Selected quad for the lemma: work_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
work_n	bear_v	good_a	tree_n	8,220	5	10.2554	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02299	Archontorologion, or The diall of princes containing the golden and famous booke of Marcus Aurelius, sometime Emperour of Rome. Declaring what excellcncy [sic] consisteth in a prince that is a good Christian: and what euils attend on him that is a cruell tirant. Written by the Reuerend Father in God, Don Antonio of Gueuara, Lord Bishop of Guadix; preacher and chronicler to the late mighty Emperour Charles the fift. First translated out of French by Thomas North, sonne to Sir Edward North, Lord North of Kirthling: and lately reperused, and corrected from many grosse imperfections. With addition of a fourth booke, stiled by the name of The fauoured courtier.; Relox de príncipes. English	Guevara, Antonio de, Bp., d. 1545?; Munday, Anthony, 1553-1633.; North, Thomas, Sir, 1535-1601?; Guevara, Antonio de, Bp., d. 1545? Aviso de privados. English.	1619 (1619)	STC 12430; ESTC S120712	985,362	801

cannot tell which of these two things were greater in him that is to say the profoundnesse of Knowledge that the Gods had giuen him or the cruell malice wherewith he persecuted his enemies For truely as Pithagoras saith Those which of men are most euill willed of the gods are best beloued This Philosopher Anacharsis then being as he was of Scithia which nation amongst the Romanes was esteemed Barbarous it chaunced that a malitious Romane sought to displease the Philosopher in wordes and truely hee was moued thereunto more through malice then thorow simplicity For the outwarde malitious words are a manifest token of the inward malitious hart This Romane therefore sayde to the Philosopher It is vnpossible Anacharsis that thou shouldest bee a Scithian borne for a man of such eloquence cannot bee of such a Barbarous Nation To whome Anacharsis answered Thou hast sayde well and herein I assent to thy wordes howbeit I doe not allow thy intention for as by reason thou mayest disprayse mee to bee of a barbarous Country and commend mee for a good life so I may iustly accuse thee of a wicked life and prayse thee of a good Country And herein bee thou Iudge of both which of vs two shall haue the most praise in the World to come neyther thou that art borne a Romane and leadest a barbarous life or I that am borne a Scythian and leade the life of a Romane For in the end in the Garden of this life I had rather bee a greene Apple-tree and beare fruit then to bee a drie Liban drawne on the ground After that Anacharsis had been in Rome a long time and in Greece hee determined for the loue of his Country now being aged to return home to Scythia whereof a brother of his named Cadmus was King who had the name of a King but in deede hee was a tyrant Since this good Philosopher sawe his brother exercise the workes of a Tyrant and seeing also the people so desolate hee determined to giue his brother the best counsell he could to ordayne lawes to the people and in good order to gouerne them which thing being seene of the Barbarous by the consent of them all as a man who inuented new deuises to liue in the World before them all openly was put to death For I will thou know O my friend Pulio that there is no greater token that the whole Common wealth is full of vice then when they kill or banish those which are vertuous therein so therefore as they led this Philosopher to death he sayd hee was vnwilling to take his death and loath to lose his life wherefore one sayde vnto him these wordes Tell me Anacharsis sith thou art a man so vertuous so sage and so olde me thinketh it should not grieue thee to leaue this miserable life For the vertuous man should desire the company of the vertuous men the which this world wanteth The Sage ought to desire to liue with other Sages whereof the world is destitute and the olde man ought little to esteeme the losse of his life since by true experience hee knoweth in what trauels he passed his dayes For truely it is a kind of folly for a man which hath trauelled and finished a dangerous and long iourney to lament to see himselfe now in the end thereof Anacharsis answered him Thou speakest very good words my friend and I would that thy life were as thy counsell is but it grieueth mee that in this conflict I haue neyther vnderstanding nor yet sense to taste not that I haue time enough to thanke thee For I let thee know that there is no tongue can expresse the griefe which a man feeleth when hee ought forthwith to dye I dye and as thou seest they kill me onely for that I am vertuous I feele nothing that tormenteth my heart so much as King Cadmus my brother doth for that I cannot bee reuenged For in my opinion the chiefe felicity of man consisteth in knowing and being able to reuenge the iniurie done without reason before a man doth end his life It is a commendable thing that the Philosopher pardon iniuries as the vertuous Philosophers haue accustomed to doe but it should bee also iust that the iniuries