Cicero in his first booke of Tusculan commendeth much the clemency of Cleobulus and Biton in shewing such loue and obedience to their mother which being in her Chariot redy to go to the solempne feast of the goddesse Iuno the horses sodainly dyed hauing no other remedy lest their mother should go a foote yoked themselues to drawe the Chariot tenne miles to their immortall praise and commendations I remember of a history in Patritius of one Simonides which for that hée was mooued with pittie to bury a dead corps left in the way where no man woulde put him vnto the earth as hée was passing with his felowes ouer Seas that night before they should saile in the morning appeared vnto Simonides the selfe same man which he had buried vpon the way warning him that day not to go to Sea which when hée shoulde take shipping he remembring his dreame tolde it vnto his felowes desiring them to stay that day but his company laughing him to scorne leauing Simonides on the shoores sayled vnto the Seas where in sight of Simonides the Shippe and all his felowes were lost The lyke pitie séene in Simon the son of that valiaunt Greeke Miltiades who being elected Generall ouer the Athenians against the great mighâ— and force of puissaunt Zerxes in the warres of Marathon which was nothing inferiour vnto his renowmed father in prowesse but farre passed him in clemencye and curtesie A young man for his lenitie pitie ioyned with valiauntnesse appoynted by the people of Athens to encouÌ„ter with Zerxes whom his father Miltiades often plaged he then at the first time of his magnanimity tried enforced Zerxes after spoyle of souldiours and victorie of fielde to flye vnto Persea So pitifull that hée payde a great some of money to haue his father buried Milciades which after many conquestes and fawning fortune in victories died in prison whose death and buriall prooued no lesse loue and faythfulnesse towardes his father in Simon then it shewed euidentlye the pittie and mercy he had in redéeming his fathers corpes to be buried Wherefore that pittifull Emperour Alexander Seuerus being demaunded what is that which is chiefe felicitie in this worlde sayde to foster friendes with benifites and gentlenesse and to reconcile foes with pitty and rewardes Alphonsus at what time certen dogges barked at him tooke a toaste out of his cuppe and cast it to the Dogge then saying gentlenesse and clemencye shall make foes friendes I knowe not what greater humanitie coulde be in Vaspasianus the emperour after that Vitellus had kilde his brother Sabinus and had long persecuted Vaspasians sonne yet he being subdued spared not to shew gentlenes to Vitellius his daughter with a great some of money towarde hir mariage Aegesilaus King of the Lacedemonians after he had the victorie of Corinth was not so glad of his conquest as he lamented the deathes of so many Athenians and Corinthians sayde as Plutarch doth witnesse wéeping O Gréece thou spillest more men with ciuil warâ—es by discorde than woulde defende thy state against all the worlde with courage To vse victorie gently is more famous than to conquer cruellye As that Emperour Adrian was woont to saye that Princes ought rather with Pittie to saye this I can doe then with tirannye to saye this I will doe Augustus that most pittifull Prince after he had conquered that famous Cittie Alexandria which the great conquerour Alexander had made and named it according to his owne name béeing mooued with pittie stirred with mercy in sight of the Citizens which hoped to haue nothing but death sayde for the beautie of your Citie and memorie of Alexander for the loue I haue vnto Prius your Philosopher and for the pittie I beare vnto you all I spare vnto you your Cittie and graunt you life O swéete sounding wordes from a pittifull Prince not muche vnlike his predicessor Iulius Caesar his owne mothers brother who after vanquishing of Pompeius at Pharsalia sent letters vnto Rome of loue professed of suche friendshippe promised that though Pompeius was the onely ioye of Rome the long delight of Romanes the defender and meintainer of theyr name and fame yet being conuicted they receyued Caesar as an other Pompeius for that he vsed humanitie and shewed gentlenesse euen vnto his enimies for noble heartes ought to coÌ„temne cruelty princes mindes ought to abhor tirannye A simple sparow which to auoyd y e griping pawes of a hungry Sparhaucke that woulde haue prayed vppon him fledde vnto Artaxerxes bosome being in campe where after long panting aswell for feare as for wearinesse in Artaxerxes bosome he sayd It is as litle masterie vnto a Prince or commendation to a valiant Capitaine to destroye that which of it selfe doth yéelde as it is a fame vnto Artaxerxes to kyll this poore Sparow that fled for succour saying againe beholding the Sparrowe As I will not betraye thée thou little Sparrowe for that thou hast fledde for helpe vnto Artaxerxes so will I neuer deceyue anye man that will haue confidence in me If this pittie of Artaxerxes was shewed vnto a Sparrowe how much ought Princes to shewe the same vnto men Antigonus though he was a great enimie vnto Pirrhus as Princes bée during the time of warre being slayne of a silye woman in Argos and hys heade brought by Alcyoneus vnto his father King Antigonus thinking to please his father much to bring King Pirrhus head which long had molested Antigonus aliue but the king perceauing the cruell tiranny of his sonne to delite in dead mens heades tooke the staffe whereon his sonne Alcioneus caried the head in stéede of thankes which hée looked for at his fathers handes hée was well and worthily rewarded with stripes tooke Pirrhus head very honourably deckt and couered it and after long looking theron hée coÌ„maunded his son Helenus to cary it vnto the kingdome of Epire where Pirrhus in life time was King there to bée buried according vnto the custome of y e Epirotes by king AlexaÌ„der his own brother The like history is writteÌ„ in Herodotê° of King Darius which yéelded thankes vnto those that brought Histeus head as Antigonus did vnto his sonne Alcioneus saying I do as litle ioy to sée Histeus head being dead as I do lament much such tiranny and cruelnesse to bée in you who neuer sawe King Darius so cruell to any man aliue as you are cruell vnto Histeus being dead As Darius was gentle of him selfe so hée greatly estéemed those that were gentle insomuch hée being at the point of death euen at that time when hée was so weake that hée knew not Polistratus that gaue a litle water to refreshe his heart sayde Whosoeuer thou bée I knowe thée not and for that I am not able to thanke thée Alexander shall and wyll requite thy gentlenesse and the gods shall thanke Alexander for his clemency and humanity towarde my mother my wife and children and with that hée stretched
Fulgosius of that noble Vitellius who after he had vanquished and slaine diuers nobles and shewed greate wronges vnto the Emperour Otho and vnto Sabinus brother vnto Vespasian the Emperour beyng in feare of his life by Vespasian and being taken by the souldiors he besought leste he should die presently he might bee kepte saufe in prison vntill he might sée and speake with Vespasian the Emperour Suche was his feare that he did hide hym self in a chest like a wretch leste vpon a sodaine he should die So fearfull was Caligula and Caesar of death euery where that he would neuer goe abroade at any Lightenynges or Thonder but with his heade couered with all kinde of thynges whiche mighte resiste the violence of Thounders and Lightenynges Misa kyng of the Moabites and Ioram kyng of Iewrie beyng besieged by the enemies and in daunger of death thei inuented all giles all policies and inuentions right or wronge to saue life thei sacrificed their children to mitigate the rage of the Goddes leste thei should die The loue that diuers had vnto life and the feare the same self had vnto death were to bee noted worthily consideryng howe sore men are vexed with the fear of death ▪ Antemō was so desirous to liue and so fearfull to die that skante would he trauaill out of his house abrode any where and if he wer compelled to goe abrode he would haue twoo of his seruauntes to beare ouer his heade a greate brasen Targatte to defende hym from any thyng whiche mighte happen to doe hym hurte Theagenes in like sorte would not goe out of his house without he had consulted with the Image of Hecates to knowe what should happen to him that daie and to vnderstande whether he might escape death or no Commodus the