their Eminency and the Lawes of the world persuade vs to belieue that great Misfortunes are tyed to great Powers Whence it is that great Monarches do neuer seeme to resent little dolours nor suffer any thing with feeble displeasures The least storme with comes vpon them is a kind of ship wracke to their resentments all their wounds all mortall they cannot fall but into precipices and the crosses of their Fortune make them to keep company with Iob on the dungill Let them tread Cloth of Gould vnder their feet as Tiberius did let them satiate their hunger with pearles as did Marke-Antony let them metamorphize the feelings of their Pallaces lyke to a starry Heauen as Belus King of Cyprus and with the help of Art let them hold the seasons at their becke for their contentments as Sardanapalus notwithstanding needs must these Magnificences and these Pleasures vanish before them in an instant to let them see the weakenes of their Nature since the inconstancy of Time is annexed to all that which subsists heere beneath In such sort as their Greatnesses and delights do insensibly glide away with life though their reigne hath beene ful of flowers the remembrance therof brings forth but thornes If Kings establish the foundation of their greatnesses vpon their Crownes let them cast their eyes vpon their figures round euer mouing and thereby shall they know the instability thereof And then besids it is no great matter to be able to commaund a world of people if they make their lawes absolute through force of Reason rather then that of Tyranny There is a great deale more honour to merit a Crowne then to possesse it which made Thales Melesinus say that a vertuous man enuoyed all the riches of the world if vertue be the greatest treasure of it So that if they trust in their Scepters to defend themselues from the strokes of Fortune they consider not the while she is able inough to snatch them out of their hands and cruell inough to metamorphize them into a sheephooke and to reduce them to such a state as shall moue Pitty rather then Enuy. What vanity were it for one to haue a Scepter in the hand and a Crowne vpon the head if with all these markes of Greatnesses he approches to the Tombe to bury vp the Glory of it What pleasure to see the greatest part of the world to be vnder him if they haue altogether the self same way of Death The great ones run as swift as the little in this carriere where Miseries Misfortunes accompany our steps How is it possible that man which is but dust ashes can find assurance in Greatnesses Ah! What say you then is it not well knowne that dust and ashes are so much the more subiect to be carried away with the wind as they are set in a higher place The Mountaines are alwaies enuironed with precipices and thunders neuer turne their faces but to the highest tops So as they who apprehend a Fall should clip the winges of their Ambition for not to fly too high But if one would seeke for Greatnesses it were necessary to be in vertue The Magnificences of Darius his Army serued but as a funerall pompe to his Death The Preparations to his Triumph were the instruments of his Ouerthrow In so much as the Lawrels of his Hopes crowned him not but in the Tombe in signe that in dying he had vanquished all the mishaps of his life So do we see the Glory of the world to fly before our eyes with such swiftnes as we can hardly follow it throgh the amazement wherein she hath left vs. I admire the last thoughts of Celadine when as he ordayned that after his Death they should cause his shirt to be shewed to the whole Army and that he who carried it should cry aloud Behould heere that which the greatest of the world seems to carry from the world This valiant Captaine knew the verity of his miseries by the vigill of his Shipwracke seeing that of all his Treasures he could carry away with him but the valew of a Shirt This is the share of the greatest Kings Nature thinks good to afford them Scepters in the cradle she must rob thē in the Sepulcher And howbeit they are borne as little Gods on Earth yet sticke they not to dye like other men so as if they differ in the māner of lyuing they are all equall in the necessity of dying S. Lewis would rest vpon a bed of Ashes before his Death to let vs see that he was but Ashes yet is it to be considered that the beliefe which he had proceeded from the diuine Fire wherwith he was inflamed and resenting in that manner the diuine flames by little and little he went consuming of his life he would become ashes vpon ashes both throgh loue and humility Dauid did charge himselfe with a sacke of Ashes to diminish the flash of his Greatnesses and the trouble that possessed him The knowledge of himselfe perswaded him to serue himselfe with this cūning shewing forth without what was within His Flesh couered his ashes for to couer his defects and he would haue his Ashes to couer his flesh for to discouer the miseries of his Nature