glorious estate but their counseller whose advice they use answereth them for the most part so cunningly that they are nothing the neerer of their purpose The Emperour Nero asked counsell of the Divell how long his reigne should continue hee willed him to beware of sixty foure Nero being then yong was glad to heare that answere thinking the meaning had bin hee should have reigned Emperour until he had bin sixtie foure yeares old But not long after Galba was chosen Emperour against him who was of the age of sixtie and foure and deposed him with losse of his life King Philip of Macedon moved with the like desire sent to Delphos to know his destinie answere was made him by the Oracle of Apollo that hee must take heed of a chariot The king commanded all the carres and chariots in his realme to bee plucked in peeces and such places that did beare that name he would alwayes avoyd and forbeare to come neere them But all that would not serve his turne for Pausanias slue him with a sword that had a chariot graven in the pummell Pope Paulus the third delighted much in Nicromancers being himselfe skilfull in the art and desirous to know his fortune a Necromancer told him that he should be Pope in the yeare one thousand five hundred thirty foure long before it happened in the time of Leo the tenth when there was no likelihood of any such matter and that he should be Pope foureteene yeares at which time hee should end his Popedome with his life which came to passe Whereby it should seeme that the Divell hath a voyce among the Cardinals in the election of the Popes and that God suffereth the Divell sometimes to make Popes and to take it from them againe at his pleasure life and all The humour of glory and desire to rule resteth not onely in the affections of great estates but also is many times found to be in men of base condition And when possibilitie faileth to attaine to honour by rule and authority they covet to win it by some singularitie wherin they would excell others And some feare not to run into a voluntary present death to win fame and glory after this life by some notorious fact without respect of the wickednesse thereof whereof these examples following shall serve for proofe Calanino understanding that the people of Capua a citie in Italy himselfe being a Tribune there were determined to kill the Senatours whom they hated deadly went with them as though he allowed of their enterprise but advertised the Senate before of the peoples resolution and what he would do to save their lives He shut them up fast in a close place as prisoners that they might not bee subject to the fury of the people And when they were assembled together to put their purpose in execution this Calanino told them that seeing they had determined to kill all the Senators they must first devise with themselves who were the worthiest men to supply their places And making as though hee would bring them forth to be killed one after another will yea have quoth he such a one killed first naming him that hee knew they most hated they all allowing it with great gladnesse commended him for his choyce Then sayd he who will ye have to supply his place Then stepped forth divers men of severall trades and occupations every one contending with other to have chosen one of their companie to supply his roome And thus naming all the Senators one after another to be killed and asking them the like questions for supply of their roomes there was such an earnest contention among themselves every one fearing lest one should bee preferred to a more honorable place than the other that they were all content rather to endure and submit themselves to the governement of the old Senatours than any of them should have more honour than others And thus by the wisedome of their Tribune and the envy and emulation of the common people the lives and honours of the Senatours were preserved whom they had determined through hatred and malice to have killed Scinditur incertum studia in contraria vulgus The uncertaine rabble is divided into contrarie opinions What was it but desire of vaine-glory that made Simon Magus that notable Necromancer labor to be singular in that art by doing strange things in the sight of the people he thought by helpe of the Divell to deifie himselfe For which cause his image was set up by Claudius Caesar with this inscription Simoni sancto Deo Which at last wrought his own destruction For as Saint Peter saw him lift himselfe up into the ayre in a great assembly of people making them beleeve hee would ascend up to heaven to the great admiration of them all hee desired God that hee would not suffer him any longer to seduce the world whereupon he fell presently downe head-long and brake his leg whereof he dyed shortly after The like happened to a Saraceo 〈◊〉 Constantinople for when there was at a triumph a great assembly of people beholding certaine justs this Saracen went up to the top of a high turret that stood in the Tilt-yard and bragging that he would flye in the ayre he had provided him a long white garment downe to the foot full of playtes and gatherings made for the purpose to hover in the ayre hee began to flitter with his hands in steede of wings and when hee thought he had soared enough he committed himselfe to the winde and weather and fell downe head-long to the ground and bruised his bones to peeces and like a vaineglorious Coxcombe there ended his life Saint Iohn the Evangelist being banished into the Isle of Pathmos by the Emperor Domitian because by calling upon the name of Iesus Christ he drave away a divell out of the Temple of Diana that seduced the people which had possessed an Idoll there two hundred fortie nine yeares into Ephesus in the which Island Saint Iohn found a notorious fellow called Cynops that by the helpe of the Divell did wonderous things before the people and bragged that hee would raise men that were knowne to bee dead who had gotten such a reputation among them that he was a great hinderance to the Gospell which Saint Iohn preached And as on a time hee had played many strange feats in a great assembly of people standing upon the sea coast Cynops seeing Saint Iohn comming towards them Come on good fellow quoth hee to Saint Iohn thou shalt see more strange things than hath beene yet shewed Saint Iohn standing among them and seeing three evill spirits which had taken upon them the forme and face of men raised out of the sea by Cinops which the people thought had beene men commanded them in the name of Iesus Christ that was crucified not to depart Then Cynops to shew more feats clapt his hands together and leapt into the sea as he had done divers times before where he would tarry
of this disease was so great that there was no roome in the Church-yards to bury the dead and many finding themselues infected with this disease being out of all hope of recouery would presently sow themselues in sheetes looking when death would come to separate the soule from the body These were the whips that God vsed in a generalitie for punishment of sinnes But what would we speake of diseases when Plinie and others write that in two thousand yeeres to their time they haue discouered aboue three hundred diseases to which men are subiect we may say with the Poet Optima quaeque dies miseris mortalibus 〈◊〉 Prima fugii subeunt morbi tristisque senectus Et labor durae rapit inclementia mortis The best dayes of vs miserable men The first are that make haste from vs and then Diseases come with sorrowfull old age Labour and lust Deaths implacable rage Let vs descend to some particular matter which hath happened to men either by the secret iudgement of God or by some rare accidents Popyelus King of Polonia a man of euil life would often wish that he might be deuoured of mice At last as he was sitting at dinner banquetting and 〈◊〉 a company of great mice set vpon him which came from the carkasses of his vncles which he and the Queene his wife had killed with poyson These mice in great heapes assaulted him his wife and children as they sate feasting and neuer left gnawing vpon them day and night though his guard and souldiers did all they could to driue them away great fires were made and the King his wife and children placed in the middest yet notwithstanding the Mice ran thorow the fire and fell to their gnawing againe Then they went into a ship and prooued what the water would doe the Mice followed them and gnawing continually vpon the Ship the Mariners seeing themselues in danger of drowning the water comming in at the holes which the Mice made brought the Ship to land where another companie of Mice ioyned with these and molested them more then before when his followers saw these things perceiuing it to be the Iudgement of God they all fled The King seeing himselfe left alone and those departed that should defend him he went vp into an high tower but the Mice climbed vp and deuoured him his wife and two sonnes By which it appeareth that there is no policie nor power to be vsed against God The Emperour Arnolphus was likewise eaten vp with Lice his Physicions being vnable to giue him any remedy Hotto Bishop of Ments in Germanie perceiuing the poore people in great lacke of victuals by the scarcitie of corne gathered a great many of them together and shut them into a barne and burnt them saying That they differed little from Mice that consumed corne and were profitable to nothing But God left not so great a crueltie vnreuenged for he made Mice assault him in great heapes which neuer left gnawing vpon him night nor day he fled into a Tower which was in the midst of the Riuâ—…r of Rhyne which to this day is called the Tower of Mice of that euent supposing hee should be safe from them in the midst of the Riuer But an innumerable companie of Mice swam ouer the riuer to execute the iust Iudgement of God and deuoured him The like happened to a Bishop of Strasbrough who was also deuoured with mice When Harold King of Denmarke made warre vpon Harquinus and was ready to ioyne battell there was a dart seene in the aire flying this way and that way as though it sought vpon whom to light And when all men stood wondering what would become of this strange matter euery man fearing himselfe at last the dart fell vpon Harquinus head and slew him An Italian Gentleman being vniustly condemned to die as it was thought by Pope Clement the fift at the request of Philip the faire King of France seeing them both out of a window speaketh to them aloud in this sort Thou cruell Clement for as much as there is no iudge in the world before whom a man may appeale from that vniust sentence which thou hast pronounced against me I appeale from thee as from an vniust Iudge to the iust Iudge Iesus Christ before whom I summon thee and likewise thee King Philip at whose suite thou hast giuen iudgement of death vpon me within one yeere to appeare before the Tribunall seat of God where I shall plead my cause which shall be determined without couetousnesse or any other passion as yee haue done It chanced that about the end of the time by him prefixed both the Pope and the King dyed The like happened to Ferdinando the fourth King of Castile who puttìng to death two knights rather through anger then iustice whose fauour could not be obtained neither by weeping and lamenting nor by any petitions they summoned the King to appeare before the Tribunall seat of Christ within thirtie daies the last of which the King died A Captaine likewise of the Gallies of the Genowayes tooke a vessell the Captaine whereof neuer did harme to the Genowayes yet for the hatred that the Captaine of the Genowayes did beare to his Nation he commanded him to be hanged And when no petitions nor prayers would be heard nor excuses allowed nor any mercy would be found hee said to this cruell Captaine that he did appeale to God that punisheth the vniust and summoned him to appeare at a certaine day appointed to render account before God of the wrong he had done him the very same day that he appointed the Captain of the Genowayes dyed of like went to yeeld his account A strange example likewise by a false accusation of an Archbishop of Mentz called Henry This man was indued with many vertues and had great care of his flocke and would punish seuerely publike sinners which procured the hatred of many wicked persons who accused him to the Pope as a man insufficient for his charge laying many faults against him The Pope holding a good opinion of the Bishop aduertised him of it who to purge himselfe and to declare his innocency made choise among all his friends of one Arnand whom he loued dearely and aduanced to many dignities to go to Rome This man being rich intending to depriue his master and to occupie his place suborned two wicked Cardinals with a great summe of money to fauour his practice when he came to answer for his master hee confessed how much bound he was to him yet he was more bound to God and to the truth then to men and said that the accusations laid against the Bishop were true By meanes whereof the Pope sent the two corrupted Cardinals to heate determine the Bishops cause when they came into Germanie they sent for the Archbishop and vpon hearing of his cause depriued him of his dignities and placed Arnand in his roome The Bishop being present at
