health and the grief you séemed to haue of my infirmitie Beleue me Sir and be out of doubt that at that present I had more abilitie to drink than to read for I would haue giuen all my Librarie for one only ewer of water Your Lordship writeth vnto me that you also haue béen ill that you thinke all your sicknesse to be well employed as well for that you féele your selfe recouered as also that you finde your selfe affected with a holy purpose to departe from sin and to abstaine from excesse in eating My Lord I am sory with all my heart that you haue ben sicke and it pleaseth me very much that you stand vppon so good a purpose although it be very true that I wold more reioyce to sée you performe than to heare you promise for hell is full of good desires and heauen is full of good workes But be it as be may to my iudgemeÌ„t there is not any thing wherin we may soner discerne a man to be wise or foolish than to sée in what maner he behaueth him selfe in aduersitie how he reapeth profite by sicknesse There is no such foolishnes as to employe our health to euill purpose either is there any such wisedome as to drawe fruite or commoditie out of sickenesse Cum infirmor iuncfortior sum the Apostle said that wheÌ„ he was sicke then was he most strong this he said bycause the sicke man doth neither swel by pride or fornication doth make him coÌ„bat or auarice doth ouerthrow or enuie doth molest or ire doth alter or gluttony doth bring vnder or slouthfulnesse doth make negligent either ouerwatch him selfe with ambition My Lord Duke pleaseth it the Lord that wée were suche being whole as we promise to be when we be sicke All the care of the euill Christian when he is sicke is to desire to bée whole onely to liue and enioye more of this world but the desire of the good Christian wheÌ„ he is diseased is to be whole not so much to liue as to reform his life In the time of sickenesse there is none that doth remember himselfe of affection or passion of friendes or enemies of riches or pouertie of honour or dishonour of solace or trauell of laying vp treasure or growing poore coÌ„maunding or obeying but to be deliuered of one grief of the dead would giue all that he had gotten all the daies of his life In sicknes ther is no true pleasure in health all trauel is tollerable what wants he that lackes not health What is it worthe that he possesseth that enioyeth not his health What doth it profite to haue a very good bed if he cannot sléepe What benefite hath he that hath old wine of fragrant fauour if the phisitian do commaund that he drinke sod water What auayleth to haue good meat wheÌ„ only the fight thereof moueth belkes and makes the stomacke wamble What commoditie ariseth vnto him that hath much money if the more part hée spend vpon Phisitians and Poticaries Health is so great a thing that to kéepe it and to conserue it wée ought not only to watche but ouerwatche The whiche surely séemes not so since we neuer haue regard thereof vntil we haue lost it Plutarch Plini Nigidius Aristicus Dioscorus Plotinus Necephalus with them many others haue written great Bookes and treatises how infirmities are to be cured and how health is to be conserued And so God saue me if they affirmed a troth in some things in many other things they did but gesse and other things not a few they dreamed Béeleue me my Lord Duke and bée out of doubt for my part I doe fully béeleue and also I haue experimented that to cure diseases and to conserue healths there is no better thing than to auoyd anger and to eate of few meates How great weale should it be for the body and also for the souls if we might passe our life without eating and without anger For meates do corrupt the humors and anger doth contâ—â—ne the bones If men did not eat and would not be angrie there shoulde be no cause to be sicke and muche lesse of whom to complaine For the whips that doe most scourge our miserable life are ordinary excesse and profound sadnesse Experience teacheth vs euery daye that the men that bée doltishe and ignorant for the more part are alwayes strong lustie and in good healthe and this is the reason for that suche as they are neither doe weary them selues to obtaine honour eyther doe féele what is shame reproch or dispite the contrary of all this doth happen to men that be wise discrete quicke witted and of sharpe deuise euerye one of which be not only grieued of that which is spoken vnto them but also they growe sorowfull for that they imagine what others do thinke Ther be men that be so sharpe and so ouersharpe or refined that it séemeth little vnto them to interprete wordes but also they holde it for an office to diuine thoughts and their repaiment is that by them selues always they goe discomforted and with others euill lyked I durst affirme and in a maner sweare that to bréed a sickenesse and to daunger a mannes lyfe there is no poyson of so daungerous infection as is a profounde and déepe sorrow for the miserable hart when he is sad doth reioyce in weping and takes ease in sighing Let euery man speake what he thinketh good for amoÌ„gst such as be discrete and no fooles without comparison they be more that grow sicke by anger they receyue than of the meates they féede on All day long wée sée no other thing but that those men whiche be merrie and glad be always fat whole and well coloured and those that be sadde and melancholike alwayes go heauie sorowful swollen and of an euill colour In these writings I confesse vnto you my Lorde Duke that the Ague that now I haue was not of any meate that I had eaten but of a certayne anger I had taken Your Lordship doth write that by sléeping vpon the grouÌ„d you haue taken a pestilente reume I verily thynke the greafe heate of this moneth of Auguste hath bin the cause therof whiche in myne opinion you ought not to vse or counsell any other therevnto For it is lesse euill to sweate with heate than to cough with colde To the rest which I vnderstand by your letter in desiring I should write some newes it is sufficient for this tyme that of this our Courte there bée few things to be trusted in paper much to be said in a maÌ„s eare The thinges that appertaine vnto Princes and lordes of high estate wée haue permission to conceyue them and no licence to speake them In the Courte and out of Courte I haue séene many aduaunced by secrecie and many shamed by want of silence Your Lordship pardon for this tyme my pen and when wée shall méete together my toung shall supplie this present want No more but that
our Lord be youre protectour From Borgos the .15 of October Anno .1523 A letter vnto sir Peter of Acunia Erle of Buendia wherin is declared a prophesie of a certaine Sibill. RIght magnificent Christian knight doth your honor thinke in your iudgement that the answere I shall sende you shall be as large as the letter you haue written vnto me of a trouth it may not be so for I am nowe come to that age that nothing lyketh me that I take in hand either can I performe any thing that I would do The many yeares the cōtinual studies the great trauels that I haue passed haue made in me such impression that now the eyes be tired with reading the pulses with writing the memorie with retaining and also the iudgemente with noting and compounding God knowes I would not boast my self therof but in the end I can not but cōfesse it which is euery day I féele my self much more in age and much lesse in abilitie the more I wold dissemble the more I would enable my self the more I wold grow yong the more tenderly I would deale with my selfe I can not leaue to acknowledge but that my sighte decreaseth my memorie fayleth my bodie goeth wearied the strength decayeth and also my heares grow hoare Oh my soule what be all these things but certaine cruell summoners that cite my life to inhabite the sorowfull sepulture Epaminondas the Greke sayde that vntill the age of thirtie yeares they ought to say vnto men you are welcome or you come in a good houre bicause at that tyme they séeme to bée cōming into the world from thirtie vntill fiftie they ought to say God keepe you or stande in a good houre bycause at that time they begin to haue some iudgement of the world from fiftie yeares forwarde they ought to say vnto them God speed you or goe in a good hour for from thence they go taking their their leaue of the world In these repartments of Epaminondas it appertaineth not vnto your honour and mée that wée come in a good houre nor that we stande in a good houre for we are now come to be of the number that go in a good houre I beséech the redéemer of the worlde that when we shal passe out of this worlde we may depart in a good houre take our leaue in a good houre and that we goe in a good houre For if it be muche requisite for vs to liue well muche more it standeth vs vpon to finish well I thought good to write vnto your Lordship all this to the end that if I shal answere you somewhat short ye haue me excused and to hold me blamelesse But comming to the purpose I say that I muche delighte to reade your letters on the other parte I am ouercharged with your importunities for alwayes you come to me with vnknowne demaunds and right strange questions you now sende mée a moste auncient Epitaph that a certaine friende of yours hath brought from Rome whiche hath waged with your honour a certain wager that in all Spayn there shoulde not be a man which should haue skil to reade it much lesse to vnderstand it the letters of the Epitaph be these R.R.R.T. S.D.D.R.R.R.F.F.F.F. Neyther did that Romane speake according to knowledge eyther shall he winne his wager For that notwithstanding they be moste obscure and euery letter importe one worde I will sende them so declared and so aptly distinguished that he shall remayn confounded and you win the wager The case is thus Romulus raigning in Rome and Ezechias in Iudea there was a woman borne in Tarento named Delphica which was famous in hir life and singular in the art of diuining Amongest the Hebrues such women were named Prophetesses and amongste the Gentils called Sibilles Thys Sibill Delphica prophesied the destruction of Carthage the prosperitie of Rome the ruine of Capua the glorie of Graecia and the great pestilence of Italie And for that the fame of this Sibill was spread thoroughoute the worlde Kyng Romulus sente hir great presentes made hir greate promises and wrote to hir many letters to remoue hir out of hir countreye to lyue at Rome Neyther for any intreatance they vsed with hir or for any giftes they could sende hir this Sibill at any tyme would leaue hir countrey or come to dwell at Rome The whiche Romulus perceiuing determined in his owne person to goe sée hir and with hir in certayne causes to communicate The secret that Romulus desired was to vnderstand what Fortune was reserued for him and what destenie the Citie of Rome should haue whiche at that time king Romulus began to buylde Answere better nor worse mighte the kyng receyue of that Sibille Delphica but that she gaue him fouretéene letters written in certayne barkes of trées for that in those so auncient tymes they had not as then founde oute the manner to write in parchement and muche lesse in paper the secrete and misterie of which letters neither coulde King Romulus vnderstande eyther woulde the woman declare the same But so muche she did certifie him that there was one to be borne which should vnderstand and interprete those letters King Romulus being returned vnto his Citie of Rome commaunded those letters to be set in one of his Temples vnder greate and safe kéeping vntill the tyme shoulde come that the Goddes shoulde reueale them or some other bée borne that shoulde vnderstande them Foure hundreth thirtie seuen yeares those letters stoode hydden that no man coulde reade them muche lesse vnderstand them vntil there came to Rome an other Sibill named Erithra the whiche so clearely did declare interprete and expound them as if she hir selfe and none other had composed them The letters are but fouretéene the whiche declared in Englishe sayeth Romulus reygning Rome triumphing Sibill Delphica sayde the kingdome of Rome shall perish by Sword Fier Hunger and Colde Let vs put the selfe same caracters of the letters and the exposition in Latin vppon euery one of them in the forme that the Sibill expounded them whyche was as followeth R. Romulo R. Regnante R. Roma T. Triumphante S. Sibilla D. Delphica D. Dixit R. Regnum R. Romae R. Ruet F. Ferro F. Flamma F. Fame F. Frigore Sir behold héere your letters expounded your prophesies deuined your Romane confounded and also youre wager gotten And the reward shal be that I ouer watching my selfe to séeke this history your honour shall beare away the prayse of the aunswer If he will more thorowly know of this history let him come to séeke and reade Liuius Vulpitius Trebellius and Pogius whiche haue written of the antiquities of the Romans the sayings of the Sibilles No more but that our Lord be your protector and that he giue vs both his grace Amen Amen From Madrid the .xiij. of March. 1535. A letter vnto Sir Ynigo Marrique in which is re counted what hapned in Rome betwixt a slaue and a Lion an history very pleasant
