it is he that shall hereafter destroy the Romaine people as Suetonius Tranquillus affirmeth in the booke of Caesar Albeit that Iulius Caesar was vncomlie in his behauior yet in naming onely his name he was so feared through the world as if by chance any king or Princes did talke of him at their table as after supper for feare they could not sleepe that night vntill the next day As in Gallia Gotica where Iulius Caesar gaue battell by chance a French knight tooke a Caesarian knight prisoner who beeing led prisoner by the Frenchmen said Chaos Caesar which is to say Let Caesar alone Which the Gaulloys hearing the name of Caesar let the prisoner escape and without any other occasion hee fell besides his horse Now then let Princes and great Lords see how little it auaileth the valiant man to bee faire or foule sith that Iulius Caesar being deformed only with naming his name caused all men to feare to change their countenance Hanniball the aduenterous captaine of Carthage is called monstruous not onely for his deedes he did in the world but also for the euill proportion of his bodie For of his two eyes he lacked the right and of his two feete he had the left foote crooked and aboue all he was little of body and verie fierce and cruell of countenance The deeds and conquests which Hanniball did among the people of Rome Titus Liuius declareth at large yet I will recite one thing which an Historiographer declareth and it is this Frontine in the book of stoutenesse of the Penians declareth that in seuenteene yeeres that Hannibal warred with the Romaines he slue so great a number that if the men had bin conuerted into Kine and that the blood which was shed had beene turned into Wine it had beene sufficient to haue filled and satisfied his whole armie being foure score thousand footmen and seuenteene thousand horsemen in his campe I demand now how many were at that time fairer and more beautifull of their bodyes and countenance then he was whose beautie at this day is forgotten whereas his valiantnesse shall endure for euer For there was neuer any Prince that left of him eternall memorie only for being beautiful of countenance but for enterprising great things with the sword in the hand The great Alexander was no fairer nor better shapen then another man For the Chronicles declare of him that he had a litle throte a great head a blacke face his eyes somewhat troubled the body little and the members not well proportioned and with all his deformitie hee destroyed Darius king of the Perses and Medes and he subdued all the tyrants he made him selfe Lord of all the Castles and took many kings and disherited and slue mightie Lords of great estate hee searched all their riches and pilled all their treasors and aboue all things all the earth trembled before him not hauing the audacitie to speake one word against him Of a letter the Emperour Marcus Aurelius wrote to his Nephew worthie to be noted of all yong Gentlemen CHAP. XLII SExtus Cheronensis in his second booke of the life of Marcus Aurelius declared that this good Marcus Aurelius had a sister called Annia Melena the which had a sonne named Epesipus who was not onely nephew but also Disciple to Marcus Aurelius And after he was created Emperour he sent his nephew into Greece to study the Greeke tongue and to banish him from the vices of Rome This yong Epesipus was of a good and cleare iudgement well made of his body and faire of countenance and sith in his youth he esteemed his beauty more then his learning the Emperour his vncle wrote him a letter in Greeke which sayd thus Marcus Aurelius the Romaine Emperour first Tribune of the people and Bishop wisheth to thee Epesipus his Nephew and Scholler health and doctrine In the third Calends of December came thy cousin Annius Verus at whose comming all our parentage reioyced and so much the more because that hee brought vs newes out of Grecia For truely when the heart hath the absence of that he loueth it is no minute of an houre without suspition After that thy cousen Annius Verus had spoken in generally to all bringing newes from their friends and children we talked together and he gaue me a letter of thine which is contrary to that which was written mee out of Greece because thou writest to mee that I should send thee mony to continue thee in studie and they did also write vnto me from thence that thou art more youthfull and giuen more to the pleasures of the world then becommeth thee Thou art my blood thou art my Nephew thou wert my Scholler and thou shalt bee my sonne if thou art good But God wil neuer that thou be my Nephew nor that I shall call thee my sonne during the time that thou shalt be yong fond light and frayle For no good man should haue parentage with the vitious I cannot deny but that I loue thee from the bottome of my stomacke and so likewikewise thy vnthriftinesse greeueth me with all my heart For when I read the letters of thy follies I will content my selfe For the sage wise men though against their willes they heare of such things past yet it pleaseth them to redresse other things that may come heareafter I know well that thou canst not call it to minde though perhaps thou hast it that when thy vnlucky mother and my sister Annia Melena died she was then yong enough for she was no more but eighteene yeares of age and thou haddest not then foure houres For thou wert borne in the morning and shee dyed iust at noone-tide so when the wicked childe possessed his life then the good mother tasted death I can tell thee that thou hast lost such a mother and that I haue lost such a sister that I beleeue there was no better in Rome For she was sage honest and faire the which things are seldome seene now a dayes For so much as thy mother was my sister and that I had brought her vp and marryed her I read then Rethorike at Rhodes because my pouertie was extreame that I had no other thing but that which by reading Rethorike I did get When newes came vnto me of the death of thy mother and my sister Annia Milena al comfort laid on side sorrow oppressed my heart in such wise that all members trembled the bones shiuered my eyes without rest did lament the heauy sighes ouercame me at euery minute my heart vanished away from the bottome of my heart I inwardly lamented and bewayled thy vertuous mother and my deare sister Finally sorrow executing his priuiledge on mee the ioyfull company greeued me and onely with the louely care I quieted my selfe I know not nor cannot expresse vnto thee how and in what sort I tooke the death of my sister Annia Milena thy mother for in sleeping I dreamed of her and dreaming I saw her when I was awake
one is deliuered from the torments of his Auarice and besides that hee recouereth friends for his person For riches tormenteth the Auaricious because hee spendeth them not The twelfth they asked him What the Prince should doe to gouerne others hee answered hee ought first to gouerne himselfe and then afterwards to gouerne others For it is vnpossible the Rod should bee right where the shadow is crooked By the occasion of this last answer I did bring in here all these questions to the ende Princes and Rulers might see how that euery one of them is as the rod of Iustice and that the Common-wealth is none other but a shadow of them which in all and for all ought to be right For immediatly it is perceiued in the shadow of the Comon-wealth if the Iustice or life of him which gouerneth bee out of his order Therfore concluding that all I haue spoken before if a Prince would aske mee why he is a Prince I would tell him in one word onely that hee which is the High Prince hath made you a Prince in this world to the ende you shuld be a destroyer of heretikes a father of orphanes a friend of Sages a hater of malicious a scourge of Tyrants a rewarder of good a defender and protector of Churches a plague of the wicked a onely louer and friend of the Commonwealth and aboue all you ought to bee an vpright minister of Iustice beginning first with your owne person and Pallace For in all things amendment is suffered except in Iustice which ought to bee equall betweene the Prince and Common-wealth CHAP. XXXVI What Plutarch the Philosopher was Of the wise words hee spake to Traian the Emperour And how the good Prince is the head of the Publike-weale IN the time of Traiana the Emperour there flourished in his Court a Philosopher named Plutarch a man very pure and of good life wise in science and well esteemed in Rome For Traian the Emperor desired greatly to haue Wise men in his companie and to make notable and sumptuous Buyldings in euery place where he came It was hee which wrote the liues of many noble Greekes and Romanes and aboue all hee made a Booke entituled The doctrine of Princes which hee offered to the Emperour Traian in the which hee sheweth his vertues the zeale which he had to the Common-wealth the highnes of his eloquēce the profoundnes of his knowledge For he was elegant in writing and pleasant in speaking and among all other things which hee wrote in his booke were these words