freely to giue counsaile in that thing which concerneth the dutie of a good man or the charge wherunto we are called The sages vertuous men heretofore haue alwaies shewed themselues to be such in their free counsailes wise declarations as hereafter we may handle more largly In the meane time we may haue here Demaratus for an example of this commendable libertie of speech who comming from Corinth into Macedonia when Phillip was at variance with his wife with his son was demanded by the king whether the Graecians did agree wel among themselues Truly sir quoth he to him it becommeth you wel to inquire after the concord of the Athenians Peloponesians in the meane while to suffer your owne house to be ful of diuision and domesticall discord Diogenes also being gon to the camp of the same Phillip at the same time that he returned from making war against the Grecians being led before him the king asked him if he were not a spy Yes truely answered the philosopher I am a spy com hither to espy thy impudency folly who not constrained by any dost set downe as it were on a dicing boord in the hazard of one houre both thy kingdome life Demosthenes being demanded of the tirant Epemetes why he wept so bitterly for the death of a philosopher a cōpanion of his seeing it was a strang matter to see wisemē weepe yea altogither vnbeseeming their profession know said he to him that I weepe not for the death of this philosopher but bicause thou art aliue For I tel thee that in the Academies we are more sorrowfull for the life of the wicked than for the death of good men Let vs learne then by your present discourse that talke being the messenger of thought discloseth our maners a great deal more than the lines draughts of our face do And as that tree whose root is drie can haue no greene leaues so from a vicious and corrupted soule nothing but vile filthy speeches can proceede which a wise man ought wholy to shunne bicause to make small account of euill words leadeth a man by litle and little to dishonest deeds Let all vaine speech also be banished from vs and let vs take great heed that we neuer speake either in sport or earnest any one word that is not tru knowing that to be true in word is the beginning and foundation of a notable vertue Moreouer let vs know that truth is not onely betraied of those that speake falsely and maintaine a lie but also of those that dare not confesse and defende it publikely Let vs know that aboue all things we must dedicate our voice and speech to sing the praises of God remembring the saying of that holy man Gordius who as he was led to the place of punishment was exhorted by some to leaue his opinion and so saue his life To whom he answered that the toong ought to vtter nothing that is iniurious to the Creator thereof Lastly let vs know that we must refer euery word to the glory of his name and to the profit of our neighbors The end of the third daies worke THE FOVRTH DAIES WORKE Of Friendship and of a friend Chap. 13. ASER. MAn being a reasonable creature borne for ciuill societie to obserue lawes and iustice and to exercise in the world all duties of gentlenes and goodnes the fairest and most fruitfull seede that God hath infused and sowne in his soule and that draweth him to this ende is loue and charitie towards his like But as euerie action of mans life standeth in need to be guided by the vertue of Prudence whereof we discoursed yesterday so in truth she is verie necessarie in euerie good and vnfained friendship For this cause I thinke companions that we shall obserue the order of our discourses if we begin this daies worke with the handling of friendship and of the true and perfect dutie of a friend AMANA Nothing that seemeth to be profitable whether it be honor riches pleasure or whatsoeuer else is of this kinde ought to be preferred in any respect before friendship Yea a man is to make more account of friends as Socrates said then of any other mortall thing ARAM. Perfect friendship saith Aristotle is to loue our friend more for his benefit than for our owne and therefore a friend is alwaies profitable and necessary But he is greatly deceiued saith Homer that seeketh for a friend in the court and prooueth him at a feast But let vs heare ACHITOB discourse hereupon ACHITOB. Rare things are commonly most esteemed amongst men the more pretious they are of their owne nature so much the more are they had in request This we may very aptly apply to a friend seeing there is nothing so rare as one that is vnfained and stedfast neither any thing so excellent and perfect as he is if he be a good and prudent man And for this cause the philosophers accounted friendship to be the chiefest and most excellent good of fortune as being least of all subiect to hir and most necessarie for man But bicause the wickednes of men is so great in these daies that nothing is so sacred and holy which is not violated corrupted brought to confusion no maruell if men impudently abuse this name of a friend so much reuerenced in olde time that some take it to themselues being altogither vnwoorthie thereof and others as freely although to their losse and shame grant them this excellent title and esteeme them for such in truth towards them as they falsely vaunt themselues to be But that we be not deceiued with the greater number which is not alwaies the surest marke let vs briefly consider what friendship is what fruits spring from hir who may rightly challenge this title of a friend what maner of one we ought to choose how we must trie him before we take him for such a one then the meanes whereby to keepe him and lastly what mutuall dutie friends are to vse one towards another First we say with Socrates that true friendship cannot be framed but by the helpe and grace of God who draweth like to the loue of his like that euerie perfect friendship is to bee linked with the bond of charitie and ought to be referred to God as to our soueraigne good and cheefest friend and therefore that true friendship cannot be setled betweene the wicked who being at discord within themselues can haue no concorde and agreement one with another Moreouer there is to be found in friendship whatsoeuer men thinke woorthie to be desired as honestie glorie tranquillitie of minde and pleasure and consequently a happie life which cannot bee amongst the wicked Friendship is a communion of a perpetuall will the end whereof is fellowship of life and it is framed by the perfect habit of a long continued loue Whereby wee may perceiue that there is a difference betwixt loue and
side if we acquaint our selues and take delight in enuying the welfare of our enimies we shall do the like many times to our friends as we see experience thereof in many at this day who are so touched with this vice that they reioice at the euil which happeneth to their wel-willers and to such as are the occasion of their good preferment But if we be desirous to discharge our duetie towards our neighbours for whose profite we are borne let vs seeke to practise that sentence of Cicero that an honest man good citizen neuer ought to be moued with hatred or enuy vpō supposed crimes no not towards his enimy wishing to die rather thā to offend against Iustice which is an vtter enimie to that vice This also will be a good helpe and meane to keepe vs from backbiting if we eschew al kind of scoffing which as Theophrastus saith is nothing else but a close and coloured reproofe of some fault which by little and little inureth him that mocketh to back bite another openly and vntruly This great imperfection of gibing is very familiar amongst vs although it be as vnseemely for an honorable personage as some other more infamous vice But to the end we may haue better occasion to keepe vs from it let vs know that many times a man is more mooued with a gibing gird than with an iniurie bicause this latter proceedeth commonly from the vehemencie of sudden choler euen against his will that vttereth it but the other is more taken to hart as that which seemeth to come from a setled wil and purpose to offer wrong and from a voluntarie malitiousnes without any necessitie If we be disposed to be merie as sometimes opportunitie place and persons inuite vs thereunto let it be done with a good grace and without offence to any Now although enuie and backbiting by reason of their pernitious effects are so odious to all honorable and vertuous personages yet no other reuenge is to be sought or desired than that punishment which followeth and groweth with the vice it selfe which neuer suffereth him that is touched therewith to enioy any rest in his soule as we haue already learned Neither is there any great care to be had for the matter seeing enuious persons and backbiters are no waies able to bite the deserts of good men But if we would haue their punishment augmented and doubled there is no better way than to studie so much the more to do well as we see them labor more earnestly to enuie and to condemne our dealings For as the Sunne being directly ouer the top of any thing whatsoeuer if it leaue any shadow at all yet is it but short and little bicause the light thereof is dispersed round about the same so the excellencie of vertue glorie honor in the end constraineth the venemous toong to drinke and to swallow downe hir owne poison not daring to bring it againe in sight whereby enuie and blame are as it were wholy extinguished and vnable to hurt good men any more This reason caused Phillip king of Macedonia to make this answere to certaine who told him that the Graecians spake ill of him behind his backe notwithstanding he did them much good and therefore willed him to chastice them What would they do then quoth this noble and gentle Prince if we should doe them any harme But they make me become a better man For I striue dailie both in my wordes and deedes to prooue them lyars And another time as his friendes counselled him to put to death or to banish a Gentleman of Macedonia who continued in slandering him he would not doe either of both saying that it was no sufficient cause to condemne him to death and as for banishing him he sayd that it was a great deale better if he stirred not out of Macedonia where all men knewe that he lyed than if he went amongst strangers to speake ill of him who bicause they knewe him not well might peraduenture admit his slander as true Whereby this vertuous Prince at one tyme shewed foorth the effectes of three excellent vertues first of Clemencie in that hee would not put him to death of whome he had receiued great iniurie then of Magnanimitie in contemning iniurie and lastly of woonderfull Prudence in that he did not banish him And in deede he was of such a gentle nature that he would neuer punish them that gaue him an euill report but rather tooke away the occasion thereof as heeretofore we haue in part mentioned it And for a greater testimonie of the goodnes of this Monarch the answere he made to them that counselled him to destroy the citie of Athens deserueth well to be heere set downe I doe all thinges quoth he to them for glorie how then should I destroy Athens which by reason of learning is the Theater of glorie The example of Demetrius Phalerius a Prince of immortall renowne serueth fitly to teach vs what small account we are to make of the dealings of enuious men so farre ought we to be from caring either for their dooings or sayings When word was brought to this Prince that the Athenians mooued with enuie against him had broken downe those three hundred images which were before erected in their streete of Ariopagus to his honour and thereupon was prouoked by his Councel to be reuenged of them he said The Athenians may well throw downe my images but they are not able to abase my vertues for whose sake my images were heeretofore erected for a publike spectacle And truely those actes of Princes which being done in their life time are woorthie of memorie may serue them for an euerlasting monument and not Images Tombs made with mens hands which length of time besides a thousand other accidents may bring to pouder Neither are they depriued of the same glorie that liue vnder the gouernment of great men when according to their places and callings they direct their actions to the benefite and safetie of the Common-wealth For whensoeuer enuie laboureth to hurt them with supposed crimes their innocencie as Horace saith will be vnto them in place of an inexpugnable tower of brasse so that being assured of that they neede not stand in any feare of the cruell teeth of slanderers Therefore Socrates being reprooued by Hermogenes bicause he did not once dreame of defending himselfe when he was accused made this answere I haue dreamed of that all my life time by striuing to liue well To conclude then our present discourse let vs learne to vncloath our hartes of all enuie and hatred which procure so many turbulent and hurtfull passions in the soule and ouerthrowe all that charitie and loue which we ought to beare towards euery one Let vs feare this sentence pronounced by the holie spirite that whosoeuer hateth his brother is a man slayer And if we see that vice and imperfections raigne in our like let vs hate their