drinking thereof it doth greate profit I would saye that the trauells which we suffer to be good they giue not so much paine when we endure them as they afterwards giue pleasure hauing passed them Prouide who will of the wines of Illana of the buttes of Candia and of the pipes of Rebedew but for my consolation and saluation I aske not of God but that al the days that remaine of my life he giue me leaue to drink if he please but one drop of his cup. There is another Cup which is called the cup of the wrath of God wherof to speake the entrailes do open the hart doth faile the flesh doth tremble and the eyes do wéepe with thys God doth threaten vs this is that whiche the Prophet speaketh of Of this the sorowfull Ierusalem did drinke of this the vnfortunate Sinagogue did make hir selfe dronke And the drunkennesse of this was the cause that Israell was banished from Iudea and translated into Babilon He drinketh of the cup of wrath that falleth from the state of grace wherein he stood wherof it foloweth that the soule is much more dead without grace than a body without a soule Then it is sayde that God is an angred when he is carelesse of vs and that day that we be forgetfull to feare him and he not delighted to loue vs and stumbling at euery steppe in the end of the iorney we shall be condemned Oh what difference there is in the wrath that men doe shewe and in that wrath and yre which is sayd to procéede from God for when men be angry they reuenge but God when he is angrie hee ceaseth to chastise In suche wise that God doth more chasten an euill man when he deferreth doth dissemble with hym than when he doth presently torment him There is not a greater temptation than not to be tempted there is no greater trouble than not to be troubled there is not greater chastisement than not to be chastised neyther is there a greater whip than not to be scourged of god The sick man of whose helth the phisition dispaireth is in small hope of his life I would say that his sinne which God doth not chastise I haue great suspition of his saluation It is much to be noted that the Prophete dothe not onely threaten Ierusalem for that she did drinke the cuppe of wrath but also bycause she did drink the grounds and dregs therof vntill nothing was left in suche wise that if there had bin more she woulde haue dronke more To drinke of the cuppe vnto the dregges is that hauing offended God greeuously committing all manner of sinnes wickedly forsaken some articles of the faith peruersely and hauing sinned with al the members damnably As if the commaundements being ten had bin ten thousand we had rather die than leaue any one of them disobeyed To drinke the Cup vnto the dregges is when we be not contented with breaking of one commaundement or two or thrée but that of force they must be broken al ten to drinke the cup vnto the dregs is if we leaue to commit any sinnes it is not for want of will but for want of power or for wante of occasion to drinke the cup vnto the dregges is that we doe not onely content our selues with sinning but that we doe presume and boaste ourselues of oure sinning to drinke the cuppe vnto the dregges is committing as we doe all manner of sinnes we can not suffer that they call vs sinners to drinke the cup vnto the dregges is to haue so greate vnshamefastnes in sinning that we dare not entire and vrge others to sinne to drinke the cup vnto the dregges is to haue our desires like a saint and our deserts like a deuill Behold here my Lorde Admirall what I conceaue of that text of the Prophet beholde here what I do thinke of youre doubt and I beséech God our Lord that he being pleased we may deserue to drinke of the cup that Christ did drinke of and not of the cup that Ieremie doth write of I write not vnto your lordship newes of the court as I was wont to write bicause it seemeth to commit treason vnto the holy Scripture if we should place any profane things at the foote of so holy a matter No more but that our Lord giue vs his grace From Madrid the xxv of March. Another letter vnto the same Commendathor Sir Lewes Braue wherein is written the conditions that the honorable old men ought to haue and that loue sildome or neuer departeth the hart where it is entred VEry noble and refourmed knight by the words of youre letter I vnderstoode how quickly the medicine of my writing came to youre hart and I do much reioyce to haue shotte at you with an arrow so inuenomed that was sufficient to make you stagger but not to strike you downe Although in the other letter whiche I did write vnto you it repented me to call you noble now I holde it for very well imployed in this letter to entitle you very noble bycause you haue amended the abuse of your life and answered according to your noblenesse Sir you write vnto me that the words of my letter did penetrate your hart and touch you to the quicke and to say you the troth I was right glad thereof for I did not write it that you should onely reade it but to the end you should cordially féele it Iointly with this I promise you as a Gentlemā and sweare vnto you as a Christian that it was not my meaning when I did write vnto you to offend you but to the intent to amend you Also you say that at the instant you read my letter you burned the tokens of your enamored dyd teare the letters of loue dispatch the page of messages remoued all talke of youre loue and gaue a quittance to the Pandor I cannot but praise what you haue done and much more will praise it when I shall sée you continue and perseuer in the same For vices be so euill to be vnrooted where they once take place that when we thinke they be all gone in the house they remayne hidden Sir I giue you great thankes for that you haue done and also do craue pardon for that I haue said although it be true to sée you amended I do little estéeme that you be offended For an vnkindnesse is sooner lost than vice remoued Also you craue of me in your letter that since I haue written you the conditions of an old man enamored that I write also vnto you the conditions that a wise olde man ought too haue bycause by the one may be knowne the shelfe that is to be shunned and by the other the channell obtayned that is nauigable wherein I delight to accomplish your request and to write your desire although it be true that I knowe not if my iudgement shall haue so delicate a vayne and my pen so good a grace in giuing counsell as in reprehending For
vs with his mercie and to lend vs his blessed grace by the meanes whereof we might bring foorth the frutes of good woorks wherof he himselfe might be amourous and our conscience comforted Then Sainct Peter that denied him S. Paule that pursued him S. Mathew that as a Publican did exchaunge the théefe that did steale might not haue foūd the house of Iesus Christ if he himselfe first had not giuen his grace Oh loue neuer hearde of oh louer not to be compared the which against the heare of mundaine loue both giue loue and the occasions of loue In charitate perpetua dilexi te sayde Iesus Christ by the Prophete that the loue wherewith Iesus Christ doeth loue vs is not fayned much lesse transitorie but perpetuall stable whiche is moste true in as muche as by the meane of his owne grace he is pleased with vs before our good works can declare vs to be his friendes That with a perpetuall and perfect charitie thou louest mée oh thou loue of my soule and redéemer of my lyfe considering the loue which thou bearest vs is thine and the profite therof is mine pretēding no other thing of thy loue which thou bearest to all creatures but by demonstration to declare thy souerayne bountie in placing vpon vs thy most great and ardent charitie With perpetuall charitie O Lorde thou dost loue vs considering that greate daye of thy passion wherein neyther the tormentes of thy body eyther the despitefull malice of the people might in no maner withdraw thy souerayne bountie or darken thy most great charitie but rather with innarrable sighes and teares incomparable didst praye for them that did crucifie thée didst pardon them that did offend thée And most certainly with a perpetuall charitie did our good Lorde loue vs since from the present houre wherein hée finished his prayer and rendred his spirite incontinent was manifested the frute of his passion and the efficacie of his prayer Non rogo pro ijs tantum sed pro bis qui credituri sunt in me Iesus Christe speaking vnto his father the nyght before his passion sayd O my father I pray not vnto thée onely for my Apostles and Disciples but also I praye as well for all the faythfull whiche shall beleeue in mée and that shall loue thée For euen as thou I be one selfe thing in diuinitie so they and I be one body mysticall by charitie O Redéemer of my lyfe oh repayrer from all my distresses what may I do that may please thée wherewith may I recompence thy great goodnesse wherwith I am indebted if I be not sufficient to giue due thankes for the good things that hourely thou dost bestow vpon me what abilitie may I finde to satisfie the great loue which thou bearest vnto my soule Surely the woordes that the Lorde Iesus Christ did speake in his prayer bée ryght woorthie to bée noted retayned and to memorie to be commended considering we were not yet borne neyther yet our greate Grandfathers He prayed vnto his father with suche instance and great efficacy for the health of all his Churche as much I saye as for those whiche were with him at supper in such wise that the good Lorde as he should die for all woulde pray for all whereof we maye inferre that we ought fully to beléeue and to be out of doubt that since oure redéemer had vs in remembrance before wée came into the world that he will not now forget vs when by faith we enter into his seruice I pray thée gentle Christian say vnto me if Iesus Christe had not pitied our estate what had become of vs surely if the Church of God at this present do contayne or is endued with any obedience patience charitie humilitie abstinence or cōtinence all is to be imputed to the