blind men as the Prophet speaketh O God how is it possible they might giue any good sentence execute any iustice decrée any good ordinance for the policie of a Common weale since Venus hath rauished their vnderstanding The Philosopher sayth that it robbeth man of his spirite Itobeus accordeth hereunto taking his president from Archilocus who sayd that the force of loue stealeth away the tender spirites of men And the morall Poet sayeth that lust forceth the most faire and diuine parte of the soule on the earth for it maketh it terrestrial carnall and dull which is a dreadfull thing for them to behold who penetrate and contemplate the verie beautie of soules This vice that more is rauisheth a man into rage and furie as Plato proueth in his Timaeo where he sayeth that voluptuousnes is the bait of all euils by which a man becommeth as it were phreneticall the which Cicero teacheth in diuers places of his writings where he saith that the soule hath no greater enimie than carnall voluptuousnes And Philon nameth it a dangerous Palliard which deceiueth and deludeth the spirite This is saith he the Serpent vpon which Sathan is borne Socrates proueth wel that they which follow the same are nothing different from brute beasts which also is confirmed by many other Philosophers according to the recitall of the saide Stobeus alledged before time who replyeth and proueth that it is no other thing than a furie which seazeth on poore mankind and other mortall creatures He taketh it from Euripides who said that Venus is all that which is foolish in this worlde and for that cause the name of follie best fitteth her Will you finde her more brauely set foorth than by the Poet Virgil speaking of the loue of Dido if he speake according to his conscience Uritur infoelix Dido totaque vagatur Vrbe furens qualis coniecta cerua sagitta Quam proculincautam nemora inter Cressia fixit Pastor agens totis liquitque volatile ferrum Nescius illa fuga siluas saltusque peragrat Dictoes haeret lateri loethalis arundo Saeuit inops animi totámque incensa per vrbem Bacchatur But why alleage I prophane men haue we not Salomon for an example the learnedst king that euer was borne of a woman It is written of him that his spirite became altogether alienated by reason of the pestilent Lechery which he vsed with his Concubines yea euen vnto the leauing of the true religion and imbracing the false as diuers haue done in Athens the more is the pity This was it that destroyed the bright beame of sapience which God had indued him with to rule and gouerne his people a rare and great example for all Kings and Princes which haue subiectes to gouerne ouer the face of the earth Cosmo Now as touching selfe-loue Dio Thus of selfe-loue Philautia He that loueth himselfe more than God committeth the sinne of Philautia that is to say selfe-loue which is the roote of many euils he that breaketh the commandements of God to folow whoredome loueth his body more than God since it better liketh him to obay it than God such a one if it were lawfull to forge newe wordes as Apuleius was wont to do might be called Somalatros that is to say Idolater of his bodie for in sooth it is a kinde of Idolaty to bee more subiect vnto the flesh than to God Saint Augustine saith that two loues haue builded two Cities self-selfe-loue hath builded the City of the Diuell and the loue of God edested the City of God This sinne is so horrible that it hath conuerted the Angels into Diuels who made themselues Reprobates by ouermuch self-selfe-loue Now for the loue of the world Amor Mundi Those that loue this world so well that they would neuer depart out of the same but are willing to constitute their Paradice therein offend both God and humane nature which hath beene created vnto this end to issue forth of this vale of misery and to possesse the heauenly Pallaces and what is this except it be to sinne against the lawe of Nature It is also an other kinde of Idolatry to be too much besotted with the loue of this worlde and a signe of eternall reprobation and therefore saint Iohn saith to the Christians of Boerea My children loue you not the world neither the thinges that are in the same for hee that loueth the world the grace of God is not in him For whatsoeuer is in the worlde is either concupiscence of the flesh or concupiscēce of the eies or pride of life And he saith also The world is giuen ouer to all malignitie And saint Iames saith That hee who is a friend to this world is at enmitie with God Now touching the hate of God Dei odium And forsomuch as selfe-loue is incompatible with the loue of God he that is vanquished by lust loueth himselfe more than God whom hee despiseth yea more rather hateth by reason that prohibiteth him those things which he longeth after and desireth and chasticeth him for his sinnes in his person or in his goods This is the most soueraigne sinne of the world for it causeth a man will that which he would should not be seene of God if it were possible This is also the sinne of the diuels which makes them alwaies rebels against