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
to bee borne afore him a burning brand and the Councel an Axe of Armes the Priests a Hatte in manner of a Coyse The Senatours a Crusible on their Armes the Iudges a little Balance the Tribunes Maces the Gouernours a Scepter the Bishoppes Hattes of flowers the Oratours a Booke the Cutler 's a Sword the Goldsmith a pot to melt gold and so forth of all other offices strangers excepted which went al marked after one sort in Rome For they would not agree that a stranger should be apparrelled and marked according to the children of Rome O my friend Pulio it was such a ioy then to behold the Discipline and prosperity of Rome as it is now at this present such a griefe to see the calamitie thereof that by the immortall Gods I sweare to thee and so the God Mars guide my hand in Wars that the man which now is best ordered is not worth so much as the most dissolute person was then For then amongst a thousand they could not find one man vicious in Rome and now amongst twenty thousand they cannot find one vertuous in all Italy I know not why the Gods are so cruell against me and fortune so contrary that this forty yeares I haue done nothing but weepe and lament to see the good men dye and immediately to be forgotten and on the other side to see wicked men liue and to be alwayes in prosperity Vniuersally the noble heart may endure all the troubles of mans life vnlesse it bee to see a good man decay and the wicked to prosper which my heart cannot abide nor yet my tongue dissemble And touching this matter my friend Pulio I will write vnto thee one thing which I found in the booke of the high Capitoll where hee treateth of the time of Marius and Silla which truely is worthy of memory and that is this There was at Rome a custome and a law inuiolable sith the time of Cinna that a Censour expresly commāded by the Senate should goe and visite the Prouinces which were subiect vnto it throughout all Italy and the cause of those visitations was for three things The first to see if any complained of Iustice The second to see in what case the Common-weale stood The third to the end that yearely they should render obedience to Rome O my friend Pulio how thinkest thou If they visited Italie at this present as at that time they suruaied Rome how ful of errours should they finde it And what decay should they see therin thinkest thou Truely as thou knowest they should see the common wealth destroyed Iustice not ministred and moreouer Rome not obeyed and not without iust cause For of right ought that common-wealth to be destroyed which once of all other hath beene the flower and most beautified with vertues and after becommeth most abhominable and defiled with vices The case was such that two years after the wars of Silla and Marius the Censour went yeerly to Nola which is a place in the Prouince of Campania to visite the same Country as the custome was And in those dayes the time and season being very hote and the Prouince quiet not disturbed with warres and perceyuing that none of the people came to him The Censour said to the Host which lodged him Friend I am a Iudge sent from the Senatours of Rome to visite this land Therefore goe thy wayes quickly and call the good men hither which be among the people for I haue to say vnto them from the sacred Senate This Host who peraduenture was wiser then the Romane Iudge although not so rich goeth to the graues of the dead which in that place were buried and spake vnto them with a loude voyce saying O yee good men come away with mee quickly for the Romane Censour calleth you The Iudge perceyuing they came not sent him againe to call them and the Host as he did at the first time so did he now at the second For when he was at the graues with a loud voice he sayd O yee good men come hither for the censour of Rome would talke with you And likewise they were called the third time with the selfe same words And the Censour seeing no body come was maruellous angry and sayde to the Host Sith these good men disdain to come at my commandement and shew their allegiance to the sacred Senate of Rome that were aliue and not those that are dead the Host made answere O thou Romane Iudge if thou wert wise thou wouldest not maruell at that that I haue done For I let thee vnderstand in this our City of Nola all the good men all I say are now dead and lye here buried in these graues Therefore thou hast no cause to maruell nor yet to bee displeased with my aunswere but I rather ought to bee offended with thy demaund willing me to enquire for good men and thou thy selfe dost offend with the euill dayly Wherefore I let thee know if thou bee ignorant thereof if thou wilt speake with any good man thou shalt not finde him in all the whole world vnlesse the dead bee reuiued or except the Goas will make a new creation The Consull Silla was fiue moneths our Captaine in this our City of Nola in Campania sowing the fruit which ye other Romaines gathered that is to say he left children without Fathers Fathers without children daughters without Mothers and Husbands without Wiues Wiues without Husbands Vncles without Nephewes Subiects without Lords Lords without Tenants Gods without Temples Temples without Priestes Mountaines without Heards and fieldes without fruites And the worst of all is that this wicked and cursed Silla dispeopled this our City of good and vertuous men and replenished it with wicked and vitious persons Ruine and decay neuer destroyed the Walles so much neyther the Mothes euer so many garments nor the Worme rotted so much fruit nor yet the Hayle beate downe so much corne as the disorder and vices of Sylla the Romane Consull did harme which hee brought vnto this land of Campania And although the mischiefe and euils that hee did heere to the men were manifold great yet much greater herein was that which he did to their Customes and Manners For in the end the good men which hee beheaded are now at rest with the dead but the vices which hee left vs in this Land there are none but proude and arrogant men that delight to commaund In this land there are none other but enuious men that know nought else but malice In this land there are idle men which doe nothing but loose their time In this land there are none but gluttons which doe nothing but eate In this land there are none but theeues which entend nought else but robberies In this land there are none but rebels that do nothing but stirre sedition And if thou and all the Romanes esteeme these men for good tarry a while I will goe to call them all to thee For if wee should
fortune For since Noble mens sonnes by the gifte of GOD haue great Estates they ought therfore to prouide to speak to manie to answer to manie and to entreat with manie it is very profitable for them to be conuersant with expert men for in the end the approued man in counsell hath preheminence I was willing to bring in these rules in my writing to the end that fathers may keepe them in their memory when they doe seeke Masters to teach their children for in my opinion the father is more in fault to seeke an euil master then the Master is to make an euill Scholer For if I choose euill Taylers to cut my gowne it is my fault that the cloth is lost and my gowne marred Albeit the Romans were in all their doings circumspect yet for this one thing I must enuy the good doctrine which they gaue to noble mens children for without doubt it is vnpossible that in any City there bee a good Common-welth vnlesse they are very circumspect to bring vp young children Sabellicus in his rapsodies sayeth that in the 425. yeares of the foundation of Rome Quintus Seruilius and Lucius Germinus then Consuls being in the warre against the Volces the stout aduenturous Captaine Camillus there rose a great strife and contention in Rome amongst the people and the Knights and that contention was vpon the prouision of offices for in great Common-Wealthes it hath beene an auncient quarrell that in Knights and Gentlemen there surmounteth pride in commaunding and among the people there wanteth patience in obeying The Kinghtes and Gentlemen would they should choose a Tribune Militare in the Senate to speake in the name of all the Knights that were absent and present for they sayde that since they were alwayes at the warre the whole Common wealth remayned in the power of the people The Commons on the other part importuned and desired that a new Officer should be created the which should haue the charge to examine and take account how the youth of Rome were brought vp because the common people did accuse the Knightes and Gentlemen that the longer they remained in the warres the more sensually their children liued in Rome It was decreede then that a Tribune Militare should bee erected the which in authority and dignitie should be equall with the Senators and that hee should represent the state of Warlike Knightes but the office continued no longer then 4. yeares in Rome that is to say til the time that Camillus returned from the warres for things that are grounded of no reason of themselues they come to nought All the Knightes and Gentlemen sought to the vttermost of their power to maintain their preheminence and on the other side all the Comminalty of Rome were against it In the end the good Captaine Camillus called all the Knightes and Gentlemen together and sayde vnto them these words I am greatly ashamed to see that the stoutenesse should be so litle of the Roman knights that they shold condiscend to the will of the Plebeians for indeed the mighty do not get so much honor to ouercome the little as the little doe to striue with the great I say that the strife and debate amongst you in Rome doth displease me much therefore you knights if you will not lose your honours you must eyther kill them or ouercome them You cannot ouercome them because they are many and kill them you ought not for in the end they are yours and therefore there is no better remedie then to dissemble with them For things which suffer no force nor obserue not iustice ought alwaies vntill conuenient time to bee dissembled The immortall Gods did not create Romaine knights to gouern people but to conquer Realmes And I say further that they did not create vs to teach lawes to ours but to giue lawes to strangers And if we be the children of our fathers and imitators of the ancient Romaines we will not content our selues to commaund in Rome but to commaund those which do command in Rome For the heart of a true Romaine doth little esteeme to see himselfe Lord of this world if he know that there is another to conquer You others did create this Tribune Militare we being in the warre whereof now there is no necessity since wee are in peace And the cause why I was willing there shoulde bee none in the Common wealth was for that there was not riches in Rome sufficient to acquite the deserts of the Romane chiualrie And if you esteeme an honourable office to be a Tribune Militare since you cannot all haue it mee thinketh you should all want it For among the Noble men and Plebeians it is not meete that one alone should enioy that which many haue deserued This History Sabellicus declareth and alleadgeth Pulio for his authour and reciteth that for this good worke that Camillus did in Rome that is to say to set the great and the small at one He was as well beloued of the Romaines as hee was feared of the enemies And not without a iust cause for in my opinion it is a greater vertue to pacifie his owne then to robbe strangers As touching the office of this Tribune wherupon this great contention rose in Rome I cannot tell which was greater the foolish rashnesse of the Knightes to procure it or the wisedome of Camillus to abolish it For to say the truth the art of Chiualry was inuented more to defend the common wealth then to bide at home and haue the charge of iustice For to the good Knight it seemeth better to bee loaden with weapons to resist enemies then to be enuironed with bookes to determine causes Returning therefore to that which the people sayde against the Souldiers It was ordained by consent of all that in Rome an office shoulde be erected and that he which should haue it should haue the charge to goe thorow Rome to see what they were in Rome that did not instruct their children in good doctrine and if perchance he found any neighbors child that was euill taught he chastised and banished the Father And truly the punishment was very iust for the father deserueth more punishment for that he doth therunto consent then the child deserueth more the offences which he doth commit When Rome was Rome and that of all the world the Common wealth thereof was commended they chose for an officer therein the most auncient and vertuous Romane who was called the Generall visiter of the children of Rome and it seemeth to bee true for so much as hee which had this office one yeare hoped to bee Consul Dictator or Censor the next as it appeared by Marcus Porcio who desired to bee corrector of the children and afterwards succeeded to bee Censor of the Romane people for the Romanes did not offer the office of iustice to any man vnlesse hee had experience of all Offices Patricius Seuensis in the booke of the Common-wealth sayth that before
the wicked which remaine still are so manie in number that if all those should be hanged that deserue it by Iustice a man could hardly finde hang-men sufficient nor gallowes to hang them vpon Admit according to the varietie of realmes and prouinces that diuers lawes and customes haue beene instituted therein yet for a truth there was neuer nor shall bee found any nation or Common wealth in the world so barbarous but hath beene founded of iustice For to affirme that men can bee preserued without iustice is as much as to say the fish can liue without water How is it possible that a Common Wealth may liue without iustice sith without her cannot bee ruled one onely person Plinie in an Epistle sayeth that he himselffe hauing the charge of a prouince in Affricke demaunded an old man and in gouernement expert what he might doe to administer iustice the aged man answered Doe iustice of thy selfe if thou wilt be a minister thereof For the good iudge with the right yeard of his owne life ought to measure the whole state of the common-wealth And hee sayde further If thou wilt be right with men and cleane before God beware of presumption in thine office For the proud and presumptuous Iudges oftentimes doe contrarie to their wordes and also exceede in their deedes Plinie also sayeth that hee profited more with the counsell this olde man gaue him then with all that euer he had read in his bookes O to how much is hee bound that hath taken vpon him to administer Iustice For if such a one be an vpright man hee accomplisheth that where vnto hee is bound but if such a one of himself be vniust iustly of God hee ought to be punished and likewise of men to bee accused When great Princes commaund their seruants or Subiects any thing that they cannot accomplish them in such sort as they had charge to do then he ought to haue them excused those excepted which gouern realms and prouinces for no man leaueth to administer iustice but for want of knowledge or experience or else through aboundance of affection or malice If a Captaine lose a battel he may excuse himselfe saying his men were fled when they should haue assaulted their enemies A poast may excuse himselfe for that the waters were so high A hunter may say that beast is escaped another way and others such like but a gouernour of a Common wealth what excuse can he haue that he doth not iustice Cōscience ought to burden him and also he ought to bee ashamed to take vpon him the charge of any thing if hee doubt to bring it to effect for shamefast faces and haughty courages either ought to put that in execution which they take vpon them or else they ought to shew a lawful cause why it tooke no effect Let vs knowe what iustice is then we shall know what is meete for the administration thereof The office of a good Iudge is to defend the cōmon wealth to helpe the innocent to aide the simple to correct the offender to helpe the orphanes to doe for the poore to bridle the ambitious finally by iustice he ought to giue each one his owne and to dispossesse those which holde any thing wrongfully of others When a prince commandeth any man to take the charge of iustice and such one doth not seek it of himselfe if perchance he did not in all pointes vprightly in the administration therof he might haue some excuse saying that though hee hath accepted it it was not with intent to erre but because he would obey what shal we say of many which without shame without knowledge experiēce without conscience do procure the office of iustice O if Princes knew what they giue when they giue the charge to any to gouern the Common-welth I sweare vnto you that they were better to giue them goods to find them for twenty yeares then for to trust them with the charge of iustice twenty daies What a thing is it to see some men shamelesse dishonest great talkers gluttons ambitious and couetous the which without any reasonable cause authority or knowledge demaund of Princes an office of iustice as if by iustice they did demaund their owne Would to God the giuer would haue an eye to those which in this case do demaund But what shall wee say of those that doe solicite them procure them importune them beseech them and more then that euen as without shame they doe demaund it so without conscience likewise they buy it There remaineth in this case more as yet that is that if those cursed men doe not attaine to that which they demaund and if those hauing no conscience do not giue it them then they blaspheme and complain of those which are in fauour with princes as if they had done them great iniurie O what trouble is it to good men to accomplish the desires of the euill For the couetous ambitious persons doe but desire that the good mē had the like paine in giuing that they haue in demaunding Many times I haue thought with my selfe wherein so many damages of the Common-wealth should consist such disobedience such contrarieties and so many thefts and in the end I finde that all or the most part proceed in that that they prouide for ministers of iustice not for conscience sake but for couetousnesse onely Admit that it appertaine to all to desire and procure iustice yet to none it appertaineth so much to procure and defend it as to the royall person which the subiects ought sometime to feare but princes are bound to minister it equally to all It is a great matter that princes be pure in life and that their houses bee well ordered to the end that their iustice be of credite and authoritie For he which of himselfe is vniust giueth no hope that another at his hands shold haue iustice He which cannot gouerne his owne house can euill gouerne the common-wealth Those princes which are true in their words cleane in their liues and iust in their works though sometime they erre in the administration of the Common wealth all excuse them saying that they erre not thorough the malice of themselues but rather thorow the euill counsell of others So that all which the good prince doth they commend and all the euill that chanceth they excuse Plutarch in the second Booke of his Common wealth sayeth That herein some Princes differ from others For the euill Prince is onely obeyed but the good Prince is obeyed feared and loued And moreouer hee that is good maketh heauy things light with his goodnesse and the Tyrant that is euill maketh things which are light to be very heauy through his naugh tinesse Happie is the prince which is obeyed but much more happy is he which is obeyed feared and loued for the body is weary oftentimes to obey but the heart is neuer constrained to loue Titus the Emperour was once demanded of these two things
