a great goddesse vnder whose gouernment and at whose dispositioÌ„ are all the treasures and riches of the world farther they say that shee hath all maner of persons in the worlde vpon a wheele that her condition and nature for she is a woman is neuer to be long of one minde but somtime of great and honourable personages to make poore and miserable creatures againe of poore miserable caitiues to make hye mightie Princes stil whirling about her vnstedfast wheele as pleaseth her Aristotle hath also the like maner of speach in his Booke Of good Fortune where he affirmeth that there are diuerse and sundry opinions aboute Fortune But all their opinions are farre differing from our Christian faith For as Boetius in his firste Booke Of Consolation And Saint Augustine in the fourth Booke Of the Citie of God doe vnite this Fortune destinie are no other things then the prouidence of God therfore to speake like a good Christian that which the Prouerbe heere saith When as it pleaseth Fortune c. is as much to say as when it pleaseth the prouidence of God the thinges that bee hurtfull vnto vs shall turne to our profit and such things as are profitable to our hurt and destruction Whereof there is a very good example in the holie Scriptures in the first Booke of Moses where it is written that the Children of Iacob for the malice that they bare to Ioseph their brother threw him into a deepe pitte and after solde him to certaine Merchants who solde him to an officer of King Pharaoes that vpon the vnfull accusation of his wife kepte him a long time in Prison from whence hee was sent for by King Pharao and after that hee had declared the meaning of his dreame and foreshewed the comming of the deare and the barren yeares he was made the greatest man aboute him which was the cause that the patriarch Iacob with all his house escaped the great famine came to liue honourably in Aegypt and thus did it please fortune that is to say God that the hurtfull things that is the imprisonment of Ioseph and all the other harmes and miseries that he sustained should turne to the profite of himself his father and his brethren So likewise doe the things that appeare good and profitable many times fall out to bee hurtfull and euill vnto vs as to haue great store of monie is a profitable thing and yet it often falleth that their throates are cut for it that haue it and so doeth a profitable thing become hurtefull 22. My sonne the wiseman and his life still set before thy face And speake no euill of thy Prince in anie secret place Looke that thy toung iudgement both such nets do warily shun For why the very walles them selues Will witnes what is doone The Paraphrase THE Marques in this Prouerbe sheweth that if a man be not able of him selfe to rule and order his life hee should seeke out and set before his eyes same wise and notable man according to whose doings he shuld in euery point frame his life as Seneca writeth to Lucilius it is one of the chiefest lessons that hee could deuise to giue him for the framing of his life aright He willeth him that he shuld alwaies imagine him selfe to bee in the presence of some good man for example sake either Cato or Lelius for ether of them were both vertuous wise and that he should frame al his thoughts and direct all his deedes according to the life and vertues of them and so should he neuer do amisse and this is it that is ment in the prouerbe Follow the wise man and his lawe The law of the wiseman is his discretion for as Aristotle saieth The iust and the vertuous man is a lawe vnto him selfe for hee measureth the times disposeth his things according as the time and reason doth require And the Prouerbe saith more Speake thou no euill of thy Prince according to the doctrine of the Apostle Sainct Paule We are bound to feare God and to honour the King. We ought to serue the King as our naturall Lorde and wee offende God grieuouâ—ly in dissobeying of him In so much as some Doctors of law are of opinion that whosoeuer obeyeth not the Kinges commaundement findeth deadly according to that is written in the second of the Kings Hee that obeyeth not the Prince shall dye for it And therefore as it is a grieuous and greate sacriledge to blaspheme the name of God so is it a damnable and horrible offence to speake euill of the King and against such as shall so offende it is very well prouided bothe by the constitutions of the Emperours and by the lawes and statutes of Spaine And the Marques sayth That wee ought not onely to forbeare to speake euill of the Prince abroade and in company whereby it may come to his eare but also wee ought not to do it in secrete For Solomon sayth in his Prouerbs Speake no euill of the Prince iu any wise for if thou doest be sure the verie birdes of the ayre will disclose it The Byrdes of the ayre as some Doctoures teache are the Spyrtes and Diuelles according to the saying of our Lorde and Sauiour in the Gospel where hee telleth the parable of the seede that fell by the highe waye and the Byrdes of the ayre deuoured it The The birdes of the Aire saith our Sauiour are the lewde and wicked spirits that take out of the heart of man the worde of god And in this sorte is the aforesaide allegation to be vnderstoode that the birdes of the aire will discouer it that is to say the wicked spirites who shall reueale the treason that thou haste spoken in secret and this is it that the Prouerb meaneth when it saith The very walles will witnes beare The third Chapter of Iustice 23. From Iustice see thou varrie not for duetie loue nor feare Let no good turne at any time procure thee to forbeare Or for to swarue in any point from sentence iust and right In giuing dewe correction to the faithlesse fautie wight The Paraphrase AS Aristotle in the first Booke of his Ethicks affirmeth that the cleerest most bewtifull vertue of all others is Iustice whose brightnesse doth farre exceede either the day starre or the euening starre and therefore he saith That Iustice comprehendeth in it self all other vertues And Saint Augustine saith in his fourth Booke Of the Citie of God that Iustice beeing taken away the kingdomes of the earth are nothing else but greate companyes of theeues nor the companyes of theeues any other then small kingdomes And therefore saith the wise man in his Ecclesiastes Follow iustice all you that are Iudges on the earth Whosoeuer is a Iudge ought to bee as a Balance and iust weight in all his doinges and neither for feare friendship nor any other respect to forbeare the executing of vpright Iustice And therefore Valerius sheweth in
his sixth booke that where as a certaine Iudge forbare to do iustice because of the loue that he bare to the partie that was accused Cambises caused his skin to be plucked ouer his eares to be nayled to the bench where hee sat commaunding his sonne to be set in the place and to giue the sentence that his father should haue giuen which was suche a terror to all those that came after that frō that time forwarde they could neuer bee brought by feare or friendship to giue any other iudgement then that which was iust and vpright And so hath God in his lawes commaunded Thou shalt doe Iustice to the pore aswel as to the mightie neither shalt thou haue any respect of persōs One of the seuen wise men of Athens as it is written in the liues of the Philosophers was wont to say that the lawes where good Iusticers wanted were like vnto Eobwebs where flyes and such weake Creatures doe hange and stick fast but the great and the strong doe breake thorow without any stop Who soeuer wil deale in iustice as he ought to do must haue no respecte of persons but must punish aswel the euil doeings of the great ones as the offences of the meanest sort 24. This is the iust and certaine line that safely vs doth guide And shewes the true and perfect path by measure truely tryed She chosen was by God him selfe sent downe from heauen hye The Prophet doth confirme ▪ that she descended from the skye THe Marques here sheweth how great the excellency of Iustice is and Tully writeth in the dreme of Scipio that for such as haue well gouerned in the cōmon welth and vprightly truely administred Iustice there is prepared in an other worlde more hyer and glorious places then for vs because of the labours toyles that they haue sustained for the preseruing of their