was chosen captaine of the great shippe Argus and had commission to sayle euery where to chase and driue awaye rouers and pyrates and to scoure the seas through out About this time Daedalus being fled from CRETA to ATHENS in a litle barke Minos contrarie to this restraint woulde needes followe him with a fleete of diuers vessels with owers who being by force of weather driuen with the coaste of SICILE fortuned to dye there Afterwardes his sonne Deucalion being marucilously offended with the ATHENIANS sent to summone them to deliuer Daedalus vnto him or els he woulde put the children to death which were deliuered to his father for hostages But Theseus excused him selfe and sayed he coulde not forsake Daedalus considering he was his neere kynseman being his cosin germaine for he was the sonne of Merope the daughter of Erichtheus Howbeit by and by he caused many vessels secretly to be made parte of them within ATTICA selfe in the village of Thymetades farre from any highe wayes and parte of them in the cittie of TROEZEN by the sufferance of Pitheus his grandfather to the ende his purpose shoulde be kept the secretlyer Afterwardes when all his shippes were readye and rygged out he tooke sea before the CRETANS had any knowledge of it in so much as when they sawe them a farre of they dyd take them for the barkes of their friends Theseus landed without resistaunce and tooke the hauen Then hauing Daedalus and other banished CRETANS for guydes he entred the cittie selfe of GNOSVS where he slewe Deucalion in a fight before the gates of the Labyrinthe with all his garde and officers about him By this meanes the kingdome of CRETA fell by inheritance into the handes of his sister Ariadne Theseus made league with her and caryed away the yong children of ATHENS which were kept as hostages and concluded peace and amytie betweene the ATHENIANS and the CRETANS who promised and sware they woulde neuer make warres against them They reporte many other things also touching this matter and specially of Ariadne but there is no trothe nor certeintie in it For some saye that Ariadne honge her selfe for sorowe when she sawe that Theseus had caste her of Other write that she was transported by mariners into the I le of NAXOS were she was maryed vnto O Enarus the priest of Bacchus and they thincke that Theseus lefte her bicause he was in loue with another as by these verses shoulde appeare AEgles the Nymphe vvas loued of Theseus vvhich vvas the daughter of Panopeus Hereas the Megarian sayeth that these two verses in olde time were among the verses of the Poet Hesiodus howbeit Pisistratus tooke them awaye as he dyd in like manner adde these other here in the description of the helles in Homer to gratifie the ATHENIANS Bolde Theseus and Pirithous stovvte descended both from godds immortall race Triumphing still this vvearie vvorlde aboute infeats of armes and many acomly grace Other holde opinion that Ariadne had two children by Theseus the one of them was named O Enopion and the other Staphylus Thus amongest others the Poet Ion writeth it who was borne in the I le of CHIO and speaking of his cittie he sayeth thus O Enopion vvhich vvas the sonne of vvorthy Theseus did cause men buylde this stately tovvne vvhich novve triumpheth thus Nowe what things are founde seemely in Poets fables there is none but dothe in manner synge them But one Paenon borne in the cittie of AMATHVNTA reciteth this cleane after another sorte and contrarie to all other saying that Theseus by tempest was driuen with the I le of CYPRVS hauing with him Ariadne which was great with childe and so sore sea sycke that she was not able to abide it In so muche as he was forced to put her a lande and him selfe afterwards returning abourde hoping to saue his shippe against the storme was forthwith compelled to loose into the sea The women of the countrye dyd curteously receyue and intreate Ariadne and to comforte her againe for she was marucilously oute of harte to see she was thus forsaken they counterfeated letters as if Theseus had wrytten them to her And when her groninge time was come and she to be layed they did their best by all possible meanes to saue her but she dyed notwithstanding in labour and could neuer be deliuered So she was honorably buried by the Ladies of CYPRVS Theseus not long after returned thither againe who tooke her death maruelous heauily and left money with the inhabitantes of the countrie to sacrifice vnto her yearely and for memorie of her he caused two litle images to be molten the one of copper and the other of siluer which he dedicated vnto her This sacrifice is done the seconde day of September on which they doe yet obserue this ceremonie they doe lay a young childe vpon a bed which pitiefully cryeth and lamenteth as women trauellinge with childe They saye also that the AMATHVSIANS doe yet call the groue where her tombe is sette vp the wodde of Venus Adriadne And yet there are of the NAXIANS that reporte this otherwise saying there were two Minoes and two Adriadnees whereof the one was maried to Bacchus in the I le of NAXOS of whome Staphylus was borne and the other the youngest was rauished and caried away by Theseus who afterwardes forsooke her and she came into the I le of NAXOS with her nurce called Corcyna whose graue they doe shewe yet to this day This seconde Adriadne dyed there also but she had no such honour done to her after her death as to the first was geuen For they celebrate the feaste of the first with all ioye and mirthe where the sacrifices done in memorie of the seconde be mingled with mourninge and sorowe Theseus then departing from the I le of CRETA arriued in the I le of DELOS where he did sacrifice in the temple of Apollo and gaue there a litle image of Venus the which he had gotten of Adriadne Then with the other young boyes that he had deliuered he daunced a kinde of daunce which the DELIANS keepe to this day as they say in which there are many turnes and returnes much after the turninges of the Labyrinthe And the DELIANS call this manner of daunce the crane as Dicaorcus sayeth And Theseus daunced it first about the altar which is called Ceraton that is to saye horne-staffe bicause it is made and builded of hornes onely all on the left hande well and curiously sette together without any other bindinge It is sayed also that he made a game in this I le of DELOS in which at the first was geuen to him that ouercame a braunche of palme forreward of victorie But when they drewe neere the coast of ATTICA they were so ioyfull he and his master that they forgate to set vp their white sayle by which they shoulde haue geuen knowledge of their healthe and safetie vnto AEgeus Who
any treason Euen so thought Lycurgus that such a buylt house would neuer receyue curiositie or daintines For no man is so maddely disposed or simple witted as to bring into so poore and meane houses bedsteades with siluer seete imbrodered couerlettes or counterpoyntes of purple silke neither yet plate of golde nor of siluer nor suche other like costly furniture and finenes as those things require to wayte vpon them bicause the beddes must be aunswerable to the meanenes of the house the furnitures of the beddes must be surelike to the same and all other householde stuffe dyet meate and drincke agreable to the rest Hereof proceeded that which Leontychidas the first King of that name sayed once who supping on a time in the cittie of CORINTHE and seeing the roofe of the hall where he satte sumptuously embowed and carued he asked straight if the trees dyd growe carued so in that countrie The third lawe was he dyd forbyd them to make warre often with one enemie lest the enemie forced to take often armes in hande might in the ende growe experter and vallianter then they For this cause king Agesilaus was greatly blamed who was a longe time after For by making often warres with the countrie of BOâ—OTIA he made the THEBANS in the ende as expert and valliant souldiers as the LACEDAEMONIANS Whereupon Antalcidar seeing him hurte one daye sayed vnto him The THEBANS haue nobely rewarded thee for their learning sith thou hast made them expert soldiers vnwilling to learne the discipline of warre These be the lawes Lycurgus selfe called Retra and signifie as muche as Oracles that the god Apollo had discouered to him Nowe the education of children he esteemed the chiefest and greatest matter that a reformer of lawes should establishe Therefore beginning a farre of he first considered the state of mariage and the generation of children For Aristotle sayeth that Lycurgus dyd attempt to reforme women and dyd soone geue it ouer againe bicause he could doe no good therein by reason of the great libertie they had taken by the absence of their husbands in the warres compelled often so to be abroade and that they dyd leaue them mistresses of their house and at their returne dyd honour them so muche and make of them so beyonde measure with calling them ladyes and mistresses Howbeit this is true that he had an eye to the rule and order of their life aswell as he had of mens and so reason dyd require First of all he willed that the maydens should harden their bodyes with exercise of running wrestling throwe the barre and casting the darte to the ende that the fruite wherewith they might be afterwardes conceyued taking norishement of a stronge and lustie bodye should shoote out and spread the better and that they by gathering strength thus by exercises should more easely awaye with the paynes of childe bearing And to take awaye from them their womanishe dayntines and fines he brought vp a custome for young maydes and boyes to goe as it were a precession and to daunce naked at solemne feastes and sacrifices and to singe certaine songes of their owne making in the presence and sight of young men To whom by the waye they gaue many times prety mockes of purpose as pleasauntly hitting them home for things wherein before they had forgotten their dueties and sometimes also in their songe for their vertues wittes or manners they praysed them which had deserued it By this meanes they dyd set young mens hartes a fire to striue to winne most prayse and honour For who so was praysed of them for a valliant man or whose worthy actes were songe by them he thereby was incoraged to doe the better another time and the pretie girdes and quippes they gaue to others was of no lesse force then the sharpest wordes and admonitions that otherwise could be geuen them This tooke place the rather bicause it was done in the presence of the Kings the Senatours all the rest of the cittizens which came thither to see these sportes And though the maydes dyd shewe them selues thus naked openly yet was there no dishonesty seene nor offred but all this sporte was full of playe and toyes without any youthfull parte or wantonnes and rather caried a shewe of demurenes and a desire to haue their best made bodyes seene and spyed Moreouer it somewhat lifted vp their hartes and made them noblier minded by geuing them to vnderstand that it was no lesse comely for them in their kynde and exercises to carie the bell then it was for men in their games and exercises to carie the price Hereof it came that the women of LACEDAEMON were so bolde to saye and thincke of them selues that which Gorgona the wife of king Leonidas one daye aunswered being in talke with a straunge woman that sayed to her There be no women in the worlde that commaund their husbands but you wiues of LACEDAEMON Whereto the Queene straight replyed so be there no women but we which bringe forth men Furthermore these playes sportes and daunses the maydes dyd naked before younge men were prouocations to drawe and allure the young men to marye not as persuaded by geometricall reasons as sayeth Plato but brought to it by liking and of very loue Those which would not marye he made infamous by lawe For it was not lawfull for suche to be present where these open games and pastimes were shewed naked Furthermore the officers of the cittie compelled suche as would not marye euen in the hardest time of the winter to enuironne the place of these sportes and to goe vp and downe starcke naked and to singe a certaine songe made for the purpose against them which was that iustely were they punished bicause that lawe they disobeyed Moreouer when suche were olde they had not the honour and reuerence done them which old maried men vsually receiued Therefore there was no man that misliked or reproued that which was spoken to Dercillidas albeit otherwise he was a noble captaine For comming into a presence there was a young man which would not vowchesafe to rise doe him reuerence nor to geue him place for to sit downe worthtly q he bicause thou hast not gotten a sonne who maye doe so muche for me in time to come Those which were desirous to marie any were driuen to take them awaye by force whom they would marie not litle younge wenches I meane which were not of age to be maried but lustie strong maides of age to beare children And when one of them was stolen awaye in this sorte she that was priuie thereto and meane to make the mariage came and shaued the heares of her head that was maried then she put her into mans apparell gaue her all things sute like to the same and layed her vpon a matteresse all alone without light or candell After this was done the bridegroome being neither droncke nor finelier apparrelled then he was wonte
For thus it was as Thraseas writeth who referreth all to the report and credit of one Munatius Catoes very famillier friend Amonge many that loued Catoes vertues and had them in admiration some of them did shew him more what he was then other some did amongest the which was Q. Hortensius a man of great honestie and authoritie He desiring not onely to be Catoes friend and famillier but also to ioyne with him in alliance and by affinitie to make both their houses one was not abashed to moue him to let him haue his Daughter Porcia in mariage which was Bibulus wife had brought him two children that he might also cast abroade the seede of goodly children in that pleasant fertile ground And though to men this might seeme a straunge mind and desire yet that in respect of nature it was both honest and profitable to the common wealth not to suffer a young woman in the prime of her youth to lose the frute of her wombe being apt to beare children nor also that he should impouerish his sonne in lawe with moe children then one house needed And further that communicating women in this sort from one to another specially beeing bestowed apon worthy and vertuous men that vertue should thereby bee increased the more being so dispersed in diuers families the citie likewise should be the stronger by making alliances in this sort together And if it be so q he that Bibulus doe loue his wife so dearly that he wil not depart from her altogether then that he would restore her to him again when he had a child by her that therby he might be the more bound in frendship to him by meanes of this communication of children with Bibulus selfe and with him Cato aunswered him that he loued Hortensius well and liked of his alliance howbeit that he maruelled he would speake to him to let him haue his Daughter to get children of sith he knew that she was maried to an other Then Hortensius altering his tale stucke not to tell him his mind plainly and to desire his wife of him the which was yet a young woman and Cato had children enough But a man can not tell whether Hortensius made this sute bicause he saw Cato make no reckoning of Martia for that she was then with child by him In fine Cato seeing the earnest desire of Hortensius he did not deny him her but told him that he must also get Philips good wil the father of Martia He knowing that Cato had graunted his good wil would not therfore let him haue his daughter before that Cato him selfe by his presence did confirme the contract mariage with him Though these thinges were done longe after yet hauing occasion to talke of Catoes wiues I thought it not amisse to anticipate the time Now Lentulus and his consorts of Catilines conspiracie being put to death Caesar to cloke the accusations wherewith Cato charged him in open Senate did put him self into the peoples hands and gathering the rakehells and seditious persons together which sought to set al at six and seuen he did further encorage them in their mischieuous intent practises Whereuppon Cato fearing least such rabble of people should put all the common wealth in vprore daunger he perswaded the Senat to winne the poore needy people that had nothing by distributing of corne amongest them the which was done For the charge thereof amownted yearely vnto twelue hundred and fifty talents This liberalitie did manifestly drinke vp and quench all those troubles which they stoode in feare of But on thother side Metellus entring into his Tribuneship made certen seditious orations and assemblies preferred a law to the people that Pompey the great should presently be called into ITALY with his armie that he should keepe the citie by his comming from the present daunger of Catilins conspiracie These were but words spoken for facions sake but in deede the law had a secret meaning to put the whole common wealth and Empire of ROME into Pompeys hands Hereuppon the Senate assembled wherein Cato at his first comming spake somewhat gently and not to vehemently against Metellus as his maner was to be sharpe vnto them that were against him but modestly perswaded him and fell to intreate him in the end and highly to extoll his house for that they had alwaies taken part with the Senate and nobilitie But Metellus therewith tooke such pride conceit of him selfe that he began to despise Cato thinking he had vsed that mildnes as though he had beene affraide of him insomuch as he gaue out prowd speeches against him and cruell threats that in despite of the Senate he would do that which he had vndertaken Then Cato chaunging his countenaunce his voice and speech after he had spoken very sharply against him in the ende he roughly protested that while he liued he would neuer suffer Pompey to come into ROME with his armie The Senate hearing them both thought neither of both well in their witts but that Metellus doings was a furie which proceeding of a cancred stomake and extreame malice would put all in hazard that which Cato did was a rauishment and extacy of his vertue that made him beside him selfe contending for iustice and equitie When the day came that this law should passe by voyces of the people Metellus fayled not to be in the market place with a worlde of straungers slaues and sensers armed and set in battell raye besides a number of the common people that were desirous to see Pompeys returne hoping after chaunge Besides all those Caesar then being Praetor gaue ayde likewise with his men in the behalf of Metellus On the contrary part also the noble men and Senators of the citie were as angry as Cato and said it was a horrible shame howbeit they were his friendes rather in misliking the matter then in defending the common wealth Whereuppon all his friendes at home and his whole family were maruailously perplexed sorowfull that they both refused their meate and also could take no rest in the night for feare of Cato But he as one without feare hauing a good hart with him did comfort his people and bad them not sorow for him and after he had supped as he commonly vsed to doe he went to bed and slept soundly all night till the morning that Minutius Thermus his colleague fellow Tribune came called him So they both went together into the market place accompanied with a very few after them Whereuppon diuers of their friends came and met them by the way bad them take heede vnto them selues When they were come into the market place and that Cato saw the temple of Castor and Pollux full of armed men and the degrees or steppes kept by sword players and fensers and Metellus on the top of them set by Caesar turning to his friends he sayd see I pray you the coward there what a number of armed men he
