decay The Athenians have such care of the dead that being dressed with all kind of swéet odours they put them in such sumptuous tombs and gorgeous graves that the sepulchres are made over with fine glasse The Scythians when their Kings and noble men die they must have to bear them company to the grave one of their concubines and one of their chief servants and one of their friends that loved them best alive they I say must accompany and follow them to the grave being dead The Romans had this custome that if any man of countenance and credit should die his sons and daughters his nigh kinsmen and best beloved friends as Cicero doth write of Metellus did put him in the fire made for that purpose unlesse he were one of the Emperours whose funeral pomp was much more sumptuous for then his body was to be carried to the market or common Hall of Rome on the second day he was to be carried by certain young noble men to Martius field where a great pile of wood was raised much like a Tower and there after much solemnity and ceremonies done he that succéeded him as an Emperour did first put fire to that work and then all men were busie to sée the body burned and when they had burned him to ashes they would let an Eagle flie from the top of some high Tower which as they supposed should carry his soul unto heaven The Assyrians did use to anoint the dead bodies with honey and wax and with study and care did preserve them from putrifaction Such strange order of burial was in India that the women of that country thought there could be no greater fame nor worthier renown then to bee burned and buried together with their husbands The Thracians are much to be commended herein who at the birth of any of their friends children use to wéep and bewail the misery and calamity that man is born to and at the death of any of their friends they rejoice with such mirth and gladnesse that they past these worldly miseries that at the burial of them even when the corps doth go out of the house they altogether say with one voice Farewel friend go before and we will follow after So the corps goeth before and all his friends follow after him with trumpets musick and great mirth for joy that he is gone out of the vale of misery Plato that divine Greek and noble Philosopher made the like laws in Athens that when any of the chief officers should die he appointed that no mourning weeds should be worn there but all in white apparel and that fifteen young maids and fifteen young boys should stand round about the corps in white garments while the Priests commended his life to the people in an open oration then he was brought very orderly to the grave all the young children singing their country hymns and the ancient men following after them and the grave was covered with fair broad stones where the name of the dead with his vertuous commendations and great praise was set upon the stone The like grave the Italians use at this day and divers other countries And as these and others had the like ceremonies to the praise and commendations of the dead so others little esteemed and regarded such things insomuch that the Persians were never buried till Fowls of the ayr and dogs did eat some part thereof The Messagetes thought it most infamous that any of their friends should die by sicknesse but if the Parents waxed old the children and the next kinsmen they had did eat them up supposing that their flesh was more méet for them to eat then by worms or any other beasts to be devoured The people called Tibareni had a custome that those whom they loved best in their youth those would they hang in their age even so the Albans being inhabitants about mount Cancasus thought it unlawfull for any to care for the dead but straight buried them as Nabatheans bury their Kings and rulers in dung-hils The burial of the Parthians was nothing else but to commend them to the birds of the air The Nasomones when they bury their friends they set them in the grave sitting But of all most cruelly deal the Caspians and the Hircanians which kill their parents their wives their brethren their kinsmen and friends and put them in the high way half quick half dead for to be devoured of birds and beasts The fashion and custome with the Issidones a rude people in some part of Scithia as Plini in his fourth book affirmeth is to call their neighbours and friends together were the dead lie and there merrily singing and banquetting they eat the flesh of the dead and make the scull of the dead a drinking cup and cover it with gold to drink withall Again the people called Hyperborei think no better grace for their friends vvhen they be old then to bring them to some high bank of vvater or great rock and thence after much feasting eating and drinking in the middest of their mirth their own friends do throw them down into the water headlong To seek into histories many such burials might be found amongst so many rude and barbarous nations Notwithstanding in divers regions the funerals of the dead are so esteemed that the greatest infamy the severest punishment for any offendour vvas not to be buried this the Athenians used tovvards those that vvere traitors to their country and the Egyptians if any lived amisse he should be carried dead to the vvildernesse to be devoured of vvild beasts The Persians likewise brought the bodies of men condemned to be eaten of dogs The Lybians thought them most worthy of solemn buriall that died either in wars or were killed by wild beasts The Macedonians had great care in burying the dead souldiers in the field Amongst the Gentiles there were certain days appointed for mourning at the death of their friends Licurgus law amongst the Lacedemonians was that they should mourn but eleven days Numa Pompilus decreed that children after their parents death the wives their husbands c. should mourn ten moneths though by the Senatours it was enacted in the wars at Canna that the Romans should mourn but thirty days Amongst the Egyptians they had a custome to mourn after their kings died thréescore and twelve days but generally the most custome was to bewail the dead nine days In some places mourning was forbidden at their burial as at Athens by the law of Solon in Locretia in Thracia in Coos in Lybia and in divers other places The diversity of mourning was such that amongst the Gréeks they shaved their heads and beards and threw them into the grave with the dead Amongst the Lacedemonians when the Kings of Sparta died certain horsemen were appointed to travell over all the whole Kingdome certifying the death of the King and the women in every city did beat their brasen pots and made a great and heavy noise for the soone the Egyptians
business at the siege of Capua where Fulinus was Captain then Rome was mercifull Liberality in noble persons is most commended for in liberal giving and beneficial doings are Princes compared unto Gods Fabius Maximus having certain of his souldiers taken by Hannibal in the wars of Carthage did send unto the Senators of Rome for money to redeem the Roman souldiers from Hannibal according unto Martial law but being denied of his suit he commanded his son straight to go to Rome to sell all the lands and livings that he then possest about the City of Rome and to bring him money The money being brought he paid Hannibal redéemed his souldiers brought them frée to Rome upon his own charge and being blamed of the Senators that he sould his land he answered that he had rather want patrimony in his Country then love towards his Countreymen he had rather be without living in Rome then to want the good will of tho poor souldiers Alphonsus the great King of Arragon was wont to rejoyce more in one little sentence that Titus Vespatianus would often say then of all that he had read all the days of his life This Emperours golden sentence was That day to be unhappy in the which he neither gave or granted any thing to some man saying That no man ought to depart from a Prince sad Ho judged time lost when no body fared the better by him and thought no man should depart without some benefits done or gifts given to some or others Liberality doth purchase to the Prince faith and love to the Nobleman service and homage unto all men benefits and good turns Wherefore Alexander the Great not so desirous to take as willing to give was wont to say to any that demanded where his treasures wealth and substance that he got in the wars were kept by poynting with his singer to his friends it is hidden saith he in the hearts of my subjects What can be more commended in a subject towards his Prince then faith and truth What may be more praised in a Prince towards his subjects then liberality and lenity The liberality of the poor is good will A poor Scholler sometime of Gréece being in Rome thought good to salute Caesar the Emperour comming from the Capitol toward his pallace in a few Gréek verses thinking thereby his penury should be somewhat looked upon by Caesar But Caesar surnamed Augustus answered the Scholler in writing again the like Gréek verses which when it was delivered to the poor Gréek he delighted much in the reading commended highly the verses and approached unto Caesar where he was in his Chariot opened his purse and gave unto the Emperour four single halfpence saying Hold not according to thy dignity calling but according to my ability and poverty I give this reward Certainly the poor Scholler was more commended for his small gift to the Emperour then the Emperour himself was praised for his liberality unto all the people in Rome The poor Poet Antilochus was as liberal to his power for his verses made unto King Lisauder as Lisander was in his calling to give him his hat full of silver Simple Sinaeâ—es was as liberal in offering a handfull of water of the river Cydnus unto the great King Artaxerxes of Persia for want of better ability as Artaxerxes was princely in gifts and beneficial unto Sinaetus in rewarding liberally the liberality of Sinaetes with Phiala aurea cum mille Daricis Chaerilus had no better present for a proof of his liberality toward Alexander the Great then to shew his good will unto him in writing whereby he shewed himself more willing then able which being accepted he was liberally rewarded for every several verse a piece of gold What greater gift can any man give then that which proceedeth from the heart Of all treasure saith Aristotle the mind of a man ought most to be esteemed the Mite of the poor woman offered to Christ was no less made of and estéemed then the Gold Myrrhe and Frankincense of the great Sages of the world For the gift maketh not the giver liberal but the giver maketh the gift liberal Wherefore a poor Student of Paris going home to his country Scillia and being urged through penury wanting money to go to a great learned mans house as though he might go to some of the Bishops of England tarrying there a long while without either meat or drink perceiving the house to be gorgeous fair and brave withâ—ut and full of hunger thirst and cold within he wrote with a coal on the wall a sentence of Cicero Non domo Dominus sed domus Domino honest and â—est As though he might say fair buildings want more liberal dwellings then liberal Lords fair houses for the house is praised by the man and not the man by the house Fair houses and wealth do hardly make men liberal it is said that fair things are coupled with pride and wealth joined with covetousnesse In the beginning all men were liberal untill private wealth began to practise with money covetousnesse was not known for as money did increase fo covetousnesse grew In Rome saith Pliny money was not seen four hundred years and more after the building of Rome Then was Rome true and beneficial bp reason of liberality which after waxed wealthy and false by means of covetousnesse That City was most famous chiefly for her liberality wherein Rome excelled all the world if the death of Princes of Noble men yea of all men can sufficiently bear witnesse of their lives considering vertue and fame shall prove that by death which life hardly may utter for no man is well known during life The death of Epaminondas that most renowned Prince of Thebes and Conquerour of all Gréece was a sure and a certain shew of his liberal life The last day of P. Aemilius who triumphed in life time over the proud Macedonians and Liguriant was a true token of his frank and frée dealing in life In life manner we may say of Maenemus Agrippa and Scipio Affricanus the one victor oveâ— the Samnites the other triumpher over Carthage and Numantia whose renowned lives made their deaths famous whose worthy deaths do revive their noble lives Their beneficial dealing and liberality was well known by their deaths so liberally they lived that their friends found no money hidden no gold kept no treasure preserved no wealth at all though divers time by victory and triumphs by conquest and fortune they psssessed Kingdomes and countries in the time of life The greatest Prince in his time Cyrus the first King that brought the Monarchy unto Persia slain by Tomyris had on his grave being buried in Scithia in no gorgeous Temple nor sumptuous Tomb but in an open field this Epitaph Here heth Cyrus the great King of Persia contented now with seven foot who could not be satisfied sometime with seven Kingdomes what Caesar King or Prince soever thou art spare this place unto Cyrus And when Alexander the great
