at a knyghtes bridale and wolde not eate at the bridale of a cōmuner Yet also though the realme of Italy was scant theyr hartes were greatte for bycause one of their Marranes for so were their kynges called had shette his gates by nyghte for to slepe the surelyer he was depriued of his realme bycause a lawe was made that noo prynce shulde shette his gates nyght nor day for they saide they had made him kynge for to dryue awaye their ennemyes and not to be daintily nourished Tarquine the last kyng of the Romayns was vnkynde to his father in lawe diffamed his blod and kynrede was a traytour to his countrey cruell of his persone and aduoutrer with Luctece but for all that he was not called vngentyll nor infamed nor traytour nor cruell nor aduoutrer but he was named Tarquine the prowde bycause he was of ylle condicions and complexions And yet by the lawe of good menne I swere to you that if the sayd vnhappy Tarquine had had good wyll in Rome for the aduoutry of Lucrece he hadde not be put out of his realme for as moche as other greatter and more greuous harmes hadde benne doone before his tyme and also moche wors sithen by aged emperours in the empire the whyche crymes by theym commytted were suche that the offence of this frayle yonge man was but small in estimation For thynge certayne these prynces holde that if they gyue dyuers occasions for their yll wyll yet a lyttell thing suffiseth if he shewe that the hate that he hath is for none yll wyll but the hate that the subiecte hath to the lorde is bycause he hath no power ¶ Iulius Cesar the laste dictatour and firste emperour bycause he forgate to be a man among men but thinking to be a god amonge goddis beynge a lawdable custome that the senate shulde salute the emperour on their knees and the emperour to ryse courteysly agaynste theym bycause of a presumptuous mind he wold not kepe the seremonie he merited to lese his lyfe with .xxiii. strokes of pen kniues And as I saye of these so fewe a nombre I maye saye of many other The phisitions with a lyttel Rubarbe purge many humours of the body and the emperor with a littel beneuolence taketh many greues fro the stomakes of his subiectes The people owe obedience to the prynce and to do his persone great reuerence and fulfyll his cōmaundementes and the prince oweth egall iustice to euery man and meke conuersation to all men ¶ Marcus Portius sayde dyuers tymes in Rome That the publycke welthe is there perpetuall and without any sodayne falle where the prynce fyndethe obedience and all the people fyndethe loue with the prynce For of the loue of the lorde bredethe the good obedience of the subiecte and of the obedience of the subiecte bredeth the good loue of the lorde The emperour in Rome is lyke to a spider that is in the myddes of her webbe For if the sayde coppe webbe be touched with the poynte of a nedell forthwith the spider feleth hit I meane that all the werkes of the emperour in Rome benne streyghte waye knowen in all the erthe I beleue that this daye I haue bene iudged of humayne malyce for accompanyenge the processyon of the captiues and that I suffredde theym to towche me that they myghte enioy the priuilege of lybertie I yelde and gyue great graces to my goddis of my good happe bycause they haue made me pitifull for to delyuer prisoners and not cruell as a tyraunte for to make theym bonde that be free The prouerbe sayth One snare maye take two byrdes So it hath ben this daye for that benefyte rebounded onely to the myserable prisoners but the fauour to all theyr nations And doo ye not knowe that by the takyng away of their yrons I haue drawen to me the hartes of all theyr realmes and countreys Fynally hit is more sure to a prince to be serued with free hartes and loue of them that be at libertie than of subiectes constreyned with feare ¶ Howe themperour Marcus deuided the howres of the day for the busynesses of thempire Ca. xviii HEre before we haue shewid how this good emperour had great hatrede of men that were of yll lyuynge and that passed their tyme in ylle exercyse It suffiseth not the philosopher to repreue the vice of other by wordes but it is necessary that he do the werkis that he requireth other to do It is reason nowe to shewe howe this Emperour by his great prudēce compassed dispatched the great and huge busynesses of the empire the particularities of his householde the recreation of his persone thexercyse of his studies the infinite reasonynge with one and other with suche peyne takyng and in so shorte tyme. He was soo apte and wel aduysed that by hym there was no tyme yl spent Nor neuer fayled to dispatche the besynes of the empire And bycause the tyme is glorious of hym that gloriously spendeth it and the tyme is accursed that to our domage and without profyte to other passeth leauing vs ignorant as brute beastes He departed the tyme by times the order wherof was thus Seuen howres he slepte in the nyght and rested one howre in the daye At dyner and supper he wasted but onely two howres he deputed two howres for the matters of Asie Other two howres for the busynesse of Europe and Affrike and in conuersation of his house and with his wife and children seruantes and frēdes that came to see him he spente other two howres And for the outwarde besynesse as to here the complayntes of theym that were greued The suites of poore men wantynge iustyce the wydowes the robberies of pyckers of mychers and vacaboundes he deputed an other houre All the rest of the day and nyght in reding of bokes to write workes to make metres to studye antyquities to practyse with wise men to dispute amonge philosophers he passed thus ordinately in wynter And in sommer if cruel warres letted hym not or that he were troubled with great and hainous matters he went euer to bed at .ix. of the clocke and awoke at .iiii. It was of custome that emperours hadde euerlyghtes brennynge in their chaumbre And therfore whan he awoke bycause he wolde not be ydel he had euer a boke at his beddes heed And thus in redynge he spente the rest of the nyght tyll it was day He rose at .vi. of the clocke and made hym redy openly not angrely but merily he wolde demaunde of them that were presente howe they had spent all the nyght tyme. And there he wolde reherse what he had redde that nyght Whan he was redye he wolde washe his handes with very well smellynge waters for he was a great louer of al swete odours He had a good and a quycke smellynge Than in the mornynge before euery man he wolde take .iii. or .iiii. morselles of electuarie of sticados and two draughtes of Aqua vite After that in sommer he wold go forthwith
yl reprefe For he hathe taken his naturalitie of the goddes and his norture among you Dyuers tymes whan he was a chylde ye toke hym in your armes to thentente that nowe he is a man ye shulde sette him in your hartes Hytherto he hath taken you for his maysters and nowe at this tyme he muste repute you as his fathers And whiles I lyued ye helde hym for your prince in nourysshynge hym for your emperour in seruing him and as your parent in helpyng hym and as your sonne in teachynge hym Hytherto ye onely helde him charge as father mother and maysters he is nowe as a newe shyppe put this daye into the ryghte see fletyng to the botomles swolowe where as the sayles of prosperitie wyll make hym fall and the rockes of vnhappynes wyll drowne hym Than amonge so many vnportunate wyndes and vnstable waters there is greatte necessitie of good oores Surely I am very sory for thempire and haue great compassion of this yonge prince and suche as wolde his welthe shall more bewaylle his lyfe than my dethe For scapynge fro the see I se my selfe at a good sure porte and vppon mayne lande and leaue hym the sweatte and trauayle For as yet he knoweth not howe to aduenture to sayle on the see nor yet knoweth not whether he shal abyde the age of my long experience nor whether he shall be a reasonable emperour or noo But what shall sorowfull Rome do whan it hath nouryshed a good prynce and that fatall destenies maketh an ende of hym or that by enuy of them that be yll he is slayne or the crueltie of the goddes taketh hym away or that