very well brought vp in the LACONIAN discipline and better then any man of his yeares Cleomenes did loue him dearely and commaunded him that when he should see he were dead and all the rest also that then he should kill him selfe last of all Now they all being layed on the ground he searched them one after another with the poynt of his sword to see if there were any of them yet left aliue and when he had pricked Cleomenes on the heele amongest others and saw that he did yet knit his browes he kissed him sate downe by him Then perceiuing that he had yelded vp the ghost imbracing him when he was dead he also slue him selfe and fell vpon him Thus Cleomenes hauing raigned king of SPARTA sixteene yeares being the same manner of man we haue described him to be he ended his dayes in this sort as ye heare Now his death being presently bruted through the citie Cratesiclea his mother though otherwise she had a noble minde did notwithstanding a litle forget her greatnes through thextreame sorow she felt for the death of her sonne and so imbracing Cleomenes sonnes she fell to bitter lamentacion But the eldest of his sonnes no man mistrusting any such matter found meanes to get out of her handes running vp to the toppe of the house cast him selfe headlong downe to the ground that his head was all broken and splitted yet died not but was taken vp crying and angry with them that they would not suffer him to dye This newes being brought to king Ptolomy he commaunded they should first flea Cleomenes and then hange vp his body and also that they should put his children his mother and all her women wayting on her to death among the which was Panteas wife one of the fayrest and curteousest women in her tyme They had not beene longe maried before when these mischieues lighted apon them at what tyme their loue was then in greatest force Her parents then would not let her depart and imbarke with her husband but had locked her vp and kept her at home by force Howbeit shortly after she found the meanes to get her a horse some money and stale away in the night and gallopped towards the hauen of Taenarus where finding a shippe ready bound for AEGYPT she imbarked and went to seeke her husband with whome she gladly and louingly ledde her life forsaking her owne contry to liue in a straunge Realme Now when the Sergeaunts came to take Cratesiclea to put her to death Panteas wife led her by the arme carying vp her traine and did comfort her although Cratesiclea otherwise was not affraid to dye but onely asked this fauor that she might dye before her litle children This notwithstanding when they came to the place of execution the hangman first slue her children before her eyes and then her selfe afterwards who in such great griefe and sorowe sayd no more but thus Alas my poore children what is become of you And Panteas wife also being a mighty tall woman girding her clothes to her tooke vp the slayne bodies one after another and wrapped them vp in such things as she could get speaking neuer a word nor shewing any signe or token of griefe and in fine hauing prepared her self to dye and plucked of her attyre her selfe without suffering any other to come neare her or to see her but the hangman that was appoynted to stryke of her head In this sorte she dyed as constantly as the stowtest man liuing could haue done and had so couered her body that no man needed after her death to touche her so carefull was she to her ende to keepe her honestie which she had alwayes kept in her life and in her death was mindefull of her honor wherewith she decked her body in her life tyme Thus these LACEDAEMON Ladies playing their partes in this pitifull tragedie contending at the time of death euen with the corage of the slayne SPARTANS their contrymen which of them should dye most constantly left a manifest proofe and testimonie that fortune hath no power ouer fortitude and corage Shortly after those that were appoynted to keepe the body of king Cleomenes that hong vpon the crosse they spied a great Serpent wreathed about his head that couered all his face insomuch as no rauening fowle durst come neare him to eate of it whereuppon the king fell into a supersticious feare being affrayd that he had offended the goddes Hereuppon the Ladyes in his Court began to make many sacrifices of purification for the cleering of this sinne perswading them selues that they had put a man to death beloued of the gods and that he had something more in him then a man The ALEXANDRINIANS thereuppon went to the place of execution and made their prayers vnto Cleomenes as vnto a demy god calling him the sonne of the goddes Vntill that the learned men brought them from that error declaring vnto them that like as of oxen being dead and rotten there breede bees and of horse also come waspes of asses likewise bitels euen so mens bodies when the marie melteth and gathereth together doe bringe forth Serpents The which comming to the knowledge of the auncients in olde tyme of all other beastes they did consecrate the Dragon to Kinges and Princes as proper vnto man. The end of the life of Agis and Cleomenes TIBERIVS AND CAIVS GRACCHI NOW that we haue declared vnto you the historie of the liues of these two GRAECIANS Agis and Cleomenes aforesayd we must also write the historie of two ROMANES the which is no lesse lamentable for the troubles and calamities that chaunced vnto Tiberius and Caius both of them the sonnes of Tiberius Gracchus He hauing bene twise Consul and once Censor and hauing had the honor of two triumphs had notwithstanding more honor and fame onely for his valiantnes for the which he was thought worthy to marye with Cornelia the daughter of Scipio who ouercame Hanniball after the death of his father though while he liued he was neuer his friend but rather his enemy It is reported that Tiberius on a tyme found two snakes in his bed and that the Soothsayers and wysards hauing considered the signification thereof did forbid him to kill them both and also to let them both escape but one onely assuring him that if he killed the male he should not liue long after and if he killed the female that then his wife Cornelia shoulde dye Tiberius then louing his wife dearely thinking it meeter for him also that he being the elder of both and she yet a younge woman should dye before her he slue the male and let the female escape howbeit he dyed soone after leauing twelue children aliue all of them begotten of Cornelia Cornelia after the death of her husband taking vpon her the rule of her house and children led such a chast life was so good to her children and of so noble a minde that euery man
graunt the most straungest and oldest opinion of this which sayth that there be euill spirites which enuying the vertue of good men to withdraw them from their godly mindes doe make them affrayed with these fearefull sights intising them to forsake their godlynes least that persisting therein they should be rewarded with better life in the world to come then theirs is But let vs referre this disputacion to some other booke and now in this twelfth couple of these famous mens liues compared let vs first begin to write the life of him that is the elder of these two men we speake of Dionysius the elder after he had the gouernment of SICILIA in his handes he maried the daughter of Hermocrates a citizen of SYRACVSA But yet not being throughlie settled in his tyrannie that SYRACVSANS did rebell against him did so cruellie and abhominablie handle the bodie of his wife that she willinglie poysoned her selfe So after he had established him selfe in his gouernment with more suretie then before he maried againe two other wiues together the one a straunger of the citie of LOCRES called Doride and the other of the contry it selfe called Aristomaché the daughter of Hipparinus the chiefest man of all SYRACVSA and that had bene companion with Dionysius the first time he was chosen Generall It was sayd that Dionysius maried them both in one day and that they could neuer tell which of them he knewe first but otherwise that he made as much of the one as he did of the other For they commonly sate together with him at his table and did either of them lye with him by turnes though the SYRACVSANS would haue their owne contrywoman preferred before the straunger Howebeit the straunge woman had this good happe to bring foorth Dionysius his eldest sonne which was a good countenaunce to defend her being a forreiner Aristomaché in contrarie maner continued a long time with Dionysius without frute of her wombe although he was verie desirous to haue children by her so that he put the LOCRIAN womans mother to death accusing her that she had with sorceries and witchcraft kept Aristomaché from being with child Dion being the brother of Aristomaché was had in great estimation at the first for his sisters sake but afterwards the tyran finding him to be a wise man he loued him thē for his owne sake Insomuch that among many sundrie things pleasures he did for him he commaunded his Treasorers to let him haue what money he asked of them so they made him acquainted withall the selfe same day they gaue him any Nowe though Dion had euer before a noble minde in him by nature yet muche more did that magnanimitie increase when Plato by good fortune arriued in SICILE For his comming thither surelie was no mans deuise as I take it but the verie prouidence of some god who bringing farre of the first beginning and fundation of the libertie of the SYRACVSANS and to ouerthrow the tyrannicall state sent Plato out of ITALIE vnto the citie of SYRACVSA and brought him acquainted with Dion who was but a young man at that time but yet had an apter witte to learne and redier good will to follow vertue then any young man else that followed Plato as Plato him selfe writeth and his owne doinges also doe witnesse For Dion hauing from a child bene brought vp with humble conditions vnder a tyran and acquainted with a seruile timerous life with a prowde and insolent reigne with all vanity and curiositie as placing chiefe felicity in couetousnes neuerthelesse after he had felt the sweete reasons of Philosophie teaching the broad way to vertue his hart was enflamed straight with earnest desire to follow the same And bicause he found that he was so easelie perswaded to loue vertue and honestie he simplie thinking being of an honest plaine nature that the selfe same perswasions would moue a like affection in Dionysius obteined of Dionysius that being at leasure he was contented to see Plato and to speake with him When Plato came to Dionysius all their talke in maner was of vertue and they chiefely reasoned what was fortitude where Plato proued that tyrans were no valliant men From thence passing further into iustice he told him that the life of iust men was happy and contrarily the life of vniust men vnfortunate Thus the tyran Dionysius perceiuing he was ouercomen durst no more abide him and was angrie to see the standers by to make suche estimacion of Plato and that they had such delight to heare him speake At length he angrily asked him what businesse he had to doe there Plato aunswered him he came to seeke a good man Dionysius then replied againe what in Gods name by thy speache then it seemeth thou hast founde none yet Now Dion thought that Dionysius anger would proceede no further and therefore at Platoes earnest request he sent him away in a galley with three bankes of owers the which Pollis a LACEDAEMONIAN Captaine caried backe againe into GRAECE Howbeit Dionysius secretlie requested Pollis to kill Plato by the way as ouer he would doe him pleasure if not yet that he would sell him for a slaue howsoeuer he did For said he he shall be nothing the worse for that bicause if he be a iust man he shall be as happie to be a slaue as a freeman Thus as it is reported this Pollis caried Plato into the I le of AEGINA and there sold him For the AEGINETES hauing warre at that time with the ATHENIANS made a decree that all the ATHENIANS that were taken in their Ile should be sold. This notwithstanding Dionysius refused not to honor and trust Dion as much as euer he did before and did also sende him Ambassador in matters of great weight As when he sent him vnto the CARTHAGINIANS where he behaued him selfe so well that he wan great reputacion by his iorney and the tyran coulde well away with his plaine speach For no man but he durst say their mindes so boldly vnto him to speake what he thought good as on a time he reproued him for Gelon One day when they mocked Gelons gouernment before the tyrans face and that Dionysius him selfe sayd finely deskanting of his name which signifieth laughture that he was euen the verie laughing stocke him selfe of SICILE the Courtiers made as though they liked this encounter and interpretacion of laughture passingly well But Dion not being well pleased withall sayd vnto him for his sake men trusted thee whereby thou camest to be tyran but for thine owne sake they will neuer trust any man For to say truly Gelon shewed by his gouernment that it was as goodly a thing as coulde be to see a citie gouerned by an absolute Prince but Dionysius by his gouernment on thother side made it appeare as detestable a thing This Dionysius had by his LOCRIAN wife three children and by Aristomaché foure of the which two were daughters the
make them gouernors and heades of the same Pitheus grandfather to Theseus on the mothers side was one of his sonnes and founded the litle city of TROEZEN and was reputed to be one of the wisest men of his time But the knowledge and wisedom which onely caried estimacion at that time consisted altogether in graue sentences and morall sayinges As those are which wanne the Poet Hesiodus such fame for his booke intituled The workes and dayes in the which is read euen at this present this goodly sentence which they father vpon Pitheus Thou shalt performe thy promise and thy pay to hyred men and that vvithout delay And this doth Aristotle the Philosopher himselfe testifie and the Poet Euripides also calling Hippolytus the scholler of the holy Pitheus doth sufficiently declare of what estimacion he was But AEgeus desiring as they say to know how he might haue children went vnto the city of DELPHES to the oracle of Apollo where by Apolloes Nunne that notable prophecy was geuen him for an aunswer The which did forbid him to touch or know any woman vntill he was returned againe to ATHENS And bicause the words of this prophecy were somewhat darke hard he tooke his way by the city of TROEZEN to tell it vnto Pitheus The wordes of the prophecy were these O thou vvhich art a gemme of perfect grace plucke not the tappe out of thy trusty toonne Before thou do returne vnto thy place in Athens tovvne from vvhence thy race doth roonne Pitheus vnderstanding the meaning perswaded him or rather cunningly by some deuise deceiued him in such sorte that he made him to lye with his daughter called AEthra AEgeus after he had accompanied with her knowing that she was Pitheus daughter with whom he had lyen and douting that he had gotten her with child left her a sword and a payer of shoes the which he hidde vnder a great hollow stone the hollownes wherof serued iust to receiue those things which he layed vnder it and made no liuing creature priuy to it but her alone straightly charging her that if she happened to haue a sonne when he were come to mans state of strength to remoue the stone and to take those things from vnder it which he left there that she should then sende him vnto him by those tokens as secretly as she could that no body els might knowe of it For he did greatly feare the children of one called Pallas the which laye in wayte and spyall by all the meanes they could to kill him only of despight bicause he had no children they being fiftie brethern and all begotten of one father This done he departed from her And AEthra within fewe moneths after was deliuered of a goodly sonne the which from that time was called Theseus and as some say so called bicause of the tokens of knowledge his father had layed vnder the stone Yet some others write that it was afterwardes at ATHENS when his father knewe him and allowed him for his sonne But in the meane time during his infancie childehood he was brought vp in the house of his grādfather Pitheus vnder the gouernmēt teaching of one called Cōnidas his schoolemaster in honour of whom the ATHENIANS to this daye doe sacrifice a weather the daye before the great feaste of Theseus hauing more reason to honour the memorye of this gouernour then of a Silanion and of a Parrhesius to whom they doe honour also bicause they paynted and caste mowldes of the images of Theseus Now there was a custome at that time in GRECE that the yong men after their infancie and growth to mans state went vnto the cittie of DELPHES to offer parte of their heares in the temple of Apollo Theseus also went thither as other did and some saye that the place where the ceremonie of this offering was made hath euer sence kept the olde name and yet continueth Theseia Howbeit he dyd not shaue his head but before only as Homer sayeth like the facion of the ABANTES in olde time and this manner of shauing of heares was called for his sake Theseida And as concerning the ABANTES in trothe they were the very first that shaued them selues after this facion neuertheles they learned it not of the ARABIANS as it was thought of some neither dyd they it after the imitation of the MISSIANS But bicause they were warlike and valliant men which did ioyne neere vnto their enemie in battell and aboue all men of the worlde were skilfullest in fight hande to hande and woulde keepe their grounde as the Poet Archilochus witnesseth in these verses They vse no slynges in foughten fields to have nor bended bovves but svvords and trenchant blades For vvhen fierce Mars beginneth for to raue in bloody field then euery man inuades His fiercest foe and fighteth hand to hand then doe they deeds right cruell to reconpt For in this vvise the braue and vvarlike bande Doe shevv their force vvhich come from Negrepont The cause why they were thus shauen before was for that their enemies should not haue the vauntage to take them by the heares of the head while they were fighting And for this selfe same consideration Alexander the great commaunded his captaines to cause all the MACEDONIANS to shaue their beards bicause it is the easiest holde and readiest for the hande a man can haue of his enemie in fighting to holde him fast by the same But to returne to Theseus AEthra his mother had euer vnto that time kept it secret from him who was his true father And Pitheus also had geuen it out abroade that he was begotten of Neptune bicause the TROEZENIANS haue this god in great veneration and doe worshippe him as patron and protector of their cittie making offerings to him of their first fruites and they haue for the marke and stampe of their money the three picked mace which is the signe of Neptune called his Trident But after he was comen to the prime and lustines of his youth and that with the strength of his bodie he shewed a great courage ioyned with a naturall wisedome and stayednes of wit then his mother brought him to the place where this great hollowe stone laye and telling him truely the order of his birth and by whom he was begotten made him to take his fathers tokens of knowledge which he had hidden there gaue him counsell to goe by sea to ATHENS vnto him Theseus easilye lyft vp the stone and tooke his fathers tokens from vnder it Howbeit he answered playnely that he would not goe by sea notwithstanding that it was a great deale the safer waye and that his mother and grandfather both had instantly intreated him bicause the waye by lande from TROEZEN to ATHENS was very daungerous all the wayes being besett by robbers and murderers For the worlde at that time brought forth men which for strongnesse in their armes for swyftnes of feete and for
