liue honest and temperate the which cannot well bee done vnlesse they bee marryed or that they see themselues to bee conquerors of the flesh and being so they are satisfyed but if they be not marryed and the flesh doth assault them then they liue immediately conuered Wherefore of necessitie they must goe by their Neighbours houses or else by some other dishonest places scattered abroad to the reproach and dishonor of them and their kindred and oftentimes to the great perill and danger of their Persons CHAP. III. Of sundry and diuers Lawes which the Ancients had in Contracting Matrimony not onely in the choyse of Women but also in the manner of celebrating Marriage IN all Nations and in all the Realmes of the World Marriage hath alwayes beene accepted and marueilously commended for otherwise the world had not beene peopled nor yet the number of men multiplyed The ancients neuer disagreed one from another in the approbation and acception of Marriage but there was amongst them great difference and strife vpon the contracts ceremonies and vsages of the same For they vsed as much difference in contracting Matrimony and choosing their wiues as these Epicures do desire the varietie of sundry delicate meates The diuine Plato in his Booke hee made of the Common-wealth did counsell that all thinges should be common and that not onely in bruit beasts in moueables and heritages but also that womē should be common for he sayd that if these two words thine and mine were abolished and out of vse there should not bee debates nor quarels in this world They cal Plato Diuine for many good things which he spake but now they may call him Worldly for the counsel profane which he gaue I cannot tell what beastlinesse it may be called nor what greater rudenes may be thought that the apparrell should be proper and the wiues common The bruite beast doth not know that which came out of her belly longer then it sucketh of her brests And in this sort it would chance to men yea and worse too if women were common in the Common-wealth for though one should know the Mother which hath borne him hee should not know the Father which hath begotten him The Tharentines which were wel renowmed amongst the ancients and not a little feared of the Romanes had in their Citie of Tharente a law and custome to marry themselues with a legitimate wife to beget children but besides her a man might yet chuse two others for his secret pleasures Spartianus sayd that the Emperour Hellus Verus as touching women was very dissolute and since his wife was young and faire and that she did complaine of him because he led no honest life with her hee spake these words vnto her My wife thou hast no cause to complayne of me since I remaine with thee vntill such time as thou art quicke with childe for the residue of the time we husbands haue licence and priuiledge to seek our pastimes with other women For this name of a wife containeth in it honour but for the residue it is a grieuous burden and painefull office The like matter came to Ptolomeus King of Egipt of whom the Queene his wife did greatly complaine Admit that all the Greekes haue beene esteemed to bee very wise amongst all those the Athenians were esteemed of most excellent vertue for the Sages that gouerned the Common-wealth remained in Athens with the Philosophers which taught the Sciences The Sages of Athens ordeyned that all the neighbours and inhabitants might keepe two lawfull wiues and furthermore vpon paine of grieuous punishments did commaund that none should presume nor be so hardy to maintain any concubine for they sayd when men haunt the companie of light women comonly they misuse their lawfull Wiues As Plutarch saith in his Politiques the cause why the Greekes made this lawe was considering that man could not nor ought not to liue without the companie of a woman and therefore they would that a man should marrie with two wines For if the one were diseased and lay in yet the other might serue in bed waite at the Table and doe other businesses in the house Those of Athens had another great respect and cōsideration to make this law which was this that if it chanced the one to be barren the other should bring forth children in the Common-wealth and in such case shee that brought forth Children should be esteemed for Mistresse and the other that was barren should be taken for a seruant When this law was made Socrates was marryed to Xantippa and to accomplish the law hee tooke another called Mirra which was the daughter of the Phylosopher Aristides and sith those two women had great quarrells and debates together and that thereby they slaundered their Neighbours Socrates saide vnto them My wiues yee see right well that my eyes are hollow my legges are withered my hāds are wrinckled my head is balde my bodie is little and the haires are white Why doe yee then that are so faire stand in contention and strife for mee that am so deformed Though Socrates saide these wordes as it were in ieast yet such words were occasion that the quarrells and strifes betweene them ceased The Lacedemonians than in the time of peace and warre were always contrary to the Athenians obserued it for an inuiolable lawe not that one man should marry with two wiues but that one woman should marrie with two husbands and the reason was that when one Husband should goe to the warre the other shold tarry at home For they saide that a man in no wise should agree to leaue his Wife alone in the common-wealth Plinie writing an Epistle vnto his friend Locratius and Saint Hierome writing to a Frier called Rusticus saith That the Atbenians did vse to marry Bretheren with the Sisters but they did not permitte the Auntes to marrie with their Nephewes neither the Vnckles with their Nieces For they sayd that brothers and sisters to marrie together was to marry with their semblables but for vnckles to marry Nieces Aunts with Nephews was as of fathers to daughters and of mothers to sonnes Melciades which was a man of great renowme amongst the Grecians had a sonne called Cimonius who was marryed to his owne sister called Pinicea and being demaunded of one why hee tooke his sister in marriage hee answered My sister is faire sage rich and made to my appetite and her Father and mine did recommend her vnto mee and since by the commaundement of the Gods a man ought to accomplish the behests and requests of Fathers I haue determined since Nature hath giuen mee her for my sister willingly to take her for my lawfull Wife Dyodorus Siculus saith that before the Egiptians receyued any Lawes euery man had as manie Wiues as hee would and this was at the libertie of both partyes for as much as if she would goe shee went liberally and forsooke the man and likewise hee left her when
Emperour at the houre of his death ch 50 531 A continuation of the Secretaries speeches admonishing all men to embrace death willingly vtterly to forsake the world and his alluring vanities c. 51. 534 The answer of the Emperour Marcus to his Secretary Panutiu declaring that he tooke no thought to forsake the world But all his sorrow was to leaue behinde him an vnhappy sonne to enherite the Empire chap. 52 588 The Emperours conclusion of the matter in question shewing that sundry yong Princes by being vicious haue vndone themselues and impouerished their Realmes chap. 53 541 Of the wordes which the Emperour Marcus Aurelius spake to his sonne Commodus at the houre of his death very necessary for all young Gentlemen to vnderstand chap. 54 545 Other wholesome counsels giuen by the Emperour to his sonne and aboue all to keepe wise and learned men about him to assist him with aduise in all his affaires chap. 55 550 The Emperours prosecution still in the same Argument with particular exhortations to his sonne well deseruing to bee engrauen in the hart of men ch 56 554 The good Emperour Marcus Aurelius concludeth both his purpose life And of the last words he spake to his son Commodus and the Table of Counsell he gaue him chap. 57 557 The fourth Booke The Prologue of the worke declaring what one true friend ought to do for another 563 A few precepts and counsels meet to be remembred by all such as are Princes familiars and affected Courtiers 572 The Argument of the Booke entituled The Fauoured Courtier declaring the entent of the whole worke 575 How it is more necessary for the Courtier abiding in Court to be of liuely spirit and audacitie then it is for the Souldier that goeth to serue in the warres c. 1. 592 Of Courtiers brawles quarrels with Harbingers for their ill lodgings c. 2. 592 How the Courtier should entreat his Host or master of the house where hee lodgeth chap. 3 589 What Courtier◠must do to win their Princes fauour chap. 4. 601 What manners and gestures do best become a Courtier when hee speaketh to his Prince ch 5. 