and praise who avoided the cankered state of avarice Thus from the golden world it came unto the silver world and then to that hard mettal the iron world for the covetous people can never be satisfied The young Partridge by nature is ready to flee as soon as she commeth out of the shell the wild duck to swim the Lion to go and man onely born ready to seeke and travel for money Where might a man find out such a man as Ariâ—â—ides was in all Greece now who was so liberal that having all the state of Athens under his government gave all to the poor Citizens a little excepted which brought him unto the ground Where should one méet with such a one as Pelopidas in all Sparta being blamed of his friends and counsellours for his large gifts and liberallity exhorting him to make much of money considering how necessary money is to Princes yea said Pelopidas to such Princes as Nicomedes a lame man both dumb deaf Where should a man séek in Thebes for such a man as Epaminondas who when he heard that he who carried his Target after him had taken money for the dismission of certain prisoners taken in the wars Give me said he my Target and go you to kéep an Inne for if you love money you are not fit to carry Epaminondas Target with so much honour is liberallity attended that those Princes who have béen famous for the most fortitude haue béen famous also for the most liberallity yet neither liberallity nor fame nor fortitude can reprieve a Prince from the ingratitude of death CHAP. III. What Princes were advanced one way and were oppressed by an other HOw some men are exalted and others oppressed Histories do record All the Kings that ever reigned in Rome almost from base birth and slender progeny were advanced by fortune to sit in the royal throne and injoy Princely Scepters Romulus the first King and builder of Rome born of Rhea a Vestal Virgin and daughter unto Amulius was left as a prey unto beasts forsaken of all in Rome so hated of his own grandfather that he found more friendship in a she Wolf then he had at his grandfather Amulius more kindnesse of the Wolf for his nourishment then love of his mother though he was born of her Notwithstanding contrary to the expectation of Amulius being not thought of in Rome he was by a Woolf preserved and by a poor Shepheard brought up to be a King of Rome The like hapned unto Cyrus at thrée days old when he was commanded by his grandfather King Astiages to be drowned and delivered unto Harpagus chief officer about Astiages by King Astiages own hand to be killed and destroyed yet by fortune a Bitch he being left as Romulus was fed him and gave him milk and life when his Parents appointed death for him and being thus brought up by a Bitch he was the first and most renowned King that ever reigned in Persia Even so may I alledge of Paris King Priamus son called likewise Alexander who being commanded to be killed as soon as he was born he was brought up by a Bear to be a famous Phrigian Prince Thus Cyrus by fortune found more friendship in a bitch then in his own mother Romulus more love in a Woolf then in all Rome Alexander more kindnesse in a Bear then in his father Priamus What shall I say of Pelephus the son of Hercules who was fostred by a Hart or of Camilla and Semiramis the one brought up by a Mare the other by birds of the air to be such famous Quéens as the one ruled the Volscians the other the Babylonians How fortune appointed little Ants to féed King Midas and Bees to féed Plato the wealth of the one and eloquence of the other did certifie the same but I will declare first the extolling and advancement of simple and base men unto Princely seats Tarquinius Priscus a stranger born in Corinth the son of Demaiatâ—s a banished Merchant from his country became a famous King in Rome yea so famous I say that he inlarged the confines of Italy amplified the wealth and state of Rome augmented the number of the Senatours encreased the order of Knighthood and left Rome so happy at his death that the Citizens thereof would have travelled twice as far as Corinth so that they might enjoy again so noble a Prince Tullius Servius a poor stranger was likewise advanced unto the same place by fortune and Tullus Hostillius a shepheard was from féeding of beasts extolled to be the King of Rome Thus fortune to shew her might exalteth the poor and oppresseth the proud Thus from banished strangers from simple shepheards most famous Princes and noble Kings have proceeded Fortune as Seneca saith from low birth and base conditions hath made Princes many have béen advanced from the Plough to sit in seat of Kings as Gordius who from the plough became a King in Phrygia Fortune took Agathocles from his fathers shop being a Potter and made him King in Sycilia she brought Darius from the Stable of Cyrus to be a King in Persia she brought Giges from a Shepheard to be the wealthiest King that ever reigned in Lydia Justinus a swine-heard from féeding his Swine became the mighty Emperour of Constantinople And Carpenters likewise may brag of Telephanes whom fortune advaÌ„ced to the Kingdome of Lydia Shall not Husbandmen extol fortune which made Valentianus Emperour in Rome How much did fortune favour learning how brought she the greatest Princes in the world to honour simple men and caused the cruellest tyrant to esteem and reverence the same King Dyonisius that wicked tyrant of Sicilia when he heard that divine and noble Phylosopher Plato was coming unto Sycilia he made certain of his Nobles to go méet him on the sea and in a ship bravely appointed and gorgeously apdressed with Sails of purple silk to bring him to land where Dionisius himself did attend his coming in his golden Chariot with four white horses trapped over with gold and having taken him into his own Princely Chariot he talked unto him reverently used him honourably and so entertained him that if Jupiter had descended from the skie greater honour could he not get in Creet then Plato a poor Philosopher Aristons son of Athens obtained in Sicil. Aristotle born in Stagira a poor Phisitians son named Nichomachus merited such fame that not onely Philip King of Macedonia thanked God that his son Alexander was born in his time under whose tuition Alexander five years learned Philosophy but also Alexander the great Conquerour of the world honoured and saluted him as his Master unto whom he said that he was no lesse bound for his learning and vertuous education then he was unto King Philip his father for his birth he declared the same being in India a country far from Greece in the midst of his great wars he did write unto him of the state of India of the successe of his journies and the
he began to be moved with pity and mercy possest the chief place in his heart so that when the women of the City brought their children in their arms to crave mercy at Merellus hand he avoided the calamity and misery that was ready to fall on Centobrica and spared the City and removed his Camp being conquered himself with pity and mercy of the ruthfull women and innocent children Thus gentle Metellus where he might have béen a Conqueror over men did suffer himself to be conquered by little Infants O Rome happy were those golden days wherein through clemency and gentleness thou wast as much loved and honoured as thou hast béen by valiant Captains trembled at and feared Pompieius the great when Tigâ—anes King of Armenia being by him conquered had knéeled before Pompeius face yéelding his Crown and Scepter at Pompeius his foot and himself unto his gentleness as a captive took him in his arms embraced him put his Crown on his head and restored him to to the Kingdome of Armenia again The like courtesie he used toward Mithridates King of Pontus being dead in giving him a royal burial though he knew well the great hatred that Mithridates had fourty years against the Romans yet in stead of just revengement Pompey used Princely clemency The gentleness that was then used in Rome yet betwixt foes was such that Julius Caesar that valiant Emperor and Conqueror was as willing to revenge the death of his great enemy Pompey upon Photina and Bassus who slew Pompey and did send his head to Caesar as L. Parâ—lus was courteous and favourable to his most mortal foe Perseus Hannibal though he was counted the most and greatest enemy that ever Rome felt yet moved with Princely clemencie he won more commendations for the burial of P. Aemilius Gracchus and Marcellus three noble Romans then he wan fame by overcomming two thousand Romans in field The chief fame that Hannibal was worthy of was for his humanity and gentlenesse as is proved by these two noble Romans before mentioned whose dead carcasses Hannibal caused diligently to be sought for in the field and solemnly to be buried with honour and renown though they were his enemies And as Hannibal was much commended in Rome and well beloved of the Romans for his humanity so was he feâ—red much in Rome for his prowesse and valiant déeds of arms Polycrates that Tyrant of Samos was chiefly commended for his gentlenesse and courtesie shewed towards women which were the wives and mothers of the dead souldiers in restoring them unto liberty in giving them wealth to live and a great charge that no man should do them any wrong Augustus the Emperor when he beheld in the City of Alexandria the sword wherewith Marcus Antonius slew himself could not refrain from tears to shew his humanity and opening his clemency of nature to his enemy he commanded that he should be honourably buried with his dear friend Cleopatra in one grave Cicero in his first book of Tusculans commendeth much the clemency of Cleobes and Bâ—ton in shewing such love and obedience to their mother who being in her Chariot ready to go to the solemn feast of the Goddesse Juno the horses suddenly died and there being no other remedy least their mother should go on foot they yoked themselves to draw the Chariot ten miles to their immortal praise and commendations I remember a history in Patritius of one Simonides who for that he was moved with pity to bury a dead corps left in the way where no man put it into the earth as he was passing with his fellows over the seas that night before they should sail in the morning appeared unto Simonides the self-same man whom he had buried upon the way warning him that day not to go to sea so when he should take shipping he remembring his dream told if unto his fellows desiring them to stay that day but his company laughing him to scorn leaving Simonides on the shore sailed to the seas where in sight of Simonides the ship and all his fellows were lost The like pity was found in Simon the son of that most valiant Gréek Militiades who being elected Generall over the Athenians against the great might and force of puissant Zerxes in the wars of Marathon was nothing inferiour unto his renowned father in prowesse but far passed him in clemency and curtesie this young man for his lenity and pity being joined with valiantnesse was appointed by the City of Athens to incounter with Xerxes whom his father Militiades often plagued at the first time of trying his magnanimity inforced Xerxes after spoil of his souldiers and victory of field to fly unto Persia he was so pittifull that he paied a great sum of monies to have his father Militiades buried who after many conquests and fawning of fortune in victories died in prison whose death and burial shewed no lesse love and faithfulnesse in Simon towards his father then it shewed evidently the pity and mercy he had in redéeming his fathers corps to be buried Wherefore that pitifull Emperour Alexander Severus being demanded what is that which is chief felicity in this world said to foster friends with benefits and gentlenesse and to reconcile foes with pity and rewards Alphonsus at what time a certain dog barked at him took a toast out of his cup and cast it to the dog then saying gentlenesse and clemency shall make foes friends I know not what greater humanity could be then was in Vespasian the Emperour after that Vitellius had killed his brother Sabinus and had long persecuted Vespasians son being at last subdued he spared not to shew gentlenesse to Vitellius his daughter and gave her a great sum of money towards her marriage Agesilaus King of the Lacedemonians after he had the victory of Corinth did not so joy in his conquest as he lamented the deaths of so many Athenians and Corinthians and as Plutarch doth witnesse he said wéeping O Greece thou spillest more men with civil wars by discord then would defend thy state against all the world with courage To use victory genty is more famous then to conquer cruelly As the Emperour Adrian was wont to say that Princes ought rather with pity to say this I can do then with tyranny to say this I will do Augustus that most pittifull Prince after he had conquered that famous City Alexandria which the great Conquerour Alexander had builded and named it according unto his own name being moved with pity stirred with mercy in sight of the Citizens who hoped to have nothing but death said for the beauty of your city and memory of Alexander as also for the love I have unto Prius your Philosopher and for the pity I bear unto you all I spare unto you your City and grant you your life O swéet sounding words from a pittifull Prince not much unlike his predecessour Julius Caesar his own mothers brother who after vanquishing of Pompey at Pharsalia sent letters unto