following most worthie to be noted and written in Golden letters And they are such I let thee to know Lord Traian that thou and the Empire are but one mysticall bodie in manner and forme of a liuely bodie For they should and ought to be so correspondent and agreeable that the Emperor should reioyce to haue such subiects and the Empire ought to be gladde to haue such a Lord. And to the ende wee may describe the mysticall bodie which is the Empyre in the forme and shape of a natural man you shall vnderstand that the head which is aboue all is the Prince which commaundeth all the eyes whereby we see are the good men in the Commonwealth whom we followe the eares that heare what wee say are the Subiects which doe what wee commaund them the tongue wherewith we speake are the Sages of whom we heare the lawes and doctrines the hayres which growe on our heads are those which are vexed and gricued and that demaund iustice of the King The handes and armes are the Knights which resist the enemyes the feet which sustaineth the mēbers are the tyllers of the ground which giueth meate to all Estates the hard Bones that sustaineth the feeble and soft Flesh are the Sage men which endure the burden and trauell of the Common-wealth the Hearts which we see not outwardly are the Priuie Councellours Finally the necke that knitteth the bodie with the Head is the loue of the King combined with the whole Realme which make a Common-wealth All the words abouenamed spake Plutarch the great vnto Traian the Emperour And truly the inuention and grace of him proceeded of an high and deepe vnderstanding For the head hath three properties which are very necessary for the gouernor of the Common-wealth The first is that euen as the head is of all other members of the body the highest so the authority of the Prince exceedeth the estates of all others For the Prince onely hath authoritie to commaund and all others are bound to obey Admit there be many that are stout rich and noble men in the Common-wealth yet all ought to knowe and acknowledge seruice to the Lorde of the same For the noble and worthie Princes doe daily ease many of diuers seruices but they will neuer exempt any man from their loyaltie and allegeance Those which are valiant and mighty in a Realme should content themselues with that wherewith the battlements doe vpon a Castle that is to know that they are hier then the rampers wherein men walke on the Wals and lower then the pinnacles which are on the toppe for the wise man of high estate ought not to regard the Prince which is the high pinnacle but ought to looke on the alleis which are the poore comfortlesse I would speake a word and it greeueth me that is whereas great Lords desire in the commonwealth to commaund is like vnto him that holdeth his armes and hands ouer his heade For all that I haue heard and for all that I haue reade and also for all that hath chanced in my time I counsell admonish and warne all those which shall come after this time that if they will enioy their goods if they will liue in safeguard and if they will bee deliuered from tyranny and liue quiet in the Common-wealth that they doe not agree to haue in one Realme aboue one King and one Lord For it is a generall rule where there are many Rulers in a Common-wealth in the end both it and all must perish Wee see by experience that Nature formed vs with many sinewes many bones with much flesh with many fingers and with many teeth and to all this one only body had but one head wherefore though with many estates the Common-wealth is ordayned yet with one Prince alone it ought to bee ruled If it consisted in mens hands to make a Prince they would then also haue the authority to put him down but being true as it is most true indeede that the Prince is constituted by God none but God alone ought to depriue depose him of his estate but thinges that are measured by the diuine iudgment man hath no power with razour to cut them I know not what ambition the mean can haue neither what enuie the lowest can haue nor what pride the highest can haue to command and not to obey since wee are sure that in this mysticall body of the
persō for the Prince which is not feared well esteemed shall neuer be obeyed in his commandement Finally I say that the good King ought to do his Realme pleasure and the faithfull subiects ought to endeauour themselues neuer to displease their King For that Prince cannot be called vnfortunate who of his Common-wealth is loued and obeyed CHAP. XXXVII As there are two sences in the head smelling and hearing So likewise the Prince which is the head of the Common-weale ought to heare the complaints of all his Subiects and should know them all to recompence their seruices WEe haue shewed how the Prince is the commō welth and now wee will let you vnderstand another notable thing which is this that as all sences are in the head so ought all estates to bee in Princes for the vertues which are in many spred and scattered should be in one Prince found and gathered The office of the feet is not to see but to goe the hands office is not to heare but to labour the shoulders not to feele but to beare All these offices are not seemely for the members which are his Subiects but appertaineth to the King alone to exercise them For the head to haue eyes no other members meaneth nought else but that onely to the Prince and to none other appertaineth to know all for Iulius Caesar knew all those of his Host and named them by their proper names I counsell and admonish you Oh ye Princes all which shall heare see or read this thing that yee do reioyce to visite and to be visited to see and to be seene to talke and to be talked with For the things which with your eyes you see not you cannot perfectly loue A man ought also to know that the head only hath eares to note that to the king and to none other appertaineth to heare all and to haue the gates open for all them that haue any sutes For it is no small matter to a commonwealth to heare and obtaine of the Prince easie audience Helius Spartianus commendeth highly Tratan the Emperour that when he was on horseback to go to the warre alighted againe to heare the complaint of a poore Romaine which thing was maruellously noted amongst all the Romains for if men were not vaine they should giue a Prince more honour for one worke of Iustice then for the victorie in many battells Truely to a King it is no pleasure but rather paine and griefe and also for the common people annoyance that their Prince alwayes should be enclosed and shut vp For the prince which shutteth his gates against his subiects causeth them not to open their hearts willingly to obey him How manie and great slaunders doth there arise in the commonwealth only for that the prince sometime will not speake Iulius Caesar was Emperour and the head of all the Empire and because hee was musing of weightie matters and would not hearken to him which would haue reuealed the treason conspired against him was the same day with 33. wounds in the Senate murdered The contrarie is read of Marcus Aurelius the Emperor who was so familiar with all men that howbeit hee was chiefe of all and that the affaires which now are diuided to manie depended then onely of him yet he neuer had porter of his gate nor Chamberlain of his chamber and for many affaires that euer hee had to d ee with many men were they neuer so great hee was neuer longer then one day about thē For truely if I may say it a prince is not worthy to be beloued that is scarse of his words vnto those which faithfully serue him with works For wise princes should be quicke in hearing and graue in determining For manie come to speake with Princes which thinke that their counsells shall not bee accepted nor their reuestes graunted yet they desire importunatly to be heard and of truth the prince ought to heare them For the heauie heart with sorrowes burdened when it is heard is greatly lightned I would faine know why the sence of smelling is onely in the head and not in the feete nor in the handes neither in any other part of the bodie Truly it signifieth nought else but that it appertaineth to the Prince which is the head of all to heare and know all and therefore it is necessary hee be informed of all their liues For the prince cannot gouerne his Commonwealth well vnles he knoweth the particularities thereof It is necessary that the Prince know the good to the ende he may preferre them For that Commonwealth is greatly slandred wherein the euill are not punished nor the good honored It is necessary that the prince know the sage to counsel with them For the ancient Romaines neuer admitted any for coūsellors but those which with Phylosophie were adorned It is necessary he know the euill for to correct them for there is a great disorder in the Commonwealth where without any shame the wickednes of the wicked is cloked vnpunished It is necessary the prince do know those that are able to teach for in the court of the Romaine princes there were alwayes Captaines which taught and shewed how to handle their