yonge so to knowe you olde and very olde I say not that ye surmoūt in age but your wytte fayleth you O Claudius and Claudine I wylle ye knowe that to susteyne youthe and to deface age to length the lyfe and driue awaye dethe it is not in mennes handes that desyre hit it is the goddis that doo gyue it whiche accordinge to iustyce and our couetyse giueth vs lyfe by weighte and deathe without measure Ye may know that our nature is corruption of our body and our bodye is putrifaction of our wytte and our wytte is guyde to our soule and our soule is mother of our desyres and our desires are sleers of our youthe our youth token of our age and our age spye of our dethe and dethe the house of our lyfe wherinto youthe gothe on fote and from age we canne not flee on hors backe I wolde wyte a thinge of you what fynde ye in this lyfe wherfore dothe lyfe content you after .lxxx. yeres of age eyther ye haue ben good or yl if ye haue bene good and vertuous ye shal not reioyce you with yll goddis if ye haue benne yll ▪ than as well desire dethe to thentente ye shulde be no more yll orels iustly ye might be slayn by iustice For he y t hath ben yll tyll .lx. yeres of age in him there is no hope of amendmente Whan the couragious great Pompeie and Caius Cesar were ennemies and beinge in cruell ciuil battailes Rome was infamed and them self lost The annales shew that suche as came in fauour of Iulius Cesar cam out of the west and the succours of Pompeie out of the easte among other there came certayne people out of Barbarie dwellyng amonge the mountayns Riffees toward Inde Their custome was whan they came to thage of .l. yeres to make great fyres and brenne them selfe quicke in sacrifyce to theyr goddis and the same daye the parentes and chyldren wolde make great feastes and eate of the flesshe halfe brente and drynke wyne with the ashes of the bones This was sene with the eies of Pompei bicause that som accomplyshed the yeres of fyftye in the campe O golden worlde wherin were suche men O happy people that in all the worldes to come hath left such a memorie of them They dispised the worlde and forgatte them selfe What strokes gaue they to fortune What delytes for the fleshe and howe lyttell sette they by theyr lyues and yet more to set so small store by deathe O what bridel was this for the vicious and what hope for the vertuous what confusion for them that loued this lyfe and what ensaumple not to feare dethe haue they left vs And sith they dispised their owne propre lyfe it is then to be thoughte that they dyed not to thentent to take other mens goodes to thynke that our lyfe neuer shall haue ende therfore our couetyse neuer hath ende O glorious people and .x. M. tymes blessed that lefte theyr sensualitie and vanquyshed theyr natural wyll beleue not that ye se but gyue faythe to that ye neuer sawe as they that se nothyng go agaynst the fatal destenies who goethe agaynste the waye of fortune gyue a wrynche to the lyfe robbe the body at the dethe wynne honour of the goddis not that they shulde length your lyfe but to take the reste of the lyfe Archagatus surgien and Anthonius the phisitien and Esculapius the father of medicines I thynke wanne but lyttell in that lande Who commaunded these Barbariens to take sirope in the mornyng and to take pylles at night and to refreshe them with mylke to take clere barly to annoynt theyr lyuers to daye to be lette blode and to morowe to take a purgation to eate one thing and to absteyn fro many thinges Than me thinke that they beynge of .l. yere of aege and you of lxxx at the leaste shulde be egall with them in wysedome And if ye wyll not take deth in good worth yet at the leest amende the yll lyfe I remembre well of a long tyme that Fabricius our neybour wylled vs to beware of a mockerie the whiche if it be not broken there shall folowe great dysshonour And sith he shewed me soo good a lesson I wyll paye you with the same money I wyll shewe it you if ye poore aged folkes doo not knowe it ye be suche that your eyes are bleared your noses droppynge your heares whyte your herynge dulle your tongue faulterynge your tethe waggynge your face wrincled your fete swollen your shuldres croked and your stomake distempered finally if the graues coude speake they myght ryghtfully calle for you to come and inhabite in them Of trouthe it is great compassion to beholde yonge ignoraunce that open theyr eies to knowe the infortunes of this lyfe whan it is tyme to close them and to entre into the graue And therof cometh that it is in vayne to giue counsaile to vain yong peple For youth is without experiēce of that it doth is suspect of that it hereth wyl not beleue that is said and disprayseth other mens coūsel is ryght pore of their owne And therfore I saye Claudius and Claudyne my frendes I fynde without comparison none so ylle an ignorance of goodnes that holdethe these yonge personnes as is the obstinacy of these aged personnes in yll The diffinition of yll is a manne not to knowe that he oughte to knowe yet it is wors to haue the knowlege of wysedome and to lyue lyke a brute beaste O ye olde goutye people ye forgette your selfe and renne in poste after the lyfe and ye neuer regarde whatte shall falle tyll ye be suche as ye wolde not and without power to retourne backe herof cometh that ye lacke of lyfe ye wyll supplye it with foly Than awake ye that be slombringe haue no force to slepe open your slepy eies and accustome you to do well Take that is nedeful for you and fynally appoynt you betimes with dethe or he make execution of your lyfe Lii yeres I haue knowen them of the worlde yet I could neuer know none so olde nor so putrifyed in their membres but that their hartes were hole to thynke vnhappynesse and their tongues hole to make lyes Take hede ye poore olde persons me thynke syth somer is paste ye haste forward with the tyme and if ye tary a small season yet ye make haaste to take lodgynge
to goo by the stretes as vacabundes Nor it shulde not be suffered by the Censure who gouerned Rome dayely toke hede to the forfaytes doone therin to suffre a chylde no lengar than .x. yeres of his age to play the chylde But fro thense forthe the father of the chylde shulde be bounde to noryshe hym out of the circuite of Rome or to laye a pledge that his sonne shulde doo no folyes Whan Rome tryumphed and by theyr policie gouerned all the worlde it was certaynly a meruaylous and monstruous thing to se it then and no lesse fearefull vnto vs nowe to here therof There was at that tyme in Rome .iiii. hūdred M inhabitantes amonge whom there was .ii. hundred M. yonge people that were refreyned and brydled from their yonge pleasures The sonne of Cato was chastysed bycause he was wylfull and presumptuous And also the brother of good Cyna was banyshed bycause he wente ydelly as a vacabounde Without that Cicero begyleth vs in his bokes of the Romayne lawes no Romayne ought to straye abrode in the stretes of Rome but if he bare in his hand the signe or token of the offyce wherby he lyued To thentente that euery man shuld knowe that he lyued by his trauayl and not by the sweate of other men This lawe was kepte of euery persone The emperour hadde borne before hym a brennynge brande The consulle an axe of armes the priestes a hat in maner of a coyfe the senatours a tongue in maner of a crusyble on their armes the Censure a lyttelle table the tribunes a mace the centuryons a sygne or baner the oratours a boke the gladiatours a swerde the tayllours sheres the smethes a hammer and in lyke wyse of all the other offices and craftes We maye knowe than by this that is sayde that after that Marke Aurelye was borne at Rome his father in his youthe had taughte hym good norture And though it so were that the beginnynge of his yonge aege shulde be hydde from vs at the least way we are certayne that the myddell aege and ende of hym was ryght glorious His father Anio Vero wolde that his sonne Marcus Aurelius shoulde leaue feates of armes and folowe study And surely it is to be thoughte that it was done more by the valyauntenes of the father than the cowardenes of the sonne excepte the dedes of them that be deed begyle vs that ben alyue and the cause iudged by clere vnderstandynge and that we fynde moo sentences of dyuers sadde persons that there hath benne but fewe that ben loste by writinges and lernynge ye and a great meynye fewer that haue had auantage by armes Reuolue all bokes and serche throughe all realmes and finally they shewe vs that very few in theyr realmes haue ben happy in armes but there haue bene many famous renowmed by scripture and lernynge Take here example and se if it be true or not that I saye Had the Assiriens mo than one kynge that was Ninus one Lygurge amonge the Lacedemonians the Egyptiens one Ptholome the Hebrewes one Machabee the Grekes one Hercules the Macedoniens one Alexāder the Epirotiens one Pirrhe one Hanyball the Carthageniens and one Iulius Cesar amonge the Romayns It is not thus of lerned men for if the Grekes had one Homer noo lesse the Grekes vaunteth theym of the .vii. sages whome we beleue more in their philosophy than Homer in the warres of Troy For as difficile it is to fynde a trouthe in Homere as a lye in these sages Semblably the Romaynes hadde not onely Cycero as ryght eloquent but also they had Salust Lucan Titus Liuius with a great company of noble men and well approued who haue left ryght great credence in their scriptures in the sayinge of trouthe What lost Cicero in the senate for vsyng of inuectiues And as we saye of so small a nombre of Grekes and latynes we may saye of the Assitiens Persians Medes Argiues Acayens Peniens Frenchemen Britons Englyshemen and Spanyardes All the whiche nations withoute comparyson haue of theym selfe lefte more memorye and haue