the body by his owne propre handes be lyfte vp in suche wyse that in the experiment of princes al the life tyme parteth in be waylynge of the youthe of yonge princes and the grauitie of theyr aunciente princes passed O if these princis beleued at the beginnynge of theyr empire other kynges that are fayled in the world howe they be taught when it is so importable for one man without charge to rule soo many realmes and he doinge nothynge but take theyr goodes robbe him of his renoume banishe theyr persons fro him and he to ende his lyfe and his subiectes augmente theyr sorowes and sith he is but one he can doo no more than one though dyuers hope that he doth for all Regarde in what mysaduenture a prince lyueth whan the least villain in Italy thinketh that all only for hym and on hym alone the prince setteth his eies And sithe the worlde is so changeable and the people so vnruly the day that a prynce is crowned and exalted with a sceptre ryalle the same daye he submitteth his goodis to the couetous all his estate to the semblaunce of other Thus than in this the goddis shewe their power For al the vnderstandinges are tacked to one free wyll The semynge of all they codempne and alowe but one They giue the domination to one and the subiection to many To one they gyue the chastisemente of all and not al to the chastisement of one For the tast of many they gyue meate but to one the sauour wherof is swete to some and sowre to other to some remayneth the bone and to some the fleshe at the last some be drowned other be hyndred at the ende al haue an ende I wold demand of you that be moste familiar what is the crowne of thempire or the sceptre of golde or the coler of perles or p̄cious stones or rubes of Alexāder or vessel of Corinth or chariottes of triūph or what offices of Consules or dictatours are desired in change of their rest for it is certaine they can not attayn to the one without lesing of the other And this is the cause y t there be yl mariners to hardy pilottes for they fle fro the see to the lande fro the lande to the see One thing I wil say y t is ageinst my self euery mā hateth warre no man seketh for peace Al sorowe for one that is angred and none is cōtent to appeace al wold cōmande but none wil be commanded This hath ben in the world passed now at this present tyme men be so light y t they rather chose to cōmand with peril than to obey with rest Seing that my dayes are diminished my sickenes augmented suspectinge thā that I se nowe whan I returned fro the warre of Sycill I determyned to make my testament the whiche ye may see here Open and behold it and therby ye shall se howe I leaue you to be maysters of my son yet in loue and fidelitie ye be to gyther all as one Great peryll the prince is in and the common welth in an yll aduenture where as be many intentions amonge the gouernours Certainly the princis are gloryous and the people well fortunate and the senate happy whan all agree in one counsell and that the counsaylers be auncient and many of them and all their intētions agree vpon one thinge Whan this was in Rome it was feared and dred of tyrantes hauynge their consultations approued with iii. C. barons And though their reasons were diuers yet their wylles and intentis were al one for the comon welth I desire and coniure you by the goddis that ye be al frendes in conuersation and conformable in counsell All the weake debilities in a prince may be suffred except yl counsell and al defautes of counsellours are tollerable except enuy and yre Whan the freting worme called a mothe entreth among them it causeth peril in Iustice dishonour to the prince sclaunder in the cōmons and parcialitie in the superiours The counsaylour that hath his mynde ouercome with ire and his harte occupied with enuy and his wordes outragious to a good man it is reson that he lose the fauour of the goddis his priuitie with the prince and the credence of the people For he presumeth to offende the goddis with yll intention to serue the prince with yll coūsell and to offende the common welth with his ambition O howe ignorant are these princis that take hede of suche herbes venims that myghte poyson theym in their meates and care not for the poyson that they of theyr priuye counsayle do gyue them Doubtles there is no cōparison for the herbes and poysons can be giuen but on one daye but the venym of yll counseyle is gyuen euery howre Venym is defended by the horne of an vnycorne by tryacle and otherwise by vomites but the poyson of yll counsell hath no remedy and lesse defensiues And fynally I saye that the venym gyuen by an enmy can but slee one emperour in Rome but the poyson gyuen by hym that is moste priuye to euyll counsell sleeth the emperour and distroyeth the common welthe And where as euery vertuous prince setteth more by perpetual renoume than this fallyble lyfe ye beinge gouernours of thempire and maysters to my sonne they that owe hym
richesse for to vndo the And they haue denied refusid to the the best that is good condicions qualitie and wysedome to maynteyne them I say to the agayn that the goddis haue ben very cruelle to the sythe they adressed the to the whyrlepoole where as all yll folke peryshe and haue taken from the the sayles and oores wherby all good folke escape The .xxxviii. yeres that I was without wyfe seemed not to me .xxxviii. dayes and the .vi. yeres that I haue ben maried seme to me .vi. hundred yeres I wyll assure the one thynge that if I had knowen before that I knowe nowe and had felt than that I fele at this houre I wold say an other thyng And though the goddis wold commande me and Adrian my mayster wolde commaunde me I wolde not chaunge my pouertie and quietnes for the mariage of the thempire But I haue desired the in thy good fortune and my selfe to myn yll fortune I haue sayde but a lyttelle and haue suffred a great deale I haue feyned a great whyle but I can feyne no longer No man suffreth his wyfe soo moche but he is bounde to suffre more Let a man that is a man consider and lykewise a woman that is a woman consyder what boldenes she is of that quarellethe with her husbande and that he is a foole that brawleth openly with his wyfe For if she be good he ought to fauour her that she maye be the better if she be a shrewe he must suffre her that she waxe not wors Euery man knoweth that all thynges suffereth chastisement saue a woman whiche as a woman wyll be desired and praide Faustine beleue me yf feare of the goddis the shame of her persone and speche of the people withdrawe not a woman from euyll all the chastisement of the worlde wyll not ouercome her The harte of man is verye noble and the harte of a woman is deyntie and wyll haue great hyre for a lytel goodnes and for moch euyl no chastysement A wyse man wyl knowe what he hath to do or he marie Than if he determyne hym to take the company of a wyfe he ought to enlarge his harte to receyue all that may come with her It is but a smalle wytte in a man to sette by the smalle fantasies of his wyfe or for to chastise openly that may be righted betwene them secretely He that is wyse and wyl lyue quietly with his wyfe ought to kepe this rule Admonishe her often and reproue her but seldome and lay no handis on her For by other meanes he getteth no fydelitie in her nor good entreatynge of her nor good bryngynge vp of their chyldren nor seruyce to the goodis nor any hope of profyte of her And thus Faustyne I wyll say no more to the but that thou consyder that I do consyder and know that I do se and that my suffrance vnknowen to the may suffyse to amende thy lyfe ¶ The emperours answere to Faustine for that she sayde she was with chylde Cap. xxi NOwe that I haue opened and put out the olde venym I wyl answere to thy present question or demande To thentent that medicines may profyte them that be sycke it is necessary to dispoyle the opilations lettes of the stomake Lykewise none can counsaylle his frende conuenientely but if he shewe fyrste his grefe Thou demaundest of me the key of my study and thou thretnest me that if I gyue it the not thou shalte be loste and hurte with thy fruyte ye womenne with chylde haue a good