Emperoure would neuer truste any Barbour to shaue his bearde lest his throte should bee cutte of Masinissa kyng of Numidia would rather committe his state and life vnto Dogges then vnto men as his garde to keepe and defende hym from death To speake of Bion of Domitianus of Dionisius of Pisander of thousandes more whiche so feared death that their chief care and studie was how thei might auoide the same The feare of death causeth the soonne to forsake the father the mother to renoūce the doughter the one brother to deny an other and one frende to forsake the other In so muche Christ himself was forsaken of his Disciples for feare of death Peter denied him and all the reste fledde from hym and all for feare of death Behold therefore how fearfull some are how ioyfull others are How lothsome some how willyng others haue been to die Some desperately die beyng wearie of life As Sabinus Iuba Cleomenes some hangyng thē self some burnyng them selues some drouning thē selues thus with one desperat ende or other thei died But fith euery man muste die it were reason that euerie man should prepare to die for to die wel is nothing els but to liue again Wherfore certen Philosophers of India called Gymnosophistae beyng of Alexander the great cōmaunded to certain hard questiōs whiche if thei could absolue they should liue otherwise thei should die the eldeste of their cōpanie was made a iudge in that matter by the said Alexander The first question was demaunded to know whether there wer more liuing or dead to the whiche the first philosopher saied that the quicke are more in nomber for that the dead haue no being no place no nōber The second question was whether the lande engendered more or the Sea to this answered the second philosopher and said the Land did engender more for that the Sea was but a portion of the Lande The thirde question was to knowe what beast was most subtill that beast answered the thirde Philosopher that man can not discerne Fourthly it was demaunded why they beeyng Philosophers were so induced to perswade the Sabians to rebellion bicause saide the Philosopher it is better to die manfully then to liue miserablie The fifte question was whether the daie was made before the night or the night before the day to the which it was answered the daie The sixte was to vnderstande howe Alexander the greate hym selfe might get good will of the people in shewyng saied the sixte Philosopher thy self not terrible vnto the people The seuenth to aske was whether life or death wer stronger and it was answered life The eight was to knowe howe longe a manne should liue vntill saied the eight Philosopher a manne thinketh death better then life The last question was proposed of Alexander to knowe how might a mortall man be accompted in the nomber of the Gods In dooyng greater thynges saide all the Philosophers then man is able to dooe For that they knewe this proude Prince would be a GOD and that he would learne of the sage Philosophers how he might voide mortalitie he was answered sharpely for that hee should knowe hym to be a man and beyng a manne he should make himself readie to die for death is the rewarde of sinne and death is the beginnyng of life againe vnto the good as Aulus Posthumius in an Oration whiche he made vnto his Souldiours said It is geuen both to good and bad to die but to die Godly and gloriously is onely geuen vnto good men For so Hector speaking in Homer said vnto his wife Andromacha that she should not be sory for his death sith all men must die Though some with the Galathians dooe contempne death that thei fighte naked and are perswaded with the Pythagoreans that they shall neuer die but passyng from one bodie vnto another yet some die ioyfully as the brethren of Policrita beyng taken captiue by Diognitus ▪ Emperour of Milesia she beyng vsed verie ill at the Emperours hands did sende Letters to Naxus vnto hir brethren at what tyme the people of Milesia were Feastyng Drinkyng and Banquetyng at their greate solemne feast Then the brethren of Policrita came and found the Emperour drinkyng and all his people ouer charged with wine slue the most parte of theim prisoned a nomber and brought their sister home to Naxus where assone as they came home died for Ioye of the victorie Euen as Philarchus somtime in his great triūphe criyng out O happie howres and ioifull daies was taken in suche a Feuer that brake his vaines at that verie instaunt for gladnes He is coumpted moste wise that knoweth hymself To ioye to muche in prosperitie to be aduaunced and extolled when fortune fauours without all feare of ill happes to come is follie To be vanquished and subdued in aduersite without hope of solace and goodnes to come is méere madnesse Therefore the Sages and Wisemen knowyng that death was the last line of life did endeuour in their liues how they might die well briefly for examples of liues I meanes to note fewe sentences of these wisemen whiche they vsed as their Poesies and thought good to shewe
and penurie It is not straunge that Agathocles the potter Iustinius the svvinehearde yea Archilaus borne of a bond-vvoman shoulde be aduaunced vnto regall seate That sage Greke therfore Pittachê° in the temples of Mittilena depainted a brode ladder vvhere some did ascend and some discend to notifie the state of fortune Some hongry feeding at the Table of Tantalê° Some toyling to rol the stone of Sisiphê° Some striuing vvith the burthen of Atlas Some busie to fill the empty buckets of Belides and some carefull to turne the vvheele of Ixion vvhereat I knovve not vvhether the vvise may laugh rather at the folly of the same vvith Democritus or vveepe at the miserie of the same vvith Heraclitê° Hovv happy is he that sayleth by Scilla vvithout daunger that passeth by Ciclops dennes vvithout perill that goeth vnto Lotophagos and not hindered that drinketh vvith Cirses and not infected that heareth the Cirenes and not allured In fine that entereth vnto hell and not conuicted yea tvvise happye is that contented man vvho hauing nothing possesseth all thinges and hauing all thinges possesseth nothing By this onely Biton the siely argiue vvas preferred before Cirus king of Persea by Solon By this Aglaus the poore Arcadian vvas aduaunced before Cressus King of Lidia by Apollo And by this onely vvas Gangeticus vvoont to say that hauing but bread and vvater he vvoulde not chaunge life vvith Iupiter for had that renovvmed Pirrhus beene contented vvith the kingdome of Epire he had neuer beene slaine by a simple vvoman at Argos Had Siphax beene satisfied vvith all the dominion of Numidia he had neuer died a captiue in Rome And had that great conquerour Alexander beene sufficed vvith one vvorld he had neuer vvept vvhen he heard that there vvere diuers vvorlds Such gredy desire of vvealth such vaine ostentation of life that al Athens coulde not abide tvvo Alcibiades All Sparta might not suffer tvvo Lisanders nor all the vvorld might maintaine tvvo Alexanders Such vaine glorye of selfe loue such felicitie in the vvorlde yea such ambition of honour vvith men that poore Temison a Gardener vvoulde be called Hercules in Cipris simple Menecrates a Phisition vvould be called Iupiter in Greece and foolish Hanno a Citizen vvoulde be called a God in Carthage So that some put their cheefe felicitie vvith Crisippus in the vvorlde some vvith Antisthenes in fame after death Many vvith Themistocles in descending froÌ„ a hie linage A number vvith Simonides to be vvell beloued of the people Diuers vvith Palemon in eloquence others vvith Euripedes in a faire vvoman and others vvith Sophocles in getting of children Seely Herostratê° burned the temple of Diana to become famous Pausanias slue Philip King of Macedonia to be spoken of Desire vnto fame made Iuliê° Caesar to enuy the marshall monumentes of Alexander in Gades made Alexander vveepe at the fame of Achilles in Phrigia made Achilles crie out at the renovvme of Theseê° in Greece and made Theseê° starke mad at the enterprises of Hercules in al places VVherfore that learned Philosopher Plato termed enuy Serra animae VVhy vvas Perdicca enuied for his noble magnanimitie VVhy vvas Lysimachê° hated for his approued experience And vvhy vvas Antigonê° disdained for his politick vvisdome so that Plini saith most true that there is no light vvithout shadovve nor no vertue vvithout enuy VVhich if your vvorship sometime bestovv your selfe to reade some booke or other you shall in reading diuers bookes knovv and perceaue the causes thereof for as the Bee