he supposed slaine through deceipt euen so was Alebas chief gouernour of Larissa a citie in Thessalie murthered of his owne souldiors The desire that men beare vnto honour and dignitie is suche that accompaneth with death as Spu Cassius and Spu Melus for the gredines vnto the Empire of Rome wer bothe worthely beheaded God hath shewed iuste vengeance vpon princes for their iniquitie with plagues Pestilences whiche spoiled the Emperor Constantine the Empresse his wife Zoae and by this was Marcus Antonius Alphonsius and Domitius iustly and worthely punished God hath wonderfully punished the pride of princes euen with shamefull and horrible death that Lice and Uermine consumed their bodies a liue As Maximilian the Emperoure Arnulphus Honorificus kyng of the Vandoles and Herode kyng of Iewrie wer eaten vp a liue with vermines and wormes Plini and Plutarche saieth that proude Silla whiche sore plagued Rome and Italie was conuerted all his fleshe vnto lice and so died Herodotus dooeth like wise reporte of one Pheretrina a Quéene of Barcaeans that of this filthie and horrible death died GOD gaue theim ouer in the middeste of their pleasure euen eatyng and drinkyng as Septimus and Valentianus twoo famous Emperours died of surfette for wante of disgestion Archesilaus died presently with one draught of wine What is the life of Princes but an vncertaine Pilgrimages whiche scante seeth his daies fully by nature graunted as we see how and after what sort thei die daiely euery where There was greate difference betwene the Pilgrimage of Vlixes and his felowes whiche Cirses the Witche did chaunge theim vnto diuers kindes of beastes for that thei knewe not what Pilgrimage meante and Vlixes hym self kepte his naturatl shape and frame And for that in his pilgrimage he was wise and painfull in his life he did learne of Aeolus Phisick of Cirses Magicke of Calipso Astronomie and that vnder couler of fables That pilgrimage is onely appointed vnto manne to knowe hym self and to serue his God diuers learned Philosophers as Pithagoras Democritus Anaxogaras trauailed from Grece vnto Aegypte vnto Persia vnto Caldea and to diuers other countries for knowledge sake Anachassis from colde Scythia made his voiage to Athens for learnyng Appolonius from Rome went ouer Caucasus vnto India vnto Assiria to knowe more Philosophie Yea womeÌ„ are famous for their pilgrimage therein as Saba came from Aethiope the farthest part of the worlde to heare Salamons witte and to learne wisedome Cornelia froÌ„ Rome beyng a noble woman wente vnto Palaestina to heare saincte Hierome teache Christians The Pilgrimage that Solon made for AtheÌ„s that Lycurgus made for the Lacedemonians that Architas made for Tarentum are commended The trauaile that Pittacus tooke for the people of Myâ—tilaena that that Cleobulus tooke for the Rhodians that Bias and Thales tooke for the people of Ionia are praised Wee are borne not for our selues but for our countrey and frendes for them wee ought to trauaile For this cause became Plato from a famous oratour in Athens to bée a renoumed souldior at the besiegyng of Corinth and Tenagra For this wente Socrates Platoes maister to Amphipolis and Potidaea a twoo greate cities in Delos to fight for their Countrey Philosophers were not alwaies occupied with bookes but when tyme serued thei were seen in armes as Architas was sixe tymes generall emongest the Tarentines Tyrtaeus elected gyaunde Capitaine emongest the Lacedemonians Xenophon whiche Thucidides highly aduaunce one of the chief Souldiours of kyng Cirus What caused the Philosopher Zeno to resist the princely power of king Antigonus What moued Bias to withstande the force of kyng Aliates In fine what made Phocion Aristides Themistocles and others to become souldiours to stand in armes against their enemies the loue of Athens The pilgrimage of this our life is nothing els but a continuall trauaill vntill we come to our last iourney whiche is death then is the ende of all pilgrimage and iuste accoumpt to bee made for the same ¶ Of Dissimulation and Crafte of Subtiltie and Deceipte DIogenes that Cinike Philosopher makyng hym self ignoraunt somtyme in that which he knewe beste was wont in banquettes and feastes to say if any manne had demaunded what kind of meate wer ther I can not name but I caÌ„ eate it and so would passe to aunswer any thing truely with dissimulatioÌ„s in so muche that Sigismonde the Emperour would saie that he that could not dissemble could not rule At what tyme Galba a Citizein of Rome had bidden a gentleman named Mecaenas vnto Supper perceiuyng the gentleman to bee in loue with his wife fained hym a sleepe for that Mecaenas might shewe some part of his will and loue in the meane season while his wife and Mecaena were in talke and he hym self in dissemblyng slept came one of his seruauntes to take some thinges awaie from the table supposyng his maister had been a sleepe vnto whom his maister saied well you varlet though I see not Mercaenas yet I see to you I sleepe vnto hym and not vnto you The like dissimulation was betwene Demosthenes and Archias at what tyme he fledde Athens for feare of Antipaters displeasure and went vnto the Isle Calauria where in the Temple of Neptune he hid hym self vntill Archias came and promised hym what honour and dignitie he should haue if he could come vnto Antipater and with faire wordes he dissembled with Demosthenes that he came for the purpose from the kyng vnto him Demosthenes perceiuyng his dissimulations and craftie meanes answered plainly to moue hym vnto anger where truthe is oftentimes opened and saied Thou of all men couldest neuer play vpoÌ„ the stages plaiyng thy parte then and now at this tyme thou canst not bee an Oratour to perswade me whereat Archias waxed angrie and threatned to hale him out of the Temple vnto whom Demosthenes answered Nowe perforce thy dissimulation is chaunsed vnto truthe I might hereon staie to note the greate dissimulations betwene Metellus and Scipio whiche was so greate that Metellus faigned that Rome was happie that Scipio was borne therin and yet his mortall enemie all the daies of his life and therefore Fredericke an Emperour sometyme of Rome at what tyme the Senatours would goe sitte aboute the state of the citie would saie before you go vnto the Senate house caste awaie from you twoo thynges that you cary with you and beeyng demaunded of the Senatours what twoo thynges were thei he saied Simulations and Dissimulations In this Philippe of Macedon did differ muche from his soonne Alexander in so muche that Alexander would consente to nothyng but to magnimitie and truthe and his father to all kinde of falshood as seen by subduyng of the Sarunsians and the Cities of Thracia who vnder coulour of peace commaunded his Souldiours to bryng vnder their clokes euery one a coarde that at what tyme kyng Philippe
Apollo in Delphos and Iupiter in Boetia with their wise answeres and Oracles we will not speake of Socrates Solon and thousandes suche as were coumpted and knoweÌ„ wise â–ª and discrete emongest Grekes and Gentiles we will onely entreate of those worldly and naturall wisedome whiche by their prudent policie and warie practises haue aduauÌ„ced their fame thereby aswell in discoursyng and vanquishyng their enemies as also by inuentyng suche sleightes and snares for the obtainyng of the same as their wittes thereby were worthily commended as Hanibal perceiuyng the courage and strengthe of the Romaines vsed this wittie feate gathered a greate nomber of Serpentes and put them in huge vesselles and made them to be brought vnto the fielde emongest his souldiors commaundyng the Capitaines and chief officers to throwe the same vnto the force of the enemies who beyng thereby astonied forsooke and fledde the fielde as menne bereste of wittes â–ª spoiled of sence and almoste in dispaire of theim selues thinkyng Deuels and not menne to be the souldiors of Hanibal Of the like wisedome was kyng Cirus who beyng in his tentes and ready to pitche fielde the nexte daie with the Messagetes commaundyng his souldiours to bee in a readinesse that night to flee their tentes leauing behinde their victuales and substaunce that the enemies beyng busie of the spoile and giuyng open to banquettyng and Carousyng of wine he with all his armie might vnwares retourne and findyng the Messagets more greedie of the spoile then ready for their enemies destroie and kille theim as it came to passe So that in warres saieth Salust witte doeth as muche good as strengthe policie better accepted then power and as Virgill saieth so that victorie bée gotten waie not whether it be through courage or through policie For Sertorius that worthy Emperour and capitaine of Rome was wonte by lies and letters by dreames and outward religion by all meanes possible fainyng and inuentyng thousande waies to stirre his souldiours to courage The inuentions of witte is muche and so diuers that to muche it were to repeate How Sicionius deceiued Xerxes with all his soldiours through policie How Pisistratus moued the Athenians to reuenge his false wronges vpon the chief officers of Athens How Darius after Cambises death became kyng of Perse by meanes of a horse and suche like But lettyng passe infinite nombers of suche and to declare what Nature wroughte in selie and simple beastes in â—iyng foules and in the verie fishe swimmyng in the water The lioÌ„ by nature is taughte beyng verie sicke to finde out an Ape whiche by outwarde sportes and pastyme doeth heale his greate seuer and grief The huge Elephante is so subtile when he is like to die will seke by all meanes the cameleon bow whiche he so estemeth that his sicknes forsaketh hym straight The PaÌ„ther knoweth by nature his ready salue for this sore for feelyng hym self not well he straight seketh out the dounge of man whiche by the sente thereof he healeth hym self The stircken Harte féedyng on highe Mountaines hath that consideration at what tyme he is shotte through with any darte or arrowe by feedyng of an hearbe called Dictamum their bloud stanche and their woundes heale And the Beare is so craftie that by the same he is taught beyng sicke to licke and eate vp little Antes for her appoincted Phisicke Euen so fliyng foules doe knowe their appoincted salue for their sores by nature taught The Rauen the Ducke the Swallowe swift yea the sely Mice doe before hande presage their ruinous state by Nature and knowe well the decaie of any house barne or place where thei be will chaunge hospitalitie before the tyme if necessitie happen vpon them The little Antes full of toile and trauaile to gather in the Sommer to serue theim in the Winter These with diuers others Plini in his .8 booke Chapiter .27 and Aristotle in his booke De natura animaliuÌ„ doe make mention W readée in Aelianus diuers worthy histories of the like but specially of the Cranes of Sicilia whiche when thei be aboute to take their slightes from Sicilia to flie ouer mounte Caucasus thei are so craftie and subtile by nature that thei beare in their mouthes certain stones to stoppe their crie and noise whiche Craines moste commonly vse in flight lest by hearyng of their voice and crie the Egles of Caucasus should destroie them The Goates of Crete when thei be shotte through with dartes and arrowes are of theÌ„ self moued to fede on a certain hearbe whiche streight stencheth the bloud healeth the wounde and expelleth out the venime of the wounde There is suche crafte and subtiltie in a little Frogge of Nilus that when the huge and monstrous Troute commeth towarde hym to destroie hym the Frogge by and by out of hande â–ª beareth a longe réede ouerth warte his mouthe and so marcheth forward toward this greate champion that by no meane he can destroie hym for that the reede is longer then his mouthe can swalowe the same and so the little Frogge escapeth the terrour of this greate beast What a sleight hath a fishe called Polipos whiche beyng desirous to feede on any fishe he goeth and hideth hym self vnder some shrubbe or rocke or any other meanes whereby he semeth to bee as though he wer a tile or a stone vntill the fishe come to that place then he leapeth vpon hym and killeth hym So that there is no beaste no fowle no fishe but hath as it wer a certaine priuilege by nature to defende hym self and to foile his foe and that craftely by nature taughte There is again a kinde of knowledge in beast to know their frendes and to loue them and to feare their enemies and to auoide theim As the Serpentes in Terinthia the ScorpioÌ„s in Arcadia and the Snakes of Siria which Plini affirmeth that thei will not hurt their couÌ„trey men and knowen frendes though thei founde theÌ„ hym a slepe as diuers sondrie tymes histories make mention thereof Straunge therefore is the woorke of nature whiche mightely displaieth her self in al liuing creatures for the proofe thereof I will note one historie written of QuintiliaÌ„ in his 14. boke of histories that in Achaia there was a citie named Patra in the whiche a certain yong man bought a little dragon which with great care diligence he nourished vntill it waxed big liyng in one chamber in the night time and plaiyng all the daie tyme. At length the Magistrates of the Citie fearyng that some hurte should bee doen by this Dragon consideryng the fierce and cruell nature of theim did let hym to goe vnto the wildernesse where diuers other dragons were And there beyng a long tyme this yong man that brought vp this Dragon with diuers of his felowes passing by where this dragon was certain thieues assailed them and he by his voice was knowen by this Dragon whiche as he was heard came out of the woddes
that he neuer went a liue vnto Rome againe for moste cruelly and falsely was he slaine by Haniball In this falshed and periurie was Haniball muche defamed not as muche corrupted by vilenesse of his owne nature which alwaies in this was not to bee trusted but by the falshode and corruption of the Countrey of whiche it is prouerbially spoken Poeni perfidi false Carthaginians for the people of Carthage delited in falshode â–ª practized periurie and vsed all kind of craftes as the people of Sarmatha were moste false in wordes moste deceiptfull in deedes and moste cruell one towardes an other The Scithians beyng muche molested with warres and driuen to leaue their wiues at home in the custodie of the slaues seruauntes thei hauyng occasion to bee absent iiij yeres whose wiues married the seruauntes brake their former Faithe with their owne housbandes vntill with force and power their seruauntes were slain and so recouered their countreis wiues again Apollonius the chief gouernour of Samâ—os whom the commons of the Countrey from lowe estate had exalted vnto dignitie vnto whom thei committed the gouernment and state of Samios was so false of his faithe towardes his subiectes that hauyng their goodes landes liuynges and liues in his owne hand he betraied theim vnto Philip king of Macedonia their moste mortall enemie That proude periurer Cocalus king of Sicilia slue kyng Minoes of Crete though vnder colour of frendshippe and pretence of talke he had sente for hym Cleomenes brake promise with the Argiues with whom he tooke truce for certaine daies craftely betraied them in the night slue them being sleping and emprisoned against his former faith and promise made before Euen so did the false Thracians with the Boetians brake promise violated faithe destroied their countries depopulated their cities and of professed frendes and vowed faithe became wicked foes and false traitors But of all false periurers and vnnaturall foes shal Zopirus emongest the Persians and Lasthenes emongest the Olinthians to their perpetuall slaunder and reproche bee mentioned of the one borne in the famous citie of Babilon deformed hym self in suche sort with suche dissimulation of forged faithe that hauyng the rule and gouernment in his hande he brought kyng Darius to enioye that through his periurie and falshode that with long warres in many yeres he might not vaÌ„quishe nor subdue The other as falsly I beyng y e onely trust of the citizeÌ„s deliuered Olinthus their citie vnto the handes of their long and greate enemie Philippe kyng of Macedonia What fraude hath been founde alwaies in frendship What falshode in faithe What deceipte in truste the murtheryng of Princes the betraiyng of kyngdomes the oppressyng of innocentes from tyme to tyme in al places can well witnesse the same When Romulus had appoincted Spu Tarpeius to be chief capitaine of the Capitoll the chamber of Rome where the substaunce wealth of Rome did remain Tarpeia Spurius doughter whiche in the night tyme as she wente for water out of the citie metyng Tatius kyng of y e Sabins though he was then mortall enemie vnto Rome in coÌ„tinual warres with Romulus yet by false Tarpeia brought to be lord of the Capitoll thus Tarpeia beyng as false vnto Rome as king Tatius was likewise false vnto Tarpeia for she loking to haue promise kept of Tatius fouÌ„d him as Rome founde her She was buried a liue of Tatius by the Capitoll whiche was called Saturnus mouÌ„t and by her death buriall there named Tarpeius rocke vntill Torquinus Superbus tyme whiche first named it the Capitoll by findyng a mans heade in that place There was neuer in Rome suche falshode shewed by any man as was of Sergius Galba whiche caused there famous cities of Lusitania to appere before him promising them great coÌ„modities and diuers pleasures concernyng the states and gouernment of their citie yeldyng his faith and truth for the accomplishment of the same whose professed faithe allured to y e noÌ„ber of ix M. yong menne piked and elected for some enterprises for the profite of their countrey whiche when false Galba had spoiled these thrée cities of al flowers of their youthes against all promise and faithe slue the moste parte of theim sould and enprisoned the rest whereby he most easely might conquire their Cities men are neuer certen nor trustie in doing when thei are fautie in faithâ— For as the Sunne lighteneth the Moone so faithe maketh man in all thinges perfect for prudence without faith is vaine glorie and pride Temperaunce without faithe and trueth is shamefastnes or sadnes Iustice without faith is turned vnto iniurie and fortitude vnto slouthfulnes The orders in diuers countreis for the obseruation of frendship and for maintenaunce of certen and sure loue one towarde an other were diuers othes The noble Romains at what tyme thei sweare had this order he or she to take a flint ston in his right hand saiyng these wordes If I be gilty or offende any man betraie my countrey or deceiue my frende willingly I wishe to be cast awaie out of Rome by great Iupiter as I cast this stoan out of my hand and withall threwe the stoan awaie The auncient Scithians to obserue amitie and loue had this law They powred a greate quantity of wine in a greate Boule or a Cup and with their kniues launced some parte of their bodies letting their bloud to runne likewise one after an other vnto that cup and then minglyng the wine and blood together tipt the ende of their Speares â–ª and ther Arrowes in the wine takyng the boule in hand drank one vnto another professing by that draught faith and loue The Arabians when they would become faithful to anie to maintaine loue thereby had this custome one should stande with a sharpe stoan in his hande betwixt two and let blood in the palme of their handes and takyng of either of theim a péece of their garment to receiue their blood anointyng and diyng seauen stones in the blood callyng Vrania and Dyonisius their Gods to witnesse and kéepyng the stoanes in memory of frendship would depart one from an other The like lawe amongest the Barctians goyng vnto a diche and standyng thereby saiyng as Herodotus affirmeth as long as that holowe place or diche were not of it selfe filde vp so long desired the Barcians amitie and loue In readyng of histories we finde more certentie to haue been in theim by prophane othes then trueth often in vs by Euangelist and Gospell othes lesse periurie in those Gentiles swearyng by Iupiter or Apollo then in Christians swearyng by the true and liuynge God more amitie and frendship amongest them with drinkyng either of others blood then in vs by acknowledgyng and professyng Chistes blood When Marcus Antonius had the gouernemeÌ„t of Rome after Caesar was murthered by Brutus and Cassius and hauyng put to death Lucullus for his consente therein Volumnius hearyng of his frende Lucullus death came
haue to suffice his mynde vntill at length he was consumed with lice hym self as his money was corrupted with Mothes Thei enioye nothing though thei haue all things thei possesse nothyng though thei be Lordes of Countreis true is that golden sentence of the Stoickes that the wise manne is onely riche for contentation is perfecte wealthe That wiseman Bias at what tyme the Citie of Prienna was besieged and subdued by the enemies the Citizeins thereof commaunded and suffered with bagges of their treasures to departe euery manne loded hym self with siluer and golde but Bias who tooke nothyng but a booke in his hande and beyng demaunded of the enemies why he carried not his goodes with hym he saied that all his wealthe and richesse was in his harte meanyng knowledge and wisedome a place moste fitte to laie and to kepe treasure saiyng I haue all my wealthe aboute me whiche you can not spoile me of Herodotus a noble Historiographer writeth a noble historie of one Alcmaeon whiche because he was wonte to welcome often the Embassadours of Cressus kyng of Lidia as thei went to Delphos to consult with the Oracles of Apollo was thus rewarded of Kyng Cressus for his clemencie therein that AlcmeoÌ„ should haue as muche golde and siluer by the kynges treasurer as he would bee able to carrie or beare awaie whiche delited so muche the coueteous mynde of Alcmaeon that he was as willyng to take al the substance of the Kyng had he been able and beyng so heauie loded that his bodily strength failed to suffice his gredie mynde would in no wise deminishe any part of his desire thoughe he coulde augmente the habilitie of his strength by any meanes and so to satisfie his auarous mynde he could neuer lode hym self with a fitte burthen either to heauie that he could not carrie or els to lighte that he would not carrie and thus as one not so able in strength as he was willyng in minde could not prescribe measure to his desire Had Alcmaeon learned of Plato howe to deminishe rather desire to encrease his strengthe then to studie for riches he had been able to carrie a good burthen of golde from kyng Cressus Hadde Demonica learned that lesson of Socrates that money and desire of wealthe is daungerous At what tyme Brennus the Capitaine and Prince ouer Senona laiyng siege to Ephesus she had not straight consented as one more couetous vnto money theÌ„ faithfull to her countrey betraied the Citie for money who according vnto promise demaunded of Brennus her deserued reward brought her to a greate heape of golde and waiyng her importunate desire vnto money loaded her so heauie with golde that she died vnder her burthen for wante of equall strength to her coueteous mynde The golden Sandes of Tagus all the glisteryng gemmes of Ganges all the treasures of Hydanspes can not suffice coueteous Princes Suche inordinate desire of wealth of glorie of fame raignyng in Princes from tyme to tyme that diuers dreamed in their sleape howe thei mighte satisfie their greedie guttes in the daie tyme toumblyng and tossyng their braine how thei mighte possesse kyngdomes and Countreis For Darius dreamed that al Macedonia should be at his becke and that Alexander the Greate should serue hym in suche homage and clothes as he some tyme did serue kyng CaÌ„bises Alexander dreamed that Hercules appeared to hym euery where and commaunded hym to passe vnto Tyre and to the Isle of Pharo promisyng helpe and assistaunce to haue wealthe and honour aboue al men Hanibali was so coueteous and desirous of Rome that a young manne of wounderfull beautie appeared vnto hym in his sleape commaundyng hym to make his armie rieadie to passe vnto Italie assuryng him to become lorde of Rome and Italie Thus in slepe did thei studie how to feede coueteousnesse Thus by dreames did thei coniecture how thei might bee famous glorious and renoumed Thus through fonde phantasies of visions did at lengthe become murtherers and tyrantes of the worlde What was the onely death of that noble Troian Hector the greedie desire to spoile kyng Patroclus â–ª What was the ende of that renoumed Gréeke Achilles his auarous dealyng with kyng Priamus for his soonne Hectors auarice neuer lodgeth but with princes noble menne and riche menne the poore of necessitie is enforced to seeke his liuyng Kyng Midas was not contented with all the kyngdom of Lidia made his desire and wishe of GOD Bacchus to bee a meane vnto Iupiter that what so euer he touched should be golde whiche beyng graunted euen at diner his breade that he touched became golde his drinke he tooke in hande conuerted vnto golde and beyng priuie to his miserie and wretchednesse that he was in almoste famishâ—e hymself for that he could not digeste golde as well as meate and drinke whiche could not perceiue his estate before and suffice him with al thinges beyng the wealthiest kyng that euer was in Lidia now through his coueteousnes enforced by hunger to die O hongrie panches of golde O cursed desire of money What hath not been doen by thee What place was not soughte by thee Euriphiles was so coueteous that she betraied her owne housebande Amphiraus to Adrastus kyng of the Argiues for a bracelet of golde that the kyng did weare aboute his arme If Ochus kyng somtyme of Persia had obserued the rule of noble Plato whiche said that a kyng whiche deliteth in auarice can not prospere He had not staied from the Citie of Babilon for sparing of some siluer which he should giue to the poore women of the citie for it was a Lawe made by kyng Cirus that what kyng so euer of Persia had comen vnto Babilon he should giue a peece of gold vnto euery poore woman in the toune for the whiche cause kyng Ochus would neuer come vnto Babilon These commodities followe coueteousnesse toile and trauaill in gettyng care and thoughtes in keping Had Euclio thought of that saiyng of Plutarchus that riches for the mooste parte are hurtfull to those chiefly that doe desire moste he had not hidden vnder the grounde suche Treasure and wealth of golde and siluer that he durste not goe out of his house for feare of robbing nor yet as Plautus saieth abide in his house for feare of killyng Uerie well is it described of wisemen the chariotte of coueteousnes the fower wheéles named faint courage contempt of God forgetfulnesse of death and vngentlenesse the twoo horses that drewe the Chariot are named rauine and nigardshippe the driuer of the horses is called desire the twoo cordes that rule the horses are appetite to gette and feare to forgette A whole volume might bee written vpon these names but sithe the moste parte knowe well the maner and motion of auarice superfluous it is to commente or glose to the smalleste noumber The Princes are not ignoraunce for slaughter murther and tyrannie teacheth them the order of this chariotte The noble man desireth alwaies to ascende
