wyth wythout any other apparent cause caste him selfe headelonges downe from a wall But the matter of the booke of Egesias of whoÌ„ I spake euen now is such He faineth that a certayne poore man departed out of this life for want of necessarye suâ—tenaunce is reuoked agayne to life by his frendes whom he aunsweryng reciteth all the discommodityes of maÌ„s I coulde do so in likewyse howe beit I would not do it in such sorte as he dyd who counteth it good for no man to liue in this worlde I knowe not what it were for other but I am sure that death had bene beste for me Who beinge nowe depryued of all comfort and worshyp both at home and abroade if I had afore time bene extinct by death I had assuredlye thereby bene delyuered from much care whyche since hath chaunced me and not from any ioye or pleasure Admit therfore that there be some one man who hath no aduersyty who hath in no part felt y e cruell stroke of fortune As the honorable Metellus with his foure sonnes and Priamus wyth fyftye of the whiche .xvii. were borne of his lawefull wyfe in bothe of them fortune had the like stroke But to the one she shewed her selfe more fauourable For Metellus many sonnes and doughters neuewes and neeces accompanyed to his graue But Priamus being afore despoiled of so great a stocke seinge his children bathed in theyr owne bloud and last of al he him selfe flyenge to the aulâ—are for refuge his enemyes hand dyd slaye If deathe had taken hym whyle his kyngedome stoode Whiles that his corps was safe beset with fyerce Barbarian route And whiles his palaice stode ygraued with golde both in and out How thinke you had he departed from the pleasure whych myghte afterwardes beside him or els from the aduersytye whych afterwardes befell hym at that tyme you would haue iudged it had bene from pleasure But assuredlye it had bene farre better for him yf death had theÌ„ taken him For then we should neuer haue hearde this wofull lamentynge The palayce erste of Pryam stoute I sawe the fyer waste And eke beheld when bloudy sworde amids his body past When aulters of the heauenly gods with bloud were all to dashte Neyther those thynges nor any of lyke sorte coulde haue chaunced vnto hym yf he had died before For nowe at this present he is past the feelynge of al miseryes It chaunced somewhat better to my frend Pompeius when he came gryeuously sycâ—e to Naples For the men of Naples had garlandes on their heades and the Citesyns of Puteolos dyd all welcome hym home A â—olyshe toye of the Grecians but yet it â—â—â—â—ye as it happened But if he had dyed at that presente had he departed from prosperitye thinke you or from aduersitye from aduersity vndoubtedlye For then he had not waged warre with his sonne in law he had not bene fayne to flye to armes beynge vnprouided he had not left his house nor fled Italye and finallye his armye beynge lost he had not needed as a naked man to fall into the handes of his seruauntes his poore children al his substance and wealth had neuer bene enioyed of the handes of his ennemyes So he whych if he had dyed before had departed in maruaylous prosperytye by the lytle lengthenynge of hys lyfe into what myserye â—ell he Loe all suche miseryes are preuented by death although they do not caunce yet because they maye chaunce But men thinke that no suche thynge can happen vnto theym euerye man hopes for the good lucke of Metellus as though either ther ought to be more lucky men then vnlucky or there were any certaynty in the lyfe of man or els it were the part of a wyse man rather to hope then feare But let vs graunt that men lose manye commodityes by deathe Then will they saye that suche as be deade do lacke the commodityes of this life and therfore are miserable For so they must nedes reason But I pray you can he which is not lacke anye thing this worde lackynge is a sorowefull terme For there is included in it that he once had it and nowe he hath it not but wants it lackes it and misses it I thinke that is the discommoditye of him that wants any thing As blindenes is the discommoditye of him whiche lacketh his eyes barennes of her whych lacketh chyldren But there is none of theym that is departed that lackes not onely not the câ—modities of this life no not so much as this lyfe it selfe I speake of suche as are dead whiche nowe we suppose not to be at all But we whiche liue here yf we lacke bornes or wynges is there any of vs which would misse them â—rulye no man why so Because although we haue not such thinges the whyche are neyther necessarye for our vse neyther yet meete for vs of nature yet we do not lacke theym although we haue them not This reason ought to be vrged that being first grauâ—â—ed whiche they muste nâ—des confesse if they saye that our soules be morrall that is that there is such destruction in deatheâ—that there can not be so muche as any lyâ—le suspicion of anye sence after death That therfore beynge stablyshed fixed this must be discussed what it is to lacke that there maye be no doubte in the worde To lacke therfore signyfyeth the want of that which you would haue For there is a wyshinge for those thynges whych we lacke vnlesse it be as we take this worde in an other significatioÌ„ For we say we lacke a thing in an other sense also As wheÌ„ we haue not a thing and we perceyue the lacke of it howebeit we may well abide the want therof But none of these wayes can we terme anie lacke in death For we can not be sory for anye thinge that we lack That is sayde to lack a good thinge whych is of it selfe euell But a man beyng aliue doth not lacke a good thinge vnlesse he feele the misse of it But of a liue maÌ„ one may say to lacke a kingdome Howbeit not so properly of such a one as you who neuer was kynge But well of Tarquinius who was banished oute of his realme But in a dead man we can conceyue no such thinge For to lacke is properly sayd of him whych feeles the lacke But there is no feeling in a dead man No more therfore is there any lacke in him But what nede we in this point to play the philosophers since we see y t as touchiÌ„g this we nede it not How ofteÌ„ haue not onelye our captaynes but also hole armies runne to sure vndoubted death Which if it were a thing to be feared Lucius Brutus to thenteÌ„t to kepe out the tyrant whoÌ„ he had afore banished out of his realme would not willingly haue shoâ—ved him selfe vpon his enemies pike Lucius Decius the father fightinge with the Latines his sonne with the Tuscans his nephewe wyth Pirrhus would neuer so williâ—gly haue put theÌ„ selues in
whereas that iourney o god howe pleasaunt ought it to be vnto vs whyche beinge once paste there shall be no care nor trouble lefte O howe muche Theramenes doth delyghte me what a stoute courage seemeth he to haue For albeit I weepe as ofte as I reade the storye of him yet neuerthelesse it reioyceth me to see howe stoutelye he dyed lyke a noble man Who lyenge in the pryson after he hadde there dronke vp the poyson whych the thyrtye tyrannes had sente hym wyth suche an earnest desyre as if he had thyrsted after it he caste that was lefte wyth suche a force out of the cuppe that it sounded on the flooreâ— whyche sounde he hearynge smyled and sayde I begynne thys to Critias who was one of hys deadlyest enemyes For the Grecians in their bankets were wont to drinke to some maÌ„ namelye to him that should pledge theÌ„ So it pleased that noble man to ieste at the time of his death when he had that within him whych should be his bane And he trulye prophecied death to hym y t sent him the poison which shortly after ensued Who would commeÌ„d suche securitye in death if he thoughte death to be an euell thing Into the same pryson and the same kynd of death came a fewe yeares after Socrates condemned so vniustlye of his iudges as Theramenes of the tyrauntes Let vs heare the what maner of wordes Plato sayes he spake to the iudges when he was condemned to death I am in good hope my lordes quod he that I am happye for that I am thus put to deathe For one of these two muste needes folowe that eyther thys death wyll take awaye all sence from me or els if my soule do continue it shall depart into an other place of rest Wherefore yf my sense shall be ertyncte and my death resemble sleepe whyche often wythout anye trouble of dreames doth brynge a man most quiete reste O Lorde what pleasure shal deathe be to me or what daye should I preferre afore such a nyght the whych wythout varyaunce or chaunge shall kepe a continuall estate and staye for euer And so who shuld be more happy then I But if those thynges be true whiche are wryten namely that death is a departure into those regioÌ„s which all they inhabite that are departed out of this life then do I accoumpte my chauÌ„ce farre better for that after that I haue escaped the handes of you whiche syt here in place and name of iudges I shall then come to them whiche are the true iudges Minos RhadamaÌ„ thus Aecus and Triptolemus shall there haue the companye and communication of them whych haue liued vpryghtly in the faythe and feare of god This oughte to seeme a sweete pilgrymage But to talke wyth those worthy men Orpheus Museus Homere Hesiodus or suche other learned sages lord howe much I do esteeme Assuredlye if it mighte be I would often dye inespecially if I thought I should find those thinges which I nowe speake of What pleasure shall it be to me when I shall commen wyth Palamedes or Aiar which were of vnrightuous iudges wrongfully put to death I should there see the wyt of the chyefe prynce which led the power of Grece to Troy walles and in lykewyse the wysedome of Ulisses and Sisyphâ—s neyther yet should I for the searche of such thinges as I here am so there also wrongfully be put to death And ye O iust iudges whyche haue heretofore quitted me feare ye not deathe For no harme can happen to a good man neyther in thys lyfe nor after For the gods aboue wil not ceasse alwaies to haue him and his in theyr protection For this selfe same death comes not to me by chaunce but by the iust iudgement and appoyntmeÌ„t of god And for that cause I am not angrye wyth my accusers but onelye for that they thoughte that thereby they dyd hurte me whereas I do esteme nothinge more then it But nowe it is tyme quod he that I departe hence to dye and you to liue Of the whych two which is the better the immortal gods knowe no mortall man as I thinke Now truly I had farre rather to haue so stoute a stomake and well disposed minde then all theyr worship welth that gaue sentence of his life death Albeit that whyche he sayeth that no man but onely the gods knowe yet he him selfe doth knowe that is to wit which is better of lyfe or death For he had vttered it in his former wordes But he kepeth his olde wonte euen to the death whyche was to affyrme no certayntye of any thinge But let vs stand stiffely herein that nothinge can be euell whyche nature hath prouided for all men and therwithall consider that if death be an euell it is a contynuall and euerlasting euell For it seemeth that deathe is the ende of euerye wretched and carefull lyfe Nowe if death it selfe be myserable what ende can there be of miserye But what do I here rehearce Socrates and Theramenes men of notable constantye and wysedome synce a certayne Lacedemonian a man of no reporte or fame dyd so muche despyse death that when he beynge condemned and ledde to his death dyd smyle and laughe And one of his accusers seeinge it sayde vnto him doest then mocke and despyse the lawes of Lycurgus No quod he but I geue him ryght hartye thankes that he appoincted me such a fine as I may paye wythout anye chaunge or lone of money A man assuredlye worthye of the name of the ryghte famous countreye of Sparta whose stoute courage doth well declare as me seemeth that he was vnryghtfullye put to death Suche men had our ciâ—ye more then anye man maye noumber But what should I here recken vp our captaynes or nobles of our citie that haue so done since Cato wrytes that whole armies of men haue merelye gone into those places from whence they thought they should neuer retourne So were the Lacedemonians slayne at Thermopilas amonges the whyche on Symonydes tombe these Uerses were wrytten Thou stranger that hereby dost passe saye here thou sawest vs lye Whiles we defende oure countrey lawes or els desyre to dye ¶ What sayeth the stoute Capitayne Leonidas go to be you of â—â—oute courage oâ—ye lacedemonians quod he for thys nyghte perhaps we shall sup with God This was a stout nation as long as they had Licurgus lawes in reputacioÌ„ For on a time wheÌ„ a Persyan one of theyr enemies boastyng of his empâ—rours power sayd to one of them that the company of theyr dartes arowes shoulde darcken the sonne so that they should not see it why then quod the other we shall fyghte in the shade I haue hytherto talked of men But what thinke you of a woman of Lacedemon Who when she vnderstoode that her sonne was slayne in the field I bore him quod she to that ende that he should be suche a one as shoulde not styeke to die in the defence of his countrey God continue you