honoured theyr londes and countreyes more by writing thanne they that haue lefte signes by armes Than lette vs leaue these straunge histories and retourne to the pythe of our emperour Marcus Aurelius as Eutrope recountethe According as this excellent baron lerned diuers sciences so he had dyuers maysters to teche hym He studied grammer with a mayster named Euphorion musyke with an other named Gemino Comode eloquence with Alexander a greke In naturalle philosophy he had to his maysters Comode Calcedonien an auncient baron whiche expounded to hym Homer and Sexto Cheronense neuewe to the great Plutarche Also he studied in the lawes and Volusie Meciano was his mayster This emperour estemed to haue the knowlege of payntinge and to graue in wood and metall in erthe and other sculptures in whiche arte his maister was Diogenito in his tyme a famous and renowmed paynter He trauayled also to knowe and serche what extended to the arte of Nygromancye By accasion wherof he wente openly to here Apolonio And to thentēt that there shulde be nothynge vnlerned of hym he aboue all sciences sette his mynde to Cosmography in the whyche for his maysters he toke Iunio Rostyco that sythe wrote his lyfe and Cina Catule the whiche wrote of his deathe and the lyfe of Comode his sonne Of these noble and excellent barons that flourysshed in those dayes he was taughte in vertues and sciences Cicero lamentethe the auncient policie of Rome bycause that he sawe great losse in the common welthe than presente sayinge in his Retorike that the auncient Romayns had alway regarde to that parte where they thoughte mooste domage and peryll shulde growe There were .v. thynges amonge all other in Rome whervnto they hadde euer a vigilante respecte the whiche the senate neded not to care for nor no lawe dispensed for them and these bene they the pryestes were honest and the virgines vestales ryghte chaste the penalties right iuste the capitaynes full valiant They that taught yonge chyldren were vertuous It was not permytted in Rome that he that was a mayster in scyences shulde be disciple of vices ¶ What sciences Marcus the emperour lerned And of a meruayllous letter that he sent to Polyon cap. iii. PHilostrate saythe that it was demaunded of Polion who was the rycheste manne of the worlde He aunswered It was he that had moste wysedome He was demaunded agayne who was mooste poore He aunswered he that had least wytte Of trouth it was a worthy sentence of suche a personne The effecte therof we se dayly by experience the wyse slydynge in dyuers chances of fortune releueth hym selfe The vnwytty persone in very small thynges thouchynge his lyuyng not greatly decayed fallethe downe There is nothynge that is so lost but that there is hope of recoueryng if it be in the handes of a wise man And cōtrary wise there is no thynge so assured but the recouerance therof oughte to be
it shalbe said it is by reason of the ignoraunce of hym selfe or by yll counsell of such as be about hym if goodnes succede to hym it shall not be attrybuted by reason of his good gouernaunce but that fortune hath suffered it and not by the circumspecte wysedome that he hath hadde in the meane seasone but that it was of the pitie that the goddis had of hym Than sithe it is thus a vertuous and a worthy prince in his ydell tymes ought secretely to rede is bokes and openly to common and counsell with wyse men And in case yll fortune wyll not permyt hym to take their counselles yet at the least he shal recouer credence among his subiectes I wil say no more to you but I estem the knowlege of a wise persō so moch that if I knewe that there were shops of sciēces as there is of other marchaundise I wold giue al y t I haue only to lerne that a wise mā lerneth in one day Finally I say that I wil not giue that litel that I haue lerned in one houre for al the gold in the worlde And more glory haue I of the bokes that I haue red and of such workes as I haue writtē thā of al the victories that I haue had or of y e realmes that I haue won ¶ What a vilayne sayde to the senatours of Rome in the presence of the emperour Cap. xxxi THis emperour being sicke as it is aforesaid on a day as there were with hym diuers phisitiōs and oratours there was a purpose moued amonge them howe greately Rome was chaunged not all onely in edifices but also in customes and was full of flaterers and vnpepled of mē that durste say the trouthe Than the emperour sayd The fyrste yere that I was consul there came a poore vilayne from the riuer of Danubie to aske iustice of the senate ayenste a censure who dydde dyuers extortions to the people and he hadde a small face and great lyppes and holowe eyes his heare curled bare heeded his shoes of a porkepes skyn his cote of gotis heare his gyldell of bulle rushes and a wyld eglantine in his hand It was a strāge thinge to se him so monstruous and meruayl to here his purpose Certainly whan I saw him com into the senate I wende it had bene some beaste in the figure of a manne And after I had harde hym I iuged hym one of the goddes if there be goddes amonge men And as the custome in the senate was that the complayntes of the poore persons were hard before the requestis of the ryche this villayne had lycence to speake and so beganne his purpose wherin he shewed him selfe as bolde in wordes as extreme and base in his aray and sayd O ye auncient fathers and happy people I Myles dwellynge in a citie on the ryuer of Danubie doo salute you Senatours that are here assembled in the sacred senate The dedes do permytte and the goddis suffre that the capytayns of Rome with theyr great pride haue redused vnder subiection the vnhappy people of Germany Great is the glory of you Romayns for your battayles that ye haue wonne throughout all the worlde But if writers say true more greater shalbe your infamy in time to come for the cruelties that ye haue done to the innocentes My predecessours had people nyghe to the flode of Danubie and bycause they dyd ylle the erthe wared drie and they drewe to the frseshe water than the water was noyful to them and they returned to the main lande What shal I say than your couetise is so great to haue steangers goodes and your pryde soo renoumed to commaunde all strange landes that the see maye not profite vs in the depenes therof nor the erthe to assure vs in the caues therof Therfore I hope in the iust goddes that as ye without reason haue cast vs out of our houses and possessions so other shal com that by reason shal cast you out of Italy and Rome And infallible rule it is that he that taketh wrongfully an other mans good shall lese the right of his owne Regard ye Romains though I be a villain yet I knowe who is iust rightwise in holding his owne and who a tyrant in possessynge others There is a rule that what so euer they that be yl haue gathered in many dayes the goddes taketh fro them in one day and contrarie wise all that euer the good haue loste in manye days the goddis restoreth to them agayne in one day Beleue me in one thynge and haue no doute therin that of the vnlaufull wynning of the fathers there foloweth the iuste losse to theyr chyldren And if the goddes toke from them that be yll euery thyng that they haue wonne as soone as it is wonne it were but reasone but in lettynge them alone therby they assemble by lyttel and lytel diuers thynges and than whan they thynke least theron is taken from them all at ones This is a iuste iugement of the goddis that sithe they haue done yll to dyuerse that some shulde do yll to them Certaynely it is not possible to any vertuous man if he be vertuous that he take any taste in an other mans good And I am sore abashed how a man kepynge an other mans good can lyue one houre Syth he seeth that he hath don iniure to the goddis sclādred his neibours plesed his enmies lost his frendes greued them that he hath robbed and aboue all hath put his owne person in peryll This is a shamefull thynge amonge menne and culpable before the goddis the man that hath the desyre of his harte and the brydelle of his warkes at suche lybertie that the lyttel that he taketh and robbeth fro the poore semeth moche to hym but a great dele of his owne semeth to hym but lyttel O what an vnhappy man is he whether he be Greke or latin that without consideration wyll change his good fame into shame iustice into wrōg ryght into tyranny or trouth into lesynge the certayne into vncertayne hauynge annoyaunce of his owne goodes and dye for other mens He that hath his principall intention to gather goodes for his chyldren and seke not for a good name amonge them that be good it is a iuste cause that he lese all his goodes and so without good name to to be shamefull amonge them that be yl Let all couetous and auaricious people knowe that neuer amonge noble men was gotten good renoume with spredynge abrode of yll gotten goodes It can not endure many dayes nor yet be hydden vnder couert many yeres a man to be holden ryche amonge them that be ryche and an honorable man amonge them that be honorable for he shal be infamed of that he hath gathered his ryches with greate couetyse or kepeth it with extreme auarice O if these couetous people were as couetous of theyr owne honour as they be of other mens goodes I swere to you that the lyttel worme or mothe that eateth
