passing with his army unto Scithia and India had read this Epitaph and perceiving the slippery estate of Princes the uncertainty of life and mutability of fortune he much doubted the state of his own life howbeit at that voyage he forgot by means of Mars the Epitagh of King Cyrus untill he returned from India from his wars into Babylon where he married Statira King Darius daughter whom before he conquered where such liberality was shewed such magnificency done such gifts given such banquets kept that Alexander upon his own charges married the most part of the Nobles of Macedonia unto the Ladies of Persia the feasts during five days amounted to the sum of thrée and twenty thousand Talents every Talent valued at fourscore pounds he repeating oft the Epitaph of Cyrus would suffer none though divers Princes were present to be at any charges but himself onely saying that which fortune giveth unto Alexander the same will Alexander give unto his friends for Cyrus grave is appointed unto Alexander in this Alexander passed all Princes in taking all and giving all private faults may not deprave open vertues every man hath a fault Alexander was known to be a drunkard Julius Caesar was noted to be ambitious Antiochus the the great King of Syria blamed for lechery Alcibiades of pride Pâ—rrhus of incredulity Hannibal of falshood Dionifius of tyranny I may number up infinite Princes who for one vice may not be forgotten for their divers vertues Vertue must not be hidden for that vice is manifest Phrine a Courtisan sometime of Gréece though for her slanderous life worthy reprehension yet for her liberality she ought well to be remembred for after Alexander the great had subdued that famous City of Thebes and made the walls thereof even with the ground she offered to re-edifie the same upon this condition that upon every gate of the City this sentence shall be set This City Alexander the great threw down and this City Phrine the Courtisan builded up again The like I have read of Queen Rhodope sometime a Courtisan and a lewd woman who made up the brave and sumptuous work called the Pyramides in Egypt where she used such liberalliry such a vast expence of money that for her noblenesse she was well worthy to be commended though for vitious living she was otherwise to be blamed Men and women were desirous then to be liberal Then Princes were as liberal and beneficial with such lenity and humanity unto the poor as they grew afterward to be hard and covetous with severity and cruelnesse Therefore Anaxilaus a liberal Prince was often wont to say that the chiefest commendations and noblest vertues which could be in a Prince were not to be overcome in beneficial doings Attalus King of Assa languishing in sicknesse and ready to dy bequeathed his Kingdome and Scepter of Asia unto the noble Romans by testament fully and freely to bestow it on whom they would for that they were so liberal and beneficial sometime towards him whilest yet fortune favoured him not A liberal Prince cannot be void of love Antigonus was wont to answer Aristodemus one of his Councel who was brought up of a boy in his Kitchin when he spake any thing against princely gifts and found fault with Antigonus liberality that his talk did smel of the Kitchin A fit reprehension for such a saucie servant who hindred Kings from doing good and moved Princes to do evil I would such Sycophants should be so answered by Princes as Aristodemus was of King Antigonus Worthy of perpetual memory was Artaxerxes for his passing liberality towards the poor souldiers that came from the Lacedemonian war with him he made them that came on foot unto him to go home on horseback he that came on horseback he sent him home in a chariot and he that had a village before he came unto him he gave him a city at his going away from him A Prince worthy of Subjects and a Captain most fit for Souldiers What made Julius Caesaa to be beloved of his souldiers What caused Alexander to be honoured of all men Magnificence and liberality The one in the great Wars at Pharsalia at what time he conquered Pompeius the Great having all the treasures and substance of Pompeius brought before him took nothing from the souldiers but Pompeius letters The other after he had vanquished King Darius having a great chest full of treasure where he found in present coyn two hundred thousand pound beside other inestimable treasures and jewels took nothing from his souldiers but a little book named the Illiads of Homer wherein he delighted more to read the noble acts of the Gréeks and the worthy feats of the Troyans then in all the wealth of Persia Thus liberality maintained their fame Thus their magnificent benefits so spread forth their noble names that happy was he that could be a souldier unto Caesar or to Alexander I remember a certain King in Syracusa named Hiero who understanding the liberality of the Romanes and perceiving the penury of victuals which then the Romans sustained in the wars of Tharsimenos did send three hundred thousand bushels of wheat and two hundred thousand of barley with great sums of gold and silver to ease the Roman souldiers and fearing that his gifts would not be taken nor his presents received considering the nature and liberallity of the Romans he willed the Embassadours to say that it was an homage and service of good will sent to honour the Romans from Hiero King of Siracusa an excellent policy to practise beneficence with manifest examples of a liberal heart O Rome how happy hast thou been through thy liberrlity and good will hast won the hearts of all Kingdomes and countries Vntill Ninus time all things were common no division of ground no hoording of mony no covetousnesse known no greedinesse of Kingdomes no desire of wealth in fine for the space of two hundred and fifty years for the simplicity innocency and true dealing of people it was worthily called the golden world and then a man could not find a covetous person and now a man cannot find a liberal friend then no man knew to do evil and now no man knoweth to do good then no man did take and now no man doth give in fine then one for another and now all for themselves What made Cimon a liberal Gentleman of Athens to be so famous in Greece his liberality amongst nigards he onely counted liberal and all Athens besides covetous whereby he deserved renown and glory amongst so many nippers of money he onely shewed himself bountifull and liberall What caused Flaminius to be so much spoken of amongst the Romans his liberal gifts amongst so many greedy takers his open benefits amongst their privat wealth and hidden hatred What moved the Agrigentines to honour so much the manly Gillias to advance his fame to extol his name his liberality Such covetousnesse then was in Athens Rome and Agrigentum that then worthy were these of admiration
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
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
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
yet lived that he might the better in that season win favour and find friendship with his subjects for then some came by heritage some by the sword and the most came by election Nothing saith Plutarch doth so establish the estate of a Common-wealth as the clemency of a Prince towards his subjects and the love of the subjects towards their Prince the one is never séen without the other King Darius therefore understanding that his subjects were taxed sore with Subsedies blamed his counsel rebuked their law and made an open oration unto his commons to signifie how loth he was to molest his subjects and that he was as loth to take any from his poor commons as he knew them to be willing in giving all they had to pleasure their Prince his care therein shewed and his speech so affable and his good will opened with such curtesie and lenity inflamed such benevolence kindled such a love caused such a readinesse in his subjects and made them through gentlenesse so beneficial that both goods lands and lives were at Darius commandement Plutarchus in the life of King Antigonus doth recite a famous history concerning the alteration and change of Antigonus who with tyranny a long while fomed in bloud and delighted in murther being given altogether to wickednesse of life spoiling at all times every where sparing no place at any time but at length having obtained the kingdome of Macedonia became so méek so liberal so quiet towards his subjects that he was of all men wondred at for his sudden change from so cruell a tyrant to so gentle a Prince from a spoiler of all places to be a sparer now of his subjects being demanded the cause thereof answered Then I travelled for the Kingdome of Macedonia which was to be won with wars and tyranny and now I labour for the good will of my subjects which is to be gotten with gentleness The onely remedy the sure way to win good will of the subjects is always for Princes to be courteous and gentle Pitie in a Prince causeth love in the subjects Such pity was found in that gentle Emperor Aurelian when he would have entred into that City called Iâ—aena the gates being shut against him he did send his Heralds to signifie unless the gates should be opened he would not leave one dog alive within the City The City more stout then wise refused to open their gates until with force of Engines the walls were battered down and the City in the hand of the Emperor to do what it liked him The souldiers gréedy of the spoil were by the gentle and mercifull Emperor charged not to meddle with any within the City until they had licence The Emperor being charged by the souldiers with his promise to kil and to spoil all and not to leave a dog alive he kept promise like a Prince and destroyed all the dogs of the City and restored the City again to the inhabitants thereof This noble Aurelian had rather his souldiers should want then that they should not shew mercy according to his custome to the comfortless Xerxes the great King of Persia used such lenity and gentleness towards his brother Arimenes with whom before he was a great enemy that he made him of a foe a friend Porus a famous Prince of India being conquered by Alexander the Great fearing that pity might not have place in the heart of such a conqueror sought nothing else of Alexander who willed him to ask any thing and he should have it but clemency This vertue long waited upon Alexander till pride the root of all mischief corrupted his gentle heart and he was by the Medes and Persians perswaded to be the son of Jupiter So gentle he was before the King Darius did wish either to conquer Alexander because he might shew courtesie unto Alexander or else to be conquered by Alexander Aeneas Sylvius was wont to use the saying of Sigismund the Emperor that happy are those Princes that foster up clemency in Court and prudent are those Princes that use humanity in their Cities It was no small proof of humanity in the