you desyre then to agree to it But I praye you what are those greater thynges whych you mind to do Mar. To teache if I can that death is not onelye no euell but also a good thing Hea. I do not necessarily requyre so much but I greatlye desyre to heare it For albeit you bryng not to passe that whiche you minde yet you shall surely perswade me that death is no euell But I will not trouble you in your talke I had rather heare you speake alone Mar. What if I shall aske you any thinge will you not aunswere me Hea. Then I might be counted verye statelye But except you had nede I woulde rather you shoulde not also Mar. I am contented to folowe your minde therein And those thynges which you willed me to shewe as well as I can I will declare Neuerthelesse I would not you should take my wordes as the Oracles of the god Apollo Or to thinke that whatsoeuer I shall speake is sure and certayne but as the sayenges of some simple man foloweinge that whiche is probable by coniecture For farder then likelyhoode I can not go It is enough for theym to tell certayne and sure thinges which saye that such thinges may be knowen and also professe them selues to be wyse Hea. Kepe you what order you please I am ready to heare you Mar. Death it selfe which euery man semes so well to knowe we must fyrst see what it is For some thinke that it is the deparparting of the soule from the body There be other some whiche thinke there is no departure but that the bodye and soule do dye together But of them which thinke that the soule doth departe some saye that he is strayght-wayes scattered other thinke that he remayneth longe some for euer But what the soule is or where or frome whence there is great dissensioÌ„ Some thinke the hearte to be the soule of the which some men are called faynt hearted madde hearted and ioyned wyth heartes in frendshippe And the wyse Nasica who was twise Consull was called a litle heart and A stoute harted man Catus Aelius the syxt Empedocles thinketh the soule to be a certayne bloud about the heart Other some take a certayne part of the braine to be the soule Other like none of these opinions but place the soule partelye in the heart and partly in the brayne And againe the soule some men thinke to be the life as oure countreymen call it For we commonlye saye to laboure for lyfe to ende his life and to be longe lyued But to Zeno the Stoyke the soule seemes to be fier And these opinions whiche we haue recyted of the hearte brayne lyfe and fyer are commonlye reported But euerye pryuate man hath other inuentions As manye auncyente Philosophers afore tyme and of late Aristâ—xenus a Musicyan and a Philosopher lykewyse sayd that it was a certayne consonaunce of the bodye like as we see in certaine songes and instrumentes a certayne pleasaunt concente and agreemente euen so that in the nature and shape of the whole bodye there were diuers motions stirred as in songes soundes and noyses He lefte not his arte and yet he sayde somewhat whyche verye thynge was afore opened and declared by Plato Xenocrates denyed that the soule had anye shape or bodye sayeng that it was a thinge consysting onely of members the power of y t whiche as Pythagoras had afore time declared is of no small force in the constitucion of mans body His mayster Plato deuided the soule in to thre partes The chiefe of the which namely reason he placed in the heade as in a forte from whiche he seperated the two other partes namelye angre desyre whiche he placed in diuers roames Anger in the brest and desyre vnder those places whiche are aboute the hearte But Dicearchus in his bookes whiche he wrytes of the reasonynge of learned men kepte at Corinthe in the fyrst bringes in manye speakers in the other two he bringeth in a certayne old man of Phthios whoÌ„ he calleth Pherecrates sayes that he came of Deucalion reasoninge that the soule is nothing And that it is but a vaine name neither thinketh he that there is either minde or soule in man or beast otherwise then a certayne motion by the whyche we both do and suffer spred in all liuing creatures alike Neyther wil he that it should be anye other thynge theÌ„ the body so shaped that by the force of Nature it may haue life and sense Aristotle who farre passed all the reste in wyt and diligence alwayes exceptinge Plato after he hadde treated of those foure kind of principles out of the which al thinges take their beginning thought that there was a certayne fift nature of the whiche the soule minde did consist For to thinke to foresee to learne to teache to inuente and diuers such other propertyes as to remember to loue to hate to desyre to feare to be vexed to be mery these and suche like he thought were in none of these foure kynd of causes Therfore he addeth to them the fyft kynde without anye propre name and calleth the soule mind by a newe name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiche signifieth a certayne continuall and euerlasting motion Except perchaunce a fewe whiche I remember not these are the opinions of al the philosophers touchinge the soule For as for Democrytus a worthye man but yet compounding the soule of the chaungeable meetinge of certayne lighte round and indiuisible bodyes we will nowe ouerpasse For there is nothinge whiche a company of Butterflyes wil not lightlye make with him Of all these opinions whiche is moste true let some god iudge but whiche is moste likely to be true there is great doubte Whether wil you therfore that we trye oute the truest of them or els that we retourne to our purpose Hea. I woulde verye fayne heare both if it might be But it were very hard to confound them togither Wherfore if wythoute the searching of these opinions we may be deliuered from the feare of deathe I pray you do that whych we haue in hande if not do that nowe and this at some other time Mar. That whiche I perceiue you would rather haue done that also I thinke is more commodious For whych soeuer of those opinions be true I shall lightlye perswade you by reason that deathe is not euell but rather good For if the hearte bloude or brayne be the soule trulye because eyther of them is a bodie it shal dye with the rest of the bodye If it beaer it shall be dispersed if it be fyre it shall be quenched if it be Aristoxenus musicall concent it shalbe dissolued What shall I saye of Dicearchus who sayeth that the soule is nothing at all By all these opinions there can nothing after death pertayne to anye man For euen with our life our sense is lost and he that feeleth nothinge neede not to passe what chaunce betides him Yet the opinions of y â— other Philosophers
not onlye Epycures whom neuerthelesse I do not despyse but I knowe not howe eche learned man sets at nought But also mine owne dearlig Dicearchus hath sharplye writen agaynst this immortality of our soules For he wrote three bookes which are called the bookes of Lesâ—os because the same disputacion was kept at Mitylena in the which he assayes to proue that our soules are mortall And the Stoâ—kes do but lende vs the vsing of the lyfe of our soules for a space to make vs as longe liued as dawes For they saye that our soules shall abyde a great space but not 〈◊〉 Wil you therfore heare me proue that if it be so yet death is not to be counted an euell Hea. That do as you thinke good but no man shall remoue me from my opinion as concerning the immortalitye of our soules Mar. I coÌ„mend you therfore howebeit I woulde not haue you to be to rashe in allowyng opinions For we are lightly moued with a wittie reason and stagger chaunge oure opinion yea thoughe the matters be somewhat playâ—e Yet neuertheles in these there is some darkenes But if any such thing should happen we ought to be armed with witty conclusyons Hea. Wel spoken but I doubt not but I wyll foresee that no such thing shall chaunce Mar. Is there any cause then why we should not ouerpasse our frendes the Stoikes them I meane which saie that oure soules abide for a while after that they are departed out of our bodyes but not euer Who inasmuch as they do graunt that whiche semeth to be hardest in all this matter namelye that the soule may abyde beyng froÌ„ the body â—â—â—ruayle muche that they will deny that which is not onely easy to be beliâ—ued but also that being â—rauÌ„ted which they do graâ—nt doâ—◠〈◊〉 in maner of necessity namely that wheÌ„ they haue abiden a great whyle they can not dye Heaâ— You reprehend them worthelye for it is euen so as you say Mar. Should we then beleue Panetius who in this poynte dysseuâ—eth from his mayster Plato For him whom in al other pointes he calleth diuine most wyse moste holye to conclude the Homere of all philosophers his this onlye opinion of the immortalitye of the soules he doth not allowe For he sayeth that which no man denyeth that whatsoeuer hath hadde beginning shall aâ—â—â— haue endynge And that our soules had beginninge which he declares by theyâ—â— that are daylye borne 〈◊〉 whom there doth appeare as well grenenes oâ—â—â—yt as of yeares He bryngeth also this other reason that whatsoeuer maye feele gryefe may be sicke and â—â—at soeuer may be sick shal dyâ—iour souâ—â—s quod â—e do feele griefe wherfore they shal also die These thinges may lightly be refuâ—ed For hereby it semeth that he was ignoraunt that when we talke of the eternitye of the soule we do therin compryse the minde whiche is alwayes voyde of anye troublous motion or affection and do not talke of those partes in the whych sorow anger and lustes are Which he against whom I nowe reason thinkes to be sundred and seuered froÌ„ the mind For the likelynes of nature doth more appeare in beastes which haue no reason but the outwarde gesse of the soule of man doth much consyst in the shape of his bodye For it is much materiall in what sortes of bodyes the soules be placed For there be manye thinges in the bodye that quycken the minde and manye thinges whiche dulle the same Aristotle sayes that all wittye men be of melancholie complexion by the whiche reason it greueth me not at al to acknoweledge my selfe to be blunt witted He reckens vp manie thinges to proue y e same as if it were certaine shewes the reason of it Then yf there be a great force of those thynges that are in the bodye as concerning the disposition of the mynde there is no necessitye why the workes of the soule should be alyke in euerye bodye But I let this passe I woulde to god Panetius might be here present He lyued in the time of Africanus I woulde fayne knowe of him to whome of his kinsemen Africanus brothers cosen was like who beinge fauoured muche like his father yet in his lyfe did so muche refemble euery vnthryfte that he was commonlye counted the worste that myghte be Also to whom was the nephewe of Publius Crasius a righte wyse and eloquente man like and so likewyse of dyuers other notable mens children and other theyr kynsefolkes whych I nede not here to remember But wherof do I nowe intreate haue I forgotten that this is my purpose after I had spoken sufficiently of the eternity of our soules to shew also that yf they did dye there could be no euel in death Hearer I remembred it well ynoughe but whyles you talked of the eternitye of the soule I suffered you wyth a good wyll to staye in the same Marcus I perceyue that your minde is on hygh thinges and that you wyll euen clyme into heauen Hear I hope so But admit as these men will haue it that oure soules remayne not after deathe then I perceyue that we haue loste the hope of immortall life in heauen Mar. What harme I praye you doth that opynion brynge admyt that our soule shall dye as our body is there then anye gryefe or anye sence at all in our bodye no man sayeth so albeit Epicurus layeth it to Democritus charge But his scolers denye it Then if there be no feelynge in the bodye after deathe neyther doth there remaine anye sense in the soule For it is in no place Where then is the euell But perchaunce they will saye that the departynge of the bodye from the soule is not wythoute griefe Admyt that there be some howe litle is it howebeit I thynke there is none at all For it happens commonlye wythoute anye sence yea and some times wyth pleasure yea and it is but lyghte what so euer it be For it is done in a mynute of tyme. But this it is that gryeueth vs or rather vexeth vs the departynge from all those thinges whyche we counte commodityes in oure lyfe But I feare me that they may be more trulye called euels What shoulde I here bewaile the lyfe of man although I well maye and that vppon iusts and good occasyon But what neede I inasmuche as I do intreate whether after deathe we shall be wretches to make our lyfe in bewaylynge to seeme more miserable we haue done that sufficientlye in that booke in the whiche as muche as we might we haue comforted oure selues Deathe therfore deliuereth vs from euels and not froÌ„ goodes if we speake the truthe And that truly is so largely reasoned of Egesyas the Cyreman that he was forbidden of the king Ptolomeus to teache the same in scooles for that many after his doctrine dydde wyllingly kyll theÌ„ selues There is an Epigramme of Callimachus vppon Cleombrotus the Ambrocian whome he sayes after that he had perused Platos booke of the immortalitye of the soules foorth
manifeste daunger of death Spayne should not theÌ„ haue sene the .ii. ScipioÌ„s sâ—aine both in one battayle wheÌ„ they stoutely stoode in defeÌ„ce of their countrey nor y e towne of Cannas Paulus Aemilius Ueâ—â—sia Marcellus y e Latines Albinus nor the Lucanes Gracchus Is there any of these counted at this day miserable No trulye not after theyr happye lyfe For no man can be a wretche his sence beyng once paste Hearer But it is a hatefull thynge to be wythout sence Mar. A hatefull thing in dede if we did feele y e lacke of it But inasmuche as it is euident that nothynge can be in it which is not what can there be hateful in it which neither doth lacke neither feele anye thynge Howbeit we haue talked of this to ofte But I do it because that herein consisteth all the feare that we conceyue of deathe For when we see that our soules and bodies being spent and all oure partes beynge brought to fynall destruction that whyche was a lyuynge creature is nowe become nothinge we muste nedes perceiue also that betwyxt a thyng that neuer was and kyng Agamemnon there is no difference And in like sorte that Camillus dead long since doth now no more force for the ciuill warre which is kept at this present then I toke thought for the takyng of Rome at suche tyme as he lyued Why should Camillus then be sorye if he had knowen in his lyfe time that .350 yeares after him suche thynges should happeÌ„ or I yf I should imagine that ten thousaÌ„d yeres hence some straunge nation should race oure city Yet such is the loue that we owe to our countrey that we take thought for it for the good wil we beare it and not for any harme that we beynge buryed may haue by the destruction of it Wherefore deathe can not so feare a man which because of thincertainty of our lyfe doth continuallye hange ouer our heades also because of the shortnes of oure age can neuer be farre of but that he ought continuallye to haue more respect to the commen welth theÌ„ to his life And that he oughte also to thinke that those which shall come after him whose commodities or discommodities he shall neuer feele do in like wise pertayne vnto him therfore euen those that iudge our soule to be mortal may attempte thinges whose remembraunce shall long endure not for anye desyre of glory whyche they shal neuer feele but for the good wyll they bare to vertue whom glory of necessitie dothe folowe albeit you looke not for it But the nature of al things is such y â— as our byrth is the originall cause and beginnynge of all those thynges whyche we haue so in likewyse oure deathe is the ende of the same the payne of which as it did nothinge pertayne vnto vs afore our lyfe so neyther shal it after our death Wherfore what euel can there be in death whych pertayneth neyther to such as liue neyther yet to those that are deade For suche as are deade are not at all and suche as are alyue it can not come to Wherefore they which wil speake truly of the nature of death do terme it a sleepe as thoughe a man shoulde passe the course of his lyfe for the space of .90 yeares and then sleepe oute the reste I thynke assuredlye that a swyne woulde not couâ—yte to sleepe so longe But Endimâ—on if we gyue anye credyte to tales a great whyle synce slepte in Latmos whyche is a hyll of Caria He is not as yet awaked as I thynke Thynke you that he careth what paynes the Moone taketh of whome the tale goeth that he was there brought a slepe to the intente that she myghte kysse hym as he slepte What care should