the Samartiayne in forgeuing her adulteries vpon the théefe in purging his theftes vpon S. Peter that had denied him and vpon the wretched Hebrues that conspired his death Oh mercifull Iesus delight of our soules since the time is past wherein thy father was named the God of reuenge the season come wherein he is called vpon by the name of father of mercies we besech thée oh sauiour of the race of man to haue pitie vppon our soules amend our liues we that are thy brethern members of thy church and since in losing our selues we lose much the meane of our safetie stands onely in thy goodnes pardon vs according to thy holy custome propertie of thy nature oh creator of all things redéemer of al faultes since thou hast spoken by thy Prophete J will not the death of a sinner but that he liue and bee conuerted Beholde vs Oh Lorde in thy presence and conuerted to thée Receaue vs Oh infinit and perpetual God as our Father and pardon vs as thy childrē and as we confesse with humilitie Tibi solipecauimus so let it be thy pleasure to saye to thy Father Pater ignosce illis he was called in the olde law the God of reuenge because his will was that there should be restitutiō of eye for eye tooth for tooth and hande for hand But in the law of grace he is called Father of mercy for that he hath cōmaunded to render loue for hate honour for infamy clemencie for cruelty pardon for iniurie Locuti sunt aduersum me lingua dolosa et odio circundiderunt me expugnauerunt me gratis ego autem orabam sayth Dauid speaking in the person of Iesus Christ Oh sinagog full well doe I know that thou canst worke me no more euil then thou hast already don for thou hast hated me with thy hart blasphemed me with thy tonge killed me with thy hands in recompence of these deadly wrongs I prayed to my father for thée with vehement humilitie called vpon him to heare my praier This Prophecie sure as it was pronoūced by Dauid both king Prophet so hath it also ben accomplished by Iesus Christ For at the time when they crucified him with nailes torments at the instāt when they blasphemed him with their tongues at the season when they helde his Prophets in derision ▪ yea when he licored the earth with his bloud and opened the heauens with his tears euen then did he pray with great cōpassion to his father to pardon them oh wonderfull boūtie of our sauiour who seing euen frō the crosse his greatest enemies Quod loquuti sūt aduersum illum quod odio circundiderūt without occasiō expugnauerūt illū yet he praied for thē as if they had ben frée exempt from fault great is the action of this boūty ouerpassing the reach of man and exceding the iudgment of Angels and yet a worke right worthie of the Lorde betwéene whose holy intentions and Wicked working of his Ennemies is expressed no small difference For that for loue they rendred hate they appoynted him prisoner where he purchased their deliuery they accused him where he excused them they persented him afore Pilate where he offered them to God his father yea where he desired to haue them pardoned they procured to sée him crucified so that in this he expresseth a greater zeale to them then they can beare to themselues for that he holdeth the offender absolued demaūdes pardon of his Father afore the falt he confessed They prepared gal and vineger to present him in the passion of death and sharped their launce to pearce his sydes and yet he besought his father to remit the punishemēt afore they had actually commited the sinne if the sonne of God would haue demaunded any other thing of his Father the present view and estate of his martirdome ministred sufficient occasion for he might haue desired of his Father to remoue the panges of his passion or to ease the paines of his fleshe pearced thorow with nailes to take his enemies from his presence to preuent the obloquie to suffer betwéene two théeues or lastly he might haue demaūded that after his death to his body might be ioyned a sepulcher But to requestes of such nature the sauiour of the world séemed to cary small regard lesse expectation of cōfort or ease to his owne distresse no he estéemed it a thing far more worthy of him an act of greater charity to require pardō for his enemies rather thē to séek solace for his presēt sorowes or be careful for his pains to com ech redéemer of the world let it please thée we besech thée that as in the act of the holy sacrifice celebrated by thée vpō the crosse thou prayedst for thine enemies besought thy father to pardō thē that euen by the same boūty thou wouldst also vouchsafe to prai to thi father for vs particularly saying pater ignosce illis for albeit we were not of the nōber of those that crucified thée yet we ar not exempt frō trāsgressing thy commaundementes and are euen with the first that haue offended thée it suffised not Christ to saye onely Pater ignosce illis but in excusing them he added Nesciunt Quid faciunt Oh Father sayth he forgeue them as people that know not the harme that they doe in putting me to death and as men ignorant of the displeasures that wil happen for want that they haue not knowne me vouchsafe to supplie the fault of their ignoraunce Quia nesciunt quid faciunt Rightly spake the Lorde of them when he sayd They know not what they doe for ignorance was to them knowledg that by his bloud should be a appaised the wrath of the Father the seats eftsoones replenished which were made voyd by the offence of the wicked Angels the olde sinne of Adam defaced the vniuersall world redéemed This was an assured argument of their ignorance for that they put to death the sonne of God the inheritour of eternitie the workeman of the world the lord of angels he which is not only iust but iustice it selfe truly they knew not what they did since the time will come wherin shal be redemaūded of thē the blood of the innocent their citie destroyed layd open to spoyle their riche temple reuersed their sacrifices confoūded their law take end yea vntill the reuolution of the world they shall wander as vagabounds without law without king Nesciunt quid faciunt for by the effusion of that precious bloud the Church hath succéeded the smagog Iesus Christ taken place of Moyses baptim supplanted circumcision the Apostles succeded the Prophets the olde testament the new the crosse of Iesus Christ abollished the serpent of brasse the sacraments of the Church defaced the olde sacrifices so that as they toke away the lyfe of Iesus christ with paines on the crosse so in the same he put end to their sinagog
Aduertisementes and warninges Séeing they are Messengers and Heraldes of God not to amaze and confounde vs but to warne and aduise vs he delyting more to sée our liues amended then to punishe vs according to our faults according to that comfortable text of Dauid Castigans castigauit me dominus sed morti non tradidit me So liberall is the mercie of God my Sauiour towardes me sayth he that albeit he hath threatened to strike me yet he hath not so much as touched me But comming somwhat more particulerly to your estate my purpose that late importunate trauell which you toke in the mariage of your sister your great heauy misfortune in the burning of your house castle the late disagréement and faction betwéene you and your bretherne and this lamentable death of the Marques your Daughter in lawe séeme to me to be thrée plagues most pitifull to heare gréeuous to endure deseruing no lesse compassion then the ten scourges wherewith Egipt was afflicted for that the one were thundered vpō a king tirant the other ministred to a christiā knight Yea the plagues of Egipt were dispersed thorow the whole land where your griefs are altogither within your hart by means wherof where afore you wer holdē but as a christiā you are now of a cōfessor made a martir not so much for the aduersities that are happened as for the patiēce you vse bearing those crosses according to vertue not as mā vnfortunate if you were persecuted as Noe was of the Idolators or as Ioseph by his Bretherne or as the good man Iob by his frends it could not be but very gréeuous though nothing daungerous For that as in the Palaice of Princes who is most Fauoured of the Prince is best estéemed of the People So in the house of God his preferment is greatest whom Christ doth most chastise since to none other ende are the Corrections hee géeues vs then to putte vs in Remembraunce and prepare vs to one pefection God suffered Tobyas to bée Blynde Susanna to suffer Sentence and Daniell to bée Imprisoned not for that hée would them ill but to erpresse the Loue hée bare them this béeinge one propertie in Gods Affection to Chastise those that hée Loueth and leaue others to their Destruction There is no greater Temptation then neuer to bée Tempted and no more sorer Punishement then of GOD neuer to bée Corrected since who receaueth no Afflictions in this Worlde beares a Signe that of GOD hée is muche forgotten Yea the Perplexityes wherewyth GOD vysiteth vs ought rather to bée called Aduertisementes then Punishementes For that they are Disciplines necessarye to our amendement and not Stumblinge