times Princes are so earnest of their game and so desirous to kill that they hunt that they are wonte boldly to chase the beastes they hunt and pursue them so that oftentimes they lose the sight of the rest In such a case the good Courtier must euer haue his eyes vpon him and rather seeke to follow the King then to take pleasure in hunting of other beasts for in that case it shal be a better hunting for him to finde out the King and to be with him then he should take pleasure in being alone with the Hart. It may happen lightly that the king galloping his horse vpon the rockie stones he might stūble at such a stone as both the King and his horse should come to the ground and at that time it could not be but very profitable to the Courtier to bee present For it might so happen that by means of the Princes fall he being ready to helpe him he might thenceforth beginne to grow in fauour and credite with the Prince The most part of those that delight to goe a hunting are wont commonly to eate their meate greedily drinke out of measure and besides to shout and make a wonderful noise as they were out of their wits which thinges the graue and wise Courtier should not do for they are rather fit for vagabonds idle persons that set not by their honesty then they are for the honest Courtier that only desireth and endeauoreth by modesty wise behauiour to become great and in fauour CHAP. X. Of the great pains and troubles the Courtier hath that is toilde in sutes of Law and how hee must suffer and behaue himselfe with the Iudges THere are in the Court also diuers kindes of men that bee not Courtiers Princes seruants but only are Courtiers of necessity by reason of suites they haue with the counsell And these manner of Courtiers haue as much need of counsell as of helpe for hee that hath his goods in hazard hath also his life in ieopardy To speake of the diuers and subtill wayes of suffering it is no matter worthy to bee written with ynke but onely with liuely bloud For indeed if euery one of these suters were forced to abide for his faith and beleeue those paines troubles and sorrowes that he doth to recouer his goods as much cruelty as tortures should Vaglioditi and Grauata haue as euer had Rome in times past In my opinion I thinke it a hell to continue a long suter And surely we may beleeue yea and sweare to that the Martyrs executed in olde time in the Primitiue Church which were many in number did not suffer so much neyther felt such griefe to loose their life as doth now a daies an honest man to see himselfe depriued of all his faculties It is a great trouble and charge to recouer any thing but in the end of these two effects a wise man suffereth and feeleth more the displeasure he receyueth then he doth the goods hee spendeth And in my iudgement to striue and contend is nothing else but to bring matter to the hart to sigh and lament to the Eyes to weepe to the Feet to go to the Tongue to complaine to the handes to spend to intreat his Friendes to fauour his cause and to commaund his seruaunts to be carefull and diligent and his bodie to labour continually He that vnderstandeth not the conditions of contention I will let him know they are these which follow Of a rich man to become poore of a mery man to be made sad and Melancholie of a free man a bond-man of a liberall man a couetous man of a quiet man an vnquyet person and of a htaefull a desperate person How is it otherwise possible but that the haplesse Poore Suter must become desperate seeing the Iudge looketh vppon him with a frowning counteuaunce his goods to bee demaunded of him wrongfully and that now it is so long a time hee hath not bin at home and knoweth not as yet whether Sentence shall be giuen with him or against him And besides all this that the Pooreman in his lingring Sute hath spent so much that hee hath not left him sixe pence in his purse If any of these troubles be ynough to bring a man to his end much more shal they be to make the poore-man desperate and weary of his life So diuers are the effects and successes seene in matters of Sutes that many times there is no wit able to dyrect them nor goods to bring them to end Nay wee may boldly and truely say that the Lawes are so many diffuse of themselues and mens iudgements so simple to vnderstand them that at this day there is no Suite in the world so cleer but there is found another law to put that in doubt make it voyd And therfore the good and ill of the Suter consisteth not so much in the reason he hath as in the Law which the Iudge chuseth to giue iudgmēt of It is well that the Suter belieue and thinke that he hath right but the chiefest thing of importaunce is that the Iudge also desire that hee haue his right For that Iudge that fauoureth my cause and desireth to doe mee Iustice he will labour and study to seeke out some Law that shal serue my turn to restore mee againe to my right To contend is so profound a science that neither Socrates to the Athenians nor Solon to the Greeks nor Numa Pom pylius to the Romaines nor Prometheus to the Egiptians nor Lycurgus to the Lacedemonians nor Plato to his Disciples nor Apolonius to the Poets of Nemesis nor Hiarcus to the Indians could euer teach it them and much lesse could they tell how to finde anie way to write it in the bookes of their Common-wealth The cause why these famous men did not finde it was because this Science could not be learned by studying of diuers bookes nor by trauelling through diuers countreyes but onely by framing great Sutes and Processes and by infinite charge and expences of money Happie yea truly and most treble happie were those ages in which they neither knew nor yet could tell what strife or contention meant For indeede from that time hetherto the world hath fallen to decay and chiefly since men haue grown to quarrel and each one contēded with his neighbor Plato was wont to say that in that Commonweale where there were found many Physitians it was also an euident token that there were many vicious people and likewise we may say that in that Citie where there are manie Suters it is to bee thought it followes also that there are many yll disposed-people That onely may be called a blessed and fortunate Common Weale where men liue quietly and haue not to doe with Iustices nor Iudges for it is a true rule when Physitians are much frequented and Iudges much occupied that amongst that people there is little health and lesse quiet But to returne to the troubles of our
his diuine power And of the superstition of the false and faigned goddes chap 9. fol. 20. How there is but one true God and how happy those Realmes are which haue a good Christian to be their King How the Gentiles affirmed that good Princes after their death were changed into gods and the wicked into Deuils which the Authour proueth by sundry examples chap. 10. fol. 23. Of sundry gods which the Ancients worshipped Of the offices of those gods How they were reuenged of such as displeased them And of the twentie elected gods chap. 11. fol. 26. How Tiberius was chosen Gouernour of the Empire and afterward created Emperour onely for being a good Christian And how God depriued Iustinian the younger both of his Empire and senses because he was a perfidious heretique chap. 12. fol. 29 Of other more naturall and peculier gods which the ancient people had and adored chap. 13. fol. 32 What words the Empresse Sophia spake to Tiberius Constantinus then being Gouernour of the Empire reprouing him for lauishly consuming the Treasure of the Empire gotten by her chap. 14. fol. 36 The answere of Tiberius to the Empresse Sophia Augusta declaring that Noble Princes neede not hoord vp treasures And of the hidden treasure which this good Emperour foundeby reuelation in the Palace where he remayned chap. 15. fol. 38 How the Captayne Narsetes ouercame many Battailes onely by reposing his whole confidence in God And what hapned to him by the Empresse Sophia Augusta relating the vnthankfulnesse of Princes towards their seruants chap. 16. fol 41 Of a letter which the Emperour Marcus Aurelius sent to the King of Scicille remembring the trauels they had endured together in their youth and reprooning him for his small reuerence to the Temples ch 17 fo 46 The Emperours prosecution in his Letter admonishing Princes to bee fearefull of their Gods And of the sentence which the Senate gaue vpon the King for pulling down the church ch 18 f. 49 How the Gentiles honoured those that were deuout in the seruice of their gods chap. 19 fol 52 Of fiue causes why Princes ought to be better christians then their subiects ch 20 fol. 55 What the Philosopher Bias was Of his constancy when hee had lost all his goods And of the ten lawes he gaue deseruing to be had in perpetuall memory chap 21 59 Questions demanded of the Philosopher Bias. fol. 61 The lawes which Bias gaue to the Prienenses 62 How God from the beginning punished men by his iustice and especially those Princes that despised his church how all wicked Christians are Parishioners of hel ch 22 63 Of twelue examples why Princes are sharply punished when they vsurpe boldly vpon churches and violate their temples ch 23 65 Why the children of Aaron were punished eodem The cause why the Azotes were punished eodem The cause why Prince Oza was punished 66. Why King Balthazar was punished 67 Why King Ahab was punished 69 Why King Manasses was punished cod Why Iulius Pompey Xerxes Cateline Germanicus Brennus were punished 70 How Valentine the Emp. because he was an euil Christian in one day lost both the Empire and his life ch 24 72 Of the Emp. Valentinian Gratian his son which raigned in the time of S. Ambrose and because they were good Christians were alwayes fortunate and how God giueth victory to Princes more by the teares of them that pray then thorow the weapons of thē that fight ch 25 76 Of the goodly Oration which the Em Gratian made to his Souldiers before hee gaue the battell ch 26 78 Of the Captaine Theodosius who was father to the great Emp. Theodosius died a good Christian Of the K. Hismarus and the Bishop Siluanus and the lawes which they made and established ch 27 60 What a happy thing it is to haue but one Prince to rule the publike weale for there is no greater enemy to the Common-weale then he which procureth many to commaund therein ch 28 84 That in a publike weale there is no greater destruction then where Princes dayly consent to new orders and make an alteration of ancient customs ch 29 f. 88 When Tirants began to raigne and vpon what occasion commaunding and obeying first began and how the authority which a Prince hath is by the ordināce of God chap. 30 91 Of the golden age in times past and worldly misery at this present ch 31 94 How K. Alexander the Great after hee had ouercome K. Darius in Asia went to conquer the great India and of that which hapned to him with the Garamantes and that purity of life hath more power then force of warre ch 32 96 Of an Oration which one of the Sages of Garamantia made vnto K. Alexander a good lesson for ambitious mē ch 33. 98 A continuation of the sage Garamants Oration and among other notable matters he maketh mention of seuen lawes which they obserued chap. 34 101 That Princes ought to consider for what cause they were made Princes What Thales the Philosopher was of 12 questions demāded of him his answer c. 35. 104 What Plutarch the Philosopher was Of the wise words he spake to the Emperour Traiane how a good Prince is the head of the publique-weale chap. 36. fo 108 As there are two Sences in the Head Smelling and Hearing So likewise a Prince who is the head of the Common-weale ought to heare the complaints of all his subiects and should know them all to recompence their seruices ch 37. fol. 111 Of the great Feast which the Romaines celebrated to the God Ianus the first day of Ianuary And of the bounty and liberality of the Emperour Marcus Aurelius the same day chap. 38 114 Of the answer which the Emperour Marcus Aurelius made to the Senatour Fuluius before all the Senate beeing reproued by him for the familiarity hee vsed to all men contrary to the maiesty and authority of the Romane Emperour wherein hee painteth enuious men ch 39 fol. 118 Of a Letter which the Emperour Marcus Aurelius sent to his friend Pulio declaring the opinion of certaine Philosophers concerning the felicity of man chap. 40. 124 Of the Philosopher Epicurus fol. 129 Of the Philosopher Eschilus 131 Of the Philosopher Pindarus 132 Of the Philosopher Zeno 133 Of the Philosopher Anacharsis 134 Of the Sarmates 135 Of the Philosopher Chilo 137 Of the Philosophers Crates Stylphas Simonides Gorgias Architas Chrysippus Antistenes Sophocles Euripides Palemon Themistocles Aristides and Heraclius 138. 139 That Princes and great Lords ought not to esteeme themselues for being fayre and well proportioned chap. 41 140 Of a letter written by the Emperour Marcus Aurelius to his Nephew worthy to be noted of all young Gentlemen chap. 42 146 How Princes and great Lords in olde time were louers of men that were wise and learned chap. 43 153 How the Emperor Theodosius prouided wise men at the houre of his death for the education of his two noble sonnes Archadius and Honorius chap. 44 158
day of October in the high Capitoll of Rome at the sute of the whole Romane people with the assent of the sacred Senate Marcus Aurelius Antonius was proclaimed Emperour vniuersall of the whole Romane Monarchie This noble Prince was naturally of Rome borne in the mount Celio on the sixt day before the Calends of May which after the Latines account is the 26. day of Aprill His Grandfather was called Annius Verus and was chosen Senatour in the time of the Emperours Titos and Vespasian His great Grandfather was named Annius Verus which was borne in Spaine in the free town of Gububa when the wars were most cruell betweene Caesar and Pompeius at what time many Spaniards fledde to Rome and many Romaines ranne into Spaine By this meanes this Emperour had a great Grandfather a Romane and a great Grandmother a Spaniard His Father was named Annius Verus after his Grandfather and Great Grandfather by reason whereof the ancient Historiographers call him Marcus Antonius Verus And true it is that the Emperour Adrian called him Marcus Verissimus for that hee neuer forged lye nor swarued at any time from the truth These Annti Veri were a kindred in Rome as Iulius Capitolinus reporteth which vaunted themselues to come of Numa Pompelius and Quintus Curtius the famous Romane which to worke the Romane people safety and his owne person euerlasting memory willingly threw himselfe into the Gulfe which afterwards was called Curtius which as then was seene in Rome This Emperours mother was called Domitta Camilla as recounteth Cinna in the bookes that hee wrote of the Romaine pedigrees That stocke of Camilli was in those daies highly honoured in Rome for that they conuayed their discent from that Camillus which was the renowmed and valiant Romane Captaine who deliuered Rome when the Gaules had taken it and besieged the Capitoll The men that sprang of this linage bare the name of Camilli for remembrance of this Camillus And the woman that came of the same stocke kept the name of Camilla in memory of a daughter of the said Camillus This Camilla refused mariage and chose to liue among the vastall virgins and there long space remained enduring a sharpe and hard life And shee was so vertuous a Romane and precise in her life that in the time of Seuerus Emperour of Rome her Tombe was honoured as a Relique whereon was engraued this Epitaph Camillus loe doth here engraued rest That onely was Camillus daughter deere Twice twenty yeares and sixe she hath possest A couert life vntoucht of any feere The King of Trinacry could not her moue To taste the sweet delight of Wedlocks band Nor traine by sute her sacred mind to loue Inclosdâ— in brest so deepe did chastnesse stand But oh great wrong the crawling worms below To gnaw on that vnspotted senselesse corse That rage of youth spent vndefiled so With sober life in spite of Cupids force And this was written in Heroycall verse in the Greeke tongue with a maruellous haughty stile But to our matter yee shall vnderstand that the Romanes kept a certaine Law in the 12. Tables the words whereof were these Wee ordaine and commaund that all the Romanes shall for euer haue speciall priuiledge in euery such place where their ancestors haue done to the Romane people any notable seruice For it is reason that where the Citizen aduentureth his life there the City should doe him some honour after his death By vertue of this law all the family of Camilli euer enioyed the keeping of the high Capitoll for that by his force and policie he chased the French men from the siege Truly it is not vnknowne that this noble Knight and valiant Captaine Camillus did other things as great and greater then this but because it was done within the circuit of Rome it was esteemed aboue all his other acts and prowesse And herein the Romanes swarued not far from reason for that amongst all princely vertues is esteemed to bee the chiefest and worthiest which is employed to the profit of the common-wealth The Romane Chronaclers with tears cease not to lament the ruine of their Country seing that variety of time the multitude of Tyrants the cruelty of ciuill wars were occasion that the ancient state of the Romane gouernement came to vtter destruction and in steade thereof a new and euill trade of life to bee placed And hereof no man ought to maruell for it chanceth throughout all Realmes and Nations by oft changing gouernours that among the people dayly springeth new vices Pulto sayth That for no alteration which befell to the common weale for no calamity that euer Rome suffered that priuiledge was taken away from the linage of Camilli I meane the gouernment of the high Capitoll except it were in the time of Silla the Consull when this family was sore persecuted for none other cause but for that they fauored the Consull Marius This cruell Silla being dead and the pittifull Iulius Caesar preuayling all the banished men from Rome returned home againe to the common-wealth As touching the Auncestors of the Emperour Marcus Aurelius what hath beene their trade of life estate pouerty or riches standing in fauor or displeasure what prosperity or aduersity they haue had or suffered wee finde not in writings though with great diligence they haue beene searched for And the cause hereof was for that the ancient writers of the Romane Histories touched the liues of the Emperors fathers specially when they were made Princes more for the good merites that were in the children then for the great estimation that came from the Fathers Iulius Capitolinus sayth That Annius Verus father of Marcus Aurelius was pretor of the Rhodian Armies and also warden in other Frontiers in the time of Trayan the good Adrian the wise and Anthony the mercifull Which Emperours trusted none with their Armies but discreet valiant men For good Princes chose alwayes such Captaines as can with wisdom guide the Armie and with valiantnes giue the battell Though the Romanes had sundry wars in diuers places yet chiefly they kept great Garrisons alwayes in foure parts of the world That is to say in Bizantium which now is Constantinople to resist the Parthiens in Gades which now is called Galizia to withstand the Portugales in the riuer of Rein to defend themselues from the Germaines and at Colossus which now is called the I le of Rhodes for to subdue the Barbarians In the moneth of Ianuarie when the Senate distributed their offices the Dictator being appointed for sixe monethes and the two Consuls chosen for one yeare incontinently in the third place they chose foure of the most renowmed persons to desend the said foure daungerous Frontiers For the Romanes neyther feared the paines of hell nor trusted for reward in heauen but sought by all occasions possible in their life time to leaue some notable memory of them after their death And the Romaine was counted most valiant
