he might use his pleasure for they were resolved willingly to undergo any calamity rather then to give his Majesty any distaste These reasons alleadged by the Ambassadors with such generous humility did so convince Apollo as he told them they might live secure that Ephesus should never be commanded by any but himself because he very well knew that those who had driven their Prince out of their State and had dealt so ill with him had much reason to apprehend the being made Tributary a second time for every new Prince how meek or gentle soever he were must be necessitated to use severity and exercise all those cruel resentments which the seditious Neopolitan Baron received from the austere Kings of Aragon so to secure himself from being treated as was his predecessor The LXXXVI ADVERTISEMENT Justus Lipsius to make amends for his fault in having accused Tacitus is so intent thereupon as he is accused before Apollo to have Idolatrized him for which after a feigned punishment he is at last praised and admired by his Majestie THe most observing Litterati of this State have often noted That when any Vertuosi hath through human frailty committed an error he doth for the hatred he beats to vitious actions amend it by falling into the other extream And divers affirm that Democritâ—…s did not put out his eyes for the benefit of contemplation but to make amends for a fault which he had commited in having looked upon a handsom young woman with a more wanton eye then became a Philosopher And it is also reported that Harpecretes to correct an error which he had committed in having been too loquacious at a Feast for which he was greatly blamed fell into the other extream of never speaking again Nor ought the Poets Sentence to be held true Dum vitant stulti vitia in contrâ—…ia currunt Since the dogg which hath been scalded with boyling water is esteemed wise for staying within dores when it rains As also it is the councel of a wise man to hate Eels after a man hath been bitten with a Snake This is said because Iustus Lipsius was so heartily sorry for and did so repent his having so unfortunately accused Tacitus as to amend a fault for which he was much blamed by all the Vertuosi of this State he soon after went to Tacitus and humbly asked him pardon for the injury he had done him Who knowing what honour a man wins by being ready to forgive which magnanimity becoming a Roman Senator did not only freely forgive Lipsius but did heartily thank him for having afforded him an occasion of doinâ—… so glorious an act as sincerely to forgive an injury received The wonder of so great indulgency and the easiness in obtaining his so much desired pardon being added to the ancient great devotion which Lipsius who was alwaies very partial to Tacitus bore to so sublime an Historian did so much encrease his love and veneration as he frequented Tacitus his house more then his own delighted to discourse with him more then with any other of the Litterati was not better pleased with any other conversation did not celebrate any Historian more and did all this with such partiality of inward affection as he strove to imitate him in his quaintness of speaking more by conceits then words in his brevity of succinct speaking full of gravity matter sententiousness and so as was only perspicuous to good understanders procuring thereby the envy and hatred of all the Vertuosi depending upon Cicero and the Cesarian Faction who did not approve thereof and presumed by an Antonomasia to call him his Author and not caring for what others said of him he affected nothing more then to appear a second Tacitus This unusual affection amongst friends not used to Masters and which did exceed all love born to consanguinity begot such jealousie in Mercerus Beatus Rhenenus Fulvius Orsinus Marcus Antonius Muretas and in other of Tacitus his followers as for meer envie though under the colour of revenging the injury which Lipsius had formerly done their friend Tacitus they accused Lipsius before Apollo of the same impiety which he had accused Tacitus of Saying to his Majesty that he did not love Tacitus as a friend did not honor him as a Master and Patron but did adore him as his Apollo as his God This accusation which as it fares in faults of high Treason seems through the atrocity thereof to be sufficiently proved by bare allegation did much trouble Apollo who esteeming himself offended by Lipsius he made be forthwith brought bound unto him by a Pretorian Cohort of Lyrick Poets and with an angry countenance and threatning way asked him what he thought of one Cornelius Tacitus an Oylmans son of Ternio To this â—…ipsius answered That he held Tacitus to be the chief of all Intelligent Historians the Father of human wisdom the Oracle of the true Reason of State the Master of Polititians the Coryfeus of all such Writers as had arived at the glory of using more conceits then words in their Writings the true rule whereby to learn to write the actions of great Princes with the learned light of their true occasion a great piece of art and which was only known by the noblest sort of Historians as that which rendred them very glorious who knew how to make use of it and him learned who had the judgement to consider it the Idea of Historical truth the true Teacher of Princes Schoolmaster of all Courtiers the true touchstone whereby the world might try the genius of Princes the Standard whereby men might exactly weigh the real worth of privat men the Book which Princes who would learn how to command Subjects wel who desired to know how to obey wel ought to have continually in their hands Apollo