When I consider how the greatest of the Earth are of Earth and that all their Riches and all their Greatnesses may not be had but in flying towards the Center of their ruine where they finish with them I cry out as that Philosopher did how the world is a Body of smoke which the Ayre of Tyme disperseth by little and litle for the eyes behould quite through their teares the continuall decay of the best obiects and they can hardly be knowne within their inconstancy so different are they from themselues It is a pleasure to read the Histories of Ages past because all the wonders which appeare vpon the Theather of their Reigne are but dreames and vayne Idea's that subsist not but by the opinion of those that will lend credit vnto them It were in vayne to seeke Rome at this day within Rome when scarce can be found within the Temple of memory that of the ruine of its Aultars Tyber only which is alwayes a flying hath remayned stable and permanent The golden Pallace of Nero the Stoues of Diocletiant he Bathes of Antoninus the Sephizone of Seuerus the Colossus of Iulius and the Amphitheater of Pompey all these proud wonders haue not beene able to resist the encounters of a first Age and the second hath caused the day of their ruine to spring with it So as the Labourers the works their proprietaries haue followed the lot of the decay which was naturall to them If they enquire what are become of those magnificences of Cyrus those pōps of Mark-Antony those prosperities of Alexander those greatnesses of Darius I shall answere with that Philosopher that they haue passed away like a waue without leauing any signe of their being behind thē Philip that great
this beliefe could affoard you immortality If you haue but neuer so litle knowledge in you know you not your owne misfortunes If you haue sense haue you no feeling of your miseries I know well you are a King but a King of the dead since al those to whome you giue the law do receyue it from Tyme which makes them to dye euery houre Admit you be the chiefe of men yet if they be miserable all of them together as subiect to a thousand sorts of accidents may we not well say that you are the vnhappyest of them all You play the omnipotent when you are set vpon your Throne of snow not considering the while that within your Pallace as well as without you are but a heap of dust which euery litle blast of wind may scatter on the ground to dissolue it into nothing Apelles thou took'st a pride to be called the Paynter of Alexander come then and see the subiect of thy glory if thy heart serue thee to endure the horrour of it This same is that Alexander whose Maiesty so dazeled thee heertofore and whose stench at this tyme so infects the whole world I mistrust thy audacious pensill to be able to represent the greatnes of his miseryes to the lyfe Dost thou remember him at such tyme as thou drewest him armed at all points vpon his Bucephalus euen vpon the point of his forcible retayning the last crowne of his Triumphes not hauing ought to conquer els besides And sometymes agayne sitting on his Throne with the Crowne of a Conquerour on his head and with the Scepter of the Empire of the world in his hand Durst thou maintayne now these ashes are the draughts of thy originall if thou wilt saue thy credit from reproach do thou imitate Thymantes draw the curteyne ouer Alexanders face that he may not be knowne so is he no more himselfe And thou Lisyppus who employed so oft hast made vse of such rich materials to mantaine this great Monarch on foot these rotten bones which make vp this Carkasse which thou seest haue beene the subiect both of thy glory and thy labours If it be true that water eates into the stone then weep thou freely on thy owne workes to destroy them thy selfe since their obiect is buryed while tyme prepares their Sepulcher Cesar Mark-Antony Pompey Annibal and Scipio step you a little aside from the way of your Triumphs to come and see as you passe the miserable spoyles of this great King alwayes victorious of this great Monarke alwayes triumphant Approach you vnto his Tombe behold contemplate smell the horrible corruption would you say this carkasse heere that stinkes so abhominably were the body of that inuincible Alexander whose valour hath despoyled the earth of its Laurelles and who being not able yet to bound his ambition with the compasse of one world goes seeking him another howsoeuer in digging the earth he hath found but the place of this Sepulcher where he is buryed with all his greatnesses All those gallant Courtiers that followed him are changed into wormes and are nothing els but meere putrefaction and their proud Pallaces into this litle trench and all their ornaments into these spiders webbes which encompasse him round Cast your eyes vpon these images of horrour This is the draught of him who stiled himselfe the sonne of Iupiter-Ammon who exacted Aultars from men to make himself adored Iudge you now