Blockes to make vs fall further This made Dauyd say Omnes fluctus tuos induxisti super me All the trauelles and Daungers Oh Lorde which thou weart woont Indifferently to impart to many thou hast now reduced and retourned vppon mée onely Job hauing loste his Goodes his Cattell and his Children sayde and demaunded of GOD Haec sit mihi consolatio vt affligens me dolore no parcas Greater Consolation coulde not the Lorde sende mée in this Worlde then Punishing my faultes to spare no sortes of sorrowe vppon mée for that in a calamitie it is one comfort when men know the vtter most of their mishappes and that they can not bée Puninished further Mihi absit gloriari sayth Saynt Paule Nisi in Cruce Domini Estéeming it no greater glorie then to endure troubles as by that meanes to come to communicate wyth the glorye of Christ It is good the LORD laye his hande vppon vs for that by it wée are ledde to humylitie and taught to enter into the consideration of our selues And the Rewarde and Recompence that God Mynistreth to suche as Obeye and serue him is to suffer them to bée Traueyled in Afflictions since hée knoweth that there is no better Passage to the Eternall Glorye and Felicyties of Heauen then to beare the Crosse of Trybulation here in Earth For through Exercise of Aduersitie menne béecome Humble and béeing often tryed they are the better Iustifyed as the Mettall that passeth thorough many Fiers ryseth more to his fynenesse and Perfection For my parte Sir albéeit I haue not the facultye of a Prophette nor the inspyration of an Apostle Yet I dare assure you that if in Patience you receaue all your perplexities you shall receaue your rewarde wyth others whom GOD hath made happye by Troubles béeing no other thinge the Trybulation of the Iuste then a warning of our faultes and an aduertisemente of that wée ought to doe Wherein speakyng more particulerly I saye that to bée Sorrowfull for the death of your Daughter you haue reason according to Fleshe and Bloude as well for the Opinion of her Vertue Beautie Age and Kyndred as in regarde of the deare affection you bare her But if you consider wythall your Office towardes GOD you haue to thinke that séeing hée hath so ordeyned the beste Sacrifyce you canne Offer is to reste satisfyed wyth his will Not to Murmure of that is done since of necessitie it must bée so nor debate wyth him why hée hath done it for that in his purposes is great Wisedome which in the ende bringes forth all thinges for our beste You must thinke Sir it is a voyage that must bée perfourmed by us all and béeing a Tribute so due hée is vnthankefull that payeth it with grudging Since for this debt wée are taken out of al Debtes and béeing cleared of all Bondes wée remayne for euer most happely layde vp in the Frée felicities of god It was a Lawe amongest the Lidians that the Father Burying his Sonne was not forth wyth comforted till the yeare was past as thinking it too soone to put consolation to so great sorrowes since the hearte that is but newely gréeued can not better bée comforted then to haue tyme to Lamente his losse For that as menne in Sorrowe féele their harmes more gréeuously then that at the firste they canne géeue place to Comfort So there canne bée no greater ease in the perplexities of Fortune then when they sée others Communicate in compassion wyth them This I saye for that where you may thinke I haue written this Letter too late you may wythall knowe that I dyd it rather of Industerie then of forgetfulnesse Wherein because the Experience of the Disposition of heartes heauely Loaden wyth Sorrowe made mée somewhat doubtfull whether out of hande I should comfort your gréene gréeues or deferre them vntill by time they were more apt to receaue Consolation I thought it not vn necessarye to suffer you to Waue in your heauynesse till your Teares somewhat ceassing your hearte might bée also reduced to Capacitie and Iudgement In cases so resolute as Death Menne are not to vse desperate Sorrowe since there is no Remedie to recouer the losse but rather to dissemble the chaunce by discression hauing more néede of Magnanimitie and great courage to
and yet there comes an heire whom they thought not vppsn who wyth great delyte reioyseth in the fruite and vse of all their paynefull trauels It is a iust Sentence that such as haue beguyled many should reape the recompence of their abuses since Gods iustice goeth by measure and hath regarde to the equitie of thinges wythout Parciallitie to persons It is no indifferencie that that which a wicked Father hath heaped for on heire alone by the preiudice of many goodmen should be enioyed by him many yeares for that the line to measure all thinges ought to be equall and goodes gotten by shyfte are for the most part lost wyth shame the same falling out in common experience that what the wicked Father wins wyth studie and sorrow the vnthryftie sonne wastes in Solace and Negligence And what the one Plantes in toyle and care the other remooues in ease and welfare béeing a Lawe in Gods iustice that the Prodigall Sonne should scorne at the sighes of his Couetous Father You séeme according to the figure of the Scripture for the silling of one Patte of Water to wade continually wetshood in the lake of this miserable Worlde You drye vp the noritour of your brayne wyth the fume of sighs You breake your bodye wyth the toyles of this lyfe and aduenture your honour to fyll but one Iarre or Pitcher wyth Water and yet lyke as for the time you liue it will not quench your appetite so in the ende you will be dryuen to dye of Thirst and the Potte which wyth so great payne you haue fylled in your lyfe shall after your death be broken against the walles of a prodigall heire who will laugh to sée it runne as a ryuer and reioyce to water the streates wyth the Ryches that you Locked full dearely in your sewrest Chestes Remember that he is not Ryche that possesseth much goodes but he whose desires are satisfyed and his minde contented The liberall man liues in beste securitie for that his liberalitie continues his friendes and reclaimes his enemies And Golde and Siluer giue better renoume to those that spende them then to such as hoard them vp for that couetousnesse makes the hoarders to bée hated where liberalitye draweth loue to the spender By these I wishe you to be aduised that gayne and getting are weake pillors to vpholde good name for that Couetousnesse and honor are of themselues contrarye and can holde no congruencie together in one man All the vices of this worlde haue in themselues some taste except Couetousnesse which bringes griefe for the goodes that others haue and Ielousie and suspition for the riches that are euen vnder our owne handes For to be riche it belonges also to haue the fruition of riches the same giuing pleasure to such as can take it as the possession serueth to such as can vse it The perplexities of the couetous man are to suspect his Seruauntes and distrust his kindred to set Espyalles ouer his Wyfe and doubt his Children to bée fearefull of the thiefe and to be Ielouse euen of his owne shaddowe Yea he is so miserable that he settes more garde of his money then of his person He takes no pleasure but in casting his Reckoninges in Compting his Siluer in Selling his Wares and in multiplying his Commodities estéeming it as his Paradice to bée alwayes gayning and neuer spending to bée alwayes winninig and neuer loasing to bée alwayes receiuing and neuer lending and to be alwayes getting as though he should neuer dye But when there is question to disburse money though it be for thinges necessarie Oh then he is as farre from modestye as he is full of malice accursing to the Diuell both Wyfe Children and Familie and in that Passion hée estéemes suche to deceaue him most in whom hée hath greatest reason to repose Confydence and who in deede are the best Stewardes and Husbandes of his commodityes So that if Couetous men would Consider what a swéete thing Lyberalitye is they would tourne their desires to gayne much into a disposition to géeue more for that it is not of so great value that which the Liberall man doth géeue as is his recompence Séeing that for the pleasure hée doth to anye hée is to Redemaunde the Trybute of his Libertie Yea the Liberall man is the Lorde ouer those People where hee lyueth and the leader of all suche as haue to doe wyth him For that their Recompence béeing certayne there are none wyll denye him their Seruice Where to the Nygarde and Couetous man where one wyll heare him manye wyll feare him where none wyll speake to him manye wyll auoyde him Where none wyll geeue him any thing many wyll practise agaynst him Where none will visitte him many will abhorre him where none wyll employe him many wyll accurse him Yea who wyll Demaunde any thing of the Couetous man that denyeth all thinges to himselfe or how hath he a mynde to succour Straungers that is not touched in Conscience to suffer his owne to Starue Manye Couetous men doe wée sée now a dayes to whom God geeues Power to gette Ryches Pollecye to kéepe them Heartes to defende them Lyfe