hath but a dayes breeding and a years repenting In loue what seeth the eie lasciuiousnes what heareth the eare lasciuiousnesse what vttereth the tongue lasciuiousnesse what thinketh the heart lasciuiousnesse what inureth the bodie lasciuiousnesse And call you this loue I it is loue sir reuerence I haue heard of many that were mad for loue yet I neuer heard of any that were wise in loue I haue read of Conquerers whom Loue haue made effeminate but I neuer heard of any whom Loue hath made truly valiant I know where wise-men haue beene besotted by fancie but I could neuer learne where fancie made a wise man If men would dispose their eyes as warily as women can display their beauties garishly they should borrow bird-lime from the fowler catch the birds by compasse in his owne nets But he that treadeth that desperate laborinth of Loue is in ordinarie destinie of a wise man to take the habite of a foole of a carefull man to become negligent of a valiant man to become so weake as to stand in awe of a foolish womans word of a prouident man to loose all pollicie of a yong man to become withered of a free-man to become miserablie bond of a milde man to beare the burden of an Asse of a religious man to becom an Idolater of a rich man honoured to be a poore man scorned of a patient man to be a reuenger of the filthie causes of his Minion in briefe to forget God and to neglect the knowledge of all goodnesse I thinke my Ladie her selfe would laugh to see an Amorist that is kindly besotted how his Angels must flie to fetch new fashions from Venetian Curtesans to please his demie honest Mistresse Then she must haue a Maske to couer an impudent face a Periwigge to hide a loathsome bush a Buske to streighten a lasciuious bodie And for painting it is as generall amongest a number of women that would faine be accounted honest as it is to the most noted and common strumpet His loose legged Mistresse must spurre forward his wit to set abroach pretie conceits and if his braine be not too barren he must indite louing lines and amorous verses in the praise of his Mistresse He must borrow colours from Lillies and red Roses to beautifie her cheekes her teeth must be of Pearle her breath Balme a Pallas for her wit a Venus for her chastitie her tongue the tongue of an Adder her taile worse then the taile of a serpent he must learne pretily to lispe out sweete Mistresse kinde Mistresse he must kisse her prettie hand the handle of her fanne her Nosegay the nether skirt of her Petticote he must play with her little Puppie he must adore the point of her Busk the seate that she sits on the ground that she treads on yea the verie strings that serues to tie her shooes Base Vassals more base then basenesse it selfe the verie shame of men and the staine of manhood go learne with Sardanapalus to spinne and for those women that will retaine such seruants God make them honest for I am sure they wil neuer be wise But let vs speake a little of Loue for so farre as I vnderstand that which we call Loue is so farre from loue that I rather thinke it to be a doating frenzie rouing and running headlong vpon impossibilities ingendred first between Lust and Idlenesse his associates and chiefest companions are paine trouble anger rage furie doubt griefe languish threatning dispaire vncertaine hope his surest good base weaknesse his fruits are laborsome aduentures nay rather loathsome misaduentures To speake truly that which we call Loue stands vpon too many nice circumstances when filthie lust and inordinate desire do euermore march vnder Loues Banner and doe make the name of Loue their Bawde to cloake and boulster out their fleshly appetites The Amorist is seldome seene to take delight in ouerworne antiquities or in vnseemely deformities an argument that they are rather in loue with the bodie then the minde and that their loue is both earthly and fleshly The effect of loue is faith not lust delightfull conference not detestable concupiscence He therfore said well that said Loue was Diuine for loue indeede is a subiect of greater excellencie then to ioyne earth to earth I cannot thinke the societie betweene man and wife may be called loue because it giueth oportunitie to lust and it hath too much trade and trafique with carnall desire I thinke a man should loue his wife with as great zeale and feruencie as he loueth himselfe and he cannot be said to loue but rather to hate himselfe that doth not so respect his loue and dutie to God as to curbe his braine-sicke affections that they raunge not after sensuall pleasure not to pamper nor to please himselfe with the vaine delights of a fleshly appetite that leadeth from the diuinitie of Loue and draweth to loathsomnesse and to the destruction of the soule Now the husband that should loue his wife in this sort that should seeke to bridle her from her foolish vanities a hundred to one she would neuer loue him againe and all the women in the Parish would protest against him and sweare that he were neither louing nor kind to his wife Why then we may perceiue the excellencie of loue is where God is a partie or where it hath relation to things that are diuine This prescribed commaundement Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God and thy neighbour as thy selfe is it that draweth neerest vnto loue betweene man and man but this loue cannot