soundly slepte hee tasted the pleasantest part of life meaning as I thinke that euery pleasure that we take by our sences hathe in it more displeasure then sweetenes And therefore there could be nothing better then to lack y knowledge of theym But common opinion hath compared death to slepe rather theÌ„ trauayle or destruction therfore Homer doth call it brasen slepe Virgil yron slepe either of which importeth forgetfulnes of al thinges the allay of cares dulnes of sences careles mynde of hap to come Betwixt slepe and death this only difference there is that in death y time of quiet is longer Diogenes beinge sicke sleaping was asked of his phisicion how hee fared to whom he answered wel for quod he one brother enuieth an other Such was the securitye of hys mynde as euen at point of death he feared not to iest In like maner did Cosmas Medices a wise man in our age who being nerse death closed hys eyes whiche his wife seinge asked whye hee so dyd hee answered that hee did it to bringe his eyes in custome For in dede the eyes of dead men are neither broade open nor close shutte And so I thinke the Poet did wel knowe sayinge Is not our sleape O foole of death an Image playne For fatall course shal bring a rest that euer vvill remayne But if thou compare death to long trauayl and that the soule beinge let lose from prison of the bodye seeth al thinges and walketh euerye where Than what can be consydered more happye For the soule being burdened with the body is neither free nor rightly knoweth any thinge but beyng ouerladen with cares doth beholde only the fygure of thinges and as it were throughe a webbe or clothe gesseth a syghte and certainlye knoweth nothing but beinge free doth not only cast of all hyndraunce but also beholdeth all thinges without interruption whiche beinge true who is hee that willingly woulde eschewe deathe yea who is hee that woulde not rather doe as Theombrotus Ambrociota did who hauinge red Platoes booke of the immortalitye of soules cast himselfe headlong downe from a wall not feelinge any offence or other naturall sickenes but onely for desyre of such heauenlye happynesse as spirites were partakers of Therfore men saye that Socrates being by Crito perswaded to flye frome prison aswel for sauinge hymselfe as his frendes and kinsfolkes refused to doe it answerynge wiselye O Crito my chyldren shal be left in charge to God which gaue them As for friendes I am going into those partes where I am assured to fynd as good or haply better then they be And at length I doubt not but you wil also offer me your company meaninge thereby that the lyfe of man was of small continuance Such were the wordes of Socrates thynking that death necessarilye myght be compared to one of these three and most lyke of al to trauayle whych may also be coniectured by dreames For there is nothing that doth better or moore truely prophecy the ende of lyfe then when a man dreameth that he doth trauayle and wander into farre countries and chiefly if he imagineth hym selfe to ryde vppon a whyte horse that is swyfte and that he trauayleth in countries vnknowen wythout hope of retourne in such sort naturallye deâ—yninge of that shortlye wyll come to passe in dede But if death be resembled to destruction which as is all ready proued is moost impossible yet can it no wayes bee accompted euyll Because what so euer is not can not be euyll els we should lament for them that neuer were born nor neuer were at all and they that are not can nothinge suffer But if thou bewaylest thy chaunge sure it is that Death dooth take away more euylles then it bringeth and those more certayn And although Death were euyll and brought wyth it but one onely commodity whyche Epicharinus spake of because the partinge from Lyfe was painfull yet by death art therof delyuered for in all euilles to haue escaped is a greate comforte If then death be euyll to be dead is to escape but if it bee good thou haste no cause to lament And that the one or the other is who doubteth I remember nowe that longe synce happened to my selfe neither do I thinke to digresse from the purpose that albeit the twentye and seuenth yeare of myne age I became sore sicke of a syngle Tercian after Seuen fyttes I â—ounded and lay for dead In whych tyme althoughe euery member was almoste depriued of his vertue yet felt I neither griefe nor payn other then a certayn ticklinge throughout my whole bodye euen such as we feele in vsing venery Therfore as I sayde beynge in suche estate I feeled nothinge worse then that this tickelinge where in was not so greate pleasure as in Venus Sporte And there with all a certayne Feare leaste in deede I shoulde dye and truely as touchinge Sence or Strength I founde small dyfference thoughe the peryll were greate Afterwardes askinge of manye that hadde beene neare Death whether therein they felte any greate euill or not who aunsweared that in the Headeache and in euerye other sicknesse of the Bodye was greater Griefe I founde that in myne opinion of Death conceyued I dyd not erre at all That proofe maye also bee had that althoughe Children and women be moste fearfull to receiue all sortes of Medecines and yelde to Cuttinge of vaynes yet being ready to dye do neither complayn nor lamente but rather are offended if wee seeke to preserue their liues Who cannot therfore coniecture that in death there is either none euyll at al or very litle seynge those paynes whiche we feare most are in dyinge not regarded Thys is also worthy to bee noted that they that hope of no lyfe to come do no lesse valiantly dye theÌ„ they that beleue the soule immortal As Cassius who hauing killed Caesar with the same dagger that Caesar was slayne aspecting no messenger of death slewe himselfe so dyd Marcus Antonius and Sardanapalus king of the Assyrians did cast into the fyre not only hym selfe but also his bed and his concubines but that he belieued no lyfe after death is knowen by these verses Novve eate novve drinke novve make good sport For sith thy felfe on earthe a mortall man do see Take here thy fill of earthly ioyes no ioyes hereafter be Therfore albeit it were that with the body y soule did perishe yet death could not be eyther euyl greuous or any wayes to be feared yea such as so beleue are in greatest security for not beinge subiect to iudgement and free from all suspicion of mynde either of punishment or reward which thing doth most torment men that are ready to take leaue of lyfe But thou shalt beleue al rather then this that the soule perysheth with the body For as it is not altogether certaine what dothe presentlye folowe death so is it moste assured that the soule of man doth neuer dye wherof althoughe none other profe were then the consideracion of
