true it semeth by diuers excellent barons well lerned in diuers sciences that flourished in his tyme Iulius Capitolin recounteth of them as foloweth Alexander a greke Trasion Polyon Euticius Anius Macrion Caninius Crodiaticus Fornius Cornelius Apolonius Nius Sextus Cheronense Iunius Rasticus Claudius Maximus Cina Catulus Claudius Seuerus and the renowmed Diogenitus paynter and the well lerned lawyer Volusius Mecianus All these were in this emperours palays and residente in his persence And yet for all that he had dyuers other wise presons in Rome and abrode in Italy It was no meruail to se in those dayes the multitude of men that flourisshed in wisedome There was no father but if he had two sonnes he wolde set one of them to study and the other accordyng to the Romayne lawe shuld be sette to the warres And if this emperour wyst of any wyse yong man aboue al other he wolde fauour hym ¶ Of the emperour Marcus sonne named Verissimus Cap. v. THis emperour Marcus Aurelius hadde only two sonnes as Herodian saythe The greattest and eldest was called Comode and the yōgest was named Verissimus He was a fayre childe of person and right vertuous of liuing With his beautie he drewe to hym the eies of many and with his good inclinations he robbed the hartes of all men He was the hope of the people and the glorie of his fathers age And though the eldest was prince yet themperour determyned that the laste borne for his vertues shulde inherite as the eldest And he that was fyrst borne for his demerites shulde be disherited And as good desyres in the best tyme fayle often by vnhappy chance this emperour being of .lii. yeres of age and the sonne of .xvi. the glorie of Rome and hope of the father the lyfe of the sonne toke an ende And as moche was the deathe bewayled as the lyfe desyred It was great pytie for the senate by reason therof sawe not themperour nor the olde emperour for sorowe sawe not the senate of a longe space Rome was ryght heuy and the senate withdrewe them to the heighte of the capitoll dyuers dayes And as the mystes and wyndes cause the leaues to falle that were grene in sommer and the dedes of honour constrayne vs to forget the myshappes of fortune as a man of high lynage and of stronge courage thoughe that sorowe remayne in his harte and abydethe locked therin determynethe to clense the braunches of sorowes that is outward fayning ioy and myrthe outwardely kepynge the sorowe within so this Marcus the emperour as a man whose vine freseth and dyethe wherin he had al his hope contented him with that was lefte behynde Whan his dere sonne Verissimus was deed he sente for the prince Comode his onely inheritour whiche sythe the chylde his brother was deed entred not in to the palays And the emperour seynge the proude and outragious porte of his sonne Comode bedewed his eien with salte teares remembrynge the shame of the one and the dethe of the other The whiche perceyued by Faustyne his mother which loued hym moste entierly commaunded to haue her sonne awaye fro the presence of his father ¶ What wyse and auncient men Marcus chose to instructe his sonne Cap. vi THoughe that the harte of this emperour was occupied with the death of his chylde yet for all that he reysed his vnderstandyng to haue the prince his heyre ryght well brought vppe For certaynely princis bene suche whan they come to mans estate as they be brought vp in their tender youth The father than knowynge the frayle inclinations of his chylde not correspondent to the good gouernaunce of the empire as a good emperour sent ouer all Italye for the moste wysest persones in lernynge the moste famous of renowme and the mooste vertuous in dedes And as in dyuers thynges the infamye is greatter in the yll doinge by malyce than the faute of the trespassour by weakenes so in dyuers other thynges the common voyce is more than the secrete vertue For the whyche occasyon after the assemblynge of these wyse menne the emperour commaunded to examyne them and to be informed of the bloude of their predecessours of the appoyntement in all their thynges and of the treatie of their busynes and of the credence amonge their neyghbours and of the purenes of their lyues and grauitie of theyr persones and finally of their sciences what they coulde do and this to be done in an order The astrologiens in astronomie the musitiens in musyke the oratours in their arte of rhetorike and some in other sciences And this not in one daye but in many and not onely by informacyon of other but he wolde knowe hit by his owne propre experience Thus they were all examyned soo that there was none lefte behynde And as for perfecte knowlege of thynges wherin we haue great affection it behoueth to haue straunge aduyse clere vnderstandynge and propre experience so the emperour commanded to chose out of dyuers a fewe and out of fewe the wysest and of the wysest the moste experte moste worthy and moste auncient And accordyng to the vii artes lyberall there was assigned to euery science two maysters so that the prince was one and the maysters xiiii This renowme that the Emperour sente ouer all to haue maysters for his sonne the prince caused to come to hym moo wyse men from straunge countreys than of the marches and neyghbours of Rome The good emperour considerynge that it was no reason that suche as came to his seruice shulde returne myscontented some with ioyfull wordes some vpon certayne hope and some with giftes and presentes were dispatched soo that they were all pleased And if this doinge was renowmed by the reporte of the wise men it was no lesse vertuous by the wisedome and worthynes of the emperour to sende them home soo well content For he sent them away as well satisfied that were ouercome as they were cōtented that ouercam them And certaynly they had all reason for some bare the swete wordes and satisfienge of the father and somme aboode there charged with the enterprise of the sonne Yet the good emperour not being contented with this commanded that these maysters shoulde be lodged in his palayes and eate in his presence and acconpany his personne to se if theyr lyfe were conformable to their science and whether their plesant and wel couched wordes agreed in effect with theyr warkes It was a meruaylous thinge to se the study and thought that the emperour had to regard them as well in goynge as fedynge ¶ Howe it chaunced to fyue wyse men wherfore they were put out of the emperours house Cap. vii IN the month of Septembre the .xi. day therof in halowyng the feast of the Emperours natiuitie in the same house where as he was borne in the place of moūt Celio As a trewande and foole dothe lyke hym selfe and semblably as he is accustomed to doo And lyke as oone dothe the semblable thynges and customes that he
that though he scaped the pestylence yet he was vexed with hote feuers Wherfore he was fayn to leue Rome and went into Champayne and fynally in the citie of Naples he made his abode durynge the tyme that the pestilence was in Rome ¶ How Mar. answered his phisitions that wold haue him leaue his studie Cap. xxix THe emperour beinge in the sayde citie of Naples where as other soughte pastyme to conserue their lyues this emperour occupied him selfe in his bokes to augment science A man coude do hym no better seruice than to seke to gette hym a newe boke not suche as was written in his tyme but suche as were forgotten for age This emperour was not onely a louer of olde and antike bookes but also of auncient stories and set very great stoore by theym And he thus beinge in the cytie sycke and very yll at ease there was brought to hym out of a citie of Asia called Helia by certayne Hebrewes a boke writen in Hebrew he toke suche pleasure in that boke that ofte tymes he wolde leaue his meate and goo to study and for all that he was in his hote feuer he wolde not leaue to reede for all that his phisitiens warned him and his frendes prayde hym and they that were about hym counsaylled hym and demanded hym why he lefte to procure the helth of his persone in so moche redynge He aunswered By the goddis that we honour I coniure you and for the frendshyp that is betwene vs I pray you lette me alone Ye knowe well that suche as are of a delycate bloode haue not soo moche solicytude as the rusticall people that haue hard synewes and be of a more harder complexion Lyke maner they of clere vnderstandynge haue nede of other medicynes and to be heled with other syropes thā they of grosse vnderstādyng This is the differēce that I haue of eyther of them The ydeote kepeth dyete from bookes and resteth on his meate and the wyse man abhorreth meate and draweth hym to his bokes If they knewe that knowe not what thynge knowlege is I sweare to you they shuld see what auayleth more the lyttell knowlege that a wyse man hath than the greatte ryches of the ryche man For the myserable ryche persone the more that he encreaseth in rychesse the more he diminisheth in frendes and groweth in ennemyes to his domage And he that is wyttie the wiser that he is the better he is beloued of theym that be good and feared of them that be yll for his profite One of the thinges wherin I holde my selfe moste bounde to the goddis is this that they haue caused me to compas the tyme as I haue done the whiche is no lyttel gift for a man to lyue in this worlde I say it is bycause I haue had great compassion of the poore that be verye poore of wydowes of them that be sorowfull and vnhappy and of Orphelins But without comparison I haue had greattest compassiō of them that lacke knowlege For the goddis making menne ignoraunt by naturalitie myghte haue made them goddis by connynge and knowledge and as the slouthefull men are tamed and made lesse than men by their negligence so certainly blessed he is that is not contente to be a man but if he procure to be more than a man by his vertue And cursed is that man that knoweth not to be a man but maketh hym selfe lesse than a man by his vyce By the iugement of al philosophers there is but one that is the fyrste cause which is one god immortal and if there be dyuers goddis in the heuens it is bycause there are diuers vertues in the erthe And in the worlde that is paste whan the symple men were seruauntes and bonde menne and the good men rulers and gouernours they were then so estemed bycause they were knowen and renowmed for theyr good werkes in theyr lyfe Soo that they were holden and reputed as goddis after theyr deathe This is the ryghte rewarde that commeth of vertue It is a thynge consonaunt to reason that they that be good amonge soo many yll in this lyfe shulde be greattely honoured among the goddis after theyr deathe Ye are not wel content with me bycause I am alwaye redynge ▪ but I am worse content with you bycause I neuer se boke in your handes ye thynke it great trauayle to a sycke man to rede and I repute it a very peryllous thynge for a hole manne to reste and be idell Ye say my redyng is cause of my feuer quartayne in my flesshe and I saye that ydelnes engendreth great pestilence Syth I may profite by my bokes let no man haue compassion of my trauayle For I desire rather to dye as a wise person amonge wise men than to lyue ignorantly amonge men I demaunde one thynge of you A man presuming to be a man and is not lerned what difference is betwene hym and other beastes Certaynly the beastes are more profitable to labour the erthe than symple persons be to serue the common welthe A pore oxe giueth his skynne to make shone his fleshe to be eaten and his strength to labour and a poore symple shepe doth profite his flece and wol to make clothe his mylke to make chese But what profiteth a folishe ideote man Nothing but offendeth the goddis sclaundereth innocentes eateth the breade of other and is chiefe heed of vacabundes Of trouth if it lay in my handes to do I had rather giue lyfe to a simple oxe than to a malycious ideot For the beast liueth for the vtilitie of dyuers without doing domage to any other and the simple ideot man liueth to the domage of all other and without profite to any person Therfore thinke well why I am not pleased with theym that be ignoraunt and loue them that be lerned Harke syrs what I shall shewe you That man semeth good that is meke and gentyll of condition softe in wordes and restefull in his persone and gracious in conuersation And contrary wise that personne soore displeaseth me that is sharpe of wordes soore moued in his warkes riottous in his condicion and double of his promys and harde harted Also I say that if any thing wante in a wise man by nature he supplyeth it by science and he that is ignorant and folyshe if he want discretion he supplyethe it with his malice And trust surely that a worthy vertuous man therby becomethe wise and he is to be trusted and he that is of an other maner beware of hym for he goeth aboute to sell his malice He that wyll begile an other the first thing that he doth is he sheweth hym selfe to be symple and ignoraunt For a man beinge in credence may soone sprede abrode his malyce The mothes and softe wormes freete freate the clothe and the canker worme perseth the bone and flatterynge men begyle all the worlde ¶ Howe science ought to be in princis Cap. xxx THe said emperour folowing his purpose said Frendes
the gounes or clothes of suche couetous people shulde not eate the reste of theyr lyfe nor the canker of infamie distroye theyr good name and faame at theyr deathes Harke ye Romaynes harke what I wyll say I wolde to the goddis that ye coude taste it I se that al the world hateth pride and yet is there none that foloweth mekenes and humilitie Euery man condempnethe aduoutrie and yet I see none that liueth chaste Euerye man curseth excesse and I se none lyue temperately euery man prayseth pacience and I se none that wyll suffre euery man blameth slouth and I se none but they be ydel euery one blameth auarice and yet euery body robbeth One thynge I say and not without wepynge I say euery manne with his tongue onely prayseth vertue and yet they them selfes with al theyr lymmes are seruantes vnto vices I saye not this onely for the Romaynes whiche bene in Illirie but I saye it by the senatours that I se in the senate All ye Romaynes in your deuises aboute your armes beare these wordes Romanorum est debellare superbos et parcere subiectis That is it pertainethe to Romaynes to subdewe them that be proude and to forgyue subiectes But certainely ye maye better saye hit partayneth to Romains to expell innocentis and to trouble vexe wrongfully peasible people For ye Romayns are but distroyers of peasible people and theues to robbe frome other that they sweate for ¶ Of dyuers other thynges that the vylayne sayd before the senate cap. xxxii O Ye Romayns sayd this vyllayn what action haue ye that are brought vppe nygh to the ryuer of Thyber agaynste vs that are nyghe to rhe ryuer of Danubie Haue ye seene vs frendes to your ennemies or haue we declared vs your ennemyes or haue ye harde say that we haue lefte our owne lande and inhabyted any straunge londes or haue ye harde that we haue rebelled ageynst our lordes or haue troubled any strange realmes or haue ye sente vs anye ambassadours to desyre vs to be youre frendes or hath any hooste of ours come to Rome to distroye you as our enmies or hath any kynge dyed in our realme that in his testament made you heyres to our realme or what antyke lawe haue ye founde wherby we ought for to be your subiectes Of trouthe in Almayne hereby they haue felt your tyranny as wel as we haue herde of your renoume And more ouer I say that the names of the Romaynes the crueltie of tyrantes aryued togither in one day vppon our people I wote not what ye wyll say that the goddis care not for the hardines of mē for I see he that hath moche dothe tiranny to him that hath but lytell And he that hath but lyttell though it be to his infamy wyll serue him that hath moche So that disordred men appoynt thē with secrete malice secrete malice gyueth place to open theft and the open robbery no manne resisteth And therfore it cometh that the couetyse of an yll man necessarily is had to be complete to the preiudyce of many good men One thynge I wyl say that eyther the goddis ought to thynke howe these men shall haue an ende or elles that the world must ende or els the worlde to be no worlde Or fortune muste holde sure with you if all that ye haue won in .viii. C. yeres ye lese not in .viii. dayes And where as ye are become lordes ouer many ye shall become slaues to all the worlde Certaynely the goddis shall be vniuste withoute that thynge come that muste fall to the worlde hereafter For that man that maketh hym selfe a tyraunt perforce it is ryght that he retourne to be a slaue by Iustice And it is reason that syth ye haue taken our myserable lāde that ye kepe vs in Iustyce I haue great meruayle of you Romains that ye send so smple persōs to be our iuges For I swere to the goddis they can not declare your lawes nor vnderstande ours I wote not whether ye sente them thyder or no but I shal shewe you what they do there They take openly what so euer is delyuered to theym and they doo their profytte with that they desyre in secrete They chastise the poore personne greuousely and they forbeare for money them that be riche they consent to many wronges to bryng them after to the lawes without goodes it boteth not to demand Iustice and fynally vnder y e colour that they be iuges vnder the senate of Rome they say they may robbe all the londe What is this ye Romayns shall your pride neuer haue an ende in commandyng nor your couetyse in robbynge Saye what ye wyll If ye do it for our chyldren charge theym with yrons and make theym sclaues If ye do it for our goodes goo thyther and take them If our seruyce doth not contente you stryke of our heedes Why is not the knyfe soo cruell in our throtes as your tyrannies be in our hartes Doo ye knowe what ye haue doone ye Romaynes ye haue caused vs to sweare neuer to retourne to our wyues but to flee our chyldren rather than to leaue them in the handes of so cruell tyrātes We had leauer suffre the beastly motions of the fleshe for .xx. or .xxx. yeres than to dye without wounde leauynge our children sclaues ye ought not to do this ye Romains Alond taken per force ought the better to be ruled to thētent that the myserable captiues seinge Iustice duely ministred to them shulde therby forgette the tyranny passed and to set their hartes to perpetuall seruitude And sythe we are come to complayne of the grefes that your Censures do vpon the fludde of Danubie peraduenture you of the senate wyll here vs. Wotte ye what they doo Harke and I shall shewe you If there come a ryghte poore man to demande Iustice hauyng no money to gyue nor wyne to present nor oyle to promyse they fede hym with wordis sayenge howe he shall haue Iustyce but they make hym to waste the lyttell that he hath and gyue hym nothynge though he demaunde moch And so the myserable person that came to complayne retourneth complaynyng on you all cursynge his cruell destenies and maketh exclamatiō vppon the rightwise goddis I lyue with acornes in winter and cutte downe the grene corne in sommer and sometyme I go a fyshynge for pastyme so that the moste parte of my lyuynge is feedyng in the fieldes and ye wote not why here me and I shall shewe you I se suche tyrannies in your censures and suche robberyes amonge the poore people and I se suche warres in that realme and hope of so small remedy in your senate that I am determined as moste vnhappy to banyshe my selfe out of myn own hous and honest company to thentent that my harte shulde not fele so great a hurte It is a great peyne to suffre the ouerthrowe of fortune but it is a greatter yll whan one feleth it and can not remedy it
