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A00320
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Bellum Erasmi· Translated into englyshe; Adagia. Chil. IV Cent. I. English
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Erasmus, Desiderius, d. 1536.
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1534
(1534)
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STC 10449; ESTC S101675
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33,471
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81
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lerne to be meke He calleth them blessed and happy that setteth naughte by ryches for those he calleth poore in spirite Blessed be they that despise the pleasures of this worlde the whiche he calleth mourners And them blessed he calleth that paciently suffre them felfe to be put out of theyr possessions knowinge that here in this worlde they are but as outlawes and the very trewe countrey possessioÌ„ of godly creatures is in heueÌ„ He calleth them blessed whiche deseruynge well of all men are wrongefully blamed and yll afflicted He forbade that any man shoulde resyste yuell Brefelye as all his doctryne commaundeth sufferaunce and loue soo all his lyfe teacheth nothynge els but mekenes So he reigned so he warred so he ouercam so he triumphed ¶ Nor the appostols that had sucked in to theym the pure spirite of Christe and were blessedly dronke with that newe muste of the holy gooste preched nothynge but mekenesse and peace What do all the epistols of Paule sounde in euery place but peacâ— but longaminite but Charitie What speaketh saynct IohnÌ„ what reherseth he so ofte but loue What other thynge dyd Peter What other thynge dydde all the true christen writers From whens then cometh al this ruffling of warres amonges the chyldren of peace Thynke ye it a fable that Chryste calleth him selfe a vyne tree and hisen the branches Who dyd euer see one branche fyghte with an other Is it in vayne that Paule so ofte wrote The churche to be none other thyng than one bodye compacte to gether of dyners membres cleuynge to one heed Christ Who euer sawe the eie fyght with the hande or the bealy with the fote In this vniuersall body compacte of all those vnlyke thynges there is a gremente In the bodye of a beaste one membre is in peace with an other eche membre vseth not the propertie therto gyuen â—or it self alone but for the profite of al the other membres So that if there come any good to any one meÌ„bre alone it helpeth all the holle body And may the compaction or knyttynge of Nature doo more in the body of a beaste that shortly muste perishe than the couplynge of the holye goâ—te in the mysticall and immortall body of the church Do we frustrately byd this prayer taughte vs by Christe Mat. 6. Good lorde euen as thy wyl is fulfylled in heuen so let it be fulfylled in the erthe In that citie of heuen is concorde and peace mooste perfecte And Christe wolde his churche to be none other then a heuenly people in erthe as nere as myghte be after the maner of them that are in heuen euer labouring making haast to go thyther and all wayes hauynge theyr mynde theron ¶ Nowe go to lette vs imagen that there shoulde come some newe guest out of the Lunarie cities where Empedocles dwelleth orels out of the innumerable worldes that Democritus forged in to this worlde desiring to know what the inhabitantes do here And when he were instructed of euery thyng it should at laste be â—olde him that besydes al other there is one creature maruaylousely mingled of body like to brute bestis of soul like vnto god And it shuld also be tolde hym that this creture is so noble that tough he be here an outlawe out of his owne countrey yet are all other beastes at his commaundemente the whiche creature through his heuenly begynnyg inclyneth alway to thynges heuenly and immortall And that god eternall loued this creature so well that where as he coude neyther by the gyftes of nature nor by the strong reasoÌ„es of philosophy atteine vnto that whiche he so feruently desired he sente hyther his onely begotten sonne to the intente to teache this creature a newe kinde of lernynge Then as soone as this newe guest had perceyued well the hole maner of Christes lyfe and preceptes wolde desyre to stande in some highe place from whence he myghte beholde that that he had harde And whan he shulde se al other creatures soberly lyue accordynge to theyr kynde beinge led by the lawes and course of nature desyred nothynge but euen as nature wolde and shulde se this one speciall creature man gyuen ryottously to tauerne hauntynge to vile lucre to byinge and sellynge choppynge chaungynge to braulyng and fyghtynge