to possesse them but not Lybertye to reioyce and vse them So that though they bee Lordes ouer the Ryches of others yet they are Slaues euen to that whiche themselues Possesse Wherein I am of Opinyon that by so muche more Excellent is Honeste Pouertie then Cursed Couetousnesse By how muche the Poore man is contented wyth Little where to the Richeman a great deale seemes nothing And therefore what mynde canne bée more Myserable then to sighe for the goodes of an other more by desire then by default The gréedie mynde caryeth no Disposition to Spende vppon his Parentes and friendes séeing hée accomptes that Stolne which hée employeth of himselfe Therefore it is a false Witnesse to call the couetous man rich since it is not he that hath riches but rather riches are maisters of him For the which he takes no small paine to get them vseth as great care to kéepe them and suffereth no lesse griefe to forgoe them Yea I accompt not the couetous riche men so happie as the pore labourer and deluer of the earth For that wyth his mattocke the one drawes reliefe and noriture out of the earth and the other wretchedly hydes in the earth his treasure and felicitie and how secretly so euer it is hyd yet he standes not so suspicious of any as of himselfe For if he haue two keyes to his Chest to kéepe his money from stealing he suffereth ten cares in his harte to kéepe him from spending So that the care being great to kéep and the griefe no lesse to loase I wishe all men well aduised how they beginne to get since to saue a little of their wealth they are subiect to put in hazarde much of their honor Therefore who will be reuenged of a richeman can wish him no greater passion then
and those that would can not Oh it is time you had some sence of the miseries wée féele seeing that if in reducing them thus to memory my tongue faynteth my eyes growe dimme my hart vanisheth and my flesh trembleth Much more grieuous is it to sée them in my countrey to heare them with mine eares to touch them with my finger and to tast them in my hart yea the iniquitie of your iudges is so great and the iustice of this Senate so partiall that it exceedes the facultie of flesh and bloud to endure the one and is hatefull to all good men to heare of the other And therefore in the accompt of all that I haue sayd I growe to this conclusion that one of these two thinges are to bée done eyther to chastice me if I haue lied or if I haue told truth you to bee depriued of your offices wherein for my part if you thinke my tongue hath taken an vnlawfull libertie to publish the roundnes and simplicitie of my hart I stretch out my selfe afore you in this place and do offer my head to the Axe assuring my selfe of more honour by my death then you can merit fame or renoume by ioyning so many miseries to my wretched life Here the sauage man gaue â— to his Oration leauing the Senate in such remorse for the oppressions of Germany that the next daye they established other Iudges ouer that part vppon Daunby and procéeded to punish the corruption of others for peruerting so noble a common weale Beholde here sir what holinesse flowed out of the mouth of an Ethnike from whom I wishe you wyth other iudges mercenary as you are to fetch your directions to reforme the Prouinces committed to your gouernement and with all to discouer the subtilties corruptions and iniquities of inferior officers subsisting in Cities and common weales For who would set him downe to describe faythfully the deceites the delayes the perplexities and daungerous ends of sutes he should find it a subiect not to be writteÌ„ with inke but with blood séeing if euery suter suffred as much for the holy faith of Christ as he endureth about the trauell of his processe there would be as many martirs in chaunceries and other courtes of iustice and record of Princes as was at Rome in the times of persecution by the old Emperours so that as to begin a processe at this day is no other thing then to prepare sorow to his hart complaintes to his tongue teares to his eyes trauaile to his féete expenses to his purse toyle to his men triall of his friendes and to all the rest of his body nothing but paine and trauell So the effects and condicions of a processe are no other then of a rich man to become poore of a spirite pleasant to settle into malencholly of a frée mind to become bouÌ„de from liberalitie to fall to couetousnes from truth to learne falsehode and shiftes and of a quiet man to become a vexer of others So that I sée no other difference betwene the ten plagues that scourged Egipt and the miseries that afflict suters then that the calamities of the one were inflicted by Gods prouidence and the torments of the other are inuented by the malice of of men who by their proper toyle make themselues very Martirs ⸫ ¶ FINIS Three desires amongest friends The propertie of Gods loue towards vs. That that is coÌ„mon to all ought not to be intollerable to one Death the very effect and stipend of sinne VVhat death is All men subiect to the lawe of nature and fortune Passions of the minde cured with the longnesse of time The remedie of a heart grieued The bonde of a friend Prosperit aduersitie haue societie together by nature Men are the instruments of our owne mishapes Tirantes vse triall by armes but the iust sort referre their causes to the arbitrement of the Lawes For banished men Happie is the punishment by the which we are passed into greater perfection No fortune can resist him to whom nature hath giuen magnanimitie of minde Men not accustomed to aduersitie haue least rule ouer their passions Priueledges of banished men A Lawe to punishe vnthankefulnes by death M. Aurelius to Popilion captaine of the partes God giues victories not to such as fight most but where he loueth best Fortune is most variable in the action of warre Fortune hath a free wil to com and go when she list He bears his miserie best that hydes it most It is better to suffer that wee feare then by feare to be alvvayes in martirdome That is frank gift which is giuen without respect That man is happy that hath good desires True nobilitie depends of vertue and al other things are to of fortune Much is in the Father to make his children refourmed The lavve of Christ giues no libertie to do euill Vertue prepares vs to imortalitie To restraine punishment is a great error in gouernement Punishments for theeues VVhat is required of a iudge in matters of councell A magistrate ought rather to be terrible in threates then in punishment Math. 10. Praise of vvisdome Psal. 118. Ierom. 4. 1. Kings 16. Eccle. 3. ScileÌ„ce is a gift vvithout perill Ezech. 3. Esay 6. Gene. 4 Math. 13. Math. 5 Luke 11 Fiue iniuries don to Christ at his suffering A circumstance of the passion of Christ Malice the mistrese of iniustice Psal. 128. Psal. 12â— Christ vsed most svveete vvordes when he asked pardoÌ„ for his enemies Math. 27. An indiscreet demaunde of the Iewes Genes 3. Genes 7. Genes 19. Exod. 32. Ad huc carnes erant in dentibus eoruÌ„ et ecce furor domini et percussit populum plaga magna Resensui quod fecit Abimelech Jsrael vade ergo et interfice a viro vsque ad muliere bouem â—ouem et Camelum c. 1. King. Psal. 50 A good praier Psal. 108. god hath made all thinges by vveight and measure VVisedome 11. A question not impertinent The solucion of the doubt â–ª God pearceth into the thoughts and intentions of men Faith is the ground of our saluation The mother of Christ Jbi fides non habet meriâ—u vbi humanum ratio habet experimentum God in his election maketh no difference of person age â—tates sex or calling Heare is verified the word of God that when the sinner hath contrition God will kepe no remembrance of his sinnes Math. 26 Actes 5. VVe ought to loue our neighbour for that he loueth God. He that loueth God cannot perish 2. Cor. 13. Charitas est cum diligirous Deum propter se proximuÌ„ propter Deuns The man of God loues not his neighbour for any wordlâ— respect but for God. Psal. 119. By the death of Christ tooke ende the sinagog Christ requires not but the offering of our hart How wickedly the euill theefe spake hanging on the Crosse Neque tu times deum qui in eadem daÌ„natione es non quidem digna factis recipimus hic auteÌ„ quid mals fecit God is
