And atte this houre you knowe not that they that do hate her wold her yll what dishonour theyr tongues doo speake of her Newe loue in yonge bloudde in the springinge tyme and flouryshynge youthe is a poyson that forthewith spredethe in to euery vayne It is an herbe that by and by entreth the entrayles a swownyng that incontinently mortifieth al the membres a pestilence that sleeth the hartes and finally it maketh an ende of all vertues I wote not what I saye yet al though I knowe what I wyll say For I wold neuer blasen loue with my tonge without I were sore hurte in myn vnderstandynge Ouyde sayth in his boke of the arte of loue Loue is I wote not what that commeth I wote not whens who sent it I wote not it engendreth I wote not how it is contented I wote not wherwith it is felte I wote not howe ofte nor I wote not wherfore And fynally loue taketh rote without breakynge of the flesshe outwarde or percinge the entrayles inwarde I wote not what Ouide meaneth hereby but I trowe whan he saide these wordes he was as farre banysshed from hym selfe as I am at this tyme from my selfe O Faustin they that loue togither shewe the signes of their hartes by dyuers wayes and in slepyng they reason and speake and by sygnes they vnderstande eche other The great voyce outewarde is sygne of lyttell loue inwarde and the great inwarde loue kepeth silence outwarde The entrayles within imbraced in loue cause the tonge outwarde to be muet He that passeth his lyfe in loue ought to haue his mouth close And to the entente that ye shall not thynke that I speake fables I wyll proue this by auncient hystories ¶ We fynde aunciently that in the yere .ii. C. and .lx. after the foundation of Rome Estrasco a yonge Romayne that was dombe and Veronne a fayre lady of the Latins that was dombe also These two sawe eche other on the mount Celyoit at a feest and there fel in loue eche with other And their hartes were as soore fixed in loue as theyr tonges were tyed for wordes It was a meruaylous thing to se them and feareful to note here The yong lady came fro Salon to Rome and he went fro Rome to Salon by the space of .xxx. yeres togither without the wityng of any persone nor they two spake not Than at the laste died the husbande of the lady Veronne and the wyse of Estrasco and than they discouerd their loue and treated a mariage betwene them of whome descended the noble lygnage of our Scipions whiche were more lyberalle in the feates of armes than theyr father and mother were in their tonges Than Faustine marke this thynge Lyttell aduantage it had ben to haue cut out the tonges of the two doÌ„be folkes to haue remedied their loue and not to haue cutte out theyr hartes ¶ Also I shall tell you of Massinissa a worthy knyght of Numedie and Sopharise a famous ladye of Carthage al onely by one sight as they sawe eche other on a ladder he declared his desire vnto her and she knowyng his lust breakynge the oores of feare and lyftynge vp the ankers of shame incontinent raised the sailes of theyr hartes and with the shippes of their ê‘sons they ioyned eche to other Here may we gather how the first sight of their eies and knowlege of their persons and the leage of their hartes and the mariage of their bodies the pardition of theyr estates and the infamie of their name in one day in one houre in one moment and in one steppe of a ladder were agreed What wyll ye that I saye more to this pourpose Do ye not knowe that Helayne the Greke and Parys the Troyan of two strange nations and of farre countreys with one only sight in a temple their wylles were so knyt togither that he toke her as his captiue and she aboode his prisoner In Parys appered but smal force and in her but lyttel resistence So that in maner these two yonge ê‘sons the one procuring to vanquishe and the other sufferinge to be vanquisshed Parys was cause of his fathers deathe and Helayne of the infamie of her husbande and they bothe of their owne deathes losse to theyr realmes and sclaunder to all the worlde All this loue caused one onely syght ¶ Whan great kyng Alexander wold haue gyuen bataile to the Amazons the quene capitayn of them no lesse faire than stronge and vertuous came to a ryuer syde and the space of an houre eche of them beheld other with theyr eies without speakynge of any worde and whan they retourned to their tentes the fiersnes was turned into swete waÌ„ton amorous wordes ¶ Whan Pyrrhe the faythefull defender of the Tarentynes and renoumed kynge of Epirotes was in Italy he came to Naples and he had not ben there but one day the same season there was a lady in the same citie named Gamalicice of a highe lygnage and greatly estemed in beautie The very same day she was goten with chyld and shamed through out al Italy and was thruste out of the citie and after she was delyuered of chylde she was slayne by one of her owne bretherne ¶ Also Cleopatra in the prouince of Bithinye in the wod Sehyn made a goodly banket or solempne feast to Marcus Anthonius her louer And thoughe she was not very honest yet had she with her right chaste women and thus the banket enduryng a great parte of the nyghte and the wod beinge thicke the yonge damsels were not so wily to hyde them but the yonge men Romayns founde them so that of .lx. doughters of senatours .lv. were gotten with chyld among the thycke bushes which thyng made a gret sclandre in the people and augmented the infamy of Cleopatre and minished the honestie of Marc Anthony ¶ Thus as I haue shewed of a smal nombre I coude say of many other Al men are not men nor all women be not women I say it bycause I wolde it shulde be sayde let it touche them that it toucheth and let them that can vnderstand me There is some shyppes that are so lyghte that they wyll sayle with a lytell wynde and there be some milles that wyll grinde with a lyttell water I saye there be some women so brittel that as a glasse with a fyllop wyll breke and wyl slyp with a lytel myre Shewe me Faustin haue you suffered your doughter to speke but with her vncles and kept company but with her cosins I say in this case as moche wilenesse hath the mother as the doughter to renne in peryll Do you not knowe that the quicke fire doth not forbere the wod be it wete or dry but in lykewyse it consumeth the harde stones Doo you not knowe that the hongre excessiue causeth beastes to deuour with theyr tethe the thynge that was bredde in their entrayles Doo you not knowe that the goddes made a lawe ouer al thinges except on louers bycause they may not abyde
of bokes and to cowardes to babble of armes I say it bycause the answerynge to a letter was not of necessitie to reherse to a woman as I am whether it were before the battayle or after I know well thou art scaped fro it for thou were not the first that fought nor the laste that fled Whan thou were yonge I neuer sawe the go to the warre that euer I dredde or had suspecte of thy lyfe for knowyng thy cowardyse I neuer toke care for thyne absence for therin I was mooste sure of thy persone Than Marc tell me nowe what thou dost in thyn age I thinke thou bearest thy speare not for to iust in the warre but for to leane on whan the gowte greueth the. Thy helmette I deme thou bearest with the to drynke within tauernes and not to defende the fro the strokes of swerdes for I neuer sawe the stryke man with thy swerd but I haue knowen the slee a. M. women with thy tonge O malicious and vnhappy Marc if thou were as valyaunt as thou arte malycious thou shuldest be as greatly dredde of the barbarycke nations as thou arte hated as reasonne is of the matrones of Rome Tell me what thy lyste at the least thou canste not denye but as thou haste ben a weake and slacke louer soo thou arte nowe a weake and slacke cowarde knyght an vnknowen frende auaricious infamed malicious cruell ennemy to euery man and frend to no body And we that haue knowen the yōge stronge and lusty condempne the for an olde foole Thou sayest that takynge my letter into thy handes thy harte toke the poyson of malyce I beleue it wel without swearynge for any thyng beinge malicious forthwith fyndeth lodging in thy house Beastes that be corrupt lightly take the poyson that they that ben of good complexion caste away Of one thyng I am in certayn thou shalt not die of poyson For one venyme oftentymes dystroyeth an other venym O malycious Marc yf all they in Rome knewe the as well as sorowfull Boemya dooth they shuld soone se what difference were betwene the wordes that thou spekest and the intention of thy hart And if by the writinges that thou makest thou meritest to haue the name of a philosopher by the ylnes that thou doest inuente thou doste merite to haue the name of a tyraunt Thou sayest thou sawest neuer certitude in the loue of a woman nor ende of her hate I haue great glorie that other ladyes besyde me haue knowlege of thy small wysedome A se Marc I wyll not mocke the thou arte suche one as neuer deserued that one shoulde begynne to loue the nor