country And as Aristotle writeth in his Ethicks Iustice is an externall good and is properly to giue to euery man that whiche is his There are many that can vse them selues well in such matters as touch their owne cōmoditie but not in things that are to the behoof of others And therfore Iustice is a most excellent vertue and the very line and straight path that leadeth vs to heauen as the Prophet saith Righteousnes which is God loketh cōtinually downe from heauen for to giue euery man according to his deserts glory rewarde to such as do wel and correction punishmēt to such as haue done euil And y al men are bound to do Iustice Elianus proueth by a prety tale in his story of the Romanes where hee sheweth that Traian the Emperour going with a great armie against his enimies there meeteth him a widowe that with piteous cryes and lamentatiōs falling downe at his fete besought him that she might haue Iustice of certain that had slaine her sonne Traian made her aunswere that as soone as he returned from his iourney hee would doe her iustice And what saith shee If you neuer returne who shall doe mee iustice That shall quoth Traian my successor The widdowe answered What is that to thee if thy successor doe wel when thou art to receiue the rewarde of thine owne doings and are bounde to doe me iustice thy successor shal be bounde to doe Iustice to such as suffer wrong in his time neither shall the iustice of an other man bee an excuse for thee The Emperor being touched with these words alighted from his horse departed not frō thence till hee had thorowly satisfied the poore woman For the continuall remembrance of which his worthy deed the people set vp his image in brasse in the middest of Rome because he shewed the true and perfect Iustice that was elected by God. 25. Howe worthie was the famous act of Lentus noble knight Who all affection set aside and loue forgotten quight Contented was though guiltlesse he of anie trespasse donne The cruel torturs of the lawe to suffer with his sonne The Marques LEntus as Valerius in his sixth booke declareth was a Senatour of Rome by whom the citie was strengthened with good and profitable lawes Amongst a number of others he made a law that whosoeuer was taken in adultrie should lose his eyes It happened that a sonne of his was taken for the same offence Vpon whom when the father obseruing the lawes that hee had made would without qualifying or discharging of any point presently haue executed the punishmēt the whole citie being moued with compassion towardes the yong man did earnestly sue for his pardon with whose importunate and instant requests the father being ouercome graunted Yet because the offence should not remaine vnpunished he first caused one of his owne eies to be plucked out and after one of his sonnes which both is and ought to be a great example to all such as beare the sworde of Iustice 26. Frondinus to the ende he would preserue the lawe he made Without delay did cast himselfe vpon the piercing blade And therefore ought we to enforce our selues to liue vpright If that we will correctours be of others ouersight The Marques FRondinus was a Citizen of Rome as Valerius in his sixth booke and Iohn Galensis in a Breuiate that he made of the foure principall vertues writeth Contentions quarellings arising many times amongs the Citizens of Rome about the debating of their matters there was a law made amongest them that whosoeuer should come to the Capitol with a weapon should suffer death Frondinus forgetting himselfe comming from the felde with his sworde about him came into the Capitoll which when one of the standers by perceiued he blamed him and tolde him that he had broken the lawe that hee made Nay quoth he thou shalt see that I will confirme the lawe that I made and sodainly thrust himselfe thorowe with his owne swoorde whereas hee might well with some colourable reason haue escaped the punishment The fourth Chapter of Pacience and moderate Correction 27. Be not to hastie nor to quicke in rage without respect But beare a tēperate hand when thou the offender dost correct For moderate correction is good and free from blame Where crueltie that doth exceede deserues reproch and shame THe Marques doth shewe the moderation that a man ought to haue in giuing of correction and sayth Whensoeuer we punish the euill doings of any man wee ought not to doe it furiously nor hastily but with temperance and reason whereof Valerius hath diuers notable examples but specially in his fifth booke he writeth of one Archita of Toranto a man of great possessions that hee was a long time absent from his Countrey about the studie of Pythagoras his doctrine And when hee returned home had surueyed his manours and possessions he found thē to be greatlie spoyled and decayed wherevpon calling to him his steward he said vnto him Surely if I were not at this present furiously bent against thee I woulde punish thee according to
vpon the receyt of which cōmission he bare such a hand vpon them as he brought them in subiection and caused them to pay for yearely tribute a great quantitie of golde such as neither the king did euer looke to receyue nor the Sarazens did euer thinke to haue payed And beside this yearely tribute he compelled them to set at libertie all such Christian prisoners as remained in their custodie all which this good Marques redeemed out of captiuitie and brought them home to their Countrey He gouerned with great wisedome all such souldiours as were vnder his regiment behauing himselfe amongst them both as a captaine and a companiō being neither insolent in authoritie nor base minded in his familiaritie For he was alwayes in heart of such humilitie and mildnesse as made him to be beloued of God and outwardly of such grauitie and countenance as caused him to be reuerēced of men He bountifully bestowed vpon his souldiers what so euer belonged vnto him in right of his generallship of al such spoyles and booties as were taken besides that which he gaue thē in their necessities out of his owne purse and to such as shewed themselues thankefull for his bountie he vsed to say that if we wish wel to him that doth well vnto vs wee ought to giue well to him that wisheth well vnto vs and thus maintayning his credite by the meanes of his great liberality he was of all his souldiours greatly beloued who fearing to offend him dyd alwayes obserue a perfect discipline in the fielde His rare and singular vertues beeing knowen to the king and how woorthy he was of honor dignity he forthwith aduaunced him to the Marqueship of Santilliana created him Erle of the Real of Mancenares addorning him with great lands reuenues Sometimes he committed vnto him the charge of his owne person and many times the gouernment of al his dominions Who had such a special grace in his gouerning as the Poets of that age accounted him for his noble behauiour in court an other Apollo for his great valour in the field a 2 Hanibal He was a great obseruer of al such things as belōged to perfit māhood so great a reprehender of cowardise and faintnesse of heart that seeing on a time a Gentleman to weepe for the great mishappes that had happened vnto him breaking foorth into some choler he sayd vnto him Oh what a shame is it to see a Gentleman to shedde teares for anie thing howe grieuous soeuer it be sauing onely for his offences towardes GOD He was a man of a great minde which noblenesse of minde was an ornament beautie to all other his vertues A couetous worldling comming vnto him and telling him that hee let his landes farre vnder the value and promising to make him a much greater reuenew as one not willing to giue eare to any such matter hee made him this aunswere My friend I doe not vnderstand thy language goe speake it I pray thee to some other that can better vnderstand thee He vsed alwayes to say to those that sought to liue in pleasure and delight that much more delightfull ought to bee vnto vs a vertuous trauaile then a life without vertue howe pleasaunt soeuer it seeme He was of such a pitifull minde that whosoeuer came to him in his extremitie being either persecuted or any wayes troubled shoulde finde reliefe and defence in his house not regarding any daunger that might happen him for so dooing Hee did euermore measure bothe the partyes and the cause according as in deede