is no other then gold amongst the rust a rose amongst the thorns come amongst the chaffe mary amongst the bones Margarites amongest the peble-stones a holy soule amongst the rotten flesh a Phoenix in the Cage a shippe rocking in the raging Seas which the more shee is beaten the faster shee sayleth And there is no Realme so little nor no man of so little fauour but when other doe persecute him hee is by his friends parents and defendors fauoured and succoured so that many times those which thinke to destroy are destroyed and those which seeme to take their part were their chiefest enemies Doth not that proceede of the great secret of God For though God suffered the wicked to be wicked a while God will not therefore suffer that one euill man procure another to doe euill The Palestines and those of Hierusalem had not for their principall enemies but the Chaldeans and the Chaldeans had for their enemies the Idumeans the Idumeans the Assyrians the Assyrians the Persians the Persians the Ariginians the Ariginians the Athenians the Athenians had for their principall enemies the Lacedemonians and the Lacedemonians the Sydonians the Sidonians the Rhodians and the Rhodians the Scythians the Scythians the Hunnes the Hunnes had the Alaines the Alaines the Sweuians the Sweuians the Vandales the Vandales the Valerians the Valerians the Sardinians the Sardinians the Africanes the Africanes the Romanes the Romans the Dacians the Dacians the Gothes the Gothes the Frenchmen the Frenchmen the Spaniards and the Spaniards the Mores And of all these Realmes the one hath persecuted the other And not all one but our holy mother the Church hath alwayes been oppressed and persecuted with those realms and hath beene succoured of none but of Iesu Christ onely and he hath euer succoured and defended it well For the things that God taketh charge of although all the world were against thē in the end it is impossible for them to perish CHAP. X. How there is but one true God and how happy these Realmes are which haue a good Christian to their King and how the Gentiles affirme that good Princes after their death were changed into Gods and the wicked into Diuels which the Authour proueth by sundry examples ALthough the common opinion of the simple people was that there was many gods yet notwithstanding al the Philosophers affirmed that there was but one God who of some was named Iupiter the which was chiefe aboue all other Gods Others called him the first intelligence for that hee had created all the World Others called him the first cause because hee was the beginner of all things It seemeth that Aristotle vnderstood this thing and was of this opinion forasmuch as he sayth in his 12. booke of his Metaphysickes All superiour and inferiour things would bee well ordered and many things much better by the arbitrement of one then by the aduise of many Marcus Varro in his booke De Theologia mistica and Cicero in his booke De natura Deorum although these were Gentiles and curious enough of the Temples yet they doe mocke the Gentiles which beleeued there were many Gods and that Mars and Mercury and likewise Iupiter and the whole flocke of Gods which the Gentiles set vp were all mortall men as we are But because they knew not that there were good bad Angells nor knew not that there was any Paradise to reward the good nor Hell to torment the euill They held this opinion that good men after their death were Gods and euill men deuils And not contented with these foolish abuses the Deuill brought them into such an errour that they thought it consisted in the Senates power to make some Gods and other Deuils For when there dyed at Rome any Emperour if he had been well affected of the Senate immediately hee was honoured for a God and if hee dyed in displeasure of the Senate hee was condemned for a Deuill And to the end we doe not speake by fauour but by writing Herodian saith that Faustine was the daughter of Antoninus Pius and wife of Marcus Aurelius which were Emperours the one after the other And truely there were few eyther of their Predecessors or of their Successors which were so good as they were and in mine opinion none more better And therefore was shee made a Goddesse and her father a God An Emperour that coueteth perpetuall memory must note 5. things which he should haue in his life That is to say pure in life vpright in iustice aduenturous in feates of Armes excellent in knowledge and welbeloued in his Prouinces which vertues were in these two excellent Emperours This Empresse Faustine was passing fayre and Writers prayse her beauty in such sort that they sayd it was impossible for her to bee so beautiful but that the Gods had placed some diuine matter in her Yet notwithstanding this added thereunto it is doubtfull whether the beauty of her face was more praysed or the dishonesty of her life discommended For her beauty maruelously amased those that saw her and her dishonesty offended them much that knew her Yet after the Emperour Marcus Aurelius had triumphed ouer the Parthians as he went visiting the Prouinces of Asia that goodly Faustine in foure dayes dyed at the mount Taurus by occasion of a burning Feuer and so annealed was caryed to Rome And since shee was the daughter of so good a Father and wife of so dearly beloued an Emperour amongst the Goddesses shee was canonized but considering her vnconstant or rather incontinent life it was neuer thought that the Romaines would haue done her so much honour Wherefore the Emperour reioyced so much that he neuer ceased to render thankes vnto the Senate For truely a benefit ought to be acceptable to him that receyueth it especially when it commeth vnlooked for The contrarie came to the death of Tiberius third Emperour of Rome which was not onely killed drawne through the streetes by the Romaines but also the Priests of all the temples assembled together and openly prayed vnto the gods that they would not receyue him to them and prayed to the Infernall Furies that greeuouslie they would torment him saying It is iustly required that the Tyrant which disprayseth the life of the good in this Life should haue no place amongst the good after his death Leauing the common Opinion of the rude people which in the old time had no knowledge of the true GOD and declaring the opinion of Aristotle who called God the first cause the opinion of the Stoyckes which called him the first Intelligence and the opinion of Cicero who vnder the colour of Iupiter putteth none other God but him I say and confesse according to the religion of Christian Faith there is but one onely GOD which is the Creatour of Heauen and Earth whose excellency and puissant Maiestie is little to that our tongue cā speake For our vnderstanding can not vnderstand nor our iudgement can determine
liue honest and temperate the which cannot well bee done vnlesse they bee marryed or that they see themselues to bee conquerors of the flesh and being so they are satisfyed but if they be not marryed and the flesh doth assault them then they liue immediately conuered Wherefore of necessitie they must goe by their Neighbours houses or else by some other dishonest places scattered abroad to the reproach and dishonor of them and their kindred and oftentimes to the great perill and danger of their Persons CHAP. III. Of sundry and diuers Lawes which the Ancients had in Contracting Matrimony not onely in the choyse of Women but also in the manner of celebrating Marriage IN all Nations and in all the Realmes of the World Marriage hath alwayes beene accepted and marueilously commended for otherwise the world had not beene peopled nor yet the number of men multiplyed The ancients neuer disagreed one from another in the approbation and acception of Marriage but there was amongst them great difference and strife vpon the contracts ceremonies and vsages of the same For they vsed as much difference in contracting Matrimony and choosing their wiues as these Epicures do desire the varietie of sundry delicate meates The diuine Plato in his Booke hee made of the Common-wealth did counsell that all thinges should be common and that not onely in bruit beasts in moueables and heritages but also that womē should be common for he sayd that if these two words thine and mine were abolished and out of vse there should not bee debates nor quarels in this world They cal Plato Diuine for many good things which he spake but now they may call him Worldly for the counsel profane which he gaue I cannot tell what beastlinesse it may be called nor what greater rudenes may be thought that the apparrell should be proper and the wiues common The bruite beast doth not know that which came out of her belly longer then it sucketh of her brests And in this sort it would chance to men yea and worse too if women were common in the Common-wealth for though one should know the Mother which hath borne him hee should not know the Father which hath begotten him The Tharentines which were wel renowmed amongst the ancients and not a little feared of the Romanes had in their Citie of Tharente a law and custome to marry themselues with a legitimate wife to beget children but besides her a man might yet chuse two others for his secret pleasures Spartianus sayd that the Emperour Hellus Verus as touching women was very dissolute and since his wife was young and faire and that she did complaine of him because he led no honest life with her hee spake these words vnto her My wife thou hast no cause to complayne of me since I remaine with thee vntill such time as thou art quicke with childe for the residue of the time we husbands haue licence and priuiledge to seek our pastimes with other women For this name of a wife containeth in it honour but for the residue it is a grieuous burden and painefull office The like matter came to Ptolomeus King of Egipt of whom the Queene his wife did greatly complaine Admit that all the Greekes haue beene esteemed to bee very wise amongst all those the Athenians were esteemed of most excellent vertue for the Sages that gouerned the Common-wealth remained in Athens with the Philosophers which taught the Sciences The Sages of Athens ordeyned that all the neighbours and inhabitants might keepe two lawfull wiues and furthermore vpon paine of grieuous punishments did commaund that none should presume nor be so hardy to maintain any concubine for they sayd when men haunt the companie of light women comonly they misuse their lawfull Wiues As Plutarch saith in his Politiques the cause why the Greekes made this lawe was considering that man could not nor ought not to liue without the companie of a woman and therefore they would that a man should marrie with two wines For if the one were diseased and lay in yet the other might serue in bed waite at the Table and doe other businesses in the house Those of Athens had another great respect and cōsideration to make this law which was this that if it chanced the one to be barren the other should bring forth children in the Common-wealth and in such case shee that brought forth Children should be esteemed for Mistresse and the other that was barren should be taken for a seruant When this law was made Socrates was marryed to Xantippa and to accomplish the law hee tooke another called Mirra which was the daughter of the Phylosopher Aristides and sith those two women had great quarrells and debates together and that thereby they slaundered their Neighbours Socrates saide vnto them My wiues yee see right well that my eyes are hollow my legges are withered my hāds are wrinckled my head is balde my bodie is little and the haires are white Why doe yee then that are so faire stand in contention and strife for mee that am so deformed Though Socrates saide these wordes as it were in ieast yet such words were occasion that the quarrells and strifes betweene them ceased The Lacedemonians than in the time of peace and warre were always contrary to the Athenians obserued it for an inuiolable lawe not that one man should marry with two wiues but that one woman should marrie with two husbands and the reason was that when one Husband should goe to the warre the other shold tarry at home For they saide that a man in no wise should agree to leaue his Wife alone in the common-wealth Plinie writing an Epistle vnto his friend Locratius and Saint Hierome writing to a Frier called Rusticus saith That the Atbenians did vse to marry Bretheren with the Sisters but they did not permitte the Auntes to marrie with their Nephewes neither the Vnckles with their Nieces For they sayd that brothers and sisters to marrie together was to marry with their semblables but for vnckles to marry Nieces Aunts with Nephews was as of fathers to daughters and of mothers to sonnes Melciades which was a man of great renowme amongst the Grecians had a sonne called Cimonius who was marryed to his owne sister called Pinicea and being demaunded of one why hee tooke his sister in marriage hee answered My sister is faire sage rich and made to my appetite and her Father and mine did recommend her vnto mee and since by the commaundement of the Gods a man ought to accomplish the behests and requests of Fathers I haue determined since Nature hath giuen mee her for my sister willingly to take her for my lawfull Wife Dyodorus Siculus saith that before the Egiptians receyued any Lawes euery man had as manie Wiues as hee would and this was at the libertie of both partyes for as much as if she would goe shee went liberally and forsooke the man and likewise hee left her when
great Ladies which of their patrimonie and heritage possesse manie Townes and Citties for to such I wil not take away the seruices which are due vnto them by their Subiects but I doe perswade them to the obedience which they ought to beare to theyr Husbandes It is not maruell though that women of meane estate haue sometimes quarrelled with their Husbands For they haue small Riches to loose and lesse honour to aduenture then the Princesses and great Dames haue the which since they do aduenture to commaund manie why wil not they humble themselues to obey one speaking with due reuerēce It is for aboundance of follie and want of wisedome that a Woman should haue presumption to gouerne a whole Realm and that she hath not grace to obey one Husband Seneca in a Tragedie saieth thus that in the time of the warre of Mithridates it chanced in Rome that the Consulls sent to the olde Knightes and commanded that they should all be in a readinesse to go with Silla the Consull into the warres And it happened that when they came into ones house in Rome to publish the Edict to warne him to bee ready they found not the husband but the wife who made answere and sayd That her husband ought not nor could not goe to the warres and though hee would hee should not neither would see giue him licence for hee was an old and ancient Knight and therefore hee ought to be exempted from the warres With this answer those that heard it were greatly abashed and the whole Senate no lesse offended wherefore they commaunded that the husband should bee banished Rome and the wife to bee carryed to the Prison Mamortine not for that he excused himselfe for going to the warres but because she commanded her husband and because he suffered himselfe to be commanded of her The Senate did this to that end that from that time forwards no woman should presume or contend with her husband and that no husband should giue his wife any occasion to be bold with him CHAP. VII That Women and especially Princesses and great Ladyes should be very circumspect in going abroad out of their houses and that through the resort of them that commeth to their houses they bee not euill spokenof AMong all the counsels that may or ought to be giuen to Princesses and great Ladies this is the first that they do what they can to haue rest in their houses and that they goe not as strayes to the mansions of other men for if such Ladyes are good they get much reputation and if perchance they bee euill they take from men all occasion Whether the husband be present or absent it is a most necessary and honest thing that the wife be for the most part in the house for by this meanes the household shal be well gouerned and from the heart of the husband shall bee withdrawne all kinde of suspitions Sithens the office of the husband is to gather goods and riches and the office of a wife to keepe and preserue them the houre that she goeth out of the house she ought to thinke that her Maydens will stray abroad the Children will runne out to play the Varlats and Seruants will bee out of order the Neighbours wil take occasions to speake euill and that which is worste of all some will steale the goods out of the house and the others will speake euill of the reeowne of the wife Oh God giueth a goodly gift and grace to that man which hath such so good a wife that of her own nature loueth to keepe her selfe within the house And truely I say that such a one doeth excuse many griefes and saueth much mony for she spendeth not the goods in Apparel nor giueth occasion to men to iudge euill of her person The greatest debate that is betweene man and wife is for that hee desireth to get and keepe his goods to bring vp his children and to maintayne his familie and on the other part that she desireth to spend all vpon apparrell for women in this case are so curious in louing of themselues that they would abstaine from meates that should maintaine their life onely to buy a new Gowne to set out their pride Women naturally do loue to keepe and will not spend any thing except it be in apparrell for euery houre that is in the day and the night they desire to haue a new Gowne to change My intention is not to speake of Apparrell only but to perswade Princesses and great Ladyes that they would keepe themselues in their houses and in so doing they should excuse these superfluous wastes and expences for her neighbour seeing her better apparrelled then shee is looketh vpon her husband as she were a Lyon It chanceth oftentimes I would to God I had no cause to speake it that if by chaunce there commeth any great or solemne Feast or Marriage shee will neuer looke louingly on his face before he hath giuen her a newe gowne to her backe and when the poore Gentleman hath no money to pay of necessitie hee must runne in credite And when the vanity of the woman is past then the time of payment draweth neere and they come to arrest all his goods so that they haue cause to lament one whole yeare for that which they haue spent in one houre VVomen seldome contend for that one is fairer more nobler of linage better married or more vertuous then another but only that another goeth better apparelled then shee For touching apparell there is no woman can endure that another meaner woman should make comparison with her nor that in like manner her equall should excell her Lycurgus in the lawes that he gaue to the Lacedemonians commaunded that their Wiues should not goe out of their houses but at diuers solemne Feasts in the yeare For he saide that the women ought to be making their prayers in the Temples to the Gods or else in their houses bringing vppe their children For it is not honest nor cōmendable that the wife should passe her time abroade trotting from street to streete as common women I say that the Princesses and great Ladyes are much more bound to keepe themselues at home in their Houses then other women of meaner degree and without a cause I speak it not for thereby they shall get them more reputation For there is no vertue whereby the woman winneth more reputation in the Common-wealth then alwaies to be seen resident in her house I say also that a Wife ought the most part of her time to keepe her house because she hath lesse occasion then others haue to goe abrode For if the poore wife the Plebian goe out of her house shee goeth for no other cause but for to seeke meat but if the rich and Noble-woman goeth out of her house it is for nothing but to take her pleasure Let not Princesses maruell nor let not great Ladyes wonder if they dispose their feete to trotte and occupie
