Marius and Silla and afterwards Caesar and Pompey had not with other good customes caused this likewise to bee neglected for the Romane Empire which so many yeares before was famous did wholy decline when offices were more easily obtained by the wealthie then the vertuous but so long as the rich men did suffer themselues to be gouerned and iudged by the poore Fabricias and such others no kingdome was more happie and prosperous then the Romans Commonwealth The Venetians haue flourished almost a thousand and two hundred yeares by the like meanes in making more estimation of such Senators as were vertuous then of those that were rich who if they haue not vertue ioined with their riches do there neuer obtaine anie dignitie which is the cause that amongst them iustice is rightly administred and that the condemned doe neuer hope for anie redemption or fauour by appeales but because we are farre from the presence of the King from his Counsell and from the most worthie chiefe Court we in this our Prouince do see the iudges so corrupt or sometimes so ignorant that of an hundred appealants two doe not returne rightly iudged It were reason therfore that this our iudge were allowed some certaine time to learne of the Lords which haue of long time ben of this Parlement before he haue this authority to adiudge those appealants which haue appealed from himselfe truly I should thē be content to say that I haue appealed from him being vniust vnto himselfe being become iust but what assurance haue I now thereof Seeing that in authoritie which is indeed the touchstone to trie men withal the most part of them doe wax worse and euen as the waight of gold diminisheth being oftentimes rubbed vpon the touchstone so doth the consciences of such as are but slenderly indued with vertue decay by often changing of their dignities for if men did know or at the least would not dissemble how hard a thing it is to vse the office of a iudge there would be so few that would couet to buy that place as hardly should there bee any found that would bee desirous to take such authoritie vpon them Neuerthelesse this being not my iudge but mine aduersarie not content to haue adiudged me once would condemne me againe King Lewis the twelfth when one counsailed him to be reuenged on those which in times past had offended him answered that it was not the part of the king of France to reuenge the wrongs which were done vnto the Duke of Orleans which surely were both the words of a noble and mild prince but I find not any of these two parts in this new president but rather on the contrary it seemeth that he hath made himselfe president to cause those to die whom he hath wronged being but an inferiour iudge of whom I am one and he which is vnto him most odious The old prouerb saith That the ignorance of the iudge is oftentimes the cause of the calamititie of them that are accused O happy world wherein this Prouerbe was inuented if then the iudges did only offend through ignorance although the same be a fault great inough what shall we alasse say then in these daies Wherein malice exceedeth ignorance and that for the most part they harbor both together Or that which is worst of al if it may be lawfull to speak the truth that as the number of the skilfull encreaseth so the number of the good decreaseth and when that happeneth there can no good bee hoped for in the Common-wealth for there is nothing more dangerous in the world then to haue such a man in authoritie that is wise and wicked both together because that for euery purpose they haue examples very readie to prooue and persuade their wicked intentions to be lawfull like vnto this man who by his monie is made president Wherefore I doe rather submit my selfe vnto anie other iudge then vnto him whom I doe vtterly refuse The Answere IT is a common thing that such as are offenders doe hate and slander their iudges and the more iust they are the sooner doe they falsly accuse them of iniustice wherein they themselues doe make their crime more apparent for they would haue the iudges such as they are that they might pittie those that are like vnto themselues or at the least that they might be such as would be corrupted the which they cannot hope for in those that are iust wherefore they are driuen into despaire knowing that no punishment can hurt the desperate man as also that there shall not so much be inflicted vpon them as they doe deserue and so they vomit out their poison against the righteous iudge the which they doe the more boldlie because they know wel that for all their speech he wil be neuer a whit the more cruel vnto them but without any stearnnesse or malice wil iudge them according to the laws executing them rather with mercie then rigor neither shall the wicked be able to mooue his patience for he which perceiueth himselfe to be blamed truly is angrie and thinketh to be reuenged but on the contrarie he that knoweth his conscience cleare maketh no account