he take that feeles not So here you haue sâ—epe the ymage of our deathe whyche you do daylye put vppon you and do you doubte whether there be anye feelynge in death since in the ymage and pycture of the same there is none at al Leaue of then this olde wyues tale that it is a wretched thynge to dye afore thy tyme. What tyme I beseche you the tyme that nature hathe appoyneted But she hathe lente vs oure lyfe to vsurye as it were appoyntynge no certayne daye when we shall repaye the same What cause haste thou then to complayne yf she requyre it of thee when she lyffe For thou hadst it vnder such condicion The same men thinke it a heauye case for one to dye beynge but a boye but yf he dye beynge an enfante in his cradell they thynke that then he hath no cause of complaynte Yet neuerthelesse of hym dyd nature more sooner requyre that whyche she had lent O whyles he was a boye say they he had not smatched the swetenes of lyfe But he was in lykelyhoode to attayne to greate worshippe whyche euen at the time of his deathe he beganne to come to But I meruayle muche synce that in all other thynges it is counted better to attayne to to some what then nothyng at all why then it should be otherwyse in our lyfe Howebeit Callimachus said very wel that Priamus had wept farre oftener then euer did Troylus But now they prayse muche theyr chaunce which dye in theyr age and why so Because as I thinke if they might liue loÌ„ger their life could be no pleasanter then it hath bene But assuredlye there is nothing that a man may take more pleasure of then of wysedome the whych if we graunt that it taketh away other commodityes Yet that assuredlye olde age dothe brynge But what is this longe age or what is the loÌ„g time of a man Do we not see that age hath ouertakeÌ„ them which were euen now but boyes stripelinges when they least thought of it But yet beause we can lyue no loÌ„ger we call it longe And so euery thinges lyfe according to the ende that nature hathe appoynted it maye well be termed eyther longe or shorte For about the riuer Hypanis which ruÌ„neth through a part of Europa into the sea Pontus Arystotle sayeth that there are bredde certaine beastes which liue but one day Of them then she that liueth .viii. houres is counted aged But she that liueth till the sonne set is as one euen spent wyth age and so muche more if it be the longest day in the yere Compare our age wyth immortalyry and we shall be found to liue in maner as shorte a space as those foolishe beastes Let vs then set asyde all this trifelinge for howe maye I better terme it and let vs frame our selues to a perfect lyfe despysyng all vanitie and trading our selues in vertue For nowe we are euen puffed vp wyth wanton thoughtes so that if deathe ouertake vs afore such time as we haue obtayned the promisses of the sothsayers we seeme ther by to haue bene mocked and defrauded of many notable commodityes And if at the time of our death we hang in desires and wishes lord how we are vexed and tormented
borne Hea. So I thinke certaynelye Mar. Tell me I praye you do these thinges feare you the thre headed Cerberus in hell the noyse of Cocytus the rowinge ouer Acheron Tantalus nye sterued for thirst touching the brimmes of the water with his chinne or this els that Sysyphus turnes the tombling stone and vayles not of a ioate Perchaunce also the rigorous iudges Minos and Radamanthus afore the whiche neyther Lucius Crassus ne yet Marcus Antonius shall defend you neyther because afore Greeke iudges your cause shall be pleaded Demosthenes can do you any seruice you your selfe must in a wonderfull assemblye pleade youre owne cause These thinges perchaunce you feare and therfore thinke death to be the greatest euell that may be Hea. Thinke you that I am so madde that I woulde beleue these tales Mar. Why do you not credite them Hea. No truly Mar. You tel an yll tale for your selfe Hea. Why so Mar. Because he had neede to be eloquente that shoulde assaye to dysproue these thynges Hea. Who coulde not lyghtlye be eloquente in suche a cause or what busynes is it to confute these monsters of Poetes and Paynters Marcus Yet neuerthelesse you shall reade the bookes of philosophers verye full of reasons agaynst the sayd tales Hearer Folyshelye enough I assure you For who would be so madde as to be moued wyth them Marcus Wel if there be none wretched in hell neyther be there anye in hell Hearer So I thynke Marcus Where then are those whoÌ„ you cal wretches or what place do they inhabite for if they be they must nedes be in some certayne place Hea. I truly thinke they be no where Mar. Then you thinke that they are not at all Hea. Euen so and yet neuerthelesse that they be wretches because they be not Marcus I had rather that you sayd it for feare of Cerberus then that you shoulde haue broughte suche an vnwittye reason Hearer Why so Mar. Whom you saye not to be he you say afterwardes is where is your wit when you saye that they are wretched then you saye that they whiche are not are Hea. I am not so blunt witted that I would so saye Mar. What saye you then Hea. For example I say that Marcus Crassus is wretched for that he was caused bi death to leaue so great ryches that Cneius Pompeye also is wretched whom deathe depryued of so great glory and honour to conclude I saye that all those are wretches whych lacke the fruicion of this pleasauÌ„t light Mar. You come to the same poynte for they must nedes be if thei be wretches But you euen now did denie that those are which be deade if they be not therefore they can be nothinge and by that meanes neither can they be wretches Hea. Perchaunce I haue not tolde you all that I thinke for not to be wheÌ„ you haue bene I thinke is the greatest misery that may be Mar. Nay by that reasoÌ„ what can be more wretched then not to haue bene at all and so those which are not yet borne because they be not are miserable and we oure selues if after our death we shall be miserable were miserable also afore we were borne But I sureli for my part am not remeÌ„bred that I was a wretche afore I was borne Yf your remembraunce be anye surer I would fayne knowe yf you remember any such thing of your selfe Hea. You boord with me as though I should say that those are wretches whiche are vnborne and not those whych be dead Mar. You graunt therfore that they be Hea. Nay because they be not as they haue bene therfore I saye they be wretched Mar. Perceyue you not that you speake contraries for what maye be so contrarye as to saye that he which is not not onelye is but also is a wretche Do you goinge out at the gate called Capena when you see the tombes of both the Calatines the Scipions the Seruilians and the Metellans thinke that they be wretched Hea. Because you vrge me so muche with the word I wil no more saye that they be wretches but onely wretches for that very cause because they be not Mar. Then you say not Marcus Crassus is a wretche But onelye Marcus Crassus wretche Hea. Euen so Mar. As though whatsoeuer you do so pronounce must not either be or not be Aâ—e you nothing skilfull in Logike Emonges the verye principles of that arte this is taughte That euery proposition for so it semes good to me to interprete the Greeke worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I wil vse hereafter a more mete terme yf I chaunce to happeÌ„ on any is eyther true or false Wherfore when you say Marcus Crassus wretche eyther you say this in effect Marcus Crassus is a wretche that men may iudge whether it be true or false or els you saye nothing at all Hea. Well now I graunt you that they are not wretches whiche are deade because you forced me to graunt that such as were not could not be wretches But what saye you to this We which liue forasmuch as we must nedes dye are not we wretches For what pleasure may we take in our life time when daye and nyghte we must alwayes thinke that we shall by and by dye Marcus Understand you then by this your grauÌ„t of how much misery you haue relyeued mankynd Hearer How so Mar. Because if deathe were miserable to suche as are deade then we should haue a continual and euerlasting misery But nowe I se the ende of our race to the which when we haue once runne there is nothyng more that we ought to feare But you as farre as I can perceyue folowe the opinyon of Epicharmus the Sicilian a man quycke witted and not wholye voyde of learninge Hearer What was his opinion for I knowe it not Marcus I wil shewe you if I can in Latine for you knowe that I do no more vse to speake Greeke in my Latine talke then Latine in my Greeke Hea. You do well in that But I pray you what was the opinioÌ„ of Epicharmus Mar. I woulde not dye but to be deade I would not much passe Hea. Now I remeÌ„ber the Greke very well And inasmuche as you haue constrayned me to graunte that such as are deade are not wretched bringe to passe also yf you can that to dye I may thinke no misery Hea. Surely that is but a smal matter But I am about thinges of more weyght Hea. Howe is this but a small matter or what are those more weyghty matters that you entende to bringe to passe Mar. Because if after deathe there is no euell neither trulye is death it selfe euell the next time to the whiche is the time after death in the whych you graunt there is no euel So to die truly is no euell because it is but a leadinge and an entraunce to that whyche is no euell Hea. I pray you let these thinges be more plainely opened For these darke reasons make me sooner to confesse the thing that
religion What shall we thinke of so manye and so notable men in thys our comen wealth whiche willinglye toke theyr deathe for theyr countreyes sake Did they think you suppose that their memorye shoulde be extended no lenger then the terme of theyr lyfe Trulye no man at anye time was so madde as without hope of immortalitie to offer him selfe to deathe for his countrey For otherwise it had bene lawefull for Themistocles to haue lyued in ease it had bene lawefull for Epaminundas It had bene also that we enquire no farder of old and forren matters lawfull for me But I knowe not howe there sticketh in mens mindes a certayne gesse of life to come yea and that doth most commōly happen in the most stoute and harty courages and in them appeares most lightlye Whiche hope taken away who is there so mad that would continually liue in laboure and daunger and hitherto we haue spokē of princes But do we not se the like of Poetes will not they be remembred after theyr death Uppon what cause then was this writen Behold ye Citisens here the shape of Ennius image old Who hathe descriued youre fathers factes eke their gestes hath told Lo he requireth the report of fame and renowne at theyr handes whose forefathers he had caused by his writynge to be famous And the same Ennius wryteth in another place thus Let no man me bemoane nor wayle me when I dye For whye aliue my good reporte in mouthes of men shal flye But what doubte we of Poetes yea suche as liue by handcraftes desyre after death to be remembred For what other cause dydde Phydias graue hys shape in the tergat of Minerua where it was not lawefull for him to wryte What the Philosophers thēselues do they not in those bookes whych they write of the despising of glory imprint their owne names Certes if the consent of all men be the voice of nature al men in al places do agree that there is some thing that doth pertaine to thē which are departed out of this life we also must nedes thīke y e same And since we know y e they whose mind passeth either in wit or vertue because their wit is best do se most clearely the power of nature It is most likely forasmuch as euery good man taketh care for his posterity that he supposeth that there is some thing the sense and feeling of the which he shal haue after death But as we knowe by nature that there be gods But what they be we gather by wyt and reason so we thinke because of the consent and agrement of all nations that our soules do remayne after death But in what place they be or what maner thinges they are we must gather by reason The ignoraūce of the whiche hath fayned and inuented hell and such terroures as you seemed somewhat afore not without iuste cause to despyse For our bodyes being layd in the grounde and couered wyth earth whereof also suche as are buryed are sayd to be earthed they thought the reste of our life should be led vnder the ground Which opinion hath bene the cause of great errours Whyche haue bene augmented and encreased by Poetes For the thicke companye of the Theater in the which there are many women and children is muche moued hearing so terrible a verse as this I here am come from hell by wayes full hye and steepe By dennes ybuylte with stoanes by caues ful darke and deepe Where lothly darknes dwels where cralling furies creepe Yea and that errour was of such force which nowe I truste is nye extinguished that whereas they sawe mennes bodyes burne afore yet neuerthelesse they would fayne them doing such thinges in hell as withoute bodyes coulde neyther be done in deede neyther yet ymagined For they could not wel conceyue howe the soule might liue withoute the bodye and for that cause they ymagined that they liued vnder some certayne shape and figure Uppon this occasion Homere wrote his booke whiche he entituled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hereof spronge that Necromancie whiche my friende Appius was wont to use For this cause also was the lake that standeth not farre from mi house called the lake of hell Whence soules are stireed vp in darke and grisely shapes Whyche when hell gates are opened once out at the doores escapes Yet neuerthelesse these shapes and shadowes they fayne to speake Whyche can not be wythout the tounge iawes sydes and lyghtes For they conceyued very litle in theyr mindes but referred all to theyr bodelye eyes But it is a great point of wyt for a man to reuoke his minde from the iudgement of his outward senses and to withdrawe the consent of his thoughtes from thinges that haue bene alowed by custome And I beleue trulye that there haue bene manye other whiche in all ages haue reasoned of the immortalitye of the soules But of those whyche haue left any writinges behinde them Pherecides a Sirian taught firste that the soules of men were euerlasting A man surely of great antiquitye For he liued in the time of my kinsman Tullus Hostilius This opinion his scoler Pythagoras did chiefely confyrme who when he came into Italye in the raygne of Tarquinius the proude amased all great Greece with his estimation learning and authoritye Yea and manye yeares after the name of the Pythagoreans was so highely esteemed that in comparyson of them no other Philosophers seemed to be learned But let vs retourne to those aunciente Philosophers Commenly they would geue no reason of anye thinge that they spake vnlesse it were same such thing as they should declare by numbers or descriptions It is sayde that Plato to thintent that he myghte knowe the Pythagoreans came into Italye and there was acquaynted both with manye other but chyefelye wyth Archytas and Timeus of whome he learned all the opinion of Pithagoras and that at the fyrst he not onelye thought as Pythagoras did as concerninge the eternitye of the soule but also confyrmed the same wyth reason Whych vnlesse you be otherwyse minded let vs ouerpasse and leaue of all this reasonynge of the immortalytye of the soules He. What wil you now leaue me wh◠you haue broughte me into so great expectacion I had rather to erre wyth Plato whom I knowe howe much you esteeme and I wonder at the more because of your prayse then to thinke wel wyth other Mar. Worthelye spoken For I my selfe assuredly would not be aggrieued to erre with him And is there anye doubte but that as he hathe handled al other thinges very learnedlie and profoundly so he hath done this also although this hathe leaste nede of cunning handeling For the Mathematicians do well proue it sayeng that the earthe whiche is placed in the middest of the world in comparison of the whole heauen hath but the proportion of a small poynt whych they call a centre And such is the nature of those four bodyes of the whyche all thinges take theyr beginning that they haue