that shée is already in the way to hir saluation But séeing she is dead and now set in the place of Gods eternall appointment and since in the world is no power eftsones to raise her let her rest at quiet in the ioyes of Paradise and resort you hereafter to a resolute patience Become imediatly carefull for your life and leaue of those funeralles and vayne ceremonies for the dead séeing that if God hath fulfilled his will to call her to him it is to place her in his tabernacle of eternall rest and leauing you still in the world he doth it to none other end but to giue you time of amendement For where God promiseth to man long and many daies it is vnder this warning that he giue order to the correction of his life Many times haue I spoken and written that the sounde and noyse of Belles doth not so much benefite the dead as do good to those that liue for that as the dead béeing wythout sence are also voyde of nature and habilitie to resume remorse so to such as liue the Belles giue warning of death as those that are alreadie departed yea they pronounce that we shall all be buried as such as are alreadie put in the graue and no more remembraunce remayne of vs then of them that lie couered with claye which makes mée still maintaine that albeit to the dead the Belles are merly vnprofitable yet to the liuing they serue as officers to somon vs to the fatall banquet They call vs to prepare our reckoning and make vs readie to appeare afore our soueraigne iudge to heare our sentence yea they put vs in remembrance of the last houre of our miserable life and then as I knowe none that wish to haue bene Emperours so there is no doubt but many desire to haue liued in the state of poore heardsmen But now to perswade with you somewhat familiarlie aswell to witnesse my good will as to warne your frailtie I wishe you to vse patience not so much to expresse your grauetie as to solace the heauinesse of your minde and by so much haue you néede to cal for aid to the spirite of God by how much the greatnes of your losse séemes to excéede the resistance of flesh and bloud consider that to render retribucion is a dutie of nature and a debt to be payed either in youth in age or at other season and that not in the hand and discretion of man but at the will and good pleasure of God with whom we haue no power to contend for that the thinges which he commaundeth ought to be accomplished and what he willeth is well worthy to be approued being impossible that he should exact any vniust thing he that is euen the selfe supreame and souereigne iustice Be it sir that you are sory for her death of whom can you redemaund your losse but of death against whom there is neyther prescription nor authoritie It is he in whom is wrought the very effect and stipend of sinne and it is he that is the fearefull tirant ouer the world who yéeldes no compassion to the teares of men takes no care of their sighes scornes at their complaints and playeth with their afflictions he maketh great kinges fall as lowe as the ground he deuides their principallities destroyeth their heyres he confoundes the proude and mightie and rayseth the humble and méeke hée neither pardoneth old men nor pitieth the young sort yea he hath authoritie to call all men to reckoning and no man to demaund reason of him The Philosopher Secundus being asked what death was Aunswered that it was an eternall sléepe a terror of riches a desire of the miserable a seperation of friends a voyage vncertaine a robber of men a beginning of those that liue and an end of such as die Death hath this absolute libertie to enter where hee list without knocking at the gate condemne whom he will not heare them speake and carie away what he thinkes good without that euen the highest authoritie either can or dare resist him Yea we must be pleased with what he leaueth vs and not complaine of that he takes from vs. I doubt not but it is grieuous to you to féele the want of so deare a wife aswell for the solace of your person as direction of your house and children but séeing the chaunces of mortall creatures do shew that al men are subiect to the law of nature and fortune and that of necessitie this must passe so put on a good countenaunce to the world and shake of all inward heauines of mind séeing the care of thinges impossible is vaine and only proper to weake men you know also that in this troublesome life many mo in number are the things that amaze vs then those that hurt vs And therfore to wéepe much to sigh often to sorrowe alwaies to weare attire of dule to flée societie of friends to retire into desolate priuat places to delite in solitarines be in one of your grauetie matters more to be rebuked then affected séeing that as too great ioye estrangeth the heart into the like so for the most part much parplexitie sorrow bring with them the effect of dispaire You ought not for the death of your wife to be negligent in the administration of your house carelesse in the state of your health forgetfull to entertaine the reputation of your honour nor vnmindful to direct your reuenue For the passions and afflictions of the hart are neuer cured by newe grieues but with the longnesse of time One of the greatest trauels that we suffer in this transitory race is that sorowes grieues enter our harts sodainly which afterwards we cānot expell but with great time and vertue And therfore we ought not at the first to vrge a troubled minde to forget his paine but rather to perswade to moderate it for that at the beginning the mind receiueth more comfort in debating the harme then in speaking of the remedie And therefore to a mind afflicted with gréene sorrowes the best remedy is to deferre them vntill by time they be more apt to receiue consolation For as tract of time carieth with it a law of forgetfulnes of things past so to a hart grieued the true souereigne plasters are temperance time forgetfulnes So that neither because you are a widower nor in respect of your passions you ought to cōmit to negligence the order of your person nor the nouriture of your children for as it is no small fully to wéepe for the dead whom we haue no power to recouer so it can not but be a great madnesse to be carelesse of them that liue standing in the way of perdicion withall no man is bound to raise vp againe such as are dead but euery one is tied to this dutie to giue succours to them that liue I hope sir you wil not lay afore you the example of your neighbour friend Roderico who assone
the furie of warre was found a wise and valiant protector of their limittes In all which albeit there was iust merit of honour and reputation yet in common experience and reason of thinges we can not but confesse more desert of worthinesse and vertue in such whose wisedome discreation makes them hable to dissemble suffer For to be discréete in prosperitie patient in aduersitie is the true mocion effect of a valiant vertuous mind If you weigh these things with the nature and propertie of the present time you wil conclude with me I doubt not but that the imperfection of your demaund takes away necessitie in me to make answere For in these daies what is more familiar with the most sort then to scoffe at the reuerence and dignitie of old age to disobey magistrates dispise iustice scorne the Clergie laugh at the want of Captaines persecute the wise sort and betray such as follow vertue and simplicitie of life So that in an age thus hardned and time so vnthankfull that man takes vppon him no small enterprise who striues to be vertuous since vertue is a thing that prepares vs to immortalitie and makes vs equall with the heauens In times past he that knewe most was estéemed best but now who is most riche is raysed to most honour So that the condicion of this age is to estéeme men so much the more by how much they wallowe in wealth and to measure their reputation not with the dignitie of their vertues but according to the facultie and fulnesse of their richesse For worldly men are so infected with corruption and their nature so subiect to reuolucion and change that in cases of promotion high office and dignitie are rather bought with money then deserued by vertue In times past there was no man areared to honour but he that deserue it but now who are called but such as search it with money In the former ages men of science were searched for in farre countreys but now though they knocke at our gates they are not suffred to enter no our corruption customes draw vs to other delites In that golden worlde there was no senat or counsell established where was not resident some excellent Philosopher and now where haue we any pallace which is not replenished with scoffers inuēters of vanitie such was the felicitie of those daies that he that was vertuous had libertie to controle the wicked wher now there is no more cōmon subiectiō then that the good sort are reproued by the vile abiects skomme of al people In that most happy posterity the good sort only had licence to speak where now the wicked are they that know not how to hold their peace yea in those florishing seasons the chaffe was sifted frō the corne the wéede disseuered from the good herbe good men preferred the wicked punished yea vice was suffred to holde no societie with vertue For that where vice is supported by authoritie men grow worse and worse and where punishment is restrained there insolencie commaundes the lawes which is the greatest error that can be suffred in gouernement Touching your demaund what maner of people in the time of the Gentiles were called théeues and the sortes of punishment they were put vnto although there be great necessitie in your request and no lesse insufficiencie in me to satisfie it yet I will aunswere you with the opinion of Aulus Gelius who discribing many orders of théeues distinguished aswell their punishments as some kindes of theftes which according to the time and person that commits them may oftentimes