prison in Chalciaeco where he was miserably starued to death But before he died wrastling with hunger and fighting for life death with famishment further séeing before his face a most miserable lamentable and wofull end remembred vpon a sodaine the saying of Simonides crying out with a loud and pitifull voice thrée seuerall times in this sort saying O Simonides magnum quiddam in tuo sermone inerat ego vero inani persuasione sum adductus vt eum nullius momenti putarem O friend Simonides in thy watchword was a great and weighty matter included but as for me I was caried away with vaine persuasions and made small account of thy wise warning Also Craesus the rich king of Lydia because Solon would not account of him aboue all mortall men then liuing but rather preferred other honest men in beautitude and happy estate farre aboue Crasus nothing regarding the huge heapes of money and mighty masses of treasure which he then possessed Wherewith he was so eleuated with pride that he farre excelled and excéeded all earthly and mortall creatures in his owne conceit Most sharply reprehending Solon for that he so little regarded his mighty power as to preferre any man in blessed estate aboue him whom he ought not so much as once to compare with any mortall man but rather to haue lifted and extolled him to the heauens and recounted him amongst the Gods immortall For which his stately pride and vaine folly he was accordingly punished as is before rehearsed Where he most hartely repented himself of his foolish vanitie Nay there were diuers kings which not onely contented themselues with the stately stile of immortall Gods or satisfied themselues when their subiects both seperated made a difference betwixt them as farre as the heauens from the earth but also commaunded themselues to be adored and worshipped as the very liuing God and that all knees should bowe and be obedient at the hearing of their names as Nabuchodonozer the great and mighty King of Babylon when he perceiued that his power made the worlde to shrinke grewe so proud that he would be a God on the earth setting vp his picture or image commaunding those to be slaine which would not fall downe worship it but see how the high God plagued him most iustly for his proud folly taking his kingdome from him for a time to the intent he might know perceiue a difference betwixt the liuing God and his mortall carkasse being also transformed to an vgly shape of a beast whose head was like the head of an Oxe his feete like to the feete of a Beare his taile like the tayle of a Lyon and euerie haire on his bodie as big as an Eagles feather and he that would be a God before thinking the earth too vile and base for him to tread on was now faine to lay his flapping lips to the ground to gather his food and did eate hay the space of 7. yeres together being at the last againe restored both to his former shape and dignitie Alexander Magnus when hee had conquered most part of the world returned to Babylon holding ther his Parliament summoning the Kings of the earth to come and worship the sonne of Iupiter making such account of himselfe putting diuers to most cruel death who would not consent to his vile folly nor adore him as a God yea and those that were his very friends who had before time preserued him from death and also from diuers dangers which otherwise had greatly annoyed and molested him hee plagued with most vile torments because they would not vphold and maintaine his monstrous errour Notwithstanding for all these gréeuous punishments there were that could not brooke his stately pride but sharply reprehended laughed him openly to scorne for the wise Anaxarchus hearing that this God fell sicke on some sodaine sicknesse and that the Phisitions were sent for to him who ministred purgations vnto him and prescribed certaine receipts and potions for the recouerie of his health whereat he floutingly said thus At deo nostro spes omnis in sorbilatione patellae pofita est What is all the hope of our goodly God come now to the sipping of a platter for in such vessells were the confections and sirops giuen by the Phisitions Further saying after a scoffing manner It had been necessarie first that he should haue been Gods fellowe before he presumed to be a God in deed for so perhaps hee might haue purchased and obtained the good will of the Gods in attaining to his desired seate But he scaped not vnpunished to show the difference betwixt God and man whose miserable death is néedlesse to repeate being before spoken of Also Agrippa the sonne of Aristobolus after his good successes by the lewd entisement of his flattering counsailors and thorough the foolish perswasions of seruants was cōtent to haue such honour done to him as was due to a God yea also to suffer himselfe to be called by the name of a God notwithstanding he had before béen taken prisoner by Tiberius and vsed most cruelly in prison not like a man for he was gyued chayned with mighty chaines to yron But beeing afterward deliuered by Caligula who made him King of the Iewes setting a crowne of golde on his head giuing him a chaine of golde of the same weight that he had before worne in prison of yron so that by such sodaine changes his minde was so eleuated and lifted vp with pride that he no longer would be man but suffered himself to be wondred at by the people as a God causing himselfe so to bee tearmed and called by his subiects but in the ende hee was striken with an Angell in the sight of an infinite number of people wherewith his bodie smelled and wormes issued out with intollerable paines and horrible stench In the which torments grieuous paines he looked on his euill counsailors and flattring seruants saying Loe I whom you called a God am nowe in the paines of death And so most miserably hee died In like sort Menecrates being but a Phisition because he had cured diuers and sundrie diseases to his great fame and commendation did so swell in pride that hee called himselfe Iupiter or Iuuans Pater this arrogant asse sent vpon a time to Philip king of Macedony a letter wherein was written this sawcie salutation Menecrates Iupiter Philipo salutem c. Menecrates Iupiter to Philip sendeth greeting c. Whose vaunting vaine the King perceiuing wrote back againe in this manner and forme folowing Philippus Menecrati sanitatem c. Philip Macedo to Menecrates wisheth well fare c. Consulo vt ad Anticyram te conferas I counsaile thee to take thy iorney to Anticyra meaning by this drye frump that the man was moonesick and besides his wittes the aforesaide Philip on a time made a sumptuous and costly banquet whereunto he inuited and bad Menecrates commanding his seruants that there
my patrimonie which my Father left me but be contented therewith and leaue it to my sonne as it was left me Wherewith the king being not content went home sorowing remaining verie pensiue and heauie for that he could not lawfully or without great shame take away the vineyard of Naboth but when Iezabel fully perceiued the cause of the Kings sorowing and heauines she directed letters to y e Rulers of y e place wher Naboth dwelt making them priuie of her bloudie practise wishing and commaunding them to proclaime a fast in their Citie and then to hire and suborne two witnesses that should falsely accuse him before the Iudges and presently therevpon to lead him out of the Citie and stone him to death which cruel doome and execrable murder was forthwith accordingly executed But notwithstāding although for a time reuengement was deferred yet could she not scape vnpunished for so soone as Iehu was annointed King he was straightly cōmanded from the verie mouth of God to persecute the house of King Ahab with great crueltie and not to leaue anie one liuing that should pisse against the wall wherefore he presently warred on the Citie of Iezrael and spoiled the house and frends of Ahab vntill he came where Iezabel lodged who was most cruelly vsed in consideration of her former trespasse for she was throwen and tumbled downe headlong from a lofty window to the hard pauements of the stréete wherewith her bloud sprong about the postes and walles of the stréet so that dogges came and licked vp her bloud and eate her flesh the rest being troden to durt with horseféete and marching souldiers insomuch that there remayned no more vnspoyled and defaced but onely the palmes of her hands Thus was Iezabel most cruelly slaine and miserably vsed by the very commaundement of God for the murdering and sheading of innocent bloud Also Olimpias wife to Philip the Macedonian king and mother to Alexander the great cōmitted diuers most horrible shamefull murthers namely first it was suspected and layd to her charge the consenting to the murther of her husband king Philip who was slaine by the hande of Pausanias For after this Pausanias had trayterously slaine the king her husband had receiued iust punishment for his villanie she openly mourned for the death of the said murtherer And also it was well knowē that she had prouided horses ready against the deede was committed to the end the slayer of her husbande might the better escape Further when his body did hang on the galous she came thether the first night and crowned the dead head of Pausanias with a crowne of gold taking also the carkasse from the trée burying it most nobly and made a famous Tombe in the same place for his remembrance Which causes being thorowly considered can import no otherwise than an accessary and guilty mind This Olimpias after the death both of Philip her husband and Alexander her sonne in the time that the Macedonian Princes and successors to her sonne Alexander did contend and striue for the superioritie and regiment of their dead master came down into Macedon with a great power to warre on Philip king thereof and Euridice his wife who at that time were lawfull inheritors of that kingdome and gaue them battaile In which conflict she tooke the King prisoner and all his whole familie But Euridice his wife fled for her safetie into the Citie Amphipolis where not long after she also was taken Then seised Quéene Olimpias into her hand all the whole Realm of Macedon howbeit she very vngently entreated these her prisoners For first she caused the king and Euridice his wife to be put into a straite prison that they could hardly turne themselues within and had their meat geuen thē in at a little hole but after they had béen there awhile thus miserably dealt withall Olympias perceiuing that the Macedonians for very compassion they had of the said captiues greatly maliced and hated her wherefore she caused King Philip by certaine souldiers of Thrace to be slaine after he had reigned king sixe yeares and foure moneths And for because that Euridice not well digesting her shamefull crueltie in so treacherously betraying her dead husband and also somewhat insolently spake said that she had better right and title to the crowne and realme of Macedonia than Olympias had she therefore either without regard of the late dignitie royall that the sayd Euridice had béen in or yet the common mutability variety of fortune sent her three liberall gifts to make her choyse thereof which was a sword a halter and poyson to end her life withal who of necessitie was forced to take one Thus whē the wofull Queene had receiued this present of Olympias seeing no remedie but that needs she must take and accept of one she said The Gods graunt like choyce to this cruell Olympias and that she may receiue like guerdon for her liberalitie heerein Thus when she had adorned the bodie of her husband Philip slaine in her presence and stopped vp the wounds to couer the deformitie of them then refusing the aforesaid presents of the curteous Queene in the best manner she could with her own girdle strāgled her selfe and so died Yet was not Olympias satisfied with these lamentable and execrable murders but soone after she had thus shamefully put them to death she made Nicanor Cassanders brother to be slaine and spitefully defaced the tombe of Iolas his other brother Ouer and besides this she picked weeded out an hūdred noble men of Macedonie which were frends to Cassander and caused their throates to be cut for which cruell and barbarous deed Cassander being moued gathered an Armie minding to reuenge himself on the Queen for her great crueltie and draue her at the last to the Citie Pidue where hee besieged her long vntil such time that vittaile failed her yet notwithstanding she would not yeeld although both her company and the Citizens dyed wonderfully by famine and greeuous plagues which chanced to them by reason of the dead bodies which lay in the town diches vnburied most horribly stinking insomuch that there dyed daily in the towne through these two causes aforesaid verie many citizens and soldiors Being also forced thorough extreame and miserable hunger to feed on the dead carkasses of the pined men The townesmen seeing theyr lamentable estate yeelded vp the Citie against Olympias will and humbled themselues willingly to the mercie of Cassander Then after this Queen was taken prisoner Cassander caused all the friends of them whom she had murdred to accuse her in the common place of iudgment before the assembly of the Macedonians Which thing they accordingly did where the Macedonians in the absence of Olympias hauing there neither any patrone or aduocate to defend her vniust cause condemned her to death For execution wherof Cassander sent 200. of his trustiest souldiers to kil her which entered her Pallace where she was Streightway so soone as she perceiued them
help whē he néeded desiring to vse him as one in whō he might repose his trust Now was Alexāder glad that of his own accord he would return and because he would better let him vnderstande some signe of good wil harty loue he accōpanied him into Thessaly but after they were arriued in the Citie of Larissa they a fresh began to practise new treason one against another and first Alexander to put Demetrius quite out of suspition either without armour or weapon or anie guard to attend on his person would oft visite him hoping thereby to make him doo the like but he was in his so thinking greatly deceiued for as Alexander one night came to supper to Demetrius without guard according to his accustomed wont and that they wer in the chiefe of their supper Demetrius sodainly arose from the table wherat Alexander was sore abashed insomuch that hee arose also followed him to the hall doore but so soone as Demetrius was without he gaue signe and token to his souldiors who incontinently fell vppon Alexander and slew him and certaine of his men which would haue defended him among whom a certain fellowe before he was killed said Demetrius hath preuented vs but a day onely Now was Demetrius King of Macedon and the Macedonians right glad of their change but not long after this Demetrius was taken prisoner by Seleuchus in battaile committed to prison where he continued vntill he died Then was the great fight betwixt Seleucus and Lysimachus which was the verie last battaile that was fought betwixt the successors of Alexander in which conflict Lysimachus was slaine Seleucus victor But Seleucus inioyed his victorie not long for he was shortly after slaine by Ptolome whose sister Lysimachus had married Also Olympias mother to Alexander the Great when she had slaine King Philip and his wife Euridice then to despite Cassander she put to death an 100. noble men of Macedon at one time also she made Nicanor brother to Cassander to be slaine and defaced the tombe and monument of Iole his other Brother to reuenge the death of Alexander her sonne as she said because it was suspected that he had poysoned him in giuing him drinke About the same time when Ptolome Lord of the Isle of Cypres vnderstood that Nicocles King of Paphos had secretly allied with Antigone hee sent two of his chiefe friends to wit Argey and Calicrate into Cypres charging them to kill the said Nicocles fearing that if he should leaue him vnpunished the rest would not sticke to doo the like When these messengers were arriued in Cypres hauing with them the souldiors of Ptolome they incompassed the house of Nicocles signifying to him their charge from Ptolome therefore they exhorted him to kill himselfe who from the beginning vsed manie words in the excusing of the fact but when hee did sée there was no account made of his tale hee at the last slewe himselfe and after that Axithia his wife vnderstood of his death she first slew two yong maides her daughters whom she had by him to the end they shuld not come into the hands of her husbands enemies and after exhorted Nicocles brothers wiues willingly to die with her which indéed they did In this sort also was the pallaice royall of Paphos ful of murders and wilfull slaughters and after in manner of a tragedie burnt for immediately after the brothers wiues of Nicocles were dead they shut vp the dores of the houses and set them on fire and foorthwith they that then liued in the pallaice killed themselues and so finished that lamētable murder In the same season while these things were done in Cypres great controuersie arose in the Countrey of Pontus after the death of Parisade sometime King of Bosphorus betwixt Satyre Eumele and Pritame Parisade his sonnes for the succession of the said Realme insomuch that the brothers made sharpe warre one against the other So it fortuned that Satyre and Pritame were both slaine in that warre wherefore the other Brother Eumele to assure himselfe of the Realme caused all the wiues children and friends of Pritame and Satyre his brethren to be slaine not long after was himselfe cruelly slaine by misfortune Now to returne to Alexander the Great and his line it was reported and partly beléeued that he himselfe consented with Olympias his mother to the death and murder of Philip his father for which gréeuous offence he himselfe with his whole line and stocke was punished accordingly For first it is to be considered that olde Antipater who in Alexanders life was his Lieutenant and after his death first had the Satrape of Macedon bestowed on him by Perdicas the Gouernour Which Antipater and Olympias could neuer agrée but still were at contention and strife both in the life time of her sonne Alexander and also after his death insomuch that when Alexander was comming from the conquest of the world making his abode in Babylon for a time and after minding to returne home into Macedon to visit his mother Olympias Antipater being then Lieutenant of Macedon considered with himselfe that if in case Alexander shuld return home that then his mother Olympias would make gréeuous complaints against him which thing he so much feared that he caused poyson to be giuen to Alexander at Babylon whereof hee presently died Thus when Alexander was dead and olde Antipater deceased there grew a new grudge and quarrell betwixt Olympias and Cassander sonne to Antipater insomuch that he tooke Olympias prisoner and in the end caused her to be slaine Aslo hee slewe Alexander sonne of Alexander the Great and Roxana his mother afterward he put to death Hercules the other sonne of Alexander with Arsinne his mother yet notwithstanding Cassander espoused Thessalonica one of the Sisters of Alexander the great who after the death of Cassander was also slaine by her own sonne Antipater Cleopatra also the other Sister of Alexander was also slaine by the commaundement of Antigonus After this sort was the whole line of Alexander for all his mightie conquests gained with lamentable slaughters and wonderfull effusion of bloud vtterly extinguished by Antipater and his Successours Also what gained his Successors by the large Kingdomes and possessions hee left For they were al by enuie depriued both of life and lands in miserable sort Insomuch that their remained not one that could iustly vaunt and brag of his happie successe but had rather good cause to mourne bewaile the cruel murders manifold slaughters and wastfull ruines both of themselues their wiues children and friends hauing also right good cause to wish that Alexander had neuer béen borne or els that he had neuer conquered so great a part of the world to leaue the possession therof to them wherby they were all driuen to vntimely death with the murder of infinite thousands of their people so that the whole whole world did lament and grieue at their
to braue it out to breed me further paine No that I will not sure digest though I my selfe be slaine And therwithall in feeble fist his speare he trembling held Whose quaking lims by age opprest could scant his weapon weld And at proud Pyrrhus he lets driue his hurtles speare God knowes Wherof strong Pyrrhus might haue born for need a thousand blowes Achilles bastard borne quoth he by this I know thou art That dares presume before my face to play so hard a part Thou wretch thou misbegotten wretch that thus hast shewd thy kind For well I know thou art the man that bearst so bad a mind With that quoth he Neoptolemus my fathers sonne the same That was the bastard and not I for Pyrrhus is my name And for because in time to come thou shalt not vse me so With these hard tearms a token I will geue thee how to know My brother and my selfe apart wherfore thou shalt enquire Ere long of slaine Achilles ghost to proue thy selfe a lier And therwithall the spitefull Greek from sacred place did draw My noblemate by haire of head contrary to all law And through the bloud of his slaine sonne the aged man he drew And right before our sacred Gods my husband deare he slew With fatall blade before my face he piercde his tender side That right against the Gods themselues my louing husband dide The Gods no help at all would geue the Grecian to preuent Nor that the Troyan Prince should liue but they with one consent Did vow his death for former fault and for his sinnes offence No earthly wight for this his sinne could with their power dispence But die he must it was decreed and dreadfull death should end This bloudy war that after none in like case should offend My husband dead I did behold a grieuous sight to see His daughters all bewayld his hap which then did stand with me The cellers deep and hollow caues with wayling all did sound And from the hauty houses tops the Echo did rebound Ah heauy chaunce to see him slaine who was my chiefest ioy The Emperor of Asia great and stately King of Troy Who now lay slaine before my face but being then starke dead With louing zeale on Priam slaine my greedy eyes I fed What hath this princox boy quoth I my louing husband slaine Beside our Gods without reuenge what shall he still remaine Aliue to vaunt of this his deed or brag of such a fact Before the Greeks his cruell mates who ioyes at this his act Ye Gods ye sacred Gods I cride although your wrath be great Against vs Troyans now subdude whose ruine ye did threat For Paris sinne yet haue regard on Triam thus betrayd VVho now is dead by your decree wherfore his debt is payd But now quoth I graunt my request that this vile Greek may rue This cruell deed in time to come that euer he so slue The aged King for reuerence of gray and aged haires VVhose youth was come by yearly course to old and aged yeares Let not the slaughter of a King make proud his hauty hart Nor that he long may make his vaunt of this so hard a part But as your iustice now is seen in so reuenging wrong So Pyrrhus proud by your consent may rue this deed ere long VVhen Priam thus by Pyrrhus sword had breathed out his last And that the town was quite subdude by Grecians fighting fast The Greeks demaund Polixena because she first procurde Achilles death by fained loue through which he was allurde VVhom when they found this Pyrrhus craude to haue my louing child That so had causde his fathers death by working such a wilde But when she knew the earnest suite of fierce Achilles sonne For succour to me helples wretch with vaine hope fast did run VVith clasping armes about my neck on me she cride for ayd For Pyrrhus dead Achilles sonne had made her sore afrayd Help mother now at need quoth she still weeping on my brest A place too weak for greedy Greeks for there she might not rest Grim Pyrrhus with an eager look did teare her from my lap VVith churlish fist he gript the girle O hard and cruell hap That still mine eyes should witnes beare of this my wofull case And that both mate and children deare should die before my face By haire of head Polixena was drawne along the street VVhere diuers of her wofull frends in sorrowing sort did meete To waile with her for well they wist to dreadfull death she went Achilles death now to reuenge they knew proud Pyrrhus ment And as they thought it came to passe for Pyrrhus did deuise Vpon his fathers tombe as then my child to sacrifise Vnto the ghost of his slaine Sire his death to recompence And that Achilles ghost might know it was for her offence Polixena so halde along by such a cruell foe VVhat should become of this my child as then I did not know VVherfore to see I followed fast what would to her betide VVhere round about Achilles tombe a troup of Greeks I spide Which readie were to giue their aide if need should so require My daughters death with one consent each Gretian did desire And there before my face they bound both hand and foote full fast Of this my child that willing was of bitter death to tast But hauing spide me where I stood her hands and feete fast bound In token of her last farewell her head towards me she twound And fixt her eyes on me poore wretch with such a wofull looke With nodding head for want of limmes her last farewell she tooke Then Pyrrhus mad vntill reuenge did drawe his fatall blade And slewe my child vpon the tombe which he before had made In honour of his father dead and there with gorie blood Imbrewd the graue which cruell act did all the Gretians good These words he spake which well I heard quoth he take here thine end Thy soule vnto my fathers ghost for thine offence I send And for the fault of Paris slaine King Priam late did rewe His sonnes vile part for with this hand the aged man I slewe O fortune vile that sparde my life to see this wofull day My friends starke dead whom Grecians slewe in euery corner lay Not one was left to comfort me that could my woe redresse But mourning matrons whose hard hap increasde my heauinesse And last of al the angry Greekes to breede vs further care The traytours of our common wealth from sacke or spoile they spare Aeneas and Antenor he those that betrayde our towne In conquerde Troy had liberty as walkers vp and downe The spoile once had our stately towne with fire fierce did flame The gods decreed my life should last that I might see the same Then did I see our lofty towers consumde with fire to fall In burning houses children cride which number was not small A world of woe to call to minde the latter spoile of Troy When Greekes with fire