vnhappy excremeÌ„t which being lost in dreames as often it hapneth thou carest not at all but what matter is it howe it be lost I meruayle the lesse of Aristippus that disdayned his sonne so much as he cast him away Other likewise I heare distroyed them as Lauis did Oedipus Priamus Paris Neither do thou thinke this custome only of kinges obserued but also of priuat men which lawe by Romulus of infamous memorye and happy successe in Italy fyrst was ad nulled Hereupon were erected almose houses y children shoulde no more bee brought vp by wilde beastes But this perhappes thou wilt saye My sonne was now become lyke vnto me I had speÌ„t much mony care and payn vpon him and so was likely to haue ben noble but these coÌ„plaints were more meete for mothers because if thou lamentest thy losse of mony theÌ„ hadst thou more nede to be cured of thy couetise then comforted for losse of thy sonne And hereof be most assured that children do not take three maners and condicions of their Parentes and they will follow the condicions of none lesse then of theym which is the reason why the children of pore men are more lyke to their parents then the children of the rich because pore men are both fathers maisters of their childrens lyfe but rich men not so Whye shouldeste not thou then make an other mans childe thine For hee is moste lyke the in condicions that is of thine owne bringinge vp Quintilianus telleth how Alexander had certain imperfections of Lionida his Tutor which he kept styll beinge come to mans estate For though we eschewe the immitation of vices yet in vertues we seeke to folow them Therfore if he that is dead was loued for vertue we commend thy meaninge but yet O Lorde how pleasant how happy is that life where vnto from this obscure darckenesse thy sonne is gone yea how swete was that trauayle Neither do I thinke it nedeful to declare those ioyes pleasures which our soules hauing forsakeÌ„ these earthly pleasures do possesse for while the soule is loden with that heauy burden it coÌ„prehendeth immortall thinges with the mortall Scantly it can be expressed how much force dignitie and glorye the soule beinge at libertie hath For the conceiuyng and not the teachinge wherof all be it a man in this lyfe be neuer so excellent he is notwithstanding imperfect because he is onely a man complete that vnderstandeth which the soule beinge closed within the bodye cannot doe Therefore what meruaile is it that the soule so slowly and painfullye departeth froÌ„ the bodye Lykewise with greate labour and much difficulty a man is from his mother brought forth to thys vale of misery In consyderacion of all these the bitternes of sorowe for thy sonnes deathe should be the lesse wayinge the glory whych he now hath and the reputacion of his youth together with the weary abode hee made in hys mothers wombe Nature hath ordained that al greate encrease of felicitye is attayned through harde labour With the same reason shalt thou be coÌ„forted yf thy sonne be an infant and thyne only sonn I omytte to tel what hee maye hereafter be but now he hath hit the marke for which he was borne For is there any other end whereto we were born then death as the body for the soule and as sleaping for watching so was lyfe geuen vnto vs for death wherefore as sleape is necesary for all men some more and some lesse so is life for the Soules wherfore if thou want meane to get an other son then choose thou some other one of thine affinitie and bringe him vp in learning honest disciplyne hardly shalt thou fynd such a sonne made by hys parents If such a one by education thou makest thou gainest thanks of God whose children we al be of thy couÌ„try which is mother to al men Neither in dutye shalt thou fynde him inferior to other children It is not my meaning to wish the death of children but that paciently men should beare it neyther will I that the childe of an other shoulde be preferred before our owne but rather that thy sonne be so brought vp as he may deserue to be preferred before others yet if we consider succession we shall fynde that excellent Maisters haue hadd notable scholers noble fathers vyle children And to omit all others Socrates was not estemed of his sonnes but by Plato his scholer was praysed to the skies Did not Theophrastus commende Aristotle more then Nichomachus The auncient examples do showe that the scholars haue proued not only more worthy then sonnes but also more thankful what sonne was euer so fauourably to his father as would yelde him the glorye due to himselfe as Plato woulde haue done to Socrates Besydes that men of notable vertue haue not only wanted children but also neuer sought for any As Thales Zeno Plato Apeâ—les Diogenes Galenus Virgilius and Homer and to some they haue come as it were againste their willes as to Alexander and Iulius Caesar And no meruaile y noble men haue seldome vertuous children Surely I think for some great respects it commeth to passe that of some noble parents vile children should discend which was very well and pleasantlye witnessed of Spartianus whose wordes are these Remembring vvith my selfe O Dioclesian Augustus that almost none of these great men haue lefte any sonne very good or proffytable It appeareth then suffyciently that worthye men haue either died without children or haue bene without And fyrst let vs begin at Romulus he left no children Neither hadd Numa Pompilius any that could proffit the common weale What had Camillus were his children lyke him What had Scipio What had the two Catoes that were called the great Then what should I speake of Homer Demosthenes Virgilius Crispo Tâ—rentius Plautus with diuers others What of Caesar or Tullius to whome alone it had bene better to haue bene childelesse What of Augustus who though he had the choise of all could not adopt one good Traianus was also deceiued in the election of hys heyre But omitting adopted childreÌ„ let vs speake of babes begotten by Antonius pius and Marcus the goddes of the common wealth What man hadd bene more blessed then Marcus had hee not lefte behynde hym his heire Commodus Or who had ben more happy then Seuerus Septimius had he not gotten Bassianus What doe we learne other by these ensamples then that Children do not take theyr myndes of their Parentes but of God otherwise they should be like to theim Nor in dede we cannot call theym oures but children of God the common father and they ought to be imbraced for their vertue not vertue for theym which if men in worldly procedinges did marke they should be like to Gods and leade a blessed lyfe But nature hath labored somewhat to deceiue vs in the Loue of children that is to say y euery man do so much care of that as for that we fail not to forget y loue of
after the maner of Heraclites is continually to be bewailed as Palladas sayth Al vveeping vvas I borne all vveeping must I dye my vvhole life in vveeping haue bene consumed O lamentable life of man remayninge on earth in sicknes sorrovv and continuall miserye Therefore if at any time we must take leaue of lamenting thē ought y same either euer or neuer to be done for life is eyther euer to bee lamented or neuer Among other myseries what I pray you cā be greater then whē a man riseth frō bed in the morning to be incertaine of his returne to rest againe or being in bed whether his life shall continue tyll he ryse besydes that what labour what hazard care are men constrained to abyde with these our brittle bodies our feeble force and incertayne lyfe so as of no nacion I thinke a man better or more fytlye named then of the Spaniard who in their language do terme a man shadow And sure ther is nothing to be found of lesse assurance or soner passed then the lyfe of man no nor y may more rightlye be resembled to a shadow Somtime I consider with my selfe and thinke yf the chrystian lawe were therunto consentyng that the soules of som wicked deuils were entred into the bodies of men as torments for synnes and so after death none other hell or punyshment to folow So greate is the masse of worldly miseries as this lyfe is eyther for wicked folke or by some wicked god appoynted But when I duly consyder al I leaue this cōmon opynion as altogether vntrue perceiue that in this lyfe ther is nothing found y may iustly be called good or euyll do allow of those phylosophers as wyse who thought that al thinges consysted in opynion For what custome what law or what iudgement is so certein as is not encoūtred with contrary opinions and surely