their Creatour so as the Psalmist speaketh The pride of those that hate thee O Lord God increaseth more and more That this sinne is the most grieuous that may be committed Aristotle himselfe knew full well who saith That the act which is opposed against the soueraigne good is the most wickedest of all Although I will not say that the diuine essence may be the obiect of hatred considering that being soueraignely good it may not be hated notwithstanding I say it may be hated in respect of his effects as when God punisheth sinnes and offences Philo O Diogenes this thy plaine methode farre from Ironicall captions prooueth thy singularitie I pray thée procéede let vs heare the horror of the other world Dio Thou shalt heare it or else thou art but deaffe I will ring it in thine eares in hope it may worke thy amendment Horror alterius seculi The horror of this world engendreth the horror of heauen and therefore they that say that God ought to kéep his heauen for himself and leaue the earth vnto men blaspheme like Atheists as they bee And whence procéedeth this It is for no other cause but in that they are so fleshed with their sensuall voluptuousnes as the Lotophages of Homer that they would neuer taste the true and eternall delights which are as swéete Nectar and sauorie Ambrosia prepared for the Gods that is to say for the seruaunts of God This vice may also be referred to the sinne of idlenes Sée here O chast and modest soules I speake to none of this auditorie Philoplutos the hideous Monsters that the sinne of Letcherie bringeth forth Let vs flie them then euen as a plague if we
CATHAROS Diogenes in his Singularitie Wherein is comprehended his merrie baighting fit for all mens benefits Christened by him A Nettle for Nice Noses By T. L. of Lincolns Inne Gent 1591. AT LONDON Printed by VVilliam Hoskins Iohn Danter for Iohn Busbie To the Right Worshipfull Syr Iohn Hart Knight all health and Happines HEathen people Right Worshipfull lead by Nature abhorred nothing more than a man Ingratefull The Christians taught from Heauen command nothing oftner than to be thankefull To auoid the reproofe of the one and obey the charge of the other I present your Worship in signe of my sincere affect with this small conceit pend by a Gentleman my deare friend The matter may at the first sight I graunt seeme nothing graue but in the proceeding it will prooue Gratious Diogenes reprooues the vitious commendes the vertuous vnmasks sinne and sets downe remedies If you accept it and forget my boldnes my desire is satisfied and the Author no lesse pleased Your VVorships humbly Iohn Busbie Diogenes to such as are disposed to Reade MEn or Gentlemen if ye be Gentlemen or men accept the salutations of a Cinicke Diogenes wisheth infinite good speede to your good proceedinges and curseth endleslie your ill demeanors wishing the last to perish without supposing the first to flourish without supplanting That Diogenes is a Dog the worst doubt not his reprehensions dogged the most denie not for what foole blinded with earths vanitie accounts not reproofe bitter and the iust reproouer a byter Seeing then the worlde is growen so sensuall no meruaile though Cinicks bee slightlie set by If any of you read and like why then it likes me if read and dislike yet it likes me for Philosophie hath taught me to set as light by enuie as flatterie Greedines hath got vp all the garden plots and hardly haue I a roome left to turne my Tub round in the best field flowers now fade and better than Nettles my lands will not affoord They that list may take the rest leaue and so I leaue you Euery good meaners wel-willer Diogenes CATHAROS Diogenes in his singularitie Interlocutors Diogenes Philoplutos Cosmosophos DIogenes A goodly day if men were as good The Sunne I sée riseth vpon many but not to their amendment Good God what a Citie Athens is Here are faire houses but false hearts Many tenemēts fit to make Temples for the Gods but fewe owners in them that tempt not the Gods I sée here goodly Pallaces rich that spue out their Maisters for Riot A faire market place to encertain much mischiefe I wonder when our great Maisters rise how many sinnes shal rise with them Damocles lately acquainted with Philautia in speaking hir faire spendeth hir much and hauing a bolde face hath gotten bountifull fortune Aristippus though old yet liues he by the flatterie of Alexander and whether is it better my Genius to be flea-bitten or flout-bitten There are so manie faces now in maske that the World runnes all a masking and so manie bad men thriue by countenance that necessitie is the best mans cognisaunce Athens hath manie men that will spend a treasure for a title yet hauing gained the worldly title of happines alas how is it tickle Is it not a gay world I sawe Lais iest with Alcibiades last night and he endured it But when Phocion the last day tolde him he was proud Iupiter helpe me how was he peeuish Our Signiors are seuere our Ladies austeare It fareth in Athens as among the Sybarites who chace away Cocks frō their Cities because they