It was a huge thynge to se what people was at Rome to go forth to mete hym and what people were with the emperour to entre They that were at Salon hadde their eyes and also theyr hartes at Rome and they that were at Rome hadde theyr hartes at Salon In suche wyse that theyr eies daseled with that they sawe and their hartes aked for that they hoped to se There is no greatter peyne than whan the hart is deferred fro that it longeth sore to haue ¶ Howe themperour gaue Lucilla his doughter lycence to sport her at his palays ca. xxxiiii IT is to be knowen that the Romaynes had a custome that in the monethe of Ianiuer they shulde make triumphes to theyr emperours and in the same seson that the triumphes were apparailed Faustin thempresse caused dyuers high persones to pray the emperour to gyue lycence to a doughter of his to com from there as she was kept to the palays and sporte her at the feastes This mayden was named Lucie or Lucyll She was higher than the prince Commodus her brother she was of a goodly gesture and wel proporcioned of her body and wel be loued of her mother And she resembled her not all onelye in her beautie but also in her lyuynge And thoughe the request was pytifull and they that made it familier and he to whome it was made was the father and the demaunder was the mother and she for whom it was made was the doughter the emperour graunted it but not without great displeasure Neuertheles Faustine was full gladde and as sone as she had obteyned lycence she broughte her doughter to the palays And so whan the day of the great feaste and triumph was comme the damoysell Lucylle beynge out of gouernance and seinge her selfe at large trustinge thanne vppon her owne innocencye toke noo hede of any strange malyce laughed with them that laughed talked with them that talked and behelde them that behelde her and without care she thought that none thought yl of her bycause she thought yll of none yet in those dayes a mayden to laugh among men was reputed as moche as a woman to haue done aduoutrie with the priestes of Grece so great was the honestie of Romayn women estemed And lightnes of maydens was a great infamie for they were wors punished for one open lyghtnes than for two secrete fautes Amonge all other seuen thynges the women dyd obserue surely that is to wytte not to speke moche at feastes not to eate moche at bankettes to drynke no wyne in theyr helthe nor to speake alone with men nor to lyfte vp their eies in the temples nor to stande longe lokynge out at wyndowes nor to go out of their houses without their husbandes The woman taken with any of these dyshonest thynges was always after reputed infamed Many thynges were suffred of persons in small reputation that were not suffred in persons of honour For the noble women coude not cōserue the reputatiō of their estate but by reason of keping their person in great feare good order Al thinges done vnkyndly is syn may be amended but the dishonest woman is alway shamed The noble ladies if they wyl be taken as ladies whā they excede other in riches the lesse lycēce ought they to haue to go wandring about Certainly the plentie of goodes the libertie of psons shuld not be a spur to pricke thē forward but rather a brydell to kepe them in their closettes And this is sayd for bycause that duryng the said feastis the damoysel Lucille as a yonge mayden and Faustyne her louynge mother not beinge olde sommetyme a foote and sometyme rydynge on horsebacke sommetyme openly and sommetyme meruaylous secretely sommetymes with company and sommetymes without companye sommetyme on the day and nowe and than by nyghte they wolde walke abrode in the stretes of Rome to se the feldes of Vulcan in gardeynes Saturnynes and drynke at the conduites of Neros water and sommetyme passe the tyme by the faire ryuer of Thiber and in all suche other pleasaunt sportes as apperteyned to their age And thoughe the fore ryped primetyme prouoked them therto yet the grauitie of suche ladies shoulde not suffre it I wylle saye one thynge to thentent noble women shuld take aduertisemēt therby and that is this I knowe not whiche was the greatteste dissolution eyther the walkynge abrode of Faustyne and Lucylle through the stretes and other places or elles the boldnes of yll speakers speakyng ageynst their persons and good names The withdrawyng and kepinge of women cloose is a brydell to the tongues of all men and the woman that dothe otherwise otherwise putteth her good name in daunger Of trouthe it were better for a woman neuer to be borne than to be defamed Amonge the Romayns the lygnage of the Cornelies were had in great estimation For of them all neuer none was founde a cowarde nor a woman defamed The hystories shewe that ones a lady of that lygnage beynge onelye defamed was hanged on the galowes by the handes of her owne kynsfolke Surely it was well doone of the Romaynes to the entent that the wyckednes of one woman shuld not suffer yll fame to renne vppon the hole lygnage where is there noblenes without shame The thynges that to wche honour ought not to be hyd but amended by Justice and to put theym to deathe that lose their good fame It is not sufficient for a person to be good but it is necessarye that he put fro hym all occasions that are reputed to be yll All the losses that a man may haue of any temporall goodis can not countrepeyse the leest losse of good fame A man that layeth his good name for a farthynge at a but of this worlde at a hundred shottes scantly shall he shoote one aryght And contrary wise the man that feareth no shame nor wyll not haue his personne in reputation there is noo hope of goodnes in hym Than this emperour as a ship-maister sayling in moste faire and calme wether forecastethe and is in greatte thoughte and feare of tempestes and stormes to comme in the feastis of his greatte glory was in doubte of these two ladies leste sodenly any mysfame shuld folowe And certaynly he had great cause For hit is an infallyble rule of enuious fortune that this present felicitie is gyuen with a prycke of a sodayne falle of myschaunce In thinges naturall we se somtyme the see caulme and yet forthewith foloweth a peryllous storme and consequently the great heate of the daye is sygne of thunder at nyght I say fortune comynge with some present delyte or pleasure is a token that by flatterynge vs she hath made redy her snares to catche vs. Whan the miller is sure he dresseth his water gaate and the labourer whan it reyneth not couereth his howse thynkynge that an other tyme the wethers or raynes wyll falle theron and trouble hym In lyke wyse a wyse and a vertuous man ought to thynke as longe as
he lyueth in this worlde he holdeth his felicitie but at aduenture and his aduersitie for his naturall patrimony Amonge all them that coulde reioyce in prosperitie and helpe theym selfe in aduersitie this emperour Marcus Aurelius was one whiche for any flatterynges that Fortune coulde shewe hym he neuer trusted in them nor for myshappe that he had in this life he neuer dispayred ¶ What Marcus themperour sayd to a Senatour as touchynge triumphes Cap. xxxv WHanne these feastes were passed as Sertus Cheronense saith a senatour named Aluinus sayde to themperour the same nyght that the triumphe ceassed Syr reioyce you sythe that this day ye haue gyuen so great ryches to the common treasure of Rome and I haue sene your person in the triumph of glorie and to the worlde to come of you and your house you haue lefte perpetuall memorye The emperour hering these wordis said in this maner Frēdes it is good reson we beleue the hūter knoweth the fiersnes of vestis the phisition the propretie of herbes the mariner the perils of rockes the capitaines the chances of warre and the emperour that triumpheth the ioyes that he hath of triumphes As god helpe me and as euer I haue part with my predecessours and as euer I haue good fortune the thoughtes that I haue had for these festes haue bene farre greatter than the feares that I haue had in all the iourneyes and battayles afore And the reason therof is very euydent to theym that haue clere vnderstanding For always in cruel battailes I was euer in hope to haue glorie feared not the ouerthrow of fortune What coude I lose in battayle Nothynge but the lyfe that is the leest thyng that men haue and alwayes in these triumphes I feare to lose renowme whiche is the greatest gyfte that the goddis haue gyuen me O howe happy is that man that loseth his lyfe and leaueth behynde hym perpetuall memorie Lette euery man vnderstande this that wylle and saye what they lyste that amonge noble and valyaunt barons he dyeth not that leeseth his lyfe and leaueth good renowme after hym and moche lesse tyme lyueth he that hath an yll name thoughe he lyued many yeres The ancyent philosophers reckened not the lyfe of a man though he lyued many yeres but they reckened the good werkes that he hadde doone The senate was importune vppon me that I shulde take this triumphe as ye knowe well and I can not tell whiche was greattest theyr desyre or my resistence You knowe not the trouthe why I say thus I dyd it not bycause of ambicion and for couetousnes of glorie but it was bicause I fere y e humain malice At the day of the triumph there was not so greate ioy shewed by the symple persons but the hyd enuy was greatter among the greattest persons This glory passeth in one day but enuy abydeth a hole yere The plentifulle realme of Egipt so happy in the blodshed of their enmies as in the waters of Nyle hadde a lawe immouable They neuer denyed theyr mercy to the captiues ouercome nor they gaue no triumph to theyr capitaynes ouercomers ¶ The Caldees mocke at the Romayne triumphes affirmyng how there is not gyuen so great chastisement to the capitayne of Egipte ouercome as the empire Romayne gyue to the ouercomer whan tryumphe is gyuen to hym And surely the reason is good for the thoughtefull capytayne whanne he hathe chased his ennemyes that Rome hath in straunge londes with his owne propre speare in payement for his trauayle they gyue him ennemyes in his owne propre lande I swere to you that all the Romaine capitaynes haue not lefte so many enmyes deed by swerd as they haue recouered ylle wyllars the daye of theyr tryumphes Let vs leaue the Caldees and speake