hostage or pledge for vnder colour of trauaylynge before your tyme ye wolde haue vs fulfylle all your fonde appetytes Whanne the holy senate in the vnhappy tyme made a lawe in fauour of Romayne matrones they were not so desirous Nowe I wote not howe it is but ye all anoyed and wery of all goodnes And all ye in all yll are desyrous and couetous As farre as I canne remembre whan Camylle made his vowe to Cybille the mother of goddis to sende hym victorie in a battayle whan he had wonne the victorie Rome was so poore that it hadde neyther golde nor syluer for to make the statute of promesse the matrones than being seing that their husbandes dyd offre their lyues in the sayde warre they granted to present their iewels to the holy senate It was a meruayllous thynge to see that withoute any spekynge to them or without any mans entysement they determyned all togyther to go to the hye capitol and there in the presence of euery man presented their owches hanginge at theyr eares The ringes of their fingers the bracelettes of their armes the perles from their attires of their heades the collers from their neckes The broches of theyr brestes the girdelles aboute theyr myddels and borders of their gownes And though that their gift was estemed to a great value yet their good wylles was estemed a greatte deale more The rychesses that they offered there was so greatte that there was not all onely inough to performe the vow of the statute but also to pursewe the warre And as than the custome of Rome was that none dyd them any plesure but he was shortly recompensed the same day that the matrones did offre theyr ryche and faire iewelles in the capitolle there was graunted vnto theym fyue maner of thynges in the Senate The fyrste that at theyr deathes the oratours shuld preache publishe and shewe their good liuinge The seconde that they shulde sit in the temple where as before they were wont to stand The thirde that they shuld were furred lyned gownes where as before they ware none but syngle The .iiii. that in theyr diseses they myght drinke wyne where as before on theyr liues they durst drinke none but water The .v. that the matrones of Rome great with chylde shulde not be refused of any thynge that they desyred These fyue thinges for certayne were iustlye and wyllyngely graunted by the senate And why this lawe that commaundethe to denaye nothynge to a woman with chylde was made I wyll tel the the occasion that moued the senate so to do Fuluius Torquate beinge consull in the warre agaynste the Volseos the knyghtes of Mauritayne broughte to Rome a wylde man that had but one eye that they hadde taken in huntynge in the desertes of Egypt And the matrones of Rome were at that tyme as sad and honeste as they be nowe bolde and lyght so was the wyfe of the said Torquate that was nyghe the tyme of her delyueraunce great with chylde of trouth a woman so honeste that for the sobre solytarines that she kepte in Rome she hadde noo lesse glorie thanne hadde her husbande in the warres for his worthynes the whiche was well proued For in the .xiiii. yere that Torquate her husbande was in Asye a warre fare the fyrste tyme that he wente thyder she was neuer sene at the wyndowe lokynge out and she was not all onely regarded for that but in all the sayde
it shalbe said it is by reason of the ignoraunce of hym selfe or by yll counsell of such as be about hym if goodnes succede to hym it shall not be attrybuted by reason of his good gouernaunce but that fortune hath suffered it and not by the circumspecte wysedome that he hath hadde in the meane seasone but that it was of the pitie that the goddis had of hym Than sithe it is thus a vertuous and a worthy prince in his ydell tymes ought secretely to rede is bokes and openly to common and counsell with wyse men And in case yll fortune wyll not permyt hym to take their counselles yet at the least he shal recouer credence among his subiectes I wil say no more to you but I estem the knowlege of a wise persō so moch that if I knewe that there were shops of sciēces as there is of other marchaundise I wold giue al y t I haue only to lerne that a wise mā lerneth in one day Finally I say that I wil not giue that litel that I haue lerned in one houre for al the gold in the worlde And more glory haue I of the bokes that I haue red and of such workes as I haue writtē thā of al the victories that I haue had or of y e realmes that I haue won ¶ What a vilayne sayde to the senatours of Rome in the presence of the emperour Cap. xxxi THis emperour being sicke as it is aforesaid on a day as there were with hym diuers phisitiōs and oratours there was a purpose moued amonge them howe greately Rome was chaunged not all onely in edifices but also in customes and was full of flaterers and vnpepled of mē that durste say the trouthe Than the emperour sayd The fyrste yere that I was consul there came a poore vilayne from the riuer of Danubie to aske iustice of the senate ayenste a censure who dydde dyuers extortions to the people and he hadde a small face and great lyppes and holowe eyes his heare curled bare heeded his shoes of a porkepes skyn his cote of gotis heare his gyldell of bulle rushes and a wyld eglantine in his hand It was a strāge thinge to se him so monstruous and meruayl to here his purpose Certainly whan I saw him com into the senate I wende it had bene some beaste in the figure of a manne And after I had harde hym I iuged hym one of the goddes if there be goddes amonge men And as the custome in the senate was that the complayntes of the poore persons were hard before the requestis of the ryche this villayne had lycence to speake and so beganne his purpose wherin he shewed him selfe as bolde in wordes as extreme and base in his aray and sayd O ye auncient fathers and happy people I Myles dwellynge in a citie on the ryuer of Danubie doo salute you Senatours that are here assembled in the sacred senate The dedes do permytte and the goddis suffre that the capytayns of Rome with theyr great pride haue redused vnder subiection the vnhappy people of Germany Great is the glory of you Romayns for your battayles that ye haue wonne throughout all the worlde But if writers say true more greater shalbe your infamy in time to come for the cruelties that ye haue done to the innocentes My predecessours had people nyghe to the flode of Danubie and bycause they dyd ylle the erthe wared drie and they drewe to the frseshe water than the water was noyful to them and they returned to the main lande What shal I say than your couetise is so great to haue steangers goodes and your pryde soo renoumed to commaunde all strange landes that the see maye not profite vs in the depenes therof nor the erthe to assure vs in the caues therof Therfore I hope in the iust goddes that as ye without reason haue cast vs out of our houses and possessions so other shal com that by reason shal cast you out of Italy and Rome And infallible rule it is that he that taketh wrongfully an other mans good shall lese the right of his owne Regard ye Romains though I be a villain yet I knowe who is iust rightwise in holding his owne and who a tyrant in possessynge others There is a rule that what so euer they that be yl haue gathered in many dayes the goddes taketh fro them in one day and contrarie wise all that euer the good haue loste in manye days the goddis restoreth to them agayne in one day Beleue me in one thynge and haue no doute therin that of the vnlaufull wynning of the fathers there foloweth the iuste losse to theyr chyldren And if the goddes toke from them that be yll euery thyng that they haue wonne as soone as it is wonne it were but reasone but in lettynge them alone therby they assemble by lyttel and lytel diuers thynges and than whan they thynke least theron is taken from them all at ones This is a iuste iugement of the goddis that sithe they haue done yll to dyuerse that some shulde do yll to them Certaynely it is not possible to any vertuous man if he be vertuous that he take any taste in an other mans good And I am sore abashed how a man kepynge an other mans good can lyue one houre Syth he seeth that he hath don iniure