knew by this so affected encomium and by so exaggerated praises that Lipsius did openly and with a bare face adore Taâ—…itus Wherefore being highly incenst he said What think you then of me Lipsius who am the Father of Learning the supreme Master of all Sciences absolute Prince of the Liberal Arts and the Monarch of Vertue if with such impiety and impudence you Idolatrize a Writer who is so hateful to all good men and so much detested by the professers of the Latin Tongue for the newness of his phrase the obscurity of his speech his vitious brevity and for his so cruel Political Doctrine by which he rather forms severe Tyrants then just Princes vitious subjects then such as are indued with that naked goodness which makes Government so easie to Princes it being clearly seen that he by his impious precepts converts lawful Princes into Tyrants transforms natural subjects who ought to be mild and obedient sheep into wily foxes and creatures which Nature hath wisely ordained without or teeth or horns into ravenous wolves and head-strong buls a great Doctor of Fallacies the only Artificer of Tyranny a new Zenofon of a cruel and execrable Tiberipedia the
be compleated fell into so great lamentations as being followed therein by the other Vertuosi Lipsius who knew that his Oration could not be heard by reason of the great noise which those sighs and groans made came down from his seat being satisfied for the injury which Pausanius had given him by that interruption with the consolation he received from the Encomium he had made of his Country the Flemmish Nation It was believed by all the Learned of this State that great intimacy and friendship was contracted between Cornelius Tacitus and Giustus Lipsius by reason of the many reciprocal courtesies which had past between them but to the wonder of all the Learned in Parnassus the contrary happened For two daies since Lipsius accused Tacitus for having said some very impious words in his first Book of Histories His Majestie much incenst to hear such an accusation commanded Tacitus to appear before him the next morning and to make his defence Tacitus obeyed this command with such undaunted alacrity as his learned Friends who had been much astonished were greatly cheered I who give you an account of these Informations was present when Beato Renano and Flavio Orsino both of them being Tacitus his good friends drew Lipsius aside and earnestly entreated him that he would desist from that accusation which would prove a great dishonour to himself if he should not be able to make it good and would prove very unfortunate if he should prove it For Tacitus being the first Politick Baron of Parnassus and therefore much followed by potent men who have long hands and short consciences they would certainly in time work their revenge To this Lipsius answered that howsoever he would discharge his conscience which being said he appeared before Apollo where came likewise Tacitus attended by the most pollisht Vertuosi of this Court. Then Lipsius thus began That he was a friend to Socrates a friend to Plato but a greater friend to Truth Here Tacitus interrupted him and bad him leave those preambles which smelt so rammish in that place and fall roundly to his Impeachment for his fellow Polititians could not with patience hear premeditated preludiums from them from whom they expected fowle performances Then replyed Lipsius You in your first Book of History have taken the freedom to say That God cares not otherwise for mans welfare then in what concerns punishment a conceit so much the more impious for that it would be a great fault in an earthly Prince much more in God whose peculiar Vertue Mercy is and Charity to all mankind to say a thing so exorbitantly wicked Your very words said he are these Nec enim unquam attrocioribus Populi Romani Cladibus magisve justis judiciis approbatum est non esse Cura Deis securitatem nostram esse Ultionem Tacit lib. 1. Hist. T is true that you may plead in excuse of this your great fault that you were led thereinto by unwary Lucan who having said the same thing before you wrot these Verses Foelix Roma quidem Civesque habitura superbos Si libertatis superis tam Cura placeret Quam vindict a placet Blest Rome great Citizens might well have had Had the Gods minded her good as well as bad When Tacitus had heard this It grieves me said he my Lipsius that you who have boasted your self to be the only Oracle of my obscurest meanings have so grosly erred in a poynt which so much imports my reputation For those words of mine which you have now recited are so farr from being impious and wicked as you accuse them to be as I will prove them to be pious and holy and that you may know I speak truth I will by a circumlocution of many words interpret that my conceit which according to my custom being exprest in few you cannot conceive After having in the beginning of my Histories acquainted the Reader with what I intended to treat of in my whole Work I said I undertook a labour full of various chances Atrox praeliis discors seditionibus ipsa etiam pace savum Quatuor Principes ferro interempti tria Bella Civilia c. Cruelty in Wars seditious discord savageness even in peace four Princes assassinated three civil Wars c. When I had related the great calamities and miseries which the Romans suffered after Nero's death I said they were so many in number and such in quality as it had never at any time been better verified by the bitter sufferings of the Romans and by Divine Justice that that same God who had formerly so favoured and protected the people of Rome as being as it were inamored