want than that they shoulde not shewe mercie according vnto his custome to the comfortlesse Zerxes the great King of Persea with lenitie and gentlenesse towardes his brother Arimenes with whome before he was a great enimie made his foe his friende brought his enimie before to be his naturall brother then Porus a famous Prince of India being conquered by Alexander the great fearing that pittie might not haue place in the heart of such a great conquerour sought nothing else of Alexander which willed him to aske any thing and he shoulde haue it but clemencie this vertue long wayted vpon Alexander vntill pride the roote of al mischiefe corrupted his gentle heart vntill he was by the Medes and Perseans perswaded to be the sonne of Iupiter So gentle before that King Darius did wishe eyther to conquer Alexander bicause he might shewe curtesie vnto Alexander or else to be conquered by Alexander Aeneas Siluius was woont to saye the saying of Sigismonde the Emperour that happie are those Princes that foster vp clemencie in Court and prudent is those Princes that vseth humanitie in their cities It was no small proofe of humanitie in the Senatours of Rome at the buriall of Siphax King of Numidia which being taken by the Romanes and kept in Tiberius house according to marshall lawe and before he was raunsomed by the Numedians dyed at Rome where suche solemnitie honour pompe was shewed at his funerall such giftes giuen such liberalitie vsed as if Siphax had died amongst his owne subiects hée might haue wanted to haue such glorious buriall in Numantia being their king as he had in Rome being their Prisoner That is worthy humanity that is shewed vnto meÌ„ in aduersity and that is méere clemencie that is done vnto those banished straungers as the Romaines sometime did vnto Prusias king of Bithinia who being driuen to exile by hys sonne Nicomedes came vnto Rome where humanitie and clemencie were fostered and nourished in the Senate being mette at Capua a Citie sometime by Hannibal conquered of Scipio and Cornelius and brought vnto Rome not like a banished man but lyke a noble Prince with such triumphes and honour done vnto him with such passing curtesie and liberality of Senators that though he was banished Bithinia his kingdome and by Nicomedes his owne sonne yet was he receyued vnto Rome of straungers and that to the fame of Rome Thereby the Romanes grewe to that admiration with all people that for their lenitie and surmounting curtesie they were of all men beloued and for their valiauntnesse and magnanimity they likewise were of all the worlde feared For as vnto Siphax and Prusias woonderfull clemencie and humanity were by the Romanes tendered so vnto Ptholome King of Egypt being of his owne brother banished and by the Romanes receyued and restored againe vnto his kingdome the like was shewed Rome then was called the hauen of succour the Anker of trust the keye of curtesie where all succourlesse Princes and noble Cappitaines fledde Rome florished then while pittie and mercy continued Rome prospered while humanitie and clemencie were fostered Rome excelled all men in gentlenesse and pittie When Marcellus and Matellus the one Capitaine of Siracusa the other in Celuberia The noble Capitaine Marcellus was so pittifull that after his souldiours had conquered Siracusa with great slaughter and murther of men women and children he mounted vp into a high Tower of the Castle and there with wéeping and lamenting the ruefull sight of Siracusa more like to one conquered than a conquerer to a Prisoner than a Prince that anye that sawe him theÌ„ might rather iudge Marcellus a Siracusan captiue than a Romane Capitaine Happie was Siracusa sith fortune was no better to happen on such a gentle conquerour which was so glad for his owne victorie as he was sorrowfull for the fall of Siracusa That renowmed Romane Maetellus besieging the great City Centobrica in the countrie of Celtiberia wheÌ„ he perceyued theyr bulwarkâ—s broken theyr walles ready to faâ—l and victorie nigh at hande hée began to be mooued with pittie and mercie possest chiefe place in his heart that when the women of the Citie brought their children on theyr armes to craue mercy at Maetellus hand he auoyded the calamitie and misery that was redy to fall on Centobrica spared the Citie remooued his campe being with pittie and mercie of the ruthfull women and innocent children quite conquered Thus gentle Maetellus where he might haue bene a Conquerour ouer men he suffered himselfe to be conquered by little infantes O Rome happie were those golden dayes wherin through clemencie and gentlenesse thou wast as much loued and honored as thou hast béene by valyaunt Capitaines trembled and feared at Pompeius the greate when Tigranes King of Armenia being by him conquered had knéeled before Pompeius face yéelding his crowne and scepter at Pompeius his foote and himselfe vnto his gentlenesse as a captiue Tooke him in his armes embraced him put his Crowne on his heade and restored him to the kingdome of Armenia againe The like courtesie vsed he towarde Mithridates King of Pontus being deade for his royall buriall though the knewe well the great hatred that Mithridates had fortie yeares against the Romanes yet in stéede of iust reuengement Pompeius vsed princely clemencie The gentlenesse that was then vsed in Rome yea betwixt foes was such that Iulius Ceasar that valiaunt Emperour and Conquerour was as willing to reuenge the death of his great enimy Pompeius vpon Photina and Bassus who slue Pompeius and sent his heade vnto Caesar as L. Paulus was courteous and fauorable to his most mortall foe Persen Hanniball though he was counted the most and greatest enemye that euer Rome felt yet mooued with that clemencie that he won more commendations for the buriall of P. Aemilius Gracchus Marcellus these noble Romanes then he wan fame by ouercoming thrée thousande Romanes in fielde The chiefe fame that Hanibal was worthy of was for humanity and gentlenesse as proued by these two noble Romanes before mentioned which Hanibal caused their carkasses diligently to bée sought for in the feelde and solempnely to bée buryed with honour and renowme though they were his enimies and as Hanibal was much commended in Rome and wel-beloued of the Romanes onely for humanity so was he feared much in Rome for his prowisse and valiaunt déedes of armes Polycrates that tiraunt of Samos was chéefely commended for his gentlenesse and curtesie shewed towardes women which were the wiues and mothers of the dead souldiers in restoring them vnto libertie in geuing them wealth to liue great charge that no man shoulde do them any wrong Augustus the Emperour when hée behelde in the Citie Alexandria the sworde wherewith Marcus Antonius slewe him selfe coulde not refraine teares to shewe his humanitye in opening his clemency of nature vnto his enemie commaunded he should be honourably buryed with his deare fréende Cleopatra in one graue
kingdomes and countries in life The greatest Prince in his time Cirus the first king that brought the Monarchy vnto Persea slayne by Tomyris hadde on his graue an Epitaph made being buried in Scithia in no gorgeous Temble hauing no sumptuous tombe but in an open fielde and a stone vpon his graue with this Epitaph Here lyeth Cirus the great King of Persea contented nowe with seauen foote which coulde not be satisfied some time with seauen kingdomes what Kesar King or Prince so euer thou art spare this place vnto Cirus Which when Alexander the great passing with his armie vnto Scithia and India had read this Epitaph and perceyuing the slipperie state of Princes the vncertaintie of lyfe and mutabilitie of fortune he muche doubted the state of his owne life howbeit at that voyage he quite forgat by meanes of Mars the Epitaph of King Cirus vntill he returned from India from hys warres vnto Babilon where he maried Statyra King Darius daughter whome before he conquered where such liberallitie was shewed such magnificencie done such giftes giuen such banquettes kept that Alexander vpon his owne charges maried the most part of the nobles of Macedonia vnto the Ladies of Persea the feastes during fiue dayes surmounted vnto the some of thrée and twentie thousande Talentes euery Talent valued at fourescore poundes repeating oft the Epitaph of Cirus woulde suffer none though diuers Princes were present to bée at any charges but him selfe onely saying that which fortune giueth vnto Alexander the same will Alexander giue vnto his friendes for Cirus graue is appoynted vnto Alexander in this Alexander passed all Princes in taking all and giuing all Priuate faultes may not depriue open vertues euery man hath a fault Alexander was knoweÌ„ to be a drunkard Iulius Caesar was noted to be ambicious Antiochus the great King of Siria blamed for lecherie Alcibiades of pride Pirrhus of incredulitie Hanniball of falshoode Dionisius of tyranny and so of infinite Princes which for one vice maye not be forgotten for their diuers vertues Uertue must not be hidden for that vice is manifest Phrine a Courtezaune sometime of Gréece though of hir slaunderous lyfe worthie reprehention yet for her liberalitye ought she well to be remembred for after Alexander the great had subdued that famous Citie of Thebes and made the walles thereof euen with the grounde shée offered to redifie the same vpon this condicion that vpon euery gate of the Cittie this sentence shoulde be sette This Citie Alexander the great threvve dovvne and this Citie Phrine the Curteizaune builded vp againe The like of Quéene Rhodope sometime a Curtezaune and a lewd woman made vp a braue and sumteous worke called Piramides in Egypt where such liberalitie she vsed suche franke and frée dealing of money that for hir noble liberalitie she was well worthy to be commended though for vicious liuing otherwaies shée was to be blamed Men and women were desirous then to be liberall Then Princes were as liberall and benefitiall with suche lenitie and humanitie vnto the poore as they grewe afterwarde to be harde and couetous with seuerity and cruelnesse Therefore Anaxilaus a liberall Prince was often woont to saye that the chiefest commendacions and noblest vertue coulde be in a Prince was not to be ouercommed in beneficiall doings Attalus King of Asia languishing in sicknesse and readie to die bequeathed his Kingdome and Scepture of Asia vnto the noble Romanes by testament for that they were so liberall and benefitiall somtime towardes him while yet fortune fauoured hym not fully and fréely to bestowe to whome hée woulde A liberall Prince can not be voyde of loue Antigonus was wont to aunswere Aristodemus one of his councel brought vp of a boye in his Kitchine when he spake any thing against princely giftes and found faulte with Antigonus liberalitie that his talke did smell of the Kitchin a méete reprehension for suche a sawsie seruaunt who lette Kinges to doe good and moue Princes to doe euill I woulde suche Sycophantes shoulde be so aunswered of Princes as Aristodemus was of King Antigonus Worthy of perpetuall memorie was Artaxerxes for his passing liberalitie towardes the poore souldiours that came from Lacedemonia to warre with him he made them that came a foote vnto him to goe home a horsebacke he that came a horsebacke he did sende him home in a Chariot and he that had a village before hée came vnto him hée gaue a Cittie at his going away from him A Prince worthie of subiectes and a Capitaine most fitte for fitte Souldiours What made Iulius Caesar beloued of his souldiours What caused Alexander to be honored of all men magnificencie and liberalitie The one in the great warres at Pharsalia at what time hée conquered Pompeius the great hauing all the treasures and substaunce of Pompeius brought before him tooke nothing from the souldiers but Pompeius letters The other after he had vanquished King Darius hauing a great chest full of treasure where hee founde in present coyne two hundred thousande pound beside other inestimable treasures and iuels tooke nothing from his souldiours but a little booke named the Iliades of Homer wherin hée delighted more in reading the noble actes of Gréekes the worthy feates of Troianes than in all the wealthes of Persea This liberalitie maintayned their fame Thus their magnificente benefites spredde forth their noble names that happie was he that coulde be a souldiour vnto Caesar or to Alexander I remember me of a certaine King in Siracusa named Ihero vnderstanding the liberalitie of the Romanes and perceyuing the penurye of victuales which then the Romanes sustayned in the warres of Thrasimenos did sende thrée hundred thousand bushels of wheate two hundred thousande of barly with great sommes of golde and siluer to ease the Romane souldidours and fearing that his giftes woulde not be taken nor his presentes receyued considering the nature and liberalitie of the Romanes hée willed the Embassaders to saye that it was an homage and seruice of good wyll sent to honor the Romanes from Ihero King of Siracuâ—a O passing pollicie to practice beneficence with manifest examples of a liberall heart O Rome howe happy hast thou béene that through thy liberalitie haste wonne the heartes and good will of all kingdomes and countries Untyll Ninus time all thinges were common no diuision of grounde no hurding of money no couetousnesse knowne no gréedinesse of kingdomes no desire of welthes in fine for the space of two hundred and fifty yeres for the simplicitie innocencie true dealing of people worthily called the goulden worlde and then a man coulde not find a couetous person and now a man can not finde a liberall friende then no manne knâ—we to doe euill and nowe no man knoweth to doe good then no man did take and nowe no manne doth giue in fine then one for another nowe all for themselues What made Cimon a liberall gentleman of Athens
liued a hundred and odde yeares Metellus of lyke age called to the like function and administration of common welth being an olde man What should I speake of Appius Claudius of Marcus Perpenna of diuers other noble Romanes whose age and time was the onlye occasion of their aduauncement vnto honour dignity What shoulde I resite Arganthonius who was thrée score yeres before he came vnto his kingdome and after ruled his countrey fourescore yeares vnto his great fame and great commendations of age To what ende shall I repeate Pollio who liued in great credite with the people vnto his last yeres a man of worthy prayse of renowmed fame which liued a hundred and thirtie yeres in great aucthoritie and dignitie To speake of Epimenides whome Theopompus affirmeth that hée liued a hundred and almost théescore yeres in great rule and estimation small it were to the purpose to make mention againe of Dandon amongst the Illirians which Valerius writeth that he was fiue hundred yeres before he died and yet of great memorie and noble fame Nestor which liued thrée hundred yeres of whom Homer doth make muche mention that of his mouth proceeded foorth sentences swéeter than honey in hys latter dayes yea almost his strength corespondent vnto the same That renowmed Prince Agamemnon Generall of all Gréece wished no more in Phrigia but fiue such as Nestor was which with their wittes and with their courage hée doubted not but in short time he were able to subdue Troye Swéete are the sayinges of olde men perfite are their councelles sounde and sure their gouernaunce Howe frayle and weake is youth How many Cities are perished by young councell Howe much hurt from time to time haue young men deuised practised and brought to passe And againe of age how full of experience knowledge prouision painful studious vnto the graue as we reade of Plato that noble Philosopher which was busie and careful for his countrey writing and making bookes the verye yere that hée died being fourescore and two Of Isocrates which likewise being fourescore and fourtéene compiled a booke called Panathenaicus of Gorgias which made the lyke studious carefull to profite his countrie I saye a hundred and seuen yeres was altogither adicted to his bookes to his studie So of Zeno Pithagoras and Democritus might be spoken men of no lesse wit trauaile and exercise than of time and age For as Cicero sayth the gouernement and rule of common wealthes consisteth not in strength of bodye but in the vertue of the minde wayghtie and graue matters are not gouerned with lightnesse of the bodie with swiftnesse of the foote with externall qualities but with authoritie councell and knowledge for in the one saith he there is rashnesse and wilfulnesse in the other grauitie and prudence As Themistocles Aristides who though not friendes then at Athens both rulers yet age taught them when they were sent Embassadours for the state of Athens to become friends to profite their countrie which youth coulde neuer haue done That sage Solon was woont often to bragge howe that he daylye by reading learning and experience waxed olde Apelles that approued painter and renowmed Gréeke in his age and last time woulde haue no man to passe the daye ydle without learning of one line Socrates being an olde mar became a scholler to learne musicke and to playe vpon instrumentes Cicero being olde himselfe became a perfite Gréeke with studie Cato being aged in his last yeres went to schoole to Enneus to learne the Gréeke Terentins Varro was almost fourtie yere olde before he tooke a Gréeke booke in hande and yet prooued excellent in the Gréeke tongue Clitomachus went from Caâ—thage vnto Athens after fourtie yeres of age to heare Carneades the Philosophers lecture Lucius as Philostratus doth write méeting Marcus the olde Emperour with a booke vnder his arme going to schoole demaunded of the Emperour whether he went lyke a boye with his booke in his hande the aged Emperour aunswered I go to Sextus the Philosopher to learne those thinges I knowe not O God sayde Lucius thou being an olde man goest to schoole now like a boye and Alexander the great died in thirtie yeres of age Alphonsus King of Cicilia was not ashamed at fiftie yeres olde to learne and to trauayle for his knowledge and least hée shoulde lose the vse of the latten tongue hée occupied him selfe in translating Titus Liuius vnto hys vulgar tongue though he was a King I doe not holde with age in diuers men which for want of discretion and witte waxe childishe againe but of perfite men in whome age séemed rather a warraunt of their doinges For euen as he that playeth much vpon instrumentes is not to be commended so well as he that playeth cunningly and artificially So as all men that liue long are not to be praysed as much as he that liued well For as apples béeing gréene are yet sowre vntill by time they waxe swéete so young men without warraunt of time and experience of thinges are to be misliked If faultes be in olde men sayth Cicero as manye there bée it is not in age but in the life and maners of men Some thinke age miserable bicause eyther the bodie is depriued from pleasure or that it bringeth imbecilitie or weakenesse or that it is not farre from death or quite called from due administration of common wealthes these foure causes sayth Cicero make age séeme miserable and lothsome What shall wée saye then of those that in their olde age haue defended their countries saued their Cities guided their people and valiauntly triumphed ouer their enimies as L. Paulus Scipio and Fabius Maximus men of woonderfull credite in their olde yeres What may be spoken of Fabritius Curius and Coruncanus aged men of great agilitie of famous memorie in their last dayes Howe might Appius Claudius be forgotten who being both olde and blinde resisted the Senatours to compounde with king Pirrhus for peace though they and all the Consulles of Rome herevnto were much enclined If I shoulde passe from Rome a place where age was much estéemed vnto Athens amongst the sage Philosophers if from Athens to Lacedemonia where age altogither bare swaye and rule if from thence vnto the Aethiopians and indians where all their lines are ruled and gouerned by olde men if from thence vnto any part of the worlde I shoulde trauile I might be long occupied in reciting the honour and estimation of age Herodotus doth write that the Aethiopians and Indians doe liue most commonly a hundred and thirtie yeres The people called Epeij doe liue in the countrey of Aetolia two hundred yeres naturally and as it is by Damiates reported Lictorius a man of that countrey liued thrée hundred yeares The kinges of Arcadia were woont to liue thrée hundred yeres The people of Hyperborij lyued a thousande yeres We reade in the olde
and chaunged seates one with an other the grounde moouing from one place vnto an other Euen so it happened at the exilement of King Dionisius after much tirannye and bloodsheding when hée was banished from his kingdome the salt Sea the same day that he was driuen from Corinth altered his saltenesse vnto swéetenesse These two tyrauntes Nero and Dionisius the one comming vnto his Empire what woonders the earth it selfe shewed the other departing from his kingdome what miracles the Sea shewed When Darius besieged the Citie of Babilon a voyce was heard out of the strong walles of Semiramis that Babilon shoulde be conquered at what time a Mâ—le shoulde engender at the which the souldiours of Darius were discomfited vntill Zopyrus Mule accomplished the forshewed Oracle Likewise when Pompeius was vanquished of Caesar a gréene bowe grewe in the temple of victorie vnder the ymage of Caesar and Hiues of Bées darckened the ancient of Pompeius foreshewing hée shoulde be subdued at Pharsalica The cittie of Rome had these warnings a little before the first ciuill warres there were séene fire shining sodainely about men Spiders Mise and Wormes consumed the golde and substaunce of their Temples Rauons deuoured and did eate their young ones the noyse and sounde of trumpettes were hearde in the ayre with such other terible warnings as might well mooue amendement Againe before the seconde warres of Carthage an Oxe spake and sayde Rome take héede of thy selfe It is noted likewise when Torquiniê° the last king of the Romanes was driuen awaye from Rome and banished the kingdome that a dogge then spake and a Serpent barked To many are of these to be reade if wée reade histories for signes and tokens were séene and marked in the heauens according vnto the natures and doings of Princes for when Tiberius came vnto the Empire of Rome there happened such great earthquakes that twelue famous Citties of Asia fell prostrate vnto the grounde two mountaines mooued ranne and fought togither in a place by Rome called Mutinenses fielde in the time of L. Martius and Sextus Iulius Consulshippe It is written that in the Citie called Sagunthus before it was conquered by Hanniball a childe borne entered againe vnto his mothers wombe And in Plini Clepidus beareth witnesse that trées spake and though it séeme fabulus vnto diuers that enuie things by nature shoulde speake yet wée sée the tryall of this cleane contrary to sette foorth the woonderfull workes of GOD whereby he might the more be magnified by these his creatures for we reade in the sacred scriptures that an Asse spake whereby the more credite may be gyuen vnto Plutarch Pini and Liui which mention that dogs trées Oxen Serpentes and other creatures of God dyd speake for a woonder and warning aswell of things to come as thinges past For before the famous Citie of Ierusalem was destroyed by Vespasian the Emperour there appeared a starre in maner of a sworde in the skie there were likewise séene Chariettes running vp and downe the skies and men in harnesse fighting in the clowdes right ouer the Cittie Diuers woonders by nature wrought which for the rarenesse thereof are worthy to be noted as Caecilius Agrippa the first daye that he was borne of his mother hée went a â—oote without helpe Likewise Zoroastres where all children cry at their birth he the selfe same daye laught It was straunge that Telephus the sonne of Hercules was nourished of a Harte Romulus the first king of Rome fostered vp of a Woolfe Cirus the first King of the Perseans brought vp by a Bitch Alexander and king Priamus of a beare Iupiter of a Goate Midas of Antes And Plato of Bées and so diuers other But certayne more straunge it was that little beastes yea small créeping wormes shoulde be able to vanquishe and destroy famous Citties and countries as in Spaine a Cittie was ouerwhelmed by Coneyes In Fraunce a Citie destroyed by Frogs In Thessalia a Cittie ouerthrowne of Mouldewarys In Affrica a Cittie spoyled of Locustes Gyara an I le of twelue miles coÌ„quered of Mise and Abdera a Citie in Thracia of Mice likewise and Amyclas of Serpents Peraduenture these séeme scant credible vnto diuers readers the learned may reade the same in the eight bookes of Plini and twentie and ninth chap. where he may bée satisfied The workes of nature were so woonderfull in all places at all times that learned writers for memory of the same diuers where recite the effect thereof It is written that Ammonius the Philosopher had an Asse frequenting his schoole with Porphirius to heare his lectures In the Isle called Cos in the grounde of a certen tyraunt named Nicippus a Shéepe brought foorth a Lyon in stéede of a Lambe Plini doth witnesse that he saw in a Cittie of Affrica a man chaunged vnto a woman in the same day hée was maryed whose name was Cossicius a citizen of Tisdria Pontanus and diuers aucthours affirme that Tiresias the Theban Ceneus and Iphis were chaunged from men vnto women from males vnto females by alteration of kinde Againe some thinke that as Anaxogoras neuer laught Zenophantes neuer wept thinges woonderfull and straunge vnto nature And as L. Pomponius neuer helcht so Antonia neuer spit There was a Poet sometime dwelling in Cous of such small growing and slender body that leade was put in the sole of his Shoes lest the winde should beare him from the grounde and blowe him vnto the ayre And as hée was small and light of substaunce by nature so by the selfe same nature was founde in a certen hyll of Créete the body of Orion which was fourtie and sixe cubites in length What Albertus Magnus wrote of the woonders and secretes of nature I wyll omit better it is I suppose to bée ignoraunt in some things then to be skilful in all things He saith amongst other things that there was a woman in Germany that had thréescore sonnes fiue euery time at a burthen and there was another woman named Agrippina in Colonia that did neither eate nor drinke for the space of thirty dayes Besides these there was a man named Philinus that neuer ate nor dranke all the dayes of his life but mylke onely Cicero saith that all the Iliades of Homer was written and placed within the shell of a Nut. Plini reporteth that there was an hearbe called Acheminis if it coulde or were throwne amongst the enimies they straight woulde take their flight thervpon Mermecides made a Wagon so artificially and so small that a Flée might couer it with her wing Strabo did sée so well that he coulde sée the ships that departed from Carthage from a promutory in Cicilia which was aboue a hundred thirtie miles Cornelius Agrippa in his first booke of hidden Philosophie writeth a historie of one Cippus King in Italy who being in sléepe dreamed of Bulles fighting all night that in the mornyng he had two hornes