our City great did vtterly destroy Fierce was the flame on euery side downe falls the buildings faire The temples of our sacred gods the fier did not spare Till all things flat vpon the ground did lie like desart plaine For memorie of this our tovvne the vvalls did not remaine Dovvne to the earth it smoking lay defaced so vvith fire To ruine novv all things vvere come vvhich vvas the Greekes desire The bodies of the Troyans slaine in Zanthus floud did svvimme Eche channell deepe vvith crimson blood stoode floting to the brimme The members of our martred men in barren fields they flung In fertile sort to fat the earth in steade of other dung That where the towne of Troy did stand in little space was seene Where houses stoode there grasse did growe in sprouting sort full greene And where the Temples of our gods in stately maner stoode The dockes and weedes were cherished by losse of Troyans bloode No place of Troy vntoucht did stand but all for waste was layde The Greekes cride quit with that vile part that Paris first had playde When that mine eies had seene all this the sorrowes which were past Eche wofull hap once callde to minde starke mad I fell at last And raging in the fieldes I ran where lately Troy did stand From thence when I had raylde my fill I passde to Thracia land Where Polymnestor that vile wretch and traytor bad did raigne Who had betrayde yong Polidore my sonne for filthie gaine Which cruell acte though then starke mad in minde I still did beare That for reuenge on him I fell and out his eies did teare To worke him woe for this his deede my frantike minde was fierce The cheekes of this disloyall wretch my nayles did soundly pierce That he foorthwith had lost his sight for this his former deede O would to God all traitours thus for treacherie might speede This deede once done my troubled minde somewhat I did appease For wel I wist the wretch was blinde which did my sorrow ease And also to my further ioy proude Pyrrhus lost his life When he returned home to Greece by reason of the strife That stout Orestes had with him for Hermion that wench That nothing else but present death could this their quarrell quench Achylles sonne at last was slaine Orestes had his ioy And Pyrrhus might repent the time that first he came to Troy Where he imbrewde himselfe with blood and slewe the aged King Which was the cause of his mishap and sure no other thing The gods that knew his cruell minde and saw his wilfull fact Could not lesse do than make the Greeke repent his bloudy act Orestes slue Achylles sonne thus Pyrrhus being dead Like hearbes to pot his flesh was chopt no otherwise he sped This newes to me some comfort was in this my wofull state To heare what hard mishap befell to him that slue my mate And well I wist his father first for vsing me so ill Was slaine himselfe by my consent for Paris did him kill And also how that Thracian King that Polymnestor hight For so betraying of my sonne and doing me that spite Receiude a guerdon for his fact his lumen lights he lost Wherefore the traytor of his gaines I thinke could scarcely bost Of all the rest it did me good for that my hands had done Such due reuenge on that vile wretch that so betrayde my sonne I ioyde a while at this my deede my sorrow wel did flake For that I knew they dide the death of whom before I spake But when againe I callde to minde my children that were gone And deere alies of whom the Greekes aliue had left not one And how olde Pryamus my mate before my face did die On Pyrrhus blade that Grecian grim while I in vaine did crie For helpe to free him from the hand of this his spitefull fo In vaine I cride for that the gods decreede it should be so And then when that I thought on Troy on Troy our stately towne Which was the eie of all the world but now by Greekes throwne downe And like a desart place did lie no signe of Troy did stand The empire stout of Asia great so wrested from our hand That I the greatest Queene on earth so was my stately stile In time forepast and now to be a helplesse wretch most vile So base and humbly was I vsde farre from my former state That harborlesse I rangde about this was my haplesse fate Despisde of all receiude of none refusde of those that faund On me before when I their Queene did euery thing commaund But now although I vsde them well in elder time before They to requite my courtesie did shut me foorth of dore And let me lie without reliefe this kindnesse they did showe In Princes place to me they sude but now they would not knowe Their haplesse Queene in miserie but let me raging runne In euery corner where I would eche wight me wretch did shunne Not Greekes I meane but subiects mine who sometime did professe In Asia soile me for their Queene and now in this distresse The Greekes had awde their minds so far they durst not on me looke But as a thing that venyme was eche liuing wight forsooke Which when I spide and callde to minde my former stately place And now againe did see my selfe to liue in such disgrace In frantike sort my heart was vext the anguish of my minde Like bedlam beast did make me run the spitefull Greekes to finde That were the causers of my woe that I reuenge might take On all the wrongs that they had done and for my husbands sake Whom they had slaine before my face and for my children deare For whose sweete sakes amongst the Greekes I went without al feare With eger fist I laide on loade with nayles and feete at length But slender hurt a womans hand could do to men of strength Yet notwithstanding my good will was seene by this my force And theirs againe O wretched me by vsing such remorce For when that I had done my worst and shewed my vtter might And breathlesse stoode for want of breath by this my feeble fight The Greekes with stones did compasse me whose force I stil defide Till they with stones did strike me downe where presently I dide Lo thus when that all vile mishaps had chaunced vnto me Whome fortune followed to the death with such extremitie And that mine eies to my great griefe such wofull things had seene But would to God before the warre long time I dead had beene When all such haps of hatefull dome that fortune could assigne Did chaunce to me by haplesse hap such luckelesse lot was mine To ende my dayes in great disgrace I dide among my foes They stoned me to death poore wretch a heauy end God knowes Had euer any such mishap since first the world begunne Or any one did know such woe that liued vnder sunne As I my selfe poore wretched Queene though bootelesse now
need remember what was Craesus fall and how the wretch did speed O On Catos words consider well then rich when once content of Crates thinke who sure was rich when all his wealth was spent B Beare Titus mind that Roman peere whose noble heart did bend before the sunne went downe each day to purchase him a friend E Ere angry moode doo make the strike first play vpon thy lute each day Achilles would doo so and Clinius on the Flute R Reuenge not vnaduisedly call Phocion first to mind rather take thou wrong with him than shew thy selfe vnkinde T To wise Themistocles giue eare that loude his Countrey well true subiects liude as oft we read when wretched traitors fell V Vse not by feare to awe each man least thou repent too late vrge none saith Tully by such meanes for feare procureth hate S See that thy Countrimen haue right the poore man doo not fleece so maist thou haue in this our soyle as Solon had in Greece S Shun Caesars pride beware of that for he himselfe was slaine such haps doo greete aspiring mindes when worlds they thinke to gain P Pompey could abide no mate nor Caesar anie peere pride brought them to vntimely death their state was bought so deere E Endeuour to digest abuse on wise Pericles thinke else follow sage Zenocrites at iniuries to winke N Nestor liude with great renowme in Pilos well esteemd now lead a life that thou in fine a second he be deemd C Call to thy minde King Darius that vsed oft remorce could Nero liue when he began to rule in Rome perforce E Earst Hiero of Siracusa for learning still would striue erre not but spend some time therein whilest heere thou art aliue R Read what wise Seneca doth say of Cicero goe learne run not with vnaduised hast and thou shalt right discerne To the Reader RIght curteous gentle and learned Reader as dutie bindeth mee I am determined to inuite thee to a base and simple banquet for knowing that thou art dayly inuited bidden to manie more curious and daintie dishes that thy appetite is sufficed with all kinde of delicates therefore in mine opinion by staying thee from thy delicious meates by inuiting thee to more homelie fare thy stomacke may be the more whetted sharpned to take thy repast of those dainties when occasion serueth It may be that when thou shalt perceiue my principall and chiefest Guest for whom this banquet was first prouided whose mouth is daylie vsed to the sweetest delicates and whose tongue is of sufficient iudgement to make a difference betwixt the sower taste of vnpleasant cates and the sweete relish and sauer of well seasoned meates for manner sake to commend the dishes and gratefully accept the good will of the inuiter that then thou wilt accordingly take in good part and well like of such homely cheere as the willing bidder hath prouided for thee But if it should so fall out that thy mouth being so often accustomed with the sweete taste and relish of daintie fare that thy stomacke can hardly digest the homelines of my reare supper yet I assure thee that the cates themselues be as daintie neweltie as the best thogh not so well dressed by the vnskilfulnesse of the Cooke Therefore I beseech thee to vse the part of a friendly guest in taking it in good woorth and reporting the best and further I request thee if thou findest fault or mislikest anie dish being not well dressed rather to winke priuelie at the Cooke than openly to discredit his workmanship Perhaps it may be further obiected to the discredit of the workman saying It was great pitie that such daintie delicates hapned to be bought of so simple a cater to carie to so homely a cooke to be dressed in so smokie a kitchin wherby the dishes haue not their right and their taste and relish spoyled by reason of the basenesse of the roome To which obiection with reason I thus may reply that the vnskilfull cooke may sometime take in hand to dresse the daintiest dish as well as the cunning and finest workman to learne experience for he that ventreth not the marring or making shal neuer attain to good workmanship Thus gentle Reader hauing inuited thee to this base banquet play thou not like the dogge in a manger that will eate no hay nor suffer those that would wherefore I pray thee either fall too thy selfe or giue others leaue to satisfie their hunger whose stomackes are sufficiently prepared to feed I would not haue it thought that I thorough a vainglorious minde goe about to edifie and instruct the learned whose ripe iudgements wise conceipts and learned experience is of sufficient force to teach better Schollers than my selfe for then should I goe about arenas in littus fundere but for that I right well know there are diuers whose learning is not of that profunditie but they may take both pleasure and profite by reading this homely worke Is it not reported that Aeneas comming to Carthage there viewing and perusing the destruction of Troy being painted on the wall of Didoes pallaice with his faithfull companion Achates to haue more imaginations and thoughts in his minde concerning the effect and substaunce than the wall by painting could signifie yet notwithstanding the picture first caused those thoghts by representing the matter to reuolue in his experienced minde so that the setting downe of a part causeth the wise to conceiue the whole and by penning a briefe the learned coniectureth a volume Therefore curteous Reader I am content to appeale to thy learned iudgement for Appelles setting foorth his picture to heare each mans opinion in his worke begun was verie wel content when the shoomaker found fault with the shooe and the taylor with the hose knowing these men to be artificers in the Science which they had reprehended did willingly reforme his errour But when the vnskilfull intruded themselues to the iudgement of the legges armes and other parts of the bodie then he drewe in his picture knowing that hee should neuer please and satisfie the humour and fancie of all men Thus Fare thee well Thy friend in what I may T. F. Fennes fruites A Dialogue betwene Fame and the Scholer no lesse pleasant than profitable wherein the bad behauiours and lewd demeanours of man is rightly discyphered Scholer SIR you are well met I reioyce greatly that my good fortune is such to méete with you so happily of whome I haue so often heard but neuer as yet coulde méete vntill this time to vse conference with all Fame It is great maruaile that you could neuer finde me out before this time traueling in all Coastes and Kingdomes as I doo hearing also all Nations of the earth report of me so that the vttermost borders of the world hath had my presence therefore truely hard was your hap in deede not to speake with me before this time Scho. True it is in déede but the messengers of vncertaintie did daylie so
geare but very basely vsed and as present occasion craued priuily sent away by secret and vnknowne wayes to the intent it might not be intercepted or stayed Now when Perdicas had espied the sumptuous simulachre of dead Alexander and sawe euery thing as he thought roially executed and pompously performed he pawsed from his speedy pursuit after Ptolomey perswading himselfe that he had obtained the thing namely the body of Alexander wherabout such strife and contention kindled and burned betwixt them both so egerly but hee was deluded and mocked for all that and vnderstood the truth somewhat too late and perceiued that he was craftily circumuented and was forced in the end to retire backe being shamefully flowted This was the end of this earthly god and the vnquietnes which fell to his dead carkasse which could not for a time obtaine the rights of buriall and also after it was committed to the ground it could not rest but was tossed and remoued from place to place for whereas hee in his life time despised to be counted mortal he was at his death denied the cōmon benefite of a mortall man Of whose life and manners hereafter shall be more sufficiently spoken according as the cause shall require and occasion be offered Scho. O most vnhappy Prince that euer liued woulde hee needs be a god Was there no remedy Well therefore as it seemeth he could not enioy the common benefit of a man what meant he by this vaine wish when he heartily wished that his armes might reach from the orient to the occident and that he might beare his banners displayed in all kingdoms and nations of the earth to the intent he might be knowne their Lorde and King nay rather what meant he when that he could not satisfie himselfe with so great a parte of the world as he had already gotten and wonne but mourned for the other worldes which he heard of which he thought vnpossible for him to get Was his appetite so vnquenchable O vnsatiable minde that hearkened not to the wise saying of Diogenes who saide His length of ground were sufficient patrimony for him which in the ende the greatest prince and peere of the earth must be contented withall but he being kept so long aboue the ground as seemeth lesse than his length in his life might containe his dead rotten carkas For a small hole would serue to croud and thrust the remaine of the decayed and putrified corps with ease wherefore he needed not so large measure of ground as Diogenes spake of before But sée the power of the immortall God in shortning the armes of this mortall God so much that so small a rowme would with ease hold and containe him which before groped in a manner after the verie heauens the vpper face of the earth not contenting his greedie appetite Therefore truly in my opinion he needed not to write vpon his graue or Tombe as Ennius did who ingraued these verses be cause the people should not bewaile his death saying Nemo me lacrimis decoret neque funerafletu Faxit cur volito docta per ora virûm No man shall bewaile mee with teares nor shall make sad my funerall with weeping For Alexander might well assure himselfe hauing so much troubled and molested the world that his name which in his life time was both odious and detestable should not at his death bee bewailed and deplored but rather that his funerall should turne the whole world to great gladnes and common ioye Fa. Cyrus the Persian King although he liued a while contented and in fauour and good liking of his people yet notwithstanding in the end hee was drowned in couetousnesse giuing himselfe to the vaine pride of the world hunting after honour climing after superioritie striuing vncessantly for the kingdomes of his neighbours whereby he grewe both odious to his countrimen also vntollerable to his confines and borderers neither could he take example by Croesus the rich King of Lydia whom hee had taken prisoner before with all his people which happned thorowe his coueting and vnsatiable minde and yet for all that hee gaue himselfe so much to the conquering of the kingdomes of others that in the end he lost both his own patrimonie and life also But first to showe the preseruing election and establishing of this King it shall not much digresse from our purpose Astyages King of the Medeans in the night dreamed that out of his daughters loynes should spring a vine whose branches should ouer shadowe al Asia The King being feareful asked counsaile of y e Southsaiers cōcerning y e euent of his troublesome dreame whose answeres were y t his daughter should bring foorth to him a nephewe which should take his kingdome from him Thus being terrified with this answere he would neither giue his daughter to any forreigne Prince or worthie state nor to his owne countriemen which discended or came of any honorable parentage to the intent that no stock or race of nobilitie might bréed or bring vp such a nephewe to him But at the last he gaue her in mariage to Cambises a Persian which was at that time a most obscure Nation notwithstanding fearing the future hap of his dreame he sent for his daughter being great with child vnder colour of being graundfather that he might looke well and carefullie to his daughters Child when it should be borne Not long after the young Childe his nephew was borne and then foorthwith Astiages the Graundfather gaue it to Harpagus chiefe Lord of his counsaile to bee presently slaine but Harpagus fearing least after the death of his Lord Astiages his daughter mother to that child should raigne in the kingdome and so reuenge the murder of the innocēt on him wherfore he gaue it to one of the kings shepheards to bee priuelie brought vp returning this answere to the King that he had slaine the child his nephew therefore he should not néede to feare his dreame But in time the boy growing vp to a pretie stripling being in companie with his fellowe shepheard boyes in the field and by lot was chosen King in their childish sportes and plaies when certaine of his little subiects had transgressed his cōmandement he caused them to be holden vp in iest whilest he whipped them in earnest the boyes complained of this abuse to their parents and they in like sort taking in hard part such whipping cōplained of it also to the King how that the sonne of a hired seruant had scorged and whipped their children which they tooke grieuousely then Astiages sending for the boy demanding of him the cause Where with the boy with a bolde and manly face Fecisse se vt regem respondit he answered That hee had done as became a King and no otherwise Astiages hearing this maiesticall answere of the pretie boy called to minde his forepassed dreame viewing well the lad he asuredly thought that y e boy much fauored his daughter whose Childe hee had caused