607 How a Courtier should behaue himselfe both to know and to visite Noblemen and Gentlemen that are great with the Prince and continuing still in Court Chap. 6 612 What countenance and modesty becommeth a Courtier for his behauiour at the Princes or Noble mans table during the time of his meale ch 7 617 What company the Courtier should keepe and how he ought to apparrel him selfe chap. 8 624 In what manner the Courtier should serue and honour Ladies and Gentlewomen also how to satisfie and please the Vshers and Porters of the Kings house chap. 9 631 Of the great paines and trauels which the Courtier hath being toiled in suites of law And how he is to suffer and carrie himselfe with Iudges chap. 10 637 Of them that are affected in Court admonishing them to bee pacient in their troubles and that they bee not partiall in the affayres of the common wealth chap. 11 644 That Officers and such as are affected in Court should be very diligent carefull in dispatching the Princes affayres Common-wealth Also that in correcting and reforming of Seruants they ought to bee as circumspect and aduised Chap. 12 fol 649 That affected and esteemed Courtyers ought to be warie of beeing prowde and high-minded for lightly they neuer fall but onely by meanes of that detestable vice Chap 13 fol. 659 That it is not fit for Courtyers to be ouer-couetous if they mean to keepe themselues out of many troubles and dangers chap 14 fol. 670 That fauoured Courtyers should not trust ouer-much to their fauour and credit in Court nor to the prosperitie of their liues chap 15 fo 677 An admonition to such as are highly in fauour with Princes to take heede of the worlds deceyts learning both to liue and dye honourably and to leaue the Court before Age ouer take them chapter 16. fol. 684 What continencie ought to be in fauoured courtyers alwayes shunning the company of vnhonest women also to be carefull in the speedie dispatch of suters suing vnto them chap 17 fol. 691 That Nobles and affected of Princes should not exceede in superfluous fare nor bee ouer-sumptuous in their Dyet chapt 18. fol. 698 That courtiers fauored of Princes ought not to be dishonest of their Tongues nor enuious in their wordes chap. 19 fo 709 A comendation of Truth which professed courtyers ought to embrace And in no respect to be found defectiue in the contrarie reporting one thing for an other chap. 20. fo 718 Certaine other Letters written by M. Aurelius Of the huge Monster seene in Scicile in the time of M. Aurelius of the letters he wrote with bloud vpō a gate ch 1. 727 Of that which chaunced vnto Antigonus a cittizen of Rome in the time of Marcus Aurelius chap 2 fol 729 How M. Aurelius sought the wealth of his people how they loued him c. 3. 730 How at the intercession of manie sent by the Empresse the Emperour graunted his daughter Lucilla licence to sport herselfe at the Feasts chap 4 fo 732 Of the sharpe words which M. Aurelius spake to his wife his daughter c 5. 734 A letter sent by the Emperor M. Aurelius to Catullus Censorius concerning the newes then in Rome cha 6 740 M. Aurelius his letter written to the amourous Ladyes of Rome ch 7 747 A letter sent by M. Aurelius to his loue Boemia because shee desired to goe with him to the warres chap. 8 752 The answer of Boemia to the Emperor M. Aurelius expressing the great malice little patience in an euil womā c. 9 755 A letter of M. Aurelius to the Romaine Lady Macrine of whom beholding her at a window he became enamoured declaring what force the beautie of a faire Woman hath in a weake man ch 10 760 An other letter sent by him to the same Macrina expressing the firie flames which soonest consume gentle harts ch 11. 761 A letter sent by him to the lady Lauinia reprouing Loue to be naturall And affirming that the most part of Philosophers and wise-men haue beene ouercome by Loue chap 12 fol 763. The ende of the Table THE FIRST BOOKE OF THE DIALL OF PRINCES WITH the famous Booke of Marcus Aurelius wherein hee entreateth what excellency is in a Prince that is a good Christian and contrariwise what euils doe follow him that is a cruell Tyrant CHAP. I. Here the Author speaketh of the birth and lynage of the wise Philosopher and Emperour Marcus Aurelius And he putteth also at the beginning of this Booke three Chapterss wherein hee entreateth of the discourse of his life for by his Epistles and Doctrine the whole course of this present worke is approued AFter the death of the Emperour Antoninus Pius in the 695. years frō the foundatiō of Rome and in the 173. Olimpiade Fuluius Cato and Cneus Patroclus then being Consuls the fourth
to bee borne afore him a burning brand and the Councel an Axe of Armes the Priests a Hatte in manner of a Coyse The Senatours a Crusible on their Armes the Iudges a little Balance the Tribunes Maces the Gouernours a Scepter the Bishoppes Hattes of flowers the Oratours a Booke the Cutler 's a Sword the Goldsmith a pot to melt gold and so forth of all other offices strangers excepted which went al marked after one sort in Rome For they would not agree that a stranger should be apparrelled and marked according to the children of Rome O my friend Pulio it was such a ioy then to behold the Discipline and prosperity of Rome as it is now at this present such a griefe to see the calamitie thereof that by the immortall Gods I sweare to thee and so the God Mars guide my hand in Wars that the man which now is best ordered is not worth so much as the most dissolute person was then For then amongst a thousand they could not find one man vicious in Rome and now amongst twenty thousand they cannot find one vertuous in all Italy I know not why the Gods are so cruell against me and fortune so contrary that this forty yeares I haue done nothing but weepe and lament to see the good men dye and immediately to be forgotten and on the other side to see wicked men liue and to be alwayes in prosperity Vniuersally the noble heart may endure all the troubles of mans life vnlesse it bee to see a good man decay and the wicked to prosper which my heart cannot abide nor yet my tongue dissemble And touching this matter my friend Pulio I will write vnto thee one thing which I found in the booke of the high Capitoll where hee treateth of the time of Marius and Silla which truely is worthy of memory and that is this There was at Rome a custome and a law inuiolable sith the time of Cinna that a Censour expresly commāded by the Senate should goe and visite the Prouinces which were subiect vnto it throughout all Italy and the cause of those visitations was for three things The first to see if any complained of Iustice The second to see in what case the Common-weale stood The third to the end that yearely they should render obedience to Rome O my friend Pulio how thinkest thou If they visited Italie at this present as at that time they suruaied Rome how ful of errours should they finde it And what decay should they see therin thinkest thou Truely as thou knowest they should see the common wealth destroyed Iustice not ministred and moreouer Rome not obeyed and not without iust cause For of right ought that common-wealth to be destroyed which once of all other hath beene the flower and most beautified with vertues and after becommeth most abhominable and defiled with vices The case was such that two years after the wars of Silla and Marius the Censour went yeerly to Nola which is a place in the Prouince of Campania to visite the same Country as the custome was And in those dayes the time and season being very hote and the Prouince quiet not disturbed with warres and perceyuing that none of the people came to him The Censour said to the Host which lodged him Friend I am a Iudge sent from the Senatours of Rome to visite this land Therefore goe thy wayes quickly and call the good men hither which be among the people for I haue to say vnto them from the sacred Senate This Host who peraduenture was wiser then the Romane Iudge although not so rich goeth to the graues of the dead which in that place were buried and spake vnto them with a loude voyce saying O yee good men come away with mee quickly for the Romane Censour calleth you The Iudge perceyuing they came not sent him againe to call them and the Host as he did at the first time so did he now at the second For when he was at the graues with a loud voice he sayd O yee good men come hither for the censour of Rome would talke with you And likewise they were called the third time with the selfe same words And the Censour seeing no body come was maruellous angry and sayde to the Host Sith these good men disdain to come at my commandement and shew their allegiance to the sacred Senate of Rome that were aliue and not those that are dead the Host made answere O thou Romane Iudge if thou wert wise thou wouldest not maruell at that that I haue done For I let thee vnderstand in this our City of Nola all the good men all I say are now dead and lye here buried in these graues Therefore thou hast no cause to maruell nor yet to bee displeased with my aunswere but I rather ought to bee offended with thy demaund willing me to enquire for good men and thou thy selfe dost offend with the euill dayly Wherefore I let thee know if thou bee ignorant thereof if thou wilt speake with any good man thou shalt not finde him in all the whole world vnlesse the dead bee reuiued or except the Goas will make a new creation The Consull Silla was fiue moneths our Captaine in this our City of Nola in Campania sowing the fruit which ye other Romaines gathered that is to say he left children without Fathers Fathers without children daughters without Mothers and Husbands without Wiues Wiues without Husbands Vncles without Nephewes Subiects without Lords Lords without Tenants Gods without Temples Temples without Priestes Mountaines without Heards and fieldes without fruites And the worst of all is that this wicked and cursed Silla dispeopled this our City of good and vertuous men and replenished it with wicked and vitious persons Ruine and decay neuer destroyed the Walles so much neyther the Mothes euer so many garments nor the Worme rotted so much fruit nor yet the Hayle beate downe so much corne as the disorder and vices of Sylla the Romane Consull did harme which hee brought vnto this land of Campania And although the mischiefe and euils that hee did heere to the men were manifold great yet much greater herein was that which he did to their Customes and Manners For in the end the good men which hee beheaded are now at rest with the dead but the vices which hee left vs in this Land there are none but proude and arrogant men that delight to commaund In this land there are none other but enuious men that know nought else but malice In this land there are idle men which doe nothing but loose their time In this land there are none but gluttons which doe nothing but eate In this land there are none but theeues which entend nought else but robberies In this land there are none but rebels that do nothing but stirre sedition And if thou and all the Romanes esteeme these men for good tarry a while I will goe to call them all to thee For if wee should