as by experience we see all things to haue a care of his owne life The Lion when he feeleth hym self sicke he neuer ceaseth vntil he féedeth vpon an Ape whereby he maie recouer former health The Gotes of Creet féedyng on high vpon the mountaines when any of them is shot through with an Arrowe as the people of that countrey are most excellent archers they seeke Dictamum and hearbe assone as they eate any thyng of the same the arrowe faleth downe and the wound waxeth whole incontinent There are certen kyndes of Frogges in Aegypt about the floud of Nilus that haue this perseueraunce that when by chaunce they happen to come where a fishe called Varus is whiche is a greate mourtherer and a spoyler of Frogges they vse to beare in their mouthes ouerthwart a long réede which groweth about the bankes at Nilus whiche when this fishe doth gape thinkyng to feede vpon the Frog the réede is so long that by no meanes can he swallowe vp the Frogge and so saue their liues If the Gotes of Creet If the frogges of Aegypt haue this vnderstanding to auoide their enemies how muche more ought men to be circumspect of his life which hath I saie millions of enemies nether séen nor knowen We reade in the first boke of Aelian that the rude swine if at any tyme by chaunce they eate of that hearbe called Hioscyamus which draweth by by the vaines together that skant thei can stirre yet they striue for remedie sake to goe vnto the water where they feede vppon yong Crabbes to recouer health In the same booke ye maie reede of a Sea Snaill whiche from the water doth come vnto lande to breede and after she hath egged she diggeth the yearth and hideth her egges and retourneth vnto the sea again and there continueth .xl. daies and after .xl. daies she commeth vnto the same self place where she hidde her egges and perceiueth that thei are ready to come out of the shell she openeth the shell and taketh her yong ones with her vnto the sea And thus haue they care charge not onely of their owne states and liues but also of others and by some shewe of sence thei amende that which is most daungerous and hurtfull for the sely and simple mise haue this kynde of fore knowledge that when any howse waxeth olde and ruinous they forsake their olde dwellyng and creepyng holes they flee and seeke refuge in an other place The little Antes haue foresightes that when penury and want of relife draweth nier they waxe so painefull and laborious toilyng and trauailyng in gatheryng together victualles as maie serue them duryng the tyme of famine If these smale crepyng wormes seely and simple beastes prouide for them selues what shall wee saie of man the kyng and ruler ouer all beastes who hath not onely a bodie to prouide for but also a soule to saue More happie are these wormes and beastes in their kinde then a nomber of Princes are For that they by nature onely are taught their foes to auoide neither we by nature neither by God the cause of all goodnes can loue our frendes Therefore verie well it is saide of the wise man that either not to be borne or els beyng borne streight to die is the happiest state that can chaunce vnto man For liuyng in this vale of miserie wee sée the Pilgrimages and trauell of life to be such that better farre it were be a poore quiet man then a busie proude Prince And sith death is the last line of life aswell appointed for princes as for poore men who in reading the liues of Emperours Kinges and Princes the nobles of the worlde seeth not their vnhappie states whiche commyng vnto the worlde naked and departyng from the same naked yet like proude pilgrimes busie one to destroye another not coÌ„tented with countries and kingdomes go from one place vnto another from one couÌ„trie vnto another like Pilgrimes to bee acquainted with miserie and to seeke death Alexander the great conquerour takyng his voiage from his kyngdome of Macedonia vnto India to destroie all the worlde hee was in the citie of Babilon preueÌ„ted by Antipater and Iola his taster and kinsman with poison and there he died Philopomen a greate Emperour sometyme in Greece beyng in prison in Messena taken in the warres and beyng so cruelly handled that he besought Dinocrates whiche then was Prince of that countrie and conquerour ouer hym one draught of poison he coulde not be coÌ„tent to be Emperour and ruler of Greece but moued to seeke death in a straunge countrie amongest his foes Ladislaus kyng of Apulia endeuouryng to subdue the Florentines and séekyng to bee kyng ouer the Florentines he loste the kingdome of Apulia For by them was hee at length poisoned and so berefte from his owne kingdome and life with this vnhappie kinde of death wer many princes preuented no lesse thretened are these princes of their owne houshold frendes then of foren foes no lesse do their childreÌ„ their wiues brethren and kinsmen studie to destroie them sometyme for the kingdomes sake some tyme for hatered hidden and most ofteÌ„ prouoked of these to spoile them as it is written that Claudius Caesar an Emperour of Rome was poisoned of his owne wife Agrippina Antiochus king of Siria was poisoned of his Queene Laodice for that hee was in loue with Berenices Kynge Ptholomeus sister Constantine the Emperour the soonne of Heraclius beeyng but one yere a ruler of his empire was poisoned by his mother in lawe named Martina The verie cause of the Emperour Conradus death whiche was Frederikes soonne was the Empire and rule of Rome whiche Manfredus his successour made the phisicions for money to poison him that then hee beyng the successour of the empire might beare rule O vnhappie state of Princes whose liues are desired of frende and foe How sore was L. Vectius set on of Caesar to betraie Pompeius the greate whiche for the loue and zeale that Pompeius had in Rome Caesar began to malice Lucullus Curio Cato and Cicero for their priuate loue towarde Pompeius no lesse daunger it is to be in fauour with princes sometime then perilous to bee princes wee reade of a Quéene named Rosimunda the doughter of kyng Cunimunda of Gepida after that she poisoned Albonius king of Longobardes hir first housebande she maried a prince of Rauenâ—a named Helinges which likewise she thought to poison but beyng warned in y e middest of his draught he caused his wife to drinke the reste whiche drinke was the cause of both their death howe manie noble Princes in the middest of their Pilgrimages died that death as Diocletian the Emperour of Rome Lotarius kyng of France Carolus the eight of that name with diuers others as Hanibal prince of Carthage Aristobolus king of Iuda and Lucullus Emperour of Rome Princes and noble men doe sometyme poyson theimselues lest they should
Greate is the force of famine as by histories we read that when kyng Cambises marchyng towardes the Aethiopians had fallen vnto scarcenesse of victualles and vnto suche penurie and wante of foode vnto the souldiors that thei agréed within them selfes to kille the tenthe throughout all the hoste to asswage honger in so muche that it continued so long that Cambises the king was in greate feare lest the lotte should at length happen vpon hym and so to bee eaten of his souldiours Saguntus a Citie in Spaine sometyme as Eutropius dooeth witnesse in greate amitie with the Romaines and being besieged of the Carthagineans so long that all the citie was brought vnto suche famine that the lords the captaines of the citie made a great fire in the Markette place and there brought all their wealth and substaunce and threwe it into the fire and after made their wiues and then their children to bee burned and laste of all the chief lordes and capitaines ended their liues in flamyng fire lest thei should come vnto the enemies hande so greate was that famine that it was before Prognosticated by a womā brought to bedde whose childe as sone as he was borne entred vnto his mothers wombe againe The like calamitie happened in Caligurium a Citie where Quintilian was borne who beyng likewise long besieged of Cn. Pompeius to bryng them in subiectiō and to kepe promise with the Emperour Sertorius that thei lacke victuall and waxed so hongrie after that all kinde of beastes were slain thei were enforced to eate their owne wiues and children It was seen in Ierusalem when that it was destroied by Vespasian the Emperoure of Rome by the Romaine souldiors howe that the mothers were compelled to eate their owne children for verie honger for their small and tender bones were lefte as a shewe of their miserie Plini in his eighte of naturall histories that when Hanibal laied siege vnto the Citie Casilinum the Romaines souldiours were in such honger that one Mouse was sold for two hundred peeces of siluer and he that solde the Mouse died hym self for honger The Athenians likewise wer brought vnto suche honger by Silla whiche afterwarde was Dictatour in Rome that one Bushell of wheate was solde emongst the souldiors for a thousande Drachmis the common souldiors being poore for want of money one waie and sore plagued with honger an other waie were compelled to eate the gréene grasse of the fieldes aboute the Citie of Athens and to gather the Mosse of the walles of the Citie and eate it This Citie of Athens was often tymes brought vnto that miserie as by kyng Demetrius kyng Philippe and his sonne Alexander the greate So muche was famine feared emōgest the aunciente Greekes that thei vsed in the tyme of aboundancie to scourge famine with roddes out of their houses saiyng For as famen intro diuitias awaie penurie come in plētie We reade in Q. Curtius that Alexander was driuen by honger to eate his Cameller Elephantes and other huge beastes that caried the traines for the warres Suche honger and famine did happen emong the Lacedemonians that the Citizeins of Sparta were so hongrie that thei eate the verie Serpentes that were dead a long while whiche mutitude of Serpentes whiche before wer drouned did presage this greate calamitie to come of whom the people of Sparta though thei were deade a long tyme yet moste hongerly fedde them self and mitigated the rage of famine Doda king of Siria besieging a great famous city in Iewrie called Iora where the miserable mothers were of meere honger enforced to feede of the bowels of their owne children Not muche vnlike vnto that horrible and cruell famine in the countrey of Apulea beyng driuen of the Frenchemen then their enemies in warres that the souldiours were compelled to take the skinnes from their Bucklardes and to warme and boile the harde hornes and to eate them To entreate of the woūderfull calamities miserie and plague that happened through honger it were to much the charge thereof too many aucthorities are manifest in this behalfe Antonius whom Augustus Caesar could neuer vanquishe with force of armes he was driuen to yelde in Etruria in a Citie called Perusia by honger and famine Wherfore that noble Athenian Nicias alwaies thought the easieste waie the spidiest cause of yeldyng vnto the enemies was Famine whiche he shewed at Melos a Citie of Thessalie whereby he made the Citizeins to yelde by honger O ragyng force of Famine O terrible miserie of man whiche compell the parentes to eate the children the children to kill their parētes what beast was spared euer when this happened The people named Hymmi through hōger were constrained to eate their owne Dogges as the Macedonians sometime fedde them selues with Camelles Elephantes Horses and suche like What hearbe was vnsought what roote was not founde to féede this cruell monster As Sabellicus dooeth witnesse of dearthe that chaunced in his tyme that in some partes of the coūtrey of Flaminia and about the fieldes called Piceni the common people did liue by grasse and hearbes and by suche like that proceded from the yearth This was the worlde euer plagued with Famine as with that monster that spoileth and deuoureth it self as we read of diuers that did eate their owne armes and fleshe Againe in the sacred scripture diuers examples we haue of the like sent from God to plague man But because honger one waie is moste excellent if meate maie bee had so hounger an other is moste terrible if the same faile Therfore Stratonicus neuer went to bedde without a Cuppe of drinke by hym not for that he thrusted when he went vnto bedde but leste he thursted in the bedde whiche should compell to doe some iniurie with one or other for that he wanted drinke So did Alphōsus kyng of Arragon when he sawe the poore countrey man gréedily féedyng on Grapes said for that he could not be hongrie O would the goddes had framed me to bee suche one as this is So that hounger is good vnto those that wante the same For Gnefactus kyng of Aegypt hauyng his men of armes in the desertes of Arabia wantyng victuales waxed so hongrie that the poore fare and simple cheare that he got emongest the countrey men was so acceptable vnto hym that he caused a table for a monumente of the same in the temple of Iupiter in Thebes Of diuers famine we reade in scripture that Abraham fledde from the land of Chananea vnto Egypte and Isaac driuen by famine vnto Abimelech kyng of the Palestines and all the soonnes of Iacob were enforced to goe to kyng Pharao where their owne brother Ioseph ruled as chilef officer Famine is appoincted for a iuste scourge to synne ▪ as appereth by the filthy synne of kyng Dauid towarde Urias wife he had to chuse either plague famine or warres which are the instrumentes to punishe offendours ¶ Of warinesse WE leaue
reuenged her old loue and requited his seruice then after this sorte She threwe a greate stone after hym and there killed hym and straight for sorowe callyng to minde the old amitie and hidden loue betwene them hāged her self The reuengement y t Cleonimus that noble famous Lacedemonian who hauing his owne wife in suche admiration of impacient loue that he was as muche hated of her as she of hym was honoured and estemed for she loued onely kyng Acrotatus sonne so deare that her housebande Cleonimus vnderstandyng the same went to Epire to kyng Pirrhus perswadyng hym earnestly to come to Peloponesus and to moue warres against kyng Acrotatus wherby he might reuenge the spite doen of his wife in killyng hym whom she loued beste a greate reuengemente as he thought vnto her then to reuenge vpon her owne persone to spoile hym whom she loue better then her self Valerius Torquatus for that he might haue Tuscus doughter in mariage moued warres out of hande and reuenged the same with bloud For what cause did Progne king Pandions doughter of Athens kill her owne sonne Itis and gaue hym to bee eaten vnto his father and her housebande kyng Tereus of Thrace nothyng but to reuenge her sister Philomela whom her housebande defloured her Why did Nero that cruell Emperour kille Seneca his maister and teacher in all his youth for nothyng but to reuenge olde stripes whiche he receiued at his maister beyng a boie For what purpose did Cateline Silla Damasippus Marius and other take quarelles to plage Rome to punishe all Italie to destroie the coūtrey for nothyng but for that thei could not abide one aboue an other Darius after that he had taken the Citie of Babilon he reuenged his old malice after this sort as Herodot in his third booke affirmeth He made thre thousande of the beste within the Citie bee hanged Attila Kyng of Pannonia slue a leuen thousande virgines at the besiegyng of Colonia So diuers wer reuengemēt emongest menne so cruell yea so foolishe that Xerxes and Cirus twoo greate kynges of Persia that when the water of Hellespont molested Xerxes and troubled his soldiours he forth with commaunded that the sea Helespont should haue three hundred stripes and willed three hundred paire of Featters to bee throwen vnto Hellespont to binde the sea Euen so did Cirus for that the riuer Gindes did droune one of Cirus beste geldynges he made his souldiours to deuide the riuer vnto a hundred and fower score small partes to reuenge Gindes rage towarde Cirus thinkyng that by breaking of the greate rage of so greate a streame that he well and worthely requited the iniuries of Gindes These are cruell reuengers too many are of these in so muche that women reuenge their malice after this sorte As Tomiris Queene of Scithia who to reuenge her soonne Mergabites death slue kyng Cirus and twoo thousandes of his soldiours Too great a slaughter for one mannes death and not yet satisfied vntill she bathed Cirus heade in a greate vessell full of bloudde This Beronice Pollia and diuers cruell women beside could dooe the one is dooen with anger and synne the other is dooen with vertue and aduisemente For princes muste vse aduisement in reuenging must vse wisedome in sufferaunce For as Frederick the Emperour was often wonte to saie that Princes that reuenge hastely and specially wrongfully are like faire markes for good archers to shoote at High towers and loftie buildynges are soner fiered with lightenynges then lowe houses and small cottages For Tiberius Caesar Emperoure of Rome beyng in the Senate house to punishe those euills and to reuenge those harmes that were by some of the citie threatened toward his estate God forbidde saied he that Tiberius should haue so muche idle tyme to heare euill spoken muche lesse to reuēge euill doen. Antigonus kyng of Macedonia besiegyng a Castle in Grece wherein a nomber of bolde Greekes vsed for their pastyme and sporte to scoffe this kyng knowyng the situation of the Castle to bee in suche a place that might not bee subdued Thei therefore laughyng hym to scorne as well for his enterprice therein ▪ as also for his slender persone and croked nose whiche kyng Antigonus had saied he would reuenge all their doynges with sufferaunce and hoped thereby to moleste the enemies double Diuers Heathen princes wer acquainted with this reuengement as Lisander Agesilaus and others for vnto God onely belongeth vengeaunce I will not speake here of suche reuengyng of Princes of Countreis of frendes that al men knowe But of rare reuengement whiche Philosophie taught vnto Socrates towarde Xantippe who beyng at supper hauyng a straunge geste named Enthidemum his wife Xantippe beganne to take her housbande vp with tauntyng and opprobrious wordes whiche because he would not auswere and be moued by her chidinges she ouerthrewe the table with all the meate and the Cuppes whiche whē Enthidemum sawe he was amazed at the ragyng of Xantippe beholdyng Socrates in the face to see how he thought of the matter but Socrates vnderstandyng that his geste did maruaile at his wife saied haue not you sometyme at home a Henne that will after longe clockyng with a sodaine flight throwe doune your cuppes with her wyng wherewith Enthidemum was fully satisfied with the wise aunswere of Socrates in reuengyng so greate a faulte Phocion a learned man of Athens was wont to saie that he had rather suffer iniurie wrongfully then to reuenge iniurie sometyme rightfully This man Phocion by whom Athens long flourished at what tyme he was putte to death moste wrongfully of the Athenians euen a little before he should die beyng demaunded whether he would commaunde any thyng vnto his soonne standyng thereby to see his father ende Spake vnto his sonne after this sorte My sonne saied he this I charge and require thée and moreouer beseche that thou will neuer reuenge the wrongfull death of thy father Phocion vpon the Athenians Solon a noble learned Athenian was wont to reuenge his wronges with these wordes If the fissherman suffer the salte water of the Sea to sprinkle vpon his face and vpon his clothes to weate hym for to take Fishe how muche more ought Solon suffer to speake to winne thē to be frendes Surely these three Philosophers deserue more praise and commendation I meane Socrates Phocion and Solon for the reuengyng of the euill with goodnes and vertue Then euer Alexander the Greate or Iulius Caesar or Theseus whiche reuenged euill with euill Wherefore Chilon the Lacedemonian beyng one of the officers called Ephori in the Citie of Sparta his brother demaundyng why he might not bee likewise one of the fiue Ephori as well as his brother saied vnto his brother because I can suffer wronge and thou canste not Therefore princes ought not to doe wrong nor yet reuenge wrōg with wrong but with paciente sufferaunce and goodnesse and doyng good for euill thei shall
whiche maketh Princes not onely subiectes to infamie and reproache but woulde also depriue Princes of sences declared the proprietie of wine vnto Cambices as to make the feete to stamber the eyes to stare the handes to shake and all the witte of man to be banished The kyng commaunded Praxaspes to bryng his only sonne which he had before him whiche beyng brought he tooke him by the heare of the head with the left hande and his dagger drawen in the right hande saiyng Now Praxaspes thou shalt knowe whither my féete will staÌ„ber or my eyes stare or whither my hande will faile of thy sonnes harte and with all he thrust Praxaspes soonne vnto the hart So dangerous is dronkennes so filthy and beastly is this Uice that Cleomenes a famous kyng sometyme of Sparta beyng muche giuen to imitate the dronken Scithians and Thracians people of shamefull life became from a stout and a strong kyng ouer the famous people of Lacedemonia to be a Rascoll and bely slaue subiect vnto all Greece Suetonius doth make mention of two prodigall brethren either of them then named Vitellius whose sumptuous estates of filthy life with such enormitie of drinkyng and excesse of glotonie that almoste comparable they were to that monstrous Beaste of Rome Heliogabalus What infamie is or can be more vnto a man much more vnto a prince then droÌ„kennes When Philippe Kyng of Macedonia and father vnto Alexander the Greate had heard that a certaine Macedonian had appealed from him vnto kyng Philippe he demaunded of the manne what kyng Philippe was he that he did appeale vnto The manne aunswered I appeale from kyng Philippe the drounkard to daie to kyng Philippe sober to morowe Yet this kyng for all this taunte commended the boldenesse of the woman reuoked his false sentence with shame beeyng giuen before when he was in wine and Iudged right beyng sober Too true is that sentence of the wiseman that who so euer he bee Keisar or Kyng that thinketh to drinke alwaies and not to bee dronken sometyme let hym then thinke to drinke poison and not to die of it Beastes neuer drinke saieth Plini but when thei are thurstie manne onely bibbyng alwaies The Dogge will bee dronken if he drinke wine and the Rauons likewise if thei taste the same If the greate and huge Elephant drinke wine he loseth streight his strength knoweth not his force and is easily conuicted If the Ape drinke wine she forgetteth her pastyme and trickes and can doe nothyng but sléepe And therefore naturally all beastes abhorre wine as enemie vnto their strengthe Dronkennesse is a priuie murtherer that spoileth life on a sodain Archesilaus as Hermippê° doth reporte and Domitius surnamed Apher whiche Eusebius maketh mention of in his triperâ—ite histories the one by superfluous féedyng sodainly at supper choked The other Caroussyng a draught of wine died presently This was so abhorred of the wise that when kyng Antigonus came kissing and clipping of Zeno the Philosopher whom the kyng so loued that he willed Zeno to demaunde what he would and he should haue it Zeno perceiuyng the state of kyng Antigonus tooke hym a side besoughte hym in his eare to goe vomite and to purge his stomacke whence suche sente and smell proceaded that Zeno could not abide the breathe of kyng Antigonus Kyng Antiochus of Siria hauyng warres with the people of Rhodes in Chalcides by occasion of wine and drinkyng fell in loue with a yonge maide of the Citie consumyng a whole Winter drinkyng and feastyng with glottonie and dronkennesse in the daie tyme wantonnyng and chambring with her the night tyme neglectyng greater affaires wherby honour and fame might bee gotten to obaye bealie and to accomplishe luste whereby infamie and shame grewe vnto him These gréedie gluttons want not their parasites to flatter them in their dronkennesse to feede them in their vicious and filthie life yea to maintaine them to doe euill and to lette them to doe good Had not Dionisius the tyraunte Aristippus Had not Caesar Curio Had not Alexander the Greate Promachus Yea euen as Terence saieth where euer Thrasonicall masters be there be also appoincted out of the Schoole of flattryng Gnatho vnto these Princes glorious Parasticall seruauntes To this Epicuriall pamperyng of bealies to this inordinate cramming daie and night To this continuall feedyng was the people of Tapirum a nation so muche giuen to wine that when thei could drinke no more wine thei washe theim selues ouer naked with wine oile then thei went to slepe vntil thei wer able again to drinke To this dronkennesse the Bizantianes were so addicted that thei solde their landes sette out their houses to applie the Tauernes leauyng their wiues as common to others at home as wine was to theim at Tauernes forgettyng all honestie of life mindefull onely of glottonie and dronkennesse The Argiues and Corinthians saieth Maenander people beyonde measure giuen to prodigalitie of drinkyng banquettyng riottyng and feastyng to one from an other that in surfette of eatyng and drinkyng thei ende their sâ—launderous life with reprochefull death O brutishe and beastlie life to hurte that at all tymes that sought all mennes distructions alwaies to liue in shame and to die in miserie The lawe of that wiseman Pittachus was emongest the people of Mittilena that glottoÌ„s and dronkardes should be double punished For as Laertius saieth when thei doe euill thei blame the drinke and so excuse one fault with a greater fault The saiyng of the Emperour Aurelian vnto the greate drinker Bonosus that he was borne to drinke and not to liue maie bee well applied to a greate noumber of this age The Scithians the people of Thracia the welspringes and parentes whence all dronkennesse and glottonie proceade muche like vnto the Agrigentines people alwaies in greate excesse in so muche saieth Plato that thei builde continually as though thei should liue for euer thei eate and drinke daie and nighte alwaies as though thei should die the next daie The people called Batilli annointe them and washe them with wine in and out euen as saieth Plini the Ciprians and Parthians doe whiche are so drie that the more thei drinke the more thurstie thei are What should I recite the Beotians â–ª whiche were noted of the learned Athenians as rude blockes witlesse people and grosse fooles for that thei were greedie to glouttonie and dronkennesse But speake of the aunciente Gréekes whiche did mingle their wines with Oile to make it sweeter whereby thei might drinke the more and carouse the better In tyme Athens it self as Aristophanes beareth witnesse grewe vnto suche daintenesse of féeding and prodigall clothyng in so muche that Isocrates did compare Athens vnto a curious harlotte who would muche reioyce of her braue apparell sekyng and alluryng euery manne to fall in loue with her finenesse that Diogenes the Philosopher goyng from the Citie of Sparta vnto Athens beeyng demaunded on the
notorious and spoken of for that either of them hadde but one eye These renowmed Princes and singuler souldiers excelled all men in wisedome and prowisse as prooued is in Plutrarch by their liues Phillip for temperaunce of lyfe Antigonus for fayth and constancie vnto his friende Hanniball for truth and pacience for his countrie Sertorius for his clemencie and gentlenesse towardes his enimies which for theyr passing courage inuinsible stoutnesse and worthy enterprises happened to be depriued of their eyes as Philip lost his eye at the siege of the Citie of Methon Antigonus at Perinthia Hanibal in Hetruria Sertorius in Pontus Whē the people of Thasius had erected alters appointed sacrifices for to honour Agesilaus in their Temples for his fame of fortitude they send Embassadors to certifie the king therof which say y t as Apollo was in Delphos honored as a god so Agesilaus was in Thasius but the King as he was valiaunt so he was wise much detesting assentations and flatterie of people demaunded of the Embassadours and required them if that their countrey coulde make gods to make some firste of their owne countrey saying Agesilaus had rather be king in Sparta then to be a god in Thasius O renowned Sparta O famous Greece While hidden hatred was exempted while ciuill warres were not knowen while Athence sought no supremacie ouer Sparta while Sparta sought no maisterie ouer Thebes then all the power of Persea the force of Macedonia might not staine one lyttle towne in Greece but the insolencie of princes the desire of fame the felicitie of renowme the honour of glorie was such as Alexander the great aunswered King Darius Embassadours who comming from Persea vnto Macedonia to entreate of peace tendering vnto Alexander the daughter of Darius in maryage with all the countrey of Mesopotamia and twelue thousande talentes yerely beside with such princely promising of the kingdome of Persea after Darius dayes as there wanted no princely liberalitie in Darius offeryng nor princely stoutnes in Alexanders answere saying vnto y e Embassadors Tell your master Darius king of Persea that as two Sunnes may not be in y e firmament so two Alexanders maye not rule the earth Such valiant mindes coulde be subiect in no wise neither Darius vnto Alexander nor Alexander vnto Darius Such stoutnesse raigned in Princes to mainteyne states that as Archestratus the Athenian was woont to say that in the Citie of Athence two Alcibiades myghte not rule so Ethocles the Lacedemonian dyd lykewise speake that two Lisanders might not agrée in Sparta So contrarye and diuers were Princes so high and loftie of courage so valiaunt of heart so noble of minde that though fortune coulde not so often fawne and fauour the states of Princes but that she which is most vncertaine coulde vndoe in a day that which was gotten in a yere yet in no wise could fortune take valiaunt mindes from men nor spoyle magnanimitie of Princes nor diminishe courage of olde men as that worthy and most auncient souldier Mithridates King of Pontus after he had plagued the Romanes with fortie yeres long warres during the which time he shewed him selfe no lesse hardie and stoute in resistyng the strong force of Romanes and valiaunt and couragious in attemptyng the fortitude of Romanes And though by fortune forsaken in his latter dayes and spoyled of all health fréendes children countreys kingdomes and all worldly wealth yet to spite fortune his mortall foe went to Celta thinking with them to passe ouer vnto Italy to let the Romanes vnderstande that though fréendes countreys by fortune were spoyled yet neither fortune with her spite nor all y e Romanes with their force could subdue King Mithridates valiaunt heart In this ioyed Princes only then not to be conquered In this onely triumphed they because they might not bée vanquished In this gloried they most in that they were frée from subiectiō Cercylidas being one of the wise men named Ephori in Sparta hearyng the thundring threatnings of King Pirrhus Embassadours the slaughter and murther tha◠King Pirrhus entended vpon men women children the cruell destruction and last confusions of the Lacedemonians aunswered no lesse stoutly then wisely the Embassadours of the King saying If Pirrhus your Maister be a god we haue not offended him therefore we doubt him not but if Pirrhus be but a man tel your Maister that the Lacedemonians be mē likewise therfore we nothing feare him at all This valiaunt Pirrhus thought so wel of him selfe felt him so ready iudged al men inferiour in enterprices vnto him that being at the victorie of that noble Cittie Tarentum where he sawe such feates attempted such actes done such stoutnesse shewed by the Romanes that he being dismayde at the manhoode and boldenesse of Romanes thought if magnanimitie were lost the moulde thereof shoulde be founde in a Romanes heart insomuch that long looking vewing of Romanes he cryed out and sayd O howe soone woulde Pirrhus conquere all the worlde if eyther he were King in Rome or Romane souldiours subiect vnto Pirrhus Of these Romanes was Haniball wont to saye to King Antiochus of Siria being enforced to forsake Carthage that Rome might not suffer equalitie either Prince ouer all or subiect vnto all Rome was compared vnto Hidra of Lerna that hauing so many heades when one was cut off an other sprang vp insomuch that all the world might not destroye Rome being iniured or ouercommed of the enimies as fortune often permitted they were not to be entreated before the like fortune happened vnto them as happened against them as Licinius Emperour hauing lost diuers of his souldiours vnto Perseus king of Macedonia which aftewarde was subdued by that valiaunt Romane Pompeius the great this Perseus hauing taken diuers of Licinius souldiours did sende certaine Orators to speake for peace which eloquently perswaded with Licinius to consent thereto after long talke learned councell pithy perswasions by the Orators it was aunswered as briefely plainelie and simplye by Licinius that the best waye for king Perseus to craue peace at the Romanes was first to restore the prisoners of King Perseus which were Romaines home againe and then to sende his Ambassadors to the Emperour Licinius otherwise the whole countrie of Macedonia shoulde féele the force and magnanimitie of the Romanes To speake of the conquest and victories of Iulius Caesar of the audacitie of Metellus of the fortune of Silla of the sharpe dealing of Marcellus being thereby the spurre of Rome called of Fabius likewise named the Tergat of Rome of diuers more valiaunt Romanes it were infinite the reading thereof but I meane not to molest the reader and yet one little historie to proue the renowmed Romanes most worthie of this valiaunt vertue magnanimitie writtē in Claudian of one Camillus a noble Romane who hauing a long time layde siege at Philiscus and coulde not preuayle The Shoolemayster of the Cittie hauing his Scholers vnder pretence of walking