which wee forgiue the Gods should therewith bee charged to see reuengement For it is a hard thing to see a tyrant put a vertuous man to death and neuer to see the Tyrant to come to the like Mee thinketh my friend Pulio that this Philosopher put all his felicity in reuenging an iniurie during the like in this world Of the Sarmates THe Mount Caucasus as the Cosmographers say doth deuide in the middest great Asia the which beginneth in Indea and endeth in Scithia and according to the variety of the people which inhabite the villages hath this mount diuers names and those which dwell towards the Indians differ much from the others For the more the Countrey is full of mountaines so much the more the people are Barbarous Amongst all the other Cities which are adiacent vnto the same there is a kinde of people called Sarmates and that is the Countrey of Sarmatia which standeth vpon the riuer of Tanays There grow no vines in the Prouince because of the great colde and it is true that among all the Orientall nations there are no people which more desire Wine then they doe For the thing which wee lacke is commonly most desired These people of Sarmatia are good men of Warre though they are vnarmed they esteeme not much delicate meates nor sumptuous apparrell for all their felicity consisteth in knowing how they might fill themselues with Wine In the yeare of the foundation of Rome p 318. our auncient Fathers determined to wage battell against those people and other Barbabarous Nations and appointed a Consull called Lucius Pius And sith in that warres fortune was variable they made a Truce and afterwardes all their Captaines yeelded themselues and their country into the subiection of the Romane Empire onely because the Consull Lucius Pius in a banquet that hee made filled them with Wine Within this tombe Lucius Pius lyes That whilom was a Consull great in Rome And daunted eke as shame his slaunder cryes The Sarmates sterne not by Mauors his doome But by reproofe and shame of Romane armes He vanquisht hath not as the Romanes vse But as the bloudy tirants that with swarms Of huge deceites the fierce assaults refuse Not in the warres by biting weapons stroke But at the boorde with sweet delighting foode Not in the hazard fight he did them yoke But feeding all in rest he stole their blood Nor yet with mighty Mars in open field He rest their liues with sharpe ypersing speares But with the push of drunken Bacchus shield Home to hie Rome the triumph loe he beares The sacred Senate set this Epitaph here because all Romane Captaines should take example of him For the Maiesty of the Romanes consisteth not in vanquishing their enemies

fields then to see my neighbours hourely to lament in the streets For there the cruell beastes do not offend me vnlesse I do assault them but the cursed men though I do serue them yet dayly they vexe mee without doubt it is a maruellous paine to suffer an ouerthrow of fortune but it is a greater torment when one feeleth it without remedy And yet my greatest griefe is when my losse may bee remedied and he which may wil not and he that wil cannot by any means remedy it O cruell Romanes yee feele nothing that we feele specially I that speake it ye shal see how I feele it only to reduce it to memory my tongue wil waxe weary my ioints shiuer my hart trembles and my flesh consumeth What a woful thing is it in my country to see it with my eies to hear with my eares to feele it with my hands Truly the griefes which woful Germany suffers are such so many that I beleeue yet the mercifull gods will haue pitty vpon vs. I desire you not to think slander of my words but I desire you that you would vnderstād wel what I say for you imagining as you presume to be discreet shall see right well the troubles that come to vs from men among men with mē and by the hands of men it is a small matter that we as men do feele them speaking for according to truth and also with liberty if I should declare euery other iust aduertisement which came from the Senate the tirannie which your iudges commit in the miserable Realme one of these two things must ensue eyther the punishment of men or the depriuation of your Officers if I say true One thing onely comforteth me wherof I with other infortunate people haue had experience in that I doe thinke my selfe happy to know that the iust plagues proceede not from the iust Gods but through the iust deserts of wicked men And that our secret fault doeth waken those to the end that they of vs may execute open iustice Of one thing only I am sore troubled because the Gods cannot be contented but for a small fault they punish a good man much and for many faultes they punish euill men nothing at al so that the Gods doe beare with the one and forgiue nothing vnto the other O secret iudgements of God that as I am bound to prayse your workes so likewise if I had licence to condemne them I durst say that ye cause vs to suffer grieuous paines for that yee punish and persecute vs by the hands of such Iudges the which if iustice take place in the World when they chastice vs