as pleasaÌ„t a voice to sing as euer I heard Romane tongue prompt to speake This was the order of my life and the time that I spent in learning And of good reason a man so occupied cannot chuse but bee vertuous But I sweare and confesse to thee that I did not so much giue my selfe to studie but that euery day I lost time enough For Youth and the tender flesh desireth liberty and although a man accustome it with trauels yet he findeth vacant time in it also for his pleasures Although all the ancient Romaines were in diuers things very studious yet notwithstanding amongst all ouer and besides these there were fiue things whereunto they had euer a great respect and to those that therein offended neyther requests auayled rewards profited nor law olde nor new dispensed Truly their good wils are to be commended and their diligence to bee exalted For the Princes that gouern great Realms ought to employ their harts to make good lawes and to occupie their eyes to see them duely excuted throughout the common-wealth These fiue â—eings were these 1 The first they ordayned that the Priests should not be dishonest For in that Realme where Priests are dishonest it is a token that the Gods against the people are angry 2 The second it was not suffered in Rome that the Virgines Vestals should at their pleasure stay abroad For it is but reason that shee which of her owne free will hath heretofore promised openly to bee good should now if shee change her mind be compelled in secret to bee chast 3 The third they decreede that the Iudges should bee iust and vpright For there is nothing that decayeth a common wealth more then a Iudge who hath not for all men one ballance indifferent 4 The fourth was that the Captaines that should goe to the warres should not bee Cowards for there is no like daunger to the Common-wealth nor no like slaunder to the Prince as to commit the charge of men to him in the Field who will be first to commaund and last to fight The fifth was that they which had charge of bringing vp of children should not be vicious For there is nothing more monstrous and more slanderous then he that is a Master of children should bee subiect and seruant to vices How thinkest thou my friend Pulio when all these things were obserued in Rome Thinkest thou that the youth was so dissolute as at this present Thinkest thou indeed that it is the same Rome wherein in times past were so notable good and auncient men Beleeuest thou that it is that Rome wherein in the golden age the old men were so honest and the children so wel taught the Armies well ordered and the Iudges and Senatours so vpright and iust I call God to witnesse and sweare to thee that it is not Rome neyther hath it any likenesse of Rome nor yet any grace to be Rome and hee that would say that this Rome was the olde Rome knoweth little of Rome The matter was this that the auncient and vertuous Romans being dead it seemeth to the Gods that we are not yet worthy to enioy their houses So that eyther this is not Rome or else we bee not the Romanes of Rome For considering the prowesse and vertuous deedes of the auncient Romanes and weighing also our dissolute liues it were a very great infamy for them to call vs their Successors I desired my friend Pulio to write vnto thee al these things to the end thou mayest see what we were and what wee are For great things haue need of great power and require a long time before they can grow and come to their perfection and then afterward at one moment and with one blow they fall down to the ground I haue beene more tedious in my letter then I thought to haue beene and now I haue tolde thee that which with diligence by reason of my great affaires in three or foure times I haue written of that that wanteth in thine and is too much in mine We shall make a reasodable letter and since I pardon thee for being too briefe pardon thou mee also for being too long I saw thee once enquire for Vnicornes horne in Alexandry wherefore now I send thee a good peece and likewise I send thee a horse which in my iudgement is good Aduertise mee if thy daughter Drusilla bee aliue with whom I was wont to laugh and I will helpe her to a marriage The immortall Gods keepe mee O my Pulio thy wife thy stepmother and thy daughter and salute them all from me and Faustine Marke of Mount Celio Emperour of Rome with his owne hand writeth vnto thee CHAP. IIII. Of the excellency of Christian religion which manifesteth the true God and disproueth the vanity of the Ancients hauing so many Gods And that in the olde time when the enemies were reconciled in their houses they caused also that the Gods should embrace each other in the Temples HE that is the onely diuine Word begotten of the Father Lord perpetuall of the Hierarchies more auncient then the Heauens Prince of all Holinesse chiefe head from whom all had their beginning the greatest of all Gods and Creator of all creatures in the profoundnesse of his eternall sapience accordeth all the Harmony and composition of Christian Religion This is such a manner of sure matter and so well layed that neyther the miseries which spring of the infections of naughtie Christians can trouble nor yet the boisterous windes of the Heretiques are able to moue For it were more likely that Heauen and Earth should both perish then it should suspend for one day that there should be no Christian Religion The ancient Gods which were inuentors of worldly things as the foundation of their reproued sects was but a flying sand and an vnstable ground full of daungerous and erroneous abuses so some of those poore wretches looking perhaps like a ship running vpon a rocke suspecting nothing were drowned Other like ruined buildings were shaken in sunder and sell down dead Finally these Gods which only bare the name of Gods shall be for euermore forgotten But hee onely shall bee perpetuall which in God by God and through God hath his beginning Many and sundry were the multitude of the Nations which haue been in times past That is to wit the Sirians the Assyrians Persians Medians Macedonians Grecians Cythians Arginians Corinthians Caldeans Indians Athenians Lacedemonians Africans Vandales Sweuians Allaines Hungarians Germaignes Britons Hebrews Palestines Gentiles Iberthalides Maurians Lucitanians Gothes and Spaniards And truly in al these looke how great the difference amongst them in their customes and manners was so much diuersity was of the Ceremonies which they vsed their Gods which they honoured For the Gentiles had this errour that they sayd one alone was not of power sufficient to create such a multitude as were created If I were before all the Sages that euer were they would not say the contrary
is no other then gold amongst the rust a rose amongst the thorns come amongst the chaffe mary amongst the bones Margarites amongest the peble-stones a holy soule amongst the rotten flesh a Phoenix in the Cage a shippe rocking in the raging Seas which the more shee is beaten the faster shee sayleth And there is no Realme so little nor no man of so little fauour but when other doe persecute him hee is by his friends parents and defendors fauoured and succoured so that many times those which thinke to destroy are destroyed and those which seeme to take their part were their chiefest enemies Doth not that proceede of the great secret of God For though God suffered the wicked to be wicked a while God will not therefore suffer that one euill man procure another to doe euill The Palestines and those of Hierusalem had not for their principall enemies but the Chaldeans and the Chaldeans had for their enemies the Idumeans the Idumeans the Assyrians the Assyrians the Persians the Persians the Ariginians the Ariginians the Athenians the Athenians had for their principall enemies the Lacedemonians and the Lacedemonians the Sydonians the Sidonians the Rhodians and the Rhodians the Scythians the Scythians the Hunnes the Hunnes had the Alaines the Alaines the Sweuians the Sweuians the Vandales the Vandales the Valerians the Valerians the Sardinians the Sardinians the Africanes the Africanes the Romanes the Romans the Dacians the Dacians the Gothes the Gothes the Frenchmen the Frenchmen the Spaniards and the Spaniards the Mores And of all these Realmes the one hath persecuted the other And not all one but our holy mother the Church hath alwayes been oppressed and persecuted with those realms and hath beene succoured of none but of Iesu Christ onely and he hath euer succoured and defended it well For the things that God taketh charge of although all the world were against thē in the end it is impossible for them to perish CHAP. X. How there is but one true God and how happy these Realmes are which haue a good Christian to their King and how the Gentiles affirme that good Princes after their death were changed into Gods and the wicked into Diuels which the Authour proueth by sundry examples ALthough the common opinion of the simple people was that there was many gods yet notwithstanding al the Philosophers affirmed that there was but one God who of some was named Iupiter the which was chiefe aboue all other Gods Others called him the first intelligence for that hee had created all the World Others called him the first cause because hee was the beginner of all things It seemeth that Aristotle vnderstood this thing and was of this opinion forasmuch as he sayth in his 12. booke of his Metaphysickes All superiour and inferiour things would bee well ordered and many things much better by the arbitrement of one then by the aduise of many Marcus Varro in his booke De Theologia mistica and Cicero in his booke De natura Deorum although these were Gentiles and curious enough of the Temples yet they doe mocke the Gentiles which beleeued there were many Gods and that Mars and Mercury and likewise Iupiter and the whole flocke of Gods which the Gentiles set vp were all mortall men as we are But because they knew not that there were good bad Angells nor knew not that there was any Paradise to reward the good nor Hell to torment the euill They