of the perfection of this Idol Go your wayes into all places where your ambition guides you conquer all triumph vpon all and for a last victory make Fortune herselfe as your Tributary that the rouling of her wheele may receaue its motion from that of your wills al these Victoryes and all these Triumphes accompanied with all the glory of the world shal not warrant you awhit from Death nor shall all the perfumes of Arabia exempt your flesh from putrefaction Cesar dispute no more with Mark-Antony about the Empire of the earth Nature would haue you to take vp this difference betweene you since neyther of you both cā iustly pretend but to seauen foot thereof And if you can hardly belieue it measure you the spaces of Alexanders Tombe who hath worne the Crowne vpon his head which you desire This is the onely meane to finish your quarrell rather then to quenh your fury in the bloud of your subiects Cesar play not the proud man so in the midst of thy felicityes it is now a long while since that death hath stood waiting vpon thee vnder the Throne where thou sittest in the Senate for to let thee know and perceaue at once that he mockes at thy greatnesses and contemnes thy power by drowning thy lyfe within thy bloud Stoope a little to the pitch of thy vanity Mark-Anthony there is no likelyhood at all thou shouldst euer be triumphing ouer thin enemy since thou canst not so much as vanquish thy passions which is the best victory that we can possibly obteyne of our selues Thou shalt euen loose the Empire of all the Earth where thou shalt find so shamefull a Tombe as they shall not dare to speake of thy lyfe by reason of thy Death Anniball thou gloriest much in entring in Triumph within thy proud Citty of Carthage after so many and so great victories which rayse thee to the highest Throne of Honour but takst not heed the while that if thou leadest thine enemies in triumph vices seeme to triumph vpon thy soule fitter that miseries do the like with thy body And againe if Fortune fauour thee to day as king she will dregg thee to morrow as a slaue To day the Lawrels grow on thy head and to morrow thorns shal grow beneath thy feet to let thee see that nothing is certaine in the world but change since it changes euery houre in making all things else to change their countenance withall I do euen flout at thy vanity for the witnesses of thy glory very Carthage it selfe which is the theatre therof shal follow soone after the course of of thy ruine Pompey flatter not thy selfe thus in thy prosperities the very same Sunne which hath seene them grow vp shall see them wither ere long It is true that all the world euen trembles at thine armes Renowne hath no voyce but to publish thy valour but how then knowest thou not how the self same fate which affords thee Crownes Scepters takes them away againe when it pleaseth Victory pursues thee euery where both on sea and land but this is but for a while After the moment of thy birth death aymes at thy head to pull off all the Lawrells thence wherewith thou hast so often crowned it and knowing that the sea hath no rockes for thee it hath scored out thy Sepulcher already on the shore Weepe weepe you great Kings at the sight of these miseries or rather at the feeling of your owne If the greatest of the world be nought but corruption what shall become of you If this inuincible
eyther in payne or glory I leaue you to thinke of these important verityes For the pleasures of Touching being of the selfe same nature with the rest and hauing no more solid foundatiō then they we may draw the consequence of the same argumēt with them and conclude how this imaginary pleasure cannot seeeme to cleaue but to weaker spirits who loue only the earth because its obiect is so vile and base as we had need to abase our selues to obserue its aymes Let vs resume the ayres of our former discourses and say that the pleasures of the world do not subsist in the world but through the name onely which is giuen them For in effect they are nothing but a dreame the shadow of a shadow whose body we neuer possesse Such as loue them are not capable of loue since they fix their affections on the pourtraicts onely of imagination and of the Idea's which the wind defaceth euery moment True contentmēt consists in thinking alwayes of death And this is the onely pleasure of lyfe since it termines in the delights of Eternity How he who hath imposed the Law of Death vpon vs hath suffered al the paynes therof together CHAP. XVIII I NOTE an excesse of loue in the History of that great King who being touched with a generous desire to banish vice for euer from his Kingdome to bring in Vertue there to reigne in peace among an infinite number of Lawes which he imposed on his subiects the payne of pulling out the eyes was decreed for his punishment that should violate the most important of thē The ill lucke was that his only Sonne should fall the first into that cryme What shall