comming she marched couragiously toward thē willing them to execute their office With which boldnes the souldiers were all astonished sauing certaine of the friends of those whom she had slain before which stabbed her thorow the body whereof she presently died Yet this manly courage is to be noted in her that after she felt the wound to be mortall and that she fainted ready to yeeld vp her life she nesled her garmentes about her body plucking downe her neather skirts to her féete hauing a womāly care in all respects least that by striuing with life and death she might showe or vncouer the vndecent parts of her bodie Thus dyed the mightiest Princesse vnder the heauens for a iust reuenge of her former cruelties and merciles murders she was daughter to Neoptolome King of Epyre sister to Alexander then King of Epyre wife to Philip King of Macedon mother to Alexander the great and yet for all these high and mightie alliances the liuing God would not suffer her to scape vnpunished but caused such measure to be giuē to her which she before had meated to other In like sort Agrippina daughter to the noble Germanicus first being maried to Domitius had by him Nero and afterward was married to Claudius whom she poysoned with his sonne Britannicus to y e end she might make her first sonne Nero Emperor which indéede came accordingly to passe but now her sonne Nero being Emperour possessing the crowne by meanes of his mothers bloudie act whether it were that the liuing God would not suffer her to scape vnpunished or the wicked inclination of Nero but howsoeuer the case stood she receiued like reward for her son caused her to be most cruelly tormented commanding her wombe to be opened cut vp that he might sée the place wherein he lay and in the meane time while she was suffering such miserable torture he gaue so little regard to the wofull mournings pitifull cries of his naturall mother that he played on a cistern y e destruction of Troy and sung most pleasantly to his instrument Notwithstanding although he was ordeyned to scourge and plague his mother for the aforesaid horrible fact yet scaped not hee vnreuenged for so vile a déede For when he had a time raigned in Rome persecuting the guilties and innocent the Romanes at last detesting his bloudie disposition séeing y t his whole delight was in tormenting his natiue Country men began so deadly to hate him for his crueltie that by the whole consent of the Romanes the Senate decréed this sharpe sentence against him Vt more maiorum collo in furcā coniecto virgis adnecem caederetur his neck being fastned in a yoke or forke after the vilest order which was a most monstrous reproach and seruile slauerie amongst the Romanes should be beaten to death with rods But Nero hauing intelligence of their decrée fled in the midle of the night out of the citie taking with him not past one or two of his lewd cōpanions who also perished with him for feare of the Romans Thus being scaped from the punishment which was appointed for him he now determined to die a desperate death requiring one of his friēds which was with him to stab him through with his sword that he might ende his miserie Who when he had denied his sute as a thing vniust Nero cried out saying Itanè nec amicum habeo nec inimicum dedecorosé vixi turpius periam Surely neither haue I friend nor enemie meaning no friend in the Citie to defend his cause nor enemie nowe with him to ende his life I haue liued vilely I will perish as filthely and therewithall thrust himselfe through and so died Thus miserably ended Domitius Nero after hee had reuenged the cruell murther which his Mother committted and in the ende himselfe was driuen to the same shoare and forced to arriue at the same Port of miserable Destinie to be cut off with vntimely death for his most vile slaughters and cruelties Also Aristobulus sonne to Hircanus vnnaturally committed to prison his mother and his brother Antigonus and after most cruelly slew his said brother in prison for which grieuous offence God so strake him that all his bowells rent in his belly and hee vomited vp all the bloud in his bodie and so most pitifully he dyed in recompence of his former crueltie In like manner Antiochus Illustris sonne of the great Antiochus did also imbrew his hands in the bloud of his friends For giuing his sister in marriage to Ptolomaeus King of Aegypt and vnder pretence of familiaritie came to visite his brother in lawe vnder the coulour of alliance and that he might by treacherous meanes take from him the Kingdome of Aegipt and finding him sitting at supper saluted him with his sword which presently he thrust through his sides thus traiterously he slewe his brother Ptolome and ceazed on all Aegipt to his owne vse And after hée had done manie other cruelties at last hee was striken with a most horrible sicknesse that his bodie stanke and his flesh was so corrupt and putrified that no bodie could abide the sauour therof liuing wormes créeping and scrauling out of his bodie insomuch that in his great extremitie hee was forsaken of all his friends and seruants and so died as a iust recompence for his villanie It is farther well knowen that Archelaus King of Macedonia was murthered by the hands of Cratenas his Paramour who sore thirsted after his said kingdome which shamefull act beeing committed and Cratenas placed in the regall Throne according to his long desire raigned King not past thrée or foure dayes but was himselfe slaine in semblable manner by other mens meanes whereunto this saying may be well applyed Qui struit insidias alijs sibi damna dat ipse Who seeketh other men to insnare Nets for himselfe he doth prepare So that this man possessed his princely seate but a short space which he had purchased by wilfull murder I trust it is very well knowen also to the English Nation what cruell murders and miserable slaughters were committed by King Richard the third brother to Edward the fourth and sonne to the Duke of Yorke for that the Chronicles doo make mention thereof at large First bringing his owne brother the Duke of Clarence to vntimely death then shewing his tyrannie on the Barons and Nobles of the Land and after that his brother Edward the fourth died he miserably smoothered the two sonnes of his said brother Edward which were committed to his tuition and gouernment not sparing the néerest of his kinne but imbrewing himselfe in their bloud to the ende he himselfe might possesse the Crowne and Diadem of the Realme which in deede consequently came to passe But were it possible that such pitifull murders and execrable slaughters as he committed both in slaying of the Nobles of the Land and also in the deprauing of his swéete Nephewes of life and Kingdome should scape vnreuenged No truly it
were altogether wonderfull and verie vnlikely but that the liuing GOD who punisheth with shame such shameful murderers would be sharply reuenged on him for his monstrous crueltie in so slaying of the innocent For not long after he was slaine in Battaile by the right noble Henrie Earle of Richmond where his mangled corpes was laid being first despoyled of armes and stripped naked ouer a horse backe hanging downe in such sort that the filthie durt and myre did both spot and sprinkle the ill shaped carkasse of this abhorred Tyrant which was a most odious and detestable sight yet too worthie a funerall for so murderous a wretch This recompence happened to him for his intollerable crueltie Thus it plainly appeareth that murder is sharply punished as well in the Prince and Péere as in the silliest sot and poorest slaue for further proofe whereof to showe the iust reuengement of God on meaner personages this one example shall suffice The true and certaine report goeth that one Macharcus a sacrificing Priest of God Bacchus dwelling in Mityline in his exteriour countenaunce and fauour resembled great gentlenesse and courtesie yet in life manners and inward practises no man that liued coulde bee more wicked or abhominable It fortuned on a time y t a certaine soiorner lodged at his house and committed to his credite a certaine summe of mony in gold this Machareus being assaulted with auarice and carried as it were into captiuitie to couetousnesse makes a hole in a secret place of the temple with a mattocke and therein hides the gold which he was put in trust withall After a few dayes were expired the soiourner desired to haue his own again vpon which request Machareus led the man mistrusting no mischiefe nor doubting anie danger into the temple where vnder pretence cloake and colour to restore the man his right and hauing as he thought opportunitie time and place to worke his villanie murdred the man which being compassed to his contentation he tooke vp the golde and laid the right owner thereof whome he had iniuriously slaine in the selfe same place couering him ouer with earth and damd vp the pit in such sort as all things in his thinking were cock sure perswaded himselfe that as men be deceiued and mocked so the powers supernall the eternall God I meane might be deluded and blinded But the matter fell out vnhappely inough and had another euent than was hoped for on Machareus part for after a few dayes were passed the solemne Seruice and Obsequies of GOD Bacchus which were yearly approached and was celebrated according to ancient custome wherein Machareus behauing himselfe after a gorgeous and glorious estate being verie busie in the festiuall Ceremonie it chaunced that his two sonnes which were left at home as that day did imitate their Fathers order in holy seruice in such sort and effectuall manner that the yonger brother cast himselfe prostrate on the ground and laid his head vpon a blocke verie méekely which the elder brother with an olde rustie whinyeard or cankred wood-knife did chop off from the shoulders Anone came in the seruaunts which dwelled in the house séeing the childish murder that was committed gaue a great shoute making a terrible outcrie and pitifull noyse as men meruailously confounded and amazed at sight of so strange and bloudie a spectacle The vehemencie of which lamentable clamor and outragious roaring speedely pearced the eares of the frighted mother who came like a mad woman to vnderstand the meaning of the matter and then séeing one of her sonnes slaughtered and weltering in streames of bloud and the other holding still a rustie glaue in his hand all to be stayned with the crimsen blood of his brothers flesh she caught vp a firebrand very fiercely and in the heate of her great rigor did so thumpe and souse her liuing sonne that he died the death in her presence Then was tidings brought to Macareus what butcheries were committed at home in his priuate house who immediatly vpon the report therof left the holy seruice like a man moonesick or rather a fiend of hell ranne home with might and maine hauing in his hand at the same instant a burning torche or taper where with he did so beate bounce and baste his wife ouer euery limme and ioynt that she in like case was soone dispatched of life Thus when the multitude had intelligence of these rare and lamentable murthers they forthwith apprehended Macareus and vrged him thorow examination and torment to confesse each circumstance of this bloudy Tragedie and as he was opening the matter and discouering the mischief which he had committed in the holy temple prophaning a seuerall and sacred Chappel with two notorious and inexpiable trespasses the paines of death oppressed him insomuch that he died sodenly before the whole assembly of people These miserable chances hapned to Macareus by reason of his monsterous murthers as a terrible and most fearfull example to the followers and imitators of his horrible profession Scho. O miserable ende and yet deserued hap no better successe is to be hoped for than such ruine and cruell destruction to those that doe imbrue their hands in the bloud of the innocēt contrary to the law of God and nature Besides these your examples we sée dayly what reuengement falleth to the share of those bloudy minded persons though their villanies for a time he did yet in the end the true God will not suffer them to scape vnpunished For I thinke is no people of ciuill gouernment so voyde of good and holesome lawes in this cause but that they prouide a sharpe punishment for wicked murtherers prouided alwaies that whosoeuer shall transgresse or willingly breake the saide ordinances and decrées that then such persons by vertue of the law shall suffer worthy punishment namely losse of life In your exaumples it is also manifest that those whose power and person far excéedeth and surmounteth a lawe and whose high dignitie disdayneth to stoupe to the law and decrée of the lande notwithstanding when neither people nor Péeres may decrée sentence against them for such detestable sin and cruell murthers the liuing God plagueth them in the ende with most sharp and grieuous punishments without remorse being much higher aboue them then they aboue their lawe whereby it seemeth that if Princes by reason of their high estate and dignitie doe escape the punishment and decreed sentence of a law yet the very prouidence of the highest bringeth them in the ende to open confusion vtter destruction as your aforesaid examples haue verified it Further it remayneth to vs that at what time the people craued answere of the Oracles expecting from thence the very flat determination of their God heard often most sharpe decrees against murtherers by their diuine Oracles pronounced for at such time as a certayne Musicion who played on the harpe singularly well did both play and sing at Sybaris in a solemne feast made and set forth in the honour of
and valiant captaines whom they craue to haue againe by way of exchange and so may you haue me againe here at libertie in Rome notwithstanding first for my auncient authoritie in this our commonwealth then for my approued good wil towards my coūtrey and last in respect of my graue and aged yeares and here by the vertue and dignitie of my place in the Senate house I am to determine causes confer about the good of our weale publique and to haue as great a care for the preseruation both of our Citie and Countrey in as ample manner as the rest of you my fellowe Senators therefore most honourable Fathers being thus strongly warred vpon by so mighty a people who seeke daily to subuert our state throwe down our citie and spoyle our commonwealth the cause is therefore wisely to be considered on First for mine owne part as you all do know I am old decrepite and of little force of body not like long to continue Againe the Captaines whom you holde of the Carthaginians are both lustie valiant and couragious gentlemen likely to perfourme and doe great seruice against you to the great hurt of the Commonwealth Therefore Fathers conscript by the vertue of may aforsaid authorities I wil neuer consent to the redeliuering or redeeming of such perilous enemies but will with a willing heart returne to the Carthaginians from whence I came to saue both the honor of my countrey and the credite of my name from perpetuall infamie lest that we should be hereafter by the Carthaginians our enemies accounted and reprochfully tearmed the confringers of martiall rights Thus the graue Senators by no meanes could perswade the good old man to make such exchange as the Carthaginians offered but would néedes return for his countreis sake although he knew he went to present death and cruel torment Thus went Attilus Regulus to the enemie who after they had bound him cut of his eye lids and set him in a hollow tree vpright filled full of sharp and pricking nailes there continuing in most horrible paine vntill he died Thus did he carry a faithfull heart and noble courage in his countreis cause willing to lose his life for the profite and welfare of his weale publique In like sort Gobrias a Persian holding in his armes by force in a dark chamber him who was a traytor to his countrey insomuch that when one of his fellowes came to his ayde to help to slaye the traytor he cryed out to his friend saying Stay not thy blowe but thrust him thorow although thereby thou doest kill me also so that he escape not from vs to the further hurte of our Countrey therefore presently run thy sword thorow him and so shall our Common-wealth be freed from a wicked traytor Thus Gobrias esteemed not his life in deliuering his countrey from an enemie Codrus king of Athens for the sauegard of his publick weale went to present death willingly and with a valiant courage For at such time as there was warres betwixt him and the Dorians the Dorians went to the oracle of Apollo at Delphos to know who should be victors in that war begun to whom this answere was made That they should be coquerors if they killed not the king of Athens Then was proclamation made in all the Dorian campe to spare and preserue aliue the Athenian king But Codrus hearing of the answere of Apollo and being aduertised of their proclamation did foorthwith change his garmēts in most deformed maner with a wallet full of bread on his shoulders and went priuely to the campe of the Dorians and wounded a certaine od fellow among their Tentes with a sharpe hooke or sickle which hee had prepared for the nonce In reuenge whereof the wounded fellowe slewe Codrus the king but after when the body was knowen the order of his death the Dorians departed without battaile remembring the diuine answere of the Oracle wherby the Athenian king freed his countrey frō peril which otherwise had béen in great danger It is also reported that Lycurgus after he had made diuers good lawes to be obserued kept of his coūtreimē fained that they were made by the cōsent of the Oracle at Delphos And when he perceiued that these lawes statutes were to the great benefit of his countrey fayned that he would go to Delphos for further counsel And to the intent they should kéep those lawes vntill he returned from thence firme and sure he made the whole body of the commonwealth to sweare binde themselues by oath to keepe vnuiolated and vnbroken those lawes which then he had set downe vntill such time that he returned againe from Delphos but because he would haue those statutes remaine and be of force for euer in his Countrey hee went the next way to Créete and not to Delphos where he liued in exile banishing himselfe from his Countrey so long as he liued and at his death because his bones should not be caried into his Countrey whereby his Countreymen might think themselues discharged of their oathes and full fréed from their vowe he caused his bones to be burned and the ashes thereof to be throwen into the sea to the intent that neither he himselfe nor any part of him being left should be brought backe into his Countrey by which meanes he caused his Countreymen perpetually to kéepe those good and holesome lawes to the vnspekable profit of the Commonwealth Zopirus a nobleman of Persia also tendering his Prince Countrey insomuch that when the great Citie of Babylon rebelled against Darius his Lord and king to the great trouble vexation of the whole commonwealth and could by no meanes be subdued he then in fauor of his prince and countrey priuily and vnawares went and cut off his owne nose lips eares and in other deformed maner pitifully mangling his body fled into the City of Babylon saying that Darius his master and certain other of his cruell Countreymen had so shamefully disfigured and martyred him because saith he I perswaded him to haue peace with your citie Which when they heard greatly pitying his distressed case and in recompence thereof made him chiefe captain and gouernor of their towne by which meanes he yéelded vp the rebellious Babylonians to his soueraigne Lord the king to the great good quieting of his countrey Did not Sceuola that noble Roman whē the citie of Rome was besieged by the mighty Porsena king of Tuscane willingly run to desperat death to purchase liberty to his countrey for he apparreled him selfe in beggars cloathes came foorth of the citie by night and ranged in the enemies campe till he had found out the Tent of Persena the king minding to slay that mighty Tuscane who then so strongly compassed and enuironed their citie But he mistaking the king slewe his Secretary and missed his marke who being thereupon presently taken and his pretended purpose further knowen Porsena the king caused a great fire to be made to burne
tooke land at new built Carthage where Dido otherwise called Elisa was Quéene gouernesse there being by her right friendly receiued willing both him and his companie to vse her Countrey as their owne possessions repairing his shaken shippes giuing freely al necessaries to the whole number of his wandring companions commaunding that nothing should be wanting that might pleasure the distressed Troians her selfe oftentimes vsing to welcome her wearied guest whereby she fel in loue with the comely parsonage of beautifull Aeneas euen so farre as plighted vowe on both partes could assure them Aeneas faithfully promising continuall stay and abode in her Countrey but being a Troian he could not digresse from his vnfaithfull progenitors for thorow his disloyal heart and wandring minde he priuily by night stole away from Carthage leauing the pensiue and sorrowfull Queene in the lurch and to holde herselfe to her owne harmes for which vnfriendly part seeing herselfe so deluded and mocked by the vnfaithfull Phrygian presently slewe herselfe for very griefe which she had conceiued thorowe his vnstedfast promise Notwithstanding the Romans still fauoring their predecessor do affirme to hide that vnfaithfull part that Aeneas was warned in his sleepe to depart from thence and seeke out a land which the gods themselues had predestinated to him and his issue meaning by Italie which he after won by force Thus when he was departed from Carthage and had spoyled and robbed diuers other coastes and Countries at the last landed in Italie where thorow corruption by gifts cruel threats by menacing meanes and also by faire promises and allurements he made such discord and dissention in the Countrey of Italie whereby great slaughters of people were horribly committed insomuch that in the ende he attained vnto the Diademe and Crowne of the whole Countrey firmely establishing himselfe in the kingdome which he by force had taken from the quiet Princes thereof there raigning king vntill hee died whose death the Romans seeming to hide for that as they say hee descended from the goddesse Venus wherefore hee was taken vp into Heauen and there placed amongest the Starres for euer to raigne immortall Then after the death of this vnfaithfull fugitiue his sonne Ascanius raigned also after whose decease Siluius Posthumus his sonne succeeded who as both the Romans and Englishmen do affirme begat Brutus who slew Posthumus his father for which cause being vanished Italie when he had troubled diuers other quiet countries at the last tooke lande in the Ile which then was called Albion of one of the thirty daughters of Dioclesian which landed heere by chaunce and named it Britanie staying the huge and mighty Giants whom the deuills themselues had begotten on Dioclesians daughters as the English histories at this day reporteth a foolish toy for the inhabitants of this noble Ile to deriue themselues and fetch their pedegrée from deuills and then after from the gods First to cōfute this foolish error It is most certainely knowne that there was no such king in Syria who was called by the name of Dioclesian for that no ancient Authour of the Syrians make mention of any such name neither of his daughters which as the English Chronicles at this day affirme were put into a small vessell or boat by their father Dioclesian and committed to Sea without either pilote or guide chauncing to land in this Ile naming it after one of their names who was called Albion as the fond saying goeth and then forsooth this Ile being inhabited with deuills at their first arriuing the sisters were carnallie knowne by the deuills themselues and thereof did spring mightie and huge Giants which afterwardes were slaine by Brutus who descended from the gods as they also affirme Which vaine opinion in like sort is both ridiculous and foolish for that neyther the Commentaries of Iulius Caesar the works of Cornelius Tacitus nor the Histories of Diodorus Siculus who did write of this noble Ile made anie mention at all of any such Brutus being descended from the Troyans neither doo the Romans themselues nor the Greekes write of any one called Brutus before Iulius Brutus who did expell Tarquinius out of Rome which was long since the time of Siluius Posthumus It is also to be considered that if Iulius Caesar who made a conquest of this Ile a thousand and fiue hundred yeares since had then knowne that the people thereof had discended from the Troyans as both himselfe and all the other Romans did no doubt he would not haue made warre against this land but rather haue sought to ayd and succour it But the vanity of the English nation is such to deriue their genealogie from the Troians for that as I haue saide before they sprang and descended from the gods or els to fetch their original from Albion who brought forth huge giants by the helpe of diuells so that they must there is no remedy either descend from the gods or else from the diuells themselues this follie first sprang vp amongst the Romans who chalenged their pedegrée from the Troians which as they say descended from the gods and in like sorte the Englishemen to the intent they would spring from the gods as well as the Romans faine that Brutus sonne to Posthumus one of the Troian stocke arriued in this Ile and named it after his owne name Brytannia which truely in mine opinion can not bee true for that his name was Brutus which if you marke it is altogether vnlike vnto Britannia and to mend the matter also they affirme that first they sprang of deuills a goodly commendation to this noble Ile But for that the proude Romans thorow their vaunting vanity did deriue themselues from the gods which they right well knewe were but earthly kinges for that the heathen kinges in those dayes were called gods notwithstanding since the corruption of the time both the Romans and the Englishmen thinke that they are linially descended from the gods themselues for otherwise the Romans would not be so proude and stately as at this day they are wellknowne to be nor the Englishmen so vaine to challenge their pedegrée or recount their genealogie from the most wicked Troians vnlesse they were fully perswaded that the Troians came from the immortal gods which foolish opinion first sprang from the Romans by ouermuch esteming their progenitors Which fond and vaine errours to confute diuers learned men are of this opinion by studious seeking out of the workes of ancient historiographers that the Greekes when first their Cities became populous waxing rich and puissant after they knewe the cunning Art of Sailing first of al other people found out this Ile naming it Olbion which in Greeke is happie for the abundance of all thinges necessarie that they founde there therefore no doubt but that in so long a time as hath bene since Olbion by the corruption of the continuaunce might well he called Albion or else they at that time finding this land by the white rockes and