denied him at the first when he became a suter vnto hir but after in processe of time she consented thervnto When they were come to the Temple of Diana to solemnize the mariage before the aultar she powred forth a little of that drinke which she had prepared in a cup and drinking part thereof she gaue the residue to Synorix to drinke The liquor was made of water honie and poison mingled togither When she saw that he had drunke all she fetched a great and loud grone and vsing reuerence towards the Goddesse sayd vnto hir I call thee to witnes that I haue not ouer-liued Sinatus my husband for any other intent than to see this daie neither haue I enioyed any good or pleasure in all this time wherein I haue since liued but only in hope that one daie I should be able to reuenge his death which being nowe perfourmed by me I goe cheerefully and with ioy vnto my husband But as for thee most wicked man quoth she to Synorix take order now that thy friends and kinsfolkes in steede of a wedding bed prepare a buriall for thee And so within a little while after both of them ended their daies Macrina the wife of Torquatus loued hir husband so feruently and was so sorowfull for his absence that for one yeeres space wherein he was gone vpon a voyage she neuer went out of hir house nor looked out of hir windowe We read that many women of Lacedemonia when their husbands were condemned to die for conspiring against their countrie came one euening clothed in blacke to the prison vnder colour to take their finall farewell of them and changing their apparell they couered their husbands with their vailes who went out and left their wiues in their place which sustaining the punishment due to others were beheaded contrarie to humanitie not without great patience shewed on their behalfe Histories are plentifull in shewing the great loue of women towards their husbands Yea I will not be afraid to speake it men are farre inferior vnto them in perfection of loue Wherefore we will conclude that it is easier for them to be dutifull to their husbands whome as we haue alreadie sayd if they loue esteeme and honour no doubt but they are the chiefe cause of all peace and concord in their families and of the prosperous successe of their houshold affaires to the quietnes and contentation of their happie life and to the immortall praise and honour of their good name The ende of the twelfth dates worke THE THIRTEENTH DAIES WORKE Of the dutie of the Head of a familie in other parts of the house namely in the Parentall Maisterlie and Possessorie part Chap. 49. ASER. IT is not without great shew of reason which many Philosophers maintaine that the Oeconomicall science that is to say the art of ruling a house well is one of the chiefest partes of policie which is the art of skilfull gouerning a great multitude of men The reason is bicause a Towne or Citie is nothing else but an assemblie of manie families and houses togither which will be verie harde for one onelie man to order well and iustlie if he knowe not howe to set that order in his familie which is necessarie and to guide it with sound reason and true prudence Moreouer when families are well gouerned no doubt but it goeth well with the Common-wealth as we see that the whole bodie is in good helth when euery seueral member doth his dutie Nowe that we haue considered particularly of that which concerneth the first and principall part of a house and of the mutuall dutie of the husband and wife I thinke my Companions we are to beginne this daies worke with instructing our selues in that which the head of a familie ought to keepe and obserue in other parts of his house mētioned before by vs namely his children seruants and possessions seeing we are taught by the Apostle that he which prouideth not for his owne and namely for them of his houshold denieth the faith and is woorse than an Infidell AMANA Euery house must be ruled by the eldest as by a king who by nature commandeth ouer euery part of the house and they obey him for the good preseruation thereof ARAM. Euery man by right saith Homer hath rule ouer his wife and children and he is not woorthy to haue any that wanteth sufficient vertue and prudence to gouerne them well Go to then ACHITOB let vs learne of thee what belongeth to the parts of a house now mentioned by vs. ACHITOB. Anacharsis one of the wise men of Grecia said that a house is not to be called good bicause it is well built and of good stuffe but men must iudge thereof by that which is within which belongeth to the house as namely by the children wife seruants with whome being wise and well qualified if the father of a familie communicateth and imparteth of that which he hath whether it be in the bottome of a caue or vnder the shade of a bough he may be said to dwell in a good and happie house Therefore it is no small happines and felicitie for them that are called to the gouernment of a familie when they see it wise and well nurtured in euery part But as nerues and sinewes being the instruments of sence and motion proceede and are deriued from the head which by them infuseth into all parts of the bodie the Animal spirite without which the bodie could not exercise any naturall function of sence and moouing so the parts of a house commonly receiue the habite of manners and conditions from the father of a family as from the head therof but then especially when he is prudent and wise and imploieth his care diligence and industrie thereupon Therefore a good housholder must beginne the right gouernment of his house at himself by letting his houshold see that he is prudent chast sober peaceable but chiefly religious and godly as also by bringing foorth plentifull fruits of his dutie towards those that are vnder his charge For as the anger and threatnings of the head of a familie astonisheth his children and seruants so his good workes harteneth them on to do well Now bicause there is varietie of houses whose difference is commonly taken from the goods and abilitie of men which abound to some and are wanting to others I will propound heere as my purpose and meaning was before a meane house in all pointes perfect and as we vse to say neither poore nor rich from which notwithstanding both great and small may draw instruction for their gouernment We haue alreadie seene that a house is diuided into foure partes whereof the coniugall or wedlocke part hath beene alreadie handled by vs. Now we must consider of the other three I meane of the Parentall Maisterlie and Possessorie parts And I thinke it will be best to follow that order which is most vsuall in the perfection and progresse of
vpon no other vse than vpō the paiment of his men of war as also to keepe that money apart from his ordinary receipts But bicause this is not duely obserued the people are doubly vexed for they pay their money and yet are polled on all sides Notwithstanding all these ordinarie charges the poore pesants would thinke themselues happie if they were discharged by erecting victualing tents for the men of warre as they haue been forced to doe of late yeeres Now what good issue can be hoped for when the souldiors through an vnbrideled licence sack spoile and burne the poore subiects This hath alwayes been seene that houses families kingdoms and Empires haue come to ruine and pouertie bicause the poore were contemned and the subiects giuen ouer to the robberies of souldiors The immoderate licence of the Pretorian souldiours who were to the emperors as the Ianitzaries are to the Turke and of other men of warre was no small helpe to ouerthrowe the Romane Empire For taking vpon them to elect Emperours at their pleasure one was chosen in one armie and an other else-where and presently murdered by those that had elected them Their insolencie also caused seditions and ciuill warres whereupon those kingdoms and countreys that were vnder the Romane obedience reuolted And it commeth to passe oftentimes that their vnruly behauiour incenseth the people in such sort against them that their destruction followeth As it hapned to all the Frenchmen that were in the I le of Sicilia in the yeere 1281. vpon Easter day at the first peale to Euensong at what time they were all put to death by a secret conspiracie for their insolencies and whoredoms whereupon this prouerbe doth yet remaine amongst vs The Sicilian Euensong There is no corner of this kingdom where the people being halfe mad through the iniuries receiued from the men of warre haue not committed infinite and cruell massacres We may not here forget to propound the wise and warlike discipline of Bellizarius lieutenaunt generall to the Emperor Iustinian who for valure and temperance was equall to the ancient Romanes as histories testifie of him which was the cause that he reconquered all Italy possessed by the Barbariās Not long since during the warre of Piemont which was a very schoole of vertue and of warrelike knowledge the pesaunt husbandman and artificer were suffered quietly at their worke the warre continuing betweene warriours onely for the possession and not the ruine of the countrey And as the people were then glad to receiue amongst them such armies so they dispaire no lesse at this day bicause all warlike discipline all policie both diuine and humane is in such sort extinguished yea all kind of humanitie and societie which is to be seen amongst barbarous people that it is lawfull for Frenchmen to sacke spoile and put to ransome Frenchmen that are many times of the same side faith and condition and that without punishment But let vs not looke for prosperitie and good successe in our enterprises before there be some other order and discipline obserued The ende of the seuenteenth dayes worke THE EIGHTEENTH DAIES WORKE Of the office and dutie of a Generall Chap. 69. ASER. THose men commonly prosper in their affairs that vnderstand them throughly and manage them well diligently considering aduisedly what hath beene heretofore that they may in some sort iudge of that which is to come bicause all worldly things haue euermore some agreement with the ages past Which commeth of this that beyng the works of men they haue had and will alwayes haue like