Senators of Rome at the burial of Siphax King of Numidia who being taken by the Romans and kept in Tiberius house according to martial law before he was ransomed by the Numidians died at Rome where such solemnity honour and pomp was shewed at his funeral such gifts given such liberality used as if Siphax had died amongst his own subjects he might have wanted to have such glorious burial in Numantia being there their King as he had in Rome being a prisoner That is worthy humanity which is shewed to men in adversity and that is méer clemency which is done to those banished strangers as the Romans sometime did to Prusius King of Bithinia who being driven to exile by his son Nicomedes came unto Rome where humanity and clemency were used and nourished in the Senate and was met at Capua a City sometime by Hannibal conquered by Scipio and Cornelius and brought to Rome not like a banishâ—d man but as a noble Prince with such triumphs and honour done to him and such passing courtesie and liberality of Senators that although he was banished Bithinia his Kingdome and by Nicomedes his own son yet was he received into Rome by strangers and that to the honour and the fame of Rome Thereby the Romans grew to that admiration with all people that for their lenity and surmounting courtesie they were of all men beloved and for their valour and magnanimity they likewise were of all the world feared For as to Siphax and Prusius wonderfull clemency and humanity were by the Romans tendered so was the like to Ptolomy King of Egypt being of his own brother banished and by them restored again to his Kingdome Rome then was called the Haven of succour the anchor of trust the Key of courtesie whereto all succourless Princes and noble Captains sled Rome flourished then while pity and mercy continued Rome prospered while humanity and clemency were fostered Rome excelled all nations in gentleness and pity when Marcellus and Metellus lived the one Captain of Syracusa the other in Celtiberia The noble Captain Marcellus was so pittiful that after his souldiers had conquered Syracusa with great slaughter and murther of men women and children he mounted up into a high Tower of the Castle and there with tears he lamented the cufull sight of Syracusa more like to one conquered then a conqueror more like to a Prisoner then a Prince so that any who then saw him might rather judge Marcellus a Syracusan captive then a Roman Captain Happy was Syracusa sith fortune was no better to happen on such a gentle Conqueror who was not so glad of his own victory as he was sorrowfull for the fall of Syracusa That renowned Roman Merellus besieging the great City of Centobrica in the countrey of Celtiberia when he perceived their Bulwarks broken their Walls ready to fall and victory nigh at hand
much given to soft clothing gay apparel and delicate fare as Aristotle the Prince of Philosophers delighted to go brave in gorgeous apparel with rich Chains and Kings and had herein great felicity Demosthenes and Hortensius two famous and noble Oratours the one of Athens and the other of Rome went so fine in their cloths with such neat and wanton gesture that L. Torquatus would often call Hortensius the son of Dionisia for that she had great pleasure in dancing and light gesture of bodie But I will omit such examples and speak of dissembling persons who thinking to hurt others destroyed themselves as that strong Golias who contemning all Israel for force and strength David a weak man overcame him Hammon was hanged upon that gallows that he prepared for Mardocheus even so Absalon going about to destroy his father King David was hanged by the hairs of his head by Gods appointment CHAP. XXXIII Of Famine CIcero in his first book of Tusculans questions doth note the saying of Socrates that hunger was the best sauce to meat and thirst the best occasion to drinke Wherefore King Dioniusis the tyrant hearing much report of the Lacedemonians hard fare and specially of their pottage which was called Jus nigâ—um the black pottage he took a Cook of that Countrey to be his servant to dresse his diet in the ordinary way of the Lacedemonians the Cook having taken much pains in making the foresaid pottage he brought a messe thereof unto the King who much longed for it but assoon as he tasted of it he spit it again out of his mouth and was vâ—ry angry with the Cook saying is this the pottage that the Lacedemonians so much brag of my dog said Dâ—onisius should not eat it the Cook perceiving the gluttony of the King said O Dionisius whensoever thou art to eat of this pottage thou must bring fit sauce for it which is a Lacedemonians stomack for the Princes of Sparta have more pleasure in this kind of fare then ever King Mydas had in his golden banquets What maketh any meat swéet hunger What causeth man to féed pleasantly hunger Or what makes any drink pleasant thirst For at what time Darius was enforced of méer thirst to drink of a lake all defiled with stinking carcases of dead souldiers being then in the field and compelled to take his flight he said after his draught that he never drank swéeter drink in his life Though this King was a proud Prince over the Persians and had all kind of wines at commandement yet his want and penury now and his thirsty stomack was the onely cause of this noble drink which he so much commended and preferred before all the wine that ever he drank before Even so affirmed King Artaxerxes in his wars when his victuals and all were spoiled by the enemies of a few dry figs and of a piece of a barley loaf upon which he fel so hungerly that he spake after this sort O good Lord of how great a pleasure have I béen all this while ignorant Lisimachus likewise being in wars in Thracia against Domitianus the Emperour where he and all his souldiers were kept so long without drink untill he was so thirsty that he was inforced with all his host to yeeld as captives to the Emperour Domitianus and now being in captivity having a draught of drink of the Emperour he said O God that I should make my self from a King to be a captive from a noble Prince of Greece to be a bondslave unto the Romans for one draught of drink See what hunger and thirst is how it hath made Kings to yeeld and Princes to be vanquished Yea it hath made King Ptolomy in his own Kingdome of Egypt to commend a piece of bread which was given him in a poor Cottage and to say that he never eat better meat nor more comfortable chear in all his life then that piece of bread was It was the custome of that noble Emperor Julius Caesar in all his wars more with famine then with sword to vanquish his enemies For this famous warriour would often say that even as the physitian would use his patients so would he his enemies the rule of the physitian is to make his patient fast to recover his health The order of Caesar was to kéep the enemy from victual to make them yéeld Great is the force of Famine And by Histories we read that when King Cambyses marched towards the Ethiopians he endured great scarcity of victuals and such penury and want of food was among the souldiers that they agréed with themselves to kill the tenth throughout all the host to asswage hunger and the Famine continued so long that Cambyses the King was in great fear lest the Lot should at length happen upon him and so to be eaten of his own souldiers Sagunthus a City in Spain as Eutropius doth witnesse in great amity with the Romans was besieged by the Carthaginians so long that all the City was brought unto such famine that the Lords and the Captains of the City made a great fire in the Market place and there brought all their wealth and substance and threw it into the fire and after made their Wives and their Children to enter into the fire and last of all the chief Lords and Captains ended their own lives in it lest they should come into the enemies hand So great was that Famine that it was before prognosticated by a Woman in the time of her delivery whose child his head being out entred into his Mothers womb again The like calamity happened in Caligurium a City where Quintilian was born which being likewise long besieged by Cneius Pompey to bring them in subjection and to kéep promise with Sertorius they lacked victuals and waxed so hungry that all kind of beasts whatsoever being slain they were constrained to eat their own Wives and Children It was séen in Ierusalem when that it was destroyed by Vespasian the Emperor of Rome that the mothers were compelled to eat their own children for very hunger whose small and tender bones were left as a shew and token of their calamity Pliny in his eighth book of Natural Histories saith that when Hannibal laid siege to the city Casilinum the Roman souldiers were in such hunger that one Mouse was sold for two hundred pieces of silver and he that sold the Mouse died himself for hunger The Athenians likewise were brought unto such hunger by Sylla who afterward was Dictator of Rome that one bushel of Wheat was sold amongst the souldiers for a thousand Drachmes the common souldiers being poor for want of money on the one side and sore plagued with hunger on the other were compelled to eat the gréen grasse of the fields about the City of Athens and to gather the mosse off the walls of the City and did eat it This City of Athens was oftentimes brought to that misery as by King Demetrius by King Philip and by his son Alexander the great So
