contrarie haue thereby gained immortall praise and glorie Likewise there is no doubt at all but that the fathers kindnesse ought to exceed all other loue following the example of our maker who leaueth not to exercise his mercy together with his iustice and that it is so he many times punisheth sinnes both in this world and in the world to come moreouer we must not thinke any father so cruell to hurt his sonne in the little finger without feeling the griefe thereof himselfe in the middest of his heart and therefore it is a meere folly to teach fathers how they ought to loue their children since nature who is the mistresse of all humane creatures instructeth them therein sufficiently and as it is most certain that princes or such as rule are aboue all others bounden to be vertuous and that they are constituted as guides and examples for all their subiects to follow so can it not also be denied but that seueritie of iustice is more requisit in them then any of the other vertues if vertues may be feperated and he which will well consider my deed without passion shall find all the foure principall vertues therein to be obserued For first of all I haue done iustice in putting him to death who was not onely the death of an innocent or at the least the same that caused the mother to suffer her child to die but also such a one who defrauded a poore woman of part of her liuing in that he paied her not for the same which she brought to sell for her reliefe My prudence was shewed in putting him to death without any commotion of the people and in terrifieng all others from offending as also to take from euery malefactor all hope to escape iust punishment for their misdeeds My temperance I declared in causing the offender to die by the shortest and secretest maner of death that I could deuise thereby ridding him from the shame to be a spectacle vnto many And my fortitude was manifest in that I was able to ouercome the desire which I had to pardon him both the same and all other offences But in the end considering that the first princes are bound by their examples to stirre vp and prouoke their successors to execute iustice without partialitie I haue for that end sacrificed my will together with the life of my best beloued sonne because the euill customes of the former princes are turned into lawes by those which succeed them and those which are good are quite forgotten if they be not confirmed by verie memorable examples Therefore Saule did not amisse when hee would haue put his sonne Ionathas to death seeing law is to be administred vnto all alike for where exception of persons is respected there must needs corruption of iustice follow which marreth all for nothing can be permament which is corrupted True it is that he was my eldest sonne but being such a one as he was he neither ought to succeed me nor yet to liue any longer and accuse me no more of crueltie since to punish an euill doer is a deed of mercie for pittie without iustice is follie or rather iniquitie and the greater he is that offendeth the more seuere punishment he deserueth For the poore wretch or hee which is of base condition may excuse himselfe by his pouertie by want of instruction by ignorance by his lewd education and such other like reasons both vaine and friuolous but the offences of great personages is to bee attributed to nothing but to pride malice Neither is one death more shamefull then another but only that death where the partie is made a spectacle to the standers by for it is not the death but the offence that is shamefull And therefore in executing iustice I cannot be tearmed cruell vnto mine owne blood or my sonne nor vnto your Prince vnto the Kings daughter neither vnto our children for he not being such a one as hee ought to be was now no more to be regarded by any of vs but was no better then a thiefe and a murtherer Who is then so mad as to be called a grandfather father mother brother or a subiect to so vild a man Neither must these be the meanes to begin those good seruices that ought to be done vnto the crowne of France which was institituted and preserued hetherto by vertue It is a vaine thing to goe about to persuade fathers of the valor or worthinesse of their children seeing that for the most part they beleeue it more then is requisite and alwaies doe excuse their faults more then they ought of which sort I confesse my selfe haue beene one so long as there was any hope of amendment I assure you that a long time was my heart most greeuously perplexed before I could consent vnto the punishment death of my sonne But omitting all other circumstances I will shew you the reasons which moued me to put my sonne to death for the sonnes discredite must needes bee the fathers disgrace because they doe alwaies cocker their children but too much and therefore it was not without cause that the Romanes from whence all good lawes haue their beginning did giue vnto fathers all power ouer the life and death of their children knowing that without most iust occasion they would neuer put them to death No sonne could be more dear vnto me then mine eldest but equitie commandeth me to loue the Common wealth better which in no sort can be regarded when he which ruleth the same is not vertuous because none therein should be in safety if the prince were vicious My life and death is in the mercie of the kings Maiestie but to die I would not haue failed to doe that which I haue done being as we are mortall and death may only be delaied but not escaped Our life also is not to be measured by our years but by our deeds for he hath liued long inough who is by good men deemed most worthie of long life and he cannot die too soone who spendeth his life in wickednesse Wherefore it was no reason that my sonne should haue liued any longer and I would to God that so his reproch might die with him as I wish my renowne may liue after me Touching iudgement he which gouerneth the Commonwealth must needs be iudge in the same Such were the Dictators or Consuls amongst the Romanes and such at this day are kings and princes And Plato saith Happie is that countrie where Philosophers are kings and kings be Philosophers whereby it appeareth that rulers ought to bee iudges as you your selues doe confesse in saying that the king ought to haue iudged my son which indeed had ben reasonable if his Maiestie by his prerogatiue had not giuen me free authority in matter of iustice in such sort then as I am subiect to the iudgement of the king is my sonne subiect vnto mine and I am not to yeeld an account of my actions vnto any other then vnto his Maiestie
the Phisitions should be blamed or he who hauing an intent to kil a man and should lanch his impostume ought to be praised the which cannot be for when the intent is wicked the fault is no lesse so long as it lasteth but the wicked intent ceasing the crime doth end together with it Wherefore if I did amisse in persuading this man to kil mine enemie I did well in forbidding him to proceed no further in the same Touching this point that whereas neither the witnesses nor I haue aduertised the other There are manie men so bad to be dealt withall that one cannot aduertise them of anie thing without daunger of great reproch so also was it not reasonable to accuse one vnto the iustice which had not as yet offended also they were no more then witnesses that I did forbid him to hurt mine enemie but yet they knew not what had passed before betweene vs. Moreouer the remembrance of the short pleasure of reuenge and the euerlasting continuance of the ioy of mercie had made me repent that euer I had a desire of reuenge wherefore I did remit all vnto God without seeking redresse either by iustice or anie other way If then this misfortune be fallen vpon him for his sinnes or otherwise I am not to bee blamed and there is no reason which may make me an offender seeing that al the foresaid reasons mine innocencie and good meaning is prooued according vnto the which I require to be iudged by the equall doome of our iust iudges who doe verie well know that Socrates himselfe confessed that he was inclined to wickednesse as well as to Philosophie but that by vertue and the good spirit he resisted the wicked desire as I haue done thorow the grace of God Declamation 16. Of a woman that would forsake her husband because he stood excommunicate A Certaine man was excommunicated and accursed for disobedience to the church wherevpon his wife would needs be diuorced from him but he would not restore her mariage good but alleaged these reasons HAue you not promised me before the Priest and the assemblie of our kindred and friends to bee my spouse and lawfull wife And neuer to forsake me for anie chance whatsoeuer Haue you not alwaies bene partaker of my prosperitie Wherefore wil you then abandon me in my first aduersitie As for me I will not let for anie thing that may happen to esteeme you for a verie honest wife but I know not what others will thinke of your deed for as much as the custome of honest women is neuer to forsake their husband in anie matter nor for anie thing but they doe still abide constant with them in loue and vnitie and they do obserue the faith which they haue promised when they were not onlie made companions but euen the one halfe of their husbands seeing that men cannot and much lesse ought not to seperat those whom God hath coupled together by marriage which is the most ancientest most holiest and most approued by God of all other whatsoeuer for God himselfe did institute the same not in the world but in terrestriall Paradice euen when man was yet in his innocencie and afterward he honoured this holie estate with the first of his miracles that he wrought at the mariage in Cana of Galiley where he turned the water into wine Moreouer you must consider that God tooke from man the substance whereof woman mas made to the end that she might thereby be bound not to forsake him wherefore Saint Paule saith that woman was created for man and not that man was made for woman in like sort the words of our God himselfe doth witnesse the same when he saith It is not good that man should be alone let vs make him therefore an helpe what libertie then hath the woman to forsake her husband Although it was by the woman her prouocation that man sinned and was iustlie cursed by the mouth and power of God yet would he not for all that seperate them but gaue them hope of saluation if they remained together For he saith that like as by a woman sin came into the world so also of a woman should he be borne which should ouercome sinne and death Saint Paule also biddeth the beleeuing wife to abide with the vnbeleeuing husband saying Woman what dost thou know whether thou shalt saue thy husband or not Wherefore then will you forsake me Whether it be by right or wrong that I am sequestred from the church yet am I not vtterly excluded from the same time may make it known whether I deserue to be excommunicated or not and although I may haue deserued it yet contrition and Gods fauour cannot be denied vnto me now is the time that you ought not to forsake me not so much as with your eie onlie if it were possible were you but such a wife as you should be Trulie a wife can giue no greater token of her chastitie then by shewing a perfect friendship and an inseperable loue vnto her husband for they are shamelesse and immodest women that doe change their loue according to the fortune of him whom they faine to loue how manie haue there been found euen amongst modest women that haue with a maruailous constancie continuallie loued and followed their friends as Thisbe who followed her Pyramus and would liue no longer after his death Briseis followed Achilles Ariadne Theseus Medea Iason and the concubine of Alcibiades he being slaine betweene her arms when she could not better prouide for him she wrapped him in one of her best garments to burie him will you then bee much lesse constant then vnchast will you imitate and be accounted like vnto Clitemnestra Thebe Helena and other bad women Doe you not know that such as are good are alwaies honourable euen after their death As Alcest who willinglie desired to die to saue her husband Admetus his life the famous Iphias seeing her husbands bodie burned would in no sort forsake him but leaped into the same fire and was burned with him Hipsicratea because she would not forsake old Mithridates her husband did cut off her faire haire and being armed did alwaies serue him as his companion in the wars Cornelia also neuer abandoned hir Pompey but followed him into Aegypt where he was slaine Octauia the sister of Augustus would haue followed her Marc Anthonie in all places if he would haue suffered her although he loued Cleopatra yet so long as she liued she maintained him in peace with her brother Triaria the wife of Lucius Vitelius did also accompanie her husband in the warres she being armed as he was What shal we say of Hersilia Hiperminestra Laodemia Oenone Clita Arganthona Democrita Gumilda Caia Valeria Terentiana Iulia Arthemesia Panthea Sosia Tarsa Paulina the wife of Seneca Portia Turia Sulpitia Aegeria Alcione Procris Camma Sara Michol an infinit number of others which are all famous for the great loue which they did beare vnto their husbands wherefore
and neighbours it is too manifest that charitie is so exceeding cold that if one doe but twise desire a fauour or pleasure at anie mans hands he is straight said to be importunate moreouer it is to be considered that to take those out of the world who haue ben the cause of some great mischance is not the next way to redresse the mischiefe but rather to encrease it Concerning the naturall malice of little children being conceiued in sinne and that they retaine or imitate the bad rather then the good aske nature wherefore they are so But you shall find that he which accuseth nature condemneth himselfe for we are all subiect to her lawes If euerie thing should be taken at the worst and according to your saieng the most part of men should deserue death and you might be one of the same number Where do you find that he or she is vnworthie to liue which hath not either a faithfull friend or a louing neighbour Seeing such happinesse is so rare as all those which haue written vnto this present time doe not make mention of six paire of faithfull friends Amongst whom are Theseus and Perithous Achilles and Patrocles Laelius and Scipio Orestes and Pilades he must be a good friend with whoÌ„ one would trust his child and more then a good one if he will ordinatily haue the care and trouble to look vnto it How would you then find amongst poor women that which so sildome is found amongst so many famous men It is verie likelie that this woman did not kill her daughter as being cruelly addicted to murther but rather as being ouercome with a iust cause of anger The comparison which you make in likening her vnto a brute beast is very odious seeing that she would not onelie haue defended her children against all those that would hurt them but also that the compassion â—â—ich she had to see one of them dead induced her to strike the other In all ages there haue ben seene manie shrewd turnes and mischances therefore the fault happened in this our age may be repaired if the Iudges wil be pleased to bee as mercifull as you would haue them mercilesse for by that meanes the offence of a woman shall be the cause that in after ages the mildnesse of our Iudges shall be remembred Declamation 79. Of a Turke who bought a child with a red head to make poyson of him A Poore woman hauing but one sonne which was of a red coloured haire which the Frenchmen doe in a mockerie call the dissembling haire put her said son to serue a merchant who within a while carried the child with him into Turkey who whilest he there remained there came a Turkish Phisition oftentimes vnto the said merchant to enquire whether he would sell the red boy But the merchant alwaies answered him that he would not vntil that on a time the boy said vnto him secretly Maister sell me well and giue the money vnto my mother to releeue her pouertie and I will find the meanes to run away and to escape from him well enough so that I will returne vnto you or to my mother the merchant agreed therevnto and sold the boy for a certaine summe of Ducats hoping to see the boy againe but within a while after hee was very much abashed when he could see him no more Wherfore he demanded of the Turke where the boy was and intreated him so earnestly that he might see him again that the Turk hauing brought him into his house shewed him onely the boies head and all the rest of his quarters boiling in a cauldron wherewith the merchant was greatly amased but dissembling his sorrow as much as he could asked the Turke what he would doe with that child boiled the Turke answered him that it was to make poyson and that he hoped to gaine more then ten thousand ducats by him the poore merchant being very sorrowfull brought the money home with him and gaue it vnto the boies mother telling her not without teares the whole truth of the matter the mother refused the money and required iustice of him that had sold her sonne accusing him to be the cause of his death and these were her reasons WHo is more miserable then I Seeing by the fault of him with whom I would haue trusted mine owne life my sonne being his seruant was euen in one month sold as a slaue then most cruellie slaine and why was he slaine Alasse to be not onelie the instrument and cause of the death of manie others but it may be to serue for the ruin and destruction of all Christendome since there needeth but a little poyson to murther those that defend the same I did lend thee my sonne to doe thee all good and honest seruice vpon thy promise that thou wouldst vse him as thine owne I doe aske thee whether thou wouldest euer haue sold thine owne sonne vpon anie condition whatsoeuer Wouldest thou not haue sent him to trauell abroad to see the world and to learn vertuous qualities that he might bee a stay vnto thy age and a profitable member in the CoÌ„monwelth I hoped to haue had the like of my sonne and the losse ought not to be esteemed anie thing the lesse because he was sonne vnto a poore woman for they when they once giue their minds vnto learning or anie other good qualitie doe become more vertuous as for example Agâ—thocles King of Scicilia was not he the son of a potter Viriat king of Portugal Otto and Tamberlane Emperors of the East were all three shepheards Arsaces king of the Parthians would neuer bewray who were his Parents Ptolomey the first of that name being king of Aegypt the son of an Esquire Eumenes one of the successors of Alexander was the sonne of a wagonmaker Dioclesian Emperor of Rome was the sonne of a Notarie Pertinax likewise an Emperor of Rome his grandfather was a bondman Valentinian the sonne of a ropemaker Proba the soune of a gardener Aemilius knew not from whence he came Maximinus was the son of a Muletter with an infinit number of others of farre baser parentage then was my sonne that haue ben the honor of all their countrie Alas must the loue which I did beare vnto my child be measured by thy couetousnes Doest thou not know that a Turke neuer buieth a Christian for anie good that he wisheth vnto him And if he did oughtest thou to allow him to deceiue his maister and to run away from him Thou shouldest haue chastened him for inuenting such a villanie for I did not giue him vnto thee to the end that thou shouldest consent vnto his wicked counsell but that he should be wel counselled and instructed by thee but I doe very well perceiue that it is not said in vaine that couetousnesse is the root of all mischiefe Cursed be the gold I will haue none of it for I know wel that they which wil liue according to the rule of nature haue no need
If I had then this authoritie whilest he liued what a ieast were it that I should lose it after his death For when he was absent your oath bound you to me Wherefore hath the Generall a Lieutenant But onlie because himself being subiect to wounds sicknesse and lastly to death that he should maintaine and keepe the souldiors in obedience You cannot denie but that so long as he liued it was I to whom you were to yeeld an account of your actions but not for you to doubt of my authoritie for proofe whereof durst you refuse to follow me in anie place where I would lead you Or to denie to doe whatsoeuer I would command you Durst you once haue demanded whether that which I wold haue you doe was the pleasure of the Generall Would I not haue punished him with death that should haue disobeied me Or had I not the power by martiall law of my selfe to put anie disobedient souldiour to death The Colonell hath not he the like authoritie ouer the captaines And the captains ouer the others that commaund vnder them euen vnto the corporall who hath the same power ouer the priuat souldiour What doe you meane then to doubt of the authoritie of your Generall Consider souldiors how you haue sworne to serue your prince and follow your Ensigne which is meant so farre as you may bee allowed by the prince what will you then say Seeing your Ensignes are yet displaied and your captaines willing to serue Do you not know that you are entred in their muster-role and that you must march vnder them They vnder the Campmaisters the Campmaisters vnder the Colonels the Colonels vnder the Generall or his Lieutenant and the Generall vnder the prince if he be there if he be not then he representeth his person where is then your vnderstanding Who hath bewitched or seduced you that you wil thus peruert order and military discipline Is not this fellow a trim Orator being no lesse ignorant then ill aduised who thinking that he is the ablest and wisest man amongst the rest heapeth vpon himselfe alone all the dishonor and punishment of this fault he I saie that was worthie to die before hee was borne rather then he should haue attempted to corrupt so manie worthie and valiant men The noble Romans did sundrie times commit the like faults especiallie vnder that great Scipio in Spaine who also caused onelie Albius Calenus Atrius Vmbrius and others the inuenters of the mutenie to be punished as capital offenders and I doe assure you that in their deed they offended not so much as you for they had beene vnpaied of a long time and it was certainlie thought that Scipio their Generall was dead which was the cause that made the souldiors not onelie to mutenie but also manie citties and Prouinces to reuolt before they did mutenie Wherevpon Titus Liuius saith That when the authors of the deed were punished in the middest of their fellows there was not heard so much as one onlie grone seeing them beaten starke naked with hollie wands euen vntill they were readie to giue vp the ghost and afterwards their heads to be striken off being halfe dead Those men did mutenie because they did see that the Prouinces did rebell but you hauing passed the worst of a dangerous enterprise being vpon the point of a victorie the which your Generall whom you so greatlie bemone hath prepared for you with the price of his life would now giue it ouer Is it possible that the reuerence which you owe vnto his memorie and the shame of your selues should not be able to withhold you the greatest loue that can be shewed vnto anie man that is deceassed is to immitate his deeds and to obserue his precepts and you will whollie estrange your selues from them which doth plainlie declare that being vnworthie of such a Generall God hath taken him awaie from you or rather he verie well knowing your vnworthines was not desirous to liue anie longer I know not what els to say or thinke what should be become of your ancient valor and martiall reputation which was woont to haue more need of a bridle to hold you backe then spurs to prick you forward I am ashamed of your shame if it be true that you haue charged this lost man to make this discourse But I cannot beleeue it for the insolencie is too great so that it cannot proceed from anie other but from himself and so consequentlie none ought to beare the shame and punishment thereof but he Neuerthelesse for the good opinion which I haue of you I doe put his life and death into your hands hauing so great confidence in your nobilitie that you will not indure a man so pernicious to remain anie longer amongst you but if you shall suffer him it will be your owne hurt more then ours besides the shame and reproch which will continue for euer yea and that after death for there is no doubt but that the Historiographers doe as well record the faults of souldiors as their valiant acts which afterwards is oftentimes the cause that their posteritie doe fare the worse for it Lastlie I haue told some part of the reasons whie you cannot much lesse ought not to demaund that which this wicked man hath proponed without the consent of anie of you except it be of some such as are like vnto himselfe which maie well be termed the scum of the armie for in such assemblies there are some bad like as there is no corne without darnell no wine without lees nor anie fire without smoake or els if your vngraciousnesse be such as I can hardlie beleeue it is that manie are of that mind but rather that it is the lesser number and consequentlie the worser sort of all the armie I am of opinion that such kind of people are not fit to be kept for such a riddance of them will be profitable vnto the whole armie because a few well disciplined are more worth then a great number of those that are confused disobedient and without order Let them come forth then which would be discharged whilest the captains are here with their muster roles to the end that at the same time also they maie be commended rewarded which shall remaine constant in performing their duties and by the same meanes also to determine vpon that which wee are to write vnto the Prince and countrie of those who so cowardly doe forsake their leaders and companions You must note that when the Generals doe make these orations there is none so hardie that dare bee the first which will say he would bee discharged for they feare least some of them may bee alreadie corrupted or wonne by the captaines And by this meanes doe they punish the authors of the mutenie and vse some liberality towards the souldiors Declamation 21. Of Gamaliel who hauing slain two of his brethren because one of them had rauished his wife is accused by the others SAdoc and Gamaliel amongst diuerse others
priuiledges that he might redeeme his life for three thousand crownes the iudge caused him to be hanged and paied himselfe three thousand crownes for hauing put him to death his kindred appeale vnto the Prince and say MOst mightie and iust Prince the renowne of your equitie hath incited vs to become your most loiall most louing most humble most faithfull subiects and to chuse you for our soueraigne Prince and most redoubted lord whereby this good is happened vnto vs that we haue alwaies found in you such iustice and bountie as is requisite as also your Maiestie shall euer find in vs all dutifull obedience but what shall we saie Seeing that this happinesse of your good meaning is abused by the malice of your ministers and especiallie by the chiefest which is hee that ought to administer vnto vs iustice in your behalfe and to haue a respect that wee maie bee maintained in our rights priuiledges and customes according as it hath pleased your Maiestie to take your oath but he which is our iudge hath had iustice in derision and vnder the shaddow thereof hath committed crueltie for hauing condemned one of our Citizens to die for a manslaughter wee shewed him that which he ought not to be ignorant of that is to saie how our priuiledges doe permit that such a trespasse maie be satisfied with the paiment of three thousand crowns appliable according to the ordināces in such cases prouided whervpon he hath therby taken an occasion to put one of our Citizens to an ignominious death to the great dishonor of all his linage saieng that he shall be acquited in paieng the said forfeit as if there were no difference betweene the killing of a man in cold blood through a certaine malice or contempt especiallie in derision of iustice of the Commonwealth and of the lawes and priuiledges therof to cause one die shamefullie and cruelly by the hands of an hangman and the flaying of ones enemie by whom a man is prouoked therevnto through some wrong or other iust cause of malice But wherein you vniust iudge had this our Citizen offended you Seeing that you haue no part in the Commonwealth but like an hired seruant in a house you are to abide therein onelie the appointed time of your office which is giuen vnto you not to abolish our priuiledges but to maintaine them all the other Citizens were more interessed in this fact then you and neuethelesse you alone haue beene desirous of reuenge trulie crueltie becommeth no man but it is most odious in Princes and Iudges more then in anie others seeing that our Prince is altogether free from this vice ought not you to follow his example Or at the least you ought not to haue erred from the same so reprochfullie If too sharpe and rigorous laws are made more to terrifie men then to destroie them wherefore haue you rather desired to aggrauate our lawes then to performe them Who hath made you more wise then our Ancestors who haue inuented this priuiledge for the conseruation of the Citizens Doe you not know that iustice without mercie is iniustice How great crueltie is it then to turne mercie into rigor Most vniust is the sentence which preuenteth iudgement and such hath yours ben for crueltie depriued you of all iudgement when you pronounced the same Doe you not know that whilest you iudge other men God iudgeth you How would you doe then if hee should iudge you according to your your deserts But who hath mooued you to commit this new crueltie Doe you not know that all innouation of laws customes is no lesse dangerous then scandalous To conclude you haue offended the Prince in resisting of his oath and wronged his subiects in breaking their pruiledges both the one and the other offence deserueth death wherevpon we beseech you most righteous Prince that he which hath contemned your authoritie iustice and our priuiledges may bee punished that all the Iudges hereafter may thereby take an example Seeing that if our enemies had not giuen him the monie he would neuer haue purchased at so great a charge an vnlawful means to exercise his crueltie against your subiect and our priuiledges The Answere IF anie law be vniust or pernicious it is that which is not equall to all men but how can that be equall which causeth the greatest malefactors to escape for monie As this priuiledge doth allow which imboldeneth the rich that ought to succour the poore not only to wrong them but also to murther them because hee knoweth verie well that he shall be acquited for monie the which being paied he afterwards committeth a thousand mischiefs to get that which he hath spent into his purse againe for what wickednesse will not such a one be bold to commit that maketh no conscience to kill his equall Or it may be such a one as is better then himselfe But if the law or your priuiledge bee vniust then haue not I offended Or if I haue misdone in paieng the forfeiture I am acquited Why should he be punished which procureth the death of a malefactor Seeing that hee which murthereth an innocent is quit for monie Concerning the difference of cold blood and to cause one to die by the hands of the hangman that doth in no sort aggrauate the offence for being an offender he hath thereby had the better means to acknowledge his fault and to craue pardon of God especiallie to dispose of his worldlie cares and familie the which he gaue no leisure vnto the other to doe and for the reproch it consisteth not in the maner of the death but in the cause of the death For if anie man should be hanged for hauing done some good vnto his countrie his death should neuerthelesse be accounted honourable but he which is hurtfull vnto the Common-wealth although hee die in his bed amongst his kindred yet should his death be accounted odious It is not I then that am cause of his shame but the murther which he hath committed I confesse indeed that he neuer offended me but rather iustice so likewise I caused him not to die but to maintain equitie and not being able to doe it without disbursing of monie I did rather chuse to pay it then to leaue iustice vndone I haue not infringed or broken your priuiledge but onelie shewed that it is vnlawfull and that it ought to be amended I cannot tell whether your ancestors were more wise then I but I dare well say that they were rich men who without the consent of the poore men inuented this priuiledge for there was neuer anie tyrannie more manifest which your selues ought to abolish you being subiect to a most iust Prince therefore I desired to admonish you thereof at mine owne proper costs and charges Likewise I know that I am not the first which hath beene slandered for mine honest meaning in desiring to change wicked customes into good for Solon and Licurgus were not free from the like and before them Moises