to the goddis sclādred his neibours plesed his enmies lost his frendes greued them that he hath robbed and aboue all hath put his owne person in peryll This is a shamefull thynge amonge menne and culpable before the goddis the man that hath the desyre of his harte and the brydelle of his warkes at suche lybertie that the lyttel that he taketh and robbeth fro the poore semeth moche to hym but a great dele of his owne semeth to hym but lyttel O what an vnhappy man is he whether he be Greke or latin that without consideration wyll change his good fame into shame iustice into wrōg ryght into tyranny or trouth into lesynge the certayne into vncertayne hauynge annoyaunce of his owne goodes and dye for other mens He that hath his principall intention to gather goodes for his chyldren and seke not for a good name amonge them that be good it is a iuste cause that he lese all his goodes and so without good name to to be shamefull amonge them that be yl Let all couetous and auaricious people knowe that neuer amonge noble men was gotten good renoume with spredynge abrode of yll gotten goodes It can not endure many dayes nor yet be hydden vnder couert many yeres a man to be holden ryche amonge them that be ryche and an honorable man amonge them that be honorable for he shal be infamed of that he hath gathered his ryches with greate couetyse or kepeth it with extreme auarice O if these couetous people were as couetous of theyr owne honour as they be of other mens goodes I swere to you that the lyttel worme or mothe that eateth
he lyueth in this worlde he holdeth his felicitie but at aduenture and his aduersitie for his naturall patrimony Amonge all them that coulde reioyce in prosperitie and helpe theym selfe in aduersitie this emperour Marcus Aurelius was one whiche for any flatterynges that Fortune coulde shewe hym he neuer trusted in them nor for myshappe that he had in this life he neuer dispayred ¶ What Marcus themperour sayd to a Senatour as touchynge triumphes Cap. xxxv WHanne these feastes were passed as Sertus Cheronense saith a senatour named Aluinus sayde to themperour the same nyght that the triumphe ceassed Syr reioyce you sythe that this day ye haue gyuen so great ryches to the common treasure of Rome and I haue sene your person in the triumph of glorie and to the worlde to come of you and your house you haue lefte perpetuall memorye The emperour hering these wordis said in this maner Frēdes it is good reson we beleue the hūter knoweth the fiersnes of vestis the phisition the propretie of herbes the mariner the perils of rockes the capitaines the chances of warre and the emperour that triumpheth the ioyes that he hath of triumphes As god helpe me and as euer I haue part with my predecessours and as euer I haue good fortune the thoughtes that I haue had for these festes haue bene farre greatter than the feares that I haue had in all the iourneyes and battayles afore And the reason therof is very euydent to theym that haue clere vnderstanding For always in cruel battailes I was euer in hope to haue glorie feared not the ouerthrow of fortune What coude I lose in battayle Nothynge but the lyfe that is the leest thyng that men haue and alwayes in these triumphes I feare to lose renowme whiche is the greatest gyfte that the goddis haue gyuen me O howe happy is that man that loseth his lyfe and leaueth behynde hym perpetuall memorie Lette euery man vnderstande this that wylle and saye what they lyste that amonge noble and valyaunt barons he dyeth not that leeseth his lyfe and leaueth good renowme after hym and moche lesse tyme lyueth he that hath an yll name thoughe he lyued many yeres The ancyent philosophers reckened not the lyfe of a man though he lyued many yeres but they reckened the good werkes that he hadde doone The senate was importune vppon me that I shulde take this triumphe as ye knowe well and I can not tell whiche was greattest theyr desyre or my resistence You knowe not the trouthe why I say thus I dyd it not bycause of ambicion and for couetousnes of glorie but it was bicause I fere y e humain malice At the day of the triumph there was not so greate ioy shewed by the symple persons but the hyd enuy was greatter among the greattest persons This glory passeth in one day but enuy abydeth a hole yere The plentifulle realme of Egipt so happy in the blodshed of their enmies as in the waters of Nyle hadde a lawe immouable They neuer denyed theyr mercy to the captiues ouercome nor they gaue no triumph to theyr capitaynes ouercomers ¶ The Caldees mocke at the Romayne triumphes affirmyng how there is not gyuen so great chastisement to the capitayne of Egipte ouercome as the empire Romayne gyue to the ouercomer whan tryumphe is gyuen to hym And surely the reason is good for the thoughtefull capytayne whanne he hathe chased his ennemyes that Rome hath in straunge londes with his owne propre speare in payement for his trauayle they gyue him ennemyes in his owne propre lande I swere to you that all the Romaine capitaynes haue not lefte so many enmyes deed by swerd as they haue recouered ylle wyllars the daye of theyr tryumphes Let vs leaue the Caldees and speake we of our auncient Romaynes whiche if they myghte retorne nowe agayne in to the worlde they wolde rather be tyed faste to the chariottes as captiues than to syt in them as vyctours And the cause is theyr neighbours seinge them goinge as captiues wolde moue theyr hartes to set theym at liberte so that the glorie of theyr tryumphes is a meane to cause them to be persecuted and pursued I haue redde in writyng and herd of my predecessours and haue seene of my neighbours that the aboundaunce of felicitie hathe caused cruel enuie to be in many O in what peril are they that with particuler honor wold be exalted among other In the moste higheste trees the force of wyndes is mooste aduaunced And in most sumptuous buildynges lyghteninge and thunder doothe mooste hurte and in greatte thycke and drye busshes the fyers kendle mooste easelye I say that in them that fortune hath reysed most hyghly agaynst them spredeth the greattest poyson of enuye All suche as be vertuous say The mo ennemies they subdue to the common welthe the moo enuious they recouer of their renoume One ought to haue great compassion of a vertuous manne bycause where he trauaileth to be good there abydeth one thynge in hym of the whiche all onely at the deth he seeth the ende And that is the more a man recouereth here renoume amonge straungers the more he is persecuted with enuy amonge his owne nations Homer shewethe in his Illiades that Caluitio kynge of the Argiues was expert in clergie valiant in armes and indued with dyuers graces beloued with his people aboue al other he was a great louer of his goddis and worshypper of them This good kynge had a custome that in all thynges that he had to do he wolde fyrste aske counsayle in the temples of the goddes he wolde begynne no warre agaynste other nor ordeyne no newe lawe nor custome in his realme nor gyue aunswere to the ambassadours nor put no trespasours to death nor set no tribute on his people but first he wolde go to the temple and make dyuers sacrifices to knowe the wyll of the goddes And bycause he went so often to the oracles he was demaunded what answere the goddis made to hym in secrete seinge he was so importunate Then he answered and sayde I demand of the goddes that they shulde not gyue me so lyttell that euery man myght abate and ouercome me Nor also that they shulde gyue me so moche that euery manne shoulde hate me but my desyre is to haue a meane estate wherewith euery manne myghte loue me For I hadde leuer be felowe with many in loue than to be kynge of all with hatred and enuy ¶ Of the great reproche that the emperour gaue to his wyfe Faustyne and her doughter Capitu. xxxvi AFter the feastes of the triumphe afore sayde this good emperour wyllynge to satysfye his harte and to aduertise Faustine his wyfe and to teche his innocēt doughter without knowledge of any other he sent for them and sayde I am not contēt Faustine with that your doughter doth and yet lesse with that you do which ar her mother These maidens for to be good maydens oughte well to knowe howe to obey theyr