Zenocrates saith were highly observed The first Their Gods to be worshipped the second Their parents to be honoured and the third To abstaine from flesh and feeding O most temperate life when abstinence was observed O most golden world when neither wine nor banquets were knowne then chastity was honoured in the temple of Vesta then temperance frequented the Capitol of Jupiter then lust knew no way to the pallace of Caesar then abstinence walked in the market place then all Rome was chaste Then Rome triumphed when Kings were deposed for lechery towards Lucretiâ— Then Rome merited fame when the princely office of Decem â—iri was put down for the rape of Virginia When Scipio Affricanus had overcome the famous City of Carthage and Numantia he was not so valiant by his great and renowned conquest as he was famous by abstinence for when he triumphed as a valiant conqueror a certain noble young virgin for her passing beauty and great admiration of person was presented unto Scipio as a rare gift whose beauty and excellency though Scipio a long time was amazed at yet he respected abstinence as a thing belonging unto a Prince especially unto a conquerour who having overcome Kâ—ngdoms and countries was not to be subdued by lust he trusted not his souldiers to guard and guide this Virgin but with his presence brought her home to her father unto Campania saying were it not that I am a Conquerour I had not béen able to bring thy daughter home A greater conquest surely was it of Scipio to overcome himself then to subdue Numantia or Carthage That lesson worthy of a Prince he learned of Alexander the great who thought it a shame unto a conquerour of men to be conquered by women and though in divers authours and places this prince is noted a glutton and drunkard yet of wonderfull abstinence he was towards women which is rare in a drunken Prince For when Alexander came unto Illiria to the temple of Jupiter he saw a passing fair woman of comely beauty viewing still the comely state of her person and féeding himself a long time with the sight thereof his counsellour and great friend Ephaestion perceiving that Alexander was taken in the Briers of beauty said it is not meet that Alexander should want any thing that he wisheth for to whom Alexander answered neither is it an honour unto Alexander that overcame all men to be overcome by one woman The modesty and continency of Princes have béen such that they refused the company of their own wives and went in a wildernesse solitarily to live to avoid the occasion of lust and to embrace the cause of temperance as Amoebas and Dionisius surnamed Histrio being married both to fair women Clitomachus was of such modesty that he might not abide in a place whether he were at supper or any other place where filthy talk was ministred but he would avoid the place and the person as Plini saith where any incivility was and true it is ill language corrupteth good manners I read in Valerius a worthy Roman history of one Spurina a young Gentleman of the City of Rome whose amorous countenance and wonderfull beauty and passing state of person surmounted all the Ladies of Rome but he was not so beautifull outward as he was modest and temperate inward and least he should séem with his outward beauty to inflame the Roman Ladies and Virgins of the City to lust he so deformed his body anâ— mangled his face with his own hand that from the fairest creature that was in Rome he became the most deformed man in all the world insomuch that all Rome knew him not Spurina is more famous by his modesty therein then he is now renowned for his beauty the one passeth like a flower in short time the other without prescription of time hath immortal fame Philosophers have béen in the world that have subdued lust and overcame themselves yea and though attempted with great allurements yet temperance saved and preserved them as Valerius saith that Phrine a passing fair woman came unto Zenocrates the Philosophers bed and being all night in bed with him could not win the Philosopher with all her tricks to venery and the next day being demanded where she lay all night with an image of a man she said or a mans picture The like doth Xenophon report of Socrates who though he were married to two wives on a certain time being in talk with a renowned and famous courtisan named Theodota a woman of great brags shée boasted much what shee could do unto princes before Socrates saying that she could make any come from Socrates unto her and that Socrates could not make any of her men to come to him it is no marvel said Socrates for to draw men to vice is most easie and to draw them to vertue is most hard I might here bring forth divers histories for the proof of modest and temperate Princes but to avoid prolixity of reading and to embrace a compendious history I omit to speak further of them I will now turn my stile unto women where such infinite numbers appear in histories that I will touch but two or thrée for that I should be overcharged otherwise The chast life of Lucrecia and noble temperancy of Sophronia two noble matrons of Rome the one ravished to satisfie the tyranny of the Emperour Tarquinius by whom she was deflowred after that she made her husband privy that his bed was defiled by Tarquin she slue her self with her own knife the other in like sort because she could not resist the violence of Decius to make Decius more odious and his déed more shamefull ended her life as Lucretia did Even so Medullina being oppressed by her father in the dark got his ring from his finger to know him in the morning who had deflowred her virginity in the night and when she knew by the ring that it was her own father she spared not to revenge her dishonour with the death of her father and for that she little esteemed her own life her honesty being stained with that knife that she slue her father she also killed her self as a witnesse of her own truth and proof of her honest life This hath made Rome famous How well was temperance regarded in Rome when Virginius slew his daughter Virginia for that she was deflowred of Appius Claudius So greatly was it estéemed so highly honored so straitly looked unto that Sempronius slue Gallius that Cervius gelded Pontus the Roman both being taken in adultery How happy and renowned was Rome when Sulpitia Paterculus daughter and wife to Fulvius Flaccâ—us the lamp of Rome and the lanthorn of the world was preferred for her temperance by the verdict of Sibilla to excel all Asia and Europe The like temperance was proved by Cybâ—le the mother of all the Gods to be in Claudia that heaven and earth extolled the name of Rome Was not temperance then honoured when Virgins and young women bought temperance
him he answered not one word but bad him Good night when he come to his own door which when the enemy saw and that he would not be moved to anger to take any advantage on him he went to the next tree and hanged himself Thus did Socrates who being blamed by his friends for his silence in that he was injuriously handled by his foe answered That his enemies could not endamage him sith he was not that man whom his words did import to be and being stricken spurned by the same man Socrates was counselled to call the same to the Law before the Iudges to the which he answered Which of you if an Asse strike him will call that Asse before any Iudges sith he is no better that useth me this for by this am I known to be Socrates and he to be an Ass The greatest revenge to a fool is to let every man know his folly and the greatest hurt to a wise man is to revenge folly for it was al the revenge of Socrates wheÌ„ any man spake il of him to say thus The man never was taught to speak well So courteous was Fabius Maximus that when he had heard that one of his chief souldiers was about to betray him to his enemies he called the party before him not making him privie that he knew of it and demanding of him what he wanted he commanded him to ask any thing he would have and made him chief Captain of his Army By this means he became most true to Fabius being before most false This was far from such revenge as Alexander the Great used who after he had subdued divers Kingdoms and Countreys he went to the Temple of Ammon to know by the Oracle of Jupiter whether yet any were alive that flew his father King Philip whereby he might shew more tyranny and practise greater murther This was far from M. Brutus rage who was not content to conspire against Caesar and to kill him in the Senate-house but also when power failed when souldiers decayed and he was almost vanquished he made his prayers to Jupiter and to the host of Heaven to plague Caesar and his posterity This I say was far from Livius Salinator who being warned of Fabius Maximus not to revenge malice upon Hasdâ—ubal before he knew the state of the matter the power of the field and the end of the victory where it should happen yet being more rash to revenge then wise in forbearing he said that either out of hand he would kill or be killed And in this place I will recite three or four Histories fit for this purpose Phobius wife fell in love with Antheus a noble Gentleman of Halicarnassus being left in pledge with Phobius chief ruler then of Milesia and used al means possible to allure Antheus to requite her love But he partly for fear and partly for love of Phobius her husband in no wise would consent to any filthy desire Cleoboea Phobius wife took the same in so evil part that she began mortally to hate him inventing what way best she might revenge his discourtesie in refusing her love She feigned on a time that she had quite forgotten her old love towards him and thanked Antheus very much for the love and great zeal that he did bear to her husband Phobius in not consenting to her folly then when she was in love with him Thus talking with him Cleoboea brought her old Lover Antheus over a Well where for that purpose onely she threw a tame Partridge desiring him to aid her to have her Partridge out of the Well the young Gentleman misdoubting her in nothing as one willing to pleasure his friend and old lover went down into the Well to have the Partridge out but she revenged her old love and requited his service after this sort she threw a great stone after him and there killed him and straight for sorrow caling to mind the old amity and hidden love betwéen them she hanged her self This revenge that noble and famous Lacedemonian used who had his own wife in such admiration and was so impatient in love that he was as much hated of her as she of him was honoured and estéemed For she loves King Acrotatus son so dear that her husband Cleonimus understanding the same went to Epire to King Pyrrhus perswading him earnestly to go unto Peloponesus and to move wars against King Acrotatus whereby he might revenge the injury done by his wife in killing him whom she loved best thinking it a greater revenge to kill him whom she loved better then her self then to revenge it upon her own person Valerius Torquatus for that he might not have Tuscus daughter in marriage moved wars