the people of Carthage delighted in falshood practised perjury and used all kind of crafts as the people of Sarmatha were most false in words most deceitfull in déeds and most cruell one towards the other The Scythians being much molested with wars and driven to leave their wives at home in the custody of the slaves and servants having occasion to be absent four years their wives married their servants and brake their former faith with their husbands until with force and power their servants were slain and so they recovered their countreys and wives again Apollonius the chief Governâ—ur of Samos whom the Commons of the countrey from low estate had exalted to dignity to whom they committed the Government and state of Samos was so false of his faith towards his subjects that having their goods lands livings and lives in his own hanâ— he betrayed them to Philip King of Macedonia their most mortal enemy That proud perjurer Cocalus King of Sicily slue King Minos of Créet though under colour of friendship and pretence of communication he had sent for him Cleomines brake promise with the Argives with whom he took truce for certain days and having craftily betrayed them in the night he slue them being sleeping and imprisoned them against his former faith and promise made before Even so did the false Thracians with the Boetians they brake promise violated their faith destroyed their countreys depopulated their cities and having professed friendship and vowed faith became wicked foes and false traytors and all of these received condign punishment But of all false perjurers and unnatural foes Zopyrus amongst the Persians and Lasthenâ— â— amongst the Olinthians to their perpetual Fame shall be ever mentioned the one in the famous City of Babylon deformed himself in such sort with such dissimulation of forged faith that having the rule and government thereof in his hand he brought King Darius to enjoy it through his deceit and was more faithfull to his King then to his Countrey Lasthenes being the onely trust of the Citizens delivered Olinthus their City into the hands of their long and great enemy Philip King of Macedonia What fraud hath béen found always in friendship what falshood in faith the murthering of Princes the betraying of Kingdoms the oppressing of innocents from time to time in all places can well witnesse the same When Romulus had appointed Spu. Tarpeius to be chief Captain of the Capitol the chamber of Rome where the substance and wealth of Rome did remain Tarpeia Spurius daughter in the night time as she went for water out of the city méeting Tatius King of the Sabines though he was then a mortal enemy to Rome and in continual wars with Romulus yet by her falshood and policy he was brought to be Lord of the Capitol Thus Tarpeia was as false to Rome as King Tatius was to Tarpeia for she looking to have promise kept by Tatius did find him as Rome found her she was buried alive by Tatius close to the Capitol which was then called Saturnus Mount and after her death and burial it was named Tarpeiaes Rock untill Tarquinius Superbus did name it the Capitol by finding a mans head in that place There was never in Rome such falshood shewed by any man as was by Sergius Galba who caused the Magistrates of three famous cities in Lusitania to appear before him promising them great commodities concerning the states and Government of their Cities yéelding his faith and truth for the accomplishment of the same whose professed faith allured to the number of Nine thousand young msn picked and elected for some enterprise for the profit of their countrey But when false Galba had spoiled these thrée cities of the Flower of all their Youth against all promise and faith he slue the most part of them sold and imprisoned the rest whereby he most easily might conquer their Cities Men are never certain nor trusty in doing when they are faulty in Faith For as the Sun lighteneth the Moon so Faith maketh Man in all things perfect For Prudence without Faith is Vain-glory and Pride Temperance without Faith and Truth is Shamefacednesse or sadnesse Iustice without Faith is turned into Injury Fortitude into Slothfulnesse The orders in divers countreys for the observation of Friendship and for maintainance of certain and sure love one towards another were Oaths of Fidelity The noble Romans at what time they sware had this order He or she to take a slint stone in their right hand saying these words If I be guilty or offend any man if I betray my countrey or deceive my friend willingly I wish to be cast away out of Rome by great Jupiter as I cast this stone out of my hand And therewith threw the stone away The ancient Scythians to obserbe amity and love had this Law They poured a great quantity of wine into a great Boul and with their knives opened some vein in their bodies letting their bloud to run out one after another into the boul and then mingling the wine and bloud together they dipped the end of their spears and their arrows in the wine and taking the boul into their hands they drank one to another professing by that draught faith and love The Arabians when they would become faithfull to any to maintain love thereby had this custome One did stand with a sharp stone betwéen two and with it made bloud to issue from the palms of both their hands and taking from either of them a piece of their garment to receive their bloud he dipped seven stones in the bloud and calling Urania and Dionisius their Gods to witnesse their covenant they kept the stones in memory of their friendship and departed one from another The like law was among the Barcians who repairing to a Ditch and standing thereby would say as Herodotus affirmeth As long as that hollow place or ditch were not of it self filled up so long they desired amity and love In reading of Histories we find more certainty to have béen in the Heathen by prophane Oaths then truth often in us by Evangelist and Gospel Oaths lesse perjury in those Gentiles swearing by Jupiter or Apollo then in Christians swearing by the true and iiving God more amity and friendship amongst them with drinking either of others bloud then in us by professing and acknowledging Christs bloud When Marcus Antonius had the government of Rome after Caesar was murthered by Brutus and Cassius and having put to death Lucullus for his consent therein Volummus hearing of his friend Lucullus death came wéeping and sobbing before Antonius requiring one his knées one grant at Antonius hand which was to send his souldiers to kill him upon the grave of his friend Lucullus and being dead to open Lucullus grave and lay him by his friend Which being denied he went and wrote upon a little piece of paper and carried it in his hand untill he came to the place where Lucullus was buried and there holding fast the
THE MARROW OF HISTORY OR THE Pilgrimage of KINGS and PRINCES TRULY Representing the variety of Dangers inhaerent to their Crowns and the lamentable Deaths which many of them and some of the best of them have undergone Collected Not onely out of the best Modern Histories but from all those which have been most famous in the Latine Greek or in the Hebrew Tongue Shewing Not onely the Tragedies of Princes at their Deaths but their Exploits and sayings in their lives and by what virtues some of them have flourished in the height of Honour and overcome by what affections others of them have sunk into the depth of all Calamities A Work most delightfull for Knowledge and as profitable for Example Collected by Lodowick Lloyd one of the Gentlemen in ordinary to Queen Elizabeth And Corrected and Revived by R.C. Master of Arts. London Printed by E. Alsop dwelling near the Upper-Pump in Grubstreet 1653. To the true Lover of all good Learning the Truly Honourable CHARLS DIMMOCK Esquire c. SIR I Have here preferred to your observance and protection a work of great Art and of greater Industry you shall find in it a Summary of almost all the Kingdomes and Common-wealths upon the earth and what were the men of Power which commanded in them and also what were as well their Excellencies of Understanding as of Soveraignty it being a Gift unto great men who are called unto extraordinary places to be indued for the most part with extraordinary abilities Here as from a Turret of Speculation you may look down upon the Vulgar and every where behold how near of kin is Misery to Mortality and raising afterwards your Contemplation higher you may looke up on those who have been the Potentates and Princes of the Earth and observe how empty is the Title of Greatnesse and how vain in the Grave is the Prerogative of Kings insomuch that if the Dusts of Alexander the Great and of Bucephalus his Horse were committed both unto one Urn I do believe that Aristotle himself could not distinguish betwixt them either by his Philosophy or his Flattery Sir It it is then easie to be seen that it is onely Virtue that crowneth the lives of Princes and after their deaths doth raise them higher then their Pyramids yet in many Examples you may distinctly here observe that even the best of Kings and those of them who have been nearest unto Heaven have often stooped under the greatest Visitations as the highest Hills are most often checked by the lowdest Thunders But others there have been whose lives by their Lust and Cruelty have been covered with infamy or by their Sloth with silence as Tertullian speaks of Sardanapalus that if he had not been famous for his Riot no man had known him to be a King therefore those depraved Affections are here described and by many Examples abundantly illustrated in the pursuit of which so many great men and Conquerours upon Earth have both delighted and perished They are produced as a Caution unto all and the Book may serve as a Mirrour unto the Best in which they may observe the uncertainty of humane condition in the Pilgrimage of this life It precisely Sir devoteth it self to your protection in whose Example as in a purer Mirror may be read all the Influences of Honour and of Chivalry which that you may long live to dispence amongst us is the dayly prayer of him who is Sir Your most humble and most devoted Servant ROB. CODRINGTON THE PILGRIMAGE OF KINGS and PRINCES CHAP. I. That all Princes are but Pilgrims and some Pilgrims are higher then Kings THis at first may seem a paradox but upon a deliberate consideration it will easily unriddle it self For if you look upon a King in the first place as he is but a man he is a Pilgrim and no more He begins his journey in his cradle and travels every year from sorrow unto sorrow The pleasures and pomp that courts him are but momentary like a flash of lightning that is rather the subject of his memory then his eye But the troubles and the dangers are perpetual and lie as heavy upon his heart as the Crown upon his head This was not unaptly resembled by the Tyrant who his friend affecting the crown did invite him to a Banquet where there was nothing wanting either for abundance or magnificence the Sea and Earth were examined for their rarest provisione to satisfie his palate and on the Cupboard India did appear in all her treasures This indéed did promise a welcome above the invitation but behold over his head a sword hung upon one hair and by its ponderous burthen carrying a certain Death in its point did threaten a sudden destruction to him so that the edge of his appetite being taken off and the Banquet ended there needed no man to say so much as Much good d'it you to him And yet for all this I know not by what secret temptation of Ambition it comes about that the Crown is the onely object of all great Spirits not considering what cares hang round about the ring ols of it This was that which made the great Turkish Emperour seeing a shepheard sitting on a hill and making melody to himself as he marched with his puissant Army against Tamberlane O happy shepheard said he who hath neither any remarkable Town nor any Army to lose Agreable to this is what at least the Poets enform us of Henry the fourth of England who lying on his Death-bed and sending for the Crown his Son came to visit him and beholding the Crown on the pillow and his Father so fast asléep that not the least motion of breath could be discovered to come from him to vex the lightest feather on the pillow he took the Crown away conceiving his Father to be dead Not long after his Father did awake and missing the Crown demanded where it was and who was so bold as to take it away It being answered That his Son had it to whom it was due by the right of succession his Son came in to whom his Father said That if he knew with what travel both of mind and body and with what danger of both it was purchased he would never be so hastie to take it away but kéep far from it as from the center of all sorrow and affliction And if the whole life of man is but a Pilgrimage the life of Kings is the greatest pilgrimage of al A pilgrimage it is both of the mind and of the body to which they are most subject who have the most and the greatest Kingdoms Their life is a perpetual vexation whether you look upon them as greedy to possesse the Kingdomes of others or solicitous to defend their own No sooner one trouble is ended but another begins occasioned either by covetousnesse or ambition or by jealousies extrinsick or Domestick sometimes they fear the over-growing power of their neighbouring Princes somtimes they do lie in wait to intrap them sometimes they