to be to passe his lyfe with honour and to take his deth with great vertue Ryght dere lorde I demande of you what prouffyte is it to the maryner to knowe the carde of the see and after to peryshe in a tourment or tempeste What prouffytte is it to a capitayne to speake moche of warre and after knowe not howe to gyue battayle What profyteth it to a knyght to haue a good horse and to falle in the strete What profyteth it one to teache an other the playne waye and hym selfe to wander asyde I saye what profyted it the force of your lyfe that you estemed soo lyttelle manye tymes seekynge your deathe And at this present howre that you haue founde deathe you wepe bycause it wyll take away your lyfe What thynges haue I written with myn owne hande beinge your Secretarye dyuysed by your hyghe and profounde vnderstandynge towchynge the stroke of deathe What thynge was it to se the letter that you sent Claudine vpon the deathe of her husbande what wrote you to Anthygone whan your sonne Verissimus dyed Wherin your vertue dydde consolate his heuynesse What highe thinges dyd I write in the boke that you sent to the Senate in the yere of the great pestylence comfortynge them after the great mortalitie passed therein you dydde shewe theym howe lyttell men shulde sette by deth what profyte foloweth therby And I haue seene and harde you blason dethe in your lyfe and nowe you wepe as thoughe you shulde lyue here styll Syth that the goddis cōmande it and your age requireth it your syckenes is the cause and nature permytteth it and fortune consenteth to it and is the fatall destenie of vs all than you muste nedes dye The trauayles that come of necessitie ought with a good courage to be abyden For the couragious feeleth not soo sore the harde strokes as the weake that falleth or he be foughten with You are but one man and nat two and ye ought to haue oone deathe and nat two Therfore why wolde ye for one lyfe haue two dethes enterrynge the body and sleinge the spirite with syghes After so many perylles of longe lyfe to take a sure porte wyll ye lyfte vp the sayles and entre ageyne into the swolowe of the see for to engloutte you In the see you haue chased the bulle and scaped his woodnes and nowe ye refuse to entre into the parke where you may surely slee hym You make assaute with vyctorie of your life and wyl dye atteynyng the deth you haue foughte .lxii. yeres in the campe of myserie and nowe you feare to entre into your sepulchre you haue got out of the busshes and thornes wherin you were closed and nowe at this howre you stomble in the faire way you haue had in certayne the domage of your death and now ye put in double the profyte of your death you ar entred into the campe of defyenge of the worlde and nowe you wolde tourne your backe whan it is tyme to putte your handes to armes Lxii. yere you haue foughte agaynste fortune and nowe you cloose your eies bycause fortune wyl strike you I say it bycause that willyngly you refuse this present dethe the whiche wyll cause vs to haue your lyfe passed suspect What do you high and mighty prince Why wepe you like a chyld why sigh you as one in dyspaire if you wepe bicause ye shal die why dyd you laugh so moche in your lyfetyme For of moche laughynge in the lyfe tyme cometh moche wepyng at the deth Wyl you do that you can not do and not be content with that you may do The grounde and pasture that is common you wolde ioyne to your owne the renowme of the common welthe you applyed to your owne heritage Of a subsidy or lone you wolde make your perpetuall ryghte I wylle shewe you who be deed All be deed and shall dye And amonge all other you wolde all onely lyue Wyll ye haue that of the goddis that they be goddis for That is bycause you are mortall that they make you immortall And you to haue that by priuilege which they haue by nature I that am but symple demaunde one thynge of you my lorde that are auncient and wyse whiche is the greattest or least welthe to dye well or lyue yll To lyue welle noo man can attayne certainely for hungre thirst solitarines persecution yll fortune sicknesses and disfauours This can be called no lyfe but rather a deth If an ancient man wolde make a shewe and booste of his lyfe from the tyme of his birthe to the layinge in his graue and the bodye to shewe all that it hath suffred by dolours and the harte to discouer all the strokes of fortune I thynke that the goddis wolde haue maruayle therof and men wolde be abashed therof that the body coude suffre soo moche and the harte beare it I holde the grekes wisest whiche wepe whan theyr children are borne and they synge whan an olde man dyeth but the Romaynes synge at the byrthe of theyr chyldren and wepe whan they dye olde Certaynly to laughe at the deth of them that die olde sith they dye to laugh and to wepe at the birth of chyldren sithe they are borne to wepe and that the lyfe abydeth the sentence of yl proueth well that the deathe is good Wyll you that I saye one veritie to you I haue alwayes seene that coūsell in the wysest man sonest faileth him Such as wolde gouerne al thinges by theyr opiniōs of necessitie in some or in the moste parte they do erre and fayle O Marc my dere lorde weene you that haue caused to burye soo many that some shulde not burye you in lykewise As you haue seene the ende of theyr dayes so other shal se the ende of your yeres Therfore me semeth it were better for you to dye and to go your waye to atteyne soo moche welthe than to scape and to lyue in so moche mysery If you fele deathe I haue no meruayle sythe you be a man But I meruayle that you do not dissimule it sythe you are dyscrete They that haue clere vnderstandynge feele many thynges at theyr harte that putteth them to peyne which they shewe not outwarde for the presumption of honour If al the poyson that is in a heuy hart were spred abrode in the weake flesshe by smalle greynes noo walles shulde suffyse vs to rubbe nor our nayles to scratche For certainly the deathe is but a playe wherin the player if he be apt aduentureth but lyttell to wynne moche and they that play may se wel that this is a wyly play and not a strōg And that also as well they lese that haue but a smal card not fearyng dethe as they that with a greatte carde loue long lyfe What thinge is deth but a trappe dore wherin the tent is closed in the whiche is solde all the miseries of our life This the goddis do change vs fro an olde filthy house
into a newe And what other thing is the sepulchre but a castelle wherin we be closed agaynst the assautes of the lyfe Of trouth you ought more to couete to take that you find at your deth than the hurte of that you shal leue in your lyfe I demand of you what is it that dothe you most peyne in lesyng of the lyfe If you peyn your self for Helie Fabrice your wyfe bicause you leaue her yonge wery not yourself for she is wel thought on in Rome for any peryll of your lyfe And as soone as she knoweth it I am in certayne she wyll not wepe moche though you go your way Thā you ought not to wepe for leuyng of her These yonge damoysels maried to old men haue euer their eyes fixed in the deth of their husbandes And holly fasten their hartes on him that they think to mary with ageyn They wepe with their eies laughe in their hartis And thinke not contrary though she be an empresse and can not fynde an other emperour to be her husbande yet she wyll fynde some other man For if they be soo determyned they wyll change their robes of sylke for a gowne of clothe I dare well saye they more desyre a yonge sheparde than an olde emperour If you care for your chyldren whom ye muste leaue behind you I can not tell why you shuld do so For if your deth be displeasant to them moch more displeaseth them y t you liue so longe It is great pein to the child not to desire the deth of his father For if he be poore it is for feare how they shuld be mainteined if he be ryche thā bicause he shalbe his heire They synge you wepe you fere the deth wepe bicause you leaue your life Doo you not know y t after the night cometh the dewy mornyng after y t cometh the bright son after y e son comith a derk cloude and after ageyn cometh faire wether after that cometh lightnyng thonder than again clere aire Also I say that after infancy cometh childhode thā cometh youth age after that and so at laste cometh deth and after dethe fearefull hope of a sure lyfe Sir beleue me in one thyng The beginning the meane and the ende euery man hath Certainly if you had ben takē as the floure fro the herbe if you had ben cut grene fro the tree if you had ben graffed in primetyme if you had ben eaten in the sowernes of the vyne I meane if in the fyrste youthe whan lyfe was at the swetest if dethe had come and knocked at the gate ye shulde haue had cause to be sory but as nowe the walles are weake and redye to falle and the flowre wythered and the very putrified the speare full of mosse and canne not drawe the knyfe out of the shethe Herein you haue desired the worlde as if you had neuer knowen the worlde Lxii. yere you haue ben prisoner in the dongeon of the body now whan the shakles or gyues shuld be taken from you you complayne you lorde wold make newe of other newes He that thinketh it nat sufficient to lyue .lxii. yeres in this dethe or to dye in this lyfe he wyll not be contente with thre score thousande ¶ Auguste the Emperour sayde that after that men had lyued .l. yeres they ought to dye orels cause them selfe to be slayne bycause that vnto that tyme is the felycitie of man He that lyueth beyonde that tyme passeth his tyme in heuynesse in greuous aches deathe of his chylderne and losse of his goodes in importunities of his chyldren in lawe buryenge of his frendes susteynynge processe payinge of dettis and other infinyte trauayles So that it were better with his eies cloosed to abyde theym in his graue thanne with his eyes open to abyde theym in his lyfe dayes Certaynly it is a fortune of all fortunes and he is ryght priuie with the goddis that at .l. yere leaueth his lyfe For al the time that he liueth after is in decaying and neuer vpryght but rollyng relynge and redy to fall O Marc my dere lorde do you not know that by the same way that lyfe gothe cometh dethe It is .lxii. yere that ye haue soughte the one from the other And whan ye wente fro Rome where as you lefte your howse ye wente to Illirike where you lefte a great pestylence and nowe you are retourned into Hungarie Do you not knowe that as soone as you were borne to gouerne the erthe incontinent dethe issued out of his sepulchre to fynde your lyfe And if you haue honored ambassadours of the straunge kynges moche more ye oughte to honour deathe that cometh fro the goddis What lordshyp can be loste in this lyfe but you shal fynde greatter in the death Are you not remembred whan Vulcan my sonne in lawe poisoned me bicause he desyred my goodes more than my lyfe howe you my lorde for loue that you had to me gaue me comforte and counsell for the deth of my sorowfull youth and you sayd to me the goddis were cruell in kyllynge of them that be yonge and pitiefull whan they burie theym that be olde And also you sayde to me Comforte thy selfe Panutius For if thou dydst lyue to dye now than thou dyest to liue Therfore right high and myghty prince I saye to you as you sayde to me and I counsayle you as you counsayled me and that you gaue me I gyue you ageyne Fynally of this repynge take the best in worthe let the rest abide ¶ How themperour demanded to haue in writing al that the Secretarie had sayde Cap. xli ANd as of the contentynge of the wylle oftentymes procedeth helthe and ease of the body the emperour was wel satisfied with the wordes of Panutius whiche he eloquently vttered and with profounde counsell hardily and familyarly and in due tyme as a good frende Great cōpassion it is to them that wold die whā it is shewed them what they ought to do For of them that be about the bed somme robbe hym of his money somme serue hym welle some holde the place to be his heire some gape for gyftes some wepe for losynge of hym somme laugh for the gaynes they haue by his death and so in this maner the poore pacient hauyng many lokynge for their profyte hath no body to counsel hym We se dayly that seruātes whā they se the going out of the cādell of lyfe care not for the clēsing of their lordes vyces And therof cometh that as sone as he is deed streight way begynneth to stynke And so I say that the ende of his lyfe is the begynnynge of his infamy All they that were there as well the olde seruantes as the newe belongynge to themperour capitaynes of warre other were not a lyttell abashed of the sayenge of Panutius and they all allowed his sayinge and sayde he was worthy to haue the gouernaunce of thempire The good emperour all the season
that Panutius spake wept with depe sighes fro his harte And bycause he was so sore greued he coude not forthwith giue hym an answere At the laste he commanded Panutius to giue him in writyng al that he had sayd to thentent that he myght studye theron For he said it was no reson to forget thinges so well said So all the rest of that night the Secretarie occupied hym selfe to put in writing the same sayinge and the next day he delyuered it to themperour whiche toke it and looked theron all the day and kept it styll in his handes and oftē times redde theron And the next nyght themperour sente for the Secretarie in open audience he said as foloweth The answere of themperour to Panutius ca. xlii HAppy was the mylke that thou suckedst in Dacie the bread y t thou diddest eate at Rome the lernyng that thou haddest in Athenes and thy bringyng vp in my hous For in my lyfe thou haste wel serued me and at my dethe thou hast well counsayled me I commande Commodus my sonne to rewarde the for thy good seruice And I pray the goddis to recompence the for thy councel The reward for diuers seruices a mā may make but y e rewarde for good coūcel all the goddis had nede to do The gretist reward that one frend may do to an other is in a great weightie matter to succour him with good councel Al the trauailes of the worlde are weightie but the trauaylle of dethe is the weightiest all be perillous but that is moste perillous al ben great but this is the grettest al thingis haue an ende at last by deth saufe only deth whose ende is vnknowē He that is hurte with deth is as he y t is sicke of the sleping euill hauing a quicke vnderstandyng yet he knoweth no man many thinges beinge offered to hym he can determine vpon none Yet againe I say he is a true and faithfull frende that in such time wil giue good coūsel to his frend All they that here this that I say wyl say that it is true But I sweare that noo man can knowe it perfitely but he that is in case that I am in redye to dye Lxii. yere hath ben the cours of my lyfe and nowe deathe commaundeth me to close myn eies to folowe the cours of deth Moreouer as thou knowest not the infirmitie so thou approchest not to the cure and helthe The dolour is not there as thou hast made defensiues it is not the fistula where against thou hast giuen cautere it is not ageinst opilations that thou hast giuen siropes it is not in y e veines y t thou hast giuen me incision Thou hast not wel heled the wounde that thou hast stitched me I say that thou must entre further in me to knowe perfitely myne accesse The sighes that procede fro the botom of my hert can not be vnderstanden with heringe of them the goddis alonly know y e thoughtes of y e hart Also diuers thingis ar in me that I knowe not of my selfe noo more than that is without me O Panutius thou accusest me that I feare death To feare it greatly I deny it but I confesse to feare it as a man Of trouth if I shuld say that I feare not death I muste deny that I am not made of fleshe We se that the Olyphant feareth the lyon and the beare feareth the olyphant and the wolfe fearethe the beare and the shepe fearethe the wolfe and the ratte the catte and the catte the dogge and the dogge the man and all onely theyr feare is that they drede to be slayne Than if these brute bestes refuse deth not fearynge the fyghtynge with furious spirites nor the enioyenge with the goddes Howe moche rather oughte we to feare the deathe For we are in feare to be torne in pieces with the furies in theyr peynes or to be receyued in pleasure with the goddes Therfore I say that the naturall feare of deathe I haue ouer come with the bridell and lyberties of reason Thinkeste thou Panutius that I see not my grasse wasted and my grapes gathered that my house breaketh and that I haue nothyng left but the stocke of the grapes the skynne of the flesshe and but one onely blaste of all my lyfe Thou seeste well that by the tokens the exercise is sene And nettes be caste in the riuers and in the parkes bulles bene chased I saye that the rumour of deathe holdeth in sauetie the lyfe that is in me at this houre redy armed agaynst dethe I make batayle with deathe at this houre barayne and naked of lyfe and so redy to entre into the sepulchre at this houre I shall entre in to the campe where as I shall not be gored with bulles but shall be eaten with wormes and fynally I shal go from whens I can not flee Thus I hope abydyng deth And this I say bycause thou shalt knowe that I knowe it and that thou shalt fele that I fele And to the entent thou lyue vnbegiled I wyll tell the a secrete secrete The nouelties that thou hast sene in me as in abhorrynge of meate bereuynge of slepe liuynge alone werynes of company drownynge in syghes and pastyme in wepynge Thou mayste wel thinke what turment ought to be in the see of my harte whan suche tremblynges and motions of erthe and reynes are set in the erthe of my body Shal I shew y e wherfore my body is in this thought and my herte in suche trouble The cause why I suffre dethe soo greuousely is that I leaue my sonne Commode in this lyfe in a perillous age for him and suspecious for thempire By the floures the fruites are knowen and the viues in burgenyng by the colt the hors is knowen whether he shall be meke or stubborne for labour or cariage in the youthe the yonge man is knowen and by the lytell that I se in my lyfe by my sonne Commode I feare me it wyll be lesse after my deth Thou knowest not why I say thus And I say it not without cause for my sonne Commode is very yonge and yet yonger in wytte He is of an yll inclination but he be forced he gouerneth hym selfe by his owne wytte and vnderstandyng as thoughe he were a man of experince he knoweth but lyttelle and carethe for nothynge Of the tyme passed he hath no knowledge all onely he occupieth hym selfe with the tyme present Fynally by that I se with myn eies and thynke in my harte I feare me the personne of my sonne shall be in peryll and the memorie of his fathers howse perysshe Faustyne his mother hath fostred hym to delycately and by a harde stony grounde he hath a great way to go He entreth as now alone into the pathe of youth without any guyde I feare me he shall goo out of the ryght waye and wander in the bushes and thornes of vices O Panutius harken what I say I
say it not without teares thou seeste that my son remayneth ryche yonge and at libertie Ryches youthe solitarines and lybertie ben .iiii. pestilences that enpoysone the prince and waste the common welthe hit sleethe them that be a lyue infameth them that be deed Beleue me one thynge dyuers graces are requisite to susteyn diuers vertues With the fairest women the brothell houses are peopled the mooste vilaynes are made ruffyens the moste hardye are robbers in woddes the quickeste of vnderstandynge ofte proue fooles and the mooste subtylle becom theues I say that such as are clothed with dyuers graces of nature lacke the furres of accquired vertues We may say they hold in their handes a knyfe wherwith they stryke and hurte theym selfes fire on their shulders wherwith they bren and a corde about their necke wherwith they hange daggers at theyr stomacke wherwith they are stayne thornes at theyr feete wherwith they are pricked a stony way afore theyr eies where they stomble and stomblynge fall and fallynge they lese theyr life and wynne dethe The great trees of whom we haue fruite in wynter and shadowe in sommer first be planted the rotes faste in the entrayles of the erthe or euer theyr wauerynge boughes are aduentured in the wynd Marke Panutius marke well The man that from his youth hath set before hym the feare of the goddis and the shame of men is habited in vertues he that accompanieth with them that be vertuous mainteyneth trouth to euery maÌ„ and liueth without preiudice of any man Malicious fortune maye somtyme cleue the barke of the welthe of suche a tree wyther the floure in his youthe breake the leaues of his fauour gather the fruite of his trauaylle breake downe a bough of his offices bowe downe the height of his couÌ„cell yet for all the strokes that the wynde can strike it can not be plucked vp by the rote Certaynely the sonne that the father hath endued with graces and the sonne applienge hym in vices ought not to be borne in this worlde if he be borne to be buried quicke For the fathers sweate by day and watche by nyght to leue honour to their children whiche the fathers bye of the goddis with sighes the mothers delyuered of them with peyne and bring theÌ„ vp with trauayle and the chylde proueth so that he giueth greuous age to the father in his lyfe great infamy after his death I consider wel that the prince Comode beinge yonge and I olde ageynst his wyl forbare vyces I fere me that after my deth he wyll hate vertues I remeÌ„bre diuers of his age haue inherited the empire whiche were so hardy in their lyues that they deserued to be called tyrantes after their dethes ExaÌ„ple of Denys renoumed tyrant of Sycill whiche hired theym that coude inuent vices as our Rome rewardeth them that conquere realmes What greatter tyranny can be in a tyraÌ„t than to make most priuie to him theÌ„ that be vicious Also I forget not the foure kinges that succeded after great AlexaÌ„der as Ptholome Anthiocê° Siluiê° Antigonus whiche the grekes called great tirantis all that AlexaÌ„der had gotten with renomed triuÌ„phes they lost by their viciousnes And in this maner the world y t AlexaÌ„der had deuided amonge them .iiii. came to the handes of mo than foure C. for Antigonê° set so litle by that had cost his lord AlexaÌ„der so moch was so lighte in his age so bolde in his realme y t in mockery in y e stede of a crowne of gold he ware a garlande of Iuie in stede of a scepter he bare a thystle in his right hande and after that maner he wold syt amonge his men whan he spake to strangers I lay shame to the yong man so to do but I meruayle that the sadde and wyse men of grece suffred it ¶ I remembre also Caligula the .iiii. emperour of Rome a yonge man in whose tyme it was harde to knowe whiche was the greatter eyther the disobedience of the people to their lorde or the hatrede that the lorde bare to the people And this yonge prince went so farre oute of the waye in his youthe and was so farre wyde frome reason in his tyrannies that euery man studyed howe to take his lyfe from hym he studied to slee euery man He wrote these wordes in a table of golde Wolde to god that all Rome hadde but one heed to the entente that with one stroke I myght stryke it of ¶ I also remembre Tyberie sonne adoptiue of good Auguste called August bycause he augmented Rome But this good olde prince dyd not so moche augmente it in his lyfe but this yonge successour distroyed it moche more after his deathe The hate that the Romayne people had agaynste Tyberie in his lyfe was ryght welle shewed after his dethe For the same day that he dyed or whan he was slayne the people made dyuers processions and the senatours offred great gyftes in the temples and the priestes offred gret sacrifices to their goddis to thentent that they shulde not receyue the soule of the sayd Tiberie into their glorie but to sende it to the furies of Hell ¶ Also I mynde Patrocle the seconde kynge of Corynthe whiche enheryted the realme beinge but .xvi. yere of age and he was so vycious of his body and so lyberall of his mouthe that where as his father helde the realme .lx. yere he possessed it but .xxx. dayes ¶ Also the auncient Tarquin the proude the .vii. kynge of Rome whiche was ryght goodly in gesture ryght valyant in armes and of a cleane bloudde as an vnhappye prince defyled al his vertues with noughtye lyuynge in suche wyse that he conuerted his beautie into lechery his power into tyranny for the villany that he did to Lucrece the chaste lady of Rome wherby he lost not onely his realme but the name of Tarquine was banysshed for euer out of Rome ¶ I remembre cruelle Nero whiche inheryted and dyed yonge in hym ended the memorie of the noble Cesars and by hym was renewed the memorye of Antygones the tyrantes Whom thynkest thou this tyrant wolde suffre to lyue whiche slewe his owne mother Tell me I pray the what harte is that of a chylde to slee his owne mother to open the brestes that he sucked to shedde the blood of her that nouryshed hym in her armes and to beholde the entrayles wherin he was fourmed What thynkeste thou that he wolde not haue done sithe he commytted suche an yll dede The day that Nero slew his mother an oratour sayd in the senate that Agrippyne his mother had deserued deth for chyldyng suche a chylde in Rome These thre dayes that thou haste sene me so altered in my mynde all these thinges came before me and I haue drawen theym into the depenes of my harte and disputed theym This sonne of myn holdeth me in the gulfe of the see betwene the wawes of feare and the ankers of dispayre hopynge