weapōs and wise men which taught and instructed them Sciences It is necessarie the prince knew the poore of his Realme for to ayde and succour them For the Prince should so gouerne the Common-wealth that among the rich nothing should abound nor amōg the poore any thing should want It is necessary the Prince know the presumptuous and malicious for to humble them For the poore by enuie and the rich by pride heretofore haue detstroyed great Commonwealths It is necessarie the prince know the peacekeepers for to keepe and maintaine them in peace For it is the duty of a prince to plucke downe the stout stomackes of the prowde and to giue wings of fauour to the humble It is necessary that the Prince know them which haue done him Seruice to the end they may be rewarded according to theyr merites For the stoute and noble hart for little fauour shewed vnto him bindeth himselfe to accomplish great things It is necessary the Prince know the Noble-men of his Kingdome to the ende that when time of need shall require he might retaine and take them into his seruice For it is but meete that that man which is adorned with vertue and Nobilitie should bee preferred aboue all others in the Common-wealth Finally I say it is necessary that the Prince should know the murmurers neuer to credit them and likewise to know those that tell the truth alwayes to loue them For none shuld be more familiar thē the wise man to giue him coūsell the vpright man to tell the truth And contrariwise none ought to bee more abhorred of the Prince then the Flatterer and ignorant man O how necessarie it is for a Prince to know vnderstand all things in his Realme to the end no man might deceyue
worthy person Albeit the Courtyer be come of a Noble house and that he be yong of yeares rich and wealthie yet would I like better hee should vse rather a certain mean and measure in his apparell wearing that that is comely and Gentlemanlike then others of most coste and worship For like as they would count him a foole for wearing that he could not pay for so they likewise would thinke him simple if hee ware not that that become him and that he might easily come by His apparrell should be agreeable with his yeares that is to say on the holy dayes some more richer and brauer then on the worke dayes and in the Winter of the hotest furres in the summer light garments of sattin and damaske and to ride with some others of lesser price and more durable For as the wisdome of man is knowne by his speaking so is his discretion decerned by his apparrell Let not the poore Courtier study to weare or deuise any new or strange fashioned garment for if he be of that humour he shall quickly vndoe himselfe and giue others occasion also to follow his light and vaine inuention There are now a dayes found out so many strange wayes to dresse meate and so many fashions and patterns of apparrell that now they haue vniuersities of Taylers and Cookes What more greater vanity and lightnes can there be then this that they will not suffer the mothers gowns to be made fit for their daughters saying that they are olde and out of fashion and that they vse now a new kinde of apparrell and attire farre from the old manner And notwithstanding those gownes bee it a manner new good whole cleane rich and well made without weme yet their daughters must needes haue new gownes at their marriage So that we may aptly say that a new folly seekes alwayes a new gowne namely when they are light persons without wit and discretion And I pray you is it not a goodly sight in the Court to see a foolish Courtier weare a demy cappe scant to couer the crowne of his heade to haue his beard merquizotted a payre of perfumed gloues on his hands his shooes cut after the best fashion a little curted cappe his Hose fayre pulled out his doublet sleeues brauely cut and pinct his rapier his dagger guilded by his side and then on the other side the pestilence of penny he hath in his purse to blesse him with and besides he is deepe in the Marchants booke for all those things hee hath taken vp of credit of him Their nagges foote clothes would not be so litle and narrow that should seeme a Fryers hood neyther so great large as the foot cloths of Bishops moyles Also the Courtier must see that his footcloth be good and whole cleane and without spot not tattered and seame rent This we speake because there are some miserable Courtiers that haue their footclothes threed bare broken and seeme rent foule and durty narrow and all digged full of holes with spurres And therefore no man deserueth to be called a right Courtier vnlesse hee he fine and neate in his apparrell hee weareth and also courteous and ciuill in his words and entertainement And yet touching the rest of the furniture of their horse or gelding their harnesse and trappes must bee kept blacke and cleane and they must looke that the reines of the bridle bee not brokeÌ„ nor vnsowed which I speak not without cause for there are a number of Courtiers that at Primero will not sticke to set vp a iest of a 100. or 200. crowns and yet will think much to giue their poore horsekeepers 12. pence to buy them a payre of reynes And truly the Courtier in my iudgement that is content to tye his horse with vntagged points to see his fire smoke when hee should warme them to ride with broken reines and to cut his meate at the table with a rusty knife I would thinke him base borne and rudely brought vp When the Courtier will ride his horse let him looke euer before hee take his backe that he haue all his furniture fitte for him his maine and tayle finely combed his stirroppes bright glistering his stirrops leather strong and his saddle well stuffed and aboue all let him sit vpright in his seate and carry his body euen swaruing of neyther side holding his legges still and keepe his stirrop For this name to bee called Chiuallier signifieth in our tongue a rider of a horse came first because hee could ride and manage his horse well And when he would stirre his legges to spurre his horse let him beware hee stoupe not forwardes with his body and when he doth spurre his horse let him not spurre him low but hie in the flankes and whether he will runne or stand still with his horse let him alwayes haue his eye vpon the reines that in no case the raines goe out of his hand And in giuing his horse a carere let him not writhe with his body nor bee too busie in beating or spurring his horse oft For in his carere to know when to spurre him when to giue him head or to pull him backe againe and to stoppe him I haue seene many take it vpon them but few indeed that euer were skilfull coulde do it well Now the Courtier being mounted on horse or moyle without his rapier by his side seemeth rather a Physitian that goeth to visite his sicke patients then a Gentleman of the Court that for his pleasure and disport rideth abroad throgh the streets and if he were by chance intreated by some noble man to accoÌ„pany him or to ride behind him throgh the streets euery honest Courtier ought not only to doe it but vnasked to be ready to offer himselfe to waite vpon him and â—o goe with him willingly And let the fine Courtier beware that in giuing his hand to a Gentlewoman hee be not gloued and if she bee a horsebacke that hee talke with her bare headed to doe her the more honour and if shee ride behinde him they chance to discourse together let him neuer looke backe vpon her to behold her for that is a rude manner and a token of ill education And one common courtesie there is among Courtiers that when they are in talke with Ladies and Gentlewomen and entertaining of them they suffer them to do with them what they will to raigne ouer them and to bee ouercommed in argument of them and they holde it good manners to doe them seruice when they haue any occasion offered to serue them And when he shal accompany any Gentlewoman to goe a visitation with her or to talke abroad for their pleasure through the streetes he must ride fayre and softly and if she should happen to keepe him so long in talke till she should alight the good Courtier must beare it courteously make a good countenance as thogh it grieued him nothing sith wee know very well that when