mountaines of Rypheos he found in those places a Barbarous nation that liued in the sharpe mountains as wild beasts and doe not maruell that I do call them beastly that liue in those mountaines For as the sheepe and Cowes that feede on the fine grasse haue their wooll softe and fine so the men who are brought vp in the sharp and wilde mountains vse themselues after a rude behauiour These Barbarous had therefore a law among them that euery neighbor had in those mountaines two Caues for the sharpnes of the hills permitted not that they shold haue any Houses Therfore in one caue the Husbands the Sonnes and the Seruants were and in the other his Wife his daughters and his handmaids abode they did eate together twice in the weeke they slept together other twice in the weeke and all the residue of the time they were separate the one from the other The great Pompeyus asked them what was the cause why they liued so sith it was so that in all the world there was neuer seene nor read of such extreame law nor so straunge a custome The historie saith in that place that an auncient man aunswered him saying Beholde Pompeius that the gods haue giuen short life vnto vs that bee present in respect of that which hee gaue to our Fathers that are past and since we liue but fortie or fiftie yeares at the vttermost wee desire to enioy those dayes in peace For the life is so short and our trouble so long that we haue smal time to reioyce in peace after we returne from the warres It is true that amongst you Romaines which enioy pleasures and riches life seemeth too shorte but vnto vs that haue toyle with pouertie life seemeth too long For throughout all the yeare wee neuer keepe such solemne Feasts as when one passeth out of his life Consider Pompeius that if men liued many yeares there shold be time to laugh and weepe to bee good and to be euill to be poore and to be rich to be merrie and sad to liue in peace and warre but why wil men seek contention in their life since it is so short In keeping with vs as you doe our owne wiues in liuing wee should die for the nights should passe in hearing their complaints and the dayes in suffering their brawlings but keeping them as we doe we see not their heauie countenance wee heare not the crying of our children wee heare not their grieuous complaintes nor listen vnto their sorrowfull words neyther wee are troubled with their importunate suites and yet the Children are nourished in peace the father followeth the warres so that they are well and we are better This was the aunswer that this old man gaue at the request of the great Pompeius Truely Faustine I say that though wee call the Messagetes Barbarous in this case they know more then the Latines For he that is free from a brawling woman hath escaped no small pestilence I aske thee now Faustine since those barbarous could not agree nor would not haue their wiues with thē in those sharpe mountains how shall we other agree and please you that liue in these pleasures in Rome One thing I will tell thee Faustine and I beseech the Gods that thou maiest vnderstand it which is If the beastly motions of the Flesh did not-force men to will and also to desire women I doubt whether there should be any woman in the world beloued or suffered For though nature giueth them gifts worthie to be beloued yet they through their smal discretion cause themselues to bee hated If the gods had made this loue voluntarie as they made it naturall so that we might haue loued as wee would and left againe at our pleasure that man ought worthily to haue beene punished which for the loue of any woman would put his life in daunger The Gods haue kept this great secret vnto themselues and the misery that they gaue vnto men is very great since that vnto so weake Flesh hee gaue so strong a heart the which doth procure that which doth vs harme and followeth that which we ought to abhorre This is an other secret that all men know when they offend but I see no man that seeketh amendment for I heare all complaine of the flesh and yet I see all like Butchers followe the flesh and when it can do least good then it is most greedie I enuie not the Gods liuing nor the men that be dead saue only for two things which be these First I enuie the Gods because they liue without feare of the malicious Secondarily I enuie the dead for that they liue without neede of Women For Women are so corrupt that the corrupt all and they be such mortall plagues that both flesh and heart by them are brought to ende O Faustine the loue of the flesh is so natural to the flesh that when from you the body flyeth in sport wee then leaue our hearts engaged to you in earnest And thogh reason as reason putteth desire to fleight yet the flesh flesh yeeldeth it selfe as prisoner CHAP. XXVI ¶ The Emperour following his matter admonisheth men of the great daungers which ensue vnto them by excessiue haunting the company of women And reciteth certaine rules for Marryed men which if they obserue may cause them to liue in peace with their Wiues I Remember that in my youth as I was of Flesh I trembled for seare of the flesh with minde neuer to returne againe and I do confesse that ofte times I reuolued in my heart many holie and chaste meditations but yet notwithstanding I gaue my bodie immediately to sundry filthie vices It is a naturall thing that when man hath committed any vice forthwith he repenteth him of his deede and so againe after his new repentance he turneth to his olde vices For during the time that wee liue in this fraile flesh Sensualitie beareth so great a rule that shee will not suffer Reason to enter in at the gate There is no man in Rome if a man doth aske him but wil maruelto declare with his tongue the thoughts that he hath had in his heart in especially to be chaste to be true to be pacient and to bee vertuous and peraduenture ye talke with those that somewhat communicate with them and let a man enquire of his neighbours ' they shall finde that he is a deeyuer ' a lyar and a blasphemer Finally they deceyue men by their faire wordes and offended the Gods by their euill works It profiteth little to Blaze vertues with wordes if the hand be negligent to worke them in deede For a man is not called iust onely desiring to be good in name but for to labour to be vertuous in workes The trayterous Worlde in no one thing beguileth wordlings so much as by feeding them with vaine hope saying That they shall haue time enough to be vertuous So that these blinde men when they are once deeply rooted in vices and whilest they
they did more esteeme the good will wherewith they gaue it then they did the gifts themselues for there was so much indeed that sufficed both to make the Image of the Goddesse Berecinthia and also for a long time to maintaine the Warres Therefore from that day that those Matrons presented their Iewels in the high Capitoll the Senate forthwith in remembrance of the gentlenesse graunted them these fiue things as a priuiledge for at that time Rome neuer receiued seruice or benefite of any person but Shee rewarded it with double payment The first thing that the Senate granted the Romane Women was That in the day of their buriall the Oraters might openly make Orations in the prayse of their liues for in olde time men vsed neyther to exalt them when they were dead nor yet to accompany them to their graues The second thing that was graunted vnto them was That they might sit in the Temples for in the olde time when the Romanes did offer Sacrifices to their Gods the aged did alwayes sit the Priests kneele the marryed men did leane but the women though they were of Noble and high linage could neyther be suffered to talke sit nor leane The third thing that the Senate granted the women of Rome was That euery one of them might haue two rich Gownes and that they should not aske the Senate leaue to weare them for in the old time if any woman were apparelled or did buy any new Gowne without asking licence of the Senate she should immediately lose her Gowne and because her husband did condiscend vnto the same he was banished the Common-wealth The fourth thing which they granted them was That they should drinke Wine when they were sicke for there was in Rome a custome inuiolable that though their life was in hazard they durst not drinke wine but water for when Rome was well corrected a woman that drunke wine was as much slandered among the people as if she had committed Adultery towards her husband The fith thing granted by the Senate vnto the women was That a man might not deny a Romane being with childe any honest and lawfull thing that she demanded I cannot tell why the Ancients of Rome esteemed more of women with childe then others that had no children All these fiue thinges were iustly granted to the Matrons and Noble Romane Ladyes And I can tell thee Faustine that they were of the Senate most willingly granted for it is reason that women which in vertues doe excell should with all meanes be honoured I will tell thee Faustine the especiall cause that mooued the Romanes to grant vnto you Matrones this last priuiledge that is to say That a man cannot deny them any thing being with child Thou oughtest to know that the others as well Greekes as Latines did neuer giue Lawes nor Institutions vnto their people without great occasions for the great multitude of lawes are commonly euill kept and on the other part are cause of sundry troubles We cannot deny but that the Ancients did well auoyde the great number of Institutions for it is better for a man to liue as reason commandeth him then as the lawe constraineth him The case therefore was that in the yeere of the foundation of Rome 364. Fuluius Torquatus then being Consull in the warre against the Volces the Knights of Mauritania brought to Rome an huge Monster with one eye called Monoculus which he had found in the Desarts of Aegipt at the time the wife of Torquatus called Macrina should haue beene deliuered of child for the Consull did leaue her great This Macrina amongst all was so honest that they spent as much time in Rome to praise her for her vertues as they did set foorth her husband for his Victories They read in the Annalles of that time That the first time that this Consull Torquatus went into Asia he was eleuen yeeres out of his Country and his found for a truth that in all the time that Torquatus was absent his wife was neuer seene to looke out at the window which was not a thing smally esteemed for though it was a custome in Rome to keepe the doore shut it was lawfull notwistanding to speake to women at the windowes Though men at that time were not so bold and the women were so honest yet Macrina wife to Torquatus liued so close solitary to her selfe that in all these eleuen yeeres there was neuer man that saw her goe through Rome or that euer saw her doore open neither that shee consented at any time from the time that shee was eight yeeres of age that any man should enter into her house and moreouer there was neuer man saw her face wholly vncouered This Romane Ladie did this to leaue of her a memorie and to giue example of her vertue She had also three children whereof the eldest was but fiue yeeres olde and so when they were eight yeeres of age immediately shee sent them out of her house towards their Parents lest vnder the colour to visite the children others should come to visite her O Faustine how many haue I heard that haue lamented this excellent Romane and what will they thinke that shall follow her life Who could presently restrain a Romane woman from going to the window eleuen yeeres since things now adayes are so dissolute that they doe not onely desire to see them but also run in the Streetes to babble of them Who should cause now adayes a Romane woman that in the eleuen yeeres she should not open her dores since it is so that when the husband commaunded her to shut one doore she will make the whole house to ring of her voyce Hee that now would commaund his wife to tarry at home and let her of her vagaries into the Towne shall perceiue that there is no Basiliske nor Viper that carryeth such poison in her taile as she will spit with her tongue Who could make a Romane woman to bee eleuen yeeres continually without shewing her face to any man since it is so that they spend the most part of their time in looking in a Glasse setting their Ruffes brushing their Cloathes and painting their faces Who would cause a Romane woman to keepe her selfe eleuen yeeres from being visited of her Neighbors and Friends since it is true that now women thinke them greatest enemies which visite them most seldome Returning therefore to the Monster As they led this Monster before the doore of Torquatus his house she being great with childe and her husband in the warre by chance a Mayde of his told her how that this Monster passed by wherefore so great a desire tooke her to see the Monster that for to keepe that she had begun suddenly for this desire she dyed Truely I tell thee Faustine that this Monster had passed many times by the Streete where she dwelt and she would neuer notwithstanding go to the window and much lesse out of her doore to see it The death of this Romane of
to come with me from Capua to Rome the selfesame thou hadst to goe with another from Rome to Capua It is an euill thing for vicious â—eâ— to reprooue the vices of others wherein themselues are faulty The cause why I condemn thee to dye is onely for the remembrance of the old Law the which commandeth that no nurse or woman giuing sucke should on paine of death be begotten with childe truly the Law is very iust For honest women do not suffer that in giuing her child sucke at her breast she shold hide another in her entrails These words passed between Gneus Fuluius the Consul and the Ladie Sabina of Capua Howbeit as Plutarche saith in that place the Consull had pitie vpon her and shewed her fauour banishing her vpon condition neuer to returne to Rome againe Cinna Catullus in the fourth booke of the xxij Consulls saith that Caius Fabricius was one of the most notable Consulles that euer was in Rome and was sore afflicted with diseases in his life onely because hee was nourished foure moneths with the milke of a Nurse being great with Childe and for feare of this they locked the nurse with the Childe in the Temple of the Vestall virgines where for the space of iij. yeares they were kept They demaunded the Consul why he did not nourish his children in his house He answered that children being nourished in the house it might bee an occasion that the Nurse should begotteÌ„ with child and so she should destroy the children with her corrupt milke and further giue me occasion to do iustice vpon her person wherefore keeping them so shut vp wee are occasion to preserue their life and also our children from perill Dyodorus Siculus in his librairy and Sextus Cheronensis saith in the life of Marc. Aurelius that in the Isles of Baleares there was a custom that the nurses of young children whether they were their owne or others should be seuered from their Husbands for the space of two yeares And the woman which at that time though it were by her husband were with child though they did not chasten her as an adulteresse yet euery man spake euill of her as of an offender During the time of these two yeares to the ende that the Husband should take no other wife they commanded that hee should take a concubine or that hee should buye a Slaue whose companie hee might vse as his wife for amongst these barbarous hee was honoured most that had two Wiues the one with child and the other not By these Examples aboue recited Princesses and great Ladyes may see what watch care they ought to take in choosing their Nurses that they be honest since of them dependeth not onely the health of their children but also the good fame of their houses The seueÌ„th condition is that Princesses and great ladies ought to see their nurses haue good conditions so that they be not troublesome proud harlots liars malicious nor flatterers for the viper hath not so much poyson as the woman which is euil coÌ„ditioned It little auaileth a man to take wine from a woman to entreate her to eate little and to withdrawe her from her husband if of her owne nature she be hatefull and euill mannered for it is not so great daÌ„ger vnto the child that the nurse be a drunkard or a glutton as it is if she be harmfull malitious If perchaunce the Nurse that nourisheth the child be euil conditioned