then Socrates who was put to death for no other cause But considering that Iustice alone is the soueraigne of al other vertues and ruleth all mortall wights because that without her none can liue in safetie especiallie seeing that without it the Commō-wealth is like vnto a body which being corrupted with euill humors doth with lanquishing pine away I haue neglected all other things especiallie to maintaine the same and you haue no cause to complaine on mee for setting as little by my life as by my goods Wherefore without answering anie further to your slanderous reproches trusting vnto the equitie of the Prince I doe freelie submit my goods honour and life vnto his most iust iudgement Declamation 32. Of those that would depose the King because he had lost the battaile IT is the custome of a certaine people that the men of warre doe chuse the King It happeneth that the said King doth lead his men vnto the warres where all his souldiors are ouerthrowne onely he with a verie small number escaped so that the Citizens and people are constrained to take arms to defend them from the conquerors and the better to performe the same they would chuse another king but the foresaid king resisteth them saying AS there is but one onelie God in heauen and one sunne to lighten the world so likewise cannot you haue two kings ouer you neither yet can you depose or change your king at your pleasure for the power of kings commeth of God which holdeth their hearts in his hand how dare you then but onlie thinke such a wickednesse as to be desirous to change or depose him who is annointed and chosen of God to raigne ouer you Did not Dauid put him to death which made his boast that he had slaine Saule And although that Dauid were already annointed king of Israell yet was king Saule not deposed vntill his death You saie that I haue gouerned the warres ill I denie it for I went thether my selfe and neither wanting valor nor skil I did valiantlie fight to the great endangering of mine owne person I haue not neglected my dutie in fighting but God hath giuen the victorie to the enemies wherefore would God haue preserued me from so great a danger vnlesse it were to manifest the especiall care that he hath ouer kings and that it were his pleasure that I should yet raigne ouer you And not another How dare you then imagine to change him whom he hath first giuen vnto you and then afterwards so miraculouslie preserued If you stand in doubt whether I deserue the dignitie or not the electiue voices of so manie valiant men which haue onlie iudged me aboue all the rest of this realme for the worthiest to be your king ought to assure you thereof but as hope dooth torment mens hearts no lesse then feare and other passions so some of you hoping to attaine vnto the kinglie dignitie haue not the patience to stay vntill it be void by my death whereby it plainlie appeareth that couetousnesse neuer iudgeth anie thing to be vnlawfull the people haue nothing to doe to depose their king but God by depriuing him of life who by his grace and for your good hath been pleased to saue me will you then contradict his will But although I had for want of skill beene the cause of our losse will you saie that you must needs chuse another that maie doe as much or worse He which hath once done amisse may when he beginneth again make amends but thankes be to God as I want not experience so haue I not failed to doe that which was requisit but it may be it was our sinnes that haue prouoked Gods wrath against vs who by our contrition and amendment of life is first to be appeased then he being mercifull vnto vs we shall not onlie be reuenged of our enemies but he will also giue vs power to subdue those that would oppresse vs yet that this shall be done vnder any other thē I whilst I liue I hope that good God will neuer suffer it seeing that to determine but such a matter were to heape sin vpon sin The Answere WE doe neither require two kings neither doe we desire to change our king for we haue none who made you king ouer vs are not they dead that chose you for their king You are then king ouer the dead Wherfore reason would that you should be sent vnto them When you were chosen we were Citizens now through your fault we are constrained to be souldiors It is the ancient custome that the men of war doe chuse the king we wil then chuse one Seeing that your selfe are the cause that we haue chaunged our qualitie what reason is there that you should remaine in yours Concerning the example of Dauid and Saule it nothing concerneth our matter for the greatest parte of euerie action consisteth in the time and place therefore it must be considered that as our time now is not the like vnto the time then so also that we are here and not in Palestine Moreouer we haue nomore Prophets to annoint the kings because God for our sinnes dooth no more elect kings by miracle wherefore it commonlie happeneth that the most wicked man attaineth to that dignitie and chieflie when the election remaineth in the power of the souldiours for sildome is there found anie equitie amongst those that follow the wars so that our miserie is lamentable seeing that your ambitious rashnesse compelleth vs of Citizens to become souldiours We know well to our great preiudice that you your selfe did goe vnto the wars but of your industrie valor and dutie no man beareth witnesse except your selfe but the widdowes and orphants of those whom you haue led vnto the slaughter with a far greater number can witnesse the contrarie and they doe affirme that you had great wrong to escape because so manie valiant men are lost through your default the which is more punishable then excusable To saie likewise that God hath preserued you by some his especiall prouidence it may verie well be because he would send you back hether to receiue punishment for your rashnesse by that spectacle somewhat to comfort the multitude of those whom you haue made miserable neither did the electiue voice of the souldiors chuse you as the best man of the land but as he that was most conformable to their desire and that would giue them the most libertie to doe ill for so were Otho Galba Vitelius and other harebrain men chosen by the souldiors for Emperors As for ambition and couetousnesse wherewith you accuse vs by presumption you doe euidentlie shew that it remaineth in you In saieng also that he which hath once done amisse becommeth afterwards more expert the same is doubtfull for euen in his first fault he sheweth that he wanteth iudgement and no man ought to presume to make himselfe cunning by the preiudice of so manie others and with no lesse then the hazard of a whole realme In
desire of reuenge that staied her from making her choise according to her wicked intention Thou wouldest know where she hath bestowed that which she stole I beleeue that shee hath giuen it thee and that thou wouldst saue her life to haue some more by the like means Neuerthelesse we will punish her alone that confesseth the fact vntill that thy sinnes doe induce thee vnto the like confession or that thou bee conuinced by more apparent testimonie and in so doing we shall appease the gods fulfill the laws performe our duties and cleare our consciences which commandeth vs to root out the wicked forth of the Common-wealth by publike punishmēt because there is nothing that doth better maintaine the world in equitie then rewarding the good and punishing the bad Declamation 40. Of the wife that would not forsake her husband although he went about to procure her death IT happened that a man and his wife made an oath vnto each other that if one of them chanced to die the other should not suruiue aboue three daies after Vpon a certaine time the man went vpon a long iourney and being on his way he sent a false message vnto his wife which certified her that her husband was dead she to keepe her promise threw her selfe downe from the top of her house neuerthelesse she died not with the fall wherefore her father caused her hurts to be healed and kept her vntill certaine newes came how her husband was not dead but had sent her word of his death only because he was desirous of his wiues death Whereupon her father would haue cōpelled her to forsake her husband she would not he renounceth her for his child and disheriteth her for which she complaineth saying O Immortall God which by thy prouidence gouernest all mankind thou hast not permitted that this fact should be for our hurt or destruction but onelie for a triall and proofe of the loue which I beare vnto my husband yet my father would seperate those whom death could not put asunder neither is that which I haue done to be thought strange seeing that I had both cause to doe it the example of diuers women which haue done the like to allow it for some haue burned themselues with the dead bodies of their husbands others haue by their death redeemed their husbands life I am therefore happie to bee accounted one of the same number being yet liuing and my husband safe and sound who it may be would trie whether I were worthy to be beloued of him and now knowing it he will loue me better then euer he did The loue which is ouergreat is cause of suspitions and iealousies and therefore my husband was desirous not onelie to trie whether I did not loue some other but also whether he was beloued of me and I am verie glad that with the danger of my life hee hath found me such a one as he desired What wrong shall I then both doe vnto my selfe and vnto him if when I should reape the fruit of my loialtie and most constant loue I should depart from him God forbid I should so doe Moreouer I should neuer bee well able to liue without him for it was partlie the cause that I threw my selfe headlong down because I would not languish without the hope and comfort of his presence which I shall now possesse with more pleasure then euer I did To conclude I cannot leaue him and if I could I would not wherefore it is lost labour to speake any more thereof The fathers Answere IT cannot be denied but that he which went about to procure my daughters death is mine enemie wherefore there is no reason that she which loueth mine enemie better then her owne father should be my heire thou saiest I cannot nor I ought not to forsake him Why cannot or may not she so doe that cannot onely determine to die but to be her owne butcher Hauing no sooner heard a fained report of the death of thine enemie thou soughtest thine owne death in good earnest if thou couldest endure his abscence being gone on a long voiage when thou haddest occasion to loue him why canst thou not now doe the like hauing iust cause to hate him Thou art quite freed from all former oath or promise which thou hast made him in shewing the desire which thou hadst to accomplish that which he caused thee to sweare thereby not onely to abuse thee but to make thee die Thou saiest that all is fallen out for the best I know not how that should bee for as no bad act can be tearmed the author of any good so ought we not to iudge things by the euent but by the intent hardlie can hee euer loue thee who as oft as hee seeth thee shall be either ashamed of his fact or aggreeued that it tooke not such successe as he wished likewise the triall of loue is not made by a danger so euident Declamation 41. Of the prodigall sonne who being forsaken of his father redeemeth his brother whom his father had neglected THe law was such that when the children were thirtie yeares of age they might require their father to giue them their portion Wherevpon it chanced that a man had two sonnes the one of them was prodigall and the other a good husband He gaue the prodigall sonne his portion who demanded the same by vertue of the law and did wholy disherit him from anie of the rest of his lands or goods the other who was the good husband made a voiage by sea and fell into the hands of Pyrats he writ vnto his father for his ransome his father was deafe and could not heare on that side Wherevpon his prodigall brother redeemed him who when hee was returned home made his said brother his heire in recompence of his release by him wherewith the father being displeased disinheriteth the thirstie son of his patrimonie who withstandeth him thus ALl those which doe know what I haue done doe praise me for it except you How true an example of pittie and brotherly loue hath my brother shewed when sailing to seeke me hee hath aduentured great dangers trauailing ouer many lands and seas neuer giuing ouer his enterprise vntill he had brought mee home againe vnto my fathers house wherefore if you did loue me as both my obedience and seruices deserue and as nature doth bind you you could not denie but to haue receiued at his hands seruice most acceptable And in recompence thereof to haue acknowledged him for your heir as I haue done for if for his prodigalitie you did disherit him he hath shewed himselfe both towards you and me not to bee prodigall but indeed verie liberall If you did disher it him because he was vnprofitable hee cannot now bee tearmed so Seeing he could make so long a voiage and when all fatherly loue was in you forgottē he yet could performe the dutie both of a good sonne and a better brother You say that age hindered you from
an excuse Thou saist I haue set the armes in their place againe thou doest thereby confesse that it was not lawfull to take them thence It seemeth thou wouldest inferre that thou deseruest verie much in that thou diddest not leaue them as thou diddest thine own and it appeareth by thy speech that hauing restored them againe the law hath in no sort been offended I answere that in performing this offence thou hast done like vnto him that should first wound a man and afterwards heale him againe or like vnto him that restoreth any stolen goods not only when he hath no more need thereof but after that he hath enriched himselfe by the means thereof It might haue ben sufficient for thee that thou haddest saued thine owne life and reuenged the death of thy followers by these arms without vsurping the triumph and glorie of the good lucke which they did yet containe by the vertue of the dead man wherefore thou art onely beholding vnto them els mightest thou as well haue beene conqueror with thine own arms without vsurping or taking away these which thou knewest to be victorious There is no reason then to pardon the fault which thou thy selfe hast committed for any the good successe we haue receiued by anothers mans weapons and although the same should so be according to thine owne desire yet must we doe iustice and euen as thou hast obtained the honor and triumph of a conqueror so must thou endure the punishment due for crime Declamation 50. Of an adulterer who hauing slaine a Tyrant claimeth the reward and honour that was promised the which was refused to be giuen vnto him A Certaine Tyrant hauing by force obtained the sole gouernment of a Commonwealth the Citizens thereof did secretly ordain amongst them that whosoeuer could slay the said Tyrant hee should haue tenne thousand crownes in recompence and his statue or image should be set vp in the Temple and bee called the onely patron and protector of his countrie Wherevpon it happened that a yong man did so well court the Tyrants wife that he inioied her at his pleasure and oftentimes he went vnto her by night disguised and sometimes in the habite of a woman In the end he was suddainly surprised by the Tyrant who would haue slaine him but the yoong man being the stronger or rather being aided by the wife tooke the tyrants sword from him and slue him Wherefore hee demanded of the Commonwealth the recompence promised vnto him which should slay the Tyrant but the Cittizens gainsaied his demand in this sort IF the Tyrant himselfe had not armed thee thou haddest neuer slaine him but what shall I say Seeing that one Tyrant murthered another at all aduentures For adulterie is no lesse offence then tyrannie but of whom requirest thou a reward for thy not suffering him to slay thee Seeing that euen those which are most wicked doe eschew death as much as they may the tyrant should haue deserued as much if he had slaine thee as thou doest in killing him so that can be said to be nothing els but an equall combat the issue whereof hath beene happie for thee neither did the honester nor the innocenter man get the victorie but rather the stronger or the vilder person Seeing it was manifest that the Tyrant came to murther thee who wert as wicked as himselfe and that he brought the meanes to kill himselfe why commest thou alone to demand the reward The which if anie were done ought to be diuided in three parts that is to say one part to the Tyrant for bringing thee a sword another part to his wife for helping thee to take it from him and the last and least part for thy selfe Moreouer thou diddest not enter armed as those do which would kill but thou camst delicatlie apparelled and perfumed into the chamber not without good espiall before hand of the Tyrants absence A valiant man no doubt who desired not to find the Tyrant but his wife who was not pricked with hate but passioned with loue They which goe purposely to kill anie one doe arme themselues with courage and courtelax and doe goe thether where they thinke to find those they meane to kil Euery noble act is begun with an intent and performed by occasion for as oftentimes the vertuous enterprises are rewarded although the successe doe fall out sinisterly so are wicked enterprises not left vnpunished although they succeed not according to the meaning of the malefactor and as vertue without effect loseth not her glorie euen so likewise is that neuer allowed for vertue or worthie of reputation which happeneth by fortune or chance The wisdome of our Senat would neuer haue appointed so great a reward for him that should slay the Tyrant if they had thought the same should haue ben performed by so wicked a person not willingly but by constraint not by vertue but by vice Neuer was there heard of such a combat for hee which was counted the vildest caitife did fight for the best honestest cause the Tyrant fought to reuenge his owne wrong and his wiues reputation and thou to maintain thy lewd act and foule adulterie so that it may truly bee said that thou diddest murther a womans husband and fortune hath slaine the Tyrant by whose death the Commonwealth hath gained her freedome although he was not slaine for the same intention It is a goodlie matter to see thee come polluted with the kisses of an adulterous minion to demand the recompence belonging vnto a vertuous man this honor should bee due vnto such a one as had freely killed the Tyrant being therevnto prouoked by vertue but not vnto thee who diddest it by chance or constraint thereby to defend thine owne life wherefore the same life which thou hast saued by this deed is a recompence great enough for thy desert or if thou wilt denie this consider that first we must punish the vice and afterwards reward the vertue thou canst not denie but that thou diddest first commit adulterie before thou sluest the tyrant first then suffer punishment for thy fault and then we will afterwards consult whether thou deseruest that reward which thou demandest But aboue all things remember this that no good act is to be attempted by mischiefe neither must vertue be attained vnto by vice The Answere YOu say that I went not of purpose to kill the Tyrant seeing that I did goe vnarmed But I affirme that I did which is plainly approued by his death In that I was vnarmed it doth not any whit deminish my vertue but rather augment my danger the which not to esteeme nor feare can bee no other then vertue You must not examine what I carried into the Castle But what I tooke away thence Likewise neuer aske wherefore I went thether but marke what I haue done there True it is that the sword was none of mine but the hands were mine the courage counsell danger paines and lastly the act was mine Doe you call mee an
that which I alleaged in my owne defence was more to saue my life then to salue the law which being once corrupted would be farre more preiudiciall vnto others then vnto me who if the worst doe chance can haue but a bad choice when I must be constrained either to marry such a one as desireth my death or els die for one whō I loued too dearely Thou art not only the procurer of my shame but also of my slaughter for the scaffold the hangman the sword the bands and lastly my death are all readie prepared for mee and that onely by thy meanes Will not al men thinkst thou say these are too manie euils to be borne at one time vnlesse thou mightest be likewise a partaker therof Doost thou not know that ouerferuent loue depriueth a man of his vnderstanding And that the law neuer punisheth those that offend for want of wit They then are to be punished that offend through malice or hatred and not such as sinne through want of discretion or too much loue Thou seekest my death because I denied the deed but I say my deniall maketh me more worthie to be excused for thou canst not say but that it proceeded either for want of remembrance of the deed being void of sence when I did it or els because I was sorrie or rather ashamed for mine offence wherefore if the worst doe happen the one cause freeth me from punishment and the other maketh me worthie to bee pardoned seeing that to euery noble heart sorrow shame and repentance for misdeeds are three punishments more worse thē death which doth speedilie free vs from all miserie and impossible is it for anie man to escape it how soone or late soeuer it commeth nay rather in prolonging of our liues we lengthen out our miserie But I pray thee tell me seeing thou hast chosen me for thy husband am I not the same Wherefore then wilt thou kill thy husband when thou meantest to saue thy rauisher Therfore I may say that herein thou resemblest the shee wolfe When thou diddest demand mee for thy husband thou diddest not then know me to be honest and shamefast or that I would doe my best to conceale thy shame and my discredit and now thou hast tried mine honestie thou seekest mine ouerthrow so that it seemeth thou art more angrie in that I am ashamed of my follie then thou art aggreeued with my fault why art thou angrie Doest thou not know that loue wine and women do make the wisest witlesse as Salomon Sampson Hercules Lot Noe and an infinit number besides doe witnesse likewise the night is void of shame so that it is lawfull by day to denie the faults of the darke Thou diddest chuse me for thy husband therefore thou maist not reuoke thy choice nor the iudge his sentence nothing can be more politick or profitable in a Common-wealth then the performance of euerie sentence that is giuen and the obseruation of ancient lawes Whereby I conclude that if thou be permitted to chuse twice the law is false for neuer did anie maid doe the like then seeing thou art no better then others thou oughtest to obtaine no more then they The maidens Answere I Knowing thy malice and that he which is not ashamed to commit a fault wil neuer be ashamed to denie the fact did not chuse thy death which thou deseruedst but thy wedding whereof thou art vnworthie thereby to make thee acknowledge thine offence the which thou wouldest neuer haue done haddest thou not ben conuinced by most apparent witnesse so that it cannot be said that thou meantest to hide my discredit but rather to make it more euident by the testimonie of diuers and thou diddest not care if I had been found a lier They which are ashamed sorrie or repentant for their misdeeds haue not the face to denie so audiciouslie their misdemeanors but thereby it appeareth that before thou diddest commit the fact thou thoughtest to escape by thy falshood My choice was of no value seeing the crime was not verified neither art thou my husband seeing by thy deniall thou hast affirmed that I had no action at all to demand thee I do craue then the death of the malefactor that would not take the aduantage of my mercie Likewise the law maketh no mention how manie times I am to make my choise but onlie that I may chuse the one or the other must not the choise for the offence be effectuall it hath not yet been because that hee himselfe would not haue it effected I haue not then chosen but indeuoured to chuse if hee had not by his deniall hindered my choise Yet now seeing the deed is no more doubtfull I doe chuse his death as well because in going about to prooue my allegation false he sought to take away my life or to take me with double infamie the iudge cannot giue away my right therefore in causing him to die he shall satisfie those points which he saith are requisit in a Common-wealth Declamation 69. Of him that would be paied for his house wherein a Tyrant was burned A Tyrant seeing that he was besieged in his castle or fortresse fled vnto a Cittizens house to hide himselfe Some one of the tounsmen being aduertised thereof burned the house and the Tyrant within it for which deed hee obtained both the honour gained the reward belonging therevnto and likewise receiued many presents and gifts from the citizens Which when hee whose house was burned did perceiue he required to be satisfied for his losse by him that set it on fire but the other refused to pay him any thing at all saying VVHerefore diddest thou receiue the Tyrant Why couldest thou not driue him foorth or slay him What was the reason that hee fled to thy house rather then to another mans What cause had he to think himselfe more sure in thy weak cottage then in a strong castle Why doest thou esteeme thy house better then the Commonwealths benefit Must you that neither killed the Tyrant nor yet reuealed nor brought him forth that he might be slaine be partner of the reward I affirm and do verily suppose that thou bewailest his death and it is verie likely that either thou wast his friend or his seruant at the least thou canst not denie but that thou wast his host yea and I assuredly beleeue that thou didst watch of purpose to saue him from perill a mā might easily accuse thee to be one of his confederats and that thou diddest offer him thy house seeing that therein he thought himself more sure then in anie other house besides It were farre better that one hundred houses much fairer thē thine should be vtterlie lost then so vild a Tyrant as he should be yet liuing Nay it were better to see a citie quite raced down to the earth then the Cittizens should bee continuallie spoiled by tyrannous crueltie without all hope of amendment Seeing then that for the common good so great losses are so
if a man ouercome with a iealous care of his countrie should goe forth of the cittie without leaue to doe some exploit for the benefit therof Ought he to die Are not the lawes made for the profit and safetie of the Commonwealth Let vs consider to what end the King leaped ouer was it to goe seeke the enemies No but rather thereby secretly to shew that as he could leape foorth of the cittie at one iumpe so might the enemies as easilie passe our such low wals wherefore as hee would neither flatter the workemen so without gaining their ill will hee would prouoke them to be more diligent in their labour and for the same purpose he indeuoured to please both thē also the assistants in shewing the agilitie of his bodie O how worthie of commendation is that man which ioineth profit with pleasure as he did but wee may say that he in steed of receiuing honour by the people for his reward obtained cruell death at his brothers hands for his recompence Seeing the law was by the Senat inuented why were not they acquainted with his execution that so his integritie might haue ben made manifest For that which a king doth cannot bee said to bee done without leaue so that the people be not hurt therby for in euery lawful act he may take leaue by his own authoritie wherfore you haue no other excuse but that the onlie ambition to raigne alone incited you to kill your brother murther our King hurt the Common-wealth whereby it appeareth that the greedie desire to rule is void of all pittie or remorse if we say that hee which parteth from his friend parteth from himselfe what may be said of him that hath by death sundred his brother from him Which at one instant was conceaued with him who hath remained in his mothers wombe vntill his procreation with him who was cast forth vnto the beasts fostered vp together with him who hath holpen him to build this citie to appoint the Senat and was created King with him what iudge wil bee then so ignorant which will not say that you ought to die with him And that you doe wrongfullie vsurpe the time wherein you doe liue longer then hee Giue rightfull doome then O you Senators to the end that he which hath killed his brother without your consent may no longer tyrannise ouer the Commonwealth The Answere of Romulus AL happinesse ought to be hoped for graue fathers when in the Commonwealth the laws are not onelie good but when they be obserued and kept and by the punishment of a great one all the rest are threatened if they misse in their dutie mine integritie is sufficientlie declared in submitting me vnto the lawes yea euen in the not sparing of mine owne brother as in like sort I would not exempt mine owne person for the obseruation thereof If Minus Radamanthus and Eocus had not ben iust and somewhat seuere in the performance of their lawes they should not haue obtained that immortall renowne which they now haue neither should bee held as Iudges of the infernall mansions like as it is manie times not onlie lawfull but necessarie for one hand to chop of another to preserue the rest of executing one of the enemies therof not without your iudgement but by you both condemned and adiudged euer since the law was by you made allowed for you haue added no exception therevnto Consider then most graue Senators and you couragious people that if I receiue anie hurt it is for doing good beseeching you also to beleeue that what mischiefe or good soeuer shall happen vnto me cannot happen vnto anie that is more affected vnto you or more carefull of your welfare then I. Romulus escaped at this time and raigned a long time after very cruellie but finallie at a sacrifice which was made out of the cittie there fell great store of rain with horrible thunder and lightening wherevpon the Senators tooke occasion to kill Romulus and afterwards hauing hewed him in an hundred peeces euery man carried away a peece and made the people beleeue that he was taken vp into heauen aliue whilest they were offering their sacrifice and hee was placed in the temple amongst the gods and named Quirinus Declamation 75. Of him who being found with a poysoned potion is thereby accused to haue gone about to poyson his father A Certaine rich man had one onlie sonne who was of such bad behauiour that he renounced him and receiued him againe three times Lastly he found him at vnawares in a very secret place of his house where he was brewing a poysoned potion the father asked him what drinke that was hee not being able to denie it said that it was poyson the which he thought to drinke because hee was wearie of his life afterwards he threw the poyson on the ground the father knowing his malice long before accused him that hee had prepared that poyson for him saying IT is far vnlike that he which in three times being forsaken did neuer make anie shew to bee desirous of death would now poyson himselfe being both in the good fauour and in the house of his aged father whose inheritance hee did dailie expect but it is rather most certaine that he being vnwilling to stay for it vntill my death was desirous to attempt the abridging of my daies What likelihood was there that he would willinglie die who being suddainly taken threw the poyson downe for feare least he should haue been compelled to drinke it Why should you think that such a one is wearie of his life that dooth now defend himselfe as much as he can because he would not bee condemned to death Those which desire to die doe goe vnto the warres or trauell by sea and so die with honor in denieng thy crime thou proouest thy selfe culpable canst thou denie that thou diddest seeke find buy and bring the poyson into thy fathers house Vnto whom thou shewing thy selfe an enemie more then a thousand times hast compelled him against his will to reiect and disherit thee three times and thinking alwaies by my exceeding mildnesse to ouercome thine extreame maliciousnesse I haue thrice returned to receiue thee with more then a fatherly kindnes but I perceiue that all the good which is done vnto the wicked is not onlie lost but also increaseth their wickednesse for thou canst THe law is that whosoeuer killeth any man should not be buried at all Wherevpon a certain rich man of a good stocke happened by some occasion to kill himselfe So that thereby the Magistrate accounted him for a murtherer and therefore would not suffer him to be buried but the kinared of the dead man stood against him therein and said IF this poore man had slaine anie one your reason were of some worth for it might haue ben supposed that malice hatred enuie or some other vice had procured him to commit manslaughter but alasse he hath slaine himselfe being ouercome with miserie or els because
thereof and they which will liue after their owne mind haue neuer inough of which number thou art one and that hath caused thee to cast away my son so miserablie for the which I demand iustice The Merchants Answere WHy doest thou persecute me O thou woman for a mischance that displeaseth mee no lesse then it doth thee If it were otherwise might not I haue kept this gold and haue made thee beleeue that thy son had ben run away from me Yea and that he had robbed me or els that hee had died by some other accident then couldest thou well haue indured thy sonnes losse together with thy poore life but indeed thou verifiest the old Prouerb which saith That a woman is extream in all things and that likewise shee commonly chuseth the worst whereby I might haue been better aduised when I told thee of this mishap being therfore no lesse sorrowfull then thy selfe for to say the truth it was a great lamentable mischance and now I doe verie well know how vnseemely it is for anie man to say I had not thought because euery wise man thinketh vpon euerie thing before hee doe anie thing Notwithstanding I dare affirme that few men would euer haue supposed that of a child there might be poyson made to kill men and surely I doubt whether thou art to bee blamed or no for bearing such a one for such children are begotten by vnlawfull coniunction when the woman is in her wicked disposition Furthermore if my son should haue persuaded mee to leaue him with that Turke I know not whether I should haue done it yea or no. Lastly I suffered him to doe what he would thinking it should haue beene for his profit and thine our deedes ought to bee measured by our good or bad meaning and not according to the euent therof and say not that a Turke dooth neuer buy a Christian to doe him anie good for manie slaues doe there become great lords and gouernors of Prouinces thy sonne would not credit my counsell and although I had not consented vnto his request yet would he haue left me to accomplish it the couetousnesse was in him and not in me hardlie may he bee either counselled or corrected that is naturallie enclined to wickednesse as hee was and I beleeue that hee had that from thee seeing that to the death of thy sonne thou wouldest ad the destruction of the dearest friend that thou hast in the wortd and who in stead of thy sonne and husband would bee the stay of thine age and alwaies helpefull vnto thee But it is trulie said women naturallie can neuer forgiue a fault nor acknowledge anie seruice or fauour that is done vnto thē Declamation 80. Of him that agreed to behead his father after his father refused to doe the like by him IT chanced that a father his son were both conuinced of treason for the which they were condemned to die neuertheles as they were readie to bee executed the Iudges being inclined to mercie rather then rigor were willing to saue one of them saying that the griefe which hee should haue that might see his kinsman die would serue for a sufficient punishment and to encrease the same they feigned that the one of them should be the others executioner they put it vnto their choice who should be the executioner and who the partie to be executed wherefore either of them striued a great while who should be the partie to be executed but in the end the son agreed to the death of his father and according to the decree would haue beheaded him the which the Iudges perceiuing they caused the execution to bee staied and pardoned the father and sent for the hangman to behead the sonne but the father defended him saying YOu ought not O you Iudges to pronounce your sentences in manner of a mockerie or by the ambiguitie or reuocation of them to increase the affliction of the afflicted vnder a coulour of moderating iustice with mercie if mine offence be not worthie of death why will you make me suffer many That is to say one in seeing the extremitie of the choice wherevnto you haue put vs another in contemning my life and offering vp my necke at naught to be cut of by my son and the third in seeing him to be condemned for being willing to accomplish your sentence If it bee a cruell deed to see a sonne execute his father that thereby hee might haue his owne life saued a greater cruelty would it be for the father to kill the sonne Wherefore O you Iudges you should not haue giuen so cruell a sentence but can you blame a child if to saue the prime time of his youth he doe not spare the withered age of his father whose yeares are not manie and they miserable For to say the truth age is an incurable maladie but although it were not yet sure griefe and dispaire would be my destruction if you haue anie children consider then what our miserie is And if you haue none learn of those which haue them what the affection of fathers towards their children is And then may you know that the extremitie of the choice which we haue beene put vnto without encreasing our miserie is sufficient to make vs seem more worthie of present pittie thē of further punishment Not in vain did Lisander of Sparta say vnto him that found him childishlie playing with his children I pray thee quoth hee doe not disclose this my follie at anie time vnlesse it be when thou hast children as wel as I for that discreet personage did very wel know that those which haue no children doe neuer know how great the father and childrens loue is one vnto another the which doth wax more feruent as our years and age increaseth wherefore it is no great wonder if my son hath consented to doe that which I could neuer agree vnto seeing that his yeares are all too yong as yet to vnderstand so wel as I what true affection meaneth therefore I cannot beleeue that he whom Manlius Torquatus caused to be beheaded to manifest his care in obseruing militarie discipline could assuredlie be his own son the which perchance himselfe did well vnderstand for that cause hee found occasion at one stroke to be both reuēged of the mother in grieuing her with the slaughter of her sonne the cause and witnesse of his sorrow and also by the same means to gaine an immortall memorie I say memorie because such kind of crueltie is not to be tearmed glorie But how many are there who for want of yeares and discretion haue conspired their fathers death and yet haue not beene compelled therevnto as this my sonne was but onlie either for the desire of rule or greedinesse of goods notwithstanding there was neuer anie father so cruell as to punish his sonne for all that except Herod that abhominable monster more cruell then anie brute beast But Dauid did not he weepe for his sonne Absolon by whom