great twynnes which made Amulius more affrayed then before So he commaunded one of his men to take the two children and to throwe them awaye and destroye them Some saye that this seruants name was Faustulus other thincke it was he that brought them vp But whosoeuer he was he that had the charge to throwe them awaye put them in a troughe and went towards the riuer with intention to throwe them in Howbeit he found it risen so highe and running so swiftely that he durst not come neere the waters side so they being in the troughe he layed them on the bancke In the meane time the riuer swelling still and ouerflowing the bancke in such sorte that it came vnder the troughe dyd gently lifte vp the troughe caried it vnto a great playne called at this present Cermanum and in the olde time Germanum as I take it bicause the Romaines called the brothers of father mother Germani Nowe there was neere vnto this place a wilde figge tree which they called Ruminalis of the name of Romulus as the most parte thought or els bicause the beasts feeding there were wont to come vnder the same in the extreame heate of the daye and there dyd Ruminare that is chewe their cudde in the shadowe or perhappes bicause that the two children dyd sucke the teate of the woulfe which the auncient LATINES call RVMA and they at this day doe yet call the goddesse on whom they crye out to geue their children sucke RVMILIA And in their sacrifices to her they vse no wine but offer vp milke and water mingled with honye To these two children lying there in this sorte they write there came a she woulfe gaue them sucke and a hitwaw also which dyd helpe to norishe and keepe them These two beastes are thought to be cōsecrated to the god Mars the LATINES doe singularly honour reuerence the hitwaw This dyd much helpe to geue credit to the wordes of the mother who affirmed she was conceyued of those two children by the god Mars Howbeit some thincke she was deceyued in her opinion for Amulius that had her maidenhead went to her all armed and perforce dyd rauishe her Other holde opinion that the name of the nurce which gaue the two children sucke with her breastes gaue occasion to cōmon reporte to erre much in this tale by reason of the double signification thereof For the LATINES doe call with one selfe name shee woulfes Lupas women that geue their bodyes to all cōmers as this nurce the wife of Faustulus that brought these children home to her house dyd vse to doe By her rightname she was called Acca Laurentia vnto whom the ROMAINES doe sacrifice yet vnto this daye and the priest of Mars doth offer vnto her in the moneth of Aprill the sheading of wine and milke accustomed at burialls and the feast it selfe is called Larentia It is true that they honour also another Larentia for like occasion The clercke or sexten of Hercules temple not knowing one daye howe to driue awaye the time as it should seeme of a certaine liuelines and boldnes dyd desire the god Hercules to playe at dyce with him with condition that if he dyd winne Hercules should be bounde to send him some good fortune and if it were his lucke to lose then he promised Hercules he would prouide him a very good supper and would besides bring him a fayer gentlewoman to lye with all The conditions of the playe thus rehearsed the sexten first cast the dyce for Hercules and afterwards for him selfe It fell out that Hercules wanne and the sexten meaning good fayth and thincking it very mete to performe the bargaine that him selfe had made prepared a good supper and hyered this Laurentia the courtisan which was very fayer but as yet of no great fame to come to it Thus hauing feasted her within the tēple and prepared a bedde readye there after supper he locked her into the temple as if Hercules should haue comen in dede layen with her And it is said for trothe that Hercules came thither cōmaunded her in the morning she should goe into the market place salute the first man she met kepe him euer for her friend Which thing she performed the first man she met was called Tarrutius a man of great yeres one that had gathered together marueilous wealth riches He had no children at all neither was he euer maried He fell acquainted with this Laurentia loued her so dearely that shortely after chaūcing to dye he made her heire of all he had whereof she disposed afterwards by her last will and testament the best and greatest parte vnto the people of Rome Moreouer it is reported also that she now being growen to be famous of great honour as thought to be the lēman of a god dyd vanishe away sodainely in the self same place where the first Laurentia was buried The place at this day is called Velabrū bicause the riuer being ouerflowen they were oftentimes compelled to passe by bote to goe to the market place and they called this manner of ferrying ouer Velatura Other saye that those tomblers common players which shewed sundrye games and pastimes to winne the fauour of the people were wont to couer that passage ouer with canuas clothes and veyles by which they goe from the market place to the lystes or shewe place where they ronne their horses beginning their race euen at the place and they call a veyle in their tongue Velum This is the cause why the seconde Laurentia is honored at Rome Faustulus chief neate heard to Amulius tooke vp the two children and no bodye knewe it as some saye or as other reporte and likest to be true with the priuitie knowledge of Numitor Amulius brother who secretly furnished them with money that brought vp the two young children It is sayed also they were both conueyed vnto the cittie of the GABIANS where they were brought vp at schole taught all other honest things which they vse to teache the sonnes childrē of good noble mē Further they saye they were named Remus and Romulus bicause they were founde sucking on the teates of a woulfe Nowe the beawtie of their bodyes dyd presently shewe beholding onely but their stature and manner of their countenaunces of what nature and linadge they were and as they grewe in yeres their manly corage increased maruelously so as they became stowte and hardy men in so much as they were neuer troubled or astonied at any daunger that was offered them Howbeit it appeared plainely that Romulus had more wit vnderstanding then his brother Remus For in all things wherein they were to deale with their neighbours either cōcerning hunting or the boundes and limites of their pastures it was easely decerned in him that he was borne to commaund and not to obeye For this cause they were both
wrathe sent them a defiaunce and bad them battell if they durst Tatius straight refused not coÌ„sidering if by mischaunce they were distressed they had a sure refuge to retire vnto The place betweene the two armies where the fight should be was all round about enuiroÌ„ned with litle hilles So as it was playne the fight could not be but sharpe and daungerous for the discoÌ„modiousnes of the place were was neither grounde for any to flye nor yet any space for any longe chase it was of so small a compasse Nowe it fortuned by chaunce the riuer of Tyber had ouerflowen the banckes a fewe dayes before and there remained in it a deeper mudde then men would haue iudged bicause the grounde was so plaine and was euen where the great market place of ROME standeth at this daye They could discerne nothing thereof by the eye bicause the vpper parte of it was crusted whereby it was the more readye for them to venter vpon and the worse to get out for that it dyd syncke vnderneathe So the SABYNES had gone vpon it had not Curtius daunger bene which by good fortune stayed them He was one of the noblest and valliantest men of the SABYNES who being mounted vpon a courser went on a good waye before the armie This courser entring vpon the crusted mudde and sincking with all beganne to plonge and struggle in the myer whereat Curtius proued a while with the spurre to sturre him and get him out but in the ende seeing it would not be he left his backe and saued him selfe The same very place to this daye is called after his name Lacus Curtius The SABYNES then scaping thus this daunger beganne the battell The fight dyd growe very cruell and endured so a great while the victorie leaning no more to the one side then to the other There dyed in a small space a great number of men amongest whom Hostilius was one who as they saye was the husband of Hersilia and grandfather to Hostilius that was king of ROMAINES after Numa Pompilius Afterwardes there were as we maye thincke many other encounters and battells betweene them howbeit they make mention of the last aboue all the rest wherein Romulus had so sore a blowe on his head with a stone that he was almost felled to the grounde in so much as he was driuen to retire a litle out of the battell Vpon which occasion the ROMAINES gaue backe also and drue towardes mount Palatine being driuen out of the playne by force Romulus beganne nowe to recouer of the blowe he had receyued and so returned to geue a newe onset and cryed out all he might to his souldiers to tarye and shewe their face againe to their enemie But for all his lowde crying they leâ—t no flying still for life and there was not one that durst returne againe Whereupon Romulus lyfting vp his handes straight to heauen dyd most feruently praye vnto Iupiter that it would please him to staye the flying of his people and not suffer the ROMAINES glorie thus to fall to their vtter destruction but to repaire it by his fauour againe He had no soner ended this prayer but diuers of his men that fled beganne to be ashamed to flye before their King and a sodaine boldnes came vpon them and their feare therewithall vanished awaye The place they first stayed in was where as nowe is the temple of Iupiter Stator which is as much to saye as Iupiter the stayer Afterwardes gathering them selues together againe they repulsed the SABYNES euen to the place they call nowe Regia and vnto the temple of the goddesse Vesta where bothe the battels being prepared to geue a newe charge there dyd fall out before them a straunge and an vncredible thing to see which stayed them they sought not For of the SABYNE women whom the ROMAINES had rauished some ranne of the one side other of the other side of the battels with lamentations cryes and showtes stepping betweene their weapons and among the slayne bodyes on the grounde in suche sorte that they seemed out of their wittes and caried as it were with some spirites In this manner they went to finde out their fathers and their husbands some carying their sucking babes in their armes other hauing their heare lose about their eyes and all of them calling nowe vpon the SABYNES nowe vpon the ROMAINES with the gentelest names that could be deuised which dyd melt the hartes of bothe parties in suche sorte that they gaue backe a litle and made them place betweene bothe the battells Then were the cryes and lamentations of euery one playnely hearde There was not a man there but it pittied him aswell to see them in that pittiefull case as to heare the lamentable wordes they spake adding to their most humble petitions and requestes that could be any waye imagined passing wise persuasions and reasons to induce them to a peace For what offence sayed they or what displeasure haue we done to you that we should deserue suche an heape of euills as we haue already suffered and yet you make vs beare we were as you knowe violently and against all lawe rauished by those whose nowe we remaine But oure fathers oure brethern oure mothers and friends haue left vs with them so long that processe of time and the straightest bonds of the worlde haue tyed vs nowe so fast to them whom mortally before we hated that we are constrayned nowe to be flighted thus to see them fight yea and to lament dye with them who before vniustly tooke vs from you For then you came not to oure rescue when we were virgines vntouched nor to recouer vs from them when they wickedly assaulted vs poore sowles but nowe ye come to take the wiues from their husbands the mothers from their litle children So as the helpe ye thincke to geue vs nowe dothe grieue vs more then the forsaking of vs was sorowfull to vs then Suche is the loue they haue borne vnto vs and suche is the kyndenes we beare againe to them Nowe if ye dyd fight for any other cause then for vs yet were it reason ye should let fall your armes for oure sakes by whom you are made grandfathers and fathers in lawe cosins brothers in lawe euen from those against whom you now bend your force But if all this warre beganne for vs we hartely beseeche you then that you will receyue vs with your sonnes in lawe and your sonnes by them and that you will restore vnto vs oure fathers oure brethern oure kinsefolkes and friends without spoyling vs of oure husbands of our children and of our ioyes and thereby make vs woefull captiues and prisoners in oure mindes These requestes and persuasions by Hersilia and other the SABYNE women being heard bothe the armies stayed and helde euerie bodie his hand and straight the two generalles imparled together During which parle they brought their husbands and their children to their fathers
to be but hauing supped soberly at his ordinarie came home secretly to the house where the bride was and there vntied his wiues girdell tooke her in his armes layed her vpon a bed and talked together a while and afterwards fayer softely stole awaye to the place where he was wonte to sleepe with other young men And so from thenceforth he continued allwayes to doe the like being all the daye time and sleeping most of the night with his companions onles he sometime stale to see his wife being affrayed and ashamed euer to be seene by any of the house where she was And hereunto his younge wife did helpe for her parte to spye meanes and occasions howe they might mete together and not be seene This manner endured a great while and vntill somme of them had children before they boldely met together and sawe eache other on the daye time This secret meeting in this sorte did serue to good purposes not only bicause it was some meane of continencie and shamefastnes but also it kept their bodies in strength and better state to bring forth children It continued also in both parties a still burning loue and a newe desire of the one to the other not as it were luke warme nor wearie as theirs commonly be which haue their bellies full of loue and as muche as they lust but they euer parted with an appetite one from another keeping still a longing desire to deuise howe to mete againe Nowe when he had stablished suche a continencie and so kynde a framed honestie in mariage he tooke no lesse care to driue awaye all foolishe iealousie therein thinking it very good reason to beware there should be no violence nor confusion in mariage and yet as reason would they should suffer those which were worthie to get children as it were in common laughing at the mad follie of them which reuenge such things with warre and bloudshed as though in that case men in no wise should haue no fellowshippe together Therefore a man was not to be blamed being stepped in yeres and hauing a young wife if seeing a fayer young man that liked him and knowen with all to be of a gentle nature he brought him home to get his wife with childe and afterwardes would auowe it for his as if him selfe had gotten it It was lawfull also for an honest man that loued another mans wife for that he sawe her wise shamefast and bringing forth goodly children to intreate her husband to suffer him to lye with her and that he might also plowe in that lustie grounde and cast abroade the seede of well fauored children which by this meanes came to be common in bloude and parentage with the most honorable and honestest persones For first of all Lycurgus did not like that children should be priuate to any men but that they should be common to the common weale by which reason he would also that such as should become cittizens should not be begotten of euery man but of the most honestest men only So Lycurgus thought also there were many foolishe vaine toyes and fansies in the lawes and orders of other nations touching mariage seeing they caused their bitches and mares to be limed and couered with the fayrest dogges and goodliest stalons that might be gotten praying or paying the masters and owners of the same and kept their wiues notwithstanding shut vp safe vnder locke and key for feare least other then them selues might get them with childe although they were sickely feeble brayned and extreme olde As if it were not first of all and chiesly a discommoditie to the fathers and mothers and likewise to those that bring them vp to haue vnperfect and feeble children borne as it were begotten of drie and withered men and then to the contrarie what pleasure and benefit is it to those that haue fayer and good children borne as gotten of like seede and men These things were done then by naturall and ciuill reason neuertheles they saye women were so farre of then from intreatie as euer they were before so as in olde time in SPARTA men knew not what adulterie ment For proofe whereof the aunswer made by Geradas one of the first auncient SPARTANS vnto a straunger maye be alledged that asked him what punishement they had for adulterers My friend q he there be none here But if there were replied the straunger againe Marye sayed he then he must paye as great a bull as standing vpon the toppe of the mountaine Taygetus maye drincke in the riuer of Eurotas Yea marye but howe is it possible q the straunger to finde such a bull Geradas laughing aunswered him againe And howe were it possible also to finde an adulteretin SPARTA And this is that which is found of Lycurgus lawes touching mariages Furthermore after the birthe of euery boye the father was no more master of him to cocker and bring him vp after his will but he him selfe caried him to a certaine place called Lesché where the eldest men of his kinred being set did viewe the childe And if they founde him fayer and well proportioned of all his limmes and stronge they gaue order he should be brought vp and appointed him one of the nine thousand partes of inheritaunce for his education Contrariwise if they founde him deformed misshapen or leane or pale they sent him to be throwen in a deepe pyt of water which they commonly called Apothetes and as a man would saye the common house of office holding opinion it was neither good for the childe nor yet for the common weale that it should liue considering from his birthe he was not well made nor geuen to be stronge healthfull nor lustie of bodie all his life longe For this cause therefore the nurce after their birthe did not washe them with water simply as they doe euery where at that time but with water mingled with wine and thereby did they prooue whether the complexion or temperature of their bodies were good or ill For they suppose that children which are geuen to haue the falling sicknes or otherwise to be full of rewmes sicknesses cannot abide washing with wine but rather drye and pyne awaye as contrarilie the other which are healthfull become thereby the stronger and the lustier The nurces also of SPARTA vse a certaine manner to bring vp their children without swadling or binding them vp in clothes with swadling bandes or hauing on their heades any crosse clothes so as they made them nimbler of their limmes better shaped and goodlier of bodie Besides that they acquainted their children to all kinde of meates and brought them vp without muche tendaunce so as they were neither fine nor licorous nor fearefull to be lefte alone in the darcke neither were they criers wrallers or vnhappy children which be all tokens of base and cowardly natures So that there were straungers that of purpose bought nources out of LACONIA to bring vp their children as they