seeme to you happy or vnhappy I know not because I was neuer conuersant with him but what if you had had his company would you then know him Can you take knowledge of his felicity by no other meanes No truly Then it seemeth ô Socrates that you will say likewise I cannot tell whether the great King of Persia bee happy or not and so it is true for I know not how he is instructed with learning or with iustice Doth all felicity consists in this Truly by mine opinion for I account that man or woman that is honest and good to be happy and him that is vniust and vnhonest vnhappy Then according to your words Archelaus is vnhappy Yea surely if he be vniust and vnhonest Thus much of Socrates Yet negligence is to be auoided and prouidence without ouermuch care and possession without feare is necessary and requisite It is a wise mans part to put aside dangerous things before they come to do hurt for the losse or harme a man receiueth by his own fault is more grieuous then that which happeneth to him by another man Thucidides saith It is no shame for a man to confesse his pouerty but it is a shame to fall into it by his owne fault He must haue all things premeditate that happeneth to men and thinke the same may fall vpon him for the things that are foreseene before pierce not so deepely as that which commeth suddenly and taketh a man vnwares He that will make his life pleasant must not take ouermuch care to prouide for it neither can any man take full pleasure of any thing except he haue a minde prepared for the losse of it One proâ—…steth by long study to haue learned this to contemne mortall things and not to bee ignorant of his ignorance Death is to all men by nature terrible but to a Christian that knoweth with how great an aduantage hee changeth his estate it ought to bee had in contempt whereof the heathens that knew not God nor what should become of them made little account who for friuolous causes would offer themselues voluntarily to die whose examples though they be not to be followed but auoyded as an vnlawfull and vnnaturall act yet they may serue to perswade men the rather to discharge themselues of all feare of death that haue an assured hope certaine knowledge to possesse the vnspeakable ioyes of heauen when the Infidels through a vaine hope of a better life wherein neuerthelesse they were deceiued would often make choise of a voluntary death CleoÌ„brotus hauing read Plato his booke of the immortality of the Soule wherein he disswadeth men from the ouermuch loue of this life thinking he had found the ready way to deliuer his soule out of prison cast himselfe downe headlong from a high wall and brake his necke They haue a custome in Narsinga that when the men die their wiues be buried aliue with them that with great solemnity and ioy when the king is dead there is a pile of wood of a most pleasant sauour set on fire the kings carkeise carried into it and then all his concubines whereof he hath great store and all his familiar friends and fauourites and such of his seruants as were in estimation with him are likewise carried into that pile of wood to which place they go with such haste ioy to be burnt that to accompany their king in that kind of death they seeme to esteeme it the greatest honour and felicity that can happen to them The Indians by custome doe marry many wiues and when the husband is dead there is great contention among his wiues which of them he loued best that she may be buried with him then she that hath iudgement with her with great ioy merry countenance is led by her friends to the place and casting her selfe into the fire vpon her husband is burnt with him as a most happy woman the rest remaining leading a sorrowfull life There hath been a people dwelling by the mountaines called Rifei who hold this for a custome when they come to the age of 50 They make great piles of wood and put fire to them there burne themselues aliue and sacrifice to their gods and the same day the kinsfolke children make a great feast and do eate their flesh halfe burnt and drinke with wine the dust of their bones How much lesse then should Christians feare death when it pleaseth God to send for them that hope for a crowne of glory after this life They make a good bargaine that with the death of the body seeke the saluation of their Soule Plato saith All the life of wise men is the meditation vpon death that men ought not to be carefull to liue long but to liue well For the honourable age saith Saâ—…mon is not that which is of long time neither that which is measured by the number of yeeres but wisedome is the gray haire an vndefiled life is the old age And Euripides saith This life is life by name but in very deed labour Death is not a torment but a rest and end of all mans miseries and labours And Seneca Before old age come a man should learne to liue well and in old age to die well But the day of our death saith Gregory our Creator would not haue knowne to vs that the same being alwayes vnknown may be alwayes thought to be at hand and that euery man should be so much the more feruent in operation by how much hee is vncertaine of his vocation that whilest we be vncertaine when we shall die wee may alwayes come prepared to death And because that is so certaine a thing that no man can escape it shall bee good alwayes to thinke vpon death especially in the time of prosperity â—…or the thinking often thereof will bridle and restraine all other cuill thoughts and desires of worldly vanities for in prosperity we forget humane srailty It is reported that the Emperour Charles the fift fiue yeeres before he died euen when he was occupied in his greatest affaires caused a sepulcher to be made with all things appertaining to it that was necessary for his buriall being dead and that secretly lest it might be taken for ostentation or hypocrisie which things he had closely carried with him whithersoeuer he went fiue yeeres together some thinking there had been some great treasure in it some other that there had been bookes of old stories some thought one thing some another but the Emperour smiling said that he carried it about with him for the vse of a thing to him aboue all others most precious In that sort he seemed to set death alwayes before his eyes that the coÌ„tinuall remeÌ„brance therof might driue from his heart the vaine pompe pride of this world Let vs imagine that we see a maÌ„ of mean estate whose mind is cleansed from all perturbations vnquietnes that hath
sensitive and understanding Now let us see in which of these wee may lay the end or felicity of mā The soul giveth life to the body the perfection of life is health If we respect nothing else in this life then he that was first created healthfull had nothing wherewith to occupy himselfe But if sithence our corruption our principall care ought to bee of our health what thing is more unhappy than a man whose felicity standeth upon so false and feeble a ground Seeing the body is subject to an infinite number of perils of hurts of mischances weak and fraile alwaies uncertaine of life and most certaine of death which commeth to him by many means and wayes who is he that is so sound of body or so feeble of mind that if his choise be given him will not rather chuse a sound mind in a sickely body than a little frenzie or imperfection of mind in a very healthful body In the mind therfore our chiefe good must be seeing we be willing to redeem the perfect estate of our mindswth the miseries of our bodies Next unto this is the sensitive part whose felicity seemeth to bee in pleasure but then were beasts more happy than men that feele pleasures more sweetly and fully And how soone are these pleasures ended with repentance also It pleased the gods said Plautus that sorrow should follow pleasure as a companion But wee seeke for the greatest or soveraigne good and if it be good it will amend men aud make them better But what doth more weaken and corrupt men than pleasures and what doth lesse satisfie men and more weary them But wee looke not for that which doth finish but that continueth our delight whereas these pleasures contrariwise soone decay and quickly spoyle us As Petrarke saith Extrema gaudii luctus occupat The extremity of joy and pleasure sorrow doth possesse The delight of the mind is greater and more meet for a man and more agreeable to his end than the pleasures of the senses And if choyce be given to him that hath passed all his life in pleasures and hath but a few houres to come either to enjoy the fairest curtisan in Rome or else to deliver his countrey who is so beastly or barbarous that will not presently chuse rather to delight his mind with so noble an act than to satisfie his senses with pleasure And to conclude the place of pleasures is in the senses which are decayed taken away by sicknesse by wounds by old age And if these pleasures that be exercised by the sensitive part will not sooner be abated yet death will utterly extinguish them But seeing man hath two kindes of life mortall and immortall the one of which he preferreth as farre the better before the other we must not seeke for such an end or good as perish both together but such as maketh men happy indeed everlasting and immortall which cannot be found in these transitory things Now followeth the third part of the soule which is understanding which is occupied sometimes in it selfe sometimes in the matters of the world and other while in the contemplation study of divine things Of these three operatiōs springeth three habits vertue prudence sapience And seeing that understanding is the most excellent thing in man let us see in which of these we may place our soveraigne good For in this part of the soul the end beatitude of man must needs consist for what thing can be imagined beyond man beyond the world beyond the Creator of both That vertue cannot be his end or soveraigne good hath bin shewed before For vertue is nothing but the tranquility quietnes of the affections what be affections but a sodaine tempest in the soule that are raised by a very