on heapes it would both haue couered their carkases and also haue drowned the liuing Yet hee not contented with that I haue spoken off set in the Temple of the Lord an olde Idoll that stood in the wood for the punishment of which fact God suffered his seruants to kill his eldest sonne And afterward God would not suffer these such sundry mischiefes of mans malice but of his diuine iustice caused these words to bee proclaimed in Hierusalem Sith the King Manasses hath beene so bolde to contemne mee and himselfe alone to commit the offences of all I will chastice him alone with the same correction that hee hath shewed vnto others By these words let Princes note here how the diuine vengeance extendeth no further then our offences deserue so that if our fault bee litle the punishment which hee giueth vs is very temperate but if the Prince bee stubborne and obstinate in his wickednesse let him be sure that the punishment shall be extreame Why Iulius Pompeius Xerxes Catilina Germanicus and Brennus were punished WHen Pompeius the Great passed into the Orient with all the Host of the Romaine people and after he had subdued all Siria Mesopotamia Damasco and Arabia hee passed into the Realme of Palestine which otherwise was called Iudea where he committed diuers and sundry euils so that many of the Romanes and Hebrues dyed there Finally by force of Armes hee tooke the puissant City of Hierusalem which as Plinie sayeth was the best of all Asia And Strabo sayeth of the situation of the World that Rome was the chiefe of all Italy and of Affricke the principall was Carthage of Spaine Numantia of Germany Argentine of Caldea Babylon of Egypt Thebes of Greece Athens of Phenice Tira of Cappadocea Cesare of Thrace Constantinople and of Palestine Hierusalem Pompeius therefore not contented to kill all the Auncients of that warre to imprison the youth to behead the elders to force the mothers to defile the virgins to teare in peeces the children to beat down buildings and to rob the Treasure◠but encreasing euill vpon euill and putting all al the people to destruction he made of the Temple a Stable for his horses which before God was abominable that where alwayes heretofore he had beene a Conquerour and triumphed ouer twenty two Kinges euer after he was vnluckie and ouercome in battell The famous rebell Catilina as Salust affirmeth had neuer beene ouercome as if it had not beene for the robbing and destroying of the Temples which were consecrated to the Gods The noble Marcuus Marcellus to whome no Romaine is to bee compared in vertues the same day hee caused the Temple of the Goddesse Februa to be burnt was himselfe slaine in battell The noble Romaine Captaine Drusius Germanicus that was so well willed and beloued because hee gaue a calfe meate to eate which was the God of the Chaldeans being prohibited and forbidden within a moneth after dyed whose death was greatly lamented in Rome Suetonius sayeth that after Iulius Caesar had robbed the Temple of the Gawles the Gods alwayes made him afrayde in the night And Xerxes which was the Sonne of King Darius when he passed into Italy to wage battell before all other things hee sent foure thousand Horsemen to Delphos where the Temple of God Apollo was to beate it downe for the pride of Xerxes was so great that hee would not only subdue men but also conquer the Gods It chanced that euen as they approached neere the Temple to beate it downe a sodaine tempest fell vpon them so that with stones and thunderbolts they were all killed in the fields and so dyed Brennus was one of the renowned Captaines of the Gothes who sith hee had conquered and subdued the Greekes determined also to robbe the Treasures of the Temples saying that Gods should giue vnto men not men vnto Gods and that it was great honour to the Gods that with their goods men should bee made rich But as they beganne to robbe the Temple there fell a multitude of arrowes from heauen that the Captaine Brennus dyed there and all his men with him not one left aliue After that Sextus Pompeius was vanquished in the battell by sea neare vnto Sicilie by Octauus Augustus hee retired himselfe into the Arkes Lacinii where there was an auncient Temple consecrated to the Goddesse Iuno endowed with maruellous Treasures And it chaunced one day that his Souldiers asking him money and he being then without he commaunded them to beate down the Temple of the Goddesse Iuno and to pay themselus with the spoyle of her treasure Vhe Historiographers say that within a while after it chanced Sextus Pompeius to be taken of the knights of Marcus Antonius and when hee was brought before Titus Generall of the Army he spake vnto him these words I will you know Sextus Pompeius I doe not condemne thee to dye for the offences thou hast committed against my Lord Marcus Antonius But because thou hast robbed and beaten downe the Temple of the Goddesse Iuno For thou knowest that the good Captaines ought to forget the offences against men and to reuenge the iniuries done the Gods CHAP. XXIIII How Valente the Emperour because hee was an euill Christian lost in one day both the Empire and his life and was burned aliue in a sheepecote WHen Iulian the Apostate was Emperour of Rome hee sent to conquer Hungary of no iust title hee had to it more then of ambition to vnite it to the Romane Empire For tirannous Princes vse all their force to vsurpe other realms by crueltie and little regard whether they may doe it by iustice And because the Romane Empire was of great force this ambitious Emperour Iulian had in that warres a mighty and puissant Armie which did wonderfull much harme through all the coūtries they came For the fruites of warres is to bereaue the enemies of life and to spoyle the men of theyr goods It chaunced one day as fiue knights went out of the Campe to make a rode they found a youngman that carried a halter in his hand and as they would haue taken it away from him to haue tyed theyr horses to let them feede hee was so hardy and so stout that hee defended himselfe from them all so that he had more strength alone then they fiue altogether The Romane Knights amazed to see this young man defend himselfe from them all so stoutely very instantly desired him to goe to the Romane Campe with them and they promised him hee should haue great entertainement for the Romanes were so diligent that they should omit no good thing for want of money so that it were for the publike weale This young man was called Gracian and was borne and brought vp in the Country of Pannonia in a City they called Cibata His lynage was not of the lowest sort of people nor yet of the most esteemed Cittizens but were men that liued by the sweate of their browes and in loue
they did more esteeme the good will wherewith they gaue it then they did the gifts themselues for there was so much indeed that sufficed both to make the Image of the Goddesse Berecinthia and also for a long time to maintaine the Warres Therefore from that day that those Matrons presented their Iewels in the high Capitoll the Senate forthwith in remembrance of the gentlenesse graunted them these fiue things as a priuiledge for at that time Rome neuer receiued seruice or benefite of any person but Shee rewarded it with double payment The first thing that the Senate granted the Romane Women was That in the day of their buriall the Oraters might openly make Orations in the prayse of their liues for in olde time men vsed neyther to exalt them when they were dead nor yet to accompany them to their graues The second thing that was graunted vnto them was That they might sit in the Temples for in the olde time when the Romanes did offer Sacrifices to their Gods the aged did alwayes sit the Priests kneele the marryed men did leane but the women though they were of Noble and high linage could neyther be suffered to talke sit nor leane The third thing that the Senate granted the women of Rome was That euery one of them might haue two rich Gownes and that they should not aske the Senate leaue to weare them for in the old time if any woman were apparelled or did buy any new Gowne without asking licence of the Senate she should immediately lose her Gowne and because her husband did condiscend vnto the same he was banished the Common-wealth The fourth thing which they granted them was That they should drinke Wine when they were sicke for there was in Rome a custome inuiolable that though their life was in hazard they durst not drinke wine but water for when Rome was well corrected a woman that drunke wine was as much slandered among the people as if she had committed Adultery towards her husband The fith thing granted by the Senate vnto the women was That a man might not deny a Romane being with childe any honest and lawfull thing that she demanded I cannot tell why the Ancients of Rome esteemed more of women with childe then others that had no children All these fiue thinges were iustly granted to the Matrons and Noble Romane Ladyes And I can tell thee Faustine that they were of the Senate most willingly granted for it is reason that women which in vertues doe excell should with all meanes be honoured I will tell thee Faustine the especiall cause that mooued the Romanes to grant vnto you Matrones this last priuiledge that is to say That a man cannot deny them any thing being with child Thou oughtest to know that the others as well Greekes as Latines did neuer giue Lawes nor Institutions vnto their people without great occasions for the great multitude of lawes are commonly euill kept and on the other part are cause of sundry troubles We cannot deny but that the Ancients did well auoyde the great number of Institutions for it is better for a man to liue as reason commandeth him then as the lawe constraineth him The case therefore was that in the yeere of the foundation of Rome 364. Fuluius Torquatus then being Consull in the warre against the Volces the Knights of Mauritania brought to Rome an huge Monster with one eye called Monoculus which he had found in the Desarts of Aegipt at the time the wife of Torquatus called Macrina should haue beene deliuered of child for the Consull did leaue her great This Macrina amongst all was so honest that they spent as much time in Rome to praise her for her vertues as they did set foorth her husband for his Victories They read in the Annalles of that time That the first time that this Consull Torquatus went into Asia he was eleuen yeeres out of his Country and his found for a truth that in all the time that Torquatus was absent his wife was neuer seene to looke out at the window which was not a thing smally esteemed for though it was a custome in Rome to keepe the doore shut it was lawfull notwistanding to speake to women at the windowes Though men at that time were not so bold and the women were so honest yet Macrina wife to Torquatus liued so close solitary to her selfe that in all these eleuen yeeres there was neuer man that saw her goe through Rome or that euer saw her doore open neither that shee consented at any time from the time that shee was eight yeeres of age that any man should enter into her house and moreouer there was neuer man saw her face wholly vncouered This Romane Ladie did this to leaue of her a memorie and to giue example of her vertue She had also three children whereof the eldest was but fiue yeeres olde and so when they were eight yeeres of age immediately shee sent them out of her house towards their Parents lest vnder the colour to visite the children others should come to visite her O Faustine how many haue I heard that haue lamented this excellent Romane and what will they thinke that shall follow her life Who could presently restrain a Romane woman from going to the window eleuen yeeres since things now adayes are so dissolute that they doe not onely desire to see them but also run in the Streetes to babble of them Who should cause now adayes a Romane woman that in the eleuen yeeres she should not open her dores since it is so that when the husband commaunded her to shut one doore she will make the whole house to ring of her voyce Hee that now would commaund his wife to tarry at home and let her of her vagaries into the Towne shall perceiue that there is no Basiliske nor Viper that carryeth such poison in her taile as she will spit with her tongue Who could make a Romane woman to bee eleuen yeeres continually without shewing her face to any man since it is so that they spend the most part of their time in looking in a Glasse setting their Ruffes brushing their Cloathes and painting their faces Who would cause a Romane woman to keepe her selfe eleuen yeeres from being visited of her Neighbors and Friends since it is true that now women thinke them greatest enemies which visite them most seldome Returning therefore to the Monster As they led this Monster before the doore of Torquatus his house she being great with childe and her husband in the warre by chance a Mayde of his told her how that this Monster passed by wherefore so great a desire tooke her to see the Monster that for to keepe that she had begun suddenly for this desire she dyed Truely I tell thee Faustine that this Monster had passed many times by the Streete where she dwelt and she would neuer notwithstanding go to the window and much lesse out of her doore to see it The death of this Romane of
warres of Mithridates and the couragious Marius in the warres of the Zimbres had ouer their enemies so many victories because in theyr Camps they suffered no women In the time of Claudius the Emperour the Tharentines and Capuanes were very mortal enemres insomuch as the one against the other pitched their Campes and by chaunce one day in the campe of the Capuanes two captaines fell at variance because they both loued one Woman and when the Tharentines perceyued theyr dissension immediately with their power they gaue them the onset Whereof ensued that through the naughtinesse of one euill woman was lost the Libertie of that goodly Cittie I had in this warre of Parthes sixteen thousand Horsemen and twenty foure thousand footmen and 35. thousand women and the disorder in this case was so great that from the Host I sent my wife Faustine and the wiues of diuers other Senatours home to their houses that they should keepe the olde and nourish the young Our Fathers led women in the olde time to the warres to dresse meare for the whole and to cure the wounded but now we lead them to the ende cowardes should haue occasion to bee Effeminate and the valiaunt to be vicious And in the ende theyr Enemies doe breake their heads but the women do wound their hearts I will that thou know manie other things my Cornellus and they are that the Gawles the Vulcanes the Flaminii the Regii the which are Priestes of the Mother Sybilla of the God Vulcane of the God Mars and of the God Iupiter the feare of the Gods set aside leauing theyr Temples desart laying off their honest garments nor remembring their holie Ceremonies breaking their streight vowes an infinite number of them goe to the Campe where they loue more dishonestly then others For it is a common thing that those which once presume to be solicity and shamefaste after they are once fleshed exceede all others in shame and vice It is a most dishonest thing to carrie Priests to the Warres for their office is to pacifie the Gods with teares and not to threatten men with Weapons If perchaunce Princes would say It is good to carrie Priests to the warres to offer Sacrifices to the Gods To this I aunswere that the Temples are buylt to pray and the Fields ordained for to fight So that in one place the Gods would bee feared and in an other honoured and sacrificed In the yeare of the Foundation of Rome 315. the Consul Vietro passed in to Asia and went against the Palestines the which were rebelled against the Romanes and by the way hee passed by the temple of Apollo in the ysle of Delphos and as there hee made a prayer vnto the God Apollo very long to the ende he would reueale vnto him whether he should return victorious from Asia or not The Oracle answered Oh Consull Victro if thou wilt returne victorious from thine Enemyes restore our Priestes which thou hast taken from our Temples For wee other Gods will not that the man whome wee choose for our diuine seruice yee others should leaâ—e to all the vices of the World Iâ— this be true as it is true indeed that the God Apollo saide vnto the Consull Vietro mee thinketh it is no iust thing to condescend that the consecrated Priestes should goe and endaunger to loose themselues in the Warres For as thou knowest Cornelius without doubt greater is the offence which they doe commit in going for to vndoe themselues then they doe in the seruice which they doe to Princes beeing desirous to fight Let vs haue the Priests in the Temples to pray and let vs see how the Captaines are wont to gouerne themselues and in this case thou shalt finde that the day that the Senate doe appoint a Senatour for Captaine they proue him if hee can play at the Weapons in the Theater The Consull leadeth him to the high Capitoll with him the Eagle is hanged at his breast they cast the purple vpon his shoulders they giue him money of the common treasure immediately hee groweth into such pride that forgetting the pouerty past which hee suffered in his Country he thinketh one day to make him Emperour of Rome It is a common thing that when fortune exalteth men of low estate to high degree they presume much and know little and much lesse what they are worth So that if their feeble force were coequall to their high minde one alone should suffice to ouercome their enemies and also to winne many realmes The Captaines haue taken a custome now in Rome and they tell mee that it is an inuention of Manritane that is that they doe tease their beardes they crule their haires they clippe their wordes they doe change their garments they accompany with murderers they goe the most part armed they goe very fast to seeme fierce and to conclude they little esteeme to be beloued and take it a great glory to be feared And to the entent thou shouldest know my Cornelius how much they would bee feared I will recite thee an history which is That I standing one day in Penthapolin a Captaine of mine I hearing him and he not seeing me for so much as they would not let him doe all that hee would haue don in the house he said vnto an hostice of his Yee other villaines did neuer know Captaines of Armes therefore know it if thou doest not know it mother that the earth can neuer tremble but when it is threatned with a Romane Captaine and the Gods doe neuer suffer the Sunne to shine but where we others are obeyed Since thou hast now heard that he sayed heare also the valiantnesse that he hath done Within a short space after the Captaine went vnto a battell in Arabia where he was the first that fledde and left the Standard alone in the field the which had almost made me to lose the battell But I to recompence his valiant deed commanded his head to be cut off For in giuing the onset vpon the enemies the flying of one man doth more hurt then the fighting of two thousand doth profite I haue oftentimes heard the Emperour Traian my Lord say That the men which in peace seem most fierce in wars commonly are most cowards It chanceth that diuers things are compassed for hauing onely a good eloquence others for hauing witchcraft others for being very diligent others for opening their purse and truely this is the most and best mean that is occupyed in Rome But the affayres of warre doe not consist in talking many wordes before their friendes but in fighting manfully in the field against their enemies For in the end men most full of words are for the most part cowards in deedes What wilt thou I tell thee more my Cornelius of the iniuries which the Captaines doe in the Cities whereby they passe of the slaunders which they rayse in the prouinces where they abide I let thee know that the litle worme doth not so much
child-bearing Whether doest thou desire to goe put thy selfe then in a barrell and cast it into the Riuer so shalt thou become pure and white Wee haue eaten the fresh fish and now thou wouldest bring hither the stinking salt fish O Boemia Boemia in this case I see no trust in youth nor hope in age For vnder this thy hored age there is hid the pangues of frayle youth Thou complainest that thou hast nothing it is an old quarrel of the auncient amorous Ladyes in Rome that taking all thinges they say they haue left them nothing The cause thereofis where you do lacke credite there you would haue it accomplished with money Beleeue me louing friend the foolish estate of vnlawfull gaming both giueth an vnsure estate and also an euill fame to the person I know not how thou art so wastfull for if I pulled off my rings with the one hand thou pickedst my purse with the other greater wars haddest thou then with my Coffers then I haue now with my enemies I neuer had iewell but thou demaundedst it of mee and thou neuer askedst mee thing that I denyed thee I finde and bewaile now in my age the high parts of my youth Of trauell pouerty thou complainest I am hee that hath great neede of the medicine for this opilation and playsters for the sonne and colde water for such a burning feuer Doest thou not well remember how I did banish my necessity into the land of forgetfulnesse and placed thy good wil for the request of my seruice in the winter I went naked and in the sommer loaded with clothes In the mire I went on foot and rode in the fayre way When I was sad I laught when I was glad I wept Being afraid I drew out my strength and out of strength cowardnes The night with sighes and dayes in wayling I consumed When thou haddest neede of any thing I robbed my father for it Tell mee Boemia with whom diddest thou sulfill thine open follyes but with the misorders that I did in secret Thinke you what I thinke of the amorous Ladies in Rome that yee be mothes in olde garments a pastime for light persons a treasure of fooles and the sepulchres of vices This that seemeth to mee is that in thy youth euery man gaue to thee for that thou shouldest giue to euery one now thou giuest thy selfe to euery man because euery one should giue them to thee Thou tellest mee that thou hast two sonnes and lackest helpe for them Giue thanks to the gods for the mercy they shewed thee To xv Children of Fabritius my neighbour they gaue but one Father and to thine onely two sonnes they haue giuen fifteene Fathers Wherefore diuide them to their Fathers and euery one shall bee well prouided for Lucia thy daughter indeed and mine by suspect remember that I haue done more in marrying of her then thou diddest in bringing her forth For in the getting of her thou calledst many but to marry her I did it alone Verie little I write thee in respect of that I would write Butrio Cornely hath spoken much to mee on thy behalfe and hee shall say as much to thee on my part It is long agoe sithence I knew thy impatience I know well thou wilt sende mee another more malitious I pray thee since I write to thee in secrete discouer mee not openly and when thou readest this remember what occasion thou hast giuen me to write thus Although wee bee fallen out yet I will send thee money I send thee a gowne and the Gods bee with thee Boemia and send mee from this war with peace Marke Pretour in Daeia to Boemia his Louer and ancient friend in Rome CHAP. IX The aunswere of Boemia to the Emperour Marcus Aurelius wherein is expressed the great malice and litle patience of an euill woman BOemia thy auncient Louer to thee Mark of Mount Celio her naturall enemie desireth vengeance of thy person and euill fortune during thy life I haue receyued thy letter and thereby perceyue thy spitefull intents and thy cruell malices Such naughty persons as thou art haue this priuiledge that sith one doth suffer your villanies in secret you will hurt them openly but thou shalt not doe so with mee Marke Althogh I am not treasuresse of thy good yet at the least I am of thy naughtinesse All that I cannot reuenge with my person I will not spare to doe it with my tongue And though we women for weakenesse sake are easily ouercome in person yet know thou that our hearts are inuincible Thou sayest escaping from a battell thou receyuedst my Letter wherof thou wast sore agast It is a common thing to them that be slothful to speak of loue for fooles to treate of bookes and for Cowards to blaze of Armes I say it because the aunswere of a Letter was not needfull to rehearse to a woman whether it was before the battell or after I thinke well thou hast escaped it for thou wert not the first that fought nor the last that fled I neuer saw thee goe to the iwarre in thy youth that euer I was fearefull of thy life for knowing thy cowardlinesse I neuer tooke care for thy absence I alwayes iudged thy person safe Then tell mee Marke what doest thou now in thy age I thinke thou carriest thy lance not to serue thy turne in thy warre but to leane on when the gout taketh thee The head-head-peece I iudge thou hast not to defend thee from the strokes of swords but to drinke withall in tauernes I neuer saw thee strike any man with thy sword but I haue seene thee kill a thousand women with thy tong O malitious Marke if thou wert as valiant as thou art spitefull thou shouldest be no lesse feared among the barbarous nations then thou art abhorred with good reason amongst the Romanes Tell me what thou list but thou canst not deny but both thou hast beene and art a slacke louer a cowardly knight an vnknown friend auaricious infamed an enemy to all men and friend to none Moreouer wee knew thee a light young man condemne thee now for an olde doting foole Thou sayest that taking my letter into thy hands forthwith thy heart receyued the hearbe of malice I beleeue thee well vnsworne for any thing touching malice dooth straight finde harbour in thy brest the beasts corrupted do take poysō which the sound and of good complexion refufeth Of one thing I am sure thou shalt not dye of poyson For seldom times one poyson hurteth another but it driueth out the other O malicious Marke if all they in Rome knew thee as well as the vnhappy Boemia doth they should see how much the wordes that thou speakest differ from the intention of thy hart And as by the bookes thou makest thou meritest the name of a Philosopher euen so for the ilnesse thou inuentest thou doest deserue the name of a Tirant Thou sayest thou neuer sawest constancy in a Womans loue nor end in
farre and how great is the difference betweene the estate of Phylosophers and the state of Captaines betweene the skyll to reade in Schooles and the knowledge to rule an Armey betweene the science that wise men haue in bookes and the experience that the others haue in warre betweene their skill to write with the penne and ours to fight with the Sword betweene one that for his pastime is set round with deskes of bookes and an other in perill of life encompassed with troups of Enemyes For many there are which with great eloquence in blazing deeds don in warres can vse their tongues but fewe are those that at the brunte haue hearts to aduenture their liues This Phylosopher neuer saw man of war in the field neeer saw one Armey of men discomfited by an other neuer heard the terrible Trumpet sound to the horrible cruel slaughter of men neuer saw the Treasons of some nor vnderstood the cowardnes of others neuer saw how few they be that fight nor how many ther are that run away Finally I say as it is seemly for a Phylosopher and a learned man to praise the profite of peace Euen so it is in his mouth a thing vncomely to prate of the perills ' of warre If this Phylosopher hath seene no one thing with his Eyes that hee hath spoken but onely read them in sundry bookes let him recount them to such as haue neyther seene nor read them For warlike feates are better learned in the bloudy fields of Affricke then in the beautifull schooles of Greece Thou knowest right well king Antiochus that for the space of thirty and sixe yeares I had continuall and daungerous warres as well in Italie as in Spayne In which Fortune did not fauour mee as is alwayes her manner to vse those which by great stoutnesse and manhood enterprise things high and of much difficultie a witnesse whereof thou seest mee here who before my beard beganne to growe was serued and now it is hoare I my selfe beginne to serue I sweare vnto thee by the God Mars king Antiochus that if any man did aske mee how hee should vse and behaue himselfe in warre I would not aunswer him one word For they are things which are learned by Experience of deedes and not by prating in words Although Princes beginne warres by justice and followe them with wisedome yet the ende standeth vppon fickle Fortune and not of force nor pollicie Diuerse and sundrie other things Hannibal sayde vnto king Antiochus who so bee desirous to see let him reade in the Apothegmes of Plutarche This example Noble Prince tendeth rather to this end to condemne my boldnesse and not to commend my enterprise saying that the affayres of the common wealth bee as vnknowne to mee as the dangers of the warres were to Phormio Your Maiestie may iustly say vnto me that I being a poor simple man brought vp a great while in a rude Countrey doe greatly presume to describe how so puissant a Prince as your Highnes ought to gouerne himselfe and his Realme For of truth the more ignorant a man is of the troubles and alterations of the world the better he shall be counted in the sight of God The estate of Princes is to haue great traines about them and the estate of religious men is to bee solitary for the seruant of God ought to be alwaies void from vaine thoughts to be euer accompanied with holy meditations The estate of Princes is alwayes vnquiet but the state of the religious is to bee enclosed For otherwise he aboue all others may be called an Apostata That hath his body in the Cell and his heart in the market place To Princes it is necessary to commune and speake with all men but for the religious it is not decent to be cōuersant with the world For solitary men if they do as they ought should occupy their hands in trauel their bodies in fasting their tongue in prayer and their heart in contemplation The estate of Princes for the most part is employed to war but the estate of religious is to desire procure peace For if the Prince would study to passe his bounds and by battell to shed the bloud of his enemies the religious ought to shed teares and pray to God for his sinnes O that it pleased Almighty God as I know what my bounden duty is in my heart so that hee would giue me grace to accomplish the same in my deedes Alas when I ponder with my selfe the weightines of my matter my Pen through slouth and negligence is readie to fall out of my hand and I halfe minded to leaue off mine enterprize My intent is to speake against my selfe in this case For albeit men may know the affaires of Princes by experience yet they shall not know how to speake nor write them but by science Those which ought to counsell princes those which ought to reforme the life of princes and that ought to instruct them ought to haue a cleare iudgement an vpright minde their words aduisedly considered their doctrine wholesome and their life without suspition For who so wil speake of high things hauing no experience of them is like vnto a blinde man that would leade and teach him the way which seeth better then hee himselfe This is the sentence of Xenophon the great which saieth There is nothing harder in this life then to know a wise man And the reason which hee gaue was this That a wise man cannot bee knowne but by another wise man wee may gather by this which Xenophon sayeth That as one wise man cannot be knowne but by another wise man so likewise it is requisite that he should be or haue bin a Prince which should write of the life of a Prince For hee that hath bin a marriner and hath sailed but one yeare on the Sea shall bee able to giue better counsell and aduise then he that hath dwelled ten yeares in the hauen Xenophon wrote a booke touching the institution of princes bringeth in Cambyses the king how hee taught and spake vnto king Cyrus his sonne And he wrote an other book likewise of the Arte of Chiualry and brought in king Philip how he ought to teach his sonne Alexander to fight For the philosophers thought that writing of no authoritie that was not entituled and set foorth vnder the Names of those Princes who had experience of that they wrote Oh if an aged Prince would with his penne if not with word of mouth declare what misfortunes haue happened since the first time hee beganne to raigne how disobedient his subjects haue bin vnto him what griefes his seruants haue wroght against him what vnkindnesse his Friendes haue shewed him what wiles his enemies haue vsed towards him what daunger his person hath escaped what jarres hath bin in his Pallace what faultes they haue layde against him how manie times they haue deceyued straungers Finally what griefes hee hath had by day and what sorrowfull sighs
shall haue but in small estimation his renowme The Syrians Assyrians the Thebanes the Chaldees the Greekes the Macedonians the Rhodians the Romaines the Hunnes the Germains and the Frenchmen if such Noble-men as amongst these were most famous had not aduentured their liues by such daungerous Enterprizes they had neuer got such immortall fame as they had done to leaue to their posteritie Sextus Cheronensis in his third book of the valiant deedes of the Romaines saith that the famous captaine Marcus Marcellus which was the first of all men that saw the backe of Hannibal in the field was demaunded of one how he durst enter into battell with such a renowmed captaine as Hanniball was To whom he answered Friend I am a Romaine borne and a Captaine of Rome and I must daily put my life in hazard for my Countreys sake for so I shall make perpetuall my renowme Hee was demaunded againe why hee stroke his enemys with such fiercenes and why hee did so pittifully lament those which were ouercome after the victory gotten in battell Hee aunswered the Captaine which is a Romane and is not iudged to bee a tyrant ought with his owne hand to shed the bloud of his enemies and also to shed the teares of his eyes A captaine Romane ought more to aduance him of his clemency then of his bloudy victory And Marcus Aurelius sayeth further when a Romane captaine shall bee in the field hee hath an eye to his enemies with hope to vanquish thē but after they bee vanquished hee ought to remember they are men that he might haue been ouercome For fortune sheweth her selfe in nothing so common as in the successes of warre Certainely these were words well beseeming such a man and surely wee may boldly say that all those which shall heare or reade such things will commend the wordes which that Romane spake but few are they that indeed would haue done the feates that hee did For there be many that are readie to praise in their wordes that which is good but there are fewe that in their workes desire to followe the same Such hearts are vnquiet and much altered by sight and enuie that they bare towardes their Auncients which throgh manfulnes attained vnto great triumphs and glorie let them remember what daungers and trauells they passed through before they came thereto For there was neuer Captaine that euer triumphed in Rome vnlesse hee had first aduentured his life a thousand times in the field I thinke I am not deceiued in this that I will say That is to say all are desirous to taste of the marrow of Fame-present but none will breake the bone for feare of perill ensuing If Honour could bee bought with desire onely I dare boldly say it would bee more esteemed in these dayes of the poore page then it was in times past of the valiaunt Romaine Scipio For there is not at this day so poore a man but would desire honour aboue all things What a dolefull case is this to see many gentlemen and young Knights become euil disposed vagabonds and loyterers the which hearing tel of any famous battell fought that many of their estate profession haue don valiaunt seates in the same immediately therewith be styrred and set on fire through Enuyes heate So that in the same furie they chaunge their robes into armour and with all speede prepare themselues to warre to exercise the feates of armes And finally like young men without experience make importunate suite and obtain licence and money of their Friends to go vnto the warres But after that they are once out of their Countreys and see themselues in a straunge place their dayes euill and their nights worse At one time they are commaunded to Skyrmishe and at an other time to watch when they haue victualls they want lodging and when the pay day commeth that pay and the next also is eaten and spent With these and other like troubles and discommodities the poore young men are so astonyed especially when they call to minde the goodly wide Hawles so well hanged and trimmed wherein they greatly delighted to passe the time in Summer-season When they remember their great chimneys at home wherby they comforted their old limmes and how they vsed to sit quietly vppon the Sunnie bankes in winter For the remembrance of pleasures past greatly augmenteth the paines present Notwithstanding their Parents and friends had admonished them therof before And now being beaten with their owne follie and feeling these discommodities which they thought not of before they determine to forsake the warres and eache one to returne home vnto his owne againe But where as they asked licence but once to goe forth now they were enforced to aske it ten times before they could come home And the worst is they went forth loden with money returne home loden with vices But the end why these things are spoken is that sage and vertuous men should marke by what trade the euill disposed seeke to gaine which is not gotten by gasing on the windowes but by keeping the frontiers against their enemies not with playing at Tables in the Tauernes but with fighting in the fieldes not trimmed with cloath of gold or silkes but loden with armour and weapons not praunsing their palfreyes but discouering the ambushment not sleeping vntill noon but watching all night not by aduancing him of his apparrell and handsomnesse but for his stout couragiousnes not banqueting his friends but assaulting his enemies though a knight do these things yet he ought to consider that it is vanitie and foolishnesse But seeing the world hath placed honour in such a vaine thing and that they can attaine to it by none other was the young aduenturous Gentlemen ought to employ therunto their strength with stout courage to atchieue to some great acts worthy of renowne For in the end when the warre is iustly begunne and that in defence of their Countrey they ought to reioyce more of him that dyeth in the hands of his enemies then of him which liueth accompanied with vices It is a great shame and dishonour to men of Armes and young Gentelmen being at home to heare the prayse of them which bee in the wars for the young Gentlemen ought not to thinke it honour for him to heare or declare the newes of others but that others should declare the vertuous deedes of him Oh how many are they in the world this day puffed vp with pride and not very wise which still prate of great renowne and yet passe their life with small honesty For our predecessors fought in the field with their lances but young men now a dayes fight at the table with their tongues Admit that all vaine men desire and procure to leaue a memory of their vanitie yet they ought to enterprise such things in their life wherby they might winne a famous renowne and not a perpetuall shame after their death For there are many departed which haue left such memory of their
yea and surmount and surpasse many but yet I doe aduise thē not to employ their force but to follow one For often times it chanceth that many which suppose themselues in their life to excell all when they are dead are scarcelie found equall vnto any Though man hath done much and blazed what he can yet in the end he is but one one mind one power one birth one life and one death Then sithence hee is but one let no man presume to know more then one Of all these good Princes which I haue named in the rowle of iustice the last was Marcus Aurelius to the intent that he should weaue his webbe For suppose we reade of many Princes that haue compiled notable things the which are to bee reade and knowne but all that Marcus Aurelius sayde or did is worthy for to be knowne and necessary to bee followed I doe not meane this Prince in his Heathen law but in his vertuous deedes Let vs not stay at his beleefe but let vs embrace the good that hee did For compare many Christians with some of the Heathen and looke how farre we leaue them behind in faith so farre they excell vs in good and vertuous works All the olde Princes in times past had some Philosophers to their familiars as Alexander Aristotle King Darius Herodorus Augustus Pisto Pompeius Plauto Titus Plinie Adrian Secundus Traion Plutarchus Anthonius Apolonius Theodotius Claudinus Seuerus Fabatus Finally I say that Phylosophers then had such aucthoritie in Princes pallaces that children acknowledged them for Fathers and Fathers reuerenced them as masters These Wise and Sage men were aliue in the company of Princes but the good and vertuous Marcus Aurelius whose doctrine is before your Maiesty is not aliue but dead Yet therefore that is no cause why his Doctrine should not bee admitted For it may bee peraduenture that this shall profite vs more which hee wrote with his handes then that which others spake with their tōgus Plutarch sayeth in the time of Alexander the great Aristotle was aliue and Homer was dead But let vs see how hee loued the one and reuerenced the other for of truth he slept alwayes with Homers booke in his hands and waking he read the same with his eyes and alwayes kept the doctrine thereof in his memory and layde when he rested the booke vnder his head The which priuiledge Aristotle had not who at all times could not be heard and much lesse at all seasons be beleeued so that Alexander had Homer for his friend and Aristotle for a master Other of these Philosophers were but simple men but our Marcus Aurelius was both a wise Philosopher and a very valiant Prince and therfore reason would hee should be credited before others For as a prince hee will declare the troubles and as a Philosopher hee will redresse them Take you therefore Puisaunt Prince this wise Philosopher and Noble Emperour for a Teacher in your youth for a Father in your gouernment for a Captaine generall in your Warres for a guide in your iourneyes for a friend in your affayres for an example in your vertues for a Master in your sciences for a pure white in your desires and for equall match in your deedes I will declare vnto you the Life of an other beeing a Heathen and not the life of an other beeing a Christian For looke how much glory this Heathen Prince had in this world beeing good and vertuous so much paines your Maiesty shall haue in the other if you shall bee wicked and vicious Beholde behold most Noble and illustrious Prince the Life of this Emperour and you shal plainly see and perceyue how cleare hee was in his iudgement how vpright hee was in his iustice how circumspect in the course of his life how louing to his friends how patient in his troubles and aduersities how hee dissembled with his enemies how seuere against Tirants how quiet among the quiet how great a friēd vnto the Sage and louer of the simple how aduenturous in his warres and amiable in peace and chiefly and aboue all things how high in wordes and prosound in sentences Many and sundry times I haue beene in doubt with my selfe whether the heauenly and eternall Maiesty which giueth vnto you Princes the Temporall Maiesty for to rule aboue all other in power and authoritie did exempt you that are earthly Princes more from humane fraylety then hee did vs that be but Subiects and at the last I know hee did not For I see euen as you are children of the World so you doe liue according to the World I see euen as you trauell in the Worlde so you can know nothing but things of the world I see because you liue in the Flesh that you are subiect to the miseries of the flesh I see though for a time you doe prolong your life yet at the last you are brought vnto your graue I see your trauel is great and that within your Gates there dwelleth no rest I see you are colde in the winter and hote in the Summer I see that hunger feeleth you and thirst troubleth you I see your friendes forsake you and your enemies assault you I say that you are sadde and do lacke ioy I see that you are sicke and bee not well serued I see you haue much and yet that which you lacke is more What will you see more seeing that Princes dye O noble Princes and great Lords since you must dye and become wormes meate why doe you not in your life time search for good counsell If the Princes and noble men commit an errour no man dare chastice them wherefore they stand in greater need of aduise and counsell For the traueller who is out of his way the more he goeth forward the more hee erreth If the people doe amisse they ought to be punished but if the Prince erre he should be admonished And as the Prince will the people should at his hands haue punishment so it is reason that he at their hands should receyue counsell For as the wealth of the one dependeth on the wealth of the other so truly if the Prince bee vitious the people cannot be vertuous If your Maiesty will punish your people with words commaund them to print this present worke in their hearts And if your people would serue your Highnesse with their aduise let them likewise beseech you to reade ouer this booke For therin the Subiects shall finde how they may amend and you Lords shall see all that you ought to doe whether this present Worke be profitable or no I will not that my pen shall declare but they which do reade it shall iudge For wee Authours take pains to make and translate and others for vs to giue iudgement and sentence From my tender yeares vntill this present time I haue liued in the World occupying my selfe in reading and studying humane and diuine Bookes and although I confesse my debility to bee such that I haue not read so
his diuine power And of the superstition of the false and faigned goddes chap 9. fol. 20. How there is but one true God and how happy those Realmes are which haue a good Christian to be their King How the Gentiles affirmed that good Princes after their death were changed into gods and the wicked into Deuils which the Authour proueth by sundry examples chap. 10. fol. 23. Of sundry gods which the Ancients worshipped Of the offices of those gods How they were reuenged of such as displeased them And of the twentie elected gods chap. 11. fol. 26. How Tiberius was chosen Gouernour of the Empire and afterward created Emperour onely for being a good Christian And how God depriued Iustinian the younger both of his Empire and senses because he was a perfidious heretique chap. 12. fol. 29 Of other more naturall and peculier gods which the ancient people had and adored chap. 13. fol. 32 What words the Empresse Sophia spake to Tiberius Constantinus then being Gouernour of the Empire reprouing him for lauishly consuming the Treasure of the Empire gotten by her chap. 14. fol. 36 The answere of Tiberius to the Empresse Sophia Augusta declaring that Noble Princes neede not hoord vp treasures And of the hidden treasure which this good Emperour foundeby reuelation in the Palace where he remayned chap. 15. fol. 38 How the Captayne Narsetes ouercame many Battailes onely by reposing his whole confidence in God And what hapned to him by the Empresse Sophia Augusta relating the vnthankfulnesse of Princes towards their seruants chap. 16. fol 41 Of a letter which the Emperour Marcus Aurelius sent to the King of Scicille remembring the trauels they had endured together in their youth and reprooning him for his small reuerence to the Temples ch 17 fo 46 The Emperours prosecution in his Letter admonishing Princes to bee fearefull of their Gods And of the sentence which the Senate gaue vpon the King for pulling down the church ch 18 f. 49 How the Gentiles honoured those that were deuout in the seruice of their gods chap. 19 fol 52 Of fiue causes why Princes ought to be better christians then their subiects ch 20 fol. 55 What the Philosopher Bias was Of his constancy when hee had lost all his goods And of the ten lawes he gaue deseruing to be had in perpetuall memory chap 21 59 Questions demanded of the Philosopher Bias. fol. 61 The lawes which Bias gaue to the Prienenses 62 How God from the beginning punished men by his iustice and especially those Princes that despised his church how all wicked Christians are Parishioners of hel ch 22 63 Of twelue examples why Princes are sharply punished when they vsurpe boldly vpon churches and violate their temples ch 23 65 Why the children of Aaron were punished eodem The cause why the Azotes were punished eodem The cause why Prince Oza was punished 66. Why King Balthazar was punished 67 Why King Ahab was punished 69 Why King Manasses was punished cod Why Iulius Pompey Xerxes Cateline Germanicus Brennus were punished 70 How Valentine the Emp. because he was an euil Christian in one day lost both the Empire and his life ch 24 72 Of the Emp. Valentinian Gratian his son which raigned in the time of S. Ambrose and because they were good Christians were alwayes fortunate and how God giueth victory to Princes more by the teares of them that pray then thorow the weapons of thē that fight ch 25 76 Of the goodly Oration which the Em Gratian made to his Souldiers before hee gaue the battell ch 26 78 Of the Captaine Theodosius who was father to the great Emp. Theodosius died a good Christian Of the K. Hismarus and the Bishop Siluanus and the lawes which they made and established ch 27 60 What a happy thing it is to haue but one Prince to rule the publike weale for there is no greater enemy to the Common-weale then he which procureth many to commaund therein ch 28 84 That in a publike weale there is no greater destruction then where Princes dayly consent to new orders and make an alteration of ancient customs ch 29 f. 88 When Tirants began to raigne and vpon what occasion commaunding and obeying first began and how the authority which a Prince hath is by the ordināce of God chap. 30 91 Of the golden age in times past and worldly misery at this present ch 31 94 How K. Alexander the Great after hee had ouercome K. Darius in Asia went to conquer the great India and of that which hapned to him with the Garamantes and that purity of life hath more power then force of warre ch 32 96 Of an Oration which one of the Sages of Garamantia made vnto K. Alexander a good lesson for ambitious mē ch 33. 98 A continuation of the sage Garamants Oration and among other notable matters he maketh mention of seuen lawes which they obserued chap. 34 101 That Princes ought to consider for what cause they were made Princes What Thales the Philosopher was of 12 questions demāded of him his answer c. 35. 104 What Plutarch the Philosopher was Of the wise words he spake to the Emperour Traiane how a good Prince is the head of the publique-weale chap. 36. fo 108 As there are two Sences in the Head Smelling and Hearing So likewise a Prince who is the head of the Common-weale ought to heare the complaints of all his subiects and should know them all to recompence their seruices ch 37. fol. 111 Of the great Feast which the Romaines celebrated to the God Ianus the first day of Ianuary And of the bounty and liberality of the Emperour Marcus Aurelius the same day chap. 38 114 Of the answer which the Emperour Marcus Aurelius made to the Senatour Fuluius before all the Senate beeing reproued by him for the familiarity hee vsed to all men contrary to the maiesty and authority of the Romane Emperour wherein hee painteth enuious men ch 39 fol. 118 Of a Letter which the Emperour Marcus Aurelius sent to his friend Pulio declaring the opinion of certaine Philosophers concerning the felicity of man chap. 40. 124 Of the Philosopher Epicurus fol. 129 Of the Philosopher Eschilus 131 Of the Philosopher Pindarus 132 Of the Philosopher Zeno 133 Of the Philosopher Anacharsis 134 Of the Sarmates 135 Of the Philosopher Chilo 137 Of the Philosophers Crates Stylphas Simonides Gorgias Architas Chrysippus Antistenes Sophocles Euripides Palemon Themistocles Aristides and Heraclius 138. 139 That Princes and great Lords ought not to esteeme themselues for being fayre and well proportioned chap. 41 140 Of a letter written by the Emperour Marcus Aurelius to his Nephew worthy to be noted of all young Gentlemen chap. 42 146 How Princes and great Lords in olde time were louers of men that were wise and learned chap. 43 153 How the Emperor Theodosius prouided wise men at the houre of his death for the education of his two noble sonnes Archadius and Honorius chap. 44 158
How Cresus King of Lidia was a great friend and louer of Wise men Of a letter which the same Cresus wrote to the Philosopher Anacharsis and an other letter of the Philosophers answer to him chap. 45 162 Of the wisdome and sentences of Phalaris the tyrant And how hee put an artezan to death for deuising new torments chap. 46 166 The letter of Phalaris the tirant which was sent to Popharco the Philosopher 169 Of seuerall great and powerfull Kinges who were all of them true friends and louers of the Sages chap. 47. 170 The letter of King Philip to Aristotle the Philosopher 172 The second Booke Of what excellency marriage is and whereas common people marry of free-will Princes and noble men ought to marry vpon necessity and vrgencie chap. 1 177 How the Author prosecuting his purpose of marriage declareth that by means thereof many mortall enemies haue been made good and perfect friends c. 2. f. 180 Of diuers and sundry lawes which the Ancients had in contracting matrimony not onely in the choyce of women but also in the manner of celebrating marriage chap. 3 183 How princesses and great Ladies ought to loue their husbands and that loue ought not to be procured by coniurations and enchantments but by wisedom honesty and vertue desired ch 4. 187 Of the reuenge which a woman of Greece tooke on him that had killed her husband as hoping to enioy her in marriage chap. 5. 189 That Princesses and great Ladies ought to be obedient to their husbands and how great shame it is to the husband that his wife should command him ch 6. 194 That women especially princesses great Ladies should be very circumspect in going abroad out of their houses and that they should not deserue to be ill spoken of by such as resort to their houses chap. 4 198 Of the commodities and discommodities which follow princes and great Ladies that go abroad to visite or abide in their houses chap. 8 200 That women great with child especially princesses and great Ladies ought to be circumspect for the danger of creatures wherin is shown many misfortunes happening to women with child in olde time chap. 9 202 Of other inconueniences and vnluckie mischances which haue happened to women with child chap. 10 207 That women great with child especially princesses and great Ladies ought to be gently vsed of their husbands c. 11. 209 What the philosopher Pisto was and of the rules hee gaue concerning women with child chap. 12 212 Of three counsels which Lucius Seneca gaue vnto a Secretary his friend who serued the Emperour Nero And how the Emp. M. Aurelius spent the houres of the day chap. 13 214 The importunity of the Empresse Faustine to the Emperour concerning the keye of his closet chap. 14 219 The answere of the Emperour to Faustine concerning her demaund for the key of his study chap. 15 223 Of great dangers ensuing to men by excessiue haunting the company of women And of certaine rules for married men which if they obserue may cause them to liue in peace with their wiues chap. 16 228 A more particular answer of the Emperour to Faustine concerning the key of his study chap. 17 235 That Princesses and noble women ought not to be ashamed to giue their children sucke with their owne breasts chap. 18 239 A further continued perswasion of the Author that women should giue their owne children sucke chap. 19 242 That Princesses and great Ladies ought to be very circumspect in choice of theyr Nurses and of seuen especiall properties which a good Nurse should haue cha 20 249 Of three other especiall conditions which a good Nurse ought to haue that giueth sucke chap. 21 254 Of the disputations before Alexander the Great concerning the time of the sucking of babes chap. 22 259 Of sundry kinds of Sorceries charmes and witchcrafts which they in old time vsed in giuing their children suck which in Christians ought to be auoided ch 23. fol. 260 Of a letter which Marcus Aurelius sent to his friend Dedalus inueighing against such women as vse to cure children by sorceries charms enchantments ch 24 264 How excellent a thing it is for gentlemē to haue an eloquent tong ch 25 270 Of a letter which the Athenians sent to the Lacedemonians chap. 26 273 That Nurses which giue sucke to the childrē of Princes ought to bee discreete and sage women chap. 27 275 That women may be no lesse wise then men though they be not it is not thorow the defect of nature but rather for want of good bringing vp chap. 28. 279 Of a letter which Pythagoras sent to his sister Theoclea he being in Rhodes and she in Samcthrace both studying Philosophy chap. 29 281 A further perswasion of the Authour to Princesses and other great Ladies to endeauour themselues to be wise like as the women in elder times were c. 30. 282 Of the worthines of the Lady Cornelia and of a notable Epistle which she wrote to her two sons seruing in the warres Tiberius and Caius disswading them from the pleasurs of Rome exhorting them to endure the trauels of war chap. 31. 288 The Letter of Cornelia to her two sons Tiberius and Caius 289 Of the education and doctrine of children while they are young with a declaratiō of many notable histories c. 32. 294 Princes ought to take heede that their children bee not brought vp in pleasures and vaine delights because oftentimes they are so wicked that the fathers would not onely haue them with sharpe discipline corrected but also with bitter teares buried chap. 33 302 How Princes and great Lords ought to be careful in seeking wise men to bring vp their children Of ten conditions which good Schoolmasters ought to haue chap. 34. 309 Of the two children of Marcus Aurelius the best wherof dyed And of the masters he prouided for the other chap. 35. 317 Of the words which Marcus Aurelius spake to 5. of the 14. masters which hee had chosen for the education of his son And how he dismissed them from his pallace because they behaued thēselus lightly at the feast of their god Genius c. 36. 322 That Princes and noble men ought to ouersee the tutors of their children least they should conceale the secrete faultes of their scholler chap. 37. 326 Of the determination of the Emperour when he committed his childe to the tutors chap. 38 331 Tutors of Princes and noble mens children ought to bee very circumspect that their schollers do not accustom themselus in vices while they be yong but especially to be kept frō 4. vices chap. 39 343 Of two other vices perillous in youth which their masters ought to keepe them from chap. 40 348 The third Booke How Princes and great Lords ought to trauell in administring iustice to all men equally chap. 1 353 The way that Princes ought to vse for choyse of Iudges and Officers in theyr Countreyes chap. 2 fol 357 A villaine argueth in an Oration
against the Romaines who without cause or reason had conquered his Countrey Approouing mainifestly that through offending the Gods they had thus preuayled And the Oration is diuided into chapt 3. fol. 362. ch 4. fol 366. And ch 5. f 366 That Princes and Noble-men ought to be very circumspect in choyce of their Iudges and Officers because therein consisteth the benefite of the weale publique chapt 6. fol 373 Of a Letter which the Emperour Marcus Aurelius wrote to his friend Antigonus answering an other which hee sent him out of Scicile concerning the crueltie exercised by the Romaine Iudges The letter is diuided in chap 7. fol 379. cha 8. fol. 381. chap 9. fol. 385 chapt 10. fo 387 cha 11. fol. 391 An exhortation of the Authour vnto great Princes and Noble-men to embrace peace and to auoyde all occasions of warre chap 12 fol. 394 Of the commodities which ensue by peace declaring that diuers Princes vppon light occasions haue made cruell warres chap 13 fol. 397 The Emperour Marcus Aurelius wryteth to his friende Cornelius wherein hee describeth the discomodities which come by warres and the vanitie of Triumphes Chap 14 fol. 406 Marcus Aurelius proceedeth on further in his letter declaring the order which the Romains vsed in setting forth their men of warre And of the outragious villainyes which Captaines and Souldiours vse in warre chap 15 fo 408 The Emperours further pursuite in the same letter shewing what great dammages haue ensued by warre begun with strange and forraigne Realmes ch 16 fo 409 Ad admonition of the Author to Princes and great Lordes to the intent that the more they growe in yeares the more they stād bound to refrain frō vices ch 17. 415 That Princes whē they are aged should be temperate in eating sober in drinking modest in apparel aboue al things else true in their cōmunication ch 18. fo 418 Of a letter written by the Emperour M. Aurelius to Claudius Claudinus reprouing them being olde men because they liued ouer youthfully chap 19 fo 423 A prosecution of the Emperours letter perswading Claudius and Claudinus beeing now aged to giue no more credite to the world nor to any of his deceiptfull flatteries chap 20. fol 430 A further continuation of the Emperour in the same Letter approouing by good reasons that in regard aged persons will bee serued and honoured of younger people they ought therefore to be more vertuous and honest then they of younger degree chap 21. fol 433 The Emperours conclusion of his Letter shewing what perills those olde men liue in that dissolutely like young Children spend their dayes And he giueth wholesome councell vnto them for better means and remedy therof ch 22. 438 How Princes ought to take heede that they bee not noted guiltie of Auarice because the Couetous man is hated both of God and man ch 24 441 Great reasons to discommend the vices of couetous men ch 24 444 Of a letter which the Emperour Marcus Aurelius wrote to his friend Cincinnatus who being a Romaine Knight became a Marchaunt of Capua reproouing such Gentlemen as take vppon them the trade of Marchaundise contrarie to their owne vocation declaring what vertuous men ought to vse and the vices which they ought to shunne instructing also how to despise the vanities of the world And although a man bee neuer so wise yet hee shall haue neede of another mans councell ch 25. fol 447. c. 26. fo 449. c. 27. 451. A perswasion to Princes great Lords to shunne couetousnes and to become liberall bountifull which vertue should alwayes appertaine to a Royall personage chap 28 fol. 454 A perswasion to Gentlemen and such as follow Armes not to abase themselues for gaynes-sake in taking vpon them any vile office or function ch 29 458 Of a Letter which the Emperour wrote to his Neighbour Mercurius a Marchant of Samia instructing men in those daungers which ensue by traffique on the Seas and the couetousnes of them that Trauell by Land chap 30 461 The conclusion of the Emperours Letter reprouing Mercurius because he tooke thought for the losse of his goods Shewing him the nature of Fortune and conditions of couetous men ch 31 fol 464 That Princes and Noble-men ought to consider the miserie of mans nature And that brute Beasts are in some pointes reason excepted to bee preferred with men chapt 32. fol. 466 A further comparison of the miseryes of men with the liberty of beasts ch 33. 469 A letter of the Emperour M. Aurelius to Domitius a cittizen of Capua comforting him in his Exile being banished for a quarrell betweene him and an other about the running of a Horse Comfortable for such as haue bin in great fauour afterward falne into disgrace ch 34 fo 474 That princes and Noble men ought to be aduocates for widdowes fathers of Orphans and helpes to the comfortlesse chap. 35 479 That the troubles sorrowes and griefes of widdows are much greater then those of Widdowers wherefore Princes and Noble men ought to haue more compassion vpon such women then men ch 36 fol. 462 Of a letter which the Emperour Marcus Aurelius wrote to a Romane Lady named Lauinia comforting her in her husbands death ch 37 486 A perswasion to widdowes to depend onely vpon Gods will and exhorting them to liue honestly chap. 38 489 That Princes and Noble men ought to despise the world because there is nothing in it but plaine deceit ch 39 493 A vehement inuectiue against the deceites of the world with a further proofe by strong and weightie reasons perswading all men that liue in the world not to trust it or any thing therein verefied by a letter of the Emperour to his friend Torquatus chap. 40. 41. 42. fol. 498. 501. 504 Princes and Nobles ought not to beare with Iuglers Iesters parasites and cōmon players nor with any such kind of rascals and loyterers And of the Lawes which the Romanes made especially on that behalfe chap. 43 507 How some Iesters were punished by our graue Ancients and of the Iesters loyterers in our time chap 44. 510 Of a letter which the Emperour wrote to Lambartus his friend then Gouernour of Hellespont certifying him that hee had banished from Rome all fooles and loy terieg players a notable lesson for them that keepe counterfeit fooles in their houses chap. 45 514 Marcus Aurelius proceedeth on in his letter declaring how he found the Sepulchres in Hellespont of many learned philosophers whereunto he sent all those loiterers chap. 46 517 The Letters conclusion relating the cause and time why and when Iuglers Iesters were admitted into Rome ch 47. 520 How Princes and Noble men ought to remember that they are mortall and must die with notable consolations against the feare of death chap. 48. 522 Of the death of the Emperour Marcus Aurelius and how there are few friendes that dare speake the truth to sicke men chap. 40 527 Of the comfortable wordes which the Secretarie Panutius spake to the
day of October in the high Capitoll of Rome at the sute of the whole Romane people with the assent of the sacred Senate Marcus Aurelius Antonius was proclaimed Emperour vniuersall of the whole Romane Monarchie This noble Prince was naturally of Rome borne in the mount Celio on the sixt day before the Calends of May which after the Latines account is the 26. day of Aprill His Grandfather was called Annius Verus and was chosen Senatour in the time of the Emperours Titos and Vespasian His great Grandfather was named Annius Verus which was borne in Spaine in the free town of Gububa when the wars were most cruell betweene Caesar and Pompeius at what time many Spaniards fledde to Rome and many Romaines ranne into Spaine By this meanes this Emperour had a great Grandfather a Romane and a great Grandmother a Spaniard His Father was named Annius Verus after his Grandfather and Great Grandfather by reason whereof the ancient Historiographers call him Marcus Antonius Verus And true it is that the Emperour Adrian called him Marcus Verissimus for that hee neuer forged lye nor swarued at any time from the truth These Annti Veri were a kindred in Rome as Iulius Capitolinus reporteth which vaunted themselues to come of Numa Pompelius and Quintus Curtius the famous Romane which to worke the Romane people safety and his owne person euerlasting memory willingly threw himselfe into the Gulfe which afterwards was called Curtius which as then was seene in Rome This Emperours mother was called Domitta Camilla as recounteth Cinna in the bookes that hee wrote of the Romaine pedigrees That stocke of Camilli was in those daies highly honoured in Rome for that they conuayed their discent from that Camillus which was the renowmed and valiant Romane Captaine who deliuered Rome when the Gaules had taken it and besieged the Capitoll The men that sprang of this linage bare the name of Camilli for remembrance of this Camillus And the woman that came of the same stocke kept the name of Camilla in memory of a daughter of the said Camillus This Camilla refused mariage and chose to liue among the vastall virgins and there long space remained enduring a sharpe and hard life And shee was so vertuous a Romane and precise in her life that in the time of Seuerus Emperour of Rome her Tombe was honoured as a Relique whereon was engraued this Epitaph Camillus loe doth here engraued rest That onely was Camillus daughter deere Twice twenty yeares and sixe she hath possest A couert life vntoucht of any feere The King of Trinacry could not her moue To taste the sweet delight of Wedlocks band Nor traine by sute her sacred mind to loue Inclosdâ— in brest so deepe did chastnesse stand But oh great wrong the crawling worms below To gnaw on that vnspotted senselesse corse That rage of youth spent vndefiled so With sober life in spite of Cupids force And this was written in Heroycall verse in the Greeke tongue with a maruellous haughty stile But to our matter yee shall vnderstand that the Romanes kept a certaine Law in the 12. Tables the words whereof were these Wee ordaine and commaund that all the Romanes shall for euer haue speciall priuiledge in euery such place where their ancestors haue done to the Romane people any notable seruice For it is reason that where the Citizen aduentureth his life there the City should doe him some honour after his death By vertue of this law all the family of Camilli euer enioyed the keeping of the high Capitoll for that by his force and policie he chased the French men from the siege Truly it is not vnknowne that this noble Knight and valiant Captaine Camillus did other things as great and greater then this but because it was done within the circuit of Rome it was esteemed aboue all his other acts and prowesse And herein the Romanes swarued not far from reason for that amongst all princely vertues is esteemed to bee the chiefest and worthiest which is employed to the profit of the common-wealth The Romane Chronaclers with tears cease not to lament the ruine of their Country seing that variety of time the multitude of Tyrants the cruelty of ciuill wars were occasion that the ancient state of the Romane gouernement came to vtter destruction and in steade thereof a new and euill trade of life to bee placed And hereof no man ought to maruell for it chanceth throughout all Realmes and Nations by oft changing gouernours that among the people dayly springeth new vices Pulto sayth That for no alteration which befell to the common weale for no calamity that euer Rome suffered that priuiledge was taken away from the linage of Camilli I meane the gouernment of the high Capitoll except it were in the time of Silla the Consull when this family was sore persecuted for none other cause but for that they fauored the Consull Marius This cruell Silla being dead and the pittifull Iulius Caesar preuayling all the banished men from Rome returned home againe to the common-wealth As touching the Auncestors of the Emperour Marcus Aurelius what hath beene their trade of life estate pouerty or riches standing in fauor or displeasure what prosperity or aduersity they haue had or suffered wee finde not in writings though with great diligence they haue beene searched for And the cause hereof was for that the ancient writers of the Romane Histories touched the liues of the Emperors fathers specially when they were made Princes more for the good merites that were in the children then for the great estimation that came from the Fathers Iulius Capitolinus sayth That Annius Verus father of Marcus Aurelius was pretor of the Rhodian Armies and also warden in other Frontiers in the time of Trayan the good Adrian the wise and Anthony the mercifull Which Emperours trusted none with their Armies but discreet valiant men For good Princes chose alwayes such Captaines as can with wisdom guide the Armie and with valiantnes giue the battell Though the Romanes had sundry wars in diuers places yet chiefly they kept great Garrisons alwayes in foure parts of the world That is to say in Bizantium which now is Constantinople to resist the Parthiens in Gades which now is called Galizia to withstand the Portugales in the riuer of Rein to defend themselues from the Germaines and at Colossus which now is called the I le of Rhodes for to subdue the Barbarians In the moneth of Ianuarie when the Senate distributed their offices the Dictator being appointed for sixe monethes and the two Consuls chosen for one yeare incontinently in the third place they chose foure of the most renowmed persons to desend the said foure daungerous Frontiers For the Romanes neyther feared the paines of hell nor trusted for reward in heauen but sought by all occasions possible in their life time to leaue some notable memory of them after their death And the Romaine was counted most valiant
but without comparison the gods whom they worshipped and inuented were greater in multitude then the Realmes and Prouinces which they conquered and possessed For by that folly the auncient Poets durst affirme in their writings that the Gods of one Nation and Country were mortall enemies vnto the Gods of another Prouince So that the Gods of Troy enuied the Gods of Greece more then the Prince of Greece enuied the Prince of Troy What a strange thing was it to see the Assyrians in what reuerence they worshipped the God Belus The Egyptians the God Apis. The Caldeans the God Assas The Babilonians the deuouring Dragon The Pharaones the statue of gold The Palestines Belzebub The Romans honoured the God Iupiter The Affricans the God Mars The Corinthians the God Apollo The Arabians God Astaroth The Arginians the Sun Those of Acaia the Moone The Cidonians Belphegorn The Amonites Balim The Indians Baccus The Lacedemonians Osiges The Macedonians did sacrifice to Mercurie The Ephesians to their goddesse Diana The Greekes to Iuno The Armenians to Liber The Troians to Vesta The Latines to Februa The Tarentines to Ceres The Rhodians as sayth Apolonius Thianeus worshipped the God Ianus and aboue all things wee ought to maruell at this That they striued oftentimes amongst themselues not so much vpon the possessions and seignories of Realmes as vpon a certaine obstinacie they had to maintaine the Gods of the one to bee of greater power then the others for they thought if their gods were not esteemed that the people should be empouerished vnfortunate and persecuted Pulio in his second booke De dissolatione regionum Orientarum declareth that the first Prouince that rebelled against the Emperour Helius Adrianus which was the fifteenth Emperour of Rome was the land of Palestine against which was sent a Captaine named Iulius Seuerus a man of great courage and very fortunate and aduenturous in Armes This Captaine did not onely finish the warres but hee wrought such an outragious destruction in that land that he besieged 52. Cities and razed them to the ground and burned 680. Villages and slew so many in battell skirmish and by Iustice that amounted to the number of 5000. persons For vnto the proud and cruell Captaines victory can neuer bee glorious vnlesse they water the ground with the bloud of their enemies And furthermore in the Cities and Townes besieged the children olde men and women which dyed through hunger and pestilence were more in number then those which were slaine in the wars For in wars the sword of the enemies lighteth not vpon all but pestilence and famine hath no respect to any After this warre of the Palestines was ended immediately after arose a more crueller betwixt the Alleynes and Armenians For there are many that see the beginning of the troubles and miseries which arise in Realmes but there are few that consider the end and seeke to remedie the same The occasion of this warre was as they came to the feast of the Mount Olimpus they fell in disputations whether of their Gods were better and which of them ought to bee preferred before other Whereof there sprang such contradictions and such mortall hatred that on euery part they were furiously moued to warres and so vnder a colour to maintaine the gods which they honoured both the common wealthes were brought into great pouerty and the people also into great misery The Emperour Helius Adrianus seeing such cruell warres to arise vpon so light occasion sent thither the Captaine aboue named Iulius Seuerus to pacifie the Allaines and Armenians and commaunded him that he should persecute those with warres which would not be ruled by his arbitremēt sentence For those iustly deserue the sword which with no reasonable conditions will condiscend vnto peace But Iulius Seuerus vsed such policy that he made thē good friends and neuer touched them nor came neare them Which thing was no lesse acceptable to the Emperour then profitable to the Realmes For the Captaine which subdueth the Country by entreatie deserueth more honor then he which ouercommeth it by battell The agreement of the peace was made vpon such condition that the Allaines should take for their Gods the Armenian Gods and the Armenians on the contrary the Gods of the Allaines And further when the people should embrace and reconcile themselues to the Senate that then the Gods should kisse the one the other and to be reconciled to the temple The vanity of the Ancients was such and the blindnesse of mortall men so great so subiect were they to diuelish deuises that as easily as the eternall wisedome createth a true man now a dayes so easily then a vain man might haue inuented a false God For the Lacedemonians had this opinion that men had no lesse power to inuent gods then the gods had to create men CHAP. V. How the Philosopher Bruxellus was greatly esteemed amongst the Ancients for his life and the words which hee spake vnto the Romanes at the houre of his death PHarasmaco in his 20 booke De libertate Deorum whereof Cicero maketh mētion in his booke De natura Deorum sayth that when the Gothes tooke Rome and besieged the high Capitoll there came amongst them a Philosopher called Bruxellus the which after the Gothes were repulsed out of Italy remained with Camillus at Rome And because at that time Rome wanted Philosophers this Bruxellus was had in great veneration amongst all the Romanes so that hee was the first stranger of whom being aliue a statue was euer made in the Senate the Romanes vsed to make a statue of the Romanes being aliue but not to strangers till after their death The age of this Bruxellus was 113. whereof 65. hee had been an inhabitant of Rome And among other things they recite 7. notable things of his life 1 The first that in 60. yeeres no mā euer saw him issue out of the wals of Rome For in the olde time the Sages were little esteemed if in their behauiours they were not iust and vpright 2 The second that in 60. yeares no man heard him speake an idle word For the words that are superfluous doe greatly deface the authoritie of the person 3 The third that in all his time they neuer saw him lose one houre of time For in a wise man there is no greater folly then to see him spend a moment of an houre idely 4 The fourth that in all his time hee was neuer detected of any vice And let no man thinke this to bee a small matter For few are they of so long life which are not noted of some infamy after their death The fifth that in all the 60. years he neuer made quarrell nor striued with any man and this thing ought to be no lesse esteemed then the other For truly hee that liueth a long time without offering wrong to another may be called a monster in nature 6 The sixt that in 3. or 4. yeares hee neuer issued out of the