oute of the towne came and offred his schollers vnto Camillus saying by this meanes you maye doe what you will vnto Philiscus for here be theyr children whome I know to redéeme they wyll yéelde vp the towne Camillus hauing regarde to the fame of Rome and loathing much to shewe villanye rewarded the Schoolemayster after this sort hée did set him naked before his schollers fast bounde with his handes on his backe and euery one of the schollers with a rodde in his hand saying vnto the boyes bring him home to your parentes and tell your friendes of his falshoode and the poore boyes hauing a good time to requite olde beatings were as gladde as he was sorrowfull laying on loade girckt him with so manye stripes as loytering Treuauntes maye best be boulde to number vntill they came vnto the Citie where they toulde their parents the cause thereof which wayde the clemeccie and humanitie of Camillus to be such that they gladlye and â–ª willingly yéelded themselues and theyr Citie vnto the handes of Camillus knowing well that he that woulde vse them so being hys enimies and foes coulde not vse them yll by yéelding all vnto his courtesie who might haue had all by tiranny Nowe sith this vertue was often séene in diuers Quéenes Ladies Gentlewomen and others I may not omitte the pilgrimage of their liues We reade of two Quéenes of the Amahones a countrye of Scythia Penthesilaea the first and Hippolite the second the one so valiaunt against the Gréekes at the destruction of the noble Citie of Troy that in open fielde she feared not to encounter face to face with that valiaunt Gréeke Achilles the other so hardye that shée shrinkt not at the force and stoutnesse of that renowmed Champion Theseus which being conuicted by Theseus for hir singuler stoutnesse and courage maried hir whiche certainelye had happened vnto Penthesilia had shée not béene conuicted by Achilles Camilla likewise Quéene of the Volskans beside hir princely profession of sacred virginitie which she vowed vnto Diana was so famous for hir magnanimitie that when Turnus and Aeneas were in wars for the mariage of Lauinia King Latinus daughter she came bellona lyke vnto the fielde resisting the violence and puissaunce of Troyans with the Rutiles as an ayde vnto Turnus That noble Zenobia the famous Quéene of the Palmireians a Princes of rare learning of excelent vertues of most valiaunt enterprises after that hir husbande named Odenatus had died tooke the empire of Syria and attempted the magnanimitie of Romanes that a long time shée withstoode in warres that noble and renowmed Emperour Aurelian by whome the Emperour was woont to saye when it was obiected vnto him that it was no commendacions for a prince to subdue a woman that it is more valiaunt to conquer a woman being so stout as Zenobia than to vanquishe a King being so fearefull as Zerxes The auncient Gréekes as Herodotus doth witnesse were much amazed at the magnanimitie of Artimesia Quéene of Caria after that the king hir husbande died did shewe such fortitude against the inhabitauntes of Rhodes that being but a woman she subdued their stoutenesse shée burned their Nauies wasted theyr wealth vanquished and destroyed the whole I le entered into the Citie of Rhodes caused hyr ymage to be made and set vp for a monument of hir chiualrie and pertuall memorie of hir victorie O renowmed Ladies O worthye women that with feaminine feates merited manlye fame Howe famous Teuca Quéene of the Illiryans gouerned hir subiectes after the death of hir husbande king Argon which being warred on diuers times by the Romanes infringed theyr force broke theyr bonds discomfited their armies to hir perpetuall fame commendacion shée gouerned the people of Illeria no lesse wisely then she defended the puissaunt force of the Romanes stoutly shée liued as histories report as soberly and chastly without the company of man as shée gouerned hir countrie wisly and stoutelye without the councell of man it were sufficient to repeate the auncient histories of two women to prooue fullye an euerlasting prayse and commendacion vnto all women the one written by Herotus in his first booke of Queene Tomyris of Scythia the other mencioned by Valerius and Iustine of Cleopatra quéene sometime of Aegipt The first after that Cirus had trespassed muche in hir kingdome of Scithia killing destroying and burning without regarde to princely clemencie or respect vnto a womans gouernement yet vnsufficed though hée slue the Quéenes owne sonne named Margapites thirsted more and more for bloude that then the valiaunt Quéene being muche moued to reuenge Margapites death waying the gréedie rage of Cirus came Lion lyke to fielde eyther to loose hyr owne life or else to reuenge hir sonnes death prest vnto Cirus more lyke at that time to a grimme Gorgon than to a sillie Scythian slue him in the fielde haled him vp and downe the field cutte of his heade and bathed it in a great Tunne full of bloudde appoynted for that purpose saying Nowe Cirus drinke thy belly full of that which thou couldest neuer haue ynough this valiaunt Tomyris reuenged tyranny requited the death of one Scythian Margapites with the death of two hundred thousand Persians The other Quéene Cleopatra after that Iulius Caesar was murthered by Brutus and Cassius and that Marcus Antonius being by Augustus warred on for his periurie fasâ—oode shewed vnto his Uncle Caesar shée I saie Cleopatra hauing the most part of Arabia and Siria confederated with hir friende and louer Antonius against Augustus being then the seconde Emperour of Rome that shee ayded him a long time vntill that she perceyued that Augustus preuayled and that Antonius was vanquished then least shée shoulde be conquered by Augustus shée conquered hir selfe yéelding rather hyr bodye a praye vnto Serpentes than a subiect vnto Augustus Hanniball could no more but to poyson himselfe rather then to yéelde to Scipio Well let Semiramis with hir valiaunt force and stoutnesse be commended at Babilon where shée raigned fortie yeares a wydowe after King Ninus hir husbandes death Let noble and famous Atalanta with hir Bowes and Speares and feates of armes be praysed in Archadia â–ª Let Hipsicratea that followed hir husbande Kinge Mithridates vnto warres as a Lackie vnknowne be extolled in Pontus Let Helerna Ianus daughter with all hir fortitude be spoken of in Latine And let Delbora be famous amongst the Isralites These women were no lesse famous for theyr pilgrimage then the worthye Conquerours and Champions of the world they were in no point inferiour vnto men in diuers poyntes farre excelling Princes and Kinges eyther the worlde then was very weake or slender or else women then were valiant and stoute And to omitte perticulerly to touch women I will open and declare the nature of Countries the women of Lacena woulde togither with their husbandes go vnto the fielde yea they went souldiour lyke vnto Missenios to fight in
fielde The women of Cimbria woulde kill those that first fledde the fielde though they were nigh friends or kinsemen vnto them The women of Saca had this custome eyther at their mariage to be conquered by theyr husbande 's the first daye or else to be conquerours ouer their husbandes all the dayes of theyr life theyr combat sayth Aâ—lianus was for victorie and not for lyfe The women of Persea woulde méete theyr housbandes and sonnes flying the fielde lifting vp theyr clothes shewyng their priuities saying Whither flée you O Cowardes will you againe enter into your mothers wombes will you créepe into your wiues bellies as they did in the warres betwixt Cirus and his Grandfather Astyages The women of Sparta woulde go vnto the fielde to sée in what place theyr Husbandes and friendes were wounded if it were before they woulde with gladnesse and ioye shewe the same vnto euerye man and burie the bodie solemnely if their woundes were behinde they woulde be so ashamed of the same that they left them vnburied in the fielde The women of Scithia called Amazones liued as conquerours ouer men and not conquered by men vntill Alexander the great destroyed them and theyr countrey which before were so valiaunt that they wayed not to encounter with Hercules in the fielde and after with Theseus in open battayle they blusht not to méete the valiant Gréekes at the destruction of Troye Magnanimitie which was then for defence of countries is nowe tyrannye to destroye that at their banquettes and drinkinges they had their Garlandes on their heades for as the worlde grewe in wealth so it grewe in sumptuousnesse for the triumph of Romulus was farre inferiour vnto the gorgeous triumph of Camillus and yet Romulus was a king Camillus was but an officer Time bringeth thinges vnto perfectioÌ„ In time Rome waxed so wealthy y â— Camillus I say was caried in a chariot al gilded wrought ouer with golde hauing all white horses trimly deckt a crowne of pure golde on his head all the Senatours and Consuls of Rome going a foote before him vnto the Capitoll of the Citie and thence vnto the temple of Iupiter where to honour the triumph further they slue a white Bul as sacrifice vnto Iupiter and thence to bring him triumphantly through the Citie of Rome vnto his owne house euen so in Greece and in Carthage in time grewe vnto suche pompe sumptuous triumphes that there was as much studie to inuent braue shewes and solempne sightes in triumph as there was care and diligence to haue moued the enimies When Epaminondas ruled stately Thebes When Hanniball gouerned proude Carthage when Laeonidas bare sway in warrelike Sparta then Greece and Lybia were acquainted with solempne and braue triumphes In Ninus time triumphes were in Assyria In Arbaces time the triumphes flourished amongst the Meedes In Cyrus time the triumphes were in Persea In Alexanders time it was in Macedonia In Caesars time it was in Rome and thus alwayes from the begynnyng of the worlde triumphes folowed victories And here I meane a litle to entreate of the triumphes of the Romanes whiche farre diuers wayes surmounted the rest whose fame was spred ouer all the worlde And yet imitatyng in all things the Gréekes insomuch that Rome alwayes had Athence as a nource or a paterne to frame their lawes for when their Kings were banished aswell in Athence as in Rome yet they ruled triumphed more by Oratours in Athence by Consuls in Rome then by Kings Therefore as Plini saith they exercised suche feates of armes they practised suche pollicies of warres they vsed suche solempnitie in triumphes that Rome then was noted to be the lampe and lanterne of Mars They had I saye diuers garlandes made onelye for the triumph of warres Plini compteth seuen sortes of garlandes which the Romanes hadde the first made of pure golde appoynted onely for the triumphes of Princes the seconde of Laurell which of all was most auncient in Gréece in Italie appoynted for the triumphes of Pallas souldiours the thirde of all kinde of swéete flowers made appoynted to him that restored Cities vnto theyr liberties againe the fourth made of Oaken leaues to him that defended Citizens from death These two garlandes were of great honour in Rome and specially in Gréece the one Cicero ware in Rome for his inuectiues against the conspiracies of wicked Catelin the other Fabius Maximus did weare for that he saued Rome from the seconde warres of Carthage where Haniball was Capitaine The sift Garlande was appoynted for him that assaulted the walles of the enimies first and entered the towne the sixt for him that first attempted the tentes of the enimies the seauenth bestowed vpon him that boorded first the Name of the enimie These thrée last Garlandes mencioned for the skaling of walles the boording of shippes and attempting the tentes were made all of Golde and giuen by the Princes or Senators to the aforesayde souldiours There was likewise in Rome concerning the triumphes that none might triumph vnlesse he had bene before some officer in Rome as Dictator Pretor Consuls or suche like and if any without they were sent by the Senators had wonne any victories though there conquest were neuer so great and their victorie neuer so famous as Pub Scipio for all his victories in Spaine and Marcus Marcellus for all that he tooke captiue Siracuse bycause they were not sent nor appoynted by the Senators they might in no wise by lawe made clayme triumphes thereby Then Rome florished then Rome was defended from diuers offered iniuries saued from enimies At what time M. Curius triumphed ouer the Samnites Mae Agrippa triumphed ouer the Sabines Pauâ—aemilius ouer the Lygurians Marius ouer the Numidians Pompeius ouer Armenia and Pontus Scypio surnamed Affricanus ouer Carthage and al Lybia Iulius Caesar ouer all Europe and Affrike then Rome was feared of all the worlde and nowe Rome is dispised Then Rome might say Roma vincit nowe Rome may say Roma victa Then Roma armata nowe inermis Then Roma nowe Ruina but time consumeth all things That victorie that was not manfullye gotten and â—aliauntlye wonne by force of armes in the fielde was rather counted among the Romanes tyrannie then victorie for when Lucius Pius in a banquet that he made had filled the people of Sarmatia full of Wine and made them so drunken that all the nobles and captaynes of Sarmatia yéelded them selues as subiectes vnto the Empire of Rome for the whiche Lucius Pius at his returne home to Rome required accordyng to the custome to haue a triumphe done vnto hym for the victorie of Sarmatia whiche when the Senatours had fully hearde of the victorie howe and after what sort Lucius Pius subdued the Sarmatians he was openly beheaded by decrée of all the Senate and a slauÌ„derous Epitaph set vpon his graue to manifest the deceit he vsed in stéede of magnanimitie to deceyue them by Wine which he ought to subdue by
that cunning workman Memnon made might bée iustly numbred with these worthy and famous workes But to procéede to other sumptuous buildinges though not counted of the seuē woonders yet allowed amongst the best for the stately work of the same of no inferiour fame as Labirinthus made by Dedalus in Créete of such difficulte worke that he that came in coulde not without guide come out againe Thrée others were made lyke vnto them the one in Egypt which Smilus made the other in Lemnos which Rholus wrought and the thirde in Italy which Theodorus made These .4 Labirinthes were so curiously wrought that Porsenna king of Hetruria toke hence example to make him a monument after death to bury him selfe Againe after these there were other woonderfull workes made by the Kinges of Egypt called Obelisci famous and renowmed buildings that when Cambyses King of Persea at the siege of the citie of Sienna sawe but one of them he was in such an admiration that he thought them inuincible Phyus made one of fortie cubits King Ptholomeo made another of fourescore Cubites in Alexandria and diuers others which for their fame were then counted as marueylous as any of the seuen woonders But let vs speake of sundry buildings aswell of Cities and Townes as also of Temples Houses and Pallaices whose fame thereby long flourished as Romulus by building of Rome Cadmus by building of Thebes a Citie of Beotia in Gréece And Ogdous by the buildyng of the famous Citie of Memphis in Egypt Neither may I escape any sith I tooke vpon me to recite all whose renowmes and names by these their workes do yet liue I must not escape Alexander the great which in his businesse and great warres made a Citie of his name named Alexandria I must not forget King Darius which likewise builded vp Susa a citie in Persea These two Kings though they destroyed thousandes of cities yet they builded some cities Neither may I omit Caesar Augustus which made a famous Citie in memorie of the great victory ouer Antonius and Cleopatra and named it Nicopolis that is in english the city of victory King Ninus an auncient King made the Citie of Niniue within two hundred yeres after the flood of Noah Sichem made Sidon Agenor made Tire Then the worlde waxed populus and Kings began to builde euerye where for the furtheraunce of ciuilitie and encrease of pollicie and wit which the worlde in the beginnyng was very rawe for as the worlde grewe vnto ciuile order and perseueraunce of things so with all Cities and Townes were builded Castles fortified and hye walles raysed for a Bulwarke and a defence vnto the same so by litle and litle the world was full of Cities Then Siracusa was made by Archias The Citie of Argos was made by Phoroneus Laodicea by King Antiochus And so briefely to recite them ouer the noble and famous Citie of Troy in Phrygia was made by Dardanus Arpos a Towne in Apuleia was built by Diomides and so Telegonus builded Tusce in Italy being the sonne of Vlixes a Gréeke Capis likewise made the Citie Capua which Hanniball layde long siege at but lest I might be to long in rehearsing the builders of famous Cities hauing iust occasions to respect the time I wyll ende with Cities and Townes alwayes consydered that women ought not to be forgotten as Semiramis Quéene of Persea whiche builded vp the Citie of Babylon Queene Dido which made the warlyke citie of Carthage King Acrisius daughter Danaes which builded in Italy a great Towne called Arde. Diuers Quéenes and noble women are for the lyke no lesse famous then men were Now pausing a while we will repeate those that encreased the cōmon wealthes and beautified with other kinde of buildinges Amongst other myracles and woonderous workes Mount Atho◠was made of Zerxes Nauigable euen vnto the sea eleuen yeres hée kept thirtie thousande men to bryng his minde to passe Caesar made in one day two famous Bridges the one ouer the riuer called Rheum and the other ouer the riuer called Ara in one day which was almost vncredible Alexander the great made such a Tabernacle at the maryages of the nobles of Macedonia with the women of Persea as Alianus doth witnesse that a thousande Perseans and a thousande Macedonians and fiue hundred with swordes and siluer Targets lodged in that house while the mariages continued Trayan the Emperour made such a Bridge in Danubia that for length breadth and height all the worlde coulde not shewe the like What shoulde I rehearse the Temple which Salamon made in Hierusalem vnto the whiche muste néedes the Ephesians with the Temple of Diana and the Carthagineans with the Temple of Iuno créepe and geue place for princely pallaices and royal dwellyng néedes must Alexander for all his brauery and Clodius house which was the spectacle of of Rome yéelde vnto the golden Hall of Nero but yf finenesse of workes if the rarenesse of skill if I say the worthinesse of woonders might claime place and chalenge iustly fame I shoulde praise Spintharus for the making of y e Temple of Apollo in Delphos or Meleagenes for his worke in Prienna in making y e Temple of Minerua Shoulde I commende Epeus for his cunning about the brasen horse in Troy Shoulde I commende Perillus for his brasē Bull in Agrigentū yea or Vulcanus whom the Poets faine for his skil and knowledge in working he was appointed by Iupiter to work onely for the celestiall gods or the image of Diana in Chios who was so skilfully made that vnto those that came vnto the Temple she séemed glad and ioyful and vnto those that went out of the Temple she séemed sad and angrye Shoulde I prayse the artificiall golden birdes made by y e Sages of Persea or the curious work of Pallas Temple in Ilion No certainly but the worke and inuention of noble nature vnto the which nothing is harde It pierceth the Cloudes it vadeth the Seas it compasseth the whole worlde that is the cunnyng workman the skilfull Carpenter which saith Cicero guideth euery man as a Captayne I might here haue occasion in this place to speake of the worke of nature but that it is néedelesse consyderyng howe familiarly she instructeth any man vnto her workes which is most straunge and marueylous ¶ Of Painting HOrace that learned Poet affirmeth that the like power and dignitie is geuen vnto a Poete as vnto a Painter naming the one a speakyng picture and the other dumbe poesie For painting vnto the ignoraunt was as printyng vnto the learned Where the one vewed with the eye the other read with y e tongue Paintyng and grauing were the auncient monuments of Gréece and so much estéemed that Phydias waxt so famous amongst the Gréekes as Plini doth witnes for that he made the Image of Minerua in Athence so artificially and so subtilly with a great Target in her hande wherein were grauen the warres
such sonnes as Cicero and Homer the one the lampe and lanterne of Rome the other the sugred and sweete Mecenace of al Gréece Thus diligence trauell brought them to fame that being poore men were honoured of riche men being base men were exalted of Princes O happie countries of suche women Oh happie women of such children O wise happie children of suche learning and knowledge The poore smith which was Demosthenes Father and the sillie Potter which was Virgils Father are more renowmed by theyr children this daye being deade then knowne by their owne wealth being aliue Thus muche happened vnto the sillie Smith and vnto the poore potter theyr names shall neuer die while eyther Demosthenes is read or Virgill hearde What might be spoken of that poore Phisition Nichomachus son I meane that famous and learned Philosopher Aristotle which King Phillippe of Macedonia so estéemed that he counted him selfe happie to haue his sonne Alexander the greate borne in Aristotles time whose diligence and studie were such that he had the garde and tuition of that renowmed conquerour Alexander fiue yeres togither which was honored of Alexander and so estéemed of King Phillip that Athens being destroyed by Alexander was restored by Aristotle Suche was the diligence of men their care and industries that their large volumes and infinite bookes are witnesse of their well occupied mindes Howe became Plutarchus maister vnto Traian the Emperour Howe was Seneca appoynted the Tutor and Schoolmaister of the Emperor Nero Howe came Zeno vnto suche fauour with King Antigonus by diligence and not by ydlenesse by trauayle and not by slouthfulnesse by learning and not by ignoraunce Why did that great and famous Romane Scipio surnamed Affricanus estéeme so much the poore Poet Aennaeus aliue that being dead he caused his picture to be set before his eyes as pledge of his great loue and earnest good will Forsooth for paine and trauaile that Aennaeus tooke with Scipio Why did Augustus Caesar that wise and godlye Emperour make so much of Maros bookes but bicause he was in his time y e lampe of Rome he honored no lesse his bookes after he was deade than Octauian embraced him aliue The great King Artaxerxes thought him selfe halfe deade without the company of Hippocrates Pomponius Atti. thought him happy when either Cicero was in his â—ight or some of his bookes in his bosome Alexander neuer went to bedde without Homer vnder his pillowe Who will not prayse the diligence of poore Cleanthes the Philosopher Who will not commende the trauaile of Plautus y e Historiographer the one with a Baker the other with a Bruer brought vp with suche care and paine in the daye time that they might studie in the night time Suche was their pouertie and necessitie that they were vrged to trauayle in the night time such was their desire and affection vnto learning that they were willing to studie in the daye time Who will not extoll Euclides to take such paine and to encur suche daunger to go in the night time in the apparell of a woman because he might not be knowne to heare Socrates reade Philosophie Oh paineful men oh worthye members of their countrie that so sought by diligence that so trauayled by studie and industrye and in fine so founde by witte and reason the redresse of thinges to disperse that defused Chaos which time then sayde Cicero had skant opened the doore therevnto Then after priuate paine and speciail studie of sundrie men in seuerall countries it came to that perfection that from one man in one place diuers grewe learned and pollitickâ— by diligence and trauayle that from Romulus the first builder and King of the Romanes Rome in short time had wise and discréete Councelles to gouerne the Citie From Solon the first law setter after Dracog amongst the Athenians by and by learned and eloquent Oraratours flowed in Athens From Licurgus amongst the Lacedemonians straight grewe modest and graue Senators called Ephori And thus from one in the beginning diuers procéeded foorth in the ende as the Prophets amongst the Egyptians the Gimnosophistes amongst the Indians the Chaldeans amongst the Babilonians the Sages called Magi amongst the Perseans And so of others in other countries And thus by diligence first commended were all men by pilgrimage and labour of life and well recorded in memorie for the payne and studie that eche famous man in life did for his countrey his Prince and his friendes that hauing finished his pilgrimage of lyfe meriteth such fame as shall be to his perpetuall memorie after death Of the first inuentours of artes and of the vse of Soothsaying THE worlde beyng raw and not ripe ignoraunt and not learned rude and barbarous without all ciuile pollicie Nature of it selfe mooued first men to mende maners instructed y e ignorauÌ„t to seeke and search things vnknoweÌ„ which nature wrought in diuers men in sundry countreys a desire to knowledge whereby men practized therwith to the aduauncement and commendation of their Countreys imitatyng as Cicero saith nature as a good guide and a Captaine to finde out which was not knowen And because nature was alwayes desirous to be acquainted with arte as a thing to exornate and beautifie her selfe with knowledge she first inuented letters as the foundation and the grounde whence all learnyng do procéede After first letters were inuented amongst the Hebrues by Philo brought vnto Gréece by Cadmus practised first in Egypt by Mennon from Egypt vnto Phrygia brought by one named Hercules an Egyptian borne Againe amongst the Hetruscans letters were first inueÌ„ted and written by Demaratus a Corinthian Amongst the Romaines as both Plutarchus and Solinus do affirme the Pilagians brought letters and first founde the vse thereof And some aucthours of great credite affirme that Nicostrata the mother of Euander the ArcadiaÌ„ inuented letters first in Rome So Radamanthus in Syria and so others in diuers places of the worlde were studious and carefull to search a way by reason to practise the â—ame by wyt to dispearce that lumpish Chaos which yet for want of knowledge had no perfect forme And now letters beyng inuented came Grammer worthyly to claime the seconde seate of fame Whose begynnyng and enteraunce was celebrated by Epicurus vnto Rome brought by one Crates beyng sent as Embassador from king Attalus vnto the Senators at the tyme of the seconde wars of Carthage This beyng the Well whence flow all other sciences for from the facultie of writyng and the arte of speakyng do the rest procéede Marcobius preferreth Dydimus for his excellency herein Cicero commendeth one named Antonius Enipho whose schole and reading Cicero long frequented The force of Grammer chéefely consisteth in histories and poetry for poetry is so commended that both Moyses that mighty ruler of the Hebrues and Dauid that wise prince of Israel the one in reducyng his