smal wind which overthrow the mightiest ship that is in a moment and maketh the most skilfull mariners to strike saile and reason it selfe to give over the stern And if our end of felicity should be in vertue what were more miserable than man that must fight continually against his affections which neverthelesse will not be overcome as the mariners labour to save themselves in a tempest from the raging of the sea that gapeth every moment to devoure them So that in this life vertue cannot bring us to felicity and in the other life it can stand us in no stead where wee shall have no affections Therefore vertue cannot bee our end or Soveraigne good Neither is prudence the thing we seeke for which is nothing but the right use of reason in exercising the affaires of this world And what bee the affaires of this world but contention strifes sutes warres bloudshed spoile murders burnings and sackings of townes and countries with an infinite number of such like stuffe Neither can they that have the charge of government in common-wealths which are all subject to these things be accounted happy but they rather are happy that are defended from them by their cares and unqui◅nesse for the Physitians care is more profitable to the f◅che body than to himselfe Besides that men are turned to dust and the world will be destroyed but the soule liveth and forsaketh these kind of affaires Therefore prudence cannot bee the end and felicity of man that is included within the limits of this world CHAP. II. Divine co◅ the best wisedome That our greatest knowledge is ◅eere ignorance Of wonderfull and strange secrets in nature The excellency of faith Religion our reconciliation to God All nations acknowledge a supreame Deity That no vertues are vertues that swerve from religion and godlinesse Of the only true religion Salvation of man the only true beatitude Markes by which the true religion is knowne The necessity of a Mediatour Who and what our Mediatour is And that the soveraigne beatitude is onely to be attained unto by our blessed Saviour Christ Iesus the Righteous LEt vs now examine sapience after Morney as we have done the rest or that part of wisedome which is conversant in the contemplation of God and divine matters for that in all mens judgements seemeth to bee a mostexcellent thing By instinct of nature every man knoweth that there is a God for the workes of God doe present him continually to us But how should we enter throughly into the knowledge of the Creator of all things when we know not the things before our eyes Socrates confessed freely that he knew this one thing That he knew nothing Which confession as himselfe thought was the cause he was by the Oracle called the wisest man of his time And Porphyrius said that all Philosophy was but a conjecture or light perswasion delivered from one to another and nothing in it that was not doubtfull and disputable But he that knoweth God in this wherein is hee the more happy Reason sheweth us that God is good that he is just that hee loveth the good and hateth the evill Our conscience whispereth us in the
of their pleasant instruments their sweet wine the mony also which they have in their purses commeth from thence And that they may have the fruition of these pleasures at the full they make themselves Prelates of Churches This is not sayth he to adorne the spouse of Iesus Christ but this is to risle her this is not to preserve her but to destroy her this is not to defend her but to give her to theeves for a prey The magnificence of these men was farre differing from the poore estate of Saint Peter and Saint Iohn that had not a penny to give to the lame man that asked their almes at the Church dore Which putt◅th me in minde of a pretty taunt given to a Pope by a Frier that glorying in his riches exalted himselfe above Saint Peter Pope Sixtus the fourth being exalted from a poore Franciscane Frier to that dignitie brought a Frier of the same order into his Treasurie and shewing to him his great wealth and riches sayd Looke Frier I cannot say as Saint Peter did Gold and silver have I none No truely quoth the Frier no more can you say as Saint Peter sayd to the lame and sicke of the palsey Arise up and walke The like taunt the Archbishop of Cullen received for the like pride of a poore husbandmā who as he was at plough in the fields seeing a great troupe of horse-men well armed after the manner of the Princes of Germany passing by asked of the formost company who it was that came after being answered that it was the Archbishop of Cullen this countrie fellow fell into a great laughing and being asked why hee laughed Because quoth he Saint Peter the Prince of Prelates lived poorely to leave his successours rich Word being brought to the Archbishop what this fellow had sayd hee meaning to excuse justifie himselfe Doest thou not know quoth he that I am both a Bishop and a Duke and have both the jurisdictions Thē the fellow laughed more than he did before and being demanded the cause I pray you Sir quoth hee let mee aske you this question If the Duke shall happen to be in hell where shall the Bishop be One reporteth of a Priest that used to have a net spread upon his table where he dined that he might the rather by that meanes resemble Saint Peter that was a Fisherman to whom Christ sayd when hee followed him that he should take men This Priest by his diligent preaching which hee used so long as he was kept bare was at last advanced to a Bishopricke and when he came home to dinner being a Bishop finding the net spread upon his table after his usuall manner Now take away the net quoth hee to his servant I have taken that which I fished for The world hath too many such fishers But where hath beene found in these latter ages among Prelates that contempt of worldly pompe and pride that was in that great Clerke Origen the fame of whose excellent learning and singlenesse of life being brought to the ◅ares of Alexander Severus the Roman Emperour he sent for him to come to Rome and commanded the Proyost of Egypt to furnish him with all things necessary for his journey When this Provost had provided him a ship and all things necessary and beheld him but simply apparelled he prepared for him divers garments in the most honest and comely sort that Philosophers then used But Origen would receive no part thereof not so much as hose or shooes but like as hee used alwayes to goe from his child-hood that was in a single garment of cloath and bare-foot so went he to Rome And when at his arrivall there were brought to him a Mule and a Chariot to use which hee best liked he answered That he was much lesse than his master Christ who rode but one day in all his life and that was upon a silly asse◅mare And therefore he would not ride unlesse he were sicke or decrepit so as his legges might not serve him to goe And when hee was brought into the presence of the Emperour and his mother the Emperour with most gentle countenance embraced him as he kneeled and enforced him to stand upon his feet His mother also saluted him with the like courtesie and rejoyced much to see him The Emperour beholding his native gravitie and sterne countenance judged him in his heart to bee a reverent personage Then demanded he of him what he professed And when hee answered Veritie the Emperour asked him what he meant thereby It is the word quoth he of the living God which is infallible The Emperour asked which is the living God and why hee so called him Origen answered that hee did put that distinction for a difference from them whom men being long drowned in errour did call their gods whom they confesse to be mortall once and to have died But the God whom he preached was ever living and never died and is the life of all things that bee like as hee was the creatour of them And when the Emperour had required him to declare the unitie of God the creatour hee devoutly lifting up his eyes after a short meditation with an incomparable and compendious eloquence forthwith opened that mystery in such wise that as well to the Emperor his mother as to all the standers by it seemed they were brought out of a long sleepe and then began to see things as they were indeed and that which before they honoured and esteemed were but vaine dreames and imaginations The Emperour after a little pawse sayd to Origen that hee much marvelled why men of such great and wonderfull knowledge should honour for God a man that was crucified being but of a poore estate and condition O noble Emperour sayd Origen consider what honour the wise Athenians at this present doe to the name and image of Codrus their last King for that when they had warres with their enemies who had answer made by the Oracle of Apollo that if they slew not the King of Athens they should have the victorie Codrus hearing thereof preferring the safeguard of his people before his owne life tooke to him the garments of a slave and bearing upon his shoulder a burden of stickes he went to his enemies campe and there quarelling of purpose with some of them and in the prease hurting one with his knife he was by him that was hurt striken through the body and slain which being known to the enemies they being confused raised their campe and departed And for this cause the Athenians have ever since had the name of Codrus in reverence worthily and not without cause Now then consider most excellent Prince how much more worthily with what greater reason and bounden dutie ought wee and all men to honour Christ being the Sonne of God and God who not only to preserve mankind from danger of the Divell his ancient enemy but also to deliver man out of his darke and stinking dungeon
give over untill hee had run one course more and looking round about seeing almost none left he called Count Mongomery to him that was Captaine of his guard and commanded him to goe to the end of the Tilt but hee refusing to runne against him desired to be pardoned but the King his destinie drawing him strongly to his end would allow no excuse but putting the staffe in Mongomeries hand that killed him willed him to go to the end of the tilt hee would breake one staffe more before hee departed As they ran 〈◊〉 brake the staffe upon the King with a counterbuffe that the splinters ran into his eye and up toward his braine so as languishing a few daâ—…s he dyed Thus he that thought himselfe by the alliaâ—… of this mightie Prince to bee advanced to great glorie wherein by his new title he seemed to set his felicitie was taken away by the Captaine of his guard that was appointed for his defence in the beginning of his supposed happinesse Sâ—…ctransit transit gloria mundi This strange death of the Kings seemed to be fatall and was presaged before by Ganricus an Italian Astronomer who wrote to the King five yeares before that he had calculated his nativitie that the heavens threatned him in the yeare in which hee should be one and fortie a dangerous wound in the head by which hee should bee either striken blinde or dead both which came to passe therefore hee advised him that yeare to bew are of tilâ—…s tourneys such like pastimes Likewise Nostradamus told some of his friends secretly that the King would be in great danger of his life at the triumph which made them the more attentively behold the same to see the event There was also a child of sixe yeares old brought thither with his father to see the Iustes which boy as hee saw them run to breake their staves would alwaies cry out without ceasing They will kill the King they will kill the King But what danger soever followeth or what care or trouble is in comming by it there are very few examples of them that have refused honour and rule