of slaunderous speeches or if he chance at the first brunt to be angrie he doth presently bridle the same his anger by reason rather desiring to remaine such as he is then by rage or passion to become such a one as in ttuth he ought not to be I am the same man which he affirmeth me to be so also is he nothing amended since I condemned him I did neuer beare him anie ill will neither did he euer giue me occasion so to doe but truly I haue condemned him but with lesse rigor then his deserts required or the lawes commanded but why should not I bee odious vnto him whom I haue condemned to die Seeing that the Phisitions and Chirurgions who doe employ themselues to saue mens liues are oftentimes heartily lothed of them when either they touch their sores or will not suffer them to follow their noisome appetites but do rather appoint them to take good and and wholsome things the child and the seruant yea and the wife doe for the most part hate the father the master and the husband which chastise rebuke them how much more then doth the offender hate the iudge which condemneth him Seeing he wrongfully deemeth him to be the cause of the shame and punishment which he receiueth although himselfe be the occasion both of the one and the other euill Whereas he saith that I haue bought my office to hurt him there be some other proofes then his tongue to verifie the contrarie It is likewise apparently seene how he slandereth the most part of iudges It is a goodly matter indeed for an offender to censure the deeds of iudges and to discourse of equitie and iustice as also to dispute whether offices may be sold and whether officers ought to be yeerely chosen or not you are brought hether to be
the treasure vnto the Temples and also to purchase freedome vnto all I did commaund him to strike me wherefore he should haue sinned more in disobeying me then in obeying the Tyrant therein so that he hath not offended me but spared me Moreouer the reuenge or punishment of a sonnes offence against the father lieth in the will and discretion of the father if anie other had stroken me and I had no desire to complaine no man could compell me therevnto or pursue him for me what doe you meane then by this Seeing that he which hath giuen the blow hath endured the greatest griefe and hurt thereby and that hee which receiued the same commanded the other to giue it him The Answere THe more you defend your sons cause the more you make him culpable for you shewing your selfe louing and pittifull vnto him doe likewise shew that hee ought rather to haue died a thousand times then to haue strooken so good and louing a father what doth hee then deserue that hath smitten such a one to please a Tyrant Whose seruant he afterwards became You say hee did it to profit the Common-wealth and wee doubt it for wee cannot begin to doe good by performing a mischiefe and he hath offended the Commonwealth more by his wicked example thē can well bee expressed for neuer was it found before that anie was so bold to strike his father If hee would not preuent his brother yet should he at the least haue followed him Who chused to die rather then to see his father stroken so should they both haue beene an example of pittie where now one of them loseth part of his glorie by being brother vnto a man so wicked for the one cannot bee mentioned without the other You say that you pardon the wrong which hee hath done you But the law pardoneth him not for transgressing it You say I would needs be stroken but wee say that his brother would not that you should It seemeth by your speech that euen as the Tyrant iudged him a fit man to commit a vilanous act so you likewise had the same opinion and seeing that you could not escape you fained that you were willing to bee stroken for feare of being slaine altogether Lastlie hee hath smitten his father knowing that it was against his brothers will and against the decree of the law so that hee being guiltie is likewise worthy of punishment Declamation 46. Of the bondman who hauing saued his Maister his sonne and goods together with his daughters honor pretendeth to marry her A Tyrant standing in doubt that his Citizens would attempt some conspiracie against him tooke the bondmen of all the cittie into his fauour giuing them freedome and inciting them to murther their maisters they fearing the effect thereof did suddainly flie forth of the cittie leauing their houses wiues and children in danger at the mercie of the Tyrant who to take away al means and hope from the Citizens and from the slaues all possibilitie euer to be reconciled vnto their masters suffered and commanded the said slaues to rauish their wiues daughters Shortly after the Tyrant died suddainly by mischance wherevpon the Citizens returned by force into the cittie and caused all the slaues to be executed or hanged except one who hauing fained that he had rauished his masters daughter did faithfully preserue and keepe her with all his goods