leaue to hate the. Wylte thou haue certitude in loue and thou vnfaythfull of thy seruyce Wylt thou serue with mockeries and woldest be loued truely Wylte thou enioye the personne without spendynge of any of thy goodes Wylt thou haue no complayntes of the and thou not ceassynge thy malyces Thou sayest thou knowest the ylnes of women I wil thou know we be not so folyshe as thou thinkest nor thou so wyse as thou weneste to prayse thy selfe ▪ yet hytherto hath ben sene mo men to folowe the appetyte of women than there hath ben women folowynge the wylle of men 〈◊〉 none of bothe is great truste and yet we both practyse that one man hath his harte so myghty to be more wyser than thre wyse women and one woman thynketh her soo strong to put vnder her feete and ouercome .iii. C. suche as be lyght Thou sayest thou arte abashed of my lyghtnes to leaue Rome and come to the being in the warres Great is the loue of the countrey sith that many leaue dyuers welthes that they haue in straunge landes and lyue straitly for to lyue in their owne lande but greatter is my loue syth that I wolde leaue Rome with al the pleasures to go and serche for the in strange landes among the cruel battayles O malicious Marke O straunge louer yf I leaue Rome it were to go and seke my harte beynge in the battayles with the. And certaynly dyuers tymes whanne I doo thynke on thyne absence I swowne and sorowe as my hart were not with me and yet I fynde no perfyte remedy I thynke our loue is not lyke these beastes that ioy of their pleasures without to wyll and desyre theyr wylles I sweare to the by the goddesse Vesta and by the mother Berecinthia that thou owest me more for one day of loue that I haue had to the than for the seruyces that I haue done to the in .xxii. yeres Beholde vnhappy Marc howe moche in thy presence I haue always regarded the and in thyn absence I haue alwayes thoughte on the and slepynge I haue alwayes dreamed of the I haue wepte for thy trauayle and laughed at thy pleasure and finally all my welthe I haue wyshed the and al thyn ylles I haue wyshed me I ensure the one thynge that as nowe I fele not soo moche the persecution that thou doest to me as I do the mysknowlege that thou makest to me It is a great sorowe for an auaricious man to see his goodes loste but without comparyson it is farre greatter for the louer to se his loue yll bestowed It is a hurt that is alway soore a peyn alway peynful a sorow alway sorowful it is a deth that neuer endeth O ye men if ye knewe with what loue women loueth you in perfytenes whan they loue with what harte they hate whan they are set to hate I swere to you ye wold neuer cōpany with thē in loue or if ye do loue them ye wold neuer leue thē for feare of their hate there is neuer gret hate but where as moch loue was fyrst But thou shalt neuer be gretly hatid for thou were neuer truly loued of ladies The sorowfull Boemia hath loued y e .xxii. yere of her lyfe now she only hateth y e tyl after her deth Thou sayest I may be eaten for veriuyce and yet I wold be solde for wyne I knowe wel I haue erred as one that hath ben yonge and lyght and whan I perceyued that I had loste my way and that my mysaduenture can fynd no way nor remedy It is the greatest losse of al losses whan there is no remedy I haue erred lyke a feble and a weake woman but thou hast erred as a stronge man I haue erred by simple ignorance but thou haste erred of a prepensed and wilfull malice I haue erred not knowinge that I shulde haue erred but thou knewest what thou diddest I haue trusted to thy wordes as to a faythfull gentylle man and thou haste begyled me with a thousande lesynges as a lier Telle me diddest thou not seke occasion to comme into my mothers house Getulia to allure me her doughter Boemia to thy minde Dyddeste thou not promise my father to teache me to rede in one yere and thou taughtehe me to rede the boke of Duidius of the arte of loue Diddest thou not sweare
of his mother syde was so enamored of a woman of Thebes that he taught her al his coūnynge and whan he was sycke in his bedde she redde in the schole for hym Epimenides of Crete that slepte .xv. yeres without waking and though he was .x. yere a great worshypper of the goddis yet he was banysshed frome Athenes for the loue of women Archyta Tarentyn mayster of Plato and disciple of Pythagoras occupied his mynde more to inuente the kindes of loue than his forces in doctrines of vertues Gorgio Cleontino borne in Sycyll kepte rather concubines in his chambre than bokes in the scholes All these were wyse men and yet we maye se howe at the laste they were ouercome with the flesshe Than blame not me alone for as I haue tolde of so fewe in noumbre so I coude recyte of other a holle armye Of trouth he ought to haue many thynges that wylle be taken as curious in loue He muste haue his eien displayed on her that he loueth his vnderstandynge fore altered in that he thinketh his tonge troubled in that he shulde say So that in seinge he be blynded in thoughtes wandring and in speakynge troubled O lady Libia the louynge in mockerie passeth by mockerie but where as the true hart is there is the grefe and no mockerie Loue shedeth her poysone and cruell Cupydo fyxeth his arowes vppe to the fethers Than the eien wepe the harte syghethe the flesshe trymbleth the synewes shrynke the vnderstandynge waxeth grosse reason fayleth and so all falleth to the erthe so that fynally the heuy louer abydynge in hym selfe holdeth lyttell or nothynge of hym selfe All this I say bicause that knowlege to loue fayleth in me yet be ye sure that the workes faile me not to worke in thy seruice And syth it was myn aduenture to see the nowe it is my chaunce to knowe the I demaunde nothyng elles of the but that thou wylte loue me truely syth I loue the withoute feynynge And if thou haste harde that I am sycke at my harte I desyre the to do me some good for sythe it is all onely in the it is reason that thou all onely seke for remedy I was greatly comforted whan Fabius Carlynus desyred me in thy behalfe to be a prisoner and I dyd incontinent all that thou dyddest desyre to thentente that thou on some day shuldest do that I desyre And beholde lady Lybia the woman that is serued with seruyces it is reasonne that she receyue some prayers And though my strengthes haue no power to open the gates of thy pourpose as not to agree to thy demaunde yet all my labours be bycause of thy renoume I praye the discouer not the one nor begyle me nat with the other For now thou seest that in grauntynge is remedy and in truste is comforte but promesse is deceyuable the delayenge is peryllous and the entreatynge byndeth I see verye welle that the hasty demaunde deserueth a longe aunswere but I wold not that thou shuldest do soo but as I desyre the soo desyre me I saye agayne I am all thyne and not myne owne And as for my selfe in al thynges I wyll serue the. And lady Libia regard that it were as moche honour for the as profytable for me to tourne thy disordinate desyres and pourposes For thou seest well it is moch better to heale shortly than to late with faylynge of thy pourpose All women kepe one daungerous opynyon that is they wyll neuer receyue counsell that is gyuen them in a great cause and if it be so as I thynke syth thou arte praysed and estemed of great beautie than be estemed to receyue good counsell And in this maner in case that my domage be very great and thy pacience very lyttell I shalbe called wise to gyue the suche counsell and thou ryghte gratious to folowe it One thynge I saye and pardone me though I shewe it to the howe that women be greatly infamed that wyll take no counsell and suche as wylle assure their renoume by the opinion of other as moche as though they were determyned so to doo their selfe Wherfore I wolde ye shuld do one thyng for an other as I coūsayle you And if thou fyndest any ylle therby withdrawe thy hande I wyll say no more to the but that I doo present to the al my vnhappy troubles my desperate syghes and my seruyces as thy seruaunt My troubled dolours my wordes of philosophy and my amorous teares Also I sende the a gyrdelle of golde and I gyue it the on the condition that thou sette thyn eies theron and apply thy harte to me I pray the goddis to gyue me to the and the to me Marcus Aurelius the philosopher writeth this in very great secrete ¶ THVS ENDETH THIS GOLDEN Boke of the eloquent Marc Aurelie emperour who so euer be reder therof may take it by reason for a ryche and a newe labour and specially pryncis and gouernours of the common welth and mynisters of iustyce with other Also the common people eche of theym may fynde the labour conueniente to their estate And therin is conteyned certayne right hygh and profounde sentences and holsom counselles and meruaylous deuyses ageynst thencumbraunce of fortune and ryght swete cōsolations for them that are ouerthrowen by fortune Finally it is good to them that digeste it and thanke god that hath