of your refusall in doing whereof I take you at your word aud require the temporall sword to punish you for counterfaiting your sex for abusing the vow of religion for your vild whoredome for refusing to doe pennance and for your diuelish obstinacie Consider worthie Iudges how manie torments such a number of hainous crimes deserue Declamation 62. Of Don Ferrand who punished the mutined Spaniards and afterwards is therefore accused IN the time of the Emperour Charles the fifth the Spanish souldiors that were in Scicilia rose in a mutenie and committed a thousand mischiefes whereof the least deserued the halter wherevpon Don Ferrand of Gonsagne brother to the Duke of Mantua who had alwaies ben emploied by the Emperour in chiefest places of command appeased them paying them part of that which was due vnto them afterwards he caused them to be embarked to carie them as he said to Genoa they being all embarked he carried them vnto certaine desert Isles where he made them to goe ashoare faining that he would there take the muster of them and make an end of paying them but when they were all in order a good why in the Island hee found the meanes to cause those to retire vnto the Gallies whom he meant to saue and afterwards he set saile and departed leauing the rest of the souldiours there who for the most part died all with hunger for which fact Don Ferrand was accused vnto the counsell of Spain as followeth IF discretion might be giuen as well as dignities are granted we should not now need to demand his death who hath depriued the liues of a number that were seruitors to Caesar as well as he and no lesse seruiceable the which he would neuer haue done if he had considered that neither he nor anie other could haue that honor to be Generall of an armie if the souldiors did not freelie determine to serue their Prince and follow the warres especiallie if they would altogether with one mind refuse so to doe but hence commeth the mischiefe that those which haue not first learned to be controlled do neuer know rightly lie how to commaund Wherefore Hannon said well when Hasdruball commanded in Carthage and Hanniball was to be sent into Spaine being verie yoong It were better said he that this yonker tarried here in the cittie to learne how to obey lawes then to teach him so suddainlie to command in a forraine land Likewise we are to consider what was the end of Pompey who following the faction of Silla was sooner made a captaine then a souldior euen so those of our time which are noblie borne doe command before they are able to discerne peace from warres the friend from the foe good from bad and reputation from reproch wherevpon it chanceth that as Hanniball was the cause of the ouerthrow of Carthage and Pompey the decay of the Commonwealth of Rome so these captaines made in hast presuming ouermuch of their own courage might impaire the prosperitie of Caesar if his fortune together with his vertue were not inuincible But yet there is another mischiefe which is that Iralie which may bee tearmed the churchyard of Spanish souldiors bringeth foorth few men which are well affected to the Spanish nation who to say the truth being worthie men are also somewhat haultie minded the which the Italians doe attribute vnto their pride which is the chiefest cause why they doe for the most part hate them wee will not be inquisitiue whether heretofore Don Ferrand hath been the cause of the death of a number of other Spaniards but we may well say that he hath made those whom hee left in the desert Island to die the cruellest death that might be imagined without anie iudgement Counsell or consent of Caesar as if men were nursed and brought vp for nothing Surely it should seeme that he did not see what paines was taken in Spaine to assemble such a number of souldiors together what stir there was to embarke them how hardlie they crossed the seas and what time was spent in disciplining them for the warres all which things was not done without great charge and expence vnto the Emperour and the daunger of their owne persons and they were no sooner deliuered ouer to Don Ferrand thorowlie furnished and readie for the warres as if they had sprung forth of the earth in one night like vnto Mushromes but that he did presentlie thrust them not onlie into all the greatest dangers that might be when as manie times there was no great occasion but also because he would be reuenged for the faults of some few of them he hath done them all vnto the cruellest death that he could inuent But wee would demaund of him how it could be possible that they should be all culpable and whether they were all authors of sedition For that is not onelie hard but impossible had it not beene better then for him to haue punished the authors that therby the consenters might haue beene terrified or chastised and the good cherished and maintained Or if he would needs haue had them to die could hee not haue sent them forth vpon the foe Where reuenging their death they might at the least haue weakened his forces We read indeed how the Romans tithed their mutined souldiours and vsed other like punishments but it was neuer seen or heard that they put them all to death and especiallie in Spaine vnder the conduct of Scipio where there was not onelie a mutenie but also Vmbrius Atrius and Calemus Albius tooke vpon them the authoritie of Consuls by the agreement and at the instance of the souldiours yet were none punished but the authors of the deed and the rest were paied emploied and allowed for good souldiours not because the Romans had not as good meanes to send other souldiours from Rome into Spaine and better then wee haue now to send out of Spaine into Italie but this was the reason the Generall was a Romane and he not hating the nation was onlie contented to punish a few of the offenders by the seueritie of that exemplarie punishment to terrifie and feare the rest for it is verie certaine that those which are threatened doe liue better then those which are punished for the punishment being done the feare is past and oftentimes it engendereth such a malice as maketh them to commit farre greater faults then the first as it may be the effect shall bee seene by those which by some meanes may chance to escape from those Islands doe but imagine if there had but a few ben punished what dutifull men those which had ben pardoned would haue prooued to shew that they were worthie of pardon and to cause their passed offence to be forgotten But yet if all this could not haue moued him to spare them yet should hee haue done it because it is so difficult a matter to draw verie often manie men foorth of Spaine where there is no great store as also for the great treasure that is
child Wherevpon he made the said Leideric knight and created him Earle of Flanders Now saith the historie that the eldest sonne of the said Earle being old inough to court ladies did meet before the court gates with a woman that had a small basket of fruit to sell which he tooke from her and carried vp vnto the gentlewomen The poore woman staied for money for her said fruit so long vntill it grew towards night and then departing homeward she lost her selfe in the forrest so as she could not find her house vntill the next morning when comming home she found her child dead for want of the teat Wherevpon she complained vnto the Earle he fained to carrie his said sonne abroad to tourney but passing thorow the forrest he caused him to be hanged Wherefore let vs suppose that the people accused the Earle vnto the king in this sort EVery cruelty if it may please your Maiestie is assuredly very odious but that which the father committeth against his owne child is most execrable for the father his kindnesse ought to exceed all other loue imitating therein the loue which God did beare vnto man for the saluation of whom he hath not spared his only begotten son our Lord and Redeemer whose example they are more bound to follow that are chosen to rule others then those which are more base in condition because the people for the most part doe conforme themselues to immitate their actions which command and especially the bad before the good Wherevpon it followeth that he which commandeth ouer a Commonwealth or prouince cannot offend in any meane sort especially if his offence be publike more if the cause be not ouer great but most of all if it be such a vice as degenerateth from the nature of man all which said faults are found in this detestable deed of our Earle hauing wrongfullie put to death his owne son and what sonne Euen his eldest sonne and the same which should haue succeeded him and bene our Earle But what offence can bee more publike then to cause his sonne to die by the most shamefull death in the world For by the halter are theeues executed and yet he had no such cause to put him to death seeing that notwithstanding his fault was remedilesse moreouer there is no â—ice thought more vnbeseeming a man then crueltie and there is no greater cruelty theÌ„ that which is committed against a mans owne blood the which crueltie is not only done against himselfe against his sonne and against vs in putting our Prince to death but also against the mother and brethren of the Prince and that which worst is against your Maiestie hauing executed the sonne of your daughter your nephew and your subiect who in processe of time might haue done good seruice vnto your crowne and state Wherefore this tyrant hath not only shewed crueltie vnto all these aboue named but he hath further manifested his ingratitude vnto his king and soueraigne vnto your Maiestie I say who hath made him noble by knighting him creating him Earle of this countrie and accepting him for your sonne in law What punishment deserueth not a crime so manifest committed against the person of such a monarch But who is so ignorant that will not affirme that in this action froward fortune hath rather beene the cause of the mischeife happened vnto this woman than the prince himselfe or els it was her negligence or ill hap or the desteny of the infant What meant she to stay so long Did not she know where to haue found the Prince the next day Had she lost her money by staying for it But to be short this woman did shew her selfe to be both cruell and obstinate as their sex are for the most part and it may be she staied so long tatling with some of her gossips and boasting that the Prince had bought her fruit as night ouertooke her before she was aware for the prattle of a woman is oftentimes without measure But were it that the Prince his fault were farre more manifest and hainous then it is yet is the cause to be iudged by none but by the king only or by such as should by his Maiestie be deputed and appointed for iudges and it is more vnfit that the father should be iudge of his child then any other because either too exceeding loue or too extreame rage may ouerrule him for when he is angry with those whome he loueth his anger proueth more vehement and dangerous towards them then against others Likewise no iudgement ought to be pronounced without counsell and due informations But what proofes was brought against our prince Where are those which were called to consult vpon iudgement or to giue aduice that he ought to die Alas the father and the hangman were both Iurie Iudge and Executioner Well God graunt this mischiefe proceed not from some other ground that is to say least some old malice long since conceiued hath not made the father to find this occasion to destroy his son it may be chiefely to aduance his second sonne whom he loued better I passe ouer in silence how hee hath secretly endeuoured to haue the world suppose that the same was none of his son therby meaning to slander your daughter for those which know themselues inferiour to their wiues doe neuer loue them heartily but seeke all the meanes they can to make them lesse esteemed and especially such as are ingratefull of whom this Tyrant sheweth himselfe to be the chiefest It may be said that it is not lawfull to accuse any man by coniecture but what vilenesse may not a man imagine by such a one seeing that like as vertues are knit together so do vices follow one another To conclude dread soueraigne we doe better feele this wrong done to your Maiestie to your daughter to her children and to our selues then we are able to expresse the same in words but our iust teares together with our silence demand iustice of your highnesse The answere of the Earle AS nothing surely can be more odious or degenerating from the nature of man then crueltie so also is nothing more necessarie for humane conuersation then iustice ioined with wisedome for indeed without it iustice seemeth to bee no better then crueltie as wisedome also without iustice is esteemed no other then meere malice yet holding these two vertues linked together a man may put his owne child to death and not be taxed of crueltie but rather praised for his pietie and loue towards them and Common-wealth And such were the Numantines accounted for slaying their children rather then they would leaue them for slaues So was Virginius who killed his daughter to saue her chastitie I passe ouer Manlius Torquatus Posthumius and diuers others who put their owne children to death onely for the zeale they had vnto the obseruation of militarie discipline yet for all that not any of all these haue beene iudged to be cruell or worthy of blame but on the
persuading both the one and the other that they were highly bound vnto him Whervnto the Senat was forced to yeeld considering the authoritie which by their fault he had gained amongst the people yet this had beene a small hurt if he had beene contented that but onely himselfe should haue beene king but his actions declared that he would confirme the kingdome vnto his posteritie by the means of Hanniball vnto whom he not only brought his sonne Perolla but himself did stay him from the killing of Hanniball and from the procuring of the freedome of his countrie by this his most noble act Finally this noble yong man did very well shew himselfe to be the sonne of a Roman matron holding that noble mind of his mother How could hee chuse but be greeued at the heart seeing that by his fathers words who rather ought to haue exhorted him therevnto his most couragious purpose was broken from the which this hairebraine man in all vild actions did not only dissuade him but also constrained him to giue it ouer affirming that if he would not bee ruled by him he would aduertise Hannibal thereof yea would couer him with his own bodie in such sort as he should not be hurt vnlesse Pacuuius were slaine Thus he alone did corrupt the faithfull zeale which the child ought to the Romans and his countrie I passe ouer with silence how that hee was the cause that Decius Magius was so euilly intreated by Hanniball in the presence of all the Citizens and then afterwards clogged with chaines to be carried to Carthage if the gods had not succoured him better then this honourable person who had such credit with Hanniball that at his banquet was the second man at the table and his sonne the third and yet did not once excuse but rather most greeuously accused poore Magius to haue alwaies fauored the Roman faction Thus hath this vnhappy man betraied his countrie foure times First when hee put the life of the Senators to the discretiō of the people secondly when he caused Capua to reuolt from the Romanes thirdly when he made an agreement with Hanniball and suffered him to enter into Capua and fourthly when hee kept his sonne from killing Hanniball He will answere that he alone neither caused Capua to reuolt nor to receiue Hanniball I say he did for vnder the colour of his protecting the Senate no man durst gainsay him in any thing except Magius who was punished therefore If those who without calling any stranger doe by no such execrable meanes aspire vnto tyrannie are greeuously punished What torment then may be sufficient to bee inflicted vpon this wicked man Who not content to haue vsurped the gouernement and called in a stranger for his defence did also by threats corrupt the good nature of his sonne Remember O you noble Romans that you haue for lesse fault punished and driuen away your kings and consider also the causes why we cannot much lesse will not be vnder any other then you doe vs iustice then vpon him who hath withdrawne vs from you The Answere AMongst reasonable and vertuous men al vices are odious but aboue all ingratitude is a vice most detestable for it is the cause that manie good turnes are left vndone for euen as the iuie causeth that tree to die about the which it windeth and which sustaineth it so an vngratefull man seeketh the death and destruction of him to whom he is beholding for many good turnes which maketh a number fearefull to employ themselues either for the particular good of any or for the the publicke benefite of many But the noble minds leaue not for all that to doe their endeuors for euen as the sum is nothing infected by the mud vpon which it shineth and as the slanders of the ingratefull can no way hurt the true vertue which euen in the middest of vices shineth as the light doth in darkest places euen so this damned man the more he thinketh to impair my reputatiō the more doth he increase my renowne For first he saith that I haue obtained the chiefest dignities in Capua it is then a signe that either I am vertuous or els the rest of the Citizens that haue aduanced me to such authoritie are al vicious for euery one fauoreth his like repugneth his contrary You say that I thinke my selfe a tyrant Where do you find that tirants do succor or saue the life of such as pretend to be equall with them in power can you denie that by mine industrie the Senat was saued Hath not the effect made the same apparent You say that I brought them in daunger hazarding their liues to the discretion of the inconstant people how is he brought in danger who alreadie by his owne fault is fallen thereinto Do you call it a hazarding to saue mens liues If you had knowne any other meanes more expedient you ought therein to haue giuen your aduise But that in extream euils extraordinary meanes ought to be vsed So I knoing that the euill proceeded aswell from the ouergreat presumption of the Senat as from the insolencie of the people thought to find out the fittest remedie for each partie perceiuing his error framed himselfe accordingly Thinke you before I seemed to make it a question whether the Senators should liue or die that I had not first gained the chiefest of their enemies and that I did not know the weaknesse of the rest And as touching this point of the yeelding to Hanniball the authors of his receiuing they did poison themselues which taketh away the suspition that anie other was the cause thereof How could I then be able to resist Hanniball more then you and others True it is that I was second person in his bancket at the table but the same was rather a signe that he did it to win me then that I was such a one as you tearme me to be For the subtile Barbarian did not embrace those who did already fauor him but such as he would draw vnto him and the better to proue that true my sonne whom he knew to bee a Roman in heart was the third man at his banquet whom trulie I confesse I did dissuade from killing Hanniball because it was a thing impossible being alwaies armed enuironed with his gard and chiefly because he euermore suspected my sonne greatly So that the best that could happen by his rashnesse would be but the death of him manie others and it might be the vtter subuersion and ruin of Capua What hurt then haue I done preseruing such a one as is most affectioned vnto the Romans and also in sauing the cittie which could not faile but fall into their hands againe for al violent things as was the fortune of Hannibal are of so long continuance but being at their Periode turne vpside downe in a moment Therefore in such a time more wisdome consisteth in dissimulation then in obstinate boasting as appeared in that of Magius which was nothing profitable vnto
so wise as you thinke your selfe to be to gaine a dignitie or an assured principalitie you should haue immitated some such as it may be being lesse cowardly but more wise then you and knowing themselues not valiant enough by armes to winne any authoritie doe become first begging friers and so well behaue themselues therin as afterwards they become cardinals yea and oftentimes obtaine the Papall seat in such sort should you haue become a Prince You I say who haue neither vertue nor valor but in your tongue by the which you could so well persuade my deceassed father to dishonour himselfe and to wrong his onlie sonne preferring you before him But I haue such an assured hope in the Emperour his sacred Maiestie who is our iudge as that shall be restored which of right belongeth vnto me and I assure that but for the respect I beare to the same Maiestie I would doe that as you should know you ought not to vsurpe my gouernement but thinke your selfe verie happie in surrendring the same ouer to me not receiue the punishment due for your rashnesse The Answere RAsh and vnaduised may he be tearmed who in the end of his reasons addeth threatnings in the presence of his imperiall Maiestie whom he faineth to respect vpon whom such an iniurie redoundeth rather then vpon me who am here vnder the protection of his said Maiestie But to answere vnto this your deed I say that it is not the act of a gentleman to disobey his father either whilest hee liueth or after his death in desiring to take that from me which he charged me to keepe by his last Will. Touching the first disobedience Durst you be so presumptious to vnderstand the cause why your father did forbid you to goe vnto the wars You were ouerbold therein since he knowing your indiscretion and wauering mind would not trust you with such a secret matter How manie things seeme aduantagious honourable and profitable vnto yong men which old men doe foresee to be a manifest ruin What doe you know what they doe keepe in store for you whom you haue offended in this war Or if he who euen by your aid is become more mightie shall vse the same his power to your preiudice For so did the Romans who being succoured by their confederats did first vanquish other nations and then afterwards subdued those their confederats likewise what do you know if your father foresaw the same or a greater danger If we are bound to beleeue old men how much more then ought euery one to beleeue his father of whom next to God he holdeth his life and his being And therefore they are double in fault which do not onlie giue no credit to their words but also do disobey their commandements as you haue done for if one way you shall lay the fault vnto your frailtie which hindered you from beleeuing the truth and shall say it is mans nature so to doe Yet your disobedience added therevnto doth another way make the same vnpardonable How manie are there that haue put their children to death for lesse fault then yours It may easelie be seene by the Hebrew Greeke and Latine histories As for example Saule the first King of the Hebrewes would not he haue put his sonne Ionathas to death for tasting a little honie against the commandement of his said father although he did it ignorantlie Epaminondas the Theban did not he cause his sonne to die for fighting coÌ„trarie to his coÌ„mandement did not Aulus Posthumius and Manlius Torquatus Romans do the like what would they then thinke you haue done if their children contrarie their wil and commandment had gone to the wars as you haue done Teaching them who were with you to disobey their prince as you did your lord and father and not content to haue offended him during his life will confirme and ratifie your disobedience after his death in resisting his last Will and testament and to his great dishonor accuse him with want of wit For lesse fault was Cham the sonne of Noe not onlie disherited but also cursed of his father for euer yea and his posteritie after him who could not do with the faults of their father and grandfather The Romans had not the power ouer the life and death of their children So that but for such men as you that law at this law had not beene inuented for from the vniustice and wickednesse of men do good holy and righteous laws proceed Wherefore it is a true Prouerbe that offences beget laws and afterwards those laws doe discouer and punish offences for where no fault is there law is not requisit and where no law is there can be no breach thereof Wherevpon S. Paule saith That the law onlie made me know that to desire is sinne Your father did not prohibite you from the defence of your countrie or the church therefore you need not make a question of that which he did not but of that which hee did which was his dissuading you from this war and for the same cause hee added threatnings vnto his commandement And notwithstanding for all this you would not obey him but it may bee the great griefe which your father tooke for this your obstinacie hath procured his death and yet you say although he hath not wholly disherited you that he did you wrong to giue the principalitie vnto him whom he knew to bee best able to keepe it see how farre the loue of the father exceedeth all the malice that the sonne can imagine for notwithstanding after this your fault hee thought vpon your profit more then you deserued and therefore he had a desire to leaue you wherewithall to liue like a Prince but not the power to loose your selfe and your people Doe you thinke the good Prince did not know that in the warres vices are sooner learned then vertues And that you were more inclined to wickednesse then wisedome For how can he be a louer of vertue which despiseth both his father his commandements Moreouer hee knew very well that the countrie whose Prince is accustomed to the wars is neuer in peace and not being in peace it cannot prosper Also he said that as countâ—ies had long ben kept so they should be maintained because euerie alteration or change is dangerous and if there come any profit thereby it is not in their daies to bee expected who are then liuing Wherefore knowing that his predecessors and himselfe had more encreased and conserued their gouernement by wisedome equitie and iustice then by armes it seemed nothing reasonable vnto him to leaue for successor such a one who only seeking to be counted valiant would forsake all vertue which takes her beginning froÌ„ the feare of God and he which feareth him is another manner of man to his father then you haue beene to yours Now since your father had all these reasons on his part can you say he was not a good protector both of his people and also of you
time he liued after their creation haue manifested the same to Menenius his sonne being the cause of his death with the griefe that hee tooke in seeing himselfe condemned by those who not long before durst not presume to consort with anie his fathers seruants I say this noble Agrippa died so poore that he left not onlie so much as to burie himselfe withall as it likewise chanced vnto manie others Behold then in whom the ambition and couetousnesse remaineth which you would impute to the Senators who as a candle do consume thēselues for the publick good whilst you which were it not for the office that the Senat hath bestowed vpon you should oftentimes haue no bread to put in your mouthes endeuour to persecute the Senat and destroy the people You accuse me to be the cause that the battaile was foughten so vnluckilie vnder the mountaine of Ianicola I submit my selfe to the report of the Senat and people whether my endeuor were wanting Menenius was condemned for not aiding the Fabians in the time of his consulship and I for fighting vnluckilie as if the one others fault proceeded not from the insolencie of the Tribuns who did so animate the people against the Senat as hardlie would they march vnder the Consuls but who knoweth not that the souldiors neuer doe anie good seruice if they loue not their leader who also can doe no worthie act if he be not thorowlie assured of the good will and obedience of his souldiours but concerning the Fabians they were cut in peeces in the field before the consull was aduertised that they were in anie danger yet was hee condemned vniustlie by you Is it not also manifest that you by your crossing hindering the enrolling the souldiosr haue ben the cause for the most part that succour hath come too late this is all the good that you doe in the Common-wealth O you Tribuns plagues of the same it is not before you who are vnworthie to take account of my actions as I will iustifie much lesse excuse my selfe condemne me if you can I speake not to the end to dissuade you I will not be ashamed to be the companion of so manie vertuous men whom you haue wrongfullie condemned but I do verilie assure you reuerend fathers that as much hangeth ouer the heads of euerie one of you vntill that the condemnation of such a one not more louing to the Common-wealth yet more happie then I do prouoke you not to endure anie more the insolencie of these heddie fellowes who doe onelie maintaine their authoritie they haue with the people in quarrelling with the worthiest Senators and you O people no lesse ingratefull then ignorant of the euill which threatneth you bee you full assured that these men will bring you to that passe that you will desire but neuer obtaine that the Senat may bee restored to their first authoritie The Answere IF the people should not haue some better head then yours it were better they had none at all for although euerie one liued after their own fantasie yet should it be lesse hurtfull for them then to bee led or gouerned by such a one as seeketh their destruction and it cannot bee said that the commendation or condemnation that the Senat deserueth by means of the election of the Tribuns is rightly due vnto them because the same election neuer was allowed by their good wils but being compelled they consented thervnto although in effect they were the cause that the people would both haue them and also obtained them For they vsing the people more rudely then slaues it caused them to looke vnto their owne safeties and to take vp armes and force the Senat to consent vnto the chusing of Tribuns to defend them from those who sought to tirannise ouer them neuerthelesse you would on the contrarie haue vs to serue the Senat and to consent that not onlie they should haue al the honor and profit of that which was gotten with the price of the peoples blood but also that they shold deuour the authors of their dignitie by imposition and vsuries bringing them into captiuitie for debts keeping them in prison and irons and tormenting them at their own pleasure Although you doe not acknowledge O you Senators how much you are beholding vnto the people yet remember onlie when you had need of their valour to confirme your authoritie or to defend you from the enemie how friendlie you could speake When Porsenna king of Tuscan came to besiege Rome to establish the Tarquins therein you then said that the people were oppressed that it were reason to discharge them from taxes that the custome of salt ought to bee taken away and to giue them corne in common since that they were at charge enough in begetting and bringing vp of their children for the warres but as soone as the siege was raised this consideration and liberalitie did vanish away both together King Tarquin being once dead then began you by little and little to vse those free people like slaues so as nothing remained vnto to them but the name of freedome but as in greatest harmes extreame remedies are sought so had the people or els the Senat perished without the mitigation of the Tribuns and it cannot bee denied but that otherwise the miserie of the people had alwaies encreased since that amongst seuē kings there was but one which was hurtfull vnto them and now hardlie can there bee found amongst a number of Senators one that is good or fauourable vnto them or if anie such bee yet dare they not make anie shew thereof for feare to displease others thereby and be called fauourers of the people as it happened to the Fabians who rather desired to die in fighting alone with the enemies then to bee odious to the Senat and not to bee able without danger to fauour the people tell vs onlie whether you are rulers or lords ouer the people and consider that if you bee their rulers you ow them equitie and iustice or if you will be their lords you ought to fauor and protect thē notwithstāding they can obtain nothing at your hands but by force you affirme that if we had not beene the confusion and weakenesse of the people would haue made them acknowledge their fault but you confesse not that the people might sooner bee able to make a new Senat then the Senat a people all these proofes are dangerous because they are extreame and vertue consisteth in a meane The kings haue honoured the Senat so also haue they not despised the people for without them the king could not bee and the first Senate was chosen from amongst them if Collatin were banished for his name onlie Why ought they not to bee condemned whose deeds deserue no lesse Trulie neither Consuls Senators nor Tribuns ought to be suffered if they doe not their dutie neither was it ingratitude to condemne the son of Agrippa but equitie and as there are but a few Senators who