we of our auncient Romaynes whiche if they myghte retorne nowe agayne in to the worlde they wolde rather be tyed faste to the chariottes as captiues than to syt in them as vyctours And the cause is theyr neighbours seinge them goinge as captiues wolde moue theyr hartes to set theym at liberte so that the glorie of theyr tryumphes is a meane to cause them to be persecuted and pursued I haue redde in writyng and herd of my predecessours and haue seene of my neighbours that the aboundaunce of felicitie hathe caused cruel enuie to be in many O in what peril are they that with particuler honor wold be exalted among other In the moste higheste trees the force of wyndes is mooste aduaunced And in most sumptuous buildynges lyghteninge and thunder doothe mooste hurte and in greatte thycke and drye busshes the fyers kendle mooste easelye I say that in them that fortune hath reysed most hyghly agaynst them spredeth the greattest poyson of enuye All suche as be vertuous say The mo ennemies they subdue to the common welthe the moo enuious they recouer of their renoume One ought to haue great compassion of a vertuous manne bycause where he trauaileth to be good there abydeth one thynge in hym of the whiche all onely at the deth he seeth the ende And that is the more a man recouereth here renoume amonge straungers the more he is persecuted with enuy amonge his owne nations Homer shewethe in his Illiades that Caluitio kynge of the Argiues was expert in clergie valiant in armes and indued with dyuers graces beloued with his people aboue al other he was a great louer of his goddis and worshypper of them This good kynge had a custome that in all thynges that he had to do he wolde fyrste aske counsayle in the temples of the goddes he wolde begynne no warre agaynste other nor ordeyne no newe lawe nor custome in his realme nor gyue aunswere to the ambassadours nor put no trespasours to death nor set no tribute on his people but first he wolde go to the temple and make dyuers sacrifices to knowe the wyll of the goddes And bycause he went so often to the oracles he was demaunded what answere the goddis made to hym in secrete seinge he was so importunate Then he answered and sayde I demand of the goddes that they shulde not gyue me so lyttell that euery man myght abate and ouercome me Nor also that they shulde gyue me so moche that euery manne shoulde hate me but my desyre is to haue a meane estate wherewith euery manne myghte loue me For I hadde leuer be felowe with many in loue than to be kynge of all with hatred and enuy ¶ Of the great reproche that the emperour gaue to his wyfe Faustyne and her doughter Capitu. xxxvi AFter the feastes of the triumphe afore sayde this good emperour wyllynge to satysfye his harte and to aduertise Faustine his wyfe and to teche his innocēt doughter without knowledge of any other he sent for them and sayde I am not contēt Faustine with that your doughter doth and yet lesse with that you do which ar her mother These maidens for to be good maydens oughte well to knowe howe to obey theyr
of good inhabitauntes oughte to be praysed and not the great edifices Our predecessours haue triūphed on strangers as weake and feeble and nowe they may triumphe on vs also as menne that be more vanquysshed with vyces than any of the other By the myghtynes and prowesses of our predecessours we that be nowe are greattely honoured and exalted and by the smalle estimation of vs that be now they that come after vs shall be greatly ashamed Of a very trouthe it is a great shame to saye and no lesse infamy to doo that the goodnesse and trauayle of the auncientes shuld nowe be tourned and conuerted to folies and presumption My sonne loke wel on thy selfe that the reyne of thy youthe and lybertie of the empire cause the nor to commytte vyce He is not called onely free that is free borne but he that dieth within the same O how well are the sclaues borne that after their deth are free by their goodnes howe many haue died sclaues by their noughtynes that were borne free There is fredome where noblenes abydeth The prowes of thy persone shal gyue the more hardines and libertie than thauctoritie of thempire It is a generall rule that euery vertuous man of necessitie is to be holden hardye and euery vicious man of necessitie is to be reputed a cowarde Nowe boldely they be chastised that be noted with any vice and coldely they be chastised that deserue chastisement Let the prince be in a certayn that the loue of his people and the lybertie of his offyce hath not wherwith to vpholde hym in armes spred abrode on the erth without the dyuers vertues assembled in his person ¶ Certaynly Octauius Cesar subdewed mo nations by the renoume of his vertues than dydde Gaius his vncle with his army of many men All the worlde ioy of a vertuous prince and it semeth that al the world ryseth ageinst a vicious prince Vertue is a strong castell and can neuer be wonne it is a riuer where nedeth no rowing a see that moueth not a fire that quencheth not a treasure that neuer hath ende an army neuer ouercome a burden that neuer werieth a spie that euer retourneth a sygne that neuer deceyueth a playne waye that neuer fayleth a syrope that healeth forthwith and a renoume that neuer peryssheth O my sonne if thou knewest what thyng it is to be good and what a man thou shuldest be if thou were vertuous thou woldest doo seruyce to the goddes good renoume to thy selfe pleasure to thy frendes and engender loue of straungers and finally all the worlde shulde feare and loue the. I remembre that in the boke of yeres of the battayle of Tarentyne I founde that the renoumed Pyrrhus king of the Epyrothiens bare in a rynge grauen these wordes To a vertuous man is but a smalle rewarde to be lorde of all the erthe and it is but a small chastisement to take a vicious mans lyfe fro hym ¶ Truly it was a worthy sentence of such a prince What thinge is it be it neuer so difficile begonne by a vertuous man but there is hope to haue a good ende therof Sothly I haue sene in dyuers parties of myn empyre dyuers men very darke of good fame very lowe in goodes and vnknowen of their kynne and bloud vndertake so great thynges that to my semyng it was a feareful audacitie to begynne And yet by the wynges of vertue all onely they haue had good renoume at the last By the immortal goddis and as the god Iupiter bryng me in his mancion and stablyshe the in all that is myne There were ones a gardyner and a potter dwellynge in Rome whyche only by their vertues caused to put tenne vycious senatours out of the senate and the fyrste occasyon was for makynge a hedge of thorne and a potte for the workemanshyp and labour whereof the Senatours wolde not paye theym I tell it the my sonne bycause that vyce maketh a bolde personne thoughtefulle and vertue causeth hym that is in thought to take strengthe and boldenes I was wel ware of two thinges in my lyfe not to pleade agaynst the clerenes of iustyce nor to take part ageynst a vertuous person For with vertue god susteyneth vs and with Iustyce the people are well gouerned and ruled ¶ Of other more partycular counsaylles gyuen by the emperour to his sonne Cap. xlvi NOwe to come to thinges more particular Seinge sonne that thou arte yonge and that nature can not denye the And as in all dyfficile thinges ripe counselle is necessarie no lesse to comfort thestate of our lyuing we desire some recreations For thy youth I leue y e with gret lordis children with whom thou mayst passe the tyme And to teache the I leue olde Romains that haue nouryshed the serued me of whom thou shalt take counsell The inuention of interludes of theatres to fyshe in pōdes to hunt wilde beastes to course in the fieldes to hauke for byrdes and to exercise dedes of armes are the thynges that thy youthe desyreth And youth with youth ought to kepe companye in doinge the same But behold my son that in orderyng of armies to apply the warres to pursue vyctories to accepte truce to confyrme peace to reyse tributes to make lawes to promote some and dismisse other to chastyse the yll and recompence the good in all these thinges that be so chargeable they that be of clere mynde redy broken and trauayled of their bodies whyt heared ought to be takē to coūsel the. And sith thou art yōge lusty of body reioyce sport with them that be yong whan thou art emperor than touching thy secrete affaires take coūsel of them y t be old Beware my son of all extremities For as yll may the prince be vnder the colour of grauitie to be rulyd by the ancient persones as vnder the colour of pastyme to kepe cōpany with yonge folkes It is no generall rule that all yonge persons shall alwayes be yonge and lyght nor that all olde persons shulde be always wyse I am sure of one thynge that if the yonge man be borne with foly the olde man lyueth and dieth with couetyse Therfore my sonne beware be not extreme in extremities For the yonge people wyll corrupte the with their lyghtnes and olde folkes wil depriue thy mind with theyr couetousnes What thing can be more monstrous than a prince that commaundeth euery man to be commaunded of one Sothely the gouernyng of diuers can not be gouerned wel by the opinion of one alone Than the prince that gouernethe many oughte to haue the intention and opinion of dyuers ¶ In the annales of the Pompeyens I founde a lyttell boke of remembrance the which great Pompeie bare alway with hym wherin were dyuers good counselles and aduertisementes the which were gyuen in diuers parties of the worlde Amonge the whiche I founde these wordes He that gouerneth the common welthe and putteth the gouernance to them that are old sheweth hym selfe vnable and he