they were and not as they were supposed to bee and in this thing hee had a moste singular and almoste heauenly vertue for he was neuer knowen to make any acception of persons nor to regarde the riches the wealth or mightinesse of any man but to regarde euery man according to the equitie of his causethe wrote in verse the Prouerbs that begin My Sonne whom I doe dearely loue c. In which Prouerbes are contained almost all the precepts of Morall Philosophy whatsoeuer appertaineth to a vertuous life He had a very great Library and gaue himselfe chiefly to the study of Moral Philosophy Histories and Antiquities hee kept alwaies about him Doctours and men of great learning with whom he vsed to conferre of such thinges as he read Hee wrote besides diuerse other treatises aswel in verse as prose tending all to the aduauncing of vertue and abolishing of vice in such exercises he spent the most parte of his leasure He was of great fame renowme in many other Countryes beside Spaine but alwayes made more account of the estimation of a fewe wisemen rather then the praise of the multitude nd because that for the moste parte wee see that the conditions of men are answearable to their complexions and that they are most times euill dysosed that are euyll complexioned wee neede not to doubt but that this Gentleman was greatly in fauour with GOD who gaue him so good a teacher as hee was of ability to receaue euery kinde of vertue and to resist without any greate paine euery euill motion of sinne I will not deny but that hee was touched with such temptations as our fraile flesh doth many times assail the spirit withal and that he was sundry times ouertaken as well with anger as with the delight of the flesh and that he did sometimes offend aswel in doing more then was mete as in fayling to do that which he ought to haue done For being as he was continually cōuersant in the warres dayly employed in sundry many matters It should haue beene a matter of greate difficultie liuing among suche a number of errours to carry him selfe cleane without any errour But if it be true that vertues doe make a mery hearte as on the other side vices breede heauinesse and sorrowe seeing that this gentleman was the most parte of his time disposed to pleasantnesse it is a greate deale more likely that he was rather accompanyed with vertues that bring forth pleasure then subdued with vices that continually doe vexe men with griefe And notwithstanding that he receiued many misfortunes in the warres and that hee sustained diuers griefes as well for the death of his Children as of others his neere kinsemen yet he did alwayes beare them with such a noble minde as he serued for an example to all others how to behaue thēselues in the like cases He ended his life with great honour prosperitie at the age of lxv yeers And if it may be thought that mē may after their departure haue any felicitie in this world as some suppose they may we may assuredly thinke that this gentlemā had it for he left behinde him vi sonnes wherof the eldest increased his inheritance with the estate of a dukedome his second sonne was Earle of Tendilla the thirde was Earle of Curunna the fourth was Cardinal of Spain Archbishoppe of Toledo Bishop of Ciguenca one of the greatest Prelates that was in
his time To these foure and to the two others Don Iohn and Don Hurtado he left such Lordshippes rents reuenewes as made fiue great houses besides his owne principall house FINIS ⧠The first Chapter of Loue and Feare 1. My sonne whom I doe dearly loue Vnto my wordes geue eare ▪ Seeke not by rigour for to rule Nor gouerne men by feare ▪ Loue and thou shalt beloued be And by the same shalt doe Such worthie things as hated thou shalt neuer attaine vnto The Paraphrase EVery wyse Oratour as Tullie in his booke de Oratore teacheth ought principally ▪ in whatsoeuer matter he dealeth to consider three things That is to make all those that shall eyther heare his speach or reade his workes to be well willing vnderstanding and mindefull The speaker shall make his audience well willing when he laboureth to obteyne their fauour and good wil towardes him For no man wil gladly geue eare to such a man as he is afore euil perswaded of he maketh his hearers to vnderstād when he declareth the matter that hee meaneth to entreate off in shewing that it shal be profitable commodious he causeth them to be attentiue or mindeful when he mooueth or stirreth them vp by good meanes inductions to be readie to heare not hauing their minds caried away with anie other matters All these points hath this learned gentleman folowing this inscription obserued in al his discourse But especially in this first Prouerbe he hath obserued the first in making him that shal reade him wel minded towardes him procuring his fauour goodwil in calling him by the name of his sōne beloued For as the Ciuil law sayth we can name no man by a more sweet or better name thē to call him our sonne He maketh him to vnderstand in shewing him howe to direct or order his life amōgst the people he maketh him attētiue in these wordes where he saith Geue eare And the meaning and matter of this Prouerbe is the most sweet gracious behauiour that men of all degrees ought to vse in their conuersation And if so be that men of gret estate calling ought to vse this gētle behauiour much more ought they that are of meane degree to do it And therfore Seneca in the speach that he hath with the Emperour Nero as he bringeth in in his 9. Tragedie when the Emperour did striue to gouerne rather by feare then by loue and commaunded sundrie things to be done by force and disorder to the ende the people should feare him because Seneca did therefore greately blame him the Emperour tolde him that whatsoeuer he did he ought by reasō for to do for the sword was it that defēded the Prince Seneca answeared that the faith and true allegiance of his subiects would better defend him The Emperour replied That it is good that the Prince bee feared Seneca answeareth it is better that he be beloued The naked sword saith Nero shal make them doe what I wil haue thē Beware saieth Seneca you neuer fall into suche an errour The Emperour answereth I wil force the people to feare mee Surely saith Seneca that which you force and compell the people to doe they will verie hardly suffer And therefore it is not meete that anie person as is sayde especially suche gouernours as are vertuous and iust should vrge or force any thing agaynst the good will of the people much lesse that priuat persons should in their conuersation one with an other doe it For as Seneca in his thirde Epistle sayeth whereas hee sheweth the deliberation that a man ought to haue in the getting and keeping of his friende If thou wilt be beloued loue or as the Prouerbe sayeth By loue thou shalt doe that hated thou shalt neuer attayne vnto For there is nothing in the world that is sought with loue either by the prince of his subiecte the Lorde of his tenant or the friend of his familiar but it is easily obteined For as Virgill saith in his Bucolikes Loue ouercōmeth al thinges insomuch is for the great loue that the Almightie bare vnto mankinde hee sent his only begottē sonne to take our flesh vppon him and to die for vs that he might beare our faults and infirmities as Esai saith and suffer for our offences And therefore if loue coulde cause God to abase himselfe to be conuersant with man and to doe that which might chiefly auayle vs being euerlasting and most perfect and we mortall and imperfecte what shall it not doe in the companie and conuersation of one man with an other Whereuppon Valerius in his thirde booke in the title of Loue and delight writeth that Damon and Pithias two of Pythagoras his schollers bare so great loue and affection one to the other as when Dionisius of Sarragos would haue put one of them to death he seeyng that there was no remedie but needes he must dye required that hee might haue libertie to goe home to dispose set in order suche thinges as hee had promising to put in sureties for his returne at what day soeuer he woulde appoint him Dionisius supposing that none so faithfull a friēd could be found that in such a case woulde become suretie to the hazard of his life and all that he had aunsweared that he was content to giue him leaue time to goe to his house so that