gyuen suche grace to a paynym in gyuynge vs exaumple of vertuous lyuynge with hye and salutary doctrines and meruaylous instructions of perfectnes Certainly as great prayse as ought to be gyuen to the auctour is to be gyuen to the translatours that haue laboriously reduced this treatyse oute of Greke into latyn and out of latyn into Castilian and out of Castilyan into frenche and out of frēche into englishe writen in high and swete styles O ryght happy trauayle sythe that suche fruyte is issued therof And also blessyd be the handes that haue wrytten hit A ryghte precyous meate is the sentences of this boke But finally the sauce of the sayd swete style moueth the appetite Many bokes there be of substancial meates but they be so rude and so vnsauery and the style of so smal grace that the fyrste morsell is lothesome and noyful And of suche bokes foloweth to lye hole and sounde in Lybraries but I truste this wylle not Of trouthe great prayse is due to the auctour of his trauayle And syth there can be no grace equipolent in erthe lette vs pray to god to gyue hym grace rewarde in heuen Amen Graces to god FINIS ⧠Thus endeth the volume of Marke Aurelie emperour otherwise called the golden boke translated out of Frenche into englyshe by Iohn̄ Bourchier knyghte lorde Barners deputie generall of the kynges towne of Caleis and marches of the same at the instant desyre of his neuewe syr Francis Bryan knyghte ended at Caleys the tenth day of Marche in the yere of the Reygne of our souerayn lorde kynge HENRY the VIII the XXIII LONDINI IN AEDIBVS THOMAE BERTHELETI REGII IMPRESSORIS ANNO M.D.XXXVII CVM PRIVILEGIO LUCRECIA ROMANA THOMAS BETHELETVS
not her folyshenes Herken to me and I shall tell you more All women wolde speake and haue all other to be stylle they wolde gouerne and be gouerned of none other One thyng they desyre that is to se and to be sene And suche as be lyghte in folowynge theyr lyghtnes they holde as theyr subiectes and sclaues and suche as be wyse and reproue theyr appetites they pursue as enemies In the annales Pompeyens I haue founde a thyng worthy for to be knowen and that is Whan Gnee Pompeie passed into the Orient on the mountaynes Rifees he founde a maner of people called Masagetes whiche had a lawe that euery inhabitaunt or dweller shuld haue two tonnes or fattes bycause there was lacke of houses in the sayde mountaynes In one was the housbande the sonnes and men seruauntes and in the other the wyfe the doughters and maydens On the holy dayes they dydde eate to gether and ones in the weke they laye together Whan great Pompeye had questioned the cause of theyr lyuynge in that maner for that he neuer sawe nor knewe a more extreme thynge in all the worlde One of them aunswered Pompey behold the goddis haue gyuen vs but a shorte lyfe for none of vs may lyue aboue .lx. yere at the moste and those yeres we trauayle to lyue in peace And in hauing our wyues with vs styll in companye we shulde lyue euer dyenge for we shulde passe the nyghtes in herynge their complayntes and the days in sufferynge their brawlynges and chydynges In kepynge them this wise from vs apart they nourishe their chyldren more peasibly eschewynge the noyses that sleeth the fathers ¶ I tell the Faustin that though we cal the Masagettes barbariens in this case they be wiser than the Romayns One thing I wyl tel you Faustin and I pray you marke it wel If the beastly mouynge of the flesshe enforced not the wyll of man to do his luste and that he wolde not desire women I doubte whether women wolde suffre it or loue it the lesse Of trouth if the goddis hadde made this loue voluntarie as it is naturall that is as we wolde we myght and not as we wold and may not with great peyn a man myghte be satisfied though he shuld lose him selfe for any woman It is a great secrete of the goddis and a great myserie to man that the faynt and weke fleshe doth force the herte whiche shulde be free to loue that it abhorreth and to alowe that that domageth This is a greatte secrete that men can fele hit euery houre as men and yet by discretion may not remedy it I enuie not the lyuynge goddis nor the menne that be deed but for two thynges and they ben these The goddis lyue without feare of thē that be malycious and they that be deed are in peace with out nede of women The ayre is so corrupt that it corrupteth euery man with two pestilent plages so deadely tha the fleshe and the harte endeth O Faustine is the loue of the fleshe so naturall that whā the fleshe fleeth scornefully we shulde leue the true harte as captiue And the resonne as reason put her to flyght the fleshe as fleshe forthewith yeldeth her to you as ouercome ¶ The emperour reherseth the perylles of them that haunt women excessiuely Cap. xx THemperour folowynge his purpose declareth the vniuersall domages that come to man by ouermoche conuersacyon and hauntynge of women And after he had tolde some particular cases that he had suffred with Faustin his wyfe he sayd I am well remembred y t in my yong age I folowed the fleshe to moch with purpose neuer to returne And therfore I cōfesse y t if I had good desires in one day in stede therof a. M. dayes I wrought yll It is reson that ye women flee from them that flee from you to hyde you from them that hyde them fro you to leue them that leaue you to seperate you fro them that separate them fro you to forgette them that forget you For some scape fro your handes yll famed and effeminate and other are hurt with your tonges many ben persecuted with your werkes and the better to scape free they come awaye abhorred of your hartes and bounde to your lyghtnesses Than who that feleth this what getteth he by the attaynynge therof O to howe many perylles offerethe he hym selfe that with women is greatly conuersant If a man loue theym not they count hym as a villeyne if he loue them they thinke hym lyghte yf he leaue theym they repute hym for a cowarde if he folowe them he is loste if he serue theym he is not regarded if he serue theym not he shall be hated of them yf he wylle haue theym they wylle not haue hym yf he desyre theym not they wylle seeke on hym yf he haunte theym he is ylle named if he haunte theym not they recken hym no man What shall the vnhappye man do Let men take this for certayne that thoughe the husbande do for his wyfe all that he can do as a mā and that he ought to do as a husbande and with his weakenes do the beste that he can for to fynde remedy agaynste pouertie with his trauayle and put hym selfe in danger for her euerye houre al this shall not please his wyfe nor make her the better but she wyll say that the traytour louethe other and that all that he dothe is onely to accomplysshe his pleasure on them Many dayes ago Faustyne I haue wylled to tell the this but I haue differred it tyll now hopynge that thou woldest gyue me occasion to telle it the the whiche longe agoo thou haste caused me to feele It is no poynte of wyse men that for euerye tyme they are annoyed with theyr wyues forthewith to hurte theym with wordes For amonge wise men the sayd wordes are moste estemed whan they are well appropried and sayd to good purpose I do bethynke me that it is .vi. yere sith Anthony Pie thy father dyd chuse me to be his sonne in law and thou me to be thy husbande and I the for my wyfe this my fatall destenie dyd permytte at the commaundemente of Adrian my lorde My father in lawe gaue the his fayre doughter to me for wyfe and the very sadde and ponderous empyre in maryage I trowe we were all begyled He to take me for his sonne and I to chuse the for my wyfe He was named Anthony Pius bycause he was pitiefull in all thynges saue vnto me to whom he was cruell for in a lyttell flesshe he gaue me many bones and to say the trouthe I haue no tethe to gnawe it nor no heate in my stomacke to dygeste hit and manye tymes I haue thoughte my selfe loste with it For thy beautie thou were desyred of many but for thyn yuell condicions thou were abhorred of all O howe vnhappy ben thy destenies Faustyne and howe yuell haue the goddis prouided for the. They haue giuen the beautie and