of their greatness it seemed his only care was to render them perpetually victorious triumphant and Masters of the World was seen so to change his mind after Nero's death as it did evidently appear Non esse Curae Deis securitatem nostram which is That he had quite given over the care of their welfare esse ultionem which is that he minded only to take revenge for the great distastes which they had given him Is it then Lipsius a wicked conception to say that by reason of the great excesses committed by the people of Rome both before and after the death of Nero Gods care of protecting them from all evil was turned to severe Justice in afflicting them with all sorts of misery The thing which you have said said Lipsius is very pious but it doth not square with the words which I accuse of wickedness which will then receive the interpretation and sence which you give them when the words securitatem nostram were only to be understood of the people of Rome but they being universal it is apparent that you comprehend all mankind That by the word Nostram upon which I perceive you chiefly ground your self replyed Tacitus I only understood the people of Rome Lucan makes it clear unto you who you were pleased to say led me into this error he expressing my very conceit in Verse mentions only the Romans affirming that Rome would have been perpetually happy and would have kept with her Citizens in continual glory if God Almighty had been as well pleased to preserve her in her ancient Liberty as he was to revenge himself of her And do not you think it to be true Lipsius that the Romans who could never put a period to the insatiat ambition which they had to rule over the whole world did so provoke Gods anger against them by laying so many Noble Monarchies and gallant Commonwealths dessolate by having plundred the world and filled it with fire and bloud to satiate their unquenchable thirst after wealth as after having delivered them over into the hands of cruel Tyrants by whom they made tryal of the most deplorable miseries he at last permitted that by exemplary shame they should be trampled upon by the most barbarous Nations of the earth Certainly a most unfortunate end but much merited by the Roman ambition cruelty and avarice precipices
mov'd to hear the barbarity of these Military Laws Only Apollo shewed no compunction but with an angry countenance thus answered those souldiers Who forceth you to forgo your own homes and to change the wholsom human Laws under which you are born with those severe ones which are practised in War He who falls down of himself deserves not to be raised up nor is there any mercy to be hoped for from one who is so very cruel to himself This request having received its answer much to the delight of all the Vertuosi that were at the Audience the famous Printers appeared before Apollo namely Sebastian Grifo Guilielmo Ruell of Lyons Christofano Plautino of Antwerp the Giunti of Florence Giolito Valgresi and many others from Venice and amongst these the learned Aldo Manutio did not disdain to make one who in the name of all his fellows told Apollo That of all Modern Inventions found out by the wit of man he thought the precedency ought to be given to the Press both for the use and admirable felicity thereof A benefit which had the ancient Litterati had they would not have so lamented the burning of former Libraries and that now the Press had not only for ever secured the past and present labours of the Vertuosi but had made the way to Learning much more easie and that his Majesties State wanting so excellent an invention if he should so please they would for the publick good bring it upon their own cost and charges into Parnassus Apollo absolutely refused that offer and said That men praised the Art of Printing upon very indiscreet grounds for it was that that had infinitely obscured the glory of the Liberal Sciences For having made Libraries more numerous then good they were admired only by the ignorant and that when with infinite labour the writings of other men were copyed out by the pen such as deserved not to pass through the hands of his Litterati they and their shame died in the house of their unfortunate Author whereas now so great abundance of foolish and ignorant volumes were printed as that Libraries were shamefully cram'd with them to the little reputation of the Liberal Sciences and of his Litterati and that by the reason of the unexhausted store which were printed of the learned labours of the Vertuosi the Homers Virgils Ciceros divine and painfull labours which for the miracle of their wits ought to be shewn to men only upon some particular daies of the year were polluted by flies and moths in every Book binders shop That therefore they might be gon when they pleased for he would by no means admit of the break-neck of the too ambitious Litterati into Parnassus Presently after this Seneca the Moralist appeared before his Majestie who had caused his cruel enemy Publio Suilio to be personally cited before that Audience and rather in rage then anger complained of certain injurious words which that man had spoken to the prejudice of his reputation wherefore he pressed that he might be punished as a slanderer Apollo commanded Suilio to repeat the words by which Seneca took himself to be so highly injured Suilio confest ingeniously that moved thereunto rather out of truth then any privat hatred upon a certain occasion which arose he had reproached Seneca with these words used by him Qua sapientia Quibus Philosophorum preceptis intra quadrienium regia amicitiae ter millies sestertium paravisset Romae