shall newly come forth of their office The Answere WE do confesse that the Dictator should be such a man as you say but you did not or at the least would not tell what els was requisit for him to doe which is that he ought also to consider to what end he was created whether to represse the Tuscans or to abolish or abridge the authority of the officers appointed by the Senat and people as if he alone were wiser then all the rest There was neuer any Dictator made vnlesse it were to withstand those casualties which could not otherwise be redressed We doe not stand vpon the necessity of this abridgement but doe onely demand if it could not be done vnlesse a Dictator should by this deed embolden the people euery day to attempt new matters And giue an example vnto the succeeding Dictators to do other things thē those for which they are ordained for of all things as well good as bad the beginning is the chiefe point so that it is most dangerous to be the ringleader vnto others to doe amisse because suddainly they alleage the example of him that went before them For the greater his authoritie is that was the first inuenter of any such matter so much the more pernicious is the same vnto the Commonwealth therfore we haue not done amisse if that should happen which you say because those which would follow his example should also remember that such presumptuous acts do not so greatly profit as they are supposed But we haue not burthened him for this cause but only because it was our dutie so to doe and we are no more bounden to giue an account of our actions then he is of his the which seeme no lesse contrary to the Senat then fauourable to the people who are ouer insolent of themselues already and although we will not say that Mamercus entendeth by this popular fauour to performe some bad act yet who shal hinder some to thinke that by such like means a man may imagine to aspire vnto some such vniust matter I will not say to be tyrant for there is more then one way to attaine vnto the same as there are many sorts of tyrannies Wherefore it is the duetie of a good Citizen to shew that he doth quite detest euery act that may breed any suspition Therefore it were no wisdome to come vnto this extremitie of the deserts either of his or our actions for the disputation thereof would be no lesse difficult then dangerous so that it were better to deferre that vntill you haue obtained as you say that we must be adiudged and corrected by our predecessors in the meane season let vs now pretend that our authoritie is more then your vnderstanding doth allow it We are not ignotant of Mamercus his vertue neither can we but know what fauour kindred and meanes he hath nor hath he offended vs but rather the Magistrat and the Common-wealth for hauing abridged the office he taketh away the men euen then when they might doe most good therein for there is no man so perfect that at the first committeth not some faults or at the least wise doth not execute a charge better after he hath beene exercised in the same some years then when he first began to vse the same the which neither he himselfe nor you can with reason denie neuertheles there is no malice in vs but rather in you that doe not only accuse vs but threaten vs aswell with the future authoritie of Mamercus as also that we must answere our actions vnto those that supplied this office before vs but considering that threatned men doe liue long and such as do most fear do sorest threaten and because threatnings are for the most part sure weapons to defend the threatned we will make no account thereof and the rather because they come not from him whom you pretend to haue the greatest wrong who is ouer wise to vse such speeches and though he should yet could we answere him well inough no man knoweth better then himselfe whether his wealth be increased and whether his imposition be ouer burdenous or no if he doe either affirme it or you doe prooue it we will answere you and if we haue heretofore spared him it was because the time did so require it and for some other respects wherewith we are not to acquaint you Finally Mamercus during his office did that which he thought good and we during ours neither haue nor will doe any thing but that which is good honest and reasonable and we are not to answer you for our actions God graunt that the people doe not beleeue that Mamercus hath abridged the office of Censors for the same end and purpose as Spurius Melius extended his liberality of corne vnto them Declamation 9. Of the husband that slew his wife for hauing lost two of his children the one by fire the other by water A Certaine woman as she was washing and wiping her little sonne did see her yong daughter fal into the fire wherevpon being ouer hastie to helpe it she let her sonne fall into the boule of water wherein he was drowned herevpon her husband happened to come in who presently slew her The womans kindred apprehended him accused him vnto the iustice saying THis wicked fellow not being content with two mischances would needs ad therevnto a third mischiefe O what griefe ought ours to be that hauing not only lost our yoong nephew and his mother but being iustly prouoked thervnto by this damned deed we must likewise procure the death of this wretch which in an vnluckie houre was our kinsman seeing that he alone must be the dishonor of all our linage dying as a publique spectacle by the hands of a hangman according to his deserts because he hath ben worse then a hangman to his poor wife whose only company he deserued not being so chast honest and vertuous as she was bearing a sincere and deuout loue vnto him who was her butcher so as I dare say and beleeue that this soule of hers no lesse louing then innocent dooth yet lament in another world not only in that she was martired by him who ought to haue loued cherished and defended her from all others that would haue burther but also taketh pittie vpon the most iust miserie of this murther and as whiles she liued she alwaies preferred his contentment before her own so now she would thinke her selfe happy if it were possible that she might once more die to saue his life as did the charitable Alcest to saue her most deare Admetus but I would demand of this wicked man wherein his wife had deserued to die by the hands of him who had sworne to keep and defend her from all iniurie Alasse an ouer vehement charitie made her commit a fault which as it fell out was great but to be blamed for it she is not For a motherly loue and a naturall charity seeing her daughter fallen into the fire made her
forget that she held her sonne in her armes Alack her sorrow might very well haue sufficed not only for a penance but also as a most sharp punishment for her offence the which this cruell monster would neuer consider but heaping mischief vpon mischiefe shame vpon shame hurt vpon hurt murther vpon murther had a desire with the price of his life to slaughter her who loued him more then the bals of her eies euen the same who desired not to liue but only to please him but there are some men of which number this is one who the more the poore women are obedient vnto them the more froward and cruell doe they become towards them neuer cherishing them but with reproches blows threats so that they being alwaies possessed or ouercharged with an excessiue feare doe commit a thousand faults because their minds are neuer free to thinke vpon that which they are to doe and who need to doubt but that the feare of this cruel man made the poore innocent forget that she should not haue hazarded the losse of one of her children to haue saued the other Wherefore if therein there was any fault he is to be blamed for it and notwithstanding he hath made her endure a most cruell punishment therfore is there any loue more great then that of the mothers toward the child Had not her pittifull lamentation for her fault committed ben a sufficient pennance for the same Alasse noble iudges the more strange this case is the more great is our griefe which maketh vs to doubt whether our complaints may be heard and if they be heard whether they are vnderstood if being vnderstood whether they be felt for as much as hardly may they be felt by those whom they concerne not so neerely because another mans hurt doth neuer seem so heauy vnto any as it is to himselfe Wherefore we doe throughly assure you that we can better feele our harm then expresse it for when the mind is occupied with passion the spirits must needs faiâ—â— whereby our sences are stopped and our speech hindered Consider with your selues O you iudges if it be possible how great our misery is and let our silence suffice to manifest that which we cannot vtter be you then as iustly seuere as this accursed man is wicked and cruell The kindred of the accused doe Answere ALthough you doe imploy all your skill together with your malice and ignorance which you would hide yet is the same more manifest then any other thing You thinke that you haue shewed a great cunning in persuading that it is fit to put a man to death who would willingly be dead already to what end serueth so much vaine prattle Seeing that he denieth not his fault and that the iudges doe know better then you what punishment he deserueth to what end is it to accuse such a one as accuseth himselfe Where doe you find that it is reasonable to vex the afflicted with iniuries Or that which is worst to encrease his affliction It is you that would heape mischiefe vpon mischiefe shame vpon shame hurt vpon hurt and finally you would increase the number of the dead without considering that the same passions which made this dead woman carelesse of one of her children to saue the other did also stirre vp this poore disgraced man to doe that which he ought not to haue done I passe ouer with silence the occasions that she might more theÌ„ once haue giuen him to haue vsed her ill the which he hauing hitherto patiently resisted hath alwaies endured considering that he could not offend her being the halfe of his flesh without hurting himselfe but at the last being prouoked in such sort as he was blinded with a rage no lesse extreame then iust he hath done that which was no sooner executed but he would haue reuoked it with the price of his owne life the which he yet doth offer to make satisfaction for his fault for the which he is so penitent that he will thinke himself happy to finish his griefe by death but euen as iustice suffereth not those offenders to die who would afterward liue honestly and well so is it not reasonable to put those to death that desire the same and like as they do not excuse or dissemble with those although no great accusation is brought against theÌ„ that be malefactors so also ought not their sentence to be the more seuere for the multitude or sharpe and cruell words of the accusers but moderating the rigour of the lawes according to the equity of their conscience they ought to iudge rightly not laying all the fault vpon him that is accused nor also wholie acquiting her that is dead seeing that she is not altogether faultlesse I will not here alleage any more reasons vpon coniecture as you do of the loue that she did beare vnto her husband for he might say that he loued her as well for against such as we do best loue are we most extreamely angrie when the cause is great but let vs put the case that he was testie froward and cruell as you say ought not she then to haue hidden her fault for a time and after haue caused some other to haue told him or rather haue hidden her selfe to auoid his first anger You will say that her passion did blind her iudgement this excuse serueth as much for him as for her but this is the mischiefe that the most part of women are neuer readie nor aduised in doing any thing but mischiefe Wherevnto they applie their wits so much that they are to seek in doing good for if it were otherwise a man should not see a woman naturally more readie to frame an excuse inuent a deceit or a leasing and other such like remedies then a verie wise man could doe Whereof also they make their boast Finallie none can know their subtilties malice forwardnesse to mischiefe and slacknesse to goodnesse so well as he that is married and yet they that haue ben often married know best for if those which are once married deserue to be placed in the rancks of such as are diseased the others may be accounted in the number of those that are mad Touching your other reasons there is no need to answere them sauing only that the womans friends and kindred haue their ears continually full of the imperfections of their husbands the which when anie mischiefe happeneth they can tell how to augment them without considering that their own wiues doe say as as much of them Lastly it may please the iudges to haue more regard vnto this poore accused soule then to the insolent babble of his spightfull accusers for who can be more worthie of pittie then he vnto whom life is more bitter then death Declamation 10. Of Caius Seruilius who is accused to haue slaine Spurius Melius that had releiued the people during the famine AT Rome during the time of the sixtie eight Consulship the famine was so exceeding great that many of the
in no sort be so because our enemies which might helpe him with their fauour and counsell are abroad Coriolanus being banished would haue destroied Rome had not his mother by her wise persuasions preuented him so also would this our enemie not be the first that of an exile would aspire to be king for such as are farre from their countrie experience and want maketh them much more industrious and resolute so that so long as he liueth wee shall be like him that holdeth the wolfe by the eares who no sooner is let lose but he doth mischiefe and to hold him still is both ircksome and dangerous for as the wolfe hurteth those whom he seeth before he be spied euen so this race of aspiring Tirants infect the righteous minds of those which are not well acquainted with their nature But would you willingly incurre this blame to haue slaine your husband for some other cause rather then for the good of the Commonwealth we haue no such bad opinion of you yet let your good deed then be sound and without spot rather then to demand such a thing whereof vnto you there would come exceeding mischiefe and vnto vs most great danger like as you know that the law saith that the Tyrant killer should be rewarded so you may remember as wel as the reward that it also saith that all the Tirants kindred ought to be put to death If you haue slaine your husband neither for loue of the law nor for the good of the land you are greatly to be blamed and to be punished for murthering your husband but if your zeale be good suffer then that good may come therof You will say my sonne is yoong true it is and therefore he may the more easily grow worse then better as those doe who are by nature borne vicious and they are such for the most part as are borne of tyrannous parents as his father hath ben prooued and so shall you likewise be if you obey not the law Finally the father and the mother haue ben both very resolute the one to vsurpe the other either to suppresse or desirous to renue the tirannie vntill now we doe not know whether of the twain was meant but we know very well how dangerous the preseruing of a son borne of such parents is whose qualities he may very well follow resolue you then to put vs out of doubt in asking such a reward as may be graunted that to a good and vertuous end you murthered the tirant or els prepare you to receiue such punishment as a woman deserueth that for her owne particular passions hath slaine her husband The Answere HOw now my good lords and friends Are you desirous that in you this detestable Prouerbe should bee verefied which saith That there is nothing more vnconstant vnthankful and more exceeding insolent then the common people so soon as they perceiue themselues free from feare It should seeme then by this that tyrannie keeping you in awe and so consequently in obedience would be more profitable for you then libertie but God forbid that so it should be said of my countriemen I had rather die a thousand times if it were possible and seeing I haue not spared mine owne husband for the good of the Common-wealth neuer thinke that I would spare my sonnes life yea or mine owne vnto your preiudice But I feare that we thinking to doe well both you and I shall be blamed I of crueltie and you of crueltie and ingratitude together for greater crueltie is it to slay an innocent then to pardon an hundred offenders consider then that her sonne who hath set you at libertie hath neuer offended the Common-wealth but as yoong as he is he hath alwaies seemed to abhorre the cruelties of his father who being put to death by my hands the child hath verie constantly showne himselfe to be more glad for the benefit of the Commonwealth then sorrie for the death of his father and with a great contentment hath he left off his gorgeous apparell and his accustomed delicacie to conforme himselfe after my will like vnto the rest of the Citizens Why then my very good lords doe you desire the death of an innocent which sheweth himselfe so affectioned towards you And such a one as may one day do you good seruice wherfore doe you not as well consider the good which he may doe vnto you as the mischiefe which you imagine to be done alreadie by him But the hate which you did beare vnto the father you turn vpon the son when you say that he is the sonne of a Tirant why doe you not as well say that he is her sonne that slew the tirant If you wil not loue him for my sake at the least let your hate be as little as your loue and condemne him not before he haue offended let him liue a while and if he commit the least offence in the world punish him with death loe then the gift which I doe craue for the reward of my desert not the life of my sonne but the delay of his death you say that it is not you but the law which requireth his death it is to be considered that all the interpretations or gloses of the laws ought rather to tend vnto clemencie then vnto rigour and principally when the effect thereof tendeth vnto crueltie for this law which saith that all the kinne and adherents of the tirant must die ought to be vnderstood of those which haue aided and assisted him to exercise his tirannie or that haue beene his partakers therein but wherein might this poor innocent haue offended who knoweth not as yet what tirannie meaneth you must then remember my lords that he is her son who hath made the zeale of her countrie striue and triumph ouer the name of a Princesse ouer the delights of the world ouer soueraigntie so greatly desired of women the which they themselues are vnapt to obtaine ouer wealth the which they so much esteeme and finally ouer a husbands loue and a vowed faith and that which is not the least esteeming all impartial pleasures as base in respect of your generall profit Remember that I haue depriued my self of my husband that I haue slain my child his father what zeale would you haue more great towards our fellow countrymen But if there were the least shew in the world that he would euer be preiudiciall vnto you I would not let for any thing to sacrifice him by and by for your safetie but seeing I am certaine that he will become a very good Citizen and a faithfull louer of his countrie following the same example which I haue giuen beleeue me sirs that I had rather die then he should as also I will not liue any longer after his death Will you iustlie deserue this infamie O you Citizens not onelie to haue beene vnwilling to giue the promised reward vnto her that redeemed you But also to haue ben the cause that she suffered a death more
mine intent I will not say for my defence that her husband hath rather ben the cause of his death then I seeing that he would needs passe by such a place where manie men were fighting for not onlie they which are wise and well aduised do shun the like meetings but also fooles children and the verie brute beasts doe flie from them as touching the criminall coniectures that it was a thing done of set purpose the sharpe pursute of mine enemies doe sufficientlie excuse me and if there be anie other proofe more sufficient then hers of such a fact trulie I will condemne my selfe as worthie of death but being otherwise I cannot be so where she saith that I ought not to throw stones at anie man I answere that he which would iudge of that it were fit that he did prooue the like daunger as mine was to affirme also that to haue manie enemies is a signe of a wicked man is a verie absurd iudgement for it is often seene that the good are hated as well as the bad and that which is worst It is of the wicked that the good are hated so that they are in far greater danger and verie often constrained to defend themselues euen so it fell out with me But who was or euer shall be milder then Socrates And who had more wicked enemies then he who neuer ceassed to slander him euen to the procuring of his death as an offender What shall we say of Phocion and of Aristides likewise of Solon and Licurgus and of the great Scipio Africanus I passe ouer with silence our Sauiour Christ and other Saints least I should prophane their holie names in placing them amongst other men I am not be alone then that hath enemies neither ought this mishap impaire my reputation or make my cause the worse in anie sort Finallie there is no fault so little that cannot be greatlie aggrauated if anie man will seeke for circumstances as this woman doth who would prooue the Common-wealth and so manie persons interessed that it seemeth by her speech that her husband was immortall but I demand if he should haue died of an appoplexie or some other sudden death whether should not the losse haue ben all one But it is the manner of women to make the wrongs which they receiue seem great esteeming those which they commit verie little wherefore it were superfluous to answere her tedious accusations which is the cause that referring my selfe as well vnto the mercie as to the equitie of the iudges I will attend their iust sentence Declamation 18. Of Sergius who fought against his enemies without aduertising his fellow Virginius thereof and therefore is not aided by him SErgius and Virginius both equall in authoritie were captaines in the Romane army before the cittie of the Veies Sergius was encamped on that side where the Tuscanes might come to releiue the besieged cittie and Virginius on the other Now it happened that Sergius was assailed of the Tuscanes and fought with them without requiring aid of Virginius so that part of the campe was thereby discomfited he being returned to Rome accused Virginius for not aiding him and said thus WHat profiteth wisdome courage and dexteritie in a commander when enuie alone is farre more able to hinder him then all these vertues together are able to further the aduancement of his seruice that desireth to profit the Common-wealth Euen so is it happened vnto me for although Virginius and I did both together imploy all our best means to besiege and take the citie of Veies for the honor and profit of the Senat and people of Rome yet were we neuer able to doe anie seruice of worth but on the contrarie we receiued dishonor and hurt by the onlie enuie and ambition of Virginius Neuerthelesse what haue not I done to allure him vnto kindnesse and to persuade him to be carefull of the safetie and honor of the Commonwealth I haue alwaies giuen him the chiefest honour and held him not as my companion but as the only Generall commander of the enterprise yea and leauing vnto him the place of most aduantage I did encampe my selfe both where the greatest danger and most concourse of the enemies was thinking by that meanes not only to induce him but also to bind him more straightlie not vnto my aid but vnto the common good of the whole armie and his owne honor yet what haue I gained with all this dutie and true humilitie nothing at al but only thereby increased his malice pride and ambition I therefore considering with my selfe how hardlie two Generals in one armie doe performe anie enterprise fortunatlie and how on the contrarie by the diuersitie of their opinions wits they doe oftentimes not onlie procure one anothers mischeife but also sometimes put the Commonwealth in great danger as Terentia Varo did at Cannas when he gaue battaile against the opinion of his Collegue did rather desire yet further to abase my authoritie in respect of his honouring him as my superiour in all lawfull things but all was vaine for as much as those actions which doe serue to gaine the loue of such as are modest doe increase the pride and insolencie of those that are prowd for they doe attribute that vnto cowardlines which is done by modestie and wisdome which men Virginius desired to follow for he seeing that I to gaine his fauour did oppose my selfe vnto the greatest daunger for his securitie and defence did presume that I did not this noble act to induce him vnto the like aiding of me but that I did owe him this honour wherevpon he did not only forget that I was his companion but also he would not performe the dutie of a good Generall for how can he be a good Generall that seeth anie of the inferiour captaines in daunger to be ouerthrowne and will not send him aid Paulus Emilius ceassed not to fight but did willingly die in the battaile although that Varo began the same against his aduice the which I haue not done for it is well known that I would not fight against your will seeing that I encamped in that place to no other end but onlie to make head against the Tuscanes if they came to molest the campe to raise the siege or to hinder our enterprise yet neuerthelesse you had rather suffer the Commonwealth to be hindered then to affoord me your aid in so great an extremitie especially seeing that by that meanes we might happily haue ended our enterprise for in succouring me the Tuscanes had ben discomfited and no doubt the besieged could not haue chosen but of necessitie must haue yeelded but you rather desired my losse and dishonour then to haue your owne profit and honour ioined together with mine which had been but a small matter if all the Romanes had not ben therewithall greatly hindered The gods forbid that I should say that you had intelligence with the enemies but I am very sorrie that you giue occasion vnto many to
them both at once attributing that in me to passion which can be no lesse thē prudence truly hee were vnworthie to bee a iudge that knew not how to discouer the malice of offenders for as much is that iudge to be esteemed which is without wisdome as a Commonwealth without laws a Prince without faith a phisition without experience a souldior without valor and a Marchant without credit who being such they doe not fall themselues alone but they are the cause of the ouerthrow of a great number But tell vs what was the cause that Salomon iudged so rightlie but onlie wisedome Euen so I without the same should neuer haue knowne your iniquitie and so consequentlie I should neuer haue found out a iust cause to condemne you for it is verie manifest that couetousnesse neuer iudgeth anie thing to be vnlawfull because it hath no place but amongst such as are wicked which is it that caused you to thinke it lawfull to commit whoredome with your bondwoman then to denie the fact and to forsweare your selfe because you would not make her free desiring rather to preiudice the law then to hinder your profit and afterwards being cast in prison for yout faults you would yet further defraud your creditors in not consenting to the sale of him who if he be not your sonne standeth you in no stead but to burthen you with a further charge and especiallie hindering his mother he is the cause that she cannot applie her businesse to get your liuing and her owne so that they doe both helpe to consume and wast that little which remaineth to paie the creditors or that which you haue hidden to deceiue them If he be not your sonne whie would you keepe him To serue for a witnesse of your seruants shame Doe you not know that he which cleaueth vnto vices maketh them his owne It is no charitie to keepe a child to be your slaue and lesse charitie is it not to consent to haue him sold to paie your debts Touching your demand why I doe not sell your other goods I answere there is time enough but I would first begin with that which was least profitable vnto you and yet of great charge and if you allow not this reason I did it to make the truth knowne vnto others as wel as to me it is that he is your child wherein I doe sufficientlie declare that I do not onlie ioine mercie with iustice but also that I doe further therevnto ad wisedome to make vp the number more perfect for without it iustice seemeth to be rigor and mercie no better then follie for what greater foolishnesse can there be then to pittie such a one as hurteth others as this infant hurteth you and your creditors therefore if he be not your sonne let him be sold and if you haue begotten him make his mother free Wherevpon doe you appeale Because I haue not likewise condemned you for periurie The same may yet be done all in good time the deed being prooued You do also saie that it were better to sel the mother and the child together it would be more indeed the childs profit but it must bee considered that manie would willinglie haue a child in their house to make them some sport and afterwards to doe them some seruice which would not be troubled with a whoore that can be nothing but a slander and an ill example for all their houshold For all these foresaid reasons it may be gathered that I haue no desire either to harme the innocent or to hurt the afflicted but mine intention is to haue the father acknowledge his child and that the mother should be recompenced as reason requireth Declamation 25. Of a Generall who after he had lost the battaile sent to the Prince to know if he should giue the battaile A King sent his Lieutenant Generall to the warres with an expresse charge not to giue any Generall battaile without he did first aduertise his Maiestie thereof It happened that occasion offered such an aduantage that the said Lieutenant notwithstanding the Kings commandement did fight a battaile but as the wars are casuall and that oftentimes fortune crosseth the vertuous so he lost the said battaile and presently afterwards hee sent a post vnto the king to tell him that such an occasion was offered vnto him to giue the battaile as was greatly vnto his aduantage and declared such apparent reasons as the Prince appointed that the battaile should be giuen then the messenger said If it like your Maiestie the battaile hath ben giuen with all such order and policie as was requisit notwithstanding wee haue lost the field The King being exceeding angrie caused the messenger to be hanged and the Lieutenant Generall to bee taken and condemned him to death who appealed defending his cause thus IN vaine doe Princes send those vnto the wars whose hands they keepe tied and trulie it may be said that I was sent in such sort Neuerthelesse seeing the likelihood of a profitable victorie to finish the wars to the great honor and commoditie of my Prince and countrie the band of his commaundement vnlosed of it selfe and leauing me at my libertie I did my best although fortune enemy to vertue so wrought against vs as the effect prooued not according to the likelihood of the deed and the desire of the doer but what shall I say That I can do what men may doe onlie fight a battaile but God alone must giue the victorie The which oftentimes either he delaieth or suffereth it whollie to be lost for the sinnes of the people when God seeth that their pride and other vices are not yet left moreouer it happeneth manie times that God will punish the insolencie of the souldiors vsing the enemies as instruments of his iustice Was not the battaile lost by the children of Israell before Hai onlie for the theft of Achan Was not also the whole host troubled and Ionathas in danger of death because he had tasted a little honie With a number of other examples which I ouerpasse because I will not be tedious Alas how hard are mens actions to be effected without his great danger that imploieth himself therein And principallie when the iudgement of the performance thereof dependeth vpon one mans voice onely Wherefore O Prince I say that you alone cannot iudge me much lesse condemne me except you doe it of your owne absolute authoritie which vndoubtedly were manifest tirannie the which I thinke you doe verie much abhorre considering that you alone cannot be a head without members and that in this deed of mine the members are also interressed that is to say if I haue offended they are to punish me and not hauing offended they ought to preserue me to performe some good seruice for it is a matter of no small importance for them to saue or lose such a man whom you haue thought worthie to be the onlie Generall of your wars and I doubt whether you alone may make a decree that
I shall not fight except also you your selfe may command me to doe it for seeing the losse is more hurtfull vnto the people then to the Prince wherefore ought he to be the onlie iudge of a deed wherein the Generall profit or losse of the comminaltie consisteth For bee it losse or gaine the people must maintaine the Princes estate and especially when they lose most then are they most of all burthened with imposts and lendings to resist the enemie and to satisfie the Princes pleasure wherevpon it may be inferred that if I haue offended it is more to the preiudice of the people then the Prince notwithstanding I am content to submit my selfe vnto their iudgement trusting that they will haue no lesse respect to the seruices which heretofore I haue done and to those which hereafter I may yet doe then vnto the good meaning that I had to performe this last seruice well although God it may be for a greater good would not suffer me to haue the victorie being as likely as it was desired The Princes Answere YOur excuse aggrauateth your crime saieng that you did your dutie and yet despised his commandement whose mind therin you knew not Did you know the reason why he forbad you to fight Thinke you that he was altogether ignorant what the enemies were able to doe and that they might be ouercome rather by temporising then by anie stroke striking Doe you thinke your selfe wiser then that great Fabius who rather desired to be counted a coward then to lose the Romane Citizens who in that sort temporising with great patience was in the end the conqueror of that furious Hanniball Doe you not know that before a man can command he must know how to obey the which you had no desire to do You would willingly haue the souldiors obey you in doing badlie and you would not obey the Pirince in doing well what would they saie of you if they were liuing M. Manlius Torquatus Aulus Posthumus Tubero and Epaminundas they caused their owne sonnes to die for transgressing nay rather for fighting against their commandement yet had they the victorie O how happie was that world then when nothing was impossible vnto those warriors so well disciplined It is alwaies the custome of the rash and brainesicke men to attribute their faults to the will of God to fortune to the sinne of the people Prince or souldiors as you doe forgetting your owne together with your disobedience which being displeasing both to God and men can bring forth nothing that good is then you mocking the Prince after the battaile is lost doe demand whether you shall fight it alleaging so manie reasons it may be forged that it were impossible to lose it and that which is worst heaping sinne vpon sin you bring the princes authoritie in question and stirre vp the people against him but your owne reasons doe confound you for doe not all the members obey the head The head being greeued are not all the members pained Yea when manie members are lost the head still remaineth and taketh care to preserue the rest as hitherto I both haue and will still preserue my people God willing who are not so impudent as to desire to take an account of your faults knowing well that as that which concerneth the soule is referred vnto the diuine the diseases of the bodie to the phisition and controuersies for goods to the iustice so are matters of warres and the gouernement thereof referred to the prince but how can you doe them anie good seruice seeing that you haue done your best to ouerthrow thē for your owne pleasure Trulie I should haue thought you alone worthie to be my Lieutenant Generall if you had knowne how to obey me but not esteeming me for your Prince you cannot be my Lieutenant Doe you not know that in al affairs faults are not tollerable But especially in the warres where there needeth but one to ouerthrow all they are most hurtfull where haue you euer seene that it is lawfull for an offender to change or alter the lawes much more then is it for him to diminish or bring in question the authoritie of your Prince But what would not you haue ben bold to attempt if you had ben victor Surely nothing but euen to haue attempted to make your selfe King Finallie the people may remember both the good and bad seruices that you haue done and those which you may yet performe but as for me I doe award him to be punished who in stead of demanding mercie and pardon for his offence will procure a second destruction in changing of auncient customes whereby the people haue ben all hether happilie gouerned and preserued for there was neuer anie alteration of laws or customes without bringing a calamitie vpon that land wherein they were begun Declamation 26. Of those who were executed because they confessed that they had murthered a man afterward it was found that they were guiltles A Iudge vpon some likelihood caused two men suspected of murther to be racked they confesse the fact and are put to death Some certaine time after their execution he which was supposed to be murthered returned home whervpon the kinsmen of those that were executed accused the iudge saying ALasse how miserable is that Commonwealth where those that ought to administer iustice and defend the innocents doe in steed of protecting them frō danger put them to a most shamefull death which trulie proceedeth by the admitting of cruell and bloodie men to the seat of iustice who besides their wicked nature being accustomed to this vice would make vs to beleeue that iustice which ought to be the twinne sister vnto mercie consisteth in nothing but in barbarous crueltie such a man is this our worthie iudge who vnder the coulor of I know not what likelihood because he would not seeme to be idle hath tortured and tormēted two poore innocents in such sort that to escape from his hands they haue thought it a lesse hurt to die by the hands of the hangman then to remaine anie more at the discretion of such a iudge Surelie it were better to pardon two malefactors then to put to death one innocent but this man hath rather cause two innocents to die then he himselfe would not be an offender The ioints of euery righteous iudge ought to tremble the hairs of his head to stand vpright for feare yea the heart to faint when he thinketh that by the authoritie of his voice although neuer so iust one like vnto himself nay more resembling the image of God should be put to death Seeing the fault for which he dieth cannot be recompenced wherefore Nero who was accounted a monster for crueltie had yet a kind of horror when he signed anie sentence of death You will saie that they are put to death to terrifie others that are wickedlie minded I confesse it but the same ought to bee done vnto offenders Alasse if this iudge had beene as carefull to haue