immediately and revenged the same with bloud For what cause did Progne King Pandions daughter of Athens kill her own son Iâ—is and gave him to be eaten unto his father and her husband King Pereus of Thrace for nothing but to revenge her sister Phylomela whom her husband deflowred Why did Nero that cruell Emperour kill Seneca his master and teacher in all his youth for nothing but to revenge old stripes which he received at his master being a boy For what purpose did Cateline Silla Damasippus Marius and others make quarrels to plague Rome to punish all Italy to destroy the country for nothing but for that they could not abide the one to be above the other Darius after that he had taken the City of Babilon he revenged his old malice after this sort as Herodotus in his third book affirms he caused thrée thousand of the best within the City to be hanged Attilla King of Panonia slue eleven thousand virgins at the siege of Colonia So several were revenges amongst men so cruel yea so foolish that Xerxes and Cyrus two great Kings of Persia when the water of Hellespont troubled Xerxes and molested his souldiers he forthwith commanded that the sea of Hellespont should have thrée hundred stripes and willed thrée hundred pair of Fetters to be thrown into Helespont to bind the sea Even so did Cyrus because the river Gindes did drown one of his best geldings he made his souldiers to divide the river into a hundred and fourscore small parts to revenge the rage of the river toward him thinking that by breaking of the great rage of so great a stream he well and worthily requited the injuries of Ginges These are cruell revenges too many are of these insomuch that women revenge their malice after this sort So Tomyris Quéen of Scithia to revenge her son Margapites death slue King Cyrus and two hundred thousands of his souldiers too great a slaughter for one mans death and not yet satisfied till she bathed Cyrus head in a great vessel of bloud This Bâ—ronice Pollia and divers cruell women have performed Princes ought to use advisement in revenging and wisedome in sufferance For as Frederick the Emperour was wont to say Princes that revenge hastily and especially wrongfully are like fair marks for
good Archers to shoot at High towers and lofty buildings are sooner fired with lightnings then low houses and small cottages Tiberius Caesar Emperour of Rome being in the Senate house to punish those evills and to revenge those harms that were by same of the City threatned to his estate God forbid said he that Tibâ—rius should have so much idle time to hear EVIL spoken much lesse to revenge EVIL done Antâ—gonus King of Macedonia besieging a Castle in Gréece wherein a number of hold Gréeks used for their pastime and sport to scoff at this King knowing the scituation of the Castle to be in such a place that it might not be subdued they therefore laughed him to scorn as well for his enterprise therein as also for his slender person and crooked nose which King Antigonus perceiving said He would revenge all their doings by sufferance and hoped therby to molest the enemies double Divers heathen Princes were acquainted with this revenge as Lysander Agesilaus and others for to God onely belongeth vengeance I will not speak here of such revenging of Princes of Countreys of friends that all men know But of rare revenge which Philosophy taught unto Socrates toward Xantippe who being at supper having a strange guest named Enthidemus his wife Xantippe began to take her husband up with taunting and opprobrious words which because he would not answer and be moved by her chiding she overthrew the Table with all the Meat and the Cups Which when Enthidemus saw he was amazed at the raging of Xantippe and beheld Socrates in the face to see how he thought of the matter But Socrates understanding that his guest did marvel at his wife said Have not you sometime at home a Hen that will after long clocking with a sudden flight throw down your cups with her wing wherewith Enthidemus was fully satisfied with the wise answer of Socrates in not revenging so great a fault Phocion a learned man of Athens was wont to say That he had rather suffer injury wrongfully then to revenge injury sometime rightfully This man Phocion by whom Athens long flourished at what time he was put to death most wrongfully of the Athenians even a little before he should die being demanded whether he would command any thing to his son standing hard by to sée his fathers end did speak to his son after this sort My son said he this I charge and require thée and moreover beséech thée that thou wilt never revenge the wrongfull death of thy father Phocion on the Athenians Solon that noble and learned Athenian was wont to revenge his wrongs with these words If the Fisherman do suffer the salt water of the Sea to sprinkle upon his face and upon his cloaths and to wet him when he taketh fish how much more ought Solon to forbear to speak to win men to be friends unto him Surely these thrée Philosophers deserve more praise and commendation I mean Socrates Phocion and Solon for the revenging of the evil with goodnesse and vertue then ever Alexander or Julius Caesar or Theseus which revenged evil with evil Wherefore Chilon the Lacedemonian being one of the Officers called Ephoti in the City of Sparta his brother demanding why he might not be likewise one of the five Ephoti as well as his brother said unto his brother Because I can suffer wrong and thou canst not Therefore Princes ought not to do wrong nor yet revenge wrong with wrong but with patience sufferance and goodnesse and by doing good for evill For thus they shall make foes to become friends evill men to become good by preventing evill with lenity and gentlenesse It behoveth not a wise man to revenge injuries neither doth it become a Prince to requite evill with the like but to overcome rather evill with good Therefore was it truly spoken of the wiseman Sapit qui sustinet he that can suffer he is wise CHAP. XXXVI Of Theft and Sacriledge AFter that greedy desire unto wealth had possest a place in mans heart and after that the world was altered from a wealth in common unto a private wealth every man went about with study and industry to augment his own with the spoile of others For this cause Princes began one to suppresse an other to spoil and destroy either others Dominions moving first noble men to imitate them in stealing and taking away perforce others wealth and though it be not an apt Epithete for Princes to be called theeves and spoilers yet truly by Princes it began by Nobles imitated and by all the world at length practised that some became Pyrats upon the seas some sacriledgers of temples and some grand théeves of countries and kingdomes For after the deluge of Noah there was neither theft nor sacriledge known almost 300. years till Ninus the third King of the Assyrians who first began to play the théef in Asia Dionisius King of Sicilia and tyrant of all the werld the greatest robber that reigned upon earth being not satisfied with spoil and theft on lands and seas became also a sacriledger in the Temples of the Gods which he so practised that after he robbed the Temple of Jupiter in Olimpia he passed forth to Locris to spoil the Temple of Proserpina and from thence unto Epidaurus to steal the golden beard of Aesculapius The tyrant King could not satisfie himself till worthily he had merited the name of a théef a Pyrate and a sacriledger Xerxes spared not amongst other wilfull robberies to send four thousand of his souldiers to Delphos to rob the Temple of Apollo Spartacus a great Prince and a maintainer of theeves gathered a whole army of fugitive persons vagabonds theeves and robbers and marched toward Rome with a resolution either to conquer Rome or to be conquered by Rome but there was he and all his rogues vanquished by Pu. Crassus The City of Rome was often in perill by théeves and robbers as by Silla Catelin and Marius famous spoilers of Italy And as Cercion did rob and spoil the country of Athens so Tiâ—â—gias in Arcadia was renowned for theft I might in this place speak of the robbery of the Emperour Nero of the spoil and wast of that beastly Emperour Heliogabalus and of the sacriledge and theft of Caligula These three Emperours did steal spoil and tooke from Rome more then ever they gave to Rome Marcellinus writeth that there was sometimes a King of the Parthians named Arsaces which in the beginning of his reign was then named the master of theeves a teacher and a school-master unto all robbers and spoilers but after that he had subdued Seleucus Alexanders successour he became famous and renowned in martiall feats and civill policy Herodotus likewise doth report of one Amazis a King of Egypt when at any time money wanted he was wont to spoil wast and take away all that ever he might either by stealth or force Thus the names of Princes were first corrupted that the Poets judged well and worthily Mercury to be
paper in one hand he with his dagger in the other hand slue himself upon the grave holding the paper fast in it being deâ—d where this sentence he wrote Thou that knewest the faithfull friendship betwixt Volumnius and Lucullus join our bodies together being dead as our minds were alwaies one being alive The like history is written of Nisus who when his faithfull friend Eurialus was slain in the wars betwixt Turnus Aeneas he having understood thereof weÌ„t up down the field tumbling and tossing the dead carcasses til he found out Eurialus body which having long looked on and embraced he drew out his sword held it in his hand a little while saying As my body shal never depart from thy body so shall I never fear to follow thy ghost and laying the pummel of his sword upon the ground he fell upon it having the body of his friend Euâ—ialus betwixt his arms This love was great betwixt Princes who did live honourably and died willingly A strange thing for men so to love their friends as to weigh their deaâ—hs more then their own lives Orestes faith and friendship towards Pylades was such that being come unto a strange Region named Taurica to asswage his grief and to mitigate his furious flames because he slew his mother Clitemnestra and being suspected that he came onely to take away the image of Pallas their Goddesse in that country the King understanding the matter made Orestes to be sent for and to be brought before him to have judgement of death For Pylades was not mentioned nor spoken off but onely Orestes he it was that should steal their Goddesse away and carry it into Gréece Orestes therefore being brought and his fellow Pylades with him the King demanded which of them was Orestes Pylades that knew his friend Orestes should die suddenly stept forth and said I am he Orestes denied it and said he was Orestes Pylades again denied it and said that it was even he that was accused unto the King thus the one denying and the other affirming either of them most willing to die for the other the King dismaied at their great â—mity and love pardoned their faults and greatly honoured their natural love and faith So many like histories to this there be that then Princes would die for their friends even that great Conquerour Alexander would have died presently with his friend Hephestion had not his counsel letted him he loved him alive so well that he was called of all men another Alexander he so much estéemed his friend that when Sisigambis King Darius mother had saluted Hephestion instead of Alexander and being ashamed at her errour he said forbear not to honour Hephestion for he is Alexander also What was it that Anaxagoras wanted that Prince Pericles could get for him whither went Aeneas at any time without Achates with him there was nothing that Pomponiuâ— had but Cicero had part of it the friendship of Scipio never wanted towards Cloeâ—ius Though Rome could alter state though fortune could change honour yet could neither Rome nor fortune alter faith or change friends After the Senatours had judged Tiberius Gracchus for divers seditions in the City to die his friend Blosius having knowledge thereof came and kneeled before the Senators besought Laeâ—us whose counsel the Senators in all things followed to be his friend saying unto the rest after this sort O sacred Senate and noble Counsellours if there remains in the City of Rome any sparkle of Iustice if there be regard unto equity let me crave that sentence by law which you injuriously award unto another and since I have committed the offence of Gracchus whose commandement I never resisted whose will I will during life obey let me die for Gracchus worthily who am most