saye Amycla was one of them which nourced Alcibiades But Pericles his tutor gaue him afterwardes a bonde man called Zopyrus to be his master and gouernour who had no better propertie in him then other common slaues This did not Lycurgus For he did not put the education and gouernment of the children of SPARTA into the handes of hyered masters or slaues bought with money neither was it lawfull for the father him selfe to bring vp his owne childe after his owne manner and liking For so soone as they came to seuen yeres of age he tooke and diuided them by companies to make them to be brought vp together and to accustome them to playe to learne and to studie one with another Then he chose out of euery company one whom he thought to haue the best wit and had most courage in him to fight to whom he gaue the charge and ouersight of his owne companie The reste had their eyes waiting allwayes on him they did obey his commaundementes willingly they did abide paciently all corrections he gaue them they did suche taskes and worckes as he appointed them so that all their studie was most to learne to obey Furthermore the olde graye headed men were present many times to see them playe and for the most parte they gaue them occasions to fall out and to fight one with another that they might thereby the better knowe and discerne the naturall disposition of euery one of them and whether they gaue any signes or tokens in time to come to become cowardes or valliant men Touching learning they had as muche as serued their turne for the reste of their time they spent in learning howe to obey to awaye with payne to indure labour to ouercome still in fight According to their groweth and yeres they dyd chaunge the exercises of their bodyes they dyd shaue their heads they went barelegged they were constrained to playe naked together the most parte of their time After they were past twelue yeres of age they ware no lenger coates and they gaue them yerely but one seely gowne This was the cause they were alwayes so nasty sluttishe they neuer vsed to bathe or noynte themselues sauing only at certaine dayes in the yere when they were suffered to rast of this refreshing They laye and slept together vpon beddes of straw which they themselues dyd make of the toppes of reedes or canes that grewe in the riuer of Eurotas which they were forced to goe gather and breake them selues with their handes without any toole or iron at all In the winter they dyd mingle thistle downe with these which is called Lycophonas bicause that stuffe seemeth somewhat warme of it selfe About this time the fauorers and likers of this prety youthe which were commonly the lustiest and best disposed youthes of the cittie beganne to be ofter in their companie and then the olde men tooke the better regarde vnto them and frequented more commonly the places of their daylie exercises where their vse was to fight together helping them when they played how one should mocke another This dyd their olde men notby waye of pastime only but with suche care and harcy loue towards them as if they had bene altogether their fathers masters gouernours while they were boyes in so much as there was neuer time nor place where they had not allwayes some to admonishe reproue or correct them if they dyd a faulte Notwithstanding all this there was euer one of the honestest men of the cittie who had expressely the charge and gouernaunce of these boyes He dyd diuide them in companies and afterwards gaue the ouersight of them to suche a one of the boyes as was discreetest the manliest the most hardie and of the best corage amongest them They called the children that were past infancie two yeres Irenes and the greatest boyes Melirenes as who would saye ready to goe out of boyerie This boye who was made ouerseer of them was commonly twenty yeres of age He was their captaine when they fought and did commaunde them as his seruaunts when they were in the house and willed them which were strongest and the most growen to carie wodde when they should prepare dinner or supper and those which were least and weakest to goe gather erbes which they must steale or lacke them So they went out to steale some in gardens some at the markets other in the halles where the feastes were kept and men did eate together into the which they conueyed them selues as closely and cunningly as they could deuise for if they were taken with the manner they were scourged terriblie bicause they were so grosse and necligent and not fine and cunning in their facultie They stole also all other kinde of meate whatsoeuer they could get or laye hands on They pried and sought all occasions howe to take and steale meate handsomely bothe when men were a sleepe or els that they were careles or did not geue good hede vnto them But he that was taken with the manner had his payment roundely and was punished with fasting besides for they had but a slender pittaunce bicause necessity should driue them to venter boldely and wit should finde out all the deuises to steale finely This was the chiefest cause why they gaue them so small a diet The seconde cause was that their bodies might growe vp higher in height For the vitall spirites not being occupied to concoct and disgest much meate nor yet kept downe or spread abroade by the quantitie or ouerburden thereof doe enlarge them selues into lengthe and shoote vp for their lightnes and for this reason they thought the bodie did growe in height and lengthe hauing nothing to let or hinder the rising of the same It seemeth that the same selfe cause made them fayerer also For the bodies that are leane and slender doe better and more easely yeld to nature which bringeth a better proportion and forme to euery member and contrariwise it seemeth these grosse corpulent and ouersedde bodies doe encounter nature and be not so nimble and pliant to her by reason of their heauy substaunce As we see it by experience the children which women bring a litle before their time and be somwhat cast before they should haue bene borne be smaller and fayerer also and more pure commonly then other that goe their time bicause the matter whereof the bodie is formed being more supple and pliant is the easelier welded by nature which geueth them their shape and forme Touching the naturall cause of this effect let vs geue place to other to dispute it that will without our further deciding of the same But to returne to the matter of the LACEDAEMONIANS children They dyd robbe with so great care and feare to be discouered that they tell of one which hauing stolen a litle foxe dyd hyde him vnder his cloke and suffered him with his teethe and clawes to teare out all his bellie and neuer cryed for feare
godds Picus Faunus which otherwise might be thought two Satyres or of the race of the TitaniaÌ„s sauing it is sayed that they went through all ITALIE doing the like miracles woÌ„ders in phisycke charmes arte magike which they reporte of those the GRECIANS call Idaees Dactyles There they saye that Numa tooke them both hauing put into the spring both wine honnie were they vsed to drinke WheÌ„ they saw that they were taken they traÌ„sformed theÌ„selues into diuers forms disguising disfiguring their naturall shape into many terrible feareful sights to behold Neuertheles in the end pceiuing they were so fast as to escape there was no reckoning they reuealed vnto him many things to come taught him the purifying against lightning thunder which they make yet at this daye with onioÌ„s heare pilchers Other saye he was not taught that by them but that they fetched Iupiter out of heauen with their coniuring magicke whereat Iupiter being offended aunswered in choller that he should make it with heads But Numa added straight of onioÌ„s Iupiter replied of men Then Numa asked him againe to take a litle away the cruelty of the coÌ„maâ—ndement What heares Iupiter aunswered quicke hears And Numa put to pilchers also And it is reported that this was the goddesse Egeria that taught Numa this subtiltie This done Iupiter returned appeased by reason whereof the place was called Ilicium For Ileos in the Greeke tongue signifieth appeased fauorable this purifying was afterwards made in that sorte These tales not onely vayne but full of mockerie also doe show vs yet plainely the zeale deuotion men had in those times towards the godds vnto which Numa through custome had woÌ„ne them And as for Numa him self they saye that he so firmely put all his hope confideÌ„ce in the helpe of the godds that one daye when he was told his enemies were in armes against him he did but laugh at it auÌ„swered And I doe sacrifice It is he as some saye that first built a temple to Faith Terme which made the ROMAINES vnderstand that the most holy greateth othe they could make was to sweare by their faith which they kepe yet at this daye But Terme which signifieth bounds is the god of confines or borders vnto whom they doe sacrifice both publickly priuately vpon the limites of inheritaunces now they sacrifice vnto him lure beasts Howbeit in old time they did sacrifice vnto him without any bloude through the wise institution of Numa who declared preached vnto them that this god of bounds was syncere vpright without bloud or murther as he that is a witnes of iustice a keper of peace It was he which in my opinioÌ„ did first limit out the bouÌ„ds of the territorie of ROME which Romulus would neuer doe for feare least in bounding out his owne he should confesse that which he occupied of other mens For bounding mearing to him that will keepe it iustely is a bond that brideleth power desire But to him that forceth not to kepe it it is a proofe to shew his iniustice To saye truely the territories of ROME had no great bounds at the first beginning Romulus had got by coÌ„quest the greatest parte of it Numa did wholy deuide it vnto the nedie inhabitaÌ„s to releue theÌ„ to bring them out of pouerty which carieth men hedloÌ„g into mischief discourageth them to labour to the end that plowing vp the said lande they should also plowe vp the weedes of their own barreÌ„nes to become ciuill gentle For there is no exercise nor occupation in the world which so sodainely bringeth a man to loue desire quietnes as doth husbaÌ„drie tillage yet to defend a mans own there is in it corage hardines to fight But greedy desire violeÌ„tly to take from others vniustely to occupie that is none of theirs is neuer in right husbaÌ„dmen And therfore Numa hauing brought in husbandrie amoÌ„gest his subiects as a medecine meane to make them loue quietnes was desirous to inure them to this trade of life the rather to make them humble geÌ„tle of condition then to increase them in riches He deuided all the territorie of ROME into certen parts which he called Pagos as much to saye as villages And in euery one of them he ordeined controllers visiters which should suruey all about he him self somtimes went abroade in persone coÌ„iecturing by their labour the maÌ„ners nature of euery man Such as he found diligent he aduaunced them vnto honour gaue them countenauÌ„ce authoritie other which he sawe slowthfull negligent by rebuking reprouing of them he made them amend But amongest all his ordinaunces which he made one aboue all the rest caried the praise and that was that he deuided his people into sundrie occupatioÌ„s For the cittie of ROME seemed yet to be made of two nations as we haue sayed before and to speake more properly it was made of two tribes So that it could not or would not for any thing be made one being altogether impossible to take away all factions to make there should be no quarrells nor contentions betwene both parts Wherefore he considered that when one will mingle two bodies or simples together which for their hardnes coÌ„trarie natures cannot well suffer mixture then he breaks beates them together as small as may be For so being brought into a smaller lesser powder they would incorporate and agree the better Euen so he thought it was best to deuide the people also into many small partes by meanes whereof they should be put into many parties which would more easely take away the first the greatest parte when it should be deuided separated thus into sundrie sorts And this diuision he made by arts occupatioÌ„s as minstrells goldsmiths carpinters diers shoemakers tawers taÌ„ners bell fouÌ„ders pot makers so forth through other craftes occupations So that he brought euery one of these into one bodie coÌ„panie by it self ordeined vnto euery particular mysterie or crafte their feasts assemblies seruices which they should make vnto the godds according to the dignitie worthines of euery occupatioÌ„ And by this meanes he first tooke away all faction that neither side sayed nor thought any more those are SABYNES these are ROMAINES these are of Tatius these are of Romulus Insomuch as this diuision was an incorporating an vniting of the whole together Among other his ordinauÌ„ces they did much coÌ„mend his reforming of the law that gaue libertie vnto fathers to sell their childreÌ„ For he did except childreÌ„ already maried so they were maried with their fathers consent goodwill iudging it to be to cruell ouer hard a thing that a woman who thought she had maried a free man should finde her self to be the wife of a bond maÌ„ He begaÌ„ne also to mende a
with expounding of the same by them Those which shal be founde attained and conuicted of any matter that hath bene heard before the counsaill of the Areopagites the Ephetes or the gouernours of the cittie when this lawe shall come forth shall stand condemned still and all other shal be pardoned restored and set at libertie Howsoeuer it is sure that was his intent and meaning Furthermore amongest the rest of his lawes one of them in deede was of his owne deuise for the like was neuer stablished els where And it is that lawe that pronounceth him defamed and vnhonest who in a ciuill vprore among the cittizens sitteth still a looker on and a neawter and taketh parte with neither side Whereby his minde was as it should appeare that priuate men should not be only carefull to put them selues their causes in safety nor yet should be careles for others mens matters or thincke it a vertue not to medle with the miseries and misfortunes of their countrie but from the beginning of euery sedition that they should ioyne with those that take the iustest cause in hande and rather to hazarde them selues with such then to tarie looking without putting themselues in daunger which of the two should haue the victorie There is another lawe also which at the first sight me thinketh is very vnhonest and fond That if any man according to the lawe hath matched with a riche heire inheritour and of him selfe is impotent and vnable to doe the office of a husband she maye lawfully lye with any whom she liketh of her husbands nearest kinsemen Howbeit some affirme that it is a wise made lawe for those which knowing themselues vnmeete to entertaine wedlocke will for couetousnes of landes marye with riche heires and possessioners and minde to abuse poore gentlewomen vnder the colour of lawe and will thincke to force and restraine nature For seeing the lawe suffereth an inheritour or possessioner thus ill bestowed at her pleasure to be bolde with any of her husbands kynne men will either leaue to purchase such mariages or if they be so careles that they will nedes marye it shal be to their extreme shame and ignominie and so shall they deseruedly paye for their greedy couetousnes And the lawe is well made also bicause the wise hath not scope to all her husbands kynsemen but vnto one choyce man whom she liketh best of his house to the ende that the children that shal be borne shal be at the least of her husbands bloude and kynred This also confirmeth the same that such a newe maryed wife should be shut vp with her husband and eate a quince with him and that he also which maryeth such an inheritour should of duety see her thryse a moneth at the least For although he get no children of her yet it is an honour the husband doth to his wife arguing that he taketh her for an honest woman that he loueth her and that he esteemeth of her Besides it taketh awaye many mislikings and displeasures which oftentimes happen in such cases and keepeth loue and good will waking that it dyenot vtterly betweene them Furthermore he tooke awaye all ioynters and dowries in other mariages and willed that the wiues should bring their husbands but three gownes only with some other litle moueables of small value and without any other thing as it were vtterly forbidding that they should buye their husbands or that they should make marchaundise of mariages as of other trades to gaine but would that man and woman should marye together for issue for pleasure and for loue but in no case for money And for proofe hereof Dionysius the tyranne of SICILE one daye aunswered his mother which would needes be maried to a young man of SYRACVSA in this sorte I haue power saieth he to breake the lawes of SYRACVSA by hauing the Kingdome but to force the law of nature or to make mariage without the reasonable compasse of age that passeth my reache and power So is it not tolerable and much lesse allowable also that such disorder should be in well ordered citties that such vncomely and vnfit mariages should be made betweene coples of so vnequall yeres considering there is no meete nor necessary ende of such matches A wise gouernour of a cittie or a iudge and reformer of lawes and manners might well saye to an olde man that should marye with a young mayde as the Poet sayeth of Philoctetes Ah seely vvretche hovv trymme a man arte thou at these young yeres for to be maryed novve And finding a young man in an olde riche womans house getting his liuing by riding of her errants and waxing fat as they saye the partridge doth by treading of the hennes he maye take him from thence to bestowe him on some young mayde that shall haue neede of a husband And thus much for this matter But they greatly commend another lawe of Solons which forbiddeth to speake ill of the dead For it is a good and godly thing to thinke that they ought not to touche the dead no more than to touche holy things and men should take great heede to offende those that are departed out of this world besides it is a token of wisedome and ciuillitie to beware of immortall enemies He commaunded also in the selfe same lawe that no man should speake ill of the liuing specially in Churches during diuine seruice or in counsaill chamber of the cittie nor in the Theaters whilest games were a playing vpon payne of three siluer Drachmes to be payed to him that was iniured two to the common treasurie For he thought it to much shameles boldnes in no place to keepe in ones choller and moreouer that such lacked ciuillitie and good manners and yet altogether to suppresse and smother it he knewe it was not only a harde matter but to some natures vnpossible And he that maketh lawes must haue regarde to the common possibilitie of men if he will punishe litle with profitable example and not much without some profit So was he maruelously well thought of for the lawe that he made touching willes and testaments For before men might not lawfully make their heires whom they would but the goodes came to the childrē or kynred of the testatour But he leauing it at libertie to dispose their goods where they thought good so they had no children of their owne dyd therein preferre friendship before kynred and good will and fauour before necessitie and constrainte and so made euery one lorde and master of his owne goodes Yet he dyd not simply and a like allowe all sortes of giftes howsoeuer they were made but those only which were made by men of sound memorie or by those whose wittes fayled them not by extreme sicknes or through drincks medicines poysonings charmes or other such violence and extraordinarie meanes neither yet through the intisements and persuasions of women As thincking very wisely there was no difference at all
betweene those that were euidently forced by constraint and those that were compassed and wrought by subornation at length to doe a thing against their will taking fraude in this case equall with violence and pleasure with sorowe as passions with madnes which commonly haue as much force the one as the other to drawe and driue men from reason He made another lawe also in which he appointed women their times to goe abroade into the fieldes their mourning their feastes and sacrifices plucking from them all disorder and wilfull libertie which they vsed before For he dyd forbid that they should carie out of the cittie with them aboue three gownes and to take vittells with them aboue the value of an halfe pennie neither basket nor pannier aboue a cubite highe and specially he dyd forbid them to goe in the night other then in their coche and that a torche should be caried before them He dyd forbid them also at the buriall of the dead to teare and spoyle them selues with blowes to make lamentations in verses to weepe at the funeralles of a straunger not being their kinseman to sacrifice an oxe on the graue of the dead to burie aboue three gownes with the corse to goe to other mens graues but at the very time of burying the corse all which or the most parte of them are forbidden by our lawes at this daye Moreouer those lawes appointe a penaltie vpon such women as offend in the same to be distrayned for by certaine officers expressely named to controll and reforme the abuses of women as womanish persones and faynte harted which suffer them selues to be ouercome with such passions and fondnes in their mourning And perceyuing that the cittie of ATHENS beganne to replenish daylie more and more by mens repayring thither from all partes and by reason of the great assured safetie and libertie that they founde there and also considering howe the greatest parte of the Realme became in manner heathy and was very barren and that men traffeking the seas are not wonte to bring any marchaundise to those which can geue them nothing againe in exchaunge he beganne to practise that his cittizens should giue them selues vnto craftes and occupations and made a lawe that the sonne should not be bounde to relieue his father being olde onles he had set him in his youth to some occupation It was a wise parte of Lycurgus who dwelt in a cittie where was no resorte of straungers and had so great a territorie as could haue furnished twise as many people as Euripides sayeth and moreouer on all sides was enuironned with a great number of slaues of the ILOTES whom it was needefull to keepe still in labour and worcke continually to haue his cittizens allwayes occupied in exercises of feates of armes without making them to learne any other science but discharged them of all other miserable occupations and handy craftes But Solon framing his lawes vnto things not things vnto lawes when he sawe the countrie of ATTICA so leane and barren that it could hardely bring forth to susteine those that tilled the grounde only and therefore much more impossible to keepe so great a multitude of idle people as were in ATHENS thought it very requisite to set vp occupations and to geue them countenaunce and estimation Therefore he ordeined that the counsaill of the Areopagites should haue full power and authoritie to enquier how euery man liued in the cittie also to punishe such as they found idle people and dyd not labour But this was thought to seuere and straight a lawe which he ordeined as Heraclides Ponticus writeth that the children borne of common harlotts