of the comming of this cruel Tyrant was published throughout all Italy Whose determination was not onely to raze the wals of Rome downe to the earth batter towers dungeons houses walles and buildings but also he purposed to abolish and vtterly to bring to nought the name of Rome and likewise of the Romanes Of this thing all the Italians were in very great and maruellous feare and the most puissant and couragious Knights and Gentlemen agreede together presently to retire within the Walles of Rome and determined to dye in the place to defend the liberty thereof Fot amongst the Romanes there was an ancient custome that when they created a Knight they made him to sweare to keepe 3. things 1 First he sware to spend all the dayes of his life in the wars 2 Secondarily hee sware that neyther for pouerty nor riches nor for any other things hee should euer take wages but of Rome onely 3 Thirdly hee sware that hee would rather chuse to dye in liberty then to liue in captiuity After all the Romanes scattered abroad in Italy were together assembled in Rome they agreede to send letters by their Purseuants not onely to their Subiects but also to all their confederates The effect whereof was this CHAP. VIII Of a Letter sent from the Senate of Rome to all the Subiects of the Empire THe sacred Senate and all the people of Rome to all their faithfull and louing Subiects and to their deare friends and confederates wisheth health and victory against your enemies The variety of time the negligence of you all and the vnhappy successe of our aduentures haue brought vs in processe of time that wheras Rome conquered realms and gouerned so many strange Seignories now at this day commeth strangers to conquere and destroy Rome in such sort that the barbarous people whom we were wont to keepe for slaues sweare to become our Lords and Masters Wee let you know now how all the barbarous nations haue conspired against Rome our mother and they with their King haue made a vow to offer all the Romanes bloud to their Gods in the Temples And peraduenture their pride and fiercenesse beeing seene our innocency knowne Fortune will dispose another thing For it is a geuerous rule That it is vnpossible for a Prince to haue the victory of that warre which by malice is begunne and by pride and fiercenesse pursued It hath seemed good vnto vs since their cause is vniust and ours righteous to endeuour our selues by all meanes how to resist this barbarous people For oft times that which by iustice was gotten by negligence is lost For the remedy of this mischiefe to come the sacred Senate hath prouided these things following and for the accomplishing thereof your fauour and aide is necessary 1 First of all wee haue determined to repayre with all diligence our ditches walles gates and bulwarkes and in these places to arme all our friends But to accomplish that and diuers other for the necessity of warfare we lacke money for yee know well inough That the warre cannot bee prosperous where enemies abound and money is scarce 2 Secondarily wee haue commaunded that all those which bee sworne Knights and souldiers of Rome repayre immediately to Rome and therefore yee shall send vs all those which are vnder the age of 50. and aboue the age of 20. For in great warres auncient men giue counsell and young men and lusty to execute the same are required 3 We haue agreede and concluded that the City bee prouided of victuals munition and defence at the least for two yeares Wherefore we desire yee that yee send vs from you the tenth part of wine the fift part of flesh the third part of your bread For we haue all sworne to die yet we meane not to dye for famine assieged as fearefull men but fighting in plain field like valiant Romanes 4 Fourthly wee haue prouided since the vnknowne barbarous come to fight with vs that you bring vs to Rome strange Gods to helpe and defend vs. For you know well inough that since great Constantine we haue been so poore of Gods that we haue not but one God whom the Christians do honour Therefore we desire you that you wil succor vs with your Gods in this our extreame necessity For amongst the Gods wee know no one alone sufficient to defend all the Romane people from their enemies The wals therefore being well repayred and all the young and warlike men in Garrison in the City the batteries well furnished and the Treasure house well replenished with money and aboue all the Temples well adorned with Gods wee hope in our Gods to haue the victory of our enemies For in fighting with men and not against Gods a man ought alwayes to haue hope of victory for there are no men of such might but by God and other me may be vanquished Fare ye wel c. After this letter was sent through all the dominion of the Romaines not tarrying for answere of the same they forthwith openly blasphemed the name of Christ and set vp idols in the Temples vsed the ceremonies of the Gentiles and that which was worse then that they sayde openly that Rome was neuer so oppressed with Tyrants as it hath beene since they were Christians And further they sayde if they called not againe all the Gods to Rome the City should neuer bee in safeguard for that they haue dishonored and offended their Gods and cast them out of Rome and that those barbarous people were sent to reuēge their iniurie But the diuine prouidēce which giueth no place to human malice to execute his forces before the walles were repayred and before the messengers brought answere and before the strange Gods could enter into Rome Randagagismus King of the Gothes with 2000000. of barbarous without the effusion of Christian bloud suddenly in the mountains of Vesulanes with famine thirst and stones which fell from heauen lost all his Armie not one left aliue but himselfe who had his head strucken off in Rome And this thing the eternal wisdome brought to passe to the end the Romanes should see that Iesus Christ the true God of the Christians had no need of strange Gods to defend his seruants CHAP. IX Of the true and liuing God and of the maruailes wrought in the olde Law to manifest his diuine power and of the superstition of the false Gods O Grosse ignorance vnspeakable obstinacy O iudgements of God inscrutable What thinke these Gentiles by the true God They searched the false Gods to helpe them and had a liuing God of their owne they sought Gods full of guile and deceit and worse then that they thought it necessary that that God which created all things should be accompanied with their gods to defend them which could make nothing Let now all their gods come forth into the fieldes on the one side and I will goe forth alone in godly company that is to say with
the high God on th' other part And we will compare the deedes and proue the aydes of their false God against and with the last worke of our true God And they shall cleerely perceiue their falsehood and our truth For the tongue that speaketh of God can neuer beare with any lye and that which speaketh of Idols can neuer disclose any truth If they esteeme him much for creation of the world with his might is it any lesse to preserue and gouerne it by his wisdome For many things are done in a moment for the preseruation wherof long times is requisite and much painefull trauaile necessary I demand further what God of the gentiles could do that which our God hath done that is to know within one Arke to make quiet the Lyon with the Leoperd the Wolse with the Lambe the Beare with the Cow the the Tigar with the Crocodill the stoned horse with the Mare the Dogge with the Catte the Foxe with the Hennes the Hounds with the Hares and so of other beastes whose enmitie is greater th one against thother then that of man is against men For the enmity amongst men proceedeth of malice but that of beasts proceedeth of nature Also I demaund what God if it were not the true God so mighty could slay and drowne in one houre and moment so many men women and beasts so that all those which were in the world eight onely excepted perished in the deluge of Noe. The iudgement of God by ordinance and their offences deserue this so maruellous a dammage For God neuer executed any notable punishment but first it came through our wicked offences And if this be counted for a great thing I will that an other thing bee had in great estimation which is that if God shewed his rigorous iustice in this punishment incontinently hee shewed his might and clemency in remedying it in that of these eight persons which were but few the generation did multiply in so great a number that they did replenish many and great Realmes whereon a man ought to maruell for according as Aristotle sayth Great things are easily put to destruction and brought to nought but with great difficultie they are remedied and repaired againe And further I demaund what god of the Gentiles was so puissant to do this which the God of the Hebrewes did in that ancient and opulent Realme of the Egyptians That is to witte when hee would and when it pleased him hee made the riuers run bloud infected the flesh darkned the ayre dryed the seas and slew the first begotten obscured the Sunne and did wonders in Canaan and other wonderfull things in the redde Sea Finally hee commaunded the Sea to drowne the Prince aliue with all his Egyptians and that he should let the Hebrewes passe by If one of these false gods had done any one of these things it had beene to be maruelled at but the true God doing it wee should not maruell at it For according to our little vnderstanding it seemeth a great thing but in respect of that the diuine power can do it is nothing For where God putteth to his hand there are no men so mighty no beasts so proud nor heauen so hie nor sea so deepe that can resist his power For as he gaue them power so can hee take it from them at his pleasure Further what God of the Gentiles although they were assembled together could haue had the power to haue destroyed one man onely as the true God did the which in the time of King Zedechias made an hundred and fourescore thousand of the campe of the Assyrians die the Hebrewes being a sleepe which were their mortall enemies And truly in this case God shewed to Princes and great Lords how little their money and their subtle wits preuayle them in feates of warre when God hath determined another thing for their deserts For in the end the first inuention of warres proceedeth of mans ambition and worldly malice but the victory of them proceedeth of the diuine pleasure What God of the Gentiles could haue done that which our true God did when he brought vnder the feet of the renowmed Captaine Ioshua two and thirty Kings and Realmes whom he depriued not onely from their lands but also bereft them of their liues in tearing them in peeces and diuiding the miserable Realmes into twelue Tribes Those Realmes which in old time belonged vnto the Hebrews were more then 2000. yeeres kept of them in tyranny wherefore God would that by the hands of Ioshua they should bee restored And though God deferred it a long time it was to giue them grieuous torments and not for that God had forgotten them And although Princes doe forgette many wrongs and tyrannies yet notwithstanding riuers of bloud cease not to runne before the face of the deuine Iustice If all the ancient Gods had had power would not they also haue holpen their Princes since the gods lost no lesse in losing their temples then men lost in losing their Realmes for it touched more the case of the Auncients to lose one little Temple then for men to lose a noble Realme We see that the gods of the Troians could not resist the Greekes but that both men and gods gods and men came into Carthage from Carthage into Trinacria and from Trinacria into Italy and from Italy into Laurentum and from Laurentum into Rome So they went about flying declaring that the gods of Troy were no lesse conquered of the Gods of Greece then the Dukes and Captaines of Greece were vanquishers of the Captaines of Troy the which thing is hard to them that presume to be Gods For the true God doth not onely make himselfe feared but also beloued and feared both That we say of the one that same we may wel say of the other That is to know that all the Gods in the Realms and Temples wherin they honoured and serued but wee see the one destroyeth the other as it is declared by the Hebrewes which was in bondage of the Assyrians the Assyrians of the Persians the Persians of the Macedonians the Macedonians of the Medes the Medes of the Greekes the Greekes of the Penians the Penians of the Romanes the Romanes of the Gothes the Gothes of the Mores So that there was no Realme nor Nation but was conquered Neyther the Writers can deny but they would haue exalted theyr Gods and Ceremonies that the Gods and their Worshippers should not haue end But in the end both Gods and men had all end except the Christian Religion which shall neuer haue end For it is founded of that which hath neither beginning nor ending One of the things which comforteth my heart most in the Christian Religion is to see that since the time the Churches were founded the Kinges and Princes most puissant haue been alwayes their enemies and the most feeble and poore alwayes greatest helpers and defenders of the same O glorious militant Church which now
amongst the Gardens of Detha and this temple remained till the time of Randagagismus who besieging Rome destroyed the Temples and brake vp their Gardens and buyldings round about Rome They had also an other God called Adeon and his charge was that when the Childe could goe well hee should goe to his mother and make much of her And albeit Cicero in his booke De natura Deorum putteth this God amongst the other Gods yet I do not remember that I haue euer read that this god had any temple in Rome till the time of Mammea mother of the Emperour Antoninus This excellent woman being left a widowe and with two little children desiring that they might be wel and vertuously brought vp and that they should increase their loue towards her she built to the god Adeon a sumptuous temple in the xii region Vaticanus neer to the Gardens of Domicilius and hard adioyning to that also shee erected one other edifice called Sacellum Mammae where she abode solitarilie for a time For the manner and custome at that time was that all widowes which would bring vp their Children in good discipline should immediately seuer themselues farre from the dangerous pleasures of Rome The ancients had also an other God called Mentallis which was in effect god of wit That is to wit he had authoritie and power to giue Children good or euill sence And to this god the ancients did great sacrifices especially the Greekes much more then the Romanes For as much as Seneca saith that he doth maruell nothing at all of that the Greekes knew but that which made him most to maruel was of that they knewe not since they had the temple of the God Mentallis within their schooles All the children whom they sent to learne Philosophy were by the lawes of Athens bound to serue three yeeres in that Temple And to omit that which Seneca spake of the Greekes I dare boldly say and affirme to many which at these dayes are liuing that if it bee true he gaue sence and vnderstanding to men that they would to day rather then to morrow withdraw themselues to goe into those Temples and there offer their vowes For nothing in the World hapneth to men more then the want of witte and vnderstanding how to gouerne themselues and liue in quiet They had also another God Volunus and a Goddesse called Voluna these two had the charge of affiance in Wedlocke and therefore they were two because the one should helpe the man and the other should helpe the woman The manner vvas such that during the time of their marriage each of them vvare the Image of their owne God about theyr necks those were of gold or siluer And after they were married the Bridegroome gaue vnto his Spouse the Goddesse Voluna and the Bride vnto her husband the God Volunus At such times as the Consuls were created at Rome and the Kings banished and before the comming of the Emperours a litle before the Cornelians moued ciuill commotions in Rome there was one Consul amongst all these whose name was Balbus It is sayde he was the first that builded the Temple of Volunus and Voluna It did stand in the ninth Ward of the City neere vnto the gate Corinthia and was called Scripta Balbi And nigh vnto it was another building called Theatrum Balbi All the Consuls Senatours noble and renowned Barons were married in the Temple which Balbus built That night that Pompey the Great married Iulius Caesars daughter there were some that sayd that Pompey refused to marry her in the Temple of the Gods Volunus and Voluna whereupon they diuined straight that the marriage would not endure long betwixt them As writeth Publius Victor in his third booke De nuptiis Antiquorum The auncient Pagans honoured a God called Agrestes as much to say as the God of fields and fruites to him they offered no sacrifice but twice in the yeare that is to say in Seede time and in haruest The Phrygians that is the Troians and Cicilians greatly obserued this God Agrestes and it was for that in those two Countries there was gathered such plenty of corne to make bread that Phrygia was the great garner of Asia and Trinacria that was Cicilia was the Corne house of Europe They had another God called Belus which was Patrone of men of warre For euen as the Christians when they come to the point to giue battell make their prayers vnto God so likewise the Auncients in the same point did kneele downe and recommend themselues to God Belus Liuie declareth that in all other things which were done and wherof the Romane Knights were accused in the battell of Cannas against Hannibal was for that they did not recommend themselues at all to the God Belus when they should giue battell saying the Carthagians remained Conquerours because they a little before honoured the god Mars and the Romaines were vanquished for that they offered no Sacrifice to God Belus When Pirrus King of the Epirotes that is of Albany came into Italy and that the Romanes were aduertised hee brought with him many Engines and subtill inuentions for the war they decreed to build a Tēple for god Belus within the wals Rome in the ninth warde neere the gate Carmentalle and it was named Edes Beloe in the front whereof was a maruellous sumptuous and stately piller wherein was grauen the order of battell The Gentiles had another God called the God of Victory to whome the Romanes more then any other Nation did sacrifices to the end they might obtaine victory of their enemies Of this God Victoria there was many magnificent Temples in Rome but the chiefest and the greatest was adioyning to the gate Venia in the twelfth warde in the place called Della Victoria It was built in the yeare of the foundation of Rome foure hundreth threescore and seuenteene And it was for the occasion of the victory that Appius Claudius and Quintus Fabius had in Sicill the first time the Romane people fought against the Africanes Herones beeing King Of this warre and victory rose the cruell long and perillous warres betweene Rome and Affricke There was another God amongst the Gods whom the Auncients called Honorius which had the charge that the Inne-keepers should honor and gently entertaine Pilgrimes and strangers so that they should bee well handled through the Prouinces and Realmes whereby they passed And there was a custome in Rome that euer when any Romane should goe any voyage his wife immediately should goe to the Temple of God Honorius to doe her sacrifices In the 15. yeare after that Hannibal passed into Italy the Romanes knew by a Prophesie that as soone as they brought the Image of the Goddesse Berecinthia mother of all the Gods into Rome so soone Hannibal should retire out of Italy And to bring this to passe the Romanes sent their Ambassadors into Phrygia which is one part of Asia to the end they should bring the Goddesse Berecinthia
bin too vniust a thing as hee thought to haue spurned it with his feet wherewith we trust from our enemies to bee desended he caused the stone to bee taken vp not thinking any thing to bee there vnder and immediately after they found another wherein likewise was the forme of the Crosse and this beeing taken vp they found an other in like manner and when that was pluckt vp from the bottome there was found a Treasure which contained the summe of two millions of Duckets for the which the good Emperour Tiberius gaue vnto Almighty God most high thankes and whereas before hee was liberall yet afterwards hee was much more bountifull For all those treasures hee distributed amongst the poore needy people Let therefore mightie Princes and great Lords see reade profite by this example and let them thinke themselues assured that for giuing almes to the poore they need not feare to become poore for in the end the vicious man cannot call himselfe rich nor the vertuous man cannot count himselfe poore CHAP. XVI How the Chiefetaine Narsetes ouercame many battailes onely for that his whole confidence was in God And what hapned to him by the Empresse Sophia Augusta wherein may be noted the vnthankefulnesse of Princes towards their seruants IN the yeare of the Incarnation of Christ 528. Iustinian the Great being Emperour who was the sonne of Iustines sister his Predecessor in the Empire the Histories say in especially Paulus Diaconus in the 18. booke De gestis Romanorum that there was a Knight of Greece in Rome who from his tender yeares had bene brought vp in Italie Hee was a man of meane stature of a cholericke complexion and in the law of Christ very deuout which was no small thing For at that time not onely many knights but almost all the Bishops of Italie were Arrians This Knights name was Narsetes and because he was so valiant in arms and so aduenturous in warres he was chosen Chieftaine generall of the Romane Empire For the Romanes had this excellencie that when they had a valiant and stout Captaine although they might haue his weight of golde giuen them they would neuer depart from his person Hee enterprised so great things he ouercame such mightie Realms and had such notable victories ouer his enemyes that the Romanes said he had in him the strength of Hercules the hardinesse of Hector the noblenes of Alexander the pollicie of Pyrrhus and the fortune of Scipio For manie of the vaine Gentiles held opinion that as the bodyes did distribute their goods in the life so did the soules part theyr gifts after the death This Narsetes was a pittifull Captain and very constant in the Faith of Christ liberall to giue almes effectuous to build newe Monasteryes and in repairing Churches a man very carefull And truly it was a rare thing For in great warres vpon smal occasions Captains vse to beat down churches that which was greatest of all was that he feared God deuoutly visited the Hospitals said his deuotions with penitent teares and aboue all be resorted very often to the Churches in the night And this excellencie was no lesse then the other For the Captaines in such an houre are readier to kill men in their Campe then to bewaile their sinnes in the Church Finally hee was a Christian and so deuoure that God gaue him the victories more through the prayers which hee vsed then through the weapons wherewith hee fought For there was neuer man that saw him shed the bloud of his enemies in battell before he had shed the teares of his eyes in the Temple And to the end Christian Princes and Captaines may see how much better it is to pacific God by teares and prayers then to haue their Campe full of souldiers and riches of many of his doings I will declare part as heere followeth Iustinian the Emperour beeing in Alexandrie Totila King of the Gothes did many mischiefes and great dammages throughout all Italy so that the Romaines durst not goe by the way nor could bee in safeguarde in their houses For the Gothes in the day kept the wayes and in the night robbed and spoyled all the people wherefore Iustinian the Emperour not knowing the matter sent the noble Narsetes Captaine Generall against the Gothes who being arriued in Italy immediately confedered with the Lumbardes the which at that time had their mansion in Hungarie and sent his messengers to King Albonius at that time their King for ayde against the Gothes and in so doing hee sayde hee should see how faithfull a friend hee would be to his friends and how cruell an enemie to his enemies Albonius hearing the message of Narsetes was very glad and without delay armed a great and puissant Army which by the Adriatical sea came into Italy so that the aunswere and the offer came both at one time with effect and so together arriued in one day for the succour of Narsetes the two Armies that is to say that of the Romanes and of the Lumbardes the which assembled all in one and marched vnder the banner of their Captaine Narsetes Wherefore Totila King of the Gothes beeing aduertised as one that had not proued the happy fortune of Narsetes nor the force of the Lumbardes sent to offer them the battell which was giuen in the fields of Aquileia and it was of both parts so fierce and cruell that infinite were they that dyed but in the end Totilla King of the Gothes was ouercome and neyther hee nor any of his hoast escaped aliue The good Captaine Narsetes after the battell gaue many and noble gifts to the Lumbardes and so with riches and victory they returned into Hungarie towards their King Albonius And truly this Narsetes did as he was bound to doe For the friend cannot bee recompenced by riches when for his friend he putteth his life in ieopardy When the Lumbards were gone Narsetes caused all the spoile of his Campe to bee deuided amongst his souldiers and that which belonged vnto him he gaue it wholly to the poore Monasteries so that by this victory Narsetes got triple renown that is to say very bountifull in that hee gaue to the Lumbardes charitable in that hee gaue to the poore and valiant in that he vanquished so puissant enemies Dagobert King of France beyond the Alpes being a couragious young Prince and very desirous of honour for no other cause but to leaue of him some memory determined himselfe in person to passe into Italy although hee had no iust title thereunto For the hearts puffed vp with pride little passe though they war of an vniust quarrell His mishap was such that the same day he passed the riuer of Rubico where the Romanes in old time limited the marches of Italy newes came to him that his own country was vp and those which were there one rebelled against the other that which was not without the great permission of God For it is but reason that
those which were new apparrelled And to say the truth we determined not to goe thither thou because thy garments were torne and I because my shoes were broken and that both the times wee were sicke in Capua they neuer cured vs by diet for our diseases neuer proceeded of excesse but of extreame hunger And oftentimes Retropus the Physition for his pleasure spake to vs in the Vniuersity sayd Alas children you dye not through surfetting and much eating And truely hee sayde truth for the Country was so deare and our mony so scarce that wee did neuer eate vntill the time we could endure no longer for famine Doest thou not remember the great famin that was in Capua for the which cause wee were in the war of Alexandria wherein my flesh did tremble remembring the great perils which wee passed in the gulfe of Theberinth What snowes at winter what extreame heate all Summer what generall famine in the fields what outragious pestilence amongst the people and worst of all what persecution of strangers and what euill will we had of ours remember also that in the city of Naples when wee made our prayer the Prophetesse Flauia shee tolde vs what should become of vs after vvee left our Studies Shee tolde mee that I should bee an Emperour and sayde that thou shouldest be a King To the which answere wee gaue such credite that wee tooke it not onely for a mocke but also for a manifest iniury And now I do not maruell in that then we both maruelled wonderfull much For enuious fortune practised her power more in plucking downe the rich then in setting vp the poore Beholde excellent Princes the great power of the Goddesse the wheele of fortune and the variety of times who would haue thought when I had my hands all rough and scuruy with rowing in the Galley that betweene those hands the Scepter of the Romane Empire should haue been put Who vvould haue thought when I was so sicke for lacke of meate that I should euer haue surfetted by too much eating Who vvould haue thought when I could not bee satisfied vvith cattes flesh that I should haue then glutted with too much dainty meates Who vvould haue thought at that time when I left going into the Temple because my shooes were broken that another time should come when I should ride triumphing in Chariots and vpon the shoulders of other men who would haue thought that that which with my eares I heard of the Prophetes in Campagnia I should see heere with my eyes in Rome O how many did hope at the time we were in Asia to be gouernours of Rome Lords of Sicille which not onely fayled of the honour that they desired but also obtayned the death which they neuer feared for oftentimes it chaunceth to ambitious men that in their greatest ruffe and when they thinke their honour spun and wouen then their estate with the webbe of their life in one moment is broken If at that time one had demaunded the Tirant Laodicius aspiring to the Kingdome of Sicille and Ruphus Caluus who looked to be Emperour of Rome what they thought of themselues assuredly they would haue sworne their hope to haue been as certaine as ours was doubtfull For it is naturall to proud men to delight themselues and to set their whole mind vpon vaine deuises It is a strange thing and worthy of memory that they hauing the honour in their eyes fayled of it and wee not thinking thereof in our hearts should obtaine it But herein fortune shewed her might that shee prouided hope for those which looked for least and despayre for others that hoped for most vvhich thing grieued them at the very heart For no patience can endure to see a man obtaine that without trauell which hee could neuer compasse by much labour I cannot tell if I should say like a simple Romane That those things consist in fortune or if I should say like a good Philosopher That all the Gods doe ordaine them For in the end no Fortune nor chaunce can doe any thing without the Gods assent Let the proud and enuious trauell asmuch as they will and the ambitious take as much care as they can I say and affirme that little auayleth humane diligence to attaine to great estates if the Gods bee theyr enemies Suppose that euill Fortune doe ordaine it or that the God and Gods doe suffer it I see those which haue their thoughts high oftentimes are but of base estate and so in fine to come to mischiefe or extream pouerty those that haue their thoghts low are humble of heart and for the more part are greatly exalted by fortune For many oftentimes dreame that they are Lords and men of great estate which when they are awake finde themselues slaues to all men The condition of honour is such as I neuer read the like and therfore such as haue to doe with her ought to take good heed For her conditions are such shee enquireth for him whom she neuer saw and she runneth after him that flyeth from her she honoureth him that esteemeth her not and she demaundeth him which willeth her not she giueth to him that requireth her not and she trusteth him whom she knoweth not Finally Honour hath this custome to forsake him that esteemeth her to remaine with him which little regardeth her The curious Trauellers aske not what place this or that is but doe demand what way they must take to leade them to the place they goe I meane the Princes and Noble men ought not directly to cast their eyes vpon honour but in the way of vertue which bringeth them to honour For dayly wee see many remaine defamed onely for seeking honour and others also exalted and esteemed for flying from her O miserable World thou knowest I know thee well and that which I know of thee is That thou art a Sepulchre of the dead a prison of the liuing a shoppe of vices a Hangman of vertues obliuion of antiquity an enemy of things present a pittefall to the rich and a burden to the poore a house of Pilgrimes and a denne of theeues Finally O World Thou art a slaunderer of the good a rauenour of the wicked and a deceyuer and abuser of all and in thee O world to speake the trueth It is almost impossible to liue contented and much lesse to liue in honour For if thou wilt giue honour to the good they thinke themselues dishonoured and esteeme thy honour as a thing of mockerie And if perchance they bee euill and light thou sufferest them to come often to honour by way of mockery meaning infamy dishonour vnto them O immortall Gods I am oftentimes troubled in my thought whose case I should more lament eyther the euill man aduanced without desert or the good man ouerthrowne without cause And truely in this case the pitifull man will haue compassion on them both For if the euill liue hee is sure to fall and if
thing very dishonest most noble Prince the which to write vnto thee I am ashamed which is for to enlarge thy new Palace thou hast plucked down an old Temple the which thing thou shouldest neyther haue done nor yet haue thought for in the end though the stones of the Temple be of small importance yet the Gods to whom they were dedicated were of much value Pardon me excellent Prince though I et thee vnderstand that this fact hath beene done in such sort that thereby I was amased and all Rome also offended the sacred Senate thou hast greatly vexed and further all iudge thee a dissolute man and all men procure that thou mayst be extreamly punished and hereof maruell not For in Rome they beleeue that the Prince which dareth plucke downe Temples doth little feare the Gods For that thou art a noble Prince and an olde friend of mine I haue trauelled to bring thee in fauour with the Senate and because thou hast no means to excuse thy errour committed they doe not determine to forgiue thee this fault before they see in thee a token of amendment And of truth me thinketh they haue reason For there is nothing that troubleth poore men more then to see that they and not the rich for theyr offences are chastised and punished That which the sacred Senate hath ordayned is that forthwith thou begin to build the Temple a new and that it should be more large hie beutifull and richer then euer it was So that thou take as much of thy Pallace to enlarge the Temple as thou tookest of the Temple to beautifie thy Pallace After thou hast performed this though now thou thinke thy selfe halfe dishonoured thou wilt then thinke thy selfe very happy For not thou of the Gods but the Gods of thee shall haue taken thy house to make their Temple I beleeue well it will be great cost and charges vnto thee before thou hast finished the Temple Wherefore I send thee 40. thousand sexterces to helpe thy building to the end it should be more secret I send thee them by my Secretary Panuntius to whom in all and for all thou shalt giue credite I send thee likewise a coller of gold which one brought me from the riuer of Nyle and because it was too narrow for mee I suppose it will be fit for thee one hath brought me moyles out of Spaine whereof I send thee two Panuntius my Secretary bringeth with him a very good Moyle the which hee esteemeth much so that there is no man that can eyther buy her or borrow her I delight in her so much that I desire thou cause her eyther to be bought or stollen and sent vnto mee here in Rome My wife Faustine saluteth thee to the excellent Queene thy Wife of her part and mine as much as is possible do our commendations these Popingeyes Faustine presenteth vnto her Marcus the Romane Emperour writeth to thee with his owne hand CHAP. XIX How the Gentiles honoured these which were deuout in the seruice of the Gods THe ancient Romane Historiographers agree that at the beginning there were seuen Kinges which gouerned Rome for the space of 24. yeares The second whereof was named Pompilius who amongst all the other was most highly esteemed for none other cause but for that hee was a great worshipper of the Gods and a sumptuous builder of the Temples For the Romane Princes were as much beloued for seruing the Gods as they were honoured for vanquishing their enemies This maÌ„ was of such sort that he allowed Rome wholy for the Gods made a house for himselfe without the City For it was an ancient Law in Rome that no man should bee so bolde to dwell in any house consecrated for the gods The fift King of the Romanes was Tarquinius Priscus And as Tarquinius Superbus was vicious and abhorred of the people so was this vertuous and welbeloued of the Gods was greatly praysed in all his doings because hee feared God and continually visited the Temples and not contented with those which were finished but built also in the High Capitoll the sacred Temple of Iupiter For no Prince could build any house in Rome for himselfe vnlesse first hee made a Temple for the Gods of the Common-wealth This Temple was had in so great reuerence that as the Romanes honored Iupiter for the God aboue all other Gods so was that Temple esteemed aboue all other Temples In the warres betweene the â—alisques the Carpenates two Romane Captaines were vanquished or the which the one named 〈◊〉 dyed whereupon rose such a great 〈◊〉 among theÌ„ that many flying 〈…〉 the warres came backe againe to Rome For the victorious hath alwayes this Priuiledge That though they bee fewe yet they are alwayes feared of them that be ouercome This occasion mâ—ued the Romanes to chuse new Captaines and truely they did like wise men For oftentimes it haâ—neth by 〈◊〉 the Captaines of the warres fortune likewise chaungeth her doings And the Captaine that was elected for the wars was Marcus Purius Camillus who though he were stout and hardy yet before he went to the wars he offered great sacrifices to the Gods and made a vow that if hee returned to Rome victorious hee would build a solemne Temple For it was the custome in Rome that immediately when the Romane Captaine would enterprise to doe any notable thing he should make a vow to build Temples Now when Camillus returned afterwards victorious hee did not onely build a Temple but also furnished it with all manner of implements thereunto belonging which he got by spoyle and vanquishing his enemies And sith he was for this reprehended of some saying that the Romane Captaines should offer theyr hearts to the Gods and diuide the Treasures among the Souldiers hee answered these words I like a man did aske the Gods but one triumph and they like Gods did giue mee many Therefore considering this it is but iust sâ—th I was 〈◊〉 in promising that I should be large in persoâ—â—ing For euen as I did thanke them for that they gaue me double in respect of that I demaunded so likewise shall they esteeme that which I doe giue in respect of that which I promised At that time when the cruell war was betwixt Rome and the City of Neye the Romanes kept it besieged 5. yeares together and in the end by policie tooke it For it chaunceth sundrie times in warre that that City in short time by policie is won which by great strength a long time hath been defended Marcus Furius Dictator of Rome and at that time Captaine commanded a Proclamation to be had throgh his Host that incontinently after the City was taken none should be so hardy as to kill any of the Citizens but those which were found armed Which thing the enemies vnderstanding vnarmed themselues and so escaped And truly this example was worthy of nothing For as the Captaines ought to shew themselues fierce and cruell at
the beginning so after the victorie had of their enemies they should shew themselues meeke and pittifull This Dictator Camillus for an other thing hee did was much commended aboue the residue That is to say hee did not onely not consent to robbe the Temples nor dishonour the Gods but hee himselfe with great reuerence tooke the sacred vessels of the Temples and the Gods which were therein especially the Goddesse Iuno and brought them all to Rome For amongst the Auncients there was a Law that the Gods of them which were vanquished should not come by lot to the Captaines being Conquerours therfore hee made in the Mount Auentino a sumptuous Temple wherein hee placed all the Gods together with all the holy Reliques which hee wanne For the greater Triumph the Romans had ouer their enemies so much the better they handled the Gods of the people vanquished Also you ought to know that the Romaines after many victories determined to make a crowne of golde very great rich and to offer it to the God Apollo but sith the common Treasure was poor because there was but little siluer and lesse golde to make that crowne The Romane Matrons defaced theyr Iewels and ouches of golde and siluer to make the Crowne there withall For in Rome there neuer wanted money if it were demanded for the seruice of Gods to repayre Temples or to redeeme Captiues The Senate esteemed the well willing hearts of these women in such sort that they graunted them three things that is say To weare on their heades Garlands of flowers to goe in Chariots to the common places and to goe openly to the feasts of the Gods For the auncient Romanes were so honest that they neuer ware gold on theyr heades neyther went they at any time to the feasts vncouered A man ought not to maruell that the Romanes granted such priuiledges vnto the ancient Matrones of Rome For they vsed neuer to bee obliuious of any benefite receyued but rather gentle with thanks and rewards to recompence the same An other notable thing chanced in Rome which was that the Romanes sent two Tribunes the which were called Caulius and Sergius into the Isle of Delphos with greate presents to offer vnto the God Apollo For as Titus Liuius sayeth Rome yeerely sent a present vnto the God Apollo and Apollo gaue vnto the Romanes counsell And as the Tribunes went out of the way they fell into the hands of pirates and rouers on the sea which tooke them with their treasures and brought them to the Cittie of Liparie But the citizens vnderstanding that those presents were consecrated to the God Apollo did not onely deliuer them all their Treasure againe but also gaue them much more guides therewith to conduct them safely both going and comming from all peril and danger The Romaines beeing aduertised of theyr genltenesse by the messengers which were come safe and aliue did so much reioyce that they ordayned in Rome that the Nobles of Liparie should bee made Senatours of Rome and all the others should be confederates and of aliance vnto them And they caused further that two priests of Liparie should alwayes remaine in the Temple of Iupiter which priuiledge was neuer granted to any other strangers but to them onely For the Romanes had so great zeale and loue to their Gods that in the seruices of the temples they trusted none but those which were natiue ancient of Rome and also were both wise and vertuous When Quintus Fabius and Publius Decius were in the warres against the Samnites and Tuscanes and likewise against the Vmbres manie maruellous and terrible signes were seene in Rome which things did not only feare those that sawe them but also those which heard of them Vpon which occasion the Romaines and the Romane Matrones both night and day offered great sacrifices to the gods For they sayd if we can pacifie the wrath of the Gods in Rome we shall neuer need to feare our enemies in the field The thing was this that as the Romane Matrons went visiting the temples to appease the ire of the Gods many senators wiues came to the temple of chastitie to offer sacrifice For in the time of the puissant power of the Romanes the Women did sacrifice in the temples of the Gods At that time Virginea the daughter of Aureus Virgineus the Consul Plebeian the which was forbidden to doe sacrifice for that shee was none of the Senators wiues but a Plebeian as much to say as a Crafts-woman and no Gentlemans-Daughter borne For the Noblewomen were had in so great veneration and so highly esteemed that all the other seemed in respect of them but hand-maydes and slaues The noble Romane Virginea seeing her to be so repulsed and disdained of the other matrones made of her own house a temple to the Goddesse of Chastitie and with much deuotion and reuerence honoured her The which thing being published abroade throughout Rome manie other women came thither to doe Sacrifice likewise For Fortune is so variable that oftentimes those which of pride haue forbidden vs theyr houses come after by humilitie to doe vs seruice at ours For this cause this Virginea the Foundresse was so greatly praysed that the Romaines in her life made her Patrice that is a Noble Romane and after her death caused her Image and statue to be made and set vp in the high Capitoll and about this Image were ingrauen certain Greeke characters the effect whereof was this PATRICE the great this Image doth present That in her life did giue with minde deuout The Gods her house therefore to them went When liuely breath by death was chased out Of all these Hystories aboue-named Titus Liuius maketh mention in his first Decade the second fifth and ninth book and though he declareth them more at large yet this shall suffice for my purpose I haue sought amongst the Gentiles these fewe Examples to reprooue Christian Princes Onely to the ende they might see how studious and seruent our Fathers were in the seruice of their Idols contrariwise how cold and negligent we are to honour and serue our true and liuing God It is a shame to tell how the ancient Romanes with all their hearts did serue the Gods without any vnderstanding and how those which are Christians for the most part serue the true God not in truth but with hypocrisie and dissimulation For the children of this World will take no paines but for to prouoke the pleasures of the body Many wondred for what occasion God did so much for them and they did nothing for God To this may bee answered that if they had known one true God all the sacrifices they had done to their other Gods they would haue done to him onely and as God is iust so hee rewarded them in their temporall prosperities Not for that they did well but for that they desired to doe well For in our diuine Law God doth not regard what wee
end count they well or euill all passeth amongst men because they are men but what shall the vnhappy Princes doe which shall render no account but to God onely who will not bee deceiued with words corrupted with gifts feared with threatnings nor answered with excuses Princes haue their Realms full of cruell Iudges to punish the frailetic of man they haue their courts full of Aduocates to plead against them that haue offended they haue their Pallaces 〈…〉 and Promoters that note the offences of other men They haue through all theyr Prouince Auditours that ouersee the accounts of their routs and besides all this they haue no remembrance of the day so strict wherein they must render an account of their wicked life Me thinkes since all that which Princes receyue commeth from the hands of God that the greatest part of the time which they spend should bee in the seruice of God and al their trade in God and they ought to render no account of their life but vnto God then sith they are Gods in authority which they haue ouer temporall things they ought to shew themselues to resemble God more then others by vertues For that Prince is more to be magnified which reformeth two vices among his people then hee which conquereth ten Realmes of his enemies But we wil desire them from henceforth They presume not any more to bee Gods on the earth but that they endeuour themselues to bee good Christians in the Commonwealth For all the wealth of a Prince is That hee bee stout with strangers and louing to his owne Subiects Fiftly Princes ought to bee better Christians then others For the prosperity or aduersity that chanceth vnto them commeth directly from the hands of God onely and none other I haue seene sundry times princes which haue put their whole trust and confidence in other Princes to be on a sodaine discomfited and for the contrary those which haue litle hope in men and great confidence in God haue alwayes prospered When man is in his chiefest brauery and trusteth most to mens wisedome then the secret iudgement of God soonest discomforteth him I meane that the consederates and friends of Princes might helpe and succour them but God will not suffer them to be holpen nor succoured to the ende they should see their remedy proceedeth not by mans diligence but by diuine prouidence A Prince that hath a Realme doth not suffer any thing to bee done therein without his aduice therefore since God is of no lesse power in Heauen then Princes are on the earth it is reason that nothing bee done without his consent since he taketh account of all mens deedes and as hee is the end of all things so in him and by him all things haue their beginning O Princes If you knew how small a thing it is to bee hated of men and how great a comfort to be beloued of GOD I sweare that you would not speake one word althogh it were in iest vnto men neyther would you cease night nor day to commend your selues vnto God for God is more mercifull to succour vs then wee are diligent for to call vpon him For in conclusion the fauour which men can giue you other men can take from you but the fauour that God will giue you no man can resist it All those that possesse much should vse the company of them which can doe much and if it bee so I let you Princes know that all men cannot thinke so much together as God is able to doe alone For the crye of a Lyon is more fearefull then the howling of a Wolfe I confesse that Princes and great Lords may sometimes gaine and winne of them selues but I aske them whose fauour they haue neede of to preserue and keepe them we see oftentimes that in a short space many come to great authority the which neyther mans wisedome sufficeth to gouerne nor yet mans force to keepe For the authority which the Romanes in sixe hundred yeares gained fighting against the Gothes in the space of three yeares they lost Wee see daily by experience that a man for the gouernment of his owne house onely needeth the counsell of his friends and neighbours and doe Princes and great Lords thinke by their own heades onely to rule and gouerne many realmes and dominions CHAP. XXI What the Philosopher Bias was of his constancy when hee lost all his goods and of the ten lawes hee gaue worthy to bee had in memory AMong all nations sorts of men which auaunt themselues to haue had with them sage men the Grecians were the chiefest which had and thought it necessary to haue not onely wise men to reade in theyr schooles but also they chose them to bee Princes in their dominions For as Plato sayeth Those which gouerned in those dates were Philosophers or else they sayde and did like Philosohers And Laertius writeth in his second booke De antiquitatibus Graecorum That the Grecians auaunted themselues much in this that they had of all Estates persons most notable that is to say Seuen women very sage seuen Queenes very honest seuen Kings very vertuous seuen Captaines very hardy seuen Cities very notable seuen buildings very sumptuous and seuen Philosophers very well Learned which Philosophers were these that follow The first was Tales Milesius that inuented the Carde to sayle by The second was Solon that gaue the first lawes to the Athenians The third was Chilo who was in the Orient for Ambassadour of the Athenians The fourth was Pittacus Quintilenus who was not onely a Philosopher but also Captaine of the Mitilenes The fifth was Cleobolus that discended from the ancient lynage of Hercules The sixt was Periander that long time gouerned the realme of Corinth The seuenth was Bias Prieneus that was Prince of the Prieneans Therefore as touching Bias you must vnderstand that when Romulus raigned at Rome and Ezechias in Iudea there was great warres in Grecia betweene the Metinences and the Prieneans and of these Prieneans Bias the Philosopher was Prince and Captaine who because hee was sage read in the Vniuersity and for that hee was hardy was Chiefetain in the warre and because hee was wise he was made a Prince and gouerned the Common-wealth And of this no man ought to maruell for in those daies the Philosopher that had knowledge but in one thing was little esteemed in the Common-wealth After many contentions had betweene the Metinenses and Prienenses a cruel battell was fought whereof the Philosopher Bias was Captaine and had the victory and it was the first battell that euer any Philosopher gaue in Greece For the which victory Greece was proud to see their Philosophers so aduenturous in wars and hardy of their hands as they were profound in their doctrine and eloquent in their tongues And by chance one brought him a number of women and maides to sell or if hee listed to vse them otherwise at his pleasure but this good Philosopher did not
resisted if it be not by wise men and graue counsells The sixt was What thing that is wherein men are praised to be negligent and that is in choosing of Friendes Hee answered In one thing onely men haue licence to be negligent Slowly ought thy Friends to bee chosen and they neuer after for any thing ought to be forsaken The seuenth was What is that which the afflicted man doth most desire Byas answered It is the chaunce of Fortune and the thing which the prosperous man doth most abhorre is to thinke that Fortune is somutable For the vnfortunate man hopeth for euery chaunge of Fortune to be made better and the wealthy man feareth through euery change to be depriued of his bouse These were the Questions which the Philosophers demaunded of Byas in the Playes of the Mount Olympus in the 60. Olympiade The Phylosopher Byas liued about 95. yeares and as he drewe neere his death the Prienenses shewing themselues to be maruellous sorrowfull for the losse of such a famous man desired him earnestly to ordayne some lawes whereby they might know how to choose Captaines or some Prince which after him might guide and gouerne the Realme The Phylosopher Byas vnderstanding their honest and iust requests he with his best counsell and aduisement gaue them certaine wholsome Lawes in fewe wordes which followe And of these Lawes the diuine Plato maketh mention in his Booke De Legibus and likewise Aristotle in the booke of Oecenomices The Lawes which BIAS gvue to the Prienenses WEe ordayne and command that no man bee chosen to bee Prince among the people vnlesse hee bee at least forty yeares of age For gouernours ought to be of such age that neyther youth nor small experience should cause them to erre in their affayres nor weakenesse thorow ouermuch age should hinder them from taking paines Wee ordayne and commaund that none bee chosen amongst the Prienenses Gouernour if hee bee not well learned in the Greeke Letters For there is no greater plague in the publike weale then for him to lacke wisedome which gouerneth the same Wee ordayne and commaund that there bee none amongst the Prienenses chosen Gouernour vnlesse hee hath beene brought vp in the warres ten yeares at the least for hee alone doth know how precious a thing peace is which by experience hath felt the extreame miseries of warre Wee ordayne and commaund that if any haue beene noted to bee cruell that hee bee not chosen for Gouernour of the people for that man which is cruell is likely to be a Tyrant Wee ordaine and commaund that if the Gouernor of the Prienenses bee so hardy or dare presume to breake the auncient lawes of the people that in such case hee be depriued from the office of the Gouernour and likewise exiled from the people For there is nothing that destroyeth sooner a publike-Weale then to ordaine new and fond lawes to breake the good auncient Customes Wee ordaine and commaund that the Gouernour of the Prienenses doe worship and honour the Gods and that hee bee a louer of the sacred Temples For otherwise hee that honoureth not God will neuer minister equall iustice vnto men Wee ordaine and command that the Prince of Prienenses bee contented with the warres which his Auncesters left him and that he doe not forget newe matters to inuade any other strange Countries and if perchance he would that no man in this case bee bound neyther with money nor in person to follow or serue him For the God Apollo told mee that that man which wil take another mans goods from him by force shall loose his owne Iustice Wee ordaine and command that the Gouernour of the Prienenses go to pray and worship the Gods twice in the weeke and likewise to visite them in the Temples and if hee doe the contrary he shall not onely bee depriued of the gouernement but also after his death he shall not bee buried For the Prince that honoreth not God in time of his life deserueth not his bones should bee honoured with sepnlture after his death CHAP XXII How God from the beginning punished men by his iustice and especially those Princes that despise his Church and how all wicked Christians are Parishioners of Hell WHen the Eternall Creatour who measureth all the things by his Omnipotency and weigheth them by his effectuall wisedome created all things aswell celestiall as terrestriall visible as inuisible corporate as incorporate not onely promised to the good which serued him but also threatned the euil with plagues which offended him For the iustice and mercy of GOD goe alwayes together to the intent the one should encourage the good and the other threaten the euill This thing seemeth to bee true for that wee haue but one GOD which hath created but one World wherein hee made but one Garden in the which Garden there was but one Fountaine and neere to that Fountaine he appointed onely one man one woman and one Serpent neere vnto which was also one tree only forbidden which is a thing maruellous to speake and no lesse fearefull to see how God did put into the terrestriall Paradise the same day that the creation of the World was finished both a sword and a gybet The gybet was the tree forbidden whereof they did eate Wherefore our Fathers were condemned And the sword was the penishment wherwith wee all as miserable children at this day are beheaded for truely they did eate the bitternesse of theyr fault and we doe feele the griefe of their paine I meane to shew how our God by his power doth rayse vp that which is beaten downe how with his wisedome he guideth those which are blind how by his will hee dissembleth with the euill doers neyther wil I tell how hee through his clemency pardoneth the offences and through his light lightneth the darkenesse nor how through his righteousnesse hee amendeth that which is broken and through his liberality payeth more then wee deserue But I will here declare at large how our omnipotent God through his iustice chastiseth those which walke not in his pathes O Lord God how sure may thy faithfull seruants be for their small seruices to receyue great rewards and contrary the euill ought alwayes to liue in as great feare lest for their hainous offences thou shouldest giue them cruell punishments for though God of his bounty will not leaue any seruice vnrewarded nor of his iustice will omit any euill vnpunished yet for all that wee ought to know that aboue all and more then all hee will rigorously chastice those which maliciously despise the Catholike faith For Christ thinketh himselfe as much iniured of those which persecute his Church as of those that layd handes on his person to put him to death We reade that in times past God shewed sundry grieuous and cruell punishments to diuers high Lords and Princes besides other famous renowned men But rigour had neuer such power in his hand as it had against those which honored
of the common people And truly it is no small benefit that God had made him of a mean estate for to be of base lynage maketh men to bee despised and not regarded and to come of a noble bloud and high lynage maketh men to be proud and lofty This young man being come into the Romaine Campe the fame was immediately spred how that he alone had vanquished 5. Knights And his strength and courage was so highly esteemed that within a while after he was made Pretour of the Armie For the Romaines not according to fauour but according to the ability of men diuided the offices and degrees of honour in warres Time therefore working his nature and many estates being decayed after this young Gracian was made Pretour of the Armie and that hee was sufficiently tryed in the warres Fortune which many times bringeth that to passe in a day that mans malice cannot in many yeares raysed this Gracian to be Emperour of Rome For truly one houre of good successe is more worth then all worldly fauour This Gracian was not onely singular in strength couragious in battell fortunate in all his affayres but also hee was luckie of children that is to say hee had two sonnes which were Emperors of Rome the one was called Valente the other Valentinian In this case the children might glory to haue a Father so stout but the glory of the Father is greater to haue sonnes of such Nobility For there is no greater felicity in this world then during life to come to honour and riches and after death to leaue good children to enioy them The eldest of the two sonnes was the Emperour Valente who ruled in the Orient for the space of foure yeeres and was the nine and thirtieth Emperour of Rome from Iulius Caesar though some doe beginne at the time of Octauian saying that hee was vertuous and that Iulius Caesar vsurped the Empire like a Tyrant This Valente was beautifull of person but poore of vertues so that hee was more beautifull then vertuous more couragious then mercifull more rich then charitable more cruell then pittifull For there are many Princes that are very expert to deuise new orders in a common wealth but there are few that haue stoute hearts to put the same in execution In those dayes the Sect of Arrian the cursed Heretike flourished and the Emperour Valente was greatly blinded therein insomuch that hee did not onely fauour the Arrians but also hee persecuted the Christians which was shewed for so much as he killed and caused to be killed for that occasion many lay men and tooke many Clerkes and banished many Bishops ouerthrew many Churches robbed the goods of the Christians and did infinite other mischiefes in the common welth For the Prince which is infected with heresie and liueth without feare of the Church there is neither mischiefe nor treason but he will commit In the deserts of Egypt in the mountaines of Armenia and in the cities of Alexandrie there was a great multitude of Fryers and religious men amongst whom were many Wisemen and pure of life constant in the defence of the Church and patient in persecutions For hee is a true religious man that in time of peace is charitable to teach the ignorant and bolde in the time of Schismes to confound the Heretikes The Emperour Valente was not onely a friend vnto the Arrians and and an enemie to the Christians but also hee was a persecuter of the deuoute and religious Fryers For hee commaunded proclamations to be hid through all his Realmes and Domions that all the religious that were young in yeares whole of their bodies and sound of their limmes should immediately cast off theyr Cowles and Hoodes leauing theyr Monastery and take Souldiers wages in the Campe for hee sayde Monasteries were inuented for nothing else but to maintaine those that were deformed blinde lame and maymed and vpon this occasion hee shewed great tyranny for many Monasteries were left naked many notable constitutions were broken many hermites were martyred many Fryers whipped many notable Barons banished and many good men robbed of their goods For the vertuous men desired rather the bitter life of the Monastery then the sweete and pleasant liberty of the world This wicked Emperour yet not contented with these things as by chance his wife commended vnto him the beauty of a Romane called Iustinia without any more delay hee married her not forsaking his first wife and immediately made a law throughout all his Empire that without incurring any danger each Chrian might haue two wiues and marry with them by the law of Matrimonie for the tyrannous Princes to cloake their vices make and establish the lawes of vices The shame was not little that the Emperour Valente against the commaundement of the Church would marry with two women at one time but the lesse shame hee had the greater was his iniquitie to put it in execution and to cause it to bee published through his realm as a Law for a particular vice corrupteth but one alone but a generall law destroyeth all At that time the puissant Gothes were in the parties of the Orient the which were in feates of Armes very valiant and couragious but in things of faith they were euil brought vp although the greatest part of them were baptized for then the Church was very poore of Prelates howbeit those that they had were very notable men After the Gothes were baptized and the fury of the warres somwhat appeased they sent Ambassadours to the Emperour Valente desiring him that immediately and forth with hee would send them holy Catholike Bishoppes by whose doctrine they might be instructed brought to the Christian faith for it was supposed that the Emperour of Rome could haue no Bishops in their countryes vnlesse they were vertuous this wicked Emperour sith hee was now entangled with heresie and that hee had peruerted the customes of good Emperours that is for hauing about him euill Bishoppes as he was now enuironed with al euils and mischiefes so hee sent to the Gothes a Bishop called Eudoxius the which was a ranke Arrian and brought with him many Bishoppes which were Heretikes by the which the Kinges and Princes of the Gothes were Arrians for the space of two hundred yeares The Catholike Princes ought to take great care to Watch and in watching to be warie and circumspect that they their Realmes neyther their Subiects should in theyr time bee defiled with heresie For the plague of Heretikes and Heresies is not of light occasion banished the place where once it hath raigned Wee haue declared of the small faith that this Emperour had in Iesus Christ and of the great mischiefes he did to the Church Let vs now see what was the end of his miserable life For the man of wicked life seldome commeth to good end The matter was this that as the Gothes were driuen out of the Realme by some of the Hunnes they came immediately to
the Realme of Thracia which then was subiect to the Romanes And the Emperour Valente without any couenant receiued them into his land wherein hee committed great folly and vsed little wisedome for it is a generall rule where rebels vagabonds strangers come to inhabite there the Realme and dominions is destroyed The Gothes remained certain yeares among them without any dissention or quarrelling against the Romaines but afterwards through the couetousnes of Maximus chiefe Captain of the Romaines who denyed the Gothes of their prouision which so long time remained Friendes arose betweene them so cruell warres that it was the occasion of the losse and vtter vndoing both of Rome and of all Italie For truly there is no enmity doth somuch hurt as that of Friends when they fall out at discord The Warres now being kindled the Gothes were scattred through the Kingdome of Thrace and they left no Forte but they battered downe they came to no Townes Villages nor Cities but they sacked and spoyled They tooke no Women but they forced and rauished they entred into no house but they robbed Finally the Gothes in short time shewed the poison that they had against the Romans let no man maruell that the Gothes committed so many cruel and hainous facts sith we that are Christians doe commit dayly greater offences For among rebels it is a common errour that that which they rob in the warres they say they are not bound to restore in peace The Emperor Valente was then in the citie of Antioch and sith he had assembled there a great armie and had great aide out of Italy he determined himselfe in person to goe into the campe of the Romans and to giue the onset against the Gothes wherein hee shewed himselfe more bold then wise for a Prince in battael caÌ„ do no more then one man nor fight more then one man and if he die he is the occasion of the death and destruction of them all When both the hosts of the Romaines and the Gothes ioyned there was betweene them a cruell and mortall fight so that in the first brunt the Gothes shewed themselues so valiant that they put to flight the Romans horsemen leauing their footemen alone in great ieopardie the which in short space after were discomfited and slaine not one left aliue For the barbarous sware that that day the Gothes should all die or else vtterly they would destroy the name of the Romanes And in this first charge the Emperour Valente was mortally wounded who perceyuing he had his deathes wound and that the battell was lost hee determined to flye and saue himselfe but when fortune beginneth to persecute any man shee leaueth him not vntill shee see him dead or beaten downe without recouery Therefore as this wicked Emperour thinking to saue himselfe came into a sheepecote the enemies seeing him in the end set fire on the shepecote and burnt him aliue So in one day hee loft his person his life his honour and his Empire For it is meete that Princes and great Lords should lift vp their eyes to consider well the Historie of Valente that they stray not from the Catholike Faith that they dishonour not Gods Ministers and maintaine heresyes For as this accursed Emperour Valente for his wicked doings was condignely punished by the hands of Almighty God So let them be assured the selfe same God will not pardon their offences For it is a rule infallible That that Prince which is not a good Christian shal fall into the hands of his cruell enemies CHAP. XXV Of the Emperor Valentinian and Gracian his Sonne which raigned in the time of Saint Ambrose which because they were good Christians were alwayes fortunate and that God giueth victory vnto Princes more through the teares of them that pray then thorow the weapons of those that fight IAlentinian and Valent were brethren and the eldest of them was Valentinian who succeeded in the Empire after the death of his Father to bee Pretor of the Armies For amongst the Romaines there was a Law in vre that if the Father dyed in the fauour of the people of right the sonne without any other demand was heyre This Valentinian was a lusty yong man of a sanguine complexion and of his body well shaped and aboue all hee was a good Christian and of all the people generally welbeloued For nothing adorneth the noble man more then to bee counted ciuill and courteous of behauiour At that time when the Emperour Iulian persecuted most the Christians Valentinian was Pretour of the Armies and when Iulian was aduertised that Valentinian was a Christian hee sent vnto him and bad him doe sacrifice to the Idols of the Romane Emperor or else to forsake the office of his Pretorship Iulian would gladly haue killed Valentinian but he durst not for it was a Law inuiolable amongst the Romanes that no Citizen should be put to death without the decree of the Senate Valentinian receyuing the message of this Emperour Iulian aduertised of his will which was to renounce his faith or to leaue his office hee did not onely resigne his office but therewithall forgaue the Emperour all the money hee ought him for arrerages of his sernice And because hee would liue with a more quiet conscience he went from Rome into a Cloyster where hee banished himselfe for two yeares and a halfe for this hee was highly esteemed and commended For it is a good signe That man is a good Christian which of his owne free will renounceth worldly goods Shortly after it happened that Iulian the Emperour went to conquere the Realme of Persia where in a battell hee was very sore wounded and fell downe dead in the present place For to the mishaps of Fortune the Emperour with all his estate and pleasures is as much subiect as is the poorest man that lieth in the streetes When the newes came to Rome that Iulian was dead by the consent of all Valentinian was created Emperour so that hee being banished for Christs sake was called againe and crowned Prince of the Romane Empire Let no man care to loose all that hee possesseth let no man weigh to see himselfe despised for Christes sake For in the end men cannot in a thousand yeeres so much abase vs as God in one houre can exalt vs. In the same yeare which was from the foundation of Rome â—119 in a City called Atrobata it rained very fine wooll so that all the City became rich In the same yeare in the City of Constantinople it hayled such great stones that they killed many men left no heards in the fields aliue At that same time there came an Earthquake throughout Italy and so likewise in Sicille that many houses fell and slew sundry persons and aboue all the sea rose in such sort that it drowned many Cities nigh thereunto Paulus Diaconus in the 11. booke De Legibus Romanorum sayeth that the Emperour Valentinian was of a subtill wit of
Knights Companions in warre most thankefully I accept your seruice in that you haue solde your goods and do offer your liues here to accompany mee in the warres and herein you shew your duties for of right you ought to loose your goods and to venture your liues for the defence and surety of your Country But if I giue you some thanks for your company know you that I giue much more for your good counsell which presently you giue me for in great conflicts seldome is found together both good counsell and stout hearts If I haue enterprised this battell in hope of mans power then you had had reason that wee should not giue the battell seeing the great multitude that they haue and the small number that wee are for as you say the weighty affayres of the publike weale should not vnaduisedly bee committed to the incertainety of Fortune I haue taken vpon mee this daungerous and perillous warres first trusting that on my part iusticeremaineth and sith God is the same onely iustice I trust assuredly hee will giue mee the victory in this perillous conflict For iustice auayleth Princes more that they haue then the men of warre doe which they lead Wherfore sith my cause is iust and that I haue God the onely Iudge therof on my side me thinketh if for any worldly feare I should cease to giue the battell I should both shew my selfe to be a Prince of small faith and also blaspheme God saying hee were of small iustice For God sheweth most his power there where the frailenesse of man hath least hope Then sith I beginne the warre and that by mee the warre is procured and for mee you are come to the warre I haue determined to enter into the battell and if I perish therein I shall bee sure it shall bee for the memory of my person and the saluation of my Soule For to dye through iustice is not to dye but to change death for life And thus doing if I lose my life yet therefore I lose not my honour and all this considered I doe that which for the Common-wealth I am bound For to a Prince it were great infamy and dishonour that the quarrell being his owne should by the bloud of others be reuenged I will proue this day in battell whether I was chosen Emperour by the diuine will or not For if God this day causeth my life to bee taken frō me it is a manifest token he hath a better in store for me and if through his mercy I be preserued it signifieth that for some other better thing he granteth me life For in the end the sword of the enemy is but the scourge of our offences The best that I see therefore in this matter to bee done is that till three dayes be passed the battell bee not giuen and that wee confesse our selus this night in the morning prepare our selus to receiue our Redeemer and besides this that euery man pardon his Christian brother if he haue had any wrong or iniury done him for oft times though the demaund of the war bee iust yet many mishaps befall therein through the offences of those which pursue follow the same After that three dayes are past each thing according to my sayings before accomplished in euery point as behoueth then let God dispose all things as hee shall see good for now I am fully determined to aduenture my life in battell Wherefore my valiant and stout warriours doubt not at all for this day I must eyther vanquish mine enemies or else suffer death and if I dye I doe that which needes I must Wherefore I will now cease to exhort you any more desiring you to consider that whereunto your duties leadeth you remembring that you are come as knights and in the defence of your Country you wage battell for now we are come to that pinch that deedes must more auaile vs then words for peace ought to be maintained by the tongue but wars ought to be atchieued by sword Al these words then ended and three dayes past the Emperour in person gaue the battell where the conflict slaughter on both sides was very terrible yet in the end the Emperour Gracian had the victory ouer his enemies and there dyed in that conflict 30. thousand Gothes and Almaines and of the Romanes there were not slaine but fiue thousand For that Army only is preserued which to the diuine will is conformable Let all other Princes take example by this noble Prince let thē cōsider how it behoueth thē to be good Christians and that in great warres and conflicts they neede not feare the great number of their enemies but they ought greatly to see that the wrath of God bee pacified For the heart is more dismaied with the secret sinnes then it is feared with the open enemies CHAP. XXVII That the Captaine Theodosius which was Father of the Great Emperour Theodosius dyed a good Christian And of the King Hismarus and the Bishop Siluanus And of a Councell that was celebrated with the Lawes which they made and established in the same THe two brethren being Emperours that is to say Valentinian and Valente in the coastes of Africke the realme of Mauritania a Tyrant vsurped the place of a King against the Romanes who was named Thyrmus a man hardy in trauels and in daungers stout For the aduenturous hearts oftentimes doe commit many tyrannies This tyrant Thyrmus by much crueltie came possessed of the realme of Mauritania and not contented therewith but also by tyranny possessed a great part of Affricke and prepared as Hannibal did an huge armie to passe into Italy to dye in challenging the Empire of Rome This was a renowmed Tyrant that neuer tooke pleasure in any other thing so much as to spoyle and robbe others of their goods The Romaines that in all their doings were very sage and of the tyranny of tyrants sufficiently monished immediately prepared a great Army to passe into Affricke and to spoyle the realme and to destroy the Tyrant by the commandement and decree of the Senate and that for no pact or couenant the Tyrant should liue And without doubt this commaundement was iust For to him that is a destroier of the Common-wealth it is not punishment inough to take away his life At that time there was a Knight in Rome whose name was Theodosius a man well strucken in yeares and yet better approued in warres but he was not the richest howbeit hee vaunted himselfe as truth was to bee of the bloud of Traian the great Emperour vpon which occasion he was greatly honoured and feared in Rome for the Commons were so noble gracious towards their Princes that all those which from the good and vertuous Emperour descended were of the whole Common-wealth greatly esteemed This noble Theodosius was of yeers so auncient and so honoured in his olde age for his gray hayres so noble of lynage and so approued in warres that he was