I mourne For remedlesse the cause remaines when Planets all had sworne And haughty gods to worke me woe for Paris filthie sinne Who would to God had dide the death when life did first begin Or would to God I wish too late the waues had beene his graue When he to Lacedemon went faire Helen for to haue O Neptune fierce couldst thou not frowne and Eolus out call With whirling windes to drench his ship his company and all But safely so to suffer him to swimme with gale at will The doting youth in prime of yeres his fancie to fulfill In Simois and Zanthus flood his ships did seeme to saile So quiet was the seas as then because he should preuaile What did ye seaish Gods decree together with consent To plague the Troian state so farre as angrie Pallas ment Ye Gods that rule both land and sea why did ye thus decree That Neptunes towne at first so cald to Greekes a pray should bee If otherwise ye ment at all his ship should not haue past So quietlie through surging seas by helpe of Boreas blast For Triton mild did shewe his face so happilie that day That Paris past with sprouting sailes into the Gretian bay What was become of Palemon did Glaucus hide his head Their swift recourse far from his ship in partiall sort was fled The Strencoucht Antiphates Parthenope was gone That wonted were to keep their course but novv there vvas not one Not Circe nor Calipso vvould their vvonted magike vse Although they knevv the lecher meant Atrides to abuse So Zephirus and Eurus fell with Aquilo did lurke And hid themselues while Boreas with frendly gale did work Nereides were past away Latonas imps did shine Ech thing did smoothly smile that day by help of Gods diuine And all was for the Troyan wracke to plague my sonnes offence For Paris needs to Greece would goe and soon returnd from thence But would to God the brinish seas with raging waues so wild Had drownd that baud that Theseus first in filthy sort defilde And that my sonne had dide with her before he came to shore Then Troy had stood and flourisht still as long it did before But Helen Menelaus wife that was Sir Paris ioy VVas first occasion of our woe and latest fate to Troy O would the tygers first had torne the lims of this my sonne VVhen aged Priam sentence gaue on that which was not done The cause wherof was mine own deed which act I now repent For that the Oracle did shew before the boyes intent But now I know I wish too late the angry Gods had sworn To plague our state for some offence For Paris being born VVhose desteny the Oracle did openly declare And yet to see my hap was such that wicked babe to spare VVho was the cause of this mischaunce and breeder of our woe His death had been to vs a life and life to thousands mo Yet I for pitie sake would not consent that this my boy The tygers brood his tender lims should vtterly destroy VVhat power diuine did hinder me or what infernall fiend VVhat did both heauen and earth to this their vtter forces bend O what offence did we commit that all the Gods should frowne And thus decree with one consent to pluck our Empire downe Did they appoint that I should breed and foster in my lap A scourge to plague the parents sinne and cause of their mishap VVas it king Priams fathers fault that Laomedon bad That builded Troy vvith borovved coyne for he receiued had Of Neptune and Apollos Priests a summe of money great And when the day appoynted came the wretch forsware the debt With mighty vowes the periurde man at altar side did say He borrowed none to buyld his walles and therfore none would pay But whether twere for periurie or for my sonnes offence I cannot tell but well I know it was a recompence For double and for treble sinne so many thousand dide From Nations far the world dooth know the people thether hide In hope of pay to either side great troupes of men did run But what was gaind saue deadly fight or what but death was won Did euer any feel such woe as I poore wretch did tast Did euer Fortune yeeld such lookes as she on me did cast O hauty Gods what hap was mine to feel such bitter paine Did destiny assigne me that to make me thus complaine I would that I had been vnborn or borne I dead had been For then these wofull miseries I wretch had neuer seen Why did the Gods cause me to liue why did they thus decree Was this their will that I should liue with present eyes to see My louing mate and children slaine and Troy to burn with fire If they did will it should be so then they had their desire But fie on that vile destinie O fie on that hard curse The Gods themselues could not deuise how they should plague me worse And then with wringing hands she wept with wayling voice she cride Which griende me sore about I turnd where presently I spide An aged man both graue and grim for that he seemed sad Right father like for grayish haires with Princely robes be clad Vnto the wofull Queen he marchd and thus in modest sort Began to quip her frantike mood as I shall geue report What madnes now hath mooude thy mind quoth he O louing mate That thus thou fretst against the Gods and frantikelie doost prate Can this thy fuming mind redresse or cause the things vndone To be againe No if we liude againe we could not shun The Gods decree wherfore be still shake off such heauines In vaine it is to vexe thy selfe where cause is remedles VVhat shall thy ghost that now should rest in worldly cares still dwell And thinke on things that carst were past O plague far worse than hell Then suffer thou thy ghost to take her quiet ease at last And call thou not to mind againe that vvhich is gone and past Thou knovvest our destinie vvas so vve could it not preuent For that the Gods to plague our sinne for some abusesment What should we kick against the spur or swim against the tide Or striue for that to haue at will which angry Gods denide When I had sent my sonne to death and that he should be kild His life thou sauedst wherfore thou seest that destenie it wild But I to shun Simphlegades on Hebrus lake did light And coasting from Charibdis gulfe on Scilla rock did smite Thus seeking how all dangers great by counsell I might shun Did vnawares ere that I wist to present perils run Was I the cause that Helen faire with Paris came to Troy No sure it was fell destenie or fickle Fortune coy For when the Oracle had told what hap in time should fall I wild to take away the cause For witnes now I call The sacred Gods who knew my mind my sonne I would haue slaine I was content my flesh and bloud the tygers
childe his tender limmes to teare He would by no meanes do the deede but did the infant spare And yet he thought how that ere long the boy must needes be dead But by that meanes he sought to free his hands from vile bloodshed He killde a pig and tooke the heart and brought it to the King And blooded certaine linnen clothes in token of the thing And tolde him that his childe was dead and there he might behold The heart and heart blood of his sonne wherefore he might be bolde To banish feare for this his childe should neuer him molest For he was dead and dead againe and therefore he might rest Now see the hap that to this man did afterward betide For Phorbas king of Corinth soile by chaunce that way did ride VVho spide the child as then aliue which wofully did cry VVith sprauling hands it reachd about full near at poynt to dy He causde his man to take it downe to saue the infants life Right glad he was wherfore foorthwith he brought it to his wife VVho barren was and had no child then this as for her own She did receiue from whence it came to them it was not knowne The child did grow they loude it well and then in course of yeares Of noble linage comes the boy quoth Phorbas it appeares For that the lad vvas dayly geuen to Martiall exercise And did delight to take in hand some noble enterprise At last king Phorbas sends his sonne vvith mighty men of vvar To fight against the Thebane King twixt vvhom there was a iar Sir Oedipus in battell strong did vtterly confound The Thebanes and to their king he gaue a mortall vvound VVherof he presently did die thus Laius had his end The Gods that knew hovv all things vvent such fate to him did send And Oedipus his mother takes and maries her in hast No thing vvas knovven to him as yet that earst vvas done and past Thus Laius dide by his ovvne sonne no botter could he speede It is no striuing with the gods if once they haue decreed Wherefore vexe not O Hecuba let not thy ghost so fret Against the gods for this their doome and further do not three Fell destinie or fortunes frowne for this that they haue done Was for some mighty sinne of ours which fate we could not shunne Or for the sinne of periurie a vile and hatefull deede Which first my father did commit and now vpon his seede The plague did fall deseruedly for such his bad abuse The gods themselues wil not accept for periurie excuse And I likewise a wilfull man as al my deedes did showe My wofull folly was the cause of this our ouerthrowe For when the Greekes did send to haue faire Helena againe I would not hearken to their sute but pufft with deepe disdaine Did flowt and mocke at their request and openly denide Their iust demaund which great abuse the sacred gods had spide When that my sonne had tane away sir Menelaus wife A filthy part the letcher plaid yet they to end all strife Would willingly digest that wrong so that I would restore The Gretian dame that Paris stole from Greece not long before And that no warre should once arise betwixt our Empires stout So gently they did intreat but if I went about To holde her stil they threaten warre and vowed by gods aboue That they would fight to haue againe sir Menelaus loue Whom I perforce vniustly held and stoutly did maintaine So vile a part that would in time cause thousands to be slaine But I did giue them answere thus I minde to holde her still Not Greece nor all the Princes there in this shall breake my will Let Agamemnon do his worst I passe it not a straw Let Menelaus fret his fill my will shall be a law And let them both with all their force against my power fight I mind to holde dame Helen still against all law and right I haue her now and here with me I minde she shall remaine Let them not spare but fall to warre and see what they shall gaine The walls of Troy are strong enough my power is not small I ready am to sight the field when Grecian trumpets call This will of mine was chiefest cause that did procure my smart For I contrary to a lawe maintainde so hard a part No reason would perswade my minde true iustice was away And wilfull follie helde the sword selfe-will did beare the sway The want of iustice was the cause that this our ruine wrought What was the cause that Troy did fall and so consume to naught So many thousand men to die was not my wilfull fact The chiefest cause that Asia by Grecian power was sackt What Empires great and kingdoms wide hath ruine ouer runne For want of iustice and good lawes Or what hath Princes wonne By such default but present death The world doth witnesse well What mortall man that wilfull was but so to him befel The mighty Caesar ruling Rome true iustice was debarde His will was taken for a law and iustice was refarde His gouernement the Roman crew did priuily disdaine They hate him so that he ere long by subiects hand was slaine Could Nero liue when he began to cleaue vnto his will When Rome mislikt his gouernement and found his deedes so ill With one consent the Roman state decreede that he should die Vnworthy for to raigne in Rome his subiects all did crie And he that hated was durst not vnto their mercy stand But slewe himselfe because he would not fall into their hand And Philip King Amyntas sonne true iustice did neglect And how to remed wrong with right the man had no respect He partiall vvas for fauors sake not passing vvhat vvas right For vvhile he liud all Macedon gaue place to vvilfull might The vvrongd might crie for remedy vvhilst he did stop his eare For vvhom he loude vvho durst accuse as plainly did appeare Pausanias vvhen he had sude vnto the King for grace And found in vaine he did complaine his suite could haue no place He turnde his malice from the man that first had done him spite And causde reuenge deseruedly vpon the King to light For vvith his svvord he stabd the King his folly to repres Himselfe vvas cause of this his fall the dooer did confes VVhat vvas the cause that Carthage fell and subiect vvas at last The Empire great of Affrica of Romane force to tast Did not their vvilfull folly first their vvofull state procure The vvant of iustice made the vvar a long time to indure Vntill their Empire cleane vvas lost their chiefest forces spent That Carthage fell for such a fault the vvorld did much lament Did Rome not fall for such offence vvas she not ouerthrovven By Brennus Captain of the Gauls vvhose force each vvhere vvas knovven For Allia brook can vvitnes yet vvhere thousand Romans dide The want of iustice was the cause it will not be denide If Empires thus and Princes fell what
giue mee that which himselfe wanteth whereof I haue sufficient but I will send him that which hee lacketh and I my selfe haue abundantly and as for threats and menaces I nothing at al regard for if I liue saith he my countrie will bring foorth things sufficiently to furnish my life withall so that I shall not need his rewards as for death I do nothing feare but exceedingly desire it which shall deliuer me from my old withered carkas Thus you may perceiue that this wise philosopher accounted them poore which were not satisfied and those rich which were contented Scho. Sir I doo verie well perceiue my error and doo acknowledge it for it standeth with good reason that the riches of this world is contentment and that a coueting and discontented minde is extreame pouertie therefore if it please you to procéed forward according to your pretence I shall according to my promise be attentiue Fa. Well séeing you are satisfied heerein I will proceede further The Philosopher Diogenes as I said before perceiuing the vnconstancie of vnfriendly fortune the mutability of honour with the vncertaintie of life so much contemned despised the vaine preferments and promotions of this transitorie life that he liued content and satisfied with a small portion of possession which was but his bare tub or tun wherein he was Lord and King without controlment crauing neither territories or confines to inlarge this his quiet kingdom finding this his poore patrimonie so voyd of all incumbraunces vexations and inuasions that he contented himself with this life vntill his end turning his tub in the summer toward the North for the coolenesse and shade from the Sunne in winter to the South for the heate and warmnes thereof making his vaunt merelie that he could rule his Lordship and possession as he listed from the inuasions of his enimies which was the sharpe bitter windes by turning his tumbling pallaice Thus liuing in contentment it chanced that Alexander the great king of Macedony hearing the rare fame of this Philosopher thought good to visit Diognes in his tub to heare his wisedome and the cause of his so solitarie liuing came vnto him being set in his tun saying My friend I haue long desired to see thee and to inrich thee being so a poore a philosopher therefore aske of mee what goods or liuing thou needest and I will inrich thee with it to thy great contentment To whom when Diogenes had giuen thankes for his great courtesie offered he saide If thou wilt doo mee this fauour as thou saist then I pray thee take not that from me which thou canst not giue me but stand from before the mouth of my tun that I may haue the light and warmnes of the Sunne which is to me great riches for now thou detainest that from me and canst not giue me the like therefore do me but this fauour and I will craue of thee no other substāce Then said Alexander My friend how much possession lands and reuenues woulde satisfie and content thee if now I should giue thee thyful contentment to whom Diogenes answered Euen as much Alexander as thou must be thy selfe contented with all in the end But at the first he misconstrued the meaning of Diogenes and thought him wonderfull couetous knowing that he himselfe had nowe most part of the world in possession and dayly striued to get the whole therefore he thought it an vnsatiable appetite of him not to be contented with lesse but after consideration on the cause he perceiued that Diogenes meant his length of ground to be sufficient patrimony for himselfe which in the end the greatest king of the earth must be contented withall then said Alexander to him againe My good friend what thing best contenteth thee in this world to whom Diogenes replied saying That thing sir King which thou art most discontented withall in the worlde which is a satisfied and contented mind to couet for no more than sufficeth which in thee saieth he I finde contrary Alexander was nothing at all offended at the reprehension of the wise Philosopher but rather smelling his owne follie said at that time Truely if I wer not Alexander I would be Diogenes But we see that he was Alexāder therefore he could not be Diogenes he was couetous therefore he could not be contented wherefore it appeareth that Diogenes had the gift of temperance not to couet his owne destruction as Alexander did but being rich in contentment despised fortune for that her force coulde not molest or touch him reiecting honour because of the mutablitie and varietie of the same regarding not life for the vncertaintie of it but liued as a man contented fearing no calamitie nor aduersitie whatsoeuer might happē to him but was readie with patience to digest it Sch. Truly it doth appeare most plaine that this man had the gift of temperance sufficiently and that he was nothing subiect to the wauering wheele of fortune neither passing of her smooth countenance nor louring looke liuing a stranger to her whereby he kept himself free from her force notwithstanding I would faine know if the end and death of him were as worthie as his life for No man is called happie before his end which being answerable I must needs confesse the man deserued merit Fa. Indeed you say true it is good in our conference orderly to proceede for the life of man cannot be so cleare but that it may be much dimmed and dusked by an ill ende making digression from the former life but truely Diogenes continued a sound Philosopher vntill his end at his death it is said that he lying grieuously sicke perceiuing it a thing vnpossible for him to recouer his former health by feeling his aged body so much weakened and hauing in this great extremitie of sicknesse smal friends to comfort or relieue him threw himselfe downe tumbling from the top of a bridge abutting néere to the common place of excercises and commanded the kéeper or ouer-séer of the bridge that when life failed and breath was quite departed hee should cast his carkasse into the riuer Ilissus Adeò pro nihilo duxit mortem sepulturam Diogenes So little regarded Diogenes the inuasion of death or the tranquilitie and quietnesse of his bodie in the graue But I say not that this end was commendable in a Christian for he was long before the incarnation of Christ being an heathen man notwithstanding indued with wonderfull wisdome Againe some report of his death after this sort saying he died when he was 90. yeares olde and being at the poynt of death willed his bodie to bee left vnburied saying That he would not be troublesome to his friends to digge and delue for him who had no pleasure in their paine vnlesse they would doo it to auoide the smell and stincking sauor whereby he were likely to annoy them but when his friends asked him whether he would lie aboue the ground to be deuoured of birds and beastes No friends
the mother did take rest with her children in the morning her two sonnes were founde dead whereby it was gathered that the greatest benefit that man could haue was in the middest of his glory and praise to end his fraile life that the vnconstancie of fickle fortune might not blot out any part of that which he had before gotten Croesus the rich King of Lydia demanding on a time of Solon who was the happiest man that euer he did sée thinking that he would say Croesus for his great riches and wealth but Solon said Tellus a man of Athens who had honest and good sonnes and they also had good children all which he sawe in his life and when he had liued a good time honestly at the last fighting against and vanquishing the enemies of his countrie he died a faire death was in the same place honorably buried of the Athenians When Croesus asked who was most happy next Tellus Solon named those whome hee knewe to liue and die most happiest not naming Croesus at al where at he being abashed said vnto Solon My friend of Athens settest thou so little by our felicitie that thou preferrest before vs these priuat persoÌ„s SoloÌ„ answered Truly Croesus in proces of time many things are seene that men would not see and many things are suffered that men would not suffer and speaking much of mans calamitie at the last he concluded saying Ante obitum nemo supremáque funera foelix No man is happie or thorowly blessed before his last and vttermost end and that the end of euery thing is to be looked on where to it shall come for God plucketh vp many men by the rootes vnto whom he gaue all thinges at pleasure therefore I cannot account any man happy before his end be knowne Croesus made hereto no countenance at al but esteeming Solon for a foole considering hee passed so lightly vpon things which appeared good let him depart A good space after Croesus attempting warre against Cyrus king of Persia was at the last taken of him who caused a great pile of wood to be made redy and Croesus to be gyued and set on the top therof to be burned Then forthwith Croesus remembring the words of Solon that no man liuing was blessed or on all parts happy lamenting cried O Solon Solon Solon which Cyrus hearing caused it to be demaunded of him who it was that he named Croesus with much difficultie told who it was and declared all that was before rehearsed which wheÌ„ Cyrus had heard remembring himselfe to be also a man sore repented that he went about to burne him which was equall to himselfe in honour and riches and commaunded him to be taken from the fire which then began to flame so with great difficultie he was deliuered who coulde not perceiue his own errour before experience had made him wise wherefore in such causes it may aptly be sayd Phryx plagis emendatur he bethought himselfe too late Scho. It is sufficiently apparant by your examples that the life of man cannot be happy vntill his ende and that man ought to liue accordingly to attaine to that happinesse but the nature of men is so farre from that consideration that they rather thinke themselues immortall and without end as doth appeare by their liues most euident for they liue now in these our dayes according as the Agragentines did in times past for the wise Plato said of them They bâ—â—ded as if they would liue euer and fedd as if they should alwayes die because of their costlines in building and their delicatenes in eating the one shewing the immortall minde of man and by the other contrary to their meaning they runne headlong to an vntimely death which surfetting end according to the opinion of the wise Philosophers can not be accounted happy but whereas temperance hath beene the originall ground of our conference it shalbe also expedient that you would make manifest what the want thereof is as well in princes and high estates as in the meanest subiect and what by their vnsatiable coueting they gaine Fa. It is very requisite and necessary truely to shew the vnsatiable appetite of aspiring mindes and what by their inordinate coueting they gaine which commeth by the want of the aforesaid gift whereof I am right wel content my good friend so that you will diligently marke what I shall say herein I will first begin with a king of the Hebrewes whose name was Amasius liued before the incarnation of Christ 853. yeares who although he liued well and contentedly for a space yet in the ende he forgat himselfe and especially he forgat the liuing GOD whom he before had serued which hapned by his successes and innumerable riches where withall he grew so proude that not contenting himselfe he wrote to Ioas king of the Israelites commaunding him his people to be vnder his obedience and gouernement But Ioas after defiance gathered an army and went against Amasius whose people fled before they came to strokes for feare of Ioas himselfe being taken and brought to the king who threatned to kill him except he caused the gates of Ierusalem to be opened that he with his army might enter in there Amasius was forced to breake downe of his owne Citie walles foure hundred cubites by which way his enemie Ioas might enter in being also led as prisoner by his foe into his owne where his aduersary spoyled and robbed him before his face of al the treasure of his house and citie with the treasure of the temple which he commanded to be caried to Samaria and afterward being deliuered his owne people slew him This gained he for his discontentment In like sort Marcus Antonius a noble Roman whome Augustus the Emperour highly fauoured making him companion in the Romane Empire with himselfe vsing him so louingly and friendly that hee wholie ruled and commaunded the Empire so far foorth as Augustus himselfe in consideration wherof Antonius by the lewd enticement of Cleopatra Q. of Aegypt aspired to the whole Empire and to put downe his true and trusty friend Augustus who before had aduanced him to that dignitie for which vnsatiable appetite he was destroyed of his very louing and faithfull friend Also if Caesar Pompey Cyrus Alexander Hanniball and diuers other great Princes had bene coutented with their owne large kingdomes and possessions they had neuer bin driuen to those extreme and shamefull ends as they were so that it may well be prouerbially spoken Aurum Tolosanum habem they died most miserably whose liues and ends I would sufficiently relate and vnfold to the better vnderstanding and perceiuing of the quiet state of contentment and the shamefull fall and destruction of couetous and aspiring mindes but it may be that I shoulde ouer-weary your eares with tediousnesse for where a briefe will serue it were méere folly to make a volume Therefore for the auoyding of the blameable cause of ouer much tediousnesse
