he began to be moved with pity and mercy possest the chief place in his heart so that when the women of the City brought their children in their arms to crave mercy at Merellus hand he avoided the calamity and misery that was ready to fall on Centobrica and spared the City and removed his Camp being conquered himself with pity and mercy of the ruthfull women and innocent children Thus gentle Metellus where he might have béen a Conqueror over men did suffer himself to be conquered by little Infants O Rome happy were those golden days wherein through clemency and gentleness thou wast as much loved and honoured as thou hast béen by valiant Captains trembled at and feared Pompieius the great when Tigâ—anes King of Armenia being by him conquered had knéeled before Pompeius face yéelding his Crown and Scepter at Pompeius his foot and himself unto his gentleness as a captive took him in his arms embraced him put his Crown on his head and restored him to to the Kingdome of Armenia again The like courtesie he used toward Mithridates King of Pontus being dead in giving him a royal burial though he knew well the great hatred that Mithridates had fourty years against the Romans yet in stead of just revengement Pompey used Princely clemency The gentleness that was then used in Rome yet betwixt foes was such that Julius Caesar that valiant Emperor and Conqueror was as willing to revenge the death of his great enemy Pompey upon Photina and Bassus who slew Pompey and did send his head to Caesar as L. Parâ—lus was courteous and favourable to his most mortal foe Perseus Hannibal though he was counted the most and greatest enemy that ever Rome felt yet moved with Princely clemencie he won more commendations for the burial of P. Aemilius Gracchus and Marcellus three noble Romans then he wan fame by overcomming two thousand Romans in field The chief fame that Hannibal was worthy of was for his humanity and gentlenesse as is proved by these two noble Romans before mentioned whose dead carcasses Hannibal caused diligently to be sought for in the field and solemnly to be buried with honour and renown though they were his enemies And as Hannibal was much commended in Rome and well beloved of the Romans for his humanity so was he feâ—red much in Rome for his prowesse and valiant déeds of arms Polycrates that Tyrant of Samos was chiefly commended for his gentlenesse and courtesie shewed towards women which were the wives and mothers of the dead souldiers in restoring them unto liberty in giving them wealth to live and a great charge that no man should do them any wrong Augustus the Emperor when he beheld in the City of Alexandria the sword wherewith Marcus Antonius slew himself could not refrain from tears to shew his humanity and opening his clemency of nature to his enemy he commanded that he should be honourably buried with his dear friend Cleopatra in one grave Cicero in his first book of Tusculans commendeth much the clemency of Cleobes and Bâ—ton in shewing such love and obedience to their mother who being in her Chariot ready to go to the solemn feast of the Goddesse Juno the horses suddenly died and there being no other remedy least their mother should go on foot they yoked themselves to draw the Chariot ten miles to their immortal praise and commendations I remember a history in Patritius of one Simonides who for that he was moved with pity to bury a dead corps left in the way where no man put it into the earth as he was passing with his fellows over the seas that night before they should sail in the morning appeared unto Simonides the self-same man whom he had buried upon the way warning him that day not to go to sea so when he should take shipping he remembring his dream told if unto his fellows desiring them to stay that day but his company laughing him to scorn leaving Simonides on the shore sailed to the seas where in sight of Simonides the ship and all his fellows were lost The like pity was found in Simon the son of that most valiant Gréek Militiades who being elected Generall over the Athenians against the great might and force of puissant Zerxes in the wars of Marathon was nothing inferiour unto his renowned father in prowesse but far passed him in clemency and curtesie this young man for his lenity and pity being joined with valiantnesse was appointed by the City of Athens to incounter with Xerxes whom his father Militiades often plagued at the first time of trying his magnanimity inforced Xerxes after spoil of his souldiers and victory of field to fly unto Persia he was so pittifull that he paied a great sum of monies to have his father Militiades buried who after many conquests and fawning of fortune in victories died in prison whose death and burial shewed no lesse love and faithfulnesse in Simon towards his father then it shewed evidently the pity and mercy he had in redéeming his fathers corps to be buried Wherefore that pitifull Emperour Alexander Severus being demanded what is that which is chief felicity in this world said to foster friends with benefits and gentlenesse and to reconcile foes with pity and rewards Alphonsus at what time a certain dog barked at him took a toast out of his cup and cast it to the dog then saying gentlenesse and clemency shall make foes friends I know not what greater humanity could be then was in Vespasian the Emperour after that Vitellius had killed his brother Sabinus and had long persecuted Vespasians son being at last subdued he spared not to shew gentlenesse to Vitellius his daughter and gave her a great sum of money towards her marriage Agesilaus King of the Lacedemonians after he had the victory of Corinth did not so joy in his conquest as he lamented the deaths of so many Athenians and Corinthians and as Plutarch doth witnesse he said wéeping O Greece thou spillest more men with civil wars by discord then would defend thy state against all the world with courage To use victory genty is more famous then to conquer cruelly As the Emperour Adrian was wont to say that Princes ought rather with pity to say this I can do then with tyranny to say this I will do Augustus that most pittifull Prince after he had conquered that famous City Alexandria which the great Conquerour Alexander had builded and named it according unto his own name being moved with pity stirred with mercy in sight of the Citizens who hoped to have nothing but death said for the beauty of your city and memory of Alexander as also for the love I have unto Prius your Philosopher and for the pity I bear unto you all I spare unto you your City and grant you your life O swéet sounding words from a pittifull Prince not much unlike his predecessour Julius Caesar his own mothers brother who after vanquishing of Pompey at Pharsalia sent letters unto
sacrifice unto death for a pledge of their true and faithfull love What means doth love séek to save it self and to be acquainted with ease and pleasure how carefully the Greek Poet Antimachus bewailed the death of his wife Lisidides in such mourning verses and wofull plaints that whosoever did read them he would be as ready to weep in reading the dolefull Epitaph of Lisidâ—des as was Antimachus her husband sorrowfull for her death Pericles was so loving to his wife being a noble Captain of Athens and he was withal so chast that when Sophocles espied a marvellous beautifull young maid saying Behold a passing fair young maid Pericles answered and said Not onely the heart and the hands of a Magistrate must be chast but also his eys must refuse the sight of any but his wife It is read that Pericles being at Athens he was found kissing and making much of his wife and being from Athens he was found as sad to depart from his wife as he was willing to die for his countrey Orpheus loved so well his wife Euridice that as the Poets feign he feared not the power of King Pluto to redéem his wife with hazard and danger of his own body Innumerable are they that deserve the like fame so that these few may be a sufficent proof of others And now I will produce a few examples to prove the like good will and love from the wives shewed toward their husbands as hitherto you heard the great love of husbands towards their wives Alcestes a noble Qu. of Thessaly at what time K. Admetus her husband should die having received an answer by an Oracle that if any would die for the King he should live which when all refused his wife Queen Alcestes offered her self to die to save her husbands life Julia the wife oi Pompey the great and onely daughter to that famous and renowned Julius Caesar Emperour of Rome was no lesse obedient to her father Caesar then she was loving to her husband Pompey who though they both were enemies one to to another yet she shewed her self a loving daughter unto her father and a true wife to her husband and so true that when she saw her own Pompey coming bloudy from the field as his apparel made a shew a great way off she supposing that her husband was hurt being great with child did straight fall into travel and died before Pompey had yet come in The love of Artemisia Quéen of Caria towards her husband King Mausolus is as well declared by the sumptuous Tomb. and gorgeous Grave which she made for him when he died counted for the excellency thereof to be one of the seven wonders of the world it was also truly verified by ceremonies at his death in making the scull of his head her drinking cup in drinking all the ashes of his body as sugar to her wine and in knitting of his heart to her body saying Though our bodies be parted yet our hearts shall never be asunder That noble Greek Laodamia loved her husband so well that when she heard that her husband Protesilaus was slain by Hector at the siege of Troy she desired onely of God that she might see his shadow or likenesse once before she died which when she saw embracing the likenesse of her husband as she thought in her arms she then presently died We read that Quéen Ipsicratea loved her husband King Mithridates so entirely that she shaved off all the hairs of her head and did wear mans apparel and followed him like a Lackey for that he should not know her to be his wife she had rather go to the wars with her husband like a Lackey then tarry from her husband in Pontus like a Quéen Paulina when she heard that her husband Seneca was put to death by that cruel Emperour and Tyrant Nero whom Seneca sometime taught in his youth but was at length requited with death when I say Paulina heard thereof she enquired what kind of death her husband suffered which being known she attempted to die the same kind of death her self as Seneca her husband Likewise that noble Portia daughter to Cato and wife to Brutus hearing that her husband was slain at Phillipi for that she could not procure a knife she choaked her self with coals The like History is read of Triata who when she knew by letters that her husband Vitellius was environed by his enemies and no way able to escape his wife rushed into the Camp and preast near her husband ready to die or to live in the field with him What can be so hard to take in hand but love