ardēt loue that Iesus Christ did beare vs by the prayer he made vnto his father on oure behalfe redéeming our disgrace with his precious bloud and by his prayer placing vs in fauour To be in loue with such as be present and absent to be in loue both with quicke and dead it passeth but to loue suche as be yet to come and be not yet borne certainly is a thing that was neuer heard of the which our redeemer hath performed and brought to passe and yet hateth the wicked liuer and loueth the good not yet borne In such manner is cuppled togither both life and deathe loue and hatred he that loueth and the thing loued that al taketh end at an houre which is contrary vnto the loue whyche Iesus Christ doth beare vs for his loue had beginning before the creation of the world and yet shall not ende at the daye of iudgement The conclusion of all that we haue sayd shall bée that the excesse or extremitie which was spokē of in the mount of Thabor was of the extreme and excessiue sorrowes that Iesus Christ should endure and of the most great and excessiue loue that he did beare vs and in time to come shoulde shewe vs here by grace and after by glory Ad quam nos perducat Iesus Christus Amen The taking and ouerthrow of Carthage done by Scipio the great with a singular example of continencie which he there expressed written to the Byshop of Carthage MOst honorable Lord and Catholike Prelate I haue receyued in this Citie of Toledo in his Maiesties Chamber the letter that you haue written and the Emrode which you haue sent me the which surely is very faire and rich but notwithstanding in respect of the place and from whome it commeth I rather hold and estéeme it more deare incontinuall remembrance And I vnderstoode by your letter youre estate and how you behaue your selfe in your bishoprick and that you are not as yet disposed to come to this Court for that you are there in greater quietnesse and haue leysure to serue God whereof doubtlesse I do not a little enuie your felicitie for this life at Court is no other thing than a languishing death a certayne vnquiet life without peace and principally without money and a certayne purchace of domage and offence to the body and of Hell for the soule If it pleased his Maiestie that I might retire vnto my house I promise you by the fayth of a Christiā I would not stay one houre at court For the Court is neyther good or conuenient for me either I for the court But being confessor vnto his maiestie and Amner vnto the Emperesse I may not escape one day from the court Notwithstanding amongst all these discommodities wé receyue this benefite whiche is we vnderstand in this Courte all that is done or in practise through the world which is a matter wherein man dothe much delight content his spirites hauing no regarde to other thinges that might tourne him to more profite As touching you my Lorde you possesse youre house with great quietnesse deliuered of all fantasy to come to the
hath sent thée and that thou art a yong man my nephew and a Citizen of Rome The Emperour Tiberius writing vnto his brother germain said thus The Tēples be reuerenced the Gods be serued the Senate in peace the common wealth in prosperitie Rome in health Fortune gentle and the yeare fertile this is here in Italy the same we desire vnto thée in Asia Cicero writing vnto Cornelius sayeth thus Bée thou merry since I am not euill for likewise I shall reioyce if thou be well The diuine Plato writing from Athens vnto Dionysius the tirant saith thus To kill thy brother to demaund more tribute to force thy people to forget me thy friende and to take Photion as an enimie be workes of a tyrant The great Pompeius writing from the East vnto the Senate saith thus Conscript Fathers Damascus is taken Pentapolis is subiect Syria Colonia and Arabia is confederate and Palestina is ouercome The Consull Cneius Siluius writing newes of the battel of Pharsalia vnto Rome saith thus Caesar did ouercome Pompeius is dead Rufus is fled Cato killed himselfe the gouernement of Dictator is ended and the libertie lost Behold Sir the manner that the ancients vsed in writing to their peculiar friends which with their breuitie gaue vnto all men wherefore to be noted but we in neuer making an end giue large occasion to be corrected No more but that I pray the Lord to be your protector and giue me grace to serue him From Valiodolid the eight of October in the yere 1525. A letter vnto the Marques of Pescara wherein the Authour doth touch what a Captaine ought to be in the warres BEing with Caesar in Madrid the .xxij. of March I receiued a letter from your Lordship written the .xxx. of Ianuary and God be my witnesse that when I sawe and read it I would rather the date thereof had bin not from the siege of Marcellus but from the conquest of Ierusalem For if it were from Asia and not from France your iourney should be more famouse and magnified and of God much more accepted Titus Liuius reporteth of no small variance betwixt Mar. Marcellus and Quintus Fabius which did arise vpon the Cenfulships of the warres for that the good Mar. Marcellus would not be Captaine of the warre which was not very well iustified And Quintus Fabius did not accept to go to the warres were it not very daungerous The Romanes were in a maruelous vaine glory in that worlde when these twoo noble Princes were borne but in the ende muche more was the estimation of Marcus Marcellus for being iust than of Quint. Fab. for being valiaunt The Romanes were neuer so foyled or euer did incurre so muche dishonor in the warres of Asia either in Africa as they receiued at the siege of Numantia And this was not for defaulte of batterie eyther bicause the Citie was very strong but for that the Romanes had no reason to make them warre And the Numantines had iust cause to defend themselues Helie the Spartan doth say that onely the Emperour Traian was hee that neuer was ouercome in battell And the reason thereof was this that he did neuer take any warre in hand wherein he did not iustifie his cause The King of Pontus whiche was called Mithridates dyd wryte a certaine Letter vnto the Consull Silla being bente in warres moste cruelly the one against the other wherein was thus written I doe muche wonder of thée Consull Silla to take warre in hande in so straunge a lande as this of mine and that thou darest aduenture to deale with my great fortune since thou knowest shée neuer deceiued mée neither had acquaintance with thée To these woordes the Consull did answere Oh Mithridates I weighe it very little to holde warre farre from Romae since the Romanes haue fortune alwayes by them And if thou say that she did neuer fayle thée nor euer know mée thou shalt now sée how in vsing hir office she shall passe to mée and take hir leaue of thée And although it be not so I do neither feare thée or doubte hir for that I hope that the Goddes will do more for my iustice than for thée thy great fortune Many times the Emperoure Augustus vsed to say that warres to be good must be incommended vnto the Goddes accepted of Princes iustified of Philosophers and executed of Captaines Thus much I haue saide vnto your Lordship to this end that if your warre had bin vpon Ierusalem it were to be holden for iust but for that it is vpon Marsellius alway we hold it for scrupulous The kings hart is in the hand of God saith the diuine scripture If it be so who may attaine vnto this so great a secret whiche is to wéete that the Kings hart being in Gods hand he dare offend God which doth appeare most cleare in that we see no other thing but warres amongst the Christians and leaue the Moores to prosper and liue in rest This businesse to me is so difficulte that although I cā speak thereof I know not how to vnderstand it since all day wée sée no other thing but that God doth permitte by his secrete iudgements that the Churches where they prayse him be destroyed and throwen downe and the cursed remaine sound and frée where they do offend him Your Lordship is a Christian a good man at armes my neare kinseman and my speciall friend any of which things doth much binde me to féele your trauaile and to be gréeued with your perill I speake of trauell to the bodie bycause the Captaine that holdeth much of his honour ought to estéeme little of his life I say perill vnto the soule bicause amongst Christians there is no warre so iustified that in the same remayneth not some scruple Herein your Lordship shall sée that I desire to saue you in that I will not delite you with lies But only to say vnto you that which I do conceiue to the end that afterwards you may do what is méete If you know not wherunto you are bound I wish your Lordship to vnderstand it is that the Captaine generall do auoyde vniust wrongs correct blasphemers succour innocents chastise quarellers pay his armie defend the people auoyde all sackings and obserue fayth with the enemies Assure your selfe my Lord that there shall come a time in whiche you shall giue an accompt to God and also to the king not onely of what you haue done but likewise of that whereunto you haue consented Sir Iohn of Gueuara was your Grādfather and my cousin and he was one of the Gentlemen at armes that passed out of Spayne into Italy with the King Sir Alonso and there did helpe to get this kingdome of Naples and in recompence of his seruice hée made him Lorde greate Seneshall of the kingdome Of whiche you may gather howe muche your Lordship ought to trauell to leaue suche another renoume vnto your successours as hath bene left vnto you by your predecessors As
this punishment must not be suche that it appeare that they take some great vengeance for be a man neuer so brute without comparison he dothe more féele the hate that they shewe than the chastisements which they giue The whip the staffe the sworde the punishment that is giuen to the fleshe although it be gréeuous yet it soon passeth but the iniurious worde the heart neuer forgetteth For a man to be in power and authoritie and to refraine his anger it is not an humaine vertue but heroicall and diuine For in this world there is not a more high or excellent kind of triumph than a man to triumph ouer his owne heart Socrates the Philosopher holding his dagger in his hād to strike one of his seruantes the same alreadie lifted vp sayde remēbring my self that I am a philosopher that at this present I am angrie I wil not giue thée thy deserued chastisemente O example for certayne worthie to bée noted and muche more to be imbraced and followed Of whiche wée may gather that duryng the tyme that ire hathe vs in possession we ought not to dare to speake and muche lesse anye man to chastise Licurgus the Philosopher commaunded those that gouerned his common wealth that all euill and dishonest things they shoulde condemne and chastise but yet by no means abhorre the malefactor saying that there could not be amongst the people a more gréeuous plague than a iudge that woulde make hymselfe dronke with furie There be few that follow this counsell and verie manie that do the contrarie for now a days there is none that is angred with the offence but with the offender For my part and also for those that shall it is a great trauayle to trafike or deale with furious impacient and men of euill suffering For that they are importable to serue and of conuersation very perillous Since I haue said what thing is ire and the hurtes that are doone by ire nowe let vs say what remedies may be giuen against ire For my meaning is not to teache you to be angrye but to bée paciente I dare auouche that it is a great remedie agaynst ire when a man is angred to