and restored her a virgin vnto his Maister moreouer he did forewarne the Citizens of the dangers which would follow wherwith his Maister receiued such contentment that he gaue him his daughter in marriage But the said Citizen had a sonne who opposed himselfe therevnto accusing his father to bee void of vnderstanding and said thus OVr griefe would be the lesse if the Tyrant and not the father had made such marriages Can anie man say that he hath not lost his wits which seeketh rather to immitate the Tyrant his enemie then his bondman Who hath at the least shown more loue vnto him then he doth either to sonne or daughter seeing that he maketh himselfe like vnto the Tyrant If the bondman had lien with my sister I had caused him to be hanged as well as the rest and now you your selfe would haue him to lie with her you say that it is by marriage I denie that for marriage is meant betwixt those which are worthie one of another either in deed or opinion Then seeing none besides you who are mad of that opinion that a slaue may be worthie to be your sonne in law and my brother in law it can bee no marriage and were it otherwise I say that this mariage bringeth more shame then if she were rauished or abused by a Noble man for then at the least the child which should so bee borne should be more worthie and be better respected then the child of a bondman Who would euer haue thought that the Lord or Maister would haue suffered his slaue further then the Tyrant would his friend It may therefore verie well bee said that whosoeuer maketh such marriages is either a foole or a Tyrant of whom the one deserueth death and the other to lose al authoritie O what a faire sonne in law hath he chosen who hath nothing of anie worth in him but that he hath kept himselfe from being hanged with the rest of his fellowes Alasse my sister shall then being vnder the power of her father lose hir virginitie which was so carefully preserued when shee was vnder the power of the Tyrant and he shall be thought worthie of such a marriage which was not deemed worthie of the gibbet Farre more happie are those which were defloured for they neuerthelesse doe now take such other husbands as are worthy of them It is a goodly matter whē the father maketh such a match for his owne daughter as the Tyrant did for those of his enemies Ah vnfortunate sister who being vnder the tyrants power diddest desire thy father and vnder thy fathers power thou desirest the Tyrant who would yet defend thee from this iniurie Is this a small reward for a bondman to see all his fellowes on the gallows yet himselfe to bee free from the like you say that he hath not rauished his mistris say likewise that he hath not slaine his maister nor vsed poyson nor sorcerie doe you say that hee dooth a good act that keepeth himself from crime for fear of punishment Our miserie is as great now as the shame which the other maids and wiues haue suffered during the Tyrannie for this is done during our freedome the others shame was in the absence of their Parents but this is in the presence of hers the others shame was called deflouring but this here cannot be called constraint but a voluntary consent It was not vertue that kept him from doing as much as the others but the feare to be hanged with the others hee knew very well that God would not suffer so cruel a tyranny to indure and when the
those which euen now called him their God and preseruer of their liues a matter illbeseeming the Citizens of Rome who ought rather to reward me for hauing rooted from amongst them such a one who like vnto the fisher and fouler that with a little bait deceaueth both the fish and birds depriuining the one of their libertie the other of their liues would also doe the like by them but it is commonly seen that as the belly hath no eares so also hath the stomacke no discretion the which is apparently prooued by the confederats of Spurius wherefore it belongeth to you noble citizens that are not bounden vnto him and which haue not sold your libertie for a morcell of bread to you I say it belongeth to consider what I haue deserued hauing slaine him who with the helpe of a few faint hearted fooles would captiuate your sweet libertie as for that which the Tribun saith of the peoples mourning against the Senat if he himselfe be not the inuenter thereof yet it is a signe at the least that the people which vse such conference with him doe very well know that he taketh pleasure therein for if there were no eares that delighted in hearing slanderous speeches there would be few slanderous tongues but how could I bring him aliue seeing the people do yet so greatly affect him because time which changeth all thinges hath not as yet changed their minds but rather increased the same If that be true which the Tribun doth rashly say against the Senat A man may easily tearme Spurius another manner of man then you say he is although the crime had beene lesse dangerous then it is but when