sifted out the truth which at the last by time is now brought to light as he hath ben cruel to torment and readie to execute these poore innocents neither had they died so shamefullie nor he liued to haue been charged for the crime of their death but who may henceforth beleeue that the verie wicked ones can be rightlie iudged when the good haue beene so wilfullie cast away Doe so much then O you rightful iudges that this vniust iudge may be no more neither of your number nor of the number of men vnlesse you will all be partakers both of his crime and of his dishonor The Answere OF a truth that Commonwealth is miserable where the iudges are such as you say and most happie where they doe in no sort swarue from the laws and customes long since allowed of which I haue wholly obserued and kept For the law commandeth and the custome is that euerie man suspected of crime whereof there is a verie apparent sufficient likelihood should be put vnto the racke although the iudge were neuar so well persuaded of his innocencie and confessing the same both vpon the racke and when he is taken off that then he should be punished surelie if I haue otherwise proceeded I am faultie but hauing not done amisse I accuse you for wronging me and require that you make me amends for dishonouring me consider that it is in a manner an offence for anie man to liue so loselie as that he may be suspected to be a malefactor such haue your kinsmen ben for they were not onlie suspected of me but generallie of all men and it may be of your selues for you neuer offered to approue their innocencie vntill after their death They should haue taken heed that they might not haue been suspected In Athens and Rome although Aristides and Cato had ben accused of murther yet neither the iudges nor the people would euer haue beleeued it so much is the opinion of a man his sinceritie able to do which good opinion was neuer had of your kinsmen moreouer they should not haue confessed the fact with their own mouths know you not that the iudge must not be partiall on neither side But he must iudge according to the witnesse of others and the prisoners owne confession complaine then vpon those who haue brought in such sufficient proofe as caused them to be racked complaine also vpon their impatience and cowardlinesse in that they would not indure the torture of the racke rather then die vpon the gallowes I know well inough what regard is to be had before we pronounce the sentence of death against anie man As concerning Nero it is well knowne that it was but hipocrisie in him although he seemed to haue a certaine horror when he signed the sentence of anie condemned man for afterwards it was apparently seene that he caused manie innocents and men of worth to die and I verilie beleeue that he would haue made no difficultie at al vnlesse the partie condemned had beene a notable wicked fellow for euerie one do loue such as are like vnto themselues I did not prolong the execution because I would not increase the affliction of the miserable by long imprisonment as all iudges doe who are not subiect to corruption for the prolonging of a malefactors life is both irksome and hurtfull vnto him To conclude let their processe be throughlie examined and if I haue done anie iniustice I do submit my selfe to be punished if not then I appoint these my accusers to be so serued Declamation 27. Of him that falling downe from the top of his house slew another man against whom the sonne of the slaine man demandeth iustice IT happened that in the countrie of the Switzers a certaine countrieman being got vpon the top of his house to see what reparation was wanting fell downe by mischance vpon another man who happened to walke vnder the same house with his fall he slew him but himselfe escaped The son of the dead man caused the other to be imprisoned and required that he might be put to death according to the law which saith that euerie mankiller ought to die and he would not take anie other amends or satisfaction the iudge of that place seeing his most cruell obstinacie gaue sentence that the said plaintife should ascend vp to the top of the same house and throwing himselfe downe vpon the defendant should kill him if he could The plaintife appealing before the Seignorie of Berne saith MY lords I beseech you to consider what men our iudges are who in steed of doing iustice for the death of one of your subiects will further ad therevnto the death of another or at the least compell him with the danger of his life to be the executioner of himselfe or of another or it may be of both twaine together which is a thing most abhominable and against all reason Who hath euer heard that the punishment of a murtherer hath ben executed in this sort And that there was euer anie honest man that on a suddaine was commanded to play the hangman and to performe an execution so strange They say that he fell downe by mischance as for me I thinke that he did willinglie throw himselfe downe vpon malice for els hee would at the least haue giuen warning vnto all men as his dutie was that he meant to goe vp to the top of his house that they might haue taken heed of anie inconuenience that might chance as wel by the falling of the tiles as of the like of this that now is happened but if it were true that hee fell by mischance why should not he haue beene slaine as well as my father Consider my lords that the malice of men was neuer so great as at this day it is and that they deuiâ—e manie means how they may hurt one another and especiallie those in whom malice is rooted which is neuer showne but when it maie doe most hurt The Answere COnsider my Lords the malice together with the ignorance of this man who heaping mischiefe vpon mischief would make of one mischance twaine Is it not inough that one honest man be dead But that another must against reason die also Must the Commonwealth be in such sort maintained Were it not better that this man should be preserued to helpe to defend the countrie if need were Do we not know that somtimes one man is more woorth then an hundred Is not he of the same lumpe as they were who in times past by their valiant deeds in armes were able to winne that libertie which we do now inioy Thanks be to God and to the inuiolable iustice of this most noble Senat Suffer not then my lords the will of this foolish malicious man to be fulfilled vnto whom the defendant hath offered such a satisfaction as is more then reasonable but he being void of all reason hath by his most greeuous obstinacie constrained vs to giue this sentence which was no lesse
absurd then his request vnreasonable being very sure that he would neuer effect it and for answere vnto his friuolous assertions we will only say that the defendant had occasion to be vpon his house top and the father of the plantife had nothing to doe beneath or before the same not that the other neuerthelesse had anie desire to hurt him but is extreamelie sorrie for it neither is it likelie although he had borne him neuer so ill wil that he durst haue hazarded his owne life in that sort but he would rather haue thrown a tile at al aduentures and afterwards haue come downe on the other side saying that he did it not Lastlie the malice and enuie wherewith he would slander another is too apparent in himselfe Wherefore it may please you most mercifull lords to giue such iudgement as this your subiect being innocent may be preserued to doe his countrie some seruice Declamation 28. Of him that caused his wiues chastity to be tempted that thereby he might haue some cause to put her away A Certaine man caused his wiues chastitie to bee tempted by his seruant that was hoth faire and yoong who was many times so importunate with her that at the length her husband being hidden in the garden did heare how she promised vnto her fained louer that she would yeeld vnto his desire the first time that her said husband should ride into the countrie Wherevpon he accused her to be an adulteresse and would haue put her away saying NOt in vaine doth Salomon say that a vertuous woman is a crowne vnto her husband but she that behaueth her self dishonestly is a corruption in his bones Alasse I did suppose that I had had a vertuous wife but she proueth quite contrarie wherfore I am constrained to forsake her although the wife ought to be no other then the better part of the husband so long as she is knowne to be honest but if she be otherwise reason willeth him to make no longer account of her for marriage being a figure of God and his church it ought to be altogether pure and immaculat moreouer the man and the woman by this means ought to be as the soule and bodie which cannot be seperated but by death but finallie I know to my great discredit that he which taketh a wife is assured of a great danger seeing that mine without anie occasion hauing whatsoeuer a woman of her degree might desire hath giuen her selfe ouer vnto such a one as was euen but my seruant what should not then some noble or worthie man haue obtained at her hands if he had likewise tried her but she not being courted by anie other yeelded vnto the first as also because all lasciuious women do very well know that such men as liue without care are best able to satisfie their lust which is the onlie cause that they doe rather frequent the companie of Lackies and Monkes who are fed without anie care or cost of their own but what a foole am I to complaine and say that this is the first offence seeing that this perchance is not the hundreth man that hath obtained whatsoeuer he required of her for commonlie manie faults are committed before that one be espied but when one is disclosed it constraineth a man to be suspitious of many more and that woman may well be tearmed shamelesse which suffereth her tongue to promise the performance of such a villanie especiallie seeing those that are most impudent desire that men should thinke that they are not lightlie to be wone but that with much courting large offers and round rewards they are rather inforced to yeeld then vpon no consideration at all to promise a victorie I maruaile much why anie woman can for shame liue to shew her face when she her selfe by her owne tongue condemneth her reputation O an hundredfold miserable are they that for so fraile a solace doe buy a perpetuall sorrow but what goodnesse can there be in that woman which hath lost her chastetie The which was well knowne of Susanna Lucrece and the Grecian Hippo who did leape into the sea chusing there to die rather then she would lose her chastitie besides manie others who ought to serue for an example vnto our matrons but they had rather imitate Flora Thais and Lamia wherefore as they doe deserue to be heires of their vice so likewise ought they to inherite the same renoune as for me I am sure if I doe remaine anie longer with this woman that not onlie my goods and credit but also my bodie and soule shall be in danger of losing for such as are harlots do steale from their husbands to giue their companions and sometimes they make them their husbands murtherers at such a time when as soule and bodie do both perish together to preuent so great a mischiefe I speake to you my maisters that are her kinsmen I know not what your kinswoman was when you gaue her to me but I am verie sure that I redeliuer her vnto you a most dishonest woman wherefore I do but my dutie in putting her away seeing that Caesar did put away his wife because hee found Claudius in his house apparelled like a woman at such time as the women were about their sacrifice and not knowing whether hee meant to haue defiled his wife he only alleaged this for all his reason It behooueth saith he the wife of Caesar to be as free from suspition as she ought to be from fault receiue then your kinswoman charged with an euident crime The Answere of the kinsmen beginning at the end of the accusation O What a prowd fellow is this that would compare himselfe vnto Caesar O what a great credit he doth himselfe in thinking to discredit vs when he saith That he knoweth not what our kinswoman was when shee came vnto him but that he knoweth well how he restoreth her vnto vs worse then dishonest trulie he hath made a faire peece of worke in causing her to be tempted to make her seeme such a one in sooth that man which wil be a baud vnto his wife doth deserue as you doe to lose his goods life reputation and soule also We know well inough that the best part in a woman is her chastitie and how much they are to preferre it before all other graces so also you cannot denie but that the dishonesty consisteth in the deed and not in a word spoken without knowing to what intent what can you tell whether she promised him for feare least he would haue forced her seeing her alone Or because she wold cause you to know the vnfaithfulnesse of your seruant and by that means conserue both your credite and her owne Neither doe wee likewise denie that she hath made a promise vnto the first that courted her for being vertuous and so knowne there was neuer anie man that durst be so bold to aske her anie such matter as also your seruant durst not haue presumed if you your selfe had not
euerie action it is odious to erre but in the warres it is most hurtfull so that to doe amisse therein but one time onlie is far too much We doe not depose you at all for henceforth you are king no more neither yet ought you to bee anie thing if wee should iustlie proceed against you but we refer that vnto the discretion of the king which shall be chosen As concerning contrition and good works to make satisfaction for our sinnes it cannot chuse but be a good deed to root out him from amongst vs which is the cause of our mischiefe To affirme that God will neuer suffer vs to obtain the victorie vnder anie other but you You onlie saie it and the opinion of all the wisest is quite contrarie wherefore it is best to follow the opinion of manie which haue not as yet erred then the iudgement of one onlie man which hath brought vs into this miserie wherein wee now remaine through his fault Declamation 33. Of the Athenians who denied to pay vnto the Thebans that which they ought THe Athenians did owe sixe hundred thousand talents of pure siluer vnto the Thebans It chanced that Alexander did by force of Armes take the cittie of Thebes and amongst other riches hee found the Athenians obligation wherwith to gratifie the said debtors he restored it vnto them but after the death of Alexander the Thebans demanded the said summe of the Athenians who aunswered That seeing they had recouered their obligation they were not in anie sort indebted vnto them with these reasons hereafter ensuing YOu saie worthie Thebans that wee doe owe you sixe hundred thousand talents the proofe thereof is verie hard seeing that it is well knowne of old that you neuer lent anie such summes without good assurance and taking sufficient bands of the debtors shew vs then if you haue anie bond of ours and then we shall thinke vpon the meanes to satisfie it You saie we had one but Alexander tooke it from vs and restored it to you if it be so consider what he was that took it from you and redeliuered it vnto vs was it not Alexander sent from the gods not onlie to subdue you and vs but almost al the world At that time were not your goods onlie in his power but also your liues Do you greeue that a part is lacking seeing that the whole might as well haue ben lost Doe you not know that he came to leaue you what he thought good and to take from you that which he knew to bee superfluous Seeing that superfluitie is not onelie troublesome and painefull but also hurtfull for inciting the hearts of such as possesse it vnto pride and insolencie it is oftentimes the cause of their miserie in like sort such is the iudgement of the gods that they which haue flocked together to afflict manie should afterwards be afflicted themselues by one alone and all that which they haue in manie yeares purloined from others should afterwards in one daie be takē away from them by the same man in like manner hath it befallen you noble Thebans euen as you saie Alexander hath taken away our obligation from you to restore it to vs it is the will of the gods who in processe of time haue wrought such alterations wherfore it may so fall out in time to come that you owing vnto vs so much siluer or more you may likewise paie vs after the same sort That wee are quit from you it cannot be denied seeing that you haue no bond of ours for to what end are bonds made but to compell such as will not paie Constraine vs then by our obligation to paie you or ceasse from demanding anie thing of vs but although it were so as you saie that Alexander had yeelded vp our obligation what doe you know whether wee haue paied it vnto him Who then was Lord not onlie of your gooods but also of your liues If we haue paied it him why should we paie it againe And if he haue liberallie bestowed it vpon vs We haue both thanked him and are also yet beholding vnto his posteritie yea vnto his ashes for the same why would you or how can you thē bind vs twice for one onlie debt That cannot be don Thebans wherefore it shall bee but well that you surceasse to importune vs anie further considering that those which wearie others take small rest themselues and especiallie that labour is lost which profiteth nothing at all as yours hath been and alwaies wil be concerning this matter and although you take herein what course you shall thinke most expedient yet you must beleeue that wee are able to yeeld you a reason for anie thing that you shall demand at our hand but see that you remember this that he which de sireth to molest another doth oftentimes worke his owne ouerthrow The Answere THere is nothing more true you ingratefull Athenians then our speech when we saie that you doe owe vs sixe hundred thousand talents and that it is so the prosperitie wherein we haue placed you and the miserie wherein you were are two witnesses verie sufficient to prooue our reason and your ingratitude which truelie is a pernicious vice but in the end more hurtfull vnto those that vse it then vnto anie other wherefore it is a follie in you to looke for anie aduancement thereby but although it were not so what proofe would you haue more plaine then your owne conscience if you would beleeue that which is able to testifie vnto you And thinke not but that the same obligation which Alexander hath restored vnto you will bee a witnesse against you Yea and to bring a greater mischiefe vpon you being in your hands then when it was in ours for seeing that it was possible for vs to lose that which we had gained iustlie what thinke you will become of that which you doe detaine and possesse wrongfullie Assure you that this iniquitie will bring you vnto an extreame necessitie more great then that from which wee haue freed you by our courtesie lending you that which you now doe wickedlie denie vs. As for Alexander hee had no power ouer vs when we lent you the siluer therefore he could in no sort acquite you thereof If then the fire by mischance had burned your bond or if a theefe hauing stolen it should haue restored it vnto you should you for all that bee freed of the debt It seemeth no Make account that there is no other difference betwixt a theefe and Alexander but onelie that the one stealeth by subtiltie and the other by force as that Pirate whom hee had taken said vnto the same Alexander Because saith hee that I haue but one ship I am called a theefe but because thou art able to steale more then I thou art called a king But whie are you not ashamed to bee beholding for a shrewd turne vnto one whose father and he haue been alwaies mortall enemies to the libertie of Greece take example by the
gaine which he hath made after so manie extortions Is not he miserablie dead by the means of his most familiar friends And those were his heires which were not so much as anie thing a kinne vnto him who did spend his treasure and goods in destroieng one another the which should make you wise O you Athenians and cause you to surceasse this follie to saie that you are quit hauing receiued your bond from one who hath taken it from vs by force and who for this deed and other such like did shamefullie die as he deserued moreouer it is not likelie that he was sent from the gods to subdue vs but true it is that by their permission wee were by him vniustlie tirannised ouer and for our sinnes hee was as a scourge of the Gods but their anger ceasing hee perished also But who did euer see that a debtor ought to bee the iudge of his creditors actions as you would bee of ours Seeing that you are vtterlie blinded with passion for whilst you accuse vs of pride and couetousnes you doe not consider that your selues are guiltie of treason and theft because you haue cleaued vnto the capitall enemie of Greece and for the same cause you will detaine from vs that which we did lend vnto you in your greatest need concerning that which you speake of Time as being the minister of the gods it maie bee the same gods of whom you speake in mockerie will so bring it to passe as time shall compell you shortlie not onlie to satisfie vs but also to become more miserable then euer you were when you shall intreat for our aid the which now you doe ingratefullie forget In like sort you must not alleage that you haue paied your obligation vnto Alexander for wee know verie well that you neuer had lesse means to doe it then at that time and although you should trulie haue paid it yet were it of no import nor anie satisfaction vnto vs for you neither ought it vnto him nor had hee anie letter of attorney from vs to receiue it hee might then verie well deliuer you your obligation but yet he could not forgiue you the debt whereunto he had no right at all determine then you Athenians to satisfie vs by faire means if you will not haue vs to imploie both our owne and our friends forces together with the helpe of the gods the iust iudges of your iniquities Declamation 34. Of him that is in trouble for accusing a man of crime for which he is committed to prison and there dieth A Man accuseth another for an offence the partie accused dieth in prison whilest the informations are in making the accuser cannot sufficiently prooue his accusation Wherevpon the kindred of the accused doe require to haue the accuser punished with such punishment as the crime deserued wherwith he accused the other And they say TRulie the weakenesse of man is such as euerie one esteemeth his owne miserie more great and lamentable then he doth another mans but what is he which can saie that we passe the bounds of reason when we saie that this our kinsman deceassed is worthie to be greatlie lamented And that he which is the cause of his death deserueth most seuere punishment seeing that he hath not onlie abridged his daies but that which is worse hath endeuoured to cause him to die most shamefullie especiallie to the great preiudice of his poore familie and all his linage and his purpose hath not failed in anie sort seeing that the poore man is dead in prison although he neuer once deserued to come into the same And it is not to be thought a smal matter to imprison a man seeing that in Athens those which died in prison could neuer be buried in the sepulchre of their ancestors as if they would thereby inferre that they which died in such a place might stain the tombes of those that died with honor and reputation of vertue and the same custome is yet vsed in sundrie most famous citties as amongst others at Paris the chiefe cittie of France where they doe obserue this law that he which but for debt onlie passeth the wicket of a prison shall neuer after be capable of anie office or other publicke promotion how much more then for suspition of crime There is nothing more apparent then that this poore man seeing himselfe in such disgrace died euen for verie greefe the wicked wretch that hath accused him is yet liuing in health but let vs see what likelihood there is in his accusation seeing that yet after the death of the accused he cannot proue his saieng I maie therefore now saie that he could not be suffered to alleage anie reasons for his own defence neither might take anie acceptions against the witnesses nor yet be allowed openlie to prooue his innocencie but with the least suspition that might be he should haue ben constrained to abide the sentence of condemnation Be you assured O you righteous Iudges That this accusation proceedeth by the instigation of diuers malicious persons who if need had ben would likewise haue serued for witnesses against him but their malice or ill will ending by the death of this miserable man they doe also forsake this vngracious fellow in his greatest need Such is the iust iudgement of God that the wicked doe oftentimes perish euen by their owne wickednesse but for all that their offence is not anie whit diminished neither is this poore dead man alone but his distressed widdow children and all his kindred vnto whom he was a true friend anie lot the lesse harmed wherfore it maie well be said that this lewd forger of vntroths hath murthered both this man here and ouerthrowne the others yea and some are yet likelie to die for want of his life that now is dead I meane the poore children and the miserable widdow Then what gibet what sword what halter what wheele or what torments are sufficient to punish thorowlie this execrable wretch which is the cause of so manie mischiefes For first he hath gone about to prosecute his death and next he hath indeuoured to defame him alas he is dead and reputed for infamous by those which haue heard his accusation and not afterwards knowne his innocencie but manie seeing him no more will yet thinke that there was fauour shewed him in causing him to die in prison as a malefactor vnlesse this abhominable fellow as a publicke spectacle doe not possesse the same place whereunto he pretended by his false accusation to bring the innocent consider then you iust Iudges as well the miserie of the dead and his allies as the execrable iniquitie of the false accuser and doe you gaine as much fauor at the hands of God and praise in the world by your iust iudgement as he hath gotten sin and infamie by his wickednesse The Answere of the accuser THere is nothing more true then that I haue iustlie accused him whom I know not by what death he is depriued of
to be robbed by him but seeing the contrarie wee haue iudged that it is no lesse fit to reuenge the wrongs done vnto the gods then it is to pay their seruices Wee are not the cause that Phidias hath lost his hands but it is his offence and the law require of them then your amends or els complaine of them and not of vs who haue in all thinges done what we ought or if you will vexe vs wrongfullie for Phidias we will call vpon those gods whom hee hath offended to helpe vs hoping by their aid to destroy those which would hurt vs. Declamation 39. Of the son that defended his mothers cause who being distraught did wrongfully accuse her selfe to be guilty of sacrilodge THe law saith that whosoeuer doth voluntarilie confesse to haue offended the law without anie other witnesse is worthie of punishment Whervpon it chanced that a certaine woman hauing in one day lost her husband and two of her sonnes by some violent death did fall into such dispaire therefore that she hanged her selfe but her third sonne happened to come before she was throughly strangled who cut the rope asunder and after he had gotten her to life againe hee carried her vnto the Temple to the end that the respect of a place so holy might keepe her from doing her selfe anie hurt then he went forth to buy some sustenance to comfort her In the meane season it happened that the officer came in there to search for church robbers this woman being desperate confessed that she had robbed the Temple wherevpon the Magistrate according to the law would haue her punished but the sonne in the meane time happened to come who gaiinsaied it thus THat which is fallen out in our house ought to protect my mother being cōdemned here wherefore I knowing the matter it is lawfull for me to examine her my selfe of the offence in your presence which she wrongfullie taketh vpon her moreouer it ought to bee considered that the law saith that those which confesse a crime shall be condemned Now to confesse is to aduouch the accusation for feare of the racke or other tortures but to accuse her selfe is not onlie a doubtfull confession but a sure euident and most manifest desperation and that it is so it must be known of her how and when shee commited this sacriledge Or where she hath bestowed that which she stole Trulie she cannot prooue her saying but she thinketh that she committeth sacriledge in suruiuing after the violent death of her husband and children and no other crime can be found in her wherefore in her own opinion her saying is true but by the law she is not punishable seeing that if I had not ben she had been dead alreadie by her owne hands It behooueth me to beseech the iudges to be mercifull to the offenders but I had need not onlie to intreat but also to compell my mother to take pittie vpon her selfe what need you to doubt if a woman ouercome with sorrow desireth death when a number with ouer exceeding ioy haue died suddainly Whereby it plainelie appeareth what weakenesse remaineth in the female sex who therefore are not to be beleeued nor receiued for witnesses But tell me good mother Why doe you not beare your losse patiently seeing that you see the gods themselues doe lose that which is consecrated vnto them in their Temple Alas worthie iudges you doe well know that the afflicted doe more feare honour and reuerence the gods then those that are in prosperitie How then should this woman more wofull then any other presume to offend them with sacriledge What need hath she of riches that desireth to liue no longer Neither hath anie children to leaue them vnto but me who would redeeme my father and brethren from death with those which I haue yet of mine own me I say who haue and do loue my mothers life better then her wealth Alasse no want of riches but want of heires to possesse them is cause of her miserie You may say that she being angry against the gods for her losse desirous to be reuenged hath committed this sacriledge there is nothing more vnlikelie for her courage is abated with griefe and she attributeth her mishap vnto her selfe and not vnto the gods neither is it the least mischiefe that fortune doth vnto vs when being our greatest enemie she doth not onlie make vs miserable but also supersticious in such sort then we beare the greatest reuerence not vnto the gods alone but chieflie vnto inconstant fortune all this is prooued by her because she had rather hurt her selfe then offend the gods but if otherwise it were far more easie had it ben for her to haue burned the Temple thē to haue stollen the treasure locked vp vnder so manie keies wherefore you ought to waigh al the circumstances together and to be verie carefull that the law and the penaltie thereof which serueth for a terror vnto the wicked and malefactors bee not inflicted vpon the innocent For he committeth a greater offence which punisheth the innocent then he doth that pardoneth the malefactor The Iudge answereth THere was neuer anie sacriledge that could be hidden for euerie tongue and especiallie the malefactors owne toung is readie to reueale it as by this woman it appeareth that accuseth her selfe prouoked thervnto by the wrath of the gods who for her offence doe pursue her wherefore it is reason that I appoint her to be punished vpon whom the gods disdaine to shew their miracle in consuming her with lightening as if she were vnworthie to die by the hands of any god but they all together doe pursue and driue her to worke her owne confusion by a most shamefull death the which by her being perceiued she rather desired to die by her owne hands but they haue not suffered her to the end that the wrong done vnto their Deitie might be publickly reuenged and that she might serue for an example vnto all the world so that thou wert sent by them to cut the cord asunder but doest thou thinke that a church robber may die anie other way then by iustice She hath done as much as in her lay to conceal and not to confesse her offence yea and that by the making of her selfe away yet she could not but in spight of her she was constrained to be her owne accuser and to require her deserued punishment which is no small miracle Therefore if thou desirest to know her offence It may onlie be answered that she hath committed sacriledge the which she confesseth and aduoucheth If thou demandest why she did it I say that if she committed it before the death of her children it was to enrich them if it were after their death it was because she would be reuenged of the gods Where thou saiest that it had ben more easie for her to haue burned the Temple in that thou shewest thy selfe to be her son but farre more wicked then she if it were not rage and ouergreat