a sure lyfe ye wyll committe your selfe to the chaunces of fortune and where as other haue necessitie of you ye put your selfe to be in the necessitie of other And thoughe the prince make no warre he shuld not suffre his people to warre Euery manne ought to leaue the warre Frend Cornelius I demaund of the whether is more trauaylle to his persone or domage to his realme a kynges ennemies orels his owne armie His ennemies robbe on the costes but our men robbe all the londe The enmyes maye be resisted but we dare not speake to our owne men The ennemies enuade vs on one day and recule backe ageyn but our garisons robbe daily and abyde styll The strangers haue some feare but ours are shameles and at the last the farther that our ennemies goo the more they waxe liberall and our armies of men euery daye encrease in crueltie in suche wyse that they offend the goddis and be importunate to theyr princes and noyful to the people lyuynge to the domage of euery man and be vnprofytable to al men By the god Mars I swere to the and as I maye be holpen in the warres that I gouerne with my hande I haue mo complayntes dayly from the senate on the capitaynes that ben in Illyrike than on all the ennemies of the Romayne people I haue more feare in mainteynynge one standarde of a hundred menne than to giue battaylle to .l. M. ennemies For the goddis and fortune dispatche a battayle in an houre be it good or badde but with these other I can do nothyng in al my lyfe Thus it hath ben my frende Cornelius and thus it is and thus it shall be Thus I founde it thus I holde it and thus I shall leaue it Our fathers dyd inuente it and we susteyne it that be their chyldren and for ylle it shal abyde to our heires I say to the one thyng and I thynke I am not deceyued therin To endure so great domage and to no profitte of the people I thinke it a great foly in man or els a great punishement of the goddis Be the goddis soo iuste in all iustice and so true in all veritie that they wyll suffre vs without reason to do yl in strange landes to whom we dydde neuer good and in our owne howses to haue shrewde tournes of them to whom we haue alwaye done good These thynges frende Cornelius I haue writen to the not bycause I thynke it nedefull that thou shuldeste knowe it but my spirite resteth in shewyng of it Panutius my secretatrie went to visite this land and on the way I gaue him this letter and I do send to the two horses I thynke they be good The armour and iewels that I won on the Parthes I haue departed them Howe be it I sēde the a chariot of theym My wyfe Faustyne salutethe the and sendeth to thy wife a riche glasse and an ouche of precious stones to thy doughter I beseche the goddis to giue the good lyfe and me a good death Marcus thy loue writeth to the Cornelius his frend ¶ To Torcates beinge at Gayette in consolation of his banysshement ¶ The .iii. letter MArke of mount Celio companion of the empire to the Torcate beinge at Gayette patricien Romain salute to thy person and vertue and force against aduers fortune It is a thre monthes sythe I receiued thy letter the whiche myn eies myght not make an ende to rede nor my handes to answere I am so heuy for thy heuinesse so peinfull for thy peyn and so hurt with thy wounde that where as thou wepest with thyn eies outwardely I weepe with my harte inwardly I wote what difference is betwene the tree and the croppe and the dreme fro the trouthe I here of thy trauayles by straunge persons and I fele them in myn owne person But where as true frendes be the peynes are in cōmen The greate infortunes ought to be suffred for one thynge bycause they declare who ar the true frendes I knowe by thy letter howe thou arte banyshed from Rome and all thy goodes confyscate and that for pure heuynes thou arte sycke in thy body I wolde go se the and counsayle thy person bycause that thou myghtest see with what harte and wyll I doo wepe for thy mysaduenture But if thou take me for thy trewe frende beleue me as I beleue the that is howe moche I feele thy mysaduenture Of trouthe as thou art banyshed bodyly soo am I banysshed inwardely in my harte And yf thy goodes or substaunce be taken away fro the I am robbed of a good frende and companyon And yf thou lackeste thy frendes I am abydynge amonge myn enmies Though I might remedy by workynge of my power thy banyshment yet I wyl counsaile thy spirite with certain wordis If I be not forgetfull I neuer sawe the contente in this lyfe bycause thou were euer besye in thy prosperitie and wery of any aduersitie And as nowe I se the dispayre as though thou were but new come into this worlde I haue knowen the this .xxxii. yeres in great ioy and nowe thou complaynest of .vi. monethes that fortune hathe tourned her whele O Torcate nowe thou mayst knowe that vertuous men feare more two dayes of prosperitie than two hundred of aduerse fortune O howe manye menne and howe manye ryche cities haue thou and I sene slyppe fro their prosperities throughe their vycyous lyuynge and straunge enmities In suche wise that theyr vaynglorye and slypper prosperitie endured but two dayes and the hurtes and losse that they haue hadde and the cruell and extreme enmities the whiche also that they haue wonne lasteth to this daye in their heires Contrarye wyse we see some set in the height of tribulations the whiche haue escaped by castynge away vyces clothynge them with vertues wery of euyll warkes folowynge goodnes beinge frendes to all and ennemies to none What wylte thou that I shulde say more They that are happye are ouercome in peace and they that are vnhappy do ouercomme other in warre Therfore my frende Torcate it semeth to me no lesse necessite to gyue good counsayle than to prosper with great prosperitie to remedy them that are in gret heuynesse For as wery are they that go the playn way as they that costeth the hyghe mountaynes By thy letter I perceiue that what tyme thou hopedst to haue ben in most quietnes and rest this yll fortune and chaunce fell on the. Be nat abashed therof For thoughe that all newe chaunces causeth newe thoughtes presently yet therby cometh more cause of stedfastnes in tyme to come Certaynly the tree beareth not so moche fruite there as it springeth first as it dothe whan it is newe set in an other place And all good smelles are more odoriferous if they be wel medled and chaufed togyther I pray the tell me abydynge in the worlde beinge a chylde of the same and louing the world what hopest thou to haue of the worlde but worldly thinges the worlde shall always
the straungers Wylt thou take away the liuynge fro hym that gyueth vs liuing take away the deth fro him that taketh away our lyfe wilt thou to them that be mouers and strangers giue moderation fro them that be sobre take away their rest Thou wylt gyue to them that take awaye fro vs and take fro them that gyue vs delyuer them that be condemned and condempne innocentes Thou wylt be tyraunt to the common welth and not defender of thy countreye Than sithe to all this he aduentureth hym that leaueth dedes of armes and becometh a marchaunte I studye soore what hath meued the to leaue chiualrye wherin thou haste had great honour and nowe to take on the an offyce wherby foloweth so moche shame and rebuke Surely I thynke in the none other excuse but that thou art olde and canst not clymbe the mountaynes and nowe thou syttest stylle and robbest the playnes To olde men olde malady whan outwarde force fayleth theym than forthwith they arme them with malyce inwarde I saye it by the soore couetous persons as thou act now One thynge I wyll say thou haste taken an office wherby all thy felowes haue robbed in dyuers days thou shalt gyue accompte therof in one howre ye and after the tyme shall come that thou shalt lese all in a moment For the goddis permyt that one shall be a chastysement of dyuers and longe tyme chastyseth all Howe is it my frende Cyncinate that in the howse of thy father Cyncinate were speares and not writynges hangynge I haue sene his halle full of armure not of fardels and portall and gates ful of knightes not marchantis Certaynly there haue I sene the scole of noblenes and not as it is now the denne of theues O Cincinate cursed be so vilayn an office the marchātis lyue porely to dye ryche let vs say ageyn cursed be it bycause the couetyse of one that is yll wold be accomplished to the preiudice of many that be good I wyll not hurte the by thy predecessours but I wyl aduertise the of thy miserie and of thy successours If thou thynkest y t thy vertue shulde holde to the ende of the worlde as the worlde holdeth to the as hit semeth by thy white heares holde me excused of the trauayle in perswadynge the to here me How be it it is reson that the gate of so great a cause be knocked at with the hāmer of som warnyng to bring it to good reson of necessitie it must passe the myll and to make clere the vnderstandyng from tyme to tyme of very nede there requireth counsell Dyuers times wise men fayle bycause they wold faile but if the thinges be of suche qualitie that wysedom suffiseth not to assure them than it is nedefull that his wyll be vntyed and his vnderstandyng dissolued and his owne propre opinion voyd than incontynent to take a threde to the aduyse of an other Take good hede Cincinate where as the foūdations be not wel edified the buildinges ar in peryl The dongeon of this world wherin the children of vanite do abyde is founded on the sande For let it be neuer so sumptuous yet a lyttell blaste of wynde wyll cause it to shake and a lyttell heate of prosperitie wyll open it and a lyttell rayne of aduersitie wyll diuide it and within a short while or space whan we least take hede it wyll fall all flatte on y e erth If the pyllers be of syluer and benches of gold and though the benchers be kynges and continue a thousand yere and rule into the entrayles of the erthe yet they can fynde no stedfaste rocke nor