gathereth of some hearbe Gumme of another the refuse of VVaxe of an other Honye so in reading diuers bookes diuers profites of Rethoricke the vvaye of persvvation of Logicke the sleight of reason of histories the orders of countreys of Philosophy the secretes of nature and of diuinitie the path of life vvherefore Alphonsus the great King of Aragon being a long time sicke in Capua geuing him selfe to reade Titus Liuius of the marshall feates of Romans and Q. Curtiê° of the noble actes of Alexander the great hauing thereby recouered his health vvas vvoont to say that he neuer hearde better Musicke then he hearde in Liuie nor neuer had better Phisick then he had in Curtius Augustê° Caesar therfore vvould neuer be vvithout Virgil in hande nor Alexander the great vvithout Homer vnder his Pillovv Happy vvas Pompeius vvhen hee had Cicero in his bosome and glad vvas Scipio vvhen he had Enneus in his sight yea Dionisius the tiraunt vvoulde honour Plato and Antigonus the cruell geue place to Zeno. So as Alphonsus saide there is no svveeter Musicke then in reading there is no better Phisicke then in reading and there is no sounder counsell then in reading There is mirth there is sadnesse there is vvisedome and knovvledge there is persvvasion and there is vvarning vvhich if your vvorship do folovve but Appelles sayinges vnto his schollers that no day shoulde passe vvithout the reading of one line or to imitate Hortensius â–ª sometime of the day either to reade aske or to learne something I knovve you vvill say vvith Solon Indies senesco multa discens trusting to call to minde that short and svveete sentence of Epaminondas vnto his friende Pelopidas that no good nature ought to go out of his house in the morning but before he returneth home he vvill vvinne one friende or other forgetting not the saying of Tiberius the Emperour vvho thought that day yll spent in the vvhich he did good to no body or profited no man Thus doing your vvorship shall encrease in knovvledge multiply your freendes aduaunce your fame and enioy felicitie of life ¶ Your seruaunt Lodovvicke Lloide TO THE READER VNvvise much vvere I beeing base and barren if I thought to escape that which Homer that sweete and sugred Mecaenas of Greece might in no wise auoyde Simple were I to seeke to auoyde that which the wisest and the learnedst Socrates and Architas coulde not shunne therefore euen as the Rhodians and the Lacedemonians in the games of Olimpia were taunted of Diogenes the one for their brauerie the other for their raggednesse so these Cinikes sortes finde faulte with the good aswell as the badde Lucullus a noble Romane demaunded of the Philosopher Seneca what best he might doe to please Nero the Emperour and not to offende the common people had in aunswere to doe much seruice vnto Princes and to vse little taulke and to shewe humanitie vnto the commons Knowing well gentle Reader how ready the most part are to accuse the learned and hovv fewe are willing to excuse the ignorant I am contented rather to be reprehended for my good will in penning this pilgrimage of Princes than to be commended by that vvhich may prooue my ydle lyfe by silence Being mindefull of the youth of Egypt how they shoulde make account vnto their magistrates of paine and trauell most willing to accomplish something that might discharge the same I tooke this laboure in hande in that that I coulde to the vttermost to
of the Amazones and the Combats of Giauntes the rebellion of Centaures and the Lapitheans that all Gréece mused much thereat Nealces in like sort did set foorth y e warres betwixt the Egyptians and the Perseans so liuely to beholde and so worthily wrought that the beholder thereon might be aswell instructed in sight as the learned in reading the Historie thereof That cunning Philoxenus did also effectually set foorth the warres betwéene Alexander the great King of Macedonia and Darius King of Persea in colours as either Curtius or Diodorus did expresse it with writyng The noble Painter Timantes at what time that worthy Gréeke Agamemnon at the siege of Troy was enforced by an Oracle to sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia to mitigate the furie of the gods he beholding the wofull hap of Agamemnon and the sorowfull state of the Gréekes the selemne sadnesse of the sacrifice the order and state of Iphigenias death did set foorth in colours more lamentably to beholâ—e in colours then rufully to reade it in letters A science belonging vnto noble minde and so sometime estéemed of the Gréekes that their fame much thereby was augmented What was skant done or written in Gréece but it was straight set foorth in colours No warres any where but it was painted out in Gréece No straunge historie of any thyng but it was expressed in common coloures in so much Philosophie it selfe which was so honoured then in Gréece was set foorth in Tables That learned Zeuxes did paint in a Table the picture of Iupiter sitting in his throne with the rest of the gods about him where likewise was shewed the historie of Hercules howe he yet in his cradle slue the two great Snakes or rather Dragons where his mother Alcumena and his supposed father Amphytrion did fearfullye beholde the death of the two Dragons and the escaping of young Hercules their sonne being a childe Nychomachus dd liuely expresse the boldnes of Theseus and Perythous in attemptyng their voyage to King Plutoes region blasing in tables their large enterprise in rauishing and taking away quéene proserpina from her husbande Pluto So skilfull was Licias So cunnyng was Philiscus that they made so subtile a Chariot wherein Apollo and his sister Diana and his mother Latona were perfectly grauen and the nine Muses orderly set and that vpon one stone Praxiteles excelled all men in the like for he graued in a Marble stone the Image of Uenus so perfectly and so liuely in eche point that a certen young man saith Plini fell in loue with the image and came often in the night when none knewe to kisse and to clip the image of Uenus as sometime we reade of PigmalioÌ„ that cunning Gréeke which likewise fel in loue with his owne handy worke in garnishing and decking with freshe flowres gréene leaues his owne worke To speake of Apelles Pirgoteles and Lisippus whose fame was spread ouer the whole worlde in so much that Alexander the great commaunded that none in Gréece shoulde paint him in colours but Apelles none to graue him in stones but Pyrgoteles and none to faine any part of his princely person but Lisippus It were to much to speake of Callycratis Phycaerides and diuers famous menne moe wherewith Gréece sometyme flowed whose fames and worthye reports made Paulus Aemilius that noble Romane from Rome to sende vnto Athence for two kinde of men the one a Philosopher to teache his sonnes the other a Painter to set foorth in Tables the great triumphes and victories which he got ouer the Lygurians and Perseans And one man being a learned Philosopher and an excellent Painter named Metrodorus was sent from Athence vnto Rome for the purpose Poets and Painters were much set by in auncient time for euen as these aforesayde Painters were famous and renowmed so were Poets honored and esteemed For we reade that Alexander the great woulde neuer go vnto his bed without Homers Iliades and his dagger vnder his Pillowe He so much estéemed Pindarus the Poet that he spared a whole stréete in Thebes from burning for Pindarus house which was in that stréete That renowmed emperour Augustus so honoured Uirgil that being dead his bookes were worthily honored and embraced of Augustus So that noble Emperour Gratianus aduaunced the Poet Ausonius vnto the office of a Consull for his learnyng and knowledge in Poetry The fable of Chaos the deluge of Deucalion the rebellion of Giauntes with innumerable mo which vnder the shadow of fables haue great wisedome and knowledge At what time King Philip of Macedon the long enemie of Athence had demaunded vpon condicion of peace tenne Orators of Athence to serue him and to remaine with him in Macedonia Demosthenes that sugred Orator made an open Oration before King Philip where he brought the fable of the Woolfe and the shéepe that as the Woolfe did offer peace vnto the shéepe vpon condition the dogges should tary at home so King Philip offered peace vnto the Athinians vpon conditions that the Oratours whiche as dogges do barke at the Woolfe barke at him shoulde be taken away and so soone he woulde destroy Athence beyng spoyled from their Oratours as the Woolfe woulde