Eyther I lye or I haue redde in the lawe of the Rodiens where as it is written We cōmaunde the father in marienge .x. sonnes to trauayle but one day but to mary oone vertuous doughter lette hym trauayle .x. yeres ye suffre the water come to the mouth sweate droppes of bloode trauayle the stomake disherite all his sonnes lose his goodis and aduenture his person These wordes in this law were pitieful for the doughters not lesse greuous to the sonnes For .x. sonnes by y e lawe of men ar bound to discouer to go ouer al the world but y e doughter by y e good law ought not to go out of y e hous I say more ouer that as thinges vnstable threte fallyng so lyke wise it chaunseth to yonge damselles whiche thinketh all theyr tyme loste and superfluous vnto the daye of their mariage Homere sayth it was the custome of ladies of Grece to count the yeres of theyr lyfe not fro the tyme of their byrth but from the tyme of theyr maryage As if one demaunded of a Grecian her age she wolde aunswere xx yeres if it were .xx. yeres sith she was maried though it were .lx. yeres sith she was borne Affirminge after they hadde a house to gouerne and to commande that daye she begynneth to lyue The Melon after it is rype and abydeth styll in the gardeyn can nat scape but eyther rotteth or elles must be gathered I say the mayden that taryethe longe tyll she be maried can not escape eyther to be taken or infamed I will saye no more As soone as the grapes be ripe it behouethe that they be gathered so it is necessary that the woman that is come to perfite age be maried and kept And the father that doth this casteth perill out of his house and bringeth him selfe out of thoughte and contenteth well his doughter ¶ Of a syckenes wherof themperour died of his age and where he dyed cap. xxxix MArcus the Emperour beinge olde not onely by age but by trauaile and great peines that he had taken and suffred in warres In the xviii yere of his empire and .lxii. yere of his age and of the foundation of Rome .vi. C. and .xl. as he was in Panony now called Hungarie with his hoste and Commode his sonne at a citie called Vendebone situate vpon a ryuer that had .iiii. M. fire housis and beinge in wynter and the waters great very weate wether he beinge in the fieldes about the .xxx. day of December sodainly vpon a nyghte as he wente with lanternes about his campe there toke hym a syckenes or palsey in one of his armes so that he coude not weld his speare nor yet drawe his swerde nor put on his owne clothes Than this good emperour charged with yeres and with noo lesse thoughtes and wynter increasynge with manye great snowes and fresynge of the erthe there felle on him an other malady called Lytarge the whiche put the Barbariens in great hardines and his hoste in greatte heuynes his person in peryll and his frendes in great suspect of his helthe There was done to hym all the experience that coude be founde by medicins as vnto great pryncis and lordes is accustomed And all dyd him no profite by reason the maladye was greuous and themperour charged with yeres and the ayre of the lande was contrarye to hym and the tyme helped hym nothynge and also he was not well intended And as men of worshyppe do sette more by theyr honour than by theyr lyues and had rather dye with honour thanne lyue dishonoured to assure their honour they aduenture euery houre their lyues and had leauer haue one houre of honour than a. C. yeres of lyfe So thus this sicke emperour caused him selfe to be borne all about his campe and went to see the scarmyshes and wold slepe in the feldes the which was not without great peryll of his lyfe nor without great trauaylle of his person Thus on a day the emperour beinge in a great feuer and letten bloudde harde a great clamour or noyse in the fielde made by his men that had brought home great quātitie of forage and theyr ennemies sette on theym to rescue it there was medlynge on bothe parties the one to beare away and the other to defende The Romaynes for hungre dyd what they coulde to beare it a waye And the Hungaryens fro whense it came made resystence They medled so one with an other and their debate was soo cruell that there was slayne .v. capitaynes of the Romayns the worst of them was more worthe than all the fourage that they had won And of the Hungariens were so many slayne that all the fourrage that they had loste was not so moche worth Certainly considering the crueltie that was there done the profyte that came therby was very smalle to the Romayns so that there went but a fewe away with the fourage of the Hungariens fewer was lefte to make resistence The emperour seinge the yll order and that by the reason of his bloudde lettynge and feuer he was not present at that acte he toke suche a heuynes at his harte wherby he fell into suche a traunce that it was thought he had ben deade and so he lay .iii. nyghtes and two dayes that he coude se no lyght of the skye nor speake to any persone The heate of his syckenes was greatte and his peynes greatter he dranke moche and eate lyttelle he cowlde not slepe his face was yelowe and his mouthe blacke Somtyme he lyfted vp his eies oftentymes ioyned his handes togyther He spake nothynge and syghed many tymes His throte was soo drie that he coulde not spytte his eies were verye soore with sobbynge and wepynge It was greatte compassion to see his deathe and a greate plage of confusion to his howse and also the very greate losse of his warre There durste no manne looke vppon hym and fewer speake to hym Panutius his Secretarye sorowynge at his harte to see his mayster so nere his dethe on a nyght in the presence of dyuers other that were there he sayd to hym ¶ The wordes of Panutius his secretary to themperour at the houre of his deathe Cap. xl O Marcus mi lorde there is no tongue that can be styll nor any hart suffre nor eies dissimule nor wytte that can permytte it My bloudde congeleth and my sinewes dry the stones openethe and my sowle wolde passe forthe the ioyntes vnioyne asonder and mi spirites are troubled bicause you take not the wyse and sage counsell the whiche ye gaue to other that were symple I see you my lord dye and I oughte for to be soore displeased therwith The sorowe that I fele at my hart is how you haue lyued lyke a wyse persone and at this howre you do lyke a simple man Tenne yere a knight gyueth meate to his hors to thentēt that he shulde kepe him from peryll and all that the wyse man studyeth for a longe season oughte
made a face in the worlde .xxxiii yere thou hast ben in the grace of the world nowe it is tyme fro hensforth to fall at some discorde therwith Abell kyng of the Assiriens hoped to haue but seuē yeres of good prosperitie Queene Simiramis but onely syxe Abell kynge of the Lacedemoniens fyue Eutrete kynge of the Caldeens .iiii. Alexander kynge of the grekes .iii. Amylcar the great of Carthage but two and our Gayus Cesar Romayne but one onely and many before and sythe not one yere And sith thou were the mooste vnknowen of lynage the grosseste of vnderstandynge and the leaste of power the darkest of fame and the most weke in merites wherfore than complayneste thou on fortune If thou haddest ben vertuous in all these .xxx. yeres thou haddest neuer eaten without thoughte nor neuer spoken without suspection nor slepte without stertyng thinking what thou haddest to do and wherin fortune myghte begyle the. He that is so longe besette aboute with soo many enemies I can not tell howe he shuld take any sure slepe Ah Torcate Torcate the worlde hath so many falles and we knowe so yll howe to continue amonge theym that be worldly that scantly we are fallen whan our handes and fete lyke sclaues be so faste tyed that we can not lose them It fylleth our persons full of vices strengtheth our sinewes to wickednes weaketh our hartes in vertues and fynally rendreth our spirites in a traunce and masethe our vnderstandynge and chaungeth our taste and sufferethe vs as beastes to shewe our euylles that we fele with waylynges all though as men we durst not shew it And that this is true it appereth that