held this opinion that good men after their death were Gods and euill men deuils And not contented with these foolish abuses the Deuill brought them into such an errour that they thought it consisted in the Senates power to make some Gods and other Deuils For when there dyed at Rome any Emperour if he had been well affected of the Senate immediately hee was honoured for a God and if hee dyed in displeasure of the Senate hee was condemned for a Deuill And to the end we doe not speake by fauour but by writing Herodian saith that Faustine was the daughter of Antoninus Pius and wife of Marcus Aurelius which were Emperours the one after the other And truely there were few eyther of their Predecessors or of their Successors which were so good as they were and in mine opinion none more better And therefore was shee made a Goddesse and her father a God An Emperour that coueteth perpetuall memory must note 5. things which he should haue in his life That is to say pure in life vpright in iustice aduenturous in feates of Armes excellent in knowledge and welbeloued in his Prouinces which vertues were in these two excellent Emperours This Empresse Faustine was passing fayre and Writers prayse her beauty in such sort that they sayd it was impossible for her to bee so beautiful but that the Gods had placed some diuine matter in her Yet notwithstanding this added thereunto it is doubtfull whether the beauty of her face was more praysed or the dishonesty of her life discommended For her beauty maruelously amased those that saw her and her dishonesty offended them much that knew her Yet after the Emperour Marcus Aurelius had triumphed ouer the Parthians as he went visiting the Prouinces of Asia that goodly Faustine in foure dayes dyed at the mount Taurus by occasion of a burning Feuer and so annealed was caryed to Rome And since shee was the daughter of so good a Father and wife of so dearly beloued an Emperour amongst the Goddesses shee was canonized but considering her vnconstant or rather incontinent life it was neuer thought that the Romaines would haue done her so much honour Wherefore the Emperour reioyced so much that he neuer ceased to render thankes vnto the Senate For truely a benefit ought to be acceptable to him that receyueth it especially when it commeth vnlooked for The contrarie came to the death of Tiberius third Emperour of Rome which was not onely killed drawne through the streetes by the Romaines but also the Priests of all the temples assembled together and openly prayed vnto the gods that they would not receyue him to them and prayed to the Infernall Furies that greeuouslie they would torment him saying It is iustly required that the Tyrant which disprayseth the life of the good in this Life should haue no place amongst the good after his death Leauing the common Opinion of the rude people which in the old time had no knowledge of the true GOD and declaring the opinion of Aristotle who called God the first cause the opinion of the Stoyckes which called him the first Intelligence and the opinion of Cicero who vnder the colour of Iupiter putteth none other God but him I say and confesse according to the religion of Christian Faith there is but one onely GOD which is the Creatour of Heauen and Earth whose excellency and puissant Maiestie is little to that our tongue cā speake For our vnderstanding can not vnderstand nor our iudgement can determine
the beginning so after the victorie had of their enemies they should shew themselues meeke and pittifull This Dictator Camillus for an other thing hee did was much commended aboue the residue That is to say hee did not onely not consent to robbe the Temples nor dishonour the Gods but hee himselfe with great reuerence tooke the sacred vessels of the Temples and the Gods which were therein especially the Goddesse Iuno and brought them all to Rome For amongst the Auncients there was a Law that the Gods of them which were vanquished should not come by lot to the Captaines being Conquerours therfore hee made in the Mount Auentino a sumptuous Temple wherein hee placed all the Gods together with all the holy Reliques which hee wanne For the greater Triumph the Romans had ouer their enemies so much the better they handled the Gods of the people vanquished Also you ought to know that the Romaines after many victories determined to make a crowne of golde very great rich and to offer it to the God Apollo but sith the common Treasure was poor because there was but little siluer and lesse golde to make that crowne The Romane Matrons defaced theyr Iewels and ouches of golde and siluer to make the Crowne there withall For in Rome there neuer wanted money if it were demanded for the seruice of Gods to repayre Temples or to redeeme Captiues The Senate esteemed the well willing hearts of these women in such sort that they graunted them three things that is say To weare on their heades Garlands of flowers to goe in Chariots to the common places and to goe openly to the feasts of the Gods For the auncient Romanes were so honest that they neuer ware gold on theyr heades neyther went they at any time to the feasts vncouered A man ought not to maruell that the Romanes granted such priuiledges vnto the ancient Matrones of Rome For they vsed neuer to bee obliuious of any benefite receyued but rather gentle with thanks and rewards to recompence the same An other notable thing chanced in Rome which was that the Romanes sent two Tribunes the which were called Caulius and Sergius into the Isle of Delphos with greate presents to offer vnto the God Apollo For as Titus Liuius sayeth Rome yeerely sent a present vnto the God Apollo and Apollo gaue vnto the Romanes counsell And as the Tribunes went out of the way they fell into the hands of pirates and rouers on the sea which tooke them with their treasures and brought them to the Cittie of Liparie But the citizens vnderstanding that those presents were consecrated to the God Apollo did not onely deliuer them all their Treasure againe but also gaue them much more guides therewith to conduct them safely both going and comming from all peril and danger The Romaines beeing aduertised of theyr genltenesse by the messengers which were come safe and aliue did so much reioyce that they ordayned in Rome that the Nobles of Liparie should bee made Senatours of Rome and all the others should be confederates and of aliance vnto them And they caused further that two priests of Liparie should alwayes remaine in the Temple of Iupiter which priuiledge was neuer granted to any other strangers but to them onely For the Romanes had so great zeale and loue to their Gods that in the seruices of the temples they trusted none but those which were natiue ancient of Rome and also were both wise and vertuous When Quintus Fabius and Publius Decius were in the warres against the Samnites and Tuscanes and likewise against the Vmbres manie maruellous and terrible signes were seene in Rome which things did not only feare those that sawe them but also those which heard of them Vpon which occasion the Romaines and the Romane Matrones both night and day offered great sacrifices to the gods For they sayd if we can pacifie the wrath of the Gods in Rome we shall neuer need to feare our enemies in the field The thing was this that as the Romane Matrons went visiting the temples to appease the ire of the Gods many senators wiues came to the temple of chastitie to offer sacrifice For in the time of the puissant power of the Romanes the Women did sacrifice in the temples of the Gods At that time Virginea the daughter of Aureus Virgineus the Consul Plebeian the which was forbidden to doe sacrifice for that shee was none of the Senators wiues but a Plebeian as much to say as a Crafts-woman and no Gentlemans-Daughter borne For the Noblewomen were had in so great veneration and so highly esteemed that all the other seemed in respect of them but hand-maydes and slaues The noble Romane Virginea seeing her to be so repulsed and disdained of the other matrones made of her own house a temple to the Goddesse of Chastitie and with much deuotion and reuerence honoured her The which thing being published abroade throughout Rome manie other women came thither to doe Sacrifice likewise For Fortune is so variable that oftentimes those which of pride haue forbidden vs theyr houses come after by humilitie to doe vs seruice at ours For this cause this Virginea the Foundresse was so greatly praysed that the Romaines in her life made her Patrice that is a Noble Romane and after her death caused her Image and statue to be made and set vp in the high Capitoll and about this Image were ingrauen certain Greeke characters the effect whereof was this PATRICE the great this Image doth present That in her life did giue with minde deuout The Gods her house therefore to them went When liuely breath by death was chased out Of all these Hystories aboue-named Titus Liuius maketh mention in his first Decade the second fifth and ninth book and though he declareth them more at large yet this shall suffice for my purpose I haue sought amongst the Gentiles these fewe Examples to reprooue Christian Princes Onely to the ende they might see how studious and seruent our Fathers were in the seruice of their Idols contrariwise how cold and negligent we are to honour and serue our true and liuing God It is a shame to tell how the ancient Romanes with all their hearts did serue the Gods without any vnderstanding and how those which are Christians for the most part serue the true God not in truth but with hypocrisie and dissimulation For the children of this World will take no paines but for to prouoke the pleasures of the body Many wondred for what occasion God did so much for them and they did nothing for God To this may bee answered that if they had known one true God all the sacrifices they had done to their other Gods they would haue done to him onely and as God is iust so hee rewarded them in their temporall prosperities Not for that they did well but for that they desired to doe well For in our diuine Law God doth not regard what wee