be taken for faultes but not estéemed as theftes ▪ For in paine iudgement the qualetie with the quantetie must be considered The auncients held him as a théefe who eyther in the field or towne tooke away that which was an others and made no body priuie to it or against the wil of the owner he also was estéemed as a théefe who borowed a horse for one dayes iorney and retayned him longer he also was accompted a théefe who being put in trust with the kéepinge of other mens goods conuerted them to his proper vse as if they had bene his owne Lastly he boore the name of a theefe which borowed any thing for ten daies restored it not in twentie And as all these in their seuerall kinds were estéemed robbers and théeues so the law set downe for them varietie of punishment For amongest the Gréekes they were marked on the forhead with hot yrons to the end to be more readily knowne The statutes of Licurgus were to cut of their noses Promotheus ordayned that they should be committed to children to punish them at their pleasure by the law of Numa Pompilius one of their handes was cut of But the first that inuented to cut of their eares or strangle them vpon gibbets were the Goathes who notwithstanding in other respects were Barbarus yet vsed they seuere iustice to théeues and robbers But at this day sir if there were cōmission to hang vp all the théeues in the world I feare there would be more want of Gibbets then of robbers to furnish them And greatly haue we to desire with Diogeues that the great théeues should not so hang vp the little ones nor the lawes be made like to Spyder webbes who suffer the great ones to pearce and passe thorow without punishment and strangle the little flie in whom is least offence To don FARDINANDO de TOLEDO to whom ar expounded two Authorities of the Scripture and the custome of the Egiptians in the death of their frendes I Haue not thus long forborne to write to you in any necligent respect as remembring with what deuotion you required me with what humilitie and affectiō I am bounde to obey you And now if my answere séeme to short to satisfy you let the same discression which is woont to take all thinges in the best beare now with my wretched infirmitie of the gowt which hath made me such a Martir that much lesse that I haue leasure to write séeing I haue no habilitie to sturre or moue Yea it hath left no part frée in my body except my hart to sighe and my tongue to complaine You require me to sende you in writing the exposition of those two partes of the Scripture which I pronoūced not long since afore the Maiestie of Caesar which as I can not denie you considering your Authoritie euen so I hope you will wey the difficultie that belonges to it since the Penne can geue no such grace to discribe a matter as the Tongue to pronounce it The first was written in the 19. of Leuiticus in these wordes Super mortuos non incidietis carnes vestras neque figuras aliquas c. God by Moyses commaunded here the Hebrewes that when any of their parents or friendes dyed they should not Shaue their heades nor rent their Faces and much lesse hurt any other part of the bodye no nor
the magistrate offendes the multitude bréedes disease in the braine and brings decay to the purse For to buy a payre of gloues of ten crownes is more for curiositie then necessitie Yea there bee many vaine and light men that will not sticke to bestow a dozen crownes vppon a payre of swéete gloues for their Lady that haue not the hart to bestowe a poore gowne vppon a student nor in smaller things to minister to the necessities of their near parents such men spend their portions more by opinion then in reason and against such men is pronounced the threate of the Prophet The time will come sayth he that the perfumed men shall suffer great paynes and in place of precious oyntments they shall féele most horrible stinckes Yea such men are abhominable afore God infamous to a common weale and their qualitie daungerous to their conscience and chargeable to their purses In which respects let all gentlemen practise more to liue vertuously then to studie to be perfumed since vnder heauen there is nothing that carieth a swéeter smell then a good renowme nor any thing that sauoreth more horribly then the fume and incense of wicked life To be a good Christian is a swéete oyntment to haue a cleare conscience smelles better then Ciuit and to be innocent in life and vertuous in example is of farre greater merit and dignitie then all the perfumed Pomanders we can weare A letter to a perticuler friend rebuking all such as offer outrage or iniurie to any that are newly conuerted to the fayth of Christ calling them infidels or miscreants or by any other name of reproch SIr before the children of Israell issued out of Egypt they had a Kyng and no Law but long time after their departure they liued vnder lawes and were subiect to no kinges Only there commō weales were administred by iudges and their soules instructed by sacrificators of whom the last sauing one was Hely A man very zealous to his countrey but most negligent in the institution of his house and posteritie For his children were so giuē ouer to disorders so subiect to their perticuler willes and so farre estraunged from vertue that the scripture in the first Booke of the Kinges detecteth them in this sort peccatum puerorum erat grāde nimis coram domino quia detrahebant homines a sacrificio the sinnes of the sonnes of Hely were too great in the sight of the Lord For not content to be wicked themselues they laboured to drawe others from well doing Of which sinne they were most of all other conuinced as perswading al others to do no sacrifice by meane whereof and for punishment of their faultes the olde man perished sodainely his children were slaine and their wiues died of child So that the punishment of the sinne of ill doing and the Cryme of drawinge others from dooinge well fell not onely vppon those that dyd it but also vppon such as consented thereunto I haue drawne this auncient historie into these perticulers not so much to reproch you as to wish you to well waigh and note it but chiefely to introduce occasion to aunswere certaine late spéeches of youres which ought to haue bene as farre from your conscience as they deserue no way to bée familiar wyth your nobilitie Plato entertayning an olde man as his speciall frende ministred to him no small trauell to reforme his vices and being oftentimes perswaded by his followers to loase no more time to take away such desperate and hardened faultes Sure sayth Plato I had reason to be wearie to warne him if I boare no more regard to the office of a frende then to the hope I haue to doe good by my trauell For so delicate is the law of frendship that a frende ought rather to loase his paines then leaue any scrupull in his loyaltie This example serues aswel to our purpose as the figure of the great Priest Hely and so to our matter Not to doe ill I saye is the office of an innocent euen so to geue ouer to doe well belonges to a man negligent To be holde to be wicked is the office of an euill man But to be desperate and defende the ill is the worke of a man wholie gouerned by the deuill For that no man can be reformed of his sinne if first he acknowledge not his fault according to the which Sir I haue to charge you that in that you disputed yesterday you neyther shewed your selfe a knight a Christian nor a courtier For a Christian ought to estéeme his Conscience the knight is tyed to his modestie and the Courtier aboue all others ought to expresse affabilitie And therefore séeing that the honorable moare in the Court is alreadie baptized and reconciled to the fayth of Iesus Christ and that by my trauell and agaynst the wil of all the Moarishsect you dyd agaynst the Charitie of a Christian abused the profession of a Knight and steyned the reputation of a ciuill Courtier when you called him Infidell Miscreant and infamous Moare Are you that God whereof the Prophet speaketh Scrutans corda et renes Taking vpon you to know whether this Moare be a Miscreant or a Christian It may be that you haue measured your merittes with his and weyghed in one Balance his fayth and youres or perhaps you haue Gods at commaundement to acquite your sinnes and giue you place amongest the iust séeing you condemne others and iustifye your selfe Wherein it séemes you remember not that to God onely is reserued the trueth of the secret of such as are ordeyned to be saued and appoynted to be damned So that if this Moare beleue in God as well as you if he be Baptized as lawfully as you if he go to the Church with as good deuotion as you and if we sée him doe no act but of a Christian and in you is found no miracle I sée not how you haue any authoritie to call him Infidell no more then he hath reason to doubt you to be a Christian They be wordes of great rashenesse one man to vpbreade an other wyth such iniuries Séeing that to be a good Christian we are not onely bounde to doe good déedes but also to vse modestie and my lonesse in our speach otherways if a Christian call his neighbour Foole he shall be guiltie of Hell. And as there is no great difference of the iniurie for one man to call an other Foole and to call him Dogge So to a man receyued into the fayth there can not be a greater reproche then to be called an euill Christian For that to be tearmed Foole tendes but to the preiudice of the reputation of wisedome but to be called a wicked Christian toucheth a mans soule and defaceth his renoume So that if Christ forbyd vs Christians to call one an other Foole much lesse can he brooke the outrage of greater iniuries Since by the Schole and rule of his Law we are taught to imbrase one an other wyth such sinceritie as neyther