will hazard it What can be so perilous but love will venter it Neither water can stay it nor fire stop it Sulpitia the wife of Lentulus the daughter of that worthy Roman Paterculus when she perceived that her husband was appointed by the Magistrates of Rome to passe unto Sicilia as an Embassador and there to continue for a season though her mother had great charge over her and very carefull and studious she was to comfort her daughter in the absence of her husband yet she deceived her mother she changed her apparel and caused her two maids likewise to be disguised and went all by night from Rome to Sicily Aemilia the wife of Affricanus and mother to the noble Cornelia who was mother to those famous Romans called Gracchi perceiving her husband to be in love with one of her maids in the house and often to use the maid as his wife though Aemilia knew well of it yet she never hated the maid nor opened it unto her husband But after that her husband was dead she gave unto this Maid a great summe of money and married her wealthily in Rome A rare thing to be found in a woman What shall I speak of the love of Penelope in Gréece towards her husband Ulysses or shew the constancy of Lucreece in Rome towards her husband Collatine the one twenty years was proved by divers noble Greeks yet she remained true unto Ulisses the other through force being ravished by proud Tarquinius son named Sextus would not be false to Collatinus but opened the same and revenged it with her own death Now again how well did Queen Tomiris love her son Margapites the death of great Cyrus King of Persia with two hundred thousand of his souldiers can testifie or how Aegeus loved his son Theseus who when he had perceived the black sail he supposing his son was slain in that Labyrinth he threw himself from a high rock into the sea Why should I molest the Reader herein since an end can hardly be found I will but onely recite one worthy History out of Valerius of a servant to one named Panopion who hearing that certain souldiers came to the City of Reatina in purpose to kill his master he changed apparel with his master and conveyed his master first away safe from the enemies and he went unto his masters bed as though he had béen
Lightning or Thunder but had his head covered with all such things as might resist the violence of Lightning Misa King of the Moabites and Joram King of Iewry being besieged by the enemies and in danger of death they practised devises and invensions to save their lives and sacrificed their children to mitigate the rage of the Gods The love that divers had unto life and the fear they had of death were to be noted worthily considering how much men are vexed with the fear of death Antemon was so desirous to live and so fearfull to die that he hardly would travel out of his house any where and if he were compelled to go abroad he would have two of his servants to bear over his head a great brasen Target to defend him from any thing which might happen to do him hurt Theagenes in like sort would not go out of his house without he had consulted with the Image of Hecate to know what should happen to him that day and to understand whether he might escape death or no. Commodus the Emperour would never trust any Barber to shave his beard lest his throat should be cut Masinissa King of Numidia would rather commit his state and life unto dogs then unto men who was as his guard to kéep and defend him from death I might here speak of Bion of Domitianus of Dionisius of Pisander and of a thousand more who so feared death that their chief care and study was how they might avoid the same The fear of death causeth the son to forsake the father the mother to renounce the daughter one brother to deny another and one friend to forsake another Insomuch that Christ himself was forsaken of his disciples for fear of death Peter denied him and all the rest fled from him and all for fear of death Behold therefore how fearfull some are and how joyfull others are Some desperately have died being weary of life As Sabinus â—uba Cleomenes some have hanged some have burned and some drowned themselves and thus with one desperate end or other perished But since every man must die it were reason that every man should prepare to die for to die well is nothing else but to live again Wherefore certain philosophers of India called the Gymnosophislae being by Alexander the great commanded to answer to cercertain hard questions which if they could absolve they should live otherwise they should die The first question propounded to know whether there were more living or dead to the which the first philosopher said that the living are more in number because the dead have no being no place nor number The second question was whether the land produced more creatures or the sea to this answered the second philosopher and said the land doth ingender more for that the sea is but a portion of the land The third question was to know what beast was most subtil that beast answered the third philosopher whose subtilty man cannot discern Fourthly it was demanded why they being philosophers were so induced to perswade the Sabians to rebellion because said the philosophers it is better to die manfully then to live miserably The fifth question was whether the day was made before the night or the night before the day to the which it was answered the day The sixt was to understand how Alexander the Great himself might get the good wil of the people in shewing said that sixth philosopher thy self not terrible to the people The seveÌ„th question was whether life or death were stroÌ„ger to which it was aÌ„swered life The eight was to know how long a man should live till said the eight philosopher a maÌ„ thinks death better theÌ„ life The last question proposed by Alexander was how might a mortal man be accounted in the number of the Gods In doing greater things said all the Philosophers then man is able to do For they knew this proud Prince would be a God and that he would learn of the sage Philosophers how he might eschew mortality he was answered roundly because he should know himself to be a man and being a man he should make himself ready to die for death is the reward of sin and death is the beginning again of life unto the good As Aulus Posthumius in an Oration which he made unto his souldiers said it is given to both good and bad to die but to die gâ—dly and gloriously is onely given unto good men So Hector speaking in Homer said unto his wife Andromache that she should not be sorry for his death for all men must die Some with the Galatians do so contemn death that they fight naked and are perswaded with the Pythagoreans that they shall never die but passe from one body to another Some again die joyfully as the brethren of Policratâ— who being taken captive by Diognitus the King of Milesia she was so ill intreated by him that she did send Letters to Naxus to her brethren at what time the people of Milesia were feasting drinking and banquetting at a solemn feast Her brethren embracing the opportunity came and found the Emperor drinking and all his people overcharged with wine and slew the greatest part of them and having taken many of them prisoners they brought their sister home to Naxus where as soon as they came home they died for joy of the victory Even so Phisarchus sometime in his great triumph crying out O happy hours and joyful days was taken with such an extasie of joy that he brake his veins at that very instant with the excesse of gladnesse He is counted most wise that knoweth himself To joy too much in prosperity to be advanced and extolled when fortune favours without all fear of ill haps to come is folly To be vanquished and subdued in adversity without hope of solace to ensue is meer madnesse Therefore the Wisemen knowing that death was the last line of life did endeavour in their lives how they might die well And briefly for the examples of our lives I will here note a few sentences of these wise men which they used as their Posies and think good to shew their answers to divers questions propounded to them Bias dwelling in the City of Prienna after the City was destroyed by the Mutinensians escaped and went to Athens whose Poesie was Maximus improborum numerus He willed all young men in their youth to travel for knowledge and commanded old men to embrace wisedome This Bias being demaunded what was the difficultest thing in the world he said to suffer stoutly the mutability of fortune Being demanded what was the most infamous death that might happen to man to be condemned said he by law Being asked what was the swéetest thing to man he made answer Hope Being again demanded what beast was most hurtfull Amongst wild beasts a Tyrant said Bias and amongst tame beasts a Flatterer And being demanded what thing it was that feared nothing in all the world he answered A good Conscience And again in the second Olympiade he was demanded many other questions as who was most unfortunate in the world the impatient man said Bias. What is most hard to judge Debates betwéen friends What is most hard to measure he answered Time Thus having answered to these and divers other questions Bias was allowed one of the seven Wise men of Gréece Chilo the second of the Sages being asked what was the best thing in the world he answered Every man to consider his own state And again being demanded what beast is most hurtfull he said Of wild beasts a Tyrant of tame beasts a Flatterer Being asked what is most acceptable to man he said Time And being asked of the Gréek Myrsilas what was the greatest wonder that ever he saw he said An old man to be a Tyrant The third was Chilo the Lacedemonian who being demanded what was a difficult thing for a man to do he answered Either to kéep silence or to suffer injuries Being demanded what was most difficult for a man to know he said For a man to know himself And therefore he used this Poesie Nosce teipsum This Chilo being of Aesop demanded what Jupiter did in heaven he said He doth throw down lofty and proud things and he doth exalt humble and méek things S. Ion said that in knowing and considering what we are and how vile we are we shall have lesse occasion ministred to us to think wel of our selvs for there is nothing good nor beautifull in man This Solon being asked by King Cyrus sitting in his chair of state having on his most royal habiliments and Princely robes covered with Pearls and Precious stones Whether ever he saw a more beautifull sight then himself sitting in heighth of his Majesty Solon answered that he saw divers Birds more glorious to behold then Cyrus And being demanded by Cyrus what Birds were they Solon said the little Cock the Peacock and the Pheasant which are decked with natural garments and beautified with natural colours This Solon was wont to say I wax dayly old learning much He noted nothing so happy in man as to Live well that he might Die well applying the Cause to the Effect as first to Live well and then to Die well FINIS LONDON Printed by Elizabeth Alsop dwelling in Grubstreet near the Upper Pump 1653.