whanne we see that we lose we lament and complayne and none can helpe hym selfe This smal lesson I writte to the to the ende thou shuldest lyue in lesse thoughte The horse colte that thou dyddeste sende me leapeth very well The spanyell that thou sente to me is well but he is wylde the calfe was verye fatte and I wolde haue eaten it forthwith but my wyfe Faustyn besily prayed me to kepe it and thynketh that it was stolen in a gardeyne I sende to the .ii. M. sexters for to succour the in thy trauayles And as touchinge thy banyshement at tyme conuenient I shal dispatch thy matters with the senate The consolation of the goddis and the loue of man be with the Torcate The sodeynnes of euils and the yre of the furies be seperate froo me Marcus Aurelius Faustyn my wyfe greteth the and in lyke wise fro her parte and ours to thy mother in lawe and thy wyfe haue vs recommended Marc of Rome sendeth this writynge to Torcate of Gayette ¶ A letter sent to Domitius of Capue to comforte hym in his banisshemente The fourth letter MArke oratour Romayn borne on mount Celio to the Domitian of Capue salute and consolation of the goddis consolatours In this right colde wynter there arose in this lande a myghty gret wynd and by reason of the great wynde arose great quantitie of waters and the waters haue caused great humidites and great humidities brede dyuers maladies and diseases and amonge all the infirmities of this lande I haue the goute in my hande and the ciatica in my legge For the helth of my wyfe Faustine I can neyther go nor write I saye it bycause I can not write to the so longe as the case wolde require and as thy thankes meryteth and my desyre coueteth It is shewed me that by occasion of a hors thou hast had strif with Patricio thy neyghbour that thou art banished fro Capue and set in the prison Mamartyn Thy goodis are cōfisked and thy chyldren banished thy house caste downe and thy neuewe is putte out of the senate and banysshed the senate for .x. yeres It is tolde me that all the daye thou wepest and wakest by nyght in company thou diest and doest loue to reste solytarilye Thou hateste pleasure and louest pensyuenes And I haue no meruayle for the sorowefull hartes lyue with teares and wepynge and be mery laugh in dienge I am ryght sory to se the lost but moche more that for so smalle a thynge thou shuld be cast away as for a hors to lese al thyn estate O howe variable is fortune and howe soone a mysaduenture falleth before our eies Fortune gyueth these euyls we see it not with her handes she toucheth vs and we fele it not she tredeth vs vnder fete and we knowe hit not she speaketh in our eares and we here her not she crieth alowde vnto vs and we vnderstande her not and this is bycause we wyll not knowe her and finally whan we thynke we are moste surest than are we in moste peryll Trouth it is that with a lyttell wynde the fruyte falleth fro the tree and with a lyttell sparcle the house is sette a fyre a small rocke breaketh a greatte shyppe and with a lyttell stone the legge is hurte I saye that oftentyme of that we feare not cometh greatte peryll In a close Fistula rather than in an open the surgiens doubte the peryll In depe styll waters the pilote feareth more than in the great hye wawes Of secret enbushement rather than of open armies the warriour doubteth I wyll not onely say of straungers but of hys owne propre not of ennemyes but of frendes not of crewelle warre but of peace not of open domage or sclaunder but of secrete peryll and myschiefe a wyse man ought to beware Howe many haue we sene that the chances of Fortune coulde not abate and yet within a shorte whyle after vnwarenes with great ignomynious shame hath ouerthrowen them I wolde witte of the what reste can a persone haue that trusteth euer vpon the prosperitie of fortune syth for so lyght a cause we haue sene so great a stryfe in Rome and suche a losse to thy howse Seynge that I see I wyll not feare the wyndes of her trauayles nor beleue in the clerenesse of her pleasures nor her thunders shal not feare me nor wil trust vpon her flatteringes nor thanke her for that she leueth with me nor be sorye for that she taketh froo me nor wake for any trouthe that she sayth to me nor ryse for any of her leasynges nor lawghe for any thyng that she desyreth of me nor wepe for gyuing me leaue If thou knowest not the cause of this I shal tel the. Our lyfe is so doubtefull and fortune so way warde that she dothe not alway threate in strykynge nor striketh in thretnynge The wyse man gothe not soo temperately that he thynketh at euery steppe to falle nor lyue with so smalle athought to thynke to ouerthrowe in euery playn pathe For oftentymes false fortune shaketh her weapon and striketh not and an other tyme stryketh without shakynge Beleue me of one thynge Domitius That parte of the lyfe is in moste perylle whan with lyttell thoughte or care men thynke them selfe moost sure Wylt thou se the trouthe therof Cal to thy minde Hercules
souerayne folye to be borne wepynge to dye syghynge and to lyue laughynge The rule to gouerne all partes ought to be egall O Cincinate who hath begyled the that for a potte full of water thou haste nede of a greatte laake of this world to passe this wretched lyfe Wylt thou flay away the skynne of thy handes with the corde of thoughtes breake thy body in bataylle with great trauayle and aduenture thyne honour for one potte of water What wylte thou more that I shulde say but that to fyl a potte of thy goodes thou wylt suffre a. M. perylles And in the vyle exercysing of thy marchandyse thou doubtest not for lesynge of thy credence And fynally I sweare to the thou shalt abyde deed for thurste as thoughe there were no water in the feldes If thou wylt do by my counsell desyre deathe of the goddis to reste the as an aged wyse man and demaunde not rychesse to lyue yll as a yonge foole I haue soore wepte for many that I haue sene in Rome departed oute of this worlde and for the I haue wepte droppes of blode to se the retourne newly vylely to the worlde My amitie and the credite of the senate the bloude of thy predecessours the auctoritie of thy person and the honour of the countreye oughte to refrayne thy couetousnesse Oh frende thy whyte heares sheweth honour and wysedome the whiche shuld exercise and be occupied in noble dedes Regarde It auayleth more to folowe reason by the ways of them that be good than the cōmon opinyon whiche is the large way of them that be yll For though the one be strayte for the fete it reiseth no duste for to blynde the eies as the other dothe to lyghte younge persons the whyche procure lyghtnesse ignoraunce excuseth them but the disordinate couetyse of the olde persones causeth theym to occupie their lyfe with trauayle and to take deathe with great annoyaunce and in the one as welle as in the other abydeth great infamy O Cyncinate take this counsayle of a frende Charge not thy selfe with takynge of these vayne goodes syth thou haste soo smalle a morselle of thy lyfe For suche as thou arte we see consume and waste and not to quicken Put no trust in frendes in the present prosperitie for it is a pronostication of an euyll fortune And sythe thou arte in a hasarde lyke a foole me thynke thou oughtest to discende a foote lyke a sage person And thus euery man wyll saye howe Cincinate is discended and not fallen I wyll say no more but the goddis be thy sauegarde and defende bothe the and me frome gylefulle fortune My wyfe Faustyne saluteth the and she is withdrawen frome me bycause I wrote this letter to the and hathe coniured me to write this worde to the that is she saythe thou oughtest to haue wytte whan thy necke is full of heare and I thynke thou oughteste in continente to take a barber shaue away the heare that thy wytte maye come forth I wold thy couetyse shuld forsake the and foly Faustin and the gowte me and the soner our soules may departe fro our fleshe than gile shuld remayne in our hartes Marc of mount Celio writeth this with his hande ¶ A letter sente fro Marc the emperour to Catulus censorious that was sorowfull for the deth of his sonne Verissimus The .viii. letter MArc censore newe