and strumpets should not be bounde to relieue their fathers For he that maketh no accompt of matrimonie plainely sheweth that he tooke not a wise to haue children but only to satisfie his lust and pleasure and so such an one hath his iust reward and is disapointed of the reuerēce that a father ought to haue of his children since through his owne faulte the birth of his childe falleth out to his reproche Yet to saye truely in Solons laws touching women there are many obsurdities as they fall out ill fauoredly For he maketh it lawfull for any man to kill an adulterer taking him with the facte But he that rauisheth or forcibly taketh awaye a free woman is only condemned to paye a hundred siluer drachmes And he that was the Pandor to procure her should only paye twenty drachmes Onles she had bene a common strumpet or curtisan for such doe iustefy open accesse to all that will hier them Furthermore he doth forbid any persone to sell his daughters or sisters onles the father or brother had taken them abusing them selues before mariage Me thincketh it is farre from purpose and reason with seueritie to punish a thing in one place and ouer lightly to passe it ouer in another or to set some light fine on ones head for a great faulte and after to discharge him as it were but a matter of sporte Onles they will excuse it thus that money being very harde scante at that time in ATHENS those fines were then very great grieuous to paye For in setting out the charges of offerings which should be made in sacrifices he appointed a weather to be a conuenient offering and he setteth a busshell of corne at a siluer drachme More he ordeined that they which wonne any of the games at ATHENS should paye to the common treasurie an hundred drachmes And those wōne any of the games Olympicall fiue hūdred drachmes Also he appointed that he which brought a he woulfe should haue fiue drachmes him one drachme for reward of a she woulfe Whereof as Demetrius Phalerian writeth the one was the price of an oxe and the other of a mutton For touching the rates he ordeined in the sixtenth table of his lawes mete for burnt sacrifices it is likely he dyd rate them at a much higher price then ordinarilie they were worth and yet notwithstanding the price which he setteth is very litle in comparison of that which they are worth at this daye Nowe it was a custome euer amongest the ATHENIANS to kill their woulfes bicause all their coūtrie laye for pasture not for tillage Some there be that saye the tribes of the people of ATHENS haue not bene called after the names of the children of Ion as the common opinion hath bene but that they were called after their diuers trades manners of liuing which they tooke them selues vnto from the beginning For such as gaue them selues vnto the warres were called Oplites as who would saye men of armes Those that wrought in their occupations were called Ergades as much to saye as men of occupation The other two which were husbandmen followed the plough were called Teleontes as you would saye labouring men And those that kept beastes cattell were called AEgicores as much to saye as heard men Nowe
the calamities of his countrie only to accuse the ATHENIANS and to make them odious to the world Pericles hauing woÌ„ne the cittie of SAMOS he returned againe to ATHENS where he dyd honorably burie the bones of his slaine citizens in this warre and him self according to their manner custome made the funerall orations for the which he was maruelously esteemed In suche sorte that after he came downe from the pulpit where he made his oration the ladies gentlewomen of the cittie came to salute him brought him garlaÌ„ds to put vpon his head as they doe to noble coÌ„querers when they returne from games where they haue wonne the price But Elpinieé coming to him sayed Surely Pericles thy good seruice done deserueth garlands of triumphe for thou hast lost vs many a good and valliant citizen not fighting with the MEDES the PHOENICIANS and with the barbarous people as my brother Cimon dyd but for destroying a cittie of our owne nation and â—ynâ—ed Pericles to these wordes softely aunswered Elpinice with Archilocus verse smyling VVhen thou art olde painte not thy selfe But Ion writeth that he greatly gloried and stoode muche in his owne conceipt after he had subdued the SAMIANS saying Agamemnon was tenne yeres taking of a cittie of the barbarous people and he in nine moneths only had wonne the strongest cittie of the whole nation of IONIA In deede he had good cause to glorie in his victorie for truely if Thucydides reporte be true his conquest was no lesse doubtfull then he founde it daungerous For the SAMIANS had almost bene lordes of the sea and taken the seigniorie thereof from the ATHENIANS After this the warres of PELOPONNESVS being whotte againe the CORINTHIANS inuading thilanders of CORPHV Pericles dyd persuade the ATHENIANS to send ayde vnto the CORPHIANS and to ioyne in league with that Iland which was of great power by sea saying that the PELOPONNESIANS before it were long would haue warre with them The ATHENIANS consented to his motion to ayde those of CORPHV Whereupon they sent thither Lacedaemonius Cimons sonne with tenne gallyes only for a mockery for all Cimons familie and friendes were wholy at the LACEDAEMONIANS deuotion Therefore dyd Pericles cause Lacedaemonius to haue so fewe shippes deliuered him and further sent him thither against his will to the ende that if he dyd no notable exploite in this seruice that they might then the more iustly suspect his goodwill to the LACEDAEMONIANS Moreouer whilest he liued he dyd euer what he could to keepe Cimons children backe from rysing bicause that by their names they were no naturall borne ATHENIANS but straungers For the one was called Lacedaemonius the other Thessalus and the third Elius and the mother to all them three was an ARCADIAN woman borne But Pericles being blamed for that he sent but renne gallyes only which was but a sleÌ„der ayde for those that had requested them and a great matter to them that spake ill of him he sent thither afterwardes a great number of other gallyes which came when the battell was fought But the CORINTHIANS were maruelous angrie and went complained to the counsell of the LACEDAEMONIANS where they layed open many grieuous complaints and accusations against the ATHENIANS and so dyd the MEGARIANS also alledging that the ATHENIANS had forbidden them their hauens their staples and all trafficke of marchaundise in the territories vnder their obedience which was directly against the common lawes and articles of peace agreed vpon by othe among all the GRECIANS Moreouer the AEGINETES finding them selues very ill and cruelly handled dyd send secretly to make their moue complaintes to the LACEDAEMONIANS being afeard openly to complaine of the ATHENIANS While these things were a doing the cittie of POTIDAEA subiect at that time vnto the ATHENIANS and was built in olde time by the CORINTHIANS dyd rebell and was besieged by the ATHENIANS which dyd hasten on the warres Notwithstanding this ambassadours were first sent vnto ATHENS vpon these complaints Archidamus king of the LACEDAEMONIANS dyd all that he could to pacifie the most parte of these quarrells and complaints intreating their friendes and allies So as the ATHENIANS had had no warres at all for any other matters wherewith they were burdened if they would haue graunted to haue reuoked the decree they had made against the MEGARIANS Whereupon Pericles that aboue all other stood most against the reuocation of that decree that dyd sturre vp the people made theÌ„ to stand to that they had once decreed ordered against the MEGARIANS was thought the only original cause author of the PELOPONNESIAN warres For it is sayed that the LACEDAEMONIANS sent ambassadours vnto ATHENS for that matter only And when Pericles alledged a lawe that dyd forbid them to take away the table whereupon before time had bene written any coÌ„mon law or edict Polyarces one of the LACEDAEMON Ambassadours sayed vnto him Well said he take it not awaye then but turne the table onely your lawe I am suer forbiddeth not that This was pleasauntly spoken of the ambassadour but Pericles could neuer be brought to it for all that And therefore it seemeth he had some secret occasion of grudge against the MEGARIANS yet as one that would finely conuey it vnder the coÌ„moÌ„ cause cloke he tooke froÌ„ them the holy laÌ„ds they were breaking vp For to bring this to passe he made an order that they should send an herauld to summone the MEGARIANS to let the land alone that the same herauld should goe also vnto the LACEDAEMONIANS to accuse the MEGARIANS vnto theÌ„ It is true that this ordinance was made by Pericles meanes as also it was most iust reasonable but it fortuned so that the messenger they sent thither dyed and not without suspition that the MEGARIANS made him awaye Wherefore Charinus made a lawe presently against the MEGARIANS that they should be proclaimed mortall enemies to the ATHENIANS for euer without any hope of after reconciliation And also if any MEGARIAN should once put his foote within the territories of ATTICA that he should suffer the paynes of death And moreouer that their captaines taking yerely their ordinary othe should sweare among other articles that twise in the yere they should goe with their power and destroy some parte of the MEGARIANS lande And lastly that the heraulde Anthemocritus should be buried by the place called then the gates Thriasienes and nowe called Dipylon But the MEGARIANS stowtely denying that they were any cause of the death of this Anthemocritus dyd altogether burden Aspasia and Pericles with the same alledging for proofe thereof Aristophanes verses the Poet in his comedie he intituled the Acharnes which are so common as euery boye hath them at his tongues ende The young men of our lande to dronken bybbing bent ranne out one daye vnrulily and tovvards Megara vvent From vvhence in their outrage by force they tooke avvaye Simatha noble curtisan as she dyd sporte and
the discipline of the warres and order of battell in the which his souldiers had longe before bene trained Whereas Philopoemen brought into his contry both the one and the other and altered all the order which before they were accustomed vnto So that the chiefest point how to winne a battell was found out a new and brought in by the one into a place where it was neuer before and onely employed by the other which could very good skill to vse it and had founde it out already before Againe touching the valliant actes done in the person of them selues many notable actes may be told of Philopoemen but none of Titus but rather to the contrary For there was one Archedâ—mus an AETOLIAN who flowtinge Titus one day sayd in his reproche that at a day of battell when Philopoemen ranne with his sword in his hande to that side where he saw the MACEDONIANS fighting making hed against the enemy Titus held vp his hands vnto heauen and was busie at his prayers to the gods not stirring one foote when it was more time to handle the sword to sight of all handes All the goodly deedes Titus euer did were done alwaies as a Consul or Lieutenant or a Magistrate whereas Philopoemen shewed him selfe vnto the ACHAIANS a man no lesse valliant and of execution being out of office then when he was a Generall For when he was a Generall he did driue Nabis the tyran of the LACEDAEMONIANS out of MESSINA and deliuered the MASSENIANS out of bondage and being a priuate man he shut the gates of the city of SPARTA in the face of Diophanes Generall of the ACHAIANS and of Titus Quintius Flaminius and kept them both from comminge in and thereby saued the city from sacking Thus being borne to commaunde he knew not only how to commaunde according to the law but could commaund the law it selfe apon necessity when the common wealth required it For at such a time he would not tary while the Magistrates which should gouerne him did geue him authority to commaund but he tooke it of him selfe and vsed them when the time serued esteeming him in deede their Generall that knew better then they what was to be done then him whom they chose of them selues And therefore they doe well that doe commende Titus actes for his clemency and curtesie vsed to the GREECIANS but much more the noble and valliant actes of Philopoemen vnto the ROMAINES For it is much easier to pleasure and gratifie the weake then it is to hurt and resist the strong Therefore â—ithence we haue throughly examined and compared the one with the other it is very harde to iudge altogether the difference that is betwene them Peraduenture therefore the iudgement woulde not seeme very ill if we doe geue the GREECIAN for discipline of warre the preheminence and praise of a good Captaine and to the ROMAINE for iustice and clemency the name and dignity of a most iust and curteous gentleman The ende of Titus Quintius Flaminius life THE LIFE OF Pyrrus IT is writteÌ„ that since Noes floud the first king of the THESPROTIANS and of the MOLOSSIANS was Phaëton one of those who came with Pelasgus into the realme of EPIRVS But some say otherwise that Deucalion and his wife Pyrra remained there after they had built and founded the temple of Dodone in the contry of the MOLOSSIANS But howsoeuer it was a great while after that Neoptolemus the sonne of Achilles bringing thither a great number of people with him conquered the contry and after him left a succession of kinges which were called after his name the Pyrrides bicause that from his infancy he was surnamed Pyrrus as much to say as redde and one of his legittimate sonnes whom he had by Lanassa the daughter of Cleodes the sonne of Hillus was also named by him Pyrrus And this is the cause why Achilles is honored as a god in EPIRVS beinge called in their language Aspetos that is to say mighty or very great But from the first kinges of that race vntill the time of Tharrytas there is no memory nor mencion made of them nor of their power that raigned in the meane time bicause they all became very barbarous and vtterly voyde of ciuility Tharrytas was in deede the first that beautified the cities of his contry with the GRECIAN tongue brought in ciuill lawes and customes and made his name famous to the posterity that followed This Tharrytas left a sonne called Alcetas of Alcetas came Arymbas of Arymbas and Troiade his wife came AEacides who maried Phthia the daughter of Menon THESSALIAN A famous man in the time of the warres surnamed Lamiacus and one that had farre greater authority then any other of the confederates after Leosthenes This AEacides had two daughters by his wife Phthia to say Deidamia and Troiade and one sonne called Pyrrus In his time the MOLOSSIANS rebelled draue him out of his kingdome put the crowne into the hands of the sonnes of Neoptolemus Whereupon all the frends of AEacides that could be taken were generally murdered and slaine outright Androclides Angelus in the meane time stale away Pyrrus being yet but a suckling babe whome his enemies neuerthelesse egerly sought for to haue destroyed and fled away with him as fast as possibly they might with few seruauntes his nurses and necessary women only to looke to the childe and giue it sucke by reason whereof their flight was much hindered so as they could go no great iorneys but that they might easily be ouertaken by them that followed For which cause they put the childe into the handes of Androclion Hippias and Neander three lusty young men whome they trusted with him and commaunded them to runne for life to a certaine citie of MACEDON called MEGARES and they them selues in the meane time partely by intreaty partely by force made stay of those that followed them till night So as with much a doe hauinge driuen them backe they ranne after them that caried the childe Pyrrus whom they ouertooke at sunne set And now wening they had bene safe and out of all daunger they found it cleane contrary For when they came to the riuer vnder the towne walles of MEGARES they saw it so rough and swift that it made them afrayed to beholde it and when they gaged the sorde they found it vnpossible to wade through it was so sore risen and troubled with the fall of the raine besides that the darkenesse of the night made euery thing seeme feareful vnto them So as they now that caried the child thought it not good to venter the passage ouer of them selues alone with the women that tended the childe but hearing certaine contrymen on the other side they prayed and besought them in the name of the goddes that they would helpe them to passe ouer the child showing Pyrrus vnto them a farre of But the contrymen by reason of the roaringe of the riuer vnderstoode them not
and lodged with him When night was come the LACEDAEMONIANS counselled together secretly determined to send away their wiues and litle children into CRETA But the women them selues were against it and there was one amonge them called Archidamia who went into the Senate house with a sword in her hand to speake vnto them in the name of all the rest and sayd that they did their wiues great wronge if they thought them so fainte harted as to liue after SPARTA were destroyed Afterwards it was agreed in counsell that they should cast a trenche before the enemies campe and that at both the endes of the same they should bury cartes in the ground vnto the middest of the wheeles to the end that being fast set in the ground they should stay the elephantes and kepe them from passing further And when they beganne to go in hand withall there came wives and maides vnto them some of them their clothes girte vp round about them and others all in their smockes to worke at this trenche with the old men aduising the young men that should fight the next morning to rest them selues in the meane while So the women tooke the third parte of the trenche to taske which was six cubittes broade foure cubits deepe and eight hundred foote long as Philarchus sayth or litle lesse as Hieronymus wryteth Then when the breake of day appeared the enemies remoued to come to the assault the women them selues fetched the weapons which they put into the young mens hands and deliuered them the taske of the trenche ready made which they before had vndertaken praying them valliantly to keepe and defend it tellinge them withall howe great a pleasure it is to ouercome the enemies fighting in view and sight of their natiue contry and what great felicity and honor it is to dye in the armes of his mother and wife after he hath fought valliantly like an honest man and worthy of the magnanimity of SPARTA But Chelidonida being gone a side had tyed a halter with ariding knot about her necke ready to strangle hang her selfe rather theÌ„ to fall into the hands of Cleonymus if by chaunce the city should come to be taken Now Pyrrus marched in person with his battell of footemen against the fronte of the SPARTANS who being a great number also did tary his comming on the other side of the trenche the which besides that it was very ill to passe ouer did let the souldiers also to fight steadely in order of battell bicause the earth being newly cast vp did yeld vnder their feete Wherefore Ptolomie king Pyrrus sonne passing all alongest the trench side with two thowsand GAVLES all the choyce men of the CHAONIANS assayed if he could get ouer to the other side at one of the endes of the trenche where the cartes were which being set very deepe into the ground and one ioyned vnto an other they did not only hinder thassaylants but the defendants also Howbeit in the end the GAVLES began to plucke of the wheeles of these cartes and to draw them into the riuer But Acrotatus king Areus sonne a young man seeing the daunger ranne through the city with a troupe of three hundred lusty youthes besides went to inclose Ptolomie behinde before he espied him for that he passed a secret hollow way till he came even to geue the charge vpon them whereby they were enforced to turne their faces towardes him one runninge in an others necke and so in great disorder were thrust into the trenches and vnder the cartes insomuch as at the last with much a doe and great bloodshed Acrotates and his company draue them backe and repulsed them Now the women and old men that were on thother side of the trenche saw plainly before their face howe valliantly Acrotatus had repulsed the GAVLES Wherefore alter Acrotatus had done this exployte he returned againe through the city vnto the place from whence he came all on a goare blood coragious and liuely for the victory he came newly from The women of SPARTA thought Acrotatus farre more noble and fayrer to beholde then euer he was so that they all thought Chelidonida happy to haue such a frend and louer And there were certaine olde men that followed him crying after him goe thy way Acrotatus and enioy thy loue Chelidonida beget noble children of her vnto SPARTA The fight was cruell on that side where Pyrrus was and many of the SPARTANS fought very valliantly Howbeit amongest other there was one named Phillius who after he had sought long and slaine many of his enemies with his owne handes that forced to passe ouer the trenche perceiuing that his hart fainted for the great number of woundes he had apon him called one of them that were in the rancke next behinde him and geuing him his place fell downe deade in the armes of his frendes bicause his enemies shoulde not have his body In the ende the battell hauinge continued all the day longe the night did separate them and Pyrrus being layed in his bed had this vision in his sleepe He thought he â—â—rake the city of LACEDAEMON with lightning and that he vtterly consumed it whereat he was so passing glad that euen with the very ioy he awaked And thereuppon foorthwith commaunded his Captaines to make their men ready to the assault and told his dreame vnto his familiers supposing that out of dout it did betoken he should in that approache take the citie All that heard it beleued it was so sauing one Lysimachus who to the contrary sayed that this vision like him not bicause the places smitten with lightning are holy and it is noâ— lawfull to enter into them by reason wherof he was also affraied that the goddes did signifie vnto him that he should not enter into the citie of SPARTA Pyrrus aunswered him that saied he is a matter disputable to fro in an open assembly of people for there is no maner of certainty in it But furthermore euery man must take his weapon in his hand set this sentence before his eyes A right good signe it is that he vvould hazard life In iust defence of masters cause vvith speare and bloody knife Alludinge vnto Homers verses which he wrote for the defence of his contry And saying thus he rose and at the breake of day led his army vnto the assault On thother side also the LACEDAEMONIANS with a maruelous corage magnanimity farre greater then their force bestirred them selues wonderfully to make resistaunce hauing their wiues by them that gaue them their weapons wherewith they fought and were ready at hand to geue meate drinke to them that needed and did also withdrawe those that were hurt to cure them The MACEDONIANS likewise for their parte endeuored them selues with all their might to fill vppe the trenche with wodde and other thinges which they cast vpon the dead bodies and armors lying in the bottome of the ditche the