truly she is euill troubled the house wherin she dwelleth euil coÌ„bred For such one doth importune the Lorde troubleth the Lady putteth in hazard the childe aboue all is not contented with her selfe Finally Fathers for giuing too much libertie to their nurses oft times are the causes of manie practises which they doe wherewith in the ende they are grieued with the death of their childreÌ„ which foloweth Amongst all these which I haue read I say that of the ancient Roman Princes of so good a Father as Drusius Germanicus was neuer came so wicked a son as Caligula was being the iiij Emp of Rome for the Hystoriographers were not satisfied to enrich the praise the excellencies of his Father neyther ceased they to blame and reprehend the infamies of his Sonne And they say that his naughtines proceedeth not of the mother which bare him but of the nurse which gaue him sucke For often times it chaunceth that the tree is green and good when it is planted and afterwardes it becometh drie and withered onely for being carryed into another place Dyon the Greeke in the second book of Caesars saieth that a cursed woman of Campania called Pressilla nourished and gaue suck vnto this wicked child Shee had against all nature of women her breasts as hayrie as the beardes of men and besides that in running a Horse handling her staffe shooting in the Crosse-bowe fewe young men in Rome were to bee compared vnto her It chaunced on a time that as shee was giuing sucke to Caligula for that shee was angrie shee tore in pieces a young child and with the bloud therof annoynted her breasts and so she made Caligula the young Childe to sucke together both bloud and milke The saide Dyon in his booke of the life of the Emperour Caligula saieth that the women of Campania whereof the saide Pressilla was had this custom that wheÌ„ they would giue their Teat to the childe first they did annointe the nipple with the bloud of a hedge-hog to the ende their children might be more fierce and cruell And so was this Caligula for hee was not contented to kill a man onely but also hee sucked the bloud that remained on his Sworde and licked it off with his tongue The excellent Poet Homer meaning to speake plainely of the crueltyes of Pyrrus saide in his Odisse of him such wordes Pyrrus was borne in Greece nourished in Archadie and brought vp with Tygers milke which is a cruell beast as if more plainely he had saide Pyrrus for being borne in Greece was Sage for that hee was brought vp in Archadie he was strong and couragious for to haue sucked Tygars milke he was very proud and cruell Hereof may be gathered that the great Grecian Pyrrus for wanting of good milke was ouercome with euill conditions The selfe same Hystorian Dyon saith in the life of Tiberius that hee was a great Drunkard And the cause hereof was that the Nurse did not onely drinke wine but also she weyned the childe with soppes dipped in Wine And without doubt the cursed Woman had done lesse euill if in the stead of milke she had giuen the child poyson without teaching it to drinke wine wherefore afterwardes he lost his renowne For truely the Romane Empire had lost little if Tiberius had dyed being a childe and it had wonne much if he had neuer knowne what drinking of Wine had meant I haue declared all that which before is mentioned to the intent that Princesses and great Ladyes might
often times it chanceth that the wisedome of the good child doth remedy the folly of the wicked Father The Historians say that this Lelya Sabina had not onely a great grace in reading but also shee had much excellency in writing for she wrote many letters and orations with her own hand which her Father Lucius Sylla afterwards learned by hart and as he was indeed quicke of spirite so he vsed to recite them to the Senate alwayes for his purpose And let no man maruaile hereat for there are some of so grosse vnderstanding that that which they write and studie they can scarcely vtter others againe are of such liuely wits that of that onely which they haue heard it seemeth maruellous to heare with what eloquence they will talke Because Sylla had such and so excellent a daughter in his house hee was esteemed for a sage and wise councellour throughout all the Common wealth He was counted very absolute in executing strong in maintaining for right eloquent in speaking Finally of this came this ancient prouerbe which sayth Lucius Sylla gouerneth his own countrey with the eloquence of his tongue and is Lord of strange nations by the force of his sword What the great Plato hath beene and what great authority he hath had amongst his countrey men and amongst the strangers it is apparant for so much as the Greekes do acknowledge him of all other Phylosophers to be the Prince and likewise the Latines by one consent call him diuine And me thinketh that in doing this they doe no Phylosopher iniurie for as Plato in his life time had great modestie so truely in his writing hee exceeded mans capacitie An Historian called Hyzearchus declareth that Lasterna and Axiothea were two Greekes very well Iearned and amongst the Schollers of Plato chiefly renowmed The one was of so perfect a memory and the other of so high an vnderstanding that Plato oft times beeing in the chayre and these two not readie hee would not beginne to reade And being demaunded wherefore hee reade not his Lecture hee answered I will not reade for that there wanteth here vnderstanding to conceyue and also memory to retaine Meaning that Lasterna was absent that Axiothe was not yet come The wisedome of these two women ought to bee much since Plato without them would not vtter one word vnlesse they were present in his Schoole For Plato esteemed more the vnderstanding and memory of those two women alone then hee did the phylosophy of his other Schollers together Aristippus the phylosopher was Scholler to Socrates and of the most renowmed of Athens Hee had a daughter called Aretha the which was so well learned in Greeke and Latine letters that the common renowme sayd the soule of Socrates was entred into Aretha and the cause that mooued them to say this was because shee read and declared the doctrine of Socrates in such wise that it seemed to most men shee had rather write by hand then learne by studie Bocchas in the second booke of the prayse of women sayeth that this Aretha was so excellent a woman that shee did not only learne for her selfe but also to teach others and did not onely teach in diuers Schooles but also shee wrote many and sundrie bookes one especially in the prayse of Socrates an other of the manner of bringing vp children an other of the Warres of Athens an other of the tyrannicall force an other of the Common Wealth of Socrates an other of the infelicity of Women an other of the tillage of the Auncients an other of the Wonders of the Mount Olimpus an other of the vaine care of the Sepulchre an other of the care of the Antes an other of the Workemanshippe of the Bees in honey and shee wrote two others the one of the vanities of youth and the other of the miseries of age This woman did reade openly naturall and morall Phylosophy in the Schooles of Athens for the space of fiue and twenty yeares she made fortie bookes she had a hundred and ten Phylosophers to her Schollers shee dyed being at the age of seuentie and seuen yeares and the Athenians after her death engraued on her graue these words THe slysed stones within their bowels keepe Wise Aretha the great and onely wight That forceth enuie gentle teares to weepe For Greekes decay on whom the losse doth light The eye of Fame the heart of vertues life The head of Greece lyes here engraued loe More heauenly forme then had that heauenlie wife Which vnderminde the Phrigies toyes with woe Within the chest of her vnspotted mind Lay Thyrmas truth and eke her honest faith Within her hand as by the gods assignde Stoode Aristippus penne that vertue wayeth Within the dungeon of her body eke Imprisoned was wise Socrates his soule That liued so well and did so wisely speake That follies brest he could to wisodome toule Within her head so ouer heapt with wit Lay Homers tongue to staine the Poets arte Erst was the golden age not halfe so fit For Vertues Impes as when her life did part As Marcus Varro sayth the sects of the Philosophers were more then seuenty but in the end they were reduced into seuen and in the end they were brought into three sects chiefly That is to say Stoickes Peripatetickes and Pythagoriques Of these Pythagoriques Pythagoras was the Prince Hizearcus Annius Rusticus and Laertius with Eusebius and Boccas all affirme one thing whereunto I did not greatly giue credite which is that this Phylosopher Pithagoras had a sister not onely learned but if it bee lawfull to speake it excellently learned And they say that not she of Pythagoras but Pythagoras of her learned phylosophy And of a truth it is a matter whereof I was so greatly abashed that I cannot tell who could bee maister of such a woman since shee had Pythagoras the great phylosopher to her Scholler The name of the woman was Thecclea to whom Pythagoras her brother wrot and sent her a letter when hee read phylosophy at Rhodes and she at Samothracia doing the like The Epistle was thus CHAP. XXIX Of a Letter which Pythagoras sent to his sister Theoclea hee beeing in Rhodes and shee in Sam othracia reading both Philosophie PYthagoras thy brother and Disciple to thee Theoclea his sister health encrease of wisedome wisheth I haue read the book which thou diddest send mee of fortune and misfortune from the beginning to the end and now I know that thou art no lesse graue in making then gracious in teaching The which doth not chance very oft vnto vs which are men and much lesse as wee haue seene to you women For the Philosopher Aristippus was rude in speaking but profound in writing and Amenides was briefe in writing and eloquent in speaking Thou hast studyed and written in such sort that in learning that thou shewest thou seemest to haue read all the Philosophers and in the antiquities that thou doest declare it seemeth that thou hast seene all
eye to thy childe whom of thy own bloud thou hast begotten And if thou doest it not because he is thy childe thou oughtest to doe it because hee is thy neerest For it is vnpossible that the child which with many vices is assaulted and not succoured but in the ende hee should be infamed and to the dishonour of the father most wickedly ouercome It is vnpossible to keepe Flesh well sauoured vnlesse it bee first salted It is vnpossible that the Fish should liue without water It is vnpossible but that the Rose should wither which is of the thorne ouergrowne So like it is vnpossible that the Fathers should haue any comfort of their children in their age vnlesse they haue instructed them in vertue in their youth And to speake further in this matter I say that in the Christian catholike Religion where in deede there is good doctrine there alwaies is supposed to bee a good conscience Amongst the Writers it is a thing well knowne how Eschines the Phylosopher was banished from Athens and with all his familie came to dwell at Rhodes The occasion was because that hee and the Phylosopher Demosthenes were in great contention in the common-wealth Wherefore the Atheniās determined to banish the one and to keepe the other with them And truely they did well for of the contentions and debates of Sages Warres moste commonly arise amongst the people This Phylosopher Eschines being at Rhodes banished amōgst others made a solemne Oration wherin he greatly reproued the Rhodians that they were so negligent in bringing vp their children saying vnto them these words I let you vnderstand lords of Rhodes that your Predecessours aduaunced themselues to descend and take theyr beginning of the Lides the which aboue all other Nations were curious and diligent to bring vp theyr Children and hereof came came a Law that was among them which saide Wee ordeine and commaund that if a Father haue many Children that the most vertuous should inherite the goods and riches and if there were but one vertuous that he alone shold inherit the whole And if perchance the Children were vicious that then all should be depriued from the heritage For the goods gottē with trauell of vertuous Fathers ought not by reason to be inherited by vicious childrē These were the wordes that the Philosopher spake to the Senate of the Rhodes and because he sayde in that oratiō many other things which touch not our matter I will in this place omit them For among excellēt Writers that writing loseth much authority when the Author from his purpose digresseth into an other matter To say the truth I doe not maruell that the children of Princes and great Lords be adulterers and belly-gods for that on the one part youth is the mother of idlenesse and on the other little experience is the cause of great offences And furthermore the fathers being once dead the children enherite their goods as quietly being loden with vices as if in deed they were with all vertues endued If the young children did know for a certaine that the lawes of the Lydes should be obserued that is to say that they should not inherite vnlesse they be vertuous it is vnpossible but that they would leade a vertuous life and not in this wise to run at large in the worlde For they doe abstaine more from doing euill fearing to lose that which they doe possesse then for anie loue to doe that which they ought I do not denie but according as the natures of the Fathers is diuers so the inclination of the children is variable For so much as some following theyr good inclinations are good and others not resisting euill sensualities are euill But yet in this matter I say that it lyeth much in the Father that doeth bring them vp when as yet they are young so that the euill which nature gaue by good bringing vp is refrayned For oft times the good custome doth ouercome all euill inclination Princes and great Lordes that will be diligent in the instruction of theyr children ought to enforme their maisters and tutors that shall teach them to what vices and vertues their Children are moste inclined And this ought to bee to encourage them in that that is good and contrarie to reproue them in all that is euill For men are vndone for none other cause when they be olde but for that they had so much pleasure when they were young Sextus Cheronensis in the second booke of the auncients saith that on a day a cittizen of Athenes was buying things in the market and for the qualitie of his person the greatest parte of them were superfluous and nothing necessarie And in this case the poore are no lesse culpable then the rich and the riche then the poore For that is so little that to sustaine manslife is necessarie that he which hath least hath therevnto superfluous Therefore at this time when Athens and her common-wealth was the Lanterne of all Greece there was in Athens a Law long vsed and of a great time accustomed that nothing should be bought before a Philosopher had set the price And truly the law was good and would to God the same law were at this present obserued For there is nothing that destroieth a commonwealth more then to permit some to sell as tyrantes and others to buye as fooles When the Theban was buying these things a philosopher was present who saide vnto him these words Tell me I pray thee thou man of Thebes Wherefore doest thou consume and wast thy money in that which is not necessarie for thy house nor profitable for thy person The Thebane answered him I let thee knowe that I doe buye all these things for a sonne I haue of the age of xx yeares the which neuer did any thing that seemed vnto mee euil nor I neuer denyed him any thing that hee demaunded This Philososopher answered Oh how happy wert thou if as thou art a Father thou wert a sonne and that which the Father saieth vnto the sonne the sonne would say vnto the father but I am offended greatly with that thou hast told me For vntill the childe be xxv yeares old he ought not to gainesay his father and the good father ought not to condiscend vnto the appetites of the sonne Now I may call thee cursed father since thou arte become subject to the will of thy sonne and that thy sonne is not obedient to the will of his Father so that thou alterest the order of nature For so much as the father is become sonne of his sonne and the sonne is become father of his father But in the ende I sweare vnto thee by the immortall Gods that when thou shalt become old and aged thou shalt lament and weepe by thy selfe at that which with thy Sonne thou diddest laugh when he was young Though the words of this Phylosopher were fewe yet a wise man will iudge the sentences to be manie I conclude therfore that Princes and