farre and how great is the difference betweene the estate of Phylosophers and the state of Captaines betweene the skyll to reade in Schooles and the knowledge to rule an Armey betweene the science that wise men haue in bookes and the experience that the others haue in warre betweene their skill to write with the penne and ours to fight with the Sword betweene one that for his pastime is set round with deskes of bookes and an other in perill of life encompassed with troups of Enemyes For many there are which with great eloquence in blazing deeds don in warres can vse their tongues but fewe are those that at the brunte haue hearts to aduenture their liues This Phylosopher neuer saw man of war in the field neeer saw one Armey of men discomfited by an other neuer heard the terrible Trumpet sound to the horrible cruel slaughter of men neuer saw the Treasons of some nor vnderstood the cowardnes of others neuer saw how few they be that fight nor how many ther are that run away Finally I say as it is seemly for a Phylosopher and a learned man to praise the profite of peace Euen so it is in his mouth a thing vncomely to prate of the perills ' of warre If this Phylosopher hath seene no one thing with his Eyes that hee hath spoken but onely read them in sundry bookes let him recount them to such as haue neyther seene nor read them For warlike feates are better learned in the bloudy fields of Affricke then in the beautifull schooles of Greece Thou knowest right well king Antiochus that for the space of thirty and sixe yeares I had continuall and daungerous warres as well in Italie as in Spayne In which Fortune did not fauour mee as is alwayes her manner to vse those which by great stoutnesse and manhood enterprise things high and of much difficultie a witnesse whereof thou seest mee here who before my beard beganne to growe was serued and now it is hoare I my selfe beginne to serue I sweare vnto thee by the God Mars king Antiochus that if any man did aske mee how hee should vse and behaue himselfe in warre I would not aunswer him one word For they are things which are learned by Experience of deedes and not by prating in words Although Princes beginne warres by justice and followe them with wisedome yet the ende standeth vppon fickle Fortune and not of force nor pollicie Diuerse and sundrie other things Hannibal sayde vnto king Antiochus who so bee desirous to see let him reade in the Apothegmes of Plutarche This example Noble Prince tendeth rather to this end to condemne my boldnesse and not to commend my enterprise saying that the affayres of the common wealth bee as vnknowne to mee as the dangers of the warres were to Phormio Your Maiestie may iustly say vnto me that I being a poor simple man brought vp a great while in a rude Countrey doe greatly presume to describe how so puissant a Prince as your Highnes ought to gouerne himselfe and his Realme For of truth the more ignorant a man is of the troubles and alterations of the world the better he shall be counted in the sight of God The estate of Princes is to haue great traines about them and the estate of religious men is to bee solitary for the seruant of God ought to be alwaies void from vaine thoughts to be euer accompanied with holy meditations The estate of Princes is alwayes vnquiet but the state of the religious is to bee enclosed For otherwise he aboue all others may be called an Apostata That hath his body in the Cell and his heart in the market place To Princes it is necessary to commune and speake with all men but for the religious it is not decent to be cōuersant with the world For solitary men if they do as they ought should occupy their hands in trauel their bodies in fasting their tongue in prayer and their heart in contemplation The estate of Princes for the most part is employed to war but the estate of religious is to desire procure peace For if the Prince would study to passe his bounds and by battell to shed the bloud of his enemies the religious ought to shed teares and pray to God for his sinnes O that it pleased Almighty God as I know what my bounden duty is in my heart so that hee would giue me grace to accomplish the same in my deedes Alas when I ponder with my selfe the weightines of my matter my Pen through slouth and negligence is readie to fall out of my hand and I halfe minded to leaue off mine enterprize My intent is to speake against my selfe in this case For albeit men may know the affaires of Princes by experience yet they shall not know how to speake nor write them but by science Those which ought to counsell princes those which ought to reforme the life of princes and that ought to instruct them ought to haue a cleare iudgement an vpright minde their words aduisedly considered their doctrine wholesome and their life without suspition For who so wil speake of high things hauing no experience of them is like vnto a blinde man that would leade and teach him the way which seeth better then hee himselfe This is the sentence of Xenophon the great which saieth There is nothing harder in this life then to know a wise man And the reason which hee gaue was this That a wise man cannot bee knowne but by another wise man wee may gather by this which Xenophon sayeth That as one wise man cannot be knowne but by another wise man so likewise it is requisite that he should be or haue bin a Prince which should write of the life of a Prince For hee that hath bin a marriner and hath sailed but one yeare on the Sea shall bee able to giue better counsell and aduise then he that hath dwelled ten yeares in the hauen Xenophon wrote a booke touching the institution of princes bringeth in Cambyses the king how hee taught and spake vnto king Cyrus his sonne And he wrote an other book likewise of the Arte of Chiualry and brought in king Philip how he ought to teach his sonne Alexander to fight For the philosophers thought that writing of no authoritie that was not entituled and set foorth vnder the Names of those Princes who had experience of that they wrote Oh if an aged Prince would with his penne if not with word of mouth declare what misfortunes haue happened since the first time hee beganne to raigne how disobedient his subjects haue bin vnto him what griefes his seruants haue wroght against him what vnkindnesse his Friendes haue shewed him what wiles his enemies haue vsed towards him what daunger his person hath escaped what jarres hath bin in his Pallace what faultes they haue layde against him how manie times they haue deceyued straungers Finally what griefes hee hath had by day and what sorrowfull sighs
that infamed Idoll and violated the sacred Temples For to God this is the most haynous offence to forsake the holy Catholike faith in his life and to despaire in his mercy at the houre of his death Would to God wee had so much grace to acknowledge our offences as God hath reason to punish our sins For if it were so then wee would amend in time to come and God would graunt vs a general pardon for all that is past I see one thing wherin as I thinke I am not deceiued which is this that the fraylties and miseryes which we cōmit wee thinke them naturall and in the satisfaction and amendment of the same wee say they are strange so that we admit the fault and condemne the paine which thereby we doe deserue The secret iudgements of God doe suffer it and our offences do deserue it I doe not denie but that the euill may holde and possesse this life at their pleasure but I sweare vnto them when they shall least thinke of it they shall lose theyr life to their great displeasure for the pleasures of this life are so vnconstant that wee scarce beginne to taste them when they fade out of our sight It is a rule infallible which both of the good and euill hath bin proued that all naturallie desire rather to abound then to want all that which greatly is desired with great diligence is searched and through great trauell is obtained and that thing which by trauell is attained with loue is possessed that which by loue is possessed with much sorrow is lost bewailed lamented For in the end wee cannot deny but that the watry eies do manifestly shew the sorrowfull harts To the fine wits and stout harts this is a continuall torment and endles paine and a worme that alway gnaweth to call to minde that he must lose the ioyfull life which he so entirely loued tast the fearfull death which so greatly he abhorred Therfore to proue this matter which I haue spoken of before it is but reason that Princes knowe if they doe not know that men as the diuine Prouidence exalteth them to high Estates they not deseruing them So likewise his rigorous iustice will bring thē to nought if they bee vnthankfull for his benefits For the ingratitude or benefits receiued maketh that man not worthy to receyue any moe The more a man throgh benefits is bound the more grieuous punishment if he be vnthankfull hee deserueth All wise men should finde if they apply their mindes therevnto that in chastising God calleth those offences first to his minde which are furthest from the thoughts of men For before the Tribunall of God our secret faults are alwayes casting out bloud to the end hee should execute on our person open iustice And further I say that in this case I do not see that the Prince is exempted more though hee liue in great felicitie then the poore labourer who liueth in extreame miserie And also we see it eft-soones by experience that the sudden Lightning Tempests and terrible Thunder forsaketh the small and lowe Cottages and battereth forthwith the great and sumptuous buyldings Gods will and determination is that foras-much as hee hath exalted them aboue all others so much the more they should acknowledge him for Lord aboue all others For GOD did neuer create high Estates because they should worke wickednes but he placed them in that degree to the end they should thereby haue more occasion to doe him seruice Euery