that he shoulde be good bycause I haue nourysshed hym well and fearynge that he shulde be ylle bycause his mother Faustine hath brought hym vppe wantonly and the yonge man is inclined to yll And as ye se a thynge made by artyfice peryshe and a naturall thynge laste I am in great feare that after my dethe he wyl tourne that waye that his mother hath chylded hym and not as I haue norished hym O how happy were I if I had neuer a childe to leue behinde me to be emperour Then a childe myght be chosen amonge children of good fathers and I shulde not haue ben troubled with him that the goddis haue gyuen me Panutius I demaunde one thynge of the whether thou callest moste fortunate Vaspasian the naturalle father of Domitian or els Nerua the father adoptiue of Traian Vaspasian was good and Nerua verye good Domitian was of all other mooste cruelle and Trayane the myrrour of all clemency Thā regard how Vaspasian in the fortune to haue chyldren was vnhappy and Nerua in the mysfortune to haue chyldren was happy I knowe not why these fathers desyre to haue children sith they ben the occasion of so moche trauayle O Panutius I wyll say one thynge to the as a frende to a frende as thou knowest wel we be in this worlde I haue lyued .lxii. yeres in whiche tyme I haue redde many thinges and haue hard sene desired atteyned possessed suffred and rested moch and nowe at this tyme I must dye and of al thing I shal beare nothing away bycause bothe it and I are nothyng Great besines the hart hath to serche for these goodes and great trauayle to come to them but without comparison the greattest dolour is at the houre of the dethe to depart and leaue them What greatter disease can be to the body than sodaynely to be surprised with ennemies What peryll of the see or losse of frendes can be egall to se a vertuous man drawe to his deathe to leaue the sweate of his face the auctoritie of the empire the honour of his persone the company of his frendes the remedye of his dettours the rewardynge of his seruantes and to leaue it to a chylde that hath not merited it nor hath not the power to wyll to merite it ¶ In the .ix. table of the lawes were these wordis written We cōmaunde and ordeyne that euery father who in the opinion of all men is good shall disheryte his sonne that is yll in euery mans opinion Also euery chylde what soo euer he be that disobeyeth his father or robbeth any temple or hurt any wydowe so that she blede flee fro the battayle or do any treason to a stranger who so euer is found in any of these fyue cases lette hym be banysshed for euer the habitation of Rome and caste out fro the herytage of his father ¶ In good soth this lawe was good and in the tyme of Quintus Cincinate hit was ordeyned and nowe by vs whiche be vnhappy it is cleane lefte and forgotten Panutius without doubte I am wery to speake and also I haue suche an impediment in my stomacke that I wante brethe or elles I coulde shewe the all by order if myne vnderstandynge fayled me not howe manye Parthiens Mediens Assiriens Caldiens Indiens Egypeyens Hebrewes Grekes and Romaynes haue lefte theyr chyldren poore and myght haue left them ryche and all was bycause they were vicious and other chyldren that were very poore were lefte ryche bycause they were good and vertuous I swere to the by the immortall goddes that whan I came fro the warres betwene the Parthiens and Rome and that the triumphe and glorye was gyuen to me and my sonne confirmed to be emperour I wolde the Senate hadde lefte me my sonne Commodus poore with all his vyces and that I hadde made the Senate heire and lorde to the empire and to haue chastised hym to the exaumple of all the worlde I wyll that thou knowe I shall carie fyue thynges with me out of this worlde intermedled the whiche is great sorowe to my harte The fyrste is that I haue not determyned and iudged the ple◠and processe of the noble wydowe Drusia with the Senate seinge that she is very poore and hath noo bodye to doo her Iustyce The seconde is bycause I doo not dye in Rome to the intente that I myghte cause to be cryed and proclaymed euery where in Rome er I dyed to wyte if any complayned on me the thyrde is that where as I dyd slee .xiiii. tyrantes that vndyd the countreye that I hadde not as well banyshed all the Pirates that kepte the sees ▪ the fourth is that I lefte my dere sonne Verissimus deed and the .v. that I haue lefte alyue as heire to the empire my sonne Commodus O Panutius the greattest happe that the goddis can giue to a man not couetous but vertuous is to gyue him renoume in his lyfe a good heire to conserue him after his deathe Fynally to conclude I pray to the goddes if I shall haue any parte with theym that if by my sonnes offences Rome be sclandred and my renoume minished and my hous lost by his life that they wyll take a way his lyfe yet or I dye ¶ What themperour sayde to the maysters of his sonne and to the rulers of thempire Cap. xliii I Se you aunciēt fathers and noble Romayns and ryght faythful seruantes take peyne and sorowe for that I must yelde me to dethe and leaue this lyfe and treate with my sepulchre Ye sorow for my sorowe ye are tourmented with myn anguyshe peyned for my peyne it is no meruaylle For the clere vnderstandynge of the pure blod of true and faythfull frendes is to double theyr trauayles and to wepe for other if one brute beast morne for an other moch more ought one humayne creature to so towe for an other And this I say bycause I know by the teares of your eyes the felynge of your hartes And sythe that the greattest rewarde for any benefite is to knowe it and thanke the patie therof as moche as I can I thanke you And if my weake thankes be not correspondente to your pitiefulle wepynge I require the goddis after they haue taken awaye my lyfe to rewarde you for my duetie It is greate pleasure for the familie to knowe their mayster go with the goddis and great peyne to hym to leaue them For company of many yeres is loth to leaue the life In my lyfe tyme I haue done with you as I ought to do and as nowe I must do as I may The goddis wyll take my sowle away Comodus my sonne the empire the sepulchre my bodye and ye my speciall frendes my harte And sothly it is reason that sith ye were in the lyfe my hartes that it be yours after my deth And in that I wyll speake more particular this nyght shall be our reasonnyng Now my harty frendes ye se that I am come to the ende of my laste
iourney and to the begynnynge of my firste iourney with the goddis It is reason that syth I haue loued you in time past that ye beleue me nowe For the time is come that ye can demande nothyng of me nor I haue nothing to offre you nor myn eares as now can not here flatteries nor my harte suffre importunities if ye neuer knewe me knowe me now I haue ben he that I am and am he that hath ben in tymes paste lyke vnto you some what nowe ye se I am but lyttell and within a lyttell whyle I shalbe nothynge This daye shall ende the lyfe of Marke your frende this day shall ende the lyfe of Marc your parente this day shal ende the fatal destenies of Marc your lorde this day shal ende the seignory of Marke your emperour and this day shall ende his empire I haue vanquysshed many and nowe I am ouercome with deth I am he that hath caused many to dye and I can not as now gyue my selfe one day of lyfe I am he that hathe entred into chariottes of golde and this day I shall be layde on a biere of wodde I am he for whome many haue songe meryly and this day they wepe I am he that hath had company in all exercites and this day I shall be gyuen to hungrye wormes I am Marcus greatly renoumed that with famous triumph mounted into the high capytolle and this day with forgetfulnes I shall discende into the sepulchre I see nigh with myn eies that was farre hyd in my harte And as the goddis be fauourable to you in this worlde equalle and fauourable to me in an nother worlde as my fleshe neuer toke pleasure to passe this lyfe but my harte was sodaynly taken with the feare of death than take no peyne for me for eyther I muste see the ende of you or you of me I yelde great thankes to the goddis that they take away this olde persone to rest with theym and leaue you yonge for to serue in thempire For there is no comparyson for to speake of dethe to the lyfe nor to eschewe the deathe at the houre therof And yet I wylle not denye but I do feare dethe as a mortal man Whan the lyfe passeth there is no prudence in a prudente nor vertue in a vertuous nor lordshyp in a lorde that can take away the feare of the spirite nor peyne of the flesshe Atte this tyme the sowle and the fleshe are so combyned and so conglutinate togyther and the spirite with the bloude are soo annexed that the separation of the one from the other is the mooste terrible and the last terrible of all terriblenes Certaynly it accordeth vnto good reason that the sowle departe dolorously leauyng the fleshe vnto wormes and the bodye as enuious to se the sowle go and sporte with the goddis O what lyttell thoughte we take in this lyfe vntylle we falle grouelynge with oure eies vppon deathe Beleue me Sythe I haue passed from whens ye be and haue experimented that ye doo se that is the vanities of vs that are vayne is so agreable to vs that whanne we begynne to lyue we ymagyne that our lyfe wylle endure a holle worlde and whanne it is ended it seemeth vs to be but a puffe or a blaste of wynde And bycause than sensualitie peyneth for sensibilitie and the flesshe for the flesshe reason guyded with them that be mortall tellethe me that it peyneth not with the departynge If I haue lyued as a bruetbeast it is reason that I dye as a discrete man ought to do I dyenge this day shal dye all my sickenes hungre shal dye colde shal dye al my peynes shal die my thought shall dye my displeasure shall dye and euery thynge that gyueth peyne and sorowe This day the nyght shall be taken away and the sonne shyne bryghte in the skye This daye the ruste shall be takem from myne eies and I shall see the sonne clerely This daye the waye shall be made smothe for to goo righte this is the daye shall ende the iourney wherin I shall not drede the stayes of Fortune I thanke the goddes immortall that haue suffered me to lyue so clerely and soo longe a tyme. This daye I shall haue an ende of al vnhappy destenes of enuyous fortune and not they of me Of trouthe if the goddis haue commaunded my flesshe to be hydden in the sepulchre and to be as mortalle yet if they be iuste and doo well they wyll make my renoume to be immortall bycause I haue lyued well Than sith I change this wery lyfe and company of menne for the swetenes of the goddis and the doubtes of fortune for this sure lyfe and greate and continuall feare for perpetuall peace and this ylle and naughty corrupte lyfe for good renoume and glorye I thynke veryly this shuld be none yll change ¶ It is nowe thre score and two yeres sythe the erthe hath susteyned and fedde the erthe of my bodye It is nowe tyme that the erthe knowledge me for her sonne and I wyl also take her for my mother Verely it is a pitiful mother that wylle nowe take me in to her entrayles for euer sythe that I haue soo longe space troden her vnder my feete And yet thoughe that I were as I am for to be as she is I am in certayne that she wolde kepe me surer amonge her wormes than Rome amonge the Senatours And all though it be peynefulle to you if it plese the goddes to haue it thus no mā can excuse nor scape it I shuld be right well eased if this webbe were broken and my possession taken in the Sepulcre Than shulde I haue the fyrst thyng propre of myn owne and perpetuall without any feare of lesynge therof All thynges mortal that mortalle folkes haue and the enuye of them that be enuious maye be broken except the deth and the sepulcre the whiche are priuileged from enraged hongre of enuy I se you wel shedynge teres from your eies and reise heuy sighes frome the depenes of your hartes Wylle ye not that I shulde desyre deathe sith the phisitions gyue me but thre houres of lyfe and there are conteyned in me .iii. M. yeres of peynes the length wherof is a cyronisme of deathe And all though our debilite be weake yet for all that our honour is so sensible that at the houre of deathe the more that the bones dischargeth them of the fleshe the more is the hart charged with thoughtes In manner that whan the sinewes vntie them from the bones of the bodye than newely they tye agayne a soore knotte to the herte Nowe let vs leaue speakyng of that that to wchethe particularly my selfe and speake we in generall of it that is conuenyente to a yonge Prynce and to you that are his tutours and maysters ¶ Ye se here my sonne Comodus only prince and heire abydynge for the heritage of thempire neyther for beynge good that he meriteth praise nor for being
they may praye for her vnto the goddis Vnto the Claudine Faustyne my wyfe sendeth a coffre but by the goddis I doo not knowe what there is within it Nowe that ye be aged I beseche the goddis to sende you and me and my wyfe for to ende the reste of our dayes in a good lyfe Marke your neyghbour and frende hath writen this with his owne hande A letter sent fro Mark themperour to Labinia a Romain widowe for to comfort her for the deth of her husbande The .vi. letter MArc of mounte Celio first Consule Romaine sent ageinst the Daces to y e Labinia Romain lady wife to my good frend Claudine salute to the and consolation of the goddis consolatours I think wel thou hast suspect that I haue so lytel set by the sith in thy profounde and greuous hurtes my consolation hath ben sloutheful But I remembre thy noblenes which can neuer faile and my good wil the which hath neuer desired to serue the. I am in suretie that thy great vertue shulde put awaye the suspecte For thoughe I am the laste to comforte the yet I am the firste that feleth thy dolours and shal not be the last to remedye thy troubles And in case that ignorance is the ende of all vertues esperance for al vices as well somtime great plesure taketh away rest from the wyse folkes and sclandreth the innocentes moche better amonge vs latyns we fynde with ignorance of vices more than the grekes do with the knowelege of vertues If that we be ignorant we haue no peyne to abide it nor sorowe to take it I say it bicause I haue knowen that I wold not knowe and that is the trauayles are at an ende of Claudine thy husband and nowe beginnethe the sorowe of Labinia I haue knowen it certain days and wold not discouer it to the for it shuld haue ben crueltie She that hath ben in trouble so long a space with absence that I shulde haue gyuen knowlege of the deth of suche an entierly desired husbande and it had ben no reson that she of whom I haue receyued so many good dedis shuld haue of me so yll newes And syth the houre y t I knewe that ye wyste therof my peyne hath ben double I fele his dethe and nowe I fele in his deathe my solytarines and thy desolation Thou haste reason to wepe not for that he is with the goddis in reste but for vs myserable persons lyuinge in the power of soo many ylles therfore we shulde not cesse to take peyne and sorowe O Labinia oftentymes I haue thoughte for what thynge I myght fyrste wepe for the yll that lyuethe or for the good that dieth For as moche hurteth the yll that is found as the good that is loste It is great peyne to see these innocentes dye and surely it is no lesse peyne to see the malicious people lyue But of that that necessitie muste nedes come whan it cometh we ought not to sclaundre hit Shewe me Labinia doste thou not knowe of howe good conuersation the goddes be to whom we hope to go and howe yll the men be with whom we are conuersaunt that as the yll are borne to dye in lyke wyse the good dyethe to lyue For a good man alway lyueth in dyenge and the yll alwayes dyeth in lyuynge And than sith the goddis haue caused him to come to theym it is noo greatte thyng that they haue taken fro the. I am in certayne thy desyred husban Claudyn and my true frende seing where he is and remembrynge what he hath scaped had rather to be stylle there as he is than to returne agayn to the. Of trouth the remedyes for widowes is not to thynke of any company passed nor of the solytarines present but to thynke of the rest that they hope to come to If hither vnto thou hast ben in peine abidinge in thy house nowe reioyce the bycause he abideth for the in his for thou shalt be moche better entreated amonge the goddis than here amonge men nor consent not to thynke that thou haste loste hym all onely For syth we all reioyced of his lyfe we are than bounde to wepe for his dethe The greatteste sorowe to a sycke harte amonge all other sorowes ▪ is to se other reioyce at his dolours and contrarye wyse the greattest ease amonge all greues of fortune is to see that other feeleth their sorowe All that my frende wepeth for me with his eies and al that he feeleth of my sorowe dischargeth somewhat myne inwarde peyne The bokes in the tyme of Auguste the emperour sheweth howe as he was nere to the ryuer of Danubius he founde a maner of people hauynge this custome The same houre whan a husbande taketh a wyfe or a louer they wold swere by their goddis neuer to wepe nor sorowe for any maner of infortune but to forget theyr owne propre troubles and to dye to remedye theyr louer so in lykewise eche to do with other O glorious worlde O right happy age O people of eternall memorie wherin the men were so humble and their louers soo true that wolde forgette their owne sorowe and wepe for others O Rome beinge Rome O tyme yll spente O lyfe ylle applied O small thoughte rechelesse in these dayes the hartes presente seperate frome welthe and assured withoute remedy in euyll that men forgettynge that they be menne tourne them selfe to be beastes I desire to gyue the lyfe thou dyest to take awaye my lyfe Thou wepest to see me laugh and I laugh to se the wepe And thus without profite of any of vs we lese and we reioyce in lesynge of our selfe By the lawe of an honest man I swere to the Labynia yf thy remedy lay in my handes as thy sorowe dothe at my harte thy pytiefulle wepynges shoulde not hurte me nor thy heuy and wofull solitarynes of thy husbande but syth thy remedy and my desyre can not be accomplysshed and that with deathe nor with them that be deed we haue no power than remyt it into the handes of the goddis who can moche better delyuer vs than we can chuse We see by experience naturall that some syckenesse is healed by wordes that be sayde to vs and somme by wordes that be layde to vs and some with wordes do leaue other medicines I say this bycause the hartes that be in peyne make a see of thoughtes somtyme comforted with benefites done to the persone more than with wordes spoken in their eares an other tyme the sorowfull harte is more cōforted with wordes of a frende than with all other seruyces of the worlde O how sorowfull am I for in all these am I fauty consyderynge the hyghnes of the honourable lady Romayn and the small abilitie of me Marc of moūt Celio I see my selfe so vnable to comforte the and to remedy the I lacke substance I haue made the a sore woūd the whiche wolde be taken in worthe I wyll not paye the with