beleue me y the philosophers wold not so long haue contended amōg themselues if the matters of theyr contentiō had not rested only in opynyon what man is so mad as wyl say the swan is blacke or that the rauen is in colour whyte when the matter is otherwise to be iudged by cōmon sence But what is good or euyl O lord how much speach how great disputation and howe longe contencion hath beene The blynd man sekes a mote How can it be other thē discention when the thing dyffreth from it selfe the philosophers do disagre among themselues as of that that no wher is to be found And here vpon cōmeth to my memory a certayn fable written by an aūcient poet whych doth lyuely in my iudgement set forth mans lyfe It is told that when myghty Iupiter had made the heauens the earthe the seas the beastes and men he soberly consydered that vnlesse he allotted both punishment reward for mens desertes it should so come to passe as they would not only approue al kynd of dysorder but also dysdayne the gods theym selues for whych consyderation the greate Ioue cōmaunded Vulcan to frame two brasen tunnes the one to receyue all that was good the other to conteyn the euyl and made both good euyl thinges wynged to th ende they myght more fytlye be sent amonge mortall men accordinge to the quality of theyr desertes But Pandora being a busy goddes and gredie to loke into the vessels dyd open them sodēly both the good the euyl brake forth flewe theyr wayes the good houered vp to heauen the euyll made speee to the hel and in y barel of euyl remayned only hope in the vessell of good was founde suspycion as that wherw t they were maynteyned which newes when Iupiter hard as he is an angry god toke the empty vessells and in a rage threwe them down whych mortal men seing desyrous of newes drew nere embraced the emptye barrels some of the good and some of the euyll But they that layd hold of the empty tonnes dyd neuerthelesse persuade thē selues to haue gotten both good and euyl and yet in dede neyther good nor euyl fel to any mortal man sauing that they y hapned vpon the better barrel found in themselues opiniō of good with suspicion the other opinion of euill with some hope And so it came to passe not vnlyke as when men in darke nyghts walkyng in Arabia do happelye treade vppon some piece of yron or other cold thing are sodenly affrighted with feare leaste they haue hapned vpon a venemous serpent yet haue not euen so the only suspicion of good and evyll is that that perplexeth al mortal creatures because al that is good is ascended to heauen and al that is euyl gone down to the infernall sprytes And therfore euer synce the great Iupiter haue disdained to take acompt of mortal mens deseruings Truly although this be a fayned fable yet doth yt aswel declare the originall both of good and euyll as yf it had bene set forth in the learned scholes But as these earthly ioyes are vayne and instable so in the world to come al thyngs are certain assured euerlasting whether throughe sufferance of these afflictiōs whych we call euyls the godly loue doth cal vs according to the sayinge of y prophet because thou were accepted by god it was expedient y temptacion should try the for the almighty God not vnlyke a father that entierly loueth hys chyldren doth bring them vp in all contynencye sober lyfe restrayning their pleasures not suffring them without chastisement to exercise any euyl or vngodly lyfe And contrary wyse such as hee estemeth not and that lyue lyke chyldren destened to perdiciō wythout regard he doth suffer to pursue their dronken and disolute maner of lyuing Shal we therfore say the life of such seruauntes is more happy or more to be wished for then those sonnes For none are admitted to heauēly ioyes but those that in all good lyfe and perfection do deserue the same for as gold is fyned in the fornace so the life of a iust man by aduersity in this world is tryed And yet if al eyther good or euyl should be compared to y heauenly hope yt were no more then one grayn to a hole heape S. Paule therfore sayd that al we suffer in this worlde was not meritorious enough to gayn the glory of y world to come who so euer then that fyrmely embraceth thys faythe should he not in aduersyty reioyse in prosperitye lament and amids his miseries persuade himselfe that god doth make tryal of hys fayth after tryall to cal him among the number of his chosen If in getting worldly glory thou doest so much reioyse the reward therof being smal the cōtinuance short and mortal what should we do for this heauenly glory which is euerlasting great assured So great is this comfort y if ther were not manye y swerued in fayth the holy office of cōforting were al ready finished who wold not chaūge this short life with that life euerlasting this frayl with
for agreing wyth the people they spake those thinges which be in the opinion of the ignoraunte For no man denyes that wyse men be few and the common people contayneth the most part of men thopinions therefore of the Poets and the common people in which they disagree wyth the Philosophers be all false and vnprofitable Certes it is of necessitye that the opynion of the common sort is false it the iudgemeÌ„t of wise meÌ„ be true but who doubteth whether wyse mens sayings be true otherwyse trulye they should be no wyse men But if in any thinge at al the Poets deserue small credite no wher lesse then in those thinges which coÌ„serne maners and vertues Neyther is it any maruayle though Archilochus a passing good Poet but so much worse Philosopher was compelled of the Lacedemonians the very same houre that hee came into towne to be packinge awaye agayne for wrytinge this sentence Better it is to want armes then suffer death Verilye manye tymes lewde talke corrupteth honest maners Therefore seinge wee wyll speake of sorrowe and death it seemeth necessarye firste to examine whether in our owne death or in the death of our frendes there be any euil and if there be whether the euil maye bee ouercome by good or rather the losse by gaine That shal be easye to discerne if â—irst we distinguishe and diligentlye vnderstande this whether after wee be deade there remaine anye thinge of vs besyde the bodye Or all the whole dye awaye together wyth the bodye In whiche cause althoughe wee haue alreadye spoken many thinges in the booke De Areanis aeternitis minds to speake in the bookes of Deathe yet is not this question in this place meete to be shadowed wholye wyth sylence But as in this Booke chiefelye we followe the truth and euery where briefenes so one onelye reason of the reasonable soule shall suffyce vs for the knowing of his nature For seinge man hath vnderstanding hee is endued with many habites of knowledge That is to say Science as Geometrye Philosophye and Logicke Artes as Saylinge Husbandrye Phisicke Intelligence which is of principles as that the whole is greater then any part thereof alone and equal to all his partes together Prudence whereby hee consydereth and disposeth all thinges that he hath to doe And Sapience wyth these by which hee knoweth GOD and embraceth Religion And some menne do more excel in some one or other of these or in manye of them whereby it comes to passe that man doth so vse his vnderstanding and reason in his owne arte as though in other thinges he may seeme rude yet in that one thing he exceedeth right notable men Some though they haue neyther learninge nor arte yet by reason of exercise proue very wyse That it may plainly appeare that mans vnderstaÌ„ding is in all men alike and differeth onelye in exercise we perceiue in the barbarous vplandishe men Wherefore