sinneth is of the Dyuell the rewarde of sinne is death thou shalte not suffer the wicked to lyue take all the Princes of the people and hange them vp agaynst the Sunne on Iybbets that my anger maye bée tourned from Israell these sayinges of holy Scripture cause mée to tremble and shake in euery sinnewe Agayne this saith the holy Byble nowe shall the scowrge fall vppon thée for thou hast sinned beholde I set a curse before you to daye if you shall not harken to the commaundementes of the Lorde all they that haue forsaken the Lorde shall be confounded Furthermore where threates are poured out agaynst sinners my heart bléedeth in my bellye to remember them I wyll come vnto you in iudgement sayth the Lorde and I wyll be a swifte and a seuere witnesse offenders adulterers and those that haue committed periurie and retained the duetie of the hirelinges oppressed the widowes misused the straunger and those that haue not feared me the Lord of hoasts Out of his mouth shall come a two edged swoorde Beholde I come quickly and bringe my rewarde with me which is to yelde euery one according to his desertes Great is the day of the Lord and terrible and who is he that may abide him What shall I then doe when the Lord shall arise to iudge and when hée shall demaund what shal I answere Besides this the names that in holy scripture are attributed to God bring a terrour to my guiltie conscience He is said to be a terrible God a God of reuenge whose voice is like the thūder whose breath maketh al the corners of the earth to shake tremble These things Euphues testifie vnto my conscience that if there be a God he is the God of the righteous one that wil confound the wicked Whether therefore shal I goe or how may I auoide the day of vengeance to come if I goe to heauen that is his seate if into the earth that is his footstoole if into the depth he is there also Who can shrowde himself from the face of the Lord or where can one hide him that the Lord cannot finde him his wordes are like fire and the people lyke drye woode and shal be consumed Euphues Although I cannot but reioyce to heare thée acknowledge a God yet must I néedes lament to sée thée so much distrust him The Diuell that roaring Lyon seing his pray to be taken out of his iawes alledgeth al Scripture that may condemne the sinner leauing al out that should comfort the sorrowful Much like vnto the deceitfull Phisition which recounteth all things that may endomage his patient neuer telling any thing that may recure him Let not thy conscience be agrieued but with a patiēt heart renounce all thy former iniquities and thou shalt receiue eternall life Assure thy selfe that as God is a Lord so he is a father as Christ is a Iudge so he is a Sauiour as ther is a lawe so there is a Gospel Though God haue leaden handes whiche when they strike paye home yet hath he leaden féet which are as slow to ouertake a sinner Heare therfore the great comfort flowing in euery leafe line of the Scripture if thou be patient I my selfe am euen hée which doth blotte out thy transgressions and that for mine owne sake and I will not be mindefull of thy sinnes Beholde the Lordes hande is not shortned that it cannot saue neither his eare heauy that it cannot heare If your sinnes were as Crimosin they shall be made whiter then Snow though they were as red as Scarlet they shall be made like white Woll If we confesse our offences hée is faythfull and iuste so that he will forgiue vs our sinnes God hathe not appointed vs vnto wrath but vnto saluation by the meanes of our Lorde Iesus Christe the earthe is filled with the mercye of the Lorde It is not the will of your Father which is in heauen that any one of the little ones should perishe God is riche in mercye I will not the death of a sinner sayth the Lord God retourne and lyue The sonne of man came not to destroye but to saue God hath mercy on all bycause hée can doe all God is mercifull longe sufferinge and of much mercy If the wicked man shall repent of hys wickednesse which hée hath committed and kéepe my commaundementes doinge Iustice and iudgement hée shall lyue the lyfe and shall not dye If I shall saye vnto the sinner thou shalt dye the death yet if hée repent and doe Iustice he shall not dye Call to thy minde the great goodnesse of God in creating thée his singuler loue in giuing his sonne for thée So God loued the worlde that he gaue his onely begotten sonne that whosoeur beléeued in him myght not perish but haue euerlasting life God hath not sent his sonne to iudge the world but that the worlde might be saued by him Can the Mother sayth the Prophet forget the chylde of hir wombe though she be so vnnaturall yet will I not be vnmindefull of thée There shal be more ioye in heauen for the repentaunce of one sinner thē for nintie nine iust persons I came not saith Christ to cal the righteous but sinners to repentāce If any mā sin we haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christe the righteous hée is the propitiation for our sinnes and not for our sinnes onely but for the sinnes of the whole worlde I write vnto you little children bicause your sinnes be forgiuen for his names sake Doth not Christ saye that whatsoeuer wée shall aske the Father in his name wée shall obtayne Doth not God saye this is my beloued sonne in whome I am well pleased heare him I haue reade of Themistocles which hauing offended Philip the king of Macedonia could no way apease his anger méeting his young sonne Alexander tooke him in his armes met Philip in the face Philip séeing the smilyng countenaunce of the childe was well pleased with Themistocles Euen so if through thy manifolde sinnes and haynous offences thou prouoke the heauye displeasure of thy God insomuch as thou shalt tremble for horror take his onelye begotten and welbeloued sonne Iesus in thine armes and then he neyther can nor will bée angry with thée If thou haue denyed thy God yet if thou goe out with Peter and wéepe bitterly God will not deny thée Though with the prodigall sonne thou wallow in thine owne wilfulnesse yet if thou retourne agayne sorrowfull thou shalt be receiued If thou bée a grieuous offender yet if thou come vnto Christ with the woman in Luke and wash his féete with thy teares thou shalt obteyne remission Consider with thy selfe the great loue of Christ and the bitter torments that he endured for thy sake which was enforced through the horror of death to crye with a loude voyce Eloi Eloi Lamasabathani My God my God why hast thou forsaken mée and with a groning spirite to say my soule is heauie euen