with their hands they doe not deserue for to haue their heades on their shoulders The cause why now againe I doe exclaime on the immortall Gods is to see that in these 15. dayes I haue beene at Rome I haue seene such deedes done in your Senate that if the least of them had beene done at Danuby the Gallowes and gibbets had beene hanged thicker of theeues then the vineyard is with grapes I am determined to see your doings to speake of your dishonesty in apparrel your little temperance in eating and your disorder in affayres and your pleasures in liuing and on the other side I see that when your prouision arriueth in our Country wee carry into the temples and offer it to the Gods wee put it on their heads so that the one meeting with the other wee accomplish that which is commaunded and accurse those that commaunded And sith therefore my heart hath now seen that which it desireth my mind is at rest in spitting out the poyson which in it abideth If I haue in any thing heere offended with my tong I am ready to make recompēce with my head For in good faith I had rather winne honour in offering my selfe to death then you should haue it in taking from me my life And heere the villaine ended his talke immediately after Marcus Aurelius sayde to those which were aboute him How thinke yee my friendes what kernell of a nut what golde of the mine what corne of straw what rose of bryers what mary of bones and how noble and valiant a man hath he shewed himselfe What reasons so hie what words so well couched what truth so true what sentences so well pronounced and also what open malice hath hee discored By the faith of a good man I sweare as I may bee deliuered from this feuer which I haue I saw this villaine standing boldly a whole houre on his feet and all we beholding the earth as amazed could not answere him one word For indeede the villaine confuted vs with his purpose astonyed vs to see the little regarde he bad of his life The Senate afterwardes beeing all agreede the next day following wee prouided new Iudges for the riuer of Danuby and commaunded the villaine to deliuer vs by writing all that he sayde by mouth to the end it might bee registred in the booke of good saying of strangers which were in the Senate And further it was agreede that the saide villaine for the wise words hee spake should be chosen Senator and of the Free men of Rome he shold bee one and that for euer he should bee sustained with the common treasure For our mother Rome hath alwayes beene praysed and esteemed not onely to acquite the seruices ' which haue beene done vnto her but ' also the good words which were spoken in the Senate CHAP. VI. That Princes and Noble men ought to be very circumspect in choosing Iudges and Officers for therein consisteth the profite of the publike weale ALexander the great as the Historiographers say in his youth vsed hunting very much specially of the mountaines that which is to be marueled at he would not hunt Deare Goates Hares nor Partridges but Tygers Leopardes Elephants Crocodils and Lions So that this mighty Prince did not onely shew the excellency of his courage in conquering proud Princes but also in chasing of cruell sauage beasts Plutarch in his Apothegmes sayeth that the great Alexander had a familiar seruant named Crotherus to whome oftentimes hee spake these wordes I let thee to vnderstand Crotherus That the valiant Princes ought not onely to be vpright in their realm which they gouerne but also to bee circumspect in pastimes which they vse that the authoritie which in the one they haue woune in the other they doe not lose When Alexander spake these words truely hee was of more authority then of yeares But in the ende he gaue this example more to bee followed and commaunded then to bee reproued or blamed I say to be followed not in the hunting that he exercised but in the great courage which hee shewed To the Plebeians and men of discretion it is a little thing that in one matter they shew their might and in other things their small power is known but to princes and great Lords it is a discommendable thing

Realme to haue so worthie a King Amongst other Lawes for women hee enacted one worthy of high commendations the wich commaunded that the Father which dyed should giue nothing to his daughter and an other that neyther liuing nor dying hee should giue any Money to marrie her withall to the intent that none should take her for her goods but only for her vertues and not for her beautie but for her good qualities whereas now some are forsaken because they be poore so then they abode vnmarryed because they were vicious Oh Time worthie to bee desired when maydens hoped not to be marryed with their Fathers goods but by the vertuous works of their owne persons this was the time called The golden Worlde when neither the daughter feared to be disinerited by the father in his life nor the Father to dye sorrowfull for leauing her without dowrie at his death Oh Rome treble accursed bee hee that first brought Gold into thy house and cursed be he that first beganne to hoord vp treasures