Prince that is not a good Christian a seruent louer of the Catholike faith nor wil haue any respect to the Diuine seruice let him be assured that in this world hee shall lose his renowme and in the other he shall hazard his soule For that all euill Christians are the Parishioners of Hell CHAP XXIII The Anthour proueth by twelue examples that Princes are sharpely punished when they vsurpe boldly vpon the Churches and violate their temples Why the children of Aaron were punished IT is now time that wee leaue to perswade with wordes and reasons and to beginne to proue that which we haue sayd by some excellent histories and notable examples For in the end the hearts of men are stirred more through some little examples then with a great multitude of words In the first booke of Leuiticus the 10. Chapter is declared how in the time of Moses the sonne in law of Iethro the Priest that was of Media who was chiefe Prince of all the lynage of Seph with whom the brother of Mary the Leper had charge of the high Priesthood For among all the lawes where God at any time put his hands vnto hee prouided alwayes that some had the gouernement of ciuill affayres and others the administration of the diuine misteries This high Priest then had towe children whose names were Nadab and Abihu which two were yong and beautifull stout and sage and during their infancie serued their Father helped him to doe sacrifice For in the old law they suffered that Priests should not onely haue wiues children but also that their children should succeed them in their Temples and inherite their benefices There came a great mischance for the two children being apparrelled in white their bodies bound with stolles their hands naked in one hād holding a Torch and in the other the Sencer being negligent to light the new fire and contrary to that the law had ordayned and taking coales which were prohibited a maruellous thing was seene in the sight of the people which was that sodenly these two childrē fel flat on the earth dead and all their sacrifice burned Truly the sentence was maruellous but it was iust in ough For they well deserued to loose their liues sithence they durst sacrifice the coales of an other This thing seemed to be true for these young children saued theyr soules and made satisfaction of the fault with their liues but other wicked men God permitteth to liue a short time because they shall loose their soules for euer The cause why the Azotes were punished THe Realme of Palestine being destitute of a King at that time an honorable olde man gouerned the realme which was Father to two Knights named Albino and Phinides for at that time the children of Israel were not gouerned by Kings that did molest them by iniuries but by sage men which did maintaine them by iustice It chaunced that the Azotes made warre against the Palestines and were a kind of the Arabians stout and warlike the which fought so couragiously that the Palestines and Hebrewes were constrained to bring their Arke into the middest of the Battell which was a Relicke as a man should haue put the holie Sacrament to deuide a great multitude of people But Fortune shewed her countenaunce vnto them so frowningly that they were not onely ouer-come but also were spoyled of the Arke which was their chiefe relicke And besides that there were 4000. Palestines slaine The
wee shall not know the manner of their beauty and that which seemed to be perpetuall in short space we see it end and lose the renowme in such sort that there is neuer memory of them hereafter Let vs all leaue the ancient buildings come to the buildings now a dayes and none shall see that there is no man that maketh a house bee it neuer so strong nor faire but liuing a little while he shall see the beautie thereof decay For there are a great number of ancient men which haue seene both the tops of famous and strong buildings made and the foundation and ground thereof decayed And that this is true it appeareth manifestly for that if the toppe decay or the wals fall or else if the timber bee weake or the ioynts open or the windowes waxe rotten or the gates doe breake the buildings forthwith decay What shall we say of goodly halls galleries well appointed the which within short space by coles or candles of children or by torches of pages or smoke of chimneys by cobwebs of spiders become as drie and foule as before they were fresh and faire Then if that bee true which I haue sayd of these things I would now gladly know what hope man can haue of the countenance of his beautie since wee see the like destruction of corporall beauty as of stones wood bricke and clay O vnprofitable Princes O children too foolish hardy do you not remember that all your health is subiect to sicknes as in the pain of the stomack in the heate of the liuer the inflammation of the feete in the distemperance of humors in the motions of the aire in the coniunctions of the Moon in the Eclipse of the Sunne I say doe you not know that you are subiect to the tedious Summer and vntollerable Winter Of a truth I cannot tell how you can be among so many imperfections and corruptions so full of vaine glory by your beauty seeing knowing that a litle feuer doth not onely deface and man the beauty but also maketh and coloureth the face all yealow bee it neuer so well fauoured I haue maruelled at one thing that is to say that all men are desirous to haue al things about their body clean their gownes brushed their coates neate their table handsome and the bed fine and onely they suffer their soules to be foule spotted and filthy I durst say and in the faith of a Christian affirme that it is a great lacke of wisedome and a superfluity of folly for a man to his haue house clean to suffer his soule to be corrupted I wold know what preheminence they haue which are fair aboue others to whom nature hath denyed beautie Peraduenture the beautifull man hath two soules and the deformed creature but one peraduenture the most fairest are the most healthfull and the most deformed are the most sickliest peraduènture the most fairest are the wisest and the most deformed the most innocent peraduenture the fairest are most stout and the deformed most cowards peraduenture the faire are most fortunate and the foole most vnluckiest peraduenture the faire only are accepted from vice and the foule depriued from vertue peraduenture those which are faire of right haue perpetuall life and those which are foule are bound to replenish the graue I say no certainely Then if this be true why doe the great mocke the little the faire the foule the right the crooked and the white the blacke since they know that the vaine glory which they haue and their beauty also shall haue an end to day or tomorrow A man that is faire and well proportioned is therefore nothing the more vertuous and he that is deformed and euil shapen is nothing therfore the more vicious so that vertue dependeth not at all of the shape of body neither yet vice proceedeth of the deformity of the face For dayly wee see the deformity of the body to be beautified with the vertues of the minde and the vertues of the minde to be defaced with the vice of the body in his works For truely he that in the vsage of his life hath any botch or imperfection is worse then he that hath foure botches in the shoulders Also I say that though a man be great yet it is not true that therefore he is strong so that it is not a generall rule that the big body hath alwayes a valiāt couragious heart nor the man which is of little person should be of a vile and false heart For we see by experience the greatest men the most cowards and the least of personage the most stout and hardy of heart The holy Scipture speaketh of king Dauid that he was red in his countenance and not big of body but of a meane stature yet notwithstanding as he and the mighty Giant Goliah were in campe Dauid killed Goliah with a sling and with his owne sword cut of his head We ought not maruaile that a litle sheapheard should slay so valiant and mighty a Giant For ofttimes of a litle spark cōmeth a great light cōtrariwise by a great torcha man can searcely see to do any thing This king Dauid did more that hee being little of body and tender of yeares killed the Lyons and recoured the lambes out of the wolues throtes besides this in one day in a battle with his owne hands he slue to the number of 800. men Though wee cannot finde the like in our time we may wel imagine that of the 800. which he slew there were at least 300. of them as noble of linage as he as rich in goods as faire in countenance as high of stature but none of these had so much force and courage since he escaped aliue and they remained in the field dead Though Iulius Caesar was big enough of body yet notwithstanding he was euill proportioned For he had his head all bald his nose very sharpe one hand more shorter then the other And albeit he was yong he had his face riuelled his colour somewhat yellow and aboue all he went somewhat crooked and his girdle was half vndone For men of good wits do not imploy themselues to the setting out of their bodies Iulius Caesar was so vnhandsome in his body that after the battle of Pharsalique a neighbour of Rome said vnto the great Orator Tullius Tell me Tullius why hast thou followd the partialities of Pompeius since thou art so wise knowest thou not that Iulius Caesar ought to be Lord Monarch of al the world Tullius answered I tell thee true my friend that I seeing Iulius Caesar in his youth so euill and vnseemely girded iudged neuer to haue seene that that is seene of him and did neuer greatly regard him But the old Sylla knew him better For he seeing Iulius Caesar so vncomly and so slouenly apparrelled in his youth oftentimes saide vnto the Senate beware of this yong man so euill marked For if you do not watch well his proceeding