an olde man woulde often go in the colde weather very thinne in a torne cloake without a coate or doublet onely to shew the way vnto young men to be hardie in age by contemning of pleasure and gay apparell in youth Massinissa king of Numidia being more than thréescore yeares of age woulde liuely and valiauntly as Cicero sayth without cappe on heade or shooe on foote in the colde or frostye weather in the winter time trauayle and toyle with the souldiours onelye vnto thys purpose that young souldiours shoulde be hardened thereby in their youth and practise the same for the vse of others when they came to age them selues Ihero King of Sicilia the like example in his olde age being .lxxx. yeares shewed to trayne youth and to bring them vp so in young yeares that they might doe the lyke in their olde ages For this iudged these wise princes that all men couet to imitate Princes and Kinges in their doinges Gorgias the Philosopher and mayster vnto Isocrates the Oratour and to diuers more nobles of Gréece thought him selfe most happie that he being a hundred yeres and seauen was as well in his sences as at anyetime before made so much of age that being asked why hée so delighted in age made aunswere bycause he founde nothing in age that he might accuse age So sayde King Cirus a little before his death being a very olde man that hée neuer felt him selfe weaker than when he was young The like saying is reported of that learned Sophocles who being so olde that he was accused of his owne children of follie turned vnto the Iudges and sayde If I be Sophocles I am not a foole if I be a foole I am not Sophocles meaning that in wisemen the sences waxed better by vse and exercising the same vnto the vse of yong men for we prayse sayth Cicero the olde man that is somewhat young and we commend againe the young man that is somewhat aged The olde is commended that hath his young fresh witte at commaundement the young is praised that is sober sage in his doings When M Crassus a noble Capitaine of Rome béeing a verye olde man tooke in hande to warre against the Parthians strong and stout people being by Embassadours warned of his age and admonished to forsake warres hée aunswered stoutly the Embassadour of the Partheans and sayde when I come vnto Seleutia your Citie I will aunswere you One of the Embassadours named Agesis an aged man stretched forth his hande and shewed the palme of hys hand vnto Crassus saying Before thou shalt come within the Citie of Seleutia bristles shall growe out of thys hande The stoutnesse of Marcus Crassus was not so much but the magnanimitie of Agesis was as much and yet eyther were olde men What courage was in Scaeuola to withstande that firebrande of Rome Silla which after he had vrged the Senatours to pronounce Marius enimie vnto Italy hée béeing an olde aged man aunswered Silla in this sort Though diuers be at the commaundementes of the Senatours and that thou art so compassed with souldiours at thy becke yet thou nor all thy souldiours shall euer make Scaeuola being an olde man for feare of loosing some olde blood pronounce Marius by whom Rome was preserued and Italy saued to be enimie vnto these The like historie wée reade that when Iulius Caesar had by force of armes aspired vnto the offâ—ce of a Dictator and came vnto the Senate house where fewe Senatours were togither the Emperour Caesar desirous to know the cause of their absence Considius an aged father of Rome sayde that they feared Caesar and his souldiours Whereat the Emperour musing a while sayde Why did not you in likewise tarye at home fearing the same bicause sayde hée age and time taught me neyther to feare Caesar nor yet his souldiers For as Brusonius saith there are young mindes in olde men for though Milo the great wrestler in the games of Olimpia waxed olde and wept in spite of his deade limmes bruised bones yet he sayde his minde florished was as young as euer it was before Solon hath immortall praise in Gréece for his stoutnesse in his age for when Pisistratus had taken in hande to rule the people of Athens and that it was euident ynough that tyranny should procéede therby Solon in his latter daies hauing great care vnto his countrey when that no man durst refuse Pysistratus came before his doore in harnâ—sse and calde the citizens to withstand Pysistratus for age sayd he mooueth mée to be so valiaunt and stout that I had rather lose my life than my countrey should lose their libertie What vertue then wée sée to be in age what wisedome in time what corage in olde men The examples of these olde men stirre and prouoke many to imitate their steps insomuch diuers wished to be olde when they were yet young to haue the honour as age then had wherefore King Alexander the great spying a young man couloring his heares gray sayde It behooueth thée to put wittes in coulour and to alter thy minde The Lacedemonians people that past all nations in honouring age made lawes in their Cities that the aged men shoulde be so honored and estéemed of the young men euen as the parents were of the children that when a straunger came vnto Lacedemonia and sawe the obedience of youth towarde age he sayde In this countrie I wishe onely to be olde for happie is that man that waxeth olde in Lacedemonia for in the great games of Olimpia an olde man wanting a place went vp and downe to sit some where but no man receyued but the Lacedemonians which not onely there young men also their aged gaue place vnto his graye heares but then also the Embassaders of Lacedemonia being there present did reuerence him and toke him vnto their seate which when he came in hée spake a loude O you Athenians you knowe what is good and what is badde for that which you people of Athens sayde hée doe professe in knowledge the same doth the Lacedemonians put in practice Alexander being in his warres with a great army in Persea and méeting an old man by the way in the colde weather in ragged rent clothes lighted from his horse and sayde vnto him Mount vp into a princes saddle which in Persea is treason for a Persean to do but in Macedonia commendable letting to vnderstande how age is honored and olde men estéemed in Macedonia and howe of the contrarie wealth and pride is fostred in Persea for where men of experiences and aged yeares are sette naught by there cannot be that wisdome beareth rule Howe many in the Empire of Rome ruled the Citie gouerned the people of those that were very aged men as Fabius Maximus who was thréescore yeres and two in his last Consulship Valerius Corunnus which was sixe times a Consull in Rome a very olde man which
Testament that Adam our first father liued nine hundred and thirtie yeres and Eua his wife as many Seth nine hundred and twelue yeres Seth his sonne called Enos nine hundred and fiue Cainan the sonne of Enos nine hundred and tenne Malalehell the sonne of Cainan right hundred fourscore and fiftéene So Enoch the son of Iared liued nine hundred théescore and fiue yeres Enoch his sonne named Mathusalem liued nine hundred thréescore and nine with diuers of the first age I meane vntill Noahs time which began the seconde world after the floode and liued as we reade nine hundred and fiue yeres His sonne Sem sixe hundred yeres and so lineally from father vnto son as from Sem vnto Arphaxad froÌ„ Arphaxad vnto Sala from Sala vnto Heber the least liued aboue thrée hundred yeres This I thought for better credite and greater proofe of olde age to drawe out of the olde testameÌ„t that other prophane autorities might be beléeued as Tithonius whom the Poetes faine that he was so oulde that he desired to become a Grashopper But bicause age hath no pleasure in the worlde frequenteth no banquets abhorreth lust loueth no wantonnes which sayth Plato is the only bayte that deceyue young men so much the happier age is that age doth loath that in tyme which young men neyther with knowledge with wit nor yet with councell can auoyde What harme hath happened from time to time by young men ouer whom lust so ruled that euersion of common wealthes treason of Princes friends betrayed countries ouerthrowne kingdomes vanquished all y e world almost through pleasure perished Therfore Cicero sayth in his booke entituled of olde age at what time he was in the citie of Tarâ—ntuÌ„ being a young man with F. Maximê° that hée bare one lesson from TarentuÌ„ vnto the youth of Rome where Architas the Tarentine saide that nature bestowed nothing vpon man so hurtfull vnto him selfe so dangerous vnto his countrie as luste or pleasure For when C. Fabritius was sent as an Embassador from Rome vnto Pirrhê° king of Epire being then the Gouerner of the citie Tarentum a certaine man named Cineas a ThessaliaÌ„ borne being in disputation with Fabritius about pleasure saying that he heard a Philosopher of Athens affirming that all which we doe is to be referred vnto pleasure which when M. Curius and Titus Coruncanus hearde they desired Cineas to perswade the King Pirrhus in that to yéelde vnto pleasure and make the Samnits beléeue that pleasure ought to be estéemed whereby they knew if that King Pirrhus or the Samnites being then great enimies vnto the Romanes were adicted vnto lust or pleasure that then soone they myght be subdued and destroyed For that nothing hindereth magnanimitie or resisteth vertuous enterprises so much as pleasure as in the treatise of pleasure it shall at large more appeare Why then how happie is olde age to dispise and contemne that which youth by no meanes can auoyde yea to loath and abhor that which is most hurtfull vnto it selfe For Cecellius contemned Caesar with all his force saying vnto the Emperour that two thinges made him nothing to estéeme the power of the Emperour Age and witte Castritius wayed nothing at al the threatning of C. Carbo being then Consull at Rome which though hée sayd hée had many friendes at commaundement yet Castritius aunswered and sayde that he had likewise many yeres which his friendes might not feare Therfore a wiseman sometime wept for that man dieth within fewe yeres and hauing but little experience in his olde age he is then depriued thereof For the Crowe liueth thrise as long as the man doth The Harte liueth foure times longer than the Crow The Rauen thrise againe liueth longer than the Hart. The Phaenix nine times longer than the Rauen And therefore bicause birdes doe liue longer time than man doth in whome there is no vnderstanding of their yeres But man vnto whom reason is ioyned before he commeth vnto any grounde of experience when hée beginneth to haue knowledge in thinges hée dieth and thus endeth hée his toyling pilgrimages and trauayle in fewer yeres than diuers beastes or birdes doe ¶ Of the maners of sundrie people and of their strange life THe sundrie fashion and varitie of maners the straunge lyfe of people euerye where through the worlde dispersed are so depainted and set foorth amongst the writers that in shewing the same by naming eche countrey and the people therof orderly their custome their maners their kinde of liuing something to signifie howe diuers the maners of men bée Therefore I thought briefely to touch and to note euery countrey in their due order of liuing and to beginne with the Egyptians people most auncient and most expert in all sciences that Macrobius the writer calleth the countrey of Egypt the nourse and mother of all Artes for all the learned Gréekes haue had their beginning from Egypt euen as Rome had from Gréece This people obserue their dayes by accouÌ„t of houres from midnight vnto midnight They honour the Sunne and the moone for theyr Goddes for they name the Sunne Osiris and the Moone Isis Their féeding was of fishe broyled in the heate of the Sunne with hearbes and with certaine foules of the ayre They lyue a thousande yeares but it is to be vnderstanded that they number their yeares by the Moone The men beare burthens vppon theyr heades and the women vpon their breastes and shoulders The men make water sitting the women standing The Crocodill is that beast which they moste estéeme that being deade they burie him A Sowe is that beast which they most detest that if anye part of their clothes touche a Sowe they straight will pull of their clothes and washe them ouer They are blacke people most commonly slender and very hastie Curtius call them sedicious vaine very subtill in inuention of thinges and much giuen to wine The Aethiopians people that liue without lawes and reason seruauntes and slaues vnto al men selling their children vnto merchauntes for corne their héere long with knottes and curled The Indians people of two muche libertie as Herodot sayth accompanying their women in open sight neyther sowe they nor builde neyther kill they any liuing beast but féede of barly breade and hearbes They hange at their eares small pearles and they decke their armes wrestes and neckes with golde Kinges of India are much honoured when they come abroade their wayes set and deckt with fresh flowers swéete odours and men in armes folowing their Chariots made of Margarits stones and men méeting with frankinsence And when their king goeth to bed their harlottes bring them with songues and mirth making their prayers vnto their Goddes of darckenesse for the good rising of their King Againe the children kill theyr parentes when they waxe olde Their maydes and young damoselles of India are brought abroade amongst the young men to choose them their husbandes When any man dieth his wife wil dresse hir selfe most brauest for
with simplicitie and slauerye The Carthaginean false and deceitfull The Babilonian wicked and corrupted The Persean a drunkarde and a glutton The Sycilian warye and trustye so the cruelnesse of the Caspians the filthinesse of the Lesbians the dronkennesse of the Scythians the fornication of the Corinthians the rudenesse of the Boetians the ignoraunce of the Symmerians the beastlinesse of the Sybarites the hardinesse of y e Lacedemonians the delicacie of the AtheniaÌ„s and y e pride glory of the Romanes Thus we reade that the Spaniards be the greatest trauellers the greatest despisers The Italian prowde and desirous to reuenge The Frenchman pollitike and rashe The Germain a warriour The Saxon a dissembler The Sweuian a light talkatiue person The Brytaine a busie bodie The Cimbrian sedicious and horrible The Boemian vngentle and desirous of newes The Vandall a mutable wrangler The Bauarian a flouter and a scoffer Thus much are incident vnto the aforesayd nations by nature But bicause in this place it were somewhat vnto the purpose to delare the glorie and state of Româ— which of al the world we estéemed feared And for that Rome had more enimies than all the whole worlde beside to shewe briefely how they florished how theyr fame spreade and their glorie grew I thinke it expedient not medling with the antiquitie thereof in the time of Ianus and Cameses but touching their fame by doing of wars in the time of Romulus which being begotten of Mars of Rhea a Uestall Uirgin was the first builder of that Citie also King thereof This king Romulus warred on the Sabins after he had elected a hundred Senatours to discerne and iudge causes of the Citie to defende Iustice and practise the same and to punish vice wronges according to the law of Plato who willed euery common welth to be gouerned with reward vnto the vertuous and punishement vnto the vicious Againe he appoynted certaine souldiers vnto the number of one M. to be in a redinesse alwaies to defend the Citie After Romulus succéeded Numa Pompilius the seconde King a man very religious and pitifull hée in his time made lawes to obserue rites sacrifices and ceremonies to worship their gods He made Bishops and Priestes he appointed the Uestal Uirgines and all that belong thervnto Thirdly came Tullius Hostilius to bée king in Rome whose felicitie was onely to teache the youth of Rome the discipline of warfare stirred them woonderfully to exercise and practise the same Then fourthly succéeded An. Martius with the like industry and care for the further and surer state of the City in raising the hie walles of Rome in a Bridge vpon the riuer Tiber in amending and beautifiyng all the stréetes in Rome The fift King was Torquinius Priscus which though hée was a straunger borne of Corinth yet hée encreased the pollicy of the Romanes with the wit of Gréece hée triumphed ouer the people of Tusk and enlarged the fame of Rome much more then it was To this came next Seruius Tullius which was the sixt and Torquinius superbus the seuenth and last King of Rome who for his misgouernment and lust in the Citie against the chaste matrones for the pride and infringement of the libertie hauing withall rauished Lucrecia Collatinus wife was at length after long rule and gouernment banished Rome The first alteration and chaunge of state was then after these seauen Kinges gouerned Rome two hundred yeres and a halfe which was the first infancie of Rome Then Collatinê° and Brutus after these kings were exiled a iust reuengement of their libertie and honest life were the first Consuls in Rome they I say altering the gouernment of the Citie from a Monarchy vnto a kinde of gouernment called Aristocratia which continued in Rome from the time of Brutus and Collatinus vntyll the time of Appius Claudius and Quintus Fuluius which was two hundred yeres In this season during this two hundred yeres was Rome most assailed of all kinde of enimies stirred vnto wars of all nations for the space of two hundred yeres and a halfe Then Appius Claudius forgetting the law that he him selfe made in Rome against fornication forgetting the rauishment of Lucrecia and the banishment of Torquinius for breaking of the same against all right and reason willyngly and wilfully rauished Virginia the daughter of Virginius which after that hir owne father slue hir in the open sight of Rome the cause being knowen vnto all the Citie the power of Virginius and the populer state which alwayes had the gouernment of Rome vnder them with straight in armes to reuenge the wronges and iniuries against lawes committed and to defende likewise the lawes Euen as the Kinges before named were exiled and banished Rome for the rauishment of Lucretia so now the tenne Commissioners called Decemviri were likewise excluded and reiected for the rauishement of Virginia ¶ Of the straunge natures of vvaters earth and fire IN diuers learned Histories wée reade and specially in Plini of the woonders of waters and of the secrete and vnknowen nature of fire which for the rare sight therof and for that it doth degenerate from things knowen therein are noted thinges to bée marueyled at as certen water in the countrey of Campania where if any mankinde wyll enter therein it is written that he shall incontinent bée reft of his sences And if any womankinde happen to go vnto that water she shall alwayes afterwarde bée barren In the same countrey of Campania there is a lake called Auernus where all fléeing Fowles of the ayre that flée ouer that lake fall presentlye therein and die A Well there is in Caria called Salmacis whose water if any man drinke therof he becommeth chaste and neuer desireth the company of a woman The riuer Maeander doth bréede such a kinde of stone that being put cloase vnto a mans heart it doth straight make him mad There are two ryuers in Boetia the one named Melas whose water causeth staight any beast that drinketh therof if it be white to alter colour vnto blacke the other Cephisus whiche doth change the black beast vnto a white beast by drinking of the water Againe there is in India a standing water where nothing may swimme beast birde man or any liuing creature else drowneth this water is called Silia In Affrica on the contrary part there is the water named Apustidamus where nothing bée it neuer so heauy or vnapt to swimme that drowneth but all kinde of thinges doth swimme leade or any heauy mettall doth swimme in that lake as it is in the Well of Phinitia in Sicilia Infinite waters shoulde I recite if I in this woulde be tedious in repeating their names whose strange natures whose secrete and hidden operation whose force and vertue were such as healed diuers diseases as in the Isle of Auaria there was a water that healed the collicke and the stone By Rome there was
ioyne these Legendes of lyes of olde women with friuolous figmentes of Poets which likewise affirme the like folly of fiery Phlegeton of frostye Cocytus of the water of Stygia of the flood Lethes and of Acheronta with other such when all Paganicall rites and fonde foolishe obseruations first grewe I meane of fables of the Poets and not by the reading of the holy Scriptures O blinde baiardes in séeking that which they coulde neuer finde so And as they coulde prooue and say that the body came out of the earth the moysture out of the water â—he breath of man by the ayre and the heate of man by the fire so coulde they not know the worker thereof how wit and wisedome came from God how all things was made by him of nothing This knew they not not that they wanted learnyng but that they wanted grace They could appoint planets in their seuerall places in their due seates and iust Mansions as Iupiter in the liuer Saturne in the splene Mars in blood Sol in the heart the Moone in the stomacke and Venus in the reynes but they coulde not agrée in appointing a place for the soule They coulde likewise appoint seates for the bodies superiour in man as the Ramme in the head the Bull in the necke and the Crab in the heart the Lion in the breast and the fishe in the foote and so of others but they coulde in no wise find a seate for the soule True is it saide that God reuealeth wisedome vnto babes and hideth the same vnto the sages of the worlde â–ª Hence groweth the beginning of all heresies according vnto the prouerb The greatest Philosophers the greatest Heretickes Hereby I say grewe almost the inuention of Philosophie coequall vnto the veritie of the gospell from the which Paule the Apostle crieth vpon all men to take héede of flattering Philosophers If in this place I shoulde shewe their opinions concerning our God and Creatour I should séeme tedious For Diagoras and Theodorus affirme that there is no God Epicurus iudged that there is a God but that he had no care ouer earthly things Thales sayd that God was a minde which made all things of water Cleanthes supposed God to be the ayre onely Alcineon iudged the Sunne the Moone and the stars to be onely God Parmenides maketh God to be a continuall circle of light which is called Stephanen Crisippus nameth God a deuine necessitie Anaxagoras supposeth God to be an infinite minde mooueable by it selfe so doth Pythagoras likewise iudge Yea Aristotle imagined God to be of proper nature as the worlde or the heate of the Heauens or the diuinitie of the minde which eyther of these three he nameth God and so infinite are they that so simply conceaue the maiesty of Godhead that farre wiser had they séemd vnto vs by silence therin then by vttering of suche fonde phantasticall opinions where too much errour and folly are vnto all men euident ¶ Of vvorshipping of gods and religion of Gentyles NVma Pompilius the seconde king of Rome being studious to drawe the ignoraunt and rude people to some profession of religion was the first that appointed sacrifices vnto Iupiter and vnto Mars In Rome euen hée elected viâ—gines vnto Vesta and appointed certen orders in choosing of the same None by the lawe of Numa might bée taken vnder sixe-yeres olde and none aboue terme to bée a Vestal virgin which virgines should bée thirty â—eâ—eâ— religious and vowed vnto Vesta of the which thirtâ— yeres the first tenne yeres â–ª they shoulde learne the orâ—â—der and fashion of the sacrifices and religion of the goddesse Vesta The seconde tenne yeres they shoulde sacrifice and employ the ceremonies with rites and â—onours belonging vnto Vesta â–ª The thirde tenne yeres they shoulde as graue Matrones learne the others 〈◊〉 chosen to bée perfect in the rites ceremonies of Vesta â–ª Then if any of them woulde marry they might after thirty yeres continuaunce so do If any of these Vestal virgines were conuicted of whordome the law was â–ª in open sight of the City of Rome she shoulde bée brought vnto the gate called Collina and there aliue be burned Againe if the fire at any time in the Temple had gone out by any meanes their kepers with scurges shoulde whip and scurge them almost vnto death The same Numa to make the people more religious appointed twelue men called Salij with painted garmentes singing verses in the praise commendations of God Mars with solempne dauncing and playing rounde about the City Amongst other sacred orders hée made certen Priestes called Feciales these punished offendours these reuenged the wronges of Legates these redressed all iniuries offered and committed within the City of Rome these Priestes appointed rites and ceremonies made sacrifices vnto the goddesse Bona Dea in a Temple erected vnto their goddesse vppon mount Auentine here might no men come to do sacrifice but all women Of this goddesse Bona Dea doth Cicero make oft mention in diuers of his orations and inuectiuos made against diuers pernicious and wicked of the City as Cutelin Clodius and others There was in Rome another kinde of religion dedicated vnto Flora the sacrifice whereof was called Floralia This Flora as both Liuius and Dionisius do report was a common strumpet which for that she made the whole citie of Rome her hâ—yre â–ª being wealthy at her death she was therefore thought to bée of the Romanes the goddesse of fruites and was honoured of all the lewde women in braue garlandes decked with all of flowres in gorgeous apparell and this was done in the moneth of May. The goddesse Ceres began then to bée famous for she had hir feasâ—es and sacrifices named Cerealia by the Priestes appointed she was thus honored the Priestes in white garments and with lanternes and firebrands in the night time woulde come vnto the Temple they abstayned from Wine and auoyded venery for a certen time they had appointed euery fift yere a great fasting Minerua likewise began to haue such honour in Rome that she had thrée seueral kindes of sacrifices one of a Bull the seconde of a Crane the thirde of a Weather The Romanes did celebrate in the beginning of the spring such feastes and sacrifices vnto Berecynthia called the mother of the goddesse that euery man did offer of the chiefest thing that hée did possesse to pleasure their goddesse There were diuers other kindes of sacrifices and vaine supersticious ceremonies obserued then in Rome whose beginninges procéeded from the inuention of deuyls which of long time were honoured as gods for then men sought no helpe but of their gods which were rather deuyls as Polidorus in his fourth booke affirmeth of a certen rich man in Rome which had thrée of his sonnes sore sicke of the plague this man was named Valesius who euerye night at whome in his house besought his housholde goddes called Penates to saue his children