spoyle the shéepe without dogges This fable much edifieth the Uulgar people Menenius Agrippa a Romane Counsellour reduced often tymes the fable of the belly and members when that he went to make any foes fréendes to bryng rude rebels against their Prince and their countrey vntyll amitie againe With the whiche fable he reduced and brought againe those that offended most against their countrey to be chéefe ayde and helpers vnto their countrey Thucidides doth witnesse that by a fable that noble Capitaine Pericles yeelded courage vnto the Athenians being sore oppressed and vexed in a maner a spoyle vnto their enimies the Lacedemonians manfully to resist their violence againe and to winne victorie where before they were almost conuicted That noble Consul Cicero by a fable of Giges ring howe he went inuisible vnto King Candales wyfe and made him a Cocolde woulde apply the same vnto those glorious persons that often delyte in their owne follie and yll behauiours as sometyme the Poets faine of Ixion who braggyng and boastyng of Iuno he got the Centaures engendred of a Cloude in stéede of Iuno Quintilian saith that fables conteine vnder fained wordes most excellent wisedome for Erasmus doth often repeate the fable of Grashoppers and the Antes to exhorte men to trauayle and to laboure with litle Antes Plato that diuine and noble Philosopher in his seconde booke De Rep. doeth vse fables Aristotle in his rethoricall prooues is not without fables Marke howe fables ease the Philosopher in hys studie helpeth y e Orator in his perswacions garnisheth the deuine in his sermons and in fine they pleasure in any thing Thus I thought good to write in the commendacioâ—s of Painting and Poetrie which for the secrete friendeship and for the affinitie one
foorth his hande and sayde Haue mée recommended vnto Alexander and bryng him this my right hande and tell him that Bessus kylled Darius whom thou didst sée dying Which when it was tolde by Polystratus vnto Alexander hée much lamented his death caused his body to bée brought with great honour and precious clothes and with all solempnitie that might bée made vnto his mother named Sisigambis Thus worketh clemency and humanity that those two famous Princes Alexander and Darius two mortall enemies alwayes and yet not forgetting eche others courtesie at deathes doore either of them in loue with the other For their humanitie one to another Darius at his death repeating Alexanders gentlenesse towardes him and Alexander requiting Darius gentlenesse being dead The greatest fame or commendation that may happen vnto any man is to bée counted gentle and curteous therein are diuers vertues knitted and ioyned in fréendship as pitie mercy wisedome and affability with others so that the property of those men are alwayes though they can hurt yet neuer to hinder It is proper to an euill man to offende so is the nature of the good and gentle to forgiue Pisistratus shewed both wisedome and curtesie vnto certaine dronkardes who hauing in theyr drinke vsed wanton spéech vnto his wife and being sober the next morning came to Pisistratus to aske him forgiuenesse for theyr lewde talke vnto his wife hée gently sayde learne to be more sober another time I knowe my wife was not out of hir house yesterdaye excusing his wife wisely and pardoning them gently Howe gently dyd Alexander Seuerus vse Camillus though he rebelled against him and by sleight thought to be Emperour of Rome and for that being condemned to die by the Senate yet he was pardoned by Alexander Howe courteous was Fabius Maximus to forgiue Marsius one of his chiefe Capitaines his treasons and snares that he vsed against his mayster Fabius with the enimies Such gentlenesse did Zerxes the great shewe vnto certaine Gréekes who were as espialles to vew the hoste and power of King Zerxes sent from Athens and being taken and brought before the king he not only gently dismissed them without any punishment but shewed them courteously all his hoste and force of souldiours The greatest victorie is lightly alwayes gotten by gentlenesse as Alphonsus King of Aragon by gentlenesse wonne Careta Marcellus wonne Siracusa Metellus Seluberia as you haue hearde before mencioned Plutarch resiteth a passing historie of great curtesie and humanity in king Belenus towarde his sonne Antigonus who being maried to a fayre woman fell in loue with his fathers wife for his mother was deade and his father maried the daughter of Demetriê° King of Macedonia named Estrabonica a younge woman of excellent beautie for this therefore the Kings sonne languished in loue that he was lyke to die vnknowne vnto his father which when his fâ—ther knewe of hée caused his owne wife to be maried vnto his sonne Antigonus rare clemencie and great gentlenesse for a manne to giue his wife to please his friends Pittie accompanieth this excellent vertue clemencie that we reade in holy scriptures that diuers good men ceassed not to bewayle and wéepe euer the state of their enimies I néede not here to recite Pericles the Athenian who willed that the deade souldiours shoulde be buried in the warres of Peloponesus nor of Hanibals curtesie in the warres of Carthage for the buriall of Romane enimies But Moyses that man of God brought with him from Egypt the boanes of Ioseph Tobias and Machabeus mercifull men commended likewise solemne buriall for the deade souldiours And Iehu King of Israell caused his enimie Iezabelem to be honorably buried but as white is better discerned by the blacke than by any colour else so shall humanitie and gentlenesse most appéere excellent in reading the title of tyranny where by conferring both togither the excellencie of the one is manifest the terrour of the other is odious The gentlenesse and pittie that our Sauiour Iesus Christ shewed vnto Marie Magdelen the lewde woman vnto the prodigall childe vnto Peter that denied him vnto the Théefe that hanged with him vnto Daniell in the denne to Susanna in the fire to Ionas in the water was nothing else but examples left for our learning â–ª to be gentle one vnto another euen as Iesus Christ was vnto vs all thus ending as Cicero sayde of Caesar that Caesar extolling Pompeius being deade and setting vp his pictures did extoll his owne name so that the clemencie that menne vse to shewe vnto others doth aduance their owne fame ¶ Of sober and temperate Princes and where temperaunce and sobrietie vvere most vsed SO much was this noble vertue of temperaunce estéemed with auntient people that they thought the greatest plesure the happiest life was to abstaine from desired meate and drinke So muche was this sobrietie of life commended of learned Philosophers that Anacharsis that famous Scithian was woont to write about the painted pictures of Princes this little lesson Rule lust Temper tongue And bridle the bellie Whereby the Philosopher diligentlye perswaded Princes to be temperate of life to be sober in talke and to abstaine from filthy féeding For to subdue appetites to vanquishe luste to suppresse pleasure is a worthie conquest He is a worthie Uictour a famous conquerour a puissaunt Prince that can ouercome his owne affections for euen as Fishes are taken with hookes so men sayth Plato are alured with pleasure It is the greatest vertue that can be in man sayth the Poet to abstaine from pleasure To auoyde these baytes these swéete pleasures wise Princes haue lothed banquetting and drinking in so much that Iulius Caesar that famous Emperour of Rome for his singuler sobrietye and passing temperaunce the verye lampe and lantorne of Europe for his abstinence the onely mirrour of Italy who by ouercomming of himselfe ouercame all Europe Of this Emperour woulde Cato of Vtica say though he was a mortall enemie vnto Caesar for that Caesar vsed the companie of Cato sister Seruâ—lia that one sober Caesar should subdue Rome his abstinence was such sayth Plim that most rare or neuer woulde this Emperour drinke wine Agesilaus king of the Lacedemonians passing through the countrey of Thasius being met with the nobles and saluted the people with diuers dainties and rare banquets to welcome the king vnto the countrie notwithstanding he touched not their daineties fedde onely with breade and drinke to satisfie the expectations of the Thasians And being earnestly requested and humblye sought and in maner enforced least he shoulde séeme vngratefull not to eate their meates he commaunded his footemen and slaues Helotes to féede if they woulde on suche â–ª chéere saying that princes might not so pamper theÌ„ selues with damtie chéere and wines but with abstinence and temperancie The one is incident sayde he vnto vice and shame the other a nource vnto vertue and fame for in eating and drinking lyeth hidden that sucking Serpent named