willing so to do and let him live who justly ought so to do Thus with vehement invectives against himself he made the Senatours astonied with his rare desire of death saying the Capitol had béen burned by Blosius if Gracchus had so commanded but I know that Gracchus thought nothing in heart but that which he spake to Blosius and that which he spake to Blosius Blosius never doubted but to do and therefore I rather deserve death then he The faith and love betwixt Damon and Pythias was so wondred at by King Dionisius that though he was a cruel Tyrant in appointing Damon to die yet was he so amazed to sée the desire of Pythias his constant faith and his love and friendship prosessed in Damons behalf striving one with another to die that he was inforced in spight of tyranny to pardon Damon for Pythias sake Thelcus and Perithous became such faithfull friends that they made several oaths one unto another never during life to be parted neither in affliction plague punishment pain toil or travel to be dissevered insomuch that the Poets fain that they went unto the Kingdome and region of Pluto together I will not speak of the great love of that noble Greek Achilles toward King Patroclus Neither will I recite the history of that worthy Roman Titus toward Gisippus nor report the love of Palemon and Arceir nor of Alexander and Lodwick whose end and conclusion in love were such as is worthy of everlasting memory CHAP. XLII Of Envy and Malice and the tyranny of Princes AS Malice drinketh for the most part her own poison so Envy saith Aristotle hurteth more the envious it self then the thing that it envieth Like as the sloathfull in war or Darnel amongst Wheat so is the envious in a City not so sad for his own miseries and calamities as he lamenteth the hap and and felicity of others Wherefore the Philosopher Socrates calleth the enemy serrom anima the sow of the soul for that it cutteth the heart of the envious to sée the prosperity of others For as it is a grief to good and vertuous men to sée evill men rule so contraily to the evill most harm it is to sée good men live Therefore the first disturber of Commonwealths and last destroyer of good states the beginning of all sorrows the end of all joys the cause of all evil and the onely let of all goodnesse is envy How prospered Greece Had flourished Rome How quiet was the whole world before envy began to practise with malice two daughters of tyranny never séen but hidden in the hearts of flatterers Then I say Gréece was glorious Rome was famous their names were honoured their prowesse feared their policy commended their knowledge extolled their fame spread over the whole world but when envy began to sojourn in Gréece and malice to build her Bower in Rome these sisters like two monsters or two grim Gorgons oppressed Castles destroied countries subdued Kingdoms depopulated Cities in fine triumphed over all Gréece and Italy Hannibal chief General of the Carthaginians Jugurth King of Numidia Pyrrhus of Epirus most valiant puissant mighty Princes with long wars and mighty slaughter could not with all their force and
and pain after long felicity and pleasure even so Dionisius King of Siracusa after many Princely pleasures renowned fame great glory yet in the end was banished his country and driven to keep school in Italy In the like sort that noble and valiant Scipio Affricanus was deceived whose prowesse and magnanimity augmented much the fame of the Romans by conquering of Affrick and Carthage and notwithstanding he was driven to exilement and misery where he died after many triumphs and victories like a poor beggar O uncertain state and slippery wheel of Fortune And because fame followeth fortune and proceedeth from Fortune as the smoke cometh from the fire for as Fortune is variable so is Fame divers if we seek Histories we find the fame of poor men for their poverty is great as well as the fame of the rich for all their riches poor Codrus and ragged Irus are as famous in respect of being Beggars as Midas and Craesus two wealthy Kings of Lydia Doth not Aristophanes make as much mention of Cleonimus the Coward as Homer doth of stout Achilles Poliphemus and Enceladus two huge monstrous Giants not so famous in Virgil for their bignesse as Conopas or Molon two little dwarfs of two foot length are renowned in Plini for their smalnesse Juvenal and Claudian report no lesse of the little Pigmies then Ovid or Maro of the huge Ciclopes If Fame proceed of poor men for poverty of dwarfs for their smalnesse of cowards for their cowardize as much as it doth flow of rich men for their wealth of Giants for their bigness and of stout men for their courage What is it but a pilgrimage in which we live travel here For fortune fame run together as cōstantly as they are thēselves uncertain Plini that famous Historiographer writeth of one named Messala who was so forgetfull and weak of memory that he forgat his own name and yet he was as famous for his obliviousness as Hortensius was renowned for that he could pronounce out of hand with his tongue what he wrote with his pen. Seneca the Philosopher commendeth one called Calvisius that he was likewise so oblivious that he could not often name those dayly friends that he used company withal What greater Fame could Cyneas have for all his memory when he was sent from King Pyrrhus as Embassador to Rome where the second day in the Senate house before all the people of Rome he named all the Senators by name What greater renown could King Cyrus have for his noble memory for naming every souldier of his by name being in the Camp What Fame hath King Mithridates for his divers and sundry languages which he without an Interpretor could speak unto two and twenty Nations being his souldiers but onely that they are recorded in books where likewise Calvisius Messala and such oblivious men that forgot their own names are committed into History Doth not Homer the Trumpetter of Fame write of Militides an Idiot who after the destruction of Troy and the death of King Priamus and all his sons would come to succour the Troyans Homer I say doth not forget Militides no more then he doth Agamemnon What should I speak of silly and wicked Herostratus who for burning the Temple of Diana is everlastingly remembred And millions more of the like nature who are mentioned by ancient writers Thus you sée we travel all one way in the vale of misery and the condition is alike of the greatest Princes and the poorest Beggars and if there be any difference it is in that oftentimes the King is the more unfortunate of the two CHAP. IIII. Of magnanimity of Princes and their fortitude of mind where and when it was esteemed AS Iustice without temperance is often counted injury so magnanimity without respect unto prudence is but tyranny This vertue proceedeth from a valiant and a sober mind joyning both the body and the mind together so that the wisedome and policy of the one the strength and courage of the other are united and alwaies ready to defend the cause of their country and the quarrel of their Prince and society of friendship unto this therefore every good man is born preferring common commodities before private wealth Hercules pondering much what he might best do and to what he should apply his noble mind there appeared unto him two goodly women the one as Xenophon doth describe very gorgeous and brave rings of gold on her finger a chain of gold about her neck her hairs composed and frisled with pearls and Diamonds hanging at her ears the other in sober and comely apparel of modest behaviour of shame faced countenance they stood both before him The first said Hercules if thou wilt serve me thou shalt have gold and silver enough thou shalt féed daintily thou shalt live princely thou shalt injoy pleasures In fine thou shalt have all things at thy will to live with ease and rest The other said with comely countenance If thou wilt serve me Hercules thou shalt be a Conquerour of conquerours thou shalt subdue Kingdomes and overthrow Kings thou shalt be advanced into fame renowned in all the world and shall deserve praise both of men and women Which when Hercules understood taking into consideration the idle service of the first and the exercise of the second he took her as his mistresse and willingly became a servant to her Wherefore according unto promise made he injoyed fully the fame and praise by due deserts he overcame Lions Dragons Bears and such monstrous huge wild beasts he did destroy Kingdomes and countries he had that fortitude of mind that he conquered Giants and subdued Tyrants inlarged liberties set frée Captives and prisoners and briefly that magnanimity was in him that he never effended just men nor hurt innocent men he preserved divers Kings and countries he never spoiled good countrey nor subdued a just King but wholly addicted himself to merit fame He destroyed the Serpent Hydra the Dragon the Lion the wild Bore and terrible Bull conquering Geron Cerberus and Diomedes cruel Tyrants He took the gilded Hart he vanquished the Centaures and the ravening birds named Stimphalides was there any tyranny in these his enterprizes but Hercules they say was more aided of the Gods then helped of man With these his princely acts and renowned feats noble Theseus was much enamored insomuch that he emulated the vertuous life of Hercules he tamed wild beasts slue monsters overcame cruel Creon the Tyrant of Thebes he descended also as the Poet saith unto hell to imitate the feats of Hercules to resemble his magnanimity to augment Hercules fame erecting alters appointing sacrifice in memory of Hercules hoping that others would do unto Theseus as Theseus did unto Hercules Next unto Theseus for antiquity of time that valiant and renowned Gréek Achilles succeeded who was the onely stay and comfort of his country the very hope of Greece his magnanimity valiant courage worthy acts and famous life is at large set forth in Homers
insolency of Princes the desire of Fame the felicity of renown the honour of glory was such as Alexander the great answered King Darius Embassadours who coming from Persia to Macedonia to treat of peace tendering unto Alexander the daughter of Darius in marriage with all the country of Mesopotamia and twelve thousand talents yearly beside and the assurance of the kingdom of Persia after Darius days as there wanted no princely liberallity in Darius offering so there waÌ„ted no princely stoutnesse in Aâ—exanders answer saying unto the Embassadors tel your master Darius King of Persia that as two suns may not be in the firmameÌ„t so two Alexâ—nders may not rule one earth Such high and valiant minds could be subject in no wise neither Dâ—rius unto Alexander nor Alexander unto Darius Such stoutnesse reigned in Princes to maintain states that as Archestratus the Athenian was want to say that in the City of Athens two Alcibiades might not rule so Ethocles the Lacedemonian did likewise speak that two Lisanders could not agree in Sparta So opposite were Princes so high and lofty of courage so valiant of heart so noble of mind that though fortune could not so often fawn and favour their estates yet she could not bereave them of their valiant minds nor spoil them of their magnanimity nor diminish their courage as may appear by that worthy and most ancient souldier Mithridates King of Pontus who after he had plagued the Romans with wars for the space of forty years during which time he shewed himself no lesse hardy and stout in resisting the strong force of Romane then valiant and couragious in attempting the fortitude of Romans and though he were by fortune forsaken in his latter days and spoiled of all health friends children countries kingdomes and all worldly wealth yet to spite fortune his mortal foe he went to Celâ—ae thinking with them to passe over into Italy to let the Romans understand that though friends and countries by fortune were spoiled yet neither fortune with her spite nor all the Romans with their force could subdue King Mithridates valiant heart It was then the onely joy of Princes not to be conquered In this onely they triumphed that they could not be vanquished In this gloried they most in that they were free from subjection Cercilidas being one of the wise men named Ephou in Sparta hearing the thundring threatnings of King Pyrrhus Embassadours the slaughter and murther that King Pyrrhus intended upon men women and children the cruel destruction and last confuâ—ions of the Lacedemonians answered no lesse stoutly then wisely the Embassadours of the King saying If Pyrrhus your master be a God we have not offended him and therefore doubt him not but if Pyrrhus