be said to be terrestriall when it hath his originall from the Commaundement of God But would you know what is true loue indeede the loue of God who loued vs vndeseruedly And this loue was well expressed by our Sauiour in the day of his passion when neither the torments of his bodie nor the wickednesse of his people could restraine him not onely reconciling those to his grace that were present or alreadie passed but to loue those that were yet to come and hereafter to be borne was a loue neuer heard on before nor sithence but in the person of our Redeemer Our libertie and absolution dependeth vpon his condemnation He was condemned by the sentence of men and we absolued in the iudgement of God Here is true loue indeed and the property of his affection doth neuer alter towards his chosen for he pitcheth his Tents about them to defend them and his eares are euer open to heare them if they appeale to him in their aduersities and he accompanieth them with his holie Angels to guide and direct them that they runne not astray There is no doubt but there are some that doe meditate on this mercy and that haue grace again to consider of this inestimable loue of GOD towardes man that indeuoureth againe with all humilitie and thankfulnes of heart both to loue and feare and for his sake to be both of a louing and charitable
for contempt of himselfe of his religion or the wicked life of worldlings so that it is the sinnes of the people that vnsheatheth the Souldiers sword God is not the Author of ill but the chasticer of abuse Hee holdeth the hearts of Princes and ordereth them to his will The Souldior with all obedience is to performe the will of his Prince for if power were not to maintaine their proceedings the Prince should be dispossest of his estate cruell hands would be laid on his royall person to conclude in peace the Souldiour is a restraint to the rebellious and in war makes subiect the prowdest resister Armes are but a corrector to the disorder of peace they are the Phisitian to a decayed estate The Warres vndertaken by Princes either in defence of their right or for matters in claime may be reputed to be both iust and honourable but in Ciuill warres all things are full of miserie yet nothing more miserable then victorie Let him be accursed saith Homer and liue with no Nation nor Tribe who stirreth vp domesticall dissentions or seeketh after Ciuill warres Wealth and riches haue afflicted the manners of all ages and what other thing hath engendred ciuill furie then ouer great felicitie The motiues that draweth them on are commonly Faction Sedition and Tyrannie Warres haue had their beginning with the world and they will neuer haue an end so long as the world lasteth The Surfets of peace is it that bringeth on warres and what peace can be so surely knit which Auarice and Pride will not easily vndo Wee are more readie and willing to conquer Kingdomes then we are to subdue our owne affections and warre depending on the desire of gaine worldly glory the sweetnes of command together with the gaine of a Crowne will serue to couer any kind of iniurie and warres are not so much arreared to defend a right or to resist an iniurie as they are to encroach a wrong and to inuade an innocent It is the sinnes of the people that draweth the Souldiors sword and when it pleaseth the Almighty to punish by warre all the things vppon the earth are euer prest to fight vnder his banner yea euen the ambitiousnesse of Princes to punish themselues one by another They may much deceiue themselues who vnder the shadow either of their mightinesse wisedome or policie either in consideration of their long continuance of peace doe imagine still to make the same perpetuall neither can we Pleade prescription against the iustice of the Almightie who limiteth the boundes of all estates to his appointed time of correction the which they can not passe There is nothing then more necessarie immediately after the knowledge of God then to know how to manage our marshall causes when aswell Prince Countrey Religion Law Iustice Subiects and al together are vnder the protection of Armes Osorius seemeth to confirme it in these wordes He that taketh away the knowledge of Armes worketh the ouerthrow of the Common-wealth And Cicero againe leaueth this Item We must not lay our Armes aside if we desire to liue in peace Plato that that Princes Crowne can neuer sit close who once neglecteth the knowledge of Armes This saying of Tacitus is not to be forgotten No man is sooner brought to ruine than he that feareth nothing for retchlesnesse is the common entraunce into calamitie To this I might adde There is nothing more rather to incite an enimy than where he findeth slouth and negligence for where the orders and discipline of Warre is neglected it is not the multitude of names in a Muster-rowle that auaileth when the greater the number of men is the more is their disorder and confusion More Armies haue beene ouerthrowne through want of skill than eyther for want of strength or courage It therefore behooveth those that desire to liue in Peace to prouide themselues of all things appertaining to the Warre for in euery Action it is odious to erre but in Warre it is most daungerous of all other when there needeth but one fault to ouerthrowe an Army whereon may depend the wracke of a Kingdome and the