it is worth your observance that even in his death desiring to traduce the world with a false belief of his immortality he desired Roxane who was present with him and at that time great with child by him that she would give way that some who were most faithfull to her and to himself might take his body he finding an impossibility of recovery and death apparently to grew upon him and throw it into the River of Euphrates that the army and the world might conceive that invisibly he was advanced from mortality and translated into the number of the Gods which when Roxane by no means would give way unto affirming that the power which protected him from so many dangers would preserve him still he was passionate against her that in pretence of love she should deny him immortality and dying in the flower of his youth he acknowledged how momentary and uncertain at the best is the condition of Princes And thus Alexander you see who contended to be above the reach of mortality and to be no Pilgrim became the greatest Pilgrim in the world for he not onely living was in a perpetual travel both of body and of mind but he did not rest being dead for his body was carryed from place to place until it was brought at last to Alexandria and afterwards conveyed unto Memphis And to speak the truth the condition of Kings is more lamentable then the meanest of their subjects who may enjoy their lives with safety which is permitted but to a few Kings so true is that of Juvenal Ad generum Cereris sine caede sanguini pauci Descendunt reges sicca morte tyranni By a dry Death without a bloudy end Few Kings to Ceres son in Law descend For this reason the Honourable Sir Francis Bacon who said That God did most for Kings and that Kings did least for God did affirm That there was so many cares and dangers depending on a Crown that no wise man would take it up to have it especially considering how many excellent Princes who have been as admirable for their justice as for their fortitude and for their continence as for either have violently lost their lives by their ungratefull subjects Of this I shall give you examples pregnant enough in its due place and conclude this chapter That Princes are the greatest Pilgrims by the example of the best of Princes which was David himself And this is as easie to prove by his confession as by his sufferings He is hunted he saith like a Partridge upon the mountains he is like a Pelican in the wilderness he is as a Sparrow upon the house top You may behold him persecuted from place to place yet giving life to the King who would take his life from him You may behold him flying out of the Kingdom and disguising himself in a safe madness to protect him from the violence of his adversaries You may behold him exposed to all the dangers that malice could imagine reviled by his own wife cursed by his own servants and conspired against by his own son and driven out of his City by him so that he might well say I am a stranger in the land and my life is waxen old with heaviness and my years with mourning CHAP II. The attractive Liberality of Princes BVt before I proceed to give you examples of it I shall exhibit to you that the pleasures and the splendours which commonly attends the Court and do cast such a false shew of Glory on it are but as so many flatterers who would perswade to things which are not onely leave a dazle on the eye the easier to delude and betray the underastnding It is vertue only that maketh Princes glorious I will first give you a general survey of the vertues and vices of Princes by which in the pilgrimage of this life some have attained to the heighth of honour and others have sunk into the lowest infamy And first to deface the vice of Avarice I will in this place shew you the vertue of Liberality to put the churlish covetous out of countenance I will extol the liberal which in taking is shamefaced in giving joyfull For a measure in taking and in giving is the true nature of liberality Neither can he that taketh all things though he give much be named liberal in nothing Agesilaus King of the Lacedemonians so observed the laws and rules of Lycurgus that he was wont to say unto the Citizens of Sparta that gifts are more dangerous sometime to be received then hurtfull to be refused Which Phocion the whole glory of Athens at what time Alexander the Great had sent him great gifts wealthy presents jewels and treasures from Persia did shew a true example thereof of in refusing the same saying I will not learn to take lest I forget to give The like answered Zenocrates the Philosopher to the self same Alexander when that he did send great sums of gold and silver for love and affection unto Zenocrares he said he wanted neither gold nor silver Which when it was told unto Alexander he said Hath Zenocrates no friends then that want money Alexander hath more friends then either the substance of Darius or the wealth of Persia can suffice A Question is here to be demanded Whether of them both was more liberal the Prince in giving or the Philosopher in refusing When certain Embassadours of the Samnites came to Rome and being at Fabritius house they perceiving the liberality of Fabritius to be such as it were pity wealth should want to so noble a Gentleman at their return from Rome unto their Countrey not forgetting the free dealing of Fabritius at Rome these Embassadours minding to gratifie Fabritius with the gold of the Samnites sent gifts and presents to him unto Rome for their noble entertainment which were refused with an answer that Fabritius had rather rule and govern them that were ruled by gold then to be subject unto gold alledging the answer of M. Curius to the Embassadors of Macedonia offering large gifts and treasure after the like sort That to possess much is no wealth but covetousness to desire nothing and to give is perfect wealth and liberality A sound proof of two liberal Gentlemen When such ruled Rome then the Romans excelled all the world bountifull and free and most beneficial unto all and covetous unto none When L. Lucullus house was a common hospital to all the poor Gréeks that travelled from Athens Sparta and Thebes yea from al Greeâ—e unto Rome then Rome was liberal When Pomponius Atucus did send unto Cicero being banished two hundred thousand Sesterces unto Volumnius and Brutus as much then Rome was beneficial When the Senators restored Faucula and Oppia two poor women of Campania not onely unto their ancient liberty but doubled their wealth and riches for their true meaning and service to the Romanes the one praying and sacrificing for their good success the other toyling and travelling about the souldiers
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
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
answered nippingly the party saying so many things have so long béen hid in my heart that being putrified there they stink I would all men had such a breath that by long kéeping of silence it might taste therof Cato the wise Roman perceived the vertue of silence to be such that one of the thrée things as he himself would say that he most repented him off was to tel his counsell unto another Plini doth commend of all men one man named Anaxarchus of all women he praysed one woman named Laeena whom the tyrannt Nycocreon with all the torments and punishments that he could possibly devise could not enforce to speak that out which they thought should be kept in but Anaxarchus chose rather to dye by torments then to break concealed words spitting in the tyrant Nicocreons face and saying spare not Anaxarchus carkasse thou troublest no part of my minde Epicharis amongst other conspiratours against that cruel Nero being diversly tormented to open the treason against Nero's person would by no means break counsel no more Laeena for all that tyrany used towards her would betray the secrets of Harmodius and Aristogiton which only was the cause that she had her picture erected in Greece In like manner Pompey the great being sent as an Embassador from the Senators and being charged by the King named Gentius who prevented Pompey in his Message to declare the secrets of the Senators and councel of Rome he stretching forth his arm held his finger in the flame of the candle saying When I draw my finger from the candle I will break the counsel of the Senators and so stedfastly he held his hand and so long that King Gentius wondred no less at his patience then he honoured him for his silence O rare silence O passing patience and that in so great a Commander Isocrates an excellent Orator sometime of Athens lest he should be ashamed of his schollers by their spéech and talk for tongues bewray the heart would never receive unto his school but those onely who would pay double hire first to learn silence and then to learn to speak to speak nothing but that which they knew to be most certain and that which of necessity must be spoken This was the order of Isocrates school Yea silence was of such dignity of such estimation that it possest place in Princes hearts that Tiberius Caesar Emperor of Rome would often say Princes ought not to impart their secrets nor to make any privy to their counsel considering how hard is silence to be observed Silence was of such credit and of such force that Metellus who used to be close in the wars of Macedonia would say that if he knew his own coat to be privy to his secrets he would straight cast off his coat and burn it For in him to whom secrets of life are revealed in the same also is danger of death for in the committing of secrets is life and death also committed Had not that famous Hercules the imp of great Jupiter and off-spring of the gods revealed his counsell and opened his heart unto his wife Deianira Had not that mighty Sampson so great in Gods favour that he was a Iudge in Israel shewed his secrets unto his wife Dalila they had not been conquered by two