vndefamed Diadumius the Hystoriographer in the life of Seuerus the xxj Emperour declareth that Apuleius Rufinus who had beene Consull twice and at that time was also Tribune of the people a man who was very aged and likewise of great authoritie throughout Rome came one day to the Emperour Seuerus and saide vnto him in this sort Most inuict Prince alwayes Augustus knowe that I had two children the which I committed to a Maister to bring vp and by chaunce the oldest increasing in yeares and diminishing in vertues fell in loue with a Romaine Ladie the which loue came too late to my knowledge For to such vnfortunate men as I am the disease is alwayes past remedie before the daunger thereof commeth to our knowledge The greatest griefe that herein I feele is that his Maister knewe and concealed the euill and was not onely not a meanes to remedie it but also was the chiefe worker of Adultery betweene them to be committed And my Sonne made him an obligation wherein he bound himselfe if he brought him that Romaine Ladie hee would giue him after my death the house and Heritages which I haue in the gate Salaria and yet heerewith not contented but he and my Sonne together robbed me of much money For loue is costly to him that maintaineth it and alwayes the loues of the Children are chargeable to the Fathers Iudge you now therefore Noble Prince this so haynous and slaunderous cause For it is too much presumption of the subiect to reuenge any iniurie knowing that the Lorde himselfe will reuenge all wrongs When the Emperour Seuerus had vnderstood this so heynous a case as one that was both in name and deede seuere commaunded good inquisition of the matter to be had and that before his presence they should cause to appeare the Father the Sonne and the Maister to the ende eache one should alledge for his own right For in Rome none could bee condemned for any offence vnlesse the plaintife had first declared the fault before his presence and that the accused should haue no time to make his excuse The truth and certaintie vpon due examination then knowne and the Offenders confessing the offences the Emperor Seuerus gaue iudgmēt thus I commaund that this Maister be cast aliue among the beastes of the parke Palatine For it is but meete that Beastes deuoure him which teacheth others to liue like beasts Also I do command that the Sonne be vtterly disinherited of all the goods of his Father and banished the Countrey into the Isles of Baleares and Maiorques For the Childe which from his youth is vicious ought iustly to be banished the Countrey and be disinherited of his Fathers goods This therefore of the Maister and the Sonne was done by the complainte of Apuleius Rufynus O how vnconstant fortune is and how oft not thinking of it the thred of life doth breake I say it because if this Master had not beene couetous the Father had not been depriued of his sonne the childe had not beene banished the mother had not beene defamed the common weale had not beene slaundered the master of wilde beasts had not been deuoured neyther the Emperour had been so cruell against them nor yet theyr names in Histories to their infamies had alwayes continued I doe not speake this without a cause to declare by writing that which the euill doe in the World for wisemen ought more to feare the infamy of the little pen then the slander of the babling tongue For in the end the wicked tongue cannot defame but the liuing but the little penne doth defame them that are that were and that shall be To conclude this my minde is that the Master should endeuour himselfe that his Scholler should bee vertuous and that hee doe not despayre though immediately for his paines hee bee not rewarded For though hee bee not of the creature let him bee assured that hee shall be of the Creator For God is so mercifull that hee often times taking pitty of the swette of those that bee good chasteneth the vnthankefull and taketh vpon him to require their seruices CHAP. XXXVIII Of the determination of the Emperour when he committed his childe to the Tutors which hee had prouided for his education CInna the Historian in the first booke of the times of Comodus declareth that Marcus Aurelius the Emperour chose foureteene Masters learned and wise men to teach his son Comodus of the which he refused fiue not for that they were not wise but for that they were not honest And so hee kept these nine onely which were both learned in the Sciences and also expert in bringing vp the children of the Senators though indeed they were very vnluckie in the bringing vp of the Prince Comodus for this cursed Prince had nine Masters which instructed him but hee had aboue nine thousand vices wich vndid him The Emperour Marcus Aurelius made fiue books of declamations and in the third booke the 6. Chapter vnder the title Adsapientes Pedagogos hee brought in these nine Masters and perswaded them greatly that they should bee diligent and attentiue to teach his sonne Comodus And in this matter hee spake vnto them many and graue sentences the words whereof do follow The matter is manifest in Rome and no lesse published thorow out all Italy what paines I tooke to search out so many Sages to instruct my sonne Comodus the which all being examined I kept onely the wisest and the best and though in very deed I haue done much yet I haue not done so much as I am bound For Princes in doubtfull matters ought not onely to demaund counsell of all the good that be aliue but also to take paine to talke with those which are dead That is to reade the deedes of the good in their writings You were foureteene masters chosen whereof I haue put out fiue so that presently you are but nine if indeede you bee Wise men you shall not bee offended with that I haue done for the griefe of euill things proceedeth of wisdome but the admiration of good things commeth of small experience I doe not deny but the wise men doe feele in them passions as men but in the end there is no arte nor science that doth excuse vs from the miseries of men But that whereat I maruell is how it is possible that a wise man should maruell at any thing in this world For if the wise man should be astonied at euery thing of the world it appeareth that there is little constancy or vertue in him at all Returning therefore to our particular talke I haue taken you to bee masters of my sonne and you see of many I chose a few to the end that with few my sonne should be taught For as it is the Fathers duty to search out good masters so it is the masters duty to be diligent about his Scholler The Nurse of my sonne Comodus gaue him sucke two yeares with her teates at the gate
of counsel they themselues imagine and other flattrers telleth that thogh they haue much in respect of other princes yet they can doe little Also they say vnto them that if their substaunce bee great their Fame ought to bee greater Further they tell them that the good Prince ought little to esteeme that hee hath inherited of his predecessors in respect of the great deale more hee ought to leaue to his successours Also they tell them that neuer prince left of him any great memory but inuenting some cruell Warre against his enemie Also they tell them that the houre that one is chosen Emperour of Rome hee may boldely conquer the whole earth These vaine reasons being heard of the princes afterwardes as their Fortune is base and their mindes high immediately they defie their enemies they open their Treasures they assemble great armies and in the end of all the Gods suffer that they thinking to tkae an other mans goods they waste and lose their owne Oh Princes I knowe not who doth deceyue yee that you which by peace may be rich and by war wil be poore Oh Princes I know not who doth deceiue you that you which may be loued doe seeke occasions to be hated Oh princes I knowe not who doth beguyle yee that yee which may enioy a sure life doe aduenture your selues to the mutabilitie of Fortune Oh princes I knowe not who doeth deceyue you that you so little esteeme and weigh your owne aboundance and so greatly set by the wants of others Oh princes I know not who doth deceiue you that all hauing need of you you should haue neede of others I let thee to knowe my Cornelius though a prince bee more quicke and carefull then all other his predecessors haue bin in Rome yet it is vnpossible that all things touching warre should succeede vnto him prosperously For in the greatest neede of warres eyther he wanteth money or his subiects do not succour him or time is contrarie vnto him or he findeth perilous pasges hee lacketh Artillerie or the captaines rebell or else succour commeth to his aduersaryes so that hee seeth himselfe so miserable that thoughtes doe more oppresse his heart then the enemies do harme his land Though a prince had no warre but for to suffer men of warre yet he ought to take vpon him no warre I aske thee now my Cornelius what trauell so great to his person or what greater damage to his Realme can his Enemies do then that which his own men of warre doe c The Enemies to doe the worst they can will but robbe our Frontiers but our men of War do robbe the whole countrey The Enemies we dare and may resist but to ours we cannot nor dare not speake The Enemyes the worst they can do is once in a moneth to robbe and runne their wayes but ours daily do robbe and remaine still The Enemyes feare their enemies only but ours doe feare their enemyes and haue no pitie on their friends The enemies the further they goe on the more they diminish but ours the further they goe the more they encrease I know no greater warre that Princes can haue then to haue men of warre in their realmes For as experience doth shew vs before the Gods they are culpable to Princes importunate and to the people troublesome so that they liue to the damage of all and to the profit of none By the God Mars I swear vnto thee my friend Cornelius as hee may direct my hands in the war that I haue more complaints in the Senate of the thefts which my Captaines did in Illyria then of all the enemies of the Romane people Both for that I say and for that I kept secret I am more afraid to create an Ensigne of two hundred men of warre then to giue a cruell battell to thirty thousand men For that battell fortune good or euill forthwith dispacheth but with these I can bee sure no time of all my life Thou wilt say vnto me Cornelius that since I am Emperour of Rome I should remedy this since I know it For that Prince which dissembleth with the fault of another by reason hee will condemne him as if it were his owne To this I answere that I am not mighty enough to remedy it except by my remedy there should spring a greater inconuenience And since thou hast not beene a Prince thou couldest not fall into that I haue nor yet vnderstand that which I say For Princes by their wisdom know many things the which to remedy they haue no power So it hath beene so it is so it shall be so I found it so I keepe it so will I leaue it them so I haue reade it in bookes so haue I seen it with my eyes so haue I heard it of my predecessors And finally I say our Fathers haue inuented it and so will wee their children sustaine it and for this euill wee will leaue it to our heyres I will tell thee one thing and imagine that I erre not therein which is considering the great dammage and little profite which men of warre do bring to our Common wealth I thinke to doe it and to sustaine it eyther it is the folly of men or a scourge giuen of the Gods For there can be nothing more iust then for the Gods to permit that wee feele that in our owne houses which wee cause others in strange houses to lament All those thinges I haue written vnto thee not for that it skileth greatly that I know them but that my heart is at ease for to vtter them For as Alcibiades sayde the chests and the hearts ought alwayes to be open to their friends Panutius my Secretary goeth in my behalfe to visite that Land and I gaue him this Letter to giue thee with two Horses wherewith I doe thinke thou wilt be contented for they are Genets The Weapons and riches which I tooke of the Parthians I haue now diuided notwithstanding I do send thee two Chariots laden with them My wife Faustine greeteth thee and shee sendeth a rich glasse for thy Daughter and a iewell with stones for thy sister No more but I doe beseech the gods to giue thee a good life and me a good death CHAP. XVII An Admonition of the Author to Princes and great Lordes to the entent that the more they grow in yeares the more they are bound to refrayne from vices AVlus Gelius in his booke De noctibus Atticis sayeth that there was an auncient custome among the Romanes to honour and haue in great reuerence aged men And this was so inuiolate a Law amongst them that there was none so noble of bloud and linage neyther so puissant in riches neyther so fortunate in battels that should go before the aged men which were loden with white hayres so that they honoured them as they did the Gods Amongst other the aged men had these preheminences that is to say that in feasts they sate highest in the
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
ouerthrowne a Chaunge which neuer wearieth a Spye which euer returneth a signe which beguyleth no man a way very straight a Friend that succoureth all necessities a Surgion that immediately healeth and a Renowne which neuer perisheth If thou knewest my Sonne what thing it is to be good thou wouldst be the best of the world For the more vicious a man is so much the more hee is intangled in vices and how much more a man is vertuous so much more to vertues he cleaueth If thou wilt bee vertuous thou shalt doe seruice to the Gods thou shalt giue good renowme to thy predecessours and for thy selfe thou shalt prepare a perpetuall memorie Thou shalt doe pleasures to straungers and get thee fauour of thine owne people Finally the good will honour thee with loue and the euill will serue with feare In the hystories of the warres of the Tarentines I found that renowmed Pyrrus king of the Epyrots did weare in a ring these words written It is too little punishment for a vicious man to take his life from him and it is too small reward for a vertuous man to giue him the seigniorie of all the whole earth Truly these wordes were worthy of such a man What thing can bee begunne of a vertuous man whereof wee hope not to see the end and come to good proofe I am deceyued if I haue not seene in my dayes many men which were base borne vnfitte for sciences voide of vices in the Common welth poore of goods and vnknowne of birth which with all these base conditions haue learned so many vertues that it seemed great rashnesse to beginne them and afterwards for being vertuous onely they haue founde the effects such as they thought it By the immortall Gods I sweare vnto thee and so the God Iupiter take me into his holy house and confirme thee my sonne in mine if I haue not knowne a Gardner and a Porter in Rome which for beeing vertuous were occasion to cast fiue rich Senators out of the Senate And the cause to make the one to gaine and the other to lose was that to the one they would not pay the pots and to the other his apples For at that time more was hee punished which tooke an apple from a poore man then hee which beat downe a rich mans house All this I haue tolde thee my son because vice abaseth the hardy prince and vertue giueth courage to the bashfull From two things I haue alwayes kept my selfe That is to say not to striue against open iustice nor to contend with a vertuous person CHAP. LV. The Emperour Marcus Aurelius followeth his purpose and among other wholesome counsels exhorteth his son to keepe wise and sage men about him for to giue him counsel in al his affayrs HItherto I haue spoken to thee generally but now I wil speake vnto thee particularly and by the immortall gods I coniure thee that thou bee very attentiue to that I will say For talking to thee as an aged Father it is reason thou heare mee as an obedient childe If thou wilt enioy long life obserue well my doctrine For the gods will not condiscend to thy hearts desires vnlesse thou receyue my wholesome counsels The disobedience and vnfaithfulnesse which children haue to their fathers is all their vndoing for oftentimes the gods do pardon the offences that are done vnto them and do not pardon the disobediences which the children bare to their Fathers I doe not require thee my sonne that thou giue mee money since thou art poore I doe not demaund that thou trauell since thou art tender I doe not demaund the reuengement of mine enemies since I haue none I doe not demaund that thou serue me since I dye I doe not demaund the Empire since I leaue it vnto thee Onely I demaund that thou gouerne thy selfe well in the Common wealth that the memory of my house bee not lost through thee If thou esteeme much that I leaue vnto thee so many realms I thinke it better to leaue to thee many good counsels wherewith thou mayest preserue thy selfe sustaine thy person and maintaine thine honour For if thou hast presumption not to profite with my counsell but to trust to thine owne mind before my flesh be eaten with wormes thou shalt be ouercome with thy enemies My sonne I haue beene young light bold vnshamefast proud enuious couetous an adulterer furious a glutton slothfull and ambitious and for that I haue fallen into so great excesses therfore I giue thee such good aduise for that man which in his youth hath beene very worldly from him in age proceedeth ripe counsell That which vntill this time I haue counselled thee that which to my death I will counsell thee I desire that once at the least thou proue it And if it doe thee harme leaue it and if it doe thee good vse it For there is no medicine so bitter that the sicke doth refuse to take if thereby hee thinke hee may bee healed I pray thee I exhort thee and I aduise thee my sonne that thy youth beleeue my age thy ignorance beleeue my knowledge thy sleepe beleeue my watch the dimnesse of thy eyes beleeue the clearenesse of my sight thy imagination beleeue my vertue and thy suspition beleeue my experience For otherwise one day thou shalt see thy selfe in some distresse where small time thou shalt haue to repent and none to finde remedy Thou mayest say vnto me my sonne that since I haue beene young I let thee to bee young and that when thou shalt bee aged thou wilt amend I aunswere thee that if thou wilt liue as young yet at least gouerne thy selfe as olde In a Prince which gouerneth his cōmon wealth well many miseries are dissembled of his person euen as for mighty affayres ripe counsels are necessary so to endure the troubles of the Empire the person needeth some recreation for the bow-string which alwaies is stretched either it lengthneth or it breaketh Whether Princes be young or old there can be nothing more iust then for the recreation of themselues to seeke some honest pastimes And not without a cause I say that they bee honest for sometimes they accompany with so dishonest persons and so vnthrifty that they spend their goods they lose their honour and weary their persons more then if they were occupied in the affaires of the common wealth For thy youth I leaue thee children of great Lords with whom thou maiest passe the time away And not without cause I haue prouided that with thee they haue been brought vp from thy infancy for after thou camest to mans estate inheriting my goods if perchance thou wouldest accompany thy self with yong men thou shouldst find them well learned for thy wars I leaue thee valiant captains though indeed things of war are begunn by wisedome yet in the end the issue falleth out by fortune for stewards of thy treasurs I leaue thee faithful men And not without cause I