could neuer heare man by such snares to intrappe man For true it is that men themseleus haue by vse obserued that it must be a hard winter when one Wolfe eateth an other I haue read that the Bull being tyed to the Figge trée loseth his strength that the whole heard of Deare stande at the gaze if they smell a swéete apple that the Dolphin by the sound of Musicke is brought to the shore And then no meruaile it is that if the fierce Bull be tamed with the Figge tree if that women beeing as weake as shéepe be ouercome with a Figge if the wilde Deare be caughte with an apple that the tame Damzell is wonne with a blossome if the fleete Dolphin be allured with harmony that women be entangled with the melodie of mens speach fayre promises and solemne protestations But follye it were for mée to marke their mischiefes sith I am neyther able neyther they willynge to amende their manners it becommeth mée rather to shew what our sexe should doe then to open what yours doth And seeing I cannot by reason restrayne your importunate sute I will by rigour done on my selfe cause you to refraine the meanes I would to God Ferardo were in this poynte lyke to Lysander which would not suffer his daughters to weare gorgeous apparell saying it would rather make them common then comely I would it were in Naples a law which was a custome in Aegypt that woemen should alwayes go barefoote to the intent they might kéepe themselues alwayes at home that they shoulde be euer lyke to the Snaile which hath euer his house on his head I meane so to mortifie my selfe that in stead of silkes I will weare sackecloth for Owches and Bracelettes Léere and Caddys for the Lute vse the Distaffe for the Penne the Néedle for louers Sonettes Dauids Psalmes But yet I am not so senceles altogether to reiect your seruice which if I were certeinly assured to procéed of a simple minde it shold not receiue so simple a reward And what greater triall can I haue of thy simplicitie truth theÌ„ thine owne requeste which desireth a triall I but in the coldest flinte there is hotte fire the Bée that hath hoâ—â—y in hir mouth hath a sting in hir tayle the trée that beareth the swéetest fruite hath a sower sappe yea the wordes of men though they séeme smoothe as oyle yet their heartes are as crooked as the stalke of Iuie I woulde not Euphues that thou shouldest condemne me of rigour in that I séeke to asswage thy follye by reason but take this by the way that although as yet I am disposed to lyke of none yet whensoeuer I shall loue any I will not forget thée in the meane season accompt me thy friend for thy foe I will neuer be Euphues was brought into a greate quandarie and as it were a colde shiuering to heare this newe kinde of kindenesse such swéete meate such sower sauce such faire wordes such faint promises such hotte loue such colde desire such certayne hope such sodaine chaunge and stoode lyke one that had looked on Medusaes heade and so had bene tourned into a stone Lucilla séeing him in this pitifull plight and fearing he would take stande if the lure were not cast out toke him by the hand and wringing him softely with a smiling countenaunce began thus to comfort him Mée thinkes Euphues chaungeing so your couloure vpon the sodaine you will soone chaunge your coppie is your minde on your meat a penny for your thought Mistresse quod he if you would buy all my thoughts at that price I shoulde neuer be wearye of thinking but séeinge it is too déere reade it and take it for nothing It séemes to me sayd she that you are in some browne study what coulours you mighte best weare for your Ladye In déede Lucilla you leuell shrewdly at my thought by the ayme of your owne imagination for you haue giuen vnto me a true loues knotte wrought of chaungeable silke and you déeme mée that I am deuisinge howe I mighte haue my coulours chaungeable also that they mighte agrée But lette this with such toyes and deuises passe if it please you to commaund me any seruice I am héere ready to attende your leasure No seruice Euphues but that you kéepe silence vntill I haue vttered my minde and secrecie when I haue vnfolded my meaning If I should offende in the one I were to bold if in the other too beastly Well then Euphues sayd shée so it is that for the hope that I conceiue of thy loyaltie and the happy successe that is lyke to ensue of this our loue I am content to yeelde thée the place in my heart which thou desirest and deseruest aboue all other which consent in me if it may any wayes bréede thy contentation sure I am that it will euery way worke my comforte But as eyther thou tenderest mine honour or thine owne safetie vse such secrecie in this matter that my father haue no incklyng héereoff before I haue framed his minde fitte for our purpose And though women haue small force to ouercome men by reason yet haue they good Fortune to vndermine them by pollycie The softe droppes of raine pearce the hard Marble many strokes ouerthrow the tallest Oke a silly woman in time may make such a breach into a mans hearte as hir teares may enter without resistaunce then doubt not but I will so vndermine mine olde