women whom Serpents Dragons Lyons yea all the whole world could not annoy The just punishment of Princes for frivolous talking Conquerours of the world of Kingdomes of countries and yet conquered by a woman yea by a lesser thing then a woman a little member never séen but alas too often heard the tongue onely Tantalus is punished in hel for that he opened the counsel of the Gods after this sort Dainty meats and pleasant wines before his face and yet may he not touch them he hath sight of all things and yet tasteth nothing the hunarier he is the better and braver his banquet shines before him the more desirous he ie to eat the further he is from his victuals Ixion for his telling tales of Juno is no lesse tormented in turnling of his whéel in Hell than is Sisiphus in rowling of his stone or Danaes daughters in filling of their empty tubs The pain of Prometheris in Caucasus the punishment of Titius is duely appointed and of the Gods say the Poets provided truly to those that be braggers and boasters of secrets I must not in this place forget a worthy history of King Demetrius Antigonus son who being sent by his father to Pontus where Mithridates was King being sworn by his father to keep counsel of a vision that he sowed gold in Pontus and that Mithridates should reap it was therefore commanded with his army to passe unto the Kingdom of Pontus and without any word to kill Mithridates His son Demetrius very sorry for the great friendship which was of late sprung betwixt Mithridates and him obeying his father went unto Pontus and commanded his people to stay untill he went to know where Mithridates was who when he came in place he wrote with the end of his spear upon the earth in the dust Flee Mithridates and streight turning to his souldiers he spake nothing to him according to his oath for kéeping silence but wrote a warning to flee wherby he kept his fathers counsel one way and maintained faithfull friendship with King Mithridates another way A young man of Helespont prating much in presence of Guathena a strumpet in Gréece she demanded of him whether he knew the chief city of Helespont to the which the young man said Yea forsooth What said she me thinketh you know not the name of it for it is Sigaeum the City of silence a just reproach for such vain praters Aelianus doth write when the Cranes from Sicilia take their flight to flee over mount Caucasus they stop their mouths with stones to passe with silence the dangers of the Eagles CHAP. XVIII Of Age and the praise thereof BY on that wise man would say often that age was the Haven of rest for that it was the end of misery the gate of life and the performance of all pilgrimages And since age is wished of all men what folly is it to hit any man in the téeth with that which he chiefly desireth Wherefore when king Archelaus had appointed a great feast for his friends amongst other discoveries then at the table Euripides declared the great love which he bare unto Agathon an old tragicall Poet. Agesilaus demanding why should an old man be so well esteemed of Euripides he said Though the spring time be pleasant yet the harvest is fertile though flowers and hearbs grow green in the spring yet wax they ripe in harvest The age of man are compared unto the four seasons of the year his growing time unto the spring his lusty time unto the Summer his wit time unto the Harvest and his old time unto the Winter which doth make an end of all things Frederick Emperour of Rome after he had appointed an old
translating Titus Livius though he was a King I do not hold with age in divers men who for want of discretion and wit was childish again but of perfect men in whom age seemed rather a warrant of their doings For even as he that playeth much upon instruments is not to be commended so well as he that playeth cunningly and artificially so all men that live long are not to be praised so much as he that liveth well For as apples being green are yet sower untill by time they wax sweet so young men without warrant of time and experience of things are oftentimes to be misliked If faults be in old men saith Cicero as many there be it is not in age but in the life and manners of men Some think age miserable because either the body is deprived from pleasure or that it bringeth imbecility or weaknesse or that it is not far from death or calleth from due administration of Common-wealths these four causes saith Cicero make age seem miserable and loathsome What shall we say then of those that in their old age have defended their countries saved their Cities guided the people and valiantly triumphed over their enemies as L. Paulus Scipio and Fabius Maximus men of wonderfull credit in their old years What may be spoken of Fabritius Curius and Cornucanus aged men of great agility of famous memory in their latter days How can Appius Claudius be forgotten who being both old and blind resisted the Senatours to compound with King Pyrrhus for peace though they all and the Consuls of Rome hereunto were much inclined If I should passe from Rome a place where age was much estéemed unto Athens amongst the sage Philosophers if from Athens to Lacedemonia where age altogether bare sway and rule if from thence unto the Ethiopians and Indians where all their lives are ruled and governed by old men If from thence to any part of the world I might be long occupied in reciting the honour and estéemation of age Herodotus doth write that the Aethiopians and Indians do live most commonly a hundred and thirty years The people called Epeii in the Countrey of Aetolia do live two hundred years naturally and as it is by Damiates reported Lictorius a man of that Countrey lived thrée hundred years The Kings of Arcadia were wont to live thrée hundred years the people of Hyperborii lived a thousand years We read in the old Testament that Adam our first father lived nine hundred and thirty years and Eve his wife as many Seth nine hundred and twelve years Seth his son called Enos nine hundred and five Cainan the son of Enos nine hundred and ten Mahalalehel the son of Cainan eight hundred fourscore and fifteen so Enoch the son of Iared lived nine hundred thréescore and five years Enoch his son named Mechuselah lived nine hundred threescore and nine years with divers of the first Age I mean till Noah's time who began the second world after the floud who lived as we read nine hundred and five his son Sem six hundred years and so lineally from father to son as from Sem to Arphaxad from Arphaxad to Sala from Sala to Heber the least lived above thrée hundred years This I thought for better credit and greater proof of old ago to draw out of the Old Testament that other prophane authorities might be beleeved as Tithoniâ—s whom the Poets fain that he was so old that he desired to become a Grashâ—pper But because age hath no pleasure in the world frequenteth no banquets abhorreth lust loveth no wantonness which saith Plato is the only bait that deceives young men so much the happier age is that age doth loath that in time which young men neither with knowledg with wisdome nor yet with counsel can avoid What harm hath happened from time to time by young men over whom lust so ruled that there followed eversion of CoÌ„monwealths treason to Princes Friends betrayed countreys overthrown and Kingdoms vanquished throughout the world Therefore Cicero saith in his book entituled De Senectate at what time he was in the City of Tarentum being a young man with Fabius Maximus that he carried one lesson from Tarentum unto the youth of Rome where Architas the Tarentine said that Nature bestowed nothing upon man so hurtfull to himself nor so dangerous to his Countrey as lust or pleasure For when C. Fabricius was sent as an Embassadour from Rome to Pyrrhus King of Epyre being then the Governour of the City of Tarentum a certain man named Cineas a Thessalian by birth being in disputation with Fabritius about pleasure affirmed that hee heard a Philosopher of Athens affirm that all which we do is to be referred to pleasure which when M. Curius and Titus Coruncanus heard they desired Cineas to perswade King Pyrrhus to yéeld to pleasure and make the Samnites believe that pleasure ought to be esteemed Whereby they knew that if King Pyrrhus or the Samnites being then great enemies to the Romans were addicted to lust or pleasure that then soon they might be subdued and destroyed There is nothing that more hindreth magnanimity or resisteth vertuous enterprises then pleasure as in the Treatise of pleasure it shall more at large appear Why then how happy is old age to despise and contemn that which youth by no means can avoid yea to loath and abhor that which is most hurtfull to it self For Cecellius contemned Caesar with all his force saying to the Emperor that two things made him nothing to estéem the power of the Emperor Age and Wisdome By reason of Age and Wisdome Castritius feared not at al the threatnings of C. Carbo being then Consul at Rome who though he said he had many friends at commandement yet Castriâ—iâ—â— answered and said That he had likewise many years that could not fear his friends Therefore a wise man sometime wept for that man dieth within few years and having but little experience in his old age he is then deprived thereof For the Crow liveth thrise so long as the man doth the Hart liveth four times so long as the Crow the Raven thrice so long as the Hart and the Phoenix nine times longer then the Raven And thus Birds do live longer time then man doth in whom there is no understanding of their years But man unto whom reason is joyned before he commeth to any ground of experience when he beginneth to have knowledge in things he dieth and thus endeth he his toyling Pilgrimage and travel in fewer years then divers beasts or birds do CHAP. XIX Of the manners of sundry People under sundry Princes and of their strange life THe sundry fashions and variety of manners the strange life of people every where thorow the world dispersed are so charactered and set forth amongst the writers that in shewing the same by naming the Countrey and the people thereof orderly their customes their manners their kind of living being worthy of observation I thought briefly to touch and to note
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