one with another trowe ye that he wolde not thynke that any of the other creatures were man of whome he harde so moche of before rather than he that is in dede man Than if he that hadde instructed hym afore wolde shewe hym whiche creature is man nowe wolde he loke about to se if he coude spie the christen flocke and companye the whiche folowynge the ordynaunce of that heuenly techer Christe shoulde exhibite to hym a fygure or shappe of the aungelycall cytye Thynke ye he wolde not rather iudge christians to dwell in anye other place then in those countrayes wherin we se so great superfluite riotte voluptuousenesse pryde tyranny discorde braulynges fyghtynges warres ruffelynges ye and breffelye to speake a greater puddell of al those thinges that Christe reproueth then amonge Turkes or Saracens From whence then crepeth this pestilence in amonge christen people Doutles this mischefe also is come in by lyttel and littel lyke as manye mo other be ere men be ware of them For trewlye euery mischiefe crepeth by lyttel and lyttell vppon the good maners of men or els vnder the colowr of goodnesse hit is sodeynlye receyued ¶ So then fyrste of all lernynge and counnynge Erudiâ—â— crepte in as a thynge verye mete to confounde heretykes whiche defende theyr opinions with the doctryne of philosophers poetis and oratours And surely at the begynnynge of our fayth christen men dyd not lerne those thynges but suche as parauenture had lerned theym before they knewe what Christe ment they turned the thynge that they had lerned all redy in to good vse ¶ Elouqence of tonge was at the beginnyng dissembled more thaÌ„ dispised but at length it was openly approued After that vnder colour of confoundynge heretikes came in an ambicious pleasure of braulynge dispitions whiche hath broughte in to the churche of Chriâ—te no small mischife At lengthe the matter wente so farre forthe that Aristotell was al to gether resceiued into the middel of diuinitie so receyued that his auctoritie is almoste reputed holyer than the auctoritie of Christe For if Christe spake anye thynge that dyd lyttell agree with our lyfe by interpretation of Aristotell it was lefull to make it serue theyr purpose But if any do neuer so lyttell repugne agaynste the hygh dyuinytie of Aristoteli he is quickelye with clappynge of handes driuen out of the place For of hym we haue lerned that the felycytie of man is vnperfecte excepte he haue bothe the good gyftes of bodye and of fortune Of hym we haue lerned that no common weale may florishe in whiche all thinges are commune And we indeuour our selfe to glewe faste to gether the decretes of â—his man and
the other side is nought els but discention and debate of many men together And surely the propretie of good thynges is suche that the broder they bene spredde the more profyte and commoditie cometh of them Farther if the loue of one singular person with an other be so swete and delectable howe great shuld the felicitie be if realme with realme nation with nation were coupled together with the bande of amitie and loue On the tother syde â—he nature of yuelle thynges is suche that the farther they sprawle abrode the more worthy they are to be called yuell as they be in ded Then if it be a wreched thing if it be an vngratious thynge that one man armed shuld fight with an other how moche more miserable how moch more mischiuous is it that the selfe same thynge shoulde be done with â—o many thousandes to gether By loue and peace the small thynges increaâ—e and waye great by discorde and debate the great thynges decaye and come to nought Peace is the mother and nource of all good thynges Warre sodaynly and at ones ouerthroweth destroyeth and vtterly fordoth euery thynge that is pleasant and fayre and bryngeth in amonge men a monstre of alle mischeuous thynges In the tyme of peace none other wyse than as vere the lusty spryngynge tyme shulde shewe and shyne in mens busynesses the feldes are tylled the gardeyns and orchardes fresshely florysshe the beastes pasture meryly gaye manours in the contreye are edyfyed the townes are buylded where as nede is reparations are done the buildynges are highted and augmented ryches increaceth plesures are nourished the lawes are executed the common welthe flourysheth religion is feruente ryghte rayneth gentylnesse is vsed craftis men are busylye exercised the poore mens gaynes is more plentifull the welthynes of the ryche men is more gay and goodly the studies of most honeste lernynges florishen youthe is well taughte the aged folkes haue quiette and reste maidens are luckely maryed mothers are praysed for brynginge forth of chyldren like to their progenitours the good men prospere and do well and