his frende might rather finde that hee wanted with ioy of good hap then through his good nature being ashamd to aske should wante that hee needed through his default I Néede not admonishe you to giue no credence to Loues wilâ—s whom neither law with feare nor wisdome with discretion caÌ„ restraine Agorastocles in Plautus not knowing howe to compasse his louer had counsaile to eircuument Lycus that kept her in this maner to send Colibiscus his baiâ—iffe to him who feigning himselfe to be in loue with her should giue Lycus a great summe of mony to bee shut vp with her in a chamber to haue his pleasure therewhile Agorastocles should enquire at Lycus his house for his seruaunt and thus he assured himselfe that Lycus knowing no seruaunt he had but his parasite whom he supposed he ment would deny him then the impastor Agorastocles â—aâ—â—â—king hie house and finding his seruant and his money in Lycus the house should haue him and his whole house confiscate to him by this means should be Lord of his loue How loose Loue is and howe briefly expired the sequele shall giue specialtie When Iris the common messinger and purseuaÌ„t of Ioue came to Helen in her loued sister in laws faire Laodices shape brought her word how it was pacted that Menelaus and Paris should sâ—int the strife were buskling to battaile HeleÌ„s mind was sped of her first spouse countrie towne alienated quite from her louer Paris when Venus had in a trice with a slenting sleight shifted out trick Paris in a mislie aire from the camp and brought Helen to comfort him at his chamber she bedlemlike began to raue O would to God my husbands hap had bene to dauÌ„t thy vaunting hoighes thou wontest to vaunt he durst not méete thée in the face but thou wouldest eate him at a gobbe which now hast showed a paire of leaden heeles assay his force no more if thou beest wise least that it doe thee ill apay What fumish brawles pettish tetishnes were betwixt Areitho king of Arna his pretie bulchion and louing fuds the fayre glassy eyed Philomedusa for whose loue not long sith but euen the day before the bridall he would néedes dye the louing death and bequeath his body to the â—irie feast As far in loue as Achilles was with Brisis he could be content in her absence to make sport betwixt a paire of sheetes with his swete hart Diomed the kings doughter of Lesbos cleped Phorbe this knewe the comicall beldam Misis in Terence his Andria that lustie crustie loytring loue as extinct vapoures soone remoues who gossoping with Lesbia her frende flattered her in this sorte It is euen Lesbia as thou sayest few true to women shalt thou finde It is a Prouerbe in Englande that the men of Tiuidal horderers on the english midle marches haue likers lemmoÌ„s and lyerbies THe Gods themselues will nowe and than dispence with deceite and retaile a fallacie to suche as they can and liste delude Iupiter meaning to giue Agamemnon an ouerthrow sente the God of dreames to him in his sléepe in olde sage Nestors shape whose perswasions he had euer in price subornd him to giue the Troians battaile vnder protection of Iupiter his warrante the prince obeyed the vision but had effect quite contrary for hee his garrison were both foyled The greene eyed Goddesse with her cokesing words set Pindarus a gog to infringe the compacte ystricke betwene his confederates the Pelasgians Apollo to front Aeneas from death ridded him out of the battaile to abuse the armie erected his portrayture in his wonted station amonge his soldiers as though it had bene he about which the knights of Graece Troians both that one sort spending their trauails to defend it the other bending their mights to defeate a senceles thing of life made many a widdowe and fatherlesse childe wrangling cracking Mars did sweare full stoutlie in aide of grekish crews but the selfe same day he periuredly deard them Neither are the heauenly bodyes lind with such minds as we imagine nor their strength so rath as surpasseth all puissance of million legies not to be thirlde with any thwart For admit the all the Gods Goddesses descending from the earth coulde not haile Iupiter from heauen with a golden chaine fastened to him which he insulted of himself yet Ephala Otus the sons of great Oloeus bound God Mars and imprisoned him the space of 13. moneths where he had consumed with setters and stinking had not Euribaea their mother in law besought Mercurius in his behalfe who stole him a way closelie in a braide Iuno her brest with triple headed shearing shaft was hurt by Hercules Pluto sable God of vaste infernall Tartarum did giue the hand of selfe same man a badge of his bloud in Pilie soyle among the murthered carcasses of which wounde hee was healed by Paean phisâ—ion of the Gods POrtending Sothsaings of gospelling Augures to whom the Ethnickes were tributorie in deuotion were superstitious collusions to supplant the credulous and more authorized by custome then alowed for commoditie When the Graecians were in suspence whether to march on to giue onset of battaile at that same stoure drad flakes of lightning fire were darted down from heauen which falling at