by the authority of the Emperour Valentinian by the consent of al the Senate and by the good wils of the whole people chosen to to goe to the conquest of Affricke truely their reason was good For Theodosius desired much to fight against that Tyrant Thyrmus and all the people were glad that such a captaine led the Armie So this Theodosius imbarked with the Army departed from Rome and in fewe dayes arriued at Bona which was a City greatly replenished with people situated in a hauen of the Sea in Affricke And as he and his Army was landed the tyrant Thyrmus forthwith encamped his Army in the field in the face of the Romaines and so all being planted in the plame the one to assault and the other to defend immediatly the two Armies ioyned and the one assaulting the other fiercely on both sides was great slaughter So that those which to day were conquered to morrow did conquere and those which yesterday were Conquerours afterward remained conquered For in long warres Fortune chaungeth In the Prouince of Mauritania there was a strong Cittie called Obelista and as the captaine Theodosius by his force occupyed all the Fielde the Tyrant Thyrmus fortified himselfe in the Citie the which valiantly being assaulted of the Captain Theodosius and almost with his men entring into the same The Tyrant Thyrmus because hee would not commit himselfe vnto the faith of other men slewe himselfe with his proper handes For the propertie of prowde and disdainefull hearts is rather to dye in libertie then to liue in captiuitie At that time the Emperour Valent by the arte of Nigromancie wrought secretly to knowe what lucke should succeede in the Romane Empire And by chaunce a certaine woman being an Enchaunteresse had answer of the diuel that that name which with these Letters should bee written should be successor to the Empire and the Letters were these T. E. O D The Emperour Valent diligently enquired of all the names which with these iiij letters could be named and they found that those signified the Theodotes the Theodores and the Theodoses wherefore Valent forthwith put all those to the sword that were of that name Such was the wickednes of the Emperour Valent supposing they would haue taken the Empire from him beeing aliue For the tyrannous Prince liueth euer in iealousie and suspition The excellent Captaine Theodosius the Tyrant Thyrmus being dead and hauing subdued all Affricke to the Romane Empire was burdened that hee was a secret Traytour to the Empire and that hee compassed to winne the same by tiranny For this cause therefore the Emperour Valent gaue sentence he should be beheaded And this was done he neuer hearing of it and much lesse culpable thereof For all Princes that are wilfull in their doings are very absolute of theyr sentence This came to the eares of Theodosius and seeing that he was condemned to be beheaded hee sent incontinent for the Byshop of Carthage of whom hee demaunded the water of holy Baptisme and so being baptised and in the Faith of Christ instructed was by the Hangman put to execurion Of this so grieuous outragious and detestable Fact euery man iudged this Theodosius to suffer as an innocent and that the Emperour Valent had iudged euill and like a Tyrant For the innocencie of the good is the great enemy of the euill At the same time when Theodosius demaunded Baptisme according to the saying of Prosper in his chronicle he said vnto the Bishop which should Baptise him these words O Bishop Saint Roger I doe Coniure thee by the Creatour which made vs and doe desire thee for the Passion of IESV CHRIST who redeemed vs to giue me the water of Baptisme For I haue made a vowe to become a Christian if GOD graunted mee victorie Wherefore I will accomplish my vowes for those things which necessitie causeth vs to promise our owne free will ought to accomplish I am sorrie with all my heart that being a Christian I can liue no longer and sith it is so I offer my life for his sake and into his mercifull hands I commend my soule I leaue a Sonne of mine who is called Theodosius and if the Fatherly loue beguyle me not I thinke he will proue a vertuous and stout young man and besides that he will bee wise and sith by thy handes hee hath beene baptized I require thee holy Father that thou through thy wisdom wilt bring him vp in the true faith for if hee be a good Christian I trust in God hee wil be a great man in the Empire This Theodosius was the Father of the great Emperor Theodosius so that the father was a Christian and the sonne a Christian Not long after the Emperour Valent had caused Theodosius which was father to the great Emperour Theodosius to bee executed Valent by the commandement of God was by the Gothes persecuted and in the end put to death and truely this was the iust iudgement of God For he of right should suffer death himselfe which vniustly procureth the death of others Rufinus in the second booke of his histories saith that after the Tyrant Thirmus was put to death by the captaine Theodosius and that the Emperour Valent had caused this Theodosius to be put to death and that the same Valent was slaine of the Gothes the Romaines created a king in Africke whose name was Hismarus called for a right Christian in that time which was from the building of Rome 377. There was in the City of Carthage a holy Bishop called Silunaus a man in humane and diuine letters excellently well learned and sith the King was so iust and the Bishop so holy both the faith encreased and also the affayres of the Common weale prospered For commonly the warres beginne rather through the pride of the highest then through disobedience in the lowest Therefore this holy Bishoppe and good Christian King being desirous in their time to giue good examples to the subiects for the time to come to leaue good precepts they celebrated in the City of Bona a Councell with all the Bishops of Affrikce in the which King Hismarus was in person For in ancient Councels the Kings were not onely there in persons but also all the Lords and high Estates of theyr Realmes Amongst many excellent things which Rufinus mentioneth that were ordayned in this place it seemed good vnto me to remēber heere these few to the end Christian Princes now present may see what deuoute Christians those Kings were in times past A collection or purport of the Counsell of Hyponense THese were the thinges which in the sacred Councell of Hyponense were ordayned where there was in person the Catholike King Hismarus and the religious Bishoppe Siluanus and in that which was ordained the King spake in some of them and doth counsell in other some because in such semblable affayres it is both meete and requisite that the royall preheminence be reuerenced and the authority of the Church not
places are Arbours and Gardeins to wofull and heauie hearts A slaue hath nothing to care for but himselfe alone but you that be princes haue to satisfie and please all men For the Prince should haue a time for himselfe and also for those which are about him The diuine Plato said well that hee that should haue the least parte of a Prince and belonging to a Prince ought to be the Prince himselfe For to that ende the Prince should bee all his owne he ought to haue no part in himselfe Though a slaue work trauel in the day yet he sleepes without care in the night but you Princes passe the time in hearing importunate suites and the nights in fetching innumerable sighs Finally I say that in a slaue be it well or be it euill all his paine is finished in one yeare or is ended at his death but what shall a wofull Prince doe when he dyeth If he were good there is but a short memory of his goodnesse and if hee hath beene euill his infamy shall neuer haue end I haue spoken these things to the end that great and small Lords and seruants should confesse and acknowledge the true Seigniory to be onely vnto him who for to make vs Lords aboue became a seruant heere beneath CHAP. XXX When the Tyrants beganne to ratgne and vpon what occasion commaunding and obeying first begann And how the authority which the Prince hath is by the ordinance of God CEasing to speake any further of the Poeticall Histories and auncient faynings and speaking the truth according to the diuine Histories the first that did liue in this World was our Father Adam who did eate of the fruite forbidden and that not so much for to trespasse the commaundement of one as for not to displease his wife Eue For many now a dayes had rather suffer theyr conscience a long time to bee infected then one onely day to see theyr wiues displeased The first homicide of the worlde was Caine The first that dyed in the World was Abel The first that had two wiues in the World was Lamech The first City of the World was by Enoch built in the fields of Edon The first Musition was Tubalcaim The first which sayled in the World was Noe The first Tyrant of the World was Nembroth The first Priest was Melcrisedech The first King of the World was Anraphel The first Duke was Moyses The first which was called Emperour in the World was Iulius Caesar For vntill this time they which gouerned were called Consuls Censors and Dictators And from Iulius Caesars hitherto haue beene called Emperours The first battell that was giuen in the world as wee reade was in the wilde valleyes which now they call the dead and salt sea For a great part of that that then was the maine land is novv the dead sea The holy Scriptures cannot deceyue vs for it is full of all truth and by them it is declared that eighteene hundred yeares after the World beganne there was no battell assembled nor company that met to fight in the field for at that time when they had no ambition nor couetousnesse they knew not what battell meant It is reason therefore that in this writing we declare the cause why the first battell was fought in the world to the end Princes may thereof bee aduertised and the curious Reader remaine therein satisfied The manner was this that Bassa being King of Sodome Bersa King of Gomorrhe Senaab King of Adamee Semebar King of Seboime and Vale King of Segor were all fiue Tributaries to Chodor Lanmor King of the Elamites which fiue Kings conspired against him because they would pay him no tribute and because that they would acknowledge no homage vnto him For the realmes paying tribute haue alwayes rebelled and sowed sedition This rebellion was in the 13 yeare of the raigne of Chodor Laomor King of the Elamites and immediately the yeare following Anraphel king of Sernaar Arioch king of Ponte and Aradal King of the Allotali ioyned with Chodor Laomor All which together beganne to make warres to destroy Cities and Countries vpon their enemies For the olde malice of the warre is That where they cannot haue their enemies which are in the fault they put to sacke and destroy those which are innocent and guiltlesse So the one assaulting and the other desending in the end all come to the field they gaue battell as two enemies and the greatest part was ouercome of the fewest and the fewest remayned victorious ouer the greatest which thing God would suffer in the first battell of the world to the end Princes might take example that all the mishappes of the Warres come not but because they are begun of an vniust occasion If Chodor Laomor had helde himselfe contented as his Predecessors did and that hee had not conquered Realmes in making them subiect and had not caused them to pay tribute neyther they vnto him would haue denyed reason nor hee with them would haue waged battell For thorow the couetousnesse of the one and the ambition of the other enmities grew betweene the people This considered which wee haue spoken of Sygnorie and of those which came into contentions for signories Let vs now see from whence the first originall of seruitude came and the names of seruantes and Lordes which were in the old time and whether seruitude was by the discorde of vertuous men first brought into the World or else inuented by the ambition of tyrants for when the one commaundeth and the other obeyeth it is one of the nouelties of the world as the holy Scripture declareth vnto vs in this manner The holy Patriarch Noah had three sons which were Sam Ham and Iaphet and the second sonne which was Ham begot Cusn and this Cusn begotte Nimrod Nimrod made himselfe a Hunter of wilde beasts in the woodes and mountaines Hee was the first that beganne to play the Tyrant amongst men enforcing their persons and taking their goods and the Scripture called him Oppressor hominum which is to say an Oppressor of men For men of euill life alwaies commit much euill in a Common-wealth He taught the Chaldeans to honor the fire hee was the first that presumed to be an absolute Lord and the first that euer required of men homage and seruice This cursed tyrant ended his life in the golden World wherein all things were in common with the Common-wealth For the Auncients vsed their goods in common but their wils onely they reserued to themselues They ought not so thinke in a light matter for his persō to haue been a tyrant but they ought to think it a greater matter to haue beene a rebel in a Common-wealth much more they ought to esteeme it as an euill matter in him which hath beene as hee was a disturber of the good customes of his country but the most vniust of all is to leaue behind him any euil custom brought into the common wealth for if hee deserue great
infamy which worketh euil in his life truly he deserueth much more which trauelleth to bring that euill in vre after his death Eusebius seemeth to affirm that after Nimrod had destroied the realm of Chaldea by his plagues came to Italy with 8. sons built the of Camesa which afterwards in Saturnes time was called Valentia and in the time of Romulus it was called as it is at this present Rome And sith this thing was thus a man ought not to maruell that Rome in auncient time was possessed with Tyrants and with Tyrants beaten downe since by so so famous and renowmed tyrants it was founded For euen as Hierusalem was the daughter of the patient and the mansion of the quiet Kinges in Asia so was Rome the mother of proude Princes in Europe The Histories of the Gentiles which knew not the holy Scripture declare in an other sort the beginning of signorie and seruitude and when they came into the world for the Idolaters not onely did not know the Creator of the World but also they were ignorant of many things which beganne in the world They therfore say that the Tyrant Nimrod amongst the others had a sonne called Belus and that this Belus was the first that raigned in the land of Syria and that hee was the first that inuented warres on the earth and that hee set vp the first Monarche among the Assyrians and in the end hee dyed after hee had raigned 65. yeares in Asia and left the world in great wars The first Monarchie of the world was that of the Assyrians and continued 132. yeares The first King was Belus and the last King was Sardanapalus whome at that time when he was slain they found spinning with women hauing a Distaffe in his hand wherewith they vse to spinne and truly his vile death was too good for such a cowardly King For the Prince ought not to defend that with the Distaffe that his Predecessors had wonne with the sword As wee haue sayde Nimrod begat Belus who had to wife Semyramis which was the mother of Ninus which Ninus succeeded his Father in tyranny and in the Empire also and both the Mother and the Sonne not contented to bee tyrants inuented statues of new Gods For mans malice pursueth rather the euill which the wicked doe inuent then the good which vertuous men begin We would haue shewed you how the Grandfather and the Father the Mother and the Sonne were Idolaters and warlike to the end Princes and great Lords might see that they beganne their Empires more for that they were ambitious persons then for that they were good patient or vertuous men Albeit that Nimrod was the first that euer committed any tyranny and whether it bee true or not that Belus was the first that inuented warres and that Chodor Laormor was the first that inuented battels and that there bee others wherof the Writings make no mention euery man taking for himselfe and afterwards all together those vvere occasions of euil enough in the world to agree vnto those thinges Our inclination is greatly to bee blamed For those which haue credite for their euill are many and those which haue power to doe well are but very few CHAP. XXXI Of the golden age in times past and worldly misery which we haue at this present IN the first age and golden world all liued in peace each man tooke care for his owne landes euery one planted sowed their trees and corne euery one gathered his fruites and cut his vines knedde their bread and brought vp their children and finally all liued by their own proper sweate and trauell so that they all liued without the preiudice or hurt of any other O worldly malice O cursed and wicked world that thou neuer sufferest things to remaine in one estate and though I call thee cursed maruell not thereat for when wee are in most prosperity then thou with death persecutest vs most cruelly Without teares I say not that I will say that two thousand yeares of the World were past before we knew what the World meant God suffering it and worldly malice inuented it ploughes were turned into weapons oxen to horses goades vnto launces whips to arrowes slings to Crossebowes simplicity into malice trauell into idlenesse rest to paine peace to warre loue to hatted charity to cruelty iustice to tyranny profite to dammage almes to theft and aboue all Faith into Idolatry And finally the swet they had to profite in their owne goods they turned to bloud-shedding to the damage of the Common-wealth And herein the World sheweth it selfe to bee a world herein worldly-malice sheweth it selfe to bee malicious in so much as the one reioyceth and the other lamenteth the one reioyceth to stumble to the end that other may fall and breake their neckes the one reioyceth to bee poore to the end the other may not bee rich the one reioyceth to bee dispraysed to the end the other may not be honoured the one delighteth to bee sad to the end the other should not bee merry And to conclude wee are so wicked that wee banish the good from our owne house to the end the euill might enter in at the gates of an other man When the Creator created the whole World hee gaue to each thing immediately his place that is to say hee placed intelligence in the vppermost Heauen hee placed the starres in the Firmament the planets in the orbes the birdes in the ayre the earth on the Center the Fishes in the Water the Serpents in the hoales the beasts in the mountaines and to all in generall he gaue place to rest themselues in Now let Princes and great Lords bee vaine-glorious saying that they they are Lords of the earth for truly of all that is created God onely is the true Lord thereof because the miserable man for his part hath but the vse of the fruit for if wee thinke it reasonable that wee should enioy the profite of that which is created then were it more conuenient wee should acknowledge God to be the Lord thereof I doe not deny but confesse that God created all things to the end they should serue man vpon condition that man should serue God likewise but when the creature ryseth against God immediately the Creator resisteth against man For it is but reason that hee bee disobeyed who one onely commandement will not obey O what euill fortune hath the creature onely for disobeying the commandement of his Creator for if man had kept his commaundement in Paradise God had conserued to the World the signorie but the Creatures whom he created for his seruice are occasion to him of great troubles for the ingratitude of benefite heapeth great sorrow to the discreet heart It is great pity to behold the man that was in Paradise and that might haue been in Heauen and now to see him in the world and aboue all to bee interred in the entrals of the earth For in Terrestrial Paradise he was innocent and
in heauen he had been blessed but now he is in the world enuironed with cares and afterwards he shall bee throwne into his graue and gnawne of the Wormes Let vs now see the disobedience wee had in the commaundement of God and what fruit we haue gathered in the world For hee is very simple that dare commit any vice taking no delight nor pleasure thereof in his body In my opinion through the sinnes which our forefathers committed in Paradise the seruitude remaineth in vs their children which are on the earth For so much as if I enter into the water I drowne if I touch the fire I burne if I come neare a dogge hee biteth mee if I threaten a horse hee easteth mee if I resist the winde it bloweth me downe if I persecute the serpent hee spoyleth me if I smite the beare hee destroyeth me and to be briefe I say that the man that without pitty eateth men in his life the Worms shall eate his entrals in his life after his death O Princes and great Lords lode your selues with cloth of gold heape vp your great Treasures assemble many Armies inuent Iusts and turneis seeke pastimes and pleasures reuenge your selues of your enemies serue your selues with your subiects marry your children to mighty Kings and set them in great estate cause your selues to bee feared of your enemies imploy your bodies to all pleasures leaue great possessions to your heyres rayse sumptuous buildinges to leaue memory of your persons I sweare by him that shall iudge mee that I haue more compassion to see your sinfull soules then I haue enuy to see your vicious liues for in the end all pastimes will vanish away and they shall leaue you for a gage to the hungry wormes of the earth O if Princes did consider though they haue beene borne Princes created and nourished in great estates that the day they are borne death immediately commeth to seeke the end of their life and taketh them here and there when they are sicke now tumbling then rising hee neuer leaueth them one houre vntill their wofull buriall Therefore sith it is true as indeed it is that that which Princes possesse in this life is but small that which they hope in the other is so great Truely I maruell why Princes the which shall lye so straight in the graue dare lye in such and so great largenesse in their life To be rich to be Lords and to haue great estates men should not thereof at all bee proude since they see how frayle mans condition is for in the end life is but lone but death is enheritage Death is a patrimony and heritage which successiuely is inherited but life is a right which dayly is surrendered For death counteth vs so much his own that oft times vnawares hee commeth to assault vs life taketh vs such strangers that oft times we not doubting thereof it vanisheth away If this thing then bee true why will Princes and great Lords presume to commaund a strange house which is this life as in their owne house which is the graue Leauing aside the sayd opinions I say that for sinne onely scruitude came to dwell in vs and entered into the world for if there had beene no sinners wee ought to beleeue there had beene no Lords nor seruants For asmuch as seruitude generally entreth into this World through sinne I say that the Seigniory of Princes is by the diuine commaundement for he sayeth By mee the King doth gouerne and by mee the Prince doth minister Iustice I conclude in this sort with this reason That since it is true Princes are sent by the hands of God for to gouerne vs Wee are bound in all and for all to obey them for there is no greater plague in a publike weale then to be disobedient to the Prince CHAP. XXXII How King Alexander the great after hee had ouercome King Datius in Asia went to conquer the great Indea and of that which happned vnto him with the Garamantes and how the good life hath more power then any force of warre IN the yeare of the Creation of the World 4970. in the first age of the World and in the 4027. yeares of the foundation of Rome Iado being High Priest in Hierusalew Decius and Mamilius at Rome Consuls in the third yeare of the Monarchie of the Greekes Alexander the Great sonne to Philip King of Macedonia gaue the last battell to Darius King of Persia wherein King Alexander escaped very sore wounded and Darius slaine so that the whole Empire of the Persians came vnder the gouernment of the Greeks For the vnfortunate Princes do not onely lose their liues with which they came into the world but also the Realmes which they did inherite After that Darius was dead and Alexander saw himselfe Lord of the field and that the Persians and Medes were become subiect to the Grecians though many Kings and Lords dyed in those cruell batailes yet it seemed to Alexander a trifle to be Gouernor of all Asia wherefore he determined in person to goe conquere the great India For Proude and stoute hearts obtayning that which they desire immediately beginne to esteeme it as little All his Armies repayred and placing gouernours in all the Realme of Asia Alexander departed to conquere the great India for hee had promised sworne to his gods that through all the World there should be but one Empire and that that should be his and moreouer that hee would neuer passe thorow any strange Realme or Country but it should giue obedience vnto him or else forthwith hee would destroy it for tyrannous harts haue neuer any regard to the damage of another vntill they haue obtained their wicked desires Alexander then going to conquer Realmes and destroy Prouinces by chance one sayde vnto him That on the other side of the mountaine Riphei towards the partes of India was a barbarous Nation which were called Garamantes as yet neuer conquered by the Persians and Medes Romaines nor Greekes neyther any of them euer triumphed ouer them for they had no weapons nor esteemed them not sith they had no riches King Alexander who for to conquer and subdue Realmes and strange countreys was very diligent hardy and to see new things very desirous determined not onely to send to see that countrey but also to goe himselfe in person and in that place to leaue of him some Memoriall which thing forthwith he accomplished For hee left them Altares as Hercules left in Gades pillars For mans heart is so stout that it Trauelleth not onely to compare with manie but also to excell all The Embassadours of Alexander were sent to Garamantes to aduertise them of the comming of King Alexander the great of the terrible and cruell battells which he in the warres had ouercome and to declare vnto them how the puissant K Darius was slayne and that all Asia was vnder his subiection and how euery Citie did yeelde themselues against
commaund much hauing respite to liue but little mee thinketh it were a great folly and lacke of wisdome Presumptuous and ambitious men which measure their works not with the few dayes they haue to liue but with the arogant and haughty thoughts they haue to command They leade their life in trauell and take their death with sorrow And the remedy hereof is that if the wise man cannot obtaine that which hee would hee should content himselfe with that which hee may I let thee to know Alexander that the perfection of men is not to see much to heare much to knowe much to procure much to come to much to trauell much to possesse much and to bee able to do much but it is to bee in the fauour of the Gods Finally I tell thee that that man is perfect who in his owne opinion deserueth not that hee hath and in the opinion of another deserueth much more then that hee possesseth Wee are of this opinion amongst vs that hee is vnworthy to haue honour who by such infamous meanes searcheth for it And therefore thou Alexander deseruest to be slaue vnto many because thou thinkest to deserue the signory ouer all By the immortall Gods I sweare I cannot imagine the great mischiefe which entred into thy brest so vnrighteously to kill King Darius whose vassall and friend thou wast onely because thou wouldest possesse the Empire of the whole World For truly seruitude in peace is more worth then Signiory in warre And hee that shall speake against that I haue spoken I say he is sicke and hath lost his taste CHAP. XXXIIII The sage Garamante continueth his Oration shewing that perpetuitie of life cannot be bought with any worldly treasure Among other notable matters hee maketh mention of the seuen lawes which they obserued THou wilt not deny me Alexander but that thou werte more healthfull when thou wast King of Macedoâ—â—â— then thou art now being Lord of all the earth for the excessiue trauell bringeth men out of all order Thou wilt not deny me Alexander that the more thou gettest the more thou desirest for the heart which with couetousnesse is set on fire cannot with wood and bowes of riches but with the earth of the graue be satisfied and quenched Thou wilt not deny me Alexander but the aboundance that thou thy selfe hast seemeth vnto thee litle and the little which an other man possesseth seemeth vnto thee much For the Gods to the ambitious and couetous harts gaue this for penance that neyther with inough nor with too much they should content them selues Thou wilt not denie mee Alexander if in deed thy heart bee couetous that first the pleasures of life shall end before thy couetousnesse for where vices haue had power long time in the heart there death onely and none other hath authority to plucke vp the rootes Thou wilt not deny mee Alexander that though thou hast more then all yet thou enioyest least of any for the Prince that possesseth much is alwayes occupied in defending it but the Prince that hath little hath Time and leasure in quiet to enioy it Thou wilt not deny me Alexander though thou callest thy self Lord of all yet thou hast but onely the name thereof and others thy seruants and subiects haue all the profites for the greedy and couetous hearts doe trauel and toyle to get and in wasting that which they haue gotten they pine away And finally Alexander thou wilt not deny me that all that which thou hast in the long conquest gotten is little and that which of thy wisedom and quietnes thou hast lost is much For the Realms which thou hast gotten are innumerable but the cares sighes and thoughts which thou hast heaped vpon thy heart are innumerable I let thee know one thing that you Princes are poorer then the poore Subiects for hee is not rich that hath more then hee deserueth but he that desireth to haue lesse then possesseth And that therefore Princes you haue nothing For though you abound in great Treasurs yet notwithstanding you are poore of good desire Now Alexander let vs come to the poynt and cast account and let vs see vs see to what ende thy Conquest will come Either thou art a man or thou art a god And if thou bee anie of the gods commaunde or cause that wee be immortall and if thou canst doe any such thing then take vs and our goods withall For perpetuity of the life can by no riches be bought O Alexander I let thee vnderstand that therefore wee seeke not to make warre with thee For we see that both from thee and also from vs death will shortly take away the life For hee is a very simple man that thinketh alwayes to remaine in another mans house as in his owne It thou Alexander couldst giue vs as God euerlasting life eache man would trauell to defend his owne house But sith we know we shall dye shortly we care little whether to thee or any other our goods and riches remaine For if it be follie to dwell in an other mans house as his owne it is a greater follie to him that loseth his life in taking thought and lamenting for his goods Presuppose that thou art not god but a man I coniure thee then by the immortall gods and doe require thee that thou liue as a man behaue thy selfe as a man and couet no more then an other man neyther desire more nor lesse then a man for in the ende thou shalt dye as another man and shalt be buryed as another man and thou shalt bee throwne into the graue and then there shal be no more memorie of thee I tolde thee before that it greeued mee to see thee so hardy and couragious so apt and so young and now it grieueth mee to see thee so deceyued with the world and that which I perceyue of thee is that then thou shalt know thy folly when thou shalt not be able to finde any remedy For the proude Young man before hee feeleth the wound hath alreadie the ointment You which are Grecians call vs Barbarous because wee enhabite the mountaines But as touching this I say that we reioice to be barbarous in our speech and Greekes in our doings and not as you which haue the Grecian tong and doe barbarous workes For hee that doth well and speaketh rudely is no barbarous man but he which hath the tongue good and the life euill Sith I haue begun to that end nothing remaine vnspoken I will aduertise thee of our laws and life and maruell not to heare it but desire to obserue and keepe it for infinite are they which extoll vertuous workes but few are they which obserue the same I let thee know Alexander that wee haue short life wee are few people wee haue little lands wee haue little goods wee haue no couetousnes we haue few lawes we haue few houses and we haue few friends and aboue all we haue no enemies for a Wise man
him as they doe now a dayes For the most part of princes are deceiued for none other cause but for that they will not be counselled and informed by wise and discreet men For many croutâ—h vnto princes with faire wordes as though they meant him good seruice but theyr intent is contrarie by deceyt to get an Office and secke their owne profite Helius Spartianus saith that Alexander Seuerus the xxv Emperour of Rome was a man very stoute and vertuous and amongst all other things they greatly commeÌ„ded him because in his chamber he had a familiar booke wherein he had written all the Nobles of his Realme and Empire and when any Office was voyde they saide nothing else to him but that it is voyde for the Emperour did not graunt it to him that sought it but by the secrate information of his Booke to him that best deserued it I will and may sweare and all other princes shal wel affirme the same that though they erre in distributing theyr Offices they do not erre for that they would erre Yet they cannot denie but that they erre grieuously for that they will not be enformed and thogh they bee informed yet it were better they were not informed at all For he shall neuer giue the prince good nor perfect counsell which by that counsel intendeth to haue some proper interest The chiefest thing for princes is to knowe how to choose the best in prosperitie and how to auoyde the worst in aduersitie and to know how to reward the good men liberally And truly in this case Noble princes should haue more consideration towards them which haue done them the worthiest and loyalst seruice then to the importunate sutes of his Familiar friendes For hee shall thanke the seruant that procureth it but not the Prince that geueth it All that wee speake is to no other purpose but to perswade that sith the Prince is Lord of all it is reason that hee bee enformed of the state condition of all for otherwise hee shall bee deceyued by a thousand malicious hearts which are in the Common wealth Therefore to conclude I say if the Prince bee not enformed of the life of all the skinne will seeme flesh the brain meate the straw corn the brasse golde the gall honey and the dregs good wine I meane in diuiding his offices thinking to hit the white he shall oft times milâ—e the butte CHAP. XXXVIII Of the great Feast the Romanes celebrated to the God Ianus the first day of Ianuary and of the bounty and liberality of the Emperour Mareus Aurelius the same day AMong the solemne feasts which the ancient Romanes vsed this was one to the god Ianus the which they celebrated the first day of the year which now is the first of Ianuary for the Hebrewes beganne their yeare in March and the Romanes beganne at Ianuarie The Romanes painted this god with two faces signifying thereby the end of the yeare past and the beginning of the yeare present To this god Ianus was dedicated in the city of Rome a sumptuous Temple which they called the Temple of peace and was in great reuerence throughout all the City for the Citizens on this day offered great gifts and sacrifices because hee should defend them from their enemies For there is no Nation nor people to whom warre euer succeeded so prosperously but that they had rather liue in peace then in warre When the Romane Emperours went to the warres or came from the warres first they visited the Temple of Iupiter secondarily the Temple of the Vestall virgins and thirdly they visited the Temple of the god Ianus because there was a Law in Rome that the Emperour should at his going forth to the warres visite the Temple of Iupiter last of all and at his return againe the Temple of Ianus first And let them that be desirous of Antiquities here know that when the Emperour should goe to the warres in the Temple of the Goddesse Vesta they put vppon his shoulders the royall mantell and in the Temple of Iupiter all the Senators kissed his foote and in the Temple of Ianus the Consuls kissed his arme For since the time that the cruell Sylla caused three thousand neighbours to dye which kissed his right hand they neuer after kissed the hands of any Emperour in Rome Therefore sith the Gentiles would not issue out of Rome before that first they had taken the benediction of those vaine Gods how much more ought Christian Princes to doe it which know well that their Temples are consecrated to the true God and ordained for his seruice onely For the man that forgetteth God and committeth his affayres to men shall see how his businesse will thriue at the hands of men Therefore proceeding forth the day wherein the Feast of the god Ianus was celebrated euery man left his worke and reioyced through all the streetes of Rome no more then lesse then in the feasts of Iupiter Mars Venus Berecinthia For the feasts of the other gods sith they were many in number were not celebrated but in certaine places in Rome The Romanes on that day put on their best apparrell for they had a custome in Rome that hee which had not that day change of apparrell to honor the Feast should eyther goe out of Rome or else keepe himselfe locked in his his house That day they set on their houses many lights made great bonefires before their dores and had sundry and many playes and pastimes for the feasts of vain men are more to delight their bodies then to reforme their minds They watched all the night in the Temples and also they deliuered al the prisoners which were imprisoned for debt and with the common treasures payd their debts Furthermore they had a custome in Rome that they should sustaine all the Senators which were fallen into pouerty with the goods of the commoÌ„wealth They had that day Tables set before their dores furnished with all sorts of meates so that that which remayned and was left was more worth then that which was eaten For vaine glorious men auant themselues more of that which in bankets and feastes is left then they doe of that which is eaten They sought all that day for poore men because they should be prouided of all things For it was an auncient law that none should bee so hardy to make any open feast except first hee had prouided for all them of his streete The Romanes thought that if they spent liberally that day the god Ianus would deliuer them from pouerty because he was the god of temporall goods And they sayd further that the god Ianus was a God very thankefull and acknowledged the seruices that were done vnto him and beleeued earnestly that if they spent freely for his sake hee would requite it double In the feast of this god Ianus many processions were made not altogether but the Senate went by themselues the Censors by themselues the people by themselues the Matrones
and had memorie fresh being meanely learned in Philosophy but he was of much eloquēce and for to encourage and counsell the Athenians he was sent to the warres For when the Ancients tooke vpon them any warres they chose first Sages to giue counseil then Captains to leade the souldiers And amongst the Prisoners the Philosopher Epicurus was taken to whom the tyrant Lysander gaue good entertainement and honoured him aboue all other and after hee was taken hee neuer went from him but read Philosophy vnto him and declared vnto him histories of times past and of the strength and vertues of many Greekes and Troians The tyrant Lysander reioyced greatly at these things For truly tyrants take great pleasure to heare the prowesse and vertues of Ancients past and to follow the wickednesse and vices of them that are present Lysander therefore taking the triumph and hauing a Nauie by sea and a great Army by land vpon the riuer of Aegeon he and his Captaines forgot the danger of the wars and gaue the bridle to the flothfull flesh so that to the great preiudice of the Common wealth they led a dissolute and idle life For the manner of tyrannous Princes is to leaue off their ownt trauell and to enioy that of other mens The Philosopher Epicurus was alwayes brought vp in the excellent Vniuersity of Athens whereas the Philosophers liued in so great pouerty that naked they slept on the ground their drinke was colde water none amongst them had any house proper they despised riches as pestilence and labored to make peace where discord was they were onely defenders of the Common wealth they neuer spake any idle word and it was a sacriledge amongst them to heare a lye and finally it was a Law inuiolable amongst them that the Philosopher that should bee idle should bee banished and he that was vicious should be put to death The wicked Epicurius forgetting the doctrine of his Master and not esteeming grauity whereunto the Sages are bound gaue himselfe wholly both in words and deedes vnto a voluptuous beastly kind of life wherin he put his whole felicity For hee sayde There was no other felicity for slothfull men then to sleepe in soft beds for delicate persons to feele neyther hote nor cold for fleshly men to haue at their pleasure amorus Dames for drunkards not to want any pleasant wines and gluttons to haue their fils of al delicate meats for herein hee affirmed to consist all worldly felicity I doe not maruell at the multitude of his Schollers which hee had hath and shall haue in the world For at this day there are very few in Rome that suffer not themselues to be mastered with vices and the multitude of those which liue at their owne wils and sensuality are infinite And to tell the truth my friend Pulio I do not maruell that there hath been vertuous neither doe I muse that there hath beene vitious for the vertuous hopeth to rest himselfe with the Gods in an other World by his well doing and if the vitious bee vitious I doe not maruell though he will goe and engage himselfe to the vices of this world since he doth not hope neyther to haue pleasure in this not yet to enioy rest with the gods in the other For truly the vnstedfast beleefe of an other life after this wherein the wicked shall bee punished and the good rewarded causeth that now a dayes the victous and vices raigne so as they doe Of the Philosopher Eschilus ARtabanus beeing the sixt king of Persians and Quintus Concinatus the husbandman beeing onely Dictator of the Romanes in the Prouince of Tharse there was a Philosopher named Aeschilus who was euill fauoured of countenance deformed of body fierce in his lookes and of a very grosse vnderstanding but hee was fortunate of credite for he had no lesse credite amongst the Tharses then Homer had among the Greekes They say that though this Philosopher was of a rude knowledge yet otherwise he had a very good naturall wit and was very diligent in harde things and very patient with these that did him wrong hee was exceeding couragious in aduersity and moderate in prosperities And the thing that I most of all delighted in him was that hee was courteous and gentle in his conuersation and both pithie and eloquent in his communication For that man onely is happy where all men prayse his life and no man reproueth his tongue The auncient Greekes declare in their Histories that this Philosopher Aeschilus was the first that inuented Tragedies and that got money to represent them and sith the inuention was new and pleasant many did not onely follow him but they gaue him much of their goods And maruel not thereat my friend Pulio for the lightnesse of the Common people is such that to see vaine things all will runne and to heare the excellency of vertues there is not one will goe After this Philosopher Aeschylus had written many bookes specially of Tragedies and that he had afterward trauelled through many Countries Realmes at the last hee ended the residue of his life neare the Isles which are adioyning vnto the Lake of Meatts For as the diuine Plato saveth when the auncient Philosophers were young they studied when they came to be men they trauelled and then when they were old they retyred home In mine opinion this Philosopher was wise to do as he did and no lesse shall men now a dayes bee that will imitate him For the Fathers of wisdome are Science and Experience and in this consisteth true knowledge when the man at the last returneth home from the troubles of the World Tell me my friend Pulio I pray thee what dooth it profite him that hath learned much that hath heatd much that hath knowne much that hath seene much that hath beene farre that hath bought much that hath suffered much and hath proued much that had much if after great trauell he doth not retire to repose himselfe a little truly hee cannot be counted wise but a foole that willingly offereth himselfe to trauell hath not the wit to procure himselfe rest for in mine opinion the life without rest is a long death By chance as this ancient Philosopher was sleeping by the lake Meatis a Hunter had a Hare with him in a Cage of woode to take other Hares by whereon the Eagle seazed which tooke the Cage with the Hare on high and seeing hee could not eate it hee cast it downe againe which fell on the heade of this Philosopher and killed him This Philosopher Aeschylus was demaunded in his life time wherein the felicity of this life consisted hee answered that in this opinion it consisted in sleeping and his reason was this that when wee sleepe the entisements of the flesh do not prouoke vs nor the enemy persecute vs neyther the friends do importune vs nor the colde winter oppresse vs nor the heate of long Sommer doth annoy vs nor yet wee
are not angry for any thing wee see nor wee take any care for any thing we heare Finally when wee sleepe wee feele not the anguishes of the body neyther suffer the passion of the mind to come To this end yee must vnderstand that when they were troubled hee gaue them drinks which caused them immediatly to sleepe so that so soone as the man did drinke it so soone hee was a sleepe Finally all the study wherein the Epicurians exercised themselues was in eating and seeking meates and the chiefe study of this Aeschilus was in sleeping and hauing soft beds Of the Philosopher Pindarus IN the yeare of the foundation of the City of Rome 262. Darius the second of that name King of Persia who was the sonne of Histapsie and in the lynage of Kinges the fourth King of Persia Iunius Brutus and Lucius Collatinus being Consuls in Rome which were the first Consuls that were in Rome There was in the great City of Thebes in Egypt a Philosopher named Pindarus who was Prince of that Realme They write of this Philosopher that in Philosophy he excelled all those of his time and also in teaching singing and playing of Musicke hee was more excellent then any of all his Predecessors for the Thebanes affirmed that there was neuer any seen of such aptnes in speaking and so excellent deliuering of his fingers in playing as Pindarus was and moreouer hee was a great Morall Philosopher but not so excellent in naturall Philosophy For hee was a quiet and vertuous man could better worke then reach which thing is contrary now a dayes in our Sages of Rome For they know little and speake much and worst of all in their wordes they are circumspect and in their deedes very negligent The diuine Plato in his booke that he made of Lawes mentioneth this Philosopher and Iunius Rusticus in his Thebaide sheweth one thing of him and that is that an Ambassadour of Lides being in Thebes seeing Pindarus to bee of a vertuous life and very disagreeable in his words hee spake vnto him in such words O Pindarus If thy wordes were so limed before men as thy workes are pure before the Gods I sweare vnto thee by those Gods that are immortall that thou shouldest bee as much esteemed in Life as Promotheus was and shouldest leaue as much memory of thee after thy death in Egypt as the great Homere left of his life in Greece They demaunded of this Pindarus wherein felicity consisted hee aunswered In such sort yee ought to know that the inward scule followeth in many things for the most part the outward body the which thing presupposed I say that hee that feeleth no griefe in his body may well bee called happy For truly if the flesh bee not well the heart can haue no rest Therefore according to the counsell of Pindarus the Thebanes were aboue all other Nations and people most diligent to cure the diseases of their bodies Annius Seuerus sayth that they were let bloud euery month for the great aboundance of bloud in their bodies They vsed euery weeke vnmitations for the full stomackes They continued the bathes for to auoide opilations They carried sweet fauours about them against the euill and infected ayres And finally they studyed nought else in Thebes but to preserue and keepe their bodies as deliciously as they could inuent Of the Philosopher Zeno. IN the Olimpiade 133. Cneus Seruillus and Caius Brisius then Consuls in Rome which were appointed against the Artikes in the moneth of Ianuary immediately after they were chosen and in the 29. yeare of the raigne of Ptolomeus Philadelphus this great Prince Ptolomeus built in the coast of Alexandry a great Tower which hee named Pharo for the loue of a louer of his named Pharo Dolouina This Tower was built vpon foure engines of glasse it was large and high made foure square the stones of the Tower were as bright and shining as glasse so that the Tower being twenty foot of breadth if a candle burned within those without might see the light thereof I let thee know my friend Pulio that the auncient Historiograpers did so much esteeme his building that they compared it to one of the seuen buildings of the World At that time when these thinges flourished there was in Egypt a Philosopher called Zeno by whose counsell and industrie Ptolomeus built that so famous a Tower and gouerned his land For in the olde time the Princes that in their life were not gouerned by Sages were recorded after their death in the Register of fooles As this Tower was strong so hee had great ioy of the same because he kept his dearely beloued Pharo Dolouina therein enclosed to the end shee should bee well kept and also well contented He had his wiues in Alexandria but for the most part hee continued with Pharo Dolouina For in the old time the Perses Siconians and the Chaldeans did not marry but to haue children to enherite theyr goods and the residue of their life for the most part to leade with their Concubines in pleasure and delight The Egyptians had it in great estimation that were great Wrestlers especially if they were wise men and aboue all things they made great defiance against strangers and all the multitude of wrastlers was continually greate so there were notable Masters among them For truly he that dayly vseth one thing shall at the last be excellent therein The matter was thus That one day amongst them there were many Egyptians there was one that would not bee ouerthrowne nor cast by any man vnto the earth This Philosopher Zeno perceyuing the strength and courage of this great Wrastler thought it much for his estimation if he might throw him in wrastling and in prouing he threw him dead to the earth who of none other could euer be cast This victory of Zeno was so greatly to the contentation of his person that hee spake with his tongue and wrote with his penne that there was none other ioy or felicity then to know how to haue the strength of the Armes to cast downe others at his feet The reason of this Philosopher was that hee sayde it was a greater kinde of victory to ouerthrow one to the erth then to ouerthrow many in the wars For in the warres one onely wrongfully taketh the victory since there bee many that doe winne it but in wresiling as the victory is to one alone so let the onely victory and glory remaine to him and therefore in this thing felicity consisteth for what can bee more then the contention of the heart Truly wee call him in this world happy that hath his heart content and his body in health Of the Philosopher Anacharsis WHen the King Heritaches raigned among the Medes and that Tarquin Priscus raigned in Rome there was in the coasts of Scithia a Philosopher called Anacharsis who was borne in the City of Epimenides Cicero greatly commended the doctrine of this Philosopher and that he
cannot tell which of these two things were greater in him that is to say the profoundnesse of Knowledge that the Gods had giuen him or the cruell malice wherewith he persecuted his enemies For truely as Pithagoras saith Those which of men are most euill willed of the gods are best beloued This Philosopher Anacharsis then being as he was of Scithia which nation amongst the Romanes was esteemed Barbarous it chaunced that a malitious Romane sought to displease the Philosopher in wordes and truely hee was moued thereunto more through malice then thorow simplicity For the outwarde malitious words are a manifest token of the inward malitious hart This Romane therefore sayde to the Philosopher It is vnpossible Anacharsis that thou shouldest bee a Scithian borne for a man of such eloquence cannot bee of such a Barbarous Nation To whome Anacharsis answered Thou hast sayde well and herein I assent to thy wordes howbeit I doe not allow thy intention for as by reason thou mayest disprayse mee to bee of a barbarous Country and commend mee for a good life so I may iustly accuse thee of a wicked life and prayse thee of a good Country And herein bee thou Iudge of both which of vs two shall haue the most praise in the World to come neyther thou that art borne a Romane and leadest a barbarous life or I that am borne a Scythian and leade the life of a Romane For in the end in the Garden of this life I had rather bee a greene Apple-tree and beare fruit then to bee a drie Liban drawne on the ground After that Anacharsis had been in Rome a long time and in Greece hee determined for the loue of his Country now being aged to return home to Scythia whereof a brother of his named Cadmus was King who had the name of a King but in deede hee was a tyrant Since this good Philosopher sawe his brother exercise the workes of a Tyrant and seeing also the people so desolate hee determined to giue his brother the best counsell he could to ordayne lawes to the people and in good order to gouerne them which thing being seene of the Barbarous by the consent of them all as a man who inuented new deuises to liue in the World before them all openly was put to death For I will thou know O my friend Pulio that there is no greater token that the whole Common wealth is full of vice then when they kill or banish those which are vertuous therein so therefore as they led this Philosopher to death he sayd hee was vnwilling to take his death and loath to lose his life wherefore one sayde vnto him these wordes Tell me Anacharsis sith thou art a man so vertuous so sage and so olde me thinketh it should not grieue thee to leaue this miserable life For the vertuous man should desire the company of the vertuous men the which this world wanteth The Sage ought to desire to liue with other Sages whereof the world is destitute and the olde man ought little to esteeme the losse of his life since by true experience hee knoweth in what trauels he passed his dayes For truely it is a kind of folly for a man which hath trauelled and finished a dangerous and long iourney to lament to see himselfe now in the end thereof Anacharsis answered him Thou speakest very good words my friend and I would that thy life were as thy counsell is but it grieueth mee that in this conflict I haue neyther vnderstanding nor yet sense to taste not that I haue time enough to thanke thee For I let thee know that there is no tongue can expresse the griefe which a man feeleth when hee ought forthwith to dye I dye and as thou seest they kill me onely for that I am vertuous I feele nothing that tormenteth my heart so much as King Cadmus my brother doth for that I cannot bee reuenged For in my opinion the chiefe felicity of man consisteth in knowing and being able to reuenge the iniurie done without reason before a man doth end his life It is a commendable thing that the Philosopher pardon iniuries as the vertuous Philosophers haue accustomed to doe but it should bee also iust that the iniuries which wee forgiue the Gods should therewith bee charged to see reuengement For it is a hard thing to see a tyrant put a vertuous man to death and neuer to see the Tyrant to come to the like Mee thinketh my friend Pulio that this Philosopher put all his felicity in reuenging an iniurie during the like in this world Of the Sarmates THe Mount Caucasus as the Cosmographers say doth deuide in the middest great Asia the which beginneth in Indea and endeth in Scithia and according to the variety of the people which inhabite the villages hath this mount diuers names and those which dwell towards the Indians differ much from the others For the more the Countrey is full of mountaines so much the more the people are Barbarous Amongst all the other Cities which are adiacent vnto the same there is a kinde of people called Sarmates and that is the Countrey of Sarmatia which standeth vpon the riuer of Tanays There grow no vines in the Prouince because of the great colde and it is true that among all the Orientall nations there are no people which more desire Wine then they doe For the thing which wee lacke is commonly most desired These people of Sarmatia are good men of Warre though they are vnarmed they esteeme not much delicate meates nor sumptuous apparrell for all their felicity consisteth in knowing how they might fill themselues with Wine In the yeare of the foundation of Rome p 318. our auncient Fathers determined to wage battell against those people and other Barbabarous Nations and appointed a Consull called Lucius Pius And sith in that warres fortune was variable they made a Truce and afterwardes all their Captaines yeelded themselues and their country into the subiection of the Romane Empire onely because the Consull Lucius Pius in a banquet that hee made filled them with Wine Within this tombe Lucius Pius lyes That whilom was a Consull great in Rome And daunted eke as shame his slaunder cryes The Sarmates sterne not by Mauors his doome But by reproofe and shame of Romane armes He vanquisht hath not as the Romanes vse But as the bloudy tirants that with swarms Of huge deceites the fierce assaults refuse Not in the warres by biting weapons stroke But at the boorde with sweet delighting foode Not in the hazard fight he did them yoke But feeding all in rest he stole their blood Nor yet with mighty Mars in open field He rest their liues with sharpe ypersing speares But with the push of drunken Bacchus shield Home to hie Rome the triumph loe he beares The sacred Senate set this Epitaph here because all Romane Captaines should take example of him For the Maiesty of the Romanes consisteth not in vanquishing their enemies
by vices and deliciousnesse but by weapons and prayers The Romanes were very sore grieued with the and a city of this Consull Lucius Pius and not contented to haue beheaded him and to haue set on his graue so defamous a title but made proclamation forthwith thorow out all Rome by the sound of a Trumpet how al that Lucius Pius had done the sacred Senate condemned for nothing and should stand to no effect For there was an auncient Law in Rome when they beheaded any by iustice they should also take away the authority hee had in Rome After the warres were ended and all the land of Sarmatia subiect the Consull Lucius Pius came to Rome for reward of his trauell required the accustomed triumph the which was not onely denyed him but also in recompence of his fact hee was openly beheaded and by the decree of all the Senate about his graue was written this Epitaph And not contented with these things the sacred Senate wrote to the Sarmates that they did release them of their homage making themselues subiects of the Romanes wherefore they restored them againe to their liberty They did this thing because the custome among the stoute and valiant Romanes was not to gette nor winne Realmes in making their enemies drunke with delicate Wines but in shedding their proper bloud in plaine field I haue tolde thee this my friend Pulio because the Consull Lucius Pius did perceyue that the Sarmates put all their felicity to ingorge themselues with wine Of the Philosopher Chylo IN the 15. Dinastia of the Lacedemonians and Deodeus beeing King of Medes Gigion being king of Lides Argeus being king among the Macedonians and Tullius Hostilius king of the Romaines in the Olympiade 27. there was in Athens a Phylosopher borne in Greece whose name was Chylo one of the seuen Sages which the Greekes had in theyr treasurie In that time there was great warres betweene the Athenians and the Corinthians as wee may perceyue by the Greeks histories which we see written Since Troy was ruinated and destroyed there was neuer peace in Greece for the warres betwixte the Greeks and Troyans was neuer so great as that which afterwards they made among themselues Sith the Greekes were now wise mē they did deuide the offices of the Commonwealth according to the ability of euery person that is to know that to the stoute and hardy men they gaue the gouernment to the sage they recommended the Embasies of of strange countreys And vpon this occasion the Athenians sent the Phylosopher Chilo to the Corinthians to treate of peace who came vnto the cittie of Corinth By chaunce on that day there was celebrated a great Feast wherefore hee found all men playing at dice the women solacing themselues in theyr gardens the Priestes shorte with theyr crosse-bowes in the Temples the Senatours played in the consistory at tables the maisters of Fence played in the streetes And to conclude hee found them all playing The Philosopher seeing these things without speaking to any man or lighting off from his horse returned to his countrey without declaring his message and when the Corinthians went after him and asked him why hee did not declare the cause of his comming he aunswered Friends I am come from Athens to Corinth not without great trauell and now I returne from Corinth to Athens not lattle offended and yee might haue seene it because I spake neuer a word to any of you of Corinth For I haue no commission to treate of peace with vnthrifty players but with sage gouernours Those of Athens commaunded mee not to keepe company with those that haue theyr hāds occupyed with Dyce but with those that haue theyr bodyes loden with harnes and with those which haue theyr Eyes dazeled with Bookes For those men which haue warres with the Dyce it is vnpossible they should haue peace with theyr Neighbours After he had spoken these words he returned to Athens I let thee vnderstand my friende Pulio that the Corinthians thinke it to be the greatest felicity in the world to occupy dayes and nights in playes and maruel not hereat neither laugh thou them to scorne For it was told mee by a Greeke being in Antioche that a Corinthian esteemed it more felicitie to winne a game then the Romaine Captaine did to winne a Triumph As they say the Corinthians were wise and temperate men vnlesse it were in Playes in the which thing they were too vicious Me thinke my friend Pulio that I answer thee more amply then thou requirest or that my health suffereth that which is little so that both thou shalt be troubled to read it and I here shall haue paine to write it I will make thee a briefe summe of all the others which now come to my remembrance the which in diuersethings haue put theyr ioy and chiefest felicities Of Crates the Philosopher CRates the Philosopher put his felicity to haue good fortune in prosperous nauigation saying that hee which sayleth by sea can neuer haue perfect ioy at his his heart so long as hee confidereth that between death and life there is but one bourd Wherefore the heart neuer feeleth so great ioy as when in the Hauen he remembreth the perils which hee hath escaped on the sea Of Estilpho the Philosopher EStilpho the Philosopher put all his felicity to bee of great power saying that the man which can doe little is worth little and he that hath little the gods doe him wrong to let him liue so long For hee onely is happy which hath power to oppresse his enemies and hath wherewithall to succour himselfe and reward his friendes Of Simonides the Philosopher SImonides the Philosopher put all his felicity to bee well beloued of the people saying That churlish men and euill conditioned should bee sent to the mountaines amongst brute beasts For there is no greater happinesse or felicity in this life then to bee beloued of all in the Common-wealth Of Archita the Philosopher ARchita the Phylosopher had all his felicitie in conquering a Bartell saying that naturally man is so much friend to himselfe and desireth so much to come to the chiefe of his enterprise that though for little trifles he played yet he would not bee ouercome For the heart willingly suffereth all the trauels of the life in hope afterwardes to win the victory Of Gorgias the Philosopher GOrgias the Philosopher put al his felicity to heare a thing which pleased him saying That the body feeleth not so much a great wound as the heart doth an euill word For truely there is no musicke that soundeth so sweete to the eares as the pleasant wordes are sauourie to the heart Of Chrysippus the Philosopher CHrysippus the Philosopher had all his felicity in this Worlde in making great buildings saying that those which of themselues left no memory both in their life and after their death deserued infacny For great and sumptuous buildings are perpetuall monuments of
speake these things is to perswade princes prelates and great Lords that the great diligence they haue to seeke Surgeans and the summe of mony they waste to maintaine and content them they should spend part of that to seeke wise men to counsell their persons for if men knew what it were to keepe a wise man to commaund in their house they would giue for one onely wise man all their goods yee ought for to haue pitty and compassion vpon those princes and great Lords which lose so many dayes in the moneth and so many houres in the day in speaking of warres buildings weapons meats beasts of huntings and medicines oftentimes of other mens doings and of other vain things not necessary for mans life And this communication they vse with those that are neither vertuous nor wise the which can neyther wisely talke nor yet answere directly vnto that which is asked Oftentimes it chanceth that a prince at randon moueth a matter which they neuer saw written before nor with their eares they neuer heard the like neyther in all their life time they had knowledge thereof and yet they wil seeme to giue iudgement of it or better to say obstinately to contend as if all the dayes of their life they had studied it which thing proceedeth of great shame and euill bringing vp For the priuie Councell may speake before their princes but be they neuer so priuie with licence or without licence it is not lawfull for them to contend Helius Spartianus in the life of Alexander Seuerus sayeth that the Emperour Seuerus was demaunded onceby an Ambassadour of Greece What thing was most painefull to him in Rome whereunto the Emperour answered There is nothing grieueth mee more then when I am merry that my seruants should raise any strife or debate I am not displeased that matters should be debated but this grieueth mee when one will obstinatly striue that hath no ground of that hee speaketh hee cannot otherwise but be called obstinate Theodosius the Emperour was once demanded What a Prince ought to doe to be good wherunto he answered The vertuous Prince when he goeth abroade ought to haue graue and wise men in his company to discourse withall when he is at his meat to haue wise men at his board disputing and when he withdraweth him selfe a part to be reading with wise men and finally at all vacant times he ought to bee found with sage men counselling for the Knight which entreth into battell without weapōs is as hardy as the prince which will gouerne the common wealth without the counsell of wise men Lampridius in the booke of the Roman gests sayth that the Emperor Marcus Aurelius neyther at his meat at his going to bedde at his vprising in his trauell openly nor secretly suffered at any time that fooles should sing or communicate with him but onely wise and vertuous men whom alwayes he most entirely loued Of truth hee had reason for there is nothing be it in iest or in earnest but it is better liked of a wise man thē of a foole If a Prince bee sad cannot a wise man peraduentur by the saying of the holy Scripture counsell him better then a foole by foolish words If a Prince be prosperous shall it not bee better to keepe him in the same property to associate himselfe with a wise man rather then to put his trust in a foole and malitious person If a Prince be destitute of money cannot perchance a wise man finde him better meanes to get it then a foole which doth nothing but aske If a Prince will passe the time away shall not hee bee more comforted with a wise man that reckoneth vnto him the sauoury histories done in times past then hearkning a foole speake foolishly and declaring things dishonestly with the sayings of the malitious of the time present That that I speake of Surgians the selfe same I speake of fooles For I doe not say that they keepe them for their pastime though truely wee might better say to lose their time then to passe their time for that may iustly bee called time lost which is spent without the seruice of God and profit of their neighbours That which I most maruell at is not so much for the great authoritie that fooles haue in the Pallaces of Princes and great Lords as for the little succour and credite which wise men haue among them For it is a great iniurie that fooles should enter into the pallace of princes euen vnto their beds side and that one wise man may not nor dare not enter into the hall So that to the one there is no dore shut and to the other there is no gate open Wee which are at this present of right doe commend those that were before vs for no other cause but that in times past though the Sages were few in number and the world was replenished with barbarous people yet the Sages of those barbarous people were greatly esteemed and had in reuerence And this custome endured long time in Greece that when a Philosopher passed by a Greeke hee rose and spake vnto him and hee might not sit for the contrary all those which shall liue hereafter will reprooue vs which are at this present Forasmuch as wee haue so great a multitude of Sages and do not liue amongst barbarous but amongst Christians and it is a griefe to see and shame to write how little wise men are esteemed for at this day through our offences not those which haue most science but those which haue most riches in the common wealth do commaund I know not whether the diuine wisedome hath depriued them or that the worldly malice hath lost the taste of them For now a dayes there is no sage that liueth al alone to be wise but it is necessary for him to trauell how to gaine his liuing for necessity enforceth him to violate the rules of true Philosophy O world world I know not how to escape thy hands nor how the simple man and ideot defendeth himselfe out of thy snares when the Sage and wise men yea with al their wisedom can scarsely set their foot sure on the ground For all that Wise men of this World know is little enough to defend them from the malitious Reading that which I read of time past and seeing that which I see of time present I am in doubt which was greater the care that vertuous Princes had in seeking out Sages to counsell them or the great couetousnesse that others haue at this present to discouer mines and treasures Speaking therefore in this matter as I thinke I desire that those which haue the charge of gouernment◠whether hee bee Prince Prelate or priuate person I passe not that they once may haue about them sage men that bee wise in deede and that they would loue them aboue all the treasure they had heaped For in the end of good counsell there commeth profite and much treasure is a token of great
it was onely the wise men which I had about me that thus long haue maintained mee in this great authority It is a goodly thing for a Prince to haue stout captains for the warres but without comparison it is better to keepe and haue wise men in his palace for in the end the victory of the battel confisteth in the force of many but the gouernment of the commonwelth oftentimes is put vnder the aduise of one alone These so dolefull and pittifull words my Lord and Master Theodosius spake vnto me Now tell mee Epimundus what I shall doe at this present to fulfill his commendement For at his heart hee had nothing that troubled him so much as to thinke whether his children would vndoe or encrease the Common wealth Thou Epimundus thou art a Grecian thou art a Philosopher thou hast vnderstanding thou art an old seruant thou art my faithfull friend therefore for all these things thou art bound to giue mee good and healthfull counsell For many times I haue heard Theodosius my master say That he is not accounted sage which hath turned the leaues of many bookes but hee which knoweth and can giue good and healthfull counsell Epimundus the philosopher answered to these words Thou knowest well Lord Estilconus that the ancients and great Philosophers ought to be briefe in words and very perfect in their works for otherwise to speake much and worke little seemeth rather to bee done like a tyrant then like a Greeke Philosopher The Emperour Theodosius was thy Lord and my friend I say friend because it is the liberty of a Greeke Philosopher to acknowledge no homage nor seruice to a superiour for hee in his heart can haue no true licence that to rebuke the vitious keepeth his mouth shut In one thing I content my selfe in Theodosius aboue all other Princes which were in the Romane Empire and that is that he knew and talked wisely of al his affairs and also was diligēt to execute the same for all the fault of princes is that they are apt bold to talk of vertues in executing them they are very slacke and fearfull For such Princes cannot continue in the vertue which they doe commend not yet resist the vice which they doe disprayse I graunt that Theodosius was an executor of iustice mercifull stout sober valiant true louing thankfull and vertuous and finally in all thinges and at all times he was fortunate for Fortune oftentimes bringeth that to princes which they will and desire yea many times better then they look for Presupose it be true as it is most true that the time was alwayes prosperous to the Emperour Theodosius yet I doubt whether this prosperity will continue in the succession of his children For worldly prosperity is so mutable that with one onely man in a moment shee maketh a thousand shrewde turnes and so much the more it is hard to continue stedfast in the second houre Of slow and dull horses come oftentimes couragious and fierce colts and euen so of vertuousfathers come children euill brought vp For the wicked children inherite the worst of the Father which is riches and are dishenherited of the best which are vertues That which I perceyne in this matter as wel of the father which is dead as of the children which are aliue is that Theodose was vertuous in deede and the children are capable to follow both good and euill and therfore it is requisite that you now go about it for the Prince which is yong is in great perill when in his youth he beginneth not to follow the steps of vertue To speake particularly of Archadius Honorious I let thee know Estilconus that it is a thing superfluous to talk of it for I should lose my time because the things of princes are very delicate and though wee haue licence to prayse their vertues yet wee are bound to dissemble their faults As a sage father Theodose I desire thee to giue his children good doctrine and alwayes to accompany thē But I as a friend do counsell thee that thou keepe them from euill for in the end all is euill to accompany with the euill and forsake the good but the worst euill pursueth vs rather by the presence of the euill then by the absence of the good It may wel be that one being alone without the company of the good may yet notwithstāding be good but for one that is accompanied with euil men to be good of this I greatly doubt for the same day that a man accompanieth himselfe with the vicious the selfe same day he is bound to be subiect to vice O Estilconus since thou so much desirest to accomplish the commādemēt of thy Lord and master Theodose if thou canst not cause that Archadius Honorius which are yong princes do accompany with the good yet at the least withdraw them from the company of the euill for in the courts of princes vitious men are none other but solicitors in this world to tempt others to be vicious how many and what solicitors haue we seen thou and I in Rome the which forgetting the affaires of their Lords did solicite for themselues vices and pleasures I will not tell what seruants of princes haue bin in times past but what they were and what they are euery man may easily see I will tell thee onely not of those which ought to be coūsellors to princes but also of those which ought not to liue in their courts For the counsellors and officers of princes ought to be so iust that sheares cannot find what to cut away intheir liues nor that there needeth any needle or thred to amend their fame If thou Estilconus hast heard what I haue sayd marke now what I wil say and keepe it in memory for it may profit thee one day In the Courts of Princes proude men ought to haue no familiarity nor entertainement For it is vnseemely that those which are not gentle in words should commaund and those that haue not their hearts ready to obey should bee familiar with the Prince In the Courts of Princes there ought not to bee of Counsell and much lesse familiar enuious men for if enuy raigne amongst Princes and Counsellours there shall alwayes bee dissentions in the common-wealth In the Courts of Princes hasty men ought not to haue familiarity for oftentimes it chanceth that the impatience of Counsellours causeth the people to be euill content with their Princes In the Courts of Princes there ought not to be familiar nor of counsell greedy nor couetous men for the Princes giue great occasion to the people to bee hated because their seruants haue alwayes their hands open to receyue bribes In the Courtes of Princes there ought not to be familiar fleshly men for the vice of the flesh hath in it so little profite that he that is wholy ouercome therewith is or ought to be to the Prince alway suspected In the Pallace of a King there ought not