father as quickly I will enioy my new friend Tush Philautus was liked for fashion sake but neuer loued for fancie sake this I vow by the fayth of a Uirgin and by the loue I beare thée for greater bands to confirme my vowe I haue not that my father shall sooner martir me in the fire then marry me to Philautus No no Euphues thou onely hast wonne me by loue and shalt only weare me by law I force not Philautus his fury so I may haue Euphues his friendship neither will I prefer his possessions before thy person neyther estéeme better of his lands then of thy loue Ferardo shall sooner disherite me of my patrimony then dishonour me in breaking my promise it is not his great mannors but thy good manners that shall make my marriage In token of which my sincere affection I giue thée my hande in pawne and my heart for euer to be thy Lucilla Unto whome Euphues aunswered on this manner If my tongue were able to vtter the ioyes that my heart hath conceiued I feare me though I be wel beloued yet I shoulde hardlye bée beléeued Ah my Lucilla howe much am I bounde to thée whiche preferrest mine vnworthinesse before thy Fathers wrath my happinesse before thine owne misfortune my loue before thine owne lyfe howe might I excell thée in courtesie whome no mortall creature can excéede in constancie I finde it nowe for a setled truth which earst I accompted for a vaine talke that the Purple dye will neuer staine that the pure Cyuet will neuer loose his sauour
that the greene Laurell will neuer chaunge his coulour that beautie can neuer bée blotted with discourtesie As touching secrecie in this behalfe assure thy selfe that I wyll not so much as tell it to my selfe Commaund Euphues to runne to ride to vndertake any exploite be it neuer so daungerous to hazarde himselfe in any enterprise be it neuer so desperate As they were thus pleasauntly conferring the one with the other Liuia whom Euphues made his stale entered into the parlor vnto whom Lucilla spake in these termes Dost thou not laugh Liuia to sée my ghostly father kéepe me héere so long at shrift Truely aunswered Liuia me thinckes that you smile at some pleasaunt shift either hée is slow in enquiring of your faultes or you slack in aunswering of his questions and thus being supper time they al sat downe Lucilla wel pleased no man better content then Euphues who after hys repast hauing no apportunitie to conferre wyth his louer had small lust to continue with the gentlewoman any longer séeinge therefore hée coulde frame no meanes to woorke his delight hée coyned an excuse to hasten his departure promisinge the next morninge to trouble them againe as a guest more bolde then welcome although in deed he thought himselfe to bee the better welcome in saying that hée would come But as Ferardo went in poste so hée retourned in haste hauinge concluded wyth Philautus that the marriage shoulde immediatly bée consummated which wrought such a content in Philautus that he was almost in an extasie through the extremitie of hys passions such is the fulnesse and force of pleasure that there is nothinge so daungerous as the fruityon yet knowinge that delayes bringe daungers althoughe hée nothinge doubted of Lucilla whome hée loued yet feared hée the ficklenesse of olde men which is alwayes to bée mistrusted He vrged therefore Ferardo to breake wyth his daughter who béeinge willinge to haue the match made was content incontiuently to procure the meanes findinge therefore his daughter at leasure and hauing knowledge of hir former loue spake to hir as followeth Deere daughter as thou hast longe tyme lyued a mayden so nowe thou must learne to bée a Mother and as I haue bene carefull to bringe thée vpp a virgin so am I nowe desirous to make thée a wyfe Neyther ought I in this matter to vse any perswasions for the maydens coÌ„monly now a daies are no sooner borne but they begin to bride it neither to offer any greate portions for that thou knowest thou shalt inherite all my possessions Mine onely care hath bene heterto to match thée with such an one as shoulde be of good wealth able to maynteine thée of great worship able to compare with thee in birth of honest conditions to deserue thy loue and an Italian borne to enioye my landes At the laste I haue founde one aunswerable to my desire a gentleman of great reuenewes of a noble progeuie of honest behauiour of comely personage borne and brought vp in Naples Philautus thy friende as I gesse thy husband Lucilla if thou lyke it neither canst thou dislike hym who wanteth nothing that shoulde cause thy liking neyther hath any thinge that shoulde breede thy loathing And surely I reioyce the more that thou shalt be linked to him in marriage whome thou hast loued as I heare béeinge a mayden neither can there any iarres kindle betwéene them where the mindes be so vnited neyther any ielowsie arise where loue hathe so longe bene setled Therefore Lucilla to the ende the desire of either of you may now be accomplished to the delight of you both I am here come to finishe the contract by giuinge handes whiche you haue alredy begun betwéen your selues by ioyning of hearts that as God doth witnesse the one in your consciences so the worlde maye testiâ—ie the other by your conuersations and therefore Lucilla make such aunswere to my request as maye like me and satisâ—ie thy friende Lucilla abashed with this sodeine speach of hir father yet boldened by the loue of hir friend with a comly bashfulnesse aunswered him in this manner Reuerend Sir the swéetnesse that I haue found in the vndefiled estate of virginitie causeth me to loath the sower sauce which is mixed with matrimony and the quiet life which I haue tried being a maiden maketh me to shun the cares that are alwaies incideÌ„t to a mother neither am I so wedded to the worlde that I should be moued wyth greate possessions neyther so