that I shulde say but that one ought to haue enuy of his deth compassioÌ„ of my life bicause in dienge he lyueth in lyuinge I die In yl fortunes in case of lyfe in y e subtyl aduersities of fortune where as her gyles profiteth but lyttell and her strength lesse I thinke the beste remedy is to fele it as a man and dissimule it as discrete and wise If all thynges as they be felte at harte shulde be shewed outwarde with the tonge I thynke that the wyndes shoulde breake the harte with sighinges and water all the erthe with wepynge O if the corporall eies sawe the hurt of the hart with a true wound I swere to the there they shuld se more of a droppe of bloudde sweatynge within thanne all the wepynge that is made out warde There is no comparyson of the great dolours of the bodye to the leest peyne that the spirite feleth For all trauayle of the body menne may fynde some remedy but if the heuy harte speke it is not harde if it wepe it is not sene if it complayne hit is not beleued What shall the poore harte do Abhorre the lyfe wherwith it dieth and desire deth wherwith it liueth The high vertues amonge noble vertuous people consystethe not al only to suffre the passions of the body but also to dissimule them of the sowle They be suche that alter the humours and shewe hit not outwarde They brynge a feuer without alterynge the of poulce They alter the stomake They make vs to knele to the erthe to suffer the water vp to the mouth to take death with out leauynge of the lyfe And fynally they lengthe our lyfe to thentente that we shulde haue the more trauaylle and denyethe vs our sepulture to thentente that we shulde not reste vs. But consideringe If I be troubled with tribulations as well am I lette with consolations For euer I haue either desyre of the one or werynes of the other I take this remedye to dissimule with the tongue and to wepe with the eyes â–ª and to â—ele it with my harte I passe my lyfe as he that hopethe to lese all that he hathe and neuer to recouer that is lost I say this â–ª though ye se me not now make funerall wepynges and waylynges as I dyd at the deth of my sonne yet thynke not but it doth brenne my hart so that with the inwarde greatte heate is consumed the humyditie of the eies outwarde for it brennethe all my spyrites inwarde Thou mayste knowe what an honourable father suffrethe to lese a good chylde In all thynges the goddes be lyberall excepte in gyuynge vs vertuous chyldren Where there is aboundaunce of great estates there is greattest scarsitie of good inheritours It is a great hurte to here and greatter to see howe these fathers clyme to haue ryches and to see their chyldren discende to haue vycyousenes To se the fathers honour theyr chyldren and the chyldren to infame theyr fathers yea and the fathers to gyue rest to theyr chyldren and the children to gyue trouble to their olde fathers yea and sometyme the fathers dye for sorowe that theyr children dye so soone and we se the chyldren wepe bycause theyr fathers dye soo late What shulde I saye more but that the honour and riches that the fathers haue procured with great thought the chyldren lose with lyttell care I am certayne of one thynge that the fathers may gather ryches with strength and crafte to susteyne theyr chyldren but the goddis wyll not haue durable that that is begon with euyll intention and is founded to the preiudice of other and is possessed with an euyll heire And though the heuy destenies of the fader permit that the riches be left to their childreÌ„ to serue them in all their vyces for their pastyme at last according to their merites the goddis wyll that the heire heritage shulde peryshe Marke what I say I hadde two sonnes Comode the prince Verissimus the yonger is dead that was greatest in vertue Alway I imagined that while the good lyued I shuld be pore now that the yl remaineth I thynke to be ryche I shall shewe the why the goddis ar so pitieful that to a pore father they neuer giue yl chyld to a riche father they neuer giue a good child And as in al prosperite alway there falleth some sinister fortune either soone or late so therwith fortune doth arme apparel vs wherin she seeth we shal fal to our greattest hurt And therfore the goddis permit that the couetous faders in gaderyng with great trauayle shuld die with that hurt to leue their riches to their vicious childreÌ„ yll implied I wepe as moch for my child y t the goddis haue left me as for him y t they haue taken fro me For the small estimation of hym y t liueth maketh immortal memory of him y t is deed The yl rest coÌ„uersation of them that liue cause vs to sigh for the company of them that be deed The yll is alwaye desired for his ilnes to be deed the good alway meriteth to haue his deth bewailed I say my frend Catulus I thought to haue lost my wit whaÌ„ I saw my son Verissime dye but I toke comfort ayen for either he of me or I of him must se the ende CoÌ„sidering that the goddis dyd but lend him to me gaue him not how they be inheriters I to haue y e vse of the fruit For al thing is mesured by the iust wyll of the goddes not by our disordinate wyls appetites I thinke whaÌ„ they toke away from me my chylde I restored hym to an other not that they haue taken myn But sith it is the wyll of the goddis to gyue rest to the good childe and hurte the father bycause he is yll I yelde thankes to them for the seasone that they haue suffered me to enioye his lyfe And for the pacyence that I haue taken for his deth I desire them to mytigate therwith the chastisement of their yre And I desyre syth they haue taken away the lyfe from this chylde to cause good customes to be in the prince myne other sonne I knowe what heuynesse thou haste take in Rome for my sorowe I pray to the goddis to sende the ioye of thy chylderne and that I maye rewarde the with some toye for that thou haste wept for my peyne My wife Faustine saluteth the and thou woldest haue coÌ„passyon to se her For she wepeth with her eies and sygheth with her harte and with her handes hurteth her selfe and curseth with her tonge She eateth nothynge on the daye nor slepeth in the nyght She loueth darkenes and abhorreth lyght and therof I haue no meruayle for it is reasone that for that was nourished in her entrayles she shulde fele sorowe in the same And the loue of the mother is soo stronge though her chylde be deed and layde in sepulture yet
Rome The mother of this emperour was called Domiciade as Cyne historien recounteth in the bokes of the lygnages of Rome The Camilles were persones in that tyme greatly estemed by cause they were accompted to be descended of Camille the famous and auncient capytayne Romayne whiche delyuered Rome frome the Gaulles that had wonne hit The men that descended of that lygnage were called Camilli for the remembrance of Camille and the women were likewise called Camilles in the remembrance of a doughter of the sayde Camylle that was called Camilla ¶ There was an auncyent lawe that al Romaynes shuld haue a partycular priuylege in the same place where their predecessours had done to the Romayne people any great seruyce For this auncient custome they had priuylege so that all they of the lygnage of Camylle were kepte and maynteyned in the hygh capytol And though the varietie of the tyme the multitude of tyrantes the ebulition and mouynge of cyuill warres were cause of the diminyshing of the aunciente Polycie of Rome and introduced in maner a lyfe not very good yet for all that we reede not that the preemynences of the Romaynes were broken but yf it were in the tyme of Sylla whanne he made the vnyuersall prescription agaynst the Marians After the deth of this cruelle Sylla in exaltynge of hym selfe Iulius Cesar the pitiefull made dictatour of Rome and chiefe of the Marians adnulled and vndydde all that Sylla had made and broughte ageyne into the auncyent estate the common welthe ¶ What hath benne the condycions the estate pouertie rychesse fauour or disfauour of the auncestours of this Marke Aurelye Emperour we fynde not in the aunciente hystories and yet it hath ben dilygently serched for The ancyent Romayn hystoriens were not accustomed to write the lyues of the emperours fathers namely whanne they be made monarches but the merytes and graces that their chyldren had as for the auctoritie that they hadde inheritynge their fathers Trouthe it is as saythe Iulius Capitolyn the father of Marke Aurelee themperour had ben pretour in exercises and capitayne in the Frontiers in the tyme of Traian the good and Adrian the wyse and Anthony the meke emperours This is cōfirmed by that the same Marc Aurelee wrot being at Rodes to a frende of his called Polion that was at Rome sayinge thus Many thynges haue I felte and knowen frende Polyon by the absence of Rome namely of that I se my selfe here alone in this yle but as vertue makethe a straunger naturall and vice tournethe naturall to a straunger And as I haue ben .x. yeres here at Rodes to rede philosophy I therby repute my selfe as naturall of this lande that hathe caused me to forgette the pleasures of Rome and it hath lerned me the maners of the yle And here I haue founde many of my fathers frendes Here was capitayne agaynste the Barbariens to my lorde Adrian Anthonye my father in lawe the space of .xv. yeres I lette the to wyte that the Rodian people are curteis and ful of good graces I wolde haue redde phylosophy as longe as my father had ben at Rodes in warre but I maye not for Adrian my lorde commaundethe me to go and kepe residēce at Rome howe be it euery man reioysethe to see his naturall countrey ¶ So by the wordes of this letter it is to be beleued that Anio Vero father to this emperour Marc hadde applyed the mooste parte of his lyfe in warre It was not the custome lyghtly to truste a person to haue the office of a gouernour on the Frontiers without he had bene well exercysed in the feates of warre And as all the glorie of the Romaynes was to leaue after theym good renowme the sayd Marc certaynly was taken for the mooste vertuous and had greatteste frendes in the Senate wherby he trusted on the conquest of the most cruell enmyes accordyng as the sayde Sexto Cheronense historien saythe The Romayns all though they had in theyr handes mooste peryllous warres yet they hadde in foure partes of the empire stronge and entier garnisons That is to say in Byzance the which is nowe Constantinople by reasone of them of the oryente And Engades the whiche nowe is called Calex a citie of Spayne for loue of them of the weste In the ryuer of Rhodano which is nowe y e ryuer of Ryne for the Germaynes And in Collosse whiche nowe is calledde the Rhodes bycause of the Barbariens In the kalendes of Ianuarie whanne the senate deuyded the offyces beinge pourueyed of a dictatour and of two consulles yerely Incontynente in the thyrde place they prouyded for foure mooste excellente barons to defendethe sayde foure Frontiers The whiche semeth to be true for the most famous and renowmed barons of theyr yonge daies were capitaines in the said Frontiers The great Pompeius was sent to the Byzaunces Canstantinople The worthy Scipio was sente to the Collossences and Rodyans And the couragious Iulius Cesar was sent with the Gadytaynes of Calyx of Spayne and the stronge estemed Marcus was sente to theym of the ryuer of Ryne This we saye bycause that Anio Vero father to Marc Aurele emperour had ben prouoste and pretour in the offices and one of the capitaines of the Frontiers whiche oughte to be in Rome one of the persons most estemed ¶ What maysters Marke Aurely hadde in his youthe cap. ii VVe haue not by any autentike histories fro whens whan or howe in what maner or in what exercyses or with what persons or in what londes was spent consumed the moste parte of the lyfe of this good emperour But to be shorte Iulius Capitolyn sayth that he had ben xxiii yere vnder the commaundemente of Adrian the emperour Howe be it contrarye wyse is founde by other hystoriens accordynge as saythe Sexto Cheronense in his hystorie It was not the custome of the Romayns cronyclers to wryte the thynges doone by these princes before they were pryncis but onely of yonge people beynge in their yonge age hauynge greatte and hye magnyficence and doing great interprises This semeth to be of trouth for Sueton Tranquyll recounteth largely the fearefulle dedes and enterpryses doone by Caius Iul. Cesar in his yonge age to shewe to princes to comme howe it was a great ambicyon that they had to attayn to the monarchy and but of smalle wytte and maturitie to kepe theym selfe therin It is noo newe thynge that menne gape for hye and frayle thynges And the more hygher the magnificēce is the more lower they fele fortune And whan they were diligent to accomplysshe their desyre as moche thoughte had they to conserue their quyetnes and reste In case thā that Anio Vero father to Marke the Emperour folowed the exercise of warres yet he put his sonne in the way to lerne science For there was a lawe sore vsed and accustomed and well kepte in the Romayne polycye that euery citesens sonnes that enioyed the lybertie of Rome and had accomplyssed .x. yeres shulde not be suffred
to goo by the stretes as vacabundes Nor it shulde not be suffered by the Censure who gouerned Rome dayely toke hede to the forfaytes doone therin to suffre a chylde no lengar than .x. yeres of his age to play the chylde But fro thense forthe the father of the chylde shulde be bounde to noryshe hym out of the circuite of Rome or to laye a pledge that his sonne shulde doo no folyes Whan Rome tryumphed and by theyr policie gouerned all the worlde it was certaynly a meruaylous and monstruous thing to se it then and no lesse fearefull vnto vs nowe to here therof There was at that tyme in Rome .iiii. hūdred M inhabitantes amonge whom there was .ii. hundred M. yonge people that were refreyned and brydled from their yonge pleasures The sonne of Cato was chastysed bycause he was wylfull and presumptuous And also the brother of good Cyna was banyshed bycause he wente ydelly as a vacabounde Without that Cicero begyleth vs in his bokes of the Romayne lawes no Romayne ought to straye abrode in the stretes of Rome but if he bare in his hand the signe or token of the offyce wherby he lyued To thentente that euery man shuld knowe that he lyued by his trauayl and not by the sweate of other men This lawe was kepte of euery persone The emperour hadde borne before hym a brennynge brande The consulle an axe of armes the priestes a hat in maner of a coyfe the senatours a tongue in maner of a crusyble on their armes the Censure a lyttelle table the tribunes a mace the centuryons a sygne or baner the oratours a boke the gladiatours a swerde the tayllours sheres the smethes a hammer and in lyke wyse of all the other offices and craftes We maye knowe than by this that is sayde that after that Marke Aurelye was borne at Rome his father in his youthe had taughte hym good norture And though it so were that the beginnynge of his yonge aege shulde be hydde from vs at the least way we are certayne that the myddell aege and ende of hym was ryght glorious His father Anio Vero wolde that his sonne Marcus Aurelius shoulde leaue feates of armes and folowe study And surely it is to be thoughte that it was done more by the valyauntenes of the father than the cowardenes of the sonne excepte the dedes of them that be deed begyle vs that ben alyue and the cause iudged by clere vnderstandynge and that we fynde moo sentences of dyuers sadde persons that there hath benne but fewe that ben loste by writinges and lernynge ye and a great meynye fewer that haue had auantage by armes Reuolue all bokes and serche throughe all realmes and finally they shewe vs that very few in theyr realmes haue ben happy in armes but there haue bene many famous renowmed by scripture and lernynge Take here example and se if it be true or not that I saye Had the Assiriens mo than one kynge that was Ninus one Lygurge amonge the Lacedemonians the Egyptiens one Ptholome the Hebrewes one Machabee the Grekes one Hercules the Macedoniens one Alexāder the Epirotiens one Pirrhe one Hanyball the Carthageniens and one Iulius Cesar amonge the Romayns It is not thus of lerned men for if the Grekes had one Homer noo lesse the Grekes vaunteth theym of the .vii. sages whome we beleue more in their philosophy than Homer in the warres of Troy For as difficile it is to fynde a trouthe in Homere as a lye in these sages Semblably the Romaynes hadde not onely Cycero as ryght eloquent but also they had Salust Lucan Titus Liuius with a great company of noble men and well approued who haue left ryght great credence in their scriptures in the sayinge of trouthe What lost Cicero in the senate for vsyng of inuectiues And as we saye of so small a nombre of Grekes and latynes we may saye of the Assitiens Persians Medes Argiues Acayens Peniens Frenchemen Britons Englyshemen and Spanyardes All the whiche nations withoute comparyson haue of theym selfe lefte more memorye and haue honoured theyr londes and countreyes more by writing thanne they that haue lefte signes by armes Than lette vs leaue these straunge histories and retourne to the pythe of our emperour Marcus Aurelius as Eutrope recountethe According as this excellent baron lerned diuers sciences so he had dyuers maysters to teche hym He studied grammer with a mayster named Euphorion musyke with an other named Gemino Comode eloquence with Alexander a greke In naturalle philosophy he had to his maysters Comode Calcedonien an auncient baron whiche expounded to hym Homer and Sexto Cheronense neuewe to the great Plutarche Also he studied in the lawes and Volusie Meciano was his mayster This emperour estemed to haue the knowlege of payntinge and to graue in wood and metall in erthe and other sculptures in whiche arte his maister was Diogenito in his tyme a famous and renowmed paynter He trauayled also to knowe and serche what extended to the arte of Nygromancye By accasion wherof he wente openly to here Apolonio And to thentēt that there shulde be nothynge vnlerned of hym he aboue all sciences sette his mynde to Cosmography in the whyche for his maysters he toke Iunio Rostyco that sythe wrote his lyfe and Cina Catule the whiche wrote of his deathe and the lyfe of Comode his sonne Of these noble and excellent barons that flourysshed in those dayes he was taughte in vertues and sciences Cicero lamentethe the auncient policie of Rome bycause that he sawe great losse in the common welthe than presente sayinge in his Retorike that the auncient Romayns had alway regarde to that parte where they thoughte mooste domage and peryll shulde growe There were .v. thynges amonge all other in Rome whervnto they hadde euer a vigilante respecte the whiche the senate neded not to care for nor no lawe dispensed for them and these bene they the pryestes were honest and the virgines vestales ryghte chaste the penalties right iuste the capitaynes full valiant They that taught yonge chyldren were vertuous It was not permytted in Rome that he that was a mayster in scyences shulde be disciple of vices ¶ What sciences Marcus the emperour lerned And of a meruayllous letter that he sent to Polyon cap. iii. PHilostrate saythe that it was demaunded of Polion who was the rycheste manne of the worlde He aunswered It was he that had moste wysedome He was demaunded agayne who was mooste poore He aunswered he that had least wytte Of trouth it was a worthy sentence of suche a personne The effecte therof we se dayly by experience the wyse slydynge in dyuers chances of fortune releueth hym selfe The vnwytty persone in very small thynges thouchynge his lyuyng not greatly decayed fallethe downe There is nothynge that is so lost but that there is hope of recoueryng if it be in the handes of a wise man And cōtrary wise there is no thynge so assured but the recouerance therof oughte to be