to stryke wyth our handes nor reproche or slaunder wyth our Tongues When I rebuke you for ministring such inciuilitie to the poore Moare you aunswered that it was an auncient custome of the coūtrey to call them so in which respect you helde it no offence to conscience to vpbreade them nor breach of ciuilitie to vse the tearmes where wyth your Tongue was most enured Oh that men of vertue and honor taking vpon them to correct a fault are bounde to great consideration of the estate and nature of the fault lest in séeking to reforme others they Condemne themselues as may be iustly imputed agaynst you who in tourning the custome of the Countrey to the helpe of your fault to call him Infidell you cōmitted the greater offence according to the saying of God to Moyses Take héede Oh Children of Jsraell that when you enter into the Lande of Promise you kéepe no custome wyth the Lawes of the Egiptians Wherein we are warned that if the Lawe of our Countrey be euill and the customes wicked we ought not onely not to alow of them but also not to obserue them since it is as lawfull to discontinue an ill Custome as to forbeare to doe ill and wyth as good lybertie may we reforme an ill Lawe though it hath stande by long continuance as to translate any auncient Garment and reduce him to the present fashion The reuerent Moare founde himselfe much iniuried wyth your wordes and the assistance not a little dishonored yea the remeynder of that race being in good towardnes to be adopted into the church made their reckoning not to become Christians if for their fayth they should be vexed wyth such reproches So that this your fault is the greater for that in following the Children of Hely you trouble such as are baptized and are the cause that others will not come to Christendome Vidi afflictionem populi mei in Egipto c. I am not sayth God to Moyses so carelesse as men thinke of those that serue me nor forgetfull to punishe offendours Since I haue opened mine eares to the cyres of my People in Egipt and doe sée the great tiranies which the Gouernours of the Kingdome vse agaynst them for which cause I will draw them into libertie and put the Egyptians to punishement Wherein wyth the exposition of S. Augustine vpon these wordes the Hebrues felt themselues not somuch wronged nor God was so greatly displeased wyth the trauelles they endured as wyth the particuler iniuries which they receyued of the Egiptians Which I beséeche you may warne you hereafter not to be so rashe and abandoned to wordes séeing I neuer knew any man minister iniuries to an other but there was inquisition made of his owne lyfe and doinges yea euen to the desiphering of his race which is falne out against your selfe for that at the instant when you reproched the reuerent Moare and called him Infidell there were that stoode behinde your backe that sayde secretly if he were descended of the Moares your auncestors were of no better Linage Such is the gaiue that People of ill Tongues doe reape who if they outrage such as are on line others will deface their progenie that are dead which being a iustice appoynted to such as are ministers in malice yet there it may be auoyded where is gouernement and restraint of Tongue And therefore I wishe you to vse Charitie to the ende you may finde recompence of Charitie and forbeare not to doe well the better to nourishe good example and kepe you from the imputation of the Sonnes of Hely A Letter to a Noble man touching familiarly how inconuenient it is for a man maried to haue a Woman frende besides his Wyfe SIr it brings no smal griefe vnto me that after so long intermission of letters there is present occasion giuen not to common according to our custome but to debate iniuries betwéene you and your Wyfe who as I vnderstande hath no lesse néed of Consolation then you of Correction Wherein by how much I labor to séeke out in whom resteth the fault by so much doe I finde you guiltie in the occasion and in her no want of reason assuring you that if I founde her as disordered as you are reported to be disolute I would as well pronounce her worthy of sentence as with all men you are holden voyde of merit And if there can be required of a man no more but that he bée good the same ought most of all to be expressed in a woman since in her is more subiection to iudgement and lesse habilitie to cloake or couer yea if her vertues appeare not in example her light burnes dimme and as a shadowe doth but delude the worlde which béeing farre otherwayes in the behauiour of your Wyfe and my néece it may please you to pardon me if in this Letter I defend her innocencie and proue your fault since of frends Councell ought to be taken and of parents remedie is to be ministred Corinthus a notable tirant afore he made choyce of his wife desired of Demosthenes to know what condicions his wife ought chiefely to be furnished withall to whom the Philosopher gaue this counsell Be sure sayth he that thy wife be rich to the end the necessities of thy life may be supplied and the countenance of thy estate plentifully supported Let her be nobly borne the better to minister to thy reputation and ioyne honour to thy posteritie Let her bée young to the end her seruice may better delite thee and thou haue no occasion to find mariage loathsome Let hir be faire the better to content thy desires and conteyne thée from straunge affections And let her be vertuous and wise to the end thou maist with securitie reappose thy estate vppon her gouernement For who takes a wife without these cōdicions is sure to find that which he feareth and misse of that that ought to make his mariage happy since of all accidents ordeyned to trouble the life of man there can not be a more infelicitie then to be ill encountered in mariage There is nothing in this world so perfect nor any person so thorowly accomplished to whom is not eyther further perfection to be added or iust cause of reformation or amendement And such is the infirmitie of our common nature that there are few of so full prosperitie who in some respect complayine not against the qualitie of their estate For many we sée are raysed to great wealth but they beare shame of their base linage some enobled by birth and parentage and yet are followed with pouertie Many blissed both with riches and nobilitie but they want the delite of children and some gladded with procreation and they eftsones made sorie with their ill demeanor And to speake of naturall thinges we find by experience that if the fire comfort vs with his warmth it vexeth vs againe with his heat If the ayre minister recreation when it is temperat it puts vs againe into passion
to haue him steale from her to enriche his frende to communicate wyth his minion and be a straunger to his Wife and to minister to the wantes of his Concubine and be wythout pitie to his proper Children In the Lawe of Christianitie the same fayth the woman is bounde to kepe to her Husband he is al so bounde to obserue to her But if Wyues had the lyke authoritie to chastise as Husbandes take libertie to accuse sure they would neyther take to such sorrow the disorders of their Husbandes nor in them would be founde such facilitie to offende Besides from the season that Man and Woman be vnited by the holy promise and couenaunt of mariage they haue so small iurisdiction in perticuler ouer themselues that it is a kinde of theft if eyther the one or the other alien or deuide their bodies Consider therefore Sir the great occasions you giue to your Wyfe who hauing youth riches and beutie and courted with no simple importunities If she were otherwayes then she is she would perhaps bestow her hart vpon some one of those many that bestow vpon her their eyes occasion may doe much and there is no worse thing to tempt a Woman then the ill example of her husband For your parte if you thinke your Wyfe not worthie to receiue recompence of affection at least haue consideration of her merit and let not her loyaltie discouer your penurie nor her constancie complaine of your want of honor If you will not obserue to her the Law of a husband for the respectes of your soule your honor your goodes and your health at least remember that what pleasures or felicyties you finde in the companie of your Concubine are nothing in regarde of the disquiets you shall finde when you come home For how wise how secret how temperate or how holy so euer a Wyfe be yet she had rather die then