he lyueth in this worlde he holdeth his felicitie but at aduenture and his aduersitie for his naturall patrimony Amonge all them that coulde reioyce in prosperitie and helpe theym selfe in aduersitie this emperour Marcus Aurelius was one whiche for any flatterynges that Fortune coulde shewe hym he neuer trusted in them nor for myshappe that he had in this life he neuer dispayred ¶ What Marcus themperour sayd to a Senatour as touchynge triumphes Cap. xxxv WHanne these feastes were passed as Sertus Cheronense saith a senatour named Aluinus sayde to themperour the same nyght that the triumphe ceassed Syr reioyce you sythe that this day ye haue gyuen so great ryches to the common treasure of Rome and I haue sene your person in the triumph of glorie and to the worlde to come of you and your house you haue lefte perpetuall memorye The emperour hering these wordis said in this maner Frēdes it is good reson we beleue the hūter knoweth the fiersnes of vestis the phisition the propretie of herbes the mariner the perils of rockes the capitaines the chances of warre and the emperour that triumpheth the ioyes that he hath of triumphes As god helpe me and as euer I haue part with my predecessours and as euer I haue good fortune the thoughtes that I haue had for these festes haue bene farre greatter than the feares that I haue had in all the iourneyes and battayles afore And the reason therof is very euydent to theym that haue clere vnderstanding For always in cruel battailes I was euer in hope to haue glorie feared not the ouerthrow of fortune What coude I lose in battayle Nothynge but the lyfe that is the leest thyng that men haue and alwayes in these triumphes I feare to lose renowme whiche is the greatest gyfte that the goddis haue gyuen me O howe happy is that man that loseth his lyfe and leaueth behynde hym perpetuall memorie Lette euery man vnderstande this that wylle and saye what they lyste that amonge noble and valyaunt barons he dyeth not that leeseth his lyfe and leaueth good renowme after hym and moche lesse tyme lyueth he that hath an yll name thoughe he lyued many yeres The ancyent philosophers reckened not the lyfe of a man though he lyued many yeres but they reckened the good werkes that he hadde doone The senate was importune vppon me that I shulde take this triumphe as ye knowe well and I can not tell whiche was greattest theyr desyre or my resistence You knowe not the trouthe why I say thus I dyd it not bycause of ambicion and for couetousnes of glorie but it was bicause I fere y e humain malice At the day of the triumph there was not so greate ioy shewed by the symple persons but the hyd enuy was greatter among the greattest persons This glory passeth in one day but enuy abydeth a hole yere The plentifulle realme of Egipt so happy in the blodshed of their enmies as in the waters of Nyle hadde a lawe immouable They neuer denyed theyr mercy to the captiues ouercome nor they gaue no triumph to theyr capitaynes ouercomers ¶ The Caldees mocke at the Romayne triumphes affirmyng how there is not gyuen so great chastisement to the capitayne of Egipte ouercome as the empire Romayne gyue to the ouercomer whan tryumphe is gyuen to hym And surely the reason is good for the thoughtefull capytayne whanne he hathe chased his ennemyes that Rome hath in straunge londes with his owne propre speare in payement for his trauayle they gyue him ennemyes in his owne propre lande I swere to you that all the Romaine capitaynes haue not lefte so many enmyes deed by swerd as they haue recouered ylle wyllars the daye of theyr tryumphes Let vs leaue the Caldees and speake we of our auncient Romaynes whiche if they myghte retorne nowe agayne in to the worlde they wolde rather be tyed faste to the chariottes as captiues than to syt in them as vyctours And the cause is theyr neighbours seinge them goinge as captiues wolde moue theyr hartes to set theym at liberte so that the glorie of theyr tryumphes is a meane to cause them to be persecuted and pursued I haue redde in writyng and herd of my predecessours and haue seene of my neighbours that the aboundaunce of felicitie hathe caused cruel enuie to be in many O in what peril are they that with particuler honor wold be exalted among other In the moste higheste trees the force of wyndes is mooste aduaunced And in most sumptuous buildynges lyghteninge and thunder doothe mooste hurte and in greatte thycke and drye busshes the fyers kendle mooste easelye I say that in them that fortune hath reysed most hyghly agaynst them spredeth the greattest poyson of enuye All suche as be vertuous say The mo ennemies they subdue to the common welthe the moo enuious they recouer of their renoume One ought to haue great compassion of a vertuous manne bycause where he trauaileth to be good there abydeth one thynge in hym of the whiche all onely at the deth he seeth the ende And that is the more a man recouereth here renoume amonge straungers the more he is persecuted with enuy amonge his owne nations Homer shewethe in his Illiades that Caluitio kynge of the Argiues was expert in clergie valiant in armes and indued with dyuers graces beloued with his people aboue al other he was a great louer of his goddis and worshypper of them This good kynge had a custome that in all thynges that he had to do he wolde fyrste aske counsayle in the temples of the goddes he wolde begynne no warre agaynste other nor ordeyne no newe lawe nor custome in his realme nor gyue aunswere to the ambassadours nor put no trespasours to death nor set no tribute on his people but first he wolde go to the temple and make dyuers sacrifices to knowe the wyll of the goddes And bycause he went so often to the oracles he was demaunded what answere the goddis made to hym in secrete seinge he was so importunate Then he answered and sayde I demand of the goddes that they shulde not gyue me so lyttell that euery man myght abate and ouercome me Nor also that they shulde gyue me so moche that euery manne shoulde hate me but my desyre is to haue a meane estate wherewith euery manne myghte loue me For I hadde leuer be felowe with many in loue than to be kynge of all with hatred and enuy ¶ Of the great reproche that the emperour gaue to his wyfe Faustyne and her doughter Capitu. xxxvi AFter the feastes of the triumphe afore sayde this good emperour wyllynge to satysfye his harte and to aduertise Faustine his wyfe and to teche his innocēt doughter without knowledge of any other he sent for them and sayde I am not contēt Faustine with that your doughter doth and yet lesse with that you do which ar her mother These maidens for to be good maydens oughte well to knowe howe to obey theyr
made a face in the worlde .xxxiii yere thou hast ben in the grace of the world nowe it is tyme fro hensforth to fall at some discorde therwith Abell kyng of the Assiriens hoped to haue but seuē yeres of good prosperitie Queene Simiramis but onely syxe Abell kynge of the Lacedemoniens fyue Eutrete kynge of the Caldeens .iiii. Alexander kynge of the grekes .iii. Amylcar the great of Carthage but two and our Gayus Cesar Romayne but one onely and many before and sythe not one yere And sith thou were the mooste vnknowen of lynage the grosseste of vnderstandynge and the leaste of power the darkest of fame and the most weke in merites wherfore than complayneste thou on fortune If thou haddest ben vertuous in all these .xxx. yeres thou haddest neuer eaten without thoughte nor neuer spoken without suspection nor slepte without stertyng thinking what thou haddest to do and wherin fortune myghte begyle the. He that is so longe besette aboute with soo many enemies I can not tell howe he shuld take any sure slepe Ah Torcate Torcate the worlde hath so many falles and we knowe so yll howe to continue amonge theym that be worldly that scantly we are fallen whan our handes and fete lyke sclaues be so faste tyed that we can not lose them It fylleth our persons full of vices strengtheth our sinewes to wickednes weaketh our hartes in vertues and fynally rendreth our spirites in a traunce and masethe our vnderstandynge and chaungeth our taste and sufferethe vs as beastes to shewe our euylles that we fele with waylynges all though as men we durst not shew it And that this is true it appereth that whanne we see that we lose we lament and complayne and none can helpe hym selfe This smal lesson I writte to the to the ende thou shuldest lyue in lesse thoughte The horse colte that thou dyddeste sende me leapeth very well The spanyell that thou sente to me is well but he is wylde the calfe was verye fatte and I wolde haue eaten it forthwith but my wyfe Faustyn besily prayed me to kepe it and thynketh that it was stolen in a gardeyne I sende to the .ii. M. sexters for to succour the in thy trauayles And as touchinge thy banyshement at tyme conuenient I shal dispatch thy matters with the senate The consolation of the goddis and the loue of man be with the Torcate The sodeynnes of euils and the yre of the furies be seperate froo me Marcus Aurelius Faustyn my wyfe greteth the and in lyke wise fro her parte and ours to thy mother in lawe and thy wyfe haue vs recommended Marc of Rome sendeth this writynge to Torcate of Gayette ¶ A letter sent to Domitius of Capue to comforte hym in his banisshemente The fourth letter MArke oratour Romayn borne on mount Celio to the Domitian of Capue salute and consolation of the goddis consolatours In this right colde wynter there arose in this lande a myghty gret wynd and by reason of the great wynde arose great quantitie of waters and the waters haue caused great humidites and great humidities brede dyuers maladies and diseases and amonge all the infirmities of this lande I haue the goute in my hande and the ciatica in my legge For the helth of my wyfe Faustine I can