he do And what shal he resolue vpon For to quit himselfe from the assaults both of loue and pitty which nature gaue him euery moment he could not do since the halfe of his bloud takes away fury from the other halfe What likelihood for one to arme himselfe against himselfe to excite his arme to vengeance to destroy his body He hath no loue but for the guilty how shall he haue passion to destroy him He sees not but by his eyes and how shall he be able to see him blind In fine he sits not on his Throne but to keepe him the place how shall he possibly mount this throne to prononce the sentence of his punishment Of necessity yet the errour must be punished if he wil not soyle the splendour of his iustice which is the richest ornament of his Crowne and the onely vertue that makes him worthy of his Empire Nature assayles him powerfully Loue giues him a thousand batteryes and euen Pitty often wrings the weapons from his hands and yet Reason for all that seemes to carry away the victory There is no remedy but needs must he yield to Nature Loue and Pitty but yet finds he a way to make Iustice triumph in satisfying the law He puls out one of his sonnes eyes for one halfe of the punishment and causes another to be pluckt forth from himselfe for to finish the chasticement What excesse of Goodnes Let vs draw now the mysticall Allegory from this history and say That our Redeemer represents this iust King at such tyme as in the terrestrial Paradise he imposed this law of obedience vnder paine of death vpon man being the Sonne of his hands as the noblest worke of his Creation This man being the first borne becomes lykewyse at that same very tyme the first guilty in contemning the commaundements of his Soueraygne He eats that fatall Apple or rather opens with his murderous teeth that vnlucky box of Pandora stuffed with all manner of euills The punishment euen followes his offence so neere as he instantly incurres the payne of death But what a prodigy of loue The Creator being touched with the miseryes of his creature takes away the rigour of the law without destroying it quite or infringing the same I meane that he seuers death from death in causing the guilty to arise agayne from his ashes for to liue eternally And the meanes wherof he serues himselfe is to dye with him and in the Chalice of his passion to drinke all the bitternes of death for to chāge the nature therof In such sort as this way of death conducts vs now to eternall lyfe O sweet Death a thousand tymes more plesing thē whatsoeuer is most pleasing in the world O sweet Death a hundred and a hundred tymes more delicious then all the pleasures vnited together O sweet Death where the body finds repose the spirit contentmēt the soule its whole felicity O sweet Death the only hope of the afflicted the sole consolation of the wisest and the last remedy for all the euils of the world O sweet Death and a thousand tymes more admirable then his goodnes that imposed the law since through the same very Goodnes he would needs be suffering the paine it selfe for to take away the payne Who durst refuse to drinke in his turne in the Chalice where God himselfe hath quenched his thirst Let vs go thē very holily to Death for to go cheerefully thither is to make loue and vertue lead vs into the sepulcher if we meane to find therein a second cradle where we may be reborne anew neuer to dye any more I cannot forget that goodly Custome of the Egyptians that when as a Sonne being armed with fury should passe to that extremity of cruelty as to take away the life from him who had giuen him the same he incurred this sweet punishment withall to be shut vp for three whole dayes in prison togeather with the body whose Parricide he was I should thinke that such as had imposed the law had this beliefe that the terrible and dreadfull obiect of the cryme was a torment of force inough for the guilty to extort the last teares from his eyes the vtmost playntes from his soule For in effect Nature neuer belyes it selfe it is alwayes it selfe it may well affoard some intermission of loue of pitty but yet at last it snatches the hart from the bowels through a violēce worthy of it selfe Let vs see now the backside of this Meddall so to draw forth the mistery out of this moral verity We represent to day this guilty sonne since we haue put our Redeemer to Death who is the common Father of our soules The punishment which the law of his Iustice hath now imposed vpon vs it to looke cōtinually on this Tree of the Crosse whereon our crymes haue made him to expire for to repayre their enormity withall O sweet punishment For spilling the bloud of him who hath filled our veynes the law exacts no more of vs then teares For hauing nayled him on the Crosse Iustice enioynes vs no other payne then that of nayling our eyes on the same pillar wherupon he is nayled For hauing crowned him with thorns he would haue vs to trample vnder foote the roses of our pleasures In fine