But of those two the worst is too soone For if by determining late a man looseth that which he might haue gotten by determining too soone that is lost which is now gained and that which a man might haue gained To men which are too hasty chance daylie manie euills and daungers as saith the old prouerbe The hasty man neuer wanteth woe For the man being vnpacient and hauing his vnderstanding high afterwards come quarrels and brawlings displeasures varieties and also vanities which loseth their goods and putteth their persons in danger Sith all naturally desire to bee happie hee alone amongst all others may be called happie of whom they may truely say Hee gaue good doctrine to liue lest good example to dye These and many other sentences of Phalaris the Tyrant wrote in his Letters whereof Cicero profited much in his works and Seneca also in his Epistles and manie other writers besides For this Tyraunt was verie briefe in wordes and compendious in Sentences This Phalaris being in his Cittie of Agrigentine a Phylosopher of Greece wrote him a taunting Letter charging him with Tyrannie to which he made answere with this Letter following The Letter of Phalaris the Tyrant to Popharco the Phylosopher PHalaris Agrigentine wisheth vnto thee Popharco the Phylosopher health and consolation through the comfortable Gods I receyued thy Letter heere in Agrigentine and though it sauoured somewhat Satyr-like I was not agrieued therewith For of Phylysophers and Sages as thou art wee should not bee grieued with the sharpe wordes you tell vs but onely to consider the intention whervpō you speake them Quarrellers malicious persons will haue the words by weight and measute but the vertuous and patient men do not regard but the intentions For if wee should goe about to examine euery word they speake vnto vs wee should giue our selues to much paine and we should alwayes set in the Common-wealth debate I am a Tyrant and as yet am in tyrannie but I sweare vnto the immortal gods whether the words were good or bad I neuer altered it For if a good man tell it mee I take it for my pastime Thou writest vnto me that all Greece is offended with mee there but I let thee vnderstand that all Agrigentine is all edified with thee here And thereof thou maist praise mee For if the Tyrants were not so much dispraysed the Phylosophers should not be so well loued Thou art counted for good and art good and I am counted for euill and am euill But in mine opinion thou shuldst not be proud for the one neither I should dispaire for the other For the day of the life is long and therein Fortune doth many things and it may wel be that from a tyrant I shall be a Phylosopher and thou from a phylosopher shalt be a tirant See my Friend that the long time maketh oftentimes the Earth to be turned to siluer and the siluer and Gold becommeth nothing worth I meane that there neuer was a tirant in any realme but that first he had bene brought vp in the studie of Greece I will not denie that all the renowmed Tyrants haue not bin nourished in Scictle but also thou shalt not deny me that they were not borne in Greece Therefore see and beholde to whom the faulte is from the mother which bare them or from the Nurse which gaue them sucke I doe not say that it shall bee but I say that it may well be that if I were there in Greece I should bee a better philosopher then thou and if thou wert heere in Agrigentine thou wouldest be a worser Tyrant then I. I would thou shouldest think that thou mightest be better in Greece where thou art that I might be worse in Agrigentine where I am For that thou dost not so much good as thou mightest do and I doe not so much euil as I may doe The cunning man Perillus came into these parts and hath made a Bull wherin he hath put a kind of torment the most fearfullest in the world and truely I caused that that which his malice had inuented should be of none other then of himselfe experimēted For there is no iuster law that when any workmā hath inuented Engins to make other men die then to put them to the torments by them inuented to know the experience in themselues I beseech thee hartily to come see me and be thou assured thou shalt make me good For it is a good signe for the sick when he acknowledgeth his sicknes to the phisitian I say no more to thee but that once againe I returne to solicite thee that thou failest not to come see mee for in the ende if I doe not profite of thee I am sure thou shalt profite by me if thou winnest I cannot lose CHAP. XLVII How Philip K of Macedonie Alexander the great the K Ptolomeus the K Antigonus the K Archelaus Pirrus K of the Epirotes were all great louers and friendes of the Sages IF Quintus Curtius deceiue me not the great Alexāder sonne to k. Philip of Macedonie did not deserue to bee called great for that hee was accompanied with thousands of men of Warre but onely hee wanne the renowne of Great for that hee had more Phylosophers on his Counsell then all other Princes had This great Prince neuer tooke vpon him Warres but that first the order of executing the same should before his presence be examined of the Sages and wise Phylosophers And truely hee had reason for in affayres where good counsells haue proceeded they may alwayes looke for a good ende These Hystoriographers which wrote of great Alexander as well the Grecians as the Latines knowe not whether the fiercenesse wherewith he strooke his Enemyes was greater or the humanity wherewith hee embraced his counsel Though the sage philosophers which so accompanyed the great Alexander were manie in number yet notwithstanding amongst all those Aristotle Anaxarcus and Onesichrates were his most familiars And heerein Alexander shewed himselfe very wise For wise Princes ought to take the counsell of manie but they ought to determine and conclude vpon the opinion of fewe The great Alexander did not content himselfe to haue Sages with him neyther to send onely to desire those which were not his but oftentimes himself in person would go see them visite them and counsell with them Saying That the Princes which are the seruants of Sages come to be made Maisters and Lordes ouer all In the time of Alexander Magnus Diogenes the philosopher liued who neither for intreatie nor yet for any promises that were made would come for to see Alexander the Great Wherefore Alexander the Great went for to see him and when hee had desired him that hee would goe with him and accompany him Diogenes answered O Alexander since that thou wilt winne honour in keeping of men in thy company it is not reason then that I should loose it to forsake my studie For in following of
esteeme this Cinas that they sayde he was the Master and measure of mans eloquence for he was very pleasant in words and profound sentences This Cinas serued for three offices in the Palace of king Pirrus 1 First he made pastime at his Table in that hee did declare for he had a good grace in things of laughter 2 Secondarily he wrote the valiant deedes of his history for in his stile hee had great cloquence and to write the truth he was a witnesse of sight 3 Totrdly he went for Ambassadouring at affayres of great importance for he was naturally subtill and witty and in dispatching businesse hee was very fortunate He vsed so many meanes in his businesse and had so great perswasion in his words that hee neuer tooke vpon him to speake of things of warre but eyther he set a long truce or else hee made a perpetuall peace The King Pirrus saide to this Cinas O Cinas for 3. things I thanke to the immortall Gods 1 The first for that they created mee a King and not a seruant for the greatest good that mortall men haue is to haue liberty to commaund many and not bee bound to obey any 2 The second I thanke the immortal gods for that they naturally made mee stout of heart for the man which with euery trifle is abashed it were better for him to leaue his life 3 The third I giue the immortall gods thanks for that in the gouernement of my commonwealth and for the great affaires and busines of my realme as well in wars as in other things they gaue me such a man as thou art in my company For by thy gentle speech I haue conquered and abtained many Cities which by my cruell sword I could neuer winne nor attaine These were the words which Pyrrus sayd vnto his friend Cinas the Poet. Let euery Prince know now how great louers of wise men those were in times past and as vpon a sodaine I haue recited these few examples so with small study I haue heaped infinite Histories The end of the first Booke THE SECOND BOOKE OF THE DYALL OF PRINCES WHEREIN THE AVTHOR TREATETH HOW NOBLE Princes and great Lordes should behaue themselues towardes their Wiues And how they ought to nourish and bring vp their Chyldren CHAP. I ¶ Of what excellencie Marriage is and whereas common people marrie of free will Princes and Noble-men ought to marry of necessitie AMong al the friendships companies of this life there is none so naturall as that betweene the husband the wife liuing in one house For all other companyes are caused by free will onely but this proceedeth both by wil and necessitie There is at this day no Lyon so fierce no Serpent so venemous no Viper so infectiue no Aspicke so mortall neyther any beast so terrible but at the least both male and female do once in the yeare meete and conioyne and although that in brute beasts there lacketh reason yet notwithstanding they haue a natural instinction to assemble themselues for the conseruation of their kinde In this case men deserue no lesse reproch then Beasts merite praise For after that the Females by generation are bigge they neuer agree that the Males should accompanie with them According to the diuersity of Nations so among thēselues they differ the one from the other in Lawes Languages Ceremonies customs but in the ende all agree in one thing for that they enforce themselues to celebrate marriage As the Scripture teacheth vs Since the world was created there hath nothing bene more ancient then the Sacrament of Marriage For that day that Man was formed the selfe same day he celebrated mariage with a Woman in the terrestriall Paradise The ancient Hystoriographers aswell Greekes as Latines wrote many great things in the praise of Mariage but they could not say nor write so much as continuall experience doth shew vs. Therfore leauing the superfluous and taking the most necessary wee say that fiue commodities follow the Sage man who hath taken the yoke of Matrimonie The first is the memorie which remaineth to the children as successors and heyres of their Fathers For as the Phylosopher Pythagoras sayeth When a father passeth out of this present life and leaueth behinde him a Childe being his Heyre they cannot say vnto him that hee dyeth but that he waxeth young in his Childe since the child doth inherite the Flesh the Goods and the memorie of the Father Among the ancients it was a common prouerbe that the taste of all tastes is Bread the sauour of all sauours is Salt and the greatest loue of all Loues is from the Fathers to their children And though perchaunce we see the Father shew some rigor to their children we ought not therefore to say that they hate them and despise them for the tender loue of the Father to the Sonne is such that hee cannot endure him to doe any thing amisse or worthy of rebuke Not only men of reason and brute beasts but also the Hedge and Garden-trees to their possibilitie procure to continue their kinde and it is plainly seene in that before the fruits and hearbs were formed to be eaten the seeds and kirnels were made to be kept Men naturally desire honor in their life and memorie after theyr death Therefore I say that they come to honour by High and Noble and Heroycall facts but the Memorie is left by the good and Legittimate children For the children which are borne in adultrie are begotten in sinne and with great care are nourished The second benefit of Marriage is that they auoyd adulterie and it is no small matter to auoyde this vice For the Adulterers are not onely taken in the Christian religion for offenders but euen amongst the Gentiles also they are counted infamous The sage Solon in the lawes that he gaue vnto the Athenians commaunded vpon streight precepts that they should Marrie to auoyde adulterie vpon paine that the childe borne in adultrie should be made the common slaue of the Cittie The Romanes as men foreseeing all things ordained in the tables of theyr Lawes that the children which were born in adultery should not be heyres of the Goods of theyr Fathers When the Oratour Eschynes was banished out of Athens as he came by the Rhodes he tooke no such pains in any one thing as he did in perswading the Rhodians to marry and not to liue in adulterie For among those barbarous Matrimonie was not common but onely among them which were Officers of the Commonwealth Cicero in a familiar Epistle saith that the great Romaine Marcus Porcio being gouernor in the Common-wealth neuer agreed that an Vnckle of his should bee maister of the Romain chiualry vnlesse he were marryed which office was promised him by the Senate His name was Rufus a stout and valiant man of warre this notwithstanding Marcus Porcio saide that that praise which Rufus deserued for being valiant and hardie he lost againe for liuing
deaths should not be buryed CHAP. II. ¶ The Authour following his purpose declareth that by meanes of Marryage many mortall enemies haue beene made good and perfite Friends BY sundrie examples that we haue declared and by all that which remaineth to declare a man may knowe well enough of what excellencie Matrimonie is not onely for the charge of Conscience but also for the things touching honour for to say the truth the men that in the Common-wealth are married giue small occasion to bee slaundered and haue more cause to be honourd VVe cannot deny but that Matrimony is trouble some and chargeable to them that be marryed for two causes The one is in bringing vp their children and the other in suffering the importunities of their Mothers Yet in fine we cannot deny but that the good and vertuous wife is shee that setteth a stay in the house and keepeth her husband in estimation in the Common-wealth for in the publike affayres they giue more faith and credite vnto those that are charged with children then vnto others that are loaden with yeeres The fifth commoditie that ensueth Matrimony is the peace and reconciliations that are made betweene the enemies by meanes of Marriage Men in this age are so couetous so importune and malicious that there are very few but haue enemies wherby groweth contention and debate for by our weaknesse we fall daily into a thousand occasions of enmities and scarcely wee can finde one to bring vs againe into friendship Considering what men desire what things they procure and whereunto they aspire I maruell not that they haue so few friends but I much muse that they haue no more enemies For in things of weight they marke not who haue beene their friends they consider not they are their neighbours neyther they regard that they are Christians but their conscience laid a part and honestie set a side euery man seeketh for himselfe and his own affayres though it bee to the preiudice of all his neighbours What friendshippe can there bee amongst proud men since the one will goe before and the other disdayneth to come behinde What friendshippe can there bee amongst enuious men since the one purchaseth the other possesseth VVhat loue can there be between two couetous men since the one dare not spend the other is neuer satisfied to hourd heap vp For all that we can read see goe and trauell for all that we may do we shall neuer see nor heare tell of men that haue lacked enemies for either they be vicious or vertuous If they be euil and vicious they are alwaies hated of the good and if they be good vertuous they are continually persecuted of the euill Many of the ancient Philosophers spent a great part of their time and lost much of their goods to search for remedies and meanes to reconcile them that were at debate contention and to make them by gentlenes good friends louers Some said that it was good profitable to forget the enmities for a time for many things are pardoned in time which by reasō could neuer take end Others said that for to appease the enemies it was good to offer mony because mony doth not only breake the feminate tender hearts but also the hard and craggy rocks others said that the best remedy was to set good men to bee mediators between them in especially if they were sage wise men for the honest faces and stout hearts are ashamed whē they are proserred mony the good do humble thēselues by intreaty These means wel considered and the remedies wel sought out to make friends there are none so ready and so true as Marriage for the marriage done Sacramentally is of such and so great excellency that betweene some it causeth perfect friendshippe and betweene others it appeaseth great iniuries During the time that Iulius Caesar kept him elfe as father-in-law to the great Pompeius and that Pompeius held himselfe his sonne in law there was neuer euill will nor quarells betweene them but after that Pompeius was diuorced from the house of Caesar hatred enuy and enmities engendred betweene them in such sort that they contended in such and so cruell warres that Pompeius against his will lost his head and also Iulius Caesar shortned his life When those that dwelled in Rome rauished and robbed the daughters of the Sabines i◠after they had not changed their counsell and of theeues to become husbands without doubt the Romans bad beene all destroyed for the Sabines had made an oath to aduenture both their goods and their liues for to reuenge the iniuries done vnto them their daughters and wiues but by the meanes of Marriage they were conferred in great amitie and loue For the Romanes receiued in marriage the daughters of the Sabines whome before they had rauished Greater enmitie there cannot be then that of God towards men through the sin of Adam notwithstanding there neuer was nor neuer shall be greater friendship then that which was made by the godly marriage and for greater authoritie to confirme marriage the Sonne of God would that his Mother should be marryed and afterward hee himselfe was present at a Mariage where hee turned the Water into Wine though now adayes the euill maried men doe turne the wine into water He doth not speake here of Religious persons nor men of the Church neither of those which are closed in deuout places for those fleeing the occasions of the world and choosing the wayes lesse dangerous haue offered their soules to GOD and with their bodies haue done him acceptable Sacrifices for there is difference betweene the Religion of Christ and the sinfull Sinagogue of the Iewes for they offered Kidds and Muttons but heere are not offered but teares and sighs Leauing therefore all those secrets apart which men ought to leaue to God I say and affirme that it is a holy and commendable counsell to vse his profite with the Sacrament of Marriage the which though it bee taken of all voluntarily yet Princes and great Lords ought to take it necessarily For that Prince that hath no wife nor children shall haue in his Realme much grudging and displeasure Plutarch in the Booke hee made of Marriage sayth that amongst the Lidians there was a law well obserued and kept that of necessitie their Kings and Gouernours should be marryed and they had such respect to this thing and were so circumspect in this matter that if a Prince dyed and left his Heyre an infant they would not suffer him to gouerne the Realme vntill he were married And they greatly lamented the day of the departing of their Queene out of this life for with her death the gouernment ceased the Royall authoritie remayned voyde and the Common-wealth without gouernment so long time as the King deferred to take another wife and so they were sometimes without King or gouernment For Princes are or ought to be the mirrour and example of all to
procure to be hated of God Truely to loue to serue and content God it is not hurtful to the woman for that she should bee the better beloued of her husband but yet God hath suffered and doth permit oftimes that the women being feeble deformed poore and negligent should bee better beloued of their husbands then the diligent fayre and rich And this is not for the seruices they doe to their husbands but for the good intention they haue to serue and loue GOD which sheweth them this speciall fauour for otherwise God doth not suffer that he being with her displeased she should liue with her husband contented If womē would take this counsel that I giue them in this case I will teach them furthermore a notable enchauntment to obtayne the loue of their husbands which is that they bee quiet meeke patient solitary and honest with which fine herbes they may make a confection the which neither seene nor tasted of their husbands shall not onely cause them to be beloued but also honoured For women ought to know that for their beautie they are desired but for their vertue only they are beloued CHAP. VI. That Princesses and great Ladyes ought to be obedient to their Husbands and that it is a great shame to the Husband that his wife should command him MAny ancient Historiographers trauailed greatly consumed long time in writng to declare what authoritie the man ought to haue ouer the woman and what seruitude the woman oweth to the man and some for to aduance the dignitie of the man and others to excuse the frailtie of the woman alleadged such vaine things that it had beene more honour for them not to haue written at all then in such sort as they did for it is not possible but the Writers should erre which write not as reason teacheth but rather as their fantasie leadeth Those that defend the frailtie of the woman sayd that the woman hath a body as a man she hath a soule as a man shee hath reason as a man dyeth as a man and was as necessary for generation as man she liueth as a man and therefore they thought it not meete that shee should bee more subiect to man then man to her for it is not reason that that which nature hath made free should by any lawes of man be made bond They said furthermore that God created not the creatures but to augment the generation of mankinde and that in this case the woman was more necessarie then the man for the man engendereth without paine or trauaile but the woman is deliuered with perill and danger and with paine and trauaile nourisheth vp the childe Wherefore it seemeth great vnkindnesse and crueltie that the women which are deliuered with perill and danger of their liues and bring vp their children with labour and toyle of their bodies should bee vsed of their husbands as slaues They sayd further that men are those that curse that moue seditions that make warres that maintaine enmitie that weare weapons that shed mans bloud and commit sundry other mischiefes which the women do not but in stead of killing men shedding bloud and other notorious euils that men do they imploy themselues to encrease men And since it is so then women rather then men ought to haue dominion and command in the Common-wealth for women increase the Cōmon-wealth and men diminish it for neyther diuine nor humane law commaundeth that the foolish man should bee free and gouerne and that the wise woman should bee bond and serue Those of Achaia affirmed this opinion and groundeth themselues vpon this reason and obserued it as a custome That the husbands should obey and the wiues commaund And so they did as Plutarch sayth in the Booke of Consolation for the husband swept made cleane the house made the bed washed the buck couered the table dressed the dinner and went for water And of the contrary part his wife gouerned the goods answered the affayres kept the money and if shee were angry shee gaue him not onely foule words but also oftimes laid her hands on him to reuenge her anger And heereof came this ancient Prouerb the which of many is read and of few vnderstood that is to say Vita Achaiae The life of an Achaian When in Rome the husband suffered to be ruled and commanded of his wife the neighbours would say vnto him in manner of a reproach Vita Achaia which is as much as if a man would say Goe goe as thou art since thou liuest after the law of Achaia where men haue so little discretion that they suffer themselues to bee gouerned bee it well or euill of their Wiues and that euery woman commandeth her Husband Plinie in an Epistle that hee wrote reprooued greatly his friend Fabatus for that hee kept in his house a wife the which in all his doings ruled and commanded him wherein hee told him that hee durst doe nothing without her commaundement And to make the matter to seeme more heynous in the latter ende of his Epistle he sayd these words Me valde poenitet quod tu solus Rome polles vita Achaia which is It grieueth mee much that thou alone in Rome shouldest leade the life of one of Achaia Iulius Capitolinus saith that Anthonius Caracalla being in loue with a faire Lady of Persia and seeing that he could not enioy her nor obtayne his desire promised to marrie her according to the law of Achaia and truly shee shewed her selfe more wise in her answere then hee did in his demand telling him that shee would not nor might not marry for because shee had promised her selfe to the goddesse Vesta and that she had rather be a seruant of the gods then a Mistresse of men The Parthes had a law contrary to them and likewise those of Thrace the which so little esteemed women that their husbands vsed them none otherwise then like seruants And in this case men had so great liberty or to say better lightnesse that after a woman had borne and brought foorth twelue children the children remained in the house and the husbands sold their wiues to them that would giue most or else they changed them for others that were more young And the children agreed to the selling of their owne mother to the intent that their father might refresh himselfe with another that was more young and the olde and barren woman should eyther be buried quicke or else serue as a slaue Dionisius Halicarnaseus saith that the Lides had a law and the Numiaians in like manner that the woman should command things without the house and the man should prouide for those that were within but according to my poore iudgement I cannot tell how this law was kept nor how they could fulfill it for by reason the wife should not goe out of the house but very little and therefore me thinks that they ought not to command any thing abroad nor the husband should enter
to haue perpetuall authoritie become negligent in vsing iustice The first Dictator in Rome was Largius Mamillus who was sent against the Volces the which at that time were the greatest enemies to the Romaines For Rome was founded in such a signe that alwayes it was beloued of fewe and abhorred of manie As Titus Liuius saieth this Largius Mamillus vanquished the Volces and triumphed ouer them and in the end of that warre destroyed their mightie citie called Curiola and also destroyed and ouerthrew many places and Fortresses in that Prouince for the cruell harts do not only destroy the persons but also take vengeaunce of the stones The hurtes which L Mamillus did in the Countrey of the Volces were maruellous and the men which he slew were many and the treasories he robbed were infinite and the captiues which hee had in his Triumphe were a great number amongst whom in especiall he brought captiue a Noble mans daughter a beautiful gentlewomā the which he kept in his house for the recreation of his person For the ancient Romaines gaue to the people all the treasures to maintaine the warre and they took to themselues all the vicious thinges to keepe in theyr houses The case was that this damsel beeing with childe Largius Mamillus brought her to solace her selfe in the orchard wher were sundry yōg fruits and as then not ripe to eate whereof with so great affection shee did eate that forthwith shee was deliuered in the same place of a creature so that on the one part she was deliuered and on the other part the childe dyed This thing chaunced in the gardens of Vulcan two dayes after the triumph of Largius Mamilius a ruefull and lamentable case to declare forasmuch as both the childe that was borne the Mother that was deliuered and also the Father that begat it the self-same day dyed and were buryed all in one graue and this thing was not without great wayling and lamenting thoroughout all Rome For if with teares their liues might haue been restored without doubt none of them should haue bene buryed The first Sonne of Rome which rebelled against Rome was Tarquine the proude The second that withstoode Rome beeeing as yet in Lucanta was Quintus Marcius The third that went against Rome was the cruell Sylla The dammages which these three did to their Mother Rome were such and so great that the three seuerall warres of Affrike were nothing to be compared to these three euill children for those enemyes could scarcely see the walles of Rome but these vnnaturall children had almost not left one stone vppon another A man ought not greatly to esteeme those buyldings which those Tyrants thre we to the ground nor the buildings which they destroyed neyther the men that they slewe nor the women that they forced nor yet the Orphanes which they made but aboue all things we ought to lament for that which they brought into Rome For the Common-wealth is not destroyed for lacke of wealth riches and sumptuous buyldings but euen because all vices abound and vertues are wanting Of these three Romaines hee whose name was Quintus Marcius had beene Consull thrice once Dictator and foure times Censor and in the ende hee was with much shame bannished from Rome wherewith to reuenge this iniurie hee came with a great power and Armie against Rome For the proude hart wounded with iniurie is neuer quyet in his life time vnill hee see his enemyes destroyed or that on them he hath taken vengeance Quintus Marcius being very nigh to the Gates of Rome was most instantly required that hee would not destroy his Mother Rome but hee tooke no regarde nor would condiscend to any request vntill such time that his Mother issued with a Niece of his whom hee loued entierly At whose intercession teares he left his anger and raised his siege from Rome For manie are sooner ouercome with teares then with importunate and reasonable requests The Ladyes of Rome vsed much to haue their haires long and yellow and to weare their wastes high streight And as the Niece of Quintus Marcius was great and big with childe the day that the peace was made between Q Marcius and Rome lacing herselfe too hard in her attire to seeme more proper and comely shee long before her time was deliuered of a creature and the case was so woefull and vnfortunate that the creature deliuered died the Mother lost her life and the mother loosing her life suddainly her grandmother fel dead to the ground throgh which occasion all the ioy and mirth was turned into sorrowe sadnes For it is commonly seene when the World is in the greatest ioy then Fortune suddainly turneth it into sorrow The Authors heereof are Tibulus and Porphyrius both Grecians CHAP. X. ¶ The Authour followeth and declareth other inconuemences and vnlucky chaunces which haue happened to Women with Childe THe wars of Tarent beeing ended immediately begūne the warres of Carthage of which so long and tedious warre the possession of the Isles of Maiorica and Minorica were occasion Forsomuch as the one would take it and the other defend it This warre endured wel nigh the space of 40 yeares for oft times the wastes and dammages which are done in the Warres are greater then the profite for which they contend The first Captaine in this Warre of the Romaines was Gaius Duellus and the first of the Carthaginians was Hammon the which with their Ships fought on the Sea of Scicile the which was very cruell for there they feared both the fury of the Sea and also the crueltie of the Pike the which two things put mans life in great danger Of this cruell Battell the Romaine Captaine remained victorious forasmuch as he drowned 14. Sippes and tooke other 30. hee slew three thousand men and broght three thousand Carthaginians prisoners and this was the first victory that the Romaines had by Sea And that that the Romaines most reioyced at was that by Sea also they remained Conquerours The Captaine Gaius Duellus departing from Scicile came to Rome where he had a Sister no lesse vertuous then rich and beautifull in whose house hee lodged where hee made a most costly Supper to all the Senatours of Rome and to all the Captains which came with him from the warres for the vicious men knewe not wherin to shew their loue to their Friendes but by inuiting them to costly Banquets The Sister of the Captain Gaius Duellus for ioy of his comming and for the pleasure of the Banquet and Feast which was made in her house did eate more then shee was accustomed and also more then it behoued one in her case so that in the presence of all shee began to annnoy the bidden Guests For shee not onely vomited out the meate of her stomacke but also the bloud of her veines and therewithall most vnluckely brought forth her fruit which she had in her entrailes wherewith immediately after the Soule departed from the bodie and so
dyed Truely this case was no lesse to be lamented then the other for so much as Gaius lost his Sister the Husband lost his Wife and his Childe and the wife and the childe lost their liues and for that that Rome lost so Noble and excellent a Romane and aboue all for that it chaunced in such a time of so great ioy and pleasure For there can come no vnluckier newes then in the time of much myrth to heare tell of any great mischance Of this matter mention is made in Blandus in the book of the declinatioÌ„ of the Empire The second warre of Affrike which was betweene Rome and Carthage was in the 540. yeares after the Foundation of Rome wherein were Captaines Paulus Emilius and Publius Varro the which two Consulls fought the great and famous bloudy Battell of Cannas in the Prouince of Apulia I say famous because Rome neuer lost such Nobilitie and Romaine youth as shee lost in that day Of these two Consulles Paulus Emilius in the Battell was slayne and Publius Varro was ouercome and the most couragious Hanniball remained conquerour of the Field wherein dyed xxx Senatours and 300. officers of the Senate and aboue xl thousand footmen and three thousand horsemen Finally the end of all the Roman people had been that day if Hannibal had had the witte to haue followed so noble a victory as he had the courage to giue so cruell a Battell A litle before that Publius Varro departed to goe to the warres hee was married to a faire and young Romaine called Sophia and within seuen moneths shee was quicke and as newes was brought her that Paulus Aemilius was dead and her husband ouercome she died suddenly the creature remaining aliue in her bodie This case aboue all was very pittifull in that that after he himselfe was vanquished and and that he had seene his companion the Consull Emilius slaine with so great a number of the Romane people Fortune would that with his own eyes he should behold the entrailes of his wife cut to take out the Childe and likeewise to see the Earth opened to burie his wife Titus Liuius saith that Publius Varro remained so sorrowfull in his heart to see himselfe ouercome of his enemyes and to see his wife so suddenly and so vnluckely stricken with death that all the time that his life endured he neyther combed his beard slept in bed nor dined at the Table and hereat we ought not to maruel for a man in his hart may be so wounded in one houre that hee shall neuer reioyce all the dayes of his life If wee put no doubts in Titus Liuius the Romaines had long and tedious warres against the Samnites which endured for the space of lxiii yeares contiually vntill such time as the Consull Ancus Rutilius who was a vertuous man did set a good appointment of peace between the Samnites and the Romanes For the noble stout harts ought alwaies by vertue to bring their enemies to peace These warres therfore being so cruell and obstinate Titus Venurius and Spurius Posthuminus which were Romaine Captains were ouercome by Pontius the valiant Captaine of the Samnites who after the victorie did a thing neuer seene nor heard of before That is to say that all the Romaine prisoners whom hee tooke hee put about theyr necks a yoke wherein was written In spight of Rome the Romaines shall be subtects to the yoke of the Samnites Wherewith indeed the Romains were greatly iniuried wherefore they sought stoutto be reueÌ„ged of the Samnites for the harts that are haughty proud caÌ„not suffer that others haue theyr mindes lofty and high The Romaines therefore created to bee Captaine of the Warre one named Lucius Papirius who had Commission to goe against the Samnites This Lucius was more Fortunate in his doings then comely of his person for he was deformed of his face notwithstanding hee did so good seruice in the warre and Fortune fauoured him so well that he did not onely ouercome and vanquish but also destroyed them and though the iniurie which the Samnites did to the Romaines was great yet truely the iniurie which the Romaines did to the Samnites was much greater For Fortune is so variable that those which yesterday we saw in most prosperitie too day wee see in greatest aduersitie This Lucius Papirius therfore did not only vanquish the Samnites kept them prisoners and made yokes for theyr neckes but also he bound them with cords together in such sort that they made them plough the ground drawing two and two a plough And yet not herewith conteÌ„ted but with gads they pricked and tormented them If the Samnites had had pitie of the Romaines beeing ouercome the Romaines likewise would haue taken compassion of them when they were Conquerours And therefore the prosperous haue as much neede of good counsell as the miserable haue neede of remedie For the man which is not merciful in his prosperitie hee ought not to maruel though he finde no friendes in his necessitie This Lucius Papirius had a Daughter maried to a Senator of Rome who was called Torquatus and she was called Ypolita And about that time that she should haue bene deliuered shee went forth to receiue her Father the which she ought not to haue don for the throng of the people in receiuing him being great and she herselfe being great with child by a most heauie chaunce as she would haue passed in at a narrow gate shee was so prest in the throng that she chaunged her life for death and her Father turned his mâ—th and ioy into sorrow and sadnes For he tooke the death of his daughter very heauilie and so much the more because it was so suddenly I say hee tooke it heauily since he was so stoute a man and so Sage withall that all Rome thought much that any such sudden chaunce should haue dismayed so worthie a man that of his wisedome he could take no benefite but heereat let no man maruell For ther are many that haue harts to shed the bloud of their enemies and yet caÌ„not withholde the teares of their eyes Annius Seuerus in the third booke De infelieitate Fortuna saith that the day that this wofull mishap chaunced to Lucius Papirius hee lift vp his eyes to the Heauens and weeping saide Oh Fortune deceiuer of all mortall men thou madest mee to conquere in warre to the intent to ouercome me in peace My mind was to declare vnto you all these ancients hystories to the end that al may know how tender women with childe are and how diligent their Husbands ought to bee to preserue them since there is nothing so tender to be kept nor any glasse so easie to be broken For there is much glasse that thogh it fall to the ground yet it doeth not breake but a woman with Childe onely for treading her foote awry we see with daunger to be deliuered CHAP. XI That Women great with childe and especially Princesses great
hope for this light of amendment then suddainly assaulteth them the dreadfull dart of death Oh how many haue promised vnto men and vowed vnto the Gods and determined with themselues that before so many dayes they would begin to be vertuous whom in short space after wee haue seene to engage themselues to the hungrie wormes of the earth The Gods will that we be vertuous and for the contrarie the world and the flesh willeth that wee be vicious Mee thinketh that it is better to obey the Gods then to doe that which the World and the Flesh desireth for the praise of vertue is honour and the paine of vice is infamie If thou dost cōsider Faustine thou shalt see that the Gods are on the one part which procureth vs to vertues and on the other part is the world and the flesh which enticeth vs vnto vices My opinion is we should say vnto the Gods that we desire to bee veriuous and that wee should say to the world and the flesh that from henceforth we will giue our selues no more to be vicious We ought in such case to satisfie the Gods with works to entertaine the world and the flesh with words that we employ so much time in leading a good life that wee haue no time vacant to speake an idle word I let thee know Faustine that all that I haue tolde thee I haue spoken it against my selfe for alwayes from my youth I had a good mind yet for all that I haue bin ouerthrown with vices Oh how manie times in my youth I knew women I accompanyed with women I talked with women and belieued women the which in the ende haue deceyued mee misused me and defamed me At the last I withdrew my selfe and forsooke them but I doe confesse that if reason kept mee from their houses x. dayes sensualitie kept me with them x. weekes Oh cruell Gods oh wicked worlde oh fraile flesh tel me what it meaneth that reason leadeth me voluntarily to vertues and that Sensualitie against my will draweth mee to vices Doest thou not thinke Faustine that I consider what a great good it is for to bee good and what an euill it is to be euill But what shall I doe wofull man since at this day there is not so cruell a scourge of my honour nor so great an enemie of my renowme as mine owne flesh is the which against me doth make such cruel wars wherfore I beseech the immortall Gods sith my being here is against my will that they do defend me in this so cruell war The fraile flesh is somwhat to blame but much more is the foolish and light woman in faulte For if men were certaine that women were chast shamefast solitary they would not dispose their hearts their bodyes nor bende theyr Bowes to shoote at their Buttes they would not consume their time to folow them loose their goods to serue them neither would they suffer so many shames to slaunder them For where the heart hath no hope to obtaine there hee will giue ouer his suite But what shall we do now Faustine I pray thee tell me since thou knowest better then I that the shame of the Romaine women is now gone and the women of Italie are so dissolute that though men do not regard them yet they do entice them If men flie they call them if men go backe they approach if men are sad they make them merrie if men are silent they force them to speake and finally men beginne their loue in sporte and they temper it in such sort that they turne it all into earnest I let thee know Faustine that the meanes whereby Nature worketh in man is very straunge but the shame which the Gods put in Women is more maruellous And if it be true as it is true indeed that the men doe lose the sting of the Flesh and that the Women doe not lose the shame of the visage I thinke it is impossible that there should bee a chaste or vertuous woman in Rome For there is no Common-wealth more vndone then that where the women haue lost their shame O women what reason haue they which flie from you which are weary of you which forsake you which forget you which make thēselues straungers and furthermore which are dead and buryed For the hungrie wormes gnawe in in the graues onely the fraile and slymie flesh of the dead but you women destroy the goods honour and life of the liuing Oh if the Noble heart knewe what euill doth follow them for dallying with women I sweare vnto them that they would not serue them continually as they doe serue them but also they would haue no lust nor desire to behold them What wilt thou I say any more to thee Faustine but that some scape out of your hands for effeminate slandered others hurte by your tongues others persecuted with your works others deceyued with your contenances others despised through your hatred others desperate through your inconstancie others condemned by your light iudgements others troubled throughly our vnkindenesse Finally those that escape best are of your hearts abhorred and through your follies destoyed Then since the man knoweth that he must passe all these dangers I can not tell what foole hee is that will eyther loue or serue you For the brute Beast that once hath felte the sharpe teeth of the dogges will vnwillingly euermore after come neare vnto the stake Oh vnto what perill doeth he offer himself which continually doth haunt the company of women For as much as if hee loue them not they despise him and take him for a Foole. If hee doth loue them they account him for light If hee forsake them they esteeme him for no bodie If he follow them he is acounted lost If he serue them they doe not regarde him If he doe not serue them they despise him If he will haue them they wil not If he will not they persecute him If hee doe aduaunce himselfe forth they call him importunate If he flie they say he is a cowarde If he speake they say he is a bragger If he holde his peace they say he is a dissarde If hee laugh they say he is a foole If he laugh not they say he is solemne If hee giueth them anie thing they say it is little worth and he that giueth them nothing hee is a pinche-purse Finally hee that haunteth them is by them slandered and he that doeth not frequent them is esteemed lesse then a man These things so seene heard and so knowne what shall the poore and miserable men doe in especially if he be a man of vnderstanding For though hee would absent himselfe from women the flesh doeth not giue him licence and though hee would follow Women wisedome will not condescend Now some men suppose in all theyr thoughts that by seruices and pleasures they may content women But I let them know if they know it not that the woman is neuer contented
though man doth what hee can as a maid and that he do all that he ought to do as a husband though he taketh painesfor her sake aboue his force and though with the sweat of his browes he relieueth her neede though euery houre he putteth himselfe in daunger yet in the ende shee will giue him no thanks but wil say that he loueth another and how hee doeth that but to please and satisfie her It is a long time since I desired to tell thee this Faustine but I haue deferred it vntill this present houre hoping thou wouldest not giue occasion to tell it thee For amongst wise men those wordes ought chiefly to bee esteemed which fitly to the purpose are declared I remember that it is six yeares past since Antonius Pius thy Father chose me to bee his Sonne in law and that thou chosest mee for thy Husband and I thee for my wife all the which things were done my wofull aduentures permitting it and Adrian my Lord commaunding it The good Anthonius Pius gaue his onely daughter in marriage vnto me and gaue mee likewise his Noble Empire with great treasures Hee gaue mee also the gardens of Vulcanali to passe the time therein But I thinke on both sides we were deceiued He in chosing mee for his Sonne in law and I in taking thee for my wife Oh Fanstine thy Father and my Father in law was called Anthontus Pius because to all hee was mercifull saue only to mee vnto whom he was most cruell For with a little flesh he gaue me many bones And I confesse the truth vnto thee that now I haue no more teeth to bite nor heate in my stomacke to digest and the worst of all is that many times I haue thought to rage on my selfe I will tell thee one word though it doeth displease thee which is that for thy beautie thou art desired of manie and for thy euill conditions thou art despised of all For the faire women are like vnto the golden pilles the which in sight are very pleasant and in eating very noysome Thou knowest well Faustine and I also that wee saw on a day Drusio and Braxille his Wife which were our neighbours and as they were brawling together I spake vnto Drusio such wordes What meaneth this my Lorde Drusio that being now the Feast of Berecinthia and being as we are adioyuing to her house and present before so honorable an assemblie furthermore thy wife being so faire as she is How is it possible there should bee any strife betweene you Men which are marryed to deformed persons to the ende that they might kil them quickly should always fall out with their Wiues but those that are married to faire women they ought alwayes to liue together in ioy and pleasure to the end they may liue long For when a faire woman dyeth although shee haue liued an hundred yeares yet shee dyeth too soone and on the contrarie though a deformed woman liueth but a small time yet notwithstanding shee dyeth too late Drusio as a man being vexed lifting vp his eyes vnto the heauens fetching a grieuous sigh from the bottome of his hart said these words as followeth The Mother Berecinthia pardon me and her holy house also and all the companie besides forgiue mee for by the immortall gods I sweare vnto thee that I had rather haue beene Marryed with a Moore of Chalde that is so fowle then being marryed as I am with a Romaine beeing very faire For shee is not so faire and white as my life is wofull and blacke Thou knowest well Faustine that when Drusio spake these wordes I did wipe the teares from his eyes and I gaue him a word in his eare that hee should proceede no further in this matter For such women ought to be chastened in secret and afterwards to be honoured openly Oh thou art most vnfortunate Faustine and the Gods haue euill deuided with thee giuing thee beautie and riches to vndoe thy selfe and denying thee the best which is wisedome and good conditions to keepe thy honor O what euil lucke cōmeth vnto a man when God sendeth him a faire daughter vnlesse furthermore the Gods doe permit that shee be sage and honest for the womā which is yong foolish and faire destroyeth the Common-wealth defameth all her parentage I say vnto thee againe Faustine that the gods were very cruel against thee since they swallowe thee vppe by the goulfes where all the euill perisheth and tooke from thee all the sayles and owers whereby the good doe escape I remained xxxviij yeares vnmarried and these vj. yeares only which I haue bin married mee thinketh I haue passed vj. hundreth yeares of my life for nothing can bee called a torment but the euil that man doth suffer that is euill married I will assure thee of one thing Faustine that if I had knowne before that which now I knowe and that I had felt that which now I feele though the Gods had cōmanded me and the Emperour Adrian my Lorde desired mee I had not chaunged my pouerty for thy riches neither my rest for thy Empire But since it is fallen to thine and mine euill fortunes I am contented to speake little and to suffer much I haue so much dissembled with thee Faustine that I can no more but I confesse vnto thee that no Husband doth suffer his wife so much but that hee is bound to suffer her more considering that hee is a man and that she is a woman For the man which willingly goeth into the bryers he must thinke before to endure the prickes The Woman is too bolde that doeth contend with her Husband but that Husband is more foole which openly quarrelleth with his wife For if shee be good hee ought to fauour her to the end that she may be better if she be vnhappie he ought to suffer her to the end she be not worse Truly when the woman thinketh that her husband taketh her for eulll it is a great occasion to make her to be worse For women are so ambitious that those who cōmonly are euil wil make vs belieue that they are better then the others Belieue me Faustine that if the feare of the gods the infamy of the person the speech of men do not restraine the woman all the chastisements of the worlde will not make her refraine from vice for all things suffereth chastisement and correction the woman only except the which must be wonne by intreatie The heart of the man is very noble and that of the woman very delicate because for a little good hee will giue a great rewarde and for a great offence hee will giue no punishment Before the wise man marieth it behoueth him to beware what he doth and when hee shall determine to take the companie of a Woman he ought to be like vnto him that entreth into the warre that determineth with himselfe to suffer all that may happen bee it good or euill I doe not
then to thinke that her husband forsaketh her for being foule The fifteenth The husband ought to put his wife in remembrance of the infamy that they speake of them that bee euill in the Citie for women are glorious and because they would be loth that men should talke such things by them as they talke of others peraduenture they will refrayne from those vices that others commit The sixteenth the husband ought to take heede that his wife accept no new friends for through accepting of new friends there grow commonly betweene them great discention The seuenteenth The husband ought to take heede that his wife beleeue that he loueth not them whome shee hateth for women are of such a condition that if the husbands loueth all them that they hate immediately they will hate all those which they loue The eighteenth The husband ought sometime in matters which are not preiudiciall vnto him confesse himselfe to be ouercome for women desire rather to be counted the best in reasoning though it be of no value then to haue otherwise a greater Iewell giuen them In this sort Faustine I will say no more to thee but wish that thou shouldest see what I see and feele what I feele and aboue all that my dissimulation should suffice to amend thy life CHAP. XVII The Emperour answereth more particularly concerning the Key of his Studie NOw Faustine since I haue the olde venome from my heart expelled I will answere to thy present demand for vnto demaunds and answeres that passeth betweene the Sages the tong ought neuer to speake word but that first he aske the heart licence And it is a generall rule amongst the Phisitians that the medicines doe not profite the sicke vnlesse they first take away the opilations of the stomacke I meane by this that no man can speake to his friend as he ought vnlesse before hee sheweth what thing grieueth him for it is better to repayre the roufes of the houses that be old then to goe about to build them new Thou requirest Faustine that I giue thee the key of my Studie and thou dost threaten mee that if I giue it not vnto thee that thou shalt forthwith bee deliuered I maruell not at that thou sayest neyther am I abasht of that thou demaundest nor yet of that that thou wouldest doe for you women are very extreame in your desires very suspicious in your demands very obstinate in your willes and as vnpatient in your sufferings I say not without a cause that women are extreame in their desires for there are thinges whereof women are so desirous that it is wonder though neuer liuing creature saw them nor heard speake of them I haue not sayd without a cause that women are suspicious in their demands for the Romane women are of such a condition that as soone as a woman desireth any thing she forthwith commandeth the tong to aske it the feete to seeke it the eies to see it the hands to feele it and likewise the heart to loue it I say not without a cause that women are obstinate in their willes for if a Romane woman beareth any malice to any man shee will not forbeare to accuse him for any slaunder nor faile to pursue him for any pouertie nor feare to kill him for any Iustice I say not without a cause that women are vnpatient to suffer for many are of such condition I say not all that if a man giue not speedily that which they desire they change their colour their eyes looke redde their tongues runne quicke their voyces are sharpe they frette with themselues they trouble their neighbours abroad and are so out of order that no man dare speake vnto them within You haue this good trade among yee women that vnder colour of being with childe you will that your husbands grant yee all your desires When the sacred Senate in the time of the valliant Camillus made a law in the fauour of the Romane Matrons with childe the women at that time longed not so much as they doe at this present but I cannot tell what this presently meaneth that all ye are anoynted with that that is good and that yee are all desirous of that that is euill I will tell thee Faustine the occasion why this lawe was made in Rome and thereby thou shalt see if thou deseruest to enioy the priuiledge thereof or no for the lawes are but as yokes vnder the which the euill doth labour and the wings wherewith the good doe flye The case thereof was such that Camillus the valiant Captaine went forth to the warres hee made a solemne vow to the mother Berecinthia that if the Gods gaue him the victory hee would offer vnto her an Image of siluer and after Camillus wanne the victory and that he would haue accomplished his vow to the mother Berecinthia neyther had he any riches nor Rome had any siluer for at that time Rome was rich of vertues and poore of money And know thou Faustine that our ancient Fathers were deuout towards the Gods and curious in repayring the Temples the which they esteemed to be great deuotions and they were in such sort obserued of their vowes that neither for sloth nor pouertie they would omit their promises towards their Gods And in these things they were so precise that they graunted to no man any triumph vnlesse he did sweare that he had vnto the Gods made a vow and afterwards also proued how he performed it At that time flourished in Rome many vertuous Romanes and many Greeke Philosophers many hardie Captaines and many sumptuous Buildings and aboue all things Rome was vnpeopled of malicies and adorned with vertuous Ladies The Historiographers made and not without a cause great account of these vertuous Matrons for the Common-wealth hath as much need of vertuous Women as the Warres haue of valiant Captaines They being therefore as they were so vertuous and so Noble Matrons without the motion of any woman determined all to goe into the high Capitoll and there to offer all their Iewels and Treasures that they had their Chains their Rings their Garments their Bracelets their Girdles their Buttons and Hangers of Gold Siluer and precious Stones of all sorts with all their Tablets The Annales of this time say that after the Romane women had layd so great a multitude of riches at the feet of the sacred Senate in the name of of them all one of them spake whose name was called Lucina and sayd in this sort Fathers conscript esteeme not much these our Iewels which we giue you to make the Image of the mother Berecinthia but esteeme much this that wee willingly put in ieopardie our husbands and children to winne you the victorie And in this case you accept our poore seruice haue no respect to the little which wee doe offer but to the great which if we were able we would giue Truely the Romanes though the treasure which their wiues offered was great yet notwithstanding
danger Plato saith in his booke of Lawes that the children are neuer so wel beloued of their mothers as when they are nourished with their proper brests that their fathers danceth them on their knees The which thing is true for the first loue in all things is the truest loue I was willing to shew the bringing vp of bruit beasts to shew the women with childe how pittifull parents they are in nourishing their younglings with their owne brests and how cruell Mothers Women are in committing their children to strangers It is a maruellous thing to heare the mothers say that they loue their children and on the contrary side to see how they hate them In this case I cannot tell whether they loue more eyther the childe or the money for I see that they couet greatly to hourd vp riches into their Chests and likewise they desire as much to cast out their children out of their houses There are diuers reasons whereby the mothers ought to bee moued to nourish their children which they bare in ther wombs with their owne proper brests The first reason is that the mother ought to haue respect how the yong babe was borne alone how little hee was how poore delicate naked tender and without vnderstanding and since that the mother brought it forth so weake and feeble it is neither meet nor conuenient that in time of such necessitie shee should forsake it and commit it into the hands of a strange Nurse Let women pardon me whether they bee Ladyes brought vp in pleasures or other of meaner estate accustomed with trauels I force not but I say that those which forsake their children in such extremities are not pittifull mothers but cruell enemies If it bee crueltie not to cloath him that is naked who is more naked then the childe new borne if it bee crueltie not to comfort the sad who is more sad desolate and sorrowfull then the childe which is borne weeping If it be vngentlenes not to succour the poore needy who is more needy or more poore then the innocent childe newly borne that knoweth not as yet neyther to goe nor to speake If it bee crueltie to doe euill to the innocent that cannot speake who is more innocent then the infant that cannot complaine of that which is done vnto him The mother that casteth out of her house the children borne of her owne body how can we beleeue that she will receiue in any other of strangers when the infant is now great when hee is strong when he can speake when he can goe when hee can profite himselfe and get his meate the mother maketh much of him and leadeth him about with her but is little thanke vnto her for then the mother hath more neede of the childe to bee serued then the childe hath of the mother to be cherished If the children were born of the nailes of the fingers of the feete or of the hands it were a small matter though their mothers sent them forth to nourish but I cannot tell what heart can endure to suffer this since the child is borne of their proper intrailes that they do cōmit it to be broght vp into the hands of a stranger Is there peraduenture at this day in the world any Lady that hath so great cōfidence in any of her friends parents or neighbours that she durst trust any of them with the key of her coffer wherin her lewels money and riches lyeth truely I thinke none O vnkind mothers my pen had almost called you cruell stepmothers since you lay vp in your heart the cursed mucke of the ground and send out of your houses that which sprang of your bloud And if women should say vnto mee that they are weake feeble and tender and that now they haue found a good Nurse to this I answere that the Nurse hath smal loue to the child which she nourisheth when she seeth the vngentlenesse of the mother that bare it for truly she alone doth nourish the childe with loue that heeretofore hath borne it with paine The second reason is that it is a thing very iust that women should nourish their children to the ende they may bee like vnto their conditions for otherwise they are no children but are enemies for the childe that doeth not reuerence his mother that bare him cannot enioy a prosperous life Since the intention of the parents in bringing vp their children is for none other purpose but to bee serued of them when they are olde they shall vnderstand that for this purpose there is nothing more necessary then the milke of the proper mother for where the childe sucketh the milke of a stranger it is vnlikely that it should haue the conditions of the mother If a Kid sucke a Sheepe they shall perceiue it shall haue the wooll more faire the nature more gentle then if he had sucked the Goat which hath the wooll more hard and of nature is more wilde wherein the Prouerbe is verified Not from whence thou commest but whereof thou feedest It auayleth a man much to haue a good inclination but it helpeth him much more from his infancy to bee well taught for in the end we profite more with the customes wherewith we liue then we doe by nature from whence we came The third reason is that women ought to nourish their owne children because they should bee whole mothers and not vnperfect for the woman is counted but halfe a mother that beareth it and likewise halfe a mother that nourisheth it but she is the whole mother that both beareth it and nourisheth it After the duetie considered vnto the Father that hath created vs and vnto the Sonne that hath redeemed vs mee thinketh next we owe the greatest dutie vnto the Mother that hath borne vs in her bodie and much more it is that wee should beare vnto her if she had nourished vs with her owne brests for when the good child shall behold his mother hee ought more to loue her because shee nourished him with her milke then because shee hath borne him in her body CHAP. XIX The Authour still perswadeth women to giue their owne children sucke IN the yeere of the foundation of Rome fiue hundred two after the obstinate and cruell warre betweene Rome and Carthage where the renowmed Captaines were Hanibal for the Carthaginians and Scipio for the Romanes Soone after that warre followed the warre of Macedonia against King Philip. The which when it was ended that of Syria began against Antiochus King of Syria for in sixe hundred and thirty yeeres the Romanes had alwaies continuall warres in Asia in Affrick or in Europe The noble Romanes sent the Consull Cornelius Scipio brother to the great Scipio the Affrican for Captaine of that warre And after many battailes Fortune shewed her force in a Citie called Sepila the which is in Asia the great where King Antiochus was ouercome and all his Realme discomfited for trees that haue their roots plucked vp must
proper pappes and when thou diddest cast mee from thee out of thy sight shee receiued mee and nourished mee in her proper armes Fifthly Women ought to enforce themselues to nourish their children to the end they may keepe them the better and that in their cradles they be not changed for others Aristotle sayth that the Cuckow commêth to the nest of another bird when she hath laid her eggs and sucketh them and layeth in the same place her owne egges so that the other birde thinking that they are her owne hatcheth and nourisheth them vp as her owne vntill such time as they are able to flye then the Cuckow killeth and eateth the silly bird that hath nourished her through the which occasiō the males of those birds are at so great contention that they haue beene so deceiued that the one of them killeth the other the which they might let if euery bird did nourish her owne In the same time that Philip raigned in Macedonia which was the father of Alexander the great Arthebanus was King of the Epirotes who in his age had a child borne the which was stolne out of the Cradle and another put in his stead The Nurse which did nourish it through couetousnes of mony consented to that treason for the heart that is with couerousnes ouercome will not feare to commit any treason It chanced not long after that King Arthebanus dyed and left as hee thought his owne sonne for his heire but within few dayes after the Nurse her selfe which had consented vnto the robberie discouered the theft and sayd that shee could tell where the lawfull childe of the good King Arthebanus was and that that child which now was Heire was but the sonne of a meane Knight but indeed it had beene better for those of the miserable Realme that the woman had neuer discouered the secret for it chanceth oft times that a man maketh such haste off his horse that he hurteth his leg and through that occasion afterwards falleth and breaketh his necke But what shall we say to the Plebeicall women of base and meane estate I doe not meane the Noble Gentle and vertuous Ladies whereof they are many that though in great secret their chiefest friend telleth them any thing yet before they drinke they will vtter it to another Thus when the treason was discouered cruell warres betweene these two Princes beganne so that in the end in a great battaile they were both slayne the one in defending and the other in assaulting At that time Olimpias raigned who was the fayre and worthy wife of Philip and mother of Alexander Shee had a Brother named Alexander who was both pollitike hardy and hearing the Epirotes were in conrouersie and that two Kings were slaine in the field he placed himself in the Realme more of wil then of right And let no man maruell that this King occupyed the Realme for in the old time all the tyrrannous Princes thought that all that which they could obtaine without resistance did vnto them belong by Iustice This King Alexander was he which came into Italy in the fauour of the Tarentines when they rebelled against the Romanes who afterward was slaine in battel at Capua where his body was vnburied And truly it was a iust sentence that the tirant which beteaueth many of their liues should himselfe taste some shamefull death I haue declared this Historie to this end that Princesses and great Ladies should see that if the wife of King Arthehanus had nourished his sonne they could not haue robbed it in the Cradle nor these two Princes had not beene slayne in battaile nor the Common-wealth had not beene destroyed nor Alexander had not entred into the Land of another nor had not come to conquer the Country of Italy nor the dead corps had not wanted his graue for oft times it chanceth for not quenching a little coale of fire a whole Forrest and house is burned The diuine Plato among the Greeks and Licurgus among the Lacedemonians commanded and ordayned in all their lawes That all the Plebeica women and those of mean estate should nourish all their children and that those which were Princesses great Ladyes should at the least nourish their eldest and first begotten Plutarch in the booke of The raigne of Princes saith That the sixth King of the Lacedemonians was Thomistes the which when hee dyed left two children of which the second inherited the Realme because the Queene her selfe had brought it vp and the first did not inherite becaue a strange Nurse had giuen it sucke and brought it vp And hereof remained a custome in the most part of the Realmes of Asia that the childe which was not nourished with the papps of his mother should inherite none of his mothers goods There was neuer nor neuer shall be a mother that had such a Sonne as the Mother of God which had Iesus Christ nor there was neuer nor neuer shall be a sonne which had such a mother in the world But the Infant would neuer sucke other milke because hee would not bee bound to call any other mother nor the mother did giue him to nourish to any other mother because that no other woman should call him sonne I do not maruell at all that Princesses and great Ladies doe giue their children foorth to nourish but that which most I maruell at is that shee which hath conceiued and brought foorth a childe is ashamed to giue it sucke and to nourish it I suppose that the Ladies do think that they deserue to conceiue them in their wombs that they sinne in nourishing them in their armes I cannot tell how to write and much lesse how to vtter that which I would say which is that women are now adayes come into such folly that they thinke esteeme it a state to haue in their armes some little dogs and they are ashamed to nourish and giue their children sucke with their owne brests O cruell mothers I cannot thinke that your harts can bee so stony to endure to see and keepe fantastic all Birds in cages vnhappy Monkeys in the windowes fisting Spaniels betweene your armes and so neglect and despise the sweete Babes casting them out of your houses where they were borne and to put them into a strange place where they are vnknowne It is a thing which cannot be in nature neither that honestie can endure conscience permit nor yet consonant either to diuine or humane lawes that those which GOD hath made Mothers of children should make themselues Nurses of dogges Iunius Rusticus in the third booke of the sayings of the Ancients saith that Marcus Porcio whose life and doctrine was a lanthorne and example to the Romane people as a man much offended said on a day to the Senate O Fathers conscript O cursed Rome I cannot tel what now I should say sith I haue seene in Rome such monstrous things that is to say to see women carry Parrots on their fists to see
be aduertised that since in not nourishing their children they shew themselues cruel yet at the least in prouiding for thē good Nurses they shold shew themselues pittifull for the children oft times follow more the condition of the milke which they sucke then the condition of their mothers which brought them forth or of their fathers which begot them Therefore they ought to vse much circumspection herein for in them consisteth the fame of the wiues the honour of the husband and the wealth of their children CHAP. XXII Of the Disputations before Alexander the great concerning the time of the sucking of Babes OVintus Curtins saith that after the great Alexander which which was the last King of the Macedonians and first Emperour of the Greekes had ouercome King Darius and that he saw himselfe onely Lord of all Asia he went to rest in Babylon for among men of warre there was a custome that after they had beene long in the warres euery one should retire to his owne house King Philip which was father of King Alexander alwayes counselled his sonne that he should leade with him to the warres valiant Captaines to conquere the World and that out of his Realmes and Dominions hee should take and chuse the wisest men and best experimented to gouerne the Empire Hee had reason in such wise to counsell his sonne for by the counsell of Sages that is kept and maintained which by the strength of valiant men is gotten and wonne Alexander the great therefore being in Babylon after hee had conquered all the Countrey since all the Citie was vicious and his Armie so long without warres some of his owne men began to robbe one another others to play their own some to force women and others to make banquets and feasts when some wee drunk others raysed quarrels strifes and discentions so that a man could not tell whether was greater the rust in their Armours or the corruptions in their customes For the propertie of mans malice is that when the gate is open to idlenesse infinite vices enter into the house Alexander the great seeing the dissolution which was in his Armie and the losse which might ensue heereof vnto his great Empire commanded straightly that they should make a shew and iust thorow Babylon to the end that the men of warre should exercise their forces thereby And as Aristotle saith in the book of the Questions of Babylon the Turney was so much vsed amongst them that sometimes they carryed away more dead and wounded men then of a bloudie battaile of the enemie Speaking according to the lawe of the Gentiles which looked not glory for their vertues nor feared hell to dye at the Turney the commandement of Alexander was very iust for that doing as he did to the Armie he defaced the vice which did waste it and for himselfe he got perpetuall memory and also it was cause of much suertie in the Common-weale This good Prince not contented to exercise his army so but ordayned that daily in his presence the Philosophers should dispute and the question wherein they should dispute Alexander himselfe would propound whereof followed that the great Alexander was made certaine of that wherein hee doubted and so by his wisedome all men exercised their crafts and wits For in this time of idlenesse the bookes were no lesse marred with dust because they were not opened then the weapons were with rust which were not occupyed There is a booke of Aristotle intituled The Questions of Babilon where he sayd that Alexander propounded the Philosophers disputed the Principalles of Persia replyed and Aristotle determined and so continued in disputations as long as Alexander did eate for at the Table of Alexan der one day the Captaines reasoned of matters of warre and another day the Philosophers disputed of their Philosophie Blundus saieth in the booke intituled Italia Illustrata that among the Princes of Persia there was a custome that none could sit downe at the Table vnlesse hee were a King that had ouercome another King in battaile and none could speake at their table but a Philosopher And truely the custome was very notable and worthy to be noted for there is no greater folly then for any man to desire that a Prince should reward him vnlesse hee know that by his works hee had deserued the same King Alexander did eate but one meale in the day and therefore the first question that he propounded vnto them was That the man which did not eate but once in the day at what houre it was best to eate for the health of his person and whether it should be in the morning noone dayes or night This question was debated among the Philosophers whereof euery one to defend his opinion alleadged many foundations For no lesse care haue the Sages in their mindes to issue out of them disputations victorious then the valiant Captaines haue in aduenturing their persons to vanquish their enemies It was determined as Aristotle maketh mention in his Probleames that the man which eateth but once in the day should eate a little before night for it auayleth greatly to the health of the body that when the digestion beginneth in the stomacke a man taketh his first sleepe The second question that Alexander propounded was What age the childe should haue when hee should be weyned from the dugge And the occasion of this question was for that he had begotten a young daughter of a Queene of the Amazous the which at that time did sucke and for to know whether it were time or not to weyne her there was great dispurations for the childe was now great to sucke and weake to weyne I haue declared this History for no other purpose but to shew how in Babylon this question was disputed before King Alexander that is to say how many yeeres the childe ought to haue before it were weyned from the teate for at that time they are so ignorant that they cannot demand that that is good nor complaine of that that is naught In that case a man ought to know as the times are variable and the regions and prouince diuers so likewise haue they sundry wayes of bringing vp and nourishing their children for there is as much difference betweene the Countreys of one from the Countries of others in dying and burying the dead bodies as there hath beene varieties in the world by way of nourishing bringing vp of children CHAP. XXIII Of sundry kindes of Sorceries Charmes and Witchcrafts which they in olde time vsed in giuing their children sucke the which Christians ought to eschew IT is not much from our purpose if I declare here some old examples of those which are past Strabo in his booke De situ Orbis saith that after the Assirians which were the first that raigned in the world the Siconians had signorie which long time after were called Arcades which were great and famous wrastlers and Schoolemasters at the Fence from whom came the