a fote to the riuerside and there passe the tyme the space of two houres And as soone as the heate came he wolde goo to the hygh capitoll to the senate That done he wente to the colledge where as all the procurours and ambassadours of al prouinces were and there he wolde be a greatte parte of the daye and here euery nation by hit selfe accordynge to the tyme that was deputed by order And towarde the euennynge he wolde goo to the temple of the vyrgins vestales He eate but ones a day and that was somewhat late and thanne he wolde make a good meale and but of fewe meates He had a custome euerye weke in Rome or other cities where as he was that two dayes late in the euennynge he wolde walke in the stretes without his garde or knyghtes onely with .x. or .xii. pages to se if any persone wolde speake with hym or complayne of any officer of his courte and house and this he caused to be demaunded of other men This good emperour wolde often tymes saye A good prynce that wyll rule and gouerne wel and not to be a tyraunte oughte to do thus That is that he be not couetous of tributes nor proude in his commaundementes nor vnkynde to seruices nor bolde in the temples nor defe to here complayntes In fulfyllynge hereof he shall haue the goddes in his handes and the hartys of menne shalbe his Al the whyle that this Marke was emperour he had neuer porter at his chaumbre doore but if it were the two houres that he was with Faustine his wyfe This good emperour had in his howse a secrete closette locked with a key that he bare hym selfe and neuer trusted none other therwith to the houre of his death And than he cōmaunded to delyuer it to Pompeiano a prudent ancient bacon that was maryed to his doughter In the which closet he had diuers bokes writen in all langages as Greke hebrewe latyne and Caldee and other antike hystories The answere of M. themperour whan Faustine his wife demaunded the key of his study ca. xix AS it is natural to womē to dispise that thyng that is gyuen them vnasked so it is deathe to them to be denayed of that they do demande This emperour had the study or closet of his howse in the mooste secrete place of his palays wherin he neyther suffred his wyfe seruant nor frende to entre On a day it chanced that Faustin thempresse desyred importunatly to se that study sayinge these wordes My lorde let me se your secrete chaumbre Beholde I am greatte with chylde and shall dye if I see it not And ye knowe well that the lawe of the Romayns is that nothynge shall be denyed to womenne with chylde of that they desire And if ye do otherwise ye doo it in dede but not of ryghte For I shall dye with the chylde in my bodye And more ouer I thynke in my mynde that ye haue some other louer within your study Therfore to put away the peryl of my trauaylyng and to assure my harte frome Ielousie hit is no great thyng to lette me entre into your study The emperour seinge that Faustines wordes were of trouth bycause he sawe her wordes washed with wepyng answered her on this wyse It is a thyng certayne whan one is contented he saythe more with his tongue than he thynketh with his harte And contrary wyse whan one is heuy the eyen wepe not soo moche nor the tongue can not declare that is locked in the hart Vayne men with vayne wordis shewe and declare their vayne pleasures And the wyse men with prudent wordes dissemble their cruel passions Amonge wyse men he is wysest that knoweth moche and sheweth to knowe but lyttell And amonge the symple he is mooste symple that knoweth but lyttelle and sheweth hym selfe to knowe moche They that ar prudent though they are demaunded say nothyng but symple folke wyll speake ynough without askynge of any question This I saye Faustine bycause thy wepynge hath soo hurte me and thy vayn speche so turmented me that I can not declare that I fele nor thou canst nat fele y t that I saye Dyuers aduertisementes haue they writen that haue writen of mariage yet haue they not writen how many trauailes that one womanne causeth her housbande to suffre in one daye Of a suretie it is a ioyfull thynge to reioyce in the chyldhode of chyldren but it is a ryght cruel thing to suffre the importunities of theyr mothers The chyldren do nowe and then a thing that tourneth vs to pleasure but ye women do nothynge but gyue vs displeasure I shall agree with all maried men to pardon theyr chyldrens plesures for the annoyance that the mothers gyue to theym One thynge I haue sene the whiche neuer begyled me that the iuste goddes do gyue to the vniuste menne that all the euylles that they doo in this worlde shall be remytted to the furies of the other worlde But if they doo commytte any synne for the pleasure of any woman the goddis commaunde that by the handes of the same womanne we shall receyue peyne in this worlde and not in the other There is not soo fyers or peryllous an ennemie to a manne as is his wyfe And though a manne can not lyue with her as a man I neuer sawe none soo lyght beynge with a vicious woman in doynge vyce but that by the same woman at the last he receyued shame and chastysement Of one thynge I am sure and I saye it not bycause I haue sene it but experimented in my selfe that though the husbande do all that his wyfe wylle yet wyll she do nothynge that her husband wolde haue done Gret crueltie is among the barbariens to holde theyr wiues as sclaues And no lesse madnes is it of Romaynes to kepe them as ladyes Flesshe oughte not to be soo leane that it abhorre nor so fatte that it cloye the stomake but meane and enterlarded to the ende that it be sauourye I saye that a wyse manne canne not gyue so stronge a brydelle to his wyfe that she wylle obeye as an hande mayden nor gyue her so lyttell of the brydell but she wylle exalte her selfe as maystresse and reuler Beholde Faustine howe ye womenne are soo extreme in all heedlonge extremities that with a lyttell fauour ye wylle exalte augemente and growe into great pride and with a lyttell disfauour ye recouer greatte hatred There is no parfite loue where is no egalitie betwene the louers And as ye and other are vnperfite soo is your loue vnperfite I wote well ye vnderstande me not Therfore vnderstande Faustine that I say more than ye wene There is no woman that with her wyll wolde suffre any greatter than her selfe nor to be contente to haue an other egall with her For thoughe she haue a. M.li. rent yet she hathe x. M. folyes in her heed And that worse is though it chaunce her husbande to dye and she lese all her rent yet endeth
.xiiii. yeres neuer manchylde nor manne aboue the age of .viii. yeres came within her gates And not contente with this that she dyd to gyue example to all Rome and to attayne perpetuall memory where as she had lefte with her thre sonnes the eldest of whom was but thre yeres of age and as soone as they came to .viii. yere she sente them out of her house to their grauntefathers And thus dydde this excellent Romayne lady to the entente that vnder colour of her owne chyldren there shulde none other yonge children entre into her howse Those yeres passed after that the good olde man Torquate was retourned fro the warres of the Volseos the sayde wylde man with one eye wente by the doore of the sayde Torquate and one of her maydens tolde her that it was a meruaylous thyng to se and the good lady hadde great desyre to see hym and bycause there was none to brynge hym to her that she myghte see hym she dyed for sorowe And for certayne thoughe he came often inoughe by her doore yet she wolde neuer goo nor loke out at her wyndowe to se hym Her deathe was gretly bewayled in Rome for she was in Rome most derely beloued and good reason for many dayes afore was no suche womanne brought in Rome And by the commaundement of the senate the tenour of this writinge in verses were set vpon her sepulchre ¶ Here lyeth the glorious matron wife of Torquate that wolde aduenture her lyfe to assure her good fame ¶ Beholde Faustine this lawe was not made to remedy the death of this matrone but to the ende that to suche as ye be and to all the worlde it shulde be a perpetuall example of her lyfe and memorie of her deathe It was well done to ordeyne that law for an honest woman being with chylde that it shulde be kept to all vertuous women And as women wold that the lawe of them that be with chylde shuld be kepte so by the same lawe it is requisite to require that they be honest In the .vii. table of the lawe it is sayd we commande that where there is coruption of customes there lyberties shal not be kepte ¶ Howe tydinges was brought to the emperour that the Mauritayns wold conquere great Britayne Cap. xxii IN the .liiii. yere of Marcus the emperours aege and the tenthe yere of his election to thempire In the month of Iuly as he was in the citie of Naples and not in verye perfite helthe for he was soore payned with the goute in his foote there came a Centurion in maner of a messager with great hast saying that in great Britayn was sodenly arryued a great nauye of warre to the nombre of C. .xxx. shyps of the realme of Mauritain and the quantitie of .xx. M. men of foote and .ii. M. men of armes and that the kyng of Mauritayns brother was their capitayne named Aselipio the whiche had taken lande at a hauen of the yle called Arpine and that to resyste soo great a power there were but a fewe people in the sayde yle The good emperour heringe these tidynges though he felte it inwardely as a man yet he feyned it outwardly as a discrete man with a sadde countenaunce and made fewe wordes Than seinge that busines myght not be delayed he sayde these wordes I wyll go with a fewe people and do what I can For better it were with a fewe to go betymes than to tarye for many and goo to late And forthwith the good emperour pourueyed that all they of his palays shulde departe to go to Brytayne and none to tarie behynde to do hym seruyce The custome was that the emperours shulde haue alwaye in theyr houses suche men as were mete to be sent forthe in any besynesses that shulde happen for warre And after that they were shypped there ariued one of Britayne that shewed howe the Mauritayns were retourned so that none of theym was lefte in the ile Than this emperour kepte his house in a good poynt Lyttel occasion suffiseth to them that be naturally of yll inclynation to departe and sprede throughe countreys to do harme therfore he sent them of his house to the entent that by occasion of the warre they shuld not leade an yll lyfe Than the emperour fearyng the dissolution of his courte and boldenes of his offycers to the intent they shuld not leaue vertue and growe in vice he determyned on a day to call them to him secretely and to say these wordes to them ¶ What themperour sayd to them of his courte in eschewyng ydelnesse Cap. xxiii THe greattest sygne in a vertuous mā is to do vertuous werkes and vertuously to spende and occupie his tyme and the greatest signe of a loste man is to lese his tyme in naughtye warkes The greattest happe of all and the greattest desire of men is to lyue longe For dyuers chances that fall in shorte tyme may be suffered and remedyed by longe space Plato sayde A man that passeth his lyfe without profyte as one vnworthy to lyue oughte to haue the reste of his lyfe take from hym The fylthe of secrete chambres the stynche of the pompe in shippes nor the ordures of cities do not corrupt the ayre so moche as ydell folke do the people And as there is in a man that occupieth his tyme well no vertue but it encreaseth soo in hym that occupieth his tyme ylle there is no villanie but it is suspecte in hym A manne that is alwaye welle occupied ought euer to be reputed as good and the ydel man with out further enquerie ought to be condemned as nought Shewe me nowe I desyre you what dothe nourysshe the corrupte and fowle wiedes the nettelles that stynge and the briers that pricke but the erthe that is vntylled and waxen wylde and the fyeldes fulle of thystelles whyche is not wyeded and vysyted with the ploughe O Rome without Rome that nowe as vnhappy hast but onely the name of Rome bycause thou arte so dere in vertues and makest vices good cheape Yea yea and I shall tell the knowest thou wherfore thou arte so bycause thou haste vnpeopled the lanes and stretes of werkemen and offycers and haste peopled it all aboute with infinite vacaboundes I knowe for trouthe that the Samytes Vosigoths Astrogoths and Peniens spredde in your territories do you not so moche domage as do these ydell and loste people stuffed in euery shoppe All wryters canne not deny me that if al natiōs wold cōquere Rome they coude not take awaye one loope of the walles of it and these ydell people haue troden and pulled vnder theyr feete the good renome of it An infallyble rule it is a man gyuen to exercyses is vertuous and one gyuen to lewtringes is a vicious person What a diuine thing was it to se the diuine worldes of our predecessous the whiche syth Tullius Hostilius vnto Quintus Cincinatus dictatour and sith Cincinatus vnto Cyncinos whiche were of the Syllans and Marians there was
he lyueth in this worlde he holdeth his felicitie but at aduenture and his aduersitie for his naturall patrimony Amonge all them that coulde reioyce in prosperitie and helpe theym selfe in aduersitie this emperour Marcus Aurelius was one whiche for any flatterynges that Fortune coulde shewe hym he neuer trusted in them nor for myshappe that he had in this life he neuer dispayred ¶ What Marcus themperour sayd to a Senatour as touchynge triumphes Cap. xxxv WHanne these feastes were passed as Sertus Cheronense saith a senatour named Aluinus sayde to themperour the same nyght that the triumphe ceassed Syr reioyce you sythe that this day ye haue gyuen so great ryches to the common treasure of Rome and I haue sene your person in the triumph of glorie and to the worlde to come of you and your house you haue lefte perpetuall memorye The emperour hering these wordis said in this maner Frēdes it is good reson we beleue the hūter knoweth the fiersnes of vestis the phisition the propretie of herbes the mariner the perils of rockes the capitaines the chances of warre and the emperour that triumpheth the ioyes that he hath of triumphes As god helpe me and as euer I haue part with my predecessours and as euer I haue good fortune the thoughtes that I haue had for these festes haue bene farre greatter than the feares that I haue had in all the iourneyes and battayles afore And the reason therof is very euydent to theym that haue clere vnderstanding For always in cruel battailes I was euer in hope to haue glorie feared not the ouerthrow of fortune What coude I lose in battayle Nothynge but the lyfe that is the leest thyng that men haue and alwayes in these triumphes I feare to lose renowme whiche is the greatest gyfte that the goddis haue gyuen me O howe happy is that man that loseth his lyfe and leaueth behynde hym perpetuall memorie Lette euery man vnderstande this that wylle and saye what they lyste that amonge noble and valyaunt barons he dyeth not that leeseth his lyfe and leaueth good renowme after hym and moche lesse tyme lyueth he that hath an yll name thoughe he lyued many yeres The ancyent philosophers reckened not the lyfe of a man though he lyued many yeres but they reckened the good werkes that he hadde doone The senate was importune vppon me that I shulde take this triumphe as ye knowe well and I can not tell whiche was greattest theyr desyre or my resistence You knowe not the trouthe why I say thus I dyd it not bycause of ambicion and for couetousnes of glorie but it was bicause I fere y e humain malice At the day of the triumph there was not so greate ioy shewed by the symple persons but the hyd enuy was greatter among the greattest persons This glory passeth in one day but enuy abydeth a hole yere The plentifulle realme of Egipt so happy in the blodshed of their enmies as in the waters of Nyle hadde a lawe immouable They neuer denyed theyr mercy to the captiues ouercome nor they gaue no triumph to theyr capitaynes ouercomers ¶ The Caldees mocke at the Romayne triumphes affirmyng how there is not gyuen so great chastisement to the capitayne of Egipte ouercome as the empire Romayne gyue to the ouercomer whan tryumphe is gyuen to hym And surely the reason is good for the thoughtefull capytayne whanne he hathe chased his ennemyes that Rome hath in straunge londes with his owne propre speare in payement for his trauayle they gyue him ennemyes in his owne propre lande I swere to you that all the Romaine capitaynes haue not lefte so many enmyes deed by swerd as they haue recouered ylle wyllars the daye of theyr tryumphes Let vs leaue the Caldees and speake we of our auncient Romaynes whiche if they myghte retorne nowe agayne in to the worlde they wolde rather be tyed faste to the chariottes as captiues than to syt in them as vyctours And the cause is theyr neighbours seinge them goinge as captiues wolde moue theyr hartes to set theym at liberte so that the glorie of theyr tryumphes is a meane to cause them to be persecuted and pursued I haue redde in writyng and herd of my predecessours and haue seene of my neighbours that the aboundaunce of felicitie hathe caused cruel enuie to be in many O in what peril are they that with particuler honor wold be exalted among other In the moste higheste trees the force of wyndes is mooste aduaunced And in most sumptuous buildynges lyghteninge and thunder doothe mooste hurte and in greatte thycke and drye busshes the fyers kendle mooste easelye I say that in them that fortune hath reysed most hyghly agaynst them spredeth the greattest poyson of enuye All suche as be vertuous say The mo ennemies they subdue to the common welthe the moo enuious they recouer of their renoume One ought to haue great compassion of a vertuous manne bycause where he trauaileth to be good there abydeth one thynge in hym of the whiche all onely at the deth he seeth the ende And that is the more a man recouereth here renoume amonge straungers the more he is persecuted with enuy amonge his owne nations Homer shewethe in his Illiades that Caluitio kynge of the Argiues was expert in clergie valiant in armes and indued with dyuers graces beloued with his people aboue al other he was a great louer of his goddis and worshypper of them This good kynge had a custome that in all thynges that he had to do he wolde fyrste aske counsayle in the temples of the goddes he wolde begynne no warre agaynste other nor ordeyne no newe lawe nor custome in his realme nor gyue aunswere to the ambassadours nor put no trespasours to death nor set no tribute on his people but first he wolde go to the temple and make dyuers sacrifices to knowe the wyll of the goddes And bycause he went so often to the oracles he was demaunded what answere the goddis made to hym in secrete seinge he was so importunate Then he answered and sayde I demand of the goddes that they shulde not gyue me so lyttell that euery man myght abate and ouercome me Nor also that they shulde gyue me so moche that euery manne shoulde hate me but my desyre is to haue a meane estate wherewith euery manne myghte loue me For I hadde leuer be felowe with many in loue than to be kynge of all with hatred and enuy ¶ Of the great reproche that the emperour gaue to his wyfe Faustyne and her doughter Capitu. xxxvi AFter the feastes of the triumphe afore sayde this good emperour wyllynge to satysfye his harte and to aduertise Faustine his wyfe and to teche his innocēt doughter without knowledge of any other he sent for them and sayde I am not contēt Faustine with that your doughter doth and yet lesse with that you do which ar her mother These maidens for to be good maydens oughte well to knowe howe to obey theyr