bewitched with wantonnesse that I should bee entised with any mans proportion neither if I were so dysposed woulde I bée so proude to desire one of noble progenie or so precise to choose one onely in myne owne countrey for that commonlye these thinges happen alwayes to the contrarie Doe wée not sée the noble to matche wyth the base the rich with the poore the Italian oftentimes with the Portingale As loue knoweth no lawes so it regardeth no conditions as the louer maketh no pawse where hée liketh so hee maketh no conscience of these idle ceremonies In that Philautus is the man that threateneth suche kindenesse at my handes and such courtesie at yours that hée shoulde accompte mée his wyfe before hée woe mée certeinely hée is lyke for mée to make hys reckoninge twise bicause hée reconeth without hys hostesse And in this Philautus woulde eyther shew himselfe of greate wisdome to perswade or mée of great lightnesse to be allured although the loadstone drawe yron yet it cannot moue golde thoughe the Iette gather vp the light strawe yet can it not take vp the pure stéele Althoughe Philautus thincke himselfe of vertue sufficient to winne his louer yet shall hée not obtaine Lucilla I cannot but smile to heare that a marriage should bée solemnized where neuer was any mention of assuringe and that the woeing should bée a day after the weddinge Certes if when I looked merilye on Philautus hée déemed it in the waye of marriage or if séeinge mée dispose to ieste hée tooke mée in good earnest then sure hée might gather some presumption of my loue but no promise But mée thincks it is good reason that I â—houlde be at mine owne brydeall and not gyuen in the Church before I know the Bridegrome Therefore déere Father in mine opinion as there can bée no bargaine where both be not agréede neither any Indentures sealed where the one will not consent so can there be no contract where both be not content no banes asked lawfully where one of the parties forbiddeth theÌ„ no marriage made where no match was ment But I will hereafter frame my selfe to be coy séeing I am claimed for a wife bicause I haue bene courteous and giue my selfe to melancholy seing I am accompted wonne in that I haue bene merrie And if euery gentleman be made of the mettall that Philautus is then I feare I shall be challenged of as many as I haue vsed to company with and bée a common wife to all those that haue commonly resorted hether My duetie
inherite them A good and discreete scholemayster should be such an one as Phaenix was the instructor of Achilles whome Pelleus as Homer reporteth appoynted to that ende that he should be vnto Achilles not onely a teacher of learning but an example of good lyuinge But that is most principally to be looked for and most dilygently to be foreséene that such tutours bée sought out for the education of a young childe whose lyfe hath neuer bene stayned with dishonestie whose good name hath neuer bene called vnto question whose manners hath bene irreprehensible before the worlde As husbandmen hedge in their trées so shoulde good scholemaysters with good manners hedge in the wit and disposition of the scholler whereby the blossoms of learning may the sooner encrese to a bud Many parents are in this to be misliked which hauing neyther tryall of his honestie nor experience of his learning to whome they committe the childe to bée taught without any déepe or due consideration put them to one eyther ignoraunt or obstinate the which if they themselues shall doe of ignoraunce the folly cannot bee eâ—cused if of obstinacie their lewdenesse is to bée abhorred Some fathers are ouâ—rcâ—me with the flatterie of those fooles which professe outwardly greate knowledge and shew a certeyne kinde of dissembling sinceritie in their lyfe others at the entreating of their familyar friendes are content to commit their sonnes to one without â—yther substaunce of honestie or shadowe of learning By which their vndisâ—râ—te dealing they are lyke these â—icke men whiche reiect the expert and cunning Phisition and at the request of their â—â—iendes admit the héedelesse practiser which dauâ—gereth the patient and bringeth the bodye to his bane Or not vnâ—yke vnto those whiche at the instaunt and importunate suite of their acquaintaunce refuse a cunninge Pylot and choose an vnsâ—ilfull Marriner whiche hazardeth the shippe and themselues in the calmest sea Good God can there bée any that hath the name of a Father which wyll estâ—eme more the fancie of his friende then the nurture of his sonne It was not in vayne that Crates would often say that if it were lawfull euen in the market place hee would crye out Whether runne you Fathers which haue all your carke and caâ—e to multiplye your wealth nothing regardinge your chyldren vnto whome you must leaue all In thys they resemble him which is very curious about the shooe and hath no care of the foote Besides this there bée many fathers so inflamed with the loue of wealth that they bée as it were incensed with hate againste their childreâ— which Aristippus séeinge in an olde miser did partly note it this olde miser askinge of Aristippus what hée would take to teach and bringe vp hys sonne hée aunswered a thousand groates a thousand groates God sheild aunswered this olde huddle I haue two seruauntes of that price Unto whome hée made aunswere thou shalt haue two seruants and one sonne and whether wilt thou sell Is it not absurde to haue so great a care of the right hande of the childe to cutte his meate that if he handle his knife in the leaâ—t hand we rebuke him seuerely and to bée secure of his nurture in discipline and learning But what doe happen vnto those parentes that bringe vp theire children lyke wantons When their sonnes shall growe to mans estate disdayninge nowe to bée corrected stoborne to obeye gyuing themselues to