which are most strange and marvellous CHAP. VIII Of Painting and Poetry and how much they were countenanced by Princes HOrace that learned Poet affirmeth that the like reputation and dignitie is given unto a Poet as unto a Painter naming the one a speaking picture and the other dumb poeste For painting unto the ignorant was as printing unto the learned Where the one viewed with the eye and the other read with the tongue Painting and graving were the ancient monuments of Gréece and so much estéemed that Phrydias waxt so famous as Plini doth witnesse for that he made the Image of Minerva in Athens so artificially and so subtilly with a great Target in her hand wherein were graven the wars of the Amazons and the combat of the Giants the rebellion of Centaures and the Lapitheans that all Gréece wondred much thereat Nealces in like sort did set forth the wars betwixt the Egyptians and the Persians so lively to behold and so worthily wrought that the beholder thereof might be as well instructed in sight as the learned in reading the history thereof That cunning Philoxenus did also as effectually set forth the wars between Alexander the great King of Macedonia and Darius King of Persia in colours as either Curtius or Diodorus did expresse it with writing The noble Painter Timantes at what time that worthy Gréek Agamemnon at the siege of Troy was inforced by an Oracle to sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia to mitigate the fury of the Gods he beholding the wofull hap of Agamemnon and the sorrowfull state of the Gréeks the solemn sadnesse of the sacrifice the order and state of of Iphigenias death did so set it forth that it was more lamentable to behold it in colours then rufull to read it in letters A science belonging unto noble minds and sometimes so estéemed of the Gréeks that their fame thereby much was augmented What almost was done or written in Gréece but it was streight set forth in colours No war any were but it it was painted out in Greece No strange history of any thing but it was expressed in common colours insomuch that philosophy it self which was so honoured then in Greece was set forth in Tables That learned Zeuxis did paint in a table the picture of Jupiter sitting in his throne with the rest of the Gods about him where likewise was shewed the history of Hercules how he yet in his cradle slew the two great Snakes or rather Dragons where his mother Alemena and his supposed father Amphytrio did fearfully behold the death of the two Dragons and the escaping of young Hercules their son being a child Nichomachus did lively expresse the boldnesse of Theseus and Perythous in attempting their voyage to King Plutoes region blazing in Tables their high enterprize taking away Queen Proserpina from her husband Pluto So skilfull was Licias so cunning was Philiscus that they made a subtile Chariot wherein Apollo and his sister Diana and his mother Latona were perfectly graven and the nine muses orderly set and that upon one stone Praxiteles excelled all men in the like for he graved in marble stone the image of Venus so perfectly and so lively in each point that a certain young man saith Plini fell in love with the image and came often in the night when none know to kisse and clip the image of Venus as sometime was read of Pigmalion the cunning Greek who likewise fell in love with his own handy work in garnishing and decking with fresh flowers his own handy work But to speak of Apelles Pirgoteles and Lisippus their fame was spread over the whole world insomuch that Alexander the great commanded that none should paint him in colors but Apelles none to grave him in stone but Pirgoteles and none to carbo any part of his Princely person but Lisippus It were too much to speak of Calycratis Pâ—yâ—aerides and divers famous men more wherewith Gréece sometime flourished whose fames and worthy reports made Paulus Aemilius that noble Roman from Rome to send unto Athens for two men the one a Philosopher to teach his sons the other a Pointer to set forth in tables the great triumphs and victories which he got over the Ligurians and Persians and one man being an excellent Philosopher and an excellent Painter named Metrodotus was sent from Athens unto Rome for the purpose Poets and Painters were much set by in ancient time for even as these aforesaid Painters were famous and renowned so were Poets honored and estéemed For we read that Alexander the great would never go unto his bed without Homers Iliads and his dagger under his pillow He so much esteemed Pindarus the Poet that he spared a whole street in Thebes from burning for Pindarus house which was in that street That renowned Emperour Augustus so honoured Virgil that being dead his books were worthily honoured and imbraced of Augustus So that noble Emperour Gratianus advanced the poet Auâ—onius unto the office of a Consul for his learning and knowledge in poetry The fable of Chaos the deluge of Deucalion the rebellion of Giants with innumerable more under the shadow of fables have great wisedome and knowledge At what time King Philip of Macedon the long enemy of Athens had demanded upon condition of peace ten Orators of Athens to serve him and to remain with him in Macedonia Demosthenes that sugred Orator made an open Oration before King Philip where he brought the fable of the Woolf and the Sheep that as the Woolf did offer peace unto the Sheep upon condition the dogs should tarry at home so King Philip offered peace unto the Athenians upon conditions that the Orators which as dogs do bark at the Woolf barked at him should be taken away and so soon he would destroy Athens being spoiled from their Orators as the Woolf would the sheep without dogs This fable much edifieth the vulgar people Menenius Agrippa a Romane Counsellour rehearsed oftentimes the fable of the belly and the other members when he went to make any foes friends or to bring rude rebels against their Prince and their countrey unto amity again With the which fable he reduced and brought againe those that offended most against their countrey to be the chief assistance and helpers unto their countrey Thucidides doth witnesse that by a fable that noble Captaine Peticles put such a courage into the Athenians being sore oppressed and vexed and in a manner become a spoyle unto their enemies that they did winne the victory when before they were almost overthrowne The noble Consul Cicero by the fable of Giges ring how he went invisible unto King Candaules wife and made him a cuckold made application of it unto those glorious persons that often delight in their folly and evill behaviours as sometimes the Poets faine of Ixion who bragging and boasting of Juno he got the centaurs engendred of a cloud in stead of Juno Quintilian saith that fables containe under feigned words most excellent wisedome for Erasmus doth often
hundred and twenty foot long Did not these noble men benefit their countries much in saving thousands lives which should have béen destroyed by these monsters The Poets feigne that Cadmus Agenois son did kill a Serpent whose téeth engendred and brought forth out of the earth armed men which fought and destroyed one another Againe such was the fortunes of young maids as Bâ—lsaria when Carphurinus Crastus was taken captive of the Messalins and should be offered for a sacrifice unto Saturne shee delivered Crassus from death and made him conquerour where before he was conquered Calluce a young woman after Troy was by the Gréeks destroyed when her father king Lycus sayling into Lybia had appointed to kill Diomedes for a sacrifice to appease the Gods for winde and weather shee delivered him from the king her father and from present death Plutarch writeth of these two maids that their fames hereby may never be forgotten To speak here of those who delivered men from death from captivity from perpetual prison it were necessary howbeit short Histories are swéet and few words are pleasant therefore I will not speak of Lucuâ—lus who being in warres with Mithridates King of Pontus delivered Cotta from thousands about him I will not write of Lucillius a Roman souldier when he saw that Brutus at Philippi who was compassed round about with enemies he himself ran with a few soldiers with him amoÌ„gst the nemies because Brutus in the mean while might save himself Neither will I much mention Quintus Cincinnatus being then Dictator in Rome who delivered Quintus Minutius from the hands of the Sabines and Volscians But according unto promise I will touch partly on those that deserved fame another way For fame is not bound unto one kind of quality but unto divers and sundry vertues therefore with these renowned Conquerors and defenders of countries I will joyn most excellent and expert Archers who likewise have done noble acts worthy feats and marvellous things As â—â—erdes was such an Archer that he would kill the flying birds in the air Catenes could do the like as Curtius in his sixth Book doth affirm Alexander the