Triumphes they went before in the Temples they did sit downe they spake to the Senate before all others they had their garments furred they might eate alone in secret and by their onely word they were credited as witnesses Finally I say that in all thinges they serued them and in nothing they annoied them After the people of Rome beganne warre with Asia they forsooke all their good Romane customes immediately And the occasion hereof was that since they had no men to sustaine the Common-wealth by reason of the great multitude of people which died in the warre they ordained that all the young men should marry the young maides the widdows the free and the bond and that the honour which had beene done vntill that time vnto the olde men from henceforth should bee done vnto the maried men though they were yong So that the most honoured in Rome was hee not of most yeares but he that had most children This Law was made a little before the first battell of Carthage And the custome that the married men were more honoured then the old endured vntil the time of the Emperour Augustus which was such a friend of Antiquities that hee renued all the walles of Rome with new stone and renued all the auncient customes of the Common-wealth Lycurgus in the lawes which he gaue to the Lacedemonians ordayned that the young men passing by the olde should doe them great reuerence and when the old men did speake then the younger should be silent And hee ordained also that if any olde man by casualtie did lose his goods and came into extreame pouertie then hee should be sustained of the Common wealth and that in such sustentation they should haue respect not onely to succour him for to sustain him but further to giue him to liue competently Plutarch in his Apothegmes declareth that Cato the Censor visiting the corners of Rome found an olde man sitting at his dore weeping and shedding many teares from his eyes And Cato the Censour demanding him why he was so euill handled and wherefore hee wept so bitterly the good olde man answered him O Cato the Gods beeing the only Comforters comfort thee in all thy tribulations since thou art ready to comfort mee at this wofull houre As well as thou knowest that the consolations of the Heart are more necessarie then the physicke of the bodie the which being applyed sometimes doeth heale and an other time they do harme Behold my scabby hands my swollen legs my mouth without Teeth my peeled Face my white beard and my balde head for thou beeing as thou art discreete shouldest be excused to aske mee why I weepe For men of my Age though they weepe not for the little they feele yet they ought to weep for the ouermuch they liue The man which is loaden with teares tormented with diseases pursued with Enemies forgotten of his friends visited with mishaps and with euill will and pouertie I know not why he demandeth long life For there can be no sharper reuengement of vices which wee commit then to giue vs long life Though now I am aged I was young and if any young man should doe me any iniurie truely I would not desire the Gods to take away his life but that they would rather prolong his life For it is great pittie to heare the man which hath liued long recount the troubles which he hath endured Know thou Cato if thou doest not know it that I haue liued 77. yeares and in this time I haue buryed my Father my Grand-father two Aunts and fiue vncles After that I had buryed 9. Systers and 11. Bretheren I haue buryed afterwards two lawfull wiues and fiue bond-women which I haue had as my lemmans I haue buryed also 14. children and 7. marryed daughters and therewith not contented I haue buryed 37. Nephewes and 15. Nieces and that which grieueth me most of all is that I haue buryed two good friendes of mine One of the which remayned in Capua and the other which remained was resident heere at Rome The death of whome hath grieued me more then all those of my alyance and parētage For in the world there is no like losse to that where a man looseth him whom entierly he loueth and of whome also hee is deerely beloued The fatall Destenyes ought to content themselues to haue annoyed my house with so many misfortunes But all this and aboue all this they haue left me a wicked nephewe which shall be mine heyre and they haue left vnto me that all my life I shall lament Oh Cato for that thou owest to the Common-wealth I doe desire thee and by the immortal Gods I doe conjure thee that since thou art a vertuous Romane and Censor of the people that thou prouide for one of these two things that is to say that this my nephew doe serue me or else ordeyne that I dye forthwith For it is a great crueltie that those doe pursue mee which are aliue since it is now fourtie yeares that I ceased not to bewayle the dead Cato beeing well informed of that the olde man had tolde him and since he found all that true which he spake he called vnto his presence the young Nephewe and sayde vnto him these wordes If thou wert such a Childe as thou oughtest to bee thou shouldest excuse mee of paine and thy selfe of trauell But since it is not so I pray thee take paciently that which I shall commaund thee and bee thou wel assured that I will not commaund thee any thing but that which shal be correspondent to Iustice For the vicious younglings as thou art ought to be more ashamed of the vnbrideled youthfulnesse they haue committed then for all the punishments which is giuen vnto them First I commaund thou bee whipt because thou art become so disobedient and troublesome to thy Graundfather Secondly I commaunde that thou bee banished the limites of Rome because thou art a vicious young man Thirdly I commaund that of all the goods which thou hast enherited thou shalt bee disinherited because thou doest not obey thy Graundfather And the cause why I giue such seuere sentence is to the ende that from henceforth the young shall not disobey the Aged and also that those which haue inherited great treasours shall not thinke that men should permit them to bee more vicious then others Phalaris the Tyraunt writing to a Friende of his which was very aged saide these words the which seemed rather spoken of a Phylosopher then of a tyrant I haue maruelled at thee and am offended with thee my friend 〈◊〉 to know as I doe that in yeares thou art very aged and in workes very young and also it grieueth mee that thou hast lost the credit of knowledge in the Schooles It grieueth me more that through thee the priuiledges should bee lost which the olde men haue accustomed to haue in Greece that is to say that all the thieues all the periured and all the murtherers were
of Seneca What he might do that might be acceptable to Nero his Lord and Master Seneca answered him thus If thou desire to bee acceptable to Princes Doe them many seruices and giue them few words And so likewise the diuine Plato sayde in his bookes de Repub That those that haue to moue the Prince in any thing in any case be briefe for in delating too much they should both comber the prince and make him also not giue attentiue eare neither could hee haue leysure to heare them nor patience to tarry them And hee sayde further Those matters and subiects they treate with princes in and that are vsed to bee tolde them ought to be graue and sententious eyther tending to commodity of the weale-publike to his honour or profite or to the seruice of the King to whom he speakes These counsels and aduertisements of Plato and Seneca in my poor opinion deserue to be noted and had in memory And notwithstanding all that I haue spoken I say yet further to you that there is nothing disposeth the prince better to loue and fauour his seruants then to see them diligent in seruice and slow in speaking For to rewarde him onely that seekes it by meanes of his tongue and by words It is onely in our free willes to doe it but to recompence him that by his diligent seruice onely craueth a good turne and not in words wee are in conscience bound to it And hereof springeth the vulgar prouerbe The good seruice is demaund sufficient though the tongue be silent CHAP. V. What manners and gestures become the Courtier when hee speaketh to the Prince WHen the Courtier determineth to speake to the Prince hee must first shew himselfe vnto him with great