withall but two dishefulls of barley for their breade and one of water for eche man a day In deede many of them were conueyed away and sold for slaues and many also that scaped vnknowen as slaues were also solde for bondmen whom they branded in the forehead with the printe of a horse who notwithstanding besides their bondage endured also this paine But such their humble pacience and modesty did greatly profit them For either shortly after they were made free men or if they still continued in bondage they were gently intreated and beloued of their masters Some of them were saued also for Euripides sake For the SICILIANS liked the verses of this Poet better than they did any other GRAECIANS verses of the middest of GRAECE For if they heard any rimes or songes like vnto his they would haue them by hart one would present thē to an other with great ioy And therfore it is reported that diuers escaping this bondage and returning againe to ATHENS went very louingly to salute Euripides to thanke him for their liues and told him how they were deliuered from slauery only by teaching them those verses which they remembred of his workes Others tolde him also how that after the battel they scaping by flight wandering vp and downe the fieldes met with some that gaue them meate drinke to sing his verses And this is not to be maruelled at weying the reporte made of a shippe of the city of CAVNVS that on a time being chased in thether by pyrates thinking to saue thē selues within their portes could not at the first be receiued but had repulse howbeit being demaunded whether they could sing any of Euripides songes and aunswering that they could were straight suffered to enter and come in The newes of this lamentable ouerthrow was not beleued at the first when they heard of it at ATHENS For a straunger that landed in the hauen of PIRAEA went and sat him downe as the maner is in a barbers shoppe thinking it had bene commonly knowen there beganne to talke of it The barber hearing the straunger tell of such matter before any other had heard of it ranne into the city as fast as he could and going to the gouernors tolde the newes openly before them all The magistrates thereupon did presently call an assembly and brought the barber before them who being demaunded of whom he heard these newes could make no certaine reporte Whereupon being taken for a forger of newes that without ground had put the city in feare and trouble he was presently bound and layed on a wheele wheron they vse to put offenders to death and so was there tormented a great time vntill at last there arriued certaine men in the city who brought too certaine newes thereof and told euery thing how the ouerthrow came So as in fine they found Nicias wordes true which now they beleued when they sawe all those miseries light fully apon them which he long before had prognosticated vnto them The end of Nicias life THE LIFE OF Marcus Crassus MArcus Crassus was the sonne of a Censor who had also receiued the honor of triumphe but him selfe was brought vp in a litle house with two other of his brethren which were both maried in their fathers mothers life time and kept house together Whereuppon it came to passe that he was a man of such sober and temperate dyet that one of his brethrē being deceased he maried his wife by whom he had children For women he liued as continent a life as any ROMANE of his time notwithstanding afterwardes being of riper yeares he was accused by Plotinus to haue deflowred one of the Vestall Nunnes called Licinia But in troth the cause of that suspicion grew thus Licinia had a goodly pleasaunt garden hard by the suburbes of the city wherewith Crassus was maruelously in loue and would faine haue had it good cheape and vpon this only occasion was often seene in speeche with her which made the people suspect him But foras much as it seemed to the iudges that his couetousnes was the cause that made him follow her he was clered of thincest suspected but he neuer lest followinge of the Nunne till he had got the garden of her The ROMANES say there was but that only vice of couetousnes in Crassus that drowned many other goodly vertues in him for mine owne opinion me thinkes he could not be touched with that vice alone without others since it grew so great as the note of that only did hide and couer all his other vices Nowe to set out his extreame couetous desire of getting naturally bred in him they proue it by two manifest reasons The first his maner and meanes he vsed to get and the seconde the greatnes of his wealth For at the beginning he was not left much more worthe then three hundred talentes And during the time that he delt in the affayers of the common wealth he offered the tenthes of all his goodes wholly vnto Hercules kept open house for all the people of ROME and gaue also to euery citizen of the same as much corne as would kepe him three monethes yet when he went from ROME to make warre with the PARTHIANS himselfe being desirous to know what all he had was worth founde that it amounted to the summe of seuen thowsande one hundred talentes But if I may with license vse euill speeche wryting a troth I say he got the most parte of his wealth by fire and blood raising his greatest reuenue of publicke calamities For when Sylla had takē the citie of ROME he made portesale of the goods of them whom he had put to death to those that gaue most tearming them his booty onely for that he would the nobility and greatest men of power in the citie should be partakers with him of this iniquity and in this open sale Crassus neuer lest taking of giftes nor bying of thinges of Sylla for profit Furthermore Crassus perceiuinge that the greatest decay commonly of the buildinges in ROME came by fire and falling downe of houses through the ouermuch weight by numbers of stories built one apon an other bought bondme that were masons carpinters and these deuisours and builders of those he had to the number of fiue hundred Afterwardes when the fire tooke any house he would buy the house while it was a burning and the next houses adioyning to it which the owners folde for litle being then in daunger as they were and a burning so that by proces of time the most parte of the houses in ROME came to be his But notwithstanding that he had so many slaues to his workemen he neuer built any house from the ground sauing his owne house wherein he dwelt◠saying that such as delighted to builde vndid them selues without helpe of any enemy And though he had many mynes of siluer many ploughes and a number of hyndes and plowmen to followe the
of his wit. For hauing better spirite and being more constant in his opinion than any of the other children striuing euer to excell in all things with such a vehemency he tooke all trauells in hande that it was vnpossible to ouercome him much lesse to compell him He was on thother side so milde gentle that euery curteous word wrought in him better obedience than any feare could doe bicause it grieued him more to be reproued then to take upon him any paine or labor And for the deformitie of his legge the one being shorter than the other in the flower of his youth through his pleasaunt wit he vsed the matter so pleasauntly and paciently that he would merily mocke him selfe which maner of mery behauior did greatly hide the blame of the bleamish Yea further his life corage was the more commendable in him for that men sawe that notwithstanding his lamenes he refused no paines nor labor Of his person we haue drawen no counterfeate bicause he woulde not in my wise haue it drawen and did expressely commaund by his will that they should neither draw his picture nor make any mowld or image of his body How beit we finde that he was of small stature wherby his presence promised no great matters to them that beheld him Yet for that he was euer mery and pleasaunt and neuer pensiue nor troublesome in word nor looke euen to the last ende of his life he was better loued then the most fayer creature that liued Notwithstanding the Ephori as Theophrastus writeth did condemne king Archidamus in a summe of money bicause he maried a litle woman saying that he would beget them demy kings no kinges in deede In the time that his eldest sonne Agis raigned king Alcibiades being banished ATHENS fled out of SICILE into LACEDAEMON and had not long remained in SPARTA before they suspected him that he kept king Agis wife called Timea for which cause Agis would not acknowledge the childe she brought to be his sonne saying that Alcibiades had begotten him But Timea cared not much for it as Duris wryteth for otherwhile as she fate amongest her women softly she called him Alcibiades not Leotychides On thother side they reporte that Alcibiades him selfe sayd it was for no hurt he ment to any man that he lay with Queene Timea but only for the desire he had that some of the kinges of LACEDAEMON should be begotten of his seede Neuertheles at the length he was driuen to forsake LACEDAEMON mistrusting king Agis who euer after douted of the childe thought him a bastard vntill such time as being on his death bed Leotychides falling on his knees wept and so behaued him selfe that Agis before many witnesses said he did acknowledge him for his sonne This notwithstanding when king Agis was dead Lysander that had then ouercomen the ATHENIANS by sea was more in credit authority in the city of SPARTA than any other practised to put the crowne apon Agesilaus head saying that Leotychides had no interest vnto it bicause he was a bastard The like did diuers other citizens say of him which loued Agesilaus vertue and liked him passingly for that he had bene brought vp from his childhood among them But on the contrary parte also there was a Soothsayer or wisard in SPARTA called Diopithes that had a number of old prophecies without booke was accounted a very skilfull man touching prophecies and diuinations He maintained that it was not lawfull for any lame man to be king of SPARTA and for proofe thereof he told this auncient oracle before the counsell As stately as thy stomake is o Sparta take good heede And stand vpon thy gard and looke about thee I thee reede For halting one day dovvne vvill cast thine Empire to the ground By meane of vvares and troubles great that shall inclose thee round Lysander replied against it saying that if the SPARTANS were afrayed of this oracle they should rather beware of Leotychides For the goddes cared not if any man lame of a foote aspired to be king but rather if he were a bastard and not lineally descended of the race of Hercules For that sayd he were to make the kingdom halte Agesilaus furthermore alleaged that the god Neptune him selfe had witnessed that Leotychides was a bastard for he draue Agis by an earthquake to runne out of his wiues chamber and that tenne monethes after that and more Leotychides was borne So was Agesilaus apon these allegacions not onely proclaimed king of SPARTA but he had geuen him moreouer as lawful heire all his brother Agis goods and Leotychides reiected as a bastard Notwithstanding considering that his parentes by his mothers side were very poore yet honest men he left them the moyty of all the goodes by which act Agesilaus wanne all their good willes where else they had enuied him for his succession in the kingdom And as Xenophon sayth by obeying his contrie he grew to such power that he might doe whatsoeuer he would The Ephori and Senatours at that time bare all the sway and gouernment of the common wealth the Ephores office chaunging yearely the other being for life the which Ephori were only ordained to bridle the insolency of the kings for that they should not as we haue more amply wrytten in Lycurgus life haue absolute power in their handes Vppon this occasion the kinges that succeeded in the gouernment had as it were by inheritaunce a present grudge and malice against them This notwithstanding Agesilaus tooke a contrary course to all his predecessors For where others presently quarelled with the Ephori and Senatours Agesilaus did honor and reuerence them and would neuer dispatche any matter without their priuity but was alwayes ready to goe when they did send him When he was set in his chaier of state to geue audience if any of the Ephori chaunsed to come in he would rise vp vnto them and at the election of any new Senatour he would for honors sake present him a gowne and an oxe And thus cunningly seeming to honor and increase the dignity of the Senatours winning their good wills he made his power great the realme much greater Furthermore his behauior towards the rest of his contrymen was such as his enmity was lesse faulty thē his frendship For he did neuer hurt his enemies without iust cause but he aided his frends euen in vniust causes And wheras he thought it a shame not to honor enemies when they had done well he could not finde in his hart to rebuke his frendes when they did amisse but rather gloried in succoring helping of them in their euill doings For he thought it no shame to serue his frendes turne howsoeuer it were Againe when any of his aduersaries offended he was as sory for it as any man and as readie to beare with it if he were intreated whereby he allured and wanne the hartes of all men The Ephori seeing that
not tell where there came crowes vnto them that did guide them flying before them flying fast when they saw them follow them and stayed for them when they were behind But Callisthenes writeth a greater wonder then this that in the night time with the very noise of the crowes they brought them againe into the right waie which had lost their waie Thus Alexander in th end hauing passed through this wildernes he came vnto the temple he sought for where the prophet or chiefe priest saluted him from the god Hammon as from his father Then Alexander asked him if any of the murtherers that had killed his father were left aliue The priest aunswered him and bad him take heede he did not blaspheme for his father was no mortall man Then Alexander againe rehersing that he had spoken asked him if the murderers that had conspired the death of Philip his father were all punished After that he asked him touching his kingdome if he would graunt him to be king ouer all the world The god aunswered him by the mouth of his prophet he should and that the death of Philip was fully reuenged Then did Alexander offer great presentes vnto the god and gaue money large to the priests ministers of the temple This is that the most parte of writers doe declare touching Alexanders demaund and the oracles geuen him Yet did Alexander him selfe write vnto his mother that he had secret oracles from the god which he would onely impart vnto her at his retorne into MACEDON Others saie also that the prophet meaning to salute him in the Greeke tongue to welcome him the better would haue said vnto him O Paidion as much as deere sonne but that he tripped a litle in his tongue bycause the Greeke was not his naturall tongue and placed an s for an n in the latter ende saying O Pai dios to wit O sonne of Iupiter and that Alexander was glad of that mistaking Whereupon there ranne a rumor straight among his men that Iupiter had called him his sonne It is said also that he heard Psammon the philosopher in EGYPT and that he liked his wordes very well when he saide that god was king of all mortall men For ê™ he he that commaundeth all things must needes be god But Alexander selfe spake better and like philosopher when he said That god generally was father to all mortall men but that particularly he did elect the best sorte for him selfe To conclude he shewed him selfe more arrogant vnto the barbarous people and made as though he certainly beleued that he had bene begotten of some god but vnto the GRAECIANS he spake more modestly of diuine generation Porin a letter he wrote vnto the ATHENIANS touching the citie of SAMOS he said I gaue ye not that noble free citie but it was geuen you at that time by him whom they called my Lord father meaning Philip. Afterwardes also being striken with an arrow and feeling great paine of it My frendes said he This blood which is spilt is mans blood and not as Homer said No such as from the immortall gods doth flovv And one day also in a maruelous great thunder when euery man was afraid Anaxarcbus the Rethoritian being present said vnto him O thou sonne of Iupiter wilt thou doe as much no said he laughing on him I will no be so fearefull to my frends as thou wouldest haue me disdaining the seruice of fishe to my borde bycause thou seest not princes heades serued in And the report goeth also that Alexander vpon a time sending a litle fishe vnto Hephes 〈…〉 Anaxarchus should saye as it were in mockery that they which aboue others seeke for 〈…〉 with great trouble and hazard of life haue either small pleasure in the world or els 〈…〉 as others haue By these proofes and reasons alleaged we maie thinke that Alexander lead no vaine nor presumptuous opinion of him selfe to thinke that he was otherwise begotten of a god but that he did it in policie to kepe other men vnder obedience by the opinion conceiued of his godhead Retorning out of PHOENICIA into EGYPT he made many sacrifices feastes and precessions in honor of the goddes sondry daunces Tragedies and such like pastimes goodly to behold not onely for the sumptuous serring out of them but also for the good will and diligence of the setters forth of them which striued euery one to exceede the other For the kings of the CYPRIANS were the setters of them forth as at ATHENS they dâ—aâ—â— by lot a citizen of euery tribe of the people to defraie the changes of these pastimes These kinges were very earnest who should doe best but specially Nicocreon king of SALAMDAâ—â—â— CYPRVS and Pasicrates Lord of the citie of SOLES For it fell to their lot to fournish run of the excellentest plaiers Pasicrates fournished Athenodorus and Nicocreon Thessalus whom Alexander loued singulerly well though he made no shew of it vntill that Athenodorus was declared victor by the iudges deputed to geue sentence For when he went from the plaies he told them he did like the iudges opinion well notwithstanding he would haue bene extented to haue geuen the one halfe of his realme not to haue seene Thessalus ouercome Athenodorus being condemned vpon a time by the ATHENIANS bycause he was not in ATHENS at the feastes of Bacchus when the Comedies and Tragedies were plaied and a fine set of his head for his absence he besought AlexaÌ„der to write vnto them in his behalfe that they would release his penalty Alexander would not so doe but sent thether his money whereof he was condemned and paide it for him of his owne purse Also when Lycon SCALPHIAN an euedlent stage player had pleased Alexander well and did foiste in a verse in his comedy conteining a petition of tenne talents Alexander laughing at it gaue it him Darius at that time wrote vnto Alexander and vnto certen of his frendes also to pray him take tenne thousand tallentes for the raumson of all those prisoners he had in his handes and for all the contrie landes and signories on this side the riuer of Euphrates and one of his daughters also in mariage that from thence forth he might be his kinsman and frend Alexander imparted this to his counsell Amongest them Parmenio said vnto him if I were Alexander ê™ he surely I would accept this offer So would I in deede ê™ Alexander againe if I were Parmenio In fine he 〈…〉 againe vnto Darius that if he would submit him selfe he would vse him courteously if not that then he would presently marche towardes him But he repented him afterwardes when king Darius wife was dead with childe For without dissimulation it greeued him much that he had lost so noble an occasion to shew his courtesie and clemencie This notwithstanding he gaue her body honorable buriall sparing for no cost Amongest the Eunuches of the queenes chamber there was one Tireus taken prisoner among the women who