formes and therfore must of necessitie haue like effectes But the cause of the good or euill successe of men in respect of mans nature consisteth in this that the meanes and maner of proceeding iumpe with the time wherein the very condition therof and the occasion offred is diligently to be obserued And if this consideration taketh place in all priuate affaires it is much more necessarie in warre wherein a light fault oftentimes procureth losse ouerthrow to a whole armie whose good or ill happe dependeth of the head and leader therof according as he is either woorthy or vnwoorthy of his charge My opinion therfore is my companions that we alleage in this place whatsoeuer we know belongeth to his duetie and office I propound now the discourse of this matter to you AMANA Men disdaine commonly to obey such as know not how to commaund well Therfore euery Generall of an armie ought to labour carefully that men may behold and see a certaine greatnes magnanimitie constancie in all his doings ARAM. A Generall must be had in estimation of his souldiors and of that reputation that they may giue credite to his prudence otherwise an army doth quickly become rebellious and troublesome to be guided But let vs learne more amply of ACHITOB whatsoeuer concerneth this matter ACHITOB. Lamachus a great Athenian captain sayd that no man must offend twise in warre bicause the faults are of so great waight that for the most part they bring with thē the ouerthrow of the state or losse of life to those that commit them and therefore that it was a hard and daungerous matter to haue experience thereof So that Prudence gotten by vse ought to bee hastened forward bicause it is deerly bought so long a cōming that oftentimes death preuenteth it It must be hastned forward by the diligent enquirie of those things that haue fallen out both before since our time that we may become wise by other mens perils For this cause it is very necessarie that whosoeuer taketh vpon him the honor of guiding an armie should exercise his minde as much in science and in the knowledge of histories as he doth his body in all martiall actes that so he may diligently obserue the deedes of famous personages see how they gouerned themselues in warres and examine the causes of their victory thereby to flie the one and to follow the other And bicause it is against reason that a well armed man should obey him that is vnarmed or that they should take the rudder out of the Pilots hand to saue the ship in a storme that haue no skill in sea-faring matters it is very requisite that whosoeuer vndertaketh to commaund an army should first haue gotten a good report of all men for his valure and greatnesse of courage whereby his authoritie will be reuerenced as being bestowed vpō one that is woorthy of it forasmuch as titles of dignitie do not honor men but men are an ornament to titles Now if souldiors haue conceiued a good opinion of the desert and valure of their captaine it will be as a sharpe spur to pricke them forward in well doing and cause them to honor to loue his commandements For true zeale of vertue that is to say the desire to imitate it is not imprinted in mens harts but through a singular good will reuerence towards that
not with profit enter into this schoole of nature and reape commoditie by this little light of naturall knowledge which as it serued to make them without excuse that were endued therewith bicause they knowing God did not glorifie him as god neither were thankfull but became vaine in their imaginations so it is to be feared that those selfe same men shal rise vp in iudgement against vs that professe Christianitie and condemne vs in that great and terrible day For how many of vs want that knowledge of the eternall power diuinitie prouidence of God which was in Parmenides Plato Aristotle others endued onely with the light of nature whereby they were led from the view of the creatures to the consideration of the inuisible things of God And if we looke into the liues of men in these daies consider what neglect there is of those mutuall duties which God commandeth vs to exhibite one to another we shall soone see that many a million of carnall Gospellers come farre short euen of those ciuill apparant and halfe vertues of the Heathen may therefore be sent backe to learne holines of Socrates iustice and innocencie of Aristides charitie of Cymon vpright dealing of Phocion fidelitie in perfourming promises of Regulus moderation of Camillus parsimonie of Curius grauitie of Cato what not of Heathen men whose sight in these thinges was better at midnight than ours is at mid-day But my meaning is not to approoue that Apocriphal tradition of Clemens Alexandrinus who saith that as the Lawe was a schoole-maister to the Iewes to leade them to Christ so Philosophy was to the Grecians to bring them to saluation Now although this erronious doctrine be as contrary to truth as darkenes is to light and as hel is to heauen yet did Andradius defend it in a booke set foorth by him at their instigation as himselfe protesteth who were of greatest authoritie in the late Tridentine Councell Doth not the Lorde by the mouth of Esay tell vs that there is no light in them that haue not recourse to the Lawe and to the testimonie and speake not according to his word Esay 8. 20. Dooth not our Sauiour Christ sende vs to the Scriptures for euerlasting life Iohn 5. 39. Howe then dare anie professing Christianitie affirme that Philosophers by the light of nature and knowledge of Philosophie without the direction of the written word of God were made partakers of the righteousnes that commeth by faith and so consequently of eternall happines But to let this blasphemous mouth passe let vs make that account of the writings of men which they deserue and reape that commoditie by them which we may without preiudice to the written word For my meaning is not in commending Philosophie to giue greater credite vnto it or further to allow the vse thereof than may stand with the maiestie of the holy and sacred Scripture which being the Mistres of all humane arts and disciplines vseth them as hir handmaids to serue and obeie hir Therefore as it is vnseemly for a maid-seruant to go before hir Mistres to speake before she be spoken vnto or to vse three words for hir one especially in companie where seruice and modestie is most required so it beseemeth not the ambassadors of Gods word vnto whom indeed the knowledge of toongs and humane arts is a singular helpe to vse these gifts otherwise than as handmaids in their studies and meditations to setue the Scripture to the more plaine and pure exposition of it seeing they are sent to edifie others and not to set our themselues Now when they stuffe a great part of their speech with poeticall philosophicall sayings and examples as also they are woont to alledge Hebrew Greeke and Latine sentences to draw men into admiration of their great learning they set the Mistres behind and giue the first and chiefest place vnto the handmaidens Is not this To make the crosse of Christ of none effect I. Cor. I. 17. To vse that kind of preaching that standeth in the inticing speech of mans wisedome and not in plaine euidence and power is it not to build faith vpon the wisedom of men and not vpon the power of God I. Cor. 2. 4. 5. If disagreement of matter and forme be vnseemely how vndecent is it in spirituall doctrine to vse a carnal and humane kind of teaching I. Cor. 2. 13 to alay the strength of the word of Christ with the waterish sayings fables of men to put vpon the naked and glorious face of God the beggerly clokes of Poets Philosophers When the Lorde hath sanctified not the corruptible seede of the sayings of men but the incorruptible seede of his owne most holy worde to the begetting of faith are not these new begetters ashamed to bring in another way of regeneration When Gods will is to haue his children nourished with the sincere and vnmingled milke of his worde dare man vse the infusion of water to the weakening of them whome he ought to confirme When the King hath appointed for his sonnes and daughters the purest and finest wheate shall the Steward as if they were swine prouide Acornes for them But I detaine you too long from entering into the pleasant walks of this Platonical Academie Schoole of Moral Philosophy which being hewen out of the choicest timber of all Countries was raised vp and set togither in France and is newly rough-cast as you see by an English workeman whose earnest desire is to haue this small labour of his knowne to other and receiued of you as a monument of his gratefull mind towards your Worship for the manifold benefits which he hath from a child receiued at your hands In consideration whereof I am bold or rather bound to offer my self togither with these my first fruits vnto your good liking beseeching him that turned your bountifull hart towards me to knit it so neere vnto himselfe that he may be your chiefe riches in this life your only happines in the world to come Thus commending you and that good Gentlewoman your wife with all yours to the grace of God I take my leaue of you this 17. of October Your Worships euer bounden in the Lord T. B. C. FIDELI SVO AMICO T. B. C. GALLICAE Academiae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 SIquis in natiuo solo collocatus honestis quibusuis circumfluēs voluptatibus nec vlla necessitate eò impulsus se tamē amicorum hortatu in turbulentissimas maris tempestates conijceret vt pretiosam margaritam à suis multū desideratam cōparareticertè laudanda foret eius in tantis laboribus subeundis alacritas postquā secundo vento vsus sit summa cū laetitia excipiendus illius reditus Peregre vt mihi visum est profectus es aliquantisper charissime amice licet ea fuit vitae tuae cōditio vt bonis literis te oblectans in ijs tanquā in tua patria consistere potuisses voluisti tamē amicorū rogatu
excusable By this meanes we shall labor euermore to make choise of the best in all indifferēt things which will stand vs in stead of a sure rampire against the tyrannicall raigne of this enimie to vertue We read of Pythagoras that he accustomed himselfe to abstain from crueltie and iniustice euen towards brute beasts by requesting fowlers after they had taken birds to let them flie againe And when he came amongst fisher-men he bought their draughts and after caused all the fish to be cast againe into the sea Moreouer he forbad all his disciples to kill a tame beast at any time After his example let vs abstaine from all things that may procure vice and neuer suffer such speeches as these to passe from vs What good will this do if that be wanting Now I will deale in this maner another time I will do better Oh how slipperie are such waies how easily doth vice glide away like a streame vnder such pretences For as a wedge maketh but a smal cleft in the beginning yet afterward the rift being greater sundereth al in peeces so the sufferance of vnlawful things how small soeuer it be leadeth men by little little to an vnmeasurable licentiousnes Moreouer who can assure himselfe of tomorrow yea of a quarter of an hower The oracle of Apollo answered those of Cyrrha that if they would liue in peace among themselues they should make continuall war with their neighbors strangers So that we may passe the course of our short daies in peace rest and tranquillitie of spirit and that we fall not into the cruell paw of this aduersarie to all goodnes we must daily fight against him and neuer giue eare to his heralds and ambassadors of peace which are pleasures neglect of dutie and such other baits which he presenteth to vs to deceiue and beguile vs withal It is most certaine that vice