the matter concerneth the preseruation of our libertie seeing there was no respect had vnto the sonnes of Brutus being faultie nor vnto Collatin being innocent and partly the author of the said freedome why should Spurius be respected And as you say that the Dictator is not chosen but in great extremitie his election doth sufficiently witnesse the extremity wherein the Commonwealth remained true it is that I told him wherein he was accused to the end that if he were guiltlesse he might be lesse afraid to appeare before the Dictator and being guiltie haue the better meanes to thinke vpon his excuse but he had no desire to take the benefit of my aduertisement but as one alreadie condemned by his owne conscience he endeuoured to flie away for a true signe that he is a malefactor which distrusteth as much in himselfe as in the iudges if he had not beene faultie why was he so fearefull Seeing that innocencie dooth alwaies assure those that imbrace her but we may see by him that Tyrannie is like vnto a faire and pleasant pallace that is high enough but yet without staires or steps to come downe without breaking ones necke euen so those which by pride and ambition thinke to attain vnto honour and profit doe for the most part meet with shame and confusion he needed not to feare that he should not haue had time and place to excuse himselfe seeing that there was neuer anie Citizen condemned in Rome if his cause were but only doubtful if his meaning were good in distributing the corne why did he not come to declare the same vnto the Dictator Finally if he had beene as innocent as he was culpable I am not in any sort to be blamed seeing the Dictator hath not only allowed but also publickely lauded my deed I list not therefore further to dispute of his innocencie or his offence but rather the accuser that did accuse him And it appertaineth vnto the Dictator to defend me hauing performed my charge according to his commandements seeing that euen when I had done it he allowed my fact to be good and worthie for a maister of the knights as I was But who will any more obey the Dictators if when after their authoritie is expired it may be lawfull for any man to sue those which doe accomplish their commandements Declamation 11. Of the wife of a Tyrant who hauing slaine her husband required his sonne for a recompence THe law appointed that whosoeuer killed a Tyrant should obtaine of the Commonwealth whatsoeuer he demandeth except onely the gouernement thereof Moreouer the same law saith that after the death of the Tyrant all such as were neerest of kinne vnto him must likewise die although they be nothing culpaple Whervpon it happened that the wife of the Tyrant not knowing any cause why did slay her husband and required for recompence of her fact that her sonnes life might be saued and exempted from the foresaid law but the Citizens declared that the same could not bee done saying THe same law that promiseth you a reward doth denie you him whom you demand seeing that it commandeth expressely that all the kindred of the Tyrant should die wherefore if any other then your selfe had slaine him you should haue beene one of the same number yea and the first of all as she that was neerer vnto him then any other of his kinne and so consequently the chiefest partaker of his Tyrannie but yet to fauour you we will not now dispute vpon the cause of your killing of him whether the same was done through hate anger or for some other particular reason without anie regard at all of the common good for although no act be it neuer so good is to be performed by any wicked meanes yet do we allow your fact for good and laudable and you may induce vs to beleeue that you haue done it in a good zeale and for our benefit so that you will not desire to saue the Tyrants sonnes life for in preseruing it you shall not haue slaine but reuiued the Tyrant neither yet ended but prolonged the Tyrannie because it is more likely that a yoong man will liue longer then an old for surely although the Tyrants sonne be neuer so well disposed yet shall we alwaies suspect him can there be anie greater tyrannie then to stand in doubt of it continually seeing that of all euils feare is the cruellest part for without it death it selfe should be a soueraigne good Truly a knowne Tirannie were farre lesse greeuous then a daily feare to fall into it would be for the Prouerb saith That much better is a knowne mischiefe then a doubtfull pleasure how much then ought we to preferre a certaine good before a manifest euill of the which good we can neuer be assured so long as the tyrants sonne doth liue for the desire of reuenge is so whot and the couetousnesse to commaund and rule so vehement that hardly may he forget who was his father also it is to be feared that you would neuer haue slaine the fire if you had not thereby hoped one day to see the sonne in his seat which would be worse for vs then if the father were yet liuing You will say that the banishment of him whom we feare might very well put vs out of doubt the which can