forget what I would and I have things in memory which feign I would they were out of memory Seneca doth so report of himself that he was of such a perfect memory that he could rehearse after one by hearing two hundred verses yea to a greater marvell of his memory he could recite two thousand names of men being repeated once before him with as good a memory as he that first named them The like we read of Aelius Adrianus a Captain that having a great army of souldiers under him if any were absent in any place about any businesse he had in memory the name of the person the name of the place and the cause of the businesse Of this excellent memory to their perpetuall fame was King Cyrus and Scipio the one a Persian the other a Roman which had this fame by memory that either of them could severally call their souldiers by name every one after another which is most rare yea most marvellous having so many alwaies under them as both Rome and Persia were chiefly in their days by them defended to be able to name so many souldiers as either of them both had in their armies Their memory was such then that they may not be forgotten now Julius Caesar was much renowned for that Pliny reported that he could do such things by memory as in reading in talking in hearing and in answering at one time that no fault could be found in either of these four qualities at one time practised whereby he deserveth no lesse praise by his memory then fame by his acts Divers excelled in time past in memory as Hortensius a noble Oratour of Rome was able to speak in any place any thing which he premeditated privately without study openly he had more trust in his memory then in books Carmides of Greece was so famous for that faculty that he never heard any reading but he could repeat it word by word without writing were the writing or reading never so long he would not misse a syllable Cineas a noble and a famous Oratour one of the counsellours of King Pyrrhus being sent from Epire unto the Senatours of Rome as an Embassadour he but once hearing the names of the Senatours before he came unto the Senate house he named them orderly by name every one after another that all the Senatours were in a great admiration of his memory in repeating so many names in opening so many matters in concluding so many things which when he came unto King Pyrrhus he recited not onely his doings and orations but also their answers and replies every word by word as then was spoken done or written by the Senatours This Cineas was not so excellent of memory but also of passing eloquence of whom King Pyrrhus was wont to say that he got more Cities Towns and Kingdomes by the eloquence of Cineas then with all the force and strength of the Epirots beside It is written in Laertius in his eighth book that Pythagoras had charge of God Mercury to ask what he would saving immortality and he should have have it and he willed to keep in memory all things that he heard and saw and to forget nothing being dead of that which he saw being alive which being granted the soul of Athalides being slain by Menelaus entred in Euphorbus secondly took place in Hermonius thirdly in Pyrrhus fourthly into Pythagoras which had such memorâ— thereby that he could describe the state of the living the dead Divers were famous for memory amongst the Greeks as Archippus Lysiades Metrodorus Carneades Theodectes and others Many amongst the Romans were renowned for their memories as Julius Coesar L. Scipio Portius Claudius Hortensius with infinite number What great fame had Mithridâ—tes King of Pontus that having as Pliny and Gellius both report xxii strange nations that were souldiers alwaies in wars under him against the Romans he could speak xxii languages without interpreter to open his mind unto them A strange thing it is now to find a man in this our ripe years that can speak half a dozen languages If a man can but smatter in six or seven languages he is noted to be a rare fellow and yet King Mithridates had xxii A note of great memory for some there be in learning for one language that they hardly know they forget another that they know That worthy man Lucullus is remembred of Cicero in his fourth book of Academical questions for his passing and noble memory The Egyptians used notes and figures for their memory insomuch that they noted the well memoried man with a For or a Hare for that the Hare heareth best and the For is of greatest memory and if any wanted memory they compared him to the Crocodile We read of Esdras a Priest that he had all the laws of the Hebrews upon his finger end We read of Portius that he never forgot any thing that he once read before He again would never read that which once he wrot but straight out of hand his memory was such he would speak it and pronounce it in order even as he wrote it before Memory therefore is likened to a Net which taketh and stayeth great fish and letteth through the little fish and even as books that be not occupied wax rusty and did cleave together so memory that is not occupied saith Seneca waxeth dull and oblivious as we oftentimes see how forgetfull men wax either with sicknesse age or such like that letteth the memory of man as Orbilius by extremity of age forgot his Alphabets and letters Hermolaus had a friend which in his youth was a perfect Grecian and yet in his latter years waxed so oblivious that he could not read Gréek Plini saith Messala surnamed Corvius waxed so forgetfull by long sicknesse that he forgot his own name And Seneca doth write of one Calvisius that was so weak of memory that he did forget the names of those that he was daily in company with as Achilles Ulisses and Priamus whom he knew very well What is it else for a man to want memory but to want the name of his knowne friend for hee is no man that knoweth not that man as Augustus Caesar sometime Emperour of Rome his beadel having forgot when he should come unto the Senate demanded of the Emperour whether he would command him to do any thing that he could do why said the Emperour take this letter with thee that men may know thée for thou knowest no man for thou wantest memory Cicero doth make mention of Curio that was so oblivious being a judge that he forgot the cause which he should give judgement upon Likewise Articus the son of Sophista was of so frail memory that he could never keep in mind the names of the four Elements Bamba a certain King of the Goths by a draught of drink given by Heringeus his successour lost his memory It may well be that drink cutteth off memory For the Poets fain that there is a river named Lethes
Demetrius and Alexanders wife who then was a widdow and a Quéen in Corinth for in the midst of triumphs and preparations to the marriage Antigonus by deceit took the Castle commanded his souldiers in arms and proclaimed himself King in Corinth In the same book of Polinaeus the like History is written of Lysander of Sparta and Nearchus of Creet the one promising to the inhabitants of Miletum his aid and help in defending their liberties and the people giving credit to a Kings promise and trusting to have Lysander their special friend they found him their mortal foe for he deceived them thereby and took the City of Miletum unto himself The other sailing to the haven of Telmessus to renue friendship with Antripatridas who then governed the City of Telmessus under the color of friendship he had his men at arms ready on the Sea to destroy his friend and to take the City to himself This deceit was not onely séen in wars where much falshood and perjury is practised but in all things men use craft according to the proverb There is craft in daubing To speak of Theodectes craft toward his Master Aristotle to defraud him privily of his glory to speak of Sertorius deceit in winning authority among the common people to describe the means that Dionisius used to get mony amongst the Syracusans or how Pythius deceived Cannius in his bargain of fish or how Darius became King of Persia by the neighing of a Mare and a million more of such deceits and crafts were infinite I therefore refer the Reader to Poliaenus where he shall have enough of falshood But because craft is used diversly I will somewhat touch those that used craft in altering themselves into the form of women some for filthy lust some for vertues sake and some for vice What kind of dissimulation was in Sardanapalus King of Assyria to forsake the Empire to forgo his Kingdome to become like a woman to spin and card with his Concubines and so from the shape of a man to dissemble himself to be a woman What kind of dissimulation did that renowned and mighty Hercules even the off-spring of the Gods and son to Jupiter use after that he tamed monsters slew Giants overcame Dragons Lions wild beasts and yet he did translate himself from a champion and a conquerour into womans apparel and fashioned himself like a woman with such dissimulation he served Omphale Quéen of Lydia like a woman in the apparel of a woman at the whéel and at the cards at Omphales commandement What kind of craft used Clodius to bring his purpose to pass with Pompeia Caesars wife dissembling himself to be a woman as Cicero taunteth him in an Epistle that he writeth to Lentulus where he saith that Clodius dissembled with the Npmph Bona Dea as he was wont to use the thrée sisters Thus Clodius would at all times go unto Pompeia in the apparel of a woman to use such feats that he made Caesar to divorce his wife Pompeia Dissimulations and subtilties as they are most evil to practise so somtimes they are necessary to do good for example Euclides used the like craft as before but to a better purpose for he practised it not to féed lust or to pleasure affectioÌ„ but he used it to hear Socâ—ates to read Philosophy to learn wisedome from him For there was a law betwéen Athens and them of Megaris for the great hatred the one bare unto the other that whosoever came from Athens to Megaris should die and whosoever would go from Megaris to Athens should likewise die Thus death frighted not Euclides but the love thâ—t he bare to Socrates and to Philosophy and wisedome so emboldned him that he would in the night travel from Megaris to Athens in the apparel of a woman least he should be known and he returned before day from Athens to Megaris again This dissimulation and craft of Euclides was far better and more to be commended then the doings of the former Better is Semiramis Quéen of Babylon thought of in that she perceiving her young son Ninus to be too tender to govern the stout Babylonians and Assyrians and knowing the nature of the people to be impatient of a womans government became in her apparel like a man and ruled the Kingdome till her son came to ripe age More praâ—ie ought â—â—lâ—gia a woman of Antioch to have who though she fained her self to be a man and dissembled with the world in that case yet this was to avoid incontinence and to live chast and solitary without the company of men For this cause is the Greek Virgin Mâ—rina and Euphrosina a maid of Alexandria worthily preferred before Cleocritus and Clisthenes for that they went in the apparel of men to live in the wildernesse to avoid lust and sensuality the others went in the apparell of women to beguile women Caelius doth report that certain women as Mantinia Lasthenia Axâ—othea and Phliasia would come in their apparel like men to hear Plato read philosophy in the schools The cause of their dissimulations was vertue and honest life the cause of the others dissimulation was vice and a wicked life so that dissimulation