son of King Priamus when neither his brother Hector with his courage nor Troylus with his force nor all the strength of Phrygia could resist that noble Greek Achilles he slew him with an arrow Acastus won immortal renown for killing of the huge wild Boar that spoiled Calidoâ—ia Princes in times past were taught to do feats of Archery Great Hercules himself was taught of Euritus the science of shooting that he could kill any flying fowl or the swiftest beast as sometime he killed the birds called Harpies and slew the swift Centaure Nessus we read in the first of Herodotus that Commodus the son of Marcus sirnamed Aurelius Emperour sometime of Rome begotten of Empresse Faustina was so skilful in shooting that whatsoever he saw with his eyes the same would he kill with his bow likewise I finde that the Emperour Domitianus was so expert in his bow that hee could shoot when any hold up his hand betwixt his fingers a great way off The people of Creet passed all men in this faculty The Parthians were so cunning in shooting and throwing of darts that backwards as they fled they would spoyle and destroy their enemies The Arimaspians excelled the Parthians Againe the Schythians and Getes were most famous for this subject And thus having occasion to travell as pilgrimes some slew great wilde Tygers huge Bears terrible Lyons and such monstruous beasts that advanced the fame of such who attempted the danger CHAP. XII Of diligence and labours of Princes AS Horace that ancient Poet affirmeth that the worthyest and greatest vertue is to avoyd vice so is it I judg the greatest commendation unto any man to imbrace diligence and to eschew idlenesse For such is the vertue of mans mind the rare gifts and excellent talents which God and nature have bestowed upon man that to see the excellency and vertue therof with externall sight if it could be séen it would saith that divine and noble Phylosopher Plato enflame great desire uncredible love unto vertue would on the contrary kindle such hatred unto vice that the sight thereof would feare any beholder When saith Cicero the world was new and nothing ripe no laws made no Cities builded no order set no common-wealth framed but all things confusedly on a heap without divisions and limits most like to the Poeticall Chaos before the elements were discovered water from earth and and the fire from the ayre then I say we lived brutishly and beastly without civility and manners without learning and knowledge but when reason began to rule when Lady prudence began to practise with pollicy when we began to search and to seek by diligence and travel the nature of things then divers men in sundry countries sought means by diligence to profit their countries As Moses first found out letters amongst the Hebrews Mâ—nno first found out letters amongst the Egyptians Rhadamanthus amongst the Assyrians Nicostrata amongst the Romanes r Phoenices amongst the Greecians thus by the diligence and study of men from time to time raw things waxed ripe strange things became familiar and hard and difficult things waxed facile and easie Then Solon made laws in Athens Lycurgus in Lacedemonia Zeleucus in Locresia Minos in Créefe so orderly all the whole world was beautified with lawes adorned with wit and learning Then began Philo to give laws unto the Corinthians Then Zalmosis began to reform the rude and barbarous Scythians Then Phaleas amongst the Carthagenians practized pollicy and limited laws Then I say laws began to order the affairs and reason began to rule so that learning and knowledge was sought far and néere wit exercised pollicy practised and vertue so honoured that well might Tully say O Phylosophy the searcher of all good vertues and the expeller of al vices Then was that common-wealth noted happy that enjoyed such a Prince to rule as a Phylosopher that would extoll vertue and suppresse vice reward the good and punish the evill estéeme the wise and learned and neglect the foolish and ignorant I will omit to speak of mighty and famous Princes whose care whose diligence study and industry were such whose numbers were so infinite that I might well seem too tedious to molest the Reader with them I will therefore in this place speak of the diligence and travell of poor men who by their study and labour became lamps of light unto the world And to begin with Plato and Socrates two base men of birth whose diligence in their life made them most famous being dead the one the son of a poor Citizen of Athens named Ariston the other the son of a poor Marbler named Sophroniseus Might not poor Perictione the mother of Plato be proud of her son when the greatest tyrant in the world that proud Prince Dionisius would honour and reverence him for his learning and knowledge and take him into a
Rome of such love professed of such friendship promised that though Pompey was the onely joy of Rome the long delight of Romans and the defender and maintainer of their name and fame yet being convicted they received Caesar as another Pompey for that he used humanity and shewed gentlenesse even to his enemies For noble hearts ought to contemn cruelty Princes minds ought to abhor tyranny A simple Sparrow which to avoid the griping paws of a hungry Sparhawk that would have preyed upon him fled unto Artaxerxes bosome being in the Camp whâ—â— after long panting as well for fear as for wearinesse in Artaxerxes bosome Artaxerxes said It is as little mastery unto a Prince or commendation to a valiant Captain to destroy that which of it self doth yéeld as it is a fame unto Artaxerxes to kill this poor sparrow that fled for succour Saying again beholding the sparrow As I will not betray thee thou little sparrow for that thou hast fled for help unto Artaxerxes so will I never deceive any man that will have confidence in me If this pity of Artaxerxes was shewed unto a Sparrow how much more ought Princes to shew the same unto men Antigonus though he was a great enemy to Pyrrhus as Princes be during the time of war Pyrrhus being slain by a silly woman in Argos and his head brought by Alcioneus unto his father King Antigonus thinking to please his father much with bringing K. Pyrrhus head who long had molested Antigonus alive yet the King perceiving the cruel tyranny of his son delighting in dead mens heads took the staff whereon his son Alcioneus carried the head and instead of thanks which he looked for at his fathers hands he was well and worthily rewarded with stripes he took Pyrrhus head and very honourably covered it and after long looking thereon he commanded his son Helenus to carry it to the Kingdome of Epire where Pyrrhus in his life time was King and there to bury it according unto the custome of the Epirots by King Alexander his own brother The like history is written in Herodotus of King Darius who yéelded thanks unto those that brought Histeus head as Antigonus did to his son Alcioneus saying I do as little joy to see Histeus head being dead as I do lament much such tyranny and cruelnesse to be in you who never did see King Darius so cruel to any man alive as you are cruel to Histeus being dead As Darius was gentle of himself so he greatly estéemed those that were gentle insomuch that being at the point of death even at that time when he was so weak that he knew not Polistratus that gave a litle water to refresh his heart he said Whosever thou be I know thée not and for that I am not able to thank thée Alexander shall and will requite thy gentlenesse and the Gods shall thank Alexander for his clemency and humanity towards my mother my wife and children And with that he stretched forth his hand and said Have me recommended to Alexander and give him this my right hand and tell him that Bessus killed Darius whom thou didst sée dying Which when it was told by Polistratus to Alexander he much lamented his death and caused his body to be brought to his mother named Sisigambis Thus worketh clemency and humanity that these two famous Princes Alexander and Darius two mortal enemies yet not forgetting each others courtesie at deaths dore were in love each with the other for their humanity one to another Darius at his death repeating Alexanders gentlenesse towards him and Alexander requited Darius gentleness being dead The greatest fame or commendation that may happen to any man is to be counted gentle and courteous therein are divers vertues knit and joyned in friendship as pity mercy wisedome and affability with others so that the property of those men is always though they can hurt yet never to offend As it is the property of an evil man to revenge so it is the nature of the good and gentle to forgive Pilistratus shewed both wisdome and rourtesie to certain drunkards who having in their drink used wanton speech to his wife and being sober the next morning came to Pisistratus to ask him forgivenesse for their lewd talk to his wife he gently said Learn to be more sober another time I know my wife was not out of her house yesterday Excusing his wife wisely