Who hath made Rome to be so rich of Treasures and so poor of vertues who hath caused noble-men to marry the Plebeyans and to leaue the daughters of Senatours vnmaried what hath made that the rich mans Daughter is demaunded vnwilling and the daughter of a poor man none will desire What hath caused that One marryeth a Foole with 500. marks rather then a wise woman with ten thousand vertues then I will not say that in this case the flesh vanquished the flesh but I say that vanitie is ouercome of malice For a couetous person will now-adayes rather take a wife that is rich and foule then one that is poore and faire Oh vnhappy woman that bringeth forth children and more vnhappie be the daughters that are born the which to take in marriage no man desireth neyther for the bloud of their predecessors nor the fauor of their friends nor the worthinesse of their persons nor the puritie of their liues Oh wicked world where the daughter of a Good-man without money shal haue no mariage but it was not wont to bee so For in the olde time when they treated of Marriages first they spake of the persons and afterward of the goods not as they do at this present in this vnhappie time For now they speak first of the goods and last of all of the persons In the said Golden-world first they spake of the vertues that the person was endued with and when they were marryed as it were in sporte they would speake of the Goods When Camillus triumphed ouer the Gaules he had then but one sonne and he was such a one that his deserts merited great praise and for the renowm of his Father diuers Kings desired to haue him to their sonnes and diuers Senators desired to haue him to their sonnes in law This yong man being of the age of thirty years and the Father at 60. was importunately styrred by his naturall friendes and desires of strange kings for to marie him but alwayes the olde Camille withstood the counsell of his friends and the importunitie of the straungers When it was demaunded why he determined not vpon some Marriage for his sonne sith thereby should ensue the quyet life of the man and the ioy and comforte of himselfe in his age He aunswered them thus I will not marry my Sonne because some offer mee rich daughters some noble of lynage some young and some fayre But there is none hath sayde to mee I giue you my vertuous daughter Certainely Gamille merited triumph for that hee did and deserued eternall memory for that he said I spake to you Faustine all these wordes because I see you leade your daughter to Theaters and playes and bring her into the capitol you put her to the keeping of the Sword players you suffer her to see the Tumblers and yet doe not remember that shee is young and you not too aged you goe into the streetes without licence and sport you by the riuers I find no villany therein nor thinke that your daughter is euill but I say it because you giue occasion that she should not bee good Beware beware Faustine neuer trust to the race of flesh of young people nor haue no confidence in old folkes for there is no better way then to flye the occasion of all things For this intent the virgins vestals are closed vp betweene the walles to eschew the occasions of open places not to bee more light and foolish but to bee more sad and vertuous flying occasions The young shall not say I am young and vertuous nor the olde shall not say I am olde and broken for of necessity the drie flaxe will burne in the fire and the greene flagge smoke in the flame I say though a man be a Diamond set among men yet of necessity hee ought to bee quicke and to melte as waxe in the heate among Women Wee cannot deny that though the Wood bee taken from the fire and the imbers quenched yet neverthelesse the stones oftentimes remaine hote In likewise the flesh though it bee chastised with hote and drie diseases consumed by many yeares with trauell yet concupiscence abideth still in the bones What neede is it to blaze the vertues and deny our Naturalities certainely there is not so olde a horse but if hee see a Mare will neigh once or twice there is no man so young nor old but let him see fayre young Damsels eyther hee will giue a sigh or a wish In all voluntary things I deny not but that one may bee vertuous but in naturall thinges I confesse euery man to be weake when you take the wood from the fire it leaueth burning when Sommer commeth the colde winter ceaseth when the sea is calme the waues leaue their vehement motions when the Sunne is set it lightneth not the World I will say then and not before the flesh wil cease to trouble vs when it is layde in the graue of the flesh wee are borne in the flesh wee liue and in the flesh wee shall dye and therby it followeth that our good life shall sooner end then our fleshlie desires forsake vs oftentime some wholesome flesh corrupteth in an euil Vessell and good wine sometimes sauoureth of the foist I say though that the Workes of our life bee vertuous yet shall wee feele the stench of the weake flesh I spake this Faustine sith that age cannot resist those hote apetites how can the tender members of youth resist them vnlesse you that are the Mother goe the right way how should the Daughter that followeth you find it The Romane Matrones if that they will bring vppe their Daughters well ought for to keepe and obserue these Rules when they doe see that they would wander abroade that they breake their legges and if that they should bee gazing then put out their eyes and if they will listen stop their eares if they will giue or take cut off their hands if they dare speake sowe vp their mouthes