is both good and bad For we read at what time the armed youth of Gréece had determined co fetch home again fair Helene Menelaus wife from Troy where she was deteined by Paris King Priamus son that then Achilles the stoutest and worthiest of all the Gréeks while yet he slept in the Tent of Chiron his mother Thetis suddenly took him from Chiâ—ons house and changed his apparel into the apparel of a woman and appointed where he should hide himself with the daughters of King Lycomedes where he got one of them with child and commanded her to betray him to no man for she knew that her son Achilles should die in Troy if he should go thither There Achilles was a long while at the commandement of his mother Thetis untill the Oracle was given that the City of Troy should never be destroyed without the help of Achilles Ulisses being most subtill and crafty taking upon him to séek out Achilles took a little pack full of fine wares such as women buy and a strong bow and arrows thus when Ulisses came to King Lycomedes daughters though he knew Achilles to be there yet because he was in the apparel of a woman he knew him not and therefore shewed his fine ware unto the Kings daughters having a strong bow bent by him while Deidamia the mother of Pyrrhus and the rest of her sisters viewed the glistering ware of Ulisses Achilles stept in and took Ulisses bow in hand and drew it whereby Ulisses séeing him draw so strong a bow he straight perceived that he was Achilles And thus one craft beguileth another one deceit deceiveth another and one dissembling man findeth out another For by the means of Ulisses was the dissimulation of Achilles known I might have just occasion here to speak of those that were
the God of théeves and for the antiquity of theft it is thought that Prometheus Deucalions father as Poets do feign by the aid of Minerva stole first fire from Phoebus for the which fact he was punished in mount Caucasus after this sort he was bound fast and an Eagle appointed to eat up his heart and to hale his puddings along in furtherance and memory of his theft Hercules and Jason two of the most famous Princes that ever Greece fostred went unto Colchis to steal the golden Fléece Theseus and Perithous went unto the Kingdome of Pluto to steal Proserpina away There was dwelling in a rock near Athens a famous théef named Sciâ—on who was wont to throw headlong strangers that were his guests from a rock into the sea and after that he had continued a long time in spotling and murthering of men that passed by in taking their goods and lives away he was in theÌ„ same sort by Theseus put himself to death Cacus of whom Virgil makes mention the son of Vulcan was so crafty a théef that having a den in mount Aventine he used to draw any thing backward by the tail unto his cave where he spoiled it whether it were man or beast there should he be brought by flight of Cacus to he destroyed till he attempted to spoil Hercules by stealth who after long wrastling in his den with his club slew him The famous theef Sinius used such seats and thefts about Corinth that he would bind any passer by or strangers unto trees and there would hew them into small gobbets for their money and substance These three last renowned theeves are much mentioned of writers So Capiton kept himself fifty years in a den as a common robber to steal and to spoil all that came near his violence The Argives were men most noted and infamous for this fault insomuch that a proverb grew of the Argives Argivi fures that is the Argives are theeves Amongst the Persians there were certain theeves called Cardaces permitted without punishment to steal and to rob The old Germans and ancient Egyptians might somtime by law and the liberty of their country be allowed to steal Lycurgus made laws in Sparta amongst the Lacedemonians that he that did steal without reprehension or being taken with the theft should be free and he which could not artificially steal being taken should be punished insomuch that Brusonius in his second book doth speak of a young man that stole a young Fox the owner thereof following after demanded of the young man whether he saw a little for or no the young man denied it hiding the Fox under his cloak but the Fox a subtil beast willing to shew himself to his master did bite and scratch the young man so sore that his puddings gushed out of his side who thus suffered himself to die rather then he would manifest his theft Wherefore Theophrastus a noble philosopher having the examination of a subtile théef demanded whether he could blush or no to the which the théef answered that he could not for he néeded not to blush in a true matter therefore saith Theophrastus thou art the liklier to be a théef for truth alwaies appeareth in a shamefast countenance Wherefore the wise Cato the Senior was wont to say that young men that waxed red were better to be trusted then those that would wax pale for the one signifieth shamefastnesse and the other deceit For Pithias Aristotles daughter being demanded what colour was best in man or woman she answered that colour that shamefastnesse bringeth which is a blushing countenance But to speak of Pyrates Sextus Pompey the son of Pompey the great kept under him divers and sundry Pyrates about the borders of Italy and Sicily to rob and spoil upon the seas to his great infamy and reproach being the son of so famous a Roman whom Rome a long time so estéemed that Caesar hardly might be superiour to him What shall I say of King Pyrrhus and Caius Verres whom Cicero for his sundry thefts and spoil and for divers sacriledges by Verres committed compared unto the foresaid Tyrant To speak of infinite Pyrates and divers Sacriledgers it were to none effect because it is a common practise in all Countreys Therefore as Diogenes the Philosopher said when he saw a poor man led between the Magistrates to the place of execution Behold saith he a little theef betwéen a number of great theeves God grant that it may not truly be spoken of divers Magistrates in sundry places CHAP. XXXVII Of Lust THe spoil and slaughter of Lust did always far surpasse all other vices it hath suppressed Castles and Countreys it hath vanquished Kings and Cesars overthrown the pomp of Asia Affrica and Europe and almost depopulated the whole world This vice of all vices is to be abhorred and detested for there is no vice but hath its center as pride chiefly hath her seat appointed in puissant Princes and Noble men Covetousnesse resideth with old men that be Magistrates and Officers Envy with men of sciences and faculties Vsury with Citizens Symony with Bishops and Priests Hypocrisie with Religious men Deceit with Merchants but Lust is common to all men as well to the subject as to the Prince to the learned as to the ignorant to the wise as to the foolish For David and son Salomon to whom God gave singularity of wisdome dexterity of wit to govern the Israilites yet the sacred Scriptures do witness of their horrible lust David lusted for Bathsheba and that so wickedly that he appointed a way to put to death her husband Uriah Solomon lusted so much that he did forget his God that did guide his steps all the while he ruled justly and lived godly in Israel Aristotle and Socrates in despight of their Philosophy and great knowledge the one became a slave to Hermia the other a subject to Aspasia Sampson and Hercules for all their strength and conquest of Giants and monsters the one prostrated his Club at Deianiraes foot the other committed his strength to the beauty of Delilah The renowned and sugred Oratours Demosthenes and Hortensitis the one from Athens came to Corinth to compound for a nights lodging with Lais the other in Rome with nicenesse and wantonnesse was judged more subject to lust then Lord over himself If then witty and wise men if learned and discreet men if eloquent and subtil men if strong and mighty Conquerours have been ruled by lust deceived by beauty overcome with women what should I speak of Heliogabulus not well named Emperour but worthily called the beast of Rome What should I recite that Monster and Tyrant Nero What should I recite that filthy and vile Emperour Caligula the onely sink of sin and shame not Emperors but Monsters not Princes but Tyrants not men but beasts which defiled their own sisters kept open stews and brothel houses maintaining Whores and Harlots made Laws at their banquets every man to his woman first and then to his meat and
come from his son Demetrius being desirous of the newes and to heare of the Wars and successe of his son sent divers to méet him on the way to know the truth and effect of his comming He saluted all men as one very sad and so sad that all men judged that either Demetrius was slain or else had lost the field The King being certified that Aristodemus was very sad and that there was no likelihood of good news came hastily to meet him which when Aristodemus saw he cryed out with a loud voice a far off saying Most happy art thou King Antigonus beloved of the Gods saluted by Demetrius and this day feared of all the world Thy son is Conquerour over Conquerours and King over Kings a triumphant victor in the wars at Salamina thus artificially did Aristodemus use his flattery before King Antigonus that the King had as great a delight to hear Aristodemus flattering phrase as he had joy and gladnesse in the prosperity of his son Demetrius Thus he did win the heart and dived into the soul of King Antigonus that his reward was as much by his flattery as his thanks was for his news Marcus Antonius was delighted so much in the flattering spéech of the Athenians at what time he was inforced to forsake Rome by means of Augustus Caesar that the Citizens of Athens went to méet him out of the City having an Oration in commendation of his wisedom saying that he was well worthy to have Minerva in marriage He joied so much in this their adulation that they won this Roman by flattery to do more honour unto Athens then nature could crave at his hands to love Rome Such force hath flattery that when Alexander the great would have died for sorrow yea would have killed himself for that he slew Clitus in his anger Anâ—xâ—â—chus with sugred words and fair sentences asswaged his sorrow Aristippus when he might not obtain his purpose at Dionisius hand with flattery and fair words he would knéel down and imbrace and kisse his féet and being accused of his friends that he being a Philosopher he was a flatterer he answered them in this sort Aristippus is not in fault to speak unto any man where his ear is Dionisius rather is to be blamed to hear at his féet or to have his ears at his héels Diogenes therefore being demanded what beast was most hurtfull to man of wild beasts a tyrant of tame beasts a flatterer What subject is he that delighteth not in flattery what Prince is he that is not pleased with adulation What God is he saith the Poet that loveth not his