neyther go nor write I saye it bycause I can not write to the so longe as the case wolde require and as thy thankes meryteth and my desyre coueteth It is shewed me that by occasion of a hors thou hast had strif with Patricio thy neyghbour that thou art banished fro Capue and set in the prison Mamartyn Thy goodis are cōfisked and thy chyldren banished thy house caste downe and thy neuewe is putte out of the senate and banysshed the senate for .x. yeres It is tolde me that all the daye thou wepest and wakest by nyght in company thou diest and doest loue to reste solytarilye Thou hateste pleasure and louest pensyuenes And I haue no meruayle for the sorowefull hartes lyue with teares and wepynge and be mery laugh in dienge I am ryght sory to se the lost but moche more that for so smalle a thynge thou shuld be cast away as for a hors to lese al thyn estate O howe variable is fortune and howe soone a mysaduenture falleth before our eies Fortune gyueth these euyls we see it not with her handes she toucheth vs and we fele it not she tredeth vs vnder fete and we knowe hit not she speaketh in our eares and we here her not she crieth alowde vnto vs and we vnderstande her not and this is bycause we wyll not knowe her and finally whan we thynke we are moste surest than are we in moste peryll Trouth it is that with a lyttell wynde the fruyte falleth fro the tree and with a lyttell sparcle the house is sette a fyre a small rocke breaketh a greatte shyppe and with a lyttell stone the legge is hurte I saye that oftentyme of that we feare not cometh greatte peryll In a close Fistula rather than in an open the surgiens doubte the peryll In depe styll waters the pilote feareth more than in the great hye wawes Of secret enbushement rather than of open armies the warriour doubteth I wyll not onely say of straungers but of hys owne propre not of ennemyes but of frendes not of crewelle warre but of peace not of open domage or sclaunder but of secrete peryll and myschiefe a wyse man ought to beware Howe many haue we sene that the chances of Fortune coulde not abate and yet within a shorte whyle after vnwarenes with great ignomynious shame hath ouerthrowen them I wolde witte of the what reste can a persone haue that trusteth euer vpon the prosperitie of fortune syth for so lyght a cause we haue sene so great a stryfe in Rome and suche a losse to thy howse Seynge that I see I wyll not feare the wyndes of her trauayles nor beleue in the clerenesse of her pleasures nor her thunders shal not feare me nor wil trust vpon her flatteringes nor thanke her for that she leueth with me nor be sorye for that she taketh froo me nor wake for any trouthe that she sayth to me nor ryse for any of her leasynges nor lawghe for any thyng that she desyreth of me nor wepe for gyuing me leaue If thou knowest not the cause of this I shal tel the. Our lyfe is so doubtefull and fortune so way warde that she dothe not alway threate in strykynge nor striketh in thretnynge The wyse man gothe not soo temperately that he thynketh at euery steppe to falle nor lyue with so smalle athought to thynke to ouerthrowe in euery playn pathe For oftentymes false fortune shaketh her weapon and striketh not and an other tyme stryketh without shakynge Beleue me of one thynge Domitius That parte of the lyfe is in moste perylle whan with lyttell thoughte or care men thynke them selfe moost sure Wylt thou se the trouthe therof Cal to thy minde Hercules
the straungers Wylt thou take away the liuynge fro hym that gyueth vs liuing take away the deth fro him that taketh away our lyfe wilt thou to them that be mouers and strangers giue moderation fro them that be sobre take away their rest Thou wylt gyue to them that take awaye fro vs and take fro them that gyue vs delyuer them that be condemned and condempne innocentes Thou wylt be tyraunt to the common welth and not defender of thy countreye Than sithe to all this he aduentureth hym that leaueth dedes of armes and becometh a marchaunte I studye soore what hath meued the to leaue chiualrye wherin thou haste had great honour and nowe to take on the an offyce wherby foloweth so moche shame and rebuke Surely I thynke in the none other excuse but that thou art olde and canst not clymbe the mountaynes and nowe thou syttest stylle and robbest the playnes To olde men olde malady whan outwarde force fayleth theym than forthwith they arme them with malyce inwarde I saye it by the soore couetous persons as thou act now One thynge I wyll say thou haste taken an office wherby all thy felowes haue robbed in dyuers days thou shalt gyue accompte therof in one howre ye and after the tyme shall come that thou shalt lese all in a moment For the goddis permyt that one shall be a chastysement of dyuers and longe tyme chastyseth all Howe is it my frende Cyncinate that in the howse of thy father Cyncinate were speares and not writynges hangynge I haue sene his halle full of armure not of fardels and portall and gates ful of knightes not marchantis Certaynly there haue I sene the scole of noblenes and not as it is now the denne of theues O Cincinate cursed be so vilayn an office the marchātis lyue porely to dye ryche let vs say ageyn cursed be it bycause the couetyse of one that is yll wold be accomplished to the preiudice of many that be good I wyll not hurte the by thy predecessours but I wyl aduertise the of thy miserie and of thy successours If thou thynkest y t thy vertue shulde holde to the ende of the worlde as the worlde holdeth to the as hit semeth by thy white heares holde me excused of the trauayle in perswadynge the to here me How be it it is reson that the gate of so great a cause be knocked at with the hāmer of som warnyng to bring it to good reson of necessitie it must passe the myll and to make clere the vnderstandyng from tyme to tyme of very nede there requireth counsell Dyuers times wise men fayle bycause they wold faile but if the thinges be of suche qualitie that wysedom suffiseth not to assure them than it is nedefull that his wyll be vntyed and his vnderstandyng dissolued and his owne propre opinion voyd than incontynent to take a threde to the aduyse of an other Take good hede Cincinate where as the foūdations be not wel edified the buildinges ar in peryl The dongeon of this world wherin the children of vanite do abyde is founded on the sande For let it be neuer so sumptuous yet a lyttell blaste of wynde wyll cause it to shake and a lyttell heate of prosperitie wyll open it and a lyttell rayne of aduersitie wyll diuide it and within a short while or space whan we least take hede it wyll fall all flatte on y e erth If the pyllers be of syluer and benches of gold and though the benchers be kynges and continue a thousand yere and rule into the entrayles of the erthe yet they can fynde no stedfaste rocke nor mountayne wherin to cloose the goodes of their predecessours and their estates perpetuall The goddis immortall haue made all thinges communicable to men mortall excepte immortalitie and therfore they be called immortall bicause they neuer dye we be called mortall and faylyng bycause we al take an ende Howe stronge so euer the walles be yet great age causeth it to fall to ruine Two thinges semeth to be free the whiche fortune can not set abacke nor the tyme cause to be forgotten they be these The good or yll renoume amonge men and the peyne or rewarde that they that be good or yll haue of the goddis O my frende Cyncinate thus acheueth the persones but the goddis neuer What grene or rype or rotten holdeth any season the fruyte of the tree floured I esteme it nothynge bycause it muste die by nature Howe be it dyuers tymes in leaues and flowers we beare the froste of some malady or the blaste of some enuious myshap Longe is the webbe in makyng but it that is made in many days is cut asonder in a moment Semblably it is a piteous thing to see a man dye with so great trauayle and to be sette in the state of honour and afterwarde we regardynge neyther the one nor the other and yet we se it perish And without any memory of any thing abydynge O my frende Cyncinate for the loue betwene vs I pray the and by the immortal goddis I coniure the beleue not the worlde the whiche vnder the colour of a lyttell golde hydeth moche fylthynesse and vnder colour of trouthe chaungeth vs into a. M. lyes and for a short delyte gyueth vs a. M. displeasures To them whom it sheweth moste loue it begyleth with greattest tromperies to whom the worlde gyueth moste goodes it procureth most domages to them that serueth it with mockeries hit rewardeth with true recompences and to them that loue it truly it gyueth them goodes of mockeries finally whan we slepe mooste surest it waketh vs with greatte perylle What wylte thou say than of the worlde shewe me One thynge I wyll telle the and me thynke thou shuldeste not forgette it and that is we ought not to beleue the vayne vanities that we se with our eies rather than the greatte meruayles that we here with our eres One thing I haue regarded and by longe experience I haue knowen it that but a fewe howses paynted nor stalles raised vp we haue sene in Rome but of a small tyme they take no thoughte for the walles but they haue cruelle enmities with theyr neyghbours and great anoy of their heyres and importunate shame of their frendes and double malyce of their ennemies and enuious profite in the senate somtyme to put a gouernour out of possession they set foure in honor and finally all that with great thought haue be gathered for their childe whom they loue wel with great rest sometyme an other heire enioyeth it of whom they thynke leest It is a iuste sentence that suche as begyle diuers with yll dedes in their lyfe shuld be begiled of their vayn thoughtes at their deth Cruell shulde the goddis be and ryghte greuous for men to suffre that the ylle that hath gathered for one heire in the p̄iudice of dyuers that be good shuld enioye it many yeres Me thinke it shulde be a