coastes of all the Orient vntill the mightie seas denied him further to passe then prepared he a Nauie of shippes and sayled on the great Ocean sea where he saw manie strange and wonderfull sightes and found out many barbarous Nations which hee also subdued with the sworde not offering to make returne vntill the cruell seas denied his further passage then returned hee to Babylon wonderfully weeping by the way as he went for that he had heard Anaxarchus and Democrites affirme that there were many and diuers worldes for which cause Heu me inquit miserum qui nec vna quidem sum potitus Woe is mee saith hee miserable wretch that am not possessor as yet of any one neither do they feele or knowe my power and might nor haue my banners been spred in their Coasts and countries whereby they might haue knowne me their Lord King Thus continuing in sorrowe vntill he came to the Citie of Babylon where he held a great Parliament for all the Kings of the Orient were sommoned to come and doo their homage to the great King sitting there as it were in the heart middle of the earth to the intent the greatest part of Kings and Princes of the whole world might with speed come to honour him who caused himselfe to be called the sonne of Iupiter for being lifted vp with the pride of his victories attributing the chance thereof to his owne worthinesse thought himselfe in deede the sonne of God commanding his people vpon paine of death so to cal him willing also that all Nations of the earth should adore and worship him by the name of the sonne of Iupiter but see the high and mightie God immortall would not suffer this proude King any longer to liue but cut off his daies in the most florishing time of his prosperitie For those whome Alexander put most trust and confidence in first of all betraied their proude mortall God for at such time as he was bidden to a banquet in the house of his friend Thesalus Medus hee was miserablie poysoned by the hands of Cassander Philip and Iola which was by the consent of his owne Lieftenant Antipater and Aristotle sometime his master and Tuter which happned by his vnsatiable appetite of coueting with the vnmeasureable thirst after dignitie and also the intollerable vice of pride thorowe which he caused himself to be called a God all which they deadly detesting consented to the poysoning of their King Then was the saying of Diogenes verefied in Alexander who said That his length of ground were sufficient patrimonie for himselfe which in the end the greatest Prince of the world must be contented withall Notwithstanding Alexander regarded not the saying of the wise Philosopher but coueted still after the whole world y t when he needed but so much possession as Diogenes before spake of he could not possesse it but wanted the rites of his buriall for hee was kept aboue the ground vnburied by reason of the great strife discentions which were amongst the Lords and peeres of Macedonie about the succession whereof when Olympias his mother had heard she tooke on verie pittifullie and made this mourneful lamentation saying O fili fili tu cùm in deorum numerum referri volueris id perficere summo studio conatus sis nunc neque illorum quidem quorum omnibus mortalibus aequale par ius est particeps fieri potes terrae sepulturae My sonne my sweete sonne needes wouldst thou be recounted among the Gods immortall and didst what thow couldst to accomplish thy purpose but now my sonne my sweet sonne thou art so far from being heauenly that thou art most vile wanting the common benefit of buriall whereof not so much as the lowsie beggar is depriued Thus did she bewaile her ill lucke and froward fortune detecting also the pride vanitie of her son Alexander in her bitter lamentation For truely the body of her sonne had wanted the rights of buriall had not his friend Aristander Telmisensis inuented a craftie meane to bring his carrion carkas to the earth for lying aboue the ground vnburied the space of thirtie daies this his faithfull friend comming to the lords and péers which were at variance about the succession of his kingdome made this fained protestation as though he had beene pricked therevnto by some extraordinary or heauenly motion to saye these words as followeth Omnes omnium seculorum reges Alexander foelicitate superauit tà m viuus quà m mortuus Etenim dij immortales mihi notum fecerunt in quacunque terra ipsius anima requiem primum esset habitura eam foelicitate abundantem ab omni hostili vastatione in perpetuum fore liberam Alexander when he was liuing and also now being dead excelled al kings of all ages in felicitie happinesse beatitude and prosperitie for the gods euerlasting haue reuealed and made manifest to me that in what region soeuer the soule of Alexander first did rest the same should be crowned with plentie and abundance it should not feare the wasting of forren force nor be subiect to the violent inuasion of the spitefull aduersarie When the péeres and nobles had heard these wordes pronounced by Aristander they presently cut off all quarelling for supremacie and euery one of them put too his helping hand with no lesse desire than duetie to conuey the dead carkasse of Alexander into his owne Empire that they might possesse their treasure and all things in peace notwithstanding beholde the immortal God would not suffer the dead carkasse of this god to take as yet any rest in the grounde nor to haue the rights of buriall but caused dissension to arise whereby his body was tossed frō place to place For Ptolomeus king of Aegypt made inquisition and search after the dead body of Alexander and founde it out at Alexandria as for the Macedonians they were calme quiet and still Perdicas onely excepted who pursued Ptolomeus with might and maine not so much for the loue duetie and reuerence which he had to Alexander as for the wordes which Aristander pronounced neither truely did Ptolomeus bestowe that great paines for the verie loue he bare to Alexander so much as he did for the same deuotion as Perdicas had but Perdicas in the end ouertaking Ptolomey stayed him in which incounter Ptolomey suppressed the power of Perdicas and committed a great slaughter of the Macedonians who sought so earnestly to recouer the dead body of the Macedonian Monarch and were also at the last flouted after this sort for Ptolomeus had made an image which resembled Alexander the puissant and decked it gloriously beautifyeng it with garments of princelinesse he also adorned it with Epigrams and inscriptions and poesies of high honour he laid it in a Persian chariot and decked the coffin brauely with golde and siluer as became the estate of an Emperour as for the carkas it selfe it was but homely handled for it was wrapt in no costly
commanding the whole world to stoupe and be obedient to no other gods but themselues despising to heare of their mortalitie accounting themselues immortall which vile error and abominable opinion procéedeth and is first stirred vp by the proude aspiring minde and vnsatiable appetite of mā in coueting so inordinatly after kingdoms authoritie worldly wealth and such superfluous desire wherby his minde is eleuated to such lordly statelinesse Scho. Truely sir I must néedes confesse that in these our dayes gold is accounted a speciall and chiefe friend to man yea one of the nearest and most surest at the time of néede going thorow with all causes when other friends doe often faile the force whereof when the learned and pleasant Poet Ouid had thorowly by experience found out and sufficiently tryed at the last being banished Rome liuing in exile and being vtterly forsaken of his dearest friends with sorow from the heart repeated these verses saying En ego non paucis quondam munitus amicis dum slauit velis aura secunda meis Vt fera nymboso tumuerunt aequora vento in medijs lacera puppe relinquor aquis Which well may be englished after this sort Behold how many frends were prest while wealth did me support And golden gale did driue my sayle so long would they resort But when both windes and seas did rage and fortune frowned grimme My frends soone left me in the flouds to sinke or els to swimme In like manner we daylie sée that the friendship of many men continueth so long as fortune remaineth and are as companions and friends to fortune folowing the table of the rich proffering déere friendship where gaine is to be hoped after Insomuch that it is aparantly perceiued they are friends to fortune and folowers of welth and not sure ayders of distressed persons so that it may be rightlie saide Donec eris felix multos numerabis amicos Nullus ad amissas ibit amicus opes Which I English in this sorte When riches rise of friends be sure to haue at neede great store But welth once lost such friends passe bie as faund on thee before For where goods are be sure there friendship cannot be wanting and where substance is decayed there no longer is friendship to be hoped for but as the olde saying is No longer penie no longer paternoster Againe when such hunters after fortune chance to passe bie either towne or villedge spying some house of account they straight way demand who dwelleth there saying What is he rich what store of possessions hath he will hée play the good fellowe and spend franckelie amongst good companions But verie fewe will aske how hee came by his goods whether by good meanes or no not demanding whether he be wise learned or what good gouernement hee hath to order or gouerne his possessions with all Vnde habeas nemo quaerit sed oportet habere From whence he had it or how hee came by it no man enquires but that if he haue it it suffiseth saying further Quantum quisque sua nummorum seruat in arca tantum habet fidei Euen so much money as euerie man keepeth in his chest or coffer euen so much credit he shall be sure to purchase at all times being thorowly perswaded that what so euer is wanting by money it may bee obtained in so much that they are not ashamed to say Et genus formam regina pecunia donat Ladie money dooth giue both noble birth and comlie shape and also it maketh the browne and hardfauored maide to be a tricksie and penie white wench Which blinde error being sufficiently perceiued by the wise philosophers who were wont after a flouting and scoffing manner to deride and mock them saying O ciues ciues quaerenda pecunia primum virtus post nūmos O ye Citizens first of all money is to be sought for vertue is to be folowed after money is gotten Yet notwithstanding Sir although I manifest the common custome and vsiall tradition of men in these our dayes yet doo I not forget your examples which of late shewed the great vnquietnes that dayly hapned to the possessors of such superfluous welth and treasure by daylie disturbing and molesting their quiet state and peaceable life which otherwise without such worldly muck would be frée at libertie from such care and trouble as often hapneth thereby wherefore it is saide Pauca licet portes argenti vascula puri Nocte iter ingressus gladium contumque timebis Et motae ad lunam trepidabis arundinis vmbram Cantabit vacuus coram latrone viator Which I English thus Although of coyne small store you beare yet traueling in the night Both sworde and speare you feare and think each bush is prest to fight And starting at a shaking reede by feare doo stop and stay But he that wants the coyne dooth sing before the chiefe all way Who can sing so merie a note As he that cannot change a grote But now sir cōming to your last conclusion Is it possible that by any quantitie of worldly goods or by any honour and duety done to man or by any felicitie or happie successe in this world so to eleuate the minde of man with such stately pride that he will not acknowledge himselfe to be a mortall man but commaund himselfe to be honoured as an immortall God Truely I had thought the mettall whereof man is made coulde not haue yeelded foorth that minde but surely in mine opinion they haue neither the gift of temperance nor of any other vertue that so farre runne beyond the bounds of reason clyming for that which their mortall carkases shall neuer attaine vnto Truely I am hardly perswaded but that the very nature of man it selfe would abhorre and detest such a mightie error and most monstrous sinne Wherefore my request is that you especially would vnfould and relate this at large as the most necessariest note to man of all the rest Fame Doubt not my friend but that the proud minde of man hath aspired as high as the heauens coueting the place of a God Nay haue thought themselues in the very place of the highest commaunding themselues accordingly to be adored and worshipped Neither could diuers proud kings of y e earth abide to heare of their mortalitie For the Lacedemonian king Pausanias being bidden to a banquet Simonides a learned Poet of Gréece being at the same time thether also inuited who was requested by Pausanias the king that he shoulde speake somewhat which sauoured of wisdome wherein he might take pleasure Whereat the good old man laughed and said Tunc memento te hominem esse Then remember thou art a man But Pausanias tooke it in very hard part that he saucily woulde vndertake to tell him of his mortalitie accounted Simonides but a foole for his labour thinking him to be drunke or not well in his wittes But not long after this proud king was taken prisoner in a great battaile and was committed to a strong
the familiar acquaintance and auncient loue which had been by their long felowship Nowe the couragious minde of Alexander being stirred vp by the good perswasions of his deare friend Calisthenes in so much that he presently againe fell to warre and conquered many kingdomes whereby he grewe to such hautie pride after the maner of the proud Persians and Parthians as is before spoken of for then Non salutari sed adorari se iubet He would no longer be worshipped as a man but adored as a God For which cause when diuers of the noble Macedonians woulde haue disswaded him from that foolish follie he put them to most cruell and strange death and torments But then againe Calisthenes thought to perswade Alexander from such a mighty error bearing himselfe somewhat bolder on the king than y e rest both for his approued wisdome and holesome counsaile which the king often had tried and felt as also on the auncient familiaritie and long acquaintance which had been betwixt the king and him so that he began earnestly to disswade him from this arrogant and fond vaine But Alexander being so puffed vp with pride and desiring so vnmeasurably to be a God that he would not heare the admonition and wise counsell of his approued frend but was wonderfully moued against him for his labour in so much that he caused him who before had preserued and saued his life to be most miserably martyred cutting off his nose lips eares hands and other members of his body to the pitiful paine and great deformitie of poore distressed Calisthenes commaunding him also to be cast into a most vile and stinking dike or pit there to languish vntill he died But the noble Lysimachus greatly pitying the miserable paine foule deformitie of the wise Philosopher gaue him poyson whereby he ended his grieuous smart Wherewith Alexander being greatly offended caused the said Lysimachus to be throwen into the Lyons denne to be deuoured of those cruell fierce beasts Notwithstanding he was deliuered by the mighty hande of God which as the common saying is was no gramercie to the King Scho. O most barbarous and vnciuill déede But what other fruites are to be expected or hoped for at the handes of such immoderate quaffers and vnsatiable suckers of wine than in recompence of their good seruice such cruell and outragious dealings Truely sir as you haue said either he was wonderfully drowned in the pride of the Parthians or els miserably ouercome in his accustomed swilling for otherwise such barbarous crueltie could neuer haue procéeded from temperate gouernment The most wise and learned Erasmus hauing somewhat touched and nipped the monstrous vice of dronkennesse at last to make manifest that such horrible beastlines was vntollerable and mightely detested meaning to quippe the whole companie and crewe of such vnsatiable ale-tasters concluded in the end with this saying Vereor plurimum ne quisobrij sunt operam hanc meam in ebrios dicendi ceu superuacaneam rideant dicent enim sobrijs castigatione hac nihil opus esse Ebrios autem sic vino sepultos vt nullius vocem exaudiant c. I feare me greatly saith he lest the wise and sober will deride and laugh at this my superfluous and needles paines in speaking so farre against dronkards For they may say there needeth no reprehension or castigation to the sober and persons of good gouernment And as for those that are dronke they are so buried in wine and so drowned in their filthie folly by keeping companie with such good cup-companions that they cā heare no mans voice vnderstand no admonition of the wise perceiue no rebuke or sharpe reprehension Therfore saith he as the body of a dead man doth seeme not to be stirred by pricking or sharpe pinching so in like sort no maruell though the mind and sense of a dronken man can by no honest warnings or good meanes be stirred vp or brought to amendment for that his whole pleasure and delight is in such gulling swilling That most commonly as Erasmus saith Neque pes neque manus satis suum officium facit Neither feete nor handes can wel do their office The legs not able to support and beare the weight of his body nor his handes with the help of a staffe able to support himselfe but that he tumbleth and walloweth in his owne vomit and filth more like a beast then man which most filthie vse and order the wise Seneca perceiuing Ebrietatem nihil ait esse quam voluntariam insaniam said that Drunkennesse was nothing else but a voluntarie madnesse and wilfull fransinesse which with good gouernment might easily bee auoyded and shunned saying further that Nothing did more better become and beautifie man than sobernesse so in like maner nothing did seeme more filthie nor more to be detested than a drunken man as alreadie you haue set downe and manifested as it were to the beholders eye showing the wilfull folly desperate madnesse which the vnsatiable bibbers of wine doo ouer rashly commit to their euerlasting reproach and ignomie also in the end to their great sorrow and displeasure for it doth not onely cause their infamie to bee perpetually registred but also their owne hands to commit most horrible and shamefull murders whereby they oft embrewe themselues in the bloud of the innocent and hurtlesse person which no doubt but in the end is most sharply punished on the committers Fa. My good friend first I beseech you to marke diligently our purposed procéedings then shall you right well perceiue to what end our conference tendeth and also to note that hee who liueth not in contentmēt dooth runne headlong to vnsatiable couetousnes from that gréedie appetite to monstrous pride from that intollerable vice to most lasciuious and licentious liuing from that vile and detestable sinne to most odious and filthie quaffing and imimoderate bibbing which bad life and disordered gouernment dooth soone purchase to the practisers thereof most condigne punishment as by our aforesaid conference doth most euidently appeare were it possible that the bloud of the innocent should not be reuenged or that the murthering hand should scape vnpunished No there is no doubt but that the liuing God dooth aswel plague the Prince and péere as the meanest person for such cruell and tyranous déeds will be sharply reuenged on their intemperancie For first it is to be considered that for lack of temperance man runneth headlong to those wilfull murders either by an ouer coueting mind or by desperate quarrelling or otherwise beeing ouercome by inordinate swilling and vnsatiable quaffing of liquor al which proceedeth through the default of the aforesaid gift Iezabel wife to Ahab King of Samaria when y e King her husband had required Naboth to part with his vineyard which lay verie conuenient for his vse profering him as great possession in some other place but Naboth denying his sute as a thing vniust saying God for bid that I should passe ouer