you then purchase them altogeather so to make you beloued of al the world and not onely for a day but euen for euer The beauty wherof you make such accompt is a fadyng quality that subsists not but in its continuall change it flyes along with you into the Tombe but it passeth more swiftly then you for it euen gets before you by the halfe way When you are arriued but to the midday of your lyfe is it come to its full West When you enter into your Autumne it arriues to its Winter where it finds its ruine Alas that for a small number of daies you will stād so much to please men and be displeasing of God for a whole Eternity O dreadfull Eternity how profound are thy Abysses My Dames as often as this guilty desire shall possesse you to offend God in your foolish vanityes thinke a little of the Eternity of the payne which is to attend your crymes For one moment of false and imaginary pleasure you put your selues in daūger of suffering eternally an infinite number of true euils indeed What expect you of the world It aboūds but with miseryes What looke you for of Fortune She is prodigall but only in misfortunes All Riches are but of earth all Greatnesses of smoke and all Honours of wind as for the louely qualityes which are affected to the body they euen dy with it In so much as Vertue only I tell you agayne is exempt from Death You neuer thinke but of taking your pleasures without considering the while that in passing away the tyme so you suffer to slide away in hast the small remaynder of life that is left you In louing life as you do you should be striuing to prolōg your dayes and on the contrary you seeke digressions to passe them ouer without taking any heed therto as if you went to slowly vnto death and that the way to the Tombe appeared too tardy and tedious to you wherein truly you take pleasure to deceiue your selues Do not so flatter your selues my Dames you must needs dy there is nothing in you that dyes not euery howre Your fayre golden hayre which you dayly so put vnto the torture of the iron doth euen dy by little little with you For in changing its apparence it becomes of the colour of Death The wrinckles of age do soyle the polished glasse of your brow for to marre its beauty and grace Your fayre Eyes which I will heere terme two Sunnes for to please you do run like to the Sunne without cease vnto their last West whither Death conducts thē through the help of their proper light The Lyllies of your Cheekes do wither euery houre and the Gilliflowers of your lips do fade euery moment The Iuory of your teeth corrupts with the breath of tyme and of age The snow of your Necke melts and all the louely qualityes of your spirit wax old in their continuall decay I admit you to be more beautifull then Helena Helena is no more she is euen passed away like a flower and you are iust in the same way of her ruine Her charmes did rauish the whole world your bayts subdue the best part of mortalls but as all is dead with her so all dyes with you The tyme of her Empyre is expired that of your Raigne runnes alwayes away She hath beene she hath liued they haue admired her with astonishment they haue honoured her with sacrifices but all the Temples of her glory are demolished all the Aultars are ruined all the Idolatours are reduced to ashes scarcely remaynes there any memory of these things since euen the very age which hath seene them is buryed with them in the abysses of the passed You must dye my Dames and all those graces wherewith you captiue Spirits shall neuer obtayne any fauour of Death You must dye and all those enticements wherewith you rauish spirits haue not allurements inough for to violate the lawes of nature You must dye and all those charmes where with you captiue soules haue not the power to charme death in its fury You must dye and all those pretty graces that make you so admirable cannot exempt you from the Tombe nor corruption You must dye and all your perfections together cannot hinder the houre of your death for a moment only You must dye and to speake more playnely to you your golden hayre must needs perish your eyes so cleere fayre must needs make a part of the dunghill of your body The delicate skin of your face must needs discouer it s putrifyed bones and all your beautyes togeather by changing the countenance shal be taking the forme of dust since you are nothing but dust Nor do I feare yet to lye since in effect you are nothing You must dye all your rare Coulises serue but onely to consume you all your Phisitians haue no medicine for to cure the malady of your mortall condition You must dye and therefore are you carefull of your health in vayne since age pardons not any yea you dye liuing and do you what possibly you can do the terme of your lyfe is alwayes slyding You must dye nor do all the moments of the day tell you of any other thing The houres continually strike this verity in your eares the Sun neuer