be but a man tell your master that the Lacedemonians be men likewise and therefore we nothing fear him at all The valiant Pyrrhus thought so well of himself and judged all men so inferiour unto him in their atchievements that being at the victory of that noble City Tarentum where he saw such feats attempted such acts done such stoutnesse shewed by the Romans that dismaied at the manhood and boldnesse of them thought that if magnanimity were lost the spirit thereof should be found in a Romans heart insomuch that beholding of them he cried out and said O how soon would Pyrrhus conquer all the world if either he were King of Rome or Roman souldiers subject unto Pyrrhus Of these Romans Hannibal being inforced to forsake Carthage was wont to say unto King Antiochus of Syria that Rome would never suffer equality but be Prince over all Rome was compared unto the Serpent Hidra of Lerna that having so many heads when one was cut off another sprung up insomuch that all the world might not destroy Rome being either injured or overcome by the enemies Licinius having lost divers of his souldiers unto Perseus King of Macedonia who afterwards was subdued by that valiant Roman Pompey the great Perseus did send certain Orators to speak for peace who eloquently perswaded Licinius to consent thereto after a long debate and the learned councel and pithy perswasions of the Orators it was answered as briefly and plainly by Licinius that the best way for King Perseus to obtain peace of the Romans was first to restore the prisoners he had taken and then afterwards to send his Embassadours to the General Licinius otherwise the whole country of Macedonia should féel the force and magnanimity of the Romans To speak of the conquest and victories of Julius Caesar of the resolution of Merellus of the Fortune of Silla of the severity of Marcellus being therefore called the spur of Rome and of Fabius named the Target of Rome of divers more valiant Romans it were infinite but I mean not to molest the Reader to prove the renowned Romans most worthy of this valiaÌ„t vertue magnanimity Claudian makes meÌ„tion of one Camillus a noble RomaÌ„ who having a long time laid siege at Philiscus could not prevail the Schoolmaster of the City taking his schollers with him under preteÌ„ce of walking out of the town came and offered the schollers unto Camillus saying by this means you may do what you will unto Philifeus for here be their children whom to redéem I know they will yeeld up the town Camillus having regard to the Fame of Rome and loathing much to shew such treachery rewarded the School-master after this sort he did set him naked before his schollers fast bound with his hands behind him and every one of his schollers with a rod in his hand saying unto the boys bring him home to your Parents and tell your friends of his falshood and the poor boys having an opportunity to requite old beatings were as glad as he was sorrowfull laying on load and jerkt him with so many stripes as loitering trevants may best be bold to number untill they came unto the City where they told their Parents the cause thereof who weighing the clemency and humanity of Camillus to be such they gladly and willingly yeelded themselves and their City into the hands of Camillus knowing well that he that would use them so being his enemies could not use them ill by yeelding all into his courtesie who might have had all by tyranny Now because this vertue was often séen in divers Quéens Ladies Gentlewomen and others I may not omit the pilgrimage of their lives We read of two Quéens of the Amazons Penthesilaea the first and Hyppolica the second the one so valiant against the Gréeks at the destruction of the noble City of Troy that she feared not in open field to encounter face to face with that valiant Gréek Achilles the other so hardy that she shrunk not at the force and stoutnesse of that renowned Champion Theseus who being commended by Theseus for her singular stoutnesse and courage was married to him which certainly had hapned unto Penthesilaea had she not béen taken by Achilles Camilla likewise Queen of the Volscians beside her Princely
Rome of such love professed of such friendship promised that though Pompey was the onely joy of Rome the long delight of Romans and the defender and maintainer of their name and fame yet being convicted they received Caesar as another Pompey for that he used humanity and shewed gentlenesse even to his enemies For noble hearts ought to contemn cruelty Princes minds ought to abhor tyranny A simple Sparrow which to avoid the griping paws of a hungry Sparhawk that would have preyed upon him fled unto Artaxerxes bosome being in the Camp whâ—â— after long panting as well for fear as for wearinesse in Artaxerxes bosome Artaxerxes said It is as little mastery unto a Prince or commendation to a valiant Captain to destroy that which of it self doth yéeld as it is a fame unto Artaxerxes to kill this poor sparrow that fled for succour Saying again beholding the sparrow As I will not betray thee thou little sparrow for that thou hast fled for help unto Artaxerxes so will I never deceive any man that will have confidence in me If this pity of Artaxerxes was shewed unto a Sparrow how much more ought Princes to shew the same unto men Antigonus though he was a great enemy to Pyrrhus as Princes be during the time of war Pyrrhus being slain by a silly woman in Argos and his head brought by Alcioneus unto his father King Antigonus thinking to please his father much with bringing K. Pyrrhus head who long had molested Antigonus alive yet the King perceiving the cruel tyranny of his son delighting in dead mens heads took the staff whereon his son Alcioneus carried the head and instead of thanks which he looked for at his fathers hands he was well and worthily rewarded with stripes he took Pyrrhus head and very honourably covered it and after long looking thereon he commanded his son Helenus to carry it to the Kingdome of Epire where Pyrrhus in his life time was King and there to bury it according unto the custome of the Epirots by King Alexander his own brother The like history is written in Herodotus of King Darius who yéelded thanks unto those that brought Histeus head as Antigonus did to his son Alcioneus saying I do as little joy to see Histeus head being dead as I do lament much such tyranny and cruelnesse to be in you who never did see King Darius so cruel to any man alive as you are cruel to Histeus being dead As Darius was gentle of himself so he greatly estéemed those that were gentle insomuch that being at the point of death even at that time when he was so weak that he knew not Polistratus that gave a litle water to refresh his heart he said Whosever thou be I know thée not and for that I am not able to thank thée Alexander shall and will requite thy gentlenesse and the Gods shall thank Alexander for his clemency and humanity towards my mother my wife and children And with that he stretched forth his hand and said Have me recommended to Alexander and give him this my right hand and tell him that Bessus killed Darius whom thou didst sée dying Which when it was told by Polistratus to Alexander he much lamented his death and caused his body to be brought to his mother named Sisigambis Thus worketh clemency and humanity that these two famous Princes Alexander and Darius two mortal enemies yet not forgetting each others courtesie at deaths dore were in love each with the other for their humanity one to another Darius at his death repeating Alexanders gentlenesse towards him and Alexander requited Darius gentleness being dead The greatest fame or commendation that may happen to any man is to be counted gentle and courteous therein are divers vertues knit and joyned in friendship as pity mercy wisedome and affability with others so that the property of those men is always though they can hurt yet never to offend As it is the property of an evil man to revenge so it is the nature of the good and gentle to forgive Pilistratus shewed both wisdome and rourtesie to certain drunkards who having in their drink used wanton speech to his wife and being sober the next morning came to Pisistratus to ask him forgivenesse for their lewd talk to his wife he gently said Learn to be more sober another time I know my wife was not out of her house yesterday Excusing his wife wisely and pardoning them gently How gently did Alexander Severus use Camillus though he rebelled against him and by sleight thought to be Emperor of Rome and for that being condemned to die by the Senate yet he was pardoned by Alexander How curteous was Fabius Maximus to forgive Marsius one of his chief Captains the treasons and snares that he used against his Master Fabius with the enemies Such gentlenesse did Xerxes the great shew unto the Gréeks who were as Spies to view the power and host of King Xerxes sent from Athens and being taken and brought before the King he not onely gently dismissed them but shewed them curteously all his host and force of souldiers The greatest victory is alwaies gotten by gentlenesse as Alphonsus King of Aragon by gentlenesse won Careta Marcellus won Syracusa Metellus Celtiberia as you have heard before mentioned Plutarch reciteth a passing history of great curtesie and humanity of King Belenus towards his son Antigonus who being married to a fair woman fell in love with his fathers wife for his mother was dead and his father married the daughter of Demetrius king of Macedonia named Estrabonica a young woman of excellent beauty for this therefore the Kings son languished in love that he was like to die unknown to his father which when his father knew he caused his own wife to be married to his son Antigonus a rare clemency and great gentlenesse for a man to give his wife to please his friend Pity accompanieth this excellent vertue clemency as we read in holy Scriptures that divers good men ceased not to bewail and wéep over the state of their enemies I néed not here to recite Peticles the Athenian who willed that the dead souldiers of his enemies should be buried in the wars of Peloponesus nor of Hannibals curtesie in the wars of Carthage for the burial of Roman enemies But Moses that man of God brought with him from Egypt the bones of Joseph Tobias and Machabeus mercifull men commanded likewise a solemn buriall for the dead souldiers And Jehu king of Israel caused his enemie Jezabel to be honourably buried But as white is better discerned by the black then by any colour else so shall humanity and gentlenesse appear most excellent in reading the title of tyranny where by conferring both together the excellency of the one is manifest the terrour of the other is odious The gentlenesse and pity that our Saviour Iesus Christ shewed unto Mary Magdalen the lewd woman unto the prodigal child unto Peter that denied him unto the Thief that was hanged with him