and pardoning them gently How gently did Alexander Severus use Camillus though he rebelled against him and by sleight thought to be Emperor of Rome and for that being condemned to die by the Senate yet he was pardoned by Alexander How curteous was Fabius Maximus to forgive Marsius one of his chief Captains the treasons and snares that he used against his Master Fabius with the enemies Such gentlenesse did Xerxes the great shew unto the Gréeks who were as Spies to view the power and host of King Xerxes sent from Athens and being taken and brought before the King he not onely gently dismissed them but shewed them curteously all his host and force of souldiers The greatest victory is alwaies gotten by gentlenesse as Alphonsus King of Aragon by gentlenesse won Careta Marcellus won Syracusa Metellus Celtiberia as you have heard before mentioned Plutarch reciteth a passing history of great curtesie and humanity of King Belenus towards his son Antigonus who being married to a fair woman fell in love with his fathers wife for his mother was dead and his father married the daughter of Demetrius king of Macedonia named Estrabonica a young woman of excellent beauty for this therefore the Kings son languished in love that he was like to die unknown to his father which when his father knew he caused his own wife to be married to his son Antigonus a rare clemency and great gentlenesse for a man to give his wife to please his friend Pity accompanieth this excellent vertue clemency as we read in holy Scriptures that divers good men ceased not to bewail and wéep over the state of their enemies I néed not here to recite Peticles the Athenian who willed that the dead souldiers of his enemies should be buried in the wars of Peloponesus nor of Hannibals curtesie in the wars of Carthage for the burial of Roman enemies But Moses that man of God brought with him from Egypt the bones of Joseph Tobias and Machabeus mercifull men commanded likewise a solemn buriall for the dead souldiers And Jehu king of Israel caused his enemie Jezabel to be honourably buried But as white is better discerned by the black then by any colour else so shall humanity and gentlenesse appear most excellent in reading the title of tyranny where by conferring both together the excellency of the one is manifest the terrour of the other is odious The gentlenesse and pity that our Saviour Iesus Christ shewed unto Mary Magdalen the lewd woman unto the prodigal child unto Peter that denied him unto the Thief that was hanged with him
Demetrius and Alexanders wife who then was a widdow and a Quéen in Corinth for in the midst of triumphs and preparations to the marriage Antigonus by deceit took the Castle commanded his souldiers in arms and proclaimed himself King in Corinth In the same book of Polinaeus the like History is written of Lysander of Sparta and Nearchus of Creet the one promising to the inhabitants of Miletum his aid and help in defending their liberties and the people giving credit to a Kings promise and trusting to have Lysander their special friend they found him their mortal foe for he deceived them thereby and took the City of Miletum unto himself The other sailing to the haven of Telmessus to renue friendship with Antripatridas who then governed the City of Telmessus under the color of friendship he had his men at arms ready on the Sea to destroy his friend and to take the City to himself This deceit was not onely séen in wars where much falshood and perjury is practised but in all things men use craft according to the proverb There is craft in daubing To speak of Theodectes craft toward his Master Aristotle to defraud him privily of his glory to speak of Sertorius deceit in winning authority among the common people to describe the means that Dionisius used to get mony amongst the Syracusans or how Pythius deceived Cannius in his bargain of fish or how Darius became King of Persia by the neighing of a Mare and a million more of such deceits and crafts were infinite I therefore refer the Reader to Poliaenus where he shall have enough of falshood But because craft is used diversly I will somewhat touch those that used craft in altering themselves into the form of women some for filthy lust some for vertues sake and some for vice What kind of dissimulation was in Sardanapalus King of Assyria to forsake the Empire to forgo his Kingdome to become like a woman to spin and card with his Concubines and so from the shape of a man to dissemble himself to be a woman What kind of dissimulation did that renowned and mighty Hercules even the off-spring of the Gods and son to Jupiter use after that he tamed monsters slew Giants overcame Dragons Lions wild beasts and yet he did translate himself from a champion and a conquerour into womans apparel and fashioned himself like a woman with such dissimulation he served Omphale Quéen of Lydia like a woman in the apparel of a woman at the whéel and at the cards at Omphales commandement What kind of craft used Clodius to bring his purpose to pass with Pompeia Caesars wife dissembling himself to be a woman as Cicero taunteth him in an Epistle that he writeth to Lentulus where he saith that Clodius dissembled with the Npmph Bona Dea as he was wont to use the thrée sisters Thus Clodius would at all times go unto Pompeia in the apparel of a woman to use such feats that he made Caesar to divorce his wife Pompeia Dissimulations and subtilties as they are most evil to practise so somtimes they are necessary to do good for example Euclides used the like craft as before but to a better purpose for he practised it not to féed lust or to pleasure affectioÌ„ but he used it to hear Socâ—ates to read Philosophy to learn wisedome from him For there was a law betwéen Athens and them of Megaris for the great hatred the one bare unto the other that whosoever came from Athens to Megaris should die and whosoever would go from Megaris to Athens should likewise die Thus death frighted not Euclides but the love thâ—t he bare to Socrates and to Philosophy and wisedome so emboldned him that he would in the night travel from Megaris to Athens in the apparel of a woman least he should be known and he returned before day from Athens to Megaris again This dissimulation and craft of Euclides was far better and more to be commended then the doings of the former Better is Semiramis Quéen of Babylon thought of in that she perceiving her young son Ninus to be too tender to govern the stout Babylonians and Assyrians and knowing the nature of the people to be impatient of a womans government became in her apparel like a man and ruled the Kingdome till her son came to ripe age More praâ—ie ought â—â—lâ—gia a woman of Antioch to have who though she fained her self to be a man and dissembled with the world in that case yet this was to avoid incontinence and to live chast and solitary without the company of men For this cause is the Greek Virgin Mâ—rina and Euphrosina a maid of Alexandria worthily preferred before Cleocritus and Clisthenes for that they went in the apparel of men to live in the wildernesse to avoid lust and sensuality the others went in the apparell of women to beguile women Caelius doth report that certain women as Mantinia Lasthenia Axâ—othea and Phliasia would come in their apparel like men to hear Plato read philosophy in the schools The cause of their dissimulations was vertue and honest life the cause of the others dissimulation was vice and a wicked life so that dissimulation is both good and bad For we read at what time the armed youth of Gréece had determined co fetch home again fair Helene Menelaus wife from Troy where she was deteined by Paris King Priamus son that then Achilles the stoutest and worthiest of all the Gréeks while yet he slept in the Tent of Chiron his mother Thetis suddenly took him from Chiâ—ons house and changed his apparel into the apparel of a woman and appointed where he should hide himself with the daughters of King Lycomedes where he got one of them with child and commanded her to betray him to no man for she knew that her son Achilles should die in Troy if he should go thither There Achilles was a long while at the commandement of his mother Thetis untill the Oracle was given that the City of Troy should never be destroyed without the help of Achilles Ulisses being most subtill and crafty taking upon him to séek out Achilles took a little pack full of fine wares such as women buy and a strong bow and arrows thus when Ulisses came to King Lycomedes daughters though he knew Achilles to be there yet because he was in the apparel of a woman he knew him not and therefore shewed his fine ware unto the Kings daughters having a strong bow bent by him while Deidamia the mother of Pyrrhus and the rest of her sisters viewed the glistering ware of Ulisses Achilles stept in and took Ulisses bow in hand and drew it whereby Ulisses séeing him draw so strong a bow he straight perceived that he was Achilles And thus one craft beguileth another one deceit deceiveth another and one dissembling man findeth out another For by the means of Ulisses was the dissimulation of Achilles known I might have just occasion here to speak of those that were