that seeth and heareth and not those partes whiche are but the casementes of the same Without the whyche neuerthelesse the minde it selfe can perceyue nothinge vnlesse it be earnestlye bent thereon Besydes all this what a thinge is it that the minde onelye can coÌ„taine thinges of most diuers nature as colours tastes feelynges smels and soundes which by the .v. seÌ„ses only the mind could neuer discerne were it not that al thinges comming to it by them it onely is iudge of all And then truly these thinges shall be more playne and clearely sene wheÌ„ as the soule is come to his owne naturall libertye For now in deede althoughe nature hathe verye suttely wrought certayne passages froÌ„ the soule to the body yet neuerthelesse the same are compassed and in maner stopped vp wyth certayne grosse and earthlye bodyes But when there shall be nothinge but the soule it selfe then there shal be no let but that it may wel discerne and iudge what eche maner of thinge is I could here describe if my matter so requyred howe manye and howe sundrye delectable syghtes the soule shall haue in those heauenlye regions The whych sometimes when I do remember I can not but wonder at the vanitye of certayne Philosophers whiche haue the secrete knoweledge of naturall philosophye in great admyratian and therefore thanke and prayse wyth all theyr hartes the inuenter and finder of the same and worship him as God sayeng that by this his benefyte they are deliuered of ryght heauy maysters that is to wite continuall terror and dayly and nightly feare For what so doating a foole is there that woulde feare those thinges whiche you if you had not the knoweledge of natural philosophy would haue feared The Temples low of Acheron with palenes all bespred And dennes ful depe of doleful death with darkenes al beset Is it not a shame for Philosophers to boaste that nowe they feare not these thinges but knowe theym to be false Maye not a man thinke theym quicke witted whiche woulde haue credited these thinges had not learning perswaded theÌ„ to the contrarye But they haue gotten knoweledge enoughe whyche haue perswaded theÌ„ selues that at the time of theyr death they should wholye peryshe which if we graunt to be true for I wil not at this time muche contend with them what haue they therein eyther to be glad or proude of neyther yet can I see anye cause why the opinion of Pithagoras Plato should not be true For were it so that Piato brought no reason see in what estimation I haue that man his verye authoritye should moue me But he hath confirmed his opinion wyth so manye proofes that it appeareth that both he was willing to perswade and also hath perswaded But there be many against him whyche thinke our soules coÌ„demned to death neyther is there any other cause why they will not beleue the eternitye â—f the same then because they can not well ymagine or thinke what maner thing the soule should be without the bodye As though they coulde vnderstande what maner thinge it is whiles it is in the bodye what shape it hathe what quantitye or what place But if it were possible that they might see all the inwarde partes enclosed in mannes bodye whyche nowe are seperate frome oure syghte whether they should see the soule or whether it is of suche subtill nature that they could by no meanes discerne it that let theym weyghe whyche denye that they can ymagine any soule wythout the bodye they must fyrst see what maner thinge they will thinke him to be whyles he is in the bodye For to me assuredly dyuers times when I ponder with my selfe the nature of the soule it seemes a farre darker and deeper consideration to thinke what and howe the soule coulde be in the bodye as in a straunge habitation then what it shall be when it shall depart from thence and flye into the open heauens as to his propre and appoynted place For if it be not possible for vs to comprehende in oure mindes such thinges as we neuer sawe then neyther god him selfe neither yet oure soule that came from God what it shalbe when it is departed from our bodyes can we well ymagine Dicearchus and Aristoxenus for that it was a deepe and a weyghty matter to consyder what the soule might be said that there was no soule at all And surelye it is the chyefest poynt of wytte wyth the soule to knowe the soule and that is the wyse meanynge of that sage precept of Apollo whyche willeth vs to knowe our selues For I can not think that it shoulde bidde vs to knowe oure lymmes stature or shape For we are not bodyes neyther when I speake to you do I talke to your body Therfore when he sayeth knowe thy selfe he sayeth as muche in effecte as knowe thy selfe For thy bodye is but the vassayle and dongeon of thy minde Whatsoeuer thy soule dothe that is thine owne deede And vnlesse it had bene thought an heauenly thing to knowe the soule that precepte had neuer bene taken to haue bene of such excellency as to haue bene imputed to God But if he know not what maner thinge his soule is howe shall he knowe that he him selfe eyther lyueth or moueth And hereuppon is grounded that reason of Plato whiche is declared by Socrates in the booke called Phedrus and rehearsed of me in my syrt booke of a comeÌ„ welth That which alwayes moueth is euerlastinge But aswell that whiche moueth other thinges as also that whiche is moued by other whan it ceasseth to moue ceasseth also to liue Onelye that therefore which moues it selfe because it can neuer forsake it selfe can not but moue It also is a fountayne and beginninge of motion to other thinges whych are moued Nowe of a principle there can be no beginninge For of a principle all thinges are made and it takes his beginning of no other for it were no principle if it toke beginninge of any other thing Then if it hath no beginning neither hath it any ending For a principle being ones extynct can neyther it selfe at any time be reuyued neyther yet create or make anye other thing wheras al thinges take theyr beginning of a principle So we see that the beginning of al motions procedeth of that which is moued of it selfe But that can neyther haue beginning nor ending not though the skie should fal all thinges stande at a staye neyther yet any outward force by the which it should be moued Wherfore inasmuch it appeareth that that is euerlastyng whych moueth it selfe and no man will denye that our soules are of that sorte for whatsoeuer is moued by anye outward motioÌ„ and not of it selfe is without life it must nedes folowe that since it is the onelye propertye and nature of the soule amonges so manye sundrye thinges to be moued of it selfe it neyther at any time heretofore had begynnynge nor at anye time hereafter shall haue endinge Let all the raskall Phylosophers
in suche stoutenes O ye Lacedemonians see of what force good lawes are in the orderynge of a commen wealth Is not Theodorus the Cireman a notable Philosopher worthy to be wondred at think you whom wheÌ„ Lisimachus the king threatened that he would hange hym you myght haue spoken that quod he to haue feared your nyce courtyers But as for Theodorus he lytle passeth whether he rotte aboue ground or vnder By whose sayenge I am put in minde to speake somewhat at this present of buryal Which shal be nothing hard presupposyng those thinges to be true whiche we haue afore spoken of not feelinge And of this what Socrates thought it appeareth in that booke in the whiche his death is described of the whyche we haue made mention afore For after that he had reasoned of the immortality of the soule and now his death drewe on beyng demaunded of Crito howe he would be buryed he lookyng towardes them that stoode about him spake these wordes My freÌ„des quod he I haue spent much labour in vayne For I haue not perswaded my frende Crito that I shall departe hence and leaue nothing behinde me that is mine owne But trulye Crito yf euer thou canst come by me or euer get me burye me as thou lyste But I knowe righte well that when I am hence departed none of you all wil solowe me Wyselye spoken For he dyd both permit his friende to satisfye his minde and yet neuerthelesse shewed that he litle past of any such thing Diogenes more rechelessely yet wittely inoughe but with small ciuilitye as a doggyshe philosopher wylled them to cast his bodye abrode wythout buryal And when his frendes asked him whether he would then haue his bodye deuoured of byrdes and beastes No not so sayeth he For I pray you set a staffe nye to me that I maye dryue theym awaye And when they asked him howe he could do so inasmuche as he shoulde haue no sence after death What hurte shall I haue then quod he of the bytynge of beastes and peckynge of byrdes when I feele it not But Anaxagoras spake wisely who when he was lykelye to dye at Lampsacus and his frendes demaunded of him whether if he should chauÌ„ce to die there he would be caryed to Clazomena to his owne countrey it nedeth not quod he for froÌ„ euery place there is like distaÌ„ce of way to heauen and hell Wherfore as concernyng buryall we must knowe this that it perteyneth to the bodye onlye whether the soule dye or lyue And in the bodye it is playne that after the soule is once departed there remaineth no sense But see howe full the worlde is of errour It is wrytten that Achilles drewe Hectors deade bodye at a cartes tayle I thinke he thoughte that he felte the gratynge of his limmes And therfore he bragges of it as if ther by he were reuenged But Hectors mother lamenteth it as a most cruell facte with these wordes I sawe I sawe that greued me most to see The corps of Hector throughe hye towne drawen lye ¶ What Hector I praye you or who was then Hector it was better sayde of Actius vnder the person of Achylles The Carcas colde to Pryam I dyd giue But Hectors soule aboue in heauens doth liue ¶ Thou drewest not then Hector but the bodye that once was Hectors But nowe here startes vp one oute of the ground whych will not suffer his mother to slepe in rest O mother I the call whyche slepest voyde of feare And takst no pitye on my griefe thy sonne come bury here ¶ Such pitifull verses as these when they are lamentablye rehearced in the Theater and mone all the company to sadnes is it not an easie thyng for theÌ„ that are presente to iudge theym to be wretched whych are so vnburyed they be afrayd to haue theyr limmes torne and yet they feare not to haue theym burnt And therfore one lamentes Priamus in this wyse Alas the ashes of the Kynge with bones to powder bet I sawe in heapes of gored bloud embrued and bewet ¶ I see not what occasion he hath to be sorye for any such thing This therfore we must firmely maintayne that nothinge is to be cared for after death Although some vayne men do rage agaynst theyr enemyes beynge dead And in such sorte Enniâ—s bryngeth in Thyestes cursynge his brother Atreus fyrst desyring that he might perishe by shipwracke That was hard surely For suche death can not be wythoute gret payne But that that foloweth is to to vayne I would that he him selfe were stuck vpon some rocke His bowels out his bloudbulcke all to broke And pyked stones on whych he thus doth lye With goared bloud in redde hue he may dye And such other like Assuredlye the stones them selues could be no more voyd of sense then his dead body hangynge vpon them to whom he wysheth thys torment Which although it were crueli if he coulde feele it yet nowe is tâ— none effecte because he can haue no sence thereof In lyke maner vayne is that whychâ— foloweth Let him haue no graue where he his corse may shroude Ne where his wearyed ghoste maye take his last abode Do you see in what errour this felowe is He thinketh that the graue is the harber and reste of the bodye Trulye there was a greate faulte in Pelops that he taughte his sonne no better howe muche he ought to esteeme buryall But what should I here recken vp the opinions of euerye seuerall man synce we may see the manifest errours of manye nations as concernynge buryall The Egiptians spyce the deade bodyes and keepe theym in theyr houses The Persians sere theyr bodyes in waxe and then spyce theym that they may abyde as longe as may be There is a custome amonges the wyse men of Chaldee not to engraue the dead bodies afore suche time as they be torne of beastes In Hircania they keepe commen dogges such as be noble meÌ„ houndes and the commen people rascall curres euerye man accordinge to his abilitie that eate them when they be deade and that do they counte the best buryall Chrisippus hath wryten manye sundry fashyons as concerning the same matter as he is a man verye diligent in the readynge of historyes But some of theym be so cruell and so muche agaynste nature that my pen abhorres to endite theym Wherfore as concerning buryall we oughte not much to force it neyther yet oure frendes to neglecte it so that alwayes we keepe this opinion that the bodyes of the deade care for nothing But what men oughte to doe for customes and good names sake that our freÌ„des that ouerlyue vs muste see to so that they knowe that it nothinge pertayneth to suche as are deade But then trulye death is most welcome vnto vs when our lyfe beyng well nye at the wane can comforte it selfe wyth his owne prayses For no man hathe lyued to small a whyle which whiles he lyued dyd lyue vertuouslye I my selfe haue manye iuste occasyons of death which