when they have had opportunitie meanes to attaine it But an infinite number of examples of them that by unlawfull means have sought rule to their owne destruction And no part of the world can afford more than the Romane Empire where within the space of one hundred yeares â—…n which were 〈◊〉 and thirteene 〈◊〉 there were but three that dyed in their beds by sicknesse all the 〈◊〉 suffred violent death In the Reign of Galienns there were 〈◊〉 that usurped the name of Emperour The Romanes had a custome to have certaine bands of choice men lodged without thâ—… wals of the Citie of Rome for the guard of their Emperours which they called Pretorian souldiers who by the negligence of some evill Emperours forgetting their old discipline grew so licentious that they used to kill such of their Emperours though they had beene beneficiall to them for whose defence they were appointed as went about to reforme their rapines and dissolute manners and advance others in their places For this hath been alwaies the manners of men to bee moved rather with the hope of a good turne to come than with the remembrance of a benefit already received and to depend rather upon them whose power and reputation they see doth increase than upon them that bee at the highest and have no possibilitie to climbe higher Pertinax was the sonne of a slave that was made free and being trained up in the warres through his vertue and valour hee obtained to the highest dignities in the Romane Empire and after Commodus the cruell Tyrant was slaine hee was made Emperour But after hee had reigned some three moneths to the great liking of the Senate and people of Rome the Pretorian souldiers finding his severitie not so fit for their purpose as the libertie they enjoyed by his Predecessour Commodus certaine of them conspired against him went armed through the Citie of Rome to his Palace with their halberds and swords drawne whereof the Emperour being advertised sent to the Captaine of the 〈◊〉 bands who brought him the first newes of Commodus death whereof he was the principall Author and cause of this mans election to the Imperiall crowne that hee would appease the souldiers but he was so farre from disswading them that hee rather allowed of the enterprise following the common course of tho world and as the Poet saith Dum fueris felix multos â—…merabis amicos Tempor a si fuerint nubila solus â—…ris Whilst happy thou hast many friends but try Them in foule weather and away they fly The Emperour thinking it not agreeable with the majestie of his estate nor answerable to his vertues and former valour by which hee was advanced to so many dignities to flye or hide himselfe as he was counselled hee came forth boldly to the souldiers hoping by his authoritie and majestie of his person to appease them And after hee had demanded of them the cause of their comming in this disordered sort My souldiers quoth he if you come to kill me you shall doe no great or valiant act nor a matter to me very grievous that am so striken in age and have gotten such honour and fame that death cannot much trouble me who am not ignorant that the life of man must have an end But take yee heed that it be not infamous to your selves first to lay hands upon your Emperour that hath done you no harme whose person is committed to your guard defence from all treason violence I may not flye that which the destinies have ordained neither that which you have determined But if this be my last day fatall houre I pray the immortal Gods that the vengeance of the innocent bloud which shall bee fhed of me fall not upon my mother Rome but that every one of you doe feele it in his person his house And though some of the souldiers when Pertinax came to the point to speak these words were moved with the authority and grave words of the good Emperour and were about to retire yet the rest that came after pursued their furious intent and especially one Tuncius seeing all men refusing to kill Pertinax he thrust a launce thorow the middest of his bodie with which wound Pertinax fell to the ground Which being done they cut off his head and put it on a launce and carried it through the streets of Rome and returned againe to their campe with the like speede as they came forth which they fortified and prepared themselves for defence fearing the 〈◊〉 of the people of whom Pertinax they knew was well beloved But after a day or two when they saw that none sought to revenge his death they gathered to them a more boldnesse and by a rare example the like wherof was never heard before the souldiers standing upon the walls of their
doest thou thinke I pitie thee it rather grieveth me to see such a slave as thou art who deservest to grow old and to dye like a Tyrant as thy father did than to live here among us so pleasantly and to passe thy time in securitie without feare Whereby the Philosophers meaning was that hee lived then more happily being a private man voyde of feare and perill than he did before in his kingdome which was full of feare and trouble The infelicitie which many times accompanieth great estates and frequenteth places of honour was well fore-scene of Tâ—…us the goâ—…d Emperour of Rome For as he made a feast one day to the contentment of everie man using a cheerefull countenance in the end of the banquet he strake himselfe upon the breast at the table and withall â—…tched a great sigh And when his favorites desired to know the cause I cannot quoth he refraine sighing when I call to minde that this great honour which I have dependeth upon the will of fortune that my estates and dignities are as it were in sequestration and my life as it were laide in pawne and pledge to me Words of like effect were uttered by 〈◊〉 to Nerva when hee was chosen Emperour For when all men came to doe reverence to him as their Lord and Emperour and to congratulate and rejoyce with him wishing him good successe and fortune as the manner is onely Arrius a very wise and grave man a faithfull friend to Nerva used another forme of speech considering with a more deepe meditation than the rest what a great charge and full of perill it was to reigne My friend Nerva sayd he that thou hast taken upon thee the governement of the Empire either it is some curse from thy predecessours or some vengeance that the gods will take of thee seeing they suffer thee to take the Empire and at the time thou hast most need of counsell they bereave thee of thy sound and good judgement And surely Nerva sayd Arrius that thou art exalted into this throne I attribute it to the good fortune of the Senate and the people of Rome and to all the Empire and not to thine For as thou hast through thy vertue and wisdome escaped with so great honour credit from the hands of so many evill Princes that went before thee so now the same hath made thee subject to an infinite number of cares and perills and above all the rest to the infamy and hatred of thine enemies and much more of thy friends For these thinking in their own judgement that they have deserved all things as due to them in respect of old friendship if any thing be denied them though unjust that they shall aske they will become more cruell enemies than those that have so disordered themselves And when Pertinax was to be elected Emperour and went up to the Capitoll he would in no wise sit in the chaire of estate but tooke the Consull Glabrion by the arme by strong hand would have placed him in the same as the worthier man But he refusing and perswading 〈◊〉 with all the Senate to accept the Empire which was so much against his wil and liking as appeared by the pitifull lamentation he made and abundance of teares hee shed that they placed him in a manner by force in the chaire And when hee saw no remedy nor resistance against their 〈◊〉 hee made an Oration to the Senate and amongst many other things spake thus When I began to hold offices in the Common-wealth I thought it most certaine that it was no humane matter but a divine dignitie to bee a Romane Emperour but after I had tasted of the travels of commandement and of authoritie and understood the peril to reigne I did cleerely see that amongst all the travels of men to bee an Emperour is the greatest Untill this day I have had some 〈◊〉 but from henceforth I shall bee constrained to live discontented because from the travell and 〈◊〉 of the â—…nce peace quietnesse proceedeth to the CoÌ„mon-wealth The office of a Prince is not to sleepe but to watch not to be idle but to travell for that every excessive recreation which his person taketh forthwith redoundeth to the prejudice of the Common-wealth Untill this day have I been well liked served and reverenced but from henceforth all men for the most part shall beare mee envie because the estate of Princes is so envied that thâ—…sea shall want sand to reckon his enemies but the number of his fingers of one hand shall exceed to point out his friends Hee used often to say that in all his life he never committed the like fault as when he accepted the Empire and many times hee moâ—…oned to leave the same and to returne unto his housâ—… and would thus recomfort 〈◊〉 That forasinuch as hee was of so great age he should not long live but bee delivered of this redious life Perâ—…nax had a son whom after he was Emperor he would not suffer to come to the Court nor yet to Rome but held him in his countrey following his owne affaires which moved the Consull to say to Pertinax that he seemed rather the sonne of a labourer than of an Emperour Whereupon he listup his eyes to heaven and with a great sigh sayd My mother Rome hath cause to be contented that I offer and put â—…y life in danger for her sake without venturing my sonne and house in like danger Whereby it appeareth he esteemed himselfe for most unhappy to be established in the Empire and his sonne to bee in great felicitie being free from the same CHAP. II. The Emperour Trajans opinion concerning Principalitie and Empire The like of Marcus Aurelius Emperour of the Empire Saturninus and his death The modesty of Sylla the Dictator and Carolus Martellus The History of Dioclesian The instabilitie of Fortune prâ—…ved by Iustinian the second The contention of Sergius and Formosus about the Pope-dome Of Pope Iohn the thirteenth and others Of Bajazet Emperour of the Turkes The historie of Darius and Alexander of Baltazar Cossa Pope and his miserable death Flattery rewarded by Antonius and Commodus Emperors The stories of divers Popes Of the Cardinal of Loreyne and of Martin Luther THe Emperour Trajane seemed to be of opinion that the greatest felicitie is not found in the greatest estate by a letter which hee wrote to the Senate of Rome being new chosen Emperour where among other things hee writeth thus Ye know that albeit I was nephew to our predecessor yet I never solicited him for the kingdome and much lesse occupied my thoughts to hope for it having learned of my master Plutarch that honour ought rather to bee deserved than purchased And as I will not denie but that a kingdome is a sweet prey that the present of so high and excellent dignity was welcome to mee with inward gladnesse so also I cannot but confesse that I find great difference between the travels of a kingdome and the