he put in such suretie as hee promised whereuppon he left him for suretie his other friende And as the last day was now come wherein the condemned person was bound to returne to suffer his determined death all those that were present did count a great follie in him that woulde in suche a case become suretie hazard his life for an other how great soeuer the friendship was betwixt them But the partie that was suretie did no whitte distrust the fidelitie of his friende nor repent him any whitte of his suretyshippe Nowe as they were all gaping and gasing to see the ende of the matter at the last day and euen in the last houre commeth the condemned man wherat Dionisius was greatly astonished and for the great faithfulnes loue that he saw betweene them pardoned the partie that he had condemned and desired them both that they woulde vouchsafe him for a third into their friendship Wherby it is euident that loue is of so greate a force that it forceth such men as be true friends to venter giue their liues the one for the other So that very well saith the Prouerbe Loue and thou shalte beloued bee For Seneca in his thirde Epistle affirmeth that nothing doeth more trouble a man in his prosperitie and wealth then to thinke that they can neuer bee to him good and faithfull friendes to whom he himselfe hath neuer been good Howe manie kindes of Friendshippes there bee and howe some bee friendes for Commoditie sake others for pleasure and delight others for vertue and honestie howe some bee sworne friendes and what difference there
vpon him to suffer most cruel death for our saluation And to pay as Esay saith The price of our redemption Also by the Scriptures wee know what other benifites soeuer the Lord hath doone for vs Beside the scripture teacheth vs how we ought to loue God with al our hart with all our minde with all our forces that we ought rather to die a glorious death then to offend him with a sinfull life this he meaneth when he saith The dreame is forgottē quite that soone thou shalt forgoe For our life is compared to a sleepe which we shal leaue before we be aware as Innocentius saith in a booke that he wrote of the wretchednes of the state of man where he hath these words Tel me my brother what goodnesse doest thou finde in these worldly delights What doeth thy glory profite thee What doeth thy pleasures auaile thee These be not they that can deliuer thee from death nor defend thee from the wormes For he that late was lustie and glorious in his Pallace lieth nowe dead and stinking in his Sepulchre he that late was tickled with the delightes of the bed lyeth nowe torne a sunder with the wormes in his graue What meanest thou to be proude being but wormes meate and ashes Why moylest thou for riches that shall shortly be distributed to the poore As the Prophet saith They slept their sleepe those that were lately riche haue nowe nothing in their handes There true wisdome knowledge of God and skill in the scripture bringeth vs to this vnderstandyng by this a man knoweth how to serue God not regarding this transitorie life which passeth as a sleepe or a dreame 14. To Gentlemen it doeth belong To knowe the artes diuine Where knowledge chiefly floorisheth And learning best doeth shine Assuredly he well deserues To haue the vpper seate That garnished with wisedome is And deckt with learning great IN this Prouerbe the Marques sheweth what maner of men ought to seeke for learning and vnderstanding and for the better vnderstanding hereof we must consider that there be artes Mechanicall and arts Liberal Artes Mechanical are those that are vsed by men of base condition as Shoemakers Taylours Carpenters Smithes and all other that are handicraftesmen Arts Liberal are those learnings and sciences wherunto liberal or free men that is noble men or Gentlemen applie them selues as the seuen Liberal sciences therfore they are called liberal or free that bestow their time in these knowledges because they be not of base minde nor estate neither are they subiect or bounde to anie vyle occupation And therefore in the olde time there were none brought vp in learning but onely the children of noblemen and Gentlemen and therefore saith the Prouerbe To Gentlemen it doeth belong to know the artes diuine That is to say to suche men as are of good estate and condition Traian as Policrates in his sixth booke writeth who was a Spaniarde and Emperour of Rome in a letter that he writeth to the Frenche king perswadeth him to bring vp his children in the knoweledge of the liberall artes saying that a kinge without learning is like an Asse with a crowne therefore the kinges and Emperours in the olde time did commit their children to the best learned men that they coulde get Traian was brought vp with Policrates The emperor Nero with Seneca great Alexander with Aristotle To whom as Policartes in the forsaid booke saith King Phillip vppon the birth of his sonne Alexander wrote his letters in this sort Phillip the king sendeth greeting to Aristotle the Philosopher I vnderstande that I haue a sonne borne for which I geue thankes to the Gods not so much for his birth as that he hapned to be borne in thy time by whom I trust to haue him so brought vp that he shal be woorthie to succeede me in my kingdome and dominions The Prouerb saith further That he deserueth preheminence that is garnished with wisdome and learning And assuredly looke what difference there is betwixt perfection and imperfection and betwixt darknesse and light so great is the diuersity betwixt a learned man and an ignorant because we should vnderstande what great honour he deserueth that is beautified with learning and wisedome both Daniel in his seconde vision and S. Ierome in his preface to the Bible doe witnesse that the learned and the wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and those that haue instructed many in godlynesse shall glister like the starres for euer and euer And therfore great preheminence doeth he deserue that is garnished with wisedome and learning 15 The head and spring of goodnesse al Is wisedome that doeth shewe The meanes for to discerne the trueth And vertue pure to knowe Who so beginneth in his youth In vertue to delight No doubt but when he comes to age Will leade his life aright The Paraphrase IN this Prouerbe the Marques sheweth that one of the principall causes of wisedome and knowledge is to feare God as Salomon in his prouerbes saith The beginning of wisdome is the feare of God and wisedome knowledge the foolish doe abhorre and therfore he saith That wisedome is more woorth then the weapons of the mightie of greater value then precious stones more fine thē pure gold For by wisedome we are able to discerne betwixt good and euill betwixt vertue and vice to which ende leauing to speake of the doctrine and rules of the holy Scripture whereby we are taught to flee from all sinne and wickednesse and to embrace and followe vertuousnesse Aristotle hath written three bookes In the one of them he entreateth of the rules and orders that are requisite for the guiding of a countrey and citie which booke is called the Politiques In the other he sheweth howe a man ought to gouerne his house his wife and his children this booke is called the Aeconomikes The thirde teacheth how a man shoulde gouerne him selfe wherein there is a medlie of rules obseruations by which a man may knowe the vertuous and discerne and seuere them from the vices And specially in this booke he sheweth that all maner of vertues are gotten by vse and custome and that a man by vsing a long time to liue vertuously it commeth at length to bee naturall vnto him and although a man be naturally enclined to vice yet yf he accustome him selfe to vertue he shall leaue his euill inclination and become vertuous And this is it that the Prouerbe sayeth Who so beginneth to liue well in his youth it is a signe that he shall not doe amisse in his age But it is not one vertuous act alone that can be called a beginning as Aristot saith no more then can one swallow shew a spring And the greatest presumption by which we may cōiecture as Aristotle in the second of his Ethickes sayeth whether a man shall proue vertuous or no is the pleasure or the heauinesse that he taketh in his