was as Iustine saith five and twenty days journey in great danger and peril of life as well by wild beasts waters as also by forreign foes She had thrée hundred thousand women of Scythia in company with her For the fame she had heard of this great Prince she came from her Countrey where she was a Quéen to lie with a stranger to satisfie her lust And when she had accomplished her mind after thirty nights lying with him she returned unto her own countrey again Cicero doth write that we are more moved by report oftentimes to love then by sight For as by report Quéen Thalestris came to lie with Alexander from Scythia unto Hircania for his magnanimity victories and courage so by report came the Quéen of Sheba from Ethiopia unto Solomon to hear and to learn wisdome O golden world Oh happy age when either for simplicity men could not speak or for temperance men would not speak The innocence of them then and the subtilty of us now the temperancy of their age and the lust of our age being wel weighed and throughly examined it is easily to be séen how vertuously they lived in ignorance and how viciously we live in knowledge Before Aruntius proud Tarquins son was by lust moved toward Collatines wife there was no alterations of States nor change of Common-wealths no banishment of Princes in Rome And Rome being changed for this mans lust onely from a Monarchy unto another state called Aristocracy it continued so long in that form until Appius Claudius ravished Virginius daughter which was the occasion of the second change And the popular state which had the chief rule always in Rome changed the states of the City for that lust so reigned Thus might I speak of divers other Countreys where lust was the just cause of the subversion of them For by one Venus a strumpet in Cyprus all Cyprus was full of Whores By one Semiramis in Babilon all Persia at length grew full of queans By one Rhodope in Egypt at the beginning all the country became full of strumpets In Rome Flora was honoured like a Goddesse having such solemnity and on Theaters which were called according to her own name Floralia In Thebes was Phrine so magnified that her name was put in print upon every Gate of the City As for Lais in Corinth and Lamia in Athens their Fame was more heard then their Honesty known It grew in fine to that strength that all the Princes of the world were as bulwarks and defenders of lust Yea learned Philosophers and wise Law-givers séemed to defend the same in writing As Lycurgus and Solon two famous wise men the one a Law-giver among the Lacedemonians people in the beginning more expert in the banners and flags of Mars then studious or desirous to haunt the palaces of Venus The other a Law-giver in Athens people likewise more frequenting at the first the school of Minerva then the lurking dens and secret snares of Cupid these two famous men made laws to maintain lust under the colour and pretext of issue every young woman being married to an old man might for children take choise what young man she would of her husbands name So likewise might any young man choose a young woman being married to an old woman Aristotle séemeth to defend this law after a sort So Abrahams wife Sara after a sort willed her husband to accompany with a young maid for that he might have children And Sempronia a woman excellently well learned in the Gréek and Latine and Sapho a woman of no lesse fame then of learning defended lust by their Writings I might have large scope herein to prove Lust as a Lord to rule and govern every where I have sufficiently I hope declared the effect of Lust For as Princes wise stout and learned have been hereto subject so the Poets fain that the Gods themselves have yielded to the might of lust What I pray you translated Jupiter to a Bull Neptune unto a horse Mercury unto a Goat Lust What moved Apollo to be in love with Daphnes What caused Bacchus to favour Gnosida What made Pan to yeeld unto Sirinx lust What moved wise learned stout and strong as well as the foolish the ignorant the weak and the simple but onely that corruption of nature that seed and dregs of Adam which equally without grace moveth all men to sin For there is no man but he is privy to lust moved by lust and sorely assaulted by it Yet there be some that subdue lust some that rule lust but none that vanquish lust for as some are born chast so some do make themselves chast and some who are thus made chast are yet not without some spice of lust I speak not of Proculus the Emperour who kept at his pleasure a hundred maids of Sarmatia Neither do I think herein of Sardanapalus King of Assyria who was alwaies weâ—ried but never satisfied with Venus But I speak of those that fight and wrastle against nature of those I say that are in common combats with the world the flesh and the Divell For lust saith Oviâ— is I wot not what and commeth I wot not whence it taketh root without breaking of flesh and pierceth the very intrals of the heart without any cutting of the vein it is the onely businesse and travel of idle men The young Roman Estrasco at mount Celio beholding the beauty of a Lady called Verrona either of them by nature being dumb one fell in love with the other so sore that Estrasco would often go from Rome to Salon and Verrona would as oft travel from Salon to Rome the one to sée the other and this dumb love continued thus thirty years till it fortuned that the wife of Estrasco died and the husband of Lady Verrona died also Whereby these lovers thirty years without words did both manifest their long desire by a marriage So was Masinissa K. of Numidia Sophronisba a Lady of Carthage the one enflamed with the other onely by a sight that King Masinissa had of Sophronisba The like is written of that most valiant Captain Pyrrhus the long defendor of the Tarentines and King of Epirots when he came from Italy unto Neapolis being but one day there he fell in love with a fair Lady called Gamalice to the great infamy of so famous a Prince and to the great shame of so noble a Lady The like lust arrested that noble and renowned Conquerour Alexander so that when he thought to give battel to the Queen of Amazons having a sight of her at a river side where they both had appointed to come to talk concerning their wars their fury and rage before bent to fight and murther was by a sight changed into a wanton pastime and sport We do read also that Quéen Cleopatra made a banquet for Anthony her lover in the Province of Bithinia in the Wood Sechin where the young virgins were not so cunning to hide them in the thick bushes but the
should be cut off offered to Jupiter in the Capitol of Rome his family to the temple of Ceres his children should be sold as bondmen to the Tribunes and Censors The Lacedemonians were most studiouâ— to expel idlenesse and brought their children up always in hardnesse to practise them in the Arts of Industry and hated Idlenesse so much that if any in the City of Sparta waxed grosse or fat they straight suspected him of idlenesse and if any young man waxed fat they had appointed laws that he should fast and live poor untill he were again changed into his first estate The Egyptians an ancient people when the country of Egypt began to be populous to avoid idlenesse as Pliny reporteth made the great building called the Pyramides which for the mightinesse and strange working thereof was named one of the seven wonders of the World in which there were kept at work thréescore thousand young men who continued a long time in the making thereof and onely to avoid and banish idlenesse The Athenians so abhorrid and detested idlenesse that when a certain man was condemned to die for that he was found idle in Athens a citizen thereof named Herondas as Plutarch testifieth was as desirous to see him as though he had been a prodigious Monster so strange and so marvellous was it to hear or to see any idle man in Athens The people called the Massilians would suffer no travellers neither Pilgrim nor Sacrificer nor any other stranger to come within their City lest under colour of religion or of pilgrimage they might corrupt the youth of the City with the sight thereof to be idle The Indians had a law made by their Wise-men called Gymnosophists that after meat was set on the table the youth should be examined what they had done for their meat and what pain and labour they had used all the morning before if they could make account of their travel they should goe to dinner but if they had béen idle they should have no meat except they had deserved the same The like did the young men of Argis who made an account to their Magistrates of their occupations and works The Areopagites as Valerius affirmeth did imitate the Athenians in commanding their youth to avoid idlenesse and to exercise travel the