sets without telling you in its fashion how it only foreruns the time of the setting of your lyfe We must dye I say at last for we dye with out cease and after so many sighes of miseryes we must cast forth to the wind the last of our mishaps We must dye the sentence is giuen the execution is made and the same continues euery day before our eyes whēce they are so accustomed to weep We must dye but since there is nothing more certayne we must alwayes be in disposition to dy at all houres since we dye euery moment We must dye but we are to reuiue eternally in glory since we are created but for it only We must dye but we must be reborne agayne from our corruption for not to dye for euer Let vs dy boldly then since needs we must but let vs dye in innocency for to shun the death of death We must dye but we must rise agayne before that soueraygne Iudge who is to giue vs the recompence of our trauayles or els to impose the payne of our crimes vpon vs. We must dye but it is but for once and of that onely moment depends our whole vnhappines or felicity We must dye but we must yield accompt of the lyfe past to receyue the guerdon or paine which is due thereto for euer We must dy and to delyuer vs happily from the daunger of this sweet necessity must we liue well You must dye you Soules of the world ech one seemes to cary his tombe with him Laugh you alwayes sing continually be you euery day at your banquets and take your sports in a continuall chase of diuers pleasures after all which notwithstāding must
belieued that he was Inuincible yet could Death know wel how to find the defect of his Armes like as that of Achilles Nero would needs be adored but he was sacrificed in punishmēt of his crime Cresus the richest of all men carried nothing into his Tōbe but this only griefe of hauing had so much Treasure so little Vertue his riches exempted him not ◠whit from the euils wherof our life is full and at the end of his terme he dyed as others with the Pouerty incident thereunto Cesar Pyrhus and Pompey who had so many markes of Immortality had the worse sort of Death since they al three were vnhappily cōstrayned to render their lyues to the assaultes of a most precipitous Death The which doth let vs see very sensibly how things that seeme to vs most durable do vanish as lightning after they haue giuen vs some admiration of their being The wise men as well as the valiant all slaues of one and the selfe same fortune haue payed the same Tribute to nature Plato Socrates Aristotle may well cause a talke of them but that is all for with their learning they haue yet beene ignorant of the Truth They haue loued their memory a great deale more then themselus following a false opinion for to please that of others wherewith they were puffed vp in all their Actions They are passed away notwithstanding and their diuine Spirits haue neuer beene able to obtaine this dispensation of the Destinies to cōmunicate their diuinity to bodies which they haue viuified so as there is nothing left of them but a little dust which the aire and wind haue shared betweene them The seauen Sages of Greece are dead with the reputation of their worldly wisedome which is a Folly before God They were meere Idolatours of their wordly Prudēce which is a Vertue of the phantasy more worthy of blame then prayse when it hath but Vanity for the obiect As many Philosophers as haue studied to seeke the knowledge of naturall things without lifting the eye a little higher haue let their life runne into a blindnes of malice and haue left nothing behind them but a sad remembrance of their pernicious errours Let vs speake of those meruailous works wherin Nature takes pleasure to giue forth the more excellent essayes of her power I would say of those beauties of the world which rauish hearts before they haue meanes to present them to them As of a Helena of a Cleopatra of a Lucretia of a Penelope and of a Portia All these beauties truely were adorable in the East euen as the Persians Sunne but in the South the feruour of their Sacrificers began to extinguish and in the West they destroyed the very Aultars that were erected to their glory Their Baytes their Charmes their Attractions following in their Nature the course of Roses haue lasted but a day of the Spring they haue vanished with the Subiect wherunto they were tyed nor doth there remaine any more of them then a meere astonishment of their shorte durance Thus it is that the best things run readily to their end Time deuoures all and his greedines is so great as it cannot be satisfied but with deuouring it selfe Who were able to number the men to whome the Sunne hath lent its light since the birth of the world and by that meanes keepe accompt of the proud Citties of the magnificent Pallaces whereof Art hath giuen the Inuention to men to the shame of Nature the imagination is too seely to reach vnto this But. And yet how great soeuer the Name therof be the