to be my husbaunde and than withdrewest thy hande as a false aduoultrer Doest thou not knowe that thou neuer foundest villanie in my personne nor I neuer founde trouthe in thy mouthe At least thou canst not denie but thou hast offended the goddis and arte infamed of men odious to the Romaynes sclaundred of good folkes and example to the yll folkes and fynally a traytour to my father and mother a breker of thy faythe and to me sorowefull Boemia an vnkynde louer O malycious Marc hast thou not cutte me in leaues offrynge to my father to kepe his vines surely Ill may the chekyn truste the kyte or the lambes the wolues worse the to bring vp the doughters of thē that be good O cursed Marke a domageable keper of vines hathe the matrones of Rome founde the in kepynge their doughters I swere that there was neyther grape nor cluster but it was eaten or cut by the. Thou dydst eate me beinge grene I promyse the it hathe sette thy tethe on an yl edge Thou sayeste I ryped by power of heate and strawe It displeaseth me not so moche that thou sayest as thou gyuest me occasion to say to the. Thy shame is so shamefull and thy malyce so vnshamefaste that I can not aunswere the to the pourpose withoute hurtynge or touchynge the quycke I wolde wytte of the whan thou maryedste Faustyn whether thou foundest her grene or rype Thou knowest well and lyke wyse so do I that other beside the gauged the vessel and thou drankest the lies other gathered the grapes and thou gleynedst the vine other dyd eate the grapes and thou haddest the huskes O wycked Marc beholde thyne euylles and howe the goddis haue gyuen the iuste chastysemēt that thou being yong meritedst not to be desyred of thy louers nor that thy wyues kepe feithe to the in thyne age For to be aduenged of thy personne I nede none other thinge but to se the maried to Faustyne By the mother Berecynthia I promyse the y t if thy small wysedome myght atteyne to knowe entierly what is said of her and the in Rome surely thou woldest wepe nyghte and day for the lyfe of Faustyn and not leue the thoughtfull Boemia O Marc lyttell thoughte is taken for the how fer is our vnderstādyng vncoupled fro thy thoughtes bycause that with thy great doctrine by day tyme thy house is made a schole of philosophers and the wantonnesse of thy wyfe Faustyne by nyghte maketh it a bordell of ruffiens It is a iuste iugement of the goddis that sith thyn onely malyce suffiseth to poyson many that be good that one alone may suffise to vnbend and lose thy renome One difference there is betwene the and me and thy wyfe Faustine for my dedes are but in suspecte and yours are openly knowen in dede myn are secrete and yours are euident I haue stōbled but ye haue fallen Of one thyng alone I haue merited to be chastised but ye haue deserued no forgyuenes My dishonour is deed with the faut and is buried with myn amendmēt but your infamie is borne with your desyres and is broughte vp with your wylles and lyueth styll with your werkes finally therfore youre infamie shall neuer dye for you lyued neuer well O malicious Marcus with all that thou knowest wotest thou not that forlosynge of a good name an yll fame is recouered and in the ende of a good lyfe begynnethe a good faame Thou ceassest not to saye ylle onely by suspicion the whiche thy false iugementes shewe the and yet thou woldest we shulde not speake that we se with our eies Of one thynge be thou sure that neyther of the nor of thy wyfe Faustyne there is no false wytnesse for the trouth is so euident that there nedeth not to inuent any lyes Thou saist that it is an olde quarel of amorous ladies of Rome that in takinge fro many we are the pooreste of all other bicause we faile in credence we are honoured for syluer It is of certayntie that we mystruste the hollie bicause of his prickes the acornes for his huskes the roses among nettyls and thy mouth for thy malyce I haue curiouslye taken hede that thou neuer saydest well by women nor I neuer coud fynde that any wolde the good What greatter correction shuld I haue of thy wickednes or more vengeance for myn iniuries but to be certayne that all the louynge ladies of Rome are sorye of thy lyfe and wolde be gladde of thy dethe The lyfe of that man is wycked that many bewayle and in whose dethe euery body reioyseth It is the propertie of poore vnkynde persons as thou art to forgette the great goodnesse done to them and to be sory for the lyttell that they gyue As moche as noble hartis glorifie them in gyuinge to other so moche are they ashamed to receyue seruices vnrewarded For in giuinge they make them selfe lordes and in receyuyng they are as sclaues I wolde wytte what thou haste gyuen me or what thou haste receyued of me I haue aduentured my good name and gyuen the possession of my personne I haue made the lorde and mayster of all my goodes I haue banyshed my selfe out of my countrey and putte my selfe in peryll only for thy sake and in recompence of al this thou reprochest me now of miserie Thou neuer gauest me any thing with thy good wyl nor I neuer receyued it willingly nor it dyd me neuer profyt Il thinges recouer a name not for the common warke that we see but for the secrete intention with the whiche we worke And thou vnhappy man desiredst me not to enioy my personne but rather to haue my money We ought not to cal the a clere louer but a thefe a wyly see rouer I had a litel ringe of the whiche I am determyned to caste into the ryuer and the clothynge that I had of the I haue brente in the fire And yf that my body were any thing amēded with the breade that I haue eaten of thyn I wolde cutte my fleshe and let out the blode without any feare O cursed Marke thy darke malyce wolde not suffre the clerely to vnderstande my letter for I entended not to aske moneye to releue my pouertie and solytarynesse but reknowlegynge and thynkynge to satisfie my wyllyng harte Suche vayne and couetous menne as thou arte thy selfe are pleased with gyftes but the hartis incarnate in loue are lyttell satisfyed with syluer For loue onely is payde with loue agayne The manne that loueth not as a manne of reasone but as a brute beaste and the woman that loueth not but for the interest of her person suche ought not to be trusted in theyr wordes nor their persones desyred For the loue of her endeth whan the goodes fayle and the loue of hym whan her beautie fayleth If thy loue proceded onelye of the beautie of my face and my loue only for the money of thy pours it were no ryghte that we were callyd wyse louers but
of sorowe and pensyfenes to the Lybia takynge but lyttell thought or care if thy small thought passed any thynge on me and also if my troubles and dolours were lodged and dydde reste in 〈◊〉 thanne thou shuldest perceyue and se howe smalle the quarell were the whiche I make to the in respecte of the tourment that I doo suffre if the blasinge flames issued out as the fyred brondes do brenne me within the smoke wolde reache to the heuens and make ymbres of the erthe yf thou doest well remembre the fyrst tyme that I sawe the in the temple of the virgins vestales thou beynge there praydste the goddis for thy selfe and I on my knees prayed the for my selfe I knowe well thou offredst hony and oyle to the goddis and I offred to the soore wepynges and syghes It is a iuste thynge to gyue more to hym that offreth his inwarde entrayles than to hym that draweth money out of his purse to offre I haue determined and disposed me to write to the this letter that thou shuldest se howe thou art serued with the arowes of myne eies that were shotte at the whyte of thy seruices Alas howe sorowful am I to thynke least the calme tyme now doth threten me with the tempest to come I wyl say that disloue in the causeth the hope doubtfull in me Beholde what mysaduēture I had lost a letter and I as I retourned to the temple to seke for it I hadde nere lost my selfe in going thyther so often cōsydering my smal merite I se well that mine eies