gratia venistis Why doe ye not dispatch your purpose in respect of the accomplishment whereof you be resorted hether Then they all looked on ech other in the face being troubled in their mindes greatly repenting their enterprise that euer they went about to worke such villany to so noble a minded Prince who knew their practise before and yet spared to punish them rather choosing himselfe to die than to vse tyrannie on his subiects which indeede had been no cruelty but vpright iustice wherefore they all with one accorde threwe downe their speares and lighted from their saddles confessing their trespasse humbly submitting themselues on their knees crauing mercie at the hands of Darius proffering their voluntarie seruice to doe whatsoeuer hee hencefoorth gaue them in commaundement Thus with the great mercie and clemencie of Darius without bloudshed the vnbrideled stomackes of his nobles were pacified and made quiet which by a bloudy hand he coulde neuer haue brought to passe And from that time foorth they were mindfull of so gratious a benefite remayning euer after most faithfull obedient and full of duetie to Darius their milde and gentle Prince In like maner Titus a Roman Emperor sonne to Vespasianus excelled in humilitie clemencie and courtesie for at such time as two of his chiefest Péeres had consented conspired to the murthering of their master the king Titus hauing knowledge thereof first calling them into a priuie chamber telling them home of their wicked intent wishing them by milde and gentle meanes to become better Subiectes to their hurtles Prince who so farre as he knew had not deserued at their hands the very thought of such a wicked inuention And afterward taking them both with him to a common game or play setting himselfe betweene them both willing them to sit neere his person and so soone as the sword-players came out with their glittering swords Titus called for one of them which was presently deliuered to him then he foorthwith gaue it to the one and after to the other vnder colour of feeling how sharp it was beholding them with a smiling countenance saying Videtisne potestates fato dari frustrà que tentari facinus potiundi spe vel admittendi metu See ye not saith he that authoritie and power is geuen by destinie therefore it is vaine to trie by wicked practise to possesse the place and as vaine it is to feare the losing thereof Meaning thereby that although they had the sword in their handes yet could they not displace him whoÌ„ God had setled Thus courteously did Titus intreate his Nobles saying that he had greater pleasure and more delight to correct offenders with lenitie than to chastice them with cruelty which caused him to raigne more quietly in his life and also at his death to be bewayled thorow the whole earth calling him the darling and delight of mankind He was wont to say y e night that the day before he had not geuen well to the poore or béene liberall amongst his friends Amici perdidimus diem Frends we haue lost a day Gelon king of Syracusa behaued himselfe wonderfull mildly gently and peaceably in his kingdome yet notwithstanding he was of some tearmed a tyrant But this is most certaine that when diuers of his commonwealth sought wayes to shorten his life by cruell murther wayting for fit occasion to execute and accomplish their vile pretended villanie Whereof when Gelon was enformed and certified he called a court and sommoned an assemblie of Syracusians which being done in the presence and countenance of them all hee went vp into an hauty and high place in maner of a pulpit hauing on his bodie harnesse and in his hands weapons bright and glistring In which sort and order he stoode before them making a declaration of his faithfull care which he alwayes had ouer the weale publique tendering the welfare of them all euen as his owne life Hauing thus done he vnarmed himselfe laying down both armour and weapon at his féete and vttered these words to the congregation which was there assembled saying En amictus tunicula nudus armorum asto dedo me vobis vt pro voluntate libitóque mecum agatis Behold I stand before you naked vnarmed in a thinne wastcote I yeald my life into your handes my body is at your commandement deale with me according to your pleasure For saith he I detest the place if you despise my person neither doe I wish any longer to liue in my calling than you shall well like of my gouernment When Gelon had thus yealded himselfe to his subiects the whole assembly of the Syracusians were much amased and thereupon were so affectioned in mind that néeds they would there was no way to the coÌ„trary deliuer those traiterous varlets and rebellious villaines to the kings power to punish them according to the proportion of their offence and gaue him their suffrages vniuersall consents to continue ouer them his dominion gouernmeÌ„t yet not withstanding would not Gelon correct those offenders but fréely forgaue theÌ„ their trespasses counselling them euer after to become better subiects and to wish to him in their harts no otherwise than he would deserue at their hands Which great mercy and fauor of Gelon the king made the Syracusians to honor and duetifully obey him so long as he liued among them and after his death to haue him in perpetuall remembrance for his singular courtesie and notable clemencie They erected and planted a standing image wearing a single peticote representing to the beholder that this king did raigne and rule by gentle and courteous meanes more safer and far stronger than he that should raigne like a tyrant with harnes and armour of proofe Scho. Truely Sir it is now in these our dayes most manifest how mightely the lenitie and gentlenes of Princes is of force and auayleth and with what willing hearts their subiects will venture both life land and limme in the seruice and defence of their so milde and gentle a Prince yea if it were possible that one body should venture the losse of life ten times or presently to runne to ten deaths for the preseruation â—o safetie of such a noble and mercifull Prince no doubt they could make no curiositie in the cause nor scrupulositie on the matter but with willing and fierce mindes boldly venture themselues Contrariwise we both dayly see and reade that cruell tyrants by their tyrannie cannot compell their Subiectes to beare or carry towardes them a duetifull minde and louing heart neither willingly to venture themselues in their causes but drawen as it were by the eares to their defence or els they should fight in their owne quarrels the people also delight reioyce to heare of the ruine and destruction of such tyrannicall Princes yea and that which is worse doe often conspire and practise vnnaturally the death and destruction of such tyrants Wee reade of the cruell tyrant Clearchus King of the Heraclians that when by no perswasions he could be
Sceuola in which when he came to the place hee thrust his right hand willingly into the fire first suffering it to burne to ashes couragiously saying I willingly committe this my hand to the fire which fayled to kill Porsena the tyrant Further affirming at his death that there were thrée hundreth Romanes more redy prest which had also sworne the death of the king if he fayled and would as willingly venture themselues in their Countreys cause as he before them had done and as it were among themselues striuing who first should doe that good seruice to their countrey Which when Porsena had hearde he did not much discommend their faithfulnes towardes their Commonwealth but with all speed remoued his siege and departed from the walles of Rome to the great reioising of the citizens Thus ought euery man to haue a speciall care regard to preserue his natiue countrey and commonwealth For when both Princes and noble estates haue willingly ventured life nay run to present death for the sauegard of the weale publike much more then ought euery priuate person and meane subiect in Prince and Countreyes cause valiantly to venture both life and lim with right couragious mindes in defence of so honest and good a cause Scho. I confesse that euery subiect ought willingly to offer his body in defence of his Prince and natiue Soyle and not to haue so great a care for the preseruation of his priuate person as for the benefit and welfare of his Prince and Commonwealth Were it not a vile reproach and ignomie to those people that should by their cowardlines suffer their king to be slaine in the field and they themselues to remaine aliue and geue the looking on Contrariwise is it not great honor to him that shall hazard his life yea or run to right desperate exploites in the good cause or quarrell of his Prince To conclude it is the part of euery good prince to haue a care of the welfare of his commonwealth and of the preseruation of his subiects and also the part of all honest Subiects to haue a duetiful care to preserue their prince and a manly courage to defend their coūtrey Truely we read in most ancient histories of diuers who by their noble valoure wise policie and manly courage haue defended from the inuation of forrain foes both their weale publique from subuersion their stately townes and cities from ruine and decay also the whole body of their countreymen from most cruel murther and pitifull slaughter and yet in the end haue been most vilely recompenced by their vnkind countreymen Was not Manlius a Roman surnamed Capitolinus who preserued the Capitoll or castle of Rome from the cruell force of the Gaules and did many other noble actes in his Countreis cause throwne down from the top of the same Castle headlong by his owne vnkind countreimen whom he many times both manfully and couragiously had defended and saued Also Miltiades a noble man of Athens which in the field of Marathaon with 10000. Gréekes discomfited and put to flight 600000. Persians and so by his great wisdome and prudent policie saued deliuered his countrey from being ouerrun with such a mighty and huge hoast which otherwise had beene vtterly subdued ouerthrowen but after being cast in arrerage of a certaine summe of mony he was by his vngratefull Countreymen condemned into most cruell prison and there died in fetters and being dead he might not be suffered to be buried vntill his sonne had put on him the giues that his father did weare In like sort Themistocles a noble captain of the same vngrateful town of Athens after he had deliuered his Countrey from the huge terrible power of Xerxes putting him to flight and al his great hoast making y t mightie king by his circumspect wisdome and policie shamefully to flie home in a Fishermans boate vnknowen for the safety and preseruation of himselfe notwithstanding was at the last driuē his Countrey and forced to flie by the vnkinde Citizens to his enemie Xerxes whō before he had driuen from the walles of Athens but Xerxes willingly receiued such a friende with great intertainment and sent him againe with a mighty armie to warre on his owne countrey hoping now that he would be sharply reuenged on his vnkinde citizens But Themistocles being now Lord Generall against his natiue countrey hauing in his power the whole destruction and ouerthrow of his deere commonwealth yet notwithstanding for all that the Athenians had dealt so extremely with him he rather chose to die than any way to hurt his countrey And because he would not shew himselfe a traitor to Xerxes who had put his whole power into his hand and receiued him so courteously in his extremitie nor that he would torment the bowels of his vngratefull citie vnmercifully to spoyle with forraine people his vnkind countreimē to frée himselfe of these two inconueniences hee poysoned him selfe and so died a more faithfull frend to his countreymē than they had deserued After that Demetrius sonne of Philip king of Macedon whom before I spake of had obteined pardon for his father and whole countrey by his great modestie temperance shewed in the Senat of Rome because the Senators did write to his father the king in this maner We the Senators of Rome do not pardō thee for thy owne sake but for the modest demeanor of thy sonne shewed here before vs in the Senate Which thing Philip by the instigation of certaine of his flattering Subiectes did take so displeasantly and gréeuouslie that his sonne was in such estimation and better accounted of than himselfe and therefore so hated his sonne for his great paines and diligent care whereby he preserued both his father and Countrey from the reuenge of the Romanes At whose good hap also certaine of his vnkinde Countreymen with the helpe of his vnnaturall brother Perses so repined insomuch that they procured false witnes to accuse him to his father being willing to heare any cause against his sonne Thus by the surmise of his vnnaturall Countreymen he was condemned to death by his vnkinde father who before had both studied to preserue the honor of his father and also to mainteine the flourishing estate of his countrey Did not the Romanes banish and exile the noble and worthie Cicero by the procurement of Clodius when he had preserued and defended his Countrey from ruine and vtter destruction and saued the noble Citie of Rome from the fury of Cataline euen for because he had put to death the chiefe traytors and enemies of the Common-wealth in that dangerous conspiracie who sought to spoyle sacke take and burne their natiue Citie Rome Was not the same vngratefull Citie Rome found vnkinde to her most deare frend and preseruer the worthie Scipio for when the Romanes were in great distresse thorow the bitter and sharpe warres which the Carthaginians long time most greeuously helde against them being also mightely ouermatched
chosen But surely the vaine babling of the prating Poets in this cause is vtterly to be condemned for vnder the colour that all women are euill they goe about to hide and cloake the foolish follie of mad doting men making women a veile or shadow to hide and couer the doting fondnes of vnsatiable men Indeede the olde prouerbe is Ignis mare mulier tria sunt mala That sire the sea and a woman are three euils Truely a strong reason then may it like wise be said that men are euill for that one man hath killed another and surely by this reason the former three are also euil For if a man will cast himselfe into the fier no doubt but that he shal burne or into the sea where he may be drowned or els into the calamities of such a mariage or otherwise ouer fondly to dote which he well knew before would purchase his trouble and vexation But my good friend my purpose is not to exclaime on or blame faultlesse women who cannot bridle the fond affection of their importunate louers wherefore I will somewhat more amply speake of fonde and doting loue which is as well in the one as in the other and what inconuenience doth consequently follow their doting folly Semiramis being the most amiable Lady of the world by reason of her surpassing beautie was sent for into Assiria to the king of that region that he might satisfie himselfe with the sight of her péerles pulchritude before whose presence she came according to the tenor of his message The king had no sooner cast his wanton eye vpon her passing beauty but was foorthwith inflamed with the fire of affection towards her then after certaine circumstances ouerpassed she required of the doting king a rich reward namely a robe of estate the gouernment of Assiria for fiue dayes continuance and the absolute authoritie in all thinges that were done in the kingdome Which petition of Semiramis was granted by the king no deniall made to the contrary In conclusion when things without exception were in the gripes of her aspiring minde she commanded the fonde king to be slaine whereby he was dispossessed of his dominion and she presently thereupon enioyed the scepter and crowne imperiall ouer all Assiria Did not Candaulus king of Sardis dote in foolish and fonde loue ouer his wife insomuch that he thought her the fayrest creature in the worlde yet not content to satisfie himselfe with her beautie but in fond and doting sort must needes shewe his wife naked to his frend to make him partaker of her surpassing beautie and peereles person and therfore he called his frēd Giges to his chamber and hid him secretely against his wife should come to bed but his frend Giges disswading him from his folly notwithstanding Candaulus would haue no nay in his importunate suite but that his frend should both know see his his priuie benefite so that he was constrayned to obey his fonde request Now when the wife of Candaulus perceiued herself so betrayed by the inuention of her husband for Giges incontinētly discloased himselfe she was mightely abashed wonderfully ashamed for in that countrey it was counted a most wonderfull dishonesty and reproach that a woman should be seene naked of any man sauing of her husband yet for all that she dissēbled the matter for a time meaning in the end to take sharp reuenge on her husband for the great villany he had offered her At the last she called Giges to her chamber who before had séene her naked to the end to haue slaine him threatening him that vnlesse he would presently reuenge the wrong and great abuse which her husband had offered her in his presence which he consequentlie consented vnto for the sauegard of his life with firme oathes solemne vowes which was that he should kil the king her husband and take her to wife with the kingdome hoping that hee would be content to possesse so good a benefite and not to make any other priuie or partaker of that which hee best esteemed Thus whether it were for the sauegard of his life which he stood in perill to lose or for the coueting of so beautifull a Queene large a kingdome which now was offered him it resteth doubtfull but he foorthwith executed the Queenes pleasure on his doting master which happened through his owne fonde follie What inconueniēce also hapned to Artaxerxes king of Persia by such foolish folly in doting ouer his sonne so fondly y t he must make him his master in his life time For being drownd in such fond affection toward his sonne Darius not content himselfe with his scepter and kingdome which he quietly possessed hee presently aduanced him to taste the secretnes and sweete of his kingdome not satisfieng himselfe to be a commander ouer his people but would be a seruant and be commanded by his sonne so it hapned to him as he deserued for this princox his sonne being established in the kingdome by his doting father became at the last so lordly ouer his foolish father that hee woulde commaund him in all causes as his duetifull and obedient subiect it chanced that his father Artaxerxes had married the concubine which he before had taken in his warres who at that time was péerelesse in beautie Now Darius being in possession of his fathers kingdome by vertue of his authoritie he called his father before his presence as a common subiect saying Father as you haue put the kingdome into my hand and made me absolute King thereof so whosoeuer this kingdome containeth is also my subiect and vnder my authoritie therfore sir my pleasure is that you deliuer and yéelde into my handes your wife which was the concubine for she is faire in my sight and therefore I greatly desire to haue her and by vertue of my authoritie I straightly commaund no resistance to the contrarie But Artaxerxes although he had made his sonne King knew that hee was his father wherefore hee contrary to his sonnes minde detained Aspasia his newe married wife which deniall caused his sonne Darius to conspire the death of his resisting father because as he thought hee was not absolute King to commaund as after the death of his father hee should be and also did associate in this his vnnaturall confederacie fifty brothers which were begotten by his owne father Artaxerxes by diuers concubines But this doting King as it chanced although he had made himselfe a subiect to his prowd sonne yet by good helpe of his nobles he detected the cause and found out the treason And in the same day that Darius made account to accomplish his wicked enterprise he was himselfe and all the rest of the confederates taken and fell into the same snare that they had prepared for their aged father for Artaxerxes put both them their wiues and children to the sworde that none of that wicked race should remaine aliue the aged King for verie griefe that he had conceiued
vntill such time that experience hath caught their follie But now againe to our purposed procéedings Hath it not béen séene that the stately pride and loftie lordlinesse of diuers hath purchased to others great quietnes Is it not sufficiently knowen that before this last warre betwixt the Carthaginians the Romanes there was an auncient peace and league taken and agreed vpon betwixt them deuiding their Empires with the riuer of Iberius and that their two Segniories should ioyntly be knowen the one from the other for that the haughtie pride and loftie statelinesse of them both could not brook the controlment each of other therefore they thus diuided their Empires not tollerating the imperial minds of each other because they were both a strong and mightie people still contending vntill that agreement which of them both shuld enioy possesse the whole This at that time happened thorough the stately pride of them both There were a people namely the Saguntines who dwelt betwixt both their Empires and deuided their Segniories in equall sort which people before were vnder the obedience of the Romanes but now in great controuersie which of those stately Empires should inioy and possesse them for that it did lye so cōuenient for them both Thus after long contending when neither partie would yeeld that the other should enioy it at the last this was agreed vpon betwixt them both that the Saguntines lying so in the middle should be a border and bank to both their Empires remaining a tree people at libertie frō both their powers neither of them medling with the gouernment of theyr Common wealth nor troubling their Countrey in respect vppon paine of the breach of auncient amitie but should let them wholly alone to their owne rule and gouernment Thus was Sagunt freed from her proud neighbors who for a long time had kept her vnder subiection and seruitude by reason of their imperiall mindes and now againe through their stately pride set at libertie and fréed from such slauerie as before they were holden in In like case when the Athenians and Megarences had manie times fought togeather in diuers most cruell and bloudie battailes for the superioritie and regiment of the Isle Salamina hauing on both parts well tyred themselues with the dayly slaughters and lamentable losses of their people in the end being so wearied with the calamities of warre they were willing on either sior to constitute and ordaine a law that none vnder paine of death should dare on either part to speak or moue warre against Salamina but that it shuld be at frée libertie from them both Did not Ptolome King of Aegypt and Antigone Prince of the Phrigians so mallice and contemne one the other that to despite and displease each other they restored to libertie manie Cities of Greece which were quietly possessed by them before so that the Grecians although for a time they were restrained from their libertie yet notwithstanding they were in the ende againe clearely fréed from such seruitude by the malicious and proud contending of those Imperiall minded Princes Now whereas our purpose is to showe the inconueniences of cruell warre rather commending the peaceable and quiet state of the weale publique than the bitternesse of warre and bloudie fight neither is my entent so to disswade a Common wealth from the prouision of warre that in time of néede they should altogether be destitute of armour men weapon to beate downe and kéepe backe the proud inuading foe but rather exhorting earnestly wishing them to vse and practise all manner of commendable actions in militarie and martiall affaires to become both expert and skilfull in warlike prowesse onely to the end to defend their owne quiet and well gouerned Common wealth but forasmuch as the hazard of battaile and the stay wheron the whole state dependeth ought not to be giuen and yéelded into the hands of such desperate youths such fresh water souldiors and such proud minded perfons as will neither heare anie friendly counsaile wise aduice nor sage warning of him who hath béene before taught by experience but will with an ouer-rash and vnbridled selfe will as they say with a flantarowe all a brauado run headlong without anie good or gouernment hazarding the spoyle of their souldiers ieoparding the subuersion of a Kingdome venturing the whole state to them committed in one hower to the mutable and vnstedfast chaunce of frowning Fortune There I say is to bee expected as great calamitie as Minutius brought to the Romanes Hanniball to the Carthaginians and Paris to the Troians who by their wilfull follies wrought great miserie to their Countryes neither is the Enemie to bee repelled nor battaile to bee prouided for with superfluous and excessiue brauerie as though they would contend with feathers scarffes trim knackes and such other painted and gilded stuffe hoping to daunt and feare the foe with such vaine toyes Nay surely it dooth incoruage the Enemie hoping to recouer that rich pray spoyle perswading themselues that such vaine pride procéedeth from a fond and foolish wit through which conceipt the enemie is the more better stirred to battaile It may be that some will obiect this saying It is not wisedome nor by anie meanes tollerable to disswade the yong souldiour from that which dooth increase his courage more willingly to follow martiall feates and warlike affaires saying also it is for the honour of his Countrey to come to the field like a braue souldiour meaning by his outward braue attyre gorgeous furniture and other their ordinarie brauerie by them vsed Whereunto I aunswere after this manner Hanniball after he had contended in sharpe and mortall warres long time against the Romanes and was in conclusion beaten out of Italy by the prudence of the valiant Scipio he fled to King Antiochus who at that time had gathered a great power to warre on the Romanes The Armie beeing in a readinesse Antiochus called the wife and politike Captaine Hanniball to the top of a verie high hill shewing him all his whole power being gathered together from all parts of his Dominions for the same purpose This Armie was excéeding sure in the Kings opinion for the Souldiours targets glittered all with Orient golde their armours also wonderfully furnished with golde and rich pearle to conclude euerie thing marueilous sumptuous and braue Antiochus heereat greatly boasting saide vnto Hanniball My good friend doost thou not thinke this my rich and mightie Armie to be inough and sufficient for the proud Romanes Who presently fell into a great laughter laughing Antiochus to scorne for his superfluous vanitie and foolish folly saving in slouting sort Yes truely Antiochus although the Romanes were the most vnsatiable people and discontented Nation of the world Meaning that their rich booties and spoyles would be sufficient and inough againe for the Romanes knowing notwithstanding that their power would prooue small inough to match with them for that he himselfe before had well tried and felt their force