first and best Masters of Fence the which the Romanes kept alwaies for their Playes for as Trogus Pompeius sayth the Romanes found it by experience that there were no better men in waightie affayres then those of Spaine nor no people apter to playes and pastimes then those of Arcadia As those Siconians were ancient so they were maruellously addicted to follies and superstitious in their vsages and customes for among other they honoured for their God the Moone and during the time that shee was seene they gaue their children sucke imagining that the Moone shined vpon the brests of the mother it would doe much good vnto the childe The Authous hereof is Sinna Catullus in the booke De edicandis pueris and as the same Historian sayth the Aegyptians were great enemies to the Siconians so that all that which the one did allow the others did repoue as it appeareth for as much as the Siconians loued Oliues and Akorns they were cloathed with linnen and worshipped the Moone for their God The Aegyptians for the contrary had no Oliues neyther nourished they any Okes they did weare no linnen they worshipped the Sunne for their God and aboue all as the Siconians did giue their children sucke whiles the Moone did shine so the Aegyptians gaue their children sucke whiles the Sunne did shine Among other follies of the Caldeans this was one that they honoured the Fier for their God so that hee that was not marryed could not light Fier in his house because they sayd the custodie of Gods should be committed to none but to married and ancient men They had in Mariages such order that the day when any children did marry the Priests came into his house to light new Fire the which neuer ought to bee put out vntill the houre of his death and if perchance during the life of the husband and of the wife they should finde the fire dead and put out the marriage betweene them was dead and vndone yea though they had beene fortie yeeres together before in such sort and of this occasion came the prouerbe which of many is read and of few vnderstood that is to say Pronoke me not so much that I throwe water into the fire The Caldeans vsed such wordes when they would diuorce and separate the marriage for if the woman were ill contented with her husband in casting a little water on the fire immedately she might marry with an others and if the husband in like manner did put out the fire hee might with another woman contract marriage I haue not beene marryed as yet but I suppose there are many Christians which wish to haue at this present the libertie of the Caldes for I am well assured there are many men which would cast water on the fire to escape from their wiues also I sweare that there would be a number of women which would not onely put out their fire but also the ashes imbers and coales to make themselues free and to bee dispatched of their husbands and in especially from those which are iealous Therefore returning to our matter The Caldeans made before the fire all notable things in their lawe as before their God for they did eate before the fire they slept before the fire they did contract before the fire and the mothers did neuer giue the children sucke but before the fire for the milke as they imagined did profite the childe when it sucked before the fire which was their God The Author of this that is spoken is Cinna Catuilus The Mauritanians which at this present are called the realms of 〈◊〉 were in times past warlike men of whom the Romans had great victories and the more valiant the men were in the warres so much the more superstitious their wiues were in soceries charmes and enchantments 〈◊〉 the husband that is long abâ—â—nt from his wife ought not to maruell though in her bee founde some 〈◊〉 Cicero in the booke De Natura Deorum and much more at large Boccâ—s sayeth That as many men and women as were in that Realme 〈◊〉 many gods there were among the people for euery one had one particular God to himselfe so that the god of the one was not the god of the other And this was to bee vnderstood in the weeke dayes for in the holy and festiuall dayes they had no other gods the which altogether they did honour The manner that they had in choosing gods when a woman was with child was this Shee went to the Sacrificer of the Idoll and tolde him that shee was great with childe and besought him to giue her a God for her child And the sacrificer gaue her a little idoll of stone gold siluer or of wood the which the mother hanged at the necke of the child And as often as the childe did sucke the dugge so oft the mother putteth the Idoll on his face for otherwise shee had not giuen him a droppe of milke to sucke vnlesse first shee had consecrated to the god the milke of her brest That which I haue spoken is little in respect of that I will speake which is that if perchance the child dyed before the time or that any young man by some perilous mishap dyed before hee was somewhat ages the Fathers and kinsmen of the dead did assemble and came to the Idoll of him and eyther stoned it â—â—ng it drew it burnt it or else they cast it into the deepe well saying that sith the gods did kill man without reason that they might lawfully kill them by iustice The same Bocchas in the second booke De Natura Deorum sayth that the Allobroges had a custome that those which were Priests of the gods should from the wombe of their mothers bee chosen vnto that dignitie And as soone as the childe was born before he tasted the milke of the brest they earned it into a Priestes house for they had a custome that the man which had tasted the thinges of the world merited not to serue the Gods in the Temples One of the lawes that they sayde Priests had was that not onely they could not by violence shedde any bloud nor yet see it neyther touch it so that immediately as the Priest should by chance touch mansbloud euen so soone he lost his Priesthood This law afterwards was so narrowly looked vnto that the Priests of the Allobroges did not onely not shedde drinke nor touch mans bloud when they were now men but also when they were little infants those that should bee Priests they gaue them no milke of the brest at all And this was their reason That to sucke milke was no other but to drinke white bloud for white milke is but sodden bloud and redde bloud is but raw milke Pulio in the booke de educandis pueris sayeth That the Auncients had a certaine kinde of reedes that breaking it in sunder there issued white milke wherewith they accustomed to nourish their children but let it bee as it is that this law
great Carthage who being of the yeares of 81 dyed in the first yeere of the wars of Punica they demaunded this Philosopher what it was that he knew he answered He knew nothing but to speake well They demaunded him againe what hee learned He answered Hee did learne nothing but to speake well Another time they demaunded him what hee taught Hee answered He taught nothing but to speake well Me thinketh that this good Philosopher in fourescore yeares and one said that he learned nothing but to speake well hee knew nothing but to speake well and that he taught nothing but to speake well And truely hee had reason for the thing which most adorneth mans life is the sweet pleasant tongue to speake well what is it to see two men in one counsell the one talking to the other the one of them hath an euill grace in propounding and the other excellent in speaking Of such there are some that in hearing them talke three houres wee would neyther be troubled nor wearied and of the contrary part there are others so tedious and rude in their speech that as soone as men perceiue they beginne to speake they auoyde the place And therefore in mine opinion there is no greater trouble then to hearken one quarter of an houre a rude man to speake and to be contrary there is no greater pleasure then to heare a discreete man though it were a whole weeke The diuine Plato in the Booke of Lawes sayde that there is nothing whereby a man is known more then by the words he speaketh for of the wordes which we heare him speake we iudge his intention eyther to bee good or euil Laertius in the life of the Phylosopher saieth that a young childe borne at Athens was brought vnto Socrates the great phylosopher being in Athens to the ende he should receyue him into his companie and teach him in his Schoole The yong childe was strange and shamefast and durste not speake before his Maister wherefore the Phylosopher Socrates sayd vnto him Speake friend if thou wilt that I know thee This sentence of Socrates was very profound I pray him that shall reade this writing to pause a while thereat For Socrates will not that a man be known by the gesture he hath but by the good or euill wordes which he speaketh Though eloquence and speaking well to euery man is a cause of augmenting their honour and no diminisher of their goods yet without comparison it shineth much more is most necessary in the Pallaces of Princesses and great Lords for men which haue common offices ought of necessity hearken to his naturall Countrimen and also to speake with strangers Speaking therefore most plainely I say that the Prince ought not to trauell onely to haue eloquence for the honour of his person but also it behoueth him for the Common-wealth For as the Prince is but one and is serued of all so it is vnpossible that hee haue so much as will satisfie and content them all And therefore it is necessary that hee requite some with money and that hee content others with good words For the Noble heart loueth better a gentle worde then a reward or gift with the tong of a rude man Plato Liuius Herodotus Vulpicius Eutropius Diorus Plinie and many other innumerable ancient Historiographers doe not cease to prayse the eloquence of Greeke princes and Latines in their workes Oh how blessed were those times when there were sage Princes and discreete Lordes truely they haue reason to exalt them For many haue obtayned and wonne the royall crownes and scepters of the Empire not so much for the great battels they haue conquered nor for the high bloud and generation from whence they are discended as for the wisedome and eloquence which they had Marcus Aurelius was naturall of Rome borne in Mount Celio hee was poore in patrimony and of base lynage little in fauour left and forsakē of his parents and besides all this onely for being vertuous in this life profound in doctrine and of so high eloquence the Emperour Antonius called Pius gaue him his daughter Faustine for wife who being reproued of many because he gaue his daughter to so poore a Philosopher answered I had rather haue a poore Philosopher then a rich foole Pulio in his seuenth booke of the Romaine lawes sayth that in Rome there was a law very well kept and obserued of the Consels by a custom brought in that the Dictators Censor and Emperors of Rome entred into the Senate once in the weeke at the least and in this place they should giue and render account in what state the common wealth remayned O would to God that at this present this Law were so kept and obserued for there is none who doth minister so good iustice as he which thinketh to giue account of his doings They say that Caligula the fourth Emperour of Rome was not onelie deformed infamous and cruell in his life but also was an Idiot in eloquēce and of an euill vtterance in his communication so that hee among all the Romane Princes was constrained to haue others to speake for him in the Senate This wicked man was so vnfortunate that after his cruell and infamous death they drew him throughout Rome and set vpon his graue this Epitaph Caligula lyeth here in endlesse sleepe That stretcht his raigne vpon the Empires head Vnfitte for rule that could such folly heape And fitte for death where vertue so was dead I Cannot tell why Princes do praise themselues to be strong and hardie to bee well disposed to bee runners to iust well and doe not esteeme to be eloquent since it is true that those gifts doe profite them onely for their life but the eloquence profiteth them not onely for to honour their life but also to augment their renowne For wee doe reade that by that many Princes did pacifie great seditions in the common wealth and besides that they deserued immortall memory Suetonius Tranquillus in the first book of Caesars sayth that the aduenturous Iulius Caesar being as yet but 16. yeares of age when there dyed in Rome an aunt of his called Cornelia at her buriall hee made an Oration in the which hee beeing so young shewed maruellous great eloquence which was so accepted that day in al people that in the end euery man iudged him to bee a valiant Romane Captaine And as Appianus declareth they say that Silla spake these words That which I perceyue of this young man Caius Caesar is that in the boldnesse of his tongue he declareth how valiant he ought to bee in his person Let therefore Princes and great Lordes see how much it may profite them to know to speake well and eloquently For wee see no other thing dayly but that a man of base lynage by his eloquence commeth to be exalted and the other which of linage is nobly borne for want of speaking well and being eloquent is the first that discendeth most vilest of all other
The intention whereupon I wrote these things was for no other but to admonish perswade and pray all princes and great Lords that whiles their children are young they should put them to wise and learned men to the end they should teach them not onely how they ought to liue but also how they ought to speake For to persons of estate it is a great infamy to doe or to inuent to doe a thing afterward not to know how to giue a reason thereof Polidorus in the third booke of his Commentaries sayth that when the Lacedemonians were put to flight by the Athenians In rota milina it is called Milina because the battell was in the riuer of Miline the Lacedemonians sent a Philosopher called Heuainus to treate of peace with the Athenians who made such an eloquent Oration to the Senate of Athens that he did nor onely obtaine the Peace which hee desired for his Countrey but for himselfe also hee wan perpetuall renowne At the Philosophers returne the Athenians gaue him a letter which sayd in this sort CHAP. XXVI Of a Letter which the Athenians sent to the Lacedemonians THe Senate people Sages of Athens wisheth health to the persons and peace to the Common wealth of you of the Senate and people of the Lacedemonians Wee take the immortall Gods to recorde that in the last battell we had no lesse displeasure to see you ouercome then on the contrary wee had pleasure to see vs remaine victorious for in the end the daungers and inconueniences of the cruell warres are so great that the euill and danger is certain to them that are vanquished and the profite is doubtfull to them that haue ouercommed We would gladly that that which now yee will yee would haue willed sooner and that which now yee require and demaund that before yee had required and demanded But what shall we doe since it was ordayned to your and our wofull destinies that hee should lose the battell and that wee of your losse can take no profite For it is a rule vnfallible that all that which the Gods haue ordayned no worldly wight can auoyde nor humane power resist Yee demaund that warre may leaue and cease off and that wee take truce for three monethes and that duriyg this time peace and concord may be concluded To this wee make answere That the Senate of Athens hath not accustomed to grant peace afterward for to returne to warre for amongst vs Athenians wee haue an ancient Law that freely wee doe accept the cruell warre and liberally we doe graunt perpetuall peace In our Schooles and Vniuersities we trauell to haue Sages in time of peace for to help vs with their counsels in the time of warre And they doe counsell vs that wee neuer take vpon vs truce vpon suspect condition And indeed they counsell vs well for the fayned and dissembled peace is much more perillous then is the manifest warre The Philosopher Heuxinus your Ambassadour hath spoken to vs so highly and eloquently in this Senate that it seemed to vs very vniust if wee should deny him and gaine-say that hee requireth vs. For it is much more honesty to grant him peace which by sweet and pleasant words doth demaund it then him which by force and sharpe sword doth require it Let the case therefore be that the Senate people and Sages of Athens haue ordained that warre doe cease with the Lacedemonians and that all discordes contentions dissentions and debates doe end and that perpetual peace bee granted vnto them And this thing is done to the end all the world should know that Athens is of such courage with the hardie and so very a friend to the Sages that she knoweth how to punish the foolish Captaines and suffereth to bee commanded and gouerned by sage Phylosophers Yee know right well that all our warre hath not been but onely for the possession of Cities and limits of the riuer Milina Wherefore by this letter wee declare vnto you and by the immortall Gods wee sweare that wee doe renounce vnto you al our right on such condition that you do leaue vs Heuxinus your Ambassadour and Philosopher The great Athens desireth rather a Philosopher for her Schooles then a whole Prouince of your Realmes And do not you other Lacedemonians thinke that that which wee of Athens doe is light or foolish that is to say that wee desire rather one man to rule then to haue a whole Prouince whereby wee may commaund many For this Philosopher shall teach vs to liue well and that land gaue vs occasion to dye euill and sith wee now of your old enemies do become your true friendes we will not onely giue you perpetuall peace but also counsell for to keepe it For the medicine which preserueth health is of greater excellency then is the purgation which healeth the disease Let the counsell therefore bee such that as yee will the young men doe exercise themselues in weapons that so yee doe watch and see that your children in time doe learne good letters For euen as the warre by the cruell sword is followed so likewise by pleasant words peace is obtained Thinke not yee Lacedemonians that without a cause we do perswade you that you put your children to learne when as yet they are but young and tender and that yee doe not suffer them to runne to vices for on the one part wise men shall want to counsell and on the other fooles shall abound to make debate We Atbenians in like manner will not that yee Lacedemonians doe thinke that wee bee friends to bablers For our Father Socrates ordained that the first lesson which should be giuen to the Scholler of the Vniuersity should be that by no meanes hee should speake any word for the space of two yeares for it is vnpossible that any man should be wise in speaking vnlesse he haue patience to be silent Wee thinke if you thinke it good that the Philosopher Heuxinus shall remaine in our Senate and thinke you if wee profite by his presence that yee may bee assuted that others shall not receyue any damage by the counsels hee shall giue vs For in Athens it is an ancient Law that the Senate cannot take vpon them wars but by the Philosophers first it must bee examined whether it be iust or not We write none other thing but that wee beseech the immortall gods that they bee with you and that it please them to continue vs in this perpetuall peace for that onely is perpetuall which by the Gods is confirmed CHAP. XXVII That Nurses which giue sucke to the children of Princes ought to be discreete and sage women THe Pilgrims which trauell through vnknowne Countries and strange mountaines wth great desire to goe forward and not to erre doe not onely aske the way which they haue to goe but also do importune those whom they meete to point them the way with their finger For it is a grieuous thing to trauell doubtfully in feare
were of immortall memorie of letters I will not deny that in the common wealth of Rome there hath not beene nourished and taught many women of great science but that the difference of the one and the other was that the Grecian women were learned in Philosophy and the Romane women in Rethoricke and Poetrie And hereof came that in Athens they esteemed to know how to teach well and in Rome they vaunted how to speake well Euphronius in the third booke of the Romane gestes sayeth that in the third yeare of the Consulship of Lelius Sylla by chance a Greeke Ambassador and an Ambassadour of Rome were at wordes in the Senate of the Rhodians the Greeke Ambassadour sayd to the Romane Ambassador It is true that amongst you other Romanes you are aduenturous in armes but for all that you are vnable in sciences For truely the women of Greece know more in letters then the men of Rome in weapons As soone as the Senate of Rome vnderstoode those words immediatly hereupon grew the cruell wars betweene Rome and Carthage about the possession of Sicill And no man ought hereat to maruell for in the end we see more wars arise by iniurious words then for to recouer the good that is lost The Romanes and the Grecians therefore being ready the one to defie the other the Rhodians came in the middest and kept them from such debate and in the end appointed them in this sort That is to say that as this iniurie should by weapons haue been determined they ordayned that by the disputations of women it should bee argued And truely the Romanes were counselled well for it was greater shame to the Greekes to bee ouercome with the tongues of women then with the swords of men The cause thereof was such that by appointment assembled at Rhodes ten Roman women and ten Greeke women All women very well learned the which in their chairs read certain lessons euery one after other and afterwardes the one disputed against the other of sundry and diuers matters And finally there was betweene them great difference for the Greeks spake very high things not so profound but with an excellent stile We ought not to maruell that such giftes were in those women for wee dayly see it by experience that profound science and high eloquence seldome meeteth in one personage The Greekes were very well pleased to heare the Romane women and the Romaines remained astonied to heare the Greekes And vpon this occasion the Rhodians iudged in this sort that euery one of them should be crowned with a crowne of Lawrel as vanquishers And they iudged that in graue sentences the Grecians had the best and in eloquent speech the Romanes had the victory As the aboue named Euphronius sayeth the disputations beeing ended the Romane women returned to Rome the Greeke women to Greece where they were receiued with such triumph and glory as if they had won a battel The Senate of the Rhodians for the memory of those women in the place of the disputations caused to bee set vp 20. pillers in euery one of the which were the names of the women Which was so sumptuous a building that in Rhodes there were none like to it saue only the Collyseo Those pillers stood vntill the time of Heliogabalus the Emperour who was so euill that he inuented new vices and destroied the ancient memories The writers which write in that time declare yet another thing wherin the women of Greece were differēt from the women of Rome That is to say that the Greeke women were foūd more fairer then the Romane women but the Romanes had a better grace more rich in apparel then the Greeks They sayd also that the Greekes were more hardy and stout then the Romanes but the Romanes were more honest pleasant and gracious then the Greekes And if this be true I do counsell Princesses and great Ladies that they haue no more enuy at the honesty of the Matrones of Rome then at the boldnes of the Ladies of Gretia For women were not born to slay men in the warre but to spin sowe and liue well like good housewiues in the house CHAP. XXVIII That women may bee no lesse wise then men and though they bee not it is not through default of nature but for want of good bringing vp CEasing to speake in generally it is but reason wee speake particularly and that wee reduce to memory some ancient histories of wise and discreete women as well Greekes as Romans for that these Ladies seeing what others were in times past may know what their duty is at this present In mine opinion the duty that the men of this present haue to follow the courage that the Ancients had in fighting the selfe same desire ought women of this present to haue to follow the ancient women in deuout liuing for there is no good thing in the world at this present day but the like hath been seene of our ancients heretofore When any sudden new and vnaccustomed thing doth happen men that neuer saw the like vse to say that there was neuer the like in the world yet indeed they say not true for though the thing bee vnto them new it is through their ignorance and simplenesse which neither haue read it by themselues nor heard it of others or this excellency hath the man that is learned that for what soeuer hee heareth or sayth hee is nothing abashed at Since women now a dayes are so ignorant that scarcely any of them can reade well hee that shall reade this will maruell why I doe perswade them to learne but the truth known what the Ancients were and what they did know from this time forward I beleeue they would greatlie reproue the women of this present for the time which the ancient women spent in vertues and studies These of this present consume in pleasures and vices Bocchas in the prayse of Women sayth that Lucius Sylla was a great companion of Marius the Consull in the time of the warre of Iugurtha and was no lesse a friend of Caius Caesar in the time of the first ciuill warres My penne needeth not to be occupied to write any thing of the life of Sylla For all the Historiographers doe not onely reproue the cruelties which he vsed to his enemies but also condemne him for the little faith he obserued his friends This Consull Sylla had three daughters the one of them was named Lelia Sabina the which of all the sisters was least fayre but amongst all the Romanes shee was the most sagest for shee read openly in Rome in a chayre both Greeke and Latine After the warres of Mithridates Lucius Sylla came to Rome where he beheaded three thousand Romanes which came to salute him although before by his word he had assured them all And in deed and also iustly Lucius Sylla had been vtterly vndone for his fact if his daughter had not made to the Senate a wise Oration for
discend of the Linage of the Troyans and therefore when king Eneas and prince Turnus had great Warres betweene them which of them should haue the Princesse Lauinia in Marriage the which at that time was onely heyre of Italie king Euander ayded Eneas not only with goods but also sending him his owne Sonne in person For the friendes ought for their true friendes willingly to shead their bloud and in their behalfe without demaunding they ought also to spend their goods This King Euander had a Wife so well learned that that which the Greekes sayde of her seemeth to bee fables That is to say of her eloquence and wisedome for they say that if that which this woman wrote of the warres of Troy had not been through enuie cast into the fire the name of Homer had at this day remayned obscure The reason hereof is because that woman was in the time of the destruction of Troy and wrote as a witnesse of sight But Homer wrote after the destruction of Troy as one affectioned vnto the Prince Achilles as a friend of the Greekes and enemie of the Troians And truely when a Writer is affectioned to any person his writing of force must be suspected The wife of this King Euander was called by her name Nicostrata albeit others called her Carmenta for the eloquence shee had in her verses For they say that she made as easily in meeter as others doe in prose The Historiographers of the Gentiles say that shee prophefied the destruction of Troy fifteen years before She tolde the comming of Aeneas into Italy and spake of the warres that should be before the marriage of Lauinia and said how Ascanius the sonne of Enea should builde Alba longa She sayde further that of the Latine Kings should descende the Romaines and that the reuenge which Rome should take of Greece should bee greater then that which Greece did take of Troy And shee sayde also that the greatest Warre which Rome should haue should be against the Princes of Affricke and that in the end Rome should triumph ouer all the Realmes of the earth and finally a nation vnknowne should triumph for euer in Rome As Eusesebius Caesarten saith The Routaines kept these writings in as great estimation in the high capitoll as the Christians kept their faith vnto GOD. King Darius after he was vanquished in the first Battell by King Alexander the great before he was in the second battel vtterly destroyed trauelled and sought many wayes and means to the ende he might be friend vnto Alexander And in very deede King Darius was sage to seeke it but not so happie to obtain it For to Princes the peace is more worth that is honest then is the victorie which is bloudie Betwixt these two so stoute Princes Truce was made for three moneths and in the meane time the Priests of the Chaldeans treated peace with these conditions that the great Alexander should marry the daughter of king Darius and that Darius should giue her a great quantity of gold and besides this that he should endow her with the third part of his realme And truely these meanes were good For among Princes there is nothing that sooner pacifieth olde iniuries then to make betweene them newe Mariages King Alexander excused himselfe of this marriage saying that hee was but xxiiij yeares of age and that hee was too young to bee marryed because amongst the Macedonians there was a custom that the woman could not be marryed vntill xxv yeares of age nor the man vntill xxx The Daughter of King Darius was faire rich and noble but the best she wanted for she was not wise And this was the cause why K Alexander refused her for his wife for in those dayes women were not marryed because they were rich but beloued because they were wise And finally the woman that had studyed best came commonly to the highest Marriage Antonius Rusticus and Quintus Seuerus say that the great Alexander after he had forsaken the daughter of king Darius marryed a wife which was a poore woman and deformed called Barsina which indeede was neyther with riches nor beautie endued but without doubt in the Greeke and Latine tongue most excellently learned And when the Princes of Macedonie would haue withdrawn him from that marriage asking him why hee esteemed the rich lesse then the poore he aunswered thus I see my Friends in Marriage it suffiseth the husband to bee rich and the woman wise For the Office of the husband is to winne that which is lost and the Office of the wife is to keepe safe that which is wonne Strabo de situ Orbis saith that the fifte Queene of Lides was Mirthas the which of her bodie was so little that shee seemed to bee a Dwarffe and in quicknes of wit so high that they called her a giant For the man that hath a stout stomack and a little body may well be called a giaunt and hee that hath a great body and a cowards hart may iustly be named a Dwarffe For that this excellent Queen Mirtha was such a wise wife when she was marryed and afterwards also a widowe very honest and aboue all things in Phylosophie excellently learned The Lides counted this Queen Mirtha amongst the seuen Kings of the which they vaunted themselues to be gouerned as of glorious Princes For the Auncients gaue as much glorie to Women learned in Letters as vnto the valiant and stoute men expert in Armes Cornificius the Poete as Laertius saieth had a sister called Cornificia the which in Greeke Latin letters was not onely learned but also in making Metre and Epigrames very expert They write that of this Woman which of few men the like hath been heard That is to say that she made verses and Epigrams better at the first sight then her brother did with much study And it is not too much incredible to put any doubt in that that is spoken for the penne hath more swiftnesse of the liuely spirit then the tongue hath of the small vnderstanding This Poet Cornificius was resident a long time in Rome and was alwayes poore and voide of all fauour thogh indeede hee was better learned then others which were in greater estimation the which thing dayly chaunceth in the Court of Princes For there is no difference whether they bee fooles or wise but whether they be acceptable to the Princes Aristotle sayeth Vbi multum de intellectu ibi parum de fortuna Meaning thereby that men which of memory and vnderstanding are most rich of the goods of this world are commonly most poore This Poet Cornificius therefore going through Rome little set by of any by chaunce a Romane named Calphurnius to scoffe at him sayd Tell me Cornificius hast thou had any fortunate day since thou wert borne for in these twenty yeers that I haue known thee I neuer saw thee in fauour and if I bee not deceyued it is fifteene yeeres since I knew thee haue
and so modest in life that of their family there was neuer found any cowardly man in the field nor any defamed woman in the twone They say of this linage of the Cornenelii among many other there were 4. singular and notable women among the which the chiefe was the mother of Graccht whose name was Cornelia and liued with more honor for the sciences shee read in Rome then for the conquests that her children had in Affrike Before her children were brought into the Empire they talked of none other thing but of their strength and hardinesse throughout the world and therefore a Romain one day asked this woman Cornelia wherof she tooke most vain glory to see her selfe mistresse of so many Disciples or mother of so valiant children The Lady Cornelia answered I doe esteeme the science more which I haue learned then the children which I haue brought forth For in the end the children keepe in honour the life but the Disciples continue the renowme after death And she sayd further I am assured that the Disciples daily wil waxe better and better and it may be that my children will waxe worse and worse The desires of young men are so variable that they dayly haue new inuentions With one accord all the writers doe greatly commend this woman Cornelia in especiall for being wise and honest and furthermore because she read Phylosophy in Rome openly And therefore after her death they set vp in Rome a statue ouer the gate Salaria whereupon there was grauen this Epigram This heape of earth Cornelle doth enclose Of wretched Gracches that loe the mother was Twise happy in the schollers that shee chose Vnhappy thrise in the of spring that shee has AMong the Latines Cicero was the Prince of al the Romane Rethorike and the chiefest with his pen enditing Epistles yet they say that he did not onely see the writings of this Cornelia but read them and did not onely reade them but also with the sentences thereof profited himselfe And hereof a man ought not to maruell for there is no man in the world so wise of himselfe but may further his doings with the aduise of an other Cicero so highly exalted these writings that he sayde in his Rethorike these or such other like words If the name of a woman had not not blemished Cornelia truly she deserued to be head of al Philosophers For I neuer saw so graue sentences proceede from so fraile flesh Since Cicero spake these words of Cornelia it cannot be but that the writings of such a woman in her time were verie liuelesse and of great reputation yet notwithstanding there is no memory of her but that an author for his purpose declareth an Epistle of this maner Sextus Cheronensis in his booke of the prayse of women reciteth the letter which shee sent to her children Shee remaining in Rome and they being at the wars in Affricke The Letter of Cornelia to her two sons Tiberius and Caius otherwise called Gracchi Cornelia the Romane that by the fathers side am of the Cornelii on the mother side of the Fabii to you my two sonnes Gracchii which are in the warres of Affricke such health to you I doe wish as a mother to her children ought to desire You haue vnderstoode right well my children how my father dyed I being but three yeares of age and that this 22. yeares I haue remained widdow and that this 20. yeares I haue read Rethorike in Rome It is 7. yeeres since I saw you and 12. yeares since your brethren my children dyed in the great plague You know 8. yeeres are past since I left my study and came to see you in Cicilia because you should not forsake the wars to come to see me in Rome for to mee could come no greater pain then to see you absent from the seruice of the Common wealth I desire my children to shew you how I haue passed my life in labour and trauell to the entent you should not desire to spende yours in rest and idlenes For to me that am in Rome there can want no troubles be yee assured that vnto you which are in the wars shall want no perils For in warres renowne is neuer solde but by weight or changed with losse of life The young Fabius sonne of my aunt the aged Fabia at the third Calends of March brought mee a letter the which you sent and truly it was more briefe then I would haue wished it for betweene so deere children and so louing a mother it is not suffered that the absence of your persons should be so farre and the letters which you write so briefe By those that goe from hence thither I alwaies doe send you commendations and of those that come from thence hither I doe enquire of newes Some say they haue seene you others tell mee they haue spoken with you so that with this my heart is somwhat quieted for between them that loue greatly it may bee endured that the fight be seldom so that the health be certaine I am sole I am a widdow I am aged and now all my kindred are dead I haue endured many trauels in Rome and the greatest of all is my children of your absence for the paine is greater to be voyd of assured friends then assault is dangerous of cruell enemies Since you are young and not very rich since you are hardie and brought vp in the trauels of Affricke I do not doubt but that you do desire to come to Rome to see know that now you are men which you haue seen when you were children for men doe not loue their Country so much for that it is good as they doeloue it for that it is naturall Beleeue me children there is no man liuing that hath seene or heard speake of Rome in times past but hath great griefe sorrow and pitty to see it at this present for as their hearts are pittifull and their eyes tender so they cannot behold that without great sorrow which in times past they haue seene in great glory O my children you shall know that Rome is greatly changed from that it was wont to be To reade that wee doe reade of it in times past and to see that which wee see of it now present wee must needs esteeme that which the Ancients haue written as a iest or else beleeue it but as a dreame There is no other thing now at Rome but to see iustice corrupted the common-weale oppressed lies blown abroad the truth kept vnder the Satyres silent the flatterers open mouthed the inflamed persons to bee Lords and the patient to be seruants and aboue all and worse then all to see the euill liue in rest and contented and the good troubled and displeased Forsake forsake my Children that City where the good haue occasion to weepe and the euill haue liberty to laugh I cannot tell what to say in this matter as I would say truly the Common weale is at this day such and
so woful that each wise man without comparison would haue greater pleasure to bee in the wars of Affricke then in the peace at Rome For in the good war a man seeth of whom he should take heed but in the euill peace no man knoweth whom to trust Therefore my children since you are naturall of Rome I will tell you what Rome is at this present I let you know that the Vestall virgins are now dissolute the honour of the gods is forgotten the profite of the Common weale no man secketh of the exercise of chiualrie there is no memory for the orphanes and widdowes there is no man doth answer to minister iustice they haue no regard and the dissolute vices of the youth are without measure Finally Rome that in times past was a receite of all the good and vertuous is now made a denne of all theeues and vitious I feare me I feare me lest our mother Rome in short time will haue some sudden and great fall for both men and Cities that fal from the top of their felicitie purchase greater infamie with those that shal come after then the glory that they haue had of them that be past Peraduenture my children you desire to see the walles and buildings of Rome for those things which children see first in their youth the same they loue and keepe alwayes in memory vntill their age As the auncient buildings of Rome are destroied and the few that are now built So would I you should lose your earnest affection to come to see them For indeede the noble hearts are ashamed to see that thing amisse which they cannot remedie Do not thinke my children though Rome be made worse in manners that therefore it is diminished in buildings For I let you vnderstand if you know it not that if a wall doth decay there is no man that doth repayre it If a house fall there is no man that will rayse it vppe againe If a streete bee foule there is no man that will make it cleane If the Riuer carry away any bridge there is no man that will set it vp againe If any Antiquity decay there is no man that will amend it If any wood be cut there is no man that wil keepe it If the Trees waxe olde there is no man that will plant them a new If the pauement of the streetes bee broken there is no man that will laye it againe Finally there is nothing in Rome at this day so euill handled as those things which by the common voyces are ordered These things my children though I doe greatly lament as it is reason yet you ought little to esteeme them all but this all onely ought to bee esteemed and with droppes of bloud to be lamented That now in Rome when the buildings in many places fall downe the vices all wholy together are raysed vp O wofull mother Rome since that in thee the more the wals decay the more the vices encrease Peraduenture my children since you are in those frontiers of Africke you desire to see your parents here in Rome And there at I maruell not for the loue which our naturall Country doth giue the strange country cannot take away All those which come from those parties doe bring vs no other certaine newes but of the multitude of those which die and are slaine in Affricke therefore since you send vs such news from thence looke not that we should send you any other then the like from hence for death hath such authority that it killeth the armed in the warres and slayeth the quiet in peace I let you know that Licia your sister is dead Drusio your vnckle is dead Torquatus your neighbour is dead His wise our cosen and her 3. daughters are dead Fabius your great friend is dead Euander and his children are dead Bibulus which read for me in the chaire the last yeare is also dead Finally there are so many and so good with all that be dead that it is a great shame and pitty to see at this present so many euil as do liue know ye my children that all these and many others which ye left aliue full high in Rome are now become wormes meat full low vnder the earth and death also doth summon me vnto the graue If you my children did consider what shall become of you hereafter truely you will thinke it better to weepe a thousand yeares with the dead then to laugh one houre with those that be aliue Remembring that I bare yee in great paine and haue nourished you in great trauel that yee came of my proper entrailes I would haue you as children about me for the comfort and consolation of my paines but in the end beholding the prowesses of these that are past that bindeth their heires I am content to suffer so long absēce your persons onely to the end you may gette honour in chiualrie for I had rather heare tell you should liue like knights in Affricke then to see you vtterly lost here in Rome My children as you are in the wars of Affricke so I doubt not but that you desire to see the pleasurs of Rome for there is no man in this world so happy but at his neighbours prosperity had som enuy enuy not the vicious neyther desire to bee among vices for truly vices are of such condition that they bring not with thē so much pleasure as they leaue sorrow behind them for the true delight is not in pleasure which suddenly vanisheth but in the truth which euer remaineth I thanke the gods for all these things first for that they made me wise and not foolish for to a woman it is a smal matter to be called so fraile that indeed she bee not foolish The second I thank the gods because in all times of my troubles they haue giuen me patience to endure them for the man onely in this life may be called vnhappie to whom the gods in his troubles giueth not patiēce The 3. I thanke the gods for that those 65. years which I haue liued I neuer hitherto was defamed For the Woman by no reason can complaine of her fortune if in none of her troubles shee hath lost her honour The fourth I thanke the Gods that in this fortie yeares I haue liued in Rome and remained widow there was neuer man nor woman that contended with mee For since we women little profite the commonwealth it is but reason that shee which with euill demeanors hath passed her life should by iustice receiue her death The fifth I giue the Gods thankes that they gaue me children the which are better contented to suffer the trauells of Affrike then to enioy the pleasures of Rome Doe not count me my Children for so vnlouing a Mother that I would not haue you alwaies before mine eyes but considering that many good mens children haue been lost onely for being brought vp in the excessiue pleasures of Rome I doe content my selfe with your absence For
eye to thy childe whom of thy own bloud thou hast begotten And if thou doest it not because he is thy childe thou oughtest to doe it because hee is thy neerest For it is vnpossible that the child which with many vices is assaulted and not succoured but in the ende hee should be infamed and to the dishonour of the father most wickedly ouercome It is vnpossible to keepe Flesh well sauoured vnlesse it bee first salted It is vnpossible that the Fish should liue without water It is vnpossible but that the Rose should wither which is of the thorne ouergrowne So like it is vnpossible that the Fathers should haue any comfort of their children in their age vnlesse they haue instructed them in vertue in their youth And to speake further in this matter I say that in the Christian catholike Religion where in deede there is good doctrine there alwaies is supposed to bee a good conscience Amongst the Writers it is a thing well knowne how Eschines the Phylosopher was banished from Athens and with all his familie came to dwell at Rhodes The occasion was because that hee and the Phylosopher Demosthenes were in great contention in the common-wealth Wherefore the Atheniās determined to banish the one and to keepe the other with them And truely they did well for of the contentions and debates of Sages Warres moste commonly arise amongst the people This Phylosopher Eschines being at Rhodes banished amōgst others made a solemne Oration wherin he greatly reproued the Rhodians that they were so negligent in bringing vp their children saying vnto them these words I let you vnderstand lords of Rhodes that your Predecessours aduaunced themselues to descend and take theyr beginning of the Lides the which aboue all other Nations were curious and diligent to bring vp theyr Children and hereof came came a Law that was among them which saide Wee ordeine and commaund that if a Father haue many Children that the most vertuous should inherite the goods and riches and if there were but one vertuous that he alone shold inherit the whole And if perchance the Children were vicious that then all should be depriued from the heritage For the goods gottē with trauell of vertuous Fathers ought not by reason to be inherited by vicious childrē These were the wordes that the Philosopher spake to the Senate of the Rhodes and because he sayde in that oratiō many other things which touch not our matter I will in this place omit them For among excellēt Writers that writing loseth much authority when the Author from his purpose digresseth into an other matter To say the truth I doe not maruell that the children of Princes and great Lords be adulterers and belly-gods for that on the one part youth is the mother of idlenesse and on the other little experience is the cause of great offences And furthermore the fathers being once dead the children enherite their goods as quietly being loden with vices as if in deed they were with all vertues endued If the young children did know for a certaine that the lawes of the Lydes should be obserued that is to say that they should not inherite vnlesse they be vertuous it is vnpossible but that they would leade a vertuous life and not in this wise to run at large in the worlde For they doe abstaine more from doing euill fearing to lose that which they doe possesse then for anie loue to doe that which they ought I do not denie but according as the natures of the Fathers is diuers so the inclination of the children is variable For so much as some following theyr good inclinations are good and others not resisting euill sensualities are euill But yet in this matter I say that it lyeth much in the Father that doeth bring them vp when as yet they are young so that the euill which nature gaue by good bringing vp is refrayned For oft times the good custome doth ouercome all euill inclination Princes and great Lordes that will be diligent in the instruction of theyr children ought to enforme their maisters and tutors that shall teach them to what vices and vertues their Children are moste inclined And this ought to bee to encourage them in that that is good and contrarie to reproue them in all that is euill For men are vndone for none other cause when they be olde but for that they had so much pleasure when they were young Sextus Cheronensis in the second booke of the auncients saith that on a day a cittizen of Athenes was buying things in the market and for the qualitie of his person the greatest parte of them were superfluous and nothing necessarie And in this case the poore are no lesse culpable then the rich and the riche then the poore For that is so little that to sustaine manslife is necessarie that he which hath least hath therevnto superfluous Therefore at this time when Athens and her common-wealth was the Lanterne of all Greece there was in Athens a Law long vsed and of a great time accustomed that nothing should be bought before a Philosopher had set the price And truly the law was good and would to God the same law were at this present obserued For there is nothing that destroieth a commonwealth more then to permit some to sell as tyrantes and others to buye as fooles When the Theban was buying these things a philosopher was present who saide vnto him these words Tell me I pray thee thou man of Thebes Wherefore doest thou consume and wast thy money in that which is not necessarie for thy house nor profitable for thy person The Thebane answered him I let thee knowe that I doe buye all these things for a sonne I haue of the age of xx yeares the which neuer did any thing that seemed vnto mee euil nor I neuer denyed him any thing that hee demaunded This Philososopher answered Oh how happy wert thou if as thou art a Father thou wert a sonne and that which the Father saieth vnto the sonne the sonne would say vnto the father but I am offended greatly with that thou hast told me For vntill the childe be xxv yeares old he ought not to gainesay his father and the good father ought not to condiscend vnto the appetites of the sonne Now I may call thee cursed father since thou arte become subject to the will of thy sonne and that thy sonne is not obedient to the will of his Father so that thou alterest the order of nature For so much as the father is become sonne of his sonne and the sonne is become father of his father But in the ende I sweare vnto thee by the immortall Gods that when thou shalt become old and aged thou shalt lament and weepe by thy selfe at that which with thy Sonne thou diddest laugh when he was young Though the words of this Phylosopher were fewe yet a wise man will iudge the sentences to be manie I conclude therfore that Princes and
great Lordes ought to recommend their children to their Maisters to the ende they may teache them to change their appetites and not to follow their owne will so that they withdrawe them from their owne will and cause them to learne the aduise of another For the more a man giueth a Noble mans sonne the bridle the more harder it is for them to receyue good doctrine CHAP. XXXIII Princes ought to take heede that theyr Children bee not brought vp in pleasures and vayne delightes For ofte times they are so wicked that the Fathers would not onely haue them with sharpe discipline corrected but also with bitter teares buryed BY experience we see that in Warre for the defence of men Rampiers and Forts are made according to the qualitie of the enemyes and those which saile the daungerous Seas doe chuse great Ships which may breake the waues of the raging Seas So that all wise men according to the quality of the danger doe seeke for the same in time some remedie Ofte times I muse with my selfe and thinke if I could finde anie estate anie age anie Land anie Nation anie Realme or any World wherein there hath beene any man that hath passed this life without tasting what aduersitie was For if such an one were found I thinke it should bee a monstrous thing throughout all the earth and by reason both the deade and liuing should enuie him In the ende after my count made I find that he which but yesterday was rich to day is poore hee that was whole I see him to day sicke he that yesterday laughed to day I see him weepe he that had his hearts ease I see him now sore afflicted hee that was Fortunate now I see him vnluckie Finally him whome lately we knew aliue in the towne now wee see buryed in the graue And to be buryed is nothing else but to be vtterly forgotten For mans friendship is so fraile that when the Corps is couered with earth immediatly the dead is forgotten One thing me thinketh to all men is grieuous and to those of vnderstandng no lesse painfull which is that the miseries of this wicked world are not equally deuided but that oft times all worldly calamityes lyeth in the necke of one man alone For we are so vnfortunate that the worlde giueth vs pleasures in sight and troubles in proofe If a man should aske a Sage man now a daies who hath liued in meane estate and that hee would bee contented to tell him what hee hath past since three yeares that he beganne to speake vntill fiftie yeares that hee began to waxe olde what things thinke you he would telvs that hath chanced vnto him truely all these that follow The griefes of his Children the assaults of his enemyes the importunities of his wife the wantonnes of his daughters sicknes in his person great losse of goods generall famine in the citie cruel plagues in his countrey extreame colde in winter noysom heate in Summer sorrowfull deaths of his friendes and enuious prosperities of his enemyes Finally hee will say that hee passed such and so manie things that oft times he bewailed the woful life and desired the sweet death If the miserable man hath passed such things outwardly what would he say of those which he hath suffered inwardly the which though some discrete men may know yet truly others dare not tell For the trauells which the bodie passeth in 50. yeares may well bee counted in a day but that which the heart suffereth in one day cānot be counted in a hundred yeres A man cannot denie but that wee would count him rash which with a reede would meet another that hath a sword and him for a foole that wold put off his shooes to walke vpon the Thornes But without comparison we ought to esteeme him for the most foole that with his tender flesh thinketh to preuaile against so manie euill fortunes for without doubt the man that is of his body delicate passeth his life with much paine Oh how happie may that man bee called which neuer tasted what pleasure meaneth For men which from their infancie haue bin brought vp in pleasures for want of wisedome know not how to chuse the good and for lacke of force cannot resist the euill which is the cause that Noble-mens children oft times commit sundry heinous offences For it is an infallible rule that the more a man giueth himselfe to pleasures the more he is intangled in vices It is a thing worthie to be noted and woefull to see how polliticke we be to augment things of honour how bolde we be to enterprize them how fortunate to compasse them how diligent to keepe them how circumspect to sustaine them and afterward what pittie it is to see how vnfortunate we are to loose all that which so long time we haue searched for kept and possessed And that which is most to bee lamented in this case is that the goods and Honours are not lost for want of diligence and trauell of the father but for the aboundance of pleasures and vices of the sonne Finally let the Riche man knowe that that which hee hath wonne in labour and toyle waking his Sonne beeing euill brought vp shal consume in pleasures sleeping One of the greatest vanities that reigneth at this day amongst the children of vanitie is that the Father cannot shewe vnto his Sonne the loue which he beareth him but in suffering him to be brought vp in the pleasures and vanities of this life Truly he that is such a one ought not to be called a pittifull father but a cruell step-father for no man will denie me this but that where there is Youth liberty pleasure and Money there will all the vices of this world be resident Lycurgus the great King giuer of lawes and sage Philosopher ordained to the Lacedemonians that all the children which were borne in Citties and good Townes should bee sent to be brought vp in villages till they were xxv yeares of age And Liuius saith that the Lygures were which in olde time were confederates with those of Capua and great enemyes to the people of Rome They had a Lawe amongst them that none should take wages in the warres vnlesse he had bin brought vp in the fields or that he had bin a heard man in the Moūtains so that through one of these two waies their flesh was hardned their joyntes accustomed to suffer the heate and the cold and their bodies more meete to endure the trauells of the warres In the yeare of the foundation of Rome 140. the Romalnes made cruell warres with the Lygures against whome was sent Gneus Fabritius of the which in the end he triumphed and the day following this triumph hee spake vnto the Senate in these words Worthie Senatours I haue beene these fiue yeares against the Ligures and by the immortall Gods I sweare vnto you that in all this time there passed not one weeke but wee had eyther battell or some
perillous skirmish And that which a man ought most to maruell at is that I neuer perceyued any feare or cowardlinesse to bee in those barbarous people whereby they were constrained to demaund peace of the people of Rome These Lygures pursued with such fiercenesse the wars that often times they tooke away from vs all hope to winne the victory for betweene Armies the great might of the one doth put alwayes the others in feare And I wil tell you Fathers conscript their bringing vp to the ende the Romaine youth should take heereby example When they are young they are put to bee Sheapheardes because they should accustome their flesh in those mountaines to endure trauell by the which custome they are so much masters of themselues the countrey being alwayes full of snow and Ise in the winter and also noysom through the extreame heate in the Summer that I sweare by the God Apollo in all this time of fiue yeares of those wee haue not seene one prease to the Fire in the winter nor couet the shadow in the Summer Doe not yee thinke worthie Senators that I was willing to declare vnto you these things in the Senate for any desire I haue that you should esteeme any thing the more my Triumph but I doe tell it you to this ende that you may haue an eye and take heede to your men of warre to the ende they may alwayes be occupied and that you suffer them not to be idle For it is more perillous for the Romaine Armyes to bee ouercome with vices thē to be discomfited with their enemies And to talke of these matters more at large me thinketh they should prouide and commaund that Rich men should not be so hardie to bring vppe their children too delicately for in the ende it is vnpossible that the delicate person should win with his hands the honour of many victories That which moued me to say somuch as I haue sayd worthie Senatours is to the ende you may knowe that the Lygures were not ouercome by the power of Rome but because Fortune was against them And since in nothing Fortune sheweth her selfe so variable as in the things of the warre mee thinketh that though the Ligures are nowe vanquished and ouercome yet notwithstanding you ought to entertain them in loue and to take them for your confoederates For it is not good counsell to hazzard that into the handes of Fortune which a man may compasse by friendship The Authour of this which is spoken is called Iunius Pratus in the Booke of the concord of Realmes and hee saieth in that place that this captaine Gneus Fabritius was counted no lesse sage for that he spake then esteemed valiant for that hee did In the olde time those of the Isles Balleares which now are called Maiorque and Minorque though they were not counted wise yet at the least in bringing vp their Children they shewed rhemselues not negligent Because they were broght vp in hardnes in their youth and could endure all painefull exercises of the warres Those of Carthage gaue fiue prisoners of Rome for one slaue of Maiorque Dyodorus Siculus saith in those Iles the mother did not giue the children bread with their own hands but they did put it on a high poale so that they might see the Bread with theyr eyes but they could not reach it with their hāds Wherfore when they would eat they should first with hurling of stones or slinges win it or else fast Though the worke were of children yet the inuention came of a high wit And hereof it came that the Baleares were esteemed for valiant mē as well in wrastling as in slinges for to hurle for they did hurle with a sling to hit a white as the Lygures shoot now in a Crosse-bow to hit the pricke Those of Great Brittaine which now we cal England amongst all the barbarous were men most barbarous but you ought to know that within the space of few yeares the Romanes were vanquished of them many times for time in all things bringeth such change and alteration that those which once wee knew great Lords within a while after wee haue seene themslaues Herodian in his history of Seuerus Emperour of Rome sayeth That an Ambassadour of Brittaine being one day in Rome as by chance they gaue him a froward answer in the Senate spake stoutely before them all and saide these words I am sorry you will not accept peace nor graunt Truce the which thing shall bee for the greater iustification of your warre For afterwardes none can take but that which fortune shall giue For in the end the delicate flesh of Rome shall feele if the bloudy swords of Brittaine will cut The English history sayeth and it is true that though the country be very cold that the water freezeth oft yet the women had a custome to carry theyr children where the water was frozen and breaking the Ice with a stone with the same Ise they vsed to rubbe the body of the Infant to the end to harden their flesh and to make them more apter to endure trauels And without doubt they had reason for I wish no greater pennance to delicate men then in the Winter to see them without fire and in the Summer to want fresh shadow Sith this was the custome of the Brittaines it is but reason we credite Iulius Caesar in that hee sayeth in his Comentaries that is to say that he passed many daungers before hee could ouercome them for they with as little feare did hide themselues diued vnder the colde water as verily a man would haue rested himselfe in a pleasant shadow As Lucanus and Appianus Alexandrinus say amongst other Nations which came to succour the greate Pompey in Pharsalia were the Messagetes the which as they say in their youth did suck no other but the milke of Camels and eate bread of akorns These barbarous people did these things to the end to harden their bodies to bee able to endure trauell to haue their legges lighter for to runne In this case wee cannot cal them barbarous but wee ought to call them men of good vnderstanding for it is vnpossible for the man that eateth much to runne fast Viriatus a Spaniard was King of the Lusitaines and a great enemy of the Romaines who was so aduenturous in the war and so valiant in his person that the Romaines by the experience of his deedes found him inuincible for in the space of 13. yeares they coulde neuer haue any victory of him the which when they saw they determined to poyson him did so indeed At whose death they more reioyced then if they had wonne the Sgniorie of all Lusitania For if Viriatus had not dyed they had neuer brought the Lusitanians vnder their subiection Iunius Rusticus in his Epitomie sayeth that this Viriatus in his youth was a Heard-man kept cattell by the riuer of Guadiana and after that he waxed older vsed to robbe and assault men by
weight and measure plentifull and chiefly if there be good doctrine for the young and little couetousnesse in the old Affro the Historiographer declareth this in the tenth booke De rebus Atheniensium Truly in my opinion the words of this philosopher were few but the sentences were many And for none other cause I did bring in this history but to profite mee of the last word wherein for aunswere hee sayeth that all the profite of the Common wealth consisteth in that there be princes that restraine the auarice of the aged and that there bee Masters to teach the youthfull We see by experience that if the brute beasts were not tyed and the corne and seedes compassed with hedges or ditches a man shold neuer gather the fruit when they are ripe I meane the strife and debate will rise continually among the people if the yong men haue not good fathers to correct them and wise masters to teach them Wee cannot deny but though the knife be made of fine steele yet sometimes it hath neede to bee whet and so in like manner the young man during the time of his youth though he doe not deserue it yet from time to time hee ought to bee corrected O Princes and great Lords I know not of whom you take counsell when your sonne is borne to prouide him of a Master and gouernour whom you chuse not as the most vertuous but as the most richest not as the most sagest but as the most vile and euill taught Finally you doe not trust him with your children that best deserueth it but that most procureth it Againe I say O princes and great Lords why doe you not withdraw your children from their hands which haue their eyes more to their owne profite then their hearts vnto your seruice For such to enrich themselus doe bring vp princes viciously Let not Princes thinke that it is a trifle to know how to finde and chuse a good Master and the Lord which herein doth not employ his diligence is worthy of great rebuke And because they shall not pretend ignorance let them beware of that man whose life is suspitious and extreame couetous In my opinion in the pallace of princes the office of Tutorshippe ought not to be giuen as other common offices that is to say by requests or money by priuities or importunities eyther else for recompence of seruices for it followeth not though a man hath beene Ambassadour in strange Realms or captaine of great Armies in warre or that hee hath possessed in the royall pallace Offices of honour or of estimation that therefore he should bee able to teach or bring vp their children For to bee a good Captaine sufficeth onely to be hardy and fortunate but for to bee a Tutour and gouernour of Princes hee ought to be both sage and vertuous CHAP. XXXV Of the two children of Marcus Aurelius the Emperour of the which the best beloued dyed And of the Masters he prouided for the other named Comodus MArcus Aurelius the 17. Emperour of Rome in the time that hee was married with Faustine onely daughter of the Emperour Antonius Pius had onely two sonnes whereof the eldest was named Comodus and the second Verissimus Of these two children the heyre was Comodus who was so wicked in the 13. yeares he gouerned the Empire that hee seemed rather the Disciple of Nero the cruell then to discend by the mothers side from Antonius the mercifull or sonne of Marcus Aurelius This wicked child Comodus was so light in speech so dishonest in person and so cruell with his people that oft-times hee being aliue they layed wagers that there was no vertue in him to bee found nor any one vice in him that wanted On the contrary part the second sonne named Verissimus was comely of gesture proper of person and in witte very temperate and the most of all was that by his good conuersation of all hee was beloued For the fayre and vertuous Princes by their beauty draweth vnto them mens eyes and by their good conuersation they winne their hearts The child Verissimus was the hope of the common people and the glory of his aged Father so that the Emperor determined that this child Verissimus should bee heyre of the Empire and that the Prince Commodus should bee dishenherited Wherat no man ought to maruell for it is but iust since the childe dooth not amend his life that the father doe dishenherite him When good will doth want and vicious pleasures abound the children oft times by peruerse fortune come to nought So this Marcus Aurelius being 52. yeares old by chance this childe Verissimus which was the glory of Rome and the hope of the Father at the gate of Hostia of a sodaine sicknesse dyed The death of whom was as vniuersally lamented as his life of all men was desired It was a pittifull thing to see how wofully the Father tooke the death of his entirely beloued son and no lesse lamentable to beholde how the Senate tooke the death of their Prince being the heyre for the aged Father for sorrow did not go to the Senate and the Senate for a few dayes enclosed themselues in the hie Capitoll And let no man maruell though the death of this young Prince was so taken through Rome for if men knew what they lose when they lose a vertuous Prince they would neuer cease to bewayle and lament his death When a Knight a Gentleman a Squire an Officer or when any of the people dyeth there dyeth but one but when a Prince dyeth which was good for all and that he liued to the profite of all then they ought to make account that all do dye they ought all greatly to lament it for oft times it chanceth that after 2. or 3. good Princes a foule flocke of Tyrants succeede Therfore Marcus Aurelius the Emperor as a man of great vnderstanding and of a princely person though the inward sorrow from the rootes of the heart could not bee plucked yet hee determined to dissemble outwardly to bury his grieues inwardly For to say the truth none ought for any thing to shewe extreame sorrow vnlesse it be that hee hath lost his honour or that his conscience is burdened The good Prince as one that hath his vineyarde frozen wherein was all his hope contented with himselfe with that which remaineth his so deerly beloued sonne being dead and commaunded the Prince Comodus to be brought into his pallace being his onely heire Iulius Capitolinus which was one of those that wrote of the time of Marcus Aurelius saide vpon this matter that when the Father saw the disordinate frailenesse and lightnes and also the little shame which the prince Comodus his Sonne brought with him the aged man beganne to weepe and shed teares from his eyes And it was because the simplenesse and vertues of his deere beloued Sonne Verissimus came into his minde Although this Noble Emperour Marcus Aurelius for the death of
and vertuous workes are now ful of babling Orators and none issue out from thence at this present but the euill and vitious So that if the sacred Romane lawes are exalted once in a weeke with their tongs they are broken ten times in the day in their works What will you I say more since I cannot tell you any thing without hurting my mother Rome but that at this present all the pleasures of vaine men is to see their children ouercome others by disputing but I let you vnderstand that all my glory shall bee when my sonne shall surmount others not in words but in silence not to be troublesome but to bee patient not in speaking subtill words but in doing vertuous works For the glory of good men is in working much and speaking little Consider my friends and doe not forget it that this day I commit my honor vnto you I put into your hands the estate of Comodus my sonne the glory of Rome the rest of the people which are my subiects the gouernement of Italie which is our Country and aboue all I referre vnto your discretion the peace and tranquility of the whole common wealth Therefore hee that hath such a charge by reason ought not to sleep for as the wise men say To great trust is required much diligence I will say no more but that I would my sonne Comodus should be so wel taught that he should haue the feare of God the science of Philosophers the vertues of the ancient Romanes the approued counsell of the aged the courage of the Romane youth the constancy of you which are his Masters Finally I would that of all the good he should take the good as of me hee ought to take the heritage succession of the Empire For hee is the true prince and worthy of the Empire that with his eyes doth behold the great Signiories he ought to inherite and doth employ his heart how to gouerne it whereby hee shall liue to the great profite of the Common wealth And I protest to the immortall Gods with whom I hope to goe and to the goodnesse of my predecessors whose faith I am bound to keepe I protest to the Romane lawes the which I did sweare to obserue in the conquest of Asia wherein I am bound my selfe to continue and to the friendshippe of the Rhodians the which I haue offered my selfe for to keepe to the enmitie of the Affricanes the which not for me but for the oath of my predecessors I bound my selfe to maintaine And I protest vnto the vessell of the high Capitoll where my bones ought to bee burnt that Rome doe not complaine of mee beeing aliue nor that in the world to come shee curse mee after my death If perchance the prince Comodus my sonne by his wicked life should bee occasion of the losse or hinderance of the Common-Wealth And though you which are his Masters vndoe it for not giuing him due punishment and hee thorow his wicked gouernement destroy it yet I discharge my selfe by all these protestations that I haue made which shall bee witnesses of my will For the Father is bound no more towardes his Childe but to banish him from his pleasures and to giue him vertuous Masters And if hee bee good hee shall bee the glory of the Father the honour of himselfe the wealth of you and the profite and commodity of the whole Common wealth CHAP. XXXIX The Tutors of Princes and Noble mens children ought to be very circumspect that their Schollers doe not accustome themselues in vices whiles they are young and specially they must keepe them from foure vices THe good and expert Surgeons vnto great daungerous wounds doe not onely apply medicins and ointments which do resolue and stoppe but also minister other good playsters for to restraine and heale them And verily they shew themselues in the one no lesse sage then in the other expert for as great diligence ought to bee had to preserue the weake flesh to purge the rotten wound to the end it may be healed so likewise the wise Trauellers learne diligently the way before they take vpon them any iourney that is to say if there bee any dangers in the way eyther of robbing or slaying wherein there is any by-path that goeth out of the high-way Truly hee that in this point is circumspect is worthy to bee counted a Sage mam for according to the multitude of the perilles of the world none can be assured vnlesse hee know first where the daunger is wherein hee may fall To shew therfore that which by these parables I meane I say that the Tutours and Master of Princes and great Lordes ought not to bee contented onely to know what science what doctrine and what vertue they ought to shew and teach their Schollers but also with greater care and diligence they ought to know from what euilles or wicked customes they ought to withdraw them For when the trees are tender and young it is more necessary to bow them and cut off the superfluous branches with kniues then to gather their fruits with baskets Those which take vpon them to gouerne Moyles of great price and value and those that tame breake horses of a good race take great paines that such beasts be light that they leape well and be well made to the spurre and bridle but they take much more paines that they be gentle familiar and faithfull and aboue all that they haue no euill qualities Then sith it is so Masters ought diligently to watch if they bee good that in young Princes there be no apparance of any notable vices for the vertues which the young doe learn doth not them so much profite as one onely vice doth them hurt if they doe thereunto consent knowing that thereby they may bee hereafter blamed or despised For if any man knew a beast that is wilde and stubborne and not gentle and will buye him at a great price such a one hath his head more full of follies then of wisedome Albeit that Masters ought to withdraw their Schollers from many euill customes amongst all there are foure principals in any of the which if the Prince bee defamed the master which hath taught him should deserue great punishment For according to the humane Lawes and Customes all the damage and harme that the beasts doe to the vineyarde the keeper that hath charge thereof shall as he is bound recompence First the Master ought to reform in such sort the tongus of their schollers that neyther in sport nor in earnest they permit them to tell lyes for the greatest fault that is in a good and vertuous man is to bee briefe in the truth and the greatest villany that is in a vicious man is to bee long in lyes Merula in that 5. booke of Caesars sayeth that the first warre that Vlpius Traianus made was against the Romanes and with no small victory ouercame the Emperour Domitian in a battell which they