shadowes of their bodies appeare no more to the light of our daies the steps of their foundations and the memory of their being are buried within the Abysses of Tyme and nothing but Vertue can be said to be exempt from Death All things of the world hauing learned of Nature the language of change neuer speake in their fashion but of their continuall vicissitude The Sunne running from his South to its West seemes to preach in its lāguage nothing els vnto vs but this cruell necessity which constraynes it to fly repose and to cōmence without cease to warpe the lightsome webbe of dayes and length of Ages I admire the Ideas of that Philosopher whiles he would mantayne that all created thinges do find their beginning within the concauity of the Moone without doubt the inconstancy of this Starre afforded him those thoughtes since euery thing subsisting heer beneath is subiect to a continuall flow and ebbe The Heauens tell vs in running round their circles how they pull all with them The Starres illumine not the night but to the comming of the last which is to extinguish their light The Elements as opposits reygne not but within the tyme of the truce which nature afforded them since the ruine of the Chaos and their emnity therefore is yet so great as they are not pleased but with destructiō of all the workes they do If they demaund the Rockes Forests what they are doing they will answere they are a counting their yeares since they can do nothing but grow old The fayrest Springes and the youngest Brookes publish aloud with the language of their warbles and of their sweet murmur that euery thing in the world inseparably pursues the paces of its Course yea the Earth it selfe which is immoueable as the Center where all concludes being not able to stirre to fly far from it selfe lets it selfe to be deuoured by the Ocean the Ocean by Tyme and Tyme by the soueraygne decrees which from all Eternity haue limited its durance S. Augustine endeauouring to seeke out the soueraigne God within Nature demaūded of the Sunne if it were God and this Starre let him see that it borrowed its light from another Sun without Eclypse which shined within the Bower of Eternity He made the like demaūd of the Moone whose visage alwayes inconstant made answere for it and assured this holy Personage that it had nothing diuine but light within it which yet it held in homage of the Torch of day He enquired of the Heauens the selfe same thing but their motion incompatible with an essence purely diuine put him out of doubt How many are there seene of these feeble spirits who seeke the soueraygne God within Greatnesses but what likelyhood is there to find it there Thrones and Empires subsist not but in the spaces which Fortune affords them her bowle serues them as a foūdation Alas what stability can we establish in their being Crownes haue nothing goodly in them but the name only nor rich but apparence for if they knew how much they weighed and if the number of cares thornes which are mingled with the Rubies Pearles wherwith they are enriched could be seene the most vnhappy would be trampling them vnderfoot to auoyd the encounter of new misfortunes Kings and Princes are well the greatest of the Earth but yet not the happiest for that their Greatnes markes their ruyne in
as he stood in competēcy with his brother-in-Law about the Crowne of the whole world at once yet notwithstanding his miseries made him an homicide of himselfe through a stroke of despaire Maximus came to the Empire from the lowest degree of a seruile condition but from the tyme that he was on the ridge of Greatnesse did Fortune make him to descēd so low by the same degrees he mounted vp with as his Misfortunes had no relation with his Prosperities Thus passeth the glory of the world leauing a great deale more astonishment behind then euer it afforded admiration If a great Architect should seeme to perswade vs to belieue that our dwelling house were on the point of falling and that we were in daunger to be buried in its ruines I would imagine with my selfe we should lyue alwaies in payne to auoyd the effects of his presages seeking with all sollicitude the meanes to eschew those perils So as if I turne the Meddall it wil appeare this tottering and ruinous house to be nothing els then that of the world wherof that great Architect who hath layd the first foundations hath affoarded vs the truth of this assurance that it shall fall to ruine very soone The Heauen and the Earth shall passe away What solidity then can we establish heere beneath in this soyle as well of Pouerty as of Infamy since it shakes vnder our feet through its continuall vitissitude The ruines thereof appeare without cease before our eyes in the course of its deficiency our life pursues the same way And neuertheles with what blindnes do we fall a sleep in the ship of our deliciousnes not considering how it floats vpon the stormy sea of the world as abundant in