most excellent things in the worlde that euer were séene or heard of Now when all these ordinances of Alexander were red by Perdicas heard by the Macedonian Princes although they loued their master maruellously yet when they saw his enterprices to be such and of so great charge they all agreed with one consent that nothing should be done therin departing euery man to his Prouince whereunto he was appoynted by the gouernor Perdicas Shortly after they were all departed and seperated one from another Perdicas thought good hauing so fit oportunity to reuenge himselfe on those that first hindered him from being king And for because that Meleager now prince of Lydia whē he was sent ambassador to the footmē did earnestly stād against his desire altogether preuented his intent therefore Perdicas in reuenge first of all other most cruelly slew him with 30. of the most principall souldiers that were against his proceedings The other princes soon had intelligence of the things Perdicas had done fearing he would shew the like crueltie on them hearing also what their master Alexander had said on his deathbed which was that his kingdomes possessions should be possessed of the most worthy wherfore euery of them enioying so large prouinces and territories thought themselues as worthy personages as either Aride the king or Perdicas his gouernor insomuch that the most part of them would be subiect to neither but seniorized their Prouinces to their owne vses chalenging the name and title of kings deuiding themselues taking part one against the other euery one striuing who should bee worthiest Which words of Alexander together with their stately pride was the originall cause that the whole number of Princes and captaines successors to Alexander perished and were vtterly destroyed for they earnestly coueted each others kingdome raising among themselues bloudy war and cruell strife snatching after the most worthy place not forcing of cruell murthers or lamētable slaughters but with eger minds būted after y e goods life of ech other vntil they had vtterly rooted out consumed themselues for Perdicas hauing slaine Meleager and other of his fellow seruitors in Alexanders warres toke vpō him to go into Egypt to dispossesse Ptolome whom before he had placed in that Prouince But there because he behaued himselfe so proudly dismissing his captains vpon small occasions at his pleasure his souldiers set vpon him most fiercely slew him the greatest part of his army being gone to Ptolome King Philip Euridice his wife wer most cruelly murthered by Olympias Alexanders mother Craterus cōming against Eumenes in opē battail was by him slaine Eumenes also was slain in fight by Antigonus Antigonus likewise put to death Python and gaue his prouince to another Antigonus going to batel against Antioch the sonne of Seleucus was himselfe slain by default of his sonne Demetrius It was credebly reported that the night before Antigonus was slaine his son Demetrius dreamed that Alexander who before was dead came stood before him with his sword drawne saying I wil take part with thy enemies against thy father and thee in the morning also when Antigonus aranged his phalange or square battell of footmen comming foorth of his Tent to fight he stumbled and sell downe flat to the groūd and after he was lifted vp againe holding vp his hands to heauen he said I know hard fortune and euill successe drawethny but I pray the immortall Gods rather suffer me to be slaine in this battel than shamefully before mine enemie to flie Also old Antipater falling sick on a surfet which he had takē in these warres deceased and left the kingdome of Macedon to Polispercon his frend and not to Cassander his owne sonne which also caused great controuersie to arise betwixt his sonne Cassander and his friend Polispercon But in the end Cassander expelled Polispercon his fathers kingdome Not long after he himselfe came to vntimely death leauing behind him two sonnes the eldest hight Alexander the other Antipater which Antipater after he had slaine his owne mother sought meanes to driue his brother Alexander out of Macedon For which cause Alexander sent for ayde to king Pirrhus in Cyprus to Demetrius Antigone his sonne in Peloponnesus howbeit Demetrius being so occupied about the estate and affaires of Pelopōnesus whē the Ambassadors of Alexander came that hee coulde by no means help him In the mean time Pirrhus with a great armie came thether and in recompence of his ayde charge took possession of so large a peece of Macedon laying it to his owne countrey of Epyre that Alexander greatly dreaded him And while he abode in this feare he was aduertised that Demetrius was with his whole power comming to his ayde Wherupon he considering the authoritie great renowne of Demetrius and also the worthines of his déedes for which causes he was highly honoured through the whole world did now more than before feare his estate if he entered his realm wherfore he foorthwith went to méet him whom at their first méeting he right courteously and honorably entreated greatly thanking him for his courtesie and trauell in that he would leaue his own affaires of great importance and with so mightie an army come to his ayde further telling him that he already had wel quieted and established his estate so that he should not néede any further to trauell Neuertheles he thought himselfe so much bounde as if he had come at his first sending for or that all things had béen by his meanes quieted To these words Demetrius answered that he was right glad of his quietnes and that he had now no néed of his helpe besides many other louing and gentle words which gréeting ended either of thē for that night returned into his tent During which time there arose such matters betwixt thē that the one greatly suspected the other for as Demetrius was bid to supper with Alexander he was willed to take heede to himselfe for Alexander had practised by treason to slay him notwithstanding he by no mean shewed any countenance of mistrust but meant to go to the banquet to whose lodging Alexander was comming to bring him on his way But Demetrius diuersly detracted the time went a soft easie pace to y e ende his souldiers might haue leisure to arme them and cōmāded his garde being a greater number than Alexanders to enter with him also to waite neer his person but when Alexanders souldiers saw themselues the weaker part they durst not attempt it at that time And after supper because Demetrius would haue some honest cause to depart he fayned he was some what ill in his body therfore foorthwith took leaue of Alexander went thence The next day Demetrius feined that he had receiued letters out of his countrey of great importance so that he with his army must presently return into Peloponnese frō whēce he came praying Alexander to haue him excused offering him
had slaine with the fained loue of Polixena her daughter for causing doating Achilles to come to Pallas Temple after a subtle and treacherous sort where hee was traiterously slaine by Paris her sonne also In like case Neoptolemus otherwise called Pirrhus for his fierce and stearne visage the sonne of the most worthie Achilles after he had slaine aged Priamus King of the Troyans and murdred his sonne Polites at the Altar in the presence of Hecuba his tender mother and sacrificed his Daughter Polixena on the toomb of Achilles sharply reuenging his Fathers death wrought by Hecuba her daughter Thus when hee had both reuenged Menelaus wrongs and the traitrous murder of his Father Achilles was himselfe slaine by Orestes for certayne occasions about Hermione which happened in his absence Aiax a most renowmed Greeke being companion to Achilles alwaies accounted of the Grecians the next in force strength to noble Achilles therefore Aiax claimed the armor of his slain companion for that his strength farre surpassed al the Greeks and also in consideration of his good seruice done at that ùege notwithstanding Vlisses earnestly contended for the armour of slaine Achilles encountring Aiax with eloquence pleading also before the Greekes that he had conuayed the slaine bodie of Achilles to Thetis his mother on his backe which otherwise might haue lost the honour of his funeral Thus in the end Vlysses by his eloquent tongue obtained the armour for which cause Aiax fel mad chasing after wilde beasts threatning them by reason of his frantick moode to be the person of Vlisses and in this sort he died Vlisses also sonne to Laertes after hee had done many notable exploits at the same siege for that as the report goeth when he had conuated the sacred relique Palladium and fatall destinie of the towne away was himself driuen to sea by the displeasure of Pallas from whose temple he had conuaied the relique where he wandred the space of ten years losing in his perillous iourney the armor of Achilles for which he had so mightely contended leauing in that voyage his companion Achemenides in the dangerous den of the Ciclops where he lost other of his fellowes and mates by Poliphemus the cruell giant at the last hauing lost al both that which he brought from Greece and also that which he had gotten at the subuertion of Troy he chanced home againe where he remained for a time vnknown suffering many spitefull displeasures by the suters of Penelope his chast wife whom after he had vanquished by the helpe of Telemacus his sonne was finally in the same quarrell slaine himself by his bastard sonne Telogonus In like manner Palamedes was slaine at the siege of Troy by his countrimen which happened through the craft of Vlisses for when first the Gretians began to prouide for the Troyan war Vlisses being newly maried to fayre Penelope would willingly haue staid at home in Greece with his daintie loue insomuch that he fayned himselfe mad cupling dayes togeather fondly plowing frantickly in y t field but Palamedes loath to lose so fit a companion smelling also out the matter laide Telemacus the young Sonne of Vlisses in the furrow where his father came with the plough to proue his madnes Vlisses was not so mad but perceiued his sonne lifted his plough from the furrow to misse his child then cried Palamedes with a loud voyce saying Thy craft Vlisses is perceiued therefore lay aside thy plough and take in hand thy weapons so by the meanes of Palamedes the suttle craft of Vlisses was found out notwithstanding Palamedes scaped not unreuēged for as Dictis Cretensis whose person was there present and also whose works at this day remaine extant reporteth on this sort Igitur simulato quod thesaurum repertum in puteo cum eo partiri vellent remotis procul omnibus persuadent vt ipse potius descenderet Eumque nihil insidiose metuentem adminiculo funis vsum deponunt ac properè arreptis saxis quae circum erāt desuper orbuunt Vlisses with the help of Diomedes fayned that they had found secretly hidden in a well a certaine masse of money which they would willingly part with Palamedes if it shuld so please him perswading him to goe downe into the well which thing he vnaduisedly did by the help of a cord suspecting no euil at al but Vlisses and Diomedes flinging downe stones violently which lay there about ready for the purpose stoned Palamedes to death who mistrusted no such matter In this sort saieth Dictis Vlisses reuenged himself on Palamedes but other authors otherwise affirme saying that when Vlisses lay before Troy to work reuengment on him who was the cause of his being there he vsed this suttle policie he counterfeited letters from Priamus directed to Palamedes wherin he made mention of certaine money which he before had sent him giuing him hartie thanks for diuerse treasons which he before had condescended vnto also which money Vlisses had caused to bee hid in his tent by corrupting of his seruants now when these fayned letters were found Palamedes called in question about the matter Vlisses earnestly tooke part with him saying that he verily thought Palamedes had wrong and that these letters were fayned by the enemie which thing saith he may easilie be found for if you can finde any such money either about him or els where secretly hid by his meanes then no doubt he is gilty of this treason but if not as I am fully perswaded then ye must think that the man hath mightily béen iniured by some dispitfull foe then was search made in his tent where the same money was found closely digged in the groūd which y e counterfeit letters made mentiō of for which cause the whole hoast of the Gretians cried out for spéedie reuengement wherefore he forthwith was cōdemned by the péers of Grece to be stoned to death which iudgement presently was executed so died Palamedes who alwaies had been true to his countrimen Anticlus a noble peer of Greece in like sort at the same siege died in vntimely death for being in the huge horse which the Gretians had framed before Troy to be the fatall destruction of the Troyans with a number of other Gretian Lords secretlie hidden in his hollow paunch or woomb the rest of the Armie of Greece flying to Tenedos as if they would haue returned home to Greece againe Anticlus now remaining behinde in the holow horse which stood before Troy being accōpanied with these worthy Princes Thoas Vlysses Menelaus Neoptolemus Achilles brother with manie other noble states The Troians hearing that the Grecians had consecrated that horse to Pallas to appease her wrath now in the absence of the Greciās thronged and wonderfully clustred about the horse some of them wishing to burne it saying it was a false frame inuented of Vlysses to betray their Citie namely Lacon who cried out Breake downe or burne this hollow horse wherein
aliances and families at the handes of the Grecians and suffered with bagge and baggage fréely to passe from the burning towne and slaughtered heapes of their betrayed Countreymen But nowe more rightly to decipher vnfaithfull Aeneas whom Virgil oftentimes in his prophane verses doth call Pius Aeneas as doth appeare in the 3. book of the Aeneidos saving Parce pias scelerare manus non me tibs Troia c. And in the 6. book Principuè pius Aeneas tum iussu Sibyllae Also in the 7. book At pius exequijs Aeneas ritè solutis c. First it is to be considered that Aeneas was the onely man that led doting Paris to that vnaduised enterprise accompanying him into Lacedemon Then afterwards in the greatest extremitie of his Countrimen for sauegard of his owne life he betrayed the towne and was the chiefest instrument to bring aged Priamus to an vntimely death with all the whole Troian State For perceiuing the Greekes meant sharply to reuenge thēselues on the whole race of Priamus for the vile abuse of Paris his leawd sonne Aeneas hauing married Crusa one of the daughters of the said Priamus then knowing the intent of the fierse Greekes presently with willing consent committed his louing wife to the murdering enimie that no let or impediment might be of his owne escape Notwithstanding Virgil alwaies fauoring wretched Aeneas because the Romans deriue the pedegrée from the fugitiue Troyans after a more cunninger sort saith that he lost Crusa his wife in the burning towne altogether against his will when he with his father and the rest of his familie made hast to scape from the persecuting foe Also other of the Romans going about to hide the vnfaithfulnes of their predicessor saie thus of him that at such time as Troy was taken by the Gretians Agamemnon their chiefe captaine greatly pittying the perplexities and miseries of the Captiues made this generall Proclamation in the Gretian tongue that it shoulde bee lawfull for euery Citizen which was frée to conuay and carrie away with them some one thing or other what they themselues would best like of most tenderly loued Aeneas therefore contemning all other things of great valew and estimation carried out with him the gods of hospitality which when the Greekes beheld and considered the vertious gratious inclination of the gentleman as they say gaue him leaue in like manner to take and chuse one thing what be most made of among all his goods riches and possesions Aeneas vsing the benefit of this their mercifull graunt tooke his father being olde and ancient vpon his shoulders and bore the burden of his bodie out of the Citie whereat the Grecians being wonderfully astonished left vnto him the substaunce of all his wealth vndiminished adding these wordes importing a testimonie of their opinion conceiued towards him Pietatem in homines deos exercentibus parentésque reuerenter colentibus c. Such as behaue themselues religiously toward the gods and vse themselues reuerently to their parents must of necessitie make blunt the sharpe edge of the irefull enemie But this sauoureth nothing of the truth for Dictys Cretensis seruing the Grecians against the Troians during all the warre to the intent that he should note the yearly aduentures which fortuned it is to be thought that being a Grecian and in all places setting foorth the worthy praise of his Countreymen to the verie vttermost would neuer so staine y e valor of the Greekes as to say they could not take the Towne by force but were forced to vse trecherous means to obtain their purpose Notwithstanding it might haue béen suspected although he had written that Troy was taken by the Greekes by manly force and stout courage in despite of the Troians that then he had flattered the Greekes his Countreymen whose pen most commonly after the largest manner is giuen to set out their Countries glorie wherefore it is certainly to bee beléeued that Aeneas with his confederates was corrupted and yéelded vp the towne to the enemie or els Dictys Cretensis would neuer so much haue abased his Countrey men as to affirme this Tunc placitum est omnibus fidem dari foedere firmari iureiurando stringi eo pacto vt si oppidum proxima nocte tradidissent Aencae Antenori Vcaligoni necnon liberis coniugibus propinquis amicis suisque omnibus fides seruaretur Then Aeneas as Dictys reporteth being at a point with the Greekes concerning the yeelding vp of the Towne firmely gaue faith on all parts by solemne vowe being bound on this condition that if the next night they yelded their Citie to the Grecians that then both Aeneas Antenor and Vcaligon together with their Wiues Children Families Friends and Kindred with all their goods and riches whatsoeuer should be faithfully spared and right carefully kept from hurt by any of the said Grecians which plighted promise was on either part firmely obserued for the next night Troy was treacherously yelded vp by Aeneas and his traiterous crew and the Grecians according to promise spared the betrayers thereof Notwithstanding the vnfaithfulnes of Aeneas was greatly noted by the Greekes for when hee had betrayed both his aged Prince stately Empire strong towne he could not be found faithful to the Grecians but sought to flowt and mocke them at whose handes he had obteyned life and liberty insomuch that when Agamemnon and Pyrrhus the sonne of Achylles made diligent enquirie and earnest search after Polixena daughter to Hecuba who so vilely had dealt with noble Achylles nowe minding sharply to reuenge his fathers death on that disloyall wretch and therefore earnestly striued to finde her out Aeneas who coulde neither be faithfull to his friendes nor enemies sought out meanes to hide Polixena from the fury of Pyrrhus Achylles sonne but fierce Pyrrhus not ceasing vntill hee had founde her out in reuengement of his fathers death he cruelly sacrificed her on his toomb For which vnfaithfull part of Aeneas as Dictis Cretensis reporteth Tunc Agamemnon iratus Aenea quòd Polixenam absconderat cum omnibus suis à patria protinus discedere iubet that then Agamemnon king of the Greekes being greatly angry wyth Aeneas for that he had hidden out of the way faire Polixena by whose vnfaithfull meanes his good companion noble Achylles was vntimely slaine for which cause he presently commaunded him to depart out of the Countrey and for that hee before had promised him both landes goods and all other things whatsoeuer were knowne to be his owne hee foorthwith compelled him to take whatsoeuer him best liked also to bestow his lands at his own pleasure for there he should no longer stay Thus after Aeneas had betrayed his Countrey he himselfe with the other rable rout of his treacherous companions were forced to wander at sea attending what destiny would bestow on them spoyling robbing in diuers coasts and countries where he landed in the end chancing on the country of Affrica he