yll wyll haue not so moche power ouer his lyfe as ye haue vpon his renoume Therfore if he be awaked by his enmies straungers moche rather he ought to be awaked amonge his domesticall frendes One thynge I commaunde as to my seruantes and I desyre you as my frendes that ye shewe not your selfe so priuie openly as ye be in secrete to thentente that some seme not as natural sonnes and other as hired seruantes He that is vertuous ought to haue great regarde to the profyte of his lorde secretely and to be meke of conuersation with euery man openly els his priuetie wyll not lōge endure and the hate of the prince with the people wyl increace Oftentymes I haue redde of our predecessours and I haue sene it in the present Romaynes whan many holde with one that one holdeth but lyttell with dyuers and lesse with many the which kepeth their wylles as far of as the persons be nigh And sith the ylnes of the time and vnstablenes of fortune neuer leauethe any thynge in one case but all is as in maner of a dreame the most sure purchase is to flee fro peril for then whā the princes haue passed their pleasures entermedled in trauayles they serche for many and fynde not one Therof cometh that one present for feare wyll withdrawe hym and an other out of fauour and absente wyll not come I wyll shewe you one thynge the whiche you shal alway putte in my sonnes memorie They that in our trauayles haue determyned of a long season to apply them we ought to wynne theyr good wylles The wyly labourer in one yere laboureth to gette cornes togyther and in an other yere he soweth and gadereth Be not to presumptuous for the presumption of an auncient prince fordoth the auctoritie of the yonge prince yet for all this dispaire nor rebuke hym not to moche For the lacke of maners in the state of a lorde engendreth vnshamefastnes in hym and boldnes to the seruant I haue lefte in my testament the prince Comodus for your sonne and you for his fathers But I wyll and commande that euery man knowlege him to be their lorde and to be at his commaundemente And ye my other seruantes and subiectes to be in his obedience and in all his highe besynesses to be wel guyded as his frēdes and louers Iustice ought to be sene to by wise oratours accordynge to the opinion of you that be his gouernours And alway the determination to be doone by the prince whiche is lorde of all One counsell I wyll gyue you and if you finde it yll blame me afore the goddis wherby the empire of my sonne shall be stable and permanent in Rome and your priuetie sure in his house if your counselles be moued by reason and his wyll ruled by your counsels I desyre soore that ye be not couetous and therfore I haue gyuen you dyuers gyftes and thankes in my lyfe to take couetousnes frome you afore my dethe It were a monstrous thyng and very dredfull that suche as oughte to refrayne couetyse fro straungers to haue their owne handes open for their owne propre lucres The vertuous priue men ought not to doo all the yl that they may nor to desire all that they may atteyn vnto to the intente that the prince gyue theym soo moche goodis for the profite of their howses as peyne and enuy of the people to their persones And as in meane shyppes men scape best in a meane see sooner than in great carrackes in the wawes of the rorynge and impituous sees in lykewise suche as be in meane estate among them that be but meanly enuious lyue more surely than such as are set in high estate and priuitie beyng ryche to be passioned amonge ennemies that disdainfully wold put them vnder It is a notable rule amonge wyse men and an infallible experience amonge them that be good and I thynke that by herynge therof the yll shall knowlege it The glorie of one amonge great men maketh stryfe suspection in them that be egall and enuy amonge them that be meane One thinge that they that gouerne well ought to haue is lyberalitie The lesse ye be couetous the more ye shalbe liberall For with the rage of couetousnes the ryght of iustice is mynished It is longe tyme syth I determined to gyue you the gouernynge of thempire and the nourishynge of my sonne And to haue prouided to haue giuen you largely of my goodes to put the couetynge of other mens goodes from you I warrant you one thinge if couetousnes be amonge you and be enuyed of your neyghbours you shall lyue in peyne and your hartes shall be peyned with other mens besynesses and your myndes shall be euer in suspecte Than shal ye folowe the Iustice of other where as ye shal se your owne propre welth One coūsel finally I wyl gyue you which I haue taken alway my selfe Neuer commytte your honours to the myshappes of fortune nor neuer offre your selfe to peryll with hope of remedy For suspecious fortune kepeth alwayes her gates wyde open for peryl and her walles ben high her wyckettes narow to fynde any remedy And bycause I fele my selfe sore trauayled I pray you suffre me to rest a lyttell ¶ How themperour at the houre of his death sent for his sonne and declared to him who shulde gouerne the Empire cap. xliiii THus a great parte of the night passed and the day began to breake and the life of this good emperour began faste to drawe to an ende yet for all that he left not the remembrance of such thynges as shulde be ordered after his death There were that tyme in the warre with him diuers right excellēt men senatours of Rome and in al thinges he shewed him selfe right wise specially he wold neuer haue any vicious person in his house He hadde euer in his company .l. gentilmen knyghtes and in eche of them he might haue put trust to gouerne Rome Oftentymes this good emperour wolde say that princis lyued more surely with the gadryng to them men of good lyuyng conuersation thā with tresure of money stuffed in theyr chestes Vnhappy is y t prince that estemeth hym selfe happy to haue his coffres ful of tresure and his councell full of men of yl lyuyng These malicious and yll men make princes poore and a perfyte man suffiseth to make a holle realme ryche Surely this emperour sayde well For we do se daily that what the father hath gotten in fiftye yeres the son lesethe in halfe a yere Than chusinge amonge many a fewe and of fewe to take the best this emperour appoynted out .vi. notable barons Thre of thē to be maisters of his son .iii. to be gouernours of thempire One was called Partinax whiche after was emperour an other was called Pompeiano husbād to his doughter as sure in coūcell as he was aged in yeres The .iii. Gneo Patrocle of the ancient stock of the Pompeies whiche was no lesse clene in this
malady of enuy wyll not suffre theym to scape fro dethe and the medicine that is applyed to them wyll not assure their lyfe I can not determine me whiche is the beste or to saye more properly the worste extreme myserie without the danger of fortune or extreme prosperitie that is always thretened to falle In this case to be so extreme I wyl not determin me sith in the one is a perillous lyfe and in the other renoume is sure ¶ I shall tell the what wise Cicero sayde whan he was pursued with many at Rome Beholde you Romaines I holde you not for so good nor my selfe so ylle to saye the trouth always nor always to make lyes I am certayne that ye bere me none enuie for that I am not as ye be but it is bycause ye can not be as I am In this case I had rather that my ennemies had enuye at my prosperitie than my frendes at my pouertie ¶ This oratour spake after the appetite of them that be in prosperitie leuynge to gyue remedy to them that be sorowfull And after this Cicero had sene the feldes of Farsalye he toke other councell and remedy suche as pleased hym in Rome For if Cesar had granted him his goodes yet y t turned not his credence and renoume Surely frend PyramoÌ„ I know no remedy to gyue the ageinst enuy sith thou seest al the world ful therof we se how we be the sons of enuy and we liue with enuy die with enuy he that leueth most ryches leaueth the greatest enuy The ancient wise men couÌ„sailed rich men that they shuld not haue pore folkes nere them and they admonished the pore that they shuld nat dwell nere to the rych And truly it is good reason For the richesse of riche men is the sede of enuy to the poore And bycause the pore maÌ„ lacketh and the riche hath to moche causeth discorde among the people I swere by y e goddis immortal freÌ„de Pyramon though they that be yl wolde that I shuld swere falsely as moche as riches with thought norisheth couetise so moch the enuious norisheth enuy therby I tell the one thynge and that is that it is no good counsell to flee enuy and to auoyde the vertu coÌ„trarye to the same Homer saithe y t in his tyme there were two Grekes extreme in all extremities The one was extreme in riches therfore he was ê‘secuted by enuy that was Achilles the other was sore noted of malice but no man had enuy at hym and that was Thiestes Certaynly I had leuer be Achilles with his enuy thaÌ„ Thiestes without it Thou knowest well that we Romaynes serche not but for reste in our lyfe and for honour after deathe And sithe it is so it is not possible but the man that euery man enuieth his renoume ought to be exalted in the rest of his lyfe And sithe I see these two thynges in the suche as be thy frendes taketh lyttell thought for that thyn ennemies murmure ageinste the. Thou wrytest to me howe they of Lyons doo well and are mery excepte thy selfe that arte heuy and full of pensyuenesse And sith they shewe not to haue pleasure at thy displeasure shewe not thy selfe dyspleased with their pleasure For it maye chaunce one day they shall be sorowfull whan that thou art merye Than thou shalt be quite with them In an euyll persone there can be no greatter yll nor in a good man a greatter faute than to be displeased with an other mans welthe and to take pleasure at an other mans harme And in case that al do vs domage with enuy yet moche more a frende than the enemy For of myn enmy I wyl beware and for feare he wyll withdrawe but a frende with his amitie may begyle me and I by my fidelitie shal not perceyue Amonge all mortall ennemies there is none wors than a frend that is enuyous of my felicitie Pyramon my frende I wylle conclude if thou wylt withdrawe thy selfe fro ennemies than kepe company with thyn owne familiar frendes I wote not what to write more to the but with all my harte I lamente thy heuynesse Thou knowest howe thy nyece Brusia was slayne with a dagger by her owne husbande I had great compassion for her deth and for the renoume that she lefte behynde her Flauius Priscus thyn vncle is newely made Censure The processe betwene thy brother Fornion and Britio is determyned by the senate and hit pleaseth me ryghte well that they be frendes and euerye man well content The boke intytuled the consolation of heuynes I haue ended and layde it in the capitol I haue writen it in Greke and that is the cause that I sent it not to the. But I do sende the a ryche swerde and a fayre gyrdell Faustine my wyfe dothe salute the and sendethe thy wyfe two sclaues The goddis be my kepers and comfort the in thy present heuynesse Marke the man fortunate to Pyramon sore discomforted ¶ A letter sent by Marcus the emperour to Cornelius of the trauayle of warre and vanitie of triumph ¶ The seconde Letter MArcke emperour of Rome to the Cornelius my faythfulle frende salutation to thy person and good fortune to thy desired lyfe As thou in tyme passed haste bene partener of my trauayles I haue sente to calle the to gyue the pleasure of my tryumphes By the haboundance of rychesse diuersitie of captiues fiersnes of capitayns that we haue brought to Rome thou mayst perceyue what peryls we haue suffred in this warre The parthes are good men of warre as euery man findeth in their own lande defendeth their houses with stronge hart and surely they do lyke good men For without reason we dye of affection to take other mens goodes they with reason do labour to defende that is their owne Lette no man take enuy at the Romayn capitayn for any triumph that is gyuen him by his mother Rome For one day of honour he is a. M. dayes in dispaire of his lyfe I wylle not speake that I myght say of them that be in warre and dwell in Rome ben cruell iuges of their owne fame And sith that the ê“pre renome of a man lyeth in other folkes tonges it is not sayde bycause his persone hath meryted but bycause that they doo shewe theyr enuye But our foolyshenes is so folyshe and the reputation of men soo vayne that for one vayne worde more than for our profytte we put our lyfe in daunger and lay our honour to gauge with trauayle rather than to lyue and to assure our renoume with reste I swere by the goddis immortall that the daye of my tryumph being in the chariot I was as pensiue as I myght be O Rome cursed be thy foly wo be to hym that hath brought vp in the soo moche pride And cursed be he that hath inuented so great pompe in the. What greatter or more vnegall lyghtnes can be than that a Romayne capitayn bicause he hath
a sure lyfe ye wyll committe your selfe to the chaunces of fortune and where as other haue necessitie of you ye put your selfe to be in the necessitie of other And thoughe the prince make no warre he shuld not suffre his people to warre Euery manne ought to leaue the warre Frend Cornelius I demaund of the whether is more trauaylle to his persone or domage to his realme a kynges ennemies orels his owne armie His ennemies robbe on the costes but our men robbe all the londe The enmyes maye be resisted but we dare not speake to our owne men The ennemies enuade vs on one day and recule backe ageyn but our garisons robbe daily and abyde styll The strangers haue some feare but ours are shameles and at the last the farther that our ennemies goo the more they waxe liberall and our armies of men euery daye encrease in crueltie in suche wyse that they offend the goddis and be importunate to theyr princes and noyful to the people lyuynge to the domage of euery man and be vnprofytable to al men By the god Mars I swere to the and as I maye be holpen in the warres that I gouerne with my hande I haue mo complayntes dayly from the senate on the capitaynes that ben in Illyrike than on all the ennemies of the Romayne people I haue more feare in mainteynynge one standarde of a hundred menne than to giue battaylle to .l. M. ennemies For the goddis and fortune dispatche a battayle in an houre be it good or badde but with these other I can do nothyng in al my lyfe Thus it hath ben my frende Cornelius and thus it is and thus it shall be Thus I founde it thus I holde it and thus I shall leaue it Our fathers dyd inuente it and we susteyne it that be their chyldren and for ylle it shal abyde to our heires I say to the one thyng and I thynke I am not deceyued therin To endure so great domage and to no profitte of the people I thinke it a great foly in man or els a great punishement of the goddis Be the goddis soo iuste in all iustice and so true in all veritie that they wyll suffre vs without reason to do yl in strange landes to whom we dydde neuer good and in our owne howses to haue shrewde tournes of them to whom we haue alwaye done good These thynges frende Cornelius I haue writen to the not bycause I thynke it nedefull that thou shuldeste knowe it but my spirite resteth in shewyng of it Panutius my secretatrie went to visite this land and on the way I gaue him this letter and I do send to the two horses I thynke they be good The armour and iewels that I won on the Parthes I haue departed them Howe be it I sēde the a chariot of theym My wyfe Faustyne salutethe the and sendeth to thy wife a riche glasse and an ouche of precious stones to thy doughter I beseche the goddis to giue the good lyfe and me a good death Marcus thy loue writeth to the Cornelius his frend ¶ To Torcates beinge at Gayette in consolation of his banysshement ¶ The .iii. letter MArke of mount Celio companion of the empire to the Torcate beinge at Gayette patricien Romain salute to thy person and vertue and force against aduers fortune It is a thre monthes sythe I receiued thy letter the whiche myn eies myght not make an ende to rede nor my handes to answere I am so heuy for thy heuinesse so peinfull for thy peyn and so hurt with thy wounde that where as thou wepest with thyn eies outwardely I weepe with my harte inwardly I wote what difference is betwene the tree and the croppe and the dreme fro the trouthe I here of thy trauayles by straunge persons and I fele them in myn owne person But where as true frendes be the peynes are in cōmen The greate infortunes ought to be suffred for one thynge bycause they declare who ar the true frendes I knowe by thy letter howe thou arte banyshed from Rome and all thy goodes confyscate and that for pure heuynes thou arte sycke in thy body I wolde go se the and counsayle thy person bycause that thou myghtest see with what harte and wyll I doo wepe for thy mysaduenture But if thou take me for thy trewe frende beleue me as I beleue the that is howe moche I feele thy mysaduenture Of trouthe as thou art banyshed bodyly soo am I banysshed inwardely in my harte And yf thy goodes or substaunce be taken away fro the I am robbed of a good frende and companyon And yf thou lackeste thy frendes I am abydynge amonge myn enmies Though I might remedy by workynge of my power thy banyshment yet I wyl counsaile thy spirite with certain wordis If I be not forgetfull I neuer sawe the contente in this lyfe bycause thou were euer besye in thy prosperitie and wery of any aduersitie And as nowe I se the dispayre as though thou were but new come into this worlde I haue knowen the this .xxxii. yeres in great ioy and nowe thou complaynest of .vi. monethes that fortune hathe tourned her whele O Torcate nowe thou mayst knowe that vertuous men feare more two dayes of prosperitie than two hundred of aduerse fortune O howe manye menne and howe manye ryche cities haue thou and I sene slyppe fro their prosperities throughe their vycyous lyuynge and straunge enmities In suche wise that theyr vaynglorye and slypper prosperitie endured but two dayes and the hurtes and losse that they haue hadde and the cruell and extreme enmities the whiche also that they haue wonne lasteth to this daye in their heires Contrarye wyse we see some set in the height of tribulations the whiche haue escaped by castynge away vyces clothynge them with vertues wery of euyll warkes folowynge goodnes beinge frendes to all and ennemies to none What wylte thou that I shulde say more They that are happye are ouercome in peace and they that are vnhappy do ouercomme other in warre Therfore my frende Torcate it semeth to me no lesse necessite to gyue good counsayle than to prosper with great prosperitie to remedy them that are in gret heuynesse For as wery are they that go the playn way as they that costeth the hyghe mountaynes By thy letter I perceiue that what tyme thou hopedst to haue ben in most quietnes and rest this yll fortune and chaunce fell on the. Be nat abashed therof For thoughe that all newe chaunces causeth newe thoughtes presently yet therby cometh more cause of stedfastnes in tyme to come Certaynly the tree beareth not so moche fruite there as it springeth first as it dothe whan it is newe set in an other place And all good smelles are more odoriferous if they be wel medled and chaufed togyther I pray the tell me abydynge in the worlde beinge a chylde of the same and louing the world what hopest thou to haue of the worlde but worldly thinges the worlde shall always
that scaped fro many perylles by see and by lande and yet dyed betwene his lēmans armes Laomedon peryshed not vnder Troy but was slayne in his howse Greate Alexander dyed not in makynge warre ouer all the erthe but he ended with a lyttell poyson The couragious Caius Cesar saued hym selfe in .lii. battayles and after in the senate was slayne with .xxxii. strokes of penknyues Asclipio brother of Pompeie peryshed not flotynge .xxii. yere vppon the see but he was drowned after in drawynge water at a welle Tenne capitains that Scipio had with him in Affrike that vanquyshed many harde batayles as they were mockyng on a brydge they fel fro the bridge and were drowned Good Drusio that had ouercome the Parthes the day of his triumph goyng to his charyot there felle a tyle that claue asonder his heed soo that vayneglorie was the ende of his good lyfe What shuld I tel the more Thou knowest well that Lucye my syster hauyng a nedel on her bosom playenge with her chylde betwene her armes the chylde with his hande hytte the nedell suche a stroke into her bodye that he slewe his mother Gneo Ruffyn the consulle sente ageinst the Germayns of our tyme was soo valyaunte in armes that none of our predecessours surmounted hym yet he kembynge his olde whyte heares one of the teethe of the combe entred into his heed wherby grewe an ympostume by occasion wherof he ended his honorable lyfe for soo smalle a case Howe semethe the Domitius As I do tell the of so small a nombre I coude recyte infinite exāples What mysfortunes fell after good fortunes What mischaunce after great glorie what mysaduenture after great happe what greatte euyll they take of theyr deathe after the begynnynge of greatte welthe in the lyfe I beinge as they knowe not what to desire but they beinge as I am wyl rather chuse the labourous and honourable deathe than an yll death and an honourable lyfe To my semynge he that wyll be a man amonge men and not a beaste amonge bestes ought to trauayle sore to lyue well and moche more to dye better For at the fynall ende an yll dethe putteth great doubte of the good lyfe and the good dethe excuseth the yll lyfe I haue written to the at the begynnynge of my letter that by reason of the humydities the gowte greuethe me ylle But to satisfie thy desire I wolde fayne write with my hande more at lengthe Two daies the loue that I bare to the hathe faught with the peine that I endure My wille wolde write but my fyngers can not holde my penne The remedy is sithe I maye not as I wold that thou wylte take as thine owne that I maye do as myne owne dede Faustine my wife saluteth the who by reasonne of my diseases is halfe ylle at ease It is shewed her that thou haste greatte peyne of a hurte of thy face she hathe sente the a boxe with baume that thy hurte shal not appere in thy visage If thou canst fynde any grene almondes or new nuttis Faustine prayeth the to sende her some by this bearer I haue but lyttel store of money therfore I sende the a gowne and thy wyfe a kyrtell No more but I pray the goddis to giue the that I desire for the and to giue me that thou desireste for me And beside that I do write to the with my hande I gyue to the myne owne propre harte A letter sente fro the emperour to Claudius and Claudyne his wyfe bycause they being olde lyued as yonge persons ¶ The .v. letter MArcke of mount Celio to the