by the people should neuer after be capable of any other office The seconde that if any Consul had banished any citizen without lawefull accusation the sentence and hearing of the matter should perteine to the people The first of these two lawes did plainly defame Octauius whom Tiberius his brother had by the people deposed from the Tribunshippe The seconde also rouched Popilius who being Praetor had banished his brother Tiberius frendes whereuppon he stayed not the triall but willingly exiled him selfe out of ITALIE And touching the first law Caius him selfe did afterwards reuoke it declaring vnto the people that he had saued Octauius at the request of his mother Cornelia The people were verie glad of it and confirmed it honoring her no lesse for respect of her sonnes then also for Scipioes sake her father For afterwards they cast her image in brasse set it vp with this inscription Cornelia the mother of the Gracchi Many cōmon matters are found written touching Cornelia his mother eloquently pleaded in her behalfe by Caius against her aduersaries As when he sayd vnto one of them how darest thou presume to speake euill of Cornelia that had Tiberius to her sonne And the other partie also that slandered her being sorely suspected for a Sodomite and art thou so impudent sayd he to shew thy face before Cornelia Hast thou brought foorth children as she hath done And yet it is wel knowē to all men in ROME that she being but a woman hath liued longer without a man than thou that art a man Thus were Caius words sharpe stinging and many such like are to be gathered out of his wrytinges Furthermore he made many other lawes afterwardes to increase the peoples authoritie and to imbase the Senates greatnes The first was for the restoring of the Colonies to ROME in diuiding the landes of the common wealth vnto the poore citizens that should inhabite there The other that they shoulde apparell the souldiers at the charge of the common wealth and that it should not be deducted out of their paye and also that no citizen should be billed to serue in the warres vnder seuenteene yeares of age at the least An other law was for their confederats of ITALIE that through all ITALIE they shoulde haue as free voyces in the election of any Magistrate as the naturall citizens of ROME it selfe An other setting a reasonable price of the corne that should be distributed vnto the poore people An other touching iudgement whereby he did greatly minish the authority of the Senate For before the Senators were onely Iudges of all matters the which made them to be the more honored and feared of the people and the ROMANE Knights and now he ioyned three hundred ROMANE Knights vnto the other three hundred Senators and brought it so to passe that all matters iudiciall shoulde be equally iudged among those six hundred men After he had passed this law it is reported he was verie curious in obseruing all other thinges but this one thing specially that where all other Orators speaking to the people turned them towards the pallace where the Senators sate and to that side of the market place which is called Comitium he in contrarie manner when he made his Oration turned him outwardes towardes the other side of the market place and after that kept it constantly and neuer failed Thus by a litle turning and altering of his looke only he remoued a great matter For he so transferred all the gouernment of the common wealth from the Senate vnto the iudgement of the people to teach the Orators by his example that in their Orations they should behold the people not the Senate Now the people hauing not only confirmed the law he made touching the Iudges but geuen him also full power and authoritie to choose amonge the ROMANE Knightes suche Iudges as he liked of he founde thereby he had absolute power in his owne hands insomuche as the Senators them selues did aske counsell of him So did he euer geue good counsell and did preferre matters meete for their honor As amongest others the lawe he made touching certaine wheate that Fabius Vicepraetor had sent out of SPAYNE which was a good and honorable acte He perswaded the Senate that the corne might be solde and so to send backe againe the money therof vnto the townes and cities from whence the corne came and therewithall to punish Fabius for that he made the Empire of ROME hatefull and intollerable vnto the prouinces and subiectes of the same This matter wanne him great loue and commendacion of all the prouinces subiect to ROME Furthermore he made lawes for the restoring of the decayed townes for mending of high wayes for building of garners for prouision of corne And to bring all these things to passe he him selfe tooke apon him the only care and enterprise being neuer wearied with any paines taken in ordering of so great affaires For he followed all those thinges so earnestly and effectually as if he had had but one matter in hand insomuch that they who most hated and feared him wondred most to see his diligence and quicke dispatche in matters The people also wondred muche to beholde him only seeing alwaies suche a number of laborers artificers Ambassadors officers souldiers and learned men whom he easely satisfied and dispatched keping still his estate and yet vsing great curtesie and ciuilitie entertaining euery one of them priuately so that he made his accusers to be found lyers that sayd he was a stately man and very cruell Thus he wanne the good will of the common people being more popular and familiar in his conuersation and deedes then he was otherwise in his Orations But the greatest paines and care he tooke apon him was in seeing the high wayes mended the which he woulde haue as well done as profitablie done For he would cast the cawcies by the lyne in the softest ground in the fields and then woulde paue them with hard stone and cast a great deale of grauell vpon it which he caused to be brought thither When he found any low or waterie places which the riuers had eaten into he raised them vp or else made bridges ouer them with an euen height equall to either side of the cawcie so that all his worke caried a goodly leauell withall euen by the lyne or plummet which was a pleasure to beholde it Furthermore he deuided these high wayes by myles euery myle conteining eight furlonges and at euery myles ende he set vp a stone for a marke At either end also of these high wayes thus paued he set certaine stones of conuenient height a prety way a sunder to helpe the trauellers by to take their horse backes againe without any helpe The people for these things highly praising extolling him and being readie to make shew of their loue and good will to him any maner of way he told them openly one day in his Oration that he had a request
wound he brought into his subiection againe certaine townes that had rebelled against him After that he returned againe into ATTICA and tooke the cities of ELEVSIN and of RHAMNVS and then spoyled all the contrie tooke a shippe fraight with corne and hong vp the marchaunt that ought it and the maister of the shippe that brought it Thereby to terrifie all other merchauntes that they shoulde be affrayed to bring any more corne thither and so to famish the citie by keeping them from all thinges necessarie for their sustenaunce and so it happened For a bushell of salt was sold at ATHENS for fortie siluer Drachmas and the bushell of wheate for three hundred Drachmas In this extreame necessitie the ATHENIANS had but a short ioy for the hundred and fiftie gallies they saw neere vnto AEGINA the which Ptolomy sent to aide them For when the souldiers that were in them sawe that they brought vnto Demetrius a great number of shippes out of PELOPONNESVS out of CYPRVS diuers other partes which amounted in the whole to the number of three hundred saile they weyed their anckers and fled presently Then Lachares forsooke the city and secretly saued him selfe Nowe the ATHENIANS who before had commaunded vppon paine of death that no man should make any motion to the counsell to treate of any peace with Demetrius they did then vpon Lachares flying presently open the gates next vnto Demetrius campe and sent Ambassadours vnto him not looking for any grace or peace but bicause necessitie draue them to it During this so hard and straight siege there fell out many wonderfull and straunge things but among others this one is of speciall note It is reported that the father and the sonne sitting in their house voide of all hope of life there fell a dead ratte before them from the toppe of the house and that the father and sonne fought who should haue it to eate Moreouer that at the selfe same siege the Philosopher Epicurus maintained him selfe and his schollers by getting them a proporcion of beanes euerie day by the which they liued Thus the citie of ATHENS being brought vnto this extremitie Demetrius made his entrie into it and gaue commaundement to all the citizens that they shoulde assemble euerie man within the Theater where he made them to be compassed in with armed souldiers and then placed all his gard armed about the stage Afterwards he came downe him selfe into the Theater through high galleries and entries by the which the common players vsed to come to play their partes in tragedies insomuche as the ATHENIANS were then worse affrayed then before howbeit Demetrius presently pacified their feare as soone as he beganne to speake vnto them For he did not facion his Oration with a hastie angrie voyce neither did he vse any sharpe or bitter wordes but onely after he had curteously told them their faults and discurtesie towards him he sayd he forgaue them and that he would be their frende againe and furthermore he caused tenne millions of bushells of wheate to be geuen vnto them and stablished such Gouernors there as the people misliked not of Then Democles the Orator seeing that the people gaue out great showtes of ioy in the praise of Demetrius and that the Orators dayly contended in the pulpit for Orations who should exceede other in preferring newe honors for Demetrius he caused an order to be made that the hauens of PIRAEVS and MVNYCHIA should be put into Demetrius handes to vse at his pleasure This being stablished by voyces of the people Demetrius of his owne priuate authoritie did place a greate garrison within the forte called MVSAEVM bicause the people should rebell no more against him nor diuert him from his other enterprises Thus when he had taken ATHENS he went to set vpon the LACEDAEMONIANS But Archidamus king of LACEDAEMON came against him with a puisant armie whom he discomfited in battell and put to flight by the citie of MANTINEA After that he inuaded LACONIA with all his armie and made an inrode to the citie of SPARTA where he once againe ouerthrew the LACEDAEMONIANS in set battell tooke fiue hundred of them prisoners and slue two hundred insomuch that euery man thought he might euen then goe to SPARTA without any daunger to take it the which had neuer yet bene take affore by any But there was neuer king that had so often and sodaine chaunges of fortune as Demetrius nor that in other affaires was euer so often litle and then great so sodainly downe and vp againe so weake straight so strong And therefore it is reported that in his great aduersities when fortune turned so contrarie against him he was wont to crie out vppon fortune that which AEschylus speaketh in a place Thou seemst to haue begotten me of purpose for to shovve Thy force in lifting of me vp me dovvne againe to throvv Nowe againe when his affaires prospered so well and that he was likely to recouer a great force and kingdome newes were brought him first that Lysimachus had taken all his townes from him which he helde in ASIA and on the other side that Ptolomy had won from him all the realme of CYPRVS the citie of SALAMINA onely excepted in the which he kept his mother and children very straightly besieged This notwithstanding fortune played with him as the wicked woman Archilochus speaketh of who Did in the one hand vvater shovv And in the other fire bestovv For taking him away and as it were the citie of SPARTA also out of his handes by these dreadfull newes euen when he was certaine to haue won it she presently offered him hopes of other great and new thinges by this occasion following After the death of Cassander Philip who was the eldest of all his other sonnes and left his heire and successor in the kingdome of MACEDON he reigned no long time ouer the MACEDONIANS but deceased soone after his father was dead The two other brethren also fell at great variance and warres together so that the one called Antipater slue his owne mother Thessalonica and the other being Alexander called in to aide him Demetrius and Pyrrhus the one out of the realme of EPIRVS and the other out of PELOPONNESVS Pyrrhus came first before Demetrius and kept a great parte of MACEDON for recompence of his paines comming to aide him at his desire so that he became a dreadfull neighbour vnto Alexander him selfe that had sent for him into his contrie Furthermore when he was aduertised that Demetrius did presently vpon the receite of his letters set forward with all his armie to come to aide him the young Prince Alexander was twise as muche more amazed and affrayed for the great estate and estimacion of Demetrius So he went to him notwithstanding and receiued him at a place called Deion and there imbraced and welcomed him But immediatly after he told him that his affaires were nowe in so good state
gallant grace as in a conuoye where the mourners doe knocke their breastes at the foote of euery verse But that which most made the people of CORINTHE to weepe and lament which ranne to the peere and all alongest the shore side to see it was Antigonus whom they sawe all beblubbored with teares apparrelled as a mourner in blackes Nowe after they had brought a wonderfull number of garlands and nosegayes and cast them vppon the funerall pot and had solemnized all the honors possible for the funeralls at CORINTHE Antigonus caried away the pot to burye it in the citie of DEMETRIADE the which bare the name of Demetrius that was deade and was a newe citie that had bene replenished with people and built of litle townes which are about IOLCOS Demetrius left two children by his first wife Phila to wete Antigonus and Stratonice and two other sonnes both of them named Demetrius the one surnamed the leane of a woman of ILLYRIA and the other king of the CYRENIANS of his wife Ptolemaeide and another by Deidamiae called Alexander who liued in AEGYPT And it is reported also that he had another sonne called Corrhabus by his wife Eurydice and that his posteritie raigned by succession from the father to the sonne vntil the time of Perseus who was the last king of MACEDON whome the ROMANES ouercame by Paulus AEmylius wanne all the Realme of MACEDON vnto the Empire of ROME Now that the MACEDONIAN hath played his part giue the ROMANE also leaue to come vppon the stage THE LIFE OF Marcus Antonius ANTONIVS grandfather was that famous Orator whome Marius slue bicause he tooke Syllaes parte His father was an other Antonius surnamed Cretan who was not so famous nor bare any great sway in the common wealth howbeit otherwise he was an honest man and of a very good nature and specially very liberall in giuing as appeareth by an acte he did He was not very wealthie and therefore his wife would not let him vse his liberalitie and francke nature One day a friend of his comming to him to praye him to helpe him to some money hauing great neede Antonius by chaunce had no money to giue him but he commaunded one of his men to bringe him some water in a siluer basen after he had brought it him he washed his beard as though he ment to haue shauen it and then found an arrant for his man to send him out and gaue his friend the siluer basen and bad him get him money with that Shortly after there was a great sturre in the house among the seruaunts seeking out this siluer basen Insomuch as Antonius seeing his wife maruelously offended for it that she would examine all her seruaunts one after another about it to know what was become of it at length he confessed he had giuen it away prayed her to be contented His wife was Iulia of the noble house and familie of Iulius Caesar who for her vertue chastitie was to be compared with the noblest Lady of her time M. Antonius was brought vp vnder her being married after her first husbands death vnto Cornelius Lentulus whom Cicero put to death with Cethegas and others for that he was of Catilines conspiracie against the common wealth And this seemeth to be the originall cause and beginning of the cruell and mortall hate Antonius bare vnto Cicero For Antonius selfe sayth that he would neuer giue him the body of his father in law to bury him before his mother went first to intreat Ciceroes wife the which vndoubtedly was a flat lye For Cicero denied buriall to none of them whom he executed by law Now Antonius being a fayer younge man and in the pryme of his youth he fell acquainted with Curio whose friendship and acquaintance as it is reported was a plague vnto him For he was a dissolute man giuen ouer to all lust and insolencie who to haue Antonius the better at his commaundement trayned him on into great follies and vaine expences vpon women in rioting banketing So that in short time he brought Antonius into a maruelous great det too great for one of his yeres to wete of two hundred fifty talents for all which summe Curio was his suertie His father hearing of it did put his sonne from him and for bad him his house Then he fell in with Clodius one of the desperatest and most wicked Tribunes at that time in ROME Him he followed for a time in his desperate attempts who bred great sturre and mischiefe in ROME but at length he forsooke him being weary of his rashnes and folly or els for that he was affraid of them that were bent against Clodius Therevppon he left ITALY and went into GRAECE and there bestowed the most parte of his tyme sometime in warres and otherwhile in the studie of eloquence He vsed a manner of phrase in his speeche called Asiatik which caried the best grace and estimation at that time and was much like to his manners and life for it was full of oftentation foolishe brauerie and vaine ambition After he had remayned there some tyme Gabinius Proconsul going into SYRIA perswaded him to goe with him Antonius tolde him he would not goe as a priuate man Wherefore Gabinius gaue him charge of his horsemen and so tooke him with him So first of all he sent him against Aristobulus who had made the IEVVES to rebell was the first man him selfe that got vp to the wall of a castell of his and so draue Aristobulus out of all his holds and with those few men he had with him he ouercame al the IEVVES in set battel which were many against one and put all of them almost to the sword and furthermore tooke Aristobulus him selfe prisoner with his sonne Afterwards Ptolomy king of AEGYPT that had bene driuen out of his contry went vnto Gabinius to intreate him to goe with his armie with him into AEGYPT to put him againe into his kingdom and promised him if he would goe with him tenne thowsand talents The most part of the Captaines thought it not best to goe thither Gabinius him selfe made it daintie to enter into his warre although the couetousnes of these tenne thowsand talents stucke sorely with him But Antonius that sought but for oportunitie and good occasion to attempt great enterprises and that desired also to gratifie Ptolomyes request he went about to perswade Gabinius to goe this voyage Now they were more affrayd of the way they should goe to come to the citie of PELVSIVM then they feared any daunger of the warre besides bicause they were to passe through deepe sandes desert place where was no freshe water to be had all the marisses thorough which are called the marisses Sethonides which the AEGYPTIANS call the exhalations of sume by the which the Gyant Typhon breathed But in truth it appeareth to be the ouerflowing of the red sea which