mountayne wherin to cloose the goodes of their predecessours and their estates perpetuall The goddis immortall haue made all thinges communicable to men mortall excepte immortalitie and therfore they be called immortall bicause they neuer dye we be called mortall and faylyng bycause we al take an ende Howe stronge so euer the walles be yet great age causeth it to fall to ruine Two thinges semeth to be free the whiche fortune can not set abacke nor the tyme cause to be forgotten they be these The good or yll renoume amonge men and the peyne or rewarde that they that be good or yll haue of the goddis O my frende Cyncinate thus acheueth the persones but the goddis neuer What grene or rype or rotten holdeth any season the fruyte of the tree floured I esteme it nothynge bycause it muste die by nature Howe be it dyuers tymes in leaues and flowers we beare the froste of some malady or the blaste of some enuious myshap Longe is the webbe in makyng but it that is made in many days is cut asonder in a moment Semblably it is a piteous thing to see a man dye with so great trauayle and to be sette in the state of honour and afterwarde we regardynge neyther the one nor the other and yet we se it perish And without any memory of any thing abydynge O my frende Cyncinate for the loue betwene vs I pray the and by the immortal goddis I coniure the beleue not the worlde the whiche vnder the colour of a lyttell golde hydeth moche fylthynesse and vnder colour of trouthe chaungeth vs into a. M. lyes and for a short delyte gyueth vs a. M. displeasures To them whom it sheweth moste loue it begyleth with greattest tromperies to whom the worlde gyueth moste goodes it procureth most domages to them that serueth it with mockeries hit rewardeth with true recompences and to them that loue it truly it gyueth them goodes of mockeries finally whan we slepe mooste surest it waketh vs with greatte perylle What wylte thou say than of the worlde shewe me One thynge I wyll telle the and me thynke thou shuldeste not forgette it and that is we ought not to beleue the vayne vanities that we se with our eies rather than the greatte meruayles that we here with our eres One thing I haue regarded and by longe experience I haue knowen it that but a fewe howses paynted nor stalles raised vp we haue sene in Rome but of a small tyme they take no thoughte for the walles but they haue cruelle enmities with theyr neyghbours and great anoy of their heyres and importunate shame of their frendes and double malyce of their ennemies and enuious profite in the senate somtyme to put a gouernour out of possession they set foure in honor and finally all that with great thought haue be gathered for their childe whom they loue wel with great rest sometyme an other heire enioyeth it of whom they thynke leest It is a iuste sentence that suche as begyle diuers with yll dedes in their lyfe shuld be begiled of their vayn thoughtes at their deth Cruell shulde the goddis be and ryghte greuous for men to suffre that the ylle that hath gathered for one heire in the p̄iudice of dyuers that be good shuld enioye it many yeres Me thinke it shulde be a
and seruices that we haue made Thou complaynest howe the goddes haue broken thy houses with an erthquake and haue slayne thy doughter felowe in thy banyshemente and al in one daye But thou dost not remembre the offences that thou hast coÌ„mitted in dyuers cases O my frende Antigonê° thou knowest not y t out of our yl processes cometh forth good sentences and thou knowest not y t our wicked workes are but a waking of true Iustice Knowest thou not that the fierse chastisementes is but a presse that hasteth the gret coÌ„minges of your yonge desires and knowest thou not that it is no thynge that the goddes do chastise openly to that they do dissimule in secrete Dost thou not knowe that in conclusion the goddis be goddis the mortalles are mortalles and they may do vs more good in one day than we can do seruice in a. C.M. yere Doest thou not knowe that the least yl done by the handes of the pitiefull goddis is more goodnes than all the welth that may come by the handes of the cruel men ThaÌ„ wherof dost thou complain I pray the be styl And sith thou art amonge straÌ„gers suffre And thou wilte haue honour dishonour not the goddis of the Romayns For the vniust meÌ„ do gret iniustice to speke yll of them that be iust specially of the goddis for they are most iust Certainly as Cicero sayth the greatest faut in a man that is good is to approue the yl rather thaÌ„ y e good and the moste greattest yuell in an yll man is to condemne the good for the yll Thou knowest not howe iust the goddis be Of trouthe they chaunge not for any prayer nor leaue nat for any thretenynges nor mocke not by wordes nor be not corrupt with gyftes Great ought thyn offence to be sithe the erthe hath taken vengeance for the goddis and thy innocent doughter hathe payde the faute for the offence of her father O Antigonus doste thou not know that in all thynges the goddis may werke after their own opinyon and wylle excepte in Iustyce for in that they be goddis of all they oughte to be egall to all And if theyr bountie doth bynde them to rewarde vs for goodnesse no lesse their iustyce constrayneth them to chastyse vs for our ylles It is a greatte custome and a ryghtouse Iustyce He that wyllyngely draweth to synne agaynst his wyll is drawen to peyne I say it bycause thy doughter hath lefte to do some good openly or elles she hath done some secrete ylle sithe in her youth her lyfe is bereued frome her father for ensample of chastysement in other And in the ende of thy letter thou complaynest that the peyne that men doo to the is more greatter than the offences that thou haste done to the goddis And if hit be thus frende Antygone thou oughtest to haue no displeasure but pleasure no heuynes but ioye And I swere to the by the immortall goddis I wolde gladly chaunge my lybertie for thy captiuytie and the state of Rome for thy banyshement of Sycile And I shall telle the why He is honoured amonge theym that be honoured that fortune abateth without faute and he is shamed amonge theym that be shamed that fortune inhaÌ„ceth without merite For the shame is not in the incoÌ„uenientes that is done to vs by men but it is of the offeÌ„ce that we commytte ageynst the goddis And in like case the honourable honour restethe not in the dygnyties that we haue but in the good workes wherby we meryte And therby the wordes seme trewe that the .xi. emperour of Rome bare writen in a rynge on his fynger whiche sayde thus More is he to be honoured that deserueth honour than he that hath it and deserueth it not These wordes are greatly to be noted and spoken by a great lorde Than retourne to the purpose Thou complaynest of the wronges and greues that men do to men and leue the goddis I haue no meruayle for as the goddis do neuer vniuste thynges so the menne neuer lyghtly do any thynge iuste Note this that I say and forgette it not The senate gyueth an open peyne and publyssheth the secrete faulte in suche maner that with the peyne they hurte vs and with the faute they shame vs. The goddes are more pitiefull for though they gyue vs pein yet they kepe the faut close A my frende Antigone though the goddes gather togider the slouthe and wyckednes that we commytte secretelye Beleue me and doubte not the goddis gyue lyfe to many the whiche men bereueth Therfore I thynke that thou shuldest thynke and wyshe that syth the goddis haue suffred the ylles that thou hast done secretly that thou must suffre open chastysement that men haue gyuen to the. For otherwise thinkynge to put away the peyne thou shalt abyde charged with infamy I haue written to the this loÌ„g epystle to thentent that thou shuldest haue some thyng to passe the tyme with Certaynly the greattest easemente to ease hym that is in trauayle is to exercyse the wauerynge harte with some good occupations I wyll write no more to the at this tyme but as touchynge thy banyshemente truste me I shal brynge the at one with the senate I sende Panutius my secretarie to the gyue as moche credence to his wordes as to my letter And he bryngeth a gowne to the and therwith my harte and wylle for to comforte the. Salutation peace and good age be with the and theire of the goddis and yll fortune be seperate fro me Marke my household wyfe and chyldreÌ„ salute the as thyn own And we salute all thy family as our owne Thoughe the halfe of my letter be not of my hande comforte the for my harte is entirely thyne Thou knoweste howe I was greuously hurte in the warres of Dacye in my hande and in moyste wethers one of my fyngers slepeth Thus I make an ende as always thyn owne ¶ An other letter sent by Marc themperour to the same Antigonus ageynst cruell iuges The leuenth letter MArc the sycke manne to the Antigonus banyshed desyreth salute for hym and reste for the. To eschewe the enuious trauaylles of Rome and to se certayne bokes of Hebrewe that were broughte to me fro Helya I came hyther to Sanya I made great haaste in my iournayes howe be it at Salon the feuer toke me and the .xx. day of Iune I receyued thy seconde letter and the same houre the feuer quartayne toke me I thynke none of vs bothe had the better hande For neyther my longe letter dydde put away thy trauayle nor thy shorte letter dyd put away my feuer And though as nowe the felynge of thy trauaile minissheth that I had the more brenneth the desire to remedy the. Therfore I wyll say some thinge to the but not that I fynde any consolation that thou haste nede therof In the lawe of Rhodes I haue founde these wordes we commaunde that none be so hardy to gyue counsail with out remedy