refrayne the tongue and to deferre vengeaunce vntill an other tyme For that many tymes a man doth say and promise béeing in choler thinges the whiche afterwardes he woulde not shoulde haue once passed hys thoughtes With the yrefull we must not be importunate to entreate a pardon no not from the foote to the hand but only to desire that vengeance be deferred For during furie there is no accompte to bée made that the iniuried will pardon excepte he bée quieted with the man that is furious and in choler for any one to séeke to bring him to agreement or to iustice eyther it is lacke of witte or diligence more than néedeth For the ire that is muche inflamed and the heart that is kindled with furye neyther doth admit consolation or is ouercome with reason I doe aduise and readuise the man that presumes to be wise that he take not in hand to contend with him that is inflamed with yre For if he faile to follow counsell herein when he scapeth best he shal eyther haue his honour reuiled or his head broken Although a man be a frēd vnto him that is offended he doth him more profite to let him alone than to speake vnto him or help him For at the instant he hath more néede of a bit to bridle him than a spur to quicken hym With the man that is in a rage it is more néede to vse skill than to deale by force For although he were angred at the sodain the pacifying of him must be at leisure Plutarch in the bookes of his cōmon wealth doth counsell the Emperoure Traiane that hée bée paciente in his trauayles mylde in his affayres and of muche suffering amongest the furious affirming and swearing that many mo thyngs bée cured by tyme than framed and agréed by reason Betwixt noble personages wée haue séene greate quarelles whiche passions and furies mighte not be stayed by entreataunce of friends threatning of enemies giftes of money neyther yet with wearinesse of trauayles And after that tyme hath had his course and calling them to remembrance haue agréed amongst themselues without the request of any friende to talke therin Finally I say that when a friende doth sée the choler of his friende inflamed if hée will doe him good lette hym caste on water with temperaunce to coole hym and not wood wyth furie to burne him I sir Iohn haue enlarged this Letter muche more than I thoughte and also more than I desyred but that youre excéedyng payne and sorrowes haue made my penne discourteous to suffer vse silence and dissemble and let the tyme passe and somewhat forget the matter For if I bée not deceyued you shall sée the fire that they made at your gates burne in their entrayles Salomon the Hebrew sayde that the wise man hathe his tongue in his hearte and he that is a foole and furious hath his heart in his tongue Agis the Greeke sayd that the foolish man is grieued with that whiche he doth suffer and boastes himselfe of that whiche he hath spoken And the wyse is gréeued with that whiche he hath spoken and boasteth himselfe of that he doth suffer Nowe or neuer it is néedfull that you profyte your selfe of your science and wisedome For it is a spice of no small foolishnesse to knowe to cure others and not to remedie your selfe I am not forgetful that when my sister the Lady Francis died in Mexia hir towre you did write mée so many and so good thinges that they were sufficient to lyghten me of the payne althoughe not altogether of the sorrowe And sir I saye it for this cause that it shall bée greately to youre owne purpose to take some grapes of the same vine As concerning the reste I haue no more to write vnto you but that the credite whiche youre seruaunte broughte with youre letter in that hée shoulde say vnto mée the selfe same credite my letter doth giue him in that whiche he shal answere From Toledo the .vj. of Aprill 1523. A letter vnto Sir Ierome Vique in whiche is treated how great libertie is much hurtfull RIght magnificent and Caesars Embassadour I being in Granado the xx of Iuly receiued a letter from your worship And considering it came so farre as it is from Valentia to Granado he hath made good spéed vppon the waye since he departed from thence the Saterday and came hither the Monday Comming as you come from so straunge a coūtrey as is Rome and hauing passed so daungerous a Sea as is the gulfe of Narbona I will not demaund if you came safe But giue God thankes for that you are come aliue I wishe if it please the Lord that you come from Italy so sound in bodie and so perfect in soule as when you parted from Spaine for in new countreyes
amongest the Gentiles were vsed holy Oratories as nowe is vsed amongst the Christians to which demaund I wil say what I haue read and that which presently I do remeÌ„ber The oracle of the Scicilians was Libeus the Oracle of the Rodes was Ceres the oracle of the Ephesians was the greate Diana the Oracle of the Palestines was Belus the Oracle of the Argiues was Delphos the oracle of the Numidians was Iuno the Oracle of the Romains was Berecinthia the oracle of the Thebans was Venus the oracle of the Spanyards was Proserpina whose temple stood in Cantabria which is now called Nauara That which the Christians do now call Hermitage the Gentils did name Oracle This Oracle stode always distant from the Cities and holden in very great veneration There was always in the Temple one priest alone it was well repaired well lockte and well indued and those that went thither on stations they might only kisse the walles also from the dores behold but within they might not enter except ordinarie priests and strange Embassadors Nere vnâ—â— the Oracle they plaÌ„ted trées within alwais oyle did burn the couering was all of lead to defende the raine at the doore there stoode an Idoll the which they did kisse they had there a certaine hollowe trunke where they did offer and an house buylded where they lodged Plutarch doth much praise the Emperor Alexander the great for that in all the kingdomes he conquered and in all the prouinces that he subdued he commaunded solemne Temples to bée made to praye in and Oracles farre distant to visite The king Antigonus that was page to the Emperour Alexander and father of king Demetrius althoughe they reprehend him to be absolute in gouernement and dissolute in maners the Historiographers do much praise him bicause euery wéeke he went once into the Temple and euery moneth did sleepe one night to the Oracle The Senate of Athens did muche more honour vnto the dinure Plato after his death than they did when he was liuing and the cause therof was for that the good Plato when he was wearie of reading and studying did withdraw himself to liue and also to dye neere vnto a certaine deuoute Oracle wherin he was afterwards buried and as God adorned Archidamas the Greeke that was sonne to Agesilaus after hée had gouerned the coÌ„mon wealth of Athens .22 yeares had ouercome by sea by land ten battailes he coÌ„maunded to he made in the most sharpe mountaines of Argos a most solemne oracle wherein Archidamas did ende his lyfe and also for himselfe did choose a sepulchre Amongst all the oratories that of olde they had in Asia the most famous was the Oracle of Delphos for to that place from all partes of the worlde they did concurre and thither did carye moste presentes and there made moste vowes and also from thence of their Goddes receyued most answeres When Camillus ouercame the Samnits the Romans made a vow to make an image of gold to send to the Oracle for which purpose the matrons of Rome gaue their cholers their rings their bracelets and their eare rings from their persons for which liberalitie they were greatly honored and largely priuiledged I haue sayd all this Father Abbotte to the end yâ—… shall vnderstand that it is no new thing in this world to haue amongst the people temples and hermitages The difference betwixt ours and theirs is that those Oracles men haue appoynted but our sanctuaries God doth choose whereof there followeth great vtilitie and no small securitie for that in the place that of God is chosen wée may praye withoute any scruple I doe remember I haue bene at oure Ladies of Lorito of Gadalupe del a penia de Francie del a Hoz de Segouia y de Balunera the which house and sanctuaries be all of much praier admiration but for my conteÌ„t my condition our Ladie of the craggy Rocke I finde it to be a buildyng of admiration a temple of prayer and a house of deuotion Father Abbot I assure you of a troth I did neuer sée my selfe amongst those sharpe crags amongst those high mountains amongst those cruell rocks amongst those thick woods that I did not purpose to be an other that I did not sorow for time past and that I did not abhorre libertie did loue to be alone I did neuer passe by craggie moone that forthwith I was not contrite that I was not repentant at great leysure that I did not celebrate with teares that I did not watche one nyghte that I gaue not to the poore aboue all that I did not fill my selfe with sighing and purpose to amend Or that it pleased the God of heauen that I were suche here and in my whole lyfe as I haue purposed to bee when I was there The more I goe laden with dayes the more dull I féele my selfe in vertues which is worst of al that in good desires I am a saint and in dooing good works I am a sinner preaching as I doe preach that heauen is full of good works hell is full of good thoughts I knowe not whether they be my frendes that doe counsel me parents that doth importune me enimies that do direct me businesse that doth hinder me Caesar that withoute ceasing commaundes me or the diuell that temptes me The more I doe purpose to parte from the worlde more and more I fynde my selfe sinkyng to the bottome thereof The trouth is that the lyfe of the Courte is verie pleasaunte for such as haue an appetite therto for there we suffer hunger colde thirste wearynesse pouertie sorrowe angers disfauours and persecutions all whyche be tollerable and verie easy to be suffered for there is none that dothe hynder oure libertie neyther taketh reckening of our ydlenesse Beléeue mée father Abbotte and be oute of doubte for the soule and also for the bodye your lyfe is muche better there at Craggye Mounte than this that wée leade héere at Courte for the Courte serueth better to heare newes thereof than to experimente the things that passeth therin In the Courte he that may doe little is soone forgotten and hée that hath somewhat is pursued In the court the poore hath not to care and the riche can not help himself In the Court they be few that liue contented and many that be abhorred In the Court all procure to be in fauour and authoritie and in the end one only doth commaunde In the Court none hath desire there to die notwithstanding we see not any that will departe from thence In the Court we see many doe what they 〈…〉 t but very fewe what is méete In the Courte all doe blaspheme the court notwithstanding all follow the court Finally I say and affirme that which I haue said and preached whiche is that the Court is not but for men that be priuate and in fauour that can gather the frute therof and for yong men that haue no feeling thereof It with these conditions