forsaken and reiected of his people as is mencioned in the Prouerbe 19. My sonne serue God with all thy heart for why his wrath from hie Doth fall and whiske through all the worlde in twinkling of an eie For when he list he casteth downe such as he blessed late And doth aduaunce the godly man to great and hie estate The Paraphrase THe Marques sheweth in this Prouerbe the profite and commoditie that commeth of seruing and fearing God and the hurtes inconueniences that follow to such as offende him according to the dayly lessons of the church The soueraign power of God is shewed in casting downe the mightie out of their seate which are those that heape to them selues his displeasure and in exalting the humble and the meeke which are those that feare him For as Dauid in one of his Psalmes sayth The Lord throweth downe one and lifteth vp an other for the vessell is in the hand of God And of such as serue and feare God he sayth I haue not seene the iust forsaken nor his seede begging their breade And of those that offende and fall into his displeasure he saith I haue seene the wicked in prosperitie and flourishing like the Cedars in Libanus and within a while I went by the place where he was and beholde he was perished and not to be seene And therefore well saith the Prouerbe The Lord bringeth the mightie to the ground that offendeth him prouoketh his displeasure aduaunceth to honour the poore man that feareth him And vpon this is the whole Scripture in a maner grounded that is to wit that God promiseth euerlasting ioy sufficiencie of worldly goods to all those that serue him and euerlasting destruction both of life and goods to those that offend and prouoke his wrath 20. Be conformable to the time and season that dooth fall For otherwise to be is cause of griefe and losse of all Abhorre presumption as a monster and an enimy To knowledge that is onely light and lampe of magestie The Paraphrase IT is written of Dauid the King that for feare of falling into the hands of Saule he fled into an other countrey neere adioyning where they well vnderstood that hee was annointed king ouer Israel And when they had taken him and brought him before the King of the countrie whose name was Achis because they should not detaine him in prison nor gratifie Saule with the deliuery of him hee fayned him selfe to bee mad and wryed his mouth as one that had been possessed with a spirite and fomed at the mouth this was counted for a great wisedome and discretion in Dauid because he framed him selfe according to the time and season whereas if he had doone otherwise he had cast away him selfe And Cato saith That it is a great pointe of wisedome to counterfaite follie in some place and in an other place It is good for a man to seeme half out of his wit enraged when time and reason requires As Aristotle in his third Booke of Ethicks witnesseth where he speaketh of Fortitude At some time againe it shall behooue him to shew him selfe to be humble and meeke yea and also fearefull as Aristostle in the very same booke writeth The like is to bee obserued in the vertues of Temperaunce Liberalitie and all other vertues in knowledge of which circumstances Wisedome doth chiefly consist Againe the Prouerbe sayeth That a man ought to abhorr presumption as the enemy and contrary to the cleare Lampe of Knowledge VVherevpon Sainct Hierome in one of his Epistles writeth after this sorte Amongst all other things that the Romaines wisely deuised this was one That whensoeuer any of their Captaines returned with victory to Roome least he shoulde be puft vp with pride and vainglory for the worthynesse of his person or brought into a fooles paradise forgetting himselfe for the great honor and triumph that was done vnto him they thought good that as they honoured him three maner wayes for the ouerthrowe that hee wan so the selfe same day to make him remember him selfe and to let fall his Pecockes taile they likewise dishonored him with thre notable dispights The honor which was doone to all conquerours that they did vnto him was in three manners The first was that all the people of the Citie came out to meete and receiue him with great ioy and gladnesse The seconde all the Prisoners that he had taken went before his Chariot with their hands bound behinde them The third they put vpon him a shert of the God Iupiters and set him in a Chariot of Golde which was drawen with foure white Horses in which sorte they caried him to the Capitoll with great honor ioy and showtes of the people And with these three sortes of honor they ioyned these three reproches to the end hee shoulde not wax proude nor insolent The firste was they placed by him cheeke to cheeke a ragged and an vnseemely knaue and thus they did to signifie that any man though his state were neuer so base nor miserable might by vertue attaine to the like honour The second this beggerly companion did nowe and then buffet him to the ende he should not be too proude of his honour and euer as he strake him badde him to remember that hee was a man and should dye The thirde dishonour was that it was lawfull for euery man to giue him the shamefullest woordes they coulde deuise And this the Romaines did as I saide before to the ende the Conquerour should abhorre presumption which is the aduersarie of the Knowledge that clere and comfortable light 21. For time is it that all things makes and time doth all things marre And when dame Fortune pleased is such things as hurtfull are Fall out to our commoditie and many times doe please While such things as cōmodious are doe turne to our disease The Paraphrase THis is the onely difference betwixt euerlasting thinges and transitory things The euerlasting things endure for euer the transitory thinges as with time they come so with time they decay therefore in the proueth before the Marques giueth vs aduice and exhorteth vs to bee conformable to the time season And that reason that maketh him so to say is that as a thing is in one time wrought done so is it in an other time vndone destroied For as Solomon in his Eccleastes saith There is a time to be borne a time to die a time to build a time to pluck downe neither ought we as the prouerb saith to be offended if things fal not out according to our desire for when it pleaseth Fortune such things as seeme displeasant vnto vs shall redound to our commoditie For the better vnderstanding wherof we must consider what is the true signification of this word Fortune of which there be many sundry opinions For some those that be heathen people as Boetius in his first booke Of Consolation saith will needs haue this Fortune to be a Lady and
feare of displeasing offending her husband and to the end her husband should thinke well of her in seeing her willingnesse in doeing whatsoeuer he cōmaundeth her And this is the meaning of the prouerbe A godly ornament to man I do accompt the wife where as she is obedient to reason all her life That is when she shall loue and reuerence her husband and while shee keepe her selfe honest and chaste looking carefully to such thinges as bee aboute the house as Aristotle at large discourseth in his said booke of Oeconomykes and Solomon in the ende of his Prouerbes whither because I would be short I referre the reader The Prouerbe sayth further That in mariage a man ought not to followe his fansie Wherein there are two things to be vnderstoode The first that he take a wife of a good vertuous kindred according as a Philosopher once answered whē it was asked of him what maner of wife were best to be chosen Marie quoth he such a one whose mother grandmother thou knewest to be honest chast for as the parents haue been such will cōmonly the daughter be So likewise in marying a man ought to choose a wife of like degree state to him self such a one as is answerable to his yeeres according to the olde Prouerbe Like good like blood like age maketh a good mariage And as Ouid sayeth The Oxen that are vnequally matched will neuer draw well together And therfore the Prouerbe saith Choose thy wife with heed and great discretion 44. For such as seeke a wife for goodes and do not greatly way Her vertues nor her honestie do seeke their owne decay A harme it is that hath no helpe such mariage for to make Wherefore my sonne let neuer such a fault thee ouertake The Paraphrase IT is generally agreed vpon amongst the Philosophers that good is deuided into two kindes the one