casteth down houses gret waters bereth away bridges frostes freseth the vines sodein thondring and tempestes breketh down toures scarsitie of water causeth derth corrupt aire maketh an ende of thē that be wise yet there is nothinge that can make an ende of these fooles All thinges at this day faileth at Rome excepte all only these ydel trewandes gestours tomblers players or dromslayes iuglers suche other of whom there is inowe to many O what a seruyce shuldest thou doo to the goddis what profyte to Rome that for thre barkes ful of foles to sende one lade with wyse men One thyng I wyl say that with the bones of the wyse men that yle is halowed that anciently were banysshed by the malyce and enuye of them of Rome if thy smellynge wyttes be not lost as Italy stynketh of them that be symple soo that yle smelleth swete of wyse men Whan I came fro the warres of the Parthes the .iiii. yere of myn empire I passed into that yle by dyuers sees to see the sepulchres of ancient wyse men and in the citie of Dorbite in the myddes therof lyeth Ouide that was banyshed by August and vnder the mountayne Arpines is the sepulchre of the renomed Armeno oratour banyshed by Sylla at the porte of Argonaut thou shalte fynde the bones of Colliodorus recapituler of the antyke lawes that was banysshed by Nero the cruell and in the felde of Elinos vnder a marble is the pouders of Sysifo Seteno that was so wel lerned in the .vii. artes liberal as though he had newe founde them he was banyshed by the Marians I say for trouthe thou shalte fynde it thus for with my knees I haue touched their sepulchres And all that season my tender eyes were as fulle of water as theyr bones were harde in the erthe These were not banyshed for no vylanies that they had done but it was the meryte of our forefathers that they wolde be priuated fro the company of so noble barons and we theyr chylderne fro the pouder of so renowmed sages I can not tell whiche is the greatter the fantasye that I haue to thyn yle or the compassion of myserable Rome I do pray the as my frende and commaunde the as my seruant to regarde the places that I haue shewed the. For it is a iuste thyng and most iuste that suche cities be priuileged by them that lyueth whan they are peopled with suche deade wyse men And more ouer Centurion knoweth by wordes the heuy case that these prisoners had with vs and we with them the day of the feaste of mother Berecyntia I saye I sawe not that day so moch crueltie in Rome as we caused infamye throughe all the empire Rome that neuer was ouercome by them that were valyant and vertuous that daye we sawe ouergone and troden vnder foote by those foles The walles of Rome that were neuer touched by the Poeniens had that day their lowpes ful of armed trewandes Rome that triumphed ouer al realmes was triumphed vpon that day with tomblers and iuglers I am so abashed in this case that I wot not what to say or to write Yet one thing cōforteth me that sith Rome the Romayns vniustly doo reioyce with these fooles she and the famous wyse men iustly shalbe chastised for these foles And in this the goddis shall not be displeased that sythe Rome laugheth at these trewandies and mockeries one day she shal wepe with these tomblers and iuglers I banysshe all these for euer fro Rome not for the bloudde that they haue shedde but for the hartes that they haue peruerted not for the occasion of any that be deed but bicause they were maisters of folies Without cōparison it is greatter offence to the goddis and more domage to the cōmon welthe these trewandes to take away the wyttes fro the wyse folkes than the murtherers to take away mens lyues If the greattest gyfte amonge all gyftes of fortune be to kepe a good wit let no manne presume to be of a restfull vnderstandynge that is an extreme frende to these trewandes Beleue me one thinge As one byrde loueth an other and one beste an other and one wyse man an other so one fooole loueth an other foole ¶ I remēbre on a day as I reuolued the regysters in the Capitoll I redde a ryght meruaylous thyng of Oruetus a famous oratour which is buryed in the yle of Helespōt on the moūt Adamantine Whan great Scipio came fro the warre of the Poeniens better accompanied with hunger storuen trewandes than with valyant capitaynes he sayde to hym Of trouthe it is great shame to the and a small honour to the senate that thou that haste ouercome the wyse Affres and beinge soo wyse thy selfe and of the blode of the wyse Romaynes wylte be accompanied with these trewandes and fooles In that vnhappy realme all the wise men coude not ouercome one that was thoughte so mighty amonge so many fooles I say to the that thy wyt is in more peryll here in Rome thā thy life in Affrike ¶ These were good wordes and not of no worldely malyce And within a shorte whyle after and by dyuers lyght persons and for a small occasion this poore olde oratour and ryche philosopher by the frendes of Scipio was banyshed Rome and sent into that yle ¶ Than behold Lambert let vs returne to these iuglers and trewandes Whan they ar landed in that yle let them go franke fre so that they vse not their accustomed toys Thou shalt constrayne them to labour and chastise them yf they be ydell For these myserable folke fleing from iust trauayle take on them vniust ydelnes conuert mo men with their trewandyse than if open scooles of vacaboundes were kepte There is nothing that our forfathers did that displeaseth me soo moche as the sufferaunce of these vnthrifty trewandes ¶ In the yere CCxxvi of the foundation of Rome in the tyme of an horrible pestilence in Italy to reioyce the people was first founde out the inuention of Theatres by the aduise of the trewandes It is a shameful thynge to here that the pestylence duryd but two yeres and the rage of these vnthriftes dureth .iiii. C. yeres ¶ Lamberte I beleue well that the complayntes that these prisoners haue begon here shall neuer haue an ende there Howe be it I care not for the grudge of them that be ylle iustifieth the iustice and sentence of theym that be good As the mayster of Nero sayde As moche as the shame of synne oughte to be fledde of them that be good so moche prayse is the infamye of the yll I shall telle the one thynge to the intent that the chastysement shulde not seme cruell to the. Seynge the emperours of Rome are ful of clemency to straungers it is no reason that they shulde be to sharpe to theyr owne Sythe fatall destenyes hath brought me into this worlde I haue sene nothynge more vnprofytable to the common welthe nor greatter folye in them
made a face in the worlde .xxxiii yere thou hast ben in the grace of the world nowe it is tyme fro hensforth to fall at some discorde therwith Abell kyng of the Assiriens hoped to haue but seuē yeres of good prosperitie Queene Simiramis but onely syxe Abell kynge of the Lacedemoniens fyue Eutrete kynge of the Caldeens .iiii. Alexander kynge of the grekes .iii. Amylcar the great of Carthage but two and our Gayus Cesar Romayne but one onely and many before and sythe not one yere And sith thou were the mooste vnknowen of lynage the grosseste of vnderstandynge and the leaste of power the darkest of fame and the most weke in merites wherfore than complayneste thou on fortune If thou haddest ben vertuous in all these .xxx. yeres thou haddest neuer eaten without thoughte nor neuer spoken without suspection nor slepte without stertyng thinking what thou haddest to do and wherin fortune myghte begyle the. He that is so longe besette aboute with soo many enemies I can not tell howe he shuld take any sure slepe Ah Torcate Torcate the worlde hath so many falles and we knowe so yll howe to continue amonge theym that be worldly that scantly we are fallen whan our handes and fete lyke sclaues be so faste tyed that we can not lose them It fylleth our persons full of vices strengtheth our sinewes to wickednes weaketh our hartes in vertues and fynally rendreth our spirites in a traunce and masethe our vnderstandynge and chaungeth our taste and sufferethe vs as beastes to shewe our euylles that we fele with waylynges all though as men we durst not shew it And that this is true it appereth that whanne we see that we lose we lament and complayne and none can helpe hym selfe This smal lesson I writte to the to the ende thou shuldest lyue in lesse thoughte The horse colte that thou dyddeste sende me leapeth very well The spanyell that thou sente to me is well but he is wylde the calfe was verye fatte and I wolde haue eaten it forthwith but my wyfe Faustyn besily prayed me to kepe it and thynketh that it was stolen in a gardeyne I sende to the .ii. M. sexters for to succour the in thy trauayles And as touchinge thy banyshement at tyme conuenient I shal dispatch thy matters with the senate The consolation of the goddis and the loue of man be with the Torcate The sodeynnes of euils and the yre of the furies be seperate froo me Marcus Aurelius Faustyn my wyfe greteth the and in lyke wise fro her parte and ours to thy mother in lawe and thy wyfe haue vs recommended Marc of Rome sendeth this writynge to Torcate of Gayette ¶ A letter sent to Domitius of Capue to comforte hym in his banisshemente The fourth letter MArke oratour Romayn borne on mount Celio to the Domitian of Capue salute and consolation of the goddis consolatours In this right colde wynter there arose in this lande a myghty gret wynd and by reason of the great wynde arose great quantitie of waters and the waters haue caused great humidites and great humidities brede dyuers maladies and diseases and amonge all the infirmities of this lande I haue the goute in my hande and the ciatica in my legge For the helth of my wyfe Faustine I can neyther go nor write I saye it bycause I can not write to the so longe as the case wolde require and as thy thankes meryteth and my desyre coueteth It is shewed me that by occasion of a hors thou hast had