Claudius and Cladine husbande and wyfe dwellynge in my warde I desyre helthe sendynge you this letter The trouthe is bycause ye are my frendes vnder my charge I enquire of them that come fro you of your estates and by theym that goo to you I sende recommendations to you bothe yf ye haue my good wyll demaunde hit of your hartes And if in your stomacke ye repute and take me but as a suspecious frende thanne I thynke my selfe euen cleane condempned The cruelle forgetfulnesse the whiche may be causex of myne absence peraduenture banysheth the good dedes that ye haue receyued of my personne If in any thynge I haue entreated you with lyes than I require that ye entreate me nothyng with trouth But if I haue bene alwayes your good neyghbour and frende yf ye haue any nede of myne honour thanne be to me as good Gayo Furion my frende as well as your parent passynge this waye to Alexandrye hathe shewed me many thinges the whiche were done in Rome amonge other he shewed me one thynge that caused me to laugh whan I hard it and yet it was ryght greuous to me whā I thought theron Somme thynges we take sodeynly in sporte and mockerie the whiche afterwarde well considered maketh vs verye sorye He shewed me howe that ye seme to euery man right auncient and very yonge in your doinge for you aray your selfe dayly with newe apparel ▪ as ye shulde go to weddynges and where as men do honour you as ancient persons ye shewe your selfe wanton and whan folke renne to se gewgawes ye ar not the laste There is no lyghtnes in Rome but it is regestred in your house Thus ye gyue your selfe to pleasures as they that thynke neuer to haue displeasure And fynally whanne ye shulde lyfte vp your handes ye entre newely into the wages of the worlde Truely my neyghbours and frendes to speake with dewe reuerence I am asshamed of your vnshamefastnes and am no lesse sory for your fautes There be dyuers greuous faultes that are made lyghte by the honeste withdrawynge of them And some other that are but smal fautes and fyndyng no ways to leaue them are estemed very great By all the goddis I can fynde none occasion howfor to excuse your euylles but I see inowe wherwith to condempne theym Wherfore pardon me yf that I seme vnhoneste to speake so moche whan ye be not honeste in your lyuynge In good sothe I denaye not but that thou Claudius haste bene ryght free and lyberalle of thy person and thou Claudine ryght fayre of vysage and many persons for the beautie of thy forhed haue ben curious to haue had the to wife but I wold wit of the youth of y e one beautie of the other in vsyng all your liues in vanitie what goodly trinkettes ye hope to were in the straitnes of the Sepulchre O great foles ye and foles ageyn Do you not knowe yet that the tyme fleeth with mouyng of wynges The lyfe trauayleth on her way without lyftynge of her fete fortune stretcheth her without styrryng her armes the worlde voydeth it selfe sayenge nothyng the fleshe consumeth without felynge and our glorye passeth as it neuer had ben and fynally dethe assayleth vs er euer he knocke at the gate Certaynely it is impossible for to make synewes of blode of veynes to make bones of a craggy rocke a plaine way
souerayne folye to be borne wepynge to dye syghynge and to lyue laughynge The rule to gouerne all partes ought to be egall O Cincinate who hath begyled the that for a potte full of water thou haste nede of a greatte laake of this world to passe this wretched lyfe Wylt thou flay away the skynne of thy handes with the corde of thoughtes breake thy body in bataylle with great trauayle and aduenture thyne honour for one potte of water What wylte thou more that I shulde say but that to fyl a potte of thy goodes thou wylt suffre a. M. perylles And in the vyle exercysing of thy marchandyse thou doubtest not for lesynge of thy credence And fynally I sweare to the thou shalt abyde deed for thurste as thoughe there were no water in the feldes If thou wylt do by my counsell desyre deathe of the goddis to reste the as an aged wyse man and demaunde not rychesse to lyue yll as a yonge foole I haue soore wepte for many that I haue sene in Rome departed oute of this worlde and for the I haue wepte droppes of blode to se the retourne newly vylely to the worlde My amitie and the credite of the senate the bloude of thy predecessours the auctoritie of thy person and the honour of the countreye oughte to refrayne thy couetousnesse Oh frende thy whyte heares sheweth honour and wysedome the whiche shuld exercise and be occupied in noble dedes Regarde It auayleth more to folowe reason by the ways of them that be good than the cōmon opinyon whiche is the large way of them that be yll For though the one be strayte for the fete it reiseth no duste for to blynde the eies as the other dothe to lyghte younge persons the whyche procure lyghtnesse ignoraunce excuseth them but the disordinate couetyse of the olde persones causeth theym to occupie their lyfe with trauayle and to take deathe with great annoyaunce and in the one as welle as in the other abydeth great infamy O Cyncinate take this counsayle of a frende Charge not thy selfe with takynge of these vayne goodes syth thou haste soo smalle a morselle of thy lyfe For suche as thou arte we see consume and waste and not to quicken Put no trust in frendes in the present prosperitie for it is a pronostication of an euyll fortune And sythe thou arte in a hasarde lyke a foole me thynke thou oughtest to discende a foote lyke a sage person And thus euery man wyll saye howe Cincinate is discended and not fallen I wyll say no more but the goddis be thy sauegarde and defende bothe the and me frome gylefulle fortune My wyfe Faustyne saluteth the and she is withdrawen frome me bycause I wrote this letter to the and hathe coniured me to write this worde to the that is she saythe thou oughtest to haue wytte whan thy necke is full of heare and I thynke thou oughteste in continente to take a barber shaue away the heare that thy wytte maye come forth I wold thy couetyse shuld forsake the and foly Faustin and the gowte me and the soner our soules may departe fro our fleshe than gile shuld remayne in our hartes Marc of mount Celio writeth this with his hande ¶ A letter sente fro Marc the emperour to Catulus censorious that was sorowfull for the deth of his sonne Verissimus The .viii. letter MArc censore newe and yonge salute and reuerence to the Catulus censorius olde and auncient I haue writen two letters to the thou haste made aunswere to none of them If it be bycause thou couldest not I holde my peace If it be bycause thou woldest not than I complayne me If it be for forgetfulnes thā I accuse the If it be bycause thou setteste lyttelle by me than I appeale the If thou haste dreamed that thou haste wrytten I saye beleue not in dreames And if thou wylte not it shulde vayle to glorifie me as a frende yet thou mightest take it write in aduertisinge repreuynge as the father to the son Yong vertuous persons are bounde to honour aunciente wise men no lesse old wyse men ought to endoctrine the yong people and very yonge as I am A iuste thynge it is that the new forces of youth supply serue them that are worne by age For theyr longe experience mocketh our tender age natural ignorance youth is yl applied when it surmōteth the force of the body faylleth the vertues of the soule age is honored wherin the force dyeth outwarde wherby vertues quickneth the more inward we may se the tre whē the fruite is gadered the leues fal and whan flowers dry than more grene and perfyte are the rotes I meane that whan the first season of youth is passed which is the Somer tyme than cometh aege called wynter and putrifieth the fruite of the fleshe and the leaues of fauour falle and the floures of delyte are wyddered and the vynes of hope dried outwarde than it is right that moche better the rotes of good workes within be good They that be old and auncient ought to prayse theyr good werkes rather than theyr white heares For honour ought to be gyuen for the good lyfe and not for the whyte heade Glorious is that common welthe and fortunate is that prince that is lord of yonge men to trauayle and ancient persons to counsel As to regarde the susteynyng of the naturalitie of the life in lykewise ought to be consydered the polycie of gouernaunce the whiche is that al the fruites come nor drie not al at ones but whan one beginneth an other fayleth And in this maner ye that be auncient teachynge vs and we obedient as olde fathers and yonge pullettes beynge in the neste of the senate Of some their fethers fallyng and other yonge fethered and where as the olde fathers can not flye their trauaylles are maynteyned by theyr tender chyldren Frende Catulus I purposed not to write one lyne this yere bycause my penne was troubled with thy slouthe but the smallenesse of my spirite and the greatte peryll of myn offices always called on me to demande thy counsell This priuilege the olde wyse men holde in their houses where they dwelle They are alwayes lordes ouer them that be symple and are sclaues to them that be wyse I thynke thou haste forgotten me thynkynge that sythe the dethe of my dere sonne Verissimus the tyme hath ben so longe that I shulde forgette it Thou hast occasion to thynke so for many thynges renneth in tyme that reason can not helpe But in this case I can not tel whiche is the greattest thy trumperie or my dolour I sweare to the by the goddis immortall that the hungry wormes in the entrayles of the vnhappy chylde are not so puisante as are the cruell dolours in the harte of the father sore wounded And it is no comparison for the son is ded but one tyme ▪ y e heuy father dieth euery moment What wilt thou more
agayn into the field of defiance We vnbend and thou wylt spend thy speres Thou neuer camest into the fielde and yet thou woldeste enioy the tryumph Al be stopped and thou woldest passe surely Thou yeldest thy selfe to fortune and doest thou not knowe how she beteth downe the high wals and defendeth the old roten houses and peopleth where there lacketh people and vnpeopleth where as peple be Of enimies she maketh frēdes and of frendes enmies and dispoileth the vāquishers and crowneh them that be ouercom Of traitours she maketh true men and trewe menne she maketh suspecte persons And fynally fortune is suche a maystresse that she ruleth realmes ouercommeth armies beateth downe kinges exalteth tyrantes to the deed she gyueth lyfe and to some renoume and to some shame Why styckest thou to her Doest thou not remembre the worde that the kyng of the Lacedemoniens hadde at his gate sayenge This house is at the puttynge downe of fortune In good sothe these were hyghe wordes and of greatte vnderstandyng he knewe fortune moche better than thou sith he rekeneth his house at fortunes disposition and not for enheritance And if he hadde loste any thynge as thou haste doone he thoughte that she restored it to other as theyrs and had not taken his Reason holdeth confidence to argue thy treason by that she deposeth the fro thy heyghte to be an heriter for he that lyueth heryteth deathe and not death the lyfe for all dyeth and it heryteth al in theyr lyfe Wilt thou take vengeance of that hath giuen the so moch pein Therfore take this councel be frende to fortunes enmye the whiche is the graue Ouer them that be borne and not ouer them that dye is her empyre O howe many greatte lordes haue ben the thoughtes of thy harte soo as many wormes shall be in thyn entrayles What greatter victory may be thanne she that ouercometh all lyuers shall be vanquyshed of the alonely by dethe I saye one thynge to the that all onely he that is closed in his graue is assured of all thynges of this lyfe Thy messager shewed me that this sommer thou woldest come to Rome and nowe that it is wynter thou wylte sayle into Alexandrye O my frende Mercurio whan thy lyfe draweth to an ende thou beginnest to be auaritious Thou shalt fynde two cities in this worlde in two extremytes Rome the heed of vice and Alexaundry the ende of all vertues I say of thy merchaundyse in Rome thou doost charge thy body with vices and in Alexaundrye thy harte with thoughtes I swere by the othe of a iuste man that thou shalte haue more desyre of that thou leauest then contentation of that thou beareste away Thou remembrest not howe it is wynter and thou must passe the see but if the pylotes lye to me the caulme season most sure is the vigil of the more vnfortune Thou wylt saye thy shyppes be voyde and therfore they shal go more surely I beleue they shal go more charged with auarice thanne they shall come with sylke O what a good chaunge shal it be if the auarice of Italy myght be changed for sylke of Alexandry I knowe surely theyr sylke wil lade a shyppe and our auarice wyl lade a hole flete Great is that couetyse whiche the shame of the worlde dothe not repreue nor the feare of death stoppe nor reason appoint I say it bycause that he which in such a tyme offreth him selfe to peryl eyther couetise surmounteth hym orels vnderstandynge fayleth hym And bycause I can finde none other excuse sufficient to excuse me to the but that thou art as moche knowen by the see as vnknowen to the goddis that is the vnstable wawes knowe the wicked harte and vnrestefull and the harde rockes vnruly menne and one wind knoweth an other wynde I pray the shewe me what thou wylte go serche Wylt thou go into the gulfe of Arpino for to seke thy leade Than take hede and thynke how the fyshe hath eaten thy harde leade and let them not eate thy softe fleshe Thou wylt peraduenture go seke thy goodes with peryll of thy lyfe and to leaue renowme at thy deth Knowest thou not that suche renoume is a salue for a rewme a baume for a swowning lyght to a blynde personne a nyghtingale to the deafe I wyll discouer the enbushment er thou falle therin Thou sekeste thoughte for thy selfe enuye for thy neyghbours spurres for thyn enemies wakynge for theues peryll for thy body damnation for thy renome the endynge of they life flighte for thy frendes processe for thy chyldren and cursynge for thyn heires And bycause the feuer hasteth toward me I leaue my penne to write any more My wyfe Faustine saluteth the and is sore displeased for thy losse I sende the a prouision to the entent that a shippe may be gyuen the bycause thou shuldest not lose thy wytte If thou be in Alexandrie returne not by Rhodes leaste the Pyrates take the. The goddis be thy saufgarde and send me and other good life and good name with straungers ¶ A letter sent by Marc the emperour to Antigonus comfortyng hym in a sorowfull case ¶ The tenthe letter MArke pretour Romayne Edile Censorine cōpanyon of the empire to the Antigonus banyshed sendeth greting to thy part and good hope of the senate To me beinge in Champain thy heuy case was shewed and at this houre in the temple of Iupiter was thy pitieful letter deliuered to me I fele as moche as thou feleste and am hurte with as many woūdes As thou art separate fro thy neighbours so in likewise I am banished frō my wittes and I wepe at this howre for the as thou in my trauayles haste wepte for me and nowe I fele for the as thou haste felte for me For to frendes afflicted with sorowe we oughte to gyue remedy to their persones and consolation and compassion to their hartes I swere to the by the lawe of good men in this case I haue not ben vncourteys of aunciente tyme nor cruell at this tyme to feele it As I redde the lynes of thy letter I coude not holde my handes from shakynge nor my harte from syghyng nor myn eyen fro wepyng to se the small thing that thou sendest to demaunde and moche more for lacke of power to sende to the. The greattest infortune of all infortunes is whan a man may do lyttell and wolde do moche And the greattest fortune of all fortunes is whan a man may do moche and wylle doo but lyttell In this I wyll se if thou hast forgoten our amitie and aduenturest at one tyme that I haue trusted in the dyuers times Thou knowest wel that in the young dais of my youth al thinges were discharged fro my hart and charged them to thyne vnderstandynge Than it is a iuste thyng that thy trauayles shuld be discharged fro thy wyll and charged vpon my hart And in this maner thou and other shall see and here that my handes shalbe as redy to remedy the as my
and yet without comparison my greattest grefe is whan my losse may be remedied and he that may wyll not and he that wyll can not remedy it O ye cruell Romaynes if the sorowes all onely shulde be reduced to memory that we suffre my tonge shulde be wery and all my membres faynte and myne eyes shoulde wepe bluddy teares my fleshe wold consume This in my laÌ„de maye be sene with eies harde with eares and felte in propre persone Certaynly my harte departeth and my soule is troubled myn entrayles breake And I beleue yet the goddis wyll haue compassiion I wylle desire you to take my wordes for sclaunder For ye Romaynes if ye be Romayns ye may well see that the trouble that we haue cometh by men and amonge men and with men and by the handes of men Than it is no meruayle though men fele it as men One thynge comforteth me and dyuers tymes amonge other that be vnfortunate it cometh to such purpose the whiche is I thinke the goddis be so ryghtwise that their fierce and cruell chastisementes come not but by our owne cruell shrewdnes our secrete sinnes awaketh vs so that we haue open iustyce But of one thynge I am sore troubled bicause the goddis can not be conteÌ„ted For a good person for a lyttel faut is greatly chastised and he that is yl for many fautes is not punished at al. So thus the goddis forbeare some some haue no mercy Thus it semeth that the goddis wyl turment vs by the handes of suche men as greue vs extremely So that if there were any iustyce in the worlde whan they chastise vs with their handes we shoulde not merite to haue our heedes on the shulders Therfore I say to you ye Romayns and swere by the immortal goddis that in .xv. days that I haue ben in Rome I haue seene suche dedes done in your senate y t if the leest dede of them had ben done at Danubie the galowes gibettes had ben hanged thycker of theues than the vineyard with grapes and reysons And sith y t my desire hath sene that it desireth my harte is at reste in spredynge abrode the poyson that was in it If my tonge hath offended you in any thing I am here redy to make recoÌ„pence with my throte For in good sothe I had rather to wynne honour offerynge my selfe to the deathe thanne ye shuld haue it in takynge my lyfe fro me Thus this vilain ended his purpose Than the emperour sayd How thinke ye my frendes what kernel of a nut What golde of filth what grayne of strawe what rose of thornes What marowe of bones dyd he vncouer what reason so hie what wordes so wel sette what trouth so true and what malice opened he soo He discouered the duetie of a good manne And I swere to you as I may be deliuered from this euill feuer that I haue that I saw this vilayn standing a hole houre on the erth boldly we holdinge downe our hedes abashed coude not answere him a word The next day it was accorded in the senat to send new iuges to Danubie And we coÌ„manded the vilaine to delyuer vs in writing al that he had sayd that it might be regestred in the boke of good sayinges of strangers And the saide vilayne for his wise wordes was made patricien so taried styl at Rome and for euer was susteyned of the common treasure ¶ Howe the emperour desired the welth of his people and the people his welthe ca. xxxiii IN the seconde yere that Mar. was chosen emperour the .xlv. yere of his aege as he retourned fro the warres that he had in conqueryng the Germains and the Aragons whereby he got glory riches for the Romaynes empire he lay at Salon to reste him and to appointe his armye and to the entent that the Romaynes shulde apparell his triumph in Rome right glorious and rychly There was one thynge done that was neuer sene before in Rome For the day of his triumph by al the people and consent of the senate the prince Comodus sonne to Marcê° Au. was chosen after the dethe of his father to be emperour vniuersall of thempire He was not chosen by the petition of his father for he was agaynste hit with all his power sayinge that the empire oughte not to be gyuen for the lawde of them that be deed but he shoulde be chosen for his owne good warkes Often tymes this emperour wolde saye Rome shall be loste whan the election shal be taken frome the Senate and the Emperour to enheryte the empire by Patrimonie ¶ Nowe to returne where as we lefte This emperour beynge at Salon studied sore to entre into Rome in good order and Rome studied soore howe to receyue hym as it appertained triumphantly for suche a warre He was sore desyred of thempire and euer he imagined howe to do plesure to the people and the people were redy to dye in his seruice Dyuers tymes was moued a pleasant purpose in the senate which of these thynges was moste to be loued The emperour to loue the people of the empire or the people of thempire themperour On a daye hit was determyned to sette iuges in that case There were chosen the ambassadours of the Parthes and Roodes and vppon that effecte they hadde writynge It was layde for the emperour the good dedes that he had done in his absence and the tokens of loue that they hadde alwayes shewed in his presence And on an other day the emperour moued an other question before the senate saying that it was a greatter glorie to haue such subiectes than the glorie of the senate to haue suche an emperour Than the Senate sayde nay Affirming that it is a greatter glorie that they had of hym than he coude haue of them And in this maner the emperour gaue the glorie to the people and the people to the emperour Thus in sporte and play they toke iudges agayn It was a merueylous thyng to se the ioy that they al had to proue their intentes And the good emperour for a memorye gaue the laude to the people bycause of theyr great obedience and seruice and extreme loue that he had founde in them And the happy people recounted the gret clemencie and mercy that was in the emperour and his vertue and worthynes in gouernynge his honestie of lyuynge and his force and valiantnes in conqueringe It was a great thing to se the honour that the people gaue to themperour and the good renoume that themperour gaue to the people The writinges were gyuen to the straunge ambassadours to thentent that the people myght lerne to obey theyr princes and princes to loue theyr people To the ende that by such examples as it was reason the good people shuld enforce them selfes and the yl to withdrawe Thus this emperour adressed his entre with his capitaynes and captiues and Rome apparayled theym with all their senatours and people to receyue hym