there was on either side in lamentable sort That Phrygia soile did flowe with blood the world can giue report When Phrygia thus was ouer-run by Grecians ouer stout Vnto the Troyan walls they marchde and compast it about Where Pryam held his stately court not passing of their spight Nor fearing future hap at all but still maintained fight Where from the top of stately walls we dayly might beholde Right neere our sight the slaughters great of Troyan youth full bolde And Greekes likewise on euery side the Troyans fierce did daunt They lay on heapes wherefore as yet they iustly could not vaunt Nor brag for that their mighty peeres in bloodie broile were slaine Wherefore to end the warre begun to sue did not disdaine To haue faire Helen backe againe for whom this warre begunne And eke to boote they offer made yong Polidore my sonne Whom Polymnestor King of Thrace had to the Greeks betrayde When Pryam first had placed him there in hope of better ayde For when we knew the Greekes did minde to make sharpe warre with Troy To Polymnestor King of Thrace we sent our yongest boy A mighty masse and treasure great with this our sonne we sent In hope to keepe him free from warre and from the Greekes intent But then the Thracian King betrayde O vile disloyall wretch The harmelesse lad vnto the Greekes this was the traitours fetch To holde the coyne which then he had and so to yeelde the childe Vnto the Greekes for lucres sake lo thus we were beguilde Which boy the Grecians brought to Troy and made request againe That Helen Menelaus wife in Troy might not remaine But be restorde then Polidore from their hands should be free And we our sonne might haue againe and warre should ended bee But if in case that we denied and Helen did detaine Then Polidore for brothers fault should presently be slaine Olde Pryamus would not consent that Helen backe should goe But helde perforce the wanton wench in spite of proudest foe And willd them for to doo their worst for Helen meant to bide Wherefore he would not yeeld her vp what euer might be tide It well was knowne vnto the Greekes that Pryam bade her chuse To stay in Troy or goe to Greece which she did flat refuse And forbecause she willing was with Paris to be still He would by no meanes send her backe against her owne good will Then sent he word to Grecian campe if that they had decreed His sonne should die his other sonnes should make them rue the deede And that the fieldes of Troy should flowe with gorie blood full fast Vntill the Grecians did repent their enterprised hast But now alas began my woe my sorrowe did increase For neuer day from this time foorth mine eies from teares did cease O Polidore my yongest boy sweete Polidore my sonne From Troyan walles I did behold how fast the Grecians run To doe thee wrong my harmelesse childe and mightie stones did bring Thicke thronging fast with furie great at Polidore they sling Who sure was tyed at fastned stake which I from Troyan wall Might well beholde how bouncing blowes did make my childe to sprall Not ceasing till my sonne were slaine nor then but still did smight The brused bones of my sweet boy within his mothers sight O hellish plague O torture vile me thinke I see it still How Grecians raging mad did strike the harmelesse soule to kill With wringing hands I looked on yet loath to see him die I turnd my backe and strait againe I coulde not chuse but prie For this my sonne who bleeding lay so bobde with waightie stones The flesh with blowes was mangled so eche man might see the bones Yet would mine eies haue passage still to this his carkasse dead Till that my liuing sonnes from top of Troyan wals had lead Their mother downe whose folding feete her body could not stay Which they perceiued so that from thence me wretch they did conuay To Grecian campe a messenger we did commaund to trudge To craue the body of my sonne which thing they did not grudge But sent the martyrde corps to Troy as custome did require They said not nay but graunted straight when Priam did desire And also did a present send to breede me further woe The bloudy stones that kild my sonne on me they did bestowe VVhose bloud and braines in vgly sort about the stones was seen A homely present to be sent to me most wretched Queen Then shrinde we vp with weeping teares our sonne so vilely slaine And put the stones in tombe with him for euer to remaine His brothers mad with this mischaunce for battell strong prouide And to reuenge their brother slaine to Grecian Campes they hide VVhere from the walles we had in view such cruell sturdy fight That mightie men to death were sent thus battell raignd downright The Greekes by thousands fell to ground their people goe to wracke And that ere long the Troyans stout by Greekes are beaten backe Thus Fortune playes in double sort sometime with vs to stand And then to flie to thother part and geue the vpper hand But while that Hector liued in Troy king Priams eldest sonne The proudest Peere that came from Greece his mightie hand would shun And fly the field before him fast they feared so his name So fierce he fought amongst their men each Greeke dooth know the same At last my lot was so extreame to see him likewise die In turret top from lofty towne his death I did espie For when as he had slaine that day in mighty battell strong Of kingly Peeres the chiefe of all that oft had doone vs wrong And there amongst the rest he had a noble Grecian slaine VVhose armour all was beaten golde which pray he went to gaine And drew him vp vpon his steede and rode foorth of the throng And for his better ease his shield vpon his back he slong VVhile he did spoyle him of his weedes carelesse of any wight His naked breast vnarmed then Achilles had in sight How he was busie and therefore from couert where he lay By stealing steppes behinde his backe he tooke the ready way And suddenly with fatall speare ere that he could aduert He vnawares with furie great thrust Hector to the heart Thus died he thorowe auarice whom thousands could not kill Vntill his wilfull foolishnesse himselfe did fondly spill My selfe I say that time did see from top of lofty towers The Troyan fieldes besprinckled with dew of bloudy showers That Hectors launce had letten out but now his latest fate I soone had spide and did lament to see the wofull state Of this king Priams eldest sonne and eke my chiefest ioy For well I wist that while he liude no harme could hap to Troy But now Achilles ouercrowed him whom he fearde before Wherefore he stabde him thorowly that he might liue no more I saw I saw how Hector lay as dead as any stone And yet the tyrant would not leaue but
in Troy that durst presume Achylles once to meete VVho thus had slaine my noble sonnes and crouded vnder feete The brauest peere of Troy that durst incounter with his force VVith Grecian launce he threw to ground thus had he no remorce But still did striue by martial force to beat the Troyans downe And egerly maintained fight in hope to sacke our towne My sonnes thus slaine the warre increast and bloody sight did growe No Troyan durst within my sight incounter this my foe So that before our walls he marchde with glistring speare and shield Like mightie Mars he oft did dare the Troyans to the field Which made me woe to see him raigne that thus with me had delt Whose cruell hand to our great losse the haplesse Troyans felt A counsell then of matrons wise I presently did call How to reuenge my slaughtred sonnes to counsell straight we fall That fierce Achylles might not vaunt of this his cruel deede Together then we layde our heades in such a time of neede We thus conclude that best it were Achylles to insnare With some fine peece of Venus Court whose beauty shoulde be rare And forbecause the Greeke wel knowne to loue a daintie peece Which I had spide for that before he sayled home to Greece When Agamemnon tooke away sweete Briseis his delight No longer then he would abide nor for the Greekes did fight Till Briseis was againe restorde which thing I wel did note And was right glad that beautie faire could make my foe to dote And forbecause Polixena his sight did wel content When she to fetch her brothers corps to Grecian campe was sent So that at first he fraunted ber when we before had nay And whatsoeuer she did craue was done without delay Which wel I wist wherefore foorthwith my daughter I bedect With gorgeous geare in hope to bring my purpose to effect And presently to Grecian campes a messenger I send Vnto Achylles tent to shew what then I did intend Which messenger I did commaund his arrand thus to tell That Hecuba the Queene of Troy Achylles greeted well And further that he should declare Achylles should inioy My daughter faire Polixena the peerelesse flower of Troy No other wight I do desire for that mine eies behelde The noble valour of the man so tride in Troyan field The Greeke hath often made me glad to see his courage bolde For from the highest walls of Troy I gazing did beholde To view Achylles that braue Greeke so lyon-like to vaunt Before the towne and with his force the proudest foe to daunt And that although my sonnes were slaine in warre by lucklesse chaunce Yet were I glad their hap were such as that vpon his launce To end their liues that no reproch might happen to them dead And that Achylles right wel knew they died before they fled And for their death I nothing grieue for that my sonnes were slaine By such a noble Grecian peere whose like doth not remaine In all the world such worthy fame the peerelesse Greek hath woon Say thus quoth she I shall not rest till that he be my sonne My daughter for the courtesie that she with him did find Cannot forget the benefit but still doeth beare in mind The friendly vsage of the Greeke at whose hands she hath found Such sweet reliefe that euer since to this day she is bound To yeald to him her chiefest friend and willing to fulfill His mind in all respects and be obedient to his will And that because Achilles shall not think my words as vaine VVish him foorthwith to proue my mind and find if I doe faine Appoint some place wish him doe so and there my daughter she And I my selfe his louing friend will then attendant be Achilles knowes that oft I doe to Hectors tombe repare Apollos temple holds his bones in which I haue a care To doe him rights as custome is and yet the church did stand In greenish field without the towne not far from Grecian band In which if that Achilles will Polixena shall stay And I my selfe will come with her to celebrate that day Thus to the Grecian camps I sent my messenger in hast VVho soone vnto Achilles tent in secrete manner past And told him all that I had said who presently with ioy Besturd his stumps and was right glad my daughter was not coy For that when first he made his suite and did my daughter craue The wench was coy and thus replide No Grecian she would haue But now reuiude from former woe the man with ioy halfe mad Did send me thanks and ten times thanks that thus had made him glad I will quoth he be there indeede to offer with my frends For Hector slaine whose death I rue yet vvill I make amends VVith some oblation to his ghost right in his mothers view That she may say Achilles is become a frend full true To vs and to the Troyans all by souldiers faith I sweare It shall be so vvhile life doeth last this mind I still vvill beare And then foorthwith preparde himselfe to offer to my sonne VVhom he before had slaine but novv did vvish the deede vndone Meane vvhile vvhen that I knevv his mind and hauing place so fit I did inuent in secrete sort to cry the Grecian quit For slaying of my sonnes and for a thousand Troyans slaine VVhich vvere my frends for vvhose sake novv such frendship I did faine The presently I cald my sonne vvhom Fortune yet had sparde And made him priuy of my mind how that I had preparde To worke my foe a spitefull part when least he did suspect And sure I was no liuing wight as yet could it detect And thus I said my louing sonne euen as thou art my child And hast a care to wish me well that am thy mother mild And as thou knowest I tendred thee when Priam sentence gaue Thou shouldst be slaine yet I as then sought meanes thy life to saue Wherfore good Paris haue a care to ease thy mothers griefe And that I pine in paine not long before I find reliefe Which soon may be by thy good help wherfore lay to thy hand And shrinke not now in time of need but to thy mother stand Thou knowest my sonne quoth I how that thy brethren both are gone Whom well I loude and now in Troy aliue there is not one That dares so valiantly in field against our foe to fight But trembling we thou knowest it well doe feare Achilles might Euen now the time is come that we may banish feare away For that Achilles hath set down a certaine meeting day To meet thy sister and my selfe with others of my traine What time the wretch doeth make account my daughter for to gaine Apollos temple is the place where Hectors bones doo rest VVhich stands in field vvithout our rovvne a place mistrusted least In vvhich Achilles mindes to be and vovves if that he liue To keep the time expecting then my daughter I should giue
Because he held his lawful wife he would reuenge that rape For when that Paris late was slaine then this my sonne did take Faire Helen Menelaus wife which did against him make And now before my face this Greeke my louing sonne had cought Whom he before through all the towne full egerly had sought To make him rue his former deede and Paris being slaine He vowde my sonne that held his wife should yeeld her vp againe Lo thus I say before my face the greedy Greeke there helde My sonne who to the bedlem beast in humble sort did yelde But he in steade of clemencie did shewe his cruell minde My sonne that yeelded at his foote the tyrant vile did binde His nose he cut his eares and lips and plucked out his sight His other limmes in spiteful sort he did dismember quite Take heere quoth he the due reward of Paris fault forepast Thy brother dead for if he liude a worser plague should taste Wherefore commend me to his ghost and truely to him tell That I for his offences vile did send thy soule to hell And therewithall he stabde my sonne that willing was to die Which thing once done yet further griefe I chanced to espie For presently right neare my sight it was my hap to see My daughter whom full deare I loude my sweete Cassandra she Most vilely to be drawne along whose handes and feete were bound In spitefull sort by haire of head they dragged on bloody ground They hallde her still along the streetes where gory blood did flowe That when she past along by me I scarce her face did knowe But soone she spide me where I stoode and lifting vp her eies To haughty heauens and for redresse in wofull sort she cries And calls aloude to haue my ayde when I myselfe had neede Of ayde to succour my mishap and that to haue with speede Yet still she cryes O mother helpe lay to your helping hand Let not this Greeke misuse me thus while you on looking stand But rather seeke to succour me from this vile tyrant wilde And saue me from this cruell Greeke that mindes to force your childe Sweet mother help quoth she againe get Troyans to defend Me thus abusde But she in vayn her wofull voice did spend For I my selfe did quaking stand expecting still the end Amongst my foes I there was placde I could not spie a frend Yet following fast my daughter deere to see what might betide Who still for ayd on me poore soule continually cride To Pallas temple she was drawn in Troy a sacred place And there my daughter was abusde before her mothers face That bad vngodly Greek did deale with her and did abuse The holy place with such a fact her body to misuse Which when I saw I could not stay to geue the looking on But cried aloud for Troyan ayd although I could get none That holy temple was defilde with such a filthy deed For which offence that wretch ere long vnhappily did speed Away I trudgd opprest with grief vnable to geue ayd Or to reuenge my selfe on him that this vile part had playd And as I past from place to place it was my chance to see A hundred of my daughter-lawes which did enquire for me And quaking stood in open street with minds resolud to dy For well they knew the wayes were stopt that none away could fly With wofull cries we wayld a good down dropt the brinish teares But all in vain for dreadfull death in ougly shape appeares Yet lingring still in hope to line we seek to find reliefe And rangde about in streets vnknown which bred vs further grief For as I past I might behold an altar huge to stand In open street wherto we went to shun their cruell hand A sacred place where all our Gods were painted on a row There throngd we thick about that place to shrowd vs from our foe Which place we thought the angry Greeks durst not once be so bold Before the Gods our bloud to shed wherfore on them we hold And thought the Gods would vs defend and priuiledge the place And as a sanctuary safe to help in such a case Thus sitting there at last I spide old Priamus my mate Who yet had scapt their murdring hand but this his heauy state VVas death to me yea death it selfe my husband deare to see So chacte as hare before the hound who fast for life did flee The aged man whose quaking limmes could scant his body beare Had weapons got and armour bright vpon his back did weare His bending hams did beare the waight vnfit for Priams yeares VVith speare in hand as if no state of Grecian land he feares His manly mind was bent to fight his feeble force to try And he amongst his louing frends most willingly would dy The heauy harnesse ouer huge my husband would assay That being on his speare in hand could scarce his body stay But staggering stood not fit to fight infeebled so by age Yet he against his cruell foes in desperat wise did rage VVhich soon I spide wherfore as then I humbly did desire To rage no more but seeme content and pacifie his ire I wild him then without delay to sacred place repare VVhich thing to touch the greedy Greeks would haue especiall care For that the Gods there present were to keep vs free from spoyle VVhose presence what bold Grecian dares pollute with bloudy foyle And therwithall in hast I drew him to the altar side And set him down old feeble man but see what did betide By this time Pryams pallace faire was yealded to the Greekes And Pyrrhus fierce Achilles sonne in euery corner seekes For Priamus that aged sire and for his louing sonnes In hope to gaine them with the spoile full eagerly he runs And hauing found Polytes out in cruell sort did chase The fearfull youth who for his life did trudge the streets apace And comming where his father sate there hoping to haue ayd Yet scarcely come to wished place but that proud Pyrrhus stayd Our sonne and there within our sight with churlish fist fast held And presently in parents view Polites there he feld There panting lay our louing sonne by breathles course neare spent VVhile Pyrrhus stern his fatall speare through back and side had sent That dying straight his hands vp held to take his last farewell It makes me shrink to call to mind and greeues me now to tell VVhat after did ensue for that King Priam could not rest VVith such a sight as commonly each father dooth detest For to reuenge his sonne so slain he needs would take in hand VVhen he good man vnable was with feeble age to stand But he to shew his noble mind bad Pyrrhus proud pack hence Forth of his sight or els he would with speed driue him from thence VVhat darst thou now thou wretch quoth he thus in my presence stay VVhen that my sonne whom well I loude thou didst before me slay And wilt thou stand
chop should staine Because I feard the prophesie therfore I did consent But what of that the Gods themselues did hinder mine intent For if the Gods decree it once I know it will fall out Let no man think the powers diuine by any meane to stout Sir Satire sonne to Pariside of Bosphore sometime king Was wild by Oracle to shun a mouse of any thing For that a mouse should be his death except he took great heed The Oracle did tell him flat his fate was so decreed But he to shun the warned harme did slay the silly mice In field and town that none might liue his death to enterprice And in his land no man might dwell that mouse was cald by name He sought each way to saue himselfe he feared so the same He stopt the holes of creeping mice in euery place full sure For that the vermins by no meanes his death might once procure Yet see the end when least he thought of this forewarned harme He wounded was vpon the brawne or muscle of the arme For Musculus a little mouse in Latine we doo call And Mus a mouse which Satire slew as after did befall A dagger piercd Sir Satirs arme right where the muscle grew And muscle comes of Musculus though then too late he knew And Philip King of Macedon was warned to beware Of wagon or of wheeled coach wherfore he had a care To keep himselfe from any such he neuer could abide To come in coach for feare of that but still on horse did ride For all his care it so fell out he could it not preuent He was deceiud no running coach by this before was ment For being slaine the sword that slew the King was brought to sight And viewed well where on the hilts a coach was grauen right To Pelius it was declarde when that he chauncd to see One barefoot doing rights vnto his fathers ghost that he Should then of death in danger stand the prophesie was so Because he should take heed of him and shun the warned foe When he was doing of his rights vnto his fathers ghost His nephew Iason came by chance whose right foot shoo was lost And there vnto his grandsire dead the youth his dewes did giue The vncle then with ielous mind not long did think to liue For that he feard his neuew now who barefoot there did stand Should be the cause of his dispatch wherfore he out of hand Did counsell Iason being young to Colchos Ile to sayle To fetch the golden fleece from thence wherin he did preuaile His meaning was that Iason should be lost or drownd therin The conquest seemd vnpossible the golden fleece to win And for because he might not feare the prophesie forepast He shipt his neuew speedely and sent him thence in hast But Iason soon returnde again and brought away the fleece And brought Medea home with him to be old Pelias Neece To Thessalie Medea came and hearing what was done Against the aged Pelias she presently begun To practise treason at the last and causd the aged sire By his own daughters to be slaine this was for Pelias hire For he that could not trust the man that was his kinsman near But purposely did seek his death to free himselfe from fear Had such a chance ere that he wist Medea did the deed His ielous mind was chiefest cause that made him so to speed The Oracle long time before did know old Pelias mind Wherfore it told what destenie was to the man assignde Of fiftie daughters Danaus to be the sire was knowne Aegiptus then his brother had so many sonnes his own Aegiptus would haue all these his sonnes his brothers daughters wed But Danaus would not consent wherfore away he fled And tooke his daughters all with him because he did suspect A sonne in law would be his death therfore he did reiect The offer that his brother made but why he did refraine The cause was thus the Oracle did say he should be slaine By him that was his sonne in law wherefore he sought to shunne Such destinie as might befall through such a wicked sonne Aegyptus wroth with this his deede did send his sonnes to stay Their vncle that before was fled and pact from thence away His sonnes according to his will old Danaus did take And causde him there against his will a marrige day to make His daughters all were wedded then against their fathers will Eche man his cousin germaine had Aegyptus did fulfill His mind at last and did reioyce in this so strange a march But Danaus not well content did worke a swift dispatch Because he fearde the prophecie least that on him should light He did commaund his daughters all they should appoint a night Wherein eche one with willing minde her slumbring mate should slay And disappoint the prophecie before the morrow day His iealous minde did vexe him so he still did doubt the worst Til it was done he could not rest the man did so mistrust According to the fathers minde they did commit the act The nuptiall bed was so defilde with such a filthie fact All sauing one was slaine that night a hard and cruel part Whose life was saude for that his wife did wil him thence to start For very loue she bare to him though all her sisters had Destroyde their mates which deede she thought to be right vile and bad Thus being saude by such a meane the sonne in law did wexe Right fierce against his father law and earnestly did vexe He vowde reuenge on Danaus that thus vniustly delt He swore that he should taste the same that they before had felt And in the end he slue the wretch for doing of that deede The Oracle pronouncde before how Danaus should speede Thus seeking how to shunne his fate his death he did procure Himselfe was cause of his dispatch when he thought all things sure The Theban king that Laius hight by Oracle was tolde That Oedipus his onely sonne would proue a man too bolde And in the end should be the death of him that was his sier But Laius thought to frustrate that and proue his god a lier Vnto a shepheard of his owne his sonne he gaue to slay And chargde the man vpon his life there should be no delay But presently his sonne to kill and bring him home his heart He shall not liue so long quoth he to make his father smart The shepheard tooke the lad a field but loath he was to kill His Masters sonne that he loude well and yet he must fulfill His masters minde which grieude him sore wherefore he did inuent How he might satisfie the King and saue the innocent That Oedipus were dead he wisht so that his hands were freed From doing hurt vnto the youth and from so vile a deede Wherefore the hurtlesse lad he tooke his legs with twigs he bound And by the heeles vpon a tree he hung him from the ground That no wilde beasts might reach the