strif with Patricio thy neyghbour that thou art banished fro Capue and set in the prison Mamartyn Thy goodis are cōfisked and thy chyldren banished thy house caste downe and thy neuewe is putte out of the senate and banysshed the senate for .x. yeres It is tolde me that all the daye thou wepest and wakest by nyght in company thou diest and doest loue to reste solytarilye Thou hateste pleasure and louest pensyuenes And I haue no meruayle for the sorowefull hartes lyue with teares and wepynge and be mery laugh in dienge I am ryght sory to se the lost but moche more that for so smalle a thynge thou shuld be cast away as for a hors to lese al thyn estate O howe variable is fortune and howe soone a mysaduenture falleth before our eies Fortune gyueth these euyls we see it not with her handes she toucheth vs and we fele it not she tredeth vs vnder fete and we knowe hit not she speaketh in our eares and we here her not she crieth alowde vnto vs and we vnderstande her not and this is bycause we wyll not knowe her and finally whan we thynke we are moste surest than are we in moste peryll Trouth it is that with a lyttell wynde the fruyte falleth fro the tree and with a lyttell sparcle the house is sette a fyre a small rocke breaketh a greatte shyppe and with a lyttell stone the legge is hurte I saye that oftentyme of that we feare not cometh greatte peryll In a close Fistula rather than in an open the surgiens doubte the peryll In depe styll waters the pilote feareth more than in the great hye wawes Of secret enbushement rather than of open armies the warriour doubteth I wyll not onely say of straungers but of hys owne propre not of ennemyes but of frendes not of crewelle warre but of peace not of open domage or sclaunder but of secrete peryll and myschiefe a wyse man ought to beware Howe many haue we sene that the chances of Fortune coulde not abate and yet within a shorte whyle after vnwarenes with great ignomynious shame hath ouerthrowen them I wolde witte of the what reste can a persone haue that trusteth euer vpon the prosperitie of fortune syth for so lyght a cause we haue sene so great a stryfe in Rome and suche a losse to thy howse Seynge that I see I wyll not feare the wyndes of her trauayles nor beleue in the clerenesse of her pleasures nor her thunders shal not feare me nor wil trust vpon her flatteringes nor thanke her for that she leueth with me nor be sorye for that she taketh froo me nor wake for any trouthe that she sayth to me nor ryse for any of her leasynges nor lawghe for any thyng that she desyreth of me nor wepe for gyuing me leaue If thou knowest not the cause of this I shal tel the. Our lyfe is so doubtefull and fortune so way warde that she dothe not alway threate in strykynge nor striketh in thretnynge The wyse man gothe not soo temperately that he thynketh at euery steppe to falle nor lyue with so smalle athought to thynke to ouerthrowe in euery playn pathe For oftentymes false fortune shaketh her weapon and striketh not and an other tyme stryketh without shakynge Beleue me of one thynge Domitius That parte of the lyfe is in moste perylle whan with lyttell thoughte or care men thynke them selfe moost sure Wylt thou se the trouthe therof Cal to thy minde Hercules
that scaped fro many perylles by see and by lande and yet dyed betwene his lēmans armes Laomedon peryshed not vnder Troy but was slayne in his howse Greate Alexander dyed not in makynge warre ouer all the erthe but he ended with a lyttell poyson The couragious Caius Cesar saued hym selfe in .lii. battayles and after in the senate was slayne with .xxxii. strokes of penknyues Asclipio brother of Pompeie peryshed not flotynge .xxii. yere vppon the see but he was drowned after in drawynge water at a welle Tenne capitains that Scipio had with him in Affrike that vanquyshed many harde batayles as they were mockyng on a brydge they fel fro the bridge and were drowned Good Drusio that had ouercome the Parthes the day of his triumph goyng to his charyot there felle a tyle that claue asonder his heed soo that vayneglorie was the ende of his good lyfe What shuld I tel the more Thou knowest well that Lucye my syster hauyng a nedel on her bosom playenge with her chylde betwene her armes the chylde with his hande hytte the nedell suche a stroke into her bodye that he slewe his mother Gneo Ruffyn the consulle sente ageinst the Germayns of our tyme was soo valyaunte in armes that none of our predecessours surmounted hym yet he kembynge his olde whyte heares one of the teethe of the combe entred into his heed wherby grewe an ympostume by occasion wherof he ended his honorable lyfe for soo smalle a case Howe semethe the Domitius As I do tell the of so small a nombre I coude recyte infinite exāples What mysfortunes fell after good fortunes What mischaunce after great glorie what mysaduenture after great happe what greatte euyll they take of theyr deathe after the begynnynge of greatte welthe in the lyfe I beinge as they knowe not what to desire but they beinge as I am wyl rather chuse the labourous and honourable deathe than an yll death and an honourable lyfe To my semynge he that wyll be a man amonge men and not a beaste amonge bestes ought to trauayle sore to lyue well and moche more to dye better For at the fynall ende an yll dethe putteth great doubte of the good lyfe and the good dethe excuseth the yll lyfe I haue written to the at the begynnynge of my letter that by reason of the humydities the gowte greuethe me ylle But to satisfie thy desire I wolde fayne write with my hande more at lengthe Two daies the loue that I bare to the hathe faught with the peine that I endure My wille wolde write but my fyngers can not holde my penne The remedy is sithe I maye not as I wold that thou wylte take as thine owne that I maye do as myne owne dede Faustine my wife saluteth the who by reasonne of my diseases is halfe ylle at ease It is shewed her that thou haste greatte peyne of a hurte of thy face she hathe sente the a boxe with baume that thy hurte shal not appere in thy visage If thou canst fynde any grene almondes or new nuttis Faustine prayeth the to sende her some by this bearer I haue but lyttel store of money therfore I sende the a gowne and thy wyfe a kyrtell No more but I pray the goddis to giue the that I desire for the and to giue me that thou desireste for me And beside that I do write to the with my hande I gyue to the myne owne propre harte A letter sente fro the emperour to Claudius and Claudyne his wyfe bycause they being olde lyued as yonge persons ¶ The .v. letter MArcke of mount Celio to the Claudius and Cladine husbande and wyfe dwellynge in my warde I desyre helthe sendynge you this letter The trouthe is bycause ye are my frendes vnder my charge I enquire of them that come fro you of your estates and by theym that goo to you I sende recommendations to you bothe yf ye haue my good wyll demaunde hit of your hartes And if in your stomacke ye repute and take me but as a suspecious frende thanne I thynke my selfe euen cleane condempned The cruelle forgetfulnesse the whiche may be causex of myne absence peraduenture banysheth the good dedes that ye haue receyued of my personne If in any thynge I haue entreated you with lyes than I require that ye entreate me nothyng with trouth But if I haue bene alwayes your good neyghbour and frende yf ye haue any nede of myne honour thanne be to me as good Gayo Furion my frende as well as your parent passynge this waye to Alexandrye hathe shewed me many thinges the whiche were done in Rome amonge other he shewed me one thynge that caused me to laugh whan I hard it and yet it was ryght greuous to me whā I thought theron Somme thynges we take sodeynly in sporte and mockerie the whiche afterwarde well considered maketh vs verye sorye He shewed me howe that ye seme to euery man right auncient and very yonge in your doinge for you aray your selfe dayly with newe apparel ▪ as ye shulde go to weddynges and where as men do honour you as ancient persons ye shewe your selfe wanton and whan folke renne to se gewgawes ye ar not the laste There is no lyghtnes in Rome but it is regestred in your house Thus ye gyue your selfe to pleasures as they that thynke neuer to haue displeasure And fynally whanne ye shulde lyfte vp your handes ye entre newely into the wages of the worlde Truely my neyghbours and frendes to speake with dewe reuerence I am asshamed of your vnshamefastnes and am no lesse sory for your fautes There be dyuers greuous faultes that are made lyghte by the honeste withdrawynge of them And some other that are but smal fautes and fyndyng no ways to leaue them are estemed very great By all the goddis I can fynde none occasion howfor to excuse your euylles but I see inowe wherwith to condempne theym Wherfore pardon me yf that I seme vnhoneste to speake so moche whan ye be not honeste in your lyuynge In good sothe I denaye not but that thou Claudius haste bene ryght free and lyberalle of thy person and thou Claudine ryght fayre of vysage and many persons for the beautie of thy forhed haue ben curious to haue had the to wife but I wold wit of the youth of y e one beautie of the other in vsyng all your liues in vanitie what goodly trinkettes ye hope to were in the straitnes of the Sepulchre O great foles ye and foles ageyn Do you not knowe yet that the tyme fleeth with mouyng of wynges The lyfe trauayleth on her way without lyftynge of her fete fortune stretcheth her without styrryng her armes the worlde voydeth it selfe sayenge nothyng the fleshe consumeth without felynge and our glorye passeth as it neuer had ben and fynally dethe assayleth vs er euer he knocke at the gate Certaynely it is impossible for to make synewes of blode of veynes to make bones of a craggy rocke a plaine way