enemies were all slaine saving the captaine and some thirty more which saved themselves for the time upon a little hil which they defended against the whole army But seeing that they were not able to prevaile the captaine chusing rather to die by his own hands than to suffer his enemies to have the honour of such a revenge tooke his two sons that were between fifteen eighteen yeare old slue first them in the sight of the army then himselfe The rest of the souldiours seeing the noble courage of their captaine charged their great peeces after they had 〈◊〉 the spoile rather than they would fall into their enemies hands suffer an ignominious death they staÌ„ding at the mouthes of the great peeces put fire to them and 〈◊〉 themselves the King all the army beholding the matter and highly commending the valour and noble minds of the Turkes By these examples it may appeare what estimation men ought to make of worldly honor and glory that is gotten by rule and principality when a poore Priest in a short time was able to dispossesse many kings of their kingdomes and to make himselfe a mighty Monarch of them all And when he was in the judgement of men in the highest degree of felicity a handfull of men of his owne guard could in his owne pavilion in the middest of his army and forces secure and free from all imagination of perill put him and his nobility with his principal Captaines to the sword and had escaped without any harme or let inriched with a great prey if they had passed on their journey all at their â—…ase and had notbin so carelesse to attend their enemies comming which they might easily have prevented Divers other Hermites of Mahomets sect about the same time both in Affrica and Asia excited with the like desire of glory attempted the like enterprises and attayned to great matters to their owne harme to others though not altogether with like successe This principality and rule made the Iewes the chosen people of God despise his helpe and favour that had done so many wonderfull things for them For a Iew having gathered together two hundred thousand men of that nation they trusted so much to their owne forces that every man did cut off one of his fingers and when they were to joyne in battell with their enemies their Generall pronounced these words Lord of the world helpe us not seeing thou hast rejected us And more than this there were divers of the same nation in the age wherein Christ was borne knowing by the 〈◊〉 Prophecies that the time was come in which the 〈◊〉 must shew himselfe to the world that 〈◊〉 themselves to be Christ but their lives and doctrine 〈◊〉 almost the memory of them vanished away like smoke notwithstanding they had many followers and were maintained by the authority of their principal doctors But these Infidels and Iewes are not so much to be â—…velled at that sought glory with so great hypocrisie if we behold the wicked mind of a Christian in our age that through an excessive desire of glory went about to perswade men that he was the very Messias This man was of Frizeland named George David he called himselfe a new prophet and the nephew of God he feined to have talke with wild beasts and birds in all manner of languages and that they brought him meat for his sustenaÌ„ce And among other his vanities and toyes he said that heaven was altogether empty and that he was sent to adopt men to be sonnes and inheritours of the kingdome of heaven That the Divell is the authour of these horrible and hainous offences committed by men to the dishonour of God and destruction of themselves by his instigation and stirring up their minds to the desire of vaineglorie may something appeare by this strange historie reported by Licosthenes in his Prodigâ—… By which men may be warned to beware of the subtill devices practices of that old Serpent that 〈◊〉 coÌ„tinually in weight whom he may devoure who if he can find no 〈◊〉 â—…ment among men to serve his purpose can by 〈◊〉 sufferance as it should seeme 〈◊〉 himselfe or possesse infants and doe wonderfull things by his false shews of counterfeit miracles and crafty illusions to 〈◊〉 the world In the kingdom of Babylon the vij day of March in the 〈◊〉 1532. a child was borne of a meaâ—… woman whose favour and forme was good and wel proportioned but his eyes and teeth shined contrary to nature At the houre of his birth not onely the elements but all the powers of the heavens were moved and shewod forth terrible and fearefull signes For at midnight the Sun was seene to shine bright as if it had bin day and after it was turned into darkenesse againe so as it was not seene in Babylon which is not noted for a miracle the space of a whole day the Sunne was seene againe with starres of strange figures and of divers kinds wandring up downe in the element Over the house where the child was born besides other signs fire was seene fall from the ayre that killed men The next day the Sunne was eclipsed the weather being very tempestuous it rained pearles The third day a firie Dragon was seene to flye about Babylon There appeared also a new hill exceeding in height other hills which was by and by divided into two parts in the middest whereof was found apillar wherein was written in Greeke The houre of the nativity is come the end of the world is at hand The xiij houre after his birth a voice was heard crying in the aire Prepare your hearts to receive and blessed are they that keepe his word After this child had lived two moneths hee brake out in speech like an old man and professed himselfe to be the son of God And being asked what these signes did preâ—… The pearles that fell from the element he said did 〈◊〉 the people that would beleeve his word the flying 〈◊〉 signified his adversaries He healed all 〈◊〉 he restored sight to the blind hee revived the 〈◊〉 with his word and professing himself to be a true interpreter of the holy Scripture secret mysteries he was through all Babylon contrary to the laws of their couâ—… adored and worshipped for a God Thus will Sathan never leave to use the helpe of men as instruments to oppose himselfe against God and to draw them from true obedience to the destruction both of their body soule For to beleeve that there be no Spirits as I heare there be such in these daies or that they shew not themselves to men in divers figures worke not things here in the earth among men and in the ayre above us contrary to the opinion of so many learned men of divers ages and to common experience of all times is meere ignorance and wilfull obstinacy and the next way to atheisme 〈◊〉 an excellent learned man was also
to enter into their Countrey saying that if kingdomes grow rich by trading with strangers they become poor of their proper vertues Wee cannot say with the Poet Câ—…lum non animors mntant qui trant more current Though forraine seas you passe and nations strange Yet t is the Climate not the minde you change For we change both ayre and minde not as he would have it in reformation but rather in deformation of maners from simplicity or singlenesse to diffinulation or doublenesse I allow well of the counsell of Favorinus the Philosopher Vivendum est moribus prateritis loquendum verbis prasentibus We should live after the maners used in times past and speake with words used at this present It is noted among learned men for a dangerous thing in a common-wealth a change or ruine to bee feared when the authority of good lawes is contemned faults goe unpunished vertue not rewarded and honest manners changed for worse The people of Creta being ill used of the Rhodians their enemies desired their gods that they would suffer some evill maners to be brought in among them thinking that to bee a worse curse than warre or pestilence or any other thing But had it not been more honourable and commendable for our nation to have continued in the simplicitie of habits and manners of our forefathers retaining their vertues than to receive the vanity of attyres and gestures of other countries with their corruption of maners with them to exchange our vertues for their vices are our maners and habits better now than were in times past those of our forefathers because they cannot lately out of Italy out of Spaine out of France from the Dutchmen Is there no better rule to be given how to discerne between that which is good that which is not good but by the example of other countries doth dignitie consist in sumptuousnesse of apparell decency in varietie of attires civility in vanity of gestures hospitality in excesse luxuriousnes order in consusiò Vertue in former ages was wont to be in estimatioÌ„ with the antiquity a rule to direct their lives by through which many became famous aswel privat men as whole Nations But what fruit hath bin brought to us with these new fashions and strangers manners what effect hath it wrought If it be lawfull to speake the truth besides to be proud and effeminate and the exchange of our vertues for their vices a confusion of all things What difference is there in habits betweene estates Doth not the baser sort glitter in gold and silver equally with the greater whereof ensueth many mischiefes The maners that in time past for reverence were peculiar to Princes the greater states of the Nobility as due onely to them are they not now common and usuall with the baser sort and even among carters But this alteration of fashions and manners so highly esteemed both brought forth no Decios no Fabios no Fabricios no Scipies no more than they have done with them from whence we had them since their old simplicity of manners were corrupted for where there is so great care for the backe and belly there is smal regard had to provide for the mind and soule where men so carefully desire to decke their bodies with silke silver or gold they have no care to garnish their minds with vertue learning and godlinesse The manners and fashions of these latter ages I meane in a civill life are so contrary to the manners and precepts of antiquity that 〈◊〉 must needs bee either they were fooles then and wee wise nowâ—… else they were wise then and wee not sowise now But because they were schoolemasters to the world and attained to that by their vertue which wee hunt after by a formalitie of habits and manners and cannot come by that is to bee famous in the world in all ages and had in admiration even to this day I rather beleeve that they were wise and led us the right path by morall vertue to civility without these vaine toyes now in use and we out of the high-way and many wayes their inferiours For what is civilitie but the manners of men grounded upon morall vertue and the precepts of wise men No man is looked into what is within him If the outside be gay and well set forth to the shew his 〈◊〉 trickes used with the right grace then all is well 〈◊〉 is a worthy man and surely he that beholdeth him must have a deepe conceit if he thinke better of him than he thinks of himself like unto the Asse that carried the image of Isis upon his back when he saw all menbow their knees do reverence to the goddesse he waxed 〈◊〉 and stately as though they had done all that reverence unto him untill he that drave the Asse gave him a 〈◊〉 or two with his whip and told him that this honor was not done to him but to that which he carried upon his backe and yet an ape is but an ape though he be clothed in purple gold And it may be sayd to them 〈◊〉 set so much by outward forme 〈◊〉 inward matter as the Fox when he saw a mans head so artificially made that there seemed to want 〈◊〉 vital spirits to 〈◊〉 it a lively head of a man the tooke it up and after he 〈◊〉 be held it a while ô quoth he what a goodly head 〈◊〉 is but it hath no braine And such vaine-glorious 〈◊〉 that hunt after fame beyond their merit may do 〈◊〉 teach birds to speake and to give them a 〈◊〉 let them flye into the fields as 〈◊〉 did If 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 advisedly consider what a disorder and confusion befides many inconveniences the alteration of our maners and habits from the simplicity plainenes of our forefathers through a vain imitation of other countries fashions and mislike of our own hath brought forth may we not rightly say to the authors thereof Defunct is patribus successit 〈◊〉 Cujus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 valuere ruunt The fathers dead they leave a wicked brood Whose lewd example ruines that which stood And it is not sufficient for men to delight in the matter of evill but they must also give it after the maner of other countries a peculiar forme to set it forth with the greater grace that it may allure and draw their desires to a further and more generall mischiefe The Romanes complained that the men of Asia and Greece sent their vices with their manners into Italy and corrupted the simplicitie of their former manners and vertues left to them by their forefathers from whence our travellers have brought the same corruption to us and given us the like cause of complaint of them as they had of the other There hath beene an old saying that all evils rise out of the North but we may say that all our evils come to us out of the South How happy were that common-wealth where yong men would labour to shine