are tilled are not fruitefull and it was falsely sayde Although the fruitefull seede in barren grounde be cast Yet it at length wil there take roote and so come vp at last So not all the mindes that are sowen with the seede of philosophy do brynge fruyte therof And that I maye persyste in the same similitude as the grounde be it neuer so fruytefull yet wythoute tilling can not be fruytfull so neyther can our minde wythout learnyng For Philosophy is the plough of the mynd whose share cuts vp all vyce by the rootes and prepares our minds to receiue the seedes of vertue and so at laste soweth the same in it whyche in due tyme yelde mooste plentyfull encrease But let vs nowe go forewarde saye what so euer you are wylling to heare dyscussed Hearer I thynke that gryefe and payne is the greatest euell that maye be Marcus What greater then shame or dishonestye Hea. I dare not so saye And therfore I am ashamed to be so soone trypped in my talke Marcus Nay it were more shame for you yf you did continue in youre former opynion For what oughte to seeme worse vnto you then shame vyce and dyshonestye whyche to escape what griefe is there that we ought not onelye not to refuse but also to coueyte and desyre Hearer I thynke so lykewyse But yet although gryefe be not the chyefest euell yet assuredlye it is an euell Mar. See you then by thys my shorte admonicion howe muche you haue abated of the terroure of gryefe Hearer I do see it suffycyentlye But I desyre to heare it more at large Mar. I wil assaye what I can do Howebeit it is a great matter and I had neede to haue you well willing to heare Hea. You shal be sure of that For as I did yesterday so nowe also will I folowe reason whether soeuer she leadeth me Mar Fyrst then I wil speake of the weakenes of manye men and the diuers doctrines of philosophers the chiefe of the which as well in authoritye as also in auncieâ—tie Aristippus the scoler of Socrates doubted not to saye that griefe is the greatest euel that might happen to man This nice and effeminate opinion Epicurus was verye readye tâ— take and after him one Hierome a RhodiaÌ„ sayd that to want griefe was the greatest good that myghte be So much euell he thought was in sorowe And diuers other except Zeno Aristo and Pyrrho were of the same opinion Hea. But what thynke you Mar. That it is an euell in deede But 〈◊〉 neuerthelesse that there are other farâ—â—â— worse then it For that which both nature it selfe and also all stoute courage doth deny I meane that you should not counte griefe the greatest euell that myght be but that shame didde farre passe the same that also philosophy the maistresse and lady of our life doth still mayntayne For what dutye what prayse what hoâ—esty will he so muche esteeme that he will put his bodye to payne for the attayninge of the same who thynketh gryefe to be the chyefest euell And what shame what dishonesty would not a man suffer to escape gryefe yf he thoughte it to be the greatest miserie To conclude who is there not wretched not onely then when he is oppressed with payne if griefe be so miserable but also in asmuche as he knoweth it may happeÌ„ vnto him For who is there to whoÌ„ it can not chauÌ„ce So hereof it must needes folowe that none at all can be blessed Metrodorus truly thynkes him to be happy whose bodye is in good health and is assured that it shall be so for euer But who is he that can promise him selfe any such assuraunce Nowe Epicurus opinion is suche that I thinke he inuented it purposelye to moue men to laughter He affyrmeth in a certayne place that yf a wyse man be burnt if he be vexed yet he will beare it and not yelde vnto it A great prayse surelye and worthye of Hercules him selfe But yet neuerthelesse this will not suffyce Epicurus a hard and a stoute man god wot For he albeit he were in Phalaris bul will saye o howe pleasaunt is it howe litle do I care for it yea it is eueÌ„ sweete to me Why is it not inough if it seme not bitter For they truly them selues that saye that gryefe if no euell are not wont to saye that torment is pleasaunt to any man But that it is sharp hard hatefull and agaynst nature and yet neuerthelesse no euell And he that thynketh this onely to be euel yea and the extremest of all euels thinkes that a wyse man will count it pleasaunt I do not requyre you to terme griefe so lightly as Epicurus a man wholy giuen to pleasure doth Let him saye on gods name that it were alone to him to be in phalaris bull and in a softe fetherbed I do not requyre in a wise maÌ„ so great pacience agaynst gryefe If he be able to perfourme his dutye in suffering it I do not requyre him to be glad of it For vndoubtedly it is a heauye thyng sharpe bitter enemy to nature hard to beare and suffer For see Philocteta whom we muste gyue leaue to mourne For he had seene Hercules afore in the hill Oâ—ta roarynge because of the greatnes of the griefe that he suffered The arowes that he afore tyme had receyued of Hercules coulde then be no ease to his smart when the vaynes of his inwarde â—owelles infected with adders poyson put him to bytter gryefe causinge him to call for helpe and desyre death in this wyse O what man nowe within the seas would drench my wretched corps Or who would beate my bloudy braynes about the boysterous rockes Howe wretchedly I here consume the poyson wastes my life I woulde to God that some good man would ryd the same wyth knyfe ¶ It were a hard thyng to saye that he were in no euell who shoulde be constrayned to cry out so But let vs heare Hercules him selfe whom the paynes of griefe did then pearce wheÌ„ he passed by death to immortality What kinde of ouâ—ecryes makes he in Sophocles who when he had put on him the shert whyche â—eianira sente him embrued with y â— bloud of y â— Centaure it stacke to his ribbes he cryed in this wise ¶ O greuous paynes to speake and hard to suffer eke That these my faynted limmes and troubled minde haue bore Not Iâ—nos malice straunge to me was euer lyke Nor yet Eurystheus force erste troubled me so sore ¶ As now one folishe wenche Oeneus doughter loe That wrapt me thus vnwares within this deadly cloute Which cleauing to my skin my fleshe doth pull vp so That shortly it is like to riue my spyrite out ¶ For nowe it wasted hath well nighe my breath and bloud And thus this cruell death my body loe hath spent Whiche nowe the bitter bane of poysoned shert doth shroude Loe here behold those woundes which enmies handes nere lent Not gyantes mightye strength nor monstrous Centaures
hand Not Grecians prudent force nor Barbares crueltye Nor yet the cruell folke whyche dwell at thend of land Whych passyng I full ofte nere tried such miserye But nowe a womans hand my martiall corps shall slaye O sonne in this one thinge thy wretched father please Let not my cruell deathe thy mothers loue alaye But brynge me her whose bane would make me feele some ease ¶ Nowe shall I proue whom best thou louest of vs twayne Go to my sonne bewayle thy poysoned fathers case Rue on me whose vile death whole nations wil complayne O that I like a wench to teares should wrest my face ¶ Whom no man erste hathe seene to syghe at any sore So nowe my weakened force shall dye afore his date Come nere my sonne beholde thy fathers gryefe therfore Whose inwards fretâ—ing force of poison nowe doth grate ¶ Behold all men thou which heaueÌ„ and earth didst make Cast downe on me thy boltes whyche other men do feare For nowe the whirlynge panges of gryefe my body shake And nowe the poison smartes O handes that conquerours were ¶ O heart O brest and eke you lothsome lasy handes Did erst your force constrayne a Lyon lose his life Or Lerna put to death yseared wyth fyre brands Dyd ye from Centaure once his wretched life berieue ¶ Did ye destroye the beast that Erimanthia spoyled Or els from hel dryue out the threfold hellyshe hound Were ye those handes that erste the waker dragon fayled That kept the golden fruyte there lyenge on the ground Did ye erst do these thinges or gyue so great assayes Or did your valyaunte deedes deserue a worthy prayse ¶ Can we despyse gryefe since Hercules was so impacient of it Nowe let vs heare Aeschilus not a Poete onlye but a Pythagorean also Howe doth he make Prometheus lamentynge the gryefe whych he suffereth for the theft committed in Lemnos For the fyer which we haue it is sayde that he stole from Iupiter And for that cause doth there endure tormente whiche he recountinge wyth him selfe tyed to the mounte Caucasus speaketh in thys wyse You rare of Titans stocke partakers of my blâ—ud Descended once from heauens behold me here ybounde And ryed vnto the rockes â–ª as shippe in mayne sea floud The warye shipmen vse with ropes to tye on grounde ¶ The sonne of Saturne Iupiter dyd cause me here to lye When he did ioyne his hande to Uulcanes heauy wrath Who in these lasting gyues my bodye loe did tye And crusht my limmes in twoo so in this balefull bath Wyth yrons all to perced I miser here do lye And when the thyrd day comes the bitterst that may be An Egle then full â—ell with talentes hookt I see Which stoupes froÌ„ hie to plumme her greedy fyll on me ¶ But when she being filled hath tane away her flight In aers hye she lickes hir goared bluddye beake And when my liuer is renewed in eche nyght Then loe she comes agayne her fyll thereof to eate ¶ So I continuallye mine onelye woe mayntayne Whiche doth me styll tormente wyth wofull miserye For as you here see bound with Ioâ—es moste mighty chayne I can not feare the foule awaye from me to flye ¶ So age hathe come on me whiles I this payne abide Desyrynge bitter death the same to fynyshe once But Iones most cruel dome hath death to me denyed And so this cruell plague shal stil sticke in my bones Til that â—he sonne my fleshe vpon this hill rost shall Whyche that most fylthye foule from hye doth oft let fall ¶ Assuredlye I thinke we can not but count a man in his case wretched and if he be wretched theÌ„ is griefe an euel Hea. As yet you haue pleaded my part But thereof we wil talke hereafter But in the meane time I maruayle much what you meane by vsynge verses so muche in your talke Mar. I will tell you the cause and it is well asked of you since you see that I am nowe at leasure I thinke when you were in Athenes you haue bene often ere nowe in the scooles of the philosophers Hea. Yea truly and that very gladly Marâ—us Did you not then marke that they did much vse to bryng in verses in theyr talke Hea. In deede I remember that Dionisius the Stoyke brought in very many Mar. You say trouth But he did it withoute anye choyce or eloquence But Philo both kept the number of his verse and vsed choyse therin and placed them also conueniently Wherfore since the time that I fyrste fell in loue with this declamation of mine olde age I doe gladly brynge in my talke the verses of our poetes And if they chaunce to be imperfecte in any poynct I haue translated the same out of the Greeke because I woulde not that our tongue should want any kind of ornament that the Greekes had But do you see the discommoditie that Poetes cause Fyrst they bring in stout men lamenting which weakeneth the readers courage Then they be so pleasaunt that men do not onlye read theÌ„ but also learne them wythout booke So when to litle learninge and to a wanton and effeminate life poetes are once adioyned they vtterly slake all the prickes of vertue And for that cause they are worthelye banished of Plato out of that cicie whiche he framed as the most perfect forme of a well framed and gouerned common welth Yet neuerthelesse we beinge learned so to do of the Grecians do both reade theym euen from oure youthe vpwardes and also learne theym withoute booke thinkinge their learninge to be both good honest But what shoulde we blame Poetes since there haue ben philosâ—phers who ought to haue bene the maysters of all vertue which haue thoughte sorowe gryefe to haue bene the greatest euell and whereas you being but a yonge man and euen nowe of the selfe same opinion with thys onely demaund whether it were greater then shame did foorthwyth relente and forsake your vaine opinion Nowâ— aske Epicurus the same question and he will say that small griefe is a greater euell then the greatest shame that maye be For he wyll saye that shame is no euell vnlesse gryefe do folowe I meruayle then that there dothe no gryefe folowe Epicurus when he sayeth that gryefe is the greatest euell whyche is the moste shamefull thinge that any Philosopher myght haue spoken Wherfore you did well aunswere when you sayde that shame seemed to you a greater euell then gryefe And if you will persiste in that opinion you shall lyghtly perceyue howe much we ought to auoyde griefe For we must not so muche searche whether gryefe it selfe be an euell yea or no as howe we oughte to strengthen oure myndes to beare the same The Stoykes occupye them selues in certayne light reasons to shewe the cause whye it oughte not to be called an euell As if the controuersie were of the worde and not of the matter Whye doest thou deceyue me Zeno For when thou denyest that gryefe and formente whyche seeme