Suiters I say that the Disciples of the famous Philosopher Socrates were not bound to be silent in Athens aboue two yeares but the vnfortunate Suiters were bound to holde their peace ten yeares if their suites did continue so long For albeit the Iudge doe them open iniury yet they may not seeme to complaine but rather say hee thinketh hee hath done him the best iustice in the world And if for his mishap or plague of his offences hee would not so approue and speake them let him bee assured the Iudge will perceiue it by his countenance and afterwardes let him know it by his iudgement Some Suters say they are great Sinners and I say they are Saintes For of the seuen deadly sinnes that are committed onely of three they are but to bee accused for in the other foure although they would they doe not giue him time nor leaue to offend How can the Suiter euer offend in pride since hee must poore man goe from house to house with his cappe in his hand and all humilitie to solicit his cause How can hee euer offend in Auarice sith hee hath not many times a penny in his purse to buy him his dinner nor to pay for the infinite draughts and Copies proceeding out of the Chancerie How can hee offend in sloth and idlenes sith hee consumeth the long nights onely in sighes an complaints and the whole day in trotting and trudging vp and downe How can he offend in Gluttony since he would be content to haue onely to suffice nature and not to desire pies nor breakefasts nor to lay the Table euery day That sinne they most easily and commonly offend in is ire and indeed I neuer saw suter patient and although hee be angry wee may not maruell at it a whit For if euer once in the end of halfe a year he happen to haue any thing that pleaseth him I dare bee bound euery weeke after hee shall not want infinite troubles to torment and vexe him These men also offend much in enuy for indeed there is no man that pleades but is enuious and this proceedeth many times to see an other man by fauour dispatched of his sute that hath not continued onely two moneths in Court a suter and of his that hath continued aboue two yeares since it beganne not a word spoken They offend also in the sinne of backebiting and murmuring against theyr neighbours For they neuer cease complayning of the partiality of the Iudges of the slothfulnesse and timorousnes of his Counsellor that pleads his cause at the barre of the little consideration of the Attorney of the payments of the Notary and of the small curtesies or rather rudenes of the officers of the Iudge So that it may be well sayde that to striue in Law and to murmur are neere kinsfolks together The Egyptians were in times past plagued onely with ten plagues but these miserable and wofull suters are dayly plagued with a thousand torments And the difference betwixt their plague these is that the Egiptians came from the diuine prouidēce and these of our poore suters from the inueution of mans malice And it is not without cause we say that it is mans inuention and not diuine For to frame inditements to giue delayes to the party to alledge actions to deny the demaund to accept the proofe to examine witnesses to take out proces to note the declaration to prolong the cause alledging well or prouing il to refuse the iudge for suspect to make intercession to take out the copy of the plea and to call vpon it againe with a 1500. doubles Surely al these are things that neither God commaundeth in the olde Testament neyther Iesus Christ our Sauiour doth alow in his holy gospel The writings of Egypt although they were to the great losse and detriment of the Seigniory of the Egyptians yet were they neuerthelesse very profitable for the liberty of the Egyptians But the miserable Plaintifes are yet in an other great extremity for notwithstanding the plagues and miseries the poore wretches suffer dayly yet doe they leaue their soules buried in the Courts of Chauncery and cannot notwithstanding haue their goods at Liberty And if the plague of the Egyptians was by riuers of bloud frogs horse flyes death of cattel tempests leprosie Locusts mysts flyes and by the death of the first borne children The plague of the Plaintifes is to serue the Presidents to beare with the Auditors to intreat the Notaries to make much of their Clerks to please the Counsellers to follow their heeles that must open their causes to pray the vsshers to borrow money to goe from house to house to solicite their Atturneyes all these things are easily to tell but very hard to suffer for after they are once proued and tryed by experience they are enough to make a wise man contented rather to lose a peece of his right then to seeke to recouer it by any such extremity For hee may bee well assured that hee shall neuer want faire countenance sugred words and large promises but for good doings it is a maruellous wonder if euer they meet together And therefore before all other things it is necessary hee pray to God for his owne health and preseruation and next to him for the preseruation and long continuance of the Iudge if hee will obtaine his sute Therefore I aduise him that hath not the Iudge for his friend to beware as from the Diuel hee doth not commence any sute before him for to dispatch him the better eyther hee will finde the meanes to make his case very darke or at the least hee will prolong his sute as long as he please It skilleth not much whether the Iudges bee olde or yong men for both with the one and the other the poore plaintife hath enough to doe If they be olde men a man shall trauel long ere he wil heare his cause If they bee young men he shal wait long also ere hee can informe them of the very points of his cause An other great discommodity yet follow these olde Iudges that being euer sickly and of weak nature they neuer haue strength nor time in manner to examine their cases And as those that haue lost now a great peece of their memory onely trusting in forepassed expences they presume to dispatch their suites as lightly without further looking into them or throughly examining them as if they had already aduisedly studyed them And peraduenture their case is of such importance that if they had looked vpon it very well they could scantly haue told what to haue sayd in it And I would not that when any case should be determined and iudgement given vpon my matter that the Iudge should benefite himselfe onely with that hee had seene or read before For although experience bee a great helpe to the Iudge to giue the better iudgment vpon the matter yet notwithstanding he is to study a new to vnderstand the merits of the cause It
is also a great trouble and daungerous for a man to practise with new Iudges and to put their matters into their hands who onely were called to the place of a Iudge being thought learned and fitte for it and so brought to rule as a Magistrate For many times these young Iudges and new Physitians although they want not possible knowledge yet they may lacke a great deale of practise experience which is cause that one sort maketh many lose their liues before they doe come to rise in fame the other vndoe many a man in making him spēd all that euer he hath There is yet besides an other apparant daunger to haue to doe with these new and yong experienced iudges for when they come to sit newly in iudgement with their other brethren the Iudges hauing the lawe in their mouth to serue all turnes they doe but onely desire and study to winne fame and reputation amongst men and thereby to bee the better reputed of his brethren And for this cause only when they are assembled together in place of Iustice to giue iudgement of the pleas layde before them they doe not only inlarge themselues in alleadging many and diuers opinions of great learned men and booke cases So that the Hearers of them may rather thinke they haue studyed to shew their eloquence and learning then for to open the decision and iudgement of the cases they haue before them And for finall resolution I say that touching Pleas and Sutes I am of opinion that they should neyther truste the experience of the olde Iudge nor the learning and knowledge of the young But rather I reckon that man wise that seeketh by little and little to grow to an agreement with his aduersarie and that tarieth not many yeares to haue a lingring yea and possibly an vncertaine ende Also I would in some sort exhort the poore Plaintise not to bee ouer-curious to vnderstand the qualities of the iudge as a man would say If he be olde or young if he be learned or priuiledged if he be well studyed or but little if hee be a man of few or manie words if hee be afflicted or passionate tractable or selfe willed For possiblie beeing too inquisitiue to demaund of any of these things it might happen though hee did it vnawares yet hee should finde them afterwards all heaped togethers in the person of the Iudge to his hinderance and dammage in decyding his cause The wise Suter should not onely not seek to be inquisitiue of the iudge or his conditions but also if any man would seeme to tell him of him hee should giue no eare to him at all For if it come to the Iudges eares hee enquireth after his manner of liuing and condition hee will not onely be angry with him in his minde but will be also vnwilling to giue iudgement in his fauour The poore Siuter shall also meete with Terrible Iudges seuere intractable chollericke incommunicable and inexorable and yet for all this he may not looke vpon his nature nor condition but onely to regarde his good conscience For what neede hee care if the Iudge be of seuere and sharpe condition as long as he may be assured that hee is of good conscience It is as needefull for the vpright and good Iudge to haue a good and pure Conscience as it is to haue a skilfull head and iudgement in the Lawes For if he haue the one without the other hee may offend in malice and if hee haue that without the other hee may offend also in ignorance And if the suter come to speake with the Iudge and hee by chaunce finde him a sleepe hee must tarry till hee awake and if then hee will not or he cannot giue eare vnto him hee must bee contented And if he caused his man to say he were not within notwithstanding the suter saw him hee must dissemble it yea if the seruants giue him an ill answere he must take it in good worth For the wary and politike suter must not bee offended at any thing that is done or sayde to him till he see the definitiue sentence giuen with him or against him It is a maruellous trouble also to the suter to chuse his Counsellour for many times hee shall chuse one that shall want both law and conscience And some others shall chuse one that though on the one side hee lacke not Law yet on the other hee shall bee without both soule and conscience And this is apparantly seen that somtime for the gaine of twenty Nobles hee shall as willingly deny the truth and goe against his owne consciedce as at another time he will seeke for to maintaine Iustice It is true there are many other Counsellours also that are both wise and learned and yet notwithstanding they know the Law they can by no meanes frame it to his Clients case wanting deuice and conuayance to ioyne them together And so it happeneth many times that to compare it to his Clyants case hee conuaieth him so vnfitlie as of a plaine case it was before It is now made altogether a folde of infinite doubts I graunt that it is a great furtherance vnto the Clyants to haue a good and wise Counsellor but it is a great deale more for their profite if they can giue a sound and profound iudgement of his case For it is not ynough for the Counseller to bee able to expound the Law but it is behouefull for him to applie it to his purpose and to fit it to Time and Place according to the necessitie of his cause I haue knowne Counsellours my selfe that in their Chayres and Readings in their Halls haue seemed Eagles they haue flowne so high in their doctrine and interpretations but afterwards at the barre where they plead and in the face of their Court where they should best shewe themselues there they haue prooued themselues very capons And the onely cause of this is because they haue gotten by force of long trauell and continuall studie a knowledge to moote and read ordinarily their Book-cases in their chaires by common-practise and putting of them each to other But when they are taken out of common-trade and high beaten way and brought to a little path-way straighted to a Counsellers-room at the barre to pleade his Clyents strange and vnknowne case much contrarie to theyr Booke-cases before recited then stript of their common-knowledge and easie seate in chayre they stand now naked on their feete before the iudgement-seate like sense-lesse creatures voyde of reason and experience But now to supplye these imperfections of our rawe Counsellers and to further also our Clyents cause the better wee will that the Clyent be liberall and bountifull to his Counseller thereby the better to whette his wit and to make him also take paines to studie his ease throughly beeing true That the Counseller giueth Lawe as hee hath rewarde And that the Counseller also be carefull of his clyents cause and to goe through with that hee
giue any words to any that shall offend him For the officers of Princes can by no other meanes so well assure their offices and authority they haue as by doing good continually to some and to suffer others no way making any countenance of displeasure for the iniuries done them by others And if it happen as many times i doth that a follower and hanger on of the Court hauing spent all that he hath and driuen now to seeke a new banke chaunce to speake dishonest words and frame great quarrels against the Kings Officers In this case the Courtier and wise Officer should neuer answer him with anger and displeasure and much lesse speake vnto him in choller For a man of honour and respect will be more grieued with a dishonest word that is spokē against him then hee will bee for the deniall of that he asketh Those that are beloued and beliked of Princes aboue all other things ought to bee very patient courteous and gentle in all things For all that the followers of the Court and suiters cannot obtaine in the Court let them not lay the fault to the Prince that denyed it them but onely to the fauoured of the Prince and those about him for that they neuer moued it to the Kings Maiestie nor once thought of the matter as the poore Suters supposed they had The paines and troubles of Court are infinite and insupportable For how quyet soeuer the Courtyer bee they will trouble and molest him if hee be pacient they will be impacient and in stormes saying That such a man spake yll of him and seekes continually to defame him Which things wee will the Courtyer heare with patience and dissemble with wisdome For the wise Courtyer should not bee angrie for the yll wordes they speake of him but onely for the vile and wicked actes they doe vnto him Let not the Courtyer and Fauourite of the Prince be deceiued in thinking that doing for this man and for that man in shewing them fauour that for all that hee can binde or stay their tongues that they speak not ill of him and their hearts that they hate them not extreamly For the Enemie receyueth not so much pleasure of that the Courtyer giueth him as hee doeth griefe and displeasure for that that is behinde yet in the Courtyers hands to giue him Now in the pallaces of Princes it is a naturall thing for eache man to desire to aspire and to creepe into the Princes fauour to bee able to doe much and to bee more worth then others and to commaund also And as there are manie that desire it so are they very few in number that by their vertues and demerits come to obtaine that high fauour It is a thing most sure and vndoubted that one alone enioying his Princes grace and fauour shall be hated in manner of the most part of the people The more they are Rich Noble and of great power that are beloued and accepted of Princes so much the more ought they to bee circumspect and to liue in feare and doubt of such disgraces and misfortunes that may happen to them sith all euery mans eye is vppon them and that they are the more enuyed for that they can do much and desire also to take from them that authoritie and credite they haue and to spoyle them of such treasures as they possesse or haue gotten by the Princes fauour And in this case the Fauourite of the Courte must not truste in the pleasures hee hath done them neyther in the fauor he hath shewed thē much lesse the fayned friendships they seeme to beare him and that hee thinks he hath gotten of them neither must he trust too much his Friends Neighbors and Kinsfolkes no nor his owne Brethren But let him bee assured that all those that are not in the like ranke of Fauour and estimation that hee is be hee of what degree or parentage hee will be yea and as neere a kinne as may bee they will all bee in that his very mortall foes Authority to commaund being the chiefe and highest point of honor and whereto euery man seekes to aspire and which was cause that Pompey became the deadly enemy of Iulius Caesar his father in Law Absolon of Dauid his naturall father Romulus of his brother Remus Alexander of Darius who shewed himselfe before a father in loue in bringing on him vp and Marke Anthony of Augustus Caesar his great friend So that I say it may well bee saide that after disdain and cankered ire haue once possest the delicate brest of man onely concerning honour and commaundement that it is neuer thenceforth recured of that infested sore neyther by gifts promises and much lesse by prayers and requests It is true the accepted of the prince may well bee free from all thyrste and hunger colde and heate warres plague and pouertie and from all other calamityes and troubles of this our wretched life but hee shall neuer be free from detractions of venomous and wicked tongues and from spightfull and enuious persons For no lesse is Enuie ioyned to fauour then is thyrst to a burning ague In this case it is impossible but that the Courtyer should receyue manie times displeasure and disgraces in the Court but not to giue eare to these detracters and ill-speakers of men To remedy these things the Courtyer must needes seeme to let them know by his lookes and aunswers that hee is more offended with them that come and tell him these lewde tales then with those that in deed did truely report them of him This counsell would I giue the courtyer that what ill so euer hee heareth spoken of him I would wish him not seeme to know it and much lesse to be angrie withall nor once giue a distastfull word to the reporters thereof For his choller ouer-paste the euill words hee hath spoken to them in his anger may turne him to more displeasure then he hath done him hurt that caused him speake these words And therefore surely to bridle the Tongue is rather a diuine then a humane vertue and chiefly in that instant when the heart is maistered and subdued with Chollericke passions For afterwards it happeneth many times that being quiet againe in our mindes we are sorry for that wee haue spoken in our anger yea against them that haue angred vs. If the Courtyer should weigh euery worde that is spoken against him and esteeme euery thing that is done to him he should purchase himselfe a continuall and sorrowfull life yea and out of measure a troublesome and vnpleasant sith Princes courts are euer full of Serpents-tongues and venomous harts and that it lyeth not in mans power to let that the hearts of men hate vs not and that their tongues speake not ill of vs. I would aduise the Courtyer to take all the ill that is spoken of him in sporte and mirth and not in anger Seneca sayde and that wisely spoken that there is no greater reuenge