Scipio perceived the great harmes the Romanes sustained by those desperate men that would accept of no reasonable conditions nor commit themselves to the clemencie of the Romanes who would answer that seeing they had lived so many yeeres in libertie they would not now die slaves hee remooved his campe something farther from the towne and entrenched them so straightly round about that no victuals could come vnto them Then was there great cries of the women within the Citie lamentable complaints made by the Priests to their Gods and shrill and pitifull exclamations made by the men to Scipio that hee would let them come out to fight like men of Warre and not to destroy them by famine like cowards O Scipio said they thou that art a noble and valiant young Romane doest not advisedly consider what thou doest nor they that giue thee counsell thus to keepe vs in is but a policie of Warre but if thou ouercome vs in battell thou shalt then winne to thy selfe immortall fame and glory But when the Numantines perceiued that Scipio would not be remooued from his resolution after they had endured the siege a yeere and seuen moneths the young and lustie men assembled themselves together and killed all the old men women and children and brought all the riches of the Citie and Temples and heaped them vp in the Market place and gaue fire to all parts of the Citie and then poysoned themselves so as the Temples Houses Riches and People of Numantia ended all in one day leaving to Scipio neither goods to spoyle nor men or women vpon whom to triumph When Scipio entered the Citie and beheld this lamentable spectacle not without sheading teares O happy Numantia quoth he the Gods would thou shouldest one day haue an end but never to be overcome The Danes under their King Hading making Warre in Suecia in the winter suffered a wonderfull famine for being so straightly besieged by Vffo King of Suecia that they had no meanes â—…o proceede further in their enterprise nor yet returne into their countrey when their victuals were all consumed they were driven to eate the hearbs and grasse in the fields then the roots and barkes of trees 〈◊〉 when all their Cats and Rats and Horses were consumed they that were left aliue killed many of their owne fellowes and ate them And the Caliguritans when Pompey besieged their Citie so straightly that all things were consumed that might serve them for meat they ate their wives and children Among the rest of the infelicities and miseries that ensue of the Warres this is not the least that Olorus King of Thracia when hee had subdued the Daces compelled all the men to be servants or slaves to their wives in token of extreme servitude of the most spitefull disgrace and ignominie that he could devise to inflict vpon them And this was no lesse spitefull that Attilus King of Suecia made a Dog King of the Danes in revenge of a great many injuries received by them And Gunno likewise King of the Danes made a Dog King of Norway appointed Counsellers to doe all things vnder his title and name But the Emperour Fredericke the second used a more moderation when hee had overcome the people in Hungary We have said the Emperour done a great worke but now there remaineth a greater worke that we overcome and master our selves that wee make an end of our covetousnesse and desire of revenge words worthy of an Emperour Marcus Aurelius noting the infelicitie of these kinde of men among the Romanes saith After our men of Warre are gone out of Rome they neither feare the Gods nor honour the Temples they reverence not the Priests they have no obedience to their Fathers nor shame to the people dread of justice neither compassion of their countrey some rob the Temples others breake vp doores the nights they passe in playes the dayes in blasphemies to day they fight like Lyons to morrow they fly like Cowards some rebell against their Captaines and others flie to the enemies finally they are vnmeet for all good and meete for all evill and therefore to speake of their filthinesse I am ashamed to describe them they leave their owne wives and take the wives of others they dishonour the daughters of the good and they beguile the innocent virgins there is no neighbour but they covet nor Oastesse but they force they breake their old wedlocke and yeerely seeke a new marriage so that they doe all things what they list and nothing what they ought What wilt thou I tell thee more of the injuries which the Captaines doe to the Cities whereby they passe of the slanders which they raise in the Provinces where they abide the Moths doe not so much harme to the garments nor the Locusts to the corne as the Captaines doe to the people for they leaue no beast but they kill nor orchard but they rob nor wine but they drinke nor doue-house but they climbe nor Temple but they spoile nor villanie but they commit they eate without meaning to pay they will not serve vnlesse they be well paid and the worst of all is if they have their pay immediately they spend and play it away if they be not paid they rob and mutine so that with povertie they are not content and with riches they are luxurious and insolent I heard one day saith the Emperour but hee saw not mee a Captaine of mine say to an Oastesse of his that would not let him doe in the house what hee would Yee of the countrey did never know Captaines of Armies and therefore know it now mother that the earth doth never tremble but when it is threatned with a Romane Captaine and the Gods doe never suffer the Sunne to shine but where we are obeyed Within short space after this Captaine went to a battell in Arabia where hee was the first that fled and left the Standard alone which had almost made mee lose the battell but in recompence of his valiant service I commanded his head to be cut off Of these men one speaketh thus Viviolas leges ferro iura lacessit Obterit innocâ—…os alieno pascitur are Gods Lawes and Mans by steele and force Dissolve and breake they would The Innocent they grieve and seeke To prey on others gold But what need we seeke so farre for examples of this kinde when our owne age yeeldeth vs more then sufficient to proove the miseries that follow this trade of life In these Civill Warres of France Sanserra was so straightly besieged that for want of victuals almost halfe the people were consumed by famine when they had eaten vp all their Dogs Cats Mice and Wants they fell to the hides of their Oxen and Kine and Sheepe then to their leather girdles saddles bridles and halters to their purses points and all manner of leather garments then they ate the hooffs of Horses Oxen Stags and Goats whereof many had long hanged at their
sent from a Free State in Embassage to the Duke of Moscouia and as one of them kept his Cap vpon his head in the presence of the Duke he being therewith offended caused a nayle to be driuen thorow his Cap into his head Ludit in humanis diuina potentia rebus Et certam prasens vix habet hora fidem The Diuine power all humane things derides And scarce one certaine houre with vs abides The Emperour Marcus Aurelius meditating vpon the miserable condition of men spake in this sort I haue imagined with my selfe whether it were possible to find any estate any age any countrey any kingdome where any man might be found that durst vaunt he had not in his life tasted what manner of thing aduerse fortune is And if such a one might be found it would be such an ougly monster that both the quick and the dead would desire to see him Then he concludeth In the end of my reckoning I haue found that he which was yesterday rich is to day poore hee that was yesterday whole is to day sicke he that yesterday laughed to day I haue seene him weepe he that was yesterday in prosperitie to day I haue seene him in aduersitie he that yesterday liued I haue seene him by and by in his graue Saint Augustine entring deepely into the consideration of the miserable condition of men and wondering at their infelicitie maketh thus his complaint to God Lord after men haue suffered so many euill things mercilesse death followeth and carrieth them away in diuers manners some it oppresseth by feauers others by extreme griefe some by hunger others by thirst some by fire others by water some by the sword others by poyson some thorough feare others are stifled some are torne in pieces by the teeth of wild beasts others are peckt with the fowles of the ayre some are made meat for the fishes others for wormes and yet man knoweth not his end And when hee goeth about to aspire higher hee falleth downe and perisheth And this is the most fearefull thing of all fearefull things the most terrible of all terrible things when the soule must be separated from the body And what a miserable sight is it to see one lying in the pangs of death and how lothsome when he is dead And then followeth the dreadfull day of Iudgement when euery one must yeeld account of his life past This is the time when Monarkes and Princes must giue account whether they haue laid intolerable exactions vpon their subiects and beene the cause of the effusion of innocent blood to feede their ambitious humours This is the time when the Pastours and Prelates must giue vp a reckoning of their flocke and with what doctrine good or bad they haue fed them This is the time when Merchants must yeeld an account and all other Trades that stand vpon buying and selling for the falshood they haue vsed in vttering their Wares whose case is hard if it bee true the Poet saith Periurata sâ—…o postponit numina lucro Mercator Stygiis non nisi dignus aquis The periur'd Merchant will forsweare for gaine Worthy in Stygian waters to remaine This is the time when Lawyers will tremble how to answere the animating their poore Clyents to waste their goods to their great hinderance or vtter vndoing in continuing their suits in a wrong cause the end whereof is their owne gaine This is the time that Magistrates and Iudges must bee called to a reckning whether they haue administred iustice vprightly and indifferently without fauour or corruption This is the time when men of Warre must answer for their spoyles and rapines and intolerable outrages and cruelties vsed vpon euery sexe and age that Christ dyed for as well as for them This is the time that couetous men and vsurers must yeeld an account for their rapines and oppressions and for the vndoing of infinite numbers to enrich themselues with their excessiue and vnlawfull interest and gaines This is the time that Widowes and Orphanes and other afflicted people will cry out and present their complaints before God of the iniustice and wrongs