putteth on a visard and goeth disguised and couered with goodly shewes that belong onely to vertue and chalengeth falsely vnto it selfe those goods which indeed and truth man ought to desire And being thus clothed with the helpe of corruptible pleasures that lightly passe away it yoketh base minded men whose care is onely set vpon the desire of earthly things which it setteth before their eies as their felicitie impudently imputing to vertue all those euils that are in it selfe But they that haue sufficiently profited in philosophy through the knowledge of that which is good and of such things as are truly faire and beautiful neuer harken to such hurtfull allurements but rather do as the serpent doth that stoppeth hir eares with hir taile to the end she may not heare the charmes and sorceries of the inchanter But if through the neglect of all good admonition we giue place amongst vs neuer so little to the baits of vice they may easily in the end as thornes and thistles growing neere to good seed do oftentimes choke it darken all that good instinct of nature that shall be in vs. Diogenes the Cynike walking one day through that street in Athens wherein there were many images of such ancient men as had best deserued of the Common-welth asked his almes of them all one after another Whereat some maruelling and demanding of him the cause why I learne quoth he to them to take deniall patiently euen so when we can so far command our selues as to shun all vaine vnprofitable busines wherin this age delighteth and which serue but for allurements and baits to nicenes and pleasures let vs not be ashamed not to follow them but rather let vs say that we learne to contemne that which is contemptible and to make choice according to that ancient precept of Pythagoras of the best kind of life that is to the end that custome may by little and little make it easie and pleasant vnto vs. To conclude therefore our present matter we say that vice being inseparably accompanied with a thousand miseries and with vnspeakeable and exceeding mischiefs which draw man into vtter ruine and eternall perdition may be truly called the onely euill of the soule as that which of it selfe is able and sufficient to make him vnhappy who receineth it for a ghest And as such a hurtfull thing we ought to hate and to flie from it by the meanes of vertue that is contrarie vnto it labouring by all meanes to haue our soules pure and cleane from all wicked deeds wils and counsels and our maners vndefiled not being troubled or infected with any euill perturbation wherewith vice alwaies aboundeth and is rich Of Sciences of the studie of Letters and of Histories Chap. 7. ARAM. IT is a vsuall speech in the mouths of men altogether ignorant of the beautie and profite of Sciences That the studie of Letters is a bottomeles gulfe and so long and vneasie a iourney that they which thinke to finish it oftentimes stay in the midway and many being come to the end thereof finde their mindes so confused with their profound and curious skill that in stead of tranquillitie of soule which they thought to finde they haue encreased the trouble of their spirit Vnder this goodly pretence the most part say that it is better not to know much yea nothing at all attributing the cause of mans imperfection vnto science Being thus perswaded if they haue alreadie any beginning and entring in learning they draw backe and seeke to hinder and to turne others aside from following them For this cause manie fathers set not their children to learning or else bicause they finde this way of preferment too long and costly haue other more short and profitable meanes now a daies whereby to inrich them But both the one and the other are greatly to be condemned bicause we are to spare no labor and trauel that we may get the treasures of the soul indued with reason which are sciences wherin al humane felicitie consisteth and which neuer breed vexation of spirite But all wits are not fit and apt to comprehende and conceiue them Neither doth the corruption of our nature better appeare than in this that we loue rather to inrich our selues and our children with wicked and perishing goods than with true certain and immortal goods the happie knowledge wherof sciences and arts do bring vnto vs. Now hauing through the grace of God receiued this benefit by your liberalitie most honorable fathers as to haue beene instructed in the best and most necessarie points of knowledge we thought it would not be tedious vnto you to heare vs discourse that we might stirre vp the memorie of our studies and that the beautie and commoditie of sciences might worke in our affections a lyking and desire to continue and to finish them ACHITOB. Man saith Aristotle was created to vnderstand and to do For it is necessarie that instruction go before working Knowledge begetteth iudgement and by iudgement men execute all good and vertuous actions Whereupon it followeth
perfection of these two great gifts of nature is a good sound iudgement proceeding from pondering and from a firme discourse of reason lightned by the spirit of God and by the same spirit purged from error illusion and all vaine opinion which are vsuall in man and hinder him from iudging aright of the truth But to continue our speech of the woonderfull effects of memorie so much esteemed of Plato that he writeth that we shuld leaue of to be men become like to the gods if our memory could retaine and keepe so much as the eies can read and see We must not here forget to make mention of Iulius Caesar that great monarke of whom Historiographers report that at one time he caused his Secretaries to write vnto foure seuerall persons of sundry matters and that oftentimes he would indight a letter to one of his Secretaries read in a booke and heare another speake all at one time Seneca rehearsed two thousand sundry names hauing onely heard them pronounced before beginning at the last and continuing to the first By these examples we see the greatnes of memorie wherby we may easily indge how profitable it is for the inriching of the minde with all things necessarie to the gouernment of mans estate Yea it is vnto vs a helpe requisite to saluation as that whereby we keepe in remembrance the gifts and graces which we daily receiue from the goodnes and fauor of God to this end that we should not be vngrateful but yeeld vnto him glorie and praise without ceasing Nowe bicause one of you my companions touched this that they which haue a ready and quick wit commonly want memorie that they which hardly learne retaine and keepe better that which they haue learned I will giue you this reason with Plutark that hardnes of belecfe seemeth to be the cause why men comprehend slowly For it is very euident that to learne is to receiue some impression whereupon it followeth that they which resist least are such as soonest beleeue And therefore youth is easier to be perswaded than old folks sick than sound women than men and generally the weaker that thing is which discourseth and doubteth the easier may a man put and adde vnto it what he will as likewise the selfe same thing is sooner lost and let slip away Some others as Iustine Martyr saith haue rendred this reason of the quicknes or slownes of mans wit saying that it commeth of the good or immoderate mixture temperature of the elements of which our bodies are compounded and framed and of the symmetrie and proportion of the organicall or iustrumentall parts ioyned togither in him And surely these seeme to giue the true reason therof For we see many who in their beginning and first age shew that they haue a prompt and sharp wit but when they come to old age are changed become slow and dul to conceiue Which is a great token and argument that a good or bad complexion and constitution of the body is the cause of such a disposition either in quicknes or slownes of spirit as the difference of yeeres doth affoord them Besides doe we not perceiue that they which haue the head ouergreat and ill fanored whom we cōmonly call great blockheads bicause there is not an equall symmetry and moderate proportion betweene that and the other parts of the bodie are naturally vnapt to conceiue and to bring foorth any sensible and wittie thing But the resolution of al this speech shall be that all gifts of the spirit are from aboue that amongst all sorts of men there are some found that are prompt wittie to comprehend great and diuine things by a speciall grace and fauour which God hath bestowed vpon them Some by the gift of the holie Ghost haue wisedom others knowledge and vnderstanding of things and all giuen to euerie one for the profiting both of himselfe and of his neighbor Knowing therefore by this present discourse according to the weakenes of our iudgement the creation and nature of the spirit which is the principall and most noble part of vs and that whereof dependeth and proceedeth all our happines rest and felicitie let vs be carefull and diligent to search it out and to prouide such things as it desireth of vs as helps to that effect bestowing all our care labour and studie to adorne and deck it with righteousnes and holines according to the holie desire therof wherin consisteth life and peace And let vs beware that we seeke not to feede it with strange meats which may make it sorrowfull and with which our flesh aboundeth to hir death and destruction But mortifieng all the deadly desires and affections thereof let vs labour not to walke any more according to the flesh but according to the spirit and let vs know that all wearisomnes and tediousnes which troubleth the tranquillitie and rest thereof proceedcth from the want of experience in affaires from the want of good discoursing grounded vpon a resolute and setled iudgement and from the want of skill fitly to apply our selues to present occasions And this is that which troubleth all sorts and conditions of life as well rich as poore But the way to preserue the spirite in rest and quietnes is to nourish and exercise it in the studie of wisedome where it learneth reason which of it selfe can cure it of all sorrow anguish and greefe through wise discoursing and worke in it a like inclination and constant behauior in euerie alteration of life causing man to liue happie throughout the whole course of his life not without the hope and certaine expectation of a blessed immortalitie The end of the second daies worke THE THIRD DAIES WORKE Of Dutie and Honestie Chap. 9. ASER. ALthough all things were created of diuers natures and properties and manie of cleane contraries yet by an incomprehensible wisedom they were appointed to refer themselues to one onely certaine and common end namely to shew foorth the infinite power and greatnes of their worke-maister sufficient in the lest of his works with admiration to rauish man to whom he hath made al things subiect But as in him alone the treasures of his heauenly graces haue been without comparison more liberally vnfolded and that in all fulnes and bountie as well in regard of the goods and commodities of this life which he draweth from heauen from the earth from the aire from the water from beasts and plants and generally from all things contained vnder the cope of the firmament as also in respect of that vnspeakable happines and eternall felicitie which by the speciall grace of God is purchased and assured to him onely in the immortalitie of the second life so also hath God from the beginning vntill this present and for euer reserued to himselfe a particular homage and that not for a time or for certaine yeeres of his life but to continue without intermission from time to