vnto Iulius proculus charging him to erect him vp a Temple in that place where hée walked saying that hée was now a god and that his name was Quirinus Remus likewise king Romulus his brother appearing vnto Faustulus and to his wife Laurentia somtime his nource complayning of his miserable death desiring them to make labour that the same day wherin hée was slaine might bée accompted amongst their Holydayes for that hée was canonized amongst the goddes Wée reade in Lucan how that the soules of Silla and Marius two famous and renowmed Romanes were alwayes walking and appearing vnto men before they were purged by sacrifice for the deuyls made the people beléeue when the bodies shoulde bée buryed with all funerall due therevnto belonging the soules shoulde haue rest to practise superstition amongst them as you hearde a little before What complaint made Hector and King Patroclus vnto Achilles What request made Palinurus and Deiphobus vnto Aneas which Homer and Vergil write of for the buriall of their bodies Suetonius writyng of the liues of Emperours sheweth how Caligula sometime Emperour in Rome after he was dead being halfe burned and buried for that hée wanted due solempnity of buriall appeared in the Gardens of Rome called Lauriani to the kéepers troublyng and molestyng them very much vntyll his sisters caused him to be taken vp and commaunded he shoulde bée throughly burned and solemnly buried There was in Athens by report an excellent faire house to sale for that no man durst dwell within it for about midnight continuallye there was hearde sounde noyse clashing of armour and clattering of chaines and there appeared an image or shape like an olde man leane and lothsome to beholde with a long bearde staring heares and feattered legges This house hauyng a péece of paper vppon the doore written of the sale therof for that no man woulde venture to dwell Athenodorus a Philosopher returnyng from Rome where hée aboode a long time with the Emperour Augustus Caesar vnto Athens and reading the writing vpon the doore hée hired the house and commaunded his seruaunt to make his bed in the highest chaumber in the house where hée setleth him selfe to marke and beholde things that woulde happen being thus in study first hée hearde the sounde and ratling of chaines and then hée an olde man begging towarde him to folow the Philosopher went after him with his candle in his hande into an inner court where the image left him alone and vanished Athenodorus tâ—e next morning caused the rulers of the Citie to digge vp that place where they founde diuers bones of dead men these were commaunded by the Philosopher to bee burned solemnly which afterwarde was quiet and styll without either noyse or sight Thus the deuyll soweth the séede of supersticion and maketh oftentimes his aungels to worke miracles What straunge workes did that coniurer Bileam bring to passe by the meanes of deuyls What woonders wrought that wicked Appolonius by the helpe of Satan What maruayles showes and sightes did Simon Magus vse by the industry of false spirites What did not Pharoes sorcerers oftentimes attempt by perswasion of deuils marke their ende and iudge of their life the one breaking his necke the other drowned in the red Sea and so the rest ended their liues miserably To many haue béene and I feare are yet that geue credite vnto such vaine illusions and phantasticall sightes ¶ Of dreames and warnings AMongst the Gentiles dreames were so obserued that the vaine superstition noting of the same was the whole trust and hope of their countries friendes and liues that when the kings of India take theyr rest they are brought to bead with all kinde of melodie and harmonie euerye man knéeling vpon his knées beséeching Morpheus the God of sléepe to reueale those thinges vnto their King that shoulde be commodious and profitable vnto the subiectes They thought themselues well instructed when eyther by Oracles they were perswaded or else by visions suggested King Pirrhus knewe well that hys dying daye was at hande when hée besieged the Citie of Argos and sawe in the market place a brasen Woolfe and a Bull which the Argyues for memory of thinges past and auncient monumentes had put vp for he by an Oracle had to vnderstande at what time he shoulde sée a Bull and a Woolfe fighting togither hée shoulde then prepare himselfe to die Alexander the great after that the Oracle of Iupiter Ammonius was pronounced that hée shoulde be vnconquered hée doubted not but to subdue the whole worlde and so trusted more vnto the Oracle of Iupiter than he mistrusted the mutability of Fortune tooke vpon him the conquest of all the world attempting nothing at al without some Oracle or dreame hadde warned him therevnto for before the great conquerour Alexander had séene Hercules in his sléepe reaching out of the wall his hand promising hym his ayde and helpe in his warres hée had not so boldely attempted so hye an enterprise without feare and dreade of his enimies Unto Hanibal after long perturbation of minde with great industrie and studie how he might annoye and destroye the Romane Empire appeared a young man of woonderfull beawtie who warned him that Iupiter sent him as a Capitaine before Hanibal into Italy whereby straight hée was encouraged the rather to take the charge in hande hoping thereby to enioye triumphant victorie ouer hys enimies Caesar that mightie Prince and Monarch and the first Emperour that euer possessed Rome thought in his sléepe that hée committed fornication with his mother which when it was opened by Southsayers that it was the earth that was his mother and that hée shoulde suppresse all the Princes of the earth vnder him euen as he thought in his sléepe of hys mother he was hée was enflamed thereby to rayse warres and most cruelly allured to murther eyther perswading himselfe to be subiect vnto all men or else a conquerer ouer all the worlde After that noble and renowmed Gréeke Themistocles was exiled from Athens and banished quite the confines of Gréece hauing doone such seruice and honour vnto his countrie as Plutarch worthilye mentioneth for the subduing of prowde Zerxes king of Persea the great enimie of all Gréece béeing in great perill and daunger of life in straunge countrie hée séemed to sée in his sléepe a Dragon creaping vpward from his belly towarde his face which assone as the Dragon touched his face he was chaunged as he thought vnto an Eagle and caried by the Eagle a great way thorough the ayre vnto a strange countrie where the Eagle gaue him a goldeÌ„ staffe in hand so left him wherby streight he was enformed that he was not onely deliuered from all daungers but also shoulde be sought for of all Gréece to the encrease of fame and augmentation of honour Brutus cleane contrarie after much good successe and prosperous fortune after he murthered Caesar at length he was in his slepe by a
which his predicessor had hidde made his prayer vnto God that he might neuer die before he hadde spent all that money which he founde The Couetous gathereth not for him selfe but for an other which he knoweth not A Couetous man musing and studying alwaies how he might liue being constrayned to mooue from one bedde vnto another for payne and toyle hée tooke in mind his wife demaunding the cause of his restlesse state to whome he sayd Wife I studie how I maye ende this yeare and I sée that I haue sufficient for all the yeare sauing for one daye and for that daye onely I vexe and molest my selfe to know how I may discharge that day his wife comforted him with all meanes shée coulde but he coulde not be at reste At length he founde this sleight calling his wife vp vnto him priuily sayde what I haue determined to doe thou shalt vnderstande wife that daye which I haue tolde you of I will take vpon mée to die that thereby with wéeping and sadnesse without meate and drinke we will escape the charges thereof which being done of his wife and layde vnder the Table the seruauntes and the familie comming fro the fielde astonied at the sodaine chaunce saying their Pater noster after long sadnesse at length called for meate the wife wéeping aunswered them that they shoulde mourne that daye for their mayster but hungrie seruauntes gréedie of vittayles woulde néedes haue meate the man heauing his heade vp and putting by the Carpet to sée whether they were at meate one of the seruauntes espied him and supposing him to be the Deuill that was with his Maysters corpes hée tooke a great staffe and brainde his Mayster in stéede of the Diuell the good wife cryed and sayde that he had killed hir husbande he denied and saide it was the diuell The matter being brought before the Iudge who vnderstanding the life of that couetous man was perswaded that the Diuell watcht with the bodie and that the good wife was deceyued ANother being sicke of the palsey and like to die was admonished of his kinsmen and fréendes to receyue the sacrament and to thinke of his soule the sicke man being so weake coulde not speake nor make no signes vnto his freendes for all that they could do At length one of the house which well knew his nature sayde that if any life were in him hée woulde make him either speake or geue signes tooke the Keye from his beddes head and went about to open his Coffer which stoode at his beddes foote full of money the couetous sicke man with head féete and with all his body made tokens and signes that his soule was there and that if his money shoulde be taken away hée shoulde presently dye THe like examples of another couetous man whiche when the priest according vnto the custome in those dayes woulde annoint him being sicke and like to dye he perceyuing scant that hee was touched for his imbecilitie and weaknesse his minde more occupied on his purse then on his sicknesse was woont to say féeling the Priestes hande Who toucheth my purse ANother great Prince was so couetous that being besieged in a certen Citie called Baldac of a strong King hauing money sufficient wealth substaunce abundant within the Cittie for very desire hée had to kéepe the money he lost the Citie and being taken captiue was demaunded of the King why he suffred his citie to be subdued his souldiours slaine and himselfe to be taken hauing so much wealth within the Citie as might defende the Cittie saue the men and kéepe himselfe from Captiuitie he being not able to aunswere the cause helde his peace The King perceyuing hys couetous minde to be the cause of all destruction sayde Come tell me where thy money is and being brought to a huge tower where he caried his money to saue shewed the King where the money was The King tooke the keye and lockt him fast with his money in the hie Tower saying I will neuer do thée that iniurie to take thée away from that which thou louest better than thy life commaunding no man vppon paine of death to beare him eyther meate or drinke and so most wretchedly suffred him to die for hunger hauing golde and siluer ynough lying by him Examples of hearing VAlerius reciteth a History of a certen young man of Athens named Polemus giuen much to â—anqueting and drinking being allured vnto all pleasures hauing his felicitie in eating and drinking and fine clothing comming vnto the schoole of Anaxagoras being so well charged with Wine and so braue in apparell that the schollers of Anaxagoras stomaked him for his dronkennesse to come there but Anaxagoras perceyuing the case of Polemus left to speake of that which he then hadde in hande and turned his talke to speake of that temperancie and sobrietie which when Polemus hearde so learnedly and skilfullye hée threwe downe his Garlande from his heade hée chaunged hys countenaunce wayled his former life and from that time forewarde Polemus liued honestly VLisses willing to auoyde the swéete songs of flattering Cirses fearing lest the like shoulde happen vnto him as it did vnto diuers others stopt his eares and his seruauntes with waxe and so auoyded the danger thereof So to heare good and holsome things with Polemus it is fruitefull and to heare flatterie lette all men stoppe their eares with Vlisses ¶ Examples of discorde IN a certen I le there dwelt some Hermettes which for discorde and inwarde contention the Mise of the I le consumed their victualles that they were enforced to make agréement of them selues in so much Apollonius willing to trauell in making some friendes that were foes one of the parties sayde that hée had rather die than to be made friendes Well sayde Apollonius and die thou shalt and thy graue shall be the bellies of wilde beastes and flying foules and euen that night hée died sodainely and was deuoured of beastes as Apollonius sayde for his Tigrishe and cruell minde ¶ Examples of friendshippe THere were two friendes the one an Egyptian the other a Citizen of Baldac this Egyptian making much of his friende and so well loued him that nothing which he hadde wanted him By fortune this Egiptian waxed poore and so néedie that he was enforced to come vnto the Cittie Baldac to knowe what his friende woulde doe for him and being ashamed of his poore estate watching a conuenient time to present him vnto his friende went all night vnto a Barne to sléepe that night a murther was committed and a man slaine caried by chaunce into the Barne where being founde in the morning this poore Egyptian was accused before the Iudges that hée murthered the man and being iudged to die his friende being on the bench calling to minde that it was hée that made much of him in Egypt forthwith rose and sayde that it was not that man that slue the man but euen hée himselfe The other denayed affirming that he was iustly condemned and that
be enforced of their foes to doe what thei would as Themistocles beyng banished froÌ„ his countrie Athens when he did deserue wel life and honor beyng in seruice with Artaxerxes kyng of Persia poisoned hym self with the bloud of a Bulle in presence of all the Persians lest he should be compelled to fight in warres againste Grece his countrey Euen so Aratus Prince of Sicionia perceiuyng Philip the yonger should banishe and exile hym out of his countrey was enforced to drinke his owne death out of his one hande Euen after this sort after long administration of common wealth after greate honour had and after Princely dignities possessed with worthie renowme and same receiued did noble Socrates learned Anaxagoras worthie Seneca famous Demosthenes poison them selues Thus their pilgrimages were ended and their liues finished their honor and dignitie their fame and renoume did purchase them death Happie theÌ„ are those whom the worlde knowe not ne yet desire to be acquainted with the worlde but quiete and contented doe trauaile their Pilgrimage Had not Iugurtha thrusted for the kyngdome of Numidia he had not slain his two brethren Adherbales and Hiemphales which wer partakers of the croune for the whiche vengeance sell vpon hym he had not comen vnto cruell Marius hande to bee subdued neither had he died in prison Had not king Syphax thursted the Empire of Rome he had neuer been taken captiue and prisoner with Tyburus where he at lengthe out of his kyngdome died in prisone Henry the thirde was of his owne soonne named Henry again putte in prison where he died Aristonicus for all his businesse and greate doynges was vanquished by the Consull Aquilus and put in prison where likewise he died In prison diuers princes ended life in foreine countries diuers kindes of deathes sondrie plagues happen vpon princes more then vpon man els as orderly I meane to proue by their Pilgrimages and liues Some by fire as the Emperour Phalaris of Agrigentin who was burned with all his children and his wife in the brasen Bulle whiche Perillus made for others and when Perillus firste assaied this newe inuented worke before all others and after him the Emperour hym self was put therein By fire was the Emperour Valentine burned of the Gothes by fire was that famous Gréeke Alcibiades destroied in Phrigia burned in bedde with his woman Tymandra after he had ruled Athens and all Grece a longe while thus was his ende Sardanapalus that greate kyng and laste prince of Assiria fearyng to fal vnto the handes of Arbactus and detestyng to die by his enemies made a solempne fire where he after long leude life wantoning in luste and followyng his desire burned hym self it was the ende of that renoumed man Hercules whiche conquered Monsters subdued Serpentes Lions Dragons and wilde beastes to dye by wearyng of Nessus therte the Centaur whiche burned hym a liue To speake of Prince Boges the deare frende sometyme of kyng Xerxes which when he knewe that he could not escape the hande of Cimon and the power of Athens he made greate fire where he caused his wife and concubins his children and familie to be burned and then his gold siluer and treasure and last of all burned him self Empedocles Catulus Luctatius Asdrubal and Portia died this death I maie not be tedious in recityng to many names but some to shewe and to write that did take a part of sondrie plagues diuers deathes So desirous wer men alwaies to become princes so ambitious of honour so gready of wealthe that hauyng the name of a king thei thought to auoide and escape that whiche alwaies waâ—teth harde at the heeles of Princes I meane death were not Princes hanged of their owne subiectes whiche is the vilest and moste ignomious death that can bee Achaeus kyng of Lidia for that he troubled his subiectes with newe taskes and Subsidies he was hanged of his owne Subiectes ouer the riuer Pactolus Bomilchar a Prince of Libia beyng suspected of his owne countrey men the Carthaginians that he had conspired with Agathocles vnto the annoyaunce of the subiectes was hanged in the citie of Carthage in the middest of the Markette Policrates who was supposed to bée the happiest Prince that euer reigned in Samos who neuer sustained any losse by Fortune at length was by Oroetes the Persian kyng Darius generall hanged in open sight of Samos Herodotus dooeth affirme that Leonides that famous kyng of Sparta that long ruled the Lacedemonians with great fame and renowme was by Xerxes kyng of Persia after his heade was smitten of commaunded notwithstandyng to be hanged Trogus dooth write of Hanno a Prince of Carthage whiche flourished in the tyme of kyng Philippe father to Alexander the greate whiche for his prosperous successe Fortune and lucke that he had in all his attemptes he waxed to be suche a tyrauÌ„t that his owne people firste bounde hym with coardes whipt hym with roddes pluckt out his eyes brake his legges cutte of his handes and at laste to recompence his Tyrannie thei hanged hym vp in Carthage These were no meane men that thus were hanged in their owne Countrey of their owne people But honoure which is alwaies ambitious doeth bryng this to passe euery where These Princes were in the middeste of life arrested by death and by diuers kindes of death Some as you haue heard with poison some with fire some with hangyng haue ended their Pilgrimages some againe were deuoured of their owne horses as Diomedes kyng of Thracia was foode hym self vnto those beastes whiche before he fedde with mennes bodies The kyng of Eubaea for his tyrannie in Boaetia was giuen by Hercules to be eaten of his owne horses Lucinius the Emperour at what tyme he had appointed his doughter Herina should bée giuen vnto his horses to be eaten he hym self ministryng her as fode vnto theim was torne in péeces It happened that Neocles the sonne of that noble Greeke Themistocles was by a horse likewise deuoured This plague was not straunge vnto Princes for thei were alwaies subiecte vnto all kinde of deathes After that famous Prince Metius Capitaine of the Libians had broken with the Romains promise of truce and amitie he was afterward as Liui doeth witnesse taken and drawen of fower greate horses a liue at the commaundemente of Tullus Hostilus beyng then kyng of Rome Kyng Theseus soonne Hippolitus beeyng then falsely of his Mother in lawe Quéene Phaedra accused fliyng to auoide the furie and rage of his Father at the requeste of the Quéene was torne in peeces of wilde horses But let vs passe further and then we shall reade that some againe euen as thei afore saied Princes were deuoured of horses were of Serpentes stonged vnto death as Laocon that worthie Troian was in open sighte of twoo Serpentes destroied yea that famous and warlike woman Cleopatra Queene of Aegypt after her louer and frende
betwene the Aegiptians and the Assirians betwene Ptholomeo and Alexander the one kyng of Aegipte the other kyng of Assiria and all for one woman Cleopatra ▪ Augustus the Emperour kepte longe warres for Octauia his sister whiche Anthonius through luste defiled to the spoyle and murther of manie Romaines had Ixiona Kynge Priamus sister not lusted to go with Thelamonius frō Troie vnto Gréece had likewise Helē Menelaus wife not lusted to come with Paris from Gréece vnto Troy the bloody warres and ten yeares siedge betwene the Greekes and the Troians had neuer been written of Homer Had not lust ruled the fiue cities called Pentapolis where Sodome and Gomer were the earth had not swallowed theym vp to the destruction of all the people sauyng Lot and his children If lust had not ruled all the worlde the deluge of Noach had not drouned the whole yearth and all liuyng creatures sauyng Noach his wife and his children Thus lust from tyme to tyme was the onely Monster and Scourge of the worlde And in this oure age luste is nothyng diminished but muche encreased and though not to bee plagued with water accordyng vnto promise yet to bee punished with fire most sure we be vnlesse we detest and abhorre this vice There is a historie worthy to be noted of Princes in Iustine that will not punishe these offences Pausanias a noble gentleman of Macedonia beyng a verie faire yong man whiche Attalus for lust muche abused and not contented wickedly and vngodly to handle the yong man so brought hym vnto a banquet where in his winkyng Attalus would haue vsed hym as before makyng all men priuie how Pausanias was kynge Attalus paramour as a woman thus the young manne beyng ashamed often complained vnto Philip kyng of Macedonia whiche Philip had maried then of late the suster of Attalus and had diuorsed and put awaie Olimpias the mother of Alexander the greate for some suspicion Pausanias I saie after many and diuers complaintes made vnto kyng Philippe hauyng no redresse thereof but rather was flouted and scoft at Philippes hand Pausanias tooke it so greuously that Attalus was so estemed with the kyng beyng the cause of his complaintes and he so neglected that was so mynded he after this sorte requited his shame and iniuries At the mariage of Cleopatra kyng Philippes doughter and Alexander Kyng of Epire in greate triumphes and pompes Kyng Philippe in the middeste of ioyes walkyng betwene his owne sonne Alexander the Greate who then was but younge and Alexander kyng of Epire his soonne in lawe beyng married then vnto his daughter Cleopatra Pausanias thruste hym vnto the harte saiyng minister Iustice and punishe luste Thus died that mightie Prince as well for the bearyng of Attalus faulte as also for his owne wickednesse vsyng the same somtyme with a brother in lawe of his naturall brother vnto his firste wife Olimpias Luste and intemperancie are neuer escaped without iuste punishemente and due vengeaunce Ammon the soonne of kyng Dauid for that he misused his owne sister Thamar was afterwarde slaine Absalon for that he did lye with his fathers Concubine died for it Dauid was plagued for Urias wife The twoo Elders that would rauishe Susanna were put to death This synne is the onely enemie of man For all synnes saith sainct Paule is without the bodie but vncleanesse and luste synneth againste the bodie Therefore to auoide sight oftentimes is to auoide lust Had not Holofernus seen the beautie of Iudith yea marked the comlines of her slepeares he had not loste his heade by it Had not Herode seen Herodias daughter dauncyng he had not so rashely graunted her Ihon Baptiste heade Had not Eua seen the beautie of the Aple she had not eaten thereof We reade in the Genesis that when the sonnes of men viewed the beautie of women many euils happened thereby By sight was Pharaos wife moued in lust toward Ioseph her seruaunt By sight and beautie was Salomon allured to committe Idolatrie with false Gods By sight was Dina the doughter of Iacob rauished of Sichem These euills procede from sodaine sightes Therefore doeth the Prophete saie tourne awaie thine eyes lest thei se vanities The Philosopher likewise saieth that the firste offer or motion is in the eye from sight proceadeth motions from motion election from election consent from consente synne from synne death Wherefore with the Poet I saie resiste the violence of the first assaulte I meane the eyes the euill that happened thereby too long it were to write Luste againe hath an entraunce by hearyng as Iustine in his .xij. booke dooeth testifie of Thalestris Queene sometyme of the Amazones whiche hauyng heard the greate commendations the fame and renowme of Alexander the Greate ventered her life to hazarde to come from Scithia vnto Hircania whiche was as Iustine saieth xxv daies iourneis in greate daunger and perill of life as well by wilde beastes waters as also by forein foes She had thrée hundred thousandes women of Scithia in companie with her I saie for the fame she heard of this great Prince she came from her countrey where she was a Quene to lie with a stranger by luste And whē she had accomplished her minde and satisfied her luste after thirtie nightes liyng with hym she thought she was spead of some ofspryng of Alexander she returned vnto her owne countrie again For as Cicero doeth write we are more moued by reporte oftentymes to loue then by sighte For as by reporte Quéene Thalestris came to lye with Alexander for children sake from Scitha vnto Hercania for his magnanimitie victories and courage So by report came Quéene Saba from Ethiope vnto Salomon to heare and to learne wisedome O golden worlde Oh happie age when either for simplicitie men could not speake or for temperauncie menne would not speake the innocencie of thē then and the subtiltie of vs now the temperancie of their age and the luste of our age beyng well waighed and throughly examined it is easily to be seen how vertuously thei liued in ignorauncie and how viciously wee liue in knowledge For before Aruntius proude Torquinius soonne was by luste moued toward Collatinus wife There was no alteration of states nor chaunge of Common wealthes no banishement of princes in Rome and beyng chaunged for that purpose onely from a Monarchie vnto an other state called Aristocratia it continued so longe in that forme whiche was the firste chaunge vntill Appius rauished Virginius doughter which banished the order called Decemuiri whiche was the second change And thus the popular state whiche had chief rule alwaies of Rome chaunged states of the Citie diuers times for that luste so raigned Thus might I speake of diuers other countries whiche luste was the iust cause of the subuersion therof For of one Venus a strūpet in Cipres al Cipria was full of hores Of one Semiramis in Babilon all Persia lengthe grewe