with all the mightie and nobles of Spaine ioyned in Medina del rio Secco to giue order for the succour of Tordisillas and to chase away the Rebelles frō the town of Braxima my desire and iudgemēt is that you shoulde rather estéeme to be a souldier with the Gentlemen thā a Captaine ouer Rebelles Also I said vnto you that the gouernours had commaunded a scaffold to be made wherevppon a King at armes beeing ascended made publique proclamation that all Knightes and Gentlemen that repaired not within fiftéene dayes with Horse and Armour vnder the Kings Standerd to serue and be resident should bée holden as traytors and disloyall and that it séemed vnto me that you shoulde rather haue accomplished that which the gouernours cōmanded than that which in Toledo they had desired Also I sayde vnto you that commonly ciuill and popular warres decay in puissance preuaile sildome and may not indure and after they bée finished and the common wealth pacified the Kings and Princes of the same doe vse for custome to pardon the commō people and behead the Captaines Also I sayd vnto you that you shoulde not blinde your selfe with foolishe lyes eyther with wordes of vncertaine purposes whyche is to witte if anye shall saye vnto you that you are the father of the countrey the refuge of prisoners the repaire of the grieued the defender of the common wealthe and the restorer of Castile for the very same persons that to daye do name you redeemer on the morrow will proclaime you traytor Also I sayd vnto you that you ought to haue before youre eyes that your father Peter Lopes and your Vncle Sir Garcia and your Brother Gutiere Lopes and all your friends and alies be all in seruice of the King in the gouernours Camp and that you alone of all your linage amongst rebelles bend against the King whereof there followeth that you alone being in fault they here in generall receiue the shame Also I said vnto you that since the King had giuen you no cause of offence either taken from you any rewarde or bountie or commaunded you any iniustice It were very vniust that you shoulde be the whip wherewith Hernando of Aualos should reuenge his iniurie For if he hath sworne to be reuenged of Xeues also you are bound to be faithfull vnto the king Also I saide vnto you that you shoulde giue to the Diuell the prophestes witchcrafts and enchantments of the Lady Mary your wife whiche is sayde that she and a certaine woman slaue do practise for that to speake and practise with the Diuell it may not be otherwise but that she-looseth hir soule and you to lose your life and honor Also I said vnto you that you should not care to attempt to enter the Couent of Vcles with intent to be master of Saint Iames either to throw Sir Iohn del rio Secco out of Toledo since it were a vanitie to thinke it and a great lightnesse to take it in hande for to be master of saint Iames you haue not done suche seruice wherefore it should be giuen you neyther sir Iohn hath done any treason why it should be takē from him So many and so good Counsells so many and so profitable aduises so many and so perswasible words so many and so importune desires so many and so great promises so many and so great assurances as I gaue promised did sweare desire and importune and assure you mighte not procéede from a suspitious friende either from a man of a double cōdition but rather as from a father to a sonne from a brother to a brother and from a friend to a friende I would to God you did throughly know my hart and the heart of Hernando of Aualos your vncle then shoulde you sée most cleare how it is I that do loue you and he that doth deceyue you I that giue you the hande and he the man that offreth you deceyts I that shew you the deapth and he that sendes you to the bottome I that set vp the marke and he that takes away the white I that lettes you bloud in the right vaine and he that lameth your armes Finally I am he that would cure and open your impostume and he is the man that giueth end to your lyfe and burieth your renoume If you had taken my counsell I had placed you in my Chronicles amongest the glorious personages of Spayne with the famous Viriato the venturous Cid the good Fernan Gonsalis the Knight Tiran and with the great Captaine and other infinite Knightes and Gentlemen woorthie of prayse and no lesse to be followed But since you woulde néeds imitate and credit Hernando of Aualos and the other rebellious commoners I shall be forced to place you in the Cathaologe of the famous tyrantes that is to saye with the Iustice Castromino and Fernan Centeno with captayn Sapico the duchesse of Villalua the Marshal Peter Pardo Alfonso Trusillo Lope Carasco and Taymayo Isquirdo All these and many other with them were tyrantes and rebelles in the dayes of king Iohn and king Henry And this is the difference betwixt you and them that euery one of them dyd tyrannise but their owne countreyes but you the whole countrey of Castile I can not comprehend your intention either can I conceyue what you may obtaine in folowing this enterprise and to contend vpon so vniust a demaunde since you knowe and all we vnderstande that if your enterprise shoulde happe to preuayle there is none that woulde accepte gratifie or take it in good part and if your purpose be made frustrate there is a Kyng that will reuenge the iniurie for the greatenesse and Maiestie of Castile knoweth not to endure disobedience to their kings either suffer themselues to be commaunded by tyrantes When this yeare ye came to talke with me in Medina del campo and I went with you to sée the bit maker and Viloria the skinner Bobadilla the sheareman Pennelas the carde maker Ontoria the lockier Mender the bookebynder and Lares the enseigne bearer that were the heads and inuentours of the commoners of Valiodolid Borgos Leon Zamora Salamanca Auila and Medina I assure you I was dismayde and ashamed for that presently I did both sée and knowe that passion was your guyde and they conducted by opinion that you all did flée reason but for that I am in lyfe a sinner in habite religious in office a preacher and in knowledge simple you haue not to make small accompt of my counsell for as Plato sayd we are not a little beholding vnto those that do aduise vs wherin wée erre and doe directe vs in what wée ought to doe for it is much better we amend by others correction than lose our selues by foolishe perseuerance Beléeue me and be out of doubt Maister Iohn of Padilla if you had spoken firste with me in Toledo as you did after talke with me in Medina you had neuer taken this enterprise in hande for as the
subtill in witte of valiant hart and fortunate in exployt of war as he manifested most puisantly by obtayning more honour than any other in the Campe whereby he grew in dayly reputation amongst his owne companions and more fearefull than the Wolfe is to the Shéepe to the hearts of his enemies which hanging the times of these warres caused the Emperour Heraclius to fauoure him aboue all others The warres ended and licence giuen for all the straungers to departe he sent the Saracyns away discontented and not wel payed which moued them and their generall Mahomet to rayse mutine and coniuration in suche wyse that they assayled Palestina whyche before they had subdued and inuaded the countreys of Aegypt Damas the two Syrias Pentapolis and Antioch without resistaunce of any person Here also you must vnderstande that Mahomet was by his father a Gentile and by his mother a Iewe whyche is the cause why he was fostred in Iudea He held one Sergius which was infected with the heresies of Arius and Nestor a very ambitious man for his especiall friende By whome Mahomet vnderstanding well what honour and reuerence the Saracyns yeelded vnto him and accompting him selfe their head and chiefe determined to become their King lawegiuer to the end as King to be reputed and for lawmaker to be worshipped And as thys moÌ„ster Mahomet had a GeÌ„tile to his father a Iew to his mother and a Christian Heretique to his chiefe friend and instructer so each of them vsed their seueral lawes out of whiche thrée he determined to elect one to satisfye or more properly speaking to delude all nations Thus this miscreant nothing regarding the soules health nor due reformation of the common state but thristing after the renoune of a Prince during life and the fame of their lawgiuer after death instituted and published a sect or rather a rabble of abhominable preceptes and detestable counsells thereby to chaunge the vertuous and therewith to delight the vicious and wicked In the yeare 630. Heraclitus inferred and began his warres against the Persians and in the yeare 632. the warres ended In that yeare 632. Mahomet by conquest subdued the greatest part of Asia and in the yeare 636. he gaue his lawes to the Saracyns his countrymen the which he first brought into Arabia Petrosa not by preaching in worde but murdering with sword The gouernment of the East thus resting it chaunced in the yeare 642. that an infinite number of barbarous people passing by the stréetes of the mountaynes Caucasus to inuade that part of Asia Minor that bordereeh on Asia Maior whose comming brought good successe to the Nations adioyning These people by discent were of thrée mighty rude countries that is of the Scithians now called Persia of the PanoniaÌ„s now named Hungaria and of the Escaines nowe called Denmarcia whiche barbarians departed foorth of their natiue soyle as it is iudged constrayned with penurie and want of victualls as also with the Ciuill warres which they had amongst themselues For being without a gouernour they liued by robbing and pilling one from another euermore driuing the weakest to the worst Whereat Mahomet astonied at this their arriuall and séeing the Scithes and Paenonians dayly more and more to endamage Asia and to become so stout as to furnish themselues with places of defence he determined with a mighty power of Saracyns to encounter them This thing dismayed the Barbarians and caused them to assemble togither where they chose one Trangolipique for their general a man in warres much fortunate and in peace most vicious Now the warres of the Scithians and Saracyns grew so hote so long and so cruell that in thrée yeares and a halfe was soughten sixe mightie and bluddy battells wherein Fortune declared hir mutabilitie for to the Saracyns she was vnfriendly and to the Scithians nothing fauorable sometimes gyuing victory to the one side one day and tryumph to the other side on the next day Which the Scithians well noting and perceyuing that their number was muche decreased by meanes of those warres and also the Saracyns beholding the presente spoyle of their countrâ—… â–ª they agréed amongst themselues vppon Articles ensuing to continue friends for euer that is that the Scithes shoulde receyue the lawe of Mahomet and that the Saracyns should giue them that countrey to inhabite Whyche accordingly tooke effect and was concluded in the yeare 647. that the Saracyns and Turks became friends and confederates and from that time forwarde did wholly submit themselues to the obedience of Mahomet taking him for king and vowing fidelitie to his lawes Strabo Plynie Pomponius Mela and Gelaton whiche haue described all countries in the worlde make little accompte of Turkie before suche time as the Scythes beganne to inhabite the same who in the end became so strong and the Great Turk and Turquy so famous as at this day it is reputed one of the most renowmed Empyres in the world How the loue of Mahomet entred Africa VNderstand you that in the yeare 698. a puissant Pirat named Abeuchapeta passed from Asia into Africa leading with him 70. Galleys and 100. other vessels furnished for his exployte with which he pilled pirased such as he met withall by Seas and did also many times much hurt on the firme land This Abeuchapeta was a man valiant hardie and rich and a Saracyne obseruing the law of Mahomet of whome the Arabian Historiographers reporte that he neuer sacked anye Towne that would submit theÌ„selues to him nor raunsomed to libertie any persone that he had taken prisoner This companion for so hencefoorth will I terme him vnderstanding that in the Realme of the Moores otherwise called the countrie of Mauritania and now called the kingdome of Marrucos were extreme cruell and ciuill warres he determined to hasten thither with his fléete and to establish himselfe Lorde of all who passing the straites Giberaltare and being arriued vpon firme lande immediately practised to acquaint himselfe with one of the chéefe bands of the Moores by which policie in short time he obtayned afterward to be chéefe of the Realme and compelled them secretly to accept and obserue the Mahometicall lawes and religion by killing some and banishing others Whereby it came to passe that such as this coÌ„panion brought thither with him and the subdued inhabitantes of Marrucos were the first in Africa that togythers imbraced the lawes of Mahomet who as before time were alwayes called Moores do still at this presente and euer after continue the name of Moores or Morisques so that the inhabitants of Thunies whych be those of Tunis and the Numidians whiche are the people of Fesse and the Maurentines which are the people of Marrucos be al generally tearmed by the name of Moores though the countries do much differ in scituatioÌ„ This then is the resolution of your letter and the aunswere to youre demaunde that the name Saracyns was first found in Arabia where Mahomet was borne the name Turkes inuented in Asia where Mahomet remayned and