at the long Speare the long Sworde the staffe and such as then they vsed in fight for to embolden them selues in that play being naked without armes against they came to fight with their armed enemies Thus by this play were the Romanes taught boldly to fight with their enemies and hardned at home litle to estéeme woundes and strokes abrode Thus games and playes were chéefely estéemed of the Romanes though diuers others as Cicero in his office affirmeth the Romones had in Martius féelde harde by Rome to exercize the youngmen to practize feates to become redy and prompt in marshall offayres which they onely most estéemed A comparison betweene the loue of men and beastes IF men bée diuers in affection one towardes another as wée dayly sée and trye by experience howe much ought the siely and simple beast which wanteth vse of speach to bée commended that so careth and prouideth for him his And though as Cicero saith that it is common vnto all liuing creatures to multiplie and to be carefull ouer those that nature procreated to differ in no part from a beast therin yet by reason we are to excell all kinde of beastes all things in subiection vnto man aswell the heauens aboue and all that shineth therin as earth beneath and all that liue thereon And hence I maruayle much though thd secrete working of nature in fearce and raging beastes bée tollerable yet in a reasonable man in whom saith the Philosopher nature onely mooueth vnto the beast suche enimitie variaunce and discorde shoulde procéede It is thought that the Eagle and the Swanne be not fréendes the Dolphin and the Whale can not agrée the Woolfe and the Foxe at variaunce so of the Dogge and the Cat of the Crowe and the Kite may be spoken but it is well knowen that man is most odious vnto man and though it be spoken Homo homini Deus yet is it prooued Homo homini Daemon If nature made the mighty Lion the most valiaunt beast in the worlde to feare the little crowyng Cock If nature do cause the huge and monstrous Elephant to tremble at the sight of a sielie simple Shéepe And if nature mooue the Panther a strong and a straunge beaste to quake at the presence of a Hinde If nature worke so subtilly that the strongest mightiest and valiauntest beast shoulde feare the most innocent and most simple beast howe much more might reason rule in vs to feare our God and his mightie workes which wée altogether either forget his glory or despise his power Though in beasts the heauens haue dominion yet saide Dauid man by reason and feare of God ruleth the heauens But I wyll omit to speake further of that and wyl returne to that which I meane a litle to discusse I wil not speake of the loue and affection of men generall but of the loue mutuall betwixt man and wife betwixt brother and brother And as it is a vertue not to be forgotten so is it a vertue most rare to finde for euerye thing in his owne kinde is most to bée accepted And first to entreate of the excéeding loue of the woonderful affection that men bare towarde their wiues Wée reade of that noble Romane Anthonius Pius who loued so well his wife Faustine that when shée died he caused her picture to be made and to be set vp before his face in his bed chamber to ease some part of his gréefe with the sight therof M. Plaucius sayling with his wife vnto Asia with thréescore Nauayes came very gorgeously vnto the citie of Tarentum where in the middest of his pompe and great glory for that his wife Orestella by sicknesse dyed he slue him selfe with one dagger saying Two bodyes shall possesse one graue The like wée reade of two young men in Plutarch the one named Aemilius the other Cianippus which for méere affection and passing loue towardes their wiues after long tormentes panges and paynes conceyued by inwarde griefes that their wiues were dead to solace their sadnes and to ende their woofull hap offered their pined bodyes a sacrifice vnto death for a pledge of their true and faithfull loue What meanes doth loue séeke to saue it selfe to auoyde gréefe and lastyng paine and to bée acquainted with ease and pleasure to embrace death How rufully the Gréeke Poet Antimachus bewayled the death of his wife Lisidides in such mourning verses woofull plaintes that whosoeuer read them hée should bée as redy to wéepe in reading the dolefull Epitaph of Lisidides as was Antimachus her husband sorowfull of hir death Pericles was so louing vnto his wife being a noble capitaine of Athens and so chaste that when Sophocles spied a marueylous beautifull young man saying Behold a passing fayre young man Pericles aunswered and saide Not onely the heart and the handes of a Magistrate must bée chaste but also his eyes must refuse the sight of any but his wife It is read that Pericles being at Athens hée was founde kissing and making much of his wife and being from Athens he was found more sad to depart from his wife then vnwilling to die for his countrie Orpheus loued so well his wife Euridices that as the Poettes faine he feared not the power of King Pluto to redéeme his wife with hazarde and daunger of his owne bodie Innumerable are they that deserue the like fame so that these fewe maye bée a sufficient proofe of others And now a fewe examples to prooue the like good will and loue from the wiues shewed towarde their husbandes as hithervnto you heard the great loue of husbandes toward their wiues Alcestes a noble Quéene of Tessalie at what time King Admetus hir husbande shoulde die hauing by an Oracle giuen an aunswere that if any woulde die for the King he should liue which when all refused his wyfe Quéene Alcestes offred hir selfe to die to saue hir husbandes life Iulia the wife of Pompeius the great and onely daughter to that famous and renowmed ▪ Iulius Caesar Emperour of Rome shée was no lesse obedient vnto hir father Caesar then shée was louing vnto hir husbande Pompeius who though they both were enimies one vnto an other yet shée shewed hir a louing daughter vnto hir father and a true wife vnto hir husbande and so true that when shée sawe hir owne Pompeius comming blouddy from the fielde as his apparell made a shewe a great way of shée supposing that hir husband was slaine béeing great wyth childe trauayled straight and died before Pompeius hadde yet come in The loue of Artimesia Quéene of Caria towarde hir husbande king Mausolus is as well declared by the sumptuous Tombe and gorgeous glistering graue which she made for him when hée died compted for the excelencie therof one of the seauen woonders as also truelye verified by cerimonies at his death in making the skull of hys heade hir drinking cuppe in drinking all the ashes of his bodie as suger vnto
is written in the liues of the fathers that a young man seruing an Hermet being sent of his maister vnto a village harde by where a certen great Usurer and a vicious man being dead was caryed honorably and buried with solempnitie with the Bishop of that Diocesse which when the boy saw hée wept out that so euyll a man so wicked an Usurer should haue such solemne buriall and returning whom hée founde his maister deuoured of a Lion which so mooued him almost to bée beside him selfe saying The wicked Usurer dieth with greate honour and is buried with great pompe that liued all the dayes of his life in sinne and wickednesse My maister being fifty yeres in the wildernesse an Hermet is eaten vp and deuoured of a Lion whiche studied and traueyled to fight with sinne and with the deuyll An angel appeared vnto the boy saying The deuyll can no more hurt thy maister for hée hath done his worst and now thy maister hath conquered the deuyll The deuyll spared the Usurer in his life time that hée might possesse him after his death SOcrates therefore dying héeing constrayned for that hée refused their gods and sayd that hée would rather worship a Dogge than the gods of Athens and to drinke his last draught perceyuing that his wife wept demaunded the cause of her wéeping his wife aunswered and sayd the innocencie of Socrates death is the cause of my wéeping Nay rather sayde Socrates laugh and reioyce at that and wéepe at him that deserued death The like examples haue wée of King Antigonus and Anaxagoras the Philosopher hearing both that their sonnes dyed in the warres the one sayd I knowe I hadde my sonne borne to die the other