licence to all the Plebeyans to the end that euery one doe loue his wife his children and his Parents And this sorte of loue hee will not that Princes haue to whome hee perswadeth that first aboue all things they loue theyr cōmon-wealth For if the prince doe loue anie thing aboue his Common-wealth it is vnpossible but that one day for the loue of that he will wring Iustice When Plato gaue not licence vnto Princes not to enlarge theyr loue on diuers things peraduenture he would counsell them least they should doe some wrongs It chaunceth oft times that Princes doe omit iustice not for that they will not administer it but because they will not bee informed of things which they ought to remedie and looke vnto And this is vnexcusable where hee hurteth his honour burdeneth his conscience For at the day of iudgement though hee be not accused for malice yet hee shall be condemned for negligence The Prince which is carefull to see and to enquire the dammages of his Realmes we may say that if he doeth not prouide for them it is because he can do no more but he which is negligent to see them and know them we cannot say but if he leaue to prouide it is for that hee will not The Prince or great Lorde which dare take vpon him such things what name or renowme may we giue him I would not we should call such a one father of the commonwealth but destroyer of his countrey For there can be no tyrannie greater nor more vnequall then for the physitian to aske his duety for his cure before hee hath begunne to minister the medicine That Princes and great Lords desire to know their reuenues I allow them but in that they care not to knowe the dāmages of their commonwealths I do discommend them For the people pay tribute to their Princes to the ende they should deliuer them from their enemies and defend them from tyraunts For the Iudges which wil be euill though I say much it will profite little but vnto those which desire to bee good that which is spoken as I thinke sufficeth Notwithstanding that which is spoken I say that Iudges and gouernors ought to consider wel with themselues and see if they wil be counted for iust ministers or cruell tirants For the office of a Tyrant is to robbe the Common-wealth and the Office of the good Prince is to reforme the people Noble Princes and great Lordes haue more businesse then they thinke they haue to see all those which will see them and to heare all those which will complaine vnto them And the cause hereof is admitte that which the Subiect demaundeth hee presently cannot giue nor that whereof hee complaineth he cannot remedie yet notwithstanding they remaine after a sort contented saying that they haue now shewed all their complaynts and iniuries vnto their princes For the wounded harts oftentimes vtter their inward paines which they feele without anie hope to receyue comforte of that which they desire Plutarche in his Apothegmes sayeth that a poore and aged woman desired king Philippe of Macedonie which was father of king Alexander the great that hee would heare her with iustice and sith shee was very importunate vpon him K Philip saide on a day vnto her I pray thee woman bee contented I sweare by the gods I haue no leysure to heare thy complaint The old woman answered the king Beholde K Philippe if thou hast not time to heare mee with iustice resigne thy Kingdome and another shall gouerne thy Commonwealth CHAP. III. Of an oration which a villaine dwelling neere to the riuer of Danuby maae before the Senatours of Rome concerning the tyrannies and oppressions which their officers vsed in his countrey And the Oration is diuided into three Chapters IN the tenth yeare of the raigne of the good Emperour Marcus Aurelius there happened in Rome a generall pestilence the which being so outragious the good Emperour went into Campaigne which at time was very healthfull without diseases though it was very drie and wanted much of that which was necessarie yet notwithstanding the good Emperor was there with all the principall Senatours of Rome for in the time of pestilence men doe not seeke where they should reioice their persōs but where they may saue their liues Marcus Aurelius being there in Campagnia was sore vexed with a Fener and as his condition was alwaies to bee amongst sages so at that time his sicknesse required to be visited by Physitians The resort that he had in his Pallace was very great as well of Philosophers for to teach as of Physitians for to dispute For this prince ordered his life in such sorte that in his absence things touching the warre were well prouided and in his presence was nothing but matters of knowledge argued It chaunced one day as Marcus Aurelius was enuironed with Senators philosophers physitians and other Sage men a question was moued among them how greatly Rome was changed not onely in buildings which almost were vtterly decayed but also in maners which were wholly corrupted the cause of this euill grew for that Rome was full of flatterers and destitute of those which durst say the truth These and such other like wordes heard the Emperour tooke vp his hand and blessed him and declared vnto them a notable example saying In the first yeare that I was Consull there came a poore villaine from the riuer of Danuby to aske iustice of the Senate against a Censor which did sore oppresse the people and in deed hee did so well propound his complaint and declare the folly and iniuries which the Iudges did in his Country that I doubt whether Marcus Cicero could vtter it better with his tongue or the renowmed Homer haue writen it more eloquently with his pen. This villaine had a small face great lips hollow eyes his colour burnt curled hayre bare-headed his shoes of Porpyge skinne his coat of goates skinne his girdle of bul-rushes a long beard and thicke his eye brows couered his eyes the stomacke and the necke couered with skinnes heared as a Beare and a clubbe in his hand Without doubt when I saw him enter into the Senate I imagined it had beene a beast in forme of a man and after I heard that which he sayd I iudged him to bee a God if there be Gods among men For it was a fearefull thing to behold his person it was no lesse monstrous to heare his words At that time there was great prease at the dore of the Senate of many diuers persons for to solicite the affayres of their Prouinces yet notwithstanding this villaine spake before the others for two causes The one for the men were desirous to heare what so monstrous a man would say The other because the Senators had this custome that the complaints of the poore should bee heard before the requests of the rich Wherefore this villaine afterwards in the middest of the Senate beganne to tell
great Armies or that yee abound in treasures neither for that you haue greater Gods in your ayd or that yee build greater temples nor yet for that yee offer such great sacrifices For I let you know if you doe not know it that no man is in more fauour with the Gods then he which is at peace with vertue If the triumphes of the Conquerours consisteth in nothing else but in subtill wittes politique captains valiant Souldiers and great Armies without doubt it would little auayle to carry all this to the Warre since afterwardes wee see by experience that men can doe no more but giue the battels and the Gods themselues must giue the victories If I be not deceyued I thinke that for our offences we haue sufficiently satisfied the Gods wrath But truely I beleeue that the cruelties which yee haue done vnto vs and the vnthankfulnesse which you haue shewed the Gods though as yet yee haue not payed it yet once yee shall pay it And hereafter it may chance that as presently yee count vs for slaues so in time to come yee shall acknowledge vs for Lords Since the trauelling by the way I haue seene the high mountaines diuers Prouinces sundry Nations Countries so sauage people so barbarous such and so many miles as Germany is distant from Rome I muse what fond toye came into the Romanes heads to send to conquer Germany If couetousnesse of treasures caused it I am sure they spent more money to conquer it and at this present doe spende to keepe it then the whole reuenues of Germany amounteth or may amount in many yeares and perchaunce they may lose it before they recouer that they spent to conquer it And if yee say vnto me Romanes that Germany is not conquered of Rome for euer but that onely Rome should haue the glory to be Mistresse of Germany This also I say is vanitie and folly For little auayleth it haue the Forts and Castles of the people when the hearts of the Inhabitants are absent If yee say that therefore yee conquered Germany to amplifie and enlarge the limits and bounds of Rome also mee thinketh this is a foolish enterprise For it is not the point of wise and valiaunt men to enlarge their dominions and diminish their honours If ye say ye sent to conquere vs to the end wee should not be barbarous nor liue like Tyrants but that you would wee should liue after your good lawes and customes if it bee so I am well content But how is it possible yee should giue lawes to straungers when yee breake the Lawes of your owne predecessours Great shame ought they to haue which take vpon them to correct others when they haue more neede to bee corrected themselues For the blinde man ought not to take vpon him to leade the lame If this be true as presently it is what reason or occasion had prowde Rome to take and conquer the innocent Germanes Let vs all go therfore to robbe to kill to conquer and to spoyle since we see the world so corrupt so farre from the loue of God that euery man as we may perceyue taketh what he can killeth whom hee will and that which worste of all is that neyther those which gouerne will remedie so manie euills as are committed neyther those which are offended dare complaine Ye chiefe iudges at this day are so harde to be intreated yee take so little regard vnto the poore oppressed that they thinke it more quiet to remaine in trouble at home then to come and put vp their complaintes before you here at Rome And the cause hereof is that there in theyr Countrey they haue but one which pursueth them and heere in this Senate they are euill willed of all and that is because hee which complaineth is poor and the other which is complained on is rich Therefore since Fortune would it and the fatall Destinies permit it that the proud Rome should be mistresse of our Germanie it is but reason ye should keepe vs in iustice and maintaine vs in peace But you doe not so but rather those which come thither doe take from vs our goods and yee that are heere doe robbe vs of our good name saying That since we are a people without law without reason and without a king as vnknowne barbarous yee may take vs for slaues In this case ye Romaines are greatly deceyued For me thinketh with reason ye cannot call vs without reason since wee being such as we are and as the Gods created vs remaine in our proper countreys without desiring to seeke or invade forreine Realmes For with more reason wee might say that yee were men without reason being not contented with the sweet and fertile Italie but through shedding of bloud you should desire to conquer all the earth In that yee say wee deserue to be slaues because we haue no Prince to command vs nor Senate to gouerne vs nor Armey to defende vs to this I will answere That since wee had no enemies we needed no Armeys and sith euery man is contented with his lotte and Fortune wee had no necessitie of a proude Senate to gouerne vs and we being as we are all equall it neede not wee should consent to haue any Princes amongst vs. For the office of princes is to suppresse tyrants to maintaine their people in peace If yee say further that wee haue not in our Countrey a Common-wealth nor pollicie but that wee liue as the beasts in the Mountaines in this also you haue but small reason For we in our Countrey did suffer no lyers neyther rebells nor seditious persons nor men that broght vs from strange Countreys any apparell for to be vicious so that sith in apparell we were honest and in meate very temperate wee needed no better behauiour For though in our countrey there are no merchaunts of Carthage oyles of Mauritania marchants of Tyre steele of Cantabria Odours of Asia Gold of Spaine Siluer of Britaine Amber of Sidonie Silke of Damasco Corne of Scicill Wine of Candie Purple of Arabia yet for all this we are not brutish neyther cease for to haue a Common-Wealth For these and such other the like things giue more occasion to stirre vp many vices then for vertuous men to liue according vnto vertue Blessed and happy is the Common-Wealth not where great riches aboundeth but where vertues are highly commended not where many light and angry men resort but where the patient are resident therefore it followeth that of the Common wealth of Rome for beeing rich wee should haue pitty and of the Common-Wealth of Germany for being poore yee ought not to haue enuye Would to God that the contentation wee haue with our pouerty yee others had the same with your riches For then neyther ye had robbed vs of our Countries nor we had not come hither now to complaine in Rome of your tyranny I see Romanes that the one differeth much from the other For ye others though
that in earnest matters any man should accuse them of pride and in things of sport they should count them for light For the Noble and valiant Prince in thinges of importance ought to shew great wisdome and in meane things great stoutenes The case was such that Alexander the Great hunting on the wilde mountaines by chance met with a cruell Lyon and as the good Prince would winne his honor with the Lyon and also the Lyon preserue his owne life they were in griepes the one of the other so fast that both fell to the earth where they striued almost halfe an houre but in the ende the Lyon remayned there dead and the hardy Alexander escaped all bloudy This hunting of Alexander and the Lyon through all Greece was greatly renowmed I say greatly renowned because the Grauers and Painters drew a portrait forthwith in stone-worke of this hunting and the grauers hereof were Lisippus and Leocarcus maruellous grauers of anticke workes which they made of mettall where they liuely set forth Alexander and the Lyon fighting and also a familiar seruant of his named Crotherus being among the dogges beholding them So that the worke seemed not onely to represent an ancient thing but that the Lyon Alexander Crotherus and the dogges seemed also to bee aliue in the same chase When Alexander fought with the Lyon there came an Ambassadour from Sparthes to Macedonie who spake to Alexander these Wordes Would to God Immortall prince That the force you haue vsed with the lyon in the mountain you had employed against some Pr for to be lord of the earth By the words of the Embassadour and the deedes of Alexander may easily bee gathered That as it is comely for Princes to bee honest valiant and stout so to the contrary it is vnseemly for them to be bolde and rash For though Princes of theyr goods be liberall yet of their life they ought not to be prodigall The diuine Plato in the tenth booke of his laws saith that the two renowmed Phylosophers of Thebes whose names were Adon and Clinias fell at variance with themselues to knowe in what thing the Prince is bound to aduenture his life Clinias saide that hee ought to die for any thing touching his honor Adon saide the contrarie That hee should not hazard his life vnlesse it were for matters touching the affaires of the cōmonwealth Plato saith those two philosophers had reason in that they said but admit that occasion to dye should be offered the Prince for the one or the other he ought rather to die for that thing touching iustice then for the thing touching his honor For there is no great differēce to die more for the one then for the other Applying that wee haue spoken to that we will speake I say that we doe not desire nor we will not that Princes and great lords doe destroy themselues with Lions in the chace neither aduenture their persons in the warres nor that they put theyr liues in perill for the cōmon-weale But wee onely require of them that they take some paines and care to prouide for thinges belonging to iustice For it is a more naturall hunting for Princes to hunt out the vices of their commonweales then to hunt the wilde boares in the thicke woods To the end Princes accomplish this which we haue spoken we will not aske them time when they ought to eate sleepe hunt sporte and recreate themselues but that of the 24 houres that bee in the day and night they take it for a pleasure and commodity one houre to talke of iustice The gouernment of the comonweale consisteth not in that they should trauell vntill they sweate and molest their bodyes shead their bloud shorten theyr liues and loose their pastimes but all consisteth in that they should be diligent to foresee the dammages of their common-wealth and likewise to prouide for good mimisters of iustice Wee doe not demaund Princes and great Lordes to giue vs their goods Nor wee forbidde them not to eate to forsake sleepe or sport to hunt or put their liues in daunger but we desire and beseeche them that they would prouide good ministers of iustice for the common-weale First they ought to be very diligent to search them out and afterwards to be more circūspect to examin them For if wee sigh with teares to haue good Princes we ought much more to pray that we haue not euil officers What profiteth it the knight to be nimble and if the horse be not ready What auayleth it the owner of the ship to be sage and expert if the Pilot be a foole and ignorant What profiteth the king to be valiant and stout the captain of the warre to be a coward I meane by this I haue spoken what profiteth it a prince to be honest if those which minister iustice bee dissolute What profiteth it vs that the Prince be true if his Officers be lyers what profiteth it vs that the Pr be sober if his ministers be drūkards what profiteth it that the P be gentle louing if his officers be cruell malicious what profiteth it vs that the Pr be a giuer liberall and an almes-man if the iudge which ministreth justice be a briber and an open Theefe What profiteth it the prince to bee carefull and vertuous if the Iudge bee negligent and vicious Finally I say that it little auayleth that the prince in his house be secretly iust if adioyning to that hee trust a tirant open theefe with the gouernment of the Common-weale Princes and great Lords when they are within their pallaces at pleasure their mindes occupied in high things doe not receyue into theyr secret company but their entire friends Another time they will not but occupie themselues in pastimes and pleasure so that they know not what they haue to amend in their persons and much lesse that which they ought to remedy in their common-weales I will not bee so eager in reprouing neyther so Satyricall in writing that it should seeme I would perswade princes that they liue not according to the highnesse of their estates but according to the life of the religious for if they wil keepe themselues from being tyrants or being outragiously vitious we cannot deny them sometimes to take their pleasures But my intention is not so straightly to commaund Princes to be iust but only to shew them how they are bound to doe iustice Common-wealthes are not lost for that their princes liue in pleasure but because they haue little care of iustice In the end people doe not murmur when the Prince doth recreate his person but when he is too slacke to cause iustice to be executed I would to God that Princes took an account with God in the things of their conscience touching the common wealth as they doe with men touching their rents and reuenues Plutarch in an Epistle hee wrote to Traian the Emperor saith It pleaseth mee very well most puissant prince that the Prince be such
true truly hee of right ought to be commended but aboue all more then all the Prince which keepeth his Common wealth in peace hath great wrong if hee not of all beloued What good can the Common wealth haue wherin there is warre and dissention Let euerie man say what he will without peace no man can enioy his owne no man can eate without feare no man sleepeth in good rest no man goeth safe by the way no mā trusteth his neighbour Finally I say that where there is no peace there wee are threatened dayly with death and euery houre in feare of our life It is good the Prince do scoure the realme of theeues for there is nothing more vniust thē that which the poor with toile and labour get should with vagabonds in idlenes be wasted It is good the Prince doe weed the realme of blasphemers for it is an euident token that those that dare blaspheme the king of heauen will not let to speake euill of the princes of the earth It is good the prince do cleare the common wealth of vagabonds players for play is so euill a mothe that it eateth the new gown and consumeth the drie wood It is good that the Prince doe forbidde his subiects of prodigall banquets superfluous apparrell for where men spend much in things superfluous it chanceth afterwards that they want of their necessaries But I aske now What auayleth it a Prince to banish all vices from his Common-wealth if otherwise he keepeth it in warre The only ende why Princes are Princes is to follow the good and to eschew the euill What shall you say therefore since that in the time of warres Princes cannot reforme vices nor correct the vicious Oh if Princes and Noble men knew what damage they doe to their countreyes the day that they take vppon them warre I thinke and also affirme that they would not onely not begin it nor yet anie priuate person durste scarely remember it And hee that doth counsell the Prince the contrary ought by reason to bee iudged to the Common-wealth an enemie Those which counsel Princes to seeke peace and to keepe peace without all doubt they haue wrong if they be not heard if they be loued and if they be not credited For the counsellour which for a light ocasion counselleth his Prince to beginne warre I say vnto him eyther choler surmounteth or else good Conscience wanteth It chaunceth often times that the prince is vexed and troubled because one certifieth him that a prouince is rebelled or some other prince hath inuaded his countrey and as the matter requireth the Councell is assembled There are some too rashe counsellours which immediately iudge peace to bee broken as lightly as others doe desire that Warres should neuer beginne When a Prince in such a case asketh counsell they ought forthwith not to aunswere him suddenly For things concerning the Warres ought with great wisedome first to be considered and then with as much aduisement to be determined King Dauid neuer tooke any warre in hand though he were very wise but first hee counselled with GOD The good Iudas Machabeus neuer entred into Battell but first hee made his prayer vnto Almightie GOD. The Greekes and Romanes durst neuer make warre against their enemies but first they would do sacrifice to the Gods and consulte also with their Oracles The matters of Iustice the recreations of his person the reward of the good the punishment of the euill and the diuiding of rewards a Prince may communicate with any priuate man but all matters of Warre hee ought first to counsell with GOD For the Prince shall neuer haue perfect victorie ouer his Enemyes vnlesse hee first committe the quarrell thereof vnto GOD. Those which counsell Princes whether it be in matters of warre or in the affaires of peace ought alwaies to remember this Sentence That they giue him such counsells alwayes when hee is alone in his Chamber as they would doe if they saw him at the poynt of death very sicke For at that instant no man dare speake with Flattery nor burden his conscience with bryberie When they entreate of warre they which moue it ought first to consider that if it came not well to passe all the blame will be imputed to their counsell And if that his substaunce bee not presently able to recompence the losse let him assure himselfe that here after his soule shall suffer the paine Men ought so much to loue peace and so much to abhorre warre that I belieue that the same preparation that a Priest hath in his Conscience with GOD before hee presume to receiue the holy Communion euen the same ought a counsellour to haue before that vnto his Prince hee giueth counsell concerning warre Since princes are men it is no maruell though they feele iniuties as men and that they desire to reuenge as men Therefore for this cause they ought to haue wise men of their counsell whereby they should mittigate and asswage theyr griefes and troubles For the Counsellours of Princes ought neuer to counsell thing they beeing angrie wherwith after they may iustly be displeased when they be pacified Following our matter in counting the goods which are lost in loosing peace and the euils which increase in winning warres I say that amongst other things the greatest euill is that in time of Warre they locke vp closely all vertues and set at libertie all vices During the time that Princes and great Lords maintaine warre though they bee Lordes of their Realmes and dominions by right yet for a trueth they are not to indeede For at that time the Lordes desire more to content their Souldiours and subiects then the Souldyers and subiects seeke to content the Lords And this they doe because they through power might vanquish their enemies and further through the loue of their money relieue their necessities Eyther Princes are gouerned by that wherevnto by sensualitie they are moued or else by that wherewith reason is contented If they will follow reason they haue too much of that they possesse but if they desire to follow the sensuall appetite there is nothing that will content them For as it is vnpossible to drie vp all the water in the Sea so it is harde to satisfie the heart of man that is giuen to couetousnes If Princes take vpon them warres saying that their right is taken from them and that therefore they haue a conscience Let them beware that such conscience bee not corrupted For in the worlde there is no Warre iustified but for the beginning thereof the Princes at one time or an other haue their Consciences burdened If Princes take vpon them Warre for none other cause but to augment their state and dignitie I say that this is a vaine hope For they consume and lose for the moste part more in one or two yeares warres then euer they get againe during their life If Princes take vpon them Warre to reuenge an iniurie as well
for this also it is a thing superfluous For manie goe to the warres being wronged onely with one thing and afterwards they returne iniuried with manie If Princes take vpon them Warres for none other cause but to winne honour me thinketh also that that is an vnprofitable conquest For me thinketh that Fortune is not a person so famous that into her hands a man may commit his honour his goods and his life If Princes take vpon them warre to leaue of them in the worlde to come some memorie this no lesse them the other seemeth to me vaine For without doubt if we examine the hystories that be past we shall finde those to be more in number which haue bin defamed then those which for vanquishing of their enemyes haue bin renowmed It Princes take vpon them warres supposing that there are in an other countrey more pleasures and delights then in their owne I say that to thinke this proceedeth of little experience and of lesse conscience For to a Prince there can bee no greater shame nor conscience then to beginne warres in straunge Realmes to maintaine his owne pleasures and vices at home Let no Princes deceyue themselues in thinking that there are in straunge Countries more things then in their owne For in the end there is no Land nor nation in the world where there is not Winter and Summer night and day sicknesse and health riches and pouerty mirth and sadnesse friends and enemies vitious and vertuous aliue and dead Finally I say that in all parts all things agree in one saue onely the dispositions of men which are diuers I would aske Princes and great Lords the which doe and will liue at theyr pleasure what they want in theyr Realmes yea though they bee little If they will hunt they haue mountaines and Parkes if they will fish they haue pondes if they will walke they haue riuers if they will refresh themselues they haue baynes if they will bee merry they haue Musitians if they delight in apparrelling them selues they haue rich clothes if they will giue they haue money if they desire women they haue wiues if they will take their rest they haue their Gardens if Winter annoye them they haue hote Countries if they will eate they want no meats Hee that with peace hath all these things in his owne Dominion why then with warre doe hee seeke them in a strange Country Men oftentimes flye from one Countrey to another not to be more deuoute nor more vertuous but to haue greater liberty and oportunitie to haunt vices And afterwards when they see the endes of their deeds they cannot refrayne their hearts from sighes since they might haue enioyed that at home with peace which in straunge Countries they sought with troubles There are so few thinges wherewith we are contented in the world that if perchaunce a man finde in any one place any one thing wherewith to content him Let him beware that the Diuell doe not deceiue him saying That in such another place he may receate himselfe better For whether soeuer wee goe wee shall finde such penurie and want of true pleasures and comforts and such plenty and copious aboundance of troubles and torments that for to comfort vs in an hundred yeares wee scarcely finde one and to torment vs wee finde at euery foot a thousand CHAP. XIII The Author reciteth the commodities which come of peace declaring how diuers Princes vpon light occasions haue made cruell warres Dimo an ancient king of Ponto sayd vnto a Philosopher that was withhim Tel me Philosopher I haue health I haue honour and I haue riches Is there any thing more to bee desired amongst men or to bee giuen of the Gods in this life The Philosopher aunswered him I see that I neuer saw and I heare that I neuer heard For health riches and honour the Gods seldome times doe thrust in one person his time is so short that dooth possesse them that they haue more reason for to pray that they might bee quieted of them then for to bee proude for that they possesse them And I tell thee further King Dimo It little profiteth that the Gods haue giuen thee all these thinges if thou dooest not content thy selfe therewith the which I thinke they haue not giuen thee nor neuer will giuen thee For the Gods are so iust in diuiding their gifts that to them to whom they giue contentation they take from them their riches and those whom they giue riches they take their contentation Plutarch in the first of his pollitikes putteth this example and hee declareth not the name of this Philosopher O how great a benefit is that which the Gods giue to Princes and great Lords in giuing them their health in giuing them riches and in giuing them honour but if besides those hee giueth them not contentation I say that in giuing them the goods he giueth them trauell and danger for if the trauell of the poore be greater then the trauell of the rich without comparison the discontentation of the rich is greater then the discontentation of the poore Men little regarding their health become sicke little esteeming theyr riches become poore and because they know not what honour is they become dishonoured I meane that the rash Princes vntill such time as they haue bin well beaten in the wars will alwayes little regard peace The day that you Princes proclaime wars against your enemies you set at liberty all vices to your subiects Yet you say your meaning is not they should bee euill I say it is true Yet all this ioyned together ye giue them occasiō that they be not good Let vs know what thing warre is and then wee shall see whether it bee good or euill to follow it In warres they doe nought else but kill men robbe the Temples spoyle the people destroy the Innocents giue liberty to theeues separate friends and rayse strife all the which things cannot bee done without great hurt of iustice and scrupulosity of conscience The seditious man himselfe cannot denie vs that if two Princes take vpon them warres betweene them that both of them seeme for to haue right yet the one of them onely hath reason So that the Prince which shall fight against Iustice or defende the vniust cause shall not escape out of that warre iustified Not issuing out-iustified hee shall remaine condemned and the condemnation shall bee that all the losses murthers burnings hangings and robberies which were done in the one or other common-wealth shal remaine vpon the account of him which took vpon him the vniust warre Although he doth not find another Prince that will demand an account of him heere in this life yet hee shall haue a iust Iudge that will in another place lay it to his charge The Prince which is vertuous presumeth to bee a Christian before he beginne the warre ought for to consider what losse or profite will ensue thereof Wherein if the end be not
prosperous he loseth his goodes and honour and if he perchauce attaine to that he desired peraduenture his desire was to the damage of the Common-Wealth and then hee ought not to desire it For the desire of one should not hurt the profite of all When God our Lord did create Princes for Princes and people accepted them for their Lordes It is to beleeue that the Gods did neuer commaund such things nor the men would euer haue excepted such if they had thought that Princes wold not haue done that they were bound but rather that whereunto they were inclined For if men follow that wherunto their sensuality enclineth them they alwayes erre therfore if they suffer themselus to be gouerned by reasō they are alwayes sure And besides that Princes shold not take vpon thē warres for the burdening of their consciences the mis-spending of theyr goods and the losse of their honour they ought also to remember the duties that they owe to the Common-wealth the which they are bound to keepe in peace and iustice For wee others need not gouernours to search vs enemyes but good Princes which may defend vs from the wicked The diuine Plato in his 4. booke De Legibus sayth that one demaunded him why hee did exalt the Lydians so much and so much dispraise the Lacedemonians c Plato aunswered If I commend the Lydians it is for that they neuer were occupyed but in tylling the Fielde and if I doe reproue here the Lacedemonians it is because they neuer knew nothing else but to conquere realmes And therfore I say that more happy is that realme where men haue their hands with labouring full of blysters then where their arms in fighting are wounded with Swordes These words which Plato spake are very true and would to GOD that in the gates harts of Princes they were written Plinius in an Epistle sayeth that it was a Prouerbe much vsed amongst the Greekes That hee was king which neuer saw king The like may we say that he onely may enioy peace which neuer knewe what warres meant For simple and innocent though a man bee there is none but will iudge him more happy which occupieth his hand kerchiefe to drye the sweate off his browes then he that breaketh it to wipe the bloud off his head The Princes and great Lords which are louers of warres ought to consider that they doe not only hurt in generall all men but also especially the good and the reason is that although they of their owne wills doe abstaine from Battell doe not spoyle doe not rebell nor slay yet it is necessary for them to endure the iniuryes and to suffer their owne losse and damages For none are meete for the warre but those which little esteeme theyr life and much lesse their consciences If the warre were only with the euill against the euill and to the hurte and hinderance of the euill little should they feele which presume to be good But I am sorrie the good are persecuted the good are robbed and the good are slaine For if it were otherwise as I haue saide the euill against the euill we would take little thought both for the vanquishing of the one and much lesse for the destruction of the other I aske nowe what fame what honour what glorie what victorie or what Riches in that warre can be wonne wherin so many good vertuous and wise men are lost There is such penurie of the good in the world and such neede of them in the common-wealth that if it were in our power we with our tears ought to plucke them out of their graues and giue them life and not to leade them into the Warres as to a shambles to be put to death Plinie in one Epistle and Seneca in another say that when they desired a Romaine Captaine that with his armey he should enter into a great danger whereof great honour should ensue vnto him and little profite to the Commonwealth He made answere For nothing would I enter into that daunger if it were not to giue life to a Romane Citizen For I desire rather to goe enuironned with the good in Rome then to goe loaden with treasures into my Countrey Comparing Prince to Prince and law to law and the Christan with the Pagan without comparison the soule of a Christian ought more to be esteemed thē the life of a Romane For the good Romane obserueth it as a law to dye in the warre but the good christian hath the precept to liue in peace Snetonius Tranquillus in the second Booke of Caesars sayeth That among all the Romane Princes there was no Prince so well beloued nor yet in the warres so fortunate as Augustus was And the reason hereof is because that Prince neuer beganne any war vnles by great occasion he was thereunto prouoked O of how manie princes not Ethnicks but Christians we haue heard and read all contrary to this which is that were of such large conscience that they neuer took vpon them any warre that was iust to whom I swear and promise that since the warre which they in this worlde beganne was vniust the punishment which in another they shall haue is most righteous Xerxes King of the Persians being one day at dinner one brought vnto him verie faire and sauourie figges of the prouince of Athens the which beeing set at the table hee sware by the immortall Gods and by the bones of his predecessors that hee would neuer eate figges of his Countrey but of Athens which were the best of all Greece And that which by words of mouth king Xerxes sweare by valiant deedes with force and shield hee accomplished and went forthwith to conquer Grecia for no other cause but for to fill himselfe with the figges of that Countrey so that hee beganne that warre not only as a light prince but also as a vitious man Titus Liuius sayeth that when the French men did taste of the wine of Italy immediately they put them selues in Armes and went to conquer the Country without hauing any other occasion to make warre against them So that the Frenchmen for the licoriousnesse of the pleasant wines lost the deare bloud of their owne hearts King Antigonus dreamed one night that hee saw King Methridates with a Sithe in his hand who like a Mower did cut all Italy And there fell such feare to Antigonus that hee determined to kill King Methridates so that this wicked prince for crediting a light dreame set all the world in an vprore The Lumbardes being in Pannonia heard say that there was in Italy sweet fruits sauourie flesh odorifetous Wines faire Women good Fish little colde and temperate heate the which newes moued them not onely to desire them but also they tooke weapons to goe conquer Italie So that the Lumbardes came not into Italy to reuenge them of their enemies but to bee there more vicious and riotous The Romanes and the Carthagenians were friendes of long time but after they
knew that there was in Spaine great mynes of gold and siluer immediately arose betweene them exceeding cruell warres so that those two puissant Realmes for to take from each other their goods destroied their owne proper Dominions The Authors of the aboue saide were Plutarchus Paulus Diaconus Berosus and Titus Liutus O secrete iudgements of God which sufferest such things O mercifull goodnes of thee my Lord that permitteth such things that through the dreame of one prince in his chamber another for to robbe the treasures of Spaine another to flye the colde of Hungarie another to drinke the Wines of Italy another to eate figs of Greece should put all the Countrey to fire and bloud Let not my penne bee cruell against all Princes which haue vniust warres For as Traianus sayd Iust warre is more worth then fained peace I commend approue and exalt princes which are carefull and stout to defend and keepe that which their predecessors left them For admitte that for dispossessing them hereof commeth all the breach with other princes Looke how much his enemy offendeth his conscience for taking it so much offendeth he his Common-wealth for not defending it The wordes which the diuine Plato spake in the first booke of his Lawes did satisfie me greatly which were these It is not meete we should be too extream in commending those which haue peace nor let vs bee too vehement in reproouing those which haue warre For it may bee now that if one haue warre it is to the end to attaine peace And for the contrary if one haue peace it shall be to the end to make warre Indeed Plato sayd very true For it is more worth to desire short warre for long peace then short peace for long warre The Philosopher Chilo being demanded whereby a good or euill Gouernour might be knowne he answered There is nothing whereby a good and euill man may bee better known then in that for which bey striue For the tyrannous Prince offereth himselfe to aye to take from another but the vertuous Prince trauelleth to defend his owne When the Redeemer of this world departed from this world hee sayde not I giue yee my warre or leaue yee my warre but I leaue you my peace and giue you my peace Thereof ensueth that the good Christian is bound to keepe the peace which Christ so much commaunded then to inuent warre to reuenge his proper iniurie which God so much hated If Princes did that they ought for to doe and in this case would beleeue mee for no temporall thing they should condiscend to shedde mans bloud if nothing else yet at the least the loue of him which on the Crosse shedd his precious bloud for vs should from that cleane disswade vs. For the good Christians are commaunded to bewayle their owne sinnes but they haue no licence to shed the bloud of their enemies Finally I desire exhort and further admonish all princes and great Lords that for his sake that is prince of peace they loue peace procure peace keepe peace and liue in peace For in peace they shall bee rich and their people happie CHAP. XIIII The Emperour Marcus Aurelius writeth to his friend Cornelius wherein hee describeth the discommodities of warre and the vanitie of Triumph MArcus Aurelius wisheth to thee Cornelius his faithfull friend health to thy person and good lucke against all euil fortune Within fifteene dayes after I came from the warre of Asia whereof I haue triumphed here in Rome remembring that in times past thou wert a companion of my trauell I sent immediately to certifie thee of my triumphes For the noble hearts doe more reioyce of their friends ioy then they do of their owne proper delights If thou wilt take paines to come when I send to call thee bee thou assured that on the one part thou shalt haue much pleasure to see the great abundance of riches that I haue brought out of Asia and to beholde my receiuing into Rome and on the other thou canst not keepe thy selfe from weeping to see such a sorte of Captiues the which entred in before the triumphant chariots bound and naked to augment the conquerours most glory and also to them vanquished to be a greater ignomie Seldome times we see the Sun shine bright all the day long but first in the Summer there hath beene a mist or if it be in the winter there hath beene a frost By this Parable I meane that one of the miseries of this world is that wee shall see few in this world which now bee prosperous but before haue had fortune in some cases very malitious For wee see by experience some come to bee very poore and other chaunce to attaine to great riches so that through the empouerishing of those the other become rich and prosperous The weapon of the one causeth the other to laugh so that if the bucket that is empty aboue doth not goe downe the other which is ful beneath cannot come vp Speaking therefore according to sensuality thou wouldest haue beene glad that day to haue seene our triumph with the abundance of riches the great number of Captiues the diuersity of beasts the valiantnes of the Captaines the sharpenesse of wittes which wee brought from Asia and entred into Rome wherby thou mightest well know the daungers that wee escaped in the ware Wherefore speaking the truth the matter betweene vs and our enemies was so debated that those of vs that escaped best had their bodies sore wounded and their veins also almost without bloud I let thee know my Cornelius that the Parthians are warlike men in dangerous enterprises very hardie and bold And when they are at home in their Country euery one with a stout hart defendeth his house and surely they doe it like good men and valiant Captaines For if we other Romanes without reason and through ambition doe goe to take an other mans it is meete and iust that they by force doe defend their owne Let no man through the aboundance of malice or want of wisedom enuie the Romane Captaine for any triumph that is giuen him by his mother Rome for surely to get this onely one dayes honour he aduentureth his life a thousand times in the field I will not speake all that I might say of them that wee ledde foorth to the warres nor of them which wee leaue here at home in Rome which bee all cruell Iudges of our fame for theyr iudgement is not vpright according to equity but rather proceedeth of malice and enuie Though they take mee for a patient men and not farre out of order yet I let thee know my Cornelius that there is no patience can suffer nor heart dissemble to see many Romanes to haue such great enuie which through their malitious tongues passe not to backebite other mens triumphes For it is an olde disease of euill men through malice to backebite that with theyr tongue which through their cowardnesse they neuer durst enterprise with their
hands Notwithstanding all this you you must know that in the warre you must first often hazard your life and afterwards to the discretion of such tongues commit your honour Our folly is so foolish and the desires of men so vaine that more for one vaine word then for any profite wee desire rather to get vaine glory with traue then to seeke a good life with rest And therefore willingly wee offer our liues now to great trauell and paine onely that among vaine men hereafter we may haue a name I sweare by the immortall Gods vnto thee my Cornelius that the day of my triumph whereas to the seeming of all those of this world I went triumphing in the chariot openly yet I ensure thee my heart wept secretly Such is the vanitie of men that thogh of reason wee be admonished called and compelled yet if we flie from her and contrarie though wee be rebuked euill handeled and dispised of the world yet we will serue it If I bee not deceyued it is the prosperitie of Foolish men and want of good iudgements that cause the men to enter into others Houses by force rather then to be desirous to be quiet in their owne with a good will I meane that wee should in following vertue sooner bee vertuous then in haunting vices be vicious for speaking the truth men which in all and for all desire to please the world must needes offer themselues to great trauell and care Oh Rome Rome cursed be thy folly and cursed be he that in thee brought vp so much pride and be he cursed of men and hated of Gods which in thee hath inuented such pompe For very fewe are they that worthily vnto it haue attained but infinite are they which through it haue perished What greater vanitie or what equall lightnes can bee then that a Romaine captaine because hee hath conquered Kingdomes troubled quyet men destroyed citties beaten downe castles robbed the poore enriched tyrants caried away treasors shed much bloud made infinite widowes and taken many Noble mens liues should be afterwardes with great triumph of Rome receyued in recompence of all this damage Wilt thou now that I tell thee a greater follie which aboue al other is greatest I let thee know infinite are they that dye in the wars and one only carieth away the glorie thereof So that these wofull and miserable men thogh for their carkas they haue not a graue yet one captaine goeth triumphing alone through Rome By the immortall Gods I sweare vnto thee and let this passe secretly as between friends that the day of my triumph when I was in my triumphant chariot beholding the miserable captiues loden with yrons and other men carrying infinite treasours which wee had euill gotten and to see the carefull widowes weepe for the death of theyr Husbandes and remembred so many noble Romans that lost their liues in Affrike thogh I seemed to reioice outwardly yet I ensure thee I did weepe drops of bloud inwardly For he is no man borne in the worlde but rather a Furie bred vp in hell among the Furies that can at the sorrowes of another take any pleasure I know not in this case what reputation the Prince or Captaine should make of himselfe that commeth from the Warres and desireth to enter into Rome For if hee thinke as it is reason on the wounds he hath in his bodie or the Treasors which he hath wasted on the places that he hath burnt on the perills that he hath escaped on the iniuryes which hee hath receiued the multitudes of men which vniustly are slaine the Friends which hee hath lost the enemies which he hath goten the litle rest that he hath enjoyed and the great trauels that he hath suffered in such case I say that such a one with sorowful sighs ought to lamēt with bitter teares ought to be receiued In this case of triumphing I neither commend the Assyrians nor enuie the Persians nor am content with the Macedonians nor allowe the Caldeans nor content me with the Greekes I curse the Troians and condemne the Cathagenians because that they proceeded not acording to the zeale of iustice but rather of the rage of pride to set vp triumphes endamaged their countries and left an occasion to vndoe vs. O cursed Rome cursed thou hast beene cursed thou art and cursed thou shalt be For if the fatall destenies doe not lye vnto mee and my iudgement deceiue me not and fortune fasten not the naile they shall see of thee Rome in time to come that which we others presently see of the Realmes past Thou oughtest for to know that as thou by tyranny hast made thy selfe Lady of Lords so by iustice thou shalt returne to bee the seruant of seruants O vnhappy Rome and vnhappy againe I returne to call thee Tell mee I pray thee why art thou at this day so dear of Marchandize so cheape of folly where are the ancient fathers which builded thee and with their vertues honored thee in whose stead presently thou magnifyest so manie tirants which with their vices deface thee Where are all those noble and vertuous Batons which thou hast nourished in whose stead thou hast now so many vicious and vagabonds Where are those which for thy liberty did shed their bloud in whose stead now thou hast those that to bring thee into subiection haue lost their life Where are thy valiant Captaines which with such great trauell did endeauour themselues to defend the walls from enemies in whose stead haue succeeded those that haue plucked them down and peopled them with vices and vicious where are thy great priests they which did alwayes pray in the temples in whose stead haue succeeded those that know not but to defile the churches and with their wickednesse to moue the gods to wrath where are those so many Philosophers and Oratours which with their counsell gouernd thee in whose stead haue now succeeded so many simple and ignorant which with their malice doe vndoe thee O Rome all those Auncients haue forsaken thee and wee succeeded those which now are new if thou knewest truely the vertue of them and diddest consider the lightnesse of vs the day that they ended their life the selfe same day not one stone in thee should haue beene lefte vpon another And so those fields should haue sauoured of the bones of the vertuous which now stinke of the bodies of the vicious Peraduenture thou art more auncient then Babylon more beautifull then Hierusalem more rich then Carthage more strōg then Troy more in circuite then Corinth more pleasāt then Tirus more fertile then Constantinople more high then Camena more inuincible then Aquileta more priuiledged then Gādes more enuironed with Towers then Capua and more flourishing then Cantabria We see that all those notable Cities perished for all their vertuous defenders and thinkest thou for to remaine being replenished with so much vice and peopled with so many vitious O my mother
Rome take one thing for a warning that the glory which now is of thee was first of them and the same destructiō that was of them shall hereafter light vpon thee for such is the world For thus goeth the world euen as we presently see the troubles of them that be past so shall those that be to come see ours that be present CHAP. XV. Marcus Aurelius goeth on with his Letter and declareth the order that the Romanes vsed in setting foorth their men of warre and of the outragious villanies which Captaines and Souldiers vse in the warre I Will now declare vnto thee my frend Cernelius the order which wee haue to set foorth men of Warre and thereby thou shalt see the great disorder that is in Rome For in the olde time there was nothing more looked vnto nor more corrected then was the discipline of Warre And for the contrary now a dayes there is nothing so dissolute as are our wen of warre Newes once spred abroad throgh the Empire how the Prince doeth take vpon him any warre immediately diuers opinions engender amongst the people and euery one iudgeth diuersly vpon the warre For as much as one sayeth it is iust and the Prince that taketh it vpon him is iust Others say that it is vniust and that the Prince which beganne it is a tyrant The poore and sedtious persons doe allow it to the end they might goe and take other mens goods by force The rich and patient doe condemne it because they would enioy theyr owne in quiet So that they doe not iustifie or condemne warre according to the zeale of iustice but according to the little or much profite that shall follow them of that enterprise I commād which am a Romane Emperor warre to be proclamed because a City or prouince hath rebelled and that according to their Custome they doe not obserue the ceremonies of Rome First you must vnderstand the Priests must be called to go immediately to pray to the immortal Gods for the Romane people neuer went to shead the bloud of theyr Enemies in warres but first the Priests did shed the tears of their eyes in the Temples Secondly all the sacred Senate doth goe to the Temple of the God Iupiter and there they sware all with a solemne oath that if the enemies against whom they goe do require a new confederation with Rome or demaund pardon of their faults committed that all reuengement laid aside they shal not deny to giue them mercy Thirdly the Consull which is appointed for to bee the Captaine of the warre went to the High Capitoll and there hee maketh a solemn vow to one of the Gods which liketh him best that hee will offer him a certaine Iewell if hee returne victorious of the same Warre and though the Iewell which hee doth promise bee of great value yet all the people are bound for to pay it The fourth is that they set vp in the Temple of Mars the Ensigne of the Eagle which is the auncient Romane Ensigne and that is that all the Romanes take it for commandement that no spectacle nor feast bee celebrated in Rome during the time that their brethren be in the warres The fift A Pretour mounteth vppe to the roppe of the gate of Salaria and there hee bloweth the Trumpet for to muster men of Warre and they bring foorth the Standers and Ensignes to diuide them among the Captaines How fearefull a thing it is to see that so soone as the Captaine is enuironed with the ensigne so soone hath he licence to commit all euills and villanies So that hee taketh it for a brauery to robbe the Countries whereby hee passeth and to deceyue those with whom hee practiseth What liberty Captaines and Gouernours of warre haue to doe euill and to be euill it is very manifest in those whom they lead in their company For the sonnes leaue their fathers the seruants their Lords the Schollers their Masters the Officers their offices the Priests their Temples the amorous their loues and this for none other cause but that vnder the colour of the warre their vices should not bee punished by iustice O my friend Cornelius I know not how I should begin to say that which I will tell thee Thou oughtest to know that after our men of war are gone out of Rome they neyther feare the Gods neyther honour the Temples they reuerence not the Priests they haue no obedience to their Fathers nor shame to the people dread of iustice neyther compassion of their Country nor remember that they are children of Rome and yet very few of them thinke to end theyr life but that all shame layde aside they loue the condemned idlenesse and hate the iust trauell Therefore hearke I will tell thee more thogh it seemeth much that I speake I ensure thee it is but little in respect of that they do for so much as some rob temples others spread rumors these breake the dores and those robbe the Gods Sometimes they take the free sometimes they loose the bond The nights they passe in playes the dayes in blasphemies to day they fight like Lions to morrow they flye like cowards Some rebell against the Captaines and others flie to the enemies Finally for all good they are vnable and for all euill they are meet Therefore to tell thee of their filthinesse I am ashamed to describe them They leaue their owne wiues and take the wiues of others they dishonour the daughters of the good and they beguile the innocent Virgines there is no neighbout but they doe couet neyther hostesse but that they doe force they breake their old wedlocke and yeerely seeke a new marriage so that they do all things what they list and nothing what they ought Doest thou thinke presently my friend Cornelius that there are few euils in Rome fith so many euill women do goe to the warre Heere for their sake men offend the Gods they are traytors to their Countrey they deny their patentage they doe come to extreame pouerty they liue in infamie they robbe the goods of others they waste their owne they neuer haue quiet life neyther remayneth any truth in their mouthes Finally for the loue of them oftentimes war is moued again and many good men lose their liues Let vs leaue the reasons and come to Histories Thou knowest right well that the greatest part of Asia was conquered and gouerned more with the Women Amazones then with any barbarous people That young noble and valiant Porro King of Iudea for want of men and abundance of women was ouercome of the great Alexander Hannibal the terrible Captaine of the Carthagenians was alwayes Lord of Italy vntill hee did permit women to goe to the warre And when he fell in loue with a maden of Capua they saw him immediately turne his shoulders vnto Rome If Scipio the Affricane had not scoured the Romane Armyes of Leacherie the invincible Numantia had neuer bin wonne The captaine Sylla in the
harme that gnaweth the wood the moth to the garments the sparke vnto the towe the Locust vnto the corne neither the wyuell to the garners as the Captaines to the people For they leaue no beast but they lull nor orchard but they robbe nor wine but they drinke nor doue house but they clime nor temple but they spoile nor chace but they hunt no sedition but they rayse no villany but that they commit And they do more then they ought to do for they eate without meaning to pay and they will not serue vnlesse they be wel payed and the worst of all is that if they haue their pay immediately they change or play it If they be not paide they robbe and mutine forthwith so that with pouertie they are not content and with riches they waxe vicious and insolent The matters is now come to such corruption and there is at this day men of warre in Rome so carelesse that here no captaine seems but an example of murderers a sturrer vp of sedicious persons an enuyer of the good a partaker with all euill a thiefe of theeues a Pirate of rouers and finally I do not say that they seeme to bee but I doe affirme that they are the scourge of your vertuous and a refuge of the vitious I would not say this but yet not withstanding I ought to say it because it is a thing so farre out of order and so much to bee laughed at that these wicked men though they are our familiar enemies there is no Prince that ruleth them nor Iustice that correcteth them nor feare that doth oppresse them nor law that subdueth them nor shame that refraineth them nor parents that correct them nor punishment that doth abase them nor yet death that dooth end them but now as men which are without remedy wee let them eate of all CHAP. XVI The Emperour Marcus Aurelius pursueth his Letter shewing the great damages that haue ensued for the wars begunne with strange realmes O Vnfortunate Rome who was not wont to haue such euill lucke but the elder thou art the more vnluckie I see thee For by writings wee reade and also with our eyes we see that the more fortunate a city or person hath beene in the beginning the more froward fortune is vnto him in the ending Truly in those ancient times and in those glorious worlds I say when they were peopled with true Romanes and not as now they which haue no children but bastards the Armies were so well taught that came from Rome as the philosophers which were in the schooles of Greece If the Greeke writings doe not lye vnto me Philip the great King of Macedony for this is so renowmed in histories and his sonne the Great Alexander for this was so fortunate in the Warres that they had their armies so well correct that it rather seemed a Senate which gouerned then a Campe which fought In that wee can gather out of Titus Liuius and other Writers from the time of Quintus Cincinnatus Dictator vntill the noble Marcus Marcellus were the most prosperous times of the Romane Empire For before Kings did trauell and afterwardes it was persecuted with Tirants In these so happy times one of the greatest felicities that Rome had was to haue the warre-like discipline well corrected And then Rome beganne to fall when our Armies beganne to doe damage For if those of the war haue truce with vices the others of the Common wealth cannot haue peace with vertues O cursed bee thou Asia and cursed bee the day that with thee wee had conquest For wee haue not seene the good that haue followed vs of thy conquest vntill this present and the losse damage which from thee come vnto vs shall be lamented in Rome for euer O cursed Asia we spend our treasures in thee and thou hast giuen vnto vs thy vices In chaunge of our valiant men thou hast sent vs thy fine mineons wee haue wonne thy Cities and thou triumphest of our vertues Wee battered thy fortes and thou hast destroyed our manners we triumph of thy Realmes and thou diddest cut the throtes of our friends Wee made to thee cruell warres thou conquerest from vs the good peace With force you were ours and with good will wee are yours Wee are vniust Lords of thy riches and iust tenants of thy vices Finally thou Asia art a wofull graue of Rome and thou Rome art a filthie sinke of Asia Since our auncient Fathers did content themselues with Rome alone why should not we their children content our selues with Rome and Italy but that wee must goe to conquer Asia where we aduentured our honour and spende our treasure If those auncient Romanes beeing as they were so princely Barons of life and so valiant in fighting and so hardy for to commaund did content themselues with this little border why shoulde not wee content our selues not beeing as they are hauing a Realme rich and vitious I know not what toye tooke vs in the head to goe conquer Asia and not to contente our selues with Rome Italy was not so poore of riches nor so destitute of Cities nor so vnpeopled of people nor so solitary of beasts nor so vndecked with buildings nor so barren of good fruits but that of all these thinges wee had more then our fathers wished and also more then wee their children deserued For mee I would say that it is for want of iudgement or aboundance of pride for vs to seeke to exceed our Forefathers in Seigniorie when wee are not coequall vnto them in vertue I was contented with all things of my forefathers saue onely that they were a little proude and seditious and herein wee their children doe resemble them well For so much as we are not onely proude and feditious but also couetous and malitious so that in vertuous things wee goe backeward and in vnlawfull workes wee goe forward What is become of the great victories that our forefathers had in Asia What is become of the infinite Treasure they haue robbed in the Countrey What is become of the great number of captiues that they tooke in the warre What is become of the riches which euery one brought home to his house What is becom of the valiant Kinges which they tooke in that Conquest What is become of the Feastes and Triumphes wherewith they entred triumphing into Rome VVhat wilt thou I say more vnto thee in this case my friende Cornelius but that all they which inuented the warre are dead all those which defended that Countrey are dead all those which entred triumphing into Rome are dead and finallie all the riches and triumphes which our Fathers brought from Asia they and those in short space had an end except the vices and pleasures whereof wee see there is no end O if the valiant Princes knew what a thing it is to inuent wars in strange Realmes what trauels they seeke for their persons what cares in their hearts what trouble to their subiects what
waste to their treasures what pouerty to their friends what pleasures to their enemies what destruction of the good what liberty of the euill and what occasion they giue to strangers to speake what vniuersall euill they sow in their naturall Countries and what euill poyson they do leaue to their heires I sweare by the faith of a good man that if as I feele it Princes did feele it and as I taste it Princes did taste it and also as I haue proued it princes did proue it I doe not say that with effusion of bloud I would take realmes by force but also they offering them to mee with teares I would not take them willingly For speaking the truth It is not the point of valiant Princes for to sustain an other mans to put their owne in ieopardy I aske now what profite tooke Rome of the conquest of Asia I admit that it durst conquer it that it was hardy in winning it obstinate in fighting and happy in taking it should it therefore be fortunate in maintayning it I say and affirme and of that I say I doe not repent mee That it is possible to take Asia but it is but a follie to presume to maintaine and defend it Doest thou not thinke it a great folly to presume to maintaine Asia since there neuer commeth newes of a victory but that it is occasion of an other battell and that for to sustaine watre they robbe all Italy In Asia our money is spent our children are perished In Asia dyed our Fathers for Asia they make vs pay tributes In Asia the good horses are consumed Into Asia they carry all our corne In Asia all the theeues are nourished From Asia commeth all the seditious persons In Asia all the good doe perish From Asia they send vs all the vices And finally in Asia all our treasures are spent and in Asia all our excellent Romanes are killed And sith this is the seruice that Asia doth to Rome why will Rome continue warre with Asia Other Princes before vs haue conquered Asia taken Asia and possessed Asia but in the end when they saw that it was a Countrey where they feared not the Gods nor acknowledged subiection to their Princes neyther that they were apt to retaine lawes they determined to forsake them because they found by experience that they neyther weary their bodies with warres neither winne their harts with benefits Those Princes being hardy nor so bold to sustain Asia by land should we others presume to succour it by sea They forsake it being neighbours and will wee others maintaine it beeing strangers In my opinion Asia is a Country where all the valiant men haue employed their valiantnesse where all the fooles haue proued their folly where al the proud haue shewed their pride where all the Princes entered in with might where all thetyrants haue employed theyr Life but in the end it neither profiteth the one to will it nor to the others to knowe it and yet much lesse to vanquish it I know not the man that loueth Asia that willeth well to Asia that speaketh well of Asia or that fauoureth the things of Asia since shee giueth vs occasion to speake daily to sigh nightly and to weepe hourely If men attayned to the secrete to know the Fatall Destenyes with the which the Goddes haue created Asia they would not striue so much in the conquest therof For the Gods haue created it in such a signe that it shold be a common pasture where all feede a common Market where all sell a common-Inne where all rest a common table where all play a common House where all dwell a common Countrey where all remaine and thereof it commeth that Asia is desired of manie and gouerned of fewe For beeing as it is a common countrey euery man will make it his owne proper Peraduenture thou wilt thinke my friende Cornelius that I haue spoken now all the euils of Asia but hearken yet I will fourme thee a new question againe For according to the dammages which haue followed from Asia to our mother Rome time shall rather want to write then matter to declare Not without teares I say that which I will say that there was neuer any Romane captaine that did kill tenne thousand Asians with the weapons he brought into Asia but that hee lost a hundreth thousand Romanes with the vices they brought to Rome So that the Asians by the hand of their enemyes dyed with honour and left vs Romanes aliue full of their vices with infamie I aske now what they were that inuented to dine in common places to suppe in secret gardens to apparel the women as men in the Theaters to colour the flesh of Priests with yeallow to noynte the Women as men in the Bath the Senatours going smelling to the Senate Princes to be apparelled with purple against the auncient decree To eate twice in the day as the tyraunt Dennys did to keepe Harlots and concubines as they of Tyre doe to speak blasphemie against the gods which were neuer hearde of before in the Empire These said vices of Asia Asia hath presently sent to Rome At the same time when in those parts of the Orient the warre was kindeled tenne valiant captains brought these vices to Rome whose names my penne shall pardon to tell because their vile offences should not obscure theyr valiaunt deedes Before that Rome conquered Asia we were rich wee were pacient wee were sober we were wise we were honest and aboue all we liued well contented But now since that time we haue giuen our selues to forget the pollicyes of Rome and to learne the pleasure of Asia so that all vices may be learned in Rome as all Sciences may be heard in Greece By this aboue rehearsed all warlike Princes may see what profite they haue to conquer straunge Realms c. Let vs now leaue the vices which in the warres are recouered and talke of mony which the princes couet and loue And in this I say that there is no Prince brought into such extreame pouertie as hee which conquereth a straunge countrey Oh Cornelius thou hast not seene how Princes more of a will then of necessitie doe waste their treasures how they demaund that of another mans and how their owne doeth not suffice them they take those of Churches they seeke great Lones they inuent great Tributes they demaund great Subsidies they giue strangers occasion to speake and make themselues hated of their subjects Finally they pray theyr subiects and humble themselues to their enemies Since I haue declared the dammages of warre I will now declare what the originall of warre is For it is vnpossible that the physition applye vnto the sicke agreeable medecine if we know not of what humour the sicknes doth proceed Princes since they came of men are nourished with men doe counsell with men and liue with men and to conclude they are men Sometimes through pride which aboundeth in them somtimes through want
of counsel they themselues imagine and other flattrers telleth that thogh they haue much in respect of other princes yet they can doe little Also they say vnto them that if their substaunce bee great their Fame ought to bee greater Further they tell them that the good Prince ought little to esteeme that hee hath inherited of his predecessors in respect of the great deale more hee ought to leaue to his successours Also they tell them that neuer prince left of him any great memory but inuenting some cruell Warre against his enemie Also they tell them that the houre that one is chosen Emperour of Rome hee may boldely conquer the whole earth These vaine reasons being heard of the princes afterwardes as their Fortune is base and their mindes high immediately they defie their enemies they open their Treasures they assemble great armies and in the end of all the Gods suffer that they thinking to tkae an other mans goods they waste and lose their owne Oh Princes I knowe not who doth deceyue yee that you which by peace may be rich and by war wil be poore Oh Princes I know not who doth deceiue you that you which may be loued doe seeke occasions to be hated Oh princes I knowe not who doth beguyle yee that yee which may enioy a sure life doe aduenture your selues to the mutabilitie of Fortune Oh princes I knowe not who doeth deceyue you that you so little esteeme and weigh your owne aboundance and so greatly set by the wants of others Oh princes I know not who doth deceiue you that all hauing need of you you should haue neede of others I let thee to knowe my Cornelius though a prince bee more quicke and carefull then all other his predecessors haue bin in Rome yet it is vnpossible that all things touching warre should succeede vnto him prosperously For in the greatest neede of warres eyther he wanteth money or his subiects do not succour him or time is contrarie vnto him or he findeth perilous pasges hee lacketh Artillerie or the captaines rebell or else succour commeth to his aduersaryes so that hee seeth himselfe so miserable that thoughtes doe more oppresse his heart then the enemies do harme his land Though a prince had no warre but for to suffer men of warre yet he ought to take vpon him no warre I aske thee now my Cornelius what trauell so great to his person or what greater damage to his Realme can his Enemies do then that which his own men of warre doe c The Enemies to doe the worst they can will but robbe our Frontiers but our men of War do robbe the whole countrey The Enemies we dare and may resist but to ours we cannot nor dare not speake The Enemyes the worst they can do is once in a moneth to robbe and runne their wayes but ours daily do robbe and remaine still The Enemyes feare their enemies only but ours doe feare their enemyes and haue no pitie on their friends The enemies the further they goe on the more they diminish but ours the further they goe the more they encrease I know no greater warre that Princes can haue then to haue men of warre in their realmes For as experience doth shew vs before the Gods they are culpable to Princes importunate and to the people troublesome so that they liue to the damage of all and to the profit of none By the God Mars I swear vnto thee my friend Cornelius as hee may direct my hands in the war that I haue more complaints in the Senate of the thefts which my Captaines did in Illyria then of all the enemies of the Romane people Both for that I say and for that I kept secret I am more afraid to create an Ensigne of two hundred men of warre then to giue a cruell battell to thirty thousand men For that battell fortune good or euill forthwith dispacheth but with these I can bee sure no time of all my life Thou wilt say vnto me Cornelius that since I am Emperour of Rome I should remedy this since I know it For that Prince which dissembleth with the fault of another by reason hee will condemne him as if it were his owne To this I answere that I am not mighty enough to remedy it except by my remedy there should spring a greater inconuenience And since thou hast not beene a Prince thou couldest not fall into that I haue nor yet vnderstand that which I say For Princes by their wisdom know many things the which to remedy they haue no power So it hath beene so it is so it shall be so I found it so I keepe it so will I leaue it them so I haue reade it in bookes so haue I seen it with my eyes so haue I heard it of my predecessors And finally I say our Fathers haue inuented it and so will wee their children sustaine it and for this euill wee will leaue it to our heyres I will tell thee one thing and imagine that I erre not therein which is considering the great dammage and little profite which men of warre do bring to our Common wealth I thinke to doe it and to sustaine it eyther it is the folly of men or a scourge giuen of the Gods For there can be nothing more iust then for the Gods to permit that wee feele that in our owne houses which wee cause others in strange houses to lament All those thinges I haue written vnto thee not for that it skileth greatly that I know them but that my heart is at ease for to vtter them For as Alcibiades sayde the chests and the hearts ought alwayes to be open to their friends Panutius my Secretary goeth in my behalfe to visite that Land and I gaue him this Letter to giue thee with two Horses wherewith I doe thinke thou wilt be contented for they are Genets The Weapons and riches which I tooke of the Parthians I haue now diuided notwithstanding I do send thee two Chariots laden with them My wife Faustine greeteth thee and shee sendeth a rich glasse for thy Daughter and a iewell with stones for thy sister No more but I doe beseech the gods to giue thee a good life and me a good death CHAP. XVII An Admonition of the Author to Princes and great Lordes to the entent that the more they grow in yeares the more they are bound to refrayne from vices AVlus Gelius in his booke De noctibus Atticis sayeth that there was an auncient custome among the Romanes to honour and haue in great reuerence aged men And this was so inuiolate a Law amongst them that there was none so noble of bloud and linage neyther so puissant in riches neyther so fortunate in battels that should go before the aged men which were loden with white hayres so that they honoured them as they did the Gods Amongst other the aged men had these preheminences that is to say that in feasts they sate highest in the