and all things also that serue them endure dayly some clipse And hereunto replyed suddenly Demetrius and sayde O my good Euripides thou hadst sayde better that all things vegitiue and sensitiue and each other liuing thing doth not onely feele the Eclipses force and change from day to day but from houre to houre and minute to minute Meaning king Demetrius by these words hee spake that there is nothing so stable in this world bee it of what state or condition it will bee but in the twinckling of an eye is ready to runne into a thousand dangers and perils and albeit we bee all subiect of what state or degree so euer wee bee to sundry and diuers thrals and mishaps yet none so neere neighbours to them as those that are in highest authority and greatest fauor with Princes For there are many that shootes to hitte downe the white of their fauour but few that being down will once put it vp againe and restore it to his place For to liue a contented life a man had neede to want nothing neyther to haue any occasion to trouble him But the things that trouble vs in this vale of misery being so many and of such aboundance and those thinges contrarily so few and rare to come by that wee neede and want wee may iustly account this life wofull and miserable aboue all others For sure farre greater are the grieues and displeasures wee receyue for one onely thing wee want then the pleasures are great wee haue for a hundred others whereof we haue aboundance Besides that the familiars of Princes cannot thinke themselues so mighty and fortunate that any man may presume to call them blessed or happie For if some serue and honor them others there are that persecute them and if in their houses they haue that flatter them and make much of them there want not in the Court others that murmur at them and speake ill of them And if they haue cause somtimes to reioyce that they are in fauour so haue they likewise continuall trouble and feare that they shall fall and bee put out of fauour And if they glory to haue great treasure they sorrow also to haue enemies And if the seruices and company they haue doe delight them the continuall businesse they haue do vex them So that wee may say of them as of plastering houses which are neuer so fayre but they become blacke with some spotte in time and wormes and other vermine doe eate and wast them If there bee none that dare once admonish these great men in authority and tell them their faultes by wordes of mouth yet I will take vpon mee to doe it with my writing and say That they speake nothing but that it is noted their steps they treade are seene euery morsell of meate they eate is marked they are accused for the pleasures they take and all thinges that they haue are obserued All the pleasures that is done them is registred and all ill that they know by them is published And finally I conclude that the fauoured of Princes are a game at tables whereat euery man playeth nor with Cardes nor Dice but only with serpents tongue And therefore I haue sayde it and once againe I returne to say that all those that are accepted of Princes must liue continually very wisely and aduisedly in all their doings for it is true and too true that euery mans tongue runnes of them and much more if they had time and opportunity like as they defame them with their tongues so would they offende them with their hands Wee doe not speake this so much that they should looke to defend their life but to foresee that they may preserue their honour and goods from perill and to giue them by this precept a good occasion to looke about them For to put them in disgrace with the King all the dayes of their Life to their vtter vndoing and ouerthrowe the King neede but onely for to giue eare and attention to his enemies CHAP. XVI The Author admonisheth those that are in fauour and great with the Prince that they take heede of the deceipts of the world and learne to liue and dye honourably and that they leaue the Court before age ouertake them WHen king Aldericke kept Seuerine the Romane Consull Prisoner otherwise named Boetius that Consull complained much of fortune saying alas Fortune why hast thou forsaken mee in my age since thou diddest fauour mee so much in my youth and that I had serued thee so many yeares why hast thou left me to the hands of mine enemies To which complaints Fortune made answere thus Thou art vnthankeful to mee O Seuerius sith I haue vsed my thinges with thee in such manner as I neuer vsed the like with any other Romane And that this is true I tell thee Consider O Seuerius that I made thee whole and not sicke a man and no woman of excellent witte and vnderstanding and not grosse and rude rich and not poore wise and not foolish free and not bound a Senator and no Plebeian noble and valiant and not cowardly a Romane and no Barbarian or stranger borne in great and meane estate a graue man and no light nor vaine person fortunate and not vnlucky worthy of fame and not obliuion to conclude I say I gaue thee such part in the common weale that thou haddest good cause to haue pittie of all others and all others cause to haue spight and enuie at thee Againe replyed Seuerius to this answere and saide Oh cruell and spightfull Fortune how Liberall thou art in the things thou speakest and resolute in the thinges thou disposest sith alwayes thou doest what thou wilt and seldome that thou oughtest And thou knowest there is no such mishappe as to remember a man hath once beene Rich and Fortunate in his Time and to see himselfe now broght to extreame miserie Heare Fortune thou oughtst to know it if thou knowest it not that hee that neuer was rich scant knoweth his pouertie But alas for pittie he that was rich and had once all pleasures and ease doth sorrow much for the present extreamitie and bewayleth the fore-passed felicitie And I tell thee also and thou oughtest to belieue me that wee repute them more happy whom thou neuer exaltest nor gauest honor vnto then we do those whom thou hast called to high Honours and afterwardes hast ouer-throwne them and brought them lower and in worser state then before And as for mee Oh Fortune I tell thee truely I thinke no man fortunate but him that neuer knew what good-fortune meant And this was the discourse betwixt Fortune and the Consull Seuerius By which wee may perceiue and comprehend that truly none may be thought vnfortunate and miserable but such as haue been before in great honour and reputation and he cannot be thoght abased of his state or countenaunce if he were not before in prosperitie and fauoured of fortune So that we may well say That neuer
and to morrow conueyghed into the priuie from the Eaters by their page or seruant Surely mans Stomacke is nothing else but a gutte or Tripe forced with meate bread and wine a Pauement fild with wine Lees and a vessell of stincking-oyle a receypt of corrrupt ayre a sincke of a Kitchin and a secret place whereinto we cast all our goods and facultie as into the riuer And therefore Esay sayde that all these noble citties of Sodome and Gomorrha by this onely curse did incurre into such execrable sinnes for which afterwards they were destroyed And this was euen through excesse of feeding eating and drinking and too much ydlenesse and it is no maruell For it is an infallible thing that where ydlenesse and gluttony raigneth there must needes come some yll ende vnto that man The Greekes the Romaines the Egiptians and the Scythes although they were derected of many other sins and vices yet were they alwayes sober and temperat in eating and drinking Iustine that wrote of Trogus Pompeyus reciteth that among the Scythes which were the rudest and most barbarous that came into Asia vsed to reproue those that let goe winde and to chastise and punish those that vomited saying that breaking winde vomiting came only of too much eating and drinking Plutarch in his Apothegmes sayde that there was a philosopher in Athens called Hyppomachus that was so great an enemy to gluttonie that he vsed in his Colledge such and so great an abstinence that his Disciples by that were knowne amongst all the other Phylosophers And not for no other thing but to see them buye their cates and prouision to liue withall for they neuer bought meates to fat them and keepe them lusty but onely to susteine nature and that but little The Romanes made diuers lawes in the olde time to expell out of theyr Cities drunkards and Gluttons wherof we will recite some vnto you to the end that those that shall reade our present writings shall both knowe and see what great care our Forefathers tooke to abolish this horrible vice of Gluttony First there was a Law in Rome called Fabian Law so called because Fabian the Consull made it in which it was prohibited that no man should bee so hardy in the greatest Feast hee made to spend aboue a hundred Sexterces which might bee in value a hundred peeces of 6. pence Salets and all other kinds of fruite not comprised within the same And immediately after that came out another law called Messinia which the Consul Messinius made By which they were also inhibited in all feastes to drinke no strange wines which only were permitted to be giuen to those that were diseased After which followed also another law Licinia made by the Consul Licinius forbidding in all feasts all kinds of Sawces because they incite appetite and are cause of great expence An other law Emilia of Emilius the Consul also commanding the Romans should be serued in their banquets but onely with fiue sortes of diuersities of meates because in them there should be sufficient for honest reâ—ection and no superfluitie to fil the belly And then was there the Lawe Ancia made by Ancius the Consull charging all the Romanes for to endeuor to learne all kinde of sciences except cookery For according to their saying In that House where was a Cooke those of that house became poore quickely their bodyes diseased their mindes vitious and al-together giuen to gluttonie After this law there came forth another called Iulia of Iulius Caesar comcommaunding al Romains that none should be so hardy to shut their gates when they were at dinner and it was to this ende that the Censours of the Cittie might haue easie accesse into their houses at mealtime to see if their Ordinary were correspondent to their habilitie And there was also another Lawe made afterwards called Aristimia of Aristmius the Consull by which it was enacted that it should bee lawfull for euery man to inuire his friends to dinner to him at noon as they liked prouided that they supped not together that night And this was established thus to cut off the great charges they were at with their suppers For the Romanes exceeded in superfluity of dainty and fine meats and moreouer they sat too long guzling eating at their suppers Of all these Lawes heretofore recited were authours Aulus Gelius and Macrobius And for this was Caius Gracchus well reputed of by the Romanes who notwithstanding hee had bin Consull in diuers Prouinces and that many times and he was a man of great grauitie and authoritie in Rome his wife was his onely cooke and trauelling his hostesse of his house where he lay dressed his meate Marcus Mantius in times past made a booke of diuers wayes how to dresse meat an other of the tasts sawces and diuers maners of seruing of them in at the bankets a third book how to couer the table set the stools in order order the cupbord and also how seruants should wayte and giue theyr attendance at the Table which three books were no sooner imprinted and published but presently and publikely they were burned by the Senate of Rome and if his author had not quickly voyded Rome fled into Asia he had accompanyed his bookes in the fire The auncient writers neuer ceased to reproue enough Lentulus Caesar Scylla Scaeuola and Aemilius For a banket they made in a garden of Rome where they eate no other meates but Blacke-byrdes Torteyses Mallardes Nettles pigs-brains hares in sauce But if the Romane Writers wrote in these dayes I doe not beleeue they would reproue so simple a banquet made by so noble and famous persons as they were For now a dayes they doe so farre exceede in variety of dishes at noble mens boords that neyther they haue appetite to eate nor yet they can tell the name of the dishes But now returning to our purpose I say the intent why wee haue layde before you these forepassed examples was onely to this end to admonish the fauoured of Princes to looke into themselues that they auoid this filthy sinne of Gluttony Beeing a foule blot in a Courtier to be counted a greedy gut and carmarant at his meate and being one whose manners and behauior euery man marketh for sure it is more fitting for them to bee moderate and sober in eating and drinking then others and good reason why For as they are more Noble then others so haue they many that sue vnto them and they haue also the waightiest matters of gouernement passing vnder their charge by reason wherof if they surcharge themselus with excesse they are then very vnapt to dispatch any matters for much eating causeth sleepe and much drinking depriueth theÌ„ of their iudgement and sences both Is it not to be wondered at yea and to bee reproued also to see a Magistrate or Counsellour sit in his chaire to heare poor mens causes and suites and the suiter opening his cause vnto him he sitteth nodding with
of Cresus The liberal mind of Cresus The answer of the Philosopher Anacharsis Wherein consisteth true phylosophy How little the phylosophers desire riches Certaine points required to be performed by the physopher The description of Phalaris The speech 〈…〉 The frailtie of the flesh Couetousnes the ouer throw of Iustice What princes ought to doe Two things requisite in euery man The letter of Phalaris Cruelty wel rewarded The praise of Alexander the great The prayse of Alexander the Great The saying of Diogines The saying of Alexander Two notable things of K. Philip of Macedonie The prayse of Ptolome Alexander vnhappy in his death Pholosophers onely reioyce in pouertie A custome among the Egyptians The miserable death of Euripdes The worthy saying of Archelaus A saying worthy obseruation Sentences of Cinna No loue comparable to that of man and wife Fiue things follow marriage The loue of the Father to the child The saying of Solon A third coÌ„modity of Marriage What inconenience so loueth them that are not maryed in the feare of the Lord. The fourth commodity belonging to mariage The worthie sayings of Lycurgus The prayse of marriage The cares incident to maâ—â—age No man content with his owne estate Marriage the cause of loue and amitie Mariage a meanes of Peace betweene God and man What is required of euery vertuous Prince A law among the Tharentines A law among the Athenians A worthie saying of Socrates The spech of Cimonius A beastly custome in old time in England An ancient custome among the Romains A law among the Cymbrians The law of the Armenians A custome among the Hungarians The custom of the Scythians Good counsell for all sorts of women Women bound to loue their Husbands The tongue cause of debate The loue of women towards theyr Husbands The praise of Women The Law amongst the Lidians The loue of Sinoris Comma How good women ought to behaue themselues The death of Sinoris and Camma Good couÌ„sell for women The great dangers women sustaine The custome of the Achaians The Law of the Parthians The Law of the Lideans Women weake of nature The foolish opinion of some women A propertie of a wise discreete Husband Good counsell for Women The saying of 〈…〉 The office of the Husband and dutie of the wife The law of Lycurgus The propertie of good Houswifes What inconuenience coÌ„meth by gadding abroad The commendations of Lucretia The praises of the wiues of Numidia Where loue wanteth discord resteth A propertie of a good woman The quality of naughty House-wiues The Follie of man How the man childe ought to be brought vp How womeÌ„ ought to carry themselues in the time they goe with childe The desire of Women Tibullus de casibus triumphi The first Dictator in Rome The first rebell in Rome An auncient custome vsed by the Ladyes in Rome The first victorie the Romaines obtained by Sea The death of Sophia Titus Liuius The mutabilitie of Fortune The death of Ypolita The dangsâ— of women with childe A good warning for women with childe Aristotle de Animalibus The propertie of a good Husband Reasonable Creatures may take example by the vnreasonable A custome among the Mauritanians A custome in Hungary The false opinion of the Heathen The Commendation of the Emperour Octauian The saying of Pisto How good counsell ought to be regarded What is required of women with child Pulio de moribus antiq Lucius Seneca his counsell How vertuous Princes ought to be How the Emperour Marcus Aurclius spent his time A custome among the Romanes The speech of Marcus Aurelius at his death Rome destroyed by the Gothes The importunity of the Empresse A law a-among the Romane What euill commeth by the tong What is required in a Woman The Emperours answere What is required of euery Man What hurt commeth by not gouerning the tongue Crosses incident to Marriage What women naturally are inclined vnto Women can not endure to haue superiours Annales of Pompeyus A Law among the Barbarians The frailty of man The cause why men ought to endeauor to be vertuous How wee ought to to spend our time Reason leadeth to vertue Sensualitie to vice What dangers are incident to men by following women Women neuer contented Women coÌ„pared to golden pilles The speech of Drusio What inconuenience follow those that are discontented in marriage How euery man woman ought to behaue themselues What hurte cometh by misgouerning the tongue How marryed folkes ought to carry themselues Rules for euery man to followe that meanes to liue in peace Women extreame in their demands A froward Woman described Rome in ancient times rich in vertues Fiue things granted to the Matrones of Rome The commendation of a vertuous woman The Epitaph of Macrine Foure things which women naturally desire Women bound by Gods Law to giue her children sucke The example of dumb creatures may teach women to bring vp their owne children Arist de Animal The description of children in their infancie What loue women ought to beare their children The reward of the Roman Captain The speech of Scipio the AffricaÌ„ What dutie is required betweene the Parents and the childe The eruelty of Nero towards his Mother The reason that may moue women to giue their children sucke A custome of Asia The saying of Iunius Rustious How men and women ought to be stow theyr time What profit cometh to Women by giuing their childreÌ„ suck How women ought to spend the time about theyr children Pleasures that women may take in their children The lawes of the Auncients What care Women ought to haue of their children A good example for women A good example for all sorts of women What inconuenieÌ„ce cometh by changing Nurses Arist de secret secretorum How children ought to be nourished and brought vp Good counsell for one that would liue long Aristot De Animalib What Dyet Nurses ought to vse An example of the women of Thrace Women giuing sucke ought to abstaine from wine WomeÌ„ prohibited to drink wine in former times 〈…〉 The speech of Sabina The answer of the Consull Fuluius Wherefore the Consull would not haue his children nourished in his house What is required in euery good Nurse The description of Pressilla What is required of a Nurse for bringing vp of children What is required of a good Captaine How Alexander gouerned his armie A custome among the Persians What time it requisite for a man to eate Strabo de situ Orbis What order the Auncients vsed concerning marriage The custome of the Chaldeans How long women ought to giue their children sucke Questions demanded by the Philosopher Arethus When Rome flourished How circumspect a man ought to bee to speake the truth What property belongeth to the goute What inconuenieÌ„ce commeth by eating too much fruit What hurt commeth by Iugglers and players Titus Liuius The pollicy of the auncient Romaines God the onely Physitian The mutabilitie of mans life What difference there is betweene man and beast Ioseph de bello