the moneth paste I say that after I had opened it I stoode long in doubte whither it shoulde be a letter sent mée from a friende or the laste will and testament of some one departed but then when I better aduised the superscription I founde it a letter come from Don Frances de Villoa a friende nay a singular friende to Fryer Anthonie Gueuara and to saye truely after I had perused and considered it I rather wished twoo dosen of Quailes and a gammon of Bacon whereof you haue plentie than a shéete of paper for they woulde haue delyghted myne eyes and nothing haue troubled my memorie But notwithstanding this my pleasaunt speacke I delyghted muche in the receyte of your letter whereby I perceyue that your hurte legge is cured and that presently you omit all tedious affayres and onely applye your selfe to pleasant pastymes Also I gather by your letter that you muche desire to vnderstande of the destruction of Spayne and the signification of certayne Epitaphes whiche you haue found written in a booke in your coffers and now you sende thē to me to be expounded For which I cannot yéeld cōdigne thāks to your gentle hart which conceyueth of my abilitie suche good opinion that you iudge my knowledge sufficiente to satisfie you in so high matters Wherefore to arme my indeuor to incounter your curtesie I haue most willingly in this my letter sent you the exposition of those Epitaphes and the discourse of the history which you so much desire beginning with the Epitaphes and ending with the rest The first Epitaph MIhi pater Iupiter Belus auus Saturnus Babilonicus proauus Chus Saturnus Aethiops Abanus Saturnus Aegiptius Atauus Caelus Foenix Ogiges Ab Ogige ad meum auum solorbem suum circumlustrauit semel ac tricies centies Ab Auo ad patrem sexties quinquagies A patre ad me bis sexagies Columnam templum statua Ioui Belo Socero matri Rheoe in olimpo Semiramis dicaui Semiramis Quéene of the Assyrians graued this title on a piller and dedicated it vnto Belus hir father in law in the name of hir late husbande Ninus as then it was vsed amongst thē which words englished signifie as followeth My father was Iupiter named Belus my grandfather Saturnus Babylonicus my great grandfather was Chus Saturnus Aethiops The father of my greate grandfather was Saturnus Aegipriacus and the grandfather of my great grandfather was Celus Faenix Ogiges From the time of the fludde vntill Ninus the sunne hadde performed his course .330 times Nemroth raigned .56 yeares Belus my father raigned .62 yeares I Semiramis haue dedicated this piller temple and Image vnto Belus my father in law and Rhea his mother in law in Olympia Now better to make you vnderstand this antiquitie so aūcient and this age so old you must note that these wordes Saturnus Iupiter and Hercules were not proper names as Peter and Iohn be but they were common names or titles attributed to men for their excellencies and dignitie as the names of Emperours Kings and Dukes The most ancient kings that founded any chiefe Towne or Citie within their Realmes or dominiōs were called Saturni and their eldest sonnes Iupiters and their daughters Iuno Their Nephewes and the infants of their children if they were valiant were called Hercules And therefore when any Princes successors of the sayde firste founders did place themselues at any time in other countries to inhabit the same and founded any new Cities or Townes as oftentimes they did when their auncesters and predecessors had sufficiently peopled such as they before had buylded such Princes enioyed a duble title kéeping the name of Iupiter by right of succession and the name of Saturne by reason of their new foundatiō and so likewise the Princes which sprāg of them by succession were also named Iupiters in one respect and Hercules in another whereof procéedeth the greate number of Iupiters Saturnes and Hercules wherewith histories be so replenished Belus was therefore héere intituled by the name of Iupiter for that he was sonne and successor to Nemroth in the Assirian Empire Nemroth also was tearmed Saturne Babylonicus bycause he first founded the Citie and peopled the Realme of Babylon Chus was also tearmed Saturnus Aethiopicus for that he first peopled Aethiopia and there founded townes and Cities C ham for that he first peopled Egypt was called Saturnus Aegiptiacus These Saturnius were called children of the Heauens and of Earth Thus haue you now heard the first Epitaph expounded The second Epitaph C. man C. man F. inferno Plutoni tricorpori charissimae Proserpinae tricipitique Cerbero munus mecum ferens damnatam dedo animam vitamque Hoc me condo monumento ne obrutis domus lapsu filijs sex quos Pûblius Scipio patrijs Camertibus ad Salid ex Libia incolumes restituerat in desolata orbitate supersim Vixi An. 56. M. 1. D. 5. boras scit nemo vale vita The exposition of the same ICaia Manlia daughter to Caius Manlius do carry with me mine owne present for I gyue my condemned soule and life to the infernall three bodied Pluto and to Proserpina hys most deare spouse to the threeheaded Cerberus I haue enclosed my self in this Sepulchre to lyue in care and griefe abandoned and afflicted I haue vj. Children slayne most miserably by the fall of a house after that Publius Scipio had led them into their countrey of Camerin out of Libia trauelling towardes Salia I lyued lvj yeares one moneth and fiue dayes but how many houres no man knoweth Farewell life Nowe if memory deceyue me not and that my bookes bée true this Epitaph was found in our time in Rome which was of a woman of Camerin that was burned liuing bycause in those dayes they were so foolishe and faythlesse that they estéemed it a thing deseruing prayse and muche honorable to be buried quicke or violently to murther themselues with their owne handes and thus they did to please themselues and serue the Deuill But lawe diuine and humane doth manifest nowe vnto vs howe execrable a vice this is and forbiddeth euery man to procure his owne death since we haue our sauioure Christ the author of our life The third Epitaph Belli potens valida natus de gente Gothorum Hic cum sex natis Rex Athaolphe iaces Ausus es Hispanas primus descendere in oras Quem comitabantur milia multa virum Gens tua tunc natos te inuidio sa peremit Quem post amplexa est Barcino magna gemens To vnderstande this Epitaph you must note that when the Gothes which were a barbarous and cruell nation of the North had sacked Italy as by the ruines remayning it appeareth Athaolphus the 24. their King determined to haue ouerrunne Spayne and to haue spoyled it as they had done Italy and other places in their way But when he came and was arriued at Barcelona he with vj. of his children were there by hys owne souldiers trayterously
easily make themselues Lordes of all Spaine A letter vnto the Admirall Sir Frederirk wherein the Auctor doth touche the maner that in olde time was vsed on their sepulchers and the Epitaphes that were placed vpon the same GLorious Admiral curious Lord neither doth it profite mée to bée angrie eyther to hold my peace to exclame or complayne neither yet to cease to make answere but that alwayes I must continue in combate with your letters as also with your messengers for absoluing your doubts It is but .15 dayes since I answered your letter and not a month since I absolued a certaine doubt I am determined with my selfe not to answere you to any letter neither to declare you any doubt vntill the counsell of Saratan haue considered therof and they of Villaunblalo do determine and iudge therein To performe wherin you request mée to execute the case which you cōmaūd me I may not deny vnto your Lordship that I haue not séene much heard passed also reade muche but ioyntly herewith your honor hath to consider that I am now become old wearied also tired go ladē with greate afaires which be of necessity but your doubts procéede of will. I haue sayde also written vnto your honor many times as you are but of little bodie haue that minde so generous noble it should be much to your ease that you Alonso Espinel made exchange which is to wit that he should lend you some more body wherin that hart of yours might be conteined and you bestow on him some more heart for that grosse and so vnweldy a bodie Cōsidering the great dulnes of Alonso Espinel and the excéeding spirite liuelinesse of your honor I do not thinke to be deceiued to vouche that your Lordship is a soule without a body that he is a body without a soule One thing doth yet comfort me which is that as your Lordshippe nowe groweth old and I also both olde sickly we shall not much write eche to other and much lesse vse mutuall visitation bicause as the diuine Plato sayd that yong men at times die sodenly but olde men may not liue long Little or muche or muche or little may it please the king of heauen that that which we lyue we may liue to his seruice for that we haue no accompte to make what we lyue but howe we lyue Leauing aparte both your iestes and my complaintes I my Lorde from hence foorth am determined to answere your letters with all breuitie as also to declare vnto you all your doubts for as Horace the Poet sayth it appertaineth to wise men to shewe a willing minde in that wherein necessitie constreyneth Cōming to the purpose your honor cōmādeth me to write vnto you the maner which they vsed in old time to make their sepulchers the fashion which they obserued in placing their Epitaphes for as it séemeth you meane to take order for your sepulture to deuise for the inuention of your Epitaph From hencefoorth I say and diuine that all those which shall sée my answere vnto your demaunde will maruell also as it may chance to laugh for that I shal be forced in this place to relate histories very straunge and customes neuer heard off Plinie in the beginning of his seuēth booke reciting the great miseries wherwith man is borne the immesurable trauels wherin he liueth sayeth thus Amongs all the beasts that nature hath brought foorth only man crepeth onely man is ambitious man onely is proude couetous and superstitious only desireth long life maketh a sepulture wherin to