full of Quenes Of one Rhodope in Egipte at the beginnyng al the countrey became full of strumpettes In Rome Flora was honoured like a Goddes hauyng suche solempnitie plaied on Theators called accordyng vnto her owne name Floralia In Thebes was Phrine so magnified that her name was put in print vpon euery gate of the citie For Lais in Corinth ▪ and Lamia in Athens their fame was more heard then their honestie knowen It grewe in fine to that strengthe that all the Princes of the worlde were as bulwarkes and defenders of luste Yea learned Philosophers and wise lawe setters seemed to defende the same in writyng As Licurgus and Solon twoo famous wisemen the one a lawe setter emongest the Lacedemonians people in the beginnyng more axperte in the banners and flagges of Mars then studious or desirous to hunt the palaces of Venus The other lawe setter in Athens people likewise more frequentyng at the firste the schoole of Minerua then the lurkyng dennes and secrete caues of Cupide These twoo famous men made lawes to maintaine luste vnder this colour and pretexte of issue euery yonge woman beyng maried to an old man thei might for children take choise what young man thei would of their housebandes name So likewise migt an old man elect beyng maried to an olde woman Aristotle semeth to defende this lawe after a sorte for séede sake So Abrahams wife Sara after a sort willed her housebande to accompanie with a yong maide for that he might haue children As for Sempronia a woman excellently well learned in the Greke and Latin And learned Sapho a woman of no lesse fame then of learnyng defende lust by writynges I mighte haue a large scope herein to proue lust a lorde to rule and to gouerne euery where I haue sufficiently I hope declared the effecte of luste For as princes wise stoute and learned haue been herein a subiecte So the Poetes faine that the Goddes them selfes haue yelded to the might of luste What I praie you translated Iupiter vnto a Bull. Neptune vnto a horse Mercurie vnto a Goate Lust. What moued Apollo to be in loue with Daphnes What caused Bacchus to fauour Gnosida What made Pan to yelde vnto Sirinx luste This I meane what moued wise learned stoute and strong as well as the foolishe the ignoraunte the weake and the simple but onely that corruption of Nature that seede fexe and dregges of Adam whiche equally without grace moue all men to synne For there is no man but he is priuie vnto luste moued by luste and sore assaulted by luste Yet there be some that subdueth luste some that ruleth lust and none that vāquishe luste For as some are borne chast so some dooe make theim selues chaste and some are made chaste and yet not without luste I speake not of Proculus the Emperour whiche kepte at his pleasure a hundred maides of Sarmatia Whether dooe I thinke herein of Sardanapalus kyng of Siria whiche was alwaies wearied with Venus but neuer satisfied with Venus But I speake of those that fight and wrastle against nature of those I saie that are in common combates with the worlde the fleshe and the Deuill For luste saied Ouid is I wote not what and commeth I wote not whence it taketh root◠without breakyng of fleshe and pearceth the very entrailes of the harte without any cuttyng of vaine the onely businesse and trauaile of idle men The younge Romaine knight Estrasco at mount Celio beholdyng the beautie of ladie Verrone either of theim by Nature dombe one fell in loue with thother so sore that Estrasco would often go from Rome to Salon and Verrone would as ofte trauaile from Salon vnto Rome one to see the other and continued thus thirtie yeres the dombe loue vntill it fortuned that the wife of Estrasco died and the housebande of ladie Verone died also Whereby these louers thirtie yeres without wordes did bothe manifest their longe desire by a marriage So was Masinissa kyng of Numidia and Sophonissa a Ladie of Carthage one inflamed with the other by a sight that kyng Masinissa had of Sophonissa The like is written of that moste valiaunte Capitaine Pirrhus the long defender of the Tarentines and kyng of Epirotes when he came from Italie vnto Neapolis beyng but one daie there he fell in loue with a faire ladie called Gamalice to the great infamie of so famous a prince and to the greate shame of so noble a Ladie The like luste a rested that noble and renoumed conquerour Alexander that when he thought to giue battailes vnto the quene of the Amozons hauyng a sight of her at a Riuer side where thei both the Kyng and the Quene had appoincted to come to talke concernyng their warres their fury and rage before bent to fight and murther was by a sight changed vnto wanton pastyme and sporte We dooe reade that when Quene Cleopatra made a banquet for Anthonius her louer in the Prouince of Bithinia in the woode Sechin where the yong virgins wer not so wilie to thide theim in the thicke bushes but y e youthful Romaines were as craftie in finding them so that at that instant of sixtie yong virgines fiftie and fiue speade of the names of mothers Thus wee perceiue that by sight we are moued to luste and by consent we wilfully synne the one in the eye the other in the harte therfore better it is with Sophocles for a man to turne his backe from a faire woman and to saie a madde dogge then with Nero to beholde beautie who looking to earnestly vpō Pompeias héere was moued therby to lusts ¶ Of Ielowsie A Question refused of all the Gods to bee answered whether man or woman is more ielowsie for as the poets faine there sprong a contention betweene Iupiter and Iuno concernyng Lechery and Ielowzy and hauyng no equall iudge to speake of this matter it was posted after greate controuersie vnto one Tiresias an auncient and learned Poet sometyme in Thebes whiche Tiresias on a certaine tyme metyng twoo Snakes accompanyng together and accordyng vnto kynde engenderyng together hauyng a white rodde in his hande departed theim with sharpe strokes Wherewith Iuno beyng moued with anger transformed this poore Poet Tiresias from a man to be a woman and beyng in the shape of a woman seauen yeares was reduced by Iupiter vnto his firste forme This Tiresias was thought moste meete of Iupiter and Iuno by the consent of all the Goddes for that he had been a woman seauen yeares and nowe a man againe to Iudge of this question And beyng called vnto the Barre to geue his Uerdite hee preferred Iuno for Ielowsie whereby Iuno waxed angrie and made hym blinde and Iupiter to recompence his truth made him a Prophet And then hee proued that when Iupiter fell in loue with Iolla Iuno beyng suspicious and full of Ielowsie caused one named Argos with an hundred eies to watche Iupiter which for all his
so straunge and so maruailous was it to heare or to see any idle man in Athens The people called MassilieÌ„ses would suffer no trauailers neither Pilgrime nor Sacrificer nor any other straunger to come within their Citie lest vnder colour of religion or of pilgrime thei might corrupte the youthe of the citie with the sight thereof to be idle The Indians had a lawe made by their wisemen named Gimnosophist that after their meate was set on the table the youth should be examined what thei had doen for their meat what pain what labour vsed thei that whole mornyng before if thei could make accoumpte of their trauaill thei should goe to dinner but if thei had béen idle thei should haue no meate without thei deserued the same with some kind of exercise either of bodie or of minde The like did the young men of Argis made accoumpte vnto their Magistrates of their occupations and workes of their trauaill and paine Euen the Areopagites as Valerius affirmeth did imitate the Athenias in makyng decrees in settyng of orders in commaundyng their youthe to auoide Idlenesse and exercise trauaile then moste necessarie vnto any common wealth the other moste daungerous So that some Countreis are naturally giuen to trauaill as the Lidians Phrigians Frenche men with others Some againe giuen to Idlenesse as the Persians Corinthians Englishemen with others Some by lawe forced to flie idlenes some by punishemente feared some by death enforced to labour for their liuyng Thus this Monster Idlenesse is beaten euery where and yet embraced in moste places euery man speake against idlenesse and yet a nomber is in loue with it magistrates and officers appoincted to punishe it but yet thei after fauour it ¶ Of wrath and anger and the hurts thereof THe famous and noble Philosopher Plato did charge his Scholers alwaies beyng in anger or wrathe to beholde them selues in a glasse wher they might see suche alteration of countenaunce pale in colour tremblyng handes foltred tongues staring eies In fine voide of witte depriued of reason and beyng before reasonable men now brutishe beastes Wherfore that greate Philosopher perceiuyng the furious and hastie nature of Alexander wrote from Athens vnto India where this noble conquerour was at warres with kyng Poâ—us to take hede of wrath and anger saiyng Anger ought not to be in any Prince towarde his inferiour for that may be mended with correction nor towarde his equall for it maie bee redressed with power so that anger ought not to be but against superiours but Alexander hat no coequales yet in vaine was Aristotles doctrine vnto Alexander in that point for beyng in a banquet when Clitus his deere frende and foster brother commended his father kyng Philip of Macedone to bee the worthiest and most renoumed prince then liuyng Alexander waxed vpon a sudden so angrie to preferre anie man before hym though Philip was his owne brother which was commended and Clitus his especiall frende that did commende hym thinkyng rather to deserue praise at Alexander hand then to spead of death was thrust vnto the harte with a Speare So hastie was this prince that Calisthenes and Lismachus the one his philospher and councelour the other his companion and frende for fewe wordes spoken either of theim slain Silence saith Aristotle is the surest reward vnto a prince And beyng sory afterward angrie withall y t he had likewise kild himself had not Anaxarchus y e philosopher staied perswaded hym We reade that king Tigranes of Armenia whom Pompeius the greate did conquere after waxed so angrie by a fall from his horse bicause his sonne was present and could not preuent his fathers fall thrust hym in his anger with his Dagger vnto the hearte Anger in a prince saieth Salamon is death terrible is the couÌ„tenaunce of a kyng when he is oppressed with wrath hurtfull vnto many odious vnto all is the anger therof Nero was so furious in anger that he neuer hearde any thyng if it were not to his liking but he would requite one waie or other with death in so muche in his rage and anger he would often throwe doune Tables beyng at dinner cuppes of Golde wrought with pearles againste the walles dasht fling meate and drinke awaie more like vnto a furious Gorgone of hell then a sober Emperour in Rome Suche furie raigneth in anger that Orestes Agamemnons soonne slue his mother sodenly in his wrath Clitemnestra Such madnes raigneth in anger that Aiax Thelamonius that famous and valiaunte Gréeke after that Achilles was slaine in the Temple of Pallas by Paris at the destruction of Troie waxed so madde and angrie bicause he might not haue Achilles harnes which was geuen before to Vlixes that he beate Stones blockes fought with dead trées killed beastes thinkyng to méete with Vlixes amongest them If anger make men murtherers if wrath make meÌ„ mad without wit or reason to know themselues or others let theim imitate Plato in his anger which being angrie with any of his scholers or seruantes would geue the rod to Xenocrates to correcte theim for that he was angrie the learned Philosopher misdoupted himself that he coulde not vse modest correction euen so Architas would alwaies speak vnto his seruauntes whiche had offended hym Happie art thou that Architas is angrie lettyng his man vnderstande howe dangerous wrath is for as Aristotle saieth the angrie man seeth not the thyng which lieth vnder his féete â–ª Agustus Caesar Emperour of Rome desired Athenedorus a philosopher of Gréece whiche a long time accompanied Augustus in Rome and nowe readie to departe vnto Athens his natiue zoile of some sentence that the emperour might thinke of him The philosopher tooke a penne and wrote in a little Table this sentence Caesar when thou arte moued to anger speake nothyng vntill thou haste recited the Gréekes Alphabets a worthy lesson and a famous senteÌ„ce well worthie to be learned of all men There is nothyng or what can bee more vgglie to beholde more terrible to looke vnto then mans face when he is angrie and the more to be feared for that he hath no rule ouer him self All the painters of Persea had much to do to drawe in colours the terrible countenaunce and firie face of Queene Semiramis who like Maegera or Medusa grime Gorgons and frettyng furies of hell when she hearde that her Citie of Babilon was besiedged of the enemies beyng then dressyng of her head came with heares hangyng and fléeyng in the winde half amazed of the newes vnto babilon whose vglie and fearefull image most like vnto hir at that time stoode as long as Babilon continued as a monument and a terrible mirrour to maruaile at Wee reade of the like historie of Olimpias whose anger was suche when she thought of hir sonne Alexander she streight waies like a ragyng Lion or a cruell Tiger digged vp the bodie of Iola Alexanders taster who was thought to be
one of the conspiratours and beeyng digged vp teared his bodie in smale péeces and beyng torne in péeces gaue it to the birdes of the aire Suche anger was in Marcus Antonius towarde Cicero that he was not contented of Ciceros death but commaunded his heade to bee sette before hym on the Table to feede his wrathfull harte and gréedie eyes and his wife Fuluia shewed her anger pulled out his toungue pinned it vnto her Bonnette and weare it on her heade in token and open shewe of her cruell and Tigrishe harte The noble romaine Maetellus was muche inflamed for to shewe suche hatred and anger vnto Pompeius for at what tyme Pompeius the greate was appointed by the Senatours of Rome to succéede Maetellus in his office of proconsulship in Spaine Maetellus perceiuyng that he was discharged and Pompeius charged they brake for verie anger all the furnitures of warres he destroied all the victualles he famished the Elephantes he permitted his Souldiours te doe what iniurie they coulde againste Pompeius so muche was his anger againste Pompeius that to hinder onely Pompeius he iniuried his natiue citie of Rome The propretie of anger is to hurte diuers in seekyng to offende one As hee is not wise that can not be angrie so is hee moste wise that can moderate anger The fame and renoume that both Themistocles and Aristides in vanquishyng their anger one towardes an other for beyng sent both as embassadours for the state of Athens trauailyng ouer a high hill like wise men that subdued affection and conquired anger Themistocles saide vnto Aristides shall we both burie our anger in this hill and go as frendes and not as enemies and there though the cause was greate at Athens they became frendes one vnto an other forgetting and forgeuing one anothers fault Anger and wrath are the only poisons of the words wher hidden hatered doeth proceade for to norishe the one is to feede the other Therfore it is written that hidden hatered priuate wealth and young mennes counsell hath been the verie cause of diuers destructions Manlius Torquatus after he had conquered Campania and triumphed ouer the Lateus retournyng vnto the Citie with noble fame and renoumed victories though the Senatours and Elders of the Citie mette hym in a triumphe and honour of his victories yet the younge men of Rome more disdainefull then courteous more odious then louyng more willyng to haue his death then desirous of his life kept them rather his enemies lurkyng in Rome towardes hym then frendes the cause is knowen in Valerius Hidden hatered whiche beare swaie in diuers places enuie and malice whiche procede from anger and maintained with hidden hatered is all the mischief of the world I wil omit to speak of Caligula whose anger and hatred was suche that he wished Rome but one necke that with one stroke he might strike it of Neither I will recite Heliogabalus whiche emoÌ„gest writers is named the beast of Rome and not the Emperour of Rome The histories of Catelin Silla and Appius for their hatered and anger towardes their countrey and natiue citie are extante in Plutarch and Salust by this anger and wrath proceded inuectiues and decleratioÌ„s and then enuie and malice beganne to builde their bowers by their chief CarpeÌ„ter anger then one mischief and vengeaunce doeth alwaies depende of the other And because anger is the onely cause of all euill and mischief I will speake of those two monstrus Gorgons as thinges incident and alwaies hidden in anger I meane enuie and malice and therfore I applie to Enuie and Malice whiche might be spoken here ¶ Of Periurie and Faithe and where either of these were honored and esteemed SIthe Faithe is the foundation of Iustice and Iustice the chiefe meanes as Aristotle saieth to preserue a publique weale for we se after muche fomyng and frettyng of seas after clustryng cloudes after longe lowryng lookes there doe often appere calme weather cleare aire and gentle countenaunce whiche to obserue and to maintaine Iustice is the worker therof and to note how faithfull and iuste some haue been and how wicked and false others shewed them selues for the commoditie and benefite of that one and for the discommoditie and iniuries of the other good it were to shewe the examples thereof There are not so many vertuous in one but there bee as many vices in an other For some from foes become frendes as Clodius and Cicero twoo greate enemies a long tyme and yet in tyme twoo faithfull frendes Tiberius likewise and Affricanus from mortall foes grewe to bee suche perpetuall frendes that Affricanus gaue his onelie daughter Cornelia in marriage vnto Tiberius Euen so some again from frendes became foes yea from tried frendship vnto mortall enemitie as Dion of Siracusa of his moste assured frende as he thought with whom alwaies before he founde frendshippe and faithe was slain and cruelly killed of Callicrates Polimnestor likewise though kyng Priamus supposed greate trust and confidence in hym that he committed his owne soonne Polidorus vnto his custodie yet falsely slue hym and murthered hym though beside frendshippe he was his nigh kinseman How well saieth Socrates that faithefull frendes doe farre excell Gold for in daunger faithe is tried and in necessitie freindes are knowen Suche is the secrete force of Faithe and suche is the hidden subtiltie of falsehode that the praise and commendations of the one shall bee seen and proued in a historie of Sextus Pompeius soonne and heire vnto Pompeius the Greate the slaunder and shame of the other shall bee manifestly knowen by Hanibal Arâ—â—lâ—ar sonne of Carthage The Faithe and Iustice of Pompeius at what tyme he had appoincted a banquette for Augustus Caesar â–ª and Marcus Antonius vpoÌ„ the seas was well tried for beyng moued of diuers at that tyme to reuenge his fathers death Pompeius the greate and specially often stirred by his frende â–ª and Maister of the Shippe Menedorus to requite olde malice for killyng of Pompeius to destroie Caesar and Antonius whiche Sextus in no waies would suffer saiyng that Faithe and Iustice ought not to bee tourned vnto periurie and falshed for as it is periurie to omitte faithe and promise made vnto these Emperors so this is tyraÌ„nie and not iustice to reuenge my fathers death vpon innoceÌ„cie And true it was that Augustus Caesar was then but a boie brought vp in Schoole in Apulia when his vncle Iulius Caesar vanquished Pompei And as for Marcus Antonius rather a freinde he was vnto Sextus Father then a foe and therefore no lesse Faithfull was Sextus in performyng then iuste in waiyng innocencie Farre vnlike vnto falâ—e Haniball whiche vnder pretence of peace with the Romaines sente Embassadours vnto Rome to entreate thereof where thei were honourablie receiued but well requited he the courtesie of Rome toward his Embassadours For wheÌ„ that noble Romain Cornelius came from Rome as an Embassadour vnto Haniball his welcome was suche â–ª
practize with malice two daughters of tyranny neuer séene but hidden in the hartes of flatterers Then I say Gréece was glorious Rome was famous their names were honoured their prowisse feared their policie commended their knowledge knowen their fame spread ouer the whole worlde but when enuie began to soiorne in Gréece and malice to builde her bower in Rome these sisters like two monsters or two grimme Gorgons oppressed Castles destroyed Countreys subdued kingdomes depopulated cities in fine triumphed ouer all Gréece and Italie Hanibal of Carthage Iugurth of Numidia Pirrhus of Epire most valiaunt puissaunt and mighty Princes with long warres and great slaughter withall Their force and powers might not then hurt Rome halfe so much as hidden hatred betwéene them selues in Rome Againe Alexander the great valiaunt Cirus famous Zerxes most mightie conquerours with all their strength of warres coulde not annoy Gréece halfe so much as inwarde enuy betwéene the cities of Gréece What caused Iulius Caesar to war against his son in law Pompeius Enuie What made Adrian the Emperor to despise y e worthy fame of Traian Enuie What mooued Cato surnamed Vtica to kil him self Enuie vnto Caesar hidden hatred working for priuate gaine and rash counsell of flatterye which is harde most often in the enuious mouth haue destroyed kingdomes Enuie entred firste into the heartes of Princes arrested the worthyest conqueror of the world waded the bowels of the wyse blusht not to attaint the learned Philosophers in the mydst of Athens Hercules in killing the great Dragon Priapus that watched in the garden of Hesperides in destroying the rauening birdes Stimphalides in conquering the raging and furious Centaures in vanquishing terrible monsters as Gereon Cerberus and Diomedes in ouercomming the Lion the Boore and the Bull in ouertaking the gilded Hart and last for his conquest of the huge and prodigious Hidra in the seruice of Lerna won no lesse enuie of some than iustly hée deserued fame of others Theseus to imitate the hauty attempts of Hercules ouercame Thebes slue Minotaurus in the dennes of Labirinthus subdued Creon the tiraunt with diuers other large enterprises as one more wyllyng to enuie the fame of Hercules then desirous to deserue fame by lenity and quietnesse So might I speake of Iulius Caesar that enuied Alexander the great and Alexander likewise that enuied Achilles And thus alwayes enuie was fostered with Princes With the wise and learned enuie bare great sway as betwixt Plato and Zenophon the best and grauest Philosophers in their time betwixt Demosthenes and Aeschines betwixt Aristotle and Isocrates one despising the other Such slaughter grew of enuie that one brother kylled another the sonne the father and the father likewise the sonne as Romulus slue his brother Remus of enuie lest he might hée king in Rome Cambises King of Persea killed his brother Mergides as Herodotus doth write of enuie Enuie caused Anacharsis the Philosopher to bée slaine of his own brother Caduidus King Iugurth murthered both his brethren Hiempsalis Adherbales that he only might raigne King in Numidia Cain did kyll his brother Abel the scripture doth testifie that his sacrifice was once accepted Thus enuie was séene and known to bée betwixt brethren betwixt the parentes and their childreÌ„ the like we reade that enuy committed horrible and terrible murther aswell betwixt the husbande and the wife as the children towarde their Parentes as in short examples verified Clitemnestra slue hir owne husbande Agamemnon and shée againe slaine by hyr sonne Orestes Quéene Semiramis kilde likewise hir husbande king Minus and shée kilde euen so by hir son called Minus Agrippina murthered hir husbande Tiberius and shée was euen so murthered of hir sonne Nero. O cruell tiranny that enuie shoulde euer cause such vnnatural murther as one brother to kill another the Father to destroy his sonne the sonne to slea hys father the husbande to murther his wife the wife to make awaye hir husbande Wée reade in Plini of a certen king in Thebes named Athamas that gaue both his sonnes the one named Learchus the other Euriclea to be deuoured of ramping Lions So many monsterous tirauntes brought vp in the schoole of enuy so many deformed Centaures that all countries haue béene full of them When Antiphiles sawe Apelles in great fauour with King Ptholeme hée so enuied the matter that hée tolde the king of spite vnto Apelles that Apelles was the verie cause of the long warres betwéene the Tirians and Egypt to discredite Apelles for verye enuie that hée was great with the King but the matter being knowne and his enuie wayed Appelles was rewarded of the King with a hundred Talentes and Antiphiles for his enuie commaunded afterwarde all the dayes of his life to be the slaue and bondeman of Appelles Themistocles was so gréeued to sée Miltiades so honored for his great conquest and triumph in Marathea that being demaunded why hée was so sadde hée aunswered Miltiades triumphes will not suffer Themistocles to be ioyfull There was no countrie but enuie bare swaye there was neuer no great vertue but it was accompapanied with enuie Caesar was enuied in Rome by Cato Turnus was enuied in Rutil by Drances Vlisses was enuied in Gréece by Aiax Demetrius was enuied in Macedonia after king Cassander dyed what enuie bare M. Crassus towarde Pompeius it is knowne what hidden hatred hadde Pollio towarde Cicero it is read in Brusonius the third booke the 7. chapter where Pollio saith to Messala that hée might not abide Ciceros voice The like we reade of Aristotle who enuied Isocrates so much that hée was woont to saye it were a shame vnto Aristole to holde his peace and lette Isocrates speake For as thereis no light sayth Plini without shadowe so is there no vertue or glory without enuie The wauering state of the vulgar which ruled alwayes Rome and Athens was so mutable and so vncertaine that after wise and sage Socrates was condemned to die bâ—ing deade the Athenians repented his accusers were banished and Socrates now being deade had his pictures erected which being aliue the rude and vncertaine people estéemed nothing â–ª Euen so was Aristides and Themistocles banished vnto Persea Iphicrates vnto Thracia Conon vnto the prouince of Corporos Chabrias vnto Egypt and Cares vnto Sigeum men of excelent vertues of noble seruice of renowmed fame yet by the enuious people banished their owne countries to raunge abrode the worlde Againe Homer was enuied by Zoilus Pindarus by Amphimanes Simonides by Timocreon yea learned Maro and Horas were most enuied and backe-byted by Maeuius and Suffenus What doe I to speak of enuie why waste I time to write of enuie wherefore séeme I so sounde to touch a speciall matter being so common with all men being so nourished in all countries being knowne from the beginning of the worlde and being first practized by the Diuell who enuying mans state
gotte more couÌ„treis cities and triumphes by the eloquence of Cineas then euer he wanne by his force of warres This Cineas perceiuyng the king to be verie couetous and moste desirous of wealthe in so muche that he longed sore for the spoile of the citie of Rome consideryng the wealth of the Romaines he saied to kyng Pirrhus after this sort What if Fortune would sende God permit you to be king of Rome What would you theÌ„ doe Pirrhus saied Italie is a fertile countrey and full of wealth I should sone subdue Italie if I were kyng of Rome Then Cineas demaunded againe what after you had Rome and all Italie would you doe Pirrhus aunswered there is a famous Isle called Sicilia adioynyng harde vnto Italie verie populous and riche meete for the kyng of Rome Cineas asked the third tyme what then will you doe Pirrhus saied beyng kyng of Rome of Italie and of Sicilia I would sone subdue Carthage and then mighte I well conquere all Libia Cineas beyng almoste wearie in demaundyng this coueteous Prince the ende of his desire asked the fowerth tyme what would kyng Pirrhus doe then The kyng answered all Grece then should be at my commaundement Cineas vnderstandyng that there was no ende of his vnsatiate and greedie mynde asked of Kyng Pirrhus what if you were lorde ouer all the world Pirrhus said then I and thou would bee merie and would liue at reste So there is no ende prescribed to the desire of the auarous vntill he hath all hym self Proued by Marcus Crassus the wealthiest and the coueteous Romaine that euer dwelte in Rome so wealthy was this man that he adiudged no man riche but he that might with money keepe an armie of souldiors in the fielde so couetous was this Romaine again that he was not sufficed with all his huge wealthe and monstrous riches but thursted for more in so muche that after he was slaine emongest the Parthians people of greate wealth hauyng knowledge of his greedinesse to gooddes thei melted golde in reproche of his auarice vpon his head and willed hym to drinke his bealie full of that which he long thursted for Euen as the heade of Galba a coueteous Emperour sometyme of Rome was smitten of and filled full of golde and offered at the Sepulchre of Nero in obloquie and slaunder of their filthie and greedie liues bothe for that whiche the couetous man doeth honour a liue the same dishonoureth hym being deade The Subiecte that is auarous is perilous to a Prince And the prince that is couetous is odious to his subiectes Acheus a wealthie kyng in Lidia taryng molestyng â–ª and alwaies moste cruelly vexyng his subiectes waxed so hatefull to his owne subiectes that through his auarous dealyng by popular sedition was murthered and hanged ouer the Riuer Pactolus with his heade douneward where golde was so plentie that the waues thereof offered Sandes of gold in token he could not moderate his desire a liue he was sette beyng deade ouer the golden Riuer Pactolus to féede his auarice What greater infamie can happen to a Prince then coueteousnesse Kyng Darius hauyng obtained the Citie of Babilon through the falshode of Zopirus possessyng all the wealthe substaunce and treasures of the kyngdome of Persia hauyng all the spoile of the citie readyng the Epitaph of Quene Semiramis whiche she caused to bee sette on her graue to trie onely coueteous Princes that should succede her she made to bee written this little sentence What Kyng or Prince so euer thou art wantyng golde or siluer open my tombe and thou shalâ—e finde to suffice thee Darius I saie not contented with all the kyngdome of Persia caused the graue to be opened sought and searched euery where within the tuÌ„be vntill he sawe written in the inside of the stone this verse O thou wicked wretched prince if thou haddest not been moste coueteous thou haddest neuer opened Graues to come to deade folkes for money The like repulse had this Xerxes Kyng Darius soonne after he made the graue of kyng Belus to bee opened for money and finding nothyng but the like sentence written on a shorte Table as his father kyng Darius founde before in the tombe of Semiramis which sentence saied that he whiche should open kyng Belus graue and would not fill that glasse with oile whiche was in his graue should haue an euill ende which happened to kyng Xerxes afterwarde for that he was coueteous to spoile quicke and deade for money and not so liberall as beyng a Prince as to fill vp kyng Belus glasse with oile Thus auarous princes sought for money with dead men There is no respecte to place with the coueteous man sithe he hath no regard to any persone for money sake What respect had L. Septumilius to his assured and deare frende C. Gracchus when Opimius then Consull in Rome and greate enemie vnto Gracchus allured hym with money to betray him his manifest faithe before vnto his frend by couetousnes was altered vnto open enemitie for money he sold his frende for money he murthered his frende for money he lugged his frendes bodie rounde about the streates of Rome O howe infamous art thou Septumilius for thy auarice What respecte had Ptolomeus to his singulare and often approued frende Pompeius the great who to auoide the force of Caesar the Emperour fledde for succour vnto Egipte where the kyng his supposed frende caused one named Bustus to strike of his heade and made his officer Photinus to sell Pompeius heade for money vnto Caesar. What regard had Polimnestor kyng of Thracia to his frende and nigh kinsman Polidor At what tyme Polidors Father kyng Priamus sente hym in trust to his cousin Polimnestor for old acquaintaunce and affinitie with greate substaunce and wealthe of Troie to kéepe to the vse of kyng Priamus who perceiuyng the state of Ilion and roiall sceptor of Phrigia readie to yelde the fatall flames Coueteous Polimnester without regard of frendshippe before or respect of kindrede either vnto kyng Priamus or to his sonne Polidor slue his frende and kinsman to possesse the wealthe whiche Polidor had Oh vnhappie metall that thus moue menne to tyrannie O wicked money that make men murther frendes O moste cruell coueteous to perswade men to betraie men to kille father and mother to deceiue Cities and Countries to forsake faithe to subuert kyngdomes L. Silla a moste wicked and coueteous farre to bee hated and lothed before Crassus that wicked and auarous Impe of Rome passyng all menne bothe in wealthe and coueteousnesse that in so muche he became through gréedie desire of his vsuall mynde so cruell that he was called an other fire brande of Italie suche tyrannie proceadeth from his coueteousnesse that not onely in forraine Countries became a cruell enemie in spoilyng and robbing but also in Rome and Italie his natiue zoile a terrible tyraunte burnyng and murtheryng bothe Countries and the people This Silla could neuer