the ladders of my hope are set on soo hie a walle that no lesse is the doubte of my fall than the daunger of the clymmynge vppe Thou bowinge downe the leaues of thy high merites haste broughte me to the poynte of continuall seruice Lette me haue the fruite and giue the leaues to whome thou wylte By the immortalle goddis I haue great meruayle for surely I thought that in the temple of the virgins Vestales no manne shoulde haue had temptations But as nowe I doo fynde by experience that that woman is more lyberall and sooner ouercome that is faste and straytly kept and watched than other Al the corporal domages are first hard of er they be knowen and knowen er they be sene and sene er they be felte and felte er they be tasted yet it is not so in loue For fyrst they fele the stroke therof er they see the way howe it cometh The lyghtnynge is not so sodeyne but it is sene afore the thonder clappe nor the wall fallith not so sodeinly but fyrste some stones breake asonder nor the colde cometh not so faste on but some smalle sheuerynges cometh before but all onely loue is not felte tyll it be setled in the entrayles Let euery man knowe it that know it not and thou lady Libie if thou wylt knowe Loue slepeth whan we wake and waketh whan we slepe and laugheth whan we wepe and wepeth whan we laugh it assurethe in takynge and taketh in assuryng And speketh whan we be styll and is styll whan we speke And fynally it is of that condicion that for to gyue vs that we desyre it causeth vs to lyue in peyne I sweare to the whan my wyll becamme thy seruaunte and thy beautie caused that thou were my lady whan I was in the temple and returned ageyn thyther not desyrynge the thou beheldeste me and I as vnhappy loked on the. But O what a thoughte came to me that my harte beinge hole thou haste dyuyded beinge in helthe thou haste hurte being alyue thou haste slayne beinge myn thou haste stollen it and that worst of all is not helpynge to my lyfe thou consentest that loue assaylle me to the dethe Many tymes lady Libia consyderynge that al my thoughtes ben high and my fortune lowe I wolde haue seperate my felfe fro the. But consyderynge that my trauayles are well applyed in thy seruyces I say thoughe I myght I wyll nat be seperate fro the. I wyll not denye one thynge and that is that cursed loue taketh away the taste of al thynges and yet therby alonly it gyueth vs appetite the whiche gyueth vs moche yll proufyte This is the profe of hym that loueth hartily For one disfauour of hym that is beloued is more than all the fauour of this lyfe I thinke lady Libia thou art gretly abashed to se me outwarde as a philosopher and to knowe me inwarde a secrete louer I praye the Lybia discouer me not For yf that the goddis gyue me longe lyfe I am mynded for to amende And thoughe I be at this howre but a yonge foole in the arte of loue whan I am olde I shall be wyse the goddis knowe what I desyre and the force that I do enforce me to but as the fleshe is weake and the hart tender and hath many occasions and fewe vertues and the worlde subtyll and the people malitious I passe this beginninge and spring of floures with hope that in haruest I shall haue some fruite Dame Libia doest thou thinke that philosophers thought they were neuer so sage be not stryken with the cruelties of loue and that vnder their cours clothes their fleshe is not smoth Certaynly among the harde bones softe fleshe is bred vnder the sharpe huskes the chestnutte is nourysshed I saye that vnder course apparel is true and perfyte loue I deny not but that our slacke nature resysteth not with vertues nor I denye not but there be yonge wāton desyres not repressed with vertuous purposes I deny not but that the bytte of youth is not refreyned with the brydell of reason I denye not but that that the fleshe procureth is dyuers tymes withstande by wysedome And also I knowlege well that he that is not amorous is a foole And thou knoweste that thoughe we be wyse we leaue not therfore to be men All that euer we lerne in all our lyues suffiseth not to knowe howe to rule the fleshe one houre To wyse menne in this case hathe fallen many errours there be many maysters in vertues and many moo hath bene and yet they haue ben ouercome with vices wherfore than doest thou meruayle of me alone I confesse of trouthe that I had neuer myne vnderstandyng so clere as whan Cupyde fanned wind on me with his winges There was neuer none vnto my tyme that euer was noted wyse but fyrst he was a prisoner bound with the loue of Cupide Gratian was amorous on Tamyr Solon Salaminus giuer of the lawes was amorous of Grecyane Pytacus Mitelenus lefte his owne wyfe and was enamoured of a bond womā that he brought from the warres Cleobulus of Caria whan he was ful .lxx. yere olde and haddered philosophy xlv yere scalynge the house of his neyghbour felle of the ladder and dyed Periander prince of Acaye and a great philosopher of Grece at y e preier of one of his louers slewe his wyfe Anacharsis a philosopher a Scithian of his father syde and a greke
vanytie of the malice therof is vanquished Howe cometh it y t a couetous ê‘son wyll soner nowe adays haue a wyfe that is ryche and foule than one that is poore and fayre O vnhappy women that brynge forth chyldren and more vnhappy be the doughters that are borne which to haue them maried no store is set by the blodde of theyr predecessours nor the fauour of theyr frendes nor the value of their warkes nor the beautie of theyr persones nor the clennes of theyr lyfe O cursed worlde where the doughter of a good maÌ„ without money shall haue no mariage But it was not wonte to be soo For in the aunciente tyme whan they treated of maryages fyrste they spake of the persones and after of the goodis not as they doo at this houre in this vnhappy tyme for nowe they speke firste of goodes and laste of all of the persone In the sayde golden worlde fryste they spake of the vertues y t the person was endowed with and whan they were maryed in sportynge they wolde speake of the goodes Whan Camillo triumphed vpon the Gaules or frenchemen he had then but one sonne and he was suche one that his person merited great lawdes And for the renome of his father dyuers kynges desyred to haue him to theyr sonne and dyuers senatours desyred to haue hym to theyr sonne in lawe This yonge manne beinge of the age of .xxx. yeres and the father at .lx. was importunatelye styred by his naturalle frendes and desyred of strange kynges for to mary hym but alway the olde Camyll repugned the counsell of his frendes the importunitie of the straungers whan it was demaunded why he determyned not vppon some maryage for his sonne sythe therby shulde folowe the restefulle lyfe of the yonge man and the quietnes of hym selfe in his aege He aunswered I wyll not mary my sonne bycause somme offer me ryche doughters some noble of lygnage some yonge and some fayre but there is none hath sayde to me I gyue you my vertuous doughter Certaynly Camylle meryted to haue triumph for that he dyd And he deserued eternall memorie for that he said I say to you Faustine al these wordes bycause I se you lede your doughter to the Theatres and playes and do brynge her into the Capitoll You put her to the kepynge of the swerde players you suffre her to se the toumblers and yet you doo not remembre that she is yonge and you not aged ye go into the stretes withoute lycence and play by the ryuers I fynd no vilany therin nor thynke that your doughter is yl but I say it bycause you giue occasion that she shoulde not be good Beware Faustine neuer truste in the case of the fleshe of yong people Nor haue no confidence in olde folkes For there is no better way than to flee the occasion of al thynges For this entent the virgins vestales are closed vp betwene the walles to eschewe the occasions of open places not to be more lyght and foolyshe but to be more sadde and vertuous fleing occasions The yonge shal not say I am yong and vertuous nor the olde shall not say I am olde broken For of necessite the drye flaxe wyl brenne in the fyre and the grene flagge smoke in the flamme I saye that a man beinge a diamonde enchaced amonge men yet of necessitie he ought to be quicke and mery amonge women And as waxe melteth in the heate we can not denye that thoughe the wodde be taken fro the fyre and the ymbres quenched yet neuer the les the stones oftentime remayne hote and brennyng In lyke wise the flesshe thoughe it be chastised with hote drie maladies or consumed by many yeres with trauayle yet concupiscence abideth styll in the bones What nede is it to blasen the vertues denye our naturalities Certaynly there is not so croked a hors but if he se a mare he wyll bray ones or twise There is no maÌ„ so yonge nor old but let hym se yong damoysels eyther he wyll giue a sigh or a wishe In al voluntary thinges I denie not but that one may be vertuous but in natural thinges I confesse euery man to be weake Whan ye take the wood fro the