vaine pleasures and vnseemely pastimes then with the foolishe trowans they beginne to waxe wise and to repent them of theire former follye when their sonnes shall insumate themselues in the companye of flatterers a kinde of men more perrillous to youthe then any kinde of beastes When they shall haunt harlottes frequent tauerns bée curious in their attyre costly in their dyet carelesse in their behauiouâ— when they shall eyther bée common dâ—cers wyth gamesters eyther wanton dallyers with Ladyes eyther spende all their thrift on wine or all their wealth on women then the Father curseth his owne securitieâ— and lamenteth to late his childes mysfortune then the one accuseth his Syre as it were of mallice that hee woulde not bringe him vppe in learninge and himselfe of mischiefe that hée gaue not his minde to good letters If these youthes had bene trained vp in the companye of any Philosopher they would neuer haue bene so disolute in theyr lyfe or so resolute in their owne conceites It is good nurture that leadeth to vertue and discréete demeanour that playneth the pathe to felicity If one haue either the giâ—tes of Fortune as greate riches or of nature as seemely personage hée is to bée dispised in respect of learning To be a noble man it is most excellent but that is our auncestors as Vlysses sayde to Aiax as for our nobilitie our stocke our kindred and whatsoeuer wée our selues haue not done I â—earcely accompt ours Richesse are precious but Fortune ruleth the rost which oftentimes taketh away all from them that haue much and gyueth them more that had nothinge glorye is a thinge worthy to bee followed but as it is gotten wyth greate trauayle so is it lost in a small time Beautie is suche a thing as wée commonly preferre before all thinges yet it fadeth before we perceyue it to florishe health is that which all men desire yet euer subiect to any disease strength is to bee wyshed for yet is it eyther abated wyth an ague or taken away wâ—th age whosoeuer therefore boasteâ—h of force is to too beastly seâ—ing hée is in that qualitie not to bée compared wyth beastes as the Lyon the Bull the Eâ—ephant It is verâ—ue yea vertue gentlemen that maketh gentlemen that maketh the poore rich the base borne noble the subiect a soueraigne the deformed beautifull the sicke whole the weake strong the most myserable most happy There are two principall and peculier gyftes in the nature of man knowledge and reason the one commaundeth the other obeyeth these thinges neyther the whirlinge wheele of Fortune can chaunge neyther the deceitefull cauillinge of worldlinges seperate neyther sicknesse abate neither age abolish It is onely knowledge which worne with yeares waxeth younge and when all thinges are cutte awaye wyth the cycle of time knowledge florisheth so highe that time cannot reach it warre taketh all things with it euen as the whirlepoole yet must it leaue learninge behinde it wherefore it was wiselye aunswered in my opinion of Stilpo the Philosopher for when Demetrius wonne the Citie and made it euen to the grounde leauinge nothinge standing hée demaunded of Stilpo whether hee had lost any thinge of his in this great spoyle vnto whome he aunswered no verilye for warre getteth no spoyle of vertue Unto the like sence may the answere of Socrates be applyed wheÌ„ Gorgias asked him whether he déemed the Persian kinge happy or not I knowe not sayd he how much vertue or discipline he hath for happines doth not consist in the gifts of fortune but in grace of vertue But as there is nothing
Esay telleth before of the captiuitie of the Iewes and their restoryng by Cyrus which was borne an hundreth yeares after the deathe of Esay and wheras Ierâ—my before the people were led away apointeth their exile to continew thréescore and ten yeares Whereas Ieremy and Ezechiel béeinge farre distaunt in places the one from the other doe agrée in all theire sayings Where Daniel telleth of things to come sixe hundreth yeares after These are most certeyne proues to establish the authoritie of the bookes of the Prophets the simplycitie of the speach of the first thrée Euaungelysts conteyninge heauenlye mysteries the prayse of Iohn thundring from on high with weyghty sentences the heauenlye maiestie shininge in the writings of Peter and Paule the sodayne callyng of Mathew from the receipte of custome the callyng of Peter and Iohn from their fisher boates to the preaching of the Gospell the conuersion and callyng of Paule béeing an enemy to the Apostleshippe are signes of the holye Ghost speaking in them The consent of so many ages of so sundrye nations and of so diuers mindes in embracing the Scriptures and the rare godlynesse of some oughte to establish the authoritie thereoff amongst vs Also the bloude of so many Martyrs which for the confession thereoff haue suffred deathe with a constant and sober zeale are vndoubted testimonyes of the truthe and authoritie of the Scriptures The myracles that Moses recounteth are suffient to perswade vs that God yea the God of hoastes sette downe the Scriptures For this that hée was carryed in a clowde vpp into the mountayne that there euen vntill the fortith daye he continued without the companye of men That in the verye publyshinge of the lawe his face did shine as it were besette with Sunne beames that lyghteninges flashed rounde about that thunder and noyses were eache where hearde in the ayre that a Trompette sownded being not sownded with any mouth of man. That the entry of the Tabernacle by a clowde set betweene was kepte from the sighte of the people that his authoritie was so miraculously reuenged with the horrible destruction of Chorah Dathan and Abiron and all that wicked faction that the rocke stroken with a rodde did by and by powre foorthe a ryuer that at his prayer it rayned Manna from Heauen Dyd not God héerein commend