marche in measure accordinge to the blaste of the trumpet but oure armies fyrst you see are called exercitus of exercise then what or howe greate laboure doe they enâ—ure in bearynge eche man a halfe monethes vitayle or any other thing that they shall haue neede to vse For as for the caryage of theyr tergate sworde or helme they counte it no greater burden then of theyr shoulders legges or armes For they saye that harnesse is the handes of a souldyoure Whyche they carye so muche wythout anie combraunce that yf neede should be they casting awaye theyr other caryage myghte vse theyâ— weapons as theyr limmes What the exercisinge of our souldyours the runnyng coupling and shouting of them what payne is it Thereby theyr courage is made so râ—ady to abide blowes in the feilde Brynge thyther a freshe water souldyoure albeit he haue as good a stomake as the other yet he wil seeme a woman in comparison Why such dyfference is there betwyxt newe commers and olde beaten souldiours as we haue sufficiently proued The strengthe of the yonger souldioures is commonly better But to take paines and to set noughte by woundes that custome teacheth Also we maye dyuers times see when they being wounded are borne out of the fyelde that a yonge and rawe souldioure hauynge a small blowe wyll weepe like a childe But the olde beaten warryoure beyng hardned â—y continuaunce will but call for a Surgyan to binde vp his woundes He sayes Patrocles here I come youâ— gentle aide to craue Afore I dye the doleful death whichâ— enmies sword me gaue For loe my bloud out of my wounde in wonderous wise doth runne Wherfore assaye if by your helpe the death I nowe may shunne For both Aesclapius childrens hals are full of wounded men So that by no meanes anye accesse I nowe may haue to them This is Euripylus You maye well perceyue him to be a man muche exercised in warre For where is his longe lamentacion See howe stoutly he talketh yea and shewes a reason why he ought to take it in good part Who so doth mind his â—oe in warre with deadly â—int to strike Let him firste thinke that thother doth for him prouide the like Truly if Patrocles had bene a man he woulde haue borne him into his chaumber and bound vp his woundes but he did nothinge lesse for he enquyreth howe the fyeld was fought Tell me quod he in what case nowe the Grecians state doth stand He is not able to expresse the same so well in wordes as by shewinge the tokens whiche appeared on him Ceasse therfore to aske him anye more questions O Patrocles and bynde vp his wouÌ„des For although Euripylus can abide the gryefe yet Aesopus can not Who after he described Hectors fatall chaunce weping lamentateth the ruinous state of the Troians in great sorowe and anguishe So impacient is a stoute man sometimes for the losse of glory in the fielde Well shall an olde souldiour be able by continuaunce and custome to do these thinges and a wel learned and wise man not Nowe trulye he ought to do it farre better But as yet I speake of the custome of eâ—ercise and not of reason and wysedome Olde women very ofte will beare honger .ii. or .iii. dayes Take away meate but one daye from one of these stoute â—yghters he will crie out vpon Iupiter him selfe saye he is not able to bears it Custome is of great force For we see that hunters lye all nyghte on the snowe and in the day are parched with the sonne rebounding from the hilles Thereof it cometh also that maysters of fence and champions stirre not for a drye blowe But what do I here talke of theym who stryue for games as it were for the office of the consulshippe these ruffins and other desperate persons what blowes beare they And wherof commeth it that suche as haue bene well broughte vp â—ad rather receyue punishement iustly deserued theÌ„ by shame to auoyde it Howe manye proofes haue we of some that esteeme nothinge more then to please eyther theyr maysters or els the people Yea and of some who when they haue bene almost stayne haue sente to theyr maysters to knowe theyr pleasure sayeng that if theyr wyil be so beâ—te they are euen readye to dye What so meane a champion did at any time groane at a stroke or els so much as ones chaungâ— his countenaunce Who of theym did not onlye stand in fyght but eyther dye with shame Who of them being commaunded to laie his head on the blocke to be striken of wyth an axe did at any time shrinke in his necke Suche is the force of exercise vse and custome Shal a Samnite then a filthy man worthy of so beastly a life be able to abide these thinges and shal a man well broughte vp and euen framed to obtayne glory haue any parte of his minde so effeminate which with exercise and wit he can not fortifye The syght of the fence players seemeth to manye men meruaylous cruell and I can not well say whether it be so or no as it is nowe a dayes vsed But trulye I thynke that when condemned persoÌ„s did fight oute theyr lyues as there myghte be some better enstructions for the eares to teache men to despyse gryefe so assuredlye to proue the same and euen to set it before oure eyes I thinke there could be none better Thus muche I haue spoken of the exercise custome and practyse of gryefe But nowe let vs consider the reasons agaynste the same vnlesse you haue anye thynge thinge to saye agaynst that whyche is alreadye spoken Hea. What that I shoulde trouble you in youre talke No surelye I will not Youre reasons so muche moue me to credyte you Mar. Whether gryefe be any euell or no that let the Stoikes weygh who wyth farre fette and trifelinge conclusions in the whiche the sense of man hath no iudgement assaye to conclude that gryefe is no euell But I what so euer thing it be thinke assuredlye that it is not so great as it semeth and that men are more afrayed with the outward apparaunce and shewe of it then they neede And to be shorte that there is no paynes in it but that is very tollerable Whence therfore were it best for me to beginne shall I bryefelye repeate those thinges whyche I haue alreadye spoken that my talke maye the better proceede in order This therfore all men graunt aswell learned as vnlearned that it is the parte of couragious stoute harted and valiaunt men paciently to beare griefe Neither was there anye man who would not count him worthye great prayse that coulde suffer the same That therfore whych is both necessarilye requyred of stoute men and also counted prayse worthyâ— when it is done that I saye eyther to feare when it is comminge or els not to beare when it doth come is it not a great shame And whereas al the good affections of the minde are properlye called vertues it seemeth to me that
last ende Lykewyse the mournynge of those whyche lament the losse of theyr chyldren is swaged wyth the examples of them that haue abyden the like So the tryall of other men afore hand maketh that those thynges whyche chaunce on a sodayne seeme lesse in deede then we tooke them at the fyrste to be So it commeth to passe that whyles we ponder the thynges well by litle and litle we perceyue howe muche oure opinion was deceyued and that Telamon dothe well proue sayenge When fyrste of all I them begot I knewe that they must dye And Theseus In minde the mischiefes that might come I did alway behold ¶ And Anaxagoras sayde I knewe that he was borne to dye For all these men long weighing the chaunces that happen to men perceiued that they are not to be feared accordinge to the opinion of the commen people And truly me seemeth that they whiche ponder thinges afore hande are holpen after the same sort that they are whom continuance of time dothe helpe sauynge that reason healeth the fyrste and nature the other they hauinge thys alwayes in theyr mindes whyche is the grounde of all such remedyes namely that the euel whych they thought to be so greate is not suche that it maye destroye a happye and a blessed lyfe Thus therfore we will conclude that of a sodayne chaunce there commeth a sorer strype not as they thinke that when twoo equall chaunces do happen to a man it onelye shouâ—de put him to gryefe whyche commeth of a sodaynâ— for it is wryten that some men vnderstandinge the commen miserye of mankind namely that we are al borne vnder that lawe that none may be for euer voyde of misery hane taken it verye heauilye yea and mourned for it For the whyche cause Carneades as Antiochus writeth was wonte to reproue Chrisippus for coÌ„mending these verses of Euripides There is no man whom gryefe of minde sickenes may not payne Some manye children do beget and burye them agayne And death is thend of al the grieues that happen may to man We all must render earth to earth and dust from whence we came And til that time shall mowe vs vp we here on earth must lyue Like as we suffer corne to growe to reape the same with sciue For he sayde that suche kinde of talke was of no efficacye to ease a man of gryefe but rather gaue vs occasion to lament that we were borne vnder so â—ruell necessitye And as for that kindâ— of comfort whych cometh of the rehersall of other whyche hane abyden the lyke gryeues that he thoughte was good to comforte none other but onely those whyche were delyghted to heare other mennes sorowes But I trulye thynke farre otherwyse For both the necessity of bearyng the estate of mankynde forbyds vs to stryue wyth god and also it putteth vs in remembrauÌ„ce that we are men which onely thought doth greatlye ease all gryefe and also the rehersall of exaumples serueth not to delyght the myndes of enuious persons but onelye to proue that he whiche mourneth ought to beare it pacyentlye inasmuche as he seeth that manyâ— afore him haue wyth greate moderation and quyetnes suffred the same For they muste haue all maner of suche stayes whyche are readye to fall and can not wythstand the greatnes of gryefe And wel did Chrisippus saye that gryefe of minde was called 〈◊〉 whyche sygnyfyeth the dissoluing looâ—yng of euerye part of a man Whych may well be rooted oute euen at the fyrste the cause of the gryefe beinge once knowen But the cause of it is nothynge els then the opynyon of some great euell that is prosent and at hande But the gryefe of the bodye whose prickes are ryghte sharpe maye well be borne wyth the hope of ease And the lyfe honestly and worshypfullye spente is so great a comforte that those whyche haue so lyued eyther gryefe toucheth not at al or at the least verye lyghtlye But to this opinion of some great euell when that also is adioyned that we thinke we oughte and that it is our dutye to take such chauÌ„ce greuoslye then trulye becometh that gryefe of minde a heauy perturbation For of that opinion proceede those diuers and detestable kyndes of lamentynge tearynge of the heare like women scratchynge of theyr face beating of the brest legges and heade So is Agamemnon of Homere and also of Aâ—â—ius described And renting oft for griefe his goodly bushe of heare Whereupon there is a merye ieste of Byon Sayenge that the foolyshe king pulled of his heare as though baldnes would helpe his sorowe But all these thinges they doo thinkynge that they ought of ryght so to do And for that cause Aeschines inueygheth agaynste Demosthenes for that he three dayes after the deathe of his daughter had done sacrafyce But howe rhetorically pleadeth he what reasons gathers he Howe wryeth he his wordes So that a man may welll perceyue that a rhâ—torician may saye what he lyst But truly his talke no man would allowe vnlesse we had this foolishe opinion in oure mindes that all good men ought to mourne for the death of theyr frendes Herof it commeth that in greate grieues some men flye to solytarynesâ— as Homere wryteth of Belerophon Who flyenge all resorte of men in fyeldes dyd walke alone And there consumed and pinde away with bitter gryefe and moane And Niobe is fayned to haue bene turned into a stoane as I thinke to note thereby her continuall solytarynes in mournynge But Hecuba for the cruell madnes of her minde the Poetes â—ayne to haue bene turned into a dog And there be some whom in sorowe it delyghteth to talke wyth solytarines â–ª As the nurse in Ennius A furious luste is come on me nowe out abroade to tell The wretched chaunce of Medea to heauen to earth and hell ¶ All these thinges men do in gryefe hauing opinion that they oughte of ryght and dutye to be done And if any perchauÌ„ce at such time as thei thought that they ought to mourne did behaue them selues somewhat gently or spake any thing merily they will reuoke theÌ„ sâ—lâ—es agayne to sadnes blame them â—â—lues as of a faulte for that they ceassâ—â— to mourne But yong childreÌ„ theyr mothers and maysters are wonte to â—hasten not onely with wordes but also wyth strypes if in time of commen â—â—urnynge they chaunce eyther to do or speake anye thynge merelye they compell them to weepe What I pray you when they leaue of theyr mournynge and perceyue that they profytâ— nothingâ— at all wyth sorowe doth not that declare that all whyche they dyd afore was onelye of theyr owne wyll wythoute any other constraynte What the olde man in Terence the tormentour of hym selfe dothe he not saye I thinke O Chremes so muche leâ—â—e wronge I do to my sonne As if I do my selfe appoint a wrethâ— for to become Loe he hath eueÌ„ decreed to be a wretch and doth any man appoynt anye such thinge agaynst his owne will I would my selfe worthy accompt of
any miserye Loe he thinketh him selfe worthye 〈◊〉 â—iserye You see therefore that thâ— euell of his gryefe proceedeth of opinion and not of nature Besydes this sometimes the thyngâ— it selfe dothe make theym cease theyâ— mourninge as in Homere the daylye murther and death of men doth make theym to cease theyr sorowe In whom this is wrytten For nowe we see to manye erste lye dead and breathelesse here So that scarce anye house is voyde of dole or mourning cheare Wherfore it is most mete that them we in theyr graues do laye And finishe all our mourning with the wayne of sonne and daye Wherfore it is in our power to layâ— apart gryefe when we wyll and timâ— bothe serue vs. And is there anye timâ— because the thynge it selfe is in ourâ— power to soone to laye awaye sorowâ— and care It is wel knowen that those that sawe Pompeius slayne fearyngâ— in that sharpe and cruell fyght greatly the losse of theyr owne lyues because they sawe them selues on all sydes enclosed wyth the nauye of theyr enemyes did at that present nothyng els but encourage the shippemen to saylâ— swiftely for the safetye of theyr lyues But afterwardes when they came tâ— Tyrus began to afflyct them selues and lament Could feare therfore stay them from sorowe and shal not reason and wysedome be able to do it But what is there that maye sooner make vs leaue our sorowe then wheÌ„ we perceyue that it profiteth vs nothing and that all our laboure therein was spent in vayne If then we may leaue sorow we may also not take it al. Wherfore we must needes confesse that of oure â—wne will and accord we suffer griefe to enter on vs. And that is well declared also by theyr pacieÌ„ce who hauinge abiden many cruell chaunces do more easelye beare whatsoeuer commeth And are in maner hardened agaynste the blâ—wes of fortune As he in Euripides If this time were the fyrste that I such miserye did trye And that afore I had not felte the same continuallye Then had I iuste cause to lamente like as newe broken coltes Beare yll the bridles bit when fyrst they are brought from the holtes But I haue euer liued in woe and wyth so seeldome chaunge That nowe as one yduld therwith no payne to me is straunge Wherefore inasmuche as the wearinesse of miseryes doth lighten griefe we must nedes confesse that the thing it selfe which is chaunced vnto vs is not the cause of oure sorowe Those that are chiefely studious of wisedome and haue not as yet attained the same do they not sufficieÌ„tly vnderstand that they are in great misery for they haue not gotten the perfection of wisedome And truly there can be no greater miserye then the imperfection of wysedome Yet neuerthelesse they do not lament this miserye And why so Because to this sorte of euels there is not affixed that opinion that it is ryghte and iust or any part of our duty to take it heauilye for that we are not wyse With the which opinion that gryefe is alwayes accompanyed oute of the whyche proceedeth mourning For Aristotle blaming the auncient philosophers whiche thought that their wittes had made philosophye perfect sayeth that they were eyther most foolishe or els most vayne glorious of all men For he sawe that within fewe yeares the same was greatly encreased So that it was likely that in shorte time it would be finished But Theophrastus at the time of his deathe is reported to haue blamed nature For that to hertes and dawes whom the same serued to litle vse she had graunted longe life but to meÌ„ to whom it mighte haue bene most commodious she had graunted but a short terme Whose age if it might be lengthened it woulde come to passe that all artes beynge made perfecte the lyfe of man