comming to redeeme me at the beginning of my captiuitie what man is so old that could not saile so small a way as I was from you wherefore seeing you did it not you ought to thinke well both of him and me for he hath restored me vnto you and I would also make him yours If you disherited him because hee was wicked hee is no such man seeing that he hath ben so charitable towards his father brother and vnto all those that loue vs. Lastly as I cannot compell you to giue me more then the law appointeth so cannot you take that from me which you giue me not but it appertaineth vnto me presently after your death euen as you receiued it from our grandfathers seeing that I neuer offended you in anie sort vnlesse you will account the dutie which I vse towards your sonne and my brother for an offence The fathers Answere I Am constrained against my will to disherit you both twaine seeing that you both take pleasure in displeasing me wherefore I must imitate the phisitions who in extreamest diseases vse most dangerous remedies and as the Chirurgions do oftentimes cut off the members to preserue the rest of the bodie so must I seperate my sonnes from me who are agreed together to anger me thou wouldest haue mee take him for my heire who hath tried the law against his father for his patrimonie what will not hee attempt then to abridge my life for the rest of my goods But thou must consider that the law doth allow thee only for a minister or administrator of the patrimonie but not for lord thereof and therefore thou canst not adopt thy brother For the same law which condemned me to giue him his part restraineth thee to adopt him seeing that hee is aboue the age of thirtie yeares for children also and such as are in their minoritie ought to be adopted moreouer he is thy brother no more seeing he hath let to bee my sonne But how canst thou adopt anie one for thine heire seeing thou art yet belonging to me Or if thou art not mine how canst thou inherit my goods How wouldest thou haue power ouer thy brother seeing thou wilt not suffer mee to haue the like ouer thee If he haue deserued anie good at thy hands thou oughtst to intreat me for him and not to vse your owne authoritie Want of means and oportunitie hath hindred me from redeeming thee and thou wouldest against my will giue that vnto mine enemie which in spight of his teeth he was inforced to leaue me O worthie Iudges I beseech you see vnto what extremity I am brought seeing that one hath taken away part of my patrimonie and the other would that hee should haue the whole Declamation 42. Of the husband who gaue two children vnto his wife without telling her which of them was her owne A Certaine woman died in childbirth of a sonne whom the father sent to nurse into the countrie and within a few daies after hee married a yoong wench which he had alreadie got with child shee about a month after did also beare him a son whome he in like sort did send abroad to be nursed handling the matter so well that not any besides himselfe did know which was the first or the last child About three yeares after he made the children to be brought home to his house and would not tell his wife which of them was hers Moreouer they were both of them so like the father and so little like the mothers that shee could not that way discerne them whereupon she accused her husband of bad vsage who denied it thus saying WHerefore doest thou weepe for thy child seeing thou art sure to kisse him and see him euery day if thou wilt I would long since haue tould thee which of them is thine if I had not knowne that thou art as desirous to shew thy selfe a stepdame to the one as a mother to the other Consider only that the one is thy son and the other is his brother and thy husbands son loue them then for their owne sakes or els neither loue nor hate them but I perceiue that whilest thou desirest to be a mother to the one thou art a stepdame to them both If thou doest constraine me to tell thee neuer imagine that I will tell thee the troth wherefore I will not deceiue thee as a mother but as a stepdame Nature her self determined that they should be like each other to the end that they should be both thy children Thou mightest very well know which of them is thine if the desire which thou hast to hate the one did not hinder thee wherefore behold the one or the other with the eie of a mother in law and it may bee the same will bee thine owne Long since should I haue told thee the troth if thou hadst ben lesse importunate to enquire it I will that thou alone shouldst inioy this benefit either to haue one sonne in law without being a mother in law or els to haue two children without hauing suffered for the birth of more then one of them When they are of more age marke which of them will be more obedient vnto thee and the same shall bee thy sonne or at the least shall deserue that thou shouldest so account him and giue ouer henceforth to bewaile thy sonne seeng thou art not onely certaine that thou hast him but also that thou canst not lose him vnlesse they doe both die The wiues answere YOu doe me great wrong for how can my son loue honor and obey me aright if hee be not sure that I am his mother so that desiring to make me a mother of two you make both the one the other to be my sons in law You doe well know both your children haue the ioy thereof but you depriue me of mine or rather make me partaker of nothing but greefe and sorrow and being willing to giue a mother to your owne you depriue me of mine You say well that I am a stepdame to them both but you are the cause thereof and are worse then a stepfather vnto mine seeing that you take his mother from him or at the least will not suffer him to know her Declamation 43. Of him who drunke poyson with his wife wherwith she died and he made claime vnto hir heritage by her Testament WHen Octauius Marc Anthonie and Lepidas did part the Romane Empire betweene them many of the Nobles were slaine others fled and were banished or els fined in a great summe of money paiable vnto those which were appointed to kill them Amongst whom there was a Roman exile who was followed by his wife that was verie rich whose chance was that vpon a certaine time she found her husband in a secret place holding a cup in his hand she asked him what he had in the cup he answered that it was poison and that he wold poyson himselfe because he desired to liue no longer in this miserie the
Citizens returned the slaues should bee punished But why will you marrie your daughter to one so vild and base who hauing her in his power both esteemed and knew himselfe to bee vnworthy of her Wherein onely he deserueth some recompence which may bee done in giuing him freedome and meanes to liue but you must not giue him her for whose sake chiefly you would reward him The Answere I Doe now know very well that thou art ignorant how true nobilitie proceedeth from vertue or els you would not iudge this man to be ignoble who is truly vertuous seeing neither the greedy desire of welth was able to win him nor the prouoking of lust could entice him nor yet the feare of punishment and cruel death might once terrifie him to swarue from his dutie Who dooth not know if the tyrant should haue had but the least inckling of his fidelitie towards me that he alone should haue suffered the same death which hath been inflicted vpon all the rest Wherefore I cannot bestow too much vpon him who hath not spared his owne life for my honour alone but for the honour of all our linage from the which hee ought not to be excluded But where doe you find that marriage consisteth in the equalitie of persons doe you not know that M. Cato married a pore Plebeians daughter as also a number of other like examples might be rehearsed And if you stand vppon worthinesse you shall find that your sister deserueth to haue but an honest man and such a one you cannot denie him to be vnlesse you speake vntrulie Nature hath not made any bond or free but it is fortune that imposeth such names both on the one and the other wherefore Plato hath not said in vaine that Kings are born of bondmen and bondmen of Kings Finally if my daughter will not take him for her husband she will as well cause me to suspect that she is aggreeued or displeased with him in that he tooke not his pleasure with her so soone as hee might as I doe alreadie beleeue that you would haue her to die without children because you might be the sole heire of all my liuing Declamation 47. Of him that would not deliuer his brother that had accused him falsly to haue slaine his father IT was an ancient law that whosoeuer did beare false witnesse being conuinced thereof he should remaine his bondman against whom hee was a witnesse Wherevpon it chanced that a certaine man which had two sonnes carried one of them abroad into the countrie with him within a small time after the sonne came home againe alone the other sonne accused his brother that he had slaine his father and added such apparent likelihood vnto his sayings that the other being vpon the rack confessed the offence which he had not committed so that he is condemned to a cruell death but a certaine solemne feast drawing neere at hand some of his friends found the means to reprieue him vntill the said feast should be ended in the mean time the father returned home to his house safe and sound wherevpon he which was condemned accused his brother of false witnesse and hauing conuinced him thereof put him in prison but the father intreated his son to deliuer his brother the which the other refused to doc so that his father threatened to disherit him saying VVHat canst thou say saue only thy brother hath produced or born false witnesse against thee I say that he thought he had said the truth for the loue which he did beare vnto me and the fear that he had of my death did make him beside himselfe but if thou desirest to prooue him more faultie then I say be thou mercifull and euery one will say that hee did much amisse to offend so kind a brother Art thou abashed that thou foundest thy brother so cruell against thee seeing that hee beleeued or thought that thou haddest slaine thy father and his Why wilt not thou suffer me to haue two children wilt thou torment thy brother to procure my death thereby If it bee so hee hath not altogether accused thee wrongfullie Alasse one of my sonnes was in prison because I did not returne and the other is in prison because I am returned If thou dost not set him at libertie I wil liue no longer whereby it shall be knowne that thou wantedst not the will but the meanes or occasion to murther me and it will be said that thy brothers meaning was not so bad against thee as it was good towards me seeing that hee inwardly perceiued thine iniquitie and in forsaking me or returning without me thou thy selfe wert the cause that he accused thee Doest thou not perceiue that I am fastened euen amidst the selfe same chaines wherewith my son is fettered and that the same bond which bindeth his hands doth burthen my heart Churlish and vngratious as thou art wherefore doest thou keepe thy brother in prison and thy father in thraldome who by his returne hath saued thy life The which if otherwise he should haue done thou couldest next vnto God neuer hold of any other then of him The Answere WHerefore should I pardon him who not onelie sought my death but indeuoured to procure my perpetuall defamation It was to my great danger that I was imprisoned condemned deliuered wherefore no man but my selfe can rightlie iudge of my passion He falslie alleadged that I had slaine my father thereby to cause me to die forwith me I say who was euer a most kind brother vnto him who knoweth not that the greater the loue is the more vehement is the hate when it is once iustlie conceiued The hangman being more pittifull then hee was the first that brought me news of my fathers returne If I had euer ben wickedly minded I should not haue had so iust a cause to be angry Is it to be wondered at if I detaine him prisoner that sought to bring me to a shamefull end it may be to murther you afterwards secretlie It is not only a hate but a feare which I haue least he should complot some other Treason against me that hindereth me from deliuering him What is hee that did not verie plainly perceiue that the only prolonging of my punishment procured his paine although the daily expecting thereof did more displease me then the present suffering the same could haue daunted me seeing the hangman alwaies before me who was himselfe affrighted at those torments which were prepared for me If my father do loue me as well as he doth my brother I would know why he died not at his returne for sorrow seeing mee at the gibbet It is hee then for whose sake hee would disherit me that by one onely treason did thinke to murther both his father and his brother that he might as well be sole heire as also possesse the whole inheritance the sooner Declamation 48. Of a father that would renounce his son for marrying a maid that had freed him from her fathers prison
women is such as they must be pure chast and free from all crime but the Abbesse must be the chastest of all the rest Wherevpon it chanced that a certaine yoong Nunne of Naples was to saile into Sicilie to be an Abbesse there but her misfortune was such that she was taken vpon the sea by Pyrats they sould her vnto a bawd in Barbarie who put the said Nunne into a Brothelhouse to get monie by her but she declaring her misfortune vnto such men as came to take their pleasure of her did so win them by her persuasions that they giuing her the accustomed reward left her a virgin vntill that on a time there came vnto her an insolent souldior who would in no sort regard her speech but hauing paied his monie would by force haue had his will of her and as he was striuing with her she drew his dagger forth of his sheath and slue him for the which she was put in prison but being before the Iudges shee was not onely acquited of the murther but also they sent her back vnto Sicilie vnto the place whether shee was determined to goe She being there arriued they would not receiue her for Abbesse but said THis woman here which would be an Abbesse should yet haue ben in the Brothelhouse if she had not murthered a man but can she be chast comming from such a place Nay let vs see whether it be lawfull to receiue such into monasteries whom the stewes and the prison forsaketh Seeing the order of religion may very lawfully be denied euen vnto those as doe but onely passe by such places she saith fortune constrained mee vnto these inconueniences therefore ought euery one to haue compassion vpon me but wee say that those which are worthie of pittie are vnworthie of a prelateship neither is it a custome amongst vs that such places as are of greatest honours should be bestowed in recompence of sustained harms seeing that the only freeing them from their said harms may serue for a sufficient recompence of their passed miseries Likewise we may consider how smally she deserued by the little care her parents took of her distresse not onely in suffering her to be lost or taken away but being taken neuer sought either to recouer her or once to seeke her out and what did the Pyrats see in her that they rather sold her vnto a pandor then to a Princesse or to some other honourable ladie If she knew how to persuade so manie men to leaue her a Virgine as she saith wherefore could she not persuade her mistresse to suffer her to gaine her liuing by some other means rather then to put her forth to so vild a vse or els why did she not as Hippo the faire Grecian did who leaped into the sea so soone as she perceiued that she was taken by Pyrats Alasse if this woman obtaine the Abbesseship greatlie are the Nunnes of this order to be pittied if amongst them there cannot bee found one more chast then an harlot or more innocent then a murtherer She cannot be chast inough to rule ouer vs especiallie seeing she saith I knew how to persuade all those that came vnto me the which sheweth a certain token of her immodestie for otherwise how could she haue pratled so well in that place where such as were modest would haue burst into teares and without being able to speake one onlie word would haue died for shame Let vs then take the case thus that in her there are three do claime to be Abbesse the first is one taken by Pyrats the second such a one as hath liued in the stewes the third she that murthered a man of whom the best is farre vnworthie of anie honour The Answere GOd herein was minded to shew his power by making this woman free in bondage chast in a dishonest place and most innocent in committing murther to defend her chastitie I know not whether anie did euer deserue the place of Abbesse so well as she but I am sure there would bee somewhat to doe to depose all the Abbesses that are lesse worthie then shee How chast she is the blood of the slaine souldior doth testifie how innocent she is the Iudges doe declare how happie she is her returne doth shew Wherefore it is verie manifest that God would neuer haue preserued her from so manie perrils if it had not ben to serue him in some worthie place Therefore the same God which hath protected her is himselfe alone a further testimonie of her chastitie and he onely is able to comprehend her admirable valor Declamation 54. Of him who against his fathers mind persuaded his sister to cause him to die that had forced her THe law is that whosoeuer killeth a man by chance he should be banished or put to exile for fiue yeares likewise euerie maid that is forced or rauished may chuse whether she will haue the ranisher die or whether she will haue him to be her husband Wherevpon it chanced that a certaine man which had a son and a daughter was exiled for the cause aforesaid his daughter that remained with her brother in the house was rauished by another yong man who after his fault committed fled vnto the maidens father with whom hee so much preuailed that he obtained letters from him wherein he commanded his daughter to chuse her said rauisher for her husband and not to require his death the father likewise writ vnto his sonne intreating him to persuade his sister to consent therevnto who on the contrarie constrained his sister to demand his death so that the father at his returne did cast off and disherit his sonne saying A Lasse my misfortune is intollerable seeing that I being as alwaies I haue been a louer of the Commonwealth haue notwithstanding bereaued her of two men and both against my will yet not without being culpable therefore in the one manslaughter I was abused by fortune in the other by him who is in name yet not indeed my sonne that hath inforced his sister to disobey her father as well as he in a iust commandement and caused her to obey him in a cruell reuenge some may say that it is incident vnto man to offend it had ben a sufficient excuse if I had not both aduertised and intreated him the contrarie and also if hee had not knowne the griefe which I alreadie sustained for being the cause of a mans death and that I did therefore owe a citizen vnto the commonwealth whom I might haue satisfied in sauing the life of this same man by whom manie others might haue ben begotten so that hauing slaine the other vnaduisedly I might haue saued this circumspectly but thou because thou wouldst haue no nephewes by thy sister and that thou mightest cause me die with sorrow hast broken my purpose wherefore I iudge thee vnworthie of the heritage which so plainlie thou seekest to obtain by so many vnreasonable means The Answere THe death of a good Citizen cannot be
wall accused the son for murthering his father saying O How wicked this world of ours is seeing that it hath brought foorth so cursed a man that hath at one instant both murthered his father would haue don the like to his mother in law so that I beleeue the feare of missing did in some sort hinder or stay his murtherous hand from giuing so great a stroke as hee intended and she fained her selfe dead least his purpose should haue been effected or to saue her husbands life whom this traitor hath murthered least he should haue been a witnesse against him for the fact as also because he did most vnnaturallie hate him for the kind and honest loue the man did beare vnto his wife and therfore he sought the means to expell me from hence that hee might better accomplish his wicked enterprise for two are more easilie slaine then three and it may be that he did put on such like apparell as mine to abuse this poor infant and to corrupt his innocencie by false testimonie but what witnesse can be more manifest then the breaking of the wall the which is likewise pulled down for the desire he had to murther his mother in law The Answere IT is verie apparent that thou commest neither vnprouided of sophistical arguments long before premeditated nor that thou art anie whit abashed of this murther seeing that the horror there of doth nothing hinder thy tongue from babling O miserable man that I am hearing the noise I ranne thether thinking to haue seene the adulterers taken but alasse I found my father killed which doth astonish me in such sort as I will onely answere that I doe not onely rest vpō the childs demonstration but vpon his further affirmation although thou hast of long time kept him in awe so that in pointing to thee with his finger hee hath both declared thee to bee the murtherer and also that thou hast oftentimes forbidden him to accuse thee for the lasciuious kisses proffered in his presence there is not anie witnesse more sufficient then the pointing of this innocent child who is of sufficient age to be able to know and discerne although not subtile inough to deceiue faine or lie If thou saiest that one witnesse is not sufficient then wil I stand vnto the peoples censure and will not refuse that thou she and I may bee all three examined by torments for God the right and fortitude shall be for the innocent Declamation 57. Of him that would compell his sonne to marry with his sister in law that was by him accused of adultery A Man had two sonnes to the one whereof hee gaue a wife who being married made a certain very long voiage into a far countrie during his absence his brother tooke such an hatred against his sister in law that hee accused her of adultery but yet not before the Iudges wherevpon her husband being returned took a bondwoman that was his wiues seruant and caused her to bee tortured so extreamely to know the truth that shee died with the torment not confessing anie thing wherefore his father that loued his daughter in law did sharpely reprooue him that hee would so lightly conceiue an ill opinion of her He as well for greefe that he had wrongfully suspected his wiues honestie and vniustly killed her bondwoman as also to perceiue his brothers malice and to haue procured his fathers displeasure did dispaire and either hanged or killed himselfe wherfore the father willed that according to the Iewish law the other sonne should marrie his brothers widdow or if otherwise he refused hee would vtterly forsake him and renounce him for his heire against the which his sonne pleaded in this sort YOu would haue me to marrie with my brothers widdow whom I haue accused for an adultresse as in sooth she is who caused both my brother to kill himselfe for griefe and compelleth you to disherit me I beleeue that you tempt me to take her to trie whether I did accuse her wrongfully or no for you your selfe would neuer giue mee an adultresse to wife but you might thinke if I did take her that she is chast and I am false truly if you could make mee to marrie her that both hateth me mortallie and I know to bee a dishonest woman one might then assuredlie beleeue that nothing would bee euer impossible for you to effect But why would you compell me to make her my bedfellow that hath made mee brotherlesse Her I say that is the cause of her husbands death of the discord twixt you and me of the scandale to our linage and of the peoples murmuring I haue alreadie chosen a wife that loueth me that will follow me if I will that wil neuer forsake me either in aduersitie or prosperitie and finallie that will bee such a one vnto me as a wife ought to be vnto her husband which will be more worth vnto me then a most great inheritance whereas if on the contrary I should marrie this woman euery one might suppose that I loued my brother but little to wed her that was the cause of his losse The Answere THere is nothing more reasonable seeing thy brother was desirous by his death to acquite the wrong which he had don vnto his wise by giuing credit to thy false accusation then that thou by marrying her mightest also declare her innocencie for the shortest follies are best wherefore it were better for thee to confesse and blot out thy fault by doing well then in perseuering alwaies in thine obstinacie to shew thy selfe in a double fault for thou art the onely cause of all these chances and slanders which thou obiectest therefore in not making amends for thy fault I may lawfully disinherit thee for thy follie Declamation 58. Of the sorceresse which poysoned her son in law and accused her owne daughter to haue ben consenting therevnto THe law appointeth that euery woman which vseth poysoh being conuinced of the crime should be tortured vntill she accused such as were partakers or consenting vnto her wicked act Whervpon it happened that a man hauing but one sonne married a second wife of whom hee had one daughter who being of reasonable yeares the sonne died of poyson and the mother in law is not onely suspected for his death but accused and conuinced thereof wherefore she being laied vpon the racke to make her confesse such as were consenting to her fact she accused her owne daughter so that shee was adiudged to bee burned with her mother but the poor father gainsaid it thus AH miserable child seeing thy mother hateth thee as much as thy father loueth thee O mischeeuous woman that euen vnto thine owne daughter thou art worse then a stepdame art thou not sufficiently glutted with thy passed murthers but thou must further gorge thee with thy daughters massacre But who knoweth not that such kind of people desire not to die without slaughter Wherefore amongst the fencers or souldiors that combat is most cruell which is fought
against a desperate man that is sure to die no doubt but they that may not liue will procure any murther if they can for the death of others maketh them the lesse to bewaile the life which they are readie to lose and where despaire is there doth rage abound because the horror of death filleth their courage with furie they resemble certaine beasts that bite those weapons wherewith they are wounded being thrust through they make their wound the greater that they might approch neere him that hath gored them But how should she feare to belie one that taketh a pleasure to poyson anie Why will not she effect my daughters death that without anie cause wrought my sonnes decay But what sonne Truly euen he that might haue been beloued of euerie stepdame that had been lesse wicked then she that cannot so much as loue her owne husband But to do him a dispight she hateth her owne daughter to death and remembring that she was a mother in law forgetteth that euer she was a mother indeed let then the truth of the innocēt father be of more estimatiō thē the leasings of the guiltie mother seeing that in the extremitie of death or torments the wicked doe neuer speake truth For proofe whereof a bondman that Cato had being conuinced of theft and tortured therefore affirmed that Cato was accessarie to the theft who was then better to be beleeued the bondman and the torture or Cato In like sort you are more to credit the innocencie of the daughter then the malice of the mother The Answere THere are some beasts so raging mad that their yong ones are no sooner brought forth but they become as fierce as their dames wherefore it is best to strangle them while they are yoong likewise the venomous hearb taketh his poyson from the root how much more then may this girle be wicked being born of a mother so execrable and so much the rather because the daughters doe alwaies resemble the mother more then the father how greatly then hath her wicked nature ben furthered by lewd counsell with hope and ambition to be her selfe the sole heire Which was the principall occasions that this stepmother poysoned your sonne and that the daughter consented therevnto wherefore it were no reason that shee should escape punishment Declamation 59. Of the Praetor that caused the head of a malefactor to be cut off at the request of a whore FLaminius the Romane Praetor gouerning in France sitting at the table with a comman woman whom he deerely loued shee said vnto him that she had of long time desired to see some man executed by iustice but shee was ashamed to goe vnto the common place of execution Wherevpon he forthwith commanded a condemned prisoner to bee brought and in the hall where he supped hee caused him to bee beheaded in his presence the which deed was reported at Rome wherefore a long time after Cato accused him of Treason against the Common-wealth saying THe enterludes comedies flatteries whoredomes and other trickes farre vnworthie a Romane Praetor might verie well haue sufficed without further adding therevnto a spectacle so cruel for the recompence of a banquet so lasciuious It may be one only kisse of a minion bought all the whole blood life of a man so that he might be iustlie termed a worse hangman which sat at the table to behold the same with pleasure then was he which smit of the head perchance not without pittie I doe not seeke to rip vp all the faults of so many yeares past to accuse him but that one onely night his act It is more likely that he which bestoweth much vpon a woman would denie her the slaughter of a man thē it is possible for him which granteth her the slaughter of a man to denie her any thing if thou wouldest whip a slaue wouldest thou not carrie him forth of the banqueting hall But who would euer haue beleeued that a whoore should haue desired to behold the hangmans sword vpon the cupbord and the table to be stained with humane blood but yet who would haue thought that euer any Romane Praetor could haue granted such a matter Oh what an abhominable act is this But what shall I say seeing the Romane Empire hath ben in such sort blemished and the law rather polluted then the offender thereof punished Forsake your graues O you Bruti Horatij Fabritij and all the rest of you who were the ornament of this Empire alasse behold how your rods axes and other signes of office haue ben abandoned vnto dishonest damsels onely to please them and to make them sport euery offence that is committed by a Magistrate vnder coulor of his authoritie is more punishable then anie other fault for the Magistrate is a spectacle for all other men because all men doe marke and cast their eies vpon his acts and this man whilest the beholders the hangman and the poore prisoner stoood all looking vpon him suffered both his owne eies and vnderstanding to bee rauished by the lookes of an harlot O earth couer this abhomination to the end that it may be no more remembred The Answere IF hipocrisie or secret ambition did not more prouoke thee then doth the zeale of the Commonwealth I suppose thou wouldest haue ben as slacke in accusing me as thou knowest the same hath in no sort ben wronged by me because the Commonwealth can no more bee disgraced by one mans folly then it may be dignified by one alone mans forwardnes but as nothing is well said which is not rightly vnderstood so is nothing well done that is wrongfullie interpreted otherwise I should be vntouched of crime and you not vntaxed of slander For the Commonwealth is able inough to reprooue that which is not done according to reason and equitie but also to reprehend whatsoeuer is vnprofitable for it Haue not the Senat and people refused to hold those agreements which were made by their Emperors or Generals and sent them bound vnto the enemies If they haue not allowed the faults of two Emperors together wherefore should the fault of one onlie Praetor be laid vnto their charge If to execute a man by iustice may be termed a fault But what need you to inquire where or when such a one did die that was worthie to die You say that I haue slaine one It is true but whome haue I slaine saue only a condemned man You aske when and where I answer that it was in the night and in the common hall And I doe aske you if anie time or place is limited wherein or where a malefactor ought to suffer and although there were yet who knoweth not that in the presence or companie of a lose woman there is alwaies little good performed and that the common hall or the prison is no other then a place of horror and miserie for offenders But it hath beene an ancient custome at Rome that against such as they cannot charge with any great crime they
would faine find out some small occasion of quarrell like as they sought to condemne Brutus who did afterwards recouer their libertie and so did they accuse Manlius of inhumanity Silla of crueltie Marius of ambition Lucullus of superfluitie and manie others of couetousnesse But touching my deed what art thou more theÌ„ the other Censors that haue ben euer since the fault which thou chargest me withall who haue neuer accused me therfore not that they are any whit thy inferiors in wisdome or equitie or that they are lesse louers of the Common-wealth then thou but because they could better then thou consider that it was not lawfull and lesse reasonable to blemish so many worthie actions of our linage for a small vanitie of one alone who cannot yet bee said to haue done any act either contrarie to dutie or against iustice Declamation 60. Of a man without hands that renounced his sonne because he would not kill his mother being found in adulterie THe law saith that if any man doe take his wife committing adulterie it is lawfull for him to slay them both her and the adulterer but yet it must be without deceit likewise it saith that the sonne may reuenge the adulterie for his father Whervpon it happened that a martiall man lost his two hands in the wars and as one mischance doth neuer happen alone within a small time after he surprised his wife in adulterie and finding himselfe vnable he commanded his sonne to slay them the sonne would not wherevpon hee renounced him for his heire saying I Shall then by thy fault amongst all men bee he alone that hath neither pardoned nor punished adulterie but who in this case will not imagine that either I had no sonne or that my sonne had no hands Yet my greatest griefe consisteth in this that I know the contrary Alasse in finding the adulterers I felt in good earnest how great a misse I had of my hands alacke I lost them in the warres and my sonne could not find his in the house wherefore I may say that he stood mee in as little stead as my sword which I could not vse How shall he either vanquish the enemy or defend his countrie which hath denied the helpe of his hands vnto his father When will he sight for vs that could not fight for himselfe Get thee packing then with the adulterers whom thou hast suffred to escape and leaue me rather alone then so badly accompanied Thou saiest thy heart would neuer serue thee to kill thy mother why doest thou not also say that the adulterer is thy father as I doe verily beleeue and thou doest shew he is Seeing thou soughtest rather to please him in a matter vniust and execrable then me in that wherin by the gods law and reason thou wert commanded Wherefore it cannot bee said that I doe either renounce or disinherit thee without a cause A very notable answere of the sonne ALas me thought it was in a maner all one to murther my father as to kill my mother in his presence and as it was neuer allowable in a reasonable man to be cruell so were rigorous laws made more to terrifie all theÌ„ to torment anie for if the law be strict the interpretation thereof is large and they ought to tend rather vnto clemencie then crueltie a great mischiefe can neuer be appeased in coÌ„mitting two others Moreouer the pleasure of reuenge doth suddainlie vanish but the contentment of mercie dooth neuer vade so likewise dooth euery pittifull heart melt in thinking vpon the horriblenesse of murther wherefore with the spectacle of a misfortune so suddaine all my bodie became sencelesse You good father did lacke your hands but before I could recouer my spirits I lost al my members yet was the mischiefe which you commanded more great then all the miserie which had happened was greeuous pardon me then if I did not accomplish your commandement in a thing which farre exceeded my strength and courage A father pardoneth his son if he refuse to faile because hee cannot brooke the seas that his heart doth faint as mine did the like happeneth if his heareserueth not to goe vnto the warres although he bee the sonne of a warlike father for euerie man is not borne to manage armes And it is to be considered for what intent the law saith that it is lawful for the father or the sonne to slay the adulterers Truly it was because the lawmakers were not ignoraÌ„t that there were some men which either could not or would not kill one another what can I doe with all if we are both of the same number you made by the warre vnapt and I by nature vnable wherein then can you blame me sauing that the adulterers are escaped because you were maimed and I amased or almost in a swound If the fault then be common why should I for the same bee onely condemned Declamation 61. Of two maidens rauished by one man for the which the one required his death and the other desired him for her husband THe law permitteth a maiden that is rauished to chuse either the death of the rauisher or to take him for her husband Wherevpon it chanced that one man defloured two maidens in one night so that the next morning the one required that he might die and the other requested to haue him for her husband wherfore she that desired his death said thus VVHo did euer see anie man saued for one offence by the meanes of another fault farre more hainous For if sinne proceed from humane frailtie to perseuere in the â—anâ—e is a diuelish obstinacie one defloured maid accuseth him the other defendeth him reuenge you our cause then O you iudges let the seueritie of your discipline bee redoubled seeing the crime is double the people doe already secretly desire it for he hath not onlie forced or rauished twaine but I alone haue ben defloured by twaine that is to say by him that did the deed by her that would preserue him from death must he be suffred to liue that hath deserued to die twise Had hee but deserued one death onlie he should not liue anie longer because no bodie would haue defended him but this woman would vnto our shame verifie the Prouerb which men do impose vpon our sex saying That women are selfe-willed and that they do alwaies chuse the worst If thou haddest ben the first that had ben forced I doe hardlie beleeue that thou wouldest haue desired him for thy husband To conclude as thou canst not sue anie further in his behalfe saue onely that thou maiest not bee depriued of thy choice so also canst thou not abridge me of my request it is in thy choice to saue his life for the fault he hath coÌ„mitted against thee but thou canst not command his life for the iniurie done against mee seeing that I was first wronged let me be first reuenged and afterwards thou shalt wed him if thou wilt The Answere THou saiest that thou wert