be buried moste truely Plinie spake greate troth bicause all other beasts neither riches doth make proude neither pouerty doth make sad neither care to lay vp in store neither trauell to gather togither neither wéepe whē they be borne neither grow sad when they shall dye but only trauell for liuing without carefulnesse where to be buried Onely the foolishe man is he which fetcheth marble from Gene Alabastre from Venice porphire from Candie bone of Gelofe and Iuory of Guinea for no greater purpose than to build a stately chappell and to erect a sumptuous sepulcher where to bury his bones the wormes to gnaw his intrailes I do not disalow eyther reproue but the rather I admit prayse to build good churches to erect great Chappell 's to endue with good doctrines to paint faire stories and to make rich ornaments but ioyntly therewith I say that I hold it for more safe that a man trauell and payne himselfe to leade a good life than make a rich Sepulture Oh how many poore men which are buried in Churchyards whose soules reioyce and rest in heauen and how many which be buried in sumptuous and stately Sepulchres whose soules be tormēted in Hell. On that night which Troy was burned Aeneas intreating his father Anchises to depart the Citie to the end he should not want a Sepulchre the old man aunswered Facilis iactura Sepulchri as if he had sayd There is no lesse griefe vnto manne than to want a Sepulchre The King Anchises sayde well in that he spake since we sée the liuing man complayne of the biting of a flye and of a flea that doth offend him but of a man that is dead we neuer heare any complaynt for any lacke of ringing or want of sumptuous buriall If Homer and Pisistratus do not deceyue vs The Cithes were the people that with most pomp did burie their dead and in most reuerence did hold their Sepulchres Zenophon the Thebane sayth That the Cithes fléeing before Darius he sent word to knowe how farre they woulde runne they aunswered we Cithes make no great accompt to lose our houses our fieldes neither oure children neyther yet our selues in respect of offence to the Sepulchres of our forfathers vnto the which whē thou shalte approche oh King Darius there shalte thou sée and know in how much more we estéeme the bones of the dead than the life of the liuing The Salaminos buried their dead their backs turned against the Agarens whiche were their mortall enimies In such wise that their enemitie endured not onely in time of life but also when they were dead The Massagedas at the time of death of any man or womā they drew foorth all the bloud in their vaynes and that day all the kindred being assembled did drinke the bloud and afterwards did burie the body The Hircans did washe the bodies of the dead with wine and did anoynt the same with a precious oyle and after the parents had bewayled and buried the dead they kept that oyle to eate and that wine to drinke The Caspians in finishing the last breath were cast into the fire and the asshes of the bones being gathered into a vessell did afterwards drinke them in wine in suche wise that the entrayles of the liuing was the Sepulchre of the dead The Cithes held for
of Asia the Heresie of Ebionites whereof Sainct Iohn in the Apocalips maketh reporte notwithstanding that Theodosius and Simachus had bene faithfull in their translations and of troth and veritable in their words our Church would at no tyme receyue their scriptures hauing no confidence in the credence of their persons Fourtéene yeares after the death of Simachus whiche was the fifth yeare of the Empire of Heliogabalus it came too passe that a certayne Patriarcke of Ierusalem béeyng named Ioannes Budeus founde in a caue at Iericho faythfully written and catholikely translated out of Greke into Latine all the olde and new Testament This is the translation the whiche at this present the Latine Church doth vse this is that which we call Quinta editio and of others is named the Translation Hiericontini which is to saye that which was founde in Hiericho the auctor whereof was neuer knowen In the eyght yeare of Alexāder Seuerus the sonne of Mamea which was about ten yeares after the translation Hiericontine was found a Doctor of ours named Origene did correct the trāslation of the .70 Interpreters which is to vnderstand in adding where they had bin briefe declaring the darke mysteries placing a little starre as a marke wher he had made declaration of any matter and where he did remoue or take away he added the marke of a little arrowe All these sixe translations aboue mentioned whiche is to say of the .70 Interpreters of Aquile of Simachus of Theodosius of Iericho that of Origene our auncients did vse for custome of them all to make one booke writing in euery leafe by six diuisions and this booke was named Hexapla ab ex quod est ex Latinè quasi sex traductiones in se continens Foure hundreth yeares after this a certaine Doctor of ours named S. Ierome most certainly a man very holy and in his tyme and of his temple most learned and greatest vnderstanding in the sacred Scriptures and humaine letters and no lesse expert in the Gréeke Hebrewe and Caldée tongue This man did in like maner correct the translation of the .70 Interpreters made also another by it selfe out of Greke into Latine as well of the olde as of the new Testament The greatest part wherof is now in vse in our Catholike Church and is the same that we most estéeme In like maner I will that you vnderstande that in the 314. yere after the natiuitie of our sauiour Iesus Christ there was raysed among you a certayne Iewe of Idumaea named Maier a man very subtyle and in the arte of Nygromancie no lesse skilfull which obtayned suche credite and reputation among you that he made you fully beléeue that God had gyuen twoo lawes vnto Moyses in the mount of Sinay the one in writing and the other in worde and sayde that God had done the same knowing that in time the wrytten lawe shoulde bée loste and that lawe shoulde raygne whiche was gyuen by woorde This cursed Iew Maier further sayde that God had reuealed this lawe vnto Moyses only and alone and Moyses did reueale the same to Iosue and Iosue to his successors and so from hand to hande it was reuealed vnto him and that vnto him onely God had commaunded to put the same in writing and to manifest the same to his Iewish people Insomuch that the lawe of Moyses beganne to bée abolished and the people and their lawe to be loste This lawe whiche your Iewe Maier had inuented in the Hebrwe speache was named Misna which is to saye the Secrete lawe This sayde lawe was glosed afterwards by many of your doctors namely by Rabby Manoa Rabby Andasy Rabby Butaora and Rabby Samuel the whiche in like manner with him did write many wretched and cursed things and no small lyes in preiudice of the lawe that Iesus Christe had preached vnto you and the lawe which Moyses had giuen you This lawe is the same whiche your Rabbyes haue otherwise named the booke of the Talmud wherein your doctors do say that when God vpon the Mount of Sinay did gyue the law vnto Moyses that then were present the soules of Dauid of Esay of Ieremie of Ezechiel and of Daniel and of all the other Prophetes And likewise they saye that there was present all the soules of theyr Rabbyes of the Synagogue whiche shoulde declare bothe the lawes of Moyses and also sayde that shortly after God would anew create their bodies to infuse these soules But it is right well knowen vnto you that according to the Prophesies and the lawes of Moyses the true Messias whiche was Iesus Christe was then come and that all your Iewish Common wealth is nowe finished for whiche cause ye haue preferred this lawe named Misna and his glose named Talmud by the meane of which law and glosse ye bold abused all the common people and yeelde destruction to your Iewishe estate Concluding I say that very well to good right and direct purpose I haue alleadged agaynste you that texte of Dauid whiche sayeth Scrutati sunt iniquitates And the other of Esay whiche sayeth Parum est mihi vt suscites feces In so muche as you haue falsified the Scriptures inuēted other new lawes Wherefore in respect thereof I haue done you neyther wrong nor iniurie considering also that at this present yee do more defende the lawe of Maier than the lawe of Moyses And for that I haue dilated this discourse more than I thought to haue done the reste shall remayne to bée verified in some other disputation An excellent disputation which the Auctor held against the Iewes of Naples wherein is declared the hyghe mysteries of of the Trinitie HOnorable Rabbyes and stiffenecked Iewes in the laste disputation holden betwixte vs on saterday last ye would haue pluckt out myne eyes and also haue beaten mée bycause I alledged thē these words of Iesus Christ which say Ego principium qui loquor vobis Answering ye sayde that neyther Iesus Christ vnderstoode what he sayde eyther I muche lesse what I defended scornfully mocking ye affrmed that I was but simple the whiche in déede may be very true But to note my Lord Iesus Christ of falsehoode most certaynly of your parte it procéedeth of your to too greate wretchednesse and moste excéeding and extreme wickednesse béeyng vtterly repugnant vnto his bountie to deceyue and to his diuinitie to lye Were it in you or had ye the grace to beléeue as I and all others do and ought to beléeue that his humanitie word is vnited ye would in like maner beléeue confesse that it were impossible that the blissed Iesus might erre in that which he commaunded eyther exercise his life as sinner eyther his speache as lyer But forasmuche as ye remayne obstinate in your lawes of Moyses ye deserue not to vnderstande so high mysteries The law of Moyses I do not deny but your Cabal I can in no wise credit but vtterly defie firmly beleue the
Gospell of Iesus Christ And also most faythfully am fully persuaded that whē Christ in his humanitie did take beginning your ceremoniall law did then take ending And from the present houre that the Lord Iesus Christ sayd vpō the crosse Consummatū est he gaue vs to vnderstande that then was finished the holocaustes sacrifices oblations figures ceremonies and also your royall scepter had then taken ende and pontificall dignitie declined and in short time after vtterly consumed and in the same momēt our church began to spring your synagoge to be buried There is now more than .1500 yeres past that ye haue had neither King to obey sacrifising priest to command temple to pray in sacrifice to offer prophets in whome to giue credite either as muche as a citie wherein to be succoured or repaire vnto in suche wise that to all men it is manifestly seene that your sorowfull synagoge is dead and ended without all hope for euermore to ryse agayne Iesus Christ sayde that your kingdome should be remoued and taken away that your temple should be subuerted and ouerthrowen that ye shold be dispersed throughout the world the Ierusalem should be destroyed that your law should be lost In like maner Iesus Christ sayd that ye should dye obstinate in your sinnes and so cōtinue wandering as vacabunds vntill the ende of the world Notwithstanding that ye remained in bondage seruitude slauery in those two greate captiuities of Aegipt Babylon yet there remained with you some rēnāt of priesthood of prophet of king or of law But after the cōming of Iesus Christ all was lost al was finished al was vanished away nothing remaining vnto you but the name of Iewes the liberty of slaues There is not any nation in this worlde be it neuer so barbarous that hath not some place to retire vnto or