friendship bicause loue is a desire of the thing loued and a beginning of friendship but friendship is an inueterate and ancient loue wherein is more pleasure than desire To loue saith Cicero is nothing else but to be desirous to profit and pleasure another without hope of recompence For otherwise friendship would bee a meere merchandise whereas it ought to be as free as charitie Socrates also said that the end of friendship was that of two soules one should be made in will and affection and that none should loue himselfe better than his friend For there is a meane to be kept in all things except in conuersing with a friend in regard of whom this ought to be resolued vpon that he is either wholie to be forsaken or wholie to be trusted What shall I hide from my friend saith Homer or what letteth why I may not thinke my selfe alone when I am with him Whereby it appeereth vnto vs that a friend is a second selfe and that whosoeuer would take vpon him this title in regard of another he must transforme himselfe into his nature whom he purposeth to loue and that with a stedfast and setled mind to continue so for euer Heereupon one of the ancients speaking of him that loueth perfectly saith that he liueth in another mans bodie Friends therefore ought of necessitie to haue a coniunction and conformitie of maners of desires of passions of speech of studies of pleasures of inclinations of intermissions if they mind to professe perfect friendship Whereby we may easily ghesse that he which entertaineth many friends depriueth himselfe of the name of a true and stedfast friend bicause it is altogither vnpossible for a man to fashion himselfe to all patterns and to apply himselfe to all natures so diuers in euery one especially considering that he shall very hardly find himselfe like affected in all things to one alone Now after we haue found such a disposition and conformitie in him that offereth himselfe to bee our friend wee must enter further into the knowledge of him by sounding out the depth of his hart that wee may be certaine and sure of his good disposition For to see outwardly a resemblance of our maners and conditions in another is not sufficient to prooue them such in deede without dissimulation vnlesse they bee grounded vpon a good and vertuous nature which is simple vpright and vnfained For otherwise we see that many like to Proteus taking diuers shapes are so subtill that when they would currie fauour with any man to deceiue him they disguise themselues and for a while applie themselues to all his humors This is practised chiefly by flatterers towards great men who will counterfait rather than they will not imitate the naturall vice of the prince so that as soone as euer they see him laugh they betake themselues to laughing albeit they know not wherfore And namely wee reade that Alexander the great and Alphonsus king of Arragon hauing ech of them somewhat a wry necke this by nature the other through custome the flatterers and courtiers held their necks on the one side to counterfeit their imperfection To the ende therefore that the sugred poison of such fained friends deceiue vs not we must make choise of an honest prudent wise man for our friend whose fidelitie as Cicero saith integritie constancie and liberalitie are approoued of euerie one and whom we shall perceiue to be led and possessed with the same zeale to vertue that our selues are to the ende we may be aided and furthered by them in all good and laudable actions For as Plato saith friendship is giuen by nature for a helpe to vertue not for a companion of vices To this effect Pythagoras saith that it is not good to ioyne hands with euery one Dicearchus also would giue vs to vnderstand the same when he saith that we must make all men our well willers if it be possible but onely good men our friends who are not obtained but after a long time and that by vertue And as when we passe by a bramble or a burre that taketh hold of vs we cast it farre from vs but contrariwise seeke for the oliue and the grape so we ought to seeke after their friendship that deserue it whose minds haue sufficient matter in them to cause them to be loued but to forsake yea to reiect such as are vnwoorthy and vicious sensuall and disordred although they fawne vpon vs bicause their conuersation marreth and corrupteth euery good nature Therefore Bias said verie well that a wiseman receiueth not euerie one vnto his friendship Hauing thus chosen him whom we desire to entertaine for our friend laid the chiefe foundations of friendship vpon his agreement of manners with vs and vpon his good disposition which we may know by familiar conuersation with him and by diligent inquirie before wee can assure our selues or boast that we haue a true friend we must prooue his stedfastnes and constancie and not trust to offers and promises whereof men are verie prodigall now a daies But this is cleane contrarie to the dutie of a true friend whose propertie is to be sparing in speech and prodigall in deedes bicause great proffers are meete to be vsed towards strangers and good deeds towards true friends Now to proue a friend we must not stay vntill need and necessitie vrge vs least such triall be not onely vnprofitable and without fruit but also very hurtfull and dangerous vnto vs bicause at such a time as necessarily requireth friends we make trial of him who in truth is no such man But we are rather to gouerne our selues with prudence and foresight as we vse to do in the receipt of gold and siluer For before we haue need to imploy it we consider whether it be currant that we may be sure it will serue the turne when necessitie requireth To this purpose Theophrastus said that we ought to prooue strangers to loue them and not loue them to prooue them Therefore albeit the true and right triall of a friend is in aduersitie as of fine gold in a fornace yet that is to be vnderstood of him who is such a one indeede For if we should expect the first triall vpon our selues in time of certaine danger thereby to be assured and out of doubt if then he should faile vs it would bring vs in great perill so that we were better to trie him when we stand not in need requesting him notwithstanding as if we were vrged and stood in need of his helpe and assistance in a matter of importance If then he go forward with a sound zeale and readie affection we are assured of him against another time But if he stagger and do it coldly or turne away his face refuse it besides that we haue no hurt or hinderance we shall also gaine much by withdrawing such a friend gently and by little little from our table and from our prosperitie alwaies
hir husbands loue Goe to then let vs see if we can giue the wife some instructions touching this matter how she may keep hir self within the limites of hir dutie towards hir husband ARAM. As the Church is in subiection to Christ euen so saith the Scripture let the wiues be to their husbands in euery thing For the husband is the wiues head euen as Christ is the head of the Church ACHITOB. Wiues must be modest wise chaste keepers at home louers of their husbands and subiect vnto them But it belongeth to thee ASER to be now vnto them in stead of a schoole-master ASER. When kings and princes honor Philosophers and learned men it is certaine that they honor thēselues but philosophers that court it and become seruants to riches are not thereby honoured We may say as much of wiues For whē they submit themselues to their husbands they are praised but if they will become mistresses ouer them it beseemeth them as ill as it doth such as yeeld to that subiection and both of them reape more shame thā honor thereby Therefore those women that make choice of effeminate husbands delight in commanding them are like to such as had rather guide the blind than follow the wise and cleare-sighted So that if a wife loue esteeme and honor hir husband I thinke that all honest dutie will flow from thence to their common contentation comfort to the benefit quietnes and honour of the whole familie I meane if she loue him as hir self and esteem and honour him as hir neerest lord A wise woman ought to thinke that hir husbands maners are the lawes of hir life which if they be good she is wholy to folow but if they be bad she must patiently beare with them For as a looking glasse serueth to no purpose although it be gilt and decked with precious stones if it doth not liuely represent his face that looketh into it so a woman is not to be liked albeit she haue store of goods if hir life be not thereafter and hir behauior conditions be not conformable to hir husbands If a looking glasse represent a sadde and mourning countenance to one that is ioyful and mery or contrarywise a smiling face to him that is sorowfull it is a false glasse and worth nothing So is she a bad wife and vnreasonable which frowneth when hir husband is desirous to be mery with hir to take some honest recreation or contrarywise which laugheth and sporteth hir selfe when she seeth him full of busines and greatly troubled For the one is a token of hir froward disposition the other that she despiseth the affections of hir husband And as lines and superficiall partes as the Geometricians say mooue not of themselues but as the bodies mooue wherein they are so a wife must haue no proper and peculiar passion or affection to hir self but must be partaker of the pastimes affaires thoughts laughters of hir husband The farther the Moone is from the Sun the cleerer it is and shineth so much the more and contrarywise it hath lesse light is obscuved the more as it commeth neerer therunto so euil women deale with their husbands when they loue not their presence For in their absence you shall see them as iocund and frolick as may be but when they are with their husbands and at home then are they sorowful pensiue Moreouer a wife must not trust too much either to hir wealth or to the nobilitie of hir race or to hir beautie but to that which setteth neerest hir husbands hart that is to hir behauior maners and conuersation taking order that these things be not hard troublesom or irksom to hir husband euery day but such as please him and agree with his conditions For the troublesome conuersation of a wife that alwais iarreth in the end maketh euen hir honest behauior odious as hir ouer-great pinching niggardlines causeth hir sparing good huswiferie to become hateful As this custom was obserued amongst the Persians that when their enimies came rushing vpon thē with great clamors they receiued them with silence contrarywise if they were set vpon with silence they made head against them with opē mouth so discreet womē hold their peace when their husbands cry out with choler contrarywise if they vtter not a word they labor to appease and pacifie them with their comfortable speeches A wise womā that loueth hir husband as becōmeth hir somtime tollerateth dissembleth an euil intreatie trusting so much to hir cōstancie vertue that by continuing in hir dutie she is able to bring him back again to his She must gouerne hir selfe so discreetly that neither hir neighbours nor other of hir familiar friends be made acquainted in any sort with hir complaints grieuances For by discouering them either she shal make hir self a laughing stock to others or els giue occasion to the enimies of hir honor to prouoke sollicit hir to naughtines And if any one knowing the imperfections of hir husband vnder this pretence of seeing hir hardly delt withal perswade hir to decline frō hir duty she must answer him after the example of king Phillip who being wronged by the Graecians intreated them curteously what then would my husband do vnto me if I begin to hate him to offer him iniury If she perceiue that any womā of hir acquaintance laboreth by hir talke either to sow or to increase some domestical dissentiō she may wisely say with hir self In what case would this woman that seketh to make me iealous desire rather to see me thā maliciously to play the ill huswife with my husband to forsake my house mariage bed whereupon it may be she would gladly take my place Thus a discreet woman wil giue smal eare much lesse giue place to the light speeches fained promises of such disturbers of domestical peace Neither will she admit nourish those vain sottish opinions which commonly busie the minds of such womē as are ruled gouerned onely by passions but containing hir desires through reason within a cōuenient compasse the confidence which she hath in hir husbands vertue wil breed perfect ease to hir soule by taking frō hir all doubting occasion of complaining Now vpō this discourse we giue this note by the way that whē any displeasure falleth out betweene maried folks they must haue a special regard then that they make not two beds For by this mean their anger will indune the lesser while Also they must shun al occasions of quarelling in bed For as a great bellied woman redy to lie down euen feeling the pangs of hir trauell said to those that willed hir to lie down vpon the bed How can the bed cure me of this euil which came vnto me vpon the bed so those quarels iniuries wrath choler that are bred within the bed can hardly be appeased healed