the cause thereof being demanded by Marius and orderly declared by Trebonius where as it was thought he should be hanged drawn and quartered and suffer most ignominious death he was rewarded with a Crowne of gold upon his head written about with this sentence This crowne and garland won Trebonius by temperance Had Demetrius King of Macedonia embraced sobriety of féeding Democles had not béen so famous by abstinence as Demetrius might have béen renownes through temperance Had that Roman Lucius loved continency as Trebonius honored chastity Trebonius had not had of Marius Lucius his uncle the praise the garlaÌ„d of commendations and he so vile and shameful a death Certainly when the people of Athens fed on figs the Arcadians on Acorns or Walnuts the Argives on Parsly the Terinthians on Pears the Scythians on herbs the inhabitants of Carmenia and Meâ—cica on poor fare yea when the whole world fed on those fruits which our old mother the earth naturally brought forth before corne was sowne then kingdomes and nations were ruled by the law of nature to imbrace temporance to honour abstinence and to observe chastity which since grew to that aboundance and excesse that the law of God which was first the law of nature which was the second the law of Princes which was the last could not kéep men from the excesse of meat which onely was the cause of the sinking of Sodom and Gamorrha of the often plaguing of the Israelites of the just confusion of gluttony and drunkards When the Gymnosophistes of India fed onely with apples when the Priests of Egypt abstained from flesh and wine and fed on bread and oyl when the Sages of Persia fed on fruits and herbs then temperance bare rule then sobriety governed then abstinence was honoured then Egypt flourished through temperance and is now destroyed by gluttony Then India prospered through continencie and sobriety and is now vanquished by drunkennesse and temerity Then Persia was famous and conquered Kingdomes by abstinencie and is now convicted and conquered by abundance and excesse Where is learned Athens famous Sparta stately Thebes These while temperance ruled were feared of all kings and are now by meanes of excesse hated and despised of all Princes All the while that the Lacedemonians observed the laws of Lycurgus in abstaining from brave banquets and excesse of chéer yea when they might not passe unto Asia for fear they should be allured and entiled with the sight of the junkets of Asia then saith Cicero were the people of Sparta so temperate that the men did never sit with women nor the women with the men The Milesians made a straight law as Theophrastus doth witnesse that neither their wives their daughters nor maids might taste wine neither durst any man by the same law praise any wine in presence of women for wine causeth heat heat moveth lust lust causeth murther Wherefore wise men write that it is dangerous to prayse three things in presence of the people As for a man to prayse the beauty of his wife for fear of fornicators for so did King Candaules of Lidia praise his wife unto his friend Giges and he was murthered thereby and the Queene his wife afterward married unto Giges for a man to brag of his riches and substance for so did Sichaeus shew his substance unto Pigmalion king of Tyre who married the kings daughter named Eliza and was slaine by the selfe same Pigmalion king of Tyre and his owne brother in law lastly to commend swéet wine in presence of the people doth bréed a desire unto lust and lust unto death The famous Romans for a long while kept so streight an order to observe temperance so streightly was this law looked unto that Eg. Maecenius having slain his own wife as Pliny recordeth for that she loved wine he was by the law of Romulus made for that purpose saved from death In the same place of Plini it is read that a certain matron of Rome was adjudged to die for that she had a privy key unto a cellar of wine So much did they observe this temperance that Cato the Censor appointed by a law certain men to kisse the women of Rome to know whether they smelled of wine by their breath No man of what degree soever he was Consul Censor Tribune or Senatour might drink wine in Rome before he was thirty and five years of age The people of Messaliâ—tica made and ordained that the women should drink no other drink then water Amongst the Egyptians there was by a law appointed how much wine their Princes might drink and no more The Persians fed onely then on bread salt and water The prophets of Jupiter in Créet abstained from flesh and wine In Rhodes he was taken a grosse brained man that fed on any thing else but on fish The Lacedemonians were most severe against those that waxt fat by féeding insomuch that they would punish their own children with hunger if they waxed fat either by feeding or by idlenesse Thus abstinence was fostred as a nurse unto chastity and temperance then Princes lothed vice and loved vertue then they abhorred gluttony and drunkennesse and honoured abstinence and sobriety The learned and sage Phylosophers and men of passing abstinence and sobriety being no lesse studious then careful of temperance despised banquets refused feasts lothed and defied belly chéere and being allured of Princes enticed of noble men sought of all men they forsook and fled from the same saying we eat to live we live not to eat A golden sentence and worthy to be observed Rather had Diogenes féed and lick dishes at Athens then to féed daintily at Alexanders table Rather had that learned Gréek noble Zeno drink water and féed poorly as an example unto his schollers of temperance then to pamper his belly at Antigonus princely table to shew them the way unto gluttony and drunkennesse Rather had Plato forsake Dionisius table than to abstain from his wonted Philosophicall cheere This vertue of abstinence was of noble Socrates maintained with bread and milk onely and learned Homer honoured it with pottage made of herbs and ancient Pythagoras with beans Anacharsis a Scythian Phylosopher being demanded of his estate how he fed how he did lye and how he was clothed answered I feed on hunger I lye on the ground and am clothed like a Scythian The famous Athenian Aristides at what time king Dionisius made sute for his daughter in marriage though he was a puissant Prince a mighty king yet for his gluttony and prodigal drinking for his tyranny and excesse Aristides who abhorred such vices in Princes soberly and temperately answered that he would rather kill his daughter with his own hands then to give his daughter in marriage unto Dionisius So odious unto good Princes was that excesse of eating and prodigal drinking and so highly esteemed was abstinence and temperance that in Athens a long while in the temple of Ceres of all the laws of Triptolemus three onely commandements as
perish and therefore said the Ox thou urgest me in vain to travel When that wicked tyrant Nero began his Empire in Rome trées pastures meddows and certain grounds about the City a strange miracle altered places and changed seats one with another the ground moving from one place to another Even â—o it harned at the exilement of King Dionisius after much tyranny and bloudshedding when he was banished from his Kingdome the salt sea the same day that he was driven from Sicilia altered his saltness to sweetness These two tyrants Nero and Dionisius the one comming to his Empire what wonders shewed the earth it self the other departing from his Kingdome what miracles shewed the Sea When Darius besieged the City of Babylon a voice was heard out of the strong walls of Semiramis that Babylon should be conquered at what time a mule should engender at the which the souldiers of Darius were discomfited and Zopyrus his mule accomplished the foreshewed Oracle Likewise when Pompey was vanquished by Caesar a grâ—â—n bough grew in the temple of Victory under the image of Caesar and hives of Bees darkened the ensign of Pompey foreshewing he should be subdued at Pharsalia The City of Rome had these warnings a little before the first Civil wars there were seen fires â—ining suddenly abâ—ut men Spiders Mice and Worms consumed the gold and substance of their temples Ravens devoured and did eat their young ones the noise and sound of trumpets were heard in the ayr with such other terrible warnings as might well move amazement and amendment Again before the second wars of Carthage an Ox spake and said Rome take thou héed to thy self It is noted likewise when Tarquinius the last King of the Romanes was driven away from Rome and banished the Kingdome that a dog then spake and a serpent barked Too many of these examples are to be read if we read histories for signs and tokens were séen and marked in the heavens according to the natures and doings of Princes for when Tiberius came to the Empire of Rome there happened such great earthquakes that twelve famous Cities in Asia fell prostrate to the ground two mountains moved and ran and fought together in a place by Rome called Mutina field It is written that in the City called Sagunthus before it was conquered by Hannibal a child in the time of the delivery of the mother entred again into his mothers womb And in Plini Clepidus beareth witnesse that trées spake And though it séem fabulous to divers that such things by nature should speak yet we sée the tryal of this clean contrary to set forth the wonderfull works of God whereby he might the more be magnified by these his creatures For we read in the sacred scriptures that an Asse spake whereby the more credit may be given to Pâ—utarch Pliny and Livi which mention that dogs trées oxen serpents and other creatures of God did speak for a wonder and a warning as well of things to come as things past For before the famous City of Ierusalem was destroyed by Vespasian the Emperor there appeared a star in manner of a sword in the skie there were likewise seen Chariots running up and down the skies and men in harnesse fighting in the clouds right over the City Divers wonders by nature were wrought which for the rarenesse thereof are worthy to be noted as Caecilius Agrippa the first day that he was born of his mother did go on foot without help Likewise Zoâ—oastres when all children cry at their birth he the self same time laughed It was strange that Telephus the son of Hercules was nourished of a Hart. Romulus the first King of Rome fostered by a Wolf Cyrus the first King of the Persians brought up by a Bitch Alexander and King Priamus by a Bear Jupiter by a Goat Mydas by Ants and Plato by Bees and so divers others But certainly more strange it was that little beasts yea small creeping worms should be able to vanquish and destroy famous Cities and Countreys As in Spain a City was unâ—ermined by Coneys in France a City was destroyed by Frogs in Thessaly a City was overthrown by Mouldwarps In Affrica a City was spoiled by Locusts Gyara an Isle of twelve miles was consumed by Mice and Abdera a City in Thracia by Mice likewise and Amyclas by Serpents Peradventure these séem not credible to divers readers the learned may read the same in the righth book of Plini and twenty and ninth chapter where he may be satisfied The works of nature were so wonderful in all places at all times that learned writers for memory of the same do recite the effect thereof It is written that Ammonius the Phylosopher had an Asse frequenting his school with Porphirius to hear his lecture In the Isle called Coes in the ground of a certain tyrant named Nicippus a shéep brought forth a Lion instead of a Lamb. Plini doth witnesse that he saw in a City of Affrica a man changed to a woman in the same day he was married whose name was Cofficius a Citizen of Tiâ—dria Pontanus and divers authors affirm that Tiresias the Theban Ceneus and Iphis were changed from men to women from males to females by alteration of kind Again some think that as Anaxagoras never laught so Zenophantes never wept things wonderfull and strange to nature and as L. Pomponius never belcht so Antonia never spit There was a Poet sometime dwelling in Coos of such small growing and slender body that lead was put in the sole of his Shoes least the wind should bear him from the ground and blow him into the air And as he by nature was small and light of substance so by the self-same nature was found in a certain hill of Créet the body of Orion which was forty and six cubits in length What Albertus Magâ—us wrote of the secrets of nature I will omit better it is I suppose to be ignorant in some things then to be skilfull in all things He saith among other things that there was a woman in Germany that had thréescore sons side every time at one burthen and there was another woman named Agrippina in Colonia that did neither eat nor drink for the space of thirty days Besides these there was a man named Philinus that never eat nor drank all the days of his life but milk onely Cicero saith that all the Iliads of Homer were written and placed within the shell of a Nut. Plini reports that there was an hearb called Acheminis that if it were cast or thrown amongst the enemies they streight would take their flight thereupon Mermecides made a Wagon so artificially and so small that a Flie might cover it with her wing Strabo did sée so well that he could discry the ships that departed from Carthage from a from a promontoâ—y in Sicilia which was above a hundred and thirty miles Cornelius Agrippa in his first book of hidden Philosophy writeth a history of one Cippus King in Italy