and yonge salute and reuerence to the Catulus censorius olde and auncient I haue writen two letters to the thou haste made aunswere to none of them If it be bycause thou couldest not I holde my peace If it be bycause thou woldest not than I complayne me If it be for forgetfulnes thā I accuse the If it be bycause thou setteste lyttelle by me than I appeale the If thou haste dreamed that thou haste wrytten I saye beleue not in dreames And if thou wylte not it shulde vayle to glorifie me as a frende yet thou mightest take it write in aduertisinge repreuynge as the father to the son Yong vertuous persons are bounde to honour aunciente wise men no lesse old wyse men ought to endoctrine the yong people and very yonge as I am A iuste thynge it is that the new forces of youth supply serue them that are worne by age For theyr longe experience mocketh our tender age natural ignorance youth is yl applied when it surmōteth the force of the body faylleth the vertues of the soule age is honored wherin the force dyeth outwarde wherby vertues quickneth the more inward we may se the tre whē the fruite is gadered the leues fal and whan flowers dry than more grene and perfyte are the rotes I meane that whan the first season of youth is passed which is the Somer tyme than cometh aege called wynter and putrifieth the fruite of the fleshe and the leaues of fauour falle and the floures of delyte are wyddered and the vynes of hope dried outwarde than it is right that moche better the rotes of good workes within be good They that be old and auncient ought to prayse theyr good werkes rather than theyr white heares For honour ought to be gyuen for the good lyfe and not for the whyte heade Glorious is that common welthe and fortunate is that prince that is lord of yonge men to trauayle and ancient persons to counsel As to regarde the susteynyng of the naturalitie of the life in lykewise ought to be consydered the polycie of gouernaunce the whiche is that al the fruites come nor drie not al at ones but whan one beginneth an other fayleth And in this maner ye that be auncient teachynge vs and we obedient as olde fathers and yonge pullettes beynge in the neste of the senate Of some their fethers fallyng and other yonge fethered and where as the olde fathers can not flye their trauaylles are maynteyned by theyr tender chyldren Frende Catulus I purposed not to write one lyne this yere bycause my penne was troubled with thy slouthe but the smallenesse of my spirite and the greatte peryll of myn offices always called on me to demande thy counsell This priuilege the olde wyse men holde in their houses where they dwelle They are alwayes lordes ouer them that be symple and are sclaues to them that be wyse I thynke thou haste forgotten me thynkynge that sythe the dethe of my dere sonne Verissimus the tyme hath ben so longe that I shulde forgette it Thou hast occasion to thynke so for many thynges renneth in tyme that reason can not helpe But in this case I can not tel whiche is the greattest thy trumperie or my dolour I sweare to the by the goddis immortall that the hungry wormes in the entrayles of the vnhappy chylde are not so puisante as are the cruell dolours in the harte of the father sore wounded And it is no comparison for the son is ded but one tyme ▪ y e heuy father dieth euery moment What wilt thou more
that be lyght of condicions nor a worse inuention for vacabūdes nor a more cold reuocation of mortal folke thā to lerne of these gamners trifelers such other iuglers What thing is more mōstrous thā to se wise men reioyce at the pastime of these vaine trifelers what greatter mockery can be in the capitoll thā the folyshe sayinge of a gestour to be praysed with gret laughter of wise mē what greater sclaunders can be to princis houses than to haue their gates always open to receiue in these foles and neuer open to wise folkes what gretter crueltie can there be in any person than to giue more in one day to a fole thā to his seruantes in a yere or to his kin al his life what gretter inconstācie can there be than to want men to furnishe the garisons and frontiers of Illirico and these trewādes to abide at Rome what like shame can there be to Rome than y t the memory shalbe left more in Italy of these tomblers trewādes pypers singers of gestes tabourers cruders dcāers mōmers gesters iuglers than the renome of capitains with their triūphes arme s And whan these caitifes wādred al about in Rome in sauetie sownīg their lewdenes and gaderyng of money the noble barons and capitaynes went fro realme to realme wasting their money aduenturinge their lyues and shedynge their blode ¶ In the vttermost parte of Spayne whanne warre began betwene the Liberiens and Goditaynes and they of Liberie laked money Two iuglers and tabourers offred to maynteyne the warre a hole yere And it folowed that with the goodes of two fooles many wise men were slaine and ouercome ¶ In Ephese a citie of Asie the famous temple of Dyana was edified with the confiscatiō of the goodes of suche a trewande and fole ¶ Whan Cadmus edified the citie of Thebes in Egipte with .l. gates the mynstrelles gaue hym more towarde it than all his frendes ¶ If the histories be trew whan August edified the walles of Rome he hadde more of the trewandes that were drowned in Tybre than of the common treasourie ¶ The firste kynge of Corinth arose by suche villaynes I sawe his sepulchre at Corynthie And as I saye of these smal nōbre I might say of many other Behold than Lābert howe littell care the goddis take and howe variable the case of fortune is and how the dedes of men fal Som be hadde in memory for their foly and some for their wysedome One thinge is come to my minde of the chaunce of these trewandes and that is while they be in presēce they make euery man to laugh at the folyes that they do and say and whan they be gone euery man is sory for his money that they bare away And of trouthe it is a iuste sentence of the goddis that such as haue taken vayn plesure togyther whan they are departed to weepe for their losses I wyll write noo more vnto the but I doo sende the this letter in Greke to the entente that thou shewe it ouer all the yle Sende forth ewith the shyppes agayne for they muste be sente forthe with prouisions into Illyryco Peace be with the Lamberte helthe and good fortune be with me Marc. The senate saluteth the. And thou on my behalfe shalte shewe to the Ile the ioyfull happy customes My wyfe Faustine saluteth the and sendeth a riche gyrdell to thy doughter And in recompence of the furres I sende the ryche iewelles A letter sent by Marc themperour to Catulus his speciall frende of the nouelties of Rome The xlii letter MArcus the newe Censure to the Catulus the olde Censurine It is .x. dayes past that in the temple of god Ianus I receyued thy letter and I take the same god to wytnesse that I had rather haue sene thy personne Thou wryteste howe my writynge is longe but the shortnes of tyme maketh me to aunswere the more brefely farre awaye more thanne I wold Thou desirest me to gyue the knowlege of the newes here Therto I aunswere that it were better to demaunde if there be any thynge abyden here in Rome or Italy that is old For nowe by our heuy destenies al that is good ond olde is ended and newe thinges that be yll and detestable we may se dayly Themperour the Consule the Trybune the Senatours the Ediles the Flamynes the Pretours the Centurions all these thinges be newe but the vilanies that ben olde al passeth to make newe offices and to ordeyne statutes and practykes to come to the counceles and to reyse vp subsidies In suche wise y t there hath ben nowe mo nouelties within these .iiii. yeres than in time passed in .iiii. C. yeres We nowe assemble together a. iii. C. to counsell in the capitoll and there we blason and boste swere and promise that some of vs maye subdue and put vnder other to fauour one and distroye an other other to chastise the yl and reward the good To repaire olde and edifie newe to plucke vices vp by the rootes and to plante vertues to amende the olde and folowe the good to reproue tyrauntes and assiste the poore and whenne that we are