Triumphes they went before in the Temples they did sit downe they spake to the Senate before all others they had their garments furred they might eate alone in secret and by their onely word they were credited as witnesses Finally I say that in all thinges they serued them and in nothing they annoied them After the people of Rome beganne warre with Asia they forsooke all their good Romane customes immediately And the occasion hereof was that since they had no men to sustaine the Common-wealth by reason of the great multitude of people which died in the warre they ordained that all the young men should marry the young maides the widdows the free and the bond and that the honour which had beene done vntill that time vnto the olde men from henceforth should bee done vnto the maried men though they were yong So that the most honoured in Rome was hee not of most yeares but he that had most children This Law was made a little before the first battell of Carthage And the custome that the married men were more honoured then the old endured vntil the time of the Emperour Augustus which was such a friend of Antiquities that hee renued all the walles of Rome with new stone and renued all the auncient customes of the Common-wealth Lycurgus in the lawes which he gaue to the Lacedemonians ordayned that the young men passing by the olde should doe them great reuerence and when the old men did speake then the younger should be silent And hee ordained also that if any olde man by casualtie did lose his goods and came into extreame pouertie then hee should be sustained of the Common wealth and that in such sustentation they should haue respect not onely to succour him for to sustain him but further to giue him to liue competently Plutarch in his Apothegmes declareth that Cato the Censor visiting the corners of Rome found an olde man sitting at his dore weeping and shedding many teares from his eyes And Cato the Censour demanding him why he was so euill handled and wherefore hee wept so bitterly the good olde man answered him O Cato the Gods beeing the only Comforters comfort thee in all thy tribulations since thou art ready to comfort mee at this wofull houre As well as thou knowest that the consolations of the Heart are more necessarie then the physicke of the bodie the which being applyed sometimes doeth heale and an other time they do harme Behold my scabby hands my swollen legs my mouth without Teeth my peeled Face my white beard and my balde head for thou beeing as thou art discreete shouldest be excused to aske mee why I weepe For men of my Age though they weepe not for the little they feele yet they ought to weep for the ouermuch they liue The man which is loaden with teares tormented with diseases pursued with Enemies forgotten of his friends visited with mishaps and with euill will and pouertie I know not why he demandeth long life For there can be no sharper reuengement of vices which wee commit then to giue vs long life Though now I am aged I was young and if any young man should doe me any iniurie truely I would not desire the Gods to take away his life but that they would rather prolong his life For it is great pittie to heare the man which hath liued long recount the troubles which he hath endured Know thou Cato if thou doest not know it that I haue liued 77. yeares and in this time I haue buryed my Father my Grand-father two Aunts and fiue vncles After that I had buryed 9. Systers and 11. Bretheren I haue buryed afterwards two lawfull wiues and fiue bond-women which I haue had as my lemmans I haue buryed also 14. children and 7. marryed daughters and therewith not contented I haue buryed 37. Nephewes and 15. Nieces and that which grieueth me most of all is that I haue buryed two good friendes of mine One of the which remayned in Capua and the other which remained was resident heere at Rome The death of whome hath grieued me more then all those of my alyance and parētage For in the world there is no like losse to that where a man looseth him whom entierly he loueth and of whome also hee is deerely beloued The fatall Destenyes ought to content themselues to haue annoyed my house with so many misfortunes But all this and aboue all this they haue left me a wicked nephewe which shall be mine heyre and they haue left vnto me that all my life I shall lament Oh Cato for that thou owest to the Common-wealth I doe desire thee and by the immortal Gods I doe conjure thee that since thou art a vertuous Romane and Censor of the people that thou prouide for one of these two things that is to say that this my nephew doe serue me or else ordeyne that I dye forthwith For it is a great crueltie that those doe pursue mee which are aliue since it is now fourtie yeares that I ceased not to bewayle the dead Cato beeing well informed of that the olde man had tolde him and since he found all that true which he spake he called vnto his presence the young Nephewe and sayde vnto him these wordes If thou wert such a Childe as thou oughtest to bee thou shouldest excuse mee of paine and thy selfe of trauell But since it is not so I pray thee take paciently that which I shall commaund thee and bee thou wel assured that I will not commaund thee any thing but that which shal be correspondent to Iustice For the vicious younglings as thou art ought to be more ashamed of the vnbrideled youthfulnesse they haue committed then for all the punishments which is giuen vnto them First I commaund thou bee whipt because thou art become so disobedient and troublesome to thy Graundfather Secondly I commaunde that thou bee banished the limites of Rome because thou art a vicious young man Thirdly I commaund that of all the goods which thou hast enherited thou shalt bee disinherited because thou doest not obey thy Graundfather And the cause why I giue such seuere sentence is to the ende that from henceforth the young shall not disobey the Aged and also that those which haue inherited great treasours shall not thinke that men should permit them to bee more vicious then others Phalaris the Tyraunt writing to a Friende of his which was very aged saide these words the which seemed rather spoken of a Phylosopher then of a tyrant I haue maruelled at thee and am offended with thee my friend 〈◊〉 to know as I doe that in yeares thou art very aged and in workes very young and also it grieueth mee that thou hast lost the credit of knowledge in the Schooles It grieueth me more that through thee the priuiledges should bee lost which the olde men haue accustomed to haue in Greece that is to say that all the thieues all the periured and all the murtherers were
nothing but lyes CHAP. XIX Of a letter of the Emperour Marcus Aurelius to Claudius and Claudinus reproouing them being olde men and that they liued youthfully MARKE Emperor borne in Mount Celio desireth to you my neighbours Claude and Claudine health of your persons and amendment of your liues I beeing as I am at the Conquest of Asia and you remayning alwayes in the pleasures of Rome wee vnderstand your newes very late and I thinke our letters arriue there as late Notwithstanding to those which goe thither I giue answeres for you others and of all those which come hither I demaund of your health And doe not demand of others how well and how much I loue you but of your owne proper hearts and if your heart say that I am a fained friend then I take my selfe condemned If perchance your harts doe tell you that I loue you beeing true indeed that I hate you or if I tel you that I hate you being true that I loue you of truth I would plucke such a heart out of my body and giue it to bee eaten of the beasts For there is no greater deceit then that which the man doth to himselfe If a stranger beguile mee I ought to dissemble it if an enemie deceiue mee I ought to reuenge it if my friend misuse mee I ought to complaine of him but if I deceyue my selfe with whom shall I comfort my selfe For there is no patience that can suffer the heart to deceiue himselfe in any thing which hee hath not deepaly considered Peraduenture yee will say I doe not esteeme you and that I haue not written any letter vnto you of long time To this I answere That you doe not attribute the fault to my negligence but to the great distance of countries that there is from hence to Rome and also to the great affaires of Asia For amongst other discommodities the warre hath this also that it depriueth vs of the sweet conuersation of our Country I haue alwayes presumed to bee yours and at this present am at no mans pleasure more then at yours And since you haue alwayes knowne of mee what you desired to know I haue espyed in you others that which of force I must speake For in the end I haue not seene any possesse so much to bee worth so much to know so much nor in all things to bee so mighty but that one day hee should neede his poore friend The diuine Plato sayde and also well That the man which loueth with his heart neyther in absence forgetteth neyther in presence becommeth negligent neyther in prosperity hee is proud nor yet in aduersitie abiect neyther he serueth for profit nor yet hee loueth for gaine and finally he defendeth the case of his friend as his owne Diuers haue beene of the opinions which the Auncients held to affirme for what end friendes were taken and in the end they were fully resolued that for foure causes we ought to chuse friends The first we ought to haue friends to treate and to bee conuersant with all for according to the troubles of this life there is no time so pleasantly consumed as in the conuersation of an assured friend The second is wee ought to haue friends to haue friends to whom we may disclose the secrets of our hearts for it is much comfort to the wofull hart to declare to his friend his doubts if he perceiue that hee doth feele them in deede The third we ought to search chuse friends to the end they helpe vs in our aduersities For little profiteth it my heart that with teares the friends doe heare all that I bewayle vnlesse afterwards in deede hee will take paines to reforme the same The fourth wee ought to seeke and preserue friends to the end they be protectors of our goods and likewise Iudges of our euils for the good friend is no lesse bound to withdraw vs from the vices whereby wee are slaundered then to deliuer vs from our enemies by whom wee may bee slaine The end why I tolde you all this was if that in this letter you chance to light vpon any sharpe word that you take it patiently considering that the loue that I beare you doth moue mee to speake and the faith which I owe vnto you dooth not suffer mee that I should keepe it close For many things ought to be borne among friends though they tell them in earnest which ought not to be suffered of others though they speake it in iest I come therefore to shew the matter and I beseech the immortall Gods that there be no more then that you haue tolde mee and that it bee lesse then I suspect Gaius Furius your Kinsman and my especiall friend as hee went to the Realme of Palestine and Hierusalem came to see mee in Antioch and hath tolde me newes of Italy Rome and among others one aboue all the residue I haue committed to memory at the which I could not refrain laughing and lesse to bee troubled after I had thought of it O how many things doe wee talke in iest the which after wee haue well considered giue occasion to be sorrie The Emperor Adrian my good lord had a Ieaster whose name was Belphus yong comely and stout albeit he was very malicious as such are acustomed to be and whiles the Embassadors of Germanie supped with the Emperour in great ioye the same Belphus began to jeast of euery one that was present according to his accustomed manner with a certaine malicious grace And Adrian perceyuing that some chaunged colour others murmured and others were angrie hee saide vnto this ieaster Friend Belphus if thou loue me and my seruice vse not these spitefull ieasts at our supper which being considered on may turne vs to euill rest in our beddes Gaius Furius hath told me so manie slaunders chaunced in Italie such nouelties done in Rome such alteration of our Senate such contentions and strife betweene our Neighbours such lightnes of you two that I was astonnied to heare it and ashamed to write it And it is nothing to tell after what sort he tolde them vnto me vnles you had seen how earnestly he spake them imagining that as he tolde them without taking any paines so did I receiue them as hee thought without anie griefe though in deede euery worde that hee spake seemed a sharpe piercing arrowe vnto my heart For ofte times some telleth vs things as of small importance the which do pricke our hearts to the quicke By the opinion of all I vnderstand that you are very olde and yet in your own fantasies you seeme very young And further they say that you Apparrell your selues a newe now as though presently you came into the worlde and moreouer they say that you are offended with nothing so much as when they call you olde and that in Theaters where comedies are played and in the Fieldes where the brute beasts doe run you are not the hindmost and that there is
banishment I did helpe him with money and moreouer he was banished another time for the lightnes hee did commit in the night in the Citie and I maruell not hereof For we see by experience that Olde men which are fleshed in vices are more obstinate to correct then the young Oh what euill fortune haue the old men which haue suffered themselues to waxe olde in vice For more dangerous is the fire in an old house then in a newe and a great cut of a sword is not so perillous as a rotten Fistula Though olde men were not honest and vertuous for the seruice of the Gods and the commonwealth for the saying of the people nor for the example of the young yet he ought to bee honest if it were but for the reuerence of their yeares If the poore old man haue no teeth how shall he eate If he haue no heate in his stomacke how can he disgest If hee haue no taste how can he drinke if he be not strong how can hee be an adulterer if he haue no feet how can he goe if he haue the palsey how can he speake if he haue the gowte in his hands how can he play Finally such like worldly vicious men haue employed their forces being young desirous to proue al these vices and when they are old it grieueth thē extreamly that they cānot acomplish their desire Amongst all these faultes in olde men in myne opinion this is the chiefest that since they haue proued all things that they should still remaine in theyr obstinate follie There is no parte but they haue trauelled no villanie but they haue essayed no Fortune but they haue proued no good but they haue persecuted no euill but hath chanced vnto them nor there is any wickednes but they haue attēpted These vnhappie men which in this sort haue spent all their youth haue in the ende theyr combes cut with infirmities and diseases yet they are not so much grieued with the vices which in them doe abound to hinder them from vertues as they are tormented for want of corporall courage to further them in their lustes Oh if wee were Gods or that they would giue vs licence to knowe the thoughtes of the olde as wee see with our eyes the deedes of the young I sweare to the God Mars and also to the Mother Berecynthia that without comparison wee would punish more the wicked desires which the aged haue to be wicked then the light deedes of the young Tell mee Claude and Claudine doe you thinke though you behaue your selues as young you shall not seme to be olde Knowe you not that our nature is the corruption of our bodie and that our bodie hindereth our vnderstandings and that the vnderstandings are kept of our soule and that our soule is the mother of desires and that our desires are the scourge of our youth and that our youth is the ensigne of our age and age the spye of death and that death in the end is the house where life taketh his harbor from whēce youth flyeth a foot frō whence age cānot escape a horseback I would reioyce that you Claude and Claudine would but tell mee what you finde in this life that so much therwith you should be contented since no we you haue passed foure-score yeares of life during the which time either you haue bin wicked in the worlde or else you haue bin good If you haue bin good you ought to thinke it long vntill you bee with the good Gods if you haue bin euill it is iust you dye to the ende you be no worse For speaking the truth those which in threescore and ten yeares haue bin wicked in workes leaue small hope of their amendment of life Adrian my Lord beeing at Nola in Campania one brought vnto him a nephew of his from the studie whereas the yong childe had not profited a little for hee became a great Grecian and Latinist and moreouer hee was faire gratious and honest And this Emperour Adrian loued his Nephew so much that he saide vnto him these wordes My Nephewe I knowe not whether I ought to say vnto thee that thou art good or euill For if thou be euill life shall be euill employed on thee and if thou be good thou oughtest to dye immediately and because I am worse then all I liue longer then all These words which Adrian my Lord said doe plainly declare and expresse that in short space the pale and cruell death doth assault the good and lengtheneth life a great while to the euill The opinion of a phylosopher was that the gods are so profound in their secrets high in their mysteries and so iust in their works that to men which least profite the commonwealth they lengthen life longest and though he had not saide it we others see it by experience For the man which is good and that beareth great zeale friendship to the Commonwealth eyther the Gods take him from vs or the Enemyes doe slay him or the daungers doe cast him away or the trauells doe finish him When the great Pompeyus and Iulius Caesar became enemyes and from that enmitie came to cruell warres the Gronicles of the time declare that the kings and people of the occidental part became in he fauour of Iulius Caesar and the mightiest and most puissant of al the oriental parts came in the ayde of great Pompeius because these two Princes were loued of a few and serued and feared of all Amongst the diuersity and sundry nations of people which came out of the Orientall part into the hoast of the great Pompeius one nation came maruellous and cruell barbarous which sayde they dwelled on the other side of the mountaine Riphees which goe vnto India And these Barbarians had a Custome not to liue no longer then fifty yeares and therefore when they came to that age they made a greater fire and were burned therin aliue and of their owne wils they sacrificed themselues to the Gods Let no man be astonied at that we haue spoken but rather let them maruell of that wee will speake that is to say that the same day any man had accōplished fifty yeares immediately hee cast himselfe quicke into the fire and his friends made a great feast And the feast was that they did eate the flesh of the dead halfe burned and dranke in wine and water the ashes of his bones so that the stomacke of the childrē being aliue was the graue of the Fathers being dead All this that I haue spoken with my tongue Pompeius hath seene with his eyes for that some being in the camp did accomplish fifty yeares and because the case was strange hee declared it oft in the Senate Let euery man iudge in this case what he will and condemne the barbarians at his pleasure yet I will not cease to say what I thinke O golden world which had such men O blessed people of whom in the World to ome shall be
thousand to helpe to marry her and the other thousand to helpe for to releeue your pouerty My wife Faustine is sicke and I send you another 1000. Sesterces to giue to the Vestall virgins to pray to the Gods for her My wife sendeth to thee Claudine a Cofer by the immortall Gods I sweare vnto thee I cannot tell what is in it I beseech the Gods sithence you are aged to giue you a good death and to me and Faustine they suffer vs to leade a good life Marcus of mount Celio with his own hand writeth this CHAP. XXIII Princes ought to take heede that they be not noted of auarice for that the couetous man is both of God and man hated THe great Alexander King of Macedony and Darius the vnfortunate King of Persians were not onely contrary in wars and conquests which they made but also in the conditions and inclinations which they had For Alexander naturally loued to giue and spend and Darius to the contrarie to heape locke and keepe When the fame of Alexander was spredde abroade throughout all the word to bee a Prince of honour and not couetous his owne loued him intirely strangers desired to serue him faithfully The miserable King Darius as he was noted of great auarice and of small liberality so his did disobey him and strangers hated him whereof may be gathered that Princes and great Lords by giuing do make them selues rich and in keeping they make themselues poore Plutarch in his Apothegmes declareth that after King Darius was dead and Alexander had triumphed ouer all the Orientall parts a man of Thebes being in the market place of Athens setting forth the fortune of Alexander for the sundry Countryes which hee had conquered and describing the euill fortune of Darius for the great number of men which hee had lost a Philosopher with a loude voyce sayd O man of Thebes thou art greatly deceyued to think that one prince loseth many seigniories and that the other Prince winneth many Realmes For Alexander the Great wann nought but stones and couerings of Cities for with his liberality hee had already gotten the good wils of the Citizens and on the contrary the vnfortunate Darius did not lose but stones and the couertures of Cities for with his couetousnesse and auarice hee had now lost all the hearts of those of Asia And further this Philosopher sayde vnto him that Princes which will enlarge their estates and amplifie their realmes in their conquests ought first to winne the hearts and to bee noble and liberall and afterwards to send their armies to conquer the Forts and wals for otherwise little auayleth it to winne the stones if the hearts do rebell Whereby a man may gather that that which Alexander wanne he wanne by liberality and stoutenesse and that which King Darius lost he lost for being miserable and couetous And let vs not maruell hereat for that Princes and great Lordes which are ouercome with auarice I doubt whether euer they shall see themselus Conquerours of many realmes The vice of auarice is so detestable so euil so odious and so perillous that if a man should employ himselfe for to write all the discommodities thereunto belonging my penne shoulde do nought else then to presume to drye vp all the water in the sea For the stomacke where auarice entreth causeth a man to serue vices worship Idols If a vertuous man would prepare himselfe to thinke on the great trauel and little rest that this cursed vice beareth with him I thinke that none would be vicious therein Though the couetous man had no other trauell but alwayes to goe to bed with daunger and to rise vp with care Mee thinketh that it is a trouble sufficient for such a one when he goeth to bed thinketh that hee should bee killed in his bedde or that sleeping his coffers should be rifled and from that time he riseth hee is alwayes tormented with feare to lose that which he hath wonne and carefull to augment that little too much The diuine Plato in the first booke of his Common-wealth sayde these words The men be made rich because they neuer learned to bee rich for he which continually and truly will become rich first ought to abhorre couetousnesse before he begin to occupie himselfe to locke vppe goods For the man which setteth no bond to his desire shall alwayes haue little though hee see himselfe Lord of the world The sentence of the Stoyckes doth satisfie my mind much whereof Aristotle in his politikes maketh mention where he sayth That vnto great affayres are alwayes required great riches and there is no extreame pouertie but where there hath beene great aboundance c. Thereof ensueth that vnto Princes and great Lordes which haue much they want much because vnto men which haue had little they can want but little If wee admonish worldlings not to be vicious they will alwayes haue excuses to excuse themselues declaring why they haue been vicious the vice of Auarice excepted to whome and with whom they haue no excuse For if one vaine reason be ready to excuse there are two thousand to condemne them Let vs put example in all the principall vices and wee shall see how this onely of Auarice remaineth condemned and not excused If we reason why a noble Prince or great Lord is hautie and proude He will aunswere that hee hath great occasion For the naturall disposition of men is rather to desire to commaund with trauell then to serue with quyetnes and rest If we reproue any man that is furious and giuen to anger hee will aunswere vs that we maruell not since we maruell not of the proude For that the enemy hath no more authority to trouble any man then the other to take reuenge of him If we blame him for that he is fleshly and vicious he will answer vs that hee cannot abstaine from that sinne For if any man can eschew the actes he fighteth continually with vncleane thoughts If wee say that anie man is negligent hee will answere vs that he deserueth not to be blamed For the vilenes of our nature is such that if we do trauell it immediately it is wearie and if we rest it immediately it reioyceth If wee rebuke any man that is a glutton hee will answere vs that without eating and drinking wee cannot liue in the world for the Diuine Word hath not forbidden man to eate with the mouth but the vncleane thoughts which come from the heart As of these few vices we haue declared so may wee excuse all the residue but to the vice of couetousnesse none can giue a reasonable excuse For with money put into the coffer the soule cannot profite nor the bodie reioyce Boetius in his booke of consolation said That Money is good not when wee haue it in possession but when wee want it And in very deede the sentence of Boetius is very profound For when man spendeth money he attaineth to that he
beasts doe drawe him water the beasts doe carrie him from place to place the beasts doe plough the Lande and carryeth the corne into their barnes Finally I say that if the man receyue any good hee hath not wherewith to make recompence and if they doe him any euill hee hath nought but the tongue to reuenge Wee must note also that though a man loade a beast with strypes beate her and driue her by the fowle wayes though hee take her meate from her yea though her younglings dye yet for none of all these she is sad or sorrowfull and much lesse doth weepe and though she should weep she can not For beasts little esteme their life and much lesse feare death It is not so of the vnhappy and wretched man which cānot but bewaile the vnthankfulnesse of theyr friendes the death of their Children the wants which they haue of necessaries the cases of aduersitie which doe succeed them the false witnes which is brought against them and a thousand calamityes which doe torment their hearts Finally I say that the greatest comforts that men haue in this life is to make a riuer of water with the teares of their Eyes Let vs enquire of Princes and great Lordes what they can doe when they are borne whether they can speake as Orators if they can runne as Postes if they can gouern themselues as kings if they can fight as men of Warre if they can labour as labourers if they can worke as masons if they knowe to teach as maisters These litle children would answer that they are not onely ignorant of all that wee demaund of them but also that they cannot vnderstand it Let vs returne to aske them what it is that they knowe since they know nothing of that we haue demaunded them They will answer that they can doe no other thing but weepe at their byrth and sorrow at theyr death Though all those which saile in this so perillous Sea doe reioyce and take pleasure and seeme to sleepe soundly yet at the last there cometh the winde of aduersitie which maketh them all know their follies For if I be not deceiued and if I know any thing of this world those which I haue seene at the time of their birth take ship weeping I doubt whether they will take Land in the graue laughing Oh vnhappy life I should say rather death which the mortalls take for life wherein afterwards we must spend and consume a great time to learne all Artes Sciences and offices and yet notwithstanding that whereof we are ignorant is much more then that which wee knowe Wee forget the greatest part saue only that of weeping which no man needeth to learne for wee are borne and liue weeping and vntill this present wee haue seene none to die in ioy Wee must note also that the beasts doe liue and dye with the inclinations wherwith they were borne that is to say that the Wolfe followeth the sheepe and not the birdes the hound followeth the hares and not the rattes the sparrow flyeth at the birdes and not at the fish the spider eateth the flyes and not the herbes Finally I say that if wee let the beast search his meate quietly we shall not see him giuen to any other thing The contrary of all this hapneth to men the which though nature hath created feeble yet Gods intention was not they should bee malitious but I am sorry since they cannot auoyd debility that they turne it into malice The presumption which they haue to bee good they turne to pride and the desire they haue to be innocent they turne into enuy The fury which they should take against malice they turne into anger and the liberality they ought to haue with the good they conuert into auarice The necessity they haue to eate they turne into gluttonie and the care they ought to haue of their conscience they turne into negligence Finally I say that the more strength beasts haue the more they serue and the lesse men are worth so much the more thankes haue they of God The innocency of the brute beastes considered and the malice of the malitious men marked without comparison the company of the brute beast is lesse hurtfull then the conuersation of euill men For in the end if hee bee conuersant with a beast yee haue not but to beware of her but if yee bee in company with a man there is nothing wherin yee ought to trust him Wee must note also that it was neyther seene or read that there was any beast that took care for the graue but the beasts being dead some were torne in peeces with Lions other dismembred by the bears others gnawn with dogs other remain in the fields other are eaten of men and other by the Ants. Finally the entrailes of the one are the graues of others It is not so of the miserable man the which consumeth no small treasure to make his Tombe which is the most vainest thing that is in this miserable life for there is no greater vanity nor lightnes in man then to be esteemed for his goodly and sumptuous sepulture and little to weigh a good Life I will sweare that at this day all the dead doe sweare that they care little if their bodies be buried in the deepe Seas or in the golden Tombes or that the cruell beasts haue eaten thē or that they remaine in the fieldes without a graue so that their soules may be among the celestiall Companies Speaking after the Lawe of a Christian I durst say that it profiteth little the body to be among the painted and carued stones when the miserable soule is burning in the fierie flames of hell O miserable creatures haue not wee sufficient wherewith to seeke in this life to procure to trauell to accomplish to sigh and also what to bewayle without hauing such care anguish to know where they shall bee buried Is there any man so vaine that hee dooth not care that other men should condemne his euil life so that they praise his rich tombe To those that are liuing I speake and say of those that are dead that if a man gaue them leaue to returne into the World they would bee occupied more to correct their excesse and offences then to adiourne and repayre their graues and tombes though they haue found them fallen downe I cannot tell what to say more in this case but to admonish men that it is a great folly to make any great account of the graues CHAP. XXXIIII The Emperour Marcus Aurelius writeth this letter to Domitius a Citizen of Capua to comfort him in his exile beeing banished for a quarrell betwixt him and another about the running of a horse very comfortable to those that haue beene in fauour and now fallen in disgrace MArke the Romane Emperour borne at Mount Celio to thee Domitius of Capua wisheth health and consolation from the gods the onely Comforters The bitter Winter in these partes haue raysed bosterous winds and
thinke thou wilt do so For by the faith of a good man I sweare vnto thee that my heart neither suspected iâ— nor yet the aucthority of so graue a Romane doth demand it for to thee onely the fault should remaine and to me the wonder Heartily I commend vnto thee thy honesty which to thy selfe thou oughtest and the care which behooueth so worthy and notable a widow For if thou art tormented with the absence of the dead thou oughtest to comfort thee with the reputation of the liuing At this present I will say no more to thee but that thy renowne among the present be such and that they speake of thee so in absence that to the euill thou giue the bridell to be silent and to the good spurres to come and sefue thee For the widow of euill renowne ought to be buried quicke Other things to write to thee I haue none Secret matters are dangerous to trust considering that thy heart is not presently disposed to heare newes It is reason thou know that I with thy parents and friends haue spoken to the Senate which haue giuen the office that thy husband had in Constantinople to thy sonne And truly thou oughtest no lesse to reioyce of that which they haue said of thee then for that they haue giuen him For they say though thy husband had neuer beene Citizen of Rome yet they ought to haue giuen more than this onely for thy honest behauiour My wife Faustine saluteth thee and I will say I neuer saw her weepe for any thing in the world so much as shee hath wept for thy mishap For shee felt thy losse which was very great and my sorrow which was not little I send thee foure thousand sexterces in money supposing that thou hast wherewith to occupy them as well for thy necessaries as to discharge thy debts For the complaints demaunds and processes which they minister to the Romane Matrons are greater then are the goods that their husbands doe leaue them The gods which haue giuen rest to thy husband O Claudine giue also comfort to thee his wife Lauinia Marcus of mount Celio with his owne hand CHAP. XXXIX That Princes and Noble men ought to despise the world for that there is nothing in the world but plaine deceit PLato Aristotle Pythagoras Empedocles Democrates Seleucus Epicurus Diogenes Thales and Methrodorus had among them so great contention to describe the world his beginning and propertie that in maintaining euery one his opinion they made greater wars with their pens then their enemies haue done with their lances Pythagoras sayde that that which wee call the World is one thing and that which wee call the vniuersall is an other the Philosopher Thales said that there was no more but one World and to the contrarie Methrodorus the Astronomer affirmed there were infinit worlds Diogenes sayd that the world was euerlasting Seleucus sayd that it was not true but that it had an ende Aristotle seemed to say that the world was eternall But Plato sayde clearely that the world hath had beginning and shall also haue ending Epicurus sayd that it was round as a ball Empedocles saide that it was not as a bowle but as an egge Chilo the Philosopher in the high Mount Olimpus disputed that the world was as men are that is to say that hee had an intellectable and sensible soule Socrates in his Schoole sayeth and in his doctrine wrote that after 37 thousand yeares all things should returne as they had beene before That is to say that he himselfe should bee borne anew and should be nourished and should reade in Athens And Dennis the Tytant should returne to play the Tyrant in Syracuse Iulius Caesar to rule Rome Hannibal to conquer Italy and Scipio to make warre against Carthage Alexander to fight against King Darius and so foorth in all others past In such and other vaine questions and speculstions the auncient Philosophers consumed many yeares They in writing many bookes haue troubled their spirites consumed long time trauelled many Countryes and suffered innumerable dangers and in the end they haue set forth few truthes and many lyes For the least part of that they knew not was much greater then all that which they euer knew When I tooke my penne in my hand to write the vanity of the world my intention was not to reproue this material world the which of the four Elements is compounded that is to say of the earth that is cold and drie of the water that is moist and cold of the ayre that is hote and moist of fire that is drie and hote so that taking the world in this sort there is no reason why we should complaine and lament of it since that without him we cannot liue corporally When the Painter of the world came into the world it is not to be beleeued that he reproued the water which bare him when hee went vpon it nor the ayre that ceased to blow in the sea nor the earth that trembled at his death nor the light which ceased to light nor the stones which brake in sunder nor the fish which suffered themselues to bee taken not the trees which suffered themselues to be drie nor the monuments that suffered themselues to bee opened For the creature acknowledged in his Creator omnipotency and the Creator founded in the creature due obedience Oftentimes and of many persons wee heare say O woefull world O miserable world O subtill world O world vnstable and vnconstant And therefore it is reason wee know what the world is whereof the world is from whence this world is whereof this world is made and who is lord of this world since in it all things are vnstable all things are miserable all things deceitfull all things are malicious which cannot be vnderstood of this materiall worlde For in the fire in the aire in the earth and in the water in the light in the Planets in the stones and in the Trees there are no sorrowes there are no miseryes there are no deceytes nor yet any malice The world wherein wee are borne where we liue and where we die differeth much from the world whereof we doe complaine for the world against whom wee fight suffereth vs not to be in quyet one howre in the day To declare therefore my intention this wicked World is no other thing but the euill life of the Worldlings the Earth is the desire the fire the couetise the water the inconstancie the ayre the folly the stones are the pride the flowers of the Trees the thoughts the deepe Sea the heart Finally I say that the Sunne of this world is the prosperity and the moon is the continuall change The Prince of this so euill a world is the diuell of whom IESVS CHRIST laid The prince of this world shall now be cast out and this the Redeemer of the World sayeth For he called the worldlings and their worldly liues the world For since they be seruants of sinne of
and trauells considered wherein wee liue and the safetie wherein wee dye I say that it is more needefull to haue vertue and strength to liue then courage to dye The Authour hereof is Plutarch in his Apothegmes Wee cannot say but that Cato the Censor spake as a wise man since daylie we see shamefast and vertuous persons suffer hunger cold thyrst trauell pouerty inconuenience sorrows enmities and mishaps of the which things wee were better to see the ende in one day then to suffer them euery houre For it is lesse euill to suffer an honest death then to endure a miserable life Oh how small consideration haue men to thinke that they ought to dye but once Since the truth is that the day when wee are born and come inthis worlde is the beginning of our death and the last day is when we do cease to liue If death bee no other but an ending of life then reason perswadeth vs to thinke that our infancie dyeth our childhood dyeth our manhoode dyeth and our Age shall dye wherof we may consequently cōclude that we dye euery yeare euery day euery houre and euery moment So that thinking to leade a sure life we taste a new death I know not why men feare so much to dye since that from the time of their birth they seeke none other thing but death For time neuer wanteth for any man to dye neyther I knew any man that euer fayled of this way Seneca in an Epistle declareth that as a Romaine Woman lamented the death of a Childe of hers a Phylosopher saide vnto her Woman why bewaylest thou thy childe She aunswered I weepe because hee hath liued xxv yeares and I would he should haue liued till fiftie For amongst vs mothers wee loue our Children so hartily that we neuer cease to behold them nor yet ende to bewaile them Then the Phylosopher said Tell me I pray thee woman Why doest thou not complame of the Gods because they created not thy Sonne manie yeares before he was borne as well as thou complavnest that they haue not let him liue fiftie yeares Thou weepest that hee is deade so soone and thou dost not lament that he is borne so late I tell thee true Woman that as thou doest not lament for the one no more thou oughrest to bee sorrie for the other For without the determination of the Gods we cannot shorten death and much lesse lengthen our life So Plinie saide in an Epistle that the chiefest law which the Gods haue giuen vnto humane nature was that none shold haue perpactual life For with dis-ordinate desire to liue long wee should reioyce to goe out of this paine Two Phylosophers disputing before the great Emperor Theodose the one saide that it was good to procure death and the other likewise sayde it was a necessary thing to hate life The good Theodose taking him by the hand sayd All wee mortalles are so extreame in hating and louing that vnder the colour to loue and hate life wee leade an euill life For we suffer so many trauells for to preserue it that sometimes it were much better to loose it And further hee sayde Diuers vaine men are come into so great follyes that for feare of Death they procure to hasten death And hauiwg consideration to this me seemeth that wee ought not greatly to loue life nor with desperation to seeke Death For the strong and valiant men ought not to hate Life so long as it lasteth nor to bee displeased with death when hee commeth All commended that which the Emperour Theodose spake as Paulus Dyacon saith in his life Let euery man speake what he will and let the Phylosophers counsell what they lift in my poore iudgment hee alone shall receyue death without paine who long before is prepared to receyue the same For sudden death is not onely bitter vnto him which tasteth it but also it seareth him that hateth it Lactantius saide that in such sorte man ought to liue as if from hence an houre after he should dye For those men which will haue Death before their eyes it is vnpossible that they should giue place to vaine thoughts In my opinion and also by the aduise of Apuleius It is as much follie to flie from that which we cannot auoyd as to desire that wee can not attaine And this is only spoken for those that would flye the voyage of death which is necessarie and desire to come againe which is vnpossible Those that trauell by long wayes if they want any thing they borrow it of their companie If they haue forgotten ought they returne to seeke it at their lodging or else they write vnto their friends a letter But I am sorrie that if wee once dye they will not let vs returne again we cannot speake and they will not agree we shall write but such as they shall finde vs so shall wee bee iudged And that which is most fearfull of all the execution and sentence is giuen in one day Let Noble Princes and great Lords beleeue mee in this Let them not leaue that vndone til after their death which they may doe during their life And let them not trust in that they commaund but in that whiles they liue they doe Let them not trust in the workes of an other but in theyr owne good deedes For in the end one sigh shall be more worth then all the friendes of the world I counsell pray and exhort all wise and vertuous men and also my selfe with them that in such a sort wee liue that at the houre of death wee may say we liue For wee cannot say that wee liue when we liue not well For all that time which without profite wee shall liue shall be counted vnto vs for nothing CHAP. XLIX ¶ Of the death of Marcus Aurelius the Emperour and how there are fewe Friendes which dare say the truth to sicke men THe good Emperor Marcus Aurelius now beeing aged not onely for the yeares he had but also for the great trauells hee had in the warres endured It chaunced that in the xviii yeare of his Empire and lxxij yeares from the day of his birth and of the foundation of Rome fiue hundreth xliii beeing in the warre of Pannonie which at this time is called Hungaria besieging a famous cittie called Vendeliona suddenly a disease of the palsey tooke him which was such that hee lost his life and Rome her Prince the best of life that euer was borne therein Among the Heathen princes some had more force then he others possessed more riches then hee others were as aduenturous as hee and some haue knowne as much as hee but none hath bin of so excellent and vertuous a life nor so modest as hee For his life being examined to the vttermost ther are many princely vertues to follow and fewe vices to reproue The occasion of his death was that that in going one Night about his Campe suddenly the disease of the palsey tooke him in
his arme so that from thence forwards hee could not put on his gowne nor draw his sword and much lesse carrie a staffe The good Empreour being so loaden with yeres and no lesse with cares the sharpe Winter approching more and more great aboundance of water and snow fell about the Tents so that another disease fell vpon him called Litargie the which thing much abated his courage and in his Hoast caused great sorrow For he was so beloued of all as if they had been his owne Children After that he had proued all medicines and remedyes that could bee found and all other things which vnto so great and mightie Princes were accustomed to be done he perceyued in the end that all remedie was past And the reason heereof was because his sicknes was exceeding vehement and hee himselfe very aged the Ayre vnwhol-some and aboue all because sorrowes and cares oppressed his hart Without doubt greater is the disease that proceedeth of sorrowe then that which proceedeth of the Feuer quartaine And thereof fensueth that more easily is hee cured which of corrupt humours is full then hee which with profound thoughts is oppressed The Emperour then beeing sicke in his chamber and in such sort that hee could not exercise the feates of armes as his men ranne out of their Campe to skyrmish and the Hungarians in like manner to defend the fight on both sides was so cruell through the great effusion of bloud that neither the Hungarians had cause to reioyce nor yet the Romaines to be merrie Vnderstanding the euill order of his and especially that v. of his Captaines were slaine in the conflict and that he for his disease could not bee there in person such sorrows pierced his hart that although he desired forthwith to haue dyed yet hee remained 2. dayes and 3. nights without that hee would see light or speak vnto any man of his So that the heat was much the rest was small the sighes were continuall and the thyrst very great the meate little and the sleepe lesse and aboue all his face wrinckled and his lips very blacke Sometimes he cast vp his eyes and at other times he wrong his hands alwayes hee was silent and continually hee sighed His tongue was swollen that hee could not spit and his eyes very hollow with weeping So that it was a great pittie to see his death and no lesse compassion to see the confusion of his pallace and the hinderance of the warre Many valiant captains many noble Romaines many faithfull seruants and many old friends at all these heauines were present But none of them durst speake to the Emperour Marke partly for that they tooke him to be so sage that they knewe not what counsell to giue him and partely for that they were so sorrowful that they could not refraine their heauie teares For the louing and true Friendes in their life ought to bee beloued and at theyr death to be bewailed Great compassion ought men to haue of those which dye not for that we see them dye but because there are none that telleth them what they ought to doe Noble Princes and great Lords are in greater perill when they dye then the Plebeyans For the counseller dare not tell vnto his Lorde at the houre of death that which hee knoweth and much lesse will tell him how he ought to die and what things hee ought to discharge whiles hee is aliue Manie goe to visite the sicke that I would to GOD they went some other where And the cause heereof is that they see the sicke mans eyes hollowe the flesh dryed the armes without flesh the colour enflamed the ague continuall the paine great the tongue swollen nature consumed and besides all this the house destroyed and yet they say vnto the sicke man Be of good cheere I warrant you you shall liue As young men naturallie desire to liue and as death to all olde men is dreadfull so though they see themselues in that distresse yet they refuse no Medecines as though there were great hope of life And therof ensueth oftentimes that the miserable creatures depart the worlde without confessing vnto GOD and making restitutions vnto men Oh if those which doe this knewe what euill they doe For to take away my goods to trouble my person to blernish my good name to slaunder my parentage and to reproue my life these works are of cruell enemies but to bee occasion to lose my soule it is the works of the diuell of hell Certainly hee is a Diuell which deceyueth the sicke with flatteryes and that in steed to helpe him to dye well putteth him in vain-hope of long life Herein hee that sayeth it winneth little and he that beleeueth it aduentureth much To mortall men it is more meete to giue counselles to reform their consciences with the truth then to hazard their houses with lyes With our friends wee are ashamelesse in their life and also bashfull at their death The which ought ought not to be so For if our Fathers were not dead and that wee did not daylie see these that are present die mee thinketh it were a shame and also a feare to say to the sicke that hee alone should die But since thou knowest as well as he and he knoweth as well as thou that all doe trauell in this perillous iourney what shame hast thou to say vnto thy friend that hee is now at the last point If the dead should now reuiue how would they complain of their friends And this for no other cause but for that they would not giue them good counsell at their death For if the sicke man bee my Friend and that I see peraduenture he will dye Why shall not I counsell him to prepare himselfe to dye Certainly oftentimes we see by experience that those which are prepared and are ready for to dye doe escape and those which thinke to liue doe perish What should they doe which goe to visite the sicke perswade them that they make their Testaments that they confesse their sinnes that they discharge their conscience that they receyue the Communion and that they do reconcile themselues to their enemies Certainely all these things charge not the launce of death nor cut not the threed of life I neuer saw blindenesse so blinde nor ignorance so ignorant as to be ashamed to counsell the sicke that they are bound to do when they are whole As we haue sayd here aboue Princes and great Lords are those aboue all others that liue and dye most abusedly And the onely cause in this that as their Seruants haue no hearts to perswade them when they are merrie so haue they no audacity to tell them truth when they are in perill For such seruants care little so that their masters bequeath them any thing in their willes whether they die well or liue euill O what miserie and pitie is it to see a Prince a Lord a gentleman and a rich person die if they haue no
offer therin the sacrifice accustomed For wee doe not this honour to the substance wherewith the Temples are made but to the gods to whome they are consecrated I commend vnto thee the veneration of Priests I pray thee though they be couetous auaritious dissolute vnpatient negligent and vitious yet that they bee not dishonoured for to vs others it appertaineth not to iudge of the life they lead as men but wee must consider that they are mediators between the gods and vs. Behold my sonne that to serue the Gods honour the Temples and reuerence the Priests it is not a thing voluntary but verie necessarie for Princes For so long endured the glorie of the Greekes as they were worshippers of their goods and carefull of their temples The vnhappy realm of Carthage was nothing more cowardly nor lesse rich then that of the Romanes but in the ende of the Romaines they were ouercome because they were great louers of their treasures and little worshippers of their Temples I commend vnto thee my sonne Helia thy stepmother and remember though she be not thy mother yet shee hath beene my wife That which to thy mother Faustine thou oughtest for bringing thee into the world the selfe same thou oughtest to Helia for the good entertainement she hath shewed thee And indeed oftentimes I beeing offended with thee shee maintained thee and caused me to forget so that shee by her good wordes did winne againe that which thou by thy euill workes didst lose Thou shalt haue my curse if thou vsest her euill and thou shalt fall into the ire of the Gods if thou agreest that other doe not vse her well For all the damage which shee shall feele shall not bee but for the inconuenience of my death and iniury of thy person For her Dowrie I leaue her the tributes of Hestia and the Orchards of Vulcanus which I haue made to bee planted for her recreation Be thou not so hardy to take them from her for in taking them from her thou shalt shew thy wickednes and in leauing them her thy obedience and in giuing her more thy bounty and liberality Remember my sonne that shee is a Romane woman young and a widdow and of the house of Traiane my Lord that shee is thy mother adoptatiue and my naturall wife and aboue all for that I leaue her recommended vnto thee I commend vnto thee my sons in law whom I will thou vse as parents and friends And beware that thou be not of those which are brethren in words and cousins in workes Bee thou assured that I haue willed so much good to my daughters that the best which were in all the Countries I haue chosen for their persons And they haue beene so good that if in giuing them my daughters they were my sonnes in law in loue I loued them as children I commend vnto thee my sisters and daughters whom I leaue thee all married not with strange Kings but with naturall Senators So that all dwell in Rome where they may doe thee seruices and thou mayest giue them rewards and gifts Thy sisters haue greatly inherited the beauty of thy mother Faustine and haue taken little nature of their Father Marke But I sweare vnto thee that I haue giuen them such husbands and to their husbands such and so profitable counsailes that they would rather lose their life then agree to any thing touching their dishonour Vse thy sisters in such fort that they be not out of fauour for that their aged Father is dead and that they become not proud for to see their brother Emperour Women are of a very tender condition for of small occasion they doe complaine and of lesse they waxe proud Thou shalt keepe them and preserue them after my death as I did in my life For otherwise their conuersation to the people shall bee very noysome and to thee very importunate I commende vnto thee Lipula thy youngest sister which is inclosed within the Virgine Vestals who was daughter of thy mother Faustine whom so dearely I haue loued in life and whose death I haue bewailed vntill my death Euery yeere I gaue to thy sister sixe thousand sexterces for her necessities and indeeed I had married her also if shee had not fallen into the fire and burnt her face For though she were my last I loued her with all my heart All haue esteemed her fall into the fire for euill lucke but I doe count that euill lucke for good fortune For her face was not so burned with coales as her rerenowne suffered perill among euill tongues I sweare vnto thee my sonne that for the seruice of the gods and for the renowne of men she is more sure in the temple with the Vestall Virgins then thou art in the Senate with thy Senators I suppose now that at the end of the iourney shee shall find her selfe better to be enclosed then thou at liberty I leaue vnto her in the prouince of Lucania euery yeare sixe thousand sexterces trauell to augment them for her and not to diminish them I commend vnto thee Drusia the Roman widdow who hath a processe in the Senate For in the times of the commotions past her husband was banished and proclaymed Traytor I haue great pitty of so noble and worthy a widdow for it is now three monethes since shee hath put vp her complaint for the great warres I could not shew her iustice Thou shalt finde my sonne that in 35. yeares I haue gouerned in Rome I neuer agreed that any widow should haue any sute before me aboue eight dayes Be carefull to fauour and dispatch the orphans and widdows for the needy widdow in what place soeuer they be do incur into great danger Not without cause I aduertise thee that thou trauell to dispatch thē so soone as thou mayest and to administer iustice vnto them for throgh the prolonging of beautifull womens suites their honour and credite is diminished so that their businesse being prolonged they shall not recouer so much of their goods as they shall lose of their renowme I commend vnto thee my sonne my olde seruants which with my yong yeeres and my cruell wars with my great necessities with the cumbrance of my body and my long disease haue had great trouble and as faithful seruants oftentimes to ease me haue annoyed themselues It is conuenient since I haue profited of their life that they should not lose by my death Of one thing I assure thee that though my body remaine with the worms in the graue yet before the gods I will remember them And herein thou shalt shew thy selfe to be a good child whē thou shalt recompence those which haue serued thy Father well All Princes which shall do iustice shall get enemies in the execution thereof And sith it is done by the hands of those which are neere him the more familiar they are with the Prince the more are they hated of the people all in generall doe loue
the world wil do For all that the world hath giuen me hath beene but mockery and deceite but that which the gods haue giuen mee I haue gouerned and possessed without snspition For this last houre my sonne I haue kept the best the most noble and richest iewell that I haue possessed in my life time and I doe protest vnto the immortall gods that if as they doe commaund mee to die they would giue me lieence to reade in the graue I would command it to be buried with me Thou shalt know my sonne that in in the tenth yeare of my Empire a great warre arose against the vnrulie people of Persia where by euill lucke it was appointed for mee in person to giue the battell the which wonne and all their Countrey destroyed I returned by the olde City of Thebes in Egypt to see if I could finde any antiquitie of those in times past In the house of an Egyptian Priest I found a little table which they hanged at the gate of the Kinges pallace the day of his Coronation And this poore Priest tolde mee that that which was in his table was written by a king of Egypt named Ptholomeus Arasides I beseech the immortall god my sonne that such bee thy works as the words of this table require As Emperour I leaue thee heyre of many Realmes and as a father I giue thee this Table of Counsels The words which the Fathers do teach vnto the children at the last houre the children ought to keepe continually in their memory Let this therefore be my last word with the Empire thou shalt be feared through out all the World and with the counsels of this Table thou shalt bee loued of all Nations This talke being ended and the table giuen the Emperour turned his eyes lost his sences and for the space of a quarter of an houre lay languishing in extreame paine and within a while after yeelded vp the Ghost In this table were certaine Greeke Letters which weere in meeter and in our tongue signifie thus A Table left by the Emperour Marcus Aurelius to his Soune Commodus ONn Honours stall I doe no Tirant heaue Nor yet the poore suppresse if hee were tust For riches rule I nould to pardon cleaue For want of wealth nor follow rigors lust For naked loue I neuer spent reward Nor would correct for onely enuies heate Of vertues impes I alwayes had regard And mischiefes mates haue plagude with torment great To others doome I neuer would commit Of open right the quarrell to decide Ne yet of doubtfull strifes in trust of wit The finall end alone I would diuide To them that sought for iustice equall sway Her golden rule I neuer would deny Ne yet to such for whom desert would lay Their slender faults might well be slipped by To feele the griefe that waued in my mind With others smart I neuer could sustaine Nor yet rewards my princely words would binde When sweet delight had chiefest ioy to raine In high estate when most blinde for tune smilde A recklesse life I restlesse ranne not on Nor yet when change these happy dayes beguilde To colde despaire my quiet mind was gone By boyling heate of malice endlesse fire To vices traine I cast no eagre eye Ne yet for lust of pining wealths desire Vnlawfull facts I rechlesse would applye The trayterous brest I neuer could embrace Nor lend mine eares to swallow flattering talke Of vices slaues I wayed not the grace Nor left vnsought good will in vertues walke Poore Irus band for that I did relieue Whose needy state doth stoppe in Croesus swaye The greatest gods whose heauenly wracke doth grieue The prowdest crownes was aye my present state The end of the thirde Booke THE FOVRTH BOOKE OF THE DIALL OF PRINCES COMPILED By the Right Reuerend Father in God ANTONIE of Gueuara Bishop of Mondogueto Preacher Chronicler and Councellor to CHARLES the fift Emperour of ROME Containing many Instructions and Rules for the fauoured of the Court being once in fauour easily to keepe and continue themselues in fauour still Very necessary and profitable for all Princes and Noble men and Gentlemen Courtiers that seeke to continue themselues in honour and estimation LONDON Imprinted by Bernard Alsop 1619. THE EPISTLE TO THE READER WHat detracting tongues report of mee and my first trauell in the translation of this Dyall enlarging them at pleasure to work my defame disabling my doing herein by brute it was no worke of mine but the fruit of others labour I need not much force since by dayly proofe wee see that ill disposed minds can neuer frame an honest tongue of head For my obiect and reproof of this their slaunderous and malignant speech I can alleadge courteous Reader two principall causes which thou reading iudging with indifferency mayest easilie aproue if I should seem to glose with thee First the basenesse of my Stile the plain humble words couched in the same the meane rude and ill contriued sentences layde before thee together with the simple handling of the whole plainely sheweth to thee whence they are and easily acquainteth thee with the curious Translator Who protesteth to God and confesseth to the world that hee more rashly then wisely plunged himself into so graue and deepe a matter and whose young yeeres and vnskilfull head might both then and now haue excused his fond enterprises herein For the second and last I must needs appeale to all the worshipfull and my bebeloued companions and fellow students of our house of Lincolnes Inne at that time from whence my poore English Diall tooke his light To whose iust and true reports for thy vndoubted satisfaction and discharge of my poore honesty I refer thee and wholy yeeld me These recited causes for purgation of my suspected fame as also for established assurance of the like and thy further doubt of mee hereafter I thought good Gentle Reader to denounce vnto thee I might well haue spared this second and last labour of mine taken in the rformation and correction of this Diall enlarging my selfe further once againe with the translation of the late and new come fauoured Courtier and which I found annexed to the Diall for the 4. and last booke If my proceeding trauell taken in the setting forth of the first three bookes and the respect of mine honesty in accomplishing of the same had not incited mee vnwillingly to continue my first begunne attempt to bring the same to his perfect and desired end which whole worke is now compleat by this last booke intituled the fauored Courtier which first last volume wholly as it lyeth I prostrate to the iudgemēt of the graue and wise Reader subiecting my self and it to the reformation and correction of his learned head whom I beseech to iudge of mee with fauour and equity and not with malice to persecute my fame and honest intent hauing for thy benefite to my little skill and knowledge imployed my simple talent crauing no other guerdon of thee
will credite the ancient Hystoriographers wee shall finde it true that the most Noblest and vertuous Emperours the fortunate Kings and the valiant Captaines when they should enterprise to go conquer their enemies eyther they sought for some Philosopher or they chose some other honest learned man of whome they tooke counsell touching all their affayres before they prest any Souldiers Comparing the times past with the times present wee thinke that haue read somewhat that the time past was as pure graine and this now as chaffe and straw that one as the time calme and still in the sea and this as wauering and tempestuous that then the fine and pure mertal and this now the drosse thereof The other the marie and this the bones the one the cleare day and the other the darke night For in these dayes in Princes Courts and noble mens houses they glory more to haue a scoffing knaue or iester to make them laugh then they reckon of a graue and wise man to giue them counsell Alexander the Great in all his wars would alwayes be accompanied with the wise Aristotle Cyrus King of Persia with the Philosopher Chilo King Ptholomie with Pithinns the Philosopher Pyrrhus King of Epyre with Zatirus Augustus the Emperour with Simonides Scipio the African with Sophocles Traian the Emperour with Plutarch and Antoninus the Emperour with Gorgias Now all these famous Princes carried not with them so many learned Philosophers to fight in battell with armed weapon in hand like other their Souldiers but onely to vse their counsell and aduise so that the great battels they ouerthrew and the worthy victories they wan with the noble triumphes done was as much by the graue counsell of these good and wise Philosophers as by the force of their army and prowes of their captaines The greatest good turne and benefit one friend can doe for another is to know to giue good counsell to his friend in his greatest neede and not without cause I say to giue counsell For it happeneth oft times that those that thought to haue giuen vs good remedy by their counsell wanting indeed discretion iudgement in the same haue caused vs to runne into further dangers And therefore Seneca beeing once demaunded of the Emperour Nero what he thought of Scipio the Affrican and Cato the Censor aunswered him in this manner I thinke it was as necessary that Cato was borne for the Common-wealth as Scipio for the warres for the good Cato with his prudent counsell expelled vice out of the Weale-publike and the other with his noble courage and great armies did euer withstand the force of the enemies According to the saying of Seneca let vs also say after him that hee is very arrogant that presumes to giue an other counsell but withall wee say againe that if the counsell be found good hee hath giuen to his friend in his need and necessity as much praise deserueth he that gaue it as he that knew how to take it Now after the example of the ancient Philosophers which went to the warres not to fight but onely to giue counsell I will sir for those things that pertaine to your seruice and profite take vpon mee the office of a Philosopher and for the first doctrine of my Philosophie I say that if it please you to receiue these counsels which my penne doth write vnto you at this present I promise you by the faith of a Christian man I sweare that they shall bee such excellent helpes to you for the preseruation of your credite and fauour you are now in as you may bee enriched by the true and diligent seruice of your seruants For if a man woulde with an oath aske the truth of Plato Socrates Pythagoras Diogenes Lycurgus Chilo Pittachus and of Apolonius and also of all the vniuersity and company of the other Philosophers they would sweare and affirme that the felicitie of man consisteth not in great might in great authority and possessions but onely in deseruing much For the honor fauour and dignities of this mortall life are more to be praysed and had in veneration when they are placed in a condigne worthy person then they are being possessed of an vnworthy and gracelesse man allotted to him not by vertue but by fortune And therefore your authority being great at this present exalted thereto by Gods diuine will and prouidence and now in the highest degree of prosperity I would wish you my good Lord lesse then any other Courtier to trust to fortunes impery For if the earthquakes sooner bring to ground the proud and stately pallaces then the meane and lowe houses if ofter fall the highest mountaines the dreadfull lightnings and tempests then on the lowest hilles if among the greater multitude of people the plagues be rifer then amongst the fewer number if they vse rather to spread their nets and lay the birdlime on the greene and thickest bows then on the drye and withered sticks to snare the seely birds withall If alwayes the stillest seas doe foreshew to vs a greater tempest following and if that long health bee a watch vnto a great and dangerous sicknesse ensuing by this also I will infer that those that are atchieued to sublime estate and high degree are commonly more subiect to fall then those of meaner baser sot The Emperour Augustus on a time demaunded of the Poet Virgill that hee would teach him how hee might conserue himselfe in the Empire and alwayes bee acceptable to the publike weale To whom Virgil aunswered I I thinke O mighty Caesar that to raigne long in the Empire thou must considerately looke into thy seife examining thy life and doings and how much thou shalt see thy selfe excell and exceede all those of thy Empire in dignity So much more must thou endeauour thy selfe to surmount all others in vertue and worthinesse for hee is vnworthy to rule a multitude that is not chiefe himselfe in all vertues Those therefore that in Court of Princes beare office and authoritie ought earnestly to desire and endeauour themselues to auoyde the filthy sinke of vice and to seeke the cleare Spring of vertue For otherwise they shall bee more defamed for one vice or defect found in them then honoured for their office and authority they haue The Author concludeth According to the saying of the Poet Virgill to the Emperour Augustus I am also of opinion my Lord that you ought to bee very circumspect and well aduised in looking into your selfe who you are what power you are of what you are worth and what you possesse and doing thus you shall find that among your wise Counsellours you are the greatest among the rich among the best esteemed among the most fortunate among your Secretaries among the Rulers amongst all those of your Realme and Subiects you are euer the greatest And therefore as you are greatest and supreme aboue them all so you ought the more to force to bee the most vertuous of them all For els it
bēt to bloudy wars went to see speake with Diogines the Phylosopher offring him great presents discoursing with him of diuers matters So that wee may iustly say This good Prince of himselfe tooke paines to seeke out wise men to accompanie him electing by others choyce and aduise all such as hee made his Captaines to serue him in the warres It is manifest to all that Dyonisius the Syracusan was the greatest Tyrant in the worlde and yet notwithstanding his Tiranny it is a wonder to see what sage and wise men he had continually in his Courte with him And that which makes vs yet more to wonder of him is that hee had them not about him to serue him or to profite one jote by their doctrines and counsell but onely for his honour and their profite which enforceth mee to say concurring with this example that sith Tyrants did glorie to haue about them Sages wise and worthie men Much more should those reioice that their works deeds are noble freeharted And this they ought to do not onely to bee honoured with them openly but also to be holpen with their doctrine and counsells secretly And if to some this should seeme a hard thing to follow we will say that worthy men not being of abilitie and power to maintayne such Wise-men ought yet at least to vse to reade at times good and vertuous books For by reading of vertuous Bookes they may reape infinite profite As for example By reading as I say these Good Authours the desire is satisfied their iudgement is quickned ydlenesse is put away the heart is disburdened the Time is well employed and they lead their liues vertuously not being bound to render account of so manie faults as in that time they might haue committed And to conclude it is so good an exercise as it giueth good example to the Neighbour profite to himselfe and health to the soule We see by experience after a man taketh vppon him once the Studie of holie Scriptures and that hee frameth himselfe to bee a Diuine hee will neuer willingly thenceforth deale in any other studyes and all because he will not forgoe the great comfort and pleasure he receyueth to reade those holy sayings And that causeth that we see so manie learned wise men for the more part subiect to diuers diseases and full of Melancholike humours For so sweete is the delight they take in theyr Bookes that they forget and leaue all other bodily pleasure And therefore Plutarche writeth that certaine phylosophers being one day met at the lodging of Plato to see him demanding what exercise he had at that time Plato answered thē thus Truely my brethren I let you know that euen now my onely exercise was to see what the great Poete Homer said And this he tolde them because that they took him euen then reading of some of Homers bookes and to say truely his aunswere was such as they should all looke for of him For to reade a good booke in effect is nothing else but to heare a wise man speake And if this our iudgement and aduise seeme good vnto you we would yet say more that you should profite more to reade one of these bookes then you should to heare speake or to haue conference with the Author him selfe that made it For it is without doubt that all Writers haue more care and respect in that their penne doth write then they haue in that their tongue doth vtter And to the end you should not thinke we cannot proue that true that we haue spoken I giue you to vnderstand that euerie Author that will write to publish his doing in print to lay it to the shew and iudgement of the world and that desireth thereby to acquire honour fame and to eternize the memory of him turneth many bookes conferreth with other wise and lerned men addicteth himselfe wholy to his book endeauoureth to vnderstand well oft refuseth sleepe meat and drinke quicneth his spirites doing that he putteth in writing exactly with long aduise and consideration which he doth not when hee doth but onely speake and vtter them though oft in deede by reason of his great knowledge in speech vnawares there falleth out of his mouth many godly and wise sentences And therefore God hath giuen him a goodly gift that can reade and him much more that hath a desire to study knowing how to chuse the good bookes from the euill For to say the truth there is not in this world any state or exercise more honourable and profitable then the study of good books And we are much bound to those that read more to those that study and much more to those that write any thing but most doubtlesse to those that make compile goodly books and those of great and high doctrine for there are many vaine and fond bookes that rather deserue to be throwne into the fire then once to be read or looked on for they do not only shew vs the way to mocke them but also the ready meane to offend vs to see them occupie their braines and best wittes they haue to write foolish and vaine things of no good subiect or erudition And that which is worst of all yet they are occasion that diuers others spend as much time in reading their iests and mockeries as they would otherwise haue imploied in doctrine of great profit and edifying the which to excuse and defend their error say they did not write them for men to take profite thereby but only to delight and please the Readers to passe the time away merily whom we may rightly answer thus That the reading of ill and vaine bookes cannot bee called a pastime but aptly a very losse of time And therefore Aulus Gelius in the fifteenth of his booke writeth that after the Romanes vnderstood the Orators and Poets of Rome did giue themselues to write vain voluptuous and dishonest bookes causing Enterludes and Poeticall Comedies to be played they did not only banish them from Rome but also out all the parts of Italy for it beseemed not the Romane grauity neyther was it decent for the Weale publike to suffer such naughty bookes among them and much lesse for to beare with vicious and lasciuious gouernours And if the Romane Panims left vs this for example how much more ought wee that are Christians to continue and follow it since that they had no other Bookes for to reade saue onely Histories and we now a dayes haue both Histories and holy Scriptures to read which were graūted vs by the church to the end that by the one we might take some honest pleasure and recreation and with the other procure the health of oursoules Oh how farre is the Common-wealth nowe-adayes digressed from that wee wryte and counsell since we see plainely that men occupie themselues at this present in reading a nūber of Books the which only to name I am ashamed And therfore said Aulus Gelius in his 14. book That there