aunswered him that it was Calistratus the Philosopher a man which in eloquēce was very sweete and pleasant hee determined to stay and heare him to the end hee would know whether it were true or vaine that the people tolde him For oftentimes it hapneth that among the people some get thēselues great fame more by fauor then by good learning The difference betwixt the diuine Philosopher Plato and Calistratus was in that Plato was exceedingly wel learned and the other very eloquent and thus it came to passe that in liuing they followed Plato and in eloquence of speech they did imitate Calistratus For there are diuers men sufficiently well learned which haue profound doctrine but they haue no way nor meanes to teach it vnto others Demosthenes hearing Calistratus but once was so farre in loue with his doctrine that he neuer after heard Plato nor entered into his Schoole for to harken to any of his lectures At which newes diuers of the Sages and Wise men of Grecia maruelled much seeing that the tongue of a man was of such power that it had put all their doctrine vnto silence Although I apply not this example I doubt not but that your Maiesty vnderstandeth to what ende I haue declared it And moreouer I say that although Princes and great Lordes haue in their Chambers Bookes so well corrected and men in their Courts so well learned that they may worthily keepe the estimation which Plato had in his Schoole yet in this case it should not displease me that the difference that was between Plato and Calistratus should bee betweene Princes and this Booke God forbid that by this saying men should thinke I meane to disswade Princes from the company of the sage men or from reading of any other booke but this for in so doing Plato should bee reiected which was diuine and Calistratus embraced which was more worldly But my desire is that sometimes they would vse to reade this booke a little for it may chaunce they shall finde some wholesome counsell therein which at one time or other may profite them in their affayres For the good and vertuous Prince ought to graffe in their memory the wise sayings which they reade and forget the cankred iniuries and wrongs which are done them I do not speake it without a cause that hee that readeth this my writing shall finde in it some profitable counsell For all that which hath bin written in it hath beene euery word and sentence with great diligence so well wayed and corrected as if therein onely consisted the effect of the whole worke The greatest griefe that learned men seele in their writing is to thinke that if there bee many that view their doings to take profite thereby they shall perceyue that there are as many more which occupie their tongues in the slaunder and disprayse thereof In publishing this my worke I haue obserued the manner of them that plant a new garden wherein they set Roses which giue a pleasant sauour to the nose they make faire greene plattes to delight the eyes they graft fruitfull trees to bee gathered with the hands but in the end as I am a man so haue I written it for men and consequently as a man I may haue erred for there is not at this day so perfect a painter but another will presume to amend his worke Those which diligently will endeauour themselues to reade this booke shall finde in it very profitable counsels very liuely lawes good reasons notable sayings sentences very profound worthy examples and histories very ancient For to say the truth I had a respect in that the doctrine was auncient and the Stile new And albeit your Maiesty bee the greatest Prince of all Princes and I the least of all your Subiects you ought not for my base condition to disdaine to cast your eyes vpon this booke nor to thinke scorne to put that thing in proofe which seemeth good For a good letter ought to be nothing the lesse esteemed although it be written with an euill pen. I haue sayde and will say that Princes and great Lords the stouter the richer and the greater of renowme they bee the greater need they haue of all men of good knowledge about them to counsell them in their affayres and of good bookes which they may reade and this they ought to doe as well in prosperity as in aduersity to the end that their affayres in time conuenient may be debated and redressed For otherwise they should haue time to repent but no leasure to amend Plinie Marcus Varro Strabo and Macrobius which were Historiographers no lesse graue then true were at great controuersie improouing what things were most authenticke in a common weale and at what time they were of