absurd then his request vnreasonable being very sure that he would neuer effect it and for answere vnto his friuolous assertions we will only say that the defendant had occasion to be vpon his house top and the father of the plantife had nothing to doe beneath or before the same not that the other neuerthelesse had anie desire to hurt him but is extreamelie sorrie for it neither is it likelie although he had borne him neuer so ill wil that he durst haue hazarded his owne life in that sort but he would rather haue thrown a tile at al aduentures and afterwards haue come downe on the other side saying that he did it not Lastlie the malice and enuie wherewith he would slander another is too apparent in himselfe Wherefore it may please you most mercifull lords to giue such iudgement as this your subiect being innocent may be preserued to doe his countrie some seruice Declamation 28. Of him that caused his wiues chastity to be tempted that thereby he might haue some cause to put her away A Certaine man caused his wiues chastitie to bee tempted by his seruant that was hoth faire and yoong who was many times so importunate with her that at the length her husband being hidden in the garden did heare how she promised vnto her fained louer that she would yeeld vnto his desire the first time that her said husband should ride into the countrie Wherevpon he accused her to be an adulteresse and would haue put her away saying NOt in vaine doth Salomon say that a vertuous woman is a crowne vnto her husband but she that behaueth her self dishonestly is a corruption in his bones Alasse I did suppose that I had had a vertuous wife but she proueth quite contrarie wherfore I am constrained to forsake her although the wife ought to be no other then the better part of the husband so long as she is knowne to be honest but if she be otherwise reason willeth him to make no longer account of her for marriage being a figure of God and his church it ought to be altogether pure and immaculat moreouer the man and the woman by this means ought to be as the soule and bodie which cannot be seperated but by death but finallie I know to my great discredit that he which taketh a wife is assured of a great danger seeing that mine without anie occasion hauing whatsoeuer a woman of her degree might desire hath giuen her selfe ouer vnto such a one as was euen but my seruant what should not then some noble or worthie man haue obtained at her hands if he had likewise tried her but she not being courted by anie other yeelded vnto the first as also because all lasciuious women do very well know that such men as liue without care are best able to satisfie their lust which is the onlie cause that they doe rather frequent the companie of Lackies and Monkes who are fed without anie care or cost of their own but what a foole am I to complaine and say that this is the first offence seeing that this perchance is not the hundreth man that hath obtained whatsoeuer he required of her for commonlie manie faults are committed before that one be espied but when one is disclosed it constraineth a man to be suspitious of many more and that woman may well be tearmed shamelesse which suffereth her tongue to promise the performance of such a villanie especiallie seeing those that are most impudent desire that men should thinke that they are not lightlie to be wone but that with much courting large offers and round rewards they are rather inforced to yeeld then vpon no consideration at all to promise a victorie I maruaile much why anie woman can for shame liue to shew her face when she her selfe by her owne tongue condemneth her reputation O an hundredfold miserable are they that for so fraile a solace doe buy a perpetuall sorrow but what goodnesse can there be in that woman which hath lost her chastetie The which was well knowne of Susanna Lucrece and the Grecian Hippo who did leape into the sea chusing there to die rather then she would lose her chastitie besides manie others who ought to serue for an example vnto our matrons but they had rather imitate Flora Thais and Lamia wherefore as they doe deserue to be heires of their vice so likewise ought they to inherite the same renoune as for me I am sure if I doe remaine anie longer with this woman that not onlie my goods and credit but also my bodie and soule shall be in danger of losing for such as are harlots do steale from their husbands to giue their companions and sometimes they make them their husbands murtherers at such a time when as soule and bodie do both perish together to preuent so great a mischiefe I speake to you my maisters that are her kinsmen I know not what your kinswoman was when you gaue her to me but I am verie sure that I redeliuer her vnto you a most dishonest woman wherefore I do but my dutie in putting her away seeing that Caesar did put away his wife because hee found