one as necessary to any Commonwealth as the other is most dangerous So that some countreys are naturally given to travel as the Lydians Phrygians French men with others Some again are given to idlenesse as the Persians Corinthians and others Some by law were forced to slie idlenesse some by punishment were feared from it some by death were enforced to labour for their living Thus this Monster Idlenesse is beaten every where and yet embraced in most places every man speaks against idlenesse yet a number are in love with it Magistrates and Officers are appointed to punish it and yet they often favour it CHAP. XL. Of Wrath and Anger and the hurts thereof THe famous and noble Philosopher Aristotle did charge his schollers always being in Anger or Wrath to behold themselves in a glasse where they might see such alteration of countenance such a palenesse in color that being before reasonable men they appear now like brutish beasts Wherefore that great Philosopher perceiving the furious and hastie nature of Alexander wrote from Athens unto India where this noble conqueror was at wars with King Porus to take heed of Wrath and Anger saying Anger ought not to be in any Prince toward his inferiour for he was to be mended with correction nor toward his equal for he might be redressed with power so that Anger ought not to be but against superiours but Alexander had no coequals Yet in vain was Aristotles doctrine to Alexander in this point for being in a baÌ„quet when Clitus his dear friend coÌ„mended his father King Philip in the former age to be the worthiest most renowned Prince Alexander wexed upon a sudden so angry that any man should be preferred before him though Philip was his own father which was comended and Cliâ—us his especial friend that did commend him that he thrust Clitus into the heart with a spear So hastie was this Prince that Calisthenes and Lysiâ—achus the one his Historian and counsellour the other his companion and friend for a few words spoken were either of them slain Silence therefore saith Aristotle is the surest reward to a Prince We read that King Tigranes of Armenia whom Pompey the great did conquer waxed so angry by a fall from his horse because his son was present and could not prevent his fathers fall that he thrust him with his dagger into the heart and was so sorry afterward and angry withal that he had likewise killed himself had not Anaxarchus the Phllosopher perswaded him Anger in a Prince saith Solomon is death terrible is the countenance of a King when he is oppressed with Wrath hurtfull to many and dangerous to all is the anger thereof Nero was so furious in anger that he never heard any thing if it were not to his liking but he would requite it one way or other with death insomuch that in his rage and anger he would often throw down tables being at dinner and dash cups of gold wrought with pearls against the walls and fling all away more like to a furious Gorgon of hell then a sober Emperor in Rome Such fury reigneth in anger that Orestes the son of Agamemnon slue his own mother Clytemnestra suddenly in his Wrath. Such madnesse reigneth in Anger that Ajax Telamon that famous and valiant Gréek after that Achilles was slain in the temple of Pallas by Paris at the destruction of Troy waxed so Angry because he might not have Achilles Armor which was given before to Ulisses that he beat stones and blocks fought with dead trées killed beasts thinking to méet with Ulisses amongst them If Anger make men murtherers if Wrath make men mad without wit or reason to know themselves or others let them imitate Plato in his anger who being angry with any of his scholers or servants would give the rod to Zenocrates to correct them Because he was angry the learned Philosopher misdoubted himself that he could not use moderate correction Even so Archicas would always speak unto his servant that had offended him Happy art thou that Architas is not angry Thereby giving his man to understand how dangerous Wrath is Aristotle saith the angry man séeth not the thing which lieth under his féet Augustus Caesar Emperour of Rome destred Athenedorus a Philosopher of Gréece which a long time accompanied Augustus in Rome and now was ready to depart to Athens that he would write som sentence that the Emperour might think of him in his absence The Philosopher took a pen and wrote in a little Table this sentence Caesar when thou art moved to anger speak nothing till thou hast recited the Greekes Alphabet a worthy lesson and a famous sentence well worthy to be learned of all
paper in one hand he with his dagger in the other hand slue himself upon the grave holding the paper fast in it being deâ—d where this sentence he wrote Thou that knewest the faithfull friendship betwixt Volumnius and Lucullus join our bodies together being dead as our minds were alwaies one being alive The like history is written of Nisus who when his faithfull friend Eurialus was slain in the wars betwixt Turnus Aeneas he having understood thereof weÌ„t up down the field tumbling and tossing the dead carcasses til he found out Eurialus body which having long looked on and embraced he drew out his sword held it in his hand a little while saying As my body shal never depart from thy body so shall I never fear to follow thy ghost and laying the pummel of his sword upon the ground he fell upon it having the body of his friend Euâ—ialus betwixt his arms This love was great betwixt Princes who did live honourably and died willingly A strange thing for men so to love their friends as to weigh their deaâ—hs more then their own lives Orestes faith and friendship towards Pylades was such that being come unto a strange Region named Taurica to asswage his grief and to mitigate his furious flames because he slew his mother Clitemnestra and being suspected that he came onely to take away the image of Pallas their Goddesse in that country the King understanding the matter made Orestes to be sent for and to be brought before him to have judgement of death For Pylades was not mentioned nor spoken off but onely Orestes he it was that should steal their Goddesse away and carry it into Gréece Orestes therefore being brought and his fellow Pylades with him the King demanded which of them was Orestes Pylades that knew his friend Orestes should die suddenly stept forth and said I am he Orestes denied it and said he was Orestes Pylades again denied it and said that it was even he that was accused unto the King thus the one denying and the other affirming either of them most willing to die for the other the King dismaied at their great â—mity and love pardoned their faults and greatly honoured their natural love and faith So many like histories to this there be that then Princes would die for their friends even that great Conquerour Alexander would have died presently with his friend Hephestion had not his counsel letted him he loved him alive so well that he was called of all men another Alexander he so much estéemed his friend that when Sisigambis King Darius mother had saluted Hephestion instead of Alexander and being ashamed at her errour he said forbear not to honour Hephestion for he is Alexander also What was it that Anaxagoras wanted that Prince Pericles could get for him whither went Aeneas at any time without Achates with him there was nothing that Pomponiuâ— had but Cicero had part of it the friendship of Scipio never wanted towards Cloeâ—ius Though Rome could alter state though fortune could change honour yet could neither Rome nor fortune alter faith or change friends After the Senatours had judged Tiberius Gracchus for divers seditions in the City to die his friend Blosius having knowledge thereof came and kneeled before the Senators besought Laeâ—us whose counsel the Senators in all things followed to be his friend saying unto the rest after this sort O sacred Senate and noble Counsellours if there remains in the City of Rome any sparkle of Iustice if there be regard unto equity let me crave that sentence by law which you injuriously award unto another and since I have committed the offence of Gracchus whose commandement I never resisted whose will I will during life obey let me die for Gracchus worthily who am most willing so to do and let him live who justly ought so to do Thus with vehement invectives against himself he made the Senatours astonied with his rare desire of death saying the Capitol had béen burned by Blosius if Gracchus had so commanded but I know that Gracchus thought nothing in heart but that which he spake to Blosius and that which he spake to Blosius Blosius never doubted but to do and therefore I rather deserve death then he The faith and love betwixt Damon and Pythias was so wondred at by King Dionisius that though he was a cruel Tyrant in appointing Damon to die yet was he so amazed to sée the desire of Pythias his constant faith and his love and friendship prosessed in Damons behalf striving one with another to die that he was inforced in spight