I woÌ„der at the doltishnes of some which professe wysedome who thincke that onely learned men be reasonable others differ little from beastes Worthelye therefore it commeth as they say commonlye that the cleane contrary falleth out that is to saye that these learned men besyde their Booke knowe nothing at all and may easely be beguiled of any vnlearned soule For if they would waye wyth themselues that all men vnlesse they bee hindered with some disease haue the vse of reason and vnderstandinge and that so muche the more in one kinde of exercyse howe muche further they bee from another they shoulde well perceyue themselues to be ouercome of them What a nomber leauing theyr vile occupations haue proued famous Philosophers Simon Coriarius when Socrates came often vnto his shoppe hauing talke wyth his prentices became a perfit Philosopher and left vnto his posteritye no small nomber of monumentes So he that was a curryer onely by exercise is stertt vp to be a Philosopher The cunning therefore of artisanes and others that want learning is not to be despised as boyde of vnderstanding But as it is wont to be sayde Howe farre Megara is from Athens so farre is Athens from Megara So howe farre a learned man passeth an artysan in speakinge so farre doth an artisan passe a learned man in his facultye Of both then the reason is alike the vnderstandinge a like and nature all one differinge onely in endes and vse But seing there is in other lyuing creatures an excellencye aboue that is in man as memorye in horses strength and life as in the Elephant power of sight as in the Eagle hearing as in the boare touchinge as in the spider swiftnes as in the hare and yet of those habites of knowledge no other lyuing creature is any whit partaker much lesse able to go beyonde man in anye of them It is then most apparant that mans minde is seuered from all corporal or bodelye matter Verilye whereas man in all those thinges which depende of the bodye maye be ouercome of some lyuinge creature and in these vertues of the minde no lyuinge creature is partener no not of the lest part it is not possible at all that the vertue of vnderstandinge shoulde not be both seperable and vnmixt and euerlasting Neyther yet remayneth it naked and bare For whereas of all other lyuinge thinges the Dogge the Marmyset and the Elephant be with out controuersye endued wyth most wit though a man would spende his whole life he shal neuer teach them the least rule of any Arte or wysedome besydes that which of nature is bred in them And surelye to speake of the easyest thinge if you trauayle to learne them to vndoe a knot they keepe in memorye how they maye drawe and slake and so fynallye loose the knot but if you chaunge the knot neuer so little they shal neuer know how to vndoe it vnlesse it be mere chaunce so as you may well perceyue they be vtterlye deuoyde of reason Likewise foules learne to speake and as the Poet sayth so well that the Pye wyth him braggeth saying If thou shouldest not see mee thou wouldest denye that I am a fowle Neuer yet shal you plainly teach her what she should saye or any coupled sentence to make a showe of any printe of reason And the nerer they seeme to attayne vnto man in speakinge so much surelye is it well knowen that they be able to conceaue no vnderstanding In like maner also dogges know theyr owne names are by teachinge learned to hunt fowles but all these things they keepe by memorye and trulye cannot tell how to put or chauÌ„ge any thing more then they be taught what occasion soeuer they haue Neyther is it to be supposed they knowe moe thinges whiche for want of speache they cannot vtter seinge the aptest foules to learne among which is the Popingeye althoughe they can learne well to speake as men be neuer more fit to any vse of reason Brute beastes therefore be able for one onelye arte by nature and for all thinges vniuersallye onlye by memorye
or in the bowelles of the earthe doest thou take care for want of a workeman There is no cause of feare at all The Heauen doth hide hys bones that can no coffyn fynde as sayth the Poet. Who so were wise would not with one hafepeny spence buy this felicitie The fyrste inuentoure of names for these stately building for buriall of stinkynge bodies what did hee other then make tryall of an insolente and vayne ambicious mynde that euen in deathe woulde declare the same But this care caughte beginninge at Silla that Deade Menne should bee buryed Hee was the fyrste that at the Deathe of Cornelia caused burninge and not burying to be vsed because he feared to be digged vppe and suffer shame which he had care of in the buryinge of Marius But howe much better did Diogenes Cenicus lyinge vnder a tree sicke and readye to dye aunsweared them that asked where he woulde be buryed sayinge I praye you let me alone whereto they replyed that then the beastes woulde teare him in peeces whye then quoth hee geeue me a staffe naye sayde his frendes that were to none vse when the life is gone Then Diogenes not vnwiselye reproued them saying what harme can I haue when I shal be senceles and feele nothinge it maketh also to purpose to knowe that it is incertaine what doth become of mens carcases cast awaye sometimes it was thoughte they gayned an opinion of deuinitye as it came to passe of Cleo the Lacedemonian kinge whose body hanging whole vppon the gallouse ther appeared in it a Serpent that broughte forth deuouringe byrdes Whereof grewe a religion as though the Gods were keepers of innocent mens bodyes which foolishly the people honoured It is sayd that Ctesias found the carcasse of Clearchus not vnlike to the other out of which grew a woode and became to be honoured for a god Yea at this daye this superstitious opinion remayneth of them that lye vnburyed that theyr sprites should walke So great force hath y memorye of aunciente error and the feare which men haue in walkinge alone But nowe let vs leaue these vnprofitable matters and as at the beginninge was determined turne out talke to sorrowe And fyrste let vs speake of Parentes because not only Loue but also Pitye was wonte for them to moue teares Neyther can we with moore honesty lament any then theym of whome we came into the Worlde This is the dutye of Loue Charity and Pitie and if any whitte the teares of Children can preuayle to their good sure lye then ought we weepe But seing no weping or Sorrowe doth helpe let vs consider whether honestly or reasonably we ought to do it VVherein first commeth to memory the vniuersall reason of all theym that by Deathe haue bene called awaye For either we muste lament in fauour of theym that be deadde or ells in respect of our selues But if in consideracion of theÌ„ we Lament eyther we beleue that their Soules doe liue or ells together with their Bodies they are perrished And if thou thincke that booth the Soule and Bodye be perrished then so thincking and lamenting the Death of an other thus thou Complaynest Alas alas hencefoorthe thou shalt not be Thirssty Hongry Colde Not Painfull Sicke subiect to iniuries and Calamity yea that is moost of all hencefoorth thou shalt not dye as I shall but I know thou wilt saye I were to bee laughed at iâ— so I should lamente neuerthelesse all this thou doest and though thou confesse it not yet wylte thou know that so it is Surely there is no doubt that dye we muste Death as thou thinckeste is Euill Whie art thou then sorry for him that is paste it and not for thy selfe that by no meanes can auoide it But if it be superfluous to lamâ—t thyne owne Condition because in cases necessarye wepinge helpeth not To what purpose