Claudius in his house apparelled like a woman at such time as the women were about their sacrifice and not knowing whether hee meant to haue defiled his wife he only alleaged this for all his reason It behooueth saith he the wife of Caesar to be as free from suspition as she ought to be from fault receiue then your kinswoman charged with an euident crime The Answere of the kinsmen beginning at the end of the accusation O What a prowd fellow is this that would compare himselfe vnto Caesar O what a great credit he doth himselfe in thinking to discredit vs when he saith That he knoweth not what our kinswoman was when shee came vnto him but that he knoweth well how he restoreth her vnto vs worse then dishonest trulie he hath made a faire peece of worke in causing her to be tempted to make her seeme such a one in sooth that man which wil be a baud vnto his wife doth deserue as you doe to lose his goods life reputation and soule also We know well inough that the best part in a woman is her chastitie and how much they are to preferre it before all other graces so also you cannot denie but that the dishonesty consisteth in the deed and not in a word spoken without knowing to what intent what can you tell whether she promised him for feare least he would haue forced her seeing her alone Or because she wold cause you to know the vnfaithfulnesse of your seruant and by that means conserue both your credite and her owne Neither doe wee likewise denie that she hath made a promise vnto the first that courted her for being vertuous and so knowne there was neuer anie man that durst be so bold to aske her anie such matter as also your seruant durst not haue presumed if you your selfe had not
repaired by sauing the life of a wicked caitife for that is no satisfaction but rather a double offence vnto the Commonwealth Moreouer those children which should bee borne by the marriage of a rauisher would serue but for witnesses of their fathers shame and the wrong done vnto our stocke the which ought not to bee increased by him that had doublie wronged them hauing not onelie iniuriouslie assailed the house of an exile although the affliction of the afflicted ought not to bee increased but also after hee had wronged him without anie shame at all comming before him he first made him priuie to the iniurie and in a manner both constrained him to consent vnto it and to allow thereof wherein then haue I offended By complaining of the iniurie done to my absent father I cannot be either forsakeÌ„ or disherited becaus I haue done but according vnto law Likewise my father who was so far off from the place where the wrong was committed could not well iudge thereof seeing that his griefe being absent could not be like ours that were present and also thee state wherein he was together with his age made him to indure wrong better then I could Furthermore the adulterer knowing the horriblenesse of his crime went to make his agreement with him who was ignorant of the truth and returning hether hee renued the iniurie prowdly commanding vs to like of his marriages by vertue of certain letters that it may be he either obtained by force or at the least gained by frawd No man is vndone too late at anie time but a manifest vndoing is it to giue ones daughter vnto such a one as with the helpe of such wicked impes as himselfe hath both defloured her and dishonoured her breaking into our house by force of armes I beleeue he would neuer tell you all this father or if he did tell you and you were content therewith or that you bewaile his death anie more you are no lesse faultie then he Declamation 55. Of him who gaue ouer his betrothed wife vnto his sicke son A Certaine man had two sonnes neuerthelesse hee was betrothed or made sure vnto a yoong maiden with whom one of his sonnes became so far in loue that he fell sicke and no doubt he had died if the Phisition had not told his father that his sonnes disease proceeded of loue wherevpon the father came vnto his son praied him coniured him and lastly threatned not only to curse him but also to kill him holding his sword in his hand if he would not manifest vnto him the cause of his sicknesse and what she was whom he loued wherfore the sonne seeing himselfe in such an extremitie trembling and weeping confessed that hee was in loue with his mother in law the father to saue his sonnes life yeelded her whom he had betrothed vnto him and caused them to be married together The other sonne who was enuious against his brother accused his father to haue lost his wits the which the father denied saying IT is thou that hast lost thy wits or at the least art vtterlie blinded with passion and ill will so that thou wilt be the cause that euerie man will bee amased at such an act as was neuer seene that a mother in law should bee more pittifull vnto her sonne in law then thou art vnto thine owne brother Callest thou that want of vnderstanding when by my wisedome I saue my son in