reuerence before he come at him and if the the King be set hee must kneele to him vpon one knee with his cappe in his left hand holding it neyther too farre nor too neere his body but rather downwards towards his knee with a good grace and comely fashion not too lustily nor too much boldly but with a set shamefast grauity putting himselfe on the left hand of the prince to speake with him whether he bee sitting or standing For placing our selues on the left hand wee leaue the King on the right as duty willeth vs For the right hand belongeth euer to the best person Plutarch sayth that in the banquets the Kings of persia made they sate him whom they loued and made most account of cheeke by cheeke and on the left hand of the prince where the heart lyeth saying that those whome they loued with their heart should bee set downe also on that side the heart lay and in no other place Blondus sayeth to the contrary that the Romans did honor the right hand so much that when the Emperour entred into the Senate no man durst euer put himselfe on his right hand And he sayth moreouer that if a yong man were perchance found sitting on the right hand of an old man or the Setuant on the vpper hand of his maister the Sonne on the right-hand of his Father or any Page Prentice or Seruing man on the vpper-hand of a Burgeis or citizen they were no lesse punished by Iustice for that faulte and offence then if they had done any notable crime or delict Whosoeuer will speake vnto the Prince must speake with a soft voyce and not too hastily For if hee speake too lowde those that stand by shall heare what hee sayth to the King and in speaking too fast the King shall not easily vnderstand what he saith And hee must also ere he speake vnto the Prince premeditate long before what hee will say to him and put into him good wordes and aptly placed For wise men are more carefull what wordes their Tongues should vtter then what their hands should doe There is a great difference betwixte speaking well and doing well For in the end the hand can but strike and offend but the Tongue can both offend and defame Euen when the Courtyer is telling his tale to the Prince let him be aduised in all his actions and gestures and that he play not with his cap from one hand to an other much lesse that he behold the Prince too earnestly in the face For in the one he should be taken for a foole and esteemed in the other for a simple Courtyer He must take great heed also that he spit not coffe nor hawke when hee speakes to him and if it be so hee be constrained by Nature to it then let him holde downe his head or at least turne at one side that he breath not in the Kings face Plinie writing to Fabatus sayth that the Kings of India neuer suffered any man in speaking to them to approch so neere them that their breath might come to their face And they had reason to do it to auoyd strong and vnsauorie breaths growing rather of the indisposition of the stomacke or of the putrefaction of the Lungs or of the corruption of the braine And if the Courtyer haue to speake with the King after dinner or supper Let him beware hee eate no Garlycke nor Onyons nor drinke wine without water For if he sauour of garlicke or onyons the King may thinke hee lacketh discretion to come with those Sents to his presence or if his breath were strong of Wine that hee were a drunkard Hee must be very circumspect also that when hee speaketh to the King he speake not with his Head as well as with his Tongue nor that hee play not with his hands nor his feete nor that he stroke his beard nor winke with his eyes For such fonde countenances and gestures doe rather become a Foole or iester then a ciuill or honest Courtyer And in his discourse with the prince that hee exceede not in superfluous words more then shall only be needfull and touching his matter and not to seeme in his prefence to depraue or detract any man Hee may honestly alledge and that without reproache that seruice hee hath done him but not to laye before him others faultes and imperfections For at such a time it is not lawfull for him to speake yll of any man but onely to communicate with him of his owne affayres And he may not go so farre also as to remember him with too great affection the bloud spent by his Auncestors in his seruice nor the great actes of his Parents For this onely word saide to the Prince I did this better pleaseth and liketh the Prince then to tell him a hundred other words of that his predecessours had done It pertayneth only to women and they may iustly craue recompence of the Prince for the liues of their husbands lost in the Princes warres but the valiant worthy Courtier ought not to demaund recompence but for that he onely hath done by pearsing launce and bloudy sword He must beware also that hee shew no countenance to the King of insatisfaction neyther to be
wee now at this present doe also aduise them to take heede that they doe not accept and take all that is offered and presented although they may lawfully doe it For if hee be not wise in commaunding and moderate in taking a day might come that hee should see himselfe in such extremity that he should be inforced to call his Friends not to counsell him but rather to helpe and succour him It is true that it is a naturall thing for a Courtyer that hath twenty crowns in his purse to desire suddenly to multiplie it to an 100. from a 100. to 200. from 200. to a 1000. from a thousand to 2000. and from 2000 to an hundred thousand So that this poore wretched creature is so blinded in couetousnes that hee knoweth not nor feeleth not that as this Auarice continually increaseth and augmenteth in him so his life daily diminisheth and decreaseth besides that that euery man mocks and scorns him that thinketh The true contentation consisteth in commanding of Money and in the facultie of possessing much riches For to say truly it is not so but rather disordinate riches troubleth and grieueth the true contentation of men and awaketh in them daily a more appetite of Couetousnes We haue seen many Courtiers rich and beloued but none indeede that euer was contented or wearyed with commaunding but rather his life should faile him then Couetousnes Oh how many haue I seene in the Court whose legges nor feete haue bin able to carry them nor their bodie strong enough to stand alone nor their hands able to write nor their sight hath serued them to see to reade nor their teeth for to speake nor their iawes to eate nor their eares to heare nor their memory to trauell in any suite or matter yet haue not their tongue fayled them to require presents and giftes of the Prince neyther deepe and fine wit to practise in Court for his most auaile and vantage So incurable is the disease and plague of auarice that hee that is sicke of that infirmity can not bee healed neyther with pouerty nor yet bee remedied with riches Since this contagious maladie and apparant daunger is now so commonly knowne and that it is crepte into Courtiers and such as are in high fauour and great authoritie by reason of this vile sinne of auarice I would counsell him rather to apply himselfe to bee well thought of and esteemed then to endeauour to haue enough Also Queene Semiramis was wife to king Belius and mother of king Ninus and although by nature shee was made a woman yet had shee a heart neuer otherwise but valiant and Noble For after shee was widdow shee made her selfe Lord by force of armes of the great India and conquered all Asia and in her life time caused a goodly tombe to bee made where she would lye after her death and about the which she caused to bee grauen in golden Letters these words Who longs to swell with masse of shining golde And craue to catch such wealth as fewe possesse This stately Tombe let him in hast vnfolde Where endlesse heapes of hatefull coyne do rest Many dayes and kinges raignes past before any durst open this Sepulchre vntill the comming of the great Cyrus who commaunded it to be opened And being reported to him by those that had the charge to seeke the treasure that they had sought to the bottomlesse pit and Worldes end but treasure they could find none nor any other thing saue a stone wher in were grauen these words Ah haplesse Knight whose high distracted mind By follies play abused was so much That secret tombes the carcasse could none binde But thou wouldst reaue them vp for to be rich Plutarch and also Herodotus which haue both written this history of Semiramis doe shew and affirme that Queen Semiramis got great honour by this iest and King Cyrus great shame and dishonour If Courtiers that are rich thinke and beleeue that for that they haue money inough and at their will that therefore they should be farre from all troubles and miseries they are deceyned For if the poore soule toyle and hale his body to get him onely that he needeth much more dooth the rich man torment and burne his heart till hee be resolued which way to spende that superfluitie he hath Iesu what a thing is it to see a rich man how bee tormenteth himselfe night and day imagining