losse of a Princes Crowne The Faults that are imputed to men of Warre are not to be excused and how should it be otherwise when in the first election they are rather chosen for their vices than for their vertues when a Letter of fauour is of more worth to preferre the swaggering Captaine than either honestie experience or any other care of reputation Captaines are chosen that haue no respect to Honour but such as do seeke to enrich themselues with the generall spoiles of Warre And if we did aduisedly consider of euery circumstance they are not altogether to be blamed when Princes are growne in nothing more sparing than in those expences wherein they should extend their greatest bountie I meane to Souldiors whome they doe still curtoll and scantell to a threed-bare alowance and yet they cannot get that little but with losse and most times kept so long without paie that they are driuen either to steale or starue This want of Pay is the original of all disorder it breedeth mutinies amongst Souldiers disgrace to the Commaunders and it giueth encouragement to an enimy that dooth vnderstrnd it It is the occasion of treason of selling of Townes betraying of Fortes and to be short the breach of all discipline for what reason hath that Prince to punish that dooth not pay And who can blame Souldiers to help themselues in the time of warre that are little respected in the time of Peace This want of Pay is a iust excuse to set them all a scraping aswell from friends as foes The Souldier hee fleeceth the Husbandman who is driuen for feare to forsake his labour The Captaine he cousoneth the Souldier and both of them commonly consumers of the Cittizen Nay the Prince him selfe escapeth not scot-free amongst them for if they do not cosin him of his pay they will yet deceiue him of his seruice for that Souldier dooth neuer performe any great enterprise that loueth not his Leader how can he loue him whom he knoweth doth oppresse him neyther can that Captaine exploite any thing of woorth that is not assured of the loue and obedience of his Souldier The Common-wealth haue as great neede of valiant men to defend it as it hath of good Lawes to gouerne it And Caesar was woont to say that there were two things which doe vphold maintaine and enlarge an Empire that is to say Men of warre and money and for the skilfull Souldior although the prince doth stand in no doubt nor dread of war yet he is a grace vnto him and ought to giue him countenance if it were but in respect of Maiestie Tacitus addeth againe to this It is certaine that mightie Empires are not kept by sooth but by weapons in the handes of the experimented Souldior An honest Souldior in the time of peace is
then an iniurious worde preiudicing our honour by a slanderous and lying report alwayes esteeming the blow of a sworde to hurt but the flesh and may easily be plaistered but a word suggested to infamie as a blemish to the reputation that no salue is able to recure But as there is no happinesse without hazard no goodnesse without temptation no honour without enuie so there is no vertue without detraction A reputed liar yet hath some reputation for Theophrastus being asked to whom a man might best commit a secret answered To a knowne Liar because if he should disclose it he should not be beleeued There is no better Antidote against this poyson of detraction then patience and how well assured and well recompenced is that pacience which is of long suffering knoweth how to beare and forbeare Patience is but a drie plaister but it is a tried medicine and it armeth men to the proofe against all assaults whatsoeuer I prescribe no other counsaile then what my selfe doe follow that for mine owne part amongst all these slaues of imperfections the liar and the slaunderer doth least offend me because I knowe that a thousand imputations iniuriously furnished by a thousand detracting slanderers are not so grieuous to a man of wisdome as one matter of truth auouched by him that is of an honest reputation What should I speake of Pride or Vain-glorie the one hath depriued the Angels of the ioyes of heauen the other hath replenished the world with Knights Pride hath beene the ouerthrow of many flourishing Citties Vaine-glorie infecteth commonly none but fooles There is not a more dangerous vice then pride if in a Prince it ruines the loue of his subiects if amongst subiects it breedeth neglect of dutie to their Prince if in any States-man it draweth contempt both of Prince and subiect It is a miserie to be prowde and poore to bee reuengefull and dare not strike to be sicke and farre from succors But pride is commonly drawne in by prosperitie for worldly Prosperitie is a spurre to wickednesse and it carrieth men voluntarily to the Court of vanitie Prosperitie is puffed vp with Pride it is full of presumption and sleepeth in such securitie that Philips Boy who euery day cloied his master with the clamour of Mortalities can hardly awaken it there cannot bee a more excellent touchstone whereby to discouer the dispositions of men then is the superfluitie of wealth and the extremitie of want the springtide of prosperitie and the lowe ebbe of aduersitie For although the matters of themselues are indifferent yet the managing of them is it that giueth light Prosperitie pampereth vs in pleasure it maketh vs to forget God and to