testamenta orbos velut Indagine ejus capi Italiam Provincias immenso fenore hauriri Tacit. lib. 13. Annall Seneca perceiving that Apollo was very much scandalized at the excessive getting of seven millions and a half of monies in so short a time told Apollo the world knew his wealth though it were very great proceeded not from any greedy desire he had of riches but from Neros meer liberality Apollo who did not approve of Senecas excuse said freely to him That the floud of that his immence wealth which was very shamefull in such a Philosoper as he was especially when gotten in the twinkling of an eye must of necessity have received troubled waters from the torrents of fowl industry To which Seneca answered That his condition was not to be considered according to Suilios rotten tongue which was so accustomed to lying as he lived only by the infamous practice of slander and back-biting but by the so much praised and admired writings which he had published Suilio finding himself thus bitterly offended by Seneca answered boldly that it was not the pen which exactly shew'd what men were but the leading of their lives For works not words were the true touchstone whereby to know the true allay of mens genius Seneca being about to reply Apollo who was nauseated by that hatefull difference turned towards him and bad him say no more for great riches gotten by any whosoever in a short time brought but little of reputation with them and that it behooved of necessity that to the sweet of so rich treasure the sowre of publick mumurs should be added At last fetching a deep sigh from the bottom of his heart Apollo said I heartily wish O Seneca that either thou hadst never been born or that thou hadst not left the seed of so many punctual followers of thy behaviour Seneca quitted the Audience with this but smally satisfactory resolution When the two Noble Princesses the Roman Lucrece and Katherin Sforza bowed to Apollo to whom Lucretia to whose share it fell to speak first said That by witness of all Historians who had written the affairs of Rome the fowle outrage which Tarquin the proud had done her having been the only powerfull cause why the Kingdom of Rome was turned into so famous a Commonwealth and which was so much celebrated throughout the world she had not notwithstanding obtained so honourable a place in Parnassus as she thought she deserved and which in the opinion of all the Vertuosi was due unto her And that Helen of Greece who compared to her had been the occasion of but trivial novelties had obtained a much higher place She therefore desired that if his Majestie should think she had suffered wrong she might be righted Apollo answered Lucretia That the change of the Roman servitude into Liberty and the driving of the Tarquins out of Rome was attributed to the outrage done to her by those only who understood but little of the worlds affairs but that those who saw further into State-affairs knew very well that the Tarquins lost so famous a Kingdom when by their bad comportments they made themselves so hatefull to the Plebeians on whose good will their greatness was grounded for it was hard to bring such a Kingdom as was that of the Romans which by reason of the infinite priviledges it enjoyed might be said to live in a sort of Liberty to receive total bondage without openly provoking the enmity of the Senat and of the whole Roman Nobility which were by natural instinct given to
the sole Arbitrator of all Greece but aspired at an universal Monarchy It is moreover known to your Majestie that the same Prince of Macedonia under pretence of Friendship and of taking the Dukes of Laconia into his protection did with deep designs labour their suppression And because the Prince of Epires greatness kept him from achieving so high designs he either totally to remove or at least to weaken that obstacle very much did occasion those Insurrections of the Commonalty and Rebellions of the Nobles in the Principality of Epire more by his gold and underhand dealing then by open force of arms which did so much weaken the State of Epire. And I will not here repeat since it is sufficiently known to all men how my wise Predecessor knowing that the suppression of Epire was a manifest may to the ruine of the Laconick Empire resolved openly to assist afflicted Epire with puissant Forces so to secure himself from the ambition of â—…o potent an Enemy and how that that good Prince whilst he had these wise considerations dyed not without great presumptions that he was poysoned by the procurement of the Prince of Macedonia who was not able to endure that the division of Epire which he thought so sure should be hindered In this unhappy crisis of affairs I had this dignity conferred upon me and that I might not come byso unhappy an end as my Predecessor did I in the beginning of my Principality seemed to be of a remiss spirit and totally incapable of the great affairs of State and onely busied my self in reforming the Magistrates of my Dominion together with the abuses and other vices of my people appearing publikely to be a main Enemy to the Prince of Epire but inwardly knowing very well whither the Prince of Macidonia's plots tended And knowing that whatsoever evil befel the Prince of Epire tended to the lessening of me I put on a resolution of assisting him that I might establish my own State which was in manifest danger But to secure my life from those misfortunes whereinto my predecessor fell I was forced to be very secret in my proceedings And it is well known to your Majestie as to all the rest of these honorable Judges that amongst many imperfections