are too watchfull and our Athenians counsaile from them for feare they should become honest What should Diogenes then doo but be singular to sée the better sort so sensuall I thinke it rather better to weare patches on my cloake than to beare the patch on my head rather to féede on rootes than to be defiled with royot to serue Nature in want than Fortune in wickednes But why speake I of want Breathe I not aire with the King Is not sufficiencie a sumptuous banquet warmth a worthie raiment and a good thought a true kingdome Tut Diogenes is rich who loytereth not on downe whilest others lack deuotion who sléepeth with Aristotle to wake and studieth with Cleanthes to watch But soft Cosmosophos doore is opened and Philoplutos is stirring shrowde thée Diogenes the one hath a stinking breath that corrupteth manie complections the other a far reach which excéeding the compasse of the Moone maketh some men sicke for want of the Sunne Soe sée how they prease foorth O Mercurie what God so euer hath a Temple I am assured thou hast a plentifull Altare In former ages Deuotion was thy father now Dooblenesse is thy furtherer thou haddest wings in thy hat but they are moulten and from their dust wickednes is sprung in thy followers hearts Blessing on him how grauely looketh Philoplutos nodding on his Mule as Silenus on his Asse pretending much grauitie but not a graine of honestie Now shall our Notaries get some coyne but note this there is some roosenage the still streame is déepest the stearne looke doublest Ah Foxe are ye walking But sée they are in conference the rot consume them for they consume the world Hide thée Cinick it is better to be Lord in thy tub than a lackey in their triumphes They approach me I would my curses could driue them from me They cleaue like burres to woollie garments and draw fléeces of wit from Philosophers applying it as craftie Phisitians doo their corosiues smothering much paine vnder pleasant perswasion and making the world beléeue that Venus is all wanton in that the report runneth shee was bred of the fome of the water Husht Diogenes the vultures are at hande silence in these dayes is a trim safeconduit Cosmo God giue you a good morrow Signior Philoplutos Philo Thanks good Cosmosophos whether away so early I feare mee you be sick of Chrisippus counsaile thinking no time good that is not gainfull Cosmo Trulie sir to gaine experience I am watchfull accompting the time verie well spent wherein a man anie wayes learneth to be expert what we lose in sléepe is but losse in life neither can we purchase more in liuing than not to be dead to liue Philo You say well Cosmosophos but some studie so much on time that all their indeuours are out of time I speake not this of you Sir whose experience in worldly affaires hath graced you among the better sort but of those who nodum in cirpo quaerunt tempring their studies in such manner as Musitions doo their strings who wrest them to so hie a reach that they stretch them beyond time tune or reason But to let them passe Cosmosophos if your businesse be not of great consequence shall I be bold to craue your companie Cosmo You may commaund me but whether may it please you Philo To Diogenes tub who as I vnderstand by his long plodding in reprehensions is become passing skilful in experience
the other will be satisfied with nothing iudging equally pouerty and auarice in malicious people Also Valerius telleth that Tiberius the Emperor changed his Officers very seldome because they which were newe ordained were very prompt and ready to receiue An example hereof is shewed by a man who was wounded whose déepe stripes a swarme of flies couered at which time it fortuned that one came by and saw them and droue them away to whom the other said Thou hast done me wrong for these were full and repleat now shal other come that be more hungry and do me more grief In like sort Iudges when they bee néedy or couetous they bee gréedy to catch and desirous to haue It is read in one fable of Poetry that Midas desired of Apollo that whatsoeuer he toucht might be turned into gold and it was granted him so when hee shoulde touch meate or drinke with his hands or his lips it was turned into gold and he was often hungry and perished for sustenance so abundance of riches maketh a couetous man hungry destroyeth him It is read in the Chronicles of Persia how Tomyris the Queene of Scythia after shee had taken Cyrus King of Persia caused his head to be smitten off and put into a boale full of bloud saying after this manner Thou hast euer thirsted after bloud now drinke bloud thy fill so shall it fall out in after-dayes with couetous men and cursed tyrants who desire the bloud of the poore people and the spoiles of the fatherles that is to say their goods and sore labours Couetous men in hell shal drinke molten golde as a Philosopher telleth that Nero the Emperour was séene in hel bathing himself in séething gold and when he saw a great number of commers by he said vnto them Come hether you wretches that be sellers of your neighbours and bath you