the yuell men doo lesse offence ¶ But as soone as the cruel tempest of war cometh on vs what mâ—â—â—chief coâ—â—meth of warre good lorde howe greatte a floud of mischeues occupieth ouerfloweth and drowneth all to gether The fayre hirdes of beastes are dryuen a way the goodly corne is trodden downe and distroyed the good husbande men are slayne the villages are burned vp the moste welthy cities that haue florished so many wynters with that one storme are ouerthrowen distroyed and brought to naughte so moche more redyer prompter men are to do hurte thâ—â— good The good citezens are robbed and spoyled of theyr goodes by cursed theues and mourtherers Euery place is ful of feare of waylynge complaynynge lamentynge The craftes men stande idell the poore men must eyther dye for hunger or fall to stealynge The ryche men eyther they stande and sorowe for theyr goodes that be pluckte and snatched frome theym orels they stande in great doute to lose such goodes as they haue lefte theym so that they be on euerye syde wo begonne The maydens eyther they be not maryed at all or els if they be maryed theyr mariages are sorowfull and lamentatable Wyues beynge destitute of theyr husbandes lye at home withoute anye frute of chyldren the lawes are layde asyde gentylnes is laughed to scorne ryghte is clene exiled religion is sette at nought halowed and vnhalowed thynges al is one youthe is corrupted with al maner of vices the olde folke they wayle and wepe and wysshe them selfe out of the worlde there is no honour gyuen vnto the study of good letters Finally there is no tonge can telle the harme and mischief that we feele in warre ¶ Perchaunce warre myghte be the better suffred if it made vs but only wretched and nedy but it maketh vs vngratious and also ful of vnhappynes and I thynke Peace lyke wyse shulde be moche made of and it were but onely bycause it maketh vs more welthy and better in our lyuynge Alas there be to many all redy ye and mo then to many mischiues and yuelles with the whiche the wretched lyfe of man whether he wyll or no is continuallye vexed turmented and vtterly consumed ¶ It is nere hande two thousande yere sithe the phisitians had knowlege of thre hundred dyuers notable sickenesses by name besyde other small sickenesses and newe as daylye sprynge amonge vs and be syde aege also whiche is of it selfe a sikenes ineuitable ¶ We rede that in one place whole cities haue ben destroyed with erthe quakes We rede also that in an other place there haue ben cities al to gether brente with lightning howe in an other place whole regions haue ben swallowed vp with openyng of the erth townes by vndermyninge haue fallen to the grounde so that I nede not here to remembre what a great multitude of men are dayly destroyed by dyuers chaunces whiche be not regarded by cause they happe so often as sodayne breakynge out of the see and of greatte flouddes fallynge downe of hylles and houses poyson wylde beastes meate drynke and slepe One hath ben strangled with drynkynge of a heare in a draughte of mylke an other hath ben choked with a littel grape stone an other with a fishe bone styckynge in his throte There hath bene that sodeyne ioy hath kylled out of hande for it is lesse wonder of them that dye for vehement sorowe Besyde all this what mortal pestilence se we in euery place There is no parte of the worlde that is not subiecte to peryl and daunger of mans lyfe whiche life of it selfe also is moste fugitiue So manyfolde mischaunces and yuels assayle man on euerye syde that not withoute cause Homer dyd say Man was the most wretched of al creatures lyuynge ¶ But for as moche these myschaunces can not lyghtly be eschewed nor they happe not through our faute they make vs but onelye wreched and not vngratious withall What a pleasure is it than for them that be subiecte all redy to so many miserable chaunces willyngely to seke and procure them selfe a nother myschefe more than they hadde before as thoughe they yet wanted myserye Ye they procure not a lyghte yuell but suche an yuell that is worse than al the other so mischiffull that it alone passethe all the other so aboundante that in it selfe alone is comprehended all vngratiousnesse so pestilente that it maketh vs all a lyke wicked as wreched it maketh vs full of all misery and yet not worthy to be pitied ¶ Nowe go farther and with al these thynges consider that the commodites of Peace spreaden them selfe mooste farre and wyde and pertayne vnto many men In warre if there happen any thynge luckely but o good lorde what may we saye happeth well and luckely in warre hit perteyneth to verye fewe and to theym that are vnworthye to haue it The prosperitie of one is the distruction of an other