courage so much as to reprooue their slaues onely so far off are they that they can frankly chide their children And which is woorst of al by their naughty life they are vnto them in steed of maisters counsellors of il-doing For where old men are shameles there it must needs be that yoong men become impudent graceles Fathers therfore must striue to do whatsoeuer their dutie requireth that their children may waxe wise and well qualified This we may comprehend in fewe words namely if they bring them vp wel in their infancy let them haue due correction in their youth Which two things being neglected of fathers the faults of their children are for the most part iustly imputed vnto them Hely the Priest was not punished for any sin which himselfe had committed but bicause he winked at the sins of his children We read in the storie of the Heluetians or Switzers of the iudgement of a tyrant condemned to death where order was taken that the execution thereof should be done by the father who was the cause of his euill education that he might come to his death by the author of his life and that the father might in some sort be punished for his negligence vsed towards his child Moreouer they that haue many children must be passing careful to bring them vp in mutuall friendship causing them to giue each to other that honor and duty vnto which nature bindeth them and sharpely chastising those that in any respect offend therin The Ephoryes of Lacedemonia long since cōdēned a notable citizen in a very great sum when they vnderstood that he suffred two of his childrē to quarel togither The best meane which I find to auoid so great an euill is to loue and intreat them all alike and to accustom them to giue honour dutie and obedience one to another according to their degrees of age They must remoue from them al partialities and not suffer them to haue any thing seueral or diuided one from another that as it were in one hart and will all things may be common amongst them Example heerof was that good father of a familie Aelius Tubero who had sixteene children of his owne bodie all of them maried and dwelling all in one house with their children and liuing with him in all peace and concord For the conclusion therefore of our present discourse we learne that a father of a familie must begin the gouernment of his house with himselfe and become an example to his of all honestie vertue That he must not neglect the care of prouiding goods necessarie meanes for the maintenance of his familie remembring alwaies that in nothing he go beyond the bounds of that seemelines and decencie which dutie hath limited prescribed vnto him That he ought to loue to intreat his seruants curteously putting away threatnings as it is said in the Scripture and knowing that both their and his maister is in heauen with whom there is no respect of persons And for the last point that it belongeth to his dutie to bring vp his children in the holie instruction and information of the Lord not prouoking them to wrath that God may be glorified and he their father may reioice in the presence of his friends and that his countrie generally may receiue benefit profit and commoditie Of the dutie of children towards their parents of the mutuall loue that ought to be among brethren of the dutie of seruants towards their maisters Chap. 50. ACHITOB VPon a day when one said in the hearing of Theopompus king of Sparta that the estate of that citie was preserued in such flourishing maner bicause the kings knew how to command wel the prince replied that it was not so much for that cause as bicause the citizens knew how to obey well And to speake the truth to obey wel as also the vertue of commanding is a great vertue and proceedeth from a nature which being noble of it selfe is holpen by good education Therefore Aristotle said that it was necessarie that he which obeieth should be vertuous as wel as he that commandeth Now seeing we haue intreated of the dutie of a father and head of a familie exercising his office vpon all the parts of his house let vs now consider of the dutie and obedience that is requisite in seruaunts and children and of the mutuall and reciprocall amitie which ought to be betweene brethren desirous to preserue the bond of Oeconomical societie in a happie estate ASER. Children saith the Scripture obey your parents in all things for that is well pleasing vnto the Lord Honor thy father and mother which is the first commaundement with promise that it may be well with thee and that thou mayest liue long on earth AMANA Who so honoreth his father his sinnes shall be forgiuen him and he shall abstaine from them and shall haue his daily desires And he that honoureth his mother is like one that gathereth treasure And you seruaunts be subiect to your masters with all feare not onely to the good and curteous but also to the froward Let vs then heare ARAM discourse more at large of that which is here propounded vnto vs. ARAM. Nature saith Plutark and the law which preserueth nature haue giuen the first place of reuerence and honor after God vnto the father and mother and men can not do any seruice more acceptable to God than graciously and louingly to pay to their parents that begot thē and to them that brought them vp the vsurie of new and olde graces which they haue lent them as contrarywise there is no signe of an Atheist more certaine than for a man to set light by and to offend his parents The father is the true image of the great and soueraigne God the vniuersall father of all things as Proclus the Academike said Yea the child holdeth his life of the father next after God and whatsoeuer else he hath in this world Therfore a man is forbidden to hurt others but it is accounted great impietie and sacriledge for a man not to shew himselfe ready to doe and to speake all things I will not say whereby they can receiue no displeasure but wherby they may not receiue pleasure And in deed one of the greatest good turnes that we can do to those of whom we are descended is not to make them sad Which cannot possibly be done if God the leader and guide to all knowledge disposeth not the mind to all honest things The children of wisdome are the Church of the righteous and their ofspring is obedience and loue Children heare the iudgement of your father and do thereafter that you may be safe For the Lord will haue the father honored of the children and hath confirmed the authoritie of the mother ouer the children He that honoureth his father shall haue ioy of his owne children and when he maketh his prayer he shall
authoritie yet he is of one and the same kind with them a man commanding men and free ouer those that are free not ouer beasts or slaues as Aristotle saith very well And if he would haue that excellent title which we giue to God the Prince of all men calling him Our father he must procure it not by threatnings and feare but by good deedes by meekenes and humanitie which will stand him in steede of a sure Gard to preserue his estate For the loue and loialtie of his subiects will greatly encrease thereby of which the assurance of Monarchies dependeth When the nobilitie and common-people vse to feare not him but for his sake that commandeth them then he seeth with many eies heareth with many eares and perceiueth a farre off whatsoeuer is done Let the Prince haue this saying of Plutarke alwaies engrauen in his soule That nothing heere below pleaseth God more or draweth neerer to his diuine nature than to rule well in all iustice and equitie which is the chiefest charge of his vocation and that vnto which he is straightly bound in respect of his subiects For as the subiect oweth obedience aide and reuerence to his Lord so the Prince oweth iustice defence and protection to his subiects When a Prince sheweth himselfe vpright indifferent and true of his word to all it is the greatest felicitie that can happen to a Common-wealth and that which crowneth the Monarch thereof with greater glorie and honour And truly a Prince ought to be more carefull to obtaine that praise and reputation which proceedeth of goodnes and vertue than that which commeth of strength and power For as the diuine nature vnto which kings must endeuour to conforme their woorks and actions excelleth all other essences and natures chiefly in three things that is in immortalitie power and goodnes so a Prince must striue to excell his subiects not so much in the immortalitie of his name or in power as in goodnes which vertue is certainly much more venerable and draweth neerest to the diuinitie For to be incorruptible and immortall the fower Elements and the whole frame are indued with that qualitie as naturall Philosophers maintaine And as for strength and power earthquakes lightnings tempestuous whirlewinds flouds and inundations of waters are full of force and might but nothing is partaker of iustice vprightnes and equitie except it be diuine and that by the meanes of reason and vnderstanding So that as the same Plutark saith we only are capeable of that Good of vertue that commeth from God To be short let the Prince be diligently taught whilest he is yoong and labour to knowe how he may adorne his name with works answerable to those excellent Epithits and titles wherewith Iulius Pollux who was gouernour to the Emperour Commodus in his yoong yeeres setteth foorth a good king He calleth him Father gentle acceptable mercifull prudent iust curteouus noble-minded free a contemner of monie not subiect to passions but commanding ouer himselfe one that ouercommeth pleasures and vseth reason quicke of iudgement sharpe prouident good in counselling iust sober godly and full of good religion carefull ouer the welfare of men constant firme no deceiuer minding great things decked with authoritie industrious a quicke dispatcher of affaires carefull ouer those whome he commandeth a Sauiour ready to do good slow to reuenge alwaies one and the same without turning aside inclining greatly to iustice easie to haue accesse vnto curteous in speech gentle to them that haue to deale with him plaine a louer of vertuous and valiant men who neuertheles are not desirous of warre a louer of peace a peace-maker a precise obseruer thereof borne to correct