goone from thens they that spake beste wordes are often taken with the worste dedes O heuy Rome that nowe adayes hath suche Senatours that in saying we shal do we shal do passeth theyr lyfe and than euery man sekyng for his owne profyte forgetteth the common welth Oftentymes I am in the Senate to beholde other as they regard me and I am abashed to here the eloquence of their wordes the zele of Iustyce and the iustification of their persones and after that I come thens I am ashamed to se their secrete extorcions their damnable thoughtes and theyr yll werkes soo playnely manyfeste And yet there is an other thynge of more meruayle and not to be suffred that suche personnes as are mooste defamed and vse mooste dyshonest vices with their most damnable intentiōs make their auowes to do moste cruell Iustice It is an ineffable rule and of humayn malyce mooste vsed that he that is moste hardy to commytte greattest crimes is most cruel to giue sentence ageynst an other for the same offence Me thinke that we regard our owne crimes as throughe smalle nettes that causeth thinges to seme the lesser And we remēbre the fautes of other in the water that causeth thynges to seme greatter than they be O howe many haue I sene condēpned to be hanged by the senate for one smal faute done in all the lyfe and yet they commytte the same faute euery houre ¶ I haue redde that in the tyme of Alexander the great there was a renoumed pirate or a rouer on the see whiche robbed and drowned all shyppes that he coude gette and by commaundement of this good kynge Alexander there was an army sent forthe to take hym And whan he was taken and presented to Alexander the kyng sayd to hym Shewe me Dionides why doste thou kepe the see in danger
may that he wyl not and wylleth that he may not More ouer the coūsell of his frendes profiteth hym not nor the shame of his enmies nor losse of his goodes nor the aduenture of honour nor loosynge of his lyfe nor sekynge of deathe nor comynge nere nor goinge ferre nor seinge with eyes nor herynge with eares nor tastyng with mouthe nor yet feelynge of hande and finally to attayne vyctorie he hathe alway warre agaynst him selfe I wold these louers knew fro whens loue procedeth it is this The entrayles that we are bredde in is of fleshe the brestes that we sucke are of fleshe the armes that we are nourished in be of fleshe the werkes that we doo are of the fleshe by the which occasions commeth the repeale of our fleshe to their flesshe Many free hartes falle into the snares of loue It semeth well my ladies that ye are brought vp in puddels as the Egiptiēs say The puddels kepe no clere water to drinke nor fruite to eate nor fyshe to be taken nor vessell to sayle with I do say ye are fowle in your lyuynge shamefull in your persons in aduersytie feble and lethy in prosperitie subtyll and wyly false in wordes doubtfull in your werkes In hatynge ye kepe a disorder extreme to loue auaricious to gyue vnshamfaste to take and I saye ye are a receite of feare where as wyse men finde perille and simple men suffre In you wise men holde their renomes disalowed and the symple men their lyfe in penury ¶ Let vs leaue the opinyon of the Egyptiens and come to the Grekes whiche say that in the desertes of Arabye the sonne shyneth moste hote and they say that at the begynnynge there appered a woman alone with a byrde called Phenyx the whyche byrde they say was created of the water and the woman of the great heate of the sonne and of the corruption of the powdre that falleth fro the trees whiche the wormes do eate In this wyse there was a tree soore eaten with wormes and it chaunced by heate of the sonne and dryth of the powder that a fyre kendled and soo brente it and than of the fyre and powder of the sayd brent tree the fyrste woman was made And though I be a philosopher Romayne I wyll not say that the opinyon of the philosopher greke was yll For of truthe ye ladyes that be amorous haue your tonges of the nature of fyre your condicions of the rottennes of the pouder of wood After the diuersite of beestis nature hath put some strēgth in dyuers partis of their bodyes as the egle in the beake the vnicorne in the horne the serpent in the tayle the bull in the heed the beare in the armes the hors in the brest the dogge in his tethe the hogge in the groyne the wod doue in her wynges and women in their tonges Of trouth the flyghte of the wood doue is not so highe as the fantasie of your folyes nor the catte scratcheth not so soore with her nayles as ye scratche foles with your importunities nor the dogge hurteth not them that he renneth at as ye doo the sorowfull louer that seruethe you nor he is not in soo greatte perill of his lyfe that catcheth the bulle by the hornes as the good fame of the louer is that falleth into your handes And finally the serpent hath not so moche poyson in his tayle as ye haue in your tongues Set all the good Romayne ladyes apart for there be many of whom there is no complaynt of their persones nor suspection of their good names Of all suche my letter speketh not nor my penne writeth not of them but of other I speake of women that be suche that all venemous beastes haue not so moch poyson in their bodies as they haue in their tonges And sith that the goddis haue commaunded and our destenies do permyt that the lyfe of men can not passe without women therfore I aduertyse these yonge people and pray them that be olde and awake wyse men and tech the symple to flee away from women of yl name rather than from a comon pestilence ¶ Redynge the auncient lawes of Plato I fynde writen thus we cōmand y t al women opēly infamed be opēly put out of the citie to thentēt that other seing their sinnes not vnpunished may abhorre the sinne for feare to fal into the same peyne Also the same lawe sayth We command that pardon be giuen to a woman of all the fautes commytted by her owne body if any amendement be sene in her but neuer to pardon theym that haue commytted synne with their tonges For commyttynge synne with an yl persone is of fragilitie but with the tongue it is of pure malyce ¶ O diuine Plato master measure of al vnderstāding and prince of all philosophers whanne thou madeste that lawe in the golden world that there was neuer such scarcitie of yll women and so great aboundance of good women in Grece What shall we doo nowe in Rome where there be so many ylle openly amd so fewe good in secrete Naturally they were wonte to be shamefaste in theyr vysages temperate in wordes wyse of wyt sobre in goinge meke in conuersation pitiefull in correction well regardynge their lyuynge not kepynge companies stedfaste in promesse and constant in loue Fynally let not the woman that wyll be good truste in the wisedome of wise men nor in the flatterie of lyghte folkes But lette her vertuously regarde her renoume and beware alwayes of any manne that maketh her any promys For after that the flames of Venus be set on fire and Cupide hath shot his arrowes the ryche man offereth all that he hath the poore man all that he may the wyse man sayth he wyll be her great frēd and the symple alway her seruaunt the wyse man wyl lose his lyfe for her and the foole wyll take his deathe for her The olde man wyl say he wyl be frend to her frendes and the yong man wyl say he wyl be ennemie to her enemies Some wil promys to pay her debtes and other to reuēge her iniuries Fynally to hyde their pouertie and to shewe their beautie they leaue these fooles losing their persones and good fames I wille leaue to speake of good women for it is not myn intent to laye any thynge to theyr charge but to aduertyse them well I demaunde of you amorous ladies if Platon was there whan ye made a playe of my lyfe and drewe my fygure about in Rome No surely in dede by that I se in you at this tyme it is suspecious that is sayde of other For there is but a fewe in Rome whom Plato and his lawe dothe excuse One thynge ye can not deny if I were the worste of all menne at the laste ye haue founde the ende of my vilanies And ye can not denye me but she that is leaste yll of you in all my lyfe I coude not shewe the malyce of her lyfe It is greatte peryll to