was not the sobrest in drinking wine commaunded all the cups of gold siluer with the treasure hee had to be brought and set on the table because all the bidden guests should drinke therein King Balthasar did this to the end the Princes and Lords with al his Captains should manfully helpe him to defend the Siege and also to shew that hee had much treasure to pay them for their paines For to say the truth there is nothing that encourageth men of warre more then to see their reward before their eyes As they were drinking merily at the banquet of these cups which Nabuchodonozar had robbed from the Temple of Hierusalem suddenly by the power of God and the desert of his offences there appeared a hand in the wall without a body or arme which with his fingers wrote these words Mane Thetel Phares which signifieth O King Balthasar God hath seene thy life and findeth that thy malice is now accomplished Hee hath commaunded that thou and thy Realme should bee weighed and hath found that there lacketh a great deale of iust weight wherfore he commaundeth that thy life for thine offences bee taken from thee and that thy Realme bee put into the hands of the Persians and Medes which are thine enemies This vision was not frustrare for the same night without any longer delay the execution of the sentence was put in effect by the enemies The King Balthasar dyed the Realme was lost the treasures were robbed the Noble men taken and al the Chaldeans captiues I would now know sith Balthasar was so extreamely punished onely for giuing his Concubines friends drinke in the sacred cups what paine deserueth Princes and Prelates then which robbe the Churches for prophane things how wicked soeuer Balthasar was yet hee neuer chaunged gaue sold nor engaged the treasures of the Synagogue but what shall wee say and speake of Prelates which without any shame waste change sell and spend the Church goods I take it to be lesser offence to giue drinke in a Chalice as King Balthasar did to one of his Concubines then to enter into the Church by Symony as many do now a daies This Tyrant was ouercome more by folly then by couetousnesse but these others are vanquished with folly couetousnes and Symony What meaneth this also that for the offence of Nabuchodonozar in Ierusalem his sonne Balthasar should come and bee punished For this truely mee thinke not consonant to reason nor agreeable to mans Lawe that the Father should commit the Theft and the sonne should requite it with seuen double To this I answer That the good child is bound to restore all the goods that his Father hath left him euill gotten For hee that enioyeth the theft deserueth no lesse punishment then hee that committeth the theft For in the end both are theeues and deserue to bee hanged on the gallows of the diuine iustice Why King Ahab was punished IN the fifth Booke of Malachie that is to say in the third booke of Kings the 8. Chapter It is declared that Asa being King of Iudea and prophesying in Ierusalem at the time Omri was King of Israel and after him succeeded Ahab his sonne being of the age of 22 yeares This Ahab was not onely young of yeares but younger of vnderstanding and was numbred among the wicked Kings not onely euill but too euil for the Scriptures doe vse to call them by names infamed whose liues deserued no memory The vices of this King Ahab were sundry and diuers whereof I will declare some as hereafter followeth First of all hee followed altogether the life and steps of the King Ieroboam who was the first that entised the children of Israel to commit Idolatrie which thing turned to great reproach and infamy For the Prince erreth not imitating the pathes of the good but offendeth in following the wayes of the euill Secondarily this King Ahab married the daughter of the King of the Idumeans whose name was Iezabel which was of the stocke of the Gentiles and he of the Hebrewes And for a truth the marriage was vnaduisedly considered for sage Princes should take wiues conformable to their lawes and conditions vnlesse they wil repent themselus afterwards Thirdly hee built againe the City of Hierico which by the commaundement of God was destroyed and cōmanded that vpon grieuous pains it should not bee reedefied againe because the offences that were therein committed were so great that the Inhabitants did not onely deserue to lose their liues but also that in Hierico there should not one stone remaine vpon another Fourthly King Ahab built a sumptuous Temple to the Idol Baal in the City of Samaria and consecrated a wood vnto him which he had very pleasant and set in the Temple his Image of fine gold so that in the raign of this cursed King Baal the wicked Idol was so highly esteemed that not onely secretly but also openly they blasphemed the true liuing God The case was such that one day Ahab going against the King of Syria to take him and his City called Ramoth Gilead being in battell was shot into the brest with an arrow wherewith he not onely lost his life but also the dogges did lap vp his bloud that fell to the earth O Princes and great Lords if you will giue credite vnto mee you shall haue nothing more in recommendation then to bee good Christians Sith yee see that as this Prince in his life did serue strange Idols so it was reason that after his death his bloud should bee buried in the entrals of rauenous dogs why King Manasses was punished THe King Manasses was the sonne of Ezechias and Father of Amō which were all Kinges And truly they differed so much in manners and conditions that a man could scarcely iudge whether the vertues and prowesses of the Father were more to be desired or the vice and wickednesse of the children to bee abhorred This Manasses was a wicked Prince for as much as he built new Temples to Baal and in the Cities made Hermitages for the Idols and in the mountaines repayred all the Altars that heretofore were consecrated to the Deuill Hee consecrated many Forrests and Woods to the Idolls he honoured the Starres as the Gods did sacrifice to the Planets and Elements for the man that is abandoned by the hand of God there is no wickednesse that his obstinate heart doth not enterprise So that hee had in his Pallace all manner of false Prophets as Southsayers Prophesiers Witches Sorcerers Enchaunters and Coniurers the which dayly hee caused to giue sacrifice to the Idols and gaue such credite to Sorcerers and Inchaunters that his seruants were all for the most part Sorcerers and in them was his chiefe delight and pleasure And likewise he was skilfull in all kind of mischiefe and ignorant in all vertues He was so cruell and spilt so much innocent bloud that if it had beene water put together and the bodies of them that he slew layd
deaths should not be buryed CHAP. II. ¶ The Authour following his purpose declareth that by meanes of Marryage many mortall enemies haue beene made good and perfite Friends BY sundrie examples that we haue declared and by all that which remaineth to declare a man may knowe well enough of what excellencie Matrimonie is not onely for the charge of Conscience but also for the things touching honour for to say the truth the men that in the Common-wealth are married giue small occasion to bee slaundered and haue more cause to be honourd VVe cannot deny but that Matrimony is trouble some and chargeable to them that be marryed for two causes The one is in bringing vp their children and the other in suffering the importunities of their Mothers Yet in fine we cannot deny but that the good and vertuous wife is shee that setteth a stay in the house and keepeth her husband in estimation in the Common-wealth for in the publike affayres they giue more faith and credite vnto those that are charged with children then vnto others that are loaden with yeeres The fifth commoditie that ensueth Matrimony is the peace and reconciliations that are made betweene the enemies by meanes of Marriage Men in this age are so couetous so importune and malicious that there are very few but haue enemies wherby groweth contention and debate for by our weaknesse we fall daily into a thousand occasions of enmities and scarcely wee can finde one to bring vs againe into friendship Considering what men desire what things they procure and whereunto they aspire I maruell not that they haue so few friends but I much muse that they haue no more enemies For in things of weight they marke not who haue beene their friends they consider not they are their neighbours neyther they regard that they are Christians but their conscience laid a part and honestie set a side euery man seeketh for himselfe and his own affayres though it bee to the preiudice of all his neighbours What friendshippe can there bee amongst proud men since the one will goe before and the other disdayneth to come behinde What friendshippe can there bee amongst enuious men since the one purchaseth the other possesseth VVhat loue can there be between two couetous men since the one dare not spend the other is neuer satisfied to hourd heap vp For all that we can read see goe and trauell for all that we may do we shall neuer see nor heare tell of men that haue lacked enemies for either they be vicious or vertuous If they be euil and vicious they are alwaies hated of the good and if they be good vertuous they are continually persecuted of the euill Many of the ancient Philosophers spent a great part of their time and lost much of their goods to search for remedies and meanes to reconcile them that were at debate contention and to make them by gentlenes good friends louers Some said that it was good profitable to forget the enmities for a time for many things are pardoned in time which by reasō could neuer take end Others said that for to appease the enemies it was good to offer mony because mony doth not only breake the feminate tender hearts but also the hard and craggy rocks others said that the best remedy