doest thou be wayle his Death whiche is the moore necessarye that he is already deadde But if thou beleeue his Spirite doth lyue then of necessitie thus must thou lament Alas alas froÌ„ a mortall man thou arte become immortall frome Paynefull Quiet from Miserable Happie from Sadde pleasaunt and from obscure noble VVho is hee that heareth the in this sorte complayne though he were of the dead mans bloud but should fal vnto laughinge Neither doe then thinke I tel the an vntrothe and therfore whiche I had almost forgotteÌ„ though thou alledge y for his cause thou mournest Seinge then there is almoost no manne so vnwise as dare saye hee complayneth in respect of him that is deadde whether his Soule dooth remaine or not so euery manne sayth he doth lament the want of his fryend whiche if thou acknowledge the eternitie of his soule cannot so be because for so much as is 〈◊〉 he is not with the and thou shalt shortly 〈◊〉 to him But take thou heede to 〈◊〉 that thou bewaylest thine owne Calamitye thoughe he 〈◊〉 not with thee To vayne and Enuious thou 〈…〉 thy selfe if for thy proffite thou can not 〈…〉 this benefite for as with 〈…〉 to preferre their Children to Seruice of Kinges in hope of Fauour and Reward that will come therof notwithstanding the mindes of Princes 〈◊〉 times inconstante the 〈…〉 faithfull and generallye 〈◊〉 Good 〈…〉 as serue little 〈…〉 will ought we 〈…〉 we 〈…〉 use Hate Ambition not Disdayne The mynde of that Prince is neither 〈…〉 nor ignoraunt of any thinge There is place with out perryll Felowshippe without 〈…〉 without doubte and 〈…〉 And would thou for thine owne commodiâ—te denye him of these Ioyes God forbidde But besydes this thou maye perhappes seeme iustlye to complayne 〈◊〉 thy Commodities by 〈◊〉 of 〈…〉 which 〈…〉 reason yet of thou consider at 〈…〉 to 〈…〉 enduce reason worthye thy consideration And first seinge in respect of thy selfe 〈…〉 thinke that one other may be found euer 〈◊〉 to him for Frendshippe Conuersacion or necessitye But admitte that coulde not bee or that such a man were not redely founde yet withe all remember what paynes thou haddest taken for thy deadde frende howe often for him thou were called in question how often than 〈◊〉 lesse how burdenous he was to thee and fynally how hee hadde bene towardes thee thou cannot certainly knowe and what hereafter he would haue beue 〈…〉 Alas how often haue some men beue 〈◊〉 by their owne Kinsfolke 〈◊〉 Children and Frendes of whome in times paste they were helped Cassius and Brutus didde aide Iulius Caesar in fighte against his countrye but beinge made Emperour they slewe him Full foolishly didde Antoniâ—s committe his counsell to Octauius where in hee discouered his freendes trustinge to him whome oftetimes in doubtful Fortune he hadde receiued help yet then throughe his feare he was enforced to voluntary Deathe Alexander while hee liued was faithfull serued of his Souldiers but being dead his Children Kinsfolkes and Friendes were all by theym distroyed and yet at the deathe of one of theym hee felte so great Sorrowe as searce lye he could euer after
to the infernall God and as it is his custome in many others so dothe hee vse to call theym nearest to hym that mooste do honour him But if at the beginning thou driue him away and suffer not thy mynde to be infected full farre shall he be from thee But beholde howe comelye and honeste a thinge yt is that a man of good yeares beinge well counsayled by others shoulde in womens weede beastely weepe wayl crye out and lament O gentle wit. But thoughe he doth none of all these yet inwardly to torment himselfe with sadnesse is the parte neyther of a wyse nor valiaunte man but of one that searcheth rather the repreheÌ„cion of others then knoweth what is seemely Howe muche better were it for hym often to remember Vmbresomnum Homo What could haue bene better sayde So subtylle and fugitiue is the lyfe of man as of al other thinges seing shadow is most subtil and sleepe moste deceiueable and incertaine what shal the shadow of sleape be And yet notwithstanding this is the lyfe and glorye of man One other wrote thus As the generacion of leaues is so is also mans for in dede what dissimilitude is there leaues doe fall by force of Sonne showers wynd hayle yea and if all fayle by themselues Euenso the lyfe of man beleeue me thou haste receiued none iniurye at all Death is the gift of God and God doothe wrong to no man If condempned by voices of assente thou bee deposed from Aucthoritye thou wouldest thincke that it were meete to beare it with pacient mynde thoughe that iniurye cannot want suspicion reproche and falshode And now when thou fearest none of these dare thou disalowe the Sentence of God And doest thou not remember that whiche Leontius Neapoles the Bishoppe telleth to haue happened in the lyfe of Iohn Patriarche of Alexandria To whome when a certayn man hadde offered seuen pounds of Golde to praye for his onely Sonne who a moneth paste was with a Shyppe and great riches drowned after a few dayes obteyned of y Patriarke his desyre And while in y meane space he coÌ„tinued in sadnes he dreamed one nighte y the Pattriark appeared vnto him saying Lo according to thy prayer y thy son might be saued so hee now is because he is dead but if he had liued from wicked life daÌ„pnacioÌ„ after deth he could not haue ben preserued god only knoweth what is expedieÌ„t for vs when we are ignoraunt our selues and know not what is to be desyred Wherfore it is conuenient that we do not onely receyue comfort but also reioyse at the death of our neighbours of whome yf thou desyrest to continue any memory though often times also thou wantest their company it shal be both to the and thy posteritie continued by hys noble tombes pictures statues verses orations dedications institutions of eternitye and Sacryfyces Is yt not more honest and pleasant to confyrme thy selfe to these comforts â–ª to commend hys glory to mortall men then with wepinge wailynge to kyl thy selfe Yet as to them that are endewed with vertue and acknowledge the felytitye of soules these are superfluous so to theym of maners more frayle such kinde of comfortes are not vnseemelye For Augustus hanged in his bedde chamber the picture of his graundsonne beinge a childe of him dearlye beloued and so often as hee came vnto that chamber hee neuer fayled to kysse the picture Alexander did set vp certayne ymages to Fabius Quintilianus not withe teares but withe a solempne oracion conteyning the commendation of his sonne dyd burye him What dyd Iohn Mesue who in his fathers name falsely turned the tytle of his booke So did also Zoar Aristotle wryte bookes to their sonnes So did Cicero and Plato in their disputacions call vpon their brothers frendes not in mourning garments and weping but wyth monuments euerlastinge honored the same to their posterity But now with reasons I thinke sufficiently it is proued that the deathe of children is neither to be so lamented nor euyl Let vs now procede to tel how manfully our elders were woÌ„t to beare such mishaps Octauianus Augustus hauing within twenty moneths lost .ij. of his nephewes was not moued so much as he refrayned to sytte dayly in the Senate Demosthenes the .vii. day after the death of his only daughter put on his whyte garment was crowned sacrifyced an oxe More valiantly did Dion he being in counsel of the common weale and enformed that his onlye son had fallen from the house toppe and broken his necke gaue order to his frendes for his buryall notwithstaÌ„dinge proceded in his busynes begonne Like herevnto did Antigonus he seinge his son slayne in battayle gaue none other