Eyther I lye or I haue redde in the lawe of the Rodiens where as it is written We cōmaunde the father in marienge .x. sonnes to trauayle but one day but to mary oone vertuous doughter lette hym trauayle .x. yeres ye suffre the water come to the mouth sweate droppes of bloode trauayle the stomake disherite all his sonnes lose his goodis and aduenture his person These wordes in this law were pitieful for the doughters not lesse greuous to the sonnes For .x. sonnes by y e lawe of men ar bound to discouer to go ouer al the world but y e doughter by y e good law ought not to go out of y e hous I say more ouer that as thinges vnstable threte fallyng so lyke wise it chaunseth to yonge damselles whiche thinketh all theyr tyme loste and superfluous vnto the daye of their mariage Homere sayth it was the custome of ladies of Grece to count the yeres of theyr lyfe not fro the tyme of their byrth but from the tyme of theyr maryage As if one demaunded of a Grecian her age she wolde aunswere xx yeres if it were .xx. yeres sith she was maried though it were .lx. yeres sith she was borne Affirminge after they hadde a house to gouerne and to commande that daye she begynneth to lyue The Melon after it is rype and abydeth styll in the gardeyn can nat scape but eyther rotteth or elles must be gathered I say the mayden that taryethe longe tyll she be maried can not escape eyther to be taken or infamed I will saye no more As soone as the grapes be ripe it behouethe that they be gathered so it is necessary that the woman that is come to perfite age be maried and kept And the father that doth this casteth perill out of his house and bringeth him selfe out of thoughte and contenteth well his doughter ¶ Of a syckenes wherof themperour died of his age and where he dyed cap. xxxix MArcus the Emperour beinge olde not onely by age but by trauaile and great peines that he had taken and suffred in warres In the xviii yere of his empire and .lxii. yere of his age and of the foundation of Rome .vi. C. and .xl. as he was in Panony now called Hungarie with his hoste and Commode his sonne at a citie called Vendebone situate vpon a ryuer that had .iiii. M. fire housis and beinge in wynter and the waters great very weate wether he beinge in the fieldes about the .xxx. day of December sodainly vpon a nyghte as he wente with lanternes about his campe there toke hym a syckenes or palsey in one of his armes so that he coude not weld his speare nor yet drawe his swerde nor put on his owne clothes Than this good emperour charged with yeres and with noo lesse thoughtes and wynter increasynge with manye great snowes and fresynge of the erthe there felle on him an other malady called Lytarge the whiche put the Barbariens in great hardines and his hoste in greatte heuynes his person in peryll and his frendes in great suspect of his helthe There was done to hym all the experience that coude be founde by medicins as vnto great pryncis and lordes is accustomed And all dyd him no profite by reason the maladye was greuous and themperour charged with yeres and the ayre of the lande was contrarye to hym and the tyme helped hym nothynge and also he was not well intended And as men of worshyppe do sette more by theyr honour than by theyr lyues and had rather dye with honour thanne lyue dishonoured to assure their honour they aduenture euery houre their lyues and had leauer haue one houre of honour than a. C. yeres of lyfe So thus this sicke emperour caused him selfe to be borne all about his campe and went to see the scarmyshes and wold slepe in the feldes the which was not without great peryll of his lyfe nor without great trauaylle of his person Thus on a day the emperour beinge in a great feuer and letten bloudde harde a great clamour or noyse in the fielde made by his men that had brought home great quātitie of forage and theyr ennemies sette on theym to rescue it there was medlynge on bothe parties the one to beare away and the other to defende The Romaynes for hungre dyd what they coulde to beare it a waye And the Hungaryens fro whense it came made resystence They medled so one with an other and their debate was soo cruell that there was slayne .v. capitaynes of the Romayns the worst of them was more worthe than all the fourage that they had won And of the Hungariens were so many slayne that all the fourrage that they had loste was not so moche worth Certainly considering the crueltie that was there done the profyte that came therby was very smalle to the Romayns so that there went but a fewe away with the fourage of the Hungariens fewer was lefte to make resistence The emperour seinge the yll order and that by the reason of his bloudde lettynge and feuer he was not present at that acte he toke suche a heuynes at his harte wherby he fell into suche a traunce that it was thought he had ben deade and so he lay .iii. nyghtes and two dayes that he coude se no lyght of the skye nor speake to any persone The heate of his syckenes was greatte and his peynes greatter he dranke moche and eate lyttelle he cowlde not slepe his face was yelowe and his mouthe blacke Somtyme he lyfted vp his eies oftentymes ioyned his handes togyther He spake nothynge and syghed many tymes His throte was soo drie that he coulde not spytte his eies were verye soore with sobbynge and wepynge It was greatte compassion to see his deathe and a greate plage of confusion to his howse and also the very greate losse of his warre There durste no manne looke vppon hym and fewer speake to hym Panutius his Secretarye sorowynge at his harte to see his mayster so nere his dethe on a nyght in the presence of dyuers other that were there he sayd to hym ¶ The wordes of Panutius his secretary to themperour at the houre of his deathe Cap. xl O Marcus mi lorde there is no tongue that can be styll nor any hart suffre nor eies dissimule nor wytte that can permytte it My bloudde congeleth and my sinewes dry the stones openethe and my sowle wolde passe forthe the ioyntes vnioyne asonder and mi spirites are troubled bicause you take not the wyse and sage counsell the whiche ye gaue to other that were symple I see you my lord dye and I oughte for to be soore displeased therwith The sorowe that I fele at my hart is how you haue lyued lyke a wyse persone and at this howre you do lyke a simple man Tenne yere a knight gyueth meate to his hors to thentēt that he shulde kepe him from peryll and all that the wyse man studyeth for a longe season oughte
liuing than his heares were white The .iiii. was called Andrisco which in goodlynes of his gesture highnes of body vertue of courage and wysedome in conscience none was egall to him in Rome The .v. was named Bononius whiche at that tyme was consule and in the aunciente lawes very expert The last was called Iuan Varius the good and he was called the good bycause that in .lx. yere neuer man sawe hym do any yll workes nor harde hym speake any ydel worde nor do any thynge but it was profytable to the common welthe Though in case they were al egall in gouernynge yet I say these laste thre were princypall For Iuan Varius particularly was left to be chiefe capitayne of the armye and to hym was delyueted al the treasure and the testament was put into his handes and with sore weping the emperour recommended to him the prince his sonne Than whan the peine of his sicknes encreaced and that he loked for the houre of his deth he comaunded to awake his sonne Comodus whiche without any care was faste a slepe and whan he was brought into the presence of his father it was greatte pitie to se the eien of the olde emperour soore discoloured with wepynge and the eies of the sonne allmooste closed with slepynge the sonne was wakynge with small thoughte and the father coulde not slepe for great thoughte and peyne And whan he was in his presence seing the lyttell care that the sonne toke for the deth of his father and consideringe the great desire of the father for the good lyfe of his sonne it moued to pitie the hartes of all the great lordes that were there noo lesse to leaue the company of the good old man than the annoyance of the dealynge of the yonge prince Than the emperour sayde to his sonne these wordes ¶ What the emperour sayde to his sonne at the houre of his dethe Ca. xlv VNto thy maisters and my gouernours I haue shewed howe they shall counsel the and nowe my sonne at this houre I say to the howe they thoughe they be but a fewe all for the alone shal gouerne and it is not to be taken in smal estimation The mooste easyest thynge in the worlde is to giue councel to an other and the moste hardest and hieste thinge is a man to take it for him selfe There is none so simple a man but he may giue good councel though there be no nede And there is none so wyse that wyl refuse councell in tyme of necessitie I se one thyng that al take counsell for all and at the laste take it for hym selfe Sonne I thinke accordynge to my heuy fatall destenies and thyne yll customes that one thinge shall not profite the that is if the lyttell goodnes that thou hast done was for feare of me in my lyfe that thou wylte doo lesse whan thou haste forgotten my dethe I do more nowe for to satisfie my desire and the common welth than for any hope that I haue of the amendement of thy lyfe There is not a worse complaynt than that a man holdeth of him selfe If thou my sonne be yl Rome wyl complayne to the goddis that they haue giuen the so yll inclinations They wyll complayne of Faustine thy mother that hath brought the vp so wantonly and they wylle complayne on thy selfe that thou doste not refrayne the from vices and they shall not complayne of thyne olde father that hath gyuen the so many good counselles I am in certayne thou hast not so great dolour to see the ende of this nyghte and the ende of my lyfe as thou hast pleasure to se the day that thou shalte be emperour and I haue no meruayle for where as sensualitie reigneth reason is put asyde Dyuers thynges are beleued bycause they are not knoweÌ„ certainly O how many thynges of trouthe ben there that if they were knowen truely they shulde be lefte But we ben so doubtful in euery thing and go about our businessis so variably and inconstantly that somtyme our spirites breake the purpose and an other tyme they rydde vs not of trouble nor hyndrance I saye we be so swyfte to do yll that sometyme we lese by a carde of the moste and to do wel we be so dul that we lese by a carde of the leste and at the laste we doo nothing but lese Sonne I wyl aduertise the by wordes that I haue knowen in .lxii. yeres by long experience and syth thou arte my sonne and yonge it is reason that thou beleue hym that is thy olde father As we princes are regard of all men and regarde all men and are regarded of al other this daye thou doste enherite thempire of the worlde and the courte of Rome I knowe well there be inowe in the court of princis that knowe nothyng what is to make them selfe of worthynes and to maynteyn them self amoÌ„g so many truÌ„peries as are treated in the houses of princis I lette the to witte that in the courte is auncient parcialities presente discentions feareful vnderstandynges euidente wittenesses entrayles of serpentes tongues of scorpions many detractours and fewe that seke peace and where as all men shulde harken to the comon voyce euery man sercheth his owne proufite Euery manne sheweth a good pretence and all are occupied in yll workes In suche wyse that some by auarice lese their good fame and some prodigally spende and waste all theyr goodes What shulde I say more In the courte euery daye the lordes chaunge and after the lawes awake stryfes and reyse noyses abate noblenes exalte the vnworthy banysshe innoceÌ„tes and honour theues loue flatterers and dispraise theym the whiche be vertuous they embrace delites and treade vertue vnder their fete they wepe for them that be ylle and laughe to scorne theym that be good and finally ly they take all lyghtnes for theyr mother and vertue for theyr stepmother And my sonne I say more vnto the The courte the whiche thou shalt enherite this day is nothing but a shoppe with waares and a howse of vaâ—aboundes wherin somme selle vyle and corrupte thynges and other byelyes some haue credence and somme haue renoume somme haue goodes and some haue lyuynge and all togyther is but losse of tyme and that worste of all is they wyll not beleue the poyson therof tyll it be at theyr hartis they are so foolyshe and sturdy Rome hath very hye walles and the vertues is very lowe Rome vaunteth it selfe to be very stronge in nombre of inhabitauntes and afterwarde Rome shal wepe that there is more people than vertue and vyces are not accompted In a monethe a manne might recken all the stones of the proude edifyces but in a. M. yeres he myght not comprise the malyces of his yll customes I swere to the by the immortall goddis that in thre yeres I repaired all that was decayed in Rome and in thirty yere I coude not refourme one quarter therof to good lyuynge Good sonne beleue me the great cities full
be the worlde At this houre thou art worldly and shalt be worldly and shalt be entreated as the worlde is accustomed to entreate theym that be worldly If thou knewest thy selfe and thy weakenesse yf thou knewest fortune and her mutation if thou kneweste the men and their malices if thou knewest the worlde and the flatteryng therof thou woldest reyse the fro the hande therof with honour and not be chastysed with infamye O howe we hope to sprede by fortune O how often withoute respecte vnwares we passe this lyfe O howe often we truste the bobaunce of this worlde and we trust therin as moche as though it neuer begyled man I say it not bicause I haue harde it sayde nor bycause I haue redde it in bokes but for we se it dayly with our eies somme decaye and lese their goodes other fall and loose their credence some falle in syght and leese their honour and other arise and lose theyr lyues and some thynke that all are free by pryuilege where as neuer none were pryuyleged O my frende Torcate of one thynge I am certayne and let euery man take it for a warnyng Men by whom we be borne be of so yll disposition and the worlde so fierse and cruel with whom we lyue and the glydynge serpente fortune so full of poyson that they hurte vs with their fete byte vs with their teethe and scratche vs with theyr nayles and swelle vs with their poyson soo that the passynge of the lyfe is no lesse than takynge of deathe And in case thou haste sene somme lyue longe without any falle of fortune thynke not it is well for it is not by good aduenture but the more his yll fortune The worlde is so malicious that if we take not hede to prepare against his wrinches it wyl ouerthrowe vs to our greatter losse and hurt Moche sooner dye they that ben helthful with the infirmities syckenes of few days than they that be weke with their lāgour of many yeres I say this bycause I hold it for most suretie that the myserable manne that maye not lyue without myseries shulde fele the peynes by lyttell and lyttell and not all at ones We eate diuers thinges by morsels which if we shulde eate hole wold choke vs. In lykewyse by dyuers dayes we suffre dyuers trauayles whiche al togyder wolde make an ende of vs in one day And than sythe the goddis wyll permytte that thy mysfortune shall fall and that the ryuer of thy decay ouerflowe her chanell where thou wenest to be most sure thou shalt be in greatest peryl we shall minister to the a syrope to thentent that thou lose not thy good renoume though thou haue loste thy goodis that be nought Telle me I praye the Torcate why complaynest thou as he that is sycke Why criest thou lyke a foole why syghest thou as a desperate man Why wepest thou as a chylde Thou haste gone an yll way and complaynest of thy reste Thou arte clothed to goo throughe bushes and thou sayest that thy gownes do teare Thou walkest amonge the stoones and arte sorye bycause thou fallest Thou hast leaned and thoughtest not to fal and fynally thou arte sette with the worlde and thynkeste to be free with heuen Wylte thou haue saufeconduite of Fortune that is ennemye to many She can not giue the naturalitie whiche is mother to all thynges I wyll axe the one thynge I put case the see hadde promysed the to be alway in suretie of her and the skye clere wether the sommer snowes and the wynter flowres It wyll not be of a suretie Torcate If nature canne not fulfylle this beinge thyn owne mother thinkest thou than that fortune wylle gyue it the whiche is thy vniuste stepmother Kepe this rule for certayne and neuer forget it that al natural courses are subiectes to mutation euery yere And all worldely folke that truste on fortune shall suffre eclyps euery moment And than sith naturall thynges can not be alwayes in one case of necessitie the goodis of Fortune muste peryshe sythe they be superfluitie Ryght vniuste shulde the ryghtwyse goddis be yf they had made perpetuall that whiche is domageable to so many Or that whiche is profitable to haue created it fallyble I wylle speake no more of thy prosperitie in tymes paste but nowe I wyll comme to the banyshement that thou suffrest presentely Suspecious fortune made a fayre at thy gate knowynge what she solde and thou wyste not what thou boughtest She made a dere bargayne and solde it dere to the she hathe gyuen the sowre for swete and the swete is tourned into sowrenesse for the she hath gyuen the yuell for good and hath tourned thy good to yl And finaly she hath begyled the at a iuste price not wenynge to the that she wold haue done the domage and though that she was malycious in sellynge to the thou were no lesse foolysshe in the byenge therof for the more there is in fortunes shoppe the more suspecte is the marchandyse O howe vnhappy be we for in that market is nothyng sold but lyes And she trusteth nothynge but vppon the pledges of our renoume and at laste wyll not be payde but with the shotte of our lyfe and that is the mooste greatteste and myscheuous wounde It is as openly knowē to euery man as to the that where as they thynke not to leese theyr wares false Fortune in that they purpose to theyr myshappe lyeth in awayte and is redy to bye theym Thou makest me very sore abasshed Torcate I haue reputed the ryghte wyse and vertuous and nowe I take the for a loste foole In good sothe whan I sawe the yonge in Gayette I iudged the worthy to gouerne Rome and nowe that thou art olde thou deseruest nothyng but to be cast in a galey as a sclaue O howe many thynges are there to knowe a man by There is not so hyghe a toppe of a hylle but it is troden with feete nor soo depe a see but it is sounded with leade And in a hundred yeres one manne can not attayne to knowe an other mannes harte Telle me I praye the what lokedste thou for of fortune after soo greatte welthe Lyuynge to the worlde thynke to be in the world The chyldren of vanite goo and walke soo longe that at laste theyr disordynate desyre canne not take fro the worlde their antike vilanyes and shamfulnes the whiche fortune dothe not with them that she hathe reysed vnto the skyes thynkeste than that she shal bowe with the to the loweste parties O fole Torcate thoughteste thou to passe the see without peryll to eate flesshe withoute bones To drynke wyne withoute lyes to walke in the wayes without fyndynge stones To bye wheate without chaffe In good soth if thou thoughtest to bye yl goodes without hindrance of thy good fame and to maynteyn thy good renome without losse of yl gotten goodes I wolde wytte of the what thou dydest hope to do sithe soo longe season thou haste