neuer tooke toye in his head to goe see any thing but for one of these 3. causes that is to say eyther to imitate that he saw to buy it or else clearely to conquer it Oh worthy wordes of Focion and Traiane and very meete to be noted and retained Now to speake more particularly of the troubles daily heaped on their necks that follow the Court and that are to be lodged in diuers places and strange houses I say that if the poore courtyer doe depart at night from the Court to repayre to his lodging hee findeth oft times the host of his house and other his guests at home already in theyr beds and fast a sleepe so that it happeneth sometimes he is faine to goe seeke his bed in another place for that night And also if he should rise early in the morning to followe his matters or to wayte vpon his Lord or Master his Host perhappes and his housholde are not yet awake nor styrring to open him the doore And further if his Hoste be angrie and displeased and out of time who shall let him to locke his doores the day once shutte in and who should compell him to open his dores before it be brode day Truely it is a great hap to be well lodged about the Courte and much more to meete with an honest Hoste For it hapneth oft that the great pleasure and contentation we receiue being lodged in a faire Lodging is lightly taken from vs by the harde intreatie and streight vsage of the Hoste of the same And in this is apparant the vanity fondnes and lightnes of some Courtyers that rather desire and seeke for a faire and pleasaunt lodging then for a good and profitable The ambition of the Courtyer is now growne to so great a follie that hee desireth rather a faire lodging for his pleasure then a commodious or profitable for his familie For admit the Harbinger doe giue them a good and commodious lodging if it be not sightly to the Eye and stand commodiously they can not like of it by no meanes So that to content them the Fouriers must needs prouide them of a faire lodging to the eye though little handsome to lodge in and yet sometimes they will hard and scant be pleased with that And if the Courtyer be of reputation and beloued in Courte I pray you what payne and trouble shall the poore Harbinger haue to content his minde and to continue in his fauour For before master Courtyer will be resolued which of the 2. Lodgings he will take the faire and most honorable or the meane and most profitable he bleedeth at the nose for anger and his heart beates and leaps a thousand times in his bodie For his person would haue the good and commodious Lodging and his follie the pleasaunt and faire I neuer saw dead man complaine of his graue nor Courtyer content with his Lodging For if they giue him a Hall hee will say it wanteth a chimney if they giue him a chamber hee will say it lacketh an inner-Chamber if they giue him a kitchen hee will say it is too low and smoaky and that it wanteth a larder if they giue him a stable that it wanteth a spence or storehouse if they giue him the best and chiefest parts of the house yet hee sayeth he wanteth small and little houses of office and if hee haue accesse to the well he must also haue the commodity of the Base-Court And in fine if they giue him a low paued Hall to coole and refresh him in summer hee will also haue a high borded Chamber for the winter and possible hee shall not haue so many roomes at home in his owne house as he will demaund in his lodging abroad And therefore many thinges suffereth the Courtier in his owne house that he will not beare with all in an Inne or an other mans house And it may bee also that the Harbingers haue prouided them of a fayre and goodly lodging where hee shall commaund both master stuffe and al other things in the house and yet the Courtier shall mislike of it finding fault it is too farre from the Court reputeth it halfe a dishonour and an impairer of his credit to be lodged so farre off since others that are beloued and in fauour in Court in deede lye hard adioyning to the Court or at the least not farre of For this is an olde sayde saying The neerest lodged to the Court commonly the best esteemed of the Prince I haue seene many Courtiers offer large gifts and rewards to intreate the Harbingers to lodge them neere the Court but I neuer saw any that desired to be lodged neere the church and this commeth for that they rather glory to be right Courtiers then good Christians And therefore Blondus reciteth in his booke De declinatione Imperit that a Grecian called Narsetes a Captain of Iustinian the Great was wont to say oft That he neuer remembred he went to the sea nor entred into the Pallace not beganne any battell nor counselled of warres nor mounted on horsebacke but that first hee went to the Church and serued God And therefore by the doings and saying of Narsetes wee may gather that euery good man ought rather to incline to bee a good Christian then to giue himselfe to armes and chiualry to be a right Courtier It hapneth many times that after the Courtier bee come to his lodging hee liketh of it well and is well pleased with all but when hee hath beene in others lodgings and hath looked vpon them straight way hee falleth out of liking of his owne and thinketh himselfe ill lodged to others And this misliking groweth not of his ill lodging but of an inward malice and spite hee hath to see his enemy preferred to a better then his owne For such is the secret hate and enuy in Princes Courts a thing common to Courtiers that they disdaine not onely to thanke the Harbingers for their care taken of them in placing them in good lodgings but they must also complaine and speake ill of them for the good lodgings they haue giuē to their Aduersaries and companions better then that of theirs There is also a foule disorder in Court among the Harbingers in appointing lodgings and little modesty besides in Courtiers in as king them For such there are that many times neyther they nor their parents haue any such lodgings at home in their owne houses as they will demand only for their horsekeepers and seruants But the great pain of the Court is yet that such nouels as come newly to the Court they say they are of great estimation in the Countrey rich and of an ancient house and his Father of great authority and estimation and when the truth is knowne his fathers authority and first estimation was of good labourers and husbandmen their onely rents and reuenues consist in that they gote by the dayly swet and labour of their persons and their power and
strife comming to the Noble-mans eare whome they accompanie it might easily happen that that companie that came to wayte vpon him and to doe him honour and seruice should then seeme to dishonour and offend him Little knoweth he what honor meaneth when in these trifles hee seeketh it For the wise and courteous Courtyer hath not only to seeke honour with them with whom he rideth cheeke by cheeke but also with those that are beloued of the Prince Now when the Noble-man is accompanyed and that hee is come hard by the Court your Courtyers bee readie to alight off your horse quickely before him and when hee shall likewise take his horse againe be as ready to take your horse backe before him For doing thus you shall bee neare about him when hee lighteth off his horse and afterwards helpe him when hee mounteth on his horse againe If perhaps at the comming in of a Chamber the Lordes seruants want consideration or that they remember not to holde open the cloth ouer the dore the good and diligent Courtier should sodenly put himselfe before him to lift and hold it vp For many times it is as great an honour for a Courtier to be accounted one of good maner and bringing vp in the Court as out of the Court it is to be reputed a great and famous Captaine in wars And since the Courtier is determined to accompany some noble man to the Court hee is also bound by the Lawes of the Court to wayte vpon him home againe which if hee doe the Noble man shall bee more beholding to him for the attendance hee hath giuen vpon him then for his cōpany to ride with him If any come to speake with the courtier that were equall with him in degree or meaner of calling or condition then himselfe it is one of the first and chiefest points of ciuility good manner not to suffer him to open his lips to speake to him before hee haue his cappe on his head for one to talke commonly with the other with his cappe in his hand is of great authority and reuerence as from the duty of the subiect to the Prince or that of the seruant to the Master The good Courtier must euer speake againe to him that speaketh to him do him reuerence that doeth him reuerence put off his cappe to him that putteth off his and this hee must doe without any respect that hee is his friend or foe for in the effects of good maners no man ought so much to bee an Enemie that the enmitie should breake the boundes of curtesie and humanity It is rather fit for common persons then for Courtlike gentlemen in so meane things to shewe their enmitie For to say truely the good Courtyer should not shewe the enmitie of the heart by putting on or pulling off his Cap but by taking sworde in hand to reuenge his quarrell And if the Courtyer were in the Church Court or in the Chappell of the Prince and set and an other gentleman happely commeth in the same place where he is he must doe him the curtesie to giue him the place and seat and to pray him to sit downe yea and if there were no other place fit for the gentleman to sit in and that of curtesie also hee would not offer him that iniurie to accept it yet at the least let the Courtyer doe what hee may to make him take a peece of his stoole that parting with him his seate the other may also come to part with him his heart If those that were set hard by the Courtyer begun to talke in secrete together he should rise from thence or goe a little aside from them For in the Court they wil say he is ill taught and brought vp and wanteth ciuilitie and good manners that will seeme to harken to any bodyes tales or secrets The Courtyers must haue frienship also with the Porters to open him the Court-gates that are kept fast chained in that they be contented to suffer their Moyle or Foot-cloth-nagge to enter into the vtter-court And the like must be practised with the gentlemen-Vshers of the Chamber and Captaine of the Garde to whom hee must doe a thousand pleasures that they may respect his person and let him come in when he wil. and the next way to winne his friendship and to continue them friendes and to be welcome of them is to feast them otherwhiles sometimes with a banket but especially not to faile them with a new-yeares gift on New-yeares day what Trifle or present soeuer it bee That Courtyer that is not acquaynted with the Vshers and doth them no pleasures may bee well assured that those aboue in the Hall will make him tarry in the vtter-Court and those that stand at the gate of the Cheyne they will make him light in the myre With the Vshers of the priuie-Chamber hee must needes deale honourably withall as to come and see them sometimes and to do them much honour in giuing them some faire iewell or presenting them with a Gowne or Coate-cloth of silke or veluet And thus he shall be assured they will not only let him into the priuie-chamber but they will also procure him to speake with the Prince at his best leysure To make the yeomen of the Guarde also that make gentlemen giue place and stand a loose off-from the Prince it cannot bee but very profitable for the Courtyer to haue them his friends For many times they may helpe vs to a fit place to talke with the King it is such a trouble and charge to speake with the Prince that if wee haue not greaat Friendship with these we haue spoken of and that we doe them some pleasures before we come to the Court they will shut the dores against vs and wee shall come home ashamed of our selues For a Courtyer to bee acquaynted with the Ladies and gentlemen of the Court it is rather of pleasure then of necessitie albeit it be true that the young-Courtyer that serueth not some Ladie or Dame in the Court shall be rather blamed of his shamefastnesse and Cowardly heart then approued for his modestie and grauitie In deede for a young-Gentleman that is rich noble and free-harted it is an honest and comely entertainment to become some Ladyes seruaunt of the Court But for him that is poore liuing in disgrace and out of fauour let him vtterly flye the loue of Courtly Dames and sticke to the poor-friends ship of deuout Nunnes For the property of Courtly Mistresses is to empty their seruants-purses and the manner of religious-Nunnes to beg alwayes of him that visites her The Courtyer that offereth himselfe to serue any Ladie or gentlewoman in court doth bind himselfe to a streight religion For sometimes hee must kneele by her of one knee sometimes he must stand vppon his Feete before her and alwayes he must haue his cap in his hand and he may not speake to her vnlesse shee commaund him first and if shee aske any thing
although it may be borne betweene men of like degree and coequalitie yet is it not tollerable between the prince the fauored of the Prince But rather euery day houre moment that the Fauoured Courtyer entreth into the Princes pallace or into his priuy-chamber hee ought euer to doe it with as great curtesie reuerence humilitie and honour and in speaking to the King as if hee had neuer spoken with him nor seene him So that hee should let all men see that though it please the Kings Majesty to make of him and to accept him into his fauour yet that hee leaue not to serue him and doe him that duety that all other seruants doe and are bounde to doe The safest and most certaine way to maintaine those that are sublimated and exalted in the Courtes of Princes and to raise vp and bring those to aucthority that are lowe and of base condition is that the esteemed repute himselfe euer a Seruant and that the seruant neuer vaunt nor boast himselfe to be fauoured or esteemed The familiars of Princes ought euer to beware that there come no complaints of them to the Princes care For as a drop of Water by Time and continuall Fall commeth to pierce the hardest stone so it might happen that the numbers of complaints might bee occasion for the prince to withdrawe his fauor and loue from the Courtier againe If his only seruices were sufficient to induce the Prince to fauor loue him so the number of his subiects coÌ„plaints against him were occasion enough to make him mislike him and and put him out of fauor clean changing his loue and fauor to hate and discredite For it is a certaine thing that when the Prince doth looke well into his owne doings he had rather be be loued of all then serued of one alone The honored Fauorite of the Court may not so much regarde the honour and credit he is called to by his prince as the basenes and pouertie he was in when it pleased the king to like of him and that he came first acquainted with the King For if he did otherwise it might so happen that like as Fortune had brought him to that high estate hee had So Pride might ouerthrow him againe and bring him as low as hee was before For I should haue saide more truely a great deale saying That it would haue made him fall downe right beeing the propertie of Fortune to suffer the baser sort whom she hath caled to honour onely to returne them to their meane estate calling they were of at first and neuer to leaue the fauored of the Prince and men of aucthoritie nor neuer satisfied till shee hath throwne them downe headlong into extreame misery neuer to rise againe Agathocles first the sonne of a Potter and afterwards made king of Scicilia whilst hee liued hee euer vsed this manner that in his treasurie or iewell house yea and also at his Table amongst all his cups and dishes of gold and siluer hee had also some of Earth amongst them and beeing asked the occasion why in so great a Treasurie and masse of golde and siluer he had so vile and base a thing as Earth Hee aunswered thus I drinke in golden cups and eate in Earthen dyshes to giue thankes vnto the Gods which of a Potters-sonne that I was brought mee to this Royall estate of a mighty King And I do it also to haue euer more cause to bee humble and lowly and to flye Pryde For it is an easier thing and more likelyer for a king to become a Potter then for a Potter to attain to the greatnes state of a king These wordes of Agathocles were euer worthie to bee noted and had in â—â—nory since we see plainly that to giue a man a fall a little stone sufficeth to make vs stumble and fall to the ground but to rayse vs vp againe wee must needes helpe vs with power of handes and feet It may well be that this braue Courtier and fauoured of the Court before hee came to this degree of honour was but of a meane house and bâ—fuly borne and besides that esteemed of few for his nobilitie of bloud of an vnknowne Countrey of poore parents of small substance and no better nor otherwise fauoured of fortune in his birth or linage of all which things he hath no cause to be ashamed but rather to glory praise God For hee shall euer bee more esteemed in the Court and wel thoght of to remember from whence hee came and to regarde his first estate then hee shall if he waxe glorious high minded by reason of the fauour he is at this present vtterly forgetting his first rising Titus Liuius reciteth that the renowmed Romane Quintus Cincinnatus before he came to bee made Captaine of Rome hee was taken out of the fields a labouring man plowing tilling the ground And this so noble a person beeing occupied in great affayres of the common weale eyther in prouisions or munitions or in expeditions of warre was wont to sigh before all the Captaines and say Alas who could tell me now any newes how my Beefes doe in my graunge my sheepe in the mountaines and whether my seruauntes haue prouided them of Hay and Pasture for to keepe them the next yeare Surely it is to be thought that whosoeuer speakes these wordes with his mouth must needes haue little pride in his heart And vndoubtedly hee proued his words true and shewed that hee spake as hee thought and in good earnest without intent of iest since afterwards returned home againe to follow the plough to plant his vines and to see his owne thinges gouerned leauing behinde him a perpetuall testimony of his noble and worthy doings And his common Weale also greatly enriched by his famous acts Saul was King of Israel and taken fot a God and was annointed of Samuel his Father a poore husbandman of the Countrey and hee from his youth brought vp in that trade for to holde the plough and yet when hee was King he neuer disdayned for to plough his ground to sow his oates and to driue his beasts now to pasture then home againe So that the good King did glory this day to holde the plough and to morrow to fight with his sword When Fortune therfore sheweth her selfe enemy to any and that from great dignity and high calling shee ouerthroweth him and bringeth him to low and meane estate It is then that he hath good cause to complain of fortunes cruelty and to bewayle his wretched happe ashamed to see his lothsome misery But when shee worketh contrarily and from mean estate brings him to great honour and credite that must needes be great honor and glory to him Therefore I say let them beware that beare rule and authority in the Court that they be not proud glorious high minded neither otherwise detected of any kinde of vice though they be neuer so much in fauour and estimation Sith Fortune sheweth most
to leaue their heyres and successors And therfore I haue appointed euery thing in common among subiects because that during their liues they might haue honestly to maintaine themselues withall and that they should not leauy any thing to dispose by will after their deathes Herodotus sayth also that it was decreede by the Inhabitants of the Isles Baleares that they should suffer none to come into their Country to bring them any golde siluer Iewels or precious stones And this serued them to great profite For by means of this Law for the space of foure hundred yeares that they had great warres with the Romanes the Carthagenians the French and the Spaniards neuer any of these Nations once stirred to goe about to conquere their land being assured that they had neyther golde nor siluer to robbe or conuey from them Promotheus that was the first that gaue Lawes to the Egyptians did not prohibite golde nor siluer in Egypt as those of the Isles Baleares did in theyr territories neyther did he also commaund that all things should be common as Licurgus but also commanded that none in all his Kingdome should be so hardy once to gather any masse or quantitie of golde or siluer together and to hoord it vp And this he did vpon great penalties for as hee sayde Auarice is not shewed in building of fayre houses neyther in hauing rich moueables but in assembling and gathring together great treasure and laying it vp in their coffers And Plutarch in his booke De Consolatione sayth also That if a rich man dyed among the Rhodians leauing behind him one onely sonne and no more suruiuing him they wold not suffer that he should bee sole heyre of all that his Father left but they left him an honest heritage liuing to his state and calling and to marry him well withall and the rest of all his Fathers goods they dissipated among the poore and Orphans The Lydians that neyther were Greekes nor Romanes but right barbarous people had a law in their common weale that euery man should be bound to bring vp his children but not to be at charges in bestowing thē in marriage So that the sonne or daughter that was now of age to marry they gaue them nothing to theyr marriage more then they had gotten with their labour And those that will exactly consider this laudable custome shall finde that it is rather a Law of true Philosophers then a custome of barbarous people Since thereby the children were enforced to labour for their liuing and the parents also were exemted from all manner of couetousnesse or auarice to heape vp gold and siluer and to enrich themselues Numa Pompilius second King of the Romanes and establisher of their Lawes and decrees in the law of the seuen Tables which he made hee left them order onely which way the Romanes might rule their Common-weale in tranquilitie and put in no clause nor chapter that they should make their willes whereby their childrē might inherit their fathers goods And therefore being asked why hee permitted in his lawes euery man to get as much goods as he could and not to dispose them by will nor leaue them to their heyres He aunswered because wee see that albeit there are some children that are vnhappy vicious and abominable yet are there few fathers notwithstanding this that wil depriue and disinherite them of theyr goods at their death onely to leaue them to any other heere and therefore for this cause I haue commanded that all the goods that remaine after the death of the owner of them shold be giuen to the Common-weale as sole heyre and successor of them to the end that if their children should become honest and vertuous they should then bee distributed to them if they were wicked and vnhappy that they should neuer bee owners of them to hurt and offende the good Macrobius in his booke De somno Scipionis sayth that there was in the olde time an old and ancient Law amongst the Tuscans duely obserued and kept and afterwards taken vp of the Romanes that in euerie place where soeuer it were in towne or village within their territories on new-yeares day euerie man should present himselfe before the Iudge or Magistrate of the place hee was in for to giue him account of his manner of life and how hee maintained himselfe and in these examinations they did accustome to punish him that liued idely and with knauery and deceipt maintayned themselues as Minstrels Ruffians Dicers Carders Iuglers Coggers Foyster Coseners of men and filching knaues with other loytering vagabonds and rogues that liue of others swet and toyle without any paine or labour they take vpon them to deserue that they eate I would to God if it were his will that this Tuscan Law were obserued of Christians then we should see how few they be in number that giue them selues to any faculty or science or other trade to liue by their owne trauell and industry and how many infinite a number they bee that liue in idle sort The diuine Plato in his Timee sayeth that although an idle man bee more occasion of many troubles and inconueniences in a Common-weale then a couetous man yet is it not alwayes greater for the idle man and that gladly taketh his ease doth but desire to haue to eate but the couetous man doth not only desire to eate but to bee rich and haue money enough All the eloquence and pleasaunt speech that the Orators studied in their Orations the Lawyers in theyr Law and the famous Philosophers in their doctrine and teaching was for no other cause but to admonish and perswade those of the Common-weale to take very good heed in chusing of their gouernours that they were not couetous and ambitious in the administration of their publike affayres Laertius reciteth also that a Rhodian iesting with Eschines the Philosopher sayde vnto him By the immortall Gods I sweare to thee O Eschines that I pitty thee to see thee so poore to whom he aunswered By the same immortall Gods I sweare to thee againe I haue compassion on thee to see thee so rich Sith riches bring but paine and trouble to get them great care to keepe them displeasur to spend them perill to hoorde them and occasion of great daungers and inconueniences to defend them and that that grieueth me most is that where thou keepest thy treasure fast lockt vp there also thy heart is buried Surely Eschines words seemed rather spoken of a Christian then of a Philosopher In saying that where a mans treasure is there is also his hart For there is no couetous man but dayly hee thinkes vpon his hidde treasure but he neuer calleth to mind his sinnes he hath committed Comparing therefore those things wee haue spoken with those thinges wee will speake I say that it becommeth the fauoured of Princes to know that it is lesse seemely for them to bee couetous then others For the greatnesse of their fauour ought not to bee
that it shall not bee blazed abroad in the Court. For this sinne is of such a qualitie that though it may bee hidden within Curtaines yet it cannot bee kept silent with tongues How wise and slie soeuer a woman bee yet at all times when shee giueth eare vnto mens requests euen at that prosent shee resolueth to impart the whole with some friend of hers For these women doe glory more to bee the friend of a Courtier then to bee a true wife vnto their husbands I haue my selfe seene in Princes Courtes many 〈◊〉 very humble courteous pittifull patient charitable wise deuout and otherwise maruellous honest and yet amongst all these I neuer found any one secret And therefore that a man will haue published to the World let him 〈◊〉 tell it a woman in â—â—e at secret 〈…〉 should come to 〈◊〉 that wee 〈…〉 women carry 〈…〉 heads a forrest of hayres a coyre a hood gimmâ—â— hanging at their eares partlets vpon their shoulders smockes on their bodies petti 〈…〉 kertles hose clokes 〈…〉 hatts chaynes braslets rings pâ—umes offethers in their hands and many other trinkets not named al which they carry lightly vpon them and thinke it no burthen and yet they cannot abide in no case to keepe or carry one secret in their brest Alas what pitty is it to see those affected Courtiers what meanes they vse to win a Ladies fauour what pleasaunt purposes and discourse they put forth vnto them what bitter signes they let fall what seruice they offer them what Iewels they giue them what castles in the ayre they promise them what sorrowes they fayne and what lyes they make them belieue and these silly women by nature proud and foolish are with a few gifts ouercome with a fewe flattering wordes beguiled Now let this Courtier and his Lady continue this mutuall friendship betweene them one two three foure or fiue yeares though perhappes not fully these yeares compleate neyther many monethes also and you shall see in the end vndoubtedly a maruellous breach and hate betwixt them For this amorous Courtier that so dearely seemed to loue his Lady will now make court a fresh to others to dislike that heretofore he loued and flie from her whom erst hee followed abhorring that once hee delighted in misliking the taste of those meats that once were sweet and pleasant to him and cannot abide her face now whose Image before hee had engrauen in his minde So if he before had spent 3. yeares seruice in making her his Mistresse he spendeth now 6. other yeares in the forgotting of her And therefore these Noble Courtiers and Beloued of Princes must beware they make not these young and dishonest loues common in euery place For the sweete and fragrant Rose which they seeke to gather continueth scantly one houre but the prickes and plagues of the pearsing thorne resteth hidden in their flesh their whole life time after A man erreth in nothing more in this World then in taking to his charge a dishonest woman For if hee will bring her with him to the Court shee shall shame him put him to an vnreasonable charge besides the burthen of his conscience And if afterwards hee would put her away from him she wil not depart for any thing and if he would compel her to it ere shee departe it will be all the Court ouer so what things haue past betwixt them two alone in secret shall afterwardes be knowne of euery man abroade And therefore we haue not causelesse tolde you that it must needs be a maruellous expence to the Courtyer to bring his louer with him in the Court. For he must alwayes be at the charges to keepe a page maide or gentlewoman to wayte vpon her He must content the Hostesse of his house to lodge her secretly please the Marshall to seeme not to knowe of it the Harbinger that hee prepare him a good lodging the page that hee be diligent and at her hand and her selfe also must haue to liue withall So that the expence and charge hee shall be at with her must needs farre exceede all the benefites and commodity he hath by the Court. And besides that hee may assure himselfe that this their leawde and fonde loue cannot long endure neyther can care also of her selfe be kept secret For eyther his Hostesse that lodged her or the Bawde that procureth theyr meetings or the page that bringeth commendations and messages betwixt theÌ„ or the neighbors that see him frequent the house or the seruant that shall suspect him or the mother that solde her vnto him in the ende will bewray their secret practise and friendship Whereof springeth afterwards disdaine and from disdain to defame each other So that of extreame Louers they were first they afterwards become mortall Enemyes And therefore the Wiuell is not so hurtfull to the Corne nor the locust to the Oates nor the wormes to the vines nor maggots to the fruit nor the moths to the garments as the woman is to a man that once was his friende and now become his enemie For like as in time of her loue she robbed and spoyled him of all his goods so likewise in the time of her hatred she deuoureth all his good fame and reputation But what shall wee say of the man that contenteth not himselfe with one friend alone but like an vnsatiable leacher taketh vpon him to keep another Truly I cannot tell what to say of this man but that it had beene better for him he had neuer been borne then to haue kept company with such vile and common women For he shall neuer appease the first neyther with anger nor flattery nor humble her with presents nor can expell her hatred with promises neyther please her with cherishing of her and much lesse shall ouercome her with threats The Ocean sea is not so daungerous nor the sword of the tyrant so cruell neyther lightning so suddaine nor Earthquakes so horrible and fearefull nor Serpents so venemous as a Harlot when she doth but suspect her friend loueth another beside her selfe for shee ceaseth not to defame him and to follow the other to raise a slander amongst her neighbours to complaine to his friends to bewray the matter to the Iustice to quarrell with Officers alwayes to haue spyes for him in euery place as if hee were one of her mortall enemies Oh would to GOD the Courtyer would esteeme as much of his conscience as his Louer maketh account of his person happie were hee For I dare assure him if he know it not that shee spyeth out all the places hee goeth to and counteth euery morsell of meate he eateth and becommeth iealous of all that hee doeth and of all those whose companie hee frequenteth yea she deuiseth and imagineth all that hee thinketh So that he that seeketh a cruell reuenge of his enemy cannot doe better then perswade and induce him to loue one of these well-conditioned gentle-women Now let him thinke that he hath great warres and by
reputed of small iudgement and of simple counsell Pythyas ' that was the great Gouerner and Duke of the Athentan nation was a Noble prince beloued and feared hardy and valiaunt and yet in the ende as saith Plutarch the aboundance of wordes obscured the glorie of his heroicall deedes Although oft times these great talkers and men too full of words bee of Noble byrth ' or worship wealthie in possessions and otherwise of authoritie and estimation yet neuerthelesse all that time they spende in speaking too much others that heare them occupie the same in deryding and scorning of them I beseech you consider what greater reproach could a Courtyer haue then to be counted a babbler a prater of his tongue and a lyer For when hee thinks euery man is attentiue and listening to him it is quite contrarie for euen at that instant do they laugh him to scorne and yet this is nothing to the shame they doe vnto him afterwards For those that talke to him whilst he is thus babbling pots at him with their mouthes behind his backe nods with their heads holdes downe theyr Eyes and soothes him in all that hee sayes and all this not to praise or commend him but to be merry afterwards at the matter when they are together And it is a sport to note and heare of one of these great Talkers if any man talke of warre of the liberall sciences of hunting or of husbandrie hee will streight leape into the matter althogh he be vtterly ignorant in the thing proponed taking vppon him to reason of the matter as if hee were very skilfull or master of that faculty And to make the hearers belieue that that is true he saith hee bringeth in an example saying that he hath seene it read it or heard it and all perhaps a starke Lye that hee neyther sawe it reade it nor heard it of any but onely deuised of his owne head on a sudden vnder the colour of Truth to forge and make a false Lye Acaticus the Phylosopher beeing one day at a Feast where hee neyther spake nor offered once to speake being asked after Dinner what was the occasion of his silence answered them thus It is better for a man to know his time to speake then it is to knowe to speake For to speake well is giuen vs by Nature but to chuse fit time to speake proceedeth of wisdome Epimenides the painter after hee had dwelt long time in Asia returned to Rhodes from whence hee first departed and because none of the Rhodians euer hearde him speake any thing eyther of that hee had seene or done in Asia they maruelled very much and earnestly prayed him to discourse vnto them some part of that he had seen and suffered in Asia To whome hee made this aunswere Two yeares I sulked the Seas abyding the perills of the water and ten other yeares I was resident in Asia to learn the perfection of a paynters art sixe other yeares I studyed in Greece to accustome my selfe to be silent and nowe you would I should feede you with tales and newes O Rhodians come to mee no more with any such motion for you should come to my house to buy pictures and not to heare newes Albeit in so many yeares and in such farre and strange Countries it could not be but Epimenides had seene many things worthy to bee recounted and also very pleasant for to heare yet hee would neuer tell them nor shew thē and sure herein he did like a good philosopher and answered like a wise graue person For in telling of strange things and of diuers countries there are few that will beleeue them and many that will stand in doubt whether they be true or not And therefore touching this matter also Pythagoras the Philosopher was one day asked vpon what occasion he made his Scholers vse so great silence in his Colledge that in two yeares after they were entered they might not speake He answered thus In other Philosophers Schooles they teach their Disciples to speake but in mine there is taught nothing but to holde their peace For in the whole World there is no better nor higher philosophy then to know to bridle the tongue It is a maruellous thing to see a mā that with time his beard and haires of his head become all white his face withered his eares deafe his legs swoln his breath stinke his spleene stopte and his body faint and feeble with age and all the parts thereof consumed saue onely the heart and tongue which we neuer see waxe olde in manner how aged or impotent soeuer he bee but rather dayly become greene and that is worst of all is that what euill the wretched hart thinketh in that crooked and miserable age that doth that accursed tongue with all celerity vtter There is a Companie of Courtiers in the Court that presume to bee eloquent and well spoken and of Courtly entertainement which when they will talke of some pleasant matter they must first tell you a lye and surely these kind of Courtiers wee may better call them detractors of others then ciuill entertainers Accursed bee hee that to the preiudice of his neighbour maketh profession to bee a Courtly entertainener and you shall hardly see none of these recited Courtiers iest of any but they haue in secret Spunne the thread to weaue a great cloth of malice And yet wee doe these men great honour and reuerence not for any good will we beare them but for that wee are afraid of their ill tongues and althogh to dissemble other while it is a graue and wise mans part yet for all that wee may not iudge ill of them since wee see the best mans honour and credite commonly to be no greater nor lesse then a malignant person shal seeme to vse his tongue to speake of him I remember there was in the Court in my time a noble man noble of birth and person both whome I reproued diuers times as his familiar friend of his prodigall liuing and ill speaking And he made me this answere Truely sir those that report that I speake ill of them it is themselues that do it of me and if I follow them therein it is for nothing else but to bee a witnesse for them if any seeke to impugne their saying but sure of my selfe I neuer vttered or deuised word that might bee to the preiudice of any O what euill causeth hee that speaketh ill of another he onely offendeth not that beginneth but hee that assisteth him and much more he that heareth him and after publisheth it but aboue all hee that telleth it abroade and addeth more then hee heard The Fauoured of Princes must also thinke that though they are prohibited to speake much yet it is most fitte and decent for them to bee true and faithfull Secretaries For there is no thing that the Prince priseth more then the secret breast of his fauoured Courtier And therefore I say not without cause that they
weale iustice in theyr owne house the king troth in their mouthes and fidelity in their hearts the good and honest men grace in their fauour and that the ill and wicked boast themselues no more of their authority and office and that the poor shall praise them for their good works and the King also finde them faithfull seruants I will at this present with mine owne hand giue them such faith and assurance that they shall neede neuer to feare that God will forsake them nor that men can hurt them that they shall neuer bee detected of any infamy ouerthrown by any misfortune neither put out of fauour and credit with their prince at any time HERE FOLLOWETH CERTAINE OTHER LETTERS WRITTEN BY Marcus Aurelius Selected out of the Spanish Copie not written in the French Tongue CHAP. I. Of the huge Monster seene in Scicilie in the time of Marcus Aurelius and of the Letters hee wrote with bloud vpon a gate IN the yeare of the foundation of Rome 720. and xlii of the age of Marcus Aurelius and two yeares before hee tooke possession of the empire the twenty day of August about the going downe of the Sunne in the Realme of Scicill in the City of Palermo a port of the sea there chanced a thing perillous to them that saw it then and no lesse dreadfull to those which shall heare it now Whiles they of Palermo were celebrating a great feast with much ioye that they had vanquished the Nauy of the Numedians the Pirates diuiding their bootie were preuented by the Magistrates of the City who cōmaunded the whole spoyle to be laide vp till the warres were finished for such was the Law of the Isle And truly it was a iust law for oftentimes the onely let why the peace is not made betweene Princes is because there wanteth riches to satisfie the damage done in wars When all the people were returned home vnto their houses to Supper for it was in the Summer there appeared an huge Monster in the Citie in this forme Hee seemed to be of the length of three cubites his head was balde so that his skul did appeare Hee had no eares saue onely two holes in the necke whereby men iudged that hee heard he had two writhen hornes like a Goate his right arme was longer then his left his hands were much like the feete of horses without throte his shoulders and his head were both of one height his shoulders shone as doeth the scales of fishes his brest was all rough of haire his Face in all things was much like vnto a man saue that hee had but one Eye which was in the middest of his fore-head In his Nose there was but one nosethrill From the middle downwards there was nothing seen because it was all couered he sate on a charyot with fowre wheeles which was drawn with fowre beasts That is two Lyons before and two Beares behind No man can tell of what wood the Charriot was made In fashion it differed nothing from those which other men do accustomably vse Within this Chariot stood a great Chauldron with eares wherein the Monster was wherefore it could not be seene but from the middle vpward It wandred a great space in the Cittie from one gate to another casting out sparkes of fire The feare and terror hereof was so great throughout all the Cittie that some Women with childe were with great daunger deliuered and others beeing weake and fainte hearted fell downe dead And all the people both men and women great and small ranne to the Temples of Iupiter Mars and Februa with dolefull clamours and cryes making their importunate prayers At the same time all these Rouers were lodged in the Gouernours Pallace of the Cittie whose name was Solyno borne at Capua where also the riches was kept After the Monster had beene in all patts of the Cittie or in the most part thereof it came to the pallace where the Pyrates were and cut one of the Lyons eares off and with the bloud therof wrote these Letters vppon the pallace gate which was shut R. A. S. P. I. P. These Letters were of diuers men diuersly interpreted so that the interpretations were moe then the letters And in the end a woman-prophetesse greatly esteemed for her science vnto whome God had giuen this secrete knowledge opened the true meaning of these Letters saying R. signifieth Reddite A aliena S sivultis P. propria I. in Pace P. possidere Which altogether is to say Render vnto others that which is theirs if you in quyet will possesse your owne Truly the pyrates were wonderfully afrayd of this sudden commaundement and he Woman was highly commended for her exposition This being done the Monster went the same night out of the City vnto a high hill called Iamicia there stood for the space of 3 dayes in the sight of the City the Lions with terrible voyces roaring the Beares with no lesse fearefull cries raging and finally the monster most dreadful flames casting During all this time there was neither bride seene in the aire nor beast in the fields And the people offered such great sacrifices vnto their Gods that they brake the veines of their handes and feet and offered the bloud therof to see if they coulde appease theyr wrathes These three dayes being passed there appeared in the Element a maruellous darke cloud which seemed to darken the whole earth and therewith it beganne to thunder and lighten so terrible that sundry houses fell to the ground and infinite men ended their liues And last of all there came such a flame of fire from the Monster that it burned both the Pallace where the Rouers were and all other thinges that were therein so that all was consumed with fire yea the very stones themselues The tempest was so great that there fell aboue two thousand houses and there dyed more then tenne thousand persons In this place where this Monster was on the toppe of the Hill the Emperour edified a sumptuous temple to the God Iupiter in perpetuall memory of the same Whereof afterwards Alexander Emperour hauing warre with the people of the Isle made a strong Castle CHAP. II. Of that which chaunced vnto Antigonus a Citizen of Rome in the time of Marcus Aurelius AT the same time when this woefull chaunce happened in the Isle there dwelled a Romane in the same City called Antigonus a man of a noble bloud and well strucken in age who with his wife and daughter were banished two yeares beefore from Rome The cause of this banishment was this There was an olde laudable custome in Rome instituted by Quintus Cincinnatus the Dictator that two of the most auncient Senators should go with the Censour newly created in the moneth of December to visite al Rome and to examine seuerally euery Romane declaring vnto him the 12. Tables and also the particular Decrees of the Senate demaunding of of them if they knew any man that had not obserued these lawes and if they
entent that afterwardes suddenly and at vnawares shee may bring vs into some great aduersity By experience dayly we see that the Sea is seldome times calme but immediately there followeth some perillous Tempest The extreame heate of the day doth prognosticate that terrible thunder is the Euentide I meane when Fortune doth flatter vs with her golden pilles it is a token that shee intendeth to catch vs in her snares The Mylner before the banke broken repayreth the dammes The husband man before it raineth thacketh his house fearing the snow and raine that is to come So likewise the sage man ought to cōsider that during this life he hath prosperitie but by leaue and aduersity as by patrimony Marcus Aurelius among all other men was hee that knew how to enioy prosperity and also to preuaile of aduersity Though fortune gaue him much prosperitie yet he neuer trusted therein nor for any troubles that euer he receyued in this life he was at any time abashed CHAP. V. Of the sharpe words which Marcus Aurelius spake to his wife and to his daughter WHen the triumphes before named were finished this good Emperour then beeing willing to vnburden his heart and to aduise Faustine and to teach the yong damosell his daughter and to the end that no man should heare it he called them a part and sayde vnto them these words I am not content Faustine with that thy daughter did nor yet with that which thou hast done being her mother The daughters if they will bee counted for good Children must learne to obey their fathers and the mothers if they will be counted good mothers must learn to bring vp their daughters well When the mother is honest and the daughter shamefast the father is excused in giuing counsell It is great shame to the Father being a man that the Mother beeing a woman should chastife his sonne And this is a great reproach to the mother that the daughter should bee chastised by the hands of any man There was a Law enacted amongst the Rhodians that neyther the Fathers should haue to do with the daughters nor the mothers with the Sonnes but the men vsed to bring vp the men and the women the women And in such wise that they abiding all in one house it seemeth vnto the fathers that they had no daughters and vnto the mothers that they had no sonnes Oh Rome Rome I bewaile thee not to see thy streets vnpaued nor to see thy houses so decayed nor to see thy battlements so fallen downe nor thy timber hewed downe not for the diminishing of the inhabitants for all this Time bringeth and Time taketh away but I weepe for thee againe to see thee vnpeopled of good-fathers and vnprouided in the nourishing of their children Rome beganne to decay when the discipline of Sonnes and Daughters was enlarged and that their bridle was set at libertie For there is now such boldnes in Boyes and so little shamefastnes in Gyrles with dishonestie of the Mothers that whereas one Father sufficed for xx Sonnes and one Mother for xx daughters now xx fathers dare scarcely vndertake to bring vp well one Sonne and xxx Mothers one daughter I say this to you Faustine you remember not how you are a Mother For you giue more libertie to your Daughter then ought to bee suffered And now Lucilla remember not how you are a daughter for you shew to haue more libertie then requireth for a young Maiden The greatest gift that the Gods haue giuen to the Matrones of Rome is because that they are women they keepe themselues close and secret because they are Romanes they are shamefast The day when the women want the feare of the Gods secretlie and shame of men openly beleeue me they shall either faile the world or the world them The common wealth requireth it of great necessity that the women which therein inhabite should bee as honest as the Captaines valiant for the Captaines going to warre defend them and the women which abide at home conserue them As now foure yeares passed you saw this great pestilence and I demaunded then to haue account of the people and I found that of a C. and xl M. honest women lxxx M. dyed and of x. M. dishonest women in a manner they scaped all I cannot tell for which I should weep eyther for the lacke that wee haue of the good and vertuous Women in our common wealth or else for the great hurt and dammages that these euill and wicked women doe to the youth of Rome The fire that burneth in Mount Ethna doth not so much endamage those that dwell in Scicill as one euill woman doth within the walls of Rome A fierce beast and a perillous enemie to the Common wealth is an evill woman for shee is of power to commit all euils and nothing apt to doe any good O how many realmes and Kingdomes reade wee of which by the euill behauiours of one woman haue been lost and to resist against them there hath beene neede both of wisedome perils money and force of many men The vices in a woman is as a green Reede that boweth euery way but the lightnes and dishonesty is as a dry Kyxe that breaketh in such wise that the more euill they vtter the more vnlikely is the amendment therof Beholde Faustine there is no creature that more desireth honour and worse keepeth it then a Woman and that this is true wee see by Iustice by Orations by writing and other Trauells man getteth fame and renowm but without it bee by flattering and faire speaking this houre by auncient wryters we can read of few women or none which eyther by writing reading working with Needle spinning or by weauing haue gotten them any great renowme But euen I say of one so I say of another certainly of diuers we reade by keeping themselues closed in their houses being well occupyed in their busines temperate modest in their wordes faithfull to their Husbandes well-ordered in theyr persons peaceable with their Neighbours and finally for beeing honest amongst their owne Familie and shamefast amongst strangers they haue obtained great renown in their life time and left perpetuall memorie of them after their death I will tell you an ancient history as profitable to restraine your vices as it did then augment vertues which is this The Realme of the Lacedemonians saieth Plato was a long time as dissolute through the vnthriftines of the women-kinde as infamed by the vices of the men So that of all Nations they were both called and esteemed barbarous what time Greece of the Phylosophers was called The Mother of Phylosophers Lycurgus a moste wise Phylosopher in knowledge and a right iust king concerning his gouernāce partly with his doctrine very profitable and partly with his life most pure ordayned Lawes in the said Realm whereby hee expelled all vices and planted all vertues I cannot tell which of these two were most happyest the King hauing so obedient people or else the
her hate I ioy not a little that other Ladies in Rome as well as I doe know thy small wisedome Behold Marke I will not mocke thee for thou art such a one as neuer deserued that one should beginne to loue nor end to hate Wilt thou haue stability in loue and thou vnthankfull of thy seruice wilt thou serue in mockerie and be beloued faithfully wilte thou enioy the person without spending any of thy goods wilt thou haue no complaints on thee and thou ceasest not thy malice Thou knowest the il of women I will that thou know that wee bee not so foolish as yee suppose vs to be nor thou so wise as thou praysest thy selfe to be Hitherto we haue seen more men follow the desire of women then women haue liked to follow men I haue seene a thousand times yea and thou thy selfe that one man hath not so mighty a heart as to ouercome three wise women and one woman holdeth her self strong enough to subdue three hundred light persons Thou sayest thou art ashamed of my lightnesse to see mee forsake Rome and come to thee into the wars Great is the loue of the Countrey and many leaue much goods which they haue in straunge lands to liue poorely in their owne but greater is thy loue sith I would leaue Rome with the delights therin and come to seeke thee in strange lands among the rude souldiers O malitious Marke O straunge friend if I leaue Rome it were to goe seeke my heart which is with thee in the warres And certainly oftentimes when I thinke of thy absence I fall into a swound as one that had no hart but I neuer finde remedy I thinke our loue is not like to these beastes which haue their mindes onely vpon sensuall pleasures without the conioyning of the louing hearts I sweare to thee by the goddesse Vesta and the mother Berecinthia that thou owest more to me for the loue I haue borne to thee in one day then for the seruice I haue done to thee in 22. yeares Behold vnhappy Marke how much and dearely I loued thee In thy presence I alwayes beheld thee and absent I alwayes thought of thee sleeping I dreamed on thee I haue wept for thy sorrowes and laught at thy pleasures and finally all my welth I wished thee and all thy misfortunes I tooke as mine I assure thee of one thing that I feele not so much the persecution thou hast done mee as I doe the wailing forgetfulnesse thou shewest vnto mee It is a great griefe to a couetous man to lose his goods but without comparison it is a greater torment for the Louer to see his euil bestowed It is a hurt that is alwayes sore and a paine alwayes painefull a sorrow alwayes sorrowfull and it is a death that neuer endeth Oh if men knew how dearely and faithfully women doe loue when they are bent to loue and with what malicious hart they hate being set to hate I sweare vnto you yee would neuer companie with them in loue or if ye did loue them yee would neuer leaue for feare of their hate And as there is neuer great hate but where there was first much loue euen so thou shalt neuer bee greatly hated for that thou wert neuer truly beloued of the ladies The sorrowfull Boemia hath loued thee xxii yeares of her life and now shee hateth thee till after her death Thou sayest I may bee eaten for vertiuyce and yet would be sold for wine I knowe I haue erred as one both young and light and when I found me to stray out of the way I was too farre gone and my mishap could no other way nor remedie It is a great losse of all losses when there is no remedy I haue offended as a weake and fraile woman but thou as a man strong I erred by simple ignoraunce but thou of a purposed and wilfull malice I sinned not knowing that I did amisse but thou knowest what thou diddest I gaue eare and credite vnto thy words as a faithfull Knight and thou betrayedst mee with a thousand Lyes and protestations as a common lyer Tell me diddest not thou seeke occasion to come into my mother Getuliaes house to entice me her daughter Boemia to thy minde Diddest thou not promise my Father to teach me to read in one yeare and readdest mee Ouide of the arte of Loue Diddest not thou sweare to marrie mee and after withdrewe thy hand as a false Adulterer Diddest thou not know that thou neuer foundest in my person any villanie nor in thy mouth any trueth At the least thou canst not denye but thou hast offended the Gods thou art defamed amongst men odious to the Romaines a slaunderer of the good folkes an Example to the ill and finally a Traytour to my Father a breaker of thy faith to my mother and to me the vnhapy Boemia an vnkind louer Oh malicious Marke hast thou not cut me in leaues offering to my father to keepe his vines safe Euill may the chicken trust the Kyte or the Lambs the wolfe or the Doues the Faulcon but thou art worse to bring vppe the daughters of good men Oh cursed Marke a hurtfull keeper of vines hath the matrone of Rome fouÌ„d thee in keeping their Daughters I sweare that there was neither grape or cluster but it was eyther eaten or gathered by thee Thou didst cut mee greene for the which I promise thee it hath set thy teeth on edge Thou sayst I was riped by power of heat straw It grieueth mee not so much that thou sayest it as that thou giuest mee occasion to say vnto thee thy shame is so shamelesse and thy euill so malicious that I cannot make aunswere to thy purpose vnlesse I rubbe thee on the quicke I aske thee when thou marryedst Faustine whether thou foundest them green or ripe thou knowest well and so doe I also that others gaged the vessell and thou drankest the Lees others had the meate and thou the huskes others did eate them beeing greene and with the refuge set thy teeth on edge Oh cursed Marke beholde how great thy euills are and how the gods haue iustly punished thee that being young couldst not deserue to be beloued â—f thy Zouers nor yet now in thy Age thy wife keepe her faith to thee For me to be reuenged of thy person I need no more but to see thee marryed to Faustine By the Mother Berecynthia I promise thee that if thy small wisedome might attain to know at the full what they say of thee and her in Rome thou wouldest weepe both day and night for the life of Faustine and not leaue the wofull Boemia Oh Marke little care is taken for thee and how farre is our vnderstanding vncoupled from thy thoughts For through thy great Learning thy house in the day time is a schoole of phylosophers and the wantonnesse of thy wife Faustine in the night maketh it a receyte of Ruffians It is a iust iudgement of the gods sith that
viilaine Conclusion of the villains speech wherein he reproueth the Roman Magistrates The tyrannie of the Romanes to the Germanes Here the villaine layeth open the miserable estate of his Country The commendation that the Emperour gaue of the Oration of the villaint The speech of King Alexander the great The greate courage of Alexner The phylosophers speech concerning the honour of Princes The saying of Plutarch to Traian the Emperour Good admonitions of Seneca to his friend Lucilla Graue sentences of Seneca The speech of King Philip. What maâ—ter of men Iudges and Officers ought to be What is requyred in an vpright iudge The wise answere of Cato Cato his aduise in choosing Officers A Letter of Marcus Aurelius to his friend Antigonus Ancient lawes obserued among the Rhodians God the onely true â—udge What may moue one man to bee mercifull to another The Emperour continueth still his letter concerning cruell Magistrates The commendations of Lycaronicus for equal iustice The cruelty of Lycaronicus The pitty mercifulnes of Romulus the first Romane King The vertue of an herbe called Ilabia An Epitaph of a vertuous King The Emperour continueth his letter against euil Iudges The cruelty of Nero. with one of his pittiful sayings The carefulnes of Augustus in choosing Iudges What is required in an vpright iudge The reason why Iudges are ordained The Emperour continueth still his letter concerning cruell Magistrates What the ancient Hebrewes were and their conditions How vn happie that Realme is that is forsakeÌ„ of God A token of peace if the disturbers thereof bee taken away Where Iudges are vniust there the commoÌ„wealth goeth to ruine The counsell of the poore ought not to bee despised The 〈◊〉 that Princes ought to haue in 〈◊〉 Magistrates The conclusion of the Emperours letter concerning cruell Iudges The property of euil Iudges and Officers A Caue at for Iudges and all other Magistrates Offices giuen more for friendshippe then for desert The triumph of Marius the Romane Consull The speech of the Grandfather of K. Boco The Nephew pardoned for the good desert of the Grandfather The vertous life of Augustus second Emperour of Rome described The vertues of a godly prince described Warre ought to be eschewed peace entertained K Dauid a patterne for Princes how to stain warre Howmuch euery ought to preferre peace before warre How vnsatâ—able a couetous man is What incoÌ„ueniences are incident to Warres What may moue Princes to loâ—â— peace and â—ate warre Questions demaunded by King Dimo and answered Commodities that follow peace Warres vniustly taken in hand neuer come to good end For what reason wars ought not to be taken in hand The warre destruction of the good and godly men The reason why the Emperozr Augustus was o fortunate A dreame of King Antigonus A true saying of Plato Our Sauiour Christ the true patterne of peace Good couÌ„sell and worthy to be followed Dangers incident to warres Enuie and malice a deadly foe to true honour MaÌ„ putteth his life in danger only to winne honour How little the Emperour Marc Aurelius esteemed vaine honours Wherefore the Emperour cursed Rome Rome in ancient time the most flourishing City of the world The Emperour goeth on with his letter touching the order of warre Customes which the Romanes vsed before they went to the war The great outrages that the Romane souldiers did Lewde women oftentimes the cause of warre What mischiefe followed by the â—â—â—â—â—dnes of a strumpet Priestes exempt from warre The answer of the Oracle of Apollo How the Rumanes were wonte to make trial of their Captaines A reward giuen by the Emperour to a cowardly Captaine Marcus Aurelius continueth his letter shewing the detriment that followeth wars What felicity the ancient Romans tooke in warlike discipline What mischiefe came to Rome by conquering Asia The great miseries that were specified of Asia What vices were brought to Rome from Asia What incoÌ„uenience coÌ„meth by coÌ„quering strange Realmes Warre the mean occasion to make a coÌ„monwealth poore How vncertaine the euent of Warre is No greater hinderance to a Common wealth then to keepe men of warre A custome among the auncient Romanes Lycurgus his Lawes to the Lacedemonians Death maketh an end fal worldly miserie A wise Sentence of Cato A saying of Phalaris the Tyrant A wise aunswere of a philosopher The six Ages of mans life said opeÌ„ explaned A graue sentence of Sences Good counsel of Seneca worthy to be followed both of olde and young How circuÌ„spect wary men ought to be in eating 〈◊〉 Discommodityes that come by excesse of eating and drinking The answer of a young man to the Senate or Rome The iudgement of the Senate against drunkennes An euill qustome vsed among the Goths Euery man ought for to weare apparrell according to his calling Pride in the aged ought to be neglected A lye in a young man hatefull but in an olde man abhominable A worthy lesson c. Olde men ought to be a lanterne to youth A Letter of the Emperour reprouing light behauiour in old men A discommodity that war bringeth For foure causes Friends are to be esteemed The speech of the Emperour Adrian to his ieaster The difference of Solon and Lycurgus in opinion The continuation of the Emperours letter to his friends The vanity of the world and the vncertainety thereof How warie euery man ought to be No man euer contented with his estate in this world Euery man ought to flye the vain intisements of the world The prosecution of the Emperours letter teaching old men to be vertuous What is required in euery olde man What duty is required of the yong man to the olde A Question demaunded of aâ— Senatour of Rome Olde meÌ„ by experience know and feele many daungers A speech of the Emperor Adrian A custome among the Barbarians The conclusion of the Emperours letter reprouing old men which liue dissolutely like young children All the meÌ„bers of man waxe feeble in time but onely the heart and tongue The pride of the auncient Senatours of Rome A seuere sentence giuen by the Senators of Rome vpon an old man A question demaunded of an olde man and his answere A good example and worthie to be noted What caused Alexander to be loued and honoured King Darius noted of couetousnes The vice of auarice so odious that it cannot be sufficiently expressed A worthie saying of Aristotle A true saying oâ— Boetius The description of a miserable and couetous man Poverty far better then riches with couetousnes The desire of couetous men neuer satisfied The description of a couetous man A comparison between the glutton the vsurer The almes of the couetous man if he giue any The Emperour sheweth the abuse of those that leaue their calling Wherein true friendship consisteth The Emperour sheweth what vertues men ought to vse and the vices they ought to eschew A worthy saying of Cicero The Emperour concludeth his letter describing the vanities of the world The frailety and state of man
the time past Wherin thou being a woman shewest thy selfe more then a woman because the nature of women is to cast their eyes onely in that that is present and to forget that is past They tell me that thou doest occupy thy selfe now in writing of our Country And truely in this case I cannot say but that you haue matter enough to write on For the warres and trauels of our times haue beene such and so great that I had rather reade them in bookes then to see them with my eyes And if it bee so as I suppose it is I beseech thee heartily and by the immortall Gods I coniure thee that in writing the affayres of thy Countrey thou doest vse thy penne discreetely I meane that thou doe not in this case blemish thy writing by putting therein any flattery or lesing For oft times Historiographers in blasing more then truth the giftes of their Countrey cause worthily to be suspected their writing Thou knowest very well how that in the battell past the Rhodians were ouercome and that ours remained victorious Mee thinketh thou shouldst not in this case greatly magnifie extoll or exalt ours because in the end they fought to reuenge their iuiury neyther thou oughtest to blame the Rhodians for they did not fight but in the ayde of Rome I speake this my sister because for to defend their owne women shew themselues Lyons and for to defend the things of another man men shew themselus chickens For in the end hee onely may bee counted strong the which defendeth not his owne house but which dyeth defending his and another mans I will not deny the naturall loue of my Country nor I will not deny but that I loue them that write and speake well thereof but mee thinketh it is not reason that they should disprayse the goodnesse and truth of other Countries nor that they should so highly commend the euill and vilenesse of their owne For there is not in the world this day so barren a realme but may bee commended for something therein nor there is so perfect a nation but in somthings may be reproued Thou canst not deny me but that amōgst thy brethren I am the eldest and thou canst not deny but that amongst all thy Disciples I am the youngest and since that for being thy Disciple I ought to obey thee thou likewise for that I am thy eldest brother oughtest to beleeue me By the faith of a people I doe counsell thee my sister that thou do trauell much to be profound in thy words vpright in thy life and honest of thy person and besides all this true in thy writing For I let thee vnderstand that if the body of the man without the soule is little regarded I sweare vnto thee that the mouth of a man without truth is much lesse esteemed CHAP. XXX The Authour followeth his purpose perswading Princesses and other Ladies to endeauour themselues to be wise as the women were in olde time THis therefore was the letter which Pythagoras sent to his sister Theoclea whereby is shewed the great humility of him and the hie eloquence of her Hierchus the Greeke and Plutarch also in the booke of the gouernement of Princes say that Pythagaras had not onely a sister which was called Theoclea of whom he learned so much Philosophy but also he had a daughter the wisedome and knowledge of whom surmounted her Aunt and was equall to her Father I thinke it no lesse incredible which is spoken of the daughter then that which is spoken of the Aunt which is that those of Athens did reioyce more to heare her speake in her house then for to heare Pythagoras reade in the Schoole And it ought to bee beleeued for the saying of the graue Authours on the one part and by that wee daily see on the other part For in the end it is more pleasure to heare a man tell mery tales hauing grace and comelynes in his words then to heare a graue man speake the truth with a rude and rough tongue I haue found in many writings what they haue spoken of Pythagoras and his Daughter but none telleth her name saue only in an Epistle that Phalaris the Tyrant wrote I found this worde written where hee saith Polychrata that was the Daughter of the Phylosopher Pythagoras was young and exceeding wise more faire then rich and was so much honoured for the puritie of her life and so highly esteemed for her pleasaunt Tongue that the word which shee spake spinning at her Distaffe was more esteemed then the Phylosophie that her Father read in the schoole And he saide more It is so great a pittie to see and heare that women at this present are so dishonest and in their tongues so malicious that I haue greater pleasure in the good renowme of one that is dead then in the infamie of all them which are aliue For a good woman is more worth with her distaffe spinning then a hundred euill Queenes with their royall Scepters reigning By the words which Phalaris said in his letter it seemed that this Daughter of Pythagoras was called Polichrate Pythagoras therefore made manie Commentaryes as well of his owne countrey as of strangers In the end he dyed in Mesopotamia where at the houre of his death hee spake vnto his Daughter Polichrate and saide these wordes I see my Daughter that the houre wherein I must ende my life approcheth The Gods gaue it mee and now they will take it from mee Nature gaue me byrth and now shee giueth me death the Earth gaue me the bodie and now it returneth to ashes The woefull Fatall destenyes gaue mee a little goods mingled with many trauells So that Daughter of al things which I enioyed here in this world I carrie none with mee For hauing all as I had it by the way of borrowing now at my death eache man taketh his owne I die ioyfully not for that I leaue thee rich but for that I leaue thee learned And in token of my tender heart I bequeathe vnto thee all my Bookes wherein thou shalt finde the treasure of all my trauells And I tell thee that that I giue thee is the riches gotten with mine owne sweate and not obtained to the preiudice of another For the loue I beare vnto thee Daughter I pray thee and by the immortall Gods I conjure thee that thou bee such and so good that although I die yet at the least thou mayst keepe my memorie For thou knowest well what Homer sayth speaking of Achilles and Pyrrhus That the good life of the Childe that is aliue keepeth the renowne of the Father which is dead These were the wordes which the Phylosopher spake to his daughter lying in his death bed And thogh perhaps hee spake not these wordes yet at the least this was the effect and meaning As the great Poet Mantuan sayth King Euander was father of the grant Pallas and he was a great friend of king Eneas he vaunted himselfe to
ENTITVLED THE FAuoured Courtyer wherein the Authour sheweth the intent of his worke exhorting all men to studie good and vertuous Books vtterly reiecting all Fables vaine trifling storyes of small doctrine erudition AVlus Gellius in his Booke De noctibus Atticis saith That after the death of the great Poet Homer 7-famous cities of Grece were in great controuersie one with the other each one of them affirming that by reason the bones of the saide Poet was theirs and only appertained to them all 7. taking their oaths that he was not only borne but also nourished broght vp in euery one of thē And this they did Supposing that they neuer had so great honor in any thing but that this was far greater to haue educated so Excellent and rare a Man as hee was Euripides also the phylosopher born and broght vp in Athens trauelling in the realm of Macedonia was suddēly strucken with death which woful newes no soner came to the Athenians eares declared for a truth but with all expedition they dispatched an honorable Embasie only to intreat the Lacedemoniās to be contented to deliuer them the bones of the said phylosopher protesting to them that if they wold frankly grant them they would regratifie that pleasure done them and if they would denie them they should assure themselues they would come and fetch them with the sword in hand K Demetrius helde Rhodes besieged long time which at length he won by force of arms the Rhodiās being so stubborn that they wold not yeeld by composition nor trust to his princely clemencie hee cōmanded to strike off al the Rhodians heads to rase the city to the hard foundations But when he was let vnderstand that there was euen then in the Cittie Prothogenes a Phylosopher and Paynter and doubting least in executing others hee also vnknowne might bee put to the sword reuoked his cruell sentence gaue straight commandement forthwith they should cease to spoile and deface the towne further and also to stay the slaughter of the rest of the Rhodians The diuine Plato beeing in Athens aduertised that in the city of Damasco in the realme of Palestine were certaine bookes of great antiquity which a Philosopher borne of that Country left behind him there when he vnderstood it to be true went thither immediately led with the great desire he had to see them purposely if they did like him afterwards to buy them And when hee saw that neyther at his suit nor at the requests of others he could obtaine them but that he must buy thē at a great price Plato went and solde all his patrimony to recouer them and his owne not being sufficient hee was faine to borrow vpon interest of the commō Treasury to helpe him so that notwithstanding he was so profound and rare a Philosopher as indeed he was yet he would sell all that small substāce hee had onely to see as hee thought some prety new thing more of Philosophy As Ptolomeus Philadelphus king of Egypt not contened to bee so wise in al sciences as he was nor to haue in his Library 8000. bookes as hee had nor to study at the least 4. houres in the day nor ordinarily to dispute at his meales with Philosophers sent neuerthelesse an Ambassage of Noble men to the Hebrewes to desire them they would be contented to send him some of the best learned and wisest men amongst them to teach him the Hebrew tongue and to reade to him the books of their Laws When Alexander the Great was borne his father King Philip wrote a notable letter immediately to Aristotle among other matters hee wrote there were these I let thee to vnderstand O greatest Philosopher Aristotle if thou knowest it not that Olimpius my wife is brought to bedde of a sonne for which incessantly I giue the Gods immortall thankes not so much that I haue a sonne as for that they haue giuen him mee in thy time For I am asassured hee shall profite more with the doctrine thou shalt teach him then he shall preuayle with the Kingdomes I shall leaue him after me Now by the examples aboue recited and by many more wee could alledge wee may easily consider with what reuerence and honour the auncient Kings vsed the learned and vertuous men in their time And wee may also more plainely see it sith then they helde in greater price and estimation the bones of a dead Philosopher then they doe now the doctrine of the best learned of our time And not without iust occasion did these famous and heroycall Princes ioy to haue at home in their houses and abroad with them in the field such wise and learned men whilest they liued and after they were dead to honour their bones and carcases and in doing this they erred not a a iot For whosoeuer accompanieth continuallly with graue and wise men enioyeth this benefit and priuiledge before others that he shall neuer bee counted ignorant of any therfore continuing stil our first purpose let vs say that whosoeuer will professe the company of sober wise men it cannot otherwise be but he must maruellously profit by their cōpany for being in their company they wil put al vain and dishonest thoughts from him they will teach him to subdue resist al sudden passions motions moued of choler by thē they shal win good friends and learn also neuer to be troublesom or enemy to any they will make him forsake all sinne vice declaring to him what good works he shall follow and what hee shall most flye and eschew they will let him vnderstand how hee shall humble and behaue himselfe in prosperity and they will also comfort him in his aduersity to keep him from all sorrow and despaire For though a man be neuer so carefull and circumspect yet hath he hath always need of the councell of another in his affaires if therefore such a person haue not about him good vertuous sage men how can it otherwise bee but that he must stūble oft and fall down right on his face hauing no man to aid or help him Paulus Dyaconus sayth that albeit the Affricanes were wilde and brutish people yet had they notwithstanding a law amongst them that the senators amongst them could chuse no other Senator if at the Election there were not present a philosopher So it hapned on a day amongst the rest that of manie phylosophers they had in Carthage amongst them there was one named Apolonius who ruled for the space of 62. yeares all their Senat with great quyet and to the contentation of all the Senators which to shew themselues thankfull to him erected in the market place so many images of him as hee had gouerned their Common-weale yeares to the ende the fame and memorie of him should bee immortall and yet they did dedicate to their famous Hannibal but one only image and to this Phylosopher they set vp aboue 60. Alexander the great whē he was most