of them profitable and commodious the other honest And where profite on the one side and honestie on the other side meeteth we ought alwaies to preferre honestie before profite And as their opinion is the vertues are cōteined vnder the kind of honest goodes and worldly goodes vnder the kinde of profitable goods And he that refuseth a vertuous wife for her want of worldly wealth and taketh a wife for riches not regarding her vertues trespasseth against reason and seeketh his owne disquietnesse and harme that will neuer be recouered For the goodes that hee hath shall quickly be consumed he shall be plagued at home with a froward foole For as the wise man in his Prouerbs saith A wise and a vertuous wife raiseth and setteth vp the house but a foolish woman bringeth it to ruine for shee will waste and consume the goods that she brought with her and whatsoeuer her husbande besides by his traualle getteth neither is it good to take a wife of greater parētage then he himself is but only to regard that she be vertuous and equal in degree to himselfe For as it is written in the Chronicle of the Philosophers Cleobolus one of the seuen wise men of Athens did euer say that the wife ought to bee of no greater blood than her husbande For if thou takest a wife of hier degree then thy selfe thou shalt alwayes bee sure to haue thy wiues kindred to bee as Lordes ouer thee And therefore the Prouerbe sayeth My sonne beware thou neuer commit such a follie 45. The beautie and the fauour sweete of women could I praise If them I found accompanied with wisedome anie wayes But verie hardly or by happe they agree togither right And many times they are the markes of persons that be light The Paraphrase MOst certain it is that the more good things do meete together the better it is As to haue a wife that is honest beautifull and wise is farre better then to haue one that is honest and neither wise nor well fauoured But because they seldome happen togither nor are not farre distant from loosenesse you shall verie hardly see a verie faire woman to be verie wise and as Ouid saith hautinesse and disdaine is naturally incident to faire women Pride is alwayes the cōpanion of beautie And herein is verified that which the Poets in their fables haue written and also Seneca in his seuenth booke declareth that the Goddesse Venus the better to hide her whordome enclosed herselfe and her mate within a verie darke house and yet not so close but the iealous Sunne was peping in with his bright beames at the small cranies holes where he discouered all Whereat the good Ladie taking greate displeasure with the Sunne because he had so vncurteously handled her laide her heauie cursse vppon him causing that all the womankinde that were discended from the Sunne should be as good as euer twigged Now of the linage and kinred of the Sunne are all welfauoured and beautifull Dames and therefore because you shall hardly find a faire woman that is not foolish and dishonest it is said that the curse of Venus did light vpon them And this is the signification of this tale And Solomon saieth in his Prouerbes That beautie in a woman without wisedome is like vnto a ring of golde in the snoute of a sowe And this is it That beautie and wisedome seldome meete nor are farre distant from lightnesse 46. Yet here withall I do not count the kinde of women all To be vnprofitable or of vse or value small For why I know they haue been praisd of diuerse worthily And that their vertues haue been pende in manie an hystorie The Paraphrase PYthagoras and his followers were of opinion that there were two chiefe heades the one the authour of all goodnesse the other the authour of euill And vnto these two they referred al things that were wrought in the worlde and sayd that of the God of goodnesse proceeded and came the light and all things that were good and perfect of which number they accounted man Of the God of euill sprang darknesse and all vnperfect things amongst which they reckened the woman And in verie deede hauing respect to man the woman is an vnperfect creature although not so vnperfect ▪ but by teaching shee may bee brought to some perfection and to be profitable in her kind For as Aristot saith in his Oeconomikes and they be also the wordes of saint Isidore that to bring things to a perfection it behoueth to haue the man the woman the oxe that ploweth And in the name of the woorking oxe hee includeth all maner of Instrumentes that are necessarie about an house And further he sayth that it proceeded of the great wisedome and discretion of nature that man was made of more perfection then the woman because he was to commaund and she to obey and that man was of more actiuitie and abilitie then the womā because his office was to trauail in matters abroad without doores hers only to sit at home and to keepe that which is brought
mother to the Virgin Mary and wife to Ioachim a woman of great sanctitie and vertuousnesse of life An other of the same name was sister to Queene Dido a woman of great commendation among the heathen both of them as wel she of the Hebrues as the Heathen were worthy to be had in continual memory Dido as appeareth by her true story was the daughter of King Belus sister to Pigmalion wife of Sichaeus who after the death of her husband made a vowe neuer to marry againe forsooke the countrie where her husband was murdered by the meanes of her traiterous brother Pigmalion comming into Affrica founded the stately Citie of Carthage Where while shee purposed to liue a sole and a chaste life beeing required in marriage by the King Hiarbas and vtterly refusing she was by the saide Hiarbas strongly besieged and brought to so hard a poynt that seeing no other way to escape and to preserue her chastitie chosing rather to die then to liue thus violated threw her self into a great flame of fire so ended her daies This story although Virgill doe otherwise declare yet is he not considering the liberty of a Poet greatly to be blamed Virginea with what earnestnesse she was required by Appius Claudius to consēt to his dishonest and vnlawfull lust is sufficiently declared by Liuie in his second Decade and likewise by Iohn Boccace in his Booke Of the fall of Princes where it is at large declared with howe great constancy the chaste mayden preserued her virginitie 54. Prefer a life with libertie aboue all other things A vertue great it is and worthy of the paines it bringes A shamefull great reproch it is without it for to flye An honourable thing it is for such a good to dye The Paraphrase THe auncient Philosophers were of opinion that all the Vertues were to be reduced into the number of foure which they named Cardinall or principall vertues whereof they accounted to bee chiefe Fortitude or manhood which as Aristotle in the thirde of his Ethicks testifieth is so much the more excellent and praiseworthy as the subiect and matter wherwith it dealet his dreadful and difficult for manhood hath for his obiect or contrary Death which is as Aristotle saith the last of all dreadfull and terrible thinges beside the great dangers and sharp and cruell aduentures So as by reason of the difficultie or hardnesse of the obiect there are but few that happen to attaine to this vertue And as it is written in the Ciuil lawe those that lose their liues for the libertie of their countrey are counted to liue for euer for muche better is it for a man to dye freely in fight for the libertie of his Countrie then escaping to liue with a shamefull and cowardly flight And as the Prouerb heere saith and they be the very words in effect of Aristotle in the 3. of the Ethicks The death that is honourable is to be preferred before a dishonourable life which the Marques doth plainly set foorth by examples following 55. Oh what a death had Cato dyed if it had lawfull beene And had not by the iust decrees of God beene made a sinne No lesse doe I the worthy fact of Mucius heere commend That Lyuie in his story hath so eloquently pende The Paraphrase AFter that Pompey was ouerthrowen by Caesar at the battail of Pharsalia had retired him selfe to Lesbos where his wife Cornelia lay passing from thence to Aegypt was slaine by the hands of Photinus and Achillas at the cōmaundement of king Ptolomei who was at that time his seruant Cato who saw that the side of Pompey went in such