the first that was wronged I doe not know so much and therefore affirm that it was I or if I were the last theÌ„ was mine the greater wrong for that which hee did vnto thee may bee excused either by loue or necessitie but what hee offered vnto me can be no better tearmed then insolencie malice or disdain seeing that then his greatest heat was past neuerthelesse considering that clemencie is more naturall vnto our sex then crueltie I say that where the prerogatiues or claimes are of equal force there is more respect to be had vnto humanitie then rigor and if you alleage vnto mee the examples of Lucrece and Virginia I will in like sort alleage vnto you the Sabines and others no lesse honest but more discreet and the greater number from whoÌ„ hath proceeded greater good witnesse so many worthy Romanes issued from them His death can serue to no other end but to eternise the memorie of our infamie either by the publick or secret reuenge of his kindred neuer did any mans death profit a woman Lastlie if thou thinkest that thy honour deserueth his death I answere that mine is not vnworthie of his life and I beleeue that the iudges will affirme my wish to be more iust then thy will Declamation 62. Of him that his father did disherit because he went vnto the wars THe priuiledge of the war was that he which had ben thrise a conqueror should bee freed from going to the warres any more Wherevpon it happened that a certaine Romane which had beene thrise a conqueror would returne vnto the warres against his fathers will Who seeing that hee would needs goe did for his obstinacie disherit him wherevnto the sonne pleaded in this sort FIrst I am bound vnto God that hee hath made mee three times victorious and next vnto him am I bound vnto my countrie for the loue which I haue born vnto it hath ben the cause that I did fight and got the victorie wherefore after I haue performed my duty vnto these twaine I will obey my father in all things who ought not to be against the publick good and my glorie it may be that he himselfe hath not ben thrise a conqueror wherefore it is requisit that I should supplie his default or my childrens defect who peraduenture shall neuer be of such desert but why would you dissuade me from sighting after the obtaining of three victories Seeing that they doe yet fight whome I haue thrise vanquished As the Senator which is past threescore years of age may chuse whether he will come to Counsell yee or no and yet such as are much older do notwithstanding come thether so long as they liue so is it 〈◊〉 for me to goe vnto the warres when honor commandeth me as oft as list In that which is past I 〈…〉 no more then my dutie and therefore I 〈…〉 reward but that which hereafter I shall doe of free will shall merit a recompence You would haue him to be idle that neuer loued ease you see the danger wherein we stand all the Citizens doe fixe their eies vpon me and to speake the truth the Commonwealth doth yet owe me nothing for my passed victories seeing that it could not excuse me from the battaile but now the same law shall allow it to be desert which before did appoint it a dutie Seeing then that what I do is but for your profit and honour why should you disauow me for your heire mee I say which will fight to maintaine your life your house and the inheritance which you will take from me The Answere THou doest acquit thy selfe towards God and thy countrie in obeying thy father in a matter both lawfull and reasonable for the Commonwealth hath as great need of pittifull and obedient men vnto the lawes and their Parents as it hath of such as are valiant wherefore thou art bound to be both the one and the other thou art alreadie knowne to bee valiant bee thou then likewise knowne to be pittifull obedient and louing towards thy poore father who shall die if thou shouldest miscarrie by thy ouer boldnesse Doest thou thinke to be victorious in fighting against the law and the will of thy father No for God is too iust Aâ—neas was not so much praised for all his heroicall deeds as he was commended for louing his aged father and for preseruing him from the Troian site Doest thou wonder if thy father be no lesse carefull for the 〈◊〉 of thy person then the law is which forbiddeth 〈…〉 hazard thy selfe anie more in the like perill I had rather to renounce thee suddainlie then hauing lost thee in the warres to be attached with a double sorrow it is therefore in thy choice to remaine my sonne or no. It is a far greater vertue to bee able to containe thy selfe within thy bounds then to perish in this battaile thou shalt go in greater danger to lose thy gotten reputation then to inlarge thy future renowne therefore thou being my sonne no longer my griefe shall be the lesse Declamation 63. Of him that appeased the father of a maiden whom he had rauished and yet could not pacify his own father THe law commandeth that if any man do rauish a virgin that he should die therefore vnlesse that within thirtie daies hee doe both pacifie or appease the next of kin vnto the said damsell likewise the neerest of kin vnto himselfe Whervpon it fell out so that a certaine yoong man rauished a yoong virgin and before the prefixed tearm he had thorowly appeased the maidens father but yet his owne father would by no means be satisfied wherefore he accused his father to haue lost his wits saying HOw can that man bee said to haue his vnderstanding that is more cruell vnto his owne son then is he that hath been offended There is no beast in the world so fierce that seeketh not to preserue that which it hath it hath engendered whereby it appeareth that those which do otherwise may be iudged to haue lesse vnderstanding then brute beasts If you thinke that I haue wronged you in not comming rather vnto you as to him whom I was most bounden vnto then vnto the virgines father You must consider that it was because he was more wronged then you and that I iudged you more pittifull then he and hee harder to bee entreated then you But alasse infortunate that I am I haue found mine enemie more fauourable then mine owne father so that I know not what els to say but that amongst such men as haue their wits the loue of the father doth alwaies exceed the sonnes follie If it please you to saue my life or if your crueltie bee such as you loath to see me liue speake for the time is at hand But I grieue not so much to die if you haue lost your wits as I sorrow for the perpetuall mone that you will make in that you haue ben the abridger of my daies when as time more then reason shal haue
mittigated your choler and restored your vnderstanding whereof now I may well say you are depriued or at the least that the same is mightily deminished The Answere THou saiest that the maidēs father was more wronged then was I I graunt it yet canst thou not likewise deny but that I haue greater cause of offence thē he for thy force did take away the maidens shame but I shall bee euer dishonoured to haue begotten a son so dissolute that hath displeased his father wronged a Cittizen defloured a virgin defamed his stocke and giuen cause of offence vnto the Commonwealth It is thou that wantedst thy wits seeing thou couldest not know that at one instant thou shouldest not haue committed so many mischiefes together and most mad thou wert if in knowing the same thou couldest not shun the same but heaping one offence vpon another thou wouldest slander me to haue lost my wits whereby it appeareth that as vertues so are vices linked together Thou accusest me before I haue condemned thee the tearme is not yet expired I do very well know that thy life and death are yet in my choice Haue I then lost mine vnderstanding wherfore doest thou tremble why doth thy tongue faulter For what cause are thine eies troubled The thirtieth day is not yet come but wherefore wouldest thou that anie man should pittie thee seeing thou wert pittilesse vnto the damsell who when thou diddest rauish her shewed no lesse sorrow then thou doest now Wherefore couldest not thou consider what vice is at the first as well as at the last which is alwaies a present pleasure but a parting paine leauing alwaies either some scourge or at the least a moste sound sorrow accompained with a horrible fear but although I should leaue thee thy life dost thou thinke to remain vnpunished will not thin own consience torment thee far worse then any hangman would Nay why should I graunt that vnto mine enemie which I haue denied vnto my sonne For seeing thou accusest me thou canst not be rightly tearmed my friend much lesse my sonne Is it to be wondered at if I rest doubtfull seeing that the law it selfe hath neither determined thy death nor concluded thy marriage Thou hast alwaies behaued thy selfe as if thou haddest ben allowed to doe anie sinne thou hast not yet intreated me as thou oughtest but hast rather requested the other his friendship then my fauour and hauing first appeased his furie thou afterwards thoughtest assuredly to constrain me to winck at thy fault Would a foole consider thus much Tel me then wherin I am a foole Haue I liued badly or committed such follie as thou hast Haue I forgotten the lawes Haue I not counted thy daies Can I not prooue wherefore thou art vnworthie of my fauor demanding it after such a fashion I haue consulted with our kinred I haue deuised with our friends alasse what paines haue I taken to perform a fathers dutie Ah me most miserable seeing that my anger is so iust that I cannot yet forget it I do not wonder although thou hast appeased the maidens father for it is easier to pardon an iniurie then a crime yea when he came to entreat for thee his kindnesse did the more harden my heart against thee for me thought that a man so honest ought in no sort to be harmed thou tellest me that the time is short how then couldest thou find so much leasure as to accuse me Doe men appease their misdeeds after such a manner Is that the way to obtaine fauour Doest thou now thinke it fit to entreat But tell me wherefore am I besides my wits Is it because I haue not pardoned thee The time is not yet past I may yet pardon thee although thou art vnworthie seeing thou accusest mee before I haue hurt thee Declamation 64. Of the husband that did put away his wife who being tortured did yet saue his life in not confessing that he pretended to murther the Tyrant A Tyrant being suspitious that a Cittizen pretended his death caused him to be apprehended and committed him to prison and there tortured him to cause him to confesse his conspiracie and who were his confederats but the Cittizen would not confesse any thing whereupon the Tyrant did also cause the Citizens wife to be tortured who in like sort would confesse nothing wherefore they were deliuered and set at libertie Within a short time after the said Cittizen killed the Tyrant and being greatly rewarded and honoured by the Commonwealth for the deed he put away his wife as one that was barren because she had ben fiue yeares with him and neuer conceiued anie child For which cause shee accused him of ingratiude saying THat which the Tyrant was vnwilling to doe hee that killed the Tyrant would doe to shew himself more vniust then was hee hee would frustrate our marriage which at his owne request and intreat was solemnized and to manifest his ingratitude the more hee would needs stay vntill he stood indebted vnto mee for his life if he ment to forsake me he should haue put me away before I had ben tortured for his loue the which torture is cause of my barrennesse O miserable woman that I am seeing that my kindnesse hath procured mee care and my good deeds turneth vnto my decay Is it not verie well knowne that the constancie of my courage and the silence of my tongue haue ben the onely ouerthrow of the Tyrant I then being the cause that the Tyrant can no more break the marriages of others why should mine be suffered to be broken But who is ignorant that during the Tyrants life the barren were esteemed most happie because they could not see their children rauished at the Tyrants pleasure True it is that I haue borne no children for the Commonwealth but I dare affirm that I am the cause that manie are and shall be borne and that henceforth there shall bee no more taken from it The Tyrant suspected my husband his intention because either hee had disclosed something or els his countenance or behauiour discouered his pretence but yet in anie sort hee cannot complaine of his wiues tatling no not when she was in her extreamest torments I had alwaies more respect vnto my husband that was absent then vnto the Tyrant who was present being more carefull of his health then fearefull of mine own hurt But who can expresse all the preparation that was made for instruments of crueltie able inough to daunt the courages of many men to terrifie the constancie of a feminine heart the whips tearing my flesh the fire the yron shoes the whot egs vnder mine armholes the buskins the trestles the pullies the cords the napkin water oile and the hangmen yet all these together could neuer draw one onely word from me to the preiudice of my husband but prouing by liuely reasons the contrarie of all that was of me demanded I was the cause of his deliuerance wherefore doth he vaunt that he hath slaine the Tyrant
countrie seeing that the equalitie of voices may acquite malefactors Thou maiest then thanke the law not thine innocencie for thine escape Thou saiest I am acquited and therefore you can neither account me nor call me a paricide I allow it so to be neither will I disherit thee therefore but for thy other vices which are the cause that there are as manie that beleeue thou wouldest haue murthered mee as there bee that doe stand in doubt thereof But who knoweth not that it is a greife for a father to accuse his son to bring him in danger of death although it be his desert What is he then that would be so cruel to accuse him wrongfullie I take God to witnes that as I am verie glad because thou hast escaped punishment so likewise would I take away all occasion to accuse thee anie more and in putting thee away I would take all occasion from thee to murther thy father The sonnes Answere AS there needeth but one voice to condemne me which God hath withheld to defend mine innocencie so is my ioy exceeding great in that I am freed from crime and disgrace as well as from punishment and a verie likelie matter is it that some of the Counsell beleeuing it to bee impossible that a father would euer accuse his sonne wrongfullie haue ben on your side but the other s who considering all men bee subiect to passion and that manie fathers doe imagine that the liues and deaths of their sons ought to be doomed by them and at their choice onelie haue equallie taken my part especiallie because there was no proofe or witnesse against mee And notwithstanding you disherit me because I should alwaies be secretly suspected of infamie wherby it appeareth that your meaning was neuer good towards mee or at the least it is corrupted by such as pretend to bee your heires so that although I am now oppressed by your authoritie I hope that by my patience all men shall know and your selfe wil confesse what a son I both haue ben am and euer shall be and it may bee that time may cause you change your euill opinion if God so please who neuer forsaketh the innocent Declamation 72. Of the sonne who striuing against his father obtained the dignity of Emperor afterwards being taken in the wars and crucified his father is accused to haue betraied him IT is to be considered that amongst our ancestors the dignitie of Emperour was no other then that which we at this day doe call Generall of an armie or Commonwealth the which dignitie was once demaunded by an ancient and valiant man But his sonne resisted him in such sort as hee obtained the place for himselfe and as the Prouerbe saith Mowed the grasse vnder his fathers feet Neuerthelesse they went to the wars together where it chanced the Emperor to be taken by the enemies Whervpon the Commonwealth sent fortie Embassadors to redeeme him vpon any condition whatsoeuer These Embassadors met the Emperors father who told them that he had brought gold to saue his sonnes life but it was too late because he was crucified before he came The Embassadors notwithstanding passed on further they found their Emperor according to his report crucified yet not so thorowly dead but that he said thus vnto them Beware of Treason Who at their returne vpon these words of the sonne accused his father to haue betraied him saying OVr Emperor hath suffered a shamefull death and the traitor hath receiued monie for the reward of his Treason We haue seen this same man more sad to see his sonne pronounced Emperour then sorrie to behold him taken of his enemies How was it possible that thou couldest returne alone being old and ouerladen with monie seeing they did take the Emperor Thou hast receiued more monie then thou couldest well hide but that is no great wonder seeing that in one person thou hast sold both a sonne and an Emperor together Who said vnto vs Beware of Treason but alasse he said it too late Trulie if the enemies had not giuen thee this gold they would haue taken it from thee as well as from others This sentence of the Emperor being readie to die was short and euen for shame verie hardly vttered seeing that thereby he accused his father Why diddest thou escape leauing thy sonne behind thee who was borne to be an Emperour Surelie for no other cause but that hee hindered thee from being one His proceeding against his father by lot and electiue voices was done to no other end but onelie thereby modestlie to shew that from henceforth hee would neither trust thee with the gouernement of the Commonwealth neither yet ought the same trust thee to gouerne it Our Embassadors carried gold thether to redeeme our Emperor and his father brought gold hether which hee receiued for selling him vnto the enemies How happeneth it that thou art not dead or at the least without motion and as it were crucified with thy sonne why diddest thou return so speedilie seeing he was aliue and did yet speake Certainlie his speech bewraied the Treason but his silence indeuoring to conceale the same did better decipher the Traitor that would not once stay the comming of the Embassadors nor yet returne with them againe This good Emperor although hee were crucified yet left not to bee carefull for the Commonwealth And therefore he said take you heed of Treason Behold how he could not conceale the Treason but like a child hee would not name the traitor Thou wilt say that compassion vrged thee to depart so quicklie We would know seeing thou couldest not haue him aliue why thou diddest not at the least redeeme him when hee was dead For neuer was anie enemie so cruell but that he would be moued with a fathers teares and so great a summe of gold together This word Take heed of Treason signifieth beware least anie without the priuitie of your towneguards doe come foorth of your cittie or without the knowledge of the Commonwealth doe goe vnto the enemie or least anie one doe returne from the General of the enemies loden with gold Nothing of this wanteth in all mens iudgement thou hast done al this thou wentest forth of the cittie thou hast ben in the enemies campe thou art returned thence loden with gold the Emperor warned vs of Treason the Embassadors haue disclosed the traitor all doubt is taken away consider onlie O Iudges who did speake who now speaketh and who speaketh not The fathers Answere I Did demand the Empire to saue my sonne from the danger whereinto himselfe hath fallen I know not whether there be anie Treason but you may thinke that if I were culpable therein my sonne would haue as little respect to accuse me as he had to striue with me for the Empire I did carrie monie thether which I haue brought backe againe for seeing my sonne taken I took all the gold which of long time I had hidden in my Nay who will doubt that shee hath not
he had lost his wits I know not whether of these two accidents were the cause of his fall yet am I sure that they are not to be imputed vnto his fault but he is more worthie to be pittied then to be punished What greater crueltie can there bee in the world then not onelie to punish a dead man but such a one as died miserablie We cannot but suspect that he perceiuing the Magistrate did wrongfullie hate him hath therefore shortened his owne daies for if you did not bear him some ill wil what should moue you to goe about to depriue him of that which in the end time will graunt vnto him For euen those which are hanged doe at one time or other not remaine vnburied wherefore Diogenes said well vnto his disciples that demanded of him where he would be buried lay me said he vpon the earth for the same it selfe will in time burie me this your rigor then is more preiudiciall vnto vs that liue then vnto the dead man if the worst happen what can you say of him Or wherewith are you able to accuse him saue onlie that his great misfortune made him to imagine that hee could no way end his miserie but by death But alasse hee was deceiued for although he be dead yet dooth mishap follow him so as he cannot by his sepulchre hide his shame whereby it appeareth that misfortune dooth sooner beat downe the wretched then it dooth the wicked Surelie considering that which is denied vnto him I cannot blame him for being wearie of his life in his death hee hath immitated Cato why thē ought this man to be vnburied more then he In your iudgement then do you thinke that Curtius should haue remained without a sepulchre if in his very death he had not found the same casting himselfe while he was yet aliue into the burning gulfe Who is more miserable then he that whilest he liueth is wearie of his life And who is more vnhappie then he that is dead and wanteth a sepulchre Is it to be wondered at if this man were willing to die seeing that for all he shunneth it mischiefe pursueth him Nature affoordeth a sepulchre vnto all men yea the sea casteth the dead vpon the land to be buried those which are hanged in chaines do by little and little slide down into their graues for in the end they become earth they which are burned the selfesame fire that cōsumeth their bodie dooth burie their bones conuerting them into ashes others are intombed in the bellies of fishes and of other land beastes As it is the office of Magistrats to persecute murtherers so likewise ought they to pittie the murthered If you say that hee which killeth himselfe is a murtherer you must yet consider that hee hath wronged none but himselfe it may bee that hee did procure his owne death for feare least he should be constrained to wrong some other what thing then can example others might bee warned to bee more carefull of their kindred This law was inuented but onelie to terrifie those who neither feared death nor damnation Assure you that he would neuer haue died in that sort vnlesse he had committed some hainous offence for there is no sin so great but that hee which dare kill himselfe will be bold to commit Declamation 77. Of the seruant of Lucullus who thinking to giue his maister a drinke to make him to loue him caused him to become a foole LVcullus was a Romane Senator very rich and wealthy in goods gotten by the warres who both liued most deliciously and also spent more largely then any other Roman but most of all he greatly loued learned men and rewarded them very liberally Wherevpon it chanced that one of his houshold seruants was verie desirous to worke some meanes that hee might likewise chuse him to loue him and the better to effect the same he prepared a certaine loue drinke and made his maister to drinke thereof for that which fooles cannot attaine vnto by vertue they thinke to accomplish by villanie but as from follie there neuer commeth anie thing but mischiefe so happened it by this foolish seruant for in stead of making himselfe to be beloued hee troubled his masters sences because hee knew not how to mingle his drinke aright Wherefore the kindred of Lucullus brought him into iudgement and accused him for poysoning his maister whervnto the seruant replied thus TRue it is that I gaue him a loue drinke but not producing such an accident as hath since vnto him happened and that seruant is in no sort faultie which as much as in him lieth seeketh to procure his maisters fauour prouided that it be not to his hurt the drinke which I haue giuen him hath ben tried by manie and may yet be proued by more I meant neither to hurt my maisters bodie nor to trouble his mind seeing that I neuer hoped for any good in the world but from him but those which gape for his lands after his death or that desire to haue the managing of his goods during his life haue taken occasion by this my potion to giue him some other drinke that vnto his sences hath ben more pernicious that therby they might both defraud me of my hoped good intention also accomplish their wicked expectation who hath euer heard that to loue ones maister well and to desire to be beloued of him should be an offence and so much the rather was my meaning lawfull because I neither haue loued him nor desired his loue for any couetousnesse but to gaine this onlie good alwaies to do vnto him most faithfull most humble and acceptable seruice but as there is no word well spoken which is badlie construed so there is nothing well done if it be taken in ill part or sinisterly wrested which is so much the sooner done because the most part of men do not iudge according to the meaning but according to the issue of our actions although he which hath done them bee in no sort faultie But I beseech you worthie Iudges to consider what reason there is to accuse him for a malefactor who hath giuen the loue drinke and not once to seeke out or to inquire after him that hath giuen the noisome and hurtfull drinke Thinke you if I mous as Lucullus was What theft can be more manifest then in desiring to vsurpe a loue so worthie being thy selfe in all points so worthlesse We doe in deed confesse that the seruant is permitted to loue his maister and by his good seruice to winne his maisters loue but it is not lawful to inforce the loue of any man how much lesse then is it for a seruant to constraine his maister So that as well the intention as the issue of thy deed appeareth to be damnable and there is no need to inquire who gaue the pestilent potion seeing thou diddest it thine owne selfe and that thou canst not denie the same moreouer that which thou confessest to haue done is no signe that
thou diddest loue thy maister very well but rather that thou diddest loue thy selfe too much for those which do loue intirely do seeke all the meanes they can to please those whō they loue but not to force or constraine them to anie thing against their liking whereby it may be prooued that thou onely diddest mischief Lucullus in going about to take from him his libertie hauing thereby depriued him of his sences And there is not any that pretended any profit by his hurt but onelie thou seeing that all the wealth which Lucullus had was ours and his friends more then his owne for hee was neuer borne but for the profit of the Commonwealth and to pleasure his friends Therfore we doe also require no other thing but that the innocent may be acquited the guiltie not onely sought out for he is found in thee but also punished as well to giue an example vnto all other seruants not to enterprise any thing against their maisters as to reuenge the Commonwealth and Lucullus himselfe for this iniurie Declamation 78. Of a woman who slew hir daughter that had through childishnesse killed her little brother THe law appointeth that euery woman which killeth her child should bee burned Wherevpon it chanced in Orleans that a poor woman which got her liuing partly by washing of bucks and somtime with carrying of fagots about the cittie to sell had one daughter about the age of foure yeares and a sonne about one yeare old with the which children she was left a widdow by her husband So that shee oftentimes being forced to shift the little child she said vnto him as the most part of mothers and nources vse to say that if hee pissed his clothes any more she would cut off his prick the which the little girle hearing many times shee forgot it not but one day when her mother was gone vnto the wood she began to vnswaddle her brother and seeing that hee had pissed his clothes she tooke a knife and cut off his yard wherewith he lost so much bloud that he died afterwards shee told her mother at her returne home what she had done who seeing her child dead shee was so surprised with anger that she tooke vp a little stoole and strooke so great a blow therewithall vpon the girles head that she presently died For the which she was caried to prison hir husbands brother suing her to death accused her saying THis woman hath both slaine her daughter and in like sort was the cause of her sonnes death not onlie in that she left it to the keeping and discretion of a little girle but also because shee had oftentimes spoken fondly and threatned the child foolishly did she not know that whatsoeuer was ill to bee done was not good to be spoken vpon what occasion or intent soeuer it be And that as euery word that is spoken is easily imprinted in the yoong and tender hearts of little children so will they like apes imitate all that they see and as children doe whatsoeuer they heare spoken why then did she say before this child anie thing which should not be done And chiefly a matter so dangerous and so vnfitting Did she not know that children as being humane creatures and subiect naturally vnto vices doe keepe and remember the bad sooner then the good And especially the females as being more vicious then the males Some may say that it was a mischiefe which shee nor any other would euer haue thought vpon but I answere that they ought to bee cut of which are the cause of such misfortunes to the end that they may no more commit the like mischiefs or at the least by their occasion there doe not happen some other greater mischances If she haue liued so badly that she had no neighbour or friend so fauourable vnto her with whom she might haue left her little son in her absence shee is not worthy to liue any longer and if she had any vnto whom she might haue recommended the same she is likewise worthy of death for not doing the same Of what thing ought a mother to be more tender and charie then of her child Why then could shee suffer the one to die by her negligence and heaping mischiefe vpon mischiefe murther the other by her malice What Tigre Wolfe or other wild beast though neuer so cruell which will not onely bee carefull of her yoong ones but also will euen vnto the death defend them from those that seeke to hurt or harme them in anie sort How much lesse then will they themselues be so cruell as to kill them Wherefore must I be the only speaker in this case when as with iust griefe I can hardlie speak anie more If no punishment shall be vsed when women who ought to bee true examples or perfect patternes of kindnesse and pittie are more cruell thē sauage beasts I know not what I should say Sauing onelie that they are happy which either liued before vs or that shall be born after vs without beholding this our most vnhappie age if such a woman may be suffered to liue anie longer therein who after she hath ben the cause of her sonnes death hath yet further ben the author of her daughters destruction The Answere of a friend for the woman VVHerefore doe you procure the death of such a one who desireth nothing so much as to die Doe you thinke that this poore woman is not sufficientlie afflicted but that you must further seeke to aggrauate her sorrow Alasse wee may by her example verie wel perceiue that a mischiefe neuer commeth alone seeing that first we haue euer known her to be poore next she hath lost her husband the onlie stay of her poore life then her sonne and afterwards her daughter and that which is worst she is not onlie a prisoner in danger to lose her life but also he which ought to releiue her and procure her deliuerie seeketh her destruction Surelie the least of so manie miseries wherein she is on all sides cōpassed is sufficient inough to make her worthie of compassion and free her from punishment Whereof doe you accuse her Do you not know that it is not in our power to bridle the first motions of a iust anger Know you not that the griefe which she suffereth because she hath killed her daughter exceedeth all the tortures that may bee inuented to torment her For more harme doth a mischiefe that tormenteth the heart then all the tortures which may wound the bodie are able to hurt Whereas you accuse her of follie the follie is your own when you would find in a silie woman that which may hardlie be found in those that gouerne monarchies or Prouinces Doe you not know that there is no vertue which is not by pouertie neglected And that necessitie hath no law Wherein then hath a poore woman offended who hauing no other means did leaue her children at home whilst she went abroad to get her liuing You speake of friends
he had receaued so manie detestable persecutions and iniuries Must there then be a quarrell taken because I haue ben more pittiful then my sonne who neuerthelesse would not do anie thing without my commandement by the dutie whcih he ought vnto me which hath chieflie induced him heretofore to commit that offence for which we are both condemned Lastlie reason willeth that your last sentence be not reuoked for no sentēce ought euer to be reuoked to the hinderance or preiudice of such as are to suffer if one of vs must die it is I that ought so to doe seeing that I was first born and being the elder I haue offended through malice but he through ignorance I willinglie and he in obeying me I then being the onlie cause that both hee and I haue offended it is requisit that I onlie should die for both our misdeeds and neuer imagine that my sonne doth for all that escape vnpunished for as all my miserie shall in my death haue an end so shall his calamitie in liuing together with his yeares dailie more and more increase as well in grieuing that hee hath offended the Commonwealth as that he hath ben constrained to kill his father by their commandement who ought to abhorre the onelie thought of so execrable a crueltie The answere of the Iudges OVr sentence was not pronounced by way of mockerie neither was it reuoked to encrease your miseries but onlie to know seeing you are both twaine worthie to die whether of you is most vnworthie to liue for mercie which assuageth Iustice ought alwaies to be extended towards him that is least culpable Wherefore finding your sonne more faultie then you we haue appointed him to die yet not by your hands for we know that the same were rather crueltie then iustice but we haue hereby made a certaine triall whether there were anie vertue remaining in him when in consenting vnto your death he hath bewraied his vngraciousnesse so that except you bee yet an enemie to your countrie you ought not to bewaile the death of a man so wicked or a sonne so worthlesse but we plainlie perceiue that euerie one fauoureth such as himselfe is and that you will neuer surceasse to hate the Commonwealth so that it will bee no great losse although you should as you say die with griefe for such a losse shall be more profitable to all then hurtfull to anie likewise of two wicked men we had rather saue him that by course of nature will die the soonest and which hath little time and lesse strength to accomplish his wicked purpose We haue children but if wee did know that they would euer bee like vnto you or your sonne wee would presentlie doe with them as wee will with him and as wee ought to doe with you they are to bee pittied which are poore and miserable not such as are wicked and malefactors for as to afflict the good it is an act of crueltie so to punish the bad is a deed of charitie we doe not cause your sonne to die for being willing to accomplish our sentence as you say but because he being alreadie worthie of death the same doth make him more worthie and wee doe saue you by our speciall grace because you would not kill him shewing your selfe at the least a better father then he is a sonne and the dutie which he ought vnto you can bee no excuse for him for it is verie apparent that he would hardlie euer haue obeied you had you commanded him to doe anie good true it is that neuer anie sentence is to bee reuoked to the hinderance of the good but as wee haue moderated the first to saue the life of one of you so is it lawful for vs now to applie the other in such sort that he may die which is most wicked Also the choice which we doe put you vnto cannot bee called crueltie seeing that it was not to that end that it should be so effected neither was the same anie suddaine inuention of our owne thoughts but it is to bee considered that the wickednes of malefactors causeth the iudges to inuent new extraordinary punishments thereby to represse vice the sooner To conclude if you thinke that we do you any wrong you may appeale vnto those who haue as great authoritie ouer vs as ouer you Declamation 81. Of a Chirurgion who murthered a man to see the mouing of a quicke heart THere was in Padua a most cunning Chirurgion excelling all others of his time who hauing made wonderfull experiences of his art for no lesse is the desire of cunning then is couetous of coine had also a wonderfull great desire to open a liue man that he might perfectly know the motion of the heart wherevpon hee made diuers and sundrie requests vnto the Senat of Venice that they would grant vnto him some condemned malefactor to make therewith this his desired experience but he could neuer obtaine the same at their hands for the Venetians are by nature not only pittifull but also somewhat supersticious But these refusals did but the more encrease the longing of this Chirurgion for to say the truth euery haulty spirit are in that like vnto women who doe for the most part couet after that which they are forbidden to touch So that hee being still in this rauing or rather longing there came vnto his doore a poore souldiour very well proportioned and of a sound bodie comming newly from the wars and demanded his almes of the Chirurgion who caused him to come in and cherished him secretly some three daies after his owne fantasie afterwards hauing brought him downe into a caue he caused him by certaine fellows hired for that purpose to be bound vnto a post and opening him aliue he saw that in him which he so greatly desired but as no murther can euer remaine vndisclosed long so it happened that one of his confederats was taken for some other crime and being vpon the racke he amongst other matters reuealed the murther which he his companions and the Chirurgion had committed wherevpon they were all taken and the Chirurgion confessed the fact saying TRue it is most iust Iudge and you worthie Senators that I haue ben the death of one man to saue the liues of an infinit number of others not onelie by the cures which I hope to performe during my life but by that which I will leaue behind mee in writing after my death wherefore it may bee said that hauing made an experience so notable and profitable I haue done worthilie but hauing killed a guiltles man I haue done wickedly I confesse it and would confesse to haue offended more hainouslie if I had not more then once intreated that to preuent a further mischiefe I might haue beene allowed to make this triall vpon some condemned malefactor the which I was neuer permitted to doe some one may answere must you therefore kill an innocent Or doe that by your owne authoritie which a whole Senate would neuer