shipwrackes as the land of Mishaps We must neuer turne away our eyes from the obiect of Inconstancy since it is naturall to all that which hath subsistence heere beneath The Monarchy began with the Assyrians It passed to the Persians from the Persians to the Macedonians from the Macedonians to the Romanes and at this day the Empire is in Germany In so much as after that this so famous and illustrious a Crowne shall haue run through the foure corners of the earth it shall resolue into earth following the course of those that shal haue possessed the title eyther by right of hazard or by the right of Birth So as if Heauē Earth do passe whatsoeuer shall beare the image of the creation is cōprized within this reuolution of Ages where all concludes in a last end There is nothing so great in the world as the Hart which contemnes all Greatnesses Tyme as Mayster of all which is in Nature le ts forth Crownes and Scepters to Kings to some for a day to others for a moneth to some others for a yeare and to others for more but after the terme is expired it giues no more dayes one succeds in the place of another vnder one and the selfe same Law of condition Let the infinite number of Kings heere present themselues that haue raygned vpon Earth and if euery one hath had his Crowne it may likewise be sayd that ech hath had his Tombe Then seeke not Greatnesses my Soule but in vertue and in the glorious contempt of things of the Earth Thou seest how Magnificences haue not charmes but for a day their glittering fadeth with their light and what foundation soeuer they haue they carry in their being the Necessity of their ruine To what end shouldst thou raise thy Ambition vpon Thrones if they be States of vnhappines and inconstancy Enuy not Kings their Crownes nor Scepters since it is the title of a transitory glory Felicity cōsists not for to rule with Empire but rather to find repose of life in the condition wherin he is borne And what more sweet repose can one looke for then that of desiring nothing in the world This is a pleasing paine to be alwayes in vnrest to find that soueraigne good which we seeke for I would say that Eternity where delightes are durable in their excesse When thou shouldst be exalted aboue all the Greatnes of the Earth what happines and what contentement would be left thee since the Tyme of their possession glides without respit with the pleasures where with they are quickned In such sort as if at the rising of the sunne thou receyuest Sacrifices in homage at the setting thou shalt find thy selfe stript by Fortune or by Death Fixe not thy thoughts then but on the obiects which hould touch with Tyme nor seeke thou euer to runne after things that fly away Thy immortall nature cannot eye but Eternity sigh then incessantly after its Glory if thou wilt one day haue it in possession There be some who seeke their repose all their pleasure in Riches as if Gould had this Vertue to eternize their contentments Set not thy hart vpon things of the world saith the Apostle When the Poets would speake of Riches they put before vs the Gould of the riuers of Hebrus and Paectolus to let vs see how they fly away from our eyes as the waters Put case a man should possesse all the treasures of the earth yet should he not seeme to be richer awhit for all that since he were but the guardian and not the owner of those treasures Riches consist not in possessing much but rather in contenting ones selfe with a little Cresus could neuer satisfy his couetous desire during his life which induced his enemies to fill his Body with the gould wherewith he could not fill his Soule What Folly to seeke Eternity in Riches where is ordinarily found but Death This very man heere made accompt to stuffe his Coffers with Gould Syluer knew at last that his Treasures were so many fatall Instruments that serued for nothing but to take away his life so as being deceiued in his hopes he became sollicitous to conserue very charily the meanes of his losse of his ruine He therfore that goes to seeke for the Riches of the East puts himselfe to the mercy of the waues and in seeking the repose of his life approaches so neere to Death as he is distant from it no more than the thicknes of the shipboard What feeblenesse of humane Spirit to put in hazard whatsoeuer one holdes most deere on Earth for the purchase of a little Earth I had rather a great deale be Iob on the dunghill then Cresus on the woodpile for the one flouted at Fortune in his miseries and the other had recourse to Solon to repent himselfe for not hauing followed the way of Pouerty rather then that of Riches since the latter led him to Death Crates the Theban considering that he floted without cease within this vast sea of the world despised Riches for feare to suffer Shipwracke with so heauy a fraight The Wheele may well run about but can neuer get forth of the lymits of its Circle so lykewise man may well trauayle runne ouer the