their right handes were said Nestor and true he said accounted certain diuinations of prosperous lucke yet for all that their lucke was at that time to loose both man moyle and machins belonging to warre These presagings be as true as that which the schoolmaisters of Padua taught that in the instant wherein you shall see a Cuckow not hauing seene anie that yeare before you shall finde an haire vnder your right foote if you stand still remoue not wheÌ„ you sée her if this haire be blacke you shall haue euill lucke that yeare if white good lucke if gray indifferent lucke Vnreasonable therfore are their assertions which say to heare an Heron crie when thou goest on Imbacie is a signe of spéeding and yet this they ground on a place in the tenth of Homers Iliades and theirs which say to see a blacke Swine before the Sun rise is a signe of euill lucke that present day this hath his originall from a prouerb of Empodocles Then recke not of the Augures ne yet of ghostly prophesiers Eunomus prophesie was estemed a touchstone of truth yet could he not discusse to fly his fate and scape the fiste of fierce Achilles Euridomant a prophet not prophane but iudged a right interpreter by deuine infusion could not cast his sonns vnluckie fate Polidus and Abantes his whom Diomede cut in péeces Indéed it was Calchas his cunning or rather good chaunce not so much by sanctimonie of prophesie but as I thinke in flatterie of the potentates to hit the truth in vnfoulding a secrete hidde wheÌ„ the Graekes were in Aulis a towne of Beocie sacrificing to Iupiter vnder a gréene beach trée growing vpon a liuelie spring
operation doth vse to make his Subiecte sodeine yet he coulde so well refraine his choler and make exchaunge for cheuisaunce of curtesye that these Sentences were often rowling in his mouth Arist saith that Those are fools which cannot be angry at an occasion But Plato saith that Those are more fooles which will be angry with out great occasion I well beléeue Arist for he seldome lieth but I will follow Plato for he thought it sinne to lye His body was decently made featlye framed conteyning an absolute constitution and conuenience of liniaments his head not a slope cornered but rouÌ„d globewise fashioned His haire auburne or chesten coloure so was Hectors his forehead smooth and vnwrinckled beautified with comelye eiebrowes and suche were the browes of Alcibiades and gallantly garnished with a paire of amiable eies not hollowe but delightfully standinge out cherefull to his frendes and churlish to his foes such saith Heliodorus were the eyes of Theagenes his cheeks roseall like Phebus rising in the Orientall skie of stature he was semely neither dwarfish like a man cut of at legges nor a lungis like one that standes vpon stiltes but iust in the middes wherein consisteth vertue His porte and state of body bolte vpright his gate framed to comelinesse not nicely affected nor curiously counterfayted as it were plaiers and disguised masquers who by a kind of vpstart gate vnwisely weene to win commendation In communitie of life he was verye jocund neither to baâ—latiue withe flattery nor to whust with morositie which Arist 2 of his Ethicks cap. vii tearmeth the two extremes of curteous humanitye familiar in communication with gentle mildnes seasoned with pleasure and a reuerent grauitie without pratling and tatling without biting scoffes or vpbraiding taunts pleasauntlye conceyted and merry with honestie vsing therein no filthines or ribauldrie and as he was most far from malapert scurrility and scenicall gesture so was he free from sulleyne sterne seuerity stoicall indolency This for the most part was his behauiour In tonge he was sylent in this resembling Cato Vticensis which neuer spoke but being vrged in countenaunce sad and yet not so sullen as M. Crassus which neuer but once laughed in all his life FroÌ„ company solitary but for this onely cause for which Sophocles in age would sequester himselfe vz. to quiet his mind with vntroblous coÌ„tentation and encrease the gifts of knowledg and learning And as Hermes Prismegistus saith that Plotin us the philosopher made as it were to all ornaments of vertue choose him a secrete place of rest where he might be far from humaine conuersation and bestowe his time in diuine contemplation free and feareles from all the insultes and counterchecks of fortune and that hee contemned all titles of honour and all possessions of riches accounting that true honour and wealthe whereby a garnished minde doeth knowe the oryginall of it owne authoritie euen so was Philotimus affected that trade did he trauerse and that mediocritie For he often would say that since no man might enter Dianees Temple at Craeta where Dedalus hath eternall memorie for his worthy monuments vnlesse he went in stripped naked it was probable that none were docile Disciples of learning but such as cast of the care of worldly pompe His diot was moderate his dreames not vaine reauing ioyned with idle talke as commonly theirs are which abouÌ„d with redde choller whiche Iuuenal well describes in his 7. booke With grislye dreadfull Dreames by