signe of sorow but sayde O Alcionen later then thou ought thou art now dead for so manfully assayling thy enemies thou doeste not greatly esteeme my warnings nor thine own weldoinge The constancy of Pericles can be inferyor to none of these for when within eight dayes he had lost his two sonnes Paralus Xantippus yonge men of singuler witte did notwithstandinge put vpon him his white garmeÌ„t was crowned made oracions to the Atheâ—encians comming from hys house when his children were dead with merueilous constancy of mynd gaue counsel vttered reasons of the disciplyne of war. So vpon a time Anaxagoras his scholemaister being in disputacion woorde was brought of his sonnes death wherat he paused a little but by and by confessing hee had begotten a mortall creature proceded in disputacion When Paulus Emylius had taken in hand the Percian warre he prayed the Gods that if any calamity were comminge to the Cittye of Rome that they would rather lay the same vpon his house whyche either through his prayer or hap was perfourmed And when of his four sonnes he had adopted two into the family of Scipio within few dayes after he lost thother neither did he with lesse pacience bere this then valiantly he wished the other Tynnichus also a Spartayn left his posterity a monumeÌ„t of worthy ensample When Trasibulus his son in the warres against the Argini was slayn in this epigram is declared the nobility of his mynde It seemeth vvel that covverds vvepe vvhen they be brought to graue But thou my son a Spartayn true no vveping teares shalt haue He hath as me thinketh folowed the saying of Papimus A noble death doth parentes please and God such soules do loue The valiant myndes do gayn encrease vvhen lyfe do so remoue We see that some haue not onlye in the death of their children witnessed their greatnes of mynde but also did procure it and thereof proceded greate proffyte When Brutus openlye punished his two sonnes what terror think you was it to his Cittizens what desperation to his enemies what admiracion to his neighbours So as the example of that valiant dede was not onlye the occasyon of great encrease to the empyre but also for fortye yeares after it continued in libertye not so muche for feare of the
pryce As lettyse apples grapes and radish And contrary wyse rych men make none accompt of partrydge hares peacockes and plouers which pore men esteeme for excellente delycatees What choyse is there in thinges when it is only change that breedeth the dyfference Cicero telleth that Suppynge wythe Lentulus hee surfyted of sweete Beetes The lyke reason there is to proue that a pore man sleapeth more soundly then the rich And as men saye The grassy flag the silke more soft doth yeld the sleapes vvith great delight But stately beds in tovvers alofte the richmans rest vvith feares affright The rich man troubleth his minde with cares The pore maÌ„ careth only by labor to get his liuing The richmans cares are earnest manifold howe to kepe his welth how to bestow it which way to accompt with his receiuers The pore maÌ„ careth only for himself The rich man is enforced to kepe others wherof groweth so great sorow as somtymes we reade y they haue not only laÌ„guished but also killed themselues The pore man with losse of goods is neither so tormented as he killeth himself nor so desperate as to occasion others to lay hande vpon him One only feare the poreman hath whyche is lest he lack wherwith to lyue And yet what a nomber of helpes hath hee Freendes aliaunce kinsâ—olke good men and hospitalles Neither shalt thou almost fynde any vnles they be dishonest y can want any thinge For whoso getteth by arte any thing ought not from day to day spende all but euer keepe somewhat in store whiche rule obserued there is no daunger of beggery Thus wee see the wantes of pore men manye wayes supplied And among the rest a pore man in time of famine maye liue by seruinge the riche whoe are subiecte to suche inconuenients as can not bee eschewed as Imposicion of Princes subtilty of seruants craft of heyres deceite of enemies and men vnknowen Whereof came the Satyre Som hourding vp great heapes of gold not knovving hovv to vse theÌ„ Lyke sacred stuffe doth store vp vvealth so folly doth abuse them But who needeth to meruayle or thinke I haue alledged a fayned reason wheÌ„ I my selfe haue sene an hundred men by sundry meanes through their riches to perish without fault Others haue ben poisoned by their familiers others slayn with the sword others hanged some robbed by the waye as was Curtius in our citty and Aluisius Donatus in that town of Saccensi But of such as haue perrished throughe honger in my lyfe I haue scarcely seene four and they not with out fault For ensample wherof yt were superfluous to resite any histories the proofe therof being dayly sene Therfore among so fewe richmen seing so many for riches do miscary and among so many poore men so fewe do perrishe for honger is not in that respect the condicion of rich men much worse then y state of the pore The rich man prouideth shift of apparel houshold stuf not only nedefull but also burdenous whiche asketh care kepinge and dayly reparacion And yet god knoweth no gold is more holsome to drinck in theÌ„ glasse neither is Siluer more cleanly then stone nor brasse more mete to boyle in then the pitchers of earth Garmentes the more symple they be y more holsome lesse burdenous A man comethe into this world naked hee needeth a garment but no burden The Romaynes and Lacedemonians were at the beginning so basely appareled as that kinges had them in admiracion As touchinge nedeles garmentes what should I saye other then as Socrates said beholdinge the wares to be solde in the fayre How many things are there I neede not Hee accompted theim nexte to the Gods that wanted fewest thinges The gods haue no want to be supplied and all thinges super fluous is troublesome chieflye in apparell Duste doe decaye it water dothe rot it the thief dothe steale it thy freend do weare it the walles do rub it wearinge doth make it threede bare thy neighbour doth borow it and seldome restore it so good as it was lent What is this apparell other theÌ„ a troublesome and burdenous brauerye If thou regarde their beautye paynted clothes be best or if thou respect the ambicion that shal hereafter be declared But let vs consider whether loue be more towardes the poore or the riche A pore man is simple and truly loued the richman is either feared or honoured And if happely he be loued none assurance he can haue thereof But percase it may be sayde that a richman is more sure from iniury surely no A pore man may best be reuenged for nothing hee hath to lose nor that he feareth to forgoe The rich man carefull both of life and liuinge suffereth manye iniuries It is magnanimity of minde and no worldly goods that maketh a man to liue in security yet perchaunce you saye A rich man may mooste safely offend others But how A pore man perfourmeth his offence alone in person but the rich man hauing coÌ„mitted offence though none other perill were hath felowes in offendinge and euer feareth to be by them detected He hath also champioâ—s ministers to whome hee is indebted whyche I thinck the Poet knewe speakynge of Domitianus whome for his cruelty he called Nero sayinge in this wyse But vvould to God hee rather had his time consumde in toyes Then cast such care on cruell dedes or sought such vvicked ioyes VVhen noble states he pluct a dovvne and men of vvorthy fame His subiects loue forthvvith he lost and gaynd eternall blame But vvhen in bloud of simple soules he bathde his bloudy hand VVithout