sort to wrack as was not by any meanes to be recouered fled vnto the citie of Vtica where fearing by some misaduenture to fall into the handes of Caesar his mortall enemie he presently dispatthed him selfe Mucius Sceuola was a man of great courage among the Romanes who when Porsenna the King had with a great power besieged the Citie determined with a noble minde to raise the siege and to bring his matter to better effect went secretly alone out of the Citie with full intent to kill the Kinge and happening to spye in the Campe a Secretary of the Kings appareled in Princely roabes supposing that it was the King thrust him thorowe the body with his swoorde wherevpon beeing presently taken by the Guarde and such as stoode by hee was shackeled and brought before the King who demaunding of him what foolishe presumption had brought him to this misery he aunswered that not onely hee but diverse others to the number of an hundred more had professed by solemne othe for the deliuerance of the Citie to doe their vttermost indeuour in killing of the king Whervpon Porsenna giuing credite to the words of Mucius Sceuola presently raysed his siege commaunding that Sceuola should foorthwith be burned who when hee was brought vnto the fire thrusting out his hand with a valiant courage into the flame there held it til such time as the whitenes of the bones the flesh beeing scorched away appeared and when he was asked what made him to vse such crueltie to his owne fleshe he aunswered that since his hand had failed of his vertuous purpose it was good reason that it should suffer such punishment for so greate an offence 56. For sonne if thou do much esteeme thy selfe and seekst to liue Thou neuer shalt receiue the crowne that mightie Mars doth giue But if thou doost abandon all faint hart and foolish feare Thou shalt not want the honour nor the state thou seekest to beare The Paraphrase ACcording to the true opinion of both the Astronomers and the Catholike diuines we are not in such sort constrained by the starres to doe any thing as we bee thereby depriued of our owne will to doe of necessitie that which they foreshowe but by inclining vs to doe certaine actions they moue al our bodyly forces to do such things as they signifie Which doth not so farre inforce vs but that as Ptolomy saith in his Centiloquium A wise and a vertuous man may rule reigne ouer the starres That is though the starres doe stirre and moue a man to doe euill yet the partie him selfe hath sufficient power if he will to doe wel But the olde people beeing ignorant of this vertue and seeing the Planet Mars did mooue men to be venterers and souldiers held opinion that he was the onely god of battailes and that hee aduaunced and rewarded all such as were valiant and venterous which olde maner of speaking is here by the Marques at this time followed And most certaine it is that such as make much of them selues doe shunne as much as they may the comming into any perill or daunger Of which sort of people Seneca in his first tragidie speaketh where he saith That great yeeres and gray heares happeneth to faintharted and such as loue to sleepe in a whole skin For such manner of persons will be sure to
commit themselues to no hasard nor danger wherby they are vncapable of any vertue or honor For Honor as Aristotle in the fourth of his Ethicks saith is a reuerence that is giuen to men in rewarde and recompence of their vertues And therefore the Marques saith That whosoeuer is so valiant as not to regarde his life in any vertuous attempt shal be sure to receiue the crowne of Mars that is the renowme rewarde of a vertuous minde which he shall quickly attaine vnto if he represse feare And where as there are in the vertue of Fortitude two extreames or vices the one in ventering to farre the other in fearing to much the Marques hath not here said If thou restrainest boldnesse as hee sayeth If thou abandonest feare because as Aristotle in the thirde of his Ethicks affirmeth and as dayly experience teacheth the nature of man is more inclined to fearfulnesse then to boldenesse and therefore those that seeke to bee valiaunt and vertuous ought more to trauel in the repressing and abandoning of feare then in the restraint or temperaunce of boldenesse And therefore to good purpose sayeth the Marques in this Prouerbe If thou abandonest or forcest feare and not corrage and because as it is sayde abooue it is in euery mans power and will to bee vertuous it is heere well saide of the Prouerb Thou shalt not want the honour nor the state thou seekest to beare 57. Detest an euill life that 's led with foule reproch and shame And alwayes ready be to dye with honorable name For life cannot be lent for loane nor let from day to day Nor can the appoynted houre bee shund nor skaped any way The Paraphrase THE Emperours did in their lawes carefully prouide for the behoofe and good estate of their Subiectes to sette downe rewardes and encouragements for such as were honest and vertuous and to deuise punishments and corrections for suche as were wicked and euill disposed And it is very wel thought as hath been saide before that such as valiantly lost their liues either in defence of their faith or for the libertie of their countrie are rewarded with euerlasting life or if any man dye in the defence of his owne honesty he shall continually be well thought of and commended But such as cowardly forsake the feelde and run away from the warres the lawes haue appointed to dye and are accounted for wretches and villaines whether they dye or liue and their shameful and reprochfull life is more griefe to them then any death that can bee deuised especially an honest death this is the meaning of the Prouerbe Detest an euill life c. For as Aristotle in the 3. of his Ethicks saith A man is borne to honor libertie which two things we ought alwaies to keepe and maintaine and to couet by all meanes we can to diehonestly to liue vertuously The Prouerb saith further that life can not be borrowed For as Iob sayeth The Lord hath rated the dayes of our life which can not bee lengthened And therefore no man may shunne the appointed houre that God hath determined And herevpon ariseth the tale among the Poets of the three sisters of destinie whereof the one of them called Clotho carieth the distaffe the other named Lachesis spinneth and draweth out the threede which the thirde sister Atropos windeth vppe vpon the reele And as Seneca in his first Tragedie sayth These three sisters are so cruell and hard that it was neuer seene that the threede which they had once wounde vppe could euer bee got backe againe These sisters of the Destinie doe signifie in deede the posting time of our transitorie life whereof the day once past can neuer be called backe againe And therefore sayeth Seneca these three vnliberall Ladies doe rule by assured order and may neither shorten nor lengthē otherwise then is appointed Therefore ought euerie man to applie himselfe to die well since the time of his death can by no maner of meanes be altered 58. King Codrus rather chose to haue the conquest then to liue And neuer did his noble minde refuse his life to giue To saue a valiant companie of such as him did serue The life is alwayes well bestowed that doth such praise deserue The Paraphrase COdrus beeing as both saint Austine Valerius report the king of Athens when as he was to fight with Pelops duke of the Lacedemonians and had answere of his Idols to whom he sacrificed that the side whose captaine was slaine should haue the victorie preferrin glike a worthie gentleman the liues prosperitie of his poore subiects farre aboue his owne apparailing himselfe in a base and simple habite and rushing into the thickest of the enemies was presently slaine Of whom Virgil writeth that he chose rather to die with the victorie then to liue with the ouerthrow 59. Take no delight to heare thy deedes commended to thy face A thing that wisedome alwayes hath accounted for disgrace And if thou doest reprochfull wordes of anie man sustaine It is no commendation to to report the same againe The Paraphrase VNder the vertue of Fortitude is takē and included all maner of vertuous and godly actions that are done without respect of praise For a man ought not to look for the praise of the people as a recōpence for his good deed and