shoulde be adourned wyth all kynd of learning And therefore he did complayne that when he fyrst began to perceyue somewhat therein then it was his chaunce to be taken out of this life Lykewyse of all the rest doth not euerye of them that is counted wisest and grauest witted confesse the ignoraunce of manye poynctes And that there are manye thinges the whiche he would gladlye learne And yet neuerthelesse albeit they knowe that they sticke in ignoraunce then the which there can be no thinge worse they do not sorowe nor mourne For they haue no suche opinion that it is anye parte of theyr dutye to be sorye They whyche thynke that men oughte not to mourne as Quintus Maximus who buryed his onelye sonne that had bene once Consul as Lucius Paulus who loste bothe hys sonnes in one daye as Marcus Cato whose sonne dyed when he was appoyncted to be Pretor As all the rest whom we haue reckened vp in ours booke whyche is entituled of the comforte of Philosophye The mournings of all these men I saye what other thyng dyd staye but that they thought sorowe and sadnes to be thynges not properlye belonging to any man So whereas other men delayed with an opinion of dutye do yelde theÌ„ selues to gryefe they thinkinge it a shame did wythstand sorowe Whereby it is euident that griefe of mind consisteth not in the nature of the chaunce but in the opinion of men Agaynst this it is sayde who is there so madde y â— would of his owne voluntary will be sad and mourne Nature bringeth sorowe To the whyche your Crantor saye they thinketh that we ought to yelde For it doth pricke and burden vs neyther can we resyst it So Oileus in Sophocles which comforted Telamon afore when he mourned for the deathe of Aiax he I saye when he hearde of his owne mischaunce was euen ouercome wyth sorowe Of the sodayne chaunge of whose minde these verses are wytnesse I thinke no man so coÌ„stant is whose wytte can serue him so That though he counsayle other to asswage theyr gryefe and woe Yet when that fortune hath on him once layd her heauy stroke Would not be ouercome and wyth his owne hurt straight way broke So that the wordes which he afore to others wysely spake Should slippe awaye as thinges the which aduersity did slake By suche kinde of proofes they go about to perswade that we maye by no meanes withstand nature Yet neuerthelesse they them selues confesse that men sometimes take greater sorowe then nature constraineth them What madnes is it then that we shoulde desyre euery man so to do But there are manye causes of sorowe Fyrste the opinion which we haue that is an euell whiche is chaunced vnto vs. Whyche when we be once perswaded theÌ„ griefe of minde doth necessarilye ensue The second occasion is for that they thynke theyr mourninge to be acceptable to suche as are departed And hereunto is adioyned a certayne effeminate superstition For they thynke that they shall the sooner contente the anger of the immortall gods if they as men astonyed wyth theyr heauy stroke do afâ—lycte and vexe theym selues But in the meane tyme these men marke not howe contrarye they are
so is feare alwayes caused of some griefe that is to come And for that cause some sayde that feare was a certayne braunche of gryefe other some sayd it was the forerunner and guyd of gryefe Wherfore by the same meanes that we maye beare gryefe when it is presente by the same also we maye despyse it that is likelye to â—omâ— For we must take great heede that in them both we do nothing more humblye lowelye wantonlye effeminately or abiect like theÌ„ it becometh a man But although we must treat of the inconstancie weakenes lyghtnes of feare yet it is good to despyse those thinges whiche most men feare And for that cause whether it were by chaunce or els of set purpose it hapned very wel that the first and second daye we reasoned of those thinges whych men most of all feare namelye of death and of payne Our reasons of the whyche who so euer doth like and beare away well he may easelye be rid of feare And hitherto we haue treated of those perturbations whych procede of the opinion of some euell Nowe let vs consider those which are styrred by the opinion of some goodnes Whyche are ioy and desyre And I thinke trulye that of all perturbations of the minde there is one onely cause and that they are al in our power and that we suffer them to enter vpon vs of oure owne voluntarye free will This erroure therefore and fayned opinion must be taken awaye as by reason we make those thinges which seeme to be euell more tollerable so we muste in those thinges also which are thoughte to be greate and notable goodes make oure minde more quiete and peasible And this truly is commen as well to those thinges which are counted euell as also to those whyche are counted good that if there be anye difficultie to perswade that those thinges which trouble his mind are not good or that they are not euell yet neuerthelesse we must haue a seuerall remedye for euery â—ynde of motion For there is one way to helpe an enuious person another to â—elpe a louer One meane to ease a soâ—owefull man and an other to helpe a â—earefull person And truly it were eaâ—ye for such a one as foloweth the true opinion of good and euel to deny that â—â—oole could at anye time be troubled wyth mirthe Because nothinge that â—ood were could happen vnto hym But nowe we speake after the comen â—â—rte Admit that those thinges which 〈◊〉 thoughte in this worlde to be the â—â—â—efest goodes were so in deede I â—eane honour riches pleasure such 〈◊〉 Yet neuerthelesse if we had obteyned anye of the same fonde lyghte â—irth were to be dispraysed As although it be lawful to laugh yet light â—aughter is discommendable For the same faulte is vayne ioye of the minde in mirth that shrinkinge and abatinge â—f courage is in sorowe And euen as lyght and fonde is desyre in coueting as ioye is in obtayninge And as veâ—aâ—â—on in an afflicted so in a ioyful mind vayne mirthe is counted lyghte and whereas to enuye is a braunche of gryefe but to be delighted with other mens mischaunce is a parte of lyghte mirth both sortes are wonte to be reproued by settinge afore theym theyr owne crueltie and fiercenes And as it becometh vs to be bolde but to feare it doth not beseeme vs so we lawefullye maye reioyce but not be drowned in vaine mirth For for to teache more playnely we will at this time disseueâ— ioye and mirth We haue sayd already that the shrynkyng of the minde could neuer be wythout fault But the raysinge or exaltinge of the same mighte well be For otherwyse Hector in Neâ—ius doth reioyce It glads me father that you who were well estâ—emd alwayes Did not disdayn w t blameles toung my simple factes to prayse ¶ And otherwise Cherea in Trabea A baude being greased with money shall be ready at my call My fingers pushe shall cause the doares and gates abrode to fall And forthwyth Chrisis as soone as she shall me there espye Wil merely come to mete me then reioycing me to see What a commoditye and pleasure he thinketh this to be his owne wordes may well declare Thus my good chaunce shall passe the lucke of fortune loe it selfe What a filthy mirth this is it is sufficient that who so euer lyst beholde it maye sufficiently see and looke howe â—eastlye they be that do then reioyce when thei haue obtained the pleasures of the fleshe alyke fylthy are they also which feruently desyre the same But all that which is called loue and truly I can fynde no other name that it hath is of such lyghtnes that I knowe not whereunto I might compare it Of whom Cecilius wryteth Who would not count him now for god and that ryght worthylye Who makes some fooles and other still in ignoraunce lets lye In whose hand madnes is and wit who some meÌ„s hartes hath fierd Some makes beloued some hated eke and some to be desierd O notable poetrye the amender of our liues whiche thinkes that the loue of sinne and the ancthoure of all lyghtenes oughte to be placed emonges the immortall Goddes But hitherto I speake of a comedye Which consisteth of nothing els but such mischieues But what sayeth the prince of the saylers in the ship Argo in a tragedie Thou sauedst me but for my loue and not mine honoures sake This loue of Medea what flames of miserye did it kyndle And yet neuerthelesse she in an other poete dares to saye to her father that she had a husband Whom loue her gaue whose force did passe the dutie she ought him ¶ But let vs geue the Poetes leaue to trifle in whose tales we see this vyce attributed to Iupiter him selfe And let vs come to the Philosophers the maysters of all vertue Whyche denye that thereaboute contend muche with Epicurus Who therein in my opinion lyeth nothinge For what is this loue that men terme frendshippe Or why doth no man loue a foule yonge man or a fayre olde man Trulye I thinke this custome began fyrst in the vniuersities of Greece in the whyche such loue is permitted But well sayde Ennius It is the cause of muche mischyefe and vyce as I suppose That men should vse in open syght theyr bodies to disclose Which sort of meÌ„ if they be honest as I think they may yet is it not wythout great paine and trouble Yea and that so much the more for that they do in maner constrayne theym selues to refrayne And that I maye ouâ—rpasse the loue of women whiche is farre more naturall then the other who doubtes what the Poetes ment by the rape of Ganimedes Or who knoweth not what Laius in Eâ—ripides doth bothe speake and wyshe Furthermore who seeth not what songes and balades the most chiefest and best learned Poetes set forth of theyr owne loues Alceus beynge a man of good reputation in the common wealth yet what toyes wrote he of the loue of yonge
his face had reckened vp a great number of vices in the presence of some of the frendes of Socrates who knewe that he was not faulty in theym they laughed him to scorne But Socrates defended him Sayeng that those sygnes and coniectures were in him in deede But that he did ouercome them wyth reason Wherefore as men beinge in good health may seeme yet some more then other to be giuen to this or that disease so likewyse some mans mynde is more prone to vice then some others But their vices who are not of nature but onely be theyr owne fault vicious consiste of the false opinions of those thinges which they count eyther good or euell And a disease once rooted like as in the bodye so in the minde also is hardly holpen For easier it is to heale a sodayne swellinge of the eyes then a continuall blearynesse So the cause of al perturbations being once knowen whyche take theyr beginninge of the sundrye iudgementes of opinions we will here finishe this dayes disputation For the endes of good and euell beynge knowen as muche as a man may knowe them nothynge more profitable maye be wyshed or desyred of all Philosophye then those thynges which in these foure daies we haue discussed For to the despysynge of death and bearynge of all bodilye payne we ioyned the ease of sorowe Then the whiche there is nothinge more troublous to man For although euerye perturbation be greuous vnto vs and doth not muche differ frome madnes yet when men are in anye of the other perturbations as feare myrth or desyre we saye that they are but troubled or disquieted But those that are subiecte vnto sorowe we terme wretched afflycted and full of calamitye And for that cause it was not by chaunce but well and aduisedlyâ— appoynted by you that we made a seuerall discourse of sorowe from all the other perturbations For in it is the sprynge and fountayne of all miserye But there is one waye to helpe bothe it and also al the other diseases of the minde Namely by the shewynge that they are caused onelye by oure owne fond opinion and will because we thinke it ryght and dutye to take them on vs. This erroure as the roote of all euell philosophye promiseth to pull vppe euen by the rootes Let vs therefore yelde our selues to it and suffer it to heale vs. For as long as these â—uels are wythin vs we shall neyther be happye nor whole Eyther let vs therefore playnelye denye that reason can do any thing whereas in dede nothynge can well be done without it or els inasmuch as philosophie consisteth of the conference of reasons of her yf we wil be eyther good or blessed let vs learne the helpes to attayne to a happye and a blessed lyfe Finis THE FYFT AND LAST booke of M. Tullie Cicero contayning his reasoninge of the last and fifte question which he disputed in his manor of Tusculanum being this in effecte whether vertue onely be sufficient to make a man leade a happye lyfe THis fyfte daye fryende Brutus shal make an ende of our disputations holden in our manor or TusculanuÌ„ in the whiche we reasoned of that Question which you most of all others are wont to allowe For I perceiued both by y â— boke which you wrote vnto me also bi your talk at manye other times that you like this opinion very well Namelye that vertue is sufficiente of it selfe to the mayntayning of a happy and a blessed life Which although it be verye harde to proue because of so manye and sundrye strokes of fortune yet neuerthelesse suche it is that we oughte to trauayle and take paynes for the proofe thereof For there is nothing in al philosophye more grauely or more wisely spoken For inasmuch as it moued all those that first gaue them selues to the studye of philosophye despysynge all other thinges to setle theÌ„ selues wholye to the searchinge of the happyest state of lyfe trulye they tooke so great trauayle and paynes onely in hope to attayne a blessed life And truly if such men haue eyther found out or accomplyshed vertue and if they found sufficient ayde in onelye vertue for the attayninge of a blessed lyfe who woulde not iudge that well and worthelye both they did fyrst inuent and we also haue folowed the studie of philosophy But if vertue beinge subiecte to sundrye and vncertayne chaunces is the slaue of fortune and not of sufficiente ability to mayntayne her selfe I feare muche then least it be all one to truste to the ayde of vertue for the obtaining of a blessed life to sit still aâ—d wishe after the same In deede remembring manye times the chaunces wyth the whyche fortune hath galled me I beginne to mistruste this opinion and to feare the weakenes and frayletye of mankynde For I am wonte to feare least inasmuch as nature hath geuen vs weake bodyes to the whyche also she hath fastned sundrye sortes of incurable diseases intollerable grieues least she I say hath likewise geuen vs mindes agreable to the diseases greues of our body And also of theÌ„ selues wrapped in other seuerall cares troubles But in this poynct I correct my selfe For that I iudge of the strength of vertue according to the wantonnes and weakenes of other yea and perchaunce of my selfe and not by vertue it selfe For vertue trulye if there be anye such thing at all whyche doubt if there were any your fathers brother O Brutus hath already taken away hath vndoubtedly all chaunces whych may happen to man in subiection vnder it and despysyng theym contempneth all worldly casualtye and beyng it selfe voyde of all blame thinketh that nothing besides it it selfe is requisite vnto it But we encreasing all aduersitie while it is comminge wyth feare and wheÌ„ it comes wyth sorowe will condemne rather those thinges whyche naturalâ—ye are good then oure owne pernicious erroure But as well of this faulte as also of all the rest we must seeke the redresse in philosophye Into whose bosome beinge in the very beginninge of my age led by myne owne will and earneste desyre nowe after that I was tost wyth most troublesome stormes I haue euen fled to the same as to the hauen from the whych I once departed O philosophy the guyde of our lyfe the searcher of vertue the expeller of vice what were not we onely but generally all the life of man able to do wythout thee Thou foundedst cityes thou reclaymedst men whiles they were yet wylde and wanderers to a commen societye and feloweshippe of life thou bredst loue betwyxt theym fyrste by neyghbourhoode nexte by mariage and laste of all by communicatinge of talke and wrytinge Thou wast the inuenter of lawes the mistres of maners and of all good order To the we flye of the we aske succour To the euen as afore for some part so nowe I geue my selfe wholye to be ruled and gouerned For one daye wel spent accordinge to thy preceptes is to be preferred wel night