not to giue reuenge to the iniuries of her Husbande or not to make him féele her Ielousie And therefore to men that are drowned in fancie wyth forreyne Women it is in vayne to repose in the Baude who will be corrupted or in the Concubine whose indifferencie makes her a blab Séeing in cases of Ielousie Wyues are so suttle and wyth all so liberall that the better to espie and trace out the Confederacies of their Husbandes they will not sticke to corrupt hte Quicke by money and Coniure the deade by Charmes And so God graunt you that you want and defende you from that you deserue A Treatise of the Resurrection of IESVS CHRIST ▪ together wyth an Exposition of the Fifth Article of the Créede that he discended into Hell and roase againe the thirde day ACcording to your request I haue sent you herewith the declaration of the fifth Article of the Créede in substance as I published it but not in sort as I pronounced it For that it is impossible that in the Penne should be represented the facilitie grace and edifying vertue of the Tongue according to the opinions of the best Philosophers and Orators both Gréeke and Latine wyth whom the Penne was accompted insufficient to satisfie or compare wyth the honor which they had gotten wyth the Tongue and specially to recorde or write Sermons wherein they helde that the matter should loase his Grace and the auther his reputation Notwithstanding according to your power to commaunde me you shall finde no want of desire to doe you seruice albeit vnder this condition that if you be not satisfyed the fault is more in your importunitie then in my charitie and so to the matter The fifth article of our faith expressing that Christ discended into hell roase eftsones the third day contayneth two partes whereof the first comprehendes our confession that he went into hell and in the second is contayned his resurrection Some deuines deuide it into two articles but wée draw it into one contayning notwithstanding two partes tending to one end We confesse that our redéemer being buried his holy bodie remayned in the graue thrée dayes being in déede dead during that season But his soule in the meane while was not ydle for that it discended into hell to do there a wonderfull action which he accomplished And so we confesse that on the third day his soule was reioyned to his bodie to geue it reall and essentiall life So that there can be no dout that he roase not againe hauing obteyned the victorie against death Wherein if we consider thinges in iudgement and equitie we shall find great matter in the humilitie of the sonne of God and in whom may be séene the singuler mercie of the father not sparing his sonne and his readie obedience to accomplish the eternall will of his father all inuiting vs to beare no small loue and thankfulnes to him In this article and in the former are declared the degrées by the which the sonne of God discended and embased himself euen to thinges incredible for a personage of that dignitie The first degrée was to make him man and to vouchsafe to be borne at a time certaine he which was borne eternally The second was that he yet humbled himself more to suffer sentence and publike condemnation as a malefactor In the third he tooke vppon him the torments of the crosse a death most cruell and more infamous then any other sort of passion By the fourth he was content to suffer death not as God albeit being God but as man in such sort as the very person of God suffred death In the fifth he suffred himselfe to be buried as others that were dead making himselfe like them in all thinges as if he had bene comprehended vnder the curse of Adam to retorne into dust whereof he was formed yea he that was frée from sinne and the curse And by the last steppe or degrée he discended into hel whether were discended such as stood destitute of their proper iustice to the end to open to them the gate of the kingdome of heauen By these degrées if we consider spiritually the discending of Iesus Christ we shall find it as long as is the distance of heauen from whence he came vntill the Center of the earth whether he discended And as there restes no other place any further to embase the sonne of God so would he not bée committed to more humilitie only there remayned one degrée which proceded of sinne and the fellowship of Sathan ▪ out of the which the person of Christ was exempted hée which came to redéeme sinners and iustifie men and vanquish the deuill All that he could suffer to be made a sacrifice for our sinnes the sonne of God was enclined embased vnto it sinne only except whereunto he could not be subiect for that there is too great enimitie betwene the iustice of the sauiour the malignity of sinne The greatest part of the degrees aboue mencioned concerning the discending and humilitie of the sonne of God are declared by the Apostle who speaking by
hurts we haue by our enemies are causes to decrease our goodes the vices of our children bring losse and spoyle to our honour And where it may happen that an honest man may not receyne a blowe of his ennemie once in his lyfe the enormities of his owne children are sufficient to make him dye euery hower So that the perplexities wée haue sometimes by straungers are disgested as thinges happeninge by straungers as the wound that is outwarde may gréeue but not perishe the intrales But the displeasures passing in our house pearse déeper and as a martyr languishe the harte euen to death And therefore by howe much the Father beareth pittie to hys wicked Sonne by so much hee vseth extreame cruelty againste himselfe yea that day wherein he ministreth not correction to his Sonne that daye doth he iustice of hys proper person and sendes his renowne to question The Romaynes had a Lawe called Faelcidia by which the first offence of the Childe was pardoned the Seconde punnished and for the third he was banished which Law if it were eftsones reduced to practise in these tymes wée should not sée so many youth runne hedlong into vices nor so many Fathers suffer blame for their negligence But because Fathers doe not chastise and mothers too muche suffer the childe takes boldnesse in vice leauinge to the Parentes occasion to lament but no lybertye of remedie Where you wryte to me that you are old that your infirmityes make you weary as though you liued to longe I wishe you not to reckon your age so much by the nomber of yeares you haue lyued as by the many trauelles you haue endured For that to sensuallitie to liue a hundred yeares séemes but a short time and to the harte that is heauie and sorrowfull the lyfe of a hundreth momentes is too long and wearie It must not suffize you to séeme to bée olde but you must bée so in déede séeing he onely may bée called olde who puttes ende to his olde vices For little doth it profite to haue your head Graye and your Face Wrinckled if your lyfe follow younge customes and your minde Féede vppon Greene desyres the same béeing the cause why Olde men weakened wyth vice and Sinne are Subiecte to feare Death and to dye soone béeing wyth nothing so ill contented as to bée deuided from their vices The Author writeth to his Sister seruing in Court Partly hée instructes her how to liue in Court and partly satisfyeth her request vnder a short Discription of Loue. WEighing wyth the nature of the place where you are the qualetie of the affection I beare to you I dout whether it were better to vse playnesse according to good meaning or dissemble and so leaue you better contented For by the office of nature I cannot but warne you and yet to the place where you are nothing is lesse acceptable then to be instructed the Court béeing a place that sometimes couereth or séeth not the faultes in their frendes or else takes all thinges to blame and findes nothing in their foes that they may lyke But béeing my Sister I will vse my authoritie though not to please you yet to perswade you and acquite my selfe béeing farre from my profession to deale in matters of loue I that haue vndertaken the direction of consciences And albeit my other trauels priuat exercise make me very insufficiēt to debate with you to your ful satisfactiō yet taking the opportunity as it is I had rather put my imperfectiō vpōiudgment then leaue you not instructed hoping you wil no lesse answer for mine honor then for your sake you sée mée readie to hazarde it to Question Where you write to me that he that presented you wyth your laste Iewell was your frende and Louer I denye it since there is difference béetwéene him that Loues and one that is a Friende For a friende doth alwayes Loue but he that Loues is not alwayes a friende Which may bée well prooued in your Ladyes of the court For that in Seruice and Amarous deuotion you haue many that Serue you Follow you and desire you who may rather bée called your Louers then your Friendes since they intende no other thing then the practise of pleasure being as voyde of intent of mariage as they are of vertue Yea hauing not the Spirite to iudge of honest Loue nor true intention to follow it they bring oftentimes dishonor to their Ladyes