him from Heauen as an vndoubted Prophet Nowe as touchinge the tyrannye of Antiochus which commaunded all the bookes to be burned héerein GODS singuler prouidence is séene which hath alwayes kepte his woorde boâ—h from the mightye that they coulde neuer extinguishe the same and from the mallitious that they coulde neuer diminish it Ther were diuers copyes which god of his great goodnes kept from the bloudie proclamation of Antiochus by by followed the translating of them into Greeke that they might be publyshed vnto the whole worlde The Hebrew tongue lay not onely vnestéemed but almost vnknown and surely had it not bene Gods will to haue his religioÌ„ prouided for it had altogether perished Thâ—u seest Atheos how the Scriptures come from the mouth of God are written by the finger of the Holy Ghost in the consciences of all the faythfull But if thou be so curious to aske other questions or so quarrellous to striue agaynst the truth I must aunswer thee as an olde father answered a young foole which néedes would know what God did before he made Heauen to whom he said hell for such curious inquisitors of gods secrets whose wisedome is not to be comprehended for who is he that can measure the winde or way the fire or attayne vnto the vnsearcheable iudgementes of the Lorde Besides this where the Holy Ghost hath ceased to sette downe there ought we to cease to enquire séeing we haue the sufficiencie of our saluation conteined in holy Scripture It were an absurditie in schooles if one béeing vrged with a place in Aristotle could finde none other shifte to auoyde a blancke then in doubting whether Aristotle spake such words or no. Shall it then be tollerable to denye the Scriptures hauing no other colour to auoyde an inconuenience but by doubting whether they procéede from the holy Ghost But that such doubtes aryse amonge many in our age the reason is theire lyttle faythe not the insufficient proofe of the cause Thou mayst as well demaund how I proue white to be white or blacke blacke and why it shoulde bée called white rather then gréene Such grosse questions are to be aunswered with slender reasons and such idle heades would be scoffed with adle aunsweres He that hath no motion of God in his minde no féelinge of the spirite no tast of heauenly thinges no remorce in conscience no sparke of zeale is rather to be confounded by tormentes then reasons for it is an euydent and infallible signe that the holy Ghost hath not sealed his conscience whereby hée myght crye Abba Father I coulde alledge Scripture to proue that the godly shoulde refraine from the companye of the wicked which although thou wylt not beléeue yet will it condemne thée Sainct Paul sayth I desire you brethren that you absteine from the companye of those that walke inordinatelye Agayne my sonne iâ— sinners shall flatter thée gyue no eare vnto them flye from the euill and euils shall flye from thée And surely were it not to confute thy detestable heresie and bringe thée if it might be to some taste of the holy Ghost I would abandon all place of thy abode for I thincke the grounde accursed whereon thâ—u standest Thine opinions are so monstrous that I cannot tell whether thou wylte cast a doubt also whether thou haue a soule or no whiche if thou doe I meane not to wast winde in prouing that which thine infidellitie wyll not permit thée to beléeue for if thou hast as yet felt no tast of the spirit working in thée then sure I am that to proue the immortallitie of the soule were bootelesse if thou haue a secrete féelinge then it were néedlesse And God graunt thée that glowinge and sting in conscience that thy soule may witnesse to thy selfe that there is a liuing God and thy heart shed drops of bloud as a token of repentance in that thou hast denied that God and so I coÌ„mit thée to God and that which I cannot do with any perswasion I wil not leaue to attempt with my prayer Atheos Nay stay a while good Euphues leaue not him perplexed with feare whom thou maist make perfect by faith For now I am brought into such a double doubtfull distresse that I knowe not howe to tourne mée if I beléeue not the Scriptures then shall I be damned for vnbeliefe if I beléeue them then I shall be confounded for my wycked lyfe I knowe the whole course of the Bible which if I shoulde beléeue then must I also beléeue that I am an abiect For thus sayth Heli to his sonnes if man sin againe man God can forgiue it if against God who shall entreate for him â—e that
escape the effect of thy misfortune the more those things please thée the more thou displeasest God and the greater pride thou takest in sinne the greater paine thou heapest to thy soule Examine thine own conscience and sée whether thou hast done as is required if thou haue thancke the Lorde and praye for encrease of grace if not desire God to giue thée a willyng minde to attâ—yne fayth and constancie to continue to the ende Euphues to Ferardo I Salute thée in the Lord c. Although I was not so wittie to follow thy graue aduice when I first knew thée yet doe I not lacke grace to giue thée thankes since I tryed thée And if I were as able to perswade thee to patience as thou wert desirous to exhort me to pietie or as wise to comfort thee in thine age as thou willyng to instruct me in my youthe thou shouldest nowe with lesse griefe endure thy late losse and with little care leade thy aged lyfe thou wéepest for the deathe of thy daughter I laugh at the folly of the father for greater vanitie is there in the minde of the mourner then bitternesse in the deathe of the deceased but she was amyable but yet sinful but she was young might haue lyued but she was mortall and must haue dyed I but hir youth made thée often merry I but thine age should once make thée wise I but hir gréene yeres wer vnfit for death I but thy hoary haires shoulde dispise lyfe