nyghte their heades are vexte with gastly visions in their sleepe yelad with vgsom shapes For of choler are enkindled burning Agues phantasticall Imaginations doting of burninge of Townes Houses of murthers of hurlye burlies wheÌ„ the fumositie of the choller striketh into the braine The continuance of the disturbance of this is voyded by vomit sweate euacuation by siedge which may bee done with Radix pontica and suche thinges as prouoke vrine as these hearbes Alkakengie Sperage Gardeyn Parsely Annyseede Fenellseede by the forbearing of all hot fat and swete meates which are very apt to be turned into choller except reisons licoras and by eating such thinges as will quallify the heat of the bloud Sléepe also must be prouoked by Lactuce sallet hearbs that doe humect the braine and all the partes of the body Venus anger vnseasonable labour long fasting must bee auoided and sckanting our selues of victualls His Dreames were suche as after the firste sléepe the braine not stuffed with fumes doe presage some newes approching As Valentinianus dreaming that he saw his wife altered from her merrie glée weare a mourning gowne the next day had it soe brought to passe by his sodeine death And Augustus his mother dreaminge that shee broughte forth a Starre whiche illustrated the whole earth had it verified in the Actes of Augustus To prosecute the Chronicle of Philotimus be on a certeine day hearing a crew of litigious ruffiaÌ„s belching out their fuliginous fomentations against him and insulte with hatefull spite ouer some of his doinges thinking no body had hearde them but they among themselues couertly stood on the other side the wall and gently and frendly admonished them as though he had bene one of their owne companions I beseech you Sirs speake low least Philotimus heare for this is somtime his walk where he takes the ayre And arguing on a time on some Sophisticall pointes with a Gentleman named Papius who stoode very stiflye to his owne assertion ouerheated with chafinge and anger in disputing condemned Philotimus for an hereticke in Philosophy then quoth Philotimus I appeale to Papius when hee is sober to debate the dissention Which meeke aunswere appeased Papius reuolted him from his errour It was natiue to Aemilius his nature to counteruaile all iniuries with a contrary counterbuffe and neuer to die in the debt of his trespassours Herevpon would Philotimus expostulate with him What if an Asse or an Oxe should kick or spurne thée wouldest thou thinke it manhood to strike againe But I will aduise thée of a good medicine in such a case Goe to morrow morning knéele the downe beside the great Oke in Siloes wood and looke whatsoeuer it bids thée doe that doe and nothing els Aemilius thinking that Philotimus meant to worke some enchauntment went thither to sée his deuise but when he came there he heard nothing but aniayerie murmure among the Trées at his returne home Philotimus asked him what he heard Aemilius in a pelting chafe thinking himself derided aunswered I heard asmuch speach as thou hast honestie and that is asmuch as an egge hath otemeale Then quoth Philotimus say to thy complices as is coÌ„maunded thée that thou sayest is nothing at all and thoÌ„u shall neuer damnifye thy selfe with suche effluence of cholericke sominges He quoth Aemilius that will know the construction of your meaning must coniure for it before or vse suche hearbes as Cynocephalia which Apion vsed in calling vp ghostes to know of
longe haunted vsurping those quarters sole to themselues The gardeine Roy of these fellows was one Toxilus who with his lieges hauing one night raunged abroad for their pray at their returnement to cabbin in a caue which siely Philotimus had fore-possessed Toxilus entering the caue and finding him lye groning beating his brest with sobs and throwes dismayde almost amazde at this sight started aback and churlishly asked him what wight he was Philotimus aunswered a wight scarse worthy naming whose woes can none expresse at Toxilus his importunitie disclosed himselfe The thiefe thought this a fitt occasion to encrease their crewe with so méete a copes mate and hereupon vnfoulded the whole packe of his conspiratoures and their intentes with these perswasions to entice him The prince of Syracusa sacked the Temple of Proserpina at Locris and spoyling her treasure made a mockage at his thefte Thyamis a noble mans sonne defeated of his priesthoode became a captaine of theuish heardmeÌ„ such good fellows as we Paris was an arraunt thiefe both of women of welth It was the lawe of Armes among the Ethiopians and whether it be there yet or els where at this day I know not that the soldiour might take all or whatsoeuer it pleased him of that he found about his prisoner whom he caught The Persian king did neuer goe abroad with open face but with some lawne or silkin scarfe muche like this vale of mine Aegeon spronge of Gods their race doeth scoure the Seas and soules the trafficke of the trading merchauntes Haste thou not hearde this precepte of Lycurgus where the Lyons skin will not serue sow the Foxes to it that is to interprete it