desirous of fame Xenophon a noble and a wise Philosopher perceauing his wife named Aspasia more geuen to auarice more alured with gourgeous sightes then others were hauyng oportunitie demaunded of his wife if hir neighbour had better apparell then she had whiche would she haue if she might change his wife saide hir â—eigbours Againe Xenophon merilie disposed woulde knowe of his wife if hir neighbour had more Golde Siluer Treasure or wealth would she chaunge if she might to whom shee answered most willing shee would what saide Xenophon if your neighbour hath a finer felowe to hir housbands then you haue would you chaunge with hir silence with shame was hir answere Thus Xenephon tauntyng his wife with suche nippes bringeth mee in memorie of one Pythius borne in Lidia and commoraunt in a Citie of Phrigia called Caeleius a notable riche manne and not so riche as coueitous toilyng and tramplyng all the daie tyme in paine and trauaile séekyng and searchyng money tomblyng and tossyng all the night tyme restles without sleape thinkyng alwaies on money his wife vnderstanding his grief and want of rest At what time Pithius hir housbande had appointed certen straungers to come to dinner to proue whether thei might beyng his gestes make him merie or no caused and willed his wife to make suche good cheare for hym as woulde make hym merie and his gestes his wife vnderstanding that nothing might make hir housebande merie but money prepared the Tables readie furnished them ouer all with Gold and Siluer his house hanged with clothe of Arreis euerie place settled with wealthie treasures which when the Gestes came they were amazed of so muche Gold and siluer dismaied quite at the gorgeous sight and wealthy Tables Pithius féedyng hymself a long while with the sight thereof enamored with the portly shewes of Golde and Siluer called for meate his wife before all the straungers beyng bidden Gestes by hir houseband answered hir housbaÌ„d that she prouided for no meate Pithius being angrie with his wife said vnto his wife what haue I willed you this mornyng to do to prouide saide she suche cheare as could make you merie where is it saide Pythius beholde saide his wife on the tables there is kyng Midas dinner these thinges housebande doe make you most mearie and nothyng elles doe you extéeme Certen Xenopon the great Philosopher tanted no better his wife Aspasia then this séelie and simple woman nipped hir housebande Pithius Gold is the delite of the auarous manne spoile and catching still is the desire of the couetous All is fishe that commeth in his Net as by that auarous Adrian surnamed Sophista proued when a gentleman a neighbour of his had sente hym a fewe daintie fishes for a presente couered verie faire on a greate siluer dishe he tooke both the siluer dishe and the fishes saiyng to the messenger thank thy maister and tell hym I take his fishe for nouelties and dainties and that I take his siluer dishe for a gifte and a present Suche impudencie raigned in couetousnesse that like rauening Harpeis thei spoile robbe and catche euerie where suche greedines lurke in auarice that like hongrie dogges they deuour anie thyng The poetes faine that Iupiter though he be king of kinges is yet contented with the Skies Neptune with the Seas Eolus with the Landes Pluto with Hell If the Poetes affirme that immortal Gods liue by measure contented with Lottes agrée with Fortune why are Kynges not sufficed with Kingdomes Lordes with Lordshippes menne mortall neuer satisfied with anie thyng how gréedie of Golde howe desirous of Siluer how couetous of countries the wealth of some the penury of others can wel declare it This priuate wealth applie the place where auarice is honored the blood of the couetous is his money to séeke to borowe or to aske money of the couetous man is nothyng elles but to craue bloud out of his bodie for sooner saieth Plato shall a manne haue talke of a dead man then receiue benefites of the couetous man The Purse of the couetous is shut vp and sealed his hande is readie to take his Cofer to receiue Simonides at what time any man would demaunde him to write to reade or to pleasure the poore any waie for thankes hee woulde aunswere that hee had in his house two Cofers the one shut vp for thankes the other open alwaies for money in the one saide Simonides I finde somethyng alwaies in the other I finde nothyng at all tymes he heald his handes redie to take with Vespasianus sometime in Rome an Emperor when he had hard by his frends that a siluer Image of greate substaunce should bee made for a monument of his worthines in memory of his chiualrie he straight healde out hande saiyng beholde here is a place ready to sette the Image a sure foundation from fallyng The coueteous Prince was more greedie to haue the money vnto his owne purse then to thanke his frendes for their loue and good will in honouryng hym with a perpetuall monument How happie iudge thei them selues to be that are wealthie and how contemteously despise thei others that be poore We read that Craesus a wealthie kyng sometyme in Lidia ioyed so muche of his substaunce and riches that he thought no man so happie as he was This kyng to bragge and to boste of his golde and siluer thought good to sende for Solon the Sage and wise Lawe maker of Athens to shewe vnto Solon his fortunate estate whiche beeyng demaunded of Craesus wheÌ„ he came to Lidia whether any manne in the worlde was in better estate then he was aunswered that a poore Gréeke called Cleobes was farre more fortune then he was Cresus beyng dismaied and halfe angerie with Solon Demaunded againe who was of like Fortune or whether any man was coequall in wealthe vnto hym Solon preferred before hym againe for Fortune and wealthe one Biton The third tyme he asked the like and Solon commended before hym one Tellus Then kyng Caesus commaunded Solon to departe his presence with greate wrathe and anger and where he had thoughte to giue hym plentie of golde and siluer if Solon had preferred his fortune he gaue hym greate checkes shewed hym hidden hatered that he despised his estate and wealth But at laste this worthie and riche kyng beyng conuicted and taken in warres by Cirus when that he should die at the solempnitie of his funerall he thrise called Solon happie for that Solon despised moste whiche he honored chief That name which I had thought to claime to my self happie by my wealthe I surrender it to him moste worthily by dispraisyng of the same commended me vnto Solon saied he a little before he died and tell hym that now I am satisfied with death whiche could neuer be content in life The like historie of braggyng Giges who onely for suche a purpose weÌ„t vnto Apollo to Delphos to knowe by Oracles whether any manne in all the
waie by certaine gentlemen of Greece straungers whence he caÌ„ and whether he would goe answered and saied I came from menne and I goe vnto women Notyng the valiaunt hardinesse of the Lacedemonians and tauntyng the daintinesse finenesse of the Athenians This prodigalitie of eating and drinkyng was so honoured this finesse of féedyng was so accepted that a little fishe saieth Plutarche was more accepted in Rome then a great oxe What wickednes proceded froÌ„ dronkennes What lust moued dronkards SecuÌ„dus the Philosopher being droÌ„ken did lie with his own mother as an ignorauÌ„t beast by wine being a learned philosopher which she knowyng beyng sober slue her self therefore and he for shame of the acte and for sorowe of her death pined and tormented hym self all the daies of his life The huge and mightie Holifernus beeyng drounken was beheaded by Iudith a selie woman The monsterous Ciclops Poliphemus being ouercome with wine sleping in a caue was slaine by Vlixes a simple Greke The pugill and Champion Alexander the conquerour of all the whole worlde was betraied and murthered with wine If suche reproche happen by wine if suche perilles and daungers accompanie dronkennesse If sodaine death alwaies waite for glottons and dronkardes hence maruaile muche men maie that all menne euery where at all tymes dooe embrace this prodigious monster If Lacidis the Philosopher fell into a palsie by drinkyng of wine by dronkennesse died Why did Mar. Antonius make a booke in defence of wine to maintain his droÌ„kennesse whiche booke was as odious vnto Rome as dronkennesse was estemed of Antonius If Philostrates by drinkyng of wine was made droÌ„ken and brake his necke from a ladder by a fall to his greate infamie and shame Why did Timocreon cause an Epitaphe to be sette on his graue in Rhodes for a bragge of his ignomious life saiyng Here lieth Timocreon of Rhodes that in life tyme eate muche meate dranke muche wine spake muche euill Thus vice beginneth sweete it endeth sower It beginneth with pride it endeth with shame It beginneth with wealth it endeth with pouertie Euen as Licinius Crassus was flouted somtime in Rome scofte in Italie mockt of all men because from a wealthie man he became a poore begger by prodigall expences So are thei laughed to scorne as bealie slaues waied as infamous persones regarded of no man that are compted dronkardes Euen as Gnosius was contempned in Greece that the Citizeins of Athens commaunded their children to auoide his companie for that he was noted suche a glotton and a dronkarde that when he went in the stréetâ— euery one pointed his finger at hym when he would goe to any house euery manne would auoide his companie Plini doeth repete the benefites of droÌ„kennesse Thence saith he procede the dropsie the swolne visage the pale colour the queueryng handes the foulteryng tongue staring eyes redde nose hence saieth Plini proceâ—de furious dreames stinckyng breath and beastlie behauiour hence the goute and palsie and all kinde of diseases these come of immoderate drinkyng of wine modestie in drinbyng of wine reuiueth the spirites comforteth the harte sharpeneth the witte and maketh glad the heauie minde As Homer the sugered and sweete Mecaenas of Greece was muche reuiued by a draughte of wine The aunciente Poete Enneus could best applie his studie after a cuppe of wine Aristophanes and Cratinus felt them selues moste apte and readie to versifie after little wine So that Pithagoras said true that the Uine hath three granes the first of pleasure the second of dronkennesse the thirde of madnes The first draught is pleasaunte the seconde is daungerous the thirde is madnesse Some write that it hath seuen granes the firste as afore saied of pleasure the seconde of companie the thirde of farewell and thus free then the fowerth of slaunder the fifte of braulyng the sixte of blowes the seuenth of madnesse then it weakeneth the senewes it killeth the memorie it dulleth the witte and spoileth all the sense of manne and of a manne maketh a beast vomityng and spuyng bothe wine and the secrete for in wine there is no silence There were certaine souldiers in Tarentum a citie sometyme vnder the Romaines and all that time defended by Pirrhus kyng of Epire who beyng drounken and ouercomed with wine began to slaunder and to defame Pirrhus with obloquie ignomious talkes and beyng demaunded by Pirrhus why thei so spake of hym one aunswered and saied more had been spoken had not wine wanted Three thynges there are that muche are to be lamented the marriner in a tempest the poore manne in debte and the prodigall persone with mony Thus Demosthenes would ofteÌ„ repeate in his Orations to moue the Olinthians and the people of Athens to abhorre prodigalitie dronkennesse There was sometyme a Temple in Sicilia consecrated vnto Ceres wher Triptolemus appointed solempne sacrifice great honour with glottonie and accesse of eatyng and drinking MelaÌ„pus likewise as Herodotus doeth write brought firste from Egipte vnto Grece the excesse order of drinkyng â–ª called the feast of Bacchus from Grece not long after it was brought vnto Hetruria from Hetruria vnto Rome from Rome vnto all the worlde Thus glottonie and dronkennesse grewe haile fellowes with Princes In Pontus with kyng Mithridates In Lacedemonia with Cleomenes In Sicilia with Dionisius In Lidia with Cambetes Timolaus in Thebes And as Plini affirmeth in Grece with Alcibiades and Diotinus In Rome with Piso and Torquartus In Aegipt Herodotus preferreth kyng Amazis These princes and noble felowes were Souldiers vnder the banners of Bacchus and Ceres maintainyng glottonie and dronkennesse twoo vile vices for twoo noble vertuous Worthie were the people of Sparta and Lacedemonia of immortall commendatioÌ„s of perpetuall fame Thei so abhorred this vile vice of drinkyng that thei made their slaues and captines named Helotes at their feastes appointed dronken that their children might see the beastlinesse thereof that thei mighte marke the shamefull state of dronkennesse therby rather to abhorre the filthines and brutish behauour of dronkards by vsing their houshold seruauntes in so muche that if any of their children waxed fatte or grosse in Lacedemonia they should faste it out with bread and water Wherefore Anacharsis the Scithian beyng demaunded how a man might exchue dronkennes aunswered in beholdyng the vncomely gestures of drunkennesse for some dronkards will brag much of their drinking and not be dronken as Aristippus hearyng a certaine Gréeke boastyng muche that he coulde drinke muche and not be dronken saide euen so can a Mule likewise coÌ„paryng his great bragges to the beastly Mule Uery fittly doth Cirus touch his grandfather Astiages when he was asked how it chaunced that he quaffed wine no better bicause saide Cirus I feare to suppe vp Poyson with wine whiche spoileth the right vse of bodie and minde We vse to excuse dronkards sometime beeyng wisemen euen as Demosthenes excused
likenes of a wilde wolfe by suche meanes It is supposed that Apuleus could shifce and alter hym self whē he listed vnto the likenes of an Asse And here I meane to speake of those that were mooste renowmed in witcherie I marueile muche that womē onely excelled in this facultie For Circes dwelling not farre from Caieta a Citie of Campania at what tyme Vlixes and his men passed vnto Phrigia she charmed the companions of Vlixes vnto Swine with this wente Medea kyng Oetes doughter of Cholchos to learn the force and secrete vertue of hearbes whiche excelled bothe menne and women in Charmyng for after that she had tamed the Dragon that kept the golden fléece and made hym slepe with drinke for the loue that she bare vnto Iason with whom she tooke her voiage vnto Grece as his wife and when Iason came to Thassaly Aeson his father her father in lawe beyng olde she restored hym vnto his youth againe by hir arte notwithstandyng Iason afterwarde forgettyng the benefites receiued by Medea in receiuyng the golden fléece in restoring his father againe vnto his former age put her awaie and married Creusa the doughter of Creon Kyng of Corinth where Medea had iuste occasiōs tendered to woorke her arte She therefore dessemblyng the matter did sende three smockes as a present vnto Kyng Creons his wife and vnto his doughter whiche then was married vnto her housebande Iason whiche were so Charmed and enchaunted of Medea that as sone as the Kyng the Queene and his doughter had putte theim on immediatly thei burned with sodaine fire she to auoide the sight of Iason and to augmente his anger tooke her twoo soonnes whiche she had by Iason and hewed them vnto small péeces and so was carried straight vnto the aire and fledde vnto Athens where she married againe Kyng Aegeus Theseus Father From thence after that she bewitched Theseus she fledde through the cloudes from Athens vnto Asia with her soonne named Medis ▪ These and other feates Medea vsed whose fame therevpon excelled farre Cirses or Calipso whose cunnyng were suche that Cicero doubted whether thei were women or deuills no lesse prodigious then cruel Thinges are brought to passe by these witches whose incantations charmynges protende alwaies vnto greate harme and hurte Eurephila was suche a witche that if she might se any bodie with her eyes she soughte no further to hurte her enemies then with sight Whiche like wise is writtē of Medusa whiche for her skill therin any bodie that had seen her should be cōuerted vnto a ston We read of one named Pasetes whiche with his charmed incantations could make whē it pleased him banquettes of swete meates to appere before his frendes when he would he could make the same to vanishe awaie Plini doeth saie in his 28. booke that one Exagonus came vnto Rome frō Cipris as an Embassadour who was so connyng of this arte that he to please the Senators willed them after he had long reasoned of the force and vertue of herbes to putte hym yea to throwe hym headlong emongest a greate noumber of Serpentes whiche were kept in Rome to stynge and to punishe offendours whiche when he was throwen the Serpentes licked hym aboute the lippes and shewed suche obedience and loue towardes hym as moued muche admiration in the Senatours Wee reade that Hercale could at all tymes enchaunte wilde and ragyng Lions to bee so gentle that he with his handes would leade theim vp and doune without resistaunce We reade that Atir assone as he touched any Dragon or Serpent by incantation he would make them slepe Wee reade that Pithagoras vsed this pastyme to write with bloud in a Glasse suche thinges as he thought mete which beyng turned directly againste the Moone shewed and appered vnto thē that stoode behinde thinges written in the circle of the Moone There are bookes extant of Hermes of Numa Pompilius and others which practised this kinde of iugglyng Simon the Samaritan which for his knowledge in this had an Image made for hym in Rome in the time of Claudius Caesar themperor with this inscription is this picture erected to Simō the holy God To omit a while to speake of priuate persones whiche be infinite but to declare of diuers Countries and Kyngdomes whiche were ouer whelmed in this As Marsi a people in Italie whiche haue their names of Marsus the sonne of the Witch Cirses whiche studied and trauailed in this kinde of knowledge that thei could tame all wilde beastes and make wounders by enchauntementes Againe the people in Illiria could with sighte those that long looked vpon thē bewitche vnto death if thei hated them There bee women in Scithia that can doe the like called Vitiae Herodotus saieth moreouer that the people called Neuri in Scithia are so skilfull in this fassination that thei can shift them at will vnto the likenesse of Wolues wherefore the Persians hauyng triall in this knowledge for that it was much estemed with theim in tymes paste had this Lawe at length to punishe that Upon a greate stone the head of the Inchauntor or of the Witche should bee put and with an other sharpe stone should it bee cutte in peeces Hipparchus did banish Onomacritus out of Athens for that he vsed these feates too muche and too often In this wise menne appeare vnto the enchaunted eyes monsterous beastes as Horses Asses and suche like There are so many kindes of enchauntmentes that some with herbes some stones some with sightes and some with woordes charme and bewitche thynges As Orpheus with a certain hymmes aswaged the stormie tempeste whiche was like to happen to Iason companions vpon the seas And Homer witnesseth that Vlixes bloud was stented with woordes These will promise any thing to come to passe that thei take in hand muche like vnto that aunciente Serpent the Deuill whiche promised vnto our forefather Adam the sciences of all thynges whiche onely it was to bryng man vnto destruction And so Coniurers Magicians Enchaunters Sorcerers and suche like will promise golden hilles and yet are thei not able certainly to performe any thyng Where these artes first sprang Plini in his thirtie booke and the firste Chapiter dooeth at large declare And moste certaine it is that by arte diuers and sonderie strange miracles are seen and tried and no lesse certaine it is but by the deuill the moste of their shiftyng shewes are apparaunte Iulius Caesar after he had a greate fall from his Chariotte was wont to repeate at any tyme afterward when he would goe vnto his Chariotte a certaine verse thrée tymes together leste the like lucke should happen againe By a little verse spoken dooeth Theophrastus beare witnesse in Plini that Ischiadici wer healed In the same place dooeth Cato reporte that certaine woordes did helpe Luxatis membris And Marcus Varro speaketh euen so of the goute ¶ Of comparisons betwene wealthe and pouertie AN olde saiyng there is
deuill he could chaunge hym selfe to what forme and frame he would so the proude women likewise vsyng as many names of vertues vnto vices I might well thinke them to be of the broode of Metra the doughter of Erisithon whiche the Poetes faine she would alter hir self sometime vnto an Oxe sometime vnto a Mare somtyme vnto a Harte and sometime vnto a fliyng foule but the true shewe the naturall Metamorphosis of Pride is to chaunge vnto a deuill the father and grand aucthour of pride Pride would faine climbe vnto the skies the nature of the proude manne is to bee exalted though he neuer be so simple for poore Temison a Gardiner would bee called Hercules and Menecrates the proude Phisition would be called Iupiter we ought to reioice in nothyng but the Crosse of Christe But wee reioice of the disguised shewes of this wicked worlde So proude was Cressus kyng of Lidia of his wealthe that he went to Delphos to know of Apollo whether any man were so happie as hee was in all the worlde but for al his pride and wealth pore and simple Aglaus of Arcadia was preferred before kyng Cressus by Apollo and in the middest of his pride destroied he was by Cirus kyng of Persea So proude was king Caudales of the bewtie of his wife that he to whom he shewed his Queene naked and bragged of hir bewtie I meane Giges the same spoiled hym from his wife and from his pride slue hym and maried his wife afterwarde euen so Alexander Phaereus for the pride he had in tyrannie was slaine of his owne wife whom often vnto all he bragged of hir bewtie Fabia a woman sometime of Rome waxed so proud of a yong man that loued hir named Petronis that she slue hir owne housbande Fabritianus Pride in any thyng prouoketh vengeaunce in all men The Pride that Alexander the greate had after his tyrannie in Persea kyng Darius beeyng vanquished was seen and proued in the Mariages of the nobles of Macedonia vnto the women of Persea wher he maried firste Stratonica the doughter of kyng Darius and made .lxxx. and ten mariages in the same daie when he was maried hymself where suche pride was vsed that hundred tables wrought with Golde of Arabia with engins of Barbary and euery table hauing siluer Trestles and Alexanders table had Trestles of golde This the wealth of Darius caused first pride and then tyrannie in Alexander What is it but the proud man thinketh he maie doe Antiochus was so proude that he had that admiration of hymselfe that he iudged hym able to saile on the yearth and to go on the Seas Nicanor likewise saide of his insolente and arrogante pride that as God was mightie in heauen so Nicanor was mightie on yearth pride is neuer seen long vnreuenged for Nabuchodonosor that mightie and proude prince commaunding hym self to be called a God was made a beaste to eate grasse seuen yeres for his pride he would ascende vp vnto heauen and bee made like the height and he was thrust doune vnto Hell moste like a beaste Herod shinyng in his roiall Robes preached with suche pride vnto the people claimyng vnto hym the due honour and glorie belongyng vnto God in the middest of his pride while yet the people saide this is the voice of God and not man beholde the Angell of the Lorde stroke hym that with wormes he was consumed and with lice eaten to death Chore Dathan and Abiron for their proude insurrection against Moises were swalowed vp vnto the bothom of the yearth The proude Philistian Golias bragging out his owne strength trustyng in his owne power was conuicted by little Dauid a boie at that tyme kepyng shepe God doeth detest pride that by the mouthe of his Prophete Esaie he treadeth doune the pride of the doughters of Syon for that they walke in their owne waies for hee hath no pleasure in mans legges nor in anie outward painted shewe but in the roote of the humble mennes harte is his dwellyng Atchidemus the sonne of Agesilaus beyng conuicted by Philip kyng of Macedonia vnderstandyng that he waxed proude thereof and gloried muche of the victorie wrote an Epistle vnto Philippe saiyng If thou measure thy shadowe now being a victour with thy shadowe in tyme paste when thou waste conuicted thou shalte finde no lenger nowe then in those daies this Prince was wonte alwaies to taunte Pride in so muche he estemed a proude manne as a Gorgon or a Ciclop or deformed Monster who perceiuyng an olde man named Ceus commyng vnto Lacedemonia to bee verie proude in his apparell gesture countenaunce aidyng Nature and settyng foorthe hym self vnto the vttermoste his heade beyng white he could not tell how to help it but to satisfie his proude desire he died his heares yellowe vnto whom Archedamus said O Ceus art thou not contented that thy mynde is infected with false colours but thou must haue the heares of thy heade also ¶ Gf Coueteousnesse COuetousnesse the priuie searcher of hidden gaines the gredie gulfe of ill gotten goodes moste painfull in sekyng and mooste carefull in keepyng whose one daie of death is better thā al the daies of his life The onely misers and wretches of the worlde are thei whom neither shame can reproue for that thei are impudent neither reason rule in that thei are vnsatiate neither death maie feare in that thei thinke to liue for euer For euen as the infected member of man is vexed with an itche is alwaies clawyng so saieth Plutarche is the couetous mynde restlesse in seekyng As fire is neuer sufficed with woode nor yearth with water so the auarous is neuer satisfied with money Like as the graue is open to receiue dead Carkases euen as helle is neuer ful so is the coffer of the couetous neuer contented After that Alexander the Greate had conquered all Persia Grece India Scithia all Asia almoste all the worlde broughte vnto subiection And hauyng a cause to come to the Schoole of Anaxarchus the Philosopher who affirmed by the aucthoritie of Democritus that there were diuers worldes whiche when Alexander heard he began to wéepe beyng demaunded the cause thereof of his counsailers answered O Anaxarchus are ther so many worldes to be had I skant haue half one worlde yet O vnsatiate desire that could not suffice him with all the kyngdomes of Macedonia nor satisfied with all the worlde but wepte and cried out because he might not possesse more worldes then one The like historie of Pirrhus kyng of Epire after diuers good successe of fortune could not suffice his gredie desire with a kyngdom This prince had an excellēt orator named Cineas which for his eloquence and wit kyng Pirrhus did often vse to sende as Embassadour to the Romaines to the Macedonians and to other countreis with whom he had then warres By this Orator the kyng was wont to speake that he