the manners of people skilfull in discharging the dutie of a king and Prince hauing knowledge to make good lawes borne to profit euery one and of a diuine forme A Prince of noble birth shall feele himselfe greatly prouoked to desire and seeke after these excellent gifts and graces through the consideration of examples propounded vnto him concerning the liues deeds of so many famous and woorthy men as are at this day after innumerable ages reuiued againe by meanes of histories And it cannot be but he will be greatly pricked forward to conforme himselfe vnto them thereby to giue like occasion to good wits to write singe and publish his praises What Prince will not burne with a iealous desire of vertue when he heareth that the onely fame thereof in the person of Scipio Africanus allured and rauished theeues and robbers with such an admiration that when they vnderstood that he was in a house far from any towne they did beset it round and as he stood in his defence to driue them away they threw downe their weapons assuring him that they came thither onely to see and to reuerence him as in deed they did What prince will not be possessed with ioy when he heareth that Menander king of the Bactrians was so beloued of his subiects for his iustice and vertue that after his death the cities were in great contention which of them should haue the honor of his buriall for the appeasing of ẇhich strife order was taken that each of them should make a tombe Who wil not be mooued with loue towards the goodnes of Traian Emperour of the Romanes when he heareth his Panegyricall Oration wherein Plinie after he had extolled him to heauen concludeth thus That the greatest happines which could come to the Empire was that the Gods tooke example by the life of Traian Who will not desire the honour that king Agesilaus receiued when he was fined by the Ephoryes bicause he had stolne away the harts and wonne the loue of all his Citizens to himselfe alone Who will not wish to haue the surname of Aristides the iust as diuine and royall a title as euer king could obtaine rather than as many vse to be called Conquerours Besiegers Thunderers Briefly vnto these examples oppose the reprehension and marke of perpetuall infamie which histories set vpon euill Princes and it cannot be but that a Prince well brought vp and exercised in the loue and studie of vertue will be very desirous to shew foorth the fruits and effects thereof especially if he be well instructed in the feare of God and knowledge of his dutie whereof he shall haue perfect vnderstanding in the law of God which he is commanded by the soueraigne king of all to haue with him to read in it all the daies of his life and to obey it to the end he may raigne happily in earth and finally in heauen Of the office and dutie of a King Chap. 60. AMANA AVgustus Caesar hearing some rehearse that Alexander the great after he had finished most of his conquests at two and thirtie yeeres of age said that he tooke great care to know what he should do afterward I woonder said this wise Monarch at the speech of that great
he hinder publike benefit and hurt the estate it is not to be called right any longer as Appius Claudius said speaking of the authoritie of the Tribunes among the people of Rome And it is a point of true and naturall prudence sometime to giue place to the times but to necessitie always A good Pilote neuer opposeth himselfe wilfully against a tempest but striketh saile and keepeth himselfe still then waighing his anchors he floteth safely vpon the waues which not long before were swollen and lift vp to drowne him If a man striue against a tempest and against heauen doth he not euen blindfold cast himselfe downe headlong and as it were desperately seeke his owne destruction Now if all these things hetherto mentioned by vs be diligently obserued there is no doubt God prospering all but that the preseruation of Estates and Monarchies with good remedies to keepe them from trouble and sedition will follow after Of the Harmonie and agreement that ought to be in the dissimilitude or vnlike callings of subiects by reason of the duetie and office of euery estate Chap. 66. ACHITOB WE saw before my companions that a citie or ciuill company is nothing else but a multitude of men vnlike in estates or conditions which communicate togither in one place their artes occupations workes and exercises that they may liue the better are obedient to the same lawes and magistrates We learned also that of such a dissimilitude an harmonicall agreement ariseth by due proportion of one towards another in their diuers orders estates euen as the harmonie in musicke consisteth of vnequall voyces or sounds agreeing equally togither I am of opinion therefore that to prouoke euery one particularly to seeke after and to practise this apt agreement we are to consider seuerally of all the principall partes that are in a politike body well ordered and to handle the seuerall dutie and office of euery one of them But I leaue the discourse of this matter to you ASER. As there is but one Lord one faith one Baptisme one God and father of all which is aboue all and through all and in vs all so all that beleeue in him ought to be one and to haue but one hart and one soule euery one referring his giftes and graces to the exercise of perfect charitie AMANA Oh how happy a thing is it to see one flock guided vnder one God and one king in one religion and policie Although they be many mēbers yet they make but one bodie of which euery one hath a like care But let vs heare ARAM discourse at large vpō that which is here propounded vnto vs. ARAM. As we see that in the body of this vniuersall frame there is as the Philosophers say matter forme priuation simplicitie mixture substaunce quantitie action and passion and that the whole world being compounded of vnlike elements of earth water ayre and fire is notwithstanding preserued by an Analogie and proportion which they haue togither and as we see in a mans body head hands feete eyes nose eares in a house the husband wife children master seruaunts in a politike body magistrates nobles common people artificers and that euery body mingled with heate cold drie and moyst is preserued by the same reason of analogie and proportion which they haue togither So is it in euery common-wealth well appointed and ordred which consisting of many and sundry subiects is maintained by their vnitie being brought to be of one consent wil and to communicate their works artes and exercises together for common benefit profit For euery one is best in his own arte neither can all men do all things And if it be a very hard matter to bee excellent in any one vocation it is impossible to excel in al to exercise them duly Now we say that sixe things are necessarily required to frame a happy citie ciuil societie namely sacrifices iudgements armes riches artes and Aliments vnto which sixe things and works six sortes of men are answerable Pastors magistrates nobles burgesses artificers and husbandmen Therfore to begin the particular handling of the dutie office of these callings and that as briefly as I can we are first to note that neuer any nation in all the world was so barbarous or so farre estranged from ciuilitie that did not acknowledge and adore some diuine nature and vse some kind of sacrifices and so consequently that had not some priests to exercise them some proper ceremonies Aristotle in his Politikes saith expresly that it is a necessary thing to haue priests in euery city to take care of the worship of the gods and of sacrifices Euery worke that we do saith Augustine to be ioyned neerer to God by a holy societie is a sacrifice There are three general sorts of sacrifices the first is the sacrifice of the soule which we offer to God by contrition deuotion contemplation and prayer the second is of the body which we offer to God by fasting abstinence or by suffring martyrdom to maintain his law iustice and truth The third sacrifice is of outward goods whē we offer them vnto him in the works of charitie according to his holy ordinance So that if sacrifices and priests always took place among the Barbarians much more careful ought they to be to maintaine this diuine mysterie that adore and perfectly know God And as men haue liued vnder three lawes the law of Nature the written law and the law of Grace so there were sacrifices and priests vnder euery one of them Melchizedech liued vnder the law of Nature Aaron vnder the written lawe and vnder the law of Grace vnder which we liue at this present Iesus Christ that great and eternall Priest and Sacrificer who hath offered himselfe a sacrifice for our redemption and hath left vs his disciples and Apostles and their successours to be our pastors in the guiding of our soules vnder his Testament and new couenaunt which is the infallible rule of his holy and iust will Therefore let them that boast that they are called of God to such an excellent charge looke to discharge themselues faithfully by teaching the truth and leading a life agreeable to their doctrine Otherwise if they sit in the chaire of pestilence as Dauid speaketh let them looke for a horrible iudgement of God vpō their soules when he shall say vnto them by way of reproch that in this world they sate in their pōtificall seates as the Scribes and Pharisies did long since in the chaire of Moses Their watchmen saith Esay speaking of euil pastors are all blinde they haue no knowledge they are dumbe dogs they cannot barke they lie and sleepe and delight in sleeping These greedie dogs can neuer haue enough these sheep-heards cannot vnderstand for they all looke to their owne way euery one for his aduantage for his owne purpose But contrarywise A Pastor saith Saint Paule must be
but as soone as another stranger came they shewed what they were Heereuppon it came that Kinge Charles the eight easily ouer-ranne all Italy with chalke as we vse to speake that is to saye that without resistance he sent before to take vp his lodging bicause they that shoulde haue withstoode him and were called in to keepe the Countrie did of their owne accord take his parte But there is a further matter Strange hired Captaines either are excellent men or haue nothing in them If they be valiant the Prince is not to trust them For out of doubt they will seeke to make themselues great either by his ouerthrowe that is their Maister or by destroying others against his will And if the Captaines haue no valure in them he cannot hope for any thing but for the cause of his owne perdition Succour is moste hurtfull to an Estate when some Potentate is called in with his forces for aide and defence Those souldiours may well be good and profitable for themselues but are alwaies hurtfull to such as call them in For if a man loose the fielde he is ouer-throwne if he winne it he is their prisoner Such succour is a great deale more to bee feared than hired strength which obeieth the Prince that calleth them and requireth their helpe But when a man receiueth in an armie vnited and accustomed to obeye the Captaine that conducteth and bringeth them in his destruction is alreadie prepared and cannot be auoided who openeth the doore of his owne house to let in an enimie stronger than himselfe Therefore it were expedient for euerye Prince to trye all waies before he haue recourse to such men for helpe and succour And whosoeuer shall reade and consider well the times that are past and runne ouer the present state of things he shall see that whereas one prospered well an infinite number were deceiued and abused For a Common-wealth or an ambitious Prince coulde not wish to haue a better occasion whereby to get the