where honest force will not auaile vse fraude and falshood set conscience to sale We are honest inough my frende as far as our wealth will serue and are no worse then they that borrowe money but that wee giue no obligations when to pay it againe what saiest thou man Philotimus looking wistly on him with a deepe sigh aunswered I cannot testify in wordes how much I detest thy wayes nor verefy that for good which thou inuertest for guile ech queachye groue ech craggie cliffe with sedge and loftie oysiers this same sprinting spring thats courbo about with pebble stones inueighs against your facte Hoorde in minde that story and store well that horrour which Iupiter at his procuration and secrete visitation of the earth extended vpon the ingluuious rauenour Lycaon When Ioue came downe from heauen and had entred the harbourles house of late th' Archadian king suche time as twilighte on the earth began to bringe dim darkenes he gaue a signe that God was commen whereat Lycaon made a sport and scoffingly said he ment by open proofe to sée what wight of weight he was Besides he cut the throate of one that lay in hostage with him which was an Epyrote wherof he part did rost and part did slew which wheÌ„ it came to boord forthwith with dire reueÌ„ging flame Ioue ouerthrew the house vpon the ownees head who seing this appauld with feare slipt out of doores into the wilde and desert wooddes where all alone endeuoring but in vaine to make his moane he fell a howling wherewithall for dery rage he ran out of his wits still setting bloud abroch and practising his wonted luste of slaughter on poore and lielie cattaile His garmentes turnde to shaggye haire his armes to rugged pawes his skin is hoarie gray his shape turnd to a wolues his lookes still grim with glaring eies his cruell hearte still showes it selfe in outward shape Thus was one house destroied quite Nor he alone shall bee condemned by rigorous doome but for such like did Ioue as Naso saieth summon all the Gods to his court of parliament which then he kept in princely pallace amid the Heauens A Pallace gorgeous in apparaunt sight on stately pillers builded high of yellow burnisht golde beset with sparkling carcbuncles the roofe was framde of yuory the siluer twisolde dooâ—es did caste a radiant light And there a perfect plat of all the world did Vulcan draw of surges that embrace the earth with winding waues of the surefast centrie ground of the whéeling heauen it selfe there firye foming Ioue in purple robes and roial throne of Emerauldes fresh and grene did sit the Chrisolites gems wherof did geue a shéere and shining light Seest thou not yen milke white pathe that crosse the welkin wendes wee commonly call it Galactaea yen is the stréete that to the Courte of whome I speake doth leade Euen yonder thundering Ioue remaines and yonder did he call his Court and yonder did he sweare by Stix leaning vpoÌ„ his thrée-tind mace when dreadfully he shooke his bushie lockes wherewith hee made both Sea and land and Heauen it selfe to quake that all the ympes of suche like spitefull Carnes as this Lycaon was that francke their flesh on that they filch and gulpe vp bloud for beare should smart of Lycaons whip or worse perhaps For Lycaon thou knowest was coosin germaine to high Ioue O what a wickednes it is to cram the maw with maw of man as Cyclopes wont to do I take you for no Christians and therefore I vse to Ethnicks the authoritie of Ethnickes which notwithstanding were not so irreligious as you to make honesty arbitrary and in their choise whether they should vse it or no. Libeus was honoured of the Sycilians Ceres of the Rhods Diana of the Ephesians Belus of yâ— Palestines Delphos of the Argiues Iuno of the Numydians Venus of the Thebanes and Berecinthia of the Thebans Which Gods were so deuoutly worshipped of their country nations both with daily oratories and rich offeringes that all men had this PlerophotiaÌ„ and full perswasion that ech worde from their God was deemed an oracle and euery offence to their God a corsiue to their conscience Those that deale with fortune must entreate her not force her not get wealth by stealth for that wil not prosper but labour honestly for it for so it will thriue The Augusts are said to begin in Caius and the Caesars to ende in Nero which giues vs to vnderstand that of vertue ensueth all good thinges behoofull and by vice doe decay all former prosperities Ah sirrha quoth Toxilus now I remember the saying of the pleasant Philosopher Mimns Qui cum lasso samilico loquitur râ—xaâ— quarit He that helpes a begger out of the ditch shal be stung with his lyce But I perceiue a wrangling tongue is the best language thou hast Yet Toxilus and his company aggrizd at these words neither able to reply against them nor willing to applye them to their amending left him as they found him what became of theÌ„ I neither am very certaine neither néede you to doubt knowing their demeanour Philotimus thanked God that he had deliuered him from those temptations and prayed to his mercy ouer to safeconduct him from such suggestioÌ„s But as decayed Vear renues her vert grene