repose our greatest confidence in the vanities of the world Aduersitie maketh vs contemptible in the eye of the world it is the meane whereby we are taught to know our selues and to drawe vs to God Prosperitie so swelleth vs in pride that we forget our selues it blindeth our vnderstanding that we are not able to discerne a friend from a flatterer nor to iudge whether these which doe fawne vpon vs be more in loue with our selues or with our fortunes Aduersitie maketh vs humble it cleareth the vnderstanding and giueth vs eyes to discerne betweene friendship and flatterie and to make assured triall betweene a frind and foe Aduersitie may be both Iudge and Iurie What haue I said may Aduersitie iudge betweene a friend and foe I neuer heard that pouertie was cloyed with many friends And Aduersitie if he once begin to want shall neuer want a foe they will say a friend is tried in time of need but I say still that Neede is it that makes a friend a foe He is a foole that wanteth friends and if he want no wealth But he that hath pouertie to cast vp his accounts and is become Needs Ambassador to begge or to borrow if he finde a friend to helpe and supplie his want I say such a friend is precious and more rare to be found than Platoes Common-wealth Moores Eutopia Ciceroes Orator or Baldesers Courtier A friend in this age is more ready to lend his conscience than his coyne more apt to enter into any exployt of vice than to relieue the necessitie of his friend that wanteth In a cause of quarrell hee is but of slender account that cannot carry with him tenne twenty thirty or forty that will take his parte and will aduenture their liues be the quarell neuer so vniust but let him be in want not one of those forty will lend him his purse The mightier thy friend is in his owne estate by so much thy daunger is the greater to prooue him for money And yet how many are there in these daies that would abstaine from hainous and hurtfull offences if they had not confidence in the fauour and rescues of their great friendes to boulster and beare them out in their wickednes Friends being of the world their friendshippe hath also his corruption of the world and friendship nowadayes stands vpon these limites that is not to correct one another for their vices but rather to couer and dissemble and to suffer communitie of euills The first effect of that faith and vertue which ought to be considered in the election of friends is to giue counsaile yet some doe rather desire to dwell in the lust of their particular desires than to be aduised by a friend And for good counsaile we vse to take it as we take Tabacco if we drawe in at the mouth we strait blow it out at the nose True frendship is not to be found but amongst the vertuous and groweth betweene them thorowe the affection which they doe equally beare vnto vertue But wee are better knowne the one to the other by our faces than by our vertues and I would to God wee were not better knowne by our follies than we are by our faces It is an easie matter to speake of vertue and to tell of her excellencie but to translate her out of wordes into deedes is not conuersant with many and no wonder though so few do looke out after her for she is growne poore and who would folow a beggar But in her greatest want she is not without her recompence for if there be no body else to reward her she still paies her selfe with a certaine contentment which may sooner be felt than expressed by wordes And let vs praise vertue howe wee list and lette vs write whole volumes in her commendation yet if it extend no further than to the things on earth I say there is not any thing so wretched and miserable as man Honour is the rewarde of vertue and ouelie vertue must open the gates beefore honour can enter The Romans builded two Temples ioyned together the one being dedicated to vertue the other to honor yet seated in such sorte as no man could enter that of honour except he first passed through that of vertue But
Dauncer Oh for a Pipe of Tobacco The soueraintie of Tobacco Three sorts of Bavvdes One to the Vsurer The drunkard as precious to the Vintner as the vnthrift to the Vsurer Such Vintners do know their owne dishonestie Well worth a good liuerie Shamelesse Panders Drunkard Fruites of drunkennesse Epicure Couetousnes I am sorie for this experience A necessarie caueat A counterfeit Souldiour Easie to know the roare of a Lion from the bray of an Asse Lying and slaundering The reputation of a liar Patience Pride dangerous in all estates Prosperity begetteth pride Aduersitie more pretious to the soule than prosperitie Vertue neuer tried but in aduersitie Pouertie not greatly cloied with friends The frendship of this time What requird in friendship The Pope hath suspended vertue from Rome The Papist of more expedition than the Alcumist Table-talke Matters of small worth Husbandmen Well gotten goodes The rich mans ioy is but vanitie A guiltie conscience The woolfe that could measure his conscience A good conscience Honestie like to die Liberalitie An exercise aptly rewarded The Amorist The miserie of an Amorist that hath a coy Mistresse Loue sir reuetence More haire ouer her brows then would serue three or foure honest women The worst part shall be her soule What we call loue True loue in deede The loue of Christ Loue must be diuine Womens faults Report