and deuising with himselfe whether hee shall with the mony that is left buy leases milles or houser anuities vines or cloth lands tenemēts or pastures or some thing in see or whether he shal enrich his sonne with the thirds or fifts and after all these vaine thoughts Gods will is for to strike him with death suddenly not onely before he hath determined how hee should lay out or spend this money but also before he hath made his will I haue many times tolde it to my friends yea and preached it to them in the Pulpit and written it also in my bookes that it is farre greater trouble to spend the goods of this world well and as they ought to be spent then it is to get them For they are gotten with swette and spent with cares Hee that hath no more then hee needeth it is hee that knoweth well how to parte from them and to spend them but he that hath aboundance and more then needfull doth neuer resolue what hee should doe Whereof followeth many times that those which in his life time were enemies to him shall happen to bee heyres after his death of all the goods and money he hath It is a most sure and certaine custome among mortall men that commonly those that are rich while they are aliue spend more money vainely in thinges they would not and that they haue no pleasure in and wherein they would lest lay it out and after their death they leaue the most part of their inheritance to those whom they loued least for it hapneth many times that the sonne which hee loueth worst enheriteth his goods that sonne which hee loued best and made most of remaineth poore Therfore continuing still our matter I say that I know not the cause why the fauoured of the Court desire to bee so rich couetous and insatiable sith they alone haue to gette the goods where afterwardes to spende them they haue need of the counsell and aduise of many Let not those also that are in fauour with the Prince make too great a shew openly of their riches but if they haue aboundance let them keepe it secret For if their lurking enemies know not what they haue the worst they can doe they can but murmur but if they see it once they will neuer leaue till they haue accused him To see a Courtier builde sumptuous houses to furnish them with wonderfull and rich hangings to vse excesse and prodigality in their meates to haue their cupbordes maruellously decked with cups and pots of golde and siluer to
that it shall not bee blazed abroad in the Court. For this sinne is of such a qualitie that though it may bee hidden within Curtaines yet it cannot bee kept silent with tongues How wise and slie soeuer a woman bee yet at all times when shee giueth eare vnto mens requests euen at that prosent shee resolueth to impart the whole with some friend of hers For these women doe glory more to bee the friend of a Courtier then to bee a true wife vnto their husbands I haue my selfe seene in Princes Courtes many 〈◊〉 very humble courteous pittifull patient charitable wise deuout and otherwise maruellous honest and yet amongst all these I neuer found any one secret And therefore that a man will haue published to the World let him 〈◊〉 tell it a woman in â—â—e at secret 〈…〉 should come to 〈◊〉 that wee 〈…〉 women carry 〈…〉 heads a forrest of hayres a coyre a hood gimmâ—â— hanging at their eares partlets vpon their shoulders smockes on their bodies petti 〈…〉 kertles hose clokes 〈…〉 hatts chaynes braslets rings pâ—umes offethers in their hands and many other trinkets not named al which they carry lightly vpon them and thinke it no burthen and yet they cannot abide in no case to keepe or carry one secret in their brest Alas what pitty is it to see those affected Courtiers what meanes they vse to win a Ladies fauour what pleasaunt purposes and discourse they put forth vnto them what bitter signes they let fall what seruice they offer them what Iewels they giue them what castles in the ayre they promise them what sorrowes they fayne and what lyes they make them belieue and these silly women by nature proud and foolish are with a few gifts ouercome with a fewe flattering wordes beguiled Now let this Courtier and his Lady continue this mutuall friendship betweene them one two three foure or fiue yeares though perhappes not fully these yeares compleate neyther many monethes also and you shall see in the end vndoubtedly a maruellous breach and hate betwixt them For this amorous Courtier that so dearely seemed to loue his Lady will now make court a fresh to others to dislike that heretofore he loued and flie from her whom erst hee followed abhorring that once hee delighted in misliking the taste of those meats that once were sweet and pleasant to him and cannot abide her face now whose Image before hee had engrauen in his minde So if he before had spent 3. yeares seruice in making her his Mistresse he spendeth now 6. other yeares in the forgotting of her And therefore these Noble Courtiers and Beloued of Princes must beware they make not these young and dishonest loues common in euery place For the sweete and fragrant Rose which they seeke to gather continueth scantly one houre but the prickes and plagues of the pearsing thorne resteth hidden in their flesh their whole life time after A man erreth in nothing more in this World then in taking to his charge a dishonest woman For if hee will bring her with him to the Court shee shall shame him put him to an vnreasonable charge besides the burthen of his conscience And if afterwards hee would put her away from him she wil not depart for any thing and if he would compel her to it ere shee departe it will be all the Court ouer so what things haue past betwixt them two alone in secret shall afterwardes be knowne of euery man abroade And therefore we haue not causelesse tolde you that it must needs be a maruellous expence to the Courtyer to bring his louer with him in the Court. For he must alwayes be at the charges to keepe a page maide or gentlewoman to wayte vpon her He must content the Hostesse of his house to lodge her secretly please the Marshall to seeme not to knowe of it the Harbinger that hee prepare him a good lodging the page that hee be diligent and at her hand and her selfe also must haue to liue withall So that the expence and charge hee shall be at with her must needs farre exceede all the benefites and commodity he hath by the Court. And besides that hee may assure himselfe that this their leawde and fonde loue cannot long endure neyther can care also of her selfe be kept secret For eyther his Hostesse that lodged her or the Bawde that procureth theyr meetings or the page that bringeth commendations and messages betwixt theÌ„ or the neighbors that see him frequent the house or the seruant that shall suspect him or the mother that solde her vnto him in the ende will bewray their secret practise and friendship Whereof springeth afterwards disdaine and from disdain to defame each other So that of extreame Louers they were first they afterwards become mortall Enemyes And therefore the Wiuell is not so hurtfull to the Corne nor the locust to the Oates nor the wormes to the vines nor maggots to the fruit nor the moths to the garments as the woman is to a man that once was his friende and now become his enemie For like as in time of her loue she robbed and spoyled him of all his goods so likewise in the time of her hatred she deuoureth all his good fame and reputation But what shall wee say of the man that contenteth not himselfe with one friend alone but like an vnsatiable leacher taketh vpon him to keep another Truly I cannot tell what to say of this man but that it had beene better for him he had neuer been borne then to haue kept company with such vile and common women For he shall neuer appease the first neyther with anger nor flattery nor humble her with presents nor can expell her hatred with promises neyther please her with cherishing of her and much lesse shall ouercome her with threats The Ocean sea is not so daungerous nor the sword of the tyrant so cruell neyther lightning so suddaine nor Earthquakes so horrible and fearefull nor Serpents so venemous as a Harlot when she doth but suspect her friend loueth another beside her selfe for shee ceaseth not to defame him and to follow the other to raise a slander amongst her neighbours to complaine to his friends to bewray the matter to the Iustice to quarrell with Officers alwayes to haue spyes for him in euery place as if hee were one of her mortall enemies Oh would to GOD the Courtyer would esteeme as much of his conscience as his Louer maketh account of his person happie were hee For I dare assure him if he know it not that shee spyeth out all the places hee goeth to and counteth euery morsell of meate he eateth and becommeth iealous of all that hee doeth and of all those whose companie hee frequenteth yea she deuiseth and imagineth all that hee thinketh So that he that seeketh a cruell reuenge of his enemy cannot doe better then perswade and induce him to loue one of these well-conditioned gentle-women Now let him thinke that he hath great warres and by