all men accepted Seneca in an Epistle hee wrote to Lucullus praysed without ceasing the Common wealth of the Rhodians in the which with much ado they bent themselues altogether to keepe one selfe thing and after they had therupon agreede they kept and maintained it inuiolably The diuine Plato in the sixt booke entituled De Legibus ordained and commanded that if any Cittizen did inuent any new thing which neuer before was read nor heard of the inuentour thereof should first practise the same for the space of ten yeares in his own house before it was brought into the Common-wealth and before it should bee published vnto the people to the end if the inuention were good it should be profitable vnto him and if it were nought that then the daunger and hurt thereof should light onely on him Plutarch in his Apothegmes sayeth that Lycurgus vpon grieuous penalties did prohibite that none should bee so hardy in his Common wealth to goe wandring into strange Countries nor that hee should be so hardy to admit any strangers to come into his house and the cause why this law was made was to the end strangers should not bring into their houses things strange and not accustomed in their Common wealth and that they trauelling through strange countries should not learne new Customes The presumption of men now adayes is so great and the consideration of the people so small that what soeuer a man can speake he speaketh what so euer he can inuent he doth inuent what hee would hee doth write and it is no maruell for there is no man that wil speak against them Nor the common people in this case are so light that amongst them you may dayly see new deuises and whether it hurt or profit the Common wealth they force not If there came at this day a vaine man amongst the people which was neuer seene nor heard of before if hee bee any thing subtill I aske you but this question Shall it not bee easie for him to speake and inuent what hee listeth to set forth what he pleaseth to perswade that which to him seemeth good and all his sayings to be beleeued truly it is a wonderfull thing and no lesse slaunderous that one should be sufficient

A poore man esteemeth as much a cloake as the rich man doeth his delicious life Therefore it is a good consequent that if the Rich man take the gowne from the poore the poore man ought to take the life frō the rich Phocion amongst the Greekes was greatly renowmed and this not so much for that hee was sage as for that hee did despise all worldly riches vnto whome when Alexander the great king of Macedonte had sent him an hundred markes of siluer he said vnto those that brought it Why doth Alexander sende this Money vnto me rather then to other Phylosophers of Greece They aunswered him Hee doth send it vnto thee for that thou art the least couetous and most vertuous Then aunswered this Phylosopher Tell Alexander that though he knoweth not what belongeth vnto a Prince yet I knowe well what pertayneth to a Phylosopher For the estate and office of Phylosophers is to despise the treasurs of Princes and the office of Princes is to aske counsell of Phylosophers And further Phocion said You shall say also to Alexander That in that hee hath sent mee hee hath not shewed himselfe a pittyfull Friend but a cruell Enemie for esteeming mee an honest man such as hee thought I was he should haue holpen me to haue been such These wordes were worthie of a wise man It is great pittie to see valiaunt and Noble men to be defamed of couetousnes and onely for to get a fewe goods hee abaseth himselfe to vile offices which appertaine rather to meane persons then to noble men and valiaunt knights Whereof insueth that they liue infamed and all their friēds slandered Declaring further I say that it seemeth great lightnes that a knight should leaue the honorable estate of chiualrie to exercise the handycrafte of Husbandrie and that the Horses should bee chaunged into Oxen the speares to mattockes and the weapons into ploughes Finally they doe desire to toyle in the fields and refuse to fight in the Frontiers Oh how much some Knightes of our time haue degenerated from that their fathers haue bin in times past for their predecessors did aduance themselues of the Infidells which in the the fields they slew and their children brag of their Corne and Sheepe they haue in their grounds Our auncient knights were not wont to sigh but when they saw themselues in great distresse and their successors weepe nowe for that it rayned not in the moneth of May. Their Fathers did striue which of them could furnish most men haue moste weapons and keepe most horses but their children now a dayes contend who hath the finest witte who can heape vp greatest treasours and who can keepe most sheepe The Auncients striued who should keepe most men but these worldlings at this day striue who can haue greatest reuenues Wherefore I say since the one doeth desire as much to haue great Rents as the others did delight to haue many weapons It is as thogh Fathers should take the Sword by the pomell and the children by the scabberd All the