of no authoritie whereby to censure women An harlot hath more friends than an honest woman Frine the Curtesan of Thebes A vaine question by a great Philosopher Mariage commaunded by God Marriages in these dayes hovv they are made A foolish father The fruites of our Marriages A great error in Parents A good lawe As Knights grow poore Ladies grow prowde Vnduetifull children Diuinitie The demi-gods of these latter dayes that dare take in hand to warre against doctrine Disagreement among cleargy-men The authority of the ministerie Of Philosophie Philosophie could neuer find out God Fabeling of this Philosopher No matter to wonder at Affinitie betweene Art and Nature Nature what it is An vnfit answer by Aristotle We ascribe many things to blinde Fortune that doe belong vnto God himselfe That would bereaue God of his prouidence An excellent answer of Euclides A notable example of gods iudgements Seauen liberall Sciences Grammar Logicke Rhetoricke drawes mens mindes to one selfe opinion Better to couer a leasing than to sette foorth a truth Trueth best naked Musicke Arithmetike Geometrie Astrologie The Letter Learning in generall He is but a beast that knoweth no more thē what is common to beasts Men for their excellencie in learning accounted gods What gods the Romanes haue worshipped Rome full of gods Learning the riches of the minde Learning poorely requited Historiographers flatterers Many worthy fictions feined by Poets Many excellent Poets at this time the worth of their owne workes their best cōmendation Bastard poets A number of vaine and foolish bookes Poets turned Parasites As foolish readers as there be of Poets A good title better than a good booke Euerie thing may be imploied to vse Foolish books good to set Printers a worke Doing better then saying A couetous Magistrate most pernitious They haue more ambition pride whereby to gouerne then wisedome or policie wherewith to gouerne Luxurious magistrates are the cause of commotions The mutinie of the Switzers It is a tickle state that is founded on the multitude whose good opinion is woonne with what they see and lost again with what they heare The good of the multitude especially to be preferred Nobilitie best to rule A good prince will suffer no power vnder him to oppres Opinion is a barre it still cleaueth to the mighty A most especiall thing to be regarded How many Princes haue felt the smart of this A fine policie vsed by Vespasian The time was Offices boght and sold· The pollicie of the estate not to be medled with Pollicie that is more for profit thē honestie The pollicies of men must giue place to the pollicies of God Euery man borne for his Countrey Where honor is taken from desert there vertue is taken from men They be as of other professions good and bad The Law intendes to giue euery man his right There is but one right and that is suppressed with many wrongs Iohn a Nokes and Iohn a Stile Not a Saint in heauen medicinable to end controuersies Many worthy men professors of the law Many lawes a signe of many faults Many lawes commodious to the prince Warre a grieuous plague The fruits of warre Souldiors must serue the Prince A iust warre Ciuill warres most miserable The motiues that draws on ciuill warre There was neuer yet any kingdome free from the practise of ambitious heades that lay in ambush for a Crowne The knowlege of warrs most necessarie Vnskilful men fitter to furnish a funeral then to maintaine a fight Souldiors are full of faults This sparing of princes doth most hurt themselues A souldiors best reward is ingratitude The want of pay the cause of much mischiefe A prince can not want souldiors All chosen souldiors Good to be warriors but not warre louers Peace the nurse of all iniquitie After Rome began to discontinue her warres vice forgat not to reenter into custome The ill more in number than the good Dissimulation in the time of Peace wors than warre Truces many times patched vp the cause of many insuing dangers A Prouerb truely approued A Princes Court Court flattterie A noble mans nod a banket for a foole Such saints such reliques These beging Courtiers that are spying out of suites to the hurting of the common-wealth Goods ill goten will sticke to the soule Princes fauorites Nobilitie fittest for a princes Court Danger and honor doe follow one an other wisedome and modestie second them They chase from them the professors of vertue That greatnes to be commended that consisteth in goodnesse Prou. 29. Nobilitie fittest to counsel kings Vnfit for counsellors A law amōgst the Thebans An excellent vertue in a Counsellor Kings the great ministers of God Kings and Princes must be obeyed The prerogatiue of princes The office of a King Wherin princes are most deceiued Of what princes haue least store Comparison betweene a good prince and a bad A King must not be vnnished of treasure Warres not to be mainteined with emptie coffers Many examples in the Scriptures to warrant it A necessarie consideration for princes Subiects must not resist Kings haue need of great priuileges Chamber counsellers that are still buzzing in the eares of Princes The blessednesse of the time present The crueltie of one man towards an other We are afraid to do well Ill feasting with God The distemperature of our own humors The miserie of man Our reputation but as it pleaseth the foolish people