of elective Kingdoms the greatest is that they less enjoy the so important benefit of secrecy in their State-Ministers then any other sort of Principality for mens manners are so depraved as that such as are Senators are for the most part greedy Merchants in their high places by which they strive to reap all possible advantage Finding my self in such straits at the entrance into my Principality and knowing that for certain I was to split upon the rock of infidelity if I should in a business of this weight make use of those ordinary Secretaries who I knew for certain were long since pensioners to forrein Princes Great God from whose goodness I acknowledge this great mercy opened my understanding and it was he who propounded unto me this my I will not say servant for I have found such singular worth in him as will not suffer him to be stiled by so base a name but dear friend and to him who had served me with all fidelity for eight years space whilst I led a privat life I discovered that secret of my heart which I thought very dangerous ever to have dreamt of And then I was aware that the excellency and chiefest praise of a Secretary did not consist as many men believe in knowing how to speak eloquently but how faithfully to be silent And this I say because I so happily made use of this my Officer in the important business which I had in hand as I luckily deceived the subtile Prince of Macedonia which no wit how cunning so ever could do at any time before And by means of this my so faithful Secretary I succored that Prince my friend whom I publickly profest to persecute no man ever penetrating into my Councel and I have had fortunate success in the mystery of cheating and abusing even those who make publick profession to be Masters of that Art and by this handsom under-hand-dealing I have reduced the formerly ruinous and precipitate state of Epire into the condition that now it is It being risen from so deplorable a condition to the high pitch of being the only true Arbitrator of whole Greece And the Macedonians who had fancied unto themselves universal Monarchy and who thought to have sipt up every mans State in less then a months time are fallen from this their height of hopes into the pit of desperation and quite giving over their ambitious conceits of possessing themselves of other mens States have much ado to preserve their own Apollo having heard this ran joyfully to embrace the Prince of Laconia and with a great deal of tenderness spake thus unto him You Duke of that noble Nation who express much in few words have had to doe with a man of such worth and one who to say truth hath very few that are like him amongst all the Laconick Senators I mean this friend of yours as if you should give unto him your whole State you would notwithstanding die ungratefull For in these unfortunate times wherein through the perfidiousness of many Princes secrets are sold by the candle to who will bid highest for them that servant who in weighty affairs proves faithful to his Master cannot be so much rewarded as he deserves The XXXIX ADVERTISEMENT The People of the Island of Mitilene their Prince being dead without issue argue whether it will be better for them to chuse a new Prince or to set up Liberty in their Countrey THe Inhabitants of the famous Island of Mitilene whose natural Prince did not only die lately himself but together with his life left the whole Royal Line extinguished being without a Prince to Govern them disputed in many of their Congregations whether it were better for them to live still under a Monarchy and chuse a new Prince or put on that noble resolution which had made so many people fortunate of erecting a Free State Great and dangerous contentions arose touching a business of this weight and t is said that one of the chiefest Citizens in the last Congregation that was assembled to this purpose spake thus Beloved fellow-Citizens Of all the felicities which men receive from God in this world two are the greatest That they are born men not Beasts and free not slaves And surely there is good reason for this for what greater happiness can any man receive in this life then to obey only the Laws of God and men What Jewel is to be compared to the rich Treasure full of all the most pretious Oriental Stones of securing life means and reputation from the will of one particular man inclined to commit so many impertinent things None that is here acknowledgeth Liberty to be more lovely then my self and that it is a pretious gift which immortal God bestowes
peculiar to great Ulysses who having travelled through many Countreys had seen and observed the fashions of divers Nations a benefit which was much furthered by the use of Navigation which was very necessary for mankind were it onely for that God as well became the immencity of his power having created this world of almost an incomprehensible greatness having filled it with pretious things and endowed every Province with somewhat of particular navigation which is the rarest Invention that could ever have been thought on or put in practice by humane wit had brought it into so little a compass as the Aromaticks of the Molucchi though above fifteen thousand miles from Italy do so abound in Italy as if they grew there Thus ended Bias when Cleobelus rising up seeming with a low bow to crave leave to speak said thus I clearly perceive wise Gentlemen that the reformation of the present Age a business of it self very easie becomes by the diversity and extravagancy of our Opinions rather impossible then difficult And to speak with the freedom which becomes this place and the