good arts are peruerted and the arte of Chiualrie aboue all others is despised And not without cause I called it an art for the ancient philosophers cōsumed a great time to write the lawes that the knights ought to keepe And as now the order of the the Carthaginiās seemeth to bee most streight so in times past the order of Knighthood was the streightest To whom I sweare that if they obserued the order of chiualry as good gentle Knights there remained no time vacant for them in life to bee vitious nor wee should accuse them at theyr death as euil christians The true and not fayned Knight ought not to bee prowde malicious furious a glutton coward prodigall niggard a lyer a blasphemer nor negligent Finally I say that all those ought not to bee iudged as Knights which haue golden spurs vnlesse he hath therewith an honest life O if it pleased the King of Heauen that Princes would now a daies examine as straightly those which haue cure of soules as the Romanes did those which had but charge of armies In old time they neuer dubbed any man Knight vnlesse hee were of noble bloud proper of person moderate in speech exercised in the war couragious of heart happy in armes and honest in life Finally he ought of all to bee beloued for his vertue and of none hated for his vice The Knights in whom these vertues shined bright in Rome had diuers liberties that is to say that they onely might weare rings ride on horsebacke through the streetes they might haue a shield shut the gates at dinner they might drinke in cupps of siluer speake to the Senate and make defyances they might demand the ensigne weare weapons take the charge of Embassage and ward at the gates of Rome The Author hereof is Blondus in the booke De Italia illustrata If Plinie deceyue vs not in an Epistle Plutarch in his Politikes Seneca in a Tragedy and Cicero in his Paradoxes There was nothing wherein the Ancients were more circumspect then in electing of their knights now it is not so but that one hauing money to buy a Lordship immediately he is made Knight it is not to fight against the enemies in the field but more freely to commit vices and oppresse the poore in the towns To the end he may be a good Christian hee ought to thinke vpon Iesus crucified to be a good knight he ought alwayes to behold the armes of his shield the which his Grandfather or great Grandfather wanne For they they shall see that they wanne them not beeing in their houses but in shedding of the bloud of their enemies in the Frontiers CHAP. XXX Of a Letter which the Emperour wrote to Mercurius his neighbour a Marchant of Samia wherein men may learne the daungers of those which traffique by sea and also see the couetousnesse of them that trauell by land MArcus Aurelius Emperor of Rome born in mount Celio wisheth to thee Mercurius his speciall friend health and consolation in the Gods the onely Comforters It seemeth well that we are friends sithens wee doe the works of charity For I vnderstanding here thy mishap immediatly sent a messenger to comfort thee and in hearing my disease thou sendest a friend of thine to visite me Wherefore men may perceiue if thou haddest me in mind I did not forget thee I vnderstand that the messenger that went and the other that came met in Capua the one carried my desire for thee and the other brought thy letter for me And if as diligently thou haddest read mine as I attentiuly haue heard thine thou shouldest thereby plainely know that my heart was as full of sorrow as thy spirite was full of paine I was very glad great thanks I yeeld thee that thou sendest to comfort me in my feuer tertian thy visitation came at the same houre that it left mee But if the Goddes did leaue this fact in my hands

thy malice onely sufficeth to poyson many that bee good the euilnes only of one woman shal be enogh to spoile take away thy good renowm One difference there is betwen thee and me thy Faustine which is that my facts are in suspect yours done in deede mine bee secrete but yours known openly I haue but stumbled but ye haue fallen For one only fault I deserue punishment but you deserue pardon for none My dishonor dyed with my fact and is buryed with my amendment but your infamie is borne with your desires nourished with your malices and still with your works Finally your infamie shall neuer dye for you liued neuer well Oh Marke malicious with all that thou knowest doest thou not know that to dye well doth couer an euill fame and to make an ende of an euill life doth beginne a good fame Thou ceasest not to say euill onely of suspect which thy false iudgements giueth and yet wouldest thou wee should conceale that wee see with our eyes Of one thing I am sure that neither of thee nor of Faustine there are or haue been any false witnesses For there are so many true euils that there needeth no Lyes to be inuented Thou sayest it is an olde custome with the amorous Ladies in Rome though they take it of many yet they are the poorest of all because we want credit we are honoured for siluer It is most certaine that of holly wee looke for prickes of acornes