whose simplicitie for the most parte falles into Slaunder by the Sutletie and malice of their Seruauntes Suche one I feare is hée that hath béestowed the Iewell vppon you which then you may best discerne when you finde him to Promise much and perfourme little assuring you that then hée vseth the Sleyght of the Fowler who wyth a Swéete Call bringes the Byrde to his Nette and deceaues her to her Destruction Consider therefore the place where you are the Race that you come of and what you pretende The Courte giues you Libertie to doe muche ill and little Instruction too Follow that is good And if you Stande not Faste vppon those Vertues you Learned in the House of your father the place it selfe will infect and change you since frequentation drawes into one felowship societie of Estate things that of themselues are different remēber also that to such as desire to be vertuous the house of the Prince is a schole house for their better instruction and a place helping to their aduauncement Wherein if any miscarie the falt may be more in their proper negligence then in the will of the Prince since to maydes of honor seruing in Court it is a greater aduauncement to be maried by the fauor consent of the Prince then by the patrimonies or portion which their parentes can leaue them I haue oftentimes written vnto you that if deuotion and conscience leade some women into Religion vertue and good name rayse others to preferment in court Therefore I aduise you lay not vp great confidence in your beautie much lesse presume vpon the greatnesse of your race For in Court for one Gentleman that makes loue to your persones you shall find twenty that spend the whole day to iudge of your liues since beautie without vertue and high kindred wythout good conditions is no other thing then as a goodly gréene Trée that florisheth with leaues and blossomes and brings forth no fruite or as a stately carued Image which men take great pleasure to beholde but are gréeued when they finde it dead and without qualitie You and the other Ladies your companions would haue me write what loue is wherein it consistes and what be the fignes and tokens of true loue estéeming me a man of studie and an auncient Courtier This office I might better tourne vppon your selues for that your beauties standing in the eyes of men leading them to sue to serue to solicit and to loue you mée thinkes it belonges to you to set downe the discription of loue and to me
are chaunged into many formes of appetyte sometimes desiring one thing and sometime an other swelling sometimes wyth pryde as a Lyon and sometimes taking the forme of a Hart by reason of their weakenesse and feare and in the practise of sleyghtes and subtleties are tourned into the similitude of a Foxe These be the names that Ouid sets before the eyes of men as wonderfull examples of thinges which happen in the world as you and all readers of stayed minds may finde by the discourse of his Booke of the Metamorpheses wherein you may perceiue that the auncientes aswel philosophers as Poets when they began any work of importance they called vpon the ayd and fauor diuine according to the Testimonye of Plinie in an Oration he made in the prayse of Trayan wherein he commended the Custome of the auncients to make inuocation afore the beginnig of their woorke and Iudged that there could be no assured nor wise beginning of any enterprise without the speciall ayd and councell of God. Ouid was not ignorant of this custome and being a gentleman Romane he was also an Astrologian Philosopher polityke and excellent Poet as it is well expressed on his Bookes of Metamorphoses specially in the first which conteyneth indifferently both Philosophy excellent Poetry In the second booke he declars himselfe a perfect Astrologian giuing no apparance to haue any opinion that he was a man liuing as he fayned nor that he had any children charyot or horse But vnder this fabulous discription he declareth the naturall course of the Sunne of the firmament together with the naturall effects that folow of them wherein to rebuke such as are ignorant and of little knowleadge in the Science he bringes in Phaeton king of the Indees who hauing a highe pride wéening in his knowlege albeit by the iudgment of the Historians he was very vnresolute simple led diuerse people into error by his Lawes and statutes corrupt which was that fier of error wherewith he burned al the earth Some fained him to be the sonne of the sunne vnto whom they approiated al mē of singuler wit helde him as God of sciences But the occasion that the Poets tooke was vpon his death which hapned in the voiage he made vppon the riuer Pano leading a great army by water by reason of the great heate and there was diuinely killed with an arrow or bolt that fell from heauen But to retorne eftsoons to Ouid it must be considered that séeking to establish in his work an end and purpose which was to shew to al good wits that should come after him the excellency of his conceyt and wonderfull inuention of his Metamorphoses which with good right may be called the mother of Poesie and also his resolute knowlege in all disciplines togither with the copie and variety of his doctrine ioyned to an exact iudgment in pollicy histories knowing he was a man whose frailty bare many impediments without the ayd of God to execute and perfect the purpose he had taken in hand began his work by a forme of inuocation to God saying Oh milde gods I besech you séeing al metamorphoses transformations procéed of you to assist me so blisse me in the beginning that I may haue grace to continue to the end being therby the better able to recompt the thinges that are hapned from the beginning of the world vnto our time so discēded into the parts of his argument as is expressed vppon his works Thus you haue the contents of your cōmaundement my promise which I haue sent you not contriued of myselfe but as I haue sought them amongest the writings of learned men hoping they will satisfie you the better since I was careful to write nothing which is not iustified by good authority A rebuke to ambicion vnder the speache of a sauage man vttered in the Senat of Rome SO much doe your importunities trouble me that I wish to be either further from you or at least that my condition were not so priuate seing that to the nearenes of the place you ioyne your authority make all things serue to your occasion to trouble me If you claime me to your deuotion in respect of your merits you bring staine to your liberalitie since to exact recompence is a manifest exprobation of benefits receiued and in a demaund so suddein so great and concerning so many euen of the greatest there can be no lesse falt in you to tempt my patience then rebuke in me to hazard my ignorance for that he that is the executor of the falt is lesse guilty blamable then he that giueth the occasion But séeing you proue me in a matter so high and ielouse I will to auoyd perticuler chalenge send you my opinion vnder this discréet and excellent discourse of a vilayn published in the presence of the whole Senate of the Romanes recommended to posterity in wryting by M. Aurelius wherein if you finde your selfe touched wyth your proper errors haue regarde to the reasons of this rude Orator and be no lesse reformed of your couetousnesse then he made the Senate ashamed of their ambicion and Tyrannie assuring you that as ambicion is the beastly nourse of couetousnesse and both they créepe in in these dayes vnder a forme and maner of seueritie So it can not bée but that man which desireth power is an ill mayteyner of Iustice and he that thirsteth for glory runnes with great swiftnes into actions of iniuries and oppression And therfore who aspireth to glory and seeks his prayse of wycked men must of necessitie be lyke vnto them But now to our villayne who speaking in a time when Rome was chaunged in Customes and Ciuill vertues peopled more with flatterers then men of simplicity and truth you must also imagine him to stand at the bar in this discription his face litle thin his countenāce sharp and pearcing his couller blacke swarffy his haire disordered staring his eyes rolling and fiery his bearde long and thicke his eyebrowes clowdie and hanging his necke and stomake all hairy his girdle of bulrushes pleated his shooes of the skinne of a wylde Boare and holding in his hande a great staffe or troncheon And being entred the Senate in this hydeous figure he protested the reasons of his comming with no lesse boldnesse maiesty of countenance spirit then his presence garments were monstrous terrible Oh graue fathers sayth he that in your liues fūctiōs wer expressed such effect of piety cōpassiō as your outward presēce declare merit of reuerence apparāce of equity thē to my cōplaints should be ioyned presēt pitie grace to mine inocēcy iust fauor clemency I salute you with that affection which the oppression of my country can best aford and with that hart which you haue torne in péeces with long miseries exaction I beséech the imortall Gods so to inspire you with a spirit of iustice