Knowest thou not Ferardo that lyfe is the gifte of God deathe the due of nature as we receiue the one for a benefitte so must we abide the other of necessitie Wisemen haue found that by learning which olde men should know by experience that in lyfe there is nothing swéet in death nothing sowre The Philosophers accompted it the chiefest felycitie neuer to be borne the second soone to die And what hath death in it so hard that we should take it so heauily is it strange to sée the cutte off which by nature is made to be cut or that melten which is fit to be melted or that burnt which is apt to be burnt or man to passe that is borne to perish But thou grauntest that she shold haue dyed yet art thou grieued that she is dead Is the death y better if the lyfe be longer no truly For as neither he that singeth most or praieth longest or ruleth the sterne oftenest but he that doth it best deserueth greatest prayse so he not that hath most yeres but many vertues nor he that hath grayest haires but greatest goodnes lyueth longest The chiefe beautie of lyfe consisteth not in the numbring of many dayes but in the vsing of vertuous doings Amongst plants those be best esteemed that in shortest time bringe forth much frute Be not the fairest flowers gathered when they be freshest the youngest beasts killed for sacrifice bicause they be finest The measure of lyfe is not length but honestie neyther do we enter into lyfe to the ende we should set downe the day of our death but therefore do we lyue that we may obey him that made vs and be willyng to dye when he shal call vs But I wil aske thée this question whether thou wayle the losse of thy daughter for thine owne sake or hirs if for thine owne sake bicause thou didst hope in thine age to recouer coÌ„fort then is thy loue to hir but for thy commoditie and therein thou art but an vnkinde father if for hirs then dost thou mistrust hir saluation and therein thou shewest thy vnconstant fayth Thou shouldst not wéepe that she hath runne fast but that thou hast gone so slowe neyther ought it to grieue thée that she is gone to hir home with a few yeares but that thou art to goe with manye But why goe I about to vse a longe processe to a little purpose The budde is blasted as soone as the blowne Rose the winde shaketh off the blossome as well as the fruite Death spareth neyther the golden locks nor the hoary head I meane not to make a treatise in the prayse of death but to note the necessitie neyther to write what ioyes they receiue that dye but to show what paynes they endure the lyue And thou which art euen in the wane of thy life whom nature hath nourished so long that now she beginneth to nod maist well know what griefes what laboures what paynes are in age yet wouldest thou be eyther young to endure many or elder to byde more But thou thinkest it honourable to goe to the graue with a gray head but I déeme it more glorious to be burted with an honest name Age sayste thou is the blessing of God yet the messenger of death Descende therfore into thine owne conscience consider the goodnesse that commeth by the ende the badnesse which was by the beginning take the death of thy daughter patiently and looke for thine owne spéedely so shalt thou perfourme both the office of an honestâ— man and the honour of an aged father and so farewell Euphues to Philautus Touching the deathe of Lucilla I Haue receiued thy letters and thou hast deceiued mine expectation for thou séemest to take more thought for the losse of an harlot then the life of an honest woman Thou writest that she was shamefull in hir trade and shamelesse in hir ende I beléeue thée it is no meruayle that she which lyuing practised sinne should dying be voyde of shame neyther coulde there be any great hope of repentaunce at the houre of death where there was no regard of honestie in time of lyfe She was stricken sodaynely béeinge troubled with no sickenesse It may be for it is commonly séene that a sinfull lyfe is rewarded with a soddayne deathe and a sweete beginning with a sowre ende Thou addest moreouer that she being in great credite with the states died in great beggerie in the stréetes certes it is an olde saying that who so lyueth in the courte shall dye in the strawe she hoped there by delyghtes to gayne money and by hir deserts purchased misery they that séeke to clyme by priuie sinne shall fall with open shame and they that couet to swimme in vice shall sinke in vanitie to their owne perilles Thou sayest that for beautie she was the Helen of Greece and I durst sweare that for beastlines she might be the Monster of Italy In my minde greater is the shame to be accompted an harlot then the praise to be estéemed amiable But where thou arte in the courte there is more regard of beautie then honestie and more are they lamented that dye viciously then they loued that liue vertuously for thou giuest as it were a sigh with all thy companions in the courtâ— séeme by thée to sound also that Lucilla béeing one of so great perfection in all partes of the body and so littlâ— pietie in the soule should be as it were snatched out of the iawes of so many young gentlemen