was to set good men to bee mediators between them in especially if they were sage wise men for the honest faces and stout hearts are ashamed whē they are proserred mony the good do humble thēselues by intreaty These means wel considered and the remedies wel sought out to make friends there are none so ready and so true as Marriage for the marriage done Sacramentally is of such and so great excellency that betweene some it causeth perfect friendshippe and betweene others it appeaseth great iniuries During the time that Iulius Caesar kept him elfe as father-in-law to the great Pompeius and that Pompeius held himselfe his sonne in law there was neuer euill will nor quarells betweene them but after that Pompeius was diuorced from the house of Caesar hatred enuy and enmities engendred betweene them in such sort that they contended in such and so cruell warres that Pompeius against his will lost his head and also Iulius Caesar shortned his life When those that dwelled in Rome rauished and robbed the daughters of the Sabines i◠after they had not changed their counsell and of theeues to become husbands without doubt the Romans bad beene all destroyed for the Sabines had made an oath to aduenture both their goods and their liues for to reuenge the iniuries done vnto them their daughters and wiues but by the meanes of Marriage they were conferred in great amitie and loue For the Romanes receiued in marriage the daughters of the Sabines whome before they had rauished Greater enmitie there cannot be then that of God towards men through the sin of Adam notwithstanding there neuer was nor neuer shall be greater friendship then that which was made by the godly marriage and for greater authoritie to confirme marriage the Sonne of God would that his Mother should be marryed and afterward hee himselfe was present at a Mariage where hee turned the Water into Wine though now adayes the euill maried men doe turne the wine into water He doth not speake here of Religious persons nor men of the Church neither of those which are closed in deuout places for those fleeing the occasions of the world and choosing the wayes lesse dangerous haue offered their soules to GOD and with their bodies haue done him acceptable Sacrifices for there is difference betweene the Religion of Christ and the sinfull Sinagogue of the Iewes for they offered Kidds and Muttons but heere are not offered but teares and sighs Leauing therefore all those secrets apart which men ought to leaue to God I say and affirme that it is a holy and commendable counsell to vse his profite with the Sacrament of Marriage the which though it bee taken of all voluntarily yet Princes and great Lords ought to take it necessarily For that Prince that hath no wife nor children shall haue in his Realme much grudging and displeasure Plutarch in the Booke hee made of Marriage sayth that amongst the Lidians there was a law well obserued and kept that of necessitie their Kings and Gouernours should be marryed and they had such respect to this thing and were so circumspect in this matter that if a Prince dyed and left his Heyre an infant they would not suffer him to gouerne the Realme vntill he were married And they greatly lamented the day of the departing of their Queene out of this life for with her death the gouernment ceased the Royall authoritie remayned voyde and the Common-wealth without gouernment so long time as the King deferred to take another wife and so they were sometimes without King or gouernment For Princes are or ought to be the mirrour and example of all to
and in this place they talked with him that had businesse and truely it was a great policie for where as the Prince doth not sit the suitor alwaies abridgeth his talke And when the day began to waxe hot he went to the high Capitoll where all the Senate tarryed for him and from thence hee went to the Coliseo where the Ambassadours of the Prouinces were and there remained a great part of the day Afterwards he went to the Chappell of the Vestall Virgins and there he heard euery Nation by it selfe according to the order which was prescribed Hee did eate but one meale in the day and it was very late but he did eate well not of many and diuers sorts of meate but of few and good for the abundance of diuers strange meates breedeth sundry diseases They sawe him once a weeke goe through Rome and if hee went any more it was a wonder at the which time he was alwayes without company both of his owne and also of strangers to the entent all poore men might talke with him of their businesse or complaine of his Officers for it is vnpossible to reforme the Common-wealth if he which ought to remedie it be not informed of the iniuries done in the same He was so gentle in conuersation so pleasant in words so Noble amongst the Great so equall with the least so reasonable in that hee did aske so perfect in that he did worke so patient in iniuries so thankefull of benefites so good to the good and so seuere to the euill that all loued him for being good and all the euill feared him for being iust A man ought not little to esteeme the loue that the people bare to this so good a Prince and Noble Emperour for so much as the Romanes haue been thus that for the felicitie of their estate they offered to their Gods greater Sacrifice then they did in any other Prouinces And Sextus Cheronensis saith that the Romanes offered more Sacrifices to the Gods because they should lengthen the life of the Emperour then they did offer for the profite of the Common-wealth Truely their reason was good for the Prince that leadeth a good life is the heart of the Common-wealth But I doe not maruell that the Emperour was so well willed and beloued of the Romane Empire for he had neuer Porter to his Chamber but the two houres which hee remayned with his wife Faustine All this being past the good Emperour weat into his house into the secretst place hee had according to the counsell of Lucius Seneca the key whereof he alone had in his custodie and neuer trusted any man therewith vntill the houre of his death and then he gaue it to an olde ancient man called Pompeianus saying vnto him these words Thou knowest right well Pompeianus that thou being base I exalted thee to honour thou being poore I gaue thee riches thou being persecuted I drew thee to my Palace I being absent committed my whole honour to thy trust thou being olde I marryed thee with my daughter and doe presently giue thee this Key Behold that in giuing thee it I giue thee my heart and life for I will thou know that death grieueth mee not so much nor the losse of my wife and children as that I cannot carry my Bookes into the graue If the Gods had giuen mee the choyse I had rather choose to be in the graue inuironed with Bookes then to liue accompanied with fooles for if the dead doe read I take them to be aline but if the liuing doe not read I take them to be dead Vnder this key which I giue thee remayneth many Greeke Hebrew Latine and Romame Bookes and aboue all vnder this key remaineth all my paynes swet and trauells all my watchings and laboures where also thou shalt finde Bookes by mee compiled so that though the wormes of the earth doe eate my body yet men shall finde my heart whole amongst these Bookes Once againe I doe require thee and say that thou oughtest not a little to esteeme the key which I giue thee for wise men at the houre of their death alwayes recommend that which they best loue to them which in their liues they haue most loued I doe confesse that in my Studie thou shalt finde many things with mine owne hand written and well ordered and also I confesse that thou shalt finde many things by me left vnperfect In this case I thinke that though thou couldest not write them yet thou shalt worke them well notwithstanding and by these meanes thou shalt get reward of the Gods for working them Consider Pompeian that I haue beene thy Lord I haue beene thy Father-in-law I haue beene thy Father I haue beene thy Aduocate and aboue all that I haue beene thy speciall friend which is most of all for a man ought to esteeme more a faithfull friend then all the Parents of the world Therefore in the faith of that friendshippe I require that thou keepe this in memorie that euen as I haue recommended to others my Wife my Children my Goods and Riches So I doe leaue vnto thee in singuler recommendation my Honour for Princes leaue of themselues no greater memorie then by the good learning that they haue written I haue beene eighteene yeeres Emperour of Rome and it is threescore and three yeeres that I haue remayned in this wofull life during which time I haue ouercome many Battailes I haue slayne many Pyrates I haue exalted many good I haue punished many euill I haue wonne many Realmes and I haue destroyed many Tyrants but what shall I doe wofull man that I am sith all my companions which were witnesses with me of all these worthy feates shall be companions in the graue with the greedy wormes A thousand yeeres hence when those that are now aliue shall then be dead what is hee that shall say I saw Marcus Aurelius triumph ouer the Parthians I saw him make the buildings in Auentino I sawe him well beloued of the people I saw him father of the Orphanes I saw him the scourge of Tyrants Truely if all these things had not beene declared by my Bookes or of my friends the dead would neuer haue risen againe to haue declared them What is it for to see a Prince from the time he is borne vntill the time hee come to dye to see the pouertie he passeth the perills he endureth the euill that hee suffereth the shame that he dissembleth the friendshippe that hee fayneth the teares which hee sheddeth the sighes that hee fetcheth the promises that hee maketh and doth not endure for any other cause the miseries of this life but onely to leaue a memorie of him after his death There is no Prince in the world that desireth not to keepe a good house to keepe a good table to apparell himselfe richly and to pay those that serue him in his house but by this vaine honour they suffer the water to passe through their lippes not drinking thereof As