they haue sustained and suffered This is the time when the wicked shall say quaking and trembling for feare and repenting too late Looke how yonder folkes which we had heretofore in contempt as base persons and of none account in respect of our selues are now exalted in the sight of God and are accounted among the Saints This is the time saith Saint Hierome when they that stut and stammer shall be more happie then the cloquent And many Sheepheards and Heardmen shall bee preferred before Philosophers many poore beggers before rich Princes and Monarkes many simple and grosse heads before the subtill and fine-witted Then shall the fooles and insensible persons saith Saint Augustine take hold vpon Heauen and the wise with their wisedome shall fall downe into hell where is the miserie of all miseries and such as the miseries of this world be pleasures and delights in respect of them This is the iudgement spoken of in Saint Matthew Goe yee cursed into hell fire where is nothing but lamenting and gnashing of teeth which is prepared for the Diuell and his angels before the beginning of the world where they shall bee tormented for euer and euer and shall wish for death but they shall not finde it they shall desire to die and death shall flie from them These miseries to which men are subiect made the Prophet Esay sorry that hee was not destroyed or styfled in his mothers wombe and murmured that his legges did hold him vp and complained vpon the paps that gaue him sucke â—…remie mooued with the like spirit considering that man is formed of the earth conceiued in sinne borne with paine and in the end made a prey for wormes and serpents wished that his mothers belly had serued him for a sepulchre and her wombe for a tombe The consideration of the miserable estate of this life brought in a custome to the people of Thracia to weepe and lament at the birth of their children and to reioyce when they dyed But the Philosopher Demosthenes discouered his conceit by a more particular passion For beeing demanded of the Tyrant Epymethes why he wept so bitterly for the death of a Philosopher being so strange a matter for a Philosopher to weepe To this Demosthenes answered I weepe not O Epymethes because the Philosopher dyed but because thou liuest being a custome in the Schooles of Athens to weepe more because the cuill doe liue then for the death of the good Seeing therefore wee haue perused the principall estates of life and can finde nothing in them worthy to be called Felicitie nor answerable to the thing which that word seemeth to purport but rather that they all defect so much from felicitie that they decline to infelicitie and miserie Let vs doe yet with a better minde as many now a dayes vse to doe
no difference betweene having and not desiring A little will serve thee to happinesse of life to which thou shalt the more easily perswade thy selfe if thou consider as hath beene said that the true end and felicitie of man and his proper action is to glorifie God and that the common opinion of happinesse that commeth by pleasures riches honour and glory is contracted by the fall of our first parent and by the corruption and alteration of our nature As to him that is sicke of an ague sower things seeme sweete and pleasant because the disease hath corrupted and altered his taste If thou wilt avoyde the things that be odious to God and men in poverty bee not proud nor in riches covetous in age be not lecherous nor in youth shamelesse If thou see thy selfe in poore estate without credit and reputation and of a cleare conscience and beholdest another live in abundance of wealth and honours bee not dismayed nor thinke thy selfe lesse in Gods favour or lesse happy than he because he surmounteth thee in riches and reputation and worldly vanitie for God distributeth these temporall goods in differently both to the good to the bad For if God should give them only to good men the wicked would thinke for that cause he should be worshipped and prayed unto and if hee should bestow worldly goods upon the wicked onely the weake in faith would feare to bee converted wholly to God lest he should want It is a manifest sign of damnation for a man to â—…live here wickedly and to enjoy at the ful health of body the goods of fortune All such saith one as God marketh with recompence and reward in the book of this world it is a signe that he hath raced them out of the Register of heaven Arme thy selfe therefore with patience and expect the islue of Gods ordinance with a quiet and thankefull minde and thereto wholly submit thy selfe That which seemeth sometimes to a man full of griefe and pain becommeth many times the cause of his joy and comfort And the same that in the beginning seemeth to worke his infelicity bringeth to him unlooked for happinesse The best way is to take those things patiently that thou canst not amend And if thine estate be not sufficient to maintain thee and thine endeavour by honest meanes to amende it But if God blesse thee plentifully with riches and possessions hoord it not niggardly nor spend it prodigally but be beneficiall to others and use liberalitie to those that lacke and deserve well of thee for after Cicero wee ought to doe most for them that most loveth us yet with this consideration that thou spare at the brimme lest whilest thou shouldest powre out a pint there run forth a pottle let the old proverb never fall out of thy minde Serò parsimonia in fundo It is too late to spare when all is out Cicero counselleth us not to shut our purse so fast that a will to do good cannot open it nor yet so to unloose it that it bee open to every body And Alcmenes saith hee that possesseth much should live according to reason and not to his lust meaning that riches are hurtfull except thy mind be above riches that can moderate riches by their use not by their plentie Remember alwayesthat thou live by thy mind which after Plato is the true life and thereof hast chitsly the name of a man The substance of thy body is common with that of brute beasts but by thy minde thou resemblest the Angels and God himselfe The minde is not disgraced with the deformity of the body but by the beauty of the minde the body is graced Give not thy selfe to fleshly pleasures to ambition nor to covetousnesse as the most part of men doe thy understanding was not given thee to that purpose Thales being asked who was happy answered he that hath an healthfull body and a learned and a vertuous minde And Ecclefiasticus saith better is the poore being whole and strong than a rich man that is afflicted in his body Health and strength is above all gold and a whole body above infinite treasure There is no riches above a sound body and no joy above the joy of the heart And Anxagoras to the like question said none of these that thou accountest happy but he rather is happy that thou beleevest is unhappy meaning that the rich and honourable persons who are wondered at as the happiest men for their wealth and reputation are unhappy and he happy that contenteth himselfe with a little which agreeth with Democritus opinion that he is happy that is merry with a little money and hee unhappy that is sad in the middest of great riches Give not over thy minde unto heavinesse and vexe not thy selfe in thine owne counsell The joy of thy heart is the life of man and a mans gladnesse is the prolonging of his dayes Love thine owne soule and comfort thine heart drive sorrow farre from thee for sorrow hath slaine many and there is no profit therein envie and wrath shorten the life and carefulnesse bringeth age before the time Socrates walking in the Burse or market place and beholding the great variety of things there to bee sold How many things quoth he have I no neede of Others are rather tormented in minde at the sight of such things and will say within themselves how many things doe I lacke but hee contenting himselfe with that which is sufficient to nature esteemed gold and purple and precious stones and such like delights of rich men more fit for players of Tragedies than necessary to the use of life as hee shewed by these verses which he had oft in his mouth Argentea ista vasa simul at purpura Tragâ—…diarum accommoda bistrionibus Sunt ad beatam conferunt vitam nihil Those silver vessels and that purple be More fit for Actors in a Tragedie To blessed life they no way doe belong With such vanities mens minds bee occupied by the corruption of our nature and our judgments are so blinded with our impure affections that of all creatures man doth leaft performe his proper action and least directeth the course of his life to his true end and felicitie For whereas the great God of nature hath tyed together all his creations with some meane things that agree and participate with the extremities and hath composed the intelligible athereall and elementarie world by indissoluble meanes and boundes as betweene plants and living Creatures hee hath made sponges and oysters that in part resemble living things and in part plants betweene the creatures of the earth and those of the water Otters Tortoyfes and such like betweene those of the water and birds of the ayre flying fishes betweene brute beasts and those of a spirituall essence and understanding which are Angels he hath placed man which combineth heaven and this elementarie world together whose one part is subject to death and the other
conversation as neere as thou mayst and let them goe under the name of welwillers rather than of friends except thou bee assured of their fidelity So shall not honestie bind thee to performe more to them to whom a common custome and the malignity of this time hath given a Supersedeas to discharge the duty of friendship then thou shalt see cause or they will performe to thee for in so great pennury of friends corruption of manners thy fortune must bee very good if thou chance upon a faithfull friend for in these daies men hold friendship by indenture And that thou maist bee better instructed in thy choice hearken to Guevarra his counsell to one that asked how one man may know another to the end he may be either accepted or eschewed First obserue what affaires he taketh in hand what works he doth what words he speaketh and what company he keepeth for the man that by nature is proud in his businesse negligent in his word a lyer and maketh choice of evill men for his companions deserves not to be embraced much lesse to be trusted for that in men in whom is laid no foundaton of vertue is no expectation of faith or honesty And one of the things saith he that men thinke they haue when they have them not is many friends yea say I one faithfull friend For by my experience if thou wilt beleeve me I know not any thing wherein thou maist sooner bee deceived Fortie yeares and more I may with some judgement remember the world in which little time I have found such a metamorphosis and alteration in mens minds and manners that if they should decline so fast from evill to worse after forty yeares more it will bee a hard matter any where to finde out a faithfull friend or an honest man For as the same Authour further saith that which one friend doth for another in these dayes is eyther to excuse or hide himselfe when there is neede of him being more ready to lend him his conscience than his money And hee that will compare the number that professe friendship unto him with them that have performed the true office and part of friends for one faithfull hee shall discover an hundred dissemblers Of such friends as they are most common so we may esteem it no smal felicity to be divided from them being more prodigall of their conscience than liberall of their goods or ready to