without vexation or chaunge of countenaunce made him be buried out of hand saying It is no straunge thing to heare of death aswell vnto Princes as vnto poore men happened A Great King being admonished by his Phisitions of death began to lament much his state saying Alasse Myser that I am howe many princelye Pallaces regall Courtes howe manye Kingdomes and countries must I depart from and go vnto those quarters I know not where Howe manye Princes coulde I commaunde to come with mée anye where Howe many Noble men might I cause to go before to prouide my places and seates and nowe not one poore man in all the worlde will beare mée company to my graue saying thou worlde enimie of my soule ¶ THE DEATHES OF CERTEN Noble Princes in english verse ¶ Alexander the great his death WHat sounde assurance is of man what certaine lotte of life When Atrop cuts which Lachese spinnes with cruell cursed knife Hée yesterday renowmed Prince and King of Kinges so braue To daye in mouldred mossie mire layde in his fatall graue Yesterdaye the sonne of Ioue might all commaunde at will To day starcke naked in the earth with wormes his belly full ¶ Iulius Caesars death I Long that ruled Rome at will in middest of Rome am spilde And in the Senate house amongst the Senators I am kilde Who Countries Kingdomes Castles strong who Europe all did quell To Brutus hande and Cassius snares vnwares I Caesar fell With Bodkins Daggers Swordes and Staues I Caesar there was slaine Of fostered foes which friendeshippe fainde as Abel was of Cain ¶ Cirus King of Persea his death WHat Kesar King or Prince thou art that passes here this way Suffer Cirus seauen foote to rest his Corpes in clay Whose gréedie minde and raging race whose fortune frowning wild That Cirus shoulde be in Scithia slaine by Tomyris Quéene in fielde Whose heade was off and bathed in bloode to whome the Quéene spake first Drinke cruell Cirus bloode ynough that long for bloode did thirst ¶ Agamemnon his death WHome tenne yeares warres in Phrigian fieldes nor Troyans force subdue Who me winde nor Seas nor tempest hurt this Clitemnestra slue This famous Prince and Capitaine graunde of all the Géekes in fielde Whome fame in Phrigia so aduaunced his onely spouse him kilde Thus fortune friendly flowed fast and fauored fame to sounde Till frowning fortune foylde the state which fawning fortune founde ¶ King Pirrhus his death HEre Pirrhus Prince of Epire lyes whose force Tarentum knew At Argos was by a woman slaine with a Tilestoone that shée threw ▪ Whom thousande Princes coulde not hurt nor Romanes all annoy Whom shot of Gunnes ne dreadfull dart might Pirrhus Prince destroy This seconde souldier counted was to Alexander King A sielie Argiue woman lo to graue did Pirrhus bring ¶ Hanibal his death THe fostered fame the glory great that was in Carthage coast The honour long that Lybia had againe in time was lost He that was the scurge of Rome and Romanes oft offend He that saued his natiue zoile and Carthage did defende The same at last to Siria fled to craue Antiochus ayde Unto Bithinia thence he went to Prusias King dismayde And there to voyde Flaminius force he poyson dranke did die Thus hauty Hanibal ended life and there his bones do lye ¶ Pompeius death POmpeius fléeing Pharsalia fieldes from Caesar life to saue Whome then Photinus fayned friende to Egypt soyle did laue And there by slaightes of faythlesse frindes for golde and siluer loe Pompeius heade was sent to Rome to Caesar for to shoe His bodie left vnburied lieth in Egypt slimy sandes Who sometime King of Pontus prest and all Armenia landes ¶ Cicero his death WHome Cicero saued off from death the same did Cicero kill Pompilius prowde to please the rage of Mar. Antonius will Whos 's heade was sette in sight to sée Antonius minde to please Whose tongue did Fuluia pricke with pinnes Hir stony heart to ease Who when hée was for Clodius sake exiled Rome to raunge Twentie thousande Romanes mournde in mourning wéedes the chaunge Hée thrée times Consul was in Rome now in Caieta slaine Whose noble name and lasting fame shall styll on earth remaine ¶ Demosthenes death THe sugred sappe the solace long the guyde of Athens then That stoute withstoode king Philips force in spite of Philips men Of whome king Philip in his warres was forcde to say at length Hée feared more Demosthenes tongue then all the Athinians strength Such is the ende of mortall wightes such is the miserie of men That howe to die the time the place he knoweth not where nor when ¶ Achilles his death THe hope of Gréece and countries care Achilles strong of force Like stoute Alcides fought on foote like Mars himselfe on horse But last that ruled Goddes sometimes did then Achilles mooue To walke to Troye to féede desire for Priamus daughters loue Who by a Dart that Paris driude Achilles had his ende Whose worthy actes and marshall feates in Homer well is pende ¶ Hectors death HEctor stoute whose strokes full sterne the Gréekes did girde so grim And foyled foes in Phrigian fieldes death happened thus to him In spoyling of Patroclus king Achilles faythfull friende Came strong Achilles to the place to sée Patroclus ende Then
betwene the Aegiptians and the Assirians betwene Ptholomeo and Alexander the one kyng of Aegipte the other kyng of Assiria and all for one woman Cleopatra ▪ Augustus the Emperour kepte longe warres for Octauia his sister whiche Anthonius through luste defiled to the spoyle and murther of manie Romaines had Ixiona Kynge Priamus sister not lusted to go with Thelamonius frō Troie vnto Gréece had likewise Helē Menelaus wife not lusted to come with Paris from Gréece vnto Troy the bloody warres and ten yeares siedge betwene the Greekes and the Troians had neuer been written of Homer Had not lust ruled the fiue cities called Pentapolis where Sodome and Gomer were the earth had not swallowed theym vp to the destruction of all the people sauyng Lot and his children If lust had not ruled all the worlde the deluge of Noach had not drouned the whole yearth and all liuyng creatures sauyng Noach his wife and his children Thus lust from tyme to tyme was the onely Monster and Scourge of the worlde And in this oure age luste is nothyng diminished but muche encreased and though not to bee plagued with water accordyng vnto promise yet to bee punished with fire most sure we be vnlesse we detest and abhorre this vice There is a historie worthy to be noted of Princes in Iustine that will not punishe these offences Pausanias a noble gentleman of Macedonia beyng a verie faire yong man whiche Attalus for lust muche abused and not contented wickedly and vngodly to handle the yong man so brought hym vnto a banquet where in his winkyng Attalus would haue vsed hym as before makyng all men priuie how Pausanias was kynge Attalus paramour as a woman thus the young manne beyng ashamed often complained vnto Philip kyng of Macedonia whiche Philip had maried then of late the suster of Attalus and had diuorsed and put awaie Olimpias the mother of Alexander the greate for some suspicion Pausanias I saie after many and diuers complaintes made vnto kyng Philippe hauyng no redresse thereof but rather was flouted and scoft at Philippes hand Pausanias tooke it so greuously that Attalus was so estemed with the kyng beyng the cause of his complaintes and he so neglected that was so mynded he after this sorte requited his shame and iniuries At the mariage of Cleopatra kyng Philippes doughter and Alexander Kyng of Epire in greate triumphes and pompes Kyng Philippe in the middeste of ioyes walkyng betwene his owne sonne Alexander the Greate who then was but younge and Alexander kyng of Epire his soonne in lawe beyng married then vnto his daughter Cleopatra Pausanias thruste hym vnto the harte saiyng minister Iustice and punishe luste Thus died that mightie Prince as well for the bearyng of Attalus faulte as also for his owne wickednesse vsyng the same somtyme with a brother in lawe of his naturall brother vnto his firste wife Olimpias Luste and intemperancie are neuer escaped without iuste punishemente and due vengeaunce Ammon the soonne of kyng Dauid for that he misused his owne sister Thamar was afterwarde slaine Absalon for that he did lye with his fathers Concubine died for it Dauid was plagued for Urias wife The twoo Elders that would rauishe Susanna were put to death This synne is the onely enemie of man For all synnes saith sainct Paule is without the bodie but vncleanesse and luste synneth againste the bodie Therefore to auoide sight