fire it leueth brennyng WhaÌ„ somer cometh the colde wynter cessethe whan the see is caulme the wawes leaue theyr vehemente mouynge whan the sonne is sette it beshyneth not the worlde I wyl say that than and not before the fleshe wyl cesse to peyn vs whan it is layde in the graue Of the fleshe we are borne and in the flesshe we lyue and in the fleshe we shall dye And therby it foloweth that our good lyfe shall sooner ende than our fleshe Oftentymes some holsome fleshe for meate corrupteth in an vnholsome potte and good wyne somtyme sauoureth of the foiste I saye though that the werkes of our lyfe be vertuous yet shal we fele the stenche of the weake fleshe I say this Faustyne sith age can not resist the hote enterprise howe can the tender membres of youth resist it you being the mother without you go the right way she being your doughter can not go the same way The Romayne matrones if they wil nourishe their doughters wel ought to kepe these rules Whan they se that they wolde goo abrode than breke theyr legges and if they wold be gasing than put out their eies and if they wyl harke stoppe theyr eares if they wyl giue or take cut of their handes if they dare speke sowe vp theyr mouthes and if they wil entend any lyghtnes bury them quicke wordes ought to be gyuen to an yll doughter and in stede of presentes and gyftis at her weddyng gyue her wormes and for her hous a graue Take hede Faustine if you wyll haue great ioy of your doughter take fro her the occasioÌ„s wherby she shall be ylle To vndersette a hous behoueth dyuers proppes And yf the principalles be taken awaye hit wylle falle downe I wyll tell you womenne are so fraylle that with kepers with great peyne they can kepe them selfe and for a small occasion they wyll lose all to gether O howe mamy yll hath there ben not bycause they wolde be so but by cause they folowed suche occasions the which they ought to haue eschewed It is for me to entre into this battayle but yet it is not in me to attayne the vyctorie It is for me to entre into the see yet it lyeth not in my handes to escape the perylle It is in the handes of a woman to entree into the occasion and after that she is therin hit is not in her handes to delyuer her from faute ¶ Howe the emperour counsayled Faustine to eschue yll occasions fro her doughter cap. xxxvii PAraduenture Faustine ye wyll saye to me that none may speke to your doughter Lucylle but if you here hit nor se her but in your syghte nor hyde her but you knowe where nor make none appoyntment with out your knowledge
rather very nyce persons O wycked Marke I neuer loued the for thy goodes though thou louedst me for my beautie with all my harte I loued the than with all my harte I hate the now Thou sayst the goddis haue shewed me great pitie to gyue me fewe chylderne and to them many fathers The greattest blame in women is to be vnshamefast and the moste vylanie in men is to be yll sayers Diuers thinges ought to be suffred for the fragilitie of women whiche are not permitted in the wisedom of men I say this bicause I neuer sawe temperaunce in the for to couer thyne owne malyces nor wysedome to excuse the debilities of other Thou sayest that my sonnes haue dyuers fathers I sweare vnto the that though thou dye the chylderne of Faustine shall not be fatherlesse And of trouthe if the goddis as thou sayest haue be pitiefull to my chyldern no lesse art thou to strange children For Faustyne kepeth the but to excuse her blame and to be tutour of her children O cursed Marc thou mayst well reioyce take no thoughte for thyn owne chyldren haue noo nede to be maried For oone thynge we are bounde that is for the example the whiche thou doste gyue of thy pacyence For sithe thou suffrest Faustine in so many infamies it is no great nede that we suffre any secretes in the. I saye no more at this tyme makynge an ende of my letter desyring the ende of thy person ¶ A letter sent by Marcus the emperour to Matrine a yonge mayden of Rome of whom he was enamoured seinge her at a wyndowe ¶ The .xvii. letter MArke themperour the very desyrous to the Matrine greatly desyred I wote not if by good aduenture of myn yll aduenture or by yll aduenture of my good aduenture I dyd see the of late at a wyndow where as thou heldest thyn armes as close as myn eien were spred abrode that cursed be they for euer For in beholdyng thy face my harte forthewith abode with the as prysoner The begynnynge of thy knowlege is the ende of my reason and felynge of flyght Of one trauayle cometh infinite trauayles to mē I say it for this if I had not ben ydel I had not gone out of my howse and yf I hadde not gone out of my howse I had not gone oute into the stretes and yf I had not passyd through the strete I hadde not sene the at thy wyndowe and if I hadde not sene the at thy wyndowe I had not desyred thy persone and not desyring thy person I had not put thy name in so great perylle nor my lyfe in trauaile nor had gyuen none occasion in al Rome to speke of vs. Of a trouth lady Matrine in this case I condemne my selfe syth I wold beholde the. And thou woldest be saluted syth thou desyredst to be sene And syth thou were set as a whyte marke it was no greate meruaylle that I that with the arowes of myne eyes at the buttes of thy beauty with rollynge eies with browes bent well coloured face incarnate tethe ruddy lyppes cryspe heares handes sette with rynges clothed with a. M. maner of clothynges bearyng purses full of swete smelles and bracelettes full of knackes with perles and stones at the eares Tell me what becometh of a woman with these thynges that wyl shewe her selfe at a wyndowe The mooste cause is that I can esteme or thynke therin that sith you do shew your bodies openly to vs at the eie that your wylle is that we shulde knowe your desires secretely And if it be soo as I afferme that it is so it semeth me madame Matrine thou shuldest desire hym that desyreth the to enforme hym that sercheth the to answere hym that calleth the fele that he feleth intende to hym that intendeth to the and sythe I vnderstande the vnderstande me and vnderstande sythe thou doest not vnderstande I am aduysed as I went by the strete Falaria to se theues putte to Iustice myne eyen sawe the at a wyndowe on whome dependeth all my desires Thou doest more Iustyce to me then I to the theues for I beinge at Iustice thou haste iusticied the Iustice none dare peyne the. The gybet is not so cruell to them that neuer knew but il doing as thou art to me that neuer thought but howe I myghte doo the seruyce The theues suffre but one death and thou makest me to suffre a. M. in a day In one houre the theues liues are ended and I dye euery mynute I drawe towarde deth wrongfully and they suffre for theyr fautes I suffre an innocēt they openly and I in secrete What shall I saye more to the of trouthe they wepte watry droppes with their eyes bycause they dye and I wepe teares of bloud in my harte bycause I lyue This is the difference theyr tourmentes spredeth abrode through all theyr bodies and I kepe myn together in my hart O cruell Matrine I canne not telle what iustyce it is to put men to dethe that steale money suffre women to lyue that robbe mennes hartes If theyr eares be cut of that picke mens pourses why are women than pardoned that robbe mens inwarde hartes and entrayles By thy noblenes I pray the and by the goddesse Venus I coniure the eyther answere to my desyre or elles restore my harte agayne whiche thou hast robbed fro me I wolde thou knewest the clere fayth of my harte rather than this letter writen with my hande If myn aduenture were so good as to speke with the and that thy loue were not ashamed therof I wolde hope with the sight speche to wynne that whiche I am in suspect to lese by my letter The reason is bycause thou herest my ylle and rude reasons redynge my letter And if thou sawest me thou shuldest see the cruelle teares that I offre to the by my lyfe I wolde my mouth coulde publysshe myn enraged euylles as my harte feleth than I swere to the lady Matrine that my greuous dolour shulde awake thy small thought And as thy beautie myn affection haue made me thyn owne so the knowlege of my passion shuld make the mine I desyre that thou shuldest regarde the begynnynge and therwith regarde the ende Certaynly the same day that thou enprisonedst my harte at thy wyndowe in the doungeon of my desyres I had no lesse weakenesse to be ouercome thanne thou haddeste force to constrayne me And more greatter is thy power to putte thy selfe from me than my reason is to put me fro the. I aske no mercye of the but that we myghte declare oure wylles togyther But in this case what wylte thou that I shulde say but that thou hast so moch power ouer me and I so lytel of my lybertie that wyll I nyll I my hart can not be but thyne And hit beinge thyne thou mayste and wylte not declare thy selfe to be myn And syth it may not be but that my life must be condemned in thy seruice be thou as sure