performe any other duety of friendship Isocrates counselleth us to chuse that friend which hath beene faithfull to his former friends for he is like to prove constant in friendship and if thou wilt follow mine advice enter not into friendship with a covetous man for his mind is so possessed and overcome with the love of money and greedy desire to encrease his riches and possessions that there is no hope of performance eyther of friendship or honesty at his hands Plautus saith Vt cuique homini res parata est firmi anuci sunt Si res lassae labant itidem amici collabascunt As our substance is so are our friends if that faile they fall from us The minds and manners of men in these latter daies are much like to the manners used by the old Romanes when they triumphed the Romanes as they were very politike in all their government so did they well consider that there was no better meanes to excite their young men to vertue than by rewarding their noble acts with honour Therfore they had a custome when any Generall of their Armies had wonne any notable victorie to suffer him at his return to Rome to triumph which was done with very great pompe and solemnity and when the triumph was ended the triumpher had prepared a sumptuous feast and invited the chiefe men of the citie to supper and among the rest the Consuls also which were the principal Magistrates of Rome yet meaning nothing lesse than to have their company for they were no sooner returned to their houses but the Triumpher would send a messenger presently to desire the Consuls not to come to supper that there might be no man to whom he might give place So many invite men to their friendship with faire words and friendly offers when they meane nothing lesse that they may seeme to give place to none in humanity and courtesie but his back is no sooner turned but they revoke within themselves their friendly offers and are ready if they thinke he look for performance to forbid him to make triall of their friendship being done for forme and not with plaine meaning as the triumphers maner was This time seemeth to resemble that whereof Galen complaineth that he happened into a most wicked age in which hee thought them onely wise and of a sincere mind that having espyed the generall infidelity subtiltie dissimulation and dishonestie of men withdrew themselves speedily from the assemblies and companie of people as from a vehement storme and tempest into the safe port of a solitarie life which agreeth with the Poet Benê qui latuit benè vixit Hee lives well that lives warily There have bin times when he that knew most was esteemed best but now reputation growes not by knowledge nor is measured by the worthinesse of vertue but by the abundance of riches and possessions Heu Romae nunc sola pecunia regnat Alas now onely money reignes in Rome One of the things that Ecclesiasticus said grieved his heart was That men of understanding are not set by In time past learned men were sent for out of farre countries but now if they knocke at our doores we will not let them in Vnfruitfull pastimes and vaine toyes draweth our delights None was advanced to honour but such as deserved it but now none climbe so fast to high dignities as those that bee least worthy In that golden age no Senate or Councell was established but there was resident some excellent Philosopher but now in stead of them and of learned Divines who should supply their roomes among Christians are brought in some excellent Machiavellians as the meetest counsellers for this corrupt time Kings and Emperours were wont to be singularly learned and thought learning a great ornament to their dignitie Alexander the great and Iulius Caesar were wel learned and also the Emperour Adrian which Iulius in the middest of his campe would have his speare in his left hand and his pen in his right hand hee never unarmed himselfe but hee would presently fall to his booke The title of Philosopher was given to the Emperour Marcus Aurelius for his excellent learning who would say that hee would not leave the knowledge hee might learn in one houre for all the gold he possessed and I saith he receive more glorie of the bookes I have read and written than of the battels I have wonne and of the kingdomes which I have conquered Ptolomy King of Egypt and Hermes before him and of latter yeares Alphonsus
the second who summoned him before the Tribunall seat in heaven 203 A contention betwixt the Abbot of Fulda and the Bishop of Hildeseme ibid. Of Pope 〈◊〉 a woman 204 Of the Popes scrutiny 205 The pride of king Herod and 〈◊〉 205 Divers examples of the Divels 〈◊〉 answers to the ruine of those that trust in him 206 A worthy example in one 〈◊〉 207 The insuffrable ambition of 〈◊〉 Magus 208 Of a 〈◊〉 in Constantinople 209 Of the Magician 〈◊〉 ibid. The Abbot 〈◊〉 a great Nocromancer 210 His Art shewed before the Emperour Maximilian 211 Albertus 〈◊〉 a Monke and Necromancer 212 Pope Gragory the seventh a Magician 213 A letter of 〈◊〉 to the Clergy 214 The Earle of Mascon a Magician ibid. A strange story of a Spanish woman of Corduba called 〈◊〉 215 Her hypocrisie disclosed and confest 218 The history of the false Prophet 〈◊〉 219 His miserable and wretched end 226 An Epitaph of a tyrannous Viceroy in Sicilia 227 Of Salmoxes 228 The strange ambition of an Hermite in Affrica 229 Who in three yeares became Monarch of six Kingdoms pag. 230 The miserable ends of him and his Councell 232 Of 〈◊〉 Adella sonne to the Hermit 233 The resolute end of those Turkes which starved the Hermit ibid. Of a blasphemous Iew 234 Of George 〈◊〉 a new Prophet 235 A strange history of a child borne in Babylon 236 A strange history extracted out of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 237 Of the instigation of evill 〈◊〉 241 〈◊〉 IIII. A curious policy prosecuted by the King of France against the Duke of Guise 242 The Sacrament made a colour for murder 244 The death of the Duke of Guise 〈◊〉 The death of the Cardinal the brother to the Guise 245 The complaint of the 〈◊〉 of Guise 246 A great justice upon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Genoway 248 Philip King of Macedon 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 249 Of Herostratus that burnt the Temple of 〈◊〉 and others ib. The great ambition of the Duke of Alva 250 The old Duke of Guise 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 251 Of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who would have slaine the Prince of 〈◊〉 252 Of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who slew the Prince of Orange His 〈◊〉 255 Of 〈◊〉 Clement a Dominican Monke who slew the 〈◊〉 King Henry the 〈◊〉 256 Of Pope 〈◊〉 his 〈◊〉 after the French Kings death 258 A Friar canoniz'd for a Saint because he was a 〈◊〉 259 The story of a Spanish Priest 260 Of the Lady Mary de 〈◊〉 261 That all glory is but vanity 263 Of 〈◊〉 a Portugall 264 Of 〈◊〉 ibid. Of Arsaces 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Probus 〈◊〉 Agelmund 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 Of 〈◊〉 of Leyden 266 The originall of the Amazons 267 Of 〈◊〉 King of 〈◊〉 268 Of c. 269 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Q 〈◊〉 270 A custome in the Indies 273 Of true nobility ibid. The rich are of true 〈◊〉 274 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 276 Of Beauty ibid. Of vanity in apparell 277 Of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 Bernard 278 The excellency of learning 279 The modesty of Alexander 〈◊〉 Philip k. of Macedon pag. 280 Of Queene 〈◊〉 ib.d. 〈◊〉 and Heliogabalus 281 Of Proculus a Romane Emp. 282 The fable of the Boycs and the Asse 283 Envie attendeth honour 284 The frailty of glory 285 The Contents of the fourth Booke VVHerein the felicitie of man doth consist according to the ancient Philosophers Cap. 1. pag. 188 Three things required to attaine to true felicitie 289 Of vertue wisedome and knowledge 290 How a man may fall from blessednesse to infelicity 291 The Gordian knot dissolved by Alexander 292 Wherein true felicitie consisteth 293 Of Sydrach Mysach and 〈◊〉 294 The effects of vertue 295 Temples crected to vertue and honour 296 Detraction murder punisht 297 Vain-glory derided in 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 king of Sparta 298 Of Romane Regulus 299 Of divers who preferred their Countries before their own lives 300 Of 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 king of Sparta 302 〈◊〉 Iustice in 〈◊〉 Cap. 2. 304 A remarkeable Act in Charondes 305 Severe Iustice in 〈◊〉 casar ibid. Great justice in 〈◊〉 306 Examples of Iustice and Policie in Trajan 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Alexander 〈◊〉 ibid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 307 Marous 〈◊〉 concerning the choyce of Magistrates 308 Gregory 〈◊〉 concerning the same 310 Of Favorites to Princes 311 The counsell of Vegetius and vegetins to Princes 312 Good Lawes 〈◊〉 and Peace the three daughters of Honesty 313 Duties belonging to a Prince ibid. An Invective against 〈◊〉 314 Of Alexander 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 315 The remarkeable death of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ibid. Of three observable 〈◊〉 316 Divers 〈◊〉 reformed by Henry the 3d of France Cap. 3. pag. 318 The French nation reproved for many vices pag. 319 Miseries attending the neglect of 〈◊〉 318 The rare Temperance of Scipioâ—… 319 The Temperance of Alexander 320 〈◊〉 the Tyrant against adultery 321 Agapete to 〈◊〉 ibid. The rare friendship of 〈◊〉 and Everitus 324 The rare friendship of 〈◊〉 and Everitus ibid. Friendship without wisedome in Hading and Hunding two kings of Denmarke and 〈◊〉 325 How vices apparell themselves like vertues 326 Of Duke Valentine the Popes son 327 Italianisme deciphered with the danger of travell 328 The finnes of ancient times 329 In new Count eyes are learned new fashions 330 What Rome was and what it now is ibid. Marcus 〈◊〉 concerning the vices of Rome and Italy 331 King Memon an inventer of delicacy 333 An history out of plutarch to the fame purpose ibid Strange justice done upon Lueius 〈◊〉 by the Romane senate 334 Against drunkennesse ibid. Of the 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 336 Against pride in apparell 337 The 〈◊〉 that carried the Image of 〈◊〉 338 A taxation of vanity in attyre and 〈◊〉 gesture 339 Due prayses conferred upon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 340 Gaine getteth friendship 341 A discourse of friendship 342 The Story of a Beare ibid. Another of a Dogge 343 A french dogge the dogge of 〈◊〉 and the dogge of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 344 The Horse of 〈◊〉 345 Of an Oxe ibid. The history of Androcles and a Lyon 346 Of a Boy an Eagle Cap. 4 p. 349 Of a Boy and a Dolphin ibid. A witty and ingenious Host 350 Of riches 352 An aspersion layd upon dice-players 353 A custome in China and against new fashions 354 A Law amongst the Thebans 355 Forreine manners interdicted with perfumes c. ibid. Against excesse in 〈◊〉 and garments 356 The rare modesty of the ancient times 357 Of Regulus and 〈◊〉 the Dictator c. ibid. The Magnanimitie of 〈◊〉 the Philosopher pag. 358 The maners of this age compared with the former 359 Artaxerxes to Teribarus the Persian 360 To thinke our selves wise the greatest folly 362 The life contemplative preferred before the civill 363 Fortune hath no power over the life contemplative 365 3. bodily worlds concatinated 366 Examples of divers who forsooke the world for a life contemplative 367 Of Paul an Hermit c. 368 The Contents of the fifth Booke CHAPTER I. Simonides the Poet unto King Cyrus pag. 368 The true property of Felicity 369 Distinction betwixt the