granting him her who in no sort was aggreeable for me I say that in keeping her from him I should haue lost my wits seeing that she might haue done ill I might not haue done well and my sonne should haue died I am sure that he loued her better and more feruently then I did therefore is she due vnto him what wrong do I thee Art thou angrie to haue thy brother and not a mother in law I did draw the sword before his face the which no man could take foorth of my hands but only himselfe in confessing the truth Lastlie all that a father doth to saue his sonnes life is not onlie very excusable but to be accounted for exceeding great wisdome and iust pittie The Answere IT had been better for my brother to haue died then to haue caused his concupiscence so apparently to be disclosed Seeing the best that can bee said of him is that hee was healed by adulterie that you haue saued him by execration and she hath holpen him by abhomination Why may not that bee tearmed worse then adulterie which is done chieflie by the commandemeÌ„t of the husband I know not whether you haue shewed your selfe more mad in betrothing this woman or in forsaking her or els in marrieng her againe with your sonne But how farre besides himselfe is hee that thinketh it a good deed or a good turne to commit whoredome A wise man no doubt that drew his sword not to punish adulterie or to eschew the slander thereof but rather to inforce his wife and sonne to commit adulterie together My brother ought rather to haue perished then to bee cured so perniciouslie but suppose that if he had lusted after his sister or his mother ought hee to haue had either of them These remedies are more dangerous and more greeuous then danger mischiefe or death it selfe But all this hath ben compacted betwixt the son the betrothed woman and the Phisition who likewise claimed an interest therein And thus the disease the cure and the adulteries proceeded of your follie Declamation 56. Of a man that is found dead in his bed his wife wounded and the accusations together with the witnesse of a child IT chanced that a certaine man being a widdower that had a sonne married his second wife by whom hee had another son and because his first sonne did but badly agree with his mother in law the father gaue him part of his house which was neuerthelesse diuided with a wall so that they were seuerall likewise this old man had a receauer or factor which was a yoong man and a faire so that this man was somewhat suspicious that he loued his wife which iealousie was not a little increased by the sonnes persuasions so that therby oftentimes there chanced such braules betweene them that his â—actor and he were vpon tearmes of parting Wherevpon it happened that shortly after the nieghbors through the wiues exclamatioÌ„s ran into the house where they found the goodman slaine in his bed his wife wounded and so much of the common wall broken downe that a man migh teasily passe thorow it wherefore not only the sonne but also the factor was suspected to be guiltie of this murther and hauing apprehended them both they brought them before the child being of three yeares old who did lie in the same bed and asked him which of them it was that had beate his father the child pointed with his singer vnto the factor wherefore the son accused him for murthering his master but the factor through the breaking of the
and neighbours it is too manifest that charitie is so exceeding cold that if one doe but twise desire a fauour or pleasure at anie mans hands he is straight said to be importunate moreouer it is to be considered that to take those out of the world who haue ben the cause of some great mischance is not the next way to redresse the mischiefe but rather to encrease it Concerning the naturall malice of little children being conceiued in sinne and that they retaine or imitate the bad rather then the good aske nature wherefore they are so But you shall find that he which accuseth nature condemneth himselfe for we are all subiect to her lawes If euerie thing should be taken at the worst and according to your saieng the most part of men should deserue death and you might be one of the same number Where do you find that he or she is vnworthie to liue which hath not either a faithfull friend or a louing neighbour Seeing such happinesse is so rare as all those which haue written vnto this present time doe not make mention of six paire of faithfull friends Amongst whom are Theseus and Perithous Achilles and Patrocles Laelius and Scipio Orestes and Pilades he must be a good friend with whoÌ„ one would trust his child and more then a good one if he will ordinatily haue the care and trouble to look vnto it How would you then find amongst poor women that which so sildome is found amongst so many famous men It is verie likelie that this woman did not kill her daughter as being cruelly addicted to murther but rather as being ouercome with a iust cause of anger The comparison which