Well Philautus thou takest not so much care for the losse of hir as I griefe for thy lewdnesse neither canst thou sorrowe more to sée hir dye sodeinely then I to heare thée lyue shamefullye If thou meane to keepe mee as a friende shake off those vaine toyes and dalyaunces wyth women beléeue mée Philautus I speake it wyth salt tears trickling downe my chéekes the lyfe thou liuest in court is no lesse abhorred then the wicked death of Lucilla deâ—ested more art thou scorned for thy folly then she hated for hir filthinesse The euill ende of Lucilla should moue thée to begin a good lyfe I haue often warned thée to shunne thy wonted trade if thou loue me as thou profestest in thy letters then leaue all thy vices shewe it in thy lyfe If thou meane not to amend thy manners I desire thée to write no more to me for I will neither answere thée nor read them The Iennet is brokeÌ„ as soone with a waÌ„d as with the spurre a genâ—â—eman as well allured with a word as with a swoord Thou concludest in the end that Liuia is sick truely I am sory for shée is a madyen of no lesse comlinesse then modesty hard it is to iudge whether she deserues more praise for hir beauty with the amorous or admiration for hir honestie of vertues if thou loue me embrace hir for she is able both to satisfy thine eye for choice instruct thy heart with learning CommeÌ„d me vnto hir as I praise hir to thée so wil I pray for hir to God that either she may haue paâ—ience to endure hir trouble or deliuerance to scape hir peril Thou desirest me to send thée the Sermons which were preached of late in Athens I haue fulfilled thy request but I feare me thou wilt vse them as S. George doth his horse who is euer on his backe but neuer rideth but if thou wert as willing to read them as I was to send them or as ready to follow them as desirous to haue them it shall not repent thée of thy labour nor me of my cost And thus farewell ¶ Euphues to Botonio to take his exile patiently IF I were as wise to giue thée counsaile as I am willing to do thée good or as able to set thée at libertie as desirous to haue thée frée thou shouldest neither want good aduice to guyde thée nor sufficient helpe to restore thée Thou takest it heauylye that thou shouldest bée accused without colour and exiled wythout cause and I thincke thée happy â—o be so well rydde of the courte and to bee so voyde of crime Thou sayest banishment is bitter to the frée borne and I déeme it the better if thou bée wythout blame There bée manye meates which are sowre in the mouth and sharpe in the mawe but if thou mingle them wyth swéete sawces they yeelde both a pleasaunt taste and holesome nourishment Diuers colours offende the eyes yet hauinge gréene amonge them whet the sight I speake this to this enâ—e that though thy exile seeme grieuous to thee yet guiding thy selfe with the rules of Philosophye it shall bee more tollerable hée that is colde doth not couer himselfe wyth care but with clothes he that is washed in the rayne dryeth himselfe by the fire not by his fancie and thou which art bannished oughtest not with teares to bewaile thy hap but with wisedome to heale thy hurt Nature hath giuen no man a country no more then she hath a house or laÌ„ds or liuings Socrates would neither call himselfe an Athenian neither a Grecian but a CitizeÌ„ of the world Plato would neuer accompt him banished that had the Sunne Fire Aire Water Earth that he had before where he felt the Winters blast and the Summers blaze wher y same Sunne the same Moone shined whereby he noted that euery place was a countrey to a wise man and all partes a pallaice to a quiet minde But thou art driuen out of Naples that is nothing All the Athenians dwell not in Colliton nor euery Corinthian in Graecia nor all the Lacedemonians in Pitania How can any part of the world bée distant farre from the other when as the Mathematicians set downe that the earth is but a pointe being compared to the heauens Learne of the Bée as wel to gather Honny of the wéede as the flowre and out of farre countries to liue as wel as in thine owne He is to be laughed at which thincketh the Moone better at Athens then at Corinth or the Honnye of the Bée swéeter that is gathered in Hybla then that which is made in Mantua when it was cast in Diogenes téeth that the Synoponetes had banished hym Pontus yea sayde hee I them of Diogenes I maye saye to thée as Straconicus sayde to his guest who demaunded what faulte was punished wyth exile and hée aunsweringe falshoode why then sayde Straconicus dâ—st not thou practise deceite to the ende thou maist auoyde the myschiefes that followe in thy countrey And surely if conscience be the cause thou art banished tho court I accompt thée wise in being so precise that by the vsing of vertue thou maist be exiled the place of vice Better it is for thée to liue with honesty in the country then with honour in the court greater wil thy praise be by flying vanitie then thy pleasure in followinge traines Choose that place for thy palaice which is most quiet custome will make it thy countrey and an honest life will cause it a pleasaunt liuinge Philip falling in the dust and séeing the figure of his shape perfect in shewe Good God sayd he we desire the whole earth and sée how little serueth Zeno hearing that this onely barke wherein all his wealth was shipped to haue perished cryed out thou hast done well Fortune to thrust me into my gowne agayne to embrace Philosophy thou hast therefore in my minde great cause to reioyce that God by punishment hath compelled thée to strickâ—nesse of lyfe which by lybertie might haue ben growen to lewdnesse When thou hast not one place assigned thée wherein to liue but one forbidden thée which thou must leaue then thou béeing denied but one that excepted thou maist choose any Moreouer this dispute with thy selfe I beare no office whereby I shoulde eyther for feare please the noble or for gaine oppresse the néedy I am no Arbiter in doubtfull cases whereby I should eyther peruerte Iustice or incurre displeasure I am frée from the iniuries of the stronge and mallice of the weake I am out of the broiles of the sedytious and haue escaped the threates of the ambitious But as hée that hauinge a fayre Orcharde séeing one trée blasted recompteth the discommodity of that passeth ouer in silence the fruytfulnesse of the other So hée that is banished doth alwayes lament the losse of his house the shame of his exile not reioysing at the liberty quyetnesse pleasure that he enioyeth by the swéet punishment The kinges of