oftentimes is to auoide lust Had not Holofernus seen the beautie of Iudith yea marked the comlines of her slepeares he had not loste his heade by it Had not Herode seen Herodias daughter dauncyng he had not so rashely graunted her Ihon Baptiste heade Had not Eua seen the beautie of the Aple she had not eaten thereof We reade in the Genesis that when the sonnes of men viewed the beautie of women many euils happened thereby By sight was Pharaos wife moued in lust toward Ioseph her seruaunt By sight and beautie was Salomon allured to committe Idolatrie with false Gods By sight was Dina the doughter of Iacob rauished of Sichem These euills procede from sodaine sightes Therefore doeth the Prophete saie tourne awaie thine eyes lest thei se vanities The Philosopher likewise saieth that the firste offer or motion is in the eye from sight proceadeth motions from motion election from election consent from consente synne from synne death Wherefore with the Poet I saie resiste the violence of the first assaulte I meane the eyes the euill that happened thereby too long it were to write Luste againe hath an entraunce by hearyng as Iustine in his .xij. booke dooeth testifie of Thalestris Queene sometyme of the Amazones whiche hauyng heard the greate commendations the fame and renowme of Alexander the Greate ventered her life to hazarde to come from Scithia vnto Hircania whiche was as Iustine saieth xxv daies iourneis in greate daunger and perill of life as well by wilde beastes waters as also by forein foes She had thrée hundred thousandes women of Scithia in companie with her I saie for the fame she heard of this great Prince she came from her countrey where she was a Quene to lie with a stranger by luste And whē she had accomplished her minde and satisfied her luste after thirtie nightes liyng with hym she thought she was spead of some ofspryng of Alexander she returned vnto her owne countrie again For as Cicero doeth write we are more moued by reporte oftentymes to loue then by sighte For as by reporte Quéene Thalestris came to lye with Alexander for children sake from Scitha vnto Hercania for his magnanimitie victories and courage So by report came Quéene Saba from Ethiope vnto Salomon to heare and to learne wisedome O golden worlde Oh happie age when either for simplicitie men could not speake or for temperauncie menne would not speake the innocencie of thē then and the subtiltie of vs now the temperancie of their age and the luste of our age beyng well waighed and throughly examined it is easily to be seen how vertuously thei liued in ignorauncie and how viciously wee liue in knowledge For before Aruntius proude Torquinius soonne was by luste moued toward Collatinus wife There was no alteration of states nor chaunge of Common wealthes no banishement of princes in Rome and beyng chaunged for that purpose onely from a Monarchie vnto an other state called Aristocratia it continued so longe in that forme whiche was the firste chaunge vntill Appius rauished Virginius doughter which banished the order called Decemuiri whiche was the second change And thus the popular state whiche had chief rule alwaies of Rome chaunged states of the Citie diuers times for that luste so raigned Thus might I speake of diuers other countries whiche luste was the iust cause of the subuersion therof For of one Venus a strūpet in Cipres al Cipria was full of hores Of one Semiramis in Babilon all Persia lengthe grewe
so straunge and so maruailous was it to heare or to see any idle man in Athens The people called MassilieÌ„ses would suffer no trauailers neither Pilgrime nor Sacrificer nor any other straunger to come within their Citie lest vnder colour of religion or of pilgrime thei might corrupte the youthe of the citie with the sight thereof to be idle The Indians had a lawe made by their wisemen named Gimnosophist that after their meate was set on the table the youth should be examined what thei had doen for their meat what pain what labour vsed thei that whole mornyng before if thei could make accoumpte of their trauaill thei should goe to dinner but if thei had béen idle thei should haue no meate without thei deserued the same with some kind of exercise either of bodie or of minde The like did the young men of Argis made accoumpte vnto their Magistrates of their occupations and workes of their trauaill and paine Euen the Areopagites as Valerius affirmeth did imitate the Athenias in makyng decrees in settyng of orders in commaundyng their youthe to auoide Idlenesse and exercise trauaile then moste necessarie vnto any common wealth the other moste daungerous So that some Countreis are naturally giuen to trauaill as the Lidians Phrigians Frenche men with others Some againe giuen to Idlenesse as the Persians Corinthians Englishemen with others Some by lawe forced to flie idlenes some by punishemente feared some by death enforced to labour for their liuyng Thus this Monster Idlenesse is beaten euery where and yet embraced in moste places euery man speake against idlenesse and yet a nomber is in loue with it magistrates and officers appoincted to punishe it but yet thei after fauour it ¶ Of wrath and anger and the hurts thereof THe famous and noble Philosopher Plato did charge his Scholers alwaies beyng in anger or wrathe to beholde them selues in a glasse wher they might see suche alteration of countenaunce pale in colour tremblyng handes foltred tongues staring eies In fine voide of witte depriued of reason and beyng before reasonable men now brutishe beastes Wherfore that greate Philosopher perceiuyng the furious and hastie nature of Alexander wrote from Athens vnto India where this noble conquerour was at warres with kyng Poâ—us to take hede of wrath and anger saiyng Anger ought not to be in any Prince towarde his inferiour for that may be mended with correction nor towarde his equall for it maie bee redressed with power so that anger ought not to be but against superiours but Alexander hat no coequales yet in vaine was Aristotles doctrine vnto Alexander in that point for beyng in a banquet when Clitus his deere frende and foster brother commended his father kyng Philip of Macedone to bee the worthiest and most renoumed prince then liuyng Alexander waxed vpon a sudden so angrie to preferre anie man before hym though Philip was his owne brother which was commended and Clitus his especiall frende that did commende hym thinkyng rather to deserue praise at Alexander hand then to spead of death was thrust vnto the harte with a Speare So hastie was this prince that Calisthenes and Lismachus the one his philospher and councelour the other his companion and frende for fewe wordes spoken either of theim slain Silence saith Aristotle is the surest reward vnto a prince And beyng sory afterward angrie withall y t he had likewise kild himself had not Anaxarchus y e philosopher staied perswaded hym We reade that king Tigranes of Armenia whom Pompeius the greate did conquere after waxed so angrie by a fall from his horse bicause his sonne was present and could not preuent his fathers fall thrust hym in his anger with his Dagger vnto the hearte Anger in a prince saieth Salamon is death terrible is the couÌ„tenaunce of a kyng when he is oppressed with wrath hurtfull vnto many odious vnto all is the anger therof Nero was so furious in anger that he neuer hearde any thyng if it were not to his liking but he would requite one waie or other with death in so muche in his rage and anger he would often throwe doune Tables beyng at dinner cuppes of Golde wrought with pearles againste the walles dasht fling meate and drinke awaie more like vnto a furious Gorgone of hell then a sober Emperour in Rome Suche furie raigneth in anger that Orestes Agamemnons soonne slue his mother sodenly in his wrath Clitemnestra Such madnes raigneth in anger that Aiax Thelamonius that famous and valiaunte Gréeke after that Achilles was slaine in the Temple of Pallas by Paris at the destruction of Troie waxed so madde and angrie bicause he might not haue Achilles harnes which was geuen before to Vlixes that he beate Stones blockes fought with dead trées killed beastes thinkyng to méete with Vlixes amongest them If anger make men murtherers if wrath make meÌ„ mad without wit or reason to know themselues or others let theim imitate Plato in his anger which being angrie with any of his scholers or seruantes would geue the rod to Xenocrates to correcte theim for that he was angrie the learned Philosopher misdoupted himself that he coulde not