renenge he felt the smart and could no longer stand Such guerdon God doth geue to men of cruel mynde that seeke the liues of harmelesse folke Then I pray you what hath a rich man better theÌ„ a poore Lyfe health chyldren meate sleape frendes liberty security delight quiet garments vteÌ„siles loue rest with all other thinges more desyred It is therfore no meruayle that Horacius sayde Happy is he vvhome God hath prouided suffycientlye vvhervvith to lyue He lyueth in best estate that possesseth so muche as maye mainteyne him to lyue whiche as Aristoteles sayth is so much as is needefull for a mans owne person and his womans The Prophet doth witnesse the same sayinge O Lord geeue me neither riches nor pouertye And if nedely I must decline from the meane Riches are moore peryllous then pouerty For pouerty is relieued by industrye and arte but there is no remedye againste the discommodityes of Riches Also the fall from riches is greate and without recouery but pouerty diffreth litle from sufficiency where of to lyue In pouertye a man hazardeth only his body but in vsyng riches both bodye and Soule is aduentured Finally if pouertye be remoued all inconueniences that it dothe bringe bee also taken awaye But suche as loue riches they fallinge doe notwithstandinge keepe styll theyr imperfections both of body and mynde Pouerty therfore vndoubtedly is more happye more assured then
as did Melissus a Gramarian of Spoleta Surelye it is a goodlye pleasure to eate at other mens tables Would God it were as honest And doest thou thincke the fauorites of Princes are other then seruauntes whom ambition hath deceiued besydes which theyr estate is more perillous and more vnhappye Neyther is seruitude anye hinderaunce to glorye for Plato Xenocrates Calcedonius Diogenes Phedrus Epitetus and Esopus the fabler did al liue in seruitude Besides them diuers Gramarians Sibonius Aphroditius Taberius Crotes Antonius Gnipho Phosius the excellent player and Manlius in Astronomye a singuler Poet. What shoulde I saye of riches and shall I agayne resight thoâ—e monsters of the Romayne pleasure Drusilanus and Menecrates yea the seates of Kinges haue beene by bondemen possessed Tullius one of the aunciente kinges was a bondman And so was Oedipus and other The kinges of Syria and Palestina in our age chosen out of this sorte of men But let riches rule and beare the sway yet let vs resight knowen examples of manye such as seruitude and the patronage of a good maister haue aduaunsed for the vertue of the maister dependeth much vppon the wysedome of the seruaunt And some seruauntes haue not onlye gayned libertye but also deserued to become heyres to theyr masters Neyther shalt thou finde vppon the aunciente monumentes more recordes of loue of wyues children and brethrene then ensamples of seruauntes deuotion towards maysters and maisters towardes them The lyke perswatioÌ„ may make for thy comfort if thou liue wythout glorye which kinde of life is the more tollerable if thou remayne in seruitude whereinto Vlysses as Plato sayth being werye of hys former life did willingly cast himselfe Ther is no happines y can happeÌ„ to maÌ„ greater theÌ„ eyther not to desyre glorye or not to haue it Who so doth the one liueth in great quietnes of mynd the other enioyeth gret security For is y glory of this world other theÌ„ a swete poysoÌ„ for meÌ„ wherof if thou taste thou becomest blinde senceles Herevpon groweth vain labour peril care which way to kepe get frends authority riches Enuye also like vnto a shadow inseperable doth follow glory which in a moment fadeth awaye and the rest of thy life the more vnpleasant How many worthy meÌ„ haue geuen the glorye of theyr owne deserts to others Socrates being victorious in battaile gaue al the honour prayse and rewarde to Alchibiades But who can therein excell Plato he commeÌ„ded for his learning did yelde all the prayse to those y had taught him as Socrates Tymeus and Permenides Surelye there is no greater glorye then the contempte of honour Who so is not ambitious getteth no glorye why seekest thou that y to haue thou ought not if thou be ambitious thou accusest thy selfe and yet ambition were no vyce if glorye myghte lawfully be desyred I cannot resight the nomber of all suche as haue honoured vertue and yet contempned the prayse And yet in deede euen at this daye also who so lyuinge vertuouslye doth lurke may be called good happye What doth the ambitious man gayne other then set to sale al â–ª his imperfections And whoso euer doth marke it well shal finde that euery man hath more defects then customes worthy commendation To preuent the peril of this condeÌ„pnation there is no way so sure as to lurke and liue vnknowen The like coÌ„modity bringeth ignoraunce wherof notwythstanding many do complaine Who so seeketh knowledge findeth care and laboure as the Prophete sayth I tell not that Paule hath preached that this worldly wysedom is ennemye to god Let vs consider what is commonly gayned by learning profite is disdayned the soule hazarded the body consumed thy children substaÌ„ce neglected The learned do get great enuy shortneth his lyfe and all for knowledge or rather to be thoughte to knowe For arte thou more wyse then Socrates Plato or Aristoteles Socrates did glorye that hee knewe nothinge Plato doubted of manye thinges Aristotiles speaketh so obscurelye as one woulde thincke he knewe little Alasse how many haue bene hindered with being thought learned Amonge the rest y small knowledge of myne haue bene to my disaduantage for thereby I haue bene oftentimes reiected euill handled oppressed and would God that eyther I had bene such a one as they thought me or that they had thought me such a one as in deede I was Hereof grew against me so many vndeserued euill reportes al which I disdayned perswading my selfe that one maÌ„ excelled an other in that he was better Like vnto al other things doth that opinion of learning brede slauÌ„der diuers other incoÌ„uenients as we see by AlexaÌ„der Achillino Tiberio of Bononia Petrus Leo Marcus Antonius of Verona For Achillinus was poysoned Petrus Leo cast hedlonge into a ponde Tiberius Antonius occasioned to shorteÌ„ theyr owne lyues So we finde that this wysedome is accompanyed with many discommodityes Howe much better had it beene for these learned men to haue liued by some craft or industrye what man haue thou knowen both learned and fortunate yea whom hath not learninge hindered Socrates was slayne Anaxagoras kept in pryson Plato soulde and put in perill of hys heade Aristotiles sente into exile where eyther willingly or not greatlye against his wyl he dyed Demetrius Phalerius banished and condempned Demostenes poisoned himselfe Easimes sent to exile and so was Solon Licurgus depryued of hys eyes and after banished wyth manye perils of lyfe Ioannes Scotus stabbed in wyth daggers by y handes of his companions Cicero betrayed and slayne Varro coÌ„fyned and who was not molested and disdained Budeus a notable man of oure age did also iustlye complaine what and how many persecutions did Erasmus suffer were the Prophetes and wyse meÌ„ in the lawe of Moyses more happye surelye no. The cause is learning which who so hath not let him not desyre it who already hath it must thinke to haue boughte a iewell of great pryse and kepte wyth more care and perill But to much haue we spoken of these matters for fewe or none shalte thou finde that complayne of ignoraunce seinge willingly they deceyue themselues Now as touching sorrowe it selfe which worthely seemeth intollerable Let vs consider it commeth chiefely of three causes that is to say of sicknes folly or enforcemeÌ„t How soeuer it be or whatsoeuer griefe we feele eyther it is not great or not long and seldome it happeneth to honest men but if it doe must of necessitye be endured Whosoeuer falleth into sicknes either willingly or agaynst his will would he not be ashamed that womeÌ„ should excell hym in pacience and sufferaunce of griefe for women in bearing of children do endure most extreeme paynes yet notwithstanding do not refrayne the company of men suche as be barren do not desyre any thinge so muche as to haue children The griefe which women suffer in childing is of all other the greatest and nearest to death yea many of such griefe do dye in deede No gout no ache