but one year a ruler in the Empire was poysoned by his mother in Law named Martina The very cause of the Emperor Conradus death who was Fredericks son was onely the Empire and rule of Rome for Manfredus his successour hired the Physitians to poyson him that he might have the onely sway O unhappy state of Princes whose lives are desired both of friends and foes No lesse danger it is to be in favour with Princes sometime then perillous to be Princes We read of a Quéen named Rosimunda the daughter of King Cunimund of Gepida who after she had poysoned Albonius King of the Longobards her first husband did marry a Prince of Ravenna named Helinges whom likwise she thought to poison but being warned in the middest of his draught he caused his wife to drink the rest which drink was the cause of both their deaths How many noble Princes in the middest of their pilgrimages have died that death as Dioclesian the Emperour of Rome Lotarius King of France Charls the eight of that name with divers others as Hannibal prince of Carthage Aristobulus King of Iudea and Lucullus Generall of Rome Princes and noble men do sometime poison themselves lest they should be inforced to serve their foes as Themistocles being banished from his country of Athens being in service under Artaxerxes King of Persia poisoned himself with the bloud of a Bull in presence of all the Persians lest he should be compelled to fight in wars against Gréece his country Even so Aratus prince of Sicionia perceiving Philip the younger would banish and exile him out of his country was inforced with poison to drink his own death out of his own hand Even after this sort after long administration of the Commonwealth did noble Socrates learned Anaxagoras worthy Seneca and famous Demosthenes poison themselves Thus their pilgrimages were ended and their lives finished their honour and dignity their fame and renown did purchase them death Happy then are those whom the world knows not who desire not to be acquainted with the world but quiet and contented do finish the course of their pilgrimages Had not Jugurthus thirsted for the Kingdom of Numidia he had not slain his two brethren Adherbal and Hempsal which were partakers of the Crown for the which vengeance fell upon him being subdued by Marius and dying afterwards in prison Had not King Siphax thirsted after the Empire of Rome he had never béen taken captive and prisoner by Tiberius where he at length out of his Kingdome died in prison Henry the third was of his own son named Henry put again in prison where he died Aristonicus for all his businesse and great doings was vanquished by the Consull Aquilius and put in prison where likewise he died In prison divers princes have ended their lives in forrein countries Strange kinds of deaths happen upon Princes more then on any other men as orderly I shall prove by their pilgrimages and lives Some by fire as the Tyrant Phalaris of Agrigentum who was burned with all his children and his wife in the Brasen Bull which Perillus made for others was first of all put into it himself By fire was the Emperour Valentine burned by the Goths by fire was that famous Greek Alcibiades destroied in Phrygia and burned in bed with his mistresse Timandra after he had ruled Athens and all Greece a long while Sardanapalus that great King and last prince of Assyria fearing to fall into the hands of Arbactus and detesting to die by his enemies made a solemn fire when after his lewd life wantoning in lust and following his desires he burned himself it was the end of the renowned Hercules who conquered Monsters subdued Serpents Lions Dragons and wild beasts at the last he put on the shirt of Nestus the Centaur which burned him alive What shall I speak of Boges the dear friend sometime of King Xerxes who when he knew that he could not escape the hand of Cimon and the power of Atâ—ens he made a great fire where he caused his wife and concubines his children and family to be burned and then his gold silver and treasure and last of all he burned himself Empedocles Catullus Luctatius Asdrubal and Poâ—tia died this death So desirous were men alwaies to become princes so ambitious of honour so greedy of wealth that having the name of a King they thought to avoid and escape that which alwaies waits on the heels of Princes I mean death Were not princes hanged by their own subjects which is the vilest and most ignominious death that can be Achaeas King of Lidia for that he troubled his subjects with new taxes and subsedies was hanged by his own subjects at the river of Pactolus Bomilchar a Prince of Libia being suspected by the Carthaginians that he had conspired with Agathocles unto the annoiance of the subjects was hanged in the City of Carthage in the middest of the Market Policrates who was supposed to be the happiest Prince that ever reigned in Samos and never sustained any losse by fortune was at last by Orontes the Persian King Darius General hanged in sight of Samos Herodotus doth affirm that Leonides that famous King of Sparta who long ruled the Lacedemonians with great fame and renown was by Xerxes King of Persia after his head was smitten off commanded notwithstanding to be hanged Trogus doth write of Hanno a prince of Carthage which flourished in the time of King Philip father to Alexander the great who for his prosperous successe that he had in all his attempts waxed to be such a tyrant that his own people first bound him with cords whipt him with rods pluckt out his eys brake his legs cut off his hands and at last to recompence his tyranny they hanged him up in Carthage These were no mean men that thus were hanged in their own country and by their own people Thus Princes in the middest of their lives have béen arrested by death and by divers kinds of death Some as you have heard by poison some by fire some by hanging have ended their pilgrimages some again have been devoured by their own horses as Diomedes King of Thracia became food himself to those beasts which before he fed with mens bodies The King of Eubea for his tyranny in Boetia was given by Hercules to be eaten by his own horses Licinius the Emperour at what time he had appointed that his daughter Hâ—rina should be given to his horses to be eaten he himself giving her as food unto them was torn in pieces It hâ—ppened that Neocles the son of that noble Greek Themistocks was by a horse likewise devoured And this was not strange unto princes for they were alwaies subject unto all kind of deaths After that the famous prince Mâ—â—us Captain of the Lybians had broken truce with the Romans he was afterward as Livi doth witnesse taken and drawn by four great horses alive at the cemmandement of Tullus Hostilius being then King of Rome Hâ—ppâ—litus son
did mourn after this sort they rent their cloathes and did shut their temples they did eat no meat and besmearing their faces with dirt they abstained from washing their faces thréescore and twelve days all which time they lamented and bewailed the death of their Kings and friends the Carthaginians at their funerals did cut their hair of mangle their faces and did beat their breasts The Macedonians likewise did shave their hair bewailing the death of their friends as we read of Archelaus King of Macedonia who shaved his hair at the burial of his friend Euripides the Argives and the Siracusans did accompany the dead to the grave in white cloaths discoloured with water and clay the Matrons of Rome threw off their fine apparel their rings and chains and did wear black garments at the burial of their friends but I burn candle in the day time to write of such infinit ceremonies that the Gentiles had at their burials therefore better to end with a few examples then to weary the reader with too many histories for all men know that all people have their several manners as well in living as in dying which they alter according to the vital circumstances of person place and time CHAP. XXV Of Spirits and Visions SUndry and many things happen by course of nature which timerous and fearfull men for want of perfection in their senses suppose to be spirits Some are so feeble of sight that they judgd shadows beasts and bushes and such like to be spirits Some so fearfull that they think any sound any noise or whistlings of the winds to be some bugs or devils Hereby first were spread so many fables of spirits of goblins of bugs of hags and of so many monstrâ—us visions that old women and aged men told their children who judged it sufficient authority to alledge the old tales told by their parents in their aged years The Gentiles because they were given much to idolatry and superstition did credit vain and foolish visions which oftentimes by suggestion of devils and by fond fantasies being conceived did lead them by perswasion of spirits either in attempting or in avoiding any thing for Suetonius doth write that when Julius Caesar stayed in a maze at the river Rubicon in Italy with a wavering mind musing what were best whether to passe the water or no there appeared a comely tall man piping on a réed to whom the souldiers flocked to hear him and specially the trumpetters when he suddenly snatched one of their trumpets and leaping forthwith into the river Rubicon he straightways sounded an alarm wherewith Caesar was moved and said Good luck my fellow souldiers let us go where the Gods do invite us It is written in Plutarch when Brutus was determined to transport his army out of Asia into Europe being in his tent about midnight he saw a terrible monster standing fast by him without any words wherewith he being sore affraid ventered boldly and demanded of him what he was to whom he answered and said I am thy evil Genius which at Phillippi thou shalt sée again Where when Brutus came being vanquished by Augustus Caesar remembring the words of his foreséen visions to avoid the hands of his enemies he slew himself to verifie the same The like happened to C. Cassius who by the like apparition was enforced to kil himself for he was warned that the murther of Caesar should be revenged by Augustus his Nephew These sights were so séen amongst the Gentiles and so feared and esteemed that all the actions of their lives were thereby ordered Tacitus as Fla. Vapiscus reporteth when it was told him that his fathers grave opened of it self and seeing as he thought his mother appearing to him as though she had been alive did know full well that he should shortly after die and made himself ready thereunto There appeared to one Pertinax as I. Capitolinus reporteth three days before he was slain a certain shadow in one of his fish-ponds with a naked sword in his hand ready to kill him Neither may we so little esteem the authority of grave and learned men in divers of their assertions concerning sights and visions though divers fables be alledged and avouched for truth with simple and ignorant men We read in the sacred scriptures divers sights seen divers visions appearing and sundry voices heard We read that King Balthasar being in his princely banquets saw a hand writing upon the wall over against where he sat at table what his end should be It is read in the third chapter of the second of the Macchabees that a horse appeared unto Heliodorus who was servant to Seleucus King of Syria as he was about to destroy the temple at Ierusalem and upon the horse seemed to be a terrible man which made towards him to overcome him and on each side of him were two young men of excellent beauty who with whips scourged Heliodorus There also appeared to Machabeus a horseman in shining armor all of gold shaking his spear to signifie the famous victory that Machabeus should obtain Many such like visions we read of in Scripture but let us return to the Athenians who presaged that when Miltiades joyned in battel against the Persians hearing a terrible noise and beholding certain spirits before the battel to have victory over the Persians judging those sights and visions to be the shadow of Pan. Likewise the Lacedemonians before they were vanquished in the battel at Leuctris their armor clashed together and made an excéeding great noise in the temple of Hercules so that at that time the doors of the temple of Hercules being fast shut with iron bars opened suddenly of their own accord and the armor which hung before fastened on the wall was found lying upon the ground Pliny writeth in the wars of the Danes and Appianus affirmeth in the wars at Rome what signs and wonders what miserable cryes of men clashing of armor and running of horses were heard insomuch that the same day that Caesar fought his battel with Cn. Pompeius the cry of an army and the sound of trumpets were heard at Antioch in Syria But I will omit to speak of such things and take in hand to intreat of spirits which were both seen and heard of learned men and of visions supposed of the wisest to be the souls of dead men for Plutarch writeth in the life of Theseus that sundry men who were in the battel of Marathonia against the Medians affirmed that they saw the soul of Theseus armed before the host of Greeks as chief General and Captain running and setting on the barbarous Medians whom the Athenians afterward for that cause onely honoured as a God It is reported by Historiographers that Castor and Pollux have been seen often in battels after their deaths riding on white horses and fighting against their enemies in camp insomuch that Plutarch testifieth that they were seen of many in the battel against Tarquinius Hector besought Achilles after he was slain by