accused his brother of ambition and Treason saying SEeing that all the warlike men of Greece haue done you this honour aboue so manie other noble and worthie men to chuse you onlie for their Generall why will you like a most iniurious and periured man so wickedlie betray them Doe you not yet know that the gods wil neuer permit a treason so great and manifest to be hidden and especiallie when they themselues are interessed therein Know you not that Diana requireth your daughter for sacrifice it may be to punish your ambition or to chastise the pride of your wife or rather to extirpate the presumption of the same your daughter Trulie I beleeue if none of all these three reasons doe prouoke the chast Goddesse vnto iust punishment yet all these three together doe stir her vp vnto a iust reuenge iust I say because that the gods doe neuer anie thing vniustlie but who knoweth if the goddesse foreseeing the future lasciuiousnesse of your daughter be determined to haue her before she be stained or els that she desireth to haue an vnspotted virgine to be offered vp vnto her that she might be the more fauorable vnto vs and make vs conquerors ouer the rauisher of the chastitie of Helena for whose defence you and all the nobilitie of Greece were bounden before she did chuse me for her lord and husband and yet whilest I was absent you suffered her to be rauished caried away which maketh me to thinke that the Goddesse being displeased with you is desirous to haue the same fault purged in the presence of all the Grecians by the death of your daughter Finallie the iudgements of the gods are secret but when their wils are manifest they ought to be accomplished The goddesse requireth Iphiginia you haue promised her we doe looke for her therefore we ought to haue her especiallie seeing all the skill that man hath is notable to prolong her life one onlie minute against the will of the gods and although you might saue her yet ought you not to preferre her life either before so manie worthie Grecians or before the honour of all Greece But why should all the rest of Priams sonnes or anie other Barbarian feare to enterprise anie thing against vs If it shal be reported that for to saue or thinking to prolong a maidens life the whole armie of the Grecians assembled together at such an infinit charge and with so great trauel should of it self be so suddainlie dissolued What ambition can be then more great then to vsurpe the title of a Generall and not to performe the dutie therof And what Treason is more manifest then to goe about to defraud all Greece of the honour obtained by the blood of our ancestors If it was thought a strange matter that Vlisses fained himself mad because he would not goe vnto the warres and if for the same cause the parents of Achilles were dispised hauing concealed him in the habite of a woman What shall wee say of you who would not onlie deceiue our armie of one or two men but would if our selues wee will not giue it ouer that all of vs should bee swallowed vp in the waues of the sea Doe you not consider that the greatnesse of your charge bindeth you to bee more couragious and righteous then all the rest Who then will iudge you to be such a one if you repugne against the will of the gods If you contrarie the desire of al men and without anie shame at all performe not your promise If it be so I dare say the Grecians are vnhappie in chusing such a Generall and you an vnhappie Generall seeing that by your default the Grecians shal lose their ancient reputation You may say that a fathers loue is great I agree therevnto so ought such as are highest in authoritie as you would be condiscend vnto great things especiallie when as reason requireth consider then for whom you doe giue your daughter it is for the honour of your brother to recouer your sister in law for beautie the onlie paragon of all the world It is to be reuenged of our enemies for the safetie of our countrie to confirme the ancient valor of our nation to winne vnto your selfe an immortall glorie and that which is more then all the rest to fulfill the good pleasure of the gods of whō one alone is able to destroy all mankind Consent thē as you are bound to obey their diuine power to performe your dutie to pleasure your brother to recouer your sister in law to saue the Grecians to mainetaine their ancient reputation and especiallie to shun the name of a traitor That your daughter my niece may bee offered vp a pleasing sacrifice vnto the gods who do neuer request any thing hurtful vnto their creatures and it may bee that they will saue her as well to manifest their mercie as to prouoke vs ioifullie to obey their commandements from the which wee can in no sort excuse our selues Agamemnons Answere HE can neuer be tearmed ambitious who neither by force tyrannie nor subtiltie attaineth vnto anie rule or dignitie but onlie by vertue and the election of manie which in direct means there is none can say that I haue vsed As concerning the pleasure of the gods that mine innocent daughter should be sacrificed what certaintie haue wee thereof but onelie the word of the priest Chalcas whose priestlie dignitie I do not contemne but rather his humane person being as readie to erre as the worst man in our troupes But I would faine know what pittie could remain in the gods if they delighted or tooke pleasure to behold the sheading of innocent blood I cannot beleeue that the same is to preuent the losse of her chastity for as great power hath the goddesse to maintain her virginitie as to shorten her daies Moreouer of extreames not onelie the gods but also euerie vertuous man doth alwaies endeuour to chuse the best whereby it appeareth that they by the death of an innocent virgine will neither recure lasciuiousnesse nor your owne negligence wherevnto neither the Grecians I nor my daughter are in no sort bound For you needed not to haue receiued Paris the sonne of a barbarous king into your house much lesse to entertaine him there a long time and least of all to leaue him at your departure all alone with your wife Do you not know that it is verie dangerous to leaue fire and flax together Are you such a foole that you know not how yoong men are lasciuious and women light But who knoweth not that ambition and lust respect no law Haue not you tried that loues poison creepeth in by the eies and eares Did you not thinke that the same beautie which not onlie inflamed you but all Greece was as able to set a yoong Barbarian on fire who was by nature lasciuious I confesse that the iudgements of the gods are secret and therefore ought we first to bee thorowlie assured of their wils before
we either giue anie credit therevnto or effect the same least in thinking to obey them we doe disobey them What proofe haue you that Diana requireth the death of my daughter saue onlie the word of an old man who either doteth or it may be would haue this honour that at his bare word the warlike and inuincible Grecians ouercome with superstition haue sacrificed the noblest and worthiest maid of all Greece And neuer alleage that the gods desire the best things for sacrifice for that is meant onlie by brute beasts but as for humane creatures they doe preserue them witnesse the old age of Nestor and others Neither did there euer anie great good proceed of too much superstition which dooth much differ from true religion because the one alwaies tendeth vnto that which is good and the other vnto that which is bad If Diana require her death shee may find her well inough where she is without dishonoring me by the deliuerie of her Which in sooth were a trecherous part What certaintie or assurance will Chalcas giue that the seas shall bee calme by the death of my daughter Durst he gage his head that so it shall be and although he would so doe is those few years which an old man may liue to bee compared vnto the youth of a Princesse who by her progenie will be able to illustrate all the world To kill our owne children is not the way to combate Priam and the rest of the Barbarians I wil not faile in anie sort from the dutie of a good Generall no not in spending mine owne life but my daughters that will I not giue no more then you your selfe would doe if one should likewise demaund your Hermione as well as my Iphiginia I will not in anie sort accuse either Vlisses or Achilles but I doe excuse my daughter who is no way culpable of the forced or voluntarie adulterie of her aunt The same reason which commandeth mee to be couragious doth also forbid me to be cruell but what crueltie can be more vild then to kill an innocent virgin And how much more execrable is it for a man to kill his owne daughter I did at the first promise her as well to auoid publicke sedition in our armie as also to haue leisure thereby to laue my daughter for I hoped that you your selfe and they altogether deliberatlie considering the crueltie of the fact would at the last confesse with me the same to be altogether tyrannicall and vnlawfull for the gods doe neuer fauour such vniust acts To conclude so long as the breath remaineth in my bodie I will neuer consent vnto the death of my daughter for it is sufficient inough that we do leaue our houses forsake our wiues abandon our children and freelie vndertake this iournie no lesse painfull then perrillous to our persons without suffering our daughters to be sacrificed or offered vp to recouer that which you haue negligentlie lost and know no other reason why And I cannot beleeue that anie amongst so manie worthie mē should be desirous or would willinglie behold such a detestable deed but onlie you who thinke to encrease your owne house by the ouerthrow of mine Declamation 86. Of him that hauing taken vp and fostered two yong vnknowne orphants did maime them because he might the better beg with them THe law forbiddeth that no man should either hurt or hinder the Commonwealth in any sort Wherevpon it happened that a man found two infants who through their parents pouertie were laid abroad and left vnto the mercie of the world Wherefore he tooke them and fostering them vp in his owne house he did wryth and breake the ioints of their armes and legs in such sort as hee quite maimed and lamed them to the end that by begging with them he might gaine the money Which being knowne he was taken and accused to bee offensiue and hurtfull vnto the Commonwealth And his accuser said in this sort ALasse how miserable are these infants who haue found one that hath beene much more cruell then he or she that cast them forth Seeing that with the price of their members they are forced to paie for their bringing vp or to say more trulie to satisfie the greedie couetousnes of him that faineth to be their fosterer for if hee had not done it for couetousnesse the verie name of orphants might haue suffised to haue obtained a reliefe both for them and their fosterfather If those that through anger or malice doe wound or kill a man are punished What punishment is not this mischeeuous wretch worthie of who hath done far worse in making these poore infants for euer miserable Wherein hee hath shewed himselfe much more vnnaturall then the brute beasts if it bee true as Histories report that in such a necessitie Cirus Whilom King of Persia was nourished by a Bitch and Remus and Romulus first founders and Kings of Rome by a shee wolfe O neuer hard of crueltie when the lame and impotent are constrained to get his liuing that is whole and sound who hath not onelie made them vnprofitable but odious and burthenous vnto the Common-wealth For they serue to no other end then to increase the famine therein and also in the day of battaile to discourage the hearts of most valiant by their lamentable cries and complaints in like sort it may so happen that some womā with child may dreame of thē in such sort as with the verie fright thereof she may bring forth the like cripples All that which this lewd fellow can alleage is that if he had not beene these infants had died with hunger It may bee no For how manie others might haue found them that both would haue cherished and brought them vp for the profite of the Commonwealth How manie such as they haue become famous warriors yea and Kings Whereof Cirus and the two foresaid Romans are sufficient examples but this vngracious man hath cut off the tongues of some to the end that without speaking they might be more importunate in crauing seeing then O Iudges that you are pittifull towards cuerie one particularlie extend your mercie towards these twaine here together he is aboue all other most cruell who vnder the coulor of mercie doth most mischiefe these poore children are carried about to feasts and publicke assemblies to beg their almes where beholding the soundnesse and nimblenesse of others their sorrow is the more in seeing themselues maimed other orphants or castawaies that are sound are not altogether hopelesse to find their Parents againe or to be knowne by them but these wretches can neuer be knowne because they were not such when they were left of them Finallie it may be alleaged that it was the greatest mischiefe that could happen vnto these twaine to be found and brought vp by this bad man who is the cause of their perpetuall miserie The beggers Answere HE cannot be tearmed cruell who hath ben more pittifull vnto these infants then their owne father or mother
thraldomes Alasse Romans banish this vnhappie presaging from vs and either honour him with a perfect triumph or at the least despise him not whom the gods haue ben willing to honour with such a famous victorie The zeale of the Commonwealth induced him suddainlie to kill his sister who to say the truth did speake verie indiscreetelie let then the griefe which hee suffereth for committing such a fact be a sufficient punishment for his fault doe you not know O Romans that we haue no power ouer the suddaine motions of our rage If there bee anie fault I am the cause thereof For as much as I constrained my daughter to goe forth to meet him without considering that women are not onelie sildome times mistresses ouer their tongues but also that loue and sorrow can neuer be dissembled If you will not then suffer this mischance to be vnpunished let the punishment light vpon me To the end that the gods be not prouoked to reuenge vpon you the wrong which you would doe vnto him by whose meanes they haue deliuered you For there is nothing more certaine then that the gods haue a particular care ouer those whō they make conquerors and doe so miraculouslie preserue in the like dangers Contemne not him whom the gods haue honoured neither yet let him die that hath killed your enemies and made your lords ouer them which if he had not ben would haue ben lords our you all The Answere of the Romans VVE doe not persecute our redeemer but wee would execute iustice vpon one who being dronken with vaineglory hath vniustlie murthered his sister that might haue borne manie children like vnto him whereof he hath slaine one with the mother the better to declare that as hee had deliuered vs frō some bordering contagion so likewise he meant to tyrannise ouer his countrie But what will not hee bee bold to attempt against the rest of the Cittizens if the murther of his sister should bee left vnpunished Did not he know that euen amongst enemies clemencie is iudged to bee the worthiest part of the victorie How much then ought the same to bee esteemed amongst friends but more betweene kindred and most of all towards women who are by nature weake and subiect to their passions more then men Where did he find that it is a vice for a woman either to loue her husband or not to be able to dissemble a sorrow so iust Seeing that he himself could not or at the least would not indure a few vnaduised words of his sister ought not he to consider that the womā is the moietie of the man and that the one cānot be hurt but that the other must feele the harm It is true as you say that ingratitude is odious vnto the gods therfore that which he hath vsed towards his countrie you and his sister condemneth him Wee can neuer prosper if we suffer such a cursed man in our Commonwealth Seeing that he was so cruell as to kill his sister it maketh vs also to think that he willinglie suffered his brethren to bee slaine either to augment his fame or because he would be the onelie heire of his father for hee which had the wit in such sort to flie from his enemies to snare thē one after another which is an incredible patience should not haue been so furious against his sister if ambition had not blinded him Alasse wee are in doubt whether Rome hath gained more by his victorie then it hath lost by his murther as wel in honor as in profit for it is no smal hurt to scandalize a Commonwealth by an euill example Your losse dooth not deminish the wrong done in common to vs al neither is it against reason that hauing lost those whō you might rightlie call your children you should likewise lose him that hath not respected you as his father and hath not shewed the heart of a brother towards his sister but what stay shall you haue of the murtherer of your daughter Those on whom the gods doe bestow the most graces ought to be more modest and the lesse prone to abuse their fauour the mischiefe which hee hath done is a greater forwarning vnto vs then the correction is which we shal vse therfore for by the punishment of offenders the innocents are assured and we do thereby diuine that we shall hereafter haue dominion ouer all the world for Iustice is pleasing vnto the gods and reward and punishment are the true pillers of the Commonwealth wherefore it is not likelie to be true that the zeale of the Commonwealth can induce anie to doe ill or to enterprise anie thing to the detriment thereof Surely if we haue no power ouer our first motions his sister was excusable for saying that which she did and the rather if that as you say she was constrained to goe to meet him that came from killing the moietie of her selfe If you are culpable in that you sent her wee hauing regard vnto your good meaning doe respect your age and remit your punishment neither will we suffer you to indure anie for your sonnes offence because that as it is a crueltie to punish the innocent so is it a follie to pardon the offence The same care as the gods haue ouer the conquerors the same care ought the conquerors to haue not to shew themselues vnworthie of their diuine fauors for vnto whom much is giuē of him also shal much be required What shall we then say if he whom the gods haue honoured doe dispise himselfe For he which by the fauour of the gods hath slaine our enemies ought not afterwards to haue slaine his own sister If the gods haue by the force of his armes giuen vs the dominion ouer those who would haue ruled ouer vs the worthiest thanks that we can yeeld vnto their Dietie is to shew by our good iustice that we are not vnworthie to rule Wherefore you cannot doe better then to counsell your sonne willinglie to chuse the yoke or patientlie to take his death for making a vertue of necessitie hee shall diminish the dishonor of his offence and the dutie of the Common-wealth shall be obserued Declamation 89. Of Diogenes that would not restore a cloke which one had lent vnto him THe law commandeth a man to restore whatsoeuer he hath borrowed but those things which are giuen ought not to be required againe Whervpon it happened that a man named Aristarchus did lend a cloke vnto Diogenes the Cinique Within a while after the said Aristarchus praied him to restore his cloke but Diogenes could not heare on that eare wherfore Aristarchus threatened him by law wherevnto Diogenes answered I Know no other law then the law of nature which commandeth me not to part from that which I stand in need of If thou then hast giuen me this cloke why wouldest thou haue it againe Or if thou diddest lend it vnto me to couer me withall wherfore wouldst thou take it from mee when I haue greatest need
bringeth an example saieng that in such a case he would not spare his owne sonne by that meanes indeuouring to persuade thē to stone me hauing once imprinted it in your hearts he faineth himself desirous to saue me knowing verie well that all his counterfait speeches tend to no other end but onlie to animate you against me neuerthelesse fearing least he had moued you vnto some pittie he first setteth downe the chastisement before hee nameth me then he somewhat doubtfullie affirmeth his saieng to be true vrging me to confesse that which neuer was Whereof I take to witnesse both the celestiall and infernal gods iust reuengers of committed treasons imploring their most iust vengeance against him that did neuer before this present houre know that anie gold sent from the Troians was in our campe But you may beleeue O you Grecians that Vlisses to be reuēged of me for discouering his deceit when he fained himselfe mad because he would not come vnto the warres that he I say as himselfe affirmeth hauing beene oftentimes within the cittie of Troy where he hath his intelligences did bring this gold from thence and whilest I was in the battaile he did burie the same vnder my pauillion the which as it is not the first treason which he hath plotted so will it not be the last that he intendeth to performe if you do but suffer him therein for sure he is one of those who in doing euill doe imagine their euill deeds will neuer be espied because he hath so great a confidence in his foxlike sleights that there is no wickednesse which he dare not attempt and the gods grant O Grecians that he doe not one day commit the same treason which he falselie obiecteth against me To conclude I pray you worthie Grecians thorowlie to consider all my passed actions and to beleeue that I had rather endure the cruellest death that might be imagined then I should euer haue had the thought to commit anie Treason Be you then assured that what good or hurt soeuer you shall doe vnto me it shall be done vnto such a one as neuer thought vpon anie thing but what was for the common good of our countrie the which I haue euermore preferred before mine own cōmoditie Notwithstanding the deniall of Palamedes hee was stoned Declamation 97. Of the Romane Dictator who would haue put the master of the horsemen to death because he fought against his commandement LVcius Papirius Cursor being created the two and fortith Dictator in Rome to make warre against the Samnites Quintus Fabius Rutilianus was made Maister of the horse being a yoong and valiant gentleman It chanced after a certaine battaile and the taking of some citties that the Dictator went to Rome to marke the disposition of the aire thereby to know what lucke they should haue leauing the said Maister of the horse in the campe with expresse commaundement that he should not attempt any thing vntill his returne But he being departed there was so faire an occasion offered as Fabius gaue the battaile and won it wholy afterwards hauing caused all the armes of the dead enemies to be burned hee wrot vnto the Senat of his victorie neglecting the Dictator who being returned vnto the campe hee deliuered him into the hands of the Lictor to bee beaten with rods and to strike off his head but as his apparrell was pulling off hee escaped hiding him amongst the souldiours and afterwards by night fled vnto Rome whether the Dictator followed him and hauing caused him to bee brought before his iudgement seat hee would haue condemned him againe but the father of Fabius accompanying him in mourning weeds and hauing recommended him vnto the people tooke vpon him the defence of his sonne saying HOw great the miserie of man is may appeare by the linage of the Fabij who haue ben euermore troubled for the zeale which they had vnto the Commonwealth First Quintus Fabius hauing done manie worthie acts as well at home with his Counsell as abroad in the wars by his courage died in fighting against the Tuscanes where all the Fabians were noted to be famous and especiallie Marcus Fabius who caused the Romane souldiors to sweare not to giue ouer fighting vnlesse they were conquerors and being seconded by Ceson Fabius making head against his enemie brought the Romans backe againe who contrarie to their oath were readie to turne their backs which in the end was the cause of the victorie and because all that linage was carefull to cherish and heale the wounded souldiors they were esteemed and suspected to bee Plebeians I ceasse to report what they did both before and after but I will onelie tell how they tooke vpon them an enterprise that they alone would defend Rome frō the insolencie of the Veians and there issued forth together three hundred and six kinsmen who died all in the said defence and there remained no more of all the Fabians aliue but my father that was in Rome who alasse hath since that time replenished the world and restored vnto the Commonwealth this no lesse miserable then noble linage How much better had it ben for him to haue died with the rest if we must alwaies for our good seruice be subiect to the reproches of some or to the persecution of other or rather since we are no lesse troubled in resisting the malice of the Cittizens then wee are in fighting against our enemies behold my sonne here who hauing vanquished the enemie is adiudged to die by the Dictator and wherefore Because hee hath done that which the Commonwealth not onlie desired but also that which it most stood in need of He is the conqueror now alas it is thought expedient that a shamefull and violent death should be a reward of his conquest at the wil and pleasure of one onlie man The Patricians and people reioice at his victorie enioying the benefit thereof the souldior is partaker of the same and the Dictator alone would haue him to die as if the Commonwealths good were his hurt or as if a Patricians renoume were his reproch or as if the glory of the master of the horse did not increase the worthinesse of the Dictator Surely if the Romans take this course which the gods forbid they need no other enemies but themselues Marcus Furius Camillus that great protector of Rome did not onelie succour Lucius Fuluius who fought against his intention but also made him partaker of his victorie and shortlie after did chuse him for his companion in the warres of Tuscula such was the magnanimitie of this great Roman redeemer of his countrie to excuse the faults which are committed by youth for he did verie well know that there was no lesse courage in him to pardon a great offence then to combat and ouercome a great armie of enemies Doe you then noble Dictator imitate that most worthie man Dispise not the whole Senat that requesteth you refuse not the Patricians the Tribuns the people also that
a manner your selues haue cōfessed it but because you haue both twaine no desire to be tortured any more you will not confesse the whole Did not you your selues say that if the offender doe escape he will be worse then a plague in the Commonwealth yet you doe openly purpose to procure his deliuerance for one of you twaine must needs be the man but why doe you not in like sort say that if you bee both deliuered it be hooueth all men to take heed both of the one and the other seeing that it cannot be certainly knowne who is the lewdest or the belt our intention is to purge the Commonwealth by cutting off a wicked wretch and you indeuour that we should leaue twaine therein of whom a man cannot know which is the best who then may not say that the Commonwealth is corrupted There is no examining here either of follie or ignorance but of capitall crime some do think the one to be the offender and some do iudge the other so that although there be but one malefactor yet it seemeth that there is twaine which is verie vnseemely were it not then better if the worst should happen that two should suffer then to see the whole citie a long time scandalized Let him then which hath the best right determine to maintaine the same vntill he hath vanquished the other or els vntil he hath yeelded the last gaspe and if you remain both constant vnto the death or at the least the good be constant and the bad obstinate you shall be examples of fortitude and your death shall witnes vnto strangers how much our nation doth rather desire to indure any other mischiefe thē to be dishonored but if you should both remain aliue you should haue no honor at all and we lesse credit to suffer two such amongst vs of whom it is impossible to know whether is the honest or dishonest mā It were as good for you to confesse that you are both bad as not to perceuer in the triall who shall be the best The agreement which you would now make you should haue thought vpon before the Commonwealth had ben scandalized by your oaths and then you should haue giuen those good counsels which now are as farre out of season as they are in vain for you are not to prescribe what course we are to vse with you no more then wee are bound to tell you wherefore we haue caused you to sweare seuerally but we may tell you and that trulie how hee that had yeelded vnto the oath of the other might very well haue escaped the extremity of the crime but yet the reputation of both would haue ben alwaies doubtfull so that it were much better to know the truth if it be possible if not it may be said at the least that the fault is not in vs. And this is the difference that we make between iustice and crueltie That the offender being known he may be punished and the innocent honoured You say that the one may chance to suffer for the other you know the remedy we cannot iudge you by your owne mouths it is impossible to pardō the one for the respect of the other without great offence to the Common-wealth seeing that you both still remaine alwaies suspected and your linage thereby mightely wronged Since then you haue shewed your selues more thē men in the beginning doe not shew your selues lesse then women in the end We counsell you so to doe for the good of the countrie and for your owne credit Neuertheles it is in the choice of the soueraign iudges to pardon your offence but not to restore your former reputation for so long as the truth shall be doubtfull you shall be both twaine suspected yea and esteemed vnworthy to liue amongst honest men Declamation 100. Of the controuersie betwixt Titus Quintus the Roman Consull and Nabis tyrant of Sparta TItus Quintus making wars against Philip King of Macedon to driue him foorth of Greece and in the name of the Romans to set Greece at liberty not being able to make a league with Nabis Tyrant of Sparta receiued neuerthelesse succours from him and made a truce betweene the said tyrant and those of Achaia Afterwards haning ouercome the said Philip Quintus made wars vpon Nabis to cause him to restore the vsurped citties of Greece ouer which he tyrannised whervpon Nabis being come to a parle with Quintus he said thus IF I could imagine with my selfe O Titus Quintus and the rest of you here present vpon what reason you haue protested or made warres vpon me I had quietly staid to haue seene what end my fortune should haue had but now I cannot refrain my desire if I should perish to vnderstād first the reason why I should come to this mischiefe surely if you were such as by same the Carthaginians are so as amōgst you the faith of friendship were of no certaintie or stabilitie I should not greatly woonder although you made no great account of that which you doe vnto me But now that I behold you I see that you are Romans such I say as were wont religiouslie to maintaine the obseruation of diuine things and the faith of humane confederacie when I looke vpon my selfe I doe verily beleeue that I am the same man that haue beene in ancient friendship and league with you as well as the rest of the Lacedemonians and it is but a small time since that for the wars of Philip yea and in my name the same hath been particularlie renued But it may be I am hee that hath broken the same league because I hold the citie of Argos How shall I then be able to defend my fact Surely either by the same deed or els by the times The deed offered me two meanes to defend my selfe because I had the said cittie being called therevnto by the Cittizens and by their owne surrender wherefore I receiued it and did haue had one whiles with the Carthaginians another while with the Gaules and continuallie either with the one or the other haue greatlie troubled vs as thou hast likewise done in this warre of Macedon For very vnseemely were it for vs who haue vndertaken armes for the libertie of Greece to confederate our selues with a tyrant and with what tyrant Surely with such a one as is the most cruell most inhuman monster towards his owne subiects that euer was It behooued vs in seeking to free all Greece to set Lacedemon also into her ancient freedome although thou haddest neuer taken Argos by deceit to restore her vnto her laws whereof at this present like a good follower of Licurgus thou hast made mention Now will we take heed since Philip hath withdrawne his Garrisons from Iassa and Bargilles least we should suffer to be troden vnder thy feet two famous citties Argos and Lacedemon heretofore accounted the two lights and beauties of Greece which it we should leaue in bondage it would blemish our title of freeing