some captaine to defend them the Garaments of Asia the Messagetes bordering vppon the Indians and the Negros of Aethiope bearing witnesse except you most miserable Iewes the which in all places and countries be fugitiues and captiues Certaynely moste obstinate and stiffe necked people I do not maruell that I haue so little profited and done so little good amongst you in these fyue monethes in arguing preaching and disputing in so muche that Iesus Christ with his excellent doctrine and maruelous miracles could do no more in .30 yeares hauing no grace to accept the same in better part than to crucifie him for his greate bountie Then sithens the principall cause of your losse doth consist in that yée beléeue not the newe Testament neyther vnderstand the olde which is most true For if soundly and intierly ye had vnderstanding of the sacred scripture with your owne handes ye would set fire vnto the synagogue And for that you haue all in generall and euery one in particular desired mée to say and gyue you to vnderstande what or howe the Christians do conceyue and what our doctors and learned men do teache as touching the right hyghe mysterie of the Trinitie I pray you also honorable Rabbies to be intentiue to that which I shall propose and to haue regard to that which I shal determine for that the mysteries of the Trinitie be of suche depth and profunditie that they ought to be beléeued with the vnderstanding although reason may not shewe and comprehend them Forasmuch as all you Rabbies Iewes whiche be present do well vnderstand the Latine and the Spanishe tongue and I vnderstand your Hebrew the Italian tongs I will endeuoire and vndertake to declare the best that I can this mysterie of the Trinitie partly in Latine and partly in Hebrew partly in Spanishe for the matter is so high that one language is not sufficient to declare the same scilicet singularitatis incommutabilitatis et dignitatis By this I vnderstande that for one personne to bee a Diuine personne it is requisite that he shoulde haue thrée thinges whiche is to vnderstande that it haue in it some singularitie whiche is not founde in any other Incommutabilite whiche vnto it and to no other is communicated And some dignitie which in it and not in any other is to bée founde The personne of Iesus Christ our God by all these reasons here aboue sayde is a person Diuine notwithstanding it bee cladde with humayne fleshe As touching the fyrst which is to haue some priuiledge of singularitie that hath beene founde in the Soule of Iesus Christe the which onely by spetiall grace from the howre it was create it was vnited with the Diuine worde The seconde priuiledge of Iucommutabilite was founde in the Sacred bodye of Iesus Christe the whiche in the Wombe of his gloryous mother lykewise was by the holye Ghoste fourmed Et a verbo Assumptum The thyrde priuiledge whiche is of dignitye is lykewyse founde in the Soule and bodye of Iesus Christe remayning in his humayne nature and not but one person the whiche was and is Diuine You haue farther to vnderstande honourable Rabbis That there are twoo termes the diffinicion of which is verye necessarie to bee knowne vnto them That seeke to vnderstande any thing in the holye Scripture whiche is to saye Actes essentialles and actes personalies The example thereof is written in the fyrste Chapter of Genesis Jn principio Creauit deus Celum et terram c. In this place here this name Deus Accipitur essentialiter Et non personaliter quia creare est actus essentiales et non personalis et conuenit e rinitati in quantum deus Also it is writtē Dominus dixit ad me filius meus es tu in which place this name dominus Accipitur personaliter et nō essentialiter qui de patris persona precise intelligitur et in diuini generare est actus personalis et non essentialis et est notio ipssius patris Likewise ye haue to vnderstande that as in Iesus Christ is one person diuine there is in the same diuine nature humaine nature mistical nature Prima est eterna Secunda est a verbo assumpta Tertia est in Adam corrupta qui licet nō sunt altera spetie ab humanitate Christi tamen est altera secundū conditionē nature sauciate In the scriptures Iesus Christ is introduced sometimes speaking according to diuine eternal nature as when it is sayd Dominus dixit ad me filius meus est tu Sometimes speaking in the humaine nature As when he sayth In capite libri scriptū est deme et illum non est exaltatū cor meū c. And sometimes is brought in speaking according to the nature mistical corrupted So as Longe A salute meaver ba delictorum meorum et illud Delicta labiorum meorum non sunt a te abscondita The which he sayd as of the paine not touching the faulte for as much as the body mistical dyd perpetrate his true verie body dyd paye and suffer Our amitie is so lytle That our
fortune The words of a very friend without dissimulation Men do order warres but God onely giueth victorie To one person and one matter fortune very seldome sheweth fidelitie What he ought to do that hathe continued long in the warres There is no greater trauel than to be ignorant of quietnesse Men oughte to trauell vntill they haue wherwith to defende necessitie He is in some hatred with fortune that is not suffred to repose in his owne house It is more to know how to enioy a victory than to ouercome a battell Our greatest trauels be of our owne seeking Both wisedome and eloqueÌ„ce in writing of a letter bee discouered In the courte men doe not but vndoe In the courte ther are thinges to be wondered as also to be shunned Newes of those dayes from Italy In Italy they win not so muche money as they learne vice Eight conditions of the courte and all verie perillous In the courte more despited than dispatched Death giueth feare but not amendment The ploughman reuewing the straightnes of his forough giueth note to the wise to examin their writings A letter ought to be pleasant to reade discret to be noted God dothe more for vs in giuiÌ„g vs grace than to take away temptations God doth know what he giueth vs but we know not what to craue To haue the occasion of sinne taken awaye is no small benefite of God. To be without temptatioÌ„ is no good signe The deuil procureth great welfare vnto his dearlings Notable examples against such as do persecute Very great bee the priuileges of the vertuous He incurreth great perils that coÌ„tendeth with the vertuous The certaine before the doubtfull is to be preferted A Kintall is a hundreth waight It is better to be than to seeme to bee vertuouse The conditioÌ„s of a friends letter A text of scripture expounded Vertue the vertues by exercise be conserued God hath more regarde vnto vs than we our selues Not the suffring but the pacieÌ„ce wherwith we suffer God regardeth The teÌ„ptation of the Deuill is limited It is lesse trauel to serue God than the world Good company is more pleasant then great fare The old Romanes were superstitious Places where the good wine of Spaine doth grow Terrible notes for the rich nigard The deed do here leaue their moneye and carie awaye theyr sinnes Horrible to liue poorely to die in great wealth Strange customes in a coÌ„mon welth are perillous Notable coÌ„dicioÌ„s of a good President The wordes of the eloqueÌ„t containe great efficacie A straunge example of an Orator A text of the Psalmist expounded It is lesse euill to enuie vs thaÌ„ to pitie vs The causes of hatred of Iulius Cesar and Pompeius Enuie bendeth his artillerie against prosperitie Behold the fraternitie of enuie Courtiers loose time Iniuries don by the almightie are to bee dissembled The trefull of al men and at all times abhorred In him that gouerneth ire is perilious A notable example to reâ—traine ire An example of the heathen to be noted and learned For the doubt of vice libertie refused Libertie craueth wisdome Twelue coÌ„dicioÌ„s of Rome variyng from Christes law A condicion at be in braced A rewarde after death A darke Epitaph expounded He is depriued of libertie that discouereth a secret It staineth a Gentleman to tell a lye Fiue Knightes throwne downe Sometimes some things vnfortunat To profite by sicknes declareth great wisedome Priuileges profites obtained by sicknes Anger 's and excesse be no small enemies to health To manifest the secrets of Princes is perillous An olde Epitaph Who dyd write the historie of the Sibils The historie of the man and the Lion. Great liberalitie vsed in feastes Did acquaintance renued betwene a maÌ„ and a Lyon. The Emperour Titus talketh with a slaue A slaue and also noble was Andronicus Auarice is cause of great infamie Foure sextertios amounte to .iiij. d. Where noblenesse dwelleth no treason haunteth An extreme distresse A passing toye Beastes doe feele benefits The Lyon feedeth his Chirurgian Absence extremely lamented The slaue craueth mercie The people of Rome make humble supplication for the slaue Note the authors of the historie Of what things they murmur in the Court. Who be great murmurers The order of the noble or gentlemans house The sinne of Ingratitude before God is detestable Zorzales blackbirds He is not to be holden for noble that hath much but that geueth much The poore do reuenge with teares To forget an iniurie proceedeth of singular wisedome Things that many desire but few obtain Conditions of a good iustice The conditions of Iudges vsed to be choseÌ„ in Rome The office of Iustice is to be giuen for merit and not for affection Euill iudges do execute the purse and not the person Iudges ought to dispatche with speed and answere with pacience Humanitie to all men of the mighty is to be vsed Of all men to be noted The womans armour is hir tongue True gentilitie pitieth the distressed Brothers children A speciall aduenture The pretence of priuate profite is voyde of all good counsell A notable measure A quent of Meruedis whiche be .6 a penie amouÌ„t 2500. Ducates The harte of man is moste excelleÌ„t in his kynde CommeÌ„dable qualities A notable secret in the yere climatik A perillous time for old men Notable conditions of a noble man. A lesson for Lords The expositioÌ„ of the text To be ashamed of sinne is hope of ameÌ„dment No greter sinner than he that presumeth to be good Oracles of old time Antigonus to be noted Gods grace doth only saue vs. A benefit due to suche as serue princes Badges of Christ Withoute grace a soule is lyke a body without life To drinke of the one or of the other great choyce is to be vsed Rules for old men Conuersation for old men The exercise of good old men The notes of good old men Necessary prouision for olde men A diet for old men Temperance in old men prouoketh sleepe and auoydeth belke A conclusion with rules conuenient for old men A most certaine remedie for loue A sodaine and strange spectacle Note the eloquence of the Author The perfect condition of a friende Buried being alyue A good praise to a Gentleman The wyse man weepeth not but for the losse of a frend The honest care not to liue long but well Who is worthie of prayse The friende vnto the freÌ„d neither hideth secret nor denieth money Not in your labour but in patience Not the paine but the cause maketh the martir A poudred crane sent froÌ„ Asia to Rome Plato offended with Dionisius for eating twice on the day Seuen nations inhabited Spaine The importunat and the foole are brothers children A notable example of a pitifull Prince An answer of Cato to Ascanius The good Iudge wresteth his condition agreeable to good lawes An example for men to be intreated of other men A sugred speach A commendable eloquence Notes of Iulius Cesar of Alexander the great The order of the knights of the