vse modest correction euen so Architas would alwaies speak vnto his seruauntes whiche had offended hym Happie art thou that Architas is angrie lettyng his man vnderstande howe dangerous wrath is for as Aristotle saieth the angrie man seeth not the thyng which lieth vnder his féete â–ª Agustus Caesar Emperour of Rome desired Athenedorus a philosopher of Gréece whiche a long time accompanied Augustus in Rome and nowe readie to departe vnto Athens his natiue zoile of some sentence that the emperour might thinke of him The philosopher tooke a penne and wrote in a little Table this sentence Caesar when thou arte moued to anger speake nothyng vntill thou haste recited the Gréekes Alphabets a worthy lesson and a famous senteÌ„ce well worthie to be learned of all men There is nothyng or what can bee more vgglie to beholde more terrible to looke vnto then mans face when he is angrie and the more to be feared for that he hath no rule ouer him self All the painters of Persea had much to do to drawe in colours the terrible countenaunce and firie face of Queene Semiramis who like Maegera or Medusa grime Gorgons and frettyng furies of hell when she hearde that her Citie of Babilon was besiedged of the enemies beyng then dressyng of her head came with heares hangyng and fléeyng in the winde half amazed of the newes vnto babilon whose vglie and fearefull image most like vnto hir at that time stoode as long as Babilon continued as a monument and a terrible mirrour to maruaile at Wee reade of the like historie of Olimpias whose anger was suche when she thought of hir sonne Alexander she streight waies like a ragyng Lion or a cruell Tiger digged vp the bodie of Iola Alexanders taster who was thought to be
weepyng and sobbyng before Antonius requiryng on his knees one graunt at Antonius hand to sende his Souldiours to kyll hym vpon the graue of his frende Lucullus and beyng dead to open Lucullus graue and to laie hym by his frend Which beyng denied of the emperour then went and wrote vpon a little peece of paper caried it in his hande vntill he came wher Lucullus was buried and there holdyng fast the paper in one hand and with his dagger in the other hande slue hym self vpon the graue holdyng the paper close beyng dead where this sentence he wrote Thou that kneweste the faithefull freÌ„dship betwixt Volumnius Lucullus ioyne our bodies together being dead as our mindes were alwaies one beyng a liue The like historie is written of Nisus when his faithfull frende Eurialus was slaine in the warres betwixt Turnus and Aeneas he hauyng vnderstandyng therof vnknowen vnto Aeneas and vnto the reste of the Troians wente vp and doune the fielde tomblyng and tossyng dead carkeses vntill he founde out Eurialus bodie whiche after longe lookyng and embrasyng of his deade frende drewe out his swearde and heald it in his hande a little while saiyng as my bodie shall neuer departe from thy bodie so shall I neuer feare to folowe thy ghoost and laiyng the Pommel of his swearde on the grounde fell vpon his swearde hauyng the bodie of his frende Eurialus betwixt his armes This loue was greate betwixt Princes whiche might liue honorably to die willingly A strange thing for men that so loue their frendes to waie their deaths more then their one liues Orestes faithe and frendship towarde Pylades was suche that beeyng come vnto a straunge Region named Taurica to diminishe the dolors to asswage the grief and to mitigate the furious flames of Orestes bicause he slue his mother Clitemnestra and beyng suspected that they came only to take awaie the Image of Pallas their goddesse in that countrey The kyng vnderstandyng the matter made Orestes to be sente for to be brought before hym to haue iudgement of death For Pylades was not mencioned nor spoken of but onely Orestes he it was that should steale their Goddes awaie vnto Gréece Orestes therefore beyng brought and his felowe Pylades with him The king demaunded whiche of theÌ„ both was Orestes Pylades that knewe his frende Orestes should die sodainly steapt forth and said I am he Orestes denied it and said he was Orestes Pylades again denied that and saide that it was euen hee that was accused vnto the kyng thus the one deniyng and the prouyng either of theim moste willyng to die for the other The kynge dismaide at their greate amitie loue pardoned their faultes muche extemed their companie and greatlye honoured their naturall loue and faithe so many like histories vnto this there be that then Princes woulde die for their frendes euen that greate conquerour Alexander would haue died then presently with his frend Haephaestion had not his counsell letted hym he loued aliue so well that he was called of all men an other Axander in so muche so estemed his frende when SisigaÌ„bis king Darius mother had saluted HaephaestioÌ„ in stede of Alex. being therewith angrie with her error he said blushe not to honour Haephaestion as an other Alexander What was it that Anaxogoras waÌ„ted that prince Pericles could get for him Whether went Aeneas that Troian duke at any tyme without Achates with him was ther nothing that Pomponius had but Cicero had part of it Scipios freÌ„dship neuer wanted vnto Cloelius Though Rome could alter state though fortune could change honor yet could neither Rome nor fortune alter faithe or chaunge frendes After the Senators had iudged Tib. Gracchus for diuers seditions in the citie to die his frend Blosius hauyng knowledge thereof came and kneled before the Senators besought Laelius whose counsaill the Senators in all thinges folowed to be his frende saiyng vnto the reste after this sorte O sacred Senate and noble counsailers if yet remaine in the citie of Rome any sparcle of iustice if there be regard vnto equitie let me craue that by lawe which you iniuriously applie vnto an other and sithe I haue committed the offences and factes of Gracchus whose coÌ„maundement I neuer resisted whose will to accomplish I will duryng life obaie lette me die for Gracchus worthely whiche am moste willyng so to do let him liue iustly whiche so ought moste truly Thus with vehement inuectiues against him self crauing death most earnestly vnto Blosius and life worthely vnto Gracchus made the Senatours astonied with his rare desire of death saiyng the Capitoll had béen burned by Blosius if Gracchus had so commaunded but I knowe that Grachus thought nothyng in harte but that whiche he spake by tongue vnto Blosius and that which hée spake by tongue vnto Blosius that Blosius neuer doubted to doe and therefore I deserue rather death than hée The faith and loue betwixt Damon and Pythyas was so woondered at of King Dionisius that though hée was a cruell Tiraunt in appoynting Damon to die yet was he most amazed to sée the desire of Pithias the constant fayth the loue and friendeship professed in Damons behalfe striuing one with an other to die enforced in spite of tiranny to pardon Damon for Pythyas sake Theseus and Perithous became such faythfull friendes that they made seuerall othes one vnto an other neuer during life to be departed neyther in affliction paine punishement plague toyle or trauayle to be disseuered insomuch the Poetes faine that they went vnto the kindome and region of Pluto togither I will not speake of the great loue of that noble Gréeke Achilles toward King Patroâ—lusâ— Neyther will I recite the Historie of that worthy Romane Titus towarde Gisippus In fine I will not report Palemon and Arceit Alexander and Lodowicke whose ende and conclusion in loue were such as are worthy of memorie famous in writing ¶ Of enuie and malice and so of tiranny AS malice drinketh the most part of her owne poyson so enuie saith Aristotle hurteth more the enuious it selfe than the thing that it enuieth Like as the slouthfull in warre or Darnell amongst Wheate so is the enuious in a Cittie not so sad of his owne miseries and calamities as hée lamenteth the hap and felicitie of others Wherfore the wise Philosopher Socrates calleth enuie serram animae the sawce of the soule for that it cutteth the hart of the enuious to see the prosperitie of others For as it is a greefe to the good and vertuous man to see euyll men rule so contrarily to the euil most harme is it to sée the goodman liue Therfore the first disturber of common wealth and last destroyer of good states the beginning of all sorowes the ende of all ioyes the cause of all euyll and the onely let of all goodnesse is enuie How prospered Gréece how florished Rome how quiet was the whole world before enuie began to