specially if it be done in his owne presence which for two causes is to be disliked The one because that glorie nor praise is no perfect recompence or rewarde for anie vertue For as Boecius sayeth Praise or glory is nought else amongest the multitude but a tickeling and bewitching of the eares The other reason is that praises and commendations before the face doth rather seeme a kinde of flattering and clawing then a praise The Prouerbe saith further That if thou doest reprochfull wordes of any man sustaine It is no cōmendation to report the same againe The meaning of it is that no man that is of great minde or courage ought to speake of the iniurious and euill words that hath been offered him but shall rather bee counted both wiser and valianter if he dissemble them and seeme not to wey them as it is writtē in the third booke Of the liues of the Philosophers where a Philosopher being railed at and reuiled made this answer Thou quoth he hast learned to speake euill and I haue learned to make no accompt of lewd speech And more is he to be commended that beareth euill wordes then he that offreth them 60. Likewise the praising of thy selfe thine actes and speciall grace Doth neuer thee aduaunce but all thy doings doth deface For if the deedes that here thou dost be onely done for praise An errour great thou dost commit and walkst the croked wayes The Paraphrase SOlomon is his Prouerbes sayth Let a stranger cōmend thee and not thine owne mouth And Cato saieth Neither praise nor dispraise thine owne doings for thy praise in thine owne mouth is a great disgrace vnto
bee a meanes to discredite him when hee shoulde not be able to performe that which he promised He aunsweared them that it was not conuenient that any person shoulde departe from the face of a Prince with a discomforted and heauie hearte It is also reported of him that beyng set at Supper and calling to remembrance that he had not bestowed any thing vpon any man that day looking with a discontented countenaunce hee saide vnto those that were with him Alas my friends I haue vtterly lost this day meaning that the time is neuer well spente of Princes wherin they are not geuing to some bodie 64. But Midas with his masse of golde was had in great disdayne And he and al his treasures thought to be but fond and vayne The fowle vnprincely answeare of Antigonus the king With stayne vnto his state his name to infamie did bring The Paraphrase MIdas as Ouid in his Metamorphosis declareth was king of Phrigia who receiued with great interteinement the Gods Iupiter and Mercury as they happened to come by him who willing to make him some recompence for his good will towardes them bade him to aske of them whatsoeuer hee most desired Midas being a most miserable wretch and couetous as the Diuell desired of them that whatsoeuer he touched and whatsoeuer touched him might presently turne into golde which was by and by graunted him whereby he became in a short time to bee wonderfull riche but when the foole was in the middest of his Paradise the very drinke and meate that should sustayne him turning into gold he died as it is reported of famishment The moral of this tale I here meane not to meddle with because it hath been touched by many greate and learned Philosophers and Poets It suffiseth to knowe that it noteth and reprooueth the shamefull and most wicked vice of couetousnesse and filthie auarice Antigonus the king is greatly blamed of Seneca in his booke of Benefites of whom he writeth that when a poore man desired of him a great quantitie of golde he made answer that it was a great deale too much and not meete for him to require and when the poore soule desired him to giue him but a pennie he answered againe how that was too small a thing for a king to giue And thus not regarding how foully this dishonorable niggardlines pinchpining doth blemish the name of a Prince the couetous Antigonus made these answers to the poore miserable felow which deserue for euer to be recorded as a foyle counter shewe to the noble Emperours Alexander and Titus 65. I lyke not him that 's prodigal nor such I list to prayse And yet the man that well deserues I hurt not any wayes The troth is that I much mislike to liue in neede and want But ten times more a miser that is couetous and scant The Paraphrase THE Prodigall man as Aristotle in the fourth booke of his Ethikes sayth is he that spendeth more then is needefull where it is needelesse Who perceyuing the vertues of the liberall man that spendeth that which is meete and where it behoueth and that the couetuous miser is condemned for not spending that which hee ought taketh himselfe straightwayes for a liberall and a vertuous Gentleman and sayeth that hee vseth monie as it ought to bee vsed And this is a vice greatly to bee auoyded for the meane betwixte these two extremes of Prodigalitie and Couetuousnesse is the vertue Liberalitie Howebeit true it is as Aristotle sayeth the lesser vice of the twayne and more to bee borne withall is Prodigalitie For the prodigall man profiteth those to whom hee geueth although hee hurteth himselfe But the Churle and the miser neither profiteth himselfe nor anie man els Besides hee that is prodigall will sooner come to be vertuous and liberal thē the couetous for two reasons The one is that by reason of his greate expenses falling in to neede and want he will quickely see what hurt he receiueth by too much spending and will from that time forwarde learne to bee wiser and to keepe his money the better The seconde is that with the time of his spending hee waxeth aged and people in their olde yeeres be more sparing and thriftie then in their youth because the hope of gaming is nowe taken from them whiche in youth doeth alwayes encourage them But the couetous person cānot be brought to the vertue by neither of these reasons For the older he waxeth the more miser he waxeth and therefore if wee mislike a man that by reason of his prodigalitie commeth to be poore we ought a great deale more to detest a Misar that by couetousnes groweth to be rich For as Salust saith in his booke of Catiline Couetuousnesse hath vtterly banished both faith and honestie and cleane destroyed all artes and knowledges Whereby it hath brought in pride crueltie contempt of God and a generall Merchandise of suche thinges as shoulde freely bee geuen Couetousnesse is alwayes infinite and neuer satisfied with abundaunce nor diminished with want And therefore Though the prodigall bee to bee mislyked in necessitie and want yet ten times worse a miser that is couetous and scant 66. The great Darius easllyer was destroyde for all his might And of his valiant aduersary subdued and put to flight Then might Fabricius moued be with couetous desire Whose hart with filthy auaryce coulde not be set on fire The Paraphrase FRabricius beside a number of other his noble vertuous and worthie actes excelled in the vertue of liberalitie of whō it is reported by Valerius in his nienth booke that when he was presented by the state of Beneuento with a great masse of monie hee returned the embassadoures with their treasure home agayne as one that contented himselfe with the benefite of his Temperance and helde himselfe satisfied with that small wealth which hee had supposing it to bee a sufficient riches For hee did alwayes saie that riches consisted not in much hauing but in little coueting 67 To helpe a man in miserie our dutie vs doeth binde And not to doe it when we may is odious and vnkinde A noble minde will neuer stayne it selfe with such a blotte Nor suffer such a great offence nor such a filthie spotte The Paraphrase THE Prophet Dauid saieth in his Psalter Blessed is that man that hath compassion vppon the poore and the needie For in the time of his necessitie the Lorde shall deliuer him And Solomon in his Prouerbes sayth That who so hath pitie vppon the poore and relieueth them lendeth vppon vsurie to GOD who shall restore him with great gayne that which hee hath disbursed And therefore the Prouerb saieth To helpe a man in miserie our dutie vs doth bind Where Duetie is taken for a woorke of Mercie as Seneca accounteth it in his Booke of Dueties and farther it saith Not to succour when we may is odious and vnkind For as Solomon in his Prouerbs saith Whosoeuer stoppeth his eare at the crie of the poore shall crie