the king referred him to be iudged by his peeres For the king him selfe would not be present to geue iudgement of him but deputed other in his place to accuse him howbeit he commaunded his secretaries to set downe in writing the opinion and sentence of euerie one of the Iudges and to bring it him In fine they all cast him and condemned him to dye Then the officers layed hold on him and brought him into a chamber of the prison where the hangman came with a raser in his hande with the which he vsed to cut mens throates so condemned to dye So the hangman comming into the chamber when he saw it was Darius he was affrayed and came out of the chamber againe his hart failing him and durst not lay handes vpon the person of the king But the Iudges that stoode without the chamber bad him goe and doe it vnlesse he would haue his owne throate cut So the hangman then came in and tooke Darius by the heare of the head and made him hold downe his head and so cut his necke with his raser he had in his other hand Others doe write that this sentence was geuen in the presence of king Artaxerxes selfe and that Darius seeing him selfe conuicted by manifest proofes brought in against him he fell downe at his fathers feete and besought him to pardon him and then that his father being angrie rose vp and drew out his curtelax and wounded him in so many places withall that at lenght he slue him Then returning into the Court he worshipped the sunne and turning him to his Lords that were about him he sayd vnto them My Lordes God be with you and be merie at home in your houses and tell them that were not here how the great Oromazes hath taken reuenge of them that practised treason against me This was the end of Darius treason Now Darius being dead Ochus his brother stoode in good hope to be next heire to the crowne the rather through the meanes and frendshippe of his sister Atossa but yet of his legitimate brethren he feared him called Ariaspes who was onely left of all the rest that were legitimate and of his bastard brethren Arsames not bicause Ariaspes was elder than he but for that he was of a soft plaine nature the PERSIANS desired he might be their king On the other side Arsames was wise and valliant and Ochus sawe that his father loued him dearely So he determined to intrappe them both Now Ochus being a suttle and malicious natured man he first shewed his crueltie vpon Arsames and his malice vpon Ariaspes his legitimate brother For bicause he knewe he was but simple and plaine he sent dayly some of the kings Euenukes vnto him who brought him threatning words and messages as from the king telling him that he had determined to put him to a shamefull and cruell death So forging these newes continuallie as things verie secret they did so terrifie poore Ariaspes telling him that the king was fullie bent to put some of his threats in execution out of hand that he was put in such feare and dispaire of his life that he prepared him selfe apoyson and dranke it to ridde him selfe of his life King Artaxerxes vnderstanding of his death tooke it very heauily began to mistrust the cause that made him to make him selfe away howebeit he coulde not seeke the proofe of it for his extreame age But this chaunce made him loue Arsames better then before shewing plainly that he trusted him better then Ochus and did make him priuie to all things Ochus could no lenger abide to deserte his intent and therefore entised Harpaces Tiribazus sonne to kill his bastard brother Arsames the which he did Now Artaxerxes was so extreame olde that he was as good as done with age but after he heard his sonne Arsames was murdered he coulde beare it no lenger but tooke it so to his hart for sorow that when he had liued foure score and fouretene yeares and raigned three score and two he dyed When he was dead they then found that he had bene a gratious curteous Prince and one that loued his people and subiectes when they saw the proofe of his successor Ochus that passed all men liuing in crueltie and seuerity THE LIFE OF Dion LIke as Simonides ô Sossius Senecio saith that the city of ILIVN was not offended with the CORINTHIANS for that they came to make warre with them with other GRAECIANS bicause Glaucus whose first auncesters came from CORINTHE had taken armes louingly fought for the same euen so me thinkes that neither the GRAECIANS nor ROMANES haue cause to complaine of the Academy sith they be both alike praised of the same in this present booke in the which are conteined the liues of Dion and Brutus Of the which the one of them hauing bene verie familiar with Plato him selfe and the other from his childhoode brought vp in Platoes doctrine they both as it were came out of one selfe schoolehouse to attempt the greatest enterprises amongest men And it is no maruell if they two were muche like in many of their doinges prouing that true which their schoolemaister Plato wrote of vertue that to do any noble act in the gouernment of a common wealth which should be famous and of credit authoritie and good fortune must both meete in one selfe person ioined with iustice and wisedom For as a certaine fenser called Hippomachus said that he knewe his schollers farre of if he did but see them comming from the market with meate in their handes so it must needes follow that men hauing bene vertuously brought vp must nedes be wise in all their doings and beside that it bringeth them to ciuilitie and honesty euen so it frameth their condicions muche like one vnto an other Furthermore their fortunes hauing also fallen out both alike more by chaunce then by any reason do make their liues verie like to eache other For they were both of them slaine before they coulde bring their enterprises to passe which they had determined But the greatest wonder of all is this that their deathes were foreshewed vnto them both by a wicked spirit that visible appeared vnto either of them albeit there be some that can not abide those opinions and doe maintaine that these sights and euill spirits doe neuer appeare to any man that hath his right wits but that they are fancies of litle children or old women or of some men that their wits are weakened by sickenes and so haue a certaine imagination of suche straunge sightes being of this superstitious minde that they haue a wicked spirit and an euill angell in them But if Dion and Brutus both of them graue and learned Philosophers and verie constant men not ouercome by any sodaine passion or imagination of minde haue bene moued by such sights and spirits and haue also tolde it vnto their frendes I can not tell whether we shall inforced to
afterwards when she was forsaken of her sonne onles peraduenture those things that they write of the imprisonment and captiuitie of AEthra be founde false and but fables as for the same and memorie of Theseus were behouefull that both it and many other things also were of no more trothe nor likelyhood That which they write of Romulus diuinements maketh great difference betwene him and Theseus For Romulus in his birthe was preserued by the maruelous fauour of the goddes Theseus to the contrarie was begotten against the goddes will as appeared plainely by the aunswer of the oracle to AEgeus that he should not medle with any woman in straunge and foraine countrie The ende of Romulus life THE LIFE OF Lycurgus A MAN can not speake any thing at all of Lycurgus who made the lawes of the LACEDAEMONIANS but he shall finde great contrarietie of him amongest the historiographers For of his parentage trauaill out of his countrie of his deathe and making of lawes of his forme and gouernment and order of executing the same they haue written diuersely And yet aboue all things concerning him they agree worst about the time he liued in For some of them and Aristotle is of that number will needes haue him to haue bene in the time of Iphytus and that he dyd helpe him to stablish the ordinaunce that all warres should cease during the feast of the games olympicall for a testimonie whereof they alledge the copper coyte which was vsed to be throwen in those games and had founde grauen vpon it the name of Lycurgus Other compting the dayes and time of the succession of the kings of LACEDAEMON as Eratosthenes and Apollodorus saye he was many yeres before the first Olympiades Timaeus also thincketh there were two of this name and in diuers times howbeit the one hauing more estimation then the other men gaue this Lycurgus the glorie of both their doings Some saye the eldest of the twaine was not longe after Homer and some write they sawe him Xenophon sheweth vs plainely he was of great antiquitie saying he was in the time of the Heraclides who were neerest of bloude by descent to Hercules For it is likely Xenophon ment not those Heraclides which descended from Hercules self for the last kings of SPARTA were of Hercules progenie aswell as the first Therefore he meaneth those Heraclides which doubtles were the first and nearest before Hercules time Neuertheles though the historiographers haue written diuersely of him yet we will not leaue to collect that which we finde written of him in auncient histories and is least to be denied and by best testimonies most to be prooued And first of all the poet Simonides sayeth his father was called Prytanis and not Eunomus and the most parte doe write the pettigree otherwise aswell of Lycurgus self as of Eunomus For they saye that Patrocles the sonne of Aristodemus begate Sous and Sous begate Eurytion and Eurytion begate Prytanis and Prytanis begat Eunomus and Eunomus begat Polydectes of his first wife and Lycurgus of the second wife called Dianassa yet Euthychidas an other writer maketh Lycurgus the sixte of descent in the right line from Polydectes and the eleuenth after Hercules But of all his auncesters the noblest was Sous in whose time the cittie of SPARTA subdued the Ilotes and made them slaues and dyd enlarge and increase their dominion with the lands and possessions they had got by conquest of the Arcadians And it is sayed that Sous him self being on a time straightly besieged by the CLITORIANS in a hard drye grounde where no water could be founde offered them thereupon to restore all their lands againe that he had gotten from them if he and all his companie dyd drincke of a fountaine that was there not farre of The CLITORIANS dyd graunte vnto it and peace also was sworne betweene them Then he called all his souldiers before him and tolde them if there were any one amongest them that would refrayne from drincking he would resigne his kingdome to him howbeit there was not one in all his companie that could or would forbeare to drincke they were so sore a thirst So they all drancke hartely except him self who being the last that came downe dyd no more but a litle moyste his mowthe without and so refreshed him self the enemies selues standing by and drancke not a droppe By reason whereof he refused afterwards to restore their lands he had promised alledging they had not all droncke But that notwithstanding he was greately esteemed for his actes and yet his house was not named after his owne name but after his sonnes name Eurytion they of his house were called Eurytionides The reason was bicause his sonne Eurytion to please the people dyd first let fall and geue ouer the sole and absolute power of a king Whereupon there followed afterwardes marueilous disorder and dissolution which continued a great time in the citie of SPARTA For the people finding them selues at libertie became very bolde and disobedient and some of the Kinges that succeeded were hated euen to deathe bicause they woulde perforce vse their auncient authoritie ouer the people Other either to winne the loue and goodwilles of the people or bicause they sawe they were not stronge enough to rule them dyd geue them selues to dissemble And this dyd so muche increase the peoples lose and rebellious mindes that Lycurgus owne father being Kinge was slayne among them For one daye as he was parting a fraye betweene two that were fighting he had suche a wounde with a kytchin knyfe that he dyed and left his Realme to his eldest sonne Polydectes who dyed also sone after and without heyre of his bodye as was supposed In so muche as euery man thought Lycurgus should be Kinge and so he tooke it vpon him vntill it was vnderstoode that his brothers wife was younge with childe Which thing so soone as he perceyued he published openly that the Realme belonged to the childe that should be borne if it were a sonne After this he gouerned the Realme but as the Kings lieutenante and regent The LACEDAEMONIANS call the regents of their Kinges that are left within age Prodicos Lycurgus brothers widowe dyd send and let him secretly vnderstande that if he would promise to marye her when he should be King that she would come before her time and either miscarye or destroye that she went with Lycurgus detestably abhorring this brutishe and sauage vnnaturallnes of the woman dyd not reiect her offer made him but seemed rather to be very glad then to dislike of it Neuertheles he sent her worde againe she should not neede to trye masteryes with drinckes and medicines to make her come before her time for so doing she might bring her selfe in daunger and be cast awaye for euer Howbeit he aduised her to goe her full time and to be brought a bed in good order and then he would finde meanes enough to make awaye the childe that
should be borne And so with suche persuasions he drewe on this woman to her full time of deliuerie But so soone as he perceyued she was neere her time he sent certaine to keepe her and to be present at her laboure commaunding them that if she were brought a bed of a daughter they should leaue her with the woman and if it were a sonne they should forthwith bring it to him in what place soeuer he was and what busines soever he had in hand It chaunced that she came euen about supper time and was deliuered of a sonne As he was sitting at the table with the other magistrates of the cittie his seruants entred the â—alle and presented to him the liâ—e babe which he tenderly tooke in his armes and sayed openly to them that were present beholde my lordes of SPARTA here is a Kinge borne vnto vs And speaking these wordes he layed him downe in the Kinges place and named him Charilaus as muche to saye as the ioye of the people Thus he sawe all the lookers on reioycing muche and might heare them prayse and extoll his synceritie iustice and vertue By this meanes he raigned only as King but eight moneths From thenceforth he was taken and esteemed so iust and syncere a man among the citizens that there were moe that willingly obeyed him for his vertue then for that he was the Kings regent or that he had the gouernment of the whole Realme in his hands NotwithstaÌ„ding there were some that bare him displeasure and malice who sought to hinder disgrace his credit and chiefly the friends and kinred of the Kings mothers whose power and honour were thought much impayred by Lycurgus authoritie In so much as a brother of hers called Leonidas entring boldly into great words with him on a daye dyd not sticke to say to his face I knowe for a certaintie one of these dayes thou wilt be King meaning thereby to bring him in suspition with the citizens Which thing though Lycurgus neuer ment yet of a subtill and craftie wit Leonidas thought by geuing out such words that if the young King happened to dye in his minoritie naturally it would be mistrusted that Lycurgus had secretly made him awaye The Kings mother also gaue out such like speaches which in the end dyd so trouble him with the feare he had what eueÌ„t might fall out thereof that he determined to departe his countrie and by his absence to auoyde the suspition that therein might growe vpon him any waye So he trauelled abroade in the worlde as a straunger vntill his nephew had begotten a sonne who was to succeede him in his kingdome He hauing with this determination taken his iorney went first of all into CRETA where he diligently obserued and considered the manner of their liuing the order of the gouernment of their CoÌ„mon weale and euer kept company with the best and euer was conferring with the most learned There he founde very good lawes in his iudgement which he noted of purpose to carie home to his countrie to serue when time should come He founde there other lawes also but of them he made no reckoning Nowe there was one man that aboue the rest was reputed wise and skilfull in matters of state gouernment who was called Thales with whom Lycurgus dyd so much by intreatie and for familier friendshippe that he persuaded him to goe with him vnto SPARTA This Thales was called the Poet Harper whereupon he had that title and name but in effect he sange all that the best and sufficientest gouernours of the worlde could deuise For all his songes were goodly ditties wherein he dyd exhorte and persuade the people to liue vnder obedience of the law in peace concorde one with the other His words were set out with such tunes countenance accents that were so full of swetenes harmony and pearsing that inwardly it melted mens heartes and drue the hearers of a loue to like the most honest things and to leaue all hatred enmitie sedition and diuision which at that time reigned sore amoÌ„g them So as it maye be sayed he it was that prepared the waye for Lycurgus whereby he afterwards reformed and brought the LACEDAEMONIANS vnto reason At his departing out of CRETA he went into ASIA with intent as it is sayed to compare the maÌ„ner of life and pollicie of those of CRETA being then very straight and seuere with the superfluities and vanities of IONIA and thereupon to consider the difference betwene their two manners gouernments as the physitian doth who to knowe the hole healthfull the better doth vse to compare them with the sicke diseased It is very likely it was there where he first sawe Homers works in the hands of the heires successours of Cleophylus finding in the same aswell many rules of pollicie as the great pleasure of Poets faining he diligently coppied it out and made a volume thereof to carie into GRECE It is true there was much fame abroad of Homers poesies among the GRECIANS howbeit there were fewe of them brought together but were scattered here there in diuers mens hands in pampflets peces vnsowed without any order but the first that brought them most to light amoÌ„g men was Lycurgus The AEGYPTIANS saye that he was in their countrie also that hauing founde thereone notable ordinaunce among other that their souldiers aad men of warre were separated from the rest of the people he brought the practise of it into SPARTA where setting the marchants artificers labourers euery one a parte by them selues he did establish a noble CoÌ„mon wealth So the AEGYPTIAN historiographers and some others also of GRECE doe write He was also in AFRICKE and in SPAYNE as farre as INDIA to conferre with the wise men there that were called the philosophers of INDIA I knowe no man that hathe written it sauing Aristocrates that was Hipparchus sonne The LACEDAEMONIANS wished for him often when he was gone and sent diuers and many a time to call him home who thought their Kings had but the honour and title of Kings and not the vertue or maiestie of a prince whereby they dyd excell the common people But as for Lycurgus they thought of him thus that he was a man borne to rule to coÌ„maund and to geue order as hauing in him a certaine naturall grace and power to drawe men willingly to obeye him Moreouer the Kings them selues were not vnwilling to haue him to returne home bicause they hoped that his presence would somwhat brydle restrayne the people from their insolencie disobedieÌ„ce towards them Whereupon Lycurgus returning home in this opinion and affection of men it fell out that he was no sooner arriued but he beganne to deuise howe to alter the whole gouernment of the common weale throughout to chaunge the whole course and order of the state thincking that to make only certaine particular lawes were to no purpose