great Carthage who being of the yeares of 81 dyed in the first yeere of the wars of Punica they demaunded this Philosopher what it was that he knew he answered He knew nothing but to speake well They demaunded him againe what hee learned He answered Hee did learne nothing but to speake well Another time they demaunded him what hee taught Hee answered He taught nothing but to speake well Me thinketh that this good Philosopher in fourescore yeares and one said that he learned nothing but to speake well hee knew nothing but to speake well and that he taught nothing but to speake well And truely hee had reason for the thing which most adorneth mans life is the sweet pleasant tongue to speake well what is it to see two men in one counsell the one talking to the other the one of them hath an euill grace in propounding and the other excellent in speaking Of such there are some that in hearing them talke three houres wee would neyther be troubled nor wearied and of the contrary part there are others so tedious and rude in their speech that as soone as men perceiue they beginne to speake they auoyde the place And therefore in mine opinion there is no greater trouble then to hearken one quarter of an houre a rude man to speake and to be contrary there is no greater pleasure then to heare a discreete man though it were a whole weeke The diuine Plato in the Booke of Lawes sayde that there is nothing whereby a man is known more then by the words he speaketh for of the wordes which we heare him speake we iudge his intention eyther to bee good or euil Laertius in the life of the Phylosopher saieth that a young childe borne at Athens was brought vnto Socrates the great phylosopher being in Athens to the ende he should receyue him into his companie and teach him in his Schoole The yong childe was strange and shamefast and durste not speake before his Maister wherefore the Phylosopher Socrates sayd vnto him Speake friend if thou wilt that I know thee This sentence of Socrates was very profound I pray him that shall reade this writing to pause a while thereat For Socrates will not that a man be known by the gesture he hath but by the good or euill wordes which he speaketh Though eloquence and speaking well to euery man is a cause of augmenting their honour and no diminisher of their goods yet without comparison it shineth much more is most necessary in the Pallaces of Princesses and great Lords for men which haue common offices ought of necessity hearken to his naturall Countrimen and also to speake with strangers Speaking therefore most plainely I say that the Prince ought not to trauell onely to haue eloquence for the honour of his person but also it behoueth him for the Common-wealth For as the Prince is but one and is serued of all so it is vnpossible that hee haue so much as will satisfie and content them all And therefore it is necessary that hee requite some with money and that hee content others with good words For the Noble heart loueth better a gentle worde then a reward or gift with the tong of a rude man Plato Liuius Herodotus Vulpicius Eutropius Diorus Plinie and many other innumerable ancient Historiographers doe not cease to prayse the eloquence of Greeke princes and Latines in their workes Oh how blessed were those times when there were sage Princes and discreete Lordes truely they haue reason to exalt them For many haue obtayned and wonne the royall crownes and scepters of the Empire not so much for the great battels they haue conquered nor for the high bloud and generation from whence they are discended as for the wisedome and eloquence which they had Marcus Aurelius was naturall of Rome borne in Mount Celio hee was poore in patrimony and of base lynage little in fauour left and forsakē of his parents and besides all this onely for being vertuous in this life profound in doctrine and of so high eloquence the Emperour Antonius called Pius gaue him his daughter Faustine for wife who being reproued of many because he gaue his daughter to so poore a Philosopher answered I had rather haue a poore Philosopher then a rich foole Pulio in his seuenth booke of the Romaine lawes sayth that in Rome there was a law very well kept and obserued of the Consels by a custom brought in that the Dictators Censor and Emperors of Rome entred into the Senate once in the weeke at the least and in this place they should giue and render account in what state the common wealth remayned O would to God that at this present this Law were so kept and obserued for there is none who doth minister so good iustice as he which thinketh to giue account of his doings They say that Caligula the fourth Emperour of Rome was not onelie deformed infamous and cruell in his life but also was an Idiot in eloquēce and of an euill vtterance in his communication so that hee among all the Romane Princes was constrained to haue others to speake for him in the Senate This wicked man was so vnfortunate that after his cruell and infamous death they drew him throughout Rome and set vpon his graue this Epitaph Caligula lyeth here in endlesse sleepe That stretcht his raigne vpon the Empires head Vnfitte for rule that could such folly heape And fitte for death where vertue so was dead I Cannot tell why Princes do praise themselues to be strong and hardie to bee well disposed to bee runners to iust well and doe not esteeme to be eloquent since it is true that those gifts doe profite them onely for their life but the eloquence profiteth them not onely for to honour their life but also to augment their renowne For wee doe reade that by that many Princes did pacifie great seditions in the common wealth and besides that they deserued immortall memory Suetonius Tranquillus in the first book of Caesars sayth that the aduenturous Iulius Caesar being as yet but 16. yeares of age when there dyed in Rome an aunt of his called Cornelia at her buriall hee made an Oration in the which hee beeing so young shewed maruellous great eloquence which was so accepted that day in al people that in the end euery man iudged him to bee a valiant Romane Captaine And as Appianus declareth they say that Silla spake these words That which I perceyue of this young man Caius Caesar is that in the boldnesse of his tongue he declareth how valiant he ought to bee in his person Let therefore Princes and great Lordes see how much it may profite them to know to speake well and eloquently For wee see no other thing dayly but that a man of base lynage by his eloquence commeth to be exalted and the other which of linage is nobly borne for want of speaking well and being eloquent is the first that discendeth most vilest of all other
discend of the Linage of the Troyans and therefore when king Eneas and prince Turnus had great Warres betweene them which of them should haue the Princesse Lauinia in Marriage the which at that time was onely heyre of Italie king Euander ayded Eneas not only with goods but also sending him his owne Sonne in person For the friendes ought for their true friendes willingly to shead their bloud and in their behalfe without demaunding they ought also to spend their goods This King Euander had a Wife so well learned that that which the Greekes sayde of her seemeth to bee fables That is to say of her eloquence and wisedome for they say that if that which this woman wrote of the warres of Troy had not been through enuie cast into the fire the name of Homer had at this day remayned obscure The reason hereof is because that woman was in the time of the destruction of Troy and wrote as a witnesse of sight But Homer wrote after the destruction of Troy as one affectioned vnto the Prince Achilles as a friend of the Greekes and enemie of the Troians And truely when a Writer is affectioned to any person his writing of force must be suspected The wife of this King Euander was called by her name Nicostrata albeit others called her Carmenta for the eloquence shee had in her verses For they say that she made as easily in meeter as others doe in prose The Historiographers of the Gentiles say that shee prophefied the destruction of Troy fifteen years before She tolde the comming of Aeneas into Italy and spake of the warres that should be before the marriage of Lauinia and said how Ascanius the sonne of Enea should builde Alba longa She sayde further that of the Latine Kings should descende the Romaines and that the reuenge which Rome should take of Greece should bee greater then that which Greece did take of Troy And shee sayde also that the greatest Warre which Rome should haue should be against the Princes of Affricke and that in the end Rome should triumph ouer all the Realmes of the earth and finally a nation vnknowne should triumph for euer in Rome As Eusesebius Caesarten saith The Routaines kept these writings in as great estimation in the high capitoll as the Christians kept their faith vnto GOD. King Darius after he was vanquished in the first Battell by King Alexander the great before he was in the second battel vtterly destroyed trauelled and sought many wayes and means to the ende he might be friend vnto Alexander And in very deede King Darius was sage to seeke it but not so happie to obtain it For to Princes the peace is more worth that is honest then is the victorie which is bloudie Betwixt these two so stoute Princes Truce was made for three moneths and in the meane time the Priests of the Chaldeans treated peace with these conditions that the great Alexander should marry the daughter of king Darius and that Darius should giue her a great quantity of gold and besides this that he should endow her with the third part of his realme And truely these meanes were good For among Princes there is nothing that sooner pacifieth olde iniuries then to make betweene them newe Mariages King Alexander excused himselfe of this marriage saying that hee was but xxiiij yeares of age and that hee was