commendation and praise Hercules was glad to hear the adulation of Cecropes Bacchus was joyfull to hear the flattery of Silenus even Jupiter himself the King of Gods was delighted in Vulcan The remedy therefore to avoid this Gorgon to expell this monster to exile this murtherer is as Cato the wise man saith to use truth for he that useth to hear good talk alwaies will never himself speak evill at any time The nature of flattery was so known and was so hated by Augustus the Emperour that he lothed the knéeling of his houshold servants Tiberius the Emperour likewise would in no wise suffer any of his own men to call him Lord. Flattery was sometimes so abhorred in Athens that when Timagoras was sent as an Embassadour to Darius K. of Persia for that he flattered the King in talk at his return he was beheaded Even so Evagoras because he called Alexander the son of Jupiter was put to death The Lacedemonians feared flattery so much that they banished Archilogus onely for his eloquence in a book which he composed Flattery was so odious in Rome that Cato the Censor gave commandement to expell certain fine Oratours of Athens out of Rome lest by their fair spéech and flattery they might annoy the state of Rome What is it but flattery can compasse what may not sugred Oratours move what could not Demosthenes do in Athens what might not Cicero perswade in Rome King Pyrrhus was wont to say that he won more Cities Towns and Countries through the flattering perswasions of Cineas then he ever subdued with the strength and force of all the Kingdome of Epire. But to avoid too much striking on one string which as Plutarch saith is tedious to the Reader for nature is desirous saith Plautus of novelties I wil speak a little of those that fled flattery it was the onely cause that Pythagoras that noble Philâ—sopher forsook his country Samos the onely occasion that the worthy and learned Solon fled from Athens the chief cause that made Licurgus to renounce Lacedemon and the onely cause that made Scipio Nasica forsake Rome for where flattery is estéemed there truth is banished where flattery is advanced and honoured there truth is oppressed and vanquished in fine flattery findeth friendship when truth doth purchase hatred as is proved in the histories of Seneca and Calisthenes two famous Philosophers the one master unto Nero Emperour of Rome the other appointed by Aristotle to attend upon Alexandeâ— the great these Philosophers because they would not féed the corrupt natures and insolent minds of these proud Princes with adulation and flattery they were put to death Seneca by Nero for his pain and travel taken with the Emperour in reading him Philosophy Calisthenes by Alexander because he reproved the customes of the Medes and Persians who used such flattery that Alexander commanded all men to call him the son of Jupiter Even so Cicero and Demosthenes the one the soveraign Oratour and the Phenix of Rome the other the sugred anchor and the patron of Athens and protector of all Gréece who having sundry times saved the two famous Cities Rome and Athens the one from the pernicious and privy conspiracy of that wicked Catelin and his adherents the other from the proud attempts and the long wars of Philip King of Macedon yet were they both banished and exiled their own countries Cicero for Clodius sake which the Romans took so heavily that twenty thousand did wear mourning apparel with no lesse heavinesse in Rome then tears were shed for Demosthenes in Athens Flattery was of some then so hated that noble Phocion a learned Athenian was went to say to his friend Antipater that he would take no man to be his friend whom he knew to be a flatterer And most certain it is that he that at this day cannot flatter can get no friendship according to that saying of Terence obsequium amicos c. For even as Aristides of Athens for his manifold benefits to the Athenians was by flattery prevented and for truth banished so likewise Thucidides being sent as an Embassadour from Athens to Amphipolis a City betwixt Thracia and Macedonia which King Philip kept by force was by flattery circumvented True service is often rewarded with anger and the rage of Princes as Thrasibulus a noble Captain and famous for his truth was banished out of
Athens Lentulus the defendour of Italy exiled from Rome Dion of Siracusa hunted out of his country by Dionisius even that renowned Hannibal that long protector of Carthage was compelled after long service for his country to range about like a pilgrim every where to séek some safe-guard for his life Too many examples might be brought from Gréek and Latine histories for the proof hereof The chiefest bulwark of a Common-wealth saith Demosthenes is assured faith without flattery and good will tried in the Commons and plainnesse without deceit boldnesse and trust in the Nobility Flattery is the onely snare that wise men are deceived withall and this the pharisées knew well who when they would take our Saviour Christ tardy in his talk they began to flatter him with fair words saying Master we know that thou art just and true and that thou camest from God Even so Herod willing to please the Iews in killing James the brother of John and in imprisoning Peter he so pleased the people with flattery that they cried out this is the voice of God and not the voice of men so sweet was flattery amongst the Iews The flattering friends of Ammon knowing the wickednesse of his mind and his perverse dealing toward Mardocheus did not perswade Ammon from his tyranny but flattered him with fair words and made him prepare a high gallows for Mardocheus where Ammon and his children were hanged But the young man that came to flatter king David saying Saul and his children are dead was by David for his flattery commanded to die CHAP. XLIIII Of the Pilgrimages of Princes and Misery of Mortality THere is neither beast on the earth nor fowl in the ayr nor fish in the sea that séeks his own decay but man onely as by experience we sée all things to have a care of their own lives The Lion when he féeleth himself sick he never ceaseth till he féedeth upon an Ape whereby he may recover his former health The Goats of Créet féeding on high upon the mountains when any of them is shot through with an arrow as the people of that Countrey are most excellent archers they seek out an herb called Dictamum and assoon as they eat any part of it the arrow falleth down and the wound waxeth whole incontinently There are certain kinds of Frogs in Egypt about the floud of Nilus that have this perceiverance that when by chance they happen to come where a fish called Varus is which is great a murtherer and spoiler of Frogs they use to bear in their mouths overthwart a long reed which groweth about the banks of Nile and as this fish doth gape thinking to feed upon the Frog the reed is so long that by no means he can swallow the Frog and so they save their lives If the Goats of Creet if the Frogs of Egypt have this understanding to avoid their enemies how much more ought man to be circumspect of his life who hath millions of enemies neither seen nor known We read in the first book of Aelian that the rude swine if at any time by chance they eat of that herb called Hiosciamus which so contracteth draweth their veins together that they can hardly stir they will strive for remedy to go under the water where they feed upon young Crabs to recover health In the same book you may read of a sea Snail which from the water doth come to land to breed and after she hath egged she diggeth the earth and hideth her egs and returneth to the sea again and there continueth fourty days and after fourty days she commeth to the self same place where she hid her egs and perceiving that they are ready to come out of the shell she openeth the shell and taketh her young ones with her into the sea And thus have they a care not onely of their own states and lives but also of others and by some shew of sence they help that which is most dangerous and hurtfull The little Mice have this kind of fore-knowledge that when any house waxeth old and ruinous they forsake their old dwelling and creeping holes and flee and seek refuge in some other place The little Ants have such fore-sight that when penury and want of relief draweth near they wax painfull and laborious to gather victuals as may serve them during the time of famine If these small creeping worms and simple beasts provide for themselves what shall we say of man the King and ruler over all beasts who hath not onely a body to provide for but also a soul to save More happy are these worms and beasts in their kind then a number of Princes are for that they by nature onely are taught to avoid their foes we neither by nature neither by God the cause of all goodnesse can love our friends Therefore very well it is said of the wise man that either not to be born or else being born straight to die is the happiest state that can chance to man For living in this vale of misery we see the Pilgrimage and travel of life to be such that better far it were to be a poor quiet man then a proud ambitious Prince And since death is the last line of life as well appointed for Princes as for poor men who in reading of the lives of Emperors Kings and Princes and the Nobles of the world seeth not their unhappy states which come into the world naked and depart from the same naked yet like proud Pilgrims are busie one to destroy another not content with countreys and Kingdomes they go from place to place like Pilgrims to be more acquainted with misery and to seek death Alexander the great conquerourâ— taking his voyage from his Kingdome of Macedonia unto India in a desire to destroy all the world he was in the City of Babylon prevented by Antipater and Iola with poyson and there he died Philopomenes a great Emperor sometime in Gréece being taken prisoner in the wars of Messena was so cruelly handled that he besought Dinocrates who then was Prince of that countrey and conquerour over him one drâ—ught of poyson to end his life Thus he that could not be content to be Emperor and ruler of Gréece was moved to seek death in a strange Countrey amongst his foes Ladislaus King of Apulia endeavouring to subdue the Florentines and séeking to be King over the Florentines lost the Kingdome of Apulia and by them was at length poysoned and so bereft both of Kingdome and life With this unhappy kind of death many Princes have been prevented and no lesse threatned are these Princes by their own houshold friends then by forraign foes No lesse do their children their wives brethren and kinsmen study to destroy them Thus Claudius Caesar an Emperor of Rome was poysoned by his own wife Agrippina Antiochus King of Syria was poysoned by his Quéen Laodice so that he was in love with Berenices King Ptolomy's sisterr Constantine the Emperor the son of Heraclius being
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