here with me for I haue reserued the better part for you Cosmo Enough of this matter good Diogenes there is a matter of more waight to be decided wherein your iudgement is most ripe Thou hast lately as it is reported visited Lais to whose house our greatest Gentlemen resort there thou receiuedst an iniurie It shall therefore stand with thy iudgement to set down prescriptions to Philoplutos what luxury and licentiousnesse is that knowing the detestable fruites thereof he may prescribe lawes to coole Lais and preferre lessons to young Gentlemen who now a dayes are too much by wantons withdrawen Dio Well Cosmosophos I sée you would driue the raine from your boore this last storme I perceiue hath wet you but that matters not so thou mend for I bit thée to that end Now as touching luxurie I neede not much define vpon it in generall since in particular signification it is a voluntarie effusion of humane séede and a disordinate carnall copulation without marriage and this is one of the seuen mortall and deadly sinnes called a capitall vice for that there are eight infernall daughters sprong from it and all these Philoplutos richly bestowed on thy sonnes The first Cecitie or blindnes of spirite The second precipitatim The thirde inconsideration The fourth inconstancie The fifth self-self-loue The sixth the loue of the worlde The seuenth the hate of God The eighth the horror of that other worlde The sinnes of lecherie might make Diogenes ashamed to shewe them and you to heare them I will therefore onely discourse vpon her infernall daughters who haue cursed qualities euen in them to discouer their mothers imperfections and first as touching her daughter Cecitie or blindnes of spirite shée wil proue a prettie blindfold mischieuous childe I warrant you Cecitas This cursed daughter of a lecherous mother extinguisheth the naturall light of his vnderstanding that tyreth himselfe in the sports of Venus so that forgetting the dutie whereunto he is called He pretermitteth the seruice of God the hearing of his worde the exercise of prayer wherin euery good Athenian ought to be exercised In which he committeth two sinnes the one of letcherie the other of carelesse idlenes He likewise sinneth herein who casteth aside the spirituall giftes to haue a taste of the carnall Here we sée that letcherie blindeth the inwarde humaine eyes as it is read of the Sodomites which were blinded interiourly exteriourly and the two old falsewitnesses of Susanna to one of which Daniel said Beautie hath bewitched thée and concupiscence hath subuerted thy heart that is to say hath blinded thy spirite Also before it is said That they had turned their eyes aside lest they should see heauen remember the iust iudgement of God For which cause Antiquitie depainting the god of loue Cupide haue giuen him no eyes for because loue is blinde and maketh them blinde that followe it And it séemeth that the wise-man speaketh of them when he sayeth Their malice hath blinded them And before him the Psalmist speaking of the wicked Hee would not vnderstand to go well This vice is contrarie to one of the seuen gifts of the Holie Spirite and likewise it blindeth the eye of the soule which we ought to kéepe more charily than ten thousand corporall eyes as Plato sayeth The reason is for because that by the same we behold and contemplate the essence of God according to the doctrine which Iesus Christ our master hath taught vs who saith that they are happie who are clean in heart for they shall sée the face of God The auncients likewise do verie well manifest that luxurie blinded the cléerenes of the spirite But the poore slaues of Venus prefer the bodily sight before that of the spirite and being in that sort blinded they know not what to do neither wot they how to sauour the celestiall delightes which without comparison are farre more great more swéete than those delightes of the world These are they that haue drunke of the cup of whoredom which Saint Iohn sawe in the Apocalips that is to saye of lecherie which maketh those drunke with the wine of her wickednes which inhabite the earth causeth them to forget the beginning of their birth their celestiall countrey This in my opinion was Homors animi who writ that that the companions of Ulisses after they had eaten of certaine sweet wonderous pleasant fruites in Aphrica called Lopothages forgot their natural countrey would haue continued alwaies there where those fruites were so that the valiant Captaine Vlisses who representeth vnto vs reason hauing brought them backe againe by force was constrained to tye them to the mast of the ship for feare they should returne to their voluptuousnes From hence the Greekes deriue a prouerb which saieth That hee which hath tasted of any dishonest pleasure hath eaten Leates And whence I praye you is sprung this dissolutenes among all sortes in Athens and the withdrawing from vertue of so many wanâ—â—ing wits but from the taste of this voluptuousnesse And for that they haue dronken of the cup of this diuelish singularitie in thought blinding their