you make in likening her vnto a brute beast is very odious seeing that she would not onelie haue defended her children against all those that would hurt them but also that the compassion â—â—ich she had to see one of them dead induced her to strike the other In all ages there haue ben seene manie shrewd turnes and mischances therefore the fault happened in this our age may be repaired if the Iudges wil be pleased to bee as mercifull as you would haue them mercilesse for by that meanes the offence of a woman shall be the cause that in after ages the mildnesse of our Iudges shall be remembred Declamation 79. Of a Turke who bought a child with a red head to make poyson of him A Poore woman hauing but one sonne which was of a red coloured haire which the Frenchmen doe in a mockerie call the dissembling haire put her said son to serue a merchant who within a while carried the child with him into Turkey who whilest he there remained there came a Turkish Phisition oftentimes vnto the said merchant to enquire whether he would sell the red boy But the merchant alwaies answered him that he would not vntil that on a time the boy said vnto him secretly Maister sell me well and giue the money vnto my mother to releeue her pouertie and I will find the meanes to run away and to escape from him well enough so that I will returne vnto you or to my mother the merchant agreed therevnto and sold the boy for a certaine summe of Ducats hoping to see the boy againe but within a while after hee was very much abashed when he could see him no more Wherfore he demanded of the Turke where the boy was and intreated him so earnestly that he might see him again that the Turk hauing brought him into his house shewed him onely the boies head and all the rest of his quarters boiling in a cauldron wherewith the merchant was greatly amased but dissembling his sorrow as much as he could asked the Turke what he would doe with that child boiled the Turke answered him that it was to make poyson and that he hoped to gaine more then ten thousand ducats by him the poore merchant being very sorrowfull brought the money home with him and gaue it vnto the boies mother telling her not without teares the whole truth of the matter the mother refused the money and required iustice of him that had sold her sonne accusing him to be the cause of his death and these were her reasons WHo is more miserable then I Seeing by the fault of him with whom I would haue trusted mine owne life my sonne being his seruant was euen in one month sold as a slaue then most cruellie slaine and why was he slaine Alasse to be not onelie the instrument and cause of the death of manie others but it may be to serue for the ruin and destruction of all Christendome since there needeth but a little poyson to murther those that defend the same I did lend thee my sonne to doe thee all good and honest seruice vpon thy promise that thou wouldst vse him as thine owne I doe aske thee whether thou wouldest euer haue sold thine owne sonne vpon anie condition whatsoeuer Wouldest thou not haue sent him to trauell abroad to see the world and to learn vertuous qualities that he might bee a stay vnto thy age and a profitable member in the CoÌ„monwelth I hoped to haue had the like of my sonne and the losse ought not to be esteemed anie thing the lesse because he was sonne vnto a poore woman for they when they once giue their minds vnto learning or anie other good qualitie doe become more vertuous as for example Agâ—thocles King of Scicilia was not he the son of a potter Viriat king of Portugal Otto and Tamberlane Emperors of the East were all three shepheards Arsaces king of the Parthians would neuer bewray who were his Parents Ptolomey the first of that name being king of Aegypt the son of an Esquire Eumenes one of the successors of Alexander was the sonne of a wagonmaker Dioclesian Emperor of Rome was the sonne of a Notarie Pertinax likewise an Emperor of Rome his grandfather was a bondman Valentinian the sonne of a ropemaker Proba the soune of a gardener Aemilius knew not from whence he came Maximinus was the son of a Muletter with an infinit number of others of farre baser parentage then was my sonne that haue ben the honor of all their countrie Alas must the loue which I did beare vnto my child be measured by thy couetousnes Doest thou not know that a Turke neuer buieth a Christian for anie good that he wisheth vnto him And if he did oughtest thou to allow him to deceiue his maister and to run away from him Thou shouldest haue chastened him for inuenting such a villanie for I did not giue him vnto thee to the end that thou shouldest consent vnto his wicked counsell but that he should be wel counselled and instructed by thee but I doe very well perceiue that it is not said in vaine that couetousnesse is the root of all mischiefe Cursed be the gold I will haue none of it for I know wel that they which wil liue according to the rule of nature haue no need