too young to bee marryed because amongst the Macedonians there was a custom that the woman could not be marryed vntill xxv yeares of age nor the man vntill xxx The Daughter of King Darius was faire rich and noble but the best she wanted for she was not wise And this was the cause why K Alexander refused her for his wife for in those dayes women were not marryed because they were rich but beloued because they were wise And finally the woman that had studyed best came commonly to the highest Marriage Antonius Rusticus and Quintus Seuerus say that the great Alexander after he had forsaken the daughter of king Darius marryed a wife which was a poore woman and deformed called Barsina which indeede was neyther with riches nor beautie endued but without doubt in the Greeke and Latine tongue most excellently learned And when the Princes of Macedonie would haue withdrawn him from that marriage asking him why hee esteemed the rich lesse then the poore he aunswered thus I see my Friends in Marriage it suffiseth the husband to bee rich and the woman wise For the Office of the husband is to winne that which is lost and the Office of the wife is to keepe safe that which is wonne Strabo de situ Orbis saith that the fifte Queene of Lides was Mirthas the which of her bodie was so little that shee seemed to bee a Dwarffe and in quicknes of wit so high that they called her a giant For the man that hath a stout stomack and a little body may well be called a giaunt and hee that hath a great body and a cowards hart may iustly be named a Dwarffe For that this excellent Queen Mirtha was such a wise wife when she was marryed and afterwards also a widowe very honest and aboue all things in Phylosophie excellently learned The Lides counted this Queen Mirtha amongst the seuen Kings of the which they vaunted themselues to be gouerned as of glorious Princes For the Auncients gaue as much glorie to Women learned in Letters as vnto the valiant and stoute men expert in Armes Cornificius the Poete as Laertius saieth had a sister called Cornificia the which in Greeke Latin letters was not onely learned but also in making Metre and Epigrames very expert They write that of this Woman which of few men the like hath been heard That is to say that she made verses and Epigrams better at the first sight then her brother did with much study And it is not too much incredible to put any doubt in that that is spoken for the penne hath more swiftnesse of the liuely spirit then the tongue hath of the small vnderstanding This Poet Cornificius was resident a long time in Rome and was alwayes poore and voide of all fauour thogh indeede hee was better learned then others which were in greater estimation the which thing dayly chaunceth in the Court of Princes For there is no difference whether they bee fooles or wise but whether they be acceptable to the Princes Aristotle sayeth Vbi multum de intellectu ibi parum de fortuna Meaning thereby that men which of memory and vnderstanding are most rich of the goods of this world are commonly most poore This Poet Cornificius therefore going through Rome little set by of any by chaunce a Romane named Calphurnius to scoffe at him sayd Tell me Cornificius hast thou had any fortunate day since thou wert borne for in these twenty yeers that I haue known thee I neuer saw thee in fauour and if I bee not deceyued it is fifteene yeeres since I knew thee haue
of her Husband doe spoyle her of her goods For in this case their heires oftentimes are so disordered that for a worne cloake or a broken shirt they wil trouble and vexe the poore widdowe If perchance the miserable widdow haue children I say that in this case shee hath double sorrow For if they are young shee endureth much paine to bring them vp so that each houre and moment theyr Mothers liue in great sorrows to bethinke them only of the life death of their children If perhaps the Children are olde truely the griefes which remaine vnto them are no lesse For so much as the greatest part of them are either proud disobedient malicious negligent Adulterers gluttons blasphemers false lyars dull-headed wanting witte or sickly So that the ioy of the woefull Mothers is to bewaile the deaths of their well beloued Husbands and to remedy the discordes of theyr youthfull children If the troubles which remaine vnto the careful mothers with their sonnes be great I say that those which they haue with their Daughters bee much more For if the Daughter be quicke of wit the Mother thinketh that shee shall be vndone If shee be simple she thinketh that euery man will deceyue her If she be faire shee hath enough to doe to keepe her If shee be deformed she cannot marrie her If she be well mannered she will not let her go from her If shee be euill mannered she cannot endure her If she be too solitary she hath not wherewith to remedy her If she be dissolute she will not suffer her to bee punished Finally if she put her from her she feareth she shal be slaundered If she leaue her in her house she is afraid she shal be stollen What shall the wofull poor widdow doe seeing herselfe burdened with daughters and enuironed with sonnes and neyther of them of sufficient age that there is any time to remedy them nor substance to maintaine them Admit that shee marrie one of her sonnes and one daughter I demand therfore if the poor widdow wil leaue her care anguish truly I say no thogh she chuse rich personages wel disposed she cānot scape but that day that shee replenished her selfe with daughters in law the same day she chargeth her heart with sorrows trauels and cares O poore widdowes deceyue not your selues and doe not imagine that hauing married your sonnes and daughters from that time forwardes yee shall liue more ioyfull and contented For that layde aside which their Nephewes doe demaund them and that their sonnes in Law do rob them when the poore olde woman thinketh to be most surest the young man shall make a claim to her goods what daughter in Law is there in this world who faithfully loueth her stepmother And what sonne in Law is there in the world that desireth not to bee heyre to his father in Lawe Suppose a poore widdow to be fallen sicke the which hath in her house a sonne in Law and that a man aske him vpon his oath which of these two things hee had rather haue eyther to gouerne his mother in Law with hope to heale her or to bury her with hope to inherite her goods I sweare that such would sweare that he could reioyce more to giue a ducket for the graue then a penny for a Physition to cure and heale her Seneca in an Epistle sayeth That the Fathers in Law naturally do loue their daughters in Law and the sons in Law are loued of the mothers in Law And for the contrary he saieth that naturally the sonnes in law doe hate their mothers in Law but I take it not for a generall rule for there are mothers in Law which deserue to be worshipped and there are sonnes in Law which are not worthie to be beloued Other troubles chaunce dayly to these poore widdowes which is that when one of them hath one onely sonne whom she hath in steade of a husband in stead of a brother in steade of a sonne shee shall see him dye whom sith shee had his life in such great loue shee cannot though she would take his death with patience so that as they bury the deade body of the innocent childe they burie the liuely heart of the woefull and sadde mother Then let vs omit the sorrowes which the mothers haue when their children dye and let vs aske the mothers what they feele when they are sicke They will aunswere vs that alwayes and as oftentimes as their children bee sicke the death of their husband then is renued imagining that it will happen so vnto them as it hath done vnto others And to say the truth it is no maruell if they doe feare For the vine is in greater perill when it is budded then when the grapes are ripe Other troubles oftentimes increase to the poore widdowes the which amongst others this is not the least that is to say the little regard of the Friendes of her Husband and the vnthankfulnes of those which haue been brought vp with him The which since hee was layde in his graue neuer ented into the gates of his house but to demaund recompence of their old seruices and to renew and beginne new suites I would haue declared or to say better briefly touched the trauells of widdowes to perswade Princes that they remedie them and to admonish Iudges to heare them and to desire all vertuous men to comfort them For the Charitable worke of it selfe is so Godly that hee deserueth more which remedyeth the troubles of the one onely then I which write their miseries altogether CHAP. XXXVII Of a letter which the Emperour Marcus Aurelius wrote to a Romane Lady named Lauinia comforting her for the death of her husband MArcus of mount Celio Emperour of Rome chiefe Consull Tribune of the people high Bishop appointed against the Daces wisheth health and comfort to thee Lauinia noble and worthy Romane matron the late wife of the good Claudinus According to that thy person deserueth to that which vnto thy husband I ought I thinke well that thou wilt suspect that I weigh thee little for that vnto thy great sorrowes complaints and lamentations are now arriued my negligent consolations When I remember thy merites which cannot fayle and imagine that thou wilt remember my good will wherewith alwayes I haue desired to serue thee I am assured that if thy suspition accuse mee thy vertue and wisdome will defend me For speaking the truth though I am the last to comfort thee yet I was the first to feele thy sorrowes As ignorance is the cruell scourge of vertues and sputre to all vices so it chaunceth oft times that ouer much knowledge putteth wise mē in doubt and slaundereth the innocent For as much as wee see by experience the most presumptuous in wisedome are those which fall into most perilous vices We find the Latines much better with the ignorance of vices then the Greekes with the knowledge of vertues And the reason hereof is for that of things