weight of the business we have in hand it grieves my heart to find even amongst us that are here that common defect of ambitious and slight wits who getting up into publike pulpits labor more to shew the rarity of their own wits by their new and curious conceits then to profit their Auditory by useful precepts and sound doctrines for to raise man out of the foul mire and dirt whereinto he is fallen what need we undertake that dangerous manifacture of making little windows in mens breasts according to Thales his advice and why should we undertake the laborous business of dividing the world into equal partitions according to Solons proposition and the course mentioned to be taken by Chilo of banishing gold and silver from out of the world or that of Pittacchus of forcing men to walk in the way of merit and vertue or lastly that of Bias that mountains should be raised higher and made more difficult to pass over then nature hath made them and that for the future the miracle of navigation should be extirpated which shews to what pitch mans ingenuity can arrive are they not sophistical fancies and mear Chimera's Our chiefest consideration ought to be that the remedy to be applyed to the undoing evils may be easie to be put in execution that it may work its effect soon and secretly without any noâ—…e and that it may be chearfully received by those who are to be reformed for by doing otherwise we shall rather deform the World then reform it And certainly not without reason for that Physician deserves to be blamed who should ordain a medicine for his sick patient which is impossible to be used and which would afflict him more then his disease Therefore it is the requisite duty of Reformers to provide themselves of a sure remedy before they take notice of the wound That Chyrurgion deserves to be punished who first opens the sick mans vein and then runs for things to close it up withal it is not onely foolishness but impiety to defame men with publishing their vices and to shew to the World that their maladies are grown to such a height as it is not in the power of man to cure them Therefore Tacitus who always speaks to the purpose if he be rightly understood doth in this particular advise men Omittere potius pravallada adulta vitia quam hoc assequi ut palem fieret quibus flagitiis impares essumus Those who would fell an old Oak are ill advised if they fall to cut down the top boughs Wise men do as I do now lay the ax to the greatest root I then affirm That the reformation of the present world consists wholly in these few vvords Premiar I buoni e punire gli scelerati in rewarding the good and punishing the bad Here Cleobelus held his peace whose Opinion Thales Mileseus did with such violence oppose as he shevved hovv dangerous a thing it is to offend such though by telling truth vvho have the repute to be good and vvise For he vvith a fiery countenance broke forth into these vvords My self and these Gentlemen most vvise Cleobelus since you have been pleased to reject our Opinions as sophistical and meer Chimera s did expect from your rare wisdom that for cure of these present evils you had brought some new and miraculous Bezoar fron the Indies wheras you have propounded that for the easiest cure which is the hardest and most impossible that could ever be fancied by the prime pretenders to high mysteries Caius Plinius and Albertus Magnus There is not any one of us my Cleobolus that did not know before you were pleased to put us in mind of it that the reformation of the world depends wholly upon rewarding such as are good and punishing the wicked But give me leave to ask you Who are those that in this our age are perfectly good and who exactly ill And I would know Whether your eye can discern that which could never yet be found out by any man living how to know true goodness from that which is counterfeit do not you know that modern hypocrites are arrived at that height of cunning as in this our unhappy age those are accounted to be cunningest in their wickedness who seem to be most exactly good and that such really perfect men who live in sincerity and singleness of soul with an undisguised and unartificial goodness without any thing of hypocrisie are thought to be scandalous and silly Every one by natural instinct loves those that are good and hate those that are wicked but Princes do it both out of instinct and interest And when hypocrites or other cunning cheaters are listened unto by great men and good men supprest or undervalued it is not by the Princes own election but through the abuse of others True vertue is known onely and rewarded by God and vices discovered and punisht for he onely penetrates into the depth of mens hearts and we by means of the windovv by me propounded might have penetrated thereinto had not the enemy of mankind sovved tares in the field where I sovved the grain of good advice But nevv lavvs hovv good and vvholsome soever have ever been and ever vvill be vvithstood by those vitious people vvho are thereby punished The Assembly vvere mightily pleased vvith the reasons alledged by Thales and all of them turning their eyes upon Periandro he thinking himself thereby desired to speak his opinion began thus The variety of opinions which I have heard confirms me in my former Tenet That four parts of five that are sick perish because the Physicians know not their disease who in this their error may be excused because men are easily deceived in things wherein they can walk but by conjecture But that we who are judged by Apollo to be the salt of the earth should not know the evil under which the present age