husks of netles stinging and of thy mouth malices I haue seriously noted I neuer heard thee say well of any nor I neuer knew any that would thee good What greater punishment can I desire for thy wickednenes nor more vengeance for my iniuries then to see al the amorons Ladies of Rome discontented with thy selfe and ioy to think on thy death cursed is the man whose life many doe bewayle and in whose death euery one doth reioyce It is the property of such vnthankefull wretches as thou art to forgette the great good done to them and to repent the little they giue How much the noble hearts do reioice in giuing to other so much they are ashamed to take seruice vnrewarded For in giuing they are lords and in taking they become slaues I aske what it is thou hast giuen me or what thou hast receyued of mee I haue aduentured my good Fame and giuen thee possession of my person I haue made thee lorde of mee and mine I banished mee from my countrey I haue put in peril my life In recompence of this thou doest detect mee of miserie Thou neuer gauest mee ought with thy heart nor I tooke it with good will nor it euer did me profit As all things recouer a name not for the workes wee openly see but for the secret intention with which we work Euen so thou vnhappie man desirest mee not to enioy my person but rather to haue my money Wee ought not to call thee a cleere Louer but rather a Theefe and a wily person I had a little Ring of thine I minde to throw it into the riuer and a gowne thou gauest me which I haue burnt And if I thought my bodie were increased with that Bread I did eate of thine I would cut my flesh being whole and let out my bloud without feare Oh malicious Marke thy obscured malice will not suffer thee to vnderstand my cleare letter For I sent not vnto thee to aske mony to relieue my pouertie and solitarines but onely to acknowledge and satisfie my willing hart Such vaine and couetous men as thou are contented with gifts but the harts incarnate in loue are not satisfied with a little money For Zoue is rewarded alwayes with loue The man that loueth not as a man of reason but like a brute beast and the woman that loueth not where she is beloued but onely for the gaine of her bodie Such ought not to bee credited in words nor their personages to be honoured For the loue of her ends when their goods faileth and his loue when her beautie decayeth If the beautie of my face did procure thy loue and thy riches onely allured my good will it is right that wee should not bee called wise Louers but rather foolish persons O cursed Mark I neuer loued thee for thy goods although thou likedst me for that I was faire Thou sayedst the Gods vsed great pittie on me to giue me few children and them manie Fathers The greatest fault in women is shamelesse and the greatest villany in men is to be euill sayers Diuers things ought to bee borne in the weaknesse of women which in the wisedome of men are not permitted I say this for that I neuer saw in thee temperance to cloke thine owne maliciousnes nor wisdome to shadow the debilitie of others Then I loued with my hart and now I abhorre thee with all my heart Thou sayest my Children haue many Fathers but I sweare vnto thee that the children of Faustine shall not be fatherles although thou dye And if the Gods as thou sayest haue beene pittifull to my Children no lesse art thou vnto straunge children For Faustine keepeth thee but to excuse her faultes and to bee tutor to her Children Oh cursed Marke thou needest not to take thought for thy children haue no need to be marryed For one thing wee are bound to thee that is the example of thy patience for since thou sufferest Faustine in so manie open infamyes it is no great neede wee suffer any secretes in thee For this present I say no more I ende my Letter desiring shortly to see the ende of thy life CHAP. X. ¶ Marcus Aurelius writeth to the Ladie Macrine the Romane of whome beholding her at a window he became enamored Which declareth what force the beautie of a faire woman hath in weake man MArke the verie desirous to the Ladie Macrine greatly desired I knowe not well whither by euill chaunce or by hap of my good aduenture not long agoe I saw thee at a window where thou haddest thy arms as close is I mine Eyes displayed that cursed be they for euer for in beholding thy Face forthwith my heart abode with thee as prisoner The beginning of thy knowledge is the ende of my reason and falling in shunning one euil come infinite trauells vnto men I say it for this if I had not bin idle I had not gone out of my house and not gone out of my house I had not passed by the streete And not going through the street I had not not seen thee at the windowe and not seeing thee at the window I had not desired thy person and not desiring thy person I had not put thy fame in so great peril nor my life in doubt nor we had giuē no occasion to Rome to speake of vs. For of truth Lady Macrine in this case I condemne my selfe For very willingly I did behold thee I did not salute thee thogh thou desiredst to be seene Sith thou wert set vp as