afore immortality Whose ayde therefore should we rather vse then thyne Who both hast graunted vs the quietnes of lyfe and also hast taken from vs the feare and dread of death But so muche it lackes that philosophye is so much commended as it hath deserued of the life of man that it is of the most part neglected of many wholy dispraysed Who woulde thynke that any man durst to disprayse the parent of his life and so defyle him selfe with parriâ—ide and shewe him selfe so vnnaturallye vnkynde as to disprayse her whych he ought to feare yea though he could not vnderstande But I thynke this errour and miste is bredde in the heartes of the vnlearned because they are not able to discerne the truthe and for that cause thinke that they were not philosophers who did fyrste helpe to garnyshe the lyfe of man And truly though this studye of it selfe be moste auncient of all others yet the name is but newe For wysedome trulye who can denye to be ryght auncient as wel in deede as in worde whych obtayned this worthy name amonges the auncient sages for that it doth consiste of the knoweledge as well of heauenlye thinges as earthlye Of the beginninges causes and nature of euerye thinge And for that cause those seuen whych of the Greekes are called Sophi oâ—r forefathers both counted and also named wyse So called they Licurgus likewyse many yeares afore in whose time it is reported that Homere liued afore y â— building of our citye We haue heard also that when the halfe gods liued on the earth Ulixes and Nestor both were in deede and also were called wise Neyther truly had it bene reported that Atlas sustayneth the heauen or that Prometheus lyeth â—ounde to the hill Caucasus or that Cepheus is placed amonge the starres wyth his wife sonne in lawe and doughter vnlesse theyr knoweledge in heauenlye matters had fyrst caused such tales to be raised of their names Whom all the rest that since haue folowed and placed theyr studye in the contemplation of the nature of thinges were both counted and also named wyse Which name continued vntil the time of Pithagoras Who as Heraclides borne in Pontus a scoler of Plato a man verye well learned doth wryte came to Phliuns a citie in Greece And there reasoned bothe learnedlye and largelye wyth Leo the chyefe of the same towne Whose wyt and eloquence Leo wonderinge at asked of him in what arte he was mooste perfecte Whereunto he aunswered that he knewe no arte But that he was a louer of wysedome Leo wonderynge at the straungenes of the name asked of him who were those louers of wisedome And what difference was betwyxte them and other men Whereunto Pithagoras aunswered that the lyfe of man myght well be resembled to that fayre whych wyth al pompe of playes al Greece is wont to frequent and soleÌ„pnyse For like as there some by the exercise of theyr bodyes woulde assaye to winne some game crowne and some other came thither for the desyre to gayne by byeng and sellynge and also there was a thirde sorte farre passing al the rest who sought neither game nor gaynes but came thither onelye to beholde and see what was done and howe so likewyse we comminge into this life as it were into a great frequented fayre or market seke some for glory and some for money But very fewe there are which despisynge all other thinges woulde studye the contemplatioÌ„ of nature But those he sayde were they whome he called the louers of wisedome And like as there it is counted a greater worship to come for the syghte of thinges than to medle wyth byenge and sellynge euen so lykewyse in this lyfe the contemplacion and knowledge of thinges did farre excell all other worldlye troubles Neyther truly was Pythagoras onely the inuentour of this name but also an increaser of the studye it selfe Who when after this communication at Phliuns he came into Italy enstructed that countrey whych is nowe called great Greece bothe priuatelye and also openlye wyth moste notable orders and artes Of whose doctryne perhaps we shal haue some more commodious time to speake But that philosophye whych in auncient time was in vse till the time of Socrates who was the hearer of Archelaus the scoler of Socrates dyd onelye treate of numbers and motions and whereof al thinges were made and whereinto they did ende They did also curiouslye search out the quantity distaunce and courses of the starres and other heaueÌ„ly bodyes But Socrates fyrste of all turned philosophy from the consideration of the heauenly motions and placed it in cityes and brought it euen into our housen makynge it to reason of our life and maners of al thinges that are good and euell Whose sundrye kinde of reasoninge wyth the varietie of the thinges them selues and the sondrye compasses of mens wits made diuers sectes of dissenting philosophers Of all the which I folowe that which I suppose Socrates dyd vse Namelye to conceale mine owne opinion and reproue other mens errours And in al reasoning to enquere what is most likely to be true Which custome inasmuche as Carneades did continue maruaylous wittelie and copiously I also enforced my selfe to do the same of late in my maner of Tusculanum And the talke of our firste foure dayes I haue already sent vnto you reported in as many bookes But the fyft daye wheÌ„ we came to our accustomed place thus began our reasoninge Hea. I thinke that vertue is not sufficient of it selfe to make a happye and a blessed lyfe Mar. Trulye my frende Brutus thinkes the contrary Whose iudgement you must geue me leaue to saye my fancie I do alwayes preferre afore yours Hea. I do not doubte thereof neyther is it nowe in controuersy how much you loue him But I woulde heare your opinion what you thynke of that whych I haue proposed Mar. Do you denye that vertue of it selfe is sufficient to make a mans life blessed Hea. Yea truly Mar. What maye not a man with vertue onely liue wel honestly and laudablye Hea. Yes trulye Mar. Can you then saye that either he whiche liueth yll is not wretched or that he whyche liueth well liueth not also happelye Hea. What els for euen in tormentes a man maye lyue well honestly and commendably So you vnderstand howe I meane to liue wel Which is to liue constantly grauelye wyselye and stoutelye For these do sticke by a man euen when he is on the racke Yet there is no happye life Mar. Why so wil you shut a blessed life onely oute of the prison doare when constancye grauitye fortitude and wysedome may enter wythin the same and refuse no pryson punyshemente nor payne Hea. Trulye if you minde to moue me you must seke some other reasons then those not onely because they are commen but also because like as colde wines haue no taste in the water so these reasons delyghte me rather in the fyrst taste then when I haue dronke them vp As this
set at nought The other philosophers sticke more And with more payne swimme oute of the myer I meane Epicurus and Hieronimus all the rest whiche a say to defend the eloquent Carneades For there is none of them whiche thinketh that the minde oughte to be the iudge of all goods or that doth accustome the same to despise those thinges whych onely haue the apparaunce eyther of good or euell For what soeuer thou thinke O Epicure the same wil both Hieronimus and Carneades and also all the rest saye Yet who of them is there not sufficiently prouided agaynst death or gryefe Let vs begin of him if you please whom we call so wanton and full of pleasure Doth not he thinke you despyse death and paine who counteth that daye in the whyche he shall dye happy and blessed And thinketh that suche as are in the greatest panges of payne may comfort theÌ„ selues with the remembraunce of pleasures past Neyther yet doth he speake that as if he did rashely blabbe it out For his reason why death oughte not to be feared is this Because when the life is gone al sense is past And when we are once withoute sence or feelinge there is no maner chaunce that maye greue vs. Also he hath certayne remedies for griefe For if it be greate he comforteth him selfe with the shortnes of the time that it shall endure And if it be long then he thinketh that space of time wil make it waxe lyghter and lyghter I praye you in what better case are al the graue philosophers against these two most dreadful â—uels then Epicurus Also agaynst all the other which are counted euels are not Epicurus and all the other philosophers sufficieÌ„tly armed Who is there that doth not feare pouertye And yet what philosopher is there yea or Epicurus him selfe wyth howe litle is he content No man hath spoken or written more of a spare and bare life For inasmuch as he doth so muche auâ—yde all those thinges which necessarily requyre money Namely loue ambition and such like Whatâ— cause might ther be why he should eyther desyre or care for money Coulde Anacharses a Scithian despyse money and shall not our philosophers be able to do the same There is an epistle of his writeÌ„ in this maner Anacharses to Hanno sendeth greeting My clothing is a beastes skin â—f Scithia My shoes are the harde brawne in the sooles of my feete My bed is the ground My sauce is honger My meate is milke butter and fleshe Wherefore you may wel come quietly vnto me But as for those gyftes with the which you thinke you should pleasure me I pray you geue theym eyther to your owne citesins or els to the immortall gods Truly all philosophers of whatsoeuer secte they were vnlesse they be suche as a vicious nature hath turned from the rule of reason maye well be of the same minde Socrates when there was a great plenty of gold and siluer brought vnto him now lord quod he howe litle do I passe for such store Xenocrates when the messengers whych came to him from Alexander had brought him twenty talentes whiche was counted at that tyme at Athenes inespeciallye a great summe of money he brought the ambassadors into that place where Plato once kept his scoole and there made them a supper onely of so muche as was sufficient without any great cost And when they asked him on the morowe to whoÌ„ he would haue theym tell the money Why quod he did you not vnderstand by the supper I made you y e laste night that I lacke no money But when he sawe them very sadde at that sayenge he toke thirty poundes least he should seeme to despise the kinges liberalitie But Diogenes wheÌ„ Alexander asked what he lacked aunswered more like a currishe philosopher Sayenge stande out of the sonne For he stoode betwixt the sonne and him And he was wonte to dispute how much he did surmount the king of Persia in a happy lyfe and good lucke Sayeng that he lacked nothing and the other would neuer hauâ— enough And that he desyred not pleasures wyth the which the other could not be satisfyed And y t those pleasures which he felt the other might neuer attayne You remember I thinke howe Epicurus deriued the sondry sortes of desyres although not ouer suttelly yet commodiously enough Sayenge that they are partly naturall and necessary and partly neyther naturall nor necessary And that suche as are necessary may be contented and suffised wel nie with nothing For sufficieÌ„t for nature may lightly be gotten But the seconde sort he thinkes it neyther harde to obtayne neyther yet to lacke And the thrd because they were vtterly vaine and fonde and were requisite neyther for necessity nor nature he said ought vtterlye to be rooted out Hereabout the folowers of Epicurus reasoÌ„ much and do debase and despise in their talk these pleasures very much Which neuerthelesse they do not despyse but seeke to haue plentye of For both they saye that filthy pleasures of the which they haue great talke are easy coÌ„mon and riâ—e to be gotteÌ„ and also if nature do require theÌ„ they thinke they oughte to be measured by beautye age and hansomnes And that it is nothinge harde to abstayne from them if eyther our health duty or fame do so requireâ— And that this kind of pleasure is then best when it hurteth not For it neuer profyteth And all these preceptes of pleasures he gaue to y â— ende he would shewe that pleasure for it selfe onely because it is pleasure is to be wyshed and desyred And contrarywise that payne onely because it is payne ought to be hated and auoyded And this moderatioÌ„ he thinketh a wise man ought to vse Namelye to flye pleasure if he think that it wil bring a greater paine And to suffer payne if he thinke it wil cause a greater pleasure And that all pleasure although it be iudged by the senses of the bodye yet neuerthelesse â—ught to be referred to the minde And that for that cause the bodye doth reioyce onelye so longe as it doth feele the pleasure present But the mind do both ioye with the bodye and also wheÌ„â—t foresâ—es anye pleasure comming or remembreth that which is paste So that a wyse man must needes haue a continual and an euerlasting pleasure Inasmuche as to the hope of suche as are comming he did ioyne also the remembraunce of such as are past Such like also is theyr talke as concerninge moderation of fare They disprayse all magnificence and cost in bankets Sayeng that nature is coÌ„tented with a litle For trulye who knowes not that the best sauce is lacke or want Darius when in his flyght he dranke muddye and stinking water sayd that he neuer dranke a sweter draught For truly he was neuer afore thirsty when he dranke No â—dre had Pâ—olomeus eaten at any time wyth honger To whom when as he rode his progresse in Egipte and strayed from his garde a certaine old