no collicke or other tormente is comparable to this paynes Notwithstandinge how great soeuer they be they leaue not to liue in delight and as wonte they were approue the ioyes of Venus short wythout the desyre of well doinge There is no griefe so great that a resolute minde will yelde vnto Possidonius the Philosopher extremely sicke sayde vnto Pompeius beinge come to visite hym y the greatnes of pains should neuer make him coÌ„fesse that sickenes was euill Neyther in deede can that be euyll which is wythoute vs therefore the griefe of the body if it do not ouercomour minde cannot be sayd to be ours How wel did that seruaunt whych â—â—ue Asdruball declare it For hee beinge greuouslye tormented for the murder of hys maister did notwythstandinge in countenaunce shewe the ioye he felt for hauing reuenged the iniurye of his maister I remember that when Antonius Cribellus was condempned by publike assent to be torne in peeces in preparinge himselfe to bee executed sayde that there was no torment so greate as coulde cause him coÌ„fesse the companions of his offence yet affyrminge there were suche but hee would neuer bewray them What marueile was it then though Pompeius so manfully helde hys finger to be burned in the candell before the kynge Genthius seyng that thereby the kyng myghte perceyue there was no hope to wreste out any intelligence at the Embassadours hands With like pacience did Sceuola burne his hande before the kinge Porcenna Neyther haue there wanted women y haue deserued such glorye The mother of Hircanus the Iewe beinge offended by Ptolomeus her sonne in lawe wylled Hircanus not to leaue of his enterpryse but rather reuenge the death of hys father whom Ptolomeus had slayne Epicharis Liberta more noble then many men for no torment could be coÌ„strayned to confesse her offences or her companioÌ„s in offendinge Quintilia a little personage suspected for the conspiracye agaynst Caligula being racked wyth great torment confessed nothinge whereby she was set at libertye as giltlesse and receyued reward as innocent What shoulde I speake of Barbara Agatha a Christian wyth dyuers other vyrgins the nomber of whom is hardly to be beleued and theyr constancye so marueylous as they seemed not onelye paciently to haue suffered tormentes but also to haue wyshed for theim But this vertue procedeth of oure Christianitye Let vs returne to naturall reasons Ther is no rest so welcome as that which followeth great trauayle nor death soe muche desyred as where sickenes hath beene moste extreame The ende therefore of all griefe eyther by recouerye or death is pleasaunte It is also to be consydered that all suche as suffer great tormentes being perswaded of the immortalitye of soules oughte thereby thoughe none other reason were to be comforted And suche as beleeue of none other lyfe are sure that death is y ende of all myseryes Therefore if thy griefe groweth vppon deserte deseruinglye thou oughte to beare it for thereby thou doest decrease thy griefe and saue thy minde from due tormente neyther oughtest thou to punish thy body and minde both at one time seinge thy soule is afterwardes to receyue his chastisemente The same or more profytable reason maye bee made for sickenes then sorrowe for what can be intollerable in sickenes if sorrowe be awaye yea hardlye it can be thought howe manye commodityes it bringeth In sicknes wee learne howe we bee howe frayle the condition of life is howe incertayne and subiecte to the power of others Thereby wee are taughte to be mindefull of an other lyfe and that we oughte not to doe that to an other which we wold not haue don to our selues Therefore wee become more temperate and continente yea to some sicknes haue beene cause of longe lyfe amendemente of fame and encrease of vertue If sickenes were not a man shoulde become more harde harted then the Tiger and more cruell then the Lionesse Macrobius thincketh that sickenes doth more often happen to those whom God loueth then those whom hee hateth Seneca supposed that hee is most vnhappy that neuer feeleth aduersity and that hee is most myserable that is most happye Saint Paule sayth whom God loueth him hee chasteneth The nature of man is vnbridled and were it not like wheate well sifted woulde become as sauage as the wilde beastes When the soule loueth the bodye then is it more noble and perfite because then it commeth to hys owne nature beinge vnbourdened of the bodye which hindered the sight and perfite knowledge It is therfore the lesse maruaile that those that be most weake of body and of shortest lyfe be of best indgemente and moste apte to knowe No man hath all giftes if thou haue stoore of vertues of y mynde thou arte of necessity the more sicke of bodye Then whether wouldest thou rather haue a stronge bodye and a witte lyke vnto beastes or a weake bodye wyth an excellente sprighte Some brutishe beastes there are also as muche or more subiecte to sickenes as menne as the Lyon and Goate for whiche cause those that doe vse to sell Goates do not warrant them for sound as they doe other cattell but as Varro sayth this daye hee is well and drincketh and lyke enoughe hee maye so continue And albeit these beastes be neuer but sicke yet wantinge reason doe playe and take disporte But man to hys owne sorrowe is partaker of reason whereby hee calleth to consyderation his myseryes Yet is it worthely to be noted that seeldome times we see honest men troubled with outward greeues and those that be temperate are not often offended with inward miseries But some men do thincke deafnes and blyndnes more intollerable then Sicknes though the same seemeth lyttle to hinder the felicitye of man. Homerus beinge blynde excelled all the Poetes both Latyne and Greeke Tymolion beinge blynd gouerned the people of Syracusa Appius Claudius brake the dishonorable peace whiche the Romaynes had taken with Pirrus and therin declared he sawe more then all others hauinge eyes Hannibal hauinge one only eye conquered almost all Italy and excelled all captaynes both Carthaginences Romaines Scipio onlye reserued Iohn kinge of Beemia was also blynde yet a valiant and wise captayne He knowinge him selfe ouermatched wyth the power of his enemies manfully didde charge them to the ende that if he could not get the vyctorye yet he would not be accompted cowardlye One blynde man not long before our age was so cunninge in musicke as excelled all other in those dayes and was therfore greatly esteemed and by princes enriched The blinde man hathe also hys delightes as banquettinge venery musicke and learning and if he were not so borne he is blind but some part of his lyfe He may also se dreaming and therfore Aristoteles sayth that the vertue of seinge resteth not in the eyes but in the brayne because if the sight were in the eye then the eyes beinge put out the man in dreame should se nothing as doth he that was blinde borne But if a manne