possession of a Citie Seignorie or Prouince than when hee is required to send his armie to defende it But what The ambition desire of reuenge or some other affection of men is so great that to accomplish once their present will they forget all dutie and cast behind them the care of all danger and inconuenience whatsoeuer that may light vppon them The Herules Gothes and Lumbards by these meanes became Lordes of Italy the Frenchmen of the Gaules Countrye the Englishmen of greate Britaine the Scots of Scotland after they had driuen out the Britons and Picts who called them in for succour The Turks made themselues Lords of the East Empire and of the kingdom of Hungary being likewise required of help by the Emperours of Constantinople and by the States of Hungary Not long since Cairadin a Pirate being called by the Inhabitants of Alger to driue the Spaniards out of the fortresse after he had vanquished them he slew Selim Prince of the towne and made himselfe king leauing the Estate to his brother Arradin Barberossa And Saladine a Tartarian Captaine being called by the Calipha and Inhabitants of Caire to driue the Christians out of Soria after the victorie slew the Calipha and became absolute Lorde thereof The foresight which the Princes of Germany had of the perill and hurt that all strangers bring to an Estate caused them to bind the Emperour Charles the fift by the twelfth article of conditions vnto which he sware before he receiued the Imperiall crown that he should not bring in any forraine souldiors into Germany And yet through the great number of Spaniards Italians and Flemmings that came into the countrie beeing called in against the Protestants there wanted little of changing the Estate of Almaigne into an hereditarie kingdom Which had bene soone doone if king Henry the second had not staied it by his French power for which cause he was called by books published and arches erected in their country Protector of the Empire and deliuerer of the Princes who since haue concluded amonge themselues that they will neuer chuse a forraine Prince Charles the seuenth king of France hauing by his great good successe and vertue deliuered France of Englishmen and knowing well that it was necessarie for him to be furnished with his owne forces instituted the decrees of horsemen and of the companies of footemen After that king Lewes his sonne abolished his footemen and began to leauy Switzers which being likewise practised by other kings his successors many men haue noted that by countenancing the Switzers they haue caused their owne forces to degenerate and growe out of vse disanulled the footemen and tied their horsemen to other footemen insomuch that since they haue been vsed to fight in company of the Switzers they think that they cannot obtaine the victorie nor yet fight without them Therfore the prudence of king Francis the first must needes be honored with exceeding great praise in that he established seuen legions of footmen accounting 6000. men to a legion so that there could be no better deuice for the maintenance of warrelike discipline nor more necessary for the preseruation of this kingdome if those good ordinances that were made to this end be wel marked Neuertheles they were abolished in his raigne established againe by Henry the second his successor and after that abrogated I am of opinion that if these ancient institutions both of horsemen and footemen were reuined they would be a good mean whereby we might alwaies haue men of warre to defend this kingdom to conquer that which is taken from it and to helpe our friends whereas nowe we are faine to vse the seruice of vnskilfull men that are made Captaines before euer they were souldiors or else of necessitie compelled to begge and to buy very deare the succour offorraine nations My meaning is not that a Prince should neuer vse the helpe of others but alwaies take his own forces collected among his subiects Nay I say to the contrary that it must needs be profitable for him to vse the succors of his Allies so that they be ioined with him in league offensiue and defensiue For by this meanes he doth not onely make himselfe stronger but withall taketh away both that aide from his enimie which he might otherwise haue drawne from thence and occasion also from all men to make warre with the one except they will haue the other also their enimie But aboue all things let no Prince trust so much to the succours of his Allies except himselfe with his subiects be of greater strength And if Allies are to be feared when they are stronger in another countrie what assurance may a man haue of forraine souldiors that are at no league either offensiue or defensiue with vs Now if vpon the due consideration of these things souldiors be carefully trained vp in good discipline of warre which may be collected out of many institutions that are extant and if
Clemencie examples of great clemencie in princes 324. c. it preserueth the thrones of Princes 411 Common-wealth a sure token of a desperate common-wealth 407. 600. 690. the spring of corruption in Common-wealths 550. the description of a mixt common-wealth 583. how a corrupt common-wealth must bee corrected 699. when common-wealths begin to alter 717 the causes therof 739 Commandement the 5. commaundement onely hath a special promise annexed vnto it 538. there is a shew of commanding and obeying in all things 575 Comparisons 33. 38. 46. 47. 55. 64. 70. 105. 150. 176. 191. 212. 286. 338. 339. 343. 360. 371. 378. 383. 4â—6 446. 448. 487. 513. 550. 589 641. 687. Communitie Plato established a communitie of all things in his common-wealth 490 the confutation therof 491 Concupiscence the fruites of concupiscence 238 Conscience the force of conscience in the wicked 68. examples of tormented consciences 68 Constancie the wonderfull constancie of Socrates 348 Correction nâ—â—â—ssarie for children 534. the lawe Falcidia touching the correction of children 551 Councell what a councell is with the profite of it 677. of the councell of sundrie countreys 679. c Counsellors qualities requisite in counsellors of estate 687 Counsell good counsell for counsellors 155. and for princes 157 Countrey examples of the loue of heathen men towards their countrey 60. 98. c Couetousnesse is neuer satisfied 445. the fruites of couetousnes 446. examples of coueiousnes 449. what magistrates are best liked of couetous princes 456 Coward Agamemnon dispensed with a rich coward for going to warre 284. what vices proceed of cowardlines 285 Creation the end of the creation of al things 92. Creatures all creatures are sociable by nature 594 Curiositie against curiositie in knowledge 161. two kindes of curiositie 162. against curious inquirie into other mens imperfections 166. curious persons profite their enimies more than themselues 167. wittie answeres made to cuâ—ioâ—â— questions 169. curiositie in princes affairs perilous 168 Custome a notable custome of the Lacedemonians 150. custome in sinning is dangerous 69 D Death the feare of death doth not astonish the vertuous 60. what death Cesar thoght best 262. no man ought to hasten forward his death 293. what it is to feare death 294. the comfort of euery true Christian against death 805. Definition the definition of ambition 224. of anger 312. of a body 20. of charitie 321. of a citie 595. of a Citizen 605. of comelines 181. of confidence 300. of duty 94. of enuie 458. of fortune 468. of friendship 138. of a house 490. 492. of iealousie 505. of iustice 390. 391. of intemperancie 190. of iudgement 691. of liberalitie 435. of the law 596. of malice and craft 123. of man 13. of meekenes 321. of nature 172. of Oeconomie 523. of policie 523. of passion 30. of Philosophy 40. 390. of prudence 104. of patience 310. of pleasure 236. of sedition 705. of societie 480. of the soule 23. of temperance 181. of vertue 52. of vice 65. of wedlocke 480 Democraty the description of a Democraty with the sundry kinds of it 528 Desire the effects of desire 36 Diseases the end cause and remedie of bodily diseases 29. the cause of the diseases of the soule 33. the seede of diseases 211 Discipline the ancient warlike discipline of the Romanes 769. the corruption thereof in these daies 769 Discord all things are preserued by agreeing discords 19 Diuision of Citizens 606. of a Common-wealth 579. 583. of dutie 94. of a house 492. of iustice 393. of the law 596. of nature 171. of Philosophy 40. of passions 31. of speech 127. of the soule 23. of sciences 76 Dowries why the dowries of women haue alwaies had great priuiledges 486. Lycurgus forbad all dowries 493 Drinke the manner of drinking in old time 203. against excessiue drinking 204 Drunkennes hurtfull effects of drunkennes and gluttony 213. examples of drunkennes 214 Duarchy what a Duarchy is 617 Dutie wherein the dutie of man consisteth 12. dutie and profite are distinct thinges 429. the duty of a wise man 12. what duty we owe to God and what to our neighbour 94. fower riuers issue out of the fountaine of duty 96 E Eclipse Nicias feared an eclipse of the Moone 120 Education helpeth the defect of nature 175. examples therof 177. naughtie education corrupteth a good nature 551. how Plato would haue children brought vp 552. of the education of daughters 554 Emperours there were 73. Emperours of Rome within 100. yeeres 223. what this word Emperour importeth 624 End the proper end of all things 477 Enimy how one may reape benefite by his enimies 112. 383. why men are beholding to their enimies 379. the common behauiour of men towards their enimies 380 Enuy is a note of an ambitious man 225. the nature of enuie 457. the fruits of it 458. it hurteth enuious persons most 459. a good way to be reuenged on the enuious 464 Ephoryes why the Ephoryes were appointed in Lacedemonia 581 Equality two sorts of equalitie 737 Equity is alwaies one and the same to all people 601. the equity of the Morall law ought to be the end and rule of all lawes 602 Error the spring of all error 119 Estate euery Estate and policie consisteth of three parts 578. the opinion of Politicks touching a mixt Estate 625. examples of mixt Estates 626. what it is to hold the Estates 685. a rule of Estate 723. choise custome of seuen flourishing Estates 732. meanes to preserue an Estate 734 c. it is dangerous to an Estate to call in forraine succours 785 Euent wee must not iudge of enterprises by the euent 305. we must be prepared against all euents 306. the euent of all things is to be referred to the prouidence of God 42 Euill what we ought to call euill 63 Exercise what bodily exercise is meete for youth 557 Expences a good law e to cut off the occasions of idle expences 221 F Fables who delight most in reading of fables 462 Family there must be but one Head in a family 509. the progresse of a family before it come to perfection 525 Father why many fathers set not their children to schoole 72. the storie of a father appointed to execute his owne child 535 Fauour the punishment of one who solde his maisters fauour 411 Feare two kinds of feare 278. the feare of neighbour enimies is the safetie of a Common-wealth 279. good feare is ioined with the loue of God 280. examples of wary feare 280. a strange effect of feare in one night 284. examples of feare which is the defect of fortitude 281 Feast how wise men feasted one another in old time 202. Socrates feast 208 Fidelitie a description of fidelitie 414 Flatterie the common practise of flatterers 139. good counsell for Princes against flatterers 462 Flesh the works of the flesh 20 Foe he that hath no foe hath no friend 145. Looke Enimie Fortitude the woorkes of fortitude must bee grounded vpon equitie and iustice 251. it is a good