of tyranny to pardon Damon for Pythias sake Thelcus and Perithous became such faithfull friends that they made several oaths one unto another never during life to be parted neither in affliction plague punishment pain toil or travel to be dissevered insomuch that the Poets fain that they went unto the Kingdome and region of Pluto together I will not speak of the great love of that noble Greek Achilles toward King Patroclus Neither will I recite the history of that worthy Roman Titus toward Gisippus nor report the love of Palemon and Arceir nor of Alexander and Lodwick whose end and conclusion in love were such as is worthy of everlasting memory CHAP. XLII Of Envy and Malice and the tyranny of Princes AS Malice drinketh for the most part her own poison so Envy saith Aristotle hurteth more the envious it self then the thing that it envieth Like as the sloathfull in war or Darnel amongst Wheat so is the envious in a City not so sad for his own miseries and calamities as he lamenteth the hap and and felicity of others Wherefore the Philosopher Socrates calleth the enemy serrom anima the sow of the soul for that it cutteth the heart of the envious to sée the prosperity of others For as it is a grief to good and vertuous men to sée evill men rule so contraily to the evill most harm it is to sée good men live Therefore the first disturber of Commonwealths and last destroyer of good states the beginning of all sorrows the end of all joys the cause of all evil and the onely let of all goodnesse is envy How prospered Greece Had flourished Rome How quiet was the whole world before envy began to practise with malice two daughters of tyranny never séen but hidden in the hearts of flatterers Then I say Gréece was glorious Rome was famous their names were honoured their prowesse feared their policy commended their knowledge extolled their fame spread over the whole world but when envy began to sojourn in Gréece and malice to build her Bower in Rome these sisters like two monsters or two grim Gorgons oppressed Castles destroied countries subdued Kingdoms depopulated Cities in fine triumphed over all Gréece and Italy Hannibal chief General of the Carthaginians Jugurth King of Numidia Pyrrhus of Epirus most valiant puissant mighty Princes with long wars and mighty slaughter could not with all their force and
Honorificus King of the Vandales and Herode King of the Iews were eaten up alive with vermine and Lice Pliny and Plutarch say that proud Sylla which sore plagued Rome and Italy had all his flesh converted into Lice and so died Herodotus doth likewise report of one Pheretrina a Quéen of the Barceans who died of this filthy and horrible death God hath taken them away in the midst of their pleasure even eating and drinking as Septimus and Valentianus two famous Emperours who died both of a surfeit for want of digestion Archesilaus died presently with one draught of wine What is the life of Princes but an uncertain Pilgrimage Nay women are famous for their pilgrimage therein As the Queen of Sheba came from Ethiopia to hear and to learn Solomon's wisdome Cornelia from Rome being a noble woman went to Palestina to hear Saint Hierome teach Christians The pilgrimage of our life is nothing else but a continual travel until we come to our last journey which is Death then is the end of all pilgrimage and just account to be made for the same CHAP. XLV Of Death the End of all Pilgrimage THe last line of all things is death the discharge of all covenants the end of all living creatures the onely wish of the good and the very terrour of the wicked And for that the life of man is divers so is death variable after sundry manners and fashions as by experience is séen and known in all Countreys Nothing is surer then death yet nothing is more uncertain then death For Pindarus that wise King of the Liricans being demanded of certain Beotians what might best happen to man in this world Even that said he which chanced to Trophonius and Agâ—medes meaning Death For these men after they had builded a new Temple to Apollo demanded of Apollo the best reward that he could give them they thinking to enjoy some dignity or worldly substance were seven days after rewarded with death The like we read in the first Book of Herodotus where the mother of Biton and Cleobes two young men of Argos knéeling before the Image of Juno besought the Goddesse to bestow some excellent good thing upon her two sons for their pain and travel that they shewed toward her in drawing her Chariot ten miles in stead of horses The Goddesse willing to grant them the best thing that could be given to man the next night quietly in bed as they slept they both died Wherefore very well did Aristippus answer a certain man who asked how Socrates died Even in that order said he that I wish my self to die Giving to understand that any death is better then life That noble Philosopher Plato a little before he died as Sabellicus doth write did thank nature for three causes the first that he was born a man and not a beast the second that he was born in Gréece and not in Barbary the third that he was born in Socrates time who taught him to die well Hermes that great Philosopher of Egypt even dying so embraced death that he called upon that that divine spirit which ruled all the heavens to have mercy upon him being right glad that he had passed this toyling life Such is the uncertainty of death that some in the half of their days and in the midst of their fame and glory die So Alexander the great died in Babilon Pompey died in Egypt and Marcellus being a young man of great towardnesse and by adoption heir unto the Empire of Rome died It is strange to sée the varieties of death and in how divers and sundry fashions it hath happened unto Great men always Some being merry in their banquets and drinking were slain so Clitus was slain by Alexander the great being his chief friend Amnon being bidden to a banquet by Absalom was slain by him Yea all the Embassadors of Persia were commanded to be slain even drinking at the table by Amintas King of Macedonia Some end their lives wantonning with women and playing in chambers as that renowned Alcibiades being taken in wantonnesse with Timandra was slain by Lisander Even so Phaon and Speusippus the Philosopher died likewise Some bathing and refreshing themselves have perished by their own wives so Agamemnon that famous Gréek was killed by his wife Clitemnestra and Argirus Emperor of Rome by his wife Zoe Divers in prison have died as captives so Aristobulus Eumenes Aristonicus Marius Cleomenes Jugurth Siphax famous and renowned Princes Divers have béen slain in the draught as that beast Heliogabalus whom Rome so hated that he fled to a draught and there was slain and after was drawn through the streets and thrown into the river of Tyber Cneius Carbo a man of great dignity and power in Rome was commanded that he should be slain as he was sitting on his stool of ease by Pompey in the third time of his Consulship in Rome Thus shamefully have some died and thus famously others died Patroclus knew not that he should be slain by Hector Hector never thought he should be killed by Achilles Achilles never doubted his death by Paris Paris never judged that he should be vanquished by Pirrhus Neither did Pirrhus know that he should be overcome by Orestes so that no man knoweth his end where how and when he shall die and yet all men are certain and sure that they have an end that they must néeds die And yet the fear of death hath overcome the stoutest souldiers We read that Asdrubal of Carthage a noble and a famous Captain â—verthrown by Scipio for fear of death knéeled before Scipio embracing his féet and was so fearfull that his own wife was ashamed of his doings Yet had this famous Generall rather be a laughing stock to the Romans a bond man to Scipio running a foot like a lacky after his triumph then to die manfully in the behalf of his countrey which valiantly for a time he defended Perpenna likewise a famous Roman being taken in Spain by the souldiers of Pompey in a place full of Groves fearing lest at that instant he should be slain by Pompey's souldiers he made them believe that he had divers things to speak to Pompey of some designs that the enemies had in hand against him rather had Perpenna betray his friends and his fellows yea and all his country to his enemy then suffer a sudden death A greater fear of death we read in that book of Fulgosius of the Emperour Vitellius who after he had vanquished and slain divers nobles and shewed great wrongs unto the Emperour Otho and to